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Leading News
PM holds RAJUK responsible for
unplanned Dhaka city
She warns tough action against those who built illegal
buildings in capital by filling lakes, canals
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday blamed the
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha for its past negligence that
led to the unplanned growth of Dhaka city.
"RAJUK gave permission for constructing buildings without
any plan putting Dhaka city into a deplorable state," she
said while laying the foundation of a project to build
apartments for lower and lower-middle income groups under
the Uttara 3rd phase.
Some 22,500 apartments will be constructed under the
project and distributed among the lower and lower-middle
income groups on hire purchase basis.
The Prime Minister said in the past RAJUK allowed
construction of multistoried buildings without looking
into the condition of the utility services like water,
gas, sewerage lines and electricity.
"A place wherein one family used to live in the past, now
35 families are living there, but RAJUK did not consider
the capacity of the utility services while giving the
permission for high-rise buildings."
She asked the RAJUK and other concerned authorities to
make sure that the utility services are in place before
giving any permission in the future.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun and State Minister for Housing
and Public Works Abdul Mannan Khan attended the function
as special guests while Housing and Public Works Secretary
MA Hannan presided over it.
Sheikh Hasina noted that it was a practice in the past to
give permission illegally in exchange of money without
considering the future consequences. "This will no longer
be acceptable," she said. She also asked the authorities
concerned to consider environment and climate aspects
before giving any kind of permission for high-rise
buildings and housing plots.
"You also have to ensure that there is provision of
adequate fire-fighting equipment at the time of the
construction of apartments," she said.
The Prime Minister said her government is working hard to
ensure housing for each people in urban and rural areas.
She said tough action will be taken against those who
would illegally occupy lakes and canals. "There are many
illegal buildings and structures in the city that were
constructed by filling lakes and canals. We'll take tough
action against the people who had done this."
Hasina accused the past BNP-led alliance government of
allowing their Ministers, MPs and relatives to fill up the
lakes and canals illegally. On the present scenario of
Dhaka city, she said: "It seems to me that Dhaka city is
the most densely populated and unplanned city in the
world."
BNP demo comes under attack in city: 10 injured
Govt urged to resolve water, power and gas crises
immediately
UNB, Dhaka
BNP demonstration for utility services came under attack
at Rajabazar in the city Wednesday by ruling party
activists that left at least 10 people wounded.
Demonstration as part of 2-day programme launched by the
main opposition party was held at 8 points in the city
demanding electricity, water and gas supply.
Spot accounts of the incident at Rajabazar said BNP
activists of ward No. 39 and 40 covering Tejgaon-Karwan
bazar, Shere-Bangla Nagar, Rajabazar areas assembled at
Boubazar of Rajabazar. The ruling party activists attacked
the demonstrators at about 3-30pm.
The attackers coming through different lanes chased the
demonstrators with brickbats, sticks and rods. Brickbats
were also rained on them from the rooftops around the
place.
Tariqul Islam Bahalul, Giasuddin Milon, Shahidul Islam,
Mofazzel Mia, Shahjahan Raj, Golam Sarwar, Sirajul Islam,
Swapan and Bachhu injured in the sudden attack were rushed
to the Al Rajee Hospital at Farmgate. BNP standing
committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossian was scheduled
to join the demonstration at Rajabazar but he could not
reach the venue. Stick wielding police dispersed the
demonstrators and took away the microphone.
Officer in charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar thana Riaz
Hossain told UNB that a group of people of Rajabazar
informed them that there is no crisis of electricity, gas
and water in their area and hence they do not want any
demonstration. They demanded to stop the demonstration or
they will do it themselves. Police contingent was rushed
to the place to avert the clash, said the thana officer.
Asked about taking away the microphone he said the
organizers of demonstration did not take prior permission
for holding rally there.
Activists of the ruling Awami League and its front
organizations BCL and Jubo League brought out processions
and paraded different lanes in Rajabazar area chanting
slogans against BNP.
BNP vice-president of ward No. 40 Mizanur Rahman told UNB
that assistant secretary of ward AK Aazd was injured and
was taken away by attackers. His whereabouts was not known
till 4:30 pm.
Some leaders and workers rushed to the Al Rajee Hospital
from where a procession was brought out to protest the
attack on peaceful demonstration. The procession paraded
through the areas chanting anti-government slogans.
Law
Minister dismisses SCBA demand over 2 new HC judges
UNB, Dhaka
Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed on Wednesday
dismissed the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) demand
for canceling the appointment of two "controversial"
lawyers M Ruhul Quddus and M Khasruzzaman as additional
judges of the High Court.
"The question does not arise at all, as the notification
on the appointments of 17 additional judges of the High
Court was made public in compliance with the Constitution
and convention," he told UNB at his Law Ministry office.
Asked whether the Chief Justice departed from his
constitutional obligation by administering oath of office
to 15, leaving out two newly appointed additional judges,
the technocrat-Minister declined to make any comment.
Barrister Shafique, however, said since the notification
is still in force, the remaining two appointed additional
judges wait for taking oath of office. "And I believe they
will take oath soon."
Meanwhile, Chief Justice M Fazlul Karim gave a "positive"
indication to a group of pro-Awami League lawyers,
including seven SCBA office bearers, in resolving the
crisis over administering oath to the two new judges of
the High Court.
Emerging from the office of the Chief Justice, they told
the reporters that the crisis would be over soon following
the assurance given by the Chief Justice.
Replying to a question, the pro-Awami League lawyers said
that the image of the Supreme Court would be upheld if
oath of office was given to the two judges - Quddus, a
suspect-murderer, and Khasruzzaman, an alleged vandal of
the Supreme Court.
They further said that the two appointees were politically
victimized by a section of the SCBA representing BNP and
Jamaat-e-Islami.
On April 11, President Zillur Rahman appointed 17
additional judges to the High Court for two years in
consultation with the Supreme Court.
But a day before the oath taking, the Chief Justice
declined to administer oath to the two new appointees -
advocates M Ruhul Quddus and M Khasruzzaman - due to
unavoidable circumstances.
Hafiz demands deferment of by-poll by
seven days
UNB, Bhola
BNP candidate in the Bhola-3 by-election has demanded
deferring the Saturday's polls by seven days.
Addressing a hurriedly called press conference at his
residence at 4pm Wednesday Hafiz said deferring the polls
is essential to create a congenial atmosphere for voting
by recovery of all fire arms and expelling outsides from
the constituency. Terrorists have also to be rounded up
before holding the polls, he added.
Asked if h will step aside if his demands are not met
Hafiz said, "I want to stay in the fight. But the final
decision will be taken after consulting the party chief
Khaleda Zia."
When contacted in Dhaka, Election Commissioner M Suhol
Hossain refrained from making any comment on the demands
of Hafizuddin. "We are not aware of his demands made in
the press conference. The CEC is returning from Bhola
tomorrow. Let us see and wait."
Meanwhile, in Dhaka, BNP Central leader Shahidullah
Chowdhury Annie and former MP Hafiz Ibrahim were present
at the press conference.
Opposition BNP has sought the Election Commission's
permission to its senior leaders for observing the Bhola-3
by-election scheduled for Saturday.
A BNP delegation led by its senior joint secretary general
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called on Election
Commissioners M Suhol Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M
Sakhawat Hossain at the Election Commission secretariat
this afternoon..
The BNP delegation handed over letter to the commissioners
demanding that a 20-member team comprising MPs and senior
leaders would visit the Bhola-3 constituency to observe
the polling. The Election Commissioners assured of
considering the demand, said a member of the delegation.
Power generation to
reach 9426mw by 2015: State Minister
UNB, Dhaka
The government is likely to take a decision soon in favour
of open pit mining of coal, State Minister for Energy and
Power Mohammad Enamul Haque said Wednesday.
"If coal is extracted through open pit mining method,
we'll get the optimum output. So, it would be better to go
for open pit mining after addressing the social issues
relevant to the mining," he told a discussion meeting at
the National Press Club, organized by the Energy Reporters
Forum.
"We have to convince the local people about the advantages
of the open pit coal mining so that they do not oppose
it," he added.
The state minister presented a paper stating the plan of
the government to increase the electricity generation to
9426 MW by 2015 through implementing a short-medium-long
term plan.
"This may sound an ambitious plan, but it is a must to
increase the power generation to reach us to a middle
income country," Enamul said adding about 40 percent
people are living below the poverty line who do not have
access to the electricity. At present, the country's
available generation capacity is 3800-4000 MW.
According to the government plan, about 920MW will be
added to the national grid by 2011. The generation will be
raised to 1369 MW by 2012, 1975 MW by 2013, 1770 MW by
2014 and 2600 MW by 2015.
The minister said that 40-50 percent power will be
generated in the private sector while the rest will come
from public sector. An Energy Fund is being created to
implement the power projects.
Blaming past government of BNP for failure in power
generation, the state minister claimed that not a single
megawatt power was generated during the last 7 years.
He also claimed that after assuming power, the present
government added 700 MW to the national grid.
He mentioned that during the BNP regime, some power
projects were approved by the Cabinet Purchase Committee,
but later those were cancelled by the Prime Minister's
Office. He held the BNP responsible for the present power
crisis.
Investigation into war crimes moves
slowly for lack of facilities
UNB, Dhaka
Although the government hastily began the process of trial
for the crimes against humanity committed during the 1971
Liberation War, the investigation process has seemingly
slowed down due to inadequate logistics support.
There has not been much progress in the investigation
process since the formation of a three-member tribunal,
seven-member investigation agency and 10-member
prosecution cell on March 25.
"It's true the investigation is not progressing as
expected due to inadequate manpower, office space,
transports and other logistics support," Chief
Investigator Abdul Mannan told UNB.
"Even there is no computer or typist to type letters," he
said. He said the members of the investigation agency need
to visit every spot where crimes were committed but "where
are the transports to go to the spots?"
Asked about the time needed to complete the investigation,
the chief investigator said it is difficult to predict.
"When we started we thought it could be finished quickly.
But now it seems it will take more time. As the time
passes, it seems harder." It was learnt that the members
of the investigation agency feel insecure in conducting
the investigation as the government has not provided
sufficient security for them.
Back Page
PM to lay foundation of Chandpur
150 MW CC Power Plant project Sunday
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to lay the
foundation of 150 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant project in
Chandpur district on April 25 (Sunday).
Besides attending the function at the power plant project
as the chief guest, the Prime Minister will also exchange
views with the officials of the district administration
and Awami League leaders and activists on the day.
Power Development Board (PDB) on February 10 this year
signed deals with Chinese company China Chengda
Engin-eering Co Ltd (CCECL) to install the Chandpur
combined cycle power plant.
According to the timeframe set by the PDB, the plant is
expected to generate electricity by Dece-mber next year.
China Chengda Engi-neering Co Ltd (CCECL) will install the
power plant at a cost of Tk 1005.77 crore (about US$145.76
million).
As per the agreement, the Chinese company will provide the
equipment and install their respective plants under a
turnkey contract.
The agreement also said CCECL will complete the supply and
installation job of gas turbine unit of the Chandpur plant
by 450 days and its steam turbine unit by 650 days from
the date of contract-signing.
The Chandpur plant's gas turbine will come from GE Energy
of France while its gas turbine generator from Brush
Company of Czech Republic.
The 150MW Chandpur plant will have a simple-cycle 100MW
gas turbine, rotary engine that uses a continuous stream
of fluid (gas or liquid) to turn a shaft that can drive
machinery.
It will also have a water or hydraulic turbine used to
drive electric generators in hydroelectric power stations
and a 50MW steam-turbine machine.
Meanwhile, experts and high officials in the power sector
told UNB that country's long-standing power crisis will be
a key factor for the government to start electricity
generation from the Chandpur 150MW CC power plant within
the PDB-fixed timeframe.
Hundreds rendered homeless by
Nor’wester in Habiganj and Rangamati
UNB, Habiganj
A tea garden worker was killed and extensive damage caused
to dwelling houses and standing crops by norwester that
swept over three upazilas of the district on Tuesday
night.
Brajatati, 25, of Chanpur village died on the spot as he
came in touch of electric wire snapped by the storm.
More than 1000 houses were razed to the ground or blown
away, trees uprooted, power lines snapped and standing
boro crops damaged by the severe storm.
Tin roofs of a number of educational institutions
including Gazipur School & College were blown away. The
storm swept over Chunarughat, Bahubal and Nabinagar
upazila. The worst affected unions are Gazipur, Ahmmadabad,
Mirashi and Bangaon. Locals said the severe storm hit the
upazilas twice at night.
Another report from Ran-gamati said cyclone like storm
tore through eight unions of Baghai-chhari upazila at
about 3 am Wednesday.
The storm left a trail of devastation Khedarmara,
Bagh-aichhari, Saroatoli, Rupkari, Marishwa, Shajek,
Bangaltoli and Amtoli unions. Houses were razed to the
ground, trees uprooted, electric poles broken and
extensive damage caused to standing boro crop.
Ban assures of making
Bangla one of UN official languages
BSS, New York
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has assured Speaker Abdul
Hamid Advocate of taking necessary measures to make Bangla
as one the official languages of the UN.
The assurance came as Speaker Abdul Hamid Advocate had a
meeting with Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters Tuesday. He
sought UN Secretary general's support to materialize the
demand raised by Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
in the last UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Speaker Abdul Hamid informed the Secretary General that
the National Assembly of Bangladesh has adopted a
resolution in this regard.
Expressing his gratitude to the UN for extending support
to hold the last general election in Bangladesh, the
Speaker said democracy is getting institutional shape in
Bangladesh.
Speaker Abdul Hamid also exchanged views with the
Secretary General on various issues, including
Bangladesh's stride to achieve MDGs and fight climate
change.
