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Leading News
Shaon of AL declared elected, BNP
demands fresh election
Bhola-3 by poll marred by scattered clashes
UNB, Dhaka
BNP's allegation of vote rigging and ousting its polling
agents as well as suspension of voting at some centers and
scattered clashes marred the Bhola-3 by-elections on
Saturday.
The Election Commission suspended voting at nine polling
centers following violence. Awami League candidate
Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon has been unofficially declared
elected with a comfortable margin.
Shaon polled 96,591 votes in 77 polling centres out of 86
while his lone rival Hafizuddin Ahmed of BNP got 42,950
votes, according to unofficial results available from the
Election Office in Bhola.
Opposition BNP rejected the day's voting and demanded
fresh election alleging vote-rigging and forcible eviction
of its polling agents.
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas at a press
briefing also demanded resignation of Chief Election
Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda and the two other
Election Commissioners. Ruling Awami League, however,
called the election free, fair and peaceful and dismissed
BNP's demand for scrapping the polls. "Question does not
rise at all to cancel the elections," AL joint general
secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif told a press conference.
BNP candidate Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed alleged that 40
polling centers were captured by Awami League workers
forcibly evicting his agents. He called the election as
farcical.
BNP leader MK Anwar told the media that Chief Election
Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda admitted that BNP
election agents were absent from 37 polling centers. The
CEC said the BNP agents were not recognized as they could
not produce their identity cards.
MK Anwar argued that as the polling agents had appointment
letters from the candidate they did not need any extra
identity cards.
Awami League leader Hanif alleged BNP's allegation of
vote-rigging is part of a "conspiracy to destabilize the
situation." "About 60 percent voters cast their votes," he
said, adding that despite provocations, the Awami League
showed tolerance.
Polling was suspended at Lalmohon Public Library centre
and its adjacent Mohila College, Moheshkhali Ashrafia
Government Primary School, Doctor Azhar Uddin Registered
Primary School, Kishoreganj Government Primary School,
Lord Hardinge Fazil Madrasah, Bheduria Sirajia Senior
Madrasah, Uttar Annada Prasad Government Primary School,
Syedabad Forkania Madrasah and Satani Government Primary &
Secondary School.
Earlier, BNP candidate Hafiz, who cast his vote in
Lalmohan High School center at 8:30am, alleged that 40
polling centers were captured by Awami League workers
forcibly evicting his agents. Written complaints were
lodged with the Election Commission official, he said.
"This is a farcical election," Hafiz said, claiming that
his agents were not allowed to enter the polling centers
in Farashganj Union, Charbhota Union, Badarganj Union and
Kalma Union.
He also alleged that the ruling party terrorists blocked
the roads preventing his agents from entering the polling
centers. "Despite complaints, RAB did not take any
action," the BNP candidate said.
Another report says there were no BNP agents in Dhahori
High School center, South Char Sakhina primary school
center, Lalmohan Women College center, Char Shafi primary
school center and Debidwar Govt. primary school center.
Awami League candidate Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shawon, who
also cast his vote at Lalmohan High School center at
8:20am, claimed that the voting was peaceful and expressed
his confidence of a cent percent victory. Awami League
leader Tofael Ahmed MP was with Shawon. The scattered
clashes between supporters of Awami League and BNP left a
dozen of people hurt.
Declare
Sunamganj a calamity area
Upazila, Union Parishad Chairmen urge govt
UNB, Sunamganj
Chairmen of Upazila and Union Parishads at a meeting
Saturday demanded of the government to declare the
district a calamity zone in view of extensive damage to
the standing broro paddy by the flash flood.
The meeting held at the Sunamganj Pourasava auditorium and
presided over by Abdul Awal Talukdar, chairman of
Dharmapash upazila parishad. It was attended by chairmen
of all the 11 upazilas and chairmen and members of union
parishads and chairmen of pourasavas.
The meeting demanded setting up of a Haor Development
Board for Sunamganj which is solely depended one crop
cultivated in 37 haors.
Speaking at the meeting the upazila chairman said most of
paddy lands were submerged by the flash flood just before
harvesting the crop. They squarely blamed the Water
Development Board and its contractors for failure to take
early action in protecting the standing crop.
Boro was cultivated on 1.93 lakh hectares in the district
this year with a production target of 6.34 lakh metric
tons of rice.
Shushil Kumar, a field officer who returned from the
affected areas told UNB tonight that the Surma River was
flowing 182cm above the crop protection embankments.
Waters are overflowing all the embankments and all the 37
haors in the district will be submerged with further rise
in water level by 5 or 6 inches.
Chairmen of sadar upazila Dewan Joynul Zakaria, South
Sunamganj upazila Farooq Ahmed, Jamalganj upazila Yusuf Al
Azad, Dhirai upazila Abdul Quddus, Shalla upazila Abani
Mohan Das, Jagannathpur upazila acting chairman Muktadir
Rahman, Sumamganj pourasava acting chairman Nurul
IslamBazlu, Dhirai pourasava chairman Ali Ahmed are among
those who spoke at the meeting.
BNP
stages demonstration protesting ‘farcical’ by poll
UNB, Dhaka
Opposition BNP brought out procession Saturday afternoon
protesting the "farcical" Bhola-3 by-election and
demanding fresh voting and resignation of the Chief
Election Commissioner and other two Election
Commissioners.
The procession, brought out from in front of the BNP's
Nayapaltan central office at about 6pm, paraded different
city streets touching Bijoynagar, Puranapaltan and
Topkhana areas and peacefully ended in front of the
National Press Club.
BNP leaders Mirza Abbas, Elias Ali, Habib-un-Nabi Khan
Sohel and Rafiq Sikder led the procession.
Participants in the procession chanted slogans calling for
immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Dr
ATM Shamsul Huda and the election commissioners,
cancellation of the Bhola-3 by-election results and
announcement of fresh schedule of Bhola-3 by-polls.
AL rejects
BNP’s plea for scrapping by-election
UNB, Dhaka
Ruling Awami League has claimed that the by-election in
Bhola-3 parliamentary constituency was free, fair and
peaceful and rejected the BNP's demand for fresh voting.
"Question does not rise at all to cancel the elections,"
AL joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif told a
press conference at the party's Dhanmondi office Saturday
afternoon.
Asked if the elections were peaceful why the election
commission had suspended voting at nine centers, he said:
"Awami League will look into it."
Hanif said: "BNP candidate Maj (retd) Hafiz was used as
scapegoat. He wanted to stay away from the race but his
party high command forced him to contest the election."
He added: "Hafiz is unpopular and unacceptable in his
constituency and he conceded his defeat the day he sought
seven-day time."
The AL leader alleged that BNP wants to create instability
by making the by-election an issue and dishing out false
information to the people.
In response to BNP's threat to start anti-government
agitation, Hanif said Awami League will not sit idle at
home. "We're ready, we'll face it politically," he told a
correspondent.
Awami League leaders including State Minister for Housing
and Public Works Abdul Mannan Khan, Bahauddin Nasim,
Khaled Mahmud Chowdhury MP and Mrinal Kanti Das were
present at the press conference.
CJ calls for joint
efforts to keep parliamentary democracy alive
A former CJ blames lawmakers for not discussing acts
of ‘so called’ Caretaker Govt
UNB, Dhaka
Chief Justice M Fazlul Karim on Saturday called upon both
the government and the opposition to take lesson from
India for establishing democratic system ensuring
accountability.
"We don't have time to play blame game accusing each
other. We've to work together for a sustainable
parliamentary democracy," he said.
The Chief Justice was speaking as chief guest at the
inaugural session of a seminar, titled 'Accountability in
parliamentary democracy: Bangladesh perspective',
organised by Monthly Legal Aid at the CIRDAP auditorium.
Justice Karim said that in a parliamentary democracy
accountability has to be strengthened.
He noted that democracy stumbled in the country time and
again although it is well respected worldwide.
Accountability is a far cry where democracy is under
question, he said. Lamenting the prevailing political
situation in the country, he said: "We talk about
democracy but we don't respect the ideals of democracy."
Supreme Court Appellate Division judge MA Matin presided
over the function. Former Chief Justice Mahmudul Amin
Chowdhury, former president of the Supreme Court Bar
Association (SCBA) A Baset Majumder, former adviser to the
caretaker government advocate AF Hassan Ariff, Justice AKM
Asaduzzaman and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, among
others, also addressed the seminar.
BSS adds: Justice Mahmudul Amin Choudhury in his speech
expressed his dissatisfaction over the role of the
Lawmakers of the current Parliament saying they are not
performing their duties that can inspire the people.
"We saw in the television screen that the lawmakers engage
in using filthy words against each other and they are not
at all concerned about peoples' expectation," he said.
He accused the lawmakers of the current Parliament for not
discussing the acts of the previous 'so called' caretaker
government's role and action.
"They at least could have move a condemn motion for
unlawful acts of the caretaker government," he observed.
The former Chief Justice also strongly criticized the role
of the judiciary especially the higher judiciary saying
they failed to fulfill the need of the people.
4 BCL activists
arrested in BSMMU
Five expelled from BCL
UNB, Dhaka
Police arrested four Chhatra League (BCL) activists of
Dhaka University (DU) unit on charge of creating violence
at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on
Saturday morning.
The arrested are Shahadat Hossain, second year students of
Management department, Sajedul Islam, 1st year of
Sociology department, Akhter Hossain, 1st year of
Marketing department, Anisur Rahman, 1st year of Sanskrit
department. All of them are resident students of Kabi
Jasimuddin Hall.
Rezaul Karim, OC of Shahbag Thana, said security guards of
BSMMU caught the four students as they attempted to
ransack the VC office at 11:30am and informed police.
DU proctor AKM Saiful Islam, however, said, Zahid, a 4th
year student of Drama and Dramatics department went to
BSMMU for the treatment of his relative. But, security
guard Jamal harassed them.
Following the incident, Zahid called the four DU students
to BSMMU over mobile phone and assaulted the security
guard.
Later, the guards of BSMMU held the four and handed over
them to police.
Hearing the incident, around 50 BCL activists of
Jasimuddin Hall marched toward Shahbag thana with a
procession. But, BCL leaders barred them on the campus.
Meanwhile, BCL DU unit expelled five activists of
Jasimuddin Hall following the incident.
They are-Humayun Ahmed of Management department, Anisul
Islam of World Religious department, Shimul of Sociology
department, Shahriar Mamun and Ramjan Ali of Philosophy
department.
Back Page
PM assures assistance for
expansion of Girl Guides
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Saturday asked the females to
seize the opportunities extended to them for improving
their lot and contribute to social development.
"Chances are never given in hand, chances are to be
seized," she said addressing the founding anniversary of
World Girl Guides and Girl Scouts at Osmani Memorial
Auditorium.
Bangladesh Girl Guides Association organized the function,
also attended by deputy leader in parliament Syeda Sajeda
Chowdhury and Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid as
special guests.
The Prime Minister wearing the uniform of Girl Guides said
females have to step forward to face the challenges of new
century and to develop the country.
"It is not possible to attain the desire development
without the participation of females," she said and added
they are to learn the new and modern technology and
participate in country's development and advancement.
Hasina said empowering women politically is a must for
increasing females' social status and ensuring their
participation in economic activities.
Describing her commitment to women empowerment, she said
it is her government that provides adequate scopes for
them. Awami League gave nomination to the highest number
of women to contest the last general election. Five most
important ministries including agriculture, home and
foreign are run by women.
The Prime Minister said during her previous tenure
(1996-2201), she introduced recruitment of women in the
armed forces. Women were elevated to the Supreme Court
benches. The first woman secretary was made during her
government.
"We have raised the maternity leave to four months. We are
thinking to raise it to six months," she added.
Hasina said that girl guides are playing an important role
in the world for women empowerment, leadership and
development. She asked the authorities concern to take
effective measurers to expand the Girl Guides.
She noted that drug and drug addiction among the youths
has become a social problem. "Scouting can play a vital
role to eliminate this social disease from the country,"
she said.
The Prime Minister assured all possible assistance to
expand and flourish scouting by the Girl Guides.
She urged the Girl Guides to cooperate with the government
to achieve its Digital Bangladesh programme and make the
country free from hunger, poverty and corruption.
Call to arrange
sufficient parking facilities to reduce traffic jam in
capital
UNB, Dhaka
Experts at a seminar Saturday emphasised on immediate
arrangement of sufficient parking facilities for reducing
nagging traffic congestion in the capital.
They also suggested the authorities concerned for keeping
footpaths free from the illegal occupation by hawkers and
shop owners to this end.
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT),
Bangladesh Council organized the seminar titled Traffic
Congestions in Dhaka City: Challenges and Options at
Bangabandhu International Conference center.
Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain attended the
seminar as chief guest while executive chairman of Board
of Investment (BOI) Syed A Samad was present as special
guest with CILT president Syed Rezaul Hayet in the chair.
Presenting keynote paper at the seminar former bureaucrat
Karar Mahmudul Hasan said lack of appropriate, pragmatic
and need-based mechanism of road permit system has
aggravating the traffic gridlock in the country,
particularly in the capital.
He said insufficient parking facilities, particularly in
commercial areas and illegal parking of hundreds of
vehicles on roads, movement of slow moving rickshaws and
occupation of walkways by street-hawkers and shop owners
are causing traffic jams in the city.
"Around 4,000 vehicles, particularly private cars, are
parked everyday at Motijheel commercial area," he said
adding that Dhaka city is one of the most populous cities
of the world with high rate of population increase.
The Communications Minister said the government is aware
about the problem of traffic congestions and taking some
major programmes for easing traffic movement in the
capital city.
He mentioned that in the cabinet meeting held on 6th April
2010, the Prime Minister gave order to take immediate
steps for the construction of flyover from Mirpur section
10 to New Airport road and its construction will be
completed 2012.
Syed Abul Hossain mentioned that the concerned government
agencies should consider the traffic problem on priority
basis and do everything possible to solve this problem as
soon as possible.
Tender for elevated
way after Munsell report
BSS, Dhaka
Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossain Saturday said
every preparation for constructing elevated expressway and
metro rail in the city is progressing fast and the real
work would be visible to citizens shortly.
