Death toll climbs as typhoon leaves Japan

A woman braves strong winds as Typhoon Roke hits the Tokyo area.Roke is no longer a tropical stormThe remnants of the storm are racing into the northern PacificPlant officials report no major problems at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

(CNN) -- The death toll climbed to 10 in Japan as the remnants of former Typhoon Roke raced into the northern Pacific on Thursday, government officials said.

Four people are missing, according to local government officials.

Roke hit the Japanese mainland Wednesday morning as a powerful Typhoon, packing winds of up to 167 kph (103 mph).

The storm caused widespread flooding and disrupted transportation throughout the island nation a day earlier.

The storm hit as Japan is still recovering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck in March, killing more than 15,000 people.

Ahead of the storm, there were fears that it would affect Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi plant, which went into a nuclear crisis after the March disaster. TEPCO officials canceled outdoor construction at the plant.

Plant officials said Thursday that they have not seen any major problems at the plant due to Roke.

At one point before the storm made landfall, about 1 million people were urged to evacuate from vulnerable areas as heavy rain pounded central and western Japan.

Some downpours came up to 50 millimeters (2 inches) an hour, and some regions received more than 450 millimeters (17 inches) over a day, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki and Junko Ogura contributed to this report

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Ahmadinejad: Iran is a model for the world

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his country is the only nation that can offer a new model for life to the world.Ahamdinejad: The U.S. may be willing to "highjack" uprisings in the Middle EastThe Iranian president says Iran would cease enriching uranium to 20% if the U.S. provided it

NEW YORK (CNN) -- On the eve of his address at the U.N. General Assembly Thursday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared his country to be "a new model for life to the world."

He also said that the United States might be willing to "highjack" the Middle East uprisings, according to Iran's state-run news agency IRNA.

Ahmadinejad's appearance at the United Nations in New York comes a day after two U.S. hikers, held in an Iranian prison for more than two years, were released.

Wednesday evening, Ahmadinejad met with a group of U.S. university students, and then gave an interview to Iranian satellite television.

His office provided translated quotes from both.

The Iranian leader said "that the world is in need of change, and Marxism, liberalism, humanism and the West could not solve man's problems," his office said. Ahmadinejad added that "relying on its culture and rich civilization," Iran is "the only nation" that "can offer a new model for life to the world."

He told the students "that the U.S. may be willing to highjack the regional uprisings but a stormy movement is under way," IRNA reported.

"Elsewhere in his speech, he said that the U.N. was set up with the objective of preventing bullying in the world, but this did not happen," IRNA reported.

Ahamdinejad also gave an interview to New York Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof in which he discussed the dispute over Iran's nuclear activities. He said that if the United States gave Iran 20% enriched uranium, "we will cease the domestic enrichment of uranium of up to 20% this very week. We only want the 20% enrichment for our domestic consumption. If they give it to us according to international law, according to IAEA laws, without preconditions, we will cease domestic enrichment."

Many countries, including the United States, believe Iran is trying to create a nuclear weapons program, but Tehran insists its activities are only to provide energy for the country.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

China calls for resumption of talks

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Beijing Monday marks the six party talks' joint statement on North Korea.South Korea's new unification minister says he'll do all can to reopen talksNorth Korean leader expressed willingness during meeting with Russia's president last monthNorth korean expert Andrei Lankov not hopeful of positive outcome

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- China is calling Monday for the resumption of six party talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament two days before planned inter-Korean talks. "We are happy to see that there have been some new, positive interactions between the parties concerned surrounding the restart of the six party talks," Foreign minister Yang Jiechi told a seminar in Beijing. "The parties must seize these opportunities."

Yonhap news agency reports North Korea's nuclear envoy Ri Yong Ho, attending the same seminar as Yang, called for the unconditional resumption of talks. Ri and his South Korean counterpart Wi Sung-lac will meet in Beijing Wednesday for the second time this year. The two also met on the outskirts of the ASEAN conference in Bali, Indonesia back in July.

