| Islamic World News | |
| 07 Dec 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com |
Artiste selection continues for Bangla movie BLACK
Kayani escapes Taliban rocket attack in South Waziristan
‘Terror originating from Pakistan unacceptable’
Judge denies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange bail
Amnesty demands action on Malaysian judicial caning 'epidemic'
Ahmadinejad, Iranian clerics battle over women in sports
Sharia vigilante violence rife in Aceh: report
Most Muslims Want Islam to Govern Politics
US cable describes controversial Saddam execution
Go to hell, guards told Saddam
‘Cable on Modi threat evidence of fake Ishrat encounter’
BJP seeks action on WikiLeaks report on Modi
Saudi Kingdom asks Muslims to promote peace
Gulf's soaring dreams and pragmatic reality ...
18 Somalis killed in weekend fighting in Mogadishu
Petraeus casts doubt on 2014 Afghanistan timeline
New Zealand violates religious rights of Jews
Malaysia Canes Three Women for Extramarital Sex Offences
What Muslim nations can learn from the 'infidels' -- how to fight corruption
Longtime Malaysian Indian party leader steps down
'At Islamabad's behest, China blocked UN sanctions on JuD'
Pakistan woman recounts ordeal under Taliban
‘Pak’s support to terror groups undermines US objectives’
Saudi Arabia funding LeT, Al Qaeda, Taliban: Hillary memo
LeT ‘expanding network’ in Nepal: US Cable
Demolition of Babri mosque fades from Parliament's memory
Sarkozy going soft on Pakistan?
Yemen diverted US counterrorism aid meant to tackle Al Qaeda, WikiLeaks reveals
'Munni...' now favourite taunt of Pakistani politicians!
WikiLeaks: Al Jazeera used as diplomatic tool
Mumbai terror suspect Rana's trial set for Feb 14
Pak claims test firing of new anti-tank missile
Danish playground mosques, temples build religious tolerance
NZ selling Haram meat to Muslim countries
Bangladesh: Banning hartal
'What's being done for Kashmiri migrants?'
Jamat-e-Islami opposes presence of NATO forces in Afghanistan
Wiki fires fresh salvo, lists sites vital to US
Iran N-talks begin, but don't raise great expectations
Iran, world powers sit down for nuclear negotiations
Pak bid to punish 26/11 masterminds a faade: Pillai
Antony: Pakistan violated Indian airspace 23 times in last 3 years
Minister demands "azadi" for Kashmir, leaves Congress red-faced
Pak court restrains govt from amending blasphemy law
Top Iranian negotiator arrives in Geneva for nuclear talks
Saudi officials wary of approaching ISI on terror info: WikiLeaks
Gang steals costly chic attire from Nafisa Ali’s boutique
Kasab: my photos morphed
Two television journalists among killed
Afghans say Karzai doing ‘excellent’ job
Israel’s top woman cop dies from fire burns
J&K Govt response sought over Centre’s rehab package
China toed Pak line to shield brain behind 26/11 in the UN
'My heart is with you,' Abdullah tells GCC leaders
Anas' grandma appeals to kidnapper
Pak CG assures injured pilgrims of all support
Absence of Pakistani civilian leaders at Manama summit raises eyebrows
Jamil Fakhri names two suspects in missing son’s case
Syria, Saudi Arabia seek compromise in Hariri probe
US intervenes to stop weapons reaching Hamas, Hezbollah
UN prosecutor urges faster Serbia war crimes action
Compiled by New Age Isalm News Bureau
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Terror strikes Varanasi: 1 dead, 35 hurt in blast at ghat
Binay Singh & Rajeev Dikshit
Dec 8, 2010
VARANASI: A 10-month seeming lull after the Pune German Bakery blast was shattered on Tuesday when terror returned with a low-grade explosion at the evening Ganga Aarti in Varanasi that left a one-year-old girl, Swastika Sharma, dead and 35 injured, including four foreigners.
The crude device went off at 6.40pm at the old Dasaswamedh Ghat just as the aarti had begun. Mercifully the crowd was thin for the popular aarti on Tuesday as the city was already under red alert because of the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary a day earlier.
The Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the blast in an email sent from close to Link Road in west Malad in Mumbai. The group has said the attack was to "avenge" the Babri demolition. It also has attacked the Allahabad high court verdict on the Babri dispute.
Intelligence agencies were verifying the IM claim. Unlike on previous occasions, there was a 30-minute gap between the blast and the email. Intel sources said the low-intensity blast possibly indicated the desire on the terror group's part to earn propaganda points rather than inflict mass casualties.
An Italian tourist Alexender Monkerly was badly injured in the blast and his condition is said to be critical.
Indian Mujahideen takes responsibility for blast
PM blames 'terrorists' for Varanasi blast
MHA adopting "casual" approach to terror acts: BJP
'Explosives were kept inside milk van near ghat stair'
Doctors at the district hospital have referred him to Sir Sunderlal Hospital of Banaras Hindu University. Another foreigner, Rachel from France, sustained minor injuries.
Anti-terror squad (ATS) in-charge, additional director general of police (ADG), Brij Lal, said the explosives were kept inside a milk van that was placed under the main staircase of the ghat. Parts of a timer device were also recovered from the site. Explosive experts are trying to establish if the timer was used to trigger the blast.
In Delhi, Union home secretary G K Pillai confirmed that it was a terror attack. Countrywide, cities have been put on high alert. Home ministry sources many of the injuries were on account of the stampede that was triggered by the blast.
Chunks of concrete flew in the air as the stone staircase was shattered. A visit to the site showed that the steel railing along the stairway has been twisted out of shape and the debris had scattered as far as 20 metres. Initial investigations have confirmed that shrapnels were also used with the explosives to increase their impact.
A high alert was sounded across UP after the blast while the director general of police (DGP) Karamveer Singh along with principal secretary home Kunwar Fateh Bahadur Singh took a special plane to the temple town along with a team of ATS officers from Lucknow.
Intelligence sources said a terror group had done a recce of the ghats a week before Diwali. This was communicated to the intelligence unit of the district police. Incidentally, while there was a very high security bandobast on Monday, December 6, because of the Babri anniversary, the situation was lax on Tuesday.
Devotees, including a number of foreigners were assembled at the old Dashashwamedh Ghat to watch the daily Ganga Aarti. Suddenly a massive blow changed the entire scene causing a stampede-like situation. "We were watching the Ganga Aarti at the ghat. As soon as the lamp was lit, we heard a deafening sound and cries of people. My friend Emily also sustained injuries on her cheek and hand," said Jodie, a British tourist.
Normally, around 5,000 people gather at the ghat every evening to watch the aarti. The DIG said that it seemed that the blast was triggered more to create panic than have heavy casualties. However, the severity of the blast could be gauged from the fact that the stone parts of the ghat steps got scattered up to a 20-metre radius. The iron angles were damaged badly and the puja articles of aarti were also damaged. It was a massive blow, said Babu Maharaj of Gangotri Seva Samiti, the body that organises the aarti.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Terror-strikes-Varanasi-1-dead-35-hurt-in-blast-at-ghat/articleshow/7062366.cms#ixzz17UHVJxXI
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Artiste selection continues for Bangla movie BLACK
December 7, 2010
Dec 7, 2010
Director Shoaib Choudhury is not making full length Bangla feature film – BLACK, targeting local audience only. But, he is making this film for the international audience.
The movie will show how Islamists have gradually established their nasty influence in all the rural areas in Bangladesh, thus forcing people, especially women to follow Sharia law as well as the self-styled religious fatwa of the Muslim clergies. Persecution of religious minorities – abduction and forceful conversion has already reached an alarming level in Bangladesh as clergies in the mosques and madrassas are becoming increasingly influential in the locality, thus imposing Sharia law and encouraging religious conversion of non-Muslims.
