Hypocrite Saudi Arabia BANS National Geographic featuring Pope Francis for 'cultural reasons'

By REBECCA PERRING

King Salman's Middle East kingdom banned the Arabic edition, whose front showed the pontiff standing in the Sistine Chapel. 

There has not yet been any official statement from the Saudi government spelling out its cultural opposition to the magazine, but its regional editor-in-chief, Alsaad Omar Al Menhaly made the puzzling announcement on Twitter. 

It read: "Dear readers in Saudi Arabia, we apologize for you not obtaining August’s magazine. According to the publishing company, the magazine was denied entry for cultural reasons. Chief Editor" (sic) 

The cover story addresses Pope Francis' "silent revolution" and hopes to create a church "that is poor and for the poor". 

From his bold pronouncements on climate change and divorce, to his recent call for parishes and dignitaries to take in Syrian refugees, some see Pope Francis as a revolutionary. 

The very act of putting the Vicar of Christ on the cover would have been controversial enough for senior officials of a country where the mosque and state are so closely entwined. 

But Saudi officials may have been rattled by the Pope's groundbreaking reforms of his church, given the strict rigidity of the Wahhabi state. 

Wahhabi, members of the strictly orthodox Sunni Muslim sector, advocate a return to early Islam and a literal interpretation of the Koran. 

It is not the first time the magazine has been censored in King Salmon's Middle East kingdom. 

Earlier this year, a line in the magazine's 'War on Science' March issue stated "evolution never happened". This was emitted from the magazine's front cover for unknown reasons. 

Kacem El Ghazzali, a secular activist from Morocco who is currently serving as International Humanist and Ethical Union‘s representative at the United Nations, said it was fairly common for scores of “scientific, secular, and philosophical” to be banned in the oil-rich kingdom. 

He added: "Thousands of blogs and websites are also banned in the country and contrary to most Arab countries, Saudi Arabia never tries to hide its intentions and recognition of censorship.”

A spokesperson for the National Geographic Society said: “We are aware of the issue, but we are still currently in the information gathering phase.”

Fascist Saudi regime conducts fresh air raids on Yemen

The Saudi military pushes ahead with its brutal military campaign against neighboring Yemen, with reports of casualties in the latest wave of Riyadh’s airstrikes on the Arab country.

Saudi warplanes launched air raids on Nahdein Mountain, located in the Hafa’a area of Yemen’s capital Sana’a on Wednesday.

Saudi military jets further struck Haddah residential neighborhood in Sana’a, where there were reports of casualties.

In a similar airstrike, the Faj Attan area in the Yemeni capital was pounded while Kitaf district of the northwestern province of Sa’ada was targeted with 40 rockets.

Elsewhere, the Saudi attacks on a hotel in the Abs district of the northwestern Hajjah province claimed the lives of four people, among them a Yemeni child, the Lebanese Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news network.

People walk past a house destroyed by a Saudi airstrike in the Yemeni capital city of Sana’a, September 8, 2015. ©AP

The Yemeni al-Masirah news channel also reported that a gas station and a security base came under attacks by Saudi fighter jets in the central al-Bayda province.

Al-Masirah further said that the Saudi jets conducted air raids in the Baqim and Ḥaydan districts in the Sa’ada province.

In response, the Yemeni armed forces fired rockets at an army training camp and a border guard base in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Najran region.

Yemen’s army and allied popular committees also fired rockets at two Saudi military sites in the kingdom’s southwestern Jizan border region, destroying five armored vehicles.

Meanwhile, in another development on Wednesday, Egyptian security sources, whose names were not released in reports, said as many as 800 Egyptian troops were deployed to Yemen to join Saudi Arabia’s military campaign.

According to the sources, four Egyptian units, consisting of 150 to 200 troops each, along with transport vehicles and tanks arrived in Yemen late on Tuesday.

Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have already dispatched army forces to Yemen in support of the Saudi military offensive against Yemen.

Yemeni officials say around 2,000 foreign troops are operating in Yemen, but Qatari-owned Al Jazeera TV puts the number at some 10,000.

Children play amid the rubble of a house destroyed in a Saudi airstrike on the Yemeni capital city of Sana’a, September 8, 2015. ©AP

On March 26, Saudi Arabia began its aggression against Yemen – without a UN mandate – in a bid to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement and restore power to the country's fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh.