South Korea's new unification minister, Yu Woo-ik, made it clear in his inauguration speech Monday he would do all he could to reopen talks with the North. "With a stern but flexible attitude, the ministry will try to create an atmosphere for dialogue and untangle knots in relations," he told lawmakers.

The policy toward North Korea since President Lee Myung-bak took power in 2008 has been more hard-line than in previous years, linking economic aid to progress on nuclear disarmament, and although the official line is that the policy has not changed, it appears the stance has softened.

Six party talks on nuclear disarmament between the two Koreas, the US, Russia, Japan and China broke down in April 2009 when North Korea walked out after the United Nations Security Council issued a statement condemning the North's launch of a satellite. The international community believed it to be a missile test.

Pyongyang has in recent months been urging the resumption of the 6 party talks on nuclear disarmament in return for international aid. The US and South Korea both insist Pyongyang respect its past commitments to disarm before 6 party talks restart.

During a meeting last month with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was quoted as showing a willingness to impose a moratorium on his nuclear program, if talks resume.

Wednesday's talks have been welcomed by the United States as a further sign of easing tensions. High profile US-North Korean talks took place in New York in July. US Deputy State Department spokesman, Mark C. Toner told reporters Friday, "We would certainly welcome steps by the North Korean Government to improve inter-Korean relations, and as such, we would welcome a dialogue - further dialogue, rather, between North Korea and South Korea."

But not everyone is hopeful of a positive outcome from these talks. North Korean expert Andrei Lankov tells CNN, "It is positive that negotiations have begun again. However, there is zero chance that these negotiations will ever bring the officially intended result, that is, democratization of North Korea. North Korea is not going to surrender its nuclear weapons."

Lankov cites the example of Moammar Gaddafi, who gave up his nuclear program and has now been ousted from power by the Libyan people aided by NATO. Lankov says of Kim, "He saw how Gaddafi was betrayed, and he will not do it himself."

CNN's Steven Jiang contributed to this report.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Ex-prisoner's advice to freed hikers

Saberi 'delighted' for released hikersIranian-American Roxana Saberi was detained in January 2009The freelance journalist was accused of being a spySaberi was held at the same notorious prison as the American hikersThe last two hikers were freed Wednesday; Saberi offers advice to them

(CNN) -- A trip to Iran to learn more about her family's ancestry became a nightmare for American journalist Roxana Saberi. In January 2009, while she was working in the country, several men showed up at the Iranian-American's door and carted her off to Evin Prison, the notoriously brutal lockup outside Tehran where three American hikers were recently imprisoned. Like Josh Fattal, Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer, Saberi was accused of being a spy for the U.S.

Like them, she denied the accusation. Iran tried, convicted and sentenced Saberi to eight years. But, to her shock, she was freed after 100 days. She returned to the U.S. in May 2009.

On Wednesday, Fattal and Bauer were freed after two years at Evin. Shourd was released last year.

CNN talked with Saberi about the advice she would give the hikers and about her experience at Evin.

CNN: Did you ever hope that you might be set free, even after your sentence?

Roxana Saberi: I didn't think I was going to be set free after being sentenced to eight years. When they said I was going to be freed, I was in disbelief, very happy disbelief.

CNN: You wrote in your book that about gaining a unique kind of mental clarity and toughness.

Saberi: I learned over time, especially from my cellmates, that things happen to you, and you can't control them. All you can control is your response to them. In prison, you cannot control your physical environment.

CNN: You can say that, but to actually live that way under those circumstances is another thing. You were interrogated for days on end.

Saberi: (The interrogators) were mostly harsh and threatening, but then they would say, "Oh, are you hungry? Do you want us to make you comfortable? Do you want some tea or some water?" I think it was partly to mess with the person's mind. My cellmates, the women who were prisoners, they are the strong ones. There were times when I was angry and told myself that I hate the sin and not the sinner. I had to learn from my cellmates, who were in prison much longer. I asked them, "How do you not hate these people for doing this to you?"

