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Leading News
CCC elections today
Prestige issue for AL and BNP
UNB, Dhaka
Chittagong, second largest city of the country and its
principal port city, goes to the polls today (Thursday)
amid tight security to elect the 'father' of the country's
commercial capital, and the councilors he will work with
for the next five years. Nearly 16, 94,955 voters of the
port city with a good number of young voters will choose a
city father from two key contestants - Alhaj ABM Mohiuddin
Chowdhury and Alhaj M Monzur Alam.
Through Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls,
Bangladesh will enter into the digital voting system on a
limited scale - a step forward in the modernization of the
country's electoral process after the preparation of voter
list with photographs.
The non-stop eight-hour voting period will begin at 8:00am
to elect a mayor, 41 ward councilors and 14 women ward
councilors for reserved seats. The government has declared
a public holiday in the country's commercial capital to
facilitate the polls, which are taking place after five
years.
Ruling party-backed Nagorik Committee Candidate Mohiuddin
was elected mayor for a third consecutive term in the year
2005 by defeating former state minister for Civil Aviation
and Tourism Mohammad Nasir Uddin when BNP was in power.
New voters, not less than 5.56 lakh of which nearly 90 per
cent represent the educated and technology-driven society,
will be the key factor in the election. The number of
voters during the last CCC polls held in 2005 was 11.38
lakh, which increased to 15, 78,782 ahead of the last
parliamentary elections (2008). Later in 2009, the voter
list of CCC was updated again, adding another 1.24 lakh
fresh voters. Two key candidates vying for Mayor - ABM
Mohiuddin Chowdhury of ruling Awami League and Monzur Alam
Monzu of BNP have targeted the new voters during their
just-concluded campaign.
Mohiuddin, a three-time Mayor already, used digital
technology during his election campaign to attract the
young voters. Meanwhile, the district election commission
has completed its preparations for introducing the
electronic voting system through EVM (electronic voting
machine) in today's CCC polls.
Earlier, Election Commi-ssion decided to introduce
e-voting only in ward number 21 (Jamalkhan), which has 14
polling centers. A total of 25,315 voters of Jamalkhan
ward will have the experience of exercising their voting
rights in today's elections through electronic voting
system for the first time.
Over 20,000 security personnel comprising six companies of
the Army along with the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
and border force have already been deployed to maintain
law and order during the polls.
The election has become a prestige issue for the ruling
party Awami League (AL) and the BNP-led four-party
coalition.
Rescue
workers reach landslide victims
AFP, Cox's
Bazaar
Bangladeshi rescue workers battled blocked roads and
floods Wednesday to distribute emergency aid to remote
communities hit by landslides that have killed 55 people.
Dry food rations and water purification tablets were given
to thousands of people left homeless in the country's
southeastern tip, which borders Myanmar, after the worst
rains in decades struck Tuesday, officials said.
"The death toll in my district is now 50 and at least 34
people are injured, some critically," Cox's Bazaar
district administrator Giasuddin Ahmed told AFP.
Another five people were killed in neighbouring Bandarban
district, police said.
"It was the worst rain in three decades and was
particularly devastating as 12 centimetres (4.5 inches) of
rain fell in just three hours," Ahmed said, adding that
hundreds of houses had been destroyed.
Flash floods in neighbouring Myanmar have left about 40
people missing in an area near the border, an official in
the military-ruled country said.
"The water level rose because of torrential rain," the
official, who did not want to be named, told AFP. "About
40 people were missing and about 2,000 people were
relocated to nearby schools because of the flood in
Maungdaw town in Rakhine state," he said.
Bangladesh's flood warning centre said Wednesday that
heavy rain had stopped in the southeast, where more than
24 centimetres fell in 24 hours.
Flood waters started to recede and rescue workers cleared
debris from roads and accessed the hardest-hit area,
Teknaf, which is home to hundreds of thousands of ethnic
Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.
Around 15,000 Rohingya refugees living in camps -- both
legal and illegal -- around Teknaf have been affected by
the floods, Firoz Salauddin, the government's spokesman on
Rohingya issues told AFP.
Landslides triggered by heavy rains are common in
Bangladesh's southeastern hill districts where thousands
of poor people live on deforested hill slopes.
Ministers
controlling local admin to ensure victory in CCC polls:
BNP
UNB, Dhaka
Mainstream opposition BNP on Wednesday alleged that some
ministers are controlling the local administration to
ensure victory for the ruling party backed mayor in the
Ctg City Corporation election.
BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain made the
allegation one day before the CCC polls when addressing a
discussion meeting to observe the 'Black Day of
Press'organized by the party at the city's Dhaka Mahanagr
Natya Mancha this afternoon.
The CCC elections will be held today (Thursday).
Delwar said State Ministers Hasan Mahmud and Jagangir
Kabir Nanok and the ruling party whip Mirza Azam stay at
the bank of Karnaphuli river are giving directives to the
local administration in Chittagong city in favour of Awami
League supported mayor candidate in the CCC polls.
AL has backed ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury as mayoral candidate
in the election while BNP has backed M Manjur Alam.
The BNP secretary general threatened bad consequences if
any conspiracy is hatched to influence the results of the
CCC polls, saying a 'fitting-reply' will be given along
with people under the leadership of the party chairperson
Khaleda Zia.
Criticizing the failures, misdeeds and misrule of the
17-month old AL government, Delwar said there is no
difference between the Awami League regime of 1972-75 and
its present rule.
PM asks SSF not
to annoy people while performing security task
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the
Special Security Force (SSF) to ensure that they do not
annoy the mass people while performing their security
tasks."Make sure your actions do not annoy ordinary
people," she said while addressing a function marking the
24th founding anniversary of SSF, at the International
Conference Center (ICC) of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The Prime Minister said it is very much painful for the
politicians to live isolated from the people.
"Ensure that people are not kept far away from us due to
your security concerns." She also asked the SSF personnel
to be more polite and tolerant towards the civilians and
stressed putting this in their training module.
Hasina said the task entrusted to SSF is a very sensitive
one. "It will be your credit if you can keep the VVIPs in
touch with the public. Don't keep them (VVIPs) away from
the mass people while providing security," she told the
SSF.
"Integrity, sharp intelligence and tolerance as well as
unquestionable loyalty are essential in carrying out
security responsibilities," she said.
The Prime Minister underscored building up flawless
trustworthy communications and integrity among all
agencies concerned to ensure proper security to the VVIPs.
"Otherwise, the security won't be foolproof," she said.
Providing security to the VVIPs has now become a very
sensitive and complex task in the present national and
international context, she said, referring to the existing
multi-dimensional terrorist and militant activities both
at home and outside world.
Hasina said tactics and types of criminal offences have
also changed
along with the rapid expansion of science and technology.
"Under such a circumstance, the security personnel need to
be given time-befitting quality training so that they can
properly ensure security to the VVIPs."
She said keeping this in mind her previous government set
up 'firing range' for the SSF in 1999 to make the force
more skilled and capable.
The Prime Minister assured to continue her government's
endeavors to further modernize the SSF resolving their
problems in future. Director General of SSF Maj Gen Joynal
Abedin also spoke on the occasion.
Govt on hard line against
hartal
UNB, Dhaka
The government has taken a tough line on opposition BNP's
nationwide day-long hartal on June 27, as Home Minister
Sahara Khatun Wednesday said any kind of anarchy will not
be tolerated in the name of hartal.Sahara, who chaired a
meeting with senior police officers and OCs of 41 police
stations in Dhaka Metropolitan City at her ministry said
the opposition called the hartal without any valid issue,
rather an ulterior motive to create anarchy, following
which Jamaat -e-Islam shook hands with them on June 27
hartal.
"If people accept the hartal without issue, it would be a
different thing. But, anarchy will not be allowed in the
name of hartal," she told reporters after the meeting. The
Home Minister said instructions were given to the police
to make sure the law and order situation does not
deteriorate.
Sahara said the meeting was called to maintain law and
order and carry on the drive to eliminate drugs traders
and militants. She said they have received some complaints
of forcible occupation of lands and houses. The OCs will
have to be accountable if any such thing happens in their
areas, she added. In reply to a question, State Minister
Shamsul Huq Tuku said the police will not resort to mass
arrest. However, he cautioned that damaging cars or
shutting shops and markets by force during the hartal will
not be allowed.
State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam, who also attended the
meeting, apprehended that the opposition may create chaos
during the hartal. He referred to BNP chairperson Khaleda
Zia's recent "threats" asking the law enforcing agencies
and the administration not to "discharge their duties."
Qamrul said the opposition leader also warned the police
and the administration of dire consequences if they abide
by the government decision. "This is audacious," he said,
urging Khaleda not to repeat such statements.
Free
low-energy bulbs to fight power crisis
AFP, Dhaka
Bangladesh will give away 28 million energy-saving light
bulbs in the next year to ease the country's chronic power
shortages, an official said Wednesday.
State-owned electricity companies will start handing out
the free bulbs nationwide this week, power ministry
spokesman Afrazur Rahman told AFP.
"These compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs will mean
citizens can replace their old incandescent bulbs which
consume a huge amount of power," he said. "The bulbs
should save at least 500 megawatts of power."
The scheme is part of a 38-million-dollar project funded
by the World Bank. On Monday, authorities asked factories
in and around the capital Dhaka to suspend production
during World Cup football matches so that television
coverage would not be hit by power cuts.
Disruptions during earlier matches sent thousands of angry
fans on the rampage last week, with scores of cars and
buses damaged in rioting. Fast-developing Bangladesh is
reeling from the worst blackouts in its history with
shortfalls reaching 2,000 megawatts a day, or half the
country's daily production of 4,000 megawatts.
Back Page
Urban planners urge govt to approve
DAP immediately
UNB, Dhaka
Urban planners and rese-archers on Wednesday urged the
government to approve the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) for
Dhaka city immediately to gain some control over unplanned
urbanization and save the city from man-made
catastrophe.They said if the government keeps putting off
approval of the DAP, Dhaka city will turn into a ruinous
city where the city dwellers will witness even larger
catastrophes than the recent Nimtoli and Begunbari
tragedies in the near future.
The planners and resea-rchers made the remarks at a press
conference titled 'Vulnerable Dhaka City and Unplanned
Urbanization Perspective:
Proposed Development Budget Review' at the Bangladesh
Institute of Planners (BIP) auditorium in the city on
Wednesday. BIP organized the press conference.
Chaired by BIP president and planner Prof Sarwar Jahan,
the press conference was addressed, among others, by BIP
vice president Shaukot Ali Khan, general secretary Dr AKM
Abul Kasem, BIP former president Dr Golam Rahman and
planner Mashiur Rahman. Speaking on the occasion, Prof
Jahan said that the government has taken many
comprehensive measures to develop the country, but there
is no urban policy to control the rapid growth of
urbanization. "Some 30 per cent of the population is
living in urban areas now, and in the next 30 years this
will rise to 50 per cent. So, the government should
provide a suitable budgetary allocation to urban
development," he said.
On satellite towns, Prof Jahan said the government has
proposed satellite towns surrounding the capital to reduce
the pressure of population in the city, but the
urbanization problem will become even more acute in the
days ahead, if they implement this step.
President releases
commemorative postal stamp on 400 yrs of Dhaka
UNB, Dhaka
President Zillur Rahman on Wednesday released
commemorative postal stamps, maximum cards and first day
cover marking the celebration of 400 years of capital
Dhaka.
The launching ceremony of the commemorative stamps was
held at Bangabhaban, organized by Asiatic Society of
Bangladesh. A delegation of the Asiatic Society of
Bangladesh led by its president Prof Sirajul Islam
attended the function.
The President released a sheet comprising four
commemorative stamps in the denomination of Tk 10 each,
four maximum cards of Tk 5 each and a first day cover of
Tk 6, which were provided by Bangladesh Postal Department.
A special canceller was used on th occasion. The
commemorative postal stamps, maximum cards and the first
day cover will be sold from today at the philatelic bureau
of Dhaka GPO and later these would be sold at all
philatelic bureaus of other GPOs along with all post
offices across the country.
The maximum cards will only be sold from the philatelic
bureau of Dhaka GPO.
Shah Jalal
Fertilizer Factory project may get underway this year:
Dilip
UNB, Dhaka
Industries Minister Dilip Barua has said construction of
the proposed Shah Jalal Fertilizer Factory will likely
begin this year, in order to address the country's
fertilizer demand.
"We hope that we will able to sign a loan agreement of
$537 million with the Chinese government by September.
After signing the loan agreement, the government will
start setting up the proposed Shah Jalal Fertilizer
Factory project by signing a trade agreement with China,"
he said. Dilip Barua made the remark when a delegation
from China led by the China National Complete Plant Import
and Export Corporation Limited (CNCPIECL) chairman Zou
Baozhong called on him at his office on Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed the plan in detail, and
policy matters in implementing the proposed Shah Jalal
Fertilizer Factory project.
