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Leading News
80 people killed as Maoists derail
train in West Bengal
AFP, Sardiha
Maoist rebels derailed a high-speed train packed with
sleeping passengers into the path of a freight train in
eastern India Friday, killing at least 80 people, police
said.
It was the deadliest Maoist attack in recent memory and is
likely to ramp up pressure on the government to consider
calls for deploying the military in its fight against the
rebels.Police warned the death toll could rise further
with more bodies feared trapped in the mangled wreckage
after 13 carriages of the Mumbai-bound express from
Kolkata careened off the tracks in a remote area of West
Bengal.
Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said the train had been
derailed by a "severe bomb blast", but officials said they
were also looking at evidence that metal plates used to
secure adjoining sections of track had been removed.
"It is a clear case of sabotage. The Maoists have done
it," West Bengal police chief Bhupinder Singh told
reporters at the crash site. He said Maoist leaflets had
been found scattered by the tracks.
The Press Trust of India said it had received a call
claiming responsibility by the Maoist-backed People's
Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), although a
PCPA spokesman later contacted the news agency to deny the
group's involvement. "The death toll has risen to 80 and
we are still recovering more bodies," West Bengal police
inspector general Surajit Kar Purakayastha told AFP at the
site.
More than 200 people were reported injured, some of them
critically. Four of the carriages that slammed into an
oncoming goods train were badly crushed and flipped on
their sides leaving body parts clearly visible amid the
twisted metal. Rescue workers with bolt cutters struggled
to free anyone still alive inside. One survivor, Vinayak
Sadna, said he had been sleeping when his carriage lurched
violently to one side and then flipped over, flinging
passengers around the compartment.
"I ended up stuck between two seats with an iron bar
crushing my hand," Sadna said. "I was trapped for three
hours before I was pulled out. My wife is still missing."
Another distraught passenger, Ranjit Ganguly, who was
travelling to Mumbai for a holiday with his family, said
he had been thrown from his carriage by the impact but his
daughter and son were trapped inside. The incident
occurred at around 1:30 am (2000 GMT Thursday) in West
Midnapore-a Maoist stronghold around 135 kilometres (85
miles) west of Kolkata.
More than 80 passengers were taken to Kharagpur Railway
Hospital where medical staff were overwhelmed by the
number of wounded, some of them with serious head and
spinal injuries.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said the
attack warranted a review of the government's
counter-insurgency strategy. "We have to find ways to
counter the Maoist menace. Innocent people are being
killed," he told a press briefing in Kolkata.
Bill
in JS soon to restore '72 constitution: Ashraful
UNB, Dhaka
Awami League general secretary and LGRD Minister Syed
Ashraful Islam on Friday said the government is planning
to place a bill in parliament for the restoration of the
original constitution framed in 1972.
"We've to restore the constitution of 1972 by passing a
bill in parliament, not by Supreme Court verdict. We
believe, the bill will be passed in parliament soon," he
said at a convention against militancy, fundamentalism and
communalism.
'Platform against Commu-nalism and Militancy' organized
the convention at the Engineers Institute in the city with
its convener Ajoy Roy in the chair.
National Professor Kabir Chowdhury, eminent eco-nomist Dr
Abul Barakat, Dr Anisuzzaman, Rashed Khan Menon MP, human
rights activist of Pakistan Faruk Tarique and Prof Dr
Debabrata Goswami of India, among others, spoke at the
convention.
Addressing the convention as chief guest, LGRD Minister
Syed Ashraful Islam said the government has already
started the process of holding the trial of war criminals
as per the Awami League election manifesto.
"There is no confusion in holding the trial of war
criminals. We have already given allocation at Tk 10 crore
to continue the trial process," he said.
Blaming the opposition BNP, Syed Ashraful said that when
the government is going to take strong steps for
successfully completing the trial of war criminals, the
BNP has been creating obstruction by spreading false
propaganda against the government.
"A certain party and its associates are spreading
propaganda to confuse people about the war crime issue.
They are saying that the prevailing law and order is not
suitable to hold the trial, which is completely untrue."
He said that after the execution of the verdict in
Bangabandhu murder case, there should not be any doubt
about the trial of the war criminals.
Questioning the reason behind the June 27 hartal, Syed
Ashraful said the hartal was called to "create misery" to
public life. "In fact, Khaleda Zia and her party do not
want the trial of the war criminals."
Formal
city polls campaign in Ctg starts as June 17 deadline
comes closer
BSS, Chittagong
The campaign of the participating candidates in the
Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) formally started Friday
as the June 17 polls date is approaching.
The major candidates who were barred from campaign due to
Election Commission rules have started their election
campaigns from today making the localities of 41 wards of
the CCC.
The candidates have no time to respite as they are
conducting hectic electioneering from dawn to midnight
through formal and informal ways after the announcement of
the election schedule.
Political observers here said most inspiring and unique
pattern of this year's election campaign is positive
approach with soft languages by the candidates while they
were begging votes rather than criticizing their
opponents.
They said door-to-door campaign, indoor meetings with
social and community leaders, conveying pre-election
commitments on specific issues and problems through
various means and constructive criticism against past
failures of opponents are some unique features of this
year's CCC polls campaign.
Talking to BSS, a number of voters from different parts of
the city expressed their satisfaction over peaceful
pre-election atmosphere and positive approaches of the
candidates which have raised their hopes for a free and
fair election.
Changing pattern in the campaign and strict adherence to
electoral rules by all virtually said good-bye to
traditional and chaotic campaign culture like big showdown
blocking the roads, displaying of banners, posters and
wall-writings, openly using muscle power and money and
provocative propaganda against the opponents.
"Party and symbol is not a big factor to me, I will
consider the character, educational and social background,
level of commitment to the people of the candidates before
exercising my voting rights," Azizur Rahman, a voter of
Bakalia in the city, who claimed himself to be a
non-partisan voter said.
Sources said Nagorik Committee Chittagong (NCC) backed
candidate and former Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury
launched his formal campaign by offering Fateha after Juma
Prayers on Friday at the shrine of Shah Amanat ®.
Mohiuddin Chowdhury also completed seven small-scale
projection meetings started from Jalalabad area.
Meanwhile, Chittagong Development Movement (CDM) supported
candidate and former acting Mayor Alhaj Monjur Alam Monju
also formally started his campaign by offering Fateha at
the shrine of Shah Amanat ® after Asar prayers on Friday.
He also held five small-scale meetings on the first day of
campaign.
Sources said all other mayoral can councillors candidates
have started their formal campaigns from Friday.
Khaleda for greater
unity to intensify anti-govt movement
UNB, Dhaka
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has taken a strong initiative
to build up broad-based unity to intensify the ongoing
anti-government movement to force the Awami League-led
Grand Alliance to quit power for its "misrule, misdeeds
and failures."
The opposition leader's plan to reach wide consensus among
like-minded political parties and professional groups
against the 16-month-old Awami League government was
reflected as she kicked off her talks on Thursday.
On the opening day, Khaleda held meetings separately with
delegations of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) led by its
chairman Barrister Andalib Rahman and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ)
led by its chairman Mufti Fazlul Huq Amini at her Gulshan
office respectively at 9:20 pm and 10:25 pm. BJP and IOJ
are partners of the BNP-led four-party alliance
During the parleys, both the parties have extended their
support to the 3-day programme, including June 27
countywide dawn-to-dusk hartal called by BNP.
BJP and IOJ also gave their decision in favour of joining
the BNP's June 9 mass sit-in in front of the Engineers
Institute in the city from 10 am to 2 pm in protest
against the government's "direct interference" with the
judiciary and appointment of two controversial and inept
judges in the Supreme Court, and demanding independence of
the judiciary and justice to all.
After the talks with Khaleda, BJP chairman Barrister
Andalib Rahman told reporters that his party would
actively participate in the June 27 hartal and future
progarmmes.
He, however, said the BJP has suggested the BNP chief to
take all future anti-government programmes jointly with
the alliance partners.
IOJ chief Mufti Amini said they have extended moral
support to the June 27 hartal but on extending full
support, they would have to discuss it in the party forum.
Talking to UNB today (Friday), Mufti Amini said the BNP
chairperson has taken the initiative for talks with
various political parties beyond the four-party alliance
and with other professional groups to forge a greater
untied movement against the present "anti-national" and
"anti-Islam" government.
Replying to a question, he said they have also extended
support to the BNP-supported mayoral candidate, Manjur
Alam Manju, in the upcoming Chittagong City Corpo-ration (CCC)
election.
BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed said
Begum Khaleda Zia has taken the initiative for dialogues
to build up greater unity against the "autocratic" Awami
League government.
As per the schedule available from the BNP chairperson's
office, Begum Zia will hold next dialogues with JAGPA,
NAP, Muslim League, NPP and Khelafat Majlish on Saturday,
with freedom fighters, NDP, Islamic Party, Democratic
League, Labour Party and Janata Party on Wednesday, with
leaders of journalists, lawyers and teachers on Thursday,
with Jamaat-e-Islami on June 5 and with associations of
physicians, engineers and agriculturists on June 6.
Agriculture to get
highest priority in budget: Muhith
BSS, Dhaka
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has said the
agriculture sector would get highest priority in the
upcoming budget side by side with increasing subsidy to
the sector.
"In recognition to the sector's huge contribution to the
economy, subsidy on agriculture will be raised to a great
extent in the upcoming budget in comparison with the
past," he said while media personality and Director of
Channel-i Shykh Siraj was presenting a 44-point
recommendation on the development of agriculture to him
last night.
The recommendations were placed to the government as part
of the pre-budget activities on the agriculture sector
titled 'Krishi Budget Krishaker Budget, arranged by 'Mati
o Manush', a popular programme of Channel-i.
The finance minister mentioned that special attention
would be given to agriculture research and agri
sub-sectors in the next budget, saying that the agri
sub-sectors are truly lagging far behind.
Referring to the bad state of the country's poultry
industry, he said the banking sector is responsible for
not using Taka 100 crore incentives given in the poultry
sector by the government. "The government is actively
considering providing more assistance to the poultry
farmers this year," he said.
Muhith also mentioned the sincerity of the present
government in solving the existing problems of the fishery
sector and said that special emphasis will also be given
to the fishery sector in the upcoming budget.
The finance minister agreed with most of the
recommendations of Shykh Siraj and said that overall
development of the country depends on the uplift of
agriculture as well as rural lifestyle.
He said through this programme the rural people of the
country are now much aware of their rights. "Those who
could not speak in the past now can speak without any
hesitation," he said mentioning that it is a great
achievement.
About placing separate agriculture budget, Muhith said a
separate budget structure could be made merging three
sectors --- agriculture, rural development and water
resources.
The finance minister said this year's budget would not be
mere descriptive, adding preparation is being taken to
place the budget in bullet form and through power point
presentation so that it becomes brief but easily
understandable.
IOJ urges govt. to
impose ban on facebook
UNB, Dhaka
Leaders of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) urged the government to
impose a ban on facebook in Bangladesh for its audacity to
arrange caricature cartoon competition on Prophet Hazrat
Mohammad (SW).
They made the call at a protest rally at city's Muktangon
on Friday.
Chaired by city unit IOJ president Abul Kashem, the rally
was addressed, among others, by party leaders Abdul Latif
Nizami, Prof. Abdul Karim and Prof. Ehtesham Sarwar.
Speaking at the rally, IOJ general secretary Abdul Latif
Nizami said facebook arranged the contest for creating a
negative impression about our Prophet and thwarting
Islamic renaissance across the globe.
It is also a violation of UN Charters, he said, calling on
the government to impose ban on facebook, a social
communication website, in Bangladesh.
IOJ held different programmes across the country on Friday
in protest against the competition and imposing ban on
fecabook in the country.
Meanwhile, IOJ Chairman Fazlul Haque Amini addressing a
meeting at party's central office in the afternoon said
that they would continue their protest programme until the
ban on facebook is imposed in Bangladesh.
"If necessary, we will enforce a dawn-to-dusk hartal
across the country on June 28," he said.
Back Page
Bangladesh reiterates support for UN
peacekeeping campaign
BSS, Dhaka
The government Friday reiterated Bangl-adesh's unequivocal
support to the UN peacekeeping campaign in the troubled
regions of the world as the country observes today the
International Day of UN Peacekeepers being a major
contributing nation.
"Bangladesh is now being introduced in the international
arena as a country of peace and harmony. We always support
and stand in favour of world peace and tranquility,"
President Zillur Rahman said in a statement on the eve of
the day.
He added "It is a matter of pride that Bangladeshi
peacekeepers have been contributing immensely towards
establishing global peace and amity in UN Peacekeeping
Missions since their deployment with reputation." The
President appreciated the "immense contribution" of
Bangladeshi troops to the UN peacekeeping missions saying
"our peacekeepers have elevated the image of the country
in the international arena to a great height by displaying
their highest standard of professionalism dedication and
bravery".
In another message Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the
UN and members of the international community always
welcomed Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their
professionalism, dedication and hard work in the
peacekeeping campaigns. Sheikh Hasina acknowledged the
brilliant service of each member of the Bangladesh Armed
Forces and Bangladesh police and conveyed her warmest
felicitations and best wishes. "I pledge our continued
support to the UN for protection of world peace. I wish
the UN peacekeepers Day 2010 all success," she said while
the president in his statement expressed his confidence
that Bangladesh would play a pivotal role in establishing
world peace, harmony and amity in the days to come.
Both the president and the prime minister paid their
homage to the Bangladeshi and other peacekeepers in the UN
blue helmet missions around the world whom lost their
lives in promoting global peace and prayed for the
departed souls.
Bangladesh has emerged as the leading Troops Contributing
Country to the UN with 9,300 Armed Forces members and
1,600 police personnel working in 13 peacekeeping
missions. An ISPRR statement earlier said the army
headquarters would stage a "peacekeepers run" in the
morning as part of the celebration of the day while prime
minister Sheikh Hasina would join a reception to close
relatives of the fallen and injured Bangladeshi
peacekeepers at Bangabandhu International Conference
Center (BICC) in the afternoon. A daylong display on
different activities of Bangladeshi peacekeepers will also
be held at BICC.
3 killed, 8 injured in separate road
accidents in Narsingdi
UNB, Narsingdi
Three people were killed and eight others injured in
separate road accidents in Shibpur and Belabo upazilas on
Friday.
The first accident took place as a bus rammed a private
car at Kundarpara in Shibpur upazila, leaving car
passenger Premananda Saha,40, dead on the spot and
injuring three other car passengers at about 1:15pm.
The bus driver quickly fled away following the accident.
In another incident, a micro bus and a bus collided head
on at Narayanpur in Belabo upazila, that left micro bus
owner Nur Ahmed, 50, and his wife Seema Begum, 42, dead on
the spot and injured five other micro passengers at 4pm.
Police later seized the bus, but its driver and helper
managed to escape.
