The World News Headlines (Nº489)

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16 May 2013

The World News Headlines Rushanara Ali MP goes on halal attack

This Week Government ‘lies’ on deaths

Al Jazeera has obtained video footage suggesting the Bangladesh government has been providing inaccurate death tolls from recent violence. According to officials, 11 people died during fighting between police and protesters from Hifazat-e-Islam on May 6, but Human Rights Watch said: “Independent news sources put the figure at approximately 50 dead, with others succumbing to injuries later.”

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ethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali has attacked the Government’s response to pork DNA being found in halal meals served to students in London.

In March, Rushanara wrote to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, Rt Hon David Heath MP, calling on the Government to take “immediate steps to ensure high standards are maintained in our food supply chain.” Yesterday, the BBC reported that Halal lamb burgers had been removed from schools in Leicester after tests on a sample burger found traces of pork.

In his response to Rushanara Ali, the Minister said: “In light of the recent incidents of food adulteration, including pork in halal products, retailers and industry bodies have agreed that more and tougher testing of products will take place.”

Rushanara said: “While I welcome the Minister’s response on principle, I am also very keen to ensure that any new testing regime really will be as tough as the government is promising.

“My constituents are rightly concerned about the standards of meat being served to their children and I will continue to hold the government to account on this issue, which is of critical importance to so many British Muslims.”

Ali: wants tougher tests

PKK fighters leave Turkey Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman (far right) launches the new community centre with representatives of Unite and Barclays

Mayor opens community centre in Tower Hamlets

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unique partnership between Tower Hamlets Council, the Unite trade union and Barclays has resulted in a new community centre.

As part of the Mayor of Tower Hamlets’ priority to support local business and get people into work, the new service is aimed at helping people with employment and welfare issues.

The centre at the iconic St Georges Town Hall, Cable Street was official opened Monday, May 13. It is the first of a number of such centres that will be rolled out by Unite, the country’s largest trade union, with the support and co-operation of Tower Hamlets Council.

The centre is an innovative approach by Unite and the Mayor of Tower Hamlets to providing new training,

welfare advice and job seeking skills, and opened with support from Tower Hamlets Council and a capital grant from Barclays to fund a state of the art ICT learning suite.

Unite General Secretary, Len McCluskey; Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman ; and Group Employment Director for Barclays, Dominic Johnson spoke at the opening ceremony in front of more than 50 members of the public.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman said: “I am delighted to be working closely with Len McCluskey, Unite and Barclays in making this community centre a reality.

Job creation is one of my top priorities and this centre is going to play an important role in helping people find work. I am particularly pleased to be work-

ing in partnership with Unite.

As the recent terrible tragedies in the garment industry in Bangladesh have shown, and as the struggle of workers’ to be organised in the old sweatshops here in the East End have also demonstrated, trade unions play a critical role in ensuring people enjoy safety, security and fulfilment at work.”

Unite General Secretary, Len McCluskey said: “We are near what were once the great London docks, which until the late sixties, employed tens of thousands of dockers.

“But times have changed.

Tower Hamlets has changed.

The dockers have been replaced by finance workers in Canary Wharf . But alongside the wealth of this global finance centre is great poverty.

“That is why this centre is

needed and that is why our partnership with the mayor of Tower Hamlets and Barclays Bank will provide a vital resource to the local communities.”

Group Employment Director for Barclays, Dominic Johnson said: “Barclays is pleased to be supporting the creation of this valuable new centre, which we hope will help people across the borough find pathways into work through new learning opportunities.

It is important that Barclays plays a broader role in the communities in which we live and work, beyond what we deliver through our core business activities, such as supporting projects like this and our existing educational and employment support programmes such as Life Skills and Barclays Spaces for Sports.”

Politicians ask police to ban planned EDL demonstration

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abour politicians in Tower Hamlets have condemned the English Defence League’s plans to march on Tower Hamlets later this year and are asking the police to ban it.

Details of the EDL demo planned for the 24th August were released on Facebook yesterday afternoon.

Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Sirajul Islam, said: “The people of Tower Hamlets are clear, the divisive EDL are not welcome in our community.

“Tower Hamlets is proud of the diversity which makes up our resilient community those who preach hate and segregation have no place here, that is

why the police must now step in and ban this demonstration.

“We hope that the Mayor and other political parties will join us in our call for this event to be banned.”