(Saberi says she nurtured relationships with other prisoners by teaching them English. Many, she says, were at Evin for believing in Baha'i, a monotheistic faith believers are persecuted for in Iran.)

Saberi: These prisoners told me, "We don't hate (the guards), but we forgive them," which was incredible to me. I tried hard to hate the sin and not the sinner. ... I realized we are all human beings, and (the prison workers) do their jobs to have job security. They get paid for it. Some of them do believe in the ideology, and some don't. If our captors, I believe, were raised in a different environment, they wouldn't do what they do.

But I really got a lot of strength from other prisoners. We taught each other jokes in our different languages. I taught them vocabulary that had to do with shopping and English curse words. We exercised.

CNN: How did you exercise?

Saberi: Sit-ups, push-ups in our cell. We were allowed to go outside four times a week, escorted by guards who pushed at the chadors we had to wear. The guards would take us to a cement cage -- the walls, all cement and bars. Overhead them, at least you could see sky.

CNN: When the guards were marching you back and forth, did you say anything to them? Did they speak to you?

Saberi: They mostly didn't say anything. (But) a female guard -- she was older -- reached under my chador and grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

CNN: Did you see any other humanity like that in your guards?

Saberi: There was humanity in some of them, in this female guard. She seemed to be trying to tell me that everyone would be OK. Toward me, the guards were mostly civil. I did see them yelling at other prisoners. I assume that because I was a foreigner, and Iranians say they are kind to foreigners.

We tried to learn more about the women guards, because they would stop by our cells when they were giving us food. They were very tight-lipped and were instructed not to say much about themselves. We got tidbits about their lives. One had kids, and one had a nose job; this kind of plastic surgery is very popular in Iran. They had the same values -- caring about how they looked -- like other women would have. But I didn't get that close with any of them. They don't allow it.

CNN: Tell me more about how you kept sane, especially in solitary confinement. How did you even keep track of time?

Saberi: Well, I thought I was going crazy. I was in solitary for more than two weeks; then I was sent to a cell that had state-run TV playing so I could see the time. I could hear the call to prayer and see sun rays cast on the cell walls and floors.

CNN: Can you describe what solitary confinement was like?

Saberi: I could hold my hands out and almost touch two walls. There was ratty brown carpet. There was a broken toilet. Military blankets. A sign on the wall quoted (founder and supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah) Khomeini said, "Prisons must be colleges for human improvement." There was a window just below the ceiling out of reach that was covered with metal mesh and bars. On the other side of my wall, I heard a prisoner whimpering.

I was very worried, because no one knew where I was. (Saberi wrote in her memoir "Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran" that only after many days did Iranian authorities allow her to call her father. They forced her to lie to him in saying that she didn't know where she was and that she was in trouble for drinking alcohol.)

I tried to keep my sanity by singing songs like Christmas carols and "We Will Rock you," and I played notes with my fingers on the wall. I kept saying things that gave me courage like Gandhi's "I do believe I am seeking only God's truth and have lost all fear of man."

CNN: When you were let out of solitary, what happened?

Saberi: They put me in another cell.

CNN: And you were held for four months. What did you think when news came last week when the Iranian president said that Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer were going to be released? And what did you think when they were freed Wednesday?

Saberi: In Iran, you never believe it until you see it. I thought about their families.

CNN: You've talked to their families before.

Saberi: I could relate to how worried they were. My parents were in a similar situation. I wanted to comfort them and to explain what prison was like for me.

CNN: What would you say to Josh and Shane now?

Saberi: I'd like to hear from them how their situation was. I hope that they are able to adapt well in this new part of their life and perhaps learned lessons in prison that can help them when they're free. I would tell them to take their time and not feel pressured to make decisions. This is their time. It's theirs again.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Libya military site yields possible radioactive material

Two more towns for Libya's rebelsNEW: An ex-inspector says the IAEA should view material marked "radioactive" soonNEW: Algeria says it will recognize Libya's transitional government as officialAnti-Gadhafi forces came upon the military site that may have radioactive materialTroops have been putting pressure on several regime holdout cities in recent days

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Anti-Gadhafi forces have come across a military site in southern Libya that contains what appears to be radioactive material.