Muslim men are encouraged by the clergies to have more than one wife, as Islam allows polygamy. Under such situation, wives of the Muslim men in the rural areas ultimately turn into mere slaves, thus taking part in domestic works as well as helping the husband in agro production. When a wife becomes physically ill, the husband even shows unwillingness to send her to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Whipping and other forms of severe physical torture of men and women on various charges gradually become regular in the village. These are applied by local 'Sharia Committee' formed by clergies and Islamic fanatics.
BLACK is a film, which shows the current situation in rural Bangladesh [which actually is very similar to villages in other Muslim nations], where Sharia law is forcefully imposed on people while systematic elimination of religious minorities continues.
Hidden tears of Muslim women under the imposed Islamic veils [Burqa] will be very prominently projected in this film.
This film is against Sharia, Islamism, religious intolerance, hate speech and repression of women under Sharia law. This film is aimed at creating massive awareness in the people in Muslim nations in standing against Islamism and Sharia.
The initial language of BLACK is Bangla, while it will be dubbed in various languages in future.
Internationally acclaimed award winning journalist Shoaib Choudhury, who spent many years in finalizing the script for BACK said, "It is never an easy task to finalize actors for such a movie, which aims to reach international audiences. This movie will be released in cinema halls in Bangladesh, India, Middle East, America and Europe."
Bangladesh cine production company Vibgyor Films has initiated this project. The team of BLACK is now finalizing artistes to play various roles in the movie. Commenting on artiste selection, project coordinator Rakib Uddin Ahmed said, "We have spoken to a number of actors in Bangladesh to play the main role. But the director is taking more time in finally succeeding in picking up the best of the best for this movie."
He said, "Shoaib Choudhury is particularly showing interest in casting new faces for this film, because this movie is not merely for local market but huge international audience. He [Choudhury] is also keeping close contacts with various technical experts in Hollywood and several directors for constant consultation of the technicalities of this film."
Tajul Islam, chief assistant of the film said, "We are considering casting popular Bangladeshi actor Probir Mitra and Rozina in two important characters in this film. But, we are yet to finalize the actor and actress to play the lead role in the film."
Commenting on the songs in the film, music director of BLACK, Ali Aftab Loni said, "This is for the first time, a team of professionals from the music industry are working in making back ground music to songs for this film. We are hopeful to coming up with a very high standard."
http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1152/artiste-selection-continues-for-bangla-movie-black
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Kayani escapes Taliban rocket attack in South Waziristan
Dec 8, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Tuesday escaped an attempt on his life when Taliban militants fired rockets at an area in South Waziristan tribal agency shortly after his visit to the troubled region.
Kayani was accompanied by air force Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman on a joint visit to the restive tribal region on Tuesday.
The militants fired at least four rockets in Laddha area as soon Kayani left the area, Geo News reported. A media team covering the army chief's visit had to hide in a bunker.
No casualties were reported in the incident. Soon after the attack, security personnel retaliated with gunfire , the channel reported.
The spokesman of the Inter-Services Public Relations of the Pakistan Army, however , denied the attack in a statement issued. The army and air chiefs of Pakistan visited the troubled region in the wake of reports that militants have been flushed out from over 85% of the area. The Pakistan military launched a crackdown against Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the northwestern tribal areas, bordering Afghanistan, more than a year ago.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Kayani-escapes-Taliban-rocket-attack-in-South-Waziristan/articleshow/7063130.cms#ixzz17UHYzaU5
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‘Terror originating from Pakistan unacceptable’
8 December 2010
UMBAI - French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared here on Tuesday that it was “unacceptable for the world that terrorist acts should be masterminded and carried out by terrorist groups trained in Pakistan”.
Concluding his four-day visit to India with a brief halt in Mumbai, Sarkozy called “on all Pakistani authorities to step up their efforts and show that they are resolute in combating these criminals”. The French president, accompanied by his wife, Carla Bruni, placed a wreath at a memorial for the policemen killed in the 26/11 terror attacks.
“The Mumbai attack proved one more time that terrorism is nothing but a criminal activity,” said Sarkozy at the Oberoi-Trident hotel, one of the half-a-dozen places that was targeted by the terrorists. “It pretends to act for political or religious objectives, but it is just savagery. It pretends to serve ideals but it injures them through its acts.”
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/December
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Judge denies WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange bail
8 December 2010
LONDON: A British judge sent Julian Assange to jail on Tuesday, denying bail to the WikiLeaks founder after Assange vowed to fight efforts to be extradited to Sweden in a sex-crimes investigation.
Despite Assange’s legal troubles, a WikiLeaks spokesman insisted the flow of secret US diplomatic cables would not be affected. He also downplayed efforts to constrict the group’s finances after both Visa and MasterCard cut off key funding methods Tuesday.
“This will not change our operation,” spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told The Associated Press. As if to underline the point, WikiLeaks released a dozen new diplomatic cables, its first publication in more than 24 hours, including the details of a NATO defense plan for Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that prompted an indignant response from the Russian envoy to the alliance.
Assange turned himself in to Scotland Yard on Tuesday morning, and was sent to the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in the early afternoon. He showed no reaction as Judge Howard Riddle denied him bail and sent him to jail until his next extradition hearing on Dec. 14.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article210560.ece
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Amnesty demands action on Malaysian judicial caning 'epidemic'
Dec 7, 2010
Kuala Lumpur : Caning in Malaysia has "hit epidemic proportions" with thousands of people subjected every year to beatings which leave permanent physical and mental scars, Amnesty International said today.
The London-based rights group called on the Malaysian government to immediately end the practice of judicial caning, which is meted out for serious crimes including murder and rape and for immigration violations.
"Caning in Malaysia has hit epidemic proportions," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director.
"In every case that we examined, the punishment amounted to torture, which is absolutely prohibited under any circumstances."
Amnesty said that since 2002, when parliament made immigration violations subject to caning, tens of thousands of migrant workers and foreigners seeking asylum had undergone the punishment.
"In Malaysian prisons specially trained caning officers tear into victims' bodies with a meter-long cane swung with both hands at high speed," it said.
"The cane rips into the victim's naked skin, pulps the fatty tissue below, and leaves scars that extend to muscle fibre. The pain is so severe that victims often lose consciousness."
Amnesty said that prison officers were paid a bonus for each stroke, enabling them to double their income by administering the punishment.
"Others take bribes to intentionally miss, sparing their victims," it said.
Corporal punishment has become a hot topic in Malaysia, particularly after a a Muslim mother of two was last year sentenced to six strokes and a fine for drinking alcohol.
Caning for religious offences, ordered by Islamic courts which run in parallel with civil courts in the Muslim-majority country, however, is much lighter than in the civil justice system.
Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno's sentence for drinking alcohol was eventually reduced to community service but three other women then received between four and six strokes of the cane after being convicted of sex outside marriage.
The penalties triggered uproar among women's activists and human rights advocates.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/amnesty-demands-action-on-malaysian-caning-epidemic/721030/
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Ahmadinejad, Iranian clerics battle over women in sports
Dec 7, 2010
TEHRAN: A senior cleric has denounced the participation of Iranian women in the Asian Games, calling it a humiliation and saying women's sports are a product of the West's “dirty” culture that should be shunned.
As he has done in the past, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the opposite view — one shared by most Iranians — and praised female athletes from Iran who won medals in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, which took place in November.
Iran's strict laws forbid physical contact between unrelated men and women, and Iranian women are even barred from attending soccer games in which men's teams are playing.