Recalling the contribution of CNCPIECL in setting up the
Bangladesh Dye-aluminium Phosphate project, Dilip Barua
said the government is expecting that the CNCPIECL will
play a vital role in establishing the proposed Shah Jalal
Fertilizer Factory project. Speaking on the occasion, Zou
Baozhong observed that the socio-economic development and
agriculture productivity of the country will improve once
the project is undertaken. He assured the Industries
Minister that he will try his level best to finance the
project by negotiating with the Chinese government. A
total of $771 million is needed to implement the proposed
Shah Jalal Fertilizer Factory project. A total of 577,500
metric tons of fertilizer will be produced per year, if
the project is implemented as envisioned.
Meanwhile, the Bangl-adesh government has signed a
consensual loan agreement of $234 million with the Chinese
government. The government is also trying to sign the loan
agreement for $537 million mentioned earlier with the
Chinese government.
Bangladesh invents
genome sequence of jute: Hasina
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh has invented the crucial "genome sequence" of
jute, an innovation that would bring back the pride of the
golden fibre, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told parliament
on Wednes. "This is a glorious event for Bangladesh . . .
with this discovery, jute is expected to regain its lost
glory of being the golden fibre," she said congratulating
the discoverer of the genome sequence, scientist Dr
Maksudul Alam and his team members.
The premier also hoped the discovery would help improve
the jute fibre quality and invent species which would also
be tolerant to the climate change phenomenon.
Officials and scientists familiar with the development
said Bangladesh was the lone country in Asia after
Malaysia to carry out such a high level research.
A genome is all of a living thing's genetic material and
it is the entire set of hereditary instructions for
building, running, and maintaining an organism, and
passing life on to the next generation. Genome sequencing
is a laboratory process that determines the complete DNA
sequence of an organism's genome at a single time. The
process is often compared to "decoding," but a sequence is
still very much in code.
"In a sense, a genome sequence is simply a very long
string of letters in a mysterious language," Professor
Anwarul Islam of Bangladesh Open University said.
The prime minister said the genome sequence discovery
earned Bangladesh the owner of its patent right while it
would restore jute's stake in national economy recalling
that even in the historic Six-Point Movement, Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had pointed out the significance of
jute in the economy. "Unfortunately since the August 15,
1975 carnage, jute has never been given due importance and
the factory like the Adamjee Jute Mills was closed down,"
she said.
8 killed, 35
injured in Manikganj road crash
UNB, Manikganj
At least eight people were killed and 35 injured in a
tragic road accident at Pukhuria on Dhaka-Aricha highway
on Wednesday.
Three of the deceased were identified as Hanufa Begam
(35), her daughter Asmani (12) and son Imran (9) of Char
Katari village in Daulatpur upazila. The identity of two
others died on the spot could not be known immediately.
A divers' team from Dhaka rushed to the spot and covered
three more bodies from inside the bus lying about 8 feet
down the water. Aged about 18 to 20 the victims also could
not be identified. The ill fated bus could not be salvaged
till the evening. It is feared that more bodies were stuck
up in the sunken bus.
Police said the accident took place as the Dhaka bound bus
of Nabin Baron Paribahan from Paturia ghat was dashed by a
truck down to a roadside ditch at about 1 pm. Police
rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies of mother and
her two children and sent those to the Sadar Hospital for
autopsy.
The injured were admitted to Manikganj Sadar Hospital.
Three of them - Rahmat Ali (30), Mujibur Rahman (60) and
Anisur Rahman (14) were later shifted to the Dhaka Medical
College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.
Those lying in the Manikganj Sadar Hospital are Helal Mia,
Adita Chandra Sarkar, Siam, Samar Ali, Abdul Baset, Pradip,
Sahida, Halima, Julekha, Halima and Rehena. The driver and
helper of the bus managed to flee after the fatal
accident.
Govt to take
stringent action against land grabbers: Razzaque
BSS, Dhaka
Food and Disaster Mana-gement Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque
on Wednesday categorically said stringent actions would be
taken against land grabbers, who illegally occupied the
government lands, causing immense sufferings to the
people.
"Stern actions would be taken against the land grabbers,
whoever he or she may be," he told reporters after
inaugurating a two-day regional seminar at IDB Bhaban in
the city. Bangladesh Association of Consulting Engineers (BACE)
and Technical Consultancy Development Programme for Asia
and the Pacific (TCDPAP) jointly organized the seminar on
'Role of Engineers in Tackling Climate Change'.
Chaired by BACE president Mahbub Haque, the seminar was
addressed, among others, by EC member of BACE Mizanor
Rahman Khan, environmentalists, engineers and researchers.
About yesterday's landslide, Abdur Razzaque said poverty
is the root cause for landslide and he already talked to
the Prime Minister (PM) about the landslide. "Take stern
action against those who are involved in land grabbing,"
the minister said quoting the PM.
Money and rice have already been allocated for the
landslide victims and special allocations would also be
given to them in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban districts.
Besides, he said, the government has decided to plant huge
trees around the hilly areas shortly after discussing the
matter with the department of forest.
Leasing system
at Sadarghat Launch Terminal goes July 1
UNB, Dhaka
The leasing system at Sadarghat Launch Terminal will be
terminated from July 1 to prevent harassment of the
general passengers to facilitate a smoother journey for
them.
The decision was taken at a joint meeting of the
Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carrier's)
Association and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport
Authority (BIWTA) held at Sadarghat on Wednesday. Shipping
Minister Shahjahan Khan presided over the meeting.
The meeting discussed various matters, including
harassment of passengers at Sadarghat Launch Terminal,
increasing facilities of the passengers, realization of
overdue wages by the coolies, dislodging hawkers and
removing traffic jam. The Shipping Minister sought
cooperation of all including the Launch Owners'
Association to implement the decision to cancel the
leasing system.
Shipping Ministry Secretary Abdul Mannan Hawlader, BIWTA
chairman Abdul Malek Mia, Bangladesh Inland Waterways
(passenger carrier's) Association president Mahbub Uddin
Bir Bikram, Launch owners and officials of BIWTA were
present.
Editorial
Landslide tragedy
Disaster
and tragedy seem to have been haunting the people of
Bangladesh in the recent days. After the tragic deaths of
nearly 150 people in the dastardly building collapse at
Begunbari and the dreadful fire incident at Nimtali in Dhaka a
few days ago, now at least 54 people are reported dead in
landslides in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban districts. The latest
incident has sent shock waves across the country and the
people are deeply grief-stricken at the repeated tragic
deaths.
According to reports: At least 54 people were killed and
around 100 others injured in a series of landslides triggered
by torrential rains in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban on Monday
night and Tuesday. Among the dead at least five are army
personnel. The entire Himchhari army barrack was destroyed as
a high hill collapsed on the installation. Sixty-two personnel
were posted in the barrack at the foot of the hills in
Himchhari for construction of 24-kilometre Cox's Bazar-Teknaf
Marine Drive Road, according to an ISPR press release.
Officials said salvage campaign was underway as some people
were still missing. They said most of the victims lost their
lives under tons of mud in different areas of Cox's Bazar
district while some others were buried alive in nearby
Bandarban hill district as earthen chunks smashed their homes
at the bottom of hills. The mudslides struck Ukhia and Teknaf
upazilas as a result of two days of heavy rainfalls while most
victims were asleep.
Cox's Bazar district administration is reportedly trying to
shift people living in the hills elsewhere. The government
immediately allocated Tk 16 lakh and 150 tons of rice for the
affected people. It also directed the local administration to
evacuate people from areas at risk of landslides. The district
administration allocated Tk 20,000 for the affected families.
Meanwhile, President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia have expressed
deep shock at the catastrophe. In a condolence message, the
president conveyed his sympathy to members of the bereaved
families and prayed for salvation of the departed souls.
Sheikh Hasina directed the local administration to provide all
help to the affected people. Khaleda Zia in her message termed
the loss "irreparable".
The loss of lives caused by the catastrophe in Cox's Bazar and
Bandarban has shocked the whole nation. We are also shocked at
the landslide tragedy. We mourn the deaths and convey our
condolence to the bereaved families. We hope, the government
will provide financial help for the families of the dead and
also others affected. We also urge the government to
immediately evacuate the people from the risky areas and take
adequate measures to rehabilitate those dislodged by the
catastrophe. We hope that the ministry for disaster management
will make all out efforts to redress the sufferings of the
affected people.
Atrocities of BSF
We
are constrained to write repeatedly on the atrocities of the
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) as it has assumed the shape
of a spectre and is showing its might by killing Bangladeshis
along the border and trespassing illegally into Bangladesh
territory. These continue unabated despite India's repeated
pledges to stop killings and maintain peace on the border.
Once again there has been exchange of heavy gunfire between
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and BSF on Sylhet border on Tuesday.
The firing started when Indian farmers backed by BSF
trespassed 200 yards into Bangladesh and started cultivation
at Noljhuri border. Firing extended to Tamabil and Protappur
borders of Goainghat and Dibir Haor of Jaintapur border.
Export and import through the Tamabil land port was closed
because of gun firing.
It may be recalled that on the last occasion, border forces of
Bangladesh and India traded heavy gunfire at Jaintapur border
when Indian nationals backed by BSF trespassed for fishing on
28 February afternoon. It was the fourth time in a month that
the border skirmishes took place as Khasia tribe on the other
side of the border in Meghalaya State deliberately crossed the
border for fishing in Dibir Haor. BSF on February 4 intruded
in the area and kidnapped a Nayek of BDR. He was however set
free at a flag meeting. Indian nationals backed by BSF crossed
the border for fishing in Dibir Haor. On resistance by the
fishermen BSF opened fire. BDR returned the fire and the
gunrunning continued for about three hours .
On February 22, a group of Indian intruders with direct
support of the BSF trespassed into Bangladesh territory on
Bibirhaor border near Jayantapur in Sylhet, but went back in
the face of strong protest by local people. The trespassers
entered two hundred years into Bangladesh territory and caught
fishes from a pond. However the locals protested the intrusion
strongly and ultimately the intruders returned to India with
huge fishes caught from the pond. The BSF personnel provided
security to the Indian trespassers.
Worse still, BSF killed 108 Bangladeshis in the last 13 months
including 28 in four months. In the latest incident BSF killed
yet another Bangladeshi along Joypurhat border on June The
number of Bangladeshis killed by BSF during the nine years
period from January 1, 2000 to February 18, 2010 to 831.
Analysis
The unmistakable mood
Pakistan is in deep, deep trouble and is going
down the tube. The 'wechselstimmung' or the mood for change is
unmistakable.
Roedad Khan
If you want to
know how a country can survive despite its leadership, despite
its government, well, visit Pakistan. Democracy is a splendid
conception but it has the disadvantage, on occasion, of
placing in the lead men whose hands are dirty, who are mired
in corruption, who will sap the strength of their country, not
in years but over a period of months. The idea that you can
just hold election, fair or unfair, while everything remains
colonial, feudal and medieval, means you won't get democracy
but some perversion of it as we have today in this country.
Elections are necessary but not sufficient. Elections alone do
not make a democracy. Creating a democracy requires a free and
independent country, an inviolable constitution, a sustained
commitment to develop all the necessary elements: a
transparent executive accountable to parliament, a powerful
and competent legislature answerable to the electorate, a
strong, independent judiciary, and a free and independent
media. To assume that vote alone will automatically bring
about a democratic metamorphosis would be to condemn Pakistan
to a repeat of the cycle seen so often in our history: a
short-lived period of corrupt, civilian rule, a descent into
chaos and then army intervention.
Harold Macmillan, the British prime minister, was once asked
by a young journalist what he feared most in politics.
"Events, dear boy, events," he responded. For Pakistan events
are coming thick and fast: an ongoing, highly unpopular war
against our own people in the tribal area, daily American
drone attacks on our soil, killing innocent men, women and
children, target killings in Karachi, massacre of Ahmedis in
Lahore, total breakdown of law and order in the backdrop of
spiralling inflation, driving thousands of angry protestors to
take to the streets almost everyday. Their demand: nothing
more than provision of basic necessities of life and the right
to live. On top of all this, came a catastrophe of epic
proportions in Hunza, caused by a landslide which has blocked
the entire flow of the Hunza River, threatening everything in
the valley all the way down to Tarbela.
Crisis is a crucible in which governments, residents, prime
misters and other politicians are tested as nowhere else. The
response one would expect from the head of state never
happened. He seems too indifferent, too callous, too
insensitive on the television screen. What is worse, he stayed
away from the scene of this great human tragedy and did not
bother to visit it even once. Hurricane Katrina defrocked a
faith-based Bush. The Hunza crisis has similarly unmasked
President Zardari.
What is it that people really expect from their president when
a disaster strikes? The people expect the occupant of the
presidency to keep hope alive, to assure them that they will
survive; that they will get through it. He has to react
promptly, direct recovery and mobilise resources. Above all,
he must inspire confidence because everybody looks up to him
in a national crisis.
And so he has to be that larger-than-life figure. The change
in intensity in the news media - cable channels are
broadcasting round-the-clock pictures - has sharply increased
the pressure on the president and his administration. In such
a situation, people want and expect more of a personal
connection. That did not happen.
People still remember how General Azam handled the flood
crisis in East Pakistan. He struck a human chord and won over
the hearts of the people. They loved Azam and still remember
him with affection.
