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Leading News
Prime
Minister unveils big defence-purchase plan
Fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles,
helicopters, radar, armaments to be procured for BAF
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday unveiled her
government's big defence-purchase plan for procuring soon
fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missile system,
helicopters, air-defence radars and armaments for
Bangladesh Air Force.
Besides, she said, the government has already approved a
development plan for constructing necessary infrastructure
at Cox's Bazar for smooth operation of fighter jets and
transport aircraft to ensure security of economic
activities in the vast maritime territories and relief
operation in remote areas to protect people during natural
calamity.
The Prime Minister revealed the government's defence plans
while addressing the Bangladesh Air Force officers on the
occasion of Air Force's annual exercises dubbed
"WINTEX-2010" at the BAF main fighter base at Kurmitola
inside Dhaka Cantonment at noon.
"Within just one year of assuming office, procuring
fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missile system,
helicopter, air-defence radar, and armaments has been put
in process," she told her military audience. She said the
process is underway to arrange necessary funds for
implementing the development plan for the Air Force.
"Budget allocation for the Bangladesh Air Force under the
present fiscal year is the biggest amount in the history
of the force," she told the function.
The Prime Minister further said various other welfare
projects for the members of the Air Force are under active
consideration of the government. "The present government
will take all possible measures to build up the country's
Air Force as an up-to-date force by arming it with modern
technology-based war weapons," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said her government is firmly committed to
building up a modern, knowledge-based air force excelled
in training and technology in order to ensure security of
the country and its people.
Besides, the government is giving attention to ensuring
financial solvency of the members of the Bangladesh Air
Force, the Prime Minister said. "In this regard, our main
goal is to increase participation of Air Force members in
the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission. I have already
talked to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and presented
our logical demands in various international forums."
Regarding the MIG-29 Purchase Case filed against her
during the last BNP-Jamaat government, the Prime Minister
said the then government had kept the MIG-29 unused for a
long time just to get her in trouble.
She urged the Air Force members to know about the real
history of the liberation war of 1971 and build themselves
as confident, skilled and ideal military men.
Hasina in her speech paid rich tributes to the martyrs of
the liberation war, including the members of the
Bangladesh Air Force.
Earlier, the Prime Minister witnessed spectacular flying
display of different BAF fighter and transport planes and
helicopters, including the much-talked-about MIG-29
fighter plane, at the Kurmitola Base.
Govt
under pressure over price hike of essentials: HT Imam
UNB,
Dhaka
Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam on Wednesday said
the government is now under a sense of pressure over the
price-hike of essentials.
He urged the business community to cooperate with the
government in keeping the prices of essentials stable. The
PM's adviser was addressing a function of FBCCI Foundation
at the Institution of Diploma Engineers here Wednesday
afternoon.
Under the 'One Business-man-One Family' project of the
FBCCI Foundation, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) organized the function to
distribute self-employment tools-computer, sewing machine,
irrigation pump and rickshaw-van -- among 487 unemployed
youths. Commerce Minister Faruk Khan was the chief guest
at the function while PM's adviser was the special guest.
Addressing the function, Faruk Khan blamed a small section
of unscrupulous businesspeople for the price-hike of
essentials. FBCCI president Annisul Huq said that if each
of the country's some 50 lakh businessmen takes care of a
single family, the scenario of Bangladesh would change. He
said the FBCCI Foundation has a plan to generate
employment for some 7,000-10,000 jobless youths under the
project.
Khaleda to address
public meeting in Ctg Mar 27
BNP accepts AL challenge
Proof of women repression will be disclosed in time:
Dr Mosharraf
TBT Report
BNP has accepted the challenges of Awami League and said
it has proof of women repression during the present regime
and it will be disclosed in time.
BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf
Hossain said this at a press conference after ending a
meeting with party's central and Chittagong divisional
leaders at Nayapaltan central office on Wednesday. The
preparatory meeting was arranged to make the Chittagaong
divisional public rally a success.
Dr Mosharraf Hossain said different sorts of tortures
including repression and violation on women are going on
alarmingly in the country which are common phenomenon in
the recent days.
Accepting Awami League (AL) secretary general Syed
Ashraful Islam's challenge, he said "adequate facts, data
and information regarding the issue are in our hands. All
the information will be known to the nation at a suitable
time," he added.
UNB adds: BNP chairperson and leader of the opposition
Khaleda Zia will embark on her planned organizational tour
of six divisional headquarters on March 27, beginning with
a show of her party's political prowess in the port city
of Chittagong on the first day.
She will address a public meeting at the outer-stadium in
the port city on the day when she is expected to give
"directional speech" about latest developments concerning
Chittagong Hill Tracts and Chittagong seaport.
A preparatory meeting to make the public meeting a success
was held at BNP's Nayapaltan central office Wednesday with
Standing Committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain
in the chair. Senior leaders of the party, particularly of
Chittagong division, including Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury,
M Morshed Khan, Abduallah Al Noman, Amir Khashru Mahmud
Chowdhury, Mir Nasiruddin, Barkatullah Bulu MP, M Shahjan
Salahuddin Ahmed and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, were present at
the preparatory meeting.
After the meeting, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told
reporters that the BNP chairperson and ex-PM would give
"directional speech" at the public meeting in Ctg about
Chittagong Hill Tracts and Chittagong Port as
"conspiracies" are on stream over the CHT and the seaport
matters.
4.3 lakh cases remain pending with courts:
Shafiq
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban
About 2,56,200 criminal cases and 1,73,591 civil cases
remained pending with different courts across the country
for the last five years.
Law, Justice and Parlia-mentary Affairs Minister Barrister
Shafiq Ahmed on Wednesday said this in the House while
replying to a question from treasury bench member Mohammad
Shah Alam.
The minister said a total of 10,69,612 criminal cases and
8,37,470 civil cases were disposed off during the period
from 2004 to 2008.
He said the government as suggested by concerned
committees has recommended withdrawal of 2,353 cases fully
and 550 cases partially, mostly against Awami League
leaders and workers.
Side, by side, two cases, one against Tareq Rahman and the
other against Barrister Moudud Ahmed, were recommended for
withdrawal, he said.
Replying to a question from Mahjabin Morshed, the minister
said the present government so far enacted 71 acts and
seven ordinances (till February 3, 2010).
BDR carnage
Deadline for submitting probe report extended
BSS, Dhaka
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court on Wednesday
extended the time limit for submitting the investigation
report of the BDR Carnage up to 21st April next.
Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Md Shahdat Hossain has
extended the time and instructed the investigating
authority Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of
police to submit the investigation report within April 21
next. The court earlier fixed the last date for submission
of the investigation report within March 10.
Meanwhile, the CID police on Wednesday conducted a test
identification parade (TIP) for asserting some valuables
which were recovered by the investigators recently. The TI
parade was conducted at the CID headquarters in presence
of a first class magistrate. The CID has already completed
its long investigation on the BDR Carnage at Peelkhana and
scrutinizing the gathered documents, evidences and
statements of the accused and witnesses.
"A total 800 BDR personnel are being charged by the police
under Bangladesh Penal Code (BPC) for the killing of
senior BDR officials, looting of arms, ammunition,
grenades, valuables, household goods, money and ornaments
and repression on women and children," a senior official
of the CID said on Wednesday.
Nearly 8000 people including politicians, BDR, police, RAB
and Fire Service officials and survived BDR officials and
deceased family members have been enlisted as the
prosecution witnesses in the proposed charge sheet, the
official said. Of the arrested, 530 people including 521
BDR personnel gave their confessional statements before
the court under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code
(CrPC), the official added.
Bus strike in Dhaka City called off
UNB, Dhaka
The private bus owners Wednesday withdrew their indefinite
strike in Dhaka city and its suburbs after a fruitful
negotiation with the authorities concerned.
Sharifuddin Khandaker, Managing Director of Shatabdi
Paribahan, told UNB that they called off the strike at 12
noon. "We called off the strike after chairman of the
parliamentary standing committee on the Communications
Ministry Mujibar Rahman Sheikh assured us of fulfilling
our demands during a meeting at Sangsad Bhaban in the
morning," he said.
Their demands include stoppage of "extortion", arrest of
the attackers on a bus owner and ensuring safety of the
bus owners.
More than 2,500 buses of around 50 bus companies running
in Dhaka City and its suburbs went on the wildcat strike
on the demands after toll-collectors assaulted one owner.
The strike aggravated the misery of office-goers and other
commuters, particularly schoolchildren. The bus owners
also submitted a memorandum to Communications Minister
Syed Abul Hossain for realizing their demands. On Tuesday
afternoon, the owners stopped plying their buses demanding
action against unauthorized toll-collectors at different
points in the city.
Back Page
Govt to ensure housing for all by
2015: PM
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told the Jatiya
Sangsad that the government would ensure housing for all
by the year 2015 according to the election pledge.
Mentioning the election pledge of the government, she said
the Housing and Public Works Ministry has undertaken
various steps to ensure housing facilities for all
citizens.
The Prime Minister said this while replying to a question
raised by treasury bench lawmaker Golam Dastagir Gazi in
the Jatiya Sangsad.
"The National Housing Authority has taken programmes for
developing residential plots and flats through the Site
and Services Project at district and upazila levels
including Dhaka city," she said. She also said that a
piece of land of 4.55 acres has been reserved for building
flats for low-income people and another 15.53 acres for
constructing 10,000 flats from 600 sft to 800 sft in the
Jhilmil residential project of Rajdhani Unnayan
Kartipakhaya (RAJUK).
In Uttara 3rd phase residential project, 40.51 acres land
has been reserved for low-income people, 10.917 acres for
low and middle income people and also 67.011 acres land
for constructing 22,512 flats of 850 sft, 1050 sft and
1250 sft, the Prime Minister said. In Purbachal New Town
Project, 96.27 acres land has been allocated for low and
middle income people and another 291.33 acres land for
constructing 20,000 flats from 800 sft to 1200 sft each,
she added.
To resolve the housing problem of increasing population in
the city, Sheikh Hasina said the government has a plan for
developing four satellite towns with modern facilities
around the Dhaka city through RAJUK. Flats for low and
middle income people would be constructed and places for
those have been selected at the RAJUK's detailed area
plan, she said.
The Prime Minister said acquisition of land for Kalpalok
residential development project (2nd phase) under
Chittagong Unnayan Kartipakhaya is under process. "About
300 plots would be allocated under this project," she said
adding that the process of developing land for building
800 plots under Nilachal project is under process.
US playing ‘game’ in
Afghanistan: Ahmadinejad
AP, Kabul
Taking aim at the US, Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said Wednes-day that it's the United States
that is playing a "double game" in Afgh-anistan, fighting
terrorists it once supported.
At a news conference in the Afghan capital, Ahmad-inejad
was asked to respond to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert
Gates, who earlier in the week accused Tehran of "playing
a double game" by trying to have a good relationship with
the Afghan government while undermining U.S. and NATO
efforts by providing some support to the Taliban.
Tehran has said it supports the Afghan government and
denies allegations that it helps the Taliban. Iran calls
the accusation part of a broad anti-Iranian campaign and
says it makes no sense that its Shiite-led government
would help the fundamentalist Sunni movement of the
Taliban.
"I believe that they themselves," who are now fighting
militants in Afghanistan, "are playing a double game," he
said.
"They themselves created terrorists and now they're saying
that they are fighting terrorists." During the 10 years
the that the Soviet Union fought in Afghanistan, the U.S.
supplied rebels with supplies ranging from mules to
advanced wea-ponry, inc-luding Stinger anti-aircraft
missiles that played a crucial role in neutralizing Soviet
air power. The U.S. money spigot, however, was later
turned off and the world watched Afghanistan plunge into
chaos and eventually harbor al-Qaida terrorists. Gates,
who left Afghanistan shortly before Ahmadinejad spoke,
called Ahmadinejad's visit to Kabul "certainly
bothersome."
"We think Afghanistan should have good relations with all
its neighbors, but we want all of Afgha-nistan's
neighbors" to deal fairly with President Hamid Karzai's
government," Gates said.
Karzai said Iran was assisting Afghanistan with
reconstruction projects, improving education and helping
provide electricity. "We are very hopeful that our brother
nation of Iran will work with us in bringing peace and
security to Afghanistan so that both our countries will be
secure," Karzai said, adding that Afghanistan has a very
good relationship with Tehran.
"We have mentioned several times to our brother nation,
Iran, that we don't want any one to use our soil against
any of our neighbors," he said.
Ahmadinejad and Karzai both spoke at the presidential
palace, but it was the Iranian leader who did nearly all
of the talking.
He said the best way to fight terrorists was not on the
battlefield, but through the use of intelligence, which
does not result in the death of troops or civilians. He
repeatedly raised the Iranian capture of Abdu-lmalik Rigi,
former leader of an insurgent group known as Jundallah.
