THURSday, july 8, 2010 ashar 24, 1417, RAJAB 25, 1431 Hijri

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Leading News

One killed, over 100 hurt during BNP human chain
About 100 arrested across the country

UNB, Dhaka

One activist was killed, more than 100 were injured and 100 arrested by police during the countrywide human chain organized by BNP on Wednesday.
Enamul Huq Omar, BNP activist of Raninagar of Naogaon district died allegedly of police torture during the human chain.
Senior joint secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accused the government of unleashing fascist tactics against peaceful demonstration. Barring a few places, police have frustrated the human chains formed across the country from 11 am to 12 noon.
He said human chain is the most innocent programme of democratic movement but the government exposed its 'fascism and autocratic' character by obstructing and attacking on the peaceful demonstration.
Asked about action against peaceful human chain DC of police, Ramna division, Syed Nurul Islam told reporters in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 11:30 am that they have been instructed not to allow any gathering on the street.
BNP organized the human chain to protest the government 'oppression and repression' on the opposition and demanding unconditional release of leaders and workers of BNP and its various wings including Mirza Abbas, Shamser Mobin Chowdury and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie MP arrested during June 27 hartal.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned the police action and demanded immediate release of the party leaders and activists.
He hurriedly called press briefing at the party central office at Naya Paltan in the afternoon and narrated the police atrocities in foiling the human chain.
At close of the human chain programme BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain blasted the government for police action. Talking to newsmen in front of the national press club he said their movement cannot be stopped by unleashing repression.
He said the present 'fascist' government in guise of democracy is running the country in an autocratic style to suppress the political opponents. He reminded that no autocratic regime in the country could stay in power for long and the present government will have to face the same fate.
Delwar alleged that when leaders and workers of BNP and its front and associate organizations across the country including Dhaka city spontaneously assembled to form human chain to register protest democratically and peacefully thousands of stick wielding police beat them, snatched away banners and picked up and wounded leaders and workers. He claimed that the people have rejected the government by spontaneously observing the June 27 hartal across the country.

  HC directive on Suhrawardy Udyan
Remove all installations sans Liberation War memorabilia

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court has directed the government to immediately remove all installations in Suhrawardy Udyan excepting the Liberation War memorabilia and those existed before December 16, 1971.
The High Court gave the orders for preserving and maintaining the historical places of events having link with Bangladesh independence, according to the full text of a landmark judgment delivered by a division bench on July 8 last year.
The judgment upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition was officially received on Wednesday, said advocate Manzill Murshid, the counsel for the PIL petitioners.
The HC division bench comprising Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice M Momtazuddin Ahmed through the verdict called upon the government to declare National Mourning Day on December 15 on the eve of the Victory Day (on Dec 16) to pay respect to the millions of people who either sacrificed lives or subjected to torture being a Bangalee during the nine months of Liberation War in 1971.
Besides, the HC urged the government to name the place of occurrence as Swadhinata Udyan or Liberty Square where the occupation Pakistani soldiers surrendered to the Joint Forces on December 16, 1971 that marked the emergence of Bangladesh as a new nation on the world map.
Earlier, while delivering the judgment, the HC directed the government to preserve and maintain all historical places of occurrences surrounding the Liberation War of Bangladesh across the country through the formation of a committee to identify the important historical sites, including the killing grounds.
Under the court instructions, the proposed committee was assigned to recover the original position of those places by removing the existing structures.
Former army chief Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah and Prof. Muntasir Mamun of Dhaka University filed the PIL writ petition seeking court direction for preserving and maintaining two places of national events at Suhrawardy Udyan centering the independence of Bangladesh. In the judgment, the High Court was critical of giving independence award to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of the independent Bangladesh.
"The image of Bangabandhu was tarnished by giving him independence award in the past as the name of Bangabandhu is synonymous with the independence - Bangabandhu is the icon of Bangladesh's independence," the High Court observed in its comprehensive verdict.
In 2003, during the BNP-led four-party alliance rule, the Cabinet Committee on National Awards honoured Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with independence award (posthumous), equating him with slain President Ziaur Rahman.

 PM urges Nigeria to import Bangladeshi products
BSS, Abuja, Nigeria

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday called upon the Nigerian government to import Bangladeshi quality products including pharmaceuticals, leather, jute goods, ceramic and frozen foods and recruit IT experts, doctors, engineers and other professionals.
The Prime Minister made the call when she paid a call on Nigerian President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at his residence here on Wednesday afternoon.
Sheikh Hasina who is now on a two-day visit to the oil rich African country to attend the D-8 summit underscored the need for intensifying cooperation in bilateral trade for the benefit of the two countries.
During the meeting, the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, expansion of trade and business and common issues in different international forums like the United Nations, Common-wealth and NAM came up for discussion, said Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad.
Azad said the Nigerian President lauded the prudent and farsighted leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in different international fora, especially the COP-15. "Globally you have proved yourself as an accepted and farsighted leader through your visionary leadership," Azad quoted the Nigerian President as saying.
Regarding Nigerian embassy in Bangladesh, Goodluck Jonathan told Sheikh Hasina that his government is actively considering to open its mission in Bangladesh for expediting cooperation between the two countries. Sheikh Hasina underlined the need for sharing experiences in micro-credit financing for removal of poverty and empowerment of women, exchange visits at government and private levels and increasing cooperation in fighting terrorism.

    Load shedding intensifies as power generation falls to 3800 mw

UNB, Dhaka

Power generation has again come down to around 3800 MW that intensified the nagging load shedding across the country.
According to official sources, the country's electricity generation came down by about 400 MW on Wednesday from an average 4200 MW in the past weeks. The day's demand was more than 5500 MW in the evening.
"The main reason of this fall in generation is technical fault at 360 MW Haripur plant and also gas shortage at different power stations," said Mostafa Kamal, member (generation) of the state-owned PDB.
He said the Haripur plant had to reduce its production to 165 MW from its capacity of 360 MW following a fault at its steam machine.
Similarly, many plants at different power stations have started getting lowered gas supply with the resumption of operation at different fertilizer factories
As the power supply situation is getting worse, the distribution companies like DESCO and DPDC have to intensify the extent of load shedding in different areas in and outside the capital city. Many areas experienced several hours of load shedding on different spells.
Mostafa Kamal said they hope that the situation would improve from next week with the Haripur plant back to its actual production capacity after the completion of repair works. In addition, some new rental power plants will hopefully start operation in the coming weeks.
He informed that a 45 MW new unit of Aggreko Rental plant at Ghorasal power station is now on test run while another 55 MW will start test run next week at Khulna power station.

    Policy in the offing to check cell phone crimes
UNB, Dhaka

The government is going to formulate a policy to check the rising incidents of cell phone crimes including terrorism and extortion.
"Terrorists have been committing crimes across the country by using handy cellular phones. We are now thinking how we can control mobile phone crimes and planning to announce mobile phone policy," Home Minister Sahara Khatun told reporters after a meeting with the country's mobile phone operators at her office on Wednesday. She said the mobile phone operators have been asked to submit their distributors list to the BTRC within September 30.
Cell phone SIM dealers of different companies must be qualified, at least SSC pass. Those do not fulfill it will have to undergo training to make them qualified for selling SIM cards, she added.
She further said that arrangement will be made for on-line identification of those who will buy mobile SIM card from January 2011.
Home Minister sought cooperation of the Election Commission for online checking of particulars of mobile phone subscribers through National ID card.
The meeting elaborately discussed about formulation of draft mobile phone policy.
State Minister for Home Shamsul Haq Tuku, BTRC officials, representatives of different mobile operators and law enforcing agencies, among others, attended the meeting.

    Bangladesh faces challenge to stay competitive in labour market

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh, which is eyeing increasing remittance flow through exploring new labour markets in the coming days, may face stiff challenges unless it ensures sending of skilled workers abroad, an expert says.
"One of the most important challenges that lie ahead for Bangladesh, as a labour sending country, is to enhance the skills of its labours, to stay competitive in the market," said Kristina Mejo, Regional Programme Manager of International Organization for Migration (IOM).
In a recent paper on Bangladeshi labour migration, Kristina shows that 49 percent of the migrant labours during the period of 1976-2009 were low-skilled (cleaners, sweepers, domestic workers, etc.) while only 31 percent were skilled and 17 percent semi-skilled. Only the remaining 3 percent were professionals that included doctors, nurses, engineers and architects.
Skilled workers include garment-makers, drivers, electricians and caregivers while the semi-skilled workers include construction workers, carpenters and guards.
The IOM official said low-skilled migrants often find them exploited and face difficulty to protect them. She thinks that despite the benefits that migrant labours bring into the country by sending remittances, the sector is one which has not gained as much prominence as it should.
Remittances from Bangladeshi migrants have grown at an average rate of 17 percent since 2001, which surged by 32.39 percent and reached a record high of about US$10.72 billion in 2009.
The study shows that Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka are the major countries of origin of migrant workers.
Experts think that Bangladesh may lose its competitiveness in international labour market and other countries will take the advantage if it fails to produce skilled workers to send abroad.
Kristina in her paper titled "Opportunities and Need for Skills Develop-ment for Migrant Workers" cited that Bangladeshis working abroad sent home a record US$ 950.92 million in the first month of current year, showing 8.81 percent growth over December 2009.

    BSF kills one more Bangladeshi
32 killed in four months

TBT Report

Indian Border Security Force killed one more Bangladeshi at Char Mazar frontier under Rajpara police station in Rajshahi here on Wednesday as the killing spree on Bangladesh border continues unabated despite India's repeated pledges to stop such killings.
According to BSS, BSF killed a Bangladeshi national at Char Mazar frontier under Rajpara police station on Wednesday. The victim was identified as Faruque Hossain, 30, son of late Zamshed Ali of Keshabpur under the same police station. Second-in-Command of 37 Rifles Battalion Major Arif Hossain told the newsmen that the BSF troops of Kaharpara camp under Raninagar Police Station in Murshidabad of West Bengal, opened fire on a group of people when they were going near to the no-mans-land early in the morning. Of them, Faruque Hossain received bullet injuries and died on the spot, he said. Soon after the incident, Indian border guards took away the body to their territory. BDR officials strongly protested the killing and urged their counterparts to return the body immediately. With this BSF killed 32 Bangladeshis in last 4 months.

Back Page

President for diplomatic steps to repatriate stranded Pakistanis

UNB, Dhaka

President Zillur Rahman on Wednesday emphasized on taking diplomatic initiatives for repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and also taking back of assets assessed in 1971.
The President made the remarks when newly appointed Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Suhrab Hossain called on him at Bangabhaban.
During the meeting, the President suggested the new envoy to endeavour for promotion of bilateral trade to reduce the trade imbalance between Bangladesh and Pakistan.Suhrab Hossain apprised the President that two countries presently attach good relations under existing institutional mechanism such as joint Economic Commission and Foreign Secretary level consultations to infuse dynamism in bilateral relation.
Emphasized on exchanging the visit of foreign secretary and foreign Ministerial level visit between the two countries, he also informed that Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has already expressed willingness to visit Bangladesh at his convenient time.
Secretaries concerned to the President's Office were present.

    NHRC chief tough against extrajudicial killing
UNB, Dhaka

New chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof Mizanur Rahman was critical of custodial death and 'missing' of citizens, saying that the Commission will no longer tolerate such incidents.
Talking to reporters after meeting with the Law Minister at his office Prof Mizan referred to his meeting with the RAB Director General and said, "I gave him a clear message that under any situation force can not be applied with own initiative even not on a convict jailed for more than 20 years."
"Not only RAB, no law enforcers can do this, "because such incidents are harmful for the state and also damages the country's image abroad," he added.
Asked about the outcome of his meeting with Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed, Prof Rahman said that he told that the government is pledged bound to the nation to ensure human rights of the common people.
Later, the Law Minister told reporters that the police officers were suspended for the recent deaths in their custody at Darus Salam and Gulshan police stations.
"Investigations are on and those who will be found responsible for extrajudicial killings will be taken to task. If any killing is not covered by laws, obviously it is an offence in the eye of law and if found guilty after investigation the offender will be brought to justice.
Asked about the formation of inquiry committee, excluding the police, on custodial death, Barrister Shafique said since it is the court's order, it must be complied with.
He said the government believes in rule of law and no body is above the law.
The Law Minister assured that the NHRC will perform independently and the government will extend all out cooperation to it.
Barrister Shafique said since the government is committed to upholding human rights, it enacted human rights law and set up a seven-member Human Rights Commission.
During the meeting the NHRC delegation suggested the Law Minister to establish branch of the Commission in every district. The delegation also sought office accommodation and manpower for the functioning of the Commission.