The site, not far from Sabha in the Sahara desert, has two warehouses containing thousands of blue barrels marked with tape saying "radioactive," and plastic bags of yellow powder sealed with the same type tape.

The fact that Libya might have radioactive material is not a surprise: In 2004, the the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the Libyan government had yellowcake stored in Sabha. Afterward, Moammar Gadhafi's government vowed its intent to dismantle its nuclear program, and there has been no indication it was ever developed enough that it might appear in weapons.

Still, the fact that it was lying seemingly unguarded -- such that it could end up in the hands of terrorists or nations intent on illicitly turning radioactive material into weapons -- is a definite cause for concern, said David Albright, a former weapons inspector and now president of the Institute for Science and International Security.

"During wars, nuclear material is not protected very well," Albright said, noting that IAEA crews in the past have entered war-zones such as in the former Yugoslavia and Algeria. "The IAEA needs to get there as soon as possible, to determine if anything is missing."

Yellowcake is processed uranium ore that can be used to produce enriched uranium for nuclear purposes, with Albright noting that it -- if it is what outside experts believe -- is not highly radioactive, in itself.

Even so, Cirincione seconded the sentiment that the discovery was cause for alarm.

"These pictures are amazing and sobering. Remember we had been assured by the State Department just weeks ago in August that significant mustard gas, MANPADS and nuclear materials were all secured. This discovery appears to show that in fact we can't count on anything being secured in Libya now," Cirincione said.

The yellowcake is not in itself a real danger, but having it next to high explosives is a potential environmental disaster if they were to explode, said Cirincione, who's president of the Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation.

Fighters entered Sabha, long regarded as a pro-Gadhafi stronghold, on Wednesday afternoon and initially met no resistance, officials said.

About a dozen lightly armed revolutionary fighters are now guarding the military site outside the city.

Electric power in Sabha, which had been off for two weeks, was restored Thursday evening. In addition, Al Madar, one of the nation's mobile phone networks, began working in the city after being down for more than a month.

Elsewhere, revolutionaries have taken control of the southwestern town of Ubari, chasing Moammar Gadhafi loyalists from the area as Libya's new leaders continued to gain momentum, National Transitional Council field commander Al-Amin Shtawi said Thursday.

The announcement comes days after the NTC received the significant milestone of being recognized by South Africa, Algeria and the African Union as Libya's legitimate rulers.

"Due to the role and obligations that the National Transitional Council has fulfilled and due to the African Union position, Algerian-NTC (diplomatic) relations will move from semi-official to official," said Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci, according to state-run Radio Algerie. Algeria had been among Gadhafi's biggest allies in the region, and is where his wife and three of his children fled to in August.

Troops loyal to Libya's new leaders have been putting pressure on several regime holdout cities in recent days. Along with Thursday's military action in Ubari, fighters have also clashed with Gadhafi loyalists in the northern town of Bani Walid and in Sirte.

Despite not yet having complete control over the entire country, the NTC says it is planning on how to set up a new government.

Elamin Belhaj, a senior member of the NTC, told CNN Wednesday that the formation of a Libyan government will not be announced until anti-Gadhafi forces control the borders of the country and liberate the three cities of Bani Walid, Sirte and Sabha .

That effort could take up to one month, he said.

After liberation, the NTC will create an interim government by appointing a prime minister who will be responsible for forming the government. The prime minister will decide how many ministers will be in that interim government, but he must return to the NTC for approval of that government. That government will create a new constitution that will be put before the Libyan people for approval in a referendum.

