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Showing posts from January 11, 2015

Intelligence Bureau puzzled with rising number of Maoists surrenders

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Courtesy:  Mail Today Intelligence Bureau puzzled with rising number of Maoists surrenders Abhishek Bhalla   New Delhi, Saturday, January 17, 2015 The Centre had lauded the increase in the number of surrenders by Maoists in Chattisgarh and termed it a major achievement but recent intelligence reports have revealed that several of them were not genuine. Sources said the Intelligence Bureau (IB) is unhappy with the manner in which the surrenders are taking place and has discussed the same with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the force entrusted with the mandate of combating Maoist insurgency. The matter has also been taken up with the state authorities. Sources said the IB has found that several incidents of surrenders were fake. "In many cases, it has been noticed that those who surrendered were either not Maoists or were sympathisers a long time ago," said an official. Officials said the Maoists have also started questioning the authenticity of these surrenders. It i

Shooting Reported at Florida Mall

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A shooting was reported at a mall southeast of Orlando Saturday morning, authorities confirm. Jeff Gross Just before 10:30 a.m., the Melbourne Police Department tweeted that officers were "currently working a shooting" at the Melbourne Square Mall. Ten minutes later, the police tweeted that the "shooter is contained." The police added that the mall is temporarily closed and officers are working to clear the shopping center store by store. The police department has not reported injuries. Daniel Timothy, a manager at a restaurant next to the mall, says it's a "great relief" police have contained the shooter. "We were on edge," Timothy said. "It's a great relief and you know now we can open for business." Calls to the Melbourne Police Department were not immediately returned. ABC News Melbourne Florida Map - ABC News Source http://abcnews.go.com/US/shooting-reported-florida-mall/story?id=28294284

Belgium deploys troops after foiling 'terror' plot

  Belgium on Saturday began deploying hundreds of troops to patrol the streets after security forces smashed a suspected Islamist "terrorist" cell planning to kill police officers. Up to 300 soldiers will be gradually deployed in the capital Brussels and the northern city of Antwerp, which has a large Jewish population, Prime Minister Charles Michel's office said in a statement. "The mobilised troops will be armed and their primary responsibility will be to survey certain sites" and to reinforce police, the statement said. The soldiers could also eventually be deployed to the industrial eastern city of Verviers, where early on Friday security forces killed two suspected Islamists in a huge raid on an alleged jihadist cell planning to attack police in the country. The Belgian raid came a week after Islamist attacks in and around Paris killed 17 people, rekindling fears in Europe about the threat posed by young Europeans returning home after fighting alongside ext

Thousands rally in Chad capital to support army move against Boko Haram

N'DJAMENA (CHAD): Tens of thousands of people rallied in the capital of   Chad today in support of the authorities' decision to send troops to fight Nigeria's  Boko Haram   Islamists .  Prime Minister Kalzeube Pahimi Deubet led the demonstrators as they marched from city hall in the capital N'Djamena to the Place de Nation square, carrying Chadian flags and chanting in French and Arabic: "Kick the forces of evil out of our territory."  A large banner read: "We support our army. The people of Chad support their Cameroonian and Nigerian brothers in the fight against   terrorism ."  "Today's march is a strong signal, a warning to Boko Haram and above all a march for peace to protect our vital interests, to protect our economy, to protect Chad's security," Deubet said.  "The country is seriously threatened by Boko Haram," said Ouchar Tourguidi, head of the main party in parliament, calling the rally "important for boostin

Liberals rally to ‘reclaim’ Pakistan after school massacre

‘Reclaim’ movement has spread over social media, particularly Facebook AFP January 17, 2015 Islamabad: One month on from a Taliban school massacre in Peshawar that left 150 dead a new movement is growing among marginalised urban liberals rallying to “Reclaim Pakistan” from violent extremism. Carrying placards and candles, their stand against religious fanaticism is an unusual sight in a country more used to mass demonstrations by Islamist groups filled with chants against the West or India. Mohammad Jibran Nasir, a 27-year-old lawyer who has played a key role in organising demonstrations, said he and others felt they could no longer stand by following the brutal killings of schoolchildren in the country’s northwest on December 16. “I never felt so overwhelmed. I felt pathetic as a human being, as a Muslim, as a Pakistani. I felt very, very small,” he said. While Pakistan’s military has been engaged in heavy offensives in the country’s northwestern tribal areas, progressive critics beli

