| Islamic World News | |
| 05 Apr 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com |
| Iraq returns, Remains of 17 killed in war with Iran | ||
8 inmates killed in Syria prison fire Peaceful protesters march on UN office in south Afghanistan 2 Bangladeshi peacekeepers among 26 dead US drones killed 89 people in March No one should hurt religious sentiment: Khaleda Quran burning is 'un-American’: White House Brother vs Brother: Gaddafi sons bicker over plan to push Dad out Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shujaat see Sindh Card Lahore High Court allows ministry to go through Bhutto case record Benazir Bhutto murder UN probe to ensure credibility: PM Qaida in Pakistan grooming new leadership Police and Saleh loyalists kill 17 Former Pakistani mayor killed in UAE Evacuees allege massacre in Misrata UN vote for Palestine to 'destroy everything': Israel Libyan rebels reject role for Gadhafi sons Libya says open to reforms, but Gaddafi must stay Afghan stone throwing erupts over Qur’an burning 9/11 mastermind to be tried at Guantanamo: US official 2 NATO soldiers killed in shooting incident Libya violence worrisome: Kingdom Indonesia to appeal verdict of Madinah court in Sumiati case Two pro-protest Iraqi clerics held 11 arrested by Israel in West Bank Libya rebels may sell first oil cargo this week Qatar to nominate diplomat for Arab League chief Palestinian representatives leave for Cairo End Game in Ivory Coast: Ouattara forces begin Abidjan assault Revolution warms Egyptian-Iranian relations Two Gazans hit by Israeli fire near border: witnesses Army says no to 'Khomeini rule' in Egypt Sawiris doesn’t want Coptic president, might accept Muslim Brotherhood Gulf rulers tell Iran keep out, Tehran says beware Yemen toll rises as U.S. said to press Saleh to go NATO chief holds talks in Turkey Army says no to ‘Khomeini rule’ in Egypt Quietly, US ditches Yemen's President Saleh Rebels enter oil hub as , Libyan govt seeks talks Muslims in Victoria feel threatened by racism Saudis in deal to recruit Bangladeshis Arab-Israeli actor shot dead in West Bank US pressured Gulf states over Iran: Ahmadinejad 5 Malaysian soldiers suspended over slain bird Iftikhar Says radio to play key role in war against terrorism British PM to visit Pakistan Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau Photo: Yemenis demonstrated Monday in Sana, Yemen's capital. | ||
17 killed in fresh violence in Yemen; Saleh to be eased out--------
Iraq returns, Remains of 17 killed in war with Iran
APR 05 2011
BAGHDAD: Iraq on Monday handed over the remains of 17 Iranian soldiers killed in the grinding war between the two countries throughout the 1980s in a sign of their improving ties since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
The International Committee of the Red Cross supervised the handover through a border crossing near the southern Iraqi city of Basra, agency spokesman Mohammed Salman said.
Iraq's post-Saddam government is led by Shiites who have established closer ties to Shiite Iran.
They have established stronger trade and political relations and have taken steps to deal with the legacy of the 1980-1988 war, which killed 1 million people on both sides and involved the use of chemical weapons by Saddam's Iraq.
The two governments signed an agreement in October 2008 to find tens of thousands of fighters still missing after the war. It was the first direct agreement to tackle the problem together. Previously, each side dealt separately with the Red Cross.
Iraqi officials also are being targeted by extremists.
Police and hospital officials in Baghdad said roadside bombs hit motorcades carrying the director of Iraq's investment board and an Industry Ministry director as they headed to work Monday. One person was killed in the separate attacks and nine people were wounded, including Investment Board director general Rashid Mihsin.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article344122.ece
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17 killed in fresh violence in Yemen; Saleh to be eased out
APR 05 2011
Violence escalated in Yemen on Monday as security forces shot dead 17 anti-regime protesters in the city of Taiz, south of the capital, as officials said embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh is likely to be eased out and offered a safe passage out of the country.
Violence erupted in Taiz after thousands of protesters marched through the city heading towards the Freedom Square, where youth demonstrators were staging a sit-in, Al Jazeera reported. The pan-Arab channel quoting provincial officials said that clashes broke out as the marchers passed the Governor’s headquarters, where troops barred their way baton charging them, bursting teargas and then opened fire, killing 17 persons on the spot.
“At least 17 persons were killed by live bullets and hundreds lay wounded as troops on nearby rooftops opened fire with live ammunition,” opposition activists said.
There were also reports of regime loyalists in civilian clothes firing on protesters in Hudeida, west of Saana.
As violence continued to inflame the strategically located country on the Red sea, US media report said the American Government had dropped its backing to the beleaguered President and was helping to negotiate his exile in another country with members of his family.
New York Times quoting the US and Yemeni officials said that Washington had almost finalised a deal to replace Saleh by his deputy Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi.
The change of regime in Yemen — the third in an Arab country after Egypt and Tunisia — was also backed by Gulf monarchies and the country’s closest ally and banker Saudi Arabia.
The Gulf Foreign Minister who met in Saudi capital of Riyadh in a statement said the “Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have agreed to begin contact with the Yemeni Government and opposition to overcome the current situation.”
The GCC supported the moves to work out a negotiated agreement to overcome the status quo.
