Photo: Thousands chant for Hizbullah in Charlie Hebdo protest in southeast Turkey
Arab World
Syrian Army Kills over 220 Al-Nusra Terrorists in Daraa
Iraqi Source: Over 20 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Baiji
Hezbollah: Israel Wants To Set "New Rules" With Syria Raid
Al-Nusra Terrorists Suffer Major Losses across Damascus
Bombs kill 11 at central Baghdad restaurants
Qatar-based cleric urges protests in Egypt on uprising's anniversary
Four killed in Egypt on anniversary of uprising
Syria opposition demands ‘radical change’
Europe
Report: France Is the Most Dangerous Country for Jews
U.N. Team to Visit Pakistan to Assess JuD Funds Freeze
Germany Stops Arms Exports to Saudi Arabia
UN Condemns Israel for Razing Homes of 77 Palestinians
Global media hail Abdullah’s legacy
Pakistan
Govt lawyers not ready to prosecute Mumtaz Qadri. Salman Taseer Killer
Pakistan Air Strikes Kill 35 Militants in Northwest: Military
Obama Should Impress India Leaders about Resolution of Kashmir: Jamaat-e-Islami
Hafiz Saeed unmoved by talk of ban on JuD
Two more LJ militants to be hanged on Feb 3
Islamabad police urge media to join hands for countering terrorism
COAS in China: General Fan Changlong praises Zarb-i-Azb
India
Peace Lectures, Counselling, and Army Camp: IS Recruit’s College Sends A Message
Obama Promises To Back India for Permanent Seat in UNSC
Delhi Police Left Red-Faced, NIA Clears ‘Terrorist’
Delhi Police Warned Of Potential Threat to Obama from Maldivian Nationals
Militant attack leaves 80 percent of Pakistan without electricity
Terrorism a ‘principal’ global threat: PM Narendra Modi
Pak rangers violate ceasefire, fire on BoP along IB in Jammu
Not everyone in Pakistan a terrorist, says HM
Africa
Boko Haram Gunmen Kill 15 in Nigeria's Northeast
Gunmen Kidnap Libya Deputy Foreign Minister
Boko Haram frees 192 people held in NE Nigeria: sources
Suspected Boko Haram militants attack major Nigeria northern city
Mauritanian prison siege ends with hostages freed
Mideast
Thousands Chant For Hizbullah in Charlie Hebdo Protest in Southeast Turkey
If EU opposes Islamophobia, it must accept Turkey as member: Erdoğan
Shiite militia break up demo as Yemen stuck in power vacuum
Commander: Israel Fed by Takfiri Terrorists' Intelligence before Air Raid on Syria
Yemen Shiite militia detain three journalists: Union
South Asia
Afghanistan Taking Steps for Repatriation of 1.6m Refugees
Good Sense to Prevail Upon Khaleda, Hopes Hasina
Maldives Islamic Ministry Lecture Slams Tourism Promotion Show
Vast protests against Charlie Hebdo in Farah and Zabul provinces
BNP activist held with bomb making equipments
Abe 'speechless' after video claims IS hostage dead
North America
Indo-Pak Tensions Cast Long Shadow over Obama’s Visit: WSJ
Group Says 'American Sniper' Film Spurs Threats against Muslims
US President Barack Obama: Counterterrorism operations in Yemen not affected
US National Security Council tweets 'Jai Hind'
US fighters scrambled after Twitter bomb threats
Obama, Republicans still at odds over Guantanamo
Southeast Asia
With Pamphlets, Muslim Missionaries Reach Out To ‘Enemies of Islam’
At Least 27 Philippines Police Die In Clash with Rebels
Stand up for freedom if you want progress, Guan Eng tells Malaysians
Three things we learned from: Malaysia’s ‘Allah’ case
Calls Mount for Immunity for KPK Leaders from Police Prosecution
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
Syrian Army Kills over 220 Al-Nusra Terrorists in Daraa
January 25th, 2015
The Syrian army continued to make more gains in its fight against the Al-Nusra Terrorist Front in surrounding areas of Daraa province, killing at least 220 terrorists, a security source said.
The army soldiers stormed the hideouts of the terrorist group in Ibta' village and claimed the lives of more than 40 militants, a Syrian source said on condition of anonymity.
Also, some 30 terrorists were killed in heavy fighting between the Syrian army and the terrorist group in the town of Dael, located 14 km to North of Daraa city, the source added.
The security source further said the army also inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists in the areas of Qarfa, Namer, and al-Shaikh Miskeen and left over 150 al-Nusra terrorists dead.
Syria has been the scene of insurgency since 2011 when certain western powers and their regional allies voiced loudly that Syrian protests have no diplomatic solution and they started supplying the country's opposition groups with their arms and funds.
In 2014, especially after victory of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's presidential election, the army has gained upper hand in its anti-terrorism campaign, and has been partly successful in sealing borders with Turkey and Jordan.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931105000389
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Iraqi Source: Over 20 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Baiji
January 25th, 2015
The Iraqi army pushed back an offensive by the ISIL Takfiri group in the Northern city of Baiji, Tikrit, leaving at least 20 terrorists dead, a security source said.
A senior army official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the army troops inflicted major losses on the ISIL terrorists, as the Takfiri group attempted to creep into the recently-captured city.
Three vehicles belonging to the terrorists were also targeted during the clashes.
The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control a shrinking part of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.
Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931105000224
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Hezbollah: Israel wants to set "new rules" with Syria raid
World Bulletin / News Desk
Jan 25, 2015
An Israeli attack which killed several prominent members of Lebanon's Hezbollah last week was an attempt by Israel to set "new rules" in the conflict between the two foes, Hezbollah's deputy leader said at a gathering to commemorate those who died.
Sheikh Naim Qassem's comments were the first reaction from the group's leadership to the missile attack in the Syrian province of Quneitra near the Israeli border.
Among those killed was an Iranian officer and the son of Hezbollah's late military chief. Israel has struck Hezbollah in Syria several times since the conflict there began, hitting weapons deliveries, but the group did not acknowledge these attacks.
However, the prominence of those killed in the latest raid will make it difficult to ignore for Hezbollah, putting the group under pressure to retaliate and also undermining a ceasefire between Israel and Syria.
"It is a Zionist attempt to lay the foundation for a new (military) equation in the framework of our struggle with them and achieve by these strikes what they could not achieve in war ... But Israel is too weak to be able to draw new steps or new rules," he told mourners.
Qassem did not elaborate but hinted that the group would respond. He said Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah would give the group's formal stance in the coming days.
"We will continue our jihad and we will be where we should be without (allowing) anything to stand in our way," he said.
All options could trigger another all-out war or even a wider conflict between Israel and Syria.
Fighters from Iran-backed Hezbollah have been fighting alongside government forces in Syria's civil war and have helped turn the tide in favour of President Bashar al-Assad.
The group says it is fighting in Syria in part to prevent militant fighters, such as the Nusra Front and ISIL, from advancing into Lebanon.
Speaking to Israel's Army Radio, Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon declined to confirm or deny Israel had carried out the attack, but said reinforcements had been sent to the north.
