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Leading News
Construction of
Ganges Barrage to begin in 2012
BSS, Dhaka
Construction of the giant Ganges Barrage, a decades old
mega project for sustainable solution to country's
socio-economic and environmental problems is expected to
begin in 2012.
"We are taking preparation to launch the construction of
the Tk 5,900 crore barrage by 2012 to recover the
navigability of some tributaries of the major Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna
river system. The project will help Bangladesh to take
counter measures to address the environmental and
social-economic hazards caused by Farakka Barrage,"
officials said.
The project was first conceived in 1964 and several
feasibility studies had been done. But successive
governments could not finalize a site for the barrage.
After coming to power, the present government asked the
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to take over the
feasibility study again at Taka 34.35 crore and gave three
years timeframe to start the main construction work.
In line with the present government's earnest desire, the
BWDB in May, 2009 appointed Development Design Consultants
Limited (DDC), an international consortium for study the
feasibility and detailed engineering aspects of the
project.
Director of the Ganges Barrage Project Ahsanul Alam told
BSS that the consulting firm with the overall supervision
of the BWDB has primarily selected two sites for
construction of the barrage, one at Pangsha of Rajbari
district and other at Kumarkhali in Kushtia.
He said about 50 percent work of the feasibility study has
been completed in the first phase. In the second phase, he
said technical plan and design of the scheme will be
prepared. By this time the selection of final site will be
completed, he added.
The Ganges Barrage has been designed to save the southwest
and northern parts of the country from dryness and
salinity of the rivers in the region. It will bring
one-third areas of the country under irrigation and save
the world heritage Sundarbans and Bhabadah from salinity,
help preserve their bio-diversity and improve overall
environment.
The whole riverine system in the southwestern and northern
parts of the country would get back their navigability
once the barrage is constructed, officials said.
The western part of the country which constitutes 37
percent of the total area of the county and live country's
one-third population depends on water of the river Ganges
(Padma).
PM
for common OIC fund for welfare of member countries
UNB, Riyadh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has proposed creating a
common fund under the OIC for the welfare of its member
countries.
She made the proposal during a meeting with Saudi State
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Nizar Obaid Madani during
her stopover at King Khaled International Airport in
Riyadh Friday evening on way home from Nigeria.
The common fund can be used for various development
activities of the OIC members, Hasina said, adding that
this is just a preliminary idea of her and the OIC members
might think about it.
Referring to her previous visit to Saudi Arabia, she
requested the Saudi government to resolve the Akama
problem of the 1.5 million expatriate Bangladeshis in the
Kingdom.
"The Akama problem was not addressed fully. I would
request you to resolve the problem," the PM said to Saudi
Minister Dr Nizar Madani.
The Prime Minister said that her government expects more
investment in different sectors in Bangladesh from Muslim
countries, especially from Saudi Arabia. In this
connection, she said that Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh
already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on
power sector.
Hasina informed the Saudi Minister that the extension work
of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, which was started
during her previous tenure with financial assistance from
Saudi Arabia but "stopped during the BNP-Jamaat
government," was successfully completed this time.
She requested Dr Nizar to import more pharmaceuticals from
Bangladesh as these are world standard and exported to
different EU, American and African countries.
The Prime Minister expressed her earnest desire to join
any united effort for the welfare of the Muslim Ummah. She
said Islam never permits killing in the name of religion.
Such acts by some misguided persons give a bad name to
Islam, the religion of peace. "Bangladesh and my
government are committed to stop such acts and these must
be stopped."
The Prime Minister also expressed her keen interest to
work with Saudi Arabia in the field of poverty
alleviation. Dr Nizar Madani conveyed the greetings of
Saudi King to the Prime Minister. Sheikh Hasina also
conveyed her greetings to the Saudi King and invited him
to visit Bangladesh at his convenience.
Foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni, Ambassador at-large M
Ziauddin, Principal Secretary MA Karim, PM's Press
Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi
Arabia Fazlul Karim and PM's Deputy Press Secretary
Mahbubul Haque Shakil were, among others, present during
the meeting.
Chowdhury
Alam missing
Govt will be responsible if anything bad happens: BNP
UNB, Dhaka
Main opposition BNP on Saturday warned the government that
it will have to bear the responsibility if it fails to
trace the missing DCC ward councilor Chowdhury Alam and
should anything bad happens to him.
The party announced that it will continue the movement
until Chowdhury Alam is traced and produced before the
people.
The warning and announcement came from a protest rally at
the city's Muktangon. The rally was organized by BNP
protesting the "kidnap" and demanding immediate release of
Dhaka City Corporation councilor of ward no. 56 Chowdhury
Alam, also a member of BNP national executive committee.
Chowdhury Alam was missing from the city's Farmgate area
at about 9 pm on June 25, two days before the countrywide
day-long hartal enforced by BNP. Police and RAB denied
Alam's arrest.
Chaired by BNP vice-chairman and city mayor Sadeq Hossain
Khoka, the rally was addressed, among others, by Dr
Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Dr
Abdul Moyeen Khan, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amanullah Aman, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi,
Fazlul Huq Milon, Syed Moazzemn Hossain Alal and Abdus
Salam.
Addressing the rally as chief guest, BNP standing
committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the
government, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister will
have to give reply about the whereabouts of Chowdhury Alam.
"People want to know Alam's whereabouts."
Another standing committee member of BNP, Barrister Moudud
Ahmed said they apprehend that the government, violating
the constitution, is either torturing Chowdhury Alam or
has killed him.
"We don't know whether Chowdhury Alam is alive or dead,"
he told the rally.
Mentioning the rule of post-independence Awami League
government, the former Law Minister said the Awami League
has again started the "politics of killing and abduction."
He said: "The mysterious disappearance of Chowdhury Alam
proves that the Awami League does not believe in rule of
law and the Awami League government is against humanity
and violators of human rights and constitution.
Pre-hartal
arson case
Mujaheed, Sayedee to be interrogated
UNB, Dhaka
After completion of nine days' remand in three cases with
Paltan thana, a magistrate court Saturday allowed police
to interrogate Jamaat leaders Mujaheed and Sayeede in a
Ramna thana case on a four-day remand granted earlier.
The Ramna police filed the case on June 26 on charge of
damaging and setting afire vehicles a day before the BNP
sponsored countrywide hartal. The case was later turned
into a murder case as one person succumbed to his burn
injuries at DMCH.
The Ramna police produced Jamaat secretary general Ali
Ahsan Muhammad Mujaheed and senior nayeb-e-amir Delwar
Hossain Saeyedee before the court of magistrate Dr Abdul
Majid in the afternoon and sought permission to take them
on the 4-day remand. After hearing the court granted the
permission to interrogate them in the Ramna thana arson
case.
Earlier, Mujaheed and Sayeede were interrogated in three
cases-one for attacking the President's motorcade, another
for obstructing to the police duty and third one for
assaulting police. The court also rejected plea of lawyers
of the two Jammat leaders who sought bail in the three
cases.
Mujaheed and Sayedee would now be interrogated at the
Detective Branch office due to accommodation problem at
Ramna police station.
Jamaat ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami, who is also under
police remand, will be grilled in the Paltan thana case
for attacking the President's motorcade from Saturday.
Nizami, Mujahid and Sayeede were arrested on June 29,
hours after a magistrate court in Dhaka issued warrants of
arrest in connection with a criminal case over hurting
religious sentiments of Muslims. Later, they were shown
arrested in five more cases and the court granted 16 days'
remand for each of them.
Wider drainage
system needed to remove city water-logging
UNB, Dhaka
The government should immediately plan and implement wider
and smooth-running drainage system considering the volume
of rainwater that has to be discharged with a view to
removing water-logging in the city, an expert said.
Talking to UNB, Dr Mohammed Ataur Rahman, Director, Centre
for Global Environmental Culture (CGEC) and Program on
Education for Sustainability of IUBAT, said the
water-logging in the capital city persist year after year
and cause untold sufferings to the city dwellers.
He said the authorities often develop city roads in some
areas raising their level from the adjacent settlements,
markets and shopping malls. This worsens water-logging in
the residential and market areas during the wet season.
"Thus the water-logging and transportation problems
persist year after year aggravating the city-dwellers'
sufferings," Dr Rahman said.
To remove persisting water-logging in the city, he said,
wider and smooth-running drainage system considering the
volume of water to be discharged should be immediately
planned and implemented.
The IUBAT professor mentioned that urbanization is the
major demographic development, which is occurring very
fast and with larger magnitude in Bangladesh and other
developing countries.
In most cases, he said urbanization is being driven in an
unplanned manner and bottom up process, which has been
transforming the existing landscape without taking into
consideration the possible consequences and requirement
for environmental sustainability.
These rapid urban growths have profound adverse effects on
the water resources, particularly in the humid tropical
region, Dr Rahman said, adding that unplanned urbanization
hampers the natural state of drainage and causes sudden
inundation and water-logging.
BSF kills yet
another Bangladeshi
34 killed in four months
TBT Report
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) killed yet another
Bangladeshi national at Birampur frontier in Dinajpur
early Saturday as the killing spree on Bangladesh border
continues unabated despite Indian government’s repeated
pledges to stop such killings. With this the number of
Bangladeshis killed by BSF on the border in last four
months rose to 34.
According to UNB News Agency, a cattle trader was shot
dead by BSF of India along Birampur frontier in Dinajpur
here early Saturday. The victim was identified as
Okimuddin, 18, son of Kefatullah of Chalksulban village of
the upazila.
BDR sources said BSF troops of Vimpur Patla camp opened
fire on Okim near border pillar 291/13 at about 5 am when
he went there to bring cattle, leaving him dead on the
spot.
Later the BSF members took away the body into their camp.
BDR sources said they sent a letter to BSF demanding
return of the body of Okim. Major Rashid of Dinajpur 40
Riffles Battalion confirmed the incident.
With the killing on Saturday BSF killed 34 Bangladeshis in
last four months. The number of Bangladeshis killed by BSF
during the nine years period from January 1, 2000 to July
10, 2010 stands at 835. BSF also injured 860 and abducted
903 Bangladeshis in the same period.
Back Page
Mixed trend in implementation rate
of ADP since independence
UNB, Dhaka
Successful implementation of development projects is a
major catalyst towards growth for a country like
Bangladesh, but implementation rate of development
projects witnessed a mixed trend since independence.
Since fiscal 1972-73 to May of the outgoing 2009-10
fiscal, the implementation rate of the revised Annual
Development Programme (ADP) varied from 56 percent
(1972-73) to 112 percent (1989-90).
In the outgoing fiscal (2009-10) where the country
witnessed a revised ADP of Tk 28,500 crore against 1062
projects, the implementation rate reached 68 percent in 11
months till May.
The implementation rate of the outgoing fiscal is likely
to cross 90 percent for the first time after 2005-06 when
implementation progress was 91 percent, said a top
official at the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation
Division (IMED).
The ADP implementation progress was 83 percent in the
2006-07 fiscal, which came down to 82 percent in the
following fiscal. The rate, however, increased to 86
percent in the 2008-09 fiscal. Talking to UNB, former
adviser of caretaker government Dr Mirza Azizul Islam said
that the major problem towards achieving healthier
implementation rate of development projects is lack of
administrative competence and commitment. "There is a need
to enhance administrative competence and commitment, but
this is a lengthy process," he said.
Emphasizing on reforms of administration and civil
service, Dr Mirza Aziz said that if administrative
personnel are skilled and committed, the other technical
problems in achieving healthy implementation rate could be
overcome.
He mentioned that usually there is delay in selecting
project directors or sometimes they are selected few
months prior to their retirement or they are often
transferred.
Analyzing the statistics provided by the IMED, it was
found that ADP implementation rate reached 100 percent and
over in four fiscal years.
The implementation first reached 104 percent in 1977-78
fiscal against revised ADP allocation of Tk 1,203 crore
under 1,519 projects. Just two years later, the
implementation was 100 percent in the 1980-81 fiscal
against allocation of Tk 2,369 crore under 1,550 projects.
WB propose
$6.1b for FY11-14 under CAS for Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka
The World Bank's Board of Directors on Friday endorsed a
new Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Bangladesh that
proposes US$ 6.1 billion for FY2011-14.
A World Bank press release said the new strategy is aimed
at supporting the government's vision of rapid poverty
reduction and middle income country status within the
coming decade, as articulated in the Second National
Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction.
The World Bank Executive Directors commended Bangladesh
for a strong track record of over 6 percent economic
growth in recent years, as well as sustained poverty
reduction and human development over the past two decades.
The release said the country has made large strides toward
achieving Millennium Development Goals for infant and
child mortality, and has already met the goals for gender
parity in education and primary school enrolment.
It said nonetheless, Bangladesh continues to face daunting
development challenges, with around 55 million people
below the poverty line and two out of five children
suffering from chronic malnutrition.
The Bank said to reduce the population share living in
poverty from 40 to 15 percent and to reach middle-income
country status by 2021, Bangladesh will need to sustain
growth of at least 8 percent per annum.
The new Country Assistance Strategy will support
Bangladesh's ambitions by contributing to accelerated,
sustainable and inclusive growth, underpinned by stronger
governance at central and local levels.
The strategy proposes support for technical analysis of
key development issues, as well as record lending for
Bangladesh, totaling more than US$ 6 billion in four
years, based on continued strong country performance.
"This new country assistance strategy proposes a doubling
of financial support for Bangladesh relative to the
FY06-09 strategy," said Ellen Goldstein, World Bank
Country Director for Bangladesh.
"To deliver this higher volume of support most
effectively, we will work with government to shift to
larger, more strategic interventions that enhance
selectivity and leverage priority reforms and
investments," she said. "We will seek to scale up projects
and programs that have demonstrated measurable results and
a high degree of country ownership."
Sector
Commanders Forum for expeditious trial of war crimes
BSS, Dhaka
The Sector Commanders' Forum (SCF), the grouping of 1971
Liberation War veterans, today staged a human chain
demanding expeditious trial of the "crimes against
humanity" as initiatives were underway to expose the
suspects to justice.
"The entire nation has raised their voice for the
expeditious trial of the war criminals . . . we are
confident that the trial will be completed during the
tenure of the current government," Planning Minister
retired air vice marshal AK Khandaker said in brief
comments as hundreds of people joined the hour-long
demonstration. Khandaker, the war time deputy chief of the
Liberation Forces, urged all to keep unity to pursue the
demand for expediting the trial process. People
representing different political parties, social, cultural
and youth groups formed the half kilometer human chain
from the Shahbagh crossing to Matsya Bhaban.