CNN's Ben Wedeman, Brian Walker and Greg Botelho contributed to this report

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Explainer: Palestinian statehood bid

Activists rally in support of Palestinian U.N. bid for statehood near fence separating Israel from Gaza.Palestinians set to request U.N. recognition of "Palestine" as new member stateU.S. holds veto power, has pledged to vote down statehood bidIsraeli PM has rejected pre-1967 border lines as basis for Palestinian stateMany believe move may worsen relations between Palestinian Authority and Israel

(CNN) -- During the course of the United Nations General Assembly the Palestinians have indicated that they will formally ask the world body for recognition of "Palestine" as a new member state. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon he will officially submit the statehood request on Friday which will ask that the U.N. Security Council take up the issue of Palestinian statehood.

Despite much talk of a U.N. vote on Palestinian statehood this week, neither of the organization's two major organs, the Security Council and the General Assembly are expected to take immediate action on the request.

Why is this move happening now?

The Palestinian Authority leadership says they are making the request for statehood now for a few reasons. Firstly, they argue that over the course of the past two years the Palestinian Authority has made great progress in building the infrastructure necessary for maintaining a sovereign state. They point to the various improvements in governance, security, and physical infrastructure as indicators of their readiness.

Palestinians also point to the September 2011 date that U.S. President Barack Obama laid out over a year ago as the deadline for the successful negotiation with Israel for a two-state solution. The Quartet of Middle East peace, made up of the U.N., European Union, Russia, and the U.S. also set this month as the target date for a negotiated deal. With that deadline not having been met Palestinian leaders argue that that the best way to enhance the chances for peace moving forward is for international recognition of a Palestinian state.

Who is agreeing with the Palestinians' demand, and who is disagreeing?

In the 15-member Security Council, the one body that can confer full U.N. membership, the Palestinians enjoy the support of a majority of the countries. But the United States, which as one of the five permanent members holds veto power, has pledged it will vote down the statehood bid, ending the Palestinians' chance to win full membership.

In the General Assembly, where a vote would be non-binding, the Palestinians enjoy the support of more than 120 of the 193 members and passage of a statehood resolution would be all but assured.

Why do the U.S. and Israel oppose the call?

Both the U.S. and Israel consider the Palestinian strategy a unilateral move that will only hinder the possibility of reaching a peaceful settlement to the Middle East conflict. U.N. action, both countries argue, does not take the place of direct negotiations. Speaking recently to reporters, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "We believe strongly that the road to peace and two states living side by side does not go through New York, it goes through Jerusalem and Ramallah."

Israel calls for peace talks amid Palestinian statehood push

Surely, if the U.S and Israel don't agree then it won't mean any difference on the ground?

Without the acknowledgement of Israel and the U.S., United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state based on armistice lines that existed before 1967 is largely a symbolic move. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected these lines as the basis for a Palestinian state, calling them "indefensible." Therefore the borders, airspace, and movement of people in a new "Palestine" would continue to be controlled by the Israeli military and it would be unlikely to change the presence of about 300,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

If a Palestinian state is recognized, what could that mean for relations/negotiations with Israel?

Many believe recognition of a Palestinian state would exacerbate already poor relations between the Palestinian Authority government and Israel. Some politicians in Israel have called for unilateral responses to the Palestinian bid including the outright annexation of territory in the West Bank, the withholding of tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinians, and the cancellation of various parts of the 1993 Oslo accords that created the Palestinian Authority. Potential moves like this and what some believe could be a rising level of Palestinian frustration at unmet expectations could add a great deal of tension on the ground and contribute to the possibility of an outbreak of violence. Palestinian Authority leadership maintains that recognition would help put pressure on Israel to be more reasonable in future negotiations.

Is there risk in this move for the Palestinian Authority?

Beyond the potential response from Israel, the Palestinian bid at the U.N. is risky. The U.S. is opposed to the move and lawmakers in congress have threatened to pull the plug on hundreds of millions of dollars in annual American aid. Others say the move will unrealistically raise expectations of Palestinians and, if little actually changes on the ground, could contribute to regional tensions. The Palestinian Authority could also risk losing support from its own people. The Hamas political faction, which controls Gaza, does not support the U.N. strategy and there are concerns among the Palestinian refugees in the region that the statehood bid could compromise their "right of return" to their homeland.

