|
Leading News
Conspiracy going on to destabilize
campus environment : PM
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said that
conspiracy is going on to destabilize the campus
environment across the country.
"Remain alert to foil all such conspiracy," she said when
a delegation from Dhaka University called on her at the
Prime Minister' s Office (PMO).
Dhaka University vice-chancellor Prof. AAMS Arefin
Siddique led the delegation that also included, among
others, DU Pro-Vice Chancellor Harunur Rashid.
The Prime Minister said the standard education in all
educational institutions across the country should be
increased in all universities including Dhaka University.
She asked the Dhaka University authority to make their
best efforts for increasing the standard of education. "I
know this is a tough job, but you've to do this," she
said.
Hasina blamed the previous BNP-led alliance government for
destroying the educational atmosphere in all educational
institutions.
She said that during the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat alliance
government, "they politicized the educational institutions
including Dhaka University… they even manipulated the
examination results."
The Prime Minister said that her government is committed
to keep the educational institutions across the country
free from all sorts of politicization.
She also said that her government will not spare anyone
who will engage in destabilizing the educational
atmosphere across the country. "We are committed and we
will purify the educational atmosphere in all campuses."
Hasina said that her government wanted to establish a
knowledge-based modern educational system in the country.
She urged the Dhaka University to take a lead in this
regard.
20
injured in police-cabbies clash in city
UNB, Dhaka
Twenty people, including cabbies and police, were injured
following a clash between taxicab drivers and police at
city's Farmgate Thursday.
Eight cab drivers arrested following the incident that
happened when a police sergeant signaled a taxicab to stop
at about 12 noon, apparently to requisition the vehicle.
Witnesses said the police sergeant asked a green colour
cab near the SAARC Fountain crossing. But the cabbie
ignored the signal and speedily drove towards Farmgate to
avoid requisition of his taxi.
The sergeant chased the cab and detained its driver near
the foot-over bridge in front of Tejgaon Women's College.
As the police sergeant reportedly assaulted the driver,
other cab drivers started beating the sergeant. When a
police constable came in rescue of the sergeant, the
agitating cabbies also assaulted the policeman.
The witnesses said additional police rushed to the spot
and charged batons on the cab drivers, leaving 15 of them
injured. Police detained eight cab drivers from the spot.
Cab drivers alleged that police requisition a taxicab two
or three times for six to seven days every month, but the
police claimed they have to requisition the vehicles
following directives from the higher authority.
BNP
to decide in party forum on joining CCC polls : Delwar
BSS, Dhaka
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain on Thursday
reiterated the claim that party Chairperson and Opposition
Leader Begum Khaleda Zia did not whiten any black money.
Addressing a press conference at BNP central office at
Nayapaltan in the city, he said, "It is not true that
Khaleda Zia whitened black money. It is being told to
belittle her politically." BNP Chairperson's Adviser and
Begum Zia's income tax lawyer Advocate Ahmed Azam Khan
said the income tax return of anyone is a secret document
as per article 163 of the Income Tax Act.
He sought explanation from the National Board of Revenue (NBR)
on how Begum Zia's statement was made public. He
threatened legal actions against the NBR in this regard.
Azam Khan said Begum Zia does not have any black money.
She had disclosed and paid taxes for legitimate money that
was undisclosed. Unnecessary controversies are being
created over the issue, he added.
Replying to a question, Delwar Hossain said, after the
Bhola by-polls, the BNP said that it would not take part
in national elections under the present Election
Commission. But the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC)
election is a local body election.
The issue of taking part in the CCC polls would be decided
in party forum, he added.
BNP Vice-President Abdullah Al Noman, Senior Joint
Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Joint
Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed were present at
the press conference.
Ctg city polls
AL to select candidates as per grassroots opinions: Hanif
BSS, Dhaka
Awami League will select its candidates for the posts of
mayor and councilors in the upcoming Chittagong City
Corporation (CCC) elections on the basis of the opinions
of the grassroots leaders and workers of the party as well
as general voters.
Talking to BSS on the CCC polls here on Thursday, AL
Acting General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said his
party wants a free, fair and peaceful election with
participation of all. "To this end, AL will extend all
possible cooperation to the Election Commission (EC)," he
said.
Hanif also said that Awami League is always committed to
holding free, fair, peaceful and acceptable polls.
He said AL will select candidates unitedly after
discussing with local leaders and workers. In this regard,
acceptability and popularity of the candidates as well as
sentiment of the voters will be considered, he said.
"AL will also try to select unanimously a single candidate
in councilor post," Hanif added.
The CCC polls will be held on June 17. The EC announced
the election schedule on May 13.
AL candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury was elected the CCC
mayor for three consecutive terms.
10 people
die in trawler capsize in the Meghna
UNB, Kishoreganj
Death toll rose to 10 in Wednesday's trawler capsize in
river Meghna with recovery of nine bodies from its hull
when the engine propelled boat was salvaged Thursday.
Bodies of Ambia (36), Anwara (35), Tanjina (10), Takbir
(6), Tania (5), Suman (4), Swadhin (3), Sharmina ()4) and
Deen Islam (7) were found stuck up in the hull when the
trawler was pulled to the shore with the help of three
cargo vessels after about 24 hours it sank. They all
hailed from Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district.
The body of another victim, Sabekunnahar (6), was rescued
on Wednesday evening. Four frogmen of BIWTA from Dhaka
joined the Kishoreganj Fire Service team in the rescue
operation today.
Afzal Hossain MP present at the salvage operation donated
Tk 5,000 in addition to Tk 3,000 from the district
administration to families of each victim for burial.
Wailing relatives received the bodies.
Seven passengers of the ill fated trawler still remained
missing. Their relatives were seen searching them dead or
alive along the banks of Meghna and Dhaleswari rivers.
The trawler over loaded with about 100 passengers, several
hundred maunds of paddy and commodities left Humaypur of
Bajitpur upazila for Chatalpar bazaar of Nasirnagar
upazila at about 11 am Wednesday.
Steering through the strong current the vessel lost
balance and capsized near Ainargop. Most of the passengers
managed to swim ashore, survivors said.
Call for
starting land survey in CHT immediately
BSS, Rangamati
Chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Land Settlement
Commission Justice Mohammad Khademul Islam Chowdhury on
Thursday urged the government for starting land survey in
CHT immediately.
"Unless demarcation of land in the hills is done, it would
be impossible to resolve land disputes in CHT, " he said
urging the government for starting land survey immediately
under the CHT Land Survey Act 1984.
Justice Khademul was addressing a joint meeting of the
commission and the local administration here.
Additional Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Nurul
Islam, deputy commissioner of Rangamati Surendranath
Chakraborty, police super Masud ul Hasan and high
officials of administration and professionals attended at
the meeting.
The commission chairman said land survey in CHT and
activities of the Land Commission would be done side by
side.
He said land survey in CHT started in 1986 but it was
postponed as two land survey workers were kidnapped at
that time.
The commission wants to complete its task within its
tenure, he said adding there was much response to the mass
notice of the commission and so far 300 applications were
submitted in Khagrachari, 37 in Rangamati and some in
Banderban.
Earlier, a procession was brought out in the town to make
the people aware of the notice of the commission.
Regional
climate conference in Dhaka on May 30-31
BSS, Dhaka
Regional Climate Conference of Global Climate Change
Alliance (GCCA) will be held in Dhaka on May 30- 31,
official sources here on Thursday said.
European Union (EU) will provide support for Bangladesh to
arrange the conference to be attended by Afghanistan,
Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Yemen
and host Bangladesh.
EU Ambassador Stefan Frowein in a meeting with State
Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud
discussed the arrangement of the conference.
Ministry officials said an agreement between Asian
countries of GCCA and the EU will be signed on climate
cooperation during the conference.
The GCCA was formed with the initiative of the EU in 2007
to bring the developing countries particularly the most
vulnerable to climate change in a platform to adapt to
climate change and pursue sustainable development
strategies.
By focusing on the least developed countries and Small
Island States (SIS), the alliance offers a structured
dialogue and concrete cooperation on actions funded by the
EU's development policy.
The conference would be a ministerial level event which
would outline a strategy to protect the interests of Least
Developed Countries (LDCs) and Most Vulnerable Countries (MVCs)
in Mexico, officials said.
EU proposed Bangladesh to host the event for its pivotal
role in global climate negotiation process, they said.
EU Commissioner on Climate Actions and former Danish
Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard and a number of
environment ministers from EU nations are expected to join
in the conference.
The conference will set a number of immediate priorities
for adaptation and mitigation through GCCA and other
appropriate instruments, officials said.
Back Page
Sheikh Hasina slates misrule,
corruption of BNP-Jamaat
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has once again blamed
boundless corruption, misrule and intentions of vote
rigging by the BNP-Jamaat alliance government behind the
state of emergency imposed on January 11, 2007.
She said this while speaking to the Bangladesh Puja
Udjapan Parishad leaders during their call on her at the
Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Thursday.
The Prime Minister said that the political history of
Bangladesh is unique. She mentioned that except 2001, no
government has been able to hand over power peacefully
without incident. "In 1996 we had to launch a movement
against the BNP government as they were plotting to
capture power through vote rigging. Later they held a
voter less election in February 15, 1996. But people
rejected them and they were compelled to resign and hand
over power to the non-party caretaker government," she
said.
Hasina also mentioned that in 2007, the BNP-Jamaat
government again plotted to keep themselves in power
through vote rigging and registration of fake voters.
"But again the people of the country foiled their
conspiracy," she said. She said that the misdeeds of the
BNP-Jamaat alliance led the country to go under emergency
rule. Hasina mentioned that later the election came and AL
led grand alliance won a landslide. "When the people of
the country got their chance to cast their vote freely,
they voted AL into power," she said.
The Prime Minister said that the people put a
responsibility on the shoulders of the AL led grand
alliance government in the free, fair, neutral and
acceptable election that were held on December 29, 2008.
She mentioned that the last general election was the most
free and fair the country has had since 1975. Hasina said
that as the Awami League is a pro-people party, it is the
most important duty of the present government to discharge
the duties for the welfare of the people.
Govt plan to generate
7000 mw power by 2014 backfires
UNB, Dhaka
The government has unveiled a plan to generate about 9,426
MW of new electricity by 2015 in order to mitigate the
nagging power crisis.
As per the plan, 792 MW will come into the national grid
within 2010, another 920 MW in 2011, some 2269 MW in 2012,
1675 MW in 2013, 1170 MW in 2014 and 2600 MW in 2015.
The Power Division disclosed the mega plan at a press
conference at the Press Information Department in the
Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday. At present, the
country's average available power generation is 3600-3800
MW. If the plan is implemented as per schedule, the power
generation will reach a benchmark of 13,000-14,000 MW
within next five years. But there are huge questions
hanging over possibility of the plan being implemented
within the stimulated timeframe.
Earlier, the government placed a plan to generate 7,000 MW
power by 2014, of which 530 MW was supposed to come into
the national grid by March 2010. But that plan has totally
backfired as so far, not a single megawatt of power has
been added to the grid under that plan.
Prime Minister's Advisor on energy Dr. Towfiq-e-Elahi
Chowdhury, who faced a volley of questions on different
issues, ruled out corruption charges in signing the deals
to set up rental power plants, which leads to purchasing
electricity at much higher rates from those privately
owned plants.
Some reporters drew his attention to the allegations that
the PDB is signing deals to buy power at higher rates
rejecting offer of lower rates from some private sponsors.
Blaming some newspapers for repeatedly publishing stories
on alleged corruption with 'big headlines', Dr. Elahi said
some particular political parties and newspapers are
trying to mislead people through these big headlines.
The PM's advisor's remarks came following Opposition
Leader and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's allegations
of corruption in relation to the rental power plants.
State Minister for Power and Energy Mohammad Enamul Haque,
Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and Energy Secretary
Mesbauddin Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.
Chairman of Power Development Board (PDB) ASM Alamgir
Kabir made the presentation on the plan. The PDB chief
said that the country will achieve surplus electricity by
2012, which means there will be no load-shedding after
that period. Earlier, he had claimed that the country will
be free from load-shedding by 2010 although the reality is
that the country's power supply situation has only
deteriorated significantly in recent days.
Insisting on the need for increasing power tariff, the PDB
boss said the present average power production cost is Tk
2.80 per unit while the PDB's selling rate is Tk 2.45,
incurring a loss of Tk 0.35 per unit.
Leaking info over Khaleda’s income tax
BNP to take legal action against NBR
UNB, Dhaka
The Opposition BNP has threatened to take legal steps
against the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for leaking
out confidential information relating to party chairperson
Khaleda Zia's income tax matters in violation of income
tax laws, and against the government for 'snatching away'
the said information.
The threats came at a press briefing at the party's
Nayapaltan central office on Thursday afternoon that was
jointly addressed by BNP secretary general Khandaker
Delwar Hossain and BNP chairperson's adviser Advoc-ate
Ahmed Azam Khan.
Reacting to the Prime Minister's Wednesday remarks that
Khaleda had whitened her black money earned through
corruption, Khandaker Delwar once again said the
government is misleading the nation by resorting to
limitless falsehood to hide its own failures.
Replying to a question he said his party would tackle the
situation legally.
He said they will take legal steps against the NBR for
leaking information violating Section 163 of the Income
Tax Law, while legal steps would be taken against the
government for 'snatching the information using
influence'.