Four pre-qualified bidders have already been selected and
tender would be floated by seeking proposal soon after
getting final report from consulting firm Munsell AICOM on
the route of the expressway. Munsell expected to submit
proposal by June, 2010, he said.
The minister said while talking to reporters after a
seminar on city's traffic problem at Bangabandhu
International Conference Center (BICC) here Saturday.
Chartered Institute of Logistic and Transport (CILT),
Bangladesh chapter arranged the seminar on "Traffic
Congestion in Dhaka City: Challenges and Options".
The communication minister said in the first phase, the
32-km expressway from Joydevpur to Narayanganj will touch
all important intersections now facing acute traffic
congestion. In the second phase it would be extended to
other parts of the city.
The Public Procurement Rules (PPR) has been simplified for
quick implementation of the project, otherwise, it would
take much more time, he said asserting that both the
elevated expressway and metro rail project would be
completed within the tenure of the present government.
About the metro rail project, the communication minister
said Japan has shown its keen interest to finance for the
project and have already done a feasibility study with its
international cooperation agency JICA.
"Japan may give an announcement about its financial
support for metro rail during Prime Minister's visit",
Syed Abul Hossain said adding 'we are expecting 80 percent
financial support from Japan for the project.
No war criminal to be spared in trial
process: Suranjit
BSS, Dhaka
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law,
Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry Suranjit
Sengupta Saturday said trial of war criminals will be held
on the soil of the country soon.
No war criminal would be spared in the trial process, he
said while speaking at a roundtable on 'Trial of War
Criminals' at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the city.
With Freedom Fighter Hemayet Uddin, Bir Bikram, in the
chair, the roundtable was addressed, among others, by
State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku, State Minister
for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Advocate
Quamrul Islam, and leaders of Dhaka City Awami League
Fazlul Haque and Abdul Haque.
Suranjit reiterated the government's commitment to
bringing war criminals to book maintaining the
international standard of trial.
Mentioning that a vested quarter has been trying to hinder
the trial process, he said this will be an open trial and
none would be allowed to interfere in it.
Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku said the people, who tried to
turn Bangladesh into a safe haven of terrors and militants
through assassination of Bangabandhu, are opposing the
trial of war criminals. Advocate Quamrul Islam said there
is no room for "considering perpetrators of 1971 and 1975
separately."
Charges framed
against 35 BDR men in Bandarban
BSS, Bandarbans
The Special Court for the trial of the BDR mutineers
Saturday framed charges against 35 BDR personnel,
including two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) of 10th
Rifles Battalion at Bolipara, for their alleged
involvement in the mutiny there.
All the accused BDR personnel were produced before the
court at about 8-30 am where Prosecutor of the court
Lieutenant Colonel Rabiul Alam brought charges against
them. After framing the charges, they were sent to
Bandarban Jail.
Outgoing Director General (DG) of BDR Major General Moinul
Islam chaired the court where a Lieutenant Colonel Abdur
Rouf and Major AZM Golam Mostafa Al Mamun acted as
tribunal members. Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Md Ijarul
Haque Akond alias Sagor assisted the court during the
trial.
Lieutenant Colonel Rabiul Alam told the court that accused
BDR personnel joined the mutiny on February 26 last year
just a day later of the gruesome killing of 74 people,
including 57 military officials, at Peelkhana on February
25.
The BDR chief asked different questions from the accused
BDR soldiers and handed over the copies of the allegations
brought against them for their self-defense.
According to court sources, all the accused took legal
help from lawyers.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Thanchi thana filed a case
against 234 BDR soldiers for their alleged involvement in
the mutiny on February 25 and 26 last year.
Editorial
Road accidents
Road
accidents claim over 6,000 lives and injure 3,0000 people
annually and drivers are directly and indirectly liable for 70
percent of these accidents, speakers participating in a
workshop on road accident in Chittagong on Friday said. They
also said the accidents cause economic losses of Taka more
than 5000 crore per year. Bangladesh Road Transport Authority
(BRTA), Chittagong in cooperation with Chittagong district
adminis-tration organized the workshop at Chittagong Zilla
Parishad Auditorium. Mozammel Hoq Khan, secretary of the Roads
and Railway Division of the Ministry of Communication, said,
nearly 20 people on an average are killed and 80 injured in
road accidents in the country everyday.
The fact remains that the country's roads and highways have
turned into death traps as fatal accidents are taking place
there frequently. The incidents of road accidents are
increasing alarmingly across the country while government road
safety institutions are almost dysfunctional due to reported
fund shortage and lack of awareness. National Road Safety
Council (NRSC), the sole government institution for ensuring
road safety, is supposed to hold a meeting every three months,
but it does not do so. There is a road safety cell under
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and a road safety
division under Roads & Highways Department which are also
dysfunctional.
According to media reports, around 40,000 road accidents in
Bangladesh claimed 30,103 lives and injured 30,833 others in
last ten years costing an amount of about Tk 45,000 crore.
According to the ARC, around 4,000 people die in road
accidents in Bangladesh every year and 60 per cent of the road
accidents occur due to road users' errors, 30 per cent for
adverse road conditions or environment and 10 per cent for
faulty vehicles.
Hardly any day passes off without an accident taking place
somewhere in the urban or rural areas. Road accidents are
posing a serious threat to public life especially on Dhaka-Chittagong
high way as a result of reckless driving by a section of
drivers of minibuses, microbuses and buses running on long
distance routes. The drivers move in a free-style due to lack
of checking of fitness certificates of vehicles and driving
licenses of drivers regularly. Some of the vehicles move on
the highway without any valid documents. The authorities are
responsible for this as they remain indifferent to this
violation.
The large number of road accidents and the deaths and injuries
caused therein can hardly be ignored. As many as 4000 tragic
deaths in road accidents in a year is definitely a very
serious matter. Besides, many people injured in the accidents
are crippled for life plunging their families in miseries. So,
the alarming road accident issue should be taken up seriously
by the government and everything possible should be done to
check accidents and minimise the casualties. To that end, more
stringent traffic laws should be enacted and the laws should
be strictly enforced.
Checking of fitness certificates of vehicles and driving
licenses of drivers should be conducted regularly. Large scale
violations of traffic rules play an important role in causing
frequent road accidents. Against this backdrop the government
should strictly enforce the traffic rules, stop plying of
faulty and unauthorised vehicles and take stern action against
the offenders to check fatal road accidents. This must be done
to safe the huge lives and properties being lost in road
accidents in the country every year. The driver responsible
for the accident must be punished. It is true that nothing can
make up the loss caused by death, yet the families of the
victims of the accidents must be paid adequate compensation to
help them sustain.
AL- BCL relations
Questions
have been raised at different levels about the relations
between the ruling Awami League (AL) and its front
organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). A report in a
national daily on Saturday said, violence, extortion, tender
manipulation, infighting and attack on rival student
organisations by the activists of BCL at different educational
institutions are going on unabated which prove that the AL has
failed to rein in its student organisation. Measures taken by
prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to discipline the BCL seem to
have fallen flat. On April 4, 2009, Hasina had stepped down as
the organisational leader of Chhatra League amid factional
clashes in the organisation and widespread allegations of its
involvement in violence.
Meanwhile, different circles have repeatedly urged the AL
leaders to bring the unruly activists of BCL under control in
the interest of the party, the government and the people. Five
noted educationists of the country on Thursday urged the prime
minister to sever all direct and indirect links between the AL
and Chhatra League for the sake of congenial atmosphere in
educational institutions. The call was made in a statement
signed by professors Kabir Chowdhury, Zillur Rahman Siddiqui,
Serajul Islam Chowdhury, Jamal Nazrul Islam and Anisuzzaman.
The opinions of these eminent educationists carry immense
value and should be given due consideration by the government.
Ending violence on campuses appears to be very difficult task
as different educational institutions continue to be restive.
Since the assumption of power by AL in January 2009
educational institutions have been rocked by violence
involving different student groups specially those belonging
to Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). In the campus violence
several students have been killed and educational activities
in a number of educational institutions suspended. In most of
these incidents on the campus mainly BCL was involved. In view
of this fact, to put an end to violence on the campus the
ruling party and the government should sever all relations
with the unruly BCL activists and bring them under control.
Analysis
What is to be done!
Indirect losses to Pakistan's economy have been
to the tune of $ 35 billion, whereas the US had only given
Pakistan $ 10.5 billion from 2002 to 2007, as if it had done a
great favour.
Mohammad Jamil
Pakistan finds
itself in the midst of despair; the people are entangled in an
unending struggle for survival, as there appear to be no
integrating forces, no unified meaning and no vision to lead
us out of this blind alley. Our economic crisis is the result
of continuous plunder and mismanagement of resources by the
unscrupulous pack of leaders whose life's ambition is to
acquire power and wealth at the cost of Pakistan's
sovereignty. How can we claim to be a free and sovereign
nation when basic economic decisions are dictated by
international lenders? The answer is not simple when so much
damage has been done to the polity, economy and social fabric
of the country. On the one hand, Pakistan faces a fiscal
deficit, trade deficit and current account deficit; and on the
other hand a great majority of its people is living below the
poverty line. Volumes have been written on the causes of the
multifaceted crises Pakistan is facing but no serious effort
seems to have been made to discover what should be done to
overcome the crisis.
The extraordinary situation, of course, demands extraordinary
measures but instead of working on an agenda for change, our
economic managers and 'financial wizards' always find it
convenient to approach the IMF for loans that carry harsh
conditions such as selling prime national assets in the name
of privatisation, increasing indirect taxes like the Value
Added Tax (VAT) and increasing the electricity tariff and
development levy on petroleum products. Such an exercise tends
to increase costs in production and fuel inflation, making the
lives of people more difficult, miserable even. They do not
realise that in most countries, the conditions that come with
IMF loans have proved to be a recipe for disaster. Pakistan
will not be an exception. The situation today is that people
are agitating on the streets, not only because of electricity
load shedding but also against an increase in its tariff and
ever-rising prices of essential commodities. The storm is
gathering, and there could be massive protests and
demonstrations but the partisans are oblivious to the dangers
ahead.
There are two ways to deal with the present dismal situation.
The first one is begging and cajoling the US and the west in
general for a moratorium on repayment of loan installments and
interest thereon for five years, if a part of the loan cannot
be written off. We admit the blunders of our ruling elite for
having brought the country to the present impasse. However,
Pakistan's problems and woes have multiplied due to its
participation in the Afghan War in the 1980s when the Soviets
had occupied Afghanistan. Then, once again, Pakistan was
coerced into joining the war on terror after the 9/11 terror
attacks, when the international political landscape
drastically changed. It is the responsibility of the
leadership to convince the 'owners' of the IMF that the major
part of Pakistan's debt has been accumulated due to a
deteriorating law and order situation, terrorism and suicide
attacks. Of course, indirect losses to Pakistan's economy have
been to the tune of $ 35 billion, whereas the US had only
given Pakistan $ 10.5 billion from 2002 to 2007, as if it had
done a great favour to Pakistan.
Our economic managers should find ways and means to extricate
Pakistan from the morass it is in. They should prepare a plan
to deal with the worst-case scenario in the event that the IMF
refuses to give further tranches if the tax target is not met.
The problem is that we do not have leaders who are visionary
and courageous enough to inspire the nation to unite to get
rid of the dependency syndrome once and for all. Our debt
servicing from 2011 will be approximately Rs 750 billion per
year, including interest on local and foreign debt and
installments of previous foreign loans. Last year, the defence
budget was Rs 343 billion, and taking into consideration the
present rate of inflation, it will not be less than Rs 400
billion for the next year. And in the ongoing war on terror
and facing hostile neighbours, there is no way to reduce this
expenditure. If Pakistan says 'no' to the IMF, it will not be
able to import because foreign banks will not accept letters
of credit from Pakistani importers.
The only redeeming feature is that the US needs Pakistan for
logistics for the 130,000-plus US and NATO forces in
Afghanistan, and also needs Pakistan's cooperation in
apprehending and decimating terrorists who are to'ing and
fro'ing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Another plus-point
is that Pakistan is almost self-sufficient in food, provided
that the smuggling of food and essential items is stopped.
With the present level of prices for wheat, rice, flour and
pulses, the farmers would be better off, which means that
about 66 percent of the population will not be hit by the
worst-case scenario, i.e. no import and no exports and closure
of factories. As regards the urban areas, small scale
industries will grow to fill the vacuum, proving to be a
blessing in disguise as industrialists would opt for
innovations. Last but not least, members of the national and
provincial assemblies, senators and members of the federal and
provincial assemblies should voluntarily stop receiving
salaries and other perks and privileges for the next three
years.
It appears that Shaukat Tarin was also 'their' man because,
right from the beginning, he was hinting that in case other
options do not work, he would approach the IMF. During
consultations with officials of the finance division in
Islamabad, the IMF proposed measures to arrest the fiscal
deficit and current account deficit, which included the
raising of electricity charges, devaluation of the rupee and
increasing interest rates.
What a novel method prescribed by the IMF to overcome the
fiscal and current account deficit! One does not need to be an
economist to understand that with privatisation of national
assets to foreign companies, there will be remittances of
profits, and over time the outflow will be a lot more than the
investment received.
Secondly, with devaluation or the rupee losing value against
the dollar, the cost of imported raw materials and machinery
has gone up. An increase in the cost of inputs like
electricity and bank interest has increased the cost of
production, which has rendered Pakistan's industry
uncompetitive in the world market.
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at
mjamil1938@hotmail.com
EU stance on
South Asia
South
Asia comes much further down the list - although the EU is
struggling to put some much-needed oomph into its ties
with India, the region's undisputed emerging power.
Shada Islam
The
European Union's relations with Asia are mainly
China-focused, with some emphasis on building stronger
ties with Japan, South Korea and the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
South Asia comes much further down the list - although the
EU is struggling to put some much-needed oomph into its
ties with India, the region's undisputed emerging power.
Significantly also while EU discussions with China, South
Korea and Asean include a reference to global and security
concerns and the EU regularly attends meetings of the
Asian Regional Forum, the key Asean-sponsored security
body in the region, security questions are not high on the
agenda in EU encounters with South Asia. Given the
confusing military and political landscape in Afghanistan,
this reluctance to become further entangled in South
Asia's multiple security dilemmas is understandable.
