Yemen seeks talks with Houthis

MARCH 28, 2015 | JUMADA AL THANIA 7, 1436 AH
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HM condolences
…‘˜‡›‡†–‘
‹‰ƒ’‘”‡
SAYYID Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, Secretary-General at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed condolences of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to Singa’‘”‡ ”‹‡ ‹‹•–‡” ‡‡ •‹‡
‘‘‰ ƒ† –‘ –Š‡ ‰‘˜‡”‡–
and people of Singapore on the
†‡ƒ–Š ‘ˆ ‡‡ —ƒ ‡™ǡ ‹‰ƒpore’s former prime minister.
PICTURE ON PAGE2
Inside...
Pandey appointed
India’s new Oman
ambassador
INDIA on Friday appointed Indra
Mani Pandey, a 1990-batch Indian
‘”‡‹‰ ‡”˜‹…‡ ‘ˆϐ‹…‡” ƒ• ‹–• ‡™
ambassador to Oman. Presently
serving as deputy chief of Mission
in Embassy of India at Paris, Pandey
was appointed India’s ambassador
to Oman in place of J S Mukul, said
ƒ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ •–ƒ–‡‡–Ǥ ——Ž Šƒ•
been appointed as India’s new Ambassador to the Netherlands.
See Page 2
White House crafts
ϐ‹”•–Ǧ‡˜‡”’Žƒ–‘
ϐ‹‰Š–•—’‡”„—‰•
THE White House is due to issue an
ambitious plan to slow the growing and deadly problem of antibi‘–‹… ”‡•‹•–ƒ…‡ ‘˜‡” –Š‡ ‡š– ϐ‹˜‡
years, one that requires massive
investments and policy changes
from a broad array of US government health agencies, according
to a copy of the report reviewed. A
Š‹–‡‘—•‡‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ…‘ϐ‹”‡†–Šƒ–
it would release the plan on Friday.
See Page 8
Apple CEO Tim Cook
to donate all his
money to charity
Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook
is joining the roster of the very rich
who are giving away their wealth.
Fortune magazine cited the head of
the world’s largest technology corporation as saying he planned to
donate his estimated $785 million
fortune to charity — after paying
for his 10-year-old nephew’s college
education.
See Page 9
His Highness Sayyid Asaad bin Tareq al Said, Representative of His
Majesty Sultan Qaboos, who is representing His Majesty at Arab
Summit of the Council of the Arab League, met Egypt President
Abdel Fattah al Sisi on Friday. They discussed matters of mutual
interest. — ONA
People in Rustaq celebrate His Majesty’s return on Friday. See also page 2
Yemen seeks talks with Houthis
ADEN — Yemeni Foreign Minister
Riyadh Yaseen on Friday said the
door was still open for dialogue with
the Houthis while in a Facebook posting President Abedrabbo Mansour
Hadi urged Yemenis to be patient,
saying Houthis would soon be gone.
Yemen’s beleaguered government
said Saudi-led air strikes against its
Houthi militia opponents would not
last long on the second day of a Gulf
Arab-led campaign against the militia
–Šƒ– …‘—Ž† ‡•…ƒŽƒ–‡ ƒ ’”‘š› …‘ϐŽ‹…–
spreading through the region.
Houthi militia and allied army
units seized the southern city of
Shaqra in Abyan province on Friday,
”‡•‹†‡–••ƒ‹†ǡ‰ƒ‹‹‰–Š‡‹”ϐ‹”•–ˆ‘‘–hold on the Arabian Sea. Their entry
into the city means they control all
the land entries to the port of Aden,
some 100 km (60 miles) to the southwest, which is the last base of their
embattled enemy.
Warplanes targeted Houthi forces
controlling Yemen’s capital and their
northern heartland on Friday and,
in a boost for Riyadh, Morocco said
it would join the rapidly-assembled
coalition against Houthis.
Tribes in Yemen’s oil producing
Marib region said they supported the
air campaign, but Houthi forces advanced south despite the air strikes
and Pakistan, named by Saudi Arabia
on Thursday as a partner, said it had
made no decision on whether to contribute.
President Hadi stops in
Muscat for treatment
Armed Yemeni supporters of the southern seperatist movement in Aden
on Saturday. — AFP
‘—–Š‹ ϐ‹‰Š–‡”• ƒ† ˆ‘”…‡• ƒŽŽ‹‡†
to Saleh entered the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa on Friday through the central province of
Bayda, extending their reach into the
south, according to tribal sources.
Š‡ϐ‹‰Š–‡”•‡–‡”‡†–Š‡…‹–›‘ˆ‘dar in Abyan after clashes with tribal
forces loyal to Hadi, and also took
over Bayhan in Shabwa, where they
faced less resistance.
Residents said aircraft targeted
bases around Sanaa of Republican
Guards allied to the Houthis, including one near the presidential compound in a southern district, around
dawn and also struck near a military
installation that houses missiles.
The Republican Guards are loyal to
former president Ali Abdullah Saleh,
the Houthi’s main ally who retains
wide power despite having stepped
CAIRO — Yemen’s President
Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi arrived in Egypt on Friday for a
™‡‡‡† ”ƒ„ ‡ƒ‰—‡ •—‹–
at which his country takes centre stage amid Saudi-led coalition attacks on Houthis. At the
summit venue Sharm el Sheikh,
he was greeted by President
Abdel Fattah al Sisi. On Thurs†ƒ›ǡ ƒ†‹ ϐŽ‡™ –‘ –Š‡ …ƒ’‹–ƒŽ ‘ˆ
Saudi Arabia, which the same
day launched air strikes against
Houthis at his request. He arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday by way of Oman, where a
ˆ‘”‡‹‰‹‹•–”›‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ƒ‹†Š‡
had a medical check up before
heading on to the kingdom.
down in 2011 after Arab Spring protests. Earlier air strikes south of the
city and in the oil-producing Marib
region appeared to target military in•–ƒŽŽƒ–‹‘•ƒŽ•‘ƒˆϐ‹Ž‹ƒ–‡†™‹–ŠƒŽ‡ŠǤ
Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed
Asseri, spokesman for the operation,
said there were no plans at this stage
for ground force operations, but if the
need arose, ground forces would repel “any aggression.” — AFP
More airlines
adopt ‘rule of
two’ in cockpit
ǣ German and Austrian airlines on Friday joined other international carriers in adopting a new
safety rule to ensure two crew are
in a plane’s cockpit at all times.
The move came after German™‹‰• …‘Ǧ’‹Ž‘– †”‡ƒ• —„‹–œ
is thought to have deliberately
slammed an Airbus A320 into a
mountain in France on Tuesday, killing all 150 aboard, after locking the
captain out of the cockpit.
US regulators have long required
a crew member to sit in the locked
cockpit if one of the plane’s two pilots needs to go to the toilet or leave
for another reason.
Strict procedures to securely lock
cockpit doors have became standard since the September 11, 2001
attacks to prevent hijackers from
taking control of civilian aircraft.
On Thursday, Canada ordered
its airlines to also impose the twoperson regulation, affecting Air
Canada, Westjet and charter airline
Air Transat. The same day British
airline easyJet, Norwegian Air Shut–Ž‡ ƒ† …‡Žƒ†ƒ‹” ƒŽ•‘ …‘ϐ‹”‡†
policy changes. On Friday, German
ƒ˜‹ƒ–‹‘‹†—•–”›„‘†›ƒ†–Š‡
transport ministry agreed to the
”—Ž‡ˆ‘”—ˆ–Šƒ•ƒǡ‹…Ž—†‹‰‹–••—„sidiary Germanwings, as well as Air
‡”Ž‹ǡ‘†‘”ƒ†ϐŽ›ǤȄ
ǧ ǡ ǡ See Page 6
Facebook successfully flies solar powered drone to deliver wireless Internet
ȅ Facebook
co-founder Mark Zuckerberg on
Thursday proclaimed the successful
test of a wide-winged, solar powered
drone built to deliver wireless Internet service to remote spots.
Š‡–‡•–ϐŽ‹‰Š–‘ˆƒ†”‘‡’”‘–‘–›’‡
dubbed “Aquila” took place in Britain
and was considered a milestone in an
internet.org project to bring online
access to billions more people around
the planet.
“Aircraft like these will help connect the whole world because they
can affordably serve the 10 per cent
of the world’s population that live in
remote communities without existing
Internet infrastructure,” Zuckerberg
said in a post on his Facebook timeline.
“Aircraft like these will help connect the whole world because they
can affordably serve the 10 per cent of the world’s population that
live in remote communities without existing Internet infrastructure,”
Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook timeline.
The unpiloted aerial vehicle, or
drone, has a wingspan greater than
that of a Boeing 737 passenger jet
and weighs about as much as a small
…ƒ”ǡƒ…‡„‘‘…Š‹‡ˆ–‡…Š‘Ž‘‰›‘ˆϐ‹…‡”
Mike Schroepfer told a packed audience at the social network’s annual
gathering of developers in San Francisco. “The idea is to loiter over an
area for months at a time and beam
down Internet service,” Schroepfer
said.
Drones powered by the sun will
ϐŽ›ƒ–ƒŽ–‹–—†‡•‘ˆ͸ͲǡͲͲͲˆ‡‡–‘”Š‹‰Šer and be able to remain aloft for
months, according to Zuckerberg.
Schroepfer estimated that anywhere from one billion to three billion
people lack access to the Internet that
most of those attending the develop-
ers conference likely took for granted.
Connecting everyone to the Internet is one of the core challenges
Facebook intends to tackle in coming
years, according to Schroepfer.
He laid out a Facebook vision of
‡ˆϐ‹…‹‡–ǡƒ••‹˜‡†ƒ–ƒ…‡–‡”•–‘’”‘vide online services to all of those
people, along with making computers smart enough to help deal with
the inevitable overload of information
ϐŽ‘‘†‹‰–Š‡–‡”‡–Ǥ
ƒ…‡„‘‘ ƒ†‡ ƒ ƒ”–‹ϐ‹…‹ƒŽ ‹–‡Žligence “memory network” breakthrough on a path to getting machines
to recognise images or videos and
give context to words, according to
Schroepfer.
Facebook’s future includes conceptually teleporting social network
users with virtual reality technology from Oculus, which the California
company bought last year in a deal
valued at $2 billion. The latest version
Oculus headgear, called Crescent Bay,
was being shown off at the gathering.
Getting developers to build fun,
hip, or functional applications for devices or platforms is seen as crucial to
success in markets.
Other virtual reality gear is in the
works from Japanese electronics giant
Sony, while Valve and Taiwan-based
smartphone maker HTC are working
together on Vive virtual reality headgear. South Korean consumer elec–”‘‹…•–‹–ƒƒ•—‰‹•ϐ‹‡Ž†‹‰
‡ƒ”
VR headsets powered by Oculus technology. — AFP
2
OMAN
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
HM’s condolences to Singapore
Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, received
at his residence in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, on Friday Dr Nabil Elaraby SecretaryGeneral of Arab League. The meeting discussed the current situation in Yemen
and other issues regarding the peace process in the Middle East. They also
exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest. — ONA
SINGAPORE: Sayyid
Badr bin Hamad
al Busaidi, Secretary-General at the
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, conveyed
condolences
of
His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
and to the government and people of
Singapore on the
death of Lee Kuan
Yew,
Singapore’s
former prime minister.
The
message
was
conveyed
during a meeting
Sayyid Badr had
with the Singapore
prime minister on
Friday. — ONA
5000-strong
ISM students
family
expresses joy
SALALAH CELEBRATES HM RETURN
By Kaushalendra Singh
SALALAH — The residents of Salalah
decided to spend their weekend differently and perfectly by taking part
in the rally to show loyalty to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, who is back in the
country after successful treatment in
Germany. This was one of the biggest
rallies held in Salalah.
The rally that started from the
Grand Mosque culminated at the main
gate of the Al Husn Palace. The rally
was led by Sayyid Mohammed bin
Sultan bin Hamoud al Busaidy, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar,
along with Shaikh Khalid bin Omar al
Marhoon, Minister of Civil Service; Dr
ƒ•Š‡‡† „‹ ƒϐ‹ ƒŽ —”ƒ‹„‹ǡ Šƒ‹”ƒ
of the Tender Board, Shaikh Abdullah
bin Saif al Mahrouqi, Deputy Governor
of Dhofar, dignitaries drawn from all
over Dhofar Governorate and a large
number of residents drawn from all
walks of life.
The route, Al Nahda Street, was
blocked from all sides for smooth sailing of the rally, as thousands of people
took part in it. The crowd swelled with
participation of enthusiasts and their
merger in the main rally at every interjunction right from the ROP signal up
to the main gate of the Al Husn Palace.
Since the rally was planned in ad-
vance, the participants were seen in
best of their attires in Omani national
dresses, while a large number of them
from the mountain villages chose to
express their loyalty to His Majesty the
Sultan with folk arts, dances and bands
exclusive to their tradition and culture.
Many took part in the rally mounted on
their horses and camels as well.
Every participant had some national
symbol or the other and without fail
they were having a picture of His Maj‡•–›‡‹–Š‡”‘–Š‡‹”—ˆϐŽ‡”•ǡ’‘•–‡”•‹
their hands or specially designed caps
for the occasion.
Women and children were looking
very elegant in their Omani dresses
OAPGRC roadshow attracting crowds
By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — The Oman Animal and
Plant Genetic Resources Center
(OAPGRC) Treasures of Oman
Roadshow has now completed its
visits to Muscat, Rustaq, Sohar and
Khasab and is proving to be a huge
success.
“We had anticipated that the
Treasures of Oman Roadshow
would attract a lot of visitors but we
have been truly overwhelmed by its
popularity. The number of visitors
to the Roadshow has exceeded all
expectations,” said a delighted Dr
Nadiya al Saady, OAPGRC Executive
Director.
During its launch at Sultan
Qaboos University, the Roadshow
attracted 566 students from 14
schools along with 27 teachers.
While in Rustaq, the Roadshow was
visited by 1,104 children and 68
teachers from 26 schools and an
astounding 2,422 members of the
public. Sohar saw the Roadshow
welcome 1,040 visitors, this included 791 students plus 21 staff from
39 schools.
“The response to the Roadshow
is particularly gratifying because
of the important messages we are
communicating to our young people in particular,” explained Dr Al
Nadiya.
“Firstly, we want to raise awareness of the direct and indirect value
of genetic resources to all our lives
and encourage everyone to get involved in their preservation and
conservation. And secondly, we
want to show how much possibility
for the future is rooted in genetic resources — discoveries from plants,
animals, marine life and microbes
can feed and clothe us, as well gen‡”ƒ–‡ •‹‰‹ϐ‹…ƒ– ‡…‘‘‹… „‡‡ϐ‹–•
for Oman. We want to spark an interest in careers in science, in ge-
netic resources — from academia to
industry to entrepreneurship — so
–Šƒ––Š‡›‘—–Š‘ˆƒ…ƒ„‡‡ϐ‹–
from the growing number of opportunities that are opening up.”
Aimed at introducing the wonder and importance of Oman’s
amazing wealth of biodiversity to
children aged 8 to 12, the Roadshow’s next stop will be in Khasab
23-24 March. Carried to each of
its destinations on a uniquely designed, adapted and branded truck,
–Š‡ ‘ƒ†•Š‘™ Šƒ• ˆ‘—” ˆ—Ǧϐ‹ŽŽ‡†
sections, one each for the animal,
plant, marine and microbial kingdoms.
TREASURES OF OMAN ROADSHOW DATES
z Al Buraimi: March 29 - 30
z Ibri: April 1 - 2
z Nizwa: April 5 - 9
z Ibra: April 12 - 13
z Sur: April 15 - 16
z Haima: April 20 - 21
z Salalah: April 26 - 30
singing soft folklores of Dhofar. The rally was divided in groups but uniquely,
beating of drums, pipes and other traditional musical instruments were supporting the songs of other groups.
There was huge participation from
expatriate communities, clubs and associations. Indian, Sudanese, Pakistani,
Bangladeshi, Somali, Egyptian and
many others sections participated in
the rally through their representative
clubs, while different wings of sports
clubs took part in the rally dressed in
their club uniforms.
A brief poetry recitation was also
held at the main gate of the Al Husn
Palace, as everyone was seen in a fes-
tive mood.
All through the route there was arrangement for water, while some enthusiasts distributed sweets among the
participants. An umbrella of clouds and
sudden cool breeze, however, made the
rally very smooth and none of the participants were seen sweating or running for water.
More functions are lined up in coming days in different wilayats of Dhofar.
Mirbat is hosting an open day on Saturday in which there would be various activities whole day ranging from
dance, —•‹…ǡ •’‘”–• ƒ† ϐ‹•Š‹‰ ƒ…–‹˜‹ties.
— Picture by Hamed al Khatiri
MUSCAT — Srinivas K
Naidu (pictured), Principal, Indian School Muscat, who is in Oman since
1992, says all the nationals along with the people
of Oman celebrate the return of His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos. It is a glorious occasion for each and every
person in the Sultanate.
It is obvious that His Majesty the Sultan has been
adored, respected and
heeded to.
The nation’s Renaissance has been brought
about with his visionary leadership. His Majesty the Sultan has transformed this country into a
modern state. His return
to his mother land in excellent health is a momentous occasion for all of us
here. It is an occasion to
celebrate because one of
the world’s greatest leaders has returned to his
beloved mother land to be
with his people.
The Indian School
Muscat family consisting
of all the students, staff,
parents, and the members of the school managing committee joins
the people of this great
nation and expresses its
solidarity with this peaceful and prosperous nation
and His Majesty. We also
pray earnestly that the
Almighty blesses His Majesty with good health and
long life, and the country
and its people are blessed
abundantly.
India appoints new ambassador to Oman
By R A K Singh
NEW DELHI — India on Friday appointed
Indra Mani Pandey, a 1990-batch Indian
‘”‡‹‰‡”˜‹…‡‘ˆϐ‹…‡”ƒ•‹–•‡™ƒ„ƒ•sador to the Sultanate of Oman.
Currently serving as deputy chief of
Mission in Embassy of India at Paris in
France, Pandey was appointed India’s ambassador to Oman in place of the outgoing
Indian envoy to the Sultanate J S Mukul,
•ƒ‹†ƒ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•–ƒ–‡‡–‘ˆ–Š‡‹‹•–”›‘ˆ
External Affairs.
Š‡ ͳͻͺͳǦ„ƒ–…Š ‘ˆϐ‹…‡” ——Žǡ ‹
turn, has been appointed as India’s next
Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said the
MEA statement adding that the two diplomats are to take
their new assignments shortly.
Pandey has been serving as the deputy chief of Indian
mission at Paris since January 14, 2013.
A seasoned diplomat with remarkable control over a
slew of languages, including Arabic and French, Pandey
earlier served as India’s Consul-General at Guangzhou (China) during from January 2010 to December 2012.
He has also served, in various capacities, at Indian Missions at Cairo (Egypt), Damascus (Syria), Islamabad (Pa-
kistan), Kabul (Afghanistan) and Geneva
(Switzerland).
He also had the opportunity to serve
in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters in New Delhi,
specially in the MEA divisions of West Asia
North Africa (WANA); Consular, Passport
and Visa (CPV); Counter Terrorism Cell
(CTC), Americas (AMS); and Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Maldives (BSM).
