sabato 21 marzo 2009- syndicated with KINGSHUK Regd DA no. 327 Bangladesh - Vol. 35 No. 8

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On 21 March the world will celebrate “International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination”. This year, ahead of the European Parliament elections and in a context of economic crisis, this Day takes on even more significance: politicians at both EU and national levels must mitigate the impact of the crisis on ethnic and religious minorities and ensure Europe’s social cohesion. Racism remains a deep-rooted problem and with the increasing insecurity that people feel about their future it is likely to increase in the coming period. In addition, Roma, Traveller and Sinti communities, vulnerable migrant communities and the diverse Muslim community are among those who are most likely to be deeply affected by the consequences of the economic crisis. Politicians must therefore show leadership in prioritising social objectives in this context of increasing inequalities and persistent discrimination. They should in no event use the current crisis to promote messages fuelling xenophobic and racist attitudes and undermining the EU values of equal treatment and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. ENAR Director Pascale Charhon said: “The principles of the Charter of European political parties for a non-racist society, signed by the main EU political groups in 2001, must be upheld, including the commitment ‘to refuse to endorse in any way views and positions which stir up or invite hos-tility or division between people of different ethnic or national origins or religious beliefs’.” This is all the more important as ENAR’s 2007 shadow report on racism in Europe shows a rise in political parties expressing racist sentiments, not only on the margins of politics but increasingly within the mainstream, as well as a worrying trend towards increasing racist violence in a number of EU member states. ENAR President Mohammed Aziz said: “We urge national and European political parties to be a strong force in the fight against racism. In particular in the current context of economic downturn, the fight against racism and discrimination requires consistent and ongoing commitment. Instead of falling into the easy ‘trap’ of xenophobia, politicians should convey the message that equal access to jobs, accommodation, schooling are crucial to build a prosperous and cohesive society.”

International Day Against Racism The economic crisis must not become tantamount to racism

ENAR President Mohammed Aziz

The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) is a network of NGOs working to combat racism in all EU member states and represents more than 600 NGOs spread around the European Union. ENAR aims to fight racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, to promote equality of treatment between EU citizens and third country nationals, and to link local/regional/national initiatives with European initiatives.

Editor’s Choice By Rukunuddin Ahmed Editor KINGSHUK NEWS&VIEWS

Analysts tend to think that India and the US had played a well coordinated role from

behind in bringing Sheikh Hasina's grand alli-ance to power through an election. But the sub-sequent developments seem to indicate that both have different agenda to pursue and differ-ent interest to advance. The question is being focused after visits of the Indian Foreign Minis-ter Pranab Mukharjee and the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher.

DISPUTES India has kept numerous bilateral disputes pending with Bangladesh over the decades. The 1974 Mujib-Indira agreement relating to border has not been implemented by India on the plea that the Indian parliament is yet to ratify it. However, without waiting for Delhi's initiatives, Dhaka on its part had it ratified in the parlia-ment and kept its part of the agreement. The problem with Tin Bigha corridor; the road tran-sit facility with Nepal, dispute over sharing of Ganges water and the territorial right over Tal-patty island remain unsolved. The killings of Bangladeshi citizens by Indian Border Security Force personnel continues unabated. Indian

campaign against a Muslim majority Bangla-desh is a continuous phenomenon.

INDIAN INTEREST The question of signing agreements on transit and the formation of joint task force was high in discussion before Pranab's visit but the actual outcome was something else. Mukharjee signed two agreements with Bangladesh. One of the two deals is basically a renewal of an old one relating to transit of Indian goods through Bangladesh. The new one, Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement is com-mitted to allow Dhaka to invest in the Indian market, particularly in the northeast of that country. The first deal has smoothen ways and means for intrusion into Bangladesh of the previously abandoned TATA like projects, while the second one has started the ball rolling toward signing

of a new deal on transit and trans-shipment in coming months. Although Article 8 of the 1980 bilateral trade agreement stipulates that both countries will facilitate land, air and water transits of goods, the prospect of allowing land corridor to India always predicated upon Delhi first allowing Bangladesh the similar facilities with Nepal and Bhutan; to allow the two landlocked small neighbours the much wanted privilege of using our port facilities in Mongla and Chittagong, and thus help establish regional connectivity. Curiously, that prospect - which was wrapped in an approach to resolve the connectivity issues of all neighbours - has never received any serious attention from Delhi, despite Bangladesh hav-ing allowed India inland water transit facilities pursuant to the IWT&T Protocol of 1972 - at Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Khulana and Mongla - and the last CG having signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in mid-February 2008 with respect to mutual air services. Sources however say the transit deal's draft version has already been gathering dust for quite a while, and, we have no reason not to believe. For, on March 13, 2008, Sudhakar Dalela, the councillor for trade and commerce at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, was quoted by an Indian media outlet as having said the 'Bangladesh government was actively con-sidering the Indian proposal to allow Chit-tagong port for use by India' to transport goods to Tripura's border town of Sobrom, which is only 75 km from Chittagong port. Prior to that, officials from both governments visited the proposed transit zone and prepared reports. The proposed deal, which may be signed any time, contains permission for India to connect Kolkata and Agartala by using Bang-ladesh land to reduce distance between West Bengal and Tripura from 1,500 km to 350 km.

BANGLADESHI INTEREST Bangladesh Foreign trade Institute (BFTI) iden-tified seven obstacles in the face of improving business and trade between the two neighbours. The problems remain hanging for last 38 years since the Independence of Bangladesh. The problems are related to sensitivity of the goods, non-tariff barriers, standardizations of the products, packaging and warehouse facility. The unsolved problems contributed to widening gap in balance of trade that presently stands at about $3000 million against Bangladesh. The SAFTA even could not help improve Bangladesh Business position with India. Bilateral trade is something where a label play-ing field is needed to balance the book. That India's export to Bangladesh overshot $3.6 billion mark in FY 2007-08 alone (which was just $1 billion in FY2001-02) - against Bangla-desh's export to India reaching only $350 mil-lion - is not indicative of the prevalence of any positive ground for Bangladesh, let alone a label playing field. Besides, revenue earned from bilateral trade is always distinct from what can be expected as tolls from Indian transports once they are al-lowed to cruise through our territory, although, such revenues will constitute an integral part of the overall trade basket. Now look from a different angle. In return for signing the air transport deal in February 2008, Bangladesh received a promise of only US$150 million line of credit from India for railways development in bordering areas. The stipulated allocation indicates the money has to be spent to shore up India's interests, and, it was a credit. Yet, this measly offer has created so

much of hypes among the CG stalwarts that the army chief rushed to India to upstart the Dhaka-Kolkata train service which has now become a venture lost in the wilderness. Question also remains, in terms of raw cash, how much they could be and are they nearly enough to make any significant difference to propel the trade relationship toward a viable label playing field? Studies show Bangladesh is likely to receive, in distant future, $500 million revenue if the pro-spective toll from a regional connectivity scheme-comprising of transports from Nepal & Bhutan too- is added together. Until Nepal and Bhutan are added to the scheme in a regional approach to connectivity, Bangladesh's annual earning from Indian transport alone can not be more than $100-$150 million at the most, an-nually.

US INTEREST Meanwhile, Bangladesh has chosen a non-economic issue - regional task force- to fight against terrorism at this time when the entire world is facing economic instability following the global financial meltdown. Bangladesh formally proposed setting up of a regional task force to fight terror but received a lukewarm response from India which made it clear that such a framework alone was not enough and required "sincerity" to fight the menace. "So far as the concept of regional task force to fight terrorism is concerned, already certain regional and international mechanisms exist. All of us are part of UN Security Council resolu-

tion....to ban terrorist organisations," Mukher-jee said at a joint press conference with Dipu Moni. However, Richard Boucher appreciated Bangla-deshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposal for setting up an anti-terrorism task force in South Asia. But he said they will see how other countries in the region will react to it. If neces-sary, U.S. will look forward to supporting it, he added. He said U.S. extends all cooperation so terrorists cannot use the soil of Bangladesh. Richard Boucher also expressed US desire to assist Bangladesh in securing its unprotected maritime boundary if Dhaka desired. "I think there is some interest in maritime patrol so that you can protect your sea areas better," Boucher told journalists at the Zia International Airport on the eve of his departure for India. Two US generals had come to Bangladesh before Boucher's visit. In stead of pursuing the TIFA, US this time took up a new issue concerning Bay of Bengal. The USA is actually looking for an opportunity to have its presence in the Bay of Bengal where Bangladesh has got maritime disputes with both Myanmar and India. The possible presence of US navy in the name of securing Bangladesh maritime boundary is perceived to be a treat to the geo-strategic inter-ests of the close neigbours like India, Mayan-mar and China. Demonstrations already voiced their concern against the US presence in the Bay of Bengal in the name of security. It would put Bangladesh in to a vulnerable situation.

French opposes global NATO role France opposes a global role for NATO and wants Russia to be consulted before any further expansion of the alliance, the French defense minister said in an interview. France's vision about NATO is relevant because European defense officials have said Paris is in talks to take control of two command posts — including one in Norfolk, Virginia, that is re-sponsible for laying out a long-term vision for the alliance. "We believe that NATO enlargement must be put in the perspective of the need not to weaken NATO," Defense Minister Herve Morin told The Associated Press, adding that any move must take into account "the relationship with Russia." The former Soviet states of Georgia and Ukraine have been looking to join NATO. "These are things that cannot be decided without speaking to our Russian neighbor," he added. The minister spoke as France's National Assem-bly was about to debate President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans for the country to rejoin the NATO military command that it withdrew from 43 years ago. The plan by the conservative president has drawn fire by critics on left and right, who say that France would be giving up too much inde-pendence by moving closer to an alliance many see as dominated by the U.S. "The renovation of the strategic concept, the renovation of the alliance's missions, must not lead, in our view, to a NATO that would become a 'global NATO'," he said. NATO is "first a col-lective security pact. Today, it's an instrument of peacekeeping and security — it's that above all." U.S. officials — and to a lesser extent, other member states — have in the past mentioned the term "global NATO" with a view toward

increasing its operational zone and partner-ships, alliance spokesman James Appathurai said. Critics fear that could create a rival for global tasks better suited for the United Na-tions, he said. Morin said France has no plans to boost its military role in Afghanistan — NATO's toughest test — beyond the French 3,300 troops there now, adding that rejoining the military com-mand is "not a prelude" to a troop increase. "We've made a considerable effort in the last 18 months — more than 1,000 men — and that for now there's no question of going beyond that," he said, referring to France's troop increase in Afghanistan last year. In 1966, President Charles de Gaulle, infuriated by seeming British-American dominance of the alliance, pulled France out of NATO's com-mand, uprooting its Paris headquarters and evicting U.S. forces from French soil. But France never left the alliance altogether, and over the last two decades has been moving closer to it because the Cold War menace has been giving way to new global threats like ter-rorism. "Quietly, we have taken back a major role in the heart of the Atlantic alliance, without ever hav-ing brought up this issue with the French peo-ple," Morin said. Today, France is the No. 4 contributor to NATO in terms of troops and money, and has taken part in all alliance missions since the mid-1990s, said Morin. France now sits on all but two NATO committees, its nuclear planning group and the integrated military command. France, along with Germany, is hosting NATO's 60th anniversary summit next month.