Labour Candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets and current London Assembly Member, John Biggs, said: “The EDL only want to come to our

Borough to cause disorder and to try to provoke division.

“Free speech is important but we have spent many many years challenging division and building a strong community, based on respect and a belief that the richness of diversity is a great strength of the East End. They have no place here,” added Mr Biggs.

The first group of Kurdish fighters to withdraw from Turkey under a peace process has entered northern Iraq. PKK fighters began leaving their positions in southeast Turkey on May 8 after a ceasefire declared by Abdullah Ocalan, their jailed leader, in March to end a conflict that has killed 40,000 people.

Bomb kills NATO troops

A roadside bomb struck a US convoy and killed four American troops in southern Afghanistan Tuesday, while a motorcycle bomb in a crowded village market in a neighbouring province killed at least three people. The blast that hit the American convoy took place in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, said Colonel Thomas Collins, a NATO spokesman.

Syrian eats enemy’s heart

A ghastly video on CNN shows how barbaric the Syrian civil war can be. A man, said to be a well-known rebel fighter, carves into the body of a government soldier and cuts out his heart and liver. “I swear to God we will eat your hearts out, you soldiers of Bashar. You dogs.

God is greater!” the man says.

“Heroes of Baba Amr ... we will take out their hearts to eat them.” He then puts the heart in his mouth and takes a bite.

Arrests after Turkey blast

At least 13 people in Turkey have been detained in connection with the deadly weekend car bombings near the Syrian border, the semiofficial Anadolu news agency reported Tuesday, quoting a top government official. At least 47 people died and about 100 were wounded when two explosivesladen cars blew up Saturday in the town of Reyhanli.

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16 May 2013

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News This Week

A woman interviewee who has been involved with the UK Forced Marriage Unit assistance program tells her story of forced marriage and family pressure.

When she was 17 years of age she was forced to marry her mother’s nephew against her will during what she thought was a family holiday in Pakistan. Image: UK Foreign Office

Nawaz Sharif back in power

Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister whose government was overthrown by a military coup more than a decade ago, is back on top in Pakistan. According to unofficial results disclosed Sunday from the country’s violencemarred elections over the weekend, Sharif’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, looks to have won most of the seats in the National Assembly.

France to tax smartphones

France is preparing to tax smartphones, tablets and all other internet-linked devices to help fund the production of French art, films and music.

The proposal was made in a government-commissioned report that was broadly endorsed

by President François Hollande’s socialist administration.

US-Iranian stands in election An Iranian-American college professor hopes to be Iran’s next president. But the motivation for Hooshang Amirahmadi’s campaign is to re-establish trust between the US and Iran.

“The biggest challenge right now is the lack of trust, a trust that over time, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has been diminished to zero,” he said.

Man City sack Mancini

A year to the day after winning Manchester City’s first championship in nearly half a century, coach Roberto Mancini was sacked as the club’s ambitious Abu Dhabi owners finally lost patience with the Italian. The 48-year-old Mancini’s dismissal follows City’s shock FA Cup defeat by Wigan on Saturday and their inability to defend the English Premier League title.

Pyramid smashed for road

A Mayan pyramid that has stood for 2,300 years in Belize has been reduced to rubble, to make fill for roads. Local media in the Central American country of 334,000 people report the temple at the Noh Mul site in northern Belize was largely torn down by backhoes and bulldozers last week. “This is one of the worst that I have seen in my entire 25 years of archaeology in Belize,” John Morris, an archaeologist with the country’s Institute of Archaeology, said “We can’t salvage what has happened out here – it is an incredible display of ignorance.”

May acts against crime and forced marriages

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ome Secretary Theresa May has introduced a raft of measures to create new and simpler powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, make forced marriage illegal and improve professional standards of the police were introduced today in the new Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill.

The Bill will: l condense 19 existing measures to deal with anti-social behaviour into six, more effective powers, giving victims the ability to ensure action is taken and a greater say in the sanction an offender receives; l encourage responsible dog ownership by making it a criminal offence to have a dog that is dangerously out of con-

trol in a private property (extending the current legislation which covers public places); l tackle the use of illegal firearms by gangs and organised crime groups, by increasing the maximum penalty for illegal importation/exportation of firearms and create a new offence

of possession for sale or transfer; l provide the new College of Policing with the powers it needs to set standards for the police in England and Wales; and l extend the powers and remit of the Independent Police Complaints Commission to ensure all serious allega-

‘Forced marriage is little more than slavery. It is an appalling form of abuse and by criminalising it we are sending out a clear message that this brutal practice is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK’ Theresa May, Home Secretary

MP Ali ‘deeply disappointed’

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uring the opening exchanges of the House of Commons debate on the Queen’s Speech, local MP Rushanara Ali warned the Prime Minister that he was failing to take any action to tackle the alarming increase in child poverty under his Government.

