MONday, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 magh 19, 1416, SAFAR 15, 1431 Hijri

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Leading News

Pilkhana carnage
BNP dismisses PM’s charge against Khaleda, Tarique

UNB, Dhaka

BNP Sunday dismissed as "baseless and politically motivated" Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's accusatory remarks against party chairperson Khaleda Zia and senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman over the Pilkhana carnage, and paid the government side back in their own coin.
The opposition party alleged that such a comment by the Prime Minister is part of the government's present attempt to spread smear campaign against the BNP leaders and workers by forcing journalists through the use of a special intelligence agency and state administration.
BNP Standing Committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain at a press briefing at the party's central office at Nayapaltan on Sunday afternoon made the allegation and reaction against the PM's broadside against her political archrival.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at an extended meeting of grassroots leaders of Awami League Saturday reportedly raised question over three days' whereabouts of Khaleda Zia after getting phone from Tarique Rahman during the February 25-26 BDR mutiny and murders inside the headquarters of the border force.
Dr Mosharraf said BNP thinks that making such "irresponsible" statements sitting in the chair of Prime Minister is grossly "wrong and unfair".
"BNP protests government's misdeed of using intelligence agency the way the past military-backed emergency government did," the ex-minister said and demanded stopping use of intelligence in political task in the democratic system. The top BNP leader said the mystery behind the BDR rebellion had not yet unfolded and there still remained many questions unanswered over the incident.
"Suspicion hangs over the Prime Minister, her party's leaders and relatives, and so credible investigation was not allowed to be carried out," he said in a counter-allegation from the BNP over the horrendous incident that still remains shrouded in mystery. He claimed there are allegations that many detained BDR personnel were killed to save the accused in the ruling party.
The main opposition party, which has long been abstaining from parliament, made a disclosure at the news conference that many army officials who demanded fair investigation and trial of the BDR mutineers were "terminated from their jobs by the Prime Minister in conjunction with her trusted then army chief Gen (Retd) Moeen U Ahmed".
"Even then, seeing that everything could not be hidden, the Prime Minister recklessly spread a smokescreen with untrue campaign," the BNP spokesman told the newsmen in a swinging rebuttal. The party demanded of the government side not to dish out fictitious stories over the sensitive issue of BDR mutiny.

 PM orders removal of bottlenecks blocking investment
UNB, Dhaka

Irked by bureaucratic barriers facing investors, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday asked the authorities concerned to remove all bottlenecks that block invest in the country from home and abroad.
"Creating complexities is not a credit. You have to cast off this type of attitude," the Prime Minister said as she took stock of the country's economic situation in a high-level meeting with the economic points-men at the PM Office. She presided over the review meeting on 'Fiscal management and economic situation'. Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Planning Minister AK Khandaker, advisers to the Prime Minister HT Imam and Dr Mashiur Rahman, Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman, Cabinet Secretary Abdul Aziz, Principal Secretary MA Karim, Planning Secretary Habibullah Majumder, NBR chairman DR Nasiruddin Ahmed and ERD Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan were present.
Finance Secretary Dr Mohammad Tareq presented the fiscal management and economic situation of the country for the first half of the current financial year.
The Prime Minister mentioned that many people from home and abroad are interested to invest in Bangladesh, but bureaucratic tangles often discouraged them when they came to make investment in the country. In this connection, she particularly said that the non-resident Bangladeshis are very much interested to invest in the country.
"But often they had to face various types of problems to complete their process," she said on a note of resentment. The Prime Minister asked the officials to work for the welfare of the country's mass people for which the present government is voted to power.
Prime Minister Hasina, however, expressed her deep satisfaction over the first six months' performance in the country's economy. "The overall situation is very good," she said.
She underscored the need of increasing the revenue collection to make the country stronger on the economic front. She suggested checking the lifestyle of a person and his/her source of income to catch the tax-dodgers and rope them onto the tax net.
Regarding the revival of the jute sector, the Prime Minister blamed the previous BNP-Jamaat alliance government for destroying the 'golden fiber' of Bengal through knocking down industrial unites.
She noted that the demand of jute and jute goods is rapidly increasing on the international market. "We have to look into this matter."

 Amar Ekushey Book Fair begins today
BSS, Dhaka

The month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2010, country's largest book festival, will begin today at the premises of Bangla Academy.
The Fair Management Committee has completed all necessary preparations, including allocation of stalls and ensure security measures. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is expected to inaugurate the month-long fair at 3:00 pm today, said Shamsuzzaman Khan, Director General of Bangla Academy, at a press conference on Sunday.
The Prime Minister is also expected to inaugurate a Museum of Language Movement at Bardhoman House of Bangla Academy.The fair venue was seen very busy on Sunday as the publishing houses were taking the last-minute preparations. They are working round the clock to make the fair a success.
When asked about continuous violation of fair rules and regulations by the participating publication houses, Shamsuzzaman Khan said the authorities will take necessary initiatives to ensure that the publishing houses do follow the rules and regulations of the fair that prohibit selling pirated books and books of other publications.
"We are going to take severe actions against those who will flout rules and regulations", said Shamsuzzaman Khan.He said the book fair steering committee has allocated 505 stalls of 356 organisations and publishing houses this year on the Academy premises.
In the last year there were 436 book stalls at the Ekushey Book Fair and the total sale proceeds were Taka 18 crore. A total of 422 stalls were set up in 2008, 400 in 2007, 477 in 2006 and 464 in 2005 book fair.The fair witnessed the highest 653 publishers participating in 1994 fair.
All books, excluding Bangla Academy's, will be sold at 25 percent commission at the fair, while last year they sold books at 30 percent commission. However, books of Bangla Academy will be sold at 30 percent commission. Academy's older publications will be sold at 50 percent commission, Khan added.
Foolproof security will be taken to avert any subversive activities during the fair. Sixteen close-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras would be set up at different points on the Academy premises.
The fair will remain open for all from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm everyday. However, on holidays, the fair will remain open from 11:00 am with a two- hour break from 12:00 noon.
On February 21, the International Mother Language Day, the fair will continue from 8:00am to 10:00pm without any break.

  PML-N ambiguous on Pak president’s immunity
Dawn Online, Islamabad

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has been deliberately keeping its stance on the president's immunity vague so as to gain political mileage from the situation arising out of the Supreme Court's verdict on the National Reconcilia-tion Ordinance (NRO), interviews with some of the senior party leaders revealed.
The PML-N leaders are reluctant in giving their point of view in categorical terms whether President Asif Zardari enjoys immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution or not, but at the same time they are calling upon the government to 'reopen' the SGS case in the Swiss court in light of the verdict.
When this question was put before PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif during a news conference in Peshawar, he replied ambiguously that had he been the president he would have presented himself before the courts, immunity notwithstanding.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a PML-N Senator, is of the opinion that President Zardari did not enjoy immunity under Article 248 in the light of the SC verdict on NRO. He, however, stressed that it was his personal viewpoint, and not that of the party. On the other hand, PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said the immunity issue would arise only after reopening of cases against the president.
"First, the government should reopen all cases which were illegally closed against President Zardari and then submit a request to courts for an immunity," Mr Iqbal said while talking to Dawn.
When asked if the PML-N planned to take the matter to court for interpretation of Article 248, as advised by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in his speech in the National Assembly on Thursday, Mr Iqbal said the party did not want to "unnecessarily drag" the judiciary into a political matter.
"We should not politicise the judiciary by taking all matters before it. If we take every comma and full stop in the Constitution to the court for interpretation, then tomorrow it will be the court which will be making every major decision," he added.
Mr Iqbal accused the prime minister of confounding the matter by saying that the Swiss case against Mr Zardari could not be opened because the president enjoyed immunity.
The PML-N spokesman said the key question for this government was "lack of credibility". On one hand, the PPP claimed that cases against its leaders were politically-motivated and baseless, and on the other, they were hiding the president behind the immunity cover.

   Bangabandhu murder
Red notice issued through Interpol against fugitive convicts: Sahara
MoU may be signed with countries sheltering them: Shafique

UNB, Dhaka

Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun Sunday said red notice has been issued against the fugitive killers of Bangabandhu through the Interpol under urgent government initiative to bring them back and execute the court conviction.
She also said that the government has already reached the last phase of initiating the trial of war criminals and "the trial process will begin soon".
The home minister hoped that "aspiration of the people of the country will be fulfilled through the execution of the rest six fugitive killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman".
Five of the former army officers sentenced to death in the Bangabandhu murder case-were hanged inside Dhaka Central Jail on Wednesday midnight.
Six more killers are hiding abroad," the Home Minister said while addressing the reception ceremony of new lawyers at Dhaka Bar Association auditorium.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed Sunday said if necessary, the government would sign MoU deals with the countries wherein the convicted killers of Bangabandhu are hiding to bring them back to justice.
Talking to reporters at his ministry, a day after the Prime Minister expressed government resolve to run in all of the remaining six fugitives, Barrister Shafique said an agreement on mutual legal assistance already exists between Bangladesh and the United States.
"Whatever countries the killers are hiding in, the government will sign MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the countries concerned to bring the fugitives back to the country to face justice," he said.

  Gas exploration gets going soon with court embargo now gone

UNB, Dhaka

Gas exploration gets going soon in both onshore and offshore hydrocarbon turfs as the government will soon move for a fresh international bidding for lease of the blocks with the longstanding court embargo now gone.
The good news broke when gas crisis forced the government to go for rationing the fuel for industries while domestic consumers also suffered much for erratic supply for cooking.
"As per directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we have already instructed Petrobangla to move forward to invite a fresh international bidding," outgoing Energy Secretary Mohammad Mohsin told reporters at his office Sunday.
Last week the High Court vacated its longstanding injunction against signing Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) for gas exploration in onshore blocks. The removal of embargo ultimately paved the way for inviting international bids.
Earlier, a similar taboo was removed by the court in 2007 which facilitated the government to invite international bids for offshore blocks. Under that bidding invited in 2008, three blocks in the Bay of Bengal were decided to be awarded to two international companies for exploration.
On November 19, 1998, the High Court issued an interim order of injunction following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition, blocking the way for signing deals with international oil companies for exploring gas.
The countrywide nagging gas crisis prompted the Awami League government to move for removing the court embargo as they put the gas exploration on top of the priority agenda.
The country now produces about 1,900 million cubic feet (mmcf) gas per day against a demand for more than 2,300 mmcfd. The country's power plants, industry and domestic consumers are severely suffering for this gas shortage.
Mohsin said the government would invite international bidding for onshore and offshore blocks on the basis of the Model Production Sharing Contract (PSC) prepared in 2006.
But, considering the changed situation, some necessary amendments might be brought in the much-debated Model PSC.

Back Page

Tk 28,500 cr of ADP would be implemented this fiscal: Muhith
BSS, Dhaka

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Sunday predicted that Taka 28,500 crore of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) would be implemented during the current fiscal out of total allocation of Taka 30,500 crore.
"So far 29 percent of the ADP has been implemented, and almost half of the year is remaining and we have initiated measures for speeding up expenditure of the development budget," he said while briefing journalists at the conference room of the ministry.The country would achieve at least six percent growth during the current fiscal, he asserted.
"The ADP implementation of over Taka 10,000 crore in the first half of the year is much more than the total expenditure of development budget any time during past financial years," he said adding: "This was possible as the government fastened the procedure of approving projects and allocating funds and also because of enhanced capacity for implementation."
The finance minister said as per earlier decision, the budget of the current year was reviewed quarterly. The overall economic situation was discussed at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Prime Minister's Office on Sundayto review financial health of the country, he said. The Prime Minister presided over the meeting.Earlier, a meeting of the Bangladesh Development Forum 2010 was held at the finance ministry conference room to finalize papers to be presented at the forum to be held between February 15 and 16 this year, he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the meeting at Bangabandhu International Conference Center.Total eight thematic sessions would be organized highlighting mainly human resource development, governance and local government issues. Besides, presentations would be made on energy and power sector, agriculture, food and water, environment, transport including rail, road, telecommunication, air, shipping and Digital Bangladesh including Information Communication Technology (ICT) and good governance, he said.
Secretaries of the concerned ministries would make the presentation of each of the thematic topics, he said adding ministers, private sector representatives, business leaders, experts would attend.

