US banks may lose billions of dollars

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JNN 16 Nov 2010 : A US federal watchdog has warned that American banks could face billions of dollars in losses over widespread problems in foreclosure paperwork.

In its latest report released on Tuesday, the Congressional Oversight Panel drew out a range of possible outcomes for the foreclosure paperwork discrepancies that emerged in September.

The 125-page report said that the most optimistic scenario would prove concerns were “overblown” and banks would be able to resume work as soon as possible.

However, it warned that the scandal could become disastrous for the banks, leaving them vulnerable to a wave of legal challenges if the banks are unable to prove that they own the mortgage loans they claim to own.

The validity of some 33 million mortgage loans are questioned and could result in billions of dollars in unexpected losses.

The panel, which oversees the US government’s Wall Street bailout, also indicated that bank losses could lead to “even greater disruptions” in the already troubled housing market.

US banks are accused of signing hundreds of foreclosure documents without proper review each day. The illegal practice has been labeled as “robo-signing.”

The fiasco has reignited public anger with banks which received billions of dollars in taxpayer aid during the financial crisis which officially began in 2007.

Giant banks such as Bank of America, JPMorgan, Chase, and GMAC have already suspended tens of thousands of foreclosures across the country, resulting in substantial losses for the companies.

‎'Iran wants closer ties with Pakistan'‎

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JNN 16 Nov 2010 – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran places no limit on the expansion of ties with Pakistan, expressing full support for its eastern neighbor.

“Iran has no limits on the expansion of ties with Pakistan and the relations between the two countries must be expanded in the economic, scientific, energy, business and medical sectors,” President Ahmadinejad told Pakistan’s Minister of Welfare, Population and Women’s Rights Firdous Ashiq Awan on Tuesday.

President Ahmadinejad also promised Iran’s full support for Pakistan.

The Pakistani official, for her part, welcomed Iran’s support for the county in the aftermath of the recent floods and said Islamabad was determined to consolidate bilateral relations with Tehran.

She said that Iran set an example for all Muslim countries including Pakistan.

The minister also voiced her country’s support for Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology.

‎’Iran wants closer ties with Pakistan’‎

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JNN 16 Nov 2010 – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran places no limit on the expansion of ties with Pakistan, expressing full support for its eastern neighbor.

“Iran has no limits on the expansion of ties with Pakistan and the relations between the two countries must be expanded in the economic, scientific, energy, business and medical sectors,” President Ahmadinejad told Pakistan’s Minister of Welfare, Population and Women’s Rights Firdous Ashiq Awan on Tuesday.

President Ahmadinejad also promised Iran’s full support for Pakistan.

The Pakistani official, for her part, welcomed Iran’s support for the county in the aftermath of the recent floods and said Islamabad was determined to consolidate bilateral relations with Tehran.

She said that Iran set an example for all Muslim countries including Pakistan.

The minister also voiced her country’s support for Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Iran defends nuclear rights in Bucharest

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JNN 16 Nov 2010 Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani says Iran will defend its right to use peaceful nuclear technology against politically-motivated allegations by the West.

“As a responsible member of the international community Iran will transparently defend its inalienable right to use peaceful nuclear technology,” Ahani said in a meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi in Budapest.

Ahani criticized the US-engineered UN Security Council sanctions against Iran and the European Union’s extra-regional measures which are pressuring Iranian expatriates and students by restricting financial transactions or by refusing to refuel Iranian passenger planes.

The Hungarian foreign minister, for his part, praised Iran’s rich civilization and expressed his country’s desire to expand bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic.

“Hungary totally confirms Iran’s complete right to peaceful nuclear know-how, and at the same time more transparency through negotiations and dialogue,” IRNA quoted Martonyi as saying on Tuesday.

Hungary believes that negotiation is the only solution to end the disputes, the Hungarian top diplomat continued.

The United States and its allies accuse Iran of pursuing a covert military nuclear program — an allegation refuted by the Islamic Republic.

Tehran says as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty it is entitled to use peaceful nuclear technology as all its nuclear activities have been under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Dutch anti-Islam party hit by scandal

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JNN A member of the anti-Islamic Dutch Freedom Party with a past conviction for sexual offences is posing problems for party leader Geert Wilders.

Parliament member Eric Lucassen has been embroiled in a controversy after it was revealed on Thursday that he had been found guilty of sexual misconduct in 2002.

The former army instructor served one week in military detention in the same year for having sex with a female army recruit while he was a sergeant, TV station RTL4 reported last week.

The lawmaker has also been accused of threatening and intimidating his neighbors between 2006 and 2009.

Wilders had earlier stated that he felt ‘unfairly treated’ by Lucassen, but stopped short of expelling him from the party.

The MP’s ouster from the Freedom Party group in the Lower House would have created a crisis for the one-seat majority supporting the current right-wing government.

Theoretically, that could lead to the fall of the cabinet barely a month after the new government came into office.

The recent crisis has raised serious questions over the screening of political candidates before elections.

Wilders, however, argues that his party lacks the means to hire expensive bureaus to screen candidates.

“It’s not the first time things like these have happened,” Wilders went on to say.

The party leader was hinting at a 2009 incident in which another Freedom Party MP, Hero Brinkman, assaulted a barman in the parliament’s press cafe.

Also in 2002, Dion Graus, Freedom Party MP and animal rights campaigner, was accused of physically abusing his pregnant wife.

Wilders made headlines worldwide in March 2008 after making the anti-Islam film, Fitna. The movie prompted angry protests across the world.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described Wilders’ movie as “offensively anti-Islamic”. The European Parliament also banned the screening of the film, saying it provoked hatred.

Iran foreign minister to visit Pakistan with His Interior Minsiter who will see the flood relief efforts Done by Irani Govt.

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JNN : Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is set to travel to Pakistan next week to attend a summit aimed at fighting illegal drug trafficking.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mohammdifard said Iran’s Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar would accompany the foreign minister on his trip.

The interior minister will be visiting the headquarters of Iranian relief mission in the flood-stricken regions of Pakistan.

Iran was among the first countries to dispatch relief supplies to Pakistan and has announced its readiness to help reconstruct the country’s flood-ravaged regions.

More than 150 Iranian rescue workers have helped Pakistan’s flood victims and nearly 100,000 flood-stricken Pakistanis have been sheltered in 14,000 tents.

Iran’s last relief convoy to Pakistan consisted of 2,700 tons of goods carried by 150 trucks.

Nearly 14 million Pakistanis are still in need of urgent humanitarian aid months after devastating floods hit the country, killing over 1,700.

More than seven million people are without shelter in Pakistan as water-borne diseases and nutrition are still a grave concern for the victims of the country’s July-August flooding.

Israeli official, Dubai police chief meet

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JNN : The head of the Israeli police investigations and Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan have reportedly met after the latter accused Israel of killing a top Hamas commander

Major General Yoav Segalovich met the Dubai police chief in the annual Interpol General Assembly in Qatar last week, Israeli website Ynetnews reported on Monday.

