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SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 • 24 Jumada II 1437 • Volume 21 • Number 6754 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Population in Culture can drive growth: Al Kawari Qatar over

Development (UNCTAD), held over 2.5 million two days under the theme ‘Role H E Dr Hamad bin of Culture in the field of Business’ by March-end Abdulaziz Al Kawari, at Forum d’Avignon in the city of Bordeaux, southwestern France. Adviser to the Emiri Ministers of culture from European The Peninsula Diwan and Qatar’s Union countries, Bordeaux Mayor Alan Juppe, intellectuals, economists and candidate for the post researchers were present. of Unesco Director- Dr Al Kawari said the sustainable DOHA: The country’s population development goals beyond 2015 was over 2.5 million (2,527,000) General, addresses consider culture a driving force in by March-end, declining by 0.7 UNCTAD on ‘Role of terms of global trade which is not percent month-on-month but Culture in the field of limited to material goods, but also witnessing an yearly growth of 7.7 depend on vibrant creative economy, percent, the Ministry of Develop- Business’. which includes several applications. ment Planning and Statistics said He said this type of the economy yesterday. is known for its ability to generate In a monthly statistics report enormous profits, create citizen issued for February, the ministry The Peninsula action, help the development of put the population for the month exports and as a cure for many of at 2,545,603. This represented today’s global problems. 9.06 percent growth year-on-year. Dr Al Kawari called on world Monthly growth in the population DOHA: H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz countries, especially those in the compared to January 2016 was Al Kawari, Adviser to the Emiri Diwan South, to focus on creative industries 5.05 percent. and Qatar’s candidate for the post in their development strategies. Figures for February show of Director-General of the United He stressed that rich cultural that the rate of divorce fell by Nations Educational, Scientific and resources and creative competencies 30.19 percent year-on year — to Cultural Organisation (Unesco), has available in the developing countries 74 from 106 a year earlier. Despite underlined that culture can serve can be a driving force for economic the rising population of people as a locomotive for sustainable development and contribute to the and vehicles, the death toll due to H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, Adviser to the Emiri Diwan and Qatar’s candidate for the post of development and driving the global global economy. road accidents in February was Unesco Director-General, with delegates at the forum in Bordeaux. economy, reports Qatar News Agency Dr Al Kawari said the existence 23, unchanged from a year earlier. from Bordeaux in France. of a relationship between culture A total of 142,031 traffic viola- He made the remarks on Thursday and trade is highlighted in Unesco’s importance of business and creative Forum d’Avignon to customise World against extremism and terrorism, a tions were reported in February night in his capacity as President of preamble. He said the 13th UNCTAD industries, particularly the cultural Day of Culture to conduct a dialogue proposal that was welcomed by the and the number of newly regis- the UN Conference on Trade and Congress in Doha had highlighted the ones. Dr Al Kawari called on the in which the world’s cultures unite participants at the forum. tered vehicles fell on an yearly basis and month-on-month. A total of 8,259 new vehicles were registered in the month, New MoI rules down 7.6 percent in a year and 5.79 percent on a monthly basis. for people Unique therapy for kids with autism likely The number of driving licences issued in the month also fell on seeking to sell an annual basis and month-on- By Fazeena Saleem have been successful in helping therapists, but we are not to remove group of complex disorders of brain month. Some 8,633 licences were gold in Qatar The Peninsula children with social, emotional and humans, we use robotics as an inter- development. The disorders are issued in February compared to communicational deficit has been mediary mediator,” he said. characterised in varying degrees by 9,833 a year earlier, down 12.2 per- investigated, said Dr John-John Although using social robot- difficulties in social interaction, ver- cent. The monthly decline was 6.61 Cabibihan, Associate Professor of ics for autistic therapy for children bal and nonverbal communication percent. Arrivals through HIA rose By Sidi Mohamed DOHA: Social robotics is likely to Mechanical and Industrial Engineer- is practised in some countries, it is and repetitive behaviours. 19.91 percent in a year to 1,408,436 The Peninsula be introduced in Qatar to provide ing, QU. being examined in Qatar to make it World Autism Awareness Day on and departures by 18.26 percent therapy for children with autism as Showing a video of an experi- more relevant to local culture and April 2 every year encourages the year-on-year to 1,323,835. Transits a result of a Qatar University (QU) mental session at a centre for children language. member states of the United Nations and transfers through the airport research. with special needs, Dr Cabibihan said, The research under way since to take measures to raise awareness also rose on an annual basis. DOHA: The Ministry of Interior has As people with autism have trou- “When a child is taught to brush his 2012 under a QU grant will also check about children with autism. A total of 1,931 live births were announced conditions for people ble in communicating with others, teeth with a robotic, they get more internal changes in children by test- The day was designated by a UN reported during the month, up 1.8 wanting to sell gold in the local social robotics could be used to help attracted to it. Then the child is left ing their heart beat and sweat levels. General Assembly resolution adopted percent year-on-year. The male- market. improve their interaction with others. alone with the robotic and tries it It would also examine the develop- in 2007 after it was proposed by female ratio was 1,021 males and In addition to the existing man- The research reviews the use of out on his own. We also use danc- ment of social robotics to meet the H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, UN 910 females. In the Qatari commu- datory no-objection certificate socially interactive robots to assist in ing robotics so the child would learn needs of children with autism. Representative from Qatar. nity, 559 births were reported and (NoC) from police, the ministry has the therapy of children with autism. to copy behaviours. The advantages Autism spectrum disorder and the ratio was 280 males and 279 issued new criteria for selling gold The extent to which the robots of robotics are compared to human autism are general terms for a → Continued on page 2 females. or jewellery. Only men and women aged 18 or above will be given the NoC. It can be obtained from the ‘gold sale NoC bureau’ at any of the Public Security departments Fire breaks out on roof of restaurant Saudi to freeze oil output or Souq Waqif. A fee of QR10 is to be paid to acquire the NoC but the payment has to be made through if Iran takes similar step a bank card. It is also mandatory for a seller to bring along and show the bureau AFP stabilise prices and a proposal not the gold — jewellery, or pure gold to pump out oil above a certain level. or watch, or items of gold, includ- Iran indicated that it is “ready ing bars, among others — meant to to participate” in the meeting and be sold, the ministry announced on RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will freeze demanded an exemption from the its Facebook account. A purchase oil output if other key produc- freeze to boost its exports, according bill, if available, must be submitted ers, including Iran, take a similar to Russian Energy Minister Alexan- to the bureau. Citizens and resi- measure, Deputy Crown Prince der Novak. dents must produce their identity Mohammed bin Salman bin The meeting in Doha is a fol- (ID) card while it is a must for vis- Abdulaziz Al Saud told Bloomberg low-up to talks in February between itors to show their passports. News in an interview published yes- Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Ven- Men or women can sell gold terday. ezuela in which they mooted the owned by them as well as on behalf He said “without a doubt”, output freeze. of their close relatives, including Iran has to freeze its output. “If Prices have collapsed from lev- wife, sister, mother, grandmother, all countries, including Iran, Rus- els above $100 in mid-2014 largely father’s sister or mother’s sister. sia, Venezuela, Opec countries and owing to supply outrunning demand They must produce their ID cards all main producers decide to freeze as global economies, particularly and those of the actual owners. production, we will be among them, China, suffer a growth slowdown. People can also depute their we’re ready. If there is anyone that Deputy Crown Prince Moham- “representatives” to sell gold and decides to raise their production, med’s remarks drove down oil prices in that case their IDs and those of then we will not reject any oppor- yesterday. Around 16.30 GMT, US the representatives need to be pro- tunity that knocks on our door,” he benchmark West Texas Interme- duced along with purchase bills, if added. diate for delivery in May slid $1.41 A fire broke out on the roof of a restaurant near Jabr bin Ahmed Intersection (Ramada Signal) last available. His remarks come ahead of to $36.93 a barrel. Brent North Sea The ministry said the measures night. The Ministry of Interior said on its Twitter account that there were no casualties. Civil Defence a meeting of oil producers led by crude for June delivery was down aim to safeguard people’s personal teams controlled the blaze completely, the ministry said. Pic: Baher / The Peninsula Russia and Saudi Arabia in Doha $1.57 at $38.76 a barrel compared to properties. on April 17 to discuss measures to Thursday’s close. 02 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 HOME / MIDDLE EAST

Katara launches poetry contest on passion for the Prophet Libya’s unity government backed

QNA The Katara Poetry Council said participation should be with seven Guards who secure verses (in colloquial or classical Ara- the country’s key bic). Participants should be from DOHA: Katara Cultural Village has Qatar and should send their names oil terminals pledge announced a poetry contest on the to [email protected] by loyalty to the cabinet passion for Prophet Muhammad Thursday. Five winners will receive which is facing (Peace and Blessings of Allah Be QR20,000, QR15,000, QR10,000, Upon Him). QR8,000 and QR5,000, respectively. opposition from rival political forces. HBKU Press to celebrate AFP Unesco World Book Day TRIPOLI: Libya’s UN-backed unity government won the support yes- The Peninsula terday of guards who secure the country’s key oil terminals, the latest pledge of loyalty to a cabinet facing strong opposition from rival politi- DOHA: Hamad Bin Khalifa Univer- cal forces. sity Press (HBKU Press) is holding The warring sides are under events this months with Qatari international pressure to cede power children’s author Muneera Saad Al to prime minister-designate Fayez Al Unity government Head Fayez Seraj (left) shakes hands with a man inside a mosque after Friday prayers, Romaihi to celebrate Unesco World Sarraj, whose arrival in the capital on during a tour in Tripoli city. Book Day 2016, which falls on April Wednesday angered a rival Tripoli- 23. It will also highlight the joy of based government. reading to children, librarians, par- But there are signs that alle- oil wealth. It has had two rival gov- page of the Sabratha municipality and tackle the country’s ‘cash flow ents and educators. A celebration giances are starting to shift in favour ernments since mid-2014, when the near the border with Tunisia. problem’,” Sarraj’s office said. with the book’s illustrator Gulnar of Sarraj, a businessman from Tripoli Libya Dawn militia alliance overran “The situation of the country is Perhaps crucially, the unity gov- Hajo will also be held in Istanbul. who was a member of a commit- Tripoli, forcing the internationally sad. Life is very expensive, there is no ernment also now has the support HBKU Press has chosen Al tee that paved the way to national recognised government to flee to cash, and so we saw that it’s time to of the main armed group in the city, Romaihi’s heartwarming book, Man- dialogue. the east. support this government in order to Nawasi, signalling a split within the al’s World, as its 2016 title for World The book which has been chosen Yesterday, an official from a Oil is Libya’s main natural start solving all of these issues,” said security forces once loyal to the Book Day. To encourage reading, by HBKU Press as its 2016 title for unit of guards in charge of securing resource, with reserves estimated Sabratha Mayor Hussein Al Dawadi. Tripoli authorities. 4,000 bilingual Arabic and English the event. installations in so-called “oil cres- at 48 billion barrels, the largest in The Tripoli administration “This is the bandwagon effect copies will be gifted to schools and cent” in the east said it had pledged Africa. It had a pre-revolt output demanded that Sarraj leave or sur- that many were hoping for,” said children in Qatar. In partnership loyalty to Sarraj’s government. capacity of about 1.6 million barrels render following his arrival by sea Mattia Toaldo, a policy fellow at with Qatar Foundation International to 3pm. “Good reading starts early “All the oil terminals under our per day, but unrest has forced a major Wednesday, after airspace was closed the European Council on Foreign (QFI), copies will also be distributed and children who share books with jurisdiction have been placed under slump in production. to prevent him flying into the capital. Relations. to students at QFI-funded Arabic others are more likely to develop the authority of the unity govern- Control of the oil industry is But Sarraj remains in Tripoli The unity leaders and their back- language programmes in the US. language skills and advanced read- ment,” the official said. essential for the new government, where he is slowly building a power ers “have managed to convince a Manal’s World is a story about ing levels,” said Al Romaihi. “I am He said that revenues from oil which not only needs to unite the base, and where on Friday made his great part of what used to be Libya a young girl, Manal, who helps a very excited that Manal’s World has exported from those terminals, divided country but also shore up first public appearance. Dawn to join the GNA,” he said. lonely friend come out of her shell. been chosen as this year’s book. I including the main one at Ras Lanuf, its economy. He and many of his ministers “Difficult times lie ahead. The Unhindered by her physical disabil- hope that the story will encourage would be allowed only if they are “for Earlier, 10 western cities rallied joined the weekly Muslim prayer at immediate challenge is to end the ities, Manal’s generosity, kindness children to embrace reading and the benefit” of the Government of around Sarraj’s government and a mosque in central Tripoli, under cash crisis. For the moment though and creativity are an inspiration to storytelling.” National Accord (GNA). urged Libyans to back it, in a major heavy security, and worshippers the GNA seems to have proved that the friend and the reader. Lyrical and This year, HBKU Press is wid- Libya has been awash with weap- blow to the unrecognised Tripoli gathered around him to snap pic- it’s the only realistic game in town.” imaginative, it is a charming story ening its reach and distribution for ons since the 2011 uprising that authorities who are refusing to cede tures which they posted on Twitter. World powers are increasingly whose main character proves that World Book Day. To positively impact ousted and killed longtime dicta- power. Earlier, he met the head of Libya’s alarmed about the rise of the Islamic you can have fun and set a positive children in challenging circum- tor Maommar Gaddafi, with militias The announcement came in a Tripoli-based central bank and dis- State jihadist group in Libya 300km example in all circumstances. stances, HBKU Press will distribute battling for control of its cities and statement on the official Facebook cussed measures to safeguard banks away from Europe. Al Romaihi will participate in copies of the book to children in ref- reading circles with grade three ugee camps in the Middle East. students at schools in Qatar. In part- Al Romaihi will join Hajo in nership with Maktaba Qatar, the Istanbul for a celebration at her Amnesty urges author will conduct bilingual read- bookstore, Pages, on April 23 and Turkish journalist duo back in court ing sessions and writing activities for 24. The events will include illustra- F1 host Bahrain young students and their parents on tion workshops and reading circles April 16 at Maktaba Qatar from 1pm with young Syrian children. to free jailed AP Syria-bound trucks, leading to a The journalists were arrested in stand-off with Turkish intelligence November after Erdogan filed a per- opponents officials. Cumhuriyet said the images sonal complaint against them. proved Turkey was smuggling arms In February, the Constitutional Obama: Not all Iran deal makers ISTANBUL: The closed-door trial to Islamist rebels. Court ruled that their rights were vio- of two Turkish journalists accused The pair have been accused lated and they were released from AFP of espionage and aiding a terror- of aiding the moderate Islamic jail. Erdogan said he rejected the rul- agree with our approach ist organisation resumed yesterday movement led by US-based cleric ing and admonished diplomats who amid tight security, in a case that Fethullah Gulen, a foe of President showed up at the first hearing. has heightened concerns over press Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They deny The journalists were not re- DUBAI: Amnesty International Anatolia group of P5+1 leaders, along with freedoms in Turkey. that accusation. The government says arrested yesterday. Dundar said the urged Bahraini authorities to the head of the International Atomic Cumhuriyet newspaper’s Chief the reports are part of a conspiracy hearing took place in “extraordinary “immediately and unconditionally” Energy Agency, Obama said the deal Editor Can Dundar and Ankara to bring it down. conditions” with high security meas- release jailed opposition figures as focused on the dangers of nuclear representative Erdem Gul face life “The ones who should be on trial ures, including three barriers to reach opening practice for this weekend’s WASHINGTON: While world leaders proliferation in an “effective way.” imprisonment if found guilty of are not us,” Dundar said before the the courtroom. Bahrain Grand Prix began at a cir- responsible for a nuclear deal with Obama said the US continued to revealing state secrets in their report start of the hearing. The first session Gul said they had been ques- cuit near Manama yesterday. Iran agree the accord has been a enforce sanctions on “Iran’s support on alleged government arms-smug- was held a week ago. tioned by lawyers of the president Home to the US Navy’s Fifth “substantial success” thus far, not for terrorism, human rights abuses, gling to Syrian rebels. Dozens of supporters at the Istan- and the national intelligence agency Fleet, Bahrain has been shaken all concur to US policy, President and ballistic missile programs,” add- They published images that bul courthouse where the two are on and the prosecutor. by unrest since security forces Barack Obama said yesterday. ing it was the US’s approach and not reportedly date back to January trial chanted: “Free press cannot be Erdogan is facing criticism for crushed protests in 2011 demand- Following a meeting with the all countries agreed. 2014, when authorities searched silenced.” crackdown on free speech at home. ing a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister. The London-based rights watchdog urged Bahrain “to mark Qatar to mark the Grand Prix by immediately and Environmental violation unconditionally releasing all pris- World Autism oners of conscience held solely for peacefully expressing their views.” It named several influential Awareness Day opposition figures, including Shia opposition chief Sheikh Ali Salman serving a four-year jail sentence Continued from page 1 for inciting disobedience, Sunni opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif, Today, autism awareness fun- and Zainab Al Khawaja, taken draisers will be held across the to custody with her toddler after world and buildings and land- being convicted in 2014 for tear- marks will be bathed in blue light ing up a poster of the King. as part of the campaign. “Other political opponents It is not clear what causes arrested in 2011 still remain autism. behind bars,” said Amnesty, add- There are theories, but none is ing reforms introduced after the definitely proven. uprising “have failed to live up to The prevalence of autism is on the hopes and promises they raised the alarming rise, with some stud- to protect and promote human ies suggesting an increase of 10 to rights.” 17 percent annually in the past sev- The rights group criticised eral years. Bahrain’s ban on demonstrations Although there are no spe- in the capital, “lack of accountabil- cific figures about the incidence ity of the security forces involved of autism in Qatar, the number of in ill-treatment.” centres for children with special Meanwhile, at the Sakhir F1 needs has seen a drastic increase. circuit in the kingdom’s south, Nico Between 1992 and 2000, Environment inspectors caught a vehicle which was dumping waste Rosberg topped the times ahead Dr John-John Cabibihan, Associate Professor of Mechanical and there were four centres but the in an undesignated place in Al Khor, the Ministry of Municipality of his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Industrial Engineering, QU, experimenting a child’s reaction to social number increased by 250 per- and Environment said yesterday on its Twitter account. Hamilton in free practice for Sun- robotics at a centre for children with special needs in Doha. cent in 2014. day’s Grand Prix. MIDDLE EAST SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 03 UN envoy says Yemen talks on track for April 18

More than 6,300 people have been killed in Yemen since the coa- A nationwide lition — which includes Kuwait ceasefire is due to — began an air war a year ago to push back the Huthi offensive. come into effect at The envoy said UN teams were midnight on April working “at full speed” in Sanaa and Riyadh to prepare the delegations 10 to bolster the and another team was on its way to Kuwait to finalize preparations. new round of talks The peace talks are to focus on in Kuwait between militia withdrawal, the handover of heavy weapons, security arrange- the Saudi-backed ments, the resumption of a dialogue Yemeni government and the creation of a committee on detainees, said the envoy. and Shia Houthi Cheikh Ahmed welcomed a pris- rebels. oner exchange this week that saw nine Saudis swapped for 109 Yem- enis, saying the move provides “an Jounalists walk near the remains of the Monumental Arch in the historical city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate of Syria, yesterday. Palmyra important drive to the political was recently liberated from Islamic State militants by the government forces. process.” AFP Confirmation of the peace talks came after the Houthi rebels this week mounted a deadly counter- Lavrov and Kerry discuss securing Syria truce attack against government troops UNITED NATIONS: Talks aimed advancing down the Red Sea coast at ending the war in Yemen are from the Saudi border. on track to begin on April 18 in The rebels and their allies sur- AFP & AP the Turkish-Syrian border which Moscow says is without specifying which opposition groups should Kuwait, the UN envoy confirmed rounded a government force that “actively used” to send Islamist fighters to Syria take part. Russia yesterday accused three Turk- yesterday. was attempting to recapture the via Turkey. ish foundations of supplying weapons and military A nationwide ceasefire is due coastal town of Midi and killed This issue calls for “agreement on the necessary equipment to the Islamic State group in Syria and to come into effect at midnight on 45 loyalist troops on Tuesday and MOSCOW: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lav- actions as quickly as possible, including via the UN said $1.9m worth of explosives and chemicals April 10 to bolster the new round Wednesday, sources said. rov spoke yesterday with US Secretary of State Security Council,” the statement said. were smuggled across Turkey’s border to extrem- of talks between the Saudi-backed At least 15 rebels were also killed John Kerry about measures that could be taken to Russia has repeatedly accused Turkey of back- ist groups. Yemeni government and Shia in the fighting. strengthen the fragile ceasefire in Syria, the Rus- ing Islamist groups opposed to Syrian leader Bashar Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said in Houthi rebels. The United Nations has sian ministry said. Al Assad, Moscow’s ally in the five-year war. a letter to the UN Security Council circulated yes- “With political will, good faith expressed growing alarm over the The two top diplomats discussed taking “con- The ceasefire reached in late February, led terday that Turkey is the main supplier of weapons and balance, they could take this heavy civilian toll from the airstrikes crete measures aimed at strengthening the ceasefire by Russia and the United States, is between the and ammunition to IS fighters. He said the transfers opportunity to end the conflict and and the dire humanitarian situation process in Syria” which was established in late Feb- Assad regime and the rebels but does not include are overseen by the country’s National Intelligence pave the way towards a permanent in Yemen, where more than 80 per- ruary and has generally been holding, the foreign the jihadist groups Islamic State and the Al Nusra Organization. and durable end of the war,” UN cent of the population is on the brink ministry statement said in a statement. Front. Turkey’s UN Mission did not immediately envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of famine. The measures would include steps to improve UN-led talks on a peace deal are due to resume answer calls seeking comment on the Russian letter. said in a statement. Previous UN-sponsored negotia- access to humanitarian aid and to fight against acts in Geneva soon, but the sides are deadlocked over Russia’s recent air campaign has helped close The talks were announced last tions failed to reach a breakthrough, of terrorism in the country. the fate of Assad, whom the opposition insists must ally Syrian army make broad advances on the week after months of shuttle diplo- while a ceasefire that went into force The telephone conversation between Lavrov leave power before a transitional government is ground. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other regional macy by the UN envoy and growing on December 15 was repeatedly vio- and Kerry “took place on April 1 at the Americans’ agreed. players have backed opponents of Syrian Presi- pressure on a Saudi-led coalition to lated until the Saudi-led coalition initiative,” the statement added. Assad has said that any transitional government dent Bashar Assad and oppose any strengthening end its air campaign in Yemen. announced an end to it on January 2. Lavrov also reiterated Russia’s call to close should include both the regime and opposition, of the Damascus government.

Israeli soldier Trapped civilians stall Iraqi forces battling IS in Anbar filmed shooting Palestinian placed AP responsibility for two suicide car to building on their momentum after earlier this year — as government as “shaping” operations ahead of a bombings that killed 11 security forces retaking the Anbar provincial capital forces advanced across downtown planned Mosul offensive. Iraqi forces under arrest late Thursday night southeast of the of Ramadi earlier this year and link- Ramadi, IS pulled back and took civil- have pushed IS out of a number of vil- city of Mosul, which is controlled by ing up government forces to the west ians captive, significantly slowing lages around Makhmour base where BAGHDAD: Tens of thousands of IS. and the north of Baghdad in prepa- the advance of ground troops. While a US Marine was killed during an IS AFP trapped Iraqi civilians have stalled the Early Thursday morning, Iraqi ration for an eventual push on Mosul. downtown Ramadi was declared attack last month. On Wednesday, Iraqi government’s advance in the battle forces re-launched an offensive on Hit The counterterrorism forces, under government control in Decem- forces celebrated as they took the Anbar JERUSALEM: An Israeli sol- against the Islamic State group in the under cover of heavy US-led coalition which are leading the Hit operation, ber 2015, it wasn’t until two months provincial town of Kubaisa from IS. dier caught on video shooting western Anbar province, the spokes- airstrikes, said the counterterrorism reached within 3 kilometers (1.8 later that Iraqi and coalition forces Makhmour base and other front- and killing a wounded Palestin- man for Iraq’s elite counterterrorism chief, Sabah al-Numan. Over the past miles) of Hit center Thursday before said the rest of the city was “fully line Iraqi positions southwest of Mosul ian assailant will be kept under said yesterday. week the coalition launched 17 air- being forced to stop, al-Numan said. liberated.” have increasingly come under attack arrest at his base until his next The civilians are trapped between strikes in and around Hit, according “The commanders are making a One of the IS car bombings from IS in recent weeks as Iraqi troops court appearance, a military court the Iraqi forces’ lines and the IS to Pentagon statements. plan to evacuate these families,” al- southeast of Mosul killed eight Iraqi built up in the area. After storming ruled yesterday. extremists hunkered down in the The town lies along an IS sup- Numan said, Iraqi forces dropped Kurdish fighters while the other tar- across Iraq in the summer of 2014 A new hearing of a mili- center of the town of Hit, 85 miles (140 ply line linking the extremist group’s leaflets over Hit, telling civilians which geted an Iraqi police station in the and overrunning Mosul, the Islamic tary appeals court is scheduled kilometers) west of Baghdad, the offi- fighters in Iraq and those in neighbor- roads they can take to flee safely. same area, killing three policemen. State group still controls large swaths for Tuesday, the army said in a cial told The Associated Press. ing Syria. Iraqi commanders have said Iraqi forces encountered similar Iraq’s military is conducting of territory in the country’s north and statement. Meanwhile, IS claimed that retaking the town would be key problems in the battle for Ramadi what the U.S.-led coalition describes west. The decision to place the sol- dier under arrest at his base is seen as less serious than holding him in a military prison. It follows Kuwaiti arrested a favourable ruling on Thurs- Saudi-owned newspaper day, when military prosecutors over sarcastic announced that the 19-year-old soldier would be investigated for online postings office attacked in Beirut manslaughter, rather than murder. Under Israeli law, manslaughter signifies an intentional but not Reuters Reuters & AP has decided to shut down its premeditated killing. Lebanon operation amid tensions Video of the soldier, whose between Riyadh and Beirut. identity is under a gag order, The channels’ Beirut shooting the Palestinian in the KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s Interior BEIRUT: Protesters attacked the correspondent Adnan Ghamloush flashpoint West Bank city of Ministry has arrested a Kuwaiti Beirut office of Saudi-owned said the decision to shut down Hebron on March 24 spread widely man who had lived in Britain newspaper Asharq Al Awsat “for security reasons” was online. and charged him with publishing yesterday in response to a cartoon communicated to the staff Filmed by a Palestinian vol- “offensive videos and sarcastic published by the paper criticising yesterday through a lawyer, and unteer for Israeli rights group comments” about Gulf leaders the Lebanese state. effectively puts 27 employees out B’Tselem, it showed 21-year-old on social media, the state news The cartoon depicted the of work. Abdul Fatah Al Sharif — who along agency Kuna said. Kuna, quoting Lebanese flag with the words He declined to give other with another man had allegedly an Interior Ministry statement, “an April fool...” written above details and the nature of the stabbed a soldier minutes earlier said Salem Abdullah Ashtil Dossari it. Inside the flag were the words security threat remained unclear. — lying on the ground, apparently had failed to respect Kuwait’s cus- “the Lebanese state”, which form Al Arabiya, which is after being shot. The soldier then toms and traditions in the words he a rhyming pair in Arabic. affiliated with the MBC group, shoots Sharif in the head without used to describe leaders in the Gulf Protesters entered the provoked protests by supporters any apparent provocation. Cooperation Council (GCC). building and left papers and of the Lebanese militant Israel’s supreme court on It said he was born in 1975 upturned chairs on the floor of Hezbollah group in February Thursday ruled the family of the and had been residing in Britain the offices. after the channel broadcast slain Palestinian would be allowed but it gave no date for when he The cartoon provoked a storm a comedy skit mocking the to have a pathologist of their returned to Kuwait. The ministry over social media, with many, Hezbollah leader. choosing present at his autopsy, also accused him of openly incit- including politicians, demanding Saudi Arabia has halted deals which is expected in the coming ing rebellion and sowing sectarian an apology. The cartoon and worth $4bn for Lebanon and days. Top military and government contempt, without elaborating on attack come amid political warned its citizens against travel officials have strongly condemned the content of his postings. While tensions between Riyadh and to the country in retaliation for A journalist of the Saudi Asharq Al Awsat daily looks at the damage after the soldier’s behaviour, but far- Kuwait allows freedom of speech, Beirut. Meanwhile, Beirut-based Lebanon’s siding with Iran amid the newspaper’s offices were stormed following the publication of a cartoon right politicians and protesters the government has said it would employees of the Saudi-owned Al the kingdom’s spat with the Shia have reacted angrily to his arrest mocking Lebanon. strike hard against dissent. Arabiya channel said the station powerhouse. and demanded his release. 04 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 ASIA / PHILIPPINES Two dead in Philippine farmers’ protest

gathered along a highway, shouting from the assembled crowd.” “Bugas! Bugas! Bugas!” — meaning The leftist “Kilusang Magbubukid Farmers took to the “rice”. ng Pilipinas” group released a state- streets demanding Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph ment saying that soldiers participated Evangelista said on Thursday that in the dispersal with shots “allegedly 15,000 sacks of rice Governor Emmylou Talino-Mendoza fired” from M-16 rifles. as the country’s south was prepared to meet with the pro- The Philippine Star, however, test leaders the night before but none cited local officials as claiming they has been suffering had shown up at city hall to discuss received information from confiden- from months of their demands. tial sources suggesting that some of Evangelista said farmers wanted the protesters who barricaded the drought. Mendoza to provide them with 15,000 highway had been forced to join by sacks of rice as the country’s south the country’s decades-old communist has been suffering from months of insurgency, the New People’s Army. drought. Thousands of motorists were Anatolia During the dispersal yester- affected by the protests by farmers day, fire protection bureau teams demanding government relief sub- sprayed water at the crowd while sidies including rice and seeds of some protesters flung stones at police, drought-resistant vegetables. ZAMBOANGA CITY: Philippine police according to ABS-CBN. A statement from the national dispersed yesterday a protest by farm- “The first shot came from the pro- police said the gathering “disrupt[ed] ers demanding assistance for drought testers,” Mendoza told the state-run public movement in one of the major victims, leaving at least two people Philippine News Agency. transportation arteries of Mindanao.” dead and around 15 others injured. While protest organizers said The El Nino weather phenomenon Dr Eva Rabaya, integrated health 5,000 people had joined the crowd, has resulted in a decline in rice pro- officer in southern Cotabato province, police put the figure at 3,000. duction in southern Mindanao island. said one person was killed by a rock Around 13 protesters sustained According to the Philippines’ hitting his head and the other upon injuries, while national police spokes- National Economic and Develop- suffering from heatstroke, according person Chief Superintendent Wilben ment Authority, it has led to the loss of to news broadcaster ABS-CBN. Mayor said two officers are in crit- employment among around 110,000 Filipino anti-riot policemen face a group of farmers during a protest march at a highway in Kidapawan City, During the protests that began on ical condition “due to head trauma, agricultural workers in the island’s southern Philippines, yesterday. Wednesday, thousands of farmers had reportedly due to attacks initiated north.