   PM for increasing use of compost fertilizer
BSS, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday called upon the International Fertilizer Dev-elopment Centre (IFDC) to expedite research in innovating new fertilizer which has harmless effect on crops as well as on farm land.
The Prime Minister made the call when President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) Dr Amit H Roy paid a courtesy call on her at her office here.
During the meeting, she laid emphasis on cultivating different types of crops on the same land round the year and increasing use of compost fertilizers to give a boost to farm output.
The Prime Minister also laid emphasis on creating awareness among the farmers against the contaminated fertilizers that cause harm to the country's farmland.
Later, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed journalists.
The Prime Minister told the IFDC President that her government has taken a massive programme for dredging the country's major rivers to reclaim encroached lands and ensure navigability of the rivers.
Describing her government as farmer-friendly one, Sheikh Hasina said after assuming office it (government) has reduced the prices of fertilizers, provided subsidy to other agricultural inputs, including diesel, and ensured uninterrupted power supply for irrigation purposes to boost production towards ensuring food security. "The country had a bumper crop production due to our sincere efforts to this end," she added.
During the meeting, the IFDC President greeted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her winning the prestigious Indira Gandhi Peace Award and praised her for her able leadership in running a democratic government.
Ambassador At-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister M A Karim, Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Molla Waheeduzzaman and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad were present on the occasion.

   Nahid stresses on secrecy of question papers, security of exam centers

BSS, Chittagong

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Sunday called for taking proper initiative for ensuring adequate secrecy of the question papers side by side with security of the examination centers in the country.
In this respect, he stressed the need for ensuring peaceful atmosphere and copying free environment in all the centers of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination.
"We will not allow adopting unfair means during the SSC examination as the government will take a hard-line against such evil practice inside the examination halls," Nahid told a review meeting on the coming SSC examination at Chittagong Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board auditorium.
Divisional Commissioner Dr Shyamapada Dey, Deputy Commissioner Farid Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Con-troller of Examination Dr Pijush Datta and President of Chittagong Press Club Abu Sufian, among others, were present at the meeting.
Chairman of Chittagong Education Board Professor Mohammed Abu Jafar was in the chair.

   UK suspends student visa applications from Bangladesh, Nepal, North India

UNB, Dhaka

The UK has suspended student visa applications from Bangladesh, Nepal and North India because of unexpectedly high number of visa applications from these areas.
The UK Border Agency has taken the decision in response to unexpectedly high number of student visa applications in these areas at the time of year in parts of South Asia, and will therefore stop accepting any new applications under the Tier 4 students' route in the affected areas, including Bangladesh, Nepal and North India.
The Border Agency has announced that it would temporarily stop accepting student visas under Tier 4 of the Points Based System at visa application centres in Dhaka, Chitta-gong and Sylhet from today (Monday), said a British High Commission release Sunday.
The suspension is temporary and the UK Border Agency will begin accepting Tier 4 visa applications again as soon as possible, the release added.
The announcement also said: "The temporary suspension would allow the Border Agency to continue to scrutinize applications thoroughly and to manage the visa process efficiently for all our customers in Bangladesh."
The customers who have already made appo-intments at the visa application centres in Bang-ladesh to submit their Tier 4 visa applications from 1 February onwards will have their appointments suspended unit the Border Agency beings accepting the Tier 4 visa applications again in these areas and will then be given priority.
It also said customers who are making applications will not be affected by this announcement.
Border Agency's Regional Director Chris Dix said, "The UK Border Agency remains committed to providing an efficient visa operation for all our customers. We aim to process applications fairly, thoroughly and as quickly as possible.
We'll also take whatever action is necessary to ensure that the visa operation works effectively.
"The visa operation will continue to work hard to process the student applications that we've received so far and ensure that they all meet the required standard. We'll review the temporary suspension in one month's time," he added.

    Aziz Pasha’s home attacked, houses set on fire, valuables looted

UNB, Manikganj

The home of Col (rtd) Aziz Pasha who was condemned to death in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case came under attack, houses set on fire and valuables were looted Sunday.
Aziz Pasha is believed to have died in Zimbabwe in 2002. His younger brother Alam Pasha, a retired school teacher, who used to live with family in the house at Tepra village in Harirampur upazila fled before the attackers came at about noon.
Witnesses said the planned attack was led by Harirampur upazila chairman and ruling Awami League leader Dewan Saidur Rahman. Activists of AL and its front organizations assembled together and in a procession of more than 300 motorbikes launched the attack. The inmates of the house managed to flee before the attackers came.
They plundered the houses before setting them on fire. Police intervened but were overwhelmed by the activists. The hooliganism caused panic in the area. Shops pulled down the shutters, business houses were closed and students left schools and college in fear, added the witnesses.
The attackers later held a rally at Tepra bus stand, which was addressed, among others, by Shibalay upazila Awami League president Abdul Khaleque.
Nazma Khanam, wife of Alam Pasha, returned home in the evening and found in her dismay and distress that all have been lost.
Confirming the incident Manikganj police super Maruf Hasan told UNB that police were sent to resist the attackers but no action could be taken as they were overwhelmed by the activists.

    Six killed, 48 injured in road accidents
TBT News Desk

At least six people were killed and 48 others injured in separate road accidents in three districts on Saturday and Sunday, according to a news agency.
In Chittagong, three people were killed and four others injured as a goods laden truck rammed into a CNG-run auto- rickshaw at Boro Kamaldaha in Mirsharai upa-zila on Dhaka-Chittagong highway Sunday morning.
The deceased were identified as auto-rickshaw driver M Russell, 18, and its two passengers - Nizamuddin, 40, and Shahjahan, 40.
In Bagerhat, two female university students were killed and 32 people, including 30 women, injured in a road crash on Khulna-Mongla highway in Fakirhat upazila Saturday evening. The victims were identified as Munni, 22, and Aleya, 23, students of two private universities in Dhaka.
In Jhalakati, a woman was killed and 12 other people were injured in three separate road accidents in Sadar upazila on Saturday. Police said Hemlata, 55, of Sagar-kanda village of Sawru-pkathi upazila died on the spot when a sand laden truck ran over her while she was waiting for a bus in Rupasia area at about 5:00pm. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy.
At the same time, the same truck also hit a motorcycle, coming from opposite direction, leaving its two riders - Titu and Litan - injured.

Editorial

Ekushey Book Fair

The traditional Ekushey Book Fair will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Bangla Academy premises today (Monday). In Bangladesh a number of fairs or 'melas' take place at different times of the year. These include, among others, Banijya Mela (Trade Fair) Baishakhi Mela, Poush Mela, Gazoner Mela, Dhaka Boi Mela, Kutir shilpa Mela, Pitha Mela etc. But Ekushey Book Fair is not just one of those, it is something very different.
Ekushey Book Fair has all along been a fair or ‘mela’ of a distinct kind both in form, nature and spirit. Because, it is considered as a great event upholding our culture, tradition and heritage as it relates to Ekushey February, the great day of supreme sacrifice for the honour and glory of our mother language Bangla.
This fair has attained more significance as February 21- observed by the Bangalee nation as 'Shaheed Dibas' is being observed worldwide since 1999 as International Mother language Day commemorating the sacrifice to protect the dignity of mother tongue.
Originally, the Ekushey Book Fair was basically designed to serve the purpose of enhancing the search for knowledge, exchanging opinion freely and boosting cultural activities. This fair is also considered to be a meeting place of the people who really care for reading, writing and pursuing knowledge. People with thirst for knowledge and love for books spend the whole year waiting for this fair.
But unfortunately the Ekushey Book Fair is seemingly going to lose its original character as the cultural aspect of it is now being overshadowed by extra-cultural aspects. Many utilize the book fair for commercial or political purposes, and even for personal interest. Many others go to the book fair not to respond to the cultural urge or enrich knowledge or purchase books, rather only to roam around or gossip. Even anti-social elements gather at the book fair every day much to the inconvenience of the book lovers. It is due to this reason that the main objective of the book fair appears to be marred largely. After all, it is not a matter of either joy or pride to see law enforcers ensuring security in the book fair which is supposed to be the place of assembly of peace loving and highly cultural-minded men and women in quest knowledge.
We all should be careful to ensure that traditional Ekushey Book Fair is not turned into just another annual fair due to unscrupulous attitude of a section of people. It is encouraging that the Ekushey Book Fair is being held this year in an democratic atmosphere with an elected government in place. Let us hope that the traditional fair will be held amid enthusiasm and festivity and contribute to the advancement of our language, literature and culture.

  Fall in ranking of universities

President Zillur Rahman has expressed concern over the fall in ranking of the country’s universities and urged the Education Ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to take proper steps to find out why the universities are falling behind the international standard and to take measures to ensure quality education in the universities. Addressing the 4th convocation of the Jahangirnagar University on Saturday he said, "Our universities are lagging behind in the international ranking....my question is, are we failing to maintain the education standard of the past or to keep pace with the gradual advancement of knowledge and science in the world?" There is no alternative to quality education in facing global challenges, he stressed.
The concern of the president over the state of university education in the country is genuine. Educationists and experts also often express despair that the standard of education in the country is falling down day by day and our national progress is being impeded due to lack of quality education. This is true.
In our country highest educational degrees are provided by the universities. But education at university level is in a mess. The public universities are unable to accommodate the growing number of students. Moreover, studies in public universities are hampered by sudden closures following movements, session jam etc and engagement of teachers outside in part time jobs or consulting work at different NGOs. Taking the chance of this situation there has been a mushroom growth of private universities. A section of the private universities are allegedly involved in malpractices like sale of certificates. These universities are also alleged to be imparting substandard education. Of them many are engaged in education business to earn quick money.
In fact, the state of country's universities -both public and private- is far from satisfactory as most of them are failing in imparting quality education properly much to the detriment of the interest of the students and the nation. So all concerned should be careful to see that the students of our universities get education of international standard. To ensure quality education necessary steps must be taken on urgent basis to set things right in the education sector. The anomalies must be removed and corruption must be dealt with severely. More attention should be given to impart good and proper education at all levels. Above all, 'education commerce' or business in the name of education at the higher level must be stopped.

Analysis

Fresh approach to Taliban

The effort will only be successful if it is backed by a vigorous push to rejuvenate the economy of Afghanistan, benefiting others besides those directly involved in militancy-related causes.

Farhan Bokhari

Turning a new page on the US-led plan to stabilise Afghanistan was the aim of Thursday's international conference in London. The event saw Afghan President Hamid Karzai, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in their opening statements, unanimously appealing for global support to stabilise the country.
Karzai took the opportunity to address global concerns about his government, notably the issue of corruption and the widely held view that his administration is incapable of ruling Afghanistan.
At first glance, the plan to rehabilitate Afghanistan's warring Taliban militants looks like a fresh initiative to end the bloody conflict. The idea of attracting militant foot soldiers to become involved in government provided and internationally funded rehabilitation effort sounds like a well considered next step.
This would complement the plan announced by US President Barack Obama in December to send 30,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan this year on top of more than 70,000 already there before they begin withdrawing in July 2011.
But much needs to be done to flesh out the details if this plan is to play a key role in securing a long-overdue peace.
More information required
There are many unanswered questions, but the essential ones are as follows. To what extent can Taliban foot soldiers be separated from their leaders and involved in a new peace initiative? Will this initiative be sustainable, or will former militants go back to their old ways? What will be the fate of top Taliban leaders such as Mullah Omar, who has evaded capture or killing in spite of concerted efforts by the US since the New York terrorist attacks?
There are undoubtedly no easy answers to these questions, but they cannot be easily ignored. It is impossible to tell how many foot soldiers will opt to return to the mainstream.
Part of the problem is that the US is widely believed to be preparing to leave Afghanistan within two years. Therefore the US is seen as a short-term player, while the influence of the Taliban leaders will remain. For anyone seeking to stabilise Afghanistan, the core challenge is reversing this popular view and replacing it with the notion that the influence of the US is here to stay.
To allay such apprehensions, it may indeed be vital to include some of the Taliban's top tier of leaders in a negotiated approach leading to a settlement. The movement's top leader, Mullah Omar, still shows complete dedication to supporting Al Qaida and has given no indication of a willingness to negotiate.
Indeed, ahead of the London conference, a Taliban statement effectively rejected the event, showing that they are hardliners who refuse to negotiate.
However, this could be a pre-negotiation ploy, seeking the best possible terms for the Taliban to re-enter Afghanistan's mainstream politics. To that end, it is vital to continue pressing for a more open and public dialogue between Karzai and representatives of the Taliban leadership, beyond any clandestine contacts. Indeed, the road to a final settlement in Afghanistan will undoubtedly be rocky. Part of the turbulence associated with that process is set to come from the Taliban's top leaders haggling to secure the best possible terms for their eventual return to the mainstream, similar to the experience of such situations in other parts of the world.
Boost the economy
Much of the future outlook surrounding this long-drawn-out conflict will depend on the ability of the world's powers to provide a major boost to a dilapidated Afghan economy. The US and its Nato allies have already spent billions of dollars on the war effort, but they may have missed a trick: some of these funds should be diverted to the benefit of the people of Afghanistan.
Though late in the day, the plan to persuade Taliban foot soldiers to put down their weapons and rejoin mainstream society could be the missing link between combating militancy and tackling economic distress. However, the effort will only be successful if it is backed by a vigorous push to rejuvenate the economy of Afghanistan, benefiting others besides those directly involved in militancy-related causes.