Responding to the Awami League joint secretary Mahbub Alam
Hanif's allegation against him, Delwar objected to his
comment and said he (Delwar) is not at all communal.
'I am completely non-communal', the veteran BNP leader
said.
Ahmed Azam Khan, also Khaleda Zia's lawyer, once again
said former Prime Minister Khaleda did not whiten a single
unit of black money. If she did, the NBR could file a case
against her.
Ahmed Azam said if the NBR fails to provide an explanation
for disclosing Khaleda's income tax related information,
they would take legal steps against the NBR.
Seven killed, 20 injured in
road crashes
UNB, Savar
Seven people were killed and 20 others injured in separate
road accidents Thursday. Witnesses and local sources said
two people were killed and another 10 injured in a
head-on-collision between a bus and a truck at Sreepur on
Nabina-gar-Kaliakoir highway this morning. The identity of
the deceased could not be known immediately.
Meanwhile, at least 10 people were injured when the driver
of a bus lost control over the steering and ploughed
through a market at Sreepur bus stand.
Besides, a speedy truck ran over a woman on C&B road at
Ashulia this morning. The deceased could not be
identified. Police seized the truck but the driver managed
to flee the scene.
In another accident, an unidentified man was crushed under
the wheels of a bus at Savar thana bus stand this noon.
Two motorcyclists were killed when their bike was rammed
by a truck at Lalpara in Sadar upazila on Thursday
morning. The accident took place as the rider Samirul
tried to overtake a bus, leaving him dead on the spot and
co-rider Sahul injured critically at about 9:15am.
Sahul later succumbed to his injuries on way to Rajshahi
Medical College Hospital. Both the victims are residents
of Shibganj upazila of the district.
A sexagenarian woman was killed and two other pedestrians
were injured when a speedy truck ran over them in Gognagar
area of Sadar upazila on Dhaka- Munshiganj highway
Wednesday morning.
The deceased was identified Maimansona, 65, and the
injured were Jainal, 50 and Karim, 60. Local people said
the Munshiganj-bound speedy truck ran over them while they
were crossing the road early in the morning, leaving the
elderly woman dead on the spot.
The injured were admitted to a local hospital. The
agitated people vandalized the killer truck and put
barricade on the highway disrupting road communication for
an hour. Later police rushed to the spot and brought the
situation under control.
Two more
peaking plants to add 110 MW power to national grid
BSS, Dhaka
Two more dual fuel-based peaking power plants will go into
operation to add 110 MW more electricity to the national
grid within 15 months.
Three Chinese companies-Fujin Electrical Power Company,
CCC and ETE-RM-have been selected for installing the power
plants jointly with the government fund on a BOO
(build-own- operate) basis under the public sector.
To this effect, agreements were signed on Thursday between
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BP-DB) and the Chinese
companies at the BPDB here. The BPDB secretary and
secretaries of the Chinese companies inked the agreements
on behalf of their respective sides.
Of the two power stations, one with a 50 MW generation
capacity at a cost of Taka 502.71 crore will be installed
at Baghabari while the other with a 60 MW capacity at a
cost of Taka 574.81 crore will be installed at Daudkandi,
official sources said.
These dual fuel power plants would be run by gas or
furnace oil or diesel, it said. As part of its efforts to
end the acute power crisis in the country, the government
in the last two months struck agreements with different
power companies for installing seven peaking power plants
that will add around 800 MW electricity to the national
grid, the sources said.
Editorial
Raising power tariff
Bangladesh
Power Development Board (PDB) is set to increase again the
power tariff. Press reports on Wednesday said that PDB will
propose to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC)
to increase power tariff by 6 to 7 percent at bulk level from
June next. It also plans to propose to introduce regular basis
review system to readjust the tariff every year for "credit
adjustment" and going to re-instate the "life-line tariff" to
support the poor people. "We will submit the proposal to the
BERC by this month", PDB Chairman said. BERC increased tariff
by 15 to 16 per cent at bulk level in 2008 while on March 1,
last it increased tariff by 6 to 7 per cent at retail level.
PDB claimed that the state run organization is incurring a
loss of 14.43 per cent per unit of electricity supplied to the
consumers. The official system loss of the agency is 14.45
percent.
The PDB is planning to raise the power tariff at a time when
the people's suffering has climaxed due to unbearable load
shedding and severe heat-wave that has already claimed ten
lives across the country. The country is plunged in a grave
crisis of electricity which is disrupting public life,
hampering education and affecting production in industries and
agriculture. In a bid to resolve this crisis the government is
taking various measures that prove more to be futile
experiments than effective actions. In other words the PDB has
totally failed to meet the people's need of electricity and on
the other hand making a bid to increase the power tariff
within a span of only three months.
City dwellers and industries are already paying a higher price
for electricity as the government raised the power tariff by
6-7 percent on an average with effect from March 1. Bangladesh
Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) approved proposals for the
power-price hike, incidentally at the outset of the dry season
when people were already feeling the crunch of power crisis.
The government last increased the power tariff in 2007 by 5
percent and again in March last by 6-7 per cent at the retail
level. It is unfortunate that the people are forced to pay
more now and will have to pay further more as power tariff
although they are suffering terribly due to electricity crisis
and frequent load shedding. The power tariff is being
increased on the ploy of rise in production cost and resultant
financial loss.
At a time when the people continue to face the worst ever
power crisis and end to it remains a distant goal, the move to
enhance the tariff of electricity is virtually a cruel mockery
with the consumers. The Power tariff hike will intensify
further the hardship of the people already overburdened with
rising cost of living.
We opposed earlier the decision to raise further the power
tariff at retail consumer level. Again, now, we oppose the
move for tariff hike and suggest that the loss should be made
up by checking rampant corruption and wastage and reducing
production costs and system loss. We feel that power tariff
hike is a wrong step and that a government which is unable to
ensure adequate electricity supply and retrieve the consumers
from unbearable frequent load shedding has no right to enhance
the tariff of power. The government should refrain from
increasing further the power tariff until it succeeds in
improving the nagging electricity crisis. It is not acceptable
that the people will continue to suffer due to unending
electricity crisis and at the same time they will be forced to
pay enhanced tariff for scarce electricity.
Murders by
muggers
In
an encouraging development police have shown considerable
success in nabbing the perpetrators of a number of serious
crimes including murders in the recent days. Among those are
the arrests of the suspected killers of ATN Senior Cameraman
Shafiqul Islam Mithu and Police ASI Mizanur Rahman . They were
killed last week and now the two arrested suspects have
confessed to killing them both. The two men arrested are Sujan
and Raju and they are professional muggers.
DB police arrested two suspected killers of Mizan and Mithu
while another suspect was killed in encounter in the city on
Wednesday. DMP Commissioner told reporters that in
interrogation of the suspected killers, it was revealed that
the two killings were not pre-planned; rather, these happened
during the muggings. The third suspect killed during the
encounter was identified as Rahat.
According to a national daily, the law enforces in the last
two weeks recovered 19 bodies, including that of Mithu and
Mizan. The police suspect they were all killed by muggers. In
this alarming trend, gangs of muggers pose as transport
operators offering cheaper "shared seats" in and around the
capital. They would often kill their prey and dump the bodies
in isolated places. DMP Commissioner said, Over 70 muggers in
guise of drivers and passengers of small vehicles like cabs,
microbus, private cars and auto-rickshaws are active in and on
the outskirts of the city.
DB police said Rahat, who used his own car for passenger
carrying, picked up Mithu from Farmegate in the night on May 8
as a passenger for going to the airport area, and Rahat's
three associates also got into the car as passengers. When
they reached Kakoli, the criminals strangulated Mithu by a
towel and dumped his body on Pallabi embankment after taking
his valuables. In a similar fashion, Mizan was picked up from
Chandra in Gazipur on May 4 and was strangulated by a towel
when they reached Dherua level crossing in Mirzapur, Tangail.
Police deserve praise for arresting two suspected killers and
unearthing a dreadful chapter of mugging in the city. Now, it
is hoped that they will go all out for arresting the mugger
groups to ensure security for the commuters.
Analysis
We can get there
Despite domestic sensitivities, Pakistan and
India should realise that peace between them is imperative.
They can no longer afford an armed conflict because it can
easily escalate into a nuclear conflagration.
Saleha Javaid
Pakistan-India
relations since independence have revolved around mutual
distrust, uncertainty, disappointments, tensions and fear of
conflict.
We should seriously think as to why it`s so, especially when
both countries gained independence from a single colonial
power through a political process, negotiated between the
Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. While we often
hear people from both sides say, had the two countries been
one, we would have been a force to reckon with, both in might
and economy, I wonder why India and Pakistan can`t draw
strength from each other as friendly and stable neighbours,
sharing a common past, heritage and civilisation.
Bilateral disputes between them remain unresolved, their
cooperation bounded by severe limitations. India thinks
Pakistan is an irritant impeding India`s emergence as a key
player in the world economy and Pakistan feels that India has
been trying to destabilise Pakistan since partition.
Unlike the past when Kashmir was the sole issue with maximum
emotive appeal, today we have mutually impinging interests, of
an unusually urgent kind, such as the issue of India blocking
the waters of the western rivers, against the spirit of the
Indus Water Treaty. If we don`t attend to the crisis, it will
come and haunt us a few decades down the road when the
Himalayan glaciers recede because of global warming.
Despite domestic sensitivities, Pakistan and India should
realise that peace between them is imperative. They can no
longer afford an armed conflict because it can easily escalate
into a nuclear conflagration. The use of force for the
settlement of bilateral disputes must be ruled out by both
countries. The real challenge lies in building up trust and
confidence, establishing a strategic restraint regime,
developing mutually beneficial cooperation and making
meaningful progress towards the resolution of all outstanding
disputes for a genuine and lasting peace. Force and propaganda
should no longer be considered viable for securing the
objectives of foreign policy. Instead what should be
considered feasible is a `tactical adjustment` aimed at
clarifying intentions and promoting goodwill.
The meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and
Pakistan in March 2010 served as an icebreaker in the
aftermath of the Mumbai attacks. The subsequent revival of
talks led to genuine optimism for resuming the composite
dialogue and finding breakthroughs on all issues. There is a
growing consensus among parties, individuals and independent
experts that the potential for possible headway has increased
significantly. They feel that achieving a breakthrough is not
as important as preventing a breakdown!
Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani had a cordial meeting in
Sharm-el-Sheikh, they exchanged courtesies in Washington and
the recent bilateral meeting in Bhutan has paved the way
forward for peaceful resolutions. Singh, often seen as a dove,
carrying the emblem of peace, has already de-linked peace
talks from progress on terrorism, hence talks are not being
held hostage to Pakistan combating perpetrators of the Mumbai
attacks.
The meetings have set the stage to seek deeper entrenchment in
a sustained peace process, to try and agree upon an agenda,
procedure and comfortable venue for talks. We must recognise
that the details stage of negotiation is invariably more
difficult and time consuming than the formula stage and will
require the participation of experts. What is needed is
precision, confidentiality and objective consideration of
national interest. The momentum of negotiations can falter for
a number of reasons, even if the government is committed to
progress. Therefore it`s not a bad idea to have both symbolic
and artificial deadlines.
Initiatives like `Aman ki asha` and subsequent
people-to-people interactions may revitalise the peace process
and have made a strong case for hope. A healthy exchange of
ideas and opinions through a culture of debate and dialogue
can make both sides adaptable and responsive and will give
both countries leeway to bargain for mutual concessions.
Cultural, religious and ideological tolerance will help
explore and expand channels of bilateral negotiation.
For most of their history, India and Pakistan were locked into
public postures that made negotiations impossible without
jeopardising the domestic position of their leaders. There was
profound mistrust of each other`s intentions and both
countries employed threats as a tool. Today there are solid
grounds for optimism about the future because peace seems
obtainable through a cooperative pursuit of common interests.
Peace between India and Pakistan would mean that soldiers who
have borne the greatest brunt will be surrendering postures in
defence of which they have lost brothers; settlers will be
relinquishing control over land in which they have sunk roots;
exporters might lose important markets and workers may lose
their source of income. When a settlement of great political
sensitivity is eventually reached, it will still have to be
packaged to obscure and minimise the most sensitive
concessions. There should be no vagueness and no
inconsistencies and the deal should be defensible at home.
The media on both sides can play an instrumental role in
facilitating talks and driving negotiations forward by
providing reassurances to each country that what is being said
is heartfelt and both parties are genuinely interested in
negotiating a peace-deal. The media can assist in the
construction of an agreement by helping people understand the
depth of a conflict that has obstructed relations for more
than 62 years.
Our ultimate goal should be to ensure a secure and prosperous
future for our people by addressing issues that are common to
all South Asian neighbours such as poverty, healthcare, food
security, water and energy shortages, terrorism and
environmental problems. We need to pool resources, share
knowledge and work towards a common strategy to earnestly
address and resolve these critical concerns. What we need is
visionary leadership, unflinching commitment and firmness of
intent.
The writer is a graduate of Boston University. Email:
saleha86@bu.edu
The calculus
of Congress failure
Support
for the UPA government came from the shadiest parties and
politicians - hardly something to be proud of.
Rakesh Mani
The
Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government
is on the cusp of celebrating the first birthday of its
second term in office. But far from being a celebratory
occasion where the party and the people can look to
further consolidation in the four years to come, the mood
is gloomy. There is almost a sense of shoulder-shrugging
disenchantment palpable. The government, re-elected as the
alternative to the right-wing Hindu parties, has struggled
with a boatload of problems on the domestic front.
