Pakistan spy chief makes US visit

13 July 2011 Last updated at 08:49 GMT Lt Gen Pasha's trip comes as tensions rise between Pakistan and the US Pakistan's intelligence chief Ahmad Shuja Pasha is due in Washington for talks, as relations between the countries continue to deteriorate.

The spy chief will "co-ordinate intelligence matters" during his one-day trip, Pakistan's military said.

On Monday Pakistan's defence minister said that troops may be withdrawn from the Afghan border, after the US announced a major cut to military aid.

Ties have been fraught since the US killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.

The al-Qaeda chief was killed when US Navy Seal commandos raided his compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad on 2 May.

Many in the US have questioned how the fugitive could have lived undetected for years in a Pakistani cantonment town so close to the capital.

But in the months leading up to the raid, tensions were already running high over the case of Raymond Davis, the CIA contractor who shot and killed two men in Lahore.

Many in Pakistan were demanding that he be tried for murder. He was eventually released after "blood money" was paid to the families of the victims.

Military cuts

This the intelligence chief's first visit to the US since the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

The army did not disclose the precise purpose of Mr Pasha's visit, but said he would be meeting American military and intelligence officials in Washington.

Continue reading the main story 2 May: US announces Bin Laden's death and says Pakistan not warned of raid14 May: Pakistan MPs demand review of US ties26 May: US announces withdrawal of some US troops at Pakistan's request27 May: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits to try to soothe relations2 June: Top US military chief Adm Mike Mullen admits "significant" cut in US troops in Pakistan10 June: CIA head Leon Panetta visits Pakistan; US admits "slow progress" in healing ties8 July: Adm Mullen says Pakistan sanctioned killing of a journalist; Pakistan angrily rejects this10 July: US suspends $800m of military aid12 July: Pakistan defence minister says troops could be withdrawn from Afghan border area because of cutsThe BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that it is believed he will raise the issue of military aid cuts and reassure Washington of Pakistan's resolve when it comes to fighting militants.

On Sunday the US said it would cut about $800m (?500m) of military aid to Pakistan, which equates to about a third of the annual US security aid to the country. Pakistan has said it would use its own resources to continue operations against militants in the volatile north-west of the country.

But analysts say that US aid cuts will create financial pressure on the military and force it to appropriate government funds allocated for non-military projects.

And on Monday Pakistani Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said that his country could withdraw troops from the Afghan border in response to the cut.

Mr Mukhtar said Pakistan "cannot afford" to keep troops in the remote region without the financial support.

Our correspondent says that while the defence minister's statement worsens the ongoing row between the US and Pakistan, there is no real likelihood of the army being pulled out.

In addition the US has persisted with drone strikes in north-west Pakistan despite protests by Islamabad.

At least 48 people have been killed so far this week in four separate strikes across North and South Waziristan.

View the original article here

Russia makes record bank bail-out

1 July 2011 Last updated at 22:04 GMT The bank's erstwhile head, Andrei Borodin, has fled the country Russia's fifth largest bank, Bank of Moscow, has been given the biggest bail-out in Russian history.

The $14bn rescue came after another bank, VTB, gained control through a hostile bid, only to uncover bad loans valued at $9bn - a third of the bank's assets.

Bank of Moscow's former head, Andrei Borodin, has fled the country, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The bank was used by ex-Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov to fund property projects.

'Fraudulent lending'

Mr Luzhkov was sacked by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last year.

In a statement issued in London, Mr Borodin said he was shocked at the size of the bail-out, and claimed that VTB's takeover of the bank was politically motivated.

VTB, for its part, accused Bank of Moscow of committing "fraudulent lending" under Mr Borodin's control, while Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has called for a criminal investigation.

Under the rescue deal, the Russian central bank will provide a 295bn rouble ($10.6bn) 10-year loan at a negligible interest rate to Bank of Moscow.