Ms Ali said: “According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, after the tax and benefit changes introduced in 2010, by 2020 one in four children will face child poverty, missing the Child Poverty Act goal of one in 10. Why does the Queen’s Speech not contain anything to address that major problem in our country?”

The latest Institute for Fis-

cal Studies research found that relative child poverty in the UK is projected to increase by 6% between 2010–11 and 2020–21, reversing all of the reductions achieved during the previous decade.

In 2020–21, child poverty is projected to be 23.5%, compared to the official target of 10%. This translates to increases across the decade of 1.1 million in the number of children in relative poverty.

The Queen’s Speech, which was delivered to Parliament on Wednesday 8th May and set out the Government’s legislative agenda for the coming year, did not mention the

Government’s responsibility to adhere to the Child Poverty Act passed by the previous Labour Government in 2010.

Following the speech, Ms Ali said: “With nearly half of children in my constituency growing up in poverty, I am deeply disappointed that the Queen’s Speech contains nothing to address the major problem of child poverty.

“The IFS has found that the Tory-led Government’s tax and benefit policies are pushing one million more children into poverty and it is undoing all of the significant progress made by the previous Labour Government in lifting children out of poverty.”

tions against police officers and staff are investigated robustly and independently.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “Police reform is working and crime continues to fall. We have swept away central targets, reduced bureaucracy and introduced Police and Crime Commissioners to make the police more accountable.

“Today we are delivering on our pledges to give victims of anti-social behaviour a stronger voice, further cut crime and improve the relationship between the public and police,” she said.

The government has also taken action to strengthen the protection for victims of forced marriage by making it a criminal offence.

British army take part in Qur’an contest

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he British Armed Forces won an honourable mention at the prestigious International Military Quran Recital Contest in Saudi Arabia. They were the first ever non-Muslim nation to take part in the contest.

The Quran recital competition involves 117 competitors from over 24 different Muslim countries. Competitors are tested on their Quranic knowledge and are then judged on their accuracy.

Three British representatives attended: Wing Commander Mohammed Ahmed MBE, Lance Corporal Muhammed Taju-Deen who took part in the contest, and the Muslim Chaplain to the Armed Forces, Imam Ali Omar.

LCpl Muhammed Taju-Deen received an honourable mention by the judges including the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and the Imam to the Mosque of Medina, Sheik Hudaify.

This was a huge achievement for LCpl Muhammed Taju-Deen who has been reciting the Quran since childhood but had only three weeks to prepare for the contest. “I was honoured to take part in this competition and whilst I only had three weeks to prepare I gave it my best shot,” he said.

“To receive an honourable mention from such high-profile spiritual leaders was incredible. To be invited to recite my passage in front of the Imam of Medina was a huge honour and one I will never forget”.

More white foster parents needed, say Tower Hamlets council workers

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o coincide with Foster Carer Fortnight, which started on May 13, Tower Hamlets Council is campaigning for more foster carers, particularly those from the white community.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman said: “Foster carers are the borough’s angels, looking after some of the neediest local children.

“Foster Care Fortnight is a great opportunity to stop and celebrate the fabulous work they do, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their wonderful efforts.”

Councillor Oliur Rahman, cabinet member for children,

Oliur Rahman: ‘rewarding’ schools and families, said: “Fostering a child is one of the most rewarding things a person can do.

“If you have ever thought ‘one day it would be nice to foster children’, why not get in touch today? There are many children living locally who would be incredibly grateful.”

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16 May 2013

News Sir Alex lifts cup for last time as Man U manager

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ir Alex Ferguson marked his final match as manager of Manchester United at Old Trafford by lifting the Premier League trophy on behalf of his team.

United beat Swansea 2-1 but had already won their 13th Premier League title and club’s 20th championship on 22 April.

Ferguson, 71, was given a guard of honour before the match and addressed the crowd after the final whistle.

“Everyone at the club and you the fans have been the most fantastic experience of my life,” said the emotional Scot.

“Thank you. I have been very fortunate to manage some of the greatest players in the country.