The proclivity of the government, and its senior cabinet
members, to create trouble and controversy for themselves
has been likened to the Indian cricket team snatching
defeat from the jaws of victory. The inclination, or pure
bad luck, to court controversy with rash statements has
been given a term in the Indian media - 'foot-in-mouth-itis'.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's criticism of the Home
ministry's stand on Chinese investments is the latest
salvo. The honourable minister, who entertains an
extravagant view of his ministerial brief, told investors
in China that New Delhi should relax its approach to
Chinese investments and get rid of red tape. Another big
embarrassment was Junior Foreign Minister Shashi Tharoor's
IPL shenanigans and his inevitable ouster after
allegations that he received benami sweat equity to the
tune of Rs 70 crore.
With 207 MPs in parliament, the Congress Party now has its
greatest presence in the Lok Sabha in the last 20 years.
With this critical strength of numbers, the UPA was
expected to push through reforms with ease, and not have
to pander to testy coalition allies with wildly divergent
political agendas. And yet, somehow, the Congress has
worked itself from a position of strength to one of
compromise. The recent cut motion in parliament only made
this apparent, as the largest party in the house wheedled
allies and enemies to put together a majority.
Support for the UPA government came from the shadiest
parties and politicians - hardly something to be proud of.
It is said that someone quipped in parliament that the UPA
has made some new friends it would feel awkward inviting
to the birthday bash. However, that did not stop senior
Congress leaders giving triumphant speeches on teaching
the opposition a lesson. Indian politics is dominated by
Shylocks - be sure that no vote for the UPA was cast on
ideological grounds, and no vote came without a price.
Compromises have been exacted in return.
Many say that Mayawati, the chief minister of Uttar
Pradesh state who voted for the ruling government, now has
several CBI cases against her quashed. The rest the
government will go easy on. It is rumoured that Lalu Yadav
and Mulayam Yadav, in return for their votes, have asked
the government to stall the Women's Reservation Bill. So
much for the exultant speeches on the UPA having passed a
landmark piece of legislation. In all probability, the
Women's Bill will not even reach the Lok Sabha, where it
has to be approved before it can be made law.
The need to stay in power overrules any other compulsions
- political or moral. What would the government not do to
keep its allies from withdrawing support?
One of the major controversies hitting headlines at the
moment is a signature example of how far the government
can go, and how much they can condone, to make sure that
the calculus of coalition politics is undisturbed. The
Indian media has bravely, and rightly, pursued the case
and agitated for action.
Telecom Minister A Raja of the southern DMK party -
another important ally - has managed to keep his cabinet
portfolio despite what has been proved as stinking
corruption in the 2G scam. The leader of the DMK party,
and assorted lobbyists and corporate tycoons, have exerted
enough pressure on the Congress to make them compromise.
Raja keeps his job, the DMK maintains support. The media
will make some noise now for higher ratings, but soon the
story will die and the public will forget.
Interestingly, the Congress party decided to sacrifice
Tharoor - its own bright star - at the altar of clean
politics, but has a different rule for A Raja, because the
DMK party is a critical coalition ally.
In the last year that the UPA has been in power, there has
been no progress with economic reforms or disinvestment of
public sector outfits as promised. Over 50 key pieces of
legislation - from the Women's Reservation Bill, to the
Food Security Bill - are stalled.
On the internal front, 'foot-in-mouth-itis' is the last of
the problems. The Congress Party's top brass seems to be
busy with civil war. General Secretary Digvijay Singh
attacks Home Minister P Chidambaram's anti-Naxalite
policies and criticises the minister for being
"intellectually arrogant". Jairam Ramesh, the errant
Environment Minister, does not have any nice words to say
about Home Minister Chidambaram either.
Meanwhile, Oil Minister Murli Deora and Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee are at war over the pricing of petroleum
products and Sonia Gandhi's plan to offer cheaper food
through the Food Security Bill is being stymied by the
Finance Ministry. The prime minister has not been able to
do much at all, but somehow manages to find himself in the
thick of all battles.
One may argue that the tumult is a good sign - it shows
that democracy is alive and well. Discussions take place
and ministers disagree, publicly even, on decisions and
results. But that would be illusory - because the debate
is not centred on policy, but political expediency.
The worst affected party in the tragedy of UPA politics
has been governance itself. The government has proved
incapable of making use of its mandate. Despite the lofty
promises that were made last year when they came to power,
the Manmohan Singh government has shown that they are
short of what it takes for effective governance - courage,
conviction and the ability to take a risk for the sake of
principle and true democracy.
Rakesh Mani is a 2009 Teach For India fellow and a
writer. He can be reached at rakesh.mani@gmail.com
Viewpoints
Revolt, migrate or die
Internal
violence also worsened, but it was no longer an American
concern. All that mattered was that the Cold War rival had
been defeated. Mission accomplished.
Ramzy Baroud
When
the Soviets concluded their pull out from Afghanistan in
February 1989, the US government abruptly lost interest in the
country. A devastated economic infrastructure, entrenched
poverty, deep-rooted factionalism and lack of international
aid caused the country to descend into complete chaos.
Internal violence also worsened, but it was no longer an
American concern. All that mattered was that the Cold War
rival had been defeated. Mission accomplished.
Afghanistan remains the starkest illustration of how poor
countries are used, then betrayed when their usefulness runs
out. But Afghanistan is not an exception; US relations with
many other countries, including Pakistan, Somalia and the
Palestinian Authority remain hostage to this very model.
Yemen is now emerging as the newest casualty. Its government
is desperate to hold on to the rein of power, amid corruption,
extreme poverty and untold Western pressures. Ali Abdullah
Saleh, the country's president of the last 31 years, has
impressively negotiated his political survival through
mounting challenges. The 1994 civil war left many thousands
dead, and despite the north's 'victory' the discontent of the
south never waned. More, a Houthi revolt in the north is long
running. Its latest manifestation lasted for sixth months and
caused many deaths, most of which remained unreported. A mass
migration of hundreds of thousands (270,000 by the recent
estimates of the United Nations World Food Programme)
coincided with or followed the fighting. This is now
temporarily in check, thanks to a fragile ceasefire.
According to some analysts, the ceasefire in the north could
allow the central government in Sanaa to tend to the challenge
growing in the south. Victoria Clark, author of the recent
book Yemen: Dancing on the Heads of Snakes claimed that,
"Southern disaffection has gone beyond the point of no return…Saleh's
biggest mistake would be to crack down on southerners as hard
as he has tried to do on the Houthi rebels." However, under
immense (and increasing) pressure, Saleh is likely to crack
down. Western governments, led by the US and Britain, run out
of patience fairly quickly when the leaders of a poor,
fragmented country opt for dialogue - even when such a choice
might actually result in long-term political stability. When
Afghan President Hamid Karzai merely mentioned of the
possibility of engaging the Taleban, it generated much rebuke.
A similar scenario happened in Pakistan. When Palestinian
factions achieved the Makkah Agreement in February 2007 to
mend their differences, the US immediately conditioned its
financial backing of Mahmoud Abbas, and the agreement was
successfully disintegrated. In the same vein, any Yemeni
attempt at reaching out to the disaffected forces within the
country, including tribes, opposition parties, and the various
militant offshoots has been dismissed as an attempt to appease
the terrorists.
Following a plot to blow up a US airliner over the city of
Detroit on Christmas Day, the US renewed its interest in Yemen
- in a predictable way. US Special Operation Forces have been
at work in Yemen for years, following the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001. Yemen was then declared "an important
partner in the global war on terrorism," and it remains so,
whenever there is a need to chase the elusive militant groups
partly or wholly linked ?to Al Qaeda.
The violent perusal of US enemies in Yemen comes at a heavy
cost. On one hand it has undermined the central government,
which is being increasingly challenged from the north, the
south and the center. Naturally, no self-respecting government
would allow its territories to be used either as breeding
grounds for militants, or as a hunting ground for foreign
forces. A raid involving US cruise missiles at an alleged Al
Qaeda camps in December 17, 2009 killed dozens, including 23
women and 17 children, according to Yemeni sources. Indeed,
Yemen is to a great extent a battlefield in which the central
government is hardly the central player. However, the
so-called 'war on terror' has presented many self-seeking
forces in Yemen with a golden opportunity to extract wealth.
Much has been 'invested' to beat Al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsular (AQAP). But little has been spent elsewhere, for
example, in providing sustenance to the hundreds of thousands
victimised by the ?ongoing violence.
When problems become insurmountable and there is no effective
system of accountability in place, corruption becomes rampant.
It is no wonder that Yemen ranks 154 of the 180 countries
examined in the Transparency International Corruption Index.
Corruption is often an outcome of poverty and lack of
accountability, and it also contributes to them. Yemen is
unable to escape this vicious circle. Since Yemen is not
officially an occupied country, donor countries can easily
disown their financial promises. Such promises are only made
when Yemen is set for some military operation or another, or
to prop up the central government's own proxy war on terror.
However, when the Yemeni people are in genuine and dire need
for help, Yemen becomes such a distant subject. It begets
pity, at best, but no action.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 7.2 million
people - about a third of the country's population - are
suffering from chronic hunger. Almost half of them require
immediate food assistance, but fewer than half a million are
receiving it.
How much money is the WFP is asking for in its latest appeal?
A meager $103 million, out of which only $27 million has been
received. A Tomahawk cruise missile - celebrated as both cheap
but effective - costs around $600,000. The cost of the
operation that killed dozens of innocent Yemenis last December
could have, in fact, fed millions in need.
This is not a matter of mathematics; it is common sense. The
ongoing miscalculations in Yemen are securing the very
environment that lead to poverty, corruption, anger - and
ultimately militancy and violence. According to Emilia Casella,
spokeswoman for the WFP, "people have three other options
after that - revolt, migrate or die." Sadly, it is what
millions of Yemenis are already doing.
Ramzy Baroud is a distinguished Arab American commentator
and author, most recently, of 'My father was a freedom
fighter' published by Pluto Press.
Change has
come to Africa
Not everything Yar'Adua did was good. But he did achieve
two very important things, as he battled his debilitating
illness.
Jonathan Power
The
stability of Nigeria, Africa's most populous state, seems
to defy the doomsayers. When the democratically elected
president, Olusegun Obasanjo, ended his second term of
office a quiet, self-effacing academic, Umaru Yar'Adua was
elected. Last week he died, not yet 60. He is succeeded by
his equally self-effacing deputy, Goodluck Jonathan. Not
everything Yar'Adua did was good. But he did achieve two
very important things, as he battled his debilitating
illness.
With remarkable perseverance he did what his predecessor
had tried and failed to do-to bring to the point of
success negotiations with the armed militants who were
bent on destroying the foreign owned oil industry and the
oil and gas they pump from the Niger Delta that is the
underpinning of government revenues.
The second achievement was on the economic and financial
front. He continued the far reaching reforms of his
predecessor. His appointments both to the finance ministry
and the central bank were astute, even if the subsequent
policies could have been handled more deftly and
productively.
The banks are still often poorly managed. Nevertheless,
the result has helped Nigeria bounce back fast from the
impact of the West's great recession. Growth fell from
over 8 per cent a year to 5.6 per cent last year. But in
their report of last month the International Monetary Fund
project that it will be 7 per cent this year and next.
This is not just because of oil. The fast growth rate of
the agricultural sector, begun under Obasanjo, continues
its high trajectory-the second highest in Africa. If a
second world commodity boom gets underway, then Nigerian
agriculture is well positioned to take advantage of it.
Nigeria will miss Yar'Adua because of what made up the
inner man. He was a Muslim through and through and one who
had deeply thought about what his beliefs meant. I found
this out during his campaign for president when I was the
only foreign journalist to have a long interview with him.
"All religions get corrupted", he told me "But we should
never forget that religion is about love, kindness and
tolerance of the other peoples of the Book. Honesty,
fairness, justice, truth, forthrightness, love and peace
are the elements of Islam."
Yar'Adua managed to dampen down the bitter religious
conflicts that erupt intermittently. Nigeria also
continues to contribute in a major way to important
peacekeeping operations in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria now
is temperamentally a very different beast that existed
during the era of the military dictators.
Politicians, civic and church leaders in the largely
Christian south of the country have campaigned hard
against the moves of northern Islamic states to introduce
Sharia law. Yar'Adua observed that "civil law and Sharia
law are not that much different. Both want to administer
justice, even if there are differences in procedure and
subject matter e.g. the Islamic prohibition of alcohol.
Regrettably, much of Sharia law has been politicised, but
the two systems should be able to live comfortably side by
side."
I asked him about the practice of stiff punishment for
adultery. "A court needs four witnesses to prove it and
it's unlikely a court can find that number. So the only
way to convict them is if the couple confess and even then
the court has to prove the couple are mentally sound."
If that makes him look a good man the other side of the
coin was the company as president chose to keep- some of
the most corrupt governors and "fixers" in the country. At
the time I met with him he appeared alert and cognizant of
the issues- not just the Delta crisis but on the
continuing power and energy problem, on land, electoral
and education reform, the development of water transport
to take the burden away from the bad road system in the
Delta and, above all, a lessening of the dependence on oil
and the need to give much more emphasis to productive
activity and taxes. Yet his illness or lack of will
hampered the implementation. It became just talk.