Their mediation offer comes a day after Yemen’s opposition told the beleaguered President to hand over power to his deputy, whom they would accept as an interim President till fresh elections are held.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/329172/17-killed-in-fresh-violence-in-Yemen;-Saleh-to-be-eased-out.html
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8 inmates killed in Syria prison fire
APR 05 2011
DAMASCUS: Syria's state-run news agency says eight prisoners have died of suffocation and burns after an inmate set fire to mattresses. The fire broke out Monday in the coastal city of Latakia.
SANA quoted Latakia police chief Kamal Fteih as saying prisoners were mostly murder and drug convicts.
Two policemen were also injured in the fire, he added, as they took part in the rescue operation.
“Twenty-five prisoners were hospitalized, eight of whom died of asphyxiation and serious burn injuries,” said Fteih. He added that the fire started around 5 a.m.
“The prisoners had blocked their cell doors with their beds and mattresses and rescuers had to drill two holes in the walls to get to them,” Fteih said.
Latakia, Syria’s main port with a population of 450,000, is 350 km northwest of Damascus, and has been the scene of unrest and pro-democracy demonstrations.
Troops have deployed in force to Latakia, a religiously diverse city which, with the southern city of Daraa, is one of two main flash points in two weeks of increasingly violent protests. The authorities have accused fundamentalists of seeking to incite sectarian strife in the city.
Fifteen people, military and civilians, were officially confirmed killed by gunfire involving snipers and drive-by shootings 10 days ago, and a further 185 injured. There were also widespread reports that terror had gripped the city as snipers on rooftops and gangs of young men armed with knives and clubs caused mayhem in the scenic resort.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article344117.ece
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Peaceful protesters march on UN office in south Afghanistan
APR 05 2011
Hundreds of peaceful protesters blocked the main highway in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday and marched through the southern city of Kandahar towards a United Nations office, denouncing the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist US pastor.
The demonstrations come after two days of deadly violence at similar gatherings, but officials promised a larger police and army deployment in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban, to keep control. The protests in Jalalabad, the main city in the east, dissolved after several hours.
"The demonstration in Kandahar today is a peaceful one with hundreds of people on the streets but security forces are to make sure no violence happens," said Zalmay Ayoubi, spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province. "The protesters are now marching towards (the UN)."
Seven foreign UN staff were killed on Friday after demonstrators overran an office in normally peaceful Mazar-i-Sharif city in the north. Ten people were killed and more than 80 wounded in protests on Saturday in Kandahar, where men waved Taliban flags and sacked a girls' high school.
Afghan and foreign officials said insurgent infiltrators had sparked the killings, although a Taliban spokesman said they were driven by spontaneous emotion. Protests in Kabul, western Herat city and northern Tahar province were peaceful.
Around 1,000 people blocked the main highway from Kabul to Jalalabad on Sunday and burned U.S. flags.
The protesters were driven by anger at the actions of militant Christian preacher Terry Jones, who supervised the burning of a copy of the Koran in front of about 50 people at a church in Florida on March 20, according to his website.
"We want the preacher who burnt the holy Koran to get a severe punishment," said 20-year-old Jalil Ahmad. "He is not a human being, he is a brain-dead animal."
In an interview with Reuters on Saturday, Jones was unrepentant and defiantly vowed to lead an anti-Islam protest outside the biggest mosque in the United States later this month.
US President Barack Obama denounced the act of burning a Koran but did not mention Jones by name.
The Taliban said in a statement on Sunday that Afghans were still ready to give their lives to protest against an offence that it said the West was not taking seriously.
"The US government should have punished the perpetrators, but the American authorities and those in other countries not only did not have a serious reaction, but defended (the burning) to some extent in the name of freedom of religion and speech," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/9294/World/International/Peaceful-protesters-march-on-UN-office-in-south-Af.aspx
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2 Bangladeshi peacekeepers among 26 dead
APR 05 2011
Two Bangladeshi peacekeepers along with 24 others were killed in a plane crash at Kinshasa airport in Congo yesterday. Six on-board survived the crash.
An Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) official confirmed the incident to The Daily Star last night. It identified the deceased Bangladeshis as Major KM Ziaul Haque and Corporal Clerk Md Yunus Mian.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=180571
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US drones killed 89 people in March
APR 05 2011
PESHAWAR: US spy agency CIA has killed 89 people inside Pakistan in 12 drone attacks during the month of March 2011.
According to the monthly report issued by Conflict Monitoring Centre, an Islamabad based independent research centre, which monitors drone attacks and anti-state insurgencies, has said that US unmanned drone strikes killed 89 people in 12 drone attacks during the month of March.
As many as 90 people were also injured in these attacks. More than half of those killed and 80 out of 90 injured were civilians. No drone attack has been reported since killings of 45 civilians on March 17 when a missile hit a peace Jirga in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan.
Full report at:
http://www.statesman.com.pk/city/city2.htm
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No one should hurt religious sentiment: Khaleda
APR 05 2011
Ambassador James Larocco, director, Near East South Asia Centre for Strategic Studies Monday called on opposition leader Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office and discussed different bilateral issues.