“They were introduced, they shook hands and greeted one another,” an unnamed Israeli police source told Ynetnews.

The source added that there was no apparent tension between the two sides.

In September, Khalfan said he had received death threats from Israel’s spy agency Mossad for uncovering details of the assassination of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel in January.

Khalfan said he had received an email, which read, “Protect your back if you are going to keep your tongue loose.”

The Dubai police chief had also referred to a cautionary phone call “from a retired Mossad agent with Western-Israeli nationality” to one of his relatives, saying, “He asked my relative to advise me to keep silent.”

AI slams EU over terror suspects abuse

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JNN : Amnesty International has criticized the European Union for failing to blame EU governments for the “abuses” committed against CIA’s terrorism suspects.

The call comes as the organization released a report titled “Open Secret: Mounting Evidence of Europe’s Complicity In Rendition And Secret Detention,” ahead of EU-US talks in Portugal on November 20.

The report gathered information and evidence of the involvement of European countries in covert CIA programs such as kidnapping, illegal detention, secret flights and torture under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

It also uncovered the deep role of officials from Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Britain in the torture of terror suspects.

“The EU has utterly failed to hold member states accountable for the abuses they’ve committed,” said the director of Amnesty International’s European institutions office, Nicholas Berger.

“These abuses occurred on European soil. We simply can’t allow Europe to join the US in becoming an ‘accountability-free’ zone. The tide is slowly turning with some countries starting investigations, but much more needs to be done.”

Reactions from the European government, however, were quite poor, the report said.

“As more information trickles out, it will be harder and harder for the United States government to continue to stonewall when it comes to accountability,” Amnesty researcher Julia Hall told reporters on Monday.

“So the processes that are happening in Europe, we do have hopes that they will have some kind of an impact across the Atlantic in the United States,” she added.

Target Killing Continues in Karachi , Another Momin Target Killed

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JNN Karachi  : Today Around Midnight the Blood Thirsty  Wolves in the city again striked  in the North Karachi Sector 11 A , and Shot Dead Syed Shadab Hussain Rizvi s/o Late Raza Rizvi ( Well Renowned Sahib e Biyaz ) , And Sahib e Bayaz of Dasta e Nasiraan e Hussain .

It is being told by our corrospondent that at the time of Incident , the suspected  White Colour Alto , with four suspects , in it was roaming in the streets of the Area of North Karachi 11 A,who were armed & dangerous , and it was not intercepted by any law enforcement agency , who were present in the area at the late hours . As soon as Shadab Hussain Rizvi came out of his house around Midnight , A Young man came out of the White Alto and fired Multiple bullets ,fatal  injuring Shadab Hussain , who was then shifted to the Hospital ,where he was Pronounced Dead on Arrival.

His Namaz e Janaza was Performed at Babul ilm Imam Bargah, North Nazimabad, and funeral was taken to his last resting Place at Mohamadi Shah Graveyard, North Karachi , where he was burried , in the presence of Hundred of Mourners , who came to give there last respect to the Shaheed . Shaheed Shadab was the Only child of his Father Late Razi Rizvi, and has left a widow and two very young children, One Son of 2 1/2 years and a daughter an year old .

It is a very alarming situation at the time , when Eid ul Azha is just a few days away , and then Muharram the first Month of the Islamic Year , which starts with the Mourning of Events of Karbala, and the Momineen & Mominat are gathering in large crowds in all parts of the country . While when the Momineen are target Killed , and the Government have failed to give protection to the Shia Community against the Target Killings and Bombing in events like Ashura , and Arabaeen in Karachi, and Youm e Ali , 21st Ramzan in Lahore , and Al Quds Rally in Quetta , then the Momineen should take Precautionary measures , and should organize them selves in a manner to protect themsleves and all the other Momineen and Mominat , from these attack on the shia community.

Shia Muslims in Egypt face ‘Systematic’ Discrimination: Rights Groups

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JNN 08.11.10 Egypt’s Emergency State Security Court on Sunday ordered–for the seventh time–the release of an Egyptian Shia Muslim illegally arrested for alleged involvement in planned terrorist activity.

Mohammed Farouk al-Sayed was one of 12 Egyptian Shia Muslims to have been arrested since May of last year. Some of the men were later released, while five currently remain in detention.

When the court previously ruled to release al-Sayed, the Ministry of Interior simply countermanded the order.

Such a policy, read a statement issued on Sunday by the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), “reveals the despotic nature of the Ministry of Interior and [the fact] that it’s not subject to the rule of law.”

Apart from its large Christian minority, Egypt is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. Some local rights groups claim that non-Sunni Muslims, including Shias, are regularly exposed to systematic intimidation.

According to Adel Ramadan, a lawyer with EIPR, Shia Muslims–Egyptian nationals or otherwise–are subject to “systematic violations by the state.”

Al-Sayed had been one of a group of Shia Muslims who had held regular peaceful meetings. Egypt’s State Security Investigations Service, however, suspected the gatherings were related to terrorism and therefore represented a possible threat to Egyptian national security, Ramadan noted.

“In the arrest memo [issued by the Ministry of Interior], the report must indicate the reason for arrest,” Ramadan said. “In all cases involving Shia Muslims, there’s a reference to ‘terrorist’ operations.”

Crackdowns on Shia Muslims have become commonplace in Egypt–including arrests, detention and lawsuits–in recent years, according to reports by local human rights groups.

Last week, a group of detained Shia Muslims, some of whom were foreign nationals, won a court ruling ordering their release. Nevertheless, several of them still remain in detention.

Shia Muslims in Egypt face ‘Systematic’ Discrimination: Rights Groups

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JNN 08.11.10 Egypt’s Emergency State Security Court on Sunday ordered–for the seventh time–the release of an Egyptian Shia Muslim illegally arrested for alleged involvement in planned terrorist activity.

Mohammed Farouk al-Sayed was one of 12 Egyptian Shia Muslims to have been arrested since May of last year. Some of the men were later released, while five currently remain in detention.

When the court previously ruled to release al-Sayed, the Ministry of Interior simply countermanded the order.

Such a policy, read a statement issued on Sunday by the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), “reveals the despotic nature of the Ministry of Interior and [the fact] that it’s not subject to the rule of law.”

Apart from its large Christian minority, Egypt is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. Some local rights groups claim that non-Sunni Muslims, including Shias, are regularly exposed to systematic intimidation.

According to Adel Ramadan, a lawyer with EIPR, Shia Muslims–Egyptian nationals or otherwise–are subject to “systematic violations by the state.”

Al-Sayed had been one of a group of Shia Muslims who had held regular peaceful meetings. Egypt’s State Security Investigations Service, however, suspected the gatherings were related to terrorism and therefore represented a possible threat to Egyptian national security, Ramadan noted.

“In the arrest memo [issued by the Ministry of Interior], the report must indicate the reason for arrest,” Ramadan said. “In all cases involving Shia Muslims, there’s a reference to ‘terrorist’ operations.”