Relations Bangladesh & India

Syndicated newspaper of Italy with KINGSHUK registered DA no. 327 Bangladesh

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Roma Communities in Italy * NATO VS SERBIA * Political Asylum in 2008 in Italy * Poligrafici Editoriale Group

In response to recent political developments and the most recent wave of racism against Roma people in Italy, a coalition of organiza-tions, including UNIRSI, undertook a first – hand human rights documentation in Italy (between 23 and 30 may, 2008). That organi-zations conducted a surveying doing interviews to approximately 100 Romani persons who

were living in formal and informal camps in Rome, Naples, Florence, Brescia, Milan and Turin. The organizations visited many formal and semi formal camps including: Secondigliano and Centro Lima (Naples); Salviati, River, Casilino 900 and Martora (Rome); Via Tribu-gnano (Milan); Nomads Camp of Brescia for Italian Sinti. The coalition also visited the following infor-mal camps: Scampia, Ponti-celli, Santa Maria, and Torre Annunziata Nord (Naples); Cave di Pietralata and an unnamed camp closed to Cave di Pietralata (Rome); Corsico and Bacula (Milan); Via Germagnano (Turin). Despite being the country of Europe with the lowest per-centage of Roma / Sinti (Greece counts equal num-ber to Italy but with a popu-lation of only 10 million of people) Italy is behind at least 25 years compared to all policies integration for the people of the Roma / Sinti. While there are no official Census, a census carried out from various organizations (incluiding UNIRSI) on a national scale shows that the Roma and Sinti in Italy are about 170,000, of which 70,000 with Italian citizen-ship and 100,000 (in constant increase from Bulgaria and especially Romania) from the Balkans. 30% of those 100,000 comes from Yugoslavia, and the rest comes from Romania, with a few hundred presences coming from Bulgaria and Poland. The last two generations of Roma "Yugoslavs" were born in a country, Italy, which does not recognize the “jus soli” and then denies to children the basic requirements for a balanced education and integration: citizenship. The minority of Roma / Sinti is characterized by low life expectancy (the average age is about 40 to 50 years) and by the presence of a high percentage of children (60% of the Roma and

Sinti population is less than 18 years old. The 47% of children is from 6 to 14 years old; 23% of children is between 15 and 18 years old; the remaining percentage of children (30%) is between 0 and 5 years old). The Roma and Sinti people with italian citizen-ship are about 70,000. Today in Italy the Sinti and Roma communities (called "gipsies" and

"nomads" in dispregiative and ethnocentric way) are still object of discrimina-tion, exclusion and segrega-tion. Discrimination is extended to all fields, in both the public and private, so the exclusion and economic and social segregation of Sinti and Roma becomes ethnic discrimination (Recommendation n.1557/2002 Council of Europe). In Italy, the many Roma and Sinti communi-ties are not recognized as National Linguistic Minori-ties and therefore do not enjoy the rights that this

status provides. The social policies aimed at Roma and Sinti populations tend openly to social inclusion, and integration. Sinti and Roma communities are rarely considered protagonists of social thinking, of policies of integration, direct parti-cipation and cultural mediation. Italy denies to

Sinti and Roma communities the application of the European directives on Linguistic Minori-ties protecting minority languages and also denies the Convention on National Minorities. In many cases Roma and Sinti see denied the basic rights like residence, health, education, work. In Italy we still build the "nomads camps" which are places of segregation that imprison individuals against their will. In Italy, most of Councils, in contrast with the constitu-tional provisions (Article 16), deny the right to reside and move freely within the national territory to so-called "nomads" or "gipsies". In this tragic situation Roma from Slovenia, Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland, Hungary are suffering all that extremely discriminatory policies. Entire families flee from their native lands due to ethnic conflicts and civil wars and Italy denies them the most basic rights. For more information, please, read the text in attached pdf file at Web site: www.unirsi.net

Roma communities in Rome, Naples and Milan

Brussels - After NATO bom-bed the then-Yugoslavia for 78 days in 1999 to force Serbian forces to pull out of Kosovo, the commanding US General Wesley Clark was asked how many targets were destroyed. 'Enough,' Clark said. Now, 10 years since it launched its aerial campaign against the Serbian military, NATO still gives no figures about the number of targets it destroyed. There is also no NATO figure on the number of civilian ca-sualties of the bombing, as only the political goal matte-red: to stop the ethnic clean-sing carried out by Slobodan Milosevic's regime against the majority ethnic Albanian po-pulation in Kosovo. 'A just and necessary action' is how former (1999-2003) NA-TO secretary general George Robertson described NATO's first war, which effectively involved the entire member-ship, then 19 countries. The campaign was conducted by his predecessor, today the European Union's chief diplo-mat, Javier Solana, as an in-tervention to prevent a huma-nitarian catastrophe. Already in late 1998, 300,000 Kosovo Albanians were on the run from Serbian forces. 'We were able to stop and reverse the worst ethnic clean-sing ... in Europe in the past half century,' Roberston said. In Brussels' NATO headquar-ters, the aerial war against Serbia - 38,000 flights, out of which 10,484 carried precision bombs - is considered an im-portant success. The population in Kosovo was protected and the road for its return home cleared with Milosevic's capitulation. At the same time, contrary to what Milosevic had hoped for and expected, the alliance did not disintegrate and the front against him remained intact. Most of all, a message was sent to Russia, where Boris Yeltsin was still president, that NATO was a military force to be taken seriously. 'Could it have been done bet-ter?' The question heads a page on NATO's official websi-te, acknowledging a series of issues that remain open. One of them is whether the intervention was legal without a mandate from the United Nations Security Council. Another asks whether there was indeed a genocide to warrant an attack. NATO chiefs allow themselves no doubts of their righteou-sness and often point that not a single Allied was killed in

action. Critics, however, say that is so because only high-altitude missions were allo-wed, even if that lead to civi-lian casualties. Officials in Brussels vehe-mently deny any disregard for civilian life, insisting that

targets and weapons were carefully selected for each mission, with an aim to avoid unintended casualties and damage. 'Despite all this, it was inevita-ble that some mistakes would occur and that weapon systems would sometimes malfunction,' Robertson has acknowledged. According to the international organization Human Rights Watch, 90 mis-sions produced civilian casual-ties. But NATO shrugged that off, noting that figures amounts to less than 1 per cent of all sor-ties. NATO heads also dismiss allegations of bias, pointing out that Serbs in Kosovo also enjoyed NATO protection, safe from vengeful attack of the Albanians. Another unan-swered que-stion, now a decade old, is what finally forced Milosevic to capitulate? NATO says it was in response to the increasing devastation of Serbia under the steadily increasing power of bombing attacks and the threat of a

ground invasion. Others point to Yeltsin's withdrawal of full political support, perceived in Belgrade as Russia's betrayal. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Presi-dent Jimmy Carter's security adviser, says that Yeltsin and Milosevic miscalculated with

their plan, spoiled by NATO, to keep at least a part of Koso-vo Serbian. NATO plans no special occa-sions to mark the 10th anni-versary of the war on Yugosla-via, which meanwhile disinte-grated further when Monten-gro split from Serbia. A year ago, Kosovo, which was under UN administration

since Belgrade's capitulation to NATO in June 1999, unila-terally declared independence from Serbia. By Dieter Ebeling

ANALYSIS: NATO VS SERBIA a decade on: Could it have gone better?

Italy's Poligrafici Editoriale Group recently updated its content-management systems with the Atex Hermes solution to fully integrate its digital prepress processes, from the ad department to printing. allowing u-sers to control production in real time at every step. Poligrafici Editoriale Group publishes three dailies (Bologna's Il Resto del Carlino, Florence's La Nazione and Milan's Il Giorno) that joined in crea-ting QN, Quotidiano Nazionale, a common title with news from Italy and abroad about politics, economy, finance, recent events and sport. With newsrooms editing more than 700 pages per day, the QN system is a unique among Italian newspapers, according to Atex. The group combi-nes national and international covera-ge with detailed local information, using an innovative content and layout model. The project sought to change from manual management of editorial planning to full automation and inte-gration with the editorial system. Before implementing Hermes Super-visor TQ, layout specialists followed a labor intensive process of drawing

directly on the editorial pages, based on information provided by the ad sales department. Now live with Su-pervisor TQ, ad planning is directly produced by the ad sales departments, making it immediately available for the newspapers' prepress offices. Supervisor TQ improves workflow management, offering a single system that can be used by the ad sales depar-tment and editors, eliminating need for an external program to manage the different levels of ad dummying. Besides eliminating several interfaces and implementations, Supervisor TQ enables users to check activity status, track changes and view advertising and editorial content during production, making it possible to solve conflicts and mistakes in advan-ce and shorten production times. "By automating the workflow, Hermes Supervisor TQ allows regular, accura-te product tracking for all people in-volved in the workflow. The benefits we get from this new implementation add great value in a complex editorial environment such as ours," Poligrafici Editoriale IT Director Marco Pagani said in a statement.

Atex Hermes at Italy's Poligrafici Editoriale Group

Rome, March 18 - Italy received 31,000 requests for political asylum in 2008, mainly from migrants who landed on its southern shores, accor-ding to official data presented by an anti-racism umbrella group. The group, which includes the Ita-lian office of the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, said that 75% of the 36,000 migrants who

arrived in Italy last year had sought asylum. According to national stati-stics bureau Istat there were 3.5 million immigrants living in Italy in 2008, half a million short of the figure provided by Catholic aid group Caritas. The Caritas figure would make the percentage of immigrants in Italy more than 6.7% of the average in

Europe. According to figures relea-sed by the Italian interior ministry earlier this year, around 37,000 people landed on Italian coasts in 2008 - a 75% increase on 2007. This is over half the total number of mi-grants who arrived in Europe by sea last year, which totalled around 67,000.

31000 SOUGHT

POLITICAL ASYLUM

IN ITALY

IN 2008

Syndicated newspaper of Italy with KINGSHUK registered DA no. 327 Bangladesh

sabato 21 marzo 2009 www.newsandviews.eu NEWS&VIEWS

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BIMAN Bangladesh Airlines Operation in Italy * Crespi Bonsai * Etihad Airways * UK’s first divorce exhibition * Asian Holi Festivals

Interview of G.C. Barua Country Manager Italy & Greece Rukunuddin Ahmed editor of NEWS&VIEWS: As BIMAN’s country manager Italy and Greece, how competitive price and services you offering in compari-son with other airlines serving the destination to Bangla-desh?

G.C.Barua: Yes, Bangladesh’s BIMAN is the best in price and services from FCO (ROME) - Dhaka direct flights. N&V: How you facilitate passengers for accompanied and unaccompanied baggage?

