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Saturday, April 4, 2015

Islamic Textbooks Teaching Religious Intolerance and Radicalism Spark Concern in West Java

Islamic Textbooks Teaching Religious Intolerance and Radicalism Spark Concern in West Java



Teachers in Bandung say a book distributed by the Ministry of Education and Culture to schools across West Java since August promotes religions extremism. (AFP Photo/Aman Rochman)



Southeast Asia
Islamic Textbooks Teaching Religious Intolerance and Radicalism Spark Concern in West Java
Dress Code Controversy: Indonesian State University Bans Burqa
Sedition Act won’t shield corrupt leaders forever, says Zaid Ibrahim
Doctors risk ban by ‘resigning temporarily’ for Shariah amputations:  medical association

Pakistan
JUI-F Rally Warns Govt. of a Islamic Revolution Against Targeting Seminaries, Ulema
Military Courts Sentence Six Hardcore Terrorists to Death
‘Is the operation in Karachi the right preventive mechanism?’
Parliament to decide about role of Pakistan in Yemen Conflict: Khawaja Asif
Commemorative coin on 100 years of Islamia College launched
Security forces arrest 76 suspects in Peshawar raid

Mideast
Iran, World Powers Agree Historic Nuclear Framework Deal
Rebels Push Deep Into Yemen's Aden, Qaeda Storms Jail
Basij Commander: Saudi Arabia Fighting US Proxy War in Yemen
Saudi Border Guards Slay Yemeni Family, Increase Death Toll to 242
Netanyahu tells Obama Iran deal 'threat to Israel’s survival'
Turkey welcomes Iran nuclear agreement, hopes Tehran will go further

Africa
Kenya's Garissa University College Awakens To Islamist Militants' Terror
7 Militia Men Killed In Libya
Tunisia accuses Turkey of facilitating jihadists’ transit

India
By 2050, India to Surpass Indonesia, Will Have Largest Muslim Population: Study
'Starving Bangladesh of Beef' Would Cost India Rs 31,000 Crore
India welcomes Iran, world powers nuclear accord
Indians back from Yemen recount tales of horror

Arab World
Al-Nusra Terrorists Purged by Syrian Army from Idlib Province's Villages
Saudi Arabia Using Israeli-Made Weapons in Aggression against Yemen
The Imams Of The Grand Mosque Can Unite Muslims Around The World
Pakistan has offered to send troops to kingdom: Riyadh
Aden ‘not under Houthi control’
At Jordan site, drone offers glimpse of antiquities looting
Egypt political groups, officials 'close to an agreement' on elections laws: PM

Europe
Russia Says Iran Nuclear Program Deal Good for Middle East
Amnesty Probing Reports Of Iraqi Forces' Abuses In Tikrit
Medic Student Who Joined ISIS ‘To Treat Jihadists’ Wants To Go Back To UK
In election campaign, British Muslims feel the heat
France: No deal yet on when to lift Iran’s sanctions

South Asia
China Endorses KSA’s Counterterrorism Strategy
Bangladesh: Oyasiqur Killers Met Avijit Killers
Two children killed in explosion near Savar’s army firing range
NATO condemns suicide attack in Khost which left 18 dead, 64 wounded
Pakistan to expel 11,000 Afghan refugees from Azad Jammu and Kashmir

North America
‘Islamic Jew-Hatred’ Ads with Hitler Appear On Philadelphia Buses
Barack Obama hails Iran framework as ‘historic’ understanding
Muslim population could catch up with Christians globally: study
Islam fastest-growing major faith in coming decades
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