   DMP Commissioner asks all to ensure human rights, avoid custodial deaths

BSS, Dhaka

Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) AKM Shahidul Haque on Wednesday instructed all the police officials to ensure basic human rights of all detainees and avoid any more custodial death.
He gave these instructions quoting Article 33 and sub section 5 of 35 of the country's Constitution following some recent reports of custodial deaths that negatively affected the image of the police force.
He also alerted the officials of the DMP to be careful about the violation of human rights of the detained persons.
The instructions were included ensuring well-being and human behaviour with the detained persons in the Thana custody, to check their physical condition specially the heart disease, blood pressure, jaundice, epilepsy and Asthma and if necessary, those have to be sent to the hospital for treatment, and in case of sudden sickness the detainees should have to be rushed to the hospital immediately.
The instructions also asked there would be no physical or mental torture during remand, special care to them on way to the court and the custody, special take care to the women prisoners, special check up for the persons detained by other agencies, not to use additional force and follow section 46 of the Criminal Procedure Code to arrest anybody, strictly follow the instructions of the senior officers during hartal and not to get involved in any illegal acts, departmental actions can be taken against those who would be involved in illegal acts and compulsory visit to the jail hajat (cells) during inspection to any police station, outpost or lines by senior officials.

    Cabinet committee yet to finalize Perspective Plan
UNB, Dhaka

The cabinet committee on reviewing the Perspective Plan is yet to finalize the country's long-term Plan, which will be the base of the ongoing 6th five-year plan (2010-15) and the 7th five-year plan (2015-20).
The draft of the 'Outline Perspective Plan of Bangladesh (2010-2021): Making Vision 2021 A Reality' was finalized this April in a bid to achieve a fast expanding economic system in the country through reducing poverty quickly by 2021 and also attaining higher economic growth.
The draft was first placed before the cabinet for discussion on May 24 from where some recommendations came. After considering those recommendations, the draft plan was again placed before the cabinet on June 7. The same day, the cabinet formed a five-member committee, headed by Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr. Mashiur Rahman, to review the Plan. General Economics Division (GED) member of Planning Commission Prof Shamsul Alam was made the member-secretary of the review committee.
The other three members are Finance Division Secretary Dr. Mohammad Tareq, Planning Division Secretary M Habibullah Majumder and a Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank.
A highly placed source at the Planning Ministry said that some 20 ministers and advisers put forward their recommendations about the Plan before the review committee by June 13, but the committee is yet to sit to finalize the Plan. The source said there might be a little delay in the implementation of the 6th Five-Year Plan as it would be finalized on the basis of the Perspective Plan.
A panel of experts, appointed by the government, has thoroughly analyzed the outline of the Perspective Plan before GED gave it a complete shape. The panel of experts included renowned economists, sociologists and technologists like Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Dr. Farashuddin, Dr Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Dr Atiur Rahman, Dr Mustafa Kamal Mujeri and Dr Mustafizur Rahman.
They volunteered their cooperation to prepare different chapters of the outline of the Perspective Plan. When contacted, Prof Shamsul Alam, member-secretary of the review committee, said the committee would sit at the earliest possible, most probably in the next week, to finalize the Perspective Plan.

    Trial of 153 BDR jawans of Satkania Rifles Training Centre begins

UNB, Bandarban

Trial of 153 BDR jawans rebelled on February 25-26 last year at Baitul Izzat Rifles Training Centre in Satkania of Chittagong began in Bandarban on Wednesday.
Some 75 accused arrested earlier. The prosecutor sought and got permission of the special court for arresting 78 others.
The court headed by the BDR chief resumes today when the prosecutor was directed to produce all the accused.

    JS body to probe corruption in Dhaka Zoo
BSS, Dhaka

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Fisheries and Animal Resources Ministry on Wednesday formed a sub- committee to investigate irregularities and corruption in Dhaka Zoo.
The sub-committee, headed by M Ilias Uddin Mollah, will submit a probe report within 15 days. Other members of the probe body are M Makbul Hossain and Manjur Quader Koraishi.
The sub-committee was formed at the 12th meeting of the parliamentary standing committee at Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban with committee chairman ABM Ashraf Uddin Mizan presiding, said a press release.
The meeting reviewed the progress of implementation of decisions taken in the 11th meeting.It discussed in detail the report of sub-committee on the activities of Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) and decided to send the recommendations in the report to the ministry for implementation.
Committee members Fisheries and Animal Resources Minister M Abdul Latif Biswas, M Zillul Hakim, M Makbul Hossain, Zafar Iqbal Siddiqui, Manjur Quader Koraishi, M Ilias Ali Mollah and Noor Afroz Ali attended the meeting. Senior officials concerned were present.

    Case filed against four police men for death of transport worker Mujibur

UNB, Dhaka

Seven persons including four cops of Darus Salam thana were sued on Wednesday in connection with the death of transport worker Pung Mujibur.
Mujibur, a resident of Borobagh area under Darus Salam Police station, was found dead on the bank of river Turag on 2 July.
His father Mohammad Ibrahim filed the case with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court accusing four policemen of Darus Salam thana-Sub-Inspector Hekmat Ali, Asst SI Moshiur, Asst SI Sayem and Constable Zia-and three police informers - Mujibur Rahman, Kajal and Nayan - for killing his son.
Magistrate Sahadat Hossain set July 11 to begin trial. Ibrahim in his petition said the police arrested his son Mujibur at about 7:30 pm on July 1 when he was returning from his father-in-law' s house and demanded Tk 50,000 as bribe.

Editorial

School bus service

The government efforts to ease the traffic congestion in the city are continuing. It is as part of this process that the State owned BRTC will launch school bus service from July 15 to ease the transport problem of school and college students.Initially, the BRTC school bus will run between Mirpur-12 (Pallabi) to Azimpur. The bus will stop at Mirpur-11, 10, Darus Salam crossing, Kallyan-pur, Shyamoly, College Gate, Asad Gate, Rusell Square, Science Labora-tory, Nilkhet and Home Economics College, said an agency report quoting an official release.
It may be recalled here that on November 10 last year the education ministry and school and college authorities in the capital agreed in principle to introduce bus service for students of certain schools in a bid to ease the traffic jam . After a meeting with principals and head teachers of colleges and schools at his ministry, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid had told journalists , all in the meeting agreed that private cars carrying students are contributing to traffic congestions around certain good schools and colleges in the city .
The meeting suggested that the school authorities could make arrangement with the BRTC to introduce bus service for certain schools. The buses will ferry students from certain stops on certain routes. "The schools which are financially well off can purchase their own buses, if necessary, by taking bank loans, to replace small school vans and microbuses which also cause road jam," the meeting observed. About school timings, the minister said, "The school authorities can readjust their school timings at their convenience during the winter season."
It is known to all that the government has been trying for quite some time to ease the alarming traffic jam in the capital. To this end a number of steps have been taken, including rescheduling the timings for offices and educational institutions, but with very little or no effect.
The belated BRTC move to launch school bus service in the city from July 15 has come in pursuance of the decision taken in the high level meeting in November last. But unfortunately, introduction of school buses in limited sphere is unlikely to be able to resolve the traffic congestion which prevails all over the city and not only around 'certain good schools and colleges'. Moreover, it will not be an easy task for the school buses to pick up the students from specific stops in time and the students may suffer due to unusual wait at the stops. In fact, the move to introduce school buses, though well-intended may not be as effective as expected.
In this regard, the experts stress that such isolated steps will hardly be able to contribute to easing traffic congestion and that only comprehensive plans can yield tangible results. Forcing the old and unfit vehicles out of the roads, stopping illegal parking, evicting unauthorised bus stands, prohibiting long-route buses from entering the city, freeing the footpaths from occupation, construction of more fly-over, introduction of commuter train service and strict enforcement of traffic rules are most essential to ease the traffic jam.

 Price of jute

The government is set to launch the jute purchasing at cash price from July 15. Jute will be procured at the rate of Taka 1200 to Taka 1800 per maund as against Taka 1611 per maund last year. For the purpose of jute purchase an allocation of Taka 1000 crore has already been made as against Taka 200 crore last year. The enhanced allocation for jute purchase is aimed at putting 16 jute mills in full operation. The jute production target this year has been fixed at 50 to 55 lakh bales, but production may exceed 60 to 65 lakh bales.
Meanwhile, experts are expressing surprise as to why will the government purchase jute at Taka 1200 to Taka 1800 per maund as against Taka 1611 per maund last year while the price should be much higher now in view of the rising demand for jute in international market. According to media reports, the country's export earning from jute goods increased by 70 percent while that from raw jute rose by 44 percent during the first nine months of the last fiscal year. The earning soared due to increase of price and volume of export. BJMC stated that export price of jute goods and raw jute rose by around 35 percent this fiscal over that of last year.
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.
The government should make all efforts to ensure fair price of jute for the growers instead of trying to get jute at cheaper rate from them. The government must not behave like traders to maximize profit at the cost of jute growers. In most cases they are deprived of fair price as the middle men and traders purchase jute from the growers at a lower price at the outset of the season, but sell jute at much higher rate when jute is out of the hands of the growers. It is expected that the government will purchase directly from the farmers at reasonable price to keep the jute market stable and protect the interest of the jute producers. The prospect for regaining the lost glory of jute as the golden fibre has become really bright now. This opportunity should not be missed.

Analysis

Clear and Present Danger

The punishment for "suicide bombings" and/or abetting thereof should be death, the same for those who incite ethnic and/or sectarian violence.

