Somalia’s wounded flown to Kenya

NAIROBI, 5 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Eight people wounded on Thurday’s Mogadishu bombing that ripped through a university graduation ceremony at a hotel were taken to Nairobi for medical treatment.

The wounded, ranging from critical conditions to minor injuries arrived at Nairobi’s Wilson airport and were transferred to African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) medical team for treatment. The eight people consist of three doctors, four students and Somalia’s minister of sports, Mr Sulaiman Olad Roble. The minister, one student, and two doctors are said to be in critical condition. Mr Olad is believed to be taken to ICU of Nairobi’s main hospital.

Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya, Mr Mohamed Ali ‘America’ told Somali-tv, Universal Tv that five more wounded will be brought to Kenya for medical attention.

Somaliland: Government, opposition and Islamic leaders condemn Somalia attack, security tightened

HARGEISA, 5 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Somaliland Islamic leaders have condemned the suicide bombing that killed 22 people in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. During Friday prayer in Hargeisa’s main mosque, prominent Somaliland religious leaders said the attack was un-Islamic and coward.

Somaliland’s religion leaders said the horrific attack is a complete violation of Islamic law and norms and the perpetrators were no way representative of the Muslim people or Islam.

In Somaliland cafes, streets, shopping malls and hotels the discussion this week has been the attack on Shamo Hotel and were shocked at the fact that the bombing targeted a ceremony for graduating medical students.

Taiwan greets 4 millionth foreign visitor with 12,000 US dollars

Taipei - Taiwan on Saturday greeted its 4 millionth foreign visitor this year with a reward worth 12,000 US dollars and expressed confidence in attracting 4.5 million foreign visitors next year. Goto Suzuyo, 63, a retired Japanese woman, became the 4 millionth foreign visitor when she landed at the Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei.

She was speechless when Deputy Tourism Minister Hsieh Wei-chun greeted her with the news, as reporters' cameras clicked and a celebratory "lion dance" was performed to welcome her.

Hsieh presented Goto with a cash card worth 400,000 Taiwan dollars (12,000 US dollars), a gift package and a certificate from the Tourism Bureau.

Hsieh said the Tourism Bureau's original target for 2009 was 4.1 million foreign visitors.

"But we feel that it might reach 4.2 million, and we have set 4.5 million as the target for next year," he said.

Taiwan's visitors figures rose 11.65 per cent in the first 10 months this year, boosted by the influx of Chinese tourists, the Tourism Bureau said Monday.

Battle for Brazil and South Africa but easier for Italy and England

Cape Town - Brazilians aren't exactly overjoyed at the prospect of probably providing much of the early entertainment at the 2010 World Cup as a result of Friday's draw in Cape Town. The five-time winners must safely navigate a perilous Group G also containing Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast, the gifted Portugal side of World Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo and, first up on June 15 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, the completely unknown quantity North Korea, who are in their first finals since 1966.

That was also the last year Brazil failed to make it out of the group stages at a World Cup finals, ironically after going down 3-1 to Portugal at Goodison Park.

A few days later Portugal famously beat North Korea (who had shocked Italy 1-0 earlier) 5-3 from 3-0 down in the quarter-finals in the same stadium, and this similarity did naturally not go unnoticed in Portugal.

The O Jogo newspaper said the situation "smells like the World Cup in '66" while for the Publico newspaper the draw "couldn't have been more difficult".

Real Madrid's Ronaldo was also unhappy at the prospect of trying to escape from such a tough group.

"I'm not happy. Our group is very complicated but there's no point whingeing about the draw," said the Portugal captain, whose country have only beaten Brazil four times in 18 attempts.

"Brazil are the strongest team in the group, Ivory Coast is a strong opponent and the Koreans run a lot. We have to win the first game. It won't be easy to beat the Ivory Coast but it's not impossible."

Meanwhile, Brazil coach Carlos Dunga got excited about seeing Brazil playmaker Kaka play against his Real teammate Ronaldo.

"It will be nice to see the rivalry between Kaka and Cristiano, who permanently compete with each other for individual titles," Dunga said.

However, Dunga should be more interested about ensuring his team finish top of Group G as otherwise European champions Spain could await in the round of 16 in Cape Town.