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Southeast Asia

Islamic Textbooks Teaching Religious Intolerance And Radicalism Spark Concern in West Java
Apr 3, 2015
Bandung. Teachers in Bandung, West Java, have raised concerns over the distribution of thousands of school books, which they say teach religious intolerance and radicalism.
Iwan Hermawan, vice principal of the State Senior High School 9, said his school received 440 books on Islamic teachings, which contain a chapter titled “Rise Up All Islamic Fighters” and details the teachings of Muhammad Abd Wahhab, the founder of the Wahhabi Muslim movement.
Wahhabism is known for its ultraconservative, literal interpretation of Islam.
One part of the book reads: “Those who worship other than Allah are infidels and must be killed.”
Iwan said the books have been distributed by the Ministry of Education and Culture to schools across West Java since August.
“This can spark intolerance and frictions with other religious groups,” Iwan said.
The book is officially printed and distributed by the Ministry of Education and even contains a prologue by then-minister Mohammad Nuh.
“This means the book is compiled, studied and examined by various people under the minister M. Nuh,” Iwan said.
The book was printed as part of the controversial 2013 curriculum.
The book listed the names Mustahdi and Mustakim as authors and Yusuf A Hasan and Muhammad Saerozi as reviewers.
Iwan, who is also the secretary general of the Indonesian Independent Teachers Federation (FGII), said the same book was found in dozens of high schools and vocational schools across Bandung.
“I am concerned that students will interpret [the book] the wrong way. I am also fearful that teachers with the same [radical] perspective will teach students intolerance and radicalism,” Iwan said.
“[The teachers] will think it is alright to teach radicalism, because this is a book sanctioned by the education ministry.”
The FGII on Tuesday officially requested for the book to be recalled. The book’s presence sheds new light on how extremism and intolerance flourishes and spreads in Indonesia, particularly among school students.
A recent survey by the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, involving nearly 700 students from 76 high schools in Jakarta and 38 in Bandung, showed that 7 percent of the respondents agreed with the Islamic State movement’s aims.
“That means one in every 14 students agrees with ISIS,” Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the non-governmental group, said in Jakarta on Monday, referring to the extremist group’s old acronym.
He added that 75 percent of students have heard of IS, mostly from social media and the Internet. Most have a negative view of the radical movement, saying that they recognize that IS is a sadistic group intent on spreading terror and using violence in the name of religion.
But those who sympathize with IS do so because they believe the terror group has established an Islamic caliphate.
They said they agreed with the view that Indonesia’s five founding principles of Pancasila should be replaced with Islamic ideology.
Setara researcher Muhamad Syauqi said some of the students who sympathize with IS contributed to the so-called “jihadist selfie” phenomenon, where they spread pictures through social media of youths in uniform — presumably IS members in Syria or Iraq — who take photos of themselves in front of army tanks or while holding rocket launchers.
“That makes them [those spreading the  selfies] feel ‘cool,’ ” Syauqi said.
The book also confirms suspicion among some human rights and religious tolerance advocates that the government — or at least some elements of it — is to some degree involved in the spread of intolerance and radicalism despite pledging otherwise.
Communications and Information Technology Minister Rudiantara said last week that the government recently begun working with information technology firms such as Google to block websites containing pro-terrorism content.
Indonesians were recently shocked by a video that appeared to show Indonesian-speaking children training with assault rifles in front of an IS flag. The video has since been removed from most websites, including Google-owned YouTube.
Rudiantara said the partnerships had enabled the government to remove 78 Indonesian sites with pro-terrorism content.
National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Marciano Norman said his office was also joining forces with the communications ministry to curb pro-IS propaganda on the Internet.
But the House of Representatives’ Commission I, which oversees defense, intelligence, foreign affairs, communication and information, responded by summoning Minister Rudiantara to explain the government’s decision to block access to 19 websites believed to have spread radical Islamic ideology.
“We will invite the communications minister immediately to give an explanation,” Hanafi Rais, deputy chairman of Commission I, said on Tuesday.
The ministry said the sites were blocked after it received a request from the National Counterterrorism Agency, which included them in a list of 22 media sources allegedly spreading radical ideology.
Hanafi attacked the government’s “rash” decision to block access to the websites.
“The government’s decision to block the media could create the impression that the government under President Joko Widodo is developing Islamophobia,” he said.
Meanwhile, police are investigating what appears to be a failed bomb attack on the Kompas TV office in Makassar, South Sulawesi, by alleged sympathizers of the IS.
“We are still investigating the case,” Sr. Comr. Endi Sutendi, a spokesman for the South and West Sulawesi Police, told Tempo.co on Tuesday.
“We can’t immediately draw a conclusion,” he added.
The bomb was found around 9 p.m. on Monday, in a plastic bag placed some 20 meters from the office in Panakkukang subdistrict.
“I didn’t open the package and told Panakukkang Police about it,” said the head of security of the Kompas TV office, Gassang Daeng Kulle.
The bomb package had a statement written on it that said “To Kompas sampah [trash] dari [from] Islamic State,” and came with a handwritten letter threatening “infidel” Indonesian media. It was signed “Anshor Daulah Makassar,” an alleged IS sympathizer group.
A police bomb squad arrived at the office in time to defuse the bomb.
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/islamic-textbooks-spark-concern-among-teachers/
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Dress Code Controversy: Indonesian State University Bans Burqa
April 3, 2015
Jakarta. A state university in South Kalimantan has drawn the ire of one of Indonesia’s Islamic political parties for its decision to ban female students from attending class in a Niqab, a full face covering similar to a Burqa that is rare in Indonesia but nonetheless promoted by some Islamic teachers as a requirement for Muslim women.
Late last month, Lambung Mangkurat University instructed female college students that they were not permitted to wear the Niqab to campus.
“If there’s a student wearing a [face-covering] veil, we will reprimand them,” said Sutarto Hadi, rector at Lambung Mangkrat University, as cited by news portal MediaIndonesia.com. “If they insist [on wearing it], we advise them to find another institution.”
Lambung Mangkurat has 8,200 students enrolled across its 10 faculties. It is the largest state university in South Kalimantan, with campuses in Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru.
Sutarto said a niqab would make it difficult for university staff to identify students. He added that the full-face cover was not typical to Indonesian culture.
Reni Marlinawati, a lawmaker from the United Development Party (PPP), condemned the regulation, however, and requested the university withdraw the ban.
“The regulation is against human rights principles, as based on Article 28 of the country’s 1945 Constitution, which states that everyone has the right to express their beliefs, opinions and stance of what they really believe in,” Reni said earlier this week.
Reni said the university’s underlying argument for the regulation, to aid staff in identifying students, could be addressed without issuing a blanket ban.
“Universities should focus on their main role as an agent of change by enriching their students’ knowledge, strengthening their research skills and becoming the center for various studies,” Reni said.
Reni emphasized that a full-face cover was not a threat to Indonesian culture or its largely tolerant observation of Islam.
“Wearing a Burqa should be seen as the implementation of one’s belief. Why should we make a problem out of this?” she said.
Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, the vast majority of whom are Sunni Muslims.
According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), over 95 percent of the population of South Kalimantan identify as Muslims.
The Niqab is common in Saudi Arabia, which contributes significant private education funding in Indonesia as a way of exporting its conservative Wahhabi understanding of Islam. A Jilbab, which only covers a woman’s hair and neck but leaves the face exposed (and is often called a Hijab in North America and Europe), is common across the archipelago.
The wearing of a Jilbab was the subject of a brief but lively social media trend last year after the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued a fatwa against what it termed “jilboobs.” The MUI, which is composed of clerics from Indonesia’s largest Islamic organizations, including Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulema, decried Indonesian women who covered their hair but dressed slightly less modestly below the neck.
The issue has since died down despite the MUI’s protestation of its “vulgarity.”
“Burqa bans” have been the subject of emotional debate in some European countries, most notably France, which introduced a national prohibition in 2011. French Muslims took the ruling to the European Court of Human Rights in 2014, but the court found in favor of the French government’s ban and it remains on the statute books today.
Women in France are still permitted to cover their faces in private or when at a mosque and the ban is not unique to Islam. It also prohibits the wearing of motorcycle helmets or balaclavas in public places. The ban continues to be controversial.
The Niqab is, however, controversial in Indonesia. Many regard the Niqab as an unappealing cultural import from the Arab world, while its lack of popularity is compounded by incidents of Indonesian domestic workers having faced abuse while working in Saudi Arabia for not conforming exactly to the required dress code.
Indonesian law does not require Muslim women to wear a jilbab, except for the semi-autonomous province of Aceh, which requires women to cover up under its Shariah-inspired statutes. Shariah-inspired bylaws in a number of regions also require women to wear the veil on certain official occasions or in schools.
It was unclear on Thursday whether the university was prepared to maintain its position as it risked being drawn into a political row. It was not certain, either, whether anyone more sympathetic to female face covering would seek to take the matter to court.
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesia-muslim-dress-code-controversy-state-university-bans-burqa/
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Sedition Act won’t shield corrupt leaders forever, says Zaid Ibrahim
April 3, 2015
Although the Sedition Act has been retained, a former Umno minister warned that leaders who have "wronged" the country should not use the colonial-era law to "shield" them from their wrongdoings.
Writing in his blog, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said oppressive means to stifle dissent would not be popular, adding that it was a matter of time before the legislation was abolished.
"All I can say is that the people of this country do not need the Sedition Act.
"This law is used to prevent people like you and me from talking about abuses that affect our country.
"Najib and his friends must remember that the people always win against corrupt and oppressive leaders, no matter how much force is used to suppress their will. It’s just a matter of time," he said in reference to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
"The Sedition Act will go once the country is free. For now the act can shield them, but without it, the leaders who have wronged this country will be exposed."
The former de facto law minister's comments came after the arrests of two senior executives and three editors from The Edge and The Malaysian Insider earlier this week under the Sedition Act over a report published on March 25, which said the Conference of Rulers had rejected a proposal to amend a federal law that would pave the way for hudud to be enforced in Kelantan.
The Malaysian Insider managing editor Lionel Morais, Bahasa news editor Amin Iskandar and features and analysis editor Zulkifli Sulong were arrested on Monday evening, after the police and personnel from the Multimedia and Communication Commission of Malaysia (MCMC) came to TMI's newsroom at The Edge Media Group’s office in Mutiara Damansara.
This followed a police report lodged by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal.
The Edge publisher Ho Kay Tat and The Malaysian Insider chief executive Jahabar Sadiq were also arrested on Tuesday after they presented themselves for questioning at the Dang Wangi police station in the morning.
Morais, Amin and Zulkifli were released on bail Tuesday night after the magistrate's court rejected the police's application to remand them further for investigation.
Ho and Jahabar were released on Wednesday.
Umno ministers defended the authorities’ harsh actions.
But, Zaid questioned the actions taken, saying that instead of lodging a police report, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal could clarify if the story had been baseless.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sedition-act-cant-shield-corrupt-leaders-forever-says-zaid-ibrahim#sthash.bppPllFe.dpuf
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Doctors risk ban by ‘resigning temporarily’ for Shariah amputations, says medical association
April 3, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 ― Doctors who “resign temporarily” to administer hudud punishments may not be allowed to return to their posts and can be banned entirely from practising, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said.
Dr Krishna Kumar who heads the medical association said that doctors can leave their employers but are still governed by their annual practising certificate (APC) awarded by regulator, Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
The MMC may decide to refuse the renewal of APCs for doctors who are appointed by the Kelantan government to perform the amputation of limbs under the state’s Shariah criminal law, if they are found to have breached the doctor’s code of conduct, Dr Krishna said.
“In medicine, the job of the doctor is to do no harm. Would this be considered as doing harm? It is up to MMC,” Dr Krishna told Malay Mail Online over the phone.
“If they deem it as doing harm, then you might face punishments, subject to MMC regulations.”
Among others, the APC requires a doctor to abide by the Code of Professional Conduct adopted by MMC since 1986; the fundamental rule being that doctors must “respect human life” and cannot condone or participate in “the practice of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading procedures.”
The APC needs to renewed annually, and a doctor needs to specify the medical institution where he is employed to be eligible for it.
A doctor found in breach of the code by MMC can be banned or suspended from practising, or face disciplinary punishments.
The MMC could not be reached by Malay Mail Online for further comments at the time of writing.
Dr Krishna also explained that any medical officer who resigns from a government hospital will only be allowed to return to work on contract.
Private hospitals have different arrangements, he added.
Kelantan may hire Muslim doctors to perform amputations under its Shariah Criminal Code (II) Enactment after a group signalled their willingness to “resign temporarily” from their posts to carry out the job.
Dr Azhar Abdullah, a member of Kelantan’s hudud implementation committee, claimed in a public forum in Universiti Malaya here Wednesday that the group of Muslim medical experts ― which includes a surgeon and an anaesthetist ― had offered their services in order to ensure the punishment will be administered professionally.
Last year, the MMA vowed it will seek to disqualify surgeons who perform the unethical amputations on criminals convicted under hudud in Kelantan, and warned that it will lodge police reports against non-doctors performing the punishment.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/doctors-risk-ban-by-resigning-temporarily-for-shariah-amputations-says#sthash.MafkWPc8.dpuf
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Pakistan

