Iraq investigating reports Islamic State chief wounded in raid

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s security services were attempting Monday to confirm reports that Islamic State (IS) group leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi was wounded in an Iraqi strike on his convoy.

“We are still collecting and cross-checking information to reach an accurate assessment,” interior ministry spokesperson Saad Maan told AFP.

Iraq’s security forces said in a statement Sunday that Iraqi warplanes had struck Baghdadi’s convoy as it was heading to an IS leadership meeting in Karbala, near the border with Syria.

The statement said the building hosting the meeting was also struck.
Security sources in Baghdad have in the past made similar claims that were never verified and pro-IS accounts on social media mocked Baghdad’s latest announcement.

Officials in Anbar, the vast Sunni province where Karbala is located, said however their information suggested the elusive terrorist supremo was wounded in the strike.

Rafa al Fahdawi, the leader of an organisation grouping Anbar tribes opposed to IS, said the meeting in Karbala took place in a house that belonged to a local politician and had been occupied by IS.

“According to former members of the security forces living there, Baghdadi was seriously wounded and several Daesh leaders were killed,” he told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

A senior security officer in Anbar also said he had received reports indicating Baghdadi was at least wounded in the strike on his convoy.

“According to Karbala residents, Baghdadi and some other leaders were taken to a hospital in Albu Kamal,” a town directly across the Syrian border, some 15 kilometres (10 miles) away.

IS firmly controls long stretches of the Euphrates valley on both sides of the border, which was effectively abolished when the group launched a huge offensive in Iraq last year.

The statement released Sunday by Iraq’s “war media cell”, a structure which provides updates on the war against IS on behalf of the interior and defence ministries as well as the paramilitary Popular Mobilisation forces, said Baghdadi’s health status was unknown.

The US-led coalition, which has carried out more than 7,000 air strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq since August 2014 — including dozens every week in Anbar — has not commented on the reported strike against Baghdadi.

The Iraqi terrorist chief, said to have been born in 1971, has a $10 million US bounty on his head.

Courtesy: The Express Tribune 

If this continues, India will no longer be the big brother of the sub-continent

If Islamabad needs peace, so does New Delhi and if one is troubled, the other cannot live in tranquillity either.

Pakistan proposes and India disposes. One wants to talk but the other doesn’t. Paranoia defines the relationship between these two South Asian neighbours. They clearly haven’t learnt from history, nor do they desire to create a better future. India aims to play a big role at the international arena, yet remains stuck in a time warp. As a result the subcontinent remains disturbed and volatile, thereby, affecting the progress and prosperity of one of the oldest civilisations of the world.

India has again demonstrated its paranoia by rejecting Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s peace overtures. It has proven that the big brother of South Asia refuses to grow up. In his United Nations address, Sharif proposed that the two nuclear-armed countries should implement a ceasefire in Kashmir and take steps to demilitarise the region.

New Delhi did not take time to reflect on the peace proposal; it turned the overtures in no time. Such an attitude only demonstrates a premeditated and rigid mind-set. It also shows the inflexibility of South Asia’s largest democracy on the issue of peace. If Islamabad needs peace, so does New Delhi and if one is troubled, the other cannot live in tranquillity either.

Yes, it is true that that the Islamic Republic harboured and nurtured extremist forces to exploit them as strategic assets, it is, however, also true that the Frankenstein it created, is now devouring its own creator. And to portray the entire nation as one comprising only of terrorists and undermining the predominant constituents, who advocate peace, is a bad policy.

New Delhi is strengthening the hands of those vested interests and extremist forces, which flourish on anti-Indian rhetoric. They are demoralising those who seek normalcy, and continue to push them in the arms of anti-peace forces.

We were hopeful that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “neighbourhood first” policy would herald a new narrative of engagement between the two neighbours. And hope soared high when Modi invited Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony last year. People in Pakistan thought that the man, who rose from a humble background, to the highest political post of the country, would think like the common man and understand the urges of the masses, which yearn for peace.

But Modi has so far remained a prisoner of his primeval urges, as a pupil of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) world view. He asserts more as a radical Hindu leader than the visionary that he is supposed to be.

In just 15 months, the Indian leadership has lost the trust of Pakistan. Modi is no longer taken as a leader with a new outlook, he is instead perceived as a representative of a regressive, reactionary force, who is not availing the opportunities that fate has offered him.