On issues of women development, the BNP chief said one should not do anything that might hurt the religious sentiment of the people and create chaos. It needs time and it would not be wise to do something by applying force.
Full report at:
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/frontpage/14271.html
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Quran burning is 'un-American' : White House
APR 05 2011
WASHINGTON: The White House on Monday slammed Quran burning as "un-American" but said a US pastor's destruction of the Muslim holy book did not justify the killings of UN personnel in Afghanistan.
"We absolutely condemn the burning of a holy text. We think it is un-American and inappropriate," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
But after violence erupted in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Friday and claimed the lives of at least 22 people, including seven foreign UN staff, Carney said "absolutely nothing" justified such attacks.
The White House comments on Monday amplified on President Barack Obama's written statement on Saturday which condemned the actions of US Pastor Terry Jones at his Florida church on March 20, but which did not stop Afghan violence.
"The desecration of any holy text, including the Quran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry," Obama said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Quran-burning-is-un-American-White-House/articleshow/7870745.cms
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Brother vs brother: Gaddafi sons bicker over plan to push Dad out
APR 05 2011
TRIPOLI: At least two sons of colonel Muammar Gaddafi are proposing a resolution to the Libyan conflict that would entail pushing their father aside to make way for a transition to a constitutional democracy under the direction of his son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, a diplomat and a Libyan official briefed on the plan said.
The rebels challenging Gaddafi as well as the US and European powers supporting them with air strikes have so far insisted on a more radical break with his 40 years of rule. And it is not clear whether Gaddafi, 68, has signed on to the reported proposal backed by his sons, Saif and Saadi Gaddafi, although one person close to the sons said the father appeared willing to go along.
Speaking in Rome, a representative of the rebels, Ali al-Essawi, the former Libyan ambassador to India, said on Monday that it was unacceptable to replace Gaddafi with one of his sons. "There's no way to replace Gaddafi with a small Gaddafi," he said in an interview.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Brother-vs-brother-Gaddafi-sons-bicker-over-plan-to-push-dad-out/articleshow/7870847.cms
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Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shujaat see Sindh Card
APR 05 2011
ISLAMABAD: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Maulana Fazlur Rehman suspect that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wants to use the ‘Sindh Card’ by reopening the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case.
They were talking to journalists after a meeting at Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad on Sunday. In response to a question, Maulana Fazl and Shujaat said the reopening of the ZAB case would raise several other questions. Fazl said this also means that the Hamoodur Rehman Commission Report should also be reviewed, and the nation should be informed as to why the East Pakistan was separated.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=13622
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Lahore High Court allows ministry to go through Bhutto case record
APR 05 2011
LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry allowed the Law Ministry on Monday to have a look at the record of the case against former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
An application was submitted to LHC registrar Abdus Sattar Asghar, stating that a presidential reference had been filed in the Supreme Court to revisit the decision in the case.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/05/lhc-allows-ministry-to-go-through-bhutto-case-record.html
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Benazir Bhutto murder UN probe to ensure credibility: PM
APR 05 2011
GARHI KHUDA BUX: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani Sunday said the probe by a United Nations Commission into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto was conducted to ensure credibility and to dig out the facts.
Talking to newsmen here after paying his respects at the mausoleum of the martyrs of the Bhutto family, Gillani said "the UN probe was conducted as the Shaheed leader had desired so, after the first attempt on her life in Karachi."
The prime minister said Benazir Bhutto had wanted an independent investigation into the attack. He said all the four provincial assemblies and the National Assembly also demanded a probe by the United Nations, keeping in view her desire.
He said the findings of the joint investigation team would be shared by the Minister for Interior Rehman Malik with the chairman Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Gillani said the government would continue to pursue the policy of reconciliation to find an amicable solution to the situation in Karachi.
He said only through the policy of reconciliation, all the parties can sit together and find a way out to put a permanent end to the lawlessness in the city which in fact was a mini-Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.statesman.com.pk/topnews/topnews1.htm
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Qaida in Pakistan grooming new leadership:
APR 05 2011
ISLAMABAD: Al-Qaida and affiliated militant groups based in Pakistan's restive tribal belt are grooming alternative leaders and splitting into small cells to confuse counter-terror agencies and to survive in the face of sudden fatalities, a media report said today.
The groups, including the Haqqani network, have been following this pattern for some time and "unusual changes" are expected in months to come, The Express Tribune newspaper quoted intelligence officials in Islamabad and associates of the groups in South and North Waziristan Agencies as saying.
The Afghan Taliban led by Maulana Sirajuddin Haqqani and his father Maulana Jalaluddin Haqqani, supposedly the strongest of al-Qaida's partners, might be promoting a new leader to undertake the group's operational and organisational activities, the report said.
Badaruddin, one of the sons of Maulana Jalaluddin Haqqani, will be introduced to the world as the network's main operative, leading the group and spearheading its operations across Pakistan-Afghanistan border, it said.
"He is up and coming...very soon he will be a household name in the world of terror," said an unnamed official.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Qaida-in-Pakistan-grooming-new-leadership-Report/articleshow/7865793.cms
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Police and Saleh loyalists kill 17
APR 05 2011
SANAA: Police and pro-government loyalists in plainclothes opened fire on protesters marching to the governor’s office in Taiz on Monday, killing at least 17 people and injuring hundreds.