Iran has accused the U.S. and Britain of supporting
Jundallah in an effort to weaken the Iranian government -
a charge that both nations deny.
He said the U.S. and other nations would be better off
using intelligence, not military force, to fight militants
in Afghanistan.
"Iran didn't kill any innocent civilians," in the arrest
of Rigi, he said, adding later that the U.S. was trying to
bring civilization to Afghanistan "by gun and bomb."
Mobile-phone
operators asked to book unregistered SIM cards
UNB, Dhaka
Amid a reported tele-crime galore, the government
Wednesday instructed mob-ile-phone operators to
immediately book the unregistered SIM cards to check
different types of crimes being committed by phoning.
Besides, they were asked to take photocopy of the National
Identity (NID) card of the customer in time of purchasing
a SIM card. It is also mandatory to produce a guarantor's
address and contact number.
The government instructions came from a meeting held at
the Home Ministry with Home Minister Advocate Sahara
Khatun in the chair.
The meeting elaborately discussed various recommendations
submitted by the committee on Prevention of Telephonic
Extortion, which was formed earlier with BTRC Chairman
Brig Gen(Retd) ZIA Islam as the chief.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, the Home Minister
said two lakh SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards have
already been blocked following allegation of threatening
or demanding toll or committing other crimes through the
freewheeling use of mobile phones.
"I request mobile operators not to sell SIM card without
NID from tomorrow. I hope this process will reduce mobile
crimes," Sahara said.
The Home Minister said two separate committees will be
formed to implement the recommendations given by the
committee for preventing telephonic extortion.
State Minister for Home Affairs Advocate Shamsul Haq Tuku,
Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, IGP Nur Mohammad, DG
of RAB Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, DMP Commissioner AKM
Shahidul Haq, high officials concerned and representatives
of mobile operators attended the meeting.
Jamaat demands release of its
activists before the Independence Day
UNB, Dhaka
Jamaat Wednesday said scores of its activists and leaders
arrested on fictitious charge and demanded their
unconditional release before the Independence Day on March
26.
Party's secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid told
a press conference that those arrested were subjected to
physical and mental torture in police custody.
He said more than 700 Jamaat and Shibir men have been
arrested on false pretext since the incident on Rajshahi
University campus on February 8.
He termed 'injustice and undemocratic' the actions against
the leaders of Jamaat and its student wing Chhatra Shibir.
They are creating obstacles in holding public meetings and
rallies. It is a planned action to annihilate the Islamic
forces of the country, he said.
Mujahid announced a countrywide programme from March 14 to
31 when they will hold meetings and rallies to expose the
'misdeeds' of the government and injustice and
undemocratic actions against the party activists and
leaders.
He alleged that the government is violating the human
rights by extracting confessional statement under duress
from the arrested the Jamaat-Shibir activists. "The
government is using the law enforcing agencies to harass
the political opponents".
Referring to the CHT incidents, Mujahid said it was the
result of withdrawal of Army camps. But the government is
falsely blaming the political adversaries.
Barapukuria
land subsidence victims begin fast-unto-death
UNB, Dinajpur
Hundreds of people affected due to land subsidence in
Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) area began
fast-unto-death on Wednesday demanding compensation and
permanent rehabilitation.
Local sources said the residents of several affected
villages under the banner of Committee to Save Life and
Property began their strike in front of the BCMCL main
gate at 12 noon. Earlier, they started to gather there
from the morning.
Affected landowners said about 2,600 families of the area
have been living under the risk of the land subsidence
since production started at the coalmine in 2004.
"About three-fourth of 11 villages in the area developed
cracks and several 100 acres of land have been sunk since
then," said the affected people.
Committee to Save Life and Property gave an ultimatum to
the state-owned Petrobangla to meet their demands within
February 20.
Petrobangla Chairman Dr Hossain Mansur had also two
meetings with the affected villagers on February 19.
However, the meetings ended fruitless as the Petrobangla
Chairman sought three and a half months to solve their
problems. Ibrahim Khalil, convener of the Committee to
Save Life and Property, said they would continue their
fast-unto-death until their demands are met.
He alleged that the government bureaucrats created
hindrance in reaching an understanding with the
Petrobangla. Additional police have been deployed in and
around the BCMCL to fend off any untoward incident.
Strike on 18 southern river routes
continues
BSS, Barisal
Strike continued on 18 river routes in the southern region
for the fourth day on Wednesday.
The workers of launches have enforced the strike to
realize a 22-point demand, including reinstatement of
sacked workers.
Launch Owners Association leaders at a press conference
here Wednesday morning alleged that the launch owners and
passengers have become hostage in the hands of workers.
On the other hand, the launch workers held a protest rally
and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner to
realize their demands.
Held at the office of Launch Labour Asso-ciation, the
rally was addressed by Sikder Abul Hashem Master, Master
Nazrul, Ekin Ali Master, Abdul Aziz Master, Master Nazrul
and Ticket Master M Helal, among others.
Editorial
Hostage to power outage
The
people living in the capital city and elsewhere in the country
have virtually turned into hostages to the terrible load
shedding. Moreover, continued crises of gas and water have
made the lives of city dwellers miserable. According to media
reports, power outages every few minutes in some areas Tuesday
disrupted livelihood while severe gas and water crises added
to the woes of public life in the greater Dhaka area, even
before the start of the peak summer. Experts in the utility
services apprehended that when the prime summer will start in
April-May period, the three-pronged power-gas-water problem
could take a turn for the worse yet. They blamed poor
performance of the utility services for the cumulative crises,
apart from neglect of necessary tasks for improving the
situation in these high-priority sectors by successive
governments.
"No new electricity, or gas or water has been added into the
supply-line in the last one year, which makes the situation
worse," said a former PDB Chairman who observed that residents
of the capital city now have to live in a situation where they
could hardly enjoy half the needs of their essential utility
services. In many areas, people don't know when they could get
gas for coocking or get water for having bath or receive
electricity for doing necessary works by running machines. The
government has decided to divert power from the urban to rural
areas for irrigation of paddies in the dry season, but reports
from many districts say villagers also suffer a lot for want
of electricity.
This description is enough to tell amply of the appalling
situation the people are plunged in. Actually, serious crises
of power, water and gas have gripped the city dwellers
simultaneously and there seems to be no end to it. With every
passing day the crises are worsening instead of being eased.
Along with the dwelling houses and industries, CNG stations
are also facing serious crisis due to short supply of gas and
its low pressure.
It is known to all that supply of power, gas and water are
co-related and so it is difficult to resolve the problem
separately, because water supply is disrupted due to power
shortage and power crisis is caused by gas shortage. At
present many households are facing serious problems because of
gas shortage. Worse still, electricity production is being
seriously hampered due to constant gas shortage. In its turn,
the grave power crisis is impeding production, disrupting
irrigation, harming business and causing immense sufferings to
the people at all levels. disruption to electricity supply and
frequent load shedding are regular phenomenon in the capital.
Meanwhile, the water crisis is continuing in the capital as
the WASA water supply falls huge short of the needs with only
45 percent of the city dwellers having access to safe water.
Worse still, the inadequate amount of water available is also
dirty and stinking. The government is speaking of various
projects to resolve these crises, but implementation of those
will need a few years while the crises are already acute and
require immediate solution. So the government should workout
some plans for immediate execution to resolving the nagging
gas, power and water crises. In fact, frequent power outages
caused by severe power crises are among the most burning
problems and top most priority should be given to resolve the
power crisis on emergency basis.
Woes of Aila
victims
The
losses, sufferings and woes of the Aila Victims are really
matters of grave concern. So, it is quite obvious that out of
sympathy for the affected people Ambassador Dr Stefan Frowein,
Head of the European Union's Delegation to Bangladesh has
expressed concern over their plight. More than 700 kilometers
of coastal embankments were destroyed by cyclone Aila while
the seawater flooded villages and fields displacing over
200,000 people last May, still leaving the victims in the
lurch while the advent of the next season of calamity is close
by.
Ambassador Dr Stefan Frowein narrated the sorry state of the
rehabilitation and reconstruction arrangement on Tuesday. He
observed that many of the displaced people are still living in
appalling conditions on strips of raised land. He said it is
essential that the repairs are completed by the end of this
March when storms and high tides come as a natural course of
weather in Bangladesh. "Many thousands of people displaced by
the Aila cyclone, who have now been living in makeshift
shelters for the last ten months, are at risk," he said on a
note of anxiety. He reminded that if the embankments are not
repaired urgently, the humanitarian consequences would be
catastrophic.
It is encouraging that a foreign diplomat has expressed
concern for the sufferings of the Aila victims, but the
question that remains unreplied is what is being done by our
government. Ten months have elapsed since the devastating Aila
ravaged the coastal areas, but the rehabilitation of the
affected people and the repairing of the damaged embankments
are yet to be completed. It is really disappointing. The
government should take urgent steps to complete the
rehabilitation works in the Aila hit areas to help the victims
avert further sufferings.
This year, the International Women’s Day was observed with the
slogan - Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity and Progress for All.
But equal rights of women is yet long way off in our social
perspective. Rather, women are subjected to discrimination,
persecution and deprivation in the society. The Prime Minister
has rightly pointed out that to ensure social dignity of
women, education and financial self-reliance of women have to
be guaranteed. Along with this, it should be ensured that the
women get rid of persecution, violence and discrimination in
the society. It is through these that the women's rights can
be ensured.
Analysis
The Ides Of March Again
Hopefully this month of March will be unlike
others and we will have a smooth transition from what
presently is a Presidential system in all but name to,
theoretically at least, a Parliamentary democracy.
Ikram Sehgal
Democracy
of sorts came back into being in Pakistan on Feb 18, 2008. The
1973 Constitution, hamstrung by its principal author himself
within hours of its enactment, had been systematically
disfigured over 25 years of manipulation by those who excel at
circumventing the laws of the land and adapting it for that of
the jungle. Conspiracy theories abound about the promised
repeal (the Mar 23 date pledged by the PM has now been shifted
to the end of the month) of the 17th Amendment, will the
proposed amendments suit ground realities availing in this
country? History has shown that there is good reason for
Pakistanis to hold their breath in and around the Ides of
March, or shortly thereafter. This season seems to be no
different!
Feb 18, 2008 was also a good day for the Armed Forces of
Pakistan. Within 90 days of taking over as the COAS, Kayani
took the Army (and intelligence services thereof) away from
the electoral process, thus ensuring a fairly free and
transparent elections. The Army spent 2008 reorganizing and
training for counter-insurgency, sometimes on-the-job, but
above all instilling and inculcating the motivation to take on
militants running riot in vast areas along our north-western
borders. When in May 2009, the "clear and present danger"
threatened by Sufi Mohammad provided the "casus belli", the
Army was ready for action. Swat became a defining moment,
South Waziristan followed within months before the close of
2009. During a recent trip abroad there were moments one came
close to tears listening to praise (at times given grudgingly)
for the Pakistan Army's magnificent performance in battle, for
someone used to constant disparaging of the uniform this
turnaround in perception was overwhelming. That the success
was possible because of the shedding of precious blood by our
officers and jawans was not lost on the intelligentsia, in
contrast a motivated western media has been niggardly in
recognizing this. Alarmed detractors, both inside and outside
the country, initiated an obnoxious campaign to tar and
feather the Army's success, a NEWSWEEK Cover Story blatantly
touted the Indian canard of an ISI-supported Lashkar-i-Tayaba
"looking west"!
Three years ago to the day Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar
Chaudhry of the Supreme Court (SC), stood his ground in the
face of a uniformed "show of force"? Hopefully the superior
judiciary coming into its own will permeate downwards to the
lower courts, with greater pressure than the present
trickle-down effect. The justice the common man requires is
the purview of lower courts, presently these are wallowing in
corruption. Similar to the cleansing of the superior courts,
"a night of the long knives" must get rid of corrupt and/or
ill-motivated judicial officers down the line. The Honorable
CJ and his fellow Justices in the SC and the Provincial High
Courts should bone up on Clausewitz's first "Principle of
War", the "selection and maintenance of Aim". What the SC
faced down in February recently was only one of many "Dirty
Tricks" (DTs) of which there will be plenty of in the future.
What are the Honourable Justices doing about those who
function as upholders of the rule of law? What has been
exposed recently on TV was abhorrent, when criminals function
in the name of justice, justice becomes a crime!
The 1973 Constitution is weighted heavily in favour of the
PM's authority. There must also be sufficient balance between
the President and the PM. Mian Nawaz Sharif's many
accomplishments, viz, carrying out the nuclear explosion,
energizing Pakistan's economy and making it business-friendly,
etc came to naught when he tried to take on the Armed Forces
and the judiciary, that also without good reason. While Mian
Sahib's disdain for those in uniform is well known, his
belated afterthought caveat requiring an input from the CJ SC
Parliamentary Committee's about the recommended mode of
selection of superior court judges was welcome.