JUI-F Rally Warns Govt. of a Islamic Revolution Against Targeting Seminaries, Ulema
April 3, 2015
HYDERABAD: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Thursday took out a big rally and held a public meeting in Hyderabad against closure of seminaries in the country in the name of the ongoing military operation against terrorists.
JUI-F leaders speaking to the participants at Koh-i-Noor Chowk warned of a Islamic revolution if seminaries and Ulema continued to be targeted “ at the behest of anti-Islam forces”.
Senator Attaur Rehman said that there it was mere propaganda that 10 per cent of seminaries in the country were involved in fomenting terrorism. He said it was also illogical and unfair that the remaining 90 per cent seminaries were also being targeted. He called for the arrest of those who masterminded Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro’s assassination. He said it was strange that the actual killers were arrested but the mastermind was not being touched.
He said seminaries were being closed on the flimsy grounds but looters, plunderers and corrupt elements were pardoned under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). How may Ulema and other religious scholars produced by seminaries benefited from the NRO or were facing NAB (National Accountability Bureau) cases? he asked.
Asking heads of seminaries and other ulema not to share data of their respective seminaries with government functionaries, the senator said that the Wifaqul Madaris was there to provide all details to the relevant authorities.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1173538/jui-f-rally-warns-govt-against-targeting-seminaries-ulema
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Military courts sentence six hardcore terrorists to death
April 3, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The new military courts have sentenced six men to death for involvement in terrorism and a seventh to life imprisonment, the military spokesman said on Thursday.
“Army chief confirms death sentence of 6 hard core terrorists tried by the recently established military courts,” Major General Asim Bajwa said in a message on Twitter. “Seven hardcore terrorists involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism, men slaughtering, suicide bombing, abduction for ransom, colossal damage to life and property were tried by military courts,” the military said in a subsequent statement that named the seven men. It said those convicted could take their cases to the court of appeal.
The government established nine military courts in January after Pakistan Taliban terrorists attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 134 pupils and 19 adults. The courts expanded the military’s powers, giving them the authority to try civilians accused of terrorism. Critics say the new rules cede too much ground to the military. A recent Reuters investigation into military trials under the old system found frequent allegations of torture. Families of defendants claimed the accused were sometimes not given lawyers or access to evidence.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/03-Apr-2015/military-courts-sentence-six-hardcore-terrorists-to-death
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‘Is the operation in Karachi the right preventive mechanism?’
April 3, 2015
KARACHI: Can criminal groups become political actors? Are people in certain regions prone to authoritarianism? Is violence a tool to mobilise voters during the time of elections? These observations were shared by Boris Wilke, senior researcher at the International Centre for Violence Research, University of Bielefeld in Germany, at a seminar on ‘Conflicts in Global South: A Comparative Study’ on Thursday organised by the Programme on Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Department of International Relations, University of Karachi.
This study is part of a two-year project in which four researchers have taken their countries as case studies to understand political violence.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1173541/is-the-operation-in-karachi-the-right-preventive-mechanism
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Parliament to decide about role of Pakistan in Yemen Conflict: Khawaja Asif
April 3, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that 1000 Pakistani troops are in Saudi Arabia, however, parliament will decide what role Pakistan should play in Yemen conflict.
The government has called a joint session of the parliament on April 6 (Monday) in which the parliamentary parties would be briefed about the whole conflict and what expectations Saudi government has attached with Pakistan, the minister said.
Khawaja Asif said the parliament would be taken into confidence before taking any decision over the issue, adding that national interest would be the top priority.
The second priority of the government was to keep intact the unity of the Muslim Ummah, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-180189-Parliament-to-decide-about-role-of-Pakistan-in-Yemen-Conflict:-Khawaja-Asif
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Commemorative coin on 100 years of Islamia College launched
April 3, 2015
PESHAWAR: The State Bank of Pakistan has inscribed the image of Islamia College Peshawar on the new coin of 20 rupees in recognition of the services of the 100-year-old educational institution, which has been upgraded since 2008 to a university.
Prof Ajmal Khan, the vice-chancellor of Islamia College University (ICU) Peshawar, here on Thursday launched the coin inscribed with ‘100 years of glory (1913-2013)’ and the name and picture of the historic building of the college.
He himself missed the centenary celebrations of the historical institution held in 2013 because he was in the captivity of Taliban since September 2010. He was recovered seven months ago.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1173663/commemorative-coin-on-100-years-of-islamia-college-launched
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Security forces arrest 76 suspects in Peshawar raid
April 3, 2015
PESHAWAR: At least 76  suspects including two Afghan nationals were arrested on Friday in Peshawar, Express News reported.
The law enforcement agencies carried out a raid in areas of Hayatabad and recovered six pistols, eight Kalashnikovs and 300 live cartridges during the operation.
On March 11, around four militants and one policeman were also killed during a four-hour shootout in Peshawar.
Heavily armed militants attacked local police in the Shawa area of Swabi district, occupying a house and trading fire with officers for nearly four hours, district police chief Muhammad Saeed Khan told AFP.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/863641/security-forces-arrest-76-suspects-in-peshawar-raid/
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Mideast