G.C.Barua: Biman allows 40 KGS free baggage allow-ance and 07 KGS as cabin baggage which no other air-lines allow, this the special advantage of immigrants and regular passengers from Europe. N&V: Are you planning for expand more flights in sum-mer schedule?

G.C.Barua: Effective 29.03.09 i.e. during summer schedule BIMAN is planning to operate 2 direct flights ROME-Dhaka in a week which will be more convenient for the Bangladeshis community. And we will also offer special packages at summer for frequent travelers. From Feb to Jun we offered a very special fare which is well accepted by the ethnic passengers. N&V: Are you achieving your targets of sales, services and marketing?

G.C.Barua: Biman has achieved its target more than the target given by the head office during calendar year of 2008 based on 01 frequency instead of 02 with the sin-cerest efforts of all BG personnel in Rome as well as GSA. And as special services. frequent flyer Program has been introduced from July 1999 (out of 10 performed jour-neys, 01 free ticket is granted on the same sector except CCU, KTM,RGN,BKK and SIN). For marketing and sales point of views, we offering free tickets to its approved agents against good productivity and also it is carrying human remains of Bangladeshi people free of charge on humanitarian social ground.

BACKDROP OF BIMAN Biman is the national carrier of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The corporate body is 'Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd' while the trading name is Biman Bangla-desh Airlines. Biman is a member of IATA. Incorporated in Bangladesh, it came into being on January 04, 1972 initially with a Second World War vintage Dakota, DC-3, a gift from the Air force. The present Biman fleet has four DC- 10s, two Airbus planes, two Boeing-747, two 737 planes and a F-28s for operating its domestic and 16 international destinations. Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited (BBAL) is still losing its revenue due to lack of initiatives to purchase three engines for its own DC-10 aircraft, stranded in the hanger for the last several months. If the DC-10 aircraft would have come into the fleet of the national flag carrier with purchase of three engines, the BBAL could have returned one Boeing-747 aircraft this year, which was taken on lease from Nigeria. Agreement of leasing will end on March 16 of Nigeria based aircraft and another on July 16 of Thailand based aircraft this year. And can purchase those engines with USD 6 million for making DC-10 wide bodied aircraft serviceable. DC-10 plane stranded in hanger An official of Biman said the national flag carrier com-pany has leased four aircraft from different airways com-panies, which included two Boeing-747 aircraft, two 737 planes. Biman pays USD 1.3 million against the two air-buses per month. But, one S2ADH Airbus is still in Sin-gapore for delivering it to the original supplier company for three months, as supplier demanded from Biman to return it with serviceable position. Biman is also paying charges to Singapore Aviation Authority, as airport and hanger charges. Biman has suffered a cumulative loss to the tune of Tk. 1481 crore till FY2007 – 08 and up to 2007 – 08 Biman had a cumulative debt of Tk.672 crore to the Civil Aviation Authority on account of landing and parking charges and another amount of Tk. 1150 crores to Petroleum Corporation on account of fuel purchase. The government paid both these amounts as govern-ment’s contribution in the equity of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited (BBAL). If the government had not paid this amount then this amount minus Taka 19 crore shown as profit would have been described as loss. How in financial year 2007-2008 Biman earned a net profit of Taka 19 crore? During the tenure of the last Caretaker Government about 2000 employees of BBAL were either sent on forced retirement or on VRS (Voluntary Retire-ment Scheme). For this exercise Biman had to take a loan of Tk. 306 crore from the World Bank, payable in 15 years with interest at the rate of 5 per cent. In 15 years Biman (BBAL) will pay nearly Taka 600 crore according to calculation. While, Biman leased two Boeing-747 air-craft for smooth operation of Hajj last year with USD 5,390 and 5,300 per block hour. And Biman has to spend at least USD 2.67 million per month against the two air-craft. US$ 2.5 billion deal: Biman sealed a deal worth around US$ 2.5 billion (Taka 17000 crore) to procure 8 new Boeing Aircraft during the tenure of the Caretaker regime. According to the agreement, Boeing will hand over the 463-seat 777-300 ER in 2013 and the 294-seat 787-8 in 2019 and 2020. The payment schedule of this purchase expands up to 2030. The Special Assistant has claimed that Biman has paid Tk. 82 crore out of its own fund to confirm the Boeing deal. Between June and De-cember 2009 Biman will have to pay an amount of US$32 million more. How far this exercise becomes fruitful remains to be seen as the prospective financier will judge Biman’s projected cash flow from its earnings before they decide to invest.

BIMAN Bangladesh Airlines Operation in Italy

Brighton played host to the UK’s first divorce exhibition at the weekend, and concluded to a very amicable end rather than in an acrimonious part-ing of ways. The Starting Over Show was hosted at the Barcelo Old Ship Hotel in Brighton on 15 March. The show deals with divorce and relationship breakdown and provided a relaxed atmosphere conducive to helping people discuss and solve their problems. Organized by Suzy Miller with support from Eco Events, around 500 visitors attended the one day event and proved such a hit that more exhi-bitions may be forthcoming. Support was on offer from pastors, financial advisors, divorce specialists and guest speakers. Exhibitors ranged from the Mystic Housewife, who delved into visitors’ futures, life coaching companies to re-build shattered confidence and workshops for single parents. Miller tells expoabc.com: “I wanted to create an event that didn’t solely focus on the negative aspects on divorce. It’s a collaboration of helpful guidance to show people how to overcome their differences genially, despite maybe dislik-ing each other intensely. I’ve been divorced myself, and the lack of support out there was frightening.” Visitors attended from all over the UK and even from overseas. One lady, all the way from Athens in Greece, asked Miller to host the show over there in the future. “That, coupled with the feedback I’ve received from exhibitors, means I’m seriously considering more shows dotted around the country as the next step forward,” says Miller.

UK’s first Divorce Exhibition 

Asian community Enjoying Holi  Festivals together in Italy Holi is an ancient festival of Indian sub-continent and was originally known as 'Holika'. The festivals finds a detailed description in early religious works such as Jaimini's Purvamimamsa-Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras. Historians also believe that Holi was cele-brated by all Aryans but more so in the Eastern and Northern part of India. It is said that Holi existed several centuries before Christ. How-ever, the meaning of the festival is believed to have changed over the years. Earlier it was a special rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and the full moon (Raka) was worshiped. The Holi event was celebrated on 11th march 2009 by Asian community in Brindisi, southern part of Italy. Every event which comes in year is cele-brated with great enthusiasm, although they belong to different countries, religion and cultures. This is the festi-val of colors, joy, happiness and healthy relationship. Some part of India people celebrate it three/four days. People who belong to the birth place of “Lord of Krishna” are more dedicated for this festival.

Etihad Airways , the flag-carrier airline of Abu Dhabi, does not have any redundancy issue and will in fact continue to grow its workforce by five per cent every year, a senior official from the company said yesterday. "We are not firing anybody and we also didn't freeze our recruitment. We are taking care of our people and we are trying to utilise them more," Dr Salwa Al Nuaimi, Vice-President, Talent Acquisition, Human Resources at Etihad told Emirates Business. "Etihad currently has more than 7,000 employees and we want to increase that by approximately five per cent more every year," she said on the side-lines of the 11th Global Businesswomen and Leaders Summit. "Etihad is blessed. It's a new company and it's growing fast. We think what is happening now wouldn't affect Etihad that much, especially because we are being taken care of by the Abu Dhabi Government." Al Nuaimi, however, acknowledged that the global crisis may still cause big-ger problems to the airlines industry, which is already reeling from a slow-down in passenger traffic. "I think we should still look at the businesses glob-ally and on other things that are happening around us. This will, of course, affect our target," she said. Al Nuaimi said Emiratis currently comprise around three per cent of the workforce but the company is on track to in-creasing the headcount by providing training in technical, engineering, cadet pilot and managerial programmes. The company has also launched a call centre programme, which will act as an initial springboard for the UAE nationals to the airline's other core busi-nesses. It will also encourage Emiratis to take cabin crew positions. "Hopefully in the next two to three years we can see local cabin crew on Etihad ," she said. "You see, the UAE is changing all the time. Nobody thought that we would have two female pilots."

Etihad to raise workforce by 5%

Crespi Bonsai was the first company in Italy that imported bon-sai and now holds a position of solid leadership in its field, thanks espe-cially to rigour and strictness that have always marked its choices.

Through its countrywide network of over a thousand outlets, which in-cludes its own shops (in Parabiago (Mi) - Milan and Brescia) as well as affiliated outlets, and a thriving mail-order division, Crespi Bonsai offers the highest standards of service and expertise to its customers.

The philosophy of the company has always been the most rigorous atten-tion to detail and the provision of a professional and complete service to its customers from pre-sale advice to after-sale assistance.

Luigi Crespi, founder of Crespi Bonsai, became interested in bonsai in 1959 when in Europe this fascinat-ing art was still practically unknown. Having nurtured this passion for nearly twenty years and after much travelling in the Far East, he decided to transform his interest into a com-mercial activity in 1979. The ambi-tion was not only to spread an inter-est in these very beautiful plants, but also to make known the Oriental culture in which this ancient art form has its roots.

Crespi Bonsai has also grown but its philosophy has not changed: origi-nating as a corner of the Orient at the doors of Milan, it has become a fertile meeting point between the different cultures of East and West in a deep and shared respect for nature.

The Crespi Bonsai Museum, opened in 1991, is the result of Luigi Crespi’ s enthusiasm and thirty-year work.

This permanent museum, unique in the world, originated from the will-ingness to offer to bonsai enthusiasts the opportunity to admire a precious collection that includes centuries-old plants, antique pots and books and manuscripts from the Far East.

Masterpiece of the collection is the millenary Ficus retusa linn, placed at the centre of a pagoda, well pro-tected by two Xi’an’ s warriors, pres-tigious hand-made reproductions of the famous army of Xi’an, discovered in China in 1974.

On tables of solid slate are displayed many other authentic specimens, some of them well over hundred years of age, trained by famous Japa-nese masters, as Kato, Kawamoto, Kawahara and Ogasawara.

The collection of bonsai containers includes antique Chinese containers from the Ming and Ching dynasties. A special realization is the "toko -no-ma", the displaying corner of the traditional Japanese house, devoted to the display of works of art or ob-

jects of spiritual value. This beautiful collection is tastefully complemented with authentic Japanese furnishings and antique stone lanterns.

The Crespi Bonsai University, founded by Luigi Crespi in 1991, is a unique accomplishment in Europe. Its purpose is to offer amateurs and enthusiasts a professional and com-plete teaching structure. Courses are held by the Japanese master Nobu-yuki Kajiwara, who is also supervisor of the programmes with Mr. Luigi Crespi and a special scientific com-mittee.

The three year course takes place in Parabiago and deals with all the aspects of the bonsai art, from the technical to the aesthetic ones, the fundamental principles of botany, the complexities of phytopathology, while offering students the opportu-nity to apply practically the studied techniques during the lectures, on plants supplied by the University. The Bonsai University courses are in Italian and English language.