In stark contrast, President Zardari looked so cold, so
unconcerned, so indifferent, so distant, so wooden and so
bureaucratic. Nothing about the president's demeanour - which
seemed casual to the point of carelessness - suggested that he
understood the depth of the crisis.
And what of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani? The less said
the better. He visited the affected area on May 21, 2010, five
months after the massive landslide. After an aerial visit of
the 19km long artificial lake, he told reporters that the
disaster reminded him of the problems Pakistan had to face
during partition when it had to face a sea of incoming
refugees. With that Gilani turned his back on Hunza and never
went there again.
His visit drew sharp criticism from the affected people who
dismissed it as a crude PR exercise. No wonder, in public
perception, Gilani is speedily becoming a more or less
honorary prime minister, living in a kind of twilight just
outside the things that really matter.
Isn't it a great tragedy that at a time when the nation is
battling the forces of nature in Hunza, Pakistan's democracy
is in limbo, parliament is paralysed and the opposition
languishes in torpid impotence. The constitution is a figment;
all civil and political institutions, with the exception of
superior judiciary, remain eviscerated. All power is still
concentrated in the hands of President Zardari. He wields
absolute power without responsibility and is accountable to
none. Nothing moves without his approval.
At a time when the country is at war, Mr Zardari, the supreme
commander, spends almost his entire existence in the confines
of a bunker - his macabre domicile which he seldom leaves
these days. Mortally afraid of his own people and the sword of
the NRO judgment still hanging over his head, he is more
concerned about protecting himself and his wealth rather than
protecting the country or the people of Pakistan.
Today the political landscape of Pakistan is dotted with
Potemkin villages. All the pillars of state, with the
exception of the Supreme Court, are dysfunctional. Pakistan
sits between hope and fear. Hope because "so long as there is
a judiciary marked by rugged independence, the country and the
citizen's civil liberties are safe even in the absence of
cast-iron guarantees in the constitution".
Fear that in spite of a strong and independent judiciary, the
present corrupt order will perpetuate itself because both the
president and parliament are in collusion and out of sync with
the spirit of the times.
Pakistan is in deep, deep trouble and is going down the tube.
The 'wechselstimmung' or the mood for change is unmistakable.
Email: roedad@comsats.net.pk,
www.roedadkhan.com
Will the real
leaders of Asia please stand up?
It is my hypothesis that the extraordinary rise of Asia in
recent decades cannot be understood or appreciated without
some reference to outstanding leadership.
Tom Plate
The
ineffable quality of leadership is so hard to define. But
everyone knows we need it badly, especially in difficult
times; and while the experts tend to quarrel over
definitions, ordinary people tend to know real leaders
when they see them. It is my hypothesis that the
extraordinary rise of Asia in recent decades cannot be
understood or appreciated without some reference to
outstanding leadership.
Consider the experience of other regions of the world. In
the 19th century Europe immensely benefited from the
machinations of its Machiavellian empire-building leaders.
In the 20th century-the so-called American Century - no
one can imagine the US having such global success without
its Roosevelts, Ikes and JFKs. So now, as Asia bodes to
supersede America as the dominant global region of the
21st century, one might ask whom history will identify as
the leaders that helped push Asia so far forward.
That is the central question a new book series, the first
volume of which just launched, seeks to illuminate. It's
called "Giants of Asia." But who are these so-called
giants? And how are they to be selected for the spotlight?
The process cannot be easy - what are the criteria? Why
him and not her? The potential for argumentation is
enormous and endless. I should know. I am the one who has
- foolishly or not! -- started on this series, and I have
been wrestling with this question of Asian leadership not
just since last summer, when I began writing the first
book in the series, but since 1996, when my columns on
America and its relationship with Asia first began
appearing.
At that time the region was well into its upward mobility
drive. Seoul was one gigantic metropolis of drive and
ambition: You could feel it the minute you stepped out of
the airport cab. Shanghai back then had more construction
cranes up and running than any city anywhere (and it may
still).
Singapore wasn't so much caning as redefining-a worldwide
gold standard for efficient and honest government.
Malaysia wasn't abandoning the farm but it was discovering
the magic of the Cyber-age and the best way to escape the
limitations of its laid-back culture. India was waking up
from too many dusty decades of neo-Stalinist central
planning under well-meaning but wholly misconceived
governance. Tiny Taiwan and tiny Hong Kong were constantly
reminding the mainland that being Chinese didn't mean
having to say, "Sorry, we have no money." People were even
starting to bet that India would awaken. Japan's post war
rise may have peaked in the eighties but giant China's is
nowhere near ?played out.
This powerful and relentless transformation of a loser
area of the globe into perhaps the biggest winner of the
current century didn't just happen. Credit, if you want,
the hidden hand of history, but I prefer to look for
tangible factors. One of course was the people of Asia.
Many of them worked until their backs broke. Almost
everyone seemed to be either working or studying.
Another reason had to be that some Asians were getting
superior leadership, however one defined it. While Africa
remained more or less notorious for leaders who sucked the
life - and much money - out of their countries, Asia
became known for leaders who were leading their countries
to new prominence, staying with the job and their
countries and watching them grow to new heights.
Post-colonial Asia had drive and ambition. There was less
defeatism and more realism; less demagoguery and more
?economic production.
No scientific way exists to identify contemporaneously,
without subjectivity, the giant leaders of Asia. That is
the eventual proper job of history. But I can tell you
that in compiling my own list and using it to launch this
"Giants of Asia" series, I found there was a consensus
about certain assessments. One was that no such series
could be written without the inimitable Lee Kuan Yew on
the roster. He and his elite team helped redefine
Singapore and set governance standards for the entire
region. Consider the Malaysia story: the outspoken Dr.
Mahathir Mohamad has more detractors than anyone can
count; but for 22 consecutive years he was the prime
minister of a country that went from nowhere on the
economic map to somewhere special. Similarly, Ban Ki-moon,
the experienced South Korean diplomat, has been having a
bumpy run as United Nations Secretary General, it is true.
But the very fact that the world body chose as Kofi
Annan's successor this hard-working gentleman from the
successful southern half of the Korean Peninsula is taken
by Koreans almost everywhere as an affirmation ?of their
rise.
And so that's how I began thinking about the series. Not
everyone will agree with the choices. But how can anyone
argue with the concept? Without such giants of Asia, the
region would not be where it is today. It is that simple.
I am happy with my choices so far. At least they have been
made. Let the debate begin.n
Columnist and veteran journalist Tom Plate is writing a
trilogy of books called "Giants of Asia
Viewpoints
Ankara knows Mideast is changing
According to
Erdogan, Israel doesn't adhere to the code of conduct embraced
even by the vilest of criminals.
Ramzy Baroud
“Even
despots, gangsters and pirates have specific sensitiveness,
(and) follow some specific morals." The claim was made by
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a recent
speech, following the deadly commando raid on the humanitarian
aid flotilla to Gaza on May 31. According to Erdogan, Israel
doesn't adhere to the code of conduct embraced even by the
vilest of criminals.
The statement alone indicates the momentous political shift
that's currently underway in the Middle East. While the shift
isn't entirely new, one dares to claim it might now be a
lasting one. To borrow from Erdogan's own assessment of the
political fallout that followed Israel's raid, the damage is
"irreparable."
Countless analyses have emerged in the wake of the
long-planned and calculated Israeli attack on the Turkish
ship, Mavi Marmara, which claimed the lives of one American
and eight Turkish peace activists.
In "Turkey's Strategic U-Turn, Israel's Tactical Mistakes,"
published in the Israeli daily Haaretz, Ofra Bengio suggested
Turkey's position was purely strategic. But he also chastised
Israel for driving Turkey further and faster "toward the Arab
and Muslim worlds."
In this week's Zaman, a Turkish publication, Bulent Kenes
wrote: "As a result of the Davos (where the Turkish prime
minister stormed out of a televised discussion with Israeli
President Shimon Peres, after accusing him and Israel of
murder), the myth that Israel is untouchable was destroyed by
Erdogan, and because of that Israel nurses a hatred for
Turkey."
In fact, the Davos incident is significant not because it
demonstrates that Israel can be criticized, but rather because
it was Turkey - and not any other easily dismissible party -
that dared to voice such criticism.
Writing in the Financial Times under the title, "Erdogan turns
to face East in a delicate balancing act," David Gardner
places Turkey's political turn within a European context. He
sums up that thought in a quote uttered by no other than
Robert Gates, US defense secretary: "If there is anything to
the notion that Turkey is moving Eastward, it is in no small
part because it was pushed, and pushed by some in Europe
refusing to give Turkey the kind of organic link to the West
that Turkey sought." But what many analysts missed was the
larger political and historical context, not only as
pertaining to Israel and Turkey, but to the whole region and
all its players, including the US itself. Only this context
can help us understand the logic behind Israel's seemingly
erratic behavior.
In 1996, Israeli leaders appeared very confident. A group of
neoconservative American politicians had laid out a road map
for Israel to ensure complete dominance over the Middle East.
In the document entitled, "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for
Securing the Realm," Turkey was mentioned four times. Each
reference envisaged the country as a tool to "contain,
destabilize, and roll back some of .. (the) most dangerous
threats" to Israel. That very "vision" in fact served as the
backbone of the larger strategy used by the US, as it carried
out its heedless military adventures in the Middle East.
Frustrated by the American failure to reshape the region and
unquestioningly eliminate anything and everything that Israel
might perceive as a threat, Israel took matters into its own
hands. However, in 2006 and between 2008 and 2009, it was up
for major surprises. Superior firepower doesn't guarantee
military victory. More, while Israel had once more
demonstrated its capacity to inflict untold damage on people
and infrastructure, the Israeli weapon was no longer
strategically effective. In other words, Israel's military
advantage could no longer translate into political gains, and
this was a game-changer.
There are many issues the Israeli leadership has had to
wrangle with in recent years. The US, Israel's most faithful
benefactor, is now on a crisis management mode in Iraq and
Afghanistan, struggling on all fronts, whether political,
military or economic. That recoil has further emboldened
Israel's enemies, who are no longer intimidated by the
American bogyman. Israel's desperate attempt at using its own
military to achieve its grand objectives has also failed, and
miserly so.
With options growing even more limited, Israel now understands
that Gaza is its last card; ending the siege or ceasing the
killings could be understood as another indication of
political weakness, a risk that Israel is not ready to take.
Turkey, on the other hand, was fighting - and mostly winning -
its own battles. Democracy in Turkey has never been as healthy
and meaningful as it is today. Turkey has also eased its chase
of the proverbial dangling carrot, of EU membership,
especially considering the arrogant attitude of some EU
members who perceive Turkey as too large and too Muslim to be
trusted. Turkey needed new platforms, new options and a more
diverse strategy.
But that is where many analysts went wrong. Turkey's popular
government has not entered the Middle Eastern political foray
to pick fights. On the contrary, the Turkish government has
for years been trying to get involved as a peacemaker, a
mediator between various parties. So, yes, Turkey's political
shift was largely strategic, but it was not ill-intentioned.
The uninvited Turkish involvement, however, is highly
irritating to Israel. Turkey's approach to its new role grew
agitating to Israel when the role wasn't confined to being
that of the host - in indirect talks between Syria and Israel,
for example. Instead, Turkey began to take increasingly solid
and determined political stances. Thus the Davos episode.
By participating at such a high capacity in the Gaza Freedom
Flotilla, with firm intentions of breaking the siege, Turkey
was escalating its involvement well beyond Israel's comfort
zone. Therefore, Israel needed a decisive response that would
send a message to Turkey - and any daring other - about
crossing the line of what is and is not acceptable. It's
ironic how the neoconservatives' "A Clean Break" envisaged an
Israeli violation of the political and geographic boundaries
of its neighbors, with the help of Turkey. Yet, 14 years
later, it was Turkey, with representatives from 32 other
countries, which came with a peaceful armada to breach what
Israel perceived as its own political domain.
The Israeli response, as bloody as it was, can only be
understood within this larger context. Erdogan's statements
and the popular support his government enjoys show that Turkey
has decided to take on the Israeli challenge. The US
government was exposed as ineffectual and hostage to the
failing Israeli agenda in the region, thanks to the lobby.
Ironically it is now the neoconservatives who are leading the
charge against Turkey, the very country they had hoped would
become Israel's willing ally in its apocalyptic vision.
Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an
internationally-syndicated columnist and the editor of
PalestineChronicle.com.
Kyrgyzstan
makes big powers uneasy
The economic,
security and strategic interests of Russia, China and the
US are increasingly affected by central Asian instability.
Simon Tisdall
If
recent history is any guide, the ethnic violence roiling
southern Kyrgyzstan is unlikely to be prolonged or to
spark a wider conflagration in neighbouring Uzbekistan and
Tajikistan.
Similar outbreaks ignited by disputes over land, food
prices and poll results across the divided Fergana valley
in 1990 and 2005 eventually subsided, with or without the
type of foreign intervention sought at the weekend by the
interim government in Bishkek.
But these precedents offer scant comfort to the big powers
- Russia, China and the US - whose economic, security and
strategic interests are increasingly affected by central
Asian instability.
