IS Militants 'Indoctrinating Kids' By Reading Bedtime Stories of Jihad to Them
At least 30 killed in blast at Shikarpur imambargah — DawnNews screengrab
Arab World
IS Militants 'Indoctrinating Kids' By Reading Bedtime Stories of Jihad to Them
After Charlie Hebdo, Arab World Institute Fights Terror with Culture
27 Killed In Attacks in Egypt's North Sinai, Suez
Syria Kurds kill 22 militants around Kobane
Twin bombing at Baghdad market kills 8 people
Jordan shows that negotiating with terrorists can reap rewards
US-led air strikes hit Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq
IS releases new audio message by Japanese hostage
Top Iraq Kurd officer among six killed in ISIL attack
'More Than 100' Bodies of Foreign ISIS Fighters Pile Up In Hospitals As Cemeteries Refuse To Take Them
Pakistan
At Least 30 Killed In Blast At Shikarpur Imambargah
KP Govt Refers 423 Cases for Trial by Military Courts
Mumtaz Qadri Case File ‘Vanishes’ From Court Records
Sartaj sees arms race in S. Asia after India-US agreements
Major terror bid foiled in Quetta as forces seize explosive-laden vehicle
Pakistan has some concerns over Indo-US engagement: Abdul Basit
Southeast Asia
Punish Muslim Youths for Hedonism And Not Jihad, Says Hizbut Tahrir
KLM warns staff of possible terror attack in Malaysia
Collapsing Pyramid at the Hindu Temple of Sukuh to Be Restored by 2016
India
Geelani: Hard-Line Separatist Leader Stokes Controversy, Pays Tributes to Slain Militants
Thousands Attend Funeral of 'Martyr' Terrorists in Kashmir
Europe
British Jihadi Threatens Mps on Twitter Ahead Of General Election
New UK Rape Rules: Men Must Prove Women Said 'Yes' To Sex
'No light at end of tunnel' for Egypt: Human Rights Watch
UK MP laments ISIS ‘large scale’ artifacts looting
Sharif govt has failed to protect religious freedoms: HRW
Muslim leader: 'Teaching British values in schools creates atmosphere of suspicion'
Russia Is Waging an Invisible War in Dagestan
Jihadists porn-driven losers: London's mayor
German carnival bans Charlie Hebdo tribute float
Paris attacks: Frenchman linked to attackers charged, incarcerated
North America
New York Imam Calls Hard-line Muslim Ideology a ‘Cancer’
Texas Rally By Muslims Seeking Tolerance Disrupted By Protesters
US Senator: Taliban detainees have communicated with Haqqani
White House defends Michelle’s attire during visit to S. Arabia
Mideast
Turkey Tells Kurdish Rebels to Lay Down Arms in March
Iranian Speaker: Military Action Only Way to Stop ISIL
US armed drone program in Yemen facing intelligence gaps
Israel to build 430 new West Bank settler homes
Gazan youth graduate Hamas military training camp
Africa
Nigerian Military Arrests Generals, Senior Officers over Boko Haram's Takeover of Baga
African leaders gather for conflict, Ebola talks
Over 38,000 Somali children facing starvation: UN
South Asia
China Vows No ‘Western Values’ in Universities
Taliban member swapped by Obama for Bowe Bergdahl tried to return to terror: report
Taliban claims their infiltrator killed 3 US contractors at Kabul airport
Japan, Jordan working closely on fate of hostage
Afghanistan oppose with deportation of asylum seekers from Norway
Dhaka University Teachers Association for law against petrol bomb attacks
Indictment hearing deferred against BNP-led alliance leaders
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
IS Militants 'Indoctrinating Kids' By Reading Bedtime Stories of Jihad to Them
30 January 2015
In a bid to radicalise children and "desensitise" them towards acts of violence, the Islamic State (IS) militants have been reading bedtime stories of jihad to their kids and showing them snaps of killings, a report said.
In a parenting guide, called the Sister's Role in Jihad, the terror outfit urged mothers to show their children terror websites and read tales of jihad to them, reported The Daily Star. The guide implores mothers to not wait "until they are seven to start for it may be too late by then" and warns them against underestimating "the lasting effect of what those little ears and eyes take in during the first few years of life".
It stressed that fun did not mean "music and dancing" as portrayed by Western children's TV. Middle East Media Research Institute director Steven Stalinsky said that 2015 will see a substantial increase in attempts to "indoctrinate the next generation of fighters".
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-is-militants-indoctrinating-kids-by-reading-bedtime-stories-of-jihad-to-them-2056336
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After Charlie Hebdo, Arab World Institute Fights Terror with Culture
30 January 2015
In the aftermath of the deadly attack against satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, the Arab World Institute seems to have more burden to bear in order to ensure a distinction is made between “Muslims and Islamists.”
The Institute, whose mission is to raise awareness about the Arab region and its culture, is bringing together Arab personalities in a bid to curb the effects of the attack.
“After the attack, the role of the Arab World Institute became even more important as it has for a mission to prevent people from mistaking Muslims and Islamists,” Jack Lang, former minister of culture and president of the Arab World Institute, told Al Arabiya News.
“We have to help people broaden their horizons and push them stop having prejudice about this part of the world mainly through Arab classes, representations, exhibitions and artistic shows,” he said.
In January, France witnessed the deadliest extremist attack on French soil in decades when two gunmen stormed the office of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo killing 12 people.
As part of the recent measures taken to soften French people’s perception of Islam, Lang said that the Institute will “receive as a symbolic event an Imam, a Rabbi as well as a Priest at the same time.
“All three come from Evry – a southern suburbs of Paris – just like French Prime Minister Manuel Valls who will also be attending,” Lang said.
Recently, Valls said his country is at war with extremism and terrorism - but not with Muslims.
Lang, who was appointed president of the institute in 2013, said that a visit made by France’s Francois Hollande following the Paris attack helped reflect the Institute’s “respect of all religions.
“During his visit, President Hollande highlighted the importance of respect between all cultures and religions especially the Muslim religion,” Lang said, “which is also what we promote: The respect of all religions.”
Hollande, who was attending the opening of the international forum called the “Renewal of the Arab World,” or “le Renouveau du Monde Arabe,” said that Islam was compatible with democracy and thanked Arabs for their solidarity regarding the act of terrorism in Paris.
Speaking about the “Renewal of the Arab World,” Lang said: “Through the event we wanted to shed light on the positive changes that are happening in several Arab countries and give a lively and real image of the Arab world.”
The forum brought together personalities from 21 Arab countries who discussed six different topics including, among others, entrepreneurship, education, the voice of women and culture.
The Institute is also making efforts to limit terrorist ideology through written arts as it inscribed the words “Nous sommes tous Charlie” - or “We are all Charlie” - in large red letters, in both French and Arabic, on the façade of the Institute a day after the attack.
“It is a way to show our solidarity with the artists and creators who were killed in the attacks even if we do not support the cartoons of the Prophet [Mohammad],” Lang said, in reference to Charlie Hebdo’s controversial cartoons depicting Islam’s Prophet Mohammad. Lang added that the Institute “condemns the violence of the attack.”
Lang also said that the Institute, which was founded by France and members of the League of Arab States in 1980, leaves politics out.
Besides politics, some countries have also been left out of the Institute as it were. Some war-torn countries are facing difficulties cooperating with the organization.