Although Iranian female athletes take part only in games where there is no physical contact with men, clerics are still opposed.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article209639.ece
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Sharia vigilante violence rife in Aceh: report
By Sen Lam
Dec 7, 2010
Islamic sharia laws in Indonesia's Aceh province have been used by vigilante groups to harass and intimidate locals, a Human Rights Watch report says.
The rights group has detailed evidence that the laws are often selectively enforced and rarely applied to wealthy or politically connected individuals.
Its report says sharia police sometimes force women and girls to get "virginity tests".
Christen Broecker from Human Rights Watch says in one extreme case a woman was raped by sharia police while in detention.
"The Aceh authorities should be commended because they did apprehend two of the three sharia policemen accused of raping this woman," she told Radio Australia's Connect Asia.
"They prosecuted them and they sent them to prison.
"But there are a lot of other low-level abuses that we've tracked that have not been similarly punished."
The report accuses Aceh officials of violating Muslims' rights by their interpretation of sharia laws.
Full report at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/06/3086180.htm?section=justin
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Most Muslims Want Islam to Govern Politics
Dec 7, 2010
Sharia law isn't coming to Oklahoma any time soon, but it would be welcome in many parts of the Muslim world. A new Pew poll on attitudes toward politics and religion found that in many predominantly Muslim countries with secular governments, most people wish their religion played a larger role in their politics. The L.A. Times reports that "majorities in Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Nigeria would favor changing current laws to allow stoning as a punishment for adultery, hand amputation for theft and death for those who convert from Islam to another religion. About 85 percent of Pakistani Muslims said they would support a law segregating men and women in the workplace." When it came to the question of whether Islam should influence politics, "Turkish Muslims were the most conflicted," while Indonesian, Egyptian, Nigerian, and Jordanian Muslims were the most enthusiastic about the idea of Islam figuring prominently in their countries' politics. Respondents expressed mixed feelings about militant religious groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, but there was almost universal derision for al-Qaida.
http://slatest.slate.com/id/2276992/
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US cable describes controversial Saddam execution
Dec 7, 2010
BAGHDAD: A newly-leaked US diplomatic cable describes in detail the circumstances of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's execution, from guards telling him to "go to hell" to officials taking mobile phone pictures.
Saddam's execution in December 2006 sparked international controversy after mobile phone video of the sentence being carried out was published on the Internet showing witnesses taunting him as he was about to be hanged.
The controversies led then-US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad to comment in the leaked cable that supporters of Saddam would use the poorly-conducted execution as an excuse to condemn what he said was a fair trial.
According to the cable, dispatched in January 2007 and classified SECRET, Iraqi deputy prosecutor Monqith al-Faroun, in a meeting with Khalilzad, described a guard who was escorting Saddam to the execution platform telling the ousted president to "go to hell", remarks that Faroun said he admonished.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-cable-describes-controversial-Saddam-execution-/articleshow/7053226.cms#ixzz17Oci7NG3
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Go to hell, guards told Saddam
Dec 7, 2010
BAGHDAD: A newly-leaked US diplomatic cable describes in detail the circumstances of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's execution, from guards telling him to "go to hell" to officials taking mobile phone pictures.
Commenting on the incident, the cable's author, whose identity is unclear, wrote, "The government of Iraq's lack of a clear and coordinated plan to control witnesses and conduct the execution resulted in a hastily run and confusing event."
The execution in December 2006 sparked international controversy.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Go-to-hell-guards-told-Saddam/articleshow/7057011.cms#ixzz17OcVgUvF
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‘Cable on Modi threat evidence of fake Ishrat encounter’
By Kapil Dave
Dec 7, 2010
THE WIKILEAKS revelation that the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) planned to assassinate Narendra Modi may not help the Gujarat government’s assertions on the highly controversial Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.
The state police had earlier claimed that terror operative David Coleman Headley had told Indian investigators about Ishrat’s “mission” to kill Modi. However, there is no reference to Ishrat’s plot in any of the leaked cables from US diplomatic missions.
Senior advocate Mukul Sinha, who is fighting the case on behalf of Javed — another “terrorist” who was gunned down with Ishrat in 2005 — said: “The fake encounters of Javed, Ishrat and the others cannot be justified even if there is any truth in the WikiLeaks’s claim that the LeT planned to assassinate Modi.
Full report at: Mail Today
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BJP seeks action on WikiLeaks report on Modi
Dec 7, 2010
NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over a WikiLeaks report that Lashkar-e-Taiba had planned to assassinate Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, BJP on Monday accused the US of "inaction on the issue" and wanted to know how the government intends to handle it.
"It is a matter of serious concern. He (Modi) is the target of both - those who call themselves secular in this country and also from Pakistan agencies," BJP leader Balbir Punj told reporters outside Parliament.
According to Information coming out of a secret state department cable dated June 19, 2009, Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba had planned to assassinate Modi.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BJP-seeks-action-on-WikiLeaks-report-on-
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Kingdom asks Muslims to promote peace
Dec 7, 2010
RIYADH: Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, on Monday urged Arabs and Muslims to work for establishing closer relations with other communities and promoting peace, justice and tolerance in the world.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Prince Sultan expressed his hope that the new Hijrah year, 1432, which begins Tuesday, would bring about peace and stability in the Arab and Islamic world.
“We have to work together to bring nations closer, serve humanity and deepen the values that have been upheld by religions and cultures,” he said. “Islam calls for brotherhood, mercy and tolerance, and spreading the values of justice and love all over the world.”
Prince Sultan thanked God for the success of a recent operation that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah underwent at a US hospital to stabilize several vertebrae on his spinal cord. He also prayed for the king’s good health.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article209730.ece
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Gulf's soaring dreams and pragmatic reality...
Dec 7, 2010
Gulf countries are sometimes advised to choose between a Dubai type model of soaring dreams, or a Saudi type model of pragmatic reality on the other. As the winning bid of Qatar for the 2022 World Cup also illustrates, both models are needed in the region. While no single model can claim to be a panacea to all problems, each has certain imbedded characteristics and elements that can define the outcome of the country's economic and social development path for decades to come.
The GCC countries are vying with each other to promote their particular model of development as the way forward on the one hand, while trying to complement each other at the same time. Each is being pulled and pushed toward the so-called Dubai model of development, or the Saudi alternative. Just as with the laws of physics, sometimes the pendulum swings in the direction of one and then swings back to the other. Right now the pendulum has seems to have swung to the Saudi model but the Dubai model has many inherent characteristics which can positively shape the future of the region in a fierce globalized world.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/economy/article209737.ece
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18 Somalis killed in weekend fighting in Mogadishu
Dec 7, 2010
MOGADISHU: An emergency official in Somalia’s capital says 18 people were killed over the weekend in fighting between pro-government forces and insurgents.
Mogadishu ambulance service chief Ali Muse said Monday that 66 civilians were also wounded in the fighting.
Mogadishu residents live through frequent barrages of mortars and rockets during fighting between insurgents — such as fighters from Al-Shabab, the country’s most powerful militant group — and government forces.
Militants have been waging an insurgency for more than a three years to topple the fragile, UN-backed government that controls a small slice of the capital.
Somalia has not had an effective government since warlords toppled the last government in 1991.
http://arabnews.com/world/article209501.ece
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Petraeus casts doubt on 2014 Afghanistan timeline
Dec 7, 2010
WASHINGTON: US war commander General David Petraeus has expressed doubts about the prospect of a 2014 pullout from Afghanistan, admitting that a “resilient” Taliban, squeezed out of some areas, simply pop up in others.
Asked by ABC television in an interview that aired early Monday, Petraeus would not say he was confident that Afghan government and its forces would be stable and competent enough to take over from the US-led coalition four years from now, as envisaged by Washington.