Perhaps his wisest decision was to ask Goodluck Jonathan,
the governor of one of the troubled Delta states to be his
running mate. A rare financially clean governor (as was
Yar'Adua) he is an idealist. He is a friend of Ribadu, a
Muslim, and there is talk of Jonathan running him as his
vice president in next year's election. I was lucky enough
to sit in on part of a spirited discussion between the two
and to see that they were very much on the same wave
length. Jonathan has inherited a viable if still
theoretical program of action from Yar'Adua. A healthy man
in his prime, there is no reason why he shouldn't succeed
with it.
Jonathan Power is a foreign affairs commentator and
analyst based in London.
The price of defiance
Also on-board are the UK, France and Germany in
formulating new sanctions not only because they agree with
America's assessment of Iranian plans, but also because
the other available options are not palatable for them.
M Saeed Khalid
President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's harsh criticism of the United States
at the NPT Review Conference on May 3 and at a press
conference the following day was given prominent coverage
by the news media. But the real news was buried in a small
paragraph reminding the readers that just as the Iranian
president reiterated the peaceful nature of his country's
nuclear programme, the American and European diplomats
were working elsewhere to reach agreement with Russia and
China on a fourth round of UN sanctions on Iran for
pursuing its uranium enrichment activities.
Also on-board are the UK, France and Germany in
formulating new sanctions not only because they agree with
America's assessment of Iranian plans, but also because
the other available options are not palatable for them.
The idea of doing nothing while Iran goes ahead with its
nuclear plans is the least appealing to them because it
would change the regional power balance further in Iran's
favour. A nuclear-capable Iran can lead to a rethink in
some other countries about the West's ability to stop
nations from following the nuclear path. The other reason
for the Europeans coming along is that they do not support
the hawkish ideas of Israel and the US of attacking Iran
like it was done against Iraq seven years ago. Their
preferred option has been to engage Iran, by exerting
diplomatic pressure combined with incentives of trade and
investment, even help it in building nuclear power plants.
Iran is already under US and UN sanctions with serious
consequences. They have hurt Iran's trade and foreign
investment. The civil aviation sector has been hit the
hardest as Iran can neither buy the US planes nor the
parts for its existing US-origin aircraft. The US
succeeded in getting international sanctions on Iran
through the Security Council in 2006 to stop Iran's trade
in sensitive nuclear materials and technology. These
restrictions were intensified by Resolution 1747 in March
2007. The third round of UN sanctions in 2008 restricts
import of dual-use technology and asks the member states
to inspect cargoes suspected of transporting nuclear
materials to and from Iran. Measures like travel ban and
freezing assets were imposed on individuals and companies
engaged in Iran's nuclear programme. The US is aiming at a
fourth round of US sanctions which would extend the
blacklist to members of the Revolutionary Guards and firms
controlled by them.
The Obama administration's big push for tightening the
sanctions cannot materialise without green-light from
Russia and China, and that is the reason a consensus on
economic sanctions is taking longer than the US would have
liked. Moscow and Beijing are faced with a dilemma; the
two probably have a better understanding of Iran's motives
and methods. They may even think that further sanctions
would lead to the Iranian regime taking a harder line on
the nuclear issue while the people are hit by economic and
commercial restrictions. Nobody has forgotten how
sanctions helped the Iraqi regime to tighten its grip on
power and suppress any semblance of opposition.
Russia and China have important economic stakes in Iran.
China would outright reject sanctions on oil trade as Iran
is an important source of its oil imports while Russia has
taken the position that restriction on petroleum imports
by Iran is also a no-go area as that would result in
hardship for ordinary citizens. Beyond these concerns
lurks the larger question of the global power balance;
Russia has vital geopolitical interests in the region
surrounding Iran. Any move it makes on Iran will also take
into account the likely consequences in terms of western
influence in the Middle East and Central Asia.
President Obama and his team have been working extra hard
to gain China's support on new sanctions but the result so
far does not look promising. The Chinese might appreciate
Obama's quality of patience, resulting in a change from
the usual ramming technique the US diplomats have applied
in the United Nations. The ongoing discussions on Iran
sanctions give China a unique opportunity of acting as an
emerging pole of power. As America's clout in global
economic structure wanes and that of China gradually moves
up, we may be entering a new phase where the current and
the future super powers are posturing with an eye to the
future. They can opt to co-exist and bring some relief to
the anxious world or they can jostle and keep the rest of
the world guessing about their fate.
The partisans of a quick decline of the unipolar system
may be hoping that China will support Iran and show the
direction towards a new power system wherein China and
Iran, with some help from Russia, will constitute a
counter-weight to the West. In a globalised world, the
chances of realising such a dream do not look bright
unless Iran reconnects with the mainstream of nations. The
West's ability in building strong alliances has provided
it the wherewithal for winning on the global chessboard.
The lesson for those aspiring to challenge the western
dominance is to match the western alliance by building a
similar network.
The countries trying to withstand the US pressure are not
lacking arguments, foremost being America's double
standards, for instance, Washington has mobilised the
international community against Iran while remaining
impassive to Israel's nuclear weapon programme and
offering a civil-nuclear deal to India.
The West may see China as the country which can persuade
Iran to moderate its stance on uranium enrichment. But
that may not be enough to bring a change in Iran's
position. Iran's neighbours wonder if President
Ahmadinejad is aware of the limitations of grandstanding
as a substitute to a system of alliances. In order to have
important and dependable allies, he needs to accommodate
their views. The ball is squarely in his court.
The writer is a former ambassador of Pakistan to the
European Union. Email: saeed. saeedk@gmail.com
International
Pak CJ
constitutes court to hear 18th Amendment challenges
Dawn Online, Islamabad
Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry
constituted on Wednesday a full court comprising all 17
judges to define and determine the exact contours of
Supreme Court's authority for reviewing the mechanism of
appointing superior court judges introduced through the
18th Constitution Amendment. It will begin hearing on May
24. The federal government and Attorney General Maulvi
Anwarul Haq have been asked to appear before the court.
A five-judge bench had on April 28 requested the chief
justice to constitute either a larger bench or full court
to hear the matter. The full court, headed by the chief
justice, will comprise Justices Javed Iqbal, Mian
Shakirullah Jan, Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Nasirul Mulk,
Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Jawad S. Khawaja, Mohammad Sair Ali,
Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui, Rehmat Hussain Jafferi,
Tariq Pervaz, Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Khilji Arif Hussain,
Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Saqib Nisar, Ghulam Rabbani and
Khalilur Rehman Ramday.
It will take up petitions of Supreme Court Bar Association
president Qazi Mohammad Anwar, president of his own
faction of PML Ijazul Haq, the District Bar Association of
Rawalpindi and Advocate Nadeem Ahmed from Karachi. They
have opposed the appointment of superior court judges by a
judicial commission set up under the 18th Amendment and
said it undermined the independence of judiciary.
Ijazul Haq has also challenged the renaming of the NWFP
and an amendment to Article 17 of the Constitution
relating to elections within parties. The petitioners have
requested the court to declare the amendment in Article
175 (establishment and jurisdiction of courts) by adding
clause "A" a clear violation by parliament done without
legislative authority and thus impinges on the
independence of judiciary.
PPP legislator
accuses govt of running a ‘banana republic’
Dawn Online, Islamabad
Pakistan People's Party's leader from Sindh Zafar Ali Shah
left his party stunned in the National Assembly on
Wednesday when he accused it of turning Pakistan into a
'banana republic'.
His harsh criticism came during the debate on President
Asif Ali Zardari's address to a joint session of both
houses of parliament.
"It is strange that while the opposition talks of
strengthening parliament our government appears bent on
weakening it," he said.
The veteran PPP leader from Naushahro Feroze, who served
as deputy speaker when Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
was speaker of the National Assembly during Benazir
Bhutto's second government, alleged that the government
did not consult even the area's elected representatives on
issues related to Karachi.
"We are told to follow the party line, but who is there to
tell us what is the party line?"
He complained that party meetings were not held for
consultation with members.
"What kind of a government is it that cannot even catch
the murderers of its leader," Mr Shah said.
He opposed the inclusion of the law minister and the
attorney-general in the judicial commission to be set up
for appointment of judges.
PPP MNA from Hyderabad Syed Amir Ali Shah Jamote also
expressed concern over the handling of coalition partners,
particularly the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Without naming Interior Minister Rahman Malik, the two
senior parliamentarians from Sindh criticised the party
leadership for sending 'some people' to London to pacify
MQM chief Altaf Hussain on the issue of restoring the old
status of Hyderabad district.
Except for the outbursts of some PPP dissenters, mostly
from Sindh, the debate on the presidential address has so
far been a tame affair.
Only the MNAs who wish to speak attend the session and
leave the house after making their speeches.
PML-Q's Farzana Mushtaq read out a written speech,
something parliamentary rules don't allow.
Obama deflects criticism of
Pakistan
Dawn Online, Washington
US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that his
administration was working with both Pakistan and
Afghanistan to break down some of their old suspicions and
bad habits.
At a White House news conference with Afghan President
Hamid Karzai, the US president also indicated that
Pakistan dominated at least part of his almost three-hour
long consultations with the Afghan leader and his team.
"In support of the final part of our strategy, a regional
approach, we discussed the importance of Afghanistan's
neighbours supporting Afghan sovereignty and security," he
said.
He then recalled that he had hosted President Karzai and
President Asif Ali Zardari together at the White House a
year ago. "And our trilateral cooperation will continue,"
he declared.
"Indeed, Pakistan's major offensive against extremist
sanctuaries and our blows against the leadership of Al
Qaeda and its affiliates advance the security of
Pakistanis, Afghans and Americans alike," observed Mr
Obama.
One of Pakistan's bad habits that Mr Obama mentioned in
the news conference was its obsession with India.
While the US leader acknowledged that Pakistan was now
overcoming this habit to also recognise extremists as a
major threat, he forgot to mention that India had an
equally unhealthy obsession with Pakistan.
"I think there has been in the past a view on the part of
Pakistan that their primary rival, India, was their only
concern," he said.
"What you've seen over the last several months is a
growing recognition that they have a cancer in their
midst; that the extremist organisations that have been
allowed to congregate and use as a base the frontier areas
to then go into Afghanistan - that now threatens
Pakistan's sovereignty."
The US, he said, was determined to help improve relations
between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Rogue Thai general aiding
Red Shirts shot in head
AP, Bangkok
A renegade army general accused of leading a paramilitary
force among Thailand's Red Shirt protesters was shot in
the head Thursday, apparently by a sniper, an aide said,
after the government warned it would shoot "terrorists."
In an interview with The Associated Press about 90 minutes
before he was shot, Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdiphol said he
anticipated a military crackdown soon - as security forces
moved to seal an area of central Bangkok which has been
occupied by thousands of the protesters for weeks.
"It's either dusk or dawn when the troops will go in," he
said. He was shot soon after night fell.
An aide who answered Khattiya's mobile phone described the
injury as "severe." The AP called Khattiya's phone after
several gunshots and explosions were heard late Thursday
from the vicinity of the Red Shirt's redoubt in the
upscale Rajprasong district.
"Seh Daeng was shot in the head," said the aide, referring
to Khattiya by his nickname. The aide hung up without
identifying himself.
The government's medical emergency center confirmed that
Khattiya was shot in the head and admitted to the
intensive care unit at a hospital.
It was not possible to verify the aide's claim that
Khattiya was shot by a sniper. Calls to police and army
spokesmen seeking comment were not answered.
The Red Shirts, many from the rural poor, are demanding an
immediate dissolution of Parliament. They believe Prime
Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's coalition government came to
power illegitimately through manipulation of the courts
and the backing of the powerful military.
US turns down Pak’s request
for drone technology
ANI, Islamabad
The United States has reportedly rejected Pakistan's fresh
demands of handing over unmanned drone technology to it,
highly placed sources in the Pakistan military have
revealed, adding that Washington's refusal could see
Islamabad further delay its decision to launch a new war
front against militants in North Waziristan.
"Apart from other issues, the issue pertaining to transfer
of requisite drone technology could cause delay in
Pakistan's launching of military operation in North
Waziristan", The Nation quoted the sources, as saying.
Pakistan has already developed drones capable of
reconnaissance missions, but it still lacks the technology
to attach weapons to the indigenous drones so that it can
carry out attacks against extremists in the country's
semi-autonomous tribal regions by it self.
The well-placed military sources said that it was
imperative for the Obama Administration to provide the
drone technology to enable it take action against
extremists flourishing on the terror hot beds situated
along the Afghan border.
"Drones with weapon systems are imperative to meet
Pakistan's pressing needs in tackling low intensity
conflict such as terrorism especially with back up
intelligence support from US satellite network on Pak-
Afghan border" they said.
Islamabad has long been opposing the Central Investigation
Agency (CIA) operated drone strikes in the restive tribal
areas, saying they violate its sovereignty and fuel
anti-American sentiments amongst the population, however,
it is believed that Pakistan is privately sharing
intelligence with the US about the insurgents and their
hide-outs.
New UK govt says no
deadline for Afghan withdrawal
AP, London
Britain's new foreign minister says both partners in the
coalition government want British troops to stay in
Afghanistan until their job is done.
Foreign Secretary William Hague says there are "no major
differences" on Afghan strategy between the Conservatives
and their junior partners, the Liberal Democrats.
The Lib Dems campaigned on a promise to bring Britain's
10,000 troops home within five years.
