NEWS : some are good, and the most are bad news and there is what make you laught and repulsively....This is the Middle East

Gaza women hide drugs in 'private parts': source

A Palestinian drug enforcement official said drugs are often hidden in women's bodies – including their private parts – to smuggle illicit substances from Egypt to Gaza.
The latest of such cases was a Palestinian woman who stuffed her bra with large amounts of heroin after her breasts were removed due to cancer, Colonel Abdul-Halim al-Aloul, Head of the Palestinian Drug Combating Department.
women hide drugs in their hair or armpits, he said, and some even resort to more private areas such as their vaginas, considered a relatively easy way to smuggle the illegal substances.

Aloul said pills – usually ecstasy or LSD – are simply wrapped in small plastic bags and inserted in women's vaginas.
said there is little chance of being discovered as women's bodies are rarely searched in the conservative society.
"Only X-rays or well-trained dogs can detect the drugs, and we have neither
Aloul accused Israel of laxity in combating drug trafficking into Palestinian areas, both from Egypt and Israel itself, especially Occupied Jerusalem.
"We do not control the crossings, and Israel doesn't care if these drugs are all over Palestine," he said, adding that drugs constitute a real danger to Palestinians.
Aloul said Israeli settlers in Occupied Jerusalem, Hebron and Bethlehem often cultivate drugs on Palestinian land.
security forces enjoy little -- if any -- authority over these areas, which are controlled by the Israeli army, he added. Afaf Rabei of the Jerusalem-based al-Sadiq al-Taieb (Good Friend) rehabilitation center told that she treats many cases of drug overdoses and substance abuse, especially LSD cases among children as young as 12 years old.
most common drugs, Rabei added, are morphine, opium, heroin and marijuana.
But the most dangerous is hash, which sometimes comes mixed with toxic substances, she warned
This makes the addict totally lose contact with reality and become extremely aggressive. In many cases, it leads to death," Rabei said.


Lebanon sectarian riots leave 14 wounded

Lebanese soldiers deployed in several mixed Sunni-Shiite streets of Beirut and ended sectarian riots that left at least 14 people injured and several cars and shops smashed.


A new bout of street clashes erupted between armed supporters of rival political factions in the Lebanese capital late on Saturday, a security official said.


"They are armed and throwing stones at each other and the army and security forces have been deployed in force to contain the violence," the official told AFP.


"The army intervened and fired into the air to separate the two sides," he said, adding that the injured were taken to hospital.
Lebanese television reported that several shops were set ablaze, while the security official said one house was burned down and a car was set on fire by Molotov cocktails thrown by the militants.


Security sources said followers of Sunni Muslim Saad al-Hariri's Future Trend movement battled supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah and Amal groups with sticks, knives and stones in Ras al-Nabei, Mazraa and Barboor areas of Beirut.


It was not clear what sparked the night-time clashes but tension has been simmering for weeks.


Smaller incidents have been reported almost on daily basis.


Hariri's anti-Syrian ruling coalition is locked in a 15-month-old power struggle against an opposition led by Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran.


The political crisis has left Lebanon without a president since November.


It has spilled into deadly street clashes on several occasions over the past year.


Last month seven Shiite protesters were shot dead, mainly by Lebanese troops.


On Saturday, scores of Lebanese soldiers fired into the air to disperse rioters from both sides. At least 14 people, many with broken bones or cuts, were injured in the fights.


Some media reported both sides exchanged fire in some places but security sources said most of the shooting was by troops and into the air.






Jordan still struggles with "honor" killings


Strangled by her brother, the 17-year-old girl died in a squalid Palestinian refugee camp that clings to a hillside near the Jordanian town of Jerash. The woman, who had been married for eight months, was the second killed in Jordan this month in a so-called "honor" crime -- the murder of a woman accused of shaming her family

Every year thousands of women are killed for notions of family honor worldwide, mainly in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, but also in Muslim communities in the West. Jordan's penal code still offers leniency to a man who commits such a crime in a "fit of rage"

High-profile campaigns to change the law, which have sometimes had royal family support, have failed to sway tribal-dominated parliaments.
But the debate has dragged the issue into the open and, unusually in the Arab world, Jordan has begun tackling other once-taboo areas such as domestic violence and child abuse.