“I think no commander ever is going to come out and say ‘I’m confident that we can do this’,” Petraeus said.
“I think that we say you assess, we believe this is, you know, a reasonable prospect,” and that US forces were doing “everything we can to increase the chances of that prospect.
“But, again, I don’t think there’s any sure things in this kind of endeavor, and I wouldn’t be honest with you or the viewers if I didn’t convey that.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\12\07\story_7-12-2010_pg7_3
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New Zealand violates religious rights of Jews
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
Dec 7, 2010
The small Jewish community in New Zealand will continue a long legal battle, which started since last May in getting a verdict from the High Court [which will cost more than US$ 250,000], allowing them to continue the kosher slaughter. New Zealand banned the slaughter of animals or poultry if it is not stunned first. Initially though the court has overturned the ban on kosher poultry of poultry, there is yet to be a decision on slaughter of lamb and other kosher animals. The New Zealand community will now continue negotiations in relation to lamb and, until those negotiations are concluded, the interim orders, which were previously granted enabling the shechita of lamb, will continue.
The banning of kosher slaughter, in New Zealand, has taken a new turn, with the New Zealand Herald reporting that Agriculture Minister David Carter, the architect of the ban, broke the rules governing his portfolio by considering trade implications when making the original decision.
Full report at:
http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1133/new-zealand-violates-religious-rights-of-jews
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Malaysia Canes Three Women For Extramarital Sex Offences
Dec 7, 2010
Malaysian authorities have confirmed the caning of three women convicted of having sex outside of marriage.
This marks the first time the Sharia Law sentence was meted out to women in Malaysia.
The Sharia laws apply only to native Malays and not the Chinese and Indian minorities who live in the pacific nation.
The punishments were carried out earlier this year and each womn was caned six times.
Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said : "Even though the caning did not injure them, they said it caused pain within".
He added that : "The punishment is to teach and give a chance to those who have fallen off the path to return and build a better life in future”.
He said he hoped the punishments would not be viewed in such a way as to “defile the purity of Islam”.
http://www.newstime.co.za/Lifestyle/Malaysia_Canes_Three_Women_For_Extramarital_Sex_Offences/16374/
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What Muslim nations can learn from the 'infidels' -- how to fight corruption
By Faheem Younus
Dec 7, 2010
Forget strict enforcement of sharia law. If Muslim leaders want to gain moral high ground, they have to fight corruption. On Transparency International's corruption index, only four Muslim majority countries ranked in the top 50. It's time to take a cue from the countries who did.
As a "Muslimerican" of Pakistani descent I woke up to a double whammy earlier this fall when Transparency International released its 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index, a ranking of all countries based on level of corruption. Pakistan fell eight steps down on the ranking to number 143. And only four out of the 48 Muslim majority countries made it above 50 on the overall ranking.
Take a look: The 8 worst countries on Transparency International's list
But why should the Muslim world care about this? Powerful extremists in the Muslim world are becoming increasingly enamored with a flawed understanding of sharia law, calling for strict punishments for alcoholism, adultery, or sometimes even for exercising basic freedoms.
Full report at:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/1206/What-Muslim-nations-can-
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Longtime Malaysian Indian party leader steps down
Dec 7, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: The longtime leader of Malaysia's main ethnic Indian party stepped down Monday after more than three decades at the helm, leaving a legacy tarnished by the 2008 general elections when supporters abandoned him in droves.
S Samy Vellu, who had been the unchallenged chief of the Malaysian Indian Congress party since 1979, has been harangued for not doing enough to protect the largely Hindu Indian community's rights in the Muslim Malay-majority country.
"From the moment that I go out of the room, I am no more (party) president," the 74-year-old Samy Vellu said. He will formally hand over the party's leadership to his deputy, G Palanivel, later Monday. "I know the time has come. There should be a leadership change."
An instantly identifiable figure of Malaysian politics _ thanks to his rich black bouffant that never faded or diminished with age _ Samy Vellu was born in family of rubber tappers in 1936. As a child, he made hand-rolled tobacco leaf cigarillos to contribute to family earnings. Later, he became a bus conductor before being employed as a janitor at an architect's firm. He put himself through school and earned a degree in architecture in 1972.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/indians-abroad/Longtime-Malaysian-Indian-party-
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'At Islamabad's behest, China blocked UN sanctions on JuD'
Chidanand Rajghatta
Dec 7, 2010
WASHINGTON: China blocked efforts in UN Security Council to impose sanctions on the Pakistani terrorist front Jamaat ul-Dawa at Islamabad's behest; Saudi Arabia is the world's largest source of funds for terrorist groups such as the Taliban and LeT, despite knowing which Washington is helpless; the US is aware of Pakistan's dodgy approach to terrorism but is reluctant to bear down on its two-faced ally because of its interest in Afghanistan goes, literally, through Pakistan.
Some of the world's worst kept secrets, with a profound bearing on India's security, continue to seep out of the WikiLeaks cabledump, bleeding the US of its credibility even as Senior Obama administration officials put on a bold face or make light of the situation. But amid continuing efforts on part of the American establishment to staunch the slashes inflicted by Wikileaks (unsuccessful so dar), the hemorrhaging continues, with each hour bring forth an occasional new startling disclosure.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/At-Islamabads-behest-China-blocked-UN-
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Pakistan woman recounts ordeal under Taliban
Dec 7, 2010
Ashar Band : Girls now go to school in this mountain town and the military patrols keep security. But Saira Bibi's eyes still flash with pain and anger through the small gap in her veil as she recounts how the Taliban who once ruled here dragged her from home and flogged her in front of her neighbours.
It didn't matter that she always wore a body-covering burqa, nor that she rarely left her mud-brick home. It didn't matter that her conservative in-laws scoffed at the accusation she was an adulterer. To the Islamist extremists who had taken over her tiny town above Pakistan's Swat Valley, a rumour was enough.
"They came and took me to the school, where 150 or 200 people had been gathered. They pushed me to the ground and hit me 15 times," says Bibi, 30, holding her 1-year-old son as he reaches for the safety pin keeping her veil in place. Her right hand fidgets under the fabric as she recalls her humiliation nearly two years ago.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-woman-recounts-ordeal-under-
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‘Pak’s support to terror groups undermines US objectives’
December 07, 2010
As recent as last December, months after the Obama administration pledged a massive $7.5 billion aid to Pakistan, a secret cable from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced serious concern over Pakistan’s support for terror groups and its Inter-Services Intelligence’s continuing nexus with these outfits.
“Pakistan’s intermittent support to terrorist groups and militant organisations threatens to undermine regional security and endanger US national security objectives in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” notes the December 30, 2009 cable, released by WikiLeaks on Sunday.
Despite Pakistan’s public disavowals, it pointed out that “some officials from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) continue to maintain ties with a wide array of extremist organisations, in particular the Taliban, LeT and other extremist organisations”.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/301821/%E2%80%98Pak%E2%80%99s-support-to-terror-
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Saudi Arabia funding LeT, Al Qaeda, Taliban: Hillary memo
December 07, 2010
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has identified Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest source of funds for terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, Al Qaeda and the Taliban. A secret Clinton memo, revealed by WikiLeaks, also lists three other Arab nations — United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar — as major sources of funds for militant groups.
“Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide,” Clinton noted in her Dec 2009 memo, stressing: “More needs to be done since Saudi Arabia remains a critical financial support base for Al Qaeda, Taliban, LeT and other terrorist groups.”
The memo points out how LeT used a Saudi-based front company to fund its activities in 2005.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/301818/Saudi-Arabia-funding-LeT-Al-Qaeda-Taliban-Hillary-
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LeT ‘expanding network’ in Nepal: US Cable
December 07, 2010
Amid Indian fears that Pakistan-based terrorist groups were seeking to deepen their network in Nepal, US secret cables reveal that the banned LeT blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks was dangerously expanding its sleeper cells in this country.