Charlie Hebdo Protests Hit Mideast, South Asia, Africa

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January 17, 2015 7:59 AM VOA News Jordanians chant slogans during a protest against cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, after Friday prayers in Amman, Jan. 16, 2015. French President Francois Hollande on Saturday defended free speech, saying that anti -Charlie Hebdo protesters in other countries do not understand France's attachment to freedom of speech. His remarks come a day after throngs of Muslims around the world held protests Friday against the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad by the French satirical weekly magazine  Charlie Hebdo , with some of the demonstrations turning violent. Yemenis chant slogans during a protest against caricatures published in French magazine Charlie Hebdo in front of the French Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. In Yemen, protesters gathered Saturday in front of the French Embassy in Sanaa, chanting slogans during against caricatures published in French satirical weekly. In Niger, at least fou

Behind The Scene: Rethink The Motives!

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The primary reason behind Islamic fundamentalism or Muslim youth being radicalized is attributed to economic factors such as poverty. Whether it is a Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, a terrorist in Kashmir or an ISI agent in Hyderabad, the underlying assumption behind their indoctrination is poverty or inequality of opportunity. But that does not seem to be the case anymore! A 32-year-old US-returned engineer, was arrested at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here late on Thursday night while he was allegedly on his way to Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) along with his girlfriend, who lives in Dubai. The youth, Salman Moinuddin, was also an active recruiter for ISIS, police said. Sleuths of Telangana state Counter Intelligence said they had been tracking Moinuddin through his online activities following a tip-off from central intelligence agencies. More importantly, the arrest of Moinuddin is the seventh instance of Muslim youth being nabbed while on their way t

Japan wants closer maritime security cooperation with India

New Delhi: Japan on Saturday pitched for stronger maritime security cooperation with India, saying both nations should "proactively" assume responsibilities to ensure "open and stable seas" in the region, comments seen as an effort to contain China's growing assertiveness in South China Sea. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said India and Japan have huge interests in the region extending from the Indian Ocean through the South China Sea to the Pacific and both the countries should work jointly under their "special partnership" to ensure maritime security. In an address at the Indian Council of World Affairs here, Kishida took a subtle dig at China on the South China Sea dispute and recalled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's proposal of "three principles of the rule of law at sea" including not using "force or coercion" in trying to drive claims. "Japan and India have been increasing cooperation in the field of maritime sec

France defends freedom of speech after violent protests

Paris: President Francois Hollande stressed on Saturday that France was committed to "freedom of expression" after fresh violence broke out in Niger at a rally against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Meanwhile, jittery European nations stepped up security in the wake of last week`s attacks in France that claimed 17 lives. Belgium began deploying hundreds of armed troops to patrol the streets after security forces smashed a suspected Islamist "terrorist" cell planning to kill police officers. And in London, authorities were mulling "further measures" to protect police "given some of the deliberate targeting of the police we have seen in a number of countries across Europe and the world," said Mark Rowley, head of counter-terrorism for the British police. British police officers, for the most part unarmed, might be equipped with taser guns as part of reinforced security measures, according to the local press. Meanwhile, French and Belgian

Houthis abduct Yemeni official amid wrangling over constitution

Sanaa: Yemen`s Houthi movement pulled out of a meeting with the country`s other main political and regional factions on a new constitution after its fighters abducted a top government official, sources close to the situation said. Houthi gunmen seized Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak, office director for President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi in the capital Sanaa early on Saturday to stop him attending the meeting, which was to discuss a draft of the constitution, police sources said. The movement`s representatives then withdrew from the meeting, two other attendees said, showing how wrangling over the constitution threatens to intensify political turmoil and insecurity in a country with an active al Qaeda wing. The Houthi militia, which controls Sanaa, has denounced leaked details of the draft, which President Hadi has said will ensure the country does not fragment into two regions based on the former states or north and south Yemen. The draft is a result of a national dialogue, aimed at easing a tr