As a result, the new generation is being groomed on a very divisive narrative. It sustains and nurtures its worldview on half-truths and paranoia. The society is turning radical, intolerant and is becoming violent towards voices of rationalism. If we blame Pakistan for nurturing terrorism in the country and the subcontinent, then we also need to blame ourselves for instilling and promoting radicalism in the Indian society, in the name of countering Pakistan. We are, in a way, becoming the mirror image of the enemy we seek to fight.

This can widely be seen in Indian TV studios, the popular discourse and the ways liberals and rationalists are falling victims to the hate culture being promoted very assiduously by the Hindu right wing forces.

An example of this has been seen recently, when the India’s far right party Shiv Sena called on the cancellation of Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali’s upcoming concert in Mumbai. We always perceived this ghazal legend as our own. We never defined him in terms of religion or nationality. His mellifluous ghazals have been acting as balms to our tense nerves for generations. But with this act we are dividing the civilizational asset and insulting the entire nation.

How long will we go on like this?

Is the hatred sustainable and in the larger interest of the subcontinent?

Ironically, Modi never tires himself telling the nation and the world that he is for development. When he travels abroad, he brags about India holding a new prestige due to him, and the world has discovered new respect for the largest democracy of the world.

However, the way India is backstabbing the peace process and promoting rigidities, how will they bring good name to the country?

Can a disturbed region assure growth in India?

The answer is no.

New Delhi’s attitude is not to the liking of other neighbours as well. Modi’s “neighbourhood first” initiative has remained a meaningless slogan. Nepal, a close Indian ally, is very upset with its southern neighbour’s behaviour and its belligerent interference.

Similarly, there are no attempts to reach out to Pakistan with an open mind.

It is a fact that New Delhi’s historical and traditional ally, Afghanistan, is also not on the same page with them. India stands isolated in the Hindukush today. The reason is its rigidity and lack of progress in talks with Pakistan. Kabul understands that a large part of the trouble in Afghanistan is also due to the existing animosities between New Delhi and Islamabad.

If one looks objectively at India, then it’s evident that the nation has more to lose by following the “no talk” policy till “Pakistan controls terrorism”. Parochialism is restricting its progress and constricting its growth. By maintaining distance from the western neighbour, we are not only losing on trade and a sound bilateral relationship; we are also spreading extremism in our own society by strengthening the voices of irrationalism, majoritarianism and undermining the secular spirit of the nation.

The other effect is that extremist elements and those who are anti-peace in the Islamic Republic remain entrenched and a source of perpetual threat to peace in the subcontinent.

The leadership has to go beyond political gain and loss, in order to build a new architecture of peace in the subcontinent. The leadership has to go against the mainstream opinion of the party and the core constituent, it is only then that you can leave a lasting legacy.

The perfect example is Angela Merkel in Germany, who went out of her way to accommodate refugees in the country, without caring for critics or supporters. This humane approach made her the tallest leader in Europe. She has set a new parameter for future leadership.

The subcontinent needs this kind of statesman.

Kanye West for president? Obama has some words of advice

The president offered some tongue-in-cheek advice to the rapper on how to achieve a successful political career.

President Barack Obama poked a little fun at rapper Kanye West on Saturday for saying he planned to run for the White House and offered some tongue-in-cheek advice on how to achieve a successful political career.

“In case he’s serious about this whole POTUS thing, or as he calls it, ‘Peezy,’, I do have advice for him,” said the US president.

The president’s first piece of advice concerned West’s wife, Kim Kardashian. ”First of all, you’ve got to spend a lot of time dealing with some strange characters who behave like they’re on a reality TV show. So you’ve just to be cool with that,” Obama said to laughter from a crowded theater where he was headlining a fundraiser.

“Second important tip: saying that you have a Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – that’s what’s known as ‘off-message’ in politics. You can’t say something like that,” Obama riffed, making reference to a popular West album.

“And number three: do you really think that this country is going to elect a black guy from the South Side of Chicago with a funny name to be president of the United States? That is crazy. That’s cray!” Obama, who lived on the South Side of Chicago before he was elected president, concluded, to applause.

In August, West had announced that he wanted to run for president in 2020. The rapper has claimed to be a supporter of the president and has performed at several Democratic events. The two have been known to trade jokes about each other for years, with West claiming Obama rings him at home “all the time”.

Obama opened his remarks at the fundraiser, at which West was scheduled to perform, by joking that the entertainer was going to jump into the increasingly complicated race to replace Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner.

“A little bit later, you’re going to hear from a guy who I hear has been talking about launching a potential political career,” Obama told the crowd. “Kanye is thinking about running — for Speaker of the House. Couldn’t get any stranger.”