Farhan Bokhari is a Pakistan-based commentator who writes on political and economic matters.
 

  Playing the Sindh card

Alas, it is not so simple. Pakistan was dismembered because for decades, the Bengalis felt that they were targets of rank discrimination till a point was reached when it no longer became tolerable.

Zafar Hilaly

When it comes to discussing discrimination practised against those who belong to the smaller provinces, many who are domiciled in Punjab prefer to avoid the subject. They seem to forget that however fair they may want to be, by refusing to acknowledge what is a widespread feeling in the smaller provinces, or by passively accepting and acquiescing in the discrimination, they allow those responsible to salve their conscience by believing that they have the acceptance and concurrence of their fellow Punjabis.
When told that an excellent officer was being ignored merely on account of his provenance, a senior Punjabi colleague brushed it aside with the remark, "Actually, all life is about discrimination."
Alas, it is not so simple. Pakistan was dismembered because for decades, the Bengalis felt that they were targets of rank discrimination till a point was reached when it no longer became tolerable. It is that feeling, that hurt, which gave rise to the possibility of secession rather than foreign machinations or the "traitors" of the Awami League.
Sadly, the same feeling is now in the air. Of course, in Balochistan it has caught on to an alarming extent. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has a separate flag, a distinct national anthem, an army and a manifesto that brazenly calls for independence.
Thankfully, in the other provinces that was not the case till Mr Zardari played the Sindh card during his
visit to Larkana, following the Supreme Court's short order earlier this month.
And now what was once viewed as a tactic by him to escape the likely consequences of the judgement, the dirge of a harassed president, the last throw of the dice, as it were, is increasingly seen as brave, righteous and justified indignation against discrimination practised by institutions manned mostly by Punjabis against a regime and its leader who belongs to Sindh.
Only time will tell whether or not it was wise to play the Sindh card; of greater interest is why he should have had recourse to it and why the sense of alienation that exists in Sindh should continue 62 years after independence.
The bed rock of Pakistan's formation was and will always be the 1940 Pakistan Resolution. That seminal document called for a Pakistan comprising "sovereign" and "autonomous" states with the centre retaining only defence foreign affairs, and currency.
In contrast, Pakistan's first Constitution (1956) contained 36 entries in the federal legislative List. This number was increased to 67 in the 1973 Constitution. Subsequent amendments changed the entire basis of the constitution. It was transformed into a unitary instead of a federal instrument. Police, railway, gas, etc, which were actually provincial subjects were retained by the Ccntre. "Such misuse of the concept of the concurrent legislative list," Sindhis say, "was deeply resented by Sindh."
Similarly, the smaller provinces felt short-changed by a lack of representation in the Central Superior Services (CSS). In the case of Balochistan, there is a glaring shortfall. Likewise, the amount and pace of development in Punjab, especially Lahore, is so strikingly greater than that in the other provinces or provincial capitals that comparisons are invidious and hurtful.
Yet neither the drift from a constitutionally weak to a super strong centre is the main cause for anger. Constitutional amendments that will be tabled once the Rabbani proposals are finalised, should hopefully reverse the trend towards centralisation. Similarly, additional recruitment will be able to address the shortfall in officers belonging to the smaller provinces.
Proportionately more funds to the provinces than Punjab will enable them to begin the long journey of catching up with the former. The real problem is the attitudes of leaders, bureaucrats and the elite of Punjab towards those of their ilk from another province. Punjabis look condescendingly on others, not as younger brothers but more like poor cousins.
In the case of political leaders, the marked contrast in this regard between the mien of Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto are revealing.
Nawaz Sharif has surrounded himself with fellow Punjabis. Very few, if any, of those that form his coterie are non Punjabis.
And their preferred mode of communication is often Punjabi. It is probably not a conscious decision to exclude non-Punjabis but rather, and more alarmingly, a natural and instinctive preference. Mr Sharif's actions too belie his claim to be an all-Pakistan leader. Thus, it is not that he has no time for Sindh or Balochistan; it is just that he seems averse to leaving Punjab unless it is to go to London, Dubai or Jeddah. Besides, he seems to feel that until it becomes absolutely necessary to attend to the tiresome business of soliciting votes, why visit the other provinces?
His beat extends mostly from Lahore to Murree, hence the Raiwind-Islamabad highway was built by him much before it was an economically viable proposition. Even today, it is probably a white elephant.
One recalls a World Bank missive written in the mid-90s stating precisely why the Raiwind highway was a profligate waste of money at the time. This so riled Benazir Bhutto that she sent a delegation to Turkey to prevail on President Demirel to ask the Turkish firm awarded the contract to stop work and forego the stiff penalty clause in the contract because otherwise "Pakistan will go broke."
Ask him to do us a favour, were her instructions in so many words. One also recalls the look of utter horror on Demirel's face when confronted by such a request. After a long lecture on why "business is business", he let it rest. Needless to say, he refused to intervene.
Nawaz Sharif's action in persuading businessmen from Karachi to relocate to Punjab in the wake of the disturbances in Karachi in the mid-90s was probably not of his own making. After all, he could hardly force them to do so. However, the avid glee with which he canvassed such a move and the welcome they received in Punjab is still recalled vividly by many businessmen in Karachi. They view it as a parochial move that illustrated his unconcern for Karachi and the welfare of its citizens who obviously did not have the means to relocate to the Punjab and hence lost their only means of livelihood.
Against Benazir Bhutto, on the other hand, no such accusation was ever proffered. Around her were men and women from every province, religion, vocation, sect, and gender. And, more often than not, the language of communication was English. Her biases, such as they were, had everything to do with her liking, regard and respect for the individual and never for his or her province of domicile. She did little to develop her hometown Larkana which bears signs of government neglect to an extent that is clearly inexcusable. And although that may have been mere thoughtlessness, one suspects not. It is simply that she looked at all of Pakistan as her constituency, hence favouring one city or province in preference to another made absolutely no sense to her.
And this may well hold the secret to the huge response that Sindhis of all vocations and classes gave to Mr Zardari when he played the Sindh card. It is not that he is popular or greatly liked. On the contrary, few Sindhis hold him in high regard. However, they seem to sense that with the death of Pakistan's last truly national leader, they have been absolved of their responsibility to the federation.
It is as if they are saying "that's it; we have done our bit and now we mean to look out for themselves," like their Punjabi compatriots. They are not overly concerned of what is fair or just when it comes to dispensing resources or favours. They expect Mr Zardari to oblige Sindh in spades in return for their support.


The writer is a former ambassador
of Pakistan Email: charles123it@hotmail.com

Viewpoints

Change We Can Believe In

Obama needs to shift course and govern as the president he promised to become. That's change I could believe in.

Fareed Zakaria 

How bad do things look for Barack Obama? Some historical perspective is useful. His approval ratings after one year in office are about the same as Ronald Reagan's or Jimmy Carter's and, in fact, are a bit higher than Bill Clinton's.
The Bushes fared better than all three of them, but for unusual reasons: 41 because he presided over the collapse of the Soviet Union in his first year in office, and 43 because the nation rallied around him after 9/11. As the economy improves, Obama's numbers will surely rebound somewhat.
Still, last week's special election in Massachusetts is a sign that Obama has a big problem. The public has clearly registered a protest vote against him, congressional Democrats, and their signature policy proposal: the health-care bill. The size of the swing, the issues raised during the campaign and in exit polls, and the migration of independents all suggest that Obama is confronting not just generalised anger but dissatisfaction with the course that the ruling party has taken. How he responds will shape the rest of his term.
A great debate has begun on the nature of that response. My own advice would be simple: Barack Obama needs to act like a president, especially the president he campaigned to become.
In his enduring treatise, The American Commonwealth, James Bryce, a British writer who toured the United States in the late 19th century, observed that the founding fathers had created a president who would, in a crucial sense, resemble the British king, "not only in being the head of the executive, but in standing apart from and above political parties. He was to represent the nation as a whole … The independence of his position, with nothing either to gain or to fear from Congress, would, it was hoped, leave him free to think only of the welfare of the people."
Obama began his presidency in this vein. In his response to the economic crisis, he steered a clear middle course, refusing to accept the left's cries for bank nationalisation but also adopting a far more vigorous and Keynesian approach than the right could accept.
In foreign policy, he reset America's image in the world in a manner that earned him kudos from the likes of James Baker and Brent Scowcroft. But that broader, presidential approach was partly set aside in passing the fiscal stimulus and then abandoned altogether in the drive to change the American health-care system.
Over the past six months-which have correlated with his dramatic drop in the polls-Obama has behaved less like a president and more like a prime minister. He has not outlined a broad vision for the country. He has not embraced the best solutions-from left and right-for the nation's problems. Instead he has behaved as the head of the Democratic Party in Congress, working almost entirely with and through that caucus, slicing and dicing policy proposals to cobble together legislative majorities.
He has allowed the great policy program of his presidency to be written and defined by a collection of congressional Democrats, accepting the lopsided bills that emerged and the corruption inherent in the process.
If he represents all the people, Obama should remember that for 85 per cent of Americans, the great health-care crisis is about cost. For about 15 per cent, it is about extending coverage. Yet his plan does little about the first and focuses mostly on the second. It promotes too little of the real discipline that would force costs down, and instead throws in a few ideas, experiments, and pilot programs that could, over time and if rigorously expanded, do so. It is a bill written by legislators to ensure that they never have to do anything unpopular.
Watching the legislative process, Bismarck allegedly observed, is like watching the making of sausages. You see and smell a lot of crap that makes you wince. (Those are my words, not Bismarck's.) The Senate health-care bill is particularly sausage-like.
It has special exemptions on future costs for five states, exemptions for unions, concessions of various kinds to almost every special interest in the industry, and of course no reform at all of the crazy legal system because the trial-lawyers bar remains untouchable for the Democratic Party.
Defenders argue that Obama has only acted realistically. Focusing too intently on cost reduction would have alienated all the same forces-insurance companies, Big Pharma-that derailed health-care reform under Bill Clinton. But the result is one that few can honestly call "reform," and one that has steadily lost support as it has moved through Congress. In a Wall Street Journal poll conducted last week, Obama fared reasonably well on all attributes of leadership. His lowest scores came when respondents were asked whether they agreed with his proposals, and whether he had changed the way business was done in Washington.
True, the Republican Party has decided to be utterly uncooperative (although on health care Obama never really reached out to them with serious compromises). But whether or not Republican senators would at first reward Obama for adopting a more nonpartisan approach, independent voters would, which would change the political calculus in Washington. Rahm Emanuel quipped that the task was not to get health-care legislation through "the executive committee of the Brookings Institution, but the US Congress." In fact, proposals that would impress experts would also impress tens of millions of independents, the vast middle ground where elections are won and lost in America. That is how Bill Clinton outmaneuvered Newt Gingrich, and how Tony Blair outfoxed the Tory party for 10 years.
On health care, energy, taxes, immigration, deficits, and everything else, Obama should get away from the politics of legislating and go back to being president. He should put forward the best proposals to help solve America's problems. He may or may not get much support from Republicans, but he will earn political capital and power, which in the long run is the only way to enact a big, transforming agenda.
This approach is exactly what Obama campaigned on. He promised that he would reach out to all sections of the country, listen to the best ideas, and appeal to the nation as a whole. "I don't see a blue America and a red America, I see only the United States of America," he said. Obama needs to shift course and govern as the president he promised to become. That's change I could believe in.


Fareed Zakaria is Editor of Newsweek International.

  The Iraq Inquiry: Bending it Like Blair!

Blair is also insisting that all countries that took part in the invasion of Iraq, believed in the potential threat they were confronting and that they "believed they had a sound legal basis for doing so."

