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Wednesday, December 31, 2003
Fewer optimists than a year ago - Daily Times
"Fewer Pakistanis are optimistic about their country’s future than a year ago, a private survey has found. Gallup Pakistan said only 41 percent of respondents expressed hope about 2004, compared with 47 percent in a similar survey last year. It said nearly half of Pakistanis in the latest poll were either unsure about their future or believed their situation would not change in the New Year."
Asia has best year since 1999 - CNN
"Thailand has led Asian stock markets to their best performance for four years, with only China's Shanghai B-shares posting a loss for 2003. Top honors in the region went to Bangkok's SET composite index, which put on a massive 117.3 percent for the year as confidence returned among investors. India grabbed second spot, the BSE-30 in Mumbai finishing with a gain of 73 percent to 5838.96, within sight of its February 2000 record close of 6150. Last year's star performer, Pakistan's KSE-100, jumped another 65 percent to finish at 4471.60."
An Odd Sight in Iran as U.S. Flag Goes Up - New York Times
"For the past 24 years, the Stars and Stripes was unfurled publicly in Iran only to be burned, so Iranians were astonished on Wednesday by its sudden unveiling in an official capacity — not fluttering in the frigid winter wind, exactly, but glued to the peaked roofs of the three tents housing the American earthquake relief team. 'I guess that is O.K., but if they try to raise a flag, that will be a problem,' said Sayid Muhammad Hashemi, a burly, bearded clergyman who brought his motorcycle to a screeching halt when he saw the flags."
Pakistani Leader's New Tactic: Persuasion - New York Times
"Gen. Pervez Musharraf took power in a coup. Now President Pervez Musharraf is on the stump. On Thursday, Pakistan's president and army chief will face a vote of confidence by Pakistan's electoral college — members of Parliament and the four provincial assemblies — that would allow him to remain president until 2007 ... over the past three days, in a series of striking speeches, General Musharraf has been addressing those who will vote on Thursday, defending not only his presidency, but his vision of Islam as a tolerant religion."
Christians second-class in Muslim lands - Reuters
"Too many Islamic countries treat their Christian minorities as second-class citizens and bar them from building churches while Western states let their Muslims build mosques freely, according to a senior Vatican official ... Tauran was the latest and highest-ranking Catholic official to voice concern about Vatican relations with Muslims, an issue seen as central for whoever succeeds the ailing Pope John Paul."
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
A Nuclear Headache: What if the Radicals Oust Musharraf? - NY Times
"Under both President Clinton and President Bush, the Pentagon has analyzed whether American forces could seize or secure Pakistan's nuclear arsenal if it appeared likely to fall into the hands of terrorists or their sympathizers, part of a broad effort at planning for nuclear emergencies around the world. But a number of current and former administration officials said they had concluded that it was impossible to be certain where all of Pakistan's nuclear materials and weapons components were stored."
Canadian firm offers Rs 35b for HBL - Daily Times
"There are many discrepancies in the Habib Bank Ltd (HBL) bidding. The bank’s current market value is over Rs 71 billion, but it has been sold for Rs 22.404 billion. This was said by Maryna (Private) Limited Canada’s country head Rashid Amiruddin at a press conference here on Tuesday. He said the MLC would move the court because it was put out of bidding by raising the 'unreasonable' objection that it was not a serious buyer."
The International Herald Tribune reports on Aga Khan's bid for HBL: Aga Khan fund bids for control of Habib Bank.
The Saudi Paradox - Foreign Affairs
"Saudi Arabia is in the throes of a crisis, but its elite is bitterly divided on how to escape it. Crown Prince Abdullah leads a camp of liberal reformers seeking rapprochement with the West, while Prince Nayef, the interior minister, sides with an anti-American Wahhabi religious establishment that has much in common with al Qaeda. Abdullah cuts a higher profile abroad -- but at home Nayef casts a longer and darker shadow."