Ikram Sehgal

After the rout of the Talibaan by US-led coalition forces, elements of Al-Qaeda found a safe haven in the no-go (self-imposed by the government) FATA territory, and began to operate at will on both sides of the Durand Line. With plenty of cash from the foreigners, with religious sentiments decrying the occupation of Afghanistan and with a heritage of spurning laws that are not essentially tribal in nature, besides being a safe haven Wana became an ideal recruiting ground from among the youth of the area. Poverty-stricken southern Punjab, ripe with Shia-Sunni strife, provided an additional feed of recruits for existing cells of disparate religious militants throughout the country.
When Pakistani forces entered FATA in 2004 without proper planning, adequate quantum of men and material, and without training for counter insurgency operations (COIN), Al-Qaeda, which till than had focused most of their venom on Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world, had the infra-structure in place to target Pakistani heartland with a vengeance. Not withstanding successful ongoing COIN operations by the Pakistan Army (and the PAF) for the past year, terrorists still continue to have a remarkable capacity for mayhem and murder within Pakistan, the capability to strike at a place and time of their choosing.
Well-coordinated terrorist attacks targetting Lahore include "suicide bombings" like the recent atrocity on the Data Ganj Baksh Darbar seems to have woken up our public representatives from their apathy to a major problem. Rhetoric alone and chest-beating, and that too without conviction, is cheap, it won't save previous human lives. Even more pathetic is the use of the bogey of terrorism for political scoring, not only macabre and demeaning but condemnable, why should anyone use innocent dead and injured for political gamesmanship? Whoever incites hatred and ethnic/sectarian violence must be indicted and prosecuted. Terrorists have no faith and/or lineage, they cannot be branded as Punjabi, Pathan, Shia, Sunni, etc. Another hard fact has to be drummed into our ruling elite! To quote my article of Feb 18, 2010, "countering insurgency is far different from countering terrorism, we do not have capacity or the capability within the civilian Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to counter terrorism". Use of the Army is counter-productive, alienating the population they will lose the goodwill gained through great sacrifice in blood and sweat.
The excellent initiative of the govt in establishing the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NCTA) lay mostly dormant till the recent Lahore incident, to its credit the govt has now "activated" NCTA to cope with the "clear and present danger (US Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes)". Dedicated and concentrated effort by a well equipped, well-trained and well-led force will be required to destroy their potential to spread harm and grief, this entity should be under the direct control of the NCTA. Using their available capabilities in personnel and training matched with technology, US (Special Operations Command), UK (SAS) France (CIGN), etc have trained and equipped units specializing in handling immediate threats. "A Counter-Terrorism Force (CTF) in Pakistan, officered both by the army and the police, must be developed on the pattern of the tremendously successful Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) that has almost eliminated poppy cultivation and drug smuggling. The ANF existing structure could be used as the nucleus for the CTF".
The US can help with funds, material and training. "A Pakistan Surge", of March 25, 2010, noted, "The US Department of Defense (DOD) has an office called SOLIC (Special Operation and Low Intensity Conflict) created in the 1980's. Within SOLIC there is an office called CN (Counter Narcotics) whose funding is authorized directly by Congress. After 9/11, Congress expanded DOD authority to use CN funds for counter-terrorism purposes, justified by the interplay between terrorist and insurgent groups and their funds-raising from narcotics trafficking".
Counter-Terrorism being the top priority of the nation and a full-time task, NCTA (and the CTF) should be under a separate Federal Ministry working in close cooperation with both the Ministries of Defence and Interior. Tariq Pervez, credited with turning the FIA around, and re-employed as Chairman NCTA, can possibly craft policy and make assessments if not inhibited by lack of cooperation and funds. Till now he was powerless to implement a coordinated strategy. While the proposed NCTA "think tank" is an excellent idea, various agencies presently conduct their own assessments and plan their operations without cohesive effectiveness. This un-coordinated "bits and pieces" effort affects security service delivery across a broad spectrum of likely targets, eg, diplomatic corps, multinational companies, expatriates and the public in general.
Notwithstanding law and order being a Provincial subject, terrorism is a Federal problem. NCTA must identify the most dangerous threats and likely targets thereof. Among the required capabilities, to viz (1) detect people organized in terrorist activity, while simultaneously monitoring their movements (2) detect the supply sources of explosive materials, the terrorists have to procure it from somewhere (3) mobilize one's defense capability to recognize and counter specific threats (4) mobilize adequate and coordinated intelligence capability, utilizing both human and electronic intelligence (5) focus on air, sea, rail and road travel as potential terror targets and (6) use both electronic and physical means to guard the country's frontiers, involving monitoring and observation of thousands of miles of our borders.
NCTA's Risk Assessment Process should analyse and define viz (1) Related risks (2) Risk related incidents (3) Risk impact and (4) Likelihood of incidents. Next, assess the current ability of the security authorities/stakeholders to include (1) The organizational structures responsible to coordinate and deal with security and security related incidents (2) The emergency and other plans and procedures (3) Training standards and (4) other security measures used by the authorities. The future state of security alertness must be defined next. Most importantly, the detailed recommendation must include (1) The specific stakeholder/security authority (2) Current status/quality/ability rating (3) recommendations must not be limited to organizational restructuring, manpower needs and training, electronic solutions and the need for specialized equipment, and lastly (4) Priorities must be spelt out. With many of our urban cities vulnerable, one can be selected as a model for a realistic such exercise. External sources and expertise must be tapped without further delay.
Those connected directly to the perpetrators and those who indirectly give sustenance must be targetted, including funds ostensibly meant for charity. Besides draining the country of its precious FE reserves, terrorist funding comes through FE dealers and "havalas". All foreign exchange (FE) must be processed through scheduled banks to stop the flow. The civilized world still has illusions that it is possible to enforce the rule of law in a totally lawless environment. No country has a law against cannibals eating citizens because such an act would be unthinkable, but it is time to bring the unthinkable into the statute books. Does International law address killers shooting into hospitals, mosques and society? The punishment for "suicide bombings" and/or abetting thereof should be death, the same for those who incite ethnic and/or sectarian violence. After years of vacillation our Ulema belatedly seem united against this cancerous menace.
Public opinion is mobilized against the threat of terrorism, rhetoric must now be translated into action to deal with the "clear and present danger".

Ikram Sehgal is an internationally renowned columnist and the Editor of the Pakistan Defence Journal

  Terrorism and SAARC

Although SAARC was formed primarily to promote regional cooperation among the member countries for economic development and trade, it has also been seized with the challenge of terrorism from the very beginning.

Dr Rashid Ahmad Khan

Pakistan was host to the SAARC interior ministers' conference in Islamabad last week. The conference is one of the regional mechanisms established by SAARC to fight against terrorism in South Asia through the cooperative efforts of its member countries. The hallmark of the conference was the presence of Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram, who was the first senior Indian union minister to visit Pakistan since the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. He also met separately with Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik to discuss prospects of cooperation in counter-terrorism between the two countries. Although the agenda of the conference included preventing human trafficking, visa issues, law enforcement, smuggling of narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances, cooperation in police matters and information sharing mechanisms, the discussions on preparing a common counter-terrorism strategy for the SAARC region dominated its deliberations. From the declaration issued on the conclusion of the conference, however, it appears that there was little progress among the seven participating ministers towards reaching an agreement on the contours of a common counter-terrorism strategy. According to some analysts, the conference could not take any concrete step in the direction of a common counter-terrorism strategy and the participating member countries remained stuck in their old positions on the issue of fighting terrorism.
This is unfortunate in view of the fact that the region continues to witness a rising wave of terrorism with a consequent loss of human life and extensive damage to property. How serious the threat of terrorism is in South Asia is evident from the recently announced statistics on terrorist incidents in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 1,835 persons lost their lives and 5,194 suffered injuries in 1,906 terror attacks in the country during 2009-10. The attacks cost the economy about 6 percent of GDP. The National Assembly was recently told that over the last year, 180 incidents of suicide bombings were reported from different parts of the country. Referring to the economic impact of these terrorist incidents, the federal government admitted before lawmakers that the government had not been able to provide employment to the people largely because of this upsurge in terrorism.
The declaration also called terrorism "the biggest challenge facing the region", and admitted that terrorism posed a serious threat to peace and security in the region, undermining harmony, friendly and good neighbourly relations and cooperation among the countries of the region. There were also pledges for multilateral cooperation to fight terrorism. The outcome of the conference included an agreement to consider a proposal presented by Pakistan to create an institution similar to Interpol. But there was no agreement on an extradition treaty among the SAARC countries - a proposal strongly favoured by India. The meeting discussed ways and means to strengthen police cooperation and step up real time intelligence sharing and other means to combat terrorism. However, the conference failed to suggest a mechanism through which police cooperation could be strengthened. Similarly, the conference did not approve the proposal made by the prime minister of Bangladesh to set up a SAARC Anti-Terrorism Task Force. Sri Lanka had presented a proposal on the formation of SAARC Police to help detect trans-national crimes, control terrorism and arrest criminals. At the start of the conference, the member countries exchanged lists of banned organisations and appraised each other of steps taken to root out terrorism and militancy in their countries. Pakistan presented a list containing the names of 21 organisations that have been banned in the country.
Although SAARC was formed primarily to promote regional cooperation among the member countries for economic development and trade, it has also been seized with the challenge of terrorism from the very beginning. In order to meet this challenge, SAARC undertook a number of initiatives. Only two years after its formation in 1985, SAARC approved the 'SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism', in 1987. The Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and Additional Protocol on Terrorism now constitutes a single document under which the member countries have undertaken to initiate, within their national legal frameworks, certain measures to combat terrorism by suppressing and eradicating the financing of terrorism, seizing and confiscating of funds and other assets, preventing money laundering, cooperation on immigration and customs control, cooperation among law enforcing agencies, providing mutual legal assistance and holding consultations among them. The 15th summit, held in Colombo in 2008, pledged to fight terrorism as its priority number one. During this summit, the member countries signed a legal pact to combat terrorism.
Despite the existence of a number of mechanisms on bilateral and multilateral levels, the eight member states of SAARC have not been able to evolve a coordinated and comprehensive approach towards terrorism. Terrorism has been identified as the most serious challenge facing the countries of South Asia and its elimination is now top priority, but SAARC still lacks a common counter-terrorism strategy. Various proposals such as the establishment of SAARC Police and SAARC Anti-Terrorism Task Force have failed to receive consensus support. There are two main reasons for a lack of progress in this direction. One, terrorism is a political issue with conflicting national and regional perspectives. Each member country, while agreeing to extend cooperation to others in the fight against terrorism, is prepared to do so, as the declaration issued on the conclusion of the Interior minister's conference in Islamabad says, "within the purview of national laws and procedures and international commitments and following the principle of non-interference and non-intervention in each other's affairs." This clearly means that cooperation against terrorism within the SAARC region is closely linked to the domestic political dynamics of the member countries and regional environment in which they operate as sovereign entities.
Two, the mistrust between India and Pakistan impedes any meaningful progress towards a common counter-terrorism strategy. The failure of the two countries to make any tangible move on close cooperation against terrorism in the Islamabad meeting illustrates the dilemma facing SAARC in countering terrorism. Despite the pledge to fight terrorism jointly, Indian dissatisfaction at the Pakistani handling of the Mumbai terror suspects still persists.
There is no doubt that terrorism is being viewed with growing concern at the SAARC level. There are also strong indications that member states recognise the need to fight this menace jointly. A number of bilateral and multilateral mechanisms have also been put in place to promote cooperation against terrorism. But SAARC is still far away from evolving a common counter-terrorism strategy. It would be better for the member countries to agree, keeping aside their political differences, on a common counter-terrorism strategy as any delay will only embolden the terrorists to cause greater loss to human life and property.


The writer is a professor of International Relations at Sargodha University. He can be reached at rashid_khan192@yahoo.com

Viewpoints

Define your terms

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said Pakistan has an important role to play in brokering talks between Afghanistan's militant factions and the Karzai government.

Iftekhar A Khan

The US-led NATO forces in June have suffered maximum deaths in a month since they invaded Afghanistan in 2002. British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said Pakistan has an important role to play in brokering talks between Afghanistan's militant factions and the Karzai government. Similarly, some of the top American civil and military officials have met Gen Kayani in the last few days, ostensibly, to urge him to negotiate a deal between the Taliban and the US marionette, Hamid Karzai. It seems the negotiations are under way but what're the likely terms of the deal?
If you wish to converse [negotiate] with me, said Voltaire, define your terms. All negotiations and deals are based on specific terms, as was the infamous NRO that exonerated so many corrupt and placed them in positions of unrivalled affluence. The deal was an acorn planted to raise a great oak of corruption in nation's history. It's doing well, thank you. In the context of Afghanistan imbroglio, there're two major contenders: one, the US - master surveyor of earth resources, which has its stakes not only in Afghanistan but the world over wherever resources to grab abound; and two, people of Afghanistan, call them Taliban, Islamists, extremists, obscurantist, whatever. The US has so far poured $300 billion in the scorched land. Reportedly, 90 per cent of it has gone to finance the US military operations while only 10 per cent spent on infrastructure. It speaks for the much-touted development in the country.
However, after sacking two top generals midway - David McKiernan and Stanley McChrystal - sinking billions of dollars and spilling blood of their own troops besides killing thousands of wretched Afghans in a decade-long war, the invaders mull over withdrawing. NATO's new commander, Gen Petraeus, prefers calling withdrawal a process, not an exit, which is fine and dandy. It's quite clear the superpower attacked Afghanistan not for purging it of nebulous Al Qaeda, terrorism, extremism etc. but for its geographical proximity to energy reserves around the Caspian Sea, which the superpower wanted to control for its future use and deny to other regional powers.
The US military deploys in almost all oil-producing states in the Gulf. Writer Tariq Ali terms these states US petrol pumps in the Middle East, while defence analyst Eric Margolis calls the US military there pipelines protection troops. The Central Asian states will now serve the US as its new petrol pumps in the region. The anticipated route of oil and gas pipelines from CAS is Afghanistan-FATA-Balochistan (Gawadar), an arc inhabited by tribes of diverse ethnicities, most of them virulently hostile to foreign occupation. That's why the likely route of communication of energy resources is the theatre of fierce fighting. By a sinister logic, the locals resisting the foreign forces are called 'insurgents' in their own homeland; invaders could then be the peacekeepers.
Exploration of energy resources and laying and protecting pipelines in an inhospitable region of the world is the predicament the superpower faces. Who will guarantee the protection of pipelines from new pumping stations in the CAS to the destination? Such an undertaking in the region would remind of Indiana Jones's adventures in Raiders of Lost Ark. However, it's not a no-win situation. There's a way out. Instead of plundering the oil and gas, and other mineral resources of the region, share the benefits with other stakeholders along the route. Only a quid pro quo arrangement between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan on one side and foreign speculators on the other, based on give-and-take will work. Imperial hubris humbled, option of war exhausted, it's time for peace, live and let live.


The writer is a freelance contributor based in Lahore. Email: pinecity@ gmail.com

  Another dangerous crossroads for Iraq

Now the US wants to start its troop pullback as early as next month. To do that it needs a stable government in Baghdad capable of maintaining law and order in the war-torn country.
 