Govt
service providers urged to ensure services to common
people
BSS, Gaibandha
Speakers in a function on Thursday urged the government
officials and the employees to provide their departmental
services to the common people at grass-roots level of the
society to improve their socio-economic conditions and
build digital Bangladesh as per vision 2021 declared by
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"All of us will have to work with patriotism from our
resp-ective positions and come forward with the attitude
of helping the government collectively to face the
challenges of the 21st century", they said.
They said this in the videoconference and seminar entitled
"Poor People's Access to Government Services to Build
Digital Bangladesh" held at the auditorium of Gobindaganj
Upazila Paris-had and at the hall room of Fulpukuria
Bilateral High School under Kamdia Union of the Upazila in
the district.
Upazila Parishad arranged the function in collaboration
with a non government organization RDRS-Bangladesh under
its empowering the poor through federation project funded
by European Union, Dan Church, FINN Church of Sweden, and
Norweoian Church. Engineer Monowar Hossain Chowdhury
addressed the conference and inaugurated it as the chief
guest and Upazila Parishad Chairman Abul Kalam Azad was
present as the special guest.
The key note paper on building digital Bangladesh was
presented by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue)
Ranjit Kumar Das while Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Wahed
and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Rubina Ferdousi
conducted it as chief moderator and assistant moderator
respectively. Speaking on the occasion, local lawmaker in
his speech said the government led by Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly to implement the
vision 2021.
The discussion was also addressed, among others, by
president of upazila AL Tozammel Hossain Prodhan, upazila
agriculture officer Mir Abdur Razzak, upazila social
services officer Ikbal Hossain, programme manager of RDRS
Rashedul Arefin, senior manager M. Rahmatullah and
journalist M. Shahiduzzaman.
The upazila-level officials also gave the answers to the
questions of the common people about service providing
related issues on land, women, education, agriculture and
health department through videoconference. A large number
of people including upazila level officials, public
representatives, heads of educational institutions,
leaders of landless community, NGO representatives,
members of civil society and the journalists participated
in the conference.
MK Anwar asks govt to hold mid-term
election to seek fresh verdict
UNB, Dhaka
BNP standing committee member MK Anwar MP on Friday asked
the Awami League government to step down and hold mid-term
term election immediately after evaluating its activities
of last 16 months.
"People lost their confidence in the government, they want
to see its removal," he said at a roundtable, organized by
the National Youth Forum, at the Jatiya Press Club.
About the June 27 hartal, the BNP leader said the ruling
party has become worried over the hartal but it was called
after 16 months of the present Awami League regime to
protest crises of electricity, water, gas and price-hike.
He said there will be no need of hartal if the government
accepts the BNP's demands and resolve the problems.
Anwar said while BNP was in power in the first term Awami
League enforced hartal for 173 days and 133 days while in
power for the second stint.
Protesting Awami League joint secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam
Hanif's recent comment against Khaleda Zia, the BNP leader
said Begum Zia does not do politics with religion.
Referring to many "misdeeds and intra-party clashes" of
the ruling party's student and youth wings, he said the
people have realized how the Awami League exercises
democracy.
MK Anwar said the Awami League claim it is a democratic
party but their leader Sheikh Mujib had "buried democracy
by establishing one-party BAKSAL rule."
"Awami League should show respect to late President Ziaur
Rahman," he said, "as it could be re-established following
the introduction of multi-party democracy by Zia."
Bangladesh needs making women
self-reliant: Speakers
BSS, Rangpur
Speakers including lawmakers have said that self-reliant
women could make their families self- reliant aimed at
achieving the ultimate goals of building a digital
Bangladesh.
They said that the present government has been working
relentlessly for providing all possible supports,
necessary trainings and other assistances for enhancing
emancipation of the womenfolk in the national development
and empowering them at all levels.
They said this at a daylong training course organized by
Jatiyo Mohila Sangstha (JMS) for its district unit
chairmen, members, executives and other officials of all
eight districts of Rangpur division and three upazilas
held at Rangpur Circuit House yesterday. Chaired by former
MP and former chairman of JMS Prof. Mamtaz Begum, the
course was attended by Treasurer of Awami League (AL) and
President of 'Anumito Hisab Som-porkito Sangshadiyo
Sthayee Committee' HN Ashiqur Rahman MP as the chief
guest.
Begum Mahbub Ara Ginee MP from Gaibandha-2 constituency
spoke on the occasion of different aspects of training
course as the special guest.
Deputy Commissioner BM Enamul Haque, convener of Rangpur
AL and valiant Freedom Fighter (FF) Abul Mansur Ahmed,
joint convener FF Mos-addek Hossain Bablu, member Shafiar
Rahman, Nabiullah Panna and chairman of Rangpur district
office of JMS Rozy Rahman addressed the function.
Executive Director of JMS Taslim Ara Begum delivered
welcome speech explaing activities of the organization
aimed at assisting the womenfolk for achieving economic
self-reliance through income generating activities and
their empowerment.
Project Director (PD) of the town-based 'Devel-opment of
Marginal Women Project' M Nazim Uddin and PD of the
district- based 'Computer Training Project for the Women'
Zubaedur Rahman conducted the training course.
Later, the guests distributed sewing machines for all
eight district unit offices and three upazila offices of
the JMS and urged the JMS executives and the country's
womenfolk to come forward in changing their fates and
attaining empowerment.
2-day Asia climate
confce begins in Dhaka on May 30
BSS, Dhaka
The two-day Asia Conference of the Global Climate Change
Alliance will be held in Dhaka on May 30-31 under the
sponsorship of European Union. Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina will inaugurate the conference at Hotel Sheraton
while EU Commissioner on Climate Action and former Danish
Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard will attend as the Guest
of Honour.
Environment and Climate ministers of Afghanistan, Bhutan,
Cambodia, Laos, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Yemen
will attend the meeting while Bangladesh's State Minister
for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud will be in the
chair. European Union (EU) is providing support to arrange
the conference where an agreement between Asian countries
and the EU is expected to be signed on climate
cooperation. The GCCA was formed with the initiative of
the EU in 2007 to bring the developing countries
particularly the most vulnerable to climate change in a
platform to adapt to climate change and pursue sustainable
development strategies. By focusing on the least developed
countries and Small Island States (SIS), the alliance
offers a structured dialogue and concrete cooperation on
actions funded by the EU's development policy.
The conference would outline a strategy to protect the
interests of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Most
Vulnerable Countries (MVCs) in Mexico, officials said. The
conference will set a number of immediate priorities for
adaptation and mitigation through GCCA and other
appropriate instruments, officials said.
Editorial
Death traps on roads
The
country's roads and highways have virtually turned into death
traps as people are dying everyday in accidents. In the latest
incidents a BUET student was killed in a bus crash in the city
while at least 18 others were killed and 60 injured in road
accidents across the country on Thursday. Hundreds of angry
students took to the street Thursday after BUET's Mechanical
Engineering Deptt student Khandaker Khanjahan Samrat was run
over by a bus, moving on reverse gear in front of the Eden
Girls' College. The protesters torched four buses and damaged
nearly 30 vehicles causing suspension of traffic movement in
the area for hours. But the unfortunate student, like other
accident victims, was never to return.
Meanwhile , at least 18 people were killed and over 40 others
injured in separate road accidents in Tangail, Brahmanbaria,
Faridpur, Jhenidah and Narayanganj districts Thursday.
Earlier, in a span of only five days from May 12 to 16 as many
as 52 people were killed and 171 others injured in a number of
fatal road accidents at different places. Some 16 people were
killed and 44 others injured in separate accidents at
Narsingdi, Bogra and Mymensingh on May 16. These recent deaths
in road accidents showed that journey by buses and other
vehicles have become very risky as road crashes are taking
place frequently killing and injuring a large number of
people.
This is a very alarming scenario. Experts participating in a
workshop on in Chittagong recently said road accidents claim
over 6,000 lives and injure 3,0000 people annually and also
cause economic losses of Taka more than 5000 crore per year.
They also pointed out that drivers are directly and indirectly
liable for 70 percent of these accidents. In fact, fatal
accidents are taking place regularly. The incidents of road
accidents are increasing alarmingly across the country while
government road safety institutions are almost dysfunctional
due to reported fund shortage and lack of awareness. National
Road Safety Council (NRSC), the sole government institution
for ensuring road safety, is supposed to hold a meeting every
three months, but it does not do so. There is a road safety
cell under Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and a
road safety division under Roads & Highways Department which
are also dysfunctional.
According to media reports, around 40,000 road accidents in
Bangladesh claimed 30,103 lives and injured 30,833 others in
last ten years costing an amount of about Tk 45,000 crore.
According to the ARC, around 4,000 people die in road
accidents in Bangladesh every year and 60 per cent of the road
accidents occur due to road users' errors, 30 per cent for
adverse road conditions or environment and 10 per cent for
faulty vehicles.
Hardly any day passes off without any accident taking place
somewhere in the urban or rural areas. Road accidents are
posing a serious threat to public life especially on Dhaka-Chittagong
high way as a result of reckless driving by a section of
drivers of minibuses, microbuses and buses running on long
distance routes. The drivers move in a free-style due to lack
of checking of fitness certificates of vehicles and driving
licenses of drivers regularly. Some of the vehicles move on
the highway without any valid documents. The authorities are
responsible for this as they remain indifferent to this
violation.
Checking of fitness certificates of vehicles and driving
licenses of drivers should be conducted regularly. The
government should strictly enforce the traffic rules, stop
plying of faulty and unauthorised vehicles and take stern
action against the offenders to check fatal road accidents.
The driver responsible for the accident must be punished and
the families of the victims of the accidents should be
adequately compensated.
Extrajudicial
killings
Amnesty
International (AI) has said that despite Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina's pledge to end extrajudicial executions up to 70
people reportedly died in "crossfire" in the first nine months
of 2009. The AI in its country report-2010 says police
authorities usually characterized suspected extrajudicial
executions as deaths from "crossfire" or after a "shoot-out".
Extrajudicial killing is a major issue of concern as these are
carried out without any legal sanction from the court of law.
Such killing is taking place defying growing public protests.
According to the latest report, two people, including an
outlawed party leader, were killed in separate 'shootouts'
with law enforcers in Chittagong and Kushtia on May 23 taking
the total of extra judicial killings to 127 in over nine
months from August 1, 2009 to May 23, 2010. With this 35 extra
judicial killings took place in the year of 2010. Meanwhile,
RAB DG recently said as many as 622 people were killed in
'crossfire' since the formation of RAB on March 26, 2004.
The extra-judicial killings are taking place during the
present government despite the fact that the Prime MInister
had described the practice of controversial extra-judicial
killings as a 'culture' and as a 'crime' and pledged to stop
these. She told the Parliament on 12 February 2009 that she
had always been against the extra-judicial killings. The Prime
Minister had also assured the House that the government would
remain alert to stop extra-judicial killings and those found
to be involved in such crimes would be brought to justice. But
this assurance of the Prime Minister is yet to be materialised.
Criminals and miscreants deserve punishment no doubt, but that
must be given through legal process. Until the crime of a man
is proved before a court of law, he cannot be punished.
Killing a man by law enforcers without legal sanction is
simply brutal. So extra-judicial killings through 'crossfire'
or 'shootout' must be stopped in the interest of justice and
human rights. Unless such killings can be stopped, the pledge
to protect human rights will continue to be meaningless.
Analysis
Building trust between India and Pakistan
We will know soon enough whether Mr Krishna is
coming because he was pushed by the Americans or whether India
is genuinely interested in forging a partnership against
terror.
Zafar Hilaly
The
Indian foreign minister has been at the forefront of those
rebuffing Pakistan's efforts for resuming the peace process.
But consider what he said the other day: "How long are we
going to keep on fighting? I think we will have to talk to
Pakistan and come to an understanding with them because that
will be in our interest...Terrorists can strike any country
anywhere and...at will...So I am sure Pakistan will be looking
at terror perhaps in the same prism with which India views
it."
It amounts to a complete reversal of policy so stark and
unexpected that one can justifiably ask whether the Indian
foreign minister has become rational or a rational man has
become the Indian foreign minister.
But although what Mr Krishna said should be music to our ears,
it is not, because there is little that remains in the
relationship after the battering
to which it was subjected after Mumbai, that is even remotely
emollient.
Still ringing in our ears is the hysteria directed at Pakistan
in the aftermath of 26/11; Manmohan Singh's repudiation of the
Sharm el-Sheikh agreement no sooner than it had been
concluded; and a maverick Indian general's discussing plans
for waging war against Pakistan (and China) even as the Indian
cabinet was debating its response to Mumbai.
But what grated most was the withholding of Pakistan's share
of waters at precisely the time of the year that crops
downstream would suffer the maximum damage. It was
heartbreaking to see thousands of poor farmers have the fruits
of their labour destroyed by a callous and illegal act
motivated by mindless rage.
Mr Krishna's earlier remark that India had considered all
options - general war, limited war and a local war after the
Mumbai massacre - and then decided against all three because
it could have escalated into a nuclear conflict is no doubt
true. But it is so couched as to suggest that India made every
attempt to go to war but, to its considerable disappointment,
finally had to concede that war was not an option. Perhaps Mr
Krishna should have spared us the truth. It is said that in
diplomacy a truth told too early is often as damaging for the
outcome of negotiations as a lie told too late.
Of course, that is not to suggest that India had no cause for
anger. The sight of burning buildings and innocent people
murdered is tragic and can scarcely be forgotten or forgiven.
But a moment's pause before laying the blame at Pakistan's
door and reaching for the gun would have allowed Delhi time
for reflection and, perhaps, to ponder why Pakistan should
continue to patronise terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT)
and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) variety who now form an integral
part of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and blow up our
police stations, schools and hospitals, kill soldiers and
innocent civilians, only so that they may, now and then, visit
similar mayhem on India.
But then logic is so often the first casualty in India,
especially when it comes to believing the worst about
Pakistan.
And to be fair, India is not alone in instantly pointing the
finger at Pakistan whenever a terror attack occurs. Hillary
Clinton's reaction following the Times Square incident was
identical.
It seems that leaders of large democracies react instinctively
until, that is, better sense prevails. In Hillary's case, the
clarification came immediately, explaining that she had been
quoted 'out of context'. From India it took a year and a half
and only after discovering that waging war on Pakistan - the
preferred option - was not really a sensible idea.
If Mr Krishna does make it to Pakistan, he will find his
Pakistani interlocutors a confused lot. Having bankrupted the
economy, they have been compelled to importune the IMF for a
bailout and, in return, to uncomplainingly accept a host of
impossible assignments, one of which is to keep the mujahideen
out of Occupied Kashmir, and the other, the Taliban out of
Afghanistan.
But when they succeed in preventing the jihadis from crossing
over and the terrorists remain milling around in Pakistan, the
regime
is accused of harbouring the
terrorists and, when it fails, of exporting terror.