Kyrgyzstan's unresolved problems, including extreme
poverty, poor education levels among the rural majority,
complex ethnic and tribal rivalries, north-south divisions
and the spread of extreme ideology mean the next crisis is
never far away.Russia is widely believed to have triggered
the latest upheavals by undermining the now deposed
president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Moscow's motives include
control of key energy and transit routes and a desire to
maintain, or restore, political pre-eminence in the former
Soviet sphere. It is intensely wary of perceived Chinese
and American regional encroachment.
But speaking after Russia helped consolidate the April
putsch that overthrew Bakiyev, President Dmitry Medvedev
tacitly acknowledged the perils inherent in the
interventionist policy espoused by Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin. "We wanted to intervene in a situation that is
ultimately another country's sovereign affair in order to
prevent bloodshed," Medvedev said. "As for whether this
kind of situation could arise in other countries in the
post-Soviet era - anything is possible - [It] could repeat
itself anywhere."
Consequences
Moscow now appears reluctant to face the consequences of
its actions, declining a request for Russian peacekeepers
and referring the crisis to the hitherto toothless
Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) of former
Soviet republics. Conversely, it may be gratified by the
reaction of other central Asian leaders.
As M.K. Bhadrakumar, an Indian former diplomat noted in
Asia Times, a rattled President Islam Karimov of
Uzbekistan dropped everything and hurried to Moscow after
the Kyrgyz coup. "Karimov is a shrewd observer of regional
politics. Of late Tashkent has been gravitating towards
the west but the turmoil in Bishkek underscores Moscow's
unique role as the preserver of regional security,"
Bhadrakumar said.
China has been more circumspect, issuing platitudinous,
non-judgmental statements calling for a peaceful
resolution. But the crisis has shown why it cannot remain
indifferent or aloof. Kyrgyzstan, itself an important
trade partner, stands astride vital routes to China's
central Asian export markets, notably Kazakhstan.
More significantly, given the recurring unrest in China's
western, largely Muslim province of Xinjiang, the ethnic
Uighur population of Kyrgyzstan is estimated at up to a
quarter of a million. That makes the country's stability a
key security concern for Beijing.
Author Richard Lourie, writing in Moscow Times, said a new
"great game" was under way in central Asia. During the
First World War, he said, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany had
tried to instigate a jihad against British India. Now
China feared similar agitation spreading from the Fergana
valley into its territory. "Unstable countries like
Kyrgyzstan could become the base and refuge for Uighur
insurgents," Lourie said.
China was also mindful to defend its spreading pipeline
network in central Asia. "China recently broke the Russian
monopoly on energy transmission in the region, completing
a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to western China that
crosses through nominal Russian allies such as Uzbekistan
and Kazakhstan - Logic will dictate protecting those
costly and valuable assets. That's when an ethics-free
Chinese foreign policy might suddenly seem less appealing
[to regional governments]," Lourie said.
Like Russia's toothless CSTO, the crisis has left the much
vaunted, Beijing-sponsored Shanghai Co-operation
Organisation (SCO), comprising central Asia states, also
looking ineffectual and irrelevant. According to Richard
Weitz, writing in the The Diplomat, the SCO's
underperformance has raised questions about what use it
may be in defusing future, possibly bigger regional
challenges.
Amid these complex machinations and calculations, the
Obama administration, not for the first time, looks like
something of a helpless bystander, a naif abroad in a wild
land. The US military base at Manas, logistically
important for Afghan war supplies, is Washington's
foremost Kyrgyz concern, whatever it may mumble about
self-determination and human rights.
But the implications of April's Russian orchestrated
putsch, like the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, were slow to
dawn on a bumbling White House, and amid deteriorating
security Manas' long-term future is now clouded in doubt.
So, too, is the reform schedule for a new Kyrgyz
constitution and autumn parliamentary elections. Having
swapped democracy promotion for foreign policy "realism",
Barack Obama risks the worst of both worlds.
The chocolate hunt in Teheran
w For them, the revolution pioneered by Khomeini still
lives on. They are carrying it forward. Diplomatically, as
expressed by Ahmadinejad, Iran is ready for friendship and
talks with the world. w
Nilofar Suhrawardy
With
Iran in the news practically always for the wrong,
unacceptable reasons, be its nuclear policy, UN sanctions,
'rigged' elections, conservative society, during a recent
visit to the country, one tried understanding it through a
different lens.
Believe it or not, but an unplanned chocolate-hunt helped
me in this drive. It was last day of stay in Teheran with
just a few hours left to indulge in a little shopping to
bring back home gifts from Iran. So I ventured out of
hotel to get a taste of Iranian life as an individual.
Till then, experience in Iran as a member of Indian
delegation, was attending functions commemorating 21st
death anniversary of revolutionary leader Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini. This meant moving with the group,
several officials, interpreters as well as security
personnel without being bothered about getting lost or
facing any language problem. Being barely familiar with
Persian, except for a few words commonly used in Urdu and
Hindi, it was an interesting experience trying to
communicate first with taxi drivers then with shopkeepers.
Otherwise, moving around "unescorted" seemed as easy as it
is in Indian cities except for adding scarf to the dress (shalwar-kameez)
to keep my head covered, as in Iran, women have to be
covered from head to toe.
Using sign language and with the help of malls scripted in
Persian by hotel staff, one bargained on taxi fares and
opted for one that seemed reasonable. Yet, despite the
language-problem, the cabbie and other Iranians let me
feel that there was no communication gap between us. As
the cabbie tried guiding me which was the best place to
shop, I responded: "Farsi samajh namumkin" (understanding
Persian impossible). He replied with a big smile: "English
samajh namumkin." Nevertheless, shopping suddenly seemed
much easier than anticipated. The most important item on
my list was chocolates. With little time on hand, before
entering a mall, I gestured to an Iranian lady: "English
samajh?" She replied: "Yes." Ah, what a relief! I asked
her to guide me to a good chocolate-shop. She and her
family members took me to several shops and before moving
on asked me about my nationality. When I said, "Indian,"
they looked uncertain. Then I said: "Hind." "Hind," that
one word brought such warm and friendly smiles to their
faces. Inside the shop, I asked for chocolates ?made in
Iran.
I was pleasantly surprised to be shown dozens of
varieties. Window shopping revealed that Iran is not as
economically isolated as made out in international media.
One came across cashewnuts from India, scarves from Italy
and Turkey, shirts from France and a lot more, which can
be regarded only as a minor indicator of economic ties
Iran entertains with other countries. This chocolate-hunt
prompted me to reflect giving me an idea why Iranian
leaders were not losing their sleep over new UN sanctions
pushed by the United States.
For Iranians, Khomeini still remains the most popular
leader, whom people from different walks of lives, down to
the grassroots and rival political parties look up to.
This apparently explains why Teheran had posters and
hoardings of the late leader, or why thousands came to
view the simple home he lived in and millions participated
in the special prayer ceremony held to mark his 21st death
anniversary. Interaction with Iranians highlighted the
importance they still accorded to Khomeini's leadership
and values. Prospects of the same being replaced by
external pressure seem practically non-existent.
With Iran geo-strategically located, political
developments over past few decades, including the
Iran-Iraq war, US and its allies' entry into Iraq,
Afghanistan-crisis and Palestinian issue has not played
any role in helping US gain the trust of Iranian people.
The reverse has happened with Iranians on the move.
Iranian men and women thus seemed to be moving on with
their lives unaffected by international sanctions. For
them, the revolution pioneered by Khomeini still lives on.
They are carrying it forward. Diplomatically, as expressed
by Ahmadinejad, Iran is ready for friendship and talks
with the world.
Nilofar Suhrawardy is an Indian journalist and author
of Ayodhya Without Communal Stamp, In the Name of Indian
Secularism.
International
Political
meetings banned in Karachi
Dawn online
Pakistan has banned public political meetings in its
largest city of Karachi in an effort to control a renewed
wave of targeting killings, a senior government official
said Wednesday.
"The government has banned public political meetings for a
month as a way of controlling the targeted killings," said
Waqar Mehdi, an aide to the chief minister of the southern
province of Sindh, of which Karachi is the capital.
"The decision was taken late Tuesday night and we have
issued a notification to this effect," he said.
The measure applies to all large public meetings, rallies
and demonstrations except for funeral prayers and burials.
"There is a persistent possibility of terrorism activity
during the large meetings and rallies as terrorists could
inflict heavy damage to life and property," Mehdi told AFP.
The government has not released exact figures, but
security officials say at least 10 people have died so far
this month in targeted killings in Karachi and more than
100 since the beginning of the year.
At least four more people were killed in incidents of
target killing in different parts of Karachi during the
past 12 hours, DawnNews reported.
Unknown assailants shot dead a man on the city's Mauripur
Road. Police said the man was involved in criminal
activities and an investigation into the incident was
underway.
Another man was shot dead in the Usmanabad area. The
victim was a former member of the Sunni Tehrik, police
said. Separately, one ASI Riaz was assassinated in North
Karachi's Khwaja Ajmer Nagri area. The ASI's body was
shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Police said Riaz
was posted at a police station in Nazimabad.
On Tuesday, tension prevailed in parts of Karachi for a
fifth straight day as miscreants resorted to firing in the
air after the funeral of a young worker of Ahl-i-Sunnat
Wal Jamaat, forcing shopkeepers to down their shutters and
keeping roads in the affected areas deserted.
Funeral prayers of the 32-year-old worker, Ibrahim Mana,
were offered in a mosque near the Met Office, on
University Road. However, frequent gunshots were heard as
the procession crossed different areas.
"Ahsan, a 12-year-old boy, was injured in the firing, most
probably aimed at keeping the business closed near
Gharibabad," said an official at the Sharifabad police
station. "The shooting kept shops closed, but the bullet
injury to the boy left area people in anger. They later
carried out a sit-in on the main road in protest."
Liaquatabad, Federal B Area and Nazimabad remained tense
till late into the afternoon as tensions kept people
indoors. Near the Gharibabad underpass, a group of enraged
protesters set a minibus on fire.
Afghan leader faces
tough questions on Japan trip
AFP, Tokyo
Afghan President Hamid Karzai was set to face tough
questions over governance and corruption from one of his
country's major aid donors when he arrives in Japan on
Wednesday for a five-day visit.
Japan last year pledged up to five billion dollars in aid
over five years until 2013, provided the security
situation allows projects to go ahead and contingent on
guarantees the assistance will not be lost to graft.
It will be Karzai's fourth trip to Japan, and his first
since he won his second presidential term last November in
elections widely criticised as marred by ballot-stuffing
and vote-rigging.
Talks with Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan and
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada will focus on improvement
of security and the wider development of the war-torn and
dirt-poor central Asian nation.
"The quality of governance needs to be improved," Japanese
foreign ministry press secretary Kazuo Kodama told AFP.
"We do have sympathy for his challenges, but at the same
time, in order for his government... to really succeed in
addressing all these challenges, he has got to put his
government in order," Kodama said.
"So I think Prime Minister Kan and Foreign Minister Okada
will certainly look forward to discussing these issues in
a candid, straight-forward manner."
Kabul said Karzai was travelling with his foreign and
finance ministers, as well as national security advisor
Rangeen Dadfar Spanta.
Japan, whose military is restricted by a post-World War II
pacifist constitution, has not deployed troops to
Afghanistan, but the world's second biggest economy is one
of the biggest donors to the country.
"This visit is one of the president's most important
trips. Japan has been one of our key allies. It has been
among key contributors to Afghanistan's reconstruction,"
Karzai spokesman Hamid Elmi told AFP.
"They have pledged a new fund of five billion dollars over
five years. The trip is a four-day trip, which in itself
shows that Japan and this visit is important for the
president."
Amnesty says Malaysia
‘dangerous’ for refugees
AFP, Kuala Lumpur
Amnesty International on Wednesday said Malaysia was a
"dangerous" place for refugees who were often abused,
arrested and "treated like criminals".
The Southeast Asian nation has nearly 90,000 refugees and
asylum-seekers but the human rights group estimates the
number of unregistered refugees at more than twice the
official figure.
Amnesty said the refugees, mainly from military-ruled
Myanmar, came seeking refuge in Malaysia but were
subjected to a litany of abuses as the government does not
recognise their status.
"For those refugees and asylum-seekers who are forced to
flee their homelands in search of protection, Malaysia is
an unwelcoming and dangerous place," it said in a
strongly-worded report ahead of World Refugee Day on June
20.
"They come to Malaysia seeking safety, having fled
situations of torture, persecution or death threats. But
once they arrive, they are abused, exploited, arrested and
locked up-in effect, treated like criminals," the group
added.
Malaysia has not ratified the United Nation's Refugee
Convention and refugees-who also come from Sri Lanka,
Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan-are often treated as
undocumented workers, Amnesty said. The lack of legal
status means refugees can be punished by imprisonment for
up to five years and whipping for illegally entering the
country. Amnesty also claimed the Malaysian government had
deported refugees to persecution that they had fled, but
said no new incidents had been recorded since July last
year.
The rights group singled out a government-backed volunteer
force known as RELA, which is empowered to carry out
immigration checks, for alleged abuse and extorting money
from refugees and asylum-seekers.