During 1998-99, he attended the Foreign Service Programme at Oxford University, UK. He had also attended the annual 49th Course on National Security and
Strategy, conducted by National Defence
College, New Delhi, in 2009. Besides Arabic and French,
Pandey speaks English and Hindi.
India’s outgoing ambassador to Oman, Mukul, is an ardent admirer of Oman’s infrastructure, cleanliness and its
beauty, besides friendly, kind and hospitable nature of the
people of Oman.
Having joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1981, Mukul
has held diplomatic positions in Damascus, Abu Dhabi,
Kandy, Colombo, Geneva, Riyadh, Munich and now as Ambassador of India in Muscat, apart from postings at MEA
headquarters in New Delhi.
3
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
REGION
Fierce clashes for Syria’s Idlib
UN orders
probe into Libya
rights abuses
BEIRUT — Dissidents made fresh advances on Friday on the edges of Idlib
…‹–› ‹ ‘”–Š™‡•– ›”‹ƒǡ ƒˆ–‡” ϐ‹‡”…‡
clashes that have left dozens of dead,
ƒ‘‹–‘”‹‰‰”‘—’•ƒ‹†Ǥ
DzŠ‡ϐ‹‰Š–‡”•Šƒ˜‡ƒ†˜ƒ…‡†‘–Š‡
northwestern and southeastern sides
of the city,” said Rami Abdel Rahman,
head of the Britain-based Syrian Ob•‡”˜ƒ–‘”›ˆ‘”—ƒ‹‰Š–•Ǥ
“There are very violent clashes,
and last night 26 militants and four
”‡‰‹‡•‘Ž†‹‡”•™‡”‡‹ŽŽ‡†ǡdzŠ‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ
An activist from the area said civil‹ƒ•™‡”‡–”ƒ’’‡†‹–Š‡‹”Š‘‡•Ǥ
“The humanitarian situation is
˜‡”›†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–ǤŠ‡”‡ƒ”‡”‡ˆ—‰‡‡•ˆ”‘
other parts of the country who are in
†Ž‹„ǡdz•ƒ‹†„”ƒŠ‹ƒŽ†Ž‹„‹Ǥ
On Tuesday, a new coalition of
rebels launched a coordinated attack
against Idlib city, which is held by
‰‘˜‡”‡–ˆ‘”…‡•Ǥ
Calling itself “The Army of Conquest,” the coalition is led by al Qaeda
ƒˆϐ‹Ž‹ƒ–‡ –Š‡ Ž —•”ƒ ”‘– ƒ† ‹…Ž—†‡••‡˜‡”ƒŽ‘–Š‡”‰”‘—’•Ǥ
The rebels have advanced using
Dz•–”‡‡– ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰ǡdz –ƒ‹‰ …‘–”‘Ž ‘ˆ
the city’s edges, neighbourhood by
neighbourhood, said another activ‹•–ǡŠƒŽ‡†ƒ‘—ǡ™Š‘‹•‹…‘–ƒ…–
™‹–Š”‡„‡Ž•‹†Ž‹„Ǥ……‘”†‹‰–‘„del Rahman, the Syrian army had sent
in reinforcements and carried out air
strikes on rebel positions on the out•‹”–•‘ˆ†Ž‹„Ǥ
The province of the same name is
largely under the control of Al Nusra,
but provincial capital Idlib city reƒ‹•‹”‡‰‹‡Šƒ†•Ǥ
If it falls to rebel groups, it would
be only the second provincial capital
lost by the regime after Raqa, which
is now the de facto capital of the IS
‰”‘—’Ǥ
‹…‡ ›”‹ƒǯ• …‘ϐŽ‹…– „‡‰ƒ ‹
March 2011, more than 215,000 people have been killed and around half
the country’s population has been
†‹•’Žƒ…‡†Ǥ
Meanwhile, President Bashar al
Assad said in an interview with Russian news channels that Syria would
welcome an increased Russian mili-
Ȅ Š‡ —ƒ ‹‰Š–•
Council decided on Friday to send a
mission to war-torn Libya to investigate a range of abuses by different
sides and help bring perpetrators to
Œ—•–‹…‡Ǥ
The 47-member rights body
adopted by consensus a resolution
asking the UN rights chief to “urgently” dispatch a team of investiga–‘”•–‘‹„›ƒǤ
The one-year mission would be
aimed at investigating violations
and abuses committed since the beginning of 2014, and to “establish
–Š‡ˆƒ…–•ƒ†…‹”…—•–ƒ…‡•ǤǤǤ™‹–Šƒ
˜‹‡™ –‘ǤǤǤ ‡•—”‹‰ ˆ—ŽŽ ƒ……‘—–ƒ„‹Ž‹–›ǡdz–Š‡–‡š–•ƒ‹†Ǥ
‹„›ƒŠƒ‹Ž‡†–Š‡†‡…‹•‹‘Ǥ
“There needs to be investigation
of violations of human rights to ensure there is no impunity in this
case,” Libyan representative Salwa
Ž‡‰Š‹Ž‹–‘Ž†–Š‡…‘—…‹ŽǤ
Libya has been in turmoil since
the 2011 overthrow of longtime
Ž‡ƒ†‡”—ƒƒ”
ƒ††ƒϐ‹‹ƒƒ–‘Ǧ
„ƒ…‡†—’”‹•‹‰Ǥ
It has had two parliaments and
governments since Tripoli was
seized in August 2014 by the Fajr
Libya militia coalition and the internationally recognised government
ϐŽ‡†–‘–Š‡…‘—–”›ǯ•ˆƒ”‡ƒ•–Ǥ
Adding to the chaos, the IS,
which already controls large
swathes of Iraq and Syria, has also
been receiving pledges of allegiance
from militant groups in Africa and
have seized control of Sirte, slain
ƒ††ƒϐ‹ǯ•Š‘‡–‘™Ǥ
Friday’s resolution, tabled by the
groups of African and Arab states,
along with a number of European
countries, including France and
Britain, condemned “in the strong‡•––‡”•ǤǤǤ–‡””‘”‹•–ƒ…–•Ǥdz
It decried the “hostage-taking
and violence committed against
…‹˜‹Ž‹ƒ• „› –Š‡ •‘Ǧ…ƒŽŽ‡† ǤǤǤ ƒ†
other organisations,” and harshly
criticised their “violence extremist
ideology and their continued gross,
systematic and widespread abuse of
Š—ƒ”‹‰Š–•ǤdzȄ
‘‡”‹•‡•ˆ”‘–Š‡ƒ†…‘‹Žƒ†
ƒ•”‡ϔ‹‡”›ƒˆ–‡”ƒƒ‹”•–”‹‡ƒŽŽ‡‰‡†Ž›„›ˆ‘”…‡•Ž‘›ƒŽ–‘••ƒ†‹–Š‡‘”–Š™‡•–‡”…‹–›‘ˆ†Ž‹„ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
–ƒ”› ’”‡•‡…‡ ƒ– ‹–• •‡ƒ ’‘”–•Ǥ Dz …ƒ
•ƒ›™‹–Š…‘’Ž‡–‡…‘ϐ‹†‡…‡–Šƒ–™‡
welcome any widening of the Russian
presence in the eastern Mediterranean and on Syrian coasts and ports,” in…Ž—†‹‰–Š‡’‘”–‘ˆƒ”–—•ǡ••ƒ†•ƒ‹†Ǥ
“For us, the larger this presence in
our neighbourhood, the better it is for
stability in this region,” he told jourƒŽ‹•–•Ǥ
Russia operates a naval base in
Tartus along Syria’s western shores
that includes warships, barracks and
™ƒ”‡Š‘—•‡•Ǥ
Set up under a 1971 security
agreement, Moscow has called its
Tartus presence “a supply and techni…ƒŽ’‘‹–ˆ‘”–Š‡—••‹ƒƒ˜›dzǤ
Assad told the reporters of eight
news channels that Russian military
support to Syria “has continued”
throughout the past four years of war
‹Š‹•…‘—–”›Ǥ
‡ ƒŽ•‘ ™‡Ž…‘‡† —••‹ƒǯ• ”‘Ž‡ ‹
hosting a second round of peace talks
but said the negotiating parties must
‘–„‡‹ϐŽ—‡…‡†„›‡š–‡”ƒŽ’Žƒ›‡”•Ǥ
The Western-backed opposition
National Coalition which insists on
Assad’s ouster has announced it will
„‘›…‘–––Š‡’”‹Ž͸Ǧͻ–ƒŽ•Ǥ
“For the success of these talks, the
negotiating parties must be inde’‡†‡– ƒ† —•– ”‡ϐŽ‡…– ™Šƒ– –Š‡
Syrian people, with all of their differ‡–’‘Ž‹–‹…ƒŽ˜‹‡™•ǡ™ƒ–ǡdz••ƒ†•ƒ‹†Ǥ
“Today, people would not accept
that their future, their fate, or their
rules are decided from outside,” he
•ƒ‹†ǤDz•‘Ž—–‹‘–‘–Š‡›”‹ƒ…”‹•‹•‹•
not impossible — if the Syrian people
sit with each other and discuss, then
™‡ǯŽŽ ‰‡– ”‡•—Ž–•ǡdz Š‡ •ƒ‹†Ǥ ••ƒ† •ƒ‹†
Western countries, including the US,
France, and Britain, “don’t want a political solution” in Syria and were be‹‰DzŠ›’‘…”‹–‹…ƒŽdzǤ
“To them, a political solution
means changing the state, the fall of
the state and replacing it with a state
–Šƒ–™‘”•ˆ‘”–Š‡ǡdzŠ‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ
“It doesn’t matter to us if they say
–Š‡ ’”‡•‹†‡– ™‹ŽŽ ˆƒŽŽ ‘” •–ƒ› ǤǤǤ †
it doesn’t matter to us if they say a
president is legitimate or not,” Assad
•ƒ‹†ǤȄ
Iran, six powers demand mutual Iraq paramilitaries decide Tikrit
concessions in tense nuclear talks pullback, say commanders
Tehran and six
ƒŒ‘”’‘™‡”•Ȅ
the United States,
”‹–ƒ‹ǡ”ƒ…‡ǡ
‡”ƒ›ǡ—••‹ƒ
ƒ†Š‹ƒȄƒ”‡
meeting in Lausanne,
Switzerland, to
hammer out a
political framework
accord by the end of
this month
US Secretary of State John Kerry (centre L) and US Secretary of Energy
Ernest Moniz cross paths during a lunch break in negotiations with
”ƒ‹ƒ‘ˆϔ‹…‹ƒŽ•‘”‹†ƒ›‹ƒ—•ƒ‡ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Major
powers and Iran were pushing each
other for concessions on Friday ahead
of an end-March deadline for a preliminary nuclear deal, with Tehran
demanding an immediate end to sanctions and freedom to continue sensi–‹˜‡ƒ–‘‹…”‡•‡ƒ”…Šǡ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ••ƒ‹†Ǥ
Tehran and six major powers —
the United States, Britain, France,
Germany, Russia and China — are
meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland,
to hammer out a political framework
accord by the end of this month that
would lay the foundations for a full
†‡ƒŽ„›—‡͵ͲǤ
†‡” ƒ ϐ‹ƒŽ •‡––Ž‡‡–ǡ ‡Š”ƒ
would halt sensitive nuclear work for
at least a decade and in exchange, in–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽƒ†‘‹Ž•ƒ…–‹‘•
‘ ”ƒ ™‘—Ž† „‡ Ž‹ˆ–‡†Ǥ Š‹• ™‘—Ž†
aim to end Iran’s 12-year nuclear
standoff with the West and reduce
–Š‡”‹•‘ˆ™ƒ”‹–Š‡‹††Ž‡ƒ•–Ǥ
While all sides agree they are moving closer to a deal, there are major
†‹•ƒ‰”‡‡‡–•Ǥ
Tehran insists on the freedom to
continue research on advanced centrifuges, machines that purify uranium for use in nuclear power plants
or, if very highly enriched, in weapons, at the underground Fordow site,
and immediate lifting of all UN sanctions and the most severe US and Eu”‘’‡ƒ‹‘•ƒ…–‹‘•Ǥ
“There has been massive progress
on all the issues,” a senior Iranian ofϐ‹…‹ƒŽ •ƒ‹†Ǥ DzŠ‡”‡ ƒ”‡ •–‹ŽŽ †‹•’—–‡•
over two issues — R&D (research
ƒ††‡˜‡Ž‘’‡–Ȍƒ†•ƒ…–‹‘•Ǥdz
‡•–‡”‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ…Ž‘•‡–‘–Š‡–ƒŽ•
…‘ϐ‹”‡† –Šƒ– …‡–”‹ˆ—‰‡ ”‡•‡ƒ”…Š
and enrichment in general remained
–Š‡‘•–†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–—”‡•‘Ž˜‡†‹••—‡Ǥ
The foreign minister of France,
which negotiators say has demanded
the most stringent limits on future
Iranian nuclear activity if it is to support a deal, made clear there was
more work to do while playing down
–Š‡‹’‘”–ƒ…‡‘ˆ–Š‡†‡ƒ†Ž‹‡Ǥ
“The important thing is the content not the deadline,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters
ƒ– –Š‡ ‹–‡† ƒ–‹‘• ‹ ‡™ ‘”Ǥ
“There has been some progress, but
there are things which are not yet
•‘Ž˜‡†Ǥdz
Fabius is due to arrive in Lausanne
‘ ƒ–—”†ƒ›Ǥ ‹• ”‹–‹•Š ƒ† —••‹ƒ
…‘—–‡”’ƒ”–• Šƒ˜‡ ƒŽ•‘ …‘ϐ‹”‡†
that they will join the talks over the
™‡‡‡†Ǥ Š‡ ‡’—„Ž‹…ƒǦŽ‡† Congress has threatened to impose
new US sanctions on Iran if there is
no March deal, against the advice of
President Barack Obama, who has
–Š”‡ƒ–‡‡†–‘˜‡–‘ƒ›•—…Š‘˜‡•Ǥ
The United States and European
partners are reluctant to allow Iran
to operate centrifuges at the Fordow
•‹–‡ǡ ‡•–‡” ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• •ƒ‹†ǡ ƒ††‹‰
–Šƒ––Š‡‹••—‡™ƒ•—”‡•‘Ž˜‡†Ǥ
An Iranian government website
said in November that Washington
could let Iran keep some 6,000 earlygeneration centrifuges, down from
‡ƒ”Ž›ͳͲǡͲͲͲ‘™‹‘’‡”ƒ–‹‘Ǥ
After meeting US Secretary of
State John Kerry on Friday, Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif told reporters outside the 19th
century hotel where the talks are
taking place that it was unclear if
there would be a deal in the coming
†ƒ›•ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
AWJA, Iraq — Iraq’s volunteer Popular Mobilisation units, which had
played a leading role in the ongoing
assault on Tikrit, are freezing their
participation in offensive operations,
…‘ƒ†‡”••ƒ‹†‘”‹†ƒ›Ǥ
Š‡‘”‰ƒ‹•ƒ–‹‘Ȅ…ƒŽŽ‡†ƒ•Š‡†
Shaabi in Arabic — had repeatedly
voiced its opposition to the involvement of the United States, which
Žƒ—…Š‡†‹–•ϐ‹”•–ƒ‹”•–”‹‡•‘‹”‹–
‘‡†‡•†ƒ›Ǥ
Several commanders from the
Badr organisation, a militia whose
Ž‡ƒ†‡”ƒ†‹ƒŽ‡”‹‹•ƒ•‡‹‘”ϐ‹‰—”‡
‹–Š‡ƒ•Š‡†Šƒƒ„‹ǡ•ƒ‹†–Š‡‰”‘—’
was pulling back but not out of the
‘’‡”ƒ–‹‘Ǥ
“We consider this a break until the
coalition issue is resolved,” one com-
mander, who gave his name as Baqir,
•ƒ‹†‹™ŒƒǡŒ—•–•‘—–Š‘ˆ‹”‹–Ǥ
Š‡ƒ•Š‡†Šƒƒ„‹ƒ……‘—–ˆ‘”–Š‡
bulk of the various government and
allied forces who have been trying,
since March 2, to dislodge diehard
IS militants holed up in the centre of
‹”‹–Ǥ
Another Badr commander conϐ‹”‡† –Š‡ ’—ŽŽ„ƒ…ǡ ™Š‹…Š Š‡ •ƒ‹†
was a result of “international pres•—”‡dzǤ
The Iraqi government eventually
requested strikes by the US-led anti…‘ƒŽ‹–‹‘–‘„”‡ƒ–Š‡†‡ƒ†Ž‘…Ǥ
The Pentagon conditioned its intervention on an enhanced role for
regular government forces and said
on Thursday that paramilitary forces
Šƒ†ƒŽ”‡ƒ†›•–ƒ”–‡†’—ŽŽ‹‰„ƒ…Ǥ
The move angered some militias,
which have done much of the heavy
lifting in recent operations and now
accuse Washington of “hijacking victory” by sending warplanes more
–Šƒ–Š”‡‡™‡‡•‹–‘–Š‡‘’‡”ƒ–‹‘Ǥ
It was not immediately clear
whether all of Iraq’s myriad militias
were on the same page, but Badr
…‘ƒ†‡”••ƒ‹†–Š‡Žƒ”‰‡•–™‡”‡Ǥ
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the
most revered Iraqi cleric, warned
against disunity among the forces in˜‘Ž˜‡†‹–Š‡ƒ–‹Ǧϐ‹‰Š–Ǥ
“We must focus on unifying the vision and coordinating the positions
of all Iraqi sides,” said Sheikh Ahmed
ƒ•Ǧƒϐ‹ǡ†‡Ž‹˜‡”‹‰‹•–ƒ‹ǯ•”‹†ƒ›•‡”‘‹–Š‡…‹–›‘ˆƒ”„ƒŽƒǤȄ
Protest against settlements
ƒŽ‡•–‹‹ƒ’”‘–‡•–‡”ˆ”‘–Š‡ƒŽƒœ‘”‡ˆ—‰‡‡…ƒ’…Žƒ•Š‡•™‹–Š•”ƒ‡Ž‹•‡…—”‹–›ˆ‘”…‡•‡ƒ”–Š‡‡•–ƒ
‡™‹•Š•‡––Ž‡‡–‘ˆ‡‹–Žǡ‘”–Š‘ˆƒƒŽŽƒŠǡ‘”‹†ƒ›ˆ‘ŽŽ‘™‹‰ƒ”ƒŽŽ›„›–Š‡”‡•‹†‡–•‘ˆ–Š‡…ƒ’ƒ‰ƒ‹•–
•”ƒ‡Ž‹•‡––Ž‡‡–•ǤȄ
4
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
ASIA
Overwhelming crowds mourn Lee
Thai mulls amnesty
for coup plotters
BANGKOK — A committee tasked with drafting Thailand’s new constitution late on Thursday approved a
clause effectively granting amnesty to the leaders of last
›‡ƒ”ǯ•‹Ž‹–ƒ”›…‘—’ǡ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•…‘ϐ‹”‡†Ǥ
Sources within the Constitution Drafting Commit–‡‡ ȋȌ …‘ϐ‹”‡† –Šƒ– ‹– –‘‘ Ž‡•• –Šƒ ϐ‹˜‡ ‹—–‡•
