Pakistan ( 21 people have died from drinking clandestinely-made alcohol in Faisalabad )

ISLAMABAD – At least 21 people have died and 24 others are hospitalized after consuming clandestinely-made alcohol in Faisalabad, a city in Pakistan’s eastern Punyab province, police said Sunday.

The majority of the victims drank the alcohol on Thursday at a private party organized by a group of friends to celebrate the birth of a son, a police spokesman told the Express Tribune.

Four suspected distributors of the tainted alcohol have been arrested, the private Geo TV television network reported, citing officials.

The first deaths occurred Thursday night.

Many of the dead and sick are residents of Warispura, a Christian neighborhood in Faisalabad, although the majority of the names on the list of victims provided by the authorities are those of Muslims and only a few appear to be Christians, press reports said.

This type of tragedy occurs occasionally in Pakistan, which is officially an Islamic republic where the law permits only non-Muslims to buy and consume alcohol, and non-Muslims constitute only slightly more than 3 percent of the population.

However, a number of Muslims drink alcoholic beverages in private.

Honduras ( Suspect who killed Honduran Judge Arrested - in the city of El Progreso )

TEGUCIGALPA – Bairon Martinez, suspected murderer of Judge Mireya Mendoza in the northern Honduran city of El Progreso, has been arrested, officials said Sunday.

Martinez was taken to prison Saturday night by a judge with national jurisdiction on the charge of murdering the magistrate last Wednesday.

The accused was handed over to the courts in San Pedro Sula, 27 kilometers (17 miles) west of El Progreso, a few hours after being captured in the city where the crime was committed.

The judge overseeing the case ordered Martinez to be held in the San Pedro Sula penitentiary, officials added.

Martinez was captured Saturday during a raid in a neighborhood in El Progreso after authorities identified him on a security camera video that recorded the murder of Mendoza, 42.

According to the court report, the security video shows the moment when men on two motorcycles approached the vehicle the judge was driving and one of them, apparently Martinez, opened fire on her.

Mendoza’s vehicle was hit by more than 20 bullets, according to photos published by local media.

Mendoza is the 64th attorney or judge to be murdered in Honduras during the administration of Porfirio Lobo, who took office on Jan. 27, 2010, according to the country’s state-run Human Rights Commission.

Honduras is experiencing a crime wave that results in an average of 20 deaths per day, according to human rights organizations.

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Afghanistan ( Parliamentarian Vows Jihad Against Upcoming Talent Show )

Saturday, 27 July 2013   

An Islamic parliamentarian in Afghanistan warns that he will start a jihad against shows such as the planned "Afghanistan's Got Talent" and already existing shows of similar nature because of an unwanted Western influence upon the country.

Mohabat News - Shows modeled after "The Voice" and "Pop Idol" have been popular for quite some time in a nation with a youthful demographics and where television has proliferated since the Taliban left power in Kabul in 2001.

Abdul Sattar Khawasi is leading the campaign against talent and reality shows, and has the promise of the Afghan minister to review the programming, according to The Telegraph.

"I have already made it clear in the lower house that I am going to start a jihad against these kind of shows and programs on our television channels," Khawasi said.

Despite the popularity of the shows, many in Afghanistan are wary as they continue to live under strict laws by conservative clerics. However, there's been a surge in broadcasting and media since the five-year reign of the Taliban, when television, films and videos were banned, according to The Telegraph.

It is estimated that Afghanistan is now home to 75 television stations and 175 radio stations, and some say that it is a sign of the country's expanding democracy and freedom. Apparently, the demand for talent and reality shows has also grown.

Afghanistan's version of American Idol, "Afghan Star," has been one of the most popular shows on TV during eight prime-time seasons since 2005, according to AFP.

"Afghanistan's Got Talent," a local franchise of the show created by producer Simon Cowell, is scheduled to begin airing in October.

The shows have come with much resistance in some cases, such as during the first season of "Afghan Star," one woman went into hiding when her headscarf slipped as she danced.

"Voice of Afghanistan," patterned after "The Voice," has had a rough time this year when one of the three singing coaches was criticized heavily on social media sites for not wearing a headscarf and wearing figure-hugging clothes.

According to The Telegraph, messages posted on the show's Facebook page also include complaints about Afghan women shown dancing.

Khawasi added: "Look at its name, 'The Voice of Afghanistan,' how sweet the name is and how great it looks, but unfortunately look at the contents of the show – it does not represent the culture and customs of our country." / source: christianpost

EGYPT ( Egyptian Government Authorizes Military Police to Arrest Civilians )

 
CAIRO – Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, issued a decree giving Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi authorization to order the military police to arrest civilians.

According to the daily Al Wasat, which printed the decree published Sunday in the official state bulletin, Mansour extended a series of presidential prerogatives to Beblawi, including the arrest authorization.

The move may be interpreted as another step to increase the repression of demonstrators supporting deposed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted by the military on July 3.

Since the lifting in May 2012 of the emergency law, which had been in effect in Egypt since 1981 ostensibly to fight terrorism, the police had been the only organization allowed to arrest civilians.

However, on June 13, 2012, the Justice Ministry issued a decree authorizing the military police to arrest civilians for specific common crimes, although a few days later the Supreme Administrative Court in Cairo ordered that measure suspended.