SCF leaders including the country's first army chief
retired major general KM Shafiullah, retired colonel Abu
Osman Chowdhury, former army chief lieutenant general
Harunur Rashid, journalist Haroon Habib and M Hamid also
spoke on the occasion. Workers Party leader Rashed Khan
Menon, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal leader Hasanul Haque Inu
MP, Communist Party of Bangladesh president Manjurul Ahsan
Khan, educationist Professor Muhammad Jafar Iqbal and
cultural personalities Ramendu Majumder and Liakat Ali
Laky among others joined the demonstration to express
their solidarity with the campaign.
The SCF, which have been waging the campaign for exposure
of the identified Bengali-speaking 1971 war criminals who
carried out atrocities siding with the Pakistani troops
last year published a list 50 war criminals in the "first
phase" and said it planned to come up with more such lists
gradually. The SCF demonstration came in view of an
intensified campaign for the war criminals trial as the
government in March this year constituted a three-member
tribunal under the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act
1973 alongside a special investigation agency and
prosecution panel.
Road accident
Shafique for enforcement of law to punish those
responsible
UNB, Dhaka
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister
Shafique Ahmed said strict and effective implementation of
laws can ensure punishment to those responsible for road
accidents.
"There are laws in the country if accidents occur due to
overloading, over taking and over speed but those are not
being applied effectively. Proper application of those
laws can ensure punishment to violators of traffic rules
and reduce accidents."
The Law Minister made the remarks while addressing as the
chief guest at a seminar titled "Preventing Road
Accidents: Legal, State and Social Steps", held at
Officers' Club in city on Saturday.
The Law Minister drew the attention of the Home Ministry
to monitor the activities of law enforcers to ensure
proper implementation of laws.
Shafique informed that the government would take necessary
measures to prevent road crashes.
The Law Ministry will help enacting new law and amending
the existing laws to prevent road accidents, he added.
Jointly organized by Families United Against Road Accident
(FUARA), Saif Foundation and Officers Club, Dhaka, the
seminar was addressed, among others, by State Minister for
Home Affairs Shamsul Huque Tuku, Advocate Tarana Halim,
MP, convener of FUARA and Ikram Ahmed, BRTA chairman M.
Ayubur Rahman.
Cabinet secretary and chairman of the Officers' Club M
Abdul Aziz presided over the function.
25
Jamaat-Shibir activists held in three dists
UNB, Dhaka
Police arrested 25 leaders and activists of
Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir
(ICS) from Naogaon, B'baria abd Jhalakati districts on
Friday night and Saturday. In Brahmanbaria, police
arrested 20 Jamaat and Shibir activists while they were
holding a clandestine meeting in the house of Poura
councilor and local BNP leader Adv Shah Alam Khandaker at
Kazipara in the district headquarters on Saturday. The
arrested people are: central leader of Jamaat Lokman
Hossain, 41, district secretary of ICS Rashedul Kabir Rana,
30, city ICS secretary Khaled Saifullah, 22, ICS cadres
Rahmatullah, 20, Ali Imran, 20, Mokbul Hossain, 18, Rahat,
18, Ziaul Haq Shakil, 22, Sohel Islam Sourav, 17, Abdul
Hamid, 25, Nasir Uddin, 20, Roman, 17, Farook, 17, Selim,
21, Sabbir Ahmed, 21, Anas Ibne Haroon, 17, Abdullah Al
Hossain, 17, Musa Mia, 15, Billal Mia, 25 and Abedur
Rahman Rifat, 18. Officer-in-Charge of Sadar thana Md
Hamisul Islam said Shibir activists rented the house of
Shah Alam and have been conducting their organizational
activities for long from there.
CID to submit
charge sheet in Pilkhana carnage case today or tomorrow
UNB, Dhaka
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will submit the
charge sheet in the much talked about case of massacre
last year at the Pilkhana BDR headquarters within two
days, official sources said.
When contacted, CID's Additional Superintendent of Police
Abdul Kahhar Akand, Investigation Officer (IO) of the
case, told UNB that the charge sheet in the case has been
completed. "We'll submit the charge sheet in court today
(Sunday) or the day after," he said.
At least 73 people, including 57 army officers in
commanding positions of the border force, were killed and
many others injured in the BDR mutiny that took place
inside the Pilkhana BDR headquarters on February 25-26
last year.
A case was filed with Lalbagh police station on March 4
accusing several hundred BDR jawans, including BDR's
deputy assistant director (DAD) Touhid in connection with
the killing, looting, arson and other criminal acts.
Later, the case was transferred to New Market police
station and then to the CID for investigation.
CID sources said the charge sheet will be submitted
against 824 persons, including former BNP lawmake Nasir
Uddin Pintu, ruling Awami League leader Torab Ali and DAD
Touhid.
Some 23 BDR jawans remained absconding after the Pilkhana
carnage.
CID so far arrested over 2000 people, mostly BDR jawans,
in connection with the case.
Editorial
Fading hope and rising
fear
The
hope of the people that the government will try successfully
to bring about respite for the common men by bringing down the
prices of essentials and improving the law and order situation
appears to be fading out while the fear is rising fast that
prices will increase further specially ahead of the coming
Ramadan. The holy month of Ramadan is coming amid grave agony
gripping the people for continued skyrocketing of the prices
of essentials, persistent crises of power, water and gas,
deepening traffic congestion in the city and deterioration of
law and order situation across the country. It is very
unfortunate that despite the government's firm pledge to
address these problems it has failed to do anything tangible
in these respects and provide solace for the people.
The skyrocketing of prices of essentials and the spate of the
incidents of crimes in the country are causing the worst
concern among the people nowadays. Because, the sufferings of
the people continue unabated due mainly to high prices of
essentials and deterioration of the law and order situation.
The prices of essentials specially rice, lentils, sugar,
edible oil, meat, fish, spices and vegetables have shot up
recently and are continuing to rise while incidents of
hijacking, extortion, snatching and murder have increased
marking deterioration of law and order across the country. The
increase in the prices of essentials is causing immense
sufferings to the people belonging to the limited income
groups. The price of coarse rice reportedly soared by Taka 3
per kg in a week.
Ruling leaders have already started assuring the people
repeatedly that everything would be done to contain price
hike, reduce load shedding and minimize traffic jam during the
holy month. But prices of essentials, specially those used in
increased quantity during the Ramzan, have escalated further
in pursuance of the common practice on the part of a section
of dishonest traders to create artificial crises of
commodities and raise their prices during the Ramzan every
year.
The government is reported to be working out a number of
measures to control and stabilize the prices of essentials .
Perhaps most important among those measures will be the plan
for market monitoring. But this plan is yet to be announced
and then materialized . Meanwhile business syndicates have
been working since long much to the disappointment of the
people.
The capital city is plunged in grave crises of power, water
and gas. Power crisis continues to persist in the capital and
elsewhere in the country and its end remains clearly a distant
goal. Load shedding is a regular phenomenon as the electricity
generation falls short of the demand by around 2000 mw per
day, if not more. As a result people are destined to suffer
terribly during the holy month like now despite government
efforts to ease the situation. Meanwhile, traffic congestion
is one of the major problems gripping the people living in and
around the capital city as this menace kills huge time of them
on the way everyday. This problem is getting complicated due
to the mounting pressure of commuters.
Against this backdrop, to redress the sufferings of the people
urgent steps are needed to bring down prices of essentials,
increase power generation and reduce load shedding and ease
the traffic jam by strictly enforcing the traffic rules.
Specially, to stabilise market and contain price hike
countrywide monitoring and total elimination of syndication
are needed most. If the monitoring is conducted in its truest
sense of the term the price situation will hopefully improve
much to the relief of the people during the holy month. The
government should also try its best to improve the law and
order situation. The people fear that they will have to face
tougher days in the future if the government fails to resolve
the above mentioned problems. The government should do
everything possible to help the people get rid of the
prevailing crises and the looming fear.
Dormitories for
working women
Chittagong
Development Authority (CDA), in the backdrop of acute problem
of accommodation of working women, is going to build six
female dormitories at a cost of Taka 32 crore by the end of
this year. The six-story dormitories would be constructed on
42 kathas of CDA land at Saltgola area under Patenga thana in
the city and it would be leased for long term to Bangladesh
Garments Manufacturers and Export Association (BGMEA) for
accommodating over 3,000 female garment workers.
The decision of CDA is very encouraging. Women are nowadays
joining different professions in growing numbers. With the
passing of time, more and more educated women are being
employed in different government, semi-government and private
organisations. Besides, thousands of women are working in the
garment sector. But the accommodation facilities for the
working women in the city and elsewhere is very scanty. As a
result, many of the working women are in a state of
uncertainty as their residential accommodation problem
continues to worsen instead of being resolved.
The residential problem of the working women in the city is
aggravating day by day. In order to resolve this problem the
government should construct a number of more hostels for the
working women and take appropriate action against the private
hostel owners who charge seat rent at an exorbitantly high
rate. Moreover, the government should also ensure a good
working condition and security for the working women to
encourage the women to join the country's work- force. It is
the moral obligation of the government to help the working
women in every possible way. The government leaders, civil
society members and all others speak loudly for women
empowerment and ample opportunities for their participation in
nation building.
Analysis
Moving closer
Pakistan solicited China's support in its
search for security with the aim to balance the asymmetry of
power in the region.
Nauman Asghar
The development of
Sino-Pakistani ties has been shaped by regional geopolitical
dynamics. Pakistan solicited China's support in its search for
security with the aim to balance the asymmetry of power in the
region.
China too has not extended support to Pakistan out of
altruism. China's assistance to Pakistan has been motivated by
two major factors. Firstly, China believes that the separatist
elements in Xinjiang province, posing a direct threat to
China's territorial integrity, have links with extremists in
the tribal areas of Pakistan. Pakistan has taken effective
steps to mollify China's concerns by coming down hard on
Uighur elements and their training places. The two countries
have established a joint anti-terror mechanism at the level of
interior ministers and have held joint military exercises to
combat the threat of terrorism.
Secondly, China appreciates the fact that an unstable and
economically weak Pakistan can jeopardise the prospects of a
peaceful and stable South Asia. China has an observer status
in SAARC and the volume of its trade with South Asian
countries has increased manifold. China also views Pakistan as
a counterweight to India in its strategy to establish a sphere
of influence in the Indian Ocean.
The growing economic and military ties between Pakistan and
China have prepared the ground for a vibrant, multidimensional
and comprehensive strategic partnership. Since the signing of
a Free Trade Agreement in 2006 between the two countries,
significant improvement has been witnessed in bilateral trade,
which has crossed $ 7 billion and is expected to rise to $15
billion in the foreseeable future. Chinese investment in
Pakistan has reached $1.5 billion and presently 60 big Chinese
companies are involved in 122 projects in Pakistan in the
fields of oil, gas, power generation, engineering and
information technology.
China has also played a remarkable role in infrastructure
development projects, like the construction of Karakoram
Highway, Gwadar Port and development of Thar coal reserves.
The first phase of Gwadar project has been completed with a
total cost of $248 million, of which $198 million was provided
by China. China has also invested $200 million for the
construction of the coastal highway linking Gwadar to Karachi.
Chinese entrepreneurs, technicians and engineers are also
engaged in developing top-priority hydel power projects,
including the Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project and
Basha-Diamer Dam.
The Pakistan-China civilian nuclear deal signed in March will
serve to firm up bilateral strategic cooperation. This nuclear
cooperation dates back to 1986, when a comprehensive agreement
was concluded under which China also assisted Pakistan in the
enrichment of weapons-grade fuel. Later, in 1995, despite US
protests, China also transferred 5,000 specially designed ring
magnets to Pakistan. Under the deal, China will build two
nuclear reactors at Chashma with a power production capacity
of 690 MW.
Voicing their objections to the Pakistan-China nuclear deal,
Washington and New Delhi say it will breach the norms of the
international nuclear non-proliferation regime and the
guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. But these
objections have no legal validity because in 1986 China was
not a member of the 46-nation NSG. China insists that it is in
accordance with IAEA safeguards.
President Zardari's six-day visit to Beijing is of vital
significance. He and Chinese president Hu Jintao have vowed to
deepen strategic relations. The two countries have resolved to
formulate a joint strategy to fight effectively the three
forces of "separatism, extremism and terrorism." Currently a
joint ant-terrorism exercise, "Friendship-2010," has also been
arranged in China to bolster cooperation between the two armed
forces against the scourge of terrorism.
In April this year, on the sidelines of 16th SAARC Summit,
Pakistan and China agreed on trilateral cooperation between
Pakistan, China and Afghanistan. The two countries are moving
closer to expand the parameters of their cooperation to
address their common security concerns.
The writer teaches constitutional
and international law at the
University of Punjab. Email: naumanlawyer@gmail.com
Bringing
governance to Kandahar
A line of bearded men wait to see the district governor,
who shares his compound with the US troops.
Jonathon Burch
As
US soldiers from Alpha Company stepped out of their
outpost on a scorching July morning in Arghandab in
southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province, an all too
familiar sound rang through the air. "Can you hear that?
They're blowing their horns again," one soldier shouts
down the line.
It is a sound the US soldiers have become accustomed to
nearly every time they go out on patrol - insurgents
sounding their car and motorcycle horns, warning each
other the Americans are on the move. A couple of hours
into the patrol and the even more familiar crack of
gunfire breaks the mundane silence. The soldiers dive for
cover, bullets whistling past their heads, as they work
out where the shots are coming from.
"Flank it 1 Alpha!" Sergeant Jonathan Garcia screams at
his soldiers up ahead before firing off a couple rounds
over the low wall. Apart from one Afghan soldier who takes
a bullet through his leg and is airlifted to safety, the
battle passes without incident.
This is Kuhak, a small village nestled inside the
pomegranate orchards of Afghanistan's Arghandab valley,
only miles outside Kandahar city. It is a scene the
soldiers from Alpha Company, 2-508th Parachute Regiment,
82nd Airborne Division, are getting all too used to since
they moved into the area in December. Homemade bombs and
gunbattles are now an almost daily occurrence.
The reason the insurgents are putting up a tough fight in
Arghandab is because the district forms a gateway to
Kandahar from the north and the militants do not want to
give that up. With only around 2,500 Canadian troops
patrolling the entire province until last year, the
Taliban, for years had virtual free rein around Kandahar.
When US troops arrived there in 2009, they disturbed
something of a hornets' nest.
A US Stryker Brigade that first moved in suffered heavy
losses early into its deployment. More than 20 soldiers
were killed and many more wounded, most by homemade bombs.
Recognising the province was neglected for too long,
military commanders have now shifted focus from
neighbouring Helmand to Kandahar, in a bid to drive the
insurgency from its heartland strongholds.
Instead of launching a massive offensive as in Helmand
earlier this year, however, commanders are talking of
bringing a slow wave of security to the area alongside
more effective government and backed up with economic
development. A line of bearded men wait to see the
district governor, who shares his compound with the US
troops.
Chris Harich, from the US State Department, who has been
in the district centre since November, said more villagers
were now coming to inquire about development projects, but
also to complain about security.
