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Leading News
Hartal on June 27
Khaleda calls
for dissolving ‘ineffective’ Parliament
She announces sit-in
prog for June 9, country-wide rallies on June 17
UNB, Dhaka
BNP chairperson and Leader of the opposition in Parliament
Khaleda Zia Wednesday called for dissolving the present
parliament, terming it 'ineffective' and demanding fresh
elections for an effective parliament.
She urged the officials and employees of civil, police and
military administrations not to obey the 'unjust order' of
the government.
Former Prime Minister Khaleda assured that if her party
comes to power those officials and employees of civil,
police and military administrations whose jobs were
terminated by the present government will be reinstated.
The BNP chief made the calls and assurance while
addressing the Dhaka divisional grad rally at the historic
Paltan Maidan organized by BNP as part of Khaleda Zia's
ongoing divisional headquarters political tours to drum up
public support against the Awami League led Grand Alliance
government.
Amid clapping and slogans, leader of the opposition
Khaleda Zia declared the 3-day anti-government programmes
from the Paltan grand rally including a countrywide dawn
to dusk hartal on June 27.
This was the first countrywide hartal called by opposition
BNP against the 16-month-old Awami League-led grand
alliance government.
The hartal was called demanding ensuring supply of gas,
electricity and water and also stopping extortion,
grabbing and tender-manipulation by the ruling party
terrorists and protesting violation of girl students at
different educational institutions including Eden College.
It was also called to protest politicization of
administration and judiciary as well as demanding
scrapping of agreements signed with India during the Prime
Minister's recent visit, resignation of the biased
Election Commission, contain the price hike of essentials
and removing the problems of people and so on.
Khaleda also announced a mass sit-in in front of Engineers
Institute in the city from 10 am-2 pm on June 9 protesting
the government's "interference with the judiciary and
appointing inept and controversial judges in the Supreme
Court", demanding independence of judiciary and ensuring
justice to all. She also announced that on June 17 there
will be countrywide demonstration rallies and protest
processions in all districts and upazilas including
capital demanding trial of the killings of journalists,
stopping attack on and filing of cases against journalists
and protesting closing private TV channels and government'
s control on news and TV talk show.
The BNP chief said those programmes are cautionary signal
to the government and cautioned that if the government
obstructs the party, they will be forced to spell out
tougher programmes.
During her over one hour address Khaleda Zia touched the
government's failures in every sector, anti-national
agreements with India, repression on opposition,
parliament, law and order, price hike of essentials,
corruption, anti-Corruption Commission, last-military
backed caretaker government, entente of Awami League with
the last caretaker government and Election Commission.
On awarding contract for setting up private power plants
without tender by the government, Khaleda asked the
government officials and employees not to do any wrong and
illegal task despite the Prime Minister's assurance to
give indemnity to their works. She cautioned that if any
government official is involved in any unlawful activities
over power plants contract they will have to face trial.
BNP chairperson criticized and protested the attack and
obstruction of BNP leaders and workers on their way to
joining the Paltan Grand Rally saying that the government
resorted to such action as they are afraid of the people.
She said if the BNP leaders and workers and supporters
could join the rally smoothly Dhaka city would become
collapsed.
The former Prime Minister criticized the government's
'naked interference' in the judiciary including
threatening the Chief Justice for not administering oath
to judges.She urged the judges to carryout their
responsibility neutrally without any fear saying BNP and
the people remained beside them.
On BDR headquarters tragic killings, she said if BNP comes
to power the fresh trial of BDR headquarters carnage will
be held through fresh and proper investigation.
She blamed the ruling Awami League for having links with
militancy. In this regard she mentioned that activists of
Chhatra League and Jubo League, Awami League's student and
youth wings, are bringing arms and phensidyl and other
narcotics from India as the border is opened and they are
creating militancy and that they have links with the
militants.
Hasina
urges Muslim countries for sharing resources
Malaysia assures to consider legalising all
Bangladeshis working there
UNB, Kuala Lumpur
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the world's Muslim
countries to share their resources, technologies and
market opportunities to build on the synergies to have a
multiplier effect on their efforts.
The Prime Minister made the plea while addressing the
opening session of the Sixth World Islamic Economic Forum
(WIFE) at the Plenary Hall of Kuala Lumpur Convention
Centre on Wednesday morning.
Malaysian Prime Minister and Patron of the WIFE Foundation
Najib Tun Abdul Razak opened the two-day 6th WIEF bearing
the theme: Gearing for Economic Resurgence.
The Malaysian Prime Minister also delivered the keynote
address of the forum.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, Senegalese
President Abdoulaye Wade, Indonesian President Dr Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, Kosovo's President Dr Fatmir Sejdiu and
Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed also addressed the
opening session.
WIEF Chairman Tun Musa Hitam gave the welcome address at
the session.
The Prime Minister in her speech also called for finding
new solutions conforming to own economic policies to
shield themselves from the uncertainties of the external
financial system. She proposed the establishment of an OIC/WIEF
Task Force to find ways of support to member countries
facing the challenges of climate change.
Hasina invited the champions of commerce and industry of
the Muslim majority countries to come up with investment
in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Malaysia has assured Bangladesh it would
consider with utmost sincerity the question of legalizing
all Bangladeshis working in Malaysia.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak gave the
assurance when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
called on him at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center on
Wednesday.
The Malaysian Prime Minister said he would place the
matter of legalization of Bangladeshi workers before the
Committee on Appointment of labors.
He praised the skill and hard labor of Bangladeshi workers
and said that these labors are contributing significantly
to the economy of his country for a long time.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested her Malaysian
counterpart to encourage his country's entrepreneurs to
invest in power, telecommunication, gas and tourism
sectors in Bangladesh. She thanked the Malaysian Prime
Minister for his warm and excellent hospitality extended
to her and to the members of her entourage.
Hasina said that her government provides training to the
workers before sending them abroad and also brief them
about the laws and language of the respective country. She
said: "I would like to invite your experts to visit our
educational and training institutes to further assess our
capability in providing skilled workforce as per your
requirement."
In this connection, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned
that her government has now introduced machine readable
passport (MRP). During the meeting, the two leaders
discussed various international issues of common concern.
437
more ‘political cases’ being dropped
5,129 cases selected for withdrawal: Two against BNP,
four JP, one lawyers, one Proshika, all others against AL
TBT Report
The government on Wednesday decided to drop 437 more
'politically motivated' cases as the charges were leveled
against the mostly present ruling-party persons during the
immediate-past interim regime or the previous BNP-led
coalition on political considerations.
The decision was taken at the 18th meeting of the
inter-ministerial committee formed to review the cases
filed with the intention of political harassment. With the
new recommendations, the number of cases so far dropped in
the turnaround rose to 5,129.
Most of those whose cases were recommended for withdrawal
belong to the ruling party and its front organizations,
triggering resentment in the opposition BNP circles as its
leaders are also bearing loads of such cases on charges of
graft that had taken place during their rule.
The scrutiny committee on October 13 in its eighth meeting
recommended dropping one case against opposition leader
Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman and one corruption case
against former president and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad
MP. Earlier on August 26, one case against BNP leader
Moudud Ahmed was also withdrawn. Among the 669 cases
recommended for quashing on 9 March in the 14th meeting
the committee recommended withdrawal of a case filed
against a group of eminent lawyers of the country
including Dr Kamal Hossain, Barrister Rokon Uddin Mahmud,
Barrister Tania Amir and Advocate Subrata Chowdhury.
UNB reports: The government has decided to lift 437 more
'political harassment' cases filed during the previous
regimes. A meeting concerning the withdrawal of political
harassment cases took the decision on Wednesday. State
Minister for Law Advocate Qamrul Islam presided over the
meeting held at the Home Ministry. State Minister for Home
Affairs Shamsul Huq Tuku was present among others.
After the meeting, Qamrul Islam told reporters that a
total of 701 cases were submitted on Wednesday for
consideration. After reviewing the cases, the meeting
decided to withdraw 437 cases, of which 431 are Criminal
Prosecution Court cases and six of the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC).
Among the cases withdrawn on Wednesday, one was against
Awami League MP Mostaq Ahmed Ruhi and two cases against
ex-Jatiya Party MP SM Abu Syeed.
With Wednesday's withdrawal, so far 5,129 cases were
withdrawn out of 8,830. Of the cases, 4862 were CrPC cases
and 264 ACC cases.
Energy crisis threatens
growth in Bangladesh: WB
BSS, Dhaka
The World Bank (WB) sees Bangladesh maintained robust
growth in 2009-10 financial year, but was skeptical about
the outlook for the next financial year against the
backdrop of lingering energy crisis.
The Bank's economic update for Bangladesh, released
Monday, estimated 5-5.6 percent economic growth for the
current financial year, ending on June 30 and observed
that attaining higher growth in the coming days would
require major efforts to address the energy constraints.
The WB believes the energy shortage poses the biggest
threat to growth and suggests redressing domestic reforms
and increasing trade integration with countries in the
region and the rest of the world.
Regarding the recent government initiatives to improve
electricity generation, the WB said these would bring a
short- term respite, but would reduce competitiveness of
businesses because of costly rental power.
The Bank, however, thinks that a regional approach would
bring long-term and affordable solution to the problem.
Referring to the Prime Minister's visit to New Delhi
earlier this year, the Bank said it would help promote
Bangladesh-India cooperation in security, power, trade,
connectivity, water sharing, and resolution of other
long-standing bilateral concerns.
"If fully implemented, these will lay the basis for higher
investment and growth by improving energy security and
connectivity," the WB update said. Among other
macroeconomic issues, the soaring inflation and fiscal
balance came under the Bank's active review. The update
found increasing food prices on both international and
domestic markets attributed to the 9 percent
point-to-point inflation in February this year. It,
however, endorsed the Bangladesh Bank's monetary measure
to contain the inflation.
"An incremental tightening of monetary policy, announced
in the Monetary Policy Statement for the second half of
FY10, may help dampen inflationary pressures," the Bank
said. It observed that the fiscal deficit in the current
fiscal year was slightly higher than last year, but
remained within the sustainable thresholds.
Government steps to
combat corruption unsatisfactory: Barakat
UNB, Dhaka
The government steps taken so far to combat corruption are
not at all satisfactory, renowned economist and President
of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) Abul Barakat said
Wednesday.
"Corruption is the key barrier to economic growth of the
country. Good governance can't be ensured unless
corruption is removed. We want specific budgetary steps
for combating crimes," he said referring to the ruling
party's election pledge of 'war against corruption'. The
AL in its election manifesto emphasized on combating
corruption, but the government's move to fight against
corruption could not satisfy the countrymen, Barakat said
at a pre-budget discussion held at the BEA auditorium in
the city on Wednesday.
Citing an example, he said the government allowed
whitening black money in the current budget that actually
contradicts with the government's stand on combating
corruption.
"Only a nominal portion of black money has been invested
in the productive sector while the major portion was
invested in the unproductive sector," he said opposing the
provision of whitening back money in the budget. Barakat,
also the newly appointed chairman of state-owned Janata
Bank, strongly recommended that black money, if necessary,
should be invested in the productive sectors like
agriculture and industry.
Back Page
Wheeling charge issue
Chevron to abide by the ICSID’s verdict
UNB, Dhaka
US-based international oil company (IOC) Chevron, which
had lost to Bangladesh in a legal battle in an
international arbitration court, said in a statement on
Wednesday that it has accepted the court's ruling and
would abide by the verdict.
"Chevron will abide by the ICSID's ruling and welcomes the
resolution of this issue," the IOC said in its official
reaction.
Chevron had earlier filed the case with the International
Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSID), a
World Bank body, claiming a 4 percent payback that the
state-owned Petrobangla has been deducting as wheeling
charge from its payment to the company against the gas
purchase.
After a series of hearings and analysis, the ICSID
released its judgment on Tuesday rejecting the Chevron's
claim.
Immediately after receiving the verdict, Petrobangla
officials said as Bangladesh has won the case, the country
was spared from paying a huge amount of US$ 312.9 million
(about Tk 2100 crore) up to the year 2032. Up to 2010, the
payment claim had been US$ 70.6 million. Chevron refrained
from giving any instant official reaction on the verdict.
Instead, a spokesman for the company had said that the
Chevron is reviewing the decision of the ICSID and expects
to have a statement on Wednesday.
Accordingly, the US company came up with its official
reaction today (Wednesday) welcoming the ICSID verdict.
The dispute over the 4 percent wheeling charge has been a
longstanding issue between Petrobangla and Chevron. Under
the existing gas purchase and sales agreement (GPSA) in
the framework of the Production Sharing Contract (PSC),
Petrobangla purchases gas from Chevron in different gas
fields developed and operated by the company.
Among the fields, Petrobangla has been deducting the 4
percent wheeling charge from its payments to Chevron for
its purchase of gas from the Jalalabad gas field. A
pipeline is being used to carry the gas from Chevron's
Jalalabad field into Petrobangla's own network. Chevron
has been operating in three gas fields - Jalalabad,
Moulvibazar and Bibiyana - and now engaged in the
development of another gas field in Block-7, located in
offshore and onshore areas of the country's southwestern
region.
It accounts for about 45 percent of the country's total
gas production of 1900 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD).
AL factional clashes
in Munshiganj, Luxmipur leave 46 injured
UNB, Munshiganj
Two rival groups of Awami League clashed at Mollakandi in
sadar upazila today leaving 40 people wounded by gunshots
and explosion.
The clash involving residents of 5 villages triggered for
establishing supremacy in the ensuing Mollakandi union
parishad election.
The rival groups, one led by sadar upazila AL
vice-president Mustafa Molla and other led by district AL
vice president Shah Alam Mallik. Both sides fired gunshots
and homemade bombs leaving at least 40 people wounded
including women, witnesses said.
Three siblings - Khalek, Alek and Malek - were rushed to
Dhaka in a serious condition along 22 others. Nibarunnessa
(35) is among the women wounded in the 3-hour fierce
fighting with interruptions.
Police and RAB rushed to the spot and brought the
situation under control at 4 pm. The rival groups also
fought on Monday last.
Another report from Luxmipur said clash between rival
groups of Jubo League at Dighuli bazaar left 6 men
wounded.
The rival groups led by Tajul and Belal fought with sharp
weapons for controlling the CNG stand from where they used
to collect tolls, local said.
Badly wounded Belal was rushed to Dhaka while others were
admitted to local hospitals.
Deepening ties
with Muslim countries cornerstone of Dhaka’s foreign
policy: Dipu Moni
UNB, Dhaka
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday said that the
corner stone of Bangladesh's foreign policy is to deepen
the bonds with brotherly Muslim countries.
