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Leading News
Violent protests
after death of worker in road accident
Traffic movement halted, 25-30 vehicles vandalised
UNB, Savar
Traffic movement on Nabinagar-Kaliakoir highway came to a
halt for about two hours and 25/30 vehicles were
vandalized following the death of a garment worker in a
road accident on Saturday.
Police said Selim Mia, 28, a swing operator of Pearl
Garments, died on the spot at Polashbari in Ashulia when
hit by a bus while he was on way to his factory at 7:30am.
As the news of his death spread, about 1,500 workers of
the factory came out of the factory and damaged 20/25
vehicles on nearby Nabinagar-Kaliakoir highway. About 30
people, including workers, were injured by broken glasses
during the vandalism.
The angry workers also blocked the highway for two hours
from 8:30am, hampering traffic movement.
The road blockade, however, was withdrawn at about 10:30am
when police and RAB assured the workers of taking
necessary actions against the bus driver. Police later
seized the bus, but its driver managed to escape.
Meanwhile, Indian owned Pearl Garments authority declared
a general holiday for the day apparently to avert further
trouble.
GOVERNMENT
SERVICE
Strictly follow quota reserved for disabled people: PM
BSS, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday directed the
authorities concerned to strictly follow the quota
reserved for disabled people while recruiting manpower for
government services to give them the opportunities to
demonstrate their excellence and efficiency.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while launching the
"Center for Neurodevelopment and Autism in Children" of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) at a
local hotel this morning.
"We have to provide them with the scope according to their
eligibility and efficiency in development activities as
the disabled people could be turned into human resources
if they are given proper facilities and a congenial
environment to this end," she added.
The Prime Minister asked the concerned ministry to appoint
psychologist at each school across the country for
extending proper counseling to the autistic children as
well as to train the teachers on how to behave with
autistic and disabled children.
Among others, Health Minister Prof Dr A F M Ruhal Haque,
Social Welfare Minister Enamul Haq Mustafa Shahid and
Prime Minister's Health Adviser Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali
spoke on the occasion with vice-chancellor of BSMMU Prof
Dr Pran Gopal Dutta in the chair.
Mentioning the negligence to the autistic and disabled
children in the family, Sheikh Hasina called upon all
including the family members to take extra care of the
autistic and physically handicapped children so that they
could not be the victim of discrimination.
Besides, she said the society has to change its attitude
toward the autistic and physically handicapped children as
they are the integral part of it. The problem of autism
and physical disability is not a disease rather it is a
part of human diversity, she added.
She said the autistic children have the every right to
live like other normal children in society. The Prime
Minister underscored the need for the establishment of
universal human rights and basic rights of the autistic
children along with others to ensure a balanced
development of the nation.
Referring to her government's endeavours to ensure the
balanced development across the country, Sheikh Hasina
said it is not possible to implement the government's
programmes without establishing universal human rights and
basic rights of autistic and physically challenged
children.
Delwar
asks govt not to go back to ’72 constitution
UNB, Dhaka
BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain on Saturday
asked the government to step aside from its move to going
back to the 1972 constitution.
"Otherwise, your seat of power might be in danger," he
cautioned while addressing a rally at Muktangon in the
city.
Delwar made the call and sounded the caution responding to
ruling Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta's remark
about restoring the '72 Constitution and the Prime
Minister's declaration to form an all-party parliamentary
committee for returning to the '72 constitution following
the Supreme Court verdict canceling the Fifth Amendment.
The rally was organized by Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebok Dal,
volunteers' wing of BNP, protesting arrests and demanding
immediate release of BNP leaders including Mirza Abbas,
Shamser Mobin Chowdhury and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie MP
and also producing missing DCC ward councilor Chowdhury
Alam before the people.
Addressing the rally as chief guest, Delwar said it is not
possible to return to the '72 constitution and termed the
government's move as ill intended. He said no country in
the world has returned back to their original
constitution.
Delwar termed "eyewash" the proposal of the Prime Minister
to form all- party committee saying that earlier the
government had formed an all-party parliamentary committee
over Tipaimukh dam but "ultimately it gave certificate in
favour of construction of the dam by India."
On the arrest of BNP leaders and workers during and after
June 27 hartal and missing of Chowdhury Alam, he said BNP
and its front and associate organizations have been
holding rallies for their release but the government did
not respond to their demand.
It seems that the Prime Minister and other ministers
plugged their ears with cotton.
The BNP secretary general said no government can stay in
power by resorting to repression on its opponents and the
present government also will not be able to do so.
He reminded the ruling Awami League that it is causing its
own harm by carrying out "repression in the autocratic
style under the guise of democracy."
In this regard, Delwar mentioned the fall of autocratic
regime of Ershad, a partner in the AL-led grand alliance,
amid a mass upsurge.
BNP standing committee member MK Anwar MP cautioned the
government employees "not to work as cadres of the ruling
party" as people will one day might stand against them.
Ashraf for
unity to resist plot against war crimes trial
BSS, Dhaka
Awami League Secretary General and LGRD and Cooperatives
Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said on Saturday, any
conspiracy against the trial of war criminals would have
to be resisted by strengthening the grand alliance.
He said the trial of war criminals is an important
political and moral issue for the present government and
all political, social, cultural and professional forces in
favour of the Liberation War would have to be united to
implement the government's commitment in this regard.
Ashraf was speaking at a press briefing at AL president's
Dhanmondi office in the city to inform the decisions of
Friday's meeting of party central working committee.
AL Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Nuh-ul Alam
Lenin and Deputy Office Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das were
present at the press briefing, among others.
Syed Ashraful Islam said the meeting decided to form an
all- party parliamentary committee to amend the
constitution as per the verdict of the country's apex
court scrapping the fifth amendment.
Besides, the country's overall political situation, party
campaign to collect members and other issues were
discussed in the meeting. The meeting decided to hold
party councils at the ward, union, upazila and district
levels, he said.
The AL general secretary said the working committee
meeting appointed chairmen of 11 sub-committee, out the
total 19, as per the party constitution.
The rest eight divisional sub-committees would be formed
after formation of the full advisory council, he added.
sharing ideas
Regional conference on IP to create common platform
UNB, Dhaka
A two-day Regional Conference on Intellectual Property
(IP) that begins here Monday will create a common platform
for the least developed countries (LDCs) in the Asia and
Pacific region for sharing ideas and experiences in
advancing innovation and creativity.
The conference, first of its kind in Bangladesh, will
focus on nature, modernization and implementation
strategies of Intellectual Property Policy (IPP),
copyright issues and industrial design of the LDCs in the
Asia and the Pacific region, Industries Minister Dilip
Barua said at a press conference on Saturday at the
ministry's conference room.
Briefing the newsmen about the aims and preparation of the
July 19-20 conference, he said: "The recommendations and
strategies to come from the conference will help
Bangladesh a lot in formulating its future policy on
Intellectual Property (IP)."
"Bangladesh will also get realistic ideas through the
conference on how traditional knowledge, genetic
resources, folklore and traditional cultural expressions
can be incorporated in country's development and economic
growth," Barua said.
He said the conference is the outcome of a sideline talks
between him and WIPO director general Dr Francis Gurry
during a meeting on strategic use of intellectual property
held in Geneva July last year.
Fifteen least developed countries (LDCs) from the Asia and
Pacific region will participate in the conference that
will kick off at city's Sonargaon Hotel.
Ministry of Industries, Bangladesh in cooperation with
World Intellectual Property Organization will arrange the
conference.
Minister Barua said it is for the first time that
Bangladesh will be the part of such a big international
conference, which is a big achievement of the present
government. Three members from each of the 15 LDCs,
including host Bangladesh, consisting of a minister, a
lawmaker and a top government official will take part in
the conference.
Other participating countries are Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar,
Maldives, Afghanistan, Yemen, Cambodia, Kiribati, Samoa,
Vanuatu, Solomon Island, Tuvalu, Laos and East Timur.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to formally
inaugurate the conference at Sonargaon Hotel in the city
Monday morning.
A total of 14 themes have been selected for discussion in
the two-day conference.
Some of the vital themes of the conference are Integrating
Intellectual Property into National Development Policy and
Strategies; IP and Public Policy Issues; IP and Public
Health: Policy and Strategies for LDCs; Strategic
Importance of Transfer of Technology; Copyright and
Related Rights: Striking the Balance between Protection
and Public Interest; Protection and Exploration of
Traditional Knowledge and Folklores; Contribution to
Sustainable Development in the LDCs; and Cooperation for
Building IP Institutions in LCDs.
RAB arrests
ULFA leader Ranjan Chy from Bhairab
UNB, Dhaka
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) early Saturday arrested
Ranjan Chowdhury, an ULFA insurgent leader of Assam, and
his Bangladeshi tribal associate from Laxmipur in Bhairab
upazila.
The elite force recovered two firearms, four bombs and
bomb making materials from their possession.
Tribal associate was identified as Pradip Marak, 57, of
Bakakura border village under in Jhenigati upazila.
Briefing reporters at RAB headquarters, Commander Sohail
(Media and legal wing Director) said the intelligence wing
had information that a number of Indian trespassers were
staying illegally in Bhairab upazila.
Following that an intelligence team in association with
RAB-9 camped in Bhairab in a raid arrested Ranjan and
Pradip at about 4-30 am today.
A revolver, one pistol, four bullets, four homemade bombs
and bomb making materials were seized from them. They told
RAB that they were waiting to return Jhenigati border
village in Sherpur district.
Ranjan said he hailed from Gouripur in Dhubri district of
Assam. He joined ULFA insurgency in 1988, undergone arms
training and became the party's general secretary of
Dhubri district in 1995.
Ranjan further said he was arrested in Assam but set free
after serving in jail. He used to meet ULFA
Commander-in-chief Paresh Berea and live most of the time
in Jhenigati.
Back Page
9 killed, 24 injured in road
accidents in 4 districts
BSS, Noakhali
Nine people were killed and twenty four others injured in
road accidents in Noakhali, Rajshahi, Natore and Narsingdi
districts on Saturday.
A trader was killed in a road accident at Bogadia Pole on
the Chowmuhani-Sonaimuri road under Sonaimuri upazila in
the district on Saturday afternoon.
The victim was identified as Nur Alam, 32, a businessman
of Sonaimuri market and a resident of Sonapur village of
the upazila.
Quoting witnesses police said a Dhaka-bound bus of Jonaki
Paribahan from Raipur hit Nur Alam while he was crossing
the road at about 1pm and leaving his critically injured.
Then he was rushed to the Sonaimuri Upazila Health
Complex, but the doctor declared him death.
The local people put barricade on the road for two hours
and vandalized buses of Jonaki and Janani Paribahan.
Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under
control. A case was filed at Sonaimuri Police in this
connection.
UNB, Rajshahi: Five people, including a child, were killed
and another five injured in a fatal road accident at
Kamarpara in Godagari upazila Saturday morning.
Four of the deceased were identified as M Ali, 36, Alos,
30, Bedarul, 25, Fardin Alvee, 4, while the identity of
another man aged about 35 could not be known.
Police quoting local people said the accident took place
at about 10 am when a Rajshahi bound Mahananda Paribahan
bus dashed a tempo coming from opposite direction, leaving
three tempo passengers dead on the spot and seven others
injured.
Later, two of the injured died at Rajshahi Medical College
Hospital while condition of four others was stated to be
critical. Police seized the killer bus but its driver
managed to flee the scene.
Another report from Natore adds: An old man was killed as
a bus hit him at PTI crossing in the district town on
Saturday morning.
The deceased was identified as Jalil Mandol, 80, of
Diyerbhita area of the town. The killer bus managed to
flee the scene.
Another report from Narsingdi adds: Two people were killed
and 19 others injured in a road accident at Karar Char on
Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Shibpur upazila on Saturday
morning.
Of the deceased one was identified as Sohel Mia, 35 and
while the identity of the other could not be known
immediately. Police seized the bus but its driver managed
to flee the scene.
Newly elected CCC
councilors meet PM
BSS, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Saturday, her
government has been implementing various uplift programmes
across the country as it believes in balanced development.
She said this when the newly elected councilors of
Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) called on the Prime
Minister at her official residence Ganobhaban on Saturday
evening.
Expressing her satisfaction over the CCC election held in
a free, fair and credible manner, she said this poll
proved that the Awami League government is sincere enough
to establish the peoples' voting rights.
Sheikh Hasina said the CCC poll held on June 17 also
proved that the Awami League government does not interfere
in the election process.
Describing Chittagong as an important commercial capital
of the country, she said her government when comes to
power takes various progrmames for the development of the
port city, the main lifeline of the country's economic
activities.
In this context, she said that her previous government
from 1996-2001 had implemented various programmes for the
development of Chittagong city.
Apart from this, she said, the present government is
implementing separate projects including six flyovers in
the city to facilitate the smooth movements of people.
Referring to a number of female councilors elected in the
CCC polls this year, she said her government has initiated
various programmes across the country for further
empowerment of women.
During the meeting, the newly elected councilors thanked
the Prime Minister for taking various programmes for the
development of Chittagong city. Minister for Primary and
Mass Education Dr. Afsarul Amin, among others, were
present on the occasion.
Earlier, the newly elected councilors presented bouquet to
the Prime Minister.
All-party
committee on constitution
Maudud greets PM’s proposal but asks to wait for SC final
verdict
UNB, Dhaka
Former Law Minister Barrister Maudud Ahmed MP on Saturday
welcomed the Prime Minister's proposal to constitute an
all- party committee on constitution amendments following
the Supreme Court judgment on the 5th amendment.
Talking to UNB over phone, he said the Prime Minister also
stated that the amendments would be made based on the
Supreme Court judgment. That's very good. But we don't
know yet what are the modifications the Supreme Court
makes over the High Court judgment," he said.
Asked whether they will join the proposed all-party
committee, Maudud, a member of the BNP standing committee,
said they will have to know the terms of reference of the
committee and an indication of opposition representation.