Anand Sagar  

That the Iraq war inquiry in Britain is not even remotely tantamount to a trial we know. But even then, it would be reasonable to expect that any such high profile public inquiry into an issue of such public interest and concern would eventually generate more answers than questions.
However, one is now beginning to suspect that the latter may more likely be the case. All the more so, after last Friday's assured performance and some clever quibbling by none other than the former British prime ?minister Tony Blair.
The key question to which some answers are being sought is whether or not Blair (prime minister from 1997 to 2007) was somewhat "cavalier" in taking his country to war along with the United States in 2003, after persuading his MPs that Saddam Hussein had (in a brazen breach of a categorical UN resolution) stockpiled weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This allegedly posed a serious national security threat for Britain and others. It was also pointed out at the time that these deadly chemical and biological weapons could easily be deployed by the Iraqi dictator within a matter of just 45 minutes!
This rather alarming interpretation of a 'clear and present danger' was based on a set of what one inquiry committee member has quite correctly described as "dodgy dossiers" that had been compiled by the British Joint Intelligence Committee. If that had indeed been the reality (which was convincingly proven subsequently that it was not) there would, at least arguably, have been a just cause to go to war - without it being considered a "criminal aggression" violating international law.
According to one media estimate, 173 British service personnel were killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2009, besides of course tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians. But it's not just the casualty count that explains the shock and anger against Blair who has accepted "responsibility but not regret" for the invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein. What is provoking some to now publicly brand the once-popular prime minister as "a liar, a murderer and a war criminal," is the fact that he remains so defiantly insistent his actions were justified and so callously insensitive ?to its consequences.
Blair repeatedly pointed out at the inquiry's public hearing on Friday that although there was at no stage any "inevitability" about the invasion of Iraq, his own "calculus of risk" if Saddam was not checked, left no other reasonable option. Also, he added, "the decision I took - and frankly would take again - was if there was any possibility that he (Saddam) could develop weapons of mass destruction, we should stop him." Surely he realises, even though he is not willing to admit, just how highly controversial his decision to go to war is now being perceived. And that, not just in Britain where hundreds of angry anti-war protestors have taken to the streets often enough in the recent past.
Blair's convenient definition and interpretation of the changed "calculus of risk" post-9/11 is one thing. It's quite another, to deliberately ignore the equation of probability relating to the existence and possible use of weapons of mass destruction. It's nothing if not an exercise in self-deception - which in this case was perhaps (and deliberately so) extended to deceiving an entire nation.
By merely arguing, as Blair has done, that there might have been "intent" on the part of Saddam to unleash his weapons of mass destruction, presupposes that he had them in the first place and was more than willing to use them.It has also been charged that Blair struck a 'covert deal' with the then US President George W. Bush months before the British parliament voted for military action and the US-led coalition launched its strike against Iraq. Of course, Blair has vigorously denied the accusation, but admitted he told Bush "we are going to be with you in confronting and dealing with this threat (of Iraqi WMD."
Blair is also insisting that all countries that took part in the invasion of Iraq, believed in the potential threat they were confronting and that they "believed they had a sound legal basis for doing so." Be that as it may, the point to be noted here is that many British lawyers have said publicly all along that any legal basis for war cannot be construed merely on the strength of Iraq (allegedly) violating the UN Security Council 1441 - which in November 2002 gave Saddam a "final opportunity" to disarm. It will be interesting to see what Gordon Brown (Chancellor from 1997 to 2007 and current British Prime Minister) has to say on the subject. He has said he would be willing to appear before the inquiry committee, but when it comes to the continuing political theatre and the political stakes involved (Britain goes to the polls this summer) it's more than likely that he will closely follow the Blair script. After all, there is always the political calculus of risk to consider!
Anyhow, given the fact that the Iraq inquiry's credibility itself is now under some risk of being compromised, here's a suggestion: Why not simply frame and file the same charges against Blair in a British court of law - which do support the concept of universal jurisdiction in international law. It would be interesting to see if Blair is prepared then, under oath, to say exactly what he has been saying so assertively, so far.


Anand Sagar is Khaleej Times' Foreign Editor, Professor Emeritus of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore, and Former Visiting Fellow, University of Oxford. He can be reached at anandsagar@khaleejtimes.com

  Admitting failure

With fire still raging in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq and Iran, there is no telling where the fire will spread and devour what is left of regional security and stability.

Walid M. Sadi

So US President Barack Obama decided to throw in the towel and declare the bankruptcy of his policy on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Actually it did not come as a big surprise to hear Obama admit that the Palestinian-Israeli question has turned out to be much more complex than he originally thought and that it defies an easy solution. All sides knew all along that the conflict was indeed complicated; what they did not expect, perhaps, was that the US president would apportion blame for his failed policy equally to Palestinians and Israelis, as he seemed to be doing in the Time magazine last week.
One would have thought that Obama would be equally forthright in blaming Israel first and foremost for the failure of his peace initiative to breathe new life into the stalled peace process.
The US president admitted frankly that his policy on the Palestinian-Israeli question has failed, yet he went one step further, calling on the Palestinians and Israelis to make additional concessions in a bid to jumpstart peace talks between them.
Once again Obama put the victim and the victimiser on the same level, as if the occupied Palestinians could make more concessions.
The entire world knows that it is Israel that defied the US and refused to budge on its settlement activity on occupied Palestinian land and that this Israeli policy is the main stumbling block on the way to finding a solution to this Middle East problem. So why did the US president refuse to point the finger at Israel for the failure to arrive at peace in the Middle East?
One explanation could be that the persistent economic and financial problems in the US absorb all the president's attention. Another probable reason is that Obama is already thinking in terms of his political fortunes, come next US presidential elections, and he does not want to rock the boat by locking horns with Israel and its Jewish supporters in his own backyard even at this very early stage.
A third explanation could be that he is already tired by the many challenges at home and abroad and has no stamina left for the Palestinian situation. A fourth reason could be the fact that Obama is less decisive than originally thought, which he demonstrated time and again on several key issues.
Whatever the reason for his decision to give up on the Palestinian front so soon in his term in office, it is clear that the issue will be put on the back burner. As such, the parties in the area will be confused about what to do next.
To be sure, the US position will further destabilise the region, since there is broad consensus that there could be no solution to any of the other flashpoints in the area unless the Palestinian conflict comes to a resolution.
There is no doubt that this part of the world is on the threshold of another stage of regional conflagrations in the wake of the US decision to walk away from the central conflict in the area.
With fire still raging in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq and Iran, there is no telling where the fire will spread and devour what is left of regional security and stability.

International

Pak CJ urged to take note of corruption in RPP contracts
Dawn Online, Islamabad

The Transparency International Pakistan has requested Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of alleged corruption in the award of rental power plant (RPP) contracts.
In an application to the chief justice, the TIP said it had been pointing out to the government for the past eight months about corruption in high places with regard to the RPP project.
TIP chairman Syed Adil Gilani pointed out that the Asian Development Bank in its final report on RPPs had cited a number of reasons for not continuing with the project in its present form.
He said the ADB had suggested that procurement of 14 rental power plants should have been re-tendered because of changes in the terms offered to bidders after opening of the tenders.
"This amounted to mis-procurement because of violation of the Public Procurement Rules of 2004 as declared by the Transparency International in August last year."
Referring to the Supreme Court verdict on the Pakistan Steel Mills case, Adil Gilani said the acts of government officials were in clear violation under the PPRA Ordinance 2002 of the Public Procurement Rules and, therefore, should be considered as corruption and fraud practices.
He said the TIP had on Jan 20 requested the water and power minister to take action against the PPIB, Pepco and owners of rental power plants for violating public procurement rules, but there was no response was received from him.
"The bidder should be fined 10 times the loss suffered by the government of Pakistan because of corruption and cases should be initiated under the National Accountability Ordinance of 1999 against public office-holders in the contracts."
The TIP urged Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to review the award of RPP projects which, according to it, were not complying with the PPRA's Public Procurement Rules 2004, and provide evaluation reports and award contract agreement to the TIP under PPRA rules.

  Pak Army investigates reports of Hakeemullah Mehsud's death

Dawn Online, Islamabad

The Pakistani Taliban on Sunday denied fresh rumours that their chief Hakeemullah Mehsud is dead, while the army said it was investigating as reports re-emerged that he was killed by US drone missiles.
Speculation about the warlord's death first surfaced after a January 14 bombing by unmanned US spy planes in Taliban stronghold North Waziristan, but within days Mehsud released two audio statements denying his demise.
Security sources said at the time that he may have been wounded, and on Sunday local television stations carried a report that he had been buried.
"I don't have the confirmation, my sources have not confirmed it, whether he is dead or alive," chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP, adding that they were investigating the report.
Taliban spokesmen had earlier this month admitted that Mehsud was in the Shaktoi area where the drones hit, but said he left about an hour before the strike. US officials said they had no information about his reported death.
The chief Taliban spokesman again Sunday dismissed the reports.
"Hakimullah is alive and safe. The purpose of stories regarding his death is to create differences among Taliban ranks, but such people will never succeed," Azam Tariq told AFP by telephone from an unknown location.
"People who are saying that Hakimullah has died should provide proof of it - we have already proved that he is alive and we have provided two audio tapes of him to all the media."
Mehsud assumed leadership of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), blamed for the deaths of thousands of people in attacks, after his predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a US drone strike in August last year.
The TTP denied Baitullah Mehsud's death for weeks, apparently amid fierce infighting over who would succeed him.

  Afghan ‘geological reserves worth a trillion dollars’
AFP, Kabul

Afghanistan, one of the world's poorest countries, is sitting on mineral and petroleum reserves worth an estimated one trillion dollars, President Hamid Karzai said Sunday.
The war-ravaged nation could become one of the richest in the world if helped to tap its geological deposits, Karzai told reporters.
"I have very good news for Afghans," Karzai said.
"The initial figures we have obtained show that our mineral deposits are worth a thousand billion dollars-not a thousand million dollars but a thousand billion," he said.
He based his assertion, he said, on a survey being carried out by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), due to be completed in "a couple of months".
The USGS, the US government's scientific agency, has been working on the 17-million dollar survey for a number of years, Karzai said.
While Afghanistan is not renowned as a resource-rich country, it has a wide range of deposits, including copper, iron ore, gold and chromite, as well as natural gas, oil and precious and semi-precious stones.
Little has been exploited because the country has been mired in conflict for 30 years, and is embroiled in a vicious insurgency by Islamist rebels led by the Taliban.
More than 100,000 foreign troops under US and NATO command are battling the insurgents, with another 40,000 due for deployment this year.
China and India have bid for contracts to develop mines, with the Chinese winning a copper contract. An iron ore contract is due to be awarded later this year. In 2007, China's state-owned metals giant Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) signed a three-billion-dollar contract to develop the Aynak copper mine-one of the world's biggest-over the next 30 years.
First discovered in 1974, the site, 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Kabul in Logar, is estimated to contain 11.3 million tonnes of copper.

  S Lanka editor ‘detained’ for backing opposition
AFP, Colombo

Media groups in Sri Lanka on Sunday accused the government of detaining a senior editor and shutting down his newspaper because the publication backed the losing opposition candidate in elections.
Press owners, editors and rights bodies issued a joint statement saying the closure of the pro-opposition Lanka weekly and the detention of Chandana Sirimalwatte was a "fatal blow to media freedom and democracy."
"Promises made during the presidential campaign to defend press freedom and speed up the investigations into assassinations of journalists have evaporated within days," the group said.
"The repression against journalists and media that does not obey government orders and express dissenting voices has now culminated in acts unleashed against the Lanka newspaper."
Sri Lankan authorities have not said why the paper was forced to close and its editor taken into custody.
However, the government, under criticism from international rights groups, on Sunday withdrew an expulsion order against Swiss reporter Karin Wenger, who covered the island's fiercely fought presidential election last week.
A government spokesman said that "wrong information" had led to Wenger, of Swiss Public Radio, being ordered to leave the country.
The department of information had accused her of damaging the image of Sri Lanka with "defamatory" reports.
A government minister also criticised Wenger for grilling the authorities on allegations of irregularities in Tuesday's vote, which was comfortably won by incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse. International rights organisations accused the government of harassing independent journalists who it believed sided with defeated opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka.

  Afghan leader appeals to Taliban to lay down guns
AP, Kabul

Afghanistan's president appealed to Taliban fighters Sunday to lay down their weapons and accept Afghan laws as the government and its international allies push a program to entice militants away from the insurgency.
President Hamid Karzai spoke three days after he and Western backers agreed at a conference in London to create a more comprehensive program to bring Taliban insurgents over to the government's side in order to reduce violence that has raged in recent years.
Incentives have existed for years for the Taliban to stop fighting, but these have generally been ineffective, attracting only the lowest-level fighters with no guarantees they wouldn't return to the insurgency or that promised aid would come through.
And despite incentives, the insurgency has expanded steadily in the past six years. In 2004, NATO estimated that fewer than 400 Taliban were left in Afghanistan. By last year that figure had grown to nearly 25,000, with the latest estimates in early 2010 putting the number of insurgents at close to 30,000.
Karzai stressed he plans to reconcile with Taliban leaders as much as they are willing, but he made clear his offer of reconciliation did not extend to anyone in al-Qaida, saying there was no room in Afghanistan for terrorists.
"We are trying our best to reach as high as possible to bring peace and security," Karzai said in his first news conference since returning from London.