She made the remark at the 37th session of the Conference
of Foreign Minister of the 57-member OIC in Dushanbe, the
capital of Tajikistan, according to a message received
here today.
The Foreign Minister hailed the recent agreement between
Iran, Turkey, and Brazil on the nuclear fuel swap, saying
that Bangladesh always supports peaceful use of nuclear
energy.
On rising instances of 'Islamophobia' in the West, she
said: "We should not over-react, but engage thoroughly,
systematically and persuasively showing why such actions
are prejudiced and discriminatory."
Dipu Moni made a reference to the Cairo Decla-ration on
human rights, adopted in 1990, and supported the
establishment of a Human Rights Comm-ission in Jeddah.
On the sidelines of the Conference, she met with the
Foreign Ministers of UAE and Bahrain and discussed issues
of mutual interest and concern.
Attacks on way to BNP
meeting, 35 wounded, vehicles vandalized
UNB, Gazipur
Communication on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was disrupted
due to clashes between activists of Awami League and the
Dhaka grand rally bound BNP workers leaving at least 35
wounded at Gazipur, Kishoreganj and Savar Wednesday.
Report from Gazipur said, a convoy carrying BNP activists
from northern region to the party's grand rally in Dhaka
came under attack by ruling party activists at Maona
crossing in Sripur upazila at about 11:30am. At least 10
activists were wounded and several vehicles damaged during
series of clashes. Most of the BNP activists returned home
in the face of clashes and harassment by mobile police
teams. They alleged that Al, Jubo League and local
administration obstructed them on way to BNP rally in
Dhaka.
A report from Kishorganj said at least 15 BNP activists
were injured when they came under attack by Awami League
activists at Volta and Gauchhia in Rupganj.
Among those injured are Rafiqur Rahman, Advocate
Shafiuzzaman, Ashraf Hossain Pavel, Ali Hossain Poltu, Nur
Mohammad Rubel, Mohammad Parvez, Mohammad Almgir Hossain,
Saiful Islam, Monjurul Alom Sumon, Anwarul Islam Anar,
Ershadul Islam, Ful Mia and Tipu. They were taken to
Kishoreganj Modern Hospital. Ten buses carrying BNP
activists were intercepted and vandalized. Another bus
bound for the rally from Manikganj came under attack by
BCL activists in front of Jahangirnagar University. Ten
activists were wounded and the bus was damaged. Of the
injured, Fazlur Rahman and Hashem Ali were admitted to the
University medical centre.
6 people killed
in lightning in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon
UNB, Dinajpur
Four people, including three of a family, died in separate
lightning incidents in Kaharol upazila on Wednesday.
Chandana Roy, 28, wife of Tapan Chandra Roy, and her two
sister-in-laws (nanad) Ratna, 16, and Sadhana, 14, died on
the spot when struck by thunderbolt when they were talking
to each other on the veranda of Chandana's house during
rainfall at Boigaon village at about 10:30am.
In another incident, Ishaque, 8, a student of class III of
Jony Hat Madrasah of same upazila, was killed as
thunderbolt struck him while he was playing on Madrasah
playground during rainfall in the morning.
Meanwhile, two people were killed and four others injured
in separate lightning incidents in Pirganj upazila on
Wednesday. Lili Begum, 26, was killed and her husband
Saiful Islam, 32, injured when struck by thunderbolt while
they were picking up paddy from their house yard during
rainfall at Bhelator village in the morning.
Saiful was rushed to upazila health complex.
In another incident, Japiram, 30, of Khangao Bishwashpur
village died as thunderbolt struck him same time. Hemlata,
28, and her daughter Sandha, 12, of Bishmile village and
Mohammad Ali Amin, 38, of Banbari village were also
injured in lightning.Five cows and seven goats of Khangaon
village were also killed in thunderbolt.
Outlaws
exchange gunfire with police in Chuadanga
UNB, Chuadanga
A gunfight between policemen and outlaws took place at
Shibnagar village in Damurhuda upazila here early
Wednesday.
However, there was no casualty reported in the battle,
which began at 9pm Tuesday and sporadically continued till
4am Wednesday.
Police said a patrol team of police found eight to ten
outlaws moving near a mango orchard at the village.
Sensing the presence of policemen, the outlaws blasted 4/5
bombs and then took shelter inside a nearby jungle.
The law enforcers fired back resulting in a gun battle,
which sporadically continued till 4am Wednesday. The
outlaws also exploded four more bombs during the gunfight
Shikder Mashiur, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Damurhuda thana,
said additional police were later sent to the spot, but
none was arrested.
Police super Nazrul Islam said the outlaws blasted bombs
and fired gunshots in a bid to only make their safe
escape. The actions of the outlaws cannot be termed as an
attack on policemen, he said. Police said they launched
raid in order to arrest the culprits following the gun
battle, but none was arrested till filing of this report
at 5pm Wednesday.
Editorial
The sad story of
unemployment
At
a time when a rapid rise in employment generation for the
unemployed people are desperately needed in the country for
poverty alleviation, unemployment is increasing alarmingly. A
report published in a national daily on Wednesday said, the
number of jobless in Bangladesh increased by 28 percent or 27
lakh in three years. And the number of temporary
(underemployed) workers increased by 27 percent or 1.54 crore
during the same period, according to a survey by Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics (BBS) conducted in 2006. The situation
now in 2010 must be much more alarming.
Against this backdrop, economists have suggested taking steps
for a faster growth of employment opportunities in
manufacturing and service sectors, and also in global job
market. According to the 2009 survey, Bangladesh's total
labour force increased by 8.48 percent to 5.37 crore in 2009
from 4.95 crore in 2006. And employment increased by 7.59
percent to 5.1 crore from 4.7 crore during the same period.
The highest job creating agriculture sector saw a decrease in
employment by 2.63 percent in the last three years. Bangladesh
Bank data shows that manpower export fell by 34 percent in
fiscal 2008-09. In the first seven months of this fiscal year,
manpower export declined by 42 percent compared to that during
the corresponding period of last year. Employment growth (7.6
percent) during 2006-09 has failed to keep pace with labour
force growth (8.5 percent).
The excerpts of the report quoted here depict a grim picture
of our unemployment scenario reflecting clearly that the
efforts are failing to cope with the need of generating
employment opportunities sufficiently and absorbing the
jobless people to reduce country's severe poverty. It goes
without saying that in spite of continued endevour, the pace
of poverty alleviation in the country is slow. According to
the Bureau of Statistics, country's 40 per cent people are
still living below the poverty line. The UN Human Resource
Development Index 2008 shows Bangladesh at the bottom of the
list of the South Asian countries. Bangladesh is placed at
140th position while Sri Lanka is at 99th, Maldives at 100th,
India at 128th, Bhutan at 133rd and Pakistan at 136th place.
The massive poverty in Bangladesh is attributed to erosion by
rivers, flood and other natural calamities, illiteracy,
population explosion, landlessness, unemployment etc. Of the
country's 15 crore people, 5.6 crore now live below poverty
line.
Against this backdrop of massive poverty, employment
generation is needed most to reduce poverty. But employment
facilities at both home and abroad are shrinking instead of
increasing. This situation is posing a threat to the economy
and causing a national concern. This unfortunate situation has
resulted from the lack of adequate employment opportunities at
home and the country's failure to avail itself of the
opportunity for securing their jobs abroad as most of them are
unskilled. In the present day world, manpower is considered
everywhere as precious national assets, but it is appalling
that we are unable to utilise our human resources properly.
The huge jobless people are passing days in dire hardship and
contributing to social instability. They are considered as a
burden not on themselves and their families alone, but also on
the nation which is deprived of their services. The lack of
adequate employment opportunities is due to economic slowdown
and fall in both foreign and domestic investments. New
industries are not being set up as investors are reluctant to
make further investments on the ploy of lack of security.
Besides, many agricultural labourers also have been rendered
jobless in the wake of repeated floods and natural calamities.
Under these circumstances, the prime need of hour is to take
necessary measures for large scale employment generation
through revitalising the industrial sector by promoting local
and foreign investments.
Combating eve
teasing
It
is very encouraging that within a short period of time a
strong movement has developed across the country against eve
teasing and stalking. From the capital Dhaka to the remote
places of the country processions and demonstrations are being
organized almost every day by students, teachers, social
workers and human rights activists in an effort to combat eve
teasing and eradicate this menace from the society. The
government is going to observe June 3 as a day of campaign
against stalking.
Unfortunately, in spite of this strong social movement and
arrest of a number of offenders by police eve teasing by
misguided youths are continuing at different places. According
to a human rights organization, due to the humiliation caused
by eve teasing and stalking, as many as 14 girls and the
father of a victim committed suicide at different places
during the period from January to May 16, Besides, three
people were killed and four others tortured for protesting
against stalking by youths.
As stalking and sexual harassment of girls by misguided youths
are on the rise, experts have expressed the opinion that apart
from building resistance to these the offenders should be
boycotted socially and politically. They also stressed the
need for strengthening the social movement against harassment
of girls to ensure a congenial atmosphere in the educational
institutions. Stalking is a social curse and it is urgently
needed to free the society from it to ensure participation of
girls and women in different activities. It is alleged that
the stalkers are often sheltered and protected by politicians
and influential people. They must refrain from doing so.
Massive social awareness against eve teasing and stalking
should be created and stern action against these must be taken
to get rid of the dangerous social disease.
Analysis
Madrassah
While they may be far from rendering adequate
education, it is wrong to condemn them outright as all
supporting Jehadis.
Ikram sehgal
Established at
first as an institution of higher studies, a madrassah (plural
madaris) initially taught law, Islamic sciences and
philosophy. During the 11th and 12th centuries, madaris
specialized in law and jurisprudence. Today's madrassah is an
Islamic religious school (seminary) where students, as young
as nine or ten, at times even younger, learn religious
education, schooled first of all in reading and then in
religious studies. Initially a part of a mosque, madaris only
later became separate institutions. With the introduction of
western education under colonial rule their curriculum
underwent a change.
A Madrassah is not a Quranic school or a maktab - a place
where Muslim children read and recite the Quran only at a very
elementary level, they offer a more organised institutional
structure and different academic levels of religious studies.
Most Pakistani ones are affiliated with one of the five
Islamic school boards, or Wafaq: three Sunni Madrassah Boards
(Deobandi, Barelvi, Ahl-e-Hadith), one for Shia and one for
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). This entire system, mostly belonging to
the Sunni sect because Pakistan is predominantly Sunni, is
supported largely by the private sector and communities
through trusts, endowments, donations and zakat (religious
tithes) contributions.
A Madrassah is mostly registered with the government as a
charitable corporate body with acquired tax exemption. Among
the Sunnis, the majority are Barelvis, a moderate group who
seek to be inclusive of local rituals and customs, the
seminaries run by the Jamaat-e-Islami, are non-sectarian but
very politically active. In the context of extremism, the
remaining two streams of madaris are considered most
important. The Deobandi, from the Indian town of Deoband (near
New Delhi) school of thought, have long sought to purify Islam
by rejecting "un-Islamic" accretions to the faith and
returning to the models established in the Holy Quran. The
Ahle-Hadith (followers of the way of the Prophet) have a
similar emphasis on "purifying" the faith, but follow the
Salafi religious jurisprudence (fiqh) as opposed to the Hanafi
fiqh used by the Deobandis.
No comprehensive and/or credible census of madaris exists in
Pakistan. A 2004 Congressional Research Service report,
"Terrorism in South Asia" puts the number at 10,000 - 20,000,
the seminaries extending along the borders of Afghanistan,
from Karachi to Balochistan and continuing into the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered
Tribal Areas (PATA). In April 2002 Pakistan's Ministry of
Religious Affairs estimated the number of madaris to be
approximately 10,000 with 1.7 million students (with about 448
women only madaris). The figure is probably closer to about
12000 with about 2 million students.
Seminaries mushroomed during the regime of military ruler Zia
ul Haq, his Islamization policies were meant mainly to gain
his own legitimacy, the Iranian revolution, the entry of
Soviet troops into Afghanistan and the subsequent Afghan
"jihad" against Soviet troops, and Pakistan's involvement in
the Afghan war. The students in these madaris do not belong to
Pakistan, but come also from other countries, especially,
Afghanistan.
For the poor, a madrassah offers free boarding and food for
their children, an opportunity to gain literacy and
employment, an irresistible option of hope when compared to
the bleak future availing from crumbling or non-existent
government-funded secular schools. Successive Pakistani
governments have tacitly encouraged this to avoid spending
much on education. Only 7,000 Pakistani children attended
madaris as early as 30 years ago compared to closer to the 2
million today by conservative estimates. Functioning as
shelters and orphanages for many young children, runaways and
refugees where the state apparatus is lacking, madaris have
come forward as a parallel system of education that is more
viable for the impoverished.
Stretching from Jhang to Bahawalpur, South Punjab is an
educational battleground, dotted with the most aggressive and
militant of all madaris. Dominated by feudal lords with large
landholdings. The cities of this region are teeming with the
poor masses, both controlled by jihadi groups. Thinking they
are spreading the message of Islam petrodollars, private
citizens from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait fund them
generously. This led to a sustained spurt in Deobandi madaris,
not only in the Pashtun areas of Pakistan near the Afghan
border, but also in the port city of Karachi as well as rural
Punjab. This money also encouraged a Wahabi jihad-centered
curriculum. Almost the entire Taliban leadership are graduates
from the Haqqania, including Mullah Omar, the leader of the
Taliban, while the Binori madrassah, whose leader Mufti
Shamzai was assassinated, was once suspected to be a possible
hiding place of Osama bin Laden. Reportedly this is where Bin
Laden met Mullah Omar to form the Al-Qaeda-Taliban
partnership.
A March 2009 found about 18% of the madaris were affiliated
with sectarian outfits such as Sipah-e-Sahaba, Jaish-e-Muhammad,
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, etc. Islamist texts advocating violent
jihad against other religious sects form part of the curricula
in some madaris. Militant pamphlets or magazines circulate in
certain madaris, especially those openly aligned with a
particular militant group. Research about the connection
between Pakistani madaris and Islamic extremism finds a
disturbing relationship between religious seminaries and
sectarian violence. However, contrary to perception, a vast
majority of madaris, almost 80%, do not subscribe to this
virulent hate. While they may be far from rendering adequate
education, it is wrong to condemn them outright as all
supporting Jehadis.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, madaris were widely
associated with violence, even though all the 9/11
perpetrators were university educated, some in the US, and
with no connection to any madrassah. Pakistan was quickly
fingered as the culprit because Osama Bin Laden was believed
hiding in the maintains straddling the Durand Line. The US
government put severe pressure on the Pervez Musharraf
government. In 2002 he made key pledges regarding madrassah
reforms. The govt promised, viz (1) registering all madaris to
know which groups were running which schools (2) regulating
the curriculum so that all madaris would adopt a common
government curriculum by the end of 2002 (3) adopting measures
to stop the use of madaris and mosques as centers for the
spread of politically and religious inflammatory statements
and publications; and (4) establishing model madaris providing
modern, useful education and not promote extremism.