Crackdowns on Shia Muslims have become commonplace in Egypt–including arrests, detention and lawsuits–in recent years, according to reports by local human rights groups.

Last week, a group of detained Shia Muslims, some of whom were foreign nationals, won a court ruling ordering their release. Nevertheless, several of them still remain in detention.

China blasts US $600bn banking plan

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JNN 08.11.10 China has blasted a US decision to inject hundreds of billions of dollars into the US banking system amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said Washington is ignoring its responsibility to support emerging economies. 

Zhu said the move would bring greater volatility to markets worldwide and lead to excessive flows of capital into emerging markets.

“The US has not fully taken into consideration the shock of excessive capital flows to the financial stability of emerging markets,” Zhu told reporters in Beijing on Monday.

Last week, the US Federal Reserve announced plans to pump $600 billion into its economy by the end of June 2011.

Experts say the move is an attempt to boost America’s sluggish economy.

The move is expected to force down interest rates for homeowners and businesses.

Supporters of the plan say weakening the US dollar could also help make American goods more competitive overseas.

Nations from Brazil to Germany have criticized the US policy, saying it will push their currencies higher and make their exports less competitive.

Relations between Beijing and Washington have been deteriorating over a number of issues, including currency debates and the Pentagon’s arms sales to Taiwan.

Massive bomb explosion in Karbala

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JNN 08.11.10 A huge bomb explosion has rocked the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala, killing at least 12 people and leaving 40 others wounded.

The incident occurred on Monday morning when a car bomb detonated near a mosque in Karbala, which hosts the shrine of the third Shia imam, Imam Hussein (PBUH).

There were Iranian pilgrims among the casualties from the massive blast.

No person or group has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing which took place despite tight security measures in the city, visited by thousands of pilgrims from across Iraq and neighboring countries.

Iraq has witnessed a notable hike in violence over the past few days, following months of relative calm amid continuous yet less fatal, terrorist attacks across the country.

At least 120 people lost their lives in over a dozen coordinated bomb attacks on Tuesday in and around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Earlier on Sunday, more than 50 Iraqis were killed and at least 60 others injured in a hostage crisis in Baghdad’s Sayidat al-Nejat Catholic Church.

Iraqi authorities blame the al-Qaeda for the attacks, saying the militants are seeking to destabilize the country. Last month, a total of 194 people lost their lives in violence across the war-weary country.

Eight killed in Najaf explosion

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JNN .08.11.10A bomb explosion has killed eight people, including three Iranians, in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, hours after another deadly bomb attack in the holy city of Karbala.


The blast happened about 500 yards from the shrine of the first Shia imam, Imam Ali (PBUH), wounding also at least 16 people on Monday, Khaled Jashani, a member of Najaf’s provincial council, told JNN.

The car bomb went off near three buses transporting Iranian pilgrims to Najaf, Iraqi police said.

The revered Imam Ali shrine attracts hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims from Iraq, Iran and other countries every year.

Earlier in the day, a car bomb detonated in Karbala, killing 12 people, including six Iranian pilgrims, and leaving more than 40 others wounded.

No group or person has yet claimed responsibility for the Monday attacks.

Last week, at least 120 people were killed in over a dozen coordinated bomb attacks in and around the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

In a separate attack on October 31, more than 50 Iraqis were killed and at least 60 others injured in a hostage crisis in Baghdad’s Sayidat al-Nejat Catholic Church.

MRS/AGB/HRF/AKM

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a universal servant
11/8/2010 2:25:20 PM
These are the acts of criminals blinded by greed, like in all empires. Conquest and destruction, to fulfil self-destructive delusions. The people are too wise and their hearts too beautiful to be manipulated by these tactics. Those that seek chaos and impunity will only find their true interest in repenting before the time of judgement.
Reality
11/8/2010 1:33:46 PM
Of course this has been done by mossad. They’re hungry to kill muslims, and label them as terrorists. The want disunity and chaos among muslims in the middle east, to forecome a strong intelligent unity against them. Until now, iran is the only country they cannot dominate.
Sayed Kadiri
11/8/2010 11:48:37 AM
I am a Sunni Muslim. In my opinion anyone who calls himself a Muslim and then blows up a religious place of any denomination, whether it is Church, Synagogue, Mosque or Temple has taken themselves outside of Islam.Oh Muslims wake up and Unite. Otherwise be prepared to lose you ‘Islamic Lands’ to the ZionistsThe Greater Israel encompassess Iraq, Jordan, saudi and other Arab States. Oh Arabs wake up or be prepared to lose your lands, women and honour to the Zionists !!!
Ali
11/8/2010 11:30:52 AM
American and british troops mustleave Iraq, they havent helped at all, they have made situations alot worse, they must leave as soon as possible!!!
ahmed
11/8/2010 11:19:54 AM
imam ali is just not the imam of shias he is also the imam of sufis/sunnis long live the ahle bait, ya ali and the salafis working with the foreign forces on one hand say they are attacking them on the other hand taking money of them to destroy hazrat ali shrine.shame on you so called muslims who have sold your iman allah is the all knower judgement day will be coming when the lovers of prophet muhammed S.A.W and his family will be under the shade of jannat
REALIST
11/8/2010 11:04:52 AM
AS LONG AS THE INVADING FOREIGN FORCES WILL REMAIN IN IRAQ, THEIR DIVISIVE TERRORISM WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE SECTARIAN INFIGHTING TO CAUSE TURMOIL AND CHAOS TO JUSTIFY THEIR PRESENCE AND THEIR MURDEROUS INVASION!!

Israelis Demolished a Mosque in Palestine

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JNN 07.11.10 In another direct assault against the country’s Muslim Bedouin-Palestinian community, Israeli police demolished a mosque in the Negev Bedouin city of Rahat during the evening hours of Saturday.

Hundreds of policemen and Israeli Land Administration (ILA) authorities, in addition to tractors and ambulances, descended upon the city and demolished the mosque, citing Israeli police claims that the structure was built illegally.

Hundreds of residents protested the demolition and Israeli police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, detaining five. The Rahat municipality has called for a general strike in wake of the demolition.

“Seeing the mosque being destroyed is infuriating. They would never destroy a synagogue,” said Rahat resident Younes Abu Janem.

According to Mayor Abu Sahiban, the act was a direct offense against all Muslims, and the “police should act responsibly and use its discretion.”

The Bedouin village of El Araqib has suffered repeated harsh blows at the hands of Israeli authorities in the last several months. The Israeli Land Administration (ILA) has destroyed the village six times in the past four months, with police arresting residents. While destructions and constant fear of homelessness has prompted some of the El Araqib villagers to move to Rahat, it now seems Israeli authorities will target them there as well.

The ILA is the government branch responsible for managing 93% of the land in Israel, which the country considers public domain. They have a history of uprooting olive trees in Palestinian villages and trying to plant forests as part of a plan to “green” the Negev, while making the nomadic lifestyle for the Bedouin impossible and pushing them to cities like Rahat, where employment is low and their traditional way of life impossible.