"Talking about it is a first step to finding a solution," said Eva Abu Halaweh, a 34-year-old human rights lawyer and director of Mizan, a private group working with women at risk.
But in the impoverished backstreets of the Jerash refugee camp, relatives of the murdered girl -- no names in the case have been made public -- greet strangers with a wall of silence."What's already happened is enough," a woman snapped before shooing children inside and closing the door of the family's cinderblock home in an alley with an open drain running down it.

The victim's husband, a young man in a baseball cap, stood chatting with friends on a corner, but bolted into his house rather than talk about his wife's death.



A Jordanian prosecutor has charged a 20-year-old man with premeditated murder. Local newspapers said he had stuffed a scarf in his sister's mouth, choked her with an electric cable and smoked a pack of cigarettes before turning himself in.

Some versions of events say he had been angered by his sister's absences from home. "If she was guilty, then she deserved it," said a college student in the refugee camp, who gave his name as Mohammed.


Women can easily fall under male suspicion in Jordan's conservative society, where tribal and Islamic traditions coexist uneasily with the inroads of modernity and consumerism

Honor" crimes are nothing new -- authorities in Jordan prosecuted 18 cases in 2006 and a similar number in 2007, although some rights activists say the real figures are higher.


The practice is most common in tribal Muslim societies, even though many Islamic scholars say the Quran does not sanction it and warn Muslims against taking the law into their own hands.

"There are very few real honor killings," Abu Halaweh said at Mizan's bustling Amman office. "Many murders are for other reasons like disputes over inheritance.

Of course the killers and their lawyers will always look for ways to avoid penalties.

"Perpetrators of "honor" crimes may escape with six months to two years in jail.

Few suffer social stigma. Attitudes are slowly changing, rights campaigners say. Judges are less ready to accept the "fit of fury" defence, and efforts to deal with broader domestic violence are under way.A year ago, the Ministry of Social Development set up Dar al-Wifaq (house of reconciliation), which has helped 290 women and girls referred by police because they had run away from home or had been battered, sexually abused or neglected.


Halaweh's group helps run shelters for vulnerable women who would otherwise be put in police protective custody -- some have spent years in enforced refuge from their families. "They need protection, then reintegration," Abu Halaweh said, stressing the need to work with the families of victims.
cited two women, who both survived after being shot by relatives, who had returned home after mediation and psychological support for both parties. "One was pregnant after being raped, but now the family has accepted her," she said.
Jordan has recognized that children as well as women can suffer physical, sexual or emotional abuse within the family."We were the first Arab country to admit there is abuse and to say we should deal with it," said Nancy Naghour, manager of Dar al-Aman, a government-funded center that has provided temporary shelter and therapy for abused children since 2000.

Dar al-Aman (House of Safety) also counsels the families, aiming to ensure the children can eventually return home safely.In one room at the center, a comfortable apartment block on the edge of Amman that can house 32 children, youngsters drawing at a table respond cheerily when greeted.


another, a newly arrived boy of 11 with tormented eyes still seems ill at ease.A bill to protect children and women from violence at home has passed parliament's lower house and awaits senate approval.


sets up conciliation committees to give women a chance to halt abuse without pressing charges or seeking a divorce."Women hesitate to complain about their husbands, fathers or brothers. They don't want them to be sent to prison or fined," Abu Halaweh said.
"At the same time, there is a new generation of women and many say they won't accept violence.
" Jordan has made a start on tackling issues that many Arab countries barely acknowledge, but women's rights advocates say the persistence of "honour" crimes shows it still has far to go.


We've had it in the public domain quite some time, but there are no changes," said Amal Sabbagh, a lecturer at Jordan University's Center for Women's Studies.
"People are happy with the status quo.


go through the motions of change."





Vanity plate '1' sells for $14 million in UAE


batting an eyelid, a UAE businessman dished out a record 14 million dollars for a car license plate at a charity auction in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.