"Given what was prevented on the Golan Heights, what was exposed is an Iranian effort, in partnership with Hezbollah, to open a front with us on the Golan Heights," he said.
"They started with rockets and a few bombs. We understood that they apparently want to upgrade it to high-quality and far more significant terrorist attacks ...," the minister said.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/153755/hezbollah-israel-wants-to-set-new-rules-with-syria-raid
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Al-Nusra Terrorists Suffer Major Losses across Damascus
January 25th, 2015
A large number of terrorists were killed in heavy fighting between the Syrian army and the Al-Nusra Front in Damascus province.
The army soldiers struck a heavy blow at the terrorists in the areas of of Kfeir Yabous, al-Zabadani, Eastern Ghouta, Douma and al-Qalamoun in Damascus, killing and injuring scores of them.
Syria has been the scene of insurgency since 2011 when certain western powers and their regional allies voiced loudly that Syrian protests have no diplomatic solution and they started supplying the country's opposition groups with their arms and funds.
In 2014, specially after victory of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's presidential election, the army has gained upper hand in its anti-terrorism campaign, and has been partly successful in sealing borders with Turkey and Jordan.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931105001119
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Bombs kill 11 at central Baghdad restaurants
January 25th, 2015
Bombs killed at least 11 civilians in central Baghdad on Sunday when they exploded at two restaurants in the Iraqi capital, police and medical sources said.
Police said the deadliest explosion took place near Tahrir Square when a bomb placed in a plastic bag exploded near a popular restaurant, killing seven people and wounding 11 others.
In a separate incident, four people were killed and eight wounded when a bomb went off near a small restaurant in central Baghdad's Sibaa district, police and medics said.
It was not clear why the restaurants were targeted, and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Sunni Islamist insurgents from Islamic State, which controls large swathes of territory in Iraq's north and west, have claimed responsibility for several recent bombings and suicide attacks in the capital.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/121263/World/Region/Bombs-kill--at-central-Baghdad-restaurants.aspx
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Qatar-based cleric urges protests in Egypt on uprising's anniversary
January 25th, 2015
A Qatar-based Muslim cleric called for protests in Egypt on the anniversary of the country's Jan 25 uprising against Hosni Mubarak and said Mohamed Morsi is Egypt's "legitimate" leader, in a speech that may worsen relations between Qatar and Egypt.
Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian-born cleric who has close links to the Muslim Brotherhood, has been critical of Egypt's government, accusing President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi of betrayal for ousting President Mursi in 2013, a Muslim Brotherhood leader.
Qaradawi's outspoken support for the Islamist movement has contributed to a diplomatic rift between Qatar and its Gulf Arab allies and Egypt, who consider the Islamist group a security threat and supported Morsi's overthrow.
Since then, Qaradawi has refrained from delivering Friday sermons. But this has not stopped him from criticizing Egypt's rulers during conferences or by statements often sent by email.
"I call on the people of Egypt, all those capable to go out of their houses on this great occasion ... Egyptians should go out and express that they don't want anything but the revolution they had started," Qaradawi said in a video recording posted on his Twitter account on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/121249/Egypt/Politics-/Qatarbased-cleric-urges-protests-in-Egypt-on-upris.aspx
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Four killed in Egypt on anniversary of uprising
25 January 2015
Four people have been killed in Egypt on the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.
A protestor was killed in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Sunday, a security source told Reuters news agency. He died of birdshot wounds, the same cause of death of a female protestor that was killed on Saturday near Cairo’s Tahrir square.
Earlier on Sunday, a bomb wounded two policemen in the capital’s Heliopolis area as Egyptian authorities tightened security in anticipation of protests on the anniversary of the 2011 uprising.
The blast targeted policemen stationed outside a sports club in Heliopolis area, security sources said.
State forces attempted to quickly disperse a protest in Cairo’s Ramses Square by firing teargas canisters, officials said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/25/Egyptians-mark-fourth-anniversary-of-2011-uprising-one-protestor-killed.html
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Syria opposition demands ‘radical change’
25 January 2015
Syria’s opposition factions called Saturday for “radical democratic change” in the war-torn country ahead of April talks aimed at unifying their plan for a political solution to the conflict.
In a two-day conference held in Cairo, the regime-tolerated opposition met with members of the exiled National Coalition and agreed on a 10-point vision, as well as announcing fresh talks slated for April.
The groups agreed that “any negotiation process should lead to... a democratic regime and a sovereign civil state,” according to a joint statement.
They added that any political solution to Syria’s four-year civil war “must guarantee a radical democratic change that criminalizes violence and sectarianism.”
The National Coalition was informally represented in Cairo by several members, including Ahmed Jarba, a former coalition chief who is close to Saudi Arabia.
A Coalition source had earlier said its members were not attending the Cairo meet in an official capacity.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/24/Syria-opposition-demands-radical-change-.html
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Europe
Report: France Is the Most Dangerous Country for Jews
Jan 25, 2015
A report on anti-Semitism presented on Sunday to the government found that France was the most dangerous country for Jews in the world in 2014. During the past year, levels of anti-Semitism and violence against Jews in France reached new records, according to the report prepared by the Ministry of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs in cooperation with the Coordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism (CFCA).
The report was presented to the government during the same week that the world marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Anti-Semitic incidents in France rose by 100 percent in the last year, with half of the racially related incidents in the country being directed at Jews, despite the fact that Jews make up less than one percent of the French population, the report found. In addition, it was revealed that during 2014, there were 1000 different anti-Semitic incidents in France, including dozens in which Jews were beaten or attacked.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/New-report-on-anti-Semitism-finds-France-is-most-dangerous-country-for-Jews-388858
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U.N. team to visit Pakistan to assess JuD funds freeze
SUHASINI HAIDAR
Jan 25, 2015
There is no new ban on the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) or Hafiz Saeed, confirmed Pakistan’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson on Saturday.
Speaking to The Hindu, spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said: “There is no new ban. I don’t know why these reports came out,” she said over the telephone from Islamabad, referring to news stories that Pakistan had placed a new ban on the JuD. “I have clarified that all these actions were taken in 2008.”
Significantly, Ms. Aslam’s comments and the reports come just ahead of a visit by a U.N. monitoring committee that will be looking closely at the “freeze on assets” of these and other terrorist groups that are on the “Al Qaeda Sanctions list.”
U.N. sources confirmed to The Hindu that a two-man team from the ‘Analytical support and Sanctions Monitoring Committee’ will travel to Kabul and Islamabad in the last week of January, in order to submit a report to the U.N. Security Council later this year.
The sources said the specific mission of the U.N. team will be to verify on the ground that the government was “fulfilling its U.N. obligations on freezing the assets of the designated entities, ensure a travel ban on them, as well as an arms embargo.” In an email reply to The Hindu’s queries, Alexander Evans, the head of the U.N. team, said he could not confirm the visit “not the least due to security reasons.”
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/un-team-to-visit-pakistan-to-assess-jud-funds-freeze/article6820730.ece
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Germany stops arms exports to Saudi Arabia
World Bulletin / News Desk
Jan 25, 2015
Germany has decided to stop exporting arms to Saudi Arabia, the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag said on Sunday, citing government sources as saying the kingdom was "too unstable" for it to be receiving deliveries of weapons.