"Then, we will consider it at the party level," he said.
Maudud, however, wondered when the Prime Minister is
speaking about an all-party committee, ruling Awami League
advisory committee member Suranjit Sengupta MP preferred
to form the committee without BNP.
"We must know who is correct regarding the formation of
the committee," he said.
Suranjit Sengupta told UNB that he is contemplating
formation of a constitution commission with 11 to 13
members in consultation with the Law Minister and submit
it to the Prime Minister on Sunday for approval.
He said the Awami League election manifesto and the
Supreme Court judgment would be the terms of reference of
his planned constitution commission.
Asked whether his planned commission will have
representation from BNP, Sengupta said if they accept the
terms of reference, they may be on the commission.
On February 2 this year, the Supreme Court dismissed two
petitions contesting the High Court verdict that declared
illegal the 5th constitution amendment.
On August 29 in 2005, the High Court in a landmark
judgment scrapped the 5th amendment and declared illegal
the usurpation of power in a row by Khandaker Mushtaque
Ahmed to Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman since August 15, 1975
changeover till April 9, 1979.
Women education
must for their advancement in society : FM
BSS, Chittagong
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni Saturday underscored the
need for increased women education as it is a very
effective way for their advancement in society.
"Increased women education will greatly help develop
effective leadership to change society. Getting
certificate is not the main purpose of education but real
knowledge and humanism should be its main objective", she
said while addressing as the chief guest a function in
Chittagong.
State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud
was the special guest at the function organized by the
Access Academy Graduation Ceremony 2010 of the Asian
University for Women (AUW) presided over by Acting Vice
Chancellor of AUW Dr Kamal Ahmed.
Dr Dipu Moni said the beauty of Asian University for Woman
lies with the galaxy of female students from various
countries belonging to different religions and cultures.
All these students together want to develop their
knowledge and skill under the same roof and prepare
themselves to face any difficulty, she said.
The Foreign Minister termed the university as the best
institution where all the ways for flourishing latent
talents are open to building a nation.
The university would not only provide literal education to
women, but also open new doors for the female students
helping them to get involved with the world standard
education, research and creative activities, she said.
"There must be a friendly relation between teachers and
students from different cultures in the greater interest
of a congenial environment for education on such a
campus," she said.
Dr Hasan Mahmud described life as an arena of battle and
said struggle is the key to success of any great man. "A
person without dream cannot achieve success in life," he
said and assured of the government cooperation towards the
AUW.
Later, the Foreign Minister distributed graduation
certificates among 137 Access Academy Students, who came
from 12 countries of Asia.
The Access Academy is a yearlong pre- undergraduate
program of AUW to prepare students from underprivileged
communities for a rigorous university education.
The Academy addresses various needs of students in terms
of academic preparation, social and cultural adjustment,
counseling, technological skills, and recreation.
Retrofit risky
buildings for protection against earth quake: Dr Razzaque
UNB, Dhaka
Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on
Saturday urged the scouts to play active role in
encouraging the building owners for retrofitting the risky
buildings to protect those from earthquake.
"There are some 72,000 risky buildings in the capital city
and these will collapse if hit by an earthquake measuring
7 in the Richter scale. These buildings can be made
risk-free through retrofitting," he said while
inaugurating a workshop, titled 'Scouts in facing
disaster', at the Scouts Headquarters.
Dr Razzaque said the owners will have to be encouraged for
retrofitting their risky buildings and the scouts, a
disciplined voluntary institution, can play an active role
in this regard.
He mentioned that the government has taken initiatives for
retrofitting two buildings in the Secretariat and also the
Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.
"Owners of private buildings can help reduce the losses of
lives from earthquake through retrofitting," he said.
Referring to the earthquake preparation in Chile, the
Disaster Management Minister noted that Chile and Haiti
often experience earthquakes but loss of life and property
was found to be less in Chile even in a big earthquake
because of their preparation than in Haiti.
Hasina
selects chairmen of AL subcommittees
UNB, Dhaka
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in exercise of her
power selects chairmen of 11 subcommittees out of 19 at
Friday' s central working committee meeting.
The elected chairmen of the sub-committee are: Finance and
Planning: Dr Mashiur Rahman, Law Affairs: Adv Rezaur
Rahman, Agriculture and Cooperative: Abdur Razzak MP,
Relief and Social Welfare: Tofael Ahmed MP, Publicity and
Publications: Hossain Toufiq Imam, Science and Technology:
Prof Dr Alauddin Ahmed, Liberation War Affairs: Maj Gen (retd)
Shafiullah BU, Education and Human Resources: Prof Dr AK
Azad Chowdhury, Industry and Commerce Affairs: Kazi Akram
Uddin Ahmad, Cultural Affairs-Prof Dr Abdul Khaleque and
Health and Population Affairs- Prof Dr Abdul Mannan MP.
A press release of Awami League said remaining eight
sub-committees will be formed after the constitution of
full-fledged Advisory Council.
According to the party constitution, secretaries of the
concerned departments will act as secretaries to these
sub-committees. The party president will nominate
assistant secretaries and members of the sub-committees.
The central working committee decided to mobilize public
opinion against the war criminals and strengthen the grand
alliance to frustrate their all conspiracies. The meeting
decided to amend the constitution in the light of the
Supreme Court judgment. The meeting also decided to
expedite the current party membership drive.
Editorial
Agenda of AL
The
coming days are likely to be very important with the ruling
Awami League (AL) having some vital agenda including specially
bringing about amendment to the constitution. Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina on Friday disclosed that an all-party committee
will be formed within 2-4 days to prepare a draft of amendment
to the constitution in the light of the Supreme Court verdict
on the 5th amendment. The committee will be formed during the
current session of parliament, she said at a meeting of the
Awami League Central Working Committee(ALCWC) at Ganobhaban.
On February 2 this year, the Supreme Court dismissed two
petitions contesting the High Court verdict that declared
illegal the 5th constitution amendment. On August 29 in 2005,
the High Court division bench comprising Justice ABM Khairul
Haque and Justice ATM Fazle Kabir delivered the landmark
judgment, declaring "illegal" the regimes of Khandaker
Mushtaque Ahmed, Abu Sada't Mohammad Sayem, and Maj Gen Ziaur
Rahman since August 15, 1975 changeover till April 9, 1979.
Addressing the ALCWC meeting, Sheikh Hasina, also the
president of Awami League, lamented that Bangladesh could not
achieve its desired development, as democracy was not allowed
to run uninterruptedly by the military rulers.
Meanwhile, according to press reports, the party high ups
warned at the ALCWC meeing its legislators that if they
indulge in corruption and irregularities they would not be
given the party ticket in future elections. On the other hand,
the grassroots of Awami League leaders urged the party high
command to reduce the gap that has developed between the
government and the party, and the ministers, lawmakers and
grassroots. Sheikh Hasina said she is making a list of people
in Bangladesh Chhatra League who were involved in incidents of
violence across the country and those people would be arrested
soon. Party General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam at the
meeting said nomination would not be given to those
legislators who indulge in corruption and irregularities and
who stay busy with only distributing wheat. A few leaders
spoke about the unruly Chhatra League, Jubo League and party
men and urged the premier to take tough action.
It has been clear from the the ALCWC meeting on Friday that AL
is going to amend the constitution apparently to restore the
provisions of the 1972 constitution which were dropped or
amended during the Martial Law regimes. Besides, the ruling
party is planning to go tough against the party MPs if they
indulge in corrupt practices and to take stern action against
the unruly Chhatra League activists. So far as the amendment
to the constitution is concerned it is a major issue and needs
careful and well-thought actions. The Prime Minister has
indicated that an all-party committee would be constituted for
the purpose. People will now eagerly wait to see the formation
of the committee and its performance. True, having the two
thirds majority in the Parliament the AL can amend the
constitution in whatever way they like. But people expect that
the ruling party will work reasonably so that their actions
are acceptable to the people.
Meanwhile, relating to the high ups' warning against MPs and
Chhatra League activists this much can be said that such
warning on several previous occasions have fallen flat. Mere
warning does not serve any purpose and action is needed. It is
good that the ALCWC meeting has been assured of tough actions
against the MPs if they indulge in corrupt practices. But this
assurance has to be translated into reality whenever
necessary. However, it goes without saying that a section of
BCL activities have crossed all limits and gone beyond the
control of the AL and the government. These unruly cadres need
to be dealt with severely if AL were to remain above serious
stigma. Not any warning, nor any eyewash, the need of the hour
is tough action.
Shining golden
fibre
The
lost glory of jute as golden fibre is set to be restored as
its demand both at home and abroad continues to rise.
According to a report of the UNB news agency, jute harvest
this year is expected to exceed 83 lakh bales from bumper crop
in expanded cultivation. Officials of the Department of
Agriculture Extension said that encouraged by high prices last
year the farmers have extended cultivation of jute. Survey
revealed jute was cultivated on about 8 lakh hectares across
the country as against 4.80 lakh hectares last year. A report
from Faridpur known for producing the best quality jute said
jute was cultivated on about 75,968 hectares. The district
Agriculture Extension officials said they set the target of
jute cultivation on 57, 465 hectares. But the farmers,
inspired by high price of the golden fibre, have cultivated
jute on nearly double the area targeted by the Agriculture
department. Many acres where Aus and transplated Aman used to
be cultivated have been brought under jute cultivation. The
main reason for this expanded cultivation of jute is the high
price of it after many years.
The significance of jute in the national economy is immense.
But it was ignored for years. Besides jute faced an uneven
competition against synthetic fibre in international market.
Now, the trend of using synthetics has weakened and the
popularity of environment-friendly jute has enhanced globally.
In the changed global and domestic situation, time has come to
revitalise the jute sector. Now, jute cultivation should be
encouraged. Besides, export of raw jute and jute goods should
be continued to prevent international market from slipping out
to other countries.
Analysis
Stalemated talks
Admittedly the relationship is fraught with
challenges as both ministers said while seeking to maintain an
upbeat tone.
Najmuddin A. Shaikh
No one had high
hopes that the Indian foreign minister S.M. Krishna's visit to
Pakistan would bring about a breakthrough on the issues -
Kashmir and terrorism - that have bedevilled India-Pakistan
relations.
But there was at least the hope that in place of the composite
dialogue a new framework for a structured dialogue would be
agreed upon. This did not happen, and while it would be wrong
to assert, as one Indian journalist did, that the long-delayed
press conference of the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers
became a 'joust', disagreements between the two sides were
painfully apparent.
Admittedly the relationship is fraught with challenges as both
ministers said while seeking to maintain an upbeat tone.
Admittedly it was a positive development that the Indian
minister could say that all issues including the core issues
of Kashmir for Pakistan and terrorism or more specifically the
trial of the alleged perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage were
discussed.
However, the differences on these issues were so profound, or
at least were made to appear so, that no agreement could be
reached on setting up a structured mechanism to discuss these
issues and to find satisfactory solutions.
In these circumstances it was inevitable that the media on
both sides was unwilling to accept the Indian minister's
assertion that these talks were seeking to pave the way for
"serious, comprehensive and sustained dialogue on issues of
mutual interest and concern".
So where do things stand now? The dialogue will continue. Our
foreign minister will visit India on dates yet to be agreed
on, but before the end of this year. From the Indian
perspective, in the eyes of some, this agreement is enough to
reassure the international community that India-Pakistan
tensions will not rise, Pakistan will have no added reason for
concern about its eastern border and the Pakistan security
forces can continue to focus on their anti-terrorism campaign
in the tribal areas.
The Indians will probably argue that if the next round of
talks is to be meaningful they must see some evidence of
progress on the Mumbai trial and the dismantlement of what
they call the India-specific terrorist network thus providing
some concrete evidence of what Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood
Qureshi had called a a change of mood about this menace in
Pakistan.
Some sort of proposal to resolve the Sir Creek dispute was
apparently made by the Indians, and the Pakistanis have asked
that this be given in writing. Hopefully this is a proposal
that will stay within the discussed parameters and a signed
agreement on this long-festering dispute will be possible by
the time our foreign minister's visit materialises.
But these are India-Pakistan negotiations and one cannot rule
out the possibility that the fine print will make it
unacceptable to Pakistan even though both countries need to
settle this dispute in order to register their maritime
boundaries with the Law of the Sea Commission.
Clearly there has been no progress on concluding what is
another virtually finalised agreement on Siachen. The Indians
concede in informal conversations that their democratic
government has been unable to persuade their army that there
is no chance whatsoever of Pakistan seeking to reoccupy the
posts that the Indians would now be vacating after having
moved into them in 1984.
Yet many observers on both sides agree that an agreement on
making this area a mountain of peace would save enormous sums
of money for both countries and perhaps more importantly bring
closer to realisation the vision of making borders irrelevant
in South Asia. Even now, in the current vitiated atmosphere,
an agreement on Siachen could be a 'game changer'.
Nevertheless, it is clear that India has not shifted from its
position that forward movement on relations is tied to some
measure of satisfaction on the terrorism issue. Whether this
is genuinely driven by Indian public opinion or India finding
this a convenient tool for keeping talks on substantive issues
in abeyance is a moot point at this time.
This is unfortunate. Pakistan has suffered more from terrorist
attacks during this year than the other South Asian countries
put together. It has strong internal reasons for the change of
mood that Mr Qureshi spoke about. The countrywide
demonstrations against the attack on Data Darbar provide ample
testimony of the new public mood. Yet, as the Indians know
full well, resistance to this change of mood can best be built
if it is seen as coming about as a result of Indian pressure.
My advice to the Indians would be to leave it to the
Pakistanis to tackle what is being increasingly recognised as
a threat to their country's continued existence as a moderate
Islamic state and to derive the benefits that flow without
claiming credit for it. This would mean resuming
unconditionally from where it was left off after Mumbai a
substantive dialogue on all issues including Kashmir and
letting Pakistan rather than India give salience to the
problem of terrorism.