How US Manipulates News to Suit Its Interests - Arab News
"The coverage is managed and 'spun' and, when needed, shifted to new topics — positive stories of victories ... Americans and Iraqis continue to die, on a daily basis, but the stories of these deaths no longer generate front-page news coverage. For example, a series of attacks on US forces on Christmas Day resulted in four American deaths. A review of a number of major US daily newspapers found the story on page 39 in one, page 18 in another and not even appearing in another two."
Analysis: Musharraf faces killers' wrath - UPI
"Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is on a three- month race against time to stay alive in order to purge his army's senior command. And the most ruthless, determined terrorists in the world are out to kill him before that deadline. On March 23, the annual reassignments of top Pakistani Army commanders are announced ... South Asian intelligence and diplomatic sources say he is determined to purge the Islamist hard-liners in the army command and the mighty, shadowy Inter-Service Intelligence organization who hold real power in Pakistan."
South Asian peace stokes Indian tourism boom - Reuters
"Jodhpur, home to one of India's largest and impressive forts, the cliff-top Mehrangarh, has been a popular stop for travellers from far off lands since it was founded in 1459. But the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and the threat of war with Pakistan last year scared off visitors. Detente with Pakistan this year has helped persuade foreign visitors to return to the city and the rest of the country, helped by lavish government advertising campaigns overseas and India's booming economy."
A Slender Reed in Pakistan - Christian Science Monitor
"The two recent attempts to assassinate Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, expose again the fragile foundation underlying US policy regarding Pakistan's neighbor, Afghanistan, and the broader war on terrorism ... The problem is that no one can see an alternative to Musharraf. Pakistan's civilian politicians have been notoriously incompetent rulers. But the Bush administration and its allies had better be looking for other allies in Pakistan - and developing policy options that include them."
Green card lottery goes online, but fewer play - Herald Tribune
"With a Dec. 30 deadline looming and 55,000 green cards at stake, the lottery has attracted fewer than half the usual number of applications, falling to 5 million from as many as 13 million. The startling drop-off, everyone agrees, results from the fact that for the first time applications are being accepted only by computer, which government officials say has curtailed duplications and fraud."
Monday, December 29, 2003
Secular school offers hope - Financial Times
"Goth Dhani Bukhsh, a suburb near Karachi's airport, would once have been an ideal recruitment ground for militant groups, which rely on poor, under-privileged boys with few prospects. But today the enthusiasm of students in Goth Dhani Bukhsh is palpable. Unlike the poorly resourced government establishments, their school, run by The Citizen's Foundation, offers uniforms, libraries, computer and science laboratories and subsidised tuition fees. Moreover, boys and girls are educated together, which is highly unusual in Pakistan."
The Internet hasn't reeled in everyone yet - Christian Science Monitor
"Once it was edgy and cool. Now the Internet has settled down into a comfortable middle age and become merely ... indispensible. After spiking in the 1990s and early 2000s, the percentage of adult Americans online has leveled off in the past two years at 63 percent, says a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. That percentage is expected eventually to rise, but not as quickly as some had imagined."
Bollywood film on mini-war with Pakistan fills the house in India - Daily Times
"Bollywood’s take on India’s near-war with Pakistan on Kashmir’s Kargil peaks opened to a packed house amid predictions the star-studded and nationalistic film could boost the industry’s fortunes at the box office ... JP Dutta, the director, producer and writer of LoC-Kargil, shrugged off criticism that his multimillion-dollar magnum opus was jingoistic. 'Just because the peace efforts are on that does not mean we should forget about our fallen heroes,' Dutta told reporters."
Deal that would see Musharraf quit army post by 2004 - SF Chronicle
"Pakistani lawmakers on Monday passed a landmark constitutional amendment giving U.S.-backed President Gen. Pervez Musharraf extraordinary powers in return for a promise that he will quit his army post by the end of next year. Supporters hailed the legislation as a return to democracy, while opponents staged a walkout and decried the deal as window-dressing on what they say is essentially military rule."
Expert: Tehran doomed if 'big one' hits - CNN
"An earthquake that may one day strike Tehran could kill hundreds of thousands and destroy most of the buildings in the capital city of 12 million, a top Iranian scientist warned Monday ... The building codes are almost universally ignored in Iran and Tehran is especially vulnerable to quakes because there is a major fault line running across it."