But Hague said Thursday the government would not set an
artificial deadline. He says Conservatives and Lib Dems
would "take stock together and come to a shared
understanding of the situation."
Hague will visit Washington Friday for talks with
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Britain has
lost 285 troops in Afghanistan since 2001.
Japan may miss deadline in
US base row: PM
AFP, Tokyo
Japan's embattled prime minister conceded Thursday he may
miss a self-imposed May 31 deadline to resolve a row over
an unpopular US base that his officials discussed at the
Pentagon this week.
The dispute on the relocation of the noisy airbase on the
southern island of Okinawa has strained ties with
Washington for months and battered Yukio Hatoyama's
support ratings ahead of upper house elections slated for
July.
Hatoyama's centre-left government last year promised to
move the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma off the
island but, after finding no alternative location, last
week admitted that it will have to stay on Okinawa.
However, the latest plan for a relocation within the
island has proven unpopular both there and with defence
planners in Washington, where senior officials from both
sides met for seven hours at the Pentagon Wednesday.
Faced with no option likely to satisfy all sides and the
clock ticking, Hatoyama conceded on Thursday that the
issue may not be resolved by May 31, the deadline he set
himself months ago. "Since we don't know whether we will
be able to get everything done, we will of course make
efforts in June and after if there are things we have to
discuss further," he told reporters in televised comments.
The Futenma base has long angered locals because of
aircraft noise, pollution, the risk of crashes and
frictions with American service personnel, especially
after the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US
troops. Under a 2006 agreement-struck while previous
conservative governments ruled in Washington and Tokyo-the
base was due to be moved from the crowded city area of
Ginowan to the quieter coastal stretch of Henoko.
After vowing to scrap the plan, Hatoyama has decided to go
ahead with it after all, but reportedly with some
changes-including by building offshore runways on pylons
rather than landfill to minimise environmental damage.
At the Washington talks, the US side is believed to have
opposed the idea, in part because of concerns an elevated
runway could more easily be targeted by terrorists than
one built on landfill, Jiji Press reported.
Middle
East talks: US warning on East Jerusalem
BBC Online
The US administration has warned against an Israeli
government announcement it could continue to demolish
buildings in East Jerusalem. An unnamed Obama
administration official told Israeli media the US "calls
on both sides to avoid inflammatory actions in Jerusalem".
On Wednesday an Israeli minister said the demolition of
illegally built homes of Arabs could continue.
Last week indirect talks began between Israelis and
Palestinians.
The US State Department official was quoted as saying that
they hoped the indirect negotiations, known as "proximity
talks", would lead to direct negotiations between the
parties and steps that would "resolve this issue once and
for all".
Postponed
"If either side takes significant actions during the
proximity talks that we judge would seriously undermine
trust, we will respond and hold them accountable and
ensure negotiations will continue," the official said.
On Wednesday Interior Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch had
told Israel's parliament, the Knesset, that there was no
government order barring the demolition of homes illegally
built by Arabs in East Jerusalem.
He said that demolitions had been postponed in recent
months to avoid harming the attempts by US Senator George
Mitchell to reopen indirect talks.
"As of right now there is no directive for police not to
implement demolition orders," he said.
Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967. It annexed
the area in 1981 and sees it as its exclusive domain.
Under international law the area is occupied territory.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a
future state.
According to a UN report, Palestinians wanting to build a
home can seek permission to do so only in a small area. It
comprises about 13% of East Jerusalem and is already
densely populated.
As a result at least 28% of all homes have been built
illegally.
FBI arrests two over
New York bomb inquiry
BBC Online
The US authorities investigating the attempted bombing in
New York's Times Square have arrested two people during
searches near the city of Boston.
"Two individuals encountered during the searches were
taken into federal custody for alleged immigration
violations," the FBI said.
Police have cordoned off a house in Watertown,
Massachusetts.
Pakistani-born US citizen Faisal Shazhad, 30, has already
been charged with the attempted bombing on 1 May.
Authorities said Mr Shahzad, who lived in Connecticut
prior to the bombing attempt, has been cooperating with
federal officials.
In its statement on the latest arrests, the FBI said it
could "provide no further details as the investigation is
ongoing".
But it added: "This search is the product of evidence that
has been gathered in the investigation subsequent to the
attempted Times Square bombing and [does] not relate to
any known immediate threat to the public or active plot
against the United States."
A law enforcement official told the Associated Press news
agency that searches were also being conducted in homes on
New York's Long Island.
Justice department spokesman Dean Boyd said the searches
were the result of evidence collected during a 13-day
investigation.
Turkey undecided on Iran
meeting with Brazil: FM
AFP, Ankara
Turkey is still considering whether its prime minister
should go to Iran for joint talks with Brazil's president
over Tehran's nuclear programme, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said Thursday. Ankara's decision will depend on
the outcome of contacts with Iranian and Western
officials, including a planned telephone conversation with
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Davutoglu said on
the Haberturk television channel.
"The matter is not to just hold a three-way meeting... We
want to get results if such a meeting is to be held," he
said.
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman had said Tuesday
that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip "Erdogan would be
in Iran at the same time as Brazilian President" Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva, due to visit Tehran on Sunday and
Monday. Brazil and Turkey-both non-permanent members of
the UN Security Council opposed to fresh sanctions against
Iran, sought by Washington-have recently stepped up
diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff.
Turkey said last week it had proposed to host talks
between Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and EU
foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, as a representative
of the so-called P5+1 group of world powers.
It said Iran had welcomed the idea and a response was
awaited from Ashton.
"The two sides should agree on the agenda and the date of
the talks," Davutoglu said Thursday, adding that Turkey
would "very probably" be the venue of the meeting if an
agreement was reached.
The P5+1 group consists of permanent Security Council
members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United
States, plus Germany.
Hopeful family members
visit Libya crash survivor
AP, Tripoli
Hopeful family members rushed to a Libyan hospital
Thursday to reunite with the Dutch boy who was the only
survivor of a plane crash that killed 103 people and
doctors said the 9-year-old was out of danger after
surgery on his shattered legs.
An unnamed spokeswoman from the Dutch Embassy in Tripoli
told Dutch state broadcaster NOS that the boy immediately
recognized his relatives when they came in to see him, and
smiled at them. The Dutch Foreign Ministry said the boy
had told an embassy official his name is Ruben, he is 9
years old and he is from the southern city of Tilburg in
the Netherlands.
A Dutch newspaper quoted a woman who appeared to be the
boy's grandmother as saying he had been in South Africa on
safari with his brother and parents, who were celebrating
their wedding anniversary.
The Libyan plane was arriving from South Africa Wednesday
when it crashed minutes before landing at the airport in
Libya's capital Tripoli.
Dr. Hameeda al-Saheli, the head of the pediatric unit at
the Libyan hospital where the boy is being treated, said
he is breathing normally and his vital organs are intact.
She told the official Libyan news agency he suffered four
fractures in his legs and lost a lot of blood, but his
neck, skull and brain were not affected and he did not
suffer internal bleeding. "As soon as his health permits
he will be brought to the Netherlands," the Dutch Foreign
Ministry said in a statement.
Officials at al-Khadra hospital said three Westerners
visiting the boy Thursday were his relatives. The Dutch
Foreign Ministry said the boy's aunt and uncle were in
Tripoli. The hospital officials spoke on condition of
anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the
information.
Libyan television showed images on Wednesday of the boy
laying on a hospital bed after the crash, breathing
through an oxygen mask with his head bandaged and face
bruised and swollen.
Cameron 'expecting great
things' from civil servants
BBC Online
David Cameron has told civil servants he is "expecting
great things" from them, after chairing the first meeting
of his new cabinet at Number 10.
The prime minister spoke to staff at the Business
Department and told them they had a "huge job" on their
hands to get the economy moving again. Earlier, ministers
said the new cabinet got "straight down to business" when
it met at Downing Street.
Education Secretary Michael Gove said there was a "sense
of common purpose".
Mr Cameron told business staff that the civil service was
"an incredible machine", adding: "I am expecting great
things of you."
He said he wanted them to get Britain back "open for
business", and praised the new Lib Dem Business Secretary
Vince Cable as "an absolute star" on economic matters. Mr
Cameron then went on to give a similar speech to staff
inside the Home Office. He is also due to announce a
string of junior government posts, including further Lib
Dem appointments.
In Thursday's first cabinet meeting, Mr Cameron sat
opposite deputy prime minister and coalition partner Nick
Clegg, with four other Lib Dems also at the table.
Pentagon rethinking value
of major counterinsurgencies
McClatchy Newspapers, Washington
Nearly a decade after the United States began to focus its
military training and equipment purchases almost
exclusively on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , U.S.
military strategists are quietly shifting gears, saying
that large-scale counterinsurgency efforts cost too much
and last too long.
The domestic economic crisis and the Obama
administration's commitment to withdraw from Iraq and
begin drawing down in Afghanistan next year are factors in
the change. The biggest spur, however, is a growing
recognition that large-scale counterinsurgency battles
have high casualty rates for troops and civilians, eat up
equipment that must be replaced and rarely end in clear
victory or defeat.
In addition, military thinkers say such wars have put the
U.S.'s technologically advanced ground forces on the
defensive while less sophisticated insurgent forces are
able to remain on the offensive.
Counterinsurgency "is a good way to get out of a situation
gone bad," but it's not the best way to use combat forces,
said Andrew Exum , a fellow with the Washington -based
Center for a New American Security . "I think everyone
realizes counterinsurgency is a losing proposition for
U.S. combat troops. I can't imagine anyone would opt for
this option."
Ousted leader of Kyrgyzstan
"attempts coup"
Reuters, Osh/Bishkek
Supporters of ousted Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev
seized control of government buildings in three southern
regions of the impoverished Central Asian state in an
apparent coup attempt.
Bakiyev supporters seized control of government buildings
in the cities of Osh, Jalalabad and Batken, kidnapped the
governor of Jalalabad region and tried to take control of
the area's main airport in Osh, witnesses and officials
said."The interim government views today's events in Osh...as
an attempt by former President Bakiyev's associates to
regain power," government spokesman Farid Niyazov was
quoted as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency.
There were no reports of deaths but the unrest was the
biggest challenge to the interim government, formed last
month after a popular revolt topped Bakiyev from power and
forced him to flee to the former Soviet republic of
Belarus. Any worsening of tensions in the south, at the
heart of Central Asia's most flammable and ethnically
divided corner, would be of concern to world powers keen
to maintain stability in Central Asia, a vast Muslim
region north of Afghanistan.
Belarus, whose maverick leader Alexander Lukashenko
refused to extradite Bakiyev to face charges in
Kyrgyzstan, announced on Thursday that all its diplomats
had left the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek "for security
reasons".Russia and the United States, who both have
military bases in Kyrgyzstan, backed the interim
government which came to power after the overthrow of
Bakiyev.
Business/Economy
BD to be
among the largest shrimp exporting countries
Says EU Head of Operation
BSS, Dhaka
Speakers at a function here on Thursday underscored the
need for improving laboratory facilities and sharing
higher technology to further improve the potentialities
and prospects of shrimp exports from the country. They
were speaking at a presentation ceremony on placing the
recommendations of Dr. Glenn Kennedy, Head of the Chemical
Surveillance Branch, Agro-Food and Biosciences, Northern
Ireland, UK.
Kennedy was engaged jointly by Bangladesh Shrimp & Fish
Foundation [BSFF] and KATALYST, a Swiss-financed
organization working for the Ministry of Commerce for as a
short-term consultancy to review the last Food &
Veterinary Organization [FVO] mission report. He worked on
a number of analytical issues related to laboratories of
the Department of Fisheries and the BSFF and forwarded a
number of recommendations and follow-up actions.
Commerce Secretary Md. Ghulam Hussain was the chief guest
while Head of EU Operation Jean-Jaques Lauture and Joint
Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Animal
Resources Md. Shamsul Kibria were the special guests.
Besides, President of Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters
Association [BFFEA] Musa Meah, BSFF Chairperson Syed
Mahmudul Huq, Technical Adviser of the National Working
Committee Dr. Mahmudul Karim and Saleh Ahmed and A S M
Jahangir of the fisheries department also spoke on the
occasion.
Ghulam Hussain said the Ministry of Fisheries and Animal
Resources has been diligently working towards sustainable
growth of the fisheries sector in Bangladesh. "Recently
the ministry has succeeded in pursuing the 'Fish Feed Act
2010' and the 'Hatchery Act 2010' to be passed soon in
parliament," he said.
He also said that the ministry is to introduce the
National Shrimp Policy for the first time in the country.
"In the recent EU-FVO mission from 19-28 January last, it
was found that the official control on public health in
shrimp sector has been strengthened since the last FVO
mission in 2008, particularly at the production stage," he
said.
Ghulam Hussain said the Ministry of Commerce and the
Fisheries Product Business Promotion Council (FPBPC) are
also working at par with the Ministry of Fisheries and
Animal Resources to develop the shrimp export market with
participation of all related stakeholders.
He expressed his satisfaction by saying that Dr Glenn's
work would add a new dimension in improving the testing
facilities in Bangladesh, ultimately to create positive
impact on multiplying the export of shrimp from the
country.
The EU head of operation said if Bangladesh continues to
show such promising activities in improving the shrimp
market, then in near future it will establish itself as
one of the largest shrimp exporting countries of the
world.
Praising the efforts of both government and private
organizations in developing the shrimp sector, Mr.