The newspaper said Germany's national security council, which holds its meetings in secrecy and is made up of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel and seven other ministers, had made the decision on Wednesday.
The German economy ministry declined to comment on the article and said it would publish its report on 2015 arms exports next year. But it added that would only include exports that had been approved, not those which had been declined.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/153750/germany-stops-arms-exports-to-saudi-arabia
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UN Condemns Israel for Razing Homes of 77 Palestinians
January 25th, 2015
The United Nations has accused Israel of illegally demolishing the homes of 77 Palestinians, mostly children, in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, media report said.
"In the past three days, 77 Palestinians, over half of them children, have been made homeless," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement, Yahoo News reported.
"Some of the demolished structures were provided by the international community to support vulnerable families," the office added.
"Demolitions that result in forced evictions and displacement run counter to Israel's obligations under international law and create unnecessary suffering and tension. They must stop immediately," said OCHA.
The demolitions took place in East Jerusalem and the districts of Ramallah, Jericho and Hebron, it added.
OCHA said that during 2014 Israel carried out a record number of demolitions in East Jerusalem and a zone of the West Bank under full Israeli control known as Area C.
"In 2014, according to OCHA figures, the Israeli authorities destroyed 590 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and east Jerusalem, displacing 1,177 people -- the highest level of displacement in the West Bank since OCHA began systematically monitoring the issue in 2008."
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931105001165
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Global media hail Abdullah’s legacy
January 25th, 2015
Newspapers all over the world were unanimous in praising the legacy of reforms and peace-making efforts by the late King Abdullah.
All noted his efforts at giving Saudi women a greater role in society by having better educational and professional opportunities, and highlighted the fact that he extended the right to vote to women.
“He tried to liberalize the country’s economy, and became known as something of an advocate for women …., promoting female education, and appointing a woman minister, and even 30 women to the Shoura, the national advisory council,” wrote the British Daily Telegraph in an obituary.
The Los Angeles Times quoted former President George H.W. Bush remembering how Saudi Arabia and the US had stood together to face the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq’s Saddam Hussein in 1990 “calling it a moment of unparalleled cooperation.”
The newspaper also quoted Sen. John McCain praising King Abdullah’s reforms, saying: “Abdullah was an important voice for reform in Saudi Arabia who pushed to modernize the nation’s education system and brought women the right to vote and run for office.”
The National of Abu Dhabi reminded its readers of King Abdullah’s efforts to bring the Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas back together again in 2007 by taking their leaders to Makkah and telling them to make peace.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/694521
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Pakistan
Govt lawyers not ready to prosecute Mumtaz Qadri. Salman Taseer Killer
January 25th, 2015
ISLAMABAD: With the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ready to take up the Salmaan Taseer murder case on Jan 27, it seems that the federal government’s law officers are reluctant to appear in court against the convict, Mumtaz Qadri.
An IHC division bench consisting of Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi and Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui will hear the case from Tuesday, but so far, none of the prosecutors assigned to the case have agreed to appear in court.
A senior law officer told Dawn that in addition to the sensitivity of the case, the law officers deputed in the IHC are not well-versed in criminal law, but rather have experience with general civil cases. This is also why many are trying to avoid becoming prosecutors in the Taseer murder case.
Law officers hesitant to go to court due to sensitivity of case, lack of criminal law expertise; say police refuse to provide them extra protection
A deputy attorney general (DAG) told Dawn on condition of anonymity that it was the responsibility of the additional attorney general (AAG) to appear in this case, because he was the senior-most law officer at the IHC.
“It is the AAG’s responsibility to appear in such high profile cases. DAGs and standing counsel have to deal with a number of other routine cases,” he added.
On the other hand, sources in the AAG office claimed that the federal government had appointed the advocate general of Islamabad to prosecute Qadri’s case.
When contacted, Islamabad Advocate General Mian Abdul Rauf said that he had not received any such instructions so far, adding that if the competent authority assigned him the case, he would appear in this matter.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159330/govt-lawyers-not-ready-to-prosecute-mumtaz-qadri
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Pakistan air strikes kill 35 militants in northwest: Military
AFP | Jan 25, 2015
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistan's military said it killed 35 militants in fresh air strikes early Sunday as part of a major offensive against the Taliban and other insurgents in the northwest.
Officials said the air attacks were mounted in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan tribal district, which borders Afghanistan.
"In precise aerial strikes 35 terrorists including some foreigners were killed today..." a military statement said.
Pakistani officials refer to Arab and Central Asian militants as "foreigners". They sought sanctuary in tribal areas after fleeing the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
The conflict zone is off-limits to journalists, so there is no way to independently verify the number and identity of those killed.
Pakistan began a long-awaited push to clear insurgent bases from North Waziristan last June after a bloody Taliban attack on Karachi airport finally sank faltering peace talks.
Air strikes, artillery, mortars and ground troops have all been used to retake territory.
The army has intensified its offensive since the Taliban's massacre of 150 people, 134 of them children, in a school in Peshawar in December.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-air-strikes-kill-35-militants-in-northwest-Military/articleshow/46011662.cms
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Obama should impress India leaders about resolution of Kashmir: Jamaat-e-Islami
January 25th, 2015
PESHAWAR – Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq said that US President Barak Obama in his upcoming visit to India should impress upon the Indian leadership about resolution of Indian-held Jammu Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions.
He said this while talking to a delegation of tribal elders at border town Landi Kotal in Khyber agency and later talking to the local reporters. He said that Obama should also try to immediately halt the atrocities being committed against the innocent Kashmiris in the held valley.
Siraj said that human rights violations in the Indian-held Kashmir were at its peak at the hands of occupation forces, therefore the US President must raise this issue during his visit with the Indian government. He said that people of Pakistan would never accept hegemony of the India in the region.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/24-Jan-2015/obama-should-impress-india-leaders-about-resolution-of-kashmir
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Hafiz Saeed unmoved by talk of ban on JuD
January 25th, 2015
KARACHI: Amid confusion over whether the government had banned the Jamaatud Dawa, its chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed said on Saturday that restrictions were “nothing new” to the group and that JuD would continue with its public welfare and education projects.
“It has been going on over the past six years,” he said while answering a question at a press conference with Mufti Mohammad Naeem at Jamia Binnoria Al Alamia in the Site area.
“The courts have given us a clean chit and declared us as innocent and respected citizens of the country. But the media is exaggerating the six-year-old curbs imposed on JuD by the United Nations after the recent Foreign Office (FO) briefing.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159338/hafiz-saeed-unmoved-by-talk-of-ban-on-jud
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Two more LJ militants to be hanged on Feb 3
January 25th, 2015
KARACHI: An antiterrorism court issued on Saturday black warrants for the execution of two militants of the outlawed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi on Feb 3 in a doctor’s killing case.
The two LJ militants — Attaullah alias Qasim and Mohammad Azam alias Sharif — were sentenced to death by an ATC in July 2004 on charges of killing Dr Ali Raza Peerani on sectarian grounds in June 2001 in the Soldier Bazaar area.
The superintendent of the Karachi central prison informed the ATC-V through a letter that the appeals of the convicts had already been dismissed by the higher and superior judiciary and a review petition had also recently been turned down by the apex court.