With all the talk of governance and development, for the
young soldiers at Kuhak it is just another day and another
gunfight. The men from Alpha Company rarely see who they
are fighting and if they eventually do catch up, the
insurgents have hidden their weapons and melted back into
the population.
"It gets really frustrating trying to walk the line
between a counter-insurgency fight and not harming the
populace and trying to kill the enemy," said Platoon
Commander Staff Sgt. Aaron Best.
Best understands the counter-insurgency message coming
down from commanders, but that does not stem platoon level
frustration. "In 2007 I was getting blown up and shot at.
I come back now and guess what, I'm getting blown up and
shot at. Nothing's changed," he said.
Protest, but
softly
Trinamool and CPM are quite happy to beggar the poor in
Kolkata, but suddenly the loss of wages by daily wage
labourers elsewhere pricks their conscience.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta
The
pantomime of Indian politics produces yet another paradox.
We think that some form of large social protest is
necessary.
But we also think it is undesirable. Some protest was
necessary to wake government out of its unconscionable
slumber on inflation. The pity is that the disquiet had to
converge on the issue of fuel price rises. But we all
swallowed one specious argument after another that
inflation had to do with anonymous forces ranging from the
weather to globalisation. We allowed the government to get
away with mendaciousness to the point where there is no
convincing diagnosis of the deep causes of inflation. In
such a context we were left with no choice but to pick up
some visible act of the state, to express a sense of
general disquiet.
The government claims to be pro-poor. But it has been
shockingly cavalier about the real hardships inflation
imposes. It thinks a few state palliatives, and a
promissory note that higher inflation now will allow us to
correct structural defects of the economy, can compensate
for the real hardships being currently inflicted. Perhaps
the only way to get the government to be serious about
inflation is not monetary policy. It is abolishing
automatic DA increases for all government employees. You
will then probably get a more effective lobby for managing
inflation better.
But while we think protest is necessary, we are also
uncomfortable with it. Political parties are often the
main conduits of protest, but each has its vested interest
and internal contradictions. Each of them has to play the
role of both government and opposition.
Trinamool and CPM are quite happy to beggar the poor in
Kolkata, but suddenly the loss of wages by daily wage
labourers elsewhere pricks their conscience. The BJP
needed to embarrass the government to infuse life in its
role as an opposition party, so it organised something.
But it does not have a clear sense of what it stands for
in economics. So the policy moorings of its protest seem
half-hearted. But there is probably a deeper fear that
unites all political parties. It is said that in China one
reason why the party does not mobilise nationalist
sentiment on the street is because there is no telling
what these practices of mobilisation might unleash. The
CPM learnt the hard way in Kolkata that its own techniques
could be used to oust it.
Indian political parties have a similar interest in
neutralising social protest or using it timidly and
sparingly. First, there is a genuine fear of the state's
capacity to handle even routine protest. The state of
police and paramilitary forces makes the probability of
some violent incident that could become a focal point
relatively high.
Second, the credibility of any of the parties organising
the protest is none too high. But most importantly, they
are all implicated in the state in one way or the other.
They share a common fear. What might start as a protest
against a political party, may be a conduit for a more
generalised expression of dissatisfaction against all of
them. As smart politicians they know that anger is there;
better to keep a lid on it. In short, politics, which
should be an instrument of protest, is now a vast
contrivance to tame and appropriate it, so politics as
usual can go on. The second big structural change is the
changing configuration of classes. Here two important
changes matter.
As a result of growth, more people do have more assets and
more complex economic interests. Even though, there is
good reason to be dissatisfied with government
performance, the uncertainties produced by social protest
seem to put more at risk. Hence the argument that the
economic consequences of social protest are not desirable
has more traction.
But there might also be a deeper story to be told about
class and protest. It is often said that the privileged
influence public policy while the poor don't. There is
much truth in this claim. But it can also be misleading in
some sense. It disguises the fact that the ability of the
privileged to collectively shape and reform the culture of
the state in the direction of the public good is severely
circumscribed. But the privileged have considerably more
adaptive power. All their efforts are going towards
private adaptation to the state's deficiencies rather than
public goods (private security, private electricity,
private education, and private health). For them social
protest is essentially an imposition of costs with no
gain, since they do not really believe the state can be
made to serve public good.
But more importantly, effective social protest requires at
least some possibility of linkage across classes. The most
glaring way in which inequality is increasing is this.
Till a decade or so ago all classes were defined by a
common characteristic in relation to the state: they could
all defy it with equal impunity. The poor could enter
cities and occupy space, the rich could encroach land and
the state let us get away with pretty much anything. What
is changing is that the privileged can now still get away
with a good deal, but it is getting harder for the poor to
defy the state. So the privileged don't want the sensitive
question opened up: who is bearing the costs of economic
policies? They also often feel frustrated by the state.
But they fear that protesting against the state will soon
turn into a protest against them. Hence we go through the
charade of indignation, at the same time as we fear
protest.
In the old regime, the rich had less to fear from the poor
because in an ironic sort of way both had the same
relationship to the state. Now that social contract is
changing. For the poor: stricter rule of law, sacrifice
for national progress with a few sops thrown in. For the
privileged: ability to manipulate or adapt to the law,
bask in the glory of national development, but don't
expect much from public goods. The whole notion of common
problems, and therefore of protest structured around them,
vanishes. The forms of democracy require that someone make
noise from time to time, so protest has taken place. But
that democracy also now requires that real problems best
remain invisible, for once that Pandora's Box is opened
who knows who will be held to account.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta is president, Centre for Policy
Research, Delhi?© Indian Express
Viewpoints
China’s growing role in South Asia
China moved
as early as the 1960s to clear border disputes with Nepal,
often to Nepal's advantage. The goodwill this earned is clear
from the fact that in 2008 Nepal sought Chinese help in
settling its disputes with India.
Abhishek Parajuli
In
February 2010, Vikas Bajaj wrote in the New York Times that
China's expanding sphere of influence could "eventually"
undermine India's pre-eminence in South Asia. I disagree. It
already has.
India's 'soft power' is much touted. It is supposedly a
counter-weight to Chinese influence. While such talk is
comforting to Sinophobes, to say that India's reputation in
much of its immediate neighbourhood is bad would be an
understatement. China, on the other hand, is wooing the
region. How these two powers operate in tiny developing
countries like Nepal says a lot about the support they will
receive in the international field.
India likes to think of Nepal as an ally. The Nepalese across
the political spectrum look at India as a meddlesome bully.
And with good reason. In June, India stopped the shipment of
over 1,000 metric tonnes of newsprint imported by two Nepali
newspapers. India is the only port for getting this newsprint
to landlocked Nepal, and this action went against the
Nepal-India Trade and Transit Treaty. India says the 28-day
stoppage was caused due to a routine inspection. Many Nepalese
see a link between the critical posture the papers adopted
towards New Delhi and the incident. Regardless of what caused
the delay, in the soft power battle for whose story wins,
India lost.
If this were an isolated event, the reaction would have been
more muted. India has come under repeated fire in the Nepalese
press for encroachments into Nepali territory. In fact, this
January, Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna was
greeted with black flags by those protesting against the
encroachment. MK Narayanan, until recently India's national
security advisor, went on television to state that India
supported one of the contesting parties in a 2008 election. If
that is not interference, what is?
China, on the other hand, gets very different press coverage.
In April this year, papers talked of how Nepal and China had
come to an agreement on the height of Mount Everest. They did
this by saying that both the measurements, though different,
were accurate. How that is possible is again irrelevant, what
matters is that the big northern neighbour ate humble pie.
China moved as early as the 1960s to clear border disputes
with Nepal, often to Nepal's advantage. The goodwill this
earned is clear from the fact that in 2008 Nepal sought
Chinese help in settling its disputes with India.
Nepal is not an isolated case. China had, by 2006, settled 17
of its 23 territorial disputes, receiving less than 50 percent
of the contested land. What it lost in territory it clearly
gained in goodwill.
India's relationship with Pakistan needs no introduction.
Pakistan was, on the other hand, one of the first countries to
recognise the People's Republic in 1950 and remained a strong
ally during Beijing's isolation in the 60s and 70s. Today, it
is also a big economic partner, investing in projects like the
Gwadar port. The Indo-US strategic partnership (strategic for
whom remains to be seen) is going to probably push Pakistan
and China even closer. China may have been a little more
serious than most thought when it welcomed the Indo-US
strategic dialogue last month.
Bangladesh was born with Indian support. But there are issues
like the Farakka Dam where Bangladesh says India has hurt
water flow during the dry seasons and has caused floods during
the wet seasons. Bangladesh has also talked about Bengali
migrants that live in many of India's metros - another factor
that has complicated this relationship.
While India's relationship may be going south, China's is
clearly headed north. It started to soar with China supporting
Pakistan in the Bangladesh war. In 1972, it also used its veto
power in the UN Security Council to block Bangladesh from
joining the UN. By 2002, however, the relationship was very
different with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao making an official
visit to Bangladesh. Year 2005 was declared as
'Bangladesh-China Friendship Year' and in 2005, on
Bangladesh's invitation, China was added as an observer to the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
From Hambantota in Sri Lanka where China is building a port to
Nepal where it is set to expand the roads in the capital to
ease traffic, China is seen as a partner for development. When
Shashi Tharoor, the then External Affairs Minister of India,
said that the 21st century would belong to he who tells the
better story, he was right. Only China seems to be doing it
better.
The writer works at the South Asia Watch on Trade Economics
and Environment. He can be reached at rv22.13@gmail.com
Israel’s
adventures remain unquestioned
The children
of Auschwitz and Dachau have learned their lessons well.
And they have been actively engaging in similar practices
against the people of Palestine. And yet such crimes
remain unreported in most US media.
Tariq A. Al-Maeena
Over
a month ago, Israeli Defense Forces attacked a flotilla of
8 ships carrying much needed humanitarian supplies to the
impoverished and imprisoned people of Gaza.
In the brutal assault, nine activists were murdered, some
in cold blood, according to eyewitnesses.
While there was immediate and almost universal
condemnation of the predawn Israeli assault in
international waters, the administration of President
Barack Obama was noticeably muted and avoided assigning
blame.
This silence added to the growing frustration and anger in
the Arab world over Obama's failure to back up the pledge
he made in Cairo over a year ago to "personally pursue a
two-state solution with all the patience and dedication
that the task requires" and to alleviate what he called
"the continuing humanitarian crisis" in Gaza.
The impotence within the US administration to contain such
state-sponsored terrorism by Israel was immediately
complimented by leading US media outlets who perhaps
pushed the notch a step further in denials or half-truths.
In its editorial on June 1 following the unjustified
attack, the respected Washington Post had this to say: "We
have no sympathy for the motives of the participants in
the flotilla - a motley collection that included European
sympathizers with the Palestinian cause, Israeli Arab
leaders and Turkish Islamic activists."
Other columns and analysis in many of the major US papers
were more concerned with the public relations nightmare
that would follow, rather than to censure the cold-blooded
killings that had just occurred. "Condemnation of Israeli
assault complicates relations with US. The timing of the
incident is remarkably bad for Israel and the United
States," wrote a columnist for the Post.
The Los Angeles Times simply brushed off this heinous
crime against innocent activists who had lost their lives
in an attempt to carry out humanitarian acts for the
long-suffering residents of Gaza as a "public-relations
nightmare for Israel", while the New York Times was
worried that "the criticism of Israel over the attack
offered a propaganda coup to Israel's foes, particularly
the Hamas group that holds sway in Gaza."
Added another media pundit: "On the domestic political
front, the latest incident could also compromise Obama's
monthlong effort to reassure the right-wing leadership of
the organized Jewish community - whose support for
Democratic candidates in the November midterm elections is
considered critical to the party's retaining control of
Congress - of his 'unshakable' commitment to Israel's
security."
Other US news sources continued to offer diabolic
justifications for Israel's actions, and soon relegated or
buried the story in the back pages. Notwithstanding the
fact that Israel - a dangerous and illegitimate regime -
continues to violate international law and moral
principles regionally, the US media quickly shifted their
targets to their favorite whipping boy in the region -
Iran.
During June 6 through June 10, the USS Harry S. Truman
carrier Strike Group was deployed 50 miles off the coast
of southwestern Israel, secretly practicing the
interception of incoming Iranian, Syrian and Hezbollah
missiles and rockets against US and Israeli targets in the
Middle East. This US-Israeli aerial exercise, dubbed
Juniper Stallion 2010, was conveniently withheld from
public notice.
Israeli authorities continue to violate Palestinians'
basic human rights, with increasingly aggressive policies
against the presence of the Palestinian people in Gaza,
Jerusalem and elsewhere. The increase of settlement
activities, demolition of Palestinian homes and the
ejection of Palestinian families from their own houses,
deportation and confiscation of ID cards continue in
occupied territories. And when those with a sense of moral
conscience attempt to intervene, Israel shoots to kill.
The children of Auschwitz and Dachau have learned their
lessons well. And they have been actively engaging in
similar practices against the people of Palestine. And yet
such crimes remain unreported in most US media.
Russians
spy out of nostalgia
Russians are always wondering what the United States is
thinking about them, and the answer, all too often, is
nothing at all. The world has moved on.
HDS Greenway
Leiser
unhooked the aerial and wound it back on the reel, screwed
the Morse key into the lid, replaced the earphones into
the spares box and folded the silk cloth into the handle
of the razor. Twenty years, he protested, holding up the
razor, and they still haven't found a better place. - John
le Carré, "The Looking Glass War"
There is an old adage in the spy business that
intelligence services are like the wiring in the walls.
The house may be sold and the owners may move away, but
the wiring is there in the walls waiting for a new owners
to flip on the switch. This may explain why, in the
current spy scandal involving Russians posing as
Americans, the SVR, Russia's post-Soviet security service,
would continue on as if the Cold War was still in flower
and the old KGB still ruling the roost.
After all, many in the Okhrana, the czar's old secret
police, stepped smartly into the Cheka, the Soviet
counterpart run by the feared "Iron Felix" Dzerzhinsky
after the Soviets took over in 1917. Why shouldn't that be
so as the SVR took over from the KGB? Yet this current
caper was all so antique - secret codes, vanishing ink,
clandestine radios, dead letter drops and brush by
exchanges of identical suitcases. Will we next learn of
microfilm hidden in hollowed-out pumpkins as in the old
Alger Hiss, Whittaker Chambers days?
Hardly the high-tech, computer wizardry of modern spy
novels, the tale of the Russian "moles" is a glimpse into
grandmother's attic - and the information gathered was so
trivial, nothing classified. The Russians didn't need to
pay for a mole's Harvard education. They could have sent
one of their diplomats to the Kennedy School and his
American colleagues would have told him everything he
wanted to know without committing a smidgeon of a crime.
Russians are always wondering what the United States is
thinking about them, and the answer, all too often, is
nothing at all. The world has moved on.
