Migrant crisis:

Thousands of migrants are stranded on the Greece-Macedonia border. Photo: AFP FILE

BBC Online

Macedonia has said it will no longer let any migrants through its border with Greece, effectively blocking the Balkan route north.
The decision came after Slovenia barred access to migrants transiting the country. Croatia and Serbia then said they would follow suit.
Some 13,000 migrants are now stranded at the Macedonia-Greece border.
The moves come after the EU and Turkey set out a plan to ease Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War Two.
Under the plan, still to be finalised, all migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey would be sent back. For each Syrian returned, a Syrian in Turkey would be resettled in the EU.
Announcing the plan on Monday, European Council President Donald Tusk, had said there would no longer be a path to Europe for migrants. "The days of irregular migration to Europe are over," he said.
Hungary fence
Hundreds of thousands of migrants have travelled through Macedonia over the past year, heading north.
But Macedonia began to limit the numbers, first to Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi migrants, then recently to just a trickle - mainly Syrians from areas it considered conflict zones.
This created a bottleneck, with some 13,000 migrants now living in a sprawling camp at the Idomeni crossing.
Macedonia's announcement came after Slovenia said late on Tuesday that it would allow in only migrants who planned to seek asylum in the country, or those with clear humanitarian needs.
Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said the country's move meant that "the Balkan route for illegal migration no longer exists".
Serbia then said it would close its borders with Macedonia and Bulgaria to those without valid documents.
"Bearing in mind that the new regime is implemented by a member of the European Union (Slovenia), Serbia cannot afford to become a collection centre for refugees," it said in a statement.
Croatia announced similar measures. Interior Minister Vlaho Orepic said this was a "new phase in resolving the migrant crisis".
Sebastian Kurz, the foreign minister of Austria, which itself has introduced caps on the number of migrants allowed through, welcomed the moves.
He said: "This is putting into effect what is correct, and that is the end of the 'waving through' [of migrants] which attracted so many migrants last year and was the wrong approach."
Hungary has also announced new measures.
Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said he would send more police and soldiers to patrol its southern borders and would make preparations to erect a fence along its border with Romania - if necessary within 10 days.
The BBC's Europe correspondent, Chris Morris, says other countries such as Albania and Bulgaria will be wary of attracting attention as alternative routes for refugees and smugglers alike.
There is also concern, he says, that there could be a renewed flurry of smuggling activity before any proposed deal between the EU and Turkey comes into force.
The closure of the Balkan route had clearly been on the agenda of the EU-Turkey summit on Monday.
A draft summit had declared it closed, although the wording of the final statement was changed after Germany objected.
The main thrust of the EU-Turkey plan is the one-in, one-out proposal for Syrian migrants.
There have already been objections. The UN expressed concern at the plan on Tuesday, while Amnesty International called it a death blow to the right to seek asylum.
Speaking to the BBC, Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said the proposal to send migrants back would contravene international law.
The deal has not been finalised and talks will continue ahead of an EU meeting on 17-18 March.
What's in the EU-Turkey proposal?
The EU heads said "bold moves" were needed, and made the following proposals:
All new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey to Greece will be returned to Turkey. Irregular migrants means all those outside normal transit procedures, ie without documentation.
In exchange for every returned Syrian, one Syrian from Turkey will be resettled in the EU
Plans to ease access to the EU for Turkish citizens will be speeded up, with a view to allowing visa-free travel by June
EU payment of €3bn ($3.3bn; £2.2bn) promised in October will be speeded up, with the possibility of further aid to help Turkey deal with the crisis. Turkey reportedly asked for the sum to be doubled
Preparations will be made for opening new chapters in talks on EU membership for Turkey.