Osama Al Sharif

Biden's visit underlines growing US anxiety over political impasse in Baghdad US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Baghdad this week has underlined Washington's growing anxiety over the political impasse that has prevented the formation of a new government four months after Iraqis went to the polls. Unless political rivals overcome their differences by July 14, when the newly elected Parliament convenes, Iraq will face a constitutional vacuum that could overwhelm its troubled democracy and set off a fresh cycle of violence.
Biden's message to Iraq's neighbors was clear: Don't interfere! It's a bold one coming from the representative of a country that had committed the mother of all intrusions; a military invasion that toppled a ruling regime, disbanded the army and shut down the government, which finally unleashed waves of sectarian violence, terror, chaos and corruption. But the issue is not about ethics but political necessity. The US needs to see a new government installed in Baghdad as it prepares to launch a process of troop pullback, to be completed by mid-2011.
The March 7 elections were an important milestone in the US exit strategy from Iraq. The fact that all components of Iraq's complex ethnic and sectarian makeup participated in the poll was a major breakthrough. Iraqis had become fed up after years of violence and despair and were hoping to launch a new political process that would lead their beleaguered country toward a better future. The fact that most Sunnis and many Shiites had supported a secular coalition, headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi underlined the sincerity of that quest. Al-Iraqiya List defeated its main rival, the State of Law coalition, headed by incumbent Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, who is supported by Shiite nationalist and religious parties.
But since election results were announced a legal and political battle had ensued over who has the right to form the new government. Since none of the parties or blocs won a decisive majority, each of the main two rivals is claiming that right. The stalemate continues as the two men attempt to resolve their differences.
But time is running out and the deadlock could quickly turn into confrontation, especially as Parliament gets ready to meet to elect a new president and deputies. So far Allawi and Al-Maliki have stood their grounds, but what Biden was hoping to do is to convince both leaders to opt for a power-sharing compromise.
That is easier said than done. Al-Maliki will have to think of his own partners, especially in the Iraqi National Alliance, a coalition of Shiite parties including one headed by anti-American, pro-Iran cleric Muqtada Sadr. He also must keep his Kurdish partners, who want to retain the presidency, in line.
On the other hand, Allawi believes his Iraqiya List has the legal and constitutional right to form the next government. But even so Allawi needs to join hands with other parties to secure the needed majority. It's a tough mission and he cannot afford to alienate his Sunni followers by courting radical Shiites.
Iraq's fragile democracy is facing its most crucial test yet. If the main players fail to hammer out a deal before July 14, the entire process could collapse. If they do it will be a first step in a long march of moving away from sectarian politics toward an all-inclusive power-sharing system of government. Unfortunately it is not entirely up to Iraqis to do just that. Biden is right in pointing to outside interferences, even when the US itself is guilty of doing exactly that.
The most important foreign influence on Iraq, aside from the US, comes from Iran. It is no secret that key Shiite politicians and clerics have strong connections to Tehran. Iran's role in Iraqi internal affairs has grown tremendously since the Anglo-American invasion in 2003 and the subsequent fall of the Saddam Hussein regime. The US, which has many unresolved problems with Iran, has miscalculated the significance of Tehran's influence on Iraqi affairs.
But it was America's occupation of Iraq which brought thousands of Al-Qaeda jihadists to that country. The war that followed between the US and Al-Qaeda in Iraq has caused the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. And it was America's callous policies that triggered ethnic and sectarian tensions and led to horrific atrocities.
Now the US wants to start its troop pullback as early as next month. To do that it needs a stable government in Baghdad capable of maintaining law and order in the war-torn country. But with US-Iranian relations at their worst levels, especially after last month's Security Council resolution which imposed fresh sanctions against Tehran, there are no guarantees that America's exit plan will not face a setback.
The Iraqi impasse is a result of failed local and regional policies and perceptions. Biden wants Iraq's neighbors to stay out, but it is important to remember that America's invasion of that country and the chaos and bloodshed that ensued made Iraq everybody's business.

Osama Al Sharif is a veteran journalist and political commentator based in Amman.

 The need to save Kyrgyzstan

If lawlessness and loss of authority are allowed to take root in Kyrgyzstan there is a danger that the country may be subject to infiltration by extremist groups, including terrorists.

Kanat Saudabayev

The international community faces an acute test of its political will in Kyrgyzstan. This small Central Asian country with a population of 5.3 million people is now in a deep political, economic and social crisis.
As the tragic events of last month have shown, relations between the majority Kyrgyz population and some of the country's minorities have started to fracture in the south leaving the interim government struggling to regain control and maintain a ?functioning state.
Some people may ask: Why does the situation in Kyrgyzstan matter? For many of them it is probably, as Neville Chamberlain said famously of Czechoslovakia, a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing. In fact, Kyrgyzstan is one of the main conduits for opium and heroin smuggling from Afghanistan to Russia and Europe.
If lawlessness and loss of authority are allowed to take root in Kyrgyzstan there is a danger that the country may be subject to infiltration by extremist groups, including terrorists.
The consequences of a complete breakdown of Kyrgyzstan could be very serious for Central Asia and the region beyond. The prospect of further violence, refugee flows to neighboring countries and a complete loss of control throughout the nation should be sufficient to galvanise world leaders to address the problems. Kazakhstan, which holds the chair of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), is a neighbour of Kyrgyzstan and the largest investor in the country. Kazakhstan feels a special responsibility to find a formula for deploying the resources of the international community to set Kyrgyzstan back on its feet.
As chairman of the OSCE, I have begun urgent consultations with the leadership of the United Nations and the European Union as well as with heads of foreign offices of regional players, including Russia, United States, China and Turkey, to coordinate our joint efforts on stabilising Kyrgyzstan.
Under Kazakhstan's chairmanship, the OSCE deployed Zhanybek Karibzhanov as a special representative to Bishkek. Karibazhanov, deputy speaker of Kazakhstan's lower house of Parliament and chairman of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz interparliamentary group, together with envoys from the UN and the EU, played an influential role in facilitating dialogue and defusing tensions.
While I believe that our efforts contained the crisis in April, the violence that erupted in mid-June is a chilling reminder of the fragility of the country and the limits of what the international community is currently able to achieve in Kyrgyzstan.
Let us be clear: Kyrgyzstan's root problems are social and economic, not political or ethnic. Since independence in 1991 successive governments in Bishkek have been unable to ensure adequate economic development in Kyrgyzstan leaving it with GDP levels up to five times below that of its immediate neighbors. This has resulted in the sense of hopelessness and despair that is creating political divisions and driving the breakdown in relations between ethnic groups, most of which have a long history of living ?together peacefully.
That is why Kazakhstan has provided and continues to provide tangible humanitarian assistance to its close neighbor, sending fuel, seeds and foodstuffs. And that is why Nazarbayev has proposed to develop, together with Kyrgyzstan, an international plan of assistance for the country and a strategic programme for its economic development. Uzbekistan deserves great credit for opening its borders and offering sanctuary to tens of thousands of Uzbek refugees. Although most of them have now returned to Kyrgyzstan, the situation in the south of the country remains volatile and there are concerns that the splintering of Kyrgyzstan's ruling class and society could lead to disturbances in the north as well.
Kazakhstan has welcomed the success of the Kyrgyz referendum on June 27 as an important step toward returning a legal framework and peaceful development to the country. We urge all political forces in Kyrgyzstan to unite their efforts in reviving the economy and solving the most acute social problems. Kazakhstan stands ready to share its experience of economic and political reforms to help our brotherly nation.
It is vital now that the international community find the resolve to support the Kyrgyz government's capacity to maintain public order and advance national reconciliation.
The OSCE is ready to make its contribution to accomplishing this mission. With this in mind, we seek the strengthening of the OSCE centre in Bishkek and its operations throughout Kyrgyzstan. To help Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan as chairman of the OSCE is working hard to employ the organization's potential to the fullest extent possible. It is important that the political will of its 56 member states now be mobilised to offer Kyrgyzstan the assistance that it so urgently needs.


Kanat Saudabayev is the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan and chairman of the OSCE.

 One-shot attempt

But BP and the administration were wary of predicting that the well would be finished sooner than expected.

Suzanne Goldenberg

After 76 days, 190 million gallons of oil, and a $22.5bn clean-up and compensation bill so far, BP is poised to plug its leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico. Drilling engineers have only one chance to get it right.
One wrong move as engineers break through the cement and steel pipe of the Macondo well could increase the torrent of oil into the Gulf. In the worst case scenario, it could even trigger a blow-out in the relief well.
"They pretty much have one shot," said Wayne Pennington, the chair of geophysical engineering at Michigan Tech University. "Once they hit it and they try to kill it they really just have that one chance."
Pennington and other experts agree the chances of such a disaster are remote. But it cannot be ruled out entirely as BP moves into the most delicate phase of its relief well operation. Nor can the prospect of unexpected delays, due to technical glitches or forecasts for a very active hurricane season.
For now though, the operation is about a week ahead of schedule.
The first of two relief wells is within striking distance of the Macondo, about 4.5m away from the pipe and 200m or so above the reservoir, after weeks of drilling. The second, ordered by the Obama administration as a safety back-up, is some weeks behind.
But BP and the administration were wary of predicting that the well would be finished sooner than expected.
"There is a chance - a slight chance - they could nick the wellbore," Thad Allen, the coast guard commander, said. "We shouldn't come off that mid-August date until we know they've actually gone through" the leaking well, he told a White House briefing.
The most important thing is establishing a clear connection with the Macondo so they can begin pumping in the heavy drilling mud according to Mark Proegler, a BP spokesman. A nick risks starting a new small leak or possibly even a collapse of a section of the pipe given that it was damaged in the explosion in ways still not fully understood.
Those challenges are still some days away as BP continues to find the optimal point to break into the well, a process known as ranging. "We have many days ahead of us of ranging runs," said Proegler. The process involves lowering a device down the relief well that bounces electromagnetic waves through the rock to try to measure the distance to the metal pipe of the Macondo, a target barely seven inches (18mm) in diameter.

International

China, Pakistan vow to step up fight against terrorism
AFP, Beijing

China and Pakistan pledged to step up joint efforts against terrorism Wednesday as the presidents of the two neighboring nations vowed to expand trade and economic cooperation, state media said.
Chinese President Hu Jintao welcomed Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to the Great Hall of the People where the two leaders expressed their commitment to deepening ties in energy, communications and infrastructure construction.
"China and Pakistan are both victims of terrorism," China Central Television quoted Hu as telling Zardari.
"To strengthen Sino-Pakistani anti-terrorism cooperation and strike at terrorism, separatism and religious extremism is in the fundamental interests of the people's of both nations."
Hu urged Pakistan to continue to look out for the safety and security of Chinese nationals and companies in Pakistan following a spate of kidnappings in recent years, it said.
Zardari is in China until Sunday and will meet with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and other leaders on Thursday, Chinese diplomats said.
Earlier Zardari met with top Chinese bankers and business executives pledging greater protection for Chinese investment in his nation, his office said in a statement.
Besides talks with executives from NORINCO, China's top arms manufacturer, Zardari also met with leaders of Sinohydro Corporation, the nation's main dam builder and China Petrochemical Corporation, also known as SINOPEC, the statement said.
China is Pakistan's strongest ally and Islamabad relies heavily on Beijing for its defence and infrastructure needs.
Many Chinese companies operate in Pakistan and China is involved in the construction of a deep-sea port at Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.
China has also agreed to build two new civilian nuclear reactors in Pakistan, the government said in March, amid persistent concerns about the safety of nuclear materials in the restive south Asian state.
News of the reactors elicited concerns from Washington over the security of nuclear materials in troubled Pakistan, where the Taliban movement is waging a bloody offensive.
In recent days a Pakistan army contingent has been taking part in joint anti-terror exercises with the Chinese military in China in the latest sign of closer relations between the two countries, state press reported.

   Nepal parties seek extension on unity government talks
AFP, Kathmandu

Nepal's political leaders said Wednesday they would seek to extend a deadline to form a new unity government set by the Himalayan country's president.
The nation was plunged into crisis last week when Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal stepped down under pressure from opposition Maoists.
Nepal's president, Ram Baran Yadav had set Wednesday as the deadline for parties to form a national "consensus" government. But days of talks between the three biggest political parties have failed to yield an agreement.
The parties are deadlocked over an insistence by the Maoists that they should lead the new power-sharing administration and oversee the drafting of Nepal's constitution since it became a republic two years ago.
Leaders of the main political parties said they would ask the president to delay the deadline so the dispute can be settled.
"We've decided to ask the president to extend the date for government formation," said Pradeep Gyawali, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML).
"We have to settle a few issues and that takes time," Gyawali told AFP.
He did not say how long an extension the parties would seek.
The former Maoist rebels, who fought a 10-year civil war with the state before entering mainstream politics and winning elections in 2008, say that as the largest single party in parliament they should lead the government.