Crespi Garden Division. Luigi

Crespi has been working for years in landscaping, both for open spaces and within the smaller confines of balconies and terraces. This is a field in which experience, artistic sensi-tiveness and love for nature combine perfectly, with amazing results of great effect and visual impact.

From this passion originated a highly specialized division that uses an original and effective process of de-sign based on computer graphics. All elements of the morphology, sur-rounding environment and architec-ture are considered and the cus-tomer can immediately see what will be the end-result of the proposed project.

The Crespi Garden Division is de-voted to the design and realization (with immediate effect) of traditional and Japanese gardens, using sophis-ticated technology but always with the greatest respect for the natural environment.

Every detail from the sources of light to the solutions for watering is care-fully planned. Skilfully studied is also the choice and placing of such items as garden ornaments, benches and play accessories for children so that the garden is not only visually beau-tiful but also welcoming - a place to live and enjoy.

Corso Sempione, 35 ● 20015 PARABIAGO (MI) Tel. 0039-0331491850-1 ● Fax 0039-0331559410

www.crespibonsai.it info@crespibonsai.com

Syndicated newspaper of Italy with KINGSHUK registered DA no. 327 Bangladesh

sabato 21 marzo 2009 www.newsandviews.eu NEWS&VIEWS

4

'Borderless' Europe Faces Test of Unity*Anticipazioni Rapporto Assinform* airlines lost 42 million bags * EU Rejected More Patents

The European Patent Office rejected more patent applications than it passed for the first time last year, in an effort to raise the quality bar in the European Union. The number of applicants was larger than in 2007, the EPO said in a statement. The Munich-based EPO received 146,600 applications in 2008, up from 141,400 a year earlier. Its pa-tent examiners conducted 120,900 examination procedures, 59,800 of which ended with the grant of a European patent. "The strict application of patentability criteria by our patent examiners has led to more refusals to grant a patent. These are important steps to ensure the relevance of the patents entering the innovation process," said EPO president Alison Brimelow. Applications in the area of electronics (semiconductors, optoelectronics and electronic devices) saw strong growth in the number of patent applications -- 12,800 applications, 11 percent higher than in 2007 -- while applica-tions from the information and communications technology (ICT) sector shrank by just under 1 percent to 9,250.

EU Rejected More Patents Than It Approved in 2008

Five years ago, a confident European Union added 10 new members in what was celebrated as the "Big Bang" expansion, a bold initiative that was supposed to spread prosperity across the continent. These days, there is growing alarm that the EU's Big Bang is on the brink of becoming the Big Bust. Ferenc Gyurcsany, the Hungarian prime minister, warned that a "new Iron Curtain" could soon divide the wealthy states of Western Europe and their poorer neighbors to the east. "At the beginning of the '90s we reunified Europe. Now it is ano-ther challenge: whether we can unify Europe in terms of its financing and economy," Gyurcsany said last month. Most of the new EU members, including Hungary, are former Soviet bloc states from the east. As the global recession deepens and spreads, the economies of Hungary, Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania are teetering on the brink. And instead of rushing to the rescue, their rich nei-ghbors to the west, most notably the Germans, appear to be averting their eyes. "Is the Eastern European economic miracle in danger? Is the democratic transition in danger? No one is talking about it in public. But in private, people are scared," said Ron Asmus, executive director of the German Marshall Fund, which is host to a think tank in Brussels. "Committing troops and money and doing all those things for U.S. foreign policy -- it won't happen," Asmus said. "The whole idea of the EU is the pooling of sovereignty to take care of each other, especially economically. If the economic crisis fragments the EU, the whole progress of the project is up for grabs," he said. The EU's economic woes do not occur in a vacuum. Just as the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in September triggered the credit crisis that quickly spread from Wall Street to Europe, a fractured and protectionist Europe would act as a drag on U.S. hopes for recovery. "The quicker the EU is able to solve its economic problems, the more able it will be to participate in the effort to restore the global economy," said Jean Pisani-Ferry, director of Brue-gel, an economics research institute in the Belgian capital. "I don't think the EU itself is in danger. It's not a question of survival, but there could be a backlash against what has been accomplished over the last 20 years, and that is worrying," Pisani-Ferry said. One of the first casualties of a fractured Europe would be the Obama administration's expectations for an enlarged NATO presence in Afghanistan. European analysts have warned that 5 million jobs could be lost if the strong economies don't help the weak. That, in turn, has raised the specter of hordes of unemployed from the east migrating westward in search of work. The national borders that seemed to magically disappear over the past few years could suddenly reappear. Trade barriers could be stealthily resurrected, and nationalist politicians could once again stir the festering rivalries that caused so much havoc in the 20th Century. In recent weeks, frustrated citizens have clashed with police in Latvia and Bulgaria, while protesting farmers in Greece tem-porarily closed the border. Things could get worse in the spring. In times of economic stress, all eyes in Europe turn toward Germany, the continent's biggest and strongest economy, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. "This is Merkel's big test. This is her chance to prove her Eu-ropean credentials as well as her German credentials," said the Marshall Fund's Asmus. Thus far, however, the German government has been cool to the idea of any big stimulus package. And Merkel shrugged off Hungary's warning about a new Iron Curtain, saying the EU's stringent balanced-budget rules must be observed and that individual bailouts should be considered only on a case-by-case basis.

'BORDERLESS' Europe Faces Test of Unity Financial Meltdown Strains EU As Poor Countries Seek Help

Anticipazioni Rapporto Assinform: nel 2008 ICT italiano +0,4%, ICT mondiale 4,4%

IT IN RAPIDA DISCESA. NEL 2008 RALLENTA A +0,8%, PREVISIONE 2009: -5,9% IT: mercato a 20.343 milioni di euro, ma l'occupazione perde 29.000 addetti nel secondo e terzo trimestre del 2008. 2008/2007: cala l'hardware (-0,2% ), tengono servizi informatici e software (+1,3%); rallenta la do-manda delle imprese + 0,7%; la spesa della Pa continua a scendere: - 0,5; forte frenata nella crescita del mercato consumer a +4,4%. TLC 2008: mercato a 44.120 milioni di Euro, -0,2% sul 2007; previsioni 2009: + 0,7% sul 2008

Milano 10/03/2009 - "In sei mesi, da aprile a settembre 2008, l'IT italiana ha perso 29.000 addetti. La previ-sione sul quarto trimestre è un calo ulte-riore dell'occupazione, dell'ordine di - 11,5% rispetto al primo trimestre dell'an-no, con una perdita di altri 18.000 unità per un totale di circa 47.000 addetti in meno a fine 2008. Ciò significa che la crisi in 9 mesi ha mandato in fumo l'aumento occupazionale registrato dal settore in tre anni. Non si tratta di allarmismo, ma di valutare il fatto che negli ultimi mesi del 2008 i tempi della crisi si sono fortemente accelerati. La conseguenza è stata una forte riduzione della domanda d'innova-zione tecnologica, che per il settore IT ha significato chiudere l'anno con una dimi-nuzione della crescita allo 0,8%, a fronte del + 2% messo a segno nel 2007. Si può dire che se per l'Information Technology italiana il 2008 non è stato ancora un anno di recessione, si è trattato tuttavia di un periodo di pesante rallentamento. Certo è che il settore ha ormai iniziato a risentire in modo serio di una crisi, i cui effetti perversi si stanno rivelando pro-gressivamente. Le previsioni sul 2009, infatti, sono preoccupanti. Se nel frattem-po non interverranno correttivi efficaci, il trend di crescita del settore nel 2009 potrebbe subire un calo, dell'ordine di -5,9 punti percentuali. Ieri abbiamo ascol-tato con grande interesse il Presidente del Consiglio affermare che questi anni diffi-cili vanno utilizzati per attrezzarsi e supe-rare l'emergenza, scegliendo azioni strate-giche per recuperare il tempo perduto e spingere il Paese verso l'innovazione. Ebbene questo traguardo lo si può rag-giungere, così com'è avvenuto in altri paesi, considerando l'Information Te-chnology e le infrastrutture digitali fonda-mentali per lo sviluppo del Paese, al pari delle autostrade di cemento, dei ponti e delle centrali energetiche. Ci aspettiamo quindi di vedere inserito nel piano di investimenti per infrastrutturare il Paese, che il Governo sta varando, un importante capitolo sull'IT; che tutte le misure adot-tate per sostenere i settori economici tradizionali contengano un nocciolo di futuro, ovvero incentivi specifici al fine di promuovere l'incorporazione di innova-zione digitale nei prodotti e nei servizi italiani. Vi sono oggi sul tavolo dei Mini-stri competenti due programmi rilevanti per lo sviluppo dell'IT e la modernizzazio-ne del Paese: il Piano e-Government 2012 e Industria 2015. Chiediamo al Governo di fare la sua parte, dando ai due pro-grammi coerenza, con le urgenze che impongono oggi i tempi della crisi, e con-cretezza assegnando le risorse sufficienti per essere implementati. Per l'eGov vanno reperiti i 1.100 milioni di euro mancanti, così come stimato dal Ministro Brunetta; per Industria 2015, secondo quanto era stato annunciato all'inizio del suo manda-to dal Ministro Scajola, si tratta di varare il Progetto per l'innovazione IT, che an-drebbe finanziato con almeno 190 milioni di euro, così come è stato fatto per il Pro-getto Made in Italy che, tuttavia, essendo fermo da dicembre, dovrebbe essere acce-lerato. Anche le imprese faranno la loro parte, contribuendo con il project finan-cing al 25% del costo dell'eGov ed aggiun-gendo un altro 50% ad ogni Euro stanzia-to dal Governo per i programmi di inno-vazione dell'IT italiano. E' questo, in sin-tesi, il messaggio che il Presidente di As-sinform Ennio Lucarelli ha lanciato nel presentare oggi a Milano l'anticipazione del Rapporto Assinform 2009, arrivato quest'anno alla sua 40° edizione, insieme ai risultati della seconda Indagine con-giunturale sulle aziende IT. "E' bene riflettere che recessione dell'It non vuol dire solo penalizzazione di un settore produttivo importante, con conse-guenti problematiche sull'occupazione - ha sottolineato Lucarelli - In realtà com-porta un danno molto più grave al Paese, perché significa un depauperamento com-plessivo del Sistema-Italia nelle sue capa-cità di modernizzarsi e crescere in termini di competitività e produttività". Secondo il Presidente di Assinform, sebbene si sia avuta una rinascita dell'Information Te-chnology italiana, manifestatasi a partire dal 2004 e fino al primo trimestre 2008, non si è riusciti a colmare il gap d'innova-zione che separa il nostro Paese dalla