Imad Al-Saqqaf, a local journalist and eyewitness, said the protesters who planned to stage a rally in front of the governor’s office in the city to demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, were confronted by police and gunmen a short distance from the complex.
"The police tried to convince them to keep distance from the governorate. When they refused, they fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse them."
A medic attending to the wounded said at least 17 people were killed and 500 injured, some of them trampled by fleeing demonstrators.
Taiz Gov. Hamoud Al-Sofi told the Saba news agency that protesters were armed and attacked the governorate. He accused them of preventing government ambulances from ferrying the injured to hospitals.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article344043.ece
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Former Pakistani mayor killed in UAE
APR 05 2011
AJMAN, United Arab Emirates: Police in the United Arab Emirates say gunmen have killed a former Pakistani mayor accused in the murder of an official in his homeland.
According to the police, Iftikhar Ahmed Khan was shot five times in the head on Saturday in Ajman, an emirate east of Dubai where he was operating a construction company.
The police said Monday they are investigating possible political motives in the slaying.
Khan, a former mayor of Haripur town in northwestern Pakistan, was held in the 2008 slaying of a provincial official in the region. Khan was granted bail and left for the UAE.
Several of Khan’s male family members have been killed in apparent retaliation for the provincial official’s murder.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article343747.ece
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Evacuees allege massacre in Misrata
APR 05 2011
BREGA, Libya: Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi are staging a "massacre" in the besieged city of Misrata, evacuees said Monday, as Turkey said it was trying to broker a cease-fire to halt the bloodshed.
Evacuees from Misrata described the city as hell, with Qaddafi's forces using tanks and snipers against residents, littering the streets with corpses and filling hospitals with the wounded. "You have to visit Misrata to see the massacre by Qaddafi," said Omar Boubaker, a 40-year-old engineer with a bullet wound to the leg, brought to the Tunisian port of Sfax by a French aid group. "Corpses are in the street. Hospitals are overflowing."
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article344032.ece
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Libyan rebels reject role for Gadhafi sons
APR 05 2011
A diplomatic push by Moammar Gadhafi's regime ran into trouble Monday as opponents at home and abroad rejected any solution to the Libyan conflict that would involve one of his sons taking power.
While a Gadhafi envoy lobbied diplomats in European capitals, Italy became the third nation to declare that the rebels' interim council in Libya is the only legitimate voice for the people of the North African nation.
The diplomatic whirlwind could signal a softening of his regime's hardline public stance against any compromise that would end the fighting and steer Libya toward a political resolution.
Any long-term settlement poses tough questions about the fate of Gadhafi's family and the new leader of a post-Gadhafi nation.
Some of Gadhafi's adversaries quickly rejected the idea that any of his powerful sons, some of whom command militias accused of attacks on civilians, might play a transitional leadership role that would undoubtedly protect the family's vast economic interests.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/05/libyan-rebels-reject-role-gadhafi-sons.html
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Libya says open to reforms, but Gaddafi must stay
APR 05 2011
TRIPOLI - The Libyan government said on Tuesday it was ready to negotiate reforms, but refused any talk of Moamer Kadhafi stepping down saying he was a unifying figure after ruling the nation for four decades.
“What kind of political system is implemented in the country? This is negotiable, we can talk about it,” government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim told journalists. “We can have anything, elections, referendums.”
But Gaddafi’s future was non-negotiable, he stressed, only hours after opposition rebels flatly rejected a reported peace deal that could see the embattled leader’s son take charge of the north African nation.
Gaddafi was “the safety valve” for the unity of the country’s tribes and people, Ibrahim said. “We think he is very important to lead any transition to a democratic and transparent model.”
The comments came as a Gaddafi envoy held talks in Turkey and Malta amid US media reports that two of the leader’s sons were offering to oversee a transition to democracy that would include his removal from power.
But Italy, Libya’s former colonial master, dismissed the diplomatic ouvertures as not credible, as fierce fighting continued and rebel fighters launched a new attempt to recapture the oil refinery town of Brega.
The rebels, battling for the past seven weeks to oust Gaddafi, advanced to the outskirts of Brega only to be forced back by fierce artillery fire.
Italy said Gaddafi and his family must leave power and the international community had to stand united against regime diplomacy.
“Gaddafi and his family must go,” Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told Italian news channel SkyTG24.
He also dismissed proposals by Libya’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Laabidi, which have not been made public, as “not credible”, adding: “It is not possible to accept them.”
In a show of defiance, Gaddafi greeted supporters late Monday in his first public appearance since March 22 at his Bab el-Aziziya residence in Tripoli, bombed by coalition forces two days earlier, national television said.
His son Saif al-Islam, long seen as the successor to his father before the wave of protests in the north African country, also briefly showed up at a Tripoli hotel where journalists are staying giving an interview to the BBC.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April208.xml§ion=international&col=
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Afghan stone throwing erupts over Qur’an burning
APR 05 2011
Stone throwers scuffled with the police on Monday as more than 1,000 Afghans took to the streets for a fourth day to denounce the burning of a Qur’an by an American pastor, witnesses said.