I suspect, however, that the SVR case officers were having
a wonderful time back in Moscow Central. Terrorists and
non-state actors are so illusive, angry Muslims so hard to
know. But infiltrating the United States, ah yes, going
back to what they did best for so long, now that's
personally rewarding, even if not very useful. And think
of our FBI, not so good at detecting suicide pilots or
potential terrorist bombers in our midst. And who can
understand the intricacies of Islam, for heaven sakes? But
Russian spies - "illegals," as the long-term, burrowing
"moles" are called - now that's something we know.
One would like to hope that the FBI used superior
tradecraft to trip up these pretend Americans. But the
truth may be that information made available to us by
defectors and former KGB operatives after the collapse of
the Soviet Union gave us the codenames - "work names" in
Russian nomenclature - and exposed their cover stories -
"legends," as the Russians term their fake histories. One
such defector was Vasili Mitrokhin, now a British subject,
who spent years gathering official secrets of his
country's foreign intelligence. It is hard for Westerners
to appreciate the place these long-term moles had in the
Soviet and later Russian imagination - men and women
giving up their entire lives to the service, finally to be
brought in from the cold with the highest honors a
grateful nation could bestow.
America had only a few NOCs - spies with "no official
cover" - working outside US embassies. And our few NOCs
did not spent long in the field - nothing like the
Russians, who spent their lives in the clandestine world
and raised children in ignorance of their true jobs.
The elite of the elite were the illegals, run by the S
Section of the Foreign Chief Directorate. Not for them the
cramped quarters of Moscow Central, the infamous old,
downtown former insurance building, Lubyanka, of
Dzerzhinsky days. No, the FCD lived in Finnish-designed
country quarters in sylvan Yasenevo, southeast of Moscow.
George Blake, the British KGB agent, wrote that "only a
man who believes very strongly in an ideal and serves a
great cause will agree to embark on such a career, though
the word 'calling' is perhaps appropriate here. …That is
why…only the Soviet intelligence service has 'illegal'
residents." Ditto for the Russian Federation, it would
appear. Who can doubt the dedication of one fake American
who told a judge that he put the "service" ahead of his
own son?
"She was sitting contentedly on the bed in her night
dress… 'why do you do it, then?' He had to say something
so he said, 'for peace'."
HDS Greenway is a veteran US journalist and Boston
Globe columnist.
International
Three soldiers,
25 Taliban killed in Pakistan clashes
AFP, Peshawar, Pakistan
Three Pakistani soldiers were killed as Taliban attacked
security forces in a northwestern tribal area, sparking
clashes in which 25 militants were killed, officials said
Saturday.
"Militants attacked an army patrol in Makeen district of
South Waziristan area late Friday in which three soldiers
were killed and eight wounded," a security official said.
Taliban fighters also attacked a security post in
Kaniguram valley, 30 kilometres (about 18 miles) north of
the region's main town of Wana overnight, injuring five
soldiers, another security official said.
Military officials said troops launched retaliatory
strikes, killing 25 militants in the two areas.
Independent confirmation of casualty figures is impossible
because the area is closed to aid workers and journalists.
South Waziristan, considered a stronghold of militants and
headquarters for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was
the scene of a major government offensive against the
insurgents last year.
The TTP is a major force behind a bombing campaign that
has killed more than 3,500 people across Pakistan in three
years.
Washington has branded the rugged tribal area on the
Afghan border a global headquarters of Al-Qaeda and the
most dangerous place on earth.
Militants based in the tribal terrain attack US-led forces
across the border in Afghanistan, where the Afghan Taliban
are waging a nearly nine-year insurgency to evict the
estimated 140,000 foreign troops.
Lankan protest drags
on despite appeal from UN chief
AFP, Colombo
A Sri Lankan lawmaker entered the fifth day of a protest
outside the main UN compound in Colombo Saturday despite a
plea from UN chief Ban Ki-moon for authorities to "normalise
conditions".
Former cabinet minister Wimal Weerawansa, who launched a
sitdown protest on Tuesday and turned it into a "death
fast" on Thursday, kept up his action over a UN war crimes
panel that is expected to probe alleged rights abuses in
the closing stages of the war between Sri Lankan troops
and Tamil rebels.
The leader of the National Freedom Front, a coalition
partner in the government, quit his cabinet position as
housing minister on Friday to deflect criticism that his
campaign was orchestrated by the government.
Weerawansa, who is still an MP, is camping outside the UN
compound and refusing food or water, his spokesman Mohamed
Musamil said.
"We are told that MP Weerawansa is now suffering from a
urine infection and his blood sugar levels are going
down," Musamil told AFP. "He is unable to sit up and
speak."
Hundreds of supporters had gathered around him as
organisers played Buddhist prayers over a public address
system.
Ban, who on Thursday recalled the UN's top envoy to the
island, Neil Buhne, on Friday asked Sri Lanka to "normalise
conditions" around the UN office in Colombo after days of
angry demonstrations to allow the UN's work to continue.
The UN chief's office said the "strong reaction" to the UN
probe "is not warranted," adding that its panel of experts
only had an advisory capacity.
The UN has previously reported that at least 7,000 ethnic
Tamil civilians were killed in the final months of
fighting last year.
Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris told parliament
that Ban had acted hastily in summoning his top envoy to
New York for consultations and by closing down a UN
office, a short distance away from the protest site, that
served 34 countries in the region.
Karzai resists US plan to
help villagers
AFP, Washington
Top US military commander in Afghanistan General David
Petraeus has met sharp resistance from President Hamid
Karzai to a US plan to assist Afghan villagers in fighting
the Taliban on their own, The Washington Post reported
Saturday.
Petraeus formally took over command of the Afghan war last
week after Obama sacked General Stanley McChrystal over an
interview to Rolling Stone magazine in which he and his
staff made disparaging comments about Vice President Joe
Biden and other senior administration figures.
Last December, Obama announced he was sending an extra
30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan in an effort to regain the
upper hand against a resurgent Taliban, and said he would
begin withdrawing from the country in mid-2011.
Despite assurances from Obama -- reiterated Sunday by
Petraeus -- that the change of command does not mean a
change in strategy.
But The Post said the first meeting last week between the
new commander and the Afghan president turned tense after
Karzai renewed his objections to the plan to assist the
villagers.
The idea of recruiting villagers into local defense
programs is a key part of the US military strategy in
Afghanistan, and Karzai's stance poses an early challenge
to Petraeus, the report said.
Senior US officials say that the United States would like
to expand the program to about two dozen sites across
Afghanistan and are hoping to overcome Karzai's concerns,
the paper noted.
But the issue is delicate to many who fear that such
experiments could lead Afghanistan further into warlordism
and out-of-control militias, The Post said.
New Myanmar party says vote
could herald change
AFP, Yangon
The chairman of an opposition party that split from Aung
San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) said
Saturday that elections expected to be held later this
year could bring change to Myanmar.
Dr Than Nyein, whose National Democratic Force (NDF) is
made up of former members of Suu Kyi's disbanded NLD,
urged people to vote in the first polls Myanmar will see
in two decades -- amid signs of a spat within the
opposition.
"People should assume that this election could possibly
bring change," he said in an interview with AFP.
"They should vote at this election to do their duty by
choosing the party or the person who can really work for
the people and the country."
The NDF's willingness to run in the election has put it at
odds with other former members of the NLD, who opted to
boycott the poll that critics dismiss as a sham designed
to legitimise the junta's half-century grip on power.
"We formed our party with the aim to continue the
democracy struggle under the law," Dr Than said.
"Meantime, we are also trying to solve the social and
economic problems that are happening at the moment in the
country."
The ruling junta has yet to announce a date for the
election which, it is rumoured, will be held in October or
November.
Suu Kyi, quoted by her lawyer, said in March that she
would "never accept" her party registering for the
election -- a move that would have required the NLD to
expel her -- because the elections laws were "unjust".
Meanwhile, there have been signs of friction between
hardline opposition figures and more moderate activists
who opposed the call for a boycott.
Discord between the two camps surfaced recently when
former top NLD members accused the NDF of copying their
party symbol -- a bamboo hat -- and lodged a complaint
with the election commission about its use of the image.
S.Korea urges N.Korea to
apologize over warship sinking
AFP, Seoul
South Korea on Saturday urged North Korea to apologize
over the sinking of one of its warships, after the United
Nations condemned the attack but stopped short of blaming
it on the communist North.
The South's defence ministry, meanwhile, said there was no
change to its plan to carry out a joint naval exercise
with the United States in the Yellow Sea, despite
objections from China.
The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a
statement deploring the sinking of the South Korean
warship Cheonan in the Yellow Sea in March, with the loss
of 46 lives.
The declaration underscored "the importance of preventing
such further attacks or hostilities against (South
Korea)," and praised Seoul for the "restraint" it has
shown since the attack.
South Korea's foreign ministry said it welcomed the UN's
stance.
"The Security Council's statement is greatly significant
as the international community condemned North Korea's
attack on the Cheonan with one voice and emphasized the
importance of preventing further provocations" against the
South, it said."The government urges the North to respect
the spirit of the statement, clearly accept its
responsibility and apologize."
A defence ministry spokesman said South Korea would go
ahead with a naval exercise with the United States in the
Yellow Sea despite protests from China.
"There is no change in our position to conduct the joint
military exercise," the spokesman told AFP, hours after
the UN Security Council statement was issued.
Thousands march after
curfew lifted in Indian Kashmir
AFP, Srinagar, India
Thousands of protesters shouting "We want freedom" and
"Blood for blood" marched through the tense streets of
Muslim-majority Indian Kashmir on Saturday after
authorities lifted a curfew.
Leading separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq led the procession
of thousands of Kashmiris through the streets of downtown
Srinagar, urban hub of a two-decade insurgency against New
Delhi's rule that has claimed thousands of lives.
The lockdown was lifted in Srinagar late Friday and other
parts of Indian Kashmir to enable people to celebrate a
major Muslim festival.
Indian police and paramilitary forces have been struggling
to control a wave of protests in the Kashmir valley after
being accused of killing 15 civilians -- many of them
teenagers -- in less than a month. "We condemn innocent
killings," Farooq chanted through a loudspeaker as
residents shouted back in unison, "Farooq, we are with
you". The curfew had been imposed on Srinagar last Tuesday
in a bid to contain protests after three people were
killed in security force firing in 12 hours.
While Farooq's march remained peaceful, protesters clashed
with police in several other parts of Srinagar, prompting
authorities to reimpose a curfew in one district.
A curfew was also clamped back on southern Pulwama and
Anantnag districts after fresh protests erupted while one
remained in force in southern Kakpora and northern Sopore
town.
Japan’s PM in last-ditch
bid for votes ahead of election
AFP, Tokyo
Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan made a final plea for
votes Saturday during the last day of campaigning for
upper house elections seen as a referendum on his party's
10 months in office.
The Sunday vote will be the first national test at the
ballot box for Kan since he took office last month, and
for his centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) after
it swept to power last August under a different leader.
A total of 437 candidates across the nation as well as
party leaders urged the public to support them. A total of
121 seats are up for grabs -- half the members of the
upper house.
"Eventually, today is the final day," Kan told supporters
in Fukui, central Japan, according to Jiji Press. "Our
election (campaign) will continue to the last minute."
Later in the day, Kan moved back to the capital, winding
up a 17-day campaign. "A keyword is politics with
participation of citizens," Kan told some 1,400 people,
according to police, near the main station in Kichijoji,
western suburb of Tokyo.
"Politics should be carried out not by politicians but
each one of our citizens," Kan, wearing a short-sleeved
shirt with no tie, delivered a speech from atop a van
under scorching sunshine.
Kan, a pragmatist who has vowed to restore Japan's
tattered finances, is seeking popular support to draw a
line under a period of revolving-door politics that has
seen five new premiers in four years.
The outcome of the poll will determine whether Japan
emerges with a strong government that can tackle the
country's problems -- including sluggish growth and a
public debt mountain -- and one that remains mired in
coalition politics.
But Kan, a 63-year-old former leftist activist and a
fiscal hawk, who has called for debate on a possible
doubling of the consumption tax to 10 percent, faces a
tough test.
Recent newspaper polls predict Kan's coalition may fall
short of holding on to its majority in the upper chamber,
meaning he could face a deadlocked parliament unless he
seeks new political allies.
Turkish
air raid in northern Iraq wounds civilian: official
AFP, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq
Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq
overnight wounding one person in the raid, an Iraqi
regional government official told AFP on Saturday.
"The bombing started at 3:00 am (midnight GMT) and lasted
for one hour in the area of Sidakan," near the Iranian
border, said the official from Iraq's Kurdish autonomous
region, on condition of anonymity.
"A civilian was injured and farms were damaged," he said,
adding that the raid hit villages in the Qandil mountains,
an area in northeastern Iraq, which also straddles the
borders of Iran and Turkey.
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which is
considered a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the
international community, has been campaigning for Kurdish
self-rule since August 1984.
The nearly 26-year conflict has claimed some 45,000 lives.
The PKK has significantly escalated attacks against
Turkish targets after jailed rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan
said in May he was abandoning efforts for peace with
Ankara and the rebels called off a unilateral truce last
month.
Turkey has asked Iraq, the United States and the Kurdish
regional administration in Arbil to hand over 248 Kurdish
rebels operating from rear bases in Iraq, the
Istanbul-based Hurriyet daily reported on Saturday.
The list includes rebel commanders such as Murat Karayilan,
Cemil Bayik and Duran Kalkan, and Ankara wants the
handover to be "as soon as possible," the newspaper said,
quoting unnamed senior Turkish officials.
Turkey has also mooted a joint military operation "if
necessary," Hurriyet said.
"The net is tightening," an official said, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
Iran reviewing
woman’s stoning death sentence
AFP, Tehran
Iran was reviewing a sentence of stoning to death against
a woman accused of adultery, a rights official said, but
her lawyer warned Saturday there was no guarantee the
execution would be halted.
Mohammad Javad Larijani, Iran's top human rights official,
said late Friday that the verdict of death by stoning
against Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani is being reviewed by
the judiciary.
"She was sentenced to 90 lashes by one court and stoning
by another. The verdict is under revision," Larijani was
quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.
He said the chief of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh
Larijani, was of the opinion that it was preferable to use
another penalty instead of stoning "and that is true for
Ms Mohammadi-Ashtiani."
Larijani did not say what penalty she could face instead,
but added: "The penalty of stoning exists under the law
but the judges rarely use it."
Her lawyer Mohammad Mostafai told AFP on Saturday that he
had yet to receive any official confirmation that the
stoning sentence had been revised.
"There is no guarantee that it will be halted," he said.
The Iranian embassy in London said in a statement reported
by The Times on Friday that Mohammadi-Ashtiani would no
longer be stoned to death.