"It is not huge compared to my family's fortune," Saeed Abdel Ghaffar Khouri said after bidding 52.2 million dirhams (14.2 million dollars) for an Abu Dhabi license plate bearing the single number "1".



"The price is fair. After all, who among us does not want to be number one," Khouri told AFP.
Emirates Auction, which organized the sale, said on its website that it had been expected to set a new world record for the most expensive car license plate in the world.In May, another citizen of the oil-rich UAE spent 6.8 million dollars to buy a licence plate bearing the number "5".Funds from the auction will go to charities, including one to build a hospital for casualties from road accidents.

According to official figures 312 people died in traffic accidents in 2006 in Dubai alone, up 32 percent on the previous year and giving the emirate one of the world's highest road mortality rates of 21.9 per 100,000 inhabitants.



Buyers battled it out on Saturday for 90 low digit licence plates, spending a total of 89 million dirhams (about 24 million dollars), said Abdullah al-Mannaei of Emirates Auction."Emiratis love cars and everything related to cars. They also love giving to charity," he said, adding that Abu Dhabi now had the seven most expensive licence plates in the world.



The auction was held in the plush surroundings of the Emirates Palace Hotel on the Abu Dhabi waterfront.

The licence plates were displayed to eager bidders on a line of gleaming luxury cars. A Mercedes carried the number "1111" while a Ferrari sported "100"



The plates fetched 632,000 and 768,000 dollars respectively.But the number "1" plate that made the record price was unveiled to prospective buyers attached to a Pagani Zonda -- one of the world's fastest and most expensive cars.Khouri conceded to AFP that he would have been willing to pay up to 100 million dirhams (27.4 million dollars) to get his hands on the number "1".




Book on Prophet's sex life draws anger, threats

Muslim leaders have issued fatwas calling for the death of the female author of a controversial new book, Love and Sex in the Prophet's Life, which was circulated at the Cairo International Book Fair last month

I wanted to explain sex from the real Islamic perspective and to make it the reference for having a healthy sexual life," Egyptian writer Passant Rashad said

"When I mentioned the prophet I meant to demonstrate how his relationship with his wives was the perfect example of a healthy sexual life that is devoid of the complications Arabs try to impose on it these days."

But the book has drawn sharp criticism. Independent Egyptian MP Mustafa al-Gindi complained to the Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosny, earlier this month saying the book insults the Prophet and his wives, especially his third wife Aisha. "The book contains parts about positions and orgasms, which is totally inappropriate for a book that had the prophet's name in its title," said Gindi.A religious TV channel in Egypt denounced the publication and hosted a series of sheikhs – Islamic leaders – who accused her of apostasy and called for her killing, even if she were to repent."I kept silent, hoping this campaign will end or those sheiks will contact me to discuss the book, but none of that happened.

Now I fear for my life," Rashad told us.In the aftermath of the fatwa, Rashad said that a bearded man came to her house on Thursday and threatened her.

"He banged on the door at two in the morning and asked my husband if I was the author whose bloodshed is sanctioned

He told him that many problems are coming my way, then left

Rashad said she is not an apostate and would never insult the prophet.

On the contrary, she said she aimed to refute the myths propagated by the enemies of Islam, who portray the prophet as obsessed with women.

Meanwhile, Islamic thinker Gamal al-Banna called for an end to the fatwas on writers.

"This is a backward way to understand Islam. We have to eliminate this torrent of fatwas through reasoning and refutation of these lies. It is only then that those bloodshed Sheiks will find no audience.

"He called upon Arab information ministers to ban televised fatwas that wreak havoc in society and make intellectuals live in constant fear

Jordan churches warn against missionary sects

The Council of Churches in Jordan, representing the country's Christian community, on Saturday warned against what it called 40 "sects" carrying out troublesome missionary work in the Kingdom under the guise of doing charity work.

"The presence of sects in Jordan is multiplying and today there are 40 sects who have groups of Christian preachers who operate under the cover of performing social and cultural charitable activities," a spokesman for the council claimed in a statement.