Mohammad Aziz Gharanai, the police chief of Laghman province east of the Afghan capital Kabul said that officers had not opened fire with guns.
‘There are demonstrations. People threw stones at police but our police have not fired,’ he said, adding that no one had been injured.
Full report at:
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/14205.html
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9/11 mastermind to be tried at Guantanamo: US official
APR 05 2011
WASHINGTON: The United States has decided to try 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed by a military tribunal at the US naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba, rather than in the United States, a US official said on Monday.
Attorney General Eric Holder was due to announce later on Monday the decision that "KSM will be tried at Guantanamo" and not in federal courts, a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/9/11-mastermind-to-be-tried-at-Guantanamo-US-official/articleshow/7867071.cms
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2 NATO soldiers killed in shooting incident
APR 05 2011
KABUL (NNI): Two soldiers with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces were killed on Monday in a shooting incident in Afghanistan's northern Faryab province, 425 km northwest of capital city of Kabul, the military alliance said. "Afghan and International Security Assistance Forces are investigating a shooting incident in Faryab province today that led to the deaths of two ISAF service members," said a statement issued here by ISAF. The statement said that based on initial reporting, "An individual in an Afghan Border Police uniform fired on the ISAF members inside a compound," According to the statement the attacker after firing shots fled the scene. "More information will be released as it becomes available." the statement added. However, it did not reveal the nationalities of the victims, saying it is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities. More than 140,000 ISAF soldiers with majority of them Americans have been stationed in Afghanistan.
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=an&nid=762
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Libya violence worrisome: Kingdom
APR 05 2011
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday expressed deep concern over the impact of continuing violence on the Libyan people and hoped the London conference on Libya would help bring about security and safety for citizens and ensure the distribution of humanitarian assistance for victims.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, expressed appreciation for a statement issued by the Bahraini government commending Saudi Arabia for standing by the country during its time of crisis.
Peace and stability returned to Bahrain as a result of the wisdom of its leadership in dealing with its internal matters and because of its people giving priority to national interests, the Cabinet said.
The Cabinet reviewed the resolutions taken by a GCC Ministerial Council meeting in Riyadh, condemning Iran’s continuous interference in the internal affairs of GCC countries. Iran has been conspiring to undermine the national security of GCC countries and creating sectarian divisions among its citizens, a Cabinet statement said.
The Cabinet meeting supported the GCC’s call for dialogue between the Yemeni government and opposition to reach a consensus on national objectives and reforms and achieve a comprehensive peace settlement.
Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the Cabinet authorized Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal to hold talks with UNICEF in order to make changes in the agreement between the two sides.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article344036.ece
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Indonesia to appeal verdict of Madinah court in Sumiati case
APR 05 2011
RIYADH/JEDDAH: The Indonesian government will appeal a Madinah court’s decision to acquit a Saudi employer accused of torturing an Indonesian maid.
A spokesman of the Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah, Didi Wahyudi, said Monday an appeal would be lodged with the higher court soon regarding the case of Sumiati Binti Salan Mustapa, 23.
"We have 30 days to challenge the Madinah court's verdict and our lawyers are preparing all papers for the appeal," he said.
"How can the former employer of Sumiati be allowed to go free despite the seriousness of the crime and widespread allegations that she tortured and caused severe injuries to the maid?"
He refused to accept the court’s verdict, which said there was not enough evidence of torture.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article344039.ece
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Two pro-protest Iraqi clerics held
APR 05 2011
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq: Two clerics who encouraged protests in Iraq’s Kurdish region have been charged with inciting violence during anti-government demonstrations, police said Monday.
The arrests are a sign that the semiautonomous government in one of the nation’s most peaceful areas is taking a hard-line approach against demonstrators clamoring for reforms and an end to corruption.
A security official said one of the clerics, Mulla Mohammed Nasrallah, was charged simply for leading prayers in a public square and urging continued protests the day after deadly clashes between police and anti-government demonstrators in February. The security official spoke on condition of anonymity.
Qadir Hama, spokesman for the Asayish, the security force in the Kurdish region in Iraq’s north, refused to comment on Nasrallah’s case. He said the other cleric, Kamran Ali, was arrested Thursday for a March prayer in which he allegedly called the protests a kind of jihad, or holy war. Nasrallah was arrested Sunday in Sulaimaniyah, 260 km northeast of Baghdad.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article344095.ece
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11 arrested by Israel in West Bank
APR 05 2011
RAMALLAH: Israeli forces operating in West Bank early on Monday arrested 11 Palestinian activists, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
Palestinian sources said the activists were arrested in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Ramallah and the Jordan Rift Valley. They said that they were arrested after Israeli security forces carried a thorough search of their houses.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article344096.ece
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Libya rebels may sell first oil cargo this week
APR 05 2011
LONDON/ATHENS: Libyan rebels may this week sell the first tanker full of crude since an uprising against leader Muammar Qaddafi halted exports from the North African country and sent oil prices higher.
Satellite ship tracking data AIS showed on Monday that oil tanker Equator, which can carry up to 1 million barrels of oil, was due to arrive at the rebel-held east Libyan port of Marsa el Hariga on Tuesday. The tanker is currently anchored in Egyptian waters.
