Fatah members linked with assassination of Hamas commander in Dubai Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, is facing accusations of collusion with Israel after two former members of his Fatah faction were linked to the assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai last month. By Adrian Blomfield in Tel Aviv Telegraph Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior Hamas military commander Photo: REUTERS The two men, who are both in custody in Dubai, supplied logistical support to an assassination squad that carried out the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, according to police in the Gulf state. Making a potentially explosive accusation, Hamas alleged that Ahmad … Continue reading Fatah linked with assassination of Hamas commander

The war underground Despite much moral debate, assassinations have always been part of the Israeli-Arab conflict Aluf Benn The Guardian Israelis enjoy a love-hate relationship with the intelligence service, Mossad. When they succeed in another James Bond-style operation, we sing their praises as an example of all good things Israeli: innovation, daring, outsmarting the competition. But when they screw up, we are quick to identify all of our social maladies: arrogance, carelessness, disregarding the rules. The assassination of the Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai serves as a rare example of both attitudes. When news of the hit first broke, … Continue reading Assassinations have always been part of the Israeli-Arab conflict

dawn Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi —Reuters/File Photo Pakistan India, Pakistan ready to re-launch peace talks India, Pakistan ready to re-launch peace talks BRUSSELS: Pakistan’s arrest of an Afghan Taliban commander was not done under pressure from its US ally and shows the sincerity of its fight against terrorism, the foreign minister said on Thursday. “We have done it because it is in our interests to do so,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told Reuters on the sidelines of a security conference in Belgium. “If you think that Pakistan is deploying over 100,000 troops on the western border under … Continue reading Fighting Takfiri Mullahs in Pakistan’s interest: FM Qureshi

By Kuldip Nayar Firefighters examine the site of a bomb blast at the German Bakery restaurant in Pune. —Reuters A couple of years ago when President Bush visited New Delhi he pointed towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to say that here was a person who had no Taliban in his country. This was not really true even at that time. The then security advisor, M.K. Narayanan, said that he had his fingers crossed because the terrorists could strike anywhere, at any time. Yet what was apparent was that the terrorists came from outside and that India had no sleeper cells … Continue reading Politics of terrorism

By Ayesha Siddiqa Some devious elements are tinkering with Jinnah’s person and his narrative: Ayesha Siddiqa.—File photo Some time ago, I had a chance to read veteran columnist Ardeshir Cowasjee’s article ‘Bring back Jinnah’s Pakistan’ in which he talked about the founding father’s liberal vision for the country. Mr Cowasjee’s argument was that the state envisioned by Mohammad Ali Jinnah would have been governed by a different set of social norms than the one in place today. I would like to inform the respectable writer that while he is searching for Jinnah’s Pakistan, we might be threatened with the eventuality of … Continue reading Pakistan’s Jinnah and Pakistan’s Mullah

Fathima Bary Needs to Read Her Bible; Final Word on Islam and Apostasy An emotional Fathima Rifqa Bary–whose personal writings reaveal that she wants to be a modern day prophet–said of her parents: “My parents are Muslim…I don’t know if you know about honor killing…They have to kill me…Because if they love Allah more than me, they have to do it. It’s in the Quran. And you can, like, give them knowledge about it [gestures to someone off camera, who says something unintelligible].” It seems that Fathima’s understanding of the Quran comes from whomever she pointed to, whom I can … Continue reading A Word on Islam and Apostasy

The former president has hinted at a return to Pakistani politics. Worryingly, it could be more than just a pipe dream Mustafa Qadri guardian.co.uk Pervez Musharraf at his farewell ceremony in 2008. Photograph: Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images At no point do world leaders look more diminished than after leaving office, and Pakistan’s former president and military dictator Pervez Musharraf is no exception. So when he addressed a London audience this week, it was perhaps ironic that much of what he said was a reminder that little has changed in the way the west relates to the “AfPak” region. It was all … Continue reading A Musharraf comeback?

Gay activists attack Ugandan preacher’s porn slideshow Pastor’s explicit stunt condemned as ‘twisted homophobic propaganda’ Xan Rice in Nairobi guardian.co.uk A Ugandan pastor who screened same-sex pornography in a church to try to bolster support for proposed anti-homosexuality legislation has been condemned by gay rights groups. Martin Ssempa, one of the main backers of a bill that would impose the death penalty for some offenders, aired the explicit slideshow to several hundred people during a church service in Kampala yesterday. Explaining his decision to display the images, the evangelical preacher said it was necessary to educate people “about what homosexuals … Continue reading Christian Extremist shows Gay porn in church!

As locals in West Yorkshire win their battle to reinstate the name of Tickle Cock Bridge, we list the rudest place names in the country. telegraph Twatt in Shetland Photo: Wikipedia 1. Cocks, Cornwall 2. Minge Lane, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire, England 3. Bell End, Worcestershire, England 4. Twatt, Shetland (note, there is another Twatt in Orkney) 5. Sandy Balls, a long-established holiday centre in New Forest, Hampshire, England with a name dating back to Henry VIII 6. Fingringhoe, Essex, England 7. Back Passage, City of London, an alleyway in the EC1 postal district 8. Shitterton, Dorset, England 9. Slag Lane, Merseyside, … Continue reading Britain’s rudest place names