  Amnesty urges Malaysia to drop sex charge against Anwar
AFP, Kuala Lumpur

Human rights group Amnesty International has urged Malaysia to drop a "politically motivated" sodomy charge against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, ahead of the trial due to start next week.
Anwar lost his final appeal on Friday for access to the government's evidence in a case which could see him jailed for up to 20 years if convicted of sodomising a male former aide.
Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister and jailed a decade ago on separate sodomy and corruption charges.
"The Malaysian authorities have resorted to the same old dirty tricks in an attempt to remove the opposition leader from politics," Sam Zarifi, Amnesty Asia-Pacific director said in a statement issued late Friday.
"Malaysia's judiciary should throw out these charges."
Amnesty said it is "seriously concerned" over a fair trial for Anwar, especially after Friday's ruling which the watchdog described as an infringement of international fair trial standards.
"Anwar's case has rightly raised doubts among the international community and investors about Malaysia's commitment to justice and the rule of law," Zarifi added.
Anwar spent six years in prison after he was convicted in 1998 but the sex charge was eventually overturned. Amnesty had considered him a prisoner of conscience before his release.
After being freed Anwar reinvigorated the opposition and rallied it in 2008 to achieve its best ever results in national elections, when it won a third of parliamentary seats.
Anwar has accused the Malaysian government of seeking to convict him quickly as part of efforts to deflect attention against its own woes.

  Thailand: Seized N Korea arms were bound for Iran
Reuters, United Nations

A shipment of weapons from North Korea seized by Thai authorities last month were headed for Iran, according to a confidential report the Thai government sent to a U.N. Security Council committee.
Thai authorities seized more than 35 tons of arms from a cargo plane they said had come from North Korea, and arrested its five crew members after the aircraft made an emergency landing at a Bangkok airport in December.
The report to the Security Council's North Korea sanctions committee, seen by Reuters on Saturday, said the shipment included rockets, fuses, rocket launchers and rocket-propelled grenades.
The cargo plane departed from Pyongyang and was en route to Mehrabad airport in Tehran, the report said. The shipping firm was listed as Korea Mechanical Industry Co.
The movement of North Korean arms to Iran appears to have been an effort to violate U.N. sanctions against North Korea that was foiled by the Thai government, diplomats said. Although Iran is subject to separate U.N. sanctions because of its nuclear program, it is not forbidden to import arms.
Council diplomats said on condition of anonymity that the sanctions committee was expected to discuss the Thai report next month when it considers its latest quarterly report, due on Feb. 11.
The committee will probably send letters to Pyongyang and Tehran for details on the shipment, the Western diplomats added.

 US, China lock horns over Taiwan arms sale
AFP, Beijing

China and the United States were locked Sunday in an escalating row over US arms sales to Taiwan, with Washington rebuffing Chinese protests and insisting the deal promotes stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The Pentagon Friday sparked the latest challenge to China-US relations under President Barack Obama when it approved the 6.4-billion-dollar sale of Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, mine-hunting ships and other weaponry.
China responded furiously with a raft of reprisals, saying it would suspend military and security contacts with Washington and impose sanctions on US firms involved in the deal. Beijing warned of "severe harm" to relations. The Pentagon expressed "regret" over the bitter response, which reflected a rapid souring of relations with the United States amid strains over trade, climate change and China's Internet controls.
US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler told AFP the sale "contributes to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait", a viewed echoed by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou.
"It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China," Ma, who has overseen a historic warming in relations with China, was quoted as saying by Taiwan's Central News Agency.
But China's Taiwan Affairs Office, which handles relations with the island, rejected that view as "totally untenable".
"The planned US arms sale sends the wrong signal to Taiwan and will only encourage the arrogance of Taiwan independence forces and hinder the peaceful development of cross-strait ties," an anonymous official with the office was quoted saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
In an official diplomatic protest, China said the row would endanger cooperation with the United States on "key international and regional issues".
Related article: Taiwan's first lady visits US
It did not elaborate, but the comment comes as Washington seeks Beijing's help curbing the nuclear programmes of Iran and China's ally North Korea.

  Brown marginalised on Iraq decision, says Short
BBC Online

Gordon Brown was "marginalised" by Tony Blair in the build-up to the Iraq war, former International Development Secretary Clare Short has said.
The then chancellor neither opposed nor supported the invasion but was "preoccupied" by other concerns, she told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.
Ms Short also described Mr Blair's evidence to the Iraq inquiry on Friday as "ludicrous".
Ms Short quit the cabinet shortly after the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
She is due to appear before the inquiry - looking at the UK's role in the lead-up to the war, its conduct and aftermath - on Tuesday.
'Very powerful'
Ms Short told the Andrew Marr Show: "In most of the run-up to the war Gordon and Tony were in one of their fallen-out phases and Gordon was marginalised, not included and not in the inner group.
"He was saying to me 'They think they're going to have a quick and successful war and then they'll be very powerful and they'll have a reshuffle'.
"He thought they wanted him out of the Treasury, because there was tension about how you spend the money of the government, and they were going to offer him the Foreign Office and he was saying 'I won't accept it. I'll go and join you on the back benches.'"
Ms Short also talked about Mr Blair's failure to get a second United Nations resolution, which would have authorised an invasion of Iraq, in the face of opponents including France and Russia.
She said: "At the point... when Blair became totally grey after he failed to get the second resolution - his face was haunted and thin - [former Deputy Prime Minister John] Prescott got Brown back together with Blair and Brown came behind Blair.
"It was sort of [an agreed strategy of] 'blame the French' and mislead people about what [French President Jacques] Chirac's position was.
"So at that point he came in behind Blair but, for most of the time, he was marginalised."
'World threat'
Asked whether Mr Brown had spoken against the war in cabinet meetings, Ms Short said: "No. He didn't speak at all about it until he came back in with the 'blame the French' strategy and then he did.
"He didn't oppose the war. He didn't support it, but he was preoccupied by other things."

  US upgrades defense of Persian Gulf allies
AP, Washington

The United States has begun beefing up its approach to defending its Persian Gulf allies against potential Iranian missile strikes, officials say. The defenses are being stepped up in advance of possible increased sanctions against Iran.
The Obama administration has quietly increased the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Gulf Arab nations, and one military official said the Navy is increasing the presence of ships capable of knocking out hostile missiles in flight. The officials discussed aspects of the defensive strategy Saturday on condition of anonymity because some elements are classified.
The moves, part of a broader adjustment in the U.S. approach to missile defense, including in Europe and Asia have been in the works for months. Details have not been publicly announced, in part because of diplomatic sensitivities in Gulf countries which worry about Iranian military capabilities but are cautious about acknowledging U.S. protection.
The White House will send a review of ballistic missile strategy to Congress on Monday that frames the larger shifts. Attention to defense of the Persian Gulf region, a focus on diffuse networks of sensors and weapons and cooperation with Russia are major elements of the study, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Russia opposed Bush administration plans for a land-based missile defense site in Eastern Europe, and President Barack Obama's decision to walk away from that plan last year was partly in pursuit of new capabilities that might hold greater promise and partly in deference to Russia.

  Haiti detains Americans taking kids across border
AP, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

A group of 10 American Baptists were being held in the Haitian capital Sunday after trying take 33 children out of Haiti.
The church group, most of them from Idaho, allegedly lacked the proper documents when they were arrested Friday night in a bus along with children from 2 months to 12 years old who had survived the catastrophic earthquake.
The group say they were setting up an orphanage across the border in the Dominican Republic.
"In this chaos the government is in right now we were just trying to do the right thing," the group's spokeswoman, Laura Silsby, told The Associated Press at the judicial police headquarters in the capital, where the Americans were being held pending a Monday hearing before a judge.
The Baptists' "Haitian Orphan Rescue Mission" was described as an effort to save abandoned, traumatized children.
Their plan was to scoop up 100 kids and take them by bus to a 45-room hotel at Cabarete, a beach resort in the Dominican Republic, that they were converting into an orphanage, Silsby told the AP.
Whether they realized it or not, these Americans - the first known to be taken into custody since the Jan. 12 quake - put themselves in the middle of a firestorm in Haiti, where government leaders have suspended adoptions amid fears that parentless or lost children are more vulnerable than ever to child trafficking.
Silsby said the group, including members from Texas and Kansas, only had the best of intentions and paid no money for the children, whom she said they obtained from well-known Haitian pastor Jean Sanbil of the Sharing Jesus Ministries.

  Yemen to stop military operation if rebels accept six conditions

Xinhua, Sanaa

Yemen government Sunday said it will declare a ceasefire with Shiite Houthi rebels in the north if they meet commitments to six conditions set earlier by the government, said the country's Defense Ministry.
"The National Defense Council considered...(rebel leader Abdel Malik) al-Houthi's announcement to comply with some of the government's conditions," said the ministry in a statement on its website.
According to the statement, the council stressed "if al-Houthi is committed with the six points, including commitments to stop aggression on the Saudi territories and the prompt release of Yemeni and Saudi hostages the rebels hold, the government does not mind stopping the military operations."
The statement came in response to an offer renewed Saturday by al-Houthi for a ceasefire in return of stopping all military operations against their posts in the north.
"We... reiterate our acceptance of the five conditions (set by the government) after the aggression stops," al-Houthi said in an audio record posted on the Internet.
"We hope all sides show understanding of the initiative and prefer the interests of the country over any other considerations, " he added.
The Yemeni government insisted that the army offensive against the rebels' hideouts should never stop until the rebels commit to five conditions.
The five conditions include full withdrawal of rebel forces from all districts they occupied and removal of all road blocks, coming down from their hideouts at the mountains, returning of all military and public equipment seized during battles, releasing of detained military personnel and kidnapped civilians and abiding by the Yemeni constitution and law.

  Dubai police say Mossad may have killed Hamas chief
AFP, Dubai

Dubai's police chief said Sunday that Israel's spy agency, Mossad, could be behind the murder of a top Hamas leader in a Dubai hotel room.
"It could be Mossad, or another party," police chief Dhahi Khalfan told AFP.
"Personally, I don't exclude any possibility. I don't exclude any party that has an interest in the assassination" of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhuh, Khalfan said.
"There were seven or more people holding passports from different European countries" in the group suspected of killing Mabhuh, Khalfan said.
He refused to name the countries, but added, "we are currently in contact with these European countries to verify the authenticity of the passports." The hardline Palestinian Hamas movement on Friday accused Israel of assassinating Mabhuh, who was found dead in his hotel room in Dubai on January 20, and vowed revenge.
Hamas has acknowledged that Mabhuh was in Dubai to buy arms for Hamas in its struggle against Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.
Khalfan said that "it seems (Mabhuh) opened the door" of his room, letting his killers in. "Mabhuh was suffocated," Khalfan said, adding that "strangulation is possible."
The Israeli press, meanwhile, hailed the killing, with the rightwing English-language Jerusalem Post calling it "another blow to the 'axis of evil'" that will make it more difficult for Hamas to get arms into its Gaza strip stronghold.

  Gaddafi chides African Union after leadership change
Reuters, Addis Ababa

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, failing in his bid to stay on as chairman of the African Union for another year, said on Sunday the pan-African grouping wasted time while failing to meet global challenges.
On the first day of a summit in Addis Ababa, Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika was selected to succeed Gaddafi, even though diplomats said Gaddafi was seeking another term.
The Libyan leader used his farewell speech to again urge African leaders to begin the process of political unification, which was a large part of his agenda during his chairmanship.
He also criticised the AU for "tiring" him with long meetings and making declarations and reports without asking him.
"It was like we were building a new atomic bomb or something," he said, referring to meetings that had lasted long into the night and that he characterised as "really useless".
"The world's engine is turning into 7 or 10 countries and we are not aware of that," Gaddafi said, dressed in a white robe and black fur hat.
"The EU is becoming one country and we are not aware of it. We have to get united to be united. Let's be united today."
An African unity government is a goal of the AU's founding charter goal and Gaddafi, supported by leaders like Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade, has been pushing for union for years, saying it is the only way Africa can develop without Western interference.