“The situation remains extremely unpredictable, and there is at least the possibility that some crude oil from the parts of eastern Libya, under the control of the rebel forces, may resume, with exemptions from sanctions,” broker ICAP Shipping said.
Earlier on Monday, Platts energy service said Equator was due to arrive in the rebel-held eastern Libyan port of Tobruk to load a cargo of Serir/Mesla blend crude oil.
The agency quoted Wahid Bougaighis, head of a newly established oil company for the rebels, as saying: “They are coming for sure because there was a contract signed already.” He gave no other details.
The vessel’s Greek operators, Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd, could not confirm details when contacted by Reuters.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/economy/article343914.ece
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Qatar to nominate diplomat for Arab League chief
APR 05 2011
CAIRO: Qatar plans to propose one of its top diplomats to the post of Arab League secretary-general to replace outgoing Egyptian Amr Moussa.
Moussa, whose tenure ends May 15, plans to run in Egypt's presidential election that are expected later this year after a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak in February.
An Arab diplomat at the League said on Monday that Qatar wants Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah to head the league.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article344118.ece
Palestinian representatives leave for Cairo
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End Game in Ivory Coast: Ouattara forces begin Abidjan assault
APR 05 2011
ABIDJAN: Forces backing Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara began a fresh assault to remove Laurent Gbagbo from his last stronghold in Abidjan on Monday.
As the conflict escalated, France ordered more troops into the West African country to protect civilians.
A convoy of several dozen vehicles containing heavily armed pro-Ouattara troops and outfitted with mounted machineguns entered Ivory Coast’s main city at midday, the first elements of a large force that had massed on the northern outskirts for what they called a “final assault,” according to a Reuters eyewitness.
Heavy machinegun fire and a few explosions could be heard minutes after they entered the city limits.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article343527.ece
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Revolution warms Egyptian-Iranian relations
APR 05 2011
Iran led the way for regional powers seeking favour with the January 25 Revolution in Egypt. For many analysts, however, the rhetoric in images and the Supreme Guide Ali Khameini’s famous speech was misplaced. Mohamed Abbas Nagi, an expert on Iran affairs at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, criticised Khameini’s address, which he gave in Arabic, for stating that Islamic revival was coming to the region “born in the womb of these revolutions.” This statement was rejected by all political forces in Egypt, including the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists.
Major General Adel Suleiman, director of the Centre for Futuristic Studies in Cairo, noted that relations between Egypt and Iran were previously linked to positions regarding a variety of issues and not based on economic and historic ties. Even links based on the notion of identity failed to promote relations that were not enforced on the basis that Iran is a regional power and member of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).
“These relations remained very tense because of sharp differences between Cairo and Tehran regarding Iran’s positions and regional issues,” explains Suleiman. “There was no dialogue despite attempts to make contact, but they were unsuccessful in building any form of ties or eliminating obstacles. On the contrary, these ties continued to deteriorate further.”
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/9243/Egypt/Politics-/Revolution-warms-EgyptianIranian-relations.aspx
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Two Gazans hit by Israeli fire near border: witnesses
APR 05 2011
Two Palestinians were hit by Israeli gunfire in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday in an incident which occurred near the Erez crossing, witnesses said.
It was not immediately clear how badly they were injured as the ambulance service was being prevented from reaching them, medics said.
Witnesses said the two were collecting gravel in the area.
The Israeli army confirmed firing towards someone in the northern Gaza Strip but a spokeswoman mentioned only one person, who she said was armed and who had been hit by gunfire.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9328/World/Region/Two-Gazans-hit-by-Israeli-fire-near-border-witness.aspx
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Army says no to 'Khomeini rule' in Egypt
APR 05 2011
Egypt will not be governed by another Khomeini," the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said after a three-hour meeting with newspaper editors-in-chief and MENA.
"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will not allow extremist factions to control Egypt," Deputy Defence Minister Mohammed Mokhtar al-Mella told the journalists on Monday.
The military also reiterated its commitment to transfer power to civilian rule after legislative and presidential elections, and to respect freedom of expression.
It "expressed the hope that the Egypt of tomorrow will be democratic and modern", MENA reported.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/9321/Egypt/Politics-/Army-says-no-to-Khomeini-rule-in-Egypt-.aspx
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Sawiris doesn’t want Coptic president, might accept Muslim Brotherhood
APR 05 2011
Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris says he wouldn’t have reservations if a Muslim Brotherhood (MB) candidate won the presidential elections as long as certain principles were preserved. He also doesn't favour a Christian candidate winning this year’s elections.
Sawiris stated he would welcome a member of the MB in power provided that equality between Muslim and Christians and gender equality, among other principles, were maintained.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/9283/Egypt/Politics-/Sawiris-doesn%E2%80%99t-want-Coptic-president,-might-accep.aspx
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Gulf rulers tell Iran keep out, Tehran says beware
APR 05 2011
Arab states of the Gulf have accused Iran of meddling in Bahrain and Kuwait, stirring a warning from Iran on Monday for pro-US monarchs to focus instead on meeting the demands of their people.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also called for Saudi and other Gulf troops to pull out of Bahrain and charged the United States and its allies had put pressure on the monarchies to fire a volley at Tehran.