World at risk of 'economic derailment'

IMF deputy chief David Lipton, centre, says more forceful policy action is needed. Photo: AFP

BBC Online

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the global economy faces a growing "risk of economic derailment."
Deputy director David Lipton called for urgent steps to boost global demand.
"We are clearly at a delicate juncture," he said in a speech to the National Association for Business Economics in Washington on Tuesday.
"The IMF's latest reading of the global economy shows once again a weakening baseline," he warned.
The comments come after weaker-than-expected trade figures from China showing that exports in February plunged by a quarter from a year ago.
With the world's second largest economy often referred to as as "the engine of global growth", weaker global demand for its goods is read as an indicator of the general global economic climate.
'Highly vulnerable'
The IMF has already said it is likely to downgrade its current forecast of 3.4% for global growth when it releases its economic predictions in April.
Last month, the international lender had warned that the world economy was "highly vulnerable" and called for new efforts to spur growth.
In a report ahead of last month's Shanghai G20 meeting, the IMF said the group should plan a co-ordinated stimulus programme as world growth had slowed and could be derailed by market turbulence, the oil price crash and geopolitical conflicts.
In his Washington speech, Mr Lipton said "the burden to lift growth falls more squarely on advanced economies" which have fiscal room to move.
"The downside risks are clearly much more pronounced than before, and the case for more forceful and concerted policy action, has become more compelling."
"Moreover, risks have increased further, with volatile financial markets and low commodity prices creating fresh concerns about the health of the global economy," he added.
The downbeat picture is one that has continuing ramifications for businesses and industries that bet on China's growth story.
A slew of weak economic data has recently added to those concerns and US ratings agency Moody's has downgraded its outlook for China from "stable" to "negative".
There also is concern over rising unemployment as Beijing seeks to gradually shift its economy from overdependence on manufacturing and industry towards more services and consumer spending.
China's economy is growing at the slowest rate in 25 years, and the slowdown has created considerable uncertainty in financial markets around the world and led to sharp falls in commodity prices.

Bangladesh beat Netherlands by 8 runs

World T20, 3rd Match

Bangladesh players celebrate the fall of a wicket during a T20I match. File Photo: STAR

Star Online Report

Bangladesh won the first of three qualifying matches for the main round of ICC T20 World Cup 2016 when they came out in front by 8 runs against a feisty Netherlands side at Dharamsala today.
Netherlands lost wickets in a heap after their top-order scored some useful runs. They were well placed at 77 for 2 in the 12th over, but found the going get really tough as Bangladesh bowlers struck back with vengeance.

Bangladesh v Netherlands

Netherlands: 145/7 (20/20 ov)

Bangladesh: 153/7 (20/20 over)