Malaysia enlists
universities in anti-terrorism fight
AFP, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia's government will enlist the help of universities
to stop Islamic militants using campuses as recruitment
centres for their violent struggle, according to the
deputy premier.
Muhyiddin Yassin said police would hold a special briefing
for university administrators following the recent
deportation of 10 foreigners for trying to recruit
Malaysian students to wage holy war overseas.
The militants were detained earlier this year for trying
to revive the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI) by attracting new members from Malaysian
universities.
The organisation has been linked to Al-Qaeda and blamed
for major attacks in the region, including the 2002 Bali
bombings.
"A special briefing will be given... it will discuss the
form of cooperation that can be taken among all parties to
curb this unhealthy trend which can affect national
security," Muhyiddin told the Bernama news agency late
Tuesday.
The police have a lot of information and know movements,
so the cooperation of all parties is very important to
safeguard national security," added Muhyiddin, who is also
the education minister.
Police chief Musa Hassan said two university campuses were
being monitored as some local and foreign students from
the Middle East and Africa were spreading jihadist
ideology, the New Straits Times reported Wednesday."Action
will be taken if they (the foreigners) go overboard," Musa
told the paper, without naming the universities. The
police chief could not be reached for comment.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Tuesday foreign
militants were using mainly-Muslim Malaysia as a base,
confirming there were both religious and non-Islamic
militant groups operating in the country.
He said the militants were using Malaysia to carry out
financial transactions, share information and recruit new
members.
Accused has ‘no regret’
over Indian honour killing
AFP, India
An uncle accused of torturing and stabbing to death his
niece and her boyfriend in India said he had no regrets
over the apparent "honour killing", newspapers reported
Wednesday.
Asha Saini, 19, was found dead in a low-income district of
the capital New Delhi, along with her 21-year-old
boyfriend Yogesh Kumar, whom she wanted to marry despite
objections from her family.
Police said they had found the couple on Monday morning
with their legs and arms bound, and with fatal injuries
from being stabbed and given electric shocks on their
hands and feet.
"I have no regrets... I will punish them all over again if
given another chance," Om Prakash, Saini's uncle, was
quoted in the Times of India as saying when he was paraded
in front of reporters on Tuesday.
The dead girl's father has also been arrested.
Deputy commissioner of police N.S. Bundela said that
initial reports suggested the couple had been tortured
through the night and died at about 4:00 am.
The Times reported that Prakash and other relatives of
Saini had killed the couple because Kumar came from a
lower caste in the Hindu social hierarchy.
Most "honour killings" in India target couples who dare to
marry outside their caste and are killed by family members
for bringing shame on their communities.
South China Sea Piracy on
the rise: Watchdog
AFP, Kuala Lumpur
A global maritime watchdog Wednesday warned of increasing
pirate attacks in the south of the South China Sea
following six incidents in as many days in waters off
Indonesia.
Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's (IMB)
piracy monitoring centre said the latest attack brought to
14 the number in the area so far this year.
He said On Wednesday a Singapore-flagged container ship
was boarded by six armed pirates who stole cash and
property.
"The attacks that began on June 10 are concentrated in an
area near Indonesia's Anambas, Natuna and Mangkai
islands," he told AFP.
"We have issued alerts on the area in the past and have
again informed the Indonesian authorities, asking for an
increase in patrols," he added.
"The attacks go down following an increase in patrols but
they slowly creep up again once patrols are reduced," he
added.
Choong said a Malaysian-registered tanker was boarded on
June 10 in the area while a South Korean cargo vessel was
attacked the same day.
A Cypriot container ship was boarded on June 12, a
Chinese-flagged tanker was attacked on June 13 and a
Singapore-registered tanker was robbed on June 15, he
added.
"The pirates usually attack in the hours of darkness and
they target the ship's safe, property and personal
belongings," Choong added.
"Unlike Somalian pirates, the ones in the region abort
their attempts when they are spotted so we advise all
vessels to ensure they are vigilant to prevent such
boardings," he added.
Indian security forces kill
eight Maoists
AFP, Kolkata
Indian security forces have killed eight suspected Maoists
during an ongoing operation to clear a rebel stronghold in
the country's east, police said Wednesday.
The Maoist rebels, including two women, were shot dead in
the Sijua forests of Midnapore district, 170 kilometres
(100 miles) from Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal
state.
"The gunbattle is on and there may be more casualties,"
senior police officer Surojit Kar Purokayastha told AFP.
He said paramilitary forces attacked rebel hideouts where
the Maoists had assembled for a meeting.
On Monday, security forces killed 10 rebels in
neighbouring Jharkhand state, which is also in eastern
India's so-called "Red Corridor" of territory gripped by
Maoist violence. A government offensive was launched last
year to tackle the insurgency, but since then the Maoists
have launched a series of bold and bloody attacks,
including the massacre of 76 policemen in April.
The Maoist rebellion began in West Bengal in 1967 and has
since spread to 20 of India's 29 states.
The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of
landless tribal groups and farmers left behind by India's
rapid economic expansion.
Iran
to build ‘powerful’ new nuclear research reactor
AFP, Tehran
Iran is designing a new nuclear reactor for radio-isotope
production that is "more powerful" than its existing
Tehran research facility, atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi
said on Wednesday.
Salehi said Tehran will also adopt a "dual-track" policy
in dealing with the world powers which imposed new
sanctions on Tehran even as they offered to talk with the
Islamic republic over its nuclear programme.
"Iran is designing a reactor to produce radio isotopes
which will be more powerful than the Tehran reactor and
this reactor will be commissioned soon in the country,"
Salehi was quoted as saying on state television's website.
Salehi, who implements Iran's nuclear programme which
Western powers suspect masks an atomic weapons drive, said
Tehran wanted to commission several such reactors across
the country.
"Our plan is to commission several reactors in the north,
south, east and the west of the country so that we can
produce radio isotopes for sale and export to the regional
and Islamic countries that need them," Salehi said.
Since October last year, the Tehran research facility has
been embroiled in Iran's confrontation with the West over
the issue of supplying it with uranium fuel.
Iran and the world powers have been unable to arrive at a
decision over how to provide the 20-percent enriched
uranium that is required to power the facility.
Salehi's announcement on Wednesday is yet another defiant
step by Iran which started purifying uranium to that level
on its own despite outrage by the world powers which
slapped on the sanctions last week.
The UN Security Council resolution passed on June 9
specifies that Iran must abandon the enrichment drive.
Tehran says the sensitive work has no military aims.
Salehi said that Iran too will adopt a "dual-track" policy
to deal with the world powers that have been implementing
such a strategy against Tehran.
"Our dual-track policy is to have dialogue based on
honesty as a first step and, as a second step, to push
ahead with our nuclear programme in order to confront the
pressure from enemies."
World powers have been advocating what they say is the
"carrot-and-stick" policy-applying pressure through
sanctions and urging for dialogue-to make Iran halt its
enrichment programme.
Aid arrives for
desperate Kyrgyzstan refugees
AFP, Osh
The first foreign aid started to arrive Wednesday for tens
of thousands who fled deadly ethnic bloodletting in
Kyrgyzstan as the full magnitude of the humanitarian
disaster became clear.
With flags at half mast, the shattered country began three
days of national mourning for the nearly 180 killed in the
violence that erupted last week between ethnic Kyrgyz and
Uzbeks in the south of Kyrgyzstan.
Neighbouring Uzbekistan received more than 75,000 refugees
from the fighting between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz but is
now only accepting sick and wounded people, leaving
thousands more desperate to flee marooned on the border.
An uneasy calm was pervading Wednesday over the southern
Kyrgyz cities of Osh and Jalalabad-where many areas have
been reduced to ruins by the fighting-but artillery fire
overnight in Osh underlined the tensions.
Under a scalding heat and with nothing to eat several
hundred people were still waiting at one of the border
posts to Uzbekistan outside Osh. They sought to pass Uzbek
border guards messages to loved ones through the barbed
wire.
"We are not receiving aid. We are sleeping in the street
with the children, even in the rain," said Mokhydi, a
woman in her 40s, who fled the Uzbek district of Osh, told
an AFP correspondent.
"We cannot return home. It is too dangerous. Our houses
have been burned down. We have no confidence in the army.
Osh has been transformed into a cemetery," said Gulia,
another woman aged 30.
Authorities in Osh began cleaning up streets hauling away
burnt-out skeletons of cars as basic foodstuffs like
vegetables, butter and bread were being sold from trucks
around the city amid a massive military presence.
Ahmadinejad accuses
Obama of meddling in Iran
AFP, Tehran
Iran's hardline president on Wednesday accused Barack
Obama of meddling in his country after the US leader
called for global support for Iranians in their fight for
greater democracy.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, reinstated as president last year in
what the opposition charged was a fraudulent election,
branded the US government as "the most violent
dictatorship.
"He (Obama) has issued a statement on the anniversary of
the election.
This is meddling in Iran's affairs," Ahmadinejad said in a
televised speech, referring to the US president's
statement before the June 12 anniversary of the disputed
poll.
"This nation does not acknowledge you at all and hates
you," Ahmadinejad said, drawing chants of "Death to
America!" from the crowd assembled for his visit in the
central city of Shahrekord.
"Today the most violent dictatorship is being applied
against American people," the hardliner charged. Americans
"are not free to express their opinions... are not free to
demonstrate and many live in poverty.
UN sees uneven lifting of
Israeli closures in West Bank
AFP, Jerusalem
Israel has reduced the number of West Bank roadblocks by
20 percent in the last year but the improved access is
mostly concentrated in a central corridor, the United
Nations said on Wednesday.
"Movement has improved in some parts of the West Bank.
It's easier to go from a northern urban city to a southern
urban city," said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
in the occupied Palestinian territories.
"However, it hasn't improved when it comes to moving
towards the west, towards east Jerusalem or Israel, and it
hasn't improved at all when it comes to moving towards the
east" and the Jordan Valley, he told reporters.
"It's really a long, vertical corridor." Since hawkish
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assumed office in March
2009 Israel has reduced the total number of manned
checkpoints, roadblocks and other barriers to 505 from a
peak of 626, according to UN figures, as part of his plan
for "economic peace."
The easing has dovetailed with the economic reforms of the
Western-backed Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad and
the influx of hundreds of millions of dollars in
international aid, leading to an 8.5 percent growth rate
in 2009.
However, Lazzarini said obstacles remain, especially in
areas near occupied and annexed east Jerusalem, Jewish
settlements and the heavily-guarded Jordan Valley, where
there are vast military zones off limits to Palestinians.
OCHA estimates that some 26 percent of the West Bank
consists of military zones, firing ranges and nature
reserves off limits to development, farming or animal
herding.
Those areas are part of the 60 percent of the West Bank
known as Area C, which is under full Israeli military
control and virtually off limits to any Palestinian
development.
Fayyad has nevertheless vowed to build in Area C as part
of an overall plan to develop all the institutions of an
independent state by mid-2011.
Campaigners plan new Gaza
flotilla in July
AFP, Strasbourg
Pro-Palestinian groups plan to send another aid flotilla
for Gaza next month, similar to the one involved in a
deadly attack by Israeli commandos in May, an organiser
said Wednesday.
"We have six boats which are ready to leave Europe, we are
hoping to head off next month, in the last half of July,"
Mazen Kahel, spokesman for The European Campaign to End
the Siege on Gaza, told reporters at the European
parliament.
"On the day when the European parliament debates how
Europe must respond to the Israeli attack it is vital that
we listen to the voices of those on board the flotilla, as
well as insisting that there is no alternative but to end
the blockade," said British EU deputy Richard Howitt.
Israel has faced mounting calls to lift the blockade
following a deadly May 31 raid on an aid flotilla trying
to run the Gaza blockade, in which nine Turkish activists
were shot dead by Israeli troops.
It has argued the closures-imposed after an Israeli
soldier was seized by Gaza militants in a deadly June 2006
raid and tightened a year later when Hamas took over-are
needed to contain the Islamist movement.
However Israel's security cabinet was meeting Wednesday to
reportedly consider an international proposal for
significantly easing the blockade.
The "Fleet of Freedom 2" is backed by other
pro-Palestinian groups including Free Gaza, by Turkish,
Greek and Swedish NGOs and the International Committee to
Lift the Siege on Gaza, which organised the original
ill-fated flotilla.
"We think the second flotilla will be bigger than the
first," said Kahel, speaking in the European parliament at
Howitt's invitation alongside several members of the first
aid flotilla.
He invited more participants and observers, seeking "as
much transparency as possible."
Flash floods claim 10 lives
in southern France
AFP, Draguignan
Heavy rains triggered flash floods in the mountains above
France's southern Cote d'Azur region, killing at least 10
people, a local official said Wednesday.
Another four people were still missing, the deputy prefect
of Draguignan, Corinne Orzechowski, told AFP.
The rains on Tuesday caused water levels to rise swiftly
by several metres, preventing many people from fleeing to
higher ground and forcing some to seek shelter on the
roofs of their homes.
Overnight, rescue workers concentrated on helping hundreds
of people trapped in their vehicles, houses or on
rooftops, the secretary general for the Var region,
Olivier de Mazieres told AFP.