Shiv Sena activists attack Kasuri's book launch organiser

Sudheendra Kulkarni PHOTO: ANI

Top diplomat and moderator of a discussion at the launch of Khurshid Kasuri’s book in Mumbai said on Monday, that members of the Hindu right-wing Shiv Sena smeared black paint on his face to protest the book launch.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, who is scheduled to moderate a discussion at the launch of Pakistan’s former foreign minister’s book Neither a Hawk, nor a Dove, said the incident took place in his car when he was en route to his office.

The Shiv Sena had previously warned that officials at the Nehru Planetarium, the venue of the book launch, to cancel the function, otherwise the event would be disrupted.

Despite the threats, Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has assured ‘total security’ for the event. “For all foreigners, diplomats or foreign dignitaries who are allowed on a proper visa in our country, it’s the responsibility of our government to provide them security. Hence Mr Kasuri and the programme will be provided total security,” he said.

“But this does not mean that we endorse all his views. No anti-India propaganda will be tolerated through any such programme, and if found so (sic), the organisers would be held responsible,” he added.

However, just last week, in spite of assurances from Fadnavis, a concert by Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali was cancelled by the organisers following threats by the Shiv Sena.

Maharashtra’s BJP spokesperson, Madhav Bhandari, said, “The party will look into the incident and take appropriate action against those involved.”

Further, Kulkarni, in a press conference accompanied by Khurshid Kasuri, extended welcome to Kasuri and vowed that the book launch would go on as scheduled.

This article originally appeared on The Times of India

Manicured fingers throwing stones: Palestinian women join unrest

For Israeli security forces, stones and firebombs pose a potentially deadly threat. PHOTO: AFP

RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Ready for action in her pink muslin top, her manicured fingers clutching stones she picked up from the roadside, the 18-year-old declared that “the nation doesn’t only belong to the boys!”

Young Palestinian women have increasingly joined males to hurl rocks at Israeli soldiers and chant slogans as unrest has spread in recent days in the occupied West Bank.

Some defying disapproving families, wrapped in black-and-white scarves, they have joined the front lines, where they face rubber bullets, tear gas, stun grenades and even live fire.

For Israeli security forces, stones and firebombs pose a potentially deadly threat. In other words, the women could die.

“We make up half of society. We also have the right to defend our country,” said the student, kohl-lined eyes visible behind her traditional keffiyeh, during a face-off with the army at a checkpoint outside the city of Ramallah.

“We’re 18, we’re adults and we’re no longer scared.”

But she refused to give her name or have her photo taken.

“If my parents knew I was here…”, said another young woman, long hair escaping from under the keffiyeh, as she drew her thumb rapidly across her throat to mime slaughter.

Her family may not approve, but she believes being here is “a matter of conscience.”

“If everyone’s scared, no one will sacrifice themselves for the nation,” she said.

Like other frustrated young Palestinians, the women say they want to end Israel’s occupation as well as “harassment” by Jewish settlers who live in the West Bank.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has called for resistance and not violence, but many young Palestinians have grown tired of the 80-year-old leader’s pronouncements and of Israel’s right-wing government.

In the runup to his speech at the United Nations headquarters last month, Abbas said he would use the opportunity to drop a “bombshell.”

In the end, all he said was that he was no longer bound by past accords with the Jewish state, accusing the Israeli government of breaking them.

But it remains unclear whether those words will translate into action.

“He promised a bombshell during his last speech but we still haven’t seen anything,” said young woman, whose face was also covered.

The “intifada continues because we stopped listening to the president a long time ago,” said a first-year literature undergraduate.

Abbas has prided himself on obtaining Palestine the status of observer state and saw the Palestinian flag raised at the United Nations for the first time on September 30.

But it’s not enough, these women said.

“It should be up to the people to decide, and I don’t believe in negotiations,” said an 18-year-old accounting student, referring to decades of peace talks.

As she spoke, an Israeli stun grenade whistled in, sending her and her friends running.

They dispersed like a flock of birds, but nearby another group of young women launched into action.

Molotov cocktails and stones in hand, they ran up to the frontline beside the young men to throw them.

Young women are also present at the funerals of Palestinians shot dead by Israeli soldiers.

Keffiyehs on their shoulders, dressed in the red-embroidered national robes or decked out in the latest skinny jeans, they shout: “To Jerusalem, we go, martyrs by the millions.”