The conflict has so far left about 4,500 people dead and thousands of others wounded, the UN says. Local Yemeni sources, however, say the fatality figure is much higher.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/09/428482/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Yemen-Sanaa-Najran

Putin: question of Donbass future should be decided not by Russia

Russia's President Vladimir Putin says Donbass future should be decided not by Russia.

"Our souls and hearts are with Donbass," he told reporters. However, he said, "this serious matter is not decided by Russia".

Russia's President is sure there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements.

"The most important is that there should be established a direct contact" between the Kiev authorities and the authorities in Donetsk and Lugansk "in order to implement the Minsk agreements."

He said those agreements "read both the changes to the constitution, and the elections should be done with approval from Donbass."

"However, it (approval) is not organised," Putin said, stressing the importance of amnesty and "at last to implement the law adopted by Rada (on changes to the Ukrainian constitution regarding de-centralisation)."

The president pointed to the economic aspects of Minsk2.

"Coal from Donbass is being supplied now, and this means we also may begin supplies."

"I believe, we shall settle the issues regarding gas supplies, too," Putin added.

Putin: It may be possible to consider delaying execution of Minsk agreements

Vladimir Putin does not rule out delay of implementation of the Minsk agreements.

"A delay may be considered," he told reporters, adding most important is that the agreements are observed.

"Mister Kuchma (representing Kiev at the peace talks) told me they do not manage everything in time," he said. "In fact, it may be possible to consider some review of the timing, but it is much better to be implementing what we have achieved in Minsk."

"It is extremely important today that the shelling of Donbass from the positions of the (Ukrainian) military and from the volunteer battalions has stopped. I believe it is the most important recent achievement," the president said.

Minsk accords on settlement of crisis in Ukraine

A peace deal struck on February 12 in Minsk, Belarus, by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France envisaged a ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and people’s militias starting from February 15, followed by withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of military engagement and prisoner release.

The package of measures envisages the pullback of all heavy weapons by both parties to locations equidistant from the disengagement line in order to create a security zone at least 50 kilometres wide for artillery systems with a calibre of 100 mm or more, a zone of security 70 kilometres wide for multiple rocket launchers and a zone 140 kilometres wide for multiple rocket launchers Tornado-S, Uragan and Smerch and for Tochka-U tactical rocket systems.

The Ukrainian forces and the self-defence forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics (DPR and LPR) have repeatedly accused each other of violating ceasefire and other points of the Minsk agreements.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the violence in Ukraine has killed 6,500 people in the past year, wounded 16,000 and left 5 million people in need of humanitarian aid. With more than 1.3 million registered IDPs, Ukraine has now the ninth largest number of internally displaced in the world, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

President Obama directs administration to accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year

By Juliet Eilperin and Carol Morello 

President Obama has directed the U.S. government to accept at least 10,000 refugees from Syria in the next fiscal year, White House press secretary Josh Earnest announced Thursday, a six-fold increase over the number admitted this year to the United States.

The new figure, which Earnest described as an “ambitious goal,” reflected the growing pressure the administration faces to develop a more robust response to the spiraling humanitarian crisis that has grown out of armed conflict in Syria as well as neighboring countries. Earnest also urged other nations in Europe and the Mideast—including some that don’t typically welcome asylum seekers—to “ramp up” their willingness to take in Syrian refugees.

The administration’s response comes as a top European Union official earlier this week proposed spreading about 160,000 refugees across nearly two dozen countries.

So far, the United States has lagged far behind several European countries in its refu­gee aid efforts, largely due to the time-consuming screening procedure to block Islamist militants and criminals from entering the United States under the guise of being legitimate refugees.

Almost 1,600 Syrian refugees have arrived in the United States since the civil war began, according to State Department figures. Many of the Syrians so far have ended up moving to Michigan and California, where there are sizeable Arabic-speaking communities and where they often have family living already, said Kevin Appleby, director of migration policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which helps resettle a quarter of all refugees to this country.

When asylum seekers accepted for resettlement first arrive in the United States, most go to orientation programs run by a coalition of faith-based and refugee non-profit groups. These groups receive federal funds to help welcome the arriving refugees, determine the best place in the country for them to relocate, find housing, learn some English and start looking for jobs.

As refugees, they are eligible for Medicaid and become permanent residents authorized to work in the country. After a year, they are eligible for a green card, and five years after that, they can become U.S. citizens.

Video - President Obama's Weekly Address: A New College Scorecard

Punjab being run by ‘friends of terrorists’: Bilawal

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday criticised the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government, saying that the people of Punjab were being punished since their province was run by 'extremists,' their 'sympathisers' and 'friends of dictators.'

