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Leading News
Govt lifts ban on yarn import thru
Benapole land port
UNB, Dhaka
The government has finally opened Benapole land port for
import of yarn, ignoring the demand of the local spinning
mill owners.
National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Friday issued a
notification (SRO- 262/2009) withdrawing ban on yarn
import through Benapole land port.
As per the notification, four counts of yarn - 82/1,
100/1, 100/2 and 120/1 - can be imported through the
Benapole port.
NBR sources said the decision has been taken following
recommendations by the Ministry of Textiles and Jute.
Earlier, only the bonded warehouses were allowed to import
yarn.
The spinning mill owners had long been urging the
government not to allow yarn import through Benapole land
port to protect the domestic investments in the primary
textile sector. The leaders of Bangladesh Textile Mills
Association (BTMA) at a press conference on April 11
alleged that the importers frequently import huge quantity
of yarn through false declaration.
They termed the government's move to allow yarn import
through Benapole land port as suicidal for the country's
spinning sub-sector.
Ministry of Textiles and Jute earlier took a move to allow
yarn import through Benapole land port assuring the local
weavers that they would get the imported yarn at lower
prices. Spinning mill owners fear that they will fail to
sell their products in the local market and lose
competitiveness to India as the government finally allows
yarn import through Benapole land port.
They allege that a section of local traders are interested
to import yarn through the Benapole land port despite
availability of the item in the local market, as they can
import through false declaration in connivance with some
dishonest government officials.
At present, at least 200 spinning mills in the country
supply yarn to the local weavers and employ nearly 200,000
people directly and one million (10 lakh) indirectly. At
present, the amount of investment in the spinning mills is
around Tk 10,000 crore.
Striking
workers vandalize four rice mills in Sherpur
UNB, Sherpur
Striking workers attacked and damaged four 'chatals (rice
mill compound) in Dhakolhati, Digharpar, Sheetalpur and
Kandapara areas here on the 4th day of their indefinite
strike Friday morning, a couple of hours before they
agreed to suspend the strike for three days, till May 17.
On information police rushed to the spots and brought the
situation under control. Police picked up four chatal
workers from the troubled spots but later released them.
The leaders of rice mill owners and workers union decided
to suspend the strike till Monday following an emergency
meeting with the district administration, Sherpur Chamber
and local Awami League leaders. The meeting was held at
the DC's residence at noon.
Police released the four workers soon after the boiler and
chatal workers union leaders agreed to suspend the strike.
The district administration assured the striking workers
that they would arrange another meeting at 3pm on Monday
between the mill owners and the workers union leaders for
resolving the crisis.
The meeting, to be held at the conference room of the DC's
office, will also be joined by the leaders of Awami League
and Sherpur Chamber.
The district boiler and chatal workers union went on an
indefinite strike on May 11 to press for their 9-point
demand, including increase of wages, weekly holiday,
maternity leave and festival bonus.
Although the strike was suspended, a tense situation was
still prevailing in the rice mill areas.
8
wounded in BCL factional clashes in Thakurgaon
UNB, Thakurgaon
Eight people were wounded in a series of clashes between
two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) over the
formation of local BCL committee in the town Thursday
night.
Fakhrul Islam Jewel and Faisal Ahmed Palash were made
president and general secretary respectively of district
BCL committee after a conference of local BCL was held on
Wednesday after seven years.
BCL central leaders later left here after announcing the
names of two leaders of new local committee.
But the new BCL committee was opposed by Puluk group, who
threatened to resign from the organization on Thursday.
The disgruntled BCL activists held a meeting at Chourasta
crossing in the town Thursday night when rival BCL
activists aided by Jubo League activists resisted them,
resulting in a clash.
Police later brought the situation under control by
charging baton on the feuding groups.
The feuding groups were again locked in a series of
clashes at Art Gallery Crossing, leaving eight people
injured.
Police arrested a BCL worker Sajib during the clash.
One of the injured Dolon,22, was sent to Rangpur Medical
College Hospital in a critical condition.
Police were deployed at different parts of the town to
maintain law and order.
BSF kills two
more Bangladehis
27 border killings in four months
TBT Report
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead two
Bangladeshis and injured three others at Ratnai border in
Baliadangi upazila on Friday.
With this BSF killed 27 Bangladeshi national in over four
months and 115 in over last 13 months.
According to UNB, the two people killed on Friday were
identified as Parul, 12, daughter of Jasimat of Barsa
village, and Mujibur, 24, a farmer of same village in same
upazila.
Local sources said about eight Bangladeshis went to work
on land in the border area at noon when BSF jawans of
Natuatuli border outpost fired 14/15 bullets on them,
killing Mujibur on the spot and injuring four others.
The Indian border guards later dragged the body of Mujibur
to their land.
The injured, Saiful, 24, Parul, Khaldea, 20, and Arif, 6,
were admitted to upazila health complex where Parul died
after admission. Earlier, Indian BSF killed one
Bangladeshi along Bisakandi border in Goainghat upazila in
Sylhet on May 10.
The number of Bangladeshis killed by BSF during the nine
years period from January 1, 2000 to May 14 2010 stands at
832 BSF also injured 862 and abducted 898 Bangladeshis in
the same period.
The killings of unarmed Bangladeshis by the BSF on the
border are continuing in clear violation of the spirit of
good neighborliness as well as international law and
despite repeated pledges by the Indian authorities to stop
it. In every meeting between BSF and BDR and also between
the higher level officials of the two countries, the
Indian side assures that killing of Bangladeshis by its
forces on the border would come to an end immediately. But
this pledge is seldom
implemented.
Govt not giving electricity to
Paltan to obstruct rally: BNP
UNB, Dhaka
Opposition BNP on Friday alleged that the government is
not giving electricity connection to the city's Paltan
Maidan to obstruct the party's May 19 Dhaka divisional
grand rally at the venue.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, also
chief coordinator of the Dhaka grand rally, made the
allegation at a press briefing at Maulana Bhasani
auditorium of the party's city office at Nayapaltan.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is scheduled to announce the
programme of anti-government movement from the Paltan
Maidian rally.
BNP earlier sought 100 KV power connections for using 250
microphones as well as for digital display at the Paltan
Maidan grand rally.
On Thursday, Dhaka Power Distribution Com-pany informed
BNP through a letter that the Power, Energy and Mineral
Resources Ministry on March 29 put embargo on new
electricity connection for three months. So, it is not
possible for them give temporary power connection to
operate mechanical equipments in the Paltan grand rally.
Responding to the Dhaka Power Distribution Com-pany's
letter, Nazrul Islam Khan said they did not sought any new
power connection for permanent use in mills and factories.
"We've sought electricity connection for temporary use for
only few hours. But the government by showing a lame
excuse is not giving power connection to obstruct the
BNP's grand rally," Nazrul told the reporters.
He said they had hoped that as the government claims it to
be democratic it will cooperate with the BNP's programme.
But instead of extending cooperation, they are creating
obstacles at every step, he alleged.
Nazrul Islam Khan requested the government to give
electricity connection to the Paltan Maidan grand rally
shunning any lame excuse. At the same time, he also
requested all the political parties and people to make the
BNP's Paltan grand rally a success.
BNP leaders Sadeq Hossain Khoka, Mirza Fakhrul Islam
Alamgir, Abdus Salam, Shirin Sultana and Shahiduddin
Chowdhury Annie MP were present at the briefing.
EC to organise TV debates for CCC
poll candidates
BSS, Dhaka
The Election Commission (EC) is organising television
debates for the mayoral candidates in the forthcoming
Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) elections slated for
June 17.
Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain told BSS that the
EC is arranging the new system of campaign to create
amicable relations among the rival candidates and ensure
their accountability to the voters.
The possible dates for the television debates among the
candidates are June 7 and 8. One hundred and fifty voters
will be present as audience in the debate programme.
The present voters would get the chance to question the
candidates about their future plans. Television viewers
would also be able to ask questions over phone.
Sakhawat Hossain said not only the voters, the candidates
would also get the opportunity to question their rivals.
He said Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar will
air the debates live from 8:40 pm to 9:50 pm. BBC will
conduct the programme while BTV will give technical
support.
A delegation of BTV and BBC has already held a meeting
with Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda in
this regard. Meanwhile, the EC started sending letters to
relevant ministries, departments and officers to identify
loan and bill defaulters, an EC official said.
Besides, the EC has asked the home ministry to maintain
law and order strictly in the CCC areas.
Blockade for MPO disrupts Dhaka-Ctg
train service
UNB, Comilla
Train movement on Dhaka-Chittagong route remained
suspended for two hours Friday as local people blocked
Shashidal level crossing in Baufal upazila of the district
demanding enlistment of a college in MPO.
Witnesses said students and teachers of Shashidal Abu
Taher College and local people put barricade on the level
crossing at 10 am as the college did not get Monthly Pay
Order (MPO) facility despite fulfilling all criteria.
The protestors also halted Dhaka bound Mahanagar (Provati)
express train from Chittagong.
They also halted traffic movement at Bagra in the town to
press home their deamand. Later, they put off the
barricade at 12 noon.
Shashidal Abu Taher College was established in 2002 and
placed 5th position among top 10 colleges of Comilla Boad
in the HSC examination in 2009.
Back Page
Expats yet to get due social
dignity at home
Speakers observe at a dialogue
BSS, Dhaka
Industries Minister Dilip Barua on Friday said the
families of non-resident Ban-gladeshis suffer from social
insecurity, though their remittances play an important
role in country's socio-economic development.
The problem of eve teasing and insecurity of female
children is increasing for the migration of guardians, he
said while speaking as the chief guest at a 'national
dialogue' on the occasion of World Family Day 2010.
Centre for Development Dialogue (CDD) organised the
discussion at the auditorium of Bangladesh Institute of
Journalism and Electronic Media, said an official release.
CDD Chairperson Mirza Tarequl Quader delivered the welcome
address while CDD Vice-Chairperson Shakila Matin Mridula
presented a keynote paper.
Kazi Ali Reza of UN Information Centre in Dhaka, BIDS
Senior Research Fellow Dr Naznin Ahmed, Uddipan Executive
Director Emranul Haq Chowdhury and Muslim Aid Country
Director H Fadullah Wilmot took part in the discussion,
among others.
The minister said the present government took adequate
steps to offset the negative impact of global recession.
Small and medium enterprises sector has been strengthened
for employment of the workers returning from abroad, he
added.
Besides, an expatriate welfare fund is being established
at the directive of the prime minister, Dilip Barua said.
The speakers said the expatriate Bangladeshis are yet to
get due social dignity at home. The expatriate workers do
not get proper services in Bangladesh missions abroad,
they added.
They suggested changing mindsets of officials in
Bangladesh missions abroad, enhancing security of the
families of expatriates and using the money sent by the
expatriates in productive sectors.
9 killed, 18 injured in road crashes
UNB, Comilla
Three people, including a child, were killed and 10 others
injured in a road accident at Raipur Dighirpar in
Dau-dkandi upazila on Friday
The deceased was identified as Motin, 40, driver of a bus.
Identity of two other deceased could not be known
immediately.
Highway police said the accident occurred at 2pm as a
capital bound bus from Feni hit a roadside tree when its
driver tried to overtake a truck, leaving bus driver Motin
dead on the spot. Twelve people injured in the accident
were admitted to local Gouripur hospital where a five year
old girl and another male died after admission.
BSS adds: Four persons were killed and three others
critically injured at different road accidents on Dhaka-Aricha
highway at Savar and Ashulia on Thursday.
One victim was identified as Fathema Begum, 35, and other
three could not be identified immediately. Police quoting
the locals said an over-loaded passenger bus hit a three
wheeler vehicle at Savar bus stand and its driver was
killed on the spot. But he was not identified immediately.
The another accident occurred when a truck lost its
steering and crushed two persons at Ashulia bus stand
area. They were killed on the spot and another three
persons were critically injured. Besides, another accident
occurred when a truck crushed Fatema Begum on C&B-Girabo
highway at Gouripur area. She was killed on the spot.
Three different cases were filed with the concerned police
station.
Meanwhile, two man was killed and five others were injured
in a road accident near Brahmaputra bridge on
Sherpur-Jamalpur highway on Friday evening.
One of the deceased was identified as Jasimuddin, 40, of
Tirutha village in Sherpur sadar upazila while the
identity of another deceased could not be known
immediately.
Witnesses and local sources said the accident took place
at 6:30pm when a Jamalpur bound Nasi-man, local vehicle,
collide with a CNG run auto rickshaw from the opposite
direction, leaving seven people injured.
All the injured were rushed to Jamalpur General Hospital
where Jasimuddin and an unidentified man succumbed their
injuries. Rest of five injured were admitted to Mymensingh
Medical College Hospital.
Labour minister for
elimination of child labour
UNB, Dhaka
Minister for Labour and Expatriate Welfare and Overseas
Employment Kha-ndakar Mosharraf Hossain stressed the need
for political will and collaboration among government,
workers and employers' organizations for realizing the
objective of a world free from child labour.
He said Bangladesh government under the leadership of
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to eliminate the
child labour from the country.
The minister said this while exchanging views with
journalists at Hazrat Sha-hjalal International Airport
here Thursday night after attending a two day global
conference on Child Labour at Hague in Netherlands on May
10-11.
He said Bangladesh has reiterated its commitment to
eliminate the worst forms of child labour in the country
by 2016. He sought the support of the global community in
fulfilling this commitment at the Hague global conference.
He also made pledge on behalf of the government to
strengthen the legislative framework and for creating a
decent working environment. The minister chaired a
conference session on "Actions against Hazardous Work" in
Hague on last day of the conference, which was organized
by the government of Netherlands and ILO.
More secrets may come out if BNP
takes legal action against NBR: AL
UNB, Dhaka
The ruling Awami League thinks more undisclosed
information related to "corruption" committed by BNP
chairperson Khaleda Zia and her family will come out if
BNP takes legal action against the National Board of
Revenue (NBR).