Members of the parliamentary delegation Abdul Momin
Talukder, Seber Hossain Chowdhury, Israfil Alam, Reza Ali
and Bangladesh's Permanent Representative in the UN Dr AK
Abdul Momemn were present. The Speaker presented a crest
and a copy of the resolution adopted by the Bangladesh
National Assembly on Non-Proliferation Treaty to the UN
Secretary General.
Saber Hossain Chow-dhury presented a crest from Bangladesh
All-Party Parliamentary Group to Ban-Ki-moon.
Meanwhile, chairman of all party parliamentary group on
climate change in the parliament Seber Hossain Chowdhury
in a debate at UN headquarters urged the nations to spend
their resources to combat climate change, not for
armament. He extended Bangladesh's full support to
Secretary General's five-point disarmament plan.
CU academic
activities stalled for students’ strike
BSS, Chittagong
The academic activities in Chittagong University (CU)
remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day Wed-nesday
following indefinite strike, enforced on the campus by
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).
The presence of the students on the campus was very thin,
as the university shuttle train remained almost empty and
could not ply due to obstruction by the agitating
students. A group of agitating students kidnapped railway
guard, Siraj from Bibirhat near Sholoshahar railway
station Wednesday and released after 2 hours. Later, the
train plied to the university campus.
BCL enforced the indefinite strike to press home its six-
point demand, including trial of Asad's killers and
resignation of the Vice-Chancellor and Students' Adviser
of the university. CU Proctor Dr. Moha-mmed Jasim Uddin
told BSS that the campus situation was quite normal and
adequate security measures have been taken to avert any
untoward situation. He, however, ackno-wledged that no
classes and examinations were held due to poor presence of
the students.
Earlier, police arrested eight students form Mura-dpur
area in connection with torching a university staff bus on
Tuesday.
Meanwhile, some students under the banner of the
Department of Accounting and Information Systems at CU
brought out a protest rally in the city demanding trial of
the killers of Mohiuddin Kaiser and Asaduzzaman.
Asad, a second year student of the Department of
Accounting and Information Systems, was stabbed by the
villagers and later succumbed to his injuries on April 15.
Malnutrition for
lack of food security obstacle in achieving MDG: Ruhal
UNB, Dhaka
Mothers along with their babies suffer from malnutrition
for lack of food security, which is one of the obstacles
in achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), the
Health Minister said Wednesday.
Prof Dr AFM Ruhal Haque also said that the task of
achieving the MDG would be facilitated with mothers and
children provided with health services to people's
doorsteps through the community clinics. The Health
Minister made the remarks when an USAID delegation led by
deputy chief of the mission of the US embassy in Dhaka
Nicolas Dean called on him at the Secretariat.
During the meeting, Dr Ruhal Haque said the present
government is putting great emphasis on food security and
continuing its all-out efforts to ensure food-security in
the country.
The delegation discussed the future initiatives of the US
government on food security, the US participation in
Bangladesh's health programme, and various aspects of
mutual cooperation between the two countries.
They also discussed about the Bangladesh's participation
at the upcoming high level meeting to be held in the USA
on nutrition and food security.
Both the Health Minister and the delegation expressed the
hope that the existing relations between Bangladesh and
the USA would be further strengthened in the future.
Bangladesh Mission director of USAID Denise Rollins also
accompanied the delegation.
Opposition
trying to confuse people by spreading propaganda: Sajeda
BSS, Dhaka
Awami League (AL) presidium member and deputy leader of
the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury Wedn-esday said the
BNP-Jamaat alliance has been trying to confuse people by
spreading propaganda on different issues.
She was addressing a rally organized by AL at Mirpur
number one Gol Chattar with local AL leader Aga Khan
Mintoo in the chair.
The rally was held to make people conscious about
propaganda orchestrated by the opposition on gas, water
and power crises. State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir
Nanak, AL Dhaka City unit general secretary Mofazzal
Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Aslamul Haque Aslam MP, Mukul
Chowdhury and Abdul Haque Sabuj also spoke on the
occasion.
Sajeda Chowdhury said BNP-Jamaat looted all resources of
the country and bluffed the people. She said the
BNP-Jamaat alliance failed to add even single unit of
power to the national grid but it misappropriated a huge
amount money in the name of setting up 'khamba' (pillar).
Criticizing a recent comment made by BNP Chairperson Begum
Khaleda Zia, Sajeda Chowdhury said her two sons are now
facing corruption charges.
She said they tried to run the country in Pakistani style
by jeopardizing the country's democracy. The AL leader
said thousands of crores of Taka are coming for BNP-Jamaat
from abroad to foil trial of the war criminals and people
should be aware of it.
Sajeda Chowdhury urged the people to cooperate with the
government in implementing various development projects to
materialize the dreams of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
About supply of safe drinking water, she said 21 tubewells
were sunk in Mirpur to provide drinking water for the
local people.
Nanak said 300 generators would be imported soon to keep
all the water pumps operating in the city. He said 900
megawatt power will be added to the national grid by 2010
and 700 megawatt by 2013. Nanak said the government is
aware of sabotage in some places regarding drinking water
supply and added that stern actions would be taken against
the saboteurs.
Editorial
No security of life
A
few months ago, the State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul
Huq Tuku had observed in a speech that no body is secure
anywhere in the country. His observation came true once again
when Sub-Inspector (SI) Gowtam Kumar Roy, Second Officer of
the city's newly established Bangshal thana, was shot dead by
miscreants at Lal Mohon Saha Street under Sutrapur Thana in
the early hours of Tuesday. SI Gowtam was fired at by two
miscreants from a point blank range at about 2-15 am while he
was seizing a pistol from another terrorist after searching
his body. Gowtam was taken to the emergency of the Dhaka
Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries
just after the admission.
SI Gowtam left the police station by a microbus along with his
two friends Shamim and Azam at about 1-45 am for his 16/9
Ranking Street, Wari, residence but halted near a shop at Lal
Mohon Saha Street for buying some grocery items. At that time,
as Gowtam saw three youths coming out from a narrow lane of
Abul Hasnat Road, he halted them. He first searched the body
of a young man and got a pistol from his possession. At that
time, the other two miscreants opened fire on Gowtam from a
point blank range and soon left the place.
The mysterious and tragic death of SI Gautam is the latest
instance of the extreme deterioration of the law and order
situation in the country. The murder made it amply clear that
there is no security of life in the country. While an armed
police officer cannot return home safely from duty, the
helpless condition of the unarmed general people can easily be
imagined.
Despite the strange demand made by the home minister that the
law and order situation in the country has improved, in fact,
there has been a spate of incidents of crimes including
murders in the city and elsewhere in recent days. The law and
order situation continued to deteriorate over the recent days
and reached an alarming stage. SI Gautam's death supplements
the contention that Dhaka is now a valley of death and a city
of murder. And time is running out for the government to take
stern actions to improve this situation.
Natural calamity
A
number of people have died during natural calamity at
different places of the country in the recent days. Besides,
severe damages have been caused to properties and crops by
storm and flash floods in different areas. According to
newspaper reports, at least five people were killed and 50
others injured by a thunderstorm that swept over different
areas of Sadar upazila of Maulvibazar district on Monday
night. Of the five, three were killed when trees fell down on
their tin-shed roofs and the rest were killed in thunderbolt.
More than 600 houses were damaged and 1,500 families affected
by the storm. The storm also damaged around 2000 thatched
houses, standing IRRI, Boro crops and uprooted a large number
of trees. On Saturday last two people were killed and 30
others injured in lightning and wall collapse during a
nor'wester which lashed Lalmonirhat district.
Earlier, Four people, including an assistant sub inspector of
police , were killed and five police personnel injured in a
wall collapse during a nor'wester that swept over Rangpur on
April 13. The ASI met instantaneous deaths when a wall of a
tin-shed house of Rangpur Police Line collapsed during the
storm. Five constables were also injured during the nor'wester.
Two other people of Kaunia upazila and another person of
Mithapukur were also killed in wall collapse during the storm
that swept eight upazilas of Rangpur district and destroyed
over one thousand dwellings houses. Besides, at least 10
people were injured as tornado swept over four upazilas of
Lalmonirhat on April 14 damaging 4,000 thatched houses and
uprooting huge trees. Standing crops were damaged in different
villages in Sadar, Aditmari, Kaligonj and Hatibandha upazilas
in the district.
Meanwhile, Boro paddy over vast tracts of land at Sarala Beel
of Rajarhat upazila in Kurigram district has been inundated
following frequent rainfalls over the last few days. The
affected farmers tried to save their paddy fields from the
inundation, but with only little result. Besides, flood water
rolling down from hill areas in India has washed away paddy in
large areas of Mymensingh and Sylhet.
Norwester and storm are very common in the country during this
part of the year. But these cause serious losses of lives and
properties every year. This year also nor'wester and tornado
have hit different areas. We mourn the deaths caused by the
nor'wester and convey our sympathy to the affected people. We
hope that the government will take prompt action to help the
people injured and affected by the calamity.
It may be pointed out here that science and technology have
helped mankind discover, invent and conquer many places and
things, but nature still remains beyond human control. Despite
spectacular advancement of science, human beings are still
terribly helpless before the fury of nature. This is being
evident time and again from the deaths and destruction caused
by the natural calamities at home abroad. The government
should provide necessary assistance for those affected by the
storm and flash floods. Such natural calamities are likely to
occur also in the days to come, and the administration should
remain ready with disaster preparedness.
Analysis
The Back-Up Vehicle
The real question that investigators do not
seem to focus on, why did the back-up vehicle leave the area
ahead of Ms Benazir's instead of following the lead vehicle?
Did someone know that the bomb attack on Ms Benazir was about
to take place and did not want to be caught up in the attack?
This by itself makes the speeding away of the back-up vehicle
(and not stopping) very suspicious!
Ikram Sehgal
Other than the
bullet proof armoured car in a VIP convoy, the security
configuration requires a back-up bullet proof armoured car as
well as an ambulance with a doctor. These are cocooned by a
well armed mobile escort team, including a point vehicle. VVIP
convoys also have separate mobile communication vehicles.
Because the prime target of any assassin/s will be the lead
vehicle carrying the VVIP/VIP, the back-up vehicle is a must.
The logic is that if the lead vehicle is immobilized for any
reason than the back-up vehicle is the only chance for the VIP
to get away safely from the scene of ambush, a secure means
for transportation to a secure location. This is nothing out
of the ordinary, it is Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
The driver of the back-up vehicle ensures that at all times he
keeps "hugging" the lead vehicle, he must ensure no other
vehicle comes in-between. The back-up vehicle cannot be
separated from the lead vehicle, the two have to stay together
as if they were Siamese twins. The back-up vehicle is not
meant as a passenger vehicle, but usually there are guards in
the vehicle. These guards will disembark during an emergency
and shift the VIP from the lead vehicle. The VIP can than be
expeditiously spirited away from the ambush site. Under no
circumstances can the back-up vehicle have any persons other
than guards as occupants, that would be a serious breach of
security.
In Ms Bhutto's convoy at Liaquat Bagh, the back-up vehicle had
unauthorized occupants, it was being misused by the man in
charge of Ms Benazir security from the PPP side, Dr Rahman
Malik. Dr Baber Awan alongwith Farhatullah Babar and Lt Gen (Retd)
Tauqir Zia climbed in with him as passengers. As per the
findings of the UN Report, the back-up vehicle left the ambush
site, abandoning the VIP vehicle and did not stop till they
reached Zardari House in Islamabad. The PPP's leader was thus
left stranded grievously injured in a vehicle that was badly
damaged and was running on rims. One can just imagine the
horrendous situation inside the car. Ms Benazir lying
critically injured, the blood seeping out of her head and the
occupants of the car, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Senator Safdar
Abbasi, Nahid Khan and the driver in a state of shock, their
leader literally dying before their eyes. The trauma of those
inside the vehicle can only be described as palpable, the
driver deserves a medal for keeping the badly damaged Land
Cruiser going. How he even got near the hospital with the
vehicle in that damaged state is nothing short of a miracle.
And where was the back-up vehicle meant to rescue her from
just such a fate? To quote the exact words of the UN Report's
FINDINGS, "Ms Bhutto was left vulnerable in a severely damaged
vehicle that was unable to transport her to hospital by the
irresponsible and hasty departure of the bullet-proof Mercedes
Benz, which as the back-up vehicle, was essential part of her
convoy", unquote.
To her credit Sherry Rahman, following behind Ms Benazir's
vehicle did not abandon her leader. It was her car that
transported the grievously injured leader the remaining
distance to the hospital. That the back-up vehicle left the
scene of the horrible crime makes those who took the vehicle
away guilty by association for Ms Benazir's murder. Given that
the PPP leader's Advisor on Security, Dr Rahman Malik, made
off with the vehicle alongwith another senior PPP leader, Dr
Baber Awan, makes them both culpable, and in that order. The
other two were simply passengers, the driver must have been
briefed about his task to stick like glue to the lead vehicle.
Why did the driver speed away? It is believed he was abused
and threatened by Malik and Awan. If he was security trained
he would have followed standing instructions to follow the
lead car no matter what. He must be taken to task. And if he
was not security trained, who in the PPP was responsible for
this other than the man incharge of Ms Benazir's security,
Rahman Malik?
The real question that investigators do not seem to focus on,
why did the back-up vehicle leave the area ahead of Ms
Benazir's instead of following the lead vehicle? Did someone
know that the bomb attack on Ms Benazir was about to take
place and did not want to be caught up in the attack? This by
itself makes the speeding away of the back-up vehicle (and not
stopping) very suspicious! The false statements Malik and Awan
said in TV appearances soon after the incident, are a matter
of record they kept claiming repeatedly, that they were close
by and following the lead vehicle to the hospital! Any
statement in such an investigation is considered to be under
oath, their making of a blatantly false statement is perjury.