Iran, World Powers Agree Historic Nuclear Framework Deal
April 3, 2015
LAUSANNE: Iran and world powers agreed Thursday on the framework of a potentially historic deal aimed at curbing Tehran´s nuclear drive after marathon talks in Switzerland.
It marks a major breakthrough in a 12-year standoff between Iran and the West, which has long feared Tehran wants to build a nuclear bomb.
US President Barack Obama welcomed the "historic understanding" with Iran but cautioned more work needed to be done.
"If Iran cheats, the world will know it," he said in a televised address from the White House.
 After eight days of talks that sometimes went through the night, Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of punishing sanctions, said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.
The main outlines agreed at the negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne now have to be finalised in a highly complex agreement by June 30.
US Secretary of State John Kerry hailed a "big day", saying on Twitter that the global powers and Iran "now have parameters to resolve major issues on nuclear program. Back to work soon on a final deal".
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-180187-Iran,-world-powers-agree-historic-nuclear-framework-deal
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Rebels push deep into Yemen's Aden, Qaeda storms jail
3 April 2015
Rebel forces penetrated deep into the former southern stronghold of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi on Thursday as Al-Qaeda freed hundreds of inmates in a jailbreak elsewhere in the chaos-hit country.
The rebel push into the heart of Aden comes despite a week of Saudi-led air strikes aimed at preventing the fall of Hadi, who has taken refuge in Riyadh.
The Iran-backed Huthi rebels and allied army units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh were advancing on the presidential palace after seizing the key district of Khor Maksar, home to several foreign consulates and UN offices, residents said.
At least 19 people were killed on Wednesday in clashes pitting the rebels against armed residents and local militia, officials said.
Hadi fled to the southern city from the rebel-held capital in February.
But he went into hiding last week as the rebels advanced on his last remaining bastion and later resurfaced in the Saudi capital.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/126738/World/Region/Rebels-push-deep-into-Yemens-Aden,-Qaeda-storms-ja.aspx
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Basij Commander: Saudi Arabia Fighting US Proxy War in Yemen
April 3, 2015
Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) Force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi strongly condemned the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen, and said that Saudi Arabia is fighting a proxy war designed and run by the US.
"It would be wrong think that Saudi Arabia is administering the war in Yemen, while the US is in charge," Brigadier General Naqdi said on Thursday.
Addressing Riyadh leaders, the commander of Iran's Basij Force said, "You cannot stand against the will of a nation with an army; the Saudi army is apparently in battlefield, but it is the US that plays the role".
In relevant remarks, Brigadier General Naqdi also said on Tuesday that the Al Saud dynasty will have a fate similar to that of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
"Imposing war on Yemen will, God willingly, have no result other than Saddam's fate for the aggressors and the US that is the direct sponsor of this crime will have to leave the region forever after losing its puppet, the Al Saud regime," Brigadier General Naqdi said in a statement on the occasion of the anniversary of the Islamic Republic Day in Tehran on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940113000332
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Saudi Border Guards Slay Yemeni Family, Increase Death Toll to 242
April 3, 2015
A Yemeni family of eight was killed in a shooting attack by Saudi border guards in the Northern province of Sa'ada on Thursday.
Reports coming out of the Muslim country indicate that the Saudi soldiers opened fire on the Yemeni family in Razeh district. The shooting also left seven more people injured.
According to Yemeni sources, the Saudi-led offensive against Yemen on Thursday left 44 more people dead and 20 more others injured, bringing the total death toll to 242. 
Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for eight days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi airstrikes have killed at least, 242, mostly women and children, and injured hundreds more.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940113000327
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Netanyahu tells Obama Iran deal 'threat to Israel’s survival'
3 April 2015
The framework nuclear deal agreed with Iran would jeopardize Israel's existence if implemented, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman quoted him as saying to U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday.
"PM Netanyahu to Pres Obama: A deal based on this framework would threaten the survival of Israel," Mark Regev wrote on his official Twitter account.
Regev quoted the Israeli premier as saying in the telephone conversation that the deal as it appears to be emerging "would not block Iran's path to the bomb. It would pave it.
"It would increase the risks of nuclear proliferation and the risks of a horrific war," he added.
The White House quoted Obama as telling Netanyahu that the framework deal between Iran and world powers represented "significant progress."
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/04/03/Netanyahu-tells-Obama-Iran-deal-threat-to-Israel-s-survival-.html
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Turkey welcomes Iran nuclear agreement, hopes Tehran will go further
April 3, 2015
Turkey welcomed an initial agreement between Iran and world powers on curbing Tehran's nuclear programme but said on April 3 it hoped Tehran would go further by the deadline for a final deal at the end of June.
Iran and six world powers, known as the P5+1, agreed a framework deal in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 2 which is contingent on reaching a final agreement by June 30.
Turkey and Brazil mediated previous negotiations over Iran's disputed nuclear programme in 2010.
"When we look at the positions (of the) P5+1 right now, Iran is still below the line we were able to bring in 2010, but we hope Iran will come to that line," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said during a trip to Lithuania.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-welcomes-iran-nuclear-agreement-hopes-tehran-will-go-further.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80532&NewsCatID=510
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Africa