The Tightrope Is Fraying Under the President of Pakistan - NY Times
"After two years of playing both sides, analysts say, General Musharraf may now have to choose. The choice remains a difficult one for the president because militancy has been useful to Pakistan's government, despite its alliance with the United States. And some say his ability to crack down on extremists may in fact be limited by his own resolve to cling to power ... On one hand it is clear he has to go against extremist Islamist groups, but he is in coalition with religious parties that support Al Qaeda and Taliban-like elements."
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Seasons Greetings from Pakistani Perspective - Yahoo Greetings
Our offices are closed for the holidays. There might be sporadic posts for the next few days. Regular posts will commence from Monday December 29, 2003.
Happy Holiday Season!
Monday, December 22, 2003
Israel's nuclear programme - BBC
"Unlike Iran and North Korea - two countries whose alleged nuclear ambitions have recently come to the fore - Israel has never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, designed to prevent the global spread of nuclear weapons. As a result, it is not subject to inspections and the threat of sanctions by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency."
Pakistan Questions Top Atomic Scientist - New York Times
"Government officials confirmed Monday that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the developer of Pakistan's atomic bomb, was being questioned about reports that some Pakistani nuclear scientists had shared secrets with Iran and North Korea."
An Op-Ed in New York Times: Pakistan's Nuclear Commerce.
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Islam 'doesn't' slow economies - Christian Science Monitor
Is Islam a drag on economic growth? Economists have debated the impact of religion on economic performance for many years. A long line of scholars has blamed the relative poverty of Muslims today on their religious beliefs. But economist Marcus Noland maintains that this long-standing view is wrong. 'There is nothing inherent about these [Islamic] societies that they have to perform poorly,' says the economist with the Institute for International Economics in Washington. 'If anything, Islam promotes growth.' "
Cease-Fire Brings Little Respite on Siachen Glacier - Reuters
"A cease-fire declared in November between India and Pakistan has brought little respite for the men posted on the glacier, where freezing weather and treacherous terrain are far more dangerous than enemy fire ... The men posted here, often at heights above 18,000 feet, can survive for only three months, their bodies wasting away, starved of oxygen, and must be replaced by fresh troops."
Florida puts up $54 million for World Cup matches - Canberra Times
"The United States has placed its hopes of hosting cricket matches in the 2007 World Cup in the hands of legendary West Indies spinner Lance Gibbs ... Gibbs and his colleagues hope to bring World Cup matches to the city of Lauderhill, 50km north of Miami, by building a 35,000-seat stadium. 'In the Lauderhill area we've got 109 acres of land and the mayor and governor have put in around $US40 million ($54 million) in order to make this a success,' Gibbs said."
If Libya can do it, why not Israel? - Guardian
"There's a logic to these things. Muammar Gadafy, growing older, and his isolated Libya, growing poorer, were getting nothing worthwhile from the atomic bomb they hadn't built yet or chemicals they had scant residual use for. Logic - and common sense - meant changing tack. Good for logic. But logic doesn't stop there. What next? If weapons of mass destruction are a menace in unstable regions such as the Middle East, if their availability must be reduced, then logic begins to move us closer to the confrontation we never seek with the nuclear power we - let alone Messrs Bush and Blair - seldom mention: Israel."
Musharraf More Valuable than Ever in 'War on Terror' - IPS
"This month's narrow escape by Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf of an attempt on his life has made him even more important to the international coalition in its 'war on terror.' ... Inside Pakistan, Musharraf is beleaguered, though he has support from the United States, British, Chinese, Russian, some European and even the Indian and Israeli governments."
Inquiry Suggests Pakistanis Sold Nuclear Secrets - New York Times
"Until the past few weeks, Pakistani officials had denied evidence that the A. Q. Khan Research Laboratories, named for the man considered a national hero, had ever been a source of weapons technology to countries aspiring to gain nuclear weapons. Now they are backing away from those denials, while insisting that there has been no transfer of nuclear technology since President Pervez Musharraf took power four years ago ... Pakistani officials said the sales to Iran may have occurred in the 1980's during the rule of the last American-backed military ruler, General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq."