There is also the moral issue here, two senior PPP leaders
abandoned their badly wounded leader and without caring for
her fate they sped away to safety. And did not stop till they
reached Zardari House! How could they have abandoned their
mentor in her hour of dire need?
It now begins to make sense why the govt asked for a delay in
publishing the UN Report. The contents must have been shared
with the Pakistan Govt before its public announcement. The
delay was only a ploy to mask the culpability of Rahman Malik
and Dr Babar Awan. The President's speech to Joint Session of
Parliament was due, he gave glowing mention to these two,
almost out of context. This does raise awkward questions about
why President Zardari is so keen to absolve these two
characters when they are guilty of abandoning his critically
injured wife when even a few critical minutes would have made
the difference between life and death? How can the the Asif
Ali Zardari one knows continue to be associated with those who
left Ms Benazir virtually dying on the road while they ran for
their own lives? For the PPP it is a shame to have such people
in their Party who abandoned their leader when she needed them
most. One will watch with interest how the PPP "Jiyalas" react
to these two.
Will the Chief Executive of the country have the courage, not
only to dispense with the services of these men who abandoned
their (and his) leader when she was dying, but also make them
accountable for Ms Benazir's death? Now that he has the
powers, Yousuf Raza Gilani cannot put off decision-making by
taking advantage of the ambiguity between the Head of State
and Head of Govt. That will be the first acid test of the 18th
amendment! Ms Benazir paid for the disloyalty and cowardice of
Rahman Malik and Baber Awan with her life, what price will
this country pay if such people continue to serve in critical
govt positions?
Ikram Sehgal is an internationally renowned columnist and
the Editor of the Pakistan Defence Journal
Messages from
the volcano
The
volcano is sending more than ash and smoke into the skies.
It is sending signals that we better understand so that we
can hope to resume our lives with humility and
determination to prove our humanity!
Osama Al Sharif
In
spite of man's great achievements, we remain vulnerable,
exposed and compromised Sometimes it takes a great act of
nature; an earthquake, a tsunami or a volcanic eruption to
force us to stop and think about the world we have
created. Men and mother nature share similar qualities;
both can be destructive, out of control and unpredictable.
Last week's volcanic eruption in Iceland, in the North
Atlantic, brought life as we know it to a standstill. It
was a fantastic display of nature's wrath, a humbling
reminder that in spite of man's great achievements on this
planet, we remain vulnerable, exposed and compromised.
Volcanic ash, reaching incredible heights and driven by
winds toward most of Europe, has shut down airports and
grounded thousands of planes; leaving millions of
travelers around the world stranded. In the process the
world economy stumbled and heaved as it tried to cope with
the ramifications of this natural calamity.
This was bigger than 9/11, more costly than any other
catastrophe, man-made or natural, that humans had
experienced in the past 150 years, and may be more.
Our globalized planet felt the shock waves. Europe was
driven back to preaviation era; airlines were brought to
their knees, other industries were calculating the cost of
an event that could last for days, weeks or even months.
There were lessons to be learned. There were issues to be
handled. This is something that no one could have
predicted. But it is not the raging volcano, per say, that
we should be worrying about right now. Our lives will
change as a result; the global economy will have to deal
with the consequences of this debacle. And it will
survive; one-way or another.
But we will be deceiving ourselves if we only worried
about the economic side of this fantastic event. Natural
calamities happen all the time and they interrupt our
lives, affect it, in many ways. But this time things are
different. The volcano has not claimed a single life so
far.
It created inconveniences for millions of travelers,
damaged a recovering aviation industry, still reeling from
the effects of the financial crisis, and is now
threatening the stability of world economies.
There is also another angle that beckons our attention.
The eruption is a rude wake-up call to humans everywhere.
In spite of our technological prowess, our great
achievements in many fields of knowledge, we are still a
fragile race. Our ambitions have blinded our sense of
humanity. Our world, functioning as it did before the
eruption, was not a perfect one. Billions suffer because
of starvation, illness, self-serving politicians, greed,
abuse, corruption, war, injustice and dogma.
That Icelandic mountain spewing ash, molten rocks and
sulfur into the atmosphere has interrupted our lives, but
what kind of a life was it? Nature will continue to deal
out reminders in the form of calamities, but have we been
able to understand these messages?
Soon that angry mountain will calm down. Life will go back
to what we describe as normal. But will we be missing the
deciphered messages that nature is sending us? Our normal
world is not an ideal one. Planes will fly again and
economies will recover, but would we be changing our ways
in the hope of creating a more equitable world?
The most likely answer is no! Two world wars in the past
century have failed to awaken us to the fact that we have
mismanaged our legacy. In the age of the information
revolution our world suffers still from endemic diseases
from poverty to illiteracy; from wars to bigotry; and from
corruption to injustice.
This is the world we will get back to when the plumes of
smoke subside.
Nature's rude awakening may well pass without notice. Man
will probably continue in his pursuits that leave billions
of people on this earth behind. For few days, news of the
volcano eruption have overshadowed acts of sectarian
killings in Iraq, tribal bloodletting in Africa, gangster
rivalries in South America, corruption and other abuses in
many countries of the world, occupation and its miseries
in Palestine.
But that does not mean that these terrible things have
gone away. They are the shame we all carry as humans whose
fate is shared, today more than ever before. Whether it is
tsunamis, earthquakes or volcano eruptions, our existence
is threatened equally by the same natural elements.
And on top of that we have proven beyond doubt that we
have the capability to self-destruct through wars and its
machines, irresponsible environmental policies and our
hatred for one another.
The volcano is sending more than ash and smoke into the
skies. It is sending signals that we better understand so
that we can hope to resume our lives with humility and
determination to prove our humanity!
Osama Al Sharif is a veteran journalist and political
commentator based in Amman.
Viewpoints
Percentage deals
Last year's
Obama-Biden plan on foreign policy treated Russia as an
adversary and defined a self-serving agenda.
A.G. Noorani
It
was Oct 9, 1944 when Churchill met Stalin in the Kremlin at
10pm. He wrote in his memoirs, "The time was apt for business,
so I said let us settle our affairs in the Balkans" where the
Red Army had spread. "We have interests, missions and agents
there. Don't let us get at cross purposes in small ways."
Churchill went on to propose percentages of their respective
interests in each country - 50-50 in Yugoslavia and Hungary;
90 per cent for the Soviet Union in Romania and 75 in
Bulgaria; and 90 per cent for Britain in Greece.
Churchill recorded this on a half-sheet of paper as it was
being translated and pushed it across to Stalin who made a
large tick on it with his blue pencil and passed it back. It
lay in the centre of the table. Embarrassed at deciding the
fate of millions "in such an offhand manner", Churchill
suggested, "Let us burn the paper." Stalin replied "No, you
keep it."
The British cabinet was shocked but Churchill explained that
the percentages did not establish "a rigid system of spheres
of interest" but was a "guide" to "the interests and
sentiments" of both states. Stalin showed good faith in
letting his guest keep the paper and also in abandoning the
Greek communist guerrillas when they were on the verge of
victory.
The Americans were furious at the deal and imagined that the
Yalta Declaration (1945) overtook it. Stalin regarded "a
declaration as algebra, but an agreement as practical
arithmetic". He reminded Churchill: "The question of Poland is
for the security of the Soviet Union what the question of
Belgium and Greece is for the security of Britain."
As Kissinger remarks, history teaches by analogy, not
identity. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) which
presidents Barack Obama and Dmitri A. Medvedev signed at
Prague on April 8 is the icing on a cake whose core is hollow.
The conflict over spheres of interest remains unresolved.
True, they agreed to limit strategic warheads to 1,550 from
the existing 2,200 allowed by the treaty of 2002, and
launchers to 800 from 1,600 allowed by START of 1991 which
expired in December. But the world is not any safer for this.
Peter Baker reported in the New York Times, "Because of
counting rules and unilateral reductions over the years,
neither country would actually have to eliminate large numbers
of weapons to meet the new limits. Moreover, the treaty does
not apply to whole categories of weapons, including thousands
of strategic warheads held in reserve and tactical warheads
some of which are still stationed in Europe." Weapons like
stored or tactical warheads are yet to be discussed.
There is no accord on an anti-missile shield in Poland and the
Czech Republic supposedly to counter any Iranian threat or on
limits on missile defence. Russia claims a sphere of influence
over Ukraine and Georgia, which the US would like to join Nato,
and is considering opening long-range bomber bases in
Venezuela. Obama claims that Russia is now "part of a
coalition of nations" forged for sanctions against Iran.
Medvedev said "we cannot turn a blind eye" to Iran's nuclear
programme but sanctions "should be smart". How this is
translated in a UN Security Council resolution remains to be
seen.
Last year's Obama-Biden plan on foreign policy treated Russia
as an adversary and defined a self-serving agenda. It proposed
"strengthening the transatlantic alliance, so that we deal
with Russia with one, unified voice; helping to decrease the
dependence of our allies and partners in the region on Russian
energy; engaging directly with the Russian government on
issues of mutual interest, such as countering nuclear
proliferation, reducing our nuclear arsenals, expanding trade
and investment opportunities and fighting Al Qaeda and the
Taliban; and also reaching out directly to the Russian people
to promote our common values". In sum, American primacy in the
entire region with Europe as a junior partner to speak "with
one, unified voice".
On the other hand, on Aug 31, 2008 Medvedev declared five
principles of Russian foreign policy. One of them was
multipolarity (read Russian partnership). The last was "Russia
has areas of privileged interests. These areas house countries
to which we are linked with friendly ties".
The expression "friendly states" became a euphemism for brutal
Soviet-installed regimes in the region … a fact which Moscow
would do well to accept. But this was after the US repudiated
the percentage agreement. Might it not have been more prudent,
given the fact that the Red Army was already there, to assure
Stalin of western disinterest while stipulating democratic
governance there?
As the historian John Lukacs points out in his book The Legacy
of the Second World War, published this month, Stalin's
concerns were no different from those of the czars. He
proposed to Britain's foreign secretary Anthony Eden, as early
as in December 1941, a draft agreement on Soviet frontiers
with secret protocols. In April 1978, a counsellor in the US
State Department Helmut Sonnenfeldt, "Kissinger's Kissinger",
suggested a policy of respecting Eastern Europe's independence
"within the context of a strong Soviet geopolitical
influence".
Before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, President Mikhail
Gorbachev agreed to Germany's unification and its membership
of Nato on the faith of an assurance that Nato would not
expand eastwards, which it did. The West foolishly celebrated
a "victory in the Cold War". Once its economic clout was
restored, Russia became more assertive. It seeks, as it has
since the 1944 deal, an accord on its interests and an equal
say on global affairs. In an article in the New York Times
Gorbachev hinted at an entente on Iran, adding "a lot of hard
work remains to be done with the Pakistanis". Americans love
this idiom.
That is our fate. We suffer when the great powers clash or
when they team up. This is because India and Pakistan lack the
statesmanship and vision to forge their own 'percentage
agreement' embodying an understanding on the primacy of each
other's interests in the countries of the region without
altogether excluding the other side. That, of course, hinges
on a settlement of festering disputes.
The writer is an author and a lawyer.
No time for a
trade war
No one wins
from a trade war. So America should be wary of igniting
one in the midst of an uncertain global recovery.
Joseph E. Stiglitz
The
battle with the United States over China's exchange rate
continues. When the Great Recession began, many worried
that protectionism would rear its ugly head. True, G-20
leaders promised that they had learned the lessons of the
Great Depression. But 17 of the G-20's members introduced
protectionist measures just months after the first summit
in November 2008. The "Buy America" provision in the
United States' stimulus bill got the most attention.
Still, protectionism was contained, partly due to the
World Trade Organisation.
Continuing economic weakness in the advanced economies
risks a new round of protectionism. In America, for
example, more than one in six workers who would like a
full-time job can't find one.
These were among the risks associated with America's
insufficient stimulus, which was designed to placate
members of Congress as much as it was to revive the
economy. With soaring deficits, a second stimulus appears
unlikely, and, with monetary policy at its limits and
inflation hawks being barely kept at bay, there is little
hope of help from that department, either. So
protectionism is taking pride of place.
The US treasury has been charged by Congress to assess
whether China is a "currency manipulator". Although
President Obama has now delayed for some months when
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner must issue his report,
the very concept of "currency manipulation" itself is
flawed: all governments take actions that directly or
indirectly affect the exchange rate. Reckless budget
deficits can lead to a weak currency; so can low interest
rates. Until the recent crisis in Greece, the US benefited
from a weak dollar/euro exchange rate. Should Europeans
have accused the US of "manipulating" the exchange rate to
expand exports at its expense?
Although US politicians focus on the bilateral trade
deficit with China - which is persistently large - what
matters is the multilateral balance. When demands for
China to adjust its exchange rate began during George W.
Bush's administration, its multilateral trade surplus was
small. More recently, however, China has been running a
large multilateral surplus as well.
Saudi Arabia also has a bilateral and multilateral
surplus: Americans want its oil, and Saudis want fewer US
products. Even in absolute value, Saudi Arabia's
multilateral merchandise surplus of $212 billion in 2008
dwarfs China's $175 billion surplus; as a percentage of
the GDP, Saudi Arabia's current-account surplus, at 11.5
per cent of the GDP, is more than twice that of China.
Saudi Arabia's surplus would be far higher were it not for
US armaments exports.