This 'heads I win tails you lose' approach over a period of
time has inured our mind to criticism. And, at a time when the
military is making huge sacrifices in a long drawn out
campaign, it is enormously counterproductive. Worse, it
deflects attention from the root cause of both problems,
namely, India's failure to reconcile with the Kashmiris and
the US's woeful performance in Afghanistan.
If Mr Krishna were to understand this phenomenon and
restructure India's stance accordingly, hope would rekindle.
And if, by some miracle, he can also grasp the elemental truth
that it is in India's interests to make it easier for Pakistan
to tackle the extremism that it faces, that would be gilding
the
lily, but if he cannot or will not, platitudes about 'building
trust' will not suffice.
We will know soon enough whether Mr Krishna is coming because
he was pushed by the Americans or whether India is genuinely
interested in forging a partnership against terror. And that
should be relatively easy to tell.
Scheduling quick follow up meetings on issues of vital concern
to Pakistan such as water, Kashmir, and thinning out regular
Indian army deployments on the borders and perhaps, if only
for symbolic reasons, fishing out Pakistan's two decade old
proposal for a No War Pact, which is gathering dust in Indian
archives for want of a response from Delhi, would signal a
plausible commitment to peace.
Just as meaningful steps by Pakistan to prevent further
terrorist attacks on India would probably encourage Mr Krishna
to be more receptive to our urgings.
However, if all Mr Krishna seeks is photo ops to please
Washington and to deliver his tiresome sermon on terrorism and
then depart with a fatuous 'See ya' wave of the hand, as the
Indian Foreign Secretary did in Delhi earlier this year, while
seeing off her Pakistani counterpart, Mr Krishna may as well
stay at home.
The writer is a former ambassador of Pakistan. He can be
reached at charles123it@hotmail.com
The lone
truth
Harmony among the major faiths has become an essential
ingredient of peaceful coexistence in our world.
Tenzin Gyatso
When
I was a boy in Tibet, I felt that my own Buddhist religion
must be the best - and that other faiths were somehow
inferior. Now I see how naïve I
was, and how dangerous the extremes of religious
intolerance can be today.
Though intolerance may be as old as religion itself, we
still see vigorous signs of its virulence. In Europe,
there are intense debates about newcomers wearing veils or
wanting to erect minarets and episodes of violence against
Muslim immigrants. Radical atheists issue blanket
condemnations of those who hold to religious beliefs. In
the Middle East, the flames of war are fanned by hatred of
those who adhere to a different faith.
Such tensions are likely to increase as the world becomes
more interconnected and cultures, peoples and religions
become ever more entwined. The pressure this creates tests
more than our tolerance - it demands that we promote
peaceful coexistence and understanding across boundaries.
Granted, every religion has a sense of exclusivity as part
of its core identity. Even so, I believe there is genuine
potential for mutual understanding. While preserving faith
toward one's own tradition, one can respect, admire and
appreciate other traditions.
An early eye-opener for me was my meeting with the
Trappist monk ?Thomas Merton in India shortly before his
untimely death in 1968. Merton told me he could be
perfectly faithful to Christianity, yet learn in depth
from other religions like Buddhism. The same is true for
me as an ardent ?Buddhist learning from the world's other
great religions.
A main point in my discussion with Merton was how central
compassion was to the message of both Christianity and
Buddhism. In my readings of the New Testament, I find
myself inspired by Jesus' acts of compassion.
His miracle of the loaves and fishes, his healing and his
teaching are all motivated by the desire to relieve
suffering.
I'm a firm believer in the power of ?personal contact to
bridge differences, so I've long been drawn to dialogues
with people of other religious outlooks.
The focus on compassion that Merton and I observed in our
two religions strikes me as a strong unifying thread among
all the major faiths. And these days we need to highlight
what unifies us.
Take Judaism, for instance. I first visited a synagogue in
Cochin, India, in 1965, and have met with many rabbis over
the years. I remember vividly ?the rabbi in the
Netherlands who told me about the Holocaust with such
intensity that we were both in tears.
And I've learned how the Talmud and the Bible repeat the
theme of compassion, as in the passage in Leviticus that
admonishes, "Love your neighbour as yourself."
In my many encounters with Hindu scholars in India, I've
come to see the centrality of selfless compassion in
Hinduism too - as expressed, for instance, in the Bhagavad
Gita, which praises those who "delight in the welfare of
all beings." I'm moved by the ways this value has been
expressed in the life of great beings like Mahatma Gandhi,
or the lesser-known Baba Amte, who founded a leper colony
not far from a Tibetan settlement in Maharashtra State in
India.
There he fed and sheltered lepers who were otherwise
shunned.
When I received my Nobel Peace Prize, I made a donation to
his
colony.
Compassion is equally important in Islam - and recognising
that has become crucial in the years since September 11,
especially in answering those who paint Islam as a
militant faith.
On the first anniversary of 9/11, I spoke at the National
Cathedral in Washington, pleading that we not blindly
follow the lead of some in the news media and let the
violent acts of a few individuals define an entire
religion.
Let me tell you about the Islam I know. Tibet has had an
Islamic community for around 400 years, although my
richest contacts with Islam have been in India, which has
the world's second-largest Muslim population.
An Imam in Ladakh once told me that a true Muslim should
love and respect all of Allah's creatures. And in my
understanding, Islam enshrines compassion as a core
spiritual principle, reflected in the very name of God,
the "Compassionate and Merciful," that appears at the
beginning of virtually each chapter of the Holy Quran.
Finding common ground among faiths can help us bridge
needless divides at a time when unified action is more
crucial than ever.
As a species, we must embrace the oneness of humanity as
we face global issues like pandemics, economic crises and
ecological disaster. At that scale, our response must be
as one.
Harmony among the major faiths has become an essential
ingredient of peaceful coexistence in our world. From this
perspective, mutual understanding among these traditions
is not merely the business of religious believers - it
matters
for the welfare of humanity as a whole.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is the author, most
recently, of "Toward a True Kinship of Faiths: How the
World's Religions Can Come Together"
Viewpoints
Egypt: Threat of water war
Well, the
world kept turning, and now a potential war over water is
creeping onto Egypt's agenda.
Gwynne Dyer
After
he signed the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in 1979, Egyptian
president Anwar Sadat said: "The only matter that could take
Egypt to war again is water." Well, the world kept turning,
and now a potential war over water is creeping onto Egypt's
agenda.
Egypt is the economic and cultural superpower of the Arab
world: its 78 million people account for almost a third of the
world's Arabic-speaking population. But 99 per cent of it is
open desert, and if it were not for the Nile river running
through that desert, Egypt's population would not be any
bigger than Libya's (five million). So Cairo takes a dim view
of anything that might diminish the flow of that river.
Back in 1929, when the British empire controlled Egypt, Sudan,
and most of the countries further upstream in East Africa, it
sponsored an agreement giving Cairo the right to veto any
developments upstream that would decrease the amount of water
in the Nile. The rationale at the time was that the upstream
countries had ample rainfall, whereas Egypt and Sudan (at the
time ruled as one country) depended totally on the Nile's
waters.
Thirty years later, in 1959, when Egypt and Sudan were already
independent but all of the upstream states except Ethiopia
were still colonies, Egypt and Sudan signed another agreement
that left only 10 per cent of the Nile's water to the seven
upstream countries, while giving Egypt almost 80 per cent and
Sudan the rest. The argument was still the same: the countries
further upstream had rainfall, while it hardly ever rains in
Egypt or Sudan.
Now the upstream countries that got almost no water in that
deal are rejecting it. Thirteen years ago, they persuaded
Egypt and Sudan to start talks on the river, but they have now
concluded that the two Arab countries really only joined the
talks to prevent any new deal. So they are now going ahead
without them.
Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia signed an agreement on
May 14 to seek more water from the Nile. Kenya signed last
week, and the Congo and Burundi are expected to do so soon.
Kenya's minister of water resources, Charity Ngilu, described
the 1929 treaty as "obsolete and timeworn", and said that
Egypt and Sudan had "no choice" but to negotiate a
reallocation of the Nile's waters.
The Egyptian government replied that the new agreement "is in
no way binding on Egypt from a legal perspective", and that
"Egypt will not join or sign any agreement that affects its
share". It's an understandable perspective, since Cairo must
figure out how to feed not 78 but 95 million Egyptians in only
15 years' time.
Ethiopia, whose rivers provides 85 per cent of the water that
eventually reaches Egypt, is especially militant. Predictions
of 'water wars' are commonplace, and yet they hardly ever
happen: it's almost always cheaper to cut a deal and share the
water. But the Nile basin contains 400 million people today,
and Egypt and Sudan, with only 120 million people, are using
almost all of its water.
In 15 years' time there will be almost 800 million people in
the Nile basin, and only 150 million of them will be Egyptians
and Sudanese. It is very hard to believe that the latter two
countries will still be able to keep 90 per cent of the
river's water for their own use. On the other hand, how do
they survive without it?
In the past, Egypt has safeguarded its share by threats of
military action. Since it was in an entirely different
military league from the countries to the south, those threats
had some substance. But now the military disparities are less
impressive, and Egypt's options have narrowed dramatically.
Unipolar
security is not sustainable
The US objects
to the deal reached between Iran and Turkey because it
threatens its pre-eminence.
Joseph A. Kechichian
Richard
Nathan Haass, the current president of the influential
Council on Foreign Relations in New York and a past
Director of Policy Planning for the US Department of
State, wrote a key book in 1997, The Reluctant Sheriff:
The United States After the Cold War, where he argued that
Washington should forcefully maintain peace around the
world. Haass saw the need for like-minded and friendly
countries to accept the primus inter pares (first among
equals) formula to save the unipolar system.
Decision-makers who outranked Haass advanced similar
claims even if few resorted to the cowboy analogy that
called for a posse to round up "outlaws". Speaking at Ohio
State University on February 18, 1998, the then secretary
of state Madeleine Albright declared: "We are the greatest
country in the world, and what we are doing is serving the
role of the indispensable nation to see what we can do to
make the world safer for our children and grandchildren
and for those people around the world who follow the
rules".
The Sheriff's indispensability was on the line last week
in Tehran when President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva joined Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
to sign a historic deal with Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad. Under the terms of their accord, 1.2 tons of
enriched Iranian uranium will be sent to Ankara, which
will deliver nuclear fuel rods in return to be used at a
medical research institute, albeit a year later.
Needless to say, the Tehran announcement took western
officials by surprise, oblivious to a rapidly changing
world. Like stale British imperialists who were mystified
by an anti-colonialist surge in India throughout the
1940s, western officials seemed bewildered that Brazil and
Turkey would dare pursue an agreement with Iran without
their consent, and which perfectly illustrated how empires
lose momentum. Within hours, US President Barack Obama
rounded up his own posse, as the Security Council agreed
to impose sanctions against Iran. In Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton's language, the "major powers" announced
that they were not impressed by the da Silva-Erdogan
diplomatic initiative, and would continue to push for
sanctions.
Few cared to recall that what the joint diplomatic
breakthrough allegedly achieved was nearly identical to a
deal approved by the "major powers" in October 2009. Even
fewer observers were surprised that Russia and China, no
friends of the developing world, pressed for sanctions
along with the US, Britain and France. Leading European
countries, including Germany, Italy and Spain, were not
impressed by the Brazilian-Turkish breach either. All
seemed to agree that a deal reached in the developing
world could not possibly present lasting value.
Consequently, punitive measures were contemplated, which
do not augur well for the Gulf region.
Today, and simply stated, Washington and its allies do not
trust Iran. On the contrary, they accuse the Tehran regime
of stalling for time through various manoeuvres, which is
certainly a distinct possibility. Yet, and
incomprehensibly, seasoned analysts were flabbergasted
that Iran would not flinch from its path. It may be worth
recalling that Tehran first embarked on a nuclear policy
in the 1960s under the late Shah. Beyond shrewd Persian
diplomacy, therefore, what motivated Iran ever since ought
to be attributed to nationalist objectives. To be sure,
ideological commitments were also valid reasons for Iran's
contemporary initiatives, just as much as western,
especially American, failures in the Middle East. In fact,
the primary reason why Iran is popular among Sunni Arabs
was due to its reluctance to "behave" like an obedient
child when Uncle Sam and Cousin Israel wish to determine
what happens in, and to, the Middle East.
Decades-old monopoly
Consequently, to say that times are changing may be an
understatement, because the United States and Israel will
gradually lose their decades-old monopoly to dictate terms
in the Middle East.
Clinton and the "major powers" now face a dilemma: war
against another weak developing country (since the days of
major confrontations among the powerful are all in the
past), or the acceptance of a new bread of diplomacy by
upstarts like Brazil and Turkey. The latter may have
prevented a possible new war, this one over Iran, although
the last word on the matter has not been uttered and no
one should underestimate the fury of the powerful.
What Haass' sheriff may do to prolong the unipolar
security system does not bode well even if Albright's
unfortunate "indispensable nation" epithet will haunt
Washington for the next few years as the latter
recalibrates its evolving global role. Long after Albright
passes away as another inconsequential secretary whose
visions were blurred by reality, the schadenfreude
(pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others) of the
first woman to occupy the post of secretary of state
illustrates the intrinsic flaws of her "empire". Instead,
in Tehran we see a sign of an emerging regional power that
is no longer willing to play second fiddle, and while
there is a way out of this existential dilemma, such
salvation will require leaders of a different calibre who
prefer to guide rather than dominate.
Dr Joseph A. Kechichian is a commentator and author of
several books on Gulf affairs.
Good policies for great
countries
This era’s major states, developed and emerging alike,
have the ability to reach accord on today's defining
issues.
Richard N. Haass
We
are in a protracted period of international transition,
one that began more than two decades ago with the Cold
War's end. That era of strategic rivalry between the
United States and the Soviet Union gave way to one in
which the US possessed far greater power than any other
country and enjoyed an unprecedented degree of influence.
That American unipolar moment has given way to a world
better described as non-polar, in which power is widely
distributed among nearly 200 states and tens of thousands
of non-state actors ranging from Al Qaeda to Al Jazeera
and from Goldman Sachs to the United Nations.
But what distinguishes historical eras from one another is
less the distribution of power than the degree of order
between and within states. Order never just emerges; it is
the result of conscious efforts by the most powerful
entities in the world.
While the US remains the world's most powerful single
country, it cannot maintain, much less expand,
international peace and prosperity on its own. It is
over-extended, dependent upon massive daily imports of
dollars and oil, and its armed forces are engaged in
demanding conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US lacks
the means and the political consensus to take on much more
in the way of global responsibility. It also lacks the
means to compel others to follow its lead.
Moreover, contemporary problems - for example, thwarting
the spread of materials and weapons of mass destruction,
maintaining an open world economy, slowing climate change,
and combating terrorism - cannot be managed, much less
solved, by any single country. Only collective efforts can
meet common challenges; the more global the response, the
more likely that it will succeed. In short, the US
requires partners if the 21st century is to be an era in
which the majority of people around the world enjoy
relative peace and satisfactory standards of living. But
the partnerships that prevailed in the Cold War - between
the US, Western Europe, and several Asian countries,
including Japan, South Korea, and Australia - are no
longer adequate. These countries lack the resources and
often the will to manage most of the world's problems.