Tension in the region is mounting as Afghan President
Hamid Karzai rages against the West, lethal attacks by the
Taliban wreak havoc in both Afghanistan and Pakistan and
chronically difficult relations become even more strained
between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan.
Hardly the moment, one could argue, for the EU to start
meddling in the region.
True, the EU must not jump into the South Asian quagmire
by launching a high-profile initiative aimed, for
instance, at bringing the leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan
and India to the negotiating table. Such attempts are
better left to the US or even Turkey and Japan, countries
which carry more clout in South Asia.
Making South Asia a more secure place, however, demands
action on many fronts - and requires the mobilisation of
both hard and soft security tools. As such, instead of
shrugging off any role in improving South Asian security,
the EU should take a closer look at the different options
that can help make the region a less confrontational
place. A start can be made at the upcoming EU summits with
Pakistan and India and discussions between the authorities
in Kabul and Vygaudas Usackas, the new EU special
representative for Afghanistan.
To do this, the EU has to develop a more creative South
Asia strategy which goes beyond traditional trade and aid
issues. More than in the past, the EU should put South
Asian regional cooperation higher up on the agenda of its
relations with countries in the region. This can be done
both at the now-delayed EU-Pakistan summit when it
convenes in a few months, and later in the year, at the EU-India
meeting. Instead of routine exchanges on regional
developments which have marked such encounters in the
past, EU representatives should press much harder, both in
private and in public, for stronger inter-regional trade,
economic and business links.
Such demands should be backed up by EU expertise and
financial aid. A specific percentage - it does not have to
be high - of European aid budgets for Afghanistan,
Pakistan and India should be earmarked for such regional
cooperation schemes. Some of these ideas are already under
consideration both within the EU and in the World Bank.
They should be refined further.
The EU can and should try and promote a new, non-military
South Asian security mindset which focuses on human
security, economic development and anti-poverty measures
in all three countries. It's not going to be easy:
politicians and policymakers in the region live in a world
of competition and rivalries and are focused on the
Taliban insurgency and cross-border terrorism, US arms
sales to Pakistan and the civilian nuclear deal between
the US and India.
Emotions are running high as Afghan officials say they are
tired of the undeclared 'proxy war' that the Pakistani and
Indian intelligence services are conducting in Afghanistan
while the on-off talks between India and Pakistan appear
to be making little headway. It is therefore time to
broaden horizons and bring non-state organisations into
the conversation. Civil society actors and organisations
in all three countries can help change the national
narratives from confrontation to cooperation.
The EU should therefore go beyond a government-focused
approach to dealing with South Asia by working more
actively to promote and encourage the development of
non-state players in the region. Equally importantly, a
new EU civil-society initiative should be hammered out to
encourage closer contact and cooperation between media,
think tanks, academics, activists and women's groups in
all three countries.
While politicians in the region rage and rant against each
other, South Asia is home to an array of impressive
initiatives to foster closer intra-regional bonds.
Independent and courageous civil society organisations in
all three countries are engaged in an often uphill battle
to build a modern and moderate society. These are the
people who are the best weapon against extremism. The EU
can help bolster contacts between South Asia's non-state
organisations by transferring its own experience in
regional integration to those in Afghanistan, Pakistan and
India who are tired of war and terrorism and are actively
working for peace in the region.
Afghan, Indian and Pakistani journalists are regularly
invited by the EU to visit Brussels to meet European
officials and Brussels-based reporters. That process
should be further refined so that journalists and
academics from all three countries are invited to Europe
together rather than separately. Once here, such joint
South Asian delegations should be invited to spend time
together, learning about how the EU operates in building
bridges and nurturing cooperation between nations. The EU
press room, currently home to about 800 journalists from
across Europe and the world, is a good example of how
reporters work together, for example.
Europe's image as a global power may be shaky in many
parts of Asia. But that's because the EU has so far been
fairly bashful about mobilising the entire gamut of its
soft power tools. Yes, Europe is good at providing aid and
the EU market is an important one for foreign exporters.
Europe's emerging military and defence identity is
impressive. But Europe is at its best when it talks and
acts in areas it knows best: i.e. forging stronger
intra-regional links, removing barriers and borders.
Most Asians admire the EU for its success in making
partners out of former enemies. And that's one lesson that
South Asia's warring politicians desperately need to
learn.
The writer is Dawn's correspondent in Brussels.
Viewpoints
Obama under pressure
Officials
say US will not allow Iran to 'acquire N-capability' nor gain
the ability to break out, which implies pre-emptive action.
Simon Tisdall
Planning
for foreign wars is the Pentagon's job. But a flurry of tough
statements and alarming predictions by Defence Department
officials about the potency and imminence of the Iranian
'threat', including the possibility of a missile strike on the
US, suggests a different kind of warfare could be breaking out
at home, within the Obama administration itself.
The looming battle is shaping up as a contest between those
who believe US President Barack Obama's carrot-and-stick
policy can still induce Tehran to abandon its alleged nuclear
weapons-related activities; and those who, despairing of
diplomacy and sanctions, are beginning to speak in favour of a
more directly confrontational approach.
Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, lit the blue touch
paper with a secret memo, penned in January and revealed last
week, in which he reportedly warned the US lacked a coherent,
long-term plan to deal with Iran, should it persist with
uranium enrichment and long-range missile development.
Gates has since insisted his views were misrepresented. The US
was "prepared to act across a broad range of contingencies in
support of our interests," he said.
All the same, the timing of his White House memo was not
coincidental. It followed the passing of Obama's December
deadline for Tehran to respond positively to the West's offer
of civil nuclear co-operation and increased engagement.
Instead, ignoring Obama's 'unclenched fist' speech, and at
least two personal letters, the regime said it was greatly
expanding enrichment capacity. It brazened out the discovery
of an underground nuclear plant at Qom, and derided flailing
US efforts to win Chinese and Russian support for tougher UN
sanctions.
Last resort
"Iran's armed forces are so strong today that enemies will not
even think about violating our territorial integrity,"
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a weekend military parade,
which featured the Shahab 3 medium-range ballistic missile. As
is often the case, Ahmadinejad's judgment is suspect. A
Pentagon report sent to Congress last week makes clear that a
great deal of detailed thinking about the parameters and
consequences of military action in Iran is going on. It
includes the prediction that Iran may construct a missile
capable of striking the US by 2015.
This claim, revising an earlier estimate, ups the ante in
terms of how Obama may respond to continued Iranian defiance.
And it follows an apparent change of view by Admiral Mike
Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs. On Sunday he said a
US military attack "would go a long way to delaying" Iran's
nuclear programme before reiterating Obama's position that
such action would be a last resort.
It may be that all this talk of war is just that talk. But
it's plain that pressure is growing on Obama, his national
security adviser, James Jones, and his chief diplomat, Hillary
Clinton, to win international backing for the 'crippling'
sanctions they promised and quickly get some sort of a result
or think again about what to do with Iran. Israel's prime
minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not ruled out military
strikes of his own, is adding his tuppence worth. He doesn't
speak much to Obama these days. But last week, he advised
viewers of ABC's Good Morning America show that Iran was "the
biggest issue facing our times" and required urgent action.
John McCain, Obama's defeated Republican presidential rival,
said Obama's Iran policy had failed. "We have not done
anything that would in any way be viewed effective. I did't
need a secret memo from Gates to ascertain that. We have to be
willing to pull the trigger on significant sanctions. And then
we have to make plans for whatever contingencies follow if
those sanctions are not effective," McCain told Fox News.
It gets worse. John Bolton, a senior Bush era official,
claimed in National Review that Obama's whole nuclear
counter-proliferation strategy, including cuts in warhead
stockpiles, was placing the US at risk, while specifically
encouraging miscreants, such as Iran and North Korea.
Writing in Commentary magazine, Michael Rubin, an American
Enterprise Institute scholar, went further. "Regime change is
the only strategy, short of military strikes, that will deny
Iran a nuclear bomb," he said. "Is that possible? Yes." He
went on to advocate the assassination of military figures and
other measures to achieve this end.
Obama will ignore such extreme advice. But he cannot ignore an
important insider such as Gates, who worries aloud that Iran
will stealthily compile all the components of a nuclear bomb
but not assemble them and then suddenly 'break out' as did
North Korea, testing a device and presenting the world with a
nuclear fait accompli.
Nor can Obama ignore the bottom line policy position laid out
by his own officials. The US, they say, will not allow Iran to
"acquire a nuclear capability" nor gain the ability to
breakout, which implies pre-emptive action down the line.
Keeping this promise could be the hardest thing Obama ever has
to do.
Simon Tisdall is an assistant editor of the Guardian and a
foreign affairs columnist.
Messing with
the climate
Environmental change is distinct from climate change,
although there is a tendency on the part of some
enthusiasts to blur the distinction and turn global
warming into a blame-all phenomenon.
Brahma Chellaney
International
climate-change negotiations are to be renewed this year.
To be successful, they must heed the lessons of last
December's Copenhagen summit.
The first lesson is that climate change is a matter not
only of science, but also of geopolitics. The expectation
at Copenhagen that scientific research would trump
geopolitics was misguided. Without an improved
geopolitical strategy, there can be no effective fight
against climate change.
The second lesson from Copenhagen is that to get a binding
international agreement, there first must be a deal
between the United States and China. These two countries
are very dissimilar in many respects, but not in their
carbon profiles: each accounts for between 22 per cent and
24 per cent of all human-generated greenhouse gases in the
world. If a deal can be reached between the world's two
greatest polluting nations, which together are responsible
for more than 46 per cent of all greenhouse-gas emissions,
an international accord on climate change would be easier
to reach.
In Copenhagen, China cleverly deflected pressure by hiding
behind small, poor countries and forging a negotiating
alliance, known as the BASIC bloc, with three other major
developing countries - India, Brazil, and South Africa.
The BASIC bloc, however, is founded on political
opportunism, and thus is unlikely to hold together for
long. The carbon profiles of Brazil, India, South Africa,
and China are wildly incongruent. For example, China's
per-capita carbon emissions are more than four times
higher than India's.
China rejects India's argument that per-capita emission
levels and historic contributions of greenhouse gases
should form the objective criteria for carbon mitigation.
China, as the factory to the world, wants a formula that
marks down carbon intensity linked to export industries.
As soon as the struggle to define criteria for mitigation
action commences in future negotiations, this alliance
will quickly unravel.
A third lesson from Copenhagen is the need for a more
realistic agenda. Too much focus has been put on carbon
cuts for nearly two decades, almost to the exclusion of
other elements. It is now time to disaggregate the
climate-change agenda into smaller, more manageable parts.
After all, a lot can be done without a binding agreement
that sets national targets on carbon cuts.
Consider energy efficiency, which can help bring
one-quarter of all gains in reducing greenhouse-gas
emissions. Energy inefficiency is a problem not only in
the Third World, but also in the developed world. The US,
for instance, belches out twice as much CO2 per capita as
Japan, although the two countries have fairly similar
per-capita incomes.
Furthermore, given that deforestation accounts for as much
as 20 per cent of the emission problem, carbon storage is
as important as carbon cuts. Each hectare of rainforest,
for example, stores 500 tons of CO2. Forest conservation
and management thus are crucial to tackling climate
change. In fact, to help lessen the impact of climate
change, states need to strategically invest in ecological
restoration - growing and preserving rainforests, building
wetlands, and shielding species critical to our
ecosystems.
The international community must also focus on stemming
man-made environmental change. Environmental change is
distinct from climate change, although there is a tendency
on the part of some enthusiasts to blur the distinction
and turn global warming into a blame-all phenomenon.
Man-made environmental change is caused by reckless land
use, overgrazing, depletion and contamination of surface
freshwater resources, overuse of groundwater, degradation
of coastal ecosystems, inefficient or environmentally
unsustainable irrigation practices, waste mismanagement,
and the destruction of natural habitats. Such
environmental change has no link to global warming. Yet,
ultimately, it will contribute to climate variation and
thus must be stopped.
Climate change and environmental change, given their
implications for resource security and social and economic
stability, are clearly threat multipliers. While
continuing to search for a binding international
agreement, the international community should also explore
innovative approaches, such as global public-private
partnership initiatives.
As the international community's experience since the 1992
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
shows, it is easier to set global goals than to implement
them. The non-binding political commitments reached in
principle at Copenhagen already have run into controversy
as well as varying interpretations, dimming the future of
the so-called "Copenhagen Accord," an ad hoc, face-saving
agreement stitched together at the eleventh hour to cover
up the summit's failure. Only 55 of the 194 countries
submitted their national action plans by the accord's
January 31 deadline.
The climate-change agenda has become so politically driven
that important actors have tagged onto it all sorts of
competing interests, economic and otherwise. That should
not have been allowed to happen, but it has, and there can
be no way forward unless and until we confront that fact.
Brahma Chellaney is Professor of Strategic Studies at
the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi
www.project-syndicate.org
Beware the coming war
The next war will differ from July 2006. The IDF will
launch large scale bombing attacks against Shia Beirut,
the Bekaa valley and the Shia villages of South Lebanon.
Matein Khalid
The
July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah transformed
both Lebanese and Arab politics. Hezbollah emerged as the
heroic champion of resistance to Israeli aggression across
the Arab and Islamic world. While Hassan Nasrallah claimed
"divine victory", Hezbollah lost its autonomy to operate
in south Lebanon to units of UNIFEL and the Lebanese Army.
Israel lost its psychological aura of invincibility in the
Middle East when its troops were unable to defeat
Hezbollah in the village battlefields and rock strewn
hills of south Lebanon even though the northern Galilee
border is calm for the first time since the late 1960's.
Unfortunately, the balance of power between Hezbollah and
Israel is unstable and the calculus of deterrence cannot
last.