On the Mumbai issue it would mean accepting assurances that
the Pakistanis are sincere in the trial of the alleged
perpetrators of the Mumbai tragedy and provide the witnesses
needed to give judicial sanctity to the statements of Kasab on
the basis of which cases have been filed in Pakistan.
Further it would mean that in the India-Pakistan dialogue the
Indians would seek assurances that recognising terrorism as a
common enemy means that any group engaged in terrorist
activity - be it in Pakistan, Afghanistan or India - would be
regarded as a common enemy and dealt with accordingly.
This may seem too much to ask. Yet if decisions were to be
made on the basis of rational calculations this would be the
best way for India to bring about peace and stability in the
region, which is not only a crying need for all countries but
also a prerequisite to India's achievement of the place it
wishes to carve for itself on the world stage.
Bad news for
Afghanistan
The discovery is certain to have an impact on the US-Nato
operations in Afghanistan. The Taliban can be expected to
put up a greater fight so as to retain control of areas
known to be mineral-rich.
Rizwan Asghar
Revelations
by the Pentagon and the US Geological Survey that
Afghanistan contains vast riches in untapped mineral
deposits is not very welcome news: the discovery will not
bring benefits to the Afghan people. According to some
estimates, Afghanistan contains at least $1 trillion worth
of minerals, including gold, cobalt, iron ore, copper,
aluminium, silver and lithium. They are particularly
concentrated in the border areas between Pakistan and
Afghanistan. The country promises to become the "Saudi
Arabia of lithium."
Normally, the discovery would have been great news. The
wealth would have attracted a flood of foreign investment
and led to the development of the impoverished country.
But the discovery is a bad omen for the population of
occupied Afghanistan. The presence of the minerals may
lead to greater conflict in a country which already has
more than its share of crises, the war being just one of
them. The vast scale of Afghanistan's mineral wealth is
likely to transform the region into an arena of intense
competition between the various competing actors. The
presence of natural deposits can often turn out to be a
curse rather than a blessing for the peoples of the
countries concerned. For instance, the discovery of oil
has led to unending conflict in some regions where it was
found.
In an attempt to get hold of the resources, international
and regional powers will jump into the likely fray
resulting from the discovery of the minerals. The Indian
mines minister recently announced that India will take
measure for training of Afghans and to establish avenues
for bilateral cooperation in the field of minerals. China,
which also intends to dominate the development of
Afghanistan's mineral wealth, has already signed a $3
billion deal to mine cooper in Afghanistan's Logar
province. As well as the United States itself, Russia and
Iran will also try to get involved. All this will lead to
still greater instability in the country and the region.
The discovery is certain to have an impact on the US-Nato
operations in Afghanistan. The Taliban can be expected to
put up a greater fight so as to retain control of areas
known to be mineral-rich. At the same time, it could spark
fierce competition among the various tribal factions in
Afghanistan.
It had already been known that Afghanistan is well endowed
with mineral reserves, but most of the resources remained
unexploited due to the constant war situation since the
end of the 1970s, as well as the country's rugged terrain
and lack of infrastructure. Meanwhile, lack of technical
know-how and outdated technology hampered the process.
Some analysts say that the ominous timing is of the
discovery is an attempt by the US military establishment
to continue the occupation of the country. A geological
survey of Afghanistan had been carried out by the US in
2007 but its findings were deliberately kept undisclosed.
According to the New York Times, NATO officials revealed
that private security companies "are using American money
to bribe the Taliban" to fuel the insurgency. So it is
clear that part of the US military establishment is not in
favour of the withdrawal of US forces, which is scheduled
to start in July 2011. Apparently these elements are
leaving no stone unturned to force US forces to continue
their presence in Afghanistan. This could seriously
undermine US efforts to win over Afghans, in a bid to
defeat the Taliban.
Revelation of the discovery of the minerals in Afghanistan
can also be an attempt to mobilise political support by
some vested interests intending to keep the US occupation
of the country well beyond July 2011, the time announced
by President Obama for the beginning of the process of
withdrawal of US troops. The revelation will also
invigorate the interest of other allied countries in
Afghanistan. It may also be an attempt to create the false
impression that if the US departs from Afghanistan soon,
it will lose out the vast amount of mineral wealth to
other regional powers like Russia and China, India and
Iran.
The writer is a freelance contributor. Email:
rizwanasghar7@yahoo.com
International
Conference on Afghanistan
Nine years since the start of its renewed partnership with
the international community, Afghanistan stands at a
critical turning point in its efforts to achieve lasting
peace, security, and stability.
On July 20, 2010,
the Government of Afghanistan will bring together
representatives of more than 70 partner countries,
international and regional organizations and financial
institutions to deliberate and endorse an Afghan
Government-led plan for improved development, governance,
and stability. The International Conference on
Afghanistan, the first of its kind in Kabul, will mark the
culmination of several months of intensive study and
rigorous policy debate on Government priorities
implemented through national programs, to deliver on the
key goals of economic growth and job creation. Building on
commitments made at the recent international London
Conference, the conference aims to support a peaceful,
stable and prosperous Afghanistan. It will be opened by
H.E. President Hamid Karzai, and UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-Moon, and co-chaired by Foreign Minister Rassoul and UN
Special Representative Staffan de Mistura.
BACKGROUND:
Nine years since the start of its renewed partnership with
the international community, Afghanistan stands at a
critical turning point in its efforts to achieve lasting
peace, security, and stability. Last January, Afghanistan
and its international partners gathered in London to
reaffirm their commitment to achieving lasting peace,
stability and prosperity in the country. Specifically, the
Afghan government and its international partners agreed on
the need for a reinvigorated and prioritized Afghanistan
National Development Strategy, affording special attention
to the key areas of security, economic development,
governance, regional cooperation, and reconciliation and
reintegration. A better prioritized and more implementable
ANDS will contribute to:
l
More effective utilization of international assistance
thorough better alignment of international aid with
government priorities and the channeling of increased
assistance through the Afghan national budget;
l
Strengthened capabilities, with the assistance of
International Community, within the Afghan National
Security Forces (ANSF) and the gradual transfer of
responsibilities leading to ANSF-led operations;
l
Enhanced efforts for strengthening regional cooperation
with a view to increased collaboration among neighboring
countries in support of a secure, stable and prosperous
Afghanistan;
l
Enhanced "Afghan-led" reconciliation and reintegration
efforts, to build confidence and to consolidate peace and
security throughout the country;
l
Combating corruption and strengthening governance to
ensure an effective, transparent and accountable
civil-service at the national and sub-national levels.
The International Conference on Afghanistan marks a new
phase in Afghanistan's engagement with the international
community. A key goal of the conference is to mobilize
international confidence and resources for a new
generation of "bankable" national programs, in accordance
with the Afghanistan National Development Strategy and
President Karzai's inaugural speech of November 2009.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
In order to consolidate security and advance
socio-economic development and good governance,
Afghanistan requires the sustained support of the
international community in the years to come. The
International Conference on Afghanistan offers a unique
opportunity for strengthening international partnerships
for a stable and prosperous Afghanistan.
On security, conference participants will emphasize
increased Afghan security force responsibility for
military operations and, in this regard, underscore
sustained international assistance so as to enable the
Afghan national army and police to reach their target
strength and size.. Additionally, Afghanistan will seek
the support of the international community for the
implementation of its national security policy and
strategy, to be presented at the International Conference
on Afghanistan within the framework of the ANDS.
On development, the conference will endorse fourteen
integrated national programs for improved ANDS
implementation of socio-economic priorities. This will
include Afghan government programs to enhance progress in
the key areas of agriculture, education, mining, and
energy generation and transportation infrastructure. For
its part, the international community will commit to align
its aid behind these government priority programs and to
channel a greater portion of development aid through
Afghanistan's national budget. On regional cooperation,
conference participants will seek to increase
collaboration among neighboring and regional countries to
address the challenges of terrorism, extremism, drug
trafficking and organized crime affecting both Afghanistan
and the region. Moreover, the participants will deliberate
upon regional economic cooperation and seek progress on
the most effective ways to support specific regional
development projects.
On reconciliation and reintegration, conference
participants will be briefed on the outcome of
Afghanistan's National Consultative Peace Jirga (NCPJ)
from 2-4 June 2010 in Kabul. The international community
is expected, in turn, to support Afghanistan's
reconciliation and reintegration efforts, including
through financial contributions to the "Afghanistan Peace
and Reconciliation Trust Fund."
Another key focus of the conference will be strengthened
governance and combating corruption. Cognizant of their
vital importance, the Government of Afghanistan will
update the conference on its reinvigorated
counter-corruption strategy, including strengthened High
Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption (HOOAC)
capabilities and the establishment of the hybrid
Afghan-international Independent Oversight Board (IOB) to
oversee progress in the fight against corruption.
-Press Release
Viewpoints
‘Operation Enduring Disinformation’
There is mounting British concern about what exactly British
troops - who are being killed at nearly four times the rate of
their US counterparts - are sacrificing themselves for.
Neil Berry
In
an announcement likely to have been coordinated with the White
House, British Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated that
British forces will be out of Afghanistan within five years.
The proposition is that before long British servicemen will
have helped US forces train up the Afghan police and military
to secure Afghanistan as a democratic state purged of Taleban
Islamists, thus ensuring that the West is safe from terrorism
originating there. This is the "story" British and American
people are being told as the death toll of the Afghan conflict
grows ever more horrific.
The US-NATO mission in Afghanistan was dubbed "Operation
Enduring Freedom". What has certainly endured - apart from the
conflict itself, which has now lasted practically as long as
the two world wars combined - is the concerted US/British
effort to sell the mission as a "good" war. It is not so much
that the Western public has been subjected to outright
falsehoods. It is what has not been said that has marked the
way the war has been presented. A more fitting name for the
mission would have been "Operation Enduring Disinformation".
For all the efforts to control its media coverage, the Iraq
War was reported and discussed in much greater depth. Consider
how the issue of the number of Iraqi civilian casualties
incurred by the hostilities has been debated in the Western
media, with the precise statistics endlessly disputed, whereas
in the case of Afghanistan, the question of how many Afghan
civilians have lost their lives has simply never gained
traction. Yet the fatalities in question almost certainly run
into hundreds of thousands and have shattered the credibility
in Afghan eyes of claims by the US and its acolytes that their
purpose in Afghanistan is to do good.
Months before he gave the suicidally indiscreet interview to
Rolling Stone magazine that prompted US President Barack Obama
to replace him with Gen. David Petraeus, the former Commander
of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, admitted that the US had "shot an
amazing number of people". Yet in some part it was because
McChrystal was not able to redouble military operations, that
he and his entourage spoke so undiplomatically about their
political masters in Washington. No doubt, McChrystal believes
that the US has done everything possible to kill only
insurgents but in these matters the scope for monstrous
mistakes is boundless. Not long ago, US troops allegedly
attempted to remove incriminating American bullets from the
dead bodies of pregnant Afghan women.
It is hard to imagine a British general speaking to a
journalist in the gung-ho fashion of Gen. McChrystal. But
then, it has always been the British Army's way to accentuate
the pastoral aspect of its endeavors, as though it was
scarcely involved in fighting at all. What it may actually
have achieved in pastoral terms is unclear. What is certain is
that the British Army has now lost over 300 men in Afghanistan
and that for the past five years it has been involved in an
increasingly vicious war of attrition in Helmand province. The
news that the British Army is to hand over control of the
Sangin area of Helmand to US forces is a hugely damaging blow
to the credibility of a deployment which was supposed to end
"without a shot being fired". More damaging still has been the
killing this week of three British soldiers by a renegade
Afghan soldier.
It is the issue of the escalating number of deaths of British
soldiers to which media coverage of the Iraq War has been
largely reduced in Britain. Echoing his predecessor as British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown in stressing the sacrifices made
by British servicemen, Cameron last week presided over
Britain's first-ever National Armed Forces Day. Cameron is
bound to be mindful of the fact that upward of 60 percent of
people would like to see Britain withdraw from Afghanistan. He
must be mindful, too, that his European partners in the Afghan
mission may not be prepared to stay in Afghanistan for
anything like another five years, with the result that Britain
could be left as the sole significant ally of the US.
There is mounting British concern about what exactly British
troops - who are being killed at nearly four times the rate of
their US counterparts - are sacrificing themselves for. Many
suspect that they are sacrificing themselves for the sake of a
reckless US neoimperial venture that has succeeded only in
entrenching the venal regime of President Hamid Karzai while
failing to get the better of the Taleban.
It is evident that the Afghan war has spawned a bitter
conflict between the Obama administration and the US military,
with the latter judging the notional exit timetable dictated
by Obama's anxiety to win a second presidential term to be
hopelessly unrealistic. Yet if Cameron and Obama share
domestic political reasons for bringing the deployment to a
relatively rapid conclusion, it is barely conceivable that the
US could quit Afghanistan having been seen to have suffered a
major setback in the "war on terror". The British government
seems certain to remain signed up to the US effort to pull out
only on terms which can be sold as "mission accomplished", and
that surely means applying massive military force with the
objective of compelling the Taleban to come to the negotiating
table. The war could be about to enter its most gruesome
phase.
How far Cameron can stifle opposition to a war that is likely
to result in a great many more British deaths remains to be
seen. The chances are that solemn talk of the sacrifices and
heroism of British soldiers will become increasingly familiar,
with the implication that critics of the war are not just
unpatriotic but callously insensitive to the blood being shed
on their behalf. Winston Churchill remarked that the first
casualty of war is truth. The Afghan conflict is demonstrating
how war also makes casualties of the things that make truth
possible: Rational argument, alternative opinions, even sanity
itself.
Neil Berry can be contacted at: neil-berry@tiscali.co.uk;
en.bee@hotmail.co.uk
A decade in
power
Dr. Bashar Al Assad has confounded his critics by simply
surviving as President of Syria for the past decade.