According to a secret US State Department cable released by whistle-blower website WikiLeaks, the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) was expanding its network in Nepal along with rest of South Asia.
Even as India and Nepal have open borders, New Delhi has been concerned that international terrorist networks, particularly those supported by the Pakistani spy agency ISI, were using the porous border to push arms, narcotics and counterfeit currency.
The network of Shafiq Khafa — a LeT leader — is “striving to stand up two teams in southern India that rely on the support of LeT members based in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal”, claimed the diplomatic cable dated June 19, 2009.
The secret US State Department noting is based on various intelligence inputs received by it, the source of which is not mentioned in the cable.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/301815/LeT-%E2%80%98expanding-network%E2%80%99-
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Demolition of Babri mosque fades from Parliament's memory
December 07, 2010
The demolition of Babri mosque, a highly emotive issue that created international news at one time, appears to have faded from the public memory as on its 18th anniversary the matter did not even find mention in Parliament on Monday.
Significantly, none of the major political parties — be it ruling Congress or Opposition Left parties — mentioned the matter during their regular Press briefings. Earlier, Congress, Left parties, Samajwadi Party and RJD always used the Babri mosque demolition issue to attack the BJP which had taken a lead in the Ram Janambhoomi movement.
Even BJP, which has been demanding the construction of a grand Ram temple at the site of the disputed structure, preferred to keep mum on the issue. It appears that the Allahabad High Court judgement on the Ayodhya title suit, which has divided the disputed land equally into three parts among Hindus and Muslims, has satisfied the party.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/301910/Demolition-of-Babri-mosque-fades-from-Parliaments-
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Sarkozy going soft on Pakistan?
Dec 7, 2010
NEW DELHI: Long after French President Nicolas Sarkozy's meeting with PM Manmohan Singh, the jury was still out on whether or not Sarkozy had been soft on Pakistan.
Those looking for a David Cameron-type admonition of Pakistan from Sarkozy had not much to cheer about on Monday. While complimenting India for its attempts to reach out to Pakistam, Sarkozy called upon Pakistan to fight terrorism in a more determined manner.
"We applaud India's effort to stretch out its hand. We call upon Pakistan to fight terrorism determinedly," Sarkozy said, adding that there was no limit to France's cooperation with India against terrorism.
The joint statement, however, made only oblique references to Pakistan, leading many to suggest that Sarkozy was being soft on Pakistan. US President Barack Obama and Cameron had both asked Pakistan to do away with terror havens in a more emphatic manner.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sarkozy-going-soft-on-
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Yemen diverted US counterrorism aid meant to tackle Al Qaeda, WikiLeaks reveals
By Laura Kasinof
Dec 7, 2010
A December 2009 cable, published by WikiLeaks, shows that Yemen deployed a US-funded counterterrorism unit to fight domestic rebels instead of Al Qaeda.
As the US weighs another possible increase in Yemen aid early next year, WikiLeaks has revealed that Yemen is diverting at least some US counterterrorism resources to tackle other domestic priorities – including President Ali Abdullah Saleh's enemies.
According to a December 2009 cable from the US embassy in Sanaa, a counterterrorism unit (CTU) trained and funded by the Americans to hunt down Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operatives was deployed instead against militant Houthi rebels in the northern governorate of Saada during a surge in fighting last year.
Full report at:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/1206/Yemen-diverted-US-
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'Munni...' now favourite taunt of Pakistani politicians!
Dec 7, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Now "Munni badnam hui" has found a place in the political circles of Pakistan with politicians from leading parties using the hit Bollywood item song to take a swipe at one another.
Speaking at a party function a couple of days ago, ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Imtiaz Safdar Warraich said: "We are being blamed for the wrong doings of others." In an obvious dig at the opposition, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), he said: "Our situation is such that we can only say, 'Munni badnam hui darling tere liye'."
Punjab law minister and PML-N stalwart Rana Sanaullah was quick to latch on to the opportunity. "What a pity that the PPP leader has termed the entire party as Munni," he said, adding that "this Munni is not getting a bad name because of darling but because of her own actions".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Munni-now-favourite-taunt-of-Pakistani-
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WikiLeaks: Al Jazeera used as diplomatic tool
Dec 7, 2010
LONDON: The state-owned Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera is used as a diplomatic tool in the Middle East, despite claims of its independence, according to US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.
"Al Jazeera Arabic news channel will continue to be an instrument of Qatari influence, and continue to be an expression, however uncoordinated, of the nation's foreign policy," according to an assessment contained in one of the cables.
In another cable, US diplomats referred to the satellite "station's political masters". Media freedoms were not advancing as a whole in the Gulf country, according to the documents.
"The Qatari government claims to champion press freedom elsewhere, but generally does not tolerate it at home," the US embassy in Doha reported in June 2009.
WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website, gave Britain's Guardian newspaper access to the confidential correspondence.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/WikiLeaks-Al-Jazeera-used-as-
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Mumbai terror suspect Rana's trial set for Feb 14
Dec 7, 2010
CHICAGO: Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana, co-accused with Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Headley in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case, will go on trial in a federal court here on Feb 14.
Wearing an orange jumpsuit and leg shackles Rana stood before US District Judge Harry Leinenweber here on Monday as defence and prosecution attorneys hashed out dates and details of the trial, according to Fox News.
Rana, 49, and Pakistani American Headley, who has confessed to his role in the November 2008 attacks that killed 166 people, were indicted Feb 15 for their "roles in India and Denmark Terrorism Conspiracies".
Rana, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused of providing "material support" for the attack. Rana and Headly were also allegedly part of a plot to attack a Danish newspaper that printed a controversial cartoon about prophet Mohammed.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-terror-suspect-Ranas-trial-set-for-Feb-
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Pak claims test firing of new anti-tank missile
Dec 7, 2010
Islamabad : The Pakistan Army has carried out test firing of a new indigenous anti-tank missile from a site near Jehlum, about 100 kilometres east of the capital.
The test successfully met all trial parameters, Kyodo reported quoting a Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press statement.
'Daily Times' quoting Pakistani Army officials claimed that with the successful test firing at the Tilla range, “Pakistan has taken an edge over the rivals in conventional warfare”.
Kyodo said Khan Research Laboratory, named after disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, developed an anti-tank missile in the early 1990s using a remote-controlled, wire-guided system with a 3,000-metre range.
But authoritative sources told Kyodo News the version of anti-tank missile tested yesterday is equipped with an automatic guidance system, without wires, and has a greater range.
No additional information about the new missile was given.
Earlier media reports had said Pakistan acquired and modified a Chinese anti-tank missile which it has named Bakhtar Shikan.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-claims-test-firing-of-new-antitank-missile/721093/
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Danish playground mosques, temples build religious tolerance
Dec 7, 2010
FREDERICIA: Children skip across the roof of a mosque and play hide and seek in a Hindu temple: this unsual playground is designed to build tolerance as religious relations are cooling in Denmark.
Volunteers from various faiths in Fredericia helped to create the seaside playground, which opened in August in a town proud of its 18th-century role as a refuge for Europe’s persecuted.
There is a green mosque with a golden dome, a red and white brick village church and a brightly coloured Hindu temple.
“It is fun to see what a mosque looks like and a Hindu temple and to play with children from other religions,” says nine-year-old Caroline as she scrambles among the model buildings.