A statement of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers issued late on Sunday after a meeting in Riyadh was the result of "pressure from America and its allies. It does not bear any legal value," he said.
"It is hideous that troops have been brought in," the Islamic republic's president added at a Tehran news conference. "Take them out. The people have demands so listen to them."
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9302/World/Region/Gulf-rulers-tell-Iran-keep-out,-Tehran-says-beware.aspx
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Yemen toll rises as U.S. said to press Saleh to go
APR 05 2011
Police and armed men in civilian clothes opened fire on demonstrators in the Yemeni cities of Taiz and Hudaida on Monday as a drive to oust veteran President Ali Abdullah Saleh gathered pace, witnesses said.
In Taiz, south of the capital Sanaa, police mowed down protesters trying to storm the provincial government building, killing at least 12 people, and wounding 30 more by gunfire, hospital sources said.
In the Red Sea port of Hudaida, police and armed men in civilian clothes fired live rounds and teargas at hundreds of demonstrators marching on a presidential palace and some 50 people were wounded, another medical source said.
Negotiations for Saleh to hand over power appear to have stalled, prompting the escalating clashes and mounting pressure from the United States.
Sources close to the talks said Washington had given Saleh an ultimatum last week to agree on a deal negotiated by the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa to ensure a peaceful exit and transition of power, otherwise it would publicly call on him to step down.
The Obama administration has not so far made a public statement urging Saleh to stand aside. Such calls were key in bringing an end to the rule of Tunisia's Zine al-Abidine bin Ali and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak.
But the New York Times said on Monday that Washington "has now quietly shifted positions and has concluded that he is unlikely to bring about the required reforms and must be eased out of office".
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9265/World/Region/Yemen-toll-rises-as-US-said-to-press-Saleh-to-go.aspx
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NATO chief holds talks in Turkey
APR 05 2011
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen met with Turkish officials on Monday as an envoy of Muammar Gaddafi arrived in Ankara for talks on a possible ceasefire in conflict-torn Libya.
Rasmussen held talks behind closed doors with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a meeting attended also by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul.
He had further talks with Davutoglu before wrapping up his visit.
"We place great importance on the continuation of efficient NATO efforts... to secure the safety of Libyans, the normalisation of the situation in Libya and an end to attacks on civilians," Davutoglu told reporters after the meeting.
"We reviewed the efforts over the past week... and also Turkey's efforts for humanitarian assistance to Libya," he said.
In the meantime, Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Laabidi arrived in Ankara to seek Turkish help for a possible ceasefire with opposition forces.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/9297/World/International/NATO-chief-holds-talks-in-Turkey-.aspx
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Army says no to ‘Khomeini rule’ in Egypt
APR 05 2011
CAIRO — Egypt will not be ruled by “another (Ayatollah) Khomeini,” the country’s military said on Monday, in reference to the cleric who led Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, the official MENA news agency reported.
“Egypt will not be governed by another Khomeini,” the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said after a three-hour meeting with newspaper editors-in-chief and MENA.
The military rulers made the comment amid concerns over the increased visibility of the Muslim Brotherhood, banned under the regime of president Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down on February 11 after a popular uprising.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/April/middleeast_April68.xml§ion=middleeast
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Quietly, US ditches Yemen's President Saleh
APR 05 2011
SANAA ( YEMEN): The United States, which long supported Yemen's president, even in the face of recent widespread protests, has now quietly shifted positions and has concluded that he is unlikely to bring about the required reforms and must be eased out of office, according to American and Yemeni officials.
The Obama administration had maintained its support of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and refrained from criticizing him in public, even as his supporters fired on peaceful demonstrators, as he was considered a critical ally in fighting the Yemeni branch of al-Qaida. This position has fueled criticism of the US in some quarters for hypocrisy.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Quietly-US-ditches-Yemens-President-Saleh/articleshow/7870857.cms
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Rebels enter oil hub as , Libyan govt seeks talks
APR 05 2011
LIBYAN rebels pushed into the strategic oil town of Brega on Monday but came under fire from Gaddafi’s forces, as a government envoy began a diplomatic push in Europe to discuss an end to the fighting.
Brega has been the site of battles during weeks of back- and- forth battling along Libya’s eastern coast. On Monday, rebels controlled much of the city although there were bursts of artillery and shelling from Gaddafi’s forces.
“ We’re advancing. By today we’ll have full control of Brega,” a rebel fighter said.
“ We're more organised now, and that's played a big role.” Gaddafi’s envoy wanted to convey that Libya wanted a negotiated political settlement, a Greek official said after the visit by Libyan deputy foreign minister Abdelati Obeidi. “ We don’t think there can be a military solution to this crisis.” Obeidi was expected in Turkey on Monday and Malta on Tuesday. He was to hold talks with Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
“ Both sides have told us that they have certain thoughts on a ceasefire. We will talk to the two sides and see whether there is any common ground,” a senior foreign ministry official said.
Full report at:
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=542011
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Muslims in Victoria feel threatened by racism
APR 05 2011
Victorian Muslims feel threatened by racism and say it is an issue that needs to be addressed.
According to the Herald Sun, Victorian Muslims say many in their community feel forced to live in enclaves in order to protect themselves from racism.