These players have won the championship in fantastic fashion. Well done to them. When we had bad times here, everyone stood by me and your job now is to stand by your new manager.”

Ferguson will end his 26year reign after the club’s last match of the season, at West Brom on Sunday, 19 May. The former Aberdeen boss, who won 38 trophies during his time at Old Trafford, will be succeeded by fellow Scot David Moyes.

What’s your favourite film of the last 100 years?

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he results are in. Movie lovers have voted Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge as their most favourite feature film from the past 100 years of Indian cinema in a poll conducted by Sanona, the UK’s largest online Pay Per View (PPV) Indian movie streaming service.

The hit romantic comedy that made super stars of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol won by a landslide, taking 47% of the votes in the online poll conducted across social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, email and via the movie portal itself to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Indian film industry.

Written and directed by Aditya Chopra, son of the legendary Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra, also known as the King of Romance, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge beat a selection of ten all-time greats which included classics such as Raj Kapoor’s vagabond story, Awaara (1951), Mehboob Khan’s melodrama, Mother India (1957), and Ramesh Sippy’s iconic curry western, Sholay (1975).

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, or DDLJ as it is also commonly known, was among the first Indian films to be produced with the large and rich South Asian diaspora in the West as its target audience. The

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cess to essential resources.”

The charity he was representing undertakes a range of initiatives to alleviate water shortages and poverty.

He added: “As a self-declared sovereign state, Somaliland has fell short of appeasing the UN and acquiring international recognition, which has left them bereft of any foreign investment.

“Although many of the

‘The country is in dire need of foreign aid’ Abu Talha Choudhury

Jolie has breasts removed

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer. She said her doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer.

“I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much I could,” she said.

Liverpool drugs gang jailed

Top of the pops: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (main); Awaara (top right); Mother India (1957) film introduced the Non-Resident Indian into modern Hindi cinema, making overseas desis and scenic foreign locations the heart and soul of storytelling.

The trans-continental romance filmed in the UK, Switzerland and India was declared an all-time blockbuster and remains the

longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema, completing 900 weeks at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai on 11 January 2013.

The film tells the story of a young couple (Raj and Simran) who fall in love on a European vacation, and relates how the boy tries to win over the girl’s

‘DDLJ beat a selection of ten all-time greats which included classics such as Raj Kapoor’s vagabond story, Awaara (1951), Mehboob Khan’s melodrama, Mother India (1957), and Ramesh Sippy’s iconic curry western, Sholay’

parents so that she can marry him rather than the groom that her father has chosen for her.

When it released on July 25, 1995, DDLJ received rave reviews from critics worldwide and became the second highest grossing film of Bollywood in 1990s after Salman Khan’s Hum Aapke Hai Koun. It was also the second film to surpass the 100 crore mark worldwide.

In 1996, DDLJ film won 10 Filmfare Awards including four major awards in the Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress categories. It also won National Film Awards for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

Global Aid Trust worker ‘humbled’ by visit to Somaliland young Bangladeshi man representing charity organisation Global Aid Trust has made a visit to Somaliland to see for himself the challenges faced by local people.

Abu Talha Choudhury visited the war-ravaged and droughtridden country and found scenes of extreme hardship.

“I was very humbled by the experience in Somaliland, which exposed a very harsh state of reality,” said Mr Choudhury.

“The country which is situated in the horn of Africa is in dire need of foreign aid, a fact which was evident through the preposterous living conditions and the limited or no ac-

This Week

people I met were happy about the lack of intervention and foreign influence, I feel as though it was a demonstration of hollow nationalism, which seems to be waning day by day.

“The country has hopes of providing quality education, provisions for widows and orphans, an economically-viable system and greater access to essential resources, most importantly of all, clean water.

In addition to supporting existing projects, many of these hopes can be achieved through the support of our donors.

“I was very humbled by the experience and pray Allah continues to help us to help them.”

A Liverpool-based gang that supplied tens of millions of pounds of cocaine and heroin to the streets of Glasgow have been jailed. Father and son Christopher Welsh Snr, 55, of Regal Walk and Christopher Welsh Jnr, 34, of Payley Close, led the plot, Liverpool Crown Court heard. A further seven members of the gang were jailed, with 21 more due to be sentenced soon.