media mondiale di circa meno 5 punti percentuali: "D'altro canto in questi anni l'informatica in Italia non ha potuto con-tare su una politica sistemica e strategica com'è avvenuto in altri paesi. Le misure attuate dai Governi che si sono succeduti sono state troppo timide e comunque insufficienti a sostenerne lo sviluppo. Ai ritardi sull'innovazione che sconta il no-stro Paese e che la crisi è destinata a peg-giorare, non si può rispondere con prov-vedimenti tampone come sta avvenendo per alcuni settori tradizionali. Bisogna innescare anche nel nostro Paese il bino-mio "più investimenti It uguale più cresci-ta dell'economia e della produttività", già attivato con successo in molti altri sistemi industriali avanzati. Dal 2001 al 2006 il confronto internazionale evidenzia come i paesi che più hanno investito in It sono anche quelli che hanno ottenuto gli au-menti più significativi di produttività, come Gran Bretagna, Germania, Usa, Francia, tutti con valori di spesa e crescita di produttività ben al di sopra al punto percentuale. L'Italia in questo stesso peri-odo, con il più basso indice di investimen-to IT sul Pil (2% nel 2008, a fronte del 4,2% Usa,3,4% Francia, 3,3% di UK e Germania ), ha ottenuto una crescita me-dia della produttività pari a zero". Guardando con maggiore dettaglio l'anda-mento del mercato It nel 2008, si notano il forte rallentamento subito dalla crescita della domanda delle imprese, passata da + 1,9% nel 2007 a + 0,7% del 2008. "Questa discesa - ha commentato Lucarel-li - evidenzia come la crisi costringa le imprese a tagliare i propri investimenti in innovazione, pur nella consapevolezza che questa voce è indispensabile per affronta-re mercati sempre più competitivi. Una dimostrazione sta nel fatto che le vendite sono crollate per tutti i comparti merceo-logici e in tutti i canali di vendita, tranne quelle via internet". Inoltre si è avuto un crollo di 6 punti percentuali della doman-da consumer , passata da una crescita di +10,5% nel 2007 a + 4,4% nel 2008; il decremento costante dell'informatica pubblica, -0,5% nel 2008 (era stato -0,6% nell'anno precedente) la quale da tre anni sta riducendo la spesa It, facendola sta-gnare intorno a un volume che si mantie-ne ormai stabile sotto la soglia dei 3.000 milioni di euro. Ma di questa spesa, va sottolineato che più della metà va ad ali-mentare il mercato in house, tanto che si è arrivati al punto che il 73% delle Regioni, che costituiscono il maggiore centro di spesa informatica della Pal, si avvale di proprie società, destinando loro ben il 62% circa delle risorse. "Una situazione che si continua a perpetuare nonostante orientamenti contrari della magistratura amministrativa e delle Authority della concorrenza e dei contratti pubblici e di alcuni provvedimenti di legge della scorsa legislatura, e che ha finito per penalizzare la stessa capacità del Paese d'innovare, giacché è venuto meno il ruolo di traino che la domanda pubblica ricopre in tutti quei paesi più avanti nell'innovazione. Da questo punto di vista la liberalizzazione reale del mercato dei servizi IT, limitando il ricorso all'in house ai casi di acclarato risparmio per le Pubbliche amministra-zioni, costituisce una misura di natura strutturale, che non può essere trascurata nell'implementazione del Piano e-gov 2012". Mercato Ict in dettaglio IL MERCATO MONDIALE DELL'ICT La crisi che ha investito i mercati finan-ziari internazionali nella seconda parte del 2007 si è acuita nel corso del 2008. Tutte le principali economie hanno regi-strato contrazioni o rallentamenti. Il PIL mondiale è cresciuto del 3,4% contro il 5,2% del 2007 e il 5% del 2006, e si preve-de che aumenterà, secondo le previsioni FMI, solo dello 0,5% nel 2009, per ripren-dere a crescere nel 2010. Tali difficoltà hanno contribuito a rallen-tare progressivamente in corso d'anno la domanda di prodotti e servizi ICT in tutti i Paesi. Conseguentemente, il mercato dell'ICT - Informatica (IT) e Telecomunicazioni (TLC) - è cresciuto del 4,4%, un punto in meno della crescita media dei quattro anni precedenti, ma superiore a quella del PIL mondiale, raggiungendo il valore di 3.012 miliardi di dollari. Questo grazie

all'introduzione di nuovi prodotti, appara-ti e di servizi e contenuti on line supporta-ti dallo sviluppo degli accessi a banda larga. Gli utenti Internet hanno superato gli 1,5 miliardi. Il segmento dell'informatica è cresciuto del 4,8% a un tasso inferiore di oltre 1 punto rispetto al 2007, così come le tele-comunicazioni, cresciute del 4,2% . Il mercato delle telecomunicazioni (1.821 miliardi di dollari) è cresciuto del 4,2%, un punto meno dell'anno prima. La telefonia mobile è stata ancora una volta fattore di crescita. Il parco utenti è passa-to da 3,3 miliardi nel 2007 a quasi 4 mi-liardi nel 2008, e il numero dei telefoni cellulari venduti è stato di 1,22 miliardi, in crescita del 6,1% sull'anno prima. Inoltre il 2008 è stato l'anno del mobile broa-dband, il cui successo dipenderà dalla capacità degli operatori di veicolare nuovi contenuti e servizi. Il mercato dell'informatica (1.191 miliardi di dollari) è cresciuto del 4,8%, anch'esso un punto in meno dell'anno prima. Questa crescita è il risultato di una dinamica positiva nella prima parte dell'anno e di un brusco rallentamento negli ultimi due trimestri. Le vendite di PC sono state ancora sostenute e hanno raggiunto 287 milioni di unità (+11,4%), grazie anche all'introduzione sul mercato dei netbook. Il mercato dell'ICT nelle principali aree mostra un quadro ancora articolato. Il mercato regionale più dinamico è stato ancora una volta quello dell'Asia-Pacifico che, con una crescita del 6,3%, ha rag-giunto il valore di 750 miliardi di dollari, ormai prossimo a quello europeo. I mer-cati del Nordamerica e dell'Europa Occi-dentale, più maturi, hanno mostrato una crescita più lenta. IL MERCATO ITALIANO DELL'ICT: ICT: +0,1% Nel 2008 il mercato aggregato dell'ICT ha raggiunto i 64.463 milioni di Euro (+0,1%). Il minor dinamismo rispetto al 2007, quando era cresciuto dello 0,9%, è spiegabile dalla riduzione del giro d'affari della componente telecomunicazioni. Il comparto delle telecomunicazioni (apparati, terminali e servizi per reti fisse e mobili) segna un calo dello -0.2% rispet-to all'anno precedente (+0.4%). Pur soste-nuto dai servizi su rete mobile, non è andato oltre i 44.120 milioni di Euro. Il comparto dell'informatica è invece cre-sciuto dello 0,8%, a quota 20.343 milioni, anche se a un tasso inferiore rispetto all'anno precedente (+2,0%). A trainare sono stati la componente software e servi-zi (+1,3%) e i personal computer (+1,8% in valore). Il confronto internazionale per l'ICT mostra per l'Italia una dinamica ancora inferiore a quella di tutti i princi-pali paesi industrializzati, nonostante l'interesse diffuso all'Information Techno-logy. Nell'ultimo anno sono infatti cre-sciute del 22,6% (+29,5% in ambito con-sumer) le unità di personal computer vendute; il volume d'affari dei fornitori di servizi Internet su rete fissa è cresciuto a doppia cifra (+11,5%); inoltre, si è avuto un incremento nel già saturo mercato della telefonia mobile (+1,6% di linee attive e +0,4% di utenti effettivi). Nonostante questo, l'Italia è ultimo tra i grandi paesi per spesa IT sul PIL: 2,0% contro valori ben più elevati riscontrabili negli USA (4,2%) e negli altri paesi dell'Europa Occidentale, come Francia (3,4%), Regno Unito (3,3%) e Germania (3,3%). Informatica + 0,8% Nel 2008 il mercato italiano dell'informa-tica (IT) ha raggiunto i 20.343 milioni di euro in crescita dello 0,8% sull'anno pri-ma, comunque in rallentamento rispetto all'andamento del 2007 (+2%), soprattut-to a causa della contrazione degli investi-menti nelle imprese e del downpricing, mentre il mercato consumer passa a +4,4%, con un pesante rallentamento rispetto al +10,5% del 2007. CONTINUE SEE PAGE 5

Airlines lost 1.2 million bags in 2007 The European Commission says it is launching an investiga-tion into the problem of lost passenger luggage by airlines. A study shows the number of bags mishandled by internatio-nal airlines has increased dramatically in recent years. The Air Transport Users council which is based in London says airlines mishandled 42 million bags worldwide in 2007, the last year for which figures are available. The figure is up by 8 million from 2006. Of those bags, 1.2 million were irretrievably lost. The council says on too many occasions the passengers are not being fairly compensated. One airline offered a maximum compensation payment of $21 no matter how long bags were delayed. An international convention came into force five years ago, aiming to giving passengers a fairer deal. But the council says it has made little difference in practice.

Syndicated newspaper of Italy with KINGSHUK registered DA no. 327 Bangladesh

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5

“vampire" from 16th-century Venice *Fashion robot to hit Tokyo catwalks * Obama ice cream* wounded male Royal Bengal Tiger * snakes in Cocullo, Italy * NASA video* US movie star Richard Gere * Tehreema Mitha Dance Company

An undated handout photo from the University of Florence shows the remains of a female "vampire" from 16th-century Venice. Italian researchers forensic anthropologist Matteo Borri-ni from the University of Florence believe they have found the remains of a female "vampire" from 16th-century Venice, buried with a brick in her mouth to prevent her feasting on plague vic-tims. Matteo Borrini, a forensic anthropologist from the University of Florence, said the discovery was the first confirma-tion of a Medieval belief that vampi-res were behind the spread of epide-mics, such as the Black Death.

Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley poses amongst some of his paintings in his home studio in Be-verly Hills, Calif., Feb. 17, 2009. Stanley says he was the most surprised guy on the planet when he, an art-class washout from New York City's High School of Music and Art, suddenly began to make the transition from guitar god to se-rious painter eight years ago.

Fashion robot to hit Tokyo catwalks TOKYO - From IT labs to photo grabs, a Japanese humanoid robot will soon be strutting her hard- and soft-ware stuff on the fashion catwalk. The sleek HRP-4C runs on battery-powered motors located in her body and face, allowing the expressions, gait and poses of a supermodel, but on a stormtrooper-like silver and black frame. The current 43 kg (95 lb), 158 cm (5 ft 2 inch) Cybernetic model has slim-med-down from an earlier 58 kg (128 lb) robot ahead of a Tokyo fashion show de-but on March 23. Its new shape is designed to match the avera-ge Japanese woman and has eyes, face and hair based on Japanese "anime" comics, said Masayoshi Kataoka of the National Institute of Advanced Indu-strial Science and Technology, which developed the robotic model. There are no immediate plans to bring the $2 million HRP-4C to market. Japan, home to almost half of the world's 800,000 indu-strial robots, expects a $10 billion industry in the future, parti-cularly as helpers for its growing elderly population. But designers of the posing humanoid says she is wired just for entertaining, not housework.

This handout from Russian advertising agency Voskhod shows a smiling, cartoonish black man flashing the victory sign in front of the US capital building, along with the Russian slo-gan: "Everyone's talking about it: dark inside white!" Obama ice cre-am, anyone? Chocolate-vanilla ice cream is one of several Russian pro-ducts being marketed using Obama even as critics call the ads racist.