Despite all the good talk, none of the Musharraf's 2002
promises to reform madaris have been fulfilled or even come
close to it. Only three model madaris have been set up - one
each in Karachi, Sukkur and Islamabad, with 300 students in
total. Compared to the estimated 2 million students in the
more than 12000 or so madaris in Pakistan that is ridiculous.
The curriculum of these model madrassas includes English,
Mathematics, Computer Science, Economics, Political Science,
Law and Pakistan Studies because no real effort was made to
involve the 'ulema' (religious scholars), these institutions
were not welcomed by them. Only a very small minority has
supported the government in modernizing religious
institutions.
There is a dire need to fulfil the 2002 promises made by the
Musharraf regime, more important is the need to implement
alternatives to reduce the dependance of the poor and
impoverished on a madrassah (This is the first of a two part
series on the madrassah system and a viable alternative to
them).
Ikram Sehgal is an internationally renowned columnist and
the Editor of the Pakistan Defence Journal
The lobbying
menace
Lobbyists are important mediators - and sometimes active
players - in business-government relations. This would
have been unthinkable only years ago.
Praful Bidwai
Corporate
lobbyists have become a menace to democracy in India.
Recent developments, including the release of the
intercepts of a telephone conversation between a member of
parliament and a well-known lobbyist (Nira Radia), and
media stories on the growing power of the
lobbyist-politician-policymaker nexus, should concern all
conscientious citizens.
The tapped telephone conversation shows that Radia was
pivotal in getting A Raja, a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP,
a cabinet rank and the telecommunications portfolio in the
second United Progressive Alliance government. Radia also
weighed in to tilt the balance in the DMK's internal power
struggle in favour of one faction.
The lobbyists' clout extends to the point of influencing
the choice of cabinet ministers, nominating key
bureaucrats and interfering in political party affairs.
They increasingly formulate economic and industrial
policies at the nuts-and-bolts level.
Lobbyists are important mediators - and sometimes active
players - in business-government relations. This would
have been unthinkable only years ago.
Major areas of lobbyist influence are the infrastructure
(highways, ports and huge projects under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission in 63 cities); energy
(including gas, oil and electricity); telecom (where
current 3G auction bids show that the earlier 2G spectrum
was sold at a fraction of the market price); and mining
(where global conglomerates have developed billion-dollar
stakes in India's tribal heartland).
Lobbyists also wield considerable clout in military
contracts, agribusiness, civil aviation, and in opening up
retail trade to organised business, including
multinational hypermarket chains like Metro, Carrefour and
Wal-Mart.
The lobbying industry has over 30 major firms based in New
Delhi alone, some of which have diversified from public
relations. Each firm appoints dozens of "facilitators",
"account executives" and lawyers to secure sweetheart
deals and licences for their clients and ensure that their
clients' rivals don't get them. In addition, there are
individual entrepreneur-lobbyists like MPs Amar Singh and
NK Singh, who work for different clients.
Corporate lobbying has become the highest embodiment of
crony capitalism in India. Unlike advertising agencies,
which offer certain services to anyone for a fee, lobbying
companies are intimately allied with specific business
groups in political ways. Since they have access to
business secrets, including malpractices, their loyalty to
individual industry magnates is all-important.
Common to them are all the slick techniques and skills
that successful, if unscrupulous, lobbying requires,
including ability to cherry-pick facts that suit/favour
the client; make attractive PowerPoint presentations that
suggest familiarity with the subject; determination not to
be fazed by hostile interactions; and knowledge of which
keywords to use and which buttons to press.
What matters above all is the ability to do social
networking, spend lavishly, throw dazzling parties and
please industrial magnates, politicians and key
bureaucrats by finding out their strengths and weaknesses
and shamelessly exploiting them to the point of blackmail.
Lobbyists are typically flamboyant, high-profile, even
exhibitionist.
In some cases, lobbyists' success in swinging spectacular
deals for major clients (e.g. Coca-Cola) depends on
personal proximity to key bureaucrats and ministers. Right
since the early 1990s, when AN Verma was the principal
secretary to Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, bureaucrats and
politicians like civil aviation minister Praful Patel have
played a special role in dispensing favours to
businessmen.
Other lobbyists' reach and influence derive from the
numbers on their payroll -business journalists, TV
anchors, law firms (to deliver subtle threats), personal
assistants to middle-level bureaucrats all the way to top
ministers, and income-tax officials (to coerce and cajole
decision-makers).
Some TV anchors were implicated in lobbying for high
berths in UPA-2 for certain MPs. Corporate lobbyists
assiduously cultivate the media, which duly returns the
favour.
Some of India's biggest corporate conglomerates plant
loyalists in the headquarters of the top papers, TV
channels and news agencies. Their personnel know -
typically before the news editor - which stories will
appear which might affect their interests or their
rivals'. Like the mafia, they have inconvenient or
"hostile" stories killed and favourable ones played up. If
all else fails, they threaten to withdraw advertising
support.
The reach of corporate lobbyists, their political
influence, financial power and fervour have acquired
menacing dimensions during the past decade or so. There
were lobbyists earlier, of course - from individual
influence-peddlers like SK Patil and Rajni Patel in the
1960s and 1970s, to the organised "liaison agents" of the
1980s who hung around the industry and defence ministries'
offices.
But the lobbying business didn't have an organised
character, a sharp enough focus, concentration of
high-level manpower, and even one-hundredth of the ability
to secure shady deals.
Precisely because India is energetically globalising and
pursuing neoliberal policies, Big Business today has an
incomparably bigger stake than before in securing windfall
contracts for highway, airport and flyover construction
and special economic zones; in privatising natural
resources and obtaining leases on land, water, minerals
and forests; and in rigging the capital markets.
Other stakes include opening up foreign air travel routes
to private airlines; helping multinational corporations to
penetrate retail trade; and taking over city bus
transportation at assured super-profits.
Corporates are now invading the public sphere so that food
grains can be diverted to alcohol production, and pricey,
artificially flavoured biscuits can displace wholesome,
nutritious, freshly cooked food in mid-day meal schemes
for schoolchildren. So much for the much-vaunted "free
market"!
Such blatant manipulation of the entire policy-making
apparatus dwarfs the old-style "licence-permit Raj"-
always exaggerated for its supposedly debilitating impact
on the economy, and forever deftly manipulated by business
groups. Then, the bureaucrat had to be influenced and
induced to open up a partially-closed system. Now, the
bureaucrat is an already-willing ally of Big Business. The
contest is over who will secure the favour first to keep
the rival out.
Secondly, lobbying is about recruiting as many retired
top-ranking public servants as possible so they can
influence their former colleagues and juniors on their
clients' behalf. Thus, private oil, gas and electricity
companies, steel producers, telecom corporations and
airlines have all recruited retired bureaucrats or public
sector executives.
This pernicious practice should be banned and punished. No
retiree should be allowed to accept any position in a
related company for ten years.
Another characteristic of the new-generation corporate
lobbyists is their strong global connections. They work
closely with organisations like the US-India Business
Council and major Washington lobbying firms Patton Boggs
and Burson-Marsteller. The US-India nuclear deal would
probably not have gone through US Congress without the
USIBC, Patton Boggs and the American-Israeli Political
Action Council.
Corporate lobbying is far more insidious and collusive
than the politician-criminal nexus. It's also much more
damaging at the national level.
Lobbyists exert the most pernicious conceivable influence
on policy-making and corrupt the process of democracy.
They introduce irrational and extraneous elements in
decision-making and subvert the public interest. They add
uniquely to sleaze, venality, cynicism and corruption in
the polity.
India's political class acknowledged in the 1980s the
corrosive role of lobbyists in military contracts and
altogether banned middlemen from defence purchase
negotiations. But now it has succumbed to that very
influence on a greater scale - not just in military
contracts, but in every sphere.
Unless this toxic influence is removed, and lobbying
outlawed and punished, it will undermine and hollow
democracy, India's most precious possession. Democracy
must be defended against business manipulation.
The writer, a former newspaper editor, is a researcher
and peace and human-rights activist based in Delhi. Email:
prafulbidwai1@yahoo.co.in
Viewpoints
Kandahar braces for war
The US and
Karzai (as a supposed representative of the "Afghan people")
must come across as united in the face of the extremist
minority. Karzai's visit to the US was the political padding
prior to the likely military action.
Ramzy Baroud
Clad
as usual in a colorful, striped robe, Afghan President Hamid
Karzai appeared more like an emperor as he began his fourth
day in Washington.
Accompanying him on a somber visit to Arlington National
Cemetery were US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and top US (and
NATO) commander in Afghanistan Stanley A. McChrystal - the
very men responsible for the war and occupation of his own
country.
The well-choreographed and clearly-rehearsed visit seemed set
on giving the impression that the relationship between Karzai
and these men was that of an independent, confident leader
seeking the support of a benevolent superpower.
But what were Karzai's real reasons for visiting Washington?
Typical media analyses have for months misrepresented the
apparent chasm between Afghanistan and the US under Obama's
administration. Even if this administration were genuinely
discontented with Karzai's policies, at least until very
recently, the resentment had little to do with the reasons
offered by media experts. It was not because Karzai was
failing to deliver on governance, end corruption and so on.
Let's face it, the US war in Afghanistan was never morally
grounded, and it never could be. Not unless the militant
mindset that governs US foreign policy somehow undergoes a
complete overhaul.
For now, let's face reality. Bad days are in store for
Afghanistan. True, it is hard to imagine how Afghanistan's
misfortunes could possibly get any worse. But they will,
particularly for those living in Kandahar in the south. Seated
next to Karzai during his Washington visit, Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton promised that her country will "not destroy
Kandahar in order to save Kandahar."
The statement may sound assuring, but it is in fact ominous
and very troubling. Clinton was referring to the Bush
administration's policy in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact,
she candidly admitted this by saying, "This is not Fallujah,"
referring to the Iraqi city which was almost completely
destroyed in 2004 by a massive US Marine assault intended to
"save" the city. "Lessons have been learned since Iraq,"
stated Clinton.
But if lessons were truly learned, then why the fictitious
language, the silly assertion that the real intention is to in
fact "save" Kandahar? And what other strategy does the US have
in store for Afghanistan, aside from the irritating debate on
whether to use unmanned drones or do the killing face-to-face?
Was Karzai in Washington to provide a cover for what is yet to
come in the Taleban's southern stronghold? It's not unlikely.
Considering past and repeated claims of a growing divide
between Kabul and Washington, a bloody attack on Kandahar
could in fact be seen as the US acting unilaterally in
Afghanistan. Add to this scenario the constant and continued
calls made by Karzai himself to engage the Taleban. A US
escalation without public consent from Karzai himself could
not possibly be seen as part of a joint strategy.
At a presentation at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP),
Karzai spoke of an extended US commitment to Afghanistan that
would last "beyond the military activity right now ... into
the future, long after we have retired, and perhaps into our
grandsons' and great-grandsons' - and great-granddaughters' -
generations. This is something the Afghan people have been
seeking for a long, long time."
Clinton too was concerned about the plight of the "people."
She promised to "help the people of Kandahar to recover the
entire city in order to be able to use it for the benefit of
the people of Kandahar ... We're not fighting the Afghan
people ... We're fighting a small minority of very dedicated,
ruthless extremists who unfortunately are able to enlist young
men ... for a variety of reasons and send them out onto the
battlefield."
Although Clinton wanted us to believe that the Bush era was
over, with a new dawn in US foreign policy upon us, she used
almost the exact same language, phrased in almost the exact
same context that the Bush administration used prior to its
major military assaults aimed at "saving the people" from some
"ruthless extremists," whether in Iraq or Afghanistan.
And a major assault is being planned, for the Taleban's
countersurge is threatening the US' counterinsurgency
operations.
A quick scan of an article by Marie Colvin in Marjah,
Afghanistan, where the Taleban group is once more making its
presence felt, highlights the challenges facing the US
military throughout the country. Entitled "Swift and Bloody:
the Taleban's Revenge," the May 9 article starts with the
claim that "rebels have returned." Throughout, the report was
dotted with similar assertions. "Marjah was supposed to be
safe ... All that progress is threatened by the Taleban
'surge'... There were always fears that they would re-emerge
... The strength of the Taleban's presence is gradually
becoming clearer ... The Taleban are growing bolder ..."
The term "surge" was once associated with Gen. David Petraeus'
strategy predicated on the deployment of 30,000 new troops in
Afghanistan. That it is now being attributed to the Taleban's
own strategy is ironic, to say the least. Once meant to be a
success story, now convincing the world that things are
working out in Afghanistan might not be so easy after all.
"Worries are growing in the Pentagon that if thousands of
Marines and Afghan security forces cannot entirely defeat the
Taleban in Marjah, a town of only 50,000, securing the far
larger prize of Kandahar may be an even greater struggle than
has been foreseen," wrote Colvin.
The challenge ahead, although bolstered with all the right
(albeit predictable) language is likely to be bloody, just
like the rest of this sad Afghanistan episode, which actually
began much earlier than 2001.
The US and Karzai (as a supposed representative of the "Afghan
people") must come across as united in the face of the
extremist minority. Karzai's visit to the US was the political
padding prior to the likely military action. It was meant to
assure the public that the chaos which will follow is in fact
part of a counterinsurgency effort; well-planned, calculated,
executed and, as always, passionately articulated.
Ramzy Baroud is a columnist and the editor of
PalestineChronicle.com.
How will
history judge Gordon Brown?
If Blair will
have 'Iraq' carved on his gravestone, Brown will have his
hubristic words about ending 'boom and bust'.
Anthony Seldon
His
time at the top over, Gordon Brown walks out of the pages
of newspapers on to those of the history books. How will
history judge the man? Brown most resembles James
Callaghan.
Both arrived at No 10 after a long wait, succeeding
younger, more charismatic men. Neither secured a personal
mandate from a general election. Both premierships were
dominated by severe financial crises.