£3m payout for crash victim A recruitment consultant who suffered “catastrophic injuries” when he was hit by a car driven by a priest is to get more than £3m in compensation. Father John Richard Cole, from Merthyr Tydfil, hit James Kennedy with his Peugeot in Rome on 14 January 2006. The 37-year-old from Gosforth, Newcastleupon-Tyne, was left brain damaged and in a wheelchair.

Suicide woman blames tax

A woman who killed herself left a note blaming the government. Stephanie Bottrill, 53, from Solihull in the West Midlands, died in the early hours of 4 May after being hit by a lorry on the M6 near her home. Her family said she had been worried about how she would afford an extra £20 a week as a result of changes to her housing benefit.

‘Stay united’, says Brown

Abu Talha Choudhury helps a Somali man during his visit

Former prime minister Gordon Brown said the anti-independence fight has to be based on a union for social justice with fairness at its core. He made the comment during a speech in Glasgow to launch his party’s United with Labour campaign.

The SNP’s deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon had earlier dismissed Mr Brown’s view that taxes would have to rise in an independent Scotland.

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Features Myanmar refugees die

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everal boats carrying as many as 150 people are believed to have capsized near the western coast of Myanmar as local residents scrambled to avoid a storm that’s approaching the area, a UN agency said.

The boats ferrying Rohingya, a long-suffering Muslim minority, are reported to have run into trouble on Monday night as they traveled from Pauktaw township in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, said Kirsten Mildren, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Bangkok.

One of the boats was towing the others, and between them they were believed to be carrying 100 to 150 people, she said, noting that the exact number of boats and people involved is uncertain as conflicting reports from Rakhine continue to emerge.

Some people are reported to have survived and made it to dry land, according to Mildren. Hindered by heavy rain and choppy waters, rescuers have found some bodies floating near the scene of the disaster, she said.

The boats were part of an effort to relocate people in Rakhine away from low-lying areas ahead the potential arrival of Cyclone Mahasen, a storm that may hit parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The advocacy group Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns about the safety of tens of thousands Rohingya and other Muslims who were driven from their homes and into camps during sectarian attacks by Buddhists in Rakhine last year.

Human Rights Watch estimated that half of the roughly 140,000 displaced Muslims are now “living in flood-prone paddy fields and coastal areas that may be hit by storm surges associated with Cyclone Mahasen.”

Teenage survivor found in rubble

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Bangladeshi teen buried for 16 days under the rubble of a garment factory where she worked spoke for the first time Monday about her harrowing struggle to survive.

Nineteen-year-old Reshma vowed to never again work in the country’s garment industry, where she was earning the equivalent of $60 a month.

Reshma spoke at a news conference as she was steadily recovering at a military hospital in Dhaka. Rescue workers saved her Friday. She was found in the factory’s basement in a pool of water, according to rescue official Lt. Col. Moazzem Hossain.

It’s unclear if water from recent rains or rescuers’ hoses trickled to where she was trapped, breathing through an air pocket. Firefighters had hosed down the area to extinguish a fire that erupted during another failed rescue attempt.

“I heard voices of the rescue workers. I kept hitting the wreckage with sticks and rods to attract their attention,” she had previously told reporters from a hospital bed.

At about 3pm, Abdur Razzaq, an army sergeant deployed to help search the 7,000 tonnes of rubble that was all that remained of the Rana Plaza, picked up the faint sound of metallic tapping.

“I heard the sound and rushed towards the spot. I knelt down and heard a faint voice. ‘Sir, please help me,’ she cried,” Razzaq told the Guardian.

On April 24, the Rana Plaza collapse brought carnage. As each day passed, the death toll crept from the tens to the hundreds. On Friday, it had surpassed 1,000. Finding anyone alive seemed incredibly unlikely. But then came the sound of an iron rod that Reshma had. And then her pleas.

“I’m alive,” she shouted. “Please rescue me!”

The teen recalled that when the collapse of the nine-story building began, she was working on the third floor. She managed to crawl to the basement. On the way down, some of her clothes were torn off. When she reached the basement, she found extra clothes in the garment factory. She put them on. When cameras captured Reshma being laid on a stretcher Friday, she was wearing a bright pink scarf and a purple flowery top.

Reshma is still struggling to remember everything that happened. But she said she’s sure it was purely God’s will that she survived. She will never go back to the factory job she started in April, she said.

The garment industry accounts for 77% of Bangladesh’s exports – a $20 billion industry for the nation. The Rana Plaza

The collapse of the factory in Savar, near Dhaka, is now confirmed to have killed more than 1,000 people.