In a global economy with deficient aggregate demand,
current-account surpluses are a problem. But China's
current-account surplus is actually less than the combined
figure for Japan and Germany; as a percentage of the GDP,
it is 5 per cent, compared to Germany's 5.2 per cent. Many
factors other than exchange rates affect a country's trade
balance. A key determinant is national savings. America's
multilateral trade deficit will not be significantly
narrowed until America saves significantly more; while the
Great Recession induced higher household savings (which
were near zero), this has been more than offset by the
increased government deficits.
Adjustment in the exchange rate is likely simply to shift
to where America buys its textiles and apparel - from
Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, rather than China. Meanwhile, an
increase in the exchange rate is likely to contribute to
inequality in China, as its poor farmers face increasing
competition from America's highly subsidised farms. This
is the real trade distortion in the global economy - one
in which millions of poor people in developing countries
are hurt as America helps some of the world's richest
farmers.
During the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, the
renminbi's stability played an important role in
stabilising the region. So, too, the renminbi's stability
has helped the region maintain strong growth, from which
the world as a whole benefits.
Some argue that China needs to adjust its exchange rate to
prevent inflation or bubbles. Inflation remains contained,
but, more to the point, China's government has an arsenal
of other weapons (from taxes on capital inflows and
capital-gains taxes to a variety of monetary instruments)
at its disposal. But exchange rates do affect the pattern
of growth, and it is in China's own interest to
restructure and move away from high dependence on
export-led growth. China recognises that its currency
needs to appreciate over the long run, and politicising
the speed at which it does so has been counterproductive.
(Since it began revaluing its exchange rate in July 2005,
the adjustment has been half or more of what most experts
think is required.) Moreover, starting a bilateral
confrontation is unwise.
Since China's multilateral surplus is the economic issue
and many countries are concerned about it, the US should
seek a multilateral, rules-based solution. Imposing
unilateral duties after unilaterally labelling China a
"currency manipulator" would undermine the multilateral
system, with little payoff. China might respond by
imposing duties on those American products effectively
directly or indirectly subsidised by America's massive
bailouts of its banks and car companies.
No one wins from a trade war. So America should be wary of
igniting one in the midst of an uncertain global recovery
- as popular as it might be with politicians whose
constituents are justly concerned about high unemployment,
and as easy as it is to look for blame elsewhere.
Unfortunately, this global crisis was made in America, and
America must look inward, not only to revive its economy,
but also to prevent a recurrence.
The writer is a professor of economics at Columbia
University and winner of the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in
Economics. His most recent book, "Freefall: Free Markets
and the Sinking of the World Economy", is now available in
French, German and Japanese, and will be shortly available
in Spanish, Italian, and Chinese. ©Project Syndicate,
2010. www.project-syndicate.org
We are people with no
address, no country
My name is Ramzy Baroud, and I am from Neptune. In actual
fact, I am a Palestinian from Gaza. And I am a Palestinian
from other
places too, places that no longer exist.
Ramzy Baroud
Either
you repeat the same conventional doctrines everybody is
saying, or else you say something true, and it will sound
like it's from Neptune."-Noam Chomsky
My name is Ramzy Baroud, and I am from Neptune. In actual
fact, I am a Palestinian from Gaza. And I am a Palestinian
from other places too, places that no longer exist.
Sometimes it's not who you are, but where you come from
that shapes your identity, your moral convictions, your
priorities in life, and eventually who you become. We
Palestinians are cursed in many ways, but blessed in
others. We live in a constant state of physical loss and
spatial bewilderment. We know where we belong physically
and territorially, but we cannot actually be there. The
authorities have decided that we don't belong where we
have always belonged, the place with which we have always
identified. That is the curse: the sense of loss and
constant search for the place. But that very curse
represents the essence of our blessing as well: the search
for meaning, value, sense, purpose.
This is not a philosophical inquiry or an argument. It is
an almost innate yearning and seeking that has been
continually articulated by ordinary Gazans, and by
Palestinians everywhere.
In my refugee camp in Gaza, we discussed life and death,
hope and loss, religion, morality and poetry. We discussed
these things standing in street corners, stolen minutes
during military curfews before the Israeli tanks returned,
as they often did, to raid our neighbourhoods. This takes
me back to my point regarding the relationship between
where you come from and your identity: I am a refugee, and
I am a peasant. I am a refugee because my family was
displaced along with an estimated 800,000 Palestinians to
make room for the state of Israel in 1947-48. My family,
like hundreds of thousands of others, ended up in a
refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, and they have lived there
ever since.
I am a peasant because, like the vast majority of
Palestinian refugees, my family lived an impoverished life
back in Palestine before the state of Israel was
established. My family owned little land and we fought for
survival. But we were still content because we had the
leverage of locating ourselves in time and space. We were
peasants, but we lived on our own land. And this also gave
us the possibility of a future.
But when we became refugees, the nature of our existence
changed almost entirely. Our relationship to our land took
on new manifestations and meanings. It was no longer land
as in dirt and water and harvest. Displaced from our land,
we creatively sought ways to maintain our rapport with it.
The dirt and water became beautiful memories. The harvest
season became a song. And the olive trees summoned tears
and endless poetry.
At the same time, I resented being a refugee. I always
insisted that I was not one. As a student at a UN school
in Gaza, I skipped lunch to protest my status. I knew I
still came from somewhere - from a village called Beit
Daras. It had been wiped off the map. But that mattered
little because it continued to live in me. And when I left
the refugee camp, I decided to embrace my identity, as
both a refugee and as a peasant. Because only this could
locate me back to where I come from. I needed to identify
with my people there - and to my village in Palestine,
because that is where I truly belonged. When I restore my
existence, I will shed these temporary affiliations, and
return to being who I should have been all my life, just a
Palestinian from Palestine. Not a Palestine as written
about in poetry, but a real Palestine - of dirt, water,
harvest, olive trees and people. Our tragedy has augmented
beyond comprehension. The more our situation worsened, the
sharper our sense of memory became. Writing was the
natural flow of things: you articulate in search of
meaning; you inspire when the heavy weight of reality
demoralises; you fight back in your weakest possible
moment; you stand tall when your enemy is hell bent on
quashing you to oblivion, and when you die, as
assassinated Palestinian cartoonist Naji Al Ali once
wrote, "like the trees, (you) die standing".
When I found it odd that the most important players in
shaping Palestinian history and reality were the ones
least discussed and understood, I decided to experiment a
little with history, with narratives, with journalism. I
thought what if I speak of the Nakba, the wars, the
refugee camps, the sieges and starvation and everything
else from an entirely different angle? No charts. No
figures. No reliance on Israeli historians to validate my
own accounts.
What if names such as Ben Gurion, Yigal Allon, Peres,
Shamir, Saddat, Kissinger, and all the rest were mixed in
with, and even challenged by other names - Ali, Mohammed,
Abu Ashraf, Zarefah, Mariam, Zeinab, Suma, Umm Khalil, Um
Ibrahim and so on? Don't bother to google any of the
latter names; they exist nowhere. But, again, the odd
thing is that these unknown individuals have shaped and
made history. They imposed their relevance on the present,
and they will most certainly determine the course of the
future. Without Mohammeds and Zarefahs, without my
parents, there would be no history to speak of, no
struggle, no resistance, no hope and no poetry.
It is in their language - the language of the peasants and
refugees - that we can find some hope in discovering who
we are, where we came from, and what, ultimately, we will
become.
Ramzy Baroud is a distinguished Arab American
commentator and author, most recently, of 'My father was a
freedom fighter' published by Pluto Press
International
Indo-Pak trust
deficit looms large over Bhutan SAARC summit
ANI, New Delhi
Persisting ambiguity over the possibility of an Indo-Pak
dialogue taking place on the sidelines of next week"s
SAARC summit in Bhutan, has once again hijacked attention
from broader and more complex issues involving this nearly
25-year-old regional grouping.
Whether the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, will meet
his Pakistani counterpart,Yousuf Raza Gilani? Whether it
will be a structured dialogue or a photo op?, Whether
India is ready to resume the stalled "composite dialogue"
with Pakistan during the summit? All of these speculations
are doing the rounds.
Scant attention, however, is being paid to the SAARC
agenda, which does not mandate its members to raise or
discuss bilateral issues.
But, paradoxically, bilateral issues have always dominated
multilateral agenda and the sixteenth SAARC Summit in
Thimpu is not expected to be any different from the past.
The "trust deficit" in the Indo-Pak relationship has time
and again eclipsed and cast a shadow on multilateral
agenda of the SAARC. It has remained a source of
frustration for smaller nations like Bangladesh, Maldives,
Nepal and Bhutan.
According to sources, three agreements, the Trade in
Services in SAFTA, Natural Disaster Response Mechanism and
the Convention on Cooperation on Environment have been
finalized by the SAARC Expert committee meeting, which
took place in Thimpu in March.
But at the last minute, Pakistan vetoed the SAARC Natural
Disaster Response Mechanism that was intended to build a
permanent team of rescuers from all eight nations who
could provide contingency rescue services in the case of
emergencies or natural catastrophes.
Islamabad has reportedly scuttled the mechanism because it
is wary of opening its borders to Indian rescue workers.
Analysts believe this move by Islamabad is not only
counter-productive for itself and India, but will also be
a setback to other smaller nations like Maldives,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka which are prone to marine
disasters.
Located along the high seismic zone of the Himalayas,
Afghanistan and Nepal could have been major beneficiaries
of the regional mechanism.
Over the years, SAARC nations have been pushing for
connectivity and free transit. Talks of a visa free regime
are also heard aloud at the forum, but nothing has been
translated into reality. With countries like Afghanistan,
Nepal and Bhutan landlocked, overcoming high transaction
costs due to poor trade facilitation appears to be a
priority for the regional grouping.
Pakistan has shown no cooperation in opening a transit
route to Afghanistan for Indian goods.
Similarly Bangladesh wants India to open up a transit
route to Nepal and Bhutan.
This can only happen if there is unanimity, especially
among the larger member nations like India and Pakistan.
Pakistan gets US guided
missile frigate for $65 m
IANS, Washington
Pakistan has signed a $65 million deal with the United
States for the 'hot transfer' of the refurbished guided
missile frigate USS McInerney. Under the agreement, the
Pakistan Navy will take over the vessel on Aug 31.
The contract for the 'hot transfer' of the Perry-class
guided missile frigate, was signed here Tuesday by senior
officials of the Pakistan Navy and US Navy. A 'hot
transfer' refers to the transfer of an operational vessel
as against a moth-balled ship.
'Pakistan Navy will get a major boost in its operational
capacity, when it adds USS McInerney frigate to its
existing fleet as PNS Alamgir early next year,' the
Pakistan embassy said.
'The successful completion of this contarct will also pave
the way for acquisition of more vessels of the same class
for Pakistan navy to raise a squadron of 8 Perry Class
Frigates,' an embassy spokesman said.
'This will greatly enhance operational readiness of
Pakistan Navy,' the official noted. Pakistan plans to
raise a squadron of eight Perry Class Frigates.
Pakistani officials described the occasion a major
'milestone' towards further strengthening wide-ranging
Pakistan-US relationship.
The frigate will be commissioned as PNS Alamgir at a
ceremony on Aug 31 in the United Staes and a comprehensive
refurbishment of the ship, in line with Pakistan Navy's
requirements, will be undertaken under the supervision of
US Navy, it said.
Upon completion of refurbishment work in Jan 2011, PNS
Alamgir will sail to Pakistan to join the country's naval
fleet.
The US Congress approved the transfer of the 32-year-old
frigate to Pakistan, as a major non-NATO ally, in
September 2008 under the Foreign Assistance Act and the
Arms Export Control Act which provides for sale of older
unneeded US military equipment.
In the last couple of years USS McInerney has been mainly
involved in successful counter-drug operations.
GHQ postpones security briefing
Dawn Online, Islamabad
Pak GHQ has postponed a security briefing scheduled to be
given to the National Assembly's Defence Committee on
Thursday.
The briefing was arranged to apprise the parliamentarians
on war on terror and the border situation.
The parliamentarians were told that they will be taken to
the GHQ in a special bus. However, the briefing has been
postponed because of unknown reasons.
A committee member Faisal Saleh Hayat expressed ignorance
over the postponement. Sources told DawnNews that few
members had expressed their reservations to visit the GHQ
for the briefing.
Earlier, the committee had summoned the army officials to
the parliament for the same purpose but they refused over
security concerns.
Indian police arrest human
rights leader in Srinagar
Agencies, Srinagar
Police in Indian-administered Kashmir said they had
detained on Wednesday the organiser of a seminar that was
to be addressed by phone by militants.
Ahsan Untoo, the head of Human Rights Forum, a local
rights group, was detained in a raid on a hotel an hour
before the start of the event in Srinagar.
Senior separatist Javed Mir was also taken to a nearby
police station.
"We have detained Untoo and Mir. We will not allow the
seminar to take place," a police officer told AFP on
condition of anonymity.
The seminar was to discuss the "role of pro-freedom
leaders vis-ŕ-vis the Kashmir issue" and all separatist
leaders in Indian Kashmir had agreed to participate.
Untoo had said that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the head of a
charity widely viewed as a front for banned militant group
Lashkar-e-Taiba, would address the seminar.
Ahmed said Untoo was arrested for supporting and promoting
the ideology of insurgent leader Saeed. "It's
unacceptable," he said.
Police also detained four others including Javaid Ahmed
Mir, a senior separatist leader.
Untoo said the police action violated his right of freedom
of expression as he had organised the conference to
discuss unity among separatist groups.
"They (Saeed and Salahuddin) were not the only people to
speak, but guests included top human rights defenders and
separatist leaders from our side of Kashmir as well,"
Untoo told reporters as the police took him away.
US makes new nuke
concessions to India
ANI, Washington
India will receive new concessions as part of its
bilateral civilian nuclear agreement with the United
States. In a move that has angered arms control advocates,
Washington agreed to Indian demands to increase the number
of plants allowed to reprocess U.S.-supplied nuclear fuel
from one to two, with the option of another two if India"s
needs grow in the future, the Washington Times reports.