"We don't have any problem if BNP takes legal action
against NBR. Countrymen want to know the truth. We think
more information of corruption will come out through the
process," AL acting general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif
said at a press conference at the AL Dhanmondi office on
Friday. The ruling party hosted the press conference,
apparently to reply to the claims made by BNP chairperson
at a divisional rally recently.
Accusing BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia of spreading
unrealistic and misleading information about the
government, Hanif said: "Nobody can raise graft allegation
against any Awami League lawmaker and minister during the
last 17 months of the party's current tenure."
Sharply reacting to Khaleda Zia's speech at her Barisal
public rally, he alleged that Begum Zia and her two sons
were involved in corruption and looting through creating
Hawa Bhaban. "See your face in the mirror first and then
make comments (against others)," he said indicating BNP
chairperson Khaleda Zia. Hanif asked the BNP chairperson
and her party leaders and activists not to try making the
government unstable by "providing misleading information
to the nation."
He warned that people would give a befitting reply if the
opposition tries to create obstacles to the progress of
democracy. Terming the BNP's planned anti-government
movement, Hanif said they are ready to face the
"so-called" movement.
AL organizing secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Ahmad Hossain
and Khalid Mahmud Cho-wdhury MP were, among others,
present at the press conference.
ASP, SI, journo among 50 hurt in
Akhaura clash
UNB, Brahmanbaria
At lease 50 people, including an additional Police Super
and a journalist, were injured in a fierce three-hour
clash between two groups of people at Akhaura town on
Friday.
The clash between rivals, over a long standing dispute for
getting possession of a government land, started at 9:45
am and continued well after 12:45pm.
Traffic remained suspended on both sides of Dhaka-Akhaura-Agartala
international highway for over two and half hours during
the clash. Police resorted to indiscriminate baton charge
and fired 21 rounds of blank shot from shot guns in a bid
to bring the situation under control.
Besides people of Akhaura town, villagers from nine
adjoining villages joined the fight that saw scores of
cars, including that of Akhaura Poura Mayor Nurul Haque,
being vandalized, buildings being damaged, shops damaged
and looted, and some offices ransacked.
According to local sources and witnesses, a long-standing
dispute over taking possession of a government khas land
was prevailing for a long time between Manik Mia, the
organizing secretary of upazilla Awami League, and Saiful
Mia, a shopkeeper of Taragon village. The clash ensued at
10:45am when hundreds of people, led by Manik Mia, also
the president of Akhaura Rickshaw Sramik Union, attempted
to occupy the disputed land located near Purana (old)
Cinema Hall of the town where Saiful Mia owns a shop. The
land is also used by rickshaw pullers and workers as their
temporary residence.
When Manik Mia and his men reached the spot Saiful, who
also wants to get possession of the land, told them to
stay away. Without paying heed to his warning, Manik Mia
proceeded further to occupy the land. An altercation
ensued that led to a scuffle between Manik Mia and Saiful.
Hearing the news, armed people from Taragon and Nurpur
villages came to the scene and joined the melee. Chase and
counter chase started and continued for over an hour. As
the news spread to nearby villages, hundreds of armed
supporters of Manik and Saiful started to pour in like
troops in a battle and joined the fight that continued to
about 1pm, totally halting the traffic on the busy Dhaka-Agartala
road.
Shops and other business establishments started to pull
their shutters and panicked pedestrians started to run for
safety. Scores of passers-by were also hit by brickbats
hurled at each other by the two feuding groups. The
injured were admitted to different clinics and hospitals
at Akhaura and Brahmanbaria for treatment.
Ershad gives JP’s future leadership
to GM Quader
BSS, Rangpur
Former president and Jatiya Party (JP) chairman Alhaj
Hussein Muhammad Ershad Friday gave responsibility of his
party's future leadership to his younger brother Golam
Mohammad Quader.
In his absence, he said Quader would be the next chief of
JP and will conduct all responsibilities in running the
party, and all activities of Rangpur district unit of JP
will be conducted under the leadership of its newly
nominated convener GM Quader from now. He said this at the
first meeting of the newly formed convening committee of
Rangpur unit of JP at its office in the city as the chief
guest.
Terming GM Quader as a very intelligent, talented and
charismatic leader, Ershad hoped that JP will be turned
into the country's largest political party under the
leadership of Quader and he will bring the party to power
again for ensuring people's wellbeing. Ershad cautioned
those JP leaders, who are engaged in creating chaos in the
party's stronghold of Rangpur at such a time when the
people of Rangpur and the country as a whole started
thinking about no alternative to JP for the country.
"Stern actions will be taken if anybody tries to create
chaos and the door of JP is open for all and if anybody
wants, he can leave the party rather than creating chaos,"
Ershad said categorically and asked all to work unitedly
to take JP to power in future.
He sought blessings of all countrymen including the people
of Rangpur for his good health and expressed his desire to
serve the nation and its people more in future. Chaired by
convener of Rangpur district unit of JP and Civil Aviation
and Tourism Minister GM Quader, the meeting was addre-ssed
by its Mem-ber-Secretary Most-afizur Rahman Mostafa,
joint-conveners Karim Uddin Bharsha, Mozammel Haque Lalu,
Mayor of Rangpur AKM Abdur Rouf Manik and Abul Masud
Chowdhury.
Editorial
Mandatory rural service
for doctors
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government is
mulling over a measure making it mandatory for a doctor to
serve a year in rural areas before he or she can be considered
for promotion. We will consider doctors service to the upazila
level before promoting them," she said, inaugurating the
250-bed Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital.She said that recruitment
of 4,139 doctors is at the final stage and after their
recruitment they will be posted to rural areas.
The prime Minister's assertion is encouraging as it raises the
hope for improving the healthcare system in the neglected
rural areas. Generally speaking, the state of our health
service is appalling. Our health service itself is sick and
gripped by anomalies, irregularities and corruption much to
the detriment of the great need of providing medicare for the
suffering people. The health service is run at the expense of
the people, but most of them do not get the much required
service in times of need. Most unfortunately, the majority of
our population who live in the rural areas are drastically
deprived of health service facilities.
At the grassroots level , the upazila health and family
welfare centres are suffering from acute manpower shortage and
in some cases there are machines and equipment but no
technicians to run those. Doctors do not want to stay and
serve in the rural areas. In the health sector, thousands of
posts of doctors and nurses are now lying vacant. There are
some health complexes without doctors and medicines, and in
some others patients have to stay on the floor for want of
beds. Yet thousands of people throng the hospitals and health
centres for treatment as they have no other place to go or no
money to go to the private clinics for treatment.
The country's health sector as a whole is corruption-ridden,
no doubt, and most of the government hospitals have earned the
reputation of being unable to meet the growing demand for
medicare to the patients. Almost all public hospitals are
plunged in mismanagement, irregularities and anomalies. The
patients hardly get proper medical treatment in these
hospitals as in many cases medicines meant for the patients
are smuggled out and the doctors and nurses seldom pay enough
attention to the ailing people. Yet, the poor patients who are
unable to meet the high cost of treatment in private clinics
and hospitals throng the public hospitals and health centres
for treatment.
During the erstwhile emergency rule, there was a move under
the prescription of the World Bank to handover the government
hospitals to the private ownership on the pretext of rampant
corruption and irregularities. The move was vehemently opposed
by different circles specially the physicians. They argued
that private hospitals and clinics are dens of corruption and
centres of brisk business in the name of medical care and that
privatisation of the public hospitals will help a section of
businessmen earn more profit, but make medical treatment
unaffordable for the poor people. They stressed that it will
be suicidal to privatise the government health service sector
at the instance of the World Bank. In the face of stiff
opposition the controversial move fell flat.
However, the way the public hospitals and health centres are
running and the patients being treated and even denied medical
care cannot be acceptable under any circumstances. It is the
constitutional obligation of the government to provide health
service and medical care for the citizens. And to that end, it
is most essential to modernise the government hospitals making
those free from anomalies and corruption. Health service
sector must be revitalised and run properly and efficiently.
The latest government move is good. It will be a big step to
serve the public interest if it can be made mandatory for the
doctors to serve in the rural areas for at least a certain
period.
Scarcity of jute
It
is a bad news that jute mills have been hit hard by scarcity
of jute. According to press reports, several jute mills in the
private sector have been closed due to non-availability and
abnormal rise of prices of raw jute. High prices of raw jute
in the local market have been affecting country's jute yarn
export over the last 3 to 4 months, a release of Jute Spinners
Limited said Wednesday. The jute industries are facing short
supply of the main raw material for running production mainly
because of a significant rise of price of raw jute. Such an
alarming increase in the prices of raw jute is not only
depriving the country of a large amount of foreign exchange
but also causing huge financial loss to the mills owners.
Ironically, the abnormally high price of jute does not come to
the benefit of the growers as their jute went out of their
hands long before. In fact, raw jute is now in the hands of
the middlemen and hoarders who procured it at a cheaper price
and now creating an artificial crisis are selling at a much
higher rate. This manipulation over jute is an old practice.
This could have been checked had the government purchased jute
from the growers at the outset of the season. It is the
responsibility of the government to protect the interest of
both the sate and the farmers. So, in the light of the
experience gathered the government should try to tackle the
present crisis and take steps from the next jute season to
purchase jute from the growers at reasonable rate and then
supply it to the mills gradually.
Analysis
Talking to the Taleban?
In official
American parlance, the effort to negotiate a peace accord with
the Taleban leadership has been labeled reconciliation, while
the process of bringing over insurgent fighters is known as
reintegration.
James Dobbins
President Hamid
Karzai of Afghanistan wants to talk to the Taleban, and that's
going to be a thorny issue for President Barack Obama who's
just hosted the Afghan leader.
Some US officials would prefer that Karzai and his government
concentrate on detaching low-level fighters from the insurgent
cause, but Karzai would prefer to go right to the top
leadership. He has already offered to meet with Mullah
Muhammad Omar to seek an end to the conflict.
In official American parlance, the effort to negotiate a peace
accord with the Taleban leadership has been labeled
reconciliation, while the process of bringing over insurgent
fighters is known as reintegration.
The US has preferred reintegration. Each insurgent brought
over weakens the enemy and strengthens the government forces.
In Iraq, such a process broke the back of the Sunni
insurgency, resulting in the massive defection of enemy
fighters, who in 2007 moved more or less overnight from
killing American soldiers to working for them. This was
achieved without U.S. concessions on the nature of the Iraqi
state.
Reconciliation would require mutual accommodation between two
competing Afghan leaderships, inevitably opening the prospect
of substantive trade-offs that worry US officials and many
Afghans. So it is easy to see why bottom-up reintegration has
gotten a warmer US endorsement than top-down reconciliation.
But there are reasons to doubt that the Iraq model would work
in Afghanistan.
That's partly because the Taleban isn't losing. By 2007,
Iraq's Sunni minority, the smallest of the country's three
major sectarian groups, had been decisively beaten by the
majority Shia. It was only after this defeat that the Sunni
turned to US forces for protection. By contrast, the Taleban
insurgency is rooted not in Afghanistan's smallest ethnic
group, but in its largest, the Pashtun. For several years,
these insurgents have been winning.
In Iraq, Al Qaeda had by 2007 made itself very unwelcome among
its Sunni allies by the indiscriminate nature of its violence.
In Afghanistan, Al Qaeda is now hardly present, and certainly
presents no comparable threat to the Pashtun insurgent
leadership.
Finally tribal structures in Afghanistan have been weakened by
30 years of civil war. That has made Afghan elders less
influential than the Iraqi sheiks who proved able to bring
almost all of their adherents over with them when they decided
to switch to the US side.
US leaders have not necessarily been against negotiating with
the Taleban leadership, but most have argued that this should
be done from a position of strength, and that any effort at
reconciliation should therefore await an improvement on the
battlefield. That makes sense if one is reasonably confident
that the tide of battle can be turned. Unfortunately, this is
looking increasingly difficult to achieve, at least within the
narrow timeframe set by President Obama last November to begin
bringing American troops home by mid-2011. Recognising that
his position is not necessarily getting stronger, Karzai wants
to open talks with the Taleban leadership now. So do a number
of allied governments, whose publics are even less supportive
of the war than the American people.So should President Obama
give Karzai the green light for high-level talks with the
enemy?
Having myself represented the United States in late 2001 at
the international conferences at which Karzai was chosen to
lead the new Afghan provisional government, I am very
conscious that his country's largest single political faction
was not represented. The Taleban certainly did not and does
not have the support of most Afghans - or even most Pashtun -
but it is nevertheless the largest and most cohesive of
Afghanistan's many factions.
This was not as evident in late 2001, when the Northern
Alliance of Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara (i.e. Shiite) militias
sent the Taleban reeling with the assistance of US air power.
But the incomplete nature of that victory, the limited
capacity of the Karzai government, and the continued vitality
of the Taleban have become more evident since.
It thus makes sense for the US to support Karzai in his effort
at reconciliation, even as it also presses ahead with Gen.
Stanley McChrystal's plans for reintegration. In doing so,
however, Obama should try to set certain ground rules, and
secure a more considered approach than Mr. Karzai is likely to
take on his own.
First of all, US red lines need to be further defined. The
Bush administration set three conditions for any peace
agreement, guidelines that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
recently reaffirmed. First, the insurgents would need to cut
all ties with Al Qaeda. Second, they should lay down their
arms. Third, they should agree to operate within the existing
Afghan Constitution.
President Obama should certainly insist on their cutting ties
with Al Qaeda. But if the Taleban lays down its arms, will the
US take its leadership off its capture or kill list? Will the
United Nations take them off its sanctions list? Could the
Afghan Constitution be amended as part of the deal? Karzai
will need to know Washington's position on these questions.
So far, Karzai has talked with insurgent representatives
largely through his brother. Keeping something so important
"within the family" has raised anxiety among those Afghans who
stand to lose most in any negotiated peace, including non-Pashtun
minorities, as well as women and those who support their
emancipation. President Obama should urge Karzai to appoint a
broadly representative delegation to help him conduct any
negotiations, one that would include Tajik, Uzbek, Hazara and
women leaders.