El Nino threat Philippine senator tops opinion polls after ruling on eligibility

Reuters

MANILA: A woman abandoned in a central Philippine church when a baby has topped an opinion poll barely two months ahead of elections to succeed President Benigno Aquino, an inde- pendent pollster said yesterday. The May 9 election will be closely watched by investors, who fear the political succession in one of Asia’s fastest growing economies could derail gains made during Aquino’s Rodrigo Duterte six-year single term. Grace Poe Grace Poe, 47, was the top- ranked candidate among 28 percent a southern mayor as top contender to 23 percent. Aquino’s handpicked of 4,000 respondents in the March with 26 percent. The poll result would candidate, Manuel Roxas, remained 15 to 20 survey commissioned by inspire the senator to work harder, in fourth place with 19 percent, losing broadcaster ABS-CBN, a week after her campaign spokesman said. a point from an earlier poll. Another the Supreme Court ruled she was eli- “The trust and confidence of the senator, Miriam Santiago, only has gible to run for president. Filipino voting public fuels Senator 2 percent. About 4 percent of regis- The result cements Poe’s position Poe to intensify her drive to drum up tered voters are still undecided. as front-runner to become the third interest in her platform of govern- In power since 2010, Aquino woman leader of the poor Southeast ance,” said Rex Gatchalian. is barred by the constitution from Asian state. “Nearly three in 10 Filipino Poe had faced questions over seeking a second term. Under his registered voters would elect Senator whether she met legal requirements leadership, the Philippines has seen Grace Poe as the country’s next pres- to run for the country’s highest office, economic growth of more than 6 per- ident if the May 2016 elections took such as being a natural-born citizen cent on average, its best five-year place during the survey period,” said with 10 years of residency, but the record in four decades. Ronald Holmes, president of independ- Supreme Court ruled in her favour About 54 million of a population ent pollster Pulse Asia. on March 8. Davao City Mayor Rod- of 100 million are eligible to vote to Fishermen manoeuvre their boat as the sun sets in Manila Bay, Philippines, yesterday. According to The survey was the first after the rigo Duterte was in second place with choose a president, vice president and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the prevailing El Nino phenomenon could affect at court dispelled doubts over her can- 24 percent, dropping one percentage more than 18,000 local government least 100,000 fisherfolk in the country due to the decline in fish production in freshwater areas and didacy with its ruling in her favour. point from a week earlier to reach executives and lawmakers in the gen- coastal communities. A week earlier the same pollster had a statistical tie with Vice President eral elections, which take place every said Poe was in a statistical tie with Jejomar Binay, who improved a point six years.

Singapore seeks bank details on Don’t ask where money came from: Kim Wong Malaysian funds

Reuters casino. Wong acted as guarantor until Philrem, a foreign exchange broker. - including two one-time presiden- where gambling is banned. Wong AFP it was paid off. Another 1 billion pesos ($21 mil- tial contenders. also forged connections with pow- The other high roller was from lion) of the stolen funds ended up in Wong said his mother brought him erful politicians, starting with Alfredo Beijing, said Wong, adding that he a Philippine bank account of East- to Manila when he was 11. He still Lim, an ethnic Chinese Filipino and MANILA: For Kim Wong, the Chi- barely knew him. ern Hawaii, a company run by Wong, holds Chinese citizenship and said his former Manila mayor who later ran SINGAPORE: Singapore’s central nese casino owner in the Philippines Neither high roller is being sought according to a criminal complaint real name is Kam Sin Wong. for president. bank confirmed yesterday that entangled in one of the world’s larg- by Philippine police because no com- filed by the Philippines’ Anti-Money He lived in Manila with his father, Lito Atienza, who succeeded Lim it has asked a number of banks est bank heists, there are two golden plaint has yet been filed against them. Laundering Council (AMLC). who worked at a tobacco company as mayor, recalled Wong as a hard- to provide information on fund rules for dealing with wealthy punt- It was not known if they were still in Of that money, said Wong, 550 owned by a wealthy grand uncle. working and “very, very resourceful” flows as part of a probe into pos- ers: Always demand to see their the Philippines. million pesos was used to buy gam- Wong worked there too after dropping volunteer during election campaigns. sible money-laundering related to money, but never ask where it came Wong gave a rare peek into a bling chips for clients. The rest he has out of college and at a construction “He is industrious, always ready Malaysian state firm 1MDB. from. world where Chinese high rollers promised to pay back. firm in the US protectorate of Guam to serve. That is his character,” The Monetary Authority of That seems to be what happened rack up multi-million-dollar debts “Give me 15 days to a month. I will that his uncle also owned. Atienza said. Wong is still close to Singapore issued a statement fol- when he took millions of dollars from at Manila casinos and life-changing pay,” he said. Wong later ran a T-shirt fac- another powerful politician and lowing a report by The Australian two Chinese high-rollers in February. sums of money change hands as cas- The rest of the $81 million went tory and a handful of restaurants in one-time presidential hopeful. newspaper saying that it has asked He told a Senate hearing earlier this ually as sticks of gum. to Solaire casino and another junket Manila, which allowed him to start Panfilo Lacson, a former senator about 40 banks with operations in week the two men were responsible Since appearing at the Senate operator, according to the AMLC com- developing a wide circle of sometimes and national police chief, calls the city-state to provide informa- for transferring $81m stolen from the hearing, his cash-drenched profession plaint. In the Philippines, casinos are influential friends. Wong “a friend of mine” tion on the matter. Bangladesh central bank’s US account has dominated headlines in a country outside the purview of the anti-money He first entered the gambling Tuesday was not the first time “MAS is able to confirm that as into the Philippines. where around a quarter of its 100 mil- laundering laws. industry as a junket operator at a Wong had been accused of dirty deal- part of its investigations into pos- “In casinos we always say, ‘Show lion people live on two dollars a day. Dressed casually in jeans and a casino resort at Clark, the former U.S. ings before the Senate. sible money-laundering and other your money first before you talk,’” At Solaire, Manila’s flashiest polo shirt and showing no signs of airbase north of Manila. At another hearing in 2001, which offences in Singapore, it has been Wong said in his first interview with casino, the minimum bet in the VIP wealth, Wong sat in the backroom of With partners, he raised one bil- probed links between senior police conducting a thorough review of an international news organisation. rooms is $5,000, or as much as a Fil- a Chinese restaurant in Manila and lion pesos to build what is now known officers and drug traffickers, a key various transactions as well as As for the source of that money? ipino teacher earns in a year. spoke of his own improbable rise. A as Eastern Hawaii Leisure Company witness identified Wong as a boss in fund flows through our banking “You don’t ask. It’s disrespectful.” Wong’s lawyers arrived at the stocky bodyguard stood nearby. in the sleepy town of Cagayan in the one of the triads, the Chinese organ- system,” the central bank said. The 54-year-old denied any Philippine central bank on Thurs- Speaking mostly in slang-laden northern Philippines. ised crime syndicates. It also said it was working involvement in the heist. But he day to surrender a suitcase packed Filipino, Wong described how he was He said Eastern Hawaii is now Wong denied belonging to a triad, closely with authorities in other described one of the two high-roll- with $4.63m in cash. an immigrant from Hong Kong who one of Cagayan’s biggest employers, telling Reuters he had been confused financial centres because of the ing gamblers as a long-time friend This fulfilled Wong’s earlier vow arrived in the Philippines as a boy. He with more than 1,000 local staff, with another man of the same name. cross-border nature of the fund from Macau who in a single week in to pay back what was left of $5m in later got rich and befriended many plus 300 Chinese to take telephone “Not Mr. Wong. Mr. Wrong!” he flows. 2014 ran up a debt of $10m at a Manila stolen money he had received via of the country’s powerful politicians bets from punters on the mainland, joked. ASIA / AFRICA SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 05 US and China to implement N Korea sanctions

“Both leaders affirmed their commit- international aviation.” ment to achieving the denuclearization of the Obama and Xi have tried to use agreement The White House Korean Peninsula and the full implementa- on environmental issues as a ballast to stabi- said yesterday that tion of UN Security Council Resolution 2270.” lize relations beset by disputes over hacking In January, North Korea detonated a of US government sites, the South China Sea Obama and his Chinese nuclear device and a month later launched and piracy. counterpart Xi Jinping a long-range rocket, prompting the United “Both leaders reaffirmed the cyber com- States, China and other UN partners to imple- mitments announced during President Xi’s have decided to ment sanctions. September 2015 State Visit and agreed to Washington’s efforts to build pressure on ensure their full implementation,” said the strengthen coordination North Korea has long been a point of friction White House. in addressing the shared with Beijing, which provides the hermit state “The President reiterated that we will an economic lifeline. continue to monitor whether Chinese threat presented by The White House believes that China could actions demonstrate their adherence to the North Korea’s pursuit of do more to press North Korea into abandon- commitments.” ing its nuclear and missile programs. There appeared to be less common ground nuclear weapons and China fears that too much pressure would over Beijing’s alleged military buildup in the ballistic missile systems. topple the regime, prompting instability and South China Sea. regional upheaval. US officials have expressed concern that As if to underscore the difficult of the issue, China’s actions are not consistent with Xi’s North Korea on Thursday appeared to fire pledge at the White House last year not to pur- another short-range missile off its east coast. sue militarisation of the hotly contested and Reuters South Korea’s defense ministry said a sur- strategically vital waterway. face-to-air missile was fired at around 12:45 China claims virtually all the South China pm (0345 GMT) from the eastern city of Son- Sea despite conflicting claims by Brunei, dok. The range and precise trajectory could Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philip- WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama not immediately be confirmed, a ministry offi- US President Barack Obama speaks as China’s President Xi Jinping listens during a pines, and has built up artificial islands in the and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have cial said. meeting at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC, USA, yesterday. area in recent months, including some with agreed to fully implement sanctions against The launch came in the middle of the two- airstrips. North Korea, in a meeting that was promptly day nuclear security summit being hosted by “The President urged China to address followed by a provocative Pyongyang mis- Obama in Washington, at which North Korea Obama said after meeting Japanese Prime towards Washington. “It in no way threatens differences with its neighbours on mari- sile launch. has been the focus of the US president’s talks Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean Pres- either Chinese or Russian or other security time issues peacefully and in accordance The White House said yesterday that with the leaders of China, South Korea and ident Park Geun-Hye. interests in the region and will do nothing to with international law and emphasized the Obama and Xi agreed to “narrow differences” Japan. The leaders also discussed the deployment undermine strategic stability between the United States global interest in upholding free- between the world’s two major powers dur- The summit opened Thursday with Obama of the sophisticated missile system THAAD — United States and China,” insisted Dan Kriten- dom of navigation and overflight,” the White ing a meeting the day before. trying to forge consensus among East Asian the Theater High Altitude Area Defense System brink, Obama’s top Asia adviser. House said. “Both leaders committed... to strengthen leaders on how to respond to Pyongyang’s — to South Korea. During Obama and Xi’s meeting, the White Washington has since October carried coordination in addressing the shared threat recent nuclear and missile tests, which have But the move has raised concerns in Bei- House said the two countries had agreed out two high-profile “freedom of naviga- presented by North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear seen an escalation of tensions in the region. jing, which is unhappy at the prospect of the to sign the Paris Climate Accord and work tion” operations in which it sailed warships weapons and ballistic missile systems,” the “We are united in our efforts to deter and US hardware on its doorstep, fearing it will toward a “global market-based measure for within 12 nautical miles of islets claimed White House said. defend against North Korean provocations,” further tip the balance of power in the Pacific addressing greenhouse gas emissions from by China.

Boko Haram releases new Myanmar’s ruling party NLD and video denying military clash over Suu Kyi’s role surrender

Reuters military - who under the constitu- military, whose commander-in-chief, AFP tion hold a quarter of seats - opposed Min Aung Hlaing, on Sunday stressed the NLD bill, describing it as uncon- the need for the armed forces to stitutional. They said the state remain a force in politics and warned NAYPYITAW/YANGON: Myanmar’s counsellor position concentrated too against amending the charter quickly. KANO: Boko Haram released a upper house of parliament approved much power in the hands of one per- Some NLD lawmakers said the new video yesterday denying any a bill yesterday that gives Aung San son and lacked checks and balances. tussle over the state counsellor post suggestion it might surrender, just Suu Kyi a powerful government role, “The provisions in the bill are would be the first of many between over a week after shadowy leader despite opposition from the military tantamount to meaning the state the military members of parliament Abubakar Shekau appeared in a on the second day of her party’s new counsellor is equal to the president, and the government that took office rare message looking dejected administration. which is contrary to the constitution,” on Wednesday. and frail. The bill creates the post of state said Colonel Myint Swe, a military “There will be confrontations Shekau, unseen on camera counsellor and would allow the Nobel member of the upper house. between the NLD and military MPs for more than a year, released an laureate to coordinate ministers and Some lawmakers suggested the in future,” said Thiri Yadana, an upper unverified video late last month influence the executive. Constitutional Tribunal should decide house NLD lawmaker. “They have to saying his time in charge of the It would help Suu Kyi circum- on the bill. agree to amend the constitution.” Nigerian jihadist group may be vent a constitution written under the Despite military resistance, the The role of state counsellor will coming to an end. former junta that prevents her lead- bill passed and moved to the lower add to the list of Suu Kyi’s jobs - she If the video indeed depicts ing the country because her two sons house for debate on Monday. The is already foreign minister, education Myanmar’s new Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi (centre) leaves the Shekau, he appears thin and are not Myanmar citizens. NLD has a majority in both houses minister, energy minister, and minis- Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Naypyidaw, yesterday. listless, delivering his message Suu Kyi, who spent years under so does not need military approval ter of the president’s office - and has without his trademark fiery house arrest because of her push to pass bills. renewed questions about her willing- She has a thin bench of experi- her to “work more effectively”. rhetoric. for democracy, has described those Suu Kyi’s party would need ness to delegate power. enced politicians. Her party fought The energy portfolio gives Suu Kyi It prompted speculation from constitutional provisions as “silly” military approval to change the “It will be extremely hard to carry for democracy for more than quar- oversight of oil and gas production, the army that the Islamist group and said she would rule regardless constitution: amendments require out these roles,” said Richard Horsey, ter of a century, but its members are as well as responsibility for a deci- was on the verge of collapse in after she led her National League for support of more than 75 percent of an independent political analyst in novices in government. sion on the $3.6 billion Myitsone Dam the face of a sustained military Democracy (NLD) to a landslide elec- lawmakers. Yangon. “The sheer number of peo- NLD official Win Htein said Suu project, suspended in 2011. China has counter-insurgency. tion victory in November. The constitution is the main bone ple that will want to meet with her Kyi’s roles would not be a burden and invested heavily in it and is keen to However, in Friday’s message, Members of parliament from the of contention between Suu Kyi and the will be difficult to manage.” the counsellor position would allow see it proceed. Boko Haram maintained it was a potent fighting force, with men holding AK-47s posing in front of Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks and a lorry mounted with a military Controversial film Australia seals uranium Indonesia export deal with Ukraine demands China AFP and science, the minister said. hand over boat Stronger ties between Canberra and Kiev SYDNEY: Australian Foreign Minister Julie have been forged since the downing of Malaysia Bishop announced yesterday a pact to export Airlines MH17 in rebel-held eastern Ukraine in AFP uranium to Ukraine, which could help ease July 2014 in which 298 people died, including Kiev’s traditional reliance on hostile neigh- 38 Australian citizens and residents. bour Russia for energy. Australia and Ukraine were among a group Ukraine has previously expressed interest of countries that pushed for a United Nations JAKARTA: Indonesia called on in buying the material, as well as coal, from resolution to establish a special tribunal to try China yesterday to hand over a Australia, the world’s third-ranking uranium those responsible for shooting down the flight. fishing boat it claims was operat- producer behind Kazakhstan and Canada. The move was vetoed by Russia. Ukraine is one ing illegally in its waters near the “This agreement provides Ukraine with of the world’s biggest generators of nuclear South China Sea, saying big coun- the opportunity to diversify its energy sup- power and the explosion at its Chernobyl plant tries should not “bully” smaller ply,” Bishop, who is in Washington for a nuclear remains the world’s worst atomic accident in ones. security summit on reducing stockpiles, said terms of lives and cost. It was the latest salvo in a rare in a statement. The agreement comes as Kiev is battling public row between the nations, “All exports of Australian uranium will an economic crisis that saw growth shrink which began two weeks ago when be subject to internationally agreed secu- about 10 percent last year while annual infla- Indonesian and Chinese vessels rity standards and will be strictly controlled tion soared to more than 43 percent. clashed near Indonesia’s Natuna to ensure Australian nuclear material is only Australia does not use nuclear power Islands. used for peaceful purposes.” largely due to its abundance of low-cost coal An Indonesian patrol boat had Under the agreement, the use of Austral- and natural gas reserves. In 2014-15, it exported been seeking to detain a Chinese ian nuclear material for the development of 5,515 tonnes of uranium worth Aus$532m fishing vessel, which they claimed weapons or explosive devices is strictly pro- (US$409m). had been operating without a per- People watch the dystopian Hong Kong independent film ‘Ten Years’ in Hong Kong, hibited, Bishop added. Australia has agreements to export uranium mit. But as they towed it to shore, yesterday. Thousands of moviegoers flocked to mass screenings of the film, a Sales to Ukraine, a signatory of the Nuclear to 43 states and territories, with Canberra last Chinese coastguards appeared and provocative portrayal of the city in a decade’s time which has riled China. Non-Proliferation Treaty, would also boost links year singing a landmark deal to sell it to India, rammed the captured boat, help- between the two nations in other nuclear- which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Prolif- ing it to go free. related activities such as safeguards, security eration Treaty. 06 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 PAKISTAN

Musharraf’s Huge weapons cache Pakistan rights group guarantor may reports drop in violence lose house Internews

improvements, rates of violence were charged under the blasphemy remain high in the country. laws. These included 15 Muslims, four ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani The report by the The bombing in Lahore was Christians and three people follow- president Pervez Musharraf’s Human Rights carried out by Jammat-ul-Ahrar, ing the Ahmadi faith,” he said. prolonged stay abroad may cost which splintered from the Paki- Critics have long demanded ex-director general Inter Serv- Commission of stani Taliban. reforms in the controversial blas- ices Public Relations (ISPR) Rashid Pakistan, released The number of people killed in phemy laws, which carry the death Qureshi his house in Islamabad. sectarian violence declined too, with penalty for anyone found guilty of Retired Maj Gen Rashid yesterday, recorded 272 fatalities in 2015 compared to insulting Islam and the Prophet, say- Qureshi was the guarantor of the 706 militant attacks 420 in 2014, the report found. ing influential people use them to former president in the high trea- The HRCP report recorded 706 settle personal disputes. son case. In February 2014, after in Pakistan last militant attacks in Pakistan last year, But Islamist parties are strongly the special court issued non-baila- year, the lowest the lowest number since 2008. An opposed to any amendments and ble arrest warrants for Musharraf, number since 2008. army operation in Pakistan’s North staged a four-day sit-in protest in Gen Qureshi submitted surety Waziristan has significantly damaged the heart of the Pakistani capital bonds to enable his former boss An army operation militant networks. this week to warn against attempts to get bail. The court accepted the in Pakistan’s North In its annual report, the inde- to change the blasphemy laws. bail plea against the submission of pendent Human Rights Commission The demonstrators damaged gov- Rs2.5m surety bonds. Waziristan has of Pakistan (HRCP) documented 4,612 ernment and private property during Gen Qureshi had promised that significantly damaged deaths compared to 7,622 fatalities in the protest and dispersed on Wednes- the former president would appear the previous year. day after receiving assurances that before the court and pledged his militant networks. The findings support official the government plans no changes in house worth Rs50 million in Sec- claims of a reduction in casualties the laws, according rally leaders and tor E-11 as a surety. because of successes in the army’s key government ministers. However, during the proceed- counter-militancy operations against There was no immediate offi- ings on Friday, Justice Mazhar bases of the anti-state Pakistani Tal- cial reaction available to the HRCP Alam Miankhel, the head of AP & Agencies iban near the Afghan border. report. the three-judge special court, Speaking to reports at the launch At least some members of Paki- observed: “Musharraf left the of the report in Islamabad, HRCP’s stan’s intelligence service and other country without recording his Kamran Arif told reporters his organ- parts of the “deep state” still regard statement under Section 342 of ISLAMABAD: A leading rights group ization recorded 706 militant attacks certain violent and intolerant mil- the Criminal Procedure Code, yesterday reported that deaths due in Pakistan, the lowest number since itant groups as useful weapons hence the court can confiscate to violence in Pakistan dropped 40 2008. against India and Afghanistan. the surety.” In other words, the percent in 2015, but 4,612 people Arif also said that violence But the distinction they attempt to court warned that the property died that year in bombings and other against religious minorities, includ- draw between outfits such as the Gen Qureshi had pledged along attacks, as the government battles to ing Christians and Ahmadis, killed Haqqani network in North Waziris- with the surety bonds could be contain a militant insurgency. hundreds of people in Pakistan last tan and the mainly Kashmir-based confiscated in case Gen Mush- The report by the Human Rights year while discrimination and per- Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carry out arraf remained absent from the A paramilitary Frontier Corps officer stands next to weapons Commission of Pakistan was secution forced “several thousand” their atrocities abroad, and those, proceedings in future. recovered during an operation, in Quetta, the capital of restive released just days after an Easter others to leave Pakistan to seek asy- such as the Pakistani Taliban, The court also issued a show- Balochistan province in Pakistan, yesterday. Reports state that Sunday suicide bombing killed lum abroad. which concentrate on the home- cause notice to Gen Qureshi asking the Frontier Corps recovered huge quantities of explosive 70 people in a park in the city of “Blasphemy laws remained an land, fatally undermines Pakistan’s him to file a reply before the next materials in different areas of the province. Lahore, a reminder that despite area of concern. Twenty-two people fight against terrorism. date of proceedings on April 19.