Given the President is clipped off his special powers under
the 17th Amendment, will things change? Separation of the
powers defined in the 1973 Constitution notwithstanding, the
personality of the individual as well as perception of
authority also matters. Technically the Chairman JCSC is the
superior officer, however who carries the greater clout, he or
the COAS Pakistan Army?
Gilani must be commended for not allowing things to get out of
hand on one issue after another with the Opposition, the
Superior judiciary and the Army. He often plays the good cop
to Zardari's bad cop, both manage the charade well. In matters
of critical importance the man from Multan has virtually no
say, if one day he should does discover his self-respect and
self-esteem, politically he is non-consequential, too weak to
attempt even a "Leghari". The loss of 17th Amendment's powers
notwithstanding, Asif Ali Zardari can consign Gilani into the
political dustbin whenever he wants. If his own party revolts
against him, could Gilani depend upon the Opposition standing
by him in a vote of confidence? So why should Zardari care
about his powers being taken away by the 18th Amendment?
Zardari's dominating input as President will continue to
remain. Take the example of Nasim Beg, a superb technocrat who
would make an excellent Finance Minister, unfortunately he
carries the Zardari tag. Can Gilani even dream of appointing
his own man instead of Beg in this critical slot? Indeed can
he take stand or critical issues and tackle some influential
advisors? Undercutting the reputation of the govt, these
dubious characters give only lip-service to the PM's authority
because they well know Asif Ali Zardari will never play second
fiddle to Yusuf Raza Gilani.
The real (and only) reason for the present apprehension about
the 17th amendment is about the selection of the next COAS.
Because of the special circumstances availing and the success
achieved by the Army during his watch, Kayani commands
tremendous respect, both within the Armed Forces as well as US
and Coalition partners, we cannot afford to lose this
potential. Moreover he has still some miles to go to rid the
Army of all the undeserving who were promoted as well as
correcting other anomalies that have been tarnishing the
Army's image. However giving Kayani an extension will upset
the schedule of career planning carefully crafted to ensure a
smooth and equitable process, the many extensions Musharraf
gave to himself destroyed this system. While extension must
remain a possibility in the present situation, Kayani could be
elevated to Chairman JCSC, while giving priority to his choice
as successor as COAS. A father-figure is needed not only as a
calming influence but to maintain the continuity of military
non-intervention. Let's face it, democracy is being sustained
despite provocations today because of Kayani's single-minded
commitment to the process. Remember Murphy's Law, "if it ain't
broke, don't fix it"! Mian Sahib did, to his own detriment and
that of Pakistan.
Hopefully this month of March will be unlike others and we
will have a smooth transition from what presently is a
Presidential system in all but name to, theoretically at
least, a Parliamentary democracy. The ultimate question is,
does this Parliamentary system where legislators do everything
under the sun but legislate, really suit Pakistan?
Ikram Sehgal is an internationally renowned columnist and
the Editor of the Pakistan Defence Journal
The thaw that
wasn't
In reality the Delhi talks did not even live up to modest
expectations of improving the tenor of the bilateral
engagement.
Dr Maleeha Lodhi
As
widely anticipated meeting last month between the foreign
secretaries of Pakistan and India did little to melt the
diplomatic ice. That the officials met at all after a
14-month hiatus was billed by some as progress. In reality
the Delhi talks did not even live up to modest
expectations of improving the tenor of the bilateral
engagement. The atmospherics turned out to be as fraught
as the differences over substance.
The separate press conferences addressed by both foreign
secretaries made this abundantly clear. Nirupama Rao's
hectoring tone prompted a sharp response from Salman
Bashir who said Pakistan needed no sermons on terrorism
from India.
The two sides were unable to reconcile differences over
the timing, modalities and agenda for future talks. Even
on process the talks reinforced rather than narrowed the
chasm. This reinforced the unedifying start-stumble-stop
pattern of diplomatic engagement that has long
characterised relations. The Delhi encounter may also have
ended up hardening positions. No date was set for the next
meeting. Pakistan proposed a time-bound roadmap of
meetings leading to a summit-level meeting at the SAARC
conference in Bhutan in April where the prime ministers of
the two countries could announce a resumption of the
composite dialogue that encompasses a comprehensive
eight-point agenda.
The Indians stuck to their position and insisted that the
time had not come for a resumption of the formal peace
process. Delhi proposed a graduated, step-by-step approach
entailing meetings at the foreign-secretary level to focus
on terrorism. Delhi also reiterated that any renewal of
the composite process would be conditioned on progress on
the terrorism issue.
The inability to reconcile these clashing visions of how
the future dialogue should proceed meant that the
diplomatic stalemate continued. The discussions turned
more into a re-statement of positions by both sides. The
Indian side only wanted to discuss terrorism. This
indicated that Delhi envisaged future talks to be recast
around one issue.
Indian officials also handed over three dossiers calling
for access to the under-trial Mumbai attack suspects and
action against individuals alleged to be hiding in
Pakistan. An exasperated Salman Bashir later described the
contents of these dossiers as more 'literature' than
evidence.
Pakistan's principal focus was on Kashmir and the water
issue among other disputes. A paper on the water issue was
handed over to the Indian side. The Pakistani side also
made it clear that Islamabad sought relations based on
sovereign equality and mutual respect.
The Indian refusal to go beyond what their officials had
been publicly stating for the past year raises important
questions. What does Delhi expect to get out of the
bilateral engagement if it seems unwilling to let the
process lead to a full-fledged, structured dialogue? What
use do the talks serve for the Indians?
The first objective may have much to do with increasing
international pressure for a resumption of Pakistan-India
talks. Urgings for a renewal of dialogue from the world's
key capitals, especially Washington, had increasingly made
Delhi's no-talks stance untenable and unsustainable. So
establishing what Indian officials call 'measured contact'
with Islamabad serves to defuse that pressure and make
India look reasonable without yielding anything.
Two, Delhi may want to use the talks not as a means of
narrowing differences or building common ground but of
mounting pressure on Pakistan to comply with its demands.
From this perspective every engagement outside a
structured framework gives Delhi an opportunity to amplify
its terrorism mantra, without having to accommodate any of
Pakistan's concerns. Unstructured dialogue becomes the
means to apply pressure and shift the onus on to Pakistan
rather than engage in problem-solving. Talks, as several
Indian commentators have pointed out, give India a tool
and leverage on the terrorism issue which its previous
no-dialogue posture didn't. In this diplomatic strategy
the resumption of full-fledged, broad-based talks is used
as a 'trump card' and offered as a reward in exchange for
concessions by Pakistan. Islamabad's firm rejection of a
dialogue for dialogue's sake should have reminded Delhi
that using talks as leverage will not work.
Another dimension of the second objective could be to use
the talks as a political prop for grandstanding at home.
Taking a hard line with Pakistan in a blaze of media
publicity helps to burnish the Congress Party's
credentials of being tough on terrorism. But rather than
yield the desired political dividend this stance has
failed to blunt the fierce attack mounted on the
government by the opposition BJP for agreeing to talk at
all to Islamabad.
This was evident immediately after the talks from the
face-off in the Lok Sabha between opposition leader L K
Advani and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The verbal
sparring also served to underscore the confusion in the
government mind about its rationale for the talks which in
turn explained the feeble defence that Mr Singh put up in
parliament.
Whatever Delhi's calculations in pursuing 'incremental' or
selective engagement, differences over the scope and
framework of the dialogue promise a protracted diplomatic
minuet between the two countries entailing more talks
about talks. With the very terms of the engagement in
contention prospects do not appear promising for the next
meeting whenever it takes place.
If Delhi insists on unilaterally determining the frequency
and content of the bilateral process Islamabad will be
pressed to calibrate its response accordingly. Already it
has made it plain that the terrorism issue should not
dictate the agenda. And that it is not willing to settle
for process at the expense of substance.
What is also certain to complicate fraught relations is
the intimidatory environment being fostered by India's
enunciation of dangerous military doctrines as well as
provocative military exercises. Within days of the Delhi
talks Indian fighter jets pounded mock enemy targets close
to the border in an exercise witnessed by the country's
president. Its timing and intent was not lost on Pakistan.
In this backdrop the immediate outlook for Pakistan-India
relations is marked by uncertainty with ties prone to
crisis. Three scenarios can be postulated for the near
term. The first is a prolonged diplomatic deadlock or
standoff with no mitigation of mutual suspicion and a risk
of confrontation accompanied by a zero-sum approach to
ties. In this scenario erratic or sporadic dialogue
becomes a means to score points, not reduce tensions. It
is also the most volatile scenario for its potential to
relapse into an escalation of tensions, heightening the
risk of an uncontrollable crisis.
The second scenario is one of managed tensions. In this
differences and disputes continue in a no-war, no-peace
situation but where both political will and diplomatic
means are available to ensure tensions do not spin out of
control. This helps to avoid a confrontation or breakdown
in the relationship. This scenario provides space for
normalisation of some aspects of the relationship. For
part of their troubled history Pakistan and India were
able to evolve such a regime but this has always
alternated with periods of heightened tensions,
confrontation and conflict.
The third is the most desirable scenario but in the
immediate future the most improbable. In this both
countries adopt a problem-solving approach and engage
purposefully to find a negotiated resolution of their
disputes while identifying and building on areas of
convergence in an effort to achieve a strategic
equilibrium. Efforts are directed at confronting and
addressing the causes not the symptoms of the conflicts
between them. This is the scenario that is urged by the
compulsions of the region's nuclearisation especially as
strategic relations between the two neighbours remain
undefined and potentially unstable. It is also the only
model of relations that can deliver durable peace.
For now Pakistan-India relations have reverted to the
wearingly familiar pattern of the first scenario with all
its attendant risks while the costs of non-resolution of
disputes continue to mount for both nations.
The writer is a former envoy of Pakistan to the US and
the UK, and a former editor of The News
Viewpoints
Iraq faces a test of sovereignty
Political
leaders will never earn the respect of the broader Arab world
as long as merican occupation continues
Gordon Robison
The
turnout for Sunday's parliamentary elections was reported to
be lower than in previous post-Saddam Iraqi polls. Still, the
spectacle of Iraqis braving violence and threats of violence
to cast ballots was meaningful. Flawed though they may have
been these are still among the freest elections in the Middle
East and that alone means something.
As we await the results, however, a larger question looms over
Iraq's political process: whether the politicians can show as
much determination as the voters who elected them.
Put simply: The real test of Iraq's nascent democracy is still
to come. Once the votes are in, will the politicians be able
to put together a functioning government with reasonable
dispatch? Recent history is not promising; and if Iraq is to
emerge as a stable, genuinely independent country, that will
have to change.
Every informed observer agrees that some delay is to be
expected as the winners of Sunday's election jockey for
position and begin the process of putting together a new
government. What remains to be seen is how long this process
is going to take. Political paralysis set in in the months
following Iraq's last parliamentary election in December 2005.
That, in turn, caused an already violent country to quickly
spiral downwards. The February 2006 bombing of the Al Askari
Mosque in Samarra marked a tipping-point; one of a handful of
moments during this conflict at which Iraq's violence level
reached new highs while also seeming to establish a new, more
gruesome base, from which it would work in the future.
Mercifully, things have improved since then. The question
looming over the weeks and months ahead is whether the
country's political class is up to the task of building on the
security gains of the last three years.
Sunday's vote was also a reminder of the nether world of
pseudo-sovereignty in which Iraq presently exists. Media
reports emphasised the omnipresence of Iraqi troops deployed
in the country's streets to ensure that the elections passed
off peacefully, and the degree to which Americans and other
foreign troops stayed in the background throughout the
process.
Gameplan
Even as they praised this accomplishment, however,
Washington's politicians and pundits discussed Iraq's future
in a way that left little doubt who they believe the country's
real decision-makers still are.
Throughout last week there were hints that General Ray Odierno,
the commander of the American and coalition forces in Iraq,
believes some revisions to the timetable for US withdrawal
agreed upon in the waning days of George W. Bush's presidency
may be required.
The idea that the new Iraqi government, once formed, might
have something to say about this was never, as far as I am
aware, raised during the extensive television and newspaper
commentary on Iraq that marked the American weekend. Yet this
is an issue that needs to be addressed. If Iraq is emerging,
however slowly and tentatively, as a real democracy, then the
status of foreign forces is certain to become a central issue
in the country's politics sooner rather than later.
The legal and political status of American troops and foreign
contractors has already been much debated in Iraq. It would be
naïve to believe that this issue will recede over time. Less
remarked upon are the foreign policy implications of the
continued American presence in Mesopotamia. Simply put: Iraqi
leaders are likely to find it difficult, if not impossible, to
achieve acceptance in the broader Arab world that they so
clearly crave so long as their country is generally regarded
as existing under American occupation. This is a truism that
hardly anyone in the US seems to have a handle on.