Finally, Afghanistan's factions will never make peace as long
as their foreign sponsors foment conflict. Pakistan may be
able to deliver the Taleban to a peace agreement, but this
would only start a new civil war unless India, Iran and
Russian were also able to deliver the old Northern Alliance.
President Obama should therefore attempt to rebuild the
regional consensus that buttressed US diplomacy back in late
2001, and led to the rapid installation of the Karzai
government. This time, the international community must rally
for a more lasting peace.
Karzai intends to hold a national council in order to secure a
broad mandate for his effort to pursue a negotiated solution
to the civil war. Obama should agree to support this, while
building broader international support for the process. Still,
meaningful peace talks may never get underway despite both
men's best efforts. Even if they do, results could take years.
And Obama's declared timeline for initiating withdrawals
should not become a deadline for those discussions. As Winston
Churchill remarked, "Jaw-jaw is better than war-war." But the
best that can be expected for some time to come is that
talking begins to accompany fighting.
James Dobbins served as the US special envoy for
Afghanistan between 2001 and 2002 and is director of the
International Security and Defence Policy Centre at the RAND
Corporation ©IHT
The UN report
is a time bomb
What
concerns me is the time bomb ticking in UN Security
Council archives. Are we going to let it remain there
without a challenge?
Shafqat Mahmood
The
drone attacks in the tribal areas have picked up since the
Faisal Shahzad episode, as has the rhetoric from the
United States. Attorney General Holder found a Pakistani
Taliban link and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talked
of severe consequences had the attack materialised.
These statements were tempered by the US military that,
playing the good cop, praised Pakistan for its vital role
in the Afghan conflict. Ambassador Holbrooke also tried to
fudge the issue by suggesting that Clinton's statement had
been misinterpreted.
Whatever the real nature of the signals emanating from the
US, one thing is clear. The botched Times Square bombing
have reinforced negative perceptions in the West about
Pakistan. Coming on the heels of the media hype in India
after Ajmal Kasab's conviction, it puts not just a few
criminals but the entire country in the dock.
Those in Pakistan always looking for a conspiracy are
having a field day. Their prognosis is that ground is
being prepared for an invasion. These dire predictions
have been reinforced by veiled suggestions from the US
that American ground forces may indeed penetrate into this
country.
While this seems unlikely, the propaganda unleashed
against Pakistan is a cause for alarm. Recent history of
Western incursions into Afghanistan and Iraq indicates
that negative reports about these countries were used as a
basis to seek UN Security Council resolutions to justify
an invasion.
In this day and age, international approval for an
invasion by a super power is necessary. This is
facilitated if there is enough negative material to paint
the target country black. Or, even better, if there is a
report by a recognised international body that has prima
facie authenticity.
It is in this context that the report by the UN Commission
on Benazir Bhutto's murder becomes relevant to Pakistan's
current predicament. It accuses Pakistani state organs, or
elements within, of having links with the Taliban and Al
Qaeda. It suggests they were used by the Pakistani
"Establishment" for assisting insurgency in Indian-held
Kashmir. And it alleges a connection between organisations
involved in cross border terrorism and Pakistani
intelligence.
Though the Commission's terms of reference were narrowly
defined--to determine facts and circumstances of the
assassination--it chose to go far beyond that. In a style
reminiscent of investigative journalism, it went into
Pakistan's history, its political culture, the role of the
establishment, and drew conclusions without substantiating
anything. It did not indicate who was interviewed, what
method of inquiry it had devised for itself and why it
came to certain determinations.
These were serious lapses, as pointed out by leading
lawyer Ahmer Bilal Sufi in a TV interview with Talat
Hussain. The Commission was akin to a court of inquiry and
its conclusions amounted to a judgement. Anything that it
said had to be substantiated and backed by testimony. It
did not have the luxury of vague hypothesis or veiled
allusions.
It is important to remember that it is one thing for
charges to fly to and fro in Pakistan about the
establishment. Ever since the military became involved in
politics, this has become an essential part of the
Pakistani political lexicon.
But this report of the UN Commission is not for the
Pakistani government or a part of the Pakistani political
give-and-take. It has been submitted to the UN secretary
general and is part of the Security Council archives. Any
determinations that it has made can and will be used
against Pakistan if and when the time is ripe. It may not
be now, because the US needs Pakistan. But this could
change.
It would also be important to remember that before the US
invasion of Iraq a team of UN inspectors had been sent in
to find out whether the country had an active nuclear
programme. Their report was to be used for a Security
Council resolution that would authorise an invasion. In
the end, it did not come to that because the Inspectors
were expelled by Iraq. But this in itself became a
pretext.
Thus, UN reports are not some run-of-the mill documents.
They are like a ticking bomb that can explode when the
time is ripe. It is for this reason that the conclusions
drawn by the Commission are so potentially damaging for
Pakistan.
It first defines the establishment as the military high
command and the intelligence agencies, plus leaders of
some political parties, top bureaucrats and business
people. In other words, the entire slice of the Pakistani
ruling elite. It then accuses it of a variety of crimes.
Talking about the Taliban connection, it says that "these
elements (within the military) included, in particular,
those who retain links with radical Islamists, especially
the militant jihadi and Taliban groups and are sympathetic
to their cause, or view them as strategic assets for
asserting Pakistan's role in the region."
And on cross-border terrorist organisations: "The
Pakistani military and ISI also used and supported some of
these groups (Punjab-based jihadi organisations) in the
Kashmir insurgency after 1989. The bulk of the anti-Indian
activity was and still remains the work of groups such as
Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has close ties with the ISI." This
last assertion is damning in the context of the Mumbai
massacre.
No concrete evidence has, of course, been adduced to
support these conclusions. These assertions are the normal
stuff of hearsay that is prevalent in the media. but not
enough for a UN commission report. As A G Noorani has
observed in his article for the Frontline magazine in
India, "the issue is not whether the assessments, the
conjectures, 'the hypotheses,' and the homilies are sound
or not. The issue is starkly simple. Such passages do not
belong to the report of a UN inquiry, let alone one on a
murder."
I will not go into the reasons why Mr Zardari was
insistent on a UN Commission to investigate the
assassination. Whether this was done deliberately to
malign the military or not is a topic for another
discussion. What concerns me is the time bomb ticking in
UN Security Council archives. Are we going to let it
remain there without a challenge?
There is only one answer. We cannot. The government has to
write a strongly worded rejoinder to the conclusions drawn
by the Commission regarding Pakistani state institutions.
Whether any reply is received or not, whether the report
is amended or not, we must place on record our objections.
This is the only way to protect Pakistan's national
interest.
If this is not done, the government will be complicit in
jeopardising Pakistan's future.
Viewpoints
A marriage of convenience
The
Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition, on the other hand,
has a big enough majority in parliament. It could actually
last four years, which would be long enough to change the
voting system (if the voters agree, and current opinion polls
suggest that they would).
Gwynne Dyer
There
has not been a coalition government in Britain since the
Second World War, but it may have to get used to them. The
election on May 6 left both major parties, the Conservatives
and Labour, short of a majority, and put history's also-rans,
the Liberal Democratic Party, in the position of king-maker.
It has used that position very cleverly, and Britain may be
heading for a major constitutional change.
Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democratic leader, used the five days
of hectic negotiations after the election to extract a high
price from the Conservative Party for agreeing to enter a
coalition with them. Policy differences on taxes or
educational policy could be finessed fairly easily, but
Clegg's bottom line was electoral reform. That used to be a
Conservative red line - but in the end they crossed it.
The Lib Dems' political ancestors are the Liberals and, before
them, the Whigs. For more than two centuries that lineage
provided one of the two great parties that alternated in power
in Britain. Then in the 1920s, with the rise of the Labour
Party, the Liberals came third in one election - and never
found their way back to power.
The electoral system (first-past-the-post) is cruelly unfair
to third parties. In the election just past, the Lib Dems got
almost a quarter of the votes - but less than a tenth of the
seats in parliament.
It was a vicious circle, so for many decades now the most
urgent tactical goal of the Libs Dems has been to change the
voting system. Alternative vote, 'alternative vote plus',
proportional representation - anything that gave them a fair
chance of winning.
Prime Minister David Cameron may come to rue the day when he
agreed to the terms of the deal that finally put him in
office.
Cameron was not well liked by large sections of the
Conservative Party for he is a 'moderniser' and Conservatives
are conservative. But he is more actively disliked now for
failing to pull off a clear win.
The Conservatives accepted the extortionate concessions that
the Liberal Democrats demanded for a coalition because after
thirteen years in the wilderness they were positively panting
with eagerness to be in government again. But when the going
gets rough, they will blame Cameron for those concessions too.
The biggest concession was, of course, a promise to the Lib
Dems to hold a referendum on changing the electoral system.
Labour made a similar promise, but in the assessment of the
Lib Dems a coalition with Labour would not survive long
enough.
The Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition, on the other
hand, has a big enough majority in parliament. It could
actually last four years, which would be long enough to change
the voting system (if the voters agree, and current opinion
polls suggest that they would).
Aquino needs
to prove himself after election win
The new
president will also need to manage the military, a power
bloc over the last quarter century but one which analysts
said was now more under civilian control.
John Mair
After
the death of his national heroine mother, Benigno Aquino
rode a wave of public emotion all the way to the
Philippine presidency. Now he needs to show that
politically at least, he is not his mother's son.
He has a strong mandate to fight graft and investigate his
unpopular predecessor, but must show leadership and
assertiveness so far absent in his career to ensure his
market-friendly agenda is not derailed by vested
interests, internal and external.
If not he risks being distracted from reining in a large
budget deficit, frittering away the electoral support
which will be crucial in his reform drive, and wasting an
opportunity to start rebuilding confidence in the economy
and its institutions.
"I think Aquino should learn some lessons from his
mother's administration," said Earl Parreno of the
Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms.
"She was surrounded by various power blocs, each with
competing interests, and I think that is also the problem
that 'Noynoy' Aquino is going to face," Parreno said.
Cory Aquino is a national heroine for taking on Ferdinand
Marcos after the assassination of her husband Benigno in
1983. She became president in 1986 after the dictator was
overthrown. While her personal integrity was never in
question, she was not a political operator or strong
leader, and her administration soon lost focus and faced a
number of coup attempts.
Her son shares her reputation for honesty, but his
unremarkable career has raised doubts over whether he can
run a government, keep the military onside and take on an
opponent as experienced as outgoing President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo.
"First of all, he cannot avoid the relatives and the
people who campaigned for him. He has to pay his political
debt whether he likes it or not," said Benito Lim,
political science professor at Ateneo de Manila
University. "The question is... does he have that make up
or personality to tell them off?" Official results have
not been declared, but election commission figures show
Aquino with a decisive lead in the presidential vote with
nearly 80 percent counted. Media and watchdog groups say
that has been maintained in further counting. However his
deputy, the politically experienced Mar Roxas, may not
win. Roxas a trade minister under former President Joseph
Estrada and Arroyo, was expected to run for president
until Cory Aquino's death last August sparked an emotional
push for her son.
A Roxas loss would be a hurdle - losing candidates cannot
be appointed to a government position for a year and he
would lose an experienced operator - but it is a
manageable setback.
Moody's Investor Services said the vice-presidential
result was not as important for the country's credit
fundamentals as the caliber of Aquino's Cabinet and
economic policy team.
Addressing the fiscal problem is a key requirement if the
Philippines wants a ratings upgrade from junk status -
which would lower the cost of issuing and servicing the
debt
of Asia's largest sovereign issuer of foreign debt.
"Whoever Aquino selects to head finance, budget,
agriculture, transportation and communication and public
works would be deemed a first test in Aquino's ability to
generate investor attention in the next administration's
upcoming policy agenda," Citigroup analyst Jun Trinidad
said.
Aquino needs to make sure he can focus on running the
economy and keeping control of his team, as he pursues an
election pledge to investigate allegations of graft,
electoral fraud and rights abuses against the Arroyo
administration that preceded him.
Arroyo, who denies all allegations of impropriety, has
shored up her power base through a raft of appointments to
government agencies and bodies - from a new military head
and new chief justice to putting her manicurist and palace
gardener on boards - and won a seat in Congress' lower
house in Monday's election.
She is widely expected to run for Speaker of the House,
from where she could block investigations and push for
constitutional reform that would weaken the power of the
presidency.
The new president will also need to manage the military, a
power bloc over the last quarter century but one which
analysts said was now more under civilian control. The
military's removal of support was key in the fall of
Presidents Marcos in 1986 and Estrada in 2001. Both Cory
Aquino and Arroyo faced a number of coup attempts.
The water factor
the next war between India and Pakistan could be fought
over water if India did not stop "water terrorism" by
building tunnels and dams to turn Pakistan into a desert.
Amitabh Mattoo
Water
is likely to be the most divisive issue between India and
Pakistan in the future. Or water could, with imagination
and political will, become the basis for enduring
bilateral cooperation. Addressing a gathering at a mosque
in the Chowburji area of Lahore in April, Hafiz Muhammad
Saeed, the head of the Jamaat-ut-Dawa (and founder of the
Lashkar-e-Taiba), claimed the next war between India and
Pakistan could be fought over water if India did not stop
"water terrorism" by building tunnels and dams to turn
Pakistan into a desert. Saeed's hysterical claims aside,
at almost every official engagement with New Delhi in
recent months, Pakistan has raised the issue of water,
most recently in Thimphu at the Saarc summit.
The irony is that despite the many wars that India and
Pakistan have fought over a variety of issues, water is
the one area where the two countries had found
accommodation through the Indus Water Treaty of 1960. The
challenge for the two governments, therefore, is to now
ensure that cooperation in this respect is not derailed.
Rebuilding trust over the sharing of the Indus waters
could even become the precursor for generating trust in
other areas of conflict.