India has thus far failed to pass legislation that would
release U.S. companies from liability in case of accidents
related to equipment they have provided for two reactors
to be built under the 2007 U.S.-Indian Nuclear Cooperation
Agreement.
That effectively prevents those firms from starting
businesses in the South Asian country.
The U.S. government understands "the need for sufficient
indigenous Indian capacity to reprocess or otherwise alter
in form or content, under [International Atomic Energy
Agency] safeguards, U.S.-obligated nuclear material," says
the new document, which was released by the State
Department.
In 2008, the Bush administration restricted Indian
reprocessing to one plant in an effort to limit potential
proliferation of dangerous dual-use technology, which
could be used for military or civilian purposes. However,
last month"s agreement refers to "two new national
reprocessing facilities established by the government of
India."
It also says "the management of separated safeguarded
plutonium … shall take into account the need to avoid
contributing to the risks of nuclear proliferation, the
need to protect the environment, workers and the public."
Arms control experts denounced the new deal, saying it
adds to the "damage" done by the original agreement.
"It will further undermine U.S. efforts to stop the spread
of enrichment and reprocessing technologies," Daryl
Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control
Association, said of the March deal.
"It should be rejected by Congress because it is
inconsistent with the terms outlined in" the original
agreement, he added.
S.Lanka president, rival to
clash as parliament opens
AFP, Colombo
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, who cemented his
grip on power Wednesday, is set to clash with his
arch-rival former army chief Sarath Fonseka when the new
parliament opens this week.
Results of parliamentary elections showed Rajapakse's
United People's Freedom Alliance had secured 144 seats in
the 225-member assembly in the April 8 vote.
The final tallies were delayed due to a poll re-run on
Tuesday in two constituencies where violence disrupted
initial voting.
Rajapakse's coalition was left just short of the
two-thirds majority required for the government to rewrite
the constitution, which at present prevents him from
standing again when his second term ends in 2016.
Attention now turns to the opening of the new parliament
on Thursday, which opposition leader Fonseka, who is under
military arrest and standing trial at a court martial, is
due to attend.
Fonseka is to be allowed to attend parliament before being
returned to detention after each session, government
officials said.
Political observers believe Fonseka is likely to use his
position in parliament to attack the president, who does
not sit in the assembly, and air allegations of human
rights abuses plaguing the government.
Rajapakse and Fonseka fell out after they defeated the
country's Tamil Tigers rebels last May, with Fonseka
unsuccessfully trying to unseat Rajapakse in presidential
elections in January.
Fonseka was arrested soon after, but while in detention he
won a seat in parliament.
His court martial, on charges of allegedly engaging in
politics while in uniform and involvement in corrupt arms
procurement, was adjourned on Tuesday for two weeks.
Analysts say NKorea hinting at 3rd
nuke test
AP, Seoul, South Korea
North Korea may be preparing to carry out a third nuclear
test, analysts and a high-ranking defector said Wednesday,
citing language in state media hinting of an impending
crisis on the peninsula.
Speculation that communist North Korea might conduct
another nuclear test, in defiance of U.N. Security Council
resolutions, grew after the South Korean cable network YTN
reported Tuesday that the North has been preparing since
February to conduct a test in May or June. YTN cited an
unidentified diplomatic source.
Tensions are high on the Korean peninsula in the wake of
the deadly sinking of a South Korean navy ship near the
maritime border with North Korea.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said he had no information
to suggest preparations for a nuclear test were underway,
and U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley also
voiced skepticism in a briefing Tuesday.
However, analysts and a former North Korean official said
recent statements hint of preparations for another nuclear
test.
Earlier this month, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in
comments carried by the state-run Korean Central News
Agency that the regime would "increase and modernize" its
nuclear arsenal to defend against the United States.
"As long as the U.S. nuclear threat persists, we will
increase and modernize various type nuclear weapons as
deterrent" in the days ahead, an unidentified Foreign
Ministry spokesman said.
Iran
overhauls fighter jets
IANS, Tehran
Iran has overhauled its military aircraft, and has even
installed radar systems on sophisticated F14 fighter jets
for the first time, an Iranian Air Force commander has
said.
'Most airplanes have the previous designs but all of their
components, including systems and parts, are being
optimised and upgraded on a continued and regular basis,'
General Aziz Nasirzadeh was quoted as saying by Fars news
agency Tuesday.
The commander said mounting home-made 900-kg smart bombs
on Iranian bombers is an instance of the country's
capability to upgrade its fighter jets.
Referring to the promotion of the systems and capabilities
of F14 fighter jets, Nasirzadeh said: 'we have a new
generation of F14 fighters and its radar system has been
upgraded by our local experts.'
The new radar system has been built and installed on the
fighter jets by Iranian personnel and can be enhanced and
upgraded continuously, he said.
Iran has already started manufacturing aircraft engines
and has achieved acceptable results in this regard, he
said.
In September 2009, Iran displayed the first squadron of
Saeqeh fighter jets produced by its defence industries.
Court-martial of Navy SEAL
opens in Iraq
AP, Baghdad
A U.S. sailor testified Wednesday he saw a Navy SEAL punch
an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding the killings
in 2004 of four U.S. private security contractors, as the
court-martial of another member of the elite unit
allegedly involved in the incident opened at a military
base outside Baghdad.
Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas, wearing his blue
Navy uniform, appeared in a military courtroom at the
Victory Base Camp on Baghdad's western outskirts to answer
charges of dereliction of duty and impeding an official
investigation. He has pleaded not guilty. Huertas, 28, of
Blue Island, Illinois, is the first of three Navy SEALs to
go on trial in connection with the alleged assault of the
Iraqi prisoner, Ahmed Hashim Abed. He is accused of
failing to safeguard the prisoner and attempting to
influence the testimony of another service member.
The SEALs' case has gained widespread sympathy in the
United States as well as support from at least 20
lawmakers in Congress who have urged U.S. Defense
Secretary Robert Gates to drop the charges.
Abed was arrested last September on charges of
orchestrating the grisly killings of four Blackwater
security contractors whose burned corpses were dragged
through the Iraqi city of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Two of
the guards' bodies were hung from a bridge over the
Euphrates River in the insurgent attack.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Demartino, who is not a
SEAL and was assigned to process and transport Abed after
his capture, testified he saw Petty Officer 2nd Class
Matthew McCabe punch the prisoner, and blood come from the
prisoner's mouth.
He told the court Huertas and fellow SEAL Petty Officer
2nd Class Jonathan Keefe were also in the room and that he
was the closest person to McCabe at the time of the
alleged assault. Huertas' civilian attorney Monica
Lombardi suggested that if he couldn't stop the assault,
nobody could have. "You could have stopped it, but it was
too fast," she said.
"You were the closest person to Petty Officer McCabe but
you didn't know that was coming."
A few hours after the incident, Demartino testified that
Huertas told him: "Get in there and get the story
straight."
Sarkozy to submit bill
banning Islamic face veils
AP, Paris
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has ordered legislation
that would ban women from wearing Islamic veils that fully
cover the face and body in public places, the government
said Wednesday.
It is Sarkozy's first political action toward an outright
ban, though he has repeatedly said such outfits oppress
women and are not welcome in France, home to a firmly
secular government.
Government spokesman Luc Chatel said after a Cabinet
meeting Wednesday that the president decided the
government should submit a bill to parliament in May on an
overall ban on such veils "in all public places."
That ups the stakes in Sarkozy's push against veils such
as the burqa and niqab and chador. Some in his own party
have bristled at a full-out ban, and France's highest
administrative body has questioned whether it would be
constitutional.
Sarkozy insisted that "everything should be done so that
no one feels stigmatized," according to Chatel. Sarkozy
said the veils "do not pose a problem in a religious
sense, but threaten the dignity of women."
Chatel did not say how the new bill would affect a
resolution already slated for discussion in parliament May
11 on ways of limiting the full veils.
France, nominally Roman Catholic, but also home to western
Europe's largest Muslim population of at least 5 million.
Very few French Muslim women wear face-hiding veils, but
the issue has become a flashpoint of debate on national
identity, the rights of religious groups in France's
secular society and integration of France's immigrant
populations.
Legislators and members of the government have been
discussing ways to limit veils such as the burqa and niqab
and chador for months. France banned Muslim head scarves
and other "ostentatious" religious symbols from classrooms
in 2004.
Iran military strike ‘off
the table’: US official
AP, Singapore
The U.S. has ruled out a military strike against Iran's
nuclear program any time soon, hoping instead negotiations
and United Nations sanctions will prevent the Middle East
nation from developing nuclear weapons, a top U.S. defense
department official said Wednesday.
"Military force is an option of last resort,"
Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy said
during a press briefing in Singapore. "It's off the table
in the near term."
The U.S. and its allies fear Tehran is using its nuclear
program to build arms. Iran denies the charges, and says
its program only aims to generate electricity.
"Right now the focus is a combination of engagement and
pressure in the form of sanctions," Flournoy said. "We
have not seen Iran engage productively in response."
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted
Wednesday by Iran's state media saying the country won't
give in to U.S. pressure. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard
is preparing to hold large-scale military maneuvers in the
strategic Strait of Hormuz.
"We've said time and again that we are not after weapons
of mass destruction but the Iranian nation won't give in
to such threats and will bring those threatening it to
their knees," Khamenei said.
Iran has rejected a 2009 U.N.-backed plan that offered
nuclear fuel rods to Tehran in exchange for Iran's stock
of lower-level enriched uranium. The swap would curb
Tehran's capacity to make a nuclear bomb.
But Iran has proposed variations on the deal, and Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that a fuel
agreement could be a chance to boost trust with the West.
Deposed Kyrgyz leader says
he is still president
AP, Minsk,
Belarus
The ousted leader of Kyrgyzstan said Wednesday from exile
in Belarus that he is still president, desperately
clinging onto power despite having lost most of his
credibility and support in the Central Asian country.
Kurman Bakiyev's renewed defiance may have more to do with
politics in Belarus, his host country, than with any
realistic expectations of reclaiming the presidency.
Bakiyev, who was deposed in an April 7 uprising that left
85 people dead, fled last week to neighboring Kazakhstan
and arrived in the Belarusian capital earlier this week.
In his first comments from exile, Bakiyev told reporters
Wednesday that he is still "the legitimate president of
Kyrgyzstan" and described the interim government
controlling the Kyrgyz capital as "executors of a foreign
will."
"Kyrgyzstan will be nobody's colony," he said. Many
observers have suggested that Russia supported or even
aided Bakiyev's ouster, angered by his reneging on a
promise last year to evict a U.S. air base.
Interim authorities in Kyrgyzstan claim Bakiyev signed a
letter of resignation before leaving the country. The
United States and Russia helped broker the agreement for
his departure.
"Aware of my responsibility for the future of the people
and the preservation of the integrity of the state ... I
herewith submit my resignation," the letter shown to
journalists by interim leader Roza Otunbayeva said.
But on Wednesday, Bakiyev retracted any resignation. "I
don't recognize my resignation. Only death will stop me,"
he said.
Bakiyev said he was "ready to bear legal responsibility,"
but it was unclear if he meant he would answer for the
violence in Bishkek, as the new authorities are urging.
Obama falters on
immigration reform promises
Agencies, Washington
A White House commitment to overhaul the nation's
immigration system this year is collapsing, with the Obama
administration undecided about the best way to proceed on
an issue the president had identified as a top priority.
Immigration advocates who meet regularly with White House
officials said the Obama administration had been
considering several approaches, including convening a
summit meeting devoted to the issue and putting forward
its own bill. Those who attended a session Friday with
administration officials said they came away with no
indication the White House had settled on a course of
action.
President Obama "made some commitments that he's supposed
to be delivering on," said Angela Kelley, vice president
for immigration policy at the Center for American
Progress, a think tank with close ties to the Obama White
House. "And that was over a month ago. So everybody can
look at the calendar and make a pretty educated guess
about how many days we have to get immigration done."
Immigration advocates fear the White House is doing the
bare minimum needed to appease Latino voters before the
midterm elections in November, while concentrating its
efforts on issues it considers more urgent.
The White House said Tuesday that it still wanted to pass
a bill this year and was trying to round up cosponsors.
Flying home from a trip to Los Angeles, Obama telephoned
Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) from Air Force One and asked
him to consider supporting an immigration bill, according
to a Brown aide.
Flights resume as ash fear
recedes
BBC Online
European airports have reopened for business, almost a
week after a cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano
paralysed the industry.
About 75% of European flights are due to operate on
Wednesday, according to air traffic agency Eurocontrol.
But delays are expected, as airlines try to cope with the
backlog from the cancellation of 95,000 flights.
International air transport group IATA says the
disruptions have cost the industry $1.7bn (Ł1.1bn).
Iceland's civil protection agency said the
Eyjafjallajokull volcano had lost nearly 80% of its
intensity since the weekend, although the situation
remains changeable.
Cheers
Airlines have now begun the enormous task of working
through the backlog to get stranded passengers to their
destinations.
Eurocontrol said it was optimistic the situation would be
back to normal in a few days' time.
Long queues of passengers formed at some of Europe's major
airports, including in Paris, Frankfurt and Madrid.
Travel analysts said passengers with current tickets would
be given priority, and those who were affected by
cancellations would be put on waiting lists.
Weary passengers cheered and clapped as flights began to
take off from airports.
Business/Economy
Papua
New Guinea keen to recruit huge BD workers
UNB, Dhaka
The visiting Labour and Industry Minister of Papua New
Guinea, Mark Maipakai, has shown interest to recruit a
large number of Bangladeshi workers.