For Bangladesh, Al-Amin and Shakib captured two wickets each. Nasir and Mashrafe took a wicket in their respective spells of four overs. Overall, the bowling performance was not bad but lacked the bite and intensity.
Netherlands lost the wicket of Cooper in the 19 th over when Al-Amin got the better of him with a slower legcutter. Cooper fell for 15.
Mashrafe placed Bangladesh in a great position to defend 153 when he removed Netherlands allrounder van Merwe in the 17th over. The Netherlands batter tried to force the ball on the off but got an edge to keeper Mushfiqur.
Shakib Al Hasan picked up his second wicket of the match when he got the big wicket of Netherlands captain Borren in the 16th over.
Borren swung his bat as hard as he could, and this slog-sweep took the ball straight into the hands of Nasir at deep midwicket. Borren made 29 from 28 with three fours to his name.
Shakib Al Hasan struck in the 12th over to stall Netherlands’ progress, and gave his side the upper hand.
BN Cooper missed his slog sweep to a ball tossed up on middle, and saw his furniture disturbed. He scored 20 runs from 15 balls with three hits to the fence.
Netherlands were rocked in the ninth over of their chase when Nasir Hossain removed Myburg against the run of play.
Myburg tried to pull a flat delivery from Nasir but the ball skidded on with the arm and rattled the stumps. Netherlands opener scored 29 from 29 balls with five fours.
The second wicket stand of 32 runs in 3.4 overs consolidated the Dutch innings somewhat after the first wicket fell early.
Bangladesh new ball bowler Al-Amin Hossain gave his side their first breakthrough in the fifth over when he sent back Netherlands opener Barresi for nine runs.
Barresi pulled a short ball from Al-Amin straight down Sabbir Rahman’s throat at deep square leg.
Earlier, Bangladesh reached a challenging total of 153 for 7 thanks to an unbeaten knock by opener Tamim Iqbal. Tamim scored 83 from 58 balls, with six fours and three big sixes to his name.
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The next highest run getters for Tigers after Tamim were Soumya and Sabbir with 15 runs respectively. Netherlands took wickets at crucial junctures of the game, but could have fielded better in the match.
Timm Gugten was the most successful bowler for Holland with three wickets for 21 runs in four overs. Paul Meerkeren took two for 17 in his quota of four overs.
Mashrafe Mortaza was the seventh wicket to fall for Bangladesh when his lofted shot found the fielder in the deep in the 19th over.
Tigers captain was dismissed for seven runs, and became Gugten’s third victim of the day.
Paul van Meekeren picked up his second wicket of the match when his back-of-a-length ball on middle was edged to short third man by Nasir Hossain in the 18th over.
Nasir tried to clip the ball into the leg side, and fell for three runs.
Bangladesh were rattled in the 15th over when Netherlands’ Timm van der Gugten took two wickets with his disciplined bowling.
Mushfiqur Rahim was gone for a two-ball duck when Gugten’s ball smashed into middle and leg stump. Mushy was late in his shot, the ball kept low and took the inside edge of the bat before disturbing the batsman’s furniture.
Gugten dismissed Mahmudullah with the third ball of the 15th over. Mahmudullah tried a massive slog to a good length ball on off, missed and was clean bowled for 10 runs.
With wickets falling at the other end, Tamim was resolute and played sensibly. He placed the ball well as he progressed in his innings, and struck some beautiful boundaries on the off.
Tamim reached his fourth T20I fifty from 36 balls, and smashed three fours and two sixes along the way.
Netherlands captain Peter Borren made an impact with his first over, and placed his side in the driver’s seat by sending back Shakib Al Hasan for only five runs.
Shakib slapped a short and wide ball straight into the hands of short third man. His poor form continues…
Tigers reeling after the latest blow from Borren.
Netherlands got their second breakthrough in the ninth over, and saw Sabbir Rahman depart for 15 runs to his name.
Reolof van der Merwe’s flat delivery went on with the arm and rapped Sabbir on the pads. The umpire raised his finger without any hesitation. Sabbir looked good while he struck a four and a six in his brief knock.
Bangladesh were rocked early when Netherlands bowler got the better of Soumya Sarkar in the fourth over with a wide delivery.
Soumya threw the kitchen sink at the ball but only managed a feather edge to the keeper. He was dropped in the first over, and couldn’t score more than 15 runs.
Netherlands captain Peter Borren won the toss and decided to bowl first given the conditions at Dharamsala during the qualifying match of World T20 2016 in India.
Bangladesh's last tour of India was for the Champions Trophy in 2006. Mashrafe Mortaza, the captain, is just one of two surviving members - Shakib Al Hasan being the other - from that side.
If Bangladesh were playing in any other part of India, where conditions were similar to their own, it wouldn't come up as an issue. But Dharamsala has an elevation of approximately 4780 feet above sea level, which would make the conditions on offer a unique challenge for them.
And to get accustomed, Bangladesh gave themselves one full day -Tuesday - when they held their only training session at the HPCA stadium after arriving in the country late on Monday, immediately after the Asia Cup final in Mirpur on Monday.
Two years ago, the Netherlands needed to chase 190 runs in 14.2 overs against Ireland to qualify to the main draw of the World T20. Nobody gave them a chance during the ten-minute innings break before they took about an hour or so to prove everyone wrong. They did it in 13.5 overs.
Later in the tournament, they went on to beat England by 45 runs. If they are looking for inspiration this time round, they can look back to those two games. And that's exactly their problem ahead of the clash against the in-form Bangladesh side. That win over England in Chittagong was also their last T20I against a Full Member.
Netherlands meanwhile have the likes of Stephan Myburgh, the Cooper brothers and a steady bowling attack, led by captain Peter Borren, to thwart Bangladesh who are slightly disadvantaged by arriving later than the Dutch in Dharamsala. Netherlands also have the memory of previously beating Bangladesh in T20I cricket to buoy them.
Bangladesh Squad
Mashrafe Mortaza (Captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Abu Hider, Al-Amin Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim (Wicketkeeper), Mustafizur Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal and Taskin Ahmed
Netherlands Squad
PW Borren (Captain), Ahsan Malik, W Barresi (Wicketkeeper), Mudassar Bukhari, BN Cooper, TLW Cooper, VJ Kingma, SJ Myburgh, MP O'Dowd, MJG Rippon, PM Seelaar, LV van Beek, T van der Gugten, RE van der Merwe and PA van Meekeren