“Unfortunately since the beginning of the war, Syria has not been very represented at the Institute,” he said adding that “Syria is a country of great culture.”
Syria has been torn apart by nearly four years of conflict in which about 200,000 people have died, according to Reuters news agency.
On the other hand, other countries such as Morocco and Egypt occupy an important place at the Institute.
This week, Moroccan exhibition “Le Maroc contemporain,” or “The contemporary Morocco,” welcomed the highest number of visitors ever registered at the Institute, according to French daily Le Monde.
Last year, the Institute, which welcomed more than one million visitors, witnessed a record-high number of guests.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/art-and-culture/2015/01/30/After-Charlie-Hebdo-Arab-World-Institute-fights-terror-with-culture.html
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27 killed in attacks in Egypt's North Sinai, Suez
Reuters | Jan 30, 2015
CAIRO: Twenty-seven people were killed in four attacks in Egypt's North Sinai and Suez, security and medical sources said, in some of the worst anti-state violence in months and after commemorations around the anniversary of the 2011 uprising turned deadly this week.
Egypt's government faces an Islamist insurgency based in Sinai and growing discontent with what critics perceive as heavy handed security tactics.
Thursday's first attack was a bombing of military buildings in the capital of North Sinai province, that killed 25 and wounded at least 58, including 9 civilians, security and medical sources said.
The flagship government newspaper, al-Ahram, said its office in the town of Al-Arish, which is situated opposite a military hotel, headquarters and base that security sources said were the intended targets, had been "completely destroyed".
Later, suspected militants killed an army major and wounded six others at a checkpoint in Rafah, followed by a roadside bomb in Suez city that killed a police officer, and an assault on an army unit south of Al-Arish that wounded four soldiers, security sources said.
Sinai-based militants have killed hundreds of security officers since president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood was removed from power following mass protests against his rule.
The military said in a statement on its Facebook page that the attacks were the result of a successful campaign to pressure the militants.
Tensions have risen across Egypt this week with protests, some of them violent, marking four years since the uprising that ousted longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak from power.
Earlier on Thursday, a group of women protested in Cairo over the death of activist Shaimaa Sabbagh and around 25 others said to have been killed by security forces at rallies commemorating the 2011 uprising.
Sabbagh, 32, died on Saturday as riot police were breaking up a small, peaceful demonstration. Friends said she had been shot, and images of her bleeding body rippled out across social media, sparking outrage and condemnation.
"The Interior Ministry are thugs!" chanted around 100 women protesters at the site of Sabbagh's death. Some held up signs with the word "Murderer" scrawled over the face of Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim.
The protesters were defying a law that severely restricts protests. "People are here at incredible risk to themselves. But it's a way of standing against the fear they have instilled," said activist Yasmin el-Rifae.
Ibrahim has said an investigation into Sabbagh's death will lead to prosecution if any member of the security forces is found responsible.
One of the organisers of Thursday's demonstration said they had asked only women to attend because they feared infiltration by plainclothes male agents.
Across the street from the protesters, beside police officers, men stood making lewd gestures and yelling profanities. Others chanted in favour of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Criticism is growing of the security tactics Sisi has used since Mursi was ousted.
A crackdown that began with the deaths of hundreds of Brotherhood supporters and the imprisonment of thousands more has expanded to include liberals and other activists.
Some of those now on the wrong side of the government initially supported the protests that led to Mursi's removal and Sisi's rise to power, as people who knew Sabbagh said she had.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/27-killed-in-attacks-in-Egypts-North-Sinai-Suez/articleshow/46060116.cms
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Syria Kurds kill 22 militants around Kobane
30 January 2015
Kurdish fighters killed 22 jihadists around Kobane Thursday, days after recapturing the Syrian town, but the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group still controls hundreds of villages in the area, a monitor said.
“Nineteen ISIS members were killed in fighting against the (Kurdish) People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the hills surrounding Manaz to the west of Kobane,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.
“Another three jihadists died in fighting around villages to the east of Kobane, while the YPG also took one ISIS member prisoner,” he told AFP.
Kurdish forces recaptured the town on the Turkish frontier on Monday, in a symbolic blow to the jihadists who have seized large swathes of territory in their onslaught across Syria and Iraq.
The YPG had also recaptured five villages around Kobane this week, according to Abdel Rahman, whose Britain-based group relies on a network of sources inside Syria.
“Another 350 villages remain under ISIS control,” he said, referring to settlements in the area around Kobane.
One civilian was also killed.
“ISIS shelling in the western countryside of Kobane killed a civilian,” said Abdel Rahman, who has repeatedly stressed that the fight for the Kobane area is far from over.
AFP journalists who have entered Kobane, which is known in Arabic as Ain al-Arab, have seen pulverized buildings and heavily armed fighters roaming otherwise deserted, rubble-strewn streets.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/30/Syria-Kurds-kill-22-militants-around-Kobane-.html
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Twin bombing at Baghdad market kills 8 people
Jan 30, 2015
Iraqi officials say a twin bombing at a crowded market in Baghdad has killed eight people.
Police officials say the Friday morning attack started with a bomb exploding near carts selling used clothes in the city’s central Bab al-Sharqi area.
The second explosion, caused by a car bomb, went off two minutes later targeting people who rushed to help the victims from the first blast. Police and hospital officials said along with the eight killed, 20 people were wounded at the market.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
Iraq is facing its worst crisis since the 2011 withdrawal of US troops. Militants from the Islamic State group now control about a third of the country.
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/asia/twin-bombing-at-baghdad-market-kills-8-people/#sthash.2afVo90h.dpuf
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Jordan shows that negotiating with terrorists can reap rewards
Jan 30 2015
JORDAN’S willingness to free a jailed terrorist who helped kill dozens of civilians in return for the release by the Islamic State (IS) of a captured Jordanian air force pilot will horrify some western governments, politicians and diplomats. But in much of the Middle East, the exchange — if it goes ahead — is likely to be greeted with a shrug.
Hostage-taking and hostage swaps have been a common form of conflict zone commerce in the Middle East for as long as caliphs, emirs and tribes have fought for territory and power. Much the same held true in the Europe of the Middle Ages. Even popes sometimes fell victim, Leo IX being a prime example. Many princes certainly did. Hostages are currency. They are power levers. And they are usually more valuable alive than dead.
The IS approach to the use and abuse of hostages is different in significant ways. Its willingness to execute them in the most horrifyingly public manner has added to its notoriety — and to the fear and respect with which it is held in the areas it occupies in Syria and Iraq. Its use of videos and other media to magnify the drama adds to the horror — and to its negotiating strength.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160244/jordan-shows-that-negotiating-with-terrorists-can-reap-rewards
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US-led air strikes hit Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq
Jan 30, 2015
The United States and coalition partners launched six air strikes against US-led air strikes hit Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq targets in Syria, and 12 more in Iraq as they kept up pressure on the insurgent group, the US military said on Thursday.
Among the strikes, which occurred between 8 am local time Wednesday and 8 am on Thursday, were five near Kobani, striking an Islamic State fighting position, three tactical units and a large unit, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.
The Pentagon said this week the militants had been driven out of 90 percent of Kobani, a city near the border with Turkey where fighting has raged for four months.
The air strikes in Iraq, where Islamic State has captured a swath of territory, hit near Al Asad, Ar Rutbah, Mosul, Sinjar and Tal Afar, hitting targets including Islamic State tactical units, buildings, vehicles and a weapons storage facility, the task force said.