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Pakistan riding television revolution - Utusan
"Television underwent a revolution in Pakistan in 2003, as new independent cable channels - many broadcasting from offshore - hit the airwaves and broke all the old rules. The phenomenal induction of private television stations broke the state's monopoly on broadcasting to thrill Pakistanis, starved of entertainment and incisive, impartial debates on domestic and international issues."
In related news, Times of India reports: Cultural coup - Indian talent wows Pakistanis.
Islam's All-Enveloping Hijab Is Hip in Indonesia - Reuters
"In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, the Islamic Hijab is hip, particularly among the rich and upwardly mobile. A walk through upscale shopping malls like Plaza Senayan in the capital Jakarta is a real eye-opener. Women are covering up, but with a dazzling array of chic, colorful and often body-hugging Islamic clothes, often complemented by the latest accessories ... 'Islamic dress has gone upper class,' says a local designer ... Even glamour models are embracing Muslim clothes."
Questions for Irshad Manji: In Good Faith - New York Times
"I accept the possibility that my sexual orientation might be a sin. But only my creator can make that judgment. But here's a question: The Koran says that everything God made is, quote, excellent, and that nothing God has made is, quote, in vain. If the creator did not wish to create me, a lesbian, then why didn't he create somebody else in my place? And given how explicit the Koran is that God has deliberately designed the world's breathtaking multiplicity, I wonder how my critics can justify their utter condemnation of homosexuality."
Irshad Manji's brief biography.
Sticks and carrots in Libya - The Observer
"The turning of Gadaffi could well encourage other dodgy holders of WMD down the road of peace ... It is rather fashionable to be blasé about WMDs. I fall into this trap myself, from time to time - especially in the wake of their stubborn refusal to turn up in Iraq. And for the many writers, flaming Meacherites, commentators and theatre people who make up the new Iraqodoxy, there never really was a significant terrorist/WMD threat. If Afghanistan and Iraq weren't about oil, they were about imperialism, and never mind September 2001."
Why Americans reach for their wallets first - Hi Pakistan
"This, boys and girls, is why so much of the world hates our guts. We capture a known despot just in time to make the Sunday morning talk shows, and within hours, the speculation on those shows is how the news will affect the American stock market. And you wonder why they call us infidels. What is it about Americans that make us first reach for our wallets? Could it be, as some of us fear, that the impetus behind this war was economic, and not the search for weapons of mass destruction - no, wait, make that a regime change?"
Friday, December 19, 2003
French Muslims Offer Little Opposition to Head Scarf Ban - Washington Post
"At a Tunisian bakery in a heavily Muslim neighborhood on the north side of Paris, a middle-aged woman with her head covered in an immaculate white head scarf shrugged off the news that President Jacques Chirac wants a new law banning Muslim head scarves from public schools. 'It's normal,' she said. 'School should be a place of equality.' The reaction was the same from the Algerian vendor at the local kebab shop."
Financial Times reports the beginning of a new thread in Denmark: Danish Muslim dismissed for wearing headscarf loses court case.
Pakistani women to marry freely - BBC
"Pakistan's supreme court has declared that adult Muslim women can marry anyone of their own free will. The ruling overturns an earlier verdict by a high court that described such a marriage without the permission of a father or brother as invalid."
India forced onto the back foot - Asia Times
"By offering to drop a 50-year-old demand for an United Nations-mandated plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has again managed to do what he has always done - steal the thunder from India in the eyes of the international community. In one stroke, he has put himself in a position that can only be a win-win situation for him. In more usual parlance, it is a move that will translate into heads he wins, tails India loses."
Asia Times has more to say on the topic: Pakistan plays a canny game.
Windfall fails to lift Pakistan's economy - Hindustan Times
"Pakistan is getting billions of dollars for its frontline role in America's war on terror, external remittances have spiralled and top rating agency Moodys Tuesday said the economic outlook has improved, but Pakistani analysts stress that development still remains on the slow track. Questions economist Muhammad Amin, 'The government claims the total liquid foreign reserves have crossed a record level of over US $11 billion. But of what benefit are such reserves if they could not change people's condition?'"