Pakistan’s total 11 die in Afghan accident Pakistan asks Iran to probe debt mounts to $181.7bn suspected Indian spy’s links

Reuters letter to Iran’s ambassador in Islam- Internews abad, Mehdi Honardoost, said the Indian made had made “startling revelations” about an Indian spy net- ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked Iran work operating against Pakistan from KARACHI: Pakistan’s public debt to investigate the case of a suspected Iranian soil. rose 6.18 percent to Rs18.9 trillion Indian spy who Pakistani authorities say “His mission included spying and ($181.7bn) in the six-month period has confessed to spying against Pakistan sabotage, in addition to fomenting inse- to December 2015, but the debt-to- from Iran, according to a copy of an Inte- curity and instability in the provinces GDP ratio dropped to 61.5 per cent, rior Ministry letter to Iran obtained by of Sindh and Baluchistan,” the ministry the central bank said. Reuters yesterday. said in the letter, a copy of which was The State Bank of Pakistan Last month, Pakistan said it had provided to Reuters by an Interior Min- (SBP), in its quarterly economic detained the suspected spy, Kulbhushan istry official. review report, said the public debt Jadhav, in the violence-plagued prov- Pakistan asked Iran to provide infor- stood at Rs17.8 trillion as on end- ince of Baluchistan after he had illegally mation about the Indian man’s activities, June 2015. The SBP said the major entered the country from Iran. and the people he interacted with there, part of the public debt was domes- Pakistan says Jadhav was working the ministry said. tic; however, the external debt also for India’s main external intelligence Honardoost was not available for significantly increased. agency, the Research and Analysis Wing comment. According to the report, the (RAW). India has confirmed that the man The Iranian embassy in Islamabad country’s domestic debt expanded was a former Indian navy official but issued a statement on the Friday on Rs687.1 billion in the first half denied the man was a spy. the “detention of the Indian agent” and compared to increase of Rs602.7 In video footage aired by the Paki- said unidentified “elements” were not billion in the same period of the stani government this week, Jadhav said happy with good ties between Iran and last year. During the first half, he had set up an office in Chabahar in Pakistan and were trying to undermine the government borrowed a net southeast Iran in 2003 and later worked them. amount of Rs2.6 trillion from for the Indian agency. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani banks through primary auctions. A boy who was injured in a road accident receives medical treatment at a hospital in Herat, It was not clear if Jadhav made the visited Pakistan last week and signed Afghanistan, yesterday. Eleven people were killed and at least seven injured when a bus collided comments on the video tape freely or an agreement to increase annual trade with a truck in Herat, an official said. under duress. volumes between the two countries to Indian film Pakistan’s interior ministry, in a $5bn by 2021. banned over RAW reference Shahbaz lights up Twitter with account of Taliban captivity IANS

AFP far turned down interview requests. adding that his only friend “was a would-be terrorist after eight years in But this week he took to Twitter spider called peter”. captivity. It was a powerful respite ISLAMABAD: Indian Punjabi film — his late father Salmaan was also Some details remain confus- to the grim news many Pakistanis Ambarsariya has been banned in a prolific user and early adopter — ing, such as when he was asked if he have grown accustomed to in the Pakistan because it makes “strong ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani man who to share his story in his own words. ever thought of trying to run away country’s more than decade-long references” to the Indian intelligence was held by the Taliban for nearly five Using the hashtag #AskST, he from his kidnappers. He responded: fight against an Islamist insur- agency RAW. “The movie makes years before being abruptly freed this invited questions from fans eager to “only in my dreams which was good gency, including Sunday’s bombing strong references to Research and month described the moment he was find out more about his detention, enough.” of a park in Lahore targeting Chris- Analysis Wing (RAW), which is why reunited with his wife as he took to where according to militant sources, Taseer also recalled phoning tians celebrating Easter that killed the panel decided against it,” The social media to share his dumbfound- he was shuffled between various his mother from the restaurant he dozens of children. Express Tribune quoted Mobasher ing story. extremist groups in Pakistan’s tribal was recovered from in southwest Pakistani users have responded Hasan, chairman of the Central Pakistanis have been riveted as areas. Balochistan province earlier this warmly. “Are you seeing Unbreak- Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Shahbaz Taseer and his wife Maheen Asked whether he remained loyal month. able Shahbaz Taseer on twitter? as saying. light up the Internet with their funny, to his favourite football team Man- He wrote: “i said ‘hey ami i ran It’s nothing short of incredible. Oh According to Hasan, a CBFC loving and often heart-stopping chester United, he replied: “U can’t be away btw the mountain dew is great for one ounce of that sort of spirit,” panel first voted against the account of his captivity and release. a united fan it’s a family”. at saleem hotel kuchlak baluchistan’ wrote Faiza S Khan, a Bloomsbury movie. After the film distributor’s When asked what he said to his His wife later chirped in ask- she said ‘whose this?’” editor. appeal, the full board of the CBFC wife the first time he saw her, he ing “who is number one, me or @ Many of the questions cen- Even Pizza Hut Pakistan got in on reviewed it but backed the ban. replied: “i told you id come back”. ManUtd?”, with Taseer responding: tred around how life had changed the action, offering to send the self- Asked if “Ambarsariya” would She also described the moment of “You... but they are a VERY close sec- Shahbaz Taseer during his half decade away from professed pizza lover free meals for have been fit for release if the ref- their reunion: “I was crying with hap- ond :)” civilisation. his bravery. erences to RAW had been edited piness, could hardly speak but hugged Some responses, while light- Earlier in the week he joked that He later tweeted a picture of a out, Hasan said: “That would not him and told him I love him”. hearted, hinted at darker times. He responded: “just press delete :)” his wife had compared him to Nicho- Pizza Hut pie, saying the chain “just be possible since the movie is pri- Taseer, the son of a liberal Punjab “How the heck did you rewire Asked whether he was asked to las Brody, the character played by came through!” — cheekily adding marily about RAW and editing governor assassinated in 2011, months your brain to not be overwhelmed formally join the Taliban he said: “no, actor Damien Lewis in US drama that he was now waiting for a rival would have affected its story. before he was taken hostage, has so with the negativity?” one user asked. they didn’t like my sense of style”, “Homeland” — a US Marine turned pizza chain’s offerings. INDIA SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 07

No bar on women’s India-Saudi cooperation to get fillip with Modi visit entry to any place of worship: Court IANS officials and Saudi business leaders. Discussions on the regional situation India and Saudi Arabia had signed counter-terrorism partnership with The prime minister’s visit is part would also be on the agenda,” he said. the Delhi Declaration during then Saudi Arabia and sought Riyadh’s sup- of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led The prime minister also said that King Abdullah’s historic visit to India port for India’s draft Comprehensive MUMBAI: In a ruling with far- government’s Link West policy — he wanted Saudi businesses to partner in 2006, the first by a Saudi monarch Convention on International Terror- reaching implications, the Bombay NEW DELHI: India and Saudi Ara- of building closer ties with the Gulf in India’s development plans. in five decades. ism (CCIT). High Court yesterday declared bia will seek to elevate their strategic region that is home to a large expa- Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Modi’s visit assumes signifi- The nearly three million-strong that no law prevents women from partnership to a more broad-based triate Indian population and fetches Jubeir, who was in New Delhi last cance in the context of the current expatriate Indian population in Saudi entering places of worship and one, with the focus on energy and the country $70bn in remittances a month in the run-up to the prime regional situation and strained rela- Arabia is another key aspect of the there should be no gender dis- security cooperation, during the two- year. ministerial visit, said his country tions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, bilateral relations. crimination as far as entering one day visit of Prime Minister Narendra Apart from being India’s larg- wanted to further elevate ties with another strategically important coun- Discussions on some of the issues is concerned. Modi to Riyadh beginning today, the est crude oil supplier, accounting for India. “We look forward to Prime try for India. facing Indian workers in Saudi Ara- The verdict by a division bench first by an Indian prime minister in one-fifth of the imports, Saudi Arabia Minister Modi’s visit which will be With Saudi Arabia upping the bia are also likely to come up during of Chief Justice D H Waghela and six years. is also India’s fourth largest trading another milestone in the relations ante against terrorism and the rise of Modi’s visit. Sushma Swaraj had taken Justice M S Sonak came on PIL filed Manmohan Singh was the last partner with bilateral trade reach- between our two great nations,” the Islamic State terror outfit, secu- up the issue with Jubeir and suggested by activists Vidya Bal and senior Indian prime minister to visit the Gulf ing $40bn. Jubeir said. rity cooperation also has become an that the existing labour agreement lawyer Nilima Vartak challenging kingdom in 2010, when the bilateral “India’s ties with Saudi Arabia are “We hope to elevate our relation- important cornerstone of the relation- with the Gulf nation be expanded to the age-old tradition prohibiting relationship was elevated to strate- special,” Prime Minister Modi said in ship from that of the current ‘strategic ship. In recent times, Riyadh handed include sectors other than domestic entry to women to the sanctum gic partnership. a statement ahead of his departure partnership’,” he said. He said during over to New Delhi key terror opera- workers. sanctorum of the world-famous Modi, who flies in from Wash- to Belgium, the US and Saudi Arabia. his meeting with Modi, he expressed tives like Abu Jundal and Abdul Aziz Today Modi will meet with mem- Shani Shingnapur Temple in ington on the third and final leg of “Robust people-to-people ties Saudi Arabia’s “desire to broaden our alias Gidda. bers of the Indian community which Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district. his three-nation visit, will hold dis- constitute a key component of our relations in all areas”. External Affairs Minister Sushma will be followed by a visit to the L&T Disposing off the PIL, the judges cussions with The Custodian of the engagement. I plan to work with “We expressed our commitment Swaraj, during her meeting with workers’ residential complex. also directed the Maharashtra gov- Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin the Saudi leadership to expand to further deepen our relations in all Jubeir last month had conveyed that L&T is doing $2bn worth of work ernment to take proactive steps to Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, top and deepen our bilateral relations. areas including energy cooperation.” India is keen on a strong security and on the $600bn Riyadh Metro Project. ensure compliance of the laws say- ing it is “the fundamental right of a woman” and must be protected. The state government informed the court that it was totally opposed to gender discrim- ination and it would scrupulously Premier calls implement the Maharashtra Hindu Place of Worship (Entry Authori- sation) Act, 1956, which stipulated for global unity six months jail for violators. Growth path to continue to root against terror out poverty: Jaitley

kick off the two-day Nuclear Secu- MELBOURNE: Urging Australian rity Summit. pension funds to invest in India, “Nuclear security must “Nuclear security must remain Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yes- remain an abiding an abiding national priority and terday said here the country will all states must completely abide by continue on its current path of national priority their international obligations,” Modi development towards “eliminat- and all states must told the world leaders meeting in the ing the curse of poverty”. shadow of Brussels and Lahore ter- “We do believe that 7.5 percent completely abide by ror attacks. . rate can be improved upon and their international ”Without prevention and pros- the government is concentrating ecution of acts of terrorism, there is on several areas, especially rural obligations”: Modi no deterrence against nuclear ter- India. Its only then India can elim- rorism,” he warned lamenting that inate the curse of poverty,” he said, while “the reach and supply chains of FROM LEFT: Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra addressing a meeting here of heads IANS terrorism are global, genuine coop- Modi attend a working dinner in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. of Australian pension funds. eration between nation states is not”. “People in India are benefiting Obama, who is hosting his fourth from the whole process of liberal- and last such summit to discuss how real and immediate is the threat to with nuclear traffickers and terror- of a world without nuclear weapons isation,” the finance minister said. WASHINGTON: As leaders from over to prevent terrorists and other non nuclear security from terrorism. ists present the greatest risk.” a reality, he wrote: “We’re clear-eyed The meeting was attended 50 nations gathered in Washington state actors from gaining access to “Terror has evolved. Terrorists are By putting spotlight on nuclear about the high hurdles ahead, but I by Australian Minister for Small to discuss the nuclear terror threat, nuclear materials, was flanked by using 21st century technology. But our security, Obama has done great serv- believe that we must never resign our- Businesses and Assistant Treas- Prime Minister Narendra Modi made Modi to the right and Chinese Presi- responses are rooted in the past,” he ice to global security, Modi said and selves to the fatalism that the spread urer Kelly O’Dwyer, Future Fund a strong call to the world to drop the dent Xi Jinping on the left. said asking the leaders to focus on “this legacy of President Obama must of nuclear weapons is inevitable.” chairman Peter Costello, Indian notion that terrorism is someone else’s The “dinner table” ran along the three contemporary features of ter- endure”. ”Even as we deal with the realities High Commissioner Navdeep Suri problem and that “his” terrorist is not circumference of the East Room of rorism. “First, today’s terrorism uses Earlier, in an opinion piece in the of the world as it is, we must continue and members of a delegation led “my” terrorist. the White House. In the middle were extreme violence as theatre. Second, Washington Post on Thursday Obama to strive for our vision of the world as by industry chamber Ficci. Jaitley “Terrorism is globally networked. three big boxes of flowers, accord- we are no longer looking for a man in said: “Of all the threats to global secu- it ought to be,” Obama wrote. Secre- assured his audience of rationali- But, we still act only nationally to ing to a pool report. Modi, who has a cave, but we are hunting for a ter- rity and peace, the most dangerous is tary of State John Kerry and Secretary sation of India’s tax system, saying counter this threat,” Modi said at a come to Washington after attending rorist in a city with a computer or a the proliferation and potential use of of Energy Ernest Moniz co-hosted a India offered a huge amount of working dinner hosted by President the India-EU summit in the Belgian smart phone. nuclear weapons.” separate working dinner for other opportunity also in manufactur- Barack Obama on Thursday night to capital, said: “Brussels shows us how “And third, state actors working Outlining how to make the vision members of the visiting delegations. ing and infrastructure.

NIA investigators to visit Pakistan Murder charges against flyover for Pathankot construction firm; 10 arrested terror probe

IANS and AP from the debris alive, and by yesterday seven years, police said. NEW DELHI: A team of Indian afternoon the wreckage was cleared. The company signed a contract in investigators will travel to Paki- Army teams which have been car- 2007 to build the overpass, and was stan to further probe the terror rying out rescue operations returned far behind schedule for the project’s attack at an air base in Punjab that KOLKATA: The city police have to bases after completing the tasks completion. killed seven security personnel, brought murder charges among oth- assigned to them. The partially constructed over- the National Investigation Agency ers against the Hyderabad-based “The army rescue team has been pass had spanned nearly the width (NIA) said yesterday. IVRCL and detained at least 10 of its derequisitioned today after the clear- of the street and was designed to ease The announcement comes employees in connection with the ance of the debris that was impacting traffic through the densely crowded after India, in a rare show of coun- flyover collapse in the city that has on the flow of traffic. The task that Bara Bazaar neighbourhood in the ter-terrorism cooperation, allowed claimed at least 24 lives so far, police was set out for the army was achieved capital of West Bengal. Within hours a team of Pakistani security and said yesterday. within 24 hours. The soldiers and all of concrete being poured into a frame- intelligence officials to examine Following instruction of West other teams have returned to their work of steel girders on Thursday, the scene of the terrorist attack Bengal Chief Minister Mamata bases. The remaining work is being about 100 metres of the overpass col- at the Pathankot Indian Air Force Banerjee, police registered a first undertaken by the civil administra- lapsed. “I heard an explosion, a solid (IAF) base. information report against the com- tion,” said an army spokesperson. one,” said resident Rabindra Kumar “We told them (Pakistani inves- pany subsequent to the tragedy. The army had deployed nearly Gupta, who had been home eating tigators) that we want to send a “The charges brought against 500 personnel including teams of lunch. “My apartment shook. The team to Pakistan. They welcomed the company include murder, medics and ambulances while Gen- whole building shook. When I looked the idea,” NIA Director General attempt to murder and criminal eral Officer Commanding (GOC) outside, there was a lot of smoke.” Sharad Kumar told reporters here. conspiracy among others. So far 10 Bengal Area Lieutenant General Smashed yellow taxis, a crushed No specific date for the proposed people including R K Gopal Nanduri Rajeev Tewary personally super- truck, destroyed rickshaws and the Indian visit has been given. — regional business head have been vised the rescue operation. bloody legs of trapped people jutted But Sharad Kumar said in a detained,” said Joint Commissioner “There is no possibility of finding from the fallen girders and concrete. statement issued after his brief of Police (Crime) Debashish Boral. any person alive,” said S S Guleria, The construction company was media interaction that the Paki- He also said a 23-member special Deputy Inspector General of the far behind schedule for the overpass. stani team “assured us of their investigation team (SIT) has been con- National Disaster Response Force. Police said 39 of the more than full cooperation and promised to stituted to probe the matter. Engineers are being consulted about 80 people taken to hospitals were execute” the Indian letter roga- Besides sealing off the compa- a part of the bridge still hanging over still being treated yesterday morning. tory for judicial assistance in ny’s city offices, a Kolkata police team the disaster area, after which work- As workers in yellow hard-hats NIA’s probe. reached the company headquarters in ers will “slowly start dismantling this operated huge cranes, bulldozers and NIA is handling the Indian Hyderabad during the day for ques- particular section to avoid any col- other equipment to clear the rubble investigation of the January 2 ter- tioning the company officials. lateral damage to houses around it.” and pry apart the concrete slabs yes- ror attack that also left a civilian Meanwhile, rescuers said yes- The officials from the IVRCL terday morning, crowds of people dead before the suspected Paki- terday there was no hope of finding Infrastructure Co are being ques- waited anxiously to see if neighbours stani terrorists, who had infiltrated any more survivors after clearing the tioned for possible culpable homicide, and friends had survived. The inter- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian army personnel from across the border into the air- crumbled concrete and twisted metal punishable with life imprisonment, section had been a place where street base, were killed in a gun fight that handle rubble after a bridge under construction collapsed in Kolkatta rods from the flyover. and criminal breach of trust, which vendors and service workers regu- lasted for some 80 hours. yesterday. Sixty-seven people were pulled carries a prison sentence of up to larly plied their trades. 08 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 EUROPE / UK Britain lifts minimum pay for millions

AFP paid and hardest working people.” London School of Economics profes- Living Wage Foundation, which says The opposition Labour party crit- sor Alan Manning described the new workers aged 18 and over should earn The minimum gross icised the policy as a “cruel sleight living wage as “more symbolic” than at least £8.25 a hour, rising to £9.40 salary for all British of hand”, however, pointing to the anything else. in London where housing rents tend LONDON: Britain’s Conservative gov- government’s enactment of sharp “It’s significant but I don’t think to be high. ernment raised the minimum wage workers aged over cutbacks in welfare spending. one should exaggerate its signifi- “Today’s new legal minimum is that is pocketed by more than a mil- 25 climbed by 7.5 Other nations, too, have raised cance,” he said. an important step forward in tack- lion people yesterday, trumpeting it minimum wages in recent years to When Britain’s Conservatives ling low pay in the UK,” said Katherine UK man convicted as a transformative step for the econ- percent to £7.20. address stagnant wage growth and opposed the introduction of a min- Chapman, director of the Living Wage omy but winning few plaudits from inequality between rich and poor. imum wage 17 years ago, they had Foundation. employers or austerity-weary unions. France lifted the minimum wage feared the minimum wage would “We welcome the news that mil- of plot to kill Affecting between 1.3 million and at the start of this year to almost €9.70 destroy jobs, Manning said. lions of workers will get a pay rise. 1.8 million people according to var- introduction of minimum wage in an hour. Germany launched a mini- “The minimum wage is often However, the job is not done when it US soldiers ying estimates, the minimum gross 1999 when then prime minister Tony mum wage one year earlier at €8.50, popular with voters who are actu- comes to tackling low pay,” she said. salary for all British workers aged Blair’s Labour was in power. where it remains. ally quite conservative on many About six million people earn over 25 climbed by 7.5 percent to £7.20 “The National Living Wage will And in the United States, Cal- issues, because many of them think less than the minimum level rec- Reuters ($10.36, €9.10) an hour from April 1, a play a central role in moving Britain ifornia plans to raise the pre-tax that if people work hard and can’t ommended by the foundation, with boost that far outstrips inflation. to a higher wage, lower tax, lower minimum wage to $15 per hour earn enough to support themselves women, young people and part-time The pay rise, first announced welfare economy,” British finance (€13.28) in a move which might be and their families, there is something workers hardest hit, Chapman said. by Prime Minister David Cameron’s minister George Osborne said as the followed by other US states. wrong with... society.” Workers’ representatives stressed LONDON: A delivery driver was government last July, represents a pay boost came into effect. In Britain, where unemployment However, the hourly rate of £7.20 that government cuts to welfare ben- convicted yesterday of plotting to complete about-turn for the Con- “It will also mark the end of the is relatively low at around 5.0 percent, is significantly less than the minimum efits hurt people on the bottom run of kill U.S. troops based in England servative party, which opposed the gender pay gap for some of our lowest large wage inequalities persist and pay recommended by the lobby group the pay ladder. by staging road accidents with sol- diers’ cars and then attacking them with knives and possibly a home- made bomb. Junead Khan, 25, (pictured First gene therapy for Snowfall in Germany above) a supporter of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, was found guilty of preparing terror- ist acts. He and his uncle Shazib children gets EMA nod Khan, 23, were also convicted of planning to join IS in Syria. Kingston Crown Court south- west of London had heard that Reuters The US Food and Drug Adminis- Junead Khan had been visited tration has yet to approve any gene four times by police trying to divert therapies but a growing number of him from extremism but he had US biotech companies have prod- rejected their offers of help. LONDON: The world’s first life- ucts in development. Eventually he was arrested saving gene therapy for children, Other large pharmaceuti- and searches of various addresses developed by Italian scientists and cal companies are also eyeing the revealed evidence of what police GlaxoSmithKline, has been recom- field, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, said painted an alarming picture mended for approval in Europe, which has a tie-up with UniQure. of his plans to attack US soldiers boosting the pioneering technol- Research into gene therapy goes based in Britain. ogy to fix faulty genes. back a quarter of a century but the “Specifically, he intended The European Medicines Agency field has experienced many set- to stage a road accident to draw (EMA) said yesterday it endorsed the backs, including the high-profile soldiers out of their car, before therapy, called Strimvelis, for a tiny death of an American patient in attacking them with knives and number of children with ADA Severe 1999 and some disastrous clinical potentially detonating a home- Combined Immune Deficiency trial results in the late 1990s and made bomb,” the statement said. (ADA-SCID) for whom no match- early 2000s. Now, though, optimism In one message to a suspected ing bone marrow donor is available. is building, helped by the discovery accomplice in Syria, Khan told how Around 15 children a year are of better ways to carry replacement he had missed an opportunity to born in Europe with the ultra-rare genes into cells. Low-pressure area ‘Kerstin’ caused snowfall in Kleinliebringen, Germany, yesterday. Meteorologists kill Americans on his rounds in genetic disorder, which leaves them Martin Andrews, head of Glax- have predicted temperatures under 20 degrees celsius in Thuringia, tomorrow. Bedfordshire, Norfolk and Cam- unable to make a type of white blood oSmithKline’s rare diseases unit, bridgeshire in England. cell. They rarely survive beyond two believes the technology is prov- years unless their immune function ing itself, although it remains at an is restored with a suitable bone mar- early stage of development. “We’re row transplant. on page one of chapter one of a new SCID is sometimes known as medicine text book,” he said. Italian PM under pressure over peddling scandal “bubble baby” disease, since chil- A host of challenges still need to dren born with it have immune be overcome, including the complex- systems so weak they must live in ity of delivering a product like GSK’s Reuters gations of influence peddling. police appeared to show her assur- of the lobbies or who are looking out germ-free environments. new treatment, which requires bone While Renzi should be able to ing her partner the government would for themselves,” said Luigi Di Maio, of Strimvelis is expected to get for- marrow cells to be taken from the overcome the challenge, this latest pass legislation that helped his energy Italy’s second largest party. mal marketing authorisation from patient, processed and injected back. of several political storms comes as business. She told Renzi she had done No date has been set for the no- the European Commission in a cou- Trickiest of all may be pricing, ROME: Italy’s opposition parties said Italy gears up for pivotal elections nothing wrong, but felt it necessary to confidence motion, but opposition ple of months, making it second gene given the tiny market for a therapy they would present a no-confidence due in June and the economy shows resign “for political reasons”. parties said, Maria Elena Boschi, therapy to be approved in Europe, like Strimvelis. UniQure’s Glybera motion against Prime Minister Matteo renewed signing of flagging. “This matter calls into question minister for parliamentary relations, after UniQure’s Glybera, which treats made history in 2014 as the first drug Renzi’s government after his industry Federica Guidi quit, after phone- the whole government ...It always puts should resign over allegations that she a rare adult blood disorder. to carry a $1 million price tag. minister quit in a scandal over alle- tapped conversations released by people in charge who are in the pay connived with Guidi.

Judge says trial Man jailed for keeping Day of Humour in Ukraine of Channel wife as a slave Tunnel refugee Reuters “She was isolated from the will go ahead world, allowed only very restricted contact with her family and was not allowed to leave house unaccompa- Reuters LONDON: A British man who treated nied.” Iram was often made to work his Pakistani wife as a slave was sen- from 5am to midnight, cooking and tenced to two years yesterday, what cleaning for her husband and mem- CANTERBURY, ENGLAND: A is believed to be the first conviction bers of his family. judge yesterday refused to halt in the UK for domestic servitude Media reports said Ahmed threw criminal damage trial of a refugee involving a husband and wife. tins of cat food at his wife and once from Darfur who walked through Safraz Ahmed, 34, from London, told her to jump in front of a vehicle the Channel Tunnel in one of the subjected Sumara Iram to “physi- or into a river. In one attack Ahmed most dramatic attempts to reach cal and mental torture” after she broke Iram’s nose. Six months Britain since Europe’s migration moved to Britain in 2012 following later she attempted to take her life, crisis began. an arranged marriage. according to media reports. Abdul Haroun’s case has “She was treated with com- Ahmed was sentenced to two prompted debate in Britain plete contempt by the defendant years by Woolwich Crown Court between critics who want him who responded to her requests for after he admitted holding his wife in People wearing colourful costumes take part in ‘Humoryna’, the traditional Day of Humour in Odessa, prosecuted to deter others from affection with physical assaults and servitude. He received a concurrent Ukraine yesterday. attempting the 50-km walk verbal abuse,” Lakin said. eight-month sentence for assault. through the railway tunnel from France, and supporters who say he should be free to start a new life. His trial had been set for June and Judge Adele Williams ruled at Royal Brexit gag and Google blunder lead April Fools’ pranks Canterbury Crown Court in south- east England that it should go ahead. “Having heard legal argu- ment, the court has ruled that the AFP bastions of the light-hearted annual credentials” and “strong affinity with Buckingham Palace to complain to business emails and even funeral prosecution against this defendant prank, concentrated on the country’s the continent.” Britain’s press watchdog. arrangements with the jokey cartoon. should continue and the matter is June 23 referendum on membership According to the paper’s “well- Google was forced to hastily pull “Well, it looks like we pranked fixed for trial on June 20,” she said. of the European Union to trick unsus- connected source”, the royal family its lighthearted April Fools’ prank ourselves this year, the company Haroun, 40, was arrested LONDON: An unlikely royal inter- pecting victims. had turned against London mayor after it landed users in trouble. admitted. We’re truly sorry. The fea- in August 2015 as he neared the vention into Britain’s European The Guardian claimed to have and high-profile anti-EU campaigner The firm added an extra send but- ture has been turned off.” English end of the tunnel at Folke- referendum debate was among the exclusive information that Greek- Boris Johnson as he had “made it ton to its Gmail service that adds a gif The Japan Times, an English-lan- stone, having walked in darkness April Fools’ stories foxing the world’s born Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth difficult to get around London in a of a minion, one of the yellow crea- guage newspaper, duped readers with for some 12 hours, dodging pass- newspaper readers yesterday—but for II’s husband, was to defy Britain’s decent-sized Daimler”. tures from the “Despicable Me” series, a headline promising “revolutionary ing trains along the way. He US internet giant Google, the joke was strict constitutional rules and come A recent Sun newspaper story to its emails. robots to take care of Japan’s kids”, was charged with obstructing a on them. out in favour of the European Union, claiming that the queen was in favour But many users hit the button playing on stereotypes of obsession railway. Britain’s papers, traditional given his “impeccable European of Britain leaving the EU prompted without realising, sending important with technology and childcare. EUROPE SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 09