Matein Khalid
Hafez
Al Assad, the legendary colossus of Arab politics, ruled
Syria for thirty years, longer than any other caliph,
sultan, amir, wali or President in Damascus since the
reign of Amir Maawiyah, the first Ummayad caliph.
However, the Lion of Damascus was not able to bequeath his
absolute power to his eldest son and anointed successor
Basil, who was killed in a car accident in 1994. Bashar Al
Assad was never meant to be the heir yet the 34-year-old
political neophyte and London trained ophthalmology
inherited the Presidency of Syria when his father died
exactly a decade ago in a bloodless, if disputed, dynastic
succession.
Dr. Bashar Al Assad has confounded his critics by simply
surviving as President of Syria for the past decade. The
Baathist old guard and Alawite generals who dominate
Syria's Baathist single party state and multiple
intelligence agencies viewed Dr. Bashar with deep
suspicion. A succession of abortive palace coups against
his ascendancy failed and the new President ruthlessly
purged his father's cronies from the pinnacles of power in
Damascus. Vice President Khaddam defected and General
Ghazi Kanaan, once Hafez's omnipotent viceroy in Lebanon,
was forced to commit suicide.
George W. Bush made no secret of his desire to engineer
regime change in Damascus, after American troops overthrew
Saddam Hussein and the leaders of Lebanon's Cedar
Revolution accused the Syrian regime for Rafik Hariri's
assassination. A popular uprising in Lebanon forced Bashar
Al Assad to withdraw Syrian troops from the fractured
state where his father had intervened with an iron fist
during the civil war between the Phalange and the PLO in
1976. In 2005-6, the risk of a US attack on Syria seemed
all too plausible, particularly after the devastating
Israeli attack on Hezbollah and Shia Lebanon in July 2006.
While Dr. Assad has survived multiple external threats,
Syria's anachronistic, Soviet style command economy is the
Baathist regime's Achilles heel. While hope of a Damascus
Spring were overblown even in 2000, Dr. Bashar Assad has
licensed private banks, eased foreign exchange controls,
attracted Saudi and Gulf petrodollars in a FDI surge, even
spawned a property boom in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and
Latakia. Yet the Syrian regime remains one of the most
repressive "mukhabarat states" in the Arab world,
intolerant of even the slightest murmur of political
dissent. The President's Alawite blood kinsmen control the
Baath Party, the intelligence agencies, the lucrative
state economic monopolies and military high command. Assad
is no Syrian Gorbachev committed to systemic political
reform. After all, he knows all too well that the Muslim
Brotherhood and Al Qaeda have never forgotten that his
father sent Syrian Army tanks to crush a Sunni revolt in
Hama and executed an estimated 25,000 rebels. Thomas
Friedman's "Hama Rules" still define Syrian politics.
Bashar Assad's greatest foreign policy humiliation was his
exit from Lebanon in 2005, hailed by George Bush as the
beginning of the end for the Arab world's last surviving
Baathist dictatorship. Yet Dr. Assad, thanks to Hezbollah
and a rapprochement with France and Saudi Arabia, has
quietly restored Syrian influence in Lebanon. Saad Hariri
and Walid Jumblatt have both visited Damascus to
"reconcile" with the regime they once blamed for the
murder of their respective fathers. Israel bombed a Syrian
nuclear reactor and Mossad assassinated top Hezbollah
commander Imad Mughniyah in Damascus but was still forced
to seek Turkish mediation in secret talks over the future
of the Golan Heights. Hezbollah, with its ballistic
missiles, rockets and Cabinet veto power, still dominates
Lebanese politics.
Assad still faces multiple geopolitical landmines. The
Obama White House has extended Bush's sanctions against
Syria. The State Department brands Syria as a state
sponsor of terrorism. Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman
threatened to unseat the Assad clan from power in the next
war with Syria. The resurgent PKK revolt in Turkish
Anatolia could well trigger secessionist unrest among
Syria's own Kurdish minorities. Al Qaeda's jihadist
networks could resume terrorist attacks against the Syrian
regime. A Republican takeover of the House and Senate in
the November US election will be the last nail in Obama's
policy of engagement with Damascus. A new Israeli assault
against Hezbollah and tighter US sanctions against Iran
are existential threats to Syria's closest allies in the
Middle East. President Assad's first decade in power was
eventful, precarious but, ultimately, successful. In
Syria's Darwinian politics, survival alone is the ultimate
compliment.
Matein Khalid is an investment banker based in Dubai
There
was never any rift in American-Israeli relations
It has become painfully apparent that when it comes right
down to it, Obama is no different from his predecessors.
Fawaz Turki
For
well over 40 years, the US positioned itself, seemingly
earnestly, as an honest broker of the Arab-Israeli
conflict, sponsoring peace conferences all the way from
Geneva to Madrid, from the presidential retreat at Camp
David to the Wye River Plantation, from Sharm Al Shaikh in
the Sinai Desert to the Rose Garden at the White House
lawn. All came to naught.
But then along came President Barack Obama, with his
rhetorical flair for moral optimism, his classy demeanour
and his liberal views, who promised Arabs and Muslims in a
major speech in Cairo last year that his administration,
working impartially and tirelessly, would not only seek an
equitable solution to the conflict, but rise above
previous administrations' unyielding support for Israel's
brutal wars against its neighbours and its colonisation of
Arab land.
I know what you're thinking: Oh, no! Not another tiresome
column about how yet another American president has
knuckled under, eaten humble pie and taken it on the chin
when it came to the nitty-gritty of confronting Israeli
excesses.
Embarrassing display
Consider the meeting recently between Obama and Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the American
president was falling all over himself to express his
government's undying fealty to the Zionist state under any
and all circumstances. Obama gushed: "The bond between the
United States and Israel is unshakable ... We are
committed to that special bond ... Our relationship has
broadened [and is] continuing to improve ..." And then he
gushed and pandered some more: "I've trusted Prime
Minister Netanyahu since I met him before I was elected
president ..." And all these tedious platitudes after
Israel had humiliated the United States by expanding its
colonies in the West Bank and building new Jewish housing
units, while demolishing Arab homes, in occupied East
Jerusalem!
Outside the White House, as the American president beamed
at his guest, a group of protesters gathered. One of them,
a New Yorker, shouted into a bullhorn: "We want to appeal
to Obama to stand up for once, to get a little vertebrate
in his invertebrate back and speak to Netanyahu in no
uncertain terms". Then he dismissed the chief executive as
a "president who by all indications is what we call in the
Bronx a wussie - a person who will not stand up for what
he knows is right".
So what gives with Obama? Why has he reneged on his
promises? Why does the Israeli entity continue to receive
such deference from US presidents and leading politicians
at a time when this entity is clearly undermining
America's standing among its allies and friends in the
European world, the Arab world and the Islamic world? To
be sure, Obama, not altogether an uninformed leader, knows
all that. But he is also captive to the dictates of
domestic politics. The mere hint, for example, that a
rupture now exists between the US and Israel could have a
disastrous effect for Democrats in the midterm elections,
as Republicans present the case of a Democratic
administration that is "insufficiently committed to
Israel", or raise the issue as part of a broader critique
of Obama's foreign policy.
Joe Sestak, the Democratic Senate candidate in
Pennsylvania, for example, is under great pressure for
merely signing a letter criticising Israel's blockade of
Gaza and for appearing at a fundraiser for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations. His prospects seem dim, which
is not good news for his party.
Uniquely American situation
These are not considerations that would be on the minds of
candidates running for office, say, in European countries,
but in the US they are very much so. The various pressure
groups working on behalf of Israel are especially
powerful, adept and skilled at what they do, though they
often influence policy in ways that are harmful for the
national interest, and that do not make sense on either
strategic or moral grounds. But that is, as we say, the
nature of the beast. And no one in the US government, from
the president on down, is able, willing or even knows how
to slay that beast. When it breathes dread, fire and
brimstone, you "duck and cover". We all remember what
president Jimmy Carter was reduced to, declaiming after he
was criticised for supporting the provocative idea of a
"Palestinian homeland" while he was still in office: "I
would rather commit political suicide than harm Israel."
And what about those of us who watched Obama in Cairo last
year and were convinced that he had a high-profile
initiative in mind and the guts to see it through? We
were, very simply, deluded. And yes, after all, this has
indeed turned out to be, like a Jerry Seinfeld segment, a
"column about nothing".
I should've written instead about, heck, let me see, my
visit to Cirque de Soleil. That would have been a less
dreary subject to write about than about how Arabs, after
well over four decades, are still tilting at windmills in
their phantom pursuit of an American sponsored "peace
process".
Fawaz Turki is a veteran journalist, lecturer and
author of several books, including The Disinherited:
Journal of a Palestinian Exile. He lives in Washington,
D.C.
International
Pakistan PM urges
more talks with India
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistan's prime minister Saturday called for more
dialogue with India, a day after his foreign minister
accused New Delhi of limiting a talks process by refusing
to discuss key issues separating the nuclear-armed rivals.
Indian newspapers blamed Pakistan's foreign minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi for what they called the "failure" of
talks this week aimed at building trust between the two
countries.
Qureshi met his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna on
Thursday in the third high-level contact between the
countries during a six-month thaw in relations that were
derailed by the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Prime Minister Yousuf
Raza Gilani said Saturday he believed India remained
committed to the talks, despite comments from Qureshi
accusing New Delhi of restricting the discussions. "We
want dialogues, they (India) too want dialogues, so when
there will be talks then we will discuss all issues. At
this point I cannot say something in the air," Gilani told
reporters after an official function at Baloki, near the
eastern city of Lahore. "They (India) had told us that
they want to talk on all issues and I am sure that Indian
prime minister is an honourable man and he will fulfil all
his commitments," Gilani said.
The talks were billed as a chance to build trust and the
ministers made modest progress, focusing largely on the
issue of cross-border militancy -- India's key concern --
and agreeing to meet again in New Delhi. But Qureshi
appeared to question Krishna's authority in comments to
reporters on Friday.
"I did not leave the talks even once to discuss the
progress by telephone," he told reporters Friday. "But why
did instructions keep coming in from New Delhi in the
presence of the Indian foreign minister? "Who is the top
foreign policy adviser for India?"
Krishna called this an "extraordinary statement to make"
as he arrived back at New Delhi airport and said he did
not take calls from anyone during the negotiations.
Qureshi also accused India of "narrowing down the talks"
by focusing exclusively on militancy rather than the whole
range of issues between the countries, including water and
the status of the disputed region of Kashmir.
India's Hindustan Times on Saturday accused Pakistan of
"ambush diplomacy" by seeking to set a fixed timeframe to
resolve key issues such as the row over disputed
Muslim-majority Kashmir, which has triggered two wars
between the nations. This led to the "meeting's failure,"
the newspaper said.
Even before talks got underway, comments from India's Home
Secretary G.K. Pillai darkened the mood. He accused
Pakistan's powerful intelligence agency of coordinating
the Mumbai 2008 carnage that left 166 people dead.India
broke off all dialogue with Pakistan after the attacks,
which New Delhi says were planned and executed by
Pakistan-based militants with the connivance of Pakistani
authorities.
India and Pakistan's prime ministers met in April on the
sidelines of a summit in Bhutan which set in motion the
process of trying to revive suspended contacts.
Relations between the two countries, which have fought
three wars since the subcontinent was divided in 1947,
have been plagued by border and resource disputes, and
accusations of Pakistani militant activity against India.
NATO says 'dozens' of
Taliban killed in recent strikes
AFP, Kabul
NATO said Saturday it had killed dozens of insurgents and
detained more than 100 others in a series of strikes on
Taliban militants across Afghanistan in recent weeks.
The raids between July 9-16 included about 40 operations,
NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said
in a statement.
The operations hit insurgent leaders and networks, some of
them responsible for recent attacks against coalition and
Afghan targets, it said.
"These operations are part of the greater coalition
activities designed to protect the Afghan people and deny
the insurgents shelter and their ability to operate in
Afghanistan," the ISAF statement said.
The insurgents were "systematically tracked and targeted
in precision" attacks to ensure civilians were not harmed,
the statement said.
"In over 75 percent of the operations conducted this week,
insurgents were captured without a single shot fired. This
fact should be placed in stark contrast to the over 46
civilians killed by the insurgents during the same
period." it said.
It said drugs, including 1.9 tonnes of heroin with a
street value of 39 million dollars, weapons and
bomb-making materials were also seized during the raids.
ISAF troops backed by their Afghan counterparts have
increased their activities against the insurgents in
recent months trying to push back the rebels from their
sanctuaries, mostly in the south of the country.
There are almost 150,000 NATO and US troops in the
country, including a "surge" of 30,000 extra troops as
part of counter-insurgency plans to take the fight to the
Taliban and speed an end to the long war.
Military officials say the surge has led to more
battlefield engagements, and thus more military
casualties, with the toll of foreign troops so far this
year at 375, compared to 520 for all of 2009.
At least 67 dead as Typhoon
Conson calms in China
AFP, Beijing
Typhoon Conson weakened to a tropical storm and headed for
Vietnam Saturday after brushing the southeastern Chinese
island of Hainan and pounding the Philippines, leaving at
least 67 dead.
Philippine authorities warned the toll could rise further
with dozens missing days after Conson struck the main
Luzon island, including the capital Manila, on Tuesday
with a ferocity that caught weather forecasters by
surprise.
The typhoon destroyed thousands of homes, sank or damaged
dozens of boats, uprooted trees that crushed people to
death and snapped power lines.
In China the storm killed at least two people, tore down
trees and ripped up electricity pylons when it hit Hainan
Friday evening, local officials said. Authorities on the
popular tourist island evacuated around 40,000 people from
the most vulnerable areas before the storm barrelled
inland.
Two men, a security guard and a motorcyclist, died after
being struck by advertising hoardings unhinged by strong
winds, an official from the local typhoon warning centre
said.