The embassy said that "according to information from the
relevant judicial authorities in Iran, (Mohammadi-Ashtiani)
will not be executed by stoning."
Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, was
convicted on May 15, 2006 of having an "illicit
relationship" with two men, according to Amnesty
International and her lawyer.
Amnesty said she received 99 lashes as per her sentence
but was subsequently accused of "adultery while being
married" in September 2006 during the trial of a man
accused of murdering her husband.
Gaza aid ship headed for
Egyptian port: shipping agent
AFP, Athens
The Gaza aid ship of a charity headed by a son of Libyan
leader Moamar Kadhafi set to sail from Greece on Saturday
is heading for an Eyptian port, the shipping agent told
AFP.
"All the ship's documents are in order, they indicate as
its destination the Egyptian port of El-Arish," said
Petros Arvanitis, the agent of the cargo ship Amalthea,
set to sail from Lavrio, some 60 kilometres (37 miles)
southeast of Athens on Saturday.
The Tripoli-based Gaddafi International Charity and
Development Association said Friday the Moldova-flagged
ship was "loaded with about 2,000 tonnes of humanitarian
aid in the form of foodstuff and medications" for Hamas-run
Gaza.
Earlier Saturday the Greek foreign ministry had said it
was in contact with Israeli diplomats about the aid ship.
Israel in turn said its intense diplomatic efforts with
Moldova and Egypt had succeeded in keeping the ship from
trying to break the Israeli naval blockade of the
impoverished Palestinian territory.
A charity headed by Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, Kadhafi's
second son who is widely seen as heir apparent, had
engaged the 92-metre (302-foot) freighter with a 12-man
crew and up to nine passengers to bring supplies to Gaza.
This latest attempt to defy the Israeli blockade comes
after the killings in May of eight Turks and a dual
US-Turkish citizen when Israeli commandos attacked a
flotilla heading for Gaza, sparking a furious row with
Ankara which wants Israel to apologise or accept an
international probe.
Israel claims its commandos only used force to defend
themselves after being ambushed.
UK envoy in Lebanon regrets
‘offence’ over Fadlallah blog
AFP, Beirut
Britain's ambassador to Lebanon has said she regretted
"any offence" caused by a controversial blog post in which
she praised late Shiite cleric Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah.
"I am sorry that an attempt to acknowledge the spiritual
significance ... and the views that he held in the latter
part of his life has served only to further entrench
divisions in this complex part of the world," Frances Guy
wrote on her official Foreign Office blog.
"I regret any offence caused," Guy said in the blog entry,
dated July 9 and entitled "The Problem with Diplomatic
Blogging."
The British government said Friday it had taken down Guy's
original blog posting in which she hailed Fadlallah as "a
true man of religion," saying her views clashed with
official policy.
"When you visited him you could be sure of a real debate,
a respectful argument and you knew you would leave his
presence feeling a better person," Guy wrote after
Fadlallah's death last Sunday.
A Foreign Office spokesman said the ambassador had
expressed a personal view that did not fully reflect
government policy.
"While we welcomed his progressive views on women's rights
and interfaith dialogue, we also had profound
disagreements-especially over his statements advocating
attacks on Israel," the spokesman said.
Fadlallah, blacklisted by the United States as a
terrorist, was a top authority in Shiite Islam and many
followers revered him for his moderate social views,
openness and pragmatism.
Obama to streamline
benefits process for US vets
AFP, Washington
US President Barack Obama announced Saturday his
administration would make it easier for military veterans
suffering from post traumatic stress disorder to receive
the benefits they need.
"This is a long-overdue step that will help veterans not
just of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, but generations of
their brave predecessors who proudly served and sacrificed
in all our wars," Obama said in his weekly radio address.
For many years, war veterans with post traumatic stress
disorder have been stymied in receiving benefits by
requirements they produce evidence proving a specific
event caused their condition.
In addition, that practice has kept the vast majority of
those suffering from this disorder who served in
non-combat roles from getting the care they need,
according to White House officials.
Obama said that beginning Monday, the Department of
Veterans Affairs will start making the application process
"easier," but did not offer specifics.
"It's a step that proves America will always be here for
our veterans, just as they've been there for us," the
president said. "We won't let them down. We take care of
our own. And as long as I'm commander-in-chief, that's
what we're going to keep doing."
Russian expert in spy swap
resurfaces near London: family
AFP , Moscow
Igor Sutyagin, an arms expert flown out of Russia in the
spy swap with Washington, is at a hotel near London
without a visa and still wearing his Russian prison
clothes, his brother said Saturday.
"Igor called his wife, he said he was in a small town near
London," Sutyagin's brother Dmitry told AFP.
In a phone call which lasted only a few minutes, Sutyagin
told his wife Irina he was somewhere near London but could
not be more specific about his location.
Sutyagin was with another of the four Russians convicted
of spying for the West who were exchanged at Vienna
Airport on Friday for 10 Kremlin agents in the biggest spy
swap since the Cold War, said Dmitry Sutyagin.
He added he did not know the name of the second man who
was with his brother. This week Igor Sutyagin was
unexpectedly transferred from his prison in the Russian
Far North to the Lefortovo high-security jail in Moscow
and granted a meeting with his family, before being put
onto a plane out of Russia.
Dmitry Sutyagin, speaking later in the day on Russia's
popular Echo of Moscow radio, said his brother could not
leave the hotel as he did not have a British visa and was
still wearing his Russian prison outfit.
"He was taken to Britain in his prison uniform which he
had on while in Lefortovo," he said.
He said his brother was set on Monday to meet with British
officials who would decide his future.
Convicted of handing over classified information to a
British company that Russia claimed was a CIA cover and
sentenced to 15 years in jail, Sutyagin for 11 years
denied he was a spy, saying the information came from open
sources. The plane that on Friday took the four out of the
country reportedly made a brief stop at the Brize Norton
air base in central England before landing in the United
States.
According to British media reports, Sutyagin and Sergei
Skripal, a former colonel with Russian military
intelligence GRU convicted of spying for Britain, were
dropped off in Britain.
British authorities declined to comment on Sutyagin's
whereabouts and fate on Saturday.
"We wouldn't comment about anything about this story at
all. There's no way we could confirm that," said a Home
Office spokesman.
"We don't comment on matters of intelligence or security
and we don't comment on individual asylum claims".
A Foreign Office spokesman also declined comment, saying:
"We don't comment on intelligence matters".
Israel says it foiled
Libyan bid to break Gaza blockade
AFP, Jerusalem
Intense diplomatic efforts have likely prevented a Libyan
aid ship from trying to breach Israel's blockade of the
Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Israel's foreign minister held talks with his counterparts
in Greece, where the boat is currently anchored, and with
Moldova, whose flag it flies. Israel also asked Egypt to
allow the boat to dock in one of its ports instead of
going to Gaza.
"Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman spoke several times in
recent days with the foreign ministers of Greece and
Moldova and reached understandings with them about dealing
with the Libyan ship," a ministry statement said. "The
foreign ministry believes that due to these talks, the
ship will not reach Gaza," the statement added.
The Greek foreign ministry confirmed it was in contact
with Israel over the boat but would not elaborate.
Meanwhile Defence Minister Ehud Barak spoke Saturday with
Egyptian intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman and asked "if
Egypt would agree to accept the boat at the port of El-Arish,"
Barak's office said. It did not say if Egypt had acceded
to the request. Israeli officials said that Moldovan
authorities had made contact with the captain of the ship
who agreed to divert the cargo to El-Arish. A charity
headed by Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, the son of Libyan leader
Moamar Kadhafi who is widely seen as heir apparent, said
on Friday it was sending an aid boat from Greece to Gaza.
Agents for the Amalthea said the boat was expected to set
sail from Lavrio, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast
of Athens on Saturday.
Business/Economy
Fresh
FBCCI bid to check price spiral in Ramadan
BSS, Dhaka
As the market monitoring of the Federation of Bangladesh
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) did not go well
last year, the apex trade body with its fresh executives
has planned major changes in its monitoring cell. "We will
reorganize the monitoring cell to make it more effective
in keeping eyes on the price movements of the essential
commodities during the holy month of Ramadan," newly
elected FBCCI President AK Azad told BSS on Saturday.
Azad will announce tomorrow (Sunday) the details of the
restructuring process and the monitoring strategy after a
meeting with the members of the monitoring cell, leading
businessmen and the leaders of the city market committees.
The meeting, which will be held at the FBCCI conference
room in the morning, will discuss the difficulties that
businessmen often face to keep prices of essential stable.
Azad said the monitoring cell would have constant
coordination with the government's measures to maintain a
stable market during Ramadan.
The government has already taken some steps like imports
of sugar, edible oil and pulses to increase supply of
these prime items for the month of fasting.
Measures have also taken to strengthen the state-run
Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) as a contingency
plan to prevent unusual price hike on the markets.
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan earlier underlined the
FBCCI's monitoring as he thought the role of the
businessmen would ultimately benefit the consumers as far
as price is concerned.
The FBCCI introduced the monitoring system last year, but
abandoned the activities in less than two weeks as there
was little positive impact on the market despite allout
measures by the trade body.
There are around 26 big kitchen markets and around 300
small kitchen markets in the capital.
Emerging
markets provide tremendous opportunities for US exports
Xinhua, Washington
Aiming at fulfilling President Barack Obama's ambitious
goal of doubling exports in five years and creating 2
million jobs, U.S. trade- related agencies are targeting
the fast-growing markets.
"There are tremendous opportunities for U.S. goods and
service, not just in our domestic market, but also
overseas, in many developing economies," Diane Farrell,
member of the board of directors of the U.S. Export-Import
Bank (Ex-Im bank), told Xinhua on Friday. "We have a very
rich economy in the United States; there are a lot of
companies that are only manufacturing in the U.S.," said
Farrell, who is responsible for voting on Ex-Im bank
transactions over 10 million dollars as well as on
significant matters affecting the bank's policy.
"As we've seen the economic downturn ... we need to look
to emerging markets, primarily in Asia and Latin America,"
she said.
"The U.S. government's National Export Initiative (NEI) is
attempting to educate businesses, to let them know that
it's a good economic decision to look beyond our borders
in terms of expanding their own business interests, and
also to know the U.S. government through a variety of
programs," she said.
President Obama set a goal to double U.S. exports in five
years in his State of the Union address earlier this year.
In March, he also announced the establishment of the
president's Export Promotion Cabinet, of which the Ex-Im
Bank is a member.
Many economists believe the president's export goal is
unrealistic and have criticized the jobless recovery.
Farrell is generally optimistic about the NEI. Established
during the period of the Great Depression in the 1930s by
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Ex-Im Bank has
supported more than 400 billion dollars in U.S. exports,
primarily to developing markets worldwide.
Regarding U.S.-China economic and trade relations, Farrell
said that with a population of over 1.3 billion, "China is
an extremely important economic partner for the U.S."
She said that there is strong interdependency between the
two countries, and that the bilateral relationship is
mutually advantageous.
Although there is friction between the two major global
trade partners, Farrell believed that there is a strong
base of cooperation between the two sides.
The Ex-Im Bank is the official export credit agency of the
United States. Its mission is to assist in financing the
export of U.S. goods and services to international
markets.
Unlike commercial banks, the Ex-Im Bank provides export
financing products including working capital guarantees,
export credit insurance, loan guarantees and direct loans
that fill gaps in trade financing. About 85 percent of the
transactions directly benefit small U.S. businesses.
China’s exports soar
despite Euro-US malaise
AFP, Beijing
China said Saturday its exports continued to soar in June,
as demand for Chinese-made goods remained robust despite
Europe's financial woes and a tepid US recovery.
The nation's overseas shipments of items including
electronic gadgets, shoes and textiles reached 137.4
billion dollars last month, up 43.9 percent from the
previous year.
The pace of growth was slower than in May when exports
surged 48.5 percent, but was better than most analysts had
expected. China posted a trade surplus of 20.02 billion
dollars in June, up slightly from the month before,
according to figures released by customs authorities.
The figure compared with a trade surplus of 19.53 billion
dollars in May and 1.68 billion dollars in April.
Imports gained 34.1 percent year-on-year to 117.4 billion
dollars, marking a slowdown from May when imports of raw
materials and other products soared 48.3 percent.
"Stronger than expected exports show that external
weakness has not yet shown its full impact," said Ken Peng,
a Beijing-based economist for Citigroup.
"Growth momentum is slowing down, but not as sharply as
expected and this should keep policy stable for now." The
strength in exports may have been underpinned by
steelmakers and other raw material producers accelerating
shipments before the government scraps tax rebates on some
products this month, analysts said.
Royal Bank of Canada senior analyst Brian Jackson said the
figures would increase pressure on Beijing to let the yuan
appreciate at a faster pace.
Obama says he
beat ‘vicious’ economic downturn
AFP, Las Vegas, Nevada
US President Barack Obama said Friday his policies had
pulled America out of the most vicious economic dive since
the 1930s, setting battle lines for mid-term elections in
November.
Obama put the Republicans on notice he will vigorously
defend his record, despite the fact many Americans do not
yet feel the recovery he is touting, while economic data
hints that the rebound may be slowing.
"Our first mission was to break the momentum of the
deepest and most vicious recession since the Great
Depression," Obama said in the gambling hub of Las Vegas,
wrapping up a two-day campaign-style trip.
"We had to stop the freefall and get the economy and jobs
growing again."
Obama used his appearance at the University of Nevada, Las
Vegas, to call on Congress to invest five billion dollars
more in tax credits for green energy manufacturing firms,
part of his plan for an alternative energy revolution.
After a brutal year featuring prolonged high unemployment
and bitter political battles, Democrats had hoped to be
reaping the benefits by now of Obama's rescue policies.
But while the economy is posting solid growth and creating
jobs again, the party has seen negligible political gains,
with the jobless rate still at 9.5 percent, and confidence
in the rebound ebbing.
If the economy dictates the course of elections, as usual,
Obama and the Democrats could be in for trouble come
November when all of the House of Representatives is up
for grabs, along with a third of the Senate.
So Obama is engaged on a mission to convince voters he
understands things are still tough, while insisting the
economy is healthier than it seems.
Dutch World Cup
win will boost economy
AFP, The Hague
If Holland wins Sunday's World Cup final, the economy
could be boosted by up to three billion euros (3.8 billion
dollars) as the Dutch spend more when they are on a high,
economists say.
"I predict that a Dutch victory will add 0.5 percent of
the gross domestic product (of about 600 billion euros) to
the economy over the next year," Josee Bloemer, an
economist at Radboud University in Nijmegen in east
Netherlands told AFP ahead of the deciding clash against
Spain in Johannesburg.
"If the Netherlands wins on Sunday evening, that will be
good for Dutch self confidence, which is good for consumer
confidence."
Charles Kalshoven, chief economist for Dutch bank ING,
said euphoric moments have proved in the past prompted the
Dutch to loosen their purse strings.