Denmark extends Clashes among ID checks on German border

refugees leave AFP

COPENHAGEN: The Danish gov- three injured ernment yesterday extended random identification checks along the coun- try’s German border until May 3, saying they were needed to deter on Thursday evening by migrants migrants from entering the country. demanding they be allowed to leave “The pressure on Europe’s exter- Police used stun the camp. nal borders is still high and refugee grenades to restore There has been anger among and migrant flows may rise signifi- migrants and criticism from aid cantly when the weather gets better,” calm during the fight groups over EU plans to imminently Integration Minister Inger Stojberg said — the second such begin sending thousands of people in a statement. denied asylum back to Turkey. “It is necessary to extend the bor- incident within two Eight migrants were also hos- der controls so that we ensure that days in Greece. pitalised on Thursday after a fight large groups of refugees and migrants between Syrians and Afghans in the do not accumulate here in Denmark,” overcrowded migrant camp at the she added. Greek port of Piraeus near Athens. The controls were introduced on AFP Chios is home to one of five January 4, after Sweden began requir- “hotspot” centres set up to house ing rail and ferry companies to verify and process migrants on the Greek the identities of people travelling from islands, which have been struggling Migrants walk on a street of Chios city, Greece, yesterday. More than 300 refugees and migrants broke through Denmark across the Oresund Strait, ATHENS: Three migrants were hos- to cope with an influx of migrants, and have been extended four times. a fence and headed out of the Chios hotspot where they were being held. pitalised yesterday after a brawl in a many fleeing the civil war in Syria. Last year Denmark largely served camp on the Greek island of Chios, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet as a transit country for migrants trav- aid groups and media said, as the Davutoglu confirmed on Thursday elling to Sweden, which until recently country prepared to begin returning that migrants would start being sent Migrants break out from camp in protest had some of Europe’s most generous migrants to Turkey under an EU deal. back from Greece to Turkey on Mon- asylum rules. The agency said police used stun day, under the terms of last month’s Denmark received more than grenades to restore calm during the controversial EU-Turkey deal. Reuters Returns are supposed to begin on left the centre. Police were monitor- 21,000 asylum applications in 2015, late-night fight—the second such Over 51,000 refugees and April 4, though uncertainty remains ing the situation, he said. though significantly fewer than its incident within two days in Greece— migrants seeking to reach northern over how many will be sent back and “They (migrants) say they don’t northern neighbour, which regis- which caused serious damage to Europe are stuck in Greece, after how they will be processed. want to go back to Turkey and that tered 163,000 asylum applications the island’s Vial camp, including Balkan states sealed their borders. ATHENS: Hundreds of migrants and About 1,500 migrants and refugees they are afraid for their safety after the in the same year. Number of people the medical dispensary, state ANA Hundreds more continue to land on refugees on the Greek island of Chios who arrived on Chios since March 20 clashes,” a police official on Chios said. seeking asylum in Denmark fell to 35 news agency said. the Greek islands on a daily basis, tore down part of the razor wire fence were held at the facility. “The police tried to persuade them last week, the lowest since the bor- Medical charity Doctors of the despite the EU deal. surrounding their holding centre yes- Video clips on Greek websites to return back but they refused and der checks were introduced, according World (MDM) said it had pulled out Aid groups have criticised the terday and began walking to the port showed dozens of migrants and ref- now walking to the port of the island,” to data from the Danish government. of the camp to protect its staff. EU-Turkey deal on ethical grounds, in protest, police officials said. ugees, many of them women and he said. “Asylum numbers can fluctuate “The dispensary was almost warning that the Greek registra- Under the EU-Union Turkey deal, children, carrying their belongings Before the deal, arrivals on the considerably from day to day... It may entirely destroyed and security was tion sites would become de facto migrants and refugees arriving after and walking along the tree-lined road islands were free to leave the camps be due to several things,” Stojberg told no longer sufficient,” MDM spokes- detention centres for people slated March 20 are to be held in centres set to the port. and head for ferries to the Greek main- Danish news agency Ritzau, citing bad man Evgenia Thanou said. to be sent back to Turkey after risk- up on five Aegean islands, including A police spokesman for the north- land, from where they would mostly weather conditions and border checks Pro-migrant activists said the ing their lives and spending a small Chios, and sent back if their asylum ern Aegean region to which Chios head north via the Balkans in a bid to in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe. trouble began after a demonstration fortune to try reach Europe. applications are not accepted. belongs said about 300 people had reach western Europe. Former German Serbian PM warns of far-right surge foreign minister Restart of Brussels Genscher dies AP the Balkan wars, could pave the way closer to losing the election.” for the firebrand politician to become UN prosecutors had charged airport delayed a key political powerbroker after the Seselj, 61, with crimes including per- AFP April 24 vote. With a surge in pro- secution, murder and torture and had BELGRADE: Serbia’s prime minister Russian and right-wing sentiments in demanded a 28-year sentence for his Reuters spokeswoman said, confirming there yesterday warned the country could Serbia, Seselj’s Serbian Radical Party support of Serb paramilitaries dur- were no passenger flights yesterday. BERLIN: Germany’s Cold War-era backslide into its dark past if far-right has a good chance to return to parlia- ing the region’s bitter, bloody wars in Belgium’s national security veteran foreign minister Hans- parties win an upcoming general ment after missing out two years ago. the early 1990s. council, a group of senior minis- Dietrich Genscher, who was the election after receiving a boost from “Serbia is at a crossroads, polit- But in a majority decision, the BRUSSELS: Brussels main airport ters, police and intelligence chiefs, country’s top diplomat when the the acquittal of their leader by a UN ical, economic and moral,” Prime three-judge panel said on Thursday failed to reopen yesterday evening earlier acknowledged it could sim- Berlin Wall fell, has died at age 89, war crimes court. Minister Aleksandar Vucic said, add- that there was insufficient evidence as planned because police and air- ply force police to work at the his office said yesterday. The release of Vojislav Seselj, who ing that pre-election polls show his linking the politician himself to the port authorities could not agree on airport, but that it would be unwise “Hans-Dietrich Genscher died was charged with atrocities during ruling populists “have never been crimes. how to screen passengers arriving to do so. on Thursday night at the age of 89 for flights following the March 22 “It’s important to find the right in the presence of his family at his suicide bombings. balance between economic inter- home in Wachtberg-Pech, of cardi- The airport has not handled pas- ests and security interests,” Defence ovascular failure,” said a statement senger flights since two suspected Minister Steven Vandeput told Bel- from his private office. Explosion in Paris building Islamist militants carried out the gian television. Genscher’s marathon 1974-92 attacks. Those bombs and a sepa- The city’s association of hotel tenure as foreign minister broke rate one on a metro train in the city operators pointed to the closed air- longevity records in Europe and killed 35 people in all and wounded port as one of the main reasons for a spanned some of the continent’s scores of others. more than 50 percent drop in over- most dramatic moments. Earlier in the day, Belgium’s night stays up to March 28. When he took office, Europe prime minister and key members “The outlook is bad but it looked to be forever divided into of the government met yesterday depends on the complete reopen- two nuclear-armed camps. When to discuss when to reopen Brussels ing of the airport,” a spokesman for he stepped down, Germany was Airport, devastated by bombers last the Brussels Hotel Association said. reunited and Soviet communism week. Brussels Airport is one of the had been consigned to history. The airport, whose departure largest airports in Europe, han- Genscher, who served in both hall was destroyed in the blasts, dling 23.5 million passengers and centre-left and conservative gov- has built a temporary check-in zone, 489,000 tonnes of freight annually. ernments, was a tireless advocate conducted tests and had declared It links the Belgian capital with 226 of East-West cooperation in the itself ready to restart flights. destinations worldwide through 77 pursuit of the peaceful unifica- The federal police, whose offic- different airlines. tion of Europe. ers work in the airport, wants When it does reopen it is set to Genscher is credited with passengers to be checked outside the run at only 20 percent capacity, with negotiating Germany’s peaceful new departure zone. But the airport some 800 passengers departing per 1990 reunification and the with- authorities say this would mean pas- hour. drawal of Soviet forces with his US sengers waiting too long and simply In Maastricht, Netherlands, a and Russian counterparts James shift the security threat from inside joint funeral was held for a Dutch Baker and Eduard Shevardnadze. to outside the area. sister and brother who were killed In 1991 he was criticised by Airport police say they are ready in the airport as they were heading western allies for Germany’s fail- to strike over the issue. back to New York where they lived. ure to take a decisive role in the Flames erupt from an apartment building following gas explosion in rue de Beritein Paris’ 6th district “We need an agreement with Alexander Pinczowski, 29, was Gulf war. yesterday. The explosion caused minor injuries to five people. the police unions. There are cur- on the phone with his mother in the And there was also reproach rently discussions between them Netherlands when a bomb blew up for his policy on Yugoslavia, which and the interior ministry,” an airport and the line went dead. some saw as contributing to the breakup of the old six-repub- lic federation by encouraging Croatia’s nationalist aspirations. But to millions of West International experts approve Kosovo-Montenegro border deal Germans, Genscher was a counter- weight to hardline conservatism and a brake on the arms race AP and Germany considered as regular and Montenegro,” Jahjaga said. She opposition has disrupted Parliament’s an evaluation made for the President’s whose sponsorship of East-West the process of establishing the bor- added, however, that the experts con- work and its supporters have clashed needs and as such cannot be reflected contacts kept the faith of East Ger- der with neighbouring Montenegro. sidered process needed to be “more with police. They also oppose a deal in the need of border correction with mans alive. That has been harshly opposed by transparent.” with Serbia giving more powers to Montenegro,” a statement said. Few politicians travelled as far PRISTINA: Kosovo’s outgoing country’s political opposition, which Jahjaga created the ad hoc com- ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa’s gov- and frequently as Genscher, who president, Atifete Jahjaga, said inter- claims Kosovo is losing thousands of mission as part of attempts to lay the The opposition did not accept ernment hailed the experts’ findings, often left his accompanying press national experts have concluded that hectares of land. basis of a political dialogue in the the experts’ the conclusion and saying they were in line with previ- corps exhausted with his dyna- a border demarcation deal with Mon- “From the legal and techni- country, efforts that have always been said it will continue the anti-gov- ous findings of the US Department of mism. Despite his perennially sad tenegro is in line with international cal point of view the international turned down by the opposition. ernment protests.“The united State and should settle the issue. The demeanour, he was long Germa- standards. experts have found no violation of the Kosovo’s political life has been in opposition considers that the find- US embassy in Pristina welcomed the ny’s most popular politician. Three experts from the US, Britain demarcation process between Kosovo turmoil since last September as the ings of this international team ... are conclusion of the ad hoc commission. 10 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 OPINION Germany can take that ESTABLISHED IN 1996 smug look off its face CHAIRMAN richest 10 percent of the population “I don’t have a problem with the count.” Among AfD supporters, SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI is nine times that of the poorest 10 top 10 percent,” Fratzscher told 88 percent agreed. With more percent across the OECD, up from “Die Zeit.” “I have a problem that than 255,000 “likes,” the AfD has EDITOR-IN-CHIEF seven times 25 years earlier. the bottom 40 percent are being more Facebook followers than the There is a time-tested European left behind.” Christian Democrats and Social DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI tradition of sneering at the crass- Robust economic indicators Democrats combined. Facebook [email protected] ness of American capitalism and the and government transfers to the has become a popular forum for blowhards it produces. But Germans working poor mask the dire state people who feel their opinions are in particular are discovering that of affairs, according to Fratzscher. ignored by traditional media. ACTING MANAGING EDITOR their society is not as equitable as Germany’s political class prefers The similarities between they once believed, nor immune to to spend an extra 10 billion euros supporters of the AfD and the insur- HUSSAIN AHMAD By Lucian Kim the blather of populists. In the dec- on social benefits to paper over rection led by Donald Trump inside [email protected] Reuters ades following World War Two, West disparities than to invest in edu- the Republican Party are hard to Germany built up its fabled social cation and infrastructure, he said. ignore. Both movements are a vis- welfare system in part to compete “We’ve long become a society of ceral reaction to voters’ fears about with communist East Germany and classes, if not castes.” immigration, terrorism and the f a “Der Spiegel” cover is any in part to form a bulwark against the Germany’s socioeconomic arrogance of the powers-that-be. indication of the mood in Ger- type of extremism that had given rise polarisation is finding political Both gain strength in the electronic EDITORIAL many, then Europe’s largest to Adolf Hitler. Consensus became expression. In the autumn of 2014, echo chambers afforded by social country is on the verge of an a byword for the German way of a full year before the refugee cri- media. Railing against “political Iexplosion. Two weeks ago, the doing politics. sis swept Germany, a group calling correctness” is a substitute for pol- newsmagazine highlighted the After the collapse of commu- itself PEGIDA, or Patriotic Euro- icy-making. In Germany, as in the Challenges in Myanmar country’s growing income inequal- nism in Eastern Europe and German peans Against the Islamisation of United States, bashing migrants ity in a cover story on “the divided reunification in 1990, the assump- the Occident, began holding ral- - particularly Muslims - is most yanmar finally has a genuine civilian nation.” The cover photo showed tion was that the successful West lies in the eastern city of Dresden. popular where there are relatively a couple in a gilded room with a German model would simply be The protests, which kept growing few of them. The reaction of German government, but some of the doubts about its dozen other people stooped in a transferred to the eastern half of the in size, were directed at Merkel’s and US elites is also similar: disre- ability to perform its role without hindrance and claustrophobic cellar below them. country. But as Germany struggled government, “the lying press” and gard, disavowal, disbelief. When interference from the military establishment are Last week, the magazine in an increasingly global economy, foreigners seeking shelter and “New York Times” columnist David proving true. In what can be termed as the first featured the “uprising of the ‘Wut- Merkel’s predecessor, Gerhard opportunity in Europe. Brooks confessed last month that Mtussle between the two sides, members of Myanmar’s parliament buerger’” - a new German term Schroeder, slashed social bene- The Alternative for Germany, or he was “not socially intermingled” from the military, who under the constitution hold a quarter of combining the words for “rage” and fits as part of a sweeping reform to AfD, a Euro-skeptic party founded with Trump supporters and “did seats, opposed a bill introduced by the ruling National League “citizen” - to describe people mad make the country more competitive. in the middle of the Greek debt cri- not listen carefully enough,” he as hell about the political status Unemployment dropped, and sis, seized on PEGIDA’s message of could have been speaking about for Democracy (NLD) calling it unconstitutional. The bill seeks quo. The headline screamed “You the working poor emerged. Large discontent and repurposed itself the attitude toward the AfD taken to create the post of a state counsellor for Aung San Suu Kyi to guys up there are just lying to us parts of the former East Germany to fight the establishment on the by the editorial boards of Germa- coordinate ministers and influence the executive, thus effectively all” over a paint-spattered image of failed to catch up with the West, back of anti-immigrant senti- ny’s leading news organisations. circumventing a constitution written by the former junta that German Chancellor Angela Merkel. and an angry underclass that felt ment. In 2014, the upstart party Liberal societies are at risk in prevents her from becoming president on the ground that her A yawning wealth gap and a cheated by the promises of democ- was voted into three state assem- times of economic uncertainty. The two sons are not Myanmar citizens. But the military opposed the voter rebellion nobody wanted to racy was created. blies in eastern Germany. Since political center is stable when the admit existed aren’t unique to the Research shows that Germany regional elections last month, the middle class is strong. But if enough bill on the ground that it concentrated too much power in the United States. Across the industr- is far more similar to the United AfD is represented in half the coun- people feel they’re losing out, social hands of one person. ialised world, the middle class is States in economic terms than most try’s state legislatures and aims conflict becomes inevitable. Popu- The differences over the state counselor post may not finding it increasingly difficult to people might imagine. Germany’s to enter parliament in next year’s lists feed on and drive polarisation. spiral out of control because the government and the military make ends meet, while the losers of so-called Gini coefficient, a meas- national vote. The kind of illiberal paradise wouldn’t want to precipitate a crisis now, but they clearly globalisation are channeling their ure of income disparity, is 76 - closer “The conventions governing that the likes of the AfD or Trump point to the challenges ahead that will force themselves to the aggression into fringe politicians to the 80 in the United States than Germany’s political interactions are espouse already exists. Russia fore. Under the new president, Htin Kyaw, who took office on who know who’s to blame. Mod- the 69 across the euro zone. In a changing with incredible speed,” today offers a dystopian vision of ern Germany, a paragon of social Morgan Stanley ranking of 20 indus- “Der Spiegel” deputy editor Dirk a country run by an omnipotent Wednesday, Aung San Suu Kyi has taken four ministries: those peace and political moderation, is trialised countries, Germany came Kurbjuweit wrote in a recent essay. leader where urban liberals have of foreign affairs, presidential affairs, energy and education. no exception. in as the sixth most unequal, right The two-party dominance by the been shut up; the middle class is That’s a powerful bundle of portfolios, and the position of state “We have reached a tip- after the United States, preceded by center-right Christian Democrats a demographic sliver between the counselor will further widen her ping point,” the Organisation for Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal. and center-left Social Democrats super-rich and a vast underclass, powers. This is something the military Economic Cooperation and Devel- Marcel Fratzscher, head of the is under threat. and “patriotic” media spew fear doesn’t definitely want and Suu Kyi opment warned last year. Income German Institute for Economic A poll by the magazine found and hate around the clock. inequality in the 34 member coun- Research, isn’t only concerned that 57 percent of Germans agreed Incidentally, when Russian The will definitely fight for. Despite the tries is at its highest level in the past about income inequality in Ger- with the statement, “Those guys up President Vladimir Putin ran for government military opposition, the bill passed and half century, the OECD said in a many; he also worries about there will do whatever they want his third term, one of his slogans of Suu Kyi and moved to the lower house for debate report. The average income of the systemic barriers to social mobility. anyway, and my opinion doesn’t was “Together to a great Russia.” the military on Monday. The NLD has a majority in both houses so does not need military must agree approval to pass bills. The constitution on a common of the country cannot be changed agenda for without the military’s approval, but This time the Yugoslav tribunal got it wrong democracy to this is a development that they may not have foreseen. survive in the Also, in the new government, the front, was less clear-cut. the colors of the Chetnik nation- Islamic State terrorists. The U.K. and country. military holds the key portfolios of So the prosecution may well alist movement of which he is the other countries have tied them- defence, border affairs and home have failed to demonstrate Ses- leader - a white skull and cross- selves in knots trying to find ways to elj’s direct responsibility for the bones against a black background jail preachers such as Abu Hamza, affairs, which gives the military war crimes his fighters carried and with the inscription ‘Free or who proselytised in favor of al- enormous powers. The control of the out. But the tribunal’s two-judge Dead.’ The crude simplicity of the Qaeda -- without directly recruiting police is especially important and Suu Kyi and her team can find majority went much further. They Chetnik logo suits Mr Seselj well: their disciples to go kill British infi- the going tough without the cooperation of the police. argued that the prosecution failed He seems to have made the idiom dels. As vile and dangerous as these People in Myanmar and the international community even to show that the crimes were his own. ‘We want no one else on people were, they committed no would want the current democratic process to succeed to bring crimes, because Seselj’s project for our territory and we will fight for crime. progress and stability to a country afflicted with many crises. a Greater Serbia was a political one, our true borders. The Croats must But Seselj did recruit fighters By Marc Champion the fighting happened in the context either move or die,’ he said.” and did then incite them in pub- The military junta has won praise for stepping aside and paving Bloomberg of Croatia and Bosnia’s secession Seselj was equally clear that lic speeches to go kill Croats and the way for democracy, and it must live up to its promises by from Yugoslavia, and because Ses- he wasn’t trying to defend Yugo- Bosnian Muslims, whom he also letting the new government rule. The oovernment of Suu Kyi, elj might just have thought he was slavia, which at the time was what referred to as fascists and “excre- on the other hand, must refrain from actions and decisions that defending Yugoslavia and protect- Serbian leader Slobodan Milose- ment,” respectively. To argue that would provoke the military. Both need to agree on a common United Nations court in The ing Serbian civilians, which would vic insisted he was trying to do: Seselj’s project for a Greater Serbia governance agenda for the next few years. Hague has acquitted Vojislav be legitimate. “ ‘We are against Yugoslavia,’ didn’t necessarily require ethnic ASeselj, the Serbian national- When Seselj gave speeches said Mr Seselj. ‘We do not want to cleansing, or that he maybe didn’t ist whose volunteers helped to start at the front calling on fighters to live in the same country as Croats.’ mean it when he said Croats should the war in Croatia in 1991, of all wipe the Croats from Greater Ser- Slovenia, he says, should be allowed “move or die,” or that buses laid on charges. It isn’t the “not guilty” ver- bian territory, the judges said they to be independent. And so should to ship Croatian civilians from vil- dict that’s shocking or necessarily couldn’t rule out that his comments Croatia - up to a point. For before lages claimed for Greater Serbia wrong. It is the tribunal’s reasoning, “were meant to boost the morale Croatia is freed, it should ampu- might have been “humanitarian” which contradicts much of what this of the troops of his camp, rather tate the arm of its territory that -- as the tribunal did -- is hard to court has taught us about the war than calling upon them to spare no runs south along the Dalmatian justify. Seselj reveled in his hard Quote of the day over the last two decades. one.” Well, yes they could. coast, all of Slavonia - its eastern line. The buses were enlisted for The verdict comes just days After covering the first weeks shoulder - and part of its center. ethnic cleansing. As the man his after the International Criminal of fighting in eastern Croatia in July Everything south and east of the volunteers described as their com- It will take time for Iran Tribunal for the Former Yugo- 1991, I went to see Seselj. People I new Croatian border would then mander-in-chief, he had a duty -- at slavia sentenced former Bosnian had spoken to on both sides of the become greater Serbia.” the least -- to tell them to spare to reintegrate into the Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to fighting in villages along the west Equally, in Kosovo, the 90 per- civilians, even as he urged them global economy, but Iran 40 years in jail for war crimes he bank of the Danube, where it forms cent ethnic Albanian majority were to fight Croatian soldiers. is already beginning to committed during the attempt to the border between Croatia and “guests,” who must become loyal I have to agree with Judge Lat- create a Greater Serbia by clearing Serbia, said the killing began when Serbian subjects or go home, Ses- tanzi, the dissenting member of the see the benefit of nuclear the territory of non-Serbs. “Seselj’s men” infiltrated across the elj explained. Macedonia was an tribunal, when he concludes: “The deal. The big difference between river to arm and fight with local artificial construct, as was Bosnia. majority sets aside all the rules of the two men is that Karadzic was Serbs. They were distinguishable Montenegro was simply Serbia. All international humanitarian law in charge. He had a clear chain of by their beards and costume-style of it was Greater Serbia. that existed before the creation of Barack Obama command through which his orders uniforms. Seselj, too, was disarm- Wanting a Greater Serbia didn’t, the Tribunal and all the applicable US President could be carried out. Seselj’s posi- ingly frank. As I wrote at the time: as the court rightly said, make Ses- law established since the inception tion, as a Belgrade parliamentarian “On the wall above his desk in elj a war criminal. In the same way, of the Tribunal in order to acquit who sent volunteers to fight at the his Belgrade office, he has pinned wanting a caliphate doesn’t make Vojislav Seselj.

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State militants behind recent attacks videotaped the daily routine of a sen- in Paris and Brussels that raised sim- ior manager of a Belgian nuclear Deadly bomb attacks ilar concerns. plant, Obama said. in Brussels last month “There is no doubt that if these Obama said the required 102 madmen ever got their hands on a countries had now ratified an amend- have fueled concern nuclear bomb or nuclear material, ment to a nuclear security treaty that that Islamic State they would certainly use it to kill as would tighten protections against many innocent people as possible,” nuclear theft and smuggling. could eventually he said. “It would change our world.” “Our nations have made it harder target nuclear plants, Obama was hosting more than for terrorists to get their hands on 50 world leaders for his fourth and nuclear materials. We have measur- steal material and final summit focused on efforts to ably reduced the risks,” Obama said. develop radioactive lock down vulnerable atomic mate- But he acknowledged that with dirty bombs. rials to prevent nuclear terrorism. roughly 2,000 tons of nuclear mate- North Korea’s nuclear defiance was rial stored around the word, “not all also high on the agenda. of this is properly secured.” He has less than 10 months left Despite significant strides by in office to follow through on one of Obama in persuading dozens of Reuters his signature foreign policy initia- countries to rid themselves of bomb- tives. While gains have been made, making materials or reduce and many arms-control advocates say the safeguard stockpiles, much of the diplomatic process - which Obama world’s plutonium and enriched ura- WASHINGTON: US President Barack conceived and championed - has lost nium remains vulnerable to theft. Obama urged world leaders yester- momentum and could slow even fur- Earlier in the day, Obama con- day to do more to safeguard nuclear ther once he leaves the White House vened a separate meeting of the facilities to prevent “madmen” from in January. world powers that negotiated a groups like Islamic State from getting A boycott by Russian President landmark nuclear pact with Iran their hands on a nuclear weapon or a Vladimir Putin, unwilling to join in a last July, a critical component of his US President Barack Obama and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (right) leave after world leaders gathered radioactive “dirty bomb.” US-dominated gathering at a time of nuclear disarmament agenda and for for a family photo at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, yesterday Speaking at a nuclear security increased tensions between Wash- a major piece of his foreign policy summit in Washington, Obama said ington and Moscow over Ukraine and legacy. there was a persistent and evolving Syria, adds to doubts that the meeting Obama inaugurated the first be elected in November, will keep the radioactive material and sow panic. continuing concern about nuclear- threat of nuclear terrorism despite will yield any major decisions. Nuclear Security Summit nearly six issue a high priority. US officials said they had no defiant North Korea. Obama joined progress in reducing such risks. But he Deadly bomb attacks in Brussels years ago, after a landmark speech For now, however, US experts are doubt that Islamic State, which controls South Korean President Park Geun- insisted: “We cannot be complacent.” last month have fueled concern that in Prague in 2009 laying out the less concerned about militants obtain- swaths of Syria and Iraq, was interested hye and Japanese Prime Minister Obama said no group had suc- Islamic State could eventually target lofty goal of a world free of nuclear ing nuclear weapon components in obtaining such materials, but author- Shinzo Abe on Thursday in vowing ceeded in obtaining bomb material nuclear plants, steal material and weapons. than about thefts of ingredients for a ities had no explicit evidence that the to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang but that Al Qaeda had long sought develop radioactive “dirty bombs”. After Obama leaves office there is low-tech dirty bomb that would use group had tried to do so. in response to its recent nuclear and them and cited actions by Islamic Militants were found to have secretly no guarantee his successor, who will conventional explosives to disperse Also looming over the summit was missile tests.

US executes Taxis protest against Uber NY lawmakers raise man convicted for fatal minimum wage

AFP in New York, which currently has a beating minimum wage of $9 an hour. Under the agreement, the min- AFP imum wage will be raised to $15 in NEW YORK: New York’s Democratic New York City for workers at firms governor, Andrew Cuomo, reached that employ 10 or more people by WASHINGTON: The US state an agreement with the state legisla- the end of 2018. of Georgia yesterday executed a ture to raise the minimum wage in According to the deal, the min- man convicted of murder in a fatal New York City to $15 an hour. imum will go up more slowly in the beating as a teenager, despite last- It was the latest in a series of rest of the state, reaching $12.50 by ditch appeals to spare his life. local initiatives to lift the low- the end of 2020. Joshua Bishop’s was executed, est wage Americans earn above Workers at fast-food restaurants said a statement from the Georgia the national floor of $7.25 an hour, first began demanding a living wage Department of Corrections. which has remained unchanged more than two years ago. The 41-year-old “accepted a since 2009. Cuomo, who came late to the final prayer and recorded a final The deal came three days after fight, won passage in July of $15 an statement,” it said. California’s state legislature struck a hour wages for fast-food workers in At the age of 19, during a night similar deal to lift the western state’s New York City. of drinking, Bishop and a friend, Taxis parked on the access road to Santos Dumont airport during a protest against the online car- minimum wage to $15 an hour. In early November, he said he Mark Braxley, beat a man named sharing service Uber in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yesterday. In a statement, Cuomo said the was extending the $15 an hour min- Leverett Morrison to death after hike would benefit 2.3 million people imum to all state workers. he refused to give them the keys to his Jeep. After realising that Morrison had died, the two disposed of his body, set his Jeep ablaze and then Exploration of underwater New Mexico cave turns deadly returned to drink in the bar they had been to previously. Bishop confessed to police and was subsequently put on trial and AP 43-year-old Shane Thompson’s death March 26 with another experienced It still was unclear what went everything we could fit through, sentenced to death. Braxley was below the Blue Hole, a tourist destina- diver, Mike Young, Gallegos said. They wrong. It could be weeks before and it ended in a tight rock break- sentenced to life in prison. tion in the community of Santa Rosa, planned to have Young enter part of autopsy results are available, the state down at a depth of 194 feet.” Georgia’s State Board of Par- was an accidental drowning. the cave system while Thompson Office of the Medical Investigator said. Because of the extreme environ- dons and Paroles denied his plea NEW MEXICO: An experienced Cali- Police Chief Jude Gallegos said stayed outside in a safety role. No more exploration is planned of ment within the cave system, the city for clemency. The US Supreme fornia diver who was helping with the Thompson was among 10 or so people Instead of staying outside, the underwater cave system at Blue accepted the group’s recommendation Court refused to grant him a last- exploration of the narrow underwa- from the ADM Exploration Foundation Thompson entered, Gallegos said. Hole, said Curt Bowen, president of that the cave system remain off-lim- minute stay of execution. ter passageways that radiate from a who were at Blue Hole for a multiple- “Apparently something went horri- the exploration foundation. its to the public. The divers covered The United States executed 28 well-known swimming hole in east- day exploration. The group had been bly wrong, and he started to panic,” “The cave system below is and secured the grate at the bottom people in 2015, the fewest since ern New Mexico has died, authorities working on surveying the underwa- the chief said. The divers were about walled out. That means there is of the bell-shaped swimming hole to 1991, according to the Death Pen- confirmed. ter cave system since 2013. 160 feet below the surface when the no cave passage left to explore,” prevent untrained divers from gain- alty Information Centre. The initial investigation suggests Thompson dove into Blue Hole on incident happened. he said in an email. “We mapped ing access.