Television images showed driving rain and powerful winds
rocking the island, while residents also reported power
outages.
Several Vietnamese ships in the South China Sea had been
wrecked, the state Xinhua news agency said.
The typhoon was later downgraded to a tropical storm as it
headed towards northern Vietnam, according to China's
national weather centre.
The China Meteorological Administration said the winds had
slowed to around 20 kilometres (12 miles) per hour, but
that coastal areas of eastern China could still expect
heavy rain over the next 24 hours.
Earlier Conson became the first major storm to hit the
Philippines this year and the archipelago nation bore the
brunt of its fury, with the death toll there rising
sharply to 65 Saturday.
US urges Maldives to accept
foreign mediation
AFP, Colombo
The United States on Saturday urged the Maldives to accept
international offers of mediation to resolve a political
crisis that has led to angry street demonstrations.
A power struggle between President Mohamed Nasheed and the
opposition-controlled parliament led to protests earlier
in the week in which police said at least nine officers
and six civilians were hurt.
"We call on all sides to refrain from violence and to come
together to resolve disagreements through dialogue," the
US embassy in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo said. "We
urge all parties to accept international offers of
mediation," the statement added.
Nasheed, who swept to power in the country's first
democratic polls in 2008, has been locked in a power
struggle with the opposition-controlled parliament,
accusing it of stopping his administration from passing
any legislation.
The US embassy in Colombo handles US diplomatic relations
with the Indian Ocean archipelago whose white sandy
beaches and turquoise waters have made it an upmarket
tourist destination.
The statement did not specify which countries should carry
out the mediation.
But US Ambassador Patricia Butenis and Sri Lankan
President Mahinda Rajapakse have travelled to the Maldives
in recent weeks for separate meetings to iron out the row
in the nation of 330,000 Sunni Muslims.
Their intervention prompted Nasheed to reappoint his
13-member cabinet last Tuesday, a week after they resigned
en masse. Foreign minister Ahmed Shaheed said the nation
of 1,200 islands was receptive to the idea of mediation.
Gunmen kill 16 Shiite
Muslims in Pakistan
AFP, Peshawar, Pakistan
Sixteen Shiite Muslims were killed and four wounded
Saturday in an apparent sectarian ambush in a remote
tribal town in northwest Pakistan, a paramilitary
spokesman and local officials said.
The incident took place in the Sunni dominated Charkhel
area on Tal-Parachinar road in the violence-hit Kurram
tribal district, close to the Afghan border.
The victims were heading to Peshawar in two passenger
vehicles when unidentified attackers ambushed them in a
hail of gunfire before fleeing the scene, officials said.
"Sixteen people from the Shiite community have been killed
and four were injured in the attack," a senior security
official in Peshawar told AFP. "Today's incident was a
result of sectarian violence," he said. Major
Fazal-Ur-Rehman, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier
Corps, also confirmed the attack.
Local administrative and intelligence officials said that
all of those killed in the attack were Shiite Muslims,
adding that the death toll may yet rise.
Security officials said more troops have been deployed to
guard the route.
"Forces have reacted to the situation and more troops have
been deployed for the route protection," the senior
security official based in Peshawar said.
Kurran tribal district has for three years been a
flashpoint for violence between Shiite and Sunni
communities. Shiites account for some 20 percent of
Pakistan's mostly Sunni Muslim population of 160 million.
More than 4,000 people have died in outbreaks of sectarian
violence between the groups since the late 1980s.
Elsewhere on Saturday six people were injured when two
bomb blasts hit a congested market in Pakistan's cultural
capital Lahore, damaging two Internet cafes.
The bombs detonated seconds apart in two different net
cafes in the Gari Shahu and Begum Kot neighbourhoods of
the city.
Brief normalcy returns to
Kashmir after days of unrest
AFP, Srinagar, India
Schools, shops and offices reopened in Muslim-majority
Indian Kashmir on Saturday after being shut by weeks of
anti-India protests but more closures loomed in the
restive region.
The reopening came after calls by separatists to resume
"normal" life for a day that sent shoppers flooding into
the streets to stockpile supplies ahead of a general
strike set for Sunday and more protests in coming days.
The rush of shoppers created traffic jams in downtown
Srinagar, an urban hub that has seen a two-decade
insurgency against Indian rule. "Thanks be to Allah -- my
two daughters went to school today," said bank employee
Shaheen Ameen who appealed to separatists to exclude
educational institutions from strike calls.
The scenic Himalayan region has been wracked by
demonstrations since June 11 when security forces were
accused of killing a 17-year-old teenage boy.
Since then, another 14 protesters and bystanders -- many
of them youngsters -- have been killed.
S.Korea develops long-range
cruise missile
AFP, Seoul
South Korea has developed a longer-range cruise missile
capable of hitting nuclear or military sites in North
Korea, a report said Saturday.
The state-run Agency for Defense Development has begun
manufacturing the ground-to-ground Hyunmu-3C with a range
of up to 1,500 kilometres (937 miles), Yonhap news agency
quoted an unidentified defence official as saying. The
Hyunmu-3C missile would also be able to reach parts of
China, Japan and Russia. The previous version of the
Hyunmu had a range of only 1,000 km. The report could not
immediately be confirmed. Under an agreement with the
United States, which stations 28,500 troops in the country
and guarantees a nuclear "umbrella" in case of war, Seoul
limits its ballistic missiles to a maximum range of 300
km. But it is allowed to extend the range of its
terrain-hugging cruise missiles as long as their payload
stays under 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). South Korea has
pushed for longer-range weaponry to counter a threat from
hundreds of North Korean ballistic missiles. The North has
about 600 Scud missiles capable of hitting targets in
South Korea, and possibly also of reaching Japanese
territory in some cases.
Iran
blames West, Israel for bombings
AFP, Tehran
Iran blamed the West and Israel on Saturday for twin
suicide bombings which killed at least 27 people, despite
condemnation of the attack by the European Union, United
Nations and United States.
Iranian police, meanwhile, arrested 40 people for
"creating disturbances" in the southeastern city of
Zahedan where the bombers struck on Thursday, the Mehr
news agency reported.
"This blind terrorist act was carried out by the
mercenaries of the world arrogance (the Western powers),"
state television's website quoted Deputy Interior Minister
Ali Abdollahi as saying. "The agents of this crime were
trained and equipped beyond our borders and then came into
Iran," Abdollahi said.
Sunni militant group Jundallah has said it carried out the
bombings which targeted members of the elite Revolutionary
Guards at a Shiite mosque in Zahedan, capital of the
restive province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
It said the attacks were to avenge the execution of their
leader Abdolmalek Rigi on June 20. Parliament speaker Ali
Larijani directly accused the United States for the
bombings.
"Today, the country is mourning the tragic explosion in
Zahedan which was done with the backing of Americans.
Americans can't come up with any excuse since they are
connected with the Rigi group," he said, quoted on the
website.
Crowds of mourners gathered in Zahedan on Saturday for a
mass funeral for the bombings' victims. They assembled
outside the city's Jamia mosque where the bombers struck
for a procession to the main cemetery.
"Those who committed these terrorist acts are neither
Shiite nor Sunni," read one banner carried by the
mourners, while crowds chanted: "Death to terrorists," the
official IRNA news agency reported.
Tehran has long charged that Washington has provided
support to the Rigi group as part of efforts to
destabilise the Islamic regime by fomenting unrest among
ethnic minorities in sensitive border areas.
But US President Barack Obama has condemned the
"outrageous terrorist attacks," while UN chief Ban Ki-moon
blasted a "senseless act of terrorism" and EU foreign
affairs chief Catherine Ashton condemned "these cowardly
terrorist attacks."Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad
Najjar pointed the finger at Israel, Iran's arch-foe.
"The terrorist act by the Zionists had a number of
objectives, including creating division between Shiites
and Sunnis," the ISNA news agency quoted Najjar as saying.
Israeli troops wound
two photographers at West Bank demo
AFP, Hebron, Palestinian
Two Palestinian news photographers were hospitalised on
Saturday after being attacked by Israeli troops during a
weekly protest in the occupied West Bank, one of them
said.
An AFP photographer said a soldier hit him in the face and
leg with a baton and that another photographer lost his
hearing after a stun grenade exploded near his head.
The two were covering a weekly demonstration against
Israel's controversial separation barrier attended by
dozens of Palestinian, foreign and Israeli activists near
the southern West Bank town of Beit Umar.
An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment directly
on the two journalists being wounded, saying only that
security forces had dispersed 40 "rioters" who had entered
a closed military zone and thrown rocks at them.
Weekly demonstrations have multiplied across the West Bank
in recent years and frequently see Palestinian youths
hurling stones at Israeli troops, who fire tear gas and
rubber bullets to disperse the gatherings.
The Foreign Press Association on Saturday protested what
it called a "recent policy change" by the military and
border police.
"Over the past months journalists covering these events
have been harassed, arrested and attacked by the various
on site forces before these forces turn their attention to
the activists or demonstrators," it said in a statement.
"Open, unhindered coverage of news events is a widely
acknowledged part of the essence of democracy.
"Generally speaking this would not include smashing the
face of a clearly marked photographer working for a known
and accredited news organisation with a stick, or for that
matter aiming a stun grenade at the head of a clearly
marked news photographer or summarily arresting cameramen,
photographers and/or journalists," it said.
The group represents most international media outlets
operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories,
including AFP.
Somali escalation looms
after Kampala attacks
AFP, Mogadishu
Deadly attacks in Kampala turned the battle for Mogadishu
into a regional affair this week, with the Shebab warning
the world to stay out and Uganda urging more support from
its neighbours.
Somalia's Al Qaeda-inspired rebels struck the Ugandan
capital on July 11, killing at least 73 people watching
the World Cup final in multiple blasts, in what they said
was retaliation for Uganda's military presence in
Mogadishu. But far from being bullied into pulling out of
the African force (AMISOM) it spearheads, Uganda called
for steelier regional resolve to crush the Shebab-led
insurgency and rescue Somalia's beleaguered transitional
government. "We were just in Mogadishu to guard the port,
the airport and the State House.
Now they have mobilised us to look for them," Ugandan
President Yoweri Museveni said in the aftermath of the
blasts. The Ugandan army said it was ready to provide
2,000 troops to top the more than 3,000 it has deployed in
Mogadishu since 2007 and bring AMISOM to its full
authorised strength of 8,100."We are capable of providing
the required force if other countries fail to do so," army
spokesman Felix Kulayigye told AFP.
The regional body IGAD had earlier this month pledged to
send the missing 2,000 troops in a bid to enable AMISOM to
withstand an insurgent offensive threatening Somali
President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's tenuous grip on power.
Few countries other than Uganda had looked likely to
contribute to the force in one of the world's most
dangerous cities, where AMISOM's Ugandan and Burundian
troops have been struggling to repel the rebels. Kulayigye
called for lifting a rule preventing bordering countries
from deploying that effectively rules out fellow IGAD
(Inter-Governmental Authority on Development) members
Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
Anti-US Iraq cleric visits
Syria from exile in Iran
AFP, Damascus
Self-exiled Iraqi radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
visited Damascus on Saturday from his base in Iran for
talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Iraqi
affairs.
During the meeting, Assad urged Iraqi leaders to quickly
form a government and put an end to a four-month coalition
stalemate, the official SANA news agency reported.
"Any delay to form a (national unity) government will have
a negative impact on the situation in Iraq," Assad was
quoted as telling his guest, stressing that a new cabinet
should be set up "as soon as possible."
Iraqi politicians have failed to form a new government
since former premier Iyad Allawi's narrow victory over
incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in the March 7
parliamentary polls.
The bloc of anti-US cleric Sadr, who is rarely seen in
public and who lives in self-imposed exile in Iran, gained
39 seats in the new 325-strong parliament, against 91 for
Allawi and 89 for Maliki -- both Shiite Muslims.
Initially Sadr was opposed to the return of Maliki as
prime minister but in May he said he removed his objection
under certain conditions.
SANA quoted Sadr as praising Syria for its support of the
Iraqi people and "for working in favour of security and
stability in Iraq."
Hazem al-Araji, a Sadr bloc MP, told AFP in Baghdad that
the cleric travelled to Damascus "at the official
invitation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to discuss
Iraqi affairs."
Sadr's visit to Syria -- his second since July last year
-- comes after Iraqi legislators on Monday extended an
inaugural parliamentary session by two weeks to give
political leaders a chance to form a government.
US official backs police
mission for Kyrgyzstan
AFP, Almaty, Kazakhstan
US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg on Saturday
called for the urgent dispatch of a police mission to
Kyrgyzstan following ethnic clashes, as OSCE ministers met
in Kazakhstan.
An international police mission "will help restore order,
especially on the eve of elections, and will promote a
swift reconciliation between the two sides in southern
Kyrgyzstan," Steinberg said in comments translated into
Russian.
Top diplomats from the 56 states of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held a second
day of bilateral meetings outside the Kazakh city of
Almaty on Saturday.
The meeting comes just over a month after neighbouring
Kyrgyzstan was shattered by the worst ethnic violence in
Central Asia since the fall of the Soviet Union.
"We consider that Kazakhstan, as the acting chairman of
the OSCE, needs to send police officers as quickly as
possible to this region," Steinberg said at a news
conference. Kazakh Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev said
Saturday that a decision would be taken on sending a
police mission "in the nearest future."
Officials have said that up to 2,000 people may have been
killed in the clashes between majority Kyrgyz and minority
Uzbeks in the southern Kyrgzystan regions of Osh and
Jalalbad and the situation remains tense.
Kyrgyzstan's interim government plans to hold
parliamentary elections in October in an effort to boost
its legitimacy.
On Friday, Herbert Salber, the head of the OSCE's conflict
prevention centre, said an agreement had been reached with
Kyrgyzstan to send an international police mission. He
told reporters initially 52 police officers would be sent
from OSCE states for an initial period of four months,
although the force could be increased to 102 if necessary.