Israel has myriad strategic reasons to launch a preemptive
strike against a resurgent Hezbollah. Despite Ehud
Olmert's brutal Dahiya doctrine, Israeli warplanes were
unable to terror-bomb the Shia militia into submission,
unable to kill or capture its high command. In fact,
Israel's devastating aerial firepower only turned
Nasrallah into the first truly popular Arab war hero since
President Nasser during the Suez war in 1956. Hezbollah's
defiance of Israel narrowed the Sunni-Shia cleavage in the
Arab world created by the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Israel has tried its best to wage psychological war
against Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons. Mossad agents
assassinated top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, the
mastermind of suicide bombings attacks against the US
Marine barracks and the American embassy in Beirut. To add
insult to injury, Mughniyeh was killed by a car bomb in
the Damascus neighbourhood of Kfir Soussa, the citadel of
the Syrian secret police. Israeli warplanes bombed an
alleged North Korean built nuclear reactor in the western
deserts of Syria in September 2007. Israeli F-16's
routinely create sonic booms over Shiite villages in south
Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Dahiya
stronghold of Hezbollah.
In fact, a Syrian-Saudi rapprochement and the procession
of Lebanese leaders to Damascus five years after the Cedar
Revolution only increases the probability of a preemptive
Israeli attack against Hezbollah. Hezbollah is an integral
component of the Sunni, Maronite and Druze coalition that
now rules Lebanon, no longer a mere "state within a state"
whose infrastructure could be safely bombed by the IDF.
Hezbollah has rearmed since the July 2006 war. Its
military arsenal includes 40,000 long rage rockets and
surface to air/anti-tank missiles. Hezbollah's M-600
rockets have the range to hit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, not
just Haifa, Tiberias and the north Galilee kibbutz
networks. Nasrallah has also been defiant, vowing to
destroy Israel in the next war and "change the face of the
region". To the Israeli zealots, Nasrallah and Iran's
President Ahmadinejad are the modern incarnations of
Nazis.
The willingness to launch preemptive attacks and use
overwhelming force against its enemies has defined the
military doctrine of the Haganah and the IDF since the
1948 Palestine war. Israeli deterrence and terror bombing,
however, failed against Hezbollah in July 2006. In fact,
Hezbollah's unending attacks in a protracted war of
attrition had forced the IDF to humiliatingly withdrew
from Lebanon in 2000, a bitter blow to a military machine
whose blitzkriegs had once vanquished the Egyptian, Syrian
and ordanian armies in the Six Day War. Miscalculation on
either side could ignite a new war, as in 2006 when
Nasrallah ordered the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers in a
cross-border raid.
The Israelis violated the balance of terror when Mossad
assassinated Mughniyeh and Netanyahu has publicly
threatened to flatten the Dahiya. A war in Lebanon could
be the inevitable consequence of an Israeli attack on
Iran's nuclear arsenal or an Iranian Revolutionary Guard
attempt to midwife an anti-US Shia coalition in the Middle
East. Mired in two wars, unable to broker the peace
process, distrusted by its own Lebanese and Arab allies
the US is impotent to prevent another war.
The next war will differ from July 2006. The IDF will
launch large scale bombing attacks against Shia Beirut,
the Bekaa valley and the Shia villages of South Lebanon. A
ground offensive on the northern banks of the Litani River
to occupy the Nabatiyeh heights, a Hezbollah stronghold.
The Sunni, Christian and Druze villages of south Lebanon
will not be immune to Israeli attacks nor will the
infrastructure of the Lebanese state. Hezbollah's mobile
anti-tank missile batteries will be prime targets, since
they can disable even the Merkeva M4, the best armoured
battle tank in the Middle East. Israeli tank columns and
commonado units could even infiltrate Baalbek and the
Hezbollah command nerve centres in Bekaa valley even as
UNIFIL units limit Hezbollah's ability to launch
retaliatory rocket attacks against northern Israeli
cities. Suicide bombing cells in Tel Aviv, Haifa and
Jerusalem could wreck havoc behind the front line. The
next war in Lebanon will be sudden, bloody and protracted,
just like the horror show of July 2006.
Matein Khalid is an investment banker based in Dubai.
For comments, write to opinion@khaleejtimes.com
International
Obama
ordered drone attacks on Pak 'inspiring anti-American
fanaticism': Congressman
ANI, Washington
A U.S. Congressman has condemned the unmanned drones
strikes ordered by President Obama in western Pakistan,
arguing that such tactics are inflaming radical Islamic
factions.
"I do not support the drone attacks," said Democrat Dennis
Kucinich in an interview, contending that the approach is
pushing the United States "into an area of
unaccountability that leads to blowback, where we actually
lose friends, where we help inspire anti-American
sentiments and fanaticism and radicalism." The strikes
that began in 2005 during the Bush regime as part of an
effort to wipe out spillover militant activity on the
eastern side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have
escalated under his successor.
US military leaders say the approach has purged scores of
militants, including high-level Al-Qaeda operatives. But
it has also killed hundreds of innocent civilians;
sparking new anger in a nation that has long been a key US
ally. Kucinich argues that the strikes are, as a result,
counterproductive.
"Just as an occupation fuels an insurgency, these drones
build feelings and resistance against the United States
and help gain support for those elements who wish to do
America harm," he said, describing Pakistan's cooperation
as critical to halting nuclear proliferation and quelling
the growth of radical Islamic factions.
The Ohio Congressman called for a careful re-evaluation of
US tactics in the nation, and urged Obama to "be careful
not to inadvertently create the circumstances that push
Pakistan into becoming a failed state."
He didn"t, however, oppose the five-year 7.5 billion
dollar aid package or new weapons the administration
recently gave Islamabad to help neutralize brewing
terrorist activity. In 2008, Kucinich denounced President
Bush's use of the policy in more forceful terms, accusing
him of "playing with fire" and "violating international
law by invading yet another nation which has not attacked
the United States." He dropped out of the Democratic
primary in that year"s presidential race to endorse Obama.
Pak CJ forms bench to hear
petitions against 18th amendment
Dawn Online, Islamabad
Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on
Saturday constituted a five-member bench to hear petitions
challenging parts of the 18th Amendment.
Headed by Justice Nasir Ul Mulk, the bench comprises
Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Justice Jawad S Khawja, Justice
Rehmat Hussain Jafferi and Justice Tariq Parvez.
The bench will take up the petitions on April 28.
The separate petitions filed by Supreme Court Bar
Association, Ralwapindi Bar Association and Ejazul Haq
challenged the Supreme Judicial Council and certain other
parts of the 18th Amendment.
The petitioners argued that present Parliament is not a
constituent assembly, and therefore it did not have the
mandate to change the basic structure of the Constitution.
However, renowned lawyer and PPP leader Aitazaz Ahsan
insisted that the Supreme Court cannot strike down any
constitutional amendment.
Meanwhile the Lahore High Court Bar Association also
decided to challenge four articles of the 18th Amendment.
The LHCBA president has been given the authority to
constitute a panel of lawyers for this petition.
Mechanism to prevent Indo-Pak Nuclear
war urged
Dawn Online, Washington
A US bipartisan commission has urged Congress to help
develop a mechanism for preventing an accidental nuclear
war between India and Pakistan, warning that Kashmir could
become a nuclear flashpoint.
The commission includes members of both Republican and
Democratic parties and is supported by the US Congress.
Bob Graham, a former senator, who now heads the
commission, described various scenarios for this
possibility, arguing that a war in Kashmir could cause
Pakistan also to hand over nuclear weapons to the Taliban.
"If, for instance, something broke out in Kashmir … that
could be an incident that could cause someone to make the
decision" to hand over nukes to the Taliban, said Mr
Graham.
Someone in Pakistan, he argued, might come to the
conclusion: "We don't want to use these weapons, but we're
going to let our surrogate, Taliban, have access to these
weapons and they'll do our dirty work," he added.
Pakistan rules out the possibility of ever handing over
nuclear weapons to non-state actors.
International observers say that if Pakistan appeared to
be losing a convention war, it may be forced to think of
the nuclear option to avoid a defeat.
Pakistani lobbyists in Washington use this argument to
suggest that the United States should not allow India to
become so powerful that it starts thinking of defeating
Pakistan in a conventional war, which obviously would lead
to a nuclear conflict.
Mr Graham recalled that his commission also submitted a
separate report to the committee on how to deal with such
situations.
"On the more immediate, I think one of our recommendations
was to work with India and Pakistan to develop some
failsafe procedures," he said.
Watchdog wants Philippine armed
groups dismantled
AP/ UNB, Manila
Political killings in the Philippines will likely continue
no matter who takes power in the upcoming presidential
election because neither of the leading candidates is
committed to dismantling paramilitary forces allegedly
responsible
for most of the atrocities, a U.S.-based human rights
watchdog said Saturday.
The leading contenders - Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino
III and Senator Manuel Villar - will continue to rely on
the government-armed paramilitary groups that have become
private armies for local warlords, including a powerful
clan blamed for the massacre of 57 people last year, said
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.
Although both candidates recently told Roth they would not
abolish the paramilitary units, he urged them in the May
10 elections to take a firm stand against human rights
violations, particularly political killings such as the
Nov. 23 massacre in southern Maguindanao province.
The victims included relatives of a political rival of the
Ampatuan clan and 30 reporters and their staff, making it
the worst attack on journalists in the world.
Clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., a former governor, and
several of his sons - all Maguindanao officials allied
with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo - were charged with
multiple murders.
US renews pledge on trade program for
Pakistan
Reuters, Washington
The United States said on Friday it remained committed to
a four-year-old promise by former President George W. Bush
to create a trade preference program for Pakistan, a
measure that has been bottled up in Congress, reports
Reuters.
"We reaffirmed our commitment to support Pakistan through
market access initiatives," the United States and Pakistan
said in a joint statement at the end of a meeting to
discuss trade and investment issues.
"Both sides agreed to work together and with the US
Congress to move ROZ (Reconstruction Opportunity Zone)
legislation forward so that we realize the key priority of
creating legitimate and productive jobs in areas
vulnerable to the influence of violent extremism," the
countries said.
Bush promised the ROZ program during a March 2006 trip to
Pakistan, a key ally of the United States in its war
against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.
The program has faced political obstacles in Congress. It
is aimed at creating jobs in Pakistan and Afghanistan by
providing duty-free access to the United States for
certain goods made in approved zones within the two
countries.
Pakistan's biggest export to the United States is cotton
clothing and household goods. That category accounted for
$2.4 billion of its total exports of $3.2 billion to the
United States last year.
Edward Gresser, a trade policy specialist at the
Progressive Policy Institute, estimates that Pakistan pays
some $315 million in US duties on its clothing, bedsheet
and towel exports to the United States. The
Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a
ROZ bill in 2009.
But US retailers and clothing importers that favor a
broader program for Pakistan complained the legislation
was too narrow in scope in deference to the concerns of US
textile makers. Republicans also objected it imposed
overly restrictive labor requirements on Pakistani
companies. The controversy blocked Senate action on the
legislation, with no resolution in sight.
Violent protests shake
Indian Kashmir
AFP, Srinagar, India
Violent protests erupted in revolt-hit Indian Kashmir on
Saturday, hours after soldiers killed an alleged timber
smuggler, mistaking him for a militant, police said.
Four people were wounded when troops opened fire to quell
around 4,000 protesters who surged into the street after
the man's death, torching two army vehicles and pelting
soldiers with rocks, a police officer said.
"The four injured people suffered bullet wounds and have
been taken to hospital," the officer said, asking not to
be identified.
The protests in which demonstrators shouted "We want
freedom" and "Punish the killers" erupted in Chawan
village in southern Shopian district of the
Muslim-majority Himalayan region.
Police said the man was killed early Saturday when he
walked into an ambush laid by the army for Islamic
militants fighting Indian rule. Another alleged timber
smuggler was wounded.
Senior police officials rushed to the spot in a bid to
ease tensions.
"A high level inquiry has been ordered to investigate the
incident," an army statement said.
Last week, the body of another man killed by troops was
exhumed after his family insisted he was an innocent
civilian and not a militant as initially claimed by the
army. After the exhumation, the army issued a statement
saying militants had been using the man as either a guide
or as a human shield.
Kabul stuck between U.S.,
Iranian ‘Double Game’ accusations
Internet
U.S. and Iranian officials have taken advantage of their
time in Afghanistan recently to trade mutual accusations
of duplicity in the country.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates got the ball rolling
on March 9, when during his visit to Afghanistan he
accused Tehran of playing a "double game" in which it was
trying to maintain a good relationship with Kabul as it
undermined U.S. and NATO efforts to establish security by
providing support to the Taliban.
isiting Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad today
responded in kind, accusing the United States of playing a
"double game" in Afghanistan by fighting terrorists it
helped to create.
In Afghanistan, the back and forth has provided fodder for
debate over whether Iran has Afghanistan's best interests
in mind, while placing Kabul in an uncomfortable position
between its two verbally jousting allies.
The Friend Of My Enemy
Kabul University law and political science professor
Nasrullah Stanekzai says that while Tehran actively
contributes to Afghan's rebuilding process, it also
interferes in its domestic affairs and tries to use its
influence in the country against the West.
"Iran's strategic enemy is the United States, which is the
main strategic partner of the Afghan government. So
creating problems in Afghanistan is creating problems for
the United States," Stanekzai says. "I think that Iran
wants to maintain its influence and his [Ahmadinejad's]
visit is symbolic and will not cause a major change [in
regional geopolitics]."
Wadir Safi, a professor of law and political science at
Kabul University, has a different take on Ahmadinejad's
visit. He tells RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that Iran
is only trying to secure its own future interests in
Afghanistan.
Abbas
asks Obama to "impose" Mideast peace solution
Reuters, Ramallah, West Bank
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the Obama
administration on Saturday to impose a solution to the
Middle East conflict that would give his people an
independent state.
"Mr. President (Barack Obama) and members of the American
administration, since you believe in this (an independent
Palestinian state), it is your duty to take steps toward a
solution and to impose this solution," Abbas said in a
speech.
Abbas made the remarks to members of his Fatah party in
the West Bank city of Ramallah a day after talks there
with Obama's Middle East envoy. George Mitchell is in the
region to try to revive peace talks between Israel and the
Palestinians.
"We've asked them (the Obama administration) more than
once: 'Impose a solution'," Abbas said. Mitchell told
Israel and the Palestinians on Friday that Obama wants a
comprehensive peace deal to be a reality soon and not in
some vague and distant future time. Pressing both sides to
end a 16-month suspension of negotiations, Obama wants
"proximity talks" on a deal to start within weeks. He has
said peace is a vital strategic interest of the United
States as it battles Islamic militants abroad.