Gunmen seize Yemen president’s chief of staff: Official

Sanaa: Gunmen on Saturday seized Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi`s chief of staff, whose nomination as prime minister last year was rejected by Shiite militiamen controlling the capital, an official said. "An armed group set up a checkpoint in Hada," a southern district of Sanaa, and "captured (Ahmed Awad bin) Mubarak with his companions," an official from the national dialogue secretariat told AFP. Mubarak is secretary general of the national dialogue on a political transition following the 2012 resignation of veteran president Ali Abdullah Saleh after a bloody year-long uprising. Source  http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/gunmen-seize-yemen-president’s-chief-of-staff-official_1531841.html

Fighting rages anew at Ukraine airport, three soldiers killed

Kiev: Fighting raged on Saturday at the main airport of Ukraine`s city of Donetsk as separatists resumed attempts to break the tenuous grip of government forces on the complex and Kiev`s military said three more Ukrainian soldiers had been killed. With attempts to restart peace talks stalled, pro-Russian rebels have stepped up shelling attacks to break the resistance of government troops dug in at the airport, itself a wrecked hulk battered by months of war. Though its runways are cratered and it has long ceased to function, the airport has symbolic value for both sides and has become the main flashpoint in the fighting as prospects for fresh peace talks have dimmed. A planned meeting of representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and separatist leaders on the Ukraine crisis failed to materialise in the Belarussian capital Minsk on Friday. A meeting of the so-called `contact group` is seen as vital for getting the warring parties to

3,000 in Turkey linked to Islamic State: Report

Istanbul: Around 3,000 people in Turkey are believed to be linked to the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, a Turkish intelligence report said on Saturday, warning of possible attacks by extremists. The report called for enhanced surveillance of the 3,000 people, including identifying their rank within the extremist group or whether they were active within it, the Hurriyet newspaper reported on Saturday. A "red alert" had also been sent to security units warning of possible attacks on the embassies of Western countries by IS jihadists following last week`s deadly Islamist attacks in France, the report said. Security at the diplomatic missions had been increased to the maximum level, the report said, adding that NATO facilities and Western nationals were also potential targets. And it warned of possible bomb attacks "anywhere and anytime" in Turkey by "sleeping cells." Most of the vehicles stolen in Turkey ended up in the hands of IS jihadists, it said, war

Explosives hit Algerian embassy in Libya

Tripoli: Assailants lobbed a bag packed with explosives at the Algerian embassy in the Libyan capital on Saturday, injuring three people, a security official said. The official, who works for a unit tasked with protecting embassies, said the attack in central Tripoli seriously wounded a guard and two passers-by and damaged the building and parked cars. The assailants threw "a bag full of explosives from a passing car at a police car parked near a guard post", he said. The Algerian embassy, like most foreign missions in the Libyan capital, was closed last year as militias battled for control of the city. The Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) coalition of Islamist-backed militias seized control of Tripoli in August after fierce clashes with nationalist forces. Today's attack comes a day after Fajr Libya announced a ceasefire in the oil-rich North African country, hours after an agreement at UN-brokered peace talks between the warring factions in Geneva. Libya has been wracked by conf

Niger protesters burn churches in second day of Charlie Hebdo riots

Niamey: Stone-throwing demonstrators set fire to two churches in Niger`s capital Niamey on Saturday, in the latest protest in France`s former African colonies at French newspaper Charlie Hebdo`s cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. A day after five people were killed in Niger in protests over the cartoons, protesters in Niamey attacked a police station and burned at least two police cars near the main mosque after authorities banned a meeting called by local Muslim leaders. Police responded with teargas. "They offended our Prophet Mohammed. That`s what we didn`t like," said Amadou Abdoul Ouahab, who took part in the demonstration. "This is the reason why we have asked Muslims to come, so that we can explain this to them, but the state refused. That`s why we`re angry today." Demonstrations were also reported in regional towns, including Maradi, 600 km (375 miles) east of Niamey, where two churches were burned. Another church and a residence of the foreign minister were