“If they continue to destroy it, we will rebuild the mosque over and over again,” said Yusuf Abu Jama, leader of the northern branch of the Isalmic Movement in Rahat.

“Now we are unified, the northern branch and the southern branch [of the Islamic movement]. Today, Arab people from all over the country will come to show their solidarity.”

Rahat residents began rebuilding the mosque on Sunday, with dozens honoring the site of yesterday’s destruction with worship.

Thousands Protests in Indonesia against Obama's visit

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JNN 07.11.10 Jakarta Thousands of Indonesians  gathered outside the US embassy in Jakarta to protest against the  visit of US President Barack Obama

Thousands of Indonesians gathered outside the US embassy in Jakarta to protest against an upcoming visit of US President Barack Obama.

The protesters marched on the US embassy in Jakarta and called for the full withdrawal of US troops from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

They also asked Washington to stop its “blind support for Israel.”

“We’re going to change our assessment of Obama only when Obama withdraws all the American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and stops the attacks in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan and stops the blind support for Israel,” a prominent participant said.

“We don’t see the differences between Obama and Bush, they both oppress Muslims, they both have blood on their hands,” Ismail Yusanto, a spokesman for a Muslim group in Indonesia said.

“That’s why we reject Obama and we don’t believe that he’s reaching out to Muslims.”

The spokesman said about 20,000 people attended the rallies.

Obama will make a stop in Indonesia on Tuesday as part of his 10-day Asia tour.

The US president is in New Delhi now, where he was greeted by nationwide protests.

In reaction to the visit, victims of a toxic tragedy in the city of Bhopal held a sit-in, demanding compensation for the fatal incident.

More than 500,000 people were exposed to toxic gas after 40 tons of deadly chemical leaked at the Indian subsidiary of the US Corporation Union Carbide on December 3, 1984.

The protesters are also demanding President Obama take action against the Union Carbide and Dow Chemicals for breaching the law for many years.

People also gathered in the eastern state of Orissa, protesting against President Obama’s presence in the country, arguing that he has been unable to maintain peace in developing countries.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Action Committee staged a demonstration in Pakistan’s Lahore, calling on the US president to take a strong stance against the Indian government’s crackdown on the Kashmiris.

More than 100 people have been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir since June, when the residents began holding anti-India demonstrations.

President Obama’s decision to spend three days in India, while bypassing Pakistan, has also come under fierce criticism.

A Washington Post report said that the move has sparked anxiety among government officials in Islamabad due to fears that the US president’s visit could likely upset the delicate balance of power between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Thousands Protests in Indonesia against Obama’s visit

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JNN 07.11.10 Jakarta Thousands of Indonesians  gathered outside the US embassy in Jakarta to protest against the  visit of US President Barack Obama

Thousands of Indonesians gathered outside the US embassy in Jakarta to protest against an upcoming visit of US President Barack Obama.

The protesters marched on the US embassy in Jakarta and called for the full withdrawal of US troops from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

They also asked Washington to stop its “blind support for Israel.”

“We’re going to change our assessment of Obama only when Obama withdraws all the American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and stops the attacks in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan and stops the blind support for Israel,” a prominent participant said.

“We don’t see the differences between Obama and Bush, they both oppress Muslims, they both have blood on their hands,” Ismail Yusanto, a spokesman for a Muslim group in Indonesia said.

“That’s why we reject Obama and we don’t believe that he’s reaching out to Muslims.”

The spokesman said about 20,000 people attended the rallies.

Obama will make a stop in Indonesia on Tuesday as part of his 10-day Asia tour.

The US president is in New Delhi now, where he was greeted by nationwide protests.

In reaction to the visit, victims of a toxic tragedy in the city of Bhopal held a sit-in, demanding compensation for the fatal incident.

More than 500,000 people were exposed to toxic gas after 40 tons of deadly chemical leaked at the Indian subsidiary of the US Corporation Union Carbide on December 3, 1984.

The protesters are also demanding President Obama take action against the Union Carbide and Dow Chemicals for breaching the law for many years.

People also gathered in the eastern state of Orissa, protesting against President Obama’s presence in the country, arguing that he has been unable to maintain peace in developing countries.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Action Committee staged a demonstration in Pakistan’s Lahore, calling on the US president to take a strong stance against the Indian government’s crackdown on the Kashmiris.

More than 100 people have been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir since June, when the residents began holding anti-India demonstrations.

President Obama’s decision to spend three days in India, while bypassing Pakistan, has also come under fierce criticism.

A Washington Post report said that the move has sparked anxiety among government officials in Islamabad due to fears that the US president’s visit could likely upset the delicate balance of power between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The Oldest Haj Pilgrim for 2010 was Born on 14th Aug 1890

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JNN 07.11.10 The Oldest Haj piligrim this year will be Munni Begum who is 120years old as she  was born 14th August  1890 , and is  now a resident of  Jaipur , Rajasthan , India .

Munni Begum is 120 year old and is all set to go for Haj, after special permission as her name didn’t figure in the draw of lots.

 

The old woman who gave birth to eight sons and daughters, heads a huge family that lives in Kho Nagorian locality of Jaipur.

 

Family members say that Munni Begum was born in August 1890. She has 52 grandsons and granddaughters apart from 96-odd great grandsons and great granddaughters other than two dozen great-great-grandchildren [and even their kids].

The elderly woman has seen three centuries. And now she is all set for the pilgrimage she has waited for all her life. On Saturday she reached the office of Haj Committee to fill the form. The Central Haj Committee officials from Delhi gave her special permission.

The Rajasthan Haj Welfare Society has requested the Saudia Arabia government that special attention should be paid to her because of Munni Begum’s age.

Munni Begum is perhaps the oldest woman on record to embark for the holy journey. She says that she had the wish to go for Haj ever since she was married in her teenage, and thus her wish is going to be fulfilled after over a century.

The previous world record of the Oldest Haj Piligrim is also with a Jaipuri Rajasthani Man , who Performed his Haj , at the age of 138 years , which shows and proves the tendency of Jaipuri people to live longer , a healthy life .

Earlier, Habib Miyan had gone for Haj at the age of 134. He had suddenly drawn international attention after it was found that he had been drawing pension for over 65 years.

Habib Miyan had retired in 1938. He went for Haj in 2004 when he was 134. Though birth certificates were unknown in the olden days, the bank records proved his age.

As per the pension papers, Habib Miyan was drawing pension since 1938. The documents clearly showed him as born in 1878 and this made him the world’s oldest man alive until his death at the age of 138 in 2008. The bank officers delivered his pension at his home.

Now it’s Munni Begum’s turn though she is not a ‘Munni’ in the literary sense. [Munni means little in Urdu] In India, it was the tradition that mostly older persons went for Haj, after they had fulfilled their worldly responsibilities.