to approve a clause recognising all articles within the
current interim charter, which was put into place by the
Œ—–ƒǤ
One of the articles in the interim charter grants am‡•–›–‘–Š‡…‘—’ƒ‡”•Ǥ
Once completed, the draft constitution must be ap’”‘˜‡†„›–Š‡”—Ž‹‰Œ—–ƒƒ†–Š‡”ƒ–‹ϐ‹‡†‹ƒ”‡ˆ‡”‡†—Ǥ
Thailand’s military took power in a bloodless coup
Žƒ•–ƒ›ƒˆ–‡”‘–Š•‘ˆ’‘Ž‹–‹…ƒŽ†‡ƒ†Ž‘…ǤŠ‡™ƒ•
put into place by the junta to deliberate a new “neutral”
…‘•–‹–—–‹‘Ǥ
Meanwhile, More than 50 people were injured when
–™‘ –”ƒ‹• …‘ŽŽ‹†‡† ‹ …‡–”ƒŽ Šƒ‹Žƒ†ǡ ƒ •‡‹‘” ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ
•ƒ‹†‘”‹†ƒ›Ǥ
The collision occurred at 10:15 pm on Thursday
evening in Ayutthaya province when a rapid train from
Bangkok to Denchai slammed into the back of a stationƒ”›‡š’”‡••–”ƒ‹Ǥ
“Of the 52 injured, six people remain in hospital, two
are in critical condition,” Thanongsak Kongprasert, a
•‡‹‘”‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽƒ––Š‡–ƒ–‡ƒ‹Ž™ƒ›‘ˆŠƒ‹Žƒ†ǡ•ƒ‹†Ǥ
He added that six carriages had fallen off the tracks in
–Š‡…”ƒ•Šƒ†–Šƒ––Š‡–™‘˜‹…–‹•ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰ˆ‘”–Š‡‹”Ž‹˜‡•
in hospital were the driver and technician on board the
ƒ‰‘Ǧ‡…Šƒ‹–”ƒ‹ǤȄ†’ƒȀ
Free-to-use umbrellas for mourners waiting in line are seen returned on railings as members of the public reach a security point to pay their respects to Singapore’s
late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. — AFP
SINGAPORE — Tens of thousands of Singaporeans braved waits of up to 10 hours
outside parliament on Friday to pay their
last respects to founding leader Lee Kuan
Yew, despite appeals from overwhelmed
‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•–‘Š‘‘—”Š‹‡Ž•‡™Š‡”‡Ǥ
The city-state, famous for its clockwork
handling of major events like the nighttime Singapore Grand Prix, seemed unprepared for the scale of the outpouring
‘ˆ‰”‹‡ˆ•‹…‡–Š‡‹”ͻͳǦ›‡ƒ”Ǧ‘Ž†ϐ‹”•–’”‹‡
‹‹•–‡”†‹‡†‘‘†ƒ›Ǥ
“Members of the public are strongly advised not to join the queue at the Padang
now,” said a government advisory which
urged mourners to go instead to 18 community sites to pay homage to Lee, who is
revered for transforming Singapore into
‘‡‘ˆ•‹ƒǯ•”‹…Š‡•–•‘…‹‡–‹‡•Ǥ
The round-the-clock queue outside
parliament starts at the Padang — a large
‰”ƒ••›ϐ‹‡Ž†—•‡†ˆ‘”’ƒ”ƒ†‡•ƒ†…‘…‡”–•
ƒ•™‡ŽŽƒ•ˆ‘‘–„ƒŽŽǡ…”‹…‡–ƒ†‘–Š‡”•’‘”–•Ǥ
North Korea
slammed for
‘systematic’
abductions
GENEVA — The UN Human Rights
Council on Friday harshly criticised
North Korea for the “systematic
abduction” of foreigners, after a
UN investigation found the country
had snatched up to 200,000 foreign
ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ•Ǥ
—––Š‡Ͷ͹Ǧ‡„‡””‹‰Š–•„‘†›ǯ•
resolution was slammed by North
‘”‡ƒˆ‘”‡‹‰‹‹•–”›‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ
Ri Hung Sik, who claimed it was a
Dz’‘Ž‹–‹…ƒŽ’Ž‘–ϐ‹ŽŽ‡†™‹–Šˆ”ƒ—†•ƒ†
†‹•–‘”–‹‘•dzǤ
The resolution, he told the
council, was “intended to bring
down the system and ideology” of
Š‹•…‘—–”›Ǥ
The adopted text decried North
Korea’s “systematic abduction,
denial of repatriation and
subsequent enforced disappearance
of persons, including those from
other countries, on a large scale and
ƒ•ƒƒ––‡”‘ˆ•–ƒ–‡’‘Ž‹…›Ǥdz
A UN-mandated investigation
issued a searing report in February
ʹͲͳͶƒ……—•‹‰‘”–Š‘”‡ƒ
of committing human rights
violations “without parallel in the
contemporary world”, including the
abductions of an estimated 200,000
foreign nationals from at least 12
…‘—–”‹‡•Ǥ
Most of them were South
Koreans left stranded after the
1950-1953 Korean War, but
hundreds of others from around
the world have since been taken
or disappeared while visiting the
•‡…”‡–‹˜‡–ƒŽ‹‹•–•–ƒ–‡Ǥ
Š‡—„‡”‘ˆƒ’ƒ‡•‡…‹–‹œ‡•
believed to have been taken to train
North Korean spies in Japanese
language and customs are now
estimated “in the hundreds”, the
UN’s top investigator on
the rights situation in North
‘”‡ƒǡƒ”œ—‹ƒ”—•ƒǡ–‘Ž†
”‡’‘”–‡”•ǤȄ
Mourners are now being given only a
ˆ‡™•‡…‘†•–‘ϐ‹Ž‡’ƒ•––Š‡ˆ‘”‡”Ž‡ƒ†‡”ǯ•
brown wooden casket draped with the
”‡†Ǧƒ†Ǧ™Š‹–‡‹‰ƒ’‘”‡ϐŽƒ‰‹–Š‡’ƒ”Ž‹ƒ‡–Ž‘„„›Ǥ
More than 250,000 mourners had paid
their respects by mid-afternoon on Fri†ƒ›ǡƒ……‘”†‹‰–‘ƒ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ…‘—–ǡ—’ˆ”‘
ƒ„‘—–ͳͷͲǡͲͲͲƒ–‹†‹‰Š–‘Š—”•†ƒ›Ǥ
“I am deeply moved by the overwhelming response of people wanting to visit
my father’s Lying in State at Parliament
House,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
•ƒ‹†‘ƒ…‡„‘‘Ǥ
He announced that a live video feed of
–Š‡ ϐŽ‘™ ‘ˆ ‘—”‡”• ˜‹‡™‹‰ –Š‡ …ƒ•‡–
inside the parliament’s lobby had been put
—’‘‘——„‡Ǥ
Lee has been lying in state since
Wednesday and the public has until Sat—”†ƒ› –‘ ’ƒ› –Š‡‹” ”‡•’‡…–•Ǥ DzŠ‡ ‰‘˜‡”- on resources like volunteers and space,
ment can advise us not to queue all they but that’s not going to stop us from coming
want, and I understand this puts a strain †‘™ǡdz‘—”‡”‡‡‡ǡͷͳǡ•ƒ‹†ǤŠ‡
“The government can
advise us not to queue
all they want, and I
understand this puts a
strain on resources
like volunteers and
space, but that’s not
going to stop us from
coming down”
turnout is massive by Singapore standards
but the crowd was disciplined and morale
ƒ’’‡ƒ”‡†–‘„‡Š‹‰ŠǤ
“I feel the Singapore spirit around me,
people are courteous and everyone is here
for a common purpose, to honour our
leader,” said 17-year-old student Shruti
ƒǤŠ‡…‹–›Ǧ•–ƒ–‡Šƒ•ƒ’‘’—Žƒ–‹‘‘ˆͷǤͷ
‹ŽŽ‹‘„—–‘Ž›͵Ǥ͵Ͷ‹ŽŽ‹‘ƒ”‡…‹–‹œ‡•Ǥ
The rest are guest workers, expatriates
ƒ†–Š‡‹”ˆƒ‹Ž‹‡•ǤŠ‡‘—”‡”•‹…Ž—†‡†
the elderly in wheelchairs and mothers
™‹–Š„ƒ„‹‡•‘”–‘††Ž‡”•‹–‘™Ǥ
Lee is to be given full state honours beˆ‘”‡„‡‹‰…”‡ƒ–‡†‘—†ƒ›Ǥ
Former US president Bill Clinton, South
Korean President Park Geun-Hye, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Malaysian
‹‰ —Ž–ƒ „†—Ž ƒŽ‹ —ǯƒ†œƒ ŠƒŠ
ƒ”‡ƒ‘‰–Š‡…‘ϐ‹”‡†•–ƒ–‡”‡’”‡•‡–ƒ–‹˜‡•ƒ––‡†‹‰–Š‡ˆ—‡”ƒŽǤȄ
Daughter bests father in feud at
Japan shareholders’ meeting
TOKYO — A rare family feud erupted in a
Japanese shareholders meeting on Friday,
when the chief executive of Otsuka Kagu Ltd
defeated her father’s attempt to oust her,
vowing to push ahead with her plan to take
–Š‡ˆ—”‹–—”‡”‡–ƒ‹Ž‡”‘”‡ƒ••Ǧƒ”‡–Ǥ
“I am sorry that things have come to this,”
—‹‘ –•—ƒǡ Ͷ͹ǡ …‘‘ŽŽ› –‘Ž† •Šƒ”‡Š‘Ž†ers in the meeting, in which she instructed
her father, company founder and chairman
Katsuhisa Otsuka, and her mother to identify themselves by name and shareholder
—„‡”Ǥ
The daughter overcame the chairman’s
…ŠƒŽŽ‡‰‡„›ƒ—†‹•…Ž‘•‡†ƒŒ‘”‹–›˜‘–‡Ǥ
DzŠƒ†ϐ‹˜‡…Š‹Ž†”‡ǡdz–Š‡ˆƒ–Š‡”•ƒ‹†ˆ”‘
the audience as he pleaded with sharehold‡”•–‘„ƒ…Š‹•”‡–—”ƒ•ǤDz—‹‘™ƒ•
–Š‡ϐ‹”•–ƒ†•Š‡™ƒ•ƒ†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–„‹”–ŠǤdz
Kumiko’s mother also gave a rambling
speech criticising the CEO, until another
•Šƒ”‡Š‘Ž†‡”›‡ŽŽ‡†ƒ–Š‡”–‘•–‘’Ǥ
The Otsuka family showdown — virtually
unheard of in Japan’s highly scripted shareŠ‘Ž†‡”•ǯ ‡‡–‹‰• Ȅ ‹• ƒ’ƒǯ• ϐ‹”•– ƒŒ‘”
proxy battle since the country adopted corporate governance guidelines in time for
–Š‹•›‡ƒ”ǯ•ƒ—ƒŽ‰‡‡”ƒŽ‡‡–‹‰•Ǥ
Otsuka news conference live during a gossipy talk show — also highlights the risk of
failed succession planning at Japanese com’ƒ‹‡•™‹–ŠŠ‹‰Šˆƒ‹Ž›‘™‡”•Š‹’Ǥ
ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰ ƒ– –Š‡ …‘’ƒ›ǡ ™Š‹…Š –Š‡
71-year-old Katsuhisa Otsuka founded in
1969, became public after Kumiko began
implementing her strategy to deal with
competition from the likes of Sweden’s
Ikea AB and domestic discount chain Nitori
‘Ž†‹‰•‘Ǥ
The former banker, who succeeded her
father as CEO in 2009, sought to ease Otsuka Kagu’s expensive policy of appointing
sales staff for each customer, while reducing
ƒ‹Ž‡†ƒ†˜‡”–‹•‡‡–•Ǥ
She also opened small shops specialising in Scandinavian furniture and aimed for
President of Japan’s Otsuka Kagu
‘”‡…Š‡ƒ’‡”‘ˆˆ‡”‹‰•Ǥ
furniture chain Kumiko Otsuka gestures
“In order to build on the strengths of
as she answers questions during a press
–Š‡’ƒ•–ͶͲ›‡ƒ”•ƒ•ƒ„—•‹‡••ǡ™‡‡‡†–‘
conference after its annual shareholders’ implement some reforms to keep up with
meeting in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP
today’s consumers,” said Kumiko, who was
„ƒ…‡†„›’”‘š›ƒ†˜‹•‘”›ϐ‹”••–‹–—–‹‘ƒŽ
They require institutional investors to re- Šƒ”‡Š‘Ž†‡”‡”˜‹…‡•ƒ†
Žƒ••‡™‹•Ǥ
The daughter blames the father for last
˜‡ƒŽŠ‘™–Š‡›˜‘–‡Ǥ
The feud, which has gripped the public — ›‡ƒ”ǯ•ͳǤͶ„‹ŽŽ‹‘›‡ȋ̈́ͳͳ‹ŽŽ‹‘Ȍ‘’‡”ƒ–‹‰
one broadcaster carried parts of a Kumiko Ž‘••ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
Abe calls time on late evening working
TOKYO — Japan’s famously long working
hours will get a shakeup this summer, the
government announced on Friday, with
”‹‡ ‹‹•–‡” Š‹œ‘ „‡ ’—•Š‹‰ ‡ƒ”Ž›
•–ƒ”–•ƒ†—”‘’‡ƒǦ•–›Ž‡ϐŽ‡š‹„‹Ž‹–›Ǥ
In a bid to better balance work and play
for Japan’s harried employees and to encourage them to spend time and money on
private life and leisure, Tokyo mandarins
want the working day to start — and end —
‡ƒ”Ž‹‡”Ǥ
“Prime Minister Abe said we would take
on changing the summertime lifestyle so
–Šƒ–ȋ’‡‘’Ž‡Ȍ™‹ŽŽ•–ƒ”–™‘”‹‰‡ƒ”Ž›‹–Š‡
morning and spend time with families and
others in the evening,” Chief Cabinet Secre–ƒ”›‘•Š‹Š‹†‡—‰ƒ–‘Ž†”‡’‘”–‡”•Ǥ
To begin with, central government ofϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• ™‹ŽŽ ’”‘‘–‡ ‡ƒ”Ž› •–ƒ”–• ƒ†
ϐŽ‡š‹„Ž‡ϐ‹‹•Š‡•ǡ—‰ƒ“—‘–‡†–Š‡’”‡‹‡”ƒ•
•ƒ›‹‰Ǥ
“It is often said that long work hours in
our country keep people from appreciating
‹–•„‡‡ϐ‹–•ǡdz—‰ƒ•ƒ‹†Ǥ
“We believe reforming work styles is
extremely important in letting people feel
–Š‡„‡‡ϐ‹–•‘ˆǮ„‡‘‹…•ǯƒ†ƒ‹‰‘—”
country’s growth sustainable,” he said, referring to the government’s programme of eco‘‹…”‡ˆ‘”•Ǥ
According to statistics from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average Japanese put in
1,735 hours’ work in 2013, far more than
–Š‡ ͳǡͶͺͻ ‘ˆ ”ƒ…‡ ƒ† ‡”ƒ›ǯ• –ƒŽŽ› ‘ˆ
1,388, but fewer than the 1,788 of the Unit‡†–ƒ–‡•Ǥ
However, labour experts suspect Japan’s
true number is higher, with employees under-reporting overtime in a culture where
’”‡•‡–‡‡‹•’”‡˜ƒ‹Ž•Ǥ
Employees are sometimes expected to
spend time with their colleagues in the
evening, with often-alcohol fuelled bonding
•‡••‹‘•’”ƒ…–‹…ƒŽŽ›…‘’—Ž•‘”›Ǥ
ƒ‹Ž™ƒ›‘ˆϔ‹…‹ƒŽ•—•‡ƒ…”ƒ‡–‘Ž‹ˆ–ƒ…ƒ””‹ƒ‰‡™Š‹…Š
got derailed in a collision in Ayutthaya province
north of Bangkok. — AFP
Aquino urges Congress
for autonomous region
MANILA — Philippine President Benigno Aquino
called on lawmakers on Friday to pass a bill endorsing a pact aimed at ending a decades-long separatist rebellion, warning them they would otherwise
•–ƒ”–…‘—–‹‰Dz„‘†›„ƒ‰•dzǤ
Aquino had wanted the bill, which would give
autonomy to the minority in the south, passed this
‘–ŠǤ
But Congress suspended debates on the proposed law in the face of public outrage over the
‹ŽŽ‹‰•‘ˆͶͶ’‘Ž‹…‡…‘ƒ†‘‡•„›‰—‡””‹ŽŽƒ•‹ƒ
„‘–…Š‡†ƒ–‹Ǧ–‡””‘””ƒ‹†‹ƒ—ƒ”›Ǥ
The MILF, which signed a peace deal a year ago
‘ ”‹†ƒ›ǡ Šƒ† •ƒ‹† ‹–• ‡„‡”• ϐ‹”‡† ‹ •‡ŽˆǦ†‡fence at the commandoes, who passed through a
”‡„‡Ž…ƒ’™Š‹Ž‡‰‘‹‰ƒˆ–‡”‹Ž‹–ƒ–•Ǥ
“This is the crossroads we face: we take pains to
forge peace today, or we count body bags tomorrow,” Aquino said in a nationwide television ad†”‡••Ǥ
“Perhaps it is easy for you to push for all-out
war,” he said, hitting out at critics who have con†‡‡†–Š‡’‡ƒ…‡†‡ƒŽ™‹–Š–Š‡Ǥ
Dz—– ‹ˆ –Š‡ …‘ϐŽ‹…– ‰”‘™•ǡ –Š‡ —„‡” ‘ˆ ‹Ž‹pinos shooting at other Filipinos will grow, and it
would not be out of the question that a friend or
loved one be one of the people who will end up in•‹†‡ƒ„‘†›„ƒ‰Ǥdz
The rebellion for a separate state or self-rule
has claimed nearly 120,000 lives and cost billions
of dollars in economic losses, according to govern‡–‡•–‹ƒ–‡•Ǥ
Under a peace deal signed with the MILF, the
10,000-member group pledged to disarm while the
Philippine government vowed to pass an autonomy
Žƒ™‹–Š‡•‘—–ŠǤ
“The Bangsamoro basic law is one of the most
‹’‘”–ƒ–’”‘’‘•‡†„‹ŽŽ•‘ˆ‘—”ƒ†‹‹•–”ƒ–‹‘Ǥ
It answers the two most pressing problems of
our countrymen: poverty and violence,” Aquino
•ƒ‹†‘”‹†ƒ›Ǥ
‡™ƒ”‡†‹–™‘—Ž†„‡†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž––‘”‡•–ƒ”–’‡ƒ…‡
talks if the current process failed and the MILF
Ž‡ƒ†‡”•Š‹’Ž‘•–‹–•‹ϐŽ—‡…‡ƒ‘‰‹–•‡„‡”•–‘
‘”‡ ”ƒ†‹…ƒŽ ‡Ž‡‡–•Ǥ “—‹‘ ‹• ”‡“—‹”‡† „› –Š‡
constitution to stand down in mid-2016 after serv‹‰ƒ•‹‰Ž‡•‹šǦ›‡ƒ”–‡”ǤȄ
5
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
SUBCONTINENT
Myanmar army vows to safeguard polls
YANGON/NAYPYIDAW — The Myanmar military will not tolerate any
threat to this year’s elections, the
army chief said on Friday. “The general election scheduled in November
is an important landmark of democracy implementation in our country,”
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said.