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/us-led-air-strikes-hit-islamic-state-targets-in-syria-and-iraq/#sthash.59VwZ5N8.dpuf
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IS releases new audio message by Japanese hostage
Jan 30, 2015
The Islamic State group released a message late Wednesday purportedly by Japanese hostage Kenji Goto, extending the deadline for Jordan’s release of an Iraqi would-be hotel bomber linked to al-Qaida.
The audio was released as Jordan had offered a precedent-setting prisoner swap to the Islamic State group in a desperate attempt to save a Jordanian air force pilot the militants purportedly threatened to kill, along with Goto.
The audio recording, in English, says the Jordanians must present Sajida al-Rishawi at the Turkish border by sunset Thursday, or Jordanian pilot Mu’as al-Kasaseabeh will be killed.
The Associated Press could not independently verify the contents of the recording which was distributed on Twitter by IS-affiliated accounts.
On Wednesday, the pilot’s father met with Jordan’s king who he said assured him that “everything will be fine.”
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/is-releases-new-audio-message-by-japanese-hostage/article6833330.ece
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Top Iraq Kurd officer among six killed in ISIL attack
Jan 30 2015
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadist group killed a senior Kurdish commander and five other fighters on Jan. 30 in a major attack in Iraq's Kirkuk province, an officer and a doctor said.
The ISIL assault on areas south and west of the northern city of Kirkuk began at around midnight, sparking fighting with medium and heavy weapons that was still ongoing Friday morning, a police brigadier general said.
Brigadier General Shirko Rauf and five other members of the Kurdish peshmerga forces were killed in clashes, while 46 more were wounded, the police officer and a doctor said.
The Kirkuk province security committee announced a curfew beginning at 10:00 am (0700 GMT) on Friday, saying it will be in effect until further notice.
ISIL spearheaded a sweeping offensive that has overrun much of Iraq's Sunni Arab heartland since June, presenting both an opportunity for territorial expansion and a threat to the country's three-province autonomous Kurdish region.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/top-iraq-kurd-officer-among-six-killed-in-isil-attack-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77658&NewsCatID=352
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'More Than 100' Bodies of Foreign ISIS Fighters Pile Up In Hospitals As Cemeteries Refuse To Take Them
Jan 30 2015
The unwanted bodies of dozens of dead foreign ISIS fighters have been left to pile up in Iraqi hospitals.
More than 100 corpses of Islamist combatants from 13 different countries are dispersed among the country's healthcare units.
That's according to an unnamed, high-ranking official in the country's Interior Ministry, who told Arabic-language newspaper Akhbar Al Iraq that the dead jihadist's home countries refuse to accept them while local cemeteries won't take them either.
The government is still trying to figure out what to do with the bodies, which are reportedly from European, Asian and Arab nations.
According to the same official their countries of origin have told Iraq to 'Burn them or drown them, we don't want them.
'We took away their citizenship.'
The official added: 'These nations wanted to send a message first to Iraq; a message of support against terrorism and radicalism, and second to tell the people who want to fight with ISIS that they mean nothing to their countries and people.'
Full report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2931169/More-100-bodies-dead-foreign-ISIS-fighters-pile-Iraqi-hospitals-home-countries-local-cemeteries-refuse-them.html#ixzz3QKhLEqIp
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Pakistan
At least 30 killed in blast at Shikarpur imambargah
Jan 30 2015
SHIKARPUR: At least 30 people were killed and 55 others were injured in an explosion inside a central imambargah (mosque affiliated with Shia Muslims) in Sindh province's Shikarpur district on Friday.
The imambargah is located in Shikarpur's Lakhi Dar area and the explosion occurred just after Friday prayers.
A number of victims were trapped under debris after the roof of the imambargah collapsed due to the intensive blast. Many of the casualties were shifted to hospital in Sukkur and Larkana districts of Sindh
Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) central leader Allama Mohammed Amin Shaheedi announced three days mourning, describing the incident a failure of the government.
He told Dawn that the party's further course of action would be announced in a press conference later in the evening.
The Jafria Disaster Cell (JDC) demanded that the critically wouinded victims be immediately shifted to Karachi for treatment.
Deputy Commissioner of Shikarpur, Hadi Bux Zardari, confirmed that at least 30 people were killed and several others were injured in the blast.
There are a number of children included in the casualties whereas the condition of several wounded is said to be critical.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160444/at-least-30-killed-in-blast-at-shikarpur-imambargah
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KP govt refers 423 cases for trial by military courts
Jan 30 2015
PESHAWAR: Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday referred a list of terror suspects to the federal government for trial by military courts.
The 45-page report contains 423 cases of terror suspects for trial by military courts, which also includes the name of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah.
Peshawar has the highest number of cases — 116 — to be tried by military courts, whereas the remaining 307 cases are from other areas of the province.
Most of the terror suspects were charged for attacks on security forces, government buildings, state installations and killing of civilians.
Tehreek Nifaz-i-Shariah Mohammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi Mohammad and Maulvi Faqeer are among other high profile suspects on the list.
A few of the terror suspects are awaiting trial in jail, while many of them are absconders in Afghanistan.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160451/kp-govt-refers-423-cases-for-trial-by-military-courts
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Mumtaz Qadri Case File ‘Vanishes’ From Court Records
Jan 30 2015
ISLAMABAD: Important records related to the Salmaan Taseer murder case mysteriously disappeared from the office of the attorney general (AG) in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after the appeal of Mumtaz Qadri – Taseer’s self confessed killer – was fixed for hearing last week.
Sources in the AG office told Dawn that after the case was fixed before the IHC division bench, they found that the file that contained Qadri’s appeal, his conviction order, police reports and important notes from the prosecutor was not in their records.
Subsequently, at the last hearing of the case on Jan 27, prosecutors had no record related to this case.
The law officer deputed to handle cases in Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s court had requested the bench to serve a notice on the AG to appoint a dedicated prosecutor for the Taseer’s murder case.
Law officers say file can be reconstructed from copies available on judicial and police record
When Dawn visited the record room where the file was supposedly kept, an official said that the case file “Criminal Appeal 90 of 2011” was present in the records when the case was heard in Oct 2011 and again in 2012.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160391/qadri-case-file-vanishes-from-court-records
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Sartaj sees arms race in S. Asia after India-US agreements
Jan 30 2015
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat warned on Thursday of renewed arms race in South Asia after the United States and India this week reached a nuclear trade breakthrough this week, besides signing a number of agreements for cooperation in defence, security, space and high technologies.
“Pakistan is examining the imbalance (likely to be caused by these agreements) and the possible ways and means for redressing it,” Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said while addressing a seminar on implications of President Obama’s second visit to New Delhi organised by an Islamabad-based think tank — Strategic Vision Institute.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in reaction to the India-US agreements, Mr Aziz had voiced concern about the adverse impact of the accords on the region’s strategic stability and deterrence and pledged to take all measures to safeguard national interests.
The adviser says US ignored Pakistan’s concerns conveyed before President Obama’s visit to India
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160322/sartaj-sees-arms-race-in-s-asia-after-india-us-agreements
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Major terror bid foiled in Quetta as forces seize explosive-laden vehicle
Jan 30 2015
QUETTA: Security forces on Friday morning foiled a major terror bid by seizing an explosive-laden vehicle in Quetta's Panjpai area.
A security official on condition of anonymity told Dawn that forces also apprehended an alleged suicide bomber along with the explosive-laden vehicle.