The task of the mission would be "assisting and also
monitoring the Kyrgyz police," Salber said. "They will
accompany them in their work to strengthen confidence
between the police and the population."
Israel must accept outside
force before direct talks: Abbas
AFP, Amman
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas said Israel must accept
the deployment of an international force in a future
Palestinian state before direct talks can begin, in an
interview published on Saturday.
"Israel must accept that the Palestinian territory in
question be that of the 1967 borders and with the presence
of a third party," he told Jordan's Al-Ghad newspaper,
referring to the 1967 Six-Day War.
"We will consider this as the desired progress and this
will push us to embark on direct negotiations," Abbas
said.
Al-Ghad said Abbas was referring to a security accord
sealed under former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert calling
for the presence of an international force to guard the
Palestinian territories, excluding Israel.
"This is the accord and I believe that Jordan and Egypt
were aware of it and gave their approval in principle,"
said Abbas.
In the West Bank town of Ramallah, Abbas held a three-hour
meeting on Saturday with visiting US Middle East envoy
George Mitchell, part of a sixth round of indirect talks
with Israel.
British MP fuels debate on
Islamic veil
AFP, London
A British lawmaker is refusing to meet female Muslim
constituents who wear face-covering veils and has proposed
a law banning the practice altogether, he said Saturday.
Philip Hollobone, a member of parliament (MP) from Prime
Minister David Cameron's Conservative party, wants to see
a French-style ban on women covering their faces in
public, although his bill stands little chance of becoming
law.
However, in his own constituency of Kettering in central
England, he is demanding that women who wear veils and
want to meet with him at his constituency surgeries remove
them.
"If she said: 'No', I would take the view that she could
see my face, I could not see hers, I am not able to
satisfy myself she is who she says she is," he told the
Independent newspaper. "I would invite her to communicate
with me in a different way, probably in the form of a
letter."
He added: "God gave us faces to be expressive. It is not
just the words we utter but whether we are smiling, sad,
angry or frustrated. You don't get any of that if your
face is covered."
There are around 400 Muslims living in Kettering,
according to the local Muslim association, out of a total
population in the town of over 50,000. Hollobone has also
tabled a bill in parliament to regulate certain face
coverings, although it will not be debated until December
and is highly unlikely to become law due to lack of
government support.
This week, French lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to ban
the wearing of face-covering veils in public in a bill
which will now go to the Senate for approval.
A poll out Friday found that two-thirds of Britons would
support a similar ban.
In 2006, former foreign secretary Jack Straw sparked
fierce debate by saying he asked Muslim women to lift
their veils during meetings with him in his constituency.
Business/Economy
Sugar
price to be fixed at Tk 40-45 per Kg: Barua
UNB, Dhaka
Industries Minister Dilip Barua on Saturday hoped that
there will be no crisis of sugar in the holy month of
Ramadan and sugar price will remain stable during the
entire month of fasting. Import of two consignments of
sugar, each having 25,000 tons, has already been finalized
and is expected to arrive in the country by mid-Ramadan,
he told journalists at his office. Barua said price of per
kg sugar would be fixed between Tk 40 and Tk 45 at the
mill gate of state-owned sugar mills so that the price in
retail market can be kept within commoners purchasing
capacity.
Earlier, on Thursday, Bangladesh Sugar Refiners
Association (BSRA) sent a letter to the Industries
Minister for fixing the sugar price at Tk 45 per kg at the
mill gate as in the last year. The Industries Minister
said the government has planned a buffer stock of 100,000
tons of sugar through domestic and international
procurement to meet additional demand and keep price
stable during Ramadan. This time, he said, the state-owned
Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC)
under the Industries Ministry has been given the
responsibility to import 50,000 tons of sugar to keep the
price stable and the market free from any artificial
crisis during month of fasting for the Muslims.
Besides, the corporation would procure another 10,000
tonnes of sugar locally, Barua said. "We've already
floated tender for procuring sugar from local market.
It'll be opened on July 19." Replying to a question, he
said that currently the government has a stock of 40,000
tons of sugar.
Asked about the distribution process, the Industries
Minister said: "We've 4500 dealers under BSFIC across the
country. The sugar will be sold by our dealers."
Bangladesh largely depends on imported sugar to meet its
annual demand of 1.4 million tons as the state-run sugar
mills can produce only 125,000 tons.
Pakistan
urges world community to help war-ravaged economy
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistan Saturday urged the global community and donor
agencies to help and support its poverty-stricken economy
that has been ravaged by war and the cost of terrorism. At
a ministerial meeting Saturday which included US special
envoy Richard Holbrooke, foreign minister Shah Mehmood
Qureshi said "Pakistan has lost 43 billion dollars in the
last nine years and our exports and foreign investments
have been badly hurt," according to state run news agency
APP.
Holbrooke is in Pakistan ahead of US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton's visit for high-level security talks in
Pakistan and to attend a July 20 Afghanistan donors
conference. He met with President Asif Ali Zardari late
Friday after his arrival, the presidency said in a
statement. Representatives from the members of the Friends
of Democratic Pakistan (FODP), World Bank and other
international financial organizations also attended the
meeting Saturday. Qureshi said the complexities of
extremism and terrorism cannot be defeated in a pressing
economic environment.
"We need more jobs and ever more economic opportunities to
prevent impressionable young minds from falling prey to
misguided and pernicious ideologies which are antithesis
of peaceful Islam," he said. Bombs and attacks blamed on
Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have killed more
than 3,560 people across nuclear-armed Pakistan since
government troops besieged a radical mosque in Islamabad
in July 2007.
Social reforms
needed for economic growth in Syria
AFP, Damascus
Syria, which has launched significant economic reforms,
must now follow up with social changes that will tackle
corruption and relieve poverty, economists say.
Their comments come as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
marks 10 years in power on Saturday, gaining plaudits for
opening up the economy and engaging in a process of
rapprochement with the West, but criticism from rights
groups who accuse him of not delivering on promises of
greater freedoms for his people.
After decades of planned reforms to Syria's dirigiste
economy, Assad's Baath party finally pledged its
commitment to developing a market economy in 2005.
It began phasing out state subsidies on basic commodities,
allowed private banks to operate, liberalised exchange
controls and eased conditions under which businesses can
operate. But economists say further economic and social
reforms are now needed in order to reduce
unemployment-currently riding at about 20 percent
according to unofficial estimates-and to relieve the
plight of the poor.
An estimated 5.3 million of Syria's 22 million population
are affected by poverty, according to a study by the
United Nations. The budget deficit, meanwhile, reached
9.25 percent of GDP last year. Economists warn that the
gap between Syria's rich and poor has grown due to the
economic reforms, the global financial crisis and a
drought which has ravaged the northeast of the country for
the past four years.
And with the phasing out of subsidies, the price of food
and fuel has skyrocketed, hitting in particular the
pockets of the less well-off.
The Arab Human Development Report, published by the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) last year, named
Syria and Yemen as the Arab countries which have
experienced the biggest rise in income inequality over the
past decade.
"Improving living standards is a priority," Syria's Prime
Minister Mohammed Naji Otri was quoted as saying recently
in the official media.
But he added that the government must find 25 billion
Syrian pounds (500 million dollars) to be able to raise
the salaries of its 1.4 million employees by 10 percent,
in order to keep pace with inflation.
Hong Kong passes
minimum wage law
AFP, Hong Kong
Hong Kong on Saturday passed its first minimum wage law, a
controversial issue that has divided the city's business
sector and labour groups for more than a decade.
Lawmakers hailed the passage of the bill-secured after
more than 40 hours of heated debate-as a historic moment
for Hong Kong, where policymaking is often heavily
influenced by the powerful business elite.
Officials said the law will take effect next year, and a
government-appointed task group is expected to propose a
minimum wage level in the coming months. But pro-democracy
legislators, whose numerous attempts to have the bill
amended were blocked by their pro-government counterparts,
said there were many loopholes in the new law. Lee
Cheuk-yan, lawmaker and a leader of Hong Kong Federation
of Trade Unions, said: "No doubt it is a historic moment
for Hong Kong."
"We have now said goodbye to an unfair practice in a
capitalist economy and acknowledged the fact that workers
should be rewarded for their hard work," he told AFP.
Recent surveys showed that many workers at large retail
chains are only paid between two and three US dollars an
hour.
Lee said it was "regretful" that the legal framework for
setting the minimum wage will be largely controlled by the
government.
Under the law, all members of the task group will be
picked by the city's chief executive. The legislature can
only approve or reject the wage level proposed by the
group, but cannot make any amendment.
The law will require the task group to review the wage
level once every two years, instead of once a year as
proposed by trade unions.
"We will have to use public pressure to campaign for a
fair minimum wage level, since under the legal framework
the control will be largely in the hands of the
government," Lee said.
Unions have pushed for the minimum wage to be fixed at 33
Hong Kong dollars (4.2 US dollars) an hour, saying
anything less would not cover basic expenses with living
costs having risen sharply in recent months.
Many countries already have minimum wage legislation in
place, with the hourly rates in New York and London set
between 7.25 and 8.80 US dollars.
Bank of America
says financial reform to cost billions
AFP, New York
Moves to overhaul Wall Street will cost Bank of America
billions of dollars, one of the company's leading
executives said Friday.
As lawmakers sent a massive financial reform bill to
President Barack Obama's desk for signature, Bank of
America's top financial officer Charles Noski said the
impact would be felt across the firm.
"In the third quarter, legislation will also hurt our
value," he told investors on a quarterly earnings
conference call.
Noski said the rules, which have still to be fleshed out
by regulators, could wipe 10 billion dollars off the
intangible value of the firm, a so-called goodwill
impairment, and would hit profits in its bank-card
business.
"We expect goodwill impairment of seven to 10 billion
dollars in the third quarter," he said.
Goodwill represents the company's off-book, intangible
assets, like relations with customers and reputation.
But Bank of America also faces concrete costs.
Legislation passed by Congress on Thursday would reduce
banks' ability to charge traders for swiping bank cards-so
called interchange fees.
"Interchange fees could fall as much as 1.8 billion
dollars to 2.3 billion per year, starting in the third
quarter of 2011," he said.
Bank of America, like other Wall Street firms, is
scrambling for ways to offset the costs of reform, leaving
many consumers to fear they will bear the cost of the
overhaul.
"We are looking for ways to mitigate that potential drop
in revenue," said Noski.
Global economic
crisis threatens fight against AIDS
AFP, Washington
The global fight against HIV/AIDS is threatened by
stagnating economies around the world, which have caused
governments to shrink their budgets and, with them, grants
to fight the illness.
"We are facing a major challenge in terms of funding
because the global economic downturn has got a lot of
governments looking hard at their budgets, and some doing
decreases in the kind of aid that goes for global health,
and AIDS in particular," said Microsoft co-founder Bill
Gates, who now runs a philanthropic foundation that bears
his and his wife's names. That very topic will be widely
discussed at the 18th international conference on AIDS in
Vienna next week, said Gates, who will deliver a speech at
the meeting. Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the US National
Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), said
the economic crisis couldn't have come at a worse time for
the fight against AIDS.
"There are not enough resources to meet the demands of
people who need treatment and prevention," he said, adding
that the sharp dip in funding to fight AIDS has hit "just
as we are reaping the fruit of success in getting therapy
and prevention to the developing world."
European stocks close sharply lower on US concerns
AFP, London
European stock markets closed sharply lower on Friday
after investors found unwelcome holes in otherwise strong
US corporate results, adding to fears the recovery from
recession is stalling.
Dealers said US second quarter results were beating
headline forecasts but on closer inspection, gains were
often coming from cost cutting and lower bad debt rather
than from increased business.
This was especially true of the banks, which were writing
back large provisions made earlier to cover soured loans
rather than building up new credit, they said.
News of a sharp fall in US consumer confidence then added
to concerns that consumption is tailing off after last
year's massive stimulus package, leaving the recovery at
risk-and the markets over-valued.
In London, the FTSE 100 index of leading shares closed
down 1.00 percent at 5,158.85 points. In Paris, the CAC 40
tumbled 2.28 percent to 3,500.16 points and in Frankfurt
the DAX lost 1.77 percent at 6,040.27 points. Sharp falls
on Wall Street added to the pressure on European markets
in afternoon trade, with investors encouraged to take
profits on recent gains as the grim news-flow continued.
In New York, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average
was down 1.90 percent at around 1600 GMT while the
tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 2.21 percent.
Dealers said results from key US companies such as Google,
Bank of America, Citigroup and General Electric pointed to
underlying weakness in consumer demand despite strong
headline figures.
Weak inflation data was taken as a further sign of weak
demand.
"The plethora of data and headlines ... is only adding
another level of uncertainty as market participants
attempt to digest conflicting views," said Kimberly DuBord,
an analyst at Briefing.com.
Up to Thursday, the US market had chalked up substantial
gains in a seven-day winning streak, increasing the
temptation ahead of the weekend to take profits. Dealers
said the sharp and much bigger-than-expected fall in the
University of Michigan consumer confidence reading to 66.5
in July from 76 in June hit the markets hard.
Waldemar Brun-Theremin of Turgot AM in Paris said "company
results overall today were not too bad but the (fall) in
consumer confidence is worrying, especially after recent
weak US indicators. "The figures ... are making investors
wonder what is going on," he added.
In London, IG Index said recent gains had lacked
conviction and stocks looked vulnerable to further
setbacks.
National
NSB to release two salinity
tolerant T-Aman paddy varieties soon
BSS, Dhaka
Two Salinity tolerant varieties of T-Aman paddy innovated
by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) are expected
to be released very soon.
Director (Administration) of the BRRI Dr AKG Md Enamul
Haque told BSS on Saturday that the varieties-BRRI-53 and
BRRI-54-may be released within one month or two. He said
field level evaluations of the BRRI and Seed Certification
Agency have been completed successfully and the varieties
will be placed at the National Seed Board (NSB) for final
approval for cultivation at farmer's level.