The Ivory Coast team had a feeling of deja vu by being in the toughest group again, after being pitted against Brazil, the Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro in their 2006 debut.

"This is our second appearance and the second time that we are facing big teams," defender Siaka Tiene complained.

The most defiant comments, however, came from North Korea star Jong Tae Se.

"I always wanted to play against the strongest team of the world," Jong was quoted as saying on the phone from Japan, where he plays for Kawasaki Frontale. "I am not afraid, I think it's a great opportunity and a challenge. I will be very ambitious."

Spain will be strong favorites to win a Group H completed by Chile, Honduras and Switzerland, thus setting up a possible mouthwatering clash against Brazil.

Indeed, following Friday's draw, bookmakers have made Vicente del Bosque's side favorites to win the tournament ahead of Brazil.

England, meanwhile, also had their odds slashed after being drawn in Group C alongside the United States, Algeria and Slovenia.

"England get luck of World Cup draw" wrote The Telegraph newspaper while The Sun described it as a "Yankee Doddle of a World Cup draw". However, coach Fabio Capello urged caution.

"There are other groups that are stronger than ours but I remember when I was a player in Germany in 1974 sometimes you can think the group is easy and it will not be so," he said.

"That is what I will tell the players - because psychologically the games you have to play in a World Cup are different to other games."

While England breathed a sigh a relief following the draw, South Africa woke up Saturday facing the real prospect of becoming the first host nation to fail to make it past the group stages after being drawn against Mexico, Uruguay and France in Group A.

"South Africa gets nightmare draw" commented the Cape Times although coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's tried to maintain a brave face.

"I think we will have three difficult games, but that is what we are at the World Cup for. We want to play good football and we can't expect easy games," he said

As Parreira played up South Africa's chances, Italy coach Marcello Lippi endeavoured to dampen Azzurri hopes after a super draw that saw the holders pitted against Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia in Group F.

"We must be realistic," Lippi said. "Verify the worth and characteristics of our opponents and get ready to tackle them. An opponent gets tougher if you consider it easy."

The Italians won't want to slip up as a possible knockout clash against the Netherlands could be the result as the Dutch will be fancied to top Group E, which also includes Japan, Cameroon and Demark.

Three-time winners Germany could have been handed an easier task than Australia, Serbia and Ghana in Group D but coach Joachim Loew was satisfied nonetheless.

"We are looking forward to the tournament. We have an interesting group," Loew said, while German football supremo Theo Zwanziger warned the draw meant there was no guarantee Germany would make the round of 16.

However, Germany has not lost a World Cup group game since going down 2-0 to Denmark in 1986. Also, Germany played then Yugoslavia in the group stages when winning the 1990 crown and Australia when victorious on home soil in 1974.

Even if Germany, as expected, make it out of the group, there remains the possibility of meeting England in the round of 16.

Argentina coach Diego Maradona was declared not welcome by FIFA ahead of the draw as he is serving a two-month for a rant at a news conference so the footballing legend was not present to see his side drawn against Nigeria, South Korea and Greece in Group B.

Any failure to dominate what, on the face of things, looks like a manageable group, could result in a date with 2006 finalists France, meaning that there is a permutation that eight of the current top 10 teams in the FIFA rankings could meet each other in the round of 16.

There will also be a feeling of deja vu in this group as Argentina, Nigeria and Greece were in the same group as well in 1994 - when the then player Maradona was kicked out over a positive doping test.

Australia delighted at playing Germany, coach Verbeek says - Summary

Sydney - Australia coach Pim Verbeek said Saturday that having triple-champion Germany as opening World Cup opponents was a bonus. "I love to play Germany first game," the Dutchman said. "I think it's a big game, it's a great game, and the way they play suits us very well."

But Verbeek also admitted in a statement from Cape Town that being in Group D was not ideal.

"It's a tough group but the more difficult it is for the players the bigger the challenge," he said. "We have a good record against Ghana - we have won four times against them - but Germany is one of the best teams in the world, while Serbia beat France, so every game is full of challenges."

The prospect of a possibly round of 16 game against arch-rivals England - and consequently against some fellow England Premier League players - would give that extra incentive to take a top-two place in Group D, the Dutchman said.