"It's a psychological effect. We also see it when the
weather is good. When it is a long, rainy winter, consumer
confidence is lower."
Kalshoven however was more cautious about the windfall in
case of a World Cup victory, forecasting an additional 700
million euros in consumer spending to the end of the
year-a rise of 0.25 percent.
This amounted to a boost of 0.1 percent to the economy, he
said, about 600 million euros "as some of the benefit will
leak abroad".
"Consumption has been reined in as a result of the
economic crisis," Kalshoven said. When the feel-good
factor kicks in, "I expect that people will make some of
those large purchases that they have been postponing,
furniture and appliances ... things that have nothing to
do with football.
"When consumer confidence rises, people are more inclined
to think: 'Hmmm, maybe I should buy that lounge suite
after all'. People just need a small push."
Kalshoven said there will also be some money to be made
from mementoes like World Cup DVDs.
Yvonne Fernhout, spokeswoman for the Dutch retailers'
federation, said the sector had expected a 200 million
euro windfall from the World Cup, "but now that we're
playing in the finals I think it will be even more than
that".
"This weekend, many people will still be buying snacks,
food, beer and orange paraphernalia" for Sunday's final,
she said.
Kalshoven said the Dutch would spend about 60 million
euros overall on orange paraphernalia for the World Cup,
at an average of five euros per person over 18.
But Groningen University sports economist Ruud Koning was
less hopeful of a post-World Cup bonanza.
National
Govt focuses planned childbirth
among poorer class
BSS, Dhaka
The government has been attaching top priority to planned
child birth among poorer section of society, in an effort
to control the unbearable growth of population that has
doubled from 75 million to 150 million in last four
decades since 1971.
"The total fertility rate among poor women in rural areas
is higher by at least one child than rich urban women,"
Health and Family Welfare Minister Prof Dr AFM Ruhal Haque
said at a press conference, organized to mark the World
Population Day that falls on July 11. State Minister for
Health and Family Welfare Mujibur Rahman Fakir, Health
Secretary Shaikh Altaf Ali and senior health and family
officials were present at the press conference held at the
Health Ministry Conference room.
Ruhal Haque said despite the family planning programme has
marked tremendous success over the last five decades in
Bangladesh, hardcore poor living in rural areas and urban
slums have yet to be brought under planned childbirth
programmes.
The unmet need for contraception has rose to 17.6 percent
in three years compared to 11 percent in 2004, he said.
"We have to invest more on population control," said the
minister, who pleaded for higher budgetary allocation and
donors support to check the high growth of population in
Bangladesh, home to an estimated 150 million people with
two million new faces joining every year.
According to several studies, Ruhal Haque said, the rich
and educated families have controlled their kids through
birth spacing, while things are just the opposite among
the poorest of the poor, who do not even have the
financial ability to take one child, let alone two or
three.
It is now urgent to identify the poor, uneducated and
young couples both in urban and rural areas and ensure
smooth supply of contraceptive to prevent unnecessary and
unwanted pregnancies, said the minister. He said the
contraceptive prevalence rate in the country now around 57
percent, but only 11 percent have a record of persistent
uses of birth control methods. "This trend leads to a huge
number of drop outs and unwanted pregnancies, and
eventually to higher number of maternal and child deaths,"
the minister said adding the more initiatives were needed
to attain millennium development goal (MDG) 4 and 5 on
child and mother survival. In this context, he urged all
to motivate people to have two children at best--- one
child can be even better than two to make a happy family.
According to official statistics, the total fertility rate
(TFR) or average ability of a woman to have children has
come down to 2.7 in 2007 from 6.3 in 1971, a progress that
needs to further accelerated to reduce it at 2.2, the
replacement level where father and mother will be replaced
by two children in life cycle.
Fish inbreeding may cause genetic erosion in aquaculture
production
BSS, Rajshahi
The existing unplanned fish inbreeding may cause a genetic
deterioration into the aquaculture production and open
water fisheries resources in terms of hatchery stock breed
seeds in floodplain and other open waters.
"Unconscious negative selection of brood-stock, mating of
female and male spawns from a finite population and
unplanned hybridization in hatchery stocks especially
carps has created the widespread concern," Dr Golam
Hossain, Director General of Bangladesh Fisheries Research
Institute (BFRI), told BSS. Dr Hossain said fish seed
production through artificial propagation or induced
breeding is a common practice in the country. Around 1,000
hatcheries are engaged in the breeding purposes
contributing more than 95 percent of the total spawn
production at present. He, however, said genetic
deterioration has frequently been reported in hatchery
populations in a number of recent past research findings.
In this context, he defined that poor brood stock
management and close mating of breeders possibly brother
and sister or parent and offspring resulting in inbreeding
causing adverse effect on the fisheries populations. Due
to their ignorance, most commercial hatchery owners and
employees use low quality brood fish for breeding purposes
producing less health and weight offspring leading to an
excessive death rate.
Many hatchery owners were also found unplanned and
uncontrolled hybridization between carp, ruhi and mrigel,
and carp and mirror carp frequently creating a horrible
situation.
They do the malpractice only to catch the highly demanded
markets of fish fry and fingerling as the government has
been implementing fish releasing programme in the
country's floodplain during every monsoon in addition to
large- scale promotion of fish farming for the last couple
of years. "If the unplanned trend persists there will be
an acute trouble in the gene introgression of the
indigenous major carp species - ruhi, carp and mrigel," Dr
Hossain cautioned.
He said the BFRI has been providing necessary training for
the hatchery owners and others concerned but unfortunately
they do not follow the guidelines to earn more money
through selling the low quality fish seed. Major demerit
of the inbreeding problem is lethal gene action that
causes production loss, breeding inequality, disability
and disease infection.
Meanwhile, Divisional Deputy Director of the Department of
Fisheries Abu Baker Siddiqui told BSS that there are 28
big and five small state level hatcheries, 233 private
hatcheries and 2,065 nurseries in the northwest
Bangladesh. To overcome the crisis, Dr Hossain put forward
a number of recommendations.
Police arrest 10 Shibir cadres for subversive activities
in two N-dists
BSS, Rangpur
Police arrested 10 cadres of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS)
for planning and conducting subversive activities from a
mosque in Akkelpur upazila of Joypurhat and Naogaon town
on Friday night and Saturday , police sources said.
Acting on secret information, a special police squad led
by ASI Benu Roy of Akkelpur Thana conducted a raid at
Royaid Shah Sekendar Jam-e- Mosque in Akkelpur upazila of
Joypurhat district at about 10:30 pm Friday night.
The police arrested seven ICS cadres while they were
conducting a secret meeting there to planning strategies
for releasing the arrested top leaders of Jamaat Moulana
Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed and
Delwar Hossain Sayeedi. Police also seized six jihadi
books, an action plan sheet and a diary from their
possessions during the raid. The arrested ICS cadres are:
President of Akkelpur upazila unit of ICS Al Mamun, 26,
its Secretary Motasim Billah, 25, ICS Sathi members
Habibur Rahman, 22, Farhad Hossain, 20, and Farhazul
Islam, 20, of Badalgachi upazila in Naogaon, Mizanur
Rahman, 21, of Khetlal upazila and Nur Aftab, 20, of Sadar
upazila in Joypurhat. A police team led by OC of Naogaon
Sadar Thana Aminul Islam conducted a raid and arrested
three ICS cadres while they were pasting posters demanding
release of arrested top Jamaat trio from Doyaler Mour area
in Naogaon town at 6:05 am on Saturday morning.
The arrested ICS cadres are: Habibur Rahman, 18, of
village Joboi in Sapahar upazila, Abdur Rahim, 19, of
Paroil village in Raninagar upazila and Harunur Rashid,
19, of village Dakshin Laksmipur in Potnitola upazila of
Naogaon district. Police filed two separate cases in these
connections with the respective police stations against
the arrested ICS cadres, the sources said.
Speakers stress on cultivating pariza paddy for increased
production
BSS, Gaibandha
The speakers at a function stressed the need for
cultivating short duration pariza paddy at the middle of
boro and aman seasons to get additional paddy to ensure
country's food security by 2012.
"Generally, the farmers of this region complete harvest of
boro paddy in April and start cultivation of T-aman paddy
on the same land at the end of July resulting the land
remain fallow and uncultivated for two and a half months.
If the farmers can cultivate the pariza paddy on fallow
land during the middle of two seasons, they can be
benefited economically," they said.
They said this in a workshop on Food Security in Climate
Change in Northern Bangladesh organized by RDRS Bangladesh
at the conference room of Sundarganj Upazila Parishad in
the district on Friday.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) M Shahidul Islam attended the
function as the chief guest while Upazila Chairman M
Waheduzzaman Sarker Badsha and Sundarganj Poura Mayor M
Nurunnab Pramanik Sazu were present as special guests.
The keynote paper on the subject was presented by Dr M G
Neogi, head of agriculture of RDRS Bangladesh.
Presided over by UNO M Shamsul Azam, the function was also
addressed, among others, by upazila agriculture officer M
Aftab Hossain, upazila fisheries officer Barun Chandra
Biswas and journalist M Shahiduzzaman.
To create working opportunities to the farm laborers and
to address seasonal poverty like 'Monga' in five northern
districts Agri expert Neogi, in his speech urged all to
cultivate pariza paddy in large scale on mid-high lands.
He also briefed the participants about the ongoing welfare
activities including homestead raising, bio-gas plant,
solar light, rice bank, poultry bird rearing, mugbean
cropping, flood and drought tolerant paddy cultivation and
food security project of the organization elaborately
through projector.
Upazila level officials, public representatives, farmers,
social workers, NGO activists and political leaders
participated the workshop. Later, a team of participants
led by DC M Shahidul Islam visited a pariza paddy field at
Boali block under Sreepur union of the upazila where 50
bighas of land have been brought under pariza cultivation
motivating the farmers by the RDRS Bangladesh.
No alternative to
education for development: VC
BSS, Narsingdi
Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor AAMS Arefin
Siddique has said there is no alternative to education for
the development of the country.
He asked the students to be more attentive to their
studies to become worthy citizens of the country. The VC
also advised the students to devote themselves in building
a Digital Bangladesh as well as Sonar Bangla to
materialize the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The VC was addressing a reception accorded to the
students, who secured GPA-5 in the SSC and equivalent
examinations this year from Narsingdi district organised
by "Amora Narsingdibashi" at Zila Shilpakala Academy here
on Friday.
Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare Mainuddin Khandaker, Narsingdi Sader Upazila
Chairman Monzur Elahi were present in the function as
special guests.
Principal of Abdul Kader Mollah City College Dr. Mashiur
Rahman Mirdha Presided over the function while Abdullah
Al-Mamun, President of Amora Narsingdibashi presented
welcome speech.
Govt determined to ensure health care services to people:
Shaheed
BSS, Nilphamari
Minister for Social Welfare Enamul Huq Mostafa Shaheed has
said the government is determined to ensure health care
services to the people.
"That's why the present government has undertaken a
massive development plan to improve health sector aimed at
reaching health care services to the door steps of people
particularly in the rural area," he said. The minister was
addressing the inaugural ceremony of 30-bed Nilphamari
Diabetic Hospital here on Saturday.
Shaheed said the government has stepped up different
efforts including modernization of hospitals of the
country for providing medical facilities to the masses.
With President of Nilphamari Diabetic Association Advocate
Anisul Arefin in the chair, the function was also
addressed, among others, by local lawmaker Asaduzzaman
Noor, director general of department of Social
services,Sitingsu Roy, deputy commissioner Zillur Rahman,
Poura mayor Dewan Kamal Ahmed, additional police super,
Rashidul Islam The diabetic hospital was built under the
supervision of LGED at a cost of Taka 4.8 crore.
12 buildings identified as risky in Barisal city
UNB, Barisal
Barisal City Corporation (BCC) authorities identified 12
buildings in the city as risky.
Rezaul Kabir, BCC Inspector, said a seven-member
committee, headed by Nurul Islam, acting chief engineer,
was formed to scrutinize those buildings at ward 2, 17 and
18. The committee will also start survey in other 27 wards
in the city soon.
BCC officials said of the 12 buildings nine are most
risky. These are: Siraj Mahal on Kawnia Road and Matin
Laskar's house on Janaki Sing Road at ward 2, Shampa
Dental Care, Town Boarding, Agorpur House on Agorpur Road,
Dharma Rakkhini Sava Griho on Kalibari Road, house
opposite to Razzak Mansion of Rakhal Babu Lane at ward 17,
building opposite to Nurul Islam Shikdar on Bogra Road,
Sarwar Faruk Khan's 6-storied building on Mallik Road at
ward 18.
The officials said that they will give notice soon to the
owners to demolish those risky buildings.
Students urged for working together to regain lost glory
of DMC
BSS, Dhaka
Former students of Dhaka Medical College (DMC) on Saturday
called upon all especially the students to work unitedly
for regaining the lost glory of the medical college that
turns 64 years after establishment.
The students, who are now earning name and fame at home
and abroad by serving different capacities in health
sector, at a discussion recalled the hospital's past role
in actively participating in all democratic movements
starting from Language Movement in 1952. DMC Alumni Trust
(DAT) organized the discussion, which was organized in
observance of DMC Day in its conference room here.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque
spoke as the chief guest at the discussion while DAT
president Prof Dr Nazmun Nahar presiding.
Health adviser to the Prime Minster Prof Dr Modasser Ali,
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the
Ministry of Education Rashed Khan Menon, lawmaker Mostafa
Jalal Mohiuddin, Principal of Holy Family Red Crescent
Hospital Prof Moniruzzaman Bhuiyan, Secretary General of
Swadhinata Shikitshak Parishad (SWACHIP) Prof Iqbal Arslan
and Principal of DMC Prof Din Mohammad spoke, among
others.
Ruhal Haque described the DMC as a contributor towards
strengthening the democracy and said former students of
the medical college have been brightening the country's
image through their creative works. The minister
underscored the need for strengthening the existing
facilities of lone burn unit of the DMCH by introducing
burn units at all medical colleges side by side with
capacity building of cardiology departments.
Bangladesh food delegation leaves for home 'satisfied'
BSS, New Delhi
The Bangladesh food delegation left here on Saturday for
home after holding fruitful talks with Indian officials on
procurement of rice and wheat from India.
"We are satisfied with our discussions with the Indian
officials for procurement of rice and wheat," leader of
the Bangladesh delegation, Ahmed Hossain Khan, Director
General of Food Directorate told BSS ahead of team's
departure for Dhaka.
"The Indian government seemed very sincere and cooperative
regarding the export of rice and wheat to Bangladesh," he
added. He termed the attitude of the Indian government as
"very positive."
Khan expressed the hope that Dhaka would get a portion of
the consignment before the start of Ramadan.
Dhaka will import one tonne of rice and four lakh tonnes
of wheat from India to meet its food deficit.