He said 200 bombs were recovered from the explosive-laden vehicle during the raid.
"Forces acted quickly and did not face any resistance," he said, adding that the explosive-laden vehicle was being brought to Quetta to carry out a major act of terrorism.
Intelligence agencies and anti-terrorist forces personnel also picked up a suspected Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander from Balochistan's Pishin area on Friday morning.
Security sources said one low-level TTP militant was also arrested during the operation and forces recovered weapons from the suspect's possession.
In another incident, Frontier Corps personnel recovered arms and ammunition from an Alto car in the Gulistan area of Killa Abdullah district. No arrests were made as miscreants had abandoned the vehicle for fear of raid.
Since the catastrophic attack on Peshawar's Army Public School on Dec 16, security forces in Balochistan have launched a crackdown against militants of banned organisations in different parts of the province.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160446/major-terror-bid-foiled-in-quetta-as-forces-seize-explosive-laden-vehicle
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Pakistan has some concerns over Indo-US engagement: Abdul Basit
Yudhvir Rana,TNN | Jan 30, 2015
ATTARI: Returning after US President Barack Obama's visit to India came to an end, Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi, Abdul Basit, said here that his country had some 'concerns' but maintained that his country had nothing to fear from the growing closeness between the two nations. Pointed at the statement issued by Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on national security and foreign affairs, he said that it was self-explanatory.
Basit, who had gone to Pakistan on the eve of Obama's visit to India, was returning on Thursday via Attari. Talking to TOI, he said there was no need to add more to Aziz's statement.
In a formal response, Aziz had stated that Pakistan was opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal. Its operationalization for political and economic expediencies would have a detrimental impact on deterrence stability in the South Asia, he had said. Pakistan had also opposed India's bid for membership to the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group and a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistan-has-some-concerns-over-Indo-US-engagement-Abdul-Basit/articleshow/46061668.cms
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Southeast Asia
Punish Muslim youths for hedonism and not jihad, says Hizbut Tahrir
Jan 30 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — The government should punish Muslim youths for engaging in hedonistic activities and not for committing “jihad” or holy struggle, the local chapter of a hardline Islamist group said today.
In an article on its website, Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia criticised the authorities for taking legal action against a former student of a local institute of higher learning for supporting Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.
“Jihad is seen as the highest action by a Muslim and part of Islamic law with many strengths.
“So, why do we worry when youths are attracted to the call of Islamic law?” the group said.
The group urged the government to instead pursue cases such as the three Malay girls who embraced popular Korean artists.
The article stressed that it was better for Muslim youths to embrace “jihad” and not participate in acts of “western hedonism” such as drug abuse, alcohol consumption and attending concerts.
The group’s Malaysian chapter also applauded the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) for holding talks and seminars explaining jihad to university students in the country.
Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia had previously called on Muslims leaders to threaten war on France over offensive caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published by satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
The group claimed that declaring war is allowed by the holy scriptures when the prophet or Islam is insulted.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/punish-muslim-youths-for-hedonism-and-not-jihad-says-hizbut-tahrir#sthash.KhYxhZzg.dpuf
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KLM warns staff of possible terror attack in Malaysia
Jan 30 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — The Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) has issued a security advisory to its crew and staff members on possible attacks by the Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Malaysia.
In the advisory issued on January 26, which is valid up to February 2, KLM's Security Services claimed it has received credible information from Malaysian enforcement authorities that the terrorist group intends to launch an attack in Malaysia.
"The IS militants allegedly joined the al-Qaeda organisation in the Malay archipelago. Strict security measures will be in place at several locations.
“Please adhere to the directions given by the authorities at all times," read the advisory.
Checks with the airline revealed that the advisory was issued for internal use only, but the screenshot of the risk information analysis has already gone viral on microblogging network, Twitter.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/klm-warns-staff-of-possible-terror-attack-in-malaysia#sthash.ZR52epqN.dpuf
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Collapsing Pyramid at the Hindu Temple of Sukuh to Be Restored by 2016
Jan 30 2015
Karanganyar, Central Java. The Central Java Heritage Conservation Agency plans to restore the Hindu temple, known as Sukuh, this March as the earth beneath the temple’s foundation continues to shift.
Some parts of the exotic temple complex will remain open to tourists during the renovations, but not the main pyramid-shaped structure.
The agency estimates that the renovation will be completed in 2016.
Before work can start, however, the agency and a team of archeologists will remove some stones from the pyramid to study the best method to stop the main temple from further damage.
The pyramid is now bulging on one side and could threaten the integrity of the entire structure.
The first stage of restoration is estimated to cost around Rp 1 billion ($79,000).
“Restoration was proposed last year as the temple’s foundation has continued to shift every year, making the pyramid lopsided,” the agency spokesman Wahyu Kristanto said.
The agency has also limited the number of tourists entering the pyramid on fears that overcrowding will trigger the foundations to collapse.
Wahyu said the pyramid’s structure is fragile as it is composed of rudimentary carved rocks held together with soil and clay, which is different from the Borobudur and Prambanan temples, which are made entirely out of stone.
Sukuh temple is located in Ngargoyoso on the slopes of Mount Lawu, around 1,186 meters above sea level. It was built at the end of the Majapahit Kingdom in the 15th century and “rediscovered” in the 19th century by British voyager Thomas Raffles.
The temple’s architecture is unusual as its main building resembles pyramids of Egypt and Mesoamerican civilizations.
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/collapsing-pyramid-hindu-temple-sukuh-restored-2016/
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India
Geelani: Hard-Line Separatist Leader Stokes Controversy, Pays Tributes to Slain Militants
PTI | Jan 29, 2015
SRINAGAR: Hard-line Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has stoked a controversy by paying tributes to two militants who were killed in an encounter in Tral area of Kashmir, in which an army commander and a policeman died.
He said that "due to the rigid and stubborn approach of the Indian government, the youths are opting for gun instead of pen and this policy is costing further precious human lives in the region," according to a Hurriyat statement.
Colonel M N Rai and a policeman were killed in the gun battle with two local militants in Tral area of Pulwama district on Tuesday.
Paying tributes to the militants, Geelani said, "...Sooner or later India has to accept the ground realities regarding Kashmir."
Meanwhile, asked to comment on Geelani's remarks, BJP state unit chief Jugal Kishore Sharma in Jammu evaded a direct reply and said, "The army is doing a great service to the nation."
Minister of state in the PMO Jitendra Singh also refused to comment on the issue.
Reacting to Geelani's remarks, Harsh Dev Singh, senior leader of the National Panthers Party, said, "People like Geelani are promoting terrorism in the country and the government should take note of such statements."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Syed-Ali-Shah-Geelani-stokes-controversy-pays-tributes-to-slain-militants/articleshow/46058310.cms
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Thousands attend funeral of 'martyr' terrorists in Kashmir
Jan 30, 2015
SRINAGAR: Thousands of Tral residents in Kashmir attended the funeral of two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists and hailed them as "martyrs" who fought Indian security forces in an encounter that also left Col MN Rai and Constable Sanjeevan Singh dead in Hardoona village on Tuesday.
Soon after the burial of Abid khan and Shiraz Dar on Wednesday afternoon, locals in Tral held protest demonstrations led by several separatist leaders. Pro-Azadi and pro-Islam slogans were raised during the burial. Shiraz Dar was buried at his native village on Tuesday itself.