“We will not tolerate at all any disturbance to stability of the state and
rule of law, any pressure or any threat
to voting in the general election,” he
was quoted as saying on state-run television MRTV, in a speech for Armed
Forces Day.
But opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi said last week that the election would not be free and fair under
the current constitution, which allocates 25 per cent of parliament to the
military, and effectively excludes her
from running for the presidency.
The government of President
Thein Sein also been trying to imple‡–ƒƒ–‹‘Ǧ™‹†‡…‡ƒ•‡ϐ‹”‡™‹–Š”‡gional ethnic rebels, but a few militias
have been holding out.
“The government’s failure to sign
…‡ƒ•‡ϐ‹”‡• ™‹–Š ƒŽŽ ‡–Š‹… ƒ”‡†
groups will not harm the election,”
said Sithu Aung Myint, a political analyst.
“But how it could be free and fair if
the military is still holding a quarter
of parliamentary seats?”
SUU KYI DUCKS ARMY PARADE:
Suu Kyi on Friday snubbed a grand
annual parade showcasing military
•–”‡‰–Š ˆ‘” –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– –‹‡ ‹ –Š”‡‡
years, as the country’s army chief
warned against “any disturbances to
stability” in upcoming elections.
The veteran democracy campaigner, who has suffered a bout of minor
ill health in recent days, was conspicuously absent from the Armed Forces
Day ceremony.
She has attended for the last two
›‡ƒ”• •‹…‡ •Š‡ ‡–‡”‡† ƒ ϐŽ‡†‰Ž‹‰
parliament set up under the quasi-civilian government that replaced junta
rule.
“She needs to take a rest at this
Members of Myanmar’s military march in formation during a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw on Friday. — AFP
moment. That’s why she couldn’t attend the ceremony this morning in
Naypyidaw,” source close to Suu Kyi
from her National League for Democracy (NLD) party said, adding that she
™ƒ•Dzϐ‹‡dzǤ
The 69-year-old, who was taken ill
on a number of occasions during her
gruelling 2012 by-election campaign,
has recently ramped up her activities
as the country prepares for crucial
polls expected in early November.
Suu Kyi’s party is expected to
sweep the elections, seen as a test of
democratic reforms, if they are free
Opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi
snubbed a grand
annual parade
showcasing military
•–”‡‰–Šˆ‘”–Š‡ϔ‹”•–
time in three years
and fair.
But the Nobel laureate is currently
barred from becoming president because of a provision in the junta-era
constitution, which the military has
resisted altering.
The election build up has coincided with rising fears that much lauded
reforms in Myanmar are stalling, with
recent police protest crackdowns
fuelling concerns over the democratic
transition.
Friday’s parade in Naypyidaw was
one of the biggest displays of military
might in recent years.
Thousands of troops marched
through an enormous parade ground
backed by tanks, mounted missiles,
ϐ‹‰Š–‡” Œ‡–• ƒ† ƒ‹”„‘”‡ •‘Ž†‹‡”• ƒ„seiling from helicopters on ropes.
Army senior general Min Aung
Hlaing said in an address that this
year’s vote “represents an important
landmark of democracy implementation”.
But he added: “I want to say that
any disturbances to stability of the
state... won’t be allowed in the gen‡”ƒŽ ‡Ž‡…–‹‘ǡdz ƒ……‘”†‹‰ –‘ ƒ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ
translation of his speech. — Agencies
Six killed in
Pakistan attacks
targeting police
ISLAMABAD — At least six people
were killed in two separate attacks
‹ƒ‹•–ƒ–ƒ”‰‡–‹‰’‘Ž‹…‡ǡ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•
said on Friday, as the military pursued its campaign against militants
in mountains near the Afghan border.
A group of armed militants overran a security checkpost in southwestern Baluchistan province shortly before midnight on Thursday,
‹ŽŽ‹‰ˆ‘—”’‘Ž‹…‡‘ˆϐ‹…‡”•ǡ’”‘˜‹…‹ƒŽ
Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti said.
Hours later a bus carrying poŽ‹…‡ ‘ˆϐ‹…‡”• –‘ ƒ –”ƒ‹‹‰ ƒ…ƒ†‡›
in southern Karachi city was hit
by a bomb planted on a motorbike
parked on the roadside, killing two
’ƒ••‡”•Ǧ„›ǡ’‘Ž‹…‡‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽƒ‘™ƒ”
said.
At least 12 men including police
‘ˆϐ‹…‡”• ™‡”‡ ‹Œ—”‡† ‹ –Š‡ „‘„ing, said doctor Seemi Jamali at Jinnah Hospital, where they were being
treated.
The latest attacks occurred as the
‹Ž‹–ƒ”› ˆ‘—‰Š– ϐ‹‡”…‡ „ƒ––Ž‡• ™‹–Š
militants linked with Al Qaeda in the
Tirah Valley area of Khyber tribal
district near the Afghan border.
Over 100 rebels have been killed
in two weeks of airstrikes and a
ground offensive, the military said,
while the army suffered more than a
dozen casualties.
The Tirah Valley is one of several
transit points used by militants to
get across the porous border.
On Thursday, a rocket struck a
police vehicle in the southwestern
province of Baluchistan killing four
’‘Ž‹…‡‡ǡ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ••ƒ‹†Ǥ
The incident took place near the
remote town of Musa Khel, some
350 kilometres east of Quetta, the
provincial capital of Baluchistan.
“Four policemen, including the
local police station chief were martyred in the rocket attack on their
˜‡Š‹…Ž‡ǡdz •‡‹‘” †‹•–”‹…– ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ
Hashim Fuwad Rabbani said.
Stampede in Bangladesh
kills at least 10 devotees
Afghans may elect
female president
before US, jokes Ghani
NEW YORK — Afghanistan may
have one of the worst reputations in
the world for women’s rights but its
leader joked in New York on Thursday that Afghans may elect a female
president before the United States.
President Ashraf Ghani (pictured) could not resist the throwaway quip — just weeks before
Hillary Clinton is expected to announce her bid for the White House
in 2016 — while addressing a thinktank. Referring to efforts to crack
down on corruption, Ghani said he
wanted to be a bridge to a new generation of well-educated leaders, in…Ž—†‹‰Dz–Š‡ϐ‹”•–™‘ƒ’”‡•‹†‡–‘ˆ
Afghanistan.”
Dz‡ƒ˜‹‰ ƒ•‹†‡ “—‡•–‹‘• ‘ˆ ϐ‹”•–
women presidents,” interjected host
Robert Rubin, co-chair of the Council
on Foreign Relations, to which Ghani
quipped: “We may accomplish it before you!”
The Afghan leader then broke into
a chuckle, met with laughter and applause from the audience, at his latest appearance as part of a maiden
visit as president to the United
States. Due to quotas introduced after the 2001 US-led invasion reserving 28 per cent of seats for women,
Afghanistan ranks 39 out of 139
countries on a world index of women
in parliament.
The United States ranks 72 on the
list compiled by the IPU, an international organisation of parliaments.
Women’s rights have made great
strides in Afghanistan since the
Taliban regime was defeated, but the
country remains strictly patriarchal
and women endure routine discrimination and violence.
Last Thursday, a 27-year-old
woman was lynched by an angry
crowd in Kabul, beaten to death and
her body burnt for allegedly burning
a copy of the Quran. — AFP
DHAKA — At least 10 Hindu pilgrims
were killed and dozens more were injured in a stampede outside the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Friday, police
and witnesses said.
The stampede occurred on the
banks of the Brahmaputra river, where
hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had
converged for ritual bathing during an
annual Hindu festival.
Police inspector Nasir Ahmed said
seven women and three men had been
…‘ϐ‹”‡††‡ƒ†Ǥ
“We are investigating what triggered the stampede, but it seems that
the tragedy was due to an unusually
high number of pilgrims,” Ahmed said.
“The stampede involved a large
number of people as thousands of
shoes could still be seen on the road
an hour after it happened,” he added.
Witnesses said at least 50 people
were injured in the stampede at the
annual Astami Snan festival, which attracts pilgrims from around Bangladesh as well as Nepal and neighbouring India.
They said most of the victims were
The stampede
occurred on the
banks of the
Brahmaputra river,
where hundreds of
thousands of pilgrims
had converged for
ritual bathing during
an annual Hindu
festival
elderly and blamed the tragedy on the
lack of guards on the banks of the river
in Langalbandh, around 25 kilometres
south of Dhaka where the pilgrims
gather at dawn to bathe.
“There were no policemen maintaining security,” said one witness, Laxmi Rana Saha, 45.
“All of a sudden, I heard cries and
saw people getting trampled. I lost
my nephew in the chaos. I survived by
running to higher ground,” she said by
phone from the scene. The annual rituals normally attract around a million
pilgrims to Langalbandh on the banks
of the Brahmaputra, which Hindus
consider holy.
But district administrator Anisur
Rahman said the number was higher
this year because the festival fell during public holidays to mark Bangladesh’s national day.
Rahman said 700 police had been
deployed for the festival, which goes
on until Saturday morning.
Apu Malakar, who takes part in the
rituals regularly, said the number of
pilgrims was higher than usual this
year. “When the tragedy occurred, I
was in the middle of huge column of
people,” said the 31-year-old trader.
“Young people survived, but older
people were crushed, especially those
who had already gone into the water
and had wet clothes and were unable to
move quickly,” he said by phone. — AFP
Newly born lion cubs nuzzle their mother in their enclosure at a
specially built mini-zoo in the grounds of Mahi’s residence in Multan.
THAT’S PURR-FECT:
Pet lion gives birth to five cubs
MULTAN — An animal enthusiast
in Pakistan is celebrating a roaring
success after his pet lioness Rani
‰ƒ˜‡„‹”–Š–‘ϐ‹˜‡Š‡ƒŽ–Š›…—„•Ǥ
The new arrivals plus another
two cubs born nine months ago
mean Fazal Abbas Mahi has a total of nine lions at his home in the
central city of Multan.
But if the thought of so many
big cats roaming round a house
gives paws for thought, worry not,
the lions live in a specially built
mini-zoo in the grounds of Mahi’s
residence.
Wealthy landowner Mahi said
he acquired Rani, or “Queen”, as a
one-year-old in 2011 to join Raja,
or “King”, whom he bought from a
friend a few years earlier.
“I am fond of animals and birds
since my childhood and I also have
A Bangladeshi woman reacts after seeing the body of a relative in Narayanganj on Friday after the stampede. — AFP
horses, ponies and peacocks. I also
have vintage cars,” he said, adding
that he has a permit for the lions
from the wildlife department.
The new cubs are still romping
around their pen fuelled by mum’s
milk, but feeding the rest of the
pride is no picnic — the hungry
felines chomp their way through
around 20 kilograms of meat a
day.
Lions appeared all over Pakistan in early 2013 — at least in toy
form, as the election symbol of the
Pakistan Muslim League-N party
that won power for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sharif, who is nicknamed by
supporters the “Lion of Punjab”,
himself has two stuffed male lions
in his palatial residence outside
the eastern city of Lahore. — AFP
6
INDIA
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
Make India energy sufficient: Modi
NEW DELHI — Stressing on energy security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
Friday said India will have to be independent in this area and seek new avenues to
replenish existing sources in a bid to serve
the growing appetite of the people.
“We need to be independent when it
comes to providing our people with energy,” Modi said, while inaugurating the “Urja
Sangam — 2015” conference on energy
security at the Vigyan Bhavan conference
complex here.
He also pitched for people who are
well-off to surrender their fuel subsidy entitlement.
“People who don’t need LPG subsidy
and those who are capable of managing
without it should give it up. I ask you to
join this movement. Give up gas subsidy.
Create a record. The subsidy that you will
‰‹˜‡ —’ ™‹ŽŽ ‰‘ ƒ Ž‘‰ ™ƒ› ‹ „‡‡ϐ‹––‹‰
the poor people.” People are already giving up their subsidy, Modi said and added
that “over 2.8 lakh consumers have surrendered LPG subsidy, resulting in a saving
of Rs 100 crore to the exchequer”.
He called for bringing down oil and gas
imports to 67 per cent by 2022, and lower
it further to 50 per cent by 2030.
“We will be celebrating 75th year of our
independence in 2022. Today, we import
77 per cent of our oil and gas. Can’t we target to lower import at least by 10 per cent
by 2022 to pay tribute to those who sacriϐ‹…‡†–Š‡‹”Ž‹ˆ‡ˆ‘”‘—”ˆ”‡‡†‘ǡdz‘†‹•ƒ‹†Ǥ
Twelve crore bank accounts opened
—†‡” –Š‡ ƒ Šƒ ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ ‹…Ž—•‹‘
scheme are being used for transferring
IAEA asks New Delhi
to further tighten
nuclear regulations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during an energy summit in New Delhi yesterday. Modi said on Friday that India
should try to cut oil imports by 10 per cent in 2022 from 77 per cent now. — Reuters
subsidies directly to the consumers, which
has permitted plugging of leakages and efˆ‡…–‹˜‡Ž›ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰…‘””—’–‹‘ǡŠ‡ƒ††‡†Ǥ
Dz‘ ϐ‹‰Š– …‘””—’–‹‘ǡ ‹ˆ ‹•–‹–—–‹‘ƒŽ
mechanism, transparent mechanism,
policy driven system can be put in place
then we can prevent leakages. And this has
been proved by cash transfer,” the prime
minister said.
According to Modi, energy corridors
need to be developed between India and
Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia.
The international energy conference
“Urja Sangam 2015: Shaping India’s Energy Security” is being attended by cabinet ministers, policy makers, global chief
‡š‡…—–‹˜‡• ȋ•Ȍ ‘ˆ ‡‡”‰› ϐ‹”• ƒ†
academia. — Agencies
Land bill unacceptable, Sonia tells Centre
NEW DELHI — Congress President Sonia
Gandhi on Friday lashed out at the “myopic” Narendra Modi government over
the land bill which she said was an “unabashed display of half truths”.
Accusing the government of “bending
over backwards” to favour select industrialists, Sonia said her party would never
support any law that harms farmers.
“Regrettable that anyone championing the voice of the distressed farmer and
needy farm labourer is being branded ‘anti-national’ by a myopic (Narendra) Modi
government bending over backwards to favour select industrialists,” Gandhi said in a
letter to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
She was responding to Gadkari’s letter
seeking the opposition’s support for the
land acquisition bill.
The government introduced a new bill
to replace an ordinance which was promulgated in December last year to amend
the 2013 law. The new law has come under criticism from opposition parties as
well as activists who have termed it as anti-farmer and pro-industrialist.
The Congress chief also noted that the
“fundamental difference” between the
Congress and the BJP was in the way the
two parties understand “farmers’ distress
and loss of livelihood” by acquiring land
without safeguards. “Being pro-farmer is
not being anti-growth,” she added.
“Farmers are the backbone of our country, and it is imperative that their interests
be protected at any cost. This is non-negotiable for the Congress party. We shall
never endorse any law that will break the
backbone of this nation,” she added. Sonia said: “In your letter you have sought
to justify the changes you propose in the
land acquisition legislation on the grounds
that it promotes the interest of villages, the
poor, farmers and labourers, and that it facilitates irrigation, employment, industrial
corridors and the defence industry.”
“Regrettably, all that you have said is
without any foundation whatsoever. The
Atal Bihari Vajpayee conferred
with Bharat Ratna at his home
Spring arrives in Badamwari
Kashmiri people walk amidst the blossoming almond orchards, a sign of the arrival of spring after a long spell
of winter, at Badamwari in old downtown Srinagar yesterday. As spring breathes life again into
ƒˆ”‘œ‡™‘”Ž†ǡ–Š‡ƒ‹”‹•Š‡ƒ†›™‹–Š–Š‡ˆ”ƒ‰”ƒ…‡‘ˆƒ‹ŽŽ‹‘ϔŽ‘™‡”•–Šƒ–„Ž‘••‘
on trees, shrubs and creepers in Kashmir. — AFP
A bank run by beggars, for beggars in Bihar town
GAYA — A group of beggars in this
Bihar town has opened their own
bank, which they run and manage to
’”‘˜‹†‡ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ•‡…—”‹–›‹–‹‡•‘ˆ
crisis.
Dozens of beggars, who have been
depending for their survival on alms
from hundreds of devotees at the
gate of ‘Maa Manglagauri Mandir’
(temple) in Gaya town for years, have
started the bank.
The beggars call it Mangala Bank.
“It is true that we have established
a bank for ourselves,” said Raj Kumar
Manjhi, one of the 40 beggars who
are members of this unique “bank”.
“Bank’s manager, treasurer and
secretary along with one agent and
other member, who are running and
managing it, are all beggars,” Manjhi
said in Gaya, about 100 km from here.
Manjhi, incidentally, is the manager of
the bank.
Manjhi, who is literate enough
to manage the accounts and other
works of the bank, said: “Each of us
(beggars) deposits Rs 20 every Tuesday in the bank that comes to Rs 800
weekly deposit.”
Malti Devi, who is secretary of the
UPA’s and Congress Party’s record on all
these issues is second to none. And, it is
now being widely recognised that your
government is blatantly anti-farmer and
anti-poor, compromising the rights of the
™‡ƒ‡” •‡…–‹‘• ‘ˆ •‘…‹‡–› –‘ „‡‡ϐ‹– ƒ
handful of private parties.”
Sonia listed the fundamental differences which the party had with the new land
bill, the prominent ones out of which were
removal of consent clause and social impact assessment.
“Your attitude to these matters and
your proposed legislation make a mockery
of your claim that you stand for the interest of farmers,” the letter said. — IANS
VIENNA — The International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) urged India on Friday to further tighten its
nuclear safety regulations by assuring the legal independence of its atomic watchdog and allowing more
outside inspections.
India, which has tested nuclear weapons but is a
non-signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),
announced a major deal in January designed to open
India’s nuclear power sector to US investment.
The deal came after Prime Minister Narendra
Modi agreed last year to tighter checks of India’s civilian nuclear programme by the IAEA.
After a 12-day visit to India, the agency recommended that India and its Atomic Energy Regulatory
Board (AERB) take further action to assure safety in
its nuclear industry.
“The government should embed the AERB’s regulatory independence in law, separated from other entities having responsibilities or interests that could
—†—Ž›‹ϐŽ—‡…‡‹–•†‡…‹•‹‘ƒ‹‰ǡdz–Š‡•ƒ‹†
in a statement.
“The AERB should consider increasing the frequency of routine on-site inspections at NPPs to alŽ‘™ˆ‘”ƒ††‹–‹‘ƒŽ‹†‡’‡†‡–˜‡”‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘ƒ†‘”‡
effective regulatory oversight,” it added, referring to
nuclear power plants (NPP).