The mercy petition of the death-row prisoners was rejected by the president.
He submitted that previous death warrants were suspended by the high court on technical grounds and asked the trial court to issue fresh black warrants for their execution.
Judge Mohammad Javed Alam of the ATC-V issued the black warrants for the condemned prisoners and directed the jail superintendent to hang them till death on Feb 3 at 6:30am.
The court also asked the jail authorities to carry out the execution under the supervision of the area magistrate after fulfilling legal formalities.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159236/two-more-lj-militants-to-be-hanged-on-feb-3
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Islamabad police urge media to join hands for countering terrorism
January 25th, 2015
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Islamabad police Inspector General, Tahir Alam Khan on Saturday urged the media to go hand in hand with Islamabad police in its campaign against all types of crimes especially the menace of terrorism.
Addressing at a luncheon reception hosted in honor of media persons at the headquarters of Islamabad police, he said that the media could play a very important role in the efforts to eliminate crimes from the society as well as rooting out terrorism and extremism from the country.
He acknowledged the role and support of media during the tragic incidents occurred in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The Islamabad police IG suggested the media to not to glorify terrorists and their activities instead educate and guide the general public while reporting terror incidents.
Tahir Alam said that the country was passing through a critical phase of its history and the nation was fighting a war against terrorism. Therefore, both police and media should understand their responsibilities and extend support to each other to completely eliminate crimes from the society.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/25-Jan-2015/islamabad-police-urge-media-to-join-hands-for-countering-terrorism
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COAS in China: General Fan Changlong praises Zarb-i-Azb
January 25th, 2015
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif called upon General Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, on Sunday morning, according to a tweet by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj-Gen Asim Bajwa.
General Raheel Sharif left for a two-day visit to China on Saturday during which he is expected to meet China's political and military leadership to discuss issues pertaining to security and defence cooperation between the two countries.
Gen Fan termed 'China-Pakistan solid relations as strategic cooperative partnership' and called the two countries most important neighbours and iron brothers.
Showing solidarity with Pakistan against any challenge, "he praised 'Operation Zarb-i-Azb' and termed it as a decisive, indiscriminate, bold and hard blow for terrorists," said another tweet by the top military spokesman.
The vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission also praised Pakistan's national consensus reached against terrorism and the country's resolves, efforts, sacrifices in fighting the menace.
He also assured the visiting army chief of China's full cooperation in this regard.
This is General Sharif’s second visit to China since he assumed the command of the country’s military in 2013.
Pakistan and China enjoy close military and defence ties and both countries often take part in joint military and air exercises.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159352/coas-in-china-general-fan-changlong-praises-zarb-i-azb
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India
Peace Lectures, Counselling, Army Camp: IS Recruit’s College Sends A Message
Jan 25, 2015
On the playground of the Panvel College where Islamic State recruit Areeb Majeed pursued his third-year civil engineering course till last May, a hoarding of the Indian Army announces a week-long recruitment drive. Another banner on the college gates says, “Tips for safe social networking”. Down the road, a police poster on a tree reads “Terrorism has no religion”.
Inside the college, an in-house centre for guidance and counselling is taking shape and a senior local police officer is scheduled to be the first guest speaker on social media. Peace activist and Padma Bhushan recipient Maulana Wahiduddin Khan may soon talk to the students on Islam and peace.
More than six months after The Indian Express first reported on Majeed’s journey to Iraq and into the ranks of the Islamic State, and nearly two months after he returned, the “subtle” message from his college — as one of its directors puts it — is this: we will not encourage terrorism on this campus.
“We have given our ground to the Army for conducting physical and medical examinations. Our students have been told to appear for screening if they wish. It’s subtle encouragement to them to render their services to the country,” says the director who spoke to The Sunday Express on the condition that his name or that of the college and its staff or students not be identified.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/peace-lectures-counselling-army-camp-is-recruits-college-sends-a-message/99/#sthash.rY2NJfKS.dpuf
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Obama promises to back India for permanent seat in UN security council
Jan 25, 2015
President Barack Obama has arrived in India for a two-day visit during which he will be the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade.
Underlining the significance of the visit for India and the kind of relationship New Delhi now shares with Washington, Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke protocol and welcomed the President at the Palam Airport.
The US President has a busy Sunday in the Capital. Log on to this page for all the updates, live.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/live-obama-set-to-land-at-palam-airport-will-be-welcomed-by-modi-at-rashtrapati-bhavan/
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Delhi Police left red-faced, NIA clears ‘terrorist’
Jan 25, 2015
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has given a clean chit to Liaquat Shah who had been arrested and labelled a terrorist by the Delhi Police two years ago.
The NIA has, instead, named absconder Sabir Khan, alleged to be a Delhi Police informer, as the main accused. Khan allegedly planted weapons on Shah to project him as a militant of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen.
The chargesheet, filed before the special court, yet again counters Delhi Police Special Cell claims of Shah being a wanted terrorist. It adds that further investigations were on to determine the “conspiracy” to implicate Shah.
The NIA also points out that the address of Khan alias ‘Pathan’ as mentioned in a lodge in old Delhi as well as the one supplied by him for his SIM card was “Barrack No. 2, Special Cell Niwas, BG 21, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi”.
The chargesheet names Khan under the Arms Act and Explosives Substances Act, and with forgery and using fake documents under the IPC.
Khan had reportedly been working with the Delhi Police as an informer for over 10 years, passing on information on terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir. According to sources, he had helped the Special Cell bust several modules.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/delhi-police-left-red-faced-nia-clears-terrorist/99/#sthash.SGz0O13h.dpuf
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Delhi police warned of potential threat to Obama from Maldivian nationals
By Minivan News | January 25th, 2015
Indian intelligence agencies have alerted Delhi police to potential attacks on US President Barack Obama by Maldivian or Sri Lankan nationals, reports the Hindustan Times.
The paper reported that “a close watch” is being kept on unidentified Sri Lankan and Maldivian nationals in India, as well as those whose visas have expired.
President Obama arrived in Delhi this morning to an unprecedented security operation which is reported to include 40,000 security personnel, 15,000 new security cameras, and door-to-door house checks.
As well as holding meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee, Obama will become the first US President to be chief guest during tomorrow’s Republic Day parade.
It is during the parade that Indian security agencies have been warned Obama may be targetted by anti-american elements from Sri Lanka and Maldives, as well as drawing black flag protest from Hindu nationalist groups.
“Being a high valued target, a high degree of threat is perceived to Obama from radical Islamist outfits like Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed,” a senior Delhi police officer told the Hindustan Times.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/delhi-police-warned-of-potential-threat-to-obama-from-maldivian-nationals-92350
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Terrorism a ‘principal’ global threat: PM Narendra Modi
Jan 25, 2015
Terming terrorism as a “principal” global threat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said there should be no distinction between terrorist groups and pressed for countries to fulfil their commitment to wipe out their safe havens and bring them to justice.
He said India and the United States have agreed that there is a need for comprehensive global strategy and approach to combat terrorism.
In his media statement during a joint press interaction with President Barack Obama here, Modi said, “Terrorism remains a principal global threat. It is taking on a new character, even as existing challenges persist.”