Iraq is a better place now than it was one, or two, or five
years ago. For that improvement to continue, however, the
Americans need to make a serious effort to negotiate the terms
of their continued presence with an Iraqi government that is
sovereign in more than just name. Of course, for that to
happen, the Iraqis, in turn, need to start acting like serious
political leaders.
How likely either of those things is, we will learn in the
weeks to come.
Gordon Robison, a writer and commentator who has lived in
and reported on the Middle East for two decades, teaches
political science at the University of Vermont.
A victim of
state apathy
The courts,
government and intellectuals abandoned M.F. Hussain in his
hour of need
Rakesh Mani
M.
F. Hussain, arguably India's most celebrated artist,
acknowledged the offer of Qatari nationality with a
black-and-white line drawing of a horse, his trademark
motif, and a short message.
He was "honoured" by Qatari citizenship, but saddened by
the need to relinquish his citizenship of India, whose
culture and values he has celebrated in a magnificent
oeuvre that spans over seven decades.
Indian laws do not allow dual citizenship, and to maintain
his ties with the land of his birth, Hussain applied for
Overseas Indian status.
Tragically, however, Hussain's day of distinction also
marks India's day of dishonour. It marks the conclusion of
one of the most pitiful chapters in independent India's
much-touted secular history.
After starting out as an impoverished painter of cinema
hoardings in Bombay, Hussain spent decades as a successful
artist and exhibited his works freely. His troubles began
in 1996, when he was 81 years old, following an article in
a Hindi journal on his paintings of nude Hindu deities in
the 70s.
A raft of criminal cases followed, which alleged that the
artist had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus through
his paintings. Harassment by bigoted mobs and the
brigadiers of saffronism reached epic proportions and
several exhibitions of his works were vandalised.
All of a sudden, despite his artwork fetching millions at
auction houses in the art capitals of the world, no one
wanted to risk holding an exhibition of Hussain's work in
India.
The nonagenarian artist, billed as India's Picasso,
estimates that there are around 900 cases pending against
him in various courts in India.
Just remembering the drastic extent to which creative
genius can be hassled and made to feel insecure speaks
volumes about the future of art and imagination in a
growing India.
Will there be room for pluralist thought? Or will the
country develop along narrow, parochial lines that stifle
any expressions that run contrary to the prescribed
narrative of the nation?
Following the threat of legal action and numerous death
threats, Hussain went into exile in Dubai and London.
Today, he can travel freely anywhere across the globe -
but not to India though, where an impotent system is
unable, or unwilling, to help in the face of bigotry and
fanaticism.
Nothing new
India's religious art has brazenly depicted nudity and
sexuality through the ages, whether through sculptures at
the Khajuraho temple complex or through murals and
frescoes across temples in southern India.
And so one finds it strange that the country's political
parties, and their attendant public, have shown themselves
so intolerant of art and culture as to banish their most
prominent and successful artist into permanent exile.
India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram said at a press
conference that the government would be pleased if Hussain
returned to India.
He said the artist's family had been informed that full
security will be provided if the artist decided to return.
India's Supreme Court has moved to quash a number of cases
against Hussain.
Yet despite Chidambaram and the Supreme Court's best
intentions, it is too little, too late. The Congress-led
United Progressive Alliance government and the leading
intellectuals of the country have failed spectacularly in
supporting Hussain's cause and enabling his return to
India in spite of their promises of secularism and
pluralist thought.
Where were the courts, the government, the intellectuals
and Chidambaram himself over the last decade when Hussain
was being harassed and vilified across the country?
Ultimately, the failure of those who matter revolves
around the core issues of freedom and imagination that
defines a secular nation's constitution.
Hussain, through his life and his art, represents as well
as anyone the plural, composite and secular values of the
Indian Constitution and embodies its spirit of modernity,
progress and tolerance.
His battle is the battle for the kind of freedom and
thought that should govern India.
Qatari nationality is a rare honour to Hussain and his
artistic genius. It is also a testament to the broad,
modern views of the Qatari ruling family. But it is a sad
day for India, and her many millions of aspiring artists.
Rakesh Mani is a 2009 Teach
For India fellow, working withlow-income schools in Bombay
Alternative reading of a murder
No. But when the victim is a Palestinian and the murderers
are Israelis - 27 of them so far - it is an entirely
different story, and an entirely different concept of
justice.
By Ramzy Baroud
The
killing of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Al Mabhouh on
January 19, 2010, was clearly a well-planned, violent and
sadistic act committed by Israeli assassins in the
supposed safety of a sovereign country.
Yes, Mabhouh was a Palestinian activist. There are no
reasons to believe otherwise. He spent years of his life
in Israeli prisons - and one year in an Egyptian jail -
for his political activism. This, however, gives no
credibility to Israel's accusation that he was a killer of
Israelis. Such assertion becomes even more challenging
when considering that Mabhouh's assassination was,
according to British media, ordered by accused Israeli war
criminals and right-wing politicians.
According to the Sunday Times, Meir Dagan, the current
director of Mossad, briefed Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on the assassination plan during a
meeting in early January. "The people of Israel trust you.
Good luck," Netanyahu reportedly said at the end of this
meeting.
It is disgraceful enough that the assassins used
fraudulent European passports, as well as credit cards
linked to an American bank, to carry out their plans. But
more upsetting is the fact that this cruel and calculated
action has inspired little more than expressions of
"outrage".
Has the world become this resigned to Israeli impunity?
What about the sanctity of life, the sovereignty of
nations and the respect for international law? Are these
immediately disposable when the victim is Palestinian and
the location of the crime an Arab country?
Mabhouh has been callously deprived of his own relevance
to the story. We don't really know much about the man,
aside from what Israel wants us to know - a senior Hamas
operative who was responsible for the abduction and
killings of two Israeli soldiers; one of the founders of
the militant arm of Hamas, Izzeddine Al Qassam the
middleman between Hamas in Gaza and Al Quds Force of the
Revolutionary Guard in Iran.
Who has weaved this fascinatingly reductionist account of
Mabhouh's life in such a short span of time? His family?
Hamas? The Palestinian media?
None of these. The creator of this biography is Israel,
the very country that assassinated him. This is truly
outrageous: the murderer writes and convinces the world of
the story of the victim. And the media gladly run with it.
Expectedly, a Palestinian would tell Mabhouh's story in
entirely different terms. He was born in Jabaliya, one of
Gaza's poorest and most crowded refugee camps. These key
words alone - Gaza, poor, crowded, refugee - help unravel
the real story of Mabhouh. It is the story shared by so
many people who still live a life of utter anguish,
poverty and resistance in Gaza Strip - and elsewhere -
which is under inhumane siege and suffered from successive
wars unleashed on it by the world's fourth strongest army.
The story is not about abducted occupation soldiers but
about millions of refugees; not about Iran, but about Gaza
and Palestine; not about luxury hotels, but about
horrifyingly desolate refugee camps.
But Palestinians - like many oppressed peoples around the
world - have no right to their own narrative. Their story
is negligible, if not wholly irrelevant. Israel commits
the murder, Israel offers the explanation, and eventually
Israel gets away with both the crime and the lie.
Mabhouh's murder might eventually inspire several
documentaries that highlight the murderous nature of
Palestinian militants and the unequalled brilliance of
Israeli retaliation. Another Steven Spielberg's "Munich"
might already be in the making. The first scene of this
would not be Mabhouh's family forced to flee their village
in Palestinian after untold butchery by Zionist militants
in 1948. Instead, it might show a dark-skinned, menacing
Palestinian slaughtering two helpless Israeli soldiers
pleading for their lives. We are, more or less, told to
forget about Mabhouh. After all, his name is used along
with Hamas and Iran in the same sentence. That should be
enough to tell us that his life is dispensable - just like
the lives of over 1,400 Palestinians who were killed by
the Israeli army in Gaza between December 2008 and January
2009.
Israel may well be preparing for yet another attack on the
impoverished strip. The tunnels that represent the
lifeline for the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza are
being routinely blown up by Israeli warplanes, detonated
by dynamite and blocked by an Egyptian steel wall. Gazans
cannot be allowed any weapons to defend themselves either.
The "international community" has held many meetings to
ensure that no weapons find their way into Gaza. The US,
in particular, is firm on this issue, although not at all
firm about ensuring that food or medicine reach the strip.
Mabhouh may have been killed due to Israel's belief that
he was arming the resistance. This partly explains why the
international community is not at all moved by the murder.
He might have been involved in breaking the Western
consensus on denying Gaza both food and arms. The EU is
only worried about its link to the story, and not the
murder itself. An EU statement issued in Brussels on
February 22 condemned the "fact that those involved in
this action used fraudulent EU member-states passports".
They didn't name Israel though. As the Financial Times
resolved, "criticism of Israel was as strongly worded as
the EU could manage, given that Germany, Italy and several
other countries place great emphasis on close relations
with Israel".
One can only imagine what would happen if Hamas decides to
strike back, expanding the battleground from Gaza to the
rest of the world. Would the EU express disapproval of
Hamas' use of fraudulent passport, but then refrain from
actually naming the group due to the fear, say, of
upsetting Muslim countries?
No. But when the victim is a Palestinian and the murderers
are Israelis - 27 of them so far - it is an entirely
different story, and an entirely different concept of
justice.
The writer (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an internationally
syndicated columnist and the editor of
PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is "My Father Was
a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story" (Pluto Press,
London).
International
Pakistan court
stalls on US terror suspects
Dawn Online, Sargodha
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan again failed Wednesday
to frame charges against five young Americans accused of
plotting attacks with Al-Qaeda-linked groups, lawyers
said.
The US citizens facing trial in the eastern city of
Sargodha were arrested in December 2009. Judge Anwar
Nazeer has rejected a plea by defence lawyers for them to
be released on bail because of lack of evidence.
The judge has adjourned the hearing until March 17, public
prosecutor, Naveed Akram Cheema said.
"Charges could not be framed against the accused today,
because some documents were needed which were not annexed
with the charge sheet filed by the police earlier," he
said.
The court at its previous hearing had delayed the
indictment to March 10.
"We requested the court that we want to attach these
documents and the court has fixed March 17 for the next
hearing," Cheema said.
The judge decided Wednesday to transfer the hearing from
an anti-terrorism court to Sargodha district jail for
security fears, lawyers told reporters.
The proceedings were held amid tight security and
reporters were not allowed inside the prison where the
accused have been languishing.
The men, aged between 18 and 25, face life imprisonment if
found guilty.
A Pakistani court has also barred their deportation to the
United States, where they all lived before travelling to
Pakistan last year.
The men have claimed to have been tortured in custody but
prison officials have denied the accusations.
A US diplomat visited the court before the trial began and
left before the hearing started, making no comment to
reporters.
Pakistani officials say the men planned to travel to
Afghanistan to fight with the Taliban against US troops.
They have denied links to Al-Qaeda and said they wanted to
go to Afghanistan for charity work.
Karzai arrives in Pakistan
for talks
AFP, Islamabad
Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Islamabad
Wednesday for talks with Pakistani leaders after his
government called for the extradition of a senior Taliban
commander captured in Pakistan.
Karzai will stay in Pakistan for two days. It is his first
visit to neighbouring Pakistan, which like Afghanistan is
battling Taliban militants, since his controversial
re-election in troubled polls last year.
On arrival in Islamabad, Karzai was received by Pakistani
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other senior
officials, Pakistani officials said.
President Asif Ali Zardari is to host a state banquet for
Karzai and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will hold
talks with him Thursday.
Kabul accuses Islamabad of not doing enough to eliminate
Taliban operatives based on Pakistani territory, from
where they have been waging an insurgency in Afghanistan
now in its ninth year.
Karzai has vowed to make efforts to hold a peace
conference to encourage Taliban and other insurgent
leaders to lay down their arms, but has pledged no
reconciliation with the militant network Al-Qaeda.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was to deliver a
speech in the United States on Wednesday pressing the
Afghan government to step up efforts for a political
solution with the Taliban to bring the conflict to an end.
Pakistan has said it could play a role in promoting
reconciliation in Afghanistan and has expressed
willingness to assist Afghan-led peace efforts.
Under US pressure, Pakistan has launched campaigns in its
tribal corridor on the Afghan border, where the core
Taliban leadership and Al-Qaeda-linked militants fled
after the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Pakistan has also confirmed the arrest of Mullah Adbul
Ghani Baradar, said by US officials to be second only to
Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.
The Afghan government has asked Pakistan to extradite
Baradar and more than 40 other people, including Taliban
militants, currently in Pakistani prisons.
Law bars Myanmar’s Aung San
Suu Kyi from elections
AP, Yangon, Myanmar
Myanmar's military rulers have barred pro-democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi from running in upcoming elections and
may force her own political party to expel her under a new
election law unveiled Wednesday.