Due to the tense situation in Tral town and adjacent villages, all the shops and business establishments remained closed on Thursday as well.
Abid Khan, Hizbul Mujahideen district commander for Pulwama, was the son of Jammu & Kashmir Police Constable Jalal-ud-din Khan. He had joined Hizbul Mujahideen in September 2012 to "achieve martyrdom", according to a letter he wrote to his father. In the letter, Abid asked his father never to look for him since he had adopted the path of "Jihad-e-Feesabeelillah".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Thousands-attend-funeral-of-martyr-terrorists-in-Kashmir/articleshow/46055027.cms
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Europe
British jihadi threatens MPs on Twitter ahead of general election
Jan 30 2015
A British jihadi who fled to Syria and joined ISIS while on bail for attacking a man with a pen has threatened MPs and servicemen in a string of sinister tweets.
Abu Rahin Aziz, a former office worker from Luton, incited fellow extremists to carry out attack on the West using guns, bombs or even by throwing stones.
He also insulted the memory of Alan Henning, the British aid worker murdered by ISIS, saying that he would 'burn in hell' because he was not a Muslim.
Aziz, 33, who tweets under the name 'Abu Adbullah Britani', is an associate of hate cleric Anjem Choudary who was once a member of radical group 'Muslims Against Crusaders'.
Last year he was sentenced to 36 weeks in jail for stabbing a football fan with a pen - but by the time the case came to court, he had already skipped bail and travelled to Syria to fight with other jihadists.
He boasted on Twitter that he 'stabbed a kafir in the back of a head with a pen in London for insulting the propher Mohammed'.
This week, he returned to the social network to incite violence from jihadis who are still living in the West.
'Muslims in the West given instructions to strike the enemies of Islam and Muslims within their own countries,' Aziz wrote. 'Wonder who will strike first?
'Could it be UK first to be attacked? They've attacked us with jets killing scores, plus they have many Muslims in prison as war on Islam.
Full report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2931103/British-jihadi-threatens-MPs-Twitter-ahead-general-election.html#ixzz3QKhfk5HV
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New UK rape rules: Men must prove women said 'yes' to sex
The Independent | Jan 30, 2015
Radical changes to the way sex offences are investigated have been hailed as a "huge step forward" by campaigners.
New guidance to be issued to all police forces and prosecutors will require rape suspects to convince the authorities that a woman consented to sex.
Police and prosecutors must now put a greater burden of responsibility on rape suspects to demonstrate how the complainant had consented "with full capacity and freedom to do so", according to the new guidance. Rape victims should no longer be "blamed" by society if they are too drunk to consent to sex, or if they simply freeze and say nothing, Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, said. "For too long society has blamed rape victims for confusing the issue of consent - by drinking or dressing provocatively for example - but it is not they who are confused, it is society itself and we must challenge that," Saunders told the the first national crown prosecution service/police conference on rape investigations and prosecutions in London.
"Consent to sexual activity is not a grey area - in law it is clearly defined and must be given fully and freely.
"It is not a crime to drink, but it is a crime to targ
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/New-UK-rape-rules-Men-must-prove-women-said-yes-to-sex/articleshow/46061337.cms
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'No light at end of tunnel' for Egypt: Human Rights Watch
Jan 30 2015
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says rights conditions in Egypt are "in sharp decline," adding "there’s no light at the end of the tunnel."
In its world report on 90 countries released Thursday, the New York-based rights group said the rise of Islamic extremists after the Arab Spring uprisings have prompted many governments to view human rights as a “luxury for less trying periods.”
“Egypt is at a post-revolution nadir, and right now there’s no light at the end of the tunnel,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director. “The situation for thousands of Egyptians is getting worse by the day.”
The 656-page world report suggests that violating rights can spark or aggravate serious security challenges.
Recapping rights conditions in Egypt, HRW said a state of impunity over security forces killings has prevailed, with more than 41,000 people jailed, nearly two thirds of which are supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/121680/Egypt/Politics-/No-light-at-end-of-tunnel-for-Egypt-Human-Rights-W.aspx
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UK MP laments ISIS ‘large scale’ artifacts looting
30 January 2015
A British parliamentarian recently sounded the alarm that Islamist extremists are looting artifacts in Iraq and Syria including early Bronze Age tables with cuneiform writing on an “industrial scale” to fund their terror campaign.
“We live in a time of the most tragic and outrageous assault on our shared heritage that any of us have seen since the end of the Second World War,” Tory MP Robert Jenrick wrote in an article for The Art Newspaper.
He added: “Ancient treasures in Iraq and Syria have become the casualties of continuing warfare and looting.”
Jenrick said that “no one group has done more to put our heritage at risk than Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) who are not only taking lives, but tearing at the fabric of civilization, looting and purposefully destroying the culture and collective memory of millions.”
Jenrick described the illicit sale as “no longer just an issue for people with an interest in the art world or cultural heritage,” because of its role in funding terrorism.
He said ISIS is employing contractors with bulldozers to harvest antiquities on an “industrial scale.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/art-and-culture/2015/01/30/UK-MP-laments-ISIS-massive-scale-artifacts-looting-.html
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Sharif govt has failed to protect religious freedoms: HRW
Jan 30 2015
ISLAMABAD: Violent attacks on members of religious minorities rose significantly in 2014 as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government failed to ensure protection of religious freedoms, says a report of the Human Rights Watch (HRW).
In a statement attached to the report, Phelim Kine, the deputy Asia director at the New York-based HRW, regretted that “the Pakistan government is failing at the most basic duty to protect its citizens and enforce rule of law”.
“The Pakistan government did little in 2014 to stop the rising toll of killings and repression by extremist groups that target religious minorities,” he added.
Report says situation in Balochistan ‘abysmal’
Talking to Dawn, HRW consultant in Pakistan Saroop Ijaz said that in its 656-page report the HRW had reviewed human rights practices in more than 90 countries. He said the report had been launched globally on Thursday and the main event was held in Beirut.
The report has termed 2014 “a tumultuous year” for Pakistan in which “sectarian attacks continued with impunity, military operations in North Waziristan displaced more than one million people, and massive floods wrought devastation in Sindh and Punjab provinces”.
“Violent attacks on religious minorities, fostered in part by the institutionalised discrimination of the blasphemy laws continued,” says the Pakistan chapter of the annual report.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160350/sharif-govt-has-failed-to-protect-religious-freedoms-hrw
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Muslim leader: 'Teaching British values in schools creates atmosphere of suspicion'
Jan 30 2015
Snap inspections of schools to see if they are teaching “British Values” have created an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust, a Muslim leader has warned.
Dr Shuja Shafi, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, told a London conference of head teachers that Muslims were happy to sign up to the teaching of values of fairness and tolerance saying that these were the “values of all of us” but said that the climate in which they had been published had led to many Muslims feeling their Britishness was under scrutiny.
Dr Shafi said: “This should not be a set of values achieved by some , the existing British population, which those who are not quite British enough must be civilised by.”
His comments came as Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said that tackling the threat of extremism in British schools was to be made a higher priority. In a statement to the House of Commons yesterday Ms Morgan said her department would extend the role of “counter extremism” in schools.