So the old partners need new ones. Emerging powers have
the potential to fill this need. The question is what
China, India, Brazil, and others are prepared to do with
their growing strength.
What makes a country great is not the size of its
territory, population, army, or economy, but how it uses
its power to shape the world beyond its borders. Countries
that are strong but still developing tend to regard
foreign policy as little more than a hand-maiden of
domestic policy and a means to gain access to markets and
resources essential for rapid development. This outlook is
understandable, but shortsighted. Rising powers can
neither insulate nor isolate themselves from what happens
beyond their borders. Whether or not they acknowledge it,
they have a stake in world order.
Consider China, by many measures the most significant
emerging country. It wants to maintain preferred access to
Iran's energy resources, but if conflict results from
Iran's nuclear aspirations, China will be paying much more
for those resources. The prospect of a threat to the
stability of the greater Middle East and to the flow of
oil should give China an incentive to support robust
sanctions against Iran. But it is not clear whether
China's leaders will recognise this and act in their
country's own long-term self interest.
The point is not to single out China. Similar questions
apply to India and Brazil. And it is not just the
developing and emerging countries that must reconsider
their approach to the world. The US must do so as well.
While much has been said and written about America's call
for China to become a global stakeholder, China will not
simply sign on as a pillar of an American-defined world.
It wants to help set the rules and build the institutions
for enforcing them.
It is up to the US to work with China and others to do
this, and this requires America's openness to others'
preferences and their having a larger role. The
empowerment of the G-20 is a step in the right direction,
but many more changes are needed, including restructuring
the UN, the International Monetary Fund, and the World
Bank so that they, too, reflect the new distribution of
power. In return, new arrangements should call on emerging
countries to contribute more to addressing climate change,
paying for peacekeeping and state-building, promoting free
trade, and sanctioning those who support terror or develop
weapons of mass destruction.
This era's major states, developed and emerging alike,
have the ability to reach accord on today's defining
issues. Their willingness to do so will determine when and
how this period of global transition ends and what
succeeds it.
The writer, former director of policy planning in the
US State Department, is president of the Council on
Foreign Relations and the author of "War of Necessity, War
of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars". ©Project Syndicate,
2010. www.project-syndicate.org
Asian signals for radars of growth
Middle East investors feel very comfortable in Southeast
Asia. The trade ties go back to the Spice Route days of
the 15th century, responsible for bringing spices, palm
oil and other products to the Middle East.
John Defterios
There
is a hobby that one sees retirees or others with plenty of
time on their hands partaking in. They strap long metal
detectors on their arms and with headsets in place scan
the sands of the US in search of a treasure. The prize is
a few odd coins or a diamond ring that some unwilling
woman left behind.
While I find the "sport" odd at best, the image crossed my
mind while in Kuala Lumpur this week. The cues to pass
through airport security and passport control were
efficient but long. Businessmen from Europe, the US and
the Middle East have switched on their radars in search of
growth, but unlike those combing the sands they don't need
a lot of patience to find it. During my few days on the
ground, Singapore and Malaysia both reported 10 per cent
growth in the first quarter. China and Indonesia are
running at nearly the same pace. That is stellar by any
measure and the real concern is not a double dip recession
but asset bubbles forming in some of these Asian Tiger
economies. During an interview in her headquarters at Bank
Negara, Malaysia's Central Bank Governor Zeti Akthar Aziz
said convincingly that she has it all under control. This
explains in part why the bank raised interest rates twice
already this year. Across the Straits of Malacca,
Singaporean officials said they too want to stay ahead of
this growth spurt.
We can leave this to monetarists to sort out. In the
meantime, chief executives and other investors want part
of the action and those flush with surpluses are making
commitments. In the span of a week in KL, two of the most
prominent Middle East investors, the Prime Minister of
Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al-Thani and the
Abu Dhabi development fund Mubadala signed on the dotted
line.
Qatar committed to invest $5 billion in a series of
projects from energy to real estate, matched by similar
funding by investment funds in Malaysia. Mubadala wants a
piece of the KL business district in the shadow of the
Petronas Towers. The area could use a fresh capital
injection - the Grand Hyatt has been a construction site
for years with a completion date still unknown according
to one well-placed Malaysian.
Middle East investors feel very comfortable in Southeast
Asia. The trade ties go back to the Spice Route days of
the 15th century, responsible for bringing spices, palm
oil and other products to the Middle East. The trade in
turn planted the seeds of Islam in this corner of the
world. The vice-chairman of the well-known Dubai based
merchant family the Al Ghurairs was on the ground in city
for a business forum where he is a board member.
Communication is simple says Essa Al Ghurair one of the
few from the region sporting a dish dash at the forum.
They speak the same business language. But there has been
a dramatic shift, which he acknowledges. Five years ago,
Al Ghurair did not look east for growth. The natural
inclination was to turn to Europe and even more so across
the Atlantic to the US. Today the Al Ghurairs are invested
in an Indonesian coalmine, amongst other projects.
I had a similar conversation with Bahraini banker Khalid
Al Janahi who took a break from a series of investment
meetings to share his thoughts over a coffee. Simply put
the growth is too good to pass up and unlike the German
government's new found effort to slow down speculative
investments, the Asians are eager to engage those who have
their radars of growth and shall we say opportunity tuned
in to the new land of opportunity.
John Defterios presents Marketplace Middle East on CNN
International
Attackers strike
sect mosques in Pakistan; 80 dead
AP, Lahore
An official says suicide squads killed 80 people in
attacks on a minority sect's mosques in eastern Pakistan.
Lahore deputy commissioner Sajjad Bhutta also said 78
people were wounded in Friday's attacks.
The assaults in Lahore targeted the Ahmadi community. They
are reviled as heretics by mainstream Muslims for their
belief that their sect's founder was a savior foretold by
the Quran.
Suspected Islamist militants attacked two mosques packed
with hundreds of people from a minority sect in eastern
Pakistan on Friday.
The attackers were thought to be holding several
worshippers as hostages. One gunman fired his rifle while
positioned atop a minaret.
The assaults in Lahore against the Ahmadi community
illustrated the threat minority religious groups face in
Pakistan, a Muslim-majority nation whose longtime struggle
with sectarianism has been exacerbated by the violent rise
of the Sunni extremist Taliban and al-Qaida movements.
The Ahmadis have experienced years of state-sanctioned
discrimination and occasional attacks by radical Sunni
Muslims in Pakistan, but never before in such a large and
coordinated fashion.
Ahmadis are reviled as heretics by mainstream Muslims for
their belief that their sect's founder was a savior
foretold by the Quran. Muslim leaders have accused Ahmadis
of defying the basic tenet of Islam that says Mohammed was
the final prophet, but Ahmadis argue their leader was the
savior rather than a prophet.
Under pressure from hard-liners, the Pakistani government
in the 1970s declared the Ahmadis a non-Muslim minority.
They are prohibited from calling themselves Muslims or
engaging in Muslim practices such as reciting Islamic
prayers.
The attacks Friday took place in the Model Town and Garhi
Shuha neighborhoods of Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest
city and one of its politically and militarily most
important.
The assault on the Model Town mosque was brief, and at
least 20 people were killed, hospital official Rizwan
Naseer said.
Several kilometers away at Garhi Shahu, the standoff
dragged on for hours.
One attacker climbed atop the minaret of the mosque,
firing an assault rifle and throwing hand grenades, TV
footage showed. Outside the mosque, police traded bullets
with the gunmen, an Associated Press reporter at the scene
saw.
Inside, attackers were suspected of holding hostages,
police officer Imtiaz Ahmad said.
China ready to support India’s
non-permanent UNSC bid in 2011-12: Nirupama Rao
ANI, Beijing
Concerns over disputes such as the Boundary Question and
China's move in recent times to grant stapled visas to
Kashmiris not withstanding, Indian Foreign Secretary
Nirupama Rao on Thursday said that Beijing has committed
itself to supporting New Delhi's bid for non-permanent
membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
by 2011-12.
China has also backed greater role for India in world
affairs, but its leaders stopped short of declaring
explicit support to India's bid for a permanent seat on
the Security Council.
Speaking to reporters after the State banquet hosted in
honour of President Pratibha Devisingh Patil by Chinese
President Hu Jintao, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said:
"China supports India's candidature for the non permanent
seat in the United Nations Security Council in 2011-12."
Ms. Rao said that India and China have agreed on
strengthening cooperation in the UNSC and multilateral
forums apart from having better strategic and bilateral
ties.
On the issue of UNSC reform, Ms. Rao said: "China
understood India's aspirations and desires, and Beijing
supported greater role of New Delhi in the United Nation."
The Foreign Secretary added that China also supported the
idea of greater representation of developing countries in
the UNSC, and added that Beijing wanted the two countries
to have regular contact over reforming the UNSC.
She said that as developing nations, India and China have
similar approaches and viewpoints on many global issues.
India and China have successfully carried out close
cooperation within such international frameworks as G-20,
BRIC countries and BASIC countries.
Nawaz urges govt to change attitude
toward judiciary
Dawn Online, Lahore
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's chief Nawaz Sharif on
Friday said the federal government should change its
attitude toward the judiciary.
Sharif said the nation and the judiciary want to see the
end of corruption and for that we are ready for not one
but many long marches.
Celebrating the Youm-i-Takbeer day in Lahore, he said the
missile system of Pakistan was much better than India's.
He said the Kashmir issue should be resolved and that he
wants better ties with India.
He further said that former Indian prime minister Atal
Behari Vajpaee had declared the year 1999 as a year of
resolving all the issues between India and Pakistan,
including Kashmir.
He said former US president Bill Clinton offered $5
billion for not conducting the nuclear tests and added
that had there been any martial law administrator in power
at the time, he would never have conducted the tests.
US Senate OKs funding for Afghan
troop increase
Dawn Online, Washington
The US Senate approved funds on Thursday to pay for
President Barack Obama's Afghanistan troop increase but
rejected a demand that he submit a timetable to bring US
forces home.
The chamber's top Democrats were split over an Afghan exit
strategy, with some influential lawmakers backing the call
for one, a division likely to raise hackles in the White
House.
Their support could encourage other liberal Democrats who
are pushing for a similar proposal in the House of
Representatives, where many lawmakers are also under
pressure before congressional elections in November.
The House is expected to take up its version of the war
funds legislation next month.
Most of the $33 billion in war spending approved by the
Senate is to finance the 30,000 troop "surge" in
Afghanistan that Obama announced in December, although
some of it covers expenses in Iraq.
An additional $4 billion is for the State Department to
fund the "civilian surge," bringing economic aid to
Afghanistan and its neighbour, Pakistan.
The new money is in addition to about $130 billion
Congress already approved for Afghanistan and Iraq for
this year - and over $300 billion since 2001 just for the
war in Afghanistan.
The Senate voted 67-28 to fund the troops. Many of those
opposing the funding were Republicans who said they were
concerned that ways were not found to pay for the new
spending with cuts to other programs.
Thais up Red Shirt watch; no warrant
on ex-PM yet
AP, Bangkok
Thai military and police increased their surveillance
Friday of people in the country's north suspected to be
allied with protesters who paralyzed Bangkok with
demonstrations that led to violence, fearing further
outbreaks in the provinces.
Efforts to bring fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra back to Thailand on charges of terrorism for
fomenting the violence hit a snag, as Montenegro said he
won't be extradited or tried without proof or an
international arrest warrant. Thaksin, ousted in a 2006
military coup, fled Thailand in 2008 ahead of a corruption
conviction but still has wide support in the country.
Intelligence officials have information suggesting
protesters have moved underground and could be planning
violent retaliation in their strongholds, which are in the
north and northeast of the country, said assistant army
spokeswoman Lt. Siriya Khuengsirikul.
Siriya said the army is confident it can stop any
outbreaks of renewed violence, and that the increased
military watch was a precautionary measure.
The Red Shirt protesters, mostly members of the urban and
rural poor who support Thaksin, held two months of
protests in the heart of Bangkok that turned into riots
and left at least 88 dead and more than 1,000 injured.
Their demonstration was dispersed last week in a bloody
military crackdown in which soldiers fired on them, used
armored vehicles to knock down their bamboo-and-tire
barricades and forced them to retreat from Bangkok's main
commercial center.
Dozens of buildings were torched as the protesters
retreated, including the stock exchange and a major
shopping mall.
Most of the Red Shirt leaders were detained or submitted
to questioning, but the movement itself was not disbanded
and was expected to regroup in its provincial strongholds.
On Wednesday, acting police chief Prateep Tanprasert moved
four provincial police heads in the northeast to inactive
posts in Bangkok. Their relocation came after the generals
failed to prevent angry Red Shirt supporters from burning
local government offices.
Even so, a crisis panel recommended the situation had
calmed down enough in the capital for a nighttime curfew
to be lifted. It will remain through Friday night and be
lifted after that. It will then be regularly reviewed in
case it needs to be imposed again.
"We need to give the curfew lift a try, because it's the
innocent people and businesses who're affected the most,"
said Siriya. "But that doesn't rule out the possibility of
reintroducing the curfew.
Uncertain future awaits Pakistanis as
no end to constitutional, energy crises
ANI, Islamabad
The ongoing tussle between the Pakistan Supreme Court and
the federal government is likely to add to the feeling of
uncertainty prevailing in the country in coming months as
both key institutions are on the collision course over
constitutional affairs.
"I see June and July as the most crucial months for our
country"s future. June may pass off peacefully amid court
hearings, but July can even bring change in the
government. It all depends on the government, whether they
implement the Supreme Court"s decisions or not, if they
don"t, the uncertainty will increase, and, they may have
to leave offices," said Akram Sheikh, one of country"s top
lawyers, who is himself appearing in many Supreme
Court-related cases.
Pakistan"s Supreme Court is hearing cases against
President Asif Ali Zardari and his comrades. The main bone
of contention is a Supreme Court"s decision about
declaring illegal an ordinance that benefitted Zardari.
The government is reluctant to implement it.
Zardari was able to become the country"s president because
of a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) issued by
former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007, which
cleared him (Zardari) of corruption charges.
The then government wrote to the Government of
Switzerland,where courts were probing Zardari"s assets in
Swiss banks, to close all cases against him following the
NRO, which shielded more than 8,000 other accused from
corruption-related cases.
But Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, who was
reinstated in March last year after a country wide public
movement, declared this ordinance illegal last December
and ordered the government to write to the Swiss
authorities to reopen the cases.
China PM seeks to cool Korean
standoff
Reuters, Seoul
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told South Korea's President
Lee Myung-bak on Friday he condemned acts threatening
stability on the Korean Peninsula and understood South
Korean grief over the sinking of a naval ship, which Seoul
has blamed on the North.