The Political Parties Registration Law, published in
official newspapers, prohibits anyone convicted by a court
of law from joining a political party, making them
ineligible to become a candidate.
It also instructs parties to expel members who are "not in
conformity with the qualification to be members of a
party," a clause that could force Suu Kyi's expulsion.
Parties that don't register automatically cease to exist,
the law says.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has spent 14 of the
past 20 years in detention, was convicted last August of
violating the terms of her house arrest by briefly
sheltering an American who swam uninvited to her lakeside
residence. She was sentenced to a new term of house arrest
that is to end this November.
The sentence was seen as a way to keep Suu Kyi locked up
during the election campaign. Last month, the Supreme
Court dismissed her latest appeal for freedom.
The new election law was immediately criticized by Suu
Kyi's National League for Democracy party and by the
United States and Britain.
League Deputy Chairman Tin Oo called the law unfair,
politically motivated and designed to restrict activities
of the party, which has already been battered by arrests
and harassment.
"The fact that (party) registration will be allowed only
after expulsion of a convicted member is too much. This is
politically motivated" toward Suu Kyi, he told reporters.
India’s Congress faces
turmoil over women’s bill
Reuters, New Delhi
India's ruling Congress party officials met on Wednesday
to douse a political standoff over a contentious womens'
quota bill after two of its allies quit and left the
government less elbow room to pass economic legislation.
Already under fire over issues such as food inflation and
a proposed hike in fuel prices, India's coalition
government has been hit by turmoil trying to push through
legislation reserving a third of parliamentary seats for
women.
The bill angered two of Congress' partners-the regional
Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) -- which
withdrew support and on Wednesday began mobilizing support
for a possible parliamentary vote against the government.
Though the Congress-led coalition still has a majority,
the stand-off may prove a distraction for a government
trying to push through key economic legislation, including
the budget for 2010-2011.
"We are talking to everyone, everything is fine and we are
not worried," senior Congress leader Verappa Moily said.
The two parties supported the government from outside but
their support provided the Congress with the elbow room to
push through policy decisions in parliament to maintain
high growth.
"We do not have the numbers now, but we are in touch with
other political parties and if the situation changes we
may consider it," Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav told
Reuters when asked if his party was considering bringing a
"no-trust" vote against the government.
The women's quota bill was passed in an evening vote on
Tuesday after a raucous day in the upper house of
parliament, but it still needs the approval of the lower
house.
Critics say the legislation is being pushed through at the
expense of other disenfranchised minorities such as
Muslims, and will benefit women already in privileged
classes. The women's quota bill has also left a major
government ally disaffected.
Trinamool Congress party, one of the government's most
influential allies, abstained to protest at Congress'
handling of the bill and said it would do the same in the
lower house. But the party has not spoken of breaking away
from the coalition.
Putin eyes arms, nuclear
deals with old ally India
AFP, Moscow
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin heads to India
Thursday for a visit aimed at tightening the close arms
and energy partnerships that Moscow and New Delhi have
enjoyed since the Soviet era.
The highlight of the two-day visit is expected to be the
signing of several military agreements, including a deal
on a Soviet-era aircraft carrier whose troubled history
has raised fears over the future strength of relations.
"The signing of a number of concrete documents, including
in the military sphere, is expected," Putin's spokesman
Dmitry Peskov told AFP. He declined to provide further
details ahead of Friday's signing.
A spokesman for Russia's state arms exporter,
Rosoboronexport, Vyacheslav Davidenko, confirmed to AFP
that several arms deals were expected, including on the
Admiral Gorshkov, a Soviet-era aircraft carrier sold to
India and being refurbished by a Russian firm.
The sale has been marred by a series of price disputes and
delayed deliveries, compounding concerns in Moscow that
India could be tempted to end its dependence on Russian
military equipment.
Russia supplies 70 percent of India's military hardware
but New Delhi has in recent years also looked towards
other military suppliers including Israel and the United
States.
"Putin is keen that pending issues should be resolved," an
Indian government source told AFP.
Thai protesters say
security law won’t deter them
Reuters, Bangkok
Supporters of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra said
on Wednesday a special security law would not stop them
protesting peacefully at the weekend, as the government
warned of trouble, including bombings and arson.
The cabinet passed the Internal Security Act (ISA) on
Tuesday, giving the armed forces tighter controls at a
series of planned demonstrations demanding fresh
elections.
"We will rally as planned. If they block us, we will push
forward with our bare hands and feet," said Jatuporn
Prompan, one of the leaders of the group, better known as
the "red shirts".
Thaksin's supporters plan to stage protests throughout the
country on Friday before a mass protest in the capital on
Sunday.
The rallies follow last month's decision by the Supreme
Court to seize $1.4 billion of assets belonging to
Thaksin's family on the grounds the tycoon abused power to
enrich himself.
The protesters gathering in Bangkok on Sunday plan to stay
for at least a week in what has been dubbed "a million-man
march" and "an operation to halt Bangkok", although
analysts doubt the group can mobilise those numbers.
The special security law will be imposed from March 11 to
March 23 in Bangkok and surrounding areas.
The law allows the Internal Security Operations Command
headed by the prime minister to impose curfews, set up
checkpoints and restrict the movement of protesters if
rallies by the United Front for Democracy against
Dictatorship (UDD) turn violent.
Philippines’ Arroyo vows
smooth power transition
Reuters, Manila
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo vowed on
Wednesday to oversee a smooth transfer of power, allaying
fears soldiers may intervene in May elections after she
installed a loyal general as army chief.
Arroyo is not eligible for another term as president and
is expected to step down on June 30. More than 50 million
Filipinos will elect on May 10 the country's next leader
and nearly 18,000 other national and local officials. "We
remain deeply committed to a smooth transition to a new
government," Arroyo said at Manila's main army base after
the installation of Lieutenant-General Delfin Bangit as
chief of staff of the 120,000-member armed forces.
"Our accomplishments and progress today must be passed on
to new leaders to continue the forward march for progress.
We will be leaving the nation safer than we found it
because of the great performance of the armed forces of
the Philippines."
Arroyo's appointment of Bangit, educated at Australia's
defence and military institutions, drew criticism from
political opponents who fear the military might meddle in
the political process.
In a speech after he assumed leadership of the military
forces, Bangit sought to allay her critics' concerns. "I
will not allow anybody to use me for partisan politics,"
he said. "Only God can use me."
Arroyo, the second longest serving president in the
country's post-war history, is not retiring from politics
yet. She is running for a seat in the lower house of
Congress and hoping to become speaker of the House of
Representatives.
Gates
keeps up pressure on Iran with Gulf visit
AP, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates was keeping up the
pressure on Iran on Wed-nesday, consulting with the United
States' closest and most influential ally in the Persian
Gulf about how to respond to Iran's disputed nuclear
program.
U.S. officials said Gates would discuss shared concerns
over Iran's nuclear intentions and ballistic missile
program during meetings with Saudi King Abdullah and
senior leaders. Gates arrived in the Saudi capital after
three days in Afghanistan. He nearly crossed paths with
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was in Kabul on
Wednesday for meetings with many of the same leaders Gates
had just seen.
Gates accused Iran of "playing a double game" in
Afghanistan, and working to undermine the security U.S.
forces are trying to help build. Afghanistan is just one
of the places where the United States has a proxy fight
with Iran, and the confrontation appears to be getting
nastier. The Obama administration has all but written off
hopes for a diplomatic opening with Iran after three
decades of enmity. Last week, the top American commander
in the Middle East, Gen. David Petraeus, said Iran had
gone from being a "theocracy to a thugocracy" in its
crackdown on a reform movement following last year's
elections.
The predominantly Sunni Arab Middle East - and Gulf
nations in particular - have been wary of the growing
influence of Shiite Iran, and Saudi Arabia has long warned
of the potential for a nuclear arms race in the Gulf
region if Iran gained the bomb. Saudi Arabia and other
Sunni states see Iran's expanding missile capability as an
even more immediate threat. The U.S. military is trying to
reassure Gulf allies by buttressing its defense systems
with upgraded Patriot missiles on land and more U.S. Navy
ships capable of destroying missiles in flight.
Biden says Palestinians
deserve 'viable' state
AP, Ramallah, West Bank
Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday the Palestinians
deserve a "viable" independent state with contiguous
territory, seeking to reassure them of U.S. support after
Israel announced plans to expand a Jewish neighborhood in
disputed east Jerusalem.
The Israeli move has overshadowed Biden's visit, meant to
promote a new round of U.S.-led negotiations, and drawn
Palestinian accusations that Israel is not serious about
peace. Israel apologized for embarrassing Biden with the
timing of its announcement, but made clear it has no
intention of reversing its plan.
Capping a day of meetings with Palestinian leaders, Biden
told his hosts that the U.S. is committed to brokering a
final peace deal - something that has eluded U.S. leaders
for decades.
"The United States pledges to play an active as well as a
sustainable role in these talks," Biden said. He stressed
the Palestinians deserve an independent state that is
"viable and contiguous," meaning the territory should not
be broken up by Israeli settlement enclaves. It was a
clear message to Israel that the U.S. expects a broad
withdrawal from the West Bank as part of a deal.
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has given
only conditional support for Palestinian independence and
signaled that he wants to retain control of key parts of
the West Bank, including Jewish settlements. The U.S.,
along with the Palestinians, consider settlements built on
lands claimed by the Palestinians to be obstacles to
peace.
China unsure on warming
cause, to stick with CO2 cuts
Reuters, Beijing
China's top climate negotiator said on Wednesday that the
cause of global warming was still not clear but the
problems it was creating were so serious that the world
must anyway act to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Xie Zhenhua, vice-chairman of the powerful National
Development and Reform Commission, also warned the United
States it should not use domestic divisions over climate
change as an excuse to pass its responsibilities off onto
other countries. "There are still two different viewpoints
in the scientific field about the cause of warming," Xie
told a news conference on the sidelines of the annual
session of China's largely rubber-stamp parliament.
"At present, many people, or the most mainstream view, is
that the combustion of large amounts of fossil fuel over
the process of industrialisation caused an increase in
greenhouse gases, which caused climate warming."
"Another point of view holds that the main reason is
changes in sunspots, or natural changes in the
environment. There is an even more extreme point of view,
that human influence on changes in nature can only be
miniscule," he added.
Influences on changes in the Earth's climate includes
cycles in solar activity-traditionally measured by
sunspots-but that is far outweighed by recent increases in
greenhouse gas emissions, most scientists say.
Public conviction of global warming's risks may have been
undermined by damaging admissions from a U.N. climate
panel that it had published at least two errors and by the
disclosure of hacked emails revealing scientists sniping
at sceptics, who leaped on these as evidence of data
fixing.
Obama pushing on health
care end game
AP, Washington
President Barack Obama has chosen a suburban St. Louis
high school to make his closing argument for a health care
overhaul, pushing a new anti-fraud plan as he cranks up
the pressure on skittish Democratic lawmakers to act fast.
Obama is to speak Wednesday at St. Charles High School,
his second health care address in three days. His speech
comes as congressional Democrats stand on the brink of
delivering the president a dramatic success with passage
of his sweeping overhaul legislation - or a colossal
failure if they can't get it done. Business groups that
oppose the legislation are also stepping it up, with the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce announcing a coordinated campaign
to spend as much as $10 million on ads, starting
Wednesday, saying, "Stop this health care bill we can't
afford."
Leaders in the House and Senate are waiting for a final
cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office in the
next day or so that will allow them to start counting
votes - and twisting arms - in earnest. In the House, in
particular, getting the needed majority will be touch and
go.
The two-step approach now being pursued calls for the
House to approve a Senate-passed bill from last year,
despite House Democrats' opposition to several of its
provisions. Both chambers then would follow by approving a
companion measure to make changes in that first bill.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has said he
expects the House to act by March 18, the day Obama leaves
for an overseas trip. That timetable would be tough to
meet, and congressional leaders told White House Chief of
Staff Rahm Emanuel that they don't need deadlines handed
down from the White House, according to Rep. Henry Waxman,
D-Calif., who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mohammed cartoon published
again in Sweden
AFP, Stockholm
Leading Swedish newspapers on Wednesday published a
cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed with the body of a dog by
a caricaturist after he was targetted by an alleged
assassination plot.
Sweden's paper of reference Dagens Nyheter published the
controversial drawing, insisting artist Lars Vilks "is not
alone in this conflict" after seven Muslims were arrested
in Ireland for allegedly plotting his murder.
"A threat against him is, in the end, a threat against all
Swedish people," the paper said in an editorial. Irish
police on Tuesday arrested the seven-four men and three
women-suspected of conspiracy to murder Vilks because of
his cartoon, in an operation coordinated with US and
European security agencies.