The DG food said that the Indian side indicated that it
could supply more food grains to Dhaka if requested. The
two sides also discussed about the transportation
arrangement of the food grains. While India wanted that
the food grains be exported to Bangladesh under FOB (free
on board) system, Bangladesh wants it to be done on CIF
(cost insurance and freight) procedure. "We requested
Indian government to export the food grains under CIF
system, another member of the delegation said. The
Bangladesh Mission here, is learnt to have made a formal
request to India in this regard.
Bangladesh earlier had imported 5 lakh tonnes of rice from
India in 2008 following the cyclone 'Sidr'. The entire lot
was sent under the CIF system then.
But the Indian government has recently changed its policy
and all her exports are made on FOB basis, sources said.
Khandoker Atiar Rohman, joint secretary food division said
that Bangladesh would like to import more rice from India
to make a good buffer stock. During the discussions, the
three-member Bangladesh side was aided by Ms Mashfi Binte
Shams, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in New Delhi
and the Commercial Counselor Md Habibur Rahman Khan.
Bangladesh delegation also included Ilahi Dad Khan,
director of food directorate.
Arrests of Jamaat kingpins demanded on war crime charges
BSS, Rajshahi
Peoples demand for arresting top leaders of Bangladesh
Jamaat-e-Islami Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Muhammad
Mujahid and Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, under the
International Crimes Tribunal Act-1973 is rising here for
the last couple of weeks.
Freedom fighters, political parties along with their front
organizations, students' organizations, Ghatak Dalal
Nirmul Committee, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote and others
brought out procession, rallies, formed human chain, held
discussion meeting in the metropolis and the upazilas to
bolster the demand for putting Nizami, Mujahid and Sayeedi
under trials on charges of committing crimes against
humanity during the country's War of Liberation and
starting the trial immediately.
While inaugurating 57th anniversary of Rajshahi University
on Thursday, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid urged
the new generation to raise strong voice and play a
pivotal role in trying the war criminals. On the other
hand, State Minister for Home Advocate Shamsul Huq Tuku
urged Imams to play an effective role in resisting the
militants who are opposing the trials of war criminals.
Tuku, former student of Rajshahi University, turned up for
the celebrations.
Local units of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and
Jatiya Samajtantric Dal (JSD-Inu) brought out separate
processions and formed human chains demanding arrest of
Nizami, Mujahid and Sayeedi under International Crimes
Tribunal Act on Thursday. The CPB further demanded
restoration of '72 Constitution of Bangladesh, arrest of
price hike of food items and essentials, fight out
corruption, terrorism and tender hijacking.
They further called for bringing the godfathers of
militants and other outlawed organizations to book as soon
as possible. In response to the call of the central
command council, district and mahanagar command of
Muktijoddah Sangsad staged demonstration here last week
and in all the nine upazilas of the district demanding
immediate arrest of Nizami, Mujahid and Sayeedi. They
urged the government to try them immediately and complete
the trial process as soon as possible so that verdict of
the tribunal could be executed within the tenure of the
present administration. Earlier, Awami League brought out
procession chanting slogan against war criminals and
demanding their immediate trial. The procession was led by
AL central leader and Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton.
Jubo League and Chhatra League also demonstrated at
upazilas demanding trials of war criminals. Workers Party
of Bangladesh (WPB) district and mahanagar units along
with Jubo Moitree brought out procession in the city and
upazilas demanding trial of warcriminals along with
resisting the communal politics of Jamaat and Shibir. WP
Politburo member and MP Fazle Hossain Badsha led the
city's rally.
Govt to set up new fish projects in Mymensingh
BSS, Mymensingh
Director General of Bangladesh Fisheries Research
Institute (BFRI) here Dr MG Hossain has said the
government took various new projects in haor areas for
boosting fish production and its proper management.
To make the programme successful, necessary preparations
are going on in this regard, he added.
He was addressing the inaugural session of two-day
training workshop on the role of media in expansion of
technologies in the fisheries sectors. The inaugural
session, held in the auditorium of BFRI on Friday, was
addressed, among others, by secretary of Mymensingh Press
Club Ataul Karim and Chief Scientific Officer Dr Nurullah.
DG Hossain said the government has plans to set up pangas
and telapia fish farms in Mymensingh. He said at present
70 to 80 thousand metric tons of pangas and telapia fish
is being produced in the country. He said Bangladesh is
the eighth largest telapia producing country in the world.
He urged journalists to play a vital role to motivate the
fish farmers for using modern technologies to boost
production.
A total of 45 journalists from the printing and electronic
media are taking part in the training workshop.
4 Hizb-ut militants brought on 3-day remand for
interrogation
UNB, Dhaka
A magistrate court in Dhaka Saturday granted 3-day remand
for four militants of banned Islamic outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir
Bangladesh for interrogation.
A joint team comprising intelligence agencies and uniform
police on Friday night raided an apartment at Crescent
Road under Kalabagan police station and arrested the
activists identified as Nasir Uddin Muzumder, Rakibuddin
Ahmed, Nur Mohammad and Omar Sharif Russel. The team also
recovered leaflets and documents related to the banned
outfit.
A case was filed with Kalabagan police station under
Anti-terrorism Act-2009.
Sub-Inspector Nazmul, Investigation Officer of the case
produced the arrestees before the court of magistrate
Abdul Majid and sought for seven days' remand.
After hearing, the court granted 3-day remand for
interrogation. Police said the four Hizb-ut-Tahrir
activists were arrested following statement of detained
Prof Syed Golam Mawla, a think-tank of the banned outfit.
Mawla, a teacher of Dhaka University, was arrested on
Thursday. He is now on a 3-day remand and is being
interrogated by detectives. The government has banned all
activities of Hizb-ut-Tahrir on October 22 last year on
the ground of public security.
On April 20, police arrested chief coordinator of
Hizb-ut-Tahrir Prof. AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, who is also a
teacher of Dhaka University's Institute of Business
Administration.
Construction of Gobindaganj Poura Bhaban begins
BSS, Gaibandha
The construction of Gobindaganj Poura Bhaban began in
College Mour area of the pourasabha on Friday amid much
enthusiasm.
Engineer Monowar Hossain Chowdhury, MP, formally
inaugurated the work by unveiling a plaque in the morning
as the chief guest.
The three-storied building is being constructed at a cost
of Taka one crore and 91.20 lakh under the annual
development programme with fund from the government,
official sources said. Speaking on the occasion, local
lawmaker engineer Monowar Hossain Chowdhury, said the
present government under the leadership Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina is implementing many uplift programs
including infrastructural development to ensure civic
amenities and the welfare of the common people and to
materialize the vision of digital Bangladesh by 2021.
13-member anti-corruption committee formed
BSS, Rangamati
A 13-member corruption prevention committee of Rangamati
district was formed on Friday with Mayadhan Chakma, former
chairman of Rangamati Sadar Upazila Parishad and
headmaster in-charge of Shah High School SM Mainuddin as
its president and vice-president respectively. Concerned
sources said the committee was formed following a
directive issued from the director general of
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Abu Mohammad Mostafa
Kamal.
Sports
World Cup frenzy reaches fever pitch
as final looms
AFP, Madrid
Football fever swept Spain and the Netherlands Saturday as
fans desperate to taste World Cup success for the first time
painted the streets red and orange. Euro 2008 champions Spain
are favourites to lift the trophy for the first time in
Sunday's clash at Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium but the
Dutch, twice defeated finalists, are confident they can win.
Throughout the Netherlands entire streets are lined with
orange flags and some homes have been covered with plastic
sheets in the national colour.
Flags prematurely declaring Holland, ranked fourth in the
world, the 2010 football World Cup champions are selling like
hot cakes.
Sales of televisions, barbecue sets and orange accessories are
expected to reach a peak on Saturday, according to a
spokeswoman for the Dutch retailers federation, Yvonne
Fernhout.
In The Hague, animal protection services have urged people not
to blow too hard on their vuvuzela horns during the match to
avoid terrorising their pets.
Dutch brewer Heineken said it had put production on hold
across the country to allow to watch the match.
Police are pleading with fans to behave long enough for them
to watch the match while Dutch airline KLM said it would keep
its pilots updated on all the crucial moments of the match.
Giant television screens are being installed in several
cities.
The biggest gatherings of supporters on Sunday are expected in
Amsterdam, where up to 50,000 watched the semi-final against
Uruguay on the Museumplein (Museum Square) and in Rotterdam.
Authorities are planning a boat parade in Amsterdam if the
Dutch win, with a million people expected to turn out. In
Madrid, the players will be feted in a parade in an open- top
bus even if their team, ranked second in the world, come up
short.
At least 150,000 fans of La Roja (the Reds) are expected to
cram Madrid's main Paseo de Castellana avenue on Sunday
evening to witness Spain's first ever appearance in a World
Cup final on giant screens in a "fan park".
Municipal workers have draped flags over the Cibeles and
Neptune fountains, where fans of Real Madrid and Atletico
Madrid celebrate their victories. Spain's Mahou beer company
has launched an Internet campaign for July 11 to be named a
national holiday if Spain lift the World Cup, and the
supermarket chain Carrefour is offering 25 percent reductions
on television sets.
Even in Catalonia, a region with its own distinct culture and
language and which has traditionally been disdainful of the
Spanish national team, there was growing enthusiasm.
Authorities in the Catalan capital of Barcelona agreed for the
first time during the tournament to set up a giant outdoor
screen for the match.
But the Spanish football fever rankles with some.
"We have ended up with more Spanish flags than 'senyeras' (the
yellow and red-striped Catalan flag) flying from balconies and
all over the place," an upset Catalan regional government
chief, leftist separatist Josep Lluis Carod-Rovira, complained
on his blog.
Centre-right daily El Mundo picked up on the issue Friday,
saying that "Catalan nationalists are worried about the pull
of the national side" on people in the region.
El Mundo, a vociferous opponent of Catalan nationalism,
rejoiced in so many people "coming out of the cupboard" to
support the Spanish-who include many players from Catalan
giants Barcelona-as they prepare to take on the Dutch. The
paper said 74 percent of viewers in the region had watched the
semi-final win over Germany-without speculating how many might
actually have supported the Germans.
Catalans have in the past been reticent about backing the
Spanish side. They have their own "national" selection, but it
plays only friendly internationals. One pundit predicting a
win for the Spanish is the feted octopus Paul, who became a
World Cup sensation by correctly predicting the outcome of all
six of Germany's World Cup games from his aquarium home in
western Germany.
‘I’ve
become a football fanatic’ at World Cup: Shakira
AFP, Johannesburg
Colombian superstar Shakira said Saturday that following the
World Cup in South Africa has made her "a football fanatic."
"I really never in my life imagined that I would go straight
to the sports section in the newspaper," she told journalists
ahead of Sunday's final.
"I've become a football fanatic."
Shakira, who wrote the official World Cup song "Waka Waka",
will play at the closing ceremony ahead of the title match
between the Netherlands and Spain.
She also played at a kick-off concert the night before the
opening match.
"This has been one of the happiest months of my life, and one
of the most exciting ones," she said of following the World
Cup. The closing ceremony, which begins at 1630 GMT Sunday,
will also include performances by South African groups
Freshlyground and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, organisers said.
Shahzad
treble restricts BD
AFP, Bristol
Ajmal Shahzad marked his return to the England side with
three wickets as Bangladesh were held to 236 for seven in
the second one-day international here on Saturday.
Shahzad, in his third match at this level, took one-day
best figures of three for 41 after being brought into the
side after fellow Yorkshire paceman Tim Bresnan was
dropped.
Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes made 76, his best ODI score
against England in five matches and the second highest of
his career behind his 101 against New Zealand in
Christchurch in February. But no other Bangladesh batsman
made more than Mahmudullah's 24 not out.
Bangladesh, after losing the toss, saw Tamim Iqbal strike
several fours.
But Shahzad dismissed Tamim for 18 when the batsman drove
at a ball that seamed away and was caught by diving
wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter to leave the Tigers 19 for
one. Kayes then cover-drove Anderson for four. Junaid
Siddique then struck Shahzad off his legs and straight
down the ground for two resounding boundaries but he was
out for 21 made off 23 balls when caught behind down the
legside off Stuart Broad.
Bangladesh were now 65 for two but Kayes and Jahurul
Islam, recalled after wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim
suffered a tour-ending facial injury in England's
six-wicket first ODI win at Trent Bridge on Thursday, kept
the hosts at bay.
Left-handed opener Kayes completed a 74-ball fifty while
Jahurul hooked a six off Broad.
But Shahzad broke the stand when he had Jahurul caught
behind for 40 with a ball that cut away off the pitch. And
148 for three became 149 for four when former captain
Shakib Al Hasan was bowled round his legs by Paul
Collingwood as he attempted an extravagant scoop shot
against the medium-pacer.
Mohammad Ashraful, who only arrived in England on Friday
as cover for the injured Raqibul Hasan, who had his toe
broken by Anderson at Trent Bridge, was run out for 14
when he failed by yards to beat Shahzad's throw to
Kieswetter.
Busquets making Spain forget Senna
AFP, Potchefstroom
Two years ago when Spain lifted the European title in
Vienna, a Brazilian-born defensive midfielder was widely
regarded as the team's unsung star.
With all the focus on the goalscoring feats of David Villa
and Fernando Torres or the silky skills of Andres Iniesta
and Xavi, Marcos Senna still managed to attract as many
plaudits for his vital role in helping the rest of the
team tick. He was also named in UEFA's squad of the
tournament.
But after a poor and injury-plagued season in Spain, the
33-year-old was left out of coach Vicente Del Bosque's
World Cup squad.
Instead, Del Bosque turned to 21-year-old Barcelona
midfielder Sergio Busquets and neither player nor coach
have looked back since.
"I feel good, I'm very young but I'm feeling better all
the time. I get to train with some great players," said
Busquets, ahead of Sunday's World Cup final against
Holland.
"I'm very happy with my form but the important thing is
the team, without the help of my team-mates I wouldn't be
at this level."
Busquets's rise through the ranks has been lightning quick
these last two years.
When Spain lifted the Euro 2008 trophy, Busquets had yet
to make his debut for Barca's first team, playing instead
for their reserves.
His league debut came in September that year and
incredibly, despite competing for a mifdfield berth with
the likes of Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita, Busquets had
nailed down a regular place in the team by the end of the
season and even started the Champions League final against
Manchester United in Rome.
Just a month earlier, he had also made his international
debut for Spain, coming on as a substitute in a World Cup
qualifier against Turkey in Istanbul.
Apart from Spain's first game, a 1-0 loss to Switzerland
when he was taken off just after the hour mark, Busquets
has played every minute of the Iberian's progress to the
final.
And since that first game, it is Busquets and not his
fellow defensive midfielder, the vastly more experienced
Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso, who has been the more
trusted by his coach.