Jean-Jacques Lauture expressed his satisfaction saying, EU
is glad to know that Bangladesh has strengthened
activities to ensure safety of public health in shrimp
sector at primary production level. "Making the lab
testing facilities error free is a big pre- requisite for
export, as buyers in EU or US market are entailing strict
regulations against contamination in any type of food," he
said.
Jean also said that Dr. Glenn was hired by BSFF/Katalyst
for the first time last year to evaluate the capacity of
laboratories and investigate the causes of Nitrofuran
residues in the shrimp of Bangladesh. During his last
visit, it became evident that the testing method used in
Bangladesh to identify the presence of Nitrofuran and
their metabolites was satisfactory, he said.
WB
administered GPOBA, IDCOL help low-income households in BD
gain access to electricity
UNB, Dhaka
The World Bank, acting as administrator for the Global
Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA), has approved two
grants totaling US$8.3 million to subsidize part of the
costs for installation of Solar Home Systems (SHS) and
renewable energy mini-grids for poor households in rural
Bangladesh.
More than 140,000 households (or about 700,000 people) and
5,000 small to medium enterprises like timber mills,
poultry farms and irrigation pumps in remote rural areas
of Bangladesh, are expected to benefit from access to
affordable electricity through the SHS and mini-grid
projects, says a WB press release.
The GPOBA grants will complement the additional US$130
million IDA credit approved in 2009 for the Bangladesh
Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy (RERED)
project.
The RERED project has already installed about 500,000
Solar Home Systems (SHS) in remote rural areas of
Bangladesh and is considered to be one of the most
successful SHS programs in the world.
"The GPOBA projects will support the Government of
Bangladesh's goal to ensure that the entire country has
access to electricity by 2021. 80% of Bangladesh's
population live in rural areas and are also the group most
affected by a lack of sufficient electricity generation.
These projects will help 140,000 more households gain
access to affordable electricity," WB acting country
director Zahid Hussain said.
The approved GPOBA grants will be used to subsidize the
cost of SHS or mini-grid installations for poor
households. The Infrastructure Development Company Limited
(IDCOL) will act as manager for both schemes. "Our mission
at IDCOL is to encourage private sector investment in
energy and infrastructure projects," said IDCOL CEO Islam
Sharif.
"The output-based aid approach has an impressive track
record to date because it helps low income households gain
access to electricity and makes it attractive for the
private sector to offer services to the poor."
GPOBA will pay a subsidy of US$50 towards the cost of a
SHS and a maximum of 50% of the capital cost for a
mini-grid system, once inspectors employed by IDCOL have
verified the installation and compliance with
specifications. "The subsidy paid by GPOBA acts as an
incentive for businesses to offer services to poor
households," said Zubair K M Sadeque, Task Manager for the
World Bank and GPOBA.
"An output-based approach ensures that payment is made
only when a qualifying rural household has access to
electricity through a Solar Home System or mini-grid
installation."
Zimbabwe mine workers strike over low pay
AFP, Harare
Thousands of mine workers in Zimbabwe went on strike for
better pay Thursday after negotiations with employers
collapsed, union officials said.
"This is a national strike which covers the whole country
and so far 25,000 workers have heeded our call to go on
strike," Tinago Ruzive, president of the Associated Mine
Workers Union of Zimbabwe, told AFP.
"The chamber of mines has refused to negotiate with us."
The strike began a day after a deadline set by the unions
for employers to raise their salaries expired, he said.
Ruzive said a labour tribunal had already awarded a
140-dollar wage increase to mine workers, but the national
chamber of mines has instructed its members not to pay out
the full increase.
"This is a violation of the law. We understand that the
industry is not yet out of the pit, but workers are
suffering," he said. The workers are demanding 290 dollars
a month for the lowest-paid employees, who currently earn
140 dollars a month. Zimbabwe's mining sector, which
employs 40,000 workers, is showing signs of recovery after
an economic crisis that saw hyperinflation erase the value
of the local currency, which was abandoned last year.
The country has deposits of gold, platinum, diamonds, coal
and a variety of metals, but production had plunged to
almost nothing.
The gold sector has so far produced 1,667 tonnes during
the first quarter of the year, compared to zero production
during the same period last year.
‘Europe crisis could hit Asian growth’
AFP, Sydney
Australia's central bank on Thursday warned that Europe's
renewed financial turmoil could pose a risk to Asian
growth, but said booming commodities prices meant its own
economy was well insulated.
Assistant governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
Phillip Lowe said emergency measures to stave off a
European debt crisis had gone some way to restoring
investor confidence, but doubts could resurface. "Despite
the recent announcements having stabilised confidence in
Europe, concerns about public finances could build again,"
Lowe said in speech to investors in Sydney.
"If they did, it would weigh on growth prospects for the
countries directly concerned, and it could also weigh on
prospects in Asia, particularly if it were associated with
a marked increase in risk aversion globally."
Faced with spiralling debts and a market hammering that
raised fears of a second financial crisis, the European
Union and International Monetary Fund last week set up a
trillion-dollar safety net to rescue tottering economies.
Lowe said the RBA would be "watching carefully over the
weeks and months ahead to assess how the balance of these
risks is evolving", with the crisis in Europe, especially
Greece, showing how circumstances could change quickly.
"If they do, Australia is in the fortunate position, as
are a number of countries in Asia, of having the policy
flexibility to be able to respond," he said.
Australia was benefiting from Asia's strong recovery from
the global financial crisis led by China, Lowe said, with
demand for its resources expected to underpin a
significant economic boost.
"Australia's terms of trade are expected to regain their
peak of a couple of years ago... bring(ing) them back to
around the very high level they reached in the early
1950s," said Lowe.
Greece draws first IMF loan for eurozone state
AFP, Athens
Greece on Wednesday drew 5.5 billion euros (6.9 billion
dollars) from an emergency International Monetary Fund
loan, becoming the first eurozone country to be forced to
resort to the IMF for aid.
"Greece has accessed the sum without any problems,
everything was done in close cooperation with the IMF....
Everything is under control," a top official from the
finance ministry told AFP, speaking on condition of
anonymity.
Faced with spiralling debts and a hammering on financial
markets, Greece earlier this month was given the go-ahead
to access a 110-billion-euro loan from the European Union
and the IMF in return for harsh austerity measures.
The move sparked a collapse in confidence in weaker
eurozone economies among global investors and forced EU
leaders to agree to make a bailout fund of nearly one
trillion dollars available for crisis-hit countries.
Greece desperately needs the money as it has been
effectively blocked from international debt markets by the
forbiddingly high rates demanded by investors and it needs
nine billion euros to meet debt repayments due next
Wednesday.
A finance ministry official said the government is
expecting another loan tranche of 14.5 billion euros from
the European Union early next week.
Afghanistan's opium output set to slide
AFP, Kabul
As the pink poppy fields of southern Afghanistan yield
their sticky harvest, opium production in the country that
supplies the world with heroin is set to fall, farmers and
officials say.
That's good news for the fight against the
multi-billion-dollar drugs trade but it could be bad news
for Afghan farmers struggling to feed their families as
the war against Taliban insurgents and drugs gangs
escalates.
"This year we had less poppy cultivation, which I think
was because of our public awareness campaign which we
launched before cultivation started," said Gul Mohammad,
head of the counter-narcotics department of Kandahar
province.
Farmers in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand,
the source of around 90 percent of the world's opium,
agreed the harvest will fall this year.
The farmers and other experts cited high rainfall in some
areas, drought in others, free seeds for alternatives such
as wheat and good prices for food crops, and a mysterious
disease withering poppies in some areas.
While some farmers have reportedly accused the United
States and Britain of spraying their crops with chemicals,
the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said disease
was the likely culprit.
Tests by the interior ministry were inconclusive and more
were being carried out, said the agency's representative
in Kabul, Jean-Luc Lemahieu, adding that "plagues, pests,
blight" had hit Afghanistan's poppy crop in 2002 and 2006.
"Natural phenomenon cannot be excluded, as happens to
wheat, corn, apples. It is part of nature," Lemahieu said.
Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UNODC, told the BBC that
Afghanistan's 2010 opium output could fall by up to 25
percent, thanks to the disease, a fungus that could have
infected about half of the total poppy crop.
Bilal, a farmer in Helmand's Nad Ali district, said the
disease had drastically cut his opium output.
"We are in the very last days of the harvest, maybe in two
or three more days we'll be done. We'll have less output
this year," he told AFP. "I don't know what the disease is
but we'll have little output (as a result)."
UNODC said opium output was down by 10 percent in 2009 to
6,900 tonnes, but yield rose 15 percent because farmers
extracted more opium per bulb.
Production far outstripped annual world demand of 5,000
tonnes, it said, with stockpiles of opium estimated at
10,000 tonnes as cartels hoarded in an effort to push up
prices that had fallen by 30 percent in a year.
Stockpiles were equal to two years' supply of heroin for
addicts, or three years of morphine for medical use, it
said.
Lemahieu said it was too early to say if 2010 output would
be lower than last year's-making it the third consecutive
annual fall-but yields were likely to be affected.
Russian car sales rise for first time since October
2008
AFP, Moscow
Sales of cars and light trucks in Russia rose by 20
percent in April, the first increase in 19 months, thanks
to a cash-for-clunkers programme, a foreign investors
group said Wednesday.
A total of 163,299 vehicles were sold last month, a
one-fifth increase from the same period last year, said
the Association of European Businesses (AEB).
For the first four months of the year, however, sales were
down 13 percent compared to a year ago, the AEB said.
"April saw the first year on year growth of the Russian
automotive market in a single month since October 2008,"
David Thomas, AEB chairman, said in a statement.
"It was also the first full month of operation of the
scrappage scheme and gives a strong indication of the
impact that this programme is having particularly at the
low cost end of the market," he said.
Since March, the Russian government has been offering a
50,000 ruble (1,200 euro) incentive to people who scrap
cars that are more than 10 years old and buy new vehicles
that were built in Russia. The programme runs until
November.
The Russian car market, once considered one of the most
promising in Europe, fell by 49 percent last year compared
to 2008.
National
All-time record Boro yield
likely in N-region
BSS, Rangpur
The initial high yield rates of Boro paddy predicts an
all-time bumper production of the major crop in the
country's northern districts bringing smiles to the
farmers this season, farmers and officials said Thursday.
Meanwhile, market price of coarse variety rice marked
falls by Taka 8 on an average per kg now than a fortnight
ago and is selling at Taka 21 to 22 per kg following
appearance of the newly harvested Boro rice everywhere in
the northern region. At the same time, the farm and day-labourers
have been earning better per day wages of up to Taka 200
or even more now by selling their labour in harvesting
Boro paddy as their demand has reached the peak.
Despite bumper Boro production, the farmers are however,
not happy enough as they are selling the paddy now at
rates between Taka 480 and Taka 520 per maund (every 40
kg) depending on the paddy varieties and moisture
contents. They urged for procuring only dry paddy directly
from the farmers by formulating new procurement policy
instead of rice procurement from the millers to ensure
fair prices for the farmers. The farmers said that the
present Boro market rate is lower than the fixed rate of
Taka 680 per maund by the present pro- people government
and the common people would not get the full benefits if
the millers would supply rice in the process of the pasts.
The farmers while talking to BSS today suggested the
government for procuring dry Boro paddy directly from the
farmers by the government procurement centres or the
millers themselves at the rate fixed by the government.
"We will get the fair price and full subsidy benefits if
the government involves the millers for crushing the
procured dry paddy at fixed per maund crushing charges and
reaching the rice to the government godowns," they opined.
The agri-scientists, experts and officials in the DAE also
urged for ensuring fair Boro paddy prices to the farmers
and keep their interests and enthusiasm intact in paddy
farming to make the country secured in food grain
productions.
"If there were no major natural calamities, the farmers
will get a super bumper Boro production as harvest will be
completed by the middle of the next month," said
Additional Director of the DAE of Rangpur Zone Mohsin Ali.
The DAE officials told that about 15 percent of the crop
has so far been harvested in the region and the prevailing
sunny weather is needed for smooth harvest of the crop and
drying the wet paddy.
"Farmers are getting excellent yield rates of 3.5 tonnes
rice per hectare for the High Yielding Varieties and 4.5
to 4.75 tonnes rice per hectare for the Hybrid Varieties
Boro," DAE officials said adding that these yield rates
are higher than the fixed rates.
The farmers have cultivated Boro on 2.4 percent more land
than the fixed target and the crop grew excellent under
favourable climatic conditions that further predict bumper
Boro productions in northern Bangladesh.
Dilip for Chinese knowledge transfer to Bangladesh
BSS, Dhaka
Industries Minister Dilip Barua on Thursday urged the
Chinese universities and institutions to transfer their
knowledge and expertise to help Bangladesh to build a
knowledge based society.
Strong partnership in the area of education would also
help strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries,
he said while inaugurating China Education Exhibition-2010
here.
North South University (NSU) and Chinese Embassy in
Bangladesh jointly organized the daylong exhibition.
Terming China as one of the best friends and development
partners, Dilip Barua said China could also provide
support in economic, industrial, trade, agricultural,
environmental and technological areas.
In this regard, the Industries Minister said, "Bangladesh
supports 'One China' policy and considers Taiwan as an
integral part of China.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zhang Xianyi attended the
function as special guest while Vice Chancellor of the NSU
Dr Hafiz GA Siddiqui was in the chair.