Police said there was a plot to assassinate Vilks, who has
a 100,000-dollar (74,000-euro) bounty on his head from an
Al-Qaeda-linked group.
US prosecutors also said a Pennsylvania resident Coll-een
LaRose, who was arrested in October 2009 operating under
the online name "JihadJane", had agreed to carry out the
murder of a Swedish resident, pledging "only death will
stop me." The Justice Department declined to comment on
whether LaRose was connected to the alleged plot to kill
Vilks.
Dagens Nyheter called on the Swedish state to give Vilks
"all the protection he needs."
It said authorities must take action "against an attack
aiming at one of our most fundamental rights, freedom of
expression."
The Expressen tabloid also published the cartoon,
insisting it was important "to defend freedom of
expression which is more and more threatened."
US kept Britain in dark
over torture-ex spy chief
Reuters, London
The United States deliberately kept Britain in the dark
about the harsh methods it used when interrogating
suspected terrorists, the former head of Britain's
domestic spy agency said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a meeting in the House of Lords Eliza
Manningham-Buller, head of MI5 between 2002 and 2007, said
she had been unaware that the United States was using
inhumane treatment during the questioning of detainees.
"The Americans were very keen that people like us did not
discover what they were doing," Manningham-Buller was
quoted as saying on the website of London's Evening
Standard paper.
The government lost a legal battle last month to prevent
the disclosure of U.S. intelligence material relating to
allegations of "cruel and inhuman" treatment of suspects
by the CIA, leading to accusations that MI5 knew about the
use of such treatment.
Judges disclosed information given to MI5 by the CIA that
Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian citizen and British resident
who has been fighting to prove that he was tortured and
that British authorities knew about it, had been shackled,
threatened and deprived of sleep in U.S. custody.
Manningham-Buller said she had asked how the United States
was able to supply Britain with information gleaned from
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of masterminding the Sept.
11, 2001 attacks on U.S. targets.
"I said to my staff, 'Why is he talking?' because our
experience of Irish prisoners, Irish terrorists, was that
they never said anything," she said. "They said, well, the
Americans say he is very proud of his achievements when
questioned about it. It wasn't actually until after I
retired that I read that, in fact, he had been
waterboarded (subjected to simulated drow-ning) 160
times."
Dalai Lama risks Chinese
ire to back Uighurs
Reuters, Dharamsala, India
Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama voiced his
support on Wednesday for an ethnic minority in China's
troubled Xinjiang province, risking worsening further his
fraught relations with Beijing.
In an address marking 51 years since he fled Tibet after a
failed uprising against Chinese rule, the Dalai Lama
referred to Xinjiang as "East Turkestan," the name given
to it by pro-independence exiles. The region is populated
by an ethnic minority Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking largely
Muslim people.
"Let us also remember the people of East Turkestan who
have experienced great difficulties and increased
oppression," he told about 3,000 Tibetans in Dharamsala,
the northern Indian hill town where he has lived for five
decades. "I would like to express my solidarity and stand
firmly with them." Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have
waged a heavy-handed campaign against what China calls
violent separatist activity by Uighurs. Ethnic violence
there last year between Uighurs and majority Han Chinese
led to at least 200 deaths.
The Dalai Lama's comments will almost certainly rile
Beijing, which reviles the Nobel Peace Prize winner as a
separatist and says he foments violence. The Dalai Lama
denies both charges, saying he merely seeks genuine
autonomy for the remote region. In Dharamsala, thousands
of exiled Tibetans, including maroon-robed monks, nuns and
many Westerners, marked the day with a march carrying
blue-yellow-red Tibetan flags and banners with anti-China
messages. In neighboring Nepal, police detained about a
dozen Tibetan protestors when they tried to storm a
Chinese consulate office in the capital Kathmandu. The
protestors, who shouted "Free Tibet," were dragged away by
riot police to waiting vans.
Business/Economy
Positive
progress witnessed now in economy: PM
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday categorically
said that the country achieved positive progress in many
areas of the national economy after the present government
came to power.
"When the economy of developed countries experienced
negative trend due to global recession, we scored success
in our growth level through our own efforts," she said
while replying to a question from treasury bench lawmaker
AKM Rahmatullah (Dhaka 10) during her weekly
question-answer session in the House.
The overall global economic growth in 2009 was minus 1.3
percent while that in the developed countries was minus
3.8 percent, she said adding that the countries with high
economic growth rate achieved only 1.6 percent growth. The
forecast of progress in the Asian developing countries was
4.8 percent, she also said.
But, Sheikh Hasina said, Bangladesh has achieved 5.9
percent economic growth in 2008-2009, proving untrue the
international estimation of achieving 4.8 to 5.5 percent
growth in the country. Listing the government steps taken
for invigorating the country's economy side by side with
providing subsidy in agriculture, agriculture loans for
farmers and policy reformation, the Prime Minister said
the steps would help achieving 6 percent growth rate in
2009-2010.
"Bangladesh's inherent power and government's quick
decision enabled the country to face the adverse impact of
global recession", she said adding that the country's
inflation rate fell to 5.9 percent in July-December, 2009
from 8.4 percent during the same period of the previous
year. Disbursement of the agriculture loan during the
first six months of the current fiscal year increased by
32.4 percent while industrial loan enhanced by 41.1
percent during the same period, the Prime Minister said.
She said import of capital machinery and raw materials has
been increased by 38.58 percent and 5.5 percent
respectively while at individual level credit flow has
been enhanced by 19.2 percent, which reflects expansion of
investment at private level.
Referring to the government's incentive packages for the
export sector, the Prime Minister said export growth,
despite minus 6.2 percent negative growth in the export
sector till December lat year, would improve in the coming
months and reach the two digit level at the end of the
current fiscal year. The Prime Minister said the revenue
income till January this year was expanded by 16 percent
and implementation rate of Annual Development Programme
(ADP) till January was 35 percent, which was 31 percent
last year.
She said due to proper management of external resources,
country's foreign reserve for the first time surpassed the
US$ 10 billion mark and as on February 23, 2010, the
reserve was US$ 10.5 billion.
Businesses
suggested to restore image
BSS, Dhaka
Commerce Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan on Wednesday
held some traders responsible for "tarnishing the image"
of entire business community and said they would have to
restore their image on their own.
"Your (businessmen) bright face sometime looks 'dark' as
few of you misuse opportunity by hoarding of daily
essential goods and that is a bar to build up your image,"
said the minister while handing over employment materials
among poor in the city.
Employment Generation, a venture of President of
Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI),
the country's apex trade body, distributed employment
materials including swing machines and irrigation pumps.
President of FBCCI Annisul Huq presided over the function
while Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam spoke as
special guest. FBCCI leaders, among others, were also
present.
Faruk Khan described the businessmen as most powerful
intelligent and said it is unfortunate that when some of
them make exorbitant profit, sending a note of woe to
commoners.
Such unhealthy practice unequivocally leads businessmen to
tarnish their hard-earn image in the country, said
commerce minister.
On Wednesday's initiative taken by the businessmen is a
testimony that they also stand by the poor people, said
the commerce minister.
"Country's people do not want to see ugly faces of
businessmen who used to hoard everyday essentials
including rice, oil, and pulses," he said and hoped that
other businessmen would follow the step.
HT Imam cautioned the business people about making hefty
profit without considering the suffering of consumers.
"Days would come when you should be accountable to the
people for making abnormal profit and then the government
would not help you to face the situation," said HT Imam.
He sought the businessmen's support to cooperate with the
government to keep the prices of essentials within the
reach of the common people.
A total of 487 poor people were given the employment
materials.
US, Europe eye free-trade pacts
with rising Asia
AFP, Singapore
The United States, fearful of being sidelined as China and
other fast-growing Asian economies speed up their
integration, is banking on a new trade pact to shore up
its Pacific influence.
Talks opening Monday in Melbourne will focus on a proposed
Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement linking the US market
with Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru,
Singapore and Vietnam.
Officials hope the TPP will form the nucleus of a wider
Asia-Pacific trade zone that would eventually rope in
China, Japan and South Korea as well as key Southeast
Asian nations.
The talks will follow the launch of negotiations on a
free-trade agreement between Singapore and the European
Union, which is also keen on expanding trade ties with
Southeast Asia. The United States and Europe have been
shut out of a growing web of Asia-centric trade pacts
spurred by the region's 1997 financial crisis and by a
lack of progress in the Doha round of global trade talks,
analysts said.
While the United States is "unquestionably" a Pacific
power, it "lacks a comprehensive Asia strategy", said
Ernest Bower, a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.
"The lack of consistent US focus in the region has enabled
the ascendance of Chinese power," Bower said, adding that
it could slowly undermine US business interests and
eventually degrade US security capabilities.
The new trade attention from the West comes as Asian
countries lead the rest of the world in recovering from
the global economic downturn. "That the US and the EU are
knocking on Asia's doors is a recognition that the centre
of economic power is shifting, or has shifted, to our
region," an Asian diplomat closely involved in trade
issues told AFP.
"They know very well that ignoring Asia will be at their
own peril. China is already a major trade partner for many
Asian countries and is leading efforts toward regional
economic integration," he said on condition of anonymity.
Deputy US Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis warned
that Washington "faces the daunting prospect of getting
locked out" by Asia-specific trade pacts.
A study by the US-based Peterson Institute for
International Economics showed that discriminatory
policies under an East Asia free trade zone could cost the
US economy at least 25 billion dollars of annual exports
and lead to the loss of "about 200,000 high-paying jobs".
Proposed ‘IMF’ for Europe a
distracting sideshow
AFP, Frankfurt
Talk of a European version of the International Monetary
Fund to rescue errant EU states is little more than a
distracting sideshow, analysts and a key central banker
say. Rather than creating new institutions, the European
Union (EU) should make the present framework of its
currency union more credible, German central bank chief
Axel Weber said Tuesday.
"Any other discussion is a sideshow which will distract
from the necessary [fiscal] consolidation," Weber told the
central bank's annual press conference. UniCredit chief
economist Marco Annunziata was equally skeptical about the
idea of a European Monetary Fund (EMF). "An EMF would be
nothing else than an admission of failure, an explicit
recognition that not only the SGP (EU Stability and Growth
Pact) cannot enforce fiscal discipline but also that the
eurozone would be unable to design any new mechanism able
to enforce fiscal discipline," he told AFP. As the global
economic slump deepened in 2008, Brussels temporarily
eased fiscal rules to allow governments to spend more on
support for their struggling economies.
The result was swollen public deficits, increased debt and
countries including Greece in such dire straits that
financial markets turned on them. That in turn threatened
the cohesion and credibility of the entire eurozone.
IMF boss praises S Africa’s
economic policies
AFP, Johannesburg
The IMF chief on Wednesday praised South Africa's economic
policies for shielding the nation from the worst of the
global recession but said reforms were still needed to
create jobs.
"The South African economy has weathered the immediate
effects of the global crisis, mainly due to sound
macro-economic policies, its flexible monetary and
exchange rate regime and a well-supervised financial
system," Dominique Strauss-Kahn told reporters at the end
of a two-day visit.
"Economic activity has also rebounded and we expect growth
of around 2.5 percent in 2010," he said, a forecast
slightly higher than the government's prediction of 2.3
percent.
"However, South Africa continues to face challenges in
facing high levels of unemployment and income inequality,"
he said.
"Higher spending and public investment should also boost
growth over the medium term but additional reforms are
also needed to accelerate growth and job creation and
reduce inequality." Strauss-Kahn also urged South Africa
to promote competition in areas like banking and the food
industry, where a handful of companies dominate.
China lends Sri Lanka cash for
new airport, railways
AFP, Colombo
China has loaned 290 million dollars to the Sri Lankan
government to build an airport and expand the island's
railway network, the foreign ministry in Colombo said on
Wednesday.
The Export-Import Bank of China loaned 190 million dollars
to construct a second international airport in Sri Lanka's
south and 100 million dollars to develop the island's
railways. China, which is a key military and political
ally of Sri Lanka, loaned the island 1.2 billion dollars
in 2009 to build roads and a coal-fired power station.
Number of US millionaires up 16pc
in 2009
AFP, Washington
The number of millionaires in the United States jumped by
16 percent last year after slumping by 27 percent in 2008,
a report released Tuesday shows.
Last year, some 7.8 million US households had a million
dollars or more in investable assets-not counting capital
invested in their primary residence, the report by the
Spectrem Group shows.
That was up by 1.1 million from the year before, when the
number of US millionaires fell to its lowest point since
2003, hitting 6.7 million as the US economy stumbled.
"While still well short of its all-time high of 9.2
million in 2007, this year's growth in the millionaire
population is nevertheless welcome news for an economy
still working to recover," said George Walper, president
of Spectrem Group.
The number of quintuple-millionaire households-with assets
worth more that five million dollars-was also up last
year, climbing by 17 percent to 980,000 from 840,000 in
2008.