Each man was far more in tune with the Labour movement and
trade unions than their predecessors, and both were moved
by moral purpose. They arrived with substantial
reputations, though Callaghan, in addition to serving as
chancellor, had also been foreign and home secretary,
options available to Brown which - unwisely, with
hindsight - he chose not to take up. Both declined early
elections that they might well have won.
But it will be Tony Blair who Brown will be most closely
compared to, a rivalry set to continue in the history
books as ferociously as it existed in real life. My guess
is that, of these two architects of New Labour, the
reputation of Brown's premiership will grow.
True, when it comes to the political skills of leadership,
Blair wins, hands down. Where Blair was strong and
decisive, Brown agonised. While Blair was charismatic and
a natural communicator, Brown was a pessimist who sucked
energy out of a room. Blair persisted, but Brown was
forced to change direction - over 42 days [detention
without charging suspect]; [the abolition of] the 10 per
cent tax rate [on the lowest incomes]; and [resisting UK
residency claims by] Gurkhas.
Where Blair was a deft manager of men, Brown was
suspicious and awkward, not a team builder, and aggressive
under fire. While Blair gave heart to the Labour party and
the country at large, Brown never became a natural leader.
But history judges individuals in context. Blair inherited
the most fortunate set of circumstances of any Labour
prime minister in history. Like Clement Attlee in 1945 and
Harold Wilson in 1966, Blair in 1997 won a landslide
victory. But unlike them, he faced an inexperienced
opposition front-bench and inherited a strong economy.
Blair enjoyed a unified cabinet and Labour movement, an
adulatory press and a country eager to support him. By
2007 Brown faced a country growing tired of Labour, the
revival of the Tories under David Cameron, and a
disillusioned press. He then encountered the worst
economic catastrophe since the depression and the expenses
crisis.
Blair's domestic achievements were relatively light, given
these benefits and 10 years in power. The economic and
welfare advances in his first term were principally those
of Brown, much the more creative force in those four
years, while the constitutional reforms were the legacy of
the late Labour leader John Smith. Blair would have
achieved more after 2001 but for Brown's increasing
obduracy. Britain by 2007 had certainly become a more
compassionate, open and fairer society, but questions will
always be asked whether Blair squandered the promise of
1997.
Brown, like Blair, arrived in No 10 with little fixed idea
about what he wanted to do domestically. The greatest
historical puzzle of the Brown premiership was why a man
who had yearned for the job for 13 years did not do more
to plan for it.
It was Brown's serendipity that the economic crisis that
will colour his entire premiership played to his
strengths. His handling of it domestically and abroad will
receive far more praise than criticism. In contrast, Blair
failed on his own big challenge, Iraq. Whether or not
Blair was right to commit to the war, history may damn him
for his failure to plan for postwar Iraq, taking decisions
in such a tight cabal and extracting so little from Bush
as the price for British participation.
If Blair will have 'Iraq' carved on his gravestone, Brown
will have his hubristic words about ending 'boom and
bust'.
History will show that Brown achieved more in Northern
Ireland, on foreign policy, including deterring India's
fury against Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks in 2008 and
protecting the most vulnerable than he was given credit
for. His faltering leadership precipitated the plots
against him, and the plunge in Labour's poll rating. But
he brought Labour back from the brink to achieve 29 per
cent of the vote and 258 seats in the election, which
denied the Tories a majority.
Exits from No 10 matter, like John Major calmly going off
to the Oval cricket ground in May 1997. Brown walked away
from No 10 with Sarah, John and Fraser, displaying a
magnanimity, as he did when taking the blame for Labour's
defeat, which, if exhibited more in power, would have made
him the greater leader.
But the manner of his exit still earned him respect and
sympathy, and these are the tints with which his legacy
will be painted; not a great prime minister, but a man of
deep intellect and passion whose ambition and temperament
often got the better of him, but who served his country
with honour and good judgment at a time of grave national
crisis.
A black hole
As long as there is no leader like Obama in Israel, the
initiative must come from below to fill the gap.
Uri Avnery
As
long as there is no leader like Obama in Israel, the
initiative must come from below to fill the gap Just to
die of envy. How the British manage to do these things!
What a democracy! What dignity!
Elections within a month. A new coalition within five
days. A change of government within 70 minutes. A visit to
the queen. The departing prime minister takes his wife and
two small children, leaves the prime minister's residence
and walks away. The new prime minister enters the
residence.
Elegant, smooth, brief, and with good grace. The people
have spoken, and that's that.
And with us?
Our election campaigns go on for months and months. Tumult
fills the air, a cacophony of curses and general
vulgarity. After that, months pass before a new coalition
is formed. In the meantime, the victors and the vanquished
trade insults. Lefties, fascists, traitors, destroyers of
Israel, despoilers of Jerusalem, lackeys of the
occupation, thieves - anything goes.
Chaos reigns supreme. New parties spring up like mushrooms
after rain. Up to the last moment, nobody even knows who
is competing with whom.
Our next election is still far away. Unless a sudden
crisis springs up, it will take place in 2014. In Israel,
three years is a political eternity.
Many believe that the government will fall much sooner,
perhaps in a few months. Then the time allotted to the
co-called settlement freeze in the West Bank is up.
Benjamin Netanyahu will have to decide whether to give in
to American pressure to prolong it, or to go ahead with
enlarging the settlements and risk a confrontation with
Barack Obama. In the first case, the settlers and their
allies in the government will rebel. In the second case,
the remnants of the Labor Party might leave the coalition.
I doubt that either will happen. All members of the
government have an essential interest in keeping it alive.
None of its components is assured of a future outside.
Ehud Barak, a general without soldiers, is glued to his
seat . Avigdor Lieberman, the foreign minister no
foreigner wants to meet, has not achieved even one of the
things he promised his voters. Why should they increase
his strength? Eli Yishai, a Lieberman with a skullcap,
feels his former rival, Aryeh Deri, breathing down his
neck again, and holds on to his God's little acre. All of
them feel that either they hang together or they will hang
separately.
That is political logic. However, logic is a rare visitor
in politics. If the freeze - or so-called freeze - is not
terminated, the settlers may rise up. The most extreme
will drag behind them the just extreme. Against the wish
of all its members, the government may fall just the same.
What will happen then?
That is the question that is now occupying the minds of
all kinds of people - entertainers, TV personalities,
commentators, generals, celebrities of all sorts and
genders, pensioners, students, professors and whatnot -
who dream of a new party.
This phenomenon has a specifically Israeli background.
In Britain, the constituency system has been exposed in
all its nakedness. Tens of millions of votes went down the
drain. There, people dream of a new system that will be,
at least partly, proportional. In Israel it's the other
way round: the proportional system has corrupted political
life, and many people dream of a new system that will be,
at least partly, constituency-based. It seems likely that
the best solution lies with a system that is partly
proportional and partly constituency, like the present
German one. But here in Israel, all politicians will
oppose any change.
In a large section of the voting public, our system has
aroused widespread disgust for all politicians. People
detest the entire political system and all existing
parties.
Therefore, in every election campaign, new parties spring
up and try to attract the hundreds of thousands of voters
who say that they have "no one to vote for". These
citizens could, of course, abstain altogether and go to
the beach, but they don't want to waste their vote.
Therefore they decide, at the very last moment, to vote
for one of the new parties which voice the anger against
whatever is most infuriating to the public at that moment.
The party which succeeds in reflecting this mood wins
these votes - only to disappear soon after.
That happened to the Dash party of General Yigael Yadin,
that sprang up in the 1977 elections. It had a patent
medicine for all public ills, such as war, corruption,
poverty and religious coercion: Electoral reform. It won a
stunning success (15 seats in the Knesset!) and
disappeared without a trace in the next elections. Then
all kinds of "center" and 'third way" parties appeared and
disappeared. The 2005 elections saw "Shinui" ("Change,")
the party of Tommy Lapid, a TV talkshow host who had made
a name for himself with his aggressiveness and the
unrestrained vulgarity of his style. He hoisted the flag
of hatred for the Orthodox, and won 15 Knesset seats -
only to vanish in the next round. After him came Rafi
Eitan, the man who had kidnapped Adolf Eichmann and was
responsible for the Jonathan Pollard disaster, and who
created a Pensioners' Party. He won a handsome seven seats
- not thanks to the pensioners, who mostly ignored him,
but to young people, who thought it all a huge joke. At
the next elections, of course, this party, too,
disappeared.
(Fair disclosure: In 1965, my friends and I created the "Haolam
Hazeh - New Force Party", which served two Knesset terms
and then became part of the "Sheli" party and, later, the
"Progressive List for Peace." All these had a highly
unfashionable program.)
Now, many people dream again - each for himself or herself
- about another try. They don't seem to care if it's only
for one term - the main thing is to get into the Knesset
at least once. Among the candidates there is Yair Lapid,
the son of the afore mentioned Tommy, a handsome, smooth
and likable TV anchorman who appears daily on the screen
and almost never voices an opinion that is not agreeable
to everyone, nor takes a stand on anything, nor voices an
original idea. The ideal candidate.
He is not alone. There are plenty of others: Wedding
singers beloved by the public, popular soccer players,
celebrities who owe their fame to their PR agents. Even
Rafi Eitan has appeared again from nowhere. When hundreds
of thousands of votes are lying around in the street,
temptation is rife.
Parties will spring up, parties will vanish. Like that
gourd in the Bible "which came up in a night and perished
in a night." The prophet Jonah, who had enjoyed its
shadow, was so angry "that he fainted and wished in
himself to die" and even told God "I do well to be angry,
even unto death." (Jonah, 4) But that is not really
important.
What is important is the need to close the gaping hole in
the Israeli political system: The black hole on the left.
The Right is flourishing. Open fascists, who once were
marginal, are now accepted at the center. A pupil of the
ultra-racist Meir Kahane is starring in the Knesset, and
no one seems to mind. The settlers are planning a "hostile
takeover" of Likud.
Besides Likud, the only large party is Kadima, which is as
far from the Left as Earth is from Alpha Centauri.
Recently, two Kadima Knesset members - Ronit Tirosh and
Otniel Schneller - submitted a hair-raising racist bill
designed to outlaw any peace organization who exposes
atrocities that "besmirch" Israel and may get Israeli Army
officers arrested abroad. Tzipi Livni did not lift a
finger to oppose it.
It is generally agreed that in the next elections, Labor,
which has become the Ministry-of-Defense-Party, will be
annihilated, and so will Meretz. Both are now only shadows
of their former selves. They will leave behind a political
desert.
This situation cries to high heaven. Hundreds of thousands
of Israeli voters carry in their hearts the basic values
of the Left: Peace, justice, equality, democracy, human
rights for all, feminism, protection of the environment,
separation between state and religion. Where are they? Who
represents them?
A large part of the public is now pondering this question.
Many agree that "something must be done." But it seems
that nobody quite knows what.
Some are looking for a cookbook recipe on the lines of:
"Take four eggs, two spoonfuls of flour, a pinch of salt…"
So: "Take 12 celebs, seven respected professors, three
human-rights advocates, two peace activists (not too
radical), one pop star, one famous TV personality,
sprinkle with cautious slogans (not too extreme), stir
well and serve lukewarm…"
Or, alternatively, "take four of the remnants of Labor, 2
refugees from Meretz, three disappointed Kadima members,
one Green, one Poor Neighborhood activist…"
No, it won't work that way.
The creation of a new party - a party that can change the
political scene, seriously compete for power and function
for a long time - is not a cooking exercise.
It needs an act of creation, no less than a painting of
Leonardo, no less than the building of the Taj Mahal or
the Duomo of Florence.
Such a party must embody those values, not as a collection
of slogans, but as part of an integral whole. A party that
will not be a continuation of the path of political wrecks
nor stick to outdated modes of thought and the slogans of
PR wizards. A party that will outline a completely new
blueprint. A party that will not put patch upon patch, not
propose a repair job here and there, but present a new
model of the State of Israel, a complete plan for a Second
Israeli Republic.
The leader for such a party will not be found in the
political junkyard. A real leader arises by his own power,
like Barack Obama, a young person with a new message.
As long as such a leader has not appeared, the initiative
must come from below. At all the demonstrations I see new
young people, idealists who impress me with their
sincerity and courage, peace activists, human rights
activists, environmental activists. From among them must
arise the new initiative, which will rally us all around
it.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Sooner or later, the black hole
will be filled. Unless we do this ourselves, it may be
filled by a many-legged monster.
International
Pakistan blocks
Facebook over caricature
AFP, Lahore
Pakistan temporarily blocked access to Facebook on
Wednesday on a court order over a competition encouraging
users to post caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)
on the social networking site.
The "blasphemy" caused by a Facebook user who set up a
page called "Draw Mohammed Day", inviting people to send
in their caricatures of the Muslim prophet on May 20,
could inflame parts of the conservative Muslim nation.
Thousands of young people and Muslim faithful had already
unleashed an online campaign, leading to isolated protests
that grabbed the government's attention and saw the
controversial page blocked on Tuesday.
But a group of Islamic lawyers went a step further
Wednesday and petitioned the court to order a blanket ban
on Facebook in Pakistan. Islam strictly prohibits the
depiction of any prophet as blasphemous and Muslims all
over the world staged angry protests over the publication
satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in European
newspapers in 2006. "Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
(PTA) has directed all concerned operators in Pakistan to
block website www.facebook.com till further order," it
announced in a statement.
Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi "strongly
condemned" the caricature competition and urged Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani "to take immediate action and
call a Muslim conference".
Justice Ejaz Chaudhry directed the PTA to block Facebook
until May 31, when the Lahore High Court will open a
detailed hearing into the case. The petition also called
on the government to lodge a strong protest with the
owners of Facebook, lawyer Rai Bashir told AFP.
Facebook, which is based in the United States, was not
immediately reachable when contacted by AFP for comment.
The information technology ministry ordered Facebook
blocked and PTA was following those directives after
already preventing access to the offending page from
Tuesday, PTA spokesman Khurrum Mehran
told AFP.
Pakistan-US security
pledge after NY bomb plot
AFP, Islamabad
Pakistan and the United States vowed to step up efforts to
prevent terror plots Wednesday as US officials briefed
Islamabad on inquiries into a New York bomb plot blamed on
the Pakistani Taliban.
US national security adviser General James Jones and CIA
Director Leon Panetta flew into Islamabad on what the
White House called a mission to probe the failed May 1
plot that led to the arrest of a Pakistani-American.