In fact, the "water wars rationale" forecasts war between
countries "dependent upon a shared water resource if there
is water scarcity, competitive use and the countries are
enemies due to a wider conflict." India and Pakistan were,
by this logic, prime candidates to go to war. What, then,
explains the successful negotiations that translated into
the Indus Water Treaty of 1960? As academic Undala Z Alam
argues, India and Pakistan cooperated because it was
"water-rational." "Cooperation was needed to safeguard the
countries' long-term access to shared water," said Alam,
who was given unique access to the World Bank's archives.
What explains this new shrill campaign? Firstly, Pakistan
is facing the most severe water crisis in its history.
Secondly, in the new Pakistani discourse inspired by
military thinking, India's hypothetical plans to construct
dams, despite their being within the ambit of the treaty,
could potentially create the capability to choke water
flow to Pakistan. Here, intentions are not a factor, but
just the capability that India may possess in the future.
Thirdly, one episode over the filling of the Baglihar
water reservoir by India and the alleged "delayed" release
of water has been cited as an example of India's mala fide
intentions. There are also Pakistani concerns about the
Kishanganga project.
In any case, none of these issues calls for hysteria, but
constructive engagement and bilateral dialogue within the
scope of the Permanent Commission or outside it.
What is also clear is that while the Indus Water Treaty is
still a vital document, it may be important to think of
ways of harnessing the waters of the Indus Basin jointly
for more optimal use of the resources, given new
technology, better practices, greater scarcity, and
lessons learnt from the past. These could be included
though an additional protocol to the treaty.
In fact, Article VII of the Treaty on "Future Cooperation"
leaves open the possibility of newer avenues of
cooperation without the need for the signatories to
renegotiate or abandon the treaty. Water is a common,
increasingly scarce resource which needs to be shared for
the mutual benefit.
We have given the world an example in the form of the
Indus Water Treaty. The time is ripe to build on this
cooperation.
The writer is professor of international relations at
Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. This article first
appeared in the Times of India.
A strategy shift needed
Instead of merely battling the extremists, the radicals
and the terrorists with military force, why not take away
their ability
to recruit new members?
Ali K Chishti
It
has been about nine years since the gruesome terrorist
attacks in New York and Washington DC and longer since the
attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.
Some experts claim al Qaeda is now stronger than ever,
others say it has been weakened by the Afghanistan and
Iraq campaign. However, they all agree that al Qaeda
exists and poses a serious threat not just to the West,
but also to their allies in the East. Taking into
consideration that this organisation has been able to
withstand a war from a super power and its allies,
including their fighting capabilities ranging from
military might, economic coercion and considerable
diplomatic weight, perhaps it is time to consider a shift
in strategy.
The public's demand for the use of brute force against the
terrorists behind 9/11 are easy to comprehend. The
immediate feeling of shock, infamy, anger and sorrow were
soon released by a blossoming wave of patriotism and
international solidarity and perhaps, most importantly,
the quest for retribution. Americans wanted to hit them as
hard as they had been hit, in a full-scale open war.
However, I do firmly believe it is possible to combine the
fight against terrorism using military might with a
different kind of campaign - a social war against
terrorism. And here is the fine point of it.
In order to win the war against terrorism, one must
understand its motives, foundations and organisations.
There are over one billion Muslims in the world, in which
a fraction of one percent takes up arms to attack the West
in the name of religion. Most of them are not willing to
fight and, in fact, condemn it. It is extremely vital to
make the distinction between a radical terrorist and a
moderate, average Muslim. One is the enemy, trained,
deadly and a legitimate target of war. The other is a
friend and an ally.
Al Qaeda is highly dependent on the Muslim world to be
able to operate. It receives its funding from private
donations and businesses in the Middle East, new terrorist
trainees are recruited from the masses and al Qaeda
operatives hide among the civilian population. So what
drives young Muslims to take the step from being moderate
Muslims to be al Qaeda and Taliban operatives? What
motivates them? Like any other national and ethnic group,
Arabs or even non-Arab Muslims feel a certain unity and
shared feeling of identity, despite being spread across
several countries and facing severe challenges in
cooperation. When an Arab or a Muslim country is invaded,
some might feel that as an attack by the West upon the
Arabs and Muslims in general, regardless of the West's
particular motives.
Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, and
the attacks on New York and Washington in 2001, the US
military experienced a wave of eager, patriotic
volunteers. If patriotism had been a motivation before, it
certainly did not become any less of a motivating force
now. The same effect can be seen in the Middle East. For
as much as Franklin D Roosevelt wanted to join World War
II, he needed support from his population, the average man
in the street, like Bin Laden and the Taliban need the
support of moderate Muslims to wage their war on the West
and their allies. The invasion of Iraq and the campaign in
Afghanistan has infuriated young Muslims to fight against
what they see as aggression by the West. The war in Iraq,
which turned out to be the biggest foreign policy blunder
by the US, made recruitment easier for al Qaeda and
Taliban groups and hence, the 7/7 London and Madrid
bombings. Al Qaeda and the Taliban know very well how to
take advantage of these waves of new volunteers. Much of
their recruiting takes place in Pakistan and not
Afghanistan and Iraq where the war is actually on.
Religious schools in Pakistan - madrassas - teach the
youth Quran by heart from an early age, but they also
teach intolerance and hatred towards the West. It is
taught that the US is the great Satan. The most visible
example is the TTP, which got most of their cadre from the
same madrassas, which were sponsored and manufactured
during the Cold War against the godless Soviets.
When the US business in Iraq and Afghanistan almost
exclusively included the use of brute military force, it
underlined and gave credit to what the madrassas teach,
that the US is a brutal and ruthless enemy, which targets
all Muslims. And here is the heart of the theory. Instead
of merely battling the extremists, the radicals and the
terrorists with military force, why not take away their
ability to recruit new members? Why not go into Pakistan
and show the good side of the US, the personal freedom,
tolerance and liberty that the US is originally about. Why
not build schools there, waive off debts, help the
citizens get access to clean water, and spread goodwill?
That will send signals that Americans are not quite
different from them, and that they are certainly not
Satans, as taught by the madrassas.
The author is a political analyst who can be reached at
akchishti@hotmail.com
International
Pakistani Taliban
say America will ‘burn’
Reuters, Islamabad
Taliban have warned America that it will soon "burn" while
calling for Pakistan's rulers to be overthrown for
following "America's agenda".
The United States is convinced Pakistani Taliban were
behind an attempted car-bomb attack in New York's Times
Square on May 1.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attempted
bombing. If confirmed, it would be the first time their
members were involved in an attempted attack in the West.
A Taliban spokesman, in a video message obtained by
Reuters, repeated a claim of responsibility, saying: "The
movement proved what America could not have even imagined
... It was just an explosive-laden vehicle which did not
explode."
"But it (America) will see, all imperialist forces will
see that it will explode also and America will also burn,"
said the spokesman, Azim Tariq, sitting cross-legged on
the ground in front of a rock face and speaking in Urdu.
America's allies would meet the same fate, he said. "They
can neither eliminate the mujahideen nor jihad, nor they
can harm Islam," he said, referring to Muslim holy
warriors and holy war.
"Instead, they will have to die themselves, they will be
burnt themselves, they will have to dig their own graves,"
said the spokesman, sporting a long black beard and
turban.
Tariq denied responsibility for bombings in public places,
saying authorities wanted to malign the militants with
such attacks.
Tariq spoke of fighting in various places in Pakistan
saying his men were holding their own and the security
forces, which he said were being paid with US aid money,
were suffering significant losses. "They are being
defeated," he said.
Tariq did not refer specifically to any attacks abroad,
but said mujahideen "wherever they were, in any part of
the world" were supporting each other.
Tariq said the Pakistani people were being sacrificed for
the sake of the United States by their own government,
which he called un-Islamic.
Pak agencies arrest Times Square
bomber's local TTP facilitator
ANI, Washington
Pakistani security agencies have arrested a man having
links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who
claims that he assisted Faisal Shahzad, the confessed
Times Square bomber, US officials have said.
"The suspect in Pakistani custody is believed to have a
connection to the TTP. Clues have added to authorities"
understanding of the plot, but what is definitely true is
that a lot of this comes from the statements of people
directly involved," The Washington Post quoted a US
intelligence official, who refused to be named, as saying.
U.S. officials declined to identify the suspect, but said
American investigators have direct access to him, and
described him as a facilitator for the TTP.
Officials privy to the probe said the suspect, during
interrogation, described the whole story about the
Shahzad's arrival in Karachi last year and his travel
north to Waziristan for training with elements of the
Pakistani Taliban.
However, some other US official, briefed on the
investigations said there are some "conflicts and
disconnects" in the accounts of Shahzad and the man in
custody.
The discrepancies center mainly on the details and
chronology of Shahzad"s travel and training. The conflicts
have raised some questions about the reliability of the
suspects" information, but have not cast significant doubt
on the overall understanding of the plot, they said.
American officials also believe that Shahzad and the man
arrested have presented an exaggerated account of the
their terror tale.
Both the suspects claim to have met TTP chieftain
Baitullah Mehsud, who was believed to have been killed in
a US drone attack, however, US officials are sceptical
that Mehsud would risk a 'face-to-face' meeting with a new
recruit, that too of foreign origin.
US sees key Pakistan role in Kandahar
battle
Dawn Online, Washington
The commander of US forces in Afghanistan indicated on
Thursday that Pakistan would play a key role in the
Kandahar offensive which Washington hopes would enable
President Barack Obama to start bringing his troops home
in July 2011.
In a briefing at the Pentagon, Gen Stanley McChrystal said
he coordinated his military campaigns with the Pakistan
Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and would also
coordinate the Kandahar offensive with him. "In regard to
seeing Gen Kayani (about the Kandahar offensive), I
coordinate with him often. And we have a really solid
relationship, and I'm appreciative of that," he said.
"We do coordinate our campaigns together. We will talk
about what one can do to help the other."
Gen McChrystal said that US and Pakistani regional
commanders also coordinated with each other on military
offensive. "Is it perfect? No. But it's a huge, long
border with two difficult campaigns. But I'm really happy
with where that's gone." The United States plans a major
military offensive in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar
this summer, using tens of thousands of troops in an
effort to weaken the militants to an extent that their
foot soldiers are forced to abandon militancy.
At the Pentagon briefing, Gen. McChrystal warned not to
expect immediate results from the Kandahar offensive.
The top US and Nato commander in Afghanistan said it would
probably take until the end of the year before the
Kandahar operation could be judged a success or failure.
He described the operation as a "slow, rising tide" of
security aimed at giving the Afghan government an
opportunity to take control.
The general said he would know the operation succeeded
when the local population in Kandahar started backing the
local government.
"Already we're not using the term 'operation' or 'major
operation,'" Gen. McChrystal said, so as not to give the
impression of a clear "D-Day" or "H-Hour" like there was
in February's Marja invasion. This isn't an operation to
"recapture an area under enemy control, as Marja was."
Accordingly, Gen. McChrystal described it as "a process,
not an event".
Thai troops, protesters clash in
capital; 8 killed
AP, Bangkok
Thai troops fired bullets at anti-government protesters,
and explosions thundered in the heart of Bangkok on Friday
as an army push to clear the streets and end a two-month
political standoff sparked clashes that have killed eight
and wounded 101.
As night fell, booming explosions and the sound of gunfire
rattled around major intersections in the central business
district. Local TV reported that several grenades hit a
shopping center and elevated-rail station. Plumes of black
smoke hung over the neighborhood as tires burned in eerily
empty streets while onlookers ducked for cover.
With security deteriorating and hopes of a peaceful
resolution to the standoff increasingly unlikely, what was
once one of Southeast Asia's most stable democracies and
magnets of foreign investment has been thrust deep into
political uncertainty. The crisis threatens its stability,
economy and already-decimated tourism industry.
Violence escalated after a rogue army general regarded as
a military adviser to the Red Shirt protesters was shot in
the head Thursday evening, possibly by a sniper. A doctor
said Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdiphol was still in a coma
Friday and he could "die at any moment."
Clashes since then have killed eight and wounded 101,
officials said. Among those wounded were two Thai
journalists and a Canadian reporter, who was in a serious
condition.
"We are being surrounded. We are being crushed. The
soldiers are closing in on us. This is not a civil war
yet, but it's very, very cruel," Weng Tojirakarn, a
protest leader, told The Associated Press.
Fighting has now killed 37 people and injured hundreds
since the Red Shirts, mostly rural poor, began camping in
the capital on March 12, in a bid to force out Prime
Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
They claim his coalition government came to power
illegitimately through manipulation of the courts and the
backing of the powerful military, which in 2006 forced the
populist premier favored by the Red Shirts, Thaksin
Shinawatra, from office in a coup.
Afghan protests over Nato raid in
Nangarhar province
BBC Online
Hundreds of villagers in the Afghan province of Nangarhar
are protesting over a Nato raid on Thursday, which they
claim killed several civilians.
There is no independent confirmation of the death toll but
local estimates vary from six to 12 dead.
Nato officials confirmed an operation targeted a Taliban
hideout, but said they were not aware of civilian deaths.
Civilian casualties at Nato hands are the source of
increasing friction between the Afghan government and Nato.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is on a visit to the US,
part of an effort to repair the rocky relations between
Kabul and Washington.
On Thursday he paid his respects to US troops killed in
Afghanistan at Arlington National Cemetery. He is also
expected to visit Fort Campbell, the base of a US military
division set to travel to Afghanistan.
In a joint news conference with President Karzai on
Wednesday, US President Barack Obama said that US forces
would try not to harm civilians in their operations.
Coalition forces are planning a major assault in the
southern province of Kandahar, a key stronghold of Taliban
insurgents.
But President Obama also backed Afghan plans to "open the
door" to Taliban militants who renounce violence and cut
ties with al-Qaeda.
A Nato statement said that a Taliban sub-commander and
other insurgents were killed and two insurgents captured
during the raid, in the Surkh Rod district in Nangarhar
province. But villagers burned tyres and blocked roads in
the area as they insisted that civilians were among the
dead and that two more were taken alive.
