TURKEY - Turkey bombed Kurdish areas in north Iraq. Kurdish rebels have increased terror attacks recently. In Apr, a suicide bomb in Ankara killed 8 civilians. (BBC, Jun 9)
OMAN - 32 killed in Cyclone Gonu. The storm was the strongest to hit the Gulf for decades, damaging buildings and trees in the capital and leaving roads flooded. Electricity and water were cut. (BBC, Jun 8)
SAUDI ARABIA - Prince Bandar who negotiated a £40bn (R520bn) arms deal with UK got secret payments for a decade. UK's biggest arms dealer, BAE Systems, paid hundreds of millions of pounds to secure the deal for 100 warplanes which kept UK’s arms industry alive. (BBC, Jun 7)
SOMALIA - Somalia's first pres, Aden Abdulle Osman, died aged 99 in Kenya. He was the first African leader to voluntarily quit his post after he lost the 1967 election. (BBC, Jun 8)
PAKISTAN - Sheikh Sudais, imam of Haram in Makkah, is mediating between the Pakistan govt and 2 Darul Ulooms: Jamia Faridia and Jamia Hafsa. They want Islamic law in Pakistan and defied Musharraf recently. Sudais met Musaharraf also. (IOL, Jun 7)
PHILIPPINES - In a landmark meeting army commanders met 20 leaders of Muslim fighters seeking independence of the Muslim-majority region since the 1960’s. They discussed stabilizing a ceasefire agreement of Jul 2003. (IOL, Jun 9)
LEBANON - An army siege and bombing of a Palestinian refugee camp entered its 4th week. 3 Lebanese soldiers were killed Jun 9. (IOL, Jun 9)
PALESTINE - A Muslim graveyard in the West Bank was desecrated by Jewish worshippers. Anti-Arab slogans were sprayed on headstones and many were smashed. (Haaretz, Jun 8)
SA - 1. Moulana Qasim Sema, founder and principal of SA’s first Darul Uloom, passed away Jun 9. 2. Mufti Taqi Usmani, renowned scholar from Pakistan, visited PE. 3. 2nd International Halaal Conference for Africa to be held July 16 at Gallagher Estate. World experts will deliver papers. (News sources)
PALESTINE - Attacks on Muslim civilians are publicly called for: Israel's former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ruled there was no prohibition against indiscriminate killing of civilians in a military offensive on Gaza. He said in Jewish war ethics, all are responsible because they don’t stop Hamas rockets. (Jerusalem Post, May 30)
USA - A Saudi apparently committed suicide at Guantanamo in isolation in maximum-security. It’s the 4th since the concentration camp opened. Wells Dixon, US defence lawyer, said it’s hell on earth. After more than 5 years without charges, captives are desperate. (Independent, Jun 1)
PALESTINE - A UN map based on field monitoring and satellite images shows that Jewish infrastructure has made 40% of West Bank off-limits to Palestinians. The rest is isolated Palestinian spots. Movement between them is restricted by 450 roadblocks and 70 checkpoints. (Financial Times, Jun 4)
LIBYA - Oil giant BP struck a $900m deal to return to Libya after more than 30 years. (BBC, May 30)
UK - University and college academics back a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. (BBC, May 29)
MALAYSIA - The highest court rejected that a Muslim apostate be legally recognised as a Christian. Muslims can’t renounce Islam. (BBC, May 30)
AFGHANISTAN - Taleban shot down a Nato helicopter killing 7 UK and US soldiers. It is the 7th aircraft shot down since Apr 2005 with a total of 63 soldiers killed. (BBC, May 31)
IRAQ - 10 US soldiers killed May 28: 2 in a helicopter shot down and 8 in bombs totalling 112 US soldiers killed in May, bloodiest month this year. 3,500 US troops killed since the invasion. (BBC, May 29)
NIGERIA - Umaru Yar'Adua, a Muslim, won elections to become the new Pres. (BBC, May 29)
UK - The name Muhammad is set to be the most popular name in UK by year-end. (SAFM, Jun 6)
SAUDI ARABIA - General Electric is to sell its plastics arm to Saudi Basic Industries Corp, one of the world's largest petrochemical firms, for $11.6bn (R81.2bn). (BBC, May 21)
MAURITIUS - Hundreds of Muslims demonstrated after the Supreme Court forbade a Masjid in Quatre-Bornes from broadcasting azaan on outside speakers. (PANA, Apr 11)
WORLD NEWS JUNE 2007