Maipakai, who led a seven-member delegation, met with
acting secretary of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas
Employment Dr. Jaffar Ahmed on Wednesday
and made an informal proposal to recruit Bangladeshi
workers for Papua New Guinea's infrastructure and gas
sectors.
Emerging from the meeting, Dr Jaffar Ahmed informed that
the Papua New Guinea's Minister said they would propose
formally soon after forming a joint company comprising of
the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the
Bangladeshi community in Papua New Guinea to recruit
Bangladesh labours.
The visiting minister said huge manpower is needed for the
infrastructure and gas sectors of Papua New Guinea.
Dr Jaffar said Bangladesh would set up six more labour
wings in its missions in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan,
Sudan, Italy and Japan. This will raise the number of
Bangladesh's labour wings to 19 abroad.
At present, only about 500 Bangladeshis work in Papua New
Guinea, whereas over 10 lakh Chinese, 3 lakh Sri Lankans
and 2 lakh Indians work there. The population of Papua New
Guinea is only six million.
64m
more people to live in extreme poverty by 2010
Xinhua, Washington
Because of the global financial crisis and ensuring global
recession, some 64 million more people will be living in
extreme poverty by 2010, the World Bank said in a report
released on Tuesday.
The crisis and recession have substantially increased the
challenge of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
targets, according to the World Development Indicator (WDI)
2010 released by the Bank.
During 2000-2008, low and middle income countries averaged
economic growth of 6.2 percent a year, and during
1999-2005 the number of people living on less than 1.25
dollars a day fell by 325 million.
In contrast to the record growth in 2000-2007, the global
economy grew only 1.9 percent in 2008 and declined an
estimated 2. 2 percent in 2009, the most severe recession
in 50 years.
As a result, "some 64 million more people will be living
in extreme poverty by 2010 because of the crisis. The
effects on human welfare may be costly and long-lasting,"
said the WDI.
The effects of the crisis were transmitted from
high-income economies to developing economies as exports,
private capital flows, commodity prices, and workers'
remittances declined. Global trade, whose growth had
slowed to 3 percent in 2008, declined an estimated 12
percent in 2009. Developing economies' trade shrank an
estimated 9 percent in 2009, according to the report.
Private capital flows to developing economies, after
peaking at nearly 1 trillion dollars in 2007 -- dropped to
765 billion dollars in 2008 and are estimated to have been
much lower in 2009.
Workers' remittances were more resilient, falling 6.1
percent to 317 billion dollars in 2009, but varied by
country, said the WDI.
Among developing country regions, Europe and Central Asia
fared the worst, as GDP fell 6.2 percent. Severe economic
adjustments were necessary as private capital flows, which
had financed large current account deficits, were cut from
97 billion dollars in 2007 to 50 billion dollars in 2008,
said the WDI.
Latin America and the Caribbean economies contracted 2.6
percent, with Mexico, relying almost solely on the U.S.
market for its exports, the worst off.
US recovery ‘underway’ but debt risks loom: IMF
AFP, Washington
The US economy will grow at a faster-than-expected rate of
3.1 percent this year, the IMF said Wednesday, while
warning Washington faces a tough balancing act to sustain
the fragile recovery.
The International Monetary Fund said a "recovery is under
way" in the world's largest economy, fueled in part by
government spending, as it revised this year's growth
forecast up by half a percent.
But the Washington-based organization warned that while
"soft" demand from consumers and businesses continued to
drag on the recovery, government stimulus could not
continue forever in the face of soaring debt levels.
The fiscal deficit has exploded since the crisis began as
the government has pumped trillions of dollars into the
economy to keep it afloat. The budget deficit this year is
expected to be in excess of one trillion dollars this
year.
"This outlook frames the balancing act facing fiscal
policy-the need to support growth now and to secure fiscal
stability over the medium term," the IMF said.
The IMF said stimulus spending had worked-adding around
one percent to gross domestic product in 2009 -- and its
absence would be felt as it is gradually withdrawn. "The
removal of policy stimulus will subtract from growth,
which will moderate to 2.6 percent in 2011," the fund
said.
With the US recovery still constrained by high
unemployment, restricted lending and a moribund housing
market, the IMF said there was a case for further limited
spending.
"Given the present weaknesses and risks in the labor and
housing markets, a case can be made for additional,
targeted support to those sectors."
Over eight million Americans are thought to have lost
their jobs as a result of the crisis and one in 10 people
in the job market remain out of work.
But, it warned, a "credible plan" must be put in place to
quickly put government finances in order. "When the
recovery is solidly under way, fiscal consolidation should
be a top priority.
"Given the size of US fiscal imbalances, a credible plan
for fiscal sustainability will need to accompany any such
measures to limit the risk of rising long-term interest
rates, which would dampen growth."
Economic recession
Russia faces tremendous tasks
Xinhua, Moscow
Although economic recession in Russia has ended, the
government nonetheless faces huge tasks in the future,
said Prime Minister Vladimir Putin here on Tuesday.
In his annual address to the State Duma, or the lower
house of the parliament, Putin cited the official forecast
of gross domestic product growth at 3.1 percent in 2010,
the preliminary results of industrial output growth of 5.8
percent and real disposable income growth of 7.4 percent
in the first quarter.
"All this allows us to say that the recession in our
economy has ended," said Putin as cited by news agencies.
However, "it doesn't mean the crisis is over," he added.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei
Kudrin forecasted the same day a GDP growth of 4 percent.
Smashed by the global economic crisis, Russia saw its
worst recession in a decade with GDP shrinking 7.9 percent
last year.
Facing huge tasks ahead, the Russian government would
strive to further boost economic recovery, support
strategic industries, and solve the unemployment issue in
the next two years, said Putin. This year domestic loans
are estimated to grow 5-10 percent, with all major Russian
banks expanding their range of loans to the economic
sector, he said.
The interest rates are also in constant decline, he said.
In an attempt to spur economy, the Central Bank of Russia
has lowered its refinancing rates several times starting
last year, which currently stands at 8.25 percent.
Noting positive results in 2009 from various sectors, such
as agriculture, the military and the auto industry, Putin
said the government would continue to support Russian
industries.
"We will continue using selective anti-crisis measures as
long as they are on the agenda," Putin said. "For
instance, we will continue supporting the housing market
and automobile industry." The government at various levels
will also lay much emphasis on the job market, he said.
The Russian head of government said the auto industry of
the country, battered severely by the global financial
crisis, was gradually recovering.
"Car production volumes are again on the rise. The car
industry is recovering just like other sectors of our
economy," he said.
US corporate figures boost Asian markets
AFP, Hong Kong
Strong corporate results from the United States and a
rally on Wall Street stoked optimism in Asia on Wednesday,
with stocks posting a second straight day of gains.
Financial companies, which had been sold heavily Monday
after news that investment bank Goldman Sachs had been
charged with fraud in the United States, were flying,
while tech firms were boosted by a surge in Apple Corp's
profit.
Goldman announced on Tuesday that first quarter earnings
rose 91 percent year on year to 3.46 billion dollars,
while Bank of America said it had returned to profit with
better than expected net income of 3.2 billion dollars.
Goldman chief executive Lloyd Blankfein said his firm's
result "reflects more signs of growth across the economy".
Also on Tuesday Apple Corp said fiscal second-quarter
profit surged 90 percent on strong computer and iPhone
sales, showing demand for gadgets was picking up.
The announcements followed strong results from Citigroup
and computer giant IBM the previous day and pushed Wall
Street 0.23 percent higher, causing a domino effect in
Asia.
EU-IMF open Athens
talks on any debt rescue for Greece
AFP, Athens
European Union and IMF experts began 10 days of crucial
talks here on Wednesday on details of rescue loans which
Greece may request to avert default with its borrowing
costs close to 8.0 percent.
Together with the European Central Bank, they opened talks
with Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou on
probable "financial assistance".
Amid strong signs that Greece is getting ready to appeal
for help, the finance ministry said: "The discussions
concern a three-year programme of economic policies." This
"can be supported with financial assistance from eurozone
members and the International Monetary Fund should Greek
authorities decide to request the activation of the
mechanism," it said in a statement. That was a reference
to a rescue package tortuously agreed within the EU and
eurozone, and involving the IMF, but which still leaves
many aspects uncertain.
Among these are the precise terms, conditions, interest
rates which would apply if and when Greece asks for help
to avert partial default on debt falling due by the end of
May.
Protests in New Delhi over rising food prices
AFP, New Delhi
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in India's capital New
Delhi on Wednesday to protest against fast-rising food
prices and other consumer bills.
Many demonstrators from neighbouring states arrived on
special buses and trains for the rally organised by the
main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to protest at
food inflation now running at over 17 percent
year-on-year.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari has blamed the "wrong economic
policies of the government" for the price rises.
High inflation, especially affecting food, is a lightning
rod for political unrest in the country, where 370 million
people live below the poverty line.
The protest came a day after the central bank hiked
leading interest rates by a quarter point for a second
month in a row to try to check overall inflation, which is
running at 9.9 percent, a 17-month high, stoked by food
prices.
The rally, at which protesters waved saffron and green BJP
flags, was the latest in a series of food price
demonstrations following shortages after last year's
monsoon, the weakest in nearly four decades.
Latest figures showed food inflation at 17.22 percent,
with the rate above 15 percent since November.
The opposition has blamed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's
Congress party for failing to keep a check on prices since
it returned to power in elections last year on the back of
pro-poor policies.
Airlines have lost $1.7b due to ash
AFP, Berlin
irlines have lost around 1.7 billion dollars after a "week
without revenue" because of the chaos caused by volcanic
ash, the head of the International Air Transport
Association (IATA) said on Wednesday.
At the height of the upheaval on Saturday and Sunday,
carriers were losing 400 million dollars per day, Giovanni
Bisignani told reporters in Berlin, calling an earlier
estimate of 200 million dollars per day "conservative."
Including costs to the airlines such as providing
accommodation to stranded customers, food and alternative
modes of transport like buses, the sector is left with a
bill of around 1.7 billion dollars, Bisignani said. "We've
seen a week without revenue but that has not stopped the
costs," he said.
He said that in Europe "governments must take their
responsibility" and help the carriers, calling the firms
victims of "an act of God, completely out of the power of
the airlines."
National
Independence tower to be
constructed at Suhrawardy Udyan
BSS, Dhaka
The construction of the main tower of Independence
Monument at Suhrawadi Udyan in the city is going to start
after eight years of the initiative taken.
The last Awami League government took the initiative to
construct the monument in commemoration of the glorious
inception of independence movement and victory in the
Liberation War. The last AL government took the project in
1997 and its formal implementation had begun in 1999.
Later, the BNP-Jamaat alliance government stopped the
project in October 2001 and it remained so until December
2004. At the beginning of 2005, the work on the project
resumed for some days, but was stopped again. After the
present AL government assumed office, it started
implementing the project on priority basis.
In the first phase of the project, the Shikha Anirban, an
underground museum, an open stage, a plaza, a mural, a
water site and pavements were made at a cost of Taka 64
crore. In the second phase, construction of the main tower
and other things would be completed at a cost of Taka
181.61 crore.
Officials said the project is expected to complete by June
2012 on 67 acres of land in the historic Suhrawardi Udyan.
Currently, the authorities are scrutinizing tenders
submitted for the project. Eight international companies,
including construction firms from the USA, Japan, China,
Korea and Malaysia, have dropped tenders from the work.
The selected company would be asked to give an idea about
financial expenditure after the final selection on April
25.
The main tower of the Independence Monument would be
constructed with steel frames and transparent classes
applying latest technology. It would be an extraordinary
tower in the world. Both the length and width of the tower
would be 16 feet in commemoration of 16 December of 1971,
the Victory Day. Its height would be 150 feet and there
would be arrangements for illumination within the tower.
Officials said, besides, the main tower, there would be a
statute at the place from where Bangabandhu delivered the
historic 7th March speech and there would be replicas of
his speech and surrender by Pakistani occupation force.
The place of Bangabandhu's speech currently falls in the
Shishu Park. This spot would be brought under the project.
Adoption of proven technologies can
increase agri-productions: Scientists
BSS, Rangpur
Agri-scientists have said adoption of proven technologies
can help increase agri-productions at lower costs and
ensure food security improving soil health, environment
and ecology amid adverse impacts of climate changes.
They said this while talking to BSS while narrating the
ongoing activities of Cereal System Initiatives for South
Asia (CSISA) in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan by
involving 60,000 farm families and 70,000 hectares land
over the next three years.
The renowned scientists included Liaison Scientist of the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for
Bangladesh and Assistant Delivery Coordinator of the CSISA
in Bangladesh Dr M A Hamid Miah and Dinajpur Hub Manager
of CSISA DR MA Mazid.
They also included agri-scientists Dr Md Ataur Rahman, Dr
Md Shirajul Islam, Senior Scientific Officer of the BRRI
Adil Badshah, Dr M Korban Ali, Madhab Chandra Das and
Joint Director (Jute Seeds) of the BADC in Dinajpur
Siddiqur Rahman.
Dr M A Hamid Miah and Dr MA Mazid narrated the present
technology dissemination activities by CSISA including
familiarization of conservation agriculture (CA)
technologies among farmers in seven northern districts in
Bangladesh.
Successful adoption of the technologies will definitely
increase agri- productivity through using the latest
cropping systems to improve the farm household incomes by
US $ 350 per year per hectare in these countries, they
said.
The production costs of the crops will be reduced
significantly for using the CA-based and other proven
latest agriculture technologies through public-private
partnerships and GO-NGO collaborations, they mentioned.