In recent years the pilgrims have begun going at a comparatively younger age, still a large number of Indians who go to Hejaz [Arabia] are over sixty. And Munni Begum clearly beats them as well. One hopes that along with other Hajis, she also manages to perform the Haj and returns safely. Ameen.

Her Date of Birth which is also the Independence day & the Day of the Birth of our Beloved Home land Pakistan , proves that the people and states born on that date are there to live longer even after facing all the difficulties of this world , but finally will achieve there goal of prosperity , and will eventually fulfill all the duties the Almighty have asked them to perform.

God Bless Pakistan

Long Live Pakistan

After Norway and Denmark ,Sweden also accuses US of spying

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JNN 07.11.10 Swedish government officials have accused the US Embassy in Stockholm of conducting unauthorized surveillance activities in the country, shortly after similar charges were made in Norway and Denmark.

The surveillance, performed by people “assigned by the [US] embassy to undertake the measures,” has been in place since 2000 and its extent is still unknown, Swedish Justice Minister Beatrice Ask said on Saturday.

“It seems as though we haven’t been fully informed and that’s not good,” AP quoted her as saying.

Ask called on US officials to cooperate in the investigation into the matter.

She did not disclose the targets of the surveillance but pointed out that the activities “seem to be similar” to those uncovered in Norway earlier this week.

“We welcome that those countries that have a heightened threat risk apply their own measures to reduce the risk for attacks, but of course it has to be done in line of what the Swedish law says and permits,” Ask noted.

Denmark’s TV-2 Denmark disclosed on Saturday that the US Embassy in Copenhagen has also conducted secret surveillance activities in the Danish capital.

The repot says a unit of 14 agents attached to the US Embassy kept tabs on Danish citizens by adding their personal data to a special computer database.

Also on Wednesday, Norway’s TV-2 News channel revealed that the US Embassy in Oslo has hired 15 to 20 people to monitor local residents.

Following the disclosure, Oslo asked US officials to provide an explanation.

US opens new war front in the name of Al Qaeda : US 'deploys Predator drones in Yemen'

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JNN 07.11.10 The United States has deployed unmanned Predator drones in Yemen, claiming they are aimed at eradicating al-Qaeda militants, senior US officials say.

The Washington Post reported on Sunday that the drones have been patrolling the Yemeni skies for several months in search of al-Qaeda leaders and operatives allegedly hiding in the country.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that the drones have not fired missiles yet because they lack solid intelligence on the militants’ whereabouts.

Yemen has shown deep reservations about any possible attacks after a US cruise missile earlier this year killed a government official, stirring anti-American sentiments.

The Yemeni government protested the attack and the people of the Middle Eastern country were outraged by it.

The Sunday’s report also said that the administration of US President Barack Obama planned to double its military aid to Yemen to 250 million dollars for the next year.

The reports come one day after Yemeni Prime Minister Ali Mujawar criticized the West for linking al-Qaeda to his country, accusing Western powers of having helped create the terrorist group.

“Al-Qaeda is mainly a Western-made group,” Mujawar said on Saturday. The militant group “was not created in Yemen at all as it is being alleged by those who propagate this perception internationally about Yemen,” the Yemeni premier added.

Mujawar’s comments hinted at America’s funding of fighters in Afghanistan who were resisting Soviet occupation back in the 1980s.

The White House has stepped up pressure on Sana’a for what it calls al-Qaeda’s use of Yemeni soil as a safe haven for terrorist operations against Washington.

US opens new war front in the name of Al Qaeda : US ‘deploys Predator drones in Yemen’

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JNN 07.11.10 The United States has deployed unmanned Predator drones in Yemen, claiming they are aimed at eradicating al-Qaeda militants, senior US officials say.

The Washington Post reported on Sunday that the drones have been patrolling the Yemeni skies for several months in search of al-Qaeda leaders and operatives allegedly hiding in the country.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that the drones have not fired missiles yet because they lack solid intelligence on the militants’ whereabouts.

Yemen has shown deep reservations about any possible attacks after a US cruise missile earlier this year killed a government official, stirring anti-American sentiments.

The Yemeni government protested the attack and the people of the Middle Eastern country were outraged by it.

The Sunday’s report also said that the administration of US President Barack Obama planned to double its military aid to Yemen to 250 million dollars for the next year.

The reports come one day after Yemeni Prime Minister Ali Mujawar criticized the West for linking al-Qaeda to his country, accusing Western powers of having helped create the terrorist group.

“Al-Qaeda is mainly a Western-made group,” Mujawar said on Saturday. The militant group “was not created in Yemen at all as it is being alleged by those who propagate this perception internationally about Yemen,” the Yemeni premier added.

Mujawar’s comments hinted at America’s funding of fighters in Afghanistan who were resisting Soviet occupation back in the 1980s.

The White House has stepped up pressure on Sana’a for what it calls al-Qaeda’s use of Yemeni soil as a safe haven for terrorist operations against Washington.

Four more US banks closed down

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JNN 08.11.10 US regulators have closed down four more banks in the states of California, Maryland and Washington, bringing the total number of failures to 143 so far this year.

Regulators closed Washington’s Pierce Commercial Bank, Maryland’s K Bank and two banks in California — Western Commercial Bank and First Vietnamese American Bank — on Friday.

Randallstown, Maryland-based K Bank, which had $500.1 million in deposits as of September 30, was closed on Friday, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) said in a statement on Saturday.

Western Commercial Bank in Woodland Hills, California, which had $101.1 million in deposits, was also closed on the same day, the FDIC said.

Regulators also shut down First Vietnamese with $47 million in deposits.

Other financial institutes that are still on their feet have agreed to assume the failed banks’ deposits and purchase their assets.

The number of lenders shut down this year exceeds the total bank closures in 2009. About 300 banks have gone under since the start of the financial crisis in 2008.

Indians greet Obama with mass protests

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JNN 07.1.10 Peace activists in different states of India have staged massive protests against US President Barack Obama’s visit to the country.

The protests come as the US president has embarked on a three-day visit to boost business with India.

In reaction to the visit, victims of a toxic tragedy in the city of Bhopal held a sit-in, demanding compensation for the fatal incident.

More than 500,000 people were exposed to toxic gas after 40 tons of deadly chemical leaked at the Indian subsidiary of the US Corporation Union Carbide on December 3, 1984.

Around 5,000 people died in the immediate aftermath, and some 15,000 more died in the weeks that followed.

Many have suffered life-long chronic illness as a result and many children have been born with birth defects 25 years after the world’s worst industrial disaster.

The protesters are also demanding President Obama take action against the Union Carbide and Dow Chemicals for breaching the law for many years.

People also gathered in the eastern state of Orissa, protesting against President Obama’s presence in the country, arguing that he has been unable to maintain peace in developing countries.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Action Committee staged a demonstration in Pakistan’s Lahore, calling on the US president to take a strong stance against the Indian government’s crackdown on the Kashmiris.

More than 100 people have been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir since June, when the residents began holding anti-India demonstrations.