Secret papers reveal Senate
'talks' between Obama and Blagojevich
Agency, Washington
Sections of court papers filed by scandal-scarred former
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that were mistakenly made
public show a deeper involvement by President Obama in
picking his Senate successor and call into question the
president's public statements on the case.
According to passages in the papers filed Thursday by
Blagojevich's lawyers-which were blacked out under a
judge's order but made visible by a computer glitch-Obama,
then president-elect, spoke directly to the disgraced
governor on Dec. 1, 2008.
But just one week later-on the day Blagojevich was
indicted-Obama told reporters flatly, "I had no contact
with the governor or his office, and so we were not-I was
not aware of what was happening." The allegation is just
one of a host of thorny claims about Obama that were
apparently inadvertently revealed when a blogger found it
was possible to read the redacted lines by simply copying
and pasting them into a regular text file. Blagojevich is
set to go on trial in June on charges that he tried to
sell the Senate seat vacated by Obama. The judge had
ordered large sections of the defense team's filing to be
blacked out.
The newly revealed sections also contradict Obama's claims
that he never discussed favorable legislative action in
exchange for a large campaign contribution with his former
neighbor, fund-raiser and key supporter Tony Rezko, who
has since been convicted of fraud.
China replaces party boss
in region hit by unrest
AP, Beijing
China replaced the unpopular Communist Party boss for a
restive, far-western region on Saturday, months after
ethnic riots there killed nearly 200. State media reports
gave no immediate reason for removing Wang Lequan, 65, who
had served as party boss in Xinjiang since 1995.
Wang was in charge last July when bloody street riots in
the regional capital of Urumqi pitted minority Uighurs
(pronounced WEE-gers) against ethnic majority Han Chinese.
Almost 200 people were killed, mostly Han, in the
country's worst communal violence in decades. The Uighurs
see Xinjiang as their homeland and resent the Han Chinese
who have moved into the region in recent decades. A
simmering separatist campaign has occasionally boiled over
into violence in the past 20 years. Overseas Uighur
activist Dilxat Raxit said the change in leaders was not
enough. He said Uighurs need more political rights and
input into decision making.
"China must make fundamental changes in the way of ruling
through suppression in Xinjiang and respect the political
demands of the Uighur people," said Raxit, spokesman for
the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress.
Shiite cleric calls on
followers to defend mosques
AP, Baghdad
An influential anti-American Shiite cleric called on his
followers to defend themselves and places of worship after
deadly Baghdad mosque bombings but urged self-restraint to
avoid giving the U.S. military an excuse for postponing
withdrawal plans.
Friday's bombings - most of them targeting Shiite places
of worship as crowds were at prayer - killed 72 people in
Iraq's bloodiest day so far this year. Weeping and wailing
crowds marched in funeral processions Saturday in the vast
eastern Baghdad slum of Sadr City, and their leaders
called for three days of mourning.
The cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, issued a statement late
Friday calling on "believers" to join the Iraqi army and
police "to defend their shrines, mosques, prayers,
markets, houses and their towns."
He stopped short of mentioning the Mahdi Army, his
once-powerful militia, which used to respond to such
attacks with raids on Sunni areas. Several advisers said
al-Sadr was offering his assistance to the government in a
rare show of magnanimity to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Dismissed murder conviction
setback for military
AP, San Diego
The overturning of a Marine's murder conviction on a
judicial mistake is a stinging setback for the government
and comes after a string of defeats in its prosecution of
U.S. troops accused of killing unarmed Iraqis.
The case of Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III represented one of
the most significant murder convictions for the U.S.
military and was among the biggest criminal cases to come
out of the war. But a military appeals court dismissed
that conviction Thursday because a military judge agreed
to relinquish one of the lead defense attorneys for
Hutchins before his 2007 court-martial.
The government has to decide within 30 days whether to
appeal or seek a new trial or the Camp Pendleton Marine
will go free.
Prosecutors say Hutchins led a squad of six other Marines
and a Navy corpsman that dragged a 52-year-old man from
his home in the Iraqi village of Hamdania in 2006, put him
in a ditch and shot him, then planted a shovel and AK-47
to make it appear as if he were an insurgent planting an
explosive. Hutchins was sentenced to 11 years.
The case was particularly troubling because it
demonstrated a serious breakdown in Marine Corps
leadership and tied it to murder, said Lt. Col. Paul
Hackett, a judge advocate in the Marine Corps reserve.
Hamdania was among three top Iraqi war crimes cases the
government has tried to prosecute in recent years.
The other two highly visible Iraqi war crimes cases
involved unarmed people killed while Marines under attack
were defending themselves.
US may be weaponising space
Internet
This is what some critics are calling the recent launch by
the United States Air Force (USAF) of an unmanned space
shuttle called X-37B. The shuttle is 9 meters (29ft) long
and has a 4.5 meter (15ft) wingspan and is, therefore,
just under one quarter the size of a regular space
shuttle.
If it returns to earth successfully, and the USAF has
indicated it sees no reason why it should not, it will be
the first autonomous launch and re-entry in US history.
Russia already carried out a similar mission over two
decades ago in 1988 with their Buran space shuttle, that
was during the height of the Cold War though, and times
have changed, leading some to question the motives of the
US Air Force, suggesting the moves take the US a step
closer to the 'weaponisation' of space.
"I don't know how this could be called weaponisation of
space. It's just an updated version of the space shuttle
type of activities in space," said Gary Payton, deputy
under secretary of space programs for the US Air Force.
The Air Force has not disclosed the exact objectives or
cost of the X-37B, as such information is secret, but
officials did confirm that the first flight would be
nothing more than a test-run to make sure the shuttle's
range of systems were working properly.
However, Dr Joan Johnson-Freese, of the US Naval War
College on Rhode Island, did say that the USAF would be
eager to see if this project could present new
opportunities and capabilities for the military, referring
to the mission as a roll of the dice to "see if something
good happens." One possibility suggested by Dr Johnson-Freese
was that the X-37B could ultimately be used as a mobile
satellite. Satellites at present are on a fixed trajectory
in orbit, passing over different regions at a predictable
time, making them vulnerable and inefficient.
Ex-priest says he reported
Belgian bishop abuse
AP, Brussels
A retired priest said Saturday that he told church
authorities years ago about allegations that Belgium's
longest-serving bishop had abused a boy but he was
stonewalled until the bishop was forced to resign.
Retired priest Rik Deville told The Associated Press that
he made the allegations to Archbishop Godfried Danneels
between 15 and 17 years ago after learning of them from a
confidant of the victim's family. Danneels said through a
spokesman that he had no recollections of Deville's
allegations at the time.
Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, 73, resigned Friday and
expressed sorrow for having sexually abused the boy.
Norbert Bethune, who was dismissed after a doctrinal
conflict with superiors, told the AP that he had brought
allegations by some 30 other victims of other clerical
abuse to the attention of Danneels and "he was so angry
was us, so negative that he did not want to hear
anything." Bethune said reports in the Belgian media that
he also reported allegations of abuse by Vangheluwe to
Danneels were inaccurate. The Vatican is moving to get rid
of bishops tainted by the scandal - either those directly
responsible of abusing children or ones who had sought to
shield abusive priests.
Business/Economy
Knitwear
makers for monitoring cell to oversee cotton market
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh knitwear manufacturers on Saturday urged the
government for forming a monitoring cell within three days
to oversee the cotton market as the price of yarn is
gradually increasing for the last few week without any
reason.
The price of yarn at the international market has shown a
slight rise, but that in the local market has abruptly
gone higher, they said.
"Hike in price at the international market may have an
impact domestically after one and a half months," they
said questioning: "Why the price at local market would
rise now?"
They said these at a press conference organized by
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BKMEA) at the BKMEA office here.
BKMEA President Md Fazlul Haque briefed journalists at the
press conference. First Vice President Alhaj Abdur Rashed,
Second VP MA Baset, VPs Zahidul Haque Bhuiyan and MA
Rahman and Directors Masuduzzaman and Abdus Salam were
present.
Fazlul Haque said the price of cotton is rising in the
country as a quarter is making over profit and as a result
the textile and garment sectors are facing severe crisis
and the economy would be adversely affected.
"There is no reason for rise in cotton prices every hour,"
he said, adding that at present the price is 86 US cents
per pound at the global market.
The price of cotton at international market was US dollar
3.4 per kg (US cents 82.08 per pound) in March, rising by
2 cents per pound from US dollar 2.85 per kg (80 cents per
pound) in February.
But at local market, the price of yarn rose to US dollar
4.2 per kg on April 21 from US dollar 3.6 per kg on April
8, showing a jump by 60 cents per kg in two weeks.
To ease price of cotton, the demanded of the government
for allowing import of yarn through the Benapole Port.
He said due to pricehike of cotton, Bangladesh is losing
export orders and so far orders worth Taka 200 crore have
been lost.
An opportunity was created for Bangladesh to capture more
buyers as they have started shifting from China to other
countries. But Bangladesh might lose this opportunity due
to pricehike in cotton prices, he added.
"Since China has discouraged exports of commodities for
meeting its domestic demand in remote areas, buyers are
shifting towards Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and
India," he added.
He said a delegation of BKMEA would meet the commerce
minister and the textiles minister for raising their
demands and also hold meetings with the concerned
authorities.
FBCCI
Election
Ganotantrik Parishad announces panel
Dastagir Gazi leads the new alliance of businessmen
UNB, Dhaka
Ganotantrik Parishad (democratic council), a newly formed
alliance of businessmen, on Saturday announced the names
of their 14 candidates from the association group to vie
for the FBCCI election scheduled for June 17 this year.
A freedom fighter and ruling Awami League lawmaker, Golam
Dostagir Gazi, leads the Ganotantrik Parishad in the
election.
Panel candidates are Abu Alam Chowdhury, SA Quader Kiron,
Obaidur Rahman, Farukul Islam Shova, Jalal Uddin, Anwar
Hossain, Md. Rabbani Zabbar, Iqbal Jamal Jewel, Zakir
Hossain Nayan, KMR Monjur, Dr. Sazzad Pervez, Akkas Mahmud,
Abdus Sobhan and Anwar Pervez.
The names of 14 chamber group candidates of the
Ganotantrik Parishad will be announced within next two or
three days, said a top leader of the Parishad.
As per schedule, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex chamber of the
country, will publish its primary voter list on April 25
and the final voter list on May 5.
The last date for submission of nomination papers for
candidates has been fixed as May 10 while polling will
take place on June 17.
The two-year term FBCCI executive committee is formed
through 44 elected members. Of these, 28 members are
selected through direct election -- 14 from chamber group
and 14 from association group. The remaining 16 posts are
filled up through selected representatives from 8 major
chambers and 8 major associations.
About 1,750 representatives from business chambers and
business associations across the country will vote for
electing their leaders in the apex body.
After election, one president and two vice-presidents will
be elected from within the elected members by their votes.
Business circle sources said another panel might be
announced shortly by Hamim Group chairman AK Azad.
Lafarge cement gets Indian government's nod to
mine in Meghalaya
BSS, New Delhi
The Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoEF) on Friday
gave green signal to limestone mining in Meghalaya by
French multinational Lafarge for its cement plant in
Bangladesh putting a series of conditions.
The forest and environment clearance for the mining, to
which as many as 31 conditions were attached, was conveyed
to the Supreme Court on Friday by MoEF through an
affidavit filed by standing counsel Haris Beeran, media
report today said.
The key conditions relate to payment of money for
afforestation activity in twice the area under mining and
creation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for
development of the area around the mines, from which the
limestone is transported to the plant at Chhatak through a
conveyer belt.
MoEF said Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd has to pay five
times the normal afforestation cost working out to be Rs
55 crore with an interest of 9 per cent from April 1,
2007. This would amount to nearly Rs 70 crore taking into
account the interest component.
Added to this, the mining company has to pay Rs 90 per
tonne of the mined mineral since the commencement of
mining.
With Lafarge Surma having already mined around four
million tonnes of limestone, it would have to pay around
Rs 36 crore that will constitute the SPV, which would
contribute towards the development of health, education,
economy, irrigation and agriculture in the project area of
50 kms solely for the local community and welfare of
tribals.
The clearance from the MoEF was sought by Supreme Court
taking into account the charges of Shella Action
Committee, a conglomerate of traditional village bodies,
that limestone was being mined in forest areas and that
the environmental clearance was obtained fraudulently.
Lafarge Umiam was mining the limestone quarry area spread
over 100 hectares near Indo-Bangladesh border for supply
of raw material to Lafarge Surma Cement Project at Chhatak
in Sunamganj, Bangladesh.
Earlier on April 9, the Indian Supreme Court had asked
French multinational Lafarge cement giant, which got
environmental clearance from an expert committee, to meet
additional conditions, including a deposit of Rs 55 crore
towards Net Present Value (NPV) of the forestland to be
used for welfare projects for tribal. The Indian Supreme
Court in an order on February 5 had stopped Lafarge from
carrying out mining of limestone in Meghalaya for its
cement plant in Bangladesh saying mining in the
eco-friendly zone cannot be allowed.
China plays crucial role in global economic
recovery: WB
Xinhua, Washington
With its high growth rate and expanding investments in the
world, China is playing a crucial role in the global
economic recovery, a leading World Bank expert said on
Friday. Hans Timmer, director of the World Bank's
Development Prospects Group, made the comment as he spoke
to Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of the Spring
Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
World Bank in Washington D.C.
"China has played a very important role" in the global
economic recovery, Timmer said. "If you look at gross
industrial production, or growth rates, you will see that
not only China is growing at a higher rate, but China is
actually leading the recovery."
In doing so, China has become very important in terms of
making investments in the world, and investments from
China has been a crucial element in the global economy,
both in the downturn as well as in the upturn, he said.
"The unprecedented contraction of production and trade was
not because of a fall of the domestic demand in the United
States," he explained. "It was because of a rapid
contraction in investments across the world and most of
the investments are down in the developing world."
"Now also in the recovery, it is the investments that have
to bring the global economy in a sustained recovery again,
and there China is very important," he said.
With regarding to consumption, the U.S. economy is seven
times as large as China, but in terms of investments, the
U.S. economy is only three times as large as China, he
elaborated. "But then if you look at the contribution to
global investment growth, under normal times, China is
already one and a half times as important as the United
States."