“National unity: Fatah, Hamas, Popular Front,” they also chant, referring to the names of different Palestinian political movements.

Representing all political parties, young women turn up in droves at student union meetings and protests.

At a recent union gathering at Bir Zeit University near Ramallah, there were more women than men — although the men were the ones who shouted breathlessly into the microphone and stood in front, necks draped in the scarves of the different political movements.

Other young women have gone even further.

One of them is battling death after she stabbed a Jewish man in Jerusalem’s Old City Wednesday and he shot her.

Danish firms eye renewable energy

Minister cites wind power generation prospects in Balochistan. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Danish companies have expressed interest in launching different energy projects, especially renewable energy and waste water treatment schemes, in Pakistan where the wide gap between demand and supply of electricity provides encouraging opportunities for investment.

Embassy of Denmark Charge d’affaires Helle Nielson spoke about this investment interest on the part of Danish companies in a meeting with Water and Power Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif here on Friday.

They discussed areas of mutual interest and cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in the field of renewable energy. The minister underlined Pakistan’s huge potential to produce wind energy, solar energy and electricity based on biomass. He referred to the wide coastal area of Balochistan that had remained largely untapped and could be exploited for wind power generation.

He said Pakistan desired to take benefit of the experience of Danish scientists in the energy sector and assured the envoy that foreign investors would be greatly facilitated.

Separately, Tajikistan Ambassador Sher Ali called on Water and Power Minister Asif in his office. They agreed that Pakistan’s business community would be facilitated in the business exhibition in the last week of October in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe.

Asif called the exhibition a golden opportunity for the introduction of Pakistani products in regional markets.

They discussed areas of mutual interest and cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, energy, defence and security. They voiced the hope that bilateral relationship would deepen with the passage of time.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2015.

We can identify a friend's voice from just two words

With utterances of four or more syllables the success rate was nearly total for very familiar voices. PHOTO: INDIA.COM

Two words are enough for people with normal hearing to distinguish the voice of a close friend or relative amongst other voices, new research has found.

“The auditory capacities of humans are exceptional in terms of identifying familiar voices. At birth, babies can already recognise the voice of their mothers and distinguish the sounds of foreign languages,” said researcher Julien Plante-Hebert from the University of Montreal in Canada.

The study involved playing recordings to Canadian French speakers, who were asked to recognise on multiple trials which of the ten male voices they heard was familiar to them.

To evaluate their auditory capacities, Plante-Hebert created a series of voice “lineups,” a technique inspired by the well known visual identification procedure used by the police, in which a group of individuals sharing similar physical traits are placed before a witness.

“A voice lineup is an analogous procedure in which several voices with similar acoustic aspects are presented. In my study, each voice lineup contained different lengths of utterances varying from one to eighteen syllables,” Plante-Hebert pointed out.

Forty four people aged 18-65 years participated in the experiment. Plante-Hebert found that the participants were unable to identify short utterances regardless of their familiarity with the person speaking.

However, with utterances of four or more syllables the success rate was nearly total for very familiar voices. ”Identification rates exceed those currently obtained with automatic systems,” he said.

“While advanced technologies are able to capture a large amount of speech information, only humans so far are able to recognise familiar voices with almost total accuracy,” he concluded.

The study will be presented at the 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences in Glasgow, Scotland.

New Liverpool manager Klopp is 'The Normal One'

LONDON: New Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described himself as “The Normal One” as he faced the media for the first time on Friday following his appointment as successor to Brendan Rodgers.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho famous described himself as “a special one” in his first press conference in English football in 2004, earning him the nickname ‘The Special One’.

But Klopp, 48, told a packed room of journalists at Anfield: “I don’t want to describe myself. I’m a totally normal guy. I’m the Normal One.”

The former Borussia Dortmund head coach was appointed on Thursday on a three-year contract following the dismissal of Rodgers, who was sacked last Sunday after three and a half years at the club.

In an interview with the club’s in-house television channel, LFC TV, Klopp described the job as “the biggest challenge … in the world of football”.

His first game at the helm will be a trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on October 17.

Liverpool won the last of their 18 league titles in 1990 under the stewardship of Kenny Dalglish.

Rodgers led them to a second-place finish in 2014, but they finished sixth last season and are currently in 10th place in the table with 12 points from eight games.

Klopp introduced a style of high-octane football during his time at Dortmund, leading the club to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final, and he pledged that Liverpool would play at “full throttle”.

“Winning is important, but so is how you win and how you play the game,” he said.