Helicopters had already airlifted some people to safety,
he added.
There were deaths in the towns of Arcs, Draguignan, Luc,
Muy and Roquebrune-sur-Argens, Orzechowski said.
Five bodies had been identified, but the bodies of the
other five had not yet been recovered, she added.
On Tuesday, emergency services had to let the body of a
woman float away because the currents were too strong to
attempt a recovery.
A spokesman for Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said he
would visit the region later Wednesday.
"We haven't seen anything like this in a decade," said the
top official for the Var department, Hugues Parant, noting
that 180 millimetres (seven inches) of rain had fallen
within 12 hours.
"In a few minutes the water rose by 50, then 60
centimetres, said one AFP reporter caught in the flooding
at Draguignan. "And it is up to two metres," he added.
Such was the extent of the flooding that empty vehicles,
cars and lorries alike, were floating down the street.
The rising water also trapped a high speed train
travelling from the southern city of Nice to Lille in the
north at Luc with 300 passengers on board.
Wave of drug violence
sweeps Mexico
AFP, Chilpancingo
A spasm of violence linked to Mexico's powerful drug
cartels has killed at least 160 people in just six
days-one of the bloodiest weeks in the country's war on
drug gangs in months.
On Tuesday, Mexican troops clashed with hitmen for
suspected traffickers in a cemetery, leaving 15 people
dead in a fierce shoot-out.
The gun battle in the tourist town of Taxco was just the
latest in a string of bloody incidents in recent days,
prompting Mexico's President Felipe Calderon to make a
nationally televised statement.
The executive has staked his presidency on tackling
Mexico's drug gangs, and said the eruption of violence was
partly the result of cartels regrouping after being hit by
his administration's efforts against them.
"We have struck important blows against all the cartels,
without exception," he said.
"This has created division between the criminal gangs,
which along with the traditional rivalries and the wars
between them has led to these episodes of violence."
The fight against the cartels "is not only the president's
battle but is that of all Mexicans," Calderon added.
The latest clashes hit the southern tourist state of
Guerrero, in the town of Taxco, some 170 kilometers (100
miles) south of Mexico City, popular for its intricate
silver handicrafts and jewelry.
Late last month a mass grave was also uncovered near the
town, when 55 bodies dumped in an air shaft of an
abandoned silver mine were found. It was one of the
largest such graves ever discovered in Mexico.
Guerrero state, on the Pacific coast, is an important
transit point for illegal shipments of cocaine and heroin
arriving from South America en route to the United States,
the world's largest illegal drug market.
The gunmen involved in Tuesday's shoot-out were loyal to a
drug lord named Edgar Valdez, better known as "La Barbie,"
the daily El Universal reported on its website, citing an
unidentified police source.
The US-born Valdez has been engaged since December in a
bloody turf war for the control of the Beltran Leyva drug
cartel.
Business/Economy
BD eyes
$400m RMG export to Latin America
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh can fetch new market for exporting US dollar
400 million readymade garments to three Latin American
countries within the next three years.
Country has potentials for taking share of US dollar 400
million from total US dollar 4 billion RMG imports of the
three countries - Brazil, Mexico and Chile and for this
government support is very much essential. Nasir Uddin
Chowdhury, First Vice President of Bangladesh Garments
Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) told BSS
on Wednesday.
He said a 13-member delegation of BGMEA headed by him
visited these countries to assess, explore and prepare for
current and future potentials of Bangladesh's garment
exports to Latin America.
During the visit, tremendous responses were received from
importers and buyers of those countries, he said adding
delegations from those countries would soon visit
Bangladesh to assess their import potentials. "They would
also participate in the coming BATEXPO 2010 in Dhaka," he
said. "The main obstacles to raising exports to Latin
America are a lack of Dhaka's coordination with those
governments and absence of Bangladesh's missions in the
those countries," he said adding "If government missions
are opened in the countries then it would be convenient
for Bangladesh exporters to catch market there."
Besides, these countries, Bangladesh is eyeing at opening
new market for RMG export to Russia, Turkey, Colombia, he
said adding: "We can also raise export of RMG to China and
India as those are very large countries in terms of
population." In order to explore market for export of
readymade garments, apex body of garment makers took the
move to send delegations to the countries, he said adding
the government offered arrangements for additional subsidy
on export income related to export of new commodities and
export to new markets in textile sector.
"The government's move has encouraged the garments
manufacturers for taking such initiatives," he said urging
the authorities for providing necessary logistic supports
by opening and activating its missions abroad. "The
foreign missions should be activated dynamically," he
said.
Brazil's readymade import amounted to US dollar 767.072
million last year, of which US dollar 303.631 million
knitwear and US dollar 463.441 million woven, he said
adding Bangladesh's export to the country was US dollar
50.287 million (US dollar 33.599 million knitwear and US
dollar 16.688 million).
Mexico's import totaled to US dollar 1,947.85 million last
year, (US dollar 982.58 million knitwear and US dollar
965.27 million woven), of which Bangladesh shared US
dollar 114.01 million (US dollar 61.76 million knitwear
and US dollar 52.25 million), he added.
Out of Chile's total RMG import to the tune of US dollar
1,074.83 million last year (US dollar 517.39 million
knitwear and US dollar 557.44 million woven) Bangladesh
took a part of US dollar 7.47 million (US dollar 5.26
million knitwear and US dollar 2.21 million), he said.
The Mexican government has agreed to allow any Bangladesh
businessman holding a US visa to visit that country, Nasir
Uddin Chowdhury said.
Donors’
support to improve investment atmosphere through setting
up SEZs
BSS, Dhaka
The World Bank together with International Finance
Corporation (IFC) and Department for International
Development (DFID) is supporting Bangladesh in improving
its competitiveness as an investment destination as well
as promoting the domestic private sector.
The development partners have proposed "Private Sector
Development Support Project (PSDSP)" aiming to promote
diversified private sector investment by improving
business environment and access to industrial land, as
well as investing in training schemes to make human
resources more responsive to enterprise needs.
Source from World Bank Dhaka office informed this
collaboration promises a more diversified growth-oriented
private sector which addresses the needs of a growing
population in need of skill-based employment.
The government of Bangladesh plans to enact the Economic
Zones Law to provide for the establishment and operations
of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which is a strategic
instrument for attracting domestic and foreign investment,
creating jobs and accelerating growth, the source said.
SEZs can provide a unique investment location for the
country by creating a first-class business environment
combined with infrastructure provisions, based on
comparative advantages such as labor inputs, it said.
Building on Bangladesh's positive experience with Export
Processing Zones (EPZs), the government is seeking to
broaden this model through Public-Private Partnerships
(PPP) in financing, development and management of SEZs.
Kaliakoir Hi-Tech Park has been identified and agreed upon
as the first site to be supported on a fast-track basis
under PSDSP.
Inflation jumps
to double digits at 10.16 pc
BSS, New Delhi
The plight of the common man, reeling under the impact of
rising prices, has worsened with theinflation rate surging
into double digits-it touched 10.16 per
cent in May, the highest in the last 19 months. This could
force the Reserve Bank to tighten liquidity in its future
policy directions, media reports said on Tuesday.
According to the latest figures, essential items that have
become dearer and directly hit the pocket of the common
man
Furthermore, the prices of metal, textiles and plywood
have also gone up, as inflation has spread to non- food
items.
Inflation data released officially on Monday says that the
final figure for March was 11.04 per cent, up from the
provisional 9.9 per cent. The data for May too will be
revised later. As per the provisional data, the previous
high of 10.72 per cent was witnessed in the last week of
October, 2008.
Officials said there is no final wisdom on how much of a
rate hike will prove a growth decelerator, but though the
RBI will mull its options before its scheduled July
review, it might wait a while longer.
Deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh
Ahluwalia told newsmen, "There is no doubt that in the
first few months there has been a rise in inflation.
Ourassessment is that it is going to come down towards the
end of the year. I think that remains my view and you will
see."
The RBI is scheduled to announce the first quarterly
review of the monetary policy on July 27. Experts feel
that rising inflation could prompt the Reserve Bank to
tighten money supply on July 27, the report said.
Asia to be center of global
growth: IMF Special Advisor
Xinhua, Washington
Asia has been leading recovery of the world economy and
will continue to play a more important role in the new
world economic order, according to Min Zhu, Special
Advisor to the International Monetary Fund's Managing
Director.
"Asia is obviously becoming more and more important in the
global economy," Zhu said in a recent interview by the
IMF's External Department released on Tuesday. "The center
of growth is moving from the West to Asia, and in
particular emerging Asia. I think that's a pattern that
will continue for at least the next five years, which will
change the whole global economic structure. "
In 2009, the United States' economy shrank 2.4 percent and
European economy contracted 4.8 percent. But India grew
7.3 percent, and China increased 8.7 percent.
Zhu, who was most recently Deputy Governor of the People's
Bank of China, China's central bank, is now the highest
rank official who comes from China in the Washington-
based international financial institution. He also had
more than a decade of commercial banking experience as a
senior executive at the Bank of China.
Zhu noted that another important change for Asia is its
role in world trade. He said that because the crisis
started in the advanced economies, trade flows from Asia
to the advanced economies fell dramatically. In response,
the region further strengthened intraregional trade flows.
"Looking forward, I believe we will see trade flows among
the developing countries and emerging economies growing
dramatically, and emerging Asia becoming the centerpiece
of a whole new global trade pattern."
Because emerging Asia has strong growth, and advanced
economies are experiencing rather weak growth, there is a
multi- level, multi- speed recovery. Moreover, emerging
Asia had much sounder financial situations, while the
advanced economies are experiencing fiscal difficulties.
"So we can expect global assets to relocate, with Asia
attracting more capital," he said.
"When these elements are combined, Asia will move more to
the center of tomorrow's global economy," Zhu added.
Although the assessment of Asian economy is relatively
optimistic, Zhu acknowledged that big challenges remain
for the region.
"I am optimistic about Asia's future and its growth
prospects. But that doesn't mean everything is fine for
Asia. Indeed, Asia is facing a lot of challenges," he
said.
"The recent crisis tells us that Asia is not isolated; it
really is part of the global economy and finance. You see
how much trade shrunk in the first quarter of 2009. You
see how much capital fled in the fourth quarter of 2008.
That tells Asia there are a lot of things it needs to do."
Economic center of gravity shifts
to east, south: OECD
AFP, Paris
Developing countries will account for nearly 60 percent of
global economic output by 2030, marking a major shift in
activity away from the traditional industrialised powers,
the OECD said Wednesday.
"Rather than see the 'rise of the rest' in terms of the
'decline of the West,' policy makers should recognise that
the net gains from increased prosperity in the developing
world can benefit both rich and poor countries alike," the
OECD said in a report on global development.
In 2000, it was the OECD states which accounted for 60
percent of global output, falling to 51 percent this year
and projected to fall further to 43 percent by 2030.
Reflecting the shift, underway for the last 20 years, the
report noted that more than 40 percent of the world's
researchers are now in Asia.
As of 2008, according to the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development, developing countries were
holding 4.2 trillion dollars (3.4 trillion euros) in
foreign currency reserves, more than 1.5 times the level
held by rich countries.
"The new configuration of global economic and political
power means that the affluent countries can no longer set
the agenda alone," the report argued, welcoming the
emergence of the Group of 20 developed and developing
nations as a shaper of global economic governance.
But the transformation has yet to make a dent in global
poverty.
While the number of people living on less than a dollar a
day has fallen by more than a quarter since 1990, such
reductions have mainly been concentrated in China.
Poverty in China fell from 60 percent of the population to
16 percent in 2005, the report said. But the OECD added:
"Other countries have made progress but at a pace still
insufficient to counter the effect of population growth."
The report also highlighted growing inequality in many
rapidly expanding developing countries, which now have the
resources to boost social support spending.
"Thanks to the rapid growth rates in emerging economies,
their governments can now afford to boost public spending
on social protection," OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria
said.
National
First ever primary student
councils election held in festivity
BSS, Dhaka
The first ever primary level student councils election was
held amid festivity across the country on Tuesday.
The elections were held initially at 94 schools out of 100
under 20 upazilas.
The upazilas include Puthia of Rajshahi, Ullahpara of
Sirajganj, Sherpur of Bogra, Fultola of Khulna, Shailkupa
of Jhenaidah, Barisal Sadar, Bhandaria of Pirojpur,
Gafargaon of Mymensingh, Monohordi of Narshigdi, Mirzapur
of Tangail, Kapasia of Gazipur, Tungipara of Gopalganj,
Rangpur Sadar, Hatibandha of Lalmonirhat, Doublemorring &
Chandaish of Chittagong, Ramu of Cox's Bazar, Begumganj of
Noakhali, Sylhet Sadar and Srimangal of Moulvibazar.
Personal Secretary-I to the Prime Minister M. Nazrul Islam
Khan and Deputy Director of Directorate of Primary
Education M Fashiullah visited different schools of
Kapasia Upazila under Gazipur and Monohordi of Narsingdi
district.