After 16 days of digging and rescuing, there seemed no hope of finding anyone else alive. But against seemingly impossible odds, a teenage factory worker named Reshma was found alive deep within the rubble of the collapsed factory

collapse, believed to be the deadliest in the history of the clothing industry in the nation, has trained an international spotlight on low pay and unsafe conditions in Bangladeshi garment factories that produce products for European and North American consumers.

The collapse occurred a day after cracks appeared in the structure of the building. Despite the danger, garment workers were told to report to work, CNN Money reported.

How much for a denim shirt in the U.S. and in Bangladesh?

The European Union, Bangladesh’s largest trade partner, said last Tuesday that it was considering trade action against Bangladesh. U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said businesses that operated in the collapsed building “appear to have links to numerous companies in the US and Europe.”

He added they would work with US companies on “improving working conditions, including in Bangladesh.”

The Rana Plaza disaster has also prompted Bangladeshi officials to review how the garment industry operates. The owners of the factories in the plaza and the owner of the plaza have been arrested. Meanwhile, 100 factories in Ashulia, a suburban area near Dhaka, have been shut down for an indefinite amount of time, Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said Monday.

Also on Monday, the country’s national news agency reported that the government’s Cabinet approved a draft of the Bangladesh Labour Act aimed at protecting workers’ rights and safety.

Cabinet Secretary M. Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters the amendment would also “help increase productivity,” according to BSS, the news agency. Officials have also promised to reexamine how much garment workers are paid. The news came on day 19 of the search for survivors. Authorities are reporting that 1,127 bodies have been recovered.

The army-led recovery operation is winding down, and authorities say they plan to end the recovery today (Tuesday, 14 May).

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Western companies agree to new plan to prevent accidents &M, the global fast fashion store, on Monday agreed to support a new plan to prevent fires and building collapses in Bangladesh apparel factories. The company’s announcement prompted a flood of international brands to also join in. Spanish brand Zara’s parent company Inditex, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger owner PVH, along with Dutch retailer C&A and British retailer Primark all signed the agreement that promises to overhaul the way health and safety is monitored in Bangladesh.

The agreement comes in the wake of the deadly Bangladesh factory building collapse that killed more than 1,100 workers three weeks ago. Since then, companies that source goods from Bangladesh have been under immense pressure to take action to prevent such tragedies.

The five-year plan calls for independent safety inspections and for companies to publicly report the findings. It is backed

by IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union, which represent workers in 140 countries. It also requires retailers to help finance fire safety and building improvements in factories they work with.

Companies who sign on will have to terminate business with any factory that refuses to make necessary safety upgrades.

PVH, the only American company to sign the pact, said it will commit up to $2.5 million to underwrite the program, and C&A is pledging 5 million euros, or $6.5 million. H&M and Inditex wouldn’t say how much they plan to give.

Labor experts said the agreement paves the way for meaningful changes in a way that hasn’t been done before. While most major retailers already have safety standards and monitoring protocols for their factories in place, there has been virtually no transparency about the process.

Companies like Wal-Mart, Sears, J.C. Penney, Gap, Joe Fresh and Benetton all say that they conduct safety audits and enforce standards. But inspections are conducted by auditors they hire, and the results are never made public. None of these companies have signed on to the agreement yet.

“We shouldn’t have to wait to find out after a factory collapses if one of the retailers we buy from is making clothes in a death trap,” said Liana Foxvog, director of organizing and communications for the International Labor Rights Forum, an advocacy group that worked to create a similar agreement.

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10 January 2013

The World News Headlines This Week Gang rape case: five in court

Walmart, the world’s largest retail company, has been found to have had ties to a garment factory in Bangladesh where 112 workers were trapped and killed in a fire in late November 2012. The company, which buys $1 billion in garments from Bangladesh each year, initially tried to deny any connection

Mayor fires off angry letter over Banglatown

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ayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman has published a letter clamming planned changes to the borough’s electoral wards following the conclusion of a public consultation.

In the strongly-worded letter, Mr Rahman called on the Local Government Boundary Commission to scrap its plans to re-name wards after the tumultuous consultation period came to an end on Monday.

Mr Rahman’s detailed his response to the plans, writing that he objected in the “strongest possible terms” to the pro-

posals to scrap ‘Banglatown’, the removal of ‘St Dunstan’s’ from the Stepney Wards, and the re-naming of East India and Lansbury as Poplar North.