Meanwhile, VTB will invest a further 100bn roubles to recapitalise the bank - taking its ownership share from 46% to 75%, enough to qualify for state aid.

VTB, Russia's second-biggest lender, had itself to be rescued by the Russian state to the tune of $6.4bn during the financial crisis.

View the original article here

Albarn's 'folk opera' makes debut

2 July 2011 Last updated at 01:56 GMT By Ian Youngs Arts reporter, BBC News Watch Damon Albarn discussing the production ahead of its premiere

Musician Damon Albarn has unveiled an ambitious stage show that combines his acoustic pop with contemporary opera to tell the story of an Elizabethan hero.

He staged the premiere of "folk opera" Dr Dee, about the ill-fated scientist and occultist John Dee, in Manchester.

The show sees the Blur singer peform songs on a platform above the stage while actors and opera singers take part in an elaborate production below.

It will move to the home of the English National Opera in London next summer.

Bertie Carvel (front) plays John Dee

Albarn, who also fronts the pop band Gorillaz, has said Dr Dee has been the most difficult challenge and the most important project of his career.

The show, directed by Rufus Norris, was inspired by Albarn's fascination with Dee and his lasting influence on English identity.

Dee was a scientific and medical adviser to Elizabeth I who advocated the creation of a British Empire, helped explorers navigate the New World and held seances in the hope of finding a key to unlock the secrets of nature.

William Shakespeare is believed to have based the sorcerer Prospero, from The Tempest, on Dee.

The production started by tracing modern English identity back to Dee's era, before charting his life story, from mathematical brilliance in the Elizabethan court to dark and brooding scenes of downfall.

Throughout the performance, Albarn was perched on a platform above the stage, wearing a black leather jacket and jeans rather than the baggy breeches and ruffs sported by the actors.

He picked up his acoustic guitar and broke into song at regular intervals, acting as a modern-day musical commentator on the action below and drawing parallels between the Englands of the 16th and 21st Centuries.

He was joined on the platform by a small band that included the Nigerian drum legend Tony Allen and musicians playing period instruments such as the rackett, the viol, the crumhorn and a large lute called the theorbo.

Watch Albarn perform a song from the opera on The Andrew Marr Show

Albarn was initially reluctant to describe the production as an opera, but has since summed it up by defining it as an English folk opera.

"It's an ongoing dilemma - what do you call something that's new?" he recently told BBC Radio 4's Front Row.

There was praise among the audience for the staging, with its continually inventive use of props, projections and powerful symbolism.

Dr Dee is one of the showpiece productions at the third Manchester International Festival.

The festival takes place every two years and Albarn has been involved at every event so far.

His first foray into opera, with the spectacular Chinese performance piece Monkey, was among the highlights of the first festival in 2007.

John Dee died in poverty and isolation after a posting to Manchester in 1596

But Albarn did not perform in that show. He said he needed to appear in Dr Dee because it was "a chance to express something about England".

"I've got a really strange emotional connection, and it really gets to me - that haunted, magical England," he told Front Row.

"It's something that really stirs me in an irrational way. The only way I could honestly write about Dee was to involve myself in the whole thing. But I'm not walking around in a ruff and tights."

John Dee spent the latter part of his life as warden of Manchester College and Albarn has had access to Dee's letters at the city's John Rylands Library.

"Manchester has become creatively like a second home for me in this country," the singer said.

Dr Dee can be seen at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until 9 July and will open at the London Coliseum as part of the London 2012 Festival for the Cultural Olympiad next June.

View the original article here

Jayawardene makes England suffer

By Sam Sheringham
BBC Sport Venue: CardiffDate: 26-30 MayStart time: 1100 BST each dayCoverage: Live ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave & BBC Sport website; live video scorecard on Red Button (not Freeview); live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles; watch live on Sky Sports (subscription required); highlights on Channel 5 Jayawardene scored a century in his first Test on English soil Prasanna Jayawardene hit 112 to put Sri Lanka in control of the first Test against a weary England in Cardiff.