  Sri Lankans protest at UN for second day
AFP, Colombo

Sri Lankan protesters led by a cabinet minister rallied outside the UN office in Colombo on Wednesday, a day after laying siege to the building and trapping staff inside for several hours.
The United Nations expressed its anger at the protesters, who said they were campaigning against a UN panel set up to probe allegations of rights abuses during the Sri Lankan civil war that ended last year.
Demonstrators did not block the entrance of the UN office on Wednesday, but staff were ordered to remain at home during the day.
"We will keep up the action until the UN panel is withdrawn," said Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa, who is leading the protest.
He called on Sri Lankans abroad to stage similar protests outside UN offices around the world.
UN employees in Colombo were held inside their compound for seven hours on Tuesday until police moved in to allow them to leave amid rowdy scenes.
In New York, the United Nations said it had "strong objections" to the protests.
"While respecting the right of citizens to demonstrate peacefully, preventing access to UN offices hinders the vital work being carried out," UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement.
The United States said it also respected the right to protest but that it backed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's move to set up the panel.
The Sri Lankan government issued a statement backing the demonstrators' wish to continue protesting until the UN "revisits the matter of the panel".
Sri Lanka has refused to cooperate with the panel, which was named by Ban last month to advise on "accountability issues" during the war between government forces and the Tamil Tiger separatists.
The island's main opposition asked the government to end the confrontation with the UN and cooperate with any probe.

  N.Korea warns of ‘do-or-die’ battle against UN censure
AFP, Seoul

North Korea warned Wednesday of a "do-or-die" battle if the UN Security Council adopts statement condemning it for a deadly attack on a South Korean warship earlier this year.
If the council adopts a document "pulling up (North Korea) even a bit through sordid collusion and nexus," the North will regard this as "an intolerable and grave infringement" on its dignity, a state committee said.
The North's army and people "will not rule out a just, do-or-die battle to protect the sovereignty of the country," the Committee for the Peaceful Unification of the Fatherland said in a statement carried by state media.
South Korea, pointing to the findings of a multinational investigation, has accused its communist neighbour of torpedoing the 1,200-tonne corvette with the loss of 46 sailors near the disputed Yellow Sea border on March 26.
The South has announced its own reprisals, including cutting off most trade, with strong US support. It has also asked the 15-member Security Council to condemn its neighbour.
Unlike many other nations, China and Russia, two of the council's five permanent members, have not publicly accused Pyongyang of being behind the sinking.
The North has denied any involvement in sinking the corvette and has previously threatened a military response to any UN censure.
The nuclear-armed state said last week it would bolster its nuclear weaponry with an unspecified new method in response to what it called US hostility. Last September Pyongyang announced it had reached the final stage of enriching uranium, a second way of making nuclear bombs in addition to the country's plutonium-based operation.

  Indian army enforce Kashmir curfew after deaths
AFP, Srinagar, India

Indian army soldiers joined police and paramilitary troops enforcing a curfew across much of Kashmir on Wednesday, a day after three protesters were killed.
The two men and one woman died when security personnel opened fire to contain angry separatist demonstrations that have been fuelled by the deaths of several protesters over the last month.
Curfew orders have been widely ignored in recent days, and the presence of the Indian army was seen as a show of force designed to end the increasingly violent protests.
"We have staged a flag march on one of the key roads in Srinagar and we are ready to assist the state government whenever and wherever required," Indian army spokesman J.S. Brar told AFP.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, has been the focus of protests since June 11, when a 17-year-old student died from a police tear gas shell. The three deaths on Tuesday also occurred in Srinagar.
"In order to save human lives we had to request the army's help," senior state minister Ali Mohammed Sagar said. "The move is aimed at controlling the situation."
Indian police and paramilitary forces, who have been struggling to control the wave of protests in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, have been accused of killing 15 civilians in less than a month.
Each death has sparked a new cycle of violence despite appeals for calm from state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The cabinet committee on security, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, met in New Delhi to discuss the surge of tension in Kashmir, and Home Secretary G.K. Pillai flew to the region to assess law and order.
Police said Srinagar and six other towns were under strict curfew.
"The step has been taken to prevent protests," Zubair Ahmed, a police officer in Baramulla town, told AFP.
Police and paramilitary forces sealed off neighbourhoods of Srinagar that had previously been unaffected by the restrictions.

  Ex-Arroyo aide may turn state witness: Philippines’ Aquino
AFP, Manila

A former minister in the government of ex-Philippine leader Gloria Arroyo could be used as a state witness in a corruption case against her, President Benigno Aquino said Wednesday.
Aquino said he recently met former agriculture minister Cito Lorenzo and told him the government wanted him to testify against Arroyo in one of the many scandals that rocked her government.
"I did not have the occasion to talk to him extensively when I saw him, but I did say that 'I have a lot of questions for you' and I left it at that," Aquino told reporters.
Asked whether a recently created "truth commission" tasked to go after Arroyo over alleged corruption would get Lorenzo as a witness, Aquino said: "That is a possibility".
"It is an accepted doctrine that the person with the least guilt who can help you in prosecution is afforded certain privileges, among them immunity from suit," he said.
Aquino said the brief exchange occurred during a private party thrown by one of his aides.
Lorenzo was the agriculture minister when about 728 million pesos (15.68 million dollars) intended as fertilizer funds for small farmers was allegedly diverted to Arroyo's election campaign in 2004.
Arroyo eventually won the election by a slim margin amid widespread allegations of cheating, including vote buying and influence peddling.
Lorenzo fled the country two years later when the Senate launched an investigation into the scandal. It is unclear when Lorenzo returned to the Philippines.
Aquino said that Lorenzo told him while in exile through emissaries that he feared for his life.

  Japan protests Russian military drill on disputed island
AFP, Tokyo

Japan has lodged a protest against a Russian military drill on a group of islands disputed by the two countries and controlled by Moscow, a government official said Wednesday.
"The Japanese government confirmed Monday that Russia conducted a drill on Etorofu island," said a foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Etorofu, known as Iturup in Russian, is one of four disputed islands off Japan's northern coast, collectively referred to by Tokyo as the Northern Territories.
"The Japanese embassy in Moscow immediately delivered a protest, within the day, saying it was extremely regrettable and unacceptable for Japan's position towards the Northern Territories," he said. The two nations have never signed a treaty to formally end World War II because of Japan's claims to the four islands, which are known as the South Kurils by Russia.
They were seized by Soviet troops, who expelled Japanese residents, in the last days of the conflict. The drill on Etorofu was part of the Vostok 2010 strategic exercises in the Russian Far East and Siberia that lasted several days starting June 29, the Japanese official said, citing the Russian defence ministry.
About 10,000 servicemen were taking part in the drill, which involved all the fleets of Russia's navy-the Pacific, North, Black Sea and Baltic fleets-as well as Air Force units, said Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.

 Iran plans new satellite launch in late August: Minister
AFP, Tehran

Telecommunication Minister Reza Taghipour said on Wednesday that Iran is expected to launch a new satellite, Rasad 1, in the last week of August, the Mehr news agency reported.
"Rasad 1 (Observation) satellite is expected to be launched into space on the back of a domestic carrier during the period marking the government week (last week of August)," Taghipour said.
He said the launch would mark Iran's "newest achievement" in space technology.
The minister had previously said that during the current Iranian year to March 2011, new satellites capable of transmitting data and images would be launched.
In his Wednesday comments he did not say whether Rasad 1 was one of these satellites.
Iran in February revealed details of three new satellite prototypes-the Toloo (Dawn), Navid (Good News) and Mesbah-2 (Lantern), the last said to be a telecommunications satellite.
In February 2009, Iran launched its first home-built satellite, the Omid (Hope), to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

   Russia slams Clinton for ‘groundless’ comments on Georgia
AFP, Moscow

Russia on Wednesday slammed as groundless comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton describing its presence in Georgian breakaway regions as an occupation, a foreign ministry statement said.
"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of the term 'occupation' is groundless in this context," it said in a statement.
On her visit to Georgia Monday, Clinton called on Russia to end its "occupation" of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Moscow has recognized as independent following the 2008 war with Georgia.
Washington and Moscow have pledged not to let differences over Georgia hamper a reset in their relations launched by US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.
But the foreign ministry statement was one of Moscow's sharpest rebukes of Washington since the US-Russia spy scandal erupted last month.

  Direct Mideast peace talks to start ‘in weeks’: Israel
AFP, Jerusalem

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday said he saw direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians starting "within a few weeks," his office said in a statement.
"There really is a good chance that we are on the verge of direct talks between us and the Palestinians on all the issues," the statement quoted Barak as saying after he met a group of US senators in Jerusalem.
His comments were made just hours after Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with Barak Obama at the White House, at which the US leader said he was expecting to see direct talks "well before" the end of September.
Barak said he had spoken by phone with Netanyahu after Tuesday's White House talks, which both Obama and Netanyahu presented as very positive.
"There will be other ups and downs and difficult moments during this process," Barak said. "But I hope, and believe, that within a few weeks we will have started direct talks that will advance the prospects of peace and bolster the security and vital interests of the state of Israel."
Since May, the two sides have been engaged in so-called proximity talks, with US special envoy George Mitchell shuttling between officials in Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The indirect talks are scheduled to last four months, after which-progress permitting-the two parties would sit down face-to-face for what would be their first direct peace negotiations in more than 18 months.
The Palestinians froze the negotiations in December 2008 when Israel launched a deadly 22-day offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to halt rocket attacks.
But the Palestinians have insisted that there be no move to direct talks without progress on the key issues of borders and security and without an Israeli pledge to halt all settlement activity on occupied territory, including annexed east Jerusalem.

  Abbas wants Israel sign on borders and security before talks

AFP, Addis Ababa

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Wednesday he wanted an Israeli "signal" on the key issues of security and borders before heeding US calls for a resumption of direct peace talks.
"We are ready to go for direct talks if we receive any signals from the Israeli side on two issues, the borders and the security," Abbas said in English during an official visit to Ethiopia.
"We have presented our proposals to both the Americans and the Israelis and we are waiting for an Israeli impression and reaction," he told reporters after meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. US President Barack Obama this week expressed hope that direct talks would start before the end of September after a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu says he is ready to meet Abbas at any time and Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday he could see direct negotiations getting under way "within a few weeks".
But the Palestinians have yet to commit to direct talks, accusing Israel of undermining the atmosphere with continuing settlement activity on occupied Palestinian land.
Obama said he hoped progress towards direct negotiations from indirect US-brokered proximity talks between Israelis and Palestinians would render an October 1 deadline for ending a partial Israeli settlement freeze irrelevant.
"My hope is that once direct talks have begun, well before the moratorium has expired, that that will create a climate in which everybody feels a greater investment in success," he said.

  E. Timor president cautiously backs refugee plan
AP, Sydney

East Timor's president supports in principle an Australian plan to turn his country into a regional center for processing asylum seekers, but says he does not want his country to become an "island prison."
Jose Ramos Horta said Wednesday that Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard had raised the proposal with him but that there were few details so far.
He told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television that he supported the plan in principle, but only if East Timor's government agrees and if the facility were a temporary stop for people who would be resettled in other countries.
Ramos Horta, awarded the 1996 Nobel peace prize for helping end Indonesia's brutal rule of East Timor, serves in the largely ceremonial role of president, while the government is led by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
"I would never turn my back on people who plead violence in Afghanistan, or whatever," Ramos Horta said. "But on a temporary basis so that they can be sent to a third country where they can start life with dignity and with promise of a better future." "I wouldn't want Timor-Leste to become an island prison for displaced persons fleeing violence," Ramos Horta said, using the country's official name.
East Timor would need financial help to manage a center. The country would also need assistance to feed, house and clothe asylum seekers and give them medical care and jobs in the community. Gillard on Tuesday proposed that East Timor become a U.N.-approved processing hub for asylum seekers as a way to stem a recent influx of boat people from Afghanistan and other countries. The asylum seekers have become an issue in elections expected to be held within months.
The new policy brings Gillard's government closer into line with the conservative opposition by keeping asylum seekers out of the country while their applications are processed, though it retains humanitarian protections sought by the United Nations. The opposition is campaigning on a return to an earlier policy that detained asylum seekers in camps in small Pacific island countries without U.N. oversight.