And what the report calls "the broader affluent
population," made up of households with a net worth of
half a million dollars or more, grew by 12 percent last
year to 12.7 million.
Cathay Pacific returns to
profit in 2009
AFP, Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific said Wednesday it returned to profit in
2009 even as the Hong Kong-based carrier's sales dropped
amid turbulence in the global economy. The airline said
the bulk of its 4.7 billion Hong Kong dollar (606 million
US dollar) profit came from cost cutting and gains on fuel
hedging bets, which had sparked Cathay's massive 8.7
billion Hong Kong dollar loss in 2008.
Cathay said it posted a modest 285 million Hong Kong
dollar operating profit last year as it wrestled with weak
demand. Revenues in 2009 were down 23 percent year-on-year
to 67 billion Hong Kong dollars, it said.
"The global economic slump last year resulted in extremely
challenging business conditions for the Cathay Pacific
Group and commercial aviation in general," it said in a
statement.
National
Angorpota-Dahagram enclaves
Govt to take step to ensure round the clock movement of
inhabitants: PM
BSS, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said her
government will bring Dahagram- Angarpota enclaves under
electricity connection while steps would be taken to
ensure round the clock movement of inhabitants living
there to the mainland.
"As an elected government, it is our responsibility to
ensure smooth movement of people living in the enclaves as
this piece of land is isolated from the mainland," she
said.
The Prime Minister was inaugurating free healthcare
service of the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust at
Dahagram-Angorpota through video conferencing from her
official residence Ganobhaban here. Referring to her
government's step to take health care services to the
doorsteps of people, she said her present government is
pledged bound to provide better healthcare services across
the country, including Dahagram- Angorpota.
In this connection, she told the people of
Dahagram-Angorpota that her government has already taken
steps to revive 18,000 community clinics across the
country to this end.
The Prime Minister said that stern action would be taken
against the doctors who will not stay in their work
stations, especially in the rural areas. On the other
hand, we will provide lucrative facilities to the doctors
who will perform their duties sincerely at the places like
Dahagram-Angorpota, she added.
Replying to a local demand, Sheikh Hasina said that
Dahagram High School would be nationalized as part of the
government's programme for expansion of education.
About the newly inaugurated National Service Programme,
she said that after completion of the pilot project, her
government would gradually include all areas of the
country under the programme.
Besides, she said her government has taken various
measurers to improve road communications across the
country to facilitate transport system. Under this
programme, construction of the Teesta Bridge is going on
and the rail lines of Lalmonirhat will be revived, she
said.
Mentioning this area was "Free Zone" (Muktanchal) and
headquarters of Sector-6 during the country's War of
Liberation in 1971, she said her government will construct
a monument there to keep the history of the great War of
Liberation alive to the people in the area.
Sheikh Hasina who is also the President of Bangabndhu
Memorial Trust thanked the doctors, who went there from
Dhaka and Rangpur, to provide free healthcare services to
the people in the area under the trust.
US to assist BD
in bringing automation in judiciary
UNB, Dhaka
The United States will assist Bangladesh in bringing
automation in the Judiciary to help people get their
rightful justice within the shortest possible time.
The assurance came from the US Department of Justice when
a high level Bangladesh delegation led by Law Minister
Barrister Shafique Ahmed visited US District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia and the US Attorneys Office
for the Eastern District of Virginia on Tuesday.
Other members of the delegation are Attorney General
Mahbubey Alam and Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur
Rahman, a release of the Bangladesh Mission in Washington
said.
During the visit, the delegation members also witnessed
court proceedings and working of US Courts. The delegation
also observed sentencing as well as held post-sentencing
conference with Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, Chief US Federal
District Court Judge.
The Bangladesh delegation also engaged in an interactive
discussion on different aspects of automation in the
judiciary and sought US assistance for sharing their
experience to help bringing automation in Bangladesh's
judiciary.
On March 8, the Bangladesh delegation had meetings with
the US Department of Justice and the US Department of
Treasury discussing aspects of US-Bangladesh mutual legal
assistance and strengthening of Bangladesh financial
systems by promoting transparency and accountability.
The US officials highly appreciated the role of financial
intelligence unit in the Bangladesh Bank and observed that
its decision to seek membership to Egmont is a sign of
international approval and Bangladesh's determination to
bring greater transparency in the financial system.
Barrister Shafique shared with the US Officials the
workings and strategic vision of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina's government to rid the excesses, inertia and
accumulated irregularities in the Judiciary and bringing
an end to the culture of impunity in Bangladesh.
The Law Minister elaborated on the Awami League's election
manifesto and expressed their resolve to bring war
criminals and absconding self- confessed killers of the
Father of the Nation to justice as per people's mandate
and expectation.
Barrister Shfique sought US assistance in helping them to
deliver what the people of Bangladesh expect from the
incumbent democratic government.
Dr. Atiur Rahman had meetings with the World Bank high
officials on Tuesday and reviewed the progress of central
bank 'Strengthening Project'. The World Bank appreciated
the pace in which this project is now being implemented
and promised to relocate the unspent money into new areas
of project implementation. The governor assured the World
Bank of timely implementation of the project.
Ansar-VDP
should be more effective towards people’s welfare: DG
BSS, Rajshahi
Director General of Ansar-VDP Major General Rafiqul Islam
here Tuesday called for making the Ansar- VDP's
organizational activities more oriented towards the
people's welfare to uphold its previous fame and dignity.
To this end, he asked all the members to discharge their
duties with utmost sincerity and honesty to carryout the
government instructions along with implementing the uplift
programs undertaken by the government successfully.
He made this call while addressing a meeting with the
range and district level officials of the force at its
office marking his officials visit to the office.
Range Director Nur Nabi Chowdhury and District Commandant
Shah Alam apprised the director general of the range and
district activities on the occasion.
On his arrival at the range office, an all-round team of
Ansar-VDP gave him a guard of honor.
General Rafiqul Islam said the members of Ansar and VDP
have been playing vital roles in rooting out terrorism and
social crimes to ensure a peaceful and developed society
in the country.
Members of the well-organized organization could
contribute the maximum in building a healthy and better
society through creating social awareness and eliminating
social discriminations and superstitions by disseminating
right knowledge, he added.
In this context, he also called for expediting the social
campaign against child marriage, dowry, polygamy, human
trafficking, repression on women and children, drug
trafficking and addictions, corruption and gender
discriminations for building a crime-free society.
Earlier, he visited the district offices of Sirajganj and
Natore on his way to Rajshahi. He was scheduled to visit
the offices of Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Joypurhat and
Bogra Wednesday.
Disaster Risk
Reduction Project continues in Gaibandha
BSS, Gaibandha
Disaster Risk Reduction Project has been continuing at
Kamarjani Union under Sadar upazila in the district since
2006.
The aim of the project is to assist the vulnerable
communities in different ways so that they can be involved
in various income generating activities after imparting
them need base training's on concerned issues, office
sources said.
Besides, to create awareness among the people of the
affected communities about disaster and its facing with
minimum losses at the time of natural calamities is one of
the objectives of the project, sources said.
Practical Action Bangladesh in partnership with SKS
Foundation is implementing the project with the financial
support of DFID, UK.
A total of 2000 vulnerable people of the union have been
brought under this project as beneficiaries and they have
been given various assistance from the project during the
time.
Many welfare activities have been done for the
beneficiaries. The welfare activities included the
establishment of two cluster villages for 45 landless,
homeless and the ultra poor of the area, building of 20
houses, installation of 45 tube wells and 120 sanitary
latrines, handing over 20 cows and 140 goats to them, said
Nasir Uddin Ahmed, an official of the project.
Apart from this, the beneficiaries particularly the widows
and the abandoned women have been imparted training on
alternative income generating activities like tailoring,
sewing, handicraft, rickshaw-van repairing, packaging,
poultry farming, cow and goat rearing, homestead
gardening, nursery establishments, seed preservation and
other trades so that they can continue their livelihoods
without economical troubles all the year round even at the
time of natural calamities including floods and drought,
he also said.
In addition, the people of the vulnerable areas are also
making aware of disaster preparedness. On Monday night, a
documentary film depicting how to reduce the risk of
disaster was also screened on the premises of Kamarjani
Merchants' High School of the upazila in cooperation with
District Information Office.
A large number of beneficiaries including local elite,
public representatives, political leaders and journalists
enjoyed the film with much enthusiasm. Talking to the BSS
correspondent, senior project officer Zainul Abedin said
similar activities under the project are also going on at
Sariakandi upazila under Bogra district and Kazipur
Upazila under Sirajganj district from 2006.
1556 TR projects being implemented in Rangpur
BSS, Rangpur
The development works under the ongoing Test Relief (TR)
Programme of the government has been progressing
successfully in all eight upazilas in the district,
official sources said.
A total of 2,180 tonnes rice has been allocated by the
Food and Disaster Management Ministry for conducting total
of 1556 projects including development of the educational,
socio-cultural and religious institutions throughout the
district.
Under the programme, 350 tonnes rice has been allocated in
favour of each of the six Members of the Parliament (MP)
for each of the six constituencies and 80 tonnes rice has
been allocated in favour of the female MP for Taraganj and
Badarganj upazilas.
The works have been continuing for a total of 1,499
projects taken by the six MPs in six parliamentary
constituencies and more 57 development projects are in
progress in the reserved portion of Taraganj and Badarganj
upazilas of the female MP, officials said.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Rangpur
Wednesday told BSS that the ongoing development works
under the TR programmes are progressing fast under
necessary supervisions and expected to be complete by
March 31 next.
LGED implements Tk 95.48 cr dev project
BSS, Magura
Development project involving Taka 95.48 crore has been
implemented by the LGED in the district during the 2009-10
fiscal year.
The project including construction of bridge, repairing
rural roads, culverts, hat-bazar has been implemented to
development for changing socio-economic condition of the
dwellers in four upazilas.
LGED sources said, under the development project Taka
41.81 crore was sanctioned in Sadar upazila, 22.97 crore
was sanctioned in Sreepur upazila, 13.46 crore was
sanctioned in Shalika upazila, 17.24 crore was sanctioned
in Mohammadpur upazila in the district.
About 75 percent works of the project on average have
already implemented and the rest of works will be
completed soon, the sources added.
Sports
Rajshahi Div retain national cricket
league title
UNB, Dhaka
Rajshahi Division retained the national cricket league title
after making a draw with Chittagong Division in a five-day
final that concluded Wednesday at the Sher-e-Bangla National
Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
This was the second consecutive and the third national crown
for Rajshahi in the longer version cricket, the lone first
class cricket of the country after 2005-06 and 2008-09
seasons.
Despite a draw in the title-deciding match, Khaled Mashud
Pilot-led Rajshahi Division clinched the EBL 11th National
Cricket League crown by virtue of first innings lead (71 runs)
in the final frustrating Chitta-gong Division, the champions
of the inaugural meet in 1999-2000.
Rajshahi Division resu-med the 2nd innings on the 5th day on
Wednesday with overnight 177 for 2, taking an overall 248 runs
overall lead against Chittagong, and finally declared the
innings in the afternoon at 413 runs for 5 in 136.2 overs. Two
night-watch batsmen-one down Jahurul Islam and number four
Farhad Hossain-contributed 101 runs in the 3rd wicket stand
for Rajshahi, which were 229/2 at lunch and 325/5 at tea.
Jahurul Islam, who resumed batting with 67 runs, hammered a
century making 117 runs off 306 balls with 17 boundaries while
Farhad Hossain (13) scored a half century making 55 runs off
148 balls with five boundaries. Number five batsman Nasir
Hossain contributed not out 78 runs off 96 balls with 12 fours
and a six while number seven bat wicket keeper Dhiman Ghosh
made not out 54 off 73 balls with seven fours and a six.
Faisal Hossain grabbed three wickets for 140 runs while Kazi
Kamrul and Elias Sunny took one wicket apiece.
Brief score
Rajshahi Division - 1st innings - 372 all out in 169 overs
(overnight
208 for 5 in 90 overs); Dhiman Ghosh not out 66, Jahurul Islam
59,
Khaled Mashud 55, Anisur Rahman 52, Sabbir Rahman 41,
Sohrawardy
Shuvo 32, Nasir Hossain 28, Farhad Hossain 11, extras 19,
Abdullah Al
Mamun 3/44, Elias Sunny 2/73, Kazi Kamrul 2/84, faisal Hossain
1/17,
Mahmudul Hasan 1/47 and Alauddin Babu 1/71
Rajshahi Division - 2nd innings - 413 for 5 (Declared) in
136.2 overs(overnight 177 for 2 in 64 overs), Shuvo 68, Sabbir
20, Jahurul 117, Farhad batting 55, Nasir Hossain not out 78,
Dhimon Ghosh not out 54, extras 13, Faisal 3/140 and Kamrul
1/48 and Elias Sunny 1/129.