They said the CSISA project, which is being assisted by
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID through
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT)
and IRRI, will help quick delivery of the new technologies
to the farmers. The scientists said that the CSISA
activities would help quick delivery of the new and latest
technologies for system-based crop diversification for
sustainable agriculture to ensure food security,
livelihood for the people in Bangladesh.
They emphasised the need for special priority on helping
the farmers in reducing costs of crop production,
intensification, diversification and addressing the
adverse impacts of the ongoing climate changes through
adopting the latest proven agri- technologies.
Char people happy getting bumper
crops on riverbeds
BSS, Rangpur
Harvests of different variety crops, including local
variety early Boro, cultivated on the dried- up riverbeds
and low-lying lands in the northern region, has already
started.
Hundreds of landless people are now very happy in getting
excellent productions of the different variety of crops
and started having taste of the newly harvested local
variety Boro rice at this moment when the Boro harvest
begins next month in full swing.
They mostly completed harvesting of the crops on the
sandy- barren char lands, dried-up and silted riverbeds,
beels and haors brought under agro-farming this season in
greater Rangpur and other adjoining northern districts.
Sources said cultivation on the shoals in over 40 rivers,
tributaries and canals had become possible due to massive
deposition of alluvial soils in the rivers and their
tributaries much ahead of the dry season due to the
adverse impacts of climate changes.
Crops like paddy, maize, vegetables, groundnut, 'china', 'kawn',
pulses, 'gunji till', tobacco, gourds, pumpkins, corn,
pulses, mustard and other oil seeds, wheat and watermelon
grew very well on these lands following favourable
climatic conditions this year. The landless char people
and marginal farmers had brought over 65,000 hectares
lands under cultivation this time in the region and
already achieved excellent productions at this period when
there are less job opportunities for them in the crop
fields.
Nor'wester damages 700 houses in
Rangamati
BSS, Rangamati
At least 700 houses in three villages including government
establishments were badly damaged when the season's second
nor'wester swept over Baghaichhari upazila of the district
in the early hours of today.
Crops on a vast chunk of land, domestic and horticulture
plants and electric poles were also damaged during the
natural disaster that continued for about an hour in its
second strike, said chairman of Baghaichhari upazila
Sudarshan Chakma.
Dozens of shops at the upazila headquarters bazaar
including the camp of the 10th battalion of Ansar at
Marishya, Jahangirtilla Ansar camp, Kachalong High School
were also badly damaged during the seasonal havoc.
The nor'wester caused massive damage at Khedarmara Union
Parishad while at least 700 dwellings in three villages
under seven Union Parishad were badly damaged during the
nor'wester, Sudarshan said. The electricity supply was
remain disrupted since the nor'wester stroke, he also
said.
Earlier, at least one person was killed and two others
were injured when the season's first nor'wester swept over
Sajek union under Baghaichhari upazila of the district in
the early hours of March 31.
Nearly 50 percent houses, trees and crops were badly
damaged by the storm in 10 villages at Sajek union under
the upazila in that time.
BD to receive $14.76m to conduct
5th Population and Housing census
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh will receive US $14.76 million (approximately
Taka 101 crore) from EU and UNFPA to conduct a four-year
fifth Population and Housing census from this year.
European Union (EU) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
will jointly support this initiative with the fund for a
four-year period from 2010-2013,a release of UNFPA said.
Bangladesh will carry out the huge statistical data
collection operation that involves a complex task of
mobilization, organization and coordination for Population
and Housing census.
EU and UNFPA joint support covering about 38 percent of
the total costs and Bangladesh government will provide the
remaining amount in cash and kind for the census.
To this effect, an agreement will be signed here today
(Thursday) between the Bangladesh and UNFPA for
implementation of the project "Support to the 2011
Population and Housing Census in Bangladesh."
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics will be involved as
the key implementing agency. Secretary of ERD Mosharraf
Hossain and UNFPA representative Arthur Erken will sign
the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.
27 injured in clashes in Manikganj,
Savar
UNB, Dhaka
At least 27 people were injured in separate clashes in
Manikganj and Savar on Tuesday.
In Manikganj, 15 people were injured over land dispute at
Uttar Chailla village in Sadar upazila.
Police said Anser, Tamser and Munser Bepari along with
their family members have been living on government khas
land since last 40 years. Recently a project was taken to
construct a road by the local government in the area and
officials asked Munser Bepari to shift his house which he
refused. To settle the matter, upazila chairman Ataur
Rahman, UP chairman Elahi Box with local people arranged
arbitration at Munser's house. They decided to compensate
him for shifting his house elsewhere. But defying the
decision, members of Tamser and Munser family equipped
with lethal weapons attacked on the locals who asked
Munser Bepari to shift his house, leaving 7 people
injured. Later, local people in retaliation swooped on the
attackers that also left eight people injured. Of the
injured, Shahinur, 30, son of Muser Bepari was rushed to
Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition while
others including Munser, 50, and his wife Jahanara, 48,
were admitted to Sadar Hospital.
NCRPD conducts drive at city’s
Thatharibazar market: 12 shops fined
BSS, Dhaka
The National Consumers Rights Protection Directorate (NCRPD)
Wednesday conducted a drive at Thatharibazar in the city
aimed at making both consumers and producers aware of
sub-standard goods in markets.
NCRPD director general M Abul Hossain Mia led the drive
that was conducted under section 70 of the newly formed
Consumers' Rights Protection Act-2009.
During the drive, 12 retail shops were fined on charges of
cheating in weighing, selling date-expired goods and
having no maximum retail price (MRP).
Wednesday's team comprised prosecution officer of the
NCRPD M Abdul Baten Mia, members of police force and an
official of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute
(BSTI), the state-run watchdog agency to monitor
adulterated goods and manufacturing items.
Fresh Ata, Pusti Ata, Tang, Marks Power Milk, Cocola
Noodles and Danish were among the products found not up to
the mark for sale.
The storehouses fined included K Store, Mohiuddin Store,
Arju and Brothers, Bappi Store, Chaklader Store, Sattar
Store and Amania Store.
M Abul Hossain warned that stern action would be taken
against those shops which would sell sub-standard and
date- expired products violating the consumers rights.
MA Gaffar, proprietor of Arju and Brothers, who was fined
Wednesday, told BSS that this would tarnish the image of
his 50-year old business house.
The shop-owner said he would never buy sub-standard and
date-expired goods.
Milk production accounts for
nearly 3 percent of GHG: UN
BSS, Dhaka
About three per cent of the global greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions are result of milk production, according to a
new study report of the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO).
This figure includes emissions related to the production,
processing and transportation of milk products.
The percentage climbs to four when emissions from meat
production from animals originating from the dairy system
are factored in, the study said.
Methane contributes most to milk's impact on global
warming, accounting for more than half of the sector's
emissions in both developing and developed countries.
FAO's landmark 2006 study, entitled "Livestock's Long
Shadow," found that 18 per cent of all greenhouse gas
emissions were caused by the livestock sector.
Nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide also account for large
proportions of the dairy sector's contributions to
greenhouse gas emissions. The new report covers all major
milk production systems, from nomadic herds to intensified
dairy operations, focusing on the entire dairy food chain,
including the production and transport of inputs, such as
fertilizer, pesticides and feed.
"This report is fundamental to understand and identify
opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of the
dairy sector while providing safe and nutritious
foodstuffs," said Samuel Jutzi, Director of FAO's Animal
Production and Health Division.
OANA Summit kicks off in SeoulUNB,
Dhaka
UNB, Dhaka
A three-day summit of heads of 40 news agencies of 33
countries in the Asia-Pacific region began at South Korean
capital Seoul Wednesday.
Hosted by Yonhap News Agency, the summit is seeking to
broaden multilateral cooperation in the face of a rapidly
changing global media environment.
It coincides with Yonhap's 30th anniversary celebrations
and takes up the theme of "Challenges and opportunity for
news agencies" to map out joint future strategies to cope
with the rapidly changing media landscape. The OANA
meeting will present an opportunity to promote the G-20
summit scheduled for November in Seoul among the regional
news agencies.
On the sidelines of the OANA summit, a collection of news
photos released by the member agencies over the past
decade will be displayed.
OANA was formed in 1961 at the initiative of UNESCO to
secure direct and free exchange of news between the news
agencies of a region inhabited by more than half of the
world's population.
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, a member of OANA,
is expected to participate in the Seoul summit, paving the
ground for new round of inter-Korean media cooperation.
Other participants includes Xinhua News Agency, Kyodo News
Agency, Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (Itar-Tass),
Australian Associated Press and Antara News.
Representatives from the Federation of Arab News Agencies,
the European Alliance of Press Agencies, the Association
of Balkan News Agencies and the Alliance of Mediterranean
News Agencies who are not OANA members will attend as
observers.
Bangladesh is being represented at the summit by UNB
chairman Amanullah Khan and MD, BSS Ihsanul Karim, who
will present Bangladesh Country Reports of their
respective news agencies.
11 students of JU injured in
clash
BSS, Jahangirnagar University
Two students groups of Shaheed Salam Barkat (SSB) hall and
A F M Kamal Uddin hall of Jahangirnagar University (JU)
were locked into a clash centering a trivial matter in the
early hours of Wednesday leaving at least 11 students of
both the groups injured.
Asfaqur Rahman Moni and Shimul of History department of
SSB hall and Sumon of Kamal Uddin hall were critically
injured during the clash taken place from 00-30 hours to
02-30 hours on the campus, police said.
Other injured students included Milon, Lenin, Rajib, Siam
of SSB hall and Tanvir, Abdullah, Samir, Miraz of Kamal
Uddin hall. They were admitted to Dhaka Medical College
Hospital and Savar Enam Medical Hospital, police also
said.
The clash fueled when several students of Kamal Uddin hall
including Shishir, Nabin, Miraz, Shohag were going by the
SSB hall and got involved in an altercation on taking tea
at a shop.
Soon the proctorial body of the university rushed to the
spot and brought the situation under control. However, law
enforcers have been deployed to avoid any further violence
on the campus, JU authorities said.
Sports
Inter Milan beats Barcelona 3-1
AP/UNB, Milan
Inter Milan snagged Barcelona's seemingly inevitable run to
another Champions League crown with a resounding 3-1 win over
the titleholder in the semifinal first leg on Tuesday. "We
have beaten the best team in the world," Inter coach Jose
Mourinho said.
Pedro Rodriguez gave Barcelona the lead in the 19th minute,
but Wesley Sneijder equalized before the break. Once Maicon
gave Inter the lead early in the second period the host was
able to dominate, and Diego Milito deservedly added a third
with a header midway through the second half. "Yesterday I
said it was 50-50 and we saw what happened today and it isn't
a dream, it is real," Mourinho said. "We played Barcelona and
we won. We have the match to come in Barcelona and I will
still say it is 50-50."
However, in talking up the second leg, he said a narrow loss
at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium would be worth a win anywhere
else. "We want to get to the final, but Barcelona is a great
team with a great coach and great players," he said. "Losing
2-1 (there) would be a better result than our 3-1 win
tonight." As the match continued Barcelona appeared fatigued,
perhaps feeling the effects of the 725-kilometer (450-mile)
coach trip the team was forced to take after flights were
grounded across Europe following the volcanic eruption in
Iceland.
Inter might have to make the same arrangement for the return
leg on Wednesday next week.
"I'm not a doctor so I couldn't say if the journey affected
us," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "The result wasn't
good and we lost the ball too often. Today wasn't our best
game." To add to its problems, Barcelona captain Carles Puyol
will miss the return leg after being booked for a foul on
Milito. After a slow start Inter had the first chance of the
game. Samuel Eto'o forced Victor Valdes into a low save with a
shot from outside the area. Milito was first to the rebound,
but pushed his effort across the face of the goal from a tight
angle. Barcelona opened the scoring with relative ease.
Maxwell beat a weak challenge from Esteban Cambiasso down the
left flank, cut the ball back to Pedro and the winger shot low
into the net from the penalty spot.
Milito missed another chance in the 27th. Goran Pandev flicked
the ball past Puyol to Milito, but he shot wide of Valdes' far
post from close in. Inter equalized in the 30th. Eto'o picked
out Milito in the area, Barcelona's defense tried to crowd him
out, but he was able to pick out Sneijder to shoot past
Valdes. Mourinho's side took the lead early in the second half
with a flowing move that caught Barcelona's defense on the
break. Pandev found Milito onside behind Barcelona's defense,
he broke into the box and touched it into the path of the
overlapping Maicon to score from close range.
Messi had his first shot of the match in the 53rd, forcing
Cesar into a sharp save with a shot from the edge of the box.
A minute later Cesar needed to be quick again to stop Sergio
Busquets' close-range header from Xavi Hernan-dez's corner
before Cambiasso eventually cleared the danger.
Milito finally scored in the 61st. Eto'o broke down the right
wing and hit a cross to Sneijder at the back post. He nodded
the ball back across the goal for Milito's header from close
range. "Tonight we saw a team that worked till the finish. We
saw Milito cramp up. We saw Lucio cramp up," Mourinho said.
"The team left everything out on the pitch. Cristian Chivu
came on and left everything on the pitch. Dejan Stankovic came
on and gave everything."
Citycell
B League
Farashganj SC holds Brothers Union to 2-2 draw
UNB, Dhaka
Farashganj SC forced Brothers Union Club to a 2-2 goals draw
in a match of the Citycell Bangladesh League at the
Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) here on Wednesday.
With the day's result, both Farashganj and Brothers Union
secured 17 points from 17 matches to share the 6th position.
In the day's match, Bulbul and foreign striker Enock Bentil
scored one goal each for the winners in the 14th and 85th
minutes respectively. Touhidul Alam Sabuj and Kalu Johnson
netted one goal apiece for Farashganj SC.
In another match, Feni Soccer Club beat Shuktara Jubo Sangsad
by 2-0 goals at the Narayanganj Stadium Wednesday.