Kenya's Garissa University College awakens to Islamist militants' terror
Apr 3, 2015
(CNN)The sun hadn't risen at Garissa University College. Most students slept in their beds. A few had woken up to head to early morning Christian prayers.
Then the terror began.
It started with an explosion and gunshots around 5:30 a.m. Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET Wednesday) at the Kenyan school's front gates. The attackers continued to fire as they stalked through campus, with the Red Cross saying they stopped at a girls' dormitory.
At one point, they burst into a room where Christians had gathered and took hostages, said lecturer Joel Ayora. A student in the room told Alex Kubasu, a reporter with CNN affiliate Citizen TV, that the terrorists sprayed bullets indiscriminately, striking his thigh.
"Then they proceeded to the hostels," Ayora told CNN, referring to the university dorm, "shooting anybody they came across -- except their fellows, the Muslims."
According to AFP, the gunmen separated the students by religion and allowed Muslims to leave. This would be consistent with the past practices of Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based terror group that's claimed responsibility for the attack. That's what Al-Shabaab did in a December raid on a quarry in the Kenyan village of Kormey, near the Somali border, that ended with at least 36 killed.
Full report at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/02/africa/kenya-university-attack-scene/
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7 militia men killed in Libya
April 3, 2015
MISRATAH: Militants with the Islamic State group killed seven fighters with the Islamist-backed Libya Dawn militia in an attack on a checkpoint near the city of Misrata, a militia spokesman said on Thursday.
Wednesday’s “attack on the checkpoint killed seven from Libya Shield Force south of the city,” the spokesman said, referring to a part of the Libya Dawn alliance.
IS said in an audio recording posted online that it was behind the attack on the checkpoint, about 200 kms east of capital Tripoli.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1173529/7-militia-men-killed-in-libya
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Tunisia accuses Turkey of facilitating jihadists’ transit
April 3, 2015
Tunisia on April 2 accused Turkey of facilitating the transit of fighters bound for neighbouring Syria and Iraq, where thousands of its citizens have joined the ranks of jihadist groups.
The accusation by Foreign Minister Taieb Baccouche comes just two weeks after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on tourists at the Bardo National Museum.
Tunisia says 3,000 of its citizens are fighting alongside jihadist groups in Syria, Iraq and Libya, and that 500 battle-hardened veterans have returned to the country where they are considered a security threat.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/tunisia-accuses-turkey-of-facilitating-jihadists-transit.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80524&NewsCatID=510
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India

By 2050, India to surpass Indonesia, will have largest Muslim population: Study
PTI | Apr 3, 2015
WASHINGTON: Hindus will become the world's third largest population by 2050, while India will overtake Indonesia as the country with the largest Muslim population, according to a new study.
According to the Pew Research Center's religious profile predictions assessed data released on Thursday, the Hindu population is projected to rise by 34 per cent worldwide, from a little over 1 billion to nearly 1.4 billion by 2050.
By 2050, Hindus will be third, making up 14.9 per cent of the world's total population, followed by people who do not affiliate with any religion, accounting for 13.2 per cent, the report said.
The people with no religious affiliation currently have the third largest share of the world's total population.
Muslims are projected to grow faster than the world's overall population and that Hindus and Christians are projected to roughly keep pace with worldwide population growth, the report said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/By-2050-India-to-surpass-Indonesia-will-have-largest-Muslim-population-Study/articleshow/46790174.cms
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'Starving Bangladesh of beef' would cost India Rs 31,000 crore
Deeptiman Tiwary,TNN | Apr 3, 2015
NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked BSF jawans to put a stop to cattle smuggling across the Indo-Bangla border and stifle it so severely that people in Bangladesh stop eating beef. However, if BSF were to implement Singh's instructions strictly, India would be saddled with an additional expenditure in excess of Rs 31,000 crore annually.
This would be the cost of sustaining around 1.25 crore cattle in various gaushalas (cowsheds) annually till they die naturally. The figure is four times higher than the allocation made by the government for nutrition of children under Integrated Child Development Scheme.
Every year, on an average, close to 25 lakh cattle are smuggled from India to Bangladesh illegally across the border. It is alleged that much of this happens with the connivance of those guarding the border--a charge denied by BSF. However, sources say, the sheer economics of the trade make it near impossible to stop cattle smuggling across Indo-Bangla border.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Starving-Bangladesh-of-beef-would-cost-India-Rs-31000-crore/articleshow/46790339.cms
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India welcomes Iran, world powers nuclear accord
April 3, 2015
India on Friday welcomed the understanding reached between Iran and the six world powers on Tehran’s contentious nuclear programme and hoped that this would lead to a comprehensive agreement by June 30.
“A significant step seems to have been taken with agreement on the parameters of a comprehensive settlement to be negotiated by June 30,” External Affairs Ministry said in statement, welcoming the understanding announced in Lausanne between Iran and the P5+1 group on the nuclear issue.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “India has always maintained that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully by respecting Iran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as also the international community’s strong interest in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.”
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/india-welcomes-agreement-over-irans-nuclear-programme/article7064169.ece
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Indians back from Yemen recount tales of horror
V Narayan, Vijay Singh & Arun Dev,TNN | Apr 3, 2015
MUMBAI/ BENGALURU: Constant sound of gunfire and bombing and visits by militiamen -even in hospitals - who threatened people with abduction and death are firmly etched in the memory of many shaken survivors who reached their home early Thursday morning after their dramatic evacuation from Yemen.
Mariamma Varughese, a 36-year-old nurse from Panvel, recounted how Houthi rebels approached her with a live bomb, threatening to explode it.
"I had just stepped out of the operation theatre on the fourth floor of Al-Bure Hospital in Aden when a Houthi terrorist walked directly towards me holding a live bomb in his hands," Mariamma said. "He spoke in Arabic that this bomb would explode soon. I realized what their intentions were and requested him to hold on till all hospital staffers were out of the building," she said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indians-back-from-Yemen-recount-tales-of-horror/articleshow/46789108.cms
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Arab World