Chittagong Division - 1st innings -- 301 for 10 in 123.3 overs,
Gazi 19, Karim 25, Mamun 0, Nazim 80, Faisal 28, Hasan 0,
Mominul 82 Elias batting 46, Irfan 0, Alauddin 1, Kamrul 3,
extras 17, Shuvo 4/73, Saklain 3/62, Farhad
1/23, Shahajada 1/48, Shubashish 1/52.
 Pakistan
bans ex-captains for bad performance
AFP, Islamabad
Former Pakistan captains Younus Khan and Moha-mmad Yousuf have
been banned from the national cricket team after the recent
catastrophic tour of Australia, the cricket board said
Wednesday.
Two other players Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik were
banned for a year by the six-man committee set up by the
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to investigate the
December-February tour, in which Pakistan lost the Test series
3-0, the one-day matches 5-0 and the only Twenty20 match.
The committee blamed infighting between Yousuf and Khan for
the disastrous results, and recommended they "should not be
part of the national team in any format". "Their attitude has
a trickledown effect, which is a bad influence for the whole
team," said a statement from the PCB, after its committee held
intensive and lengthy hearings with several of those involved
in the tour. The PCB said in a statement that the
"recommendations of the inquiry committee have been accepted
by PCB in totality".
Other recommendations included a three-million-rupee
(35,500-US-dollar) fine and six months' probation for Shahid
Afridi, who was caught by TV cameras biting the ball during
the Australian tour's final one-day match in Perth.
The International Cricket Council match referee handed Afridi
a ban of two Twenty20 matches for ball tampering and the
allrounder later apologised.
Afridi had committed a "shameful act... which has brought the
game and country into disrepute" and his conduct will be
monitored, the PCB said. Two other players-Kamran Ak-mal and
Umar Akmal-were also fined and put on similar probation.
The PCB said in conclusion that the radical disciplinary
action would go down as a historic day for the sport in
Pakistan. Speaking to the Cricinfo website, the PCB's legal
advisor Taffazul Rizvi explained the ramifications for Khan
and Yousuf.
"They will not be part of any Pakistan team in any format from
here on," he said, adding that the PCB had stopped short of
imposing a so-called life ban.
Khan, 32, abandoned the captaincy after losing a one-day
series to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last year. Yousuf replaced
Khan as captain for the tour of Australia, but has faced harsh
criticism for failing to keep the team in check.
Former cricket greats were divided over the decision, with
some saying it further tarnished Pakistan's global reputation
at a time when many teams are staying away from the nation
because of attacks by Islamist militants.
Former captain and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif also told the
website he thought the players had been treated unfairly.
Pohang win but Gamba struggle
AFP, Singapore
Defending champions Pohang Steelers put their AFC
Champions League challenge back on track Wednesday with a
narrow 2-1 victory, but Japanese powerhouse Gamba Osaka
were held 1-1 at home.
South Korea's Pohang regained their winning touch after a
surprise loss to Adelaide United last week, with a
dramatic last few minutes against Japan's Sanfrecce
Hiroshima at the Steelyard.
Pohang looked comfortable after skipper Hwang Jae-Won put
them in front with a powerful header on 54 minutes but
Sanfrecce defender Tomoaki Makino was brought down in the
box with just one minute left.
Bulgarian defender Ilian Stoyanov stepped up to convert
the penalty but Sanfrecce lost concentration and Pohang
struck back in injury time when Brazilian forward Almir
prodded home a rebound from a Kim Jae-Sung free kick. In
Osaka, 2008 champions Gamba were held by China's Henan
Jianye, leaving them with just two points from two games
after losing last week to Suwon Bluewings.
Rivals on edge for World Cup Hockey semi-finals
AFP, New Delhi
Injury-stricken England hope to build on their amazing
resurgence in field hockey when they take on defending
champions Germany in the World Cup semi-final today
(Thursday).
Hot favorites Australia take on a shaky Netherlands in the
other semi-final the same night, looking to reach their
third successive Cup final after a power-packed display in
preliminary matches.
England proved their spectacular European Cup win last
year ahead of the sport's powerhouses Germany, the
Netherlands and Spain was not a flash in the pan as they
finished second in group B behind Australia.
Jason Lee's men won four of their five matches, including
a stunning 3-2 win over Australia, despite losing striker
Matt Daly before the tournament and penalty corner
specialist Richard Mantell later due to injuries.
"It's a revival we have worked hard for," said Lee as
England prepared for their first World Cup semi-final
since 1986. "But this is the real thing and we can't
afford to slip-up."
Their rivals Germany, seeking an unprecedented hat-trick
of titles to add to the Beijing Olympic gold medal, will
hope to avenge the 5-3 defeat at England's hands in the
European final.
The Germans, with just three players who helped win the
last World Cup at home in Monchengladbach, are the only
unbeaten team in the current tournament with three wins
and two draws.
Australia, coached by the legendary Ric Charles-worth,
overcame the shock defeat to England in their first match
to win their next four, including a World Cup record score
of 12-0 against South Africa.
The Kookaburras charge has been led by penalty corner ace
Luke Doerner, whose six goals so far puts him on top of
the leading scorers' list alongside Dutchman Taeke Taekema.
Jamie Dwyer, the International Hockey Federation's player
of the year for 2009, and fellow-striker Glenn Turner have
shown their mettle up front with five goals apiece.
Australia came into the tournament by winning the elite
six-nation Champions Trophy at home in Melbourne in
December by beating Germany in the final 5-3 after
trailing 1-3 at half-time.
"I am not looking too far ahead," said Charlesworth, who
played in Australia's only World Cup winning squad in
1986. "The Dutch are never easy to beat, but I am glad the
boys are shaping up well."
Australia, who have scored more goals - 23 - in the league
than any other team, defeated the Dutch 4-1 the last time
the two sides met in a World Cup semi-final in Malaysia in
2002.
The Netherlands, who won the last of their three World Cup
titles in 1998, almost missed the semi-finals after losing
their last league match to South Korea 2-1 on Tuesday.
If the Asian champions had netted one more goal, they
would have levelled the Dutch on goal difference and
advanced to the knock-out rounds by virtue of winning
their league encounter.
Abahani beats Farashgaj 1-0 to
finish top in 1st round
UNB, Dhaka
Holders Abahani Limited finished top in the 1st round of
the Citycell Bangladesh League with a 1-0 win over
Farasahganj SC in their last 1st round match at the
Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) here on Wednesday.
With this successive win, the two times B. league
champions Abahani Limited secured 33 points while
Farashganj SC finished in 6th position with 10 points form
10 matches.
In the day's match, the all-important goal came in the
45th minute as the ball entered the net after hitting the
body of Abahani forward Shahedul off a faulty clearance by
Farashganj defender Rezaul Karim. Apart from the day's
loan goal, the two teams failed to play positive football
and the ball mostly remained in the midfield.
Teams: Abahani Limited-Biplob, Sujan, Rajani, Meshu,
Siraji, Zahed, Shahedul (Shohag), Enamul, Samad, Ibrahim
and Sheriff.
Farashganj SC - Sujan, Emeka, Dhiman, Ronny, Manik (Rahman),
Ismail, Hirok, (Liton), Imrose (roshanto), Sabuj, Zahir
and Reza.
Henin, Clijsters look to shake things up at
Indian Wells
AFP, California
Former world number ones Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters
of Belgium will provide some early headaches for top seeds
at the WTA Indian Wells tournament which begins Wednesday.
The 4.5 million-dollar event, played in conjunction with
an ATP event that starts Thursday, also could see a
potential third-round rematch of last year's final between
defending champion Vera Zvonareva and 24th seed Ana
Ivanovic.
With 32 seeds receiving first-round byes, the early star
of the show figures to be Henin, the 27-year-old who lost
to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final and US
Open champion Clijsters at the Brisbane final.
Henin, who won at Indian Wells in 2004, opens against
Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova and if she advances will
face 31st-seeded Gisela Dulko of Argentina for a possible
third-round encounter with fifth seed Agneiszka Radwanska
of Poland. Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva is also in
Henin's quarter of the draw.
Clijsters, a 14th-seeded two-time Indian Wells champion,
opens with a second-round tie against Germany's Andrea
Petkovic or Czech Barbora Strycova Zahlavova. She could
face top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round.
Russian star Kuznetsova's path to a third career Indian
Wells final could also see her face Serbian sixth seed
Jelena Jankovic or Italy's ninth-seeded Flavia Pennetta in
the quarter-finals. Kuznetsova opens in the second round
against either Alize Cornet of France or Carla Suarez
Navarro of Spain. Last year, Kuznetsova suffered her
earliest loss at Indian Wells when she fell to Poland's
Urszula Radwanska in her opener.
Tiger working with swing coach
AFP, Orlando
Tiger Woods is working on his golf game with coach Hank
Haney this week, according to Golf Digest and the Golf
Channel, but only time will tell if the work means a
comeback is soon.
The world number one took an indefinite hiatus from
competitive golf in the wake of a sex scandal that has
engulfed him since late November, but the work could
indicate he is preparing his game to compete at next
month's Masters.
Website reports for the television network and magazine,
each citing unnamed sources, say Woods is working as hard
as he has at any time since news of his infidelity became
public.
Woods, 34, has won 14 major titles, four shy of the
all-time record set by Jack Nicklaus, and this year's
first three majors will be played on courses where Woods
has taken record-setting triumphs.
Woods could play at Augusta National, where he has won the
Masters four times, and then have a US Open at Pebble
Beach, where he captured the 2000 US Open by 15 strokes,
followed by a British Open at St. Andrews, where he won
the event in 2000 and 2005.
US PGA players Charles Howell and J.B. Holmes told the
Golf Channel they have seen Woods practicing his swing at
Isleworth and it looked good.
Juve, Liverpool seek Europa
League salvation
AFP, Paris
European heavyweights Juventus and Liverpool will both
seek to rescue disappointing seasons when the first legs
of their respective Europa League last-16 ties kick off
today (Thursday).
Both clubs have fallen well off the pace in their domestic
championships and face a battle to qualify for next
season's Champions League. Juve have begun to move in the
right direction under new coach Alberto Zaccheroni,
however, and are now just two points outside the Serie A
top four after a 2-1 victory at Fiorentina on Saturday.
Their Europa League opponents are Premier League club
Fulham, who produced one of the upsets of the competition
in the previous round by eliminating defending cham-pions
Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.
"We've got to believe in ourselves because we've had some
really good results lately. We'll play our game and remain
solid. We know it's going to be a very tough game but we
also know we're capable of getting a result."
Juve's Italy international centre-back Giorgio Chiellini
will miss the match with a left thigh injury but should be
fit for the return leg in London next week.
"The Europa League is a great competition and to go all
the way would be a great boost for the whole club," said
Nicola Legrottaglie, who is expected to deputise for
Chiellini in Turin.
Liverpool's stuttering campaign received a further blow
when they went down 1-0 at relegation-threatened Wigan on
Monday, denying them the opportunity to steal a march on
their rivals for fourth place and a Champions League
berth.
Rafael Benitez's men on Thursday visit Lille, who have
lost just one of their last 16 home games in European
competition and who are the top scorers in the French top
flight.
"Lille are a good team," said Benitez. "People maybe don't
know too much about them but we've spoken with people in
Valencia, because they played one another, and we have
reports from the scouts.
"They are good at home. Maybe in the last two (league)
games they haven't been at their level because I think
they're maybe thinking about the Europa League-and that
makes them even more dangerous."
Asia
falls flat at World Cup Hockey
AFP, New Delhi
Former Olympians and coaches on Wednesday lamented the
poor showing by Asian teams at the men's field hockey
World Cup, saying Europe and Australia were now the
masters of the game.
None of the three Asian teams in the 12-nation tournament
- South Korea, India and Pakistan - qualified for
Thursday's semi-finals, the first time since 1998 the
continent will not be represented.
Defending champions Germany, seeking a hat-trick of titles
to add to their Beijing Olympic gold medal, face England,
and Australia clash with the Netherlands for a place in
the final.
"It is quite deplorabe how Asian standards have fallen,"
former India great Balbir Singh, 85, a three-time Olympic
gold medallist, told AFP.
India, a World Cup winner in 1975, won the last of their
eight Olympic gold medals in 1980 and failed to qualify
for the Beijing Games for the first time. Pakistan have
won an unprecedented four World Cup titles, but have not
won a major competition since their last Cup win in 1994
in Sydney.
Pakistan fared the worst among Asian teams in the current
tournament, forced into a play-off for the 11th-12th
places against lowly Canada after ending the league with
four defeats and one win.
India, who qualified for the World Cup only by virtue of
being the hosts, will fight for the 7-8 positions with
Argentina on Friday, an improvement from their 11th place
finish in the last World Cup in 2006.
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