Historic Texas Alamo to undergo Yacht clubs’ meet first renovation in a century

Reuters Alamo!” defeated the Mexican army up to $300m in private donations to a few weeks later at the Battle of San complete the ambitious project. Jacinto near modern-day Houston to The Texas legislature has appro- secure Texas independence. priated $30m for the facelift of the SAN ANTONIO: The Alamo, the The white stone-walled structure, structure. The state’s land commis- highly recognizable monument to with its distinctive curved facade, sion took over its management last Texas independence, will have its was named a World Heritage Site by year with the intent to renovate it. first major renovation in a century the United Nations last year. The renovation project will be in a project overseen by a Philadel- Though the most-visited tour- run by Philadelphia-based Preser- phia firm, officials said. ist site in Texas, its stature has been vation Design Partnership, which The San Antonio landmark, which diminished by the emergence of sur- specialises in historic sites and began life as a Spanish colonial mission rounding hotels and office towers and buildings. It will work with Mexico in the 1700s, was the site of the 1836 the clamor of city traffic. In recent City-based firm Grupo De Diseño battle in which the Alamo’s vastly out- years, some tourists have complained Urbano to preserve the site’s bicul- numbered defenders, including such the site is unimpressive and looks like tural nature. “We want to go back notables as Davy Crockett and Jim a tourist trap. to 1724 when the site was originally Bowie, were routed by Mexican forces “We will have no small thoughts built, and honour those people and after a 13-day siege. and make no small plans,” said Gene those Spanish fathers who came here A man takes pictures of a sailboat from the US during a friendly meeting between yacht clubs from But the battle became a rally- Powell, a Texas businessman who is representing the country of Spain and Florida and the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba, in Havana. ing point for the Texas forces, who one of the heads of the Alamo Endow- representing the Catholic Church,” inspired by the cry “Remember the ment, which has been formed to raise Powell said. 12 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 AMERICAS Rousseff gets relief from Supreme Court

all but three of whose members have In a sign of a potential split been named since the ruling Work- among the PMDB, Senate leader The 8-2 Supreme ers’ Party took office in 2003. Renan Calheiros said his party’s Court decision grants Lula, Rousseff’s predecessor, is decision to leave the government was under investigation for allegedly ben- “foolish” and “premature.” Lula and Dilma efiting, in the form of payments and The lower house of Congress is Rousseff a breather a luxury apartment, from a massive due to vote in mid-April on whether graft scheme uncovered at state-run Rousseff should stand trial in the by putting Lula’s oil company Petrobras. Senate for manipulating govern- case temporarily in Rousseff is fighting impeachment ment accounts. She is not being over unrelated charges of irregu- investigated for corruption. Her woes the hands of the top larities in the government budget deepened, when she tried to appoint court. designed to favour her reelection in Lula in Cabinet, which would give 2014. She could lose power as soon as him some immunity from prosecu- May if she does not gain more support tion because ministers and elected in Congress. The corruption scandal, officials can only be tried by the Supporters of Workers’ Party demonstrate in support of President Dilma Rousseff and former President Luiz Reuters Rousseff’s Congressional weakness Supreme Court in Brazil. and a deepening economic recession Hours after he was named, Moro Inacio Lula da Silva in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. have led to Brazil’s worst political cri- released a recording of them discuss- sis since former President Fernando ing the appointment. A Supreme BRASILIA: Brazil’s Supreme Court Collor de Mello resigned to avoid Court justice suspended Lula’s Brazil cops arrest Workers’ Party ex-leaders ruled to take a corruption investiga- impeachment in 1992. appointment arguing that it was tion into former president Luiz Inacio On Thursday, Rousseff held a aimed at illegally shielding him. Lula da Silva away from a crusad- rally with artists and movie stars The Supreme Court overruled Reuters for Petrobras, as the company is Rousseff though she is not being ing federal judge, as pro-government who support her and said opponents Moro’s decision to release the record- known. Prosecutors say the the loan of investigated. protests across the country eased trying to impeach her were trying to ing of his call with Rousseff and said 12m reais ($3.3m) was never paid back. The raids built on the Novem- pressure on President Dilma Rousseff. “give a democratic tint to a coup.” it was the only court authorised to In a further blow to Dilma Rouss- ber arrest of Jose Carlos Bumlai, a Local television showed tens of Aides said her government had wiretap a conversation involv- SAO PAULO: Brazilian police detained eff’s party, a former party treasurer was friend of former president Luiz Ina- thousands of supporters clad in red had some success in drawing law- ing the president. Several justices former leaders of the ruling Workers’ detained, while a former general secre- cio Lula da Silva. Bumlai is accused marching for Rousseff, who has faced makers from smaller political parties said the conversation should not be Party over an allegedly fraudulent loan tary and a local newspaper owner were of seeking Lula’s help to obtain $1.6bn growing calls for her impeachment into her government’s alliance, which accepted as valid evidence when the yesterday, the latest stage of a sweep- arrested, investigators said. Petrobras contract on Vitoria 10,000 since anti-corruption judge Sergio was shattered by the departure this court eventually makes a decision on ing corruption investigation centered The two-year old investigation has drillship for a unit of Schahin Group. In Moro released a wiretapped conver- month of Brazil’s largest politi- whether Lula can join the cabinet. on state-run oil company with Petro- uncovered systemic corruption across return, Bumlai arranged for the Scha- sation of her and Lula this month. cal party the Brazilian Democratic Moro could still take some parts leo Brasileiro SA. multiple companies and highest level hin Group’s bank to forgive the loan. The 8-2 Supreme Court decision Movement Party (PMDB). of the Lula investigation, depending The 27th phase of so-called of government since the Workers’ The proceeds from the forgiven grants Lula and Rousseff a breather “The reconfiguration of the base on future Supreme Court rulings and “Operation Car Wash” focused on Party took power in 2003. The find- loan were laundered through various from Moro by putting Lula’s case tem- is ongoing,” Rousseff’s spokesman whether Lula is ultimately allowed to a decade-old loan from local bank ings have given powerful momentum businessmen tied to the Workers’ Party porarily in the hands of the top court, Edinho Silva told journalists. become a minister. Banco Schahin that resulted in losses to impeachment proceedings against and ultimately used to pay bribes. Trump urged to be more serious in campaigns Groups seek policing

Reuters Bossie, who as president of the con- of Canada authorities servative group Citizens United has helped to introduce Trump to grass- roots conservative activists. “These WASHINGTON: Donald Trump is fac- ham-handed mistakes give his oppo- after migrant deaths ing pressure to adopt a more serious nents even greater opportunity.” tone in his US presidential campaign A 69-year-old businessman and from Republicans worried that a string former reality TV show host, Trump Reuters immigration detention facilities,” of missteps may do him lasting damage has never held public office but hails said Alex Neve, secretary general in remaining state-by-state contests his mastery of negotiating business of Amnesty International Canada, needed to clinch the nomination. deals as the sort of experience a US during the same call. Those who have marveled at president needs to be successful at NEW YORK: The deaths of two “The growing number of deaths Trump’s rise are cautioning him as home and abroad. migrants while in detention in Can- in Canadian immigration custody weaknesses have emerged in his In recent days Trump has made ada prompted calls for policing of makes it clear that there is a terri- shoot-from-the-lip approach to cam- declarations that sent ripples through border authorities in the nation that ble human cost,” he said. paigning for the party’s nomination a party accustomed to promoting a has opened its doors to thousands of Fourteen people have died in to the November 8 election. muscular US foreign policy, sug- Syrian refugees. immigration detention in Canada Tuesday could be a turning point gesting that Nato is obsolete and The back-to-back deaths of the since 2000, according to the End in Wisconsin where Trump’s leading that Japan and South Korea might two men highlight the need for a Immigration Detention Network, rival, Senator Ted Cruz, leads in opin- need to develop nuclear weapons to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to guests supervisory body to oversee the Can- an advocacy group. ion polls ahead of the state’s primary. ease the US financial commitment during a campaign rally at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, in Appleton, ada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Contacted for reaction, a CBSA A Cruz win would make it harder to their security. His statement that Wisconsin. several human rights groups said. spokeswoman did not comment. for Trump to reach the magic number women should be punished for getting Chilean Francisco Astorga, A CBSA spokesman said it cannot of 1,237 delegates needed to secure abortions if the procedure is banned backtracked hours later. confusion Trump may have had 39, and Melkioro Gahungu, 64, of release the names of detainees who the nomination before the Republi- triggered alarm bells among social During a meeting at the Repub- about delegate allocation rules that Burundi, were found dead less than died in custody under the nation’s can national convention in July. conservatives who, even though they lican National Committee in will govern the July convention, a a week apart while in the custody privacy act and other laws. “If he continues to fumble the oppose abortion, do not support puni- Washington with Trump, chair- source familiar with the meeting of Canadian immigration authori- CBSA can arrest and detain for- ball, he risks everything,” said David tive measures against women. Trump man Reince Priebus addressed any told reporters. ties in early March. eign nationals without warrants if CBSA has confirmed the deaths it deems they pose a threat to pub- of two detainees but not their names. lic safety, are a flight risk or if their The deaths followed reports of identity cannot be proven, accord- Trooper mourned a 16-year-old Syrian asylum seeker ing to its website. held in solitary confinement for Canada has garnered inter- US spy agency selects St Louis three weeks. Together, the incidents national attention for the decision after shooting reignite “longstanding concerns under its new Prime Minister Justin in Virginia about the lack of independent over- Trudeau to accept more than 25,000 location over Illinois sight for CBSA,” Loly Rico, president Syrian refugees fleeing their war- of the Montreal-based Canadian torn homeland. Council for Refugees, told the media Last year, more than 4,000 AP during a telephone news conference. migrants were detained by Cana- AP notice to a government agency that Cardillo emphasised Press that “It is beyond unconscionable da’s immigration services, according prefers less attention. a final decision will not be made for now that there continues to be no to government data compiled by the A branch of the Department of two more months, after a public com- RICHMOND, VA: A state trooper independent oversight of Canada’s Canadian Council for Refugees. Defence with close ties to both the ment period and likely more intense who was fatally shot at a busy bus ST. LOUIS: A US spy agency seek- US Air Force and the CIA, the agency lobbying from Illinois. terminal during a training exercise ing a new $1.6bn home for its western helped map lunar surfaces for moon “We believe St. Clair County’s was being mourned yesterday in regional headquarters expects to landings nearly a half-century ago proposed site offers the best choice Virginia and in Michigan, where remain in St. Louis rather than move and also aided in the hunt for Osama for the agency’s security and future he grew up and maintained ties, Fencing lessons to the city’s Illinois suburbs. bin Laden. expansion, with easy access to the as officials tried to learn what The National Geospatial-Intel- The Illinois site’s early offer of city of St. Louis by both road and sparked the shooting. ligence Agency, which has called St. hundreds of acres of free land was rail,” Rauner spokeswoman Cathe- A gunman shot Trooper Chad P Louis home for more than 70 years, matched several weeks ago by St. rine Kelly said in a statement. Dermyer, 37, multiple times in the announced the preferred location for Louis, which stood to lose more than “We intend to respond to the capital city of Richmond before he the project is a blighted area in north $2m per year in earnings taxes paid agency during the comment period, was shot dead by two other troop- St. Louis that city leaders hope will by NGA employees who now work at for we firmly believe that Illinois is ers, police said. The gunman’s see an economic turnaround. The an aging complex south of downtown the place the agency can best grow identity was being withheld until neighborhood was previously the site near the longtime Anheuser-Busch and thrive.” his family could be notified. of a razed high-rise public housing brewery. A jubilant St. Louis Mayor Francis Two civilians, both women, complex, Pruitt-Igoe, that became Efforts by St. Louis boosters to Slay, joined by other city officials with also were shot but were expected shorthand for the failure of a mid- promote the advantages of an urban equally wide grins at a City Hall news to recover. Their names haven’t 20th century social policy. location — from shorter commute conference, called the announcement been released, but spokesman The agency’s choice follows times to more abundant after-work a “really big win” for a city whose Ryan Yarosh with Binghamton efforts by Illinois Republican Gov- amenities — apparently resonated civic pride has been battered by the University in New York said one ernor Bruce Rauner, the state’s two with agency director Robert Cardillo. recent departure of its NFL team to of the women was a member of US senators and several members of “The St. Louis city site provides Los Angeles and the reverberations the school’s track team. The team Congress to lure the NGA West project NGA with the most technological, from a fatal police shooting and was headed to a meet at College of to a location across the Mississippi academic and professional environ- protests in nearby Ferguson. Sena- William and Mary in Williamsburg. River near Scott Air Force Base in St. ment,” he said, adding that an urban tor Mark Kirk added he will “take full Police say Dermyer, was a native of Clair County, 25 miles east of down- base is preferable to “attract, recruit advantage of the comment period to Jackson, Michigan, and a former Children from municipal school Parana take part in the project town St. Louis. and retain” its more than 3,000 high- point out that Illinois is best equipped Marine who served on force in Jack- “Fencing School” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The two-state battle drew public tech workers. to protect men and women in uniform.” son and Newport News, Virginia. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

PAGE | 14 QE 10,376.20 +63.32 PTS PAGE | 15 Huawei’s new DOW 17789.02 +103.93 PTS Unaoil’s offices phone to sport FTSE100 6,172.91 -1.99 PTS raided over Leica camera BRENT $36.77 -$1.57 oil graft probe

SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 • 24 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

GCC currencies’ ERER depreciation expected to reverse soon: IFF

The Peninsula equilibrium level in 2015 with a significant cuts are envisaged for has had a peg to an undisclosed due to lower oil prices and the commitment to defending their 90 percent confidence range of this year. basket most likely dominated by the associated fiscal cutbacks could pegs reflects limited benefits from 8-16 percent, based on economic Public investment has borne the dollar since May 2007). Supported by exacerbate policy challenges to the flexible exchange rates. Import fundamentals used in the panel brunt of the fiscal consolidation. the flexibility of the labour market, authorities in the region. However, and export volume elasticities with DOHA: GCC currencies are now regression. Low-priority projects are being their currencies’ pegs to the dollar the IFF analysts believe that the GCC respect to real exchange changes are clearly misaligned with their However, the depreciation of the cancelled, subsidies are being have provided monetary policy authorities remain firmly committed very low, given the limited domestic fundamentals. The equilibrium real equilibrium real effective exchange reduced or eliminated, and the wage credibility, and have helped deliver to their dollar pegs, believing that the manufacturing and nonoil tradable effective exchange rates (ERER) of rate (ERER) should reverse in the bill is being contained by reducing low inflation and inflation volatility. pegs safeguard economic stability goods sectors in the GCC. the currencies have depreciated coming years in response to the the number of foreign workers in the But the sharp fall in oil prices and and reduce the chances of social There would be some benefit in significantly in the past two years, authorities’ fiscal consolidation public sector. With the significant the appreciation of the dollar in the unrest. the form of boosting oil revenue in given the large terms-of-trade losses efforts, mainly through real spending further decline in expenditure in past two years have raised doubts The GCC currencies’ pegs to the local currency, but the adjustment as a result of the slump in oil prices. declines and the projected small 2016 and 2017 and the freezing of about the sustainability of the GCC’s dollar have remained in place during would also raise local currency costs But the actual real effective improvement in terms of trade with the level of spending beyond 2017 in pegs. Economists and investors much more difficult environments, of imported materials. In contrast, the exchange rate (REER) has appreciated gradual recovery in oil prices. real terms, the ratio of government are still wondering whether the particularly in the 1990s when costs of de-pegging are significant in because of the appreciation of the The sharp and sustained decline expenditure to nonoil GDP is authorities in the region, particularly foreign assets were well below their the short term. dollar, Institute of International in oil prices since mid-2014 has projected to drop from a peak of 64 in Saudi Arabia, would abandon the current levels in terms of import Devaluation would lead to a spike Finance (IFF) said in a report. made fiscal adjustment unavoidable. percent in 2014 to 45 percent by 2020. peg to the dollar. cover or as a percent of GDP, and in inflation, pressures to raise wages, Taking the IMF estimates at Consolidated government spending For almost three decades, the Further monetary policy government debt-to-GDP ratios much and potential social unrest that would face value, the observed REER across the GCC was cut by 12 percent GCC countries have pegged their tightening in the US at a time when higher, they said. damage investor confidence and was 12 percent above its estimated in real terms in 2015, and further currencies to the US dollar (Kuwait the GCC economies are weakening The authorities’ continued encourage capital flight. US job market flexes New JAL employees muscle; Fed cautious

came on the heels of recent data Nonfarm payrolls showing sluggish consumer spend- ing and weak business investment on rose by 215,000 capital in the first two months of the last month and the year, as well as deterioration in the international trade balance. unemployment Those reports prompted econ- rate edged up to omists to slash their first-quarter 5 percent from an GDP growth estimates to as low as a 0.9 percent annualised pace from as eight-year low of 4.9 high as a 2.0 percent rate. The econ- percent. omy grew at a 1.4 percent rate in the fourth quarter. Other data yesterday showed manufacturing activity expanded in March for the first time in six months New employees of Japan Airlines (JAL) toss paper aeroplanes in the air during a company entrance Reuters entrants into the labor force, which as new orders surged, suggesting the ceremony at a maintenance hangar in Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday. More than 1,450 will reduce any concerns about labor worst of the factory rout was over. new recruits of the JAL group attended the event on the first day of the fiscal year in Japan. market tightness fostering outsized The Institute for Supply Manage- wage inflation,” said Millan Mulraine, ment said its index of national factory WASHINGTON: US employment deputy chief economist at TD Secu- activity rose 2.3 points to a reading jumped in March, underscoring the rities in New York. of 51.8 in March. economy’s resilience, but an influx The Fed also appears to be more Separately, preliminary reports of Americans into the labour market focused on international develop- from major automakers indicated could restrain nascent wage gains and ments. Yellen said this week that U.S. sales for March were well below US auto sales headed toward maintain the Federal Reserve’s cau- slowing world growth and lower oil expectations of a 17.50-million-unit tious stance on raising interest rates. prices posed a downside risk to the rate. “The economy is not great, Nonfarm payrolls rose by 215,000 U.S. economic outlook, adding that but it’s not falling off a cliff either,” last month and the unemployment she considered it appropriate for pol- said Michael Feroli, an economist at best month in 10 years rate edged up to 5.0 percent from icymakers to “proceed cautiously in JPMorgan in New York. an eight-year low of 4.9 percent, the adjusting policy.” Wages increased last month, Labour Department said yesterday. Fed officials last month down- with average hourly earnings rising AP percent as rising SUV and truck sales hitting a record for any month in its his- The jobless rate increased as more graded their economic growth 0.3 percent. That lifted the year-on- couldn’t overcome car sales that fell tory. At Fiat Chrysler and Ford, sales people continued to enter or re-enter expectations and forecast only two year earnings gain to 2.3 percent almost 10 percent. And Volkswagen, were up 8 percent, while they grew the labour market, a sign of confi- rate hikes this year. The US central from 2.2 percent in February, a wel- still mired in an emissions cheat- 0.9 percent at General Motors. Honda dence in the job market. bank raised its benchmark overnight come development after the recent DETROIT: Most major carmakers ing scandal, saw its sales tumble reported a 9 percent increase fueled Average hourly earnings gained interest rate in December for the first wobble in consumer sentiment. reported big US sales gains in March 10.4 percent. Yet the overall sales largely by the all-new Civic compact. seven cents after slipping in Febru- time in nearly a decade. Economists say wage growth of as the auto industry appeared to be increase, expected to be around 7 Ford and Fiat Chrysler posted their best ary. The labour market has largely Financial markets see a 27 per- between 3 percent and 3.5 percent is headed for its best month in more percent, showed that Americans are March numbers in a decade. shrugged off slowing global economic cent chance of a hike at the Fed’s June needed to lift inflation to the Fed’s 2.0 than a decade. still buying in big numbers, despite Kelley Blue Book says sales growth, a robust US dollar that has policy meeting, a 52 percent chance percent target. Though the Fed’s pre- But there were signs that some predictions by some analysts and should come in around 1.66 million hurt manufacturing exports, and the of such a move in September and a 65 ferred inflation measure is currently at companies were working harder for dealers that sales have peaked. cars and trucks for the month, which negative impact of cheap oil prices on percent probability at the December 1.7 percent, Yellen has expressed skep- sales by raising discounts on cars The sales figures, coupled with could be the biggest number for any the energy sector. meeting, according to CME FedWatch. ticism over the sustainability of gains, and selling more vehicles to rental the announcement that US employ- month since July 2005. Relatively Economists see a limited impact Economists polled by Reuters had citing transitory factors. car companies at lower profits. ers added 215,000 jobs in March, low gas prices, sweet lease deals, on monetary policy in the near-term forecast nonfarm payrolls increasing The labour force participation Ford, Honda, Fiat Chrysler means that auto sales will con- low interest rates, easy-to-get loans from the strong jobs report, as the by 205,000 in March and the unem- rate, or the share of working-age and Nissan all reported big sales tinue to lead economic growth, and an aging fleet of cars are driv- growing number of people entering ployment rate holding steady at 4.9 Americans who are employed or at increases, largely driven by SUVs said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM’s chief ing the increase. the labour market supported Fed percent. The economy created 1,000 least looking for a job, rose a tenth of and trucks. General Motors, which economist. “We expect historically But some analysts say there Chair Janet Yellen’s view that hidden fewer jobs in January and February a percentage point to 63 percent in has been cutting back on sales to low interest rates, strong employ- are troubling signs for carmakers slack remained in the jobs market. than previously reported. March, the highest level since March rental car companies, saw a slight ment, rising wages and stable fuel beneath the numbers. Last month “This is an ideal situation for the Prices for longer-dated US gov- 2014. It has increased 0.6 percentage sales increase and said its retail sales prices to continue for the foresee- had two more selling days than a Fed. The strong pace of job growth ernment bonds initially fell after the point since dipping to 62.4 percent in to individual buyers rose 6 percent. able future,” he said. year ago, and spending on discounts is being offset by the increase in data, but later rose. The jobs report September. But Toyota sales fell nearly 3 Nissan sales were up 13 percent, is on the rise. 14 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS

Factories in Anbang abandons bid to buy Starwood Hotels China ramp

Reuters equity firms J.C. Flowers & Co and Pri- declare it superior to Marriott’s. the insurer’s offshore assets above up activity mavera Capital Ltd. Anbang had already made a $13.2bn a 15 percent threshold for overseas The withdrawal Anbang did not offer Starwood a binding and fully financed offer ear- investments. represents a blow reason for not following through on its lier this month, which Starwood Should Anbang have clinched in March BEIJING/NEW YORK: China’s to corporate China’s raised offer of March 26, according to accepted as superior. Had Marriott an agreement with Starwood, it Anbang Insurance Group Co said on people familiar with the matter. They not counterbid on March 21, Star- would have been scrutinized by Thursday it has abandoned its $14 bil- growing ambitions to asked not to be identified disclosing wood would have proceeded with the Committee on Foreign Invest- AFP lion bid for Starwood Hotels & Resorts acquire US assets. confidential discussions. “The reason the earlier Anbang offer. ment in the United States (CFIUS), Worldwide Inc, paving the way for of withdrawal is simple — Anbang isn’t Starwood said that Anbang had an interagency panel that reviews Marriott International Inc to buy the interested in a protracted bidding war,” withdrawn its offer “as a result of deals to ensure they do not harm Sheraton and Westin hotels operator. a Chinese buyer. “We were attracted Fred Hu, chairman of Primavera, said. market considerations,” which it did national security. However, sources BEIJING: Chinese factories The surprise withdrawal marks to the opportunity presented by Star- It was not immediately clear if not specify. Marriott declined to pro- had said that both Starwood and ramped up activity in March for an anticlimactic end to a bidding war wood because of its high-quality, Marriott had been planning a coun- vide immediate comment. The move Anbang believed the deal would the first time in nine months, that had pitted Marriott’s ambitions leading global hotel brands, which terbid to Anbang’s March 26 offer. fueled speculation on what drove have received CFIUS clearance. official data showed yesterday, to create the world’s largest lodging met many of our acquisition criteria, Anbang has previously bowed out Anbang to change course, especially In its latest offer, Anbang’s con- offering a positive signal for the company, with about 5,700 hotels, including the ability to generate con- of smaller deals, but this is the most given that many Chinese overseas sortium had offered $82.75 per share health of the world’s second-larg- against Anbang’s drive to create a sistent, long-term returns over time,” high-profile deal it has abandoned, acquisitions have been encouraged in cash. Marriott’s latest cash-and- est economy. vast portfolio of US real estate assets. Anbang said in a statement. people familiar with the matter said. by the country’s authorities. stock offer, which was announced The result surprised observers It also represents a blow to cor- “However, due to various market Starwood said on Monday that Chinese financial magazine on March 21, is worth around $75 and suggested Beijing’s efforts to porate China’s growing ambitions to considerations, the consortium has Anbang had raised its offer to almost Caixin reported earlier this month per share. Starwood shareholders boost demand were having a big- acquire US assets. Anbang’s acquisi- determined not to proceed further,” $14bn. Anbang had been expected that China’s insurance regulator will also receive stock in Interval ger-than-expected impact. Zhao tion of Starwood would have been the Anbang added, referring to the joint to firm up that non-binding offer, would likely reject a bid by Anbang Leisure Group Inc, worth $6.13 per Yang, China economist for Nomura, largest takeover of a U.S. company by bid it had put together with private so that Starwood would formally to buy Starwood, since it would put Starwood share. said the data was “much stronger” than forecast and showed “across the board” improvement. This “means a rebound could be stronger and more lasting than Huawei’s new phone Japan’s business mood sours we initially thought”. China’s economy is a vital driver of glo- bal expansion. But it grew only 6.9 to sport Leica camera percent last year, its weakest rate in a quarter of a century. The key manufacturing sector has been struggling for months in AFP of China. Since its founding in 1987, the face of sagging global demand Huawei has surged to become one for Chinese products. But the official of the world’s top manufacturers of Purchasing Managers’ Index from network equipment, operating in the National Bureau of Statistics, SHENZHEN: Controversial Chi- 170 countries and expanding rap- which tracks activity in factories and nese tech company Huawei’s next idly into consumer electronics such workshops across the vast nation, smartphone will sport a camera as smartphones. rebounded to 50.2 for March, show- from premium German manufac- But the company has been iso- ing that it was ticking up. turer Leica, it said yesterday as it lated from government contracts in It was the highest number announced a jump in profits driven some countries due to security fears. and first expansion since June by its consumer division. Australia last year barred Hua- 2015. The result also surpassed The smartphone maker in late wei from bidding to build its national the median expectation of 49.4 February announced the partnership broadband network, saying security predicted by economists in a with Leica, one of the most respected agencies warned the Chinese com- Bloomberg News survey. names in the camera industry, in a pany posed risks. A reading above 50 signals bid to improve its premium smart- US officials also view Huawei as expanding activity in the sector, phone selection. a security threat while anything below indicates “We are going due to perceived contraction. Beijing has been to launch our P9 close links to the trying to re-tool its economy to flagship phone Chinese govern- encourage domestic consumption, very soon and this ment, which the and move away from reliance on is a product that company denies. investment and overseas buyers. we worked with Huawei has But recent policy easing as it Leica to produce,” taken a leading seeks to avoid a hard landing has A cyclist rides past the headquarters of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) in Tokyo yesterday. Business sentiment Huawei Deputy position in the encouraged a resurgence of invest- Chairman Guo smartphone mar- among Japan’s big manufacturers deteriorated to the lowest in nearly three years and is expected to ment, and ratings agency Standard Ping (pictured) ket in China ahead worsen in the coming quarter, a closely watched central bank survey showed, heightening pressure & Poor’s lowered its outlook for said at a press of Samsung, but its on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Bank of Japan to do more to shore up the ailing economy. China on Thursday as credit floods conference held at US offerings have the economy. their Shenzhen headquarters, where been limited until its recent agree- the company’s annual results were ment to produce a Nexus phone for announced. Google. Huawei was tapped in late “We need to work with the 2015 to produce the Nexus 6P, one of strongest partners in this area to two handsets by Google to showcase Qatar banks’ private sector credit facilities at QR412.6bn provide the best product,” Guo said, its Android mobile operating system. adding that the there is “fierce com- With this partnership, the Chi- petition” in the consumer market. nese tech giant is gaining new Huawei saw net profit rise 33 prominence that could help its The Peninsula the banks’ balance sheet in February by QR2.5bn in February to QR111.8bn. In contrast, foreign banks lia- percent year-on-year for 2015, efforts to win broader global con- showed the banks’ assets (and liabil- The total domestic public debt (gov- bilities on banks in Qatar increased reaching 36.9bn yuan ($5.7bn), and sumer appeal. ities) of have decreased by QR3.4bn ernment, government institutions, by QR3.2bn to QR190.2bn, while the said revenue for the year was 395bn At a time when Chinese firms are or 0.3 percent in February. quasi-governmental institutions, bills indebtedness of local banks to for- yuan, a year-on-year increase of 37 struggling to break the dominance of DOHA: Qatar-based banks’ total The banks’ combined deposits at and bonds) increased about QR 2.8bn eign parties in the form of bonds and percent. Its consumer business grew Apple and Samsung on the high end domestic private sector deposits has Qatar Central Bank (QCB) increased to QR364.9bn. certificates of deposit increased to 72.9 percent to 129.1bn yuan, after it of the smartphone market, the part- dropped about QR21.2bn to QR327bn to QR34.3bn. A breakdown of the Banks investments in securities QR35.2bn. The balance of foreign shipped 108 million smartphones for nership is a milestone for Huawei. in February. Total domestic loans and deposits shows that government and outside Qatar increased QR0.2bn deposits at Qatari banks increased the year and attributed its growth to It is due to release it’s newest credit facilities provided by banks to public sector deposits increased about to reach QR21.7bn with bonds and QR9.6bn to QR98bn. the growing influence of the Hua- iteration of its flagship phone in the the local private sector increased QR8.9bn to reachQR204bn. The gov- Sukuk standing at QR18.2bn and oth- By reconciling assets at home wei brand. shape of the yet-to-be-announced QR3bn to reach QR 412.6bn, a read- ernment and the public sector total ers. Local banks assets with banks and abroad with liabilities, the Group The firm is one of the largest Huawei P9. Huawei is not listed on ing of the banks’ consolidated balance loans increased about QR5.3bn to outside Qatar decreased QR8.1bn Security Company found that the providers of network infrastructure any stock exchange but it releases sheet by the Group Security Company touch QR 252.2bn. to QR66.2bn. Bank loans to foreign banking sector debts to the outside globally, but its consumer prod- financial information in the inter- has revealed. The balance of Qatar Government parties increased QR0.4bn to reach world has increased about QR20.8bn ucts are less well-known outside est of transparency. A month-on-month analysis of bonds and bills with banks declined QR89.1bn. in February to reach QR146.4bn. European stock markets suffer