Al-Nusra Terrorists Purged by Syrian Army from Idlib Province's Villages
April 3, 2015
An informed military source said that the country's army has started massive operations against the terrorists of al-Nusra Front in near and far areas of the Northwestern province of Idlib which has been faced massive infiltration of international terrorist from Turkey.
The Syrian army targeted gathering centers of al-Nusra Front's terrorists in Binnesh, Failoun, Sarja, Sarmin and Maarat Masarin, killing and injuring so many fighters.
Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fuelled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 210,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year.
Over 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the crisis. According to reports, more than seven million Syrians have become internally displaced.
The Takfiri terrorist group, with members from several western countries, controls swathes of land in Syria and Iraq, and has been carrying out horrific acts of violence such as public decapitations and crucifixions against all communities such as Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940113000149
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Saudi Arabia Using Israeli-Made Weapons in Aggression against Yemen
April 3, 2015
Senior Yemeni officials disclosed that the Riyadh government has used Israeli-made weapons in its airstrikes on Yemen.
"The Saudis are using Israeli weapons in their raids on Yemen," Yemeni Army Commander Taher Rasoul Zadami told FNA on Thursday.
He pointed to the Saudi supports for Al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen, and said, "I call on the Yemeni people to confront these terrorist acts through resistance and maintaining their unity.
Zadami underlined that Saudi Arabia and its allies are trying to stir a tribal and religious war in the region, and said, "Anyone who under such situation stands up against the Yemeni nation should be tried at an international criminal court."
Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for eight days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi airstrikes have killed at least, 198, mostly women and children, and injured hundreds more.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940113000159
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The imams of the Grand Mosque can unite Muslims around the world
April 3, 2015
Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim and Sheikh Maher Al-Muaiqly are three imams at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. All of them have beautiful voices and are masters in the science of reading the Holy Qur’an. They are respected and held in high esteem in the Kingdom and abroad—both in Muslim countries and by Muslim minorities in non-Muslim countries. The respect and high status they enjoy is a blessing from Allah Almighty.
The position these imams possess should be utilized, especially in light of the difficult circumstances and conditions that are tearing apart some of our Arab and Islamic countries because of non-Arab interference.
Differences among Arabs have increased due to sectarian, political and security reasons. The Arabs of today are divided because of this interference.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20150403239122
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Pakistan has offered to send troops to kingdom: Riyadh
April 3, 2015
RIYADH: Saudi Defence Ministry’s spokesman Brig Gen Ahmed Asiri has said that Pakistan has offered to join the coalition against the Houthis and would be sending troops to the kingdom.
The spokesman was quoted by the Saudi media as having said at his daily media briefing on the Operation Al-Hazm Storm on Wednesday night. “Pakistan has also offered to join the coalition against the Houthis. …Pakistan would be sending troops to the kingdom” he said. When asked about the Saudi statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said: “Our position remains as contained in the statements made in the last few days.” Saudi Arabia has no “formal” troops on the ground in Aden, Yemen, but deployment of ground troops remains a possibility, the kingdom’s ambassador to the United States has said. “The issue of using ground troops is always something that is on the table,” Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir said at an event in Washington. His comments come after a presidential source denied to Al Arabiya News Channel that the Houthis have taken control of government buildings in Aden. Saudi Arabia is leading a military campaign which aims to impede Houthi progress in the embattled country.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/03-Apr-2015/pakistan-has-offered-to-send-troops-to-kingdom-riyadh
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Aden ‘not under Houthi control’
April 3, 2015
The Kingdom-led military operation in Yemen has been intensified from the air and at the country’s ports to cut off support to the Houthis, a consultant at the defense minister’s office, said on Thursday.
Briefing reporters at Riyadh Air Base on the eighth day of military operations, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Assiri said: “The military operation by coalition forces entered its eighth day with a more intensified air campaign and maritime blockade to completely besiege the ports.”
Responding to a question, he said no coalition troops have started ground operations in the port city of Aden, but has “imposed a blockade on all ports in Yemen to deny external support to the Houthis.”
He said the fight for Aden was continuing and rejected reports that the Houthis had taken control of the southern port city.
Once the ports are blocked, there is a plan for coalition troops to enter the city, to prevent the Houthis from advancing further.
The Kingdom’s ambassador to the US said Saudi Arabia has no “formal” troops on the ground in Aden but deployment of ground troops remains a possibility.
“The issue of using ground troops is always something that is on the table,” Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir said at an event in Washington, according to a report carried by Reuters news agency.
He also said that former President Ali Abdullah Saleh has no role to play in Yemen’s future.
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/727191
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At Jordan site, drone offers glimpse of antiquities looting
3 April 2015
At a sprawling Bronze Age cemetery in southern Jordan, archaeologists have developed a unique way of peering into the murky world of antiquities looting: With aerial photographs taken by a homemade drone, researchers are mapping exactly where - and roughly when - these ancient tombs were robbed.
Based on such images and conversations with some looters whose confidence they gained, archaeologists try to follow the trail of stolen pots and other artifacts to traders and buyers. They hope to get a better understanding of the black market and perhaps stop future plunder.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/04/03/At-Jordan-site-drone-offers-glimpse-of-antiquities-looting.html
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Egypt political groups, officials 'close to an agreement' on elections laws: PM
April 3, 2015
Egypt's Prime Minister said Thursday that the government and political forces are getting close to seeing eye to eye on proposed amendments to laws regulating parliamentary elections after the poll was shelved last month due to legal obstacles.
PM Ibrahim Mahlab made his remarks following the first in a series of national dialogue meetings with political forces in an effort to find common ground over electoral laws that were criticised by several political parties before one of the legislations was successfully challenged by a court ruling last month.
Egypt's constitutional court ruled early in March that an article in the law outlining electoral districts violates the country's national charter, forcing a delay to the long-awaited vote that was scheduled to start on 22 March.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/126756/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-political-groups,-officials-close-to-an-agre.aspx
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Europe