A wounded male Royal Bengal Tiger sits in a cage at a veterinary zoo hospital in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata March 16, 2009. The tiger was rescued from Sundarban islands March 14, 2009 after it strayed into the Samsernagar village on the fringes of the forest area and was brought to the hospital for treatment after it wounded its paw, said a veterinary doctor. The num-ber of tiger at-tacks on people is growing in India's Sundarban islands as habitat loss and dwindling prey caused by climate change drives them to prowl into villages for food, experts said.

Anticipazioni Rapporto Assinform: nel 2008 ICT italiano +0,4%, ICT mondiale 4,4%

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La dinamica della domanda per dimensioni di impresa si attenua nelle grandi imprese (+0,7% contro il +1,7% del 2007), resta stabile nelle medie (+1,2%, vicino al +1,9% del 2007), mentre le piccole deludono, con una diminuzione dello 0,7% in valori assoluti (contro una crescita dello 0,6% nel 2007). Nonostante questi dati, la domanda business rappresenta comunque ancora per l'80% del mercato IT italiano, con il prevalere della quota in capo alle grandi aziende (56,9% del totale degli investimenti business) su quelli delle medie (25,1%) e delle piccole (18,0%), che continuano a pesare sul mercato IT in maniera assai più limi-tata di quanto contribuiscano al PIL o all'occupazione italiana. La dinamica della domanda per macrosettori d'utenza, vede le imprese attestarsi a 16.286 milioni (+0,7%), la Pubblica Amministrazio-ne Centrale e Locale a 2.956 milioni (-0,5% e in calo per il secondo anno consecutivo) e quella delle famiglie a 1.001 milioni (+4,4%). Quest'ultima pesa oggi per il 5,4% del mercato IT italiano, sulla spinta del personal computer. Su questo specifico merca-to le famiglie hanno espresso una domanda pari al 31,8% dei PC vendu-ti nel 2008, contro 30,1% del 2007 e il 28,1% del 2006, confermando la progressione costante degli ultimi anni. La composizione merceologica del mercato dei PC (6,9 milioni di pezzi) mostra il primato oramai in-contrastato dei portatili (4,48 milioni di pezzi, +44,5%) sulla scia dei nuovi netbook. Retrocede il comparto desktop (2,21 milioni di pezzi), che cala in unità vendute del 4,7%. La stabilità del comparto dei server (215.000 unità vendute, +0,9%) non entusiasma, visto che l'anno prima era cresciuto in volumi del 15,8% Più in generale, la composizione per settori d'offerta (hardware, software e servizi e assistenza tecni-ca) mostra per il 2008 e in valore una lieve crescita della componente sof-tware e servizi, che si è attestata a quota 13.825 milioni, in crescita dell'1,3% sull'anno precedente. Segna il passo invece il comparto hardware (-0,2%), per la prima volta dopo anni, con i cali più accentuati in segmenti già maturi come workstation (-25,0%), mainframe (-22,9%) e stam-panti (-15,0%), mentre gira in negati-

vo la dinamica nello storage (-13,5%). Buona parte del merito della crescita del comparto software e servizi, va al mercato del software (+3,4%, 4.470 milioni), al cui interno crescono sia la componente applicativa (+2,5%, 2.744 milioni) che quelle del middle-ware (+5,7%, 1.107 milioni) e del software di sistema (619 milioni, +3,2%). Sostanzialmente stabile è invece il settore dei servizi (+0,4%, 9.355 milioni di euro), dove cresce la domanda per sistemi embedded (+2,2%), outsourcing (+2,4%), con-sulenza (+1,1%) e system integration (+1,1%) mentre cala la richiesta per servizi di elaborazione (-3,1%), svi-luppo e manutenzione (-1%) e educa-tion & training (-2,7%). La terza e ultima componente d'offer-ta, quella dei servizi di assistenza tecnica prosegue il suo trend di decli-no fisiologico (795 milioni, -2,5%), senza influire più di tanto sull'anda-mento complessivo del settore. Telecomunicazioni: -0,2% Il mercato delle telecomunica-zioni (apparati, terminali e servizi per reti fisse e mobili) ha generato in Italia, nel corso del 2007, un business di 44.120 milioni di euro, in calo dello 0,2% sul 2007, dopo il già mo-desto incremento dell'anno prima (+0,4%). Pesa molto nel dato il calo del comparto delle Telecomunicazio-ni su Rete Fissa (-2,0%), quest'anno non compensato a sufficienza da quello delle TLC su Rete Mobile (+1,3%, 24.393 milioni). La dinamica per segmenti di clientela mostra la continua crescita della componente consumer (25.840 milioni, +1,6%) e il persistente calo di quella business (14.100 milioni, pari ad un -1,8% , rispetto al -2,3% del 2007). La dinamica per macrocomparti mostra il calo della componente degli apparati (infrastrutture, sistemi e terminali) che scende dello 0,3% (9.590 milioni), e dei servizi (34.530 milioni), seppure in modo assai lieve (-0,1%). La dinamica dei servizi vede la componente mobile compensare il costante scivolamento della fissa. Continua a crescere infatti, anche se di poco, il numero di linee mobili (92,2 milioni, +1,3%) e il numero di utenti effettivi (46,1 milioni, +0,4%), nonostante la saturazione raggiunta dal mercato, esprimibile dal dato relativo al numero di linee attive. Quest'ultimo dato è quello che più spiega la crescita del business com-

plessivo del mobile, visto che gli inve-stimenti in sistemi e infrastrutture non progrediscono e che la spesa unitaria per utente attivo è cresciuta solo dello 0,9%. Evolve comunque anche l'uso delle comunicazioni mo-bili, visto che la stessa spesa unitaria per utente attivo vede calare a 293,5 euro (-1,4%) i servizi voce e crescere a 113,4 euro (+7,4%) i servizi non-voce SMS, MMS, di collegamento Internet e a valore aggiunto. I servizi-non voce generano ormai valore per 5.230 milioni di euro, arrivando a pesare per il 27,9% dell'intera "torta" dei servizi mobili. Sul fronte delle telecomunicazioni fisse la componente di servizio si è contratta a 15.770 milioni (-1,9%) e proseguendo in un trend oramai fisiologico in rapporto alla crescita delle mobili. Il dato complessivo consegue, come già negli ultimi anni, a un calo pronunciato nelle compo-nenti più mature - voce (8.390 milio-ni, -6,9%) e trasmissione dati (1.160, milioni, -7,2%) - solo in parte com-pensato dalle componenti legate ai servizi a valore aggiunto (3.120, +3,0%) e alle connessioni Internet (3.100 milioni, +11,5%). Quanto a queste ultime, è positivo l'incremento del numero di accessi ad alta velocità, risultati a fine 2007 pari a 11,36 mi-lioni (+12,3%), più di 11 dei quali in modalità xDSL (+12,6%) e i restanti 351mila su fibra ottica (+2,6%). ICT in Italia. Previsioni 2009: - 1,3% Il 2009 si presenta come un anno difficile, con un PIL atteso in calo del 2,6 per cento, secondo gli ultimi dati pubblicati da Banca d'Italia. E natu-ralmente tale contesto influisce pe-santemente sul mercato ICT. Le previsioni, infatti, indicano un calo dell'1,3% per l'intero mercato. Il dato aggregato nasconde però situa-zioni molto diverse IT e TLC. Infatti, le telecomunicazioni sono attese crescere di un modesto, ma comun-que apprezzabile, 0,7%, mentre per l'informatica si attende una contra-zione significativa, attorno al 5,9%. E si stima anche che nessun segmento IT possa considerarsi al riparo della crisi, anche se le previsioni indicano una miglior tenuta del software (-3,6%) sui servizi (-6,7%) e sull'hardware (-6,4%). La crescita del mercato delle teleco-municazioni interesserà i fornitori di servizi (+0,9%), mentre quelli di apparati (-0,3%) opereranno su un mercato simile a quello del 2008.

In this image taken from NASA video, space shuttle Discovery Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba (C) outside the Quest airlock of the Internationl Space Station (ISS) during the second of three planned spacewalks. A pair of shuttle Discovery space walkers began their work day outside the ISS Saturday in part of a final push to com-plete the decade-long construction of the orbiting ou-tpost.

US movie star Richard Gere, center, poses for pictures next to 'Lonesome Jorge', a giant tortoise in the Galapa-gos Islands, Ecuador, Wednesday, March 18, 2009. The woman at left and the man at right are park guides.

Tehreema Mitha Dance Company is a pioneer in the field of innovative Classical signature manner, all three styles (Classical, Classical-Contemporary and Contemporary) that are unique to this company, highly athletic and theatrical, with solo and ensemble dances.

A statue of Saint San Domenico is draped with snakes in Cocullo, Italy. Every year snake catchers display their finds on the first Thursday in May in the traditional ceremony.

Syndicated newspaper of Italy with KINGSHUK registered DA no. 327 Bangladesh

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6

TREVI COIN THIEFS * Pre-1629 history of the aqueduct* Commission, construction and design* Iconography* ilms, Classical Music and Videos *

Rome, March 20 - A man who used rods fitted with powerful magnets to 'fish' change out of the capital's famed Trevi Foun-tain was acquitted of theft by a Rome court but ordered to hand over the loot. Perched on the side of the fountain, the 32-year-old Romanian managed to reel in coins amounting to around 10 euros in Janu-ary before he was nabbed by the policemen on duty in the square. Approximately 3,000 Euros in loose change is lobbed into the fountain each day and are collected at night. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy and donated to Caritas, a Catholic charity, to help fund activities for the city poor. The Romanian told the court he had read in a Rome daily that the money in the fountain is legally considered 'res nullius', or abandoned property that subsequently belongs to the first taker. The judge agreed and acquitted him of theft, but nevertheless ordered that the 10 euros should be returned to the city council. Under city bylaws, touching or entering the waters is banned, but the fountain has long been a magnet for thieves. The fountain located in the historic centre of Rome and hence, one of the cities most popular tourist attractions. The Trevi Fountain derives its name from its position at the intersection of three roads (tre vie). The Trevi fountain stands at the end of the Aqua Virgo, which is one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied fresh water to Rome since 19 B.C. It brings water all the way from the Salone Springs, which is situated over 20 kilometres away. There has been a source of water at this site for over a thousand years, although it was not until 1485 that Pope Nicholas V com-missioned Gianlorenzo Bernini to create the fountain, but the project had to be abandoned when Pope Urban VIII died in 1644. Then in 1732, Niccolò Salvi was employed by Pope Clem-ent XII to continue with the work, with the result being the Ba-roque masterpiece that completely dominates the little square today. The sea god Neptune in a chariot in the form of a shell domi-nates the centre of the fountain. The chariot is pulled by two sea horses, with each sea horse being guided by a Triton. According to legend, anyone who throws a coin into the water is guaranteed to return to the Eternal City of Rome. The coin should be tossed over your shoulder while you are standing with your back to the fountain. It is the largest — standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide — and most ambitious of the