Courts set limits on terror detention - Mercury News
"The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled that President Bush has no authority to hold American citizen Jose Padilla as an enemy combatant without congressional approval, and ordered Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to release the alleged 'dirty bomb' plotter from military custody within 30 days. In San Francisco, a federal appeals panel said the government cannot keep 660 foreign fighters captured on the battlefields of Afghanistan locked up indefinitely at the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba."
Man and his moustache - Hindustan Times
"A mooch is used as a statement: 'I am a better man than you and I can prove it.' To drive the point home muchchals (moustache-owners) use their right hands to give the right end of the appendage an upward twist. It is known as taau lagana — to give it heat. It is done simultaneously with puffing out the chest."
On moustaches, unnecessary processions and Pakistan's fickle politics.
Musharraf is accused of betrayal - Gulf Daily News
"Pakistan's President Gen Pervez Musharraf was praised internationally but criticised at home yesterday for his latest peace offer to rival India, after he signalled new flexibility on the flashpoint issue of Kashmir ... the hardline Islamic opposition coalition Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal, which controls one of Pakistan's four provinces and shares power in another, said any move toward dropping the resolution would be a 'betrayal of Kashmiris' and 'surrender before India'."
Some Indian dailies are alleging that Pakistan is going back on Musharraf's word: 'Who said we'd forget plebiscite demand?'. More on the motivations for regional peace in the following Op-Ed: The Golden Bilateral?.
Thursday, December 18, 2003
Bias keeps Internet from global expansion - Seattle PI
"Rahul Dewan typed 'India' into the search box of an online stock photo service, hoping to find digital images of his native country. He found only three - all of flags. Dewan then typed 'Switzerland,' a country smaller than his, and found 33, while 'USA' returned 72. His demonstration underscores a major challenge in getting the developing world online: Even with access, the Internet remains meaningless to most of the world's population, its Web sites heavy in English and reflecting a Western tilt."
When Bombers Are Women - Washington Post
"Terrorists seek out vulnerabilities in the enemy government's countermeasures ... Profiling men exclusively, and also focusing so tightly on countries known to harbor terrorists, are significant loopholes that have not been closed despite the FBI's recognition that al Qaeda has begun recruiting women, and despite the discovery last spring that an MIT-trained female scientist may have been providing logistical support to al Qaeda."
Alternative energy to boost power generation - OCHA IRIN
"About 100 homes in a small village near the capital, Islamabad, are to be supplied with solar power in the first of a series of endeavours to bring alternative or renewable energy resources into the national mainstream over the next decade, according to an official of the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) ... AEDB's objective is to achieve a 10 percent share in the country's electrical power generation by 2010 by providing energy through alternative sources."
Love shines through the misery - Calgary Sun
" 'I am a very lucky boy,' shouts Anjomudin, in his broken English. The irony of his jubilant statement is not lost on me or my interpreter, Farid. This 10-year-old boy lives with five sisters and four brothers in a ramshackle structure at the internally displaced persons camp (IDP) known simply as 'the big one.' That, of course, is bad enough, but two months ago, Anjomudin had his left leg amputated below the knee after he was run over by a truck carrying bricks to a neighbouring shack."
Assassination 'windfall' for Musharraf - Asia Times
"As a further security measure, Musharraf employs several identical convoys, which speed off at slightly different times. Musharraf himself only decides at the last minute in which one he will ride. Helicopters are also used to keep a close eye on the route. Based on this information, the security source who spoke to Asia Times Online is adamant that the latest 'assassination' attempt was in fact carefully stage-managed by Musharraf's close staff - and at his instigation."
Another special report on Kashmir after the one in Reuters yesterday. This one considers seven possible solutions for the Kashmir conflict and discusses their practicalities. The report has pretty nice maps that you should check out if you are getting rusty on the region's geography.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Muslim women to build their own mosque : Hindustan Times
"Refusing to tolerate the ill-treatment meted out by their men, some Muslim women of Tamil Nadu have decided to build their own mosque with its own jamaat, sending tremors in the state's conservative Muslim society. Normally, under Islamic laws, women are not allowed to enter mosques ... 'This decision was taken after we found male-dominated jamaats handing down discriminatory verdicts in family disputes, especially in divorce matters,' said Sherifa, convenor of the voluntary organization Chaaya."