Modi said the two countries agreed that they need a “comprehensive global strategy and approach” to combat it.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/terrorism-a-principal-global-threat-pm-narendra-modi/#sthash.KYebDbc1.dpuf
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Pak rangers violate ceasefire, fire on BoP along IB in Jammu
PTI | Jan 25, 2015
JAMMU: Hours before US President Barack Obama's arrival in India, Pakistani Rangers resorted to small arms firing along the International Border in Jammu district, forcing the BSF to retaliate.
"Pakistani Rangers resorted to intermittent small arms firing on Jogwan border out post in R S Pura border belt along the IB in Jammu district during the intervening night of January 24 and 25", a Police officer told PTI.
They fired on the post around 1 AM, he said. BSF troops guarding the borderline retaliated resulting in intermittent brief exchanges which continued for a few minutes, he said, adding there was no loss of life or injury to anyone in the firing.
On January 22, Pak Rangers and BSF exchanged fire after BSF, suspecting movement of some persons, fired few rounds and the Pakistani side also fired few rounds after hearing sound in Regaal Border Out Post (BoP) area along the IB in Samba district.
On January 21, BSF foiled an infiltration bid in Arnia sub-sector.
Pakistani Rangers had on January 20 violated the ceasefire by resorting to firing by small arms on Border Out Posts (BoPs) along the International Border in Jammu district, prompting the BSF to retaliate.
On January 13 and 12, there was small arms firing by Pakistani Rangers in Samba sector.
Pakistan also resorted to firing of mortar shells and small arms along the IB in Hiranagar belt of Kathua district on January 11.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-rangers-violate-ceasefire-fire-on-BoP-along-IB-in-Jammu/articleshow/46009326.cms
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Not everyone in Pakistan a terrorist, says HM
Jan 25, 2015
Voices against terrorism do rise from time to time in Pakistan but successive governments in that country have failed to curb the scourge, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday.
“I don’t think everyone in Pakistan is a terrorist. Voices against terrorism do rise from time to time in that country too. But the intentions of successive governments in Pakistan regarding terrorism have never been clear,” he told reporters here.
He also showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his endeavours on the diplomatic front and the manner he is dealing with Pakistan.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/not-everyone-in-pakistan-a-terrorist-says-rajnath/article6819430.ece
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Africa
Boko Haram gunmen kill 15 in Nigeria's northeast
January 25th, 2015
Boko Haram gunmen killed 15 people including a village leader near Maiduguri, the heartland of the Islamist group blamed for thousands of deaths in its six-year insurgency, security sources and residents said Saturday.
"The terrorists attacked Kambari village which is less than five kilometres to Maiduguri around 5:00 am. They killed 15 people and set the entire hamlet ablaze," the security source who requested anonymity said of the attack on Friday.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/121177/World/International/Boko-Haram-gunmen-kill--in-Nigerias-northeast-Secu.aspx
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Gunmen kidnap Libya deputy foreign minister
January 25th, 2015
Gunmen kidnapped a Libyan deputy foreign minister from his hotel room on Sunday in the eastern city of Al-Baida where the recognised government is based, a ministry official said.
The kidnappers told staff they were members of the security forces when they entered the hotel before dawn, the official said, citing witnesses.
They drove deputy minister Hassan al-Saghir off to an unknown destination.
No group immediately claimed his abduction but Libya has been rocked by a spate of kidnappings of both foreigners and Libyans since the overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.
The oil-rich North African nation is awash with weapons and has two rival governments and powerful militias battling for territory.
The internationally recognised government has been based in the remote east since an Islamist-backed militia alliance seized the capital last August.
Al-Baida lies 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) from Tripoli. The government established its headquarters in the city after intially taking refuge in the towns of Tobruk and Shohat further east.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/121267/World/International/Gunmen-kidnap-Libya-deputy-foreign-minister.aspx
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Boko Haram frees 192 people held in NE Nigeria: sources
AFP | Jan 25, 2015
KANO(NIGERIA): Boko Haram has released nearly 200 hostages, most of them women, who were kidnapped from a village in the northeast Nigerian state of Yobe, a community leader and a military has said.
A total of 192 people were released on Friday from two Islamist enclaves, where they had been kept since a January 6 raid on Katarko, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the state capital Damaturu.
In all, 218 women and children were abducted. "Boko Haram have released 192 of our women they kidnapped early this month," Goni Mari, a Katarko community leader said from Damaturu yesterday.
"They brought them in two batches in four trucks and dropped them at Girbuwa village, eight kilometres from Damaturu, from where we conveyed them to the city and they were taken into government custody."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Boko-Haram-frees-192-people-held-in-NE-Nigeria-sources/articleshow/46011186.cms
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Suspected Boko Haram militants attack major Nigeria northern city
Jan 25, 2015
Suspected Boko Haram militants began attacking Nigeria’s major northeastern city of Maiduguri just after midnight on Sunday, military, government and local sources said.
At around 9 am (0800 GMT) on Sunday, a Reuters witness said shelling could be heard and that military helicopters were circling the city. All roads have been closed, a security source said, and commercial activity has been shut down.
The militants began the attack at the edge of the city in the Njimtilo area. The city is the capital of Borno state and would be a major prize for the insurgents who are trying to carve out an Islamic state.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/suspected-boko-haram-militants-attack-major-nigeria-northern-city/#sthash.y5pRyFlN.dpuf
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Mauritanian prison siege ends with hostages freed
January 25th, 2015
Nouakchott: A hostage crisis sparked when death row inmates in Mauritania seized two prison guards ended on Saturday after the captives were freed, security sources said.
The prisoners at Nouakchott’s central penitentiary had kidnapped the wardens on Friday during a violent protest in which several security personnel were injured.
The inmates — including more than a dozen hard-liners sentenced to death or life imprisonment — were protesting against the refusal of the authorities to release those who had completed their jail terms.
A prison source told AFP the group had “accepted a government proposal to release those among them who are entitled to leave and to improve the conditions of detention of others.”
The source said four of the prisoners were being freed in return for the release of the guards.
Ahmed Ould Hindi, chairman of the Bar Council in Nouakchott, who has spoken to the prisoners, said those who had negotiated their release should have left the prison days ago.
The group began a hunger strike several days ago.
http://www.arabnews.com/world/news/694366
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Mideast
Thousands chant for Hizbullah in Charlie Hebdo protest in southeast Turkey
January 25th, 2015
Around 100,000 people have protested the French magazine Charlie Hebdo in Diyarbakır, a Kurdish-majority city in Turkey's southeast, cheering for Turkish Hizbullah.
The Lovers of the Prophet Platform organized the two-hour long Jan. 24 protest at the central İstasyon Square with the participation of thousands of demonstrators coming from nearby towns, Doğan News Agency reported.
Most speeches, banners and slogans, either in Turkish, Kurdish or Arabic, targeted Charlie Hebdo for publishing Prophet Muhammad cartoons. In reference to the "Je Suis..." slogan, some banners read "I am Hizbullah in Kurdistan," "I am Hamas in Palestine," "I am Malcolm X in America" and "I am Imam Shamil in Chechnya."