Full report at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/muslim-leader-teaching-british-values-in-schools-creates-atmosphere-of-suspicion-10011944.html
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Russia Is Waging an Invisible War in Dagestan
Jan 30 2015
(Moscow) As the car crawls through the fog on an icy road in the Caucasus Mountains, my phone keeps ringing. "Are you by any chance in Donetsk? Does Human Rights Watch have someone in eastern Ukraine now?" I reply, "We sure do. But I happen to be in Dagestan and there is this outrageous situation. … Oh, just the contact details for my colleague in Ukraine?"
The dramatic events in Ukraine have almost fully eclipsed the gruesome developments in Russia. With a war raging next door, very few reporters or policy-makers think about Dagestan, the most turbulent region in Russia's North Caucasus. This region has a jihad insurgency and an abusive government counter-insurgency that has caused tremendous suffering.
Very few people outside Dagestan know about the remote mountain village of Vremenny, with just over 1,000 residents. Even fewer paid attention when on Sept. 18, Russian military, security services and Dagestani police surrounded the village. The next day, a large-scale counter-insurgency operation began in Vremenny. Armed military personnel searched every house. They led away four local men without explaining where, or why they were taking them. Three were later released, but 30-year-old Sultanbek Khapizov has not been seen since, a victim of a sinister enforced disappearance.
Full report at:
http://www.hrw.org/news/2015/01/28/russia-waging-invisible-war-dagestan
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Jihadists porn-driven losers: London's mayor
Jan 30 2015
Boris Johnson has branded religious extremists lured by organisations such as Islamic State (IS) as "w*****s" who are obsessed with pornography.
London's mayor, who is to stand as a Conservative parliamentary candidate in the general election, took aim at Muslim fundamentalists in an interview with The Sun, suggesting they were young men who were low on self-esteem.
Citing an MI5 report into Muslim extremism, according to the paper, Mr Johnson said: "If you look at all the psychological profiling about bombers, they typically will look at porn. They are literally w*****s. Severe onanists.
"They are tortured. They will be very badly adjusted in their relations with women, and that is a symptom of their feeling of being failure and that the world is against them. They are not making it with girls and so they turn to other forms of spiritual comfort - which of course is no comfort.
Full report at:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/jihadists-porndriven-losers-boris-30949912.html
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German carnival bans Charlie Hebdo tribute float
Jan 30 2015
Germany's biggest carnival procession, which often includes edgy political satire, has banned a float paying tribute to the slain cartoonists of French magazine Charlie Hebdo due to security fears, organisers said.
The float design, selected in an online popular vote, featured a man dressed in black with an explosives belt and a drawn gun and a jester shoving a pencil down its barrel.
The carnival committee in the western city of Cologne said in a statement released late Wednesday that it backed the message of the float defending free speech and freedom of the press.
But it had received "messages from concerned locals which we take seriously", though organisers admitted there was "no indication" from the police of a credible terror threat.
"Carnival shouldn't make people worry -- we should be able to have a carefree celebration together," the statement added.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/121686/World/International/German-carnival-bans-Charlie-Hebdo-tribute-float.aspx
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Paris attacks: Frenchman linked to attackers charged, incarcerated
Jan 30, 2015
French authorities filed preliminary terrorism charges against a Frenchman extradited from Bulgaria and linked to gunmen behind deadly attacks in Paris, a judicial official said.
Fritz-Joly Joachin was ordered jailed for at least four months pending further investigation, the official said.
He was arrested January 1 on a French warrant while trying to cross from Bulgaria into Turkey. French police say that Joachin, 29, was an associate of the Kouachi brothers, who killed 12 people in an attack January 7 against newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Joachin was given preliminary charges of participating in an organized crime group with aims to prepare a terrorist act, and seeking to join extremist fighters in Syria, the official said. Joachin arrived in France on Thursday from Bulgaria.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/europe/paris-attacks-frenchman-linked-to-attackers-charged-incarcerated/#sthash.t5BK71m1.dpuf
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North America
New York Imam Calls Hardline Muslim Ideology a ‘Cancer’
30 January 2015
In a fiery sermon delivered at a Brooklyn mosque, an Islamic preacher assailed hardline Muslim religious leaders who instill hateful ideas into the minds of impressionable Muslim youths, calling it a “cancer.” Instead, he called on worshipers to show kindness and love to others.
Speaking at the Oulel-Albab Mosque, Imam Tareq Yousef Al-Masri raised the Boston Marathon bombing and the recent Paris attacks, asking, “What’s the story with that all-destructive ideology?” according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
Al-Masri said Muslims have to be honest with themselves about the problem emerging from hardline ideology, like that of Wahhabi and Salafist Islam.
“Let us admit, without lying to ourselves, that we, the Muslims, are time bombs. When I say ‘we, the Muslims,’ I do not mean every single Muslim, but Muslims of the religious sector are time bombs. When a sinner repents, the first thing he does is make a bomb. He blows it up and kills people,” Al-Masri said.
“We must admit this. We cannot become immune if we do not admit this,” he said. “If you have cancer, it won’t help you if I tell you that you have the flu. I must tell you that you clearly have cancer.”
Full report at:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/28/new-york-imam-calls-hardline-muslim-ideology-a-cancer/
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Texas rally by Muslims seeking tolerance disrupted by protesters
30 January 2015
A rally at the Texas Capitol on Thursday by Muslims seeking religious tolerance was repeatedly disrupted by a small group of protesters who said the state belonged to followers of Jesus Christ and that Muslims should go back to the Middle East.
During opening remarks at the Texas Muslim Capitol Day event, a Christian activist from Michigan grabbed the microphone from the speaker and said: “I proclaim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ over the capitol of Texas. I stand against Islam.”
A group of people who described themselves as Christian activists also heckled the group of about 600 who showed up for
the rally.
The protesters shouted as the Muslim group sang the national anthem and then tried to interrupt speakers calling for religious tolerance.
Some of the protesters shouted: “Go home. You ain’t going to be happy here.”
There are about half a million Muslims in Texas, according to some estimates, with many being in the state for several generations.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said no arrests were made at the event.
“As soon as I got to the lectern, that woman came and grabbed the microphone out of my hands. It made us feel a little unsafe,” said Ruth Nasrullah, a spokeswoman for the Houston branch of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, which helped arrange the event.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/01/30/Texas-rally-by-Muslims-seeking-tolerance-disrupted-by-protesters.html
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US Senator: Taliban detainees have communicated with Haqqani
Jan 30, 2015
A US Republican senator and frequent Mideast traveler said Thursday that the Taliban detainees released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl have been in touch with members of the al-Qaida linked Haqqani network, yet all five still are being monitored in Qatar.
The Pentagon said Thursday that it is working with Qatar and is confident that any threat posed by the former detainees can be mitigated.
Sen Lindsey Graham, who recently visited Qatar, said he had been afraid that one of the detainees had left the country, but said he was assured during his visit that all five remain in the small Gulf nation.
Qatar gained public praise from President Barack Obama for brokering the controversial deal in May 2014 that freed Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl from Taliban captivity in exchange for the release of the five senior Taliban officials who had been imprisoned for years at the US-run Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.
Qatar promised Obama it would keep the five under watch for one year, although they would then be free to leave.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/americas/us-senator-taliban-detainees-have-communicated-with-haqqani/99/
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White House defends Michelle’s attire during visit to S. Arabia
Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON: The White House defended on Thursday the US First Lady, saying that she was appropriately dressed for her visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
The Obamas visited Riyadh on Tuesday to pay their respects to the late Saudi King Abdullah but Michelle Obama did not follow the customs of this conservative Muslim country and arrived there without a headscarf or veil.