President Obama’s decision to spend three days in India, while bypassing Pakistan, has also come under fierce criticism.

A Washington Post report said that the move has sparked anxiety among government officials in Islamabad due to fears that the US president’s visit could likely upset the delicate balance of power between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Top Shia Cleric "Grand Ayatollah Makarim" Warns Saudi Arabia of Wahhabism

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Iran’s senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has warned the Saudi Arabian government against siding with anti-Shia extremists in the Arab kingdom.

Iran’s senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has warned the Saudi Arabian government against siding with anti-Shia extremists in the Arab kingdom.

“Reports from Saudi Arabia indicate that Wahhabi extremists have not abandoned offense against Shia Muslims and are writing and publishing more books against the Shia faith than the past years,” ISNA quoted Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi as saying on Wednesday.

“An anti-Shia Persian channel has [also] been launched,” the prominent cleric regretted.

“Our message to Saudi rulers is that they [should] separate their stance from Wahhabis,” he urged, warning Riyadh against confronting Shiism, which he described as the dominant faith in the Middle East.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi called on Saudi leaders to “reach out to Shias in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon and stand up against Zionists and the enemies of Islam.”

“It would be in your interest and for the good of Islam and the region that you separate your stance from the Wahhabis and avoid confrontation with Shias,” he reiterated.

He criticized the “ignorant” Wahhabi extremists for their “inhuman acts” and resorting to violence against Shias. “If your logic is strong, why do you avoid a debate for the fear of a response?” he questioned.

Wahhabism is an extremely intolerant interpretation of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia, which gained momentum after the discovery of oil in the kingdom in 1938.


Top Shia Cleric “Grand Ayatollah Makarim” Warns Saudi Arabia of Wahhabism

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Iran’s senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has warned the Saudi Arabian government against siding with anti-Shia extremists in the Arab kingdom.

Iran’s senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has warned the Saudi Arabian government against siding with anti-Shia extremists in the Arab kingdom.

“Reports from Saudi Arabia indicate that Wahhabi extremists have not abandoned offense against Shia Muslims and are writing and publishing more books against the Shia faith than the past years,” ISNA quoted Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi as saying on Wednesday.

“An anti-Shia Persian channel has [also] been launched,” the prominent cleric regretted.

“Our message to Saudi rulers is that they [should] separate their stance from Wahhabis,” he urged, warning Riyadh against confronting Shiism, which he described as the dominant faith in the Middle East.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi called on Saudi leaders to “reach out to Shias in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon and stand up against Zionists and the enemies of Islam.”

“It would be in your interest and for the good of Islam and the region that you separate your stance from the Wahhabis and avoid confrontation with Shias,” he reiterated.

He criticized the “ignorant” Wahhabi extremists for their “inhuman acts” and resorting to violence against Shias. “If your logic is strong, why do you avoid a debate for the fear of a response?” he questioned.

Wahhabism is an extremely intolerant interpretation of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia, which gained momentum after the discovery of oil in the kingdom in 1938.


Lucknow Shia Muslim clerics oppose Obama’s Indian visit

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JNN 03.11.10 Lucknow: Muslim clerics in Lucknow on Tuesday opposed the upcoming visit of US President Barack Obama. Terming US as a supporter of Israel, the clerics claimed that the country was engaged in killing of innocent civilians world-wide. The clerics claimed that a joint appeal will be issued formally on Wednesday denouncing Obama’s visit.

Firing a fresh salvo, eminent Shia cleric and Imam-e-Juma, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad stated that US is behind terror activities around the globe. “At the pretext of curbing terrorism, the country is killing innocent persons in Afghanistan and Iraq. The next on their agenda is Iran which is being threatened,” claimed Jawwad. He also stated that US and its ally Israel are perpetrators of terrorism. “The Indian government should come out clean and snap all ties with Israel. It should also issue an statement decrying the activities of Israel,” said Jawwad.

Another cleric Imam, Tile Wali Masjid, Maulana Fazlur Rehman Waizi demanded that the US and allied forces should be withdrawn from Afghanistan and Iraq. “Their occupation of these countries is illegal as they are torturing the innocent citizens in the name of establishing peace,” said Waizi.

The cleric urged the Indian government to revert to its Nehruvian Non Alignment Movement (NAM) policy and should not be part of any power axis. “The government is playing in the hands of America. It should rather ensure that any talks are held on equal footing. They should stick to the old NAM policy for peaceful existence,” said Maulana Jahangir Qasmi, another Muslim cleric.

The clerics, however, denied that they have given call for burning the effigy of Obama. “We have issued only an appeal opposing the US President Obama’s visit as we have not seen much change in its policy from the past. The tone may have mellowed down a bit but still it is pursuing its own agenda of establishing its base in different parts of the world,” said Jawwad. He, however, claimed that conscious denizens are free to react and express their anger which may include burning Obama’s effigy.

The clerics have been opposed to US in the past also when during Ramzan an iftar hosted by US embassy in Lucknow witnessed violent protests. Most of the clerics had boycotted the iftar which was hosted by US embassy official Uzra Syed in Clarks Awadh hotel. The issue of visa denial by US to Vice-President, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Maulana Kalbe Sadiq is still fresh in the minds of the clerics.

Iran ups electricity export by 18%

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JNN 03.11.10 Iran’s electricity exports to neighboring countries have reached 3,782 gigawatt hours indicating an 18.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Iran’s export to import ratio subsequently increased during the second half of the year during which more electricity is freed up for export.

Currently the country has maintained a positive trade of 1,734 gigawatt hours so far this year, IRNA reported.

In September, Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou said Iran’s electricity network has integrated into the power grids of seven neighboring countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

Earlier this year, Namjou said Russia, India, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Syria and Oman are the new countries that have asked Iran for electricity.

According to the minister, Iran has the capability to turn into a regional exporter of electricity.

The minister also stated that Iran has attracted more that 1.1 billion dollars in investment to build three new power plants.

Pakistani Shia Clerics rejected deal with any Taliban group

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A grand loya jirga of Shia clerics in which Turi & Bangash tribes held on Monday in headquarter of Kurram Agency in which more than five hundred tribal elders of two main tribes and six sub tribes particpated.In this loya jirga Shia tribal leaders rejected any possible deal or agrrement with any taliban group including haqani network for using the land of Turi & Bangash for terrorism.

Shia Tribal clerics in their speeches cleared that they are Anti Taliban and there Sponsors USA. They further told that this is the plan of USA and Occupied Forces that when they want to enter or occupy the land or locaility first they enter thier extremists agents like Al-Qaeda and Taliban, the best example is Iraq, Afghanistan and Waziristan where occupation and drone attacks are  continued. But further added that they will never allow this international game of so called War on Terror. The best proof is American investigative journalist wayine madcine recent report .

Turi Bangash tribal elders also denounced puppets of establishment in the name of tribal elders who particpated in talks with Haqani Network at Peshawar and Islamabad. They further added that these puppet agents have no crediibilty in the area even in thier families.