"They are farmers. They are innocent. They are not
insurgents or militants," Mohammed Arish, a local
administrator in the district told the Associated Press
news agency by telephone.
Crisis looms in Nepal as political
divide sharpens
AP, Katmandu
Time is running out for Nepal. More than two years after a
Constituent Assembly was elected to help guide the
Himalayan nation out of years of civil war and political
upheaval, the constitution it was supposed to draft
remains unwritten amid endless political bickering.
On May 28, the Assembly's tenure - and the provisional
constitution governing the nation - expires. Without a new
constitution or an extension of that deadline, chaos is
almost certain.
The former Maoist rebels who now control the largest party
in parliament have repeatedly shut down the streets of
Katmandu with protests, demanding they be given the reins
of power. The government has resisted, but still needs
Maoist votes to reach a resolution.
"The prime minister has been meeting leaders from various
political parties and even the president to work out a
solution," Law Minister Prem Bahadur Singh said.
"There is no alternative to extending the Constituent
Assembly or the country will plunge into a crisis."
Philippines’ Aquino reaches out
to defeated rival
AFP, Tarlac
Benigno Aquino made overtures Friday to one of his
defeated rivals in the Philippine presidential election as
part of efforts to win control of parliament.
Aquino's Liberal Party will not have majority of seats in
the Senate or the House of Representatives even though he
enjoyed a commanding win in Monday's presidential
election.
The local press has reported that the Nacionalista Party
of defeated presidential candidate Manuel Villar had
offered to cooperate with Aquino's Liberal Party to give
him a working majority.
"There shouldn't be a problem if it is for the good of the
country," Aquino told a news conference in his northern
hometown of Tarlac when asked about the possible alliance
with Villar's party.
There is widespread speculation that outgoing President
Gloria Arroyo, who Aquino has vowed to investigate over
allegations of election fraud and corruption, will try to
build a rival powerbase in the house by becoming speaker.
The house was a bulwark of support for Arroyo, quashing
numerous impeachment attempts and graft investigations
against her. She won a parliamentary seat in Monday's
elections.
Aquino has also accused Arroyo of trying to retain undue
influence after she steps down through a series of
last-minute appointments of people close to her to
powerful positions.
In this light, Aquino said Friday he would ignore
tradition and refuse to be sworn in as president by the
chief justice of the Supreme Court. Arroyo this week
appointed a former close aide, Renato Corona, as the next
chief justice.
Aquino has challenged the legality of the move and said
Arroyo should have let the new president name the new
chief justice.
"In all probability it (taking the oath of office on June
30) will probably be before a village chief," Aquino said,
naming the lowest-ranked local executive post in the
country.
"There is no telling that his appointment will not be
questioned at some point in time. At the end of the day I
do not want to start off with a question mark on the
validity of my oath of office."
UK’s
Cameron says coalition will defy doubters
Reuters, London
Britain's ruling coalition partners have a "common agenda"
to rebuild the economy and will not be distracted by
critics who say the alliance has no chance of lasting,
Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday.
Cameron, who took power this week after 13 years of Labour
rule, said he would be able to maintain his power-sharing
deal with the smaller Liberal Democrats despite the
pressing need for public spending cuts and tax rises.
Political rivals, analysts and even some within Cameron's
own centre-right party have raised concerns the two sides'
political views are too far apart for the coalition to
succeed. But Cameron, who travels on Friday to Scotland
where his party has only a single lawmaker, said his
alliance with the centre-left Liberal Democrats would grow
in strength during its scheduled five-year term. "Of
course there will be sceptics and doubters but I believe
we can make this work," he told the Sun newspaper. "There
is a common agenda we want to pursue."
Unlike many other European countries, Britain is not used
to coalition governments-this is its first since 1945 --
and the divisions between the main parties are deep and
historic.
"FALSE DAWN"
A former Conservative deputy prime minister, Michael
Heseltine, predicted the inevitable spending cuts would
cause "terrible strains" in the coalition. "We are living
in a false dawn," he was reported as saying in the
Independent newspaper. "The sun is shining. It is not
going to last very long ... there is a rocky road ahead."
The first signs of dissent surfaced over the coalition's
proposals to change the way parliament can vote to remove
a government if it proves unpopular during its five-year
term.
Under the plan, Britain would have fixed-term parliaments,
ending the prime minister's right to decide the timing of
an election. Any vote on dissolving a parliament mid-term
would need the support of at least 55 percent of
lawmakers.
US to fund installation
of Israeli rocket defence system
BBC Online
Barack Obama is to ask the US Congress for an extra $200m
in military aid to help Israel get a short-range rocket
defence system in place. The system is designed to shoot
down mortars and rockets from Gaza or Southern Lebanon
with guided missiles.
The system, called Iron Dome, has gone through testing and
installation will start later this year. According to US
State Department figures, direct military aid to Israel
was $2.55bn in 2009. This is set to increase to $3.15bn in
2018.
Easing tensions
A White House spokesman reaffirmed what he called the
administration's "unshakeable commitment" to Israel's
security - adding that Mr Obama recognised the threat
posed by missiles and rockets fired by Hamas and
Hezbollah. Iron Dome was conceived and developed in Israel
following the Lebanon war of 2006, during which Hezbollah
launched about 4,000 rockets into northern Israel.
Southern Israel has also come under fire, with thousands
of rockets and mortars fired by Palestinian militants.
Israel completed tests on the system in January. Officials
say the next phase in its development is its integration
into the Israeli army. A BBC correspondent in Washington,
Steve Kingstone, says Washington may be acting now to ease
the recent tensions in its relations with Israel.
In March a diplomatic row erupted when approval was
granted for new homes for Jews in occupied east Jerusalem.
The decision came during a visit to the city by the US
Vice-President Joe Biden.
The announcement on US funding for Iron Dome coincides
with the resumption of indirect talks between Israel and
the Palestinian Authority.
French burqa ban could face legal
challenge
Reuters, Paris
France's top legal advisory body has once again raised
questions over the legal viability of a bill to ban full
Muslim veils in public, just days before it is put before
the cabinet.
The government is expected to present legislation next
week to outlaw face-covering veils on the grounds that
they are demeaning to women, even though experts have
warned that such a prohibition could violate religious
freedom.
The Council of State, which advises on the preparation of
new laws and orders, earlier this year said introducing
such a ban would threaten rights guaranteed under both the
constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Paris daily Le Figaro reported on Friday the advisory
body had again come to the same conclusion after a meeting
with government officials on Wednesday.
"A comprehensive and absolute ban on wearing the full veil
could not have any legally unchallengeable justification
and (it would) be exposed to great constitutional
uncertainty," the paper reported.
The issue has caused intense debate in France, which has
the largest Muslim population in Europe and has been
wrestling for years over issues relating to the
integration of its various immigrant communities.
The legislation is due to be reviewed in early July by
parliament, before heading to the Senate in September with
the law possibly being adopted as early as autumn.
The head of the UMP parliamentary group Jean-Francois
Cope, who is fighting for the broadest possible ban, said
that the panel's conclusions were not a surprise, but that
other legal experts had opposing views.
Iran seen improving higher atom
enrichment
Reuters, Vienna
Iran has been setting up extra equipment which could
improve the way it enriches uranium to higher levels,
diplomats said, a move which shows Tehran seeking to
enhance its atomic work as big powers discuss new
sanctions.
Iran first started enriching small amounts of uranium to
higher levels in February, saying it wanted to make fuel
for a medical research reactor. This raised Western
suspicion as Iran is seen to lack the ability to make the
fuel assemblies needed.
Western powers, which called the move provocative, fear
the Islamic Republic ultimately aims to stockpile
potential material for nuclear weapons. Iran says its aims
are purely peaceful.
Iran has been using one set or "cascade" of 164 centrifuge
machines to refine small amounts of uranium to up to 20
percent purity, according to the International Atomic
Energy Agency's last report in February.
But a system using just one cascade is inefficient,
analysts said, as it produces a large proportion of
leftover low-enriched uranium (LEU) alongside the
sought-after highly enriched material.
In recent weeks Iranian officials have been adding a
second cascade at the Natanz pilot plant to allow the
leftover material to be re-fed into the machines more
easily, obtaining its full potential and making the work
more efficient, diplomats said. "The second cascade is
aimed at supporting the work of the first," a Western
diplomat said. It is not yet operational.
The changes do not appear be aimed at increasing the
amounts produced or to raise the enrichment level further,
moves which would ring alarm bells, diplomats said. But
they said the second cascade could be reconfigured to do
this should Iran decide to.
Obama counters Republican critics on
jobs agenda
Reuters, Buffalo, N.Y.
President Barack Obama defended his administration's
economic recovery efforts on Thursday and accused
Republicans of trying to block Democratic policies for
political gain. With public anxiety over the fragile
economy threatening Obama's Democrats in November's
congressional elections, he tried to turn the tables on
Republican critics, accusing them of sitting on the
sidelines last year when he was tackling the financial
crisis.
Obama, speaking to factory workers in Buffalo, New York,
made the case that his administration acted "boldly and
quickly" to avert another Great Depression and move the
country on the path to recovery.
Touting the latest government reports showing job growth
for the fourth straight month, Obama argued that his
efforts were working despite a 9.9 percent unemployment
rate in April. "Today, we are heading in the right
direction," he said. "Despite all the naysayers who were
predicting failure a year ago, our economy is growing
again."
Later, at a Democratic fund-raising speech in Manhattan,
Obama was blistering in his criticism of Republicans who
are poised to pick up seats against Democratic majorities
in November elections for the U.S. House of
Representatives and the Senate.
Iranian cleric defends
earthquake-promiscuity link
AP, Tehran
A prominent hard-line Iranian cleric elaborated on his
claim that promiscuity and immodest dress cause
earthquakes, saying Friday that God may be holding off on
natural disasters in the West in order to let people sin
more and doom themselves to hell.
The cleric, Kazem Sedighi, sparked widespread derision
with his pronouncements in a prayer sermon last month that
women who don't dress modesty spread adultery in society,
in turn increasing earthquakes.
In Tehran's main weekly prayer sermon on Friday, he
defended the claim but added some further explanation on
why some places are hit more than others.
"Some ask why (more) earthquakes and storms don't occur in
the Western world, which suffers from the slime of
homosexuality, the slime of promiscuity and has plunged up
to the neck" in immorality, he said.
"Who says they don't occur? Storms take place in the U.S.
and other parts of the world. We don't say committing sin
is the entire reason but it's one of the reasons," he
said. But, he said, "sometimes, God tests a nation. ...
(God says) if believers sin, We slap them because We love
them and give them calamity in order to stop their bad
deeds." "And those who have provoked God's wrath, He
allows them (to commit sins) so that they go to the bottom
of hell," Sedighi said.
Facebook downplays privacy crisis
meeting
BBC Online
Facebook has downplayed the significance of a company-wide
meeting to discuss privacy issues. The blogosphere
described the meeting as a panic measure following weeks
of criticism over the way it handles members' data.
Several US senators have made public calls for Facebook to
rethink its privacy safeguards. The American Civil
Liberties Union, ACLU, launched a petition directed at
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. It called on him to
regain the trust of users by giving them control over all
the information shared via Facebook. Earlier this week
European data protection officials weighed in on the
controversy and called privacy changes "unacceptable". A
number of high-profile users have also deleted their
Facebook accounts after the site introduced a new feature
that lets non-Facebook websites, or third parties, post
the personal views of Facebook users without their
consent.
'Back to basics'
Facebook described its internal get together as part of
its "open culture" giving employees "a forum to ask
questions on a topic that has received a lot of outside
interest".
Industry watchers said the company, which is the world's
biggest social network, has shown it has "lost touch" over
the issue.
"Most of us got onto Facebook because we want to know what
our high school quarterback is doing or to reconnect with
old school friends, not worry about how our information is
going to be used," Catharine P Taylor, media blogger with
news site BNET.com told the BBC.
Security upgrades
On the same day as the all-hands meeting at Facebook, the
company launched new security measures to battle spam and
other malicious attacks. The upgrades include being able
to approve the devices users commonly use to log in and
being notified when that account has been accessed via a
device that has not been approved. Another feature is
giving users the ability to block suspicious logins before
they happen.
Business/Economy
IMF
warns ‘urgent’ fiscal risks will hit growth
AFP, Washington
The International Monetary Fund on Friday warned developed
nations they face an "urgent" need to rein in budget
deficits or risk stymied growth.
"As economies gradually recover, it is now urgent to start
putting in place measures to ensure that the increase in
deficits and debts resulting from the crisis... does not
lead to fiscal sustainability problems," it warned in a
high-profile report.
"If public debt is not lowered to precrisis levels,
potential growth in advanced economies could decline by
over half a percent annually, a very sizable effect when
cumulated over several years." The warning came as Europe
continues to be gripped by a debt crisis that has rippled
out from Greece across the continent and the globe. The
Greek government is confronting widespread opposition to
an austerity program needed to secure an European Union
and the IMF bailout totaling 110 billion euros.
Political tensions have heightened in recent days as bomb
blasts at a prison and a court rocked two Greek cities in
24 hours in a warning that militants still pose a threat
to the country.
Investors were rattled when police on Friday blamed
far-left militants for the first bomb, which exploded
overnight outside an Athens high security prison. The
blast, heard across the capital, injured one woman.
The second bomb went off in a bathroom in the main court
building in Thessaloniki on Friday and slightly injured a
court employee, who is in hospital, said Manolis Lampsidis,
head of the city's local bar association.
In Spain, prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero also
faced opposition to tough new austerity measures.
Zapatero on Wednesday announced belt-tightening measures
worth 15 billion euros over two years in a new bid to
shore up Spain's public finances after stocks plunged last
week over fears it could follow Greece into a debt crisis.
EBRD
warns Greek crisis could threaten eastern Europe recovery
AFP, Zagreb
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
warned Friday that the Greek crisis could harm recovery in
eastern Europe, hit by the worst economic turmoil since
the fall of communism.
"In many respects, the latest developments in the eurozone
are highly relevant for the countries gathered around this
table," EBRD president Thomas Mirow said, referring to the
Greek debt debacle.