Bravo, go ladies go!
Pakistan manufacturer earns a fortune making bagpipes - Herald
"The British Raj is history and Pakistan is halfway round the world from Scotland, but in the bazaars and alleys of Sialkot, the pulse of the Highlands beats – or rather drones – on. For the dusty city in eastern Pakistan is home to four generations of bagpipe makers, who once kitted out Scottish regiments in what was part of Britain's India colony. Now they sell to piping enthusiasts around the world."
I found The Royal Music Company in one of my recent browsing escapades.
Pakistan to get little from peace talks: Economist - Hi Pakistan
"Economically, Pakistan will be one of Asia’s success stories in 2004. Growth will be among the fastest in the region, underpinned by inflows of foreign funds and a big debt-rescheduling package. Inflation will increase, but this is because of industrial bottlenecks and increased sales taxes, not food-price rises, says a report in Economist ... General Musharraf’s relationship with his Prime Minister, Zafarullah Jamali, is also fraught. The President would like to see Parliament run more effectively."
International Crisis Group on Kashmir - ICG
International Crisis Group has the following new reports on Kashmir:
(1) Kashmir: Learning from the Past
(2) Kashmir: The View From Islamabad
(3) Kashmir: The View from New Delhi
In related news, CNN reports: Pakistan offers Kashmir compromise. Both Musharraf and Vajpayee have shown great willingness to discuss Kashmir. Fellas, I feel this may be one of those rare moments of opportunity to move beyond the decades-old impasse.
Device on Limo May Have Saved Musharraf - Guardian
"Equipment installed on the Pakistani leader's limousine to jam devices that trigger bombs probably saved him from an assassination attempt over the weekend, intelligence officials said Wednesday. The powerful bomb that exploded moments after President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's motorcade passed over a bridge on Sunday evening was delayed by crucial seconds by jammers that temporarily disabled the bomb, they said."
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Bootlegger Paradise in 'Taliban' Pakistan Province - Reuters
"Business has never been better for the bootleggers of Peshawar. A year after a conservative Islamic bloc swept to power in northwest Pakistan, clandestine alcohol sellers speak of soaring demand for vodka and whiskey which are strictly prohibited ... While people in Peshawar shrug off perceptions in the West of a repressive, Taliban-style government in the province, moves to set up small cleric-led groups with the right to dispense justice, settle disputes and enforce sharia law have set alarm bells ringing."
Cricket: All together - it's Pakistan's big surprise - New Zealand Herald
"Pakistan's new-found sense of organisation could be their surprise weapon when the first test against New Zealand begins in Hamilton on Friday ... Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell, who was with the New Zealand team during the one-day series in India, said the worrying aspect for him was the degree of organisation surrounding Pakistan. O'Donnell, who also came into contact with Pakistan touring teams during his time in South Africa, said it was noticeable that coach Javed Miandad was running a tight ship this year and was starting to reap the benefits."
Interesting comment on the Pakistani squad. I hope we have turned the corner on unruly behavior from our cricketers.
'Victory Day' celebrated all over Bangladesh - Hindustan Times
"Bangladesh on Tuesday observed the anniversary of its independence from Pakistan with colourful `Victory Day' celebrations across the country. It was on this day in 1971 when after a nine-month war Pakistani occupation troops surrendered to the joint forces of India and Bangladesh. It is estimated that three million lives were lost in the war."
Indian Express reports Bangladesh, 32 years after. I did not find much coverage of the day in the Pakistani news media. 20 minutes later: Wait, I found a relevant Op-Ed, Bhutto and Fall of Dhaka, in a Pakistani paper.