Punjab being run by ‘friends of terrorists... by dawn-news

“There can be no reconciliation with those who sympathise with extremists,” said Bilawal.

Speaking at a Kisan convention in Lahore, Bilawal claimed that the incumbent PML-N government was making it difficult for farmers and the masses to survive via its “anti-farmer policies.”

Amid chants of “Go Nawaz Go,” Bilawal accused the PML-N government of robbing farmers.

“Farmers are committing suicides and setting their own crops on fire as they are not being paid the due return of their hard work by the government.”

“The times are changing and the farmers and common people will not allow you to rule if you do not solve their problems”, Bilawal warned the ruling PML-N.

Reminding peasants and workers about what he said were the “farmer friendly” policies of the past PPP governments, Bilawal claimed his party had always paid the country’s farmers well for their produce and provided them power and urea on subsidised rates.

“Farmers are dying of hunger and you are rubbing salt on their wounds by launching projects like metro bus,” said Bilawal, taking a jab at the transport project for Lahore.

The PPP chairman also slammed PML-N's leadership for failing to live up to their promises of eliminating load shedding in two years.

About the ongoing anti-terror operation across Pakistan, the PPP chairman again took the PML-N to task, saying it was only after students of Army Public School of Peshawar lost their lives that the rulers realised an anti-terror operation was necessary.

“Otherwise they were holding dialogue with the Taliban.”

“Today they say that the whole nation is on the same page against terrorists and terrorism. But the reality is you have finally joined our ranks. I spoke against militancy and extremism when you were holding talks with them.”

Bilawal paid homage to the martyrs of Pakistan's war against terror.

After concluding his address, Bilal jumped into the crowd from the stage to meet party workers and farmers – a gesture appreciated by the crowd.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1206566/punjab-being-run-by-friends-of-terrorists-bilawal

Video - " Zinda Hai Bhutto "

Video - BENAZIR BHUTTO - Last Address

Video - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's Speech

#BilawalKiLalkaar - Kal Bhi Bhutto Zinda Tha

#BilawalKiLalkaar - Dilan Teer Bijan

#BilawalKiLalkaar پنجاب پر ایسے حکمران مسلط کیے گئے جو بابا بلھے شاہ کی دھرتی کے لئے سزا سے کم نہیں

پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے چیرمین بلاول بھٹو نے کہا ہے کہ حکمرانوں کو جو کرنا ہے وہ سیاسی انتقام سے نہیں بلکہ عدل اور انصاف سے کریں اور کسی کو سیاسی انتقام کا نشانہ نہ بنایا جائے جب کہ ملک میں انتقام کی سیاست کی روش ختم کی جائے۔
لاہور میں پیپلز پارٹی کے ورکرز کنونشن سے خطاب کے دوران بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ لاہور داتا کی نگری، ترقی پسندوں اور جمہوریت پسندوں کا شہر ہے لیکن اسے رجعت پسندوں کی نذر کیا گیا جب کہ پنجاب پر ایسے حکمران مسلط کیے گئے جو بابا بلھے شاہ کی دھرتی کے لئے سزا سے کم نہیں ہیں۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ ایک طرف فوج بزدل دشمنوں سے تو دوسری طرف دہشت گردوں سے لڑرہی ہے اور ایسی نازک صورت حال میں حکمران معیشت پر ضرب لگارہے ہیں جب کہ کسان جو کماتے ہیں وہ (ن) لیگ والے لوٹ کر لے جاتے ہیں۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ کشکول توڑنے کی باتیں کرنے والے آج قرضہ لے کر بغلیں بجارہے ہیں،حکمران نا تو خادم ہیں اور نا ہی اعلیٰ، ظالم حکمران کسان، مزدور اور غریب کے دشمن ہیں، کسان کھڑی فصل کو کاٹ نہیں رہا کیونکہ اسے معاوضہ نہیں مل رہا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ حکمران اپنی سمت درست کرلیں کیونکہ آنے والا وقت عوام کا ہے، آج غریب عوام پریشان ہے اور آپ میٹرو بسیں بنارہے ہیں جب کہ ملک میٹرو بسوں سے نہیں عوام سے ہوتا ہے اور یہاں میٹرو بس کے نام پر 20 کروڑ عوام کوبے وقوف نہیں بنایا جا سکتا۔
چیئرمین پیپلز پارٹی کا کہنا تھا کہ ملک نے بھی اور ہم نے آپ کی گڈ گورننس دیکھ لی ہے، 6 مہینے میں بجلی لانے کے وعدے کہاں گئے اور اب بجلی نہ لاسکنے والوں کو کس نام سے پکاراجائے جب کہ جس نندی پور پاور پروجیکٹ کو دھوم دھام سے شروع کیا اس کا کیا بنا، نیب اور ایف آئی اے نندی پور پاور پروجیکٹ کی تحقیقات کب کرے گی۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ آج ملک کے اہم ادارے بغیر سربراہوں کے کام کررہے ہیں او ر وزیراعظم نواز شریف کے میرٹ کے وعدے کیا ہوئے جب کہ وہ اپنے پسند کے لوگوں کو ملکی اداروں کے سربراہ لگاتے ہیں اور قومی اداروں کو کوڑیوں کے مول بیچا جارہا ہے،کیا نیب کے ہاتھ لرز اور ٹانگیں کانپ رہی ہیں ، پی آئی اے اور اسٹیل ملز کو کوڑیوں کے بھاؤ بیچنے نہیں دیں گے۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ حکمرانوں کو جو کرنا ہے وہ سیاسی انتقام سے نہیں بلکہ عدل اور انصاف سے کرے، کسی کو سیاسی انتقام کا نشانہ نہ بنائے۔ انتقام کی سیاست کی روش ختم کی جائے جب کہ ہم شہیدوں کے وارث ہیں اورہم پرہی دہشت گردی کے الزامات لگائے جارہے ہیں، ہم کل بھی اپنے بہادرجوانوں کے ساتھ تھے آج بھی ہیں۔ انہوں نے کہا جارہا ہے ضرب عضب اب شروع ہوا ہے ضرب عضب اب نہیں سوات آپریشن سے شروع ہواتھا، وزیر اعظم نواز شریف کہتے ہیں کہ دہشت گردی کے قوم ایک صفحے پر ہے ، شائد وہ بھول گئے ہیں کہ میں نے مذاکرات کے وقت دہشت گردوں کوللکاراتھا، درحقیقت حکمران اب میرے پیج پر آئے ہیں۔
پیپلز پارٹی کے سربراہ کا کہنا تھا کہ پیپلزپارٹی کی سیاست اب بھی غریبوں کی سیاست ہے، اپنے نانا ذوالفقار علی بھٹو کی طرح وہ سرمایہ دارانہ اور جاگیردارانہ نظام کے مخالف ہیں، وہ میں آج بھی یہی کہتے ہیں کہ سرمایہ دارانہ نظام نہیں چلے گا، وہ آج بھی کہتے ہیں کہ کسان کے دشمن سے کوئی مفاہمت نہیں ہوسکتی، کشمیر کی بات نہ کرنے والے سے مفاہمت نہیں ہوسکتی۔

Pakistan - Govt has handed over Lahore to sympathisers of terrorists: Bilawal

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday took aim at the Nawaz-led government at a rally held in Lahore, a bastion of PML-N support. 

“Lahore has been handed over to sympathisers of terrorists by the incumbent government,” said Bilawal, who arrived in Lahore earlier this week to hold meetings with members of PPP’s central and provincial executive councils in a bid to revamp the party in the province.

“At a time when our armed forces are driving terrorists’ out of the country, the current government is destroying the economy,” Bilawal said, while addressing farmers at the Kissan Convention.

Highlighting his party’s progressive stance on the economy, Bilawal said the country’s development is only possible through the introduction of fair and equitable policies, not by introducing the Metro Bus system.

Criticising the PML-N government, Bilawal said most government’s institution were operating without any heads or visionary leadership, leaving a big question mark over the government’s claims of good governance.

“The current government has destroyed Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and they are unable to give salaries to Steels Mills’ workers,” he said.

Commenting on the army’s ongoing operation against terrorists, Bilawal said Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched seven years ago when operations were launched in Swat and North Waziristan.

“Nawaz says that we all are on the same page against terrorism, whereas I say that he is now on my page as he only launched the operation when we lost the future of our country in the APS attack, while I called out at terrorists a long time back,” he said.

Video - #BilawalKiLalkaar: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s speech

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Speech In Lahore - 12th... by ayaz18

Pashto Music - Sardar Ali Takkar - پورته بدر راښکاره شو ـ ر حمان بابا