Chairman of NSU Managing Committee MA Kashem, Vice
President of Hefei University of Technology of China Hong
Tianqi and Dr Khaliquzzaman Elias, also spoke on the
occasion.
Appropriate knowledge in industrial policy and technology
is required to build a digital Bangladesh by 2021 and make
the country free from poverty, corruption and
unemployment.
A told of 40 Chinese educational institutions took part in
the exhibition offering many educational facilities for
Bangladeshi students to pursue their studies in
engineering, medical and other areas of science and
technology.
JS body suggests quick
installation of gas metres
BSS, Dhaka
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public
Undertakings on Thursday recommended quick installation of
gas metres and introduction of monitoring system to stop
wastage of natural gas.
The recommendation was made at the 24th meeting of the
parliamentary body at the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban with
committee Chairman ABM Golam Mostafa presiding.
The meeting was informed that the demand of gas is about
2,200 million cubic feet in the country and the production
is 2,000 million cubic feet at present. The gas production
was 1,600 million cubic feet one year ago.
It would be possible to increase the production of gas by
70 million cubic feet by July this year. The total
production would be increased by an additional 1,000
million cubic feet by 2016. So, there will be no crisis of
gas and electricity in the country.
The meeting discouraged imports of stones for construction
work to save foreign currency. It recommended using high
quality local stones in construction work.
The meeting asked the Islamic Foundation authorities to
ensure transparency in recruitment process and strengthen
campaign on war crimes trial in religious point of view.
Committee members Biren Sikder, SK Abu Baker, Mainuddin
Khan Badal, Bazlul Haq Harun and Amina Ahmed attended the
meeting.
Secretary of Religious Affairs Ministry Kazi Habibul Awal,
Petrobangla Chairman Dr Hossain Mansur and senior
officials concerned were present.
Doctors call on health minister,
seek security
BSS, Dhaka
A joint delegation of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA)
and Association of Physicians of Bangladesh (APB) on
Thursday called on Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr
Ruhal Haque at his office and sought security of doctors
across the country.
The delegation raised the demand in view of abduction and
repression of a physician at Dhanmondi in the city, said
an official release.
The delegation informed the minister that a gang of
terrorists on May 9 kidnapped eminent medicine specialist
Dr Prof AKM Rafik Uddin from his Dhamnondi chamber. They
tortured him and demanded toll.
Later, the terrorists released Dr Rafik issuing threats.
The physician community is suffering from insecurity
following the incident, the delegation told the health
minister.
The minister termed the incident as heinous and said it is
essential to ensure exemplary punishment of the culprits.
Dr Rahul Haque said he would talk to the concerned
authorities for taking stringent legal actions against the
culprits.
The delegation included BMA President Prof Mahmud Hassan,
Secretary General Prof Sharfuddin Ahmed, Vice-President
Qamrul Hassan Khan, and other leaders Prof Iqbal Arsalan,
Dr M Rouf Sarder, Dr Abdul Aziz, Prof Dr M Jalil Chowdhury,
Prof Dr Syed Atiqul Haq, Prof Kazi Tariqul Islam and
Associate Prof Billal Alam.
Prisoners to be released may not
engage in crimes again: DMP Commissioner
UNB, Dhaka
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner AKM Shahidul
Haque on Thursday said that the prisoners, who will be
released from jail on executive order, might not engage
themselves in criminal activities again.
"I don't think they (released prisoners) will again get
involved in criminal activities… they possibly corrected
themselves after serving out long sentences," he said
replying to a question after a monthly crime conference at
the Rajarbagh Police Lines auditorium.
The Police Commissioner, however, said that all such
released prisoners would be under surveillance.
In a recent move, the government plans to release 1,000
prisoners under five categories-elderly, female, disabled,
children andthose suffering from serious diseases.
A decision to this effect was taken on Saturday evening
when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sat in a meeting with
the prison authorities with Home Minister Sahara Khatun
present.
Referring to the law and order in the capital last month,
Shahidul Haque said the overall law and order situation
was almost stable in April. He said incidents of dacoity
and burglary decreased while of murder and violence
against women were slightly up.
Three incidents of dacoity and 35 of burglary were
recorded in April in the capital as against 5 and 59
respectively in March.
A total of 16 killings and 147 incidents of violence
against women were recorded in the capital in April while
the figures were 13 and 112 respectively in March. About
mandatory wearing of helmet by motor-bike riders in the
city, the DMP Commissioner said even policemen riding
motorcycle must wear helmet. Otherwise, they are also
subject to action under the Motor Vehicles Act.
Disseminate latest agro
technologies to farmers to boost production: Speakers
BSS, Gaibandha
The speakers at a function here on Wednesday urged the
agri-experts to disseminate the latest agro technologies
to the farmers to boost production of crops including
paddy to achieve the country's food security.
"In this regard the agri officials particularly the field
level ones have the vital roles in familiarizing and
popularizing the modern methods with the farmers to help
them grow more crops by utilizing every inch of arable
land", they said.
They said this in an inaugural function of 5-day long
District Agriculture Fair organized by Department of
Agriculture Extension (DAE under its Grater Rangpur
Agriculture and Rural Development Project at the
Independence Square of the town here on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) M.Shahidul Islam attended the
function as the chief guest and Police Super M. Shahadat
Hossain, and senior Vice-president of district AL Sadrul
Kabir Angur were present as the special guests.
Presided over by Deputy Director of DAE M. Qurban Ali, the
ceremony was also addressed, among others, by Sadar
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Asif Ahsan, Upazila Agriculture
Officer M. Mozaffar Rahman, Upazila Additional Agriculture
Officer Sasty Chandra Roy, Sub Assistant Agriculture
Officer M. Nazim Uddin, Ballamjhar UP Chairman Mozammel
Haque Mondal and farmers Abu Sufian and Shawkat Ali. On
the occasion, the speakers urged all particularly the
farmers to visit the fair and to acquire the knowledge's
from it to cultivate high yield crops to get more
economically benefited through bringing all fellow lands
under cultivation programme.
Terming the present government as farmer friendly the DC
in his speech said just after assuming the office the
government decreased the prices of all chemical
fertilizers, diesel and other agri-inputs and distributed
agri-subsidy to the farmers, side by side with ensuring
electricity for irrigation to encourage them to grow more
food in the country.
A large number of invited guests, upazila and district
level officials, farmers, students, teachers, political
leaders and NGO workers including the journalists were
present on the occasion.
A total of 30 stalls have been set up in the fair where
different kinds of varieties, saplings and agri-machineries
are being displayed for the people.
Dipu Moni congratulates new
British Foreign Minister William Hague
UNB, Dhaka
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni Thursday congratulated
William Hague MP on his assumption of Secretary of State
for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of Britain.
"I wish you success as you assume your high responsibility
at the helm of the United Kingdom's foreign policy," she
said in a message of felicitation to her British
counterpart.
Dipu Moni said Bangladesh and the United Kingdom enjoy
excellent relations which, she believes, will be further
expanded in the days ahead during his stewardship at the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
She said the two Commonwealth nations have long historic
bond of friendship that has found reflection in expanding
cooperation in the fields of political, economic, trade
and investment, cultural and social development.
"We shall look forward to closer engagement in a wider
range of potential areas of cooperation," the Foreign
Minister said.
Ex Minister Mosharraf, six others
discharged from corruption charge
UNB, Dhaka
A court here on Thursday discharged former Housing and
Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain of Awami
League, and six others from a corruption case filed
against them in February, 2002.
Judge Mohammad Abdul Majid of the Special Court for Dhaka
Division passed the order saying the accused have been
discharged as there is no sufficient element of framing
charges against them.
The other accused are former public works secretary
Jagannath Dey, former chief engineer AKM Mukitur Rahman,
former additional chief engineer KM Shahiduzzaman,
additional chief engineer Badrey Aziz, executive engineer
Mohammad Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan and Concord engineering
and construction Chairman SM Kamal Uddin.
All the seven accused appeared before the court during the
hearing.
The case was filed against them with Ramna Police Station
on charge corruption during the construction of Swadhinata
Stambha at Suhrawardy Udyan by abusing power on February
3, 2002.
Kosovo’s independence
Recognition after Int’l Court’s decision: FM
UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh will take decision on the recognition of
Kosovo's independence after the International Court
settles the matter raised by Serbia, Foreign Minister Dipu
Moni said here Thursday.
The question of establishing Bangladesh's diplomatic ties
with Israel would depend on establishment of peace in the
Middle East, she said while talking to the members of
Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB).
The Foreign Minister said: "We stand for peace in the
Middle East…We can review the establishment of diplomatic
ties after the establishment of Palestine as independent
state as well as peace in the Middle East and not before
that."
Dipu Moni, who will visit Moscow May 20-21, said a
framework agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear
technology will be signed with Russia. She will hold talks
with her Russian counterpart on May 21.
Her visit will pave the way for Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina's visit to Russia which would take place end this
year or early next year.
Prior to her Moscow visit, Dipu Moni will attend the OIC
Foreign Ministers conference in Tajikistan on May 18-20.
Prosecutor Zead Al Malum again
ill-treats journalists
UNB, Dhaka
Yet again Zead Al Malum, one of the prosecutors under the
International (Crimes) Tribunal, on Thursday ill-treated a
delegation of journalists when they went to visit him to
know if he has any specific evidence against journalists
engaged in espionage and smuggling out information.
The delegation of Law Reporters' Forum (LRF) was led by
its president Swapan Dasgupta.
On May 11, at an impromptu briefing, prosecutor Zead Al
Malum made a blanket accusation of sabotage and espionage
against the journalists who regular visit the Tribunal for
collecting follow-up reports on the progress of war crimes
trial process.
The Tribunal is set up at the old High Court building for
holding trial of the perpetrators of crimes against
humanity during the war of liberation in 1971.
As the LRF delegation sought time for appointment with
him, prosecutor Malum refused to meet them and declined to
give any explanation about the statement he made against
the journalists.
"Whatever I said, I stand by my statement about the
journalists… you do whatever you like, I don't care," he
shouted from his chamber attached to the Tribunal.
US-Bangladesh military
exercise concludes in Sylhet
BSS, Dhaka
US Ambassador in Dhaka James F. Moriarty attended the
closing ceremony for exercise "Tiger Shark 2" on Thursday
at the Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet.
During this "Tiger Shark" exercise, soldiers from the
first Commando Battalion, Bangladesh Army and the US Army
conducted specialized training on counter terrorism,
marksmanship, and urban operations.
Speaking on the occasion, the ambassador reaffirmed the US
support to Bangladesh's efforts to establish a more
capable military answerable to an elected, democratic
civilian government, according to a press release of the
US embassy in Dhaka.
He said that his government would also continue to assist
the Bangladesh government in its security needs while
furthering the level of cooperation and friendship between
the two governments.
This training demonstrates the United States government's
firm commitment to Bangladesh and to regional security by
promoting military-to-military relationships thro-ughout
Asia and the Pacific.
Sports
Abahani takes on Hasus NTCPE today
UNB, Dhaka
High flying Abahani Limited takes on world- ranked 166 Chinese
Taipei's Hasus NTCPE today at 7 pm in its 2nd group A match of
the AFC President's Cup at Bangabandhu National Sta-dium in
Dhaka.
In the day's other match, world-ranked 161 Kyrgyz-stan's
Dordoi Bishkek meets world-ranked 162 Nepal's New Road at 4 pm
at the same venue.
Earlier, world-ranked 160 Bangladesh's Abahani Limited, two
times champions of domestic Bangla-desh League (Professional
Football League), made a flying start in the tournament
beating Nepal's New Road 2-0 while Kyrgyzstan's Dordoi Bishkek
crushed Chinese Taipei's Hasus NTCPE 5-0, both in their
respective opening match on Wednesday.
On Sunday (May 16), Abahani Limited will play their 3rd group
match against strong Kyrgyzstan's Dordoi Bishkek (7 pm) while
Chinese Taipei's Hasus NTCPE faces Nepal's New Road (4 pm),
both at BNS.
Robi
Asiad hockey qualifiers
Bangladesh loses point again
TBT Report
Bangladesh lost points yet again in the Robi Asian Games
hockey qualifying round when the hosts were held to a 3-3 draw
by Sri Lanka at Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium in
Dhaka on Thursday.
Bangladesh, which earlier suffered a 7-5 defeat to Chinese
Taipei and drew 2-2 with Hong Kong, disappointed the fans with
dismal performance. Bangladesh took the lead three times in
the match but every time failed to hold on to the advantage
and allowed the islanders to comeback into the game.
Prolific striker Maksud Alam Habul scored just 10 minutes
after the push-off to give Bangladesh a 1-0 lead, which the
hosts preserved until the entire first half and 10 minutes
after the break.
Hettiarachchi brought the equalizer for Sri Lanka from a
penalty stroke on 45 minutes (1-1). But the parity did not
last long as Bangladesh's drag flick specialist Mamunur Rahman
Chayan converted a penalty stroke three minutes later to put
the hosts 2-1 in front.
Panditharatne scored from a penalty corner to put the game on
level terms on 55 minutes (2-2). Pushker Khisha scored on 58
minutes to give Bangladesh a 3-2 lead but this time also the
hosts failed to cling on to their lead. Hettiarachchi
converted the second penalty stroke for the Lankans and forced
Bangladesh to settle a 3-3 draw.
