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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Putting The Great Game on stage

A London theatre is hosting a two-month festival aimed at giving audiences a better understanding of the culture and history of a country rising ever higher up the global news agenda - Afghanistan.The Great Game - taking its title from the nineteenth century power scramble for domination and influence in Afghanistan - brings plays, films, talks and exhibitions to London's Tricycle Theatre, a venue known for tackling for political issues.The Tricycle, under director Nicholas Kent, takes the view that Afghanistan is likely to be the most important focus of British, European and American foreign policy for at least the rest of this decade.It hopes audiences will learn more about how the policy has evolved and how lessons from the past could be used for more informed action in the future.The theatre has had advice from experts on Afghanistan - its contemporary politics, as well as its history - in devising the festival's offerings.One lesson from history, in Nicholas Kent's view, is the need to do more to empower ordinary people in Afghanistan.Jemima Rooper, one of the younger actors involved in the festival, says she has concluded from working on the plays that people jump too readily to cast Afghans into "the bad guys" and "the good guys".

Chelsea stagger gives Reds hope

If Liverpool want extra inspiration for the enormity of the task they face at Chelsea in the European Champions League they need only look as far as Bolton Wanderers.Liverpool need to score at least three goals at Stamford Bridge to have any chance of overcoming Chelsea in the second leg of their quarter-final tie after losing 3-1 at home to Guus Hiddink's men last week.
Champions League fixtures

Quarter-final second leg
First leg scores in brackets

Tuesday April 14

 Bayern Munich v Barcelona (0-4)
 Chelsea v Liverpool (3-1)

Wednesday April 15

 Arsenal v Villarreal (1-1)
 Porto v Man Utd (2-2)

Bolton scored three goals in eight minutes at Chelsea on Saturday although, by the time they managed their first, they were already trailing 4-0 and Chelsea had taken off Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba with the game seemingly won.Although Chelsea held on to beat Bolton 4-3 and keep the pressure on Liverpool and league leaders Manchester United in the English Premier League title race, Bolton did show that Chelsea's defence was not impregnable.

Casey Stoner starts the season with a victory

2007 champion Casey Stoner (Ducati) won the first event of the season at the Grand Prix of Qatar. The Australian was followed by Italian Valentino Rossi and Spanish team mate Jorge Lorenzo. Next GP will take place April 26 in Japan.Australia's 2007 World MotoGP champion Casey Stoner won his third successive Qatar Grand Prix here on Monday in a race that had to be held over from Sunday because of heavy rain.Stoner eased home on his Ducati ahead of 2008 reigning champion Valentino Rossi of Italy who was second on a Yamaha while Rossi's team-mate Jorge Lorenzo of Spain was third.Stoner led from the start with Rossi dropping back to third, though the latter's compatriot Marco Melandri paid for trying to overdo it at the corner of the home straight after the first lap and ended up ploughing into the dirt.He rejoined the race but found himself at the back of the 18 rider field.Rossi moved into second with 20 laps remaining and with a two second deficit on Stoner.

Gibbs ton means big ask for Aussies

Herschelle Gibbs hit a sparkling century to lift South Africa to 317 for six in the fourth one-day international against Australia.The opener scored 110 off 116 balls and laid the platform for his team, who lead the five-match series 2-1, to post a daunting total.Gibbs and AB de Villiers, who stroked 84 off 74 deliveries, combined for a third-wicket stand of 136 as the pair took full advantage of the short length of the boundaries at St George's.Mark Boucher and JP Duminy added 65 runs off 45 balls for the sixth wicket to add impetus towards the end of the innings.Mitchell Johnson (two for 59) and Shane Harwood (two for 57), making his one-day international debut, were the pick of the Australian bowlers.The 35-year-old Harwood replaced Brett Geeves, who was unable to play due to a foot injury.

Barclays Sale Could See Executives Cash In

Hundreds of Barclays executives could be in line for multimillion-pound windfalls if the bank sells its entire asset management business, reports suggest.The bank announced the £3bn sale of its iShares division ofBarclays Global Investors (BGI) to private equity firm CVC last week.But the deal is not set in stone yet - as the contract allows Barclays to seek rival offers until June 18.It is understood the bank could receive bids for the entire BGI business during this period.The Times reported that a price tag of between £7bn and £8bn has been mooted for BGI, which would significantly increase the payouts for hundreds of bank staff who are already looking at big benefits from the iShares sale.Barclays president Bob Diamond and more than 200 executives own 4.5% of BGI through an arrangement approved by Barclays shareholders in 2000.Mr Diamond, who has 300,000 shares and options in BGI, is already in line for a payout of up to £4.7m from the iShares deal.The Times said Mr Diamond would not take part in any sale negotiations.It is understood Barclays Capital, the investment banking arm, would organise the search for a better price.Barclays, which has not formally put BGI up for offer, have declined to comment on the reports.BGI had around £1 trillion of assets under management at the end of last year, while the iShares division had £226bn.