"As long as you are the enemies of Allah, we will be your enemies," the Free Cause Party (Hüda Par) chair Molla Osman Teyfur said in his speech, vowing to "cut the tongue that talked against the Prophet."
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/thousands-chant-for-hizbullah-in-charlie-hebdo-protest-in-southeast-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77388&NewsCatID=341
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If EU opposes Islamophobia, it must accept Turkey as member: Erdoğan
January 25th, 2015
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that the European Union "must admit Turkey" as a member if it opposes Islamophobia.
Erdoğan became the first Turkish President who visited Djibouti on Jan. 24, one day after he interrupted his Horn of Africa tour to attend King Abdullah's funeral in Saudi Arabia. Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh welcomed his Turkish counterpart at the Djibouti City airport.
Turkish President, who had visited Ethiopia as the first stop of his tour, touched upon a number of foreign policy issues during his joint press conference with Guelleh, which was attended by the members of the large Turkish delegation that included cabinet members such as Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.
Stressing that the past decade saw the deaths of thousands of Muslims in the region, Erdoğan slammed the "coup-makers" in Egypt. "3,000 Muslims were killed in one day. It is unprecedented in recent history," Erdoğan said, criticizing the Egyptian government for the crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/if-eu-opposes-islamophobia-it-must-accept-turkey-as-member-erdogan.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77379&NewsCatID=510
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Shiite militia break up demo as Yemen stuck in power vacuum
January 25th, 2015
Shiite militia fired warning shots Sunday to disperse a protest against their takeover of Sanaa as parliament failed to convene to discuss the president's resignation, prolonging a dangerous power vacuum in Yemen.
President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, a key US ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based deadly franchise, tendered his resignation along with Prime Minister Khalid Bahah on Thursday, saying he could no longer stay in office as Yemen was in "total deadlock".
The Shiite Huthi militia, who have controlled most of the capital since September, overran the presidential palace last week prompting Hadi to tender his resignation, shortly after Bahah quit.
As demonstrators began to gather near Sanaa University early on Sunday to protest against the increasing Huthi control, the Shiite militiamen fired warning shots to disperse them and made several arrests.
The militiamen also attacked journalists and smashed their cameras, deploying in force around the university to prevent any renewed protest.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/121256/World/Region/Shiite-militia-break-up-demo-as-Yemen-stuck-in-pow.aspx
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Commander: Israel Fed by Takfiri Terrorists' Intelligence before Air Raid on Syria
January 25th, 2015
Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for Political Affairs Brigadier General Rasoul Sanayee Raad said the Takfiri terrorist groups in Syria provided the Israeli spy agency with the intelligence that it needed for its last Sunday attack that killed a number of Hezbollah members and an Iranian military adviser.
"With the intelligence provided by the terrorist groups and the Takfiri forces to Israeli spy agency, the ground was paved for the martyrdom of Hezbollah forces while on a mission in Quneitra region in Syria by the Zionist regime," Sanayee Raad told FNA on Sunday.
"The incident well reveals the resistance's support for Bashar al-Assad on one hand, and partnership between the opposition Takfiri grouplets and the Zionist regime on the other hand," he added.
"This was the first time that an Iranian General was martyred by the fake Zionist regime, and this provides further legitimacy for the cause of campaign against the Zionist regime," Sanayee Raad said.
Last Sunday, an Israeli helicopter struck Quneitra in Syria's Golan Heights, killing Iranian military advisor Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Allahdadi as well as the son of slain Hezbollah top commander Imad Mughniyeh and 4 other Hezbollah members.
Several state and military officials in Tehran as well as the Lebanese movement have vowed a crushing response to the Israeli attack.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931105000347
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Yemen Shiite militia detain three journalists: Union
January 25th, 2015
Shiite militiamen detained three journalists covering a protest in Sanaa on Sunday against the rebels' takeover of the Yemeni capital, the journalists' union said.
Union secretary general Marwan Damaj also said that female freelance journalist Huda al-Zabhani was beaten up.
Reuters photojournalist Mohammed al-Sayaghi was detained along with fellow Yemenis, Samed al-Samei of Aloula newspaper and Yahya al-Qabati of Aleshteraki.net news website, he said.
Sayaghi later told AFP that he was released after being held for an hour, during which he was questioned.
Shiite militiamen, also known as Huthis, fired warning shots to disperse the protest near Sanaa University.
On Saturday, thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sanaa in the biggest demonstration to date against the Huthis, who overran the capital unopposed in September.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/121266/World/Region/Yemen-Shiite-militia-detain-three-journalists-Unio.aspx
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South Asia
Afghanistan taking steps for repatriation of 1.6m refugees
January 25th, 2015
KARACHI: The Afghan ambassador to Pakistan said on Saturday that his government was taking measures for the return of 1.6 million registered Afghan refugees from Pakistan in the shortest possible time.
“There is a three-way agreement between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and all three signatories agree on voluntary, dignified and gradual return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan,” Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai told a group of journalists at the Afghan Consulate General in Karachi.
He said that his country was ‘incomplete in its essence’ without the homecoming of its people, who had to leave the country decades ago because of security conditions.
He said the Afghan government had welcomed five million of its refugees from Pakistan and Iran since 2002, which he described as the ‘largest return of refugees to their homeland in history’.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159235/afghanistan-taking-steps-for-repatriation-of-16m-refugees
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Good sense to prevail upon Khaleda, hopes Hasina
January 25th, 2015
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday hoped that good sense will prevail upon BNP leader Khaleda Zia and she will stop the politics of killing and arson attacks.
“I hope good sense will prevail on BNP leader Khaleda Zia and she’ll stop the politics of killing people through arson …that want one thing I want from Allah,” she said.
The prime minister said this while inaugurating the much-awaited Sheikh Lutfar Rahman Bridge, locally known as Patgathi Bridge, over the Madhumati River in Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj district through a videoconferencing from her official residence Ganabhaban.
She also laid the foundation stone of Kalna Bridge over the Madhumati River in between Kashiani upazila in Gopalganj and Lohagara upazila in Narail, and inaugurated the newly-built Tungipara BRTC Training Institute in Gopalganj.
Hasina said the politics of killing people should come to an end forthwith. “Those whose hands have the smell of burnt dead bodies and those who kill people, my question is, for whom they do their politics,” she questioned.
The prime minister also said she wants Khaleda Zia to stop killing people right away. “She’s causing many mothers to lose their children…she’s forcing numerous people to embrace permanent disabilities,” Hasina said.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2015/jan/25/good-sense-prevail-upon-khaleda-hopes-hasina#sthash.eMv8NvdK.dpuf
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Maldives Islamic Ministry Lecture Slams Tourism Promotion Show
January 25th, 2015
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Ali Waheed has suggested that the government’s contradictory religious policies are damaging the nation.
“While the Maldives is celebrating its adherence to Islam, the religious structure of the government is as such – from the right, shows being organised,” said Waheed. “From the left, religious lectures are being convened.”
Waheed’s comments – referring to the New Year’s ‘Tourist Arrival Countdown’ music shows and the Islamic ministry’s ‘The Message’ lecture series – came at the conclusion of a party rally in the capital Malé yesterday.
