By By Salis bin Perwaiz Karachi The News.com.pk The targeted attacks on Aalmi Majlis-e-Tahafuza-e-Khatam-e-Naboowat (AMTKN) Chief Mufti Saeed Jalalpuri and leader of banned outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Nadeem, were aimed at inciting sectarian violence across the city, investigators probing the attacks told The News. Investigators believed that a group of six to 10 men are involved in the attacks, in which AMTKN chief Mufti Saeed Jalalpuri was gunned down on late Thursday night along with three associates, while SSP leader, Maulana Nadeem, was also attacked earlier the same day. Maulana Nadeem survived the attack, but his son, … Continue reading Why are Pakistani Mullahs scared of Zaid Hamid?

Banalities galore The Nation.com.pk HIS declaration that India did not have any military personnel in Afghanistan notwithstanding, President Hamid Karzai failed to remove Pakistan’s strong sense of outrage, based on substantive evidence, that Indian agencies were masterminding hostile acts against it from the Afghan soil, in collusion with local official elements. At a press briefing at the end of a two-day visit to Islamabad on Thursday, Mr Karzai also vainly tried to hold out the assurance that Kabul would not allow any country to wage a proxy war against another. In fact, if we look back at the terrorist incidents … Continue reading Hamid Karzai needs to be honest and balanced about Afghanistan being used by outside agencies

Porn career? It won’t worry my colleagues, says Anna Arrowsmith Thetimes.co.uk Damian Whitworth Anna Arrowsmith, managing director of Easy on the Eye Productions, and now Liberal Democrat candidate for Gravesham, Kent I have interviewed countless politicians over the years, of many a persuasion. Never before has one seen fit, while outlining her electoral credentials, to dwell on the pornographic films she has made in her lounge. Anna Arrowsmith, also known as Anna Span, is the new Liberal Democrat candidate for Gravesham in Kent. She is also the auteur of hundreds of “female-friendly” porn films. Her neighbours in Tunbridge Wells may … Continue reading Porn star becomes UK politician! – Admirably honest and refreshing 🙂

On Satan’s trail with Don Gabriele, the world’s most famous exorcist Richard Owen, Rome – Thetimes.co.uk Father Gabriele Amorth “Are you afraid of the Devil?” The world’s most famous exorcist levels his gaze at me and then smiles. “No, it is he who is afraid of me. I work in the name of the Lord. Poor Satan.” Poor Satan? “Oh yes. The Evil One shouts and makes noises, but we are made in God’s image, we have the Holy Trinity on our side. There is no need to be afraid of the Devil unless we give in to his temptations.” … Continue reading Don Gabriele, the world’s most famous exorcist! Thank God for Satan that he has a role in life!

The new Buddhist atheism A book setting out the principles of a pared-down Buddhism has won praise from arch-atheist Christopher Hitchens Mark Vernon guardian.co.uk In God is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens writes of Buddhism as the sleep of reason, and of Buddhists as discarding their minds as well as their sandals. His passionate diatribe appeared in 2007. So what’s he doing now, just three years later, endorsing a book on Buddhism written by a Buddhist? The new publication is Confession of a Buddhist Atheist. Its author, Stephen Batchelor, is at the vanguard of attempts to forge an authentically western Buddhism. … Continue reading The new Buddhist atheism wins praise from Mullah Christopher Hitchens

How Bibi lost a best friend Netanyahu needs all the support he can get. But he still turned Biden’s visit into a diplomatic fiasco Aluf Benn The Guardian Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has a bad habit: when things appear to be moving in the right direction for him, he stumbles upon some stupid political landmine, raising doubts about his leadership and credibility. A series of blunders had ruined his first term in the 1990s, and on his way back to power Netanyahu promised that he had changed. For a year, he stayed away from trouble, avoiding unscripted public remarks, … Continue reading How Bibi lost a best friend

Why Universal Translation is a Holy Grail March 7, 2010 · 6 comments in Blurring Boundaries, Social Media [Tower of Babel. From Logoi.com] A while back, my friend  David Feng tweeted in Chinese that he was tweeting while riding under Beijing in a subway car. I used Google Translate to see if I could figure out what he said. It came out something like “I’m using my digits on myself with a bird in the Beijing belly,” and he and I had a good laugh I remembered that this morning I saw a few tweets with my name in them. … Continue reading Universal Translation is a Holy Grail – the time is ripe for the next communication leap

Fake Politics vs. Authentic Politics. engagememt vs. platitudes Interesting article about how politicians will/should engage with our disconnected youth. written by Amina Taylor I nearly spat out my morning coffee when I heard the words “urban”, “gangster” and “hoodie” emerge from the lips of Conservative Party leader David Cameron. He might have chosen to live in the less well-heeled end of London’s Notting Hill, but you can guarantee Cameron’s only contact with these “urban gangster hoodie-wearers” is from the safe distance of his ministerial car. Those in the immediate vicinity of the place Cameron calls home are more likely to … Continue reading Fake Politics vs. Authentic Politics in the UK?

Future Counter-Terrorism: Evolving Threats and Response 09:00, 17 Mar 2010 RUSI, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET Link to map: multimap PLACES AVAILABLE: Open to all £350.00 – Standard Rate (excl. 17.5% VAT) £285.00 – Corporate Rate – (excl. 17.5% VAT) £270.00 – UK Government, Military and Diplomatic Rate – (excl.17.5% VAT) About the event: Counter-terrorism is under increasing scrutiny. With budget cuts expected across Whitehall after the General Election, the economy and effectiveness of counter-terrorism policies will be closely examined. Legislation introduced after 7/7, operations in Afghanistan, the Prevent strategy and wider police funding are all under review in the new … Continue reading Future Counter-Terrorism: Evolving Threats and Response – 17 Mar 2010 RUSI, Whitehall