Business/Economy

ADB awards five best performing projects in Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka

Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Sunday issued awards to its five best performing project teams for 2009 in Bangladesh in recognition of efficient project implementation.
The best project recognition program, initiated in 2001, is part of an ongoing effort by ADB to continuously improve the development effectiveness of the projects that it finances in Bangladesh, according to an ADB press release. It said that in reflection of these efforts, ADB in 2009 achieved contract awards of over $1.2 billion, and disbursed around $1.1 billion in development assistance to Bangladesh, which was an all time high for ADB in the country.
The winning project teams include Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Project being executed by Local Government Engineering Department (LGED); North-West Crop Diversification Project executed by the Department of Agricultural Extension; and Teaching Quality Improvement in Secondary Education Project, executed by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.
Emergency Disaster Damage Rehabilitation (Sector) Project, jointly executed by the LGED, Roads and Highways Department, and Water Development Board; and Gas Transmission and Development Project, jointly executed by Gas Transmission Company Ltd, Sylhet Gas Fields Ltd., Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Ltd., Pashchimanchal Gas Company Ltd., Petrobangla, Bangladesh Gas Exploration Company Ltd., Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd., and Hydrocarbon Unit of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division were also among the award recipient teams.
ADB Country Director Paul J Heytens presented the prizes to the winning project teams at a ceremony held in ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission. Senior government officials, project directors of various ADB-assisted projects, members of the winning project teams, and ADB staff attended the ceremony. "The awards were given recognizing the project teams' excellence in efficiency, results orientation, transparency in procurement, effective project implementation, and efforts to empower women and other criteria," said Heytens.
The Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Project, which ADB is supporting with $60 million in concessional loans, is helping the selected Pourashavas (municipalities) to enhance accountability, strengthen capabilities, and develop and expand physical infrastructure and urban services to increase economic opportunities.
The North-West Crop Diversification Project, which ADB assisted with around $47 million in concessional loans, covered 61 upazilas of 16 north-western districts aiming to diversify and intensify quality high value crops and improve the rural marketing system, management and infrastructure by providing production know-how, credit, training, crop research data, and up-to-date price information.

 BD firms join healthcare expo in UAE
BSS, Dhaka.

Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies are participating along with 2700 such firms from over 70 countries in the Healthcare Products Exhibition known as Arab Health 2010.
Bangladesh companies joined Arab Health 2010 with an eye to make strong inroads into the African and Gulf markets while they are receiving a lot of attention of the European countries.
Representatives of Bangladeshi pharmas are upbeat about increasing their market share by taking advantage of burgeoning demand for healthcare and pharmaceutical products in the Gulf and the wider Middle East and North African (MENA) region, one of the fastest growing regions for these industries, said a foreign ministry release on Sunday.
The 35th edition of Arab Health 2010, the biggest healthcare and pharmaceutical industry event in the MENA region, was inaugurated on 25th January by the Prime Minister and vice President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid AL Maktoum accompanied by UAE Minister of Health Dr Hanif Hassan Ali.
On behalf of Bangladesh, Consul General Abu Zafar, Commercial counselor Mahmudur Rahman and Pavilion Director Nilratan Sarker were present in the inaugural ceremony and along with the UAE Prime Minister's entourage they toured various stands and pavilions of participating companies and exchanged views and ideas with exhibitors from different parts of the world.
Ambassador of Bangladesh to the UAE Nazmul Cuaunine visited Arab Health 2010 on the second day of the fair, and exchanged views with all the Bangladeshi exhibitors. He gave them direction as to how they can effectively participate in the next editions of Arab Health based on their experience being gained from its current edition.
The exhibitors also are of the view that this year's experience will be a great guide for them to exploit the potentials of this sector in they years to come.
Analysts predict that, competition for retaining and increasing market share is going to be intense, which is evident from the fact that this year the 'Arab Health' have experienced full capacity exhibition space at its venue.
Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre-that also includes new hall facilities of 20,000 square meter and 2,700 companies from 70 countries around the globe all jostling for attention of 55,000 trade visitors and fellow exhibitors.

  IMF plans $100b fund to help poor mitigate climate effect
AFP, Davos, Switzerland

The IMF is working to create a 100 billion dollar Green Fund to help countries mitigate the effects of climate change, the agency said on its website Sunday.
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn told the Davos forum that it was necessary to "think out of the box" on the issue of funding since developing countries do not have the funds to pay for these mitigation measures.
Developed countries' ability to pay is also limited as they are now weighed down by state debt since funds have been used to deal with the financial crisis, noted Strauss-Kahn.
As a result, "we'll have to find innovative ways to finance it," he said.
"We're going to provide some ideas, built around a Green Fund devoted to finance 100 billion dollars a year which is the figure currently accepted for addressing the problem based on the capitalisation coming from central banks, backed by special drawing rights issued by the fund."
Special drawing rights are an international reserve asset created by the IMF in 1969 as a supplement to member states' official reserves. They can be exchanged for common currencies.
The IMF said in a statement late Saturday that it would issue a paper detailing ideas on how the fund would be financed.

  Obama budget plan aims to boost jobs, rein in deficit
AFP, Washington

President Barack Obama unveils a new spending plan Monday aimed at reining in a massive budget deficit while still supporting the economic recovery and job creation.
The budget proposal for fiscal 2011, which starts October 1, comes with the US government seeking to wind down a huge stimulus aimed at lifting the economy out of its worst recession in decades.
The multitrillion-dollar spending plan is being unveiled amid intense pressure to bring down record deficit spending that analysts say could do long-term damage to US living standards and confidence of foreign investors in Treasury bonds.
The latest Congressional Budget Office estimate projects a deficit of 1.35 trillion dollars in 2010 and a grim long-term outlook for bringing down debt.
At 9.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), the basic measure of a country's overall economic output, that deficit would be slightly smaller than the record 2009 shortfall of 1.414 trillion dollars or 9.9 percent of GDP.
The size of the deficit is one factor-along with high unemployment and the sluggish economic recovery from the worst financial crisis in decades-that is helping to drag down public perceptions of Obama's economic management.
To help rein in the deficit, officials said Obama will seek a three-year freeze on government spending that is not linked to security or mandated social programs, in a bid to save 250 billion dollars over 10 years.
White House officials have taken pains to argue that the freeze would not hurt efforts to foster an economic rebound or ease crippling 10 percent unemployment.
Obama has vowed to cut the deficit in half by the end of his term in 2013, which is seen as an ambitious goal in view of the economic crisis,
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday that if the government could not cut down on discretionary expenditures, it would have little hope of making further cuts in the budget.
"If we can't make these steps, how are you going to go after stuff that is politically hard? How are you going to create a coalition to do that?"

  Brazil suggests summit to push for WTO Doha deal
AFP, Davos

Brazil has suggested that world leaders meet to give a final push to long-stalled negotiations for a global trade pact, World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy said Saturday.
"During the course of the discussion, (Brazilian Foreign Minister) Celso Amorim put this option on the table," said the director-general of the WTO.
"Nobody said no, but we all said during the course of the discussion that if that was to happen, what remains to be done-which is a list of 12-13 fairly technical questions-will need to be simplified," he added.
Some 17 ministers representing countries including Australia, China and India, as well as the European Union attended the mini-ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.
However at least two key players were absent-US Trade Representative Ron Kirk did not travel to Davos and China was represented by the Vice-Minister of Commerce, rather than the Minister of Commerce.
Neither Lamy nor Switzerland's President Doris Leuthard, whose country hosted the meeting, would be drawn into whether or not Brazil's suggestion was feasible.
But Leuthard said the list of unresolved issues should be trimmed to just "five or six" points before political leaders are brought in to negotiate. She also said ministers present at the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to move the Doha Round forward in the coming months.
"It is not good enough to have senior officials meet in Geneva or have a lot of bilaterals. Ministers have to be engaged and give guidance to their officials," she said.
Separately, the deputy chairman of India's Planning Commission Montek Ahluwalia told the Davos conference that the failure of the world to conclude the Doha Round bodes ill for a global pact on climate change.
"The credibility for global action is going to be tested by the Doha Round, not by climate change," he said.
"I find it very difficult to believe that if the global community can't resolve multilateral trade negotiations that it will be able to handle more complex issues like climate change," he added. Lamy had said in December that a March breakthrough is needed for a Doha deal to be done in 2010.
The Doha Round of negotiations for a world trade liberalisation deal began in 2001 with a focus on dismantling obstacles to trade for poor nations by striking an accord that will cut agriculture subsidies and tariffs on industrial goods.

  China's online travel market booming
AFP, Beijing

China's online tourism market is booming as an increasingly wealthy middle class travels for pleasure and the use of credit cards and the Internet soars, analysts say.
As millions of people pack their bags for Lunar New Year holidays, the busiest travel period of the year, many will have booked their trips home online, according to Chinese Internet research and consulting firm iResearch.
Revenue from online flight, hotel and package tour bookings will hit 4.75 billion yuan (695.8 million dollars) in 2010, up 27 percent from last year, iResearch says, with that figure due to balloon to 9.01 billion yuan by 2013.
"People's lifestyle attitudes have changed and their spending ability has improved and people now view holidays as part of a healthy lifestyle," the firm said in its latest report on the fast-growing sector.
China's travel industry generated 1.3 trillion yuan in revenue in 2009, up nine percent from 2008, state media reported earlier this month, citing figures from the National Tourism Administration.
While a separate figure on overall bookings revenue was not available, China Market Research Group senior analyst Ben Cavender estimated online bookings accounted for 8-10 percent of the market.
"More and more consumers are turning to the Internet to book trips," Cavender told AFP, adding he expects online bookings to make up 15-16 percent of the total within two years.
"Consumers are becoming more and more comfortable with the concept of online purchases... and the use of credit cards has exploded over the last few years," Cavender said.

  DBH rated highest 'AAA' for the 4th consecutive year
UNB, Dhaka

Delta Brac Housing Finance Corporation Ltd., known as DBH, was rated 'AAA' (Triple A), topping the rating scale for long term and ST-1 for short term for the fourth consecutive year.
Hamidul Huq, Managing Director of Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh (CRAB), handed over the Credit Rating Report to QM Shariful Ala, Managing Director of DBH, at a function at the latter's corporate office here Sunday.
Senior officials of DBH and CRAB were present at the function.
CRAB's independent Rating Committee comprising of financial analysts from home and abroad prepared the credit rating report on the basis of qualitative and quantitative analysis and balance sheet for the financial year 2008-09 of the company, said a release.
The CRAB rating report indicated that AAA credit rating has been given to DBH for excellent financial, healthy and sustainable franchises and a first rated operating environment.
"AAA reflects DBH's strong asset quality, capital adequacy, operating efficiency, management strength, corporate governance and market leadership," Hamidul Huq said, adding "in fact, the credit rating is an indication of the relative safety, security and strength of a financial institution which is relevant to its depositors and other investors such as shareholders and lenders".
QM Shariful Ala said "we are happy to get AAA for the fourth consecutive years. Receiving triple AAA is a testament to our strong fundamentals and it will help increase our services as well as DBH's efforts to expand home ownership in the country".

  Food prices to ease next fiscal in India
BSS/PTI, New Delhi

Food prices are expected to decline in the next fiscal on the back of higher farm output and the only worry then for the government would be on storage, Indian Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has said.
He, however, said that the country would remain import dependent when it came to pulses and edible oils for the next 10 years.
On the possibility of prices coming down in the next financial year beginning April one, Pawar told in an interview to CNN-IBN news channel: "100 per cent. In 2011-12 the problem which the government of India will have to worry about (is) what to do and where to store".
Food inflation touched 17.40 per cent for the week ended January 16 on account of high prices of vegetables and pulses.
On controlling prices of pulses, the Indian minister said:
"Pulses we have to import, edible oil we have to import even for another 10 years or so. Because day by day, demand is growing, purchasing power of the weaker section is also improving."
India imported a record 8.1 million tonnes of edible oils in 2008-09 season (November-October). The country imports 3-4 million tonnes of pulses every year to meet domestic demand.
The prices of essential food items have risen sharply in last one year, partularly of sugar, pulses and vegetables.

National

Fertilizer godown crisis acute in Barisal region
UNB, Barisal

Insufficient storage facilities has created a serious problem in storing urea fertilizer in Barisal region which may affect smooth supply of fertilizer to the Boro paddy growers at the peak of the season.
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) sources said BADC has three buffer stock godowns for stocking fertilizers and seeds in Barisal with capacity of storing 2,000 to 3,000 metric tons.
Out of these three godowns, one is being used by BADC for stocking 2,000 mts non-urea fertilizers and one with 2,000 mts seeds storage capacity was leased to a private firm for storing construction materials and the rest one with 3,000 mts storage capacity was leased to BCIC for storing urea fertilizer at KDEC ghat area of the city on the bank of Kirtankhola river.
Harunur Rashid, joint director of BCIC Barisal office acknowledging the facts said Barisal district has demand for 4,000-6,000 mts non-urea and 25,500 to 26,500 mts urea fertilizer in the peak of the season from November to January.
At present more than 7,250 mts urea fertilizers were stored in the goodown leased to BCIC and about 850 mts stored at the courtyard under the open sky.
On other hand, at least 7 cargos are waiting at the station with more than 4,000 mts of urea for unloading since January 13.
BADC authorities said they leased the seed godown to Messer's Khan Sons for storing construction materials in 1996 and the contract was renewed in 2002 as seeds storage was not required.
However, the contract with Khan Sons expired on June 2008 and BADC issued notices to vacate and hand over the godown on January 1, 2009 and July 15, 2009.
Mujibor Rahman, managing director of Khan Sons, said they received injunction and status quo order from the High Court against the BADC order for denying renewal of lease contract.
BADC and BCIC officials said storage facilities for fertilizer are usually decided by the higher authorities in the inter-ministerial meetings and they had applied for allotting godowns for fertilizer storage several times during peak season.