"The government is going to introduce student councils at
some selected primary schools with the aim to inculcate
democratic norms in the children's minds, become tolerant
of opposing views and learn how to work in a team," said
Nazrul Islam Khan.
The idea is new in our country though it exists in many
parts of the world including Europe and some Asian
countries, he said, adding that if successful, it will be
introduced in all schools across the country gradually. He
believes the new initiative would help develop the overall
standard of primary education.
The student councils would be formed through elections by
the students and primarily be involved in some school
activities, he said. Through this practice, the students
will be aware about their responsibilities and leadership
qualities will grow in them, N I Khan observed.
Students of different schools participated in the
elections spontaneously. Talking to BSS students said that
they want to work in a team in their schools.
Nusrat Sultana, of Horimonjuri Government Primary of
Kapasia Upazila under Gazipur said, "This kind of election
would help us to learn how to give vote in national
elections."
Head Mistress of the school Lovely Yasmin said that
student councils election would help to create leadership
qualities among the students in near future.
Deputy Director of Directorate of Primary Education M
Fashiullah said each student council elected seven
representatives for one year. Students from class III to
class V were the candidates and elected by students of the
same classes.
A class V student selected by the school performed as the
election commissioner in the election, he added.
The elected representatives would nominate the chief
representative in the first meeting of their council, he
added.
The chief representative would disburse the work area of
other members on the basis of consensus with the help of
the headmaster. There would be monthly meetings of the
councils where the teachers would assist them.
Sweden to provide
long-term assistances to Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka
Sweden will provide long-term financial and technical
assistances to Bangladesh to support its development
initiatives, outgoing Swedish Ambassador Britt Hagstrom
said
Wednesday.
The assurance came when the Swedish Ambassador paid a
farewell call on President Zillur Rahman at Bangabhaban.
During the meeting, the envoy informed the President that
Swedish entrepreneurs are very keen to invest in
Bangladesh to help its socioeconomic development.
Hagstrom mentioned that the role played by Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina to face the climate change was widely
appreciated across the globe. "Sweden will help Bangladesh
in this regard," she said.
President Zillur Rahman lauded the activities of the
Ambassador during her tenure in the country and said
excellent bilateral relation exists between the two
countries.
He urged the Swedish government to import from Bangladesh
jute and jute goods, leather and leather goods,
pharmaceuticals, ceramics and readymade garments, which
are of international standard.
The outgoing Ambassador expressed her gratitude to the
government and the people of Bangladesh for the support
and cooperation extended during her tenure here.
Secretaries concerned of the President's Office and senior
officials from both countries were present.
5 NGO employees sent to
jail in Sherpur
UNB, Sherpur
A court in Sherpur on Tuesday sent five employees of
Foyjul Quran Foundation, an Islamic-based NGO, to jail
hajat on charge of misappropriating money in the name of
giving jobs and preventing police from doing their duty.
They were identified as Fayjur Rahman, 25, Sarwar Alam,
28, Gias Uddin, 20, Billal Hossain, 32, and Ramzan Ali,
22, of the district and Tarequl Islam, 20, hailed from
Jamalpur district.
Police quoting local sources said the NGO alluring the
unemployed youths to give jobs on their Quran Shikkha
Kendra and Non-formal Education Center took Tk
20,000-30,000 from each of them as security money four
months ago.
But failing to get the jobs as per commitment the youths
lodged a complaint with the police.
Later, on the basis of the complaint, police conducted a
drive at the NGO office in Madhabpur area of the district
town and arrested them on Monday noon. At one stage the
arrested employees tried resist the law enforcers.
When produced on Tuesday noon the Chief Judicial
Magistrate Mia Mohammad Ali Akbar Azizi sent them to jail
hajat rejecting their bail prayers.
2 sentenced to death, 7 others
life term for murder
UNB, Kishoreganj
A court in Kishoreganj on Tuesday sentenced two people to
death and seven others to life term imprisonment for
killing a man in 2001.
The death penalty awarded convicts are Mir Ahamed Hossain
and Mir Moinul Hossain while the lifers are Mir Mosharraf
Hossain, Mir Ashraf Hossain, Mir Babu Hossain, Mir Amzad
Hossain, Mir Sajjad Hossain, Mir Kamrul Mia and Mir Nabi
Hossain.
According to the prosecution, following a previous enmity
Somed Mia of Bordhoman village in Ostogram upazila was
hacked to death by the accused while he was returning home
on December 10, 2001.
Later, A Rouf, brother of the deceased filed a case with
the police. After examining the records and witnesses
Additional District and Sessions Judge Begum Tabassum
Islam handed down the verdict in the crowded courtroom.
2 killed in separate incidents in Manikganj
Unb, Manikganj
Two people, including a
college girl, were killed in separate incidents in Ghior
and Shibalaya upazilas on Tuesday.
Police said Shaukat Hossain, 20, of Kolia village in Ghior
upazila died on the spot as a Dhaka bound bus hit him
while he was
crossing the road on
Dhaka-Aricha highway at Mushuria.
The body was sent to Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy. A
case was filed in this connection.
In another incident Swapna Shill, 18, daughter of Surya
Shill and student of local Sadaruddin Degree College in
Shibalaya, was electrocuted while she was taking bath at a
pond near her house.
Locals said the incident occurred when a live electric
wire fell on her following the explosion of a nearby
transformer.
The body was
sent to Sadar hospital for autopsy.
113 people arrested in special drive in Bagerhat
UNB, Bagerhat
Police arrested 113 people on different charges in nine
upazilas of the district in their special 72 hours drive
that began Sunday night. Police Super of the district
Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said, to keep the law and order
situation under control and to arrest the musclemen, drug
peddlers, extremists of different outlawed parties,
gunrunners and JMB cadres they conducted the special drive
that concluded Tuesday night.
Police said during the three-day drive they arrested 44
people on Sunday, another 44 on Monday and 25 on Tuesday.
Of the arrestees most of them were wanted in many criminal
cases and convicted fugitives, they added.
The arrestees were sent to the Chief Judicial Magistrate
Court after interrogation.
Matia calls for raising fruit production to offset
pressure on rice
BSS, Dhaka
Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury on Wednesday
urged the agriculture extension workers across the country
to motivate the farmers to go for fruit production aiming
to meet their nutritional demand and reduce pressure on
traditional cereals.
The minister was addressing as the chief guest a national
seminar marking the Fruit Tree Plantation Fortnight from
June 16-30 at the auditorium of Bangladesh Agricultural
Research Council (BARC) here this morning.
Matia Chowdhury said, "We want to take agriculture into
the southern part of the country with an emphasis to
increase region-wise fruit production with an objective to
ensure food security for the common people."
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Land
Ministry AKM Mozammel Haq attended the function as the
special guest while BARC Chairman Dr Wais Kabir spoke as
the guest of honour.
The agriculture ministry organized the programme with
secretary-in-charge of the ministry Kazi Akhter Hossain in
the chair.
About the cultivation of various fruits like Baukul and
other new fruit varieties, she said the agricultural
workers and the research officials also have to put
emphasis on dissemination of the indigenous fruit
varieties as now the indigenous fruit variety like 'Boroi'
(Qul) has disappeared.
The agriculture minister urged the concerned Forest and
Environment Ministry for planting these trees for
afforestation, which have teak value and are environment
friendly. The country has now a tree variety called 'Akasia'
in plenty which is not at all environment friendly and has
no teak value, the minister added.
Dr Md Abdul Hoque, Director, Horticulture Research Centre
of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI),
presented the keynote paper in the seminar.
Although the country is producing around 70 varieties of
fruits, per capita fruit consumption is not more than 35
grams instead of required 85 grams a day, said the keynote
paper. The country's annual fruit production is only 34.89
lakh tonnes against the demand of 44.50 lakh tonnes, it
added.
Then the agriculture minister inaugurated a three-day
fruit fair on Khamar Bari Krishibid Institution premises.
Earlier, she participated in a rally along with students,
agricultural officials and employees. It began from the
south plaza of the Sangsad Bhaban and ended at Khamar Bari
at Farmgate.
Abdul Baten MP, member of the Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Agriculture, Dr Sayeed Ali, director general
of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Prof
Dr MA Rahim of Bangladesh Agricultural University also
spoke on the occasion.
Army launches plantation campaign
UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh Army has undertaken a massive programme to make
the National Plantation Campaign-2010 a success.
Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army General Mohammad
Abdul Mubeen formally inaugurated the campaign by planting
an Aurjun sapling on Army Central Mosque premises, Dhaka
Cantonment on Wednesday
Senior Army officers were present on the occasion.
Later, the army chief offered special munajat along with
other officers seeking success of the campaign. This year,
the Bangladesh Army has chalked out a massive programme of
plantation in army establishments throughout the country.
In addition, as part of government initiative of making
the capital a green city, Bangladesh Army has undertaken
special plantation drive in the city's military outfits,
establishments and units which includes plantation of
15,000 saplings of fruit, timber and medicinal species.
Bangladesh Army, one of the pioneers in National
Plantation Campaign, has been planting, nursing and
conserving the saplings successfully.
Greenery environment created by numerous trees in
cantonment across the country, including Dhaka Cantonment,
has been appreciated by people as well as ecologists.
Bangladesh Army earlier received national awards as a
recognition of
its contribution to enhancing forest resources of the
country.
One killed, 12 students injured in separate incidents in
Panchagarh
UNB,
Panchagarh
A young man died in electrocution and 12 students were
injured in thunderbolt at Tepriganj and Dandapal unions in
Debiganj upazila on Wednesday.
Abdul Malek, 35, son of Abdus Sobhan of Chapradangi
village in Tepriganj union, died in electrocution when he
went to turn the electric switch on at his room as
thunderbolt struck his house during a storm at noon.
In another incident, 12 students of Debiduba Khutamara
Mirza Golam Hafiz High School in Dandapal union were
injured as thunderbolt struck them during a storm same
time.
The injured were admitted to upazila health complex.
Beximco to invest Tk 160 cr for Westin expansion
BSS, Dhaka
Beximco Group, one of the largest business conglomerates,
entered into hospitality sector by investing Taka 160
crore in Westin Hotel.
Salman F Rahman, Deputy Chairman of the group, and Mohd
Noor Ali, Managing Director of Unique Hotels and Resorts
Limited, on Wednesday signed an agreement to this effect
at Westin Hotel in the city, said a press release.
The money will be used for expansion of Westin Hotel
managed
by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc.
Speaking on the event, Salman Rahman said: "We are happy
to be associated with Westin Hotel."
"The fund will be utilized to increase the hotel's room
capacity to 441 from existing 241 and building a banquet
hall with 2,000 seating capacity on 46 katha land adjacent
to the hotel," said Noor Ali.
Sports
Chile ends 48-year wait for World Cup
victory
AFP, Nelspruit
Chile secured a first World Cup win in 48 years by edging
Honduras 1-0 on Wednesday through a late first-half goal from
striker Jean Beausejour.
The Group H success ended a 13-game winless run spanning four
tournaments for the Chilean 'Reds' since defeating Yugoslavia
on June 16 1962 to finish third as hosts.
Switzerland are the next opponents for a team coached by
Marcel Bielsa, who is desperate to make the second round from
a pool including title favourites Spain after failing to do so
with his native Argentina eight years ago.
The South Americans began brightly as they sought a fourth
victory in six clashes with the Hondurans and midfielder
Matias Fernandez went close off a third-minute free kick.
An Argentina-born star who plays for Portuguese club Sporting
Lisbon, he comfortably cleared the Honduran wall with a free
kick and the ball landed on the roof of the net after dipping
just too late.
Fellow Chilean midfielder Carlos Carmona was cautioned 60
seconds later by Eddy Maillet, the first referee from the
Indian Ocean island of Seychelles to handle a World Cup
fixture.
Chile were on top territorially and it took Honduras 18
minutes to create an opening close to goal only for 101-cap
Carlos Pavon to disappoint with a weak shot that trickled
wide.
Midway through the opening half Fernandez became the second
Chilean to be cautioned in a lively game which attracted a
large, South African public holiday crowd to the north-east
city near the Kruger National Park.
The best known Honduran footballer, Tottenham Hotspur
midfielder Wilson Palacios, was next to be shown a yellow card
as Maillet ran out of patience following constant offences.
Persistent Chile pressure finally paid off when slick passing
outside the penalty area created space for Mauricio Isla on
the right flank and his low cross was turned in by
Mexico-based Beausejour.
'Red-hot Chile Peppers' read a poster in a crowd comprising
locals and plenty of Chileans and Hondurans, and it was
appropriate given the superiority of the South Americans who
could have been several goals ahead by half-time.
Honduras pushed Edgar Alvarez forward for the second half but
the early exchanges followed a similar pattern to the first 45
minutes with Chile exerting far more pressure as they sought
the cushion of a two-goal advantage.
Chile defender Waldo Ponce came forward for a free kick midway
through the half and should have doubled the lead only for
veteran Valladares to parry away a diving point-blank header.
Midfielder Jorge Valdivia had the ball into the net 15 minutes
from full-time, but was correctly flagged offside as the
'killer' second goal continued to elude Chile.