And the playground is a great way for parents to introduce their children to other religions and cultures, says Hanne Ravn, in her 50s, who lives in a neighbouring village.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/12/07/danish-playground-mosques-temples-build-religious-
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NZ selling Haram meat to Muslim countries
Suraiyya Aziz
Dec 7, 2010
New Zealand companies are exporting non-kosher [haram] beef and lamb to Muslim countries by suppressing the fact that the animals were not slaughtered but killed with bolt gun after being stunned.
According to information, Silver Fern Farms, Alliance Group Limited etc are selling beef, chicken, lamb leg roast, lamb loin fillets, lamb stir fry, lamb rumps, fresh lambs, spring lambs etc to Muslim countries in attractive packets. And such products from New Zealand are flooding the shelves of super markets and super stores in Muslim nations including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt etc.
Jews and Muslims are forbidden to consume blood. If an animal is stunned before slaughter, not all its blood will drain away.
Full report at:
http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1136/nz-selling-haram-meat-to-muslim-countries
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Bangladesh: Banning hartal
Maswood Alam Khan
Dec 7, 2010
Like many I was a bit happy hearing that Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) had appealed to the government to ban hartal through enacting a law. But one day after, we have been surprised hearing the statements two influential ministers of the government made on Thursday blasting FBCCI for their standpoint on enacting law to ban hartal. One of the ministers, Textile and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui expressed his indignation asking the FBCCI authority: ""Why are you giving such provocative statements? You (FBCCI members) have not come from the sky… you can show non-cooperation to hartal." Mr. Siddiqui further said: "There is nothing called hard or soft action of law against anarchy or troublemakers during hartal. Action should be taken in keeping with the law, that's all."
Full report at:
http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1134/banning-hartal
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'What's being done for Kashmiri migrants?'
Dec 7, 2010
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Omar Abdullah government to detail steps it had taken to construct houses to facilitate return of Kashmiri migrants under the centrally sponsored Rs 1,618 crore package for their rehabilitation.
Additional solicitor general Indira Jaising informed a Bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar that the Centre has already sanctioned Rs 200-odd crore to construct housing complexes for those who had been forced out of the state because of militancy and related violence targetting them and their property.
When the counsel for J&K government sought time to respond, the Bench asked him to detail the steps taken for constructing houses as well as creation of jobs. "Without houses being put in place, the migrants will not return," the Bench said. It asked the state to file a status report, which should also detail auction of houses of migrants since 1997.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Whats-being-done-for-Kashmiri-
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Jamat-e-Islami opposes presence of NATO forces in Afghanistan
Dec 7, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's right-wing Islamic Party, the Jamat-e-Islami, Sunday staged a sit-in rally against the presence of US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Jamat chief Syed Munnawar Hasan told a fairly large public meeting, attended by over 10,000 people, "We oppose the 'New World Order.' This order is meant to divide and harm Muslim countries."
He also said that the party opposes the ongoing military operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. These operations do not eliminate terrorism, but instead have increased incidents of terrorism.
Hasan said the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have not ended the scourge of terror, but is the root cause of militancy and terrorism in Muslim countries.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article209078.ece
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Wiki fires fresh salvo, lists sites vital to US
Dec 7, 2010
LONDON: Website WikiLeaks published details of sites around the globe which the United States deems vital to its interests, prompting criticism that it is helping militants identify targets for attack.
The details are part of 250,000 diplomatic cables obtained by the campaigning website which are being made public. The list begins with a cobalt mine in Kinshasa, Congo and refers to various locations in Europe where drug companies produce insulin, treatment for snake bites and foot and mouth vaccines. In the Middle East, it notes that Qatar will be the largest source of imported liquified natural gas (LNG) by 2012 and also refers to the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia, the largest crude oil process and stabilisation plant in the world.
Al-Qaida mounted an unsuccessful attack on Abqaiq in 2006 and there were warnings that the WikiLeaks cable setting out so many sensitive targets could help militants. Former British foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind accused WikiLeaks of being "generally irresponsible, bordering on criminal" . "This is the kind of information terrorists are interested in knowing," he told The Times.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Wiki-fires-fresh-salvo-lists-sites-vital-to-
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Iran N-talks begin, but don't raise great expectations
Dec 7, 2010
GENEVA: Iran and six world powers came to the table on Monday for the first time in a year, exchanged pleasantries , but remained far apart on how deeply their talks should tackle the West's greatest concern _ Iranian nuclear activities that could make atomic weapons.
Iran says it doesn't want atomic arms, but as it builds up capacity to make such weapons, neither Israel nor US have ruled out military action if Tehran fails to heed UN Security Council demands to freeze nuclear programmes.
The long-term aim for the six nations is nudging Iran toward agreeing to stop uranium enrichment, which can make both fuel for reactors and the fissile core of nuclear arms.
Delegates from Iran, the EU, the US, Russia, Britain, France and Germany and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are meeting Saeed Jalili, Iran's chief negotiator in Geneva . Iran's Fars news agency said Jalili began the meeting with a reference to the slaying last week of a Iranian nuclear scientist.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Iran-N-talks-begin-but-dont-raise-great-expectations/articleshow/7057044.cms#ixzz17OcT8vih
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Iran, world powers sit down for nuclear negotiations
Dec 7, 2010
GENEVA: Iran and world powers began talks today on the deepening standoff over the Iranian nuclear programme for the first time in 14 months, as Tehran claimed the upper hand by producing its own raw material for enrichment.
Just a day ahead of the talks, Tehran raised the stakes by revealing that it had mined and produced its first home-grown batch of uranium yellowcake instead of seeking to import new supplies.
That triggered statements of concern in Washington and Europe ahead of the meeting at Geneva's Swiss mission between the European Union's top diplomat, Catherine Ashton, and Iran's chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-world-powers-sit-down-for-
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Pak bid to punish 26/11 masterminds a faade: Pillai
Dec 7, 2010
NEW DELHI: India on Monday said Pakistan's move to proceed with prosecution of masterminds of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks was nothing but a "facade" as it has not taken it forward despite being given enough leads by New Delhi.
Union home secretary G K Pillai said, Islamabad was not going to do anything in the case because they fear that cracking down on the militant leadership would spill the beans about the role of Pakistani officials in designing and executing the terror attacks on Mumbai.
Pakistan has named seven of its nationals in the 26/11 attacks, which killed 166 people including foreigners, but so far the trial has not started against them.
"India has already provided evidence to Pakistan received from the United States from the questioning of Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Headley, but authorities there have not initiated any action on those leads," Pillai told reporters here.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-bid-to-punish-26/11-masterminds-a-faade-
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Antony: Pakistan violated Indian airspace 23 times in last 3 years
Dec 7, 2010
NEW DELHI: Along with frequent ceasefire violations along the Line of Control in J&K, Pakistan's military aircraft, helicopters and spy drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) also continue to violate Indian airspace.
"Indian airspace has been violated 29 times by foreign aircraft from December 2007 to November 2010. These include 23 occasions by Pakistan, thrice by China, twice by the US and once by Bangladesh," defence minister A K Antony said on Monday.
"Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are in place for safeguarding Indian airspace, including deployment of IAF aircraft. The matter is also taken up with the country concerned through diplomatic channels as per established procedure," Antony said in a written reply to a query in Lok Sabha.
China, too, continues to needle Indian all along the Line of Actual Control, with its soldiers often "transgressing" into Indian territory. As for airspace violations, while Chinese helicopters had entered Ladakh on June 21 and 24 last year, another Chinese aircraft had crossed the border on May 13.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Antony-Pakistan-violated-Indian-airspace-23-times-in-last-3-years/articleshow/7054966.cms#ixzz17OgSxaAM
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Minister demands "azadi" for Kashmir, leaves Congress red-faced
Dec 7, 2010
JAMMU: A Jammu and Kashmir minister belonging to Congress has stoked a controversy by suggesting that Kashmir be granted "Azadi", remarks that embarassed his party which termed them as his personal view.