Jones and Panetta met President Asif Ali Zardari and
"provided an update on the ongoing investigation into the
Times Square terrorist incident", according to a joint
statement released after the talks. Authorities have been
interrogating Shahzad since his dramatic arrest at JFK
Airport in New York, as his Dubai-bound plane was about to
take off.
He allegedly told interrogators that he visited Waziristan,
in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt along the Afghan border,
for bomb-making training. Washington considers the
Afghan-Pakistani border areas a global headquarters of
Al-Qaeda, where success in rooting out Islamist militants
is vital if the US military is to reverse a nearly
nine-year Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.
Wednesday's statement made no mention of North Waziristan
and Jones instead praised Pakistan's "excellent
cooperation" and "tremendous sacrifice" in "efforts to
combat extremists". "The talks covered measures that both
countries are, and will be, taking to confront the common
threat we face from extremists and prevent such potential
attacks from occurring again," the joint statement said.
"Both parties acknowledged the extreme challenge of
thwarting each and every plot and terrorist action. Both
sides pledged to intensify efforts, increase cooperation
and do everything possible to protect our citizens," it
added. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani,
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and army chief
General Ashfaq Kayani also attended the talks.
Pakistan fought major campaigns against homegrown Taliban
last year in the northwestern district of Swat and South
Waziristan, but the New York plot has seen US officials
call for more action.
Pakistani security analysts and officials told AFP that
the United States wants Islamabad to open a new front in
North Waziristan. Although there are army military bases
in the tribal district, military commanders have warned
that launching a new offensive in the region could detract
from gains they say have been made in Swat and South
Waziristan.
Cops scan Madhuri 'spy' mails
Agency, India
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police and intelligence
agencies investigating the alleged leak of sensitive
information to Pakistan by diplomat Madhuri Gupta have
retrieved the contents of 54 emails sent by her.
The police and forensic teams are also scanning five CPUs,
4 mobile phones, 39 CDs and 21 floppy disks seized from
Gupta's residence and office in Islamabad.
Officials said the contents of the emails were being
verified and that it was being ascertained how Gupta got
the information she passed on.
A lot of the information Gupta may have passed on to
Pakistan was gathered by her during her interaction with
the other members of the Indian High Commission, the
police said.
She did not have access to more sensitive information
because she was the second secretary in the press and
information wing of the Indian mission, they added. The
police had registered an FIR against Gupta on a complaint
lodged by Ashok Tomar, an additional secretary in the
ministry of external affairs.
Tomar had written to P. N. Aggarwal, the joint
commissioner of special cell of the Delhi Police, about
Gupta's unwarranted interaction with two Pakistani agents.
During the investigation, the names of Mubashar Raza Rana
and Jamshed had sprung up. Gupta admitted to interacting
with both men, who are suspected to be Pakistani
intelligence agents.
The intelligence officials said it struck them as odd that
Pakistan had deputed two agents to extract information
from Gupta.
Officials said deploying two agents made Gupta's
activities conspicuous.
Sources said some Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
officials had first raised apprehensions about Gupta's
activities.
Afghan Taliban launch
brazen attack on NATO base
Reuters, Bagram
Suicide bombers carrying rockets and grenades launched a
brazen pre-dawn attack on one of the biggest NATO military
bases in Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing an American
contractor.
Nine U.S. troops were also wounded. Ten militants, wearing
vests packed with explosives, were killed, the NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.
The fighting came the day after a suicide bomber attacked
an ISAF military convoy in Kabul, killing 12 Afghan
civilians and six foreign troops. The attacks may mark the
start of a Taliban spring offensive against high-profile
foreign targets.
The assault on Bagram air base, about an hour's drive
north of Kabul and holding mainly U.S. troops, began in
the pre-dawn hours when Taliban insurgents attacked near
the base's gates. It continued for hours with sporadic
rocket and small arms fire.
An ISAF spokesman would not disclose the name or
profession of the American contractor who was killed until
the man's family had been notified.
One rocket landed inside the base, causing minor damage,
but no insurgents managed to get inside Bagram, ISAF said.
Helicopter gunships hovered above the base.
S.Korea briefs China on
ship sinking blamed on North
Reuters, Seoul
South Korea has briefed the Chinese ambassador on its
findings on the sinking of a navy ship widely believed to
be the work of North Korea, an issue that has created
tension between the two major Asian trading partners.
South Korea is certain to formally lay the blame on the
North on Thursday when it announces the findings by a team
of experts that includes investigators from Sweden,
Australia and the United States.
China, host of on-again, off-again six-party talks aimed
at reining in North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, is
the reclusive state's only major ally and is loath to
penalise it for wrongs perceived in South Korea and the
West.
China irritated South Korea earlier this month by hosting
the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on a rare trip abroad
before the outcome of the investigation was announced.
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Zhang Xinsen has been
quoted as saying in local media that there did not appear
to be clear evidence the North was the culprit in the
March 26 attack off the Korean peninsula's west coast that
killed 26 sailors.
Zhang was among a small group of ambassadors who were
briefed on the outcome of the probe on Tuesday, before a
larger group is invited on Wednesday to receive the
information, the Foreign Ministry said. It did not provide
details on Zhang's response. There was no answer to calls
made to the Chinese Embassy in Seoul.
Bangkok burns as protesters
surrender
Reuters, Bangkok
Rioting and fires swept Bangkok on Wednesday after troops
stormed a protest encampment, forcing protest leaders to
surrender but sparking clashes that killed at least four
people and triggered unrest in northern Thailand.
Protesters torched at least 17 buildings, including the
Thai stock exchange and Central World, Southeast Asia's
second-biggest department store complex and operated by
Central Pattana PCL. The store was gutted by fire and
looked like it may collapse, said a Reuters witness. The
unrest is now the "most widespread and most
uncontrollable" political violence Thailand has ever seen,
said Charnvit Kasetsiri, a prominent political historian.
It remained unclear whether the continued rioting, after
the protest leaders surrendered, was a last outpouring of
anger by anti-government forces, which would give Thai
finance markets a reprieve, or the start of more intense,
widespread fighting.
"The situation is worse than expected now and it's very
difficult to stop," said Kavee Chukitsakem, head of
research, Kasikorn Securities. "After the red shirt
leaders surrendered, things were out of control. It's like
insects flying around from one place to another, causing
irritation."
Japan
backs down over US base plan
AFP, Tokyo
Japan has told the United States it will back down in a
dispute over the relocation of an unpopular US airbase and
build offshore runways on landfill rather than pylons, a
report said Wednesday.
In the row over the base on the island of Okinawa, Japan
had proposed building the runways on pylons to minimise
the impact on a marine habitat, but Washington argued this
would heighten the risk of a terrorist attack.
The concession, reported by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily,
would be the latest twist in a long-simmering dispute over
what to do with the controversial US Marine Corps Air
Station Futenma, now located in a crowded city area.
Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama this month
backtracked on an election pledge he made last year to
move the base off the island, instead sticking with a pact
agreed with Washington in 2006 to relocate it within
Okinawa.
The centre-left premier, under pressure from both a strong
anti-base movement on Okinawa and the United States,
Japan's top security ally, has proposed various compromise
plans to Washington, according to reports.
The proposal to build the new runways off the coast of
Okinawa's Henoko area on pylons to protect coral reefs and
the rare dugong sea mammal was rejected by US negotiators
in Washington last week, reports have said.
Iran
rejects UN sanctions resolution draft
AP, Tehran
Iran on Wednesday dismissed as "illegitimate" a draft U.N.
Security Council resolution seeking to impose harsher
sanctions against Tehran for its refusal to halt uranium
enrichment.
Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh, a top adviser to Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said the draft proposed by
the U.S. was a reactionary response to a deal in which
Iran agreed to ship much of its low-enriched uranium to
Turkey.
The surprise deal, brokered by Turkey and Brazil Monday,
didn't ease concerns in the West that Iran's nuclear
program has military dimensions primarily because Tehran
has said it will continue to enrich uranium to higher
levels. Uranium enriched to a low level is used for
nuclear fuel, but if processed to much higher levels it
can be fashioned into a weapon. "The draft resolution
being discussed at Security Council has no legitimacy at
all," the official IRNA news agency quoted Samareh as
saying Wednesday after a Cabinet meeting.
The deal would deprive Iran - at least temporarily - of
some of the stocks of enriched uranium that it would need
to process further to create a weapon, if that were its
intention. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.
But - because seven months have elapsed since the
agreement was originally floated and Iran continues to
enrich - it would still have enough material to make such
a weapon even if Tehran shipped out the original amount
stipulated by the U.N.
The material would be returned to Iran in the form of fuel
rods, which cannot be processed further. Iran needs the
fuel rods to power an aging medical research reactor in
Tehran that produces isotopes for cancer treatment. But to
the U.S. and its allies the deal is to little now too
late.
The United States and its Western allies won crucial
support from Russia and China for new sanctions against
Iran Tuesday but face tough opposition from non-permanent
U.N. Security Council members Turkey, Brazil and Lebanon.
Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, who is also the head of
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said world powers
would discredit themselves if they passed new sanctions.
"By issuing resolution, they would further discredit
themselves in the public opinion," he said on state TV.
"Discussions of imposing sanctions has faded away and this
is a last effort by the Western countries."
U.S. envoy and Abbas
discuss final-status issues
Reuters, Ramallah
U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy and
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed possible
outlines of a future Palestinian state on Wednesday, a
Palestinian official said. "We are focusing on
final-status issues like borders and security," Saeb
Erekat told reporters after the meeting between Abbas and
George Mitchell, who is mediating indirect peace talks
between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We hope that in the next four months we can achieve the
two-state solution on the 1967 borders," said Erekat,
reiterating a Palestinian demand that Israel withdraws
from Palestinian territory it captured in the 1967 Middle
East war. Mitchell will shuttle between Israel and the
West Bank for the second substantive sessions since the
Palestinians agreed to the indirect "proximity" talks,
which have been given a maximum of four months to produce
results.
Israeli leaders have said the Palestinians can raise core
issues like the status of Jerusalem, final borders and the
plight of Palestinian refugees in the indirect talks, but
only direct negotiations can resolve them. Palestinians
say they could hold direct talks if Israel halts all
settlement activities on occupied land. Both Israel and
the Palestinians seem to be taking trust-building steps.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week
his government "is prepared to do things that are not
simple, that are difficult".
Government sources said Netanyahu is favourably examining
a proposal to expropriate land from Jewish settlers in the
occupied West Bank to build a road between Ramallah and a
new Palestinian town under construction. Abbas broke with
tradition on Monday by failing to give a speech on the day
that Palestinians mourn the creation of Israel, which they
call the "nakba", or catastrophe. Analysts said he wanted
to avoid an occasion in which he would be expected to
condemn Israel in strong language. The White House has
said it will hold either side accountable for any action
that could undermine negotiations.
The pledge appeared in part aimed at satisfying Abbas'
fears that Israel's right-leaning government might
announce further expansion of Jewish housing in and around
Jerusalem. Obama also urged Abbas to do all he can to
prevent acts of incitement or delegitimization of Israel.
Bill on burqa ban goes to
French cabinet
DPA, Paris
A draft bill that would ban the all-body Islamic veil in
all public areas in the country was presented to the
French cabinet Wednesday by Justice Minister Michele
Alliot-Marie.
If the bill becomes law, any woman wearing the veil,
called a burqa, in public would be liable to a fine of 150
euros ($184), or be obliged to take a class in
citizenship, or both.
In addition, anyone forcing someone to conceal her face
because of her gender would face a maximum sentence of one
year in prison and a fine of up to 15,000 euros, because
it demeans the dignity of a human being.
'Wearing clothes intended to conceal the face, in
particular the all-body veil, challenges the rules that
form the republican pact,' the cabinet declared in the
official account of its meeting.
The law is to go into effect six months after it is passed
by both houses of the French parliament. It is scheduled
to be put before parliament in July and be voted on in the
fall.
Passage seems inevitable since the ruling UMP party and
its allies have a commanding majority in both houses. In
addition, opposition Socialist lawmakers are likely to
support it as well.
However, an important government advisory body has
questioned its legality.
In its latest opinion, the Council of State noted that the
European Court of Human Rights has enshrined the right of
individuals to live their lives according to their
convictions.
It would therefore be difficult to use the argument that
wearing the veil insults the dignity of a woman if she
wears it voluntarily.
In addition, a law against concealing one's face in public
areas because of potential security and fraud issues would
only be justified in certain places and with certain
procedures, not everywhere and at all times.
Pakistani in Chile says
innocent, wants US safe
AFP, Santiago
A Pakistani man who was briefly detained after trace
explosives were detected on him at the US embassy in
Chile, staunchly denied Tuesday the explosives charge
lodged against him.
"I have friends and family in the United States of America
and more than anyone I want America to be safe and secure.
I have been to the US and I greatly admire the American
values of true, justice and freedom," Mohammed
Saif-ur-Rehman Khan said in a statement issued in English.
"I can fully understand the panic and fear and the
reaction from authorities on Monday 10th of May. But, as
my defense pleaded, that appears to have stemmed from a
false alarm," he stressed. "Please, have your trust in me.
I have no knowledge of any substance that can cause harm
to anyone. I wish the perpetrators of violence are
caught."
According to the suspect, the case owes to "a big
misunderstanding stemming from a mistaken identity."
Rehman read the statement outside the prosecutor's office,
and did not take questions from reporters.
The Pakistani national was charged Saturday with illegal
explosives possession, and was set free pending the
investigation. He is barred from leaving Chile and must
check in with a judge every two weeks, a court source
said. The 28-year-old had been detained for five days
under Chile's anti-terror law after officials detected
traces of TNT on him when he visited the US embassy in
Santiago. But he was not charged with violating the
anti-terror law on Saturday.
The Santiago hotel intern had gone to the embassy after
being called in for a meeting about his US visa, which had
been revoked.
As he went through a security check, embassy officials
discovered traces of a TNT explosive on his hands, cell
phone, bag and documents. Rehman was detained a week after
the arrest a naturalized US citizen born in Pakistan, who
US authorities accuse of having planted a car bomb on May
1 in New York's Times Square.
Obama starts deploying
interrogation teams
Reuters,
Washington
The Obama administration has started using special law
enforcement and intelligence teams to interrogate
suspected militants in the United States and abroad,
including the Pakistani-American arrested in the Times
Square bombing plot, a top official said on Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the formation
of the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) in
August and gave the reins to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, replacing the Central Intelligence Agency
that did have the lead role in intelligence
interrogations.n
The program calls for the deployment of Mobile
Interrogation Teams, made up of specialists from across
the law enforcement and intelligence community, to
question important detainees, whether they are in U.S.
custody or in the custody of a foreign government.