The nuclear “breakthrough understanding” between US President Barack Obama and Modi seeks
to allay US concerns about industry liability and
unlock billions of dollars in investments into Indian
power projects.
“AERB is committed to pursuing the improvements suggested by the mission towards further
strengthening the regulatory framework,” the IAEA
quoted the chairman of the AERB, S S Bajaj, as saying.
Both India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons
in 1998, setting off an arms race between the neighbouring rivals.
Some countries view the fact that India is a nonsignatory to the NPT, which was set up to prevent
states from acquiring nuclear weapons, as a stumbling block to it joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group
(NSG).
Membership in the NSG, a trade body established
to ensure that civilian nuclear trade is not diverted
for military aims, could boost India’s international
standing as a responsible atomic power and also give
‹–‰”‡ƒ–‡”‹ϐŽ—‡…‡‘‹••—‡•”‡Žƒ–‡†–‘‰Ž‘„ƒŽ—…Ž‡ar trade. A review conference of the NPT will start in
April. — Reuters
bank that was established six months
ago, said: “It began last year with a
„‹‰ Š‘’‡ ƒ† –‘ ˆ—Žϐ‹ŽŽ ƒ•’‹”ƒ–‹‘• ‘ˆ
beggars. We are still not treated well
in the society because we are poorest
of the poor.”
Malti now reaches out to more and
more beggars by opening their account. “Most of the beggars who are
members of the ‘bank’ have neither
BPL (Below Poverty Line) card nor
Aadhaar card,” she said. Manjhi’s wife
Nagina Devi is treasurer of the bank.
She said: “My duty is to manage the
deposit money.” — IANS
NEW DELHI — Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was on
Friday conferred with the Bharat
Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour,
by President Pranab Mukherjee in a
brief ceremony attended by the country’s leadership and top political personalities.
The president, in a break from
protocol, arrived at Vajpayee’s residence at 6, Krishna Menon Marg to
confer the top honour on the former
prime minister who has been keeping poor health.
The ceremony was attended by
Vice-President Hamid Ansari and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
as well as former prime minister
Manmohan Singh and senior BJP
leader L K Advani among others.
Prime Minister Modi, addressing the media outside, expressed his
gratitude to President Mukherjee for
coming to Vajpayee’s home to personally hand over the award to the
nonagenarian leader.
He said Vajpayee’s life was “dedicated to the nation... He lived for the
country... His every moment was for
the country. For all karyakartas (BJP
workers) like me, Vajpayee-ji has
been an inspiration and will remain
so. His life will continue to inspire us”.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the conferment of the award
to the thronging media waiting at
Vajpayee’s gate. The media was not
allowed to enter inside the house or
cover the actual conferment ceremony.
The Modi government recommended the Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee, 90, and to educationist Madan
Mohan Malviya (posthumous) in December last year.
Jaitley, speaking to the media, said
the president conferred the honour at a “brief ceremony” and that
Vajpayee “lives at home due to his
Vajpayee’s life was
“dedicated to the
nation... He lived
for the country...
His every moment
was for the country.
For all BJP workers,
Vajpayee-ji has
been an inspiration
and will remain so.”
health”. “The ceremony was held at
his home. Vajpayee is the sarvocch
(top most) leader,” he said.
He said among the other guests
present at the ceremony were union ministers, many chief ministers,
including Jammu and Kashmir’s
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Madhya
Pradesh’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Rajasthan’s Vasundhara Raje, Andhra
Pradesh’s Chandra Babu Naidu, as
well as Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat
and Janata Dal-United leader Sharad
Yadav. Former president A P J Abdul
Kalam was also present.
Jaitley said Vajpayee was a “powerful nationalist leader, as prime
minister of the country, he held vari‘—• ‘ˆϐ‹…‡•ǡ ™ƒ• –Š‡ Ž‘‰‡•– •‡”˜‹‰
parliamentarian, and left his mark as
an orator, political leader, thinker and
poet”. He described it as an “occasion
of joy”.
In a press release, Rashtrapati Bhavan said that President
Mukherjee conferred the Bharat
Ratna on Vajpayee. “In a special gesture, the president conferred the
Award in a simple ceremony held at
the residence of Vajpayee.” Vajpayee
™ƒ• –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– ‘Ǧ‘‰”‡•• Ž‡ƒ†‡” –‘
•‡”˜‡ †‹ƒ ˆ‘” ƒ ˆ—ŽŽ ϐ‹˜‡Ǧ›‡ƒ” –‡”
from 1999 to 2004. His earlier two
•–‹–•ƒ––Š‡‘ˆϐ‹…‡Žƒ•–‡†ͳ͵†ƒ›•ƒ†
13 months. — IANS
7
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
INDIA
Rift within AAP: War
of words intensifies
NEW DELHI — In clear signs that no
more rapprochement was possible in
the AAP, dissident leaders Prashant
Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav on
Friday launched a tirade against
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,
whose supporters accused them of
being virtual BJP agents.
A day before the Aam Aadmi Party’s National Executive meets here,
Bhushan and Yadav branded Kejriwal
an autocrat surrounded by “yes men”
and accused him of deviating from
the party’s ideals.
The AAP hit back, accusing the
two men of having tried to sabotage
the party in the run up to the Delhi
polls last month which it won handsomely.
“They made efforts so that party
loses... they told workers ‘Let the
party lose, it will be easy to remove
Arvind’,” AAP member Ashish Khetan
said.
DzŠ‡ –Š‡ ’ƒ”–› ™ƒ• ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰ ƒ
existential war, two leaders were trying to weaken it and malign its image,” he told reporters. “They tried
to aid the formation of a BJP government.”
Friday’s war of words appeared to
mark an end to whatever possibilities
may have existed for the two camps
to overcome their differences and
shake hands.
Bhushan and Yadav said earlier
that they were ready to give up all
’ƒ”–› ’‘•–• ‹ˆ ‡Œ”‹™ƒŽ ‡– –Š‡‹” ϐ‹˜‡
demands — including transparency
within and autonomy to state units.
They addressed the media after
Kejriwal supporters hit out at the two
overnight, claiming they had resigned
from the National Executive. Both denied this.
“We have never made any attempt
“It is not an ordinary
party, it was born
out of a revolution to
clean the system,
end corruption
and give power
to the common
people. They have
high hopes from
this party. But the
developments in
the last one month
have disappointed
many”
to dislodge Kejriwal from his position in the party. The allegations... are
all feeble and baseless,” said Yadav, a
founder member of AAP like Kejriwal
and Bhushan.
The main grouse of Bhushan and
Yadav was that Kejriwal acted in an
autocratic manner and refused to pay
heed to dissenting voices in a party
that was born in 2012 to give a new
kind of politics to India.
“We have warned and alerted Kejriwal against ill-advised and hasty
moves and questioned him. Is that a
crime for a party built on the princi-
ples of Swaraj?” asked Yadav.
A Supreme Court advocate,
Bhushan alleged that Kejriwal wanted to form a government in Delhi
with Congress support last year
though the latter had been decisively
rejected in the Lok Sabha election.
‡ •ƒ‹† ϐ‹˜‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‹‡ ‡„‡”•
of the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the highest decision
making body, opposed the idea.
But when Kejriwal insisted he
would go ahead, the matter went to
the National Executive which too vetoed the idea.
Yadav, a political pundit, said he
ƒ† Š—•Šƒ ™‡”‡ ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰ –‘ Dz•ƒ˜‡
the soul of the struggle” that gave
birth to the AAP.
“It is not an ordinary party, it was
born out of a revolution to clean the
system, end corruption and give power to the common people,” Yadav said.
“People have high hopes from this
party. But the developments in the
last one month have disappointed
many.”
Yadav said he and Bhushan had
ϐ‹˜‡ †‡ƒ†• Ȅ –”ƒ•’ƒ”‡…› ‹
the AAP, autonomy for local units, a
Lokpal probe into corruption charges
against members, AAP should come
within the ambit of RTI, and an end
to secret ballot during election to key
posts.
If Kejriwal accepted these demands, he and Bhushan would resign
from all party posts, he said.
Since storming to power in Delhi last month with a brute majority, the AAP has been embroiled in
an internal crisis that has pitted
Bhushan and Yadav against Kejriwal,
the party’s best known face. The dissidents were earlier removed from
the PAC. — IANS
Passing-out parade
Army recruits wearing their ceremonial uniform perform a salute during their passing-out parade at a
garrison in Rangreth on the outskirts of Srinagar yesterday. — Reuters
Indians in Yemen to be evacuated by ships
NEW DELHI — India is to send ships
to Yemen to evacuate thousands of
™‘”‡”• •–”ƒ†‡† –Š‡”‡ ƒ• –Š‡ ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰‹–‡•‹ϐ‹‡•ǡƒ—–Š‘”‹–‹‡••ƒ‹†Ǥ
Around 3,500 Indians are
currently working in Yemen, which
has been plunged into chaos by a
Houthi rebellion that has triggered
airstrikes on the capital Sanaa.
Many are nurses from the southern state of Kerala, whose Chief
Minister Oommen Chandy said New
Delhi planned to send two ships to
evacuate them.
“(Foreign)
Minister
Sushma
Swaraj has said that India will send
two ships to evacuate Indians who
are trapped there,” Chandy said in an
ƒ‘—…‡‡– ’‘•–‡† ‘ Š‹• ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ
Facebook page on Thursday.
“As the airports are closed, the
plan is to bring these people in ships
to the neighbouring country of Djibouti and from there they will be
brought to India by air. “Those who
can’t take ships, would be taken to
Government puts brakes on
universal healthcare plan
All set for launch of
navigation satellite
CHENNAI — India is expected to
launch at least two more navigation
satellites this year and one more in
2016 to offer satellite navigation
services by the middle of next year,
†‹ƒ•’ƒ…‡ƒ‰‡…›‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ••ƒ‹†Ǥ
Indian Space Research Organisa–‹‘ ȋȌ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• †‡› ƒ› †‹˜‡”sion of focus is delaying the operationalisation of navigation satellite
system.
The three satellite launches will
be in addition to the one that India is
expected to put into orbit on March
28 evening.
“We will surely be launching two
more navigation satellites this year
apart from tomorrow’s (March 28)
launch. At the end of the year we
will have six navigation satellites up
in the sky out of the constellation of
•‡˜‡•—…Š•ƒ–‡ŽŽ‹–‡•ǡdz•‡‹‘”‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•
of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said preferring anonymity.
……‘”†‹‰–‘‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ǡ–Š‡•‡˜‡–Š
and the last one of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System
(IRNSS) in all probability would go
up early part of 2016.
The full navigation services are
expected to be offered from mid
2016 onwards, according to the ofϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•
They said the countdown for Saturday’s rocket launch is progressing
at a good pace in a smooth manner
and all the activities are geared up
for the 5.19 pm blast off of the rocket.
The Indian rocket Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C27) is expected to blast off from Sriharikota rocket port carry the country’s fourth
navigation satellite IRNSS-1D.
As things stands today, there is
already one year delay in the realisation of the satellite navigation system
™Š‹…Š‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ƒ‰”‡‡Ǥ
And time is also running out fast.
Out of the seven satellites that
comprises the IRNSS each having a
life span of 10 years, three satellites
have already been launched.
Š‡ ϐ‹”•– ‘‡ǦǦͳ ‹• ‘™
two years old and has a remaining
life span of eight years and the second one is around one year old with
a remaining life span of nine years.
And when the whole system
comes into play sometime in May
2016, IRNSS-1A will have a remaining life of seven years and IRNSS-1B
eight years.
Š‡ ϐ‹”•– •ƒ–‡ŽŽ‹–‡ Ǧͳ ™ƒ•
launched in July 2013, the second
IRNSS-1B in April 2014 and the third
on October 16, 2014.
Curiously all the seven navigation
satellites and the rockets used to put
them into orbit are also identical.
With two launch pads at its rocket
port, ISRO could have focussed on realising its satellite navigation system
while putting other futuristic launches for the future date, is one view ex’”‡••‡†„›‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ǤȄ
NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked for
a drastic cutback of an ambitious
healthcare plan after cost estimates
…ƒ‡ ‹ ƒ– ̈́ͳͺǤͷ „‹ŽŽ‹‘ ‘˜‡” ϐ‹˜‡
years, several government sources
said, delaying a promise made in his
election manifesto.
‘†‹ Šƒ• Šƒ† –‘ ƒ‡ †‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–
choices to boost economic growth
Ȅ Š‹• ‰‘˜‡”‡–ǯ• ϐ‹”•– ˆ—ŽŽ ƒnual budget, announced last month,
ramped up infrastructure spending,
leaving less federal funding immediately available for social sectors.
The health ministry developed a
draft policy on universal healthcare
in coordination with the prime minis–‡”ǯ•‘ˆϐ‹…‡Žƒ•–›‡ƒ”Ǥ
The National Health Assurance
Mission aims to provide free drugs,
diagnostic services and insurance for
serious ailments for India’s 1.2 billion
people.
The health ministry proposed rolling out the system from April 2015,
and in October projected its cost as
$25.5 billion over four years.
By the time the project was presented to Modi in January the costs
had been pared to 1.16 trillion ru’‡‡•ȋ̈́ͳͺǤͷ„‹ŽŽ‹‘Ȍ‘˜‡”ϐ‹˜‡›‡ƒ”•Ǥ
That was still too much.
The programme was not ap’”‘˜‡†ǡ–Š”‡‡Š‡ƒŽ–Š‹‹•–”›‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•
and two other government sources
said.
Š”‡‡‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ••ƒ‹†–Š‡Š‡ƒŽ–Š‹istry has been asked to revamp the
policy, but work is yet to start.
DzŠ‡…‘•–”ƒ‹–‘†‹ƒǯ•ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ
resources was conveyed to health ofϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ǡ ƒ† ‡˜‡ –‘ –Š‘•‡ ˆ”‘ ‘–Š‡”
ministries,” said one government ofϐ‹…‹ƒŽ™Š‘‹•‘–ˆ”‘–Š‡Š‡ƒŽ–Š‹istry but attended the meeting where
Modi was present.
The meeting was held in January
and the discussions were not made
public.
All of the sources declined to be
named because of the sensitivity of
the discussions.
ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ƒ––Š‡’”‹‡‹‹•–‡”ǯ•‘ˆϐ‹…‡ƒ†–Š‡ϐ‹ƒ…‡‹‹•–”›ǡƒ•™‡ŽŽ
as the health ministry, did not respond to requests seeking comment.
Modi’s manifesto ahead of the
election that brought him to power
last year accorded “high priority” to
the health sector and promised a universal health assurance plan.
The manifesto said previous public health schemes, that have been
mired in payment delays recently,
had failed to meet the growing medical needs of public. Modi has another
ˆ‘—”›‡ƒ”•Ž‡ˆ–‹Š‹•ϐ‹”•––‡”–‘ˆ—Žϐ‹Ž
the promise. — Reuters
A patient looks on at the Rajan Babu Tuberculosis Hospital in New Delhi. — AFP
Saudi Arabia by road.”
Chandy said workers had complained of having their passports and
other documents seized by hospital
authorities, preventing them from
leaving.
India’s government this week
asked all its nationals to leave Yemen
as a Saudi-backed coalition launched
airstrikes.
Around 2,500 are in Sanaa, with
the rest spread out around the country. — AFP
Corruption,
frauds top
threat to
businesses
NEW DELHI — A leading industry
body on Friday ranked ‘corruption,
bribery and corporate frauds’ as
the topmost risk that impact Indian
business environment.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) revealed the topmost risk to
the Indian business environment in
the latest edition of ‘India Risk Survey 2015’ (IRS 2015) survey.
On the ‘corruption, bribery and
corporate frauds’ as the topmost
risk, the survey said the recent
news coverage and public uproar
related to various cases involving
ƒŒ‘” …‘”’‘”ƒ–‡ Š‘—•‡• Œ—•–‹ϐ‹‡•
this trend as having the highest
mind recall value and has also been
assigned the greatest concern in recent times.
“Continuing with the trend evident from last year, the focus of
the respondents for risk analysis
continues to be on how the entire
gamut of corruption, scams and corporate frauds are affecting the economy,” the survey said.
The survey was conducted jointly by FICCI and Pinkerton Corporate
Risk Management.
According to the industry body,
the objective of the survey is to inform and sensitise all stakeholders
about the emerging risks to the developing economies like India.
Apart from ‘corruption, bribery and corporate frauds’, the survey revealed that ‘information and
cyber insecurity’, ‘terrorism and
insurgency’, ‘business espionage’
and ‘crime’ as other major risks to
business environment in India. The
survey said that risks of ‘strikes, closures and unrest’ and ‘political and
governance instability’, which were
‡ƒ”Ž‹‡” ‹ –Š‡ –‘’ ϐ‹˜‡ ”‹• „”ƒ…‡–•
have dropped in the rankings to 6
and 11th positions respectively.
“This is a major shift in the yearly
trends primarily due to the positive
impact caused by a perceived stable
government coming to power at the
centre post the 2014 general elections,” the survey said. — IANS
8
AMERICAS
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
Š‹–‡‘—•‡…”ƒˆ–•ϔ‹”•–Ǧ‡˜‡”’Žƒ–‘ϔ‹‰Š–•—’‡”„—‰•
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES — The
White House is due to issue an ambitious plan to slow the growing and
deadly problem of antibiotic resistƒ…‡‘˜‡”–Š‡‡š–ϐ‹˜‡›‡ƒ”•ǡ‘‡–Šƒ–
requires massive investments and
policy changes from a broad array
of US government health agencies,
according to a copy of the report reviewed.
Š‡ ͸ͲǦ’ƒ‰‡ ”‡’‘”– ‹• –Š‡ ϐ‹”•–
ever to tackle antibiotic resistance so
broadly. It was compiled by a government task force led by the administra–‹‘ǯ• –‘’ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• ˆ‘” Š‡ƒŽ–Šǡ ƒ‰”‹…—Žture and defence.
Š‹–‡ ‘—•‡ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ …‘ϐ‹”‡†
that it would release the plan on Friday.
Doctors and health experts have
warned for decades that rising rates
of resistant bacteria are leading to
tens of thousands of deaths, threatening to nullify modern medical advancements.
Wrong kitty
litter led to
radiation leak
at New Mexico
IDAHO — A radiation leak at
an underground nuclear waste
dump in New Mexico was
caused by “chemically incompatible” contents, including
kitty litter, that reacted inside
a barrel of waste causing it to
rupture, scientists said.
The US Energy Department
report on last year’s radiation
accident at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near
Carlsbad showed that a drum
of waste containing radioisotopes like plutonium was improperly packaged at the Los
Alamos National Laboratory
near Santa Fe before arriving
for disposal.
The improper mix in the
barrel, including the wrong
sort of kitty litter used to absorb liquids, sparked a chemical reaction causing it to heat
up and generate gases that dislodged its lid, spewing radioactive materials, investigators
found.
The radiation leak that
began in the WIPP disposal
chamber half a mile below
ground on February 14, 2014,
“did not result from a detonation,” the report showed.
The
accident
exposed
22 workers to radiation in
amounts not expected to
threaten their health, according to Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, the contractor that
operates the plant.
Š‡ ƒ……‹†‡– ‹†‡ϐ‹‹–‡Ž›
suspended key operations at
the site, the Energy Department’s only permanent underground repository for certain
types of radiological waste tied
to US nuclear labs and weapons sites.