Busquets was the one left on the pitch against Paraguay in
the quarter-finals when Del Bosque needed to make an
attacking substitution and when he wanted to shore up his
defence late on against Germany in the semi-final, it was
again Alonso who was sacrificed for a defender.
It is perhaps unsurprising that Busquets should be such a
talented player given that he comes from footballing
stock.
His father Carles was a goalkeeper at Barcelona, although
much of his career was spent as back-up to Andoni
Zubizarreta and later Vitor Baia.
But he was at Barca when they won their first European Cup
crown in 1992 meaning that when Sergio lifted the
Champions League in 2009, they became only the third
father and son pairing to win Europe's premier trophy with
the same club.
Perhaps having a father with such experience has helped
Busquets mature quickly.
He even shrugged off falling victim to thieves ahead of
the semi-final against Germany.
"No-one likes being robbed, there's nothing to say about
it. It happened the morning of the Germany game but we
couldn't let it distract us," he said.
"In any case, I'd gladly swap my wallet for the World
Cup."
Don't blame me,
says Brazil flop Dunga
AFP, Brasilia
Former Brazil coach Dunga insisted on Friday that he was
not responsible for the team's disappointing World Cup,
which ended in quarter-final elimination.
Dunga, who was sacked on his return to the country, is
also adamant that his players did all they could to win a
sixth World Cup.
"My conscience is clear. I wanted to win, but this didn't
happen. What else can I say?" he said in an interview with
O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper.
"The players gave everything. I have nothing to reproach
them for. We did what we could have done."
Brazil lost 2-1 to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Pakistan on brink of Cup tie
AFP, Wellington
Pakistan led New Zealand 2-1 in their Asia/Oceania Group
II Davis Cup semi-final Saturday after Aisam-ul-Haq
Qureshi backed up from a marathon singles win to partner
Aqeel Khan to doubles success.
The 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-2 doubles victory over Marcus
Daniell and Michael Venus came a day after Qureshi spent
more than four hours 30 minutes on court to beat Venus in
a five-set singles match. New Zealand's number one Rubin
Statham, who sat out the doubles, beat Khan in straight
sets in the singles and will play Qureshi in the reverse
singles.
Qureshi, a doubles quarter-finalist at Wimbledon this
month, stepped up the pace of the doubles match after
Pakistan were forced to a tie break in the first set.
The Pakistanis broke the New Zealanders' serve twice in
the second set before easily winning the third.
Paine wants Test debut to be family affair
AFP, Derby, England
Australia wicketkeeper Tim Paine will have plenty of
familiar faces cheering him on when he makes his Test
debut against Pakistan at Lord's on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old Tasmanian is set to make his bow in the
five-day format after Australia first choice wicketkeeper
Brad Haddin was ruled out with an elbow tendon problem.
Paine, who has in 23 one-day internationals and three
Twenty20s behind him, has already played in a couple of
matches at Lord's during this tour, most recently during
Australia's 42-run ODI win against England last weekend,
and cannot wait to return to the 'home of cricket'.
"It's going to be pretty special being at Lord's and some
of my family are flying over for it so it's going to be a
very enjoyable day," Paine said.
"It will be very nerve-wracking as well but I'm looking
forward to it.
"My nan (grandmother) is coming over as well, she's come
to my cricket games since I was 10 - she used to bring
lunch - and we've managed to get her over here so that's
going to be great."
Paine was speaking after a mixed day behind the stumps on
the final day of Australia's drawn two-day warm-up match
against Derbyshire here on Friday.
He dropped a regulation catch amd missed a stumping
although he did hold a chance offered by Derbyshire
captain Chris Rogers that saw the former Australia batsman
dismissed for 93.
Spain play
Dutch at their own game
AFP, Paris
One of the teams contesting Sunday's World Cup final will
play in a classic Dutch style based on one-touch passing,
aggressive pressing and positional inter-changing. But it
won't be the Netherlands.
Spain have become the flag-bearers for the kind of
possession football synonymous with the Dutch approach to
the game and it is largely thanks to former Holland great
Johan Cruyff that Vicente Del Bosque's side play the way
they do.
Cruyff, star of the Netherlands team that reached the 1974
World Cup final, had two spells at Barcelona, firstly as a
player and then as a coach.
It was during his spell in the Camp Nou dugout between
1988 and 1996 that he introduced the coaching principles
that have since become the club's trademark.
Drawing on home-grown talent including current Barca coach
Pep Guardiola as well as foreign stars such as Michael
Laudrup and Dutch defender Ronald Koeman, Cruyff built a
side known as the 'Dream Team' that won four consecutive
Spanish league titles and the 1992 European Cup.
The foundation for the team's success was a 4-3-3
formation and a style of play rooted in tactical
awareness, technical excellence and the rapid exchanging
of short passes. Cruyff had brought Total Football to
Catalonia.
So pervasive was his influence that every youth team at
Barcelona was soon being coached to play in the same way
and the production line at their La Masia academy has
continued to churn out world-class talent to this day.
Barca youth team graduates Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles
Puyol, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique are thus products of
a training system inspired by Dutch ideas.
Spain had seven Barcelona players in the starting line-up
for the 1-0 semi-final defeat of Germany and it was a
classic Barca performance, with Xavi and Iniesta switching
positions and patiently probing the German defence before
Puyol's 73rd-minute header supplied the killer blow.
Del Bosque's decision to drop striker Fernando Torres for
the Germany game was a strong indication of his faith in
the Barca way.
He also abandoned earlier plans to accommodate Sevilla
winger Jesus Navas in his line-up, meaning Spain have
become wholly reliant on the stealth and craft of their
Barcelona contingent to carve out chances for Barca new
boy David Villa.
In stark contrast, the Netherlands have not played in a
4-3-3 for several years.
Their 4-2-3-1 formation reflects a much more pragmatic
approach, with two combative central midfielders in Mark
van Bommel and Nigel de Jong providing a platform for the
talents of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van
Persie.
They have reached the final with none of the panache of
their 1974 predecessors and Cruyff, for one, is
unimpressed.
"If Spain go for you, they kill you," he told El Periodico
de Catalunya.
"There's no doubt that Germany knew what they were going
to go through, just like Holland are probably thinking
now. If you go up against a team that wants to keep the
ball, you're going to suffer.
"Spain, a replica of Barca, are the best publicity for
football. Who am I supporting? I am Dutch but I support
the football that Spain are playing."
Spanish party
pooper plots Sneijder downfall
AFP, Johannesbuerg
Spaniard Sergio Busquets dreams of being a party pooper
Sunday when he faces Dutch star Wesley Sneijder in the
World Cup final. While Busquets was part of the Barcelona
team that won the Spanish title, Sneijder is chasing a
fourth winners medal having helped Inter Milan conquer
Europe after they raised the Italian league and cup
trophies. Spain are favoured to win a Soccer City clash of
countries who have never been world champions, but
Sneijder poses a major threat after a superb tournament
that triggered a 35-million-euro offer from Manchester
United.
Sneijder has already made Busquets suffer once as Inter
dumped title holders Barcelona out of the Champions League
at the semi-final stage in a gripping two-leg showdown.
The Dutch star is also joint leading scorer in the World
Cup with Spaniard David Villa on five goals - the same
haul that won German Miroslav Klose the Golden Boot at the
last World Cup four years ago.
"He is a great player and is in great form. We will try to
stop him like any other player," said Busquets. "We will
try to deny him even the time to think because otherwise
he can create good scoring chances."
All Blacks take revenge
against Springboks
AFP, Auckland
The All Blacks exacted revenge for last year's humiliation
by the Springboks when they ignited this year's
Tri-Nations series with a 32-12 victory over the defending
champions here Saturday.
In a high-tempo clash between the world's top two rugby
sides, the All Blacks also claimed a crucial bonus point
as they scored four unanswered tries.
A year after relinquishing their Tri-Nations crown when
they were trounced in all three Tests against South
Africa, the All Blacks bounced back with determination as
they extended their unbeaten run at Eden Park to 21 Tests.
They out-ran the Springboks in the backs and out-muscled
them up front, including the rare sight of the South
African pack being back-pedalled at scrum time and driven
back 25-metres at a lineout late in the match.
"The key thing behind this performance was three-zip last
year," said forwards coach Steve Hansen.
"A lot of people have been waiting a long time to play
this Test match and we came out on top of it. Now we've
got to do it again next week, that's the exciting thing."
Head coach Graham Henry had special praise for his
forwards and the overall defensive effort which kept their
line intact.
"The edge was created by the results last year so I think
the boys should be very proud of what they achieved," he
said.
"The defence was superb. The forwards dominated the
Springbok eight and that's what set the standard."
The Springboks, who have not beaten the All Blacks in
Auckland for 53 years, struggled to match the pace of the
All Blacks and were forced to rely on four penalties from
the boot of Morne Steyn for their points.
The All Blacks looked to run the ball at every
opportunity, which included Richie McCaw leading a
counter-attack from his own goalline, and stretched the
Springboks' defence until it snapped.
At half-time they led 20-3, forcing the Springboks to
revert to their more traditional kick-for-position play
after the break to earn territory from which Steyn landed
penalties but were never able to cross the All Blacks'
line.
South Africa captain John Smit said there were no excuses
from his side who were outplayed throughout the match.
"The All Blacks were really good tonight. They played with
pace all over the field and in every facet of play they
were better than us," Smit said.
"There was nothing going on from our side. The lights were
out. They wanted it more, were more urgent and deserve
what they got."
Springboks lock Bakkies Botha made himself enemy number
one for the All Blacks when he was seen to deliver a
flying headbutt to Jimmy Cowan from behind in the opening
play of the game.
Although it was caught on television and the big screen at
the ground, it went undetected by the match officials.
Van Bronckhorst
looking for golden goodbye
AFP, Johannesburg
Giovanni van Bronckhorst could not have written the script
better, bowing out of football by captaining his country
in a World Cup final.
Now he wants the fairytale ending by beating Spain on
Sunday.
The 35-year-old Feyenoord star believes the time has come
for the Dutch, twice runners-up, to win the World Cup for
the first time, even though their opponents are the
European champions. "I couldn't dream of better
farewells," said van Bronckhorst, the former Rangers,
Arsenal and Barcelona star who scored a stunning goal in
the 3-2 victory over Uruguay in the semi-final.
"It is our tournament. I have sometimes had the feeling
that we cannot lose. We have not always played very well,
but we have scored at pivotal moments."
Van Bronckhorst, who is to be assistant coach for the
Under-21 side from next season, says he did not have the
same feeling even when the Dutch were impressing during
the group stage of Euro 2008.
"I have not yet had the same feeling these past weeks that
I had two years ago during the fantastic matches against
France (4-1) and Italy (3-0).
"I really thought that that team would go all the way and
then we played Russia and we were running on empty.
"It would be beautiful if we produced that sort of form
(the group form from Euro 2008) in the final, because to
become world champions in your final ever match, is
something rare."
Hiddink stamp of
approval for Dutch
AFP, Johannesburg
Guus Hiddink gave his stamp of approval to the Netherlands
as they prepared to face favourites Spain in the World Cup
final on Sunday, even if compatriot Johan Cruyff is yet to
be fully converted to the cause.
The former Dutch coach is among the most sought after
football handlers in the world with his name inevitably on
the short list when a vacancy occurs at national team or
club level.
And his comments to Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad ahead of
the first World Cup clash between the countries can only
lift morale in the 'Orange' camp before a Soccer City
showdown set to draw a sell-out 90,000 crowd.
"The Dutch have become a little like the Germans of
yesteryear - realism has replaced beautiful football,"
said the coach recently hired by Turkey for the Euro 2012
qualifying competition.
"It is not always pretty to the eye and I would like more
time spent playing nice football, but what coach Bert van
Marwijk and his players have succeeded in doing is
extraordinary," said the 63-year-old.
Hiddink refused to join Dutch legend Cruyff in criticising
the style of football that has overcome Denmark, Japan,
Cameroon, Slovakia, Brazil and Uruguay for a 100 percent
record in South Africa that even Spain cannot match.
"Who am I to criticise when I have never coached a team
that reached the World Cup final?," asked the man who
guided Netherlands to the 1998 semi-finals and repeated
the feat with South Korea four years later. "Van Marwijk
has given the team a lot of assurance. We could see
against Brazil how difficult it is to play against the
Dutch," he said referring to a come-from-behind 2-1
quarter-final triumph.
Dutch and
Spanish aiming for top ranking
AFP, Johannesburg
European champions Spain and three-time World Cup
finalists The Netherlands are not just competing to lift
the World Cup on Sunday but also to secure FIFA's number
one spot in the world rankings.
Spain, who are presently ranked second behind five-time
champions Brazil, would assume the world number one
ranking if they win or draw - no matter the outcome of the
penalty shootout.
The Dutch, ranked fourth and who have never been top of
the rankings, would be classified number one if they win
the match without it going to penalties.
Benn banned for barging into Proteas dressing-room
AFP, Dubai
West Indies spin bowler Sulieman Benn on Saturday received
a one-Test ban for having barged into the South African
dressing-room during last month's third Test between the
two countries.
The spinner pleaded guilty to behaviour "contrary to the
spirit of the game", according to the International
Cricket Council, the sport's governing body. Jeff Crowe of
the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees ordered the
imposition of two suspension points, which amounts to a
ban of one Test match or two ODIs or two T20Is-whichever
comes first for the player.
The incident took place during the lunch interval on the
third day of the match when "Benn inappropriately and
without invitation entered the South Africa team
dressing-room in Kensington Oval and provoked some South
Africa players and team management", the ICC said. "This
provocation resulted in a heated exchange of aggressive
remarks."
Crowe added: "Whatever had gone on before Sulieman entered
the Proteas' dressing-room, while helping to explain his
behaviour, cannot justify it."
There had been an earlier on-field incident between Benn
and South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, who was fined 100
percent of his match fee after being found guilty of
spitting in the direction of Benn.
"Clearly, Sulieman has acted inappropriately here and in a
way that is contrary to the spirit of cricket," said
Crowe.
"We like the game to be played in a competitive way but,
whether on or off the field, players must treat the
opposition and the game itself with respect. That did not
happen on this occasion and Sulieman has paid the price."
Australia,
England series excite Waqar
AFP, Leicester, England
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis believes his young side are
about to undergo a valuable accelerated learning course
with their upcoming packed Test programme.
Waqar's men first face Australia in a two-Test series in
England starting at Lord's on Tuesday.
Pakistan then stay in Britain for four Tests against
England that follow almost immediately afterwards.
They ought to have been playing Australia at home but last
year's armed attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore
effectively led to the suspension of top-flight
international cricket in Pakistan.
Nevertheless the raucous backing the team received while
beating Australia in two Twenty20s at Edgbaston in
Birmingham, central England, this week suggested Pakistan
won't lack for support.
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