"The crisis in Greece has the potential to set back
recovery efforts, especially if Greek banks and their
subsidiaries in the region were to be affected more deeply
by the uncertainty in the markets despite their
fundamental health," Mirow said. He repeated that the
region had faced the worst economic crisis since the
transition period to market economies.
The director spoke at a meeting of premiers and officials
from around a dozen southeastern European countries held
on the sidelines of the two-day annual gathering of EBRD
board governors.
At the meeting later Friday in the Croatian capital, the
governors are expected to approve a 50 percent increase in
the bank's capital to 30 billion euros (38 billion
dollars). "We are now seeing a return to recovery but we
also know that any recovery will be prolonged and patchy,"
Mirow said, stressing five areas that required political
backing to ensure sustained growth. Among the five, Mirow
emphasised the development of local financial markets,
labeling it an imperative.
He also called for further support for small- and
medium-seized businesses, promoting energy efficiency,
boosting regional commercial links and the region's
integration into the European Union. The global financial
crisis ravaged economies in central and eastern Europe,
largely because many of them were heavily reliant on
foreign capital or high commodity prices.
Mirow said the talks with regional officials focused on
how to "assure that even with the backdrop of the current
crisis, the appetite of Europe to further engage in the
unification of this continent does not stall and that the
needs of ... southeastern Europe are taken seriously."
The combined economies of the EBRD area-stretching from
central Europe to central Asia-are expected to grow 3.3
percent this year after a contraction of six percent in
2009.
The EBRD, set up in 1991 to help former communist nations
make the transition to market economies, operates in 29
countries and usually invests in private enterprises
together with commercial partners.
Greece will cut defence budget
AFP, Paris
Debt-ridden Greece will cut its huge defence budget and
has not been bullied into signing new deals by European
allies, Defence Minister Panos Beglitis said in an
interview published Friday.
Despite facing critical public debt, Greece remains one of
Europe's biggest arms buyers, and there have been reports
that France and Germany are pressing Athens into
multi-billion dollar weapons contracts.
Beglitis told the French daily Le Monde his department
would have to make savings alongside all the others in the
Greek government, and denied that Berlin and Paris had
brought undue to pressure to bear.
"This year we've decided to cut the defence budget from
6.8 billion euros to six billion, that's to say 2.8
percent of GDP," he said. On average, the NATO allies each
spend around 1.7 percent of their GDPs on defence.
"Operating expenses will fall by around 12.5 percent," he
said. "Arms purchases will account for between 0.6 and one
percent of GDP."
Despite both being NATO members, Greece has a tense
relationship with its Aegean neighbour Turkey, with which
it disputes certain islands and maritime frontiers, and
has traditionally spent heavily on defence.
Since the explosion of its debt crisis, Athens has come
under pressure from financial markets, the International
Monetary Fund and from fellow members of the eurozone
single currency bloc to cut costs.
But there have been reports that, behind closed doors,
Paris has urged Athens to sign a deal to spend 2.5 billion
euros on French-built frigates and Berlin has demanded
quick payment for a fleet of submarines.
Beglitis denied this outright. He said negotiations to buy
the French ships were continuing, but that did not mean
they would go anywhere and in any case "the decision won't
be taken in 2010."
As to Germany, he confirmed that German engineering firm
Thyssen-Krupp had threatened to close its shipyard in
Greece with the loss of 1,500 jobs and of two billion
euros in Greek investment.
But he said the decision to defuse the threat by buying
two more German subs would cost Greece only 150 million
euros more than it would have done to modernise its
existing fleet, and not 1.5 billion as had been reported.
India plans $11b infrastructure fund
AFP, New Delhi
India aims to create an 11-billion-dollar fund to overhaul
its creaking infrastructure, with 40 percent of the money
sourced from abroad, a report said Friday.
The government wants to raise 4.4 billion dollars from
foreign pension, insurance and sovereign wealth funds and
the rest from domestic institutions, the Economic Times
newspaper said.
The emerging market giant of 1.2 billion people needs to
rapidly boost its urban infrastructure spending to catch
up with neighbouring China and other countries and to ease
its chronic poverty problems, economists say.
The decision to create the fund was taken at a meeting in
New Delhi earlier in the week chaired by Montek Singh
Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of India's powerful Planning
Commission, a top government economic body.
A committee will be set up to oversee the fund-raising
exercise, which is to be launched next month at an Indo-US
forum of chief executives established in 2005 by US
president George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
to boost trade and investment ties, the newspaper said.
Deepak Parekh, chairman of Housing Development Finance
Corp, India's largest mortgage lender, will head the
committee.
India will look at "innovative methods" to raise long-term
finance for infrastructure projects, he said.
Lack of a strong Indian bond market and worries about
project delays and returns have long held back private
infrastructure development.
Improving battered ports and highways is seen as key to
raising economic growth to the double-digit levels
required to significantly ease Indian poverty.
Power generation, road building, port construction and
airport modernisation have fallen behind targets for
years.
Global Consultancy McKinsey recently warned that in order
to avoid "urban chaos", India needed to spend 2.2 trillion
dollars by 2030 on infrastructure in cities, where
three-quarters of India's population are expected to live.
Malaysia, India to sign free trade accord this year
AFP, Singapore
Malaysia and India are expected to conclude
talks on a comprehensive free trade agreement in August
and sign the
pact later in the year, Malaysian Trade Minister Mustapa
Mohamed said on Friday.
Mustapa said both sides are working for the Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to be signed during
a visit to Malaysia by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh later this year.
"We are on target. We hope by August we can do a definite
conclusion to this and by the time Manmohan Singh visits
Malaysia at end of this year, this will be in place," he
told the Foreign Correspondents Association in Singapore.
Mustapa, in Singapore for a business forum, said he and
his Indian counterpart had been directed by their prime
ministers "to make sure" that the highlight of Singh's
visit would be to witness the signing of the accord.
Trade between the two countries peaked in 2008 at 10.52
billion dollars but fell to 7.06 billion dollars in 2009
due to the global economic downturn.
Malaysia has said that a pact-which will cover trade in
goods and services, investment and economic
cooperation-could boost its exports to India by 12 billion
dollars, by 2012.
Malaysia in October 2009 signed a free
trade deal with New Zealand, and is part
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN)-China free trade accord.
Mustapa said Malaysia also hopes to negotiate free trade
pacts with the European Union, Australia, the Gulf
Cooperation Council, Chile and Turkey.
Kuala Lumpur has also expressed eagerness to join talks
for an enlarged Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement
involving the United States and seven other countries.
Oil prices drop amid dollar rise, stockpile buildup
AFP, Singapore
Malaysia and India are expected to conclude
talks on a comprehensive free trade agreement in August
and sign the
pact later in the year, Malaysian Trade Minister Mustapa
Mohamed said on Friday.
Mustapa said both sides are working for the Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to be signed during
a visit to Malaysia by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh later this year.
"We are on target. We hope by August we can do a definite
conclusion to this and by the time Manmohan Singh visits
Malaysia at end of this year, this will be in place," he
told the Foreign Correspondents Association in Singapore.
Mustapa, in Singapore for a business forum, said he and
his Indian counterpart had been directed by their prime
ministers "to make sure" that the highlight of Singh's
visit would be to witness the signing of the accord. Trade
between the two countries peaked in 2008 at 10.52 billion
dollars but fell to 7.06 billion dollars in 2009 due to
the global economic downturn.
Malaysia has said that a pact-which will cover trade in
goods and services, investment and economic
cooperation-could boost its exports to India by 12 billion
dollars, by 2012. Malaysia in October 2009 signed a free
trade deal with New Zealand, and is part
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN)-China free trade accord.
Mustapa said Malaysia also hopes to negotiate free trade
pacts with the European Union, Australia, the Gulf
Cooperation Council, Chile and Turkey.
Kuala Lumpur has also expressed eagerness to join talks
for an enlarged Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement
involving the United States and seven other countries.
G7 ministers hold teleconference on Greek crisis:
Japan
AFP, Tokyo
Group of Seven finance ministers held a telephone
conference Friday on the Greek debt crisis, Japan's
Finance Minister Naoto Kan said.
"We heard a report on efforts in Europe to stabilise the
euro," Kan told reporters at his ministry. He said
"various" issues were discussed, but did not go into
detail. Kan announced plans for the G7 teleconference last
week, saying at the time he did not think the G7 would
jointly intervene to buy the euro. The European single
currency nosedived to an 18-month low on Friday and
equities slumped as markets were slammed by continued
concerns at the eurozone's debt crisis. Dealers moved to
offload euros in Asian trade on Friday, unconvinced that
Europe's economic problems had been laid to rest by a
trillion-dollar rescue package put together by the EU and
IMF.
Euro tumbles to new 14-month low under $1.25
AFP, London
The euro nosedived under 1.25 dollars on Friday, striking
a new 14-month low, and equities slumped as markets were
slammed by fresh concerns about the eurozone financial
crisis, dealers said.
Paul Volcker, a special adviser to President Barack Obama
and a former Federal Reserve chairman, spooked markets
late Thursday when he warned of the "potential
disintegration of the euro," according to analysts.
At 0917 GMT, the shared European unit staggered to 1.2465
dollars, striking a level which was last seen on March 4,
2009.
European stock markets also headed lower, with Frankfurt
dropping 1.03 percent, London sliding 1.45 percent and
Paris plunging 2.37 percent. Madrid meanwhile slumped by
more than four percent in value.
"Clearly, I think we have to say that the euro failed and
fell into a trap that was evident at the beginning,"
Volcker said at an event in London late on Thursday.
Indians buying more cars : Obama
PTI, Washington
Visiting Buffalo in upstate New York, a city that has been
badly hit by the current economic crisis, US President
Barack Obama did not repeat his 'Buffalo to Bangalore'
rhetoric but did say the fact that Indians and Chinese are
buying more cars would put a lot pressure on fossil fuel.
Arguing in favour of public transportation system instead
of depending on cars for commutation, Obama at a rally in
Buffalo said mass transit system would be good for the
environment.
"Because one of the things, obviously, that we have to
recognise is, is that no matter what we do, oil prices are
going to be going up over the long term.
I mean, year to year, they may vary. Sometimes it's four
bucks a gallon at the pump, sometimes it drops back down
to two- and-a-half," he noted.
"You're not always clear what's going on, but the
long-term trend is just because countries like
China-they're starting to buy cars and countries like
India are starting to buy cars, and so the demand on
petroleum and fossil fuels are going to be greater and
greater-we've got to get a first-class transit system,"
Obama said.
"We don't have one right now. We used to be at the top.
Now you've got China-they're building multiple high-speed
rail lines all across the country, leaving us behind," he
said.
"But it's not just transit. It's our ports, our airports,
our sewer systems, our water systems.
We're going to figure out how do we make those kinds of
long- term investments, but do so in a way that doesn't
increase our deficit, and that's going to be a challenge,
but I think it's going to be a priority," said the US
President.
About a year ago, Obama had raised the rhetoric of
'Buffalo to Bangalore' when on May 4, 2009 he announced
end to years of tax incentives to those US companies which
create jobs overseas in places like Bangalore, a city in
south India.
"It's a tax code that says you should pay lower taxes if
you create a job in Bangalore, India, than if you create
one in Buffalo, New York," Obama had said as he announced
end to years of tax incentives to those US companies which
create jobs overseas.
Instead the incentives would now go to those creating jobs
inside the US, in places like the Buffalo city, he said.
This was Obama's first visit to Buffalo after he became
the US President.
Obama said the economist might have juggled with the
figure to declare that recession has ended; and the stock
market might have bounced back, but he believes that
recession is far from over as still a lot of people are
unemployed.
National
Faulty agricultural marketing
system hampers farmers’ interests: Barua
BSS Rajshahi
Industries Minister Dilip Barua has said the existing
faulty agricultural marketing system has been affecting
the farmers' interests side by side benefiting the
middlemen.
He stated that the farmers' interests could have been
protected if the country was operated amidst proper
planning.
Dilip, however, added that the present government of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has been putting in its level best
efforts to protect the farmers' interests.
He mentioned that special care would be given in the
forthcoming budget. The minister was addressing a
grassroots pre-budget discussion relating to the
agriculture sector styled "Agriculture Budget and Budget
for the Farmers" hosted by Channel i at Kasiadanga College
playground here Thursday night as the chief guest.
Dilip said that only the farmers have been playing a vital
role in ensuring food security so the present government
has been giving the highest priority towards protecting
their interest. Terming the government as
agriculture-friendly he said the government has removed
the fertilizer crisis.
Mayor of Rajshahi AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, who addressed
the discussion as special guest, has underscored the need
for immediate implementation of the proposed North
Rajshahi Irrigation Project for substantial welfare of the
farmers.
He also laid importance on re-excavation of the derelict
ponds and canals for creating water reservoir which is
very essential to protect the farming sector. Taking part
in the discussion lawmaker Fazley Hossain Badsha suggested
adopting effective step to protect the region including
its high barind tract from environmental degradation.
Life term for mixing
poison with food demanded
BSS, Dhaka
Environmentalists Friday demanded life imprisonment as
minimum punishment and confiscation of property of those
who are involved in mixing poison with food.
Addressing a post-human chain rally in the city, they
called for regular visits by the anti-adulteration team to
warehouses, factories and wholesale depots of food
including fruits as well as formation of monitoring cell
to arrest the culprits involved in mixing poison with
food.
They also demanded opening a control room with phone-fax
facilities so that people can inform the concerned
authorities about the culprits through the control room.
They urged the government to implement the High Court
order to this end.
The Save Environment Movement (SEM) and Greenmind Society
formed the human chain in front of the Institute of Fine
Arts at Dhaka University.