Meanwhile Grand loya Jirga of Shia Turi & Bangash tribes also criticized the civil and military bureaucracy for giving them treatment as of a step child and doing nothing to lift the siege and economic blockade on Turi and Bangash tribes in Parachinar and surronding upper Kurram.

They also mentioned that in negotiations in Peshawar and Islamabad Haqani Network on the instructions of military establishment offered that the closed thall Parachinar road will be opened With a  gaurantee that from the day of agreement no Shia will be hurt or   murdered. Which clearly shows that since 2007 upto now more than 1200 Shia were martyred, more than 5000 injured and more than 200 kidnaped; while  six Shia are still missing from Charkhel Lower Kurram govt convey attack. These figures clearly shows that all these crimes for the last  four years , which includes the continous siege of the area was done on the behest of the  military estibleshement. These figures are more than the attrocities of Indian occupied forces in Kashmir ,therefore instead of shedding crocodile tears on state terrorisim in Kashmir, all concern should focus on state terrorisim in Pakistani Gaza:  Parachinar. These speakers added that to pressurize the locals for accepting the Islamabad  agrreement the Pak-Afghan border was completly sealed to stop even the limited supply of food stuff and life saving medicines.The tribal elders blamed the government and especially the establishment that they wants to do genocide of Turis and Bangshs.

In the endof loya jirga passed some resolutions  which says that :

  • Shia Turi Bangash tribes will survive on even  grass (due to imposed and continous cripiling siege) but will never allow Taliban on thier land,
  • Loya Jirga also criticised the role of civil society and human rights groups who even  highlight the non issues for thier vasted intrestes and does  not highlights  the real issues and humantiran catastrophe Such as  Pakistani Gaza  : The Parrachinar,
  • Loya jirga demanded the Government and security forces to stop the state terrorisim by ending the inhuman siege of Patriotic Turi and Bangash tribes who have sacrificed there lives  in 1947, 1948, 1965, 1971 Kargil and post 9/11 the figures of casuilities of Turi and Bangash tribes serving in secuurity forces is highest than all other tribals of FATA, but yet they receive step child’s  treatment and state terrorism which is unbearable, Government should take urgent steps to end the siege of the Thall – Parachinar Road if they consider Parachinar as Part of Pakistan.

Hezbollah Condemns Attack on Church

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Hezbollah vehemently condemned on Monday the attacks on the Archeological Baptist Church in Al Quds and Sayyidat Al Najat -Our Lady of Deliverance- Church in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, which resulted in tens of victims, some of which were worshippers in the Church.

Hezbollah vehemently condemned on Monday the attacks on the Archeological Baptist Church in Al Quds and Sayyidat Al Najat -Our Lady of Deliverance- Church in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, which resulted in tens of victims, some of which were worshippers in the Church.

In a statement it released, Hezbollah said that the malicious Zionist hallmarks in this crime are clear as the Zionist scheme is based on fragmenting this region into feuding entities in order to dominate it.

37 Christians along with seven security force members were killed Sunday night when US occupation soldiers and Iraqi forces stormed a Baghdad cathedral to free dozens of hostages as an Al-Qaeda group claimed the attack.

In its statement, Hezbollah said that this region has never witnessed such a heinous crime, where it had always been a land of meeting, forgiveness, and coexistence, until the US occupation came to Iraq, and triggered incitements and sectarian conflicts.

The Resistance party concluded its statement by expressing belief that the malicious Zionist enemy is clearly behind this crime, in reference to the Zionist scheme in dividing the region into rival entities and peoples in order to impose its dominance.


iran condemns Jewish settlers' assault on Jerusalem church in Holy Quds

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Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned burning an old church in Holy Quds by Zionists.

Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned burning an old church in Holy Quds by Zionists.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran regards the recent provocative measure of Zionists in desecrating an old church in occupied Quds as another evidence of Zionist regime’s insult to divine religions and religious,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast.

“Zionist regime has already shown that it does not respect divine sources and its followers with desecrating religious sites of Muslims, Christians and al-Aqsa Holy Mosque.”

He called for the international community to denounce the Zionist measure and take steps to stop such insulting actions.

A group of extremist Jewish settlers set fire to a one hundred year old Christian church in holy Quds on Friday causing substantial damage to its first floor.

Australian politician rails against Islamic banking

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An Australian lawmaker has urged fellow members of parliament to block legislation that would allow financial products that met the Islamic banking principle prohibiting the payment and collection of interest.

An Australian lawmaker has urged fellow members of parliament to block legislation that would allow financial products that met the Islamic banking principle prohibiting the payment and collection of interest.’Sharia finance is one aspect of sharia law, or Islamic law, and I reject it entirely,’ the opposition Liberal Party’s Cory Bernardi said Tuesday. ‘We shouldn’t be changing our legal system or our legal framework to accommodate a system of laws that is wholly incompatible with Western values.’

Face to Face with Tony Blair's sister-in-law "Lauren Booth"

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British ex-premier Tony Blair’s sister-in-law has inspired mixed reaction in the West after converting to Islam following a visit to the Iranian holy city of Qom.

British ex-premier Tony Blair’s sister-in-law has inspired mixed reaction in the West after converting to Islam following a visit to the Iranian holy city of Qom.

Lauren Booth, a broadcaster with Iran’s English-language Press TV news network, has talked about her “journey” to Islam on a Press TV program which will be aired next Sunday.

The journalist and human rights activist was recently in the Iranian capital, Tehran, to cover the Quds Day solidarity march held annually on the last Friday of Muslims’ holy month of Ramadan.

She explains in details how she later traveled to a place which led her to one of the most important decisions in her life.

She said she “did not know that she was on such a journey” until she reached “a mosque” in the holy Iranian city of Qom, 156 kilometers southwest of Tehran. It was there that she “felt it” as she kept vigil all through the night.

As for what started it all, she reminisced about her encounters with Muslims, especially Palestinians in Gaza and Ramallah whose rights she has actively defended during much of her adult life.

The 43-year-old half-sister of Cherie Blair now wears hijab outside her home and prays five times a day.

Booth, who had moved to France with her husband and two daughters in 2004, returned to Britain after her husband suffered a sever brain injury following a motorcycle accident in April 2009.

In an hour-long appearance on Press TV’s Face to Face program, Lauren revealed all about her conversion to the world’s fastest growing religion and shared with the world all the feedback she has received from Muslims, non-Muslims as well as her own beloved family and friends.


21 Shia Muslims Martyr by Suicide Bomber in North of Baghdad

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BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber wearing an explosives belt martyred at least 21 people on Friday in a town north of Baghdad, shattering what had been weeks of relative calm, the town’s mayor said.

A suicide bomber wearing an explosives belt martyred at least 21 people on Friday in a town north of Baghdad, shattering what had been weeks of relative calm, the town’s mayor said.