The Chinese leader is on a three-day visit to South Korea,
whose deepening standoff with North Korea is straining
China's efforts to stay friendly with both sides of the
divided peninsula and keep out of the fray over the
sinking of the corvette Cheonan in late March. Seoul is
convinced North Korea torpedoed the Cheonan and, with the
United States and Japan, has urged Beijing to join
denunciation of the sinking, which killed 46 sailors.
Wen held to China's position of avoiding blaming its
partner North Korea. But he also told South Korea's Lee
Beijing would not "harbour" anyone responsible once China
had made its own "fair and objective judgment on who's at
fault", South Korean official Lee Dong-kwan told
reporters.
"China always opposes and condemns any acts detrimental to
peace and stability on the peninsula," Wen told Lee,
according to China's official Xinhua news agency.
"Wen said that as a responsible country, China takes
serious note of the results of a joint investigation by
South Korea and other countries, as well as the reactions
of all parties," reported Xinhua.
"I understand the grief of the Korean people, especially
the family members of those who died," said Wen.
Wen's comments reflected China's efforts to avoid
entanglement in the crisis while seeking to dispel
regional worries that Beijing is dismissing South Korea's
complaints and protecting Pyongyang.
"China feels it's on the back foot and has to find a more
active posture on the Cheonan incident," said Zhang
Liangui, an expert on North Korea at the Central Party
School, a training school for officials in Beijing.
"It's difficult even for China to influence North Korea's
behaviour. But China will also hope that South Korea steps
back so that confrontation can cool down," he said.
North Korea has said it will rip up military agreements
with the South guaranteeing safety of cross-border
exchanges, and has reportedly put its military on combat
readiness, after Seoul said it would ban trade with the
North and stop its commercial ships using South Korean
waters following the sinking. The mounting antagonism
between the two Koreas has unnerved investors, worried the
confrontation could erupt into conflict. Many analysts say
that neither side is ready to go to war but warn there
could be more skirmishes, especially along their disputed
sea border off the west coast.
Beijing has resisted turning on North Korea publicly,
whose leader Kim Jong-il visited China early this month in
a show of friendship between the two communist neighbours.
Diplomats
say Iran removed equipment
AP, Vienna
U.N. nuclear inspectors revisiting an Iranian laboratory
to follow up on activities that could be linked to a
secret nuclear weapons program recently discovered that
some equipment believed used in the experiments has
disappeared, diplomats said Friday. One of the diplomats
told The Associated Press that senior officials within the
International Atomic Energy Agency - the U.N. nuclear
watchdog - were concerned that the removal was an
attempted cover-up.
Two others confirmed that some apparatus had gone missing.
One said it was too early to draw conclusions, suggesting
it could have been taken to another site for nothing more
than maintenance. The three spoke on condition of
anonymity because information surrounding the Iran nuclear
probe is confidential.
At issue is pyroprocessing, a procedure that can be used
to purify uranium metal used in nuclear warheads.
Iran in January confirmed to the agency that it had
carried out pyroprocessing experiments, prompting a
request from the nuclear agency for more information - but
then backtracked in March in comments at a closed meeting
of the IAEA's governing board.
"In fact there is not pyroprocessing R&D activity and the
question raised has been a misinterpretation by the Agency
inspectors," said an excerpt of the Iranian statement made
available this week to the AP.
The experiments prompted IAEA experts to revisit the site
- the Jabr Inb Jayan Multipurpose Research Laboratory in
Tehran - where they found some of the equipment removed to
an undisclosed site, said the diplomats. One of the two
said the electrolysis unit used in separating out
impurities from uranium metal was among the apparatus that
had been removed. Another said chemical apparatus used in
the process were now missing.
IAEA officials said the agency would have no comment.
Attempts to get Iranian comment were not immediately
successful, with Vienna-based Iranian officials not
answering their cell phones.
Any Iranian pyroprocessing work, even on an experimental
basis, would add to suspicions that Tehran is interested
in developing nuclear weapons - even though it insists it
is solely interested in the atom as an energy source.
The U.N. Security Council is currently considering a
fourth set of sanctions in response to the Islamic
Republic's refusal to halt uranium enrichment - which can
create both nuclear fuel and the fissile core of warheads.
It is also concerned about Tehran's belated revelation
earlier this year of a secret enrichment site under
construction and its refusal to answer IAEA questions
based on foreign intelligence and linked to suspicions of
hidden nuclear weapons work.
South Korea and the United States are currently
experimenting with another nuclear use for pyroprocessing,
which reprocesses spent nuclear fuel for a new breed of
reactors. But this procedure is highly technical and does
not match the nuclear profile of Iran, which does not have
any used fuel to reprocess.
One of the diplomats said the issue of missing equipment
might figure in the next Iran report of IAEA chief Yukiya
Amano, due later this week or early next week for review
by the IAEA board starting June 7. Other than that, the
report is unlikely to break new ground, noting that Iran's
low enrichment program is stagnating, and that Iran
continues a pilot program of enriching to higher levels,
near 20 percent, he said.
Iran originally justified its decision to start enriching
to higher levels by saying it needed the material to fuel
its research reactor after a deal to secure such fuel from
abroad fell apart.
Earlier this week, it submitted a new plan to the IAEA
that foresees Tehran swapping some of its low-enriched
uranium for reactor fuel - terms similar to an earlier
plan drawn up in October.
On its face, the latest plan seems a significant
concession, with Iran agreeing to ship 1,200 kilograms
(2,640 pounds) to be stored in Turkey and to wait up to a
year for higher-enriched uranium from France and Russia.
UN asks for agreement on nuclear
disarmament
DPA, New York
With one day left before a month-long nuclear review
conference ends Friday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
urged the participants to agree on nuclear disarmament as
expected by the world.
'There is too much at stake for the conference to repeat
the failure of 2005,' Ban said in a letter to the Nuclear
Non-proliferation Treaty meeting at UN headquarters in New
York.
Ban urged the parties to break deadlocks over nuclear
disarmament and non-proliferation efforts. The
every-five-year conference ended in disaster in 2005 when
the United States led the charge against Iran's nuclear
activities and the conference ended without a statement.
The 189 NPT signatories were to issue a final declaration
Friday, which in its draft form calls for a timeline for
the elimination of all nuclear weapons in the possession
of the world's five recognized nuclear powers: the United
States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
The five powers have so far not agreed on a clear timeline
even though they agree to rid the world of nuclear
weapons.
'Now is the time for the delegations to be pragmatic and
coalesce around solutions that will advance the interest
of the whole community of nations,' Ban said.
He called for adopting a document that will further
strengthen nuclear non-proliferation and lead to nuclear
disarmament. The draft supports a conference in 2012
leading to a long-proposed nuclear-weapons free Middle
East. The date was accepted by Arab governments for the
first time, after years of pushing for the proposal.
Flotilla set for final leg of Gaza
blockade-busting bid
AFP, Nicosia
Hundreds of activists on Friday braced for the final leg
of their attempt to bust the Gaza Strip embargo, a bid
Israel vowed to defeat as each side accused the other of
violating international law.
Two cargo ships and five smaller boats loaded with
thousands of tonnes of supplies and hundreds of passengers
steamed towards a rendezvous off Cyprus where they planned
to regroup before setting out for the Palestinian
territory.
Organisers said an eighth ship, the Rachel Corrie that had
left from Ireland, was lagging behind and would travel
towards Gaza separately. The ships will meet in
international waters, they said. "The Cypriot government
does not want us to leave from Cyprus. I can only assume
pressure was put on them," said Audrey Bomse, a member of
the Free Gaza Movement (FGM) that organised the flotilla.
A Cyprus government official said of the flotilla that
Nicosia had not received any formal request from the
Palestinian Authority for humanitarian aid.
Bomse told AFP that a plan to ferry about 25
multi-national MPs from Cyprus to one of the ships also
had been abandoned.
"This is a group of MPs waiting to be ferried to another
boat. The government said if we kept it quiet we would be
able to do it but there was a huge amount of pressure and
I suppose they gave in to Israel," she charged.
Bomse added that the plan had been modified, and the group
would now try to get the MPs on board the flotilla from
the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island.
"We will now have to go to the north and lose the Cypriot
and Greek politicians, but we have members of parliament
from Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Bulgaria. We are
going to put them on a boat in Famagusta," she said.
Medvedev sends US-Russian arms deal
to parliament
AP, Moscow
President Dmitry Medvedev asked the Russian parliament
Friday to ratify the new arms control treaty with the
United States, but warned lawmakers to do it no earlier
than the U.S. Senate does.
Medvedev and President Barack Obama signed the "New START"
last month in the Czech capital, Prague.
The deal would limit each country's stockpile of nuclear
warheads to 1,550, down from the current level of 2,200 -
bringing the arsenals to a level last seen in the 1950s.
It replaces the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or
START I, which expired in December. The treaty needs 67
votes in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats control 59
votes.
Reflecting apparent concern about potential U.S.
ratification problems, Medvedev said Russian lawmakers
should synchronize their moves with the U.S. Senate and
ratify the pact "no sooner and no later" than it does.
"The treaty is the product of joint actions, a combination
of our political efforts and shared will and we must
ensure that it passes through parliaments practically at
the same time, helping bolster mutual trust," he said at a
meeting with activists of the pro-Kremlin United Russia
party, which dominates the parliament.
"There have been cases in history of our country ... when
we have been cheated," Medvedev added without elaboration.
"We can't tolerate that anymore."
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee's held an opening
hearing on the treaty last week. Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates
told lawmakers the pact will help strengthen relations
with Russia while putting pressure on Iran to curb its
nuclear ambitions. Democrats and at least one senior
Republican, Sen.
Richard Lugar of Indiana, have signaled they will support
it. However, some Republicans have voiced concerns that
the deal would inhibit the development of a U.S. missile
shield.
The treaty doesn't prevent the U.S. from building new
missile defense systems, but Russia has made clear it
could withdraw from the treaty if it feels threatened by
such a system in the future.
US warns of World Cup terrorism in
South Africa
BBC Online
The US government has issued a travel alert warning its
citizens that South Africa faces a heightened risk of
terrorism during the World Cup.
It says that large-scale public events present an
attractive target.
"There is a heightened risk that extremist groups will
conduct terrorist acts within South Africa in the near
future," the US state department said.
The warning came as US President Barack Obama wished the
the American World Cup football team good luck.
"I just want to say how incredibly proud we are of the
team," said Mr Obama, who was joined by former President
Bill Clinton to give the players a presidential send-off
at the White House in Washington.
"Everybody's going to be rooting for you," he said.
"And although sometimes we don't remember it here in the
United States, this is going to be the biggest world stage
there is." In a statement, the state department said it
had no information on any specific, credible threat during
the tournament, but noted that such threats have been
reported in the media. South Africa has mobilised
thousands of specially trained police to deal with fans'
safety.
Some 350,000 people are expected to visit South Africa for
the World Cup, which is being held in Africa for the first
time and starts on 11 June.
Turkey appoints top spy as security
threats shift
Reuters, Ankara
Turkey has named a foreign policy expert with close
knowledge of Iran as its new top spy, as the country
linking Europe with the Middle East adapts its security
priorities to deal with external threats.
Hakan Fidan's appointment this week as head of the
National Intelligence Organization (MIT) reflects a shift
in focus from domestic issues such as Kurdish separatism
to transnational threats such as al Qaeda and nuclear
proliferation.
"Turkey is an international player, so it is matching its
intelligence-gathering activities to its new role," said
Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based security analyst.
"Turkey has been generally introspective but as it gets
more involved outside its borders, the nature of the
threat has changed."
Jenkins said bombings in Istanbul in 2003 by al Qaeda, in
which more than 60 people were killed, were a "wake-up
call" for an intelligence community which until then had
mostly focused on separatist guerrillas of the Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK).
Sources said Fidan, 42, who has worked as MIT deputy
undersecretary and as a foreign policy adviser to Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan, has played a busy though
little-publicized role in Ankara's mediation efforts
between the West and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program,
accompanying Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to Tehran
during many of his visits.
Iraq war badly planned, poorly
resourced - Bremer
Reuters, London
Planning for the 2003 invasion of Iraq was inadequate and
not enough troops were sent to ensure post-conflict
security, the former U.S. diplomat who led the civilian
occupation authority after the war has told a British
inquiry.
Paul Bremer, who governed Iraq's Coalition Provisional
Authority (CPA) for 13 months after President Saddam
Hussein was toppled, said there had been a serious
miscalculation by those responsible for planning the
invasion.
"It is impossible to exaggerate the difficulties created
by the chronic under-resourcing of the CPA's efforts,"
Bremer said in a statement, made public on Friday, to an
inquiry examining Britain's role in the war.
"This problem, and the fact that the coalition was unable
to provide adequate security for Iraqi citizens, pervaded
virtually everything we did, or tried to do, throughout
the 14 months of the CPA's existence."
As head of the CPA, Bremer was then-President George W.
Bush's top official in Iraq from May 2003 until June 2004
when the United States returned sovereignty to Iraqi
authorities.
The Pentagon has previously acknowledged that Bremer's
request in 2004 for about 500,000 extra troops was turned
down by then-Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Critics say the Pentagon deployed too few U.S. soldiers to
maintain order, restore essential services such as power
and water and combat an escalating insurgency. "It was
evident to me from the start that the pre-war planning had
been inadequate, largely because it was based on incorrect
assumptions about the nature of the post-war situation on
the ground in Iraq," Bremer's statement said.
"Even before I left for Baghdad, I was concerned that the
coalition had insufficient troops to carry out its primary
duty of providing security for the Iraqi people."
Bremer said the failure to check the violence and looting
after Saddam was ousted cost Iraq's economy some $12
billion. But he said of greater damage was the message it
gave Iraqis that the coalition could not provide basic
security.
Business/Economy
Joint
Cooperation Strategy agreement with donors likely on June
2
UNB, Dhaka
A Joint Cooperation Strategy (JCS) agreement between the
government and the development partners is likely to be
signed on June 2 with a view to making aid more effective
in the coming years to reach the real development goals.
Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Mosharraf
Hossain Bhuiyan will sign the agreement on behalf of the
government in presence of Finance Minister AMA Muhith at
the NEC, said a senior ERD official.
Talking to UNB, he said that under the JCS, the government
and the development partners will work together to
strengthen mutual accountability and also to define and
monitor priority actions to address the identified aid
effectiveness challenges in Bangladesh.
The ERD official said that the development partners will
also recognize the leadership and ownership of the
Bangladesh government over the project assistance.
The JCS will be signed to ensure better cooperation
between the government and the development partners
keeping in view the government's different programmes like
the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), the upcoming 6th
five-year plan and Vision-2021.
Bangladesh will sign the JCS with 18 major development
partners - Asian Development Bank (ADB), Australia,
Canada, Denmark, European Union, Germany, Islamic
Development Bank, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands,
Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, United Nations,
USA and the World Bank. The ERD official said that the
other development partners might join the JCS any time. He
hoped that with the signing of the agreement, the
development activities of the country will get pace and
the good relationship between the government and the
development partners will increase.