Referring to the move to drop the name ‘Banglatown’ from the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward, he wrote: “I struggle to comprehend why any individual or political entity would regard dispensing with this name as desirable, aside from as a very cynical blast on the proverbial dog whistle, aimed at attracting support from people who resent the Bangladeshi com-

‘Renaming the (Banglatown) ward as merely ‘Spitalfields’ would be a hugely reactionary, retrograde and provocative step’

Mayor Lutfur Rahman munity’s presence in t he area.

“Accordingly, renaming the ward as merely ‘Spitalfields’ would be a hugely reactionary, retro-

grade and provocative step”.

The Commission is due to publish its final recommendations in Spring this year.

Its draft proposals had also attracted criticism for removing the names of former Labour Party leader George Lansbury and former Bishop of London St Dunstan from

ward names in the borough.

Mr Rahman concluded: “I hope that you will consider my submission, as well as the views of hundreds of local residents expressed in related petitions, extremely carefully when arriving at a final decision.” eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk

Five sentenced to death for murder in Dhaka of Saudi diplomat

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special tribunal sentenced to death five Bangladeshi men for killing a Saudi diplomat in an apparent street crime earlier this year.

Initial speculation about the shooting had focused on Iran, which denied the accusations.

The suspects told investigators they were trying to rob the diplomat and shot him accidentally.

Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali, a 45-year-old official in the Saudi Embassy’s consu-

lar section, was killed near his home in Dhaka in March.

Tribunal Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain handed down the verdict Sunday, chief prosecutor Rafiqul Islam said. One of the men was tried in his absence, Islam said. He said the men can appeal the verdict.

Iran has been accused of other international attacks or attempted attacks against diplomats, including Saudis. Days after the shooting, Saudi Arabia sent investigators to assist

Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali was killed near his home in Dhaka Bangladeshi detectives. The defendants pleaded not guilty at the trial. After their arrest in July, the four men told investigators they tried to rob the

diplomat as he was going for a walk on the deserted street and shot him accidentally during a scuffle.

Police said the men were ar-

rested after a revolver and a car used in the killing were found in their possession.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh enjoys good relations with Saudi Arabia, which is a top destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

Relations between the countries were tested in October last year, when Saudi Arabia beheaded eight Bangladeshi workers who were found guilty of robbing and killing an Egyptian.

www.banglapost.co.uk englishnews@banglapost.co.uk

Five men accused of raping and murdering an Indian student were read the charges in a nearempty courtroom on Monday after the judge cleared out lawyers for bickering over whether the men deserved a defence.

The 23-year-old physiotherapy student died two weeks after being gang-raped and beaten on a moving bus in New Delhi, then thrown bleeding onto the street.

Protests followed, along with a fierce public debate over police failure to stem rampant violence against women. With popular anger simmering against the five men and a teenager accused in the case, most lawyers in the district where the trial will be held refuse to represent them.

British soldier shot dead

A British soldier serving with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan has been shot dead by a man in an Afghan army uniform, according to the US-led military coalition. In a statement released on Tuesday, ISAF said that the incident, which took place in southern Afghanistan on Monday, was “under investigation”.

“The British soldier was killed when a suspected Afghan soldier opened fire first at Afghan troops and then at British soldiers,” said Major Martyn Crighton, an ISAF spokesman. “In the subsequent engagement, the attacker was killed by British troops.”

Many killed in drone attack

At least eight people have been killed in two suspected US drone attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal areas, security officials say.Both attacks took place in the Mir Ali area of the North Waziristan tribal district in the early hours of Tuesday. In Khiderkhel, eight missiles were fired at a compound, killing at least four people, security sources told Al Jazeera. In Essakhel, meanwhile, two missiles were fired, killing at least three people.

Messi named world’s best

Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi has been named world footballer of the year for the fourth time in a row, marking another unprecedented achievement. He pipped Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo to the title.

No other male footballer has been named the best on the planet in four separate years, let alone four in succession.

Bangla Post is looking for a salesperson. You will need good communication skills and good interpersonal skills. To apply, call now on: 0207 729 5295 or email info@banglapost.co.uk

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16 May 2013

Features UMC Athletics competition

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Stepney FC win 14 out of 18 games to take Premier title Stepney FC have cruised home as champions after winning a record breaking sixth Inner London Football League Premier Division title. Emdad Rahman reports

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he Tower Hamlets based team Stepney FC have enjoyed a terrific run of form – winning 14 out of 18 league games since the start of the season. During a thrilling title run in, second placed E7 had won 5 games to take the race for Championship to the last game.