"First Germany and then Ghana, then Serbia," Verbeek said. "But it can be a bonus for the players, for the last 2 per cent of motivation, they can hopefully play England in the next round."

Bookmakers have rated Australia's chances of winning the World Cup at 100-1 and they are the least-backed team in Group D.

Australia last played Germany, losing 4-3, at the 2005 Confederations Cup in Frankfurt.

South Africa will only be Australia's third World Cup finals.

In West Germany in 1974, where they drew Chile, East and West Germany in the group stage, they failed to win a match. Australia qualified a second time in 2006, again in Germany. It finished second in the group before being bundled out by later champion Italy in the first knock-out round on a controversial late penalty.

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, meanwhile, said that Germany rather than Australia will be under pressure to perform well in their opening match.

"Obviously, it's a massive game first up and the great thing for us is that Germany will be under all the pressure," Schwarzer told local television.

"Everyone will expect Germany to win, they'll be under enormous pressure back home to win the game and the footballing world will be thinking the same thing," he said.

"So, from our point of view, we'll go into the game and hopefully we'll perform at our best and if we do I think there's every possibility that something might happen."

Schwarzer, whose parents were immigrants from Germany and who played his early European football with Dynamo Dresden and Kaiserslautern, said that in Group D only Ghana ranked lower than Australia in FIFA rankings.

"I'm happy that people might possibly underestimate us," Schwarzer said. "That will change pretty dramatically if we do beat Germany."

Former goalkeeper Mark Bosnich also said a creditable performance against Germany would be crucial.

"If we do happen to get a good result, that can set you up for a great World Cup," the 36-year-old said. "If you get a bad result, confidence can be low."

Mauritania security forces undergo shake-up

Nouakchott - Dozens of senior security officers were replaced or moved to other positions in Mauritania, officials said Saturday, in response to the kidnapping of three Spanish aid workers. Those being shuffled or moved out of the forces are said to have had responsibilities in the area where the Spaniards were seized on November 29.

On Wednesday, Mauritanian President Mohammed Ould Abdel-Aziz dismissed the head of the country's national police force, who also had security duties in the district.

Spanish government officials could not confirm information which came out earlier this week that the three aid workers had been located.

Shutdown in Indian Kashmir after separatist leader is shot

Srinagar, Kashmir - The moderate separatist Hurriyat faction in Srinagar, capital of India-administered Kashmir, called a shutdown on Saturday to protest the shooting of a senior separatist leader. Fazal Haq Qureshi, a senior leader in the moderate faction of the region's main separatist Hurriyat alliance, was shot at by gunmen outside his house in Srinagar on Friday evening.

Doctors described the 65-year-old Quereshi's condition as stable but critical after he underwent surgery at the main Sher-e- Kashmir Medical Institute.

A little-known Muslim guerrilla group, Al-Nasreen, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack was seen as an attempt to sabotage moves for launching peace talks between the separatists and Indian government as Qureshi is one of the most vocal supporters of the dialogue.

Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack saying it was an "attempt" to derail the peace process.

Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, leader of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, called the shutdown to protest the attack.

Traffic and businesses were affected in Srinagar and parts of the Kashmir valley due to the strike.

Groups of youths took to streets in several areas of Srinagar and pelted stones on passing vehicles to enforce the strike. Additional police was deployed in the city to prevent further violence.

Meanwhile the Indian government and the Hurriyat Conference reaffirmed their commitment to the dialogue process.

Farooq said the alliance will not be deterred by such violence and will pursue the path of dialogue.

"There are certain elements within Kashmir who do not want a permanent solution to the problem. They want to continue the uncertainty so that their vested interests are protected," he said.

He said the Hurriyat believes in dialogue with India and Pakistan to "reach the goal" of resolving the matter.

Nuclear-capable neighbors India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the disputed Kashmir region.

India-administered Kashmir has seen a violent separatist militant movement that peaked in the late 1980s and has claimed over 45,000 lives so far.

India accuses Pakistan of aiding the militants and running camps to train them. Pakistan denies the charge and calls Kashmiri militants freedom fighters.