Baroque fountains of Rome. A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Among those who are unaware that the "three coins" of Three Coins in the Foun-tain were thrown by three different individuals, a reported cur-rent interpretation is that two coins will ensure a marriage will occur soon, while three coins leads to a divorce. A reported cur-rent version of this legend is that it is lucky to throw three coins with one's right hand over one's left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain. Every day, hundreds of tourists stand on the steps around the fountain and, with their back turned to its waters, toss coins over their shoulders into the shallow pool. Trevi's most famous coin thief was 'D'Artagnan', a 50-year-old Roman who raided the fountain for more than 30 years before the law cracked down on him in 2002 and banned him from the square. The musketeer, whose nickname derived from his long, sword-like magnet, gained worldwide news coverage with his tricks

including a front-page slot on the New York Times. In one week at the height of the tourist season, he was reported to have scooped out an impressive 22 kilos of coins from the fountain in just fifteen minutes. The monument has also lured imitators of screen beauty Anita Ekberg, who made a legendary dip into its wa-ters in the 1959 Federico Fellini movie La Dolce Vita. Supermodel Claudia Schiffer repeated the scene in a 1995 advert for Valentino. More startling was the plunge made by a buxom Milanese office worker who stripped off completely in April 2007 for a swim in the fountain. When 40-year-old woman Roberta emerged from the waters, she made no haste to put her clothes back on and instead lounged on the surrounding white marble, soaking up the sun for some 15 minutes before police asked her to dress and led her away. Although it is illegal to swim in the fountain, Roberta said to be from Milan did just that on 22 April 2007, saying "I was hot. The water belongs to everyone." The poor-quality pho-tographs of her swim taken by a tourist quickly found

their way into most Italian media and international news and websites as well. Later the same year, a youth risked his life by diving from the highest part of the Baroque monument headlong into its shallow waters. De-l i g h t e d t o u r i s t s cheered him on as he repeated the death-defying stunt before being ordered out by police.

TREVI COIN THIEFS

Commission, construction and design

In 1629 Pope Urban VIII, finding the earlier fountain insufficiently dramatic, asked Bernini to sketch possible renovations, but when the Pope died the project was abandoned. Bernini's lasting contribution was to resite the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace (so the Pope could look down and enjoy it). Though Bernini's project was torn down for Salvi's fountain, there are many Bernini touches in the fountain as it was built. An early, striking and influential model by Pietro da Cortona, preserved in the Albertina, Vienna, also exists, as do various early eighteenth century sketches, most unsigned, as well as a project attributed to Nicola Michetti[6] one attributed to Ferdinando Fuga and a French design by Edme Bouchardon. Competitions had become the rage during the Baroque era to design buildings, fountains, and even the Spanish Steps. In 1730 Pope Clem-ent XII organized a contest in which Nicola Salvi initially lost to Ales-sandro Galilei — but due to the outcry in Rome over the fact that a Florentine won, Salvi was awarded the commission anyway. Work began in 1732, and the fountain was completed in 1762, long after Clement's death, when Pietro Bracci's 'Neptune' was set in the central niche. Salvi died in 1751, with his work half-finished, but before he went he made sure a stubborn barber's unsightly sign would not spoil the ensemble, hiding it behind a sculpted vase. The Trevi Fountain was finished in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini, who substituted the present bland allegories for planned sculptures of Agrippa and "Trivia", the Roman virgin. The fountain was refurbished in 1998; the stonework was scrubbed and the fountain provided with recirculating pumps. A slightly scaled-down replica of the Trevi Fountain can be found outside the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pre-1629 history of the aqueduct The fountain at the juncture of three roads (tre vie) marks the termi-nal point of the "modern" Acqua Vergine, the revivified Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman technicians lo-cated a source of pure water some 13 km (8 miles) from the city. (This scene is presented on the present fountain's facade). However, the eventual indirect route of the aqueduct made its length some 22 km (14 miles). This Aqua Virgo led the water into the Baths of Agrippa. It served Rome for more than four hundred years. The "coup de grace" for the urban life of late classical Rome came when the Goth besiegers in 537/38 broke the aqueducts. Medieval Romans were reduced to drawing water from polluted wells and the Tiber River, which was also used as a sewer. The Roman custom of building a handsome fountain at the endpoint of an aqueduct that brought water to Rome was revived in the fif-teenth century, with the Renaissance. In 1453, Pope Nicholas V fin-ished mending the Acqua Vergine aqueduct and built a simple basin, designed by the humanist architect Leon Battista Alberti, to herald the water's arrival.

Iconography The backdrop for the fountain is the Palazzo Poli, given a new facade with a giant order of Corinthian pilasters that link the two main stories. Taming of the waters is the theme of the gigantic scheme that tumbles forward, mixing water and rock-work, and filling the small square. Tritons guide Neptune's shell chariot, taming seahorses (hippocamps). In the center is superimposed a robustly modelled triumphal arch. The center niche or exedra framing Neptune has free-standing columns for maximal light-and-shade. In the niches flanking Neptune, Abundance spills water from her urn and Salubrity holds a cup from which a snake drinks. Above, bas reliefs illustrate the Roman origin of the aqueducts. The tritons and horses provide symmetrical balance, with the maximum contrast in their mood and poses (by 1730, the rococo is already in full bloom in France and Germany).

Films, Classical Music and Videos

A scene in the 1953 comedy Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, and Eddie Albert. Three Coins in the Fountain. A scene of drenching Anita Ekberg in Federico Fellini's La dolce vita. A fictionalized filming of this scene in C'eravamo tanto amati. Several scenes in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Several scenes in Sabrina Goes to Rome. A few scenes in the Chinese series Triumph in the Skies A scene in the 'Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen' Movie When in Rome. A scene in the 2005 film Elsa y Fred where the same scene in La Dolce Vita is remade the title character's lifelong wish. Bon Jovi's Thank You For Loving Me music video was filmed there. Classical Music One of Respighi's Fontane di Roma.

Editor’s Choice of Full page features on

Basilica di San Miniato al Monte Duomo di Milano The Vatican City The Ruins of Pompeii The Coliseum

By Yousuf Ahmed Shanchoy EU Editor & Photojournalist KINGSHUK + News&views www.newsandviews.eu

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7

Respect for the Human Rights of Migrants: A Shared Responsibility* ModaIn * EU parliamentarians meet with Hamas in Syria * Iraqi calls Turkey to call amnesty for PKK fighters*

Respect for the Human Rights of Migrants: A Shared Responsibility

Venue and date 25 – 26 March 2009 International Conference Center Geneva (CICG) 17 rue de Varembé, Geneva, Switzerland

Background The workshop on “Effective Respect for the Human Rights of Migrants: A Shared Responsibility” is being held in the framework of IOM’s Interna-tional Dialogue on Migration (IDM) which in 2009 has an overall theme of “Human Rights and Migration: Working Together for Safe, Dignified and Secure Migration”. Consistent with IOM’s mandate and Strategy Document (activity 7), the IDM provides a forum for IOM Member and Observer States, as well as international and non-governmental organizations and other partners, to share experiences and perspectives on migration mat-ters with a view to identifying practi-cal solutions and fostering greater cooperation. SWITZERLAND - Sharing Re-sponsibility for Respecting Migrants' Human Rights - The practical pro-tection of the human rights of mi-grants as an essential component of migration governance in the 21st century is the focus of IOM's Inter-national Dialogue on Migration that takes place next week at the Interna-tional Conference Centre Geneva (CICG). The two-day gathering starting 25 March which brings together IOM member states, observers, interna-tional and non-governmental orga-nizations, civil society and the priva-te sector, will look at ways to overco-me the obstacles preventing mi-grants fully enjoying their human rights. The Dialogue will examine existing legal frameworks addressing mi-grants' human rights and their im-plementation before looking at spe-cific issues that demand attention including migrants' right to health and health services, fighting discri-mination and xenophobia, and hu-man rights in the context of labour mobility. Ghanaian migrant in Ukraine and president of the Africa Centre in Kiev, Charles Asante-Yeboa, will also address the Dialogue on his personal experiences of xenophobia and on integration challenges. Ukraine is

home to the Diversity Initiative, a partnership between many interna-tional and national organizations including IOM and UNHCR, aimed at promoting understanding among different cultures and countering xenophobic violence. Participants will examine how par-tnerships such as these and at other levels can effectively address and redress human rights issues as a shared responsibility. Overview The importance of the “human di-mension” of migration and the need to ensure the effective protection of the human rights of migrants have attracted the attention of policy-makers and other stakeholders in-volved in migration issues. Increa-singly, governments and civil society organizations are considering how best to incorporate human rights, welfare, safety, dignity and security of individuals and communities into migration policies, legislation and programming. In doing so, it is also important to explore the broad con-text of migrants’ interactions with their families, neighbourhoods, em-ployers and wider communities in countries of origin, transit and desti-nation, since each of these relation-ships implies rights and responsibili-ties on the part of all those involved. The workshop will draw on IOM’s research and programmes, of which human rights dimensions are an integral part, and build on the issues raised by IOM’s membership on this subject at last year’s IOM Council session as well as on the discussions held at the Manila Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). This workshop will explore the nexus between migration and human rights, and the current state of thinking on these intersecting issues both from a policy and a pro-grammatic perspective. A second part of the Dialogue on the human rights of migrants in July will examine human trafficking and exploitation of migrants. For the agenda and background documents, please go to http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pid/2162

EU parliamentarians meet with Hamas in Syria

Damascus- A European parliamen-tary delegation met with members of Hamas's political leadership-in-exile in Damascus to discuss ways to end the group's international isolation. The six-member EU delegation, which includes lawmakers from Britain and Ireland, said that their meeting with Hamas politburo leader Khaled Meshaal in Damascus was intended to encourage more Europeans to recognise Hamas as a legitimate movement that was de-mocratically elected by its people. "We believe that we should start talking with Hamas, and the more the delay, the more the suffering," Irish EU parliamentarian Chris An-drew said following the group's

meeting. The European Union added Hamas to its list of terrorist organizations in 2003. Though Europe kept direct ties with the political party, it froze the group's assets in Europe. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas leader based in Lebanon, said that Hamas has held personal meetings with European figures for more than two years, but that the meetings were kept private at the Europeans' request. "The British chose to bring these meetings out from the sha-dows now, because they realized the failure of the policy of excluding Hamas," Hamdan said.

Ankara - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has called on Turkey to announce an amnesty for Kurdish separatists, saying this was the best way to end three decades of fighting in south-east Turkey. In an interview published in Sa-bah newspaper Wednesday, Talabani said he believed the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) was ready to lay down its arms and hand its weapons over to US forces in northern Iraq if a general amnesty was announced. "My message to the PKK is to end the violence, to end the armed conflict," Talabani said, noting that this was the same message that Turkey was gi-ving to the Palestinian Hamas group. Talabani, in Istanbul for an international conference, said that he would make the call for the PKK to end its armed struggle at a conference next month in the northern Iraq city of Arbil at which all major Kurdish groups in the region will be attending. The Turkish military suspects there are as many as 5,000 PKK fighters holed up in northern Iraq bases from which they launch operations into Turkey. Ankara blames the separatist group for the deaths of more than 32,000 people since the early 1980s when the PKK began its fight for independence or autonomy for the mainly Kurdish-populated south-east of Turkey. The PKK is considered by the United States and the European Union to be a terrorist group.