Relocating the back office - Economist (sub required)
"The shift of service jobs to low-cost countries has only just begun. It promises huge benefits to consumers everywhere ... The debate has been brewing since a study by Forrester, a research group, in 2002 claimed that 3.3m white-collar American jobs (500,000 of them in IT) would shift offshore to countries such as India by 2015. There has been standing room only at recent presentations of a report by the McKinsey Global Institute suggesting that this process of “offshoring” benefits both the countries involved in it (see chart 1). It is, says the consultants' research arm, a 'win-win' formula."
Afghan warlord tells how he evaded U.S. capture - Reuters
"In a video recorded before the Iraqi leader's capture, renegade Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar relates how he narrowly evaded American forces on at least four occasions in the last two years, often escaping by the skin of his teeth.It is an account that graphically reveals the almost impossible task Americans have in tracking down al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden and Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, in remote mountains where they have few friends."
Pakistan to Challenge Europe's Curbs on Rice Exports - OneWorld
"Pakistan plans to contest the European Commission's (EC's) recent decision to withdraw duty exemption on high quality Pakistani rice, protesting that it will not only cause the country's exporters losses of nearly US $50 million, but will aggravate the condition of millions of farmers reeling from last year's poor crop ... The exemption was part of a scheme that gave trade preferences to countries fighting drugs."
Sun fined for illegally exporting computers to China - Mercury News
"A Bay Area technology giant is facing heavy fines for shipping some of Silicon Valley's technological wizardry to China, where it was used for military purposes ... Sun shipped a powerful E5000 server without the required license in February 1997. At the time, Sun filed paperwork stating that the server was destined for the 'Automated Systems Ltd. Warehouse' in Hong Kong. Federal agents found the machine at the Changsha Institute of Science and Technology in Changsha, in mainland China."
Soft drinks are hot - and getting hotter - Beverage Daily
"Soft drinks are set to become the biggest beverage sector in the world, overtaking hot drinks, with consumption rising by around 5 per cent a year ... Asia, along with the Middle East and eastern Europe, accounted for all of the top five fastest growing countries over the past five years, with the highest growth achieved by Pakistan, with volume up by 146 per cent since 1997."
Monday, December 15, 2003
The world's expanding waistline - Economist
"When the world was a simpler place, the rich were fat, the poor were thin, and right-thinking people worried about how to feed the hungry. Now, in much of the world, the rich are thin, the poor are fat, and right-thinking people are worrying about obesity. Evolution is mostly to blame. It has designed mankind to cope with deprivation, not plenty."
'Musharraf may have engineered life bid' - Hindustan Times
"Contrary to claims made by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that a bomb blast at a bridge near Rawalpindi was directed specifically at him, highly placed sources in Islamabad say that he may have engineered the incident to retain Washington's support as key ally in the war against terror and to strengthen his hold on power."
Trade promises to drive peace process - Asia Times
"Ahead of next month's South Asian summit in Islamabad, India is pushing the idea of increased trade as the engine of regional peace that has, for more than half a century, been held hostage by the intense rivalry between India and Pakistan ... South Asia is one of the world's few regions that does not have a free trade agreement and there is hope that this situation will change if the long-awaited South Asia Preferential Trade Agreement is signed at the January summit."
Musharraf urged to allow more democracy - Financial Times
"The head of Pakistan's main Islamic political alliance on Monday urged General Pervez Musharraf, the country's military ruler, to allow more democracy as an essential step towards curbing militancy. The remarks from Qazi Hussain Ahmed, leader of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) came amid a country-wide search for suspects following Sunday night's bomb attack aimed at Gen Musharraf in Rawalpindi. Mr Ahmed warned the government against a fresh campaign aimed at Islamic groups, responding to speculation that Islamic activists were high on the list of potential suspects."
An Islamic Terrorism Suspect in Norwegian Refuge - New York Times
" 'Americans came to our area, destroyed our organization and our mosques and killed our brothers, and if now my brothers inside Iraq attack American soldiers, it's a very, very natural reaction,' he (Mullah Krekar) said recently, ripping ruby kernels from a pomegranate in his small living room. He said he did not condone attacks on civilians inside Iraq or on Americans outside it ... His good-natured aplomb has apparently charmed some Norwegians ... So many admirers have asked him for a photograph that he put one on his business card."