In September, Energy De’ƒ”–‡– ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• ‡•–‹ƒ–‡†
the cost of the initial recovery
of the dump at $240 million
and said it might be two years
or more before it is fully operational.
The report released on
Š—”•†ƒ› …‘ϐ‹”• –Š‡ ƒ‰‡cy’s preliminary theories about
the cause of the costly mishap
ƒ†ƒŽ•‘…Žƒ”‹ϐ‹‡†–Šƒ–Œ—•–‘‡
barrel of waste from Los Alamos was to blame.
New Mexico slapped the
Energy Department with $54
‹ŽŽ‹‘ ‹ ϐ‹‡• ‹ ‡…‡„‡”
for violations of state hazardous waste permits tied to WIPP
and the Los Alamos lab.
Also last year, a team of federal inspectors released a report that cited chronic lapses
in safety procedures at Los
Alamos that contributed to the
radiation leak.
The lab’s “waste processing
and safety-related control procedures should have prevented
the addition of these potentially incompatible materials,” the
inspectors said of the ruptured
waste barrel.
The Energy Department
could not be reached immediately for comment. — Reuters
The goals include drastically reducing the rates of the most deadly
Dz•—’‡”„—‰dz ‹ˆ‡…–‹‘• ™‹–Š‹ ϐ‹˜‡
years, investing in new diagnostic
tools and antibiotic drugs, and improving antibiotic use. Other tactics
include surveillance and prescribing
practices in livestock and hospitals
and increasing international collaboration through foreign ministries of
health and the World Health Organisation.
A broad-based approach is necessary, experts said, because overuse of
antibiotics from hospitals to US farms
has created a problem that has quickly grown out of control. In January,
the Obama administration proposed
doubling the government’s investment in antibiotic resistance to $1.2
billion.
“We’ve never seen something
this sweeping and comprehensive,”
Amanda Jezek, Vice-President for
Public Policy and Government Rela-
tions at the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said in an interview.
Šƒ•–‡•–‹ϐ‹‡†„‡ˆ‘”‡‘‰”‡••ˆ‘”
years to pass laws and increase fund-
million people are infected with resistant bacteria each year and 23,000
die, which experts say is a conservative estimate.
Under the plan, the CDC will aim to
reduce rates of the most deadly and
widespread infections. That includes
…—––‹‰Ž‘•–”‹†‹—†‹ˆϐ‹…‹Ž‡‹ˆ‡…–‹‘•
by 50 per cent, reducing carbapenemresistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)
infections by 60 per cent and lowering Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections by at least 50 per cent.
Hospitals will be required to implement programmes to increase inˆ‡…–‹‘ …‘–”‘Ž•ǡ •—…Š ƒ• Œ—†‹…‹‘—•Ž›
washing hands, hospital surfaces and
equipment, and reducing the use of
antibiotics in patients.
Doctors working with the governing for antibiotic resistance, she add- ment’s Medicare and Medicaid health
plans will be required to report their
ed.
The US Centres for Disease Control prescribing patterns for antibiotics,
and Prevention estimates that two particularly when used to treat non-
bacterial infections, such as common
colds.
The plan calls for CDC to increase
its screening of people arriving from
countries with high rates of multidrug resistant tuberculosis. The CDC
currently screens 500,000 such arrivals per year, and the plan calls for
†‘—„Ž‹‰–Šƒ–™‹–Š‹ϐ‹˜‡›‡ƒ”•Ǥ
Up to 70 per cent of antibiotics
sold in the US are given to livestock
ƒ† ’‘—Ž–”›ǡ •ƒ‹† —Œƒ–Šƒ ƒŠƒ‰‹”†ƒ”ǡ
programme director at consumer
group US PIRG Stop Antibiotics Overuse.
Jahagirdar noted that the report’s
recommendations fall short of policies adopted by companies such as
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc, which
seeks to buy completely antibioticfree meats. McDonald’s Corp recently
announced plans to phase out purchases of chicken raised with anti„‹‘–‹…• ˜‹–ƒŽ –‘ ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰ Š—ƒ ‹ˆ‡…tions. — Reuters
25 hurt in New York
buildings collapse
Argentina president
cleared in Iran
‘cover-up’ case
NEW YORK — Four apartment
buildings in New York’s East Village
‡‹‰Š„‘—”Š‘‘† …ƒ—‰Š– ϐ‹”‡ ˆ”‘ ƒ
apparent gas explosion and three colŽƒ’•‡†ǡ …ƒ—•‹‰ ʹͷ ‹Œ—”‹‡• ƒ† –™‘
missing, authorities said.
The blast shortly after 3 pm sent
ϐŽƒ‡• Ž‡ƒ’‹‰ ‹–‘ –Š‡ •› ƒ†
rocked the residential area in Manhattan. Bloodied victims ran from the
buildings, collapsing on the street,
witnesses said.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told
a news conference that preliminary
evidence indicated it was a gas-related explosion.
A Fire Department spokesman
said late on Thursday that three of
the four buildings had collapsed or
partially collapsed.
The fourth building “is still in˜‘Ž˜‡†™‹–Š•‘‡’‘…‡–•‘ˆϐ‹”‡ǡ‹–ǯ•
still an active scene. Investigation is
still ongoing,” he said.
Nineteen people were hurt. Four,
all civilians, were in critical condition,
the spokesman said.
The Con Edison utility said in a
statement that its inspectors had
been at the site on Thursday to evaluate work a building plumber was
doing in a building for a gas service
upgrade. The work failed to pass inspection, it said.
The seven-alarm blaze in the
neighbourhood of small businesses,
restaurants and apartments involved
more than 250 Fire Department personnel.
Moishe Perl, 64, who owns
Moishe’s Bake Shop nearby, said he
heard an explosion, ran outside and
•ƒ™ –Š‡ Ž‘™‡” ϐŽ‘‘”• ‘ˆ ƒ „—‹Ž†‹‰
start to crumble.
“Most of the people were running out of the building and climbing
†‘™ –Š‡ ϐ‹”‡ ‡•…ƒ’‡ǡdz Š‡ •ƒ‹†ǡ ™Š‹Ž‡
others were helped out of windows
by passersby.
Ben Mackinnon, 28, said he was
drinking coffee in a cafe when he
heard an explosion from across the
street.
“The explosion was big enough
that the door of the cafe blew open,”
Mackinnon said.
He said he saw several bloodied
men emerge from a sushi restau-
The court rejected
an appeal from
prosecutors who
sought to revive the
case against Kirchner
being brought by
their late colleague
Alberto Nisman before
he mysteriously
died on the eve of
congressional hearings
where he was due to
present his allegations
Argentina’s President Fernandez
de Kirchner
BUENOS AIRES — An Argentine appeals court upheld the decision to
dismiss a case against President Cristina Kirchner on accusations that she
•Š‹‡Ž†‡† ”ƒ‹ƒ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• ˆ”‘ ’”‘•ecution over a 1994 Jewish centre
bombing.
In a 2-1 decision, the court reŒ‡…–‡† ƒ ƒ’’‡ƒŽ ˆ”‘ ’”‘•‡…—–‘”•
who sought to revive the case against
Kirchner being brought by their late
colleague Alberto Nisman before he
mysteriously died on the eve of congressional hearings where he was
due to present his explosive allegations. “The federal appeals chamber
”ƒ–‹ϐ‹‡• –Š‡ †‡…‹•‹‘ „› —†‰‡ ƒ‹‡Ž
ƒˆ‡…ƒ• –‘ ”‡Œ‡…– ’”‘•‡…—–‘” ‹•ƒǯ•ƒ……—•ƒ–‹‘ǡdz•ƒ‹†ƒŒ—•–‹…‡‹istry statement.
Nisman had accused Iran of ordering the bombing at the Argentine
Jewish Mutual Association, a longunsolved attack that killed 85 people,
the deadliest in Argentina’s history.
‡ ƒŽŽ‡‰‡† ”ƒ‹ƒ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• ‘”dered the bombing via Lebanese
militant group Hezbullah, a claim the
government in Tehran denies.
He later concluded that a 2013
deal between Argentina and Iran for
the suspects to be investigated by a
Œ‘‹– …‘‹••‹‘ ™ƒ• ƒ …‘•’‹”ƒ…›
designed to ensure they would never
„‡„”‘—‰Š––‘Œ—•–‹…‡Ǥ
 ƒ—ƒ”› Š‡ ϐ‹Ž‡† ƒ ”‡’‘”– ƒ…cusing Kirchner, Foreign Minister
‡…–‘” ‹‡”ƒ ƒ† ‘–Š‡” ϐ‹‰—”‡•
close to the government of protect‹‰ Š‹‰ŠǦ”ƒ‹‰ ”ƒ‹ƒ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ǡ
including former president Akbar
ƒ•Š‡‹ ƒˆ•ƒŒƒ‹ǡ ‹ ‡š…Šƒ‰‡ ˆ‘”
‘‹Žƒ†–”ƒ†‡„‡‡ϐ‹–•Ǥ‘—”†ƒ›•Žƒ–‡”ǡ
on January 18, the prosecutor was
found dead in his bathroom with a
bullet through the head.
Since his death, initially labeled
a suicide, suspicion has fallen on
Kirchner’s government of orchestrating his murder.
Š‡ ’”‡•‹†‡–ǡ ™Š‘ –‘‘ ‘ˆϐ‹…‡ ‹
2007 and steps down in December,
has suggested the prosecutor was
manipulated by disgruntled former
intelligence agents who then killed
him to smear her.
After his death, a team of prosecutors appointed to take over the case
formally revived Nisman’s accusations, which Kirchner’s government
denies. In a scathing ruling on February 26, Judge Rafecas ruled the prosecution had failed to provide sufϐ‹…‹‡– ‡˜‹†‡…‡ –Šƒ– ƒ› …”‹‡ ™ƒ•
committed by Kirchner.
“It is clear that none of the alleged
crimes presented by lead prosecutor
Gerardo Pollicita in his petition to the
court are demonstrated in the least,”
Š‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ‡”‘—†Ž›”‡Œ‡…–‡†–Š‡’”‘•ecution’s allegations that Kirchner
sought to have an Interpol wanted
notice for the Iranian suspects annulled, which the international police
body’s director at the time, Ronald
Noble, denies. — AFP
‹”‡ϔ‹‰Š–‡”•†‘—•‹‰ϔ‹”‡ƒ––Š‡•‹–‡‘ˆƒ”‡•‹†‡–‹ƒŽƒ’ƒ”–‡–„—‹Ž†‹‰
collapse New York. — Reuters
rant where the explosion appeared
to originate. One of them fell to the
pavement.
Shameem Noor, a cashier at the
Veselka restaurant about a block
away, said he heard the blast and
saw three or four people fall to the
street.
The four buildings contain 49
apartments, according to a spokesman for the American Red Cross at
–Š‡•…‡‡ǤŠ‡‰”‘—†ϐŽ‘‘”•™‡”‡‘…-
cupied by small eateries.
A relocation center for displaced
residents was set up in a nearby
elementary school, the Red Cross
spokesman said.
ƒ”Ž›‘”‹†ƒ›‘”‹‰ǡϐ‹”‡ϐ‹‰Š–ers were battling a separate apart‡– „Žƒœ‡ „—”‹‰ ‘ –Š‡ –‘’ ϐŽ‘‘”
of a six-story building some 5 km
north, the New York Fire Department
said. There were no immediate re’‘”–•‘ˆ‹Œ—”‹‡•ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
Upset by Warren, US banks debate halting some campaign donations
NEW YORK — Big Wall Street banks
are so upset with US Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (pictured)
call for them to be broken up that
some have discussed withholding
campaign donations to Senate Democrats in symbolic protest, sources familiar with the discussions said.
Representatives from Citigroup,
JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Bank
of America, have met to discuss ways
to urge Democrats, including Warren
and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown,
to soften their party’s tone towards
Wall Street, sources familiar with the
discussions said this week.
ƒ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• •ƒ‹† –Š‡ ‹†‡ƒ ‘ˆ
withholding donations was not
discussed at a meeting of the four
banks in Washington but it has been
raised in one-on-one conversations
between representatives of some of
them. However, there was no agreement on coordinating any action, and
each bank is making its own decision,
they said. The amount of money at
stake, a maximum of $15,000 per
bank, means the gesture is symbolic
rather than material
Moreover, banks’ hostility towards
Warren, who is not a presidential
candidate, will not have a direct impact on the presumed Democratic
front runner in the White House
race, Hillary Clinton. That’s because
their fund-raising groups focus on
congressional races rather than the
presidential election
Still, political strategists say Clinton could struggle to raise money
ƒ‘‰ ƒŽŽ –”‡‡– ϐ‹ƒ…‹‡”• ™Š‘
worry that Democrats are becom-
ing less business friendly. The tensions are a sign that the aftermath of
–Š‡ʹͲͲͺϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ…”‹•‹•Ȅ–Š‡„ƒ
„ƒ‹Ž‘—–•ƒ†–Š‡ϐ‹‰Š–•‘˜‡”ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ
reforms to rein in Wall Street — are
still a factor in the 2016 elections.
Citigroup has decided to withhold donations for now to the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee over concerns that Senate Democrats could give Warren
and lawmakers who share her views
more power, sources inside the bank
said. — Reuters
P11
ECB’s Draghi says
money printing already
helping recovery
SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015 | JUMADA AL THANIA 7, 1436 AH
P12
US jobs, services sector
data point to growth
rebound
P10
UK house price growth
slows again in March
www.omanobserver.om
editor@omanobserver.om
Japanese economy on brink of deflation
The dismal figures come after Bank of Japan
chief Haruhiko Kuroda acknowledged this
month that dragging the country out of
years of deflation was proving to be “very
challenging”, and he warned that inflation
may temporarily fall to zero
Shoppers buy dried food at a market in Tokyo. — AFP
TOKYO Ȅƒ’ƒ‡•‡‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘•–ƒŽŽ‡†
in February with a key measure of
’”‹…‡• ϐŽƒ– ˆ‘” –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– –‹‡ ‹ ‡ƒ”Ž›
two years, data showed on Friday,
weighed by a plunge in oil rates and
tepid consumer spending.
Š‡ †‹•ƒŽ ϐ‹‰—”‡• …‘‡ ƒˆ–‡”
Bank of Japan chief Haruhiko Kuroda
acknowledged this month that drag-
‰‹‰–Š‡…‘—–”›‘—–‘ˆ›‡ƒ”•‘ˆ†‡ϐŽƒtion was proving to be “very challeng‹‰dzǡƒ†Š‡™ƒ”‡†–Šƒ–‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘ƒ›
temporarily fall to zero.
Š‹Ž‡…‘”‡‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘ǡ‡š…Ž—†‹‰˜‘Žatile fresh food prices, rose 2 per cent
in February, a measure that strips out
–Š‡‹’ƒ…–‘ˆƒ•ƒŽ‡•–ƒš”‹•‡Žƒ•–›‡ƒ”
— which is the BoJ’s benchmark —
Apple’s Tim Cook
leads different
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc
Š‹‡ˆ š‡…—–‹˜‡ ‹ ‘‘ ‹•
joining the roster of the very
rich who are giving away their
wealth.
Fortune magazine cited the
head of the world’s largest technology corporation as saying he
planned to donate his estimated
̈́͹ͺͷ ‹ŽŽ‹‘ ˆ‘”–—‡ –‘ …Šƒ”‹–›
— after paying for his 10-yearold nephew’s college education.
“You want to be the pebble in
the pond that creates the ripples
for change,” Cook told the magazine. Fortune estimated Cook’s
net worth, based on his holdings
of Apple stock, at about $120
million. He also holds restricted
stock worth $665 million if it
were to be fully vested.
The 54-year-old CEO’s revelation in Fortune’s Ž‡‰–Š› ’”‘ϐ‹Ž‡
‘ˆ Š‹ ‹• ƒ ‡šƒ’Ž‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‹creasingly public philanthropy of
the world’s richest people.
‹ŽŽ‹‘ƒ‹”‡ ϐ‹ƒ…‹‡” ƒ””‡
Buffett is encouraging the very
wealthy to give away at least
half their worth in their lifetimes
–Š”‘—‰Š –Š‡ Dz
‹˜‹‰ Ž‡†‰‡ǡdz
whose website lists such luminaries as Microsoft Corp’s Bill Gates, Mark
Zuckerberg of Facebook Inc and Oracle Corp’s Larry Ellison. While Cook’s
largesse could not begin to approach the scale of a Gates or Zuckerberg, both
worth billions of dollars, the Apple CEO told Fortune he hopes to make a difference. Cook, who is not listed on the website, is known as an intensely private person who shuns the spotlight on philanthropy.
In recent years, however, he has begun speaking out more openly about
issues ranging from the environment to civil rights.
Cook, who recently revealed he was gay, spoke out against discrimination
‘ˆ–Š‡Ž‡•„‹ƒǡ‰ƒ›ǡ„‹•‡š—ƒŽƒ†–”ƒ••‡š—ƒŽ…‘—‹–‹‡•†—”‹‰Š‹•‹†—…tion into the Alabama Academy of Honor last year.
He told FortuneŠ‡Šƒ••–ƒ”–‡††‘ƒ–‹‰‘‡›–‘—•’‡…‹ϐ‹‡†…ƒ—•‡•“—‹etly and is trying to develop a more “systematic approach” to philanthropy
that goes beyond writing checks. — Reuters
Apple’s CEO to give
away his multi-million
fortune to charity...
after paying nephew’s
college fees
…ƒ‡‹ϐŽƒ–ˆ”‘ƒ›‡ƒ”ƒ‰‘Ǥ
The reading was far short of the
bank’s goal of sustained 2 per cent
‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘ƒ†ƒ”•–Š‡ϐ‹”•–‘–Š‘ˆ
zero growth since May 2013, just af–‡”‘›‘Žƒ—…Š‡†ƒŠ‹‰ŠǦ’”‘ϐ‹Ž‡„‹†
to kickstart the economy and conquer
†‡ϐŽƒ–‹‘Ǥ
ϐŽƒ–‹‘‹•ƒ‡›‡ƒ•—”‡‘ˆ”‹‡
Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to end
years of stagnant or falling prices that
have been blamed for holding back
growth in the world’s number three
economy.
”‹…‡• Šƒ† „‡‡ ‘ –Š‡ ”‹•‡ ƒˆ–‡”
the programme was launched, largely
due to Japan’s heavy post-Fukushima
energy bills as it turned to pricey fos-
sil fuel alternatives
following
the atomic accident.
The
socalled Abenomics growth blitz
—
including
big government
spending
and
massive central
bank monetary
easing — helped
pull down the
yen, which in turn
pushed up import
costs.
But oil prices
have
tumbled
since the summer and consumers
snapped their wallets shut after the
‰‘˜‡”‡– ”ƒ‹•‡† •ƒŽ‡• –ƒš‡• –‘ ͺ
per cent from 5 per cent in April to
help pay down Japan’s enormous national debt.
Doubts are growing over what
many see as an overly ambitious
‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘ –ƒ”‰‡– Ȅ ‡˜‡ ƒ‘‰
policymakers themselves.