Under the JCS, the government and the development partners
will improve aid effectiveness in the country. Besides,
both the parties will also monitor progress towards
greater aid and development effectiveness and hold each
other accountable on the basis of the JCS Action Plan and
the Joint Development Results Framework.
The official also informed that issues like migration,
land utilization and ICT have been included in the Local
Consultative Group (LCG)'s mapping for Bangladesh
following suggestions from a consultation meeting on JCS
held on May 9 in the city.
"The government will fix the sector-wise allocations in
consultation with the development partners," he said.
The LCG mapping for Bangladesh includes agriculture and
rural development, aid effectiveness, CHT, climate change
and environment, disaster and emergency relief, education,
energy, gender, governance (justice, local government,
parliamentary support, public financial support, civil
service reform, anti corruption), health, nutrition and
population, macro economics, private sector debt and
trade, transport and communication, urban sector, water
supply and sanitation, water resource management and
poverty.
US
consumer spending flat despite rising income
AFP, Washington
US consumer spending was surprisingly flat despite rising
income in April as Americans remain cautious amid high
unemployment, government data showed Friday.
Consumer spending barely rose after six consecutive
monthly gains while personal income climbed 0.4 percent
for the second consecutive month in April, the Commerce
Department said.
Spending rose by less than 0.1 percent.
Most economists had expected consumer spending to rise 0.3
percent in April from a revised 0.6 percent March and
incomes to gain 0.4 percent from an identical rise the
prior month.
Americans however increased their savings.
The department said the US savings rate rose 3.6 percent
compared with 3.1 percent rise in March.
Consumer spending is a key cog for US growth. The economy
has been growing since the second half of last year after
plunging into recession in December 2007. The economy grew
by a slower pace at 3.0 percent in the first quarter of
this year from 5.6 percent in the last quarter of 2009.
Analysts expect consumer spending to remain sluggish as
unemployment remains a thorn to growth.
"Consumers took a break from their rapid spending in
April, although their spending still remains strong in
light of the high unemployment rate and weaker income
growth," said Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer
economics for Moody's Economy.com.
"The near term outlook is still problematic. Wage income
growth is healthy, but not robust. With unemployment near
10 percent, labor market power clearly in employers'
hands, so there is little prospect for much more
acceleration in wage income," Hoyt said.
Dutch seek to
make bank bonuses reclaimable
AFP, The Hague
Senior managers of Dutch banks and insurance companies may
soon become liable to pay back "unreasonable" bonuses
under two proposed amendments to the law, the government
said Friday.
"Bonuses must in future be reclaimable, and assigned
bonuses retractable," the finance ministry said in a
statement conveying a decision of the weekly cabinet
meeting. "This applies to bonuses that cannot be justified
because they are unreasonable or unfair." Affected would
be all bank and insurance company managers whom the
ministry described as "daily policy makers". The change
would be achieved through changes to the civil law and the
law on financial supervision, said the statement. Both
proposed amendments have to be approved by the Dutch
Council of State, which advises the government on
legislation, before they can be submitted to parliament.
"Bonus payments have caused much commotion in recent
years," said the ministry.
Shell buys US
gas group East Resources for $4.7b
AFP, London
British energy giant Royal Dutch Shell announced on Friday
that it had agreed to pay 4.7 billion dollars (3.8 billion
euros) in cash for most assets owned by US natural gas
explorer East Resources.
Shell said in a statement that it had agreed to acquire
subsidiaries which own substantial amounts of East
Resources' business.
"Shell has agreed to acquire subsidiaries which own
substantially all of the business of East Resources for a
cash consideration of 4.7 billion dollars, from East
Resources, and its private equity investor Kohlberg Kravis
Roberts & Co. and its advisors Jefferies & Company.
"The transaction is subject to certain regulatory
approvals," Shell added.
East Resources is a privately-owned business with its
primary activity focused on the Marcellus shale rocks in
the northeastern United States.
Technology to extract natural gas from shale, or
sedimentary rock, has improved dramatically in recent
years, leading companies into regions where resources were
thought to be spent, such as New York state.
The methods use hydraulic fracturing to break up deep
underground rock, jetting high-pressure liquid containing
chemical products deep into the ground, releasing the gas
and bringing it to the surface.
Shell chief executive officer Peter Voser said that the
purchase was an opportunity to enhance the Anglo-Dutch
group's growth through exploration and focused
acquisitions, and through divestment of non-core
operations.
"East Resources' management have built an excellent
organization, with high quality assets in the Marcellus,
which we are pleased to have as our centrepiece as we
enter the premier shale gas play in the northeast US," he
added.
Shell's share price rose 0.89 percent at 1,759.5 pence in
reaction to the takeover announcement on London's
benchmark FTSE 100 index, which was up 0.40 percent in
late deals.
"This deal is further evidence of the robust market in the
US for proven shale plays," said David Hart, energy market
analyst at broker Westhouse Securities.
Shell said East Resources produces 10,000 barrels oil
equivalent per day, predominantly in natural gas, and has
"substantial medium-term growth potential."
In 2000, shale gas represented only one percent of US
output. Today it accounts for 20 percent and could surpass
50 percent by 2030, according to a recent study by
research.
US stocks pull back after steep rally
AFP, New York
US stocks retreated Friday as investors assessed sharp
gains the prior day on easing eurozone fears and got ready
for a long holiday weekend.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 45.73 points (0.45
percent) to 10,213.26 in opening trades, after a powerful
rally Thursday left the blue-chip index nearly 300 points
higher and once again above the psychologically sensitive
level of 10,000. The tech-rich Nasdaq index slid 12.78
points (0.56 percent) to 2,264.90 and the S&P 500, a
broader measure of the market, dropped 4.91 points (0.45
percent) to 1,098.15. Wall Street was in vacation mode at
the traditional start to the US summer holiday season this
long weekend. Monday's Memorial Day federal holiday honors
those who died in military service. The selling trend
followed Thursday's powerful rebound from recent steep
falls, spurred by China's reassurances about its euro
investments that eased concerns about the eurozone debt
crisis. The Dow rallied 2.85 percent, the Nasdaq leaped
3.73 percent and the S&P 500 advanced 3.29 percent.
Thin trading volume could help explain Thursday's dizzying
increases and may contribute to exaggerated moves Friday,
said Scott Marcouiller of Wells Fargo Advisors. "While we
do not want to discount the rally too much, it was
somewhat tempered because there was plenty of positive
news to latch onto and volume was near one of its lowest
totals during the past month," "Part of the light volume
could be attributed to investors getting a head start on
the long holiday weekend, but regardless, it did make it
easier to push stocks up." Investors had a mixed report on
April consumer spending and income to digest before the
market opened.
Consumer spending was flat, after six consecutive monthly
gains, while personal income climbed 0.4 percent for the
second month running, the Commerce Department said.
Australia uses ‘emergency’ powers to promote mining
tax
AFP, Sydney
Australia used special emergency powers Friday to approve
taxpayer-funded adverts for its mining "super tax" to
counter what it described as an "active campaign of
misinformation" from resource firms.
Australia's government proposes updating the current
royalties system with a 40 percent tax on profits over six
percent in order to get a greater share of proceeds from
an Asian-driven mining boom that is tipped to last
decades.
Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig said he had approved
an exemption for the government from national advertising
guidelines that require campaigns costing more than
250,000 dollars (212,831 US) to be vetted by an
independent panel. The guidelines also ban political
parties from running campaigns for party political
purposes.
Ludwig said exemptions could be sought in cases of
"extreme urgency or other compelling reason" and agreed
with Treasurer Wayne Swan that it was necessary to combat
the furious backlash from miners on the 40 percent profit
levy.
"I have accepted the treasurer's advice that there is an
active campaign of misinformation about the proposed
changes to our tax system and that Australians are
concerned about how these changes will affect them," said
Ludwig.
He said he also accepted Swan's view that the tax reforms
were affecting financial markets, and stressed that the
campaign, costing 38.5 million dollars over two years, had
to be "objective and not directed at promoting party
political interests".
iPad-mania as thousands queue for global roll-out
AFP, Paris
Thousands of die-hard Apple fans mobbed shops in parts of
Europe and Asia on Friday after the iPad, touted as a
revolution in personal computing, began its global launch.
Long queues of customers snaked outside Apple shops in
Australia and Japan hours before the opening and similar
huddled masses of gadget lovers turned out at stores in
six European countries including Britain and France.
The iPad-a flat, 10-inch (25-centimetre) black tablet-was
also going on sale in Canada as part of a global roll-out
that was pushed back by a month due to huge demand in the
United States.
One million iPads were sold in 28 days in the United
States after the product's debut in early April. At
Apple's flagship store in Paris, set in the prestigious
underground mall of the Louvre museum, 24-year-old
engineer Audrey Sobgou beamed as she walked away with one
of the prized tablets.
Sobgou travelled 205 kilometres (127 miles) from her home
town in Lille, northern France, and waited nearly two
hours before stepping inside the busy Apple store to make
her purchase.
"I'm not a victim of hype," she insisted. "I know Apple
products and it's about the quality, the interface, how
it's designed and what it can do. With elegance and
style."
Hundreds of people had already queued outside of the Paris
Apple store hours before it opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT)
and the launch made the front page of major newspapers.
The freesheet Metro daily in Paris showed a full-page
picture of the tablet under the question "iPad: gadget or
revolution?". In Britain, a few dozen enthusiasts were
already waiting outside the flagship Apple store in
central London at 3:00 am (0200 GMT) to get their hands on
the iPad when the store opened at 8:00 am.
Most of them were sitting on deck chairs and some were
wrapped in sleeping bags and blankets. Staff escorted the
first group of customers one by one up to buy their iPad
after they opened the doors, whooping, chanting and
cheering. "I queued overnight for about 20 hours since
midday yesterday but it was very, very worth it," Jake
Lee, a 17-year-old student from Essex, told AFP, clutching
his treasured iPad. "I wanted the iPad since it was
announced, I'm just really excited about it," he told AFP.
The iPad also went on sale in Germany, Italy, Spain and
Switzerland and will be followed in July by a launch in
Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
BB governor for complete financial inclusion of
most people
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh Bank (BB) is making efforts to ensure a
complete financial inclusion of most people for combating
poverty, unblocking advancement opportunities for the poor
and having inclusive socio-economic growth, BB Governor Dr
Aitur Rahman said Friday.
The BB governor said financial inclusion is an effective
strategy for economic development, as it empowers all
segments of people including the disadvantaged poor to be
entrepreneurs.
Atiur Rahman was presenting an article on 'Financial
Services at People's Doorstep' on the occasion of Agrani
Bank Lecture Series-2010 at Business Studies Faculty
auditorium of Dhaka University (DU) Friday.
Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Mashiur
Rahman was present as the chief guest while Agrani Bank
Ltd Chairman Prof Khondoker Bazlul Haq as the special
guest. DU Vice- Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique
inaugurated the lecture series with Pro-VC Prof Harun-or-
Rashid in the chair.
Former BB Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed and CPD Executive
Director Mustafizur Rahman also presented articles
respectively on 'Inflation: A Challenge to South Asia's
Economic Progress' and 'Towards Strengthened Regional
Economic Integration: A Window of Opportunity for
Bangladesh' on the occasion.
About financial inclusion, Mashiur Rahman said the
procedure of proving loans must be easier. He laid
emphasis on showing sympathy to those who need loans, but
warned that no bank or financial institution should be
irresponsible in this regard.
Salehuddin Ahmed in his article said inflation in these
days have become a great challenge to the overall growth,
the financial sector development and the vulnerable poor
stratum of the population in South Asian countries
especially in Bangladesh.
The former BB governor suggested consideration of
development in the real and financial sectors and treat
these sectors as constraints in case of formulating
monetary policy to avoid inflationary pressures in the
economy.
Mustafizur Rahman in his article stressed regional
cooperation and invigoration of the regional organisations
to facilitate Bangladesh take full advantage of all the
emerging economic opportunities in the South Asian
countries.
Doha trade talks at ‘impasse’: WTO
AFP, Paris
The Doha Round of trade liberalisation talks is at an
"impasse," the head of the WTO said Thursday, as the
United States urged Brazil, China and India to help break
the deadlock.
"We are in an impasse," World Trade Organization director
general Pascal Lamy said after informal talks with trade
ministers on the sidelines of a meeting of the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in
Paris.
Lamy stressed that global trade liberalisation was "a low-
cost package of stimulus" for economies in trouble over
public finances, adding: "The reason for concluding the
round is more appealing now than at any point before."
US Trade Representative Ron Kirk meanwhile said it was up
to Brazil, China and India to accelerate a deal,
signalling that Washington was not prepared to make any
further concessions in the negotiations.
"The real question is whether India, China and Brazil
frankly are ready to assume a role and responsibility
commensurate with the benefits that they have realised
under global liberalisation," he said.
"We are not going to negotiate against ourselves. It's now
time for others to be creative. We have gone far and above
what is expected... to break this impasse," he added. The
Doha Round of negotiations began in 2001 and has over- run
a number of deadlines for completion. The latest deadline
is the end of this year.
Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean said: "There is
still too much that remains unresolved."
But he added: "Even if you accept it's not possible to
complete it this year, that's no reason not to advance it
this year.
National
Tk 200-cr special program for
employment generation in NW-region
BSS, Rajshahi
The government has undertaken a Taka 200 crore special
program for employment generation, agricultural uplift and
other development purposes in the country's 16
northwestern districts.
Official sources said, the implementation of the program
has already been started giving emphasis on creating more
job opportunities through strengthening the agricultural
sector.
The program has also been designed to extend financial
assistance to the farmers side by side with ensuring food
security. Only the Local Government Engineering Department
(LGED) has been implementing around 200 projects with an
estimated cost of Taka 100-crore for construction,
development, renovation and maintenance of rural hats and
bazaars, passengers shed, pool and culverts and
educational institutions in every of the upazilas in the
region while the playgrounds are being developed with
initiatives of the youth development and sports
department.
Officials closed to the Commissioner Office of Rajshahi
division told BSS that the field administration and the
concerned departments and field level officials have been
asked to monitor the scheduled activities closely and
properly so that the targeted people could derive the
total benefits of the program. Besides, the Rajshahi
Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) has been providing facilities
of opening bank account free of cost while the fertilizer
and pesticides are being supplied by the Bangladesh
Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC). In addition to
this, around 200 small and big size uplift programs are
being implemented in the poverty-stricken districts like
Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Natore,
Sirajgonj, Rangpur, Bogra, Dinajpur and Naogaon.
The programs included renovation and maintenance of rural
roads, ponds, canals, beels, derelict ponds and ditches,
development of growth centers and repairing of religious
and socio-cultural institutions.