AFP Stocks had soared on Wednesday picked up ground against the euro. after Fed chief Janet Yellen indicated Meanwhile a disappointing busi- that the US central bank was unlikely ness survey hit markets. The Bank to raise interest rates in the first half of of Japan’s quarterly Tankan report LONDON: European stocks slumped this year, citing ongoing concerns about of 10,000 firms showed sentiment yesterday on the first day of the sec- the slow global economic growth. plunged in January-March to plus six ond quarter as falling oil prices, new Analyst Alexandre Baradez at IG from 12. The figures are the worst economic concerns in Japan and a France said the markets’ “first reac- since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe put solid US jobs data hurt sentiment. tion was defensive”, fearing the good his growth drive fully into action in Tokyo spearheaded losses across jobs results would encourage the Fed 2013 and will ramp up pressure on most of Asia as a key survey showed to move faster with rate hikes after him as the economy struggles to gain confidence at Japan’s manufacturers all. Interest rate hikes are generally traction. slumped to a three-year low, and set a negative for stocks. However once Analysts also said the figures will downbeat tone for the start of trading. investors spent more time looking at likely push the central bank to unveil Meanwhile energy stocks suffered the jobs data and decided that it will another round of monetary easing as oil prices took a beating following unlikely shift Yellen from her dovish measures, on top of the huge bond- comments by Saudi Arabia’s deputy stance, stocks began to recover from buying scheme already under way crown prince to Bloomberg News that their intraday lows. and after an unprecedented move dashed hopes for an agreement later In London, the FTSE 100 was to negative interest rates. Tokyo’s this month to limit production. down 0.5 percent at 6,146.05 points; Nikkei index dived 3.6 percent, with Then data was released showing in Frankfurt, the DAX 30 was down a stronger yen also hitting exporters. that the US economy added 215,000 1.7 percent at 9,794.64 points; in Paris, There were sharp losses across jobs in March, slightly more than the the CAC 40 was down 1.4 percent at Asia, with Hong Kong down 1.3 per- 200,000 projected by analysts. “A 4,322.24 points, while the EURO cent and Sydney 1.6 percent lower better than expected jobs report lifted STOXX 50 was down 0.7 percent at at the close. Seoul, Singapore and hopes of an acceleration in the US 2,984.36 points. Wellington were also heavily sold economy but also made June back into While initially falling, US stocks off. However, Shanghai ended the a ‘live’ meeting for the Federal Reserve had turned positive by midday with day with a 0.2-percent gain thanks and a possible rate hike,” said CMC the Dow Jones Industrial Average to end-of-day buying ahead of a long Traders work at their desks in front of DAX board at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, yesterday. Markets analyst Jasper Lawler. climbing 0.3 percent. The dollar also holiday weekend. BUSINESS SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 15

Global stocks outlook tempered again after Q1’s wild gyrations

Reuters respondents markedly lowered fore- Janet Yellen just recently cited those that global reflation and an acceler- in Q2 from oversold levels, followed by low in January and reclaimed more casts. Only half of the around 20 concerns as a reason for the central ation in growth is at hand, leaving low single-digit quarterly declines in than half of the previous year’s losses major stock indices surveyed were bank’s downgrade to expecting two prospects for stock markets very the second half,” said Roland Kaloyan, since then, making it the world’s top forecast to trade higher at the end of not four rate hikes this year. uncertain. head of European equity strategy at performing major market. NEW YORK: The rout in global stock this year from where they started it. Tumbling commodity prices and Top global fund managers rec- Societe Generale. “Our targets would But with the economy still in dire markets earlier this year has dented Just three months ago, analysts had lingering concerns about scant con- ommended a cut to equity allocations mean an essentially flat S&P 500 by straits, that rally, based on investor optimism among even the most bull- predicted all would rise. sumer inflation after so much global in their model portfolio to the low- year-end vs current levels, with Japan bets that embattled President Dilma ish of equity market analysts polled by “We’ve come a long way back monetary stimulus have also kept est in at least five years, according and Europe up by mid single digits.” Rousseff may soon be impeached, has Reuters, who now reckon only half of from the depths of despair six or seven many investors on the defensive, and to a separate Reuters survey of asset The outlook for emerging mar- probably run its course. There is lim- around 20 major stock markets will weeks ago. We think between now for a while in January and February, managers from around the world kets, which have had a terrible few ited upside, too, for Mexican stocks gain in the year. and the end of the year the market in full-blown market panic. published this week. Global bond years of outflows in favour of devel- after the benchmark IPC index hit a When interviewed at the end of grinds higher, but it’s not going to be March turned out to be a sweet strategists broadly concur, temper- oped ones, is now improving slightly. near two-year high earlier this month. the first quarter on their views, many without an uptick in volatility,” said spot for stock markets as many ing yet again their yield forecasts. Emerging market assets had a bad India’s BSE Sensex is forecast to strategists had little to say about broad Leo Grohowski, chief investment regained composure, partly on a The latest Reuters stock markets start to 2016 as well but have since recoup this year’s losses and rally trends. Instead they were fixated on officer of BNY Mellon Wealth Man- rebound in crude oil prices as well polls showed that while the turbulent found their footing. over 10 percent to the end of the year what the US Federal Reserve will do agement in New York. as an unexpectedly large pile of new sell-off in the S&P 500 is now over, Major stock indices from Latin on further improvement in the econ- with interest rates, cited by a majority Since last August, financial mar- monetary stimulus from the European 2016 may end up being a forgettable America to Asia are expected to gain omy, which is already outperforming as the biggest risk to their outlooks. kets have been on a roller-coaster Central Bank. But major sovereign year on lingering concerns over weak on average about 6 percent from now most in Asia. But the spectre of an The March 17-31 Reuters poll of ride. China devalued its currency, bond yields fell during the first quar- earnings and a still-strong dollar. until year-end, while developed mar- even more sluggish Chinese econ- over 250 equity strategists, analysts sending shockwaves through foreign ter of this year. Key European stock markets are kets are set to rise about 5 percent. omy still casts a shadow. East Asian and fund managers from around exchange markets, fanning already- The fact so few expect a sudden forecast to gain roughly 8 percent Brazilian shares, which fell by a stocks will have a choppy ride this the world is the latest in a series of smouldering global growth concerns rebound in those rock-bottom yields from current levels by the end of 2016. third in the second half of 2015, have year, with some markets managing surveys over the past year in which that have not gone away. Fed Chair shows investors aren’t yet convinced “We expect equity indices to recover rallied nearly 40 percent from a 2009 modest gains.

Apple anniversary Tata Steel eyes Unaoil’s offices raided parts of ThyssenKrupp

FRANKFURT: Tata Steel, which over oil graft probe has announced it is putting its troubled British business up for sale, is in talks over the possi- ble purchase of parts or all of possible internal investigations,” a ThyssenKrupp’s European steel spokesman for ENI said. operations, a German newspaper Unaoil directors The alleged behaviour of some of reported yesterday. were questioned its employees was to the detriment of The speculation of a tie-up by Monaco police the group and clashed with its code with Tata Steel appeared to appeal of ethics, the spokesman said. “None to investors with ThyssenKrupp on Tuesday and of the people mentioned in the arti- shares the biggest gainers on the Wednesday, the cles are currently employed by Eni,” Frankfurt stock exchange, shoot- the spokesman said in an emailed ing up more than six percent in a government said. response to Reuters about the report. generally softer market. A spokesman for Britain’s SFO The regional daily Rheinische Post said it was “aware of the allegations” quoted German government sources but would not comment further. as saying that talks were already at Reuters Australian agencies were aware of an advanced stage and that a number of Unaoil. Monaco-based Unaoil allegations of the involvement of a of different options were being con- provides industrial solutions to the number of Australian companies sidered. The favourite option is not energy sector in the Middle East, Cen- in foreign bribery matters, the Aus- a straightforward purchase, but a SYDNEY/MILAN: Monaco author- tral Asia and Africa, according to its tralian Federal Police (AFP) said in a joint venture with the possibility of ities raided the offices of Unaoil, an website. statement emailed to Reuters. increasing Tata Steel’s stake later on, energy services company, and the “Due to recent developments The AFP said it was conducting the newspaper said. homes of its directors after Britain it would be inappropriate for the ongoing investigations into a number Tata Steel put its British busi- asked for help investigating alleged company to comment at this time,” of allegations, but declined to com- ness up for sale, sparking calls for corruption in the global oil industry. a Unaoil spokesman said in an ment specifically on the focus of its the British government to inter- Monaco’s government said on its emailed statement. probes. Australian companies Wor- vene and safeguard thousands of website that it acted after receiving The Chairman of Unaoil Group, leyParsons and Primary Health Care, jobs in the crisis-hit industry. an urgent request for international Ata Ahsani (pictured), could not be both named in the media reports, Tata said in a statement that judicial assistance in criminal mat- reached for comment. The media denied any relationship with Unaoil. trading had “rapidly deteriorated” ters from Britain’s Serious Fraud reports, citing hundreds of thousands Australia’s opposition party in Britain and Europe, adding it Models of iPhones on display at the Apple Museum in Prague, Office (SFO). Unaoil directors were of emails, also link several multina- leader Bill Shorten said he will push will “explore all options for port- questioned by Monaco police on tionals to corrupt practices including for a senate inquiry into global brib- Czech Republic. The Apple Museum is showing the largest folio restructuring including the Tuesday and Wednesday, the gov- claims of bribery and rigging con- ery when parliament resumes this private collection of Apple products, housing Macs, iOS devices, potential divestment of Tata Steel ernment said. tracts to win oil contracts in countries month. He said the “revelations” were and other Apple paraphernalia from 1976 to 2012. Apple was UK, in whole or in parts”. A joint report by Australia’s Fair- such as Kazakhstan and Iraq. “deeply disturbing.” founded by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ronald Wayne on 01 The company blamed chronic fax Media and the Huffington Post Italian oil major Eni, one of the The US Department of Justice April 1976. The company was originally named Apple Computers global oversupply of steel, a “sig- reported that the US Department of companies mentioned in the report, cited its policy of declining to con- but was renamed a year later into Apple Inc on January 3, 1977. nificant increase” in cheaper Justice and anti-corruption police in indicated that it would hold an inter- firm nor deny whether a matter is Today, Apple is the largest IT company in the world by revenue, imports into Europe — particu- Britain and Australia had launched a nal inquiry into the allegations. “We under investigation and declined to and the largest technology company in the world by total assets. larly from China — and plunging joint investigation into the activities do not comment on the results of comment further. prices in recent times. Tesla Motors unveils Model 3 worth $35,000 New Iraq oil minister may facilitate deal with Kurds Reuters price of $35,000. The Model 3 is crit- inside a Tesla design center. “We don’t launch of Apple Inc products. The ical to the Silicon Valley automaker’s have it for you tonight—just kidding!” Model 3 is crucial for Tesla to reach growth plans and to sustaining its Three Model 3s were driven its goal of selling 500,000 cars per lofty stock price. Tesla shares have onstage. The compact sleek four-door year by 2020. The success of Tesla’s Reuters involves an agreement for the KRG HAWTHORNE: Tesla Motors gave a jumped in recent days in anticipation car with no grille features a roof that Gigafactory, its battery factory near to transfer to Iraq’s central state oil sneak preview of its Model 3 sedan, of the Model 3 launch. is a panoramic pane of glass from completion in Nevada, is also contin- marketing company 550,000 barrels saying more than 130,000 people The Model 3 will enter a crowded front to back. Musk said that 115,000 gent on the Model 3. a day of crude produced in the Kurd- had ordered the car, even though it field of luxury and electric cars that pre-orders had already been taken Tesla says scale from the mas- ERBIL: The man nominated to be ish region, in return for a 17 percent is more than a year away from pro- includes petrol-fuelled models such on Thursday alone for the car. Within sive facility will cut the cost of its Iraq’s new oil minister is a Kurdish share in the federal budget. duction. as the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series, and a half hour, that number reached battery pack by 30 percent to enable petroleum geologist who could end The Kurds, seeking more auton- Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk electric models such as the forthcom- 137,600 in a rolling scroll projected the lower-priced vehicle. a bitter dispute with the northern omy from Baghdad to export their unveiled a prototype of the Model 3 ing Chevrolet Bolt EV from General onto a screen. High expectations ahead of the self-rule region and free up more oil own oil, halted all oil transfers to the in Hawthorne, California outside Los Motors Co. Fans had camped out overnight, unveiling have restored Tesla’s shares exports through a pipeline to Turkey. Iraqi government in September 2015, Angeles to hundreds of Tesla owners “Do you want to see the car?” queueing outside Tesla stores across to around the $230-mark, recovering Nizar Saleem Numan, named as instead shipping crude independently. and the media, saying the vehicle will teased Musk, to screams from the California to put down deposits on from a year low of $141.05 in February oil minister in Prime Minister Haider They stopped receiving government go into production in 2017 at a starting audience in the hangar-sized facility the car in scenes reminiscent of the after analysts cut price targets and Al Abadi’s new lineup of ministers, funding, according to the outgoing oil revenue expectations. said in an interview that he was minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. “It is important to the industry “hopeful the differences could be Mahdi said in March that the cen- because it will signal whether or not resolved” between Baghdad and the tral government would not resume Tesla Motors is a major threat to the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). pumping crude through a Kurdish status quo or just another wannabe Should Numan’s appointment pipeline to Turkey unless it reached car company with a fleeting chance be approved by parliament, “he will a financial agreement with the KRG. for long-term success,” said Kelley certainly serve to facilitate a deal Baghdad’s state-run North Oil Com- Blue Book’s Jack Nerad. with Kurds and the central govern- pany previously fed 150,000 barrels GM is on track to beat Tesla to the ment”, said political analyst Hisham a day into the pipeline, which carries market with its Chevrolet Bolt electric Al Hashimi. “He is also a very expe- crude from the Kirkuk fields and other car, which GM says will launch late rienced person in the oil industry reservoirs managed by the Kurdish this year, offering about 200 miles and known for his integrity.” authorities to the Turkish port of Cey- of electric driving range and a start- Numan, 65, is the dean of the han on the Mediterranean Sea. ing price of around $35,000. college of planning at the Univer- The situation has been further A new generation of Nissan Motor sity of Duhok in the Kurdish region complicated by the presence of Co’s Leaf electric car is also expected and spent three decades at the Uni- Islamic State militants in northern to offer more driving range at a sim- versity of Mosul, the largest city in Iraq who have allowed the Kurds to ilar price. northern Iraq, now under control expand their control over the oil pro- The Model 3 and others in the of Islamic State militants. He told ducing region of Kirkuk. new generation of electric vehicles Reuters that he had also worked as Abadi presented his new cabinet face challenges from low gaso- a consultant for oil companies in of technocrats on Thursday and now line prices, high battery costs and both the northern Kurdish region awaits a response from parliament, uncertain investment in recharging and the rest of Iraq. which must vote on the reshuffle in The Tesla Motors’ mass-market Model 3 electric cars. infrastructure. The dispute with the Kurds the next 10 days. 16 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS VIEWS

Small change for Japan’s power monopolies China’s banks from face major reform jolt bad debt fixes

By Shu Zhang and into equity in a troubled borrower Engen Tham might get bad loans off lenders’ Reuters books, but as CCB Chairman Wang Hongzhang warned earlier this month, there was a danger of simply converting “bad debt into S CHINA’S big banks bad equity”. notch up their weakest Edmond Law, banking analyst profit growth in a decade, at UOB Kay Hian (Hong Kong) Ltd, measures from Beijing said it effectively just delayed rec- Aaimed at easing their bad loan ognition of bad debts and could burdens are likely to be of only prove to be a long-term drag. marginal help in the near term. Analysts also note that such With interest margins shrink- swaps tie up more regulatory ing in the face of successive capital, since risk-weighting for interest rate cuts and non-per- such assets is between four and forming loans (NPL) at a 10-year 12.5 times the risk weighting for high, China’s Big Four state- corporate loans, leaving banks owned banks reported near-flat less capacity to make new loans or falling quarterly profits this to stronger borrowers. week and cut their dividends. Although smaller lender Industrial and Commercial China Merchants Bank (CMB) has Bank of China (ICBC) , the world’s set up a working group to study biggest bank by assets, reported such swaps, the scheme is “not A visitor gets a briefing at a Softbank booth at an event to promote the understanding of electric power liberalisation in Tokyo. no growth in fourth-quarter profit a major channel for commercial from a year ago, while profits for banks to resolve NPLs”, its vice- Bank of China (BoC) , Agricultural governor Li Hao said. The second By Yuka Obayashi and business model after decades of guaranteed contributor to electricity production in the Bank of China (AgBank) and China measure, allowing banks to issue Osamu Tsukimori profits. The government is hoping increased world’s biggest consumer of the fuel. Construction Bank (CCB) were all securities backed by NPLs, adds Reuters competition in the final remaining restricted Tokyo Electric Power Co, owner of up or down just a percent or two. a new channel for banks to man- part of the electricity market will boost effi- the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant Chinese banks’ NPLs bal- age troubled loans, but bankers ciency and innovation and cut prices that are and the largest of the regional monopo- looned to a 10-year high of 1.27 and analysts say the programme among the highest in the world. lies, is likely to be the biggest loser in the trillion yuan ($196bn) at the end of is small and problematic. APAN’S power utilities lost their But the new entrants are competing for overhaul. Tokyo Gas and JX Holdings are last year, or 1.67 percent of all loans “Who is actually going to be monopoly over electricity in an space in a market in long-term decline as the among those targeting Tepco’s 29 mil- outstanding, according to data from there to buy this stuff?” asked unprecedented shakeup that could population falls and consumers from facto- lion customers. Six other regional utilities the China Banking Regulatory Macquarie’s Smith. “If there’s a give a much needed jolt to Japan’s ries to households look to trim power use. have announced plans to sell electricity Commission (CBRC). To address legitimate party, they are going long stagnant economy. Already, a What is more likely to happen is regional to Tepco customers in the Tokyo area, this growing strain on their balance to demand a significant discount.” price war has broken out among monopolies would merge and relatively few because geographic boundaries among sheets, policymakers are prepar- While demand could be weak, Jmany of the more than 260 companies of the newcomers would survive the coming operators will be eliminated. ing to introduce regulations to let there is no shortage of doubtful that will be allowed to sell electricity in battle for market share, according to indus- Anticipating competition, Tepco has banks convert loans into stakes in loans to feed into them. Special Japan’s $70bn retail market. Japanese con- try officials and specialists, analysts and dropped prices for some customers and the struggling borrowers. mention loans, which refer to sumers will now be able to buy electricity others contacted by Reuters for this article. targeted other regions in Japan. It is chang- The central government has loans that can quickly turn sour, from suppliers ranging from telecoms con- The regulatory overhaul will only add to ing its logo and tying up with billionaire also granted six large banks rose to 2.89 trillion yuan last year, glomerate Softbank and the state of flux in the energy sector since Masayoshi Son’s Softbank Corp to pack- a total quota of 50bn yuan to pushing total troubled loans in the trading firm Marubeni to the Fukushima nuclear disaster on March age mobile phone and electricity supplies. issue asset-backed securities banking system to more than 4 travel agency HIS and a 11, 2011 shut down Japan’s 54 nuclear plants. The second-biggest operator, Kan- (ABS) with NPLs as the underly- trillion yuan, CBRC data showed. Hokkaido-based super- Only two of the remaining 42 usable units sai Electric Power, is in a more precarious ing assets, Reuters reported last ICBC is selecting branches to market co-operative that are operating. The disaster led to rolling position as the utility most reliant on nuclear month. A third measure under roll out its first NPL-backed secu- has branched out into blackouts in parts of the country and helped power before Fukushima. None of its plants consideration could cut the level rities in the second half of this solar parks. build public support for the liberalization. have reopened, after a court order earlier in of provisions banks are required year, but the scale will be “not big” They and others like The overhaul leaves the question of atomic March kept two reactors at its Takahama to make against doubtful loans. - only several billion yuan, ICBC Japan’s biggest city gas power hanging. Major utilities, which still con- plant shuttered. All the players will be com- Matthew Smith, a senior ana- President Yi Huiman told report- operator, Tokyo Gas, trol power distribution grids, are reserving peting in a stagnant market. The industry lyst at Macquarie Securities, said ers on Wednesday. are packaging other some of that capacity for nuclear, according ministry forecasts annual power demand to the regulatory measures were net Analysts and bankers say a Japanese consumers services, offering loy- to a Reuters survey of the utilities. Japan has rise less than 0.1 percent to 981 billion kilo- positives, but expected any impact cut in loan loss provision require- will now be able to alty programmes and seen explosive growth in renewable energy, watt-hours by 2030 from 969.4 billion kWh to take time. “Things are getting ments, which the CCB president buy electricity from even employing, in the particularly solar, since preferential rates were in the year through March 2015 - and that worse not better,” he said. Both said on Thursday was being stud- case of Marubeni, the introduced in 2012. By last summer, solar con- is based on an optimistic assumption of 1.7 ICBC and BoC top executives said ied by regulators, would have the suppliers ranging magic of Studio Ghibli, tributed to 10 percent of peak power demand percent annual economic growth. they expected net interest mar- most immediate impact on finan- from Softbank and the Japanese animation from almost nothing before 2012. Meanwhile, Japan’s airwaves have gins to continue falling in 2016. cial statements. powerhouse that won an Wind power could get a boost as well from been bombarded with the profusion of new Investors remain to be con- Chinese banks are required Marubeni to travel Oscar for “Spirited Away.” the regulatory overhaul. Local and foreign entrants advertising various plans and pack- vinced, too. ICBC and CCB are to set aside funds equivalent to at agency HIS and a The new entrants are companies are stepping up investment with ages to supply power. Tokyo Gas and Japan’s trading at only 70 percent of the least 150 percent of bad loans to betting they can make the government maintaining high guaranteed biggest refiner JX Holdings, which markets forward book value of their assets, cover losses. That loan loss provi- Hokkaido-based money in a low-margin rates for this energy source but cutting those oil products under the Eneos brand, are while BoC and AgBank are trad- sion ratio for the sector as a whole operative that has business by undercutting for solar. Japan’s record use of coal is likely offering discounts of around 10 percent. A ing at 60 percent, according to was 181 percent at the end of last the monopolies brought to keep rising, as companies such as Nippon survey late last year by advertising agency StarMine data. Swapping debt year. branched out into low financially by the Paper and trading house Mitsubishi Corp plan Dentsu showed 80 percent of users will con- solar parks. Fukushima disaster and to build 43 new coal-fired units. sider a switch to new suppliers, with price saddled with a high-cost Liquefied natural gas will remain a key their top priority when making a selection. Tata’s UK steel exit raises expectations of European mergers

By Georgina Prodhan number in manufacturing industries depend- unattractive because of Britain’s vulnerabil- that could strengthen their hand to pursue Reuters ent on it for a living. ity to cheap Chinese imports, its high energy their own acquisitions. “Tata Steel’s exit from “The consolidation of the steel sector in prices and the cost of transporting steel to the UK might spark European consolidation Europe makes tons of sense but the problem customers in continental Europe, as well as in the steel space,” Berenberg bank wrote in a is that the industry has waited for so long and a disadvantageous exchange rate for exports. note. European steel stocks rose on Wednes- ATA Steel’s plan to sell its British the crisis is so big that you are dealing with But severing its cash-bleeding British oper- day on the news of Tata’s move. steelmaking business has raised businesses which are really cash flow-nega- ations one way or another would allow Tata But Seth Rosenfeld, a steel analyst at Jef- expectations of a long-awaited tive,” said a London-based metals and mining to seek a partner such as Germany’s Thys- feries, was sceptical. “Unfortunately, if other consolidation in the European steel banker who asked not to be named because senkrupp for its profitable Dutch business - a steelmakers gain in terms of higher prices sector, which is suffering from years he is not authorised to speak publicly. combination that would create Europe’s sec- thanks to consolidation, this may only pro- Tof unaddressed overcapacity. Now, Tata at least has reached a pain point ond-biggest steelmaker after ArcelorMittal. vide them more headroom to maintain the Since the multi-billion-euro takeovers of that it says forced it to act, even if this could Thyssenkrupp has signalled clearly in status quo for years to come,” he said. Europe’s Arcelor and Corus by Indian giants mean shutting down the British operations recent months it would like to combine its “This is an industry that has seen waves Tata said it had Mittal and Tata in 2006 and 2007, dealmak- it has spent almost a decade trying to turn European steel operations with those of another of consolidation in times of either extreme ing in Europe’s steel industry has been all but around if it fails to find a buyer. player — as long as it does not involve spend- distress or empire building. This environ- extended “substantial paralysed as cash-starved producers battled Tata said it had extended “substantial ing cash. ment is neither.” financial support” the global economic crisis and a slowdown in financial support” to its UK business, which “We have always had over the last years A successful sale could depend on sweet- China that encouraged it to export cheap steel. employs about 15,000 people, and written overcapacity in the European sector and this eners that Tata or the British government may to its UK business, Lacking the means to consolidate further, its assets down by more than £2bn ($2.9bn). definitely needs to be addressed and there- be prepared to offer, said commodities trader which employs about which would have brought capacity reduc- “Selling over running it at a loss may clearly fore we think there are opportunities,” Chief Liberty House, which last week agreed to buy tions, Europe’s steel mill owners continued to be a priority for Tata. If nobody comes they will Financial Officer Guido Kerkhoff told ana- two of Tata’s Scottish plants. 15,000 people, and produce more than was needed, trying to pro- shut it down,” said Berenberg analyst Ales- lysts on a call last month. A spokesman said the firm was potentially written its assets tect their market share and jobs but feeding sandro Abate. “Combinations could address that issue, interested in the slab processing operations into a vicious circle of gluts and falling prices. and therefore be value-accretive overall.” but not the more commoditised iron and steel- down by more than At stake is an EU industry with annual turn- OPPORTUNITIES Such a merger would support prices for making activities. “We are waiting to see what £2bn ($2.9bn). over of about ¤170bn ($193bn) that directly Initial interest from potential buyers other European players such as ArcelorMittal, sale proposal is on the table before deciding employs 330,000 people, with many times that appeared muted, with the business seen as Salzgitter and Voestalpine - a development whether to bid for any of the assets,” he said. CLASSIFIEDS SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 17

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77711129 www.helplinegroups.com E-mail: [email protected] BREAK TIME SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 19

EASY SUDOKU CROSSWORD

Yesterday’s answer ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

Easy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so every row, every ALL IN THE MIND column and every 3x3 box contains all the digits 1 to 9. A. Chasm (5) S. Sorrow (7) A. Decorate (5) S. More secure (5) A. Valuable possession (5) S. Despised (7) MEDIUM A. Tropical fruit (7) S. Alike (7) SUDOKU C. Auto (3) S. Dreamlike (7) C. Stringed instrument (5) T. Large spider (9) E. Consumed (5) T. Heading (5) F. Characteristic (7) U. Handy (6) F. Escapee (9) W. Marine mammal (6) G. Venetian boat (7) Y. Vessel (5) G. Lubricating oil (6) L. Correspondence (7) M. Mogul (7) N. Recess (5) A CHORUS LINE, AIDA, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, BEAUTY AND O. Gems (5) THE BEAST, CABARET, CAMELOT, CAROUSEL, CATS, CHICAGO, COPACABANA, O. Nocturnal bird (3) EVITA, GUYS AND DOLLS, GYPSY, HELLO DOLLY, JOLSON, KISS ME KATE, LES R. Lecturers (7) MISERABLES, MISS SAIGON, RAGTIME, IVERDANCE, SHOWBOAT, SINGIN’ IN THE R. Amend (6) RAIN, SOUTH PACIFIC, SUNSET BOULEVARD, THE KING AND I, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, WESTSIDE STORY.