This annoyed some conservative Saudis who rushed to the social media to vent their feelings. They sent out about 1,500 tweets, mostly in Arabic, criticising the First Lady for ignoring their tradition.
Although criticised in the kingdom, the First Lady’s decision to wear a western dress praised across the US
Some of them pointed out that on a recent trip to Indonesia, she had worn a headscarf. Why not in Saudi Arabia?
Also read: Michelle Obama draws flak for going without headscarf in Saudi Arabia
But the White House rejected the criticism as uncalled for. “The attire the First Lady wore on this trip was consistent with what First Ladies in the past have worn,” said Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160316/white-house--michelles-attire-during-visit-to-s-arabia
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Mideast
Turkey tells Kurdish rebels to lay down arms in March
Jan 30 2015
Turkey's government has demanded that the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) lay down its arms on March 21, the Kurdish New Year, and relaunch peace talks to end three decades of conflict.
In what appeared to be the first direct appeal by a government official to the PKK, Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan should call for a disarmament just as he did in the Kurdish New Year, or Newroz, in 2013.
"There must be a call for laying down all arms and ending actions against Turkey," at Newroz, Akdogan told the private A Haber channel late Wednesday.
He added that such a call would be "meaningful", but lamented that previous calls by Ocalan had been ignored.
"Ocalan definitely has a role. He has clout with the PKK organisation's constituents. However, we know that this role is being undermined by the organisation from time to time," he said.
In 2013 Ocalan called for a "historic" ceasefire, telling his fighters to lay down their arms and withdraw from Turkish soil, after many months of secret negotiations with the Turkish government.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/121721/World/Region/Turkey-tells-Kurdish-rebels-to-lay-down-arms-in-Ma.aspx
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Iranian Speaker: Military Action Only Way to Stop ISIL
Jan 30 2015
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani blasted the countries which have kept mum on the crimes committed by the ISIL, and said military action is the only means to destroy the terrorist group.
The ISIL has turned into a killing poison and a means for contempt of Islam, Larijani said, addressing a gathering in the Western town of Hamedan on Wednesday.
Military campaign is the only means which can contain the ISIL insurgency, not the words and slogans, he added.
Larijani also lambasted the countries which have kept silence on ISIL crimes.
In relevant remarks in December, the Iranian top lawmaker underlined that the so-called anti-ISIL coalition led by the US had proved futile in fighting the terrorist groups and is just meant to serve as a political gesture.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931109000335
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US armed drone program in Yemen facing intelligence gaps
Jan 30 2015
The United States is facing increasing difficulty acquiring intelligence needed to run its stealth drone program in Yemen, undermining a campaign against the most lethal branch of al Qaeda after Houthi rebels seized control of parts of the country's security apparatus, US officials say.
Gaps in on-the-ground intelligence could slow America's fight against a resurgent al Qaeda in Yemen and heighten the risk of errant strikes that kill the wrong people and stoke anti-US sentiment, potentially making the militants even stronger in areas where al Qaeda is already growing.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have taken up positions in and around several defense and intelligence installations whose teams had previously cooperated with Washington, cutting off key sources of information for drone-missile attacks, the officials told Reuters.
Turmoil in the wake of last week's collapse of a US-backed Yemeni government after days of clashes in the capital Sanaa, has already forced the US State Department to reduce staff and operations at the US Embassy.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/121739/World/Region/US-armed-drone-program-in-Yemen-facing-intelligenc.aspx
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Israel to build 430 new West Bank settler homes
30 January 2015
The Israeli government on Friday published tenders to build 430 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, the head of an NGO that monitors settlement activity told AFP.
“It’s the opening of the settlement floodgates,” said Daniel Seidemann, head of the Terrestrial Jerusalem group, adding that the announcements were the first since October 2014 and unlikely to be the last before the March 17 general election.
He said that the new homes were to be built in four existing settlements across the West Bank -- 112 in Adam, 156 in Elkana, 78 in Alfei Menashe and 84 in Kiryat Arba.
Seidemann, whose group particularly monitors settlement in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, predicted that building plans there were likely to be announced soon.
“I don’t think it’s over,” he said. “I would be very concerned.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/30/Israel-to-build-430-new-West-Bank-settler-homes-.html
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Gazan youth graduate Hamas military training camp
Jan 30 2015
Hamas held “graduation ceremonies” on Thursday for 17,000 Palestinian youths who attended its “Vanguards of Liberation” training camps in the Gaza Strip.
During the week-long camps, the youths, aged 15 to 21, underwent military training that included handling different types of weapons, as well as sniping.
The training was organized and held by members of Hamas’s armed wing, Izzadin Kassam.
Hamas said that the youths would form the nucleus of a future “liberation army.”
A spokesman for Izzadin Kassam said during the ceremonies, which were held in Gaza City and Khan Yunis, that the youths were trained to use light and heavy weapons, and that they were taught how to lay in ambush.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Gazan-youth-graduate-Hamas-military-training-camp-389438
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Africa
Nigerian Military Arrests Generals, Senior Officers Over Boko Haram's Takeover of Baga
Jan 30 2015
A Brigadier General, Enitan Ransome-Kuti, his Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel G.A. Suru and some other senior officers have been arrested by the authorities of the Nigerian military over their failure to repel the attack on the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force [MNJTF] in Baga.
Mr. Ransome-Kuti, the Commander of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, his Chief of Staff and the other senior officers were detained shortly after they arrived Maiduguri from Monguno where they and their troops took refuge after they were dislodged from Baga.
The arrest of the officers was exclusively disclosed to PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday by reliable military insiders who requested not to be named as they were not authorised to speak on the issue.
Also arrested, our sources said, are the Commanding Officers of the 134 and 174 Battalions -- a Lieutenant Colonel Haruna and a Major Aliyu. The two battalions are under the MNJTF but were also dislodged from their locations during the Boko Haram offensive of January 3.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201501300185.html
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African leaders gather for conflict, Ebola talks
Jan 30 2015
African leaders meet on Jan. 30 for their annual summit with conflict topping the agenda, especially Nigeria's Boko Haram insurgents, as well as efforts to stem Ebola.
While the official theme of the African Union meeting will be women's empowerment, leaders from the 54-member bloc will once again be beset by a string of crises across the continent.
Preparatory talks this week ahead of the two-day meeting at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital have seen promises by AU chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to drum up "collective African efforts" to tackle the Islamists.
Late Thursday, the AU Peace and Security Council called for regional five-nation force of 7,500 troops to deploy to stop the "horrendous" rise of the insurgents.
More than 13,000 people have been killed and more than one million made homeless by Boko Haram violence since 2009.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/african-leaders-gather-for-conflict-ebola-talks-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77655&NewsCatID=357
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Over 38,000 Somali children facing starvation: UN
Jan 30 2015
NAIROBI: Over 38,000 Somali children are at “high risk” from dying from starvation despite hunger levels improving by almost a third across the war-torn nation, UN experts said on Thursday.
The grim assessment, based on the latest data collected by the UN, comes just over three years since intense drought and war sparked famine in the Horn of Africa nation, killing more than a quarter of a million people.
In total, over 731,000 people, including 203,000 children who are severely malnourished, face “acute food insecurity”, according to a joint report released by the UN’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) and the US-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1160306/over-38000-somali-children-facing-starvation-un
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South Asia
China Vows No ‘Western values’ in Universities
Jan 30 2015
Beijing. China’s education minister has vowed to ban university textbooks which promote “Western values”, state media said, in the latest sign of ideological tightening under President Xi Jinping.