  Winter vegetable cultivation going on in full swing in Kishoreganj

UNB, Kishoreganj

Winter vegetable cultivation is going on in full swing on vast tracts of land in the district with a hope of good yield.
Local framers are seen busy cultivating different types of winter vegetables like bean, motor bean, potato, red potato, tomato, brinjal, green pepper, chili, cabbage, sweet pumpkin, gourd, bitter gourd, kakrol, carrot, cucumber, cauliflower, radish, runner bean and lady's finger in different areas.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a total of 6,405 hectares of land have been brought under winter vegetable cultivation in the district this season.
Of the total land, vegetables were cultivated on 520 hectares in Hossainpur upazila, 530 hectares in Sadar, 1200 hectares in Pakundia, 560 hectares in Katiadi, 1100 hectares in Karimgonj, 255 hectares in Tarail, 580 in Itna, 155 hectares in Mithamain, 160 hectares in Nikli, 420 hectares in Bajitpur, 520 hectares in Kuliarchar, 245 hectares in Bhairab and 160 hectares in Austagram upazila. Several thousand people are directly engaged in vegetable cultivation in the district, DAE sources said.
Potato growers of the district have been expecting bumper production in the current season due to prevailing favourable weather.
The DAE officials also hoped that the production in the current season may exceed the target.
Abdur Rahman, a potato grower of Katiadi upazila, said they are now busy nursing their fields providing irrigation and spraying insecticides on the plants as a preventive measure to save those from the late blight.
"We've brought more land under potato cultivation as we got fair price of our produce in the last season. Besides, easy availability of fertilizer and insecticides also prompted us in potato cultivation on vast tracts of land," he said.
Another farmer, M Motalab Miah, who has cultivated bean on two acres of land, said he has already sold bean worth Tk 20,000.
Cultivation of different types of vegetables has become a major source of income of many poor families and they also have become self-reliant by vegetable cultivation.
Apart from farmers, a large number of school and college students are also engaged in vegetable cultivation utilizing unused land and have earned a lot to support their families.
M Saiful Islam, a student of Gurudayal Government College, told UNB reporter Rafiqul Islam that he has cultivated cauliflower on one acre of land to earn extra money and support his family.
Mohammad Mohsin, a DAE official, said about 30 percent demand of Dhaka city dwellers is met by the vegetables supplied from these areas.

   Australia helps build school for underprivileged children

The Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Dr Justin Lee presented a cheque of BDT 18 lac to Chitto Halder of the Society for Lowest Urban Mass on 28 January, to help it build a school for underprivileged children living in the slum areas in Badda, says a press release.
Thousands of people live in overcrowded areas in and around Badda with little or no access to services to meet their basic needs. Poverty and low incomes lead some parents to encourage their children into hazardous and exploitative work or crime.
Society for Lowest Urban Mass is a local NGO which will use the funding provided to complete the construction of a school building that is providing education to around 150 children at a time. All these children come from extreme poor families and are either left out or drop out from the mainstream schooling.
The Australian High Commissioner visited the school building under construction last year with Chitto Halder and Ms Rose Figtree, a supporter from Australia, and was impressed by the efforts that had been made so far to get the school up and running and the quality of education being provided to underprivileged children. Dr Lee said he hoped Australia's support would enable the school to continue its efforts.
Funding was provided under the Australian High Commission's Direct Aid Program (DAP), which is an annual scheme that funds around ten projects every year focusing on local community development.
So far in 2009-2010, around BDT 143 lac has been provided to support projects on: women's empowerment through skill development; improved education facilities for indigenous children in the Chittagong Hill Tracts; sustainable safe water supply and sanitation project in Bandarban district; and prevention of avoidable blindness of poor eye patients in Gazipur.

   Syedpur-Nilphamari-Chilahati railway route to be modernized

BSS, Dhaka

The government has approved a Taka 228 crore project for the repair and rehabilitation of 53-km long Syedpur-Nilphamari-Chilahati railways.
The government will implement the project at its own cost, concerned railway officials said adding the Prime Minister has already approved the project at a meeting of National Economic Council.
The work component will also include rehabilitation of nine railway stations and repair and rebuilding of several bridges and culverts and installation of new steel slippers.
It is important to make the lines sustainable to enable the railway coaches moving with speed, concerned officials said. Work will also include modernization of computerized railway signaling system in the stations, they added.
Railway authorities are planning to start implementing the project in the current fiscal year. An official said the project would not only ensure quick movement of goods and passengers within Bangladesh but also to India, Nepal and Bhutan.

 Use of effective natural resources needed for sustainable crop productivity of soil

BSS, Rajshahi

Scientists and researchers have underscored the need for utilization of effective and efficient natural resources to keep the crop productivity of soil sustainable.
They recommended promoting some innovated seeding methods like minimum tillage, bed planting and strip tillage wheat in the field.
They revealed this while visiting some wheat demonstration plots, which were brought under the modern system along with sharing views with the farmers at Kapasia under Paba upazila and Sibpur and Baroipara under Puthiya upazila of the district Saturday.
Dy Director General of CIMMYT of Mexico Dr Scott Ferguson, Director of Wheat Research Centre Dr Shirazul Islam, Principal Scientific Officers Dr Naresh Deb Barma and Dr Israil Hossain, Senior Scientific Officer Nur-E-Alam Siddique and Scientific Officer Mahabubur Rahman visited the demonstration plots to see for themselves the present position.
About 1,000 hectares of land have been brought under the modern wheat farming method in the northern region this season.
Apart from this, they said the raised beds facilitate sowing without waste of time allowing crop growth to better match water availability side by side with less tillage cost, pest attack and weed nuisance. The main objective of the visit was to knowledge-sharing through discussions and interaction among researchers and farmers on the field level outcomes along with overcoming the existing problems being faced by the farmers.  

 Over 800 distressed aboriginal families attain food security in Godagari

BSS, Rajshahi

Over 800 distressed aboriginal families of 20 villages under two unions of Godagari upazila in the district have attained food security and self-reliance through their own initiatives, resource mobilization and need-based planning.
"The Aboriginals Village-based Sustainable Food Security Program' has been playing a positive role in making them free from poverty and hunger through building food storage (Rakkshagola), a traditional term of the region to protect hunger. The underprivileged and disadvantaged community people have built food security to mitigate the lean period side by side with capital formation and they have become successful in this regard.
Center for Capacity Building of Voluntary Organization (CCBVO) has been facilitating the program through extending financial and technical support under the holistic village based community development approach.
The villages are Choitanyapur, Shahanapara, Edulpur-Kantapasha, Nimkuri, Patharghata, Beldanga, Golai, Geolmari, Gardaing, Mulkidiang, Daingpara, Neemghutu, Shreerampur Biroil, Baganpara, Gonoker Daing, Farshapara, Dadour, Gunigram, Rajpara and Narshinghagarh.
These were revealed at a daylong coordination meeting of all the front-ranking leaders and workers both male and female of the 20 social organizations at the Edulpur- Kantapasha Rakkshagola premises under Godagari upazila of the district Saturday.
Chaired by Community leader Biren Kujur the meeting was addressed, among others, by BFF Program Manager Majharul Islam, Executive Chief of CCBVO Sarwar-E-Kamal and its Adviser Abu Ahsan, Community leaders Mohesh Marandi, Michael Bishwash, Sagori Khakha, Jharna Lakra, Marang Hembram, Raghunath Singh and Santosh Ekka.

Sports

India and Sri Lanka move to women’s badminton final
TBT report

India moved into the final of the women's badminton team event in the 11th South Asian Games at the Wooden Floor Gymnasium in the city on Sunday.
The Indian women shuttlers proved too much for their Nepalese opponents, who provided little resistance in the 5-0 defeat.
In the first singles, Sayali Gokhale defeated Sara Devi Tamang 21-6, 21-12, Thulasi Chandrika routed Sujana Shreshta 21-4, 21-6 in the second singles and Aswini Ponappa overpowered Nangsal Tamang 21-13, 21-19 to seal the fate of the match.
In the doubles, Shruti Kurien and Aparna Balan defeated Pooja Shreshtha and Sara Devi Tamang 21-9 , 21-6 and the Ashwini Ponappa and Thulasi Chandrika continued the trend in the second match of the doubles winning 21-4 and 21-8 against Sujana Shreshta and Nangsal Tamang.
Sri Lankan women team also made it to the final defeating Bangladesh 5-0 in the semifinal. In the third-place deciding match, Bangladesh will play against Nepal.

  Pakistan wallops Nepal 19-0
TBT report

Pakistan brushed aside Nepal with an overwhelming 19-0 victory in the 11th South Asian Games (SAG) hockey at Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
The mighty Pakistanis led the first half 8-0 in the lopsided affair of the day. .
Pakistan swooped on the Nepalese from the word go and took the lead just four minutes after the push-off. The Pakistan team, consisting of under-21 players, easily took control of the game against its lowly opponents with free-flowing moves. Nepal earlier lost to India 21-0 in its first match in the competitions.
Pakistan plays its next match against the host Bangladesh and Nepal takes on Sri Lanka tomorrow.
Wasif Siddique (2, 33, 51, 52, 61, 67 minutes), Abdul Qayyum (4, 12, 40, 58, 62 minutes), Mohsin Bilal (7 minute), Zubair Ahmed (20 minutes), Zeeshan Ali (22, 31 minutes), Sabtain Raza (39, 48 minutes), Abdul Khaliq (47 minute) and Naghman Ahmed (64 minute) scored goals for Pakistan.
Pakistan: Mohammad Khurram, Wasif Siddique, Zeeshan Ali, Mohsin Bilal, Aamir Shahzad, Waqas Akbar, Abdul Qayyum, Abdul Khaliq, Sabtain Raza (Captain), Kashif Javid, Abdul Ghaffar, Imran Butt, Mohammad Khalid, Zubair Ahmed, Zeeshan Ali.
Nepal: Chander, Prince, Hit Kumar, A Ramjan, Amit, Samuyal, Ram, Dipendra, Ranjit, Rajandra (Captain), GH Kumar, Satya Nar, BA Padam, Amit Kumar, Bikash, Krishna, Devendra and Retesh.
India earns second win
India registered its second victory in the SAG hockey defeating Sri Lanka 7-2 in the second match of the day. India, which started out the Games campaign with an overwhelming 21-0 win over Nepal on Saturday, shared the majority of the ball possessions and carved out more opportunities against the islanders, who lost to the host Bangladesh 3-1 in their first math of the meet.
Dharamv scored a field goal after a pass from Raghunath after four minutes to put the Indians 1-0 ahead. Raghunath converted a penalty corner three minutes later to double the lead for India. Sri Lankan skipper Abeyarathne pulled off one goal for Sri Lanka on 15 minutes, while Moha-mmad scored the third goal for India on 21 minutes to stretch the lead 3-1 before the break. Raghunath scored from a penalty stroke on 40 minutes, Ajitesh scored on 46 minutes, Promod on 52 minutes and Mohammad on 65 minutes for India. Abeyarathne scored the second goal for Sri Lanka from a penalty corner on 60 minutes.

  Weightlifter Akramul wins silver for Bangladesh
TBT report   

Kamal Wattasse of Sri Lanka won the first gold medal for his country, while Akramul Huq won the first silver for Bangladesh in 11th South Asian Games weightlifting.
Kamal lifts a total of 230 kilograms in the 56 kg category at National Sports Council Gymnasium, Dhaka on Sunday.
The Sri Lankan lifted 95 kg in the snatch and cleared 135 kg in the clean and jerk to accumulating the best weight of the event.
At the other end, it was a disappointment for Bangla-desh lifter Akramul Huq, who totalled 228 kg to bag the silver. Akramul raised hopes of winning the first gold medal for the hosts with a lift of 102 kg in the snatch but failed to go past 126 kg in the clean and jerk.
Abdullah Gafoor of Pakistan won the Bronze with 97 kg in the snatch and 125 kg in the clean and jerk elevating 222 kg to claim the bronze.

  Bangladesh kabaddi players savour wins
TBT report

Both Bangladesh men and women kabaddi teams tasted wins against their Nepali opponents in the 11th South Asian Games on Sunday.
Bangladesh men's kabaddi team defeated Nepal 41-20 in the inaugural kabaddi match of the meet at Dhaka Kabaddi Stadium.
Bangladesh women kabaddi players also showed their mettle against their Nepali counterparts. Bangladesh women kabaddi team emerged 33-10 winner in the women's contest at the same venue. Bangla-desh earned two lonas in the one-sided match.