Later in the day, in the first of ‘The Message’ lectures, Sheikh Adam Shameem condemned the tourism promotion concerts, which were organised and promoted by tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb.
Drugs, sex, and rock and roll will destroy the nation, argued Shameem, suggesting that the government’s role was to lead the youth away from shameful deeds, but that such sinful activities were irresistible when handed down to them “on a platter”.
“What will happen when [they organize] sinful activities and invite the youth? Then, youth cannot be stopped,” he told approximately 1,500 attendees at the Alimas Carnival area in Malé.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/opposition-suggests-inconsistent-policies-while-islamic-ministry-lecture-slams-tourism-promotion-show-92327
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Vast protests against Charlie Hebdo in Farah and Zabul provinces
Jan 25 201
Thousands have gathered in Farah and Zabul provinces to condemn the publication of caricature of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) by a French Magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Demonstrators chant slogans against Charlie Hebdo and France and demand punishment for those responsible for disrespect to Islam by publishing the cartoon of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him).
Demonstrators came to streets Sunday morning and temporarily blocked roads.
Before Farah and Zabul residents of Kabul, Nangarhar, Paktika, Ghazni and Logar provinces also protested the act of disrespect to Prophet Mohammad (s.a.a.w) by Charlie Hebdo.
Demonstrators in these provinces demanded Afghan government to cut relationship with France and close its embassy in Kabul.
Demonstrators blamed the government of France for negligence after Charlie Hebdo announced in advance that they are going to publish caricature of Prophet Mohammad (s.a.a.w) but did not take any action to stop them.
Charlie Hebdo this month again published caricature of Prophet Mohammad (s.a.a.w) in a very sensitive time.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/vast-protests-against-charlie-hebdo-in-farah-and-zabul-provinces-28063
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BNP activist held with bomb making equipments
January 25th, 2015
Police have arrested a BNP activist and recovered hand bomb, petrol bomb making equipments from his possession at Bholahat upazila in Chapainawabganj.
The arrestee is Nayan,26, son of Fazlul Haque of Sonapara village under Daldali union of the upazila.
Officr-in-Charge of Bholahat police station Dewan Kowsik Ahmed said: "Police arrested Nayan after a special drive in an abandoned house near Council Crossing area of the union around 5:30am on Sunday."
Police recovered five cocktail, four petrol bomb and bomb making equipments from his possession the house, he added.
A case has been lodged with the police station under the explosives act and the arrestee will send to the court Monday, the official said.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2015/jan/25/bnp-activist-held-bomb-making-equipments#sthash.qiaqqWzs.dpuf
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Abe 'speechless' after video claims IS hostage dead
Jan 25, 2015
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday said he was “speechless” after an online video showed one of two Japanese hostages of Islamic State (IS) had been killed, and demanded the release of the other.
Mr. Abe said that the video was likely authentic and offered condolences to the family and friends of Haruna Yukawa, a 42-year-old adventurer taken hostage last year.
“I am left speechless,” he said, stressing he wants Goto, the other hostage, released unharmed.
“We strongly and totally criticise such acts.”
Yukawa’s father, Shoichi, on Sunday said he hoped “deep in his heart” that the news of his son’s killing was not true. If I am ever reunited with him, I just want to give him a big hug,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/abe-speechless-after-video-claims-is-hostage-dead/article6820727.ece
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North America
Indo-Pak tensions cast long shadow over Obama’s visit: WSJ
January 25th, 2015
LAHORE: President Barack Obama ’s visit to India comes at a time of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, after weeks in which the two countries have traded heavy fire across a disputed part of their border in Kashmir.
As Obama takes a three-day trip aimed at showcasing the expanding ties between New Delhi and Washington, he is likely to raise with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the issue of how the two nuclear-armed neighbours can resume dialogue and reduce their hostilities, administration officials and analysts say.
The pursuit of dialogue “is something that the United States has consistently supported, and we will continue to do so”, said Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser, at a briefing on Wednesday.
India and Pakistan blame each other for starting the exchanges. Dozens of civilians and soldiers on both sides have died in the bombardments, which have continued on and off since October.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/25-Jan-2015/indo-pak-tensions-cast-long-shadow-over-obama-s-visit-wsj
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Group says 'American Sniper' film spurs threats against Muslims
January 25th, 2015
CHICAGO: An Arab-American civil rights organization has asked American Sniper director Clint Eastwood and actor Bradley Cooper to denounce hateful language directed at US Arabs and Muslims after the release of the film about a Navy marksman.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) said in a letter to Eastwood and Cooper that its members had become targets of "violent threats" since early last week, before American Sniper went into general release.
The letter said Eastwood and Cooper, the film's producer and star, could bolster the ADC's message of tolerance.
"It is our opinion that you could play a significant role in assisting us in alleviating the danger we are facing,” said the letter, dated Jan. 21. Reuters was provided a copy on Saturday.
The film is a box office hit and has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture.
The ADC said it was working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and police to assess the threats.
The film tells the story of Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL sniper. His 160 kills in Iraq is considered the highest count in U.S. military history. Some critics have said the film glorifies war and sanitizes Kyle, who called Muslims "savages" in his memoir.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159351/group-says-american-sniper-film-spurs-threats-against-muslims
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US President Barack Obama: Counterterrorism operations in Yemen not affected
Jan 25, 2015
President Barack Obama says the political vacuum in Yemen hasn’t affected US counterterrorism operations inside the Middle Eastern country.
He says that news reports to the contrary are inaccurate, and he says the US continues to pursue terrorist targets inside Yemen.
Yemen was thrown into a state of political turmoil last week after Shiite rebels overran the capital and President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi (HAD’-ee) and his ministers resigned.
Hadi had worked with the US in the fight against terrorism. Washington says Yemen is the base of operations for the most dangerous offshoot of al-Qaida.
Obama spoke Sunday in New Delhi during an appearance with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (nah-REN’-drah MOH’-dee).
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/us-president-barack-obama-counterterrorism-operations-in-yemen-not-affected/#sthash.FjSHfycO.dpuf
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US National Security Council tweets 'Jai Hind'
Himanshi Dhawan,TNN | Jan 25, 2015
NEW DELHI: The India-US bonhomie and warmth broke through the Delhi chill with President Obama's National Security Council press (NSCPress) account tweeting "Jai Hind" within hours of his landing in India.
NSCPress tweeted," President Obama is honored to be back in #India to celebrate Republic Day and to begin a new chapter in the US-India partnership. Jai Hind!"
It also retweeted National Security Advisor Susan Rice saying,"This trip reflects President Obama's commitment to deepen our ties with #India and take our partnership to a new level."
On Obama's Rajghat visit Rice said,"Gandhi's light and legacy live on in our lives. His practises and principles are an inspiration to civil rights movements in Us and around the world."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-National-Security-Council-tweets-Jai-Hind/articleshow/46009750.cms
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US fighters scrambled after Twitter bomb threats
Jan 25, 2015
U.S. officials scrambled two F-16 fighter jets to shadow a pair of commercial airliners after bomb threats were made on Friday against the flights on the social network Twitter.
The planes landed safely and law enforcement officials found no bombs aboard after they arrived safely at Atlanta’s main airport, said airport spokesman Reese McCranie.