Apart from this, dozens other programs like test relief,
food for work, money for work, vulnerable group feeding,
vulnerable group development, widow, old and disabled
allowance, agriculture credit on less interest and free of
cost fertilizer and pesticides distribution are being
executed in the region. Similarly, the food and disaster
management department has been extending food assistance
to around two lakh poor people for the last two months on
reduced rate. Commissioner of Rajshahi division Dr Hafizur
Rahman Bhuiyan told that main thrust of the programs are
to bring the poor and marginal people under the year-round
income-generation activities on priority basis.
On successful implementation of the programs, he expected
that the socio-economic development of the region would be
achieved as a whole.
About 13,000 women
suffer cervical cancer every year: Specialists
BSS, Rajshahi
Gynecological experts at a seminar here Thursday said that
around 12,000 to 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer are
being detected and about 6,000 to 7,000 of them are died
in the country every year.
They also informed that cervical and breast cancers are
the foremost causes of cancer mortality of women in
developing countries like Bangladesh.
They, however, stated that the mortality rate could be
reduced to a greater extent through creating mass
awareness.
Department of Obstetrical and Gynecology of Rajshahi
Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) organized the seminar
styled "Visual Inspection of Cervix with Acetic acid
(VIA): A new era in cancer cervix screening" at the RMCH
conference hall.
In the technical session, Assistant Professors Dr Shahela
Jeshmin, Dr Shipra Chowdhury and Dr Hasina Akhter and
Consultant Dr Nargish Shamima presented scientific papers
on different issues of the topic elaborating the risk
factors and precautionary measures to prevent the disease.
Terming the cervical cancer as risky disease they said its
prevalence is higher among the women. However, they said
that the disease could be prevented through early
detection and suggested creating public awareness in this
regard.
In this context, they added that the RMCH has been
conducting the pre-detection screening and diagnosis
activities along with providing necessary treatment free
of cost under the VIA Center for the last couple of years.
Addressing the seminar Prof Dr Merina Khanom said
unconsciousness, early marriage, early child birth, onset
of sexual activity at young age, multiple sexual partners,
history of presence of Sexual Transmitting Infection (STI),
low socio- economic status and venereal diseases have so
been identified as the risk factors of the disease.
Referring to a study conducted in the gynecology unit of
the hospital Dr Hasina Akhter told that around 150 cases
were detected as cervical cancer out of total 575 female
patients suffering from various gynecological disorders
from July 2008 to June 2009.
Currently, they said around 20-25 patients are coming to
the center everyday and 4-5 of them are detected as
positive. In this context, she said creation of awareness,
education to reduce high-risk sexual behavior and measures
to reduce and avoid exposures to STIs were proved as the
primary prevention measures of the disease while treatment
of pre-cancerous lesions and requires a practical test
were found as the secondary preventive measure.
She, however, said pre-detection of cervical cancer by VIA
was found effective to manage the disease successfully.
UNO manhandled for imposing
Section 144 in Shahjahanpur, Bogra
UNB, Bogra
Shahjahanpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Dewan Abdus
Samad was manhandled by musallis for imposing Section 144
on a doa mahfil and juma prayer at Sajapur Fultala
Madrasah ground on Friday.
Doa Mahfil Implementation Committee organized a doa mahfil
at the madrasah ground seeking salvation for the departed
soul of former lawmaker Maulana Abdur Rahman Fakir.
Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad
Mojahid attended the doa mahfil as chief guest and started
delivering his speech at 1pm.
The UNO along with Officer-in-Charge (OC) of local thana
Anisur Rahman at that time appeared on the scene and asked
Mojahid not to deliver his speech. The Jamaat leader then
finished his speech and left the venue.
Later, the UNO in an announcement over microphone imposed
Section 144 and asked the musallis to leave the spot
without offering their juma prayers.
Angered by the announcement, musallis chanted slogans
against the UNO and some of them hurled shoes and sandals
at him.
However, the mahfil organizers helped the UNO to leave the
spot safely.
The musallis then offered the juma prayers and left the
venue peacefully.
Organizers said they took permission from the local
administration for holding the doa mahfil at Sajapur
Eidgah ground, but the mahfil was later shifted to nearby
Fultala Madrasah ground because of the presence of huge
number of people.
1 dacoit killed, four injured
in mass beating
UNB, Satkhira
An alleged dacoit was killed and four others were injured
in mass beating by locals while committing robbery at
different shrimp enclosures of Roypur Beel in Khalilnagar
union under Tala upazila early Friday.
The deceased was identified as Abul Kalam, 40, son of
Ashraf Hossain of Nasirpur village in Paikgachha upazila.
Police said a gang of armed dacoits, numbering 10/12
swooped on the enclosures at about 2am.
They took the night guards hostage at gun point and beat
them up mercilessly. Later, they started looting the
shrimp enclosures, owned by Mostafa Gazi, Abdul Gaffar,
Nurul Islam and others.
Hearing the hue and cry of the guards, local people rushed
to the spot and caught five of the bandits while others
managed to flee away.
Later, they beat the muggers mercilessly leaving Abul
Kalam dead on the spot and four others injured. On
information, police rushed to the spot and sent the body
to hospital morgue for autopsy.
National vitamin A plus campaign
today
UNB, Dhaka
The National vitamin A plus campaign-2010 will begin today
(Saturday) with a view to preventing childhood blindness,
reducing child mortality and strengthening immunity.
Over two-crores under 5 children will be provided with
Vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets under the
programme.
The slogan for the national vitamin A plus campaign, 2010
is 'supplement vitamin A capsule for better survival of
your child.' Children aged 1-5 years will be fed a high
powered vitamin A capsule (200,000 IU), while children
aged 2-5 will be given a de-worming (Albendazole tablet
400mg) along with the vitamin A capsule during the
campaign.
Over 450,000 health workers and volunteers will work in
some 1.4 lacs of centers across the country to make this
campaign a success. Three volunteers will work at each
center. Besides, all permanent health centers, the mobile
centres at bus stands, railway stations, launch terminals
and airports will remain open from 9am to 5pm, to ensure
all children receive the doses. Health Minister Prof Dr
AFM Ruhal Haque formally inaugurated the campaign on
Friday morning at Bangladesh College of Physicians and
Surgeons (BCPS) in city's Mohakhali, feeding some children
vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets.
At the inaugural session, State Minister for Health Dr
Capt (retd) Mojibur Rahman Fakir, Director General
(Health) Prof Shah Monir Hossain, Director General of
Family Planning Prof Dr M Abdul Quiyum, Institute of
Public Health Nutrition director Prof Dr Fatima Parveen
Chowdhury and Dr Birthe Locatelli Rossi, chief, Health and
Nutrition section of unicef,among others, were present.
Addressing the function, the Health Minister urged the
countrymen to bring their children to the nearest health
centers to feed the vitamin A capsule and de-worming
tablet to keep their children free from malnutrition. Dr
AFM Ruhal Haque, in a press briefing at the BCPS
auditorium, suggested that children should take some food
( breakfast) in the morning before taking the capsule and
de-worming tablet to avoid vomiting problems.
Sports
Jatrabari Ideal High School emerges
champion in School Kabaddi
UNB, Dhaka
Jatrabari Ideal High School emerged champion in the Standard
Chartered National School Kabaddi Tournament beating Haider
Ali High School 97-49 with five creditable "lona" in the final
at the Kabaddi Stadium here on Friday.
Standard Chartered Bank Head of Legal Compliance & Assurance
Chowdhury MAQ Sarwar was the chief guest in the final and
distributed the prizes among the winners.
Earlier, on way to the final, Jatrabari Ideal High School beat
Ansar & VDP High School 69-65 with five creditable 'lona' in
the first semifinal while and Haider Ali High School defeated
Shaheed Nabi High School 59-51 with three creditable 'lona' in
the second semis.
Trott
boosts England innings
AFP, London
Jonathan Trott became only the seventh England batsman to
score a Test double century at Lord's as the hosts
consolidated their position of strength against Bangladesh
here on Friday.
England, at lunch on the second day of the first of a
two-match series, were 456 for six with Trott - in his maiden
Test innings at Lord's -- 217 not out and Tim Bresnan 24 not
out.
But Bangladesh, who have won just three out of their 66 Tests
and lost all six against England, could take heart from an
improved display by their seamers, with Trott managing just
two boundaries in the session.
Worryingly for Bangladesh, opening batsman Tamim Iqbal left
the field after appearing to aggravate a wrist injury as he
crashed into the boundary rope when attempting a diving stop.
England resumed well-placed on 362 for four, with Trott
already a Test-best 175 not out - his second century in as
many Test innings in England after his 119 on debut against
Australia in the second innings at the Oval last year.
Eoin Morgan, on his Test debut, was 40 not out.
But the left-hander and former Ireland batsman, on his
Middlesex home ground, had added just four runs when, pushing
outside off-stump against Shahadat Hossain, he saw
wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim hold a good diving catch.
England were 370 for five and they gifted Bangladesh a sixth
wicket on 400.
Trott drove Robiul Islam through the covers and took a single.
Matt Prior always wanted the second run but Trott was slow to
decline and by the time he sent the wicketkeeper back, Prior
was already halfway down the pitch and run out for 16 by
substitute Shamsur Rahman's throw to Mushfiqur.
The normally methodical Trott had a nervous moment on 197,
when he just missed edging a cut through to the keeper off
debutant paceman Robiul Islam.
But a controlled pull for two off Rubel Hossain took the
former South Africa junior international to 200 in 381 balls
with 18 boundaries in over seven hours at the crease.
Trott's was the first double century by an England batsman in
a Lord's Test since Robert Key's 221 against the West Indies
in 2004.
In all, 14 players from around the world have made Test double
hundreds at the 'home of cricket', with the highest individual
score former England captain Graham Gooch's 333 against India
in 1990.
Scorecard
England 1st innings:
(overnight: 362-4)
Strauss b Mahmudullah 83
Cook lbw b Shahadat 7
Trott c Kayes b Shahadat 226
Pietersen b Shakib 18
Bell b Rubel 17
Morgan c Mushfiq b Shahadat 44
Prior run out 16
Bresnan c Siddique b Shahadat 25
Swann c Rubel b Shakib 22
Anderson b Shahadat 13
Finn not out 3
Extras: (lb10, w8, nb13) 31
Total: (all out, 125 overs) 505
Falls: 1-7 (Cook), 2-188 (Strauss), 3-227 (Pietersen), 4-258
(Bell), 5-370 (Morgan), 6-400 (Prior), 7-463 (Bresnan), 8-478
(Trott), 9-498 (Swann), 10-505 (Anderson)
Bowling: Shahadat 28-3-98-5 (2nb, 1w); Robiul 22-2-107-0
(4nb); Shakib 27-3-109-2; Rubel 23-0-109-1 (7nb, 7w);
Mahmudullah 23-3-59-1; Ashraful 2-0-13-0.
South Africa
falls in love with Bafana again
AFP, Johannesburg
South Africa has fallen in love with Bafana Bafana again
and that could spell trouble for World Cup rivals Mexico,
Uruguay and France next month.
A couple of years ago, national football association
officials never even considered Johannesburg when it came
to allocating venues for competitive or friendly fixtures.
The economic capital of the country had divorced Bafana -
Boys in isiZulu - after the gradual decline of the
national team from African champions to also rans who
failed to even qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations
in Angola.
Had the South African Football Association dare chosen a
Johannesburg venue they knew the consequences - a couple
of thousand die-hard fans dotted around a large stadium
and a morgue-like atmosphere.
Fast forward to Thursday night and a sell-out 75,000 crowd
at a rebuilt Soccer City stadium roared Bafana to a lucky
but timely 2-1 victory over Colombia in the latest World
Cup warm-up.
A lot of the football was mediocre, some ugly, all three
goals came from controversy-shrouded penalties, and
nervous Bafana were hanging on at the end with substitute
goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs producing several fine saves.
It did not matter. South Africa had won. The football
fever level had risen another few notches and even traffic
chaos around the venue that will stage the June 11 opening
match and July 11 final could not dampen spirits.
The chilly pre-winter air that gives South African dress
sense a Siberian touch was getting no one down - Bafana
were winning and the World Cup could not come fast enough.
But are South African followers getting ahead of
themselves? Is the euphoria based on hope or reality? Will
it all end in tears when the real action begins with South
Africa and much more experienced Mexico raising the
curtain?
A 10-match unbeaten warm-up run since Brazil World
Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira returned last
November for a second spell in charge seems impressive
after Bafana had lost eight of the nine previous games.
But take note of the opponents - Japan, Jamaica (twice),
Zimbabwe, Namibia, Paraguay, North Korea, Thailand,
Bulgaria, Colombia - and seven of the matches were staged
in South Africa.
Only Japan and Paraguay have qualified for the World Cup,
Paraguay were the highest ranked at 31, and North Korea,
Thailand, Namibia and Zimbabwe do not even crack the top
100 in the monthly FIFA order of merit.
Is this the right preparation for France midfielder Franck
Ribery of Bayern Munich, Uruguay striker Diego Forlan from
Atletico Madrid and Manchester United-bound Mexico striker
Javier Hernandez?
Parreira points to record five-time world champions
Brazil, who have opted for Zimbabwe on June 2 in Harare
and fellow African middleweights Tanzania on June 7 in Dar
es Salaam as pre-tournament opponents.
Central Americans minnows Guatemala next Monday in
Polokwane and World Cup qualifiers Denmark on June 5 in
Pretoria complete the warm-up schedule and then come
street-wise Mexico, second-round qualifiers in the last
four tournaments.
While friendly victories are good for morale, they can be
deceptive, and there is a sense that wily old fox Parreira
is holding a little back as he gives his foreign-based
contingent limited game time.
France edges Turkey to stage
Euro 2016
AFP, Geneva
France was named as host of Euro 2016 by UEFA President
Michel Platini here on Friday, the French bid beating off
strong opposition from the two other candidates - Turkey
and Italy.
France prevailed with seven of the 13 votes cast by UEFA's
executive committee members in the second round of voting,
edging Turkey by one vote.
France's candidacy was supported by French President
Nicolas Sarkozy, who had spoken out in its favour at the
final round of presentations to UEFA delegates in Geneva
earlier Friday.
"We are very happy, very honoured," Sarkozy, who had taken
a personal interest in the bid after Paris failed to land
the 2012 Olympic Games awarded to London, said.
The French president added: "I would simply like to say
how much we are happy to be the organising country for the
European championships. We are going to do our best so
that the 24 teams will get a fantastic reception."
Jean-Pierre Escalettes, president of the French Football
Federation, paid tribute to the two losing bidders.
"I have a thought for our friends in Turkey and Italy -
putting myself in their place I can imagine their
disappointment and frustration after months and months of
work.
"Good luck to Italian and Turkish football."
He added: "I am overwhelmed to think that France will
welcome European football in 2016.
"The (UEFA) executive committee members appreciated our
efforts, they put confidence in us. What counts is to have
UEFA's confidence, this trust will not be betrayed. This
is a great day for us!"