Chadian peacekeeper killed in attack on U.N. base in northern Mali

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Source: Reuters - Sat, 17 Jan 2015 12:06 GMT Author: Reuters More on: War and Conflict Chadian U.N. peacekeepers gesture as they patrol during a ceremony marking two years since Malian soldiers were killed in a massacre by radical Islamists, in Aguelhok, Mali, January 24, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer BAMAKO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist militants attacked a U.N. base in northern Mali with car bombs and rockets on Saturday, killing one Chadian member of the U.N. peacekeeping mission and wounding another, the mission said. Mali is still recovering from a period of turmoil that began in 2012 when al Qaeda-linked fighters seized its desert north in the wake of a Tuareg uprising. A French-led military operation in early 2013 scattered them but Islamist fighters have intensified their attacks in recent months. Gunfire erupted from the area of the U.N. camp in Kidal in the morning, followed by the sound of rockets exploding, residents said. The shooting lasted around 10 minutes. The peacek

FBI says plot to attack U.S. Capitol was ready to go

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Story highlights (CNN) For months, 20-year-old Christopher Lee Cornell had been on the FBI's radar. Authorities said he left alarming posts on social media, talking about violent jihad.  On Wednesday, agents arrested the Cincinnati man before he could put his alleged plot into action. Authorities say Cornell, who ostensibly tweeted under the name Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah, hatched a simple scheme. It was similar to the Paris attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, but at a key location -- the U.S. Capitol, said a criminal complaint filed by an FBI agent. The plan: Set off pipe bombs to put lawmakers and employees in panicked flight and then gun them down with an assault rifle as they ran across his path and that of an accomplice, Special Agent T.A. Staderman wrote. Cornell was ready to go, the agent said. Christopher Lee Cornell's mugshot from the Butler County Jail in Ohio. He had made preparations with a partner. He had researched bomb-making instructions and by Wednesday, Cornel

French Town Struggles Over Departures for Jihad

LUNEL, France — When this picturesque southern French town of just 25,700 people first learned late last year that six local Muslims had been killed fighting for Islam in Syria, accounting for 10 percent of the total number of French killed there, the right-wing mayor quietly asked the head of the local mosque for help. “I need you and you need me to stop this,” the mayor, Claude Arnaud, recalled telling Lahoucine Goumri, who was president of Lunel’s Al Baraka mosque at the time. “We agreed he would make a statement.” He did. But instead of condemning the surge of young recruits, Mr. Goumri told local news media that the policies of President François Hollande were the main culprit and complained that it was not his job to denounce the jihadists when nobody protested French citizens who traveled to Israel to help the army “kill  Palestinian  babies.” “This is their choice,” Mr. Goumri was quoted as saying at the time by the newspaper  Midi Libre . “It is not for me to judge them.” Sour

Charlie attack raises stakes for Saudi Arabia in flogging case

By Angus McDowall  RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's ruling family is coming under pressure from Western countries over its flogging of writer Raif Badawi for "insulting Islam", but it appears more worried about the risk of offending domestic conservatives if it lets him off.  The political stakes over the punishment of Badawi, whose second bout of 50 lashes was postponed on Friday for medical reasons, have been heightened by the Paris attack on Charlie Hebdo newspaper and its publication on Wednesday of new cartoons lampooning Islam's Prophet Mohammad. Badawi, who set up a "Free Saudi Liberals" website, was flogged 50 times in public a week ago by an Interior Ministry official and was sentenced to face the same punishment every Friday until he has received 1,000 lashes. He will then spend 10 years in prison. The doctor who carried out a pre-flogging medical check-up recommended that Friday's second flogging be postponed until next week, international ri