Bangladesh's only win, an 8-1 triumph against Thailand, came
in its inaugural match. Later, Oman defeated Thailand 4-2 Hong
Kong played to a 1-1 draw with Chinese Taipei in the other
matches of the day.
No match will be played today. Bangladesh faces off Singapore,
Sri Lanka takes on Thailand and Oman meets Chinese Taipei
tomorrow.
BRA invites
entry for Cooline rugby
TBT Report
The 2nd Cooline AC Open Rugby Championship will be held in
the last week of this month at Paltan Sports Ground in the
city.
Bangladesh Rugby Asso-ciation (BRA) is organizing the
seven-a-side rugby tournament with the sponsorship of
Cooline AC.
Intending teams are requested to send their entries by May
20.
Spanish press laud rejuvenated
Atletico
AFP, Madrid
The Spanish press on Thursday hailed the first major
European trophy in 48 years for Atletico Madrid, who have
long been overshadowed by their mighty cross-town rival
Real and the butt of jokes.
"In the year of the (economic) crisis, the crisis team
could not fail in its date with history," said Spain's
leading daily El Pais.
Two goals from Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan gave
Atletico a 2-1 extra-time win over London club Fulham in
the Europa League in Hamburg on Wednesday night.
The victory wiped out years of humiliation for the
supporters, who had not celebrated a major title since
Atletico won the league and Spanish Cup double in 1996.
"This will help to comfort children who arrive in school
on a Monday with heads bowed and workers who do not even
want to look at the newspaper in the bar with its mocking
comments about their team," said the Catalan sports daily
Mundo Deportivo.
The fatalism and pessimism of the supporters, many of whom
are from working-class districts of the capital, reached
such a level that the club launched a publicity campaign
in the 2001-02 season that included some self-depreciating
humour.
"Daddy, why are we with Atleti?" asked a child in the
advertisment, to which the father replied: "It's not easy
to explain but it's something very, very big."
On Thursday, the front page of the sports newspaper Marca,
more used to highlighting the exploits of Real's
millionaire stars, provided the child's imagined response
following the Europa League victory: "Daddy, now I know
why we're with Atleti."
Late Wednesday, thousands of ecstatic Atletico supporters
sang and danced in the street at their traditional
celebration site at Madrid's Neptune Fountain after their
first major European title since the club won the now
defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1962.
The crowd chanted "Champions, Champions," and "Uruguayan,
Uruguayan" in honour of Forlan and taunted their Madrid
rivals with "Real, salute the champions!"
The fiesta was set to continue on Thursday afternoon when
the players themselves are to gather at the Neptune
Fountain, near the Plaza Cibeles where Real fans normally
celebrate their victories.
And Atletico have the chance to pick up more silverware
this season when they takes on Sevilla in the final of the
King's Cup on Wednesday.
India takes on
Olympic chiefs over fixing tenures
AFP, New Delhi
India has clashed with the International Olympic Committee
over new rules limiting the tenures of the country's top
sports officials, letters seen by AFP on Thursday showed.
The IOC, in a letter to the ministry on May 10, asked the
government not to implement new guidelines that mean the
heads of sports federations cannot remain in their posts
for more than 12 years or beyond the age of 70.
The Olympic body has the power to impose sanctions on
India, including suspending the country from its
membership-a move that would prevent it taking part in the
2012 London Olympics.
The Indian sports ministry order has rattled politicians,
businessmen and bureaucrats who have headed sports bodies
for decades and turned them into their personal fiefdoms.
Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill's tough stand on the
new rules has riled incumbents, but won praise from the
media and former sportsmen who say the move was long
overdue.
The IOC, however, has urged that the guidelines be
suspended.
"It is our understanding that the guidelines which you
have issued will not be imposed in a mandatory manner on
the organisations of the Olympic movement in India," IOC
director Pere Miro wrote.
"Otherwise, we would unfortunately be obliged to consider
the protective measures provided for in the Olympic
Charter."
In response to the IOC's letter, the ministry shot off a
reply to the governing body's chief Jacques Rogge, saying
it was "strange" the IOC opposed the very rules it had
implemented for its own office-bearers.
Suresh Kalmadi, 66, a high-profile lawmaker from the
ruling Congress party and chairman of the Commonwealth
Games organising committee, has served as Indian Olympic
Association president for 14 years since 1996.
Others set to lose out if the rules are implemented
include opposition lawmaker Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who has
led the country's archery federation for 31 years, and
former sports minister Sukhdev Dhindsa, who has presided
over cycling for 14 years.
Nadal, Murray start Madrid campaign with wins
AFP, Madrid
Former champions Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray both booked
their passage to the third round of the Madrid Masters
Wednesday as the countdown to Roland Garros continues.
Second seed Nadal took the first step towards a third clay
title this season, defeating Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandr
Dolgopolov 6-4, 6-3.
Murray, seeded third and desperate to start turning a
so-so season on clay, beat Juan Ignacio Chela for the
fourth time in a row, earning a 6-3, 6-3 opening victory
after a bye to level at 2-2 on clay this season.
Nadal and Murray both won the event when it was played
indoors on hardcourt during the autumn, with Nadal taking
the home title in 2005 and Murray following in 2008.
The Spaniard, second seed behind Roger Federer, didn't
need to produce much second-round spectacle for his eager
home fans as he methodically dispatched number 62
Dolgopolov with three breaks of serve and little else
required.
The Spaniard, who owns titles this season from Masters
1000 outings at Monte Carlo and Rome, won his 11th match
in a row on clay this season in just under 90 minutes.
"It was difficult to play against him, he's very fast,"
said Nadal, calling the win "an important victory for me."
"I'm happy with it, but sometimes I did not have the match
under control. I must do better tomorrow."
Nadal will have to lift his game Thursday when he takes on
2.05-metre American John Isner, a comeback winner over
Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. The
13th-seeded Isner made a breakthrough at the weekend as he
lost in a rare all-American European clay final in
Belgrade.
"Isner is one of the most dangerous players on tour," said
Nadal. "The pressure is very big on your serve. If you
lose it against him you are unlikely to be able to come
back in the set."
Marin Cilic, the Croatian eighth seed, beat Argentine
Edoardo Schwank 6-3, 6-0. Latvian Ernests Gulbis, a
semi-finalist in Rome, upset Russian number 10 Mikhail
Youzhny 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.
French 12th seed Gael Monfils needed only 11 minutes to go
through as German Philipp Petzschner quit at 1-1 with a
leg injury after informing his friend in advance that he
was hurting. Stanislas Wawrinka earned a third-round match
with Roger Federer through a defeat of Leonardo Mayer,
6-4, 4-2 when the Argentine quit with an arm problem.
Off-court, Andy Roddick was forced out before his
second-round start after unsuccessfully trying to overcome
a dehabilitating stomach virus.
Zidane - the glory and the shame
BSS/AFP, Paris
Born to Algerian immigrants in Marseille, Zinedine Zidane
would grow up to become the finest French player since
Michel Platini and a reluctant poster boy for emerging
21st-century France.
A breath-takingly graceful playmaker, he enjoyed success
in France, Italy and Spain, but is best remembered for his
performances at the two World Cups that bookended his
career at the highest level-France 1998 and Germany 2006.
"Technically, I think he is the king of what's fundamental
in the game-control and passing," said Platini. "I don't
think anyone can match him when it comes to controlling or
receiving the ball."
Zidane's first World Cup in 1998 did not get off to the
best start, as he was sent off for an ugly stamp in the
hosts' group-stage victory over Saudi Arabia, causing him
to miss the last- 16 game against Paraguay.
Aime Jacquet's men won through in his absence, though, and
after overcoming Italy on penalties and beating Croatia
2-1 in the last four, the hosts stood on the verge of the
first World Cup triumph in their history.
Zidane had sparkled fitfully in the tournament but in the
final against Brazil he came to life, ghosting into the
penalty area to score a pair of first-half headers that
set France on the way to a 3-0 success.
As rejoicing French fans poured onto Paris's Champs-Elysees
to celebrate, it was an image of Zidane's face projected
onto the Arc de Triomphe that beamed down at them. A
national icon was born.
The Juventus midfielder was the undisputed star of the
2000 European Championship in Belgium and Holland, where
his guile and intelligence laid the foundations for
another famous French victory.
His star in the ascendant, he joined Real Madrid in a
record-breaking 75-million-euro transfer and gave them the
ninth European Cup in their history with a memorable
left-foot volley against Bayer Leverkusen in May 2002.
That year's World Cup, however, was an unmitigated
disaster for Zidane and for France.
A thigh injury kept him out of Les Bleus' first two games,
including a shock 1-0 defeat to Senegal, and his
appearance in the third game could not prevent France
sliding to a 2-0 defeat to Denmark that saw them exit the
tournament without scoring a single goal.
He announced his retirement from international football in
2004 but with the 2006 World Cup approaching and France
beset by poor form, Zidane heeded the call of Raymond
Domenech to return to the fold.
France limped through a straightforward group in Germany
but suddenly found their way against much-fancied Spain in
the last 16, as Zidane capped a 3-1 win with a late run
and precise finish.
The balding magician shone even more brightly in the
quarter-final defeat of Brazil, embarrassing the Brazilian
midfield with his immaculate close control and teeing up
Thierry Henry for the winner, before dispatching the
penalty that saw off Portugal in the semi-finals.
Zidane gave France an early lead against Italy in the
final with a brave chipped penalty that hit the crossbar
and bounced narrowly behind the line.
Italy equalised soon after though and in extra time came
the moment that would define Zidane's tournament.
With the game moving towards penalties, Zidane and Marco
Materazzi were seen to exchange words on the edge of the
Italy penalty area before Zidane plunged his head into the
Italian's chest in an act of shocking violence.
A red card duly followed, Zidane traipsed from the field
past the trophy he had held aloft eight years earlier and
Italy prevailed in the shootout.
Ronaldo: One-man World Cup love affair
BSS/AFP, Brasilia
No other player in the last 20 years has enjoyed a career
as irrevocably intertwined with the romance of the World
Cup as Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima.
From the breakthrough of 1994 to the broken records of
2006 via the despair of 1998 and the redemption of 2002,
the Brazilian striker experienced the full spectrum of
emotions at the sport's showpiece event.
A promising goalscorer with Brazilian side Cruzeiro,
Ronaldo was invited to the 1994 World Cup at the age of 17
as a non-playing member of the Brazil squad.
He cheered from the sidelines as a team fired by the goals
of Romario and Bebeto ended Brazil's 24-year wait for the
trophy, before moving to Europe with Dutch side PSV
Eindhoven. His phenomenal goalscoring exploits in Holland,
where he scored 54 goals in 57 games, alerted Barcelona,
and he smashed 47 goals in 49 matches in his only season
at the Nou Camp as the Catalans romped to the Cup Winners'
Cup.
Elected FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996, he was on
the move once more a year later when Inter Milan brought
him to Italy for a world record fee.
Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or and was named World Player of
the Year again in 1997, before arriving at the 1998 World
Cup in France as the most complete striker on the planet.
Sporting silver boots and showcasing terrifying skill,
Ronaldo scored four goals for the defending champions as
they brushed off Chile and Denmark and squeezed past
Holland in the semi-finals to set up a meeting with the
hosts.
The stage was set for Ronaldo, the pre-eminent player of
his generation, to etch his name into World Cup folklore
but on the eve of the game he suffered a mysterious fit
and was taken out of the team.
Thirty minutes before kick-off his name re-appeared on the
team-sheet and to general bewilderment he took to the
field, but was clearly off colour as Mario Zagallo's side
slumped to a 3-0 defeat.
"Ronaldo was scared about what lay ahead. The pressure had
got to him and he couldn't stop crying," said room-mate
Roberto Carlos of his pre-match crisis.
The Golden Ball for the tournament's best player was scant
consolation to the 21-year-old, who returned to Inter
under a cloud and then, a year later, suffered a serious
knee tendon injury that kept him out of the game for the
best part of two years.
Plenty of premature obituaries for Ronaldo's career were
penned as he fought to overcome the first serious setback
of his professional life but at the 2002 World Cup he
emerged triumphant to exorcise the ghosts of Paris.
The focal point of a devastating attack that also featured
Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, Ronaldo appeared back to his best
and scored eight times, including both goals in a 2-0
victory over Germany in the final in Yokohoma.
Serena ousted by Petrova
BSS/AFP, Madrid
Russian Nadia Petrova brought Serena Williams's hopes of
improving her Madrid tournament credentials to an abrupt
end on Wednesday by beating the world number one in the
third round.
Top seed Williams, who pulled out of the clay court
tournament in the first round on her debut last year, got
off to a positive start before seeing the match go in
Petrova's favour for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory.
Older sister Venus will be confirmed as the number two
player in women's tennis behind Serena when the WTA
rankings are next published Monday, after she reached the
Madrid quarter-finals on Wednesday.
However Serena's failure to get past the third round here
will give her rivals hope only 10 days before the start of
the French Open at Roland Garros.
Having only narrowly beaten another Russian, Vera
Dushevina, on Monday, Williams looked to be heading to
certain victory after world number 18 Petrova had to have
a long massage after losing the first set.
However the Russian re-emerged to take control of the next
set and, as Williams failed to produce a challenge, the
third set and the match.
Number 16 seed Petrova, who beat Williams in their last
encounter, at Beijing in September 2009, will now meet
Czech Lucie Safarova or Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru in the
quarter-finals.
|
|