  BP agrees to inform US ahead of transactions
AFP, London

BP has agreed to inform the United States government of major transactions that may affect the future shape of the company in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, a British paper reported Wednesday.
The oil giant has bowed to demands to notify the Department of Justice at least 30 days ahead of major financial moves, said The Times daily.
The request came in a letter from Tony West, the US Assistant Attorney-General, to Rupert Bondy, BP's general counsel, on June 23, said the paper.
It asked BP to inform US justice officials in advance of "any planned or contemplated events that may involve substantial transfers of cash or other corporate assets outside of the ordinary course of business."
American authorities should also be told of any "corporate restructuring, reorganisation, acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, sales, divestments or disbursements," it demanded.
BP also agreed to hand over other information to the US, including monthly financial statements and details of credit and loan agreements, said The Times.
The letter set a deadline of last week for BP to agree to the requests.
Fears about the beleaguered oil giant's financial health have been growing, with the British government reportedly preparing a crisis plan in case the company is sunk by the disaster.
BP has spent some 3.12 billion dollars in spill-related costs and has promised to pay another 20 billion dollars into an escrow fund to compensate Americans affected by the disaster.
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history. It was triggered by the sinking of the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig on April 22, two days after an explosion that killed 11 workers.
Up to 60,000 barrels of oil a day are believed to be leaking into the Gulf of Mexico, far outpacing the collection efforts of a system that is capturing around 25,000 barrels a day.

  Venezuela captures alleged Colombian drug lord
AP, Caracas

The last remaining fugitive capo of Colombia's Norte del Valle drug cartel has been captured in Venezuela and will be extradited to the United States, President Hugo Chavez announced Tuesday.
Carlos Alberto "Beto" Renteria, 65, was arrested Monday after he traveled to Venezuela's Margarita Island, Chavez said during a speech. He provided no further details.
The United States has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Renteria, whose cartel is accused in a 2004 U.S. indictment of shipping some 500 metric tons of cocaine to the U.S. beginning in 1990.
Chavez said Renteria could be extradited as soon as Wednesday. Renteria is the second major Colombian drug trafficker wanted by U.S. authorities to be caught in Venezuela within the last month. Authorities arrested Luis Frank Tello on June 24. Venezuela has in the more than 11 years since Chavez was first elected president become a major hub for traffickers smuggling Colombian cocaine to the United States and Europe. U.S. and Colombian officials have frequently accused Chavez's government of lax anti-drug efforts, including allowing Venezuela to become a safe haven for Colombian drug lords. One senior law enforcement official in Colombia, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity, said Renteria had long been living in Venezuela. "He is the last of the original Norte del Valle cartel leadership to be captured," the official said. Another top Norte del Valle cartel boss, Wilber Varela, spent most of the last five years of his life in Venezuela before he was slain there in January 2008, according to a former Venezuelan anti-drug chief, Mildred Camero.
The Norte del Valle cartel was Colombia's last major drug gang, though its command structure was far less centrally organized than its forerunners, the Cali and Medellin cartels. It eventually split into two major warring factions, one of which Varela commanded. Like many fugitive traffickers, Renteria underwent plastic surgery to change his appearance and make it more difficult to identify him, the law enforcement official in Colombia said. Chavez accuses Washington and Bogota of unfairly labeling his country a drug haven for political reasons, arguing his government is doing everything possible to stem the flow of drugs through Venezuela.

Business/Economy

Businessmen’s cooperation sought to keep prices of essentials stable during Ramadan

BSS, Dhaka

Commerce Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan on Wednesday sought cooperation from the businessmen to keep prices of essential commodities within the reach of common people during the upcoming month of Ramadan.
Welcoming the newly elected business leaders of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), he said keeping prices of essentials at a tolerable level during this month would be a 'tough task' for all concerned.
A market monitoring team of the country's apex trade body monitored the city's kitchen markets during the month of fasting last year to supplement the government efforts in bringing down the prices of essentials but it had a little impact on the market.
Faruk Khan was speaking at a meeting with the leaders of the FBCCI at his Secretariat office here, joined, among others, by president of the trade body AK Azad and first Vice-President M Jashim Uddin.
During the meeting, different issues came up for dissuasion including trade facilitation, problems of trade body leaders, creation of business-friendly atmosphere, utility problems, lowering bank interests and fixation of fuel prices. Controlling prices of everyday essentials is a challenge for both the government and businessmen, Khan said and added that it hopes that the newly elected leaders of FBCCI would cooperate with the government in this regard.
About the role of a section of dishonest businessmen, he said a section of unscrupulous businessmen are responsible for soaring of prices, which leads to make the market volatile.
As the businessmen rinsed a number of problems in industry sector and mentioned some inconsistencies in the current budget, the minister urged them to come up with logical recommendations to resolve those.
Director of Bangladesh Grey and Finished Fabric Mills and Exporters Association (BGFFMEA) Harun-or-Rashid put forward a set of recommendations so that production of the industry sector is not hindered. The recommendations included introduction of a rationing system after fixing diesel and furnished oils, and fixation of bank interest rates at seven percent.
President of Dhaka Metropolitan Shop Owners Association (DMSOA) M Helaluddin favoured formation of a task force during the coming month of Ramadan to check adulteration of foods and oversee whether any consumer right is violated.
President of Bangladesh Thailand Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTCCI) MA Momen said import-subsidized industries like small and medium ones are being affected due to misuse of bonded warehouses.

 DSE index crosses 6400-point mark
BSS, Dhaka

Stocks rally, which started at the first trading session of the current fiscal 2010-11 on Sunday, drove the price index at Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) to a new high on Wednesday.
DGEN, the market barometre, crossed the 6400-point mark for
the first time to finish to a new high of 6404.71, which was 50.01 points or 0.78 percent higher from Tuesday's closing.
DSE data showed investors were highly focused on issues with lower price earning (P/E) ratios because of access to margin loans to buy the issues.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last month reduced the ceiling of P/E ratio at 50. This limit gives an extra edge of banking, insurance and energy and power issues, mostly of which have the below-50 P/E ratio.
Like previous weeks, buying spree for banking and energy issues continued on Wednesday, which kept the market stable, but with lower daily turnover as the transactions of the bigger issues with higher P/E ratio were lackluster.
Only Beximco, an issue with higher market capitalization was on the day's top 20 list when smaller issues like Titas Gas, AB Bank and Pubali Bank were ahead of it.
GP, the market dominator, contributed to the new high of the index, but with marginal rise as it was stable on comparatively lower transaction.
There is also a speculation on the market that some people are switching their investments from saving certificates to the stocks after the authorities cut the interest rate on the saving tools.
The SEC meantime formed an enquiry committee to investigate in to certain unusual activities in respect of share trading by some sponsors/directors LankaBangla Finance Ltd.

  Joblessness may have peaked but millions still at risk: OECD
AFP, Paris

Unemployment may have peaked in the industrialised world but millions of people could still lose their jobs as governments slash spending, the OECD warned Wednesday.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said in its latest Employment Outlook report the 31 OECD members would have to create 17 million jobs just to get employment back to where it was before the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2008.
But it added that joblessness "may have peaked in the OECD area, having reached 8.6 percent of the global workforce in May," when more than 46 million people were without work. The rate in March hit 8.7 percent, the highest reading since 1945.
"Creating jobs has to be a top priority for governments," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria.
"Cutting unemployment and fiscal deficits at the same time is a daunting challenge but it needs to be tackled head on. Despite signs of recovery in most countries, the risk remains that millions of people may lose touch with the labour market." The OECD said that taking into account people who have abandoned the job search, the number of unemployed and under-employed in the industrialised world could come to 80 million.
Gurria said that cutting budget deficits, the current preoccupation of debt-ridden governments in the eurozone, could constrain growth in the short-term and consequently employment.
But he stressed that shoring up public finances could rebuild confidence, which many economists argue would ultimately have a positive effect on employment.
"The challenge for governments... is to define a new balance between fiscal consolidation while at the same time helping people most in need, notably young people and the long-term unemployed," the report said.
It added that governments "must resist the temptation to cut benefits or reduce funds for re-employment to save money in the short term."
Trade unions in several OECD countries have warned that austerity measures aimed at trimming deficits at the expense of jobs is a major policy mistake.

  White House touts US export success
AFP, Washington

The White House announced Wednesday a surge in US exports of almost 17 percent in the first four months of 2010, touting success in President Barack Obama's strategy to double exports within five years.
It said the National Export Initiative (NEI), announced by Obama during his January State of the Union speech as part of a broad economic plan to shave down double digit unemployment, had achieved major milestones including a doubling of loans to American exporters.
"This puts the US on track to reach the president's goal of doubling exports and supporting several million new jobs over five years," the White House said in a statement. It cited analysis by Obama's Council of Economic Advisers that an increase in US exports over the past nine months has contributed more than one percentage point to the growth rate as the country claws out of the deepest recession in generations.
"During our recovery, exports have contributed as much as domestic consumption to our growth," the White House said.
Obama said exports played a critical role in supporting job growth and creating American prosperity.
"Boosting America's exports strengthens our economic growth and supports millions of good, high-paying American jobs," Obama said in a statement.
"My administration has worked to improve advocacy for our exporters, remove trade barriers, and enforce trade rules in an effort to ensure that the benefits of global trade are broadly shared."
Washington has launched an all-out trade assault as "we continue working to open new markets for American goods, boost our exports and level the playing field for American workers," Obama added. Part of the process involved dispatching "an unprecedented 18 trade missions" to foreign countries since February, the White House said.

  Computer chip sales up sharply in May over a year ago
AFP, Washington

Worldwide semiconductor sales rose 47.6 percent in May over a year ago and were 4.5 percent higher than the previous month, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said Tuesday.
The SIA said global sales of computer chips reached 24.7 billion dollars in May compared with 16.7 billion dollars in May 2009 and 23.6 billion dollars in April.
"Global sales of semiconductors in May reached a new high and remain on pace to reach the SIA forecast of 28.4 percent growth to 290.5 billion dollars in 2010," SIA president George Scalise said in a statement. "Chip sales have been buoyed by strength in sales of personal computers, cellphones, corporate information technology, industrial applications, and autos," Scalise said. "Emerging markets, including China and India, are fueling sales of computation and communications products," he said.
"Demand from the corporate information technology and industrial sectors that had pushed out replacement cycles during the global economic recession is beginning to come back," he added.
Scalise noted that the strong year-on-year growth rates "underscore the very depressed market conditions of the first half of 2009.

  Western food fuelling SE Asia diabetes boom
AFP, Sydney

The growing popularity of Western junk food is fuelling a diabetes boom across Southeast Asia, Australian researchers warned on Wednesday.
Studies found about 11 percent of men and 12 percent of women in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City had type 2 diabetes without knowing it, on top of the four percent of people who are diagnosed sufferers.
"Dietary patterns have been changing dramatically in Vietnam in recent years, particularly in the cities as they become more Westernised," said Tuan Nguyen of Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research. "There are fast food outlets everywhere."
He said the findings, based on testing a random sample of 721 men and 1,421 women, mirrored the results of a similar study carried out in Thailand.
"Because of that, we feel very confident that we can extrapolate our findings to other parts of Southeast Asia including Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos," he said.
Type 2, the most common form of diabetes, is caused by high levels of fat and sugar in the diet and a lack of exercise, and can lead to heart disease, vision loss, limb amputation and kidney failure. Co-author Lesley Campbell said developing countries were facing a "sad story" where they are affected by Western lifestyle diseases alongside hunger and poverty, but without the health resources to treat them. "Unfortunately, we are watching, in just over a generation, a very rapid increase in diabetes" in developing nations, she said.
The researchers have developed a simple risk assessment for diabetes, using only blood pressure and waist-to-hip ratio, which they hope will help doctors detect those most likely to have the disease.

National

President calls for efficient scrutiny of accounts to make best use of taxpayers’ money

UNB, Dhaka

President Zillur Rahman on Wednesday called for conducting audit efficiently to make the best utilization of taxpayers' money and establish good governance through sound financial management.
The President made the remarks when Comptroller and Auditor General Ahmed Ataul Hakeem submitted the Annual Audit Reports to him at Bangabhaban.
President Zillur emphasized on careful audits in all public and auto-nomous bodies to maintain accountability and transparency in all sectors.
He also advised the authorities to recruit necessary manpower in different audit and account offices under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to ensure smooth financial management. CAG Ahmed Ataul Hakeem apprised the President of remarkable contributions of the Public Accounts Committee of the 9th Jatiya Sangsad. He said that during fiscal 2008-09, Tk 670 crore has been recovered as a result of audit observations. Secretaries concerned to the President's Office were present.