Minutes from the central bank’s
January meeting showed that three
of nine BoJ board members doubted
the chances of reaching the price target. Separate data on Friday showed
spending among Japanese households dropped for the 11th month in
a row, although the 2.9 per cent de-
cline in February
from a year earlier was smaller
than the 5.1 per
cent fall in January.
The unemployment rate
edged down to
3.5 per cent in
February from
3.6 per cent a
month earlier.
Following annual labour talks,
many companies
have responded
to Abe’s call to
boost
wages,
which he sees as crucial to putting
more money in workers’ pockets and
driving up spending.
But a majority of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News this month
‡š’‡…–ƒ‘–Š‡””‘—†‘ˆ‡ƒ•‹‰„›…tober, even as the economy crept out
of a brief recession in the last quarter
of 2014.
“The plunge in oil will keep capping gains in consumer prices,” said
Takeshi Minami, an economist at
Norinchukin Research Institute.
SMBC Nikko Securities added that
the central bank would have little
choice but to “carry on with the (eas‹‰Ȍ ’‘Ž‹…› —–‹Ž –Š‡ ƒ…–—ƒŽ ‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘
”ƒ–‡”‹•‡•dzǤȄ
S Korea sees gains for its infra
ϐ‹”•ˆ”‘Œ‘‹‹‰
SEOUL — South Korea hopes its infrastructure
…‘’ƒ‹‡•™‹ŽŽ„‡‡ϐ‹–ˆ”‘–Š‡…‘—–”›Œ‘‹‹‰
the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Invest‡–ƒȋȌǡ–Š‡ϐ‹ƒ…‡‹‹•–”›•ƒ‹†‘
Friday.
Shares in some South Korean iron and steel
products makers rose sharply, partly on hopes
for new orders when the AIIB is operational
and funding infrastructure projects, which is
Ž‹‡Ž›‡š–›‡ƒ”Ǥ
‹•–‡‡Ž‘”‘•‡ͳͶǤͺ’‡”…‡–ƒ†ƒ‹Ž”‘
& Steel was up about 6 per cent by the afternoon.
DzȋŠ‡ ‰‘˜‡”‡–Ȍ ‡š’‡…–• ‘—” …‘’ƒ‹‡•
to win many orders in areas such as communications, energy and transportation, where they
Šƒ˜‡ •–”‡‰–Šǡdz ‘‰ Ǧ…Šƒ‰ǡ Š‡ƒ† ‘ˆ –Š‡ ϐ‹ƒ…‡ ‹‹•–”›ǯ• ‹–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ ϐ‹ƒ…‡ „—”‡ƒ—ǡ
told reporters. Seoul announced on Thursday it
would seek to join the AIIB as a founding member, the latest US ally to do so despite Washington’s misgivings.
China is South Korea’s biggest trading partner and the two countries are set to sign a free
–”ƒ†‡ƒ‰”‡‡‡–‹–Š‡ϐ‹”•–ŠƒŽˆ‘ˆ–Š‹•›‡ƒ”Ǥ
China has set March 31 as the deadline for
joining the bank as a founder member, which
The AIIB has been seen
as a significant and
possibly historic setback
to US efforts to extend its
influence in the Asia-Pacific
region to balance China’s
growing financial clout and
assertiveness.
File photo shows China’s Finance Minister Lou Jiwei signs a document, with the guests of
the signing ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank at the Great Hall of the
People in Beijing on October 24, 2014. — Reuters
will be capitalised at an initial $50 billion to
provide project loans to developing nations.
Š‹ƒǯ• ϐ‹ƒ…‡ ‹‹•–”› •ƒ‹† ‘ ”‹†ƒ› –Šƒ–
—š‡„‘—”‰ Šƒ• „‡‡ ƒ……‡’–‡† ƒ• ƒ ˆ‘—†‹‰
‡„‡”ǡ–ƒ‹‰–Š‡—„‡”–‘ʹͺǤ
……‘”†‹‰ –‘ ‡‘—Žǡ ƒ’’Ž‹…ƒ–‹‘• ˆ”‘ •‹š
countries are pending — Britain, Germany,
France, Italy, Switzerland and South Korea.
Š‡Šƒ•„‡‡•‡‡ƒ•ƒ•‹‰‹ϐ‹…ƒ–ƒ†
’‘••‹„Ž›Š‹•–‘”‹…•‡–„ƒ…–‘‡ˆˆ‘”–•–‘‡š–‡†
‹–• ‹ϐŽ—‡…‡ ‹ –Š‡ •‹ƒǦƒ…‹ϐ‹… ”‡‰‹‘ –‘ „ƒŽƒ…‡Š‹ƒǯ•‰”‘™‹‰ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ…Ž‘—–ƒ†ƒ••‡”–iveness.
The major absentees in the region from the
bank are Australia and Japan.
Australia has said it is close to joining, but Japan remains cautious.
“What is important is not the date but
whether we can see what we have been asking
(China) guaranteed,” Finance Minister Taro Aso
told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Friday.
Aso reiterated Japan’s concerns relating to
fair governance at the AIIB, establishment of
the board of directors, debt sustainability and
respect for social and environmental issues.
DzŽ‡•• ȋŠ‹ƒȌ …Žƒ”‹ϐ‹‡• –Š‡•‡ ƒ––‡”•ǡ
which are not clear at all, Japan remains cautious,” he said.
‘‰ ƒ– –Š‡ ‘—–Š ‘”‡ƒ ϐ‹ƒ…‡ ‹‹•–”›
said some of the concerns among prospective
members had recently been resolved, such as
giving the board of directors the power to decide on investment projects, instead of the management.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week
that China had proposed to forgo veto power
at the AIIB to attract more countries to join the
new bank.
— Reuters
10
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
$55.55
OMAN/INTERNATIONAL
$1,196.30
$17.12
Omani Rial/ Euro & Dollar
RO 1
€2.3931
UK house price growth
slows again in March
Ȅ ”‹–‹•Š Š‘—•‡ ’”‹…‡•
”‘•‡‹ƒ”…Š„›–Š‡•ƒŽŽ‡•–ƒ—ƒŽ
ƒ‘—– •‹…‡ ‡’–‡„‡” ʹͲͳ͵ǡ ϐ‹‰—”‡• ˆ”‘ ‘”–‰ƒ‰‡ Ž‡†‡” ƒ–‹‘™‹†‡ •Š‘™‡† ‘ ”‹†ƒ›ǡ ƒ††‹‰ –‘
•‹‰•–Š‡…‘—–”›ǯ•Š‘—•‹‰ƒ”‡–‹•
…‘‘Ž‹‰Ǥ
ƒ–‹‘™‹†‡ •ƒ‹† –Š‡ ƒ—ƒŽ ”ƒ–‡
‘ˆ ‹…”‡ƒ•‡ †”‘’’‡† –‘ ͷǤͳ ’‡” …‡–
ˆ”‘ ͷǤ͹ ’‡” …‡– ‹ ‡„”—ƒ”›ǡ –Š‡
seventh month in a row that the pace
‘ˆ’”‹…‡‰”‘™–ŠŠƒ••Ž‘™‡†Ǥ
”‹…‡•‹ƒ”…ŠƒŽ‘‡”‘•‡„›ͲǤͳ
’‡”…‡–Ǥ
ƒ–‹‘™‹†‡ǯ• …Š‹‡ˆ ‡…‘‘‹•–ǡ
‘„‡”–
ƒ”†‡”ǡ•ƒ‹†–Š‡”‡…‘˜‡”›‹
”‹–ƒ‹ǯ• ‡…‘‘›ǡ ‹…Ž—†‹‰ Ž‘™‡”
—‡’Ž‘›‡–ƒ†”‡…‘”†Ž‘™‹–‡”‡•– ”ƒ–‡•ǡ ™‡”‡ •—’’‘”–‹‰ –Š‡ Š‘—•‹‰ƒ”‡–Ǥ
Dz‡˜‡”–Š‡Ž‡••ǡ –Š‡ ’ƒ…‡ ‘ˆ Š‘—•‹‰ ƒ”‡– ƒ…–‹˜‹–› Šƒ• ”‡ƒ‹‡†
•—„†—‡†ǡ ™‹–Š –Š‡ —„‡” ‘ˆ ‘”–‰ƒ‰‡• ƒ’’”‘˜‡† ˆ‘” Š‘—•‡ ’—”…Šƒ•‡
‹ƒ—ƒ”›ƒ”‘—†ʹͲ’‡”…‡–„‡Ž‘™
–Š‡Ž‡˜‡Ž’”‡˜ƒ‹Ž‹‰‘‡›‡ƒ”ƒ‰‘ǡdzŠ‡
•ƒ‹†Ǥ
”‹–‹•Š ”‡‰—Žƒ–‘”• –‹‰Š–‡‡† ”—Ž‡•
ˆ‘” ‘”–‰ƒ‰‡ Ž‡†‹‰ Žƒ•– ›‡ƒ” ‹
ƒ „‹† –‘ …‘‘Ž ’”‹…‡ ‰”‘™–Š ™Š‹…Š
”‡ƒ…Š‡†‡ƒ”Ž›ͳʹ’‡”…‡–‹ƒ—ƒŽ
–‡”•‹–Š‡‹††Ž‡‘ˆŽƒ•–›‡ƒ”Ǥ
ƒ–‹‘™‹†‡•ƒ‹†’”‹…‡•‹‘†‘
ƒ†•‘—–Š‡”‰Žƒ†ƒ‰ƒ‹•ƒ™–Š‡
•–”‘‰‡•– ”ƒ–‡• ‘ˆ ƒ—ƒŽ ‰”‘™–Š ƒŽ–Š‘—‰Š –Š‡”‡ ™ƒ• ƒ ‘–‹…‡ƒ„Ž‡ •‘ˆ–‡‹‰ ‹ –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– –Š”‡‡ ‘–Š• ‘ˆ
–Š‡›‡ƒ”ǡ’ƒ”–‹…—Žƒ”Ž›‹‘†‘Ǥ
 –Š‡ …ƒ’‹–ƒŽǡ ’”‹…‡• ”‘•‡ „› ƒ
ƒ—ƒŽͳʹǤ͹’‡”…‡–‹–Š‡ϐ‹”•–“—ƒ”–‡”ǡ •Ž‘™‹‰ ˆ”‘ ƒ ”‹•‡ ‘ˆ ͳ͹Ǥͺ ’‡”
…‡–‹–Š‡Žƒ•––Š”‡‡‘–Š•‘ˆʹͲͳͶǤ
— Reuters
‘—–Šˆ”‹…ƒ‡‡’•”ƒ–‡ƒ–ͷǤ͹ͷ’…
Ȅ ‘—–Š ˆ”‹…ƒǯ• …‡–”ƒŽ
„ƒŽ‡ˆ–‹–•„‡…Šƒ”‹–‡”‡•–”ƒ–‡
—…Šƒ‰‡†ƒ–ͷǤ͹ͷ’‡”…‡–ǡ™ƒ”‹‰
–Šƒ–‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘ƒ”›’”‡••—”‡™ƒ•‰”‘™‹‰†—‡–‘ƒ”‡„‘—†‹‘‹Ž’”‹…‡•ǡ–Š‡
†‡…Ž‹‹‰”ƒ†ƒ†”‹•‹‰™ƒ‰‡•Ǥ
ˆ”‹…ƒǯ• •‡…‘†ǦŽƒ”‰‡•– ‡…‘‘›
Šƒ• •–”—‰‰Ž‡† ˆ‘” ‰”‘™–Š ”‡…‡–Ž›ǡ
‡š’ƒ†‹‰Œ—•–ͳǤͷ’‡”…‡–Žƒ•–›‡ƒ”ǡ
–Š‡ •Ž‘™‡•– ’ƒ…‡ •‹…‡ ʹͲͲͻǡ ƒ†
”‘ŽŽ‹‰ ’‘™‡” ‘—–ƒ‰‡• ƒ…”‘•• –Š‡
…‘—–”›ƒ”‡•‡––‘‹’ƒ…–‹†—•–”›‹
–Š‡…‘‹‰›‡ƒ”•Ǥ
…—– ‹ ‹–‡”‡•– ”ƒ–‡• ™‘—Ž†
’”‘˜‹†‡ ƒ „‘‘•– –‘ ‰”‘™–Šǡ „—– •’—”
‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘ǡ ™Š‹…Š –Š‡ ‘—–Š ˆ”‹…ƒ
‡•‡”˜‡ƒ•ƒ‹†‹–‘™•‡‡•”‹•‹‰
–‘ƒƒ—ƒŽ”ƒ–‡‘ˆͶǤͺ’‡”…‡–…‘’ƒ”‡†–‘ƒ‡ƒ”Ž‹‡”ˆ‘”‡…ƒ•–‘ˆ͵Ǥͺ’‡”
…‡–ǤȄ
Air China sees 14pc rise
‹ʹͲͳͶ‡–’”‘ϐ‹–
HONG KONG — Air China, the coun–”›ǯ•ϐŽƒ‰…ƒ””‹‡”ǡ•ƒ‹†–Šƒ––Š‡‰Ž‘„ƒŽ
‡…‘‘‹… ”‡…‘˜‡”› ƒ† ˆƒŽŽ‹‰ ‘‹Ž
’”‹…‡•Š‡Ž’‡†Ž‹ˆ–‹–•‡–’”‘ϐ‹–„›ͳͶ
’‡”…‡–Žƒ•–›‡ƒ”Ǥ
‡– ’”‘ϐ‹– ‹ ʹͲͳͶ …ƒ‡ ‹ ͵Ǥ͹ͺ
„‹ŽŽ‹‘ ›—ƒ ȋ̈́͸ͲͺǤ͸͹ ‹ŽŽ‹‘Ȍǡ —’
ˆ”‘ ͵Ǥ͵ʹ „‹ŽŽ‹‘ ›—ƒ –Š‡ ’”‡˜‹‘—•
›‡ƒ”ǡ –Š‡ ƒ‹”Ž‹‡ •ƒ‹† ‹ ƒ •–ƒ–‡‡–
ϐ‹Ž‡† Žƒ–‡ ‘ Š—”•†ƒ› –‘ –Š‡ ‘‰
‘‰–‘…š…Šƒ‰‡Ǥ
– …”‡†‹–‡† ˆƒŽŽ‹‰ ‘‹Ž ’”‹…‡•ǡ ”‡…‘˜‡”› ‹ –Š‡ ‰Ž‘„ƒŽ ‡…‘‘›ǡ ƒ†
•–”‡‰–Š‡‡† …‘•– ƒƒ‰‡‡–ǡ ƒ•
™‡ŽŽƒ•”‡…‘˜‡”›‹–Š‡ƒ‹”…ƒ”‰‘ƒ”‡–ƒ••‘‡‘ˆ–Š‡ˆƒ…–‘”•„‡Š‹†–Š‡
”‹•‡Ǥ
Š‡ ”‡•—Ž– ˆ‘ŽŽ‘™• ƒ ͵ʹ ’‡” …‡–
†”‘’ ‹ ’”‘ϐ‹– ‹ ʹͲͳ͵ǡ …ƒ—•‡† „›
ƒ •–”—‰‰Ž‹‰ ™‘”Ž† ‡…‘‘› ƒ† ƒ
™‡ƒ…ƒ”‰‘ƒ”‡–Ǥ
Dz”‘ϐ‹–ƒ„‹Ž‹–› ‘ˆ ‘—” …‘”‡ „—•‹‡•• …‘–‹—‡† –‘ •–”‡‰–Š‡ ƒ†
–Š‡“—ƒŽ‹–›‘ˆ‘—”‡ƒ”‹‰•‹’”‘˜‡†
ƒ”‡†Ž›ǡdz–Š‡ƒ‹”Ž‹‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ
‹” Š‹ƒ •ƒ‹† ‹– Šƒ† …ƒ””‹‡†
ͺ͵ǤͲͳ‹ŽŽ‹‘’ƒ••‡‰‡”•‹ʹͲͳͶǡƒ
‹…”‡ƒ•‡‘ˆ͹’‡”…‡–‘˜‡”–Š‡’”‡˜‹‘—•›‡ƒ”Ǥ
Dz‡–‹‡Ž›‹…”‡ƒ•‡†–Š‡…ƒ’ƒ…‹–›
ˆ‘” ‘—” ƒ’ƒ‡•‡ ƒ† ‘”‡ƒ ”‘—–‡•
™Š‡”‡ ’ƒ••‡‰‡” ‰”‘™–Š ™ƒ• ˆƒ•–‡”ǡ
‘’–‹‹•‡†‘—”—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ”‘—–‡•–”—…–—”‡ǡ ƒ† †›ƒ‹…ƒŽŽ› ƒ†Œ—•–‡† ‘—”
…ƒ’ƒ…‹–› †‡’Ž‘›‡– ‹ ‘—–Š‡ƒ•–
•‹ƒ”‘—–‡•ǡdz–Š‡…‘’ƒ›•ƒ‹†Ǥ
‹” Š‹ƒ „‘—‰Š– ͸Ͳ ‘‡‹‰ ͹͵͹
ƒ‹”…”ƒˆ– ‹ ‡…‡„‡” Žƒ•– ›‡ƒ” ™‹–Š
ƒ Ž‹•– ’”‹…‡ ‘ˆ ƒ„‘—– ̈́͸ „‹ŽŽ‹‘ –‘ ‡š’ƒ†‹–•ϐŽ‡‡–ǤŠ‡ƒ‹”Ž‹‡™‹ŽŽ„‡–ƒ‹‰†‡Ž‹˜‡”›‘ˆ–Š‡’Žƒ‡•ˆ”‘ʹͲͳ͸
–‘ʹͲʹͲǤ
‘‘‹‰ ƒŠ‡ƒ† –‘ ʹͲͳͷǡ –Š‡ ƒ‹”Ž‹‡ •ƒ‹† Š‹ƒǯ• ‘†‡”ƒ–‡ ‰”‘™–Š
™ƒ• ‡š’‡…–‡† –‘ Dz‹…”‡ƒ•‡ ‘ˆ …‘•—’–‹‘Ž‡˜‡Ž‘ˆŠ‹‡•‡…‘•—‡”•
ƒ†–Š‡…Šƒ‰‡‘ˆ–Š‡‹”…‘•—’–‹‘
•–”—…–—”‡ ™‹ŽŽ ’”‘˜‹†‡ ƒ ‡™ †‹‡•‹‘ƒ†ƒ‡™•–”ƒ–‡‰‹…‘’’‘”–—‹–›
ˆ‘” –Š‡ †‡˜‡Ž‘’‡– ‘ˆ Š‹ƒǯ• ƒ˜‹ƒ–‹‘‹†—•–”›ǤdzȄ
MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET
$2.6008
11
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
INTERNATIONAL
Stocks mixed as ME worries linger; oil eases
Yen resumes crisis rally
TOKYO — The yen resumed its rally
on Friday after getting a boost in US
trade over Yemen fears.
While the Japanese currency
weakened in morning Tokyo trade,
it picked up in the afternoon with
the dollar sitting at 119.15 yen,
down from 119.18 yen in New York.
The euro also slipped to 129.61
yen, from 129.71 yen, and $1.0880,
slightly off from $1.0884.