James Anderson struck in the third over of the day but Thilan Samaraweera kept the tourists on top with an elegant 58.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jayawardene then took centre stage, reaching his third Test century from 147 balls as Sri Lanka racked up 400 all out.

Captain Andrew Strauss was caught at slip in the penultimate over as England finished day two on 47-1.

The late wicket capped an excellent performance from the tourists on a day when the vulnerabilities of England's four-bowler strategy were exposed.

Part-time seamer Jonathan Trott, filling the role previously performed by Paul Collingwood, gave up 29 runs from his six overs, while the Sri Lankans coped comfortably with Graeme Swann's off spin.

Suranga Lakmal struck a late blow with the wicket of Strauss

That put pressure on England's trio of seamers and when Anderson was forced off with back and side injuries - which require a precautionary scan - Strauss was left short of options.

Nonetheless, the hosts stuck to their task, with the luckless Broad eventually becoming the second youngest Englishman after Ian Botham to reach 100 Test wickets, and Swann helping to wrap up the tail.

And with plenty of batting still to come, there is every reason to believe they can get back into the game over the weekend.

With Sri Lanka resuming on 133-2, England needed early wickets on Friday morning and Anderson delivered the goods from the final ball of the third over.

It was a brilliant piece of bowling from the Ashes hero as he followed five outswingers with a fierce inswinger that caught the shoulder of Mahela Jayawardene's bat and flew to first slip, where Strauss took a sharp reaction catch.

Tharanga Paranavitana continued to favour caution over aggression as he added just seven runs to his overnight 58 in the first hour of play.

His cause was not aided by a straight ball from Chris Tremlett which struck him full in the groin, requiring lengthy treatment. The left-hander never looked comfortable thereafter, surviving a leg-before appeal from Broad before he was bowled by Tremlett two deliveries later off a thick inside edge.

Samaraweera kept the scoreboard ticking over with a regular supply of attractive boundaries, reaching 23 off 37 balls before he survived a close shave. A poorly-executed cut shot looped towards Eoin Morgan at point, but the ball dropped just short of the fielder as he dived to his left.

If that incident left Tremlett cursing his luck, Broad's efforts to claim his 100th victim were littered with misfortune as Jayawardene twice edged at a catchable height between third slip and gully.

Samaraweera reached his 26th Test fifty from 72 balls as his partnership with Jayawardene reached 84. But the second new ball proved his undoing as Anderson got a delivery to straighten off the seam and catch the outside edge before flying through to Swann at second slip.

There followed a period of immense frustration for England, and especially Broad, who had a flurry of marginal leg-before-wicket appeals rejected by umpire Aleem Dar.

But the wheel of fortune turned full circle as Farveez Maharoof was run out for 16 in a desperately unlucky manner. Bowler Trott got a hand to a Jayawardene drive and deflected the ball onto the stumps, leaving Maharoof stranded as he backed-up looking for a run.

New batsman Thisara Perera should have been run out in more orthodox fashion shortly afterwards when Jayawardene called him through for a suicidal single but Kevin Pietersen's underarm throw missed the stumps by some distance.

Broad's frustrations intensified after tea when he drew a thick outside edge from Perera, only for Cook at third slip to drop a tricky chance. But the bowler finally gained the reward his exertions deserved when Perera mis-hit a drive straight to Tremlett at mid-on.

A fifty partnership between Jayawardene and Herath added to Strauss's woes, with the former reaching three figures in his first Test appearance in England.

Herath cracked 25 from 35 balls before he was caught slashing wildly at Swann, who wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Lakmal in his next over after Broad had removed Jayawardene caught behind.

Strauss and Alastair Cook made a comfortable start to England's reply as Dilshan gave all five of his frontline bowlers a try.

But just when the openers appeared to be guiding the hosts through to the close, Suranga Lakmal got one to deviate off the seam and Strauss's edge was well-taken by Mahela Jayawardene at second slip.

View the original article here