Ousted Egypt president detained over Hamas contact

CAIRO: An investigating judge has ordered the detention of Egypt's ousted president over alleged contacts with Hamas to help in his escape from prison in 2011, the official state news agency reported Friday in the first official word on his status since a military coup on July 3.

The MENA news agency said Mohammed Morsi has been detained for 15 days for investigation into the charges. His detention can be extended as the inquiry continues.

The news agency indicated that Morsi has already been interrogated.

Islamic Body Set to Ban Amplification of Mosque Sermons

Indonesian cities may soon be a bit quieter, as an influential Islamic body has announced it will issue a ban on the amplification of mosque services.

“We’re discussing the technical detail and the concept,” said Jusuf Kalla, head of Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), on Tuesday, as quoted by Kompas.com.

Jusuf, who’s also a former vice president of Indonesia, said that it’s alright for the mosque to use the loudspeaker for azan (call for prayer) but not for other purposes.

Waliur Rehman buried, say intelligence officials

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistani intelligence officials said the Pakistani Taliban's deputy leader has been buried after his death in a US drone strike.

The killing of Waliur Rehman has not been confirmed by the White House or the official Pakistani Taliban spokesman. But it would be a major blow to the militant group.

The US had accused Rehman of involvement in a 2009 suicide attack in Afghanistan that killed seven CIA employees.

Jamaat calls for calm on China, Pakistan issues

Report by Subhash Chopra

Expressing concern over the Chinese incursions in the Doulat Beg Oldie sector of Ladakh in violation of international rules, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has called for a peaceful resolution of the issue. And it cautioned against emotional exaggeration and media hype  ;to avoid escalation of tensions between India and China. It also called for calm and peace between India and Pakistan over the treatment of prisoners in the two countries resulting in the death of Sarabjit Singh of India  ;in Lahore and the murderous attack on Sannaullah Khan of Pakistan in Jammu. Both cases showed utter neglect  ;by the jail authorities in the two countries and were utterly condemnable.

Acid thrown on three women in Multan

MULTAN: Two people have thrown acid on three women, a mother and two daughters, in village Nauranga on the outskirts of Multan. Police said that they have arrested one suspect and the injured were shifted to Nishtar Hospital Multan.

According to police, Altaf and Naveed had some enmity with Aziza Mai and the accused wanted to take revenge from the woman.

“On Tuesday morning they went to her house and threw acid on her,” said police.

Thousands of Yemenis deported from Saudi Arabia

Sana: Saudi Arabia has begun deporting thousands of Yemeni labourers following new regulations requiring foreigners to work only for their sponsors, a Yemeni official said on Monday, a move that could “significantly damage” the poor country’s economy.

Some two million of Yemen’s 25 million citizens work abroad, more than half of them in larger and richer neighbour Saudi Arabia. Remittances bring in $2 billion (Dh7.34 billion) a year to Yemen, a country still grappling with revolt, a separatist movement and an Islamist insurgency.

Mali troops sweep Timbuktu for Islamist rebels after battle

BAMAKO: Malian troops swept Timbuktu for remaining Islamist fighters after a weekend battle that left seven dead and forced France to dispatch reinforcements and fighter jets to help Mali’s army.

By late Sunday relative calm had been restored, after Islamist militants used the chaos created by a suicide bombing on Saturday night to infiltrate the city and engage French and Malian troops in a day-long battle that left four more rebels, a soldier and a civilian dead.