With SEM Chairman Abu Naser Khan in the chair, the rally
was also addressed, among others, by President of
Greenmind Society Amir Hasan, Vice-President Morshed Alam,
Assistant Secretary of SEM Sagiruzzaman Sakik, Secretary
General of PEACE Ifma Hossain, President of NDF Ibnul
Sayeed Rana and journalist Sadrul Anam. The speakers said
dishonest businessmen are mixing various chemicals and
pesticides including copper sulfate, calcium carbide
potash liquid solution, copper sulfide and carbon smoke
with fruits to ripen those. Besides, formalin is being
used to keep the fruits fresh.
After eating the fruits, they said, people could be
attacked by asthma, gastric and respiratory and liver
problems, cancer and other deadly diseases. Besides,
pregnant women can give birth to deformed children, they
said. Mentioning that children are the worst victims of
the chemical-mixed fruits, they said symptom of disease
like cancer is visible among the elderly people and
children due to eating of such fruits.
"The chemical-mixed fruits are also responsible for
destroying brightness of skin of the people," they said,
adding health risk of the people is increasing day by day
by taking those fruits.
Social awareness must for
making a drug-free society: Speakers
BSS, Rangpur
Speakers here on Thursday underscored the need for
building a drug-free society through creating mass
awareness and joint efforts of all citizens with a view to
building a happy and peaceful nation.
They said this while addressing an anti-drug awareness
building rally jointly organized by the Department of
Narcotics Control (DNC) and Bangladesh National Cadet Core
(BNCC) on Paira Chattar premises in the city.
Earlier, a huge colourful rally participated by government
and NGO officials, anti-drug campaigners, socio-cultural
workers, members of the BNCC, students, youths and elite
of the city paraded the streets of the divisional city
before gathering at the rally. Besides, a large number of
BNCC cadets from Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and
Rangpur also took part in the colourful procession and
rally.
Chaired by Deputy Director of Rangpur DNC Ahsanur Rahman,
the rally was attended and addressed by Deputy Secretary
and ADC (General) of Rangpur Mahbubul Alam as the chief
guest. Additional District Magistrate of Rangpur Ruhul
Amin Khan and Lieutenant Mohammad Rozaine attended the
rally as the special guests. Executive Director of
anti-drug campaign organisations of SADO Sarwar Zamil
Khondker and Senior Councilor of Light House Ziaul Haque
Biplob also addressed.
The speakers discussed the fearful consequences and
impacts of drugs on the young generations, human
civilization and underscored the need for taking stringent
measures against drug trafficking and proper social steps
to save the youths from drug- addiction.
Fire guts valuables of two
Chittagong factories
BSS, Chittagong
Valuables of one garment and packaging factory worth about
Taka 1.30 in Baiyazid Bostami area under Baiyazid Bostami
thana in the city was gutted in separate incidents of fire
on Thursday night.
Fire service sources said the first fire, originating from
an electric short circuit on the 3rd floor of KDS Garments
Ltd at about 12.25am, quickly engulfed different sections
of the factory.
The fire spread panic among security guards of the
factory, but none was hurt as they safely came out of the
building through the emergency exit.
Being informed, fire service personnel rushed to the spot
and extinguished the flame at about 4.35a.m.
The fire at the packaging factory also originated from an
electric short circuit at about 8pm and gutted valuables
of worth about TK 30 lakh.
6,484 tonnes rice, 1,319 tonnes
paddy to be procured in Chuadanga
BSS, Chuadanga
The government has fixed up a target to procure 6,484
tonnes of rice and 1,319 tonnes of paddy from all the four
upazilas of district during the current season. The
upazilas are: Chuadanga sadar, Alamdanga, Damurhuda and
Jibannnagar.
Of the total rice, 1,744 tonnes would be procured from
Sadar upazila, 1,429 tonnes from Alanmdanga upazila, 447
tonnes from Damurhuda upazila and 2,864 tonnes from
Jibannagar upazila.
While 275 tonnes of paddy would be procured from Sadar
upazila, 502 tonnes from Alamdanga upazila, 344 tonnes
from Damurhuda upazila and 198 tonnes from Jibannagar
upazila, official sources said.
Sports
Parvez and Munni win gold in men and
women's kata
TBT report
Parvez and Munni Khanam, both from Dhaka Divisional Sports
Association (DSA), won gold medal in men's kata and women's
kata respectively in the Dhaka divisional competitions of the
Electra 4th Divisional Karate Championship on Friday.
Atikur Rahman (Narsingdi DSA) won silver medal in the men's
kata, while the bronze medals went to Moshiur Rahman (Narayanganj
DSA) and Shownok Datta (Sherpur DSA).
Jesmin Akhter (Netrakona DSA) took silver in the women's kata.
The competitions were held at National Sports Council
Gymnasium in Dhaka. Seventeen district teams took part in 11
categories of the competitions, organized by Dhaka DSA, under
the auspices of Bangladesh Karate Federation (BKF), with the
sponsorship of Electra International Limited.
Earlier, President of BKF Masum Parvez Rubel inaugurated the
competitions as chief guest, while the Chairman of Electra
International Limited Sanaullah Shahid was present as special
guest.
Joint Secretary of Dhaka Divisional Sport Association Mohammad
Ali Hossain, BKF General Secretary Moazzem Hossain Sentu and
other officials were also present on the occasion.
England
crushes Sri Lanka to reach final
AFP, Gros Islet
England cruised into the World Twenty20 final with a
seven-wicket thrashing of Sri Lanka at the Beausejour Stadium
here on Thursday.
Set just 129 to win, after tight bowling restricted Sri
Lanka-last year's losing finalists-to 128 for six, England
finished on 132 for three as they won with four overs to
spare.
Kevin Pietersen, on his return to the side after he attended
the birth of his son in London, finished on 42 not out and
ended the match in style with a six and a four in successive
balls off fast bowler Lasith Malinga.
England, who have never won a major one-day international
tournament, are now through to their first final since hosting
the 2004 Champions Trophy.
They will face the winners of Friday's second semi-final at
Beausejour between defending champions Pakistan and Australia
in Sunday's final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Sri
Lanka collapsed to 26 for three in just the fifth over and
were unable to recover from that poor start.
Only Angelo Mathews, with 58, offered much resistance against
England's bowlers before he was run out off the penultimate
ball.
Sri Lanka's next best score was 16, achieved by both captain
Kumar Sangakkara, who won the toss, and Chamara Kapugedera.
"I'm going to sound like a broken record here but full credit
to our bowlers again," England captain Paul Collingwood said
at the presentation ceremony.
"We put them under pressure and I'm delighted with how they
performed.
"The two guys at the top of the order, (Craig) Kieswetter and
(Michael) Lumb, are still going at the bowlers and again got
us into a good position."
Sangakkara added: "Unfortunately we didn't start too well,
losing three wickets in the first six (overs). We didn't make
the most of our opportunities -- 150 would have been a good
total."
Man-of-the-match Stuart Broad led the attack with two wickets
for 21 runs off his four permitted overs. Both Ryan Sidebottom
and fellow seamer Broad took a wicket first ball during Sri
Lanka's top-order collapse.
Spinners Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy then ensured runs
remained hard to come by with a combined eight overs that cost
just 41. At the start of their run chase, England were
confronted by a trio of spinners as Sri Lanka looked to
exploit their supposed vulnerability against slow bowling on a
pitch offering some turn. But Kieswetter, driving strongly,
and left-hander Lumb settled any lingering nerves with an
opening stand of 68. However, that partnership should have
ended on 40 when Kieswetter cut the ball to backward point and
Lumb set off for a non-existent single. Lumb was almost at the
other end of the pitch before he was sent back but Ajantha
Mendis fumbled the return to the bowler's end stumps, with
Lumb yards out, and the chance had gone.
Kieswetter was eventually yorked by Malinga for 39 and Lumb
bowled for 33, walking across his stumps, by seamer Thissara
Perera.
But the damage had already been done.
Sri Lanka were seven for one at the start of the second over
when left-arm quick Sidebottom removed Sanath Jayasuriya for
just one after the veteran fended outside off stump and edged
straight to Collingwood at second slip.
New batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan on nine then miscued a hook
off Tim Bresnan and was well caught by a diving Luke Wright,
running in from deep backward square leg, to leave Sri Lanka
20 for two at the end of the third over.
Sri Lanka's collapse continued when Broad, as Sidebottom had
done, took a wicket first ball.
Mahela Jayawardene, the tournament's leading scorer with 302
runs, including a century against Zimbabwe, fell for just 10
when he edged a well pitched up ball outside off stump and was
caught by wicketkeeper Kieswetter.
Swann and Yardy kept the pressure on and Sri Lanka couldn't
break free.
Blackwell
leads Australia into women's final
AFP, Gros Islet
Australia captain Alex Blackwell led from the front as her
side advanced into the women's World Twenty20 final with a
seven-wicket win over India here on Thursday.
Blackwell's 61 -- her maiden fifty at this level-was the
centrepiece of Australia's successful pursuit of a target
of 120.
Her innings was all the more impressive as Blackwell, only
leading the side because wicketkeeper/batsman Jodie Fields
withdrew before the tournament with a hamstring injury,
came in with the score one for one.
But together with left-handed opener Shelley Nitschke
(22), she shared a second-wicket stand of 74 that ended
Indian hopes.
By the time the 26-year-old from Wagga Wagga was stumped
by Sulakshana Naik off leg-spinner Priyanka Roy, Australia
were 101 for three and almost home.
Blackwell faced 49 balls, including eight fours.
Leah Poulton, unbeaten on 30, ended the match with seven
balls to spare with a boundary.
Australia, who lost in last year's semi-final to eventual
champions England, will face the winners of Friday's match
between the West Indies and New Zealand in Sunday's final
at Barbados's Kensington Oval. Australia's victory also
kept alive hopes of a national 'double', with the men's
side facing defending champions Pakistan in Friday's
semi-final.
Australia's reply get off to a stuttering start, when
Elyse Villani was bowled off an under-edge by Goswami for
nought to leave her side one for one.
Barcelona eyes La Liga title
AFP, Madrid
Despite notching a record 96 points, Barcelona must defeat
Valladolid at home on Sunday to retain its La Liga title
and leave rival Real Madrid empty-handed as an epic title
race reaches its conclusion. Going into the final day of
the season, Real is just a point behind and preying Barca
slip-up against troubled Valladolid. Madrid is at Malaga,
another team fighting for survival, knowing it needs to
win and hope Valladolid take points from the champions.
"It is the most demanding league (campaign) I can
remember," said Barcelona captain Carles Puyol. "The table
speaks for itself finishing with 99 points is an
incredible amount." "There are two teams that have been
above the rest in recent years and Barcelona have
certainly played the better football in recent years."
Barcelona has the comfort of knowing its destiny is in its
own hands but anything but a win could see it lose the
title on the final day of the season.
Real must win to stand any chance of becoming champion as
Barcelona would win the title due to its superior
head-to-head record if the sides finished level on points.
It is a nervy moment for coach Pep Guardiola who comes up
against Javier Clemente once his national coach with Spain
and now Valladolid manager.
Valladolid is one of four teams on 36 points that could go
down and is only in with a shout of survival after one
defeat from seven matches under Clemente.
Guardiola must do without suspended playmaker Xavi and
full back Maxwell but can call on Lionel Messi who is set
to land the Pichichi crown for the league's top-scorer
with his 32 goals, five better than Real Madrid's Gonzalo
Higuain. Malaga is third from bottom but level on points
with Racing Santander and Valladolid above them.
"It is difficult to win the league but anything can happen
in football," said Real superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Federer, Nadal
edge closer to dream final
AFP, Madrid
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal edged closer to a dream
Madrid Masters final on Thursday with straight-sets
quarterfinal victories which further served to whet fans'
appetites ahead of the French Open.
With Roland Garros - a key marker for holder Federer and
four-time winner Nadal - starting a week from Sunday, the
countdown is taking on extra urgency for the old rivals.
Number one Federer came through against fellow Swiss
Stanislas Wawrinka, carving out a 6-3, 6-1 win after
gaining early momentum by breaking his Davis Cup teammate
on a fourth opportunity in the second game of the match.
From then on, Federer's huge game began to flow as he took
aim at repeating his breakthrough title at the Caja Magica
from a year ago.
Federer iced the first set after 42 minutes with his fifth
ace and moved purposefully into the second with a break in
the opening game and another in the third on his way to
the comfortable win.
"I'm very happy with how I played, it's never easy playing
a countryman," said Federer, who now faces Latvian Ernests
Gulbis, who put out Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 7-6 (7/0). Gulbis
defeated Federer at the Rome Masters last month.
"To beat Stan on his best surface is excellent. I'm
feeling great about my play now," added Federer.
"I haven't had that many matches in the last few weeks,
but I won the French Open and no matter how tough the clay
season is, I can walk around with a smile on my face."
Nadal reached the quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive
year when he smothered the huge serving of American 13th
seed John Isner to claim a 7-5, 6-4 victory. The Spanish
second seed, who was the 2005 champion when the event was
played on indoor hardcourt, held Isner to a mere 11 aces
on a chilly day with the roof closed in case of rain.
Nadal has already lifted titles at his first two clay
tournaments in 2010 - the Masters 1000 events in Monte
Carlo and Rome - as he builds up towards the French Open.
"It was a dangerous, difficult match," said Nadal, who
next faces French 12th seed Gael Monfils, a winner over
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
Nadal won his last match against Monfils in the US Open
fourth round last year despite suffering an abdominal
injury.
"Gael is a charismatic player, he plays fast and
aggressive. He can change strategy suddenly and is very
confident." British third seed Andy Murray eased past
Romania's Victor Hanescu 6-2, 6-1.
"Today was better than my previous match," said the Scot,
who went 1-2 at the start of the clay season and now faced
Spain's David Ferrer, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Marin Cilic.
"I served better and made less mistakes. I'll have to do
even better tomorrow," he said of Ferrer, who beat him in
Rome a fortnight ago.
In the WTA event, Australia's Samantha Stosur and China's
Li Na stormed into the last eight.
Eighth seed Stosur stopped Swiss Patty Schnyder 7-6 (7/3),
6-2 while Li, the 13th seed, put out Alona Bondarenko of
the Ukraine with a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Stosur next faces a test against fourth seed Venus
Williams, against whom she stands 0-3 from 2007 and 2008
meetings.