Sehwag,
ordinary batting keep Bangladesh to 167
Cricinfo Online,
Bangladesh may have moved from the cool climes of England to
hot and humid Sri Lanka, but they don't seem to have left at
customs the habit of wasting scintillating starts by the
openers. Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal gave Bangladesh a fiery
beginning, taking them to 81 for 1 in the 14th over, but some
ordinary batting and canny spin bowling from Virender Sehwag
resulted in two collapses of 3 for 19 and 6 for 12. Sehwag's 4
for 6 was the joint second-cheapest four-wicket haul in ODIs,
behind Phil Simmons' 4 for 3 against Pakistan in 1992.
Kayes and Tamim, as they did through the England tour, got
Bangladesh off to a flier. They treated Praveen Kumar and
Zaheer Khan with contempt at the top of the innings. Cut,
drive, the odd edge, and 35 was up in the third over. Tamim
then got carried away and hit at one he wasn't close enough
to. Suresh Raina came up with a diving catch, but Kayes
carried on the good work.
It was impressive that, though he was beaten consistently in
the next two Zaheer overs, Kayes kept his head, ending a spell
of 11 straight dots from Zaheer with a punched boundary. Runs
slowed down, but the early start meant Bangladesh didn't need
to panic. Mohammad Ashraful, though, got stuck, and
exaggeratedly kept leaving deliveries outside off. There was
not much in the pitch or the bowling, and Ashraful's
over-cautious approach hurt Bangladesh. There was not one
single taken in the first 10 overs.
Kayes kept Bangladesh going with back-to-back boundaries off
Nehra in the 12th over, but Ashraful was about to make his
inevitable mistake. Just like that he threw caution out and
heaved Nehra straight to the only man on the square-leg
boundary. Kayes made hismistake in Nehra's next over, being
too slow in pulling a sharp bouncer. Shakib Al Hasan got a
wicked straighter one from Harbhajan Singh. The pitch had
started offering turn now, and Harbhajan and Ravindra Jadeja
were tough to get away. From 100 for 4, Mushfiqur Rahim and
Mahmudullah, both of whom survived close lbw calls, took
Bangladesh to 155, when madness struck again. Jadeja finally
got his reward with a flat delivery that caught Mahmudullah's
edge.
Immediately after, Sehwag was introduced. He bowled with
lovely flight, slight drift, and mixed the straighter ones
well. Mushfiqur bat-padded a flighted delivery which jumped at
him from outside off. MS Dhoni saw that, and brought on Rohit
Sharma too, who got a lucky break, with Naeem Islam given out
caught-behind when it seemed the noise came from his bat
hitting the ground.
In the next over Sehwag destroyed the tail. Suhrawadi Shuvo
was fooled by the straighter one, Shafiul Islam swept all over
an offbreak, and Syed Rasel was castled by another straighter
one. Sehwag still had one ball left in what could have been a
three-wicket maiden.
Brazil
beats NKorea 2-1 in their World Cup opener
AP/UNB, Johannesburg
Maicon and Elano scored a goal each as Brazil broke
through a solid North Korean defense to win their opening
World Cup match 2-1 Tuesday.
Brazil escaped with a hard-fought victory in the Group G
match after struggling to get past the defensive setup of
the North Koreans, who are making their first World Cup
appearance in 44 years and arrived as the tournament's
lowest-ranked team. Maicon scored at Ellis Park after a
through ball from midfielder Elano in the 55th minute,
making a run on the right side and shooting into the far
corner from a tight angle as North Korea goalkeeper Ri
Myong Guk went for the cross. Elano then added to the lead
in the 72nd after a well-timed pass from Robinho, finding
the net with a one-timer from inside the area. Ji Yum Nam
pulled one back for North Korea in the 89th. The victory
gives Brazil first place in the group after Portugal and
the Ivory Coast drew 0-0 in their opener earlier Tuesday.
Brazil controlled possession from the start but struggled
to break through the Korean lineup with five men at the
back. Robinho was about the only Brazilian able to create
some dangerous opportunities.
He took advantage of his nifty skills to give Brazil its
first chance just two minutes into the match, using a
stepover move to clear a defender and set up Kaka inside
the area, but the playmaker failed to get a shot off as
North Korea's An Yong Hak stole the ball.
Robinho had his own chance with a long-range shot that
missed the target in the seventh and with a quick strike
from inside the penalty area that was saved by Ri in the
20th. Robinho cleared a defender again inside the area in
the 34th and set up Michel Bastos' shot that missed over
the crossbar.
The defensive-minded North Koreans played with only
Japan-based Jong Tae Se in attack, but he was able to
cause some problems to the Brazilian defense. He got past
three defenders in the 12th but his weak shot was easily
saved by Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The Koreans also had chances with a few long-range shots,
but Cha Jong Hyok missed the target in the 17th and Ri
Kwang Chon missed in the 32nd.
Brazil continued to dominate in the second half but still
without enough poise to break through the Korean defense.
Left back Michel Bastos nearly opened the scoring for
Brazil with a powerful left-footed free kick that missed
wide in the 51st, and Robinho's strike from outside the
box in the 53rd also barely missed.
Striker Luis Fabiano nearly increased the lead in the 63rd
after a pass from Robinho. He cleared a defender inside
the area but his shot sailed over the crossbar.
Brazil has won all of its opening matches since a 1-1 draw
with Sweden in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. The
five-time champions begin the World Cup with a revamped
squad following the disappointing elimination in the
quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Dunga left
out stars such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Adriano and
preferred lesser-known players known for their discipline
and hard work.
Federer gets top seeding at
Wimbledon
AFP, London
Reigning Wimbledon champion Roger Federer will be the top
seed at the grass-court grand slam despite losing the
world number one spot to Rafael Nadal.
Federer was passed by Nadal in the world rankings after
the Spaniard won the French Open earlier this month.
But Federer has won Wimbledon six times, including his
dramatic final victory over Andy Roddick last year, so All
England Club chiefs have decided to install the Swiss star
as their number one seed ahead of Nadal.
Nadal, who was last year unable to defend the Wimbledon
title he won in 2008 because of injury, is the second
seed, while Novak Djokovic is the third seed and Britain's
Andy Murray the fourth.
Three-time Wimbledon runner-up Roddick moves up to fifth
seed due to his fine record on grass despite being ranked
seventh in the world.
Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, currently ranked 26 in the
world, also receives a significant rise to the 15th seed
spot after beating Federer on grass in the Halle final on
Sunday.
World number eight Juan Martin Del Potro will miss the
tournament because of a wrist injury so Fernando Verdasco,
David Ferrer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga move up a place each
in the top 10.
Juan Carlos Ferrero at 14 and Croatia's Ivo Karlovic at 25
are also seeded higher than their rankings in recognition
of their achievement in reaching the Wimbledon
quarter-finals last year.
Meanwhile, American Sam Querrey's victory at Queen's Club
on Sunday has earned him the 18th seed slot, up from his
world ranking of 21.
In the women's singles, defending champion and world
number one Serena Williams is the top seed, with her
sister Venus Williams the number two seed.
With world number five Elena Dementieva out due to injury,
Caroline Wozniacki is seeded third, Jelena Jankovic fourth
and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone fifth.
Belgian duo Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin are eighth and
17th respectively, while former champion Maria Sharapova
is at 16.
‘Brazil confident of
beating Ivory Coast’
Afp, Johannesburg
Brazil switch their attention to the looming battles in
their 'Group of Death' with Ivory Coast and Portugal after
coming through their test of patience against the
resilient North Korea at the World Cup.
It took the five-time world champions almost an hour to
find a chink in the massed North Korean defence to chisel
out a hard-fought 2-1 opening victory in Group G at Ellis
Park on Tuesday.
Now the Brazilians get down to the business end of their
challenging group with a showdown with Ivory Coast at
Johannesburg's Soccer City on Sunday, followed by a clash
with Portugal in Durban on June 25.
Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva said the team had watched
Ivory Coast's scoreless draw with Portugal on television
before they headed to the ground and it just underlined
the task ahead.
"We will be expecting a lot of difficulties against them.
They have a strong team, but we are very confident that we
can do well and win the game," said Silva, who won the
World Cup in 2002.
Silva, who spent six successful years with Arsenal winning
two FA Cups and an English Premier League title before
joining Panathinaikos in 2008, played all of his time at
the Gunners with Ivory Coast's defensive kingpin Kolo
Toure.
"When Kolo and I went through Arsenal's unbeaten (2003/04)
season that was a great achievement for both of us and it
will be nice to see him again at the Ivory Coast match,"
Silva said.
Silva was unsure what part star striker Didier Drogba
would play for Ivory Coast despite the Chelsea ace coming
on as a substitute against Portugal with his broken right
arm in a protective cast. "We don't know yet whether he (Drogba)
will play or not, even though he came on as a substitute,
but we'll see," Silva said. "Of course, we respect him
when he plays against us, he's a very important player for
them. He is a player about which we should be very
careful.
"They have a strong team, we must play very well from the
first to the last minute. "We have every preparation to
make sure that the team keeps on improving." Silva was
relieved to get past North Korea with maximum points after
enduring a tough time before Maicon's wonder strike in the
55th minute sent Brazil on their way.
"We expected a lot of difficulties in this game, but we
didn't expect North Korea to face Brazil and play their
normal game," he said.
"I am not sure if they will play the same way against us
as they will against the other two teams. "But winning was
most important and at the end of the day we got the
result."
All but Australia do
Asia proud
Afp, Cape Town
Asian teams have done the continent proud in their opening
games of the World Cup with the exception of disappointing
Australia, who were tipped by many to be the region's best
chance of success.
Hundreds of millions of people across Asia have witnessed
gutsy performances from South Korea, Japan, North Korea
and even Oceania qualifier New Zealand.
North Korea scored their first World Cup goal in 44 years,
Japan posted their maiden World Cup victory on foreign
soil and New Zealand picked up their first point ever.
But the Socceroos, who went further then any other Asian
nation at the World Cup four years ago, let the side down,
embarrassingly crushed 4-0 by Germany.
The most unexpected result came from Japan, who entered
the tournament on the back of four straight defeats and
with few punters expecting things to change.
But they scored a 1-0 upset victory over Cameroon that has
revived their spirits and given them fresh belief they can
emulate their march to the last 16 round at the 2002 World
Cup.
"The victory has given us some room to breathe, mentally,
before the remaining two games," said former Arsenal
midfielder Junichi Inamoto They face Holland next and
coach Takeshi Okada is keen to maintain a perspective.
"In the next game we will be up against the Netherlands so
we will have to go one step further," he said.
"This was the first win on foreign soil in the World Cup
for our team but this is not an achievement at all. What's
coming next is the point."
Woods seeks return to
winning ways at Pebble Beach
AFP, California
Ten years on, Tiger Woods' majestic US Open victory at
Pebble Beach still sparks awe.
"Phenomenal," "Unbelievable," "Out of this world," are
some of the phrases Woods' rivals use when recalling
Woods' march to a dazzling 15-stroke victory in the 2000
US Open.
It launched the run of major success that made Woods the
first golfer to hold all four major titles at once.
But the aura of invincibility the victory helped create
has faded, and Woods arrives at Pebble Beach Golf Links
looking decidedly mortal, still seeking to get his game in
shape after a lengthy break in the aftermath of a sex
scandal.
"As far as my game, I'm very excited," said Woods, who has
played only four tournaments this year and played four
rounds in just two.
He said he saw progress during the Memorial tournament
earlier this month as well as on the course here this
week.
"The more time I've been able to practice and play, it has
started to solidify and I'm actually really excited to tee
it up on Thursday."
Pebble Beach, which will play this week at par-71,
7,040-yards, has hosted just four US Opens, producing an
impressive quartet of champions - Jack Nicklaus in 1972,
Tom Watson in 1982, Tom Kite in 1992 and Woods in 2000.
Nicklaus, Watson and Kite all produced some memorable
major moments, but Woods produced four days of golf that
Phil Mickelson called "the best ball-striking and putting
tournament that has ever been performed."
Mickelson has no shortage of goals to shoot for this week.
Battle over supporting favourite teams
BSS, Dhaka
With the beginning of the World Cup 2010, the people of
the country have been divided into groups supporting their
favourite teams, especially Brazil and Argentina.
Bangladeshi football fans' mania for the two Latin
American teams is so strong that the supporters of other
participating countries remain almost subdued.
"There is no team in the world which can defeat Brazil.
Brazil will definitely win the cup this year," said
Rafiqul Islam, a Dhaka University student. Undoubtedly
most Bangladeshis are die-hard fans of Brazil and
Argentina, and the support for Argentina comes mainly due
to Maradona's huge popularity. "I'm a fan of Argentina and
it's because of Maradona and new sensation Messi. I love
them very much," said Jasim Uddin, a final year student of
Jagannath University. Although the football legend hung
Maradona's boots a decade ago. Even some crazy fans
believe Maradona is still in action!
This correspondent talked to a dozen of Argentina
supporters, one- third of them know the names hardly two
or three players of their favourite team.
The others know only Maradona, not the players now playing
for the Latin American team.
"Only Argentina can beat Brazil. So we are looking forward
to Argentina doing it again and again," said Tanmoy
Hossain, student of a private University.
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