Argentina considers dumping dollar in Latin American trade

Argentina is to propose to the Latin American Integration Association the idea of ditching the dollar in Latin American trade. It would be an extension of an existing treaty between Argentina and Brazil.Argentina is considering dropping the dollar in its trade with other Latin American countries as a way of "obtaining better liquidities," the head of its central bank said Monday.
The idea is to be floated at a meeting of the region's biggest economies to be held in the next couple of months, Arnaldo Bocco told El Mundo radio in Buenos Aires.He added that the initiative would be based on expanding a September 2008 treaty between Argentina and Brazil that allows for companies in both countries to trade with each other without using the dollar as a go-between currency.Currently, the US unit is widely used in Latin America as the reference currency in contracts, to minimize the risk of using national currencies that have been victim to hyperinflation and exchange volatility in the past.Bocco said the idea is to be presented in May or June to the Latin American Integration Association, a trade body created in 1980 that today counts Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela as members.

Troops die in India Maoist attack

At least 10 paramilitary troops have been killed in India's eastern Orissa state after dozens of Maoist rebels attacked a bauxite mine, police say.Four rebels also died in the nine-hour battle in the Panchpatmali area. Police said they had rescued dozens of people trapped by the fighting.The rebels wanted to steal explosives from the mine but fled without them, police said.The rebels are fighting for communist rule in a number of Indian states.More than 6,000 people have died during the rebels' 20-year fight.Nalco is one of India's largest aluminium exporters and the Panchpatmali mines are the company's main sources of bauxite, the primary ingredient in aluminium.The attack comes days before national elections begin in India.The rebels have called for an election boycott.

Colombo ends Norway's peace broker role

The Sri Lankan government has formally ended Norway's decade-long role as a peace mediator, saying they are close to crushing the rebels. Norway brokered a ceasefire in 2002 but a recent attack on the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo angered Colombo.Sri Lanka on Monday stripped Norway of its role as broker of the island's moribund peace process, a government official told AFP.The decision comes as the Sri Lankan government says it is on the verge of totally crushing Tamil Tiger rebels, and ends a decade-long effort by Norway to bring an end to one of Asia's longest-running ethnic conflicts."The government of Sri Lanka perceives that there is no room for Norway to act as (peace) facilitator," the official said, adding that a formal letter was handed over to Norway's ambassador to Colombo, Tore Hattrem, on Monday.The dismissal of Oslo as peace broker followed an attack against Sri Lanka's embassy in Norway by Tamil demonstrators. Colombo said repeated appeals to the local authorities to protect the diplomatic compound had been ignored.The Sri Lankan government decision also removes an important conduit for communications with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -- either from Colombo, the United Nations or other countries promoting the peace process.Sri Lanka has recently taken exception to Norway arranging a telephone conversation between a senior LTTE leader and a UN envoy to discuss the island's humanitarian crisis.Sri Lanka had formally invited the Scandinavian nation to act as peace broker in January 2000, and Oslo managed to secure a ceasefire which came into force in February 2002.

UK Docs Give Hope To 'Blind Angel' From Iraq

An Iraqi girl who was left blind, burnt and disfigured by a terrorist attack has begun treatment in Britain that may restore some of her sight.Three-year-old Shams Kareem was badly injured by an al Qaeda car bomb in Baghdad in 2006. Her mother, who was cradling her at the time, was killed.After hearing about her injuries, doctors at two top London hospitals offered to waive their normal fees.This week she began specialised treatment that is unavailable in Iraq.During a two-hour operation at Moorfields Hospital surgeons reconstructed her eyelids, which had been sealed shut by scar tissue.Her left eye was destroyed by the blast. And scans have revealed she has shrapnel in her right eye. But hope remains that it is healthy enough for a cornea transplant which could restore some sight.

Somali pirates vow revenge on US

A Somali pirate chief has vowed to target Americans in revenge for the death of three pirates killed during a US raid to free an American hostage held by the pirates.Abdi Garad said on Monday that the US forces had shot and killed the men, even after they had agreed to free the hostage."The American liars have killed our friends after they agreed to free the hostage without ransom," Garad was reported by the AFP news agency as saying."But I tell you that this matter will lead to retaliation and we will hunt down particularly American citizens travelling our waters."The news agency reported that Garad was speaking by phone from Eyl, a pirate base on Somalia's eastern coast.

US congressman comes under attack

Somali insurgents fired mortar shells towards US Congressman Donald Payne on Monday, as he was leaving on a plane from Mogadishu, but there were no casualties. Payne's trip to Somalia had been a rare visit by a US official.US congressman Donald Payne came under mortar fire Monday as he was leaving in a plane from Mogadishu airport, but no one was injured in the attack, an African Union official told AFP."The plane of the congressman was leaving and the mortars started falling. There were no casualties, but the attack was aimed at the congressman. He flew out safely," the AU official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Payne, congressman from New Jersey and a member of the foreign affairs committee, arrived in Mogadishu hours earlier for talks with President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and his prime minister on rampant piracy off the country's coast.His visit came the day after US forces shot dead three of four Somali pirates who had been holding an American captain hostage for five days in the Indian Ocean.A Somali pirate chief earlier Monday threatened to target Americans in revenge for the rescue of a US captain in a dramatic operation that saw naval snipers kill his captors.At a press conference earlier, Payne called for broader efforts against piracy off the lawless country's coast and defended Sunday's action that ended the five-day hostage standoff."Illegal activities must be dealt with, if you don't deal with criminal behavior then they will continue," he added.