And they have made a plea that Australian society be more tolerant, allowing them to be free to wear burqas and build mosques.
Opposition leader Daniel Andrews said all levels of Government must work together on the issue.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/muslims-in-victoria-feel-threatened-by-racism/771374/
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Saudis in deal to recruit Bangladeshis
APR 05 2011
Saudi Arabia is going to recruit Bangladeshi manpower in four categories at a reduced migration cost.
The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies and Saudi Arabian recruiting agencies’ association SANARCOM made the announcement at a press conference in Dhaka on Monday.
The associations of private sector recruitment agencies in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia decided that the categories for recruitment will be housemaid, driver, security guard and gardener.
The Saudis also said they need doctors and nurses to work in the kingdom.
Housemaid migration will be free while male workers under the other three categories will have to buy plane tickets.
BAIRA president Mohammad Abul Basher said they would work together with Saudi recruitment agencies to cut down on the cost of migration.
‘The recruitment process for the categories will start within a month or two after all the formalities are complete,’ Basher said.
‘We are going to sign a memorandum of understanding with our Saudi Arabian counterpart in this regard [Monday] or [Tuesday],’ he said.
Full report at:
About 2.5 million Bangladeshis are working in Saudi Arabia.
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/business/14200.html
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Arab-Israeli actor shot dead in West Bank
APR 05 2011
A well-known Arab-Israeli actor and director was shot dead on Monday by unknown gunmen in Jenin in the northern West Bank, Palestinian police and medics said.
Juliano Mer-Khamis, the 52-year-old director of The Freedom Theatre in Jenin, was killed when gunmen inside the city’s refugee camp, opened fire on his car, police chief Mohammed Tayim said.
Medics said he died after being hit by five bullets.
Mer-Khamis was born to a Jewish Israeli mother, Arna Mer, and a Palestinian Christian father, Saliba Khamis, and was known for both his acting and directing as well as his political activism.
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/14210.html
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US pressured Gulf states over Iran: Ahmadinejad
APR 05 2011
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday the United States and its allies pressured Gulf Arab states to accuse Tehran of interfering in the region and demanded Saudi forces leave Bahrain.
"This statement was issued under pressure from America and its allies. It does not bear any legal value," Ahmadinejad told reporters at a Tehran news conference, after the GCC said Sunday it was worried about "Iranian meddling."
The Iranian president also said that Saudi-led forces brought into Bahrain amid protests by the Shiite majority in the kingdom should leave.
"It is hideous that troops have been brought in," Ahmadinejad said.
"Take them out. The people have demands so listen to them," the hardliner said.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=180515
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5 Malaysian soldiers suspended over slain bird
APR 05 2011
Five Malaysian soldiers who killed a protected bird while on a jungle patrol and then posed for a photograph with the carcass have been suspended and could face criminal charges, an official said Tuesday.
The case has renewed allegations by wildlife activists that some army personnel and other authorities might be involved in poaching and illegal hunting of threatened animals in Malaysia's rain forests.
A photo of four soldiers grinning while holding up a large hornbill sparked outrage among conservationists earlier this year when it surfaced on Facebook.
The four men and their colleague who took the photo claim they killed the bird to end its suffering after finding it shot and lying on the ground last year, a Defense Ministry official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/05/5-malaysian-soldiers-suspended-over-slain-bird.html
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Iftikhar Says radio to play key role in war against terrorism
APR 05 2011
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Culture, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that they were political and democratic people and the provincial government would not impose any ban on gatherings to be held in Hazara in the memory of martyrs of Hazara Movement on April 12. However, the government would take solid steps for the maintenance of peace and tranquility and in this connection all necessary preparations had been made. He expressed the views to Fakhira Najeeb, General Manager FM Radio 99.4 Abbottabad / Islamabad during a meeting on Monday. On this occasion beside others Station Director Pakhtunkhwa Radio Zabita Khan Mohmand and Station Director FM 99.4 Abbottabad Suhail Qureshi were also present. Fakhira Najeeb informed the minister that FM 99-4 was the first on air channel which went on the air seven years ago. She further said this channel played a pivotal role during devastating earthquake, rehabilitation of IDPs and affectees of the recent floods adding that now it was proving to be a helping hand to the government in the war against terror. The Minister said that due to low rate of literacy and nonaccess of TV, everywhere, radio was the most important and effective source of communication for the public which can help in forming public opinion on important issues. That was why the provincial government was opening 10 more FM Radio channels besides its own TV channel to effectively combat the menace of terrorism and extremisms at this critical juncture
Full report at:
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=cn&nid=1062
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British PM to visit Pakistan
APR 05 2011
Pakistan has announced that British Prime Minister David Cameron would today make his first visit to the nuclear-armed South Asian country since taking office nearly a year ago.
Cameron's visit comes nine months after he sailed into a diplomatic row with Pakistan over remarks he made in the country's arch rival India last July that elements in the Muslim majority country were promoting the "export of terror".
Cameron is to arrive in Islamabad for a one-day visit at the invitation of PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
"Pakistan attaches considerable importance to the British prime minister's visit and to the close cooperative relationship with the United Kingdom," it said in a statement.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=180559
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4400
11:16 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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