Would U.N. recognition give the Palestinians anything substantive?

Recognition by the United Nations could potentially give Palestinians greater access to international bodies like the International Criminal Court and the Human Rights Council. Venues like these could serve as a place for Palestinians to file legal challenges to Israeli practices and exert more international pressure on Israel.

What's the current state of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians?

Currently there are no talks going on between Israeli and Palestinians. Talks fell apart a year ago over disagreements on the issue of Israeli West Bank settlements. Coming off a self-imposed 10-month halt in settlement construction, Israel said it would not renew the freeze. This led the Palestinians to quit the negotiations. In an effort to head off the Palestinian's statehood request at the U.N. the United States and various European countries have been engaged in 11th hour diplomacy to get the talks restarted but few expect a breakthrough deal.

September 20, 2011 -- Updated 1806 GMT (0206 HKT) CNN's Tim Lister breaks down the Palestinian vote for statehood and what it could mean for the U.S. September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0049 GMT (0849 HKT) The Palestinians have indicated that they will formally ask the United Nations for recognition of "Palestine" as a new member state.September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0943 GMT (1743 HKT) As a package is developed to avoid a showdown over Palestinian statehood, Obama and Abbas plan to meet.September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0954 GMT (1754 HKT) Rarely has so much time and energy been devoted to an issue less consequential than the Palestinian bid for statehood, Aaron David Miller writes.September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0117 GMT (0917 HKT) The Mideast peace process is stalled and the U.S. faces the possibility of having to veto a U.N. resolution on Palestinian statehood. How did it get to this point? September 20, 2011 -- Updated 1920 GMT (0320 HKT) CNN's Wolf Blitzer takes a look at America's role in the struggle for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0049 GMT (0849 HKT) Nabil Saeed lays out large rolls of red, green, white and black cloth on his workshop table. These are the colors of his homeland, one he hopes will soon become a fully recognized state. Today's five most popular stories

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Huge Bangladesh strike over fuel prices

A huge contingent of police guard the streets in Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Thursday as the opposition parties call a general strike in protest against fuel price hike.Dhaka police put 13,000 officers in the streets in that one city, police chief saysThe usually busy streets of Dhaka looked almost deserted of people, vehiclesThe opposition alliance launched the day-long general strike to protest an increase in fuel pricesThe opposition claims at least 400 protesters were arrested

Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) -- Thousands of anti-riot police were in the streets of Bangladesh's capital city Thursday as the opposition alliance launched a day-long general strike in protest of a fuel price hike.

The strike, occurring all over the country, paralyzed daily life as road communications were heavily disrupted and schools and business establishments remained closed on Thursday, the last working day of the week.

The usually busy streets of the capital, Dhaka, looked almost deserted as most means of public and private transportation remained off the roads.

The opposition group Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies, mostly Islamic parties, called the strike after the government raised the price of petroleum fuels and compressed national gas on Sunday.

Dhaka's police chief, Benazir Ahmed, said his department deployed 13,000 policemen alone in the capital to break up any opposition protests, and the home ministry also initiated mobile courts to try protesters summarily on the streets.

Police said that the strike was mostly peaceful apart from a few incidents of violence, but the opposition parties said the police and the ruling party men beat up their activists wherever they had tried to bring out a procession.

Police said they had arrested some 200 people from different parts of the country, but the opposition claimed that the number was at least 400.

The BNP acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said, "The government has increased fuel prices at a time when people's suffering has already peaked due to high inflation." But the government said it was an "issueless" strike.

The general secretary of the ruling Awami League, Syed Ashraful Islam, said it was illogical as the prices of fuel oils were still lower in Bangladesh (a liter of gasoline costs US$ 1.06) than in the international market.

"If the prices of fuel oils increase in the global market in the future, the government will increase the prices again because the government will need to pay huge subsidies otherwise," he added.

The fuel price hike, the second such rise in four months, triggered protests also by transport owners.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.