Earlier, the BRRI had developed two salinity tolerant
varieties-BRRI-40 and BRRI-41-, Dr Enamul said adding that
the lifetime of the latest varieties is two weeks less
than that of the previous ones.
He said production rate, salinity tolerant capacity and
other characteristics of the new varieties are identical
with the earlier varieties. The immediate past director
(research) of the BRRI Dr MA Salam said the production
rate of BRRI-40 and BRRI-41 is 4.5 tonnes per hectare. The
Lifetime of BRRI-40 and BRRI-41 is 145 days and 148 days
respectively, he added. Dr Salam said farmers of the
costal region are losing their interest in cultivating
existing varieties because of their long lifetime. After
harvesting of BRRI-40 and BRRI-41, farmers do not get
enough time for shrimp cultivation, he added.
Taking this into consideration, he said, the BRRI has
developed the two varieties.
The newly developed T-Aman varieties are a one step
forward in the history of the country's salinity tolerant
varieties innovation, he added. He said the varieties are
expected to contribute significantly to boost Aman
production ensuring further food security in the country.
Dr Salam said, "We expect the latest BRRI varieties would
gain popularity among the farmers because of its short
lifetime." He said farmers could minimize their losses by
cultivating of the varieties as those are less vulnerable
to natural calamities due to the short lifetime.
BRRI sources said the country's coastal region has nearly
10 lakh hectares for paddy cultivation. They said the
newly developed salinity tolerant varieties of Aman paddy
will help greatly to bring the vast tract of land under
cultivation for further boosting rice production in the
country.
CWASA to mitigate water crisis for next 50 years by
implementing 4 projects
BSS, Chittagong
The Chittagong Water and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) is
going to implement four mega projects at a cost of Taka
3,812 crore to mitigate water crisis in the port city for
the next 50 years, which were shelved for last eight
years. The CWASA will formally launch the implementation
process of the projects by this month targeting to meet
the demand of water for the next five decades in view of
rapid urbanization and industrialization.
Of the total outlay, the World Bank (WB) will finance Taka
1,200 crore, Taka 962 crore will be financed by Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Taka 1050 crore
by Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) while
rest Taka 600 crore will be available from government
fund, CWASA sources said.
Currently the CWASA produces 220 Million Liters (ML) of
water per day against the daily demand of 550 MLs which is
too inadequate to meet the growing demands of nearly 48
lakh city dwellers for household, commercial and
industrial purposes, a top official of CWASA told BSS.
Talking to BSS, CWASA Chairman Engineer AKM Fazlullah said
the per day water production capacity of Chittagong WASA (CWASA)
will go up 665 MLs per day which will be three times
higher than the existing production capacity after
successful implementation of the four projects within next
four years. The four projects are Taka 962 crore "Karnaphuli
Water Supply and Sanitation Project (KWSSP)", with a
production capacity of 135 ML water per day, Taka 1200
crore "Madunaghat Water Treatment Plant" (MAWTP), with
capacity of 90 ML per day, Taka 600 crore "Mohra Water
Treatment Plant (MWTP) (2nd Phase)" with generation
capacity of 90 ML per day and Taka 1050 crore project at
Bhandaljury Water Treatment Plant (BWTP), with capacity of
112 ML water per day with financial assistance of the
KOICA.
The CWASA Chairman said the main physical works of the
water reservoir of KWSSP has started last month after land
acquisition and earth filling at a cost of Taka 14
crore.He said the international tender process for
constructing water treatment plant and constructing
pipeline of KWSSP is expected to be completed within this
month.
The WASA Chairman hoped that the authority would be able
to start the physical works of the three projects- KWSSP,
MWTP and MAWTP within December next and expected to
complete within the stipulated time.
Generating energy from renewable sources stressed
BSS, Rajshahi
Generation of energy from renewable sources could be the
effective means of handling the existing power shortage
situation effectively.
"Power shortage is a great problem in our country and
everyone is affected by it. Therefore everyone should come
forward to handle the situation," said Prof Dr Abdul
Goffar Khan, Head of the Department of Electrical and
Electronics Engineering of Rajshahi University of
Engineering and Technology (RUET), at a scientific seminar
in Rajshahi on Friday night.
Local chapter of Institution Engineers Bangladesh (IEB)
organized the seminar titled "Power Shortage and Our Role"
at its seminar hall. Addressing as the keynote speaker Dr
Goffar Khan mentioned that the power problem could be
tackled by increasing generation side by side with
decreasing the demand. However, he said the generation is
mainly dependent on fuel supply and availability of
non-renewable energy sources are coming to end. Therefore,
he said the ways to be looked for harvesting energy from
renewable sources. Dr Khan said the most promising source
of such energy is solar power. Conventional solar power is
based on PV panels having low conversion efficiency. On
the other hand, he suggested reducing the demand of
electricity by reducing load. "Using more efficient
electrical appliances along with wide- ranging using of
the intelligent devices could be the effective means of
reducing the load," he added in this regard.
Besides, he said judicious use of light, heat, drives,
cooling fan and air-cooler, lift and irrigation pump in
the industrial, commercial and residential fields could
help saving power. Moreover, consumption of less energy
through better efficiency and production of energy in an
environment-friendly manner could be the effective ways of
reducing the demand on generation. In his address of
welcome, IEB local Chapter Secretary Engineer Nur Islam
Tusher gave an overview of the seminar and its positive
aspects.
IEB President Prof Dr SM Nazrul Islam addressed the
seminar as the chief guest whiles its General Secretary
Engineer Mesbahur Rahman Tutul as special guest with local
chapter Chairman Engineer Sarwar Hossain in the chair.
Dr Goffar Khan revealed that various benefits of using the
solar power have been exposed which included suitable for
developing countries, fairly high net energy, work on
cloudy days, low land use, no carbon dioxide emissions,
contribute to poverty alleviation, 20-40 years longevity
and low environmental impact. In this context, he lauded
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her dynamic role in
promoting solar power in various public offices. IEB
Vice-presidents Engineer Khan Monzur Murshed, Engineer
Rejaul Karim and Executive Director of Barind Multipurpose
Development Authority Engineer SM Abdul Mannan were, among
others, present at the seminar.
Police arrest three suspected members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in
city
UNB, Dhaka
Police arrested three suspected members of banned Islamic
outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir from Press Club area in the city
Saturday noon for bringing out procession demanding the
release of their detained top leaders.
Three cops were injured during a scuffle between the law
enforcers and the members of the banned outfit.
Police said the members of banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir brought
out a procession from in front of National Press Club at
about 12:30 pm demanding release of their detained top
leaders and after parading towards 'Kadam' fountain' again
turned to Topkhana road.
Sports
Butt replaces Afridi as Pakistan
captain
AFP, London
Salman Butt will take over the Pakistan captaincy from Shahid
Afridi for next week's second and final Test against Australia
at Headingley, tour manager Yawar Saeed told AFP here on
Saturday.
He also confirmed Afridi, who has been struggling with a side
strain, had been released from the Test squad and so would not
play at Headingley, the Leeds headquarters of county side
Yorkshire, where the Australia finale starts on Wednesday.
Saeed added Butt, currently the vice-captain, would also lead
Pakistan in their subsequent four Test series against England,
starting at Trent Bridge on July 29.
Afridi announced he would be retiring from Test cricket
following the Australia finale after leading Pakistan to a
150-run defeat by Australia in the series opener at Lord's
here on Friday.
That was Afridi's first Test in four years and it now appears
his latest farewell to the five-day format has taken place at
Lord's, not Headingley.
"Salman Butt will be the captain for the next five (Test)
matches, starting against Australia in Leeds," Pakistan tour
manager Saeed revealed, adding wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal would
step up into the role of vice-captain.
Left-handed opener Butt was Pakistan's top-scorer in both
innings at Lord's with innings of 63 and 92.
After the match, which Pakistan lost with more than a day to
spare, Afridi said the 25-year-old Butt, who has now played 28
Tests, should become captain.
"Salman is showing his maturity," Afridi explained. "He's good
enough to take over this team as capt
ain."
Berbatov
shines as Man Utd beat Celtic 3-1
AFP, Toronto
Dimitar Berbatov scored one goal and contributed to two more
Friday as English powerhouse Manchester United launched their
North American Tour with a 3-1 friendly victory over Celtic.
Substitutes Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley also scored for
Manchester United, while Georgios Samaras converted a penalty
for Scottish Premier League club Celtic.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a strong
lineup that included Berbatov, Edwin van der Sar, Paul Scholes,
Darren Fletcher and Ryan Giggs - who received an especially
warm welcome from Canadian fans.
The match was played at the 50,000-seat Rogers Centre, where a
temporary grass pitch was installed where the Toronto
Argonauts normally play their Canadian Football League
gridiron games on a synthetic surface.
Berbatov opened the scoring in the 34th minute, deftly
controlling a cross from Mame Biram Diouf with his right foot
before using his left to bury it in the net.
Celtic equalized in the 61st after Chris Smalling, making his
Manchester United debut after a transfer from Fulham in
January, was penalized for pulling Joe Ledley to the ground in
the area.
Samaras, who came on in the second half, converted to level
the score.
United responded, and in the 79th minute Berbatov found some
room ont he right and crossed for Welbeck, who scored from
close range.
Bulgaria's Berbatov then combined with Cleverley, whose shot
in the 86th deflected off a Celtic defender to get past
stranded Celtic keeper Lukasz Zaluska.
Manchester United are making their third pre-season trip to
North America since Sir Alex Ferguson became manager in 1986.
World Cup players Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Park Ji-sung
and Nemanja Vidic were left at home to recover after playing
in the World Cup.
Ferguson was also without the services of several injured
players, including captain Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and
Owen Hargreaves.
United's next stop is Philadelphia, they will take on the
Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. They play the Kansas City
Wizards at Arrowhead Stadium on July 25, and they face the MLS
All-Stars in Houston on July 28 before travelling to
Guadalajara, Mexico, to play Chivas.
Celtic, who opened their North American tour on Wednesday with
a 1-0 defeat to the Philadelphia Union, play the Seattle
Sounders on Saturday.
Aussies
on course, says Ponting after Pakistan rout
AFP, London
Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes "things are
coming together nicely" for his team ahead of the Ashes
after they thrashed Pakistan by 150 runs in the first Test
at Lord's.
Victory, achieved with more than a day to spare in the
opening match of a series being played in England because
of security concerns in Pakistan, gave Australia a seventh
straight Test win.
It was also their 13th in a row over Pakistan, a new
record for one country over another.
There was a twist in the tale of this contest, with
Australia part-time off-spinner Marcus North exceeding all
expectations by taking a Test-best six wickets for 55 runs
on Friday.
This match had already seen medium-pacer Shane Watson take
his Test-best of five for 40 in Pakistan's first innings.
Meanwhile Simon Katich, averaging nearly 57 as an opener
since returning to the Test side in 2008, continued his
fine form with valuable scores of 80 and 83 in overcast
conditions that made life tough for batsmen.
Defeat was all too much for Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi,
who announced his intention to retire from Test cricket
after the second and final match of this series at
Headingley next week.
But Ponting's focus is on a future which includes
regaining the Ashes from England - who start a four-Test
series against Pakistan later this month - in Australia
when cricket's oldest Test rivalry resumes in November.
England have not won a Test series in Australia since
1986.
"Things are coming together nicely," Ponting told
reporters.
"Without being silly, we've all got one eye on stuff
that's happening later in the year and these steps this
week have been good ones in the right direction as far as
keeping on improving our Test cricket," the star batsman
added.
"We've got a few more Tests to play, but things are going
well for us."
Australia's Tim Paine and Steven Smith both enjoyed
impressive Test debuts.
Tasmania wicketkeeper Paine missed nothing and stumped
dangerman Salman Butt to start Pakistan's collapse on
Friday while leg-spinner Smith took three for 51.
"It was a great stumping today, one sliding down the leg
side behind a left-hander is always a hard one to take,"
Ponting said of Paine's effort in removing Butt for 92.
"That was a big moment in the game. Butt was playing
beautifully and they're the sort of chances you hope your
keeper takes.
Rain threatens Murali’s Test
finale
AFP, Galle
Sri Lanka's world record holder Muttiah Muralitharan was
geared up to bowl for the last time in the first Test
against India from Sunday, but bad weather threatened to
disrupt his swansong.
The prolific off-spinner, 38, will retire from Test
cricket after the opening contest of the three-match
series at the Galle International Stadium, in which he
needs eight more scalps to reach the 800-wicket mark.
Heavy rain on Saturday afternoon forced the ground staff
to cover the entire field and similar bad weather has been
forecast on all five days of the match.
Muralitharan enters his 133rd Test with record hauls in
both Test (792) and one-day cricket (515) and looking to
spearhead Sri Lanka to victory over the world number one
team.
Sri Lanka's favourite cricket son said he was as nervous
going into Sunday's match as he was when he made his debut
against Australia in 1992.
"It does not matter how many games you play, you still
feel a little nervous before any Test match," he said.
"But all that goes away after I have bowled a few overs.
"There is obviously some pressure since this is my last
Test, but I want to enjoy the moment. Getting to 800 will
be a bonus, but our aim is to win the match."
Former Sri Lankan spinner Jayananda Warnaweera, who
manages the Galle stadium, was confident Muralitharan will
reach the 800-wicket mark on what appeared to be a good
batting track.
"This is a good wicket," said Warnaweera. "We did not
produce a turner because Murali does not need one to take
wickets. He can grab a handful on any surface.
"We don't want the match to end before five days. There is
a little bit of grass left to hold the pitch together. But
any wicket will turn on the last two days."
Muralitharan has claimed 103 wickets in the 14 Tests he
has played against all opposition at Galle, 13 of them
against India in two matches.