Yesterday’s answer How to play Hyper Sudoku: A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like a normal Sudoku. BABY BLUES BABY TV LISTINGS NOVO SHOWING AT VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER 10 Cloverfield Lane (2D/Horror) 10:15am, 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, TEL: 444933989 / 444517001 9:30 & 11:45pm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Action) 2D 2:15, 8:15 & 10:00 News 13:10 Austin & Ally 10:05 Treehouse 10:10 Gold Rush 11:15pm 3D 11:15am & 5:15pm 10:30 Inside Story 14:00 Liv And Maddie Masters 11:00 Diamond River Kung Fu Panda 3 (2D/) 10:30am, 12:30, 2:30, 4:30 & 6:30pm 11:00 News 14:25 Descendants 11:00 Treehouse Hunters Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D) 8:30 & 11:30pm 11:30 The Listening Wicked World Masters 11:50 Alaska: Battle On Queen of The Desert (2D/Drama) 10:30am, 3:30 & 8:30pm 14:30 12:50 Post Liv And Maddie Running Wild The Bay High Rise (2D/Drama) 1:00, 6:00 & 11:00pm 12:00 News 14:55 Dog With A Blog 13:45 13:05 The Liquidator Africa’s Trees Degrade (2D/Arabic) 11:30am, 3:30, 7:30 & 11:30pm 12:30 Counting the Cost 15:45 Miraculous Tales Of Life 13:30 The Liquidator 13:00 NEWSHOUR Of Ladybug And 15:35 Echo And The 14:20 The Liquidator Southbound (2D/Horror) 1:30, 5:30 & 9:30pm 14:00 News Cat Noir Elephants Of 15:10 Garage Gold Zootropolis(2D)10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00& 6:00pm 14:30 Inside Story 16:35 Gravity Falls Amboseli 16:00 Garage Gold The Invitation (2D/Horror) 8:00, 10:00 & 11:55pm 17:00 15:00 Drone Alex And Co 16:05 Echo And The 16:25 Garage Gold Eddie The Eagle (2D) 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00pm 16:00 17:25 16:50 NEWSHOUR Mako Mermaids Elephants Of Edge Of Alaska London Has Fallen (2D/Action) 10:15am, 2:30, 7:15 & 11:30pm 17:00 News 17:50 I Love Violetta 17:40 Alaska: The Last Amboseli The Wave (2D) 12:15, 4:30 & 9:15pm 17:30 UpFront 18:00 Oliver & 16:30 Into The Pride Frontier 18:00 NEWSHOUR Company 17:25 Wildest Africa 18:30 You Have Been Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (3D IMAX/Action) 11:00am, 19:00 News 19:30 Mako Mermaids 18:20 Rugged Justice Warned 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm 2D 11:30am, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm 19:30 People & Power 19:55 Girl Meets World 19:15 Gator Boys 19:20 Troy 21:10 20:00 News Good Luck 20:10 From WAGs To 20:10 Superhuman MALL 20:30 Inside Story Charlie Riches Science 21:00 NEWSHOUR 21:35 H2O 21:05 Ten Deadliest 20:35 Superhuman 22:00 News 22:00 Binny And The Snakes With Science 10 Cloverfield Lane (2D/Horror) 2:30pm 22:30 The Listening Ghost Nigel Marven 21:00 Edge Of Alaska Eddie The Eagle (2D/Comedy) 4:30 & 11:30pm 22:25 Post Sabrina Secrets 22:00 Rugged Justice 21:50 Ice Lake Rebels Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 23:00 22:55 22:40 Al Jazeera World Of A Teenage Ten Deadliest Railroad Alaska 6:30 & 9:00pm Oopiri (2D/Telugu) 2:00pm Kung Fu Panda 3 (2D/Animation) 2:00 & 5:00pm Southbound (2D) 3:30pm Ki & Ka (2D/Hindi) 6:45pm Vettah (2D/Malayalam) 9:15pm 12:05 13:05 Aussie Pickers I Wouldn’t Go In Queen of The Desert (2D/Drama) 8:45 & 11:15pm 13:55 There Duck Dynasty 13:00 Degrade (2D/Arabic) 4:45pm High Rise (2D/Action) 6:30pm 15:35 American Engineering Connections Thozha (2D/Tamil) 11:00pm Restoration 15:00 16:00 Ultimate Wheels Explorer 16:50 16:00 Danger Decoded Lost In 16:30 ASIAN TOWN Transmission Danger Decoded 17:40 17:00 Brain Games Leepu And 18:00 Vettah (Malayalam)12:30, 2:30, 3:15, 4:15, 7:00, 8:15, 9:15, Pitbull Evacuate Earth 18:30 19:00 Explorer 10:30 & 11:30pm Pawn Stars 20:00 18:55 Pawn Stars Danger Thozha (Tamil) 12:30, 5:30 & 9:15pm Australia Decoded Ki & Ka (Hindi) 3:15, 5:45 & 10:30pm 19:20 20:25 Danger Decoded Aussie Pickers 20:10 20:50 Brain Games Oopiri (Telugu) 1:00, 3:45 & 6:30pm The Curse Of 21:40 Oak Island Evacuate Earth Maheshinte Prathikaram (Malayalam) 1:00pm 21:00 22:30 Explorer Alone 23:20 21:50 Ax Men Supercar 22:40 Lost Worlds Megabuild ROYAL PLAZA 23:30 Mankind Kung Fu Panda 3 (2D/Animation) 2:15 & 4:00pm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Action) 5:45, 8:30 & 11:00pm Degrade (2D/Arabic) 3:00pm Ki & Ka (2D/Hindi) 4:30 & 11:15pm 09:00 4 Minute Mile 11:15 Curious George: Eddie The Eagle (2D/Comedy) 7:00 & 9:00pm 11:00 Night At The Back To The Jungle High Rise (2D/Action) 9:00pm Museum: Secret Of 12:45 Blue Elephant 2 Southbound (2D/Horror) 2:30pm The Tomb 14:30 Sir Billi 13:00 16:00 10 Cloverfield Lane (2D/Horror) 4:30pm Pixels Pororo: The Racing Queen of The Desert (2D/Drama) 6:30 & 11:00pm 15:00 Until She Came Adventure Along 18:00 Snow Queen 17:00 Fast Girls 20:00 Mostly Ghostly: AL KHOR 18:45 Jupiter Ascending Have You Met My 21:00 Child 44 Ghoulfriend Kung Fu Panda 3 (Animation) 10:30am, 12:30 & 2:30pm 23:30 22:00 Dom Hemingway Sir Billi Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice 10:30am, 1:15, 23:30 Pororo: The Racing Adventure 1:45, 4:00, 6:45 & 11:45pm; 10 Cloverfield Lane (Horror) 11:30am, 4:30 & 9:30pm; Oopiri (Telugu) 4:30 & 11:45pm Ki & Ka (Hindi) 6:45, 9:15 & 11:45 Vettah (Malayalam)7:15 & 9:30pm 20 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 SPORTS

Italian rider Valentino Rossi of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP steers Bulls rally his bike during the free practice session as part of the season- Kenya in ‘danger’ of opening Qatar Grand Prix in this March 19, 2016 file photo, at to shock the Losail International Circuit in the capital Doha. Rockets missing Olympics

AFP went on recess, making it impossible When Kenya missed the February to pass the bill into law by the Tues- deadline to prove it was doing enough LOS ANGELES: The Chicago WADA deadline day deadline. to combat drug-taking, Coe said he Bulls rallied from a 14-point closes in for the The bill is intended to save Ken- would severely punish any country third-quarter deficit to shock yan athletes from an Olympics ban guilty of attempting to cover up doping. the Houston Rockets 103-100 east African track threatened by IAAF president Sebas- Keino said he had been pushing on Thursday and boost their giants as lawmakers tian Coe. lawmakers to pass a law for years. NBA playoff hopes. yet to pass a bill Kip Keino, the National Olympic “I brought up the idea in 2013 in Nikola Mirotic drained a Committee of Kenya (NOCK) chair- South Africa, when Kenya, Jamaica go-ahead three-pointer with criminalising doping man, said he will appeal to WADA to and USA was under discussion, and less than three minutes to play in sports give Kenya more time to complete again in 2014,” he added. “Jamaica and Houston’s Trevor Ariza the process. and the US were able to resolve their saw an attempted game-tying “Kenya is in danger of being locked own cases, leaving Kenya alone in three-pointer fail at the buzzer. out of the Olympics,” Keino, himself a this thing. It has taken us three years Mirotic scored a game-high two-time Olympic 1,500 metre gold to get our house in order.” 28 points. His three-pointer AFP medallist, said. “I am very disappointed Many in Kenya fear doping is rife from the corner with 2:56 with the attitude taken by the lead- among their top-class runners, who remaining put the Bulls up ers. They don’t get the magnitude of have been the source of enormous 92-91 and was followed by a all this - they have badly let down the national pride. dunk from Jimmy Butler and NAIROBI: Kenya’s Olympic chief yes- youth of this country.” In parliament, Keino has the strong a three-pointer from E’Twaun terday warned the east African track The proposed Anti-Doping Bill backing of lawmaker Wesley Korir - a Moore that stretched Chica- giants were in danger of missing Rio establishes the anti-doping agency former Boston 2012 marathon cham- go’s lead to 97-91 with 1:30 after politicians failed to pass a law and proposes a $1,000 (100,000 Ken- pion turned politician. remaining. criminalising sports doping ahead of yan shillings, 872 euros) fine, and/or a “It is a shame that we have to go “We’re fighting for our a key deadline. year in jail for athletes caught doping. and beg WADA now, and yet we had lives,” said Chicago coach Fred The World Anti-Doping Agency Those caught smuggling or admin- a chance to make things right,” said Hoiberg of the crucial win in a (WADA) gave Kenya until April 5 to istering banned substances face a Korir, who has led efforts in parlia- game between two teams jock- tighten its anti-doping law and provide $30,000 (3 million Kenya shillings, ment to push the bill through. eying for the final playoff spots funding for a proposed Anti-Doping 26,200 euros) fine or a three-year “The country’s future, whether in their respective conferences. Agency of Kenya (ADAK), after Nai- jail term. to participate in the Olympics is now The Bulls were without Taj robi missed an earlier February 14 But it will require two further under the mercy of WADA,” said Korir, Gibson, who has a broken rib, deadline. parliamentary hearings, possible the first person to call for doping to and Derrick Rose didn’t play Kenyan lawmakers on Wednesday committee hearings and presiden- be criminalised in Kenya, after many the second half because of his held the preliminary reading of a bill tial assent before becoming law, a athletes were suspended for drug- bruised left elbow. criminalising sports doping, but then process that can take months. related offences. But the Bulls reserves scored 67 points and Chicago out-scored the Rockets 32-20 in the fourth quarter to come up with the win. The Bulls now trail Indiana Day, Spieth, Scott, McIlroy set by one game for the eighth and last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers fell 114-94 to the Orlando Magic in for Masters showdown Indianapolis on Thursday, and Chicago hold the tiebreaker over Indiana. James Harden led the AFP Rockets with 24 points. Hou- ston are half a game behind Utah and Dallas, who with Rossi marks 20 years matching records of 37-38 AUGUSTA, United States: World occupy the last two spots in number one Jason Day, defending the West. champion Jordan Spieth, form-find- In Cleveland, LeBron James ing Rory McIlroy and a host of past in saddle and eyes scored 24 points to move into winners are converging on Augusta 12th place on the NBA’s all-time National with sights set on a cham- scoring list as the Cavaliers pion’s green jacket. thumped the Brooklyn Nets The 80th Masters tournament Argentina repeat 107-87. begins on Thursday with Australia’s James, who also handed Day, fresh off triumphs at the World out 11 assists, has 26,689 points Golf Championships Match Play and in his career and moved past Arnold Palmer Invitational, trying to AFP Dominique Wilkins on the scor- win his second major in a row after ing chart. He is 21 points behind taking his first at last year’s PGA Oscar Robertson for 11th. Championship. “I’ve been very durable “It’s one tournament that I’ve RIO HONDO, Argentina: Nine-time throughout my career and always wanted to win,” Day said. “I’ve world champion Valentino Rossi (pic- I’ve played with some great always wanted to put the jacket on and tured) hopes to celebrate 20 years teammates and two great go back every year. So the motivation as a world championship rider with organizations all my career that and the want, there’s no problem. It a second successive Grand Prix of allowed me to put the ball in has been good for me confidence- Argentina victory tomorrow. the basket,” James said of mov- wise over the last two weeks. But it is The 37-year-old Italian made ing up the scoring list. going to be a tough one. It’s great to go his debut in the lower 125cc class in Kevin Love scored 19 points there as number one. It’s something Malaysia in 1996 before winning his and pulled down 10 rebounds I’m definitely going to be embracing. first world title the following year. and Channing Frye came off the It will be fun to walk through the A 250cc world crown followed two bench to contribute 13 points for gates as number one in the world.” seasons later with seven in the elite the Cavs, who lost to the Nets Day, who shared second at the class of the sport placing him com- in Brooklyn last week. Masters in 2011 and took third in 2013, fortably amongst the greats. Al-Farouq Aminu scored leads a wide open field including Into his third decade, Rossi has a career-high 28 points and 22-year-old Spieth, a wire-to-wire claimed 112 victories, 211 podiums, pulled down nine rebounds as winner last year who matched Tiger 61 pole positions as well as 92 fast- the Trail Blazers rallied for a Woods’ 72-hole tournament record, est laps. 116-109 victory over the Bos- and McIlroy, who would complete a Victory at Argentina’s Rio Hondo ton Celtics in Portland. career Grand Slam with a Masters track 12 months ago set Rossi on his CJ McCollum added 17 triumph. way to what looked increasingly like points and eight assists and Australia’s Adam Scott, the 2013 it would be a 10th title until his sea- Gerald Henderson came off winner, is fresh off back-to-back wins son imploded in the closing stages the bench to score 15 points at the Honda Classic and Doral. South and Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo for a Portland team that had African Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 snatched a third world title instead. MOTOGP: GRAND PRIX OF fallen 116-93 to the Celtics in champion, won in March at Innis- “Last year, we had an excellent ARGENTINA Boston on March 2. brook and Bubba Watson, the 2012 race,” said Rossi, who fought wheel The win moved the Trail and 2014 champion, captured the to wheel with bitter Honda rival Marc Blazers to within 1 1/2 games Riviera crown in February. Jason Day of Australia in action during the Arnold Palmer Marquez in an intriguing duel which For Lorenzo, it was a 62nd career of the Western Conference’s Add three-time winner Phil Mick- Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida in this ended with the Spaniard falling off his win and 41st in the elite class. fifth-place Memphis Grizzlies elson playing well and the stage is set bike before coming home in second. However, he has struggled in the file photo. World number one Jason Day, defending champion with six games to play in the for another dramatic showdown for “It will be difficult to repeat the two races held in Argentina -- he was Jordan Spieth, form-finding Rory McIlroy and a host of past regular season. golfing glory among the Georgia pines. same result this year but we are going fifth in 2015 and third in 2014. The defeat dropped Bos- “It’s an exciting lead up to the Mas- winners are converging on Augusta National with sights set on to try. “I want to race at a circuit where ton from fourth to sixth in the ters with a lot of top players in great a champion’s green jacket when the 80th Masters tournament “I couldn’t get onto the podium in the past we struggled a bit. On the East, half a game behind Miami form,” Scott said. “There are so many begins on Thursday. in Qatar (last month’s season-opener other hand, we need to keep our feet and Charlotte. that I’d be surprised if some or all of where he finished fourth) but I still on the ground,” said Lorenzo. these guys aren’t there come Sunday, had a good race anyway. We worked “We started the championship in from Bubba to Jason to Jordan to Rory.” McIlroy hasn’t managed a triumph “You get a good feel for it, just to famil- well throughout the weekend. a perfect manner but we still need to NBA RESULTS Spieth, excited for the Texas bar- in the Masters run-up, but likes his iarize yourself again, hit some shots.” “In Argentina we will have to do understand what the behaviour of the becue at his champions dinner, is chances. And he has the confidence of a the same thing, but we’ll have to do bike is like for different track layouts.” playing at Houston the week before Schwartzel, who birdied the last PGA victory just a month before the better in the race, and try to get on Marquez, the 2014 winner in Cleveland 107 Brooklyn 87 Augusta to peak his form. four holes on Sunday to win his Mas- Masters. the podium. I really like the Termas Argentina, remains optimistic of Orlando 114 Indiana 94 “I feel much more confident than I ters title, snuck in some practice at “Innisbrook was big for me because track and we will try to do our best.” another triumph on Sunday. Chicago 103 Houston 100 did about Augusta,” Spieth said at the Augusta ahead of his playing in Houston I knew my game was good enough to In Qatar, 28-year-old Lorenzo “It’s a circuit that I like,” said Mar- New Orleans 101 Denver 95 WGC Match Play. I played very, very and liked what he saw of the legen- win,” Schwartzel said. “It’s one thing to started on pole and won the flood- quez, who revealed he had taken 60 Oklahoma City 119 LA Clippers 117 solid and most importantly I made a dary layout. sort of know that but to know it’s good lit race in the Gulf for a third time, hours to reach the venue from his Portland 116 Boston 09 lot of birdies and that’s something I “The course is in good shape and it enough is a different thing and just hav- with Andrea Dovizioso on a Ducati Spanish base. “We are always quick haven’t been doing.” just made me excited again,” he said. ing that win makes you believe more. taking second and Marquez in third. here.” SPORT SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 21

EPL FIXTURES (All Times in GMT) Today Barca look to tame rivals Real Aston Vsilla vs Chelsea (1145) AFC Bournemouth vs Manchester City (1400) win on Saturday (today) we are seven Arsenal vs Watford (1400) BARCELONA TO HONOUR Real Madrid seek LATE CRUYFF IN CLASICO points behind and you never know Norwich City vs Newcastle redemption as Messi what happens.” United (1400) Both coaches should be able to Stoke City vs Swansea City targets 500th goal in name their strongest starting line- (1400) Clasico today Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and ups with Barca only missing Jeremy Sunderland vs West Karim Benzema fit and in scoring Mathieu and Sandro Ramirez, while Bromwich Albion (1400) form, Iniesta expects a much tougher Madrid have a clean bill of health. task today. However, tiredness could play an West Ham United vs Crystal Palace (1400) AFP “These games are different, it important factor with two of Barca’s doesn’t matter how the teams are deadly front three, Lionel Messi and Liverpool vs Tottenham playing before because we all like Luis Suarez, only having arrived back Hotspur (1630) to beat your biggest rivals,” added in the Catalan capital on Thursday Tomorrow MADRID: Barcelona will honour the Spanish international. after playing World Cup qualifiers for Leicester City vs legendary former player and coach “We expect a difficult, close Argentina and Uruguay respectively Southampton (1230) Johan Cruyff as they look to inflict game which will be decided by small in the past week. Manchester United vs more misery upon eternal rivals Real details. We have all the respect in Five-time World Player of the Evserton (1500) Madrid in the Clasico today. the world for the team we will face Year Messi could also register his The most watched game in world because they deserve it.” 500th career goal having taken his LA LIGA football is Barca’s first since Cruyff Bale in particular will be well- tally to 499 with his 50th goal for passed away at the age of 68 after a rested as he was given time off by Argentina in a 2-0 win over Bolivia Today short battle with cancer last week. Wales boss Chris Coleman during the on Tuesday. Atletico Madrid vs Real Betis A pre-match display involving two-week international break pre- “It would be nice to score my (1400) over 90,000 fans will read “thank ceding the game. 500th goal against Real Madrid in the Las Palmas vs Valencia (1615) you Johan” with the same message And he is confident that Madrid Clasico, but it would be even nicer to Barcelona vs Real Madrid carried on the Barca players’ shirts. could drag themselves back into the win the game,” said Messi. (1830) “In what is a special match, it is title race if they can snap Barca’s Atletico Madrid can close to Celta Vigo vs Deportivo without doubt extra motivation for us 39-game unbeaten run stretching within six points of Barcelona at the Real Madrid’s Coruna (2005) to try and win the game,” said Barca back to October. top before kick-off at the Camp Nou Tomorrow Portuguese striker captain Andres Iniesta. “They are playing very well at the as they host Real Betis earlier today. Cristiano Ronaldo Indeed, the emotion surrounding moment so we have to take the game However, Atletico coach Diego Athletic Club vs Granada CF (centre), during the occasion supersedes its impor- to them,” said Bale. Simeone could keep a number of (1000) a team’s training tance in the title race in La Liga with “We have to attack them, we have players in reserve as they travel to Malaga vs Espanyol (1400) session along with Barca 10 points clear of third-placed to exploit their weaknesses, we have face Barca in the first leg of their Eibar vs Vsillarreal (1615) his team-mates Madrid with just eight games remain- a game plan and if we perform to our Champions League quarter-final on Sevilla vs Real Sociedad at Valdebebas ing. A 4-0 thrashing of Real when the maximum I’m very confident we can Tuesday. (1830) Sports Complex in sides last met in November put Barca get the win. Meanwhile, Valencia visit Las Monday Madrid, yesterday. well on course to retain the title. “I believe anything is possible in Palmas hoping to distance them- However, with Madrid now under football. We know we are 10 points selves from the relegation zone with Levsante vs Sporting Gijon new management since Zinedine behind but we will keep fighting Pako Ayestaran in charge for the first (1830) Zidane replaced Rafael Benitez in until the league is impossible. “At time following Gary Neville’s sack- January and with the front three of the moment it’s very possible. If we ing on Wednesday. BUNDESLIGA Today Mainz vs FC Augsburg (1330) Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt (1330) PSG awaiting positive sign Toure likely to miss PSG game FC Ingolstadt 04 vs Schalke 04 (1330) Hanovser 96 vs Hamburg SV from Ibrahimovic: Blanc Reuters (1330) Manchester City’s SVs Darmstadt 98 vs VsfB Yaya Toure reacts Stuttgart (1330) AFP one from China and three from Ita- during the English Borussia Dortmund vs Wer- ly’s top flight, where Ibrahimovic LONDON: England’s only Champions Premier League der Bremen (1630) won titles with Juventus, Inter Milan League quarter-finalists Manches- match against West Tomorrow and AC Milan. ter City are resigned to being without Ham United at the PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain coach But the Dutchman said Ibrahi- influential midfielder Yaya Toure as Borussia Moenchengladbach Etihad Stadium in vs Hertha Berlin (1330) Laurent Blanc said yesterday the movic, who will lead Sweden at this well as goalkeeper Joe Hart and cap- Manchester, in this Ligue 1 champions were patiently summer’s Euro 2016, could stay in tain Vincent Kompany for the first leg Hoffenheim vs Cologne September 2015 file (1530) awaiting a decision from Swedish France. against Paris St Germain on Wednes- photo. star Zlatan Ibrahimovic concern- “I have received offers from day. ing his future. every continent in the world, includ- “For the three of them it is diffi- SERIE A “Zlatan? We are still in reflec- ing from China. I’m not saying for cult,” manager Manuel Pellegrini told Today tion and discussion. Our wish is to how much, but it is a huge sum,” reporters ahead of today’s Premier Carpi vs Sassuolo (1600) talk with him to see what he wants Raiola told Gazzetta dello Sport. League match at Bournemouth. exactly, we know what we want from He added that PSG are “doing “I am not 100 per cent sure but Juventus vs Empoli (1845) him; after if we click we’ll see,” said everything possible to try and make I think it will be difficult for them Tomorrow Blanc of the 34-year-old Swede him renew (his contract). Paris to play on Wednesday,” the Chilean Udinese vs Napoli (1030) whose contract expires at the end remains an option.” added. Atalanta Bergamo vs AC of the season. Ibrahimovic has yet to play “Yaya has a problem in his knee Milan (1300) “I’ve nothing new to tell you on in England’s Premier League and and he was playing in the last game United and Manchester United after Defender Martin Demichelis was Chievso Vserona vs Palermo that subject; remain patient, it’s not Raiola claimed that “all the big clubs with some trouble.” winning one of their last six games. included in the squad despite being (1300) signs that we need but certitudes,” there, with the exception of Man- There was better news of mid- “It is very important to try to fin- charged by the Football Associa- Blanc added, telling journalists: “If chester City, where (Pep) Guardiola fielders Samir Nasri and Kevin De ish as near to the top of the table as tion this week over alleged betting Fiorentina vs Sampdoria (1300) one day you are out of contract, is the coach, have knocked on my Bruyne, who are both available for we can,” said Pellegrini, who will be offences. you’ll do the same thing, you’d con- door”. the trip to Bournemouth. replaced by Bayern Munich’s Pep “He told me what he did. We must Genoa vs Frosinone (1300) tact everyone.” The Swede could play against Nasri’s last appearance was Guardiola at the end of the season. see what the FA determines about Lazio vs AS Roma (1300) Ibrahimovic has not ruled out Nice today in the Ligue 1 fixtures, against the same opponents in Octo- “(Nasri) had a very long injury, that,” Pellegrini said. Inter Milan vs Torino (1845) remaining with the French champi- four days before Paris host Man- ber, when City won 5-1 and were top very unexpected,” the manager “If he has made a mistake we Monday ons, his agent Mino Raiola revealed. chester City in the first leg of their of the table. added. “Now he has the last part of will see how important it is but I Raiola said the Swede has eagerly-awaited Champions League Now they have dropped to fourth, the season to demonstrate how good don’t think it will be a very serious Bologna vs Vserona (1845) received several offers including quarter-final. only a point ahead of West Ham a player he is.” mistake.”