"There have been a number of deployments of these Mobile
Interrogation Teams to include for the Faisal Shahzad
case," said John Brennan, assistant to the president for
homeland security and counterterrorism.
China’s third-gen nuclear
reactor ready by 2013
Reuters, Beijing
China's new third-generation nuclear reactor, known as the
ACP600, will be completed by 2013 and the first unit is
likely to be built in the island province of Hainan or
Gansu in the remote northwest, the country's biggest
nuclear developer said on Wednesday.
"The design will be completed in 2013 and there are
choices on the domestic market, including Gansu and Hainan,
but we are discussing the specific details with the
government," Liu Jing, deputy director of nuclear power at
the China National Nuclear Corporation, said at an
industry conference.
Third-generation reactors-larger, sturdier and more fuel
efficient than their predecessors-are a crucial element of
China's ambitious nuclear expansion plans, with the
designs of the U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric forming
the standard for China's own "localised" brand following a
technology transfer agreement reached in 2007.
There are six foreign-designed third-generation reactors
under construction-including the world's first
Westinghouse AP1000 unit in Sanmen, Zhejiang province,
scheduled to go into operation in 2013, along with two
Areva European Pressurised Reactors being built in the
southeast.
Nick Clegg pledges biggest
political reforms since 1832
BBC Online
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has promised the "biggest
shake-up of our democracy" in 178 years as he sets out
plans for political reform. The Tory-Lib Dem coalition is
proposing fixed-term parliaments, an elected House of
Lords and a referendum on changing the voting system. Mr
Clegg said the government was "not insecure about
relinquishing control". The Lib Dem leader also called on
the public to nominate laws to be repealed, as part of a
"power revolution".
Mr Clegg, who is overseeing the government's political
reform plans, said he wanted to "transform our politics so
the state has far less control over you, and you have far
more control over the state".
'Centralised'
This would include scrapping the ID card scheme and
accompanying National Identity Register, all future
biometric passports and the children's Contact Point
Database. It would also ensure CCTV was "properly
regulated" in future and the storage of innocent people's
DNA restricted.
Mr Clegg said: "Britain was once the cradle of modern
democracy. We are now, on some measures, the most
centralised country in Europe, bar Malta."
The deputy prime minister promised to give voters powers
to "recall" corrupt MPs and for an elected House of Lords,
based on a "proportional" voting system. He said: "I'm
talking about the most significant programme of
empowerment by a British government since the great
enfranchisement of the 19th Century. "The biggest shake up
of our democracy since 1832, when the Great Reform Act
redrew the boundaries of British democracy, for the first
time extending the franchise beyond the landed classes."
Business/Economy
Malaysian investors urged to undertake new ventures in BD
UNB, Dhaka
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan has called upon the Malaysian
investors to undertake new ventures of investment in the
fast growing manufacturing, services and infrastructure
sectors in Bangladesh.
He made the plea while addressing the 6th World Islamic
Economic Forum (WIFE) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, being
held to focus on investment facilities available among the
OIC member countries, according to a message received here
on Wednesday.
Terming Malaysia as the fifth largest investor in
Bangladesh after Norway, UK, USA and South Korea, he said
that there is enough scope for further investment although
some 70 Malaysian companies have already invested in
Bangladesh.
He said that relocation of labor-intensive industries in
the textile and accessories, furniture processing,
agro-processing industries from Malaysia might be the most
promising options while investment in the service sectors
like tourism, health care and infrastructures like toll
roads, bridges, power and gas generation would also be
attractive to Malaysian investors.
He said that closer cooperation in investment and trade
would bring immense impact on the development of their
economies as OIC member countries and Bangladesh stand as
natural allies. The Commerce Minister said that they are
expecting that Bangladesh would attain a high rate of
economic development making Bangladesh a middle-income
country by 2021, the golden Jubilee of the country's
independence.
He said that the government is looking forward to
expanding the export basket and inviting more foreign
direct investment in Bangladesh.
Faruk Khan said that the country's economy grew 5.9% in
2008-2009 and the current budget envisaged 5.5 percent
annual growth for 2009-2010.
"Apart from GDP growth, other key economic variables have
shown minimal fluctuations in recent months, when most of
the Asian economies registered negative growth," he added.
He said that foreign trade of Bangladesh (imports and
exports) expanded by 4.06 percent and 10.31 percent
compared to 2007-2008 while the textile and ready-made
garment sector which constitute 76 percent of total
export, has recently showing a lower growth.
The sectors leader expected that within next 5 years
Bangladesh exports in textile and RMG sectors will be
around USD 20-25 billion as her competitors are losing
their edge due to higher labor cost and Bangladeshi
improvisation in the quality and marketing.
Terming remittance as the second-most important source of
foreign exchange earnings after textiles, he said, "We are
expecting around US$ 12 billion earnings from the
remittance sector this year."
Faruk Khan said that Chittagong port can easily serve as
an entry port and business gateway to the South Asia
region especially Nepal, Bhutan, seven north-east Indian
states, known as seven sisters (Assam, Meghalaya, Monipur,
Arunachal, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura) and
resource-rich northern Myanmar, a land-locked region. He
observed that Bangladesh's trade with OIC member countries
still remains insignificant, at US$ 3100 million
(Export-US$ 600 million, Import 2500 million) for the
2008-2009 fiscal.
Malaysia
urges Muslim nations to promote Islamic finance
AFP, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia on Wednesday urged Muslim countries to lead the
way in advocating the Islamic finance sector, saying it
expects the "positive trends" for the burgeoning industry
to continue.
Malaysia has been promoting Islamic finance-which follows
religious laws prohibiting the payment and collection of
interest -- and has emerged relatively unscathed from the
global financial crisis.
"The time is right for this," Prime Minister Najib Razak
said in opening the annual World Islamic Economic Forum at
the Malaysian capital. "We see positive trends prevailing
for the development of Islamic finance. In some countries,
growth is as much as 10-15 percent annually," he told the
forum, describing the figures as "encouraging".
"Muslim countries must continue to play a leading role in
transforming this sector from being considered niche
banking into something that's widely accepted as central
to long-term economic stability around the world," he
said.
Islamic banking, a booming trillion-dollar industry,
prohibits the payment and collection of interest, which is
seen as a form of gambling, so highly complex instruments
such as derivatives and other creative accounting
practices are banned.
Transactions must be backed by real assets, while the
customer and the institution share the risk of any
investment and also divide any profits between them.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Islamic
finance is a fast-growing sector, and that it should
strive to attract all investors including non-Muslims.
"Muslim nations have a good opportunity to achieve greater
growth," he told the forum. Moody's Investors Service has
forecasted Islamic finance has a market potential of five
trillion dollars. The sector also shuns investments in
gambling, alcohol and pornography in favour of ethical
investments.
Crisis-hit Europe needs ‘new
stability culture’
AFP, Berlin
Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Wednesday for a radical
overhaul of Europe's fiscal rules along German lines,
warning of "incalculable consequences" for the European
Union if the euro were to fail.
Defending Germany's slice of a near trillion-dollar
package to prevent the troubles of debt-ridden Greece
spreading to the rest of Europe, she said the single
currency was facing an "existential test" as it plunges on
the markets.
"The current crisis facing the euro is the biggest test
Europe has faced in decades, even since the Treaty of Rome
was signed in 1957," she said in a speech in parliament,
referring to the treaty that created the European Union.
"This test is existential and it must be overcome ... if
the euro fails, then Europe fails," she said, to loud
heckling and jeers from opposition parties.
"The euro is in danger. If we do not avert this danger,
then the consequences are incalculable and the
consequences for the whole of Europe are also
incalculable," she cautioned.
To overcome the turmoil that has battered the euro on the
foreign exchange markets, the German chancellor proposed a
"new stability culture" in Europe.
She added: "We need a comprehensive overhaul of the
Stability and Growth Pact," the regulations stating that
EU countries should keep deficits below three percent of
gross domestic product (GDP) and debt below 60 percent of
GDP.
3G auction earns
India $14.6b
AFP, New Delhi
India's auction of third-generation (3G) bandwidth for
mobile telephone services ended Wednesday, with final bids
securing the government a windfall of close to 15 billion
dollars.
The provisional results were posted on the Department of
Telecommunications website after 34 days of frenetic
bidding that saw the price of a pan-India slot soar to
more than 3.6 billion dollars-way beyond the reserve
price.
Nine cellular firms, including Indian market leaders
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications, had
participated in more than 180 rounds of bidding.
The provisional winning price for one slot of bandwidth to
offer superfast 3G services across India was 168.2 billion
rupees (3.6 billion dollars), from a starting bid price of
35 billion rupees.
None of the bidding firms won 3G mobile spectrum in all 22
service areas up for grabs, but Bharti Airtel, Reliance
Communications and Vodafone Essar all won spectrum in the
key Delhi and Mumbai areas.
The government's provisional revenue from the sale was
estimated at 677 billion rupees (14.6 billion dollars),
which will go a long way to plug a yawning budget deficit.
The auction in the world's fastest-growing mobile market
is seen as propelling India decisively into the Internet
era.
There are nearly half a billion mobile phone subscribers
in India, only a fraction of whom have access to the
Internet via computers. New 3G networks will give people
fast access to the web from their handsets.
Mobile phone
sales soar
AFP, Paris
Global mobile phone sales soared by 17 percent in the
first quarter, driven by smartphone models, the Gartner
tech industry research house said on Wednesday.
For the three months to March, some 314 million mobile
phones were sold, of which 54.3 million were smartphone
models which allow users to access the Internet on the
move, Gartner said.
Finland's Nokia kept hold of first place in the overall
global mobile phone market althought its share slipped to
35 percent from 36.2 percent a year earlier.
South Korea's Samsung was second, increasing its market
share to 20.6 percent from 19.1 percent, followed by local
rival LG which fell to 8.6 percent from 9.9 percent.
Japanese-Swedish combine Sony-Ericcson was in fifth place
followed by Motorola of the United States.
Gartner said that in the first quarter sales of
smartphones showed the biggest jump since 2006, with RIM
of Canada's BlackBerry gaining 45.9 percent from the
figure 12 months earlier. Sales of Apple's iPhone soared
112.2 percent to 8.3 million units but its market share
remained modest at 2.7 percent overall.
In the smartphone sector, Nokia held onto first place with
a 44.3 percent market share, down 4.5 percentage points,
followed by RIM, Apple and then Google with its Android
operating system which has made huge inroads in the United
States to edge out Apple there.
US commerce
secretary urges China to import more
AFP, Shanghai
US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke said Wednesday the
United States was lagging many developed countries in
terms of exports as he urged Chinese consumers to buy more
American products.
Locke was in Shanghai leading the first cabinet-level US
trade mission since US President Barack Obama announced an
ambitious target in March to double US shipments within
five years to promote job growth. "We don't export enough
as a country compared to many developed countries," he
told a news conference. "Part of the strategy of reducing
the trade deficit is of course to increase exports from
the United States to all over the world, including China,"
Locke said.
Washington's trade deficit with China stood at 226.8
billion dollars last year-down more than 40 billion
dollars from 2008 due to the global financial crisis, but
still its largest with any country.
Washington and Beijing agree China's economy, the world's
third-largest, needs to rely more on domestic consumption
and less on overseas exports, Locke said.
"The Chinese need to spend more and not save as much. It's
all part of the rebalancing of the world economic order
and increasing US exports is part of that, but not the
only way," he added. But he also cautioned against the
extremes that triggered the financial crisis, noting:
"We're not saying 'Go into debt', but just spend a little
bit more."
Each country presents different export opportunities for
the US, said Locke, who was in China-the world's largest
greenhouse gas emitter-with representatives from 24 US
clean energy companies.
Japan’s recovery seen
to accelerate but risks remain
AFP, Tokyo
Japan's export-driven economy likely accelerated in the
first three months of the year, data is expected to show
Thursday, but deflation and concerns over fiscal health
pose serious risks, say analysts. Gross domestic product
is expected to grow an annualised 5.9 percent in the
January-March period, the second straight quarterly gain,
according to a forecast of 11 economists polled by Dow
Jones Newswires.
And a Nikkei poll of 26 companies put growth at 5.4
percent year on year. Gross domestic product rose 3.8
percent in the three months to December.
Exports, particularly to emerging Asian markets such as
China, are driving what the International Monetary Fund
has called Japan's "tentative" recovery from recession,
encouraging companies to increase capital spending.
Booming demand for new cars, high tech products and
factory parts have combined with a stimulus-driven
domestic picture, helping Japan's biggest companies return
to profit in the past fiscal year.
National
Call for adequate budgetary
allocation for North Bengal
UNB, Dhaka
Speakers at a discussion on Wednesday urged the government
to provide adequate allocation in the upcoming budget for
sustainable development of the northern regions, with
special emphasis on the power and industrial sectors.
They said that although huge numbers of the country's
people live in the northern regions, and have been playing
an important role in growing food and food grains that
makes the country self-sufficient in food, people residing
in these areas are deprived of basic utilities like gas
and power.
North Bengal Development Forum (NBDF) organized the
discussion titled 'Thoughts on Northern Region's
Development and Budgetary allocation' at the CIRDAP
auditorium in the city on Wednesday morning.
Chaired by the editor of the Energy and Power Mollah Amzad
Hossain, the discussion was addressed, among others, by
the Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khandakar,
Prime Minister's adviser HT Imam, State Minister for Home
Advocate Mustafizur Rahman, Mayor of Rajshahi City
Corporation (RCC) AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, NBDP convener Md
Shahriar Alam MP, Fazle Hasan Badsha MP, Omar Faruk
Chowdhury MP, Ziaur Rahman MP and Mokbul Hossain MP.
Speaking on the occasion, Planning Minister AK Khandakar
said that most of the people of the region have been
living under conditions of poverty, although 60% of the
country's agriculture produce is grown in the region.
"If we are able to take advantage of the region's manpower
and send them abroad as migrant labour, they will able to
change the region rapidly by earning and sending back
significant remittances every year," he said. He stressed
the need for giving more attention to developing the
educational institutions of the region for sustainable
development.
Describing the government initiative in development of the
northern region, AK Khondakar said the government has
already taken steps for dredging big rivers of the country
to improve the standard of living of the region.
"Around Tk 40 thousand crore needs to ensure water flow of
the country's major rivers including Padma, Meghna and
Jamuna through capital dredging," he said.