Platini, one of France's most celebrated players who
skippered France's 1984 European championship winning side
on home soil, described the result as "a huge relief for
French football which needed this to renovate her stadias".
He continued: "We had three exceptional bids which all
carried out extraordinary work."
Serena, Henin through at French Open
AFP, Paris
Top seed Serena Williams and four-time champion Justine
Henin cruised into the French Open third round on Friday,
as a packed women's schedule swollen by rain delays on the
previous two days got under way.
Williams, the world number one, demolished German world
number 77 Julia Goerges 6-1, 6-1 in just 55 minutes in a
second-round match that had originally been scheduled to
take place on Thursday.
She will face Russian 29th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
for a place in the last 16, while Henin will meet former
world number one Maria Sharapova after finishing off a
6-3, 6-3 defeat of Czech Klara Zakopalova.
Asked what she could possibly learn from such a
comfortable win, Williams replied: "I can learn a lot,
like 'What am I doing today? Why aren't all my matches
like this and what can I do to make them like that?'
"Those are the questions I ask myself and that I have to
try to answer."
On a day when the sun returned to Roland Garros after two
days of gloom, Williams demonstrated that she is well
placed to end her eight-year wait for a second Roland
Garros singles title.
She was playing Goerges, 21, for the first time and the
American quickly established her authority by breaking to
love for a 3-1 lead, before securing a double break and
then serving out for the set.
Goerges managed to produce a selection of well-placed
winners in the second set but she was unable to prevent
herself falling to a heavy defeat as Williams made up for
lost time in style. Henin, who returned to the sport
earlier this year after retiring in 2008, resumed her
match with Zakopalova at 6-3, 3-2 up following the match's
curtailment on Thursday.
The Belgian broke her opponent in the first game before
closing out a straightforward win that sets up a headline
clash with 12th seed Sharapova, who finished off a 6-3,
6-3 win over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens in another match
held over from Thursday.
"Playing again in front of the Paris crowd and all the
Belgian supporters warms my heart," said Henin, whose last
visit to Roland Garros in 2007 saw her claim her fourth
title.
"I've missed it and the sensations are coming back bit by
bit."
In other delayed second-round matches, Chinese 25th seed
Zheng Jie was upset 6-4, 6-3 by Russian qualifier
Anastasia Pivovarova and 13th seed Marion Bartoli saw off
fellow Frenchwoman Olivia Sanchez 7-5, 6-2.
Second seed Venus Williams was due to face Slovakian 26th
seed Dominika Cibulkova in the third round later, while
third seed Caroline Wozniacki takes on Romanian 31st seed
Alexandra Dulgheru, who triumphed in Warsaw last week.
Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and fellow Russian
Elena Dementieva are also in third-round action, with
Kuzentsova meeting number 30 seed Maria Kirilenko and
fifth seed Dementieva tackling Canada's Aleksandra
Wozniak.
Duffy out of hospital after life-saving surgery
AFP, London
Everton defender Shane Duffy has left hospital just days
after undergoing life-saving surgery following a freak
injury in a training match.
Duffy ruptured a hepatic artery in a collision with Irish
Amateur team keeper Adrian Walsh while playing for a
Republic of Ireland eleven against an Irish Juniors team
at Malahide United's Gannon Park stadium last week.
The 18-year-old was left fighting for his life after it
was discovered 3.6 litres of blood - around two-thirds of
his total supply - had leaked into his abdomen, leading to
a sudden and dramatic fall in his blood pressure which
might have proved fatal had doctors not managed to
stabilise him.
But he had successful surgery and left Dublin's Mater
Hospital on Friday after making a rapid recovery.
Speaking outside the hospital, he said: "This time last
week, I thought I wouldn't be here. I just want to thank
everyone in this hospital for everything they have done.
They saved my life.
"I really didn't know what had happened, it was a blur. I
woke up on Friday night with the operation done, but my
mum and dad were telling me that I had nearly died last
night. It was crazy. "But everyone in there was top-class,
and I can't thank the Football Association of Ireland
enough, the nurses and the staff."
Tamim leads Bangladesh fight-back
AFP, London
Tamim Iqbal's typically dashing 42 not out led a
Bangladesh counter-attack on the second day of the first
Test against England at Lord's here on Friday.
At tea, Bangladesh was 67 without loss but still 438 runs
behind an England first innings 505 that featured Jonathan
Trott's Test best 226 and the Tigers needed a further 239
to avoid the follow-on in the first of a two-match series.
But diminutive left-hander Tamim, who had left the field
earlier Friday after appearing to aggravate a wrist injury
while diving into a boundary rope, was undaunted, his runs
coming off 47 balls with six boundaries.
He hit through the line against Tim Bresnan for an
impressive offside four.
Bresnan's five overs cost an expensive 25 runs and he was
replaced by 6ft 7in tall fast bowler Steven Finn, playing
his first Test in England.
But, on his Middlesex home ground, Finn's third delivery
was driven straight down the ground by Tamim.
Fellow left-hander Imrul Kayes was unbeaten on 22, with
the nearest Bangladesh came to losing a wicket a couple of
potential run-outs.
Tamim's approach was in contrast to that of Trott, whose
maiden Test innings at Lord's spanned over eight hours and
featured 349 balls with 20 fours.
It was also Trott's second century in as many Test innings
in England after his 119 on debut against Australia in the
second innings at the Oval last year.
Trott was one of five wickets for fast bowler Shahadat
Hossain, whose return of five for 98 runs in 28 overs was
the best by a Bangladesh bowler in a Test innings against
England.
A match that had been meandering along, sprang into life
after lunch with Shahadat taking three wickets for 12 runs
in 21 balls.
Shahadat, 23, had Bresnan (25) taken at slip by Junaid
Siddique before inducing a rare aggressive stroke from
Trott, who guided him to Kayes at gully.
Trott's innings saw the former South Africa junior
international become only the seventh England batsman and
14th overall to make a Test double century at Lord's.
Trott's exit left England 478 for eight but new batsman
Swann, straight driving Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan
for six, revived the innings with a brisk 22 before he
holed out.
Japan coach Okada ignores
Troussier's taunts
AFP, Tokyo
Japan's World Cup coach Takeshi Okada has said he has no
plans to change his approach despite recent poor results,
brushing off taunts from former team boss Philippe
Troussier, a report said Thursday.
Frenchman Troussier-the only coach ever to take Japan to
the knockout stages of the World Cup finals-severely
criticised the team following a 2-0 defeat to Asian rivals
South Korea on Monday, saying they had a "stupid
mentality", and said Okada had "confusion in his head".
Okada came under fire for asking the head of the Japan
Football Association if he should quit in the wake of
Monday's defeat, the latest poor result for the Blue
Samurai, who also crashed 3-0 at home to a second string
Serbia side last month. Speaking after Japan's first
training session at their camp in the village of Saas-Fee,
high in the Swiss Alps, Okada said: "I think this team is
what it is."
"Sometimes you are going to have players injured or out of
condition or unavailable or whatever, but I have no
intention of making any major changes to what we have been
doing," Okada said quoted by Kyodo news agency.
"I still think this is a team that is capable of going
places. The most important thing is to keep repeating what
we have been trying to do until now." Okada took Japan to
a winless World Cup finals debut at France 1998 in his
first stint as national coach.
Troussier took the Samurai to the last 16 in the 2002
competition, co-hosted by Japan and South Korea, but four
years later they failed again to make it out of the group
stage.
Before boarding a flight with his squad from Tokyo on
Wednesday, Okada insisted he was still eyeing a semi-final
spot-an ambition that has been widely ridiculed. Grouped
with the Netherlands, Cameroon and Denmark in South
Africa, Okada's squad will train in Saas-Fee and have
warm-up matches against England on Sunday.
Imran backs Afridi for Pakistan long run
AFP, Karachi
Pakistan's legendary former captain Imran Khan spoke out
in support of Shahid Afridi on Friday, saying the
all-rounder should be given a long innings to stabilise a
team hit by controversy.
"Afridi should be given a long run as Pakistan captain,"
Khan told AFP, saying that frequent rotations at the top
destablise the team.
"Since I retired in 1992, Australia has had only three
captains while Pakistan has had more than two dozen and
that is why there is a big difference between Pakistan and
Australia."
Facing a captaincy crisis after Younus Khan stepped down
and Mohammad Yousuf was sacked, Pakistan on Tuesday
appointed Afridi captain for next month's Asia Cup and a
subsequent tour of England.
Khan said Afridi, already leading Pakistan in the Twenty20
format since last year, was the only real choice.
"Who else if not Afridi?" said Khan, Pakistan's most
successful captain with a World Cup triumph in 1992.
"I think if they had made anyone else captain, problems
would surely have persisted, so I think Afridi was the
best choice available."
"Afridi has been leading the team well in the Twenty20
format. A good captain should be brave, can handle
pressure and should have the respect of the team, so let
us give Afridi some time to settle and then judge him.
"You can never predict about him as a Test player and a
captain until you give him a chance. If he was not playing
Tests and now he intends to play, then maybe with
responsibility he performs better."
Afridi, who has not played a Test since 2006 because of
family commitments, made himself available for the longer
version of the game last week.
Khan said he does not agree with the idea of separate
captains for different formats of the game.
"Cricket is the only sport where you need able leadership
and if a captain is successful in one format he could be
successful in all three," he said. Khan sympathised with
banned former captain Younus Khan.
"Younus won Pakistan the World Twenty20 title," said Khan
of Pakistan's triumph in England last year.
Brazil to play in Tanzania in final warm-up
BSS/AFP, Dar Es Salaam
Five-time world champions Brazil are to play an
international friendly against Tanzania on June 7 in a
final warm-up for the World Cup in South Africa, Tanzanian
football officials said Friday.
"This will be a very important match. It is going to be
the last trial for Brazil in which coach Dunga would pick
his World Cup first 11, therefore people from all over the
world are interested," Tanzania Football Federation (TFF)
President Leodegar Tenga told reporters. Tenga was
addressing a news conference after signing a match
agreement with the Brazil national team match organiser
Philippe Huber.
He said the Brazilian team would fly in from South Africa
on June 6 and depart immediately after the match on the
following evening.
The Brazilians have also lined up a pre-tournament
friendly against Zimbabwe in Harare on June 2.
The World Cup begins on June 11 and Brazil will play their
first match of the tournament on June 14 when they take on
North Korea in Johannesburg.
Nadal sets up another Hewitt clash
AFP, Paris
Four-time champion Rafael Nadal set up a fourth French
Open meeting in five years with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt
on Friday as bright sunshine replaced Thursday's
torrential rain at Roland Garros.
Nadal, the second seed, was untroubled as he cruised past
Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, a fellow left-hander, 6-2,
6-2, 6-3 in his delayed second-round clash.
Former world number one Hewitt, the 28th seed and twice a
quarter-finalist, displayed his trademark gutsy talents to
see off Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6,
6-2.
Hewitt has played and lost three times against Nadal at
the French Open, in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Nadal enjoyed two breaks of serve in each of the first two
sets and was quickly 4-1 in front in the third against
Zeballos, playing in his first Roland Garros singles draw.
The 25-year-old Argentine, named ATP's newcomer of the
year in 2009, briefly rallied by breaking the great
Spaniard in the seventh game, but Nadal hit back
immediately to take the match after 1hr 45min.
On a day when nine of the top 10 seeds were in action,
Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic, a semi-finalist in 2007
and 2008, cantered to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Japan's Kei
Nishikori. Djokovic will face Romania's Victor Hanescu for
a place in the last 16.
"I didn't play well at all. He's a top player and doesn't
make many mistakes," said Nishikori, whose ranking has
slipped to 246 after 11 months out of the sport following
elbow surgery. "I had a couple of chances, but he played
well on the big points. I couldn't go forward or hit
winners."
Also going into the third round were Spaniards David
Ferrer, the ninth seed, who was 6-2, 6-2, 2-0 ahead of
Xavier Malisse when the Belgian retired injured, and
Nicolas Almagro, who saw off another Belgian, Steve Darcis.
Germany prepares for life without Ballack
AFP, Budapest
Germany prepares for life without captain Michael Ballack
when it faces Hungary in Budapest today in its penultimate
World Cup warm-up.
With Ballack out with an ankle injury, Bayern Munich
defender Philipp Lahm will take over the captain's armband
to captain the side in South Africa, but striker Miroslav
Klose will lead Germany in Budapest.
The Bayern quartet of Lahm, Germany's vice-captain Bastian
Schweinsteiger, goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt and midfielder
Thomas Mueller are being rested by Joachim Loew for the
Hungary game as the coach looks at different options.
Coached by former Dutch midfielder Erwin Koeman, the
Hungarians are expected to give the Germans the same kind
of test at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium as Group D opponents
Serbia in South Africa.
With Ballack out and Klose leading the side, Loew has
named Schalke 04 goalkeeper Manuel Neuer between the posts
in Budapest in place of injured first-choice Rene Adler.
Bremen's Tim Wiese will be on the bench with Bayern's
35-year-old goalkeeper Butt part of the quartet kept back
at the north Italian training camp to work on their
fitness.
Neuer will be Germany's first-choice goalkeeper in South
Africa and Loew is looking forward to assessing the form
of several squad members in a game environment including
Hamburg's Marcell Jansen after an ankle injury.
"We want to see some things we have been working on in
training implemented in the Hungary game," said Loew. "We
will take this game very seriously. "I also have the
opportunity again to look at one or two things.
"For example, I can see how Marcell copes again, whether
he is able to play to his best again and prove his match
fitness." While Germany lost both midfielders Ballack and
Christian Traesch with ankle injuries in recent weeks,
Hungary have a few injury concerns of their own.
"The conditions for preparation could have been better,"
said Koeman.
"There have been a few injuries and this match is a big
challenge for us, but it is essential to play the big
teams like Germany or the Netherlands to get us ready for
our Euro 2012 campaign."
While Hungary have failed to qualify for the World Cup,
Germany start their campaign on June 13 against Australia
and fly to the Republic on June 7 after their final
warm-up game against Bosnia-Herzegovina next Thursday.
But there could be problems waiting for them in South
Africa as soon as they get off the plane.
Germany spokesman Harald Stenger said on Thursday there
are no plans to switch their World Cup base in Pretoria
even though their reserved hotel has alleged problems
between the owners and the local authorities over licences.
South African media report the Velmore Grande hotel near
Pretoria, where the German team will be based from June 7
onwards, does not have the permits demanded by South
African authorities.
"I can only say that this is an issue between FIFA, the
agency Match, through which we booked the hotel, South
African authorities and the hotel itself," said Stenger.
Team manager Oliver Bierhoff said the German Football
Federation (DFB) was aware there are problems, but said it
was confident the issue will be resolved. "Sometimes
things in South Africa are ready in the last minute. But
we fully trust FIFA that we will move into our Velmore
Grande base," said Bierhoff.
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