Li will play Israeli Shahar Peer, who defeated Spain's
Arantxa Parra Santonja 7-5, 6-2.
Indonesia storms to Thomas Cup final
AFP, Kuala Lumpur
Badminton powerhouse Indonesia smashed and parried its way
to a record 17th Thomas Cup final Friday, delivering Japan
an unforgettable master class in athleticism, agility and
passion.
The 13-time champions strolled to the last two with a 3-1
victory in front of large and vocal support at the Putra
Stadium, breaking stride only occasionally to change ends
and wipe down their racquets.
The second seeds' world number five Taufik Hidayat hit his
best form so far, forcing All England runner-up Kenichi
Tago all over the court with a nonchalant mix of passes,
disguised drop shots and smashes to win 21-9, 21-14.
"I feel like I am getting better and better," said the
former world and Olympic champion, who has been winning
despite inconsistent form in the early stages of the
tournament.
"I was more cautious in the second set and more
comfortable in the first. I made some mistakes but I
didn't allow my opponent to take advantage of them. "It
wasn't an easy game for me but I'm going to improve my
game for the final. What counts is I'm fighting for my
country."
Indonesia looked fresh after an easy path through the
quarters and capitalised on a weary Japan, who had scraped
to a five-set win against Malaysia in a match so epic
Dante could have written a poem about it.
"There is no doubt my condition wasn't very good but I
couldn't figure out why, and that was the problem," Tago
said. "Taufik is the best player ever. Even though
sometimes he is defeated by other top players he is the
best."
FIFA World Cup hosting race heats up
AP/UNB, Zurich
Nine candidates hoping to host the World Cup in 2018 or
2022 began delivering their bid books to FIFA on Friday.
Australia made the first presentation to FIFA president
Sepp Blatter, handing over a 750-page book detailing how
it would stage the world's biggest sporting event. "It is
now the kick off," Blatter told the Australian delegation.
Four bidders from Europe, four from the Asian
confederation plus the United States will file through in
alphabetical order to present their technical documents.
Australia was followed by an England bid team fronted by
David Beckham.
Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy said he
recognized it was a difficult contest.
"We hope and pray that we might be the lucky country,"
said Lowy, a billionaire businessman who is leading the
bid. Europe is favored to be given the 2018 finals, with
England and Russia competing against joint bids from
Netherlands-Belgium and Spain-Portugal. All four are also
in the 2022 race but would be barred if one gets the 2018
tournament.
Australia and the U.S. also are in both contests. Japan,
Qatar and South Korea have focused solely on 2022,
believing Europe is a lock for 2018 because the 2010
tournament is in South Africa and Brazil hosts in 2014.
Each bid book explains how the monthlong, 64-match
tournament would be organized, with details of at least 12
stadiums, plus training camps, hotels, security protocols,
IT and medical support, and fans' entertainment.
Candidates must also give FIFA copies of government
guarantees, contracts with each city and venue, and
details of finance and insurance cover.
FIFA officials will use the bid books as the basis for
technical inspections of each candidate between July and
September. FIFA's 24 executive members will choose the two
hosts on Dec. 2 in Zurich.
Five of the current bidders have previously staged a World
Cup:
England (1966), Spain (1982), U.S. (1994), and Japan and
South Korea (co-hosted 2002).
Five nations - Brazil (1950 & 2014), France (1938 & 1998),
Germany (1974 & 2006), Italy (1934 & 1990) and Mexico
(1970 & 1986) have been awarded two World Cups.
Bangladesh faces Singapore today
TBT Report
Bangladesh faces Singapore in its fifth match in the Robi
Asian Games hockey qualifying round today at Moulana
Bhasani National Hockey Stadium in the city. The match
starts at 2:00 pm.
Sri Lanka plays Thailand (10:00 am), while Oman meets
Chinese Taipei (4:00 pm) in the other matches of the day.
Starting the Asian Games hockey qualifiers campaign with
an 8-1 victory over Thailand in the first match,
Bangladesh lost to Chinese Taipei 7-5 and drew 2-2 with
Hong Kong and 3-3 with Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh takes on Oman in its sixth and final match in
the six-team event on Sunday.
BCB names Bangladesh A team
TBT Report
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced Bangladesh A
cricket team on Friday for the four-day matches against
West Indies A.
The players are: Shamsur Rahman (Captain), Shahriar Nafees,
Nazimuddin, Roqibul Hasan, Faysal Hossain, Marshal Ayub,
Aftab Ahmed, Sahagir Hossain (Wicketkeeper/Vice Captain),
Sohrawardi Shubho, Mahmudul Hasan, Nur Hossain, Nazmul
Hossain, Syed Rasel, Dollar Mahmud
Stand by: Talha Zubair, Farhad Hossain, Saqlain Sajib,
Mehrab Hossain (Jr.) and Tareq Aziz.
Cacau's double eases Germany's woes up front
AFP, Aachen
Germany began its World Cup preparations with a low-key
3-0 friendly win over minnows Malta on Wednesday as
striker Cacau scored twice to suggest he is the solution
to his country's problems up front.
The Brazil-born Stuttgart forward netted either side of
half-time with a powerful header and a well-timed strike
to show coach Joachim Loew he might be the answer to
Germany's lack of form amongst their strikers.
Both of Loew's first-choice forwards, Lukas Podolski of
Cologne and Bayern Munich's Miroslav Klose, have struggled
for form this season with just five Bundesliga goals
between them.
Cacau worked tirelessly and nearly finished with a
hattrick as one of the few fringe players who took their
chance to shine.
But Loew was unimpressed by his side's lack of goals in a
far from impressive performance. "We came up short on
goals, that was too few," said Loew. "We created a lot
good opportunities, but were too casual in our finishing."
Germany was missing captain Michael Ballack plus its
Bayern and Werder Bremen stars who are on cup duty this
weekend.
Ballack's Chelsea faces Portsmouth in Wembley's FA Cup
final on Saturday while Bayern takes on Bremen in the
German Cup final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, but only
Cacau and Hamburg's Piotr Trochowski stood out in their
absence.
Cacau's forward partner Stefan Kiessling, who hit 21
Bundesliga goals last season, had a game to forget as he
failed to connect with the ball on at least five occasions
with the goal at his mercy.
This was a fairly poor Malta side, ranked 154th in the
world, who welcomed back veteran defender Massimo Grima
after a five-year hiatus, but the 30-year-old struggled
for fitness and his side never tested the hosts. "It was a
very good experience for my team as they are not used to
playing at this level," said Malta coach John Buttigieg.
"I am not quite satisfied with the result as we conceeded
two goals through counter-attacks."
With the game won, Loew brought on 21-year-old defenders
Mats Hummels of Dortmund and Leverkusen's Stefan Reinartz
for their first caps, but Loew has already said they are
part of a group who will not fly to South Africa.
"Some young players put in positive performances," said
Loew. "But we now have to work very hard.
"As for our missing players, we must take it as it comes.
"However, we will put in some good work in the two weeks
before the World Cup." Cacau opened the scoring when
Hamburg's Dennis Aogo whipped in a cross and he powered
home his header on 16 minutes.
Serena, Venus still at hurricane force
AFP, Madrid
Serena and Venus Williams are back on top of the world.
More than 15 years after the history-making sisters blew
into the women's game with hurricane force, they are still
putting their rivals, many of them 10 years younger, to
shame.
When the new WTA rankings are released on Monday, Serena
will remain number one while Venus climbs back to second.
The Florida pair last stood together at the summit from
May 5-11, 2003, with Venus dropping to third on May 12 to
end that brief duopoly.
In between, Serena and Venus, who turned pro in 1995 and
1994 respectively, have watched the generations come and
go, with the rise of the Russians, Serbs and Belgians.
But despite fluctuations in their rankings - Serena won
the 2007 Australian Open after finishing the previous
season standing 95th and having played only four events in
2006 - their staying power has been phenomenal. Venus
assured her rise from fourth to second behind her sibling
by reaching the third round of this week's Madrid Masters,
a tournament which saw Serena exit at the same stage.
"In the rankings, you keep going until you get to that
number one spot," said Venus, who will be 30 in June and
is the second oldest player in the top 50.
"Serena and I being number one and number two in the world
is what we dreamed of growing up. But we each dreamed of
being number one - neither of us dreamed of number two.
"I congratulate Serena on her ranking but I'm aiming to
get there myself." The pair have spent a total of 45 weeks
in the leading positions.
The first four came between June 10-July 7, 2002 (Venus
one, Serena two); the next 40 came between July 8,
2002-April 13, 2003 (Serena one, Venus two) and the last
was May seven years ago.
"We can definitely celebrate," said Serena, whose Madrid
run was ended in the third round by Nadia Petrova. "It's a
great feat to be back at one and two.
"It's so amazing and it's a moment that we can always hold
no matter what. We can always have this moment again."
Both sisters will be building focus for the May 23 start
at Roland Garros, which 12-time Grand Slam champion Serena
won in 2002 over her sister.
Recent Paris outings have been less successful, with Venus
stalling in the third round for the last three editions
and Serena a quarter-finalist in two of the last three
years in the French capital.
For Serena, at least a few days this week will be spent at
her flat in Paris, with Venus surely a welcome guest if
required.
Serena said that she hopes to rid herself of accumulated
stress, despite playing only her fourth event of 2010
after dealing with various knee problems in the three
months since winning a fifth Australian Open.
"When you play matches, it's totally different than
practise," she said. "Getting that match play, you put
your body under different levels of stress. "I feel like
I've been under different levels of stress, and hopefully
within the next week and a half I'll be better."
Shane Bond announces retirement
AFP, Wellington
New Zealand fast bowling star Shane Bond said Friday he
was ending a playing career which combined spectacular
success with a frustrating succession of injuries.
The 34-year-old, who announced his retirement from Test
cricket in December after yet another injury cut short his
series against Pakistan, said he was unwilling to
compromise his standards by continuing in international
cricket.
"I know the time is right for me to step down," he said in
a statement announcing his retirement from all cricket.
"I dreamed of playing for New Zealand when I was six. The
reality of what has unfolded was more than I could ever
hope for and I have been extremely proud to represent New
Zealand.
"I am going to miss a lot of this but I know now is the
time to bow out."
When fit, Bond was New Zealand's best fast bowler since
Richard Hadlee and he ended his Test career with 87
wickets from 18 matches at an average of 22.09.
In 82 one-day internationals, he captured 147 wickets at
an average of 20.88 and in 20 Twenty/20 matches he had 25
wickets at 21.72.
The former police officer combined blistering pace with
precise control and swing, but a string of injuries
frequently interrupted his career following his
international debut in 2001.
Bond told journalists after returning from the Twenty/20
World Cup he was feeling his age since a one-day series
against Australia in March.
"I just felt like I was starting to slow down. The body's
obviously been battered a bit and I suppose I'm coming up
to 35."
"I noticed getting out of bed in the mornings, getting
myself up for training is tougher."
Looking ahead, he was not enthusiastic about doing the
work required to ensure he was fully fit for upcoming
tours to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.
Not only injury interrupted Bond's career.
He joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2008,
believing he had an understanding with New Zealand Cricket
that he would be able to continue playing for his country.
But he was subsequently banned when the ICL was declared
an unauthorised competition.
He returned to the national team last year and insisted
Friday there were no hard feelings over the episode.
"I finish happy, no ill-feeling towards anyone. I've been
very lucky during my career, I've had ups and downs but I
look back with great pride."
New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said
Bond would be "almost impossible to replace".
Captain Daniel Vettori agreed, saying New Zealand had been
lucky to have a player of Bond's stature.
Phelps ramps up preparations for London Games
AFP, Charlotte
Michael Phelps, who is the winningest Olympian ever with
14 golds, continues his preparations for the 2012 London
Olympics with five races at this week's Charlotte
UltraSwim meet.
Phelps is scheduled to swim five events at the Mecklenburg
Aquatic Center, comprising the 200-metre freestyle, 100
metre butterfly, 100 metre backstroke, 200 metre
individual medley and 50 metre freestyle.
Four out of the five are possible races for what Phelps
says will be his last Olympics. The 50 metre free is not
believed to be in his Olympic plans.
Asked for details though, Phelps remains coy about how
many events he might swim in London, only saying that it
won't be eight races. He won a record eight gold medals at
the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Phelps returned to competition a year ago at this same
meet after a three-month suspension caused by an
embarrassing picture of him with a marijuana pipe.
Aaron Peirsol and Ryan Lochte are expected to challenge
Phelps at this weekend's Charlotte meet. All three could
race in the 100 metre backstroke on Saturday.
Peirsol is the two-time defending gold medalist in the 100
metre back. He was edged out for gold by Lochte in the 200
metre back at the Beijing Games.
Phelps, who says he is retiring after the London Games,
plans to spend three weeks training in Colorado after the
Charlotte meet.
Jones seizes first round Texas Open lead
AFP, San Antonio
Aussie Matt Jones posted an eagle on the 14th hole and
finished with a six-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead
Thursday after the first round of the 6.1 million dollar
PGA Texas Open.
The 30-year-old Jones also had four birdies in a back-nine
30 on Oaks Course. Paul Stankowski opened with a 67, and
JB Holmes, Matt Weibring, Charley Hoffman and Steve Lowery
had 68s.
South Africa's Ernie Els posted a 72. He was three under
on the final five holes, making a tap-in eagle on 14 after
a 293-yard second shot. He has won twice already this
year.
"Obviously, this golf course is a little bit different
than we play week in and week out, and I think to some of
the players it's a little bit of a shock," Els said. "Back
to even par, but I feel like, you know, it could have been
a low score out there. The wind dropped for us."
Els' playing partner, Vijay Singh, left several putts just
short, but finished with a birdie for a 73.
Two-time defending champ Zach Johnson, of the US, stumbled
to a seven on the par-three 13th and finished with an
eight over 80.
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