Addressing a rally at Bani in Kathua district on Sunday, Congress Minister for Health and Horticulture Sham Lal Sharma had raised the demand for making Jammu a separate state, giving union territory status to Ladakh and granting "Azadi" to Kashmir.
"Give freedom to Kashmir, that's more beneficial. Give separate statehood status to Jammu and make Ladakh a union territory. If this state has to be developed, this is the only solution", Sharma said in the presence of PCC chief Saifuddin Soz.
His remarks drew a sharp attack from state BJP which alleged they "tantamount to treason" and demanded his dismissal from the government and arrest.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Minister-demands-azadi-for-Kashmir-leaves-
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Pak court restrains govt from amending blasphemy law
Dec 7, 2010
Lahore : A Pakistani court on Monday restrained the government from amending the blasphemy law, which has been at the centre of a heated debate after a Christian woman was convicted under it and sentenced to death last month.
Chief Justice Justice Khwaja Sharif of the Lahore High Court barred the government from introducing any change in the blasphemy law in response to a petition filed by a man named Muhammad Nasir.
Sharif issued a notice asking the government to clarify its position on the issue at the next hearing scheduled for December 23.
In his petition, Nasir asked the court to stop the federal government from making any change in the law.
The Chief Justice said the government should not take any step till the court gives its verdict on the petition.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-court-restrains-govt-from-amending-blasphemy-
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Top Iranian negotiator arrives in Geneva for nuclear talks
Dec 7, 2010
Geneva : Iran's chief negotiator Saed Jalili arrived in Geneva ahead of talks on the country's nuclear programme with the EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton and six world powers, Iranian media has said.
Jalili, secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, was accompanied yesterday by his deputy, Ali Bagheri, and deputy foreign minister for Europe, Ali Ahani.
The two-day talks between the Iranians and Ashton, who is backed by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, from today will mark the end of a 14-month break due to Tehran's rejection of a proposal to exchange nuclear fuel for enrichment.
Iranian leaders have reiterated in recent days that the country's plans for uranium enrichment were non negotiable.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/top-iranian-negotiator-arrives-in-geneva-for-nuclear-
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Saudi officials wary of approaching ISI on terror info: WikiLeaks
Dec 7, 2010
Washington : A top Saudi Arabian counter-terrorism official had told US special envoy for Af-Pak Richard Holbrooke that he had little trust in Pakistan's ISI when it comes to sharing information with it on terrorism, a US cable released by WikiLeaks cable reveals.
Major General Khalid al-Humaydan ("Abu Ali"), who has been leading operations against terrorists and those involved in sending funds to terror outfits based in Pakistan, had said his security forces had detained numerous individuals from Pakistan and were seeking cooperation to probe their activities.
In a meeting with Holbrooke, the counterterrorism advisor to the Ministry of the Interior Saudi Arabia, said his agencies have to think "ten times" before approaching the ISI.
"He (al-Humaydan) added that 'we talk to ISI and get a good response, but we think ten times before approaching them; things are changing there and we are advised to be careful," the cable said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/saudi-officials-wary-of-approaching-isi-on-terror-info-
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Gang steals costly chic attire from Nafisa Ali’s boutique
By Prawesh Lama
Dec 7, 2010
A GANG of thieves, suspected to be about 10, walked away with designer clothes worth about ` 3 lakh from the boutique owned by social activist and former Miss India Nafisa Ali on Friday.
Nafisa was away on work when the incident took place. The boutique was then manned by only a few salespersons.
According to the police, three women recced the boutique located in the posh Mehar Chand market of Lodhi Colony around noon and they were followed by a couple who said they were looking for some designer dresses for their daughter.
“ The couple checked out some clothes and told the salesgirl that the clothes were expensive and left.
Later three women and two men came in and started checking the clothes. They asked the salesgirl if she could try on the clothes as the person they were buying the clothes for was about her age and fit,” Nafisa said.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Kasab: my photos morphed
Dec 7, 2010
Mumbai: Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab on Monday denied his presence at Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus and Cama hospital during the 26/11 attacks, claiming that the photographs showing him and his companion Abu Ismael were morphed.
“Kasab was not at CST or Cama hospital when the places were attacked by terrorists, and his photographs produced in the trial court were morphed,” lawyer Amin Solkar told justices Ranjana Desai and R. V. More of the Bombay High Court, who are hearing arguments on confirmation of Kasab's death sentence.
Kasab did not appear on the screen put up in the court on Monday for video conference link to enable him hear the proceedings from Arthur Road jail where he is lodged.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/07/stories/2010120764081100.htm
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Two television journalists among killed
December 07, 2010
Two television journalists were among 50 people killed in a devastating attack by two suicide bombers on a Government compound in a tribal region in northwest Pakistan, their organisations said. Abdul Wahab of Express News channel and Pervez Khan of Waqt TV were killed in the attack while another journalist, Mohib Ali of NNI news agency, was injured.
The journalists were in the compound to cover a jirga, council convened by local authorities.
The incident again reflected the vulnerability of journalists in the conflict situation in northwest Pakistan.
Several of journalists have been killed in the line of duty in similar incidents over the past few years. The Pakistan Press Foundation has said the country’s journalists continue to be pushed to the edge by suicide attacks.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/301833/Two-television-journalists-among-killed.html
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Afghans say Karzai doing ‘excellent’ job
December 07, 2010
Despite the US Government’s skepticism of Hamid Karzai’s leadership, a majority of Afghans feel their embattled president is doing an “excellent” or “good” job, a new poll says.
More than six in 10 respondents feel Karzai is doing an “excellent” or “good” job, the poll conducted by The Washington Post, ABC News, the British Broadcasting Corp. And ARD television of Germany says. Fifty-nine per cent of Afghans said they believe their country is headed in the right direction, a drop of 11 percentage points from a year ago, the poll conducted in all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces says. Residents of two key southern provinces, Helmand and Kandahar, that have been the focus of US military operations over the past year say aspects of their security and living conditions have improved significantly since last December.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/301824/Afghans-say-Karzai-doing
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Israel’s top woman cop dies from fire burns
December 07, 2010
Israel’s top policewoman, who had clung to life for four days after her patrol car was trapped in a burning Israel forest, has died.
Ahuva Tomer was driving behind a bus of prison guards rushing to evacuate a nearby prison when both the bus and her vehicle were engulfed in flames last week. Her death on Monday raises the number of people killed by the wildfire to 42. Tomer headed the police department in Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city.
The 52-year-old policewoman became a symbol of the fire’s victims after a television reporter interviewed her, just minutes before she set out on what became her last mission.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/301828/Israel%E2%80%99s-top-woman-cop-dies-from-fire-burns.html
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J&K Govt response sought over Centre’s rehab package
December 07, 2010
The cause of Kashmiri migrants wanting to re-settle in the State got a shot in the arm with the Supreme Court on Monday demanding status on the work undertaken by Jammu and Kashmir Government on this front.
Acting on a PIL filed by All India Kashmiri Samaj, the Bench of Chief Justice SH Kapadia, Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar gave two weeks to the State Government to provide details on the number of houses and jobs provided to the migrants under a Centre-sponsored economic package to the tune of over `1600 crore.
The Centre, also a party to the petition, informed the Court that the Government had done its bit by releasing over `200 crore towards reconstruction of houses which were either destroyed or auctioned after the migrants were forced to move out from the State.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/301807/JK-Govt-response-sought-over-
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China toed Pak line to shield brain behind 26/11 in the UN
By Aman Sharma
Dec 7, 2010
NOT LETTING up on its revelation overload, WikiLeaks has dropped yet another bombshell in cyberspace. China, at the behest of Pakistan, blocked the US move to put 26/11 mastermind and Lashkare- Tayyeba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed as well as the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) outfit on the terror list of the UN before the Mumbai attack was perpetrated.