FREE PRACTICE Las Vegas in talks TIMES Rosberg sets the pace in Bahrain practice for F1 race, says

1. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes- Ecclestone AMG 1:31.001, 2. Lewis Hamilton Reuters Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team’s (GBR) Mercedes-AMG 1:31.242, 3. German driver Nico Rosberg drives during Reuters Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren- the first practice session at the Sakhir Honda 1:32.281, 4. Max Verstappen circuit in Manama yesterday, ahead of (NED) Toro Rosso 1:32.406, 5. Kimi MANAMA: Championship leader Nico the Bahrain Grand Prix. MANAMA: Las Vegas could host Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 1:32.452, Rosberg (pictured) lapped more than a second US race on the Formula 6. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Ferrari a second quicker than last year’s pole One calendar in a few years’ time 1:32.650, 7. Daniil Kvyat (RUS) Red position time as Mercedes dominated but a deal has yet to be agreed, Bull 1:32.703, 8. Valtteri Bottas Bahrain Grand Prix practice yester- the sport’s commercial supremo (FIN) Williams 1:32.792, 9. Daniel day. Bernie Ecclestone said yesterday. Ricciardo (AUS) Red Bull 1:32.870, The German, who is chasing his “I am going to be talking 10. Felipe Massa (BRA) Williams fifth victory in a row after winning to them (Las Vegas promoters) 1:32.873, 11. Stoffel Vandoorne Formula One’s season-opener in in another 10 minutes’ (time),” (BEL) McLaren-Honda 1:32.999, Australia and the last three races of Ecclestone told reporters during 12. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Haas 2015, led both sessions with his triple practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, 1:33.129, 13. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) champion team-mate Lewis Hamil- been third fastest in the afternoon when asked about negotiations. Toro Rosso 1:33.177, 14. Romain ton second. Rosberg’s best lap of one practice, a hefty 1.834 off Rosberg’s “It’s possible that there could Grosjean (FRA) Haas 1:33.384, minute 31.001 seconds, in the floodlit pace on the same soft tyres as the be an event there,” added the 15. Sergio Perez (MEX) Force evening session at the Sakhir Circuit Mercedes pair. rear-left corner (wheel) is not tight. after another 30 laps in the second 85-year-old Briton. India 1:33.406, 16. Kevin Mag- compared to Hamilton’s 2015 pole of The Australian Daniel Ricciardo The nut is not on, that was the prob- practice. “In a couple of years I suppose. nussen (DEN) Renault 1:33.447, 1.32.671. and Russian Daniil Kvyat of Red Bulls lem,” the four-times world champion Vandoorne, who flew in from We’d keep Austin and have another 17. Nico Hülkenberg (GER) Force Hamilton, winner for the past were fourth and fifth in that same said over the team radio. Japan where he is racing in the Super race.” India 1:33.570, 18. Jolyon Palmer (GBR) Renault 1:33.640, 19. Pas- two years in Bahrain, was the only session but Toro Rosso’s Max Ver- Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne got to Formula series this season, had not The calendar currently has a cal Wehrlein (GER) Manor 1:33.953, other driver to lap below the 1:32 stappen and Raikkonen filled those grips with the McLaren ahead of his previously driven the 2016 McLaren. record 21 races, with Azerbaijan’s 20. Marcus Ericsson (SWE) Sauber mark with a best effort of 1:31.242. places in the evening. Formula One race debut as stand-in Spaniard Alonso was ruled out Baku street circuit due to debut in 1:34.224, 21. Felipe Nasr (BRA) McLaren’s Jenson Button produced Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, third for the injured Fernando Alonso and on Thursday, after failing to pass a June, and Ecclestone has said that Sauber 1:34.477, 22. Rio Haryanto a third best time of 1:32.281 on the in Australia, was sixth but pulled off was 18th on the 22-driver timesheet medical following his big crash in is probably the limit. Las Vegas (INA) Manor 1:34.562 super-soft tyres. the track and stopped late in the sec- in the first session. Australia, and could also miss the hosted two Formula One Grands Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen had ond session with a loose wheel. “The The rookie moved up to 11th following race in China on April 17. Prix in 1981 and 1982, 22 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016 SPORT Let down by team-mates, Kohli’s golden World T20 run ends

Reuters supreme athlete ran himself ragged, back West Indies hero Lendl Simmons. following ball for four, though, and regularly converting singles into twos Jadeja took a running catch but deposited the next over deep mid- and occasionally two into threes. as momentum was taking him over wicket and into the stands to break Kohli the bowler also resurfaced the ropes, he lobbed the ball inside 1.2 billion Indian hearts. NEW DELHI: As the full toss left when it mattered. for Kohli to grab. TV replays, however, As Russell and Simmons were Andre Russell’s blade and settled deep The evening dew had effectively confirmed Jadeja’s foot had touched mobbed by their team-mates, Kohli into the stands, dropping a deathly defanged the Indian spinners, while the boundary and it was declared a stood alone with his thoughts. silence across the Wankhede Sta- their pacers bled boundaries, leaving six. Simmons and Russell set alight India’s Test captain finished the dium, Virat Kohli stood dazed, gazing Mahendra Singh Dhoni in an unenvi- a hot and humid night with batting World Twenty20 with 273 runs from at the trajectory of the ball and per- able position. pyrotechnics that left the 2012 cham- five innings with a staggering 136-plus haps wondering what else he could The India captain, as is his wont, pions needing only eight runs off the average and a strike rate of almost 147. have done. sprang a surprise by tossing the ball to last over. Only Bangladesh opener Tamim For the umpteenth time in the Kohli and the part-time dibbly-dob- Once again, Dhoni handed the ball Iqbal (295) scored more and he World Twenty20, the 27-year-old had bler struck immediately, dismissing to Kohli, hoping the golden arm of the had the advantage of playing extra papered over the cracks in India’s top the dangerous Johnson Charles (52) man who could do no wrong would matches in the qualifying stage of the order, his unbeaten 89 accounting for with his first delivery and ending a pull off a miracle. It was not to be. tournament. His prodigious scoring almost half of his country’s 192 in the 97-run partnership. Kohli conceded a single off the means Kohli will remain in the mix for India’s Virat Kohli (left ) and captain MS Dhoni look on after defeat in the semi-final against West Indies. Kohli was in the thick of things first delivery and followed it up with the player-of-the-tournament award In between the 11 boundaries and again in the 18th over, collaborating a dot ball to raise Indian hopes of an but for a proud team man, it would World T20 semi-final against the West Indiesin Mumbai on Thursday. single six that flowed from his bat, the with Ravindra Jadeja to almost send improbable victory. Russell hit the probably mean very little.

Khawaja, Burns Dhoni far from earn Australia We’re not just drummers in shy and retiring contracts when quizzed over future AFP the Windies band: Simmons Reuters SYDNEY: Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges and Joe Burns were among seven new players to be handed MUMBAI: India captain Mahen- central contracts yesterday as Ahead of the final, dra Singh Dhoni has mostly Australia rebuild after a series of played retirement questions with retirements. Caribbean batsman a straight bat in the past, but the The new players were not on warns England ‘it’s 34-year-old opted to go on a play- the initial list for the 2016/2017 not just a one-man ful attack when asked about his season announced a year ago but future following the hosts’ World they have since forced their way show in team’ Twenty20 semi-final defeat. into the selectors’ plans. Undoubtedly India’s most Nathan Coulter-Nile, John successful ever captain, Dhoni Hastings, Peter Nevill and Peter stunned all when he announced Siddle have also been added to Reuters his decision to quit Test cricket in the 20-man list as Australia looks the middle of an Australian tour ahead to the home Ashes series in 2014, handing over the mantle starting in late 2017. to Virat Kohli. “There is a lot of talent within MUMBAI: Aggressive opening bats- So it was not unusual for a this group and we have confi- man Chris Gayle usually hogs the journalist to ask Dhoni if he was dence that the players chosen can headlines but West Indies’ advance keen to continue playing after be successful in all three forms of to the World Twenty20 final against India’s seven wicket defeat by West the game,” chief selector Rodney England has shown they are by no Indies knocked them out of their Marsh said in a statement. means a one-man band, according home tournament on Thursday. Australian media said batsman to batsman Lendl Simmons. The Indian Twenty20 captain, Khawaja was expected to pocket Gayle scored an unbeaten cen- though, took the surprising step of more Aus$1m ($770,000) from his tury in the Caribbean side’s first West Indies’s Lendl Simmons asking the inquirer to come and sit new contract after his sparkling pool match against England, which plays a shot during the World next to him on stage and discuss form in all three formats. set up their successful run chase of T20 semi-final against India at the matter. Burns is reaping the benefits 183, reaching the target with 11 balls the Wankhede Cricket Stadium “You want me to retire?” a of his ascension to Test opener, to spare in Mumbai. Since then, he in Mumbai on Thursday. grinning Dhoni asked with his arm replacing the retired Rogers, has scored nine further runs. draped around the nervous-look- which included his man-of-the- He was dismissed for five in the ing journalist. match 170 against New Zealand in semi-final against India before Sim- “No, I don’t. I was just asking,” Christchurch in February. mons smashed 82 from 51 balls, the Australian reporter answered. The minimum value of a while Andre Russell scored 43 from “Do you think I am unfit, look- Cricket Australia contract for the 20 to guide their side into tomorrow’s ing at me running?” Dhoni said. 2016-17 season is Aus$270,000 showdown with Eoin Morgan’s team out in their seven-wicket win over Sri aggression, and confidence, made The journalist responded: “No, while any player awarded an in Kolkata. ENGLAND TEAM FULL Lanka, while Johnson Charles (32) and them a better outfit than the England very fast.” upgrade contract will earn at least “I think England will certainly be OF MATCH-WINNERS: Marlon Samuels (43) saw them to a team that won the World Twenty20 “Do you think I can survive Aus$230,000 ($176,000), CA said. aware that it’s not a one-man show in COLLINGWOOD three-wicket win over South Africa. in 2010, according to the captain of until the 2019 World Cup?” Dhoni this team,” Simmons told reporters. “Every one of our players are that side, Paul Collingwood. asked, referring to the 50-over “Chris Gayle didn’t get off but we match winners in our team,” Sim- “In the past our line-up probably tournament in England and Wales. PLAYERS still managed to get over the line and They have also been galvanised mons added. had one or two players that were real “Sure, yes, sure,” came the it was a big total. by yet another bitter pay dispute “We have a lot of batting power match-winners, this team is full of reply. George Bailey, Joe Burns, Nathan “Even when he didn’t perform, we with their board, who less than two and I think we can chase any run match-winners,” Collingwood told the “Then you have answered the Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, were still able to get up and fight and months ago threatened to send a sec- total, we always back ourselves to ECB website. “These guys are men- question,” Dhoni said with a big James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, that shows a lot of character from our ond string side to the tournament in chase totals.” tally different to what we used to be. smile while giving the journal- John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, players.” India unless the squad accepted their That confidence has also been ‘Who dares wins’ is pretty much the ist a pat on his back as he quickly Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, The team have needed to rely on offer. evident in Morgan’s side after they motto. left the stage amid laughter from Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, their character and collective will Since Gayle’s blistering start to the comfortably accounted for New Zea- “We probably would think, ‘this is the room. Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, after a turbulent few months in which tournament, others have assumed the land in the other semi-final, with a big game’ and pull back a little bit. It Dhoni has led India to the James Pattinson, Adam Voges, they have been pilloried for their per- mantle of trying to chase down the man of the match Jason Roy epito- seems to be the other way round for World T20, the 50-over World Cup, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitch- formances in Test matches and One totals they have been set in all five mising the aggressive attitude that these guys, they seem to thrive on the the Champions Trophy and also ell Starc, David Warner. Day Internationals. games. Andre Fletcher scored 84 not has filtered through the team. That excitement of the big stage.” the top of the world Test rankings.

Elliott retires from one-dayers England prepare for World T20 final

Reuters in almost two years. He developed into a successful limited-overs player but was a surprise selection in New AUCKLAND: A year after he cre- Zealand’s World Cup squad last year, ated what has been considered New having not appeared for the team in Zealand’s most memorable cricket- more than 14 months. He also spent ing moment, all-rounder Grant Elliott more than two years out of the side (pictured) has retired from One Day prior to that. International cricket. The right-hander’s composure The 37-year-old Elliott hit a six was most evident during the tourna- from the penultimate ball off South ment as New Zealand went through Africa’s Dale Steyn in the World Cup pool play unbeaten and his 84 not out semi-final last year to propel New against South Africa in the semi-final Zealand to their first World Cup final. typified his influence on the team. The shot was voted by the New Elliott also top-scored with 83 in Zealand public as the sporting the final against Australia, who won moment of 2015. and my body feels good. “I’m going the game at the Melbourne Cricket “I have played my last one day to reassess and let the dust settle. Ground by seven wickets. His last game,” Elliott told Newshub at Auck- As long as I’m enjoying my cricket, I one-day international was in Febru- land Airport yesterday after the New haven’t made a call on anything yet. ary against Australia at Seddon Park Zealand team returned home from So I’ll just get home and assess it,” in Hamilton, when he scored his 11th the World Twenty20 tournament in he added. half century. India following a semi-final exit. Originally from South Africa, Elli- He finished with 1,976 runs at “But there is three formats. I ott moved to New Zealand to play 34.06 with two centuries. Elliott was England’s Jason Roy (centre) plays football with team-mates during a training session ahead of the won’t be considered for Test cricket, international cricket, making his also a handy slow-medium bowler, World T20 final against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata, yesterday. I haven’t seen my Test clothing for a Test debut against England in 2008 who finished with 39 wickets at 30.23 few years. There’s still T20 cricket but only competed in five matches in his 83 One Day Internationals. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 20 PAGE | 21 Day, Spieth, Scott, Barca look to McIlroy set for tame rivals Real Masters showdown in Clasico

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Nishikori faces Kyrgios in semi after narrow escape

AFP set and again in the 12th before tak- ing the last three tie-breaker points to end a tension-packed thriller after two hours and 29 minutes. MIAMI: Kei Nishikori saved five Nishikori, the 2014 US Open match points to down Gael Mon- runner-up, was scheduled to play fils on Thursday and advance into yesterday for a berth in today’s final a semi-final showdown with Aus- against 24th seed Kyrgios, who tralian Nick Kyrgios at the ATP and ousted Canadian 12th seed Milos WTA Miami Open. Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (7/4). Japanese sixth seed Nishikori Top-ranked defending cham- outlasted the French 16th seed 4-6, pion Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) -- denying him four Belgian 15th seed David Goffin in times in the 10th game of the final the other semi-final.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus returns a shot to Angelique Kerber Al Wakrah’s Mohsine Moutaouali (left) celebrates after scoring a goal against Lekhwiya SC in their QSL match played at Saoud binAbdulrahman of Germany during Stadium yesterday. the semi-finals of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on Thursday in Key Al Gharafa shock champions Biscayne, Florida. Al Rayyan as Wakrah survive

QSL RESULTS major step to survival last evening, game, Lekhwiya emphatically beat The reigning QSL defeating former QSL champions Al Wakrah 6-2 with South Korean Al Gharafa beat Al Rayyan 2-1 Lekhwiya 2-0. Goals at the end of attacker Nam-Tae Hee grabbing a champions suffer each half from Mouhcine Moutouali hat-trick for the Red Knights. Al Wakrah beat Lekhwiya 2-0 and Mahir Yousef Bakur gave the Blue Meanwhile, second placed El Jaish their second loss El Jaish draw with Qatar SC 1-1 Waves the win, effectively guarantee- took on relegation threatened Qatar as Al Wakrah beat ing their status in the QSL for another Sports Club in a top versus bottom Lekhwiya 2-0 to Surprising the reigning QSL season. clash at the Lekhwiya stadium last Azarenka books Miami champions, Nemeth opened up the The Moroccan midfielder Mouta- afternoon. remain in QSL for scoring in the 47th minute of the game ouali gave the much needed lead to The match ended all square cour- another season when he picked up the ball just few the home team when he netted one tesy of goals from Mohammed Al metres away from the net as he made in the 38th minute adding energy to Rabiei for Qatar SC and Abderazzak showdown against no mistake in netting the ball. Add- the game which lacked momentum Hamdallah for Jaish. ing more woes to Al Rayyan, a second at the early stage. Rabiei scored the first goal of the The Peninsula goal was added to the Grarafa’s The former champions failed to game, picking up well placed corner Kuznetsova account when Hatem shot a beauty find an equaliser and Al Wakrah kept kick in the 45th minute for relega- into the net from 15 meters away. on applying pressure. Then the hosts, tion threatened Qatar SC. El Jaish Al Rayyan’s star midfielder Rod- who faced the strong Lekhwiya with- who occupy the second slot in the QSL AL SADD: Al Gharafa’s Hungar- rigo Tabata tried lifted hopes for the out the services of their star striker points table, found the equaliser in Agencies amazing player. I’m glad I kept push- ian forward Krisztian Nemeth and champions in the 65th minute when Sasha, were provided with another the 68th minute through their Moroc- ing and kept trying to break her midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem had a he headed the ball into the net but goal when Bakur added one more to can striker Abderrazzaq Hamed Allah rhythm. Glad I stayed really strong. perfect day as they shocked Qatar no other player succeeded in finding ease their tension with three minutes who made no mistake in shooting it “For me it was really painful to Stars League champions Al Rayyan an equaliser. remaining in the second half. right past Qatar SC goalkeeper Moh- MIAMI: In-form Victoria Azarenka watch my match from the Australian at Al Sadd Stadium yesterday. Meanwhile Al Wakrah took a Last time out before yesterday’s mad Mubark Dawood. battled past an ailing but determined Open and I’m really glad that I cor- second seed Angelique Kerber to set rected my errors there and improved up a Miami Open final showdown my serve. Although there were a lot against Svetlana Kuznetsova with a of breaks, when I needed it, it came 6-2 7-5 victory yesterday. strong.” Al Sadd aim for a second place finish With the victory, the 13th- As well as avenging the Mel- seeded Belarusian gained revenge bourne defeat, Azarenka improved for a quarter-final loss to the second- to 7-1 in head-to-head meetings The Peninsula Al Sadd is aiming for a second place “Firstly I would like to say that For us these last three matches are seeded German at the Australian against the German and took her finish and stressed the importance of Zola is a great manager, and has a preparation for the Emir Cup,” he Open, her only defeat of the season, 2016 record to an impressive 21-1. the upcoming game. great side” noted Uygen on the Thurs- said. but had to fight tooth and nail to earn Next up for the 26-year-old is “Our target now is the second day morning press conference. Gacanin also noted that He it in a 94-minute tussle. Kuznetsova in the final, after the DOHA: Al Sailiya take on third placed place finish and everyone knows that Talking about the side’s progress also pointed out that their rivals are Kerber, who had her upper left Russian held off a strong challenge Al Sadd at the Al Ahli Stadium in their the next game is very important for this year, Bülent Uygun is proud of drawn in the same draw as them, for leg covered in heavy strapping, from Switzerland’s Timea Bacsin- Qatar Stars League tie today. This is us. I hope the team does their job as the efforts of his side so far. the end of season domestic competi- looked dead and buried on several szky 7-5 6-3 in searing afternoon an important match for both teams as they did in the previous two games,” “If Umm Salal finish in fifth place tion. “We play Al Ahli and Al Wakrah occasions in the second set but was heat. the Qatar Stars League is approach- said the experienced 69-year-old. this is good for the whole club. We in the cup as well. So we need to be able to stay alive with a gutsy break The 15th-seed relied on a never- ing its final three matches. Meanwhile, Al Arabi head coach will push the quality overall and lead prepared. Al Ahli performed well in when Azarenka served for the match say-die attitude and a powerful Al Sailiya currently sit in seventh Gianfranco Zola has endured a frus- us to better things in the future.” their last couple of games so we are at 5-4. baseline game as she improved position, having obtained 32 points trating season with the Dream Team, At the Al Arabi Stadium this after- looking forward to a tough game,” Parity was short-lived, however, her career record to 3-0 against from 23 games. After a draw against with the Italian coach admitting he noon, bottom side Mesaimeer take on added the Croatian tactician. as Kerber handed back the break in the Swiss, ending the match with a Qatar SC in their last game, Al Sailiya doesn’t know what side will turn up in form Al Ahli. Al Ahli has grabbed all six points the next game and Azarenka did crunching backhand crosscourt win- will be hoping to get the three points for the Umm Salal match. This match will be good prepara- from their last two games and they not waste another opportunity to ner after nearly two hours on court. in this game to improve their position “I’m optimistic for the match, we tion for the Emir cup for Mesaimeer will be hoping to continue this good seal the deal to move one win away Kuznetsova, who pulled off a in the league. have trained well. I am curious to see and a must win for Al Ahli if they are form against struggling Mesaimeer. from a third Miami title and second stunning upset when she ousted “In our last game against Qatar, what performance my side will pro- to stay in the league. Stanislav Moravec, Assistant coach straight tournament triumph. world number one Williams in the we talked about the positive outcomes duce,” he said. Mesaimeer are already relegated of Al Ahli is happy with his team’s “I am very happy I stayed really fourth round, won a tight opening with our team. We know that Umm Despite the inconstancy, Zola has from the QSL with only five points recent form and his hoping to get the strong in the end and actually started set after ending a brilliant baseline Salal and Al Sadd are ahead of us so confirmed he is doing all he can to from 23 games. However, they have three points against Mesaimeer. really well,” Azarenka, who beat Ser- slugfest between the two with an we are hoping to improve our posi- change the fortunes of his side. the Emir Cup to look forward to after “We are happy we got six points ena Williams to claim the Indian overhead smash. tion in the table. We are ready for this Umm Salal come into the tie fol- the domestic season ends. from our last two games but it’s not Wells title on March 20, said in a Though she failed to hold serve game and to play against Al Sadd is lowing a victory against Al Wakrah Rodion Gacanin, the head coach over yet and we will hope our play- courtside interview. in the first game of the second set, not easy,” said Farikh Mussad, the and know that a victory can effec- of Mesaimeer is pleased to have Bra- ers can give the maximum in the “I started to dictate (early) and the Russian broke her 19th-seeded Deputy Coach of Al Sailiya. tively end Al Arabi’s slim chances of zilian striker Erivelto Da Silva back remaining games. I hope we beat I think the beginning was really opponent in the second and fourth Al Sadd are in high spirits after a getting into the Qatar Cup. in the side. Mesaimeer to improve our chances important,” she added of the victory games to lead 3-1, then fought back pulsating victory against Lekhwiya. Head coach Bülent Uygun was “Erivelto da Silva will come back of staying in the first division,” he over the Australian Open champion. from 15-40 down on serve in the Jesualdo Ferreira, head coach of eager to praise his opponent. (to the team) and I’m happy for that. added. “She’s such a fighter and an ninth to seal victory.

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FAJR 04.08 am ZUHR 11.38 am MAGHRIB 05.53 pm HIGH TIDE 07:30 - 20:00 Misty at places at first and partly cloudy to SHOROOK 05.25 am ASR 03.06 pm ISHA 07.23 pm LOW TIDE 01:00 - 14:00 cloudy with chance of scattered rain maybe thundery at times.

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A Beluga whale and a trainer interact during a performance at Tianjin Haichang Polar Ocean World in Tianjin, China, yesterday.

INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY World’s largest floral chandelier in Singapore

IANS from a height of 13M, measures about This year’s Singapore Garden Fes- city in a garden. Between April 1 17 metres by 10M. tival, which is set to be the largest to May 28, more than 8,000 plants It is made from over 60,000 flow- edition, will return for its sixth edi- will be put up for adoption at various ers, and will be displayed at Marina tion from July 23 to 31, marking 10 spots including Marina Square, Raf- SINGAPORE: A giant floral chan- Square Atrium till April 3, XInhua years since it started in 2006. fles Place Park, Singapore Botanic Sunset in delier, which is believed to be the reported. It was put together by Law- SGF yesterday also launched Gardens. Doha. Pic world’s largest of its kind, was put rence Wong, minister for National the “Adopt-A-Plant” initiative to A variety of plant species will by Baher up ahead of the upcoming Singa- Development and 260 students, encourage a love for gardening be distributed, including the peace Amin pore Garden Festival (SGF) yesterday. community gardeners, corporate vol- among Singaporeans, and inspire lily, painted net-leaf and variegated The floral chandelier, hanging unteers and NParks staff over five days. the community to co-create the peperomia.

Designer Hedi Slimane to leave Swiss and Swedish generals uphold Korean truce their way

Yves Saint Laurent Reuters uphold a fragile armistice in place of a North Koreans the minutes of its pro- side-by-side against a US-backed The NNSC also operates an edu- peace treaty. Originally a four-nation ceedings in a wooden mail box. South Korea, which joined forces cation programme, travelling to PARIS: Designer Hedi Slimane — commission including representatives “Since May 1995, they’ve never under the UN flag. South Korean frontline units to lec- the man credited with creating the on the North Korean side from Poland emptied that pigeon hole,” said Swiss US troops now in South Korea are ture on the armistice that ended skinny jeans look — quit the French PANMUNJOM, South Korea: In a tiny and the former Czechoslovakia, only Major General Urs Gerber. under the command of a US general hostilities in 1953. And it is that doc- fashion label Yves Saint Laurent mess hall set amid pine trees and rose the Swedes and Swiss remain, based “Their argument is they can’t take who also heads the United Nations ument, not the Swedish, Swiss or US yesterday after four years at the bushes on the heavily fortified Korean in 1950s-era huts just metres from mail from an organisation which Command — the only active UN fight- capitals, from which the NNSC takes brand. border, a lunch of steak and asparagus North Korea. doesn’t exist,” said Gerber, who ing force in the world. its orders. His departure was announced is served. Outside, birdsong competes The camp is staffed by five this week presided over the group’s North Korea stopped recognis- “Only a peace treaty or war would in a brief statement by YSL’s parent with the drone of North Korean loud- Swedish and five Swiss officers, a 3,500th meeting. The NNSC empties ing the NNSC in 1995 when it expelled end our operation here,” said Gerber. group Kering which paid tribute to speakers blaring propaganda. fraction of the 200 based there in the mail box every few months to stop the Polish delegation after the Soviet A bright red Swiss Club houses a the way “he has brought back its “This is the best restaurant in the mid-1950s. it overflowing. Union collapsed. Two years earlier it pool table and is decorated with cow utmost modernity and fashion the DMZ,” says Major General Mats The NNSC holds weekly meet- Isolated North Korea and the had kicked out its Czechoslovakian bells, while its Swedish counterpart authority.” Engman, who heads the Swedish ings in a light blue hut straddling rich, democratic South are still tech- delegation after the country split into has a fireplace and Viking helmet. Los Angeles-based Slimane’s delegation to the Neutral Nations the border inside the Demilitarised nically at war after the 1950-53 Slovakia and the Czech Republic. “It’s like a resort here,” said Eng- exit has been long predicted, with Supervisory Commission (NNSC), set Zone (DMZ), the world’s most heav- conflict ended in the armistice, not a “They call us a ghost organisa- man, a Swedish air force general. “It’s clear signs for some time that all up after the 1950-53 Korean War to ily defended frontier, sharing with the treaty. China and North Korea fought tion,” said Gerber. nice and quiet. The air is fresh”. was not well despite his legion of celebrity fans and rocketing profits. The 47-year-old Parisian was accused by some of denigrating the hallowed legacy of the label’s Crane brings good luck founder Yves Saint Laurent with his grungy rock star chic inspired by the American west coast music scene. to Taiwan wetlands Others, however, praised him for invigorating the brand which had been in danger of stagnating. Kering Chief Executive Fran- AFP way further south. However, in some cois-Henri Pinault paid tribute to areas of the island waterbird num- the designer. “(What) Yves Saint bers are down due to the destruction Laurent has achieved over the TAIPEI: It has a Facebook page, two of habitats. past four years represents a unique books and its own brand of rice. A There had never been any chapter in the history of the House. Siberian crane that landed in Taiwan reported sightings of the rare white “I am very grateful to Hedi Sli- after getting lost on migration over crane in Taiwan until December 2014 mane, and the whole Yves Saint a year ago even made international when the crane first made the wet- Laurent team, for having set the headlines when it was found wander- lands after taking a wrong turn on its path... which will grant longevity ing outside a train station. migratory route. to this legendary brand.” But to conservationists, the crane It hit the headlines again last win- Profits have skyrocketed since known as is more than just a flash- ter when it was found wandering Slimane has been in charge, with in-the-pan media star. It is a godsend around a subway station in Taipei and A Siberian crane, Grus leucogeranus, searching for food next to a farmer at a rice field of Jinshan district revenue doubling as he gave the in their push for environmentally was returned once more to Jinshan. in New Taipei City. haute couture brand a street style friendly farming as the island’s birds The Siberian crane is on the Inter- edge. “At the end of a four-year suffer at the hands of development national Union for Conservation of rice and lotus field is nicknamed “little of pests, more farmers in the area rice”—which combines Jinshan and mission, which has led to the com- and pollution. Nature’s red list of critically endan- crane base” since the bird took resi- agreed to go green to protect the bird’s the Chinese word for crane “Ho”— plete repositioning of the brand, Taiwan is a mid-point stop on gered species with an estimated dence there. “When I work, the crane health, a boost for ecologists, who had were sold out months before the the Maison Yves Saint Laurent one of the world’s eight major migra- population of less than 4,000. follows me around. It’s like a friend to until then been struggling to persuade harvest. announces the departure of Hedi tory routes and a wintering ground “I didn’t expect the crane to stay. I me. It’s been helpful by eating a lot of them to stop using pesticides, rat poi- The eco-friendly farming area in Slimane as its Creative and Image for numerous waterbirds from Sibe- thought it would fly away very soon,” apple snails (a pest) in the field.” sons and herbicide. Jinshan has now expanded from 3.5 Director,” Kering said. ria, China, Japan and Korea on their said farmer Huang Cheng-chun, whose As the crane helped rid them Last year, pre-orders for “Jin Ho to 10 hectares.