  TB higher among men than women
UNB, Dhaka

Overall adjusted prevalence of new smear-positive Tuberculosis in the country was estimated at 79.4 per 100000 population while the crude prevalence was 63.3 per 100000 adults, according to an official survey.
The survey revealed that the crude and adjusted prevalence of smear-positive TB is higher in rural than urban areas and it was also higher among men than women.
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) with support from WHO, KNCV, USAID and the Global Fund conducted the Nationwide Tuberculosis Disease-cum-Infection Prevalence Survey during 2007-2009. The survey result was unveiled at a seminar at Sonargaon Hotel on Wednesday. Chaired by Health Directorate DG Shah Monir Hossain, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Health Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque, State Minister for Health Dr Mujibur Rahman Fakir, Health Secretary Sheikh Altaf Ali, BMA Secretary General Prof Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed and USAID acting Mission Director Denish Sharma. The survey says the crude and adjusted prevalence rates for rural areas were 76.8 and 86 per 100000 adults respectively, while the rates for urban areas were 49.9 and 51.1 per 100000 adults, respectively.
The crude prevalence rates among male adults were 99.2 per 100000 and the adjusted rates was 121.7 per 100000 while the rates among adult female were 32.3 per 100000 and 40.3 per 100000 among adult male respectively, with a female-male ratio 0.33:1, according to the study.
Of the 17,718 children aged between 5-14 years surveyed for tuberculin skin sensitivity, about 2.8 percent of the children in age group 5-9 years showed an induration of 15 mm or more while 5.4 percent in the 10-14 year category showed this induration, resulting in an overall positive tuberculin skin test of 4.0 percent.
Dr AFM Ruhal Haque said the government had already set up 1050 TB detection centres at upazila headquarters to treat tuberculosis patients.
He said the government has been providing free medical treatment among TB patients at district and upazila level healthcare centers to remove tuberculosis from the country.
"Now-a-day, tuberculosis is not a non-curable diseases, it is curable. Although all upazilas are covered by TB program, but people do not know where they will go for treatment," he told the seminar.

  BM College students agitate on campus to press for their demands

UNB, Barisal

Students of Govt Brojo Mohon College in Barisal demonstrated on the campus for 3rd consecutive day Tuesday to press for their 21-point demand, including reducing boarding and meal fees.
The agitating students, who formed a convening committee to realize their demands last week, brought out procession and held a rally on the campus as part of their programmes.
Their demands include cutting hostel seat rents and meal fees, stern action against stalkers, preventing
outsiders' entry into the campus, solving of transports, accommodation and class room problems, construction of a gymnasium, medical center and supply of safe drinking water, books and study materials in central and departmental libraries on the campus and recruitment of more teachers.
Mokhlesur Rahman Moni, convener of the committee told UNB that they will meet college principal soon and go for stronger movement if their demands are not met immediately.
Principal of the college Prof. Dr Nani Gopal Das said the students have democratic rights to movement in support of their demand. But he said the rate of hostel fee was less here compared to other institutions of Barisal.

   DU teachers for judicial inquiry into all irregularities and corruption in medical university

UNB, Dhaka

Some 325 teachers of Dhaka University (DU) demanded for formation of a judicial inquiry for investigating into all irregularities and corruption of country's lone medical university and publishing its reports to the countrymen.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, they called for restoring congenial atmosphere for treatment at the medical university.
We noted with deep concern that skilled, experienced, meritorious and senior physicians from country's lone medical university were sacked and transferred while non-meritorious, party cadres and those having political affiliations were appointed in order to destroy the country' s health system, they said.
Quoting newspaper reports, they said that over 100 teachers, who have no experience and publication and have connection with a party, were appointed to higher post without PSC's recommendations, advertisement and test.
They called upon the concerned authorities for restoring congenial atmosphere for treatment at the medical university. Else, our health system would break down and countrymen would fall victim to sufferings. None expect this situation, they said.
Signatories to the statement include Prof. Dr Aminur Rahman Majumdar, Prof. Dr Sirajul Islam, Prof. Dr Anwarul Islam, Prof. Dr Akhter Hossain Khan, Prof. Dr Jahidul Islam, Prof. Dr Ashraful Islam Chowdhury, Prof. Dr Kamrul Hasan, Prof. Dr M Abdur Rashed and Prof. Dr Abdus Sattar.

   Excellent-growing parija paddy creates eye-catching looks in greater Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

The indigenous parija paddy plants are growing excellent creating attractive eye-catching looks at this complete off-season period in notable areas of greater Rangpur predicting its bumper production as an additional crop.
The prospective and eco-friendly off-season indigenous parija paddy plants are now at its panicle initiation stage and its harvest will begin from the first week of August next, concerned officials and experts said on Wednesday.
Farming of the paddy requires no additional or supplementary irrigations as its plants are growing superbly using the seasonal rainfalls everywhere in greater Rangpur region, noted agri- scientists and Head of Agriculture of RDRS Dr MG Neogi on Wednesday said. The local variety paddy has been cultivated successfully during the off season period in between late May and mid-August when the fields remain fallow after Boro harvest and before plantation of T-Aman seedlings.
After achieving tremendous successes in the previous years, Dr Mg Neogi today told BSS that 1,500 farmers went to its expanded farming in 1,500 bighas land this season in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts.
Farming of Parija paddy as an additional crop RDRS has now become very popular in the poverty-prone area to cope with the seasonal poverty, increase rice productions under changed climatic conditions and patterns. The reputed NGO distributed 7.5 tonnes seeds of the paddy among the selected farmers, who successfully prepared seedbeds and timely transplantation to complete an additional paddy harvest before T-Aman plantation by August 15 next.
RDRS experts conducted 3-year research on 11 varieties indigenous paddies and found Parija's 3.5 tonnes paddy per hectare yield in a very shorter period and selected it as the most effective one and successfully cultivated it during the past two seasons.
According to the technology evolved by RDRS, the parija paddy seeds can also be sowed by directly using the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) method to harvest in 90 days or transplanted 20-day old seedlings to harvest in 75 days to achieve maximum yields. The country faces an annual deficit of about 25 lakh tonnes rice when there are six lakh hectares land suitable for farming parija paddy in eight districts of Rangpur division.

   Climate change adaptation to boost agro-outputs stressed
BSS, Rangpur

Speakers at a workshop at Thakurgaon have said that adaptation with the adverse impacts of climate changes and innovation of newer ways are must for increasing agro-productions to ensuring country's sustainable food security.
The issues of food security, poverty alleviation, climate changes and necessary adaptations must be addressed together in a comprehensive manner in the pretext of present scenario to also achieve the country's sustainable developments, they said. The views were expressed at the daylong workshop titled 'Food Security in Climate Change' organised by Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) at its auditorium in Thakurgaon district on Tuesday.
Chaired by Head of Agriculture of Thakurgaon Programme of RDRS Nazrul Gani, the workshop was attended and addressed by Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Thakurgaon Muhammad Shahiduzzaman as the chief guest. Thakurgaon Police Super BM Harun-Ur-Rashid, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Thakurgaon Dalil Uddin and Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Nazrul Islam were present as the special guests.
A total of 40 participants including government and different NGO officials and experts, public representatives, members of the civil society, professionals, farmers' representatives and elite took part.
Head of Agriculture of RDRS Dr MG Neogi presented the main keynote narrating the present scenario in the agriculture sector amid adverse climate change impacts and the ways forwards and ongoing RDRS activities to adapt with the situations.
He narrated successes achieved in adapting with the climate change impacts in remote char villages and other areas through various ways and income-generating activities and farming of short duration anti-monga and off-season paddies in recent years. Neogi also elaborately narrated successful cultivation of short duration indigenous parija paddy as an off-season additional crop in between the gap after harvesting Boro and transplantation of T-Aman seedlings to ensure food security in Rangpur division.
He said that there are prospects of producing 90 lakh tonnes additional short duration indigenous parija paddy from 35 lakh hectares suitable land annually in the country to ensure its food security after meeting its annual deficit of 25 lakh tonnes food grains.
A total of 18 lakh tonnes parija paddy can be produced annually from six lakh such suitable land available in these eight districts of Rangpur division alone where the farmers have gone to its expanded farming this year, he added.

   Eight awarded life term for murder in Mymensingh
UNB, Mymensingh

A court in Mymensingh on Tuesday convicted eight men and sentenced them to life term imprisonment for killing a man in 2001.
The court also fined them Tk 5,000 each, in default, to suffer three months more RI.
The convicts were identified as Malek, Abul Hashem, Hekim, Borhanuddin, Abdul Hashem, Kosimuddin, Abul Kashem and Abdul Barek.
According to the prosecution, Quddus of Vati Charnoapara village in Ishwarganj upazila was killed in attack by his rivals following a land dispute on March 24 in 2001. Later, a case was filed with the Sadar thana in this connection.
After examining the records and witnesses, Additional District and Sessions Judge Sharif Ahmed pronounced the verdict in the crowded courtroom.
Another report from Chapinawabganj adds: A court here on Tuesday sentenced a man to life term and four women to one year each for killing a man in 1999.
The lifer was identified as Bachchu and four women were Kayema Khatun, Rosely Begum, Peyara Khatun, and Rozina.

Sports

Dogged Dutch make long-awaited return to final
AFP, Nesburg

Despite still searching for top form, the Netherlands booked a place in their first World Cup final since 1978 by edging Uruguay 3-2 in their semi-final in Cape Town on Tuesday.
They can now make history by lifting football's ultimate prize for the first time if they beat either Germany or Spain in Johannesburg on Sunday.
"It was a hard match, but all that is forgotten now and we are in the final," said goalscorer Wesley Sneijder, whose countrymen lost to hosts Argentina in the 1978 decider after defeat by West Germany in the 1974 final. "The most important thing now is to win. We are so close. There is nothing bigger than the World Cup."
Bert van Marwijk's side are now the only unbeaten team left in the competition and have not lost a competitive match since they were knocked out of the 2008 European Championship by Russia.
The Dutch stand placed to become the first team since Brazil in 1970 to win every match at a World Cup finals, and yet they were far from convincing in a nervous win over a Uruguay side bidding to reach their first final since 1950.
A cagey start was illuminated by a goal of the highest quality from Dutch skipper Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the 18th minute. The 35-year-old advanced from left-back before unleashing a rising drive into the top-right corner from 35 yards.
The pre-match favourites were cruising towards half-time when Uruguay's stand-in captain Diego Forlan received possession mid-way inside the Holland half before turning to curl a long-range strike past Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal. Van Marwijk introduced Rafael van der Vaart at half-time in a bid to add pep to his midfield but the Netherlands had to wait until the 70th minute for the decisive breakthrough.
Sneijder's pot-shot from the edge of the box squeezed through a forest of legs before nestling in the bottom-right corner to give him his fifth goal of the tournament, drawing him level with David Villa of Spain. Holland's third arrived three minutes later from the head of winger Arjen Robben, but a well-taken injury-time goal from Uruguay's Maxi Pereira ensured there was plenty of Dutch nail-biting before their passage to the final could be confirmed.
Germany and Spain meet in a repeat of the Euro 2008 final on Wednesday and ex-Spain coach Luis Aragones believes his former charges can prevail in Durban. Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff, meanwhile, criticised acting skipper Philipp Lahm for expressing his desire to hold onto the armband long term. Lahm, who has captained Germany in the absence of injured midfielder Michael Ballack, told German media he hoped to continue as captain beyond the tournament.

  Europe in ascendancy in global football battle
AFP, Paris

Whether The Netherlands, Germany or Spain win the World Cup on Sunday one thing is for sure - it has been Europe's tournament. Uruguay's elimination by the Dutch on Tuesday means that for the first time since England succeeded Brazil as winners of the trophy in 1966 there will not be the cyclical victory for a European and then a South American team and a European side will lift the trophy for the first time outside their continent.
It all looked very different at the outset of the tournament as several of the European heavyweights struggled to make any sort of impact but as it has progressed they have grown in strength while the South Americans flattered to deceive.
For UEFA President Michel Platini, twice a semi-finalist with the wonderful France team of the 1980's, there has been a certain logic to it and obviously given his position a lot of enjoyment to be derived from it.
"The three nations who have won the most youth events over the past 10 years are now in the final four," said the 55-year-old former midfield general prior to the semi-finals. "Can all of this be put down to mere good luck? I don't think so. "Nothing could be more pleasing than this state of affairs. Three teams with youth and freshness at their heart, deploying playing systems that leave considerable room for creativity.
"This not only makes me happy - three great football nations can also derive pleasure. Above all, it is just reward for the long-term efforts of three associations who have invested in education and training."
While Europe revels in its dominance, there will be much soul searching in South America. Uruguay and Paraguay will not be so involved as both over achieved by reaching the last four and eight respectively but the giants of the South American game, Brazil and Argentina have a lot of soul searching to do.
Dunga was sacked as Brazil coach after an astonishing turnaround in their quarter-final with the Dutch saw them lose not only control of the match but also their self-control on the pitch, unlike Brazilian teams of the past and a stark contrast to the ice cool play of their coach when he was skipper in 1994.
The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) will want no repeat of that collapse in 2014 especially as they will be hosts and it is for that reason that the World Cup winning coach of 2002, Luiz Felipe Scolari, is top of their list even if he is under contract with Palmeiras till 2012. He seems to fit the bill ideally as the federation's president Ricardo Teixeira wants an experienced coach "who can withstand the pressure that comes with a World Cup finals being hosted in Brazil."