Emphasizing the use of ICT in combating corruption, the
Planning Minister said there is no way to remove
corruption from the society without ICT. "Meanwhile, we
are able to stop tender manipulation by using ICT." HT
Imam urged the government to come forward for solving the
problems of the northern region considering them as
national problems.
He also stressed the need for utilizing mineral resources
including coal to generate power for creating
industrial-friendly atmosphere in the region.
Advocate Mustafizur Rahman said that the government should
take steps in extracting coal from Phulbaria coal mine to
generate power by setting up coal-based power plants. "We
are able to generate additional power of around 5000 MW if
we set up coal based power stations in this region," he
said.
RCC mayor Liton stressed the need for the creation of
provincial governments to decentralize power and reducing
regional discrimination. "The country's overall
development is impossible ignoring the northern region,"
he said.
30 union info centres
to get optical fibre connection by July
BSS, Dhaka
In line with the present government's vision to build a
Digital Bangladesh, optical fibre connection will be
provided to existing 30 union information centres(UICs) in
the country by July next.
The state-run Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Ltd (BTCL)
is providing technical support to this end.
This was informed at the closing ceremony of a day two-day
workshop on Digital Bangladesh at a city hotel Tuesday
night.
The function was also told that the government has
undertaken an initiative to build such UICs in all unions
of the country.
"Activities of such information centre have already begun
in 30 unions and the work for setting up more than 1,000
centres by this year is going on," it said.
UNDP-funded Access to Information(A2I) Programme under the
Prime Minister's Office arranged the workshop for
additional deputy commissioners (general).
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Dr Shirin
Sharmin Chowdhury attended the function as the chief,
while Additional Cabinet Secretary Khandakar Anwarul Islam
and UNDP Deputy Country Director Robert Jukham were
present as the special guests.
National Project Director of A2I Programme Nazrul Islam
Khan presided over the function.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Shirin Sharmin called upon
the field-level government officials to work with utmost
sincerity to help establish good governance by ensuring
transparency and accountability in the administration.
"To keep pace with the era of globalization, the
government officials will have to work hard from their
respective positions to infuse dynamism into the
administration by utilizing information technology," she
said.
Stressing the need for bringing all districts, upazilas
and unions under IT connectivity, the state minister also
said the field-level government officials could play an
important role in building Digital Bangladesh, announced
by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A total of 64 ADCs across the country took part in the
two- day workshop.
Social awareness essential for
building developed Bangladesh: Speakers
BSS, Rangpur
Speakers at an awareness building folksong function and
documentary film exhibition here Wednesday urged for
creating adequate awareness on various social issues to
expedite the process of building a developed digital
Bangladesh.
District Information Office (DIO) organised the functions
in village Manoharpur under Sadar upazila under the
ongoing third phase of the 'Communication Programmes for
Children and Women Development' of the Department of Mass
Communications under the Ministry of Information.
Acting Senior District Information Officer M
Manjur-E-Moula chaired the functions, which were attended
by District Programme Officer of UNICEF Ms Rozina Sultana,
its former Director (Human Resources) Mr Tom McDermott and
former Departmental Head Soilendra Baroi.
Local public representatives, religious and community
leaders, government and NGO officials, students, teachers,
women community leaders, housewives, farmers, adolescents
and people from all walks in the society took part and
enjoyed the programmes.
The programmes were aimed at building mass awareness on
birth registration, family planning, repression, child
rights, reproductive health, women education, HIV/AIDS and
STDs, women empowerment, adolescents' health care,
sanitation, nutrition, dowry, child marriage and
superstitions, human trafficking and other related issues.
The DIO has been conducting massive awareness raising
campaign for the April-June/2010 period in Rangpur as a
convergence district in two upazilas of Sadar and Kawnia
in which local people are participating with great
enthusiasm.
Under the ongoing programmes, the DIO has so far organised
16 community meetings, 47 folk song functions and
documentary film shows at 15 places at different places in
these upazilas to focus various awareness-building
activities.
"We are organising these publicity programmes on these
subjects at all important places in these upazilas those
are being participated by hundreds of people including
women and adolescents," Manjur-E- Mowla told BSS.
The common people and women community are being educated
on these vital issues for building a healthy and congenial
society in the process of building a digital Bangladesh by
realizing the vision 2021 successfully, he added.
Road communication on Dhaka-Mymensingh
highway halted
UNB, Gazipur
Road communication between capital and northern regions on
the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was halted due to clashes
between activists of Awami League and BNP that hampered
the traffic movement from noon on Wednesday.
Vehicular movement on the highway is yet to resume till
filing of this report at 3:45pm.
Local sources said a chase and counter chase between AL
and BNP ensued as a convoy carrying BNP activists from
northern region came under attack by ruling party men at
Maona crossing in Sripur upazila at about 11:30am.
Ten people were wounded and several vehicles were damaged
during the series of clashes.
Most of the BNP activists, who were going to attend the
party's Paltan rally in capital, were forced to return to
their homes due to the clashes and also harassment by
mobile court.
Local BNP activists alleged that Al, Jubo League and local
administration obstructed the opposition activists on
their way to grand rally in Paltan.
Besides, administration intercepted and harassed the
opposition activists by conducting raids by mobile court
at different places of this district, they said.
Bangladesh making all efforts to
attain MDGs: Health Minister
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh is making all possible efforts to attain UN
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on reduction of child
and maternal morbidity rate, use of pure drinking water
and sanitation for all.
Enhancing financial and technical assistance is essential
to maintain balance between the developed and developing
countries to attain the MDGs by 2015, Health and Family
Welfare Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque said at the 63rd
session of World Health Organisation (WHO) at Switzerland
in Geneva, according to a message received in Dhaka.
The health minister said Bangladesh is manufacturing 95
per cent of its total demand for medicines. The country is
going to produce vaccines soon under private initiatives,
he added.
Addressing a dialogue on climate change, Ruhal Haque urged
the international community to tackle the impacts of the
climate change on health.
He demanded financial assistance to face the new diseases
being detected in Bangladesh and other least developed
countries because of the climate change.
The minister highlighted various successes already
attained by Bangladesh in various sectors, including
reduction of child mortality rate, expansion of facilities
of pure drinking water and sanitation system.
EC requests election monitoring
groups to apply by May 25 to observe CCC polls
UNB, Dhaka
The Election Commission has requested the interested
organizations of both domestic and foreign election
observers to apply within May 25 for issuing identity
cards to monitor the upcoming Chittagong City Corporation
polls.
According to the CCC election schedule, the polling will
he held on June 17 and the full time observers based on
polling booths will not be appointed in this election, an
EC press release said Wednesday.
The mobile election observers could monitor the city
elections by visiting the polling booths and centers for
short time, it said, adding that in this context, the
interested and skilled election observer organizations
from home and abroad are requested to apply to the
commission.
After receiving the applications from the observer
organizations, the Commission will issue the identity
cards for observers considering their aims and programmes,
the release noted.
Application has to be made to the secretary of the
Election Commission Secretariat and the last date for
receiving the application is May 25, it said.
The applications can be sent by post, e-mail (pro@ecs.gov.bd
) and Fax (919773). The release mentioned that the
observer forms could be collected by downloading from the
commission's website (www.ecs.gov.bd).
RCC to start its Tk 500cr link
road and housing projects
UNB, Rajshahi
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) started initial activities
to launch two major development projects costing Tk 500
crore on Tuesday.
The RCC disclosed this in the afternoon following a
meeting, chaired by Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, held in
the conference room of the Nagar Bhaban.
The projects are: Tk 150cr Rajshahi-Natore East-West Link
Road project and the Tk 350cr housing project to be built
on a 136-acre land located at Mushroil and Meherchondi
moujas in the city.
RCC officials said Tuesday's meeting was held to finalize
the sites and location of the projects.
According to them, the 7-and-a-half-kilometer East-West
link road will be constructed from TTC More, adjacent to
the Postal Academy of Rajshahi city up to Natore road.
The other project, aiming to reduce the housing crisis of
the city dwellers will cost about 350cr Taka. It will be
built in the city on over 136 acres of land and
accommodate 1,300 plots. Parks, high school and shopping
malls along with other civic facilities will be there,
they informed.
Executive Engineer of the RCC Golam Murshed spoke and
detailed out the project during the meeting.
Chairman of the committee on construction of the city's
infrastructure Robiul Alam Milu, chairman of the planning
and city development committee Nuruzzaman Tito, chairman
of social welfare community centre committee Nomanul
Islam, members of finance and establishment committee
Nizam-ul-Azim and Ansar Ali and chief engineer Sirajum
Munir were, among others, present at the meeting.
Rally to motivate people to
oppose eve-teasing held in Narsingdi
UNB, Narsingdi
A rally was held in the district town on Tuesday aiming to
create awareness among people on how to oppose
eave-teasing and motivate them.
The rally, led by State Minister for Women and Children
Affairs Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, MP, was held as part
of the Ministry's country-wide motivating programme to
stop eve-teasing. It started from the DC's office in the
town and ended at the town's Shilpakala Academy.
Head of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women and
Children Affairs Ministry, Meher Afroz Chumki, Mohammad
Nazrul Islam Hero, MP, Dr Anwarul Ashraf Dilip, MP, Acting
Secretary to the Ministry Razia Begum, chief of child
protection of Unicef, Bangladesh, Rose Anne Papavero and
Deputy Commissioner Amrito Baroi, among others,
participated in the rally.
Following the rally, a motivating meeting, titled 'Eve
Teasing Protirodhey Kishore-Kishory ebong Amader Koroniya'
(Juveniles and our responsibility to oppose eve-teasing),
was held at the Shilpakala Academy auditorium.
The meeting, organized to motivate local people to oppose
eve-teasing, was chaired by Secretary Razia Begum. The
State Minister was present as chief guest.
In her speech, Shirin Sharmin said awareness must be
created among people about opposing eve-teasing, vis a vis
formulating laws and applying those to prevent the crime.
She directed the local administration to stand firm
against eve-teasing. She also told them to take stern
action against those involved with the crime.
The state minister said similar programme to create
awareness and motivate people will be organized in phases
across the country and the number of Kishore-Kishory clubs
(juveniles' club) will be increased.
Mother of an adolescent girl Saleha Sultana, father of a
teenage boy Mahtab Amin and youngster Mustafizur Rahman
addressed the meeting.
Government officials, representatives of NGOs, members of
juveniles' clubs and local elite also took part, said an
official release.
Sports
SAfrica and West Indies look for T20
pick me ups
AFP, St John's
South Africa will be looking to restore self belief, when they
open their tour of the Caribbean with back-to-back Twenty20
Internatio-nals against West Indies on Wednesday and Thursday
at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground here.
Both the South Africans and their hosts will be looking to put
behind them, the misery they endured at the just-concluded
Twenty20 World Cup, which was staged over the last three weeks
in the Caribbean.
The two sides entered the competition among the favourites for
the title, but they both crashed out of the T20 World Cup at
the Super Eight stage with a whimper, heralding a wave of
criticism and cynicism throughout their respective nations.
Both sides have kept the bulk of the players that were chosen
for the T20 World Cup, despite their failure to show any
semblance of form. South Africa have flown in uncapped
left-hander David Miller into the limited-overs squad to
replace the injured left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell.
The 20-year-old Miller comes to the Caribbean fresh from
Bangladesh, where he took part in a three-nation, limited-overs
series that involved the hosts' A-Team, as well as West
Indies-A.
He scored 115 off just 60 balls against Bangladesh-A in Mirpur
for the A-Team, which eventually won the Final of the series
against the West Indians by five runs. Miller averaged a
staggering 53 during South Africa's last domestic Pro20
competition for the KwaZulu Natal Dolphins.
West Indies have trimmed their squad to 14, following the
exclusion of left-hander Wavell Hinds. He made a minor
contribution to the side during the competition, and has
offered very little to the side since his return to
international cricket earlier this year for the tour of
Australia.
South Africa have won three of the four T20Is that the two
sides have contested over the last three years.
This includes a sensational eight-wicket victory in the first
match between them during the T20 World Cup three years ago in
Johannesburg, where the South Africans successfully chased a
victory target of 206, following a first-ever T20I hundred
from West Indies captain Chris Gayle.
Scattered showers are forecast, but it will be the on-field
conditions at the VRCG, which will hold the centre of
attraction.
The ground, which is named after Vivian Richards, the former
West Indies captain and national hero, was cleared to host
international matches again, following a one-year suspension.
Constructed by the Chinese Government prior to the island
hosting matches in the 2007 World Cup, the VRCG was
blacklisted last year, when a Test between West Indies and
England was abandoned after just 10 balls because of an unfit
outfield.
Since then, the outfield has been rehabilitated, and the
drainage system has been improved to alleviate the problems
that occurred previously when it rained heavily. To gain
international clearance, the ground has hosted a string of
local matches in recent months, as well as the inaugural West
Indies domestic first-class day/night match in January, when a
pink cricket ball was trialled.
The pitch is likely to be typically easy-paced, like the
surface at the Antigua Recreation Ground, the previous
international ground in the island, located in the heart of
the capital of St. John's.
West Indies
Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (v-capt), Sulieman Benn,
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher,
Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul,
Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor
South Arfica
Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis (v-capt), Hashim Amla,
Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, Abraham de Villiers,
Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Alviro Pietersen,
Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe.
Afridi
urges fans to back Pakistan team
AFP, Karachi
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Wednesday urged fans to back
the team after the defending champions' semi-final finish in
the World Twenty20, saying public support would spur the squad
on.
"I am proud of the team, which played as a unit," said Afridi,
who led Pakistan in the competition won by England. "I would
request fans to support us because we have seen difficult
times in cricket and only unity can help us," said Afridi upon
the team's return from the West Indies.
Australia, set a daunting 192 to win the semi-final in St.
Lucia on Friday, snatched an improbable win courtesy of a
superb 24-ball 60 by Michael Hussey, who hit 18 in the final
over bowled by Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal.
"We didn't do well in initial matches but were back in rhythm
with our Super Eight win against South Africa and that's why
the semi-final defeat hurt us," Afridi told reporters.
"Had we won against Australia and lost the final it would have
been acceptable. "But I am satisfied with the overall
performance of the team and whoever becomes captain the most
important thing should be unity of the team and the support of
the fans," said Afridi, captain only of the Twenty20 side. He
backed off-spinner Ajmal.
"I know a lot of people criticise the decision to bowl Ajmal
in the last over, but I still maintain that he is a
match-winner and bowled us to victory in the last over against
South Africa a match earlier," said Afridi.