Iraqi calls Turkey to call amnesty for PKK fighters

By Y A Shanchoy Editor of KINGSHUK + N&V

Twenty-six years ago, Moda In took on an enormous responsibility in representing the Italian and Euro-pean textile/accessory sector throughout the world. It all began with the dismantling of Mitam (International Exhibition of Clothing Textiles Milan), from which the notable Ideacomo, Ideabiella and Prato Expo fairs were devel-oped, representing their respective textile districts on different dates: a division that was destined to end after 22 years with the formation of Milano Unica. On an international level, this all-encompassing event can be compared to two giants like In-terstoff and Premiere Vision, charac-terized by the basic concept of plac-ing more emphasis on demand rather than supply, typical of foreign trade fairs. Moda In immediately took charge of representing the demand, and the spirit of service provided to the sector began to emerge, characterizing the fair to this day. The tradition of basic fabrics was interrupted (at the time Interstoff represented élite and fash-ion products) and doors were opened to the first collections:a seasonal renewal distinguished production, following the comprehensive guide-lines proposed by Moda In. By means of the “Trends” a consoli-dated device is reversed: producers and their collections become the protagonists and demand takes on international, composite aspects. “Success was made possible thanks to the vertical structure of the Italian production line and the nature of our firms, almost all small and me-dium size,” confirms Franco Bian-chi, exhibition historical mem-ory, “and the international nature that still characterizes Moda In is due to the number of important foreign purchase groups that habitually at-tend the event. The misnomer as a strictly domestic fair has often been attributed unjustly. This was proba-bly due to the Made in Italy fea-tures:when small/medium and nu-merous Italian buyers go abroad they increase the absolute value of foreign clients at Paris trade fairs. In Italy, they are Italian, abroad they are con-sidered “international”. “I am aware that a ‘demand fair’ concept remains in the market”, comments Alberto Jelmini, presi-dent of Moda In, that has reached its 25th year, together with a successful reranking as part of Milano Unica. “The market alternates between the low and mid-upper/superior ranges mostly depending on cost and con-venience: for the lower range, it does-n’t matter where products come from as the only important factor is how much the final cost will be affected. Moda In, together with other Milano Unica partners, and above all our exhibitors, no longer believe in this philosophy and continue to represent

products surrounded by a glorious past, present and future: high quality products, reliable customer services, extensive research, innovation and personalization”. From this evaluation one can deduce that the repositioning of Italian and selected European textiles and there-fore, Moda In, is aiming at superior market levels, textile research, acces-sories and exclusive services. “Major purchase groups never miss a fair appointment. Company strategy that tries to cut corners in terms of cost and production times has changed. Highly qualified personnel are now attending rather than teams of opera-tors that want to spend time away from the office. The average fair visit usually lasts about 2½ days, charac-terized by intense activity which has greatly satisfied our exhibitors, espe-cially at recent editions where the new buyer profile has been outlined more precisely”, adds Massimo Mosiello, Executive Advisor of Moda In. Another aspect which has remained constant over the years is the com-posite nature of the event, rather than a division by district. This de-rives from the original format focus-ing on merchandise types, beginning with accessories, Italian cotton prod-ucts and European products. A few years after its inauguration, there were already numerous catego-ries, enough to create different sec-tors specialized in Leisure, Fancy and ever popular Accessories. There was originally only one trend Area, but now each one has its own. Today (together with Prato Expo and Idea-como) basic reference points have been created for fashion, innovation

and color for the women’s sector of Milano Unica. The fact that there is an entire area dedicated to color signifies an evolution in consumer attitude: when an item is no longer a primary necessity but a superfluous one, color becomes the determining factor for purchase. We can also ob-serve the same phenomenon in home furnishings. In general, it reinforces the elements that make Moda In of major interest. In other words, em-phasis is placed on innovation and experimentation in the Italian textile industry. “Creating a Trend Area was a diffi-cult task, as there were numerous innovations distinguishing the col-lections of exhibitors” explains Bian-chi, now general secretary of the Fair and Industry Committee. Alberto Jelmini further explains the neces-sity in creating 4 Trend Areas “accessories have such a fundamen-tal, unique identity that they deserve their own space (textile and non-textile accessories);fabrics are subdi-vided into 12 different types, reach-ing such a sophisticated level to cre-

ate varied and specific collections. Moda In has thus differentiated the core of the textile fair into macro-themes”. This subdivision by cate-gory has been singled out by Angelo Uslenghi, developing project 12+2, which takes its name from the num-ber of merchandise categories in-cluded. 12+2 is a marketing device maintain-ing the objectives of Moda In. Begin-ning with the upcoming edition, it will have an increased journalistic content, providing customer service, guidelines to the latest innovations, composite proposals, a myriad of inventiveness and style, typical of Italian and European textiles. Even the concept of marketing is undergoing change, an evolution that the textile fair has already experi-enced:not only a business haven, but a place for meetings and confronta-tions, communication and images. According to consumer sociologist Giampaolo Fabris, today we should discuss societing rather than market-ing, where the concept of market represents a subsystem of a larger environment, a so-called “conversation place”. Societing fo-cuses on these changes, while under-lining that the market is part of soci-ety and that intangible, symbolic meanings of merchandise prevail. The consumer has already acquired power and discretion which cannot be disregarded by operators. Hence, a transition from mass markets to a mass of markets composed of numer-ous specialized areas that nowadays divide the demand. The Italian textile industry has been observing this change and has begun to focus on more personalized ser-vices. “It is a sort of Copernican dis-tortion” confirms Mosiello, “placing the individual and his demands at the center of attention, instead of the company. It seems to become a prior-ity of the firm that has to take advan-tage of marketing and its purposes, to efficiently connect to the consumer world. Fair concepts may be rein-forced if they continue to favor this tendency, especially now that Italian textiles hold a definite market rank where an understanding of courses and objectives, symbols and trends is necessary. Trade fairs can become places of dialog, suitable for listening and connecting with the consumer world”. Max Dubini, vice-president of Moda In, was convinced about unify-ing the trade fairs from the begin-ning. “Today, a specialized exhibition has a different meaning than a few years ago. Globalization has altered this concept with respect to a mass of composite and larger markets. To-day, niche products signify a market that concentrates on image-conscious consumers concerned with quality and status symbols. One must keep up with needs and evolution, espe-cially because they include the “newly rich” from developing countries. Milano Unica is a trade fair for the élite, but it also contains important elements that focus on the quality trendy market: Moda In is based on different concepts than the other 5 trade fairs and represents the heart and soul of the event”.

Moda In:

Analysis on Social, Economic and Fashion event

Milano Unica unites five Italian trade fairs that have successfully represented Italian and European textile manu-facturers for the past 26 years. Made in Italy fabrics continue to be a focal point of international reference for fine quality production. Recently, the market has requested more rational items. For this reason, Ideabiella, prestigious menswear and women’s wear fabric collections; Ideacomo, exclusive collections for women; Moda In, avant-garde materials for the trendy market; Prato Expo, fabrics for women-swear with a high fashion content and casual menswear; Shirt Avenue, traditional and novelty shirting fabrics, have developed the perfect formula which combines fashion and classic items.

The Board of Presidents

President: Pier Luigi Loro Piana Vice-president: Alberto Jelmini Ideabiella: Pier Luigi Loro Piana, Paolo Zegna Ideacomo: Beppe Pisani, Francesca Canepa, Franco Ricci Moda In: Alberto Jelmini, Max Dubini Prato Expo: Alessandro Benelli e Luca Bellandi Shirt Avenue: Silvio Albini, Aldo Ardemagni General Manager: Massimo Mosiello

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Children who watch more than 2 hours of TV a day are twice as likely to get asthma as children who watch less. The greater risk of asthma was not directly caused by watching television, which was only used as an indicator of just how sedentary children’s lifestyles were. The finding builds on recent work that suggests a link between asthma and low levels of physical activity. Some scientists believe inactive children do not inhale deeply and regularly enough, which helps to stretch the airways and make them less prone to asthma. The study looked at the medical records of 14,000 chil-dren from birth until 11½. The study is published in Thorax, one of the world’s leading respiratory medicine journals, publishing clinical and ex-perimental research articles on respiratory medicine. Elaine Vickers, of the charity Asthma UK, said: “The findings add to a wealth of evidence linking a lack of exercise and being overweight with an increased risk of asthma, but this study is the first to directly link sedentary behaviour at a very young age to a higher risk of asthma later in childhood. We have one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the world so it is especially important that parents in the UK prise kids away from the TV and encourage them to lead an active lifestyle.

Inactive children at higher risk of asthma A study from Glasgow University has found that children who spend hours in front of the television are at greater risk of developing asthma than those who are more active.

Bologna 21 mar 2009 - DUE ORE di caos nel cuore della città e un migliaio di manifestanti che sfila-no per via Rizzoli. Esulta l'antagoni-smo bolognese perché, alla prova della piazza, la contestata ordinanza che limita cortei e presidi in centro nel fine settimana è stata violata. E, di fronte alla prospettiva di dover scio-gliere l'adunata con l'uso della forza e conseguenze imprevedibili, i respon-sabili dell'ordine pubblico hanno im-boccato la strada della trattativa e del buon senso, dopo lunghi minuti di tensione e un tafferuglio senza feriti all'incrocio tra via Rizzoli e via Indi-pendenza. Per il corteo indetto dai sindacati di base, a cui hanno aderito centri sociali e collettivi, si è aperta infine la strada per piazza Verdi dove, poco dopo le 18, si è conclusa un'al-tra giornata di passione. La situazione sembra tornare entro i limiti di guardia ma, alle 17, lo striscio-ne dei sindacati di base, che viene fatto passare attraverso la Sala Borsa per aggirare il cordone, ricompare in via Rizzoli con un'avanguardia dei manifestanti che organizza un mini-blocco del traffico. Altri antagonisti escono alla spicciolata e la polizia municipale è costretta a chiudere il traffico in tutta la T. Si formano mini cortei che tentato di imboccare via Rizzoli e via Indipendenza; il gruppo dell'Assemblea antifascista si scontra coi carabinieri. Vola qualche manga-nellata ma nulla più. Le forze dell'ordine riescono infine a riformare due cordoni tra piazza Re Enzo e via Indipendenza, contenendo i manifestanti che nel frattempo sono diventati quasi un miglia-io. Il blocco dura circa mezz'ora. Nel frattempo si

trova l'accordo per evitare che la situazione de-generi: la Questura concende il deflusso del corteo verso piazza Verdi, dove si giunge dopo un quarto d'ora di marcia.

Bologna: in migliaia smontano il divieto di manifestare nel centro di Y. A. Shanchoy ( and Photo Credit)