Tehran 'welcomes' nuclear talks with world powers

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili (pictured) said Tehran would welcome talks on its nuclear programme with six world powers during a phone call with Javier Solana, the EU chief of diplomacy, Iran's state television has announced.Iran on Monday said it is ready to talk with a group of six world powers over its nuclear programme, a move that could help resolve the deadlock over Tehran's controversial atomic push.Saeed Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, told EU foreign policy supremo Javier Solana in a telephone call that Tehran is willing to discuss the issue, Iranian news agency ISNA reported."The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes discussion with the group of six for a constructive cooperation," Jalili, who is also a top official at Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Solana, the ISNA report said.Tehran will soon declare its official stance on the matter, ISNA quoted Jalili as saying.In Brussels, a spokeswoman for Solana said he and Jalili "had a constructive conversation this morning following last week's meeting of the six and the EU. They agreed to remain in contact."Jalili told the EU official that Iran would publish a statement in response to a message released last Wednesday by the six countries and the EU, the spokeswoman added.The Supreme National Security Council is Iran's top national security decision-making body, and in particular is responsible for the nuclear negotiations.On April 8, the United States, Britain, Russia, China, France, and Germany said Solana has been tasked to invite Iran for talks on its nuclear programme which they suspect is aimed at making atomic weapons but which Tehran denies.Global powers led by Washington are exploring possibilities for talks with Iran with the aim of stopping the Islamic republic's sensitive uranium enrichment programme.

Georgia protesters intensify action

Opposition leaders in Georgia have said they will protest around-the-clock in an effort to push their country's president from power, as demonstrations continued into a fifth day.Thousands of people gathered outside the parliament in Tbilisi, the capital, for Monday's protest, demanding the resignation of Mikheil Saakashvili.Protest leaders said they would move their demonstration to outside the president's offices in an attempt to increase pressure on Saakashvili, who has flatly refused to give in to his opponents' demands."Unfortunately our large-scale protests have not been enough for the president to resign," Kakha Kukava, a leader of the Conservative Party, said on Monday."So we have taken a decision to move towards the presidency where a protest will continue on a round-the-clock basis," he said.Helena Bedwell, a journalist in Tbilisi, told that protesters plan "to continue a permanent rally outside the presidential palace and the parliament"."They decided to put up some tents here [outside the presidential offices] meaning they want to stay overnight. They also plan to put up so-called 'prison cages' to symbolise imprisoned democracy," she said. 


Demonstrators are angry at Saakashvili's handling of last year's Russia-Georgia war and accuse him of failing to run a democratic government.

Fire in Polish hostel 'kills 21'

At least 21 people have been killed in a fire at a hostel for homeless people in north-western Poland, officials say.Another 20 were injured in the blaze in the town of Kamien Pomorski, 60km (37 miles) east of the border with Germany, which began in the middle of the night.Many of the injuries were sustained as residents jumped from upper floors of the three-storey building.At least 77 people were registered at the hostel, waiting for the local authority to provide them with housing.Emergency teams are now sifting through the wreckage of the building. The cause of the blaze is not yet known.Prime Minister Donald Tusk broke off his Easter holiday to fly to Kamien Pomorski to inspect the damage and visit the survivors in hospital, whom he said would receive new housing and aid.He also promised to personally oversee the investigation into the fire, one of the deadliest in living memory. The hostel was built in the early 1970s as a workers' hotel and Mr Tusk questioned whether anyone should have been living in such an unsafe building.

National Assembly passes Nizam-e-Adl resolution

We want to take the house into confidence. We don't want to bypass
 the parliament,’ Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told lawmakers. 

ISLAMBAD Pakistan's parliament on Monday passed a resolution urging the president to endorse a controversial deal for Islamic law in Swat that has sparked alarm about emboldening Taliba hardliners.Parliamentary affairs minister Babar Awan submitted a resolution to the lower house seeking approval for President Asif Ali Zardari to ratify Sharia Nizam Adl Regulation 2009, in accordance with legislative practice.Monday's vote comes just days after pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Mohammad, who signed the February agreement with the local government, lashed out at Zardari for not ratifying the deal and withdrew from Swat in protest.Sharia courts have already started working in Swat, a former ski resort ripped apart by a nearly two-year brutal insurgency, but where the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government says the deal can bring peace.‘We want consensus of the whole nation. We want to take the house into confidence. We don't want to bypass the parliament,’ Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told lawmakers.‘We appreciate the sacrifices made by the people of North West Frontier Province in the war on terror.‘We are committed to implement the system and the whole nation should support it,’ he added before the regulation was unanimously approved by a voice vote among those lawmakers in the chamber.Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a member of the coalition, abstained.‘We have our apprehensions, we will not take part in the vote,’ said MQM leader and cabinet minister for overseas Pakistanis, Farooq Sattar.Thousands of Taliban followers spent nearly two years waging a terrifying campaign to enforce sharia law in Swat -- beheading opponents, bombing girls'