“I believe in a playing philosophy that is very emotional, very fast and very strong. My teams must play at full throttle and take it to the limit every single game.

“It is important to have a playing philosophy that reflects your own mentality, reflects the club and gives you a clear direction to follow. Tactical of course, but tactical with a big heart.”

He added: “Liverpool has extraordinary supporters and Anfield is a world renowned home, with an incredible atmosphere.

“I want to build a great relationship with these supporters and give them memories to cherish. I hope we can feed off each other’s energy and that we take this journey together.”

Klopp confirmed that his assistants at Dortmund, Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz, would join him at Liverpool.

He described his appointment as “one of the best moments in my life” and said Anfield was “the most historical place” in world football.

He also thanked Liverpool’s American owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) for appointing him and said he was happy to work with their transfer committee, which oversees the club’s recruitment strategy.

“It was absolutely no problem between FSG and myself,” he said.

“We talked about this. It’s nothing. If two clever, intelligent guys sit at a table and you both want the same, what can be the problem?”

Klopp’s contract is reported to be worth £5 million ($7.7 million, 6.8 million euros) per year, rising to £7 million with bonuses.

“In Jurgen Klopp we have appointed a world-class manager with a proven track record of winning and someone who has the personality and charisma to reignite this football club and take the team forward,” said Liverpool chairman Tom Werner.

“He possesses all the qualities we are looking for in a manager — he is a strong, inspirational leader, who has a clear philosophy of high energy, attacking football.

“Critically, he is also a winner and someone who can connect with our supporters.”

Katy Perry prefers groomed men

The Dark Horse hitmaker shared that she likes men with trimmed hair rather than completely waxed. PHOTO: SAMACHAR

Hollywood singer Katy Perry says she prefers men who take care of themselves, which includes taking care of their nails and teeth.

The Dark Horse hitmaker shared that she likes men with trimmed hair rather than completely waxed, reports Femalefirst

“If your teeth and nails are good, you’re a candidate. If you can’t clean under your nails and you want to touch me, forget it. Personally, the lesser the hair, the better. I like a trimmed man, but not completely waxed. I’m not into that f***boy look,” Glamour magazine quoted Perry as saying.

The 30-year-old also shared that there is a certain fragrance which always takes her back to memories of her first boyfriend.

“If I meet a guy in the elevator who’s wearing ‘Acqua di Gio’, I think of my first boyfriend. One of my favourite things about fragrance is the powerful memories associated with it,” Perry said.

“My signature scent now is, and always has been, a blend of vanillas. And I never spray it on my skin. I spritz and walk through or levitate through. I like to spray it on my hair too. With ‘Mad Potion’, the two main ingredients are exotic vanilla and androgynous musk. It’s definitely a sweeter perfume. I like to be edible. I want somebody to… eat me,” she added.

Barcelona back Messi in tax fraud case

BARCELONA: Barcelona have given their full backing to Lionel Messi in the Argentina forward’s tax fraud case and vowed to fight “external decisions” they say are unfairly targeting the club.

A Spanish court on Thursday ordered Messi and his father Jorge, who are accused of defrauding the Spanish state of 4.2 million euros ($4.76 million) from 2007 to 2009, to stand trial and the state attorney said Barca’s star player should serve a jail sentence of up to 22 months if found guilty.

In a statement published late on Thursday, Barca noted the state attorney’s stance was “the complete opposite” to that of Spain’s public prosecutor, who has said Lionel Messi should not have to answer the charges as his father oversaw his finances.

“FC Barcelona has expressed its affection and solidarity to Leo Messi and his family in such a peculiar situation,” the statement said.

“The club shall continue to offer him and his family its full support and assistance in the legal, fiscal and administrative aspects of these proceedings.”

Messi is one of several Barca players, including compatriot Javier Mascherano and Brazil forward Neymar, who have been targeted by the Spanish authorities in recent months. All deny wrongdoing.

The club itself was charged last year with tax fraud in the signing of Neymar from Brazilian club Santos and paid $18.6 million in what it called a “complementary tax declaration”. They said they remained “convinced the original tax payment was in line with their fiscal obligations”.

Barca’s legal problems have come on top of a FIFA ban for breaking rules on the signing of minors and president Josep Maria Bartomeu complained last year of what he called a concerted campaign to damage the Spanish and European champions. He was repeatedly asked who was behind the alleged campaign, including if it might be arch rivals Real Madrid, but he declined to provide any names.