   Germany’s time has come, says Ballack
AFP, London

Germany's time has come to win the World Cup for the fourth time claimed injured captain Michael Ballack in his column for The Times on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old - who was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an ankle injury in Chelsea's 1-0 FA Cup final win over Portsmouth - admitted avenging the Euro 2008 final defeat by Spain in their World Cup semi-final later on Wednesday in Durban would be difficult, but his compatriots could do it.
"It will be difficult to beat Spain tonight, but this is our time," wrote Ballack, who has rejoined one of his former clubs, Bayer Leverkusen, after being released by Chelsea.
"Germany have been the best team in the World Cup and just have to keep it going. Spain deserved to win the European Championship final against us two years ago, but with the confidence we've gained from our past two performances (a 4-1 win over old foes England and a 4-0 humbling of Argentina), I think its our moment."
Ballack, who missed out on the 2002 World Cup final defeat by Brazil as he was suspended and was in the side that lost to Spain in the Euro 2008 final, said that Germany like Spain two years ago had peaked at the right time.
"We're playing the best football in the tournament, just as Spain did two years ago," he wrote. Ballack, who says he intends to play on in international football despite several older heads like World Cup winning skipper Lothar Matthaus telling him to retire, said it was not possible to compare the present German side and that of the one who won as West Germany in 1990.

  Retiring Muralitharan says his time is up
AFP, New Delhi

Sri Lanka's world bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan said on Wednesday he was retiring from Test cricket because he had nothing left to strive for.
"I have achieved what I wanted to achieve. There is nothing left or any target to reach," the 38-year-old told the Mumbai-based Daily News and Analysis (DNA) newspaper. Muralitharan will quit Test cricket after the first Test against India starting in Galle on July 18, but may be available for next year's limited-overs World Cup.
The off-spinner, affectionately known as Murali, is the most successful bowler in history with record hauls in both Test (792) and one-day (515) cricket.
The island's cricket governing body said Muralitharan had the blessing of President Mahinda Rajapakse to retire early, although the bowler had previously said he wanted to continue until the home series against the West Indies in November. Muralitharan said he had no regrets about quitting because he had reached the bowler's peak in both forms of the game.

  Mickelson a win away from World No. 1 spot
AFP, Loch Lomond

Phil Mickelson admits it will be "cool" if he ends his long wait to become the World Number One by winning the Scottish Open this week.
The popular American knows a win or second-placed finish at Loch Lomond will finally end Tiger Woods' incredible 607 weeks at the summit of world golf. Mickelson has been the closest challenger for 253 weeks of Woods' time at the top but insists he is focussing on his own game - and will let the rankings take care of themselves "It will be cool," Mickelson admitted.
"But it's not something I really think about as yet. I am just trying to get my game sharp and if I play well, then the results will happen. "It will be cool just to win here. I've come so close here a couple of times. Winning here and becoming number one, would be as a result of playing well. That's my main focus."
The 40-year-old has arrived in Scotland at the start of a massive two weeks in the golfing calendar. While the spectacular setting of Loch Lomond make this a must-see event, the main focus will come next week when the Open Championship celebrates its 150th anniversary at St Andrews.
The four-time major winner - who won the US Masters for a second time earlier this year - is hopeful a good finish this week will set him up nicely for his visit to the home of golf.
He added: "I am really looking forward to the next two weeks.
But I don't see this event as just a warm up. "The best preparation for the Open is to get into contention here and be challenging on Sunday.
"Having been close here before I'd like to win it now.
"I really enjoy this tournament and next week of course at the Open.

  Domenech the reason for fiasco, says bitter Gallas
AFP, Paris

The blame for France's catastrophic World Cup finals campaign should be laid at the door of former coach Raymond Domenech, said veteran defender William Gallas on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old - who is looking for a new club as he is a free agent with his contract having run out at Premier League giants Arsenal - told weekly publication Les Inrockuptibles that he had also been distraught when Domenech had awarded the captaincy to Patrice Evra for the finals. "If it was a fiasco, then there are reasons for it," said Gallas, who played in all three of France's group matches resulting in two defeats to Mexico and hosts South Africa and a draw with eventual semi-finalists Uruguay.
"And for me there is no need to draw a veil over why: they emanated from the coach.
"The real problem is the coach. Okay I wasn't good, we weren't good. But the coach wasn't up to scratch either. I was appalled that we didn't play with two strikers. "Even the training sessions weren't up to the level required. You can have the best players in the world in your team, but if you don't have the coach you need, then the results will not be achieved." Gallas, who under Domenech was part of the team that reached the 2006 World Cup final only to lose on penalties to Italy, revealed striker Nicolas Anelka's foulmouthed outburst at Domenech delivered at half-time of the match with Mexico was bound to happen as it had been festering for a while.
According to Gallas all the players were united in striking for one day over Anelka's expulsion, though, that claim and his declaration that young Bordeaux playmaker Yoann Gourcuff had not been ostracised by several senior players have not been supported by off the record interviews with several of the other squad members.

  Mortaza expects more from Bangladesh in one-dayers
AFP, Nottingham

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza is confident his side will provide more of a challenge to England in their upcoming three one-dayers than they did in last month's Test series.
The Tigers face England in the first one-day international at Trent Bridge here on Thursday having been well beaten 2-0 by their hosts in a Test series that ended with an innings and 80 run rout inside three days at Old Trafford.
Bangladesh then lost all three of their matches at the subsequent Asia Cup one-day tournament in Sri Lanka. But some of the Tigers' best results in their decade of top-flight international cricket have come in the one-day game, notably when they beat world champions Australia at Cardiff in 2005.
However, they have never beaten England in any format and the hosts come into Thursday's match on the back of a 3-2 one-day series win over Australia. Mortaza, appointed captain for this series after Shakib Al Hasan was dumped from the post, told reporters at Trent Bridge here on Wednesday: "It isn't going to be easy against England. We have to play good cricket, hopefully we can do it and perform well this time.
"We are trying to play good cricket starting from the first match, that is our first ambition," the pace bowler added.
"England beat Australia in the first three matches so it is not going to be easy to win...we will concentrate on our own cricket, that is the main thing. "I think we are a better team in one-day cricket than in Test cricket and I think this game suits us," the 26-year-old pace bowler explained. "A few of the batsman are in good form and hopefully a few other guys can join in."
England will be without injured star batsman Kevin Pietersen, who they were planning to rest in any event although a series against Bangladesh might have been the ideal chance for the South Africa born shotmaker to end a sequence of 16 ODI innings without a fifty. But Mortaza insisted Bangladesh took no comfort from Pietersen's absence. "Playing against Pietersen is a great experience for us. When KP plays we feel we can learn so many things from him, so it's not good for us that he is injured." Mortaza was due to captain Bangladesh away to a weakened West Indies last year but was ruled out early on through a knee injury, with Shakib leading the side instead to victories in both Test and one-day campaigns.
"I am glad to be back," Mortaza said. "Playing in England is always very exciting, there are a lot of Bangladeshis here who will hopefully come and support us." Tamim Iqbal was the standout Bangladesh performer in the Test series, with the left-handed opener scoring centuries at both Lord's and Old Trafford,
"Tamim is definitely the guy who can change the game for us," Mortaza said, "We are looking for him (to perform) but not just him: Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur, Jahurul Islam too. There are a few guys who can do good things and hopefully they will."

   Dutch boss demands win in first final for 32 years
AFP, Cape Town

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk has praised his side for reaching their first World Cup final in 32 years, but said their achievement counts for nothing yet.
The Netherlands' 3-2 semi-final win over Uruguay has put them in Sunday's final where they will face either Germany or Spain at Johannesburg's Soccer City.
The Dutch are bidding to win their first World Cup title and having lost both the 1978 and 1974 finals, van Marwijk says the current side must win on Sunday if they want to write themselves into Dutch footballing history. "It is quite something we have achieved after 32 years, but we are not there yet and there is one more match to look forward to," he said.
The former Feyenoord coach has instilled a strong team spirit by removing any hint of arrogance and has always insisted his team think only of their next game.
"What happened before my time, with all due respect, I don't look at it," said the 58-year-old. "I did things my way, we play good football and sometimes beautiful football, but in the past we started winning and got over-confident. "I try to tell my players there will always be a next match. I try to give them more stabilty by teaching them how to defend properly, I love attacking football, but we must have possession of the ball." Van Marwijk showed signs his ice-cold public face may be thawing as he opened up about what it means for the success-starved Dutch to reach the final.

  Van Persie pictures emulating Maradona glory
AFP, Cape Town

Dutch striker Robin van Persie has admitted he is desperate to win the World Cup on Sunday to follow in the footsteps of his hero Maradona.
The Netherlands are bidding to win their first World Cup title and after beating Uruguay 3-2 in Tuesday's semi-final, will now face either Germany or Spain in Sunday's finale at Johannesburg's Soccer City. Van Persie is delighted to be in the final and has even allowed himself to dream of what it will feel like to part of the first Dutch team to win the World Cup.
"I am used to watching other teams in the final, but this time I will be in it, I will be in the middle," said the Arsenal striker.
"I don't know how good it will feel (to win the World Cup), but I have a really big picture in my games room back home of Maradona holding the World Cup.
"It is an unbelievable picture, he is on his teammates' shoulders holding the trophy with this huge smile on his face. If we win, I would like to make a picture like that." The Netherlands reached the World Cup final in 1974 and 1978, losing to West Germany and Arge-ntina respectively. Van Persie said to go a step further than the star-studded Dutch teams of the 1970s, led by Johan Cruyff, would be a dream come true, but will not be easy. "It is difficult to cope with the pressure, because you have to fight against the memories of the teams that went before you in 1974 and 1978," he said.
"They were such great players, they didn't do it, somehow, but we have the chance to do it now for the first time and then we will have done better than them.

  India suffer Zaheer blow for Sri Lanka Tests
AFP, New Delhi

India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the Test series in Sri Lanka due to a shoulder injury and replaced by rookie Abhimanyu Mithun, the cricket board said on Wednesday.
Zaheer, 31, has been India's most prolific new ball bowler in recent years with 242 wickets from 72 Tests at an average of 32.98. The cricket board did not specify when the left-armer, who played in the recent Asia Cup one-day tournament in Sri Lanka, picked up the injury. Zaheer wrote on his Twitter page: "Shoulder is troubling me a little, need to sort it out. Hope to be back soon. Important season ahead."
Mithun, 20, a right-arm seamer from Karnataka, played a solitary one-day international against South Africa earlier this year, but has not featured in a Test match. Mithun joins Ishant Sharma and Shanthaku-maran Sreesanth in a three-man pace attack for the three-Test series that opens in Galle on July 18.
The action then shifts to Colombo, where the second Test will be played at the Sinhalese sports club from July 26 and the third at the P Sara Oval from August 3. India are also due to play a limited-overs tri-series against New Zealand and hosts Sri Lanka after the Tests.

  Australia would welcome Semenya back
AFP, Sydney

Australia would welcome controversial South African athlete Caster Semenya back to the track, a top ranking Athletics Australia official said Wednesday.
Semenya was given the green light to compete at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October after a positive ruling from athletics governing body IAAF on Tuesday.
Semenya won the 800m at the world championships in Berlin last year but questions were raised over her gender due to her masculine appearance and vastly improved times. The IAAF ordered gender verification tests to be carried out and the association has given Semenya approval to race again, although the medical details of her case will remain secret. Athletics Australia high performance manager Eric Hollingsworth said Semenya would be an overwhelming favourite for the 800m gold medal in New Delhi. "She's absolutely allowed to compete, she's a woman, let her get on with it," Hollingsworth said, adding that Semenya had been unfairly persecuted.