With the win, Feni Soccer Club improved their position to 4th
in the league table securing 21 points while bottom-ranked
Shuktara Jubo Sangsad remained at seven points, both playing
16 matches.
In the day's match, Sohel and Asif scored one goal each for
the winners in the 41st and 49th minutes respectively.
In the other match, Chittagong Mohammedan SC beat Sylhet
Beanibazar SC by a solitary goal scored by Linkon in the 39th
minute at the Sylhet Stadium.
With the day's victory, Chittagong Mohammedan SC collected 18
points from 17 matches while Sylhet Beanibazar SC remained at
13 points from 16 outings.
Bappi of Sylhet Beanibazar SC was shown the red card in the
46th minute of the match.
Thursday's match: Muktijoddha Sangsad KC vs Rahmatganj MFS (BNS
at 4 pm).
Retired judge
to hear Pakistani appeals
BSS/AFP, Lahore
Pakistan's cricket board has asked a retired judge to hear
the appeals of players penalized for recent disastrous
tours, and the process could begin next week, an official
said Tuesday.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month imposed bans and
other hefty penalties on seven top players after on and
off-the-field problems during tours of the United Arab
Emirates, New Zealand and Australia.
"Through a resolution of the governing board, retired
justice Irfan Qadir has been appointed as independent
arbitrator to deal with players' appeals," PCB legal
adviser Taffazul Rizvi told AFP. "To avoid conflicting
judgements, all the appeals will go to one arbitrator-in
this case Justice Qadir-and he may initiate the process as
early as next week."
Former captains Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were
banned for an indefinite period for "infighting which let
the team down."
Shoaib Malik and all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were
banned for one year and fined two million rupees each
(24,000 dollars).
Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi was fined three million
rupees for ball- tampering in a one-day match against
Australia in February, while brothers Kamran and Umar
Akmal were also heavily fined.
Yousuf resigned in protest, but the six other players have
all appealed.
The PCB penalties came after an evaluation committee
investigated the team's dismal performance on the tour of
Australia December-February in which the side lost all
three Tests, five one-days and a Twenty20 international.
BCCI talks tough on
action over IPL
Cricinfo Online
The prospects of Lalit Modi remaining IPL chairman and
commissioner appeared to recede on Wednesday with the BCCI
talking tough on action over the allegations against him,
while the federal intelligence agencies widened their
investigations to include the IPL TV rights holders.
In New Delhi, Rajiv Shukla, the board's media and finance
committee chairman, issued a statement saying the IPL
governing council's decision, to be taken at its April 26
meeting, would be final and binding on those concerned.
"The question of people refusing to back down or not, they
don't matter," Shukla told PTI. "After the meeting between
BCCI president Shashank Manohar and Sharad Pawar
yesterday, it has been decided that, at the April 26
governing council meetin."
Shukla, who is reported to be briefing the Prime Minister
on the issue at some point on Wednesday, said the BCCI was
ready to take tough decisions if required to uphold its
image.
The controversy began with Modi questioning the role of
Shashi Tharoor, the former federal minister, in the Kochi
franchise, but has widened considerably to include Modi's
role in the IPL, the financial affairs of the franchises
and several of the other stakeholders in the tournament.
On Wednesday, the Income Tax department raided the offices
of Multi Screen Media (MSM) and World Sports Group (WSG),
the two firms that hold the TV broadcast rights to the IPL.
In 2008, WSG bagged the TV rights for a ten-year period,
with a $918 million bid and a promise to spend $108m on
promoting the event. It had simultaneously signed a deal
with MSM that Sony would be the official broadcaster. The
contract was recast before IPL 2009, with MSM agreeing to
pay $1.63 billion for nine years.
Tsonga wins as
Barcelona remembers Samaranch
AFP, Barcelona
Third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made a comfortable winning
career debut at the Barcelona Open on Wednesday as the
event paused to pay tribute to former IOC president Juan
Antonio Samaranch.
Frenchman Tsonga began putting his clay season back
together after losing in the third round last week in
Monte Carlo, posting a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Czech Jan Hajek
in the second round at the Real Club de Tenis.
Meanwhile officials spelled out a hasty on-court programme
to pay tribute to Catalan Samaranch, a frequent VIP
visitor to the city's premier tennis event who died
Wednesday at the age of 89 in a Barcelona hospital.
The tournament observed a minute's silence prior to the
start of the afternoon second-round match between
Spaniards Marcelo Granollers and eighth seed David Ferrer.
Tsonga took just 65 minutes to lift his clay campaign with
the start of Roland Garros little more than a month away.
The Frenchman saved both of the break points he faced
against the 86th-ranked Hajek who won a round on clay this
month in Casablanca.
Australian Lleyton Hewitt continued to have his problems
with the surface, losing to Eduardo Schwank 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
to make an early exit in his first appearance at the
tournament in eight years.
In 2002 at the height of his tennis powers as world number
one and three months away from winning Wimbledon, Hewitt
got as far as the semi-finals.
But after squeezing thyrough a tight first-round match on
Tuesday over modest 123rd-ranked Turkish qualifier Marsel
Ilhan, the 29-year-old Australian was unable to bounce
back against the last Argentine remaining in contention.
Hewitt has been making a return from January hip surgery -
his second hip operation - and will now hope to lift his
clay game in Rome next week.
Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker reached the third round over
Spain's Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 while home
player Guillermo Garcia-Lopez rallied past Teimuraz
Gabashvili of Russia 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
Sehwag out of World
Twenty20 again
BSS/AFP, New Delhi
Indian vice-captain Virender Sehwag will miss the World
Twenty20 tournament for the second time in a row due to a
shoulder injury, an official said on Tuesday.
The swashbuckling opener, 31, injured his shoulder while
playing for the Delhi Daredevils franchise in the ongoing
Indian Premier League.
Sehwag will be replaced in the 15-man squad by Murali
Vijay, while Gautam Gambhir will take over as vice-captain
to skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian cricket board
said in a statement.
Sehwag did not play in last year's World Twenty20 in
England due to a shoulder injury sustained during the IPL
held in South Africa.
India, who won the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007,
failed to make the semi-finals in the second edition.
The third edition of the 12-nation tournament will be
played in the Caribbean from April 30 to May 16.
India, drawn in group C, meet first-timers Afghanistan in
their opening match at St Lucia on May 1, before clashing
with South Africa the next day at the same venue.
Two teams from the group will advance to the Super Eights
round.
Former IOC president Samaranch dies at 89
AP/UNB, Barcelona
Juan Antonio Samaranch, a reserved but shrewd dealmaker
whose 21-year term as president of the International
Olympic Committee was marked by both the unprecedented
growth of the games and its biggest ethics scandal, died
Wednesday at a hospital. He was 89.
Samaranch, a courtly former diplomat who served as Spanish
ambassador in Moscow, led the IOC from 1980 to 2001. He
was considered one of the defining presidents for building
the IOC into a powerful global organization and firmly
establishing the Olympics as a world force.
Samaranch was admitted to the Quiron Hospital in Barcelona
on Sunday after experiencing heart trouble. The hospital
said he died at 1:25 p.m. (1125 GMT).
IOC president Jacques Rogge will be among the dignitaries
attending a special ceremony on Thursday morning before
the funeral at Barcelona's cathedral later that day.
Small in stature and shy by nature, Samaranch appeared
uncomfortable appearing or speaking in public. But behind
the scenes, he was a skilled and sometimes ruthless
operator who could forge consensus in the often fractious
Olympic movement and push IOC members to deliver exactly
what he wanted.
Samaranch was also a lightning rod for critics, who
attacked him for his ties to the Franco era in Spain, his
autocratic style and the IOC's involvement in the Salt
Lake City corruption scandal.
Scientist's formula backs Germany to win World
Cup
AFP, Berlin
A university professor has developed a mathematical
formula which, he claims, shows Germany will win the 2010
World Cup in South Africa this June.
Germany face Australia, Serbia and Ghana in Group D, but
Metin Tolan, a physic professor at the University of
Dortmund, is convinced German captain Michael Ballack will
be lifting the World Cup following the final on July 11.
The scientist has written a formula based on trigono-metry
which analyses all Germany's results from previous World
Cups and predicts a winner for this year's tournament.
Having won the World Cup three times, in 1954, 1974 and
1990, Germany's average finishing place at previous
tournaments is 3.7 and Tolan says his formula shows this
will be Germany's year to lift the trophy. "It is very
simple, all my calculations prove this," he told Germany
magazine "Zeit Wissen".
"The last time we won the World Cup was back in 1990 and
there have been four tournaments since," explained Tolan.
"The average finishing place of the Germany team is 3.7
and the German team wins the title every fourth or fifth
World Cup.
"Nobody can beat us this year and you can already put the
champagne on ice."
Tolan already predicted Germany would win the last World
Cup, which they hosted in 2006, but unfortunately for his
theory, the home nation was beaten by eventual winners
Italy in the semi-finals.
"My formula gave the winner for the following World Cup,
this is why it works this time for sure," he explained
undeterred after Jurgen Klinsmann's side beat Portugal 3-1
to finish third at the last World Cup.
But Tolan's equations could also help Germany's arch-
rivals England, who were dumped out of the last World Cup
after being beaten on penalties by Portugal, as Fabio
Capello's side have a history of struggling with
spot-kicks.
"The weakest kicker should take the first penalty, then
the second-weakest and so on," he said.
"Then you have the greatest chance of scoring as many
goals as possible."
Zuma confident of SAfrican win at World Cup
AFP, Johannesburg
South African President Jacob Zuma said Wednesday he has
"great confidence" that the national side Bafana Bafana
will win the World Cup, despite their spot near the bottom
of the rankings.
"Bafana Bafana has undergone extraordinary preparation,"
Zuma told a rally in the northwestern city of Kimberley,
where he marked the 50-day count-down to the June 11
kick-off.
"I have great confidence in Bafana Bafana," he said in
remarks broadcast on television. "This cup is coming to
Africa for the first time... We, in South Africa, will not
allow it to leave. Bafana Bafana will give everything for
us to ensure the World Cup remains in South Africa."
Zuma said he and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva made a bet during his visit to Brasilia last week
that their two nations would face each other in the July
11 final in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium. "I know
Brazil is a very good team, but this time around they will
have to lose," Zuma said.
South Africa host the World Cup from June 11 with Bafana
Bafana in Group A with France, Uruguay and Mexico.
Five-time champions Brazil, who host the 2014 World Cup
finals, are in Group G with North Korea, Ivory Coast and
Portugal.
During the Confederations Cup last year, Brazil beat South
Africa 1-0 in the semi-final. South Africa's Bafana Bafana
are currently ranked 88th in the world. Of the 32
participating teams, only North Korea is ranked lower, at
105.
Haiti team trains in Texas ahead of Argentina
friendly
BSS/AFP, San Antonio
Haiti's football squad, forced out of Port-au-Prince after
a devastating January earth-quake, is training in rural
Texas ahead of a May 5 friendly against World Cup-bound
Argentina.
San Antonio Sports, a non-profit group, organized the
training camp for the players, who have gone from sleeping
in the streets for three months to being treated to
specially prepared meals and shopping trips for precious
goods.
"I eat well here. I sleep well. But I cannot help but
think of my friends and family who don't have that," Haiti
forward Charles Herold said. "I can't get that off my
mind."
Families back home are in tents and struggling for basic
needs while the players enjoy special treatment even as
they think of less fortunate loved ones who might still
face danger back home.
"All the guys talk about it," forward Eliphene Cadet said.
"There are still tremors now. That's our biggest worry."
While all members of the national team survived, some
despite having their homes collapse upon them, 32 people
were killed in the collapse of the Haitian football
federation's headquarters.
Families have been staying at the playing field in the
team's home stadium, where the Haitian team hopes to play
a match as soon as August, provided the pitch can be
returned to match condition.
Haiti ranks 91st in the world while Argentina is ninth,
but for Haitian players, the chance to provide inspiration
to a nation in need makes their matchup with the South
American squad as important as any World Cup match. "In
Haiti, people say ask when we're going to play
Argentina. People think you're going to do something good
for the country," defender Peter Germain said. "If we win
against Argentina, the people are finally going to be
happy. We can do something positive for the country."
Adler faces WC race, Loew waits to decide
AFP, Berlin
Germany coach Joachim Loew said Wednesday he will wait for
official reports about Rene Adler's fractured rib before
deciding whether the goalkeeper will be part of the World
Cup squad.
Loew is set to announce his 23-man squad on May 6, but his
first-choice goalkeeper Adler fractured a rib playing for
Leverkusen against Stuttgart in the Bundesliga last
weekend.
Leverkusen say they expect to have their goalkeeper back
within a fortnight, but Loew has said he wants to get a
full medical report before making any decision with the
World Cup now 50 days away. "We will wait for now until we
see the results of the medical investigation and see how
things develop," said Loew.
Loew knows Adler has a history of rib injuries as the
25-year-old suffered a similar injury in 2006 which
threatened his career and left him with a titanium plate
with four screws.
But with three league games left this season, Leverkusen
coach Jupp Heynckes expects to have his star goalkeeper
back before the season ends on May 8 with fourth-placed
Bayer bidding for a European place for next season.
Adler has been Loew's first-choice since last October, but
his mistake in coming off his line too early against
Argentina in last month's friendly led to the goal in the
1-0 defeat and he has been criticised in the media here.
Loew has initially said he will take Adler, plus Schalke's
Manuel Neuer and Tim Wiese to South Africa as his three
goalkeepers, but now Adler's rivals have a chance.
Bremen's Wiese will miss the start of Germany's training
camp in Sciliy as it coincides with the German Cup final
against Bayern Munich on May 15.
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