The suicide bomber blew himself up inside a popular cafe in the town of Balad Ruz, 45 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, said the town’s mayor, Mohammed Maaruf. An additional 65 people were injured, he said.

The neighborhood where the explosion occurred is home to many Faili Kurds, a small sect of ethnic Kurds following the Shia branch of Islam, and many of the dead were Shias.

Feyli Kurds are largely a Shiite community living in Baghdad and Iraq around Khanaqin and Mandili. There are an estimated 2-3 million Feylis living in Iraq.


Iraqi Main Shia Bloc Rejects Saudi Offer

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National Alliance turns down Saudi monarch’s offer to host all-party talks to break Iraq’s political impasse.

he National Alliance, Iraq’s main Shia bloc, has turned down a Saudi offer to host all-party talks to resolve months of deadlock over forming a new Iraqi government.

The offer was turned down on Sunday after some politicians voiced fears over foreign interference. Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah had a day earlier volunteered to host the talks in November.

The National Alliance, a coalition of Shia blocs, including that of incumbent prime minister,
Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition, said that a deal in Baghdad was close after the highest court ordered parliament to resume sessions last week.

“Though we express our appreciation to Saudi Arabia for its concern about the situation in Iraq and its willingness to provide support, we would like to confirm Iraqi leaders are continuing their meetings to reach a national consensus,” a statement issued by the alliance, said.

According to a senior member of al-Maliki’s bloc, the Kurdish Alliance also supports this statement.

The Kurdish alliance has 57 seats in parliament and al-Maliki’s camp is working closely with them to form a coalition government.

The Kurdish bloc was not immediately available for comment.

A spokeswoman for the rival Iraqiya list, led by Iyad Allawi, the former prime minister, however, welcomed the Saudi monarch’s initiative.

“We ask all political blocs to welcome the initiative, preventing Iraq’s security situation from deteriorating” amid continued political deadlock, Maysoon al-Damluji, a prominent member of the bloc, said.


A Shia cleric and two mosques' administrators were detained by the Saudi authorities

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Saudi police arrested since Tuesday a cleric and two other people from Qatif city on allegations of establishing a memorial ceremony on the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Al-imam Al-Khomeini.

According to reliable sources, Saudi authorities detained Sheikh Saeed al Bahhar, the imam of Imam Reza Mosque in Tarot Island, and the administrator of the mosque Mr. Mohammad Hassan al Hubail.

In a similar event, Saudi police also arrested the administrator of Imam Al-Hadi Mosque in the village of Sanabis, Mr. Hussien al Dubaisy.

Family sources said that the three arrests were under the pretext of establishing a memorial day to commemorate the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Al-Imam Al-Khomeini.

According to some sources attributed to Sheikh Saeed Albahhar and some people known to be close to him, indicated that he had never organized or participated in any memorial service of that kind recently.

Sheikh al Bahhar was called in on Monday by the Saudi police at Tarot Island police station and was subjected to a lengthy investigation before being released on the same day.

However, on the following day after the first call, he was called in again accompanied by Mr. Hussien al Dubaisy and Mr. Mohammad Hassan al Hubail , where they were all taken to custody at Al-Qatif Police Station. Since then, they still remain in the detention center.

According to family sources, arrest warrants were issued by the office of the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd, the governor of the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

In addition, many observers noticed the ambiguity and contradiction that surrounds the circumstances and justification for the arrests.

It is noteworthy to indicate that Sheikh Albahhar was just grant a passport since few days ago after the travel ban against him that lasted more than fourteen years.


Sunnis lose Bahrain Parliament Majority

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Sunnis in the Bahraini government have lost control over the parliament after independent candidates extended their lead to 13 seats

Sunnis in the Bahraini government have lost control over the parliament after independent candidates extended their lead to 13 seats.
The results of the second round of the country’s legislative elections were announced early on Sunday.

Shia opposition group al-Wefaq had already secured 18 out of 40 seats in the first round of the legislative elections in the Persian Gulf kingdom.

Shias and independent candidates now have most seats in Bahrain’s new parliament.

The results are a major blow to Sunnis, who had dominated the last two parliaments.

A total of 127 candidates were competing in the elections, which came in the wake of a crackdown on Shia opposition activists.

Bahrain’s National Assembly is made up of two chambers. The lower house has 40 elected members and the upper house has 40 members appointed by the country’s King.

The Shia opposition refuses to recognize the 2002 constitution and has called for an electoral boycott.

The Shias comprise the majority of Bahrain’s population. They have, however, long complained about being discriminated against by the Bahraini government when it comes to employment opportunities and the right to services.

Amnesty International has criticized Manama over the pre-election crackdown on the Shia opposition figures and rights activists.

The Human Rights Watch and the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) — a non-profit body with the stated aim of promoting democratic standards in the region — have also noted the campaign of suppression ahead of the polls.


'US brutally tortures Iranian woman'

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JNN 01.11.10 An “innocent” Iranian woman held in the US for about three years says she is kept under “horrible” conditions and is subject to both physical and mental torture.

Shahrzad Mir-Qolikhan was arrested in the US in December 2007. Her ex-husband, Mahmoud Seif, had allegedly tried to export night-vision goggles to Iran from Austria.

She was sentenced to five years in prison by a Florida federal court in his absence.

Mir-Qolikhan told Press TV via telephone from inside prison on Monday that she was duped into visiting the US by American authorities, who then tried to “make her a spy” and use her to find the whereabouts of her ex-husband.

She said her conditions had grown much worse after Iran released American national Sarah Shourd, who is charged with illegally entering Iran and espionage, on bail.

“I was taken to a Federal Prison Camp in Miami after my arrest in December 2007,” Mir-Qolikhan said, describing the Miami prison as a “horrible place.”

“I was mistreated horribly by all the correctional officers and more especially at the higher level, the lieutenants, captains and warden,” she said.

“After I was sentenced, a few months later, they transferred me to a Federal correction institution in Danbury,” where conditions were a little bit better, she added.

Mir-Qolikhan also said that US media censorship regarding her case heightened after the release of Shourd.

“Then last Saturday out of the blue they came and put me in handcuffs and took me to the SHU (Special Housing Units) where the most horrible and dangerous of criminals are kept,” Mir-Qolikhan said.

She said US authorities had kept her at the SHU for six days in a bid to have easy access to her legal paperwork.

“They put me in handcuffs, they took me to the prison and they started to torture me in every possible way, especially mentally. They horribly tortured [me] mentally, to become a spy and work for them and turn in my ex-husband,” Mir-Qolikhan, who is a mother of two daughters, told Press TV.

She said she wrote “lots of letters” to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during her imprisonment asking him to file a suit against the US government at the International Court of Justice.

Also on Monday, her mother, Belghis Rovshan called on US President Barack Obama to release her.

“It’s difficult not to see your child for three years, especially for something which is not her fault… she has a very difficult time there,” Rovshan told Press TV.

“I want to ask Mr. Obama to release my daughter immediately… I want him to think about her two little daughters and their feelings,” she said.