Stepney played Mohammedan SC on 28th April 2013 in the season’s penultimate game. There was early frustration from both teams as the match referee called offside to rule out an early goal for Stepney followed by another for Mohammedan after a foul on the keeper.

Stepney’s patience paid off as they took the lead in the 30th Minute after a long free kick from keeper Shamimuz Zaman was spilled by the Mohammedan keeper. Forhan Uddin was quickest to react and ripped the net as he struck home a rasping drive.

In the 35th minute, Stepney’s experienced winger Muffazul Uddin was hacked down in the box by the Mohammedan left back and the referee did not hesitate as he pointed to the spot.

Muffazul dusted himself and stepped up to take penalty, beating the keeper but the effort rebound off the post.

Mohammedan rallied and an assault on the opposition six yard box resulted in a five shot goal scramble. Stepney’s stubborn rearguard blocked, kicked and thwarted the impending threat.

With 20 Minutes remaining, Manager Mujibur Rahman made two bold substitutions which had the hundred odd Stepney supporters and players raising their eyebrows. Experienced Russell

‘I’m very proud of our record-breaking title win and thanks to our miserly back four, the personal award is just the icing on the top.

We’ve worked so hard and it’s really paid off’

Chowdhury was replaced by Quentin Monville and the clubs record goal scorer Jahed Khan, commonly known as “Zola,” came on for influential midfielder Forhad Ahmed.

The changes were inspiring and within 5 minutes of his introduction Zola picked up the ball on the right wing, twisted and turned 2 defenders before unleashing a fierce shot to the bottom corner of the goal.

The crowd were in raptures as they knew there was no way back from that goal. Mohammedan collapsed and Muffazul redeemed his earlier penalty miss by wrapping up the win.

The game ended 3-0 and Stepney lifted the Premier Division Trophy for the 6th time.

Khalis Miah, Stepney FC’s President said: “This team is all about heart, enthusiasm and determination. The players are a credit to the club and their achievements will inspire our youngsters. We are a very proud family here.”

Other records were shattered as Stepney finished second in the goal charts with 52 league goals. A miserly defence conceded 23 goals, easily the lowest in the league and outstanding keeper Shamimuz “safe hands” Zaman was named as the recipient of the Premier Division Golden Gloves accolade for his outstanding performances between the sticks.

“I’m very proud of our record breaking title win and thanks to our miserly back four, the personal award is just the icing on the top,” he said. “We’ve worked so hard and it’s really paid off. We will be celebrating but remain focused on the upcoming summer league, where again we will be gunning for more silverware.”

Highlights of the season included a 6-3 drubbing of Mohammedan SC. Top scorer Mustapha Shahid led the line with 21 goals followed by Forhad Ahmed with 8 and the immense pairing of Sam O’ Brian and Abdi Samad. There were goals from all positions with 12 different goal scorers throughout the season.

he United Madrasah Championships in Athletics 2013 (UMC) organised by London Islamic School (Ford Square Mosque) in partnership with Newark Youth London took place on 1st May 2013 at the famous Mile End Stadium.

The event involved six Tower Hamlets based Independent Secondary schools for boys named Mazahirul Uloom London, Ebrahim Academy, Jamiatul Ummah, London Islamic School Darul Hadis Latifiah, London East Academy as well as one from Leyton named Lantern of Knowledge competing against each other in mini olympic style fashion to be labelled the United Madrasah Championship winners 2013.

The event was further enhanced by health stalls promoting healthy eating and healthy living in Tower Hamlets to provide information, advice and guidance to pupils who don’t always have the opportunity to access such services.

After a hard fought day, where young people worked relentlessly to gain points for their respective year groups and schools overall in events including Archery, 4 by 1 relay, high jump, discus, triple jump, 80m hurdles and many others, all shields were swept up by Jamiatul Ummah as they won the year 7, 8, 9, 10 and overall championship shields with the hosts, London Islamic School coming up as runners up.

Arif Abdurrahmaan, the founder of the annual UMC events and PE Teacher at London Islamic School said ‘There is so much talent in independent schools in the field of Athletics which sometimes goes unnoticed, an event like this helps keep the Olympic legacy alive by bringing together all the local independent schools so we can identify some of these prospects and refer them to borough teams as well as promoting healthy eating and lifestyles overall’.