   Federer wins 16th Grand Slam crown
AFP, Melbourne

Swiss great Roger Federer won his fourth Australian Open and 16th Grand Slam title to deny Andy Murray's quest for British tennis history on Sunday.
Federer's remarkable level of consistency continued when he mastered the Scottish fifth seed in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13/11) in two hours 41 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
The world number one clinched victory in a gripping 24-point tie-breaker when Murray frittered five set points and the Swiss claimed it on his third match point. "I'm over the moon winning this title again," he said. "I played some of the best tennis in my life again over the last two weeks.
"It's very special to win my first Grand Slam as a father." He praised Murray for putting up such a good fight. "Andy, you played an incredible tournament. You are too good a player not to win a Grand Slam, so don't worry about it."
The victory came when Murray netted a forehand to climax a draining match.
It was the Scot's second Grand Slam loss to Federer following his defeat to the him in the 2008 US Open final and continued Britain's frustrating chase for a first male Grand Slam winner since Fred Perry last won 74 years ago.
"I had great support back home, I'm sorry I couldn't do it for you tonight," Murray said as his voice cracked with emotion and he choked back tears. "I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame that I can't play like him," he joked. "He was a lot better than me tonight. But I've loved every minute of it and I hope to sometime come back and win."
It is now 279 Grand Slam tournaments since Perry beat American Donald Budge in the 1936 US Open final. Federer has now won 16 Grand Slams in the span of 27 majors and has lost only six finals in that time.
His victory saw him become the fifth man in history to win four Australian Open titles with the last man to do so American Andre Agassi in 2003.
"I don't feel great," Murray added. "Obviously, I worked really hard to get to this stage. I wanted to win the tournament.
"I think it was more the way the end of the match finished. It was a pretty emotional end to the match.
"I think his level is a lot more consistent in the slams."
A shaky Murray was broken in his opening service with Federer hitting a forehand winner, but the Scot broke back straight away with a forehand on double break point.
Federer fought off three break points in the fifth game as Murray got into more of a rhythm, but the Swiss top seed broke again when it counted in the eighth and served out for the set in 43 minutes.
Murray came more under attack in the second set as Federer turned up the heat and broke the Scot in the third game when he netted a forehand.
Murray fought off break points in his next two service games as Federer dictated more of the play and the world number one cruised to three set points and won it on his second point with a forehand.
The young Scot threw down the challenge, breaking Federer in the sixth game but was broken back while serving for the third set. The set went into a dramatic 24-point tie-breaker with Murray having five chances to take the match into a fourth set and stay alive, and Federer having three match points.
In the end, the cool Swiss prevailed under incredible tension to take the championship when Murray netted a forehand.

  Monfils wants to maintain French dominance
AFP, Johannesburg

World number 12 Gael Monfils hopes to emulate fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and win the South African Open which starts today.
Tsonga opted to rest after reaching the Australian Open semi-finals, clearing the way for Monfils to be top seed followed by Spain Davis Cup title-winning hero David Ferrer.
The original seedings had a distinct French flavour with four of the eight coming from the land of the Tricolor, but Jeremy Chardy (third) and Marc Gicquel (fifth) were late withdrawals.
Spaniard Feliciano Lopez has been elevated to third seed and Swiss Marco Chiudinelli to fourth for the 530,000-dollar event at Montecasino entertainment centre in a plush northern suburb of the South African financial capital.
American Rajeev Ram is seeded fifth and Belgian Xavier Malisse, Taiwanese Yen-Haun Lu and Frenchman Robert Stephane complete the line-up of contenders expected to reach the last eight.
South Africa rejoined the ATP circuit last year on a three-year trial and the second tournament looks set to match the success of the first with the 3,000 seats for the Saturday semi-finals and Sunday final sold out.
Probably the biggest worry for the organisers ahead of the two-open-court event will be the weather with Johannesburg experiencing unusually long daily storms and torrential rain for several weeks.
Monfils disappointed at the Australian Open in Melbourne, losing a four-set third-round clash with American giant John Isner after a mixed start to the new year for the 23-year-old son of Caribbean parents.
Nicknamed 'Sliderman' because of an unusual sliding technique, he reached the Brisbane International semi-finals before falling to Czech Radek Stepanek and withdrew from Medibank International because of a shoulder injury.
The Switzerland-based star comes to South Africa seeking a third ATP title after success on clay in the Polish town of Sopot during 2005 and on hardcourt in the French city of Lille last year.

  Imran Khan slams 'insulting' IPL snub
AFP, Karachi

Legendary fast bowler Imran Khan said Sunday that Pakistani players had suffered "insulting treatment" at the hands of the Indian Premier League, and no player should take part in the tournament.
Eleven top Pakistani cricketers were up for grabs at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in mid-January but none were picked, sparking outrage in Pakistan and accusations against arch-rival India of political meddling.
"IPL did injustice to Pakistani players-in fact it was insulting treatment meted out to players who are world champions, and we should never send our players to the league," said Khan, a former captain turned politician.
"Pakistani cricketers are the best in the world and the PCB should protest this with the Indian Board and boycott the IPL," he told reporters.
"They totally disrespected the Pakistani players. If they had security problems they should have dealt with them before the auction."
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already revoked permission for players to feature in the third edition of the IPL in March-April, while PCB chief Ijaz Butt has also said the nation's cricketers are banned from the tournament.
Former players have demanded that the national hockey team boycott the upcoming World Cup in New Delhi in protest, while Pakistan's sports minister complained to his Indian counterpart.
Former players and politicians have also called for a boycott of the 2011 cricket World Cup, jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
"We should play in the World Cup, even if we have to play in India, because the World Cup is a global event and if we don't play, our cricket will suffer badly," said Khan, one of the top four all-rounders to play the game.

  Barcelona hits 50th goal
AFP, Barcelona

Barcelona opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the Spanish first division after Pedro Rodriguez scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
It was by no means a vintage performance by the champions, although they had the satisfaction of hitting their 50th goal of the La Liga season.
Mate Bilic went close with a header for the home side before Pedro put the visitors ahead with a clinical finish from a defence-breaking through ball by Andres Iniesta on the 30-minute mark. It was the quality in attack which was the real difference between the sides and especially in the second half where Barca had a number of chances to extend their lead.
However, both Lionel Messi and Pedro were guilty of glaring misses.
Later Saturday, Real Madrid travel to Deportivo La Coruna looking to close the gap on Barcelona.
The Riazor stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for Real who have not won there for almost 20 years and they now travel without their most influential player Cristiano Ronaldo, who is suspended.
Real are also without Rafael van der Vaart and Gonzalo Higuain but it is the Portuguese who will be badly missed.
A rejuvenated Deportivo side are missing Felipe Luis who suffered a horrendous broken ankle last weekend against Athletic Bilbao and will miss the rest of the season.
"There is still half the season to go and so we cannot talk about this game being crucial. We are up against a strong side but I hope to see the same Madrid as always," said Real coach Manuel Pellegrini.
A Luis Garcia strike saw Espanyol overcome Athletic Bilbao 1-0 in a scrappy match to give them breathing space at the bottom of La Liga earlier Saturday.
The home side dominated from the start a match in which injury-hit Athletic were never able to get into their stride.
They lost playmaker Fran Yeste after 18 minutes while Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora battled through the first half with a head injury before eventually being substituted after the break.
The Athletic keeper Gorka Iraizoz made a couple of important interventions in the first half but he was powerless to block Garcia's close-range winner on 58 minutes after good work from Javi Marquez down the left wing. The result moves Espanyol six points clear of the relegation zone but for Athletic, who are chasing a place in Europe, they have now lost back-to-back games.
Despite only managing a draw away to lowly Tenerife, Valencia are well placed to qualify for the Champions League but on Sunday they face a crucial game against fellow aspirants Sevilla who have dropped off the pace since Christmas after losing three of their last four matches.

  Bangladesh women booters post first win
UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh recorded its first win in the South Asian Games women's foot-ball beating Sri Lanka 2-0 in its second match at Bangabandhu National Stadium here on Sunday.
In the day's match, Aungmraching Marma and Suinu Pru Marma scored one goal each for the winners in either half.
Aungmraching opened the account for Bangladesh in the very 7th minute with a lofted shot from 10 yards after solo effort from midfield (1-0).
Suinu sealed the fate of the match in the 90th minute as she scored with a right-footed angular shot from the top of the D-box giving no chance to Sri Lanka custodian Palihakara (2-0).
Earlier, in their respective opening matches, Bangla-desh lost to Nepal 1-0 while Sri Lanka suffered a humiliating 1-8 goal defeat to India.
Teams
Bangladesh - Kemy, Trishna, Farhana, Sui-nuching, Aungmraching, Khaleda, Sabina, Suinu, Nubyching, Maynu and Bolu (Jaya).
Sri Lanka - Rajapaksha, Ekanayake, Sasika, Bandarogoda, Abeykoon, Anjala, Palihakara, Welin-gampola, Ariyaratne, Eka-nayaile and Kumudu.

 Bangladesh makes flying start in SAG cricket
UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh made a flying start in the 11th South Asian Games (SAG) T20 Cricket with an emphatic eight-wicket win in the inaugural match at Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi on Sunday.
Batting first after winning the toss, Nepal scored 80 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs with Binod Bhandari making 18, Subash 14, Gyanendra 14 and Sagar not out 10.
Sanjamul Islam claimed three wickets for 22 runs while Nazmul Islam, Ariful Haque, Shubhashis Roy and Emon Ahmed took one wicket each.
In reply, Bangladesh easily reached their target scoring 83 runs in 9.3 overs for the loss of two wickets with opener Mohammad Mithun hammering 41 runs off 21 balls that featured seven fours and a six.
Asif Ahmed scored not out 25 off 18 balls with four fours, Nasir Hossain made not out 9 off 10 balls and Rony Talukder 5 runs off 8 balls with a boundary.
Bhuvan Karki grabbed both the wickets giving away 37 runs. Bangladesh will play their next match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday (February 2) at the same venue.
Monday's matches: Sri Lanka vs Nepal (SKS Rajshahi), Pakistan vs Maldives (SBNS Dhaka).

Murray says sorry to British fans
AFP, Melbourne

An emotional Andy Murray choked back tears as he apologised to British fans for failing to win the Australian Open and claim the nation's first Grand Slam men's title in 74 years.
The Scot was left wondering what may have been after he was unable to serve out the third set in the final against Roger Federer when leading 5-3.
He again squandered five set points in an agonising tie-break on his way to losing to the Swiss champion in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13/11).
The 22-year-old appeared composed in the moments after the match, even sharing a joke with Federer ahead of their speeches, but when called upon to say a few words it quickly became clear how desperate he was to win his maiden Grand Slam.
British tennis fans and media had hoped Murray was the man to end their Grand Slam drought stretching back to Fred Perry's US Open in 1936.
It has now been 279 Grand Slams since that success and Murray knew how much it meant back in Britain.
"I had great support back home and I am sorry I couldn't do it for you tonight," he said as his voice cracked and he battled to hold back tears.
"I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame I can't play like him. "He was a lot better than me tonight."
Murray also lost in straight sets to Federer in the 2008 US Open final.
The fifth seed became the first player to lose his first two Grand Slam finals in straight sets since Frenchman Cedric Pioline, runner-up to Pete Sampras in the 1993 US Open and at Wimbledon in 1997.

John Terry strikes Chelsea winner
AFP, Burnley

John Terry ensured he would make headlines on both the front and back pages after his late winner sealed a 2-1 win at Burnley that extended Chelsea's Premier League lead to four points.
Terry headed home Frank Lampard's 82nd minute corner on Saturday to increase the pressure on title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal, who face one another on Sunday, courtesy of a sixth consecutive victory.
Nicolas Anelka's first-half effort looked to have paved the way to a comfortable win, but Steven Fletcher's equaliser soon after the break gave the relegation-threatened hosts hope of springing a surprise at Turf Moor.
But Terry's second goal of the season is unlikely to end the scrutiny of his personal life as the married father of two faced calls to be stripped of the England captaincy after allegations of an affair with the ex-girlfriend of his former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge.
Assistant Chelsea mana-ger Ray Wilkins was adamant the Blues had no hesitation in picking Terry, booked for a first-half foul on Robbie Blake, after Saturday's reports of his alleged infidelity.
"He's got his football head on and there was never any doubt about him playing in this game for us," former England midfielder Wilkins said. On the pitch, Chelsea appeared untroubled by the media circus which met their arrival in East Lancashire, and went about the business of extending their current unbeaten run to 11 games.