"So, in that very crucial mechanism that was responsible
for the downturn and responsible for the recovery, already
now China is more important than the United States."
Timmer cited China's "very successful" policies for its
ability to come out of the crisis in a better shape than
many other countries. "China is growing fast now, not
because it was not hit by the crisis," he said. In fact,
China was very hard hit by the crisis, especially in the
fourth quarter of 2008. But the government has responded
with policies that had helped revive the economy, he
noted.
The Development Prospects Group is responsible for the
global macro-economic forecasts of the World Bank and
focuses on cross- border flows to developing countries,
from trade and financial flows to remittances and
migration.
Obama renews push for Wall Street reform
AFP, Washington
US President Barack Obama renewed his push for Wall Street
reform Saturday, saying the country needed to tackle the
underlying problems that caused the economic crisis.
"The economy is on a better footing. But people are still
hurting," Obama said in his weekly radio address. "No
matter what the economic statistics say, I won't be
satisfied until folks who need work can find good jobs."
The president noted that the main causes of the economic
downturn were problems in the US financial sector, and
Wall Street firms had taken "enormous, irresponsible
risks" that hurt practically every sector of the economy.
Obama is promising the most sweeping regulatory reform
drive since the 1930s Great Depression, and is seeking to
build momentum for efforts by Democrats in Congress to
overcome Republican opposition and pass a new Wall Street
reform law. That effort got a boost on Wednesday, when a
Senate panel approved new restrictions on derivatives, the
shadowy financial instruments blamed in part for igniting
the financial meltdown from which America is just
emerging. The Senate Agriculture Committee voted 13-8 to
impose new rules on trading in derivatives, with just one
Republican joining Democrats.
Australia
tightens rules for foreign property buyers
AFP, Sydney
Australia Saturday clamped down on foreigners buying
property after complaints that a rapid influx of Asian
money had helped make its housing among the most expensive
in the world.
The government reimposed tough rules relaxed in 2008 that
say temporary residents need permission to buy homes and
must sell when they leave, while foreigners investing from
abroad can only buy new properties.
The rules are backed by stiff new penalties including
compulsory sell orders, as well as expanded monitoring and
a crackdown on real estate agents who help foreigners
flout the rules. They follow growing disquiet that
ordinary Australians are being priced out of the market
after a decade-long property boom that has accelerated
over the past year.
"We want to make sure that Australian working families are
not being priced out of their own family homes. That is
why we have acted in the way in which we have done," said
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
"We want to make sure that foreign speculators are not
going to force up prices for Australians seeking to buy
their own home, buy their first home and we think this is
the right course of action."
House prices have been red-hot in Australia's major
cities, especially Sydney and Melbourne and also Perth,
centre of the country's booming minerals exports to Asia.
Victoria state, whose capital is Melbourne, smashed the
billion-dollar (925 million US) weekly sales barrier in
March, while Rupert Murdoch's son Lachlan landed a record
23 million dollar property at a Sydney auction in
November. An international survey released in January
found Australia's housing was the least affordable among
six advanced nations including the United States, Britain,
Canada, New Zealand and Ireland.
Global financial crisis badly hit MDGs
PTI, Washington
Noting that the global economic crisis has slowed the pace
of poverty reduction in the developing world, a new report
by World Bank and International Monetary Fund on Friday
said it is hampering progress of the other Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).
The crisis is having an impact on several key areas of the
MDGs, including those related to hunger, child and
maternal health, gender equality, access to clean water,
and disease control and will continue to affect long-term
development prospects well beyond 2015, said the report
titled 'Global monitoring report 2010: The MDGs after the
crisis'. The report was jointly released here on Saturday
by the Bank, IMF and Oxfam International, which did the
fieldwork for the study.
As a result of the crisis, as many as 53 million more
people will remain in extreme poverty by 2015 than
otherwise would have, the report said. Even then, the
number of extreme poor could total around 920 million five
years from now, marking a significant decline from the 1.8
billion people living in extreme poverty in 1990, said the
report. Based on these estimates, the developing world as
a whole is still on track to achieve the first MDG of
halving extreme income-poverty from its 1990 level of 42
per cent by 2015, the report said.
G20 financial leaders vow to address global
challenges
Xinhua, Washington
Amid better-than- expected economic recovery, Group of 20
(G20) finance ministers and central bank governors pledged
on Friday to work together to address new challenges.
Financial leaders of the world's 20 major economies
credited the massive amounts of government stimulus that
have been provided. Their joint statement said the
countries were committed to continue efforts to ensure a
sustained worldwide rebound from the recession.
"The global recovery has progressed better than previously
anticipated largely due to the G20?s unprecedented and
concerted policy effort," said the communique.
But the ministers noted that many challenges remain.
The world economy "is proceeding at different speeds
within and across regions, and unemployment is still high
in many economies."
According to the World Economic Outlook report, which was
released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on
Wednesday, there is a multi-speed recovery.
Besides, high public debt crisis in some advanced
economies has become a severe threat to the world.
"Our framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth
for the global economy is a key mechanism through which we
will continue to work together to address the challenges
associated with achieving a durable recovery and our
shared objectives," they said.
They emphasized the necessity to pursue well coordinated
economic policies that are consistent with sound public
finances; price stability; stable, efficient and resilient
financial systems; employment creation; and poverty
reduction.
In economies where growth is still highly dependent on
policy support and consistent with sustainable public
finances, it should be maintained until the recovery is
firmly driven by the private sector and becomes more
entrenched.
National
Power offices to remain open on
Saturdays; weekly holiday cut to one day on Friday
UNB, Dhaka
The government has ordered all the public offices related
to power generation, transmission and distribution to
remain open on Saturdays until further notice.
Weekly holidays of all these offices are cut to one day on
Friday, ostensibly with the intention of giving more
dedication to mitigate the problems of power crisis. In
compliance with the order, all the offices under Power
Distribution Board (PDB), Power Grid Company of Bangladesh
(PGCB), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), Dhaka
Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO) in the city and other
offices outside the capital remained open today
(Saturday).
"We received an order from Power Division on Thursday last
and accordingly we are doing our offices today (Saturday)
like the other working days," a top official at DPDC told
UNB.
Official sources said the order came from the government
in the wake of nagging power crisis across the country.
But it's not clear if such order will really bring any
positive change in the power supply situation.
All the relevant offices responsible for power generation,
transmission and distribution, are normally remain open
round the clock throughout the week. The officers and
employees do their duties on rotation as power supply
service is treated an emergency service.
"Power stations run round the clock without any
intervention. Similarly, all field level transmission and
distribution outlets keep open throughout the day to run
the transmission and distribution system," a PDB official
said.
He mentioned that the headquarters of different
organizations in power sector, which are mainly
responsible for the administrative works, only keep closed
on the weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday.
"But now on, our head office will stay open on Saturday as
well. It is not relevant to increase power generation by
keeping open our office on Saturday", he said replying to
a question about improvement of power supply situation.
Two crore people still drinking
arsenic contaminated water in BD
BSS, Dhaka
About two crore [20 million] people are still drinking
arsenic contaminated water in Bangladesh, while only 53
percent of its population has access to improved
sanitation facilities.
However, the practice of open defecation has been
significantly reduced to 7 per cent from 33 per cent in
1990, the UNICEF said here Saturday on the occasion of the
first annual high- level meeting of a new global
partnership, Sanitation and Water for All, that began in
Washington Saturday.
It also said at least 2.5 billion cases of diarrhoea occur
in children under five years of age every year in the
world and an estimated 1.5 million children die from it
annually.
"Huge savings in health care costs and gains in productive
days can be realized by improving access to safe water,
sanitation and hygiene - amounting to some 2% to over 7%
of gross domestic product, depending on the region," the
UNICEF said in a release issued simultaneously from
Washington and Dhaka.
With only five years remaining to reach the 2015
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halving the
proportion of people living without access to safe
drinking water and basic sanitation, the meeting has been
convened to stimulate urgent action towards ensuring that
access to sanitation and safe drinking water becomes a
reality for the billions who still live without it.
"Safe drinking water, basic sanitation and hygiene are
essential for the health and welfare of individuals as
well as nations. Countries cannot make progress if
millions of working days and school days are lost due to
diseases caused by contaminated water, inadequate
sanitation and poor hygiene, and if children are still
dying from preventable causes such as diarrhoea," said
Clarissa Brocklehurst, UNICEF Chief of Water Sanitation
and Hygiene.
Hosted by UNICEF, the high-level meeting is bringing
together 35 ministers from developing countries, donors
and development agencies for the united goal of achieving
universal and sustainable access to sanitation and
drinking water.
A high level delegation including Finance Minister Abul
Maal Abdul Muhith and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed
Ashraful Islam in representing Bangladesh in the meeting.
Although Bangladesh is on track to achieve the MDG target
for access to safe drinking water, arsenic contamination,
increased salinity in groundwater in the coastal belt,
declining groundwater levels, susceptibility to the impact
of natural disasters posed significant risks to the
availability of safe drinking water.
"Bangladesh has to deal with very particular challenges
undermining safe water and sanitation for all. However,
the government is committed to providing safe water to all
citizens by 2011," said Monzur Hossain, secretary of the
Local Government Division.
Indigenous parija paddy
Production of additional 90 lakh tons likely: RDRS
BSS, Rangpur
Experts of Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) have said
that there are prospects of producing 90 lakh tonnes
additional short duration indigenous parija paddy annually
in the country to ensure its food security.
The paddy can be cultivated during the off season in
between Boro and Aman cultivation between late May and
mid- August when the fields remain fallow after Boro
harvest before plantation of T-Aman seedlings.
As a part of the ongoing efforts of RDRS to adapt with the
adverse impacts of global climate changes and increase
agri- productions, it has taken an expanded parija paddy
farming this time after its huge successes last year in
poverty-prone greater Rangpur.
The selected 1,500 farmers of greater Rangpur has already
started preparing seedbeds of parija paddy for completing
transplantation within May 15 next and also sowing the
seeds using direct seeded rice (DSR) method in their
lands. Experts of the NGO today told BSS that they
conducted 3-year research on 11 extinct indigenous variety
paddies, and of them, selected parija as the most
effective variety and successfully cultivated it last year
with tremendous yields in greater Rangpur.
After researches on extinct indigenous paddies like shaita,
pariza, lakheejota, atha binni, kataktara, panbira, hashi
kalmi, dular, marichbati, shurja mukhi and dhola shaita,
RDRS found parija's 3.5 tonnes paddy per hectare yield in
shorter period.
The paddy can be cultivated as a completely additional
crop during the off season in between late May and
mid-August when the fields remain fallow after Boro
harvest and before plantation of T-Aman seedlings, MG
Neogi, Head of Agriculture of RDRS, said.
According to the technology evolved by RDRS, the parija
paddy seeds can be sowed by directly using the DSR method
to harvest in 90 days or transplanted 20-day old seedlings
to harvest in 75 days to achieve the maximum yields, he
added.
Under the assistance of inter church cooperation of the
Nederlands, RDRS successfully cultivated parija paddy in
132 bigha land involving 132 farmers in Rangpur, Kurigram,
Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari and got excellent
yields last year.
"We are finally cultivating parija in 1,500 bighas this
season involving 1,500 farmers by providing them 7.5
tonnes of parija seeds in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari,
Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts," he said.
"The country faces a deficit of 25 lakh tonnes rice
annually when there are six lakh hectares land suitable
for farming parija paddy in eight districts under the
Rangpur Zone alone to produce an additional 18 lakh tonnes
paddy every year," Neogi added.
The experts said the country can ensure its food security
and become a rice- exporting nation if the pariza paddy is
cultivated in 35 lakh hectares suitable land in the
country to produce an additional 90 lakh tonnes of the
paddy annually.
5738 ultra poor women receive
training from food security project
BSS, Gaibandha
A total of 5738 ultra poor women of two upazilas in the
district received training on income generating activities
(IGAs)from Gaibandha food security project for changing
their socio-economic condition through achieving food
security.
Unnayan Shahojogy Team (UST), a reputed organization,
which had been implementing the project at eleven unions
under Shagghata and Gobindaganj upazila of the district
since January, 2009, organized the trainings with the
financial support of European Union, ICCo, Dark and Blind
care the Netherlands and the Leprosy Mission international
while RDRS Bangladesh coordinated it as a lead
organization.
Of the total, some 194 beneficiaries were imparted
training on cow rearing, 594 on goat rearing, 395 on
poultry rearing, 4512 on homestead gardening, 25 on small
business, 10 on tailoring and eight on life skill
vaccination so far, said an official of the project.
Upazila livestock and agriculture officers and the
trainers of the project conducted the training sessions as
the resource persons while project coordinator M Atwar
Rahman and coordinator of UST Kazi Ataul Kabir supervised
it round the clock.
Talking to the BSS coordinator of UST Kazi Ataul Kabir
said various kinds of assets including cow goat, poultry
sewing machines and kit boxes for business purpose were
distributed to the trained beneficiaries to involve
themselves in IGA to achieve food security.
The rest 1562 ultra poor women of the upazila would be
brought under this project and they would be given
training and the same support and facilities from the
project, he also added.
Historic Khapra Ward Day observed
in Rajshahi
BSS, Rajshahi
The historic Khapra Ward Day was observed here Saturday
condemning the brutal killings of seven detained communist
political prisoners. According to records, on this day in
1950 the then on-duty jail police shot dead seven
communist party leaders, who were detained in the Khapra
Ward of Rajshahi Central Jail, when they tried to protest
the inhuman behavior on the detainees, serving low quality
food and depriving them from other requisite facilities
allowed under the jail code by the then jail authorities.
The leaders killed were Bijon Sen, Sudhin Dhar, Anwar
Hossain, Kamparam Shingh, Hanif Sheikh, Sukhen
Bhattacharya and Delwar Hossain.
In observance of the day, a 24-member team of National
Awami Party (NAP), Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB) and
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) separately placed
wreaths at the Shaheed Minar in front of the Khapra Ward
inside the jail.
They also observed one-minute silence there in memory of
the slain leaders along with taking an oath of full-length
implementation of their idealism and spirit.