The threats targeted Southwest Airlines Flight 2492, which arrived from Milwaukee, and Delta Air Lines Flight 1156, from Portland, Oregon.
The passengers were taken off the aircraft, and police bomb and dog teams examined both planes, authorities said.
The threats were posted on the social media network Twitter, said Preston Schlachter, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defence Command. After being alerted, military officials sent two F-16 fighter jets from a base in South Carolina to escort the commercial aircraft to Atlanta.
Upon landing, the Southwest Airlines flight taxied to a remote area where the passengers and the aircraft were rescreened, company officials said in a statement.
“Our top priority is the safety of our customers and employees,” Southwest officials said. “We cannot comment on the nature of the security situation.”
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-fighters-scrambled-after-twitter-bomb-threats/article6820803.ece
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Obama, Republicans still at odds over Guantanamo
January 25th, 2015
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama this week renewed his pledge to shut down the Guantanamo Bay military prison, despite strong objections from Republicans who fear inmates could join jihadist battles currently raging across the globe.
In the latest salvo in an ongoing fight between Obama and his Republican adversaries in Congress, the State Department said recidivism dropped sharply since Obama took office.
“Opponents of closing Guantanamo cite a 30-percent recidivism rate among former detainees.
This assertion is deeply flawed,” said Cliff Sloan, who until this year was the State Department’s special envoy for Guantanamo closure.
“Of the detainees transferred during this administration, more than 90 per cent have not been suspected, much less confirmed, of committing any hostile activities after their release,” he wrote in a New York Times opinion piece this month.
According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 19pc of Guantanamo detainees transferred out of the prison before 2009 were “confirmed of reengaging in terrorist or insurgent activities”.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1159276/obama-republicans-still-at-odds-over-guantanamo
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Southeast Asia
With pamphlets, Muslim missionaries reach out to ‘enemies of Islam’
JANUARY 25, 2015
Armed only with their conviction and religious pamphlets, some Muslim groups have been taking to the streets in a bid to promote their faith to followers of other creeds, including Christians, whom Malaysia's Islamic authorities have repeatedly branded “enemies of Islam”.
Believing the current climate of religious distrust that permeates the country is due to the lack of non-Muslim understanding of Islam, gained only through the belligerent views aired through the media, these Muslim missionaries are convinced that education and propagation are the keys to winning over non-believers to the religion of peace.
“It’s about sharing with people the good news; there’s a hereafter,” Firdaus Wong Wai Hung, a Buddhist-turned-Muslim, told Malay Mail Online in a recent interview.
Wong founded Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) in 2010, a group comprising mostly Muslim converts, or “reverts” as he terms them ― based on the Muslim understanding that everyone is born Muslim because there is only one God ― which has been actively working to spread the positive aspects of Islam through street evangelism.
As part of their missionary work, almost a thousand MRM volunteers hit the streets throughout peninsular Malaysia last December 20, just days before Christmas, handing out religious brochures or tracts, including one titled “Jesus Christ in the Quran”, which provided an Islamic explanation on Jesus, a figure that exists in both monotheistic religions born in the Middle East.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/with-pamphlets-muslim-missionaries-reach-out-to-enemies-of-islam#sthash.YMbNdESE.dpuf
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At least 27 Philippines police die in clash with rebels
World Bulletin/News Desk
Jan 25, 2015
At least 27 elite police troopers were reported killed in a fierce firefight with suspected Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the Philippines Muslim south Sunday.
Von Al Haq, the military chief of the rival Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the 27 troopers from the Philippine National Police's elite Special Action Forces died in Maguindanao after they clashed with suspected BIFF at about 3 a.m. Sunday (1900GMT Saturday).
He attributed the number to MILF field commander sources.
Capt. Joanne Petinglay, chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division public affairs unit, would not confirm to The Anadolu Agency exactly how many were killed but said the military had since been conducting clearing operations in Tukanalipao village, Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
She said army troops backed by armored personnel carriers were now in the area to assist the police forces.
"As of now I cannot give the exact number of fatalities. It was a police operation, there was no coordination with our troops on the ground," Petinglay said.
But a police source in Maguindanao -- who asked not to be named -- told the Inquirer that at least 36 policemen belonging to the unit were killed, disarmed and mutilated.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/153759/at-least-27-philippines-police-die-in-clash-with-rebels
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Stand up for freedom if you want progress, Guan Eng tells Malaysians
JANUARY 25, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Malaysians must endorse the fundamental value of freedom if they desire to see the country achieve first-world status, lawmaker Lim Guan Eng said today in a warning against the creep of “politics of hate” into the public sphere.
The Penang chief minister said while there should not be absolute freedom, it is a vital ingredient in the success of western nations which was being viewed with suspicion as an “alien value” by some religious extremists, though he did not name anyone.
“Malaysians should reject extremists who preach hate, intolerance and violence.
“Instead we must respect the rights and dignity of our Malaysian brothers and sisters who share the same aspirations of justice, democracy and economic prosperity and suffer the same problems of corruption, abuse of power and discrimination,” he said in a statement marking Ponggal, the Tamil harvest festival.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/stand-up-for-freedom-if-you-want-progress-guan-eng-tells-malaysians#sthash.InQSQWhc.dpuf
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Three things we learned from: Malaysia’s ‘Allah’ case
BY IDA LIM
JANUARY 25, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Now that the Federal court has slammed its doors shut on the Catholic Church, it is stuck with the Home Ministry’s 2009 “Allah” ban.
The ministry told the Catholic Church five years ago that it could continue publishing its weekly newspaper Herald but under one condition — no printing of the word “Allah”, which the church then challenged in court.
Here are three things we learned about the country’s most prominent case revolving around the Arabic word for God, “Allah”.
1. Barometer for civil liberties
At the end of the day, the “Allah” case is not just about the Catholic Church’s right to continue communicating to its Bahasa Malaysia-speaking members, which is an estimated 60 per cent of its one million members.
It is not just about theological differences between Muslims and non-Muslims or the linguistic debate over who can use an Arabic word adopted into the national language Bahasa Malaysia.
What is at stake here is the state of civil liberties in the country, especially that of the religious minorities.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/three-things-we-learned-from-malaysias-allah-case#sthash.2qBiZ2dX.dpuf
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Calls Mount for Immunity for KPK Leaders From Police Prosecution
JANUARY 25, 2015
Jakarta. Indonesia’s antigraft commission has called on President Joko Widodo to issue an emergency measure granting immunity from prosecution for its leaders, following two criminal complaints filed in quick succession against two of its deputy chairmen.
“KPK leaders need immunity, especially at times like this,” Adnan Pandu Praja, a deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, said on Sunday as quoted by Detik.com.
Adnan and fellow deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto face criminal investigations after reports were filed against them with the police this month following the KPK’s decision to name Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, Joko’s sole nominee for National Police chief, a graft suspect.
“The request [for immunity] has been submitted to the president,” Adnan said. “We want it to take the form of a regulation in lieu of law,” or perppu, which does not require approval from the House of Representatives.
Full report at:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/calls-mount-immunity-kpk-leaders-police-prosecution/
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9:37 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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