“FC Barcelona condemns the accumulation of totally inadmissible and external decisions that have been going on for some time and that have nothing to with strictly sporting affairs,” Barca said on Thursday.

“They are damaging to the smooth running of the club, its stability and that of the players that form part of it.”

The club shall be working with more determination than ever to defend its legitimate rights and is ready for any new challenges that might arise.” ($1 = 0.8829 euros)

Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards general killed in Syria

Hamedani was a veteran of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and was made deputy chief commander of the elite forces in 2005. PHOTO:AFP

ANKARA: An Iranian Revolutionary Guards general has been killed near Aleppo, where he was advising the Syrian army on their battle against Islamic State (IS) fighters, the guards said in a statement on Friday.

The Guards said General Hossein Hamedani was killed on Thursday night and that he had “played an important role … reinforcing the front of Islamic resistance against the terrorists”.

Iran is the main regional ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and has provided military and economic support during Syria’s four-year-old civil war.

Iran denies having any military forces in Syria, but says it has offered “military advice” to Assad’s forces in their fight against “terrorist groups”.

Hamedani was a veteran of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and was made deputy chief commander of the elite forces in 2005.

In the biggest deployment of Iranian forces yet, sources told Reuters last week that hundreds of troops had arrived since late September to take part in a major ground offensive planned in west and northwest Syria.

Iranian lawmaker Esmail Kosari said Hamedani helped coordination between Syrian armed forces and the voluntary forces in their fight against the IS militia.

“For years, Hamedani played a very important role in Syria as an adviser … he played an important role in preventing the fall of Damascus. Then he returned home at the end of his assignment,” Kosari told the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

“He returned to Syria for a few days because of his deep knowledge about the area … and he was martyred in Syria.”

Assad’s longtime ally, Russia launched its air campaign in September, saying it would also target IS. But its planes have also hit other rebel groups opposed to Assad, including groups backed by Washington.

The United States and its allies have been waging a year-long air campaign against IS in Syria, while pushing to diplomatically edge Assad from power.

Washington has ruled out military cooperation with Russia in Syria, accusing Moscow of pursuing a “tragically flawed” strategy that would force it to limit military talks to basic pilot safety.

Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet wins Nobel Peace Prize

OSLO: Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its contribution to building democracy after the Jasmine Revolution in 2011, the Nobel Committee said.

The quartet is made up of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH), and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers. Formed in the summer of 2013, it helped support the democratisation process in Tunisia when it was in danger of collapsing, said the committee.

“It established an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war,” said Kaci Kullman Five, head of the committee. “More than anything, the prize is intended as an encouragement to the Tunisian people, who despite major challenges have laid the groundwork for a national fraternity which the Committee hopes will serve as an example to be followed by other countries.”

The Nobel Peace Prize, worth $972,000, will be presented in Oslo on Dec. 10.

Five, the newly appointed chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, revealed the laureate’s name at the Nobel Institute in Oslo.

The pope, the German chancellor and a Congolese doctor were all tipped as top contenders for Friday’s Nobel Peace Prize, but speculation mounted that the honour could go to two octogenarian survivors of the atomic bombings of Japan 70 years ago.

But with a line up of 273 candidates, just shy of last year’s record 278, predicting the winner was largely a game of chance.

This year, pundits largely agreed the prize was likely to be awarded for efforts to resolve the global refugee crisis, which has been particularly acute in Europe, or in recognition of nuclear disarmament efforts seven decades after the first-ever atomic bombings.

Hours before the winner was revealed, Nobeliana, a website run by historians who specialise in the Nobel, tapped two elderly Japanese survivors of the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as favourites alongside ICAN, a global organisation fighting to abolish nuclear weapons.

“Once again the world must be reminded of the fatal consequences of atomic weapons,” said the website naming 83-year-old Setsuko Thurlow and 86-year-old Sumiteru Taniguchi as the frontrunners.

If it were to make such a choice, the Nobel committee would continue its recent tradition of honouring anti-nuclear efforts in years marking the decade anniversaries of the 1945 bombings.

Pundits and bookmakers alike all had German Chancellor Angela Merkel among the top three contenders for the award on account of her moral leadership as Europe struggles with its worst migration crisis since World War II.

In several cases, she was touted as joint winner alongside the UN refugee agency, UNHCR which has already won the award twice in 1954 and 1981.

Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize went to 17-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai and India’s Kailash Satyarthi for their work promoting children’s rights.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the prize saying that peaceful global development can only come about if children and the young are respected.