“Never let textbooks promoting Western values appear in our classes,” minister Yuan Guiren said, according to a report late Thursday by China’s official Xinhua news agency.
“Remarks that slander the leadership of the Communist Party of China” and “smear socialism” must never appear in college classrooms, he added according to Xinhua.
China’s universities are run by the ruling Communist party, which tightly controls discussions of history and other topics it construes as a potential threat to its grip on power.
The party often brands concepts such as multiparty elections and the separation of powers as “Western”, despite their global appeal and application.
China has tightened controls on academics since Xi assumed the party leadership in 2012, with several outspoken professors sacked or jailed.
Xia Yeliang, an economics professor at the prestigious Peking University, was fired from his post in 2013 after a 13-year tenure in a decision he attributed to persistent calls for political change in China.
Full report at:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/international/china-vows-western-values-universities-xinhua/
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Taliban member swapped by Obama for Bowe Bergdahl tried to return to terror: report
30 January 2015
One of the five Taliban members swapped by the Obama administration in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has reportedly tried to return to terrorist activity, trying to reconnect with Islamic extremists near Qatar, according to CNN.
The five men had been kept in a high security detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, until they were set free in exchange for Sgt. Bergdahl in spring 2014.
Taliban members Khairullah Khairkhwa, Mullah Norullah Noori, Mohammad Fazl, Abdul Haq Wasiq, and Mohammed Nabi were all freed by the Obama administration in May to secure Sgt. Bergdahl’s release.
Ever since the exchange was made, the 28-year-old Sgt. Bergdahl has been the poster child in a national security debate over whether the five-for-one trade qualified as negotiating with terrorists. Obama administration officials maintain that they executed a successful rescue operation while lawmakers have remained skeptical, based in part on suspicions among soldiers that Sgt. Bergdahl was actually a deserter.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/29/obama-released-taliban-member-swapped-bowe-bergdah/
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Taliban claims their infiltrator killed 3 US contractors at Kabul airport
Jan 30 2015
The Taliban militants group in Afghanistan claimed responsibility behind an insider attack in kabul airport which left at least three coalition contractors dead.
Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah claimed that the assailant was an infiltrator of the Taliban group who was named as Ihsanullah son of Rahmatullah and a resident of Laghman province.
Mujahid said the attack was carried out at 9 pm local time on Thursday night. However, the coalition forces in Afghanistan said the incident took place around 6:40 pm on Thursday evening.
“We can confirm that there was a shooting incident at North Kabul International Airport complex 29 January at approximately 6:40pm. Three coalition contractors were killed as was an Afghan local national,” coalition forces said in a statement.
No further details have been regarding the identitities of the deceased individuals with coalition forces saying the incident is under investigation and further information will be released as available and appropriate.
The Afghan security officials have not commented regarding the incident and identity of the assailant gunman so far.
http://www.khaama.com/taliban-claims-their-infiltrator-killed-3-us-contractors-in-kabul-airport-9907
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Japan, Jordan working closely on fate of hostage
30 January 2015
Japan was working closely with Jordan on Friday to find out what was happening to a Japanese journalist held by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants after a deadline passed for the release of an Iraqi would-be suicide bomber on death-row in Jordan.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said every effort was being made to secure the release of journalist Kenji Goto.
“We are gathering and analyzing information while asking for cooperation from Jordan and other countries, making every effort to free Kenji Goto,” Abe told a parliamentary panel.
Jordan said on Thursday it was still holding the Iraqi woman death-row prisoner as a deadline passed for her release set by the militants, who threatened to kill a Jordanian pilot unless she was handed over by sunset.
An audio message purportedly from Goto said the pilot would be killed unless Jordan freed Sajida al-Rishawi, who is on death row for her role in a 2005 suicide bomb attack that killed 60 people in Amman.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/30/Japan-Jordan-try-to-gather-information-on-hostage-.html
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Afghanistan oppose with deportation of asylum seekers from Norway
Jan 30 2015
The government of Afghanistan has opposed to plans by the Norwegian government to expel the Afghan asylum seekers including women and children.
According to a report by The Norwegian newspaper – The Nordic Page, Afghanistan has warned Norway that the expulsion of the Afghan refugees will have serious consequences on bilateral relations and cooperation between the two nations.
The decision was reportedly taken by Norway’s Justice Minister Anders Anundsen who had announced ahead of the Christmas to forcibly return the long remaining asylum seeking families including children.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan issued a statement following the announcement by Anundsen stating that Afghanistan would not be prepared to accept the expelled asylum seekers, according to Norway’s Bergens Tidende newspaper.
The statement further added Afghanistan is a dangerous place to be, the country has huge economic problems, and there is a lack of shelter, jobs and education.
Afghan authorities also insisted that the return of the Afghan refugees must be voluntary while referring to an agreement between the two nations on repatriation of refugees.
The Afghan authorities have also warned to reject the refugees from entering Afghanistan if they were expelled by the Norwegian authorities.
http://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-oppose-with-explusion-of-asylum-seekers-from-norway-9908
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Dhaka University Teachers Association for law against petrol bomb attacks
Jan 30 2015
Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA) yesterday urged the government to enact a law to stop petrol bomb attacks and ensure security of people in the country.
Terming the recent political violence during ongoing blockade and hartals enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance a heinous crime, DUTA demanded that the government ensure exemplary punishment to the culprits, who hurl petrol bomb on the people.
At a press conference at the DU Teachers Club Auditorium, the university teachers also urged the government to provide adequate compensation to the victims of the political violence and arson attacks.
In a written speech, DUTA General Secretary Prof Dr ASM Maksud Kamal said the government must introduce a law to prevent petrol bomb attacks like the Acid Oporadh Damon law.
He also compared the recent violence to the atrocities occurred during the Second World War.
Prof Maksud announced that one day’s salary of the DUTA members will be donated for the rehabilitation and treatment of the victims of such violence.
Former DUTA president Prof Anawar Hossian, Executive Member Prof Akhturuzzamn, member Prof AJM Shafiul Alam Buiyan, and Treasurer Shiblee Rubayatul Islam, among others, were present on the occasion.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/education/2015/jan/30/duta-law-against-petrol-bomb-attacks#sthash.jEJX4WfE.dpuf
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Indictment hearing deferred against BNP-led alliance leaders
Jan 30 2015
A Dhaka court yesterday deferred an indictment hearing against 46 BNP-led alliance leaders, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a case filed on charges of setting fire to a vehicle near the Prime Minister’s Office in the capital.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ataul Haque deferred the charge framing hearing and fixed April 9 for the next hearing, following a time petition filed by defence counsel Md Sanaullah Miah.
In the petition, the defence counsel mentioned that most of the accused could not appear before the court because of an ongoing hartal by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
The 46 accused include Mirza Fakhrul, BNP Standing Committee Members MK Anwar, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
According to the case statement, the accused torched a vehicle in front of the Prime Minister’s Office during a hartal on April 29, 2012. On May 10, 2012, DB Inspector Md Nurul Amin submitted the charge sheet to the Dhaka CMM Court against the accused in the case.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2015/jan/30/indictment-hearing-deferred-against-bnp-led-alliance-leaders#sthash.YG5myT7u.dpuf
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12:23 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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