The UN could do so only on December 10, 2008 — a good 10 days after nine terrorists from Pakistan were killed by Indian security forces tasked with breaking the Mumbai siege.
A US state department cable of 2009, signed off by secretary of state Hillary Clinton and released by WikiLeaks, also suggested that Pakistan had taken no tangible action against the JuD or its founder Saeed even after their terror listing by the UN in 2008. Consequently, the JuD continued to operate and raise funds and its assets were not frozen.
Full report at: Mail Today
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'My heart is with you,' Abdullah tells GCC leaders
Dec 7, 2010
ABU DHABI: Leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) began their annual summit conference here Monday, voicing determination to strengthen their unity and further bolster their political, economic and defense cooperation.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah sent a cable to the GCC leaders wishing them success at their summit meeting. “Although I am not able to be with you because of health reasons, my heart is with you thinking about our historic responsibility,” he said.
The king thanked the leaders for their good words and feelings toward him, saying it lessened his health problems. He reiterated his commitment toward Arab and Islamic causes.
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, president of the last GCC session, congratulated the leaders over the successful back surgery of King Abdullah at a US hospital recently.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article209718.ece
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Anas' grandma appeals to kidnapper
Dec 7, 2010
MADINAH: Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed has ordered a massive search for a one-day-old baby boy who went missing from the Madinah Maternity and Child Hospital on Sunday.
The governor has also ordered an investigation into the disappearance and for everyone connected to the hospital to be questioned. The prince is adamant on bringing the kidnapper or kidnappers to justice.
Members of the public in Madinah are shocked by the disappearance, the first of its kind in the holy city in living memory. Police are also on high alert searching for clues to find the child. Security has been increased at the hospital.
According to a statement issued by the Health Affairs Department in Madinah, the baby was in good health and had been with his mother and grandmother. He was noticed missing at 7 a.m. Sunday and the matter was reported to the hospital’s director general, Ali Al-Muhammadi. As a result, the hospital’s doors were shut and a search was launched.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article209727.ece
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Pak CG assures injured pilgrims of all support
Dec 7, 2010
JEDDAH: Consul General of Pakistan Abdul Salik Khan assured Pakistani pilgrims, who were injured in the bus accident on Dec. 4, of all possible support in their treatment.
Five pilgrims were killed and 10 injured when the vehicle they were traveling in met an accident near Al Yutama, 77 km from Madinah. The pilgrims were coming to Jeddah airport. The consul general was speaking to the injured pilgrims during his visit to the hospital.
Those killed in the accident were Muhammad Rehman, Iqbala Bibi, Dil Khobana, Imtiaz Khan and Hastani. Those injured included Shamawaz Khan, Dildari, Bilawar Jana, Awal Jana, Saranjam Khan and Umar Khan. The consul general also met with Madinah Traffic Department Chief Brig. Siraj Abdul Rehman Kamal and thanked him for the timely airlifting of the injured and rapid completion of the documentation for their treatment.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article209708.ece
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Absence of Pakistani civilian leaders at Manama summit raises eyebrows
Dec 7, 2010
MANAMA: The Manama Dialogue 2010 security summit, organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which concluded on a high note on Sunday drew prime ministers, defense ministers, military officials and intelligence chiefs from across the region and beyond. One notable absence, however, was that of Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Since Pakistan is an integral part of the region and very crucial to any future security formulations, the absence of Pakistan's civilian leadership was noted but not with concern.
There was no obvious concern because the Pakistani delegation was led by Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Waheed Arshad Chaudhry.
Among other prominent Pakistani delegates were former Pakistani Army chief Gen. Jehangir Karamat, Pakistan's Ambassador to Bahrain Ikramullah Mehsud and ARY Television Group President Shahid Masood.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article209635.ece
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Jamil Fakhri names two suspects in missing son’s case
By Shabbir Sarwar
Dec 7, 2010
LAHORE: Noted film and TV actor Jamil Fakhri, searching for his son Ali Ayaz Fakhri who went missing is the US around 22 months ago, has alleged that Mujeeb Lodhi and Adeel Shah were involved in the case.
Talking to Daily Times on Monday, he said a news agency’s New York office in-charge, Saleem Siddiqui, released a news at the behest of Mujeeb Lodhi, maternal uncle of his son’s wife, and another man named Adeel Shah, to dodge the police. The news item quoted an unidentified friend of Ali Fakhri who claimed that South Carolina Police arrested Ali on the charge of drunk driving. He was sentenced for four month. Jamil said after the publication of the news in a section of the press in Pakistan, he contacted Saleem Siddiqui in New York and asked him about the source of the news.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\12\07\story_7-12-2010_pg7_30
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Syria, Saudi Arabia seek compromise in Hariri probe
Dec 7, 2010
Draft indictments, expected to be presented to a UN-backed court this month, could prompt confrontation between the Shia Hezbollah and allies of Sunni PM Saad al-Hariri
Saudi Arabia and Syria, setting aside their rivalry in Lebanon, are racing against time to calm political tensions and avert violence there if Hezbollah members are indicted in the 2005 killing of statesman Rafik al-Hariri. Draft indictments, expected to be presented to a UN-backed court this month, could prompt confrontation between the Shia Hezbollah, which denies involvement in Hariri’s killing, and allies of Sunni Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri – Rafik’s son.
Alarmed by the potential for sectarian bloodshed, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, who back opposing Lebanese camps, have sought a deal for stability. Neither country has given details of the initiative but Okab Sakr, a Lebanese Shia parliamentarian close to Hariri, said it centred around a pledge from Hezbollah not to use violence if any of its members are indicted, while Hariri would ensure that charges will not be exploited politically against Hezbollah.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\12\07\story_7-12-2010_pg4_10
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US intervenes to stop weapons reaching Hamas, Hezbollah
Dec 7, 2010
LONDON: Washington has worked discreetly to block the supply of Iranian and Syrian weapons to Islamist groups in the Middle East, Britain’s Guardian newspaper said on Tuesday, citing US diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks.
The United States, in many cases using secret intelligence provided by Israel, had pressured Arab governments not to cooperate with arms smuggling to Palestinian group Hamas or Lebanon’s Hezbollah, it said.
The details were part of 250,000 diplomatic cables obtained by the website WikiLeaks that are being made public.
US State Department cables showed Washington warned Sudan in January 2009 not to allow the delivery of unspecified Iranian arms that were expected to be passed to Hamas in the Gaza Strip around the time of an Israeli offensive there in which 1,400 Palestinians were killed, the Guardian said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/12/07/us-intervenes-to-stop-weapons-reaching-hamas-
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UN prosecutor urges faster Serbia war crimes action
Dec 7, 2010
7 December 2010 UNITED NATIONS - A UN prosecutor demanded on Monday that Serbia take a “more proactive approach” to arrest two remaining war crimes fugitives from the Balkan wars — a key condition for Belgrade’s eventual EU membership.
Stepping up pressure on the former Yugoslav state, Serge Brammertz told the UN Security Council that Serbia’s failure to arrest Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic “is one of our foremost concerns.”
“Time is passing and we are not seeing results,” said Brammertz, chief UN prosecutor for war crimes committed in the conflicts that raged after Yugoslavia disintegrated in the early 1990s.
The Hague-based UN court has indicted Mladic, a former Bosnian Serb military commander, for genocide in the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica and the 1992-95 siege of Sarajevo.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/December/
http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3772
9:21 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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