Malaysia’s Chia
makes British Open history
AFP, St. Andrews
Danny Chia was on Saturday celebrating becoming the first
Malaysian in British Open history to make the halfway cut.
The 37-year-old Asian Tour regular endured a sleepless
night after thinking he had missed the halfway cut by one
stroke at St Andrews following a five-over-par 77 in high
winds for a two-day total of two-over-par 146 on Friday.
But with 30 players returning to the Old Course early
Saturday to complete the second round in testing
conditions, the cut mark eventually settled at 146 which
ensured Chia's place in Open folklore and the weekend
rounds.
"It is great to make history for Malaysian golf. It feels
really good. I found it hard to sleep last night," said
Chia, who was playing in his third Open.
"I kept looking at the scores on the internet although
play was already suspended. I just couldn't help it and
kept looking at the scores to see where I was.
"I woke up at six and checked on the scores again and
noticed players were dropping shots.
Gueye goal saves
Everton blushes
AFP, Brisbane
A goal by Frenchman Magaye Gueye eight minutes from time
was enough to give Everton a 2-1 win over a tenacious
Brisbane Roar on Saturday.
With the scores locked at 1-1 and the Roar dominating
territory and possession, Gueye seized on a lapse in
concentration from defender Luke Devere to slide the ball
into the Brisbane net for the winner.
The 2-1 win in front of a crowd of 20,000 ensured Everton
finished their three-match Australian tour unbeaten,
following victories over Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart.
Brisbane fans, who saw their team finish second last in
the last A-League season, still had plenty to cheer about
as for long periods of the second half they looked capable
of causing a major shock.
But the Toffees had too much class and stepped up when it
was needed to delight large sections of the crowd decked
out in Everton blue.
After a dour and mistake-ridden first half the game opened
up in the second period as both teams decided to go on the
attack.
When the first goal finally came in the 49th minute it was
a beauty -- Jack Rodwell getting the ball 20 metres out
and looking up before calmly firing the ball into the top
corner past the despairing dive of Roar keeper Michael
Theoklitos.
Everton then turned the screw, with chances coming thick
and fast as the Roar struggled to cope with the pace and
passing of the Premier League outfit.
Rodwell, Saha and Leon Osman all had good chances to
double the lead but were unable to convert.
They were made to pay when some slick passing from the
Brisbane forwards found replacement striker Kosta
Barbarouses with space in the box and he slotted the ball
home to level the scores with 24 minutes left on the
clock.
It was then the home side's turn to dominate as they began
to look for a winner, using the pace of Mitch Nichols and
Henrique to find holes in the Everton defence.
But the visitors had the final say when Gueye ghosted in
behind the defence to meet a Jose Baxter through ball and
slide the winner past Theoklitos.
Japan first up
as FIFA inspects World Cup hopefuls
AFP, Tokyo
Just a week after the din of celebratory vuvuzela horns
died down in South Africa, fresh World Cup fever is
gripping nine candidates battling to host the showpiece in
2018 or 2022.
The sport's world governing body FIFA on Monday kicks off
a two-month inspection tour of Japan, South Korea,
Australia, the Netherlands-Belgium, Russia, England,
Spain-Portugal, the United States and Qatar in that order.
The first stop, Japan, is counting on its impressive
organisational, financial and technological power to win
the 2022 event. It co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South
Korea after staging one summer and two winter Olympics.
Japan has promised to treat football fans worldwide to
ultra-realistic live three-dimensional broadcasts of
matches.
Under the six-billion-dollar "Universal Fan Fest" project,
matches would be viewed in 3-D by 360 million people at
nearly 400 select stadiums in FIFA's 208 member countries.
Japan's bid also features a plan to invite 6,000 children
from the 208 countries to watch matches live, participate
in football clinics and learn about environmental issues
and world peace with trips to the atomic-bombed cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"FIFA at its working level has rated Japan's proposals as
outstanding and unique," said Japan Football Association
president Motoaki Inukai, who heads the country's bid
committee.
Pakistan
greats lament Afridi’s retirement
AFP, Karachi
Former Pakistan cricket greats Saturday lamented captain
Shahid Afridi's decision to retire from Tests and said he
should not have been made captain in the longer version of
the game.
The 30-year-old, forced to come back after a four-year
Test hiatus and appointed captain for the tour of England,
said he would retire from the longer version following the
second Test against Australia at Headingley next week.
"My temperament does not suit to longer version of the
game, so I will retire from Test cricket after the Leeds
Test," said Afridi, a limited overs specialist with a
hard-hitting batting style.
His decision came minutes after Pakistan's 150-run defeat
against Australia at Lord's on Friday, leaving the
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to search for a new captain
for the four Tests against England which follow.
Tour manager Yawar Saeed on Saturday said Salman Butt,
currently vice-captain, would take over the captaincy for
the rest of the tour.
Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq criticised the PCB for
appointing Afridi.
"Afridi's appointment as Test captain was a wrong decision
in the first place," said Inzamam, who led Pakistan on
their last tour of England in 2006. "Forcing him to take
the job has backfired and has damaged Pakistan cricket."
Inzamam said senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf and Younus
Khan -- both not on this tour -- should immediately be
recalled.
"This Pakistan side is short on experience, so Yousuf and
Younus should immediately be recalled so that there is
more experience which is always needed on a tough tour of
England," said Inzamam.
Both Yousuf and Younus were banned indefinitely following
Pakistan's disastrous tour of Australia between December
and February.
Younus's ban was overturned on appeal, but he was not
selected for the England tour after PCB chairman Ijaz Butt
did not clear his return to the team.
Yousuf did not appeal against the ban and instead retired
from all cricket in protest. However, Pakistani media
reported Yousuf has been recalled for the England Tests, a
claim not officially confirmed by the PCB.
Former Pakistan spinner Iqbal Qasim said Afridi's
retirement will affect the team's morale.
"Afridi's sudden decision will affect team's morale," said
Qasim, who resigned as chief selector after the tour of
Australia in February this year.
"I am disappointed with his decision because it came after
the defeat.
"We all know he took the captaincy unwillingly, but when
he took the responsibility he should have fulfilled it,
his sudden decision will also affect younger players."
Another former chief selector, leg-spin great Abdul Qadir
said retiring has become a trend in Pakistan.
"It (announcing retirement) has become a trend to
blackmail the authorities," said Qadir. "Afridi was a
misfit in Test team so it put added pressure on him."
Age Group National Swimming ends
23 new national marks; BKSP clinch top slot
UNB, Dhaka
The three-day BRB Cables 26th Age Group National Swimming
Championship concluded Saturday at the National Swimming
Complex in Mirpur featuring 23 new national records in 100
events of the meet.
Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan (BKSP) clinched the
top slot securing 45 gold medals, 50 silver and 25 bronzes
while Bangladesh Ansar finished a close second with 45
gold medals, 25 silver and 21 bronzes.
Agrajatra Swimming Club of Munshiganj are in the distant
third position with four gold, two silver and one bronze
medal while Bogra Swimming Center, Alamgir Swimming Club,
Shelaidah Swimming Club, Rajshahi DSA and Lalanshah
Swimming Club bagged one gold medal each.
Jewel Ahmed of Bangladesh Ansar emerged as the best boys'
swimmer securing 10 individual gold medals with seven
national records while Nazma Khatun, also from Bangladesh
Ansar, the best girls' swimmer bagging nine individual
gold medals with seven national marks.
In addition to making two national records today, Jewel
Ahmed earlier made national records in five events - 100-m
freestyle, 200-m individual medley, 400-m freestyle, 100-m
backstroke and 400-m individual medley.
Nazma Khatun earlier won six gold medals with new national
records in the 100-m backstroke, 200-m freestyle, 200-m
individual medley, 100-m butterfly, 50-m freestyle and
200-m backstroke in addition to today's one record.
Bangladesh Swimming Federation President and Chief of
Bangladesh Navy Vice Admiral Zahiruddin Ahmed was the
chief guest in the day's closing function and later
distributed the prizes.
Six more new national records were made on the 3rd and
last day of the meet raising the total national records to
23.
Of the last day, Jewel Ahmed set up national records in
1500-m freestyle and 100-m butterfly, Nazma Khatun in
400-m freestyle, Nagib Khandokar of Lalanshah Swimming
Club in 50-m frrestyle, Shika Khatun of BKSP in 50-meter
freestyle and Palash Chowdhury of BKSP in 200-m
breaststroke.
Kashima beat
Kawasaki to regain J-League lead
AFP, Tokyo
Korean international Lee Jung-Soo scored the winner as
defending champions Kashima Antlers beat Kawasaki Frontale
2-1 to knock Shimizu S-Pulse off the top of the J-League
table Saturday.
The 30-year-old defender met Takuya Nozawa's corner with a
firm header in the 78th minute to give Kashima the 2-1
lead that they held until the final whistle.
Earlier, Brazilian midfielder Fellype Gabriel opened the
scoring for Kashima when he pounced on a poor clearance by
Kawasaki midfielder Junichi Inamoto in the 21st minute.
Kawasaki drew level in the 39th minute with a sizzling
left foot strike from forward Masaru Kurotsu before being
reduced to 10 men.
Lee, who scored two goals for South Korea in the World Cup
in South Africa, played down his match winning effort 12
minutes from time. "It was a very good corner, so it was
very easy for me to score," he said after the game.
Kashima have now eight wins, three draws and two defeats
for 27 points, one point ahead of Shimizu S-Pulse, who
were held to a goalless draw by Jubilo Iwata.
They were followed by Nagoya Grampus on 25 points,
Kawasaki on 21 points, and Cerezo Osaka and Urawa Red
Diamonds on 20 points.
Australian international striker Joshua Blake Kennedy
scored a towering header off a cross from Brazilian-born
Japan international Marcus Tulio Tanaka in the 76th minute
to give Nagoya a 1-0 win over Omiya Ardija.
All Blacks again
too fast, accurate for Springboks
AFP, Wellington
The All Blacks again ran the world champion Springboks
into submission to win the second Tri-nations rugby Test
31-17 with another four-try bonus point performance here
Saturday.
A week ago in Auckland in pristine conditions, the All
Blacks won 32-12 but were just as dominant in the
blustery, wet conditions in Wellington with their
high-paced, accurate, running rugby.
The margin could have been higher had the usually reliable
Dan Carter not had an off-night with the boot, missing
three conversions and three penalties before he was
replaced by Piri Weepu as kicker.
In two Tests against the reigning World and Tri-Nations
champions the All Blacks have scored eight tries and
conceded only two to firmly lay to rest their nightmare of
last year's 0-3 whitewash by the Springboks.
South Africa were again punished for ill-discipline. A
week after Bakkies Botha was yellow-carded, his
replacement Danie Rossouw was sent from the field in the
fourth minute and the All Blacks snared two tries before
he reappeared.
But it was the All Blacks' ability to recycle the ball and
counter-attack, even when deep on defence that the
Springboks found hardest to handle.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry said the recent victories
were down to how the All Blacks have adapted to new law
interpretations that allow for quick recycling of
possession.
"We were prepared to play rugby from a fair way out from
the goal line and were prepared to attack from our own
half and that resulted in a couple of tries," Henry said.
"The new interpretation of the tackle law has changed the
game a lot. It allows you to get continuity of possession
and to build to score points and the guys did that
exceptionally well."
After the first Test hammering, South African captain John
Smit said his side had faith in their traditional forward
power game and did not need to match the All Blacks'
free-flow style, seeing improvement despite Saturday's
result.
I turned down England
job twice, says Ferguson
AFP, London
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he twice
rejected the opportunity to coach the England national
team.
"I was offered the chance to manage the England team on a
couple of occasions but, of course, it was just out of the
question," said the Scot, whose side beat Celtic 3-1 in a
pre-season friendly in Toronto on Friday.
"It's a poisoned chalice anyway. I think it's a terrible
job, plus the fact that I would have had a tremendous
handicap being Scottish.
"No matter which way you look it, that's important."
The quality of coaching in the English game has once again
fallen under the microscope after England's disappointing
World Cup, where they were knocked out in the last 16
after a 4-1 defeat by old rivals Germany.
Ferguson, though, feels the blame lies with the intensity
of the English Premier League.
"The English season is exhausting," the 68-year-old told
Canadian television channel TSN. "Look at December, for
instance, when we play eight or nine games even though
it's the worst time of the year for the pitches, when they
are heavier and the weather is at its worst. "In the
second half of the season, you then find lots of players
are carrying little strains and pulls.
"But because of the importance of the games they keep on
playing and, when they get to the end of the season and
there's an important tournament such as the World Cup,
they are not 100 percent."
Korean amateur
makes a move at blustery British Open
AFP, St. Andrews
British Amateur champion Jin Jeong, a 20-year-old South
Korean, birdied the 18th hole Saturday to grab a share of
third place in the wind-blown second round at the fabled
Old Course.
Jeong, making his Open debut, completed 17 holes Friday
despite a 65-minute delay for high winds, the first Open
wind stoppage since 1998, that forced 30 of 156 players to
finish the second round on Saturday morning in light
winds. When play resumed, Jeong finished a two-under par
70 round to join England's Lee Westwood and Paul Casey on
six-under 138 after 36 holes and secure his spot as the
only amateur likely to make the cut.
The trio stood one stroke off 1989 Open winner Mark
Calcavecchia and six behind leader Louis Oosthuizen of
South Africa, who both benefitted from early Friday tee
times to stand atop the leaderboard as gusts pushed others
aside.
World number one Tiger Woods and first-round leader Rory
McIlroy were among those who struggled in the gales. Woods
battled to a one-over 73 and is eight strokes back.
McIlroy fired an 80 after an opening 63 to fall 11 off the
pace.
Oosthuizen, a South African who missed the cut in seven of
his previous eight majors, took advantage of benign early
conditions in the second group of the morning Friday to
fire a 67 and stand on 12-under 132 after 36 holes.
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