The statement further accused the sects, which it did not identify, of misusing the great facilities presented by the Jordanian government to them as charity and human organizations to instead carry out missionary works.
“These sects are now seeking the status of churches, overstepping their social or educational roles.

”It said the actions of the sects "threaten the security of the country" and "create religious discord at the heart of the Christian community and between Muslims and Christians."Jordan's Christian community is estimated at around four percent of the 5.8 million-strong population and comprises Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Armenian Catholics and Latins

UAE court upholds 15-yr sentences in rape case

An appeals court in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday upheld 15-year jail terms handed down against two Emiratis convicted of raping a French-Swiss teenager, an AFP journalist said.

The judge in Dubai took just a few seconds to announce his ruling after proceedings opened.

The defense wanted the sentences pronounced on December 12 to be quashed, and a lawyer for the two men told AFP after Sunday's ruling that a further appeal would be lodged with the Supreme Court.

Prosecutors had demanded the maximum punishment, which could have meant the death penalty.

A third defendant is being tried in a juvenile court. One of the men who raped the European teenager was HIV-positive, but he has since been found to be clear of the sexually transmittable disease.

The boy's mother, Veronique Robert, launched a media campaign to publicize the case and gather support for her demand that the UAE recognize homosexual rape in its legal system and set up institutions to treat people with AIDS.She protested against the original verdict, saying that "15 years is nothing for someone who knew he had AIDS.

"Three men offered the victim a lift from a Dubai mall last July 14 but then drove into the desert where the teenager was raped while being threatened with a knife and a billiard cue, according to the charges.Defense lawyers claimed the victim had consented to sex and had lied to the Emirati authorities

Arabs slam 'crimes against humanity' in Gaza

The Arab League on Sunday accused Israel of carrying out "crimes against humanity" in the Gaza Strip after eight Palestinians were killed in a blast blamed on the Jewish state."The latest carnage is a yet another sign of Israel's immorality in the occupied Palestinian territories," League Secretary General Amr Moussa's spokesman said in a statement.

Israel "is committing crimes against humanity in Gaza," the 22-member pan-Arab body said.
Eight people, including senior Palestinian militant Ayman al-Fayed, his 37-year-old wife and three of their children aged 21, 19 and six, were killed in an explosion in Gaza on Friday for which Israel denied responsibility.

Three other people were also killed while 42 others, including 17 children, were wounded.

Palestinian groups have rejected Israel's denial of involvement in the blast, saying it was caused by an air strike.

troops on Sunday killed four Palestinians, including a civilian, in its latest assault on the Gaza Strip aimed at stopping rockets being launched at Israel.More than184 people have been killed since peace talks were formally relaunched at a U.S. conference in November, the vast majority of them Gaza militants, according to an AFP tally

UAE reshuffles cabinet, doubles women to 4

The United Arab Emirates reshuffled the cabinet on Sunday, naming new economy and labor ministers and doubling to four the number of women ministers.Sheikha Lubna al-Qassimi, the former economy minister, was named to head the new foreign trade ministry, while Sheikh Sultan bin Saeed al-Mansouri became economy minister, the official WAM news agency reported.Social Affairs Minister Mariam al-Rumi retained her post while Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, brought in two more women as ministers of state, the official WAM news agency reported.

They are Maitha al-Shamsi, assistant to the deputy head of UAE University for scientific research, and Reem al-Hashemi, who served as deputy ambassador to Washington and assistant to the foreign minister for economic affairs.The UAE ambassador to Washington, Saqr Ghubash, was named minister of labor, succeeding Ali al-Kaabi, who was dropped from government.Labor is a key portfolio in a country where expatriate workers and their dependents make up nearly 80 percent of the population of more than four million.The board chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Obaid al-Tayer, entered the cabinet as minister of state for financial affairs.

Theywas no change in the key ministries of energy, foreign affairs and interior.

The defense portfolio has long been held by Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed, who also serves as vice president of the seven-member Gulf federation. The changes come amid high levels of inflation and spiraling cost of living, with inflation officially put at 9.3 percent in 2006.