Little rain helps tea plants grow
healthy after drought in Panchagarh
BSS, Rangpur
The recent rains helped the tender tea plants, which
became pale and weaker, to grow healthy again after a
prolonged drought-like situation in all of tea gardens of
Panchagarh district, tea growers and officials said.
Earlier, most of the water reservoirs were dried up due to
no seasonal rainfalls that adversely affected normal
growth of the tender tea leaves and newly pruned branches
and saplings in the gardens in recent weeks.
But, the things quickly changed following little rainfalls
in recent days that also lowered the air temperatures and
helped the tea plants regaining its full growth and the
tea gardens again wore greenish looks instead of pale
colour even a week ago.
The recent droughts caused by lack of rains and climate
changes partially affected normal growth of green and
tender tea leaves in the gardens and smaller tea fields in
Panchagarh and Thakurgaon for lack of adequate irrigation
facilities, local sources said.
Then the green leaves faced growth problems as the
small-scale farmers mostly failed to provide necessary
irrigation, but the situation soon started improving after
the rainfalls in recent days, growers and officials said.
PM condoles death of journalist
Jahirul Islam
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Saturday expressed her deep
shock at the death of promising journalist Jahirul Islam
Tipu.
Tipu died of cardiac arrest on Friday night at the age of
47. He was the news editor of the daily Bhorer Kagoj.
In her message the Prime Minister prayed for the salvation
of the departed soul of Tipu and conveyed her sympathy to
the bereaved family members.
70 held, contraband goods seized
in Rangpur
BSS, Rangpur
Police arrested 70 persons including criminals and seized
contraband goods from different places in the district in
separate drives conducted during the last 24 hours till
Saturday afternoon.
Police said the arrested persons include terrorists,
muggers, criminals, gamblers, smugglers, thieves,
absconding warrantees and accused, drug traffickers and
peddlers, extortionists and other anti- social elements.
Police also recovered good quantities of smuggled
fertilizers, goods and phensidyl, locally produced and
smuggled wine, lethal weapons, stolen goods and other
illegal things during the drives.
The police arrested smugglers Nurnabi, 26, Mantu, 34, and
Rabiul, 23, with 35 sacs smuggled poor quality fertilisers
and drug traffickers Julekha Begum, 40,, Ful Bibi, 32,
Roksana, 35, and Shaju Mina, 40, with 15 bottles phensidyl.
Of the arrested, Kotwali police arrested 30 persons,
Gangachara four, Badarganj two, Mithapukur six, Pirgachha
nine, Pirganj 10, Kawnia four and DB police arrested five
persons during the raids.
The arrested persons were later sent to jail hajat
Saturday when police produced them before different
Rangpur courts, the police said.
Elderly man killed by son in
Khulna
BSS, Khulna
An elderly man was hacked to death allegedly by his son in
the city Saturday morning.
The dead was identified as Hasan Md Shahifullah, 72, of
52, Haji Mohsin Road area under sadar thana.
OC of Khulna sadar police station Monirul Gias said he
might have been killed by his son Badrul Hasan with a
sharp weapon following family feud at about 6 am.
Family sources said the alleged killer, Badrul, was
mentally ill for a long time.
The body was sent to Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH)
for autopsy.
"We will start investigation into the killing soon. The
motive behind the killing will be unearthed as early as
possible," the OC said.
However, no case was lodged and none was arrested so far,
he said.
73 BNP activists granted bail,
five others sent to jail
UNB, Dhaka
A Dhaka Court has granted bails to 73 BNP activists
including two DCC councilors arrested from City's Pallabi
Friday but sent five activists to jail.
Police placed 78 BNP activists including two DCC
councilors-Hasan and Masud Khan-before the court of
magistrate Abdur Rahim Saturday afternoon.
They were arrested after clashes between supporters of BNP
and Awami League in Pallabi. The incident occurred when
they staged demonstration to press for resolving the
crises of electricity, water and gas.
Two cases were filed with Pallabi police station on
charges of vandalizing and obstructing the police to
perform their duties.
Police sought 5-day remand for five BNP activists-Alamgir,
Hanif, Juwel, Robiul and Shahjahan. Defense layer Adv
Sanaullah prayed for their bails.
After hearing, the magistrate granted bail to 73 BNP
activists and ordered to send Alamgir, Hanif, Jowel,
Robiul and Shahjahan to jail.
DESCO consumers urged to be alert
about frauds
UNB, Dhaka
Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO) Saturday warned
its consumers about fraud groups trying to cheat people in
the name of distributing energy saving bulbs.
In a press release, the DESCO mentioned that a cheat,
Monwar Hossain (son of Tozammel Ali, village-Sholzaria,
thana-Kathalia, and district-Jhalakati) was caught red
handed on April 22 (Thursday) at East Kazipara area of
Mirpur in the city while trying to receive money from
DESCO consumers using his fake forms in the name of
distributing energy saving bulbs.
Later, Monwar was handed over to Kafrul police station.
The DESCO said that the government's planned distribution
of energy saving bulbs is yet to start in the DESCO areas.
When the distribution will start, the energy saving bulbs
will be distributed among the consumers at free of cost.
"No one will require paying any money for this energy
saving bulbs. So, everybody is urged to be alert about the
fraud groups in this regard," the DESCO said.
2 indigenous youths shot in
Rangamati
UNB, Rangamati
Unknown miscreant shot and injured two indigenous youths
at Chakrapara area in the town on Friday night.
Hospital sources said Joyti Chakma, 19, and Rupayan Chakma,
18 were admitted to sadar hospital when they received
bullet wound.
Later, Joyti was shifted to Chittagong Medical College
Hospital at night as his condition deteriorated.
Local people said anti-peace treaty terrorists might have
launched the attack.
Sports
Pakistan flies to West Indies for
World T20
AFP, Lahore
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younus said
they hoped their countrymen would get behind the World
Twenty20 team which left for the West Indies on Saturday.
"We hope the whole nation backs us in our campaign," said
coach Waqar as most of the team left for St Lucia.
Pakistan, which won the title in England last year, is placed
in Group A of the 12-nation event which starts on April 30 and
finishes on May 16. They face Bangladesh in the opening match
on May 1.
Two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the
next stage of the tournament.
Waqar, who replaced Intikhab Alam as coach after team's dismal
tour of Australia in February this year, said all matches are
tough.
"We will not take any match easy and put best efforts to
achieve the target, which is to successfully defend our
title," said the former fast bowler. "We have trained well and
are confident of success.
"We have a very balanced team in all departments and if we bat
to our plan, bowl accurately and field well then there is no
reason why we should not win again, but we also need prayers
from the people."
Waqar said Pakistan has an edge with their spinners.
"Our spinners are good and West Indian pitches will suit
them," said Waqar of Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and
Abdul Rehman - four regular spinners in the team.
Mohammedan
wins over Rahmatganj 3-1
TBT report
Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club scored a domineering 3-1 win
over Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society in the Bangladesh
Football League at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on
Saturday.
The match was locked 1-1 at the half time.
Mohammedans' Nigerian striker Bukola scored twice, while
prolific national ace Zahid Hasan Ameli added one to help the
team earn a victory against their city rivals.
At the other end, Mamun scored the only goal for Rahmatganj.
Mamun broke the evening duck after 27 minutes, while Bukola
struck on 33 minutes to put the game on level terms.
Bukola put the Black and Whites 2-1 ahead with his second
strike on 69 minutes before Ameli scored just in the last
minute of the game to seal a 3-1 victory for Dhaka Mohammedan.
Today's match: Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra vs Farashganj
Sporting Club (Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka), Chitta-gong
Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Brothers Union (MA Aziz Stadium,
Chittagong), Biani Bazar Sporting Club vs Shuktara Jubo
Sangsad (Sylhet Stadium).
Asian Cup
tougher than ever
BSS/AFP, Doha
Asian Football Confe-deration president Mohamed bin Hammam
says the Asian Cup next year will be tougher than ever for
the traditional powerhouse teams after
Iraq's upset victory in 2007. Bin Hammam made the comment
as Asia's top-ranked side Australia was pitted against
fellow World Cup finalists South Korea, while three-times
champions Japan will face Saudi Arabia.
The Socceroos, who struggled in their tournament debut in
2007, have their work cut out in a tough Group C that also
includes Bahrain and minnows India.
At a glitzy draw at the Aspire Dome on Friday that
culminated 21 months of qualifying, Japan were thrown
alongside all-Gulf opposition, with Syria and Jordan
making up Group B.
Defending champions Iraq will take on neighbour Iran,
North Korea and UAE while hosts Qatar are in Group A with
China, Kuwait and Uzbekistan.
"Iraq's win in the 2007 edition has reshaped Asian
football like never before," said Bin Hammam.
"No longer can the traditional powers of the East and West
take their places for granted. The new teams are ambitious
and hungry for success. And all this bodes well for the
fans."
Australian team technical director Han Berger admitted
they face an uphill task in the January flagship event.
"It is not an easy group, but then none of them are," he
said. "No game in this type of tournament is going to be
easy."
He expressed fears that some of his European-based
players, like Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell, may face
opposition from their clubs to play with domestic seasons
in full flight. "Maybe it will be a problem. I'm Dutch so
I know European clubs don't like to lose their players for
tournaments like this. We will try to have our strongest
team possible."
Australia will also have a new coach, with Pim Verbeek
already announcing he will step down after the World Cup.
India, who have qualified for the first time in 24 years,
look like being thr group whipping boys and coach Bob
Houghton is under no illusions about the task ahead. "It's
probably the toughest group there is," said the
Englishman.
"We've had good preparations so far, but it's a big ask.
We need to improve, but you never know what might happen."
Japan won the tournament in 1992, 2000 and 2004 and plan
to add to the tally in January.
"We aspire to be in the final," said their technical
director Hiromi Hara.
"It's amazing that we have all Gulf nations, but I am glad
we avoided South Korea and Australia," he added.
"Who is the toughest team in our group? Well, all Asian
teams are strong nowadays so I can't single one out."
The tournament opens at the 50,000 capacity Khalifa
Stadium and will be played in January rather than July to
avoid the searing summer heat in the Qatari capital. The
last tournament was hailed as a turning point for Asian
football and despite Berger's concerns, organisers are
confident there will be no problem with European clubs
releasing their top Asian stars.
"FIFA regulations say that players must be released by
their clubs to play the Asian Cup," said AFC vice
president and Asian Cup organising committee chairman
Zhang Jilong.
"We don't foresee any problems." Five stadiums will be
used-Khalifa Stadium, Al Sadd Stadium, Al Gharafa Stadium,
Al Rayyan Stadium and Qatar Sports Club Stadium.
Gerrard wants
Burnley beaten ahead of Euro clash
BSS/AFP, Liverpool
Steven Gerrard believes victory over relegation-threatened
Burnley today
will set Liverpool up for "the biggest game of the season"
at home to Atletico Madrid in the deciding leg of their
Europa League semi-final next week.
Manager Rafa Benitez, seeking a third European final in
six seasons, has to mastermind a comeback after seeing his
side slip to a 1-0 defeat in the Spanish capital in
Thursday's semi-final first leg.
But first the Spaniard's weary team face a testing Premier
League game at struggling Burnley, Liverpool's third match
inside a week.
It is a must-win fixture for Liverpool as far as their
slender chances of finishing fourth in the table, and
qualifying for next season's Champions League, are
concerned.
But Gerrard believes three points at Burnley, who could be
relegated if they lose, will give the team a huge lift
ahead of Atletico Madrid's visit to Merseyside four days
later - a match the Liverpool captain cannot wait for.
"I'm sure the manager will make a few changes to freshen
things up," said Gerrard.
"We'll try to get a win against Burnley and then prepare
for a massive game, the biggest of the season, next
Thursday," the England midfielder added.
"I'm really looking forward to next week and the sooner
Thursday comes around the better.
"If you don't want to play in that game there is something
wrong. These are the stages you want to play on, these are
the nights when heroes are made."
Tendulkar turns
37
BSS/PTI, Mumbai
Iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar turned 37 on Saturday at a
time when Indian cricket has been plunged into one of its
worst crisis ever with the IPL controversy showing no sign
of relenting.
The Mumbai India batsman got a perfect birthday gift on
Friday when he was adjudged the best batsman of IPL III in
an award function.
However, Tendulkar will have to put his birthday
celebrations on hold as he has some unfinished task to
complete in the IPL final on Sunday.
The tournament's most prolific batsman, Tendulkar, has 570
runs in his kitty from 14 matches with five fifties and
beat competitions from Royal Challengers' batsmen Jacques
Kallis (553 runs from 15) and Robin Uthappa (374 from 15)
and Chennai Super King's Suresh Raina (463 from 15) and
Murali Vijay (432 from 14) for the Jury Award for best
batsman.
With his coruscating show with the bat, he has led Mumbai
Indians to the IPL summit clash for the first time in
three attempts and could give himself a perfect birthday
gift by laying hands on the winners' trophy on Sunday.
The maestro is, however, struggling hard to get fit after
splitting his right hand webbing during the semifinals.
Fans are keeping their fingers crossed that he is declared
fit to play the final on Sunday.
Tendulkar's 37th birthday comes as Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL battle allegations of
corruption and betting. IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi is in
fact, facing the possibility of being shunted out of the
event which was his brainchild.
But with their splendid show, Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians
have shown that the controversy-which has found an echo in
the Parliament of the country as well-has not diminished
their spirits and when on field they care for nothing but
cricket.
Tendulkar has been in phenomenal form which has made
cricket fans around the world wonder what makes him tick
on the cricket field with such consistency even after 20
years of virtually non-stop play at the international
level.
And to top it all, not a whiff of the scandals that have
enveloped the sport in the duration of his incredible
career has besmirched his name.
Just when people started writing epitaph on his career,
his heavy bat boomed with a huge bang in all three forms
of the game -- Tests, One-Day Internationals and in the
IPL -- to silence them.
Hewitt to lead
Australia against Japan
BSS/AFP, Sydney
Two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt has confirmed
he will play for Australia in their Davis Cup clash
against Japan next month, Tennis Australia said on
Saturday.
Hewitt is playing the European clay court season after hip
surgery in January that forced him out of the Australians'
5-0 defeat of Taiwan in March.
Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald said he was delighted to
have Australia's most successful Davis Cup player back in
the team for the Asia/Oceania zone second round clash.
"It speaks volumes about his commitment to Australia and
to Davis Cup that he has put such a focus on playing this
tie and getting us back into the world group."
Hewitt, 29, the former world number one, is Australia's
most successful Davis Cup player with 39 wins in singles
and doubles.
Fitzgerald and team coach Todd Woodbridge are deciding on
who else will in the team, to be named by Tuesday.
Claycourter Peter Luczak, big serving left-handers Carsten
Ball and Chris Guccione as well as youngster Bernard Tomic
are in contention along with doubles specialist Paul
Hanley.
The Brisbane tie will be played on a specially built clay
court on Pat Rafter Arena with the winner advancing to the
world group playoffs in September.
Schumacher, Vettel to defend Nations Cup at home
AFP, Berlin
Germany's Formula One stars Michael Schumacher and
Sebastian Vettel will defend their Race of Champions title
on home soil with Duesseldorf set to host the 2010 event,
it was announced Saturday.
For the last three years, the German pair have won the
competition's Nations Cup which pits the world's greatest
drivers from all motor sport's disciplines battling
head-to-head in identical machinery in the season's
finale.
Last year Beijing's National Stadium held the event while
Paris' Stade de France and London's Wembley Stadium have
also hosted in recent years.
"It's going to be very exciting to see The Race of
Champions in Germany, particularly as Sebastian and I have
won the Nations Cup for the last three years," said
Schumacher with the event set to take place on November
26-27.
"I'm really looking forward to defending our title in
front of our home crowd.
"In the individual event, we'll all be fighting for
ourselves so it will be interesting to see who does
better.
"It's always a fun event to meet up with our colleagues
but you take it seriously inside the cars."
After four Grand Prix races of the 2010 Formula One
season, Vettel is fifth on 45 points in the World Drivers'
Championships with seven-times world champion Schumacher
tenth on 10 points.
Wenger calls on Arsenal fans to show ‘gratitude’
towards old boys
Independent Online
Arsene Wenger has appealed to the Arsenal support to "show
some style" and express their "gratitude" to former
players when three one-time Gunners return to the Emirates
in the colours of Manchester City on Saturday.
The manager's appeal may well be heeded when it comes to
Kolo Touré and, in particular, Patrick Vieira ("He would
always be ready to die to win the game"), but it seems
unlikely to be extended to Emmanuel Adebayor, who received
a three-match ban and a fine in the wake of his first game
against Arsenal earlier in the season. The ban was for
raking his studs down Robin van Persie's leg and the
£25,000 fine for an over-exuberant celebration in front of
the travelling support at Eastlands that seems certain to
result in a heated welcome in north London.
"You want all three to get a good reception because I
believe we want to show some style and some quality," said
Wenger. "We want to help Arsenal and be above all the rest
and show some gratitude for players who used to play for
the club. I'm convinced that people pay money to come to
the game to watch us play football, play well and win the
game, so it's important to focus on that. All the rest
doesn't help us to win. My job is to win the game, and to
have a go at Adebayor doesn't help us win the game."
Wenger is concerned enough about the possibility of events
over-heating that he will caution Van Persie to keep his
cool and "just to focus on the game". The Dutchman was so
infuriated by his former team-mate's challenge that he
issued a statement accusing him of a "mindless and
malicious stamp".
He has been on the bench for the last two games -
demoralising defeats at Tottenham and Wigan - and may make
his first Premier League start since November. "He is
ready," said Wenger.
The defeat at Wigan, where they were 2-0 up with 10
minutes remaining, ended Arsenal's designs on the title
and has left Wenger ruing a missed opportunity as he
believes this season's race had been wide open, although
as ever he claims progress for his side.
"To win games in the Premier League [this season] was
harder," said the Frenchman, "but to win the Championship
it was easier because everybody could beat everybody this
year. It's the first year you can say - Man United goes to
Blackburn, you know they can drop points, Chelsea goes to
Hull, you know they can drop points, so it was
interesting.
"We are much closer this year. I believe, naturally, we
will improve because we are a very young team."
United goes top as Spurs pay penalty
AFP, London
Ryan Giggs scored two penalties as reigning champions
Manchester United returned to the top of the English
Premier League with a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at
Old Trafford on Saturday.
Victory moved United two points in front of Chelsea with
two games to play as they once again demonstrated the
ability to score important late goals, this time in a
match which was all square at 1-1 with 10 minutes left.
However, Chelsea will regain top spot in the Premier
League if they win at home to Stoke City at Stamford
Bridge on Sunday.
Giggs's successful 58th minute penalty, awarded after
Patrice Evra was brought down in the box by Benoit
Assou-Ekotto, saw United - without injured England striker
Wayne Rooney - go in front.
But Tottenham, fresh from wins over Arsenal and Chelsea,
equalised in the 70th minute when injury-prone central
defender Ledley King headed in a corner.
United, though, hit back when Portuguese ace Nani broke
down the right and chipped goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.
Veteran midfielder Giggs then sealed United's victory with
his second spot-kick four minutes from time after Nani
went down under a challenge from Wilson Palacios.
Tottenham will lose fourth place, and the last Champions
League qualifying spot on offer to English clubs, if
Manchester City win away to Arsenal later on Saturday.
Tsonga stunned by Dutchman
BSS/AFP, Barcelona
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was denied a place in the
semi-finals of the Barcelona Open as the third seed lost
Friday to Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a
two-hour struggle.
Tsonga, bidding for the first clay title of his career,
was unable to continue his reversal of momentum after
coming back to win the second set.
The seed lost a third-set break, but got it back for 2-3
only to drop serve again against the former world number
one junior who claimed his first Top- 10 scalp with the
upset of Tsonga. The Frenchman saved a match point in the
penultimate game.
De Bakker will play Saturday against second seed Robin
Soderling, who quietly dispatched Argentine Eduardo
Schwank 6-2, 6-3.
"So far so good this week," said the Swedish winner. "It
was tricky today with different conditions.
"It was quite cold and the balls are heavy but overall I
played a good match. I served well, managing to win quite
a few easy points on my first serve."
Spaniards have earned a popular confrontation at the top
of the draw at the Real club in the absence of the resting
Rafael Nadal.
Two-time runner-up David Ferrer moved to within one win of
his third straight final in the Catalan capital,
dispatching Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci, 6-4, 6-0 in their
quarter-final.
But standing in his way Saturday will be last week's
fifth-seeded Monte Carlo finalist, Fernando Verdasco, who
booked his spot 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) over Latvian Ernests Gulbis.
"David is a top player, especially on clay," said Verdasco.
"It will be good to have a Spanish semi-final and at least
one of us will reach the final."
Eighth seed Ferrer played a match of two parts, struggling
for an hour to win the opening set but mopping up in the
second with three breaks of promising South American
Bellucci ranked 33rd and a clay title-winner two months
ago in Chile.
Ferrer will be playing in his fourth consecutive
semi-final at the Real Club de Tenis - he has lost the
last two finals to Rafael Nadal - when he faces his
countryman.
BCCI top brass in no mood to consider Modi's
plea
BSS/PTI, New Delhi
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) top brass
is in no mood to consider embattled IPL commissioner Lalit
Modi's plea to defer the Governing Council
meeting by five days and made it clear that it will go
ahead as per schedule.
The BCCI has already told Modi that it would not change
the date of the meeting as allegations of financial
irregularities and the entire controversies related to IPL
were far too serious to differ the meeting any further.
Modi had on Saturday sought five days time to prepare
himself for the Governing Council meeting which is
expected to take a hard stand and even press for his
removal.
"I need to prepare the documents to support my replies to
all the questions... I have worked for you (BCCI) for five
long years without taking any money... consider giving me
just five days for the documents," Modi had said.
A top BCCI source said that there was no question of
postponing the meeting and it was upto Modi to attend or
not.
"Modi can come to the meeting and plead his case. If he
doesn't have the relevant documents to defend himself, he
can tell the Governing Council members at the meeting. We
know he has been busy with IPL but that doesn't mean he
cannot even attend the meeting," the source said.
The "Anti-Modi" mood within the BCCI is quite clear with
the entire top brass and most of the Governing Council
member boycotting the award function in Mumbai last night.
The BCCI officials are also planning to skip the IPL final
on Sunday.
There have been unconfirmed reports that former BCCI
president and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader
Sharad Pawar has asked the BCCI president Shashank Manohar
to give Modi some time to defend himself by postponing the
meeting by five days. But no BCCI official confirmed the
development.
Modi's decision not to move court, questioning the
validity of the April 26 meeting has also raised
speculation that a compromise formula is being worked out.
But with the mounting pressure of BCCI to take a hard
stand and clean up the entire IPL mess would make it tough
for Modi to find an escape route this time around.
Pawar is expected to meet the top brass of BCCI in Mumbai
on Saturday to take stock of the situation in the wake of
the raging controversy.
Iran coach targets Asian Cup second phase
AFP, Tehran
Iran coach Afshin Qotbi has targetted a place in the next
round after the Asian Cup finals draw placed Iran with
defending champions and neighbours Iraq, media reported on
Saturday.
On Friday the draw in the Asian Cup 2011 host nation of
Qatar grouped Iraq with eastern neighbours Iran, the Asian
powerhouse of the late 1960s through the 1970s, as well as
North Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran, with a current FIFA ranking of 63 that puts them
behind Australia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia, have won
the Asian cup three times-in 1968, 1972 and 1976 -- and
were host to the continent's biggest football event in
1968 and 1976.
"There is no easy team in football nowadays and so we will
display our best," the Iranian-American Qotbi was quoted
as saying by the Mehr news agency.
"The Asian teams have evolved and no-one can say that such
and such teams are easy targets.
"But I am content with the draw and the teams in our
group. We will do our best to make it to the next round. I
cannot say the standing we may reach but I vow to perform
to our best."
Qotbi's optimism was echoed by the chairman of the Iran's
football federation Ali Kafashian, though he conceded it
is not an easy road.
"If we want to keep our name in Asia and plan for the
World Cup then we should not consider any team to be
difficult to beat. We should be strong enough to beat any
Asian team, there is this strength in Team Melli," he
said.
"We know the North Korean team and we had a good record in
winning against them, we also know UAE and we know their
playing tactics. Iraq is a strong team," Kafashian added,
as quoted by ISNA news agency.
He said that the federation plans to "organise good
friendly matches with heavyweights such as Japan and South
Korea in order to shape up the team".
However, Iranian skipper Javad Nekounam, who plays for
Spanish side Osasuna, was more cautious.
"I did not say that we are scared of North Korea, What I
meant was that I do not like they way they play football,"
he told the Fars news agency. "Group D is the most
difficult group."
Iran under Qotbi drew at North Korea in the Asian
qualifiers for this summer's World Cup finals, which
resulted in Team Melli not making it to the South Africa
tournament. The govern-mental Varzashi sports daily dubbed
Friday's draw as "escape from the group of death". Asian
Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam said
after the draw that the Asian Cup next year will be
tougher than ever for the traditional powerhouse teams
after Iraq's upset victory in 2007.
Bin Hammam made the comment as Asia's top-ranked side
Australia were pitted against fellow World Cup finalists
South Korea, while Japan will face Saudi Arabia-both three
times Asian Cup champions.
The tournament opens at the 50,000 capacity Khalifa
Stadium and will be played in January rather than July to
avoid the searing summer heat in the Qatari capital.
Five stadiums will be used-Khalifa Stadium, Al Sadd
Stadium, Al Gharafa Stadium, Al Rayyan Stadium and Qatar
Sports Club Stadium-for the event which kicks off on
January 7 until 29.
Hockley makes most of his second chance
Independent Online
A week after his 31st birthday Kent batsman James Hockley
finally accepted his native county's gift of a rare second
chance in professional cricket by playing his side into a
commanding position against Yorkshire.
With the game hanging in the balance, the stylish
right-hander walked in to play the innings of his life and
deflate a buoyant Tykes' attack with a three-and-a-quarter
hour act of defiance as Kent extended their match lead to
361 going into the final day.
Having used up the first 33 balls of the day in claiming
Yorkshire's final two wickets, Kent were happy to be
batting for a second time with a slender lead of 34, but
by lunch they had already lost both international openers.
Joe Denly edged an airy drive behind off Tim Bresnan,
while Robert Key went lbw to Oliver Hannon-Dalby. The
hosts rallied with a brisk 69-ball 50 from Geraint Jones
that ended eight balls after lunch when he embarrassingly
missed an attempted reverse sweep against David Wainwright
and sparked a mini-collapse that saw Sam Northeast and
Darren Stevens depart in the space of four overs.
With the score on 207 for six, Adil Rashid dislodged
Martin van Jaarsveld for 78, his two-hour stay coming to a
surprising end when he played slightly around a googly to
go leg before and bring together Hockley and James
Tredwell.
In his first spell with the club Hockley enjoyed moderate
success in one-day cricket, yet his four-day performances
proved patchy. Indeed, until yesterday his modest
career-best first-class score was 74 against the touring
Zimbabweans in Canterbury in 2000.
It barely created a ripple when, four years after his
first-class debut, Hockley was released during the autumn
of 2002. He went on to combine teaching with eye-catching
Kent League performances for Hartley Country Club.
His batting matured to such an extent that Hockley caught
the eye of another Beckenham boy, namely the Kent captain
Key, who re-introduced him to the St Lawrence fold for
2009.
Once again, the likable Hockley found his chances limited
to four championship starts - an impressive league record
283 not out for the Country Club in a 55-over game against
Gore Court proved the highlight of another disappointing
summer.
Omitted from Kent's opening four-day side of the summer,
Hockley was handed a season's championship debut for this
game with a brief to curb his attacking instincts and
bolster the middle order. He answered with an impressive
152-ball stay that reaped 11 fours. In tandem with
Tredwell, whose chanceless 87-ball 50 befitted his
new-found status as a Test player, Hockley nigh on batted
championship leaders Yorkshire out of the game.
He missed out on a maiden championship hundred when he
edged an attempted leg-side glance to the 'keeper late in
the day. All the same, St George's Day became a red-letter
day in the Hockley household.
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