Russia says Iran nuclear program deal good for Middle East
April 3, 2015
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday a deal in Lausanne over Iran's nuclear program would help the security situation in the Middle East, partly because Tehran would now be able to take more active part in efforts to solve conflicts there.
The tentative agreement, after eight days of marathon talks in Switzerland, clears the way for negotiations on a settlement aimed at allaying Western fears that Iran was seeking to build an atomic bomb and in return lift economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
The framework is contingent on reaching an agreement by June 30. All sanctions on Iran remain in place until a final deal.
Celebrations erupted in the Iranian capital Tehran. Videos and pictures posted on social media showed cars in Tehran honking horns as passengers clapped. In one video posted on Facebook, a group of women can be heard clapping and chanting "Thank you, Rouhani" in praise of President Hassan Rouhani.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/126790/World/Region/Russia-says-Iran-nuclear-program-deal-good-for-Mid.aspx
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Amnesty probing reports of Iraqi forces' abuses in Tikrit
April 3, 2015
Amnesty International said on April 2 it was investigating reports of serious human rights violations committed by Iraqi government and allied forces in the operation to retake the city of Tikrit.
"We are very concerned by reports of widespread human rights abuses committed in the course of the military operation in the area around Tikrit," the rights watchdog's Donatella Rovera told AFP.
Security forces backed by paramilitary groups and US-led air strikes recaptured Tikrit from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group this week.
Outlying areas in Salaheddin province, which had also been under ISIL control since last year, were retaken gradually over the past month.
The operation was seen as a test of the Shiite-dominated forces' ability to retake a Sunni area while reining in reprisals.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/amnesty-probing-reports-of-iraqi-forces-abuses-in-tikrit-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80527&NewsCatID=352
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Medic student who joined ISIS ‘to treat jihadists’ wants to go back to UK
Apr 3, 2015
A British teenager who tried to join the Islamic State says she wants to go back home. A Turkish politician confirmed the 19 year-old, who previously praised the Charlie Hebdo attacks, sent a message to her family outlining her desire to return to the UK.
Lena Mamoun Abdelgadir, a 19 year-old student, who grew up in the UK county of Norfolk, was one of a group of nine medical students who traveled to Syria to provide medical assistance to the group formally known as ISIS/ISIL.
However, a Turkish lawmaker, Mehmet Ali Ediboglu confirmed the UK citizen now wants to quit the militant organization and return to the town of Kings Lynn, where her father works as a respected consultant orthopedic surgeon.
Full report at:
http://rt.com/uk/246317-uk-student-isis-home/
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In election campaign, British Muslims feel the heat
April 3, 2015
With the political debate about Islam heating up ahead of Britain’s general election next month, the impact is particularly keenly felt in Birmingham — a city where a quarter of the population is Muslim.
“The politicians are using Muslims as a punch bag,” said Abdul Rashid, head of the city’s main mosque.
“The politicians look for cheap and easy ways to popularity… And at the moment the cheap and easy way of gaining popularity is immigration and Islamophobia,” the 73-year-old told AFP.
Birmingham is Britain’s second biggest city with 1.2 million residents — almost half of them from ethnic minorities — and is often singled out when fears are expressed about a growing Islamist threat.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/863639/in-election-campaign-british-muslims-feel-the-heat/
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France: No deal yet on when to lift Iran’s sanctions
3 April 2015
France’s foreign minister warned Friday that the tricky issue of when crippling sanctions on Iran would be lifted following a framework deal over its nuclear program was “not yet solved.”
“The Iranian want sanctions to be lifted immediately,” Laurent Fabius told Europe 1 radio station.
“We say to them: we will ease the sanctions as you respect what you have agreed to and if you don’t live up to your commitments, of course we can return to the situation we had before.
“On this point, there is not yet a deal,” said Fabius.
Fabius spoke after Thursday’s agreement aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear drive, hailed as “historic.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/04/03/France-No-deal-yet-on-time-to-lift-Iran-s-sanctions-.html
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South Asia