"I would request fans to accept this result and support the
team because we are coming out of difficult times in our
cricket."
Pakistan is still reeling from the aftermath of a disastrous
tour in Australia that led to bans and fines for seven top
players, including Afridi and former captains Younus Khan,
Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik.
Yousuf retired from cricket in protest. Appeals from Younus
and Malik are pending with a one-man tribunal of the Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB).
Pakistan now feature in the four-nation Asia Cup in Sri Lanka
from June 15-24, before playing two Twenty20 and two Tests
against Australia and four Tests and five one-day matches
against England-all in England. PCB said it will announce the
captain and squad for the Asia Cup and tour of England in the
next couple of days.
Bolt posts 9.86secs
in first 100m of season
AFP, Daegu
World and Olympic triple gold medallist Usain Bolt got his
100-metre season underway in a respectable 9.86 seconds at
the Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting on Wednesday.
Bolt, who owns the world record of 9.58, was the only man
under the 10-second barrier, with fellow Jamaican Michael
Frater finishing second in 10.15 ahead of American Mike
Rodgers in 10.18.
Another American Travis Padgett, who clocked 9.92 in the
windy Doha Diamond League meet last week, could only
manage fifth in 10.30, as the athletes got a feel for the
stadium that will host the world championships next year.
Starting in the fifth lane, Bolt took the lead at the 30
metre mark after a sluggish opening before easing across
the finish line.
Before the race, Bolt vowed to clock a fast time but said
he was not looking to break, or even go close, to his
record in the first outing of the season.
His time contrasted to key rival Asafa Powell's 9.81 at
Doha, where he was powered by a gusting desert wind. Both
Powell and American Tyson Gay have made clear they are
eyeing Bolt's world record this year.
In the men's 110m hurdles, Beijing Olympic bronze medalist
David Oliver from the United States came first at 13.11 to
beat Beijing gold medalist Dayron Robles of Cuba by 0.15.
American Ryan Bailey won the men's 200m in 20.58, and his
compatriot Angelo Taylor finished first in the men's 400m
with 45.21.Another American, Carmelita Jeter, who ran with
the best time of 10.64 last year, won the women's 100m in
11 seconds flat, nudging Beijing Olympic gold medalist
Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica into second.
Bianca Knight of the United States took out the women's
200m, while Russia's Julia Golubchikova jumped 4.65m to
claim the women's pole vault.
Ishikawa plans to break own world
record
AFP, Tokyo
Japan's record-breaking teenage golfer Ryo Ishikawa said
Wednesday he hoped to shatter his own best-the lowest
score ever carded on a major tour.
The 18-year-old hit a final-round 58 on a par-70 course to
win the Japan Tour Crowns on May 2 and Guinness World
Records has recognised the achievement as a record on a
major tour. "I don't know if I can score better than 58 if
I'd play all my life. But I feel like lowering my best
score to 57," Ishikawa said at the ceremony in which his
record was recognised.
"I feel very much honoured," he said. "At that time, my
ball was driven by not only my wish but also the wish of
everyone in the gallery.
Ishikawa already holds a Guinness world record as the
youngest person to win a professional golf tournament."
In May 2007, he took the domestic Munsingwear Open KSB Cup
at the age of 15 years and 245 days, becoming the youngest
winner of an event on the world's six major tours to help
revive the Japanese men's game.
The previous domestic tour record of 59 was set by
Masahiro Kuramoto in the first round of the Acom
International in 2003.
There have also been three 59s on the US Tour, set by Al
Geiberger, Chip Beck and David Duval, while in Europe the
current record is 60, which has been equalled 14 times.
Ishikawa, who has drawn high television ratings and huge
galleries with his daring drivers and aggressive short
game, won four times in Japan last year to become the
youngest player to top the money list on one of golf's
major tours.
He started the year on a low note, missing the cut for the
second straight year at the US Masters and then failed to
reach the weekend at the Japan Tour season-opener, the
Token Home-mate Cup, in April.
Burglary won't
disrupt WC squad, says Paraguay chief
AFP, Grenoble
Paraguay football chief Juan Angel Napout insisted
Wednesday that a burglary at their World Cup squad's
training camp in France would not interfere with
preparations for next month's finals.
The team had 110,000 dollars in cash stolen from a room at
the Hilton hotel in Evian-les-Bains where they are holding
a preparatory camp. "This story isn't going to affect our
preparations for the World Cup," said Napout. The theft
took place on Monday, according to the source, when the
thief - said to be of Paraguayan appea-rance and dressed
in sports attire - pretended to be a member of the Para-guayan
delegation.
The man had a key to one of the rooms which he showed at
the reception desk and claimed he was having trouble with
the safe in that room - the staff helped him gain access,
and he subsequently fled the scene after taking the money.
Napout said that the money stolen had been "significant"
and was being used to pay players as well as team
consultants.
The man also stole a computer "which did not contain
tactical information" relating to the team, said Napout,
adding that the incident had been captured by surveillance
cameras.
Hotel management refu-sed to comment on the incident. The
investigators want to know how the thief came by the key
to the room and how he was so well-informed about what
rooms the Paraguayans were staying in.
Mourinho wants to coach
Real Madrid
AFP, Madrid
Inter Milan's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho said
Wednesday he wants to coach Real Madrid '100 percent' but
is not sure when it will happen.
"I want to coach Real Madrid 100percent. Whe-ther it's
next year or later, I can't say," he said in an interview
published Wed-nesday in Spanish sports daily Marca. "A
coach or a great player who does not play at a club like
Real Madrid would leave a void in their career. My only
options are Real Madrid or Inter," he added.
His comments come as Inter are preparing for their biggest
match in 38 years as they face Bayern Munich in the
Champions League final in Madrid on Saturday - their first
final in this competition since 1972.
Mourinho said he would take "two or three days to think
calmly about his future" after the final.
Spanish media have reported that the 47-year-old is the
favourite to replace Chile's Manuel Pellegrini at Real
after the club finished in second place behind arch-rivals
Barcelona despite spending some 250 million euros in new
talent before the start of the season.
Mourinho has won six national league titles over the last
eight years-two each with Porto, Chelsea and Inter.
Barcelona seal
Villa deal
AFP, Madrid
Spanish champions Barce-lona have reached a deal to sign
David Villa from Valencia for between 40 and 50 million
euros, according to reports here on Wednesday.
Villa, Valencia's top scorer in La Liga with 21 goals,
will sign for four years, Catalan sports daily Mundo
Deportivo reported. The 28-year-old will be officially
unveiled on Friday and will be paid seven million euros
(8.6 million dollars) per season, the newspaper added.
The paper said Villa will cost Barcelona 50 million euros
but Madrid-based sports daily AS said the deal is worth 40
million euros. Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed
Tuesday that his side were in talks with Valencia over
Villa.
"We're negotiating and everything is on track. We trust
that the issue will be resolved shortly," he said.
Villa had been coveted last year by both Barcelona and
arch-rivals Real Madrid but the Catalan club finally
secured the services of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic
from Inter Milan in a deal which saw Came-roon striker
Samuel Eto'o move to the Italian side.
Pensioners put
through the paces in outdoor
AFP, London
At 85, Ronald Woolf struggles to get around without the
help of his mobility scooter but he was among the first to
try out London's first open-air gym for pensioners when it
opened Wednesday.
In the leafy surrounds of the capital's famous Hyde Park,
the widower had a go on a recumbent bicycle, one of six
machines installed in the gym with the aim of providing
gentle exercise for the over 60s.
"I'd best bring a cushion next time," Woolf said as he
stretched his legs out in the bright sunshine next to the
park's bowling green and tennis courts. "But this one's
alright for me. It's doing me the world of good."
Well-established in China and across Europe, the
"pensioners' playground" is the first of its kind in
London and has been set up with 40,000 pounds (57,000
dollars, 47,000 euros) from the local council.
"It's so much nicer than a gym, being in the fresh air, in
this beautiful garden. And you don't need any fancy shoes
or clothes," said Madeline Elsdon, a member of the local
residents' association who came up with the idea.
They are all designed to offer low-impact, gentle exercise
rather than a serious workout, as a warm-up before a walk
around the park, as well as a place for people to meet
friends and socialise.
Although the gym is aimed at the over 60s, any adults over
the age of 16 are allowed to use the machines-but
organisers do not expect serious fitness fanatics to spend
much time here as it will likely be too easy.
Watching 79-year-old Eve Margolis pedal at high speed
backwards on the cross-trainer suggests they may also be
too easy for some pensioners, although she says the
machines can go as fast or as slowly as you want.
Bangladesh A
team needs 197 to win against West Indies A
UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh A team faces a difficult task of making another
197 runs with three wickets in hand to win against West
Indies A team on the 4th and final day today (Thursday).
The 2nd string Caribbean team, which scored 285 runs in
the first innings, today resumed the 2nd innings at
Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium here with overnight total
of 162 for 2. They declared at lunch scoring 269 runs for
6 in 78 overs giving a huge target of 430 runs for
Bangladesh in the 2nd innings.
Kirk Edwards, who was batting with 55 runs, contributed
innings highest 72 runs off 124 ball featuring eleven
boundaries while another night watch batsman Dareen Bravo
(10) completed his innings at 37 runs off 75 deliveries
with six boundaries.
Number five batsman Brendan Nash (not out 27), Chadwick
Walton (23) and Shane Shillingford (not out 13) were other
major contributors for the West Indies, apart from opener
Devon Smith's 62 and skipper Travis Dowlin's 32 runs on
Tuesday.
All rounder Suhrawardy Shuvo, who grabbed six wickets in
the first innings, also displayed his brilliance in the
2nd innings grabbing three wickets for 104 runs in 27
overs. Foysal Hossain, Nazmul Hossain and Mahmudul Hasan
took one wicket each conceding 15, 30 and 42 runs
respectively.
Chasing a huge target of 430 runs, the 2nd string
Bangladesh team resumed the 2nd innings today (Wednesday)
and scored 233 runs for 7 in 62 overs at the end of the
3rd day.
National opener Shahriar Nafees, who scored only three
runs in the first innings, regained his rhythm to
contribute a superb innings of 133 runs off 170 deliveries
hitting 21 fours and one six. He completed his century
playing 142 balls in 212 minutes.
Besides, wicket keeper Sahagir Hossain with 47 runs and
Rakibul Hasan with 19 runs were the other Bangladeshi
batsmen reaching the double figures while another 19 runs
came from extras.
Three Bangladesh batsmen skipper Nazimuddin, all rounder
Suhrawardy Shuvo and Nazmul Hossain returned to the
pavilion with duck. Odean Brown claimed three wickets for
33 runs while Gavin Tonge took two wickets for 26 runs.
England to win
World Cup: analysts
AFP, London
England will win the World Cup this summer after
overcoming their traditional Achilles heel to beat Spain
on penalties in the final, according to "lighthearted"
analysis by JP Morgan on Wednesday.
The US bank's number crunchers have applied complex
quantitative analysis-more normally used to assess
investment opportunities-to the 32 teams in the tournament
in South Africa, which kicks off on June 11.
JP Morgan says Brazil are the strongest team but predicts
they will crash out to the Netherlands after a penalty
shootout in the quarter-finals.
The model sees Wayne Rooney's England knocking out the
Dutch in the semi-finals before conquering Spain in the
final, winning in a penalty shootout-the method which has
so often been their downfall.
While England's predicted victory may not be too
far-fetched, even the most ardent fans of minnows Slovenia
will have trouble believing JP Morgan's prediction that
they will reach the semi-finals before losing to Spain.
The model, set out in a 69-page report, uses the
straightforward bookmakers' odds and FIFA rankings and
measures factors such as price trends and investors'
sentiment.
The two analysts who came up with the model, Matthew
Burgess and Marco Dion, said it was just "an ideal
opportunity to light-heartedly explain quantitative
techniques".
But Spain, the bookmakers' favourites, can probably take
the findings with a pinch of salt-quantitative analysis
was widely criticised for failing to predict the financial
crisis.
Banned former
Pakistani captain signs for Surrey
BSS, London
Former Pakistani cricket captain Younis Khan signed for
English county Surrey on Tuesday on a contract that will
see him stay till mid-July.
Surrey had been linked with West Indian legend Brian Lara
but instead opted for 32-year-old Younis.
Younis has had a tempestuous year having been banned in
March indefinitely by the Pakistan Cricket Board along
with another former captain Mohammad Yousuf on charges of
"infighting which resulted in a negative influence on the
team," on recent foreign tours. Younis's arrival is
subject to him gaining a visa but he is expected to arrive
at The Oval by next week.
World Twenty20-winning captain Younis - who is awaiting a
decision on his appeal against the indefinite ban - has
appeared in 224 limited overs internationals and has an
impressive Test match average of 50.09 in 63 tests. He
previously had spells in English cricket with
Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.
"I am confident that bringing a world-class player such as
Younis Khan to Surrey will have a very positive effect on
the side," said Surrey manager Chris Adams.
"As well as benefiting from the weight of runs we hope he
will bring, we have a number of young batsmen who will
doubtless benefit greatly from being able to train and
play alongside him.
"In terms of Twenty20 cricket, the experience and skills
that saw him lead Pakistan to the ICC World Twenty20 title
in 2009 are sure to greatly help us in our pursuit of the
trophy.
However, Younis will not be joined at Surrey by India leg
spinner Piyush Chawla, who has been refused permission by
the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
I don't choke when I play for Argentina: Messi
BSS, Buenos Aires
Argentina's reigning world footballer of the year Lionel
Messi insisted on Tuesday he did not crack under the
weight of expectation when he played for the national side
and he would show that at the upcoming World Cup finals.
The 22-year-old Barce-lona star has often been criticised
for not reproducing his stellar club form at international
level, but Messi - who was arriving here from Spain where
he ended the season with 34 league goals as Barca retained
the title - said that was not the case.
"I am going to to try and do what I do at Barcelona," said
Messi. "I am full of hope and really desire to do well (in
South Africa where the tournament runs from June 11 to
July 11).
"I am used to the pressure. I play for Barcelona who are
one of the most important teams in the world and where it
is obligatory to always win."
Messi, who flew in to join up with his fellow squad
members and coach Diego Maradona, said he thought that
Argentina could surprise many and lift the World Cup for
the third time in their history.
"For me, Argentina is a serious candidate for the title
even if nobody puts us among the favourites. "And I
believe that is a good thing for us."
Argentina are in Group B along with 2002 semi-finalists
South Korea, African heavyweights Nigeria and Euro 2004
champions Greece.
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