China endorses KSA’s counterterrorism strategy
April 3, 2015
China supports the Kingdom’s efforts to counter terrorism and maintain the stability and security of the Gulf Cooperation Council region, a Chinese diplomat said Thursday.
The country also considers Saudi Arabia an important business partner, with which it has growing relations, said Chinese Consul General An Waer during a meeting with Arab News Editor in Chief Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi and senior editors at the newspaper’s offices.
“Our diplomatic relationship started some 25 years ago and has been improving steadily ever since. Last year, the trade volume between the two sides amounted to more than $73 billion, with $50 billion in favor of Saudi Arabia. This figure is expected to reach around $100 billion in the coming three years,” he said.
The Chinese official said that more than 1,500 Saudis are enrolled at Chinese universities, while nearly 600 Chinese students are studying in the Kingdom as part of the two countries’ efforts to improve cultural understanding.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/727141
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Bagladesh: Oyasiqur killers met Avijit killers
April 3, 2015
The detained killers of blogger Oyasiqur Rahman Babu have claimed that two-three people involved in the murder of science writer Avijit Roy visited their Jatrabari den before and after the incident, detectives say.
The duo – madrasa students Zikrullah and Ariful – were trained along with three others at a mess in south Jatrabari for at least 15 days.
They rented the mess for Tk6,000 a month on December 28 and started living there since January 1. They were supposed to stay at the mess until the end of March, police quoted the house owner, Sazzadur Rahman, as saying.
A former police officer, Sazzad was interrogated at the DB headquarters yesterday. He now works for Sinha Group.
Zikrullah and Arif revealed to the DB that two to three persons used to visit the mess regularly and they were involved in the murder of Avijit. The two also said they would be able to identify those persons.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2015/apr/03/oyasiqur-killers-met-avijit-killers#sthash.1Rk7kUAP.dpuf
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Two children killed in explosion near Savar’s army firing range
April 3, 2015
An explosion, allegedly caused by an abandoned grenade, killed at least two children yesterday and injured another kid in a field near the firing range of Savar Cantonment.
Hridoy and Shubho, both aged ten years, were killed in Mostapara village in Birulia union; Salman, 11, was also injured in the explosion.
The locals and the families of the deceased said some children were playing in a field near the cantonment’s firing range where Shubho found a grenade lying abandoned on the ground. As he was bringing the grenade back home, it went off.
Savar Model police station OC Abdul Motaleb Miah confirmed that it was a grenade that went off and killed the two children.
Visiting the site of the explosion, the Dhaka Tribune found that army personnel were restricting journalists from taking any pictures there. The army men also refused to comment on what might have caused the explosion.
Local residents, however, claimed that grenades that are used to train army personnel on the nearby firing range had been left abandoned on the field, leading to the accident.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2015/apr/03/two-children-killed-explosion-near-savars-army-firing-range#sthash.nskJT5Wo.dpuf
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NATO condemns suicide attack in Khost which left 18 dead, 64 wounded
April 3, 2015
The NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission strongly condemned the deadly suicide attack in eatern Khost province of Afghanistan.
“RS strongly condemns the suicide bombing in Khost City this morning. Current reports state the bombing struck a political protest and left several dead and injured,” according to a statement issued by the Resolute Support (RS) mission in Afghanistan.
The statement furhter added “Indiscriminate attacks are a common tactic used by Anti-Government Elements. This willful disregard for human life is the leading cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan — nearly 72% , according to U.N. research.”
The statemetn also added that the Re Support (RS) expresses its condolences to the families of those killed and wounded in today’s attack.
“We maintain our commitment to the people of Afghanistan who value progress and growth and reject violence, as we work to our shared goal of a prosperous Afghanistan,” the statement said.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/nato-condemns-suicide-attack-in-khost-which-left-18-dead-64-wounded-9964
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Pakistan to expel 11,000 Afghan refugees from Azad Jammu and Kashmir
April 3, 2015
At least 11,000 Afghan refugees will be expelled from Azad Jammu and Kashmir which is an administrative territory of Pakistan.
According to reports the Afghan refugees will be expelled under a national anti-terror plan announced in the wake of the country’s worst evern militant attack.
The announcement was made by a police official in Azad Kashmir Faheem Ahmed Abbasi during a press conference, the local media reported.
Over 30,000 Afghan refugees were forced to leave Pakistan and return to Afghanistan amid fears of persecution by Pakistani authorities following a deadly attack on a school in Peshawar city last year.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/pakistan-to-expel-11000-afghan-refugees-from-azad-jammu-and-kashmir-9967
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North America

‘Islamic Jew-Hatred’ Ads with Hitler Appear On Philadelphia Buses
Apr 3, 2015
Controversial ads showing a 1941 photo of a Muslim leader meeting Hitler have begun appearing on buses in Philadelphia, after courts overruled the transit authority’s objections.
“Islamic Jew hate: It’s in the Quran. Two thirds of all US aid goes to Islamic countries. Stop the hate. End all aid to Islamic countries,” the ad reads, next to the photograph of Adolf Hitler and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini.
Behind the campaign is the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), a pro-Israel group led by blogger Pamela Geller. AFDI has previously run the ad in public transit systems of New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. They reportedly paid $30,000 for the Philadelphia ads.
Full report at:
http://rt.com/usa/246377-hitler-bus-ads-philly/
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Barack Obama hails Iran framework as ‘historic’ understanding
April 3, 2015
President Barack Obama heralded a framework nuclear understanding with Iran as an “historic” agreement and warned the U.S. Congress Thursday against taking action that could upend work toward a final deal.
“The issues at stake here are bigger than politics,” Obama said during remarks in the White House Rose Garden. “These are matters of war and peace, and they should be evaluated based on the facts.”
Obama spoke hours after negotiators in Switzerland reached a framework agreement outlining limits on Iran’s nuclear program and setting the stage for work on a final deal over the next three months.
The president called the agreement “a good deal, a deal that meets our core objectives.” He said verification mechanisms built into the framework agreed to in Switzerland hours earlier would ensure that “if Iran cheats, the world will know it.”
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/americas/nuclear-deal-obama-hails-iran-framework-as-historic-understanding/
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Muslim population could catch up with Christians globally: study
April 3, 2015
WASHINGTON: The Muslim and Christian populations could be nearly equal by 2050, with Islam expected to be the fastest-growing faith on the planet, according to projections released on Thursday.
The Pew Research Centre’s religious profile predictions assessed data from around the world on fertility rates, trends in youth population growth and religious conversion statistics.
“Over the next four decades, Christians will remain the largest religious group, but Islam will grow faster than any other major religion,” according to the report.
The authors predicted there will be 2.76 billion Muslims on the planet by then, and 2.92 billion Christians. Those figures would correspond to about 29.7 and 31.4 per cent of the world population, respectively.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1173537/muslim-population-could-catch-up-with-christians-globally-study
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Islam fastest-growing major faith in coming decades
April 3, 2015
NEW YORK: Over the next four decades, Islam is expected to grow faster than any other major religion worldwide, with the Muslim population nearly matching Christians in both number and share of the global population, according to projections released.
Christians will remain the largest religious group, increasing to 2.92 billion adherents by 2050 if current demographic trends continue. But Muslims will reach 2.76 billion, making each faith group about 30 percent of the world population, analysts from the Pew Research Center said.
The projections in the report, “The Future of World Religions,” are based on birth and death rates, immigration patterns and rates of religious conversions, among other information found in censuses, demographic surveys and additional reports that asked people to identify what faith they follow.
Much of the growth of both Christianity and Islam will occur in Africa. But Muslims will also grow to make up 10 percent of Europe’s population and will outnumber Jews in the US by mid-century.
Full report at:
Worldwide, the number of Jews is expected to grow by about 16 percent to 16.1 million.
http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/727186
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