US traders on Thursday moved
into the yen on news that jets from
a Saudi-led coalition had targeted
rebels in support of Yemen’s presi†‡–ǡ ™Š‘ ϐŽ‡† Š‹• ’”‡•‹†‡–‹ƒŽ
complex on Wednesday after it was
attacked by a warplane. Investors
tend to buy the yen as a safe-haven
during times of uncertainty and
turmoil.
In the morning, the unit gave
—’ •‘‡ ‘ˆ ‹–• ‰ƒ‹• ƒˆ–‡” ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ
†ƒ–ƒ •Š‘™‡† –Šƒ– ƒ’ƒ‡•‡ ‹ϐŽƒtion stalled in February with a key
‡ƒ•—”‡ ‘ˆ ’”‹…‡• ϐŽƒ– ˆ‘” –Š‡ ϐ‹”•–
time in nearly two years.
Š‡†‹•ƒ’’‘‹–‹‰ϐ‹‰—”‡•†‡ƒŽƒ
blow to the Bank of Japan’s efforts
–‘…‘“—‡”†‡ϐŽƒ–‹‘ǡƒ†”ƒ‹•‡–Š‡
possibility of more monetary easing later this year just as the US
Federal Reserve eyes an interest
rate hike.
“It’s clear that Japan will maintain its accommodative monetary
”ƒ†‡”•™‘”‘–Š‡ϔŽ‘‘”‘ˆ–Š‡‡™‘”–‘…š…Šƒ‰‡ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
HONG KONG — Asian markets were
mixed on Friday in edgy trade as investors track the crisis in Yemen, with
fears that unrest in the country could
–—”‹–‘ƒ™‹†‡”‹††Ž‡ƒ•–…‘ϐŽ‹…–Ǥ
Wall Street provided another negative lead while the euro struggled after tumbling in New York from levels
above $1.10 earlier in the day as traders sought out safe investments.
Oil price also dipped a day after
surging in reaction to the unrest in
Yemen.
Oil prices fell more than $1 a barrel on Friday as worries receded over
the threat of disruptions to Middle
East supplies due to Saudi Arabia-led
air strikes in Yemen.
Goldman Sachs said the bombing
of Yemen would have little effect on
oil supplies as the country was only
a small crude exporter and tankers could avoid passing its waters to
reach their ports of destination.
North Sea Brent crude was down
$1.05 at $58.14 a barrel by 0920
GMT after hitting an intraday low of
$57.76. US crude was down $1.05 at
$50.38 a barrel.
Oil jumped around 5 per cent on
Thursday, its biggest daily gain in a
month. Worries over the possible impact of the geopolitical tensions on
the Bab el Mandeb Strait, the closure
of which could affect 3.8 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude and prod—…– ϐŽ‘™•ǡ ’—– ‘‹Ž ’”‹…‡• ‘ –”ƒ… ˆ‘”
weekly gains.
Brent was headed for almost a 5
per cent weekly rise — the biggest
gain since early February. US crude
was set for a 10 per cent jump — the
most since the start of 2011.
ˆ –Š‡ ϐ‹‰Š–‹‰ ‹ ‡‡ ™‡”‡ –‘
„‡…‘‡ ƒ ”‡‰‹‘ƒŽ …‘ϐŽ‹…–ǡ –Š‡ ‘‹Ž
prices could climb, said Jonathan Bar”ƒ––ǡ…Š‹‡ˆ‹˜‡•–‡–‘ˆϐ‹…‡”ƒ–›‡”•
Alliance, but he added that a blockade
of Bab el Mandeb seemed unlikely:
“Now the market is questioning
Money printing already
helping recovery: Draghi
ROME — Bond-buying
by the European Central
Bank will reinforce the
euro zone’s economic
recovery, its president,
Mario Draghi (pictured),
said, adding that there
was already evidence that
the scheme was taking
effect. “Monetary policy
is reinforcing the cyclical
recovery.
I insist in saying ‘cyclical’ because this recovery
is not structural,” he told
a parliamentary committee hearing, in a reference
to long-term problems
such as unemployment.
Draghi told lawmakers
in Italy’s parliament that
recent data releases “are
comforting about the contribution that monetary policy is supplying
to reinforce the cyclical recovery”.
He said there has been a particularly noticeable effect in lowering the level of the euro against other currencies. The ECB has cut
interest rates to record lows, lent banks billions of euros in cheap
funds and begun buying sovereign bonds to try to bolster the euro
œ‘‡ ‡…‘‘› ƒ† „”‹‰ ‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘ „ƒ… ˆ”‘ œ‡”‘ –‘ ‹–• –ƒ”‰‡– ‘ˆ
close to 2 per cent.
However Draghi repeated his mantra that euro zone governments had to do their part to boost productivity and growth by
passing structural reforms to their economies and said that weakness in any one country hampered the entire bloc.
“Low potential growth creates macroeconomic imbalances and
the vulnerability which arises has reverberations in other countries
of the area,” he said.
Draghi also gave his encouragement to efforts in Italy and other
countries to reduce billions of euros of bad loans in the banking system that are holding back lending and creating an obstacle to economic recovery. Speaking to a parliamentary committee hearing in
Rome on Thursday, he said there needed to be a rapid solution to
the problem of impaired loans in the euro zone overall.
“In general, the ECB looks very favourably at measures aimed
at reducing the weight of impaired elements in the balance sheets
of banks, including Italian banks,” he said. “An initiative of this
‹†ˆ”‡‡•—’”‡•‘—”…‡•ˆ‘”–Š‡„‡‡ϐ‹–‘ˆ…‘’ƒ‹‡•ƒ„‘˜‡ƒŽŽǡdzŠ‡
said. — Reuters
‡™‘”–Š‡
‘™‡ƒ•‡†ͶǤ͸͹
’‡”…‡–ǡ–Š‡Ƭ
ͻͶͶ†”‘’’‡†ͶǤ͸ͺ
’‡”…‡–ƒ†–Š‡
ƒ•†ƒ“Ž‘•–
ͶǤ͸ͽ’‡”…‡–
how sustainable the (impact of the)
geopolitical event is on oil prices,”
Barratt said. Yemen itself is a very
small oil producer, with an output of
around 145,000 bpd in 2014.
“With potentially 30 million bar-
rels stored offshore, it could quickly
ϐŽ‘‘†ƒƒŽ”‡ƒ†›•ƒ–—”ƒ–‡†‘‹Žƒ”‡–ǡdz
ANZ oil analysts said in a note to clients. Tokyo tumbled 0.95 per cent, or
ͳͺͷǤͶͻ ’‘‹–•ǡ –‘ ϐ‹‹•Š ƒ– ͳͻǡʹͺͷǤ͸͵
and Seoul fell 0.14 per cent, or 2.76
points, to 2,019.80, while Hong Kong
was barely changed, edging down
10.88 points to 24,486.20.
However, Sydney added 0.69
per cent, or 40.84 points, to close
at 5,919.9 following a heavy fall on
Thursday, while Shanghai ended
up 0.24 per cent, or 9 points, at
3,691.10 on hopes for more Chinese
stimulus.
In New York the Dow eased 0.23
per cent, the S&P 500 dropped 0.24
per cent and the Nasdaq lost 0.27 per
cent.
The events sent oil prices racing
higher on Thursday as investors fretted about possible disruptions to supplies from the crude-rich region.
US benchmark West Texas Inter-
mediate (WTI) jumped $2.22, or 4.5
per cent, to $51.43 — its highest level
in more than three weeks — while
Brent jumped $2.71 to $59.19.
However, on Friday the two contracts retreated a touch. WTI was
down $1.02 to $50.41 and Brent
eased $1.19 cents to $58.
“While we’ve got no actual supply
disruption it’s pretty clear that the
market is focused on the potential
here, which is enormous,” Michael
McCarthy, a chief markets strategist at
CMC Markets in Sydney, told Bloomberg News.
“We’re likely to see a further increase in volatility as the price reacts
to developments.”
The edginess has led dealers into
safer investments, hitting the euro.
In afternoon trade the euro, which
was above $1.10 in Tokyo on Thursday, bought $1.0811 on Friday, compared with $1.0884 in US trade.
The single currency was also at
policy and tapering is not in sight
while it’s also clear that the US is
just about the only place where
interest rates will rise,” Yunosuke
Ikeda, head of currency strategy in
Tokyo at Nomura Securities, told
Bloomberg News.
“There is no change to the basic
scenario of a strong dollar.”
Also helping the greenback,
new claims for US unemployment
‹•—”ƒ…‡ „‡‡ϐ‹–• ˆ‡ŽŽ Žƒ•– ™‡‡ǡ
continuing to trend lower as the labour market improves in a sign of
a broader recovery for the world’s
top economy.
Investors will be keeping a close
eye on a speech by Fed chief Janet
Yellen later in the day to see if she
offers up any clues about the timing
of a long-awaited rate hike.
The dollar was mostly weaker
ƒ‰ƒ‹•– ‘–Š‡” •‹ƒǦƒ…‹ϐ‹… …—””‡cies.
It slipped to S$1.3687 from
S$1.3697 on Thursday, to T$31.22
from T$31.29, to 1,103.40 South
Korean won from 1,105.01 won,
and to 32.58 Thai baht from 32.59
baht.
The greenback also weakened to
44.80 Philippine pesos from 44.83
pesos while it rose to 13,043.10
Indonesian rupiah from 13,016.50
rupiah. It was unchanged at 62.63
Indian rupees. — AFP
129.04 yen against 129.71 yen in New
York. The dollar was at 119.30 yen,
compared with 119.18 yen in New
York late on Thursday.
Gold fetched $1,204.49 against
$1,205.54 late on Thursday.
In other markets:
* Taipei fell 1.20 per cent, or
115.40 points, to 9,503.72.
Acer shed 3.27 per cent to
Tw$20.7 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 2.06 per
cent lower at Tw$142.5.
* Wellington added 0.36 per cent,
or 21.08 points, to 5,919.94.
Telecom giant Spark was up 0.34
per cent at NZ$2.98 and Contact Energy added 1.01 per cent to NZ$5.98.
ȗƒ‹Žƒ‡†‡†ϐŽƒ–ǡ‡†‰‹‰—’͸Ǥͺ͸
points to 7,877.96. Universal Robina
was up 1.56 per cent at 221.40 pesos
and Metrobank was down 0.51 per
cent at 97.10 pesos but Energy Development Corp was up 0.24 per cent at
8.51 pesos. — AFP/Reuters
Facebook bets on Messenger app
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook is turning its
Messenger application into a platform for ecommerce, video and more in a bid to shake up
online communication. Facebook co-founder
Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Messenger Platform,
describing it as a way for software developers to
boost appeal to the more than 600 million people using the application.
“We think this service has the potential to allow people to express themselves in new ways...
and to be an important communication tool for
the world,” Zuckerberg said at the Californiabased company’s annual developers conference
that ended on Thursday in San Francisco.
Facebook executives introduced more than 25
products and tools tailored to help developers
“build, grow, and monetise” mobile applications
aimed at the social network’s audience of approximately 1.39 billion people.
Messenger is being upgraded to allow users
to share photos, audio clips, videos, animated
snippets and other digital content. The changes
underscore Facebook’s vision for Messenger as
a new communication tool that complements the
social network and ramps up efforts to compete
with rivals like Snapchat, which is adding media
partners to its messaging app.
“They are trying to make Messenger a full-featured and rich media platform,” Gartner analyst
Brian Blau told AFP at the conference. “I think
that they are interested in letting people know
that Facebook is not a single app company, it is
an app constellation.”
Along with Messenger and its eponymous
social networking application, Facebook owns
WhatsApp and Instagram. Blau likened the Messenger move to the rise of Facebook as a platform.
One of the Messenger upgrades was designed
to build on Facebook’s move into e-commerce by
weaving chat threads into purchases at websites,
essentially turning formerly impersonal Internet
shopping into ongoing text message conversations.
“We’re making Messenger a place where you
can easily communicate with the businesses you
care about in addition to the people you care
ƒ…‡„‘‘ƒ”—…‡”„‡”‰•’‡ƒ•ƒ––Š‡;•—‹–‹ƒ”ƒ…‹•…‘ǡƒŽ‹ˆ‘”‹ƒǤ—…‡”„‡”‰‹–”‘†—…‡†ƒ‡™‡••‡‰‡”’Žƒ–ˆ‘”ƒ––Š‡‡˜‡–ǤȄ
about,” Zuckerberg said.
The e-commerce move comes a week after
Facebook unveiled a way to use Messenger for
peer-to-peer payments, and with the social network testing a “buy” button to allow users to
make purchases directly from their Facebook
pages.
Marcus saw great promise in using Messenger to connect its 600 million users with the 30
million business pages at Facebook. “We want to
start conversations between businesses and people,” Marcus said.
“It needs to feel private, not noisy.”
Messenger chats between customers and
shops are meant to provide conversation-thread
context to buying things; tracking shipments, and
handling customer concerns. Because personalised exchanges such as those require high levels
of service, Facebook is starting with a few select
partners that promise to hit standards set by
the social network, according to Marcus. “A real
problem to solve is how businesses manage the
chats,” Marcus said.
“We will need to see if we can automate common questions without being awkward.”
Facebook is not making money from connecting businesses and customers in Messenger. The
priority is perfecting and expanding the capability, with revenue tactics to be determined in the
ˆ—–—”‡Ǥ Dzˆ –Š‡› …ƒ ϐ‹† ƒ ‹…Š‡ ‹ „—•‹‡•• ˆ‘”
that very contextual message, they could beneϐ‹–ǡdzŽƒ—•ƒ‹†ǤDz–‹•…‘‘Ž–Šƒ––Š‡›„—‹Ž–ƒ’Žƒ–ˆ‘”
to let this experimentation begin.”
The Messenger team is also working with
’ƒ”–‡”•‹…Ž—†‹‰ƒ†–Š‡ƒ†‘„‘–ϐ‹Ž
production company owned by Hollywood director J J Abrams to release applications that work
on the Messenger platform.
Business Briefs
Business Briefs
Business Briefs
Business Briefs
Business Briefs
Business Briefs
12
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
Shell to cut more UK
North Sea jobs in 2015
INTERNATIONAL
US jobs, services sector data
point to growth rebound
LONDON — Royal Dutch Shell is planning further job cuts in its
UK North Sea oil and gas business in 2015, the company said, just
a week after a package of tax cuts from the Treasury aimed at encouraging growth in the industry.
“Shell UK plans to reduce the number of staff and agency contractors who support the company’s UK North Sea operations by at
least 250 in 2015,” Shell said in an emailed statement.
The reduction is in addition to 250 job losses announced in
August, Shell said, and follows North Sea job cuts by BP, Talisman
Sinopec, Chevron and ConocoPhillips.
Britain’s North Sea oil and gas sector employs over 400,000
people and is worth about £5 billion ($7.47 billion) a year to the
state. But investment activity has stalled due to a combination of
high costs, high taxes and falling oil prices.
Last week, Britain announced a raft of oil tax cuts and an investment allowance with the aim of stimulating investment and production, heeding calls for help from battered North Sea oil and gas
companies battling high costs and the price slump. — Reuters
Oil giant PetroChina’s
‡–’”‘ϐ‹–•Ž—’•ͳ͹’…
ȅ Š‹‡•‡ ‡‡”‰› ϐ‹” ‡–”‘Š‹ƒ •ƒ‹† ‹–• ‡– ’”‘ϐ‹–
slumped 17 per cent in 2014 from a year earlier as international
…”—†‡‘‹Ž’”‹…‡•’Ž—‰‡†‹–Š‡•‡…‘†ŠƒŽˆǤ‡–’”‘ϐ‹–™ƒ•ͳͲ͹Ǥͳ͹
billion yuan ($17.25 billion) last year, down from 129.60 billion
yuan in 2013, it said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
“In 2014, the demand in the oil and gas market grew slowly due
to the slowdown in (the) global economic recovery and the inten•‹ϐ‹‡† †‘™™ƒ”† ’”‡••—”‡ ‘ –Š‡ †‘‡•–‹… ‡…‘‘›ǡdz ‡–”‘Š‹ƒ
said. China’s gross domestic product grew 7.4 per cent last year,
the slowest pace in nearly a quarter of a century.
Dz–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ…”—†‡‘‹Ž’”‹…‡•ϐŽ—…–—ƒ–‡†ƒ†™‡–—’•Ž‹‰Š–Ž›
‹–Š‡ϐ‹”•–ŠƒŽˆ‘ˆ–Š‡›‡ƒ”ƒ†’Ž—‡–‡†‹–Š‡•‡…‘†ŠƒŽˆǡdz‡–roChina said. The Chinese government cut its state-set prices for
oil products 11 times in the second half of 2014, in line with international levels.
The turnover of PetroChina, the listed arm of China National
Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), rose 1.1 per cent year-on-year to 2.28
trillion yuan in 2014, according to the statement. — AFP
”‘—’ǯ•…‘ϐ‹†‡…‡
‘’”‘ϐ‹–Ž‹ˆ–••Šƒ”‡•
LONDON — TUI Group, the world’s largest leisure tourism group,
•ƒ‹†‹–™ƒ•…‘ϐ‹†‡–‘ˆ‰”‘™‹‰—†‡”Ž›‹‰‘’‡”ƒ–‹‰’”‘ϐ‹–„›„‡tween 10 and 15 per cent this year thanks to higher holiday sales
and prices.
The company, formed in December from the merger of Londonlisted TUI Travel and German majority owner TUI AG, also said
–Šƒ–‹–‡š’‡…–‡†‹–•—†‡”Ž›‹‰ϐ‹”•–ŠƒŽˆ”‡•—Ž––Š‹•›‡ƒ”–‘‡š…‡‡†
Žƒ•–›‡ƒ”ǯ•ϐ‹‰—”‡ǤŠƒ”‡•‹–Š‡…‘’ƒ›”‘•‡͵Ǥͻ’‡”…‡––‘ͳǡʹʹͻ
pence this week, the strongest performance in Britain’s bluechip
index, reaching their highest level since the merger was completed.
Analysts said TUI’s announcement that it would from next month
redeem two convertible bonds and cancel and repay a 300 million
euro hybrid bond, was also boosting the stock.
Shore Capital analyst Greg Johnson said the repayment of the
hybrid bond would boost earnings and came earlier than expected.
TUI said holiday sales for its winter season rose 1 per cent while
holiday prices for the coming summer were also 1 per cent higher,
with summer bookings also up 1 per cent. — Reuters
Ȅ Š‡ —„‡” ‘ˆ ‡”‹…ƒ• ϐ‹Ž‹‰‡™…Žƒ‹•ˆ‘”Œ‘„Ž‡••„‡‡ϐ‹–•ˆ‡ŽŽ‘”‡–Šƒ
expected last week while activity in the services
sector hit a six-month high in March, underscoring the economy’s solid fundamentals despite a
recent softening in growth.
Harsh weather, the now-settled labour dispute at the country’s busy West Coast ports, softer global demand and a strong dollar undercut
‰”‘™–Š‡ƒ”Ž›‹–Š‡ϐ‹”•–“—ƒ”–‡”Ǥ
Thursday’s upbeat reports, however, implied
the slowdown would be temporary. “The good
news is that claims and the services sector data
suggest the economy has gained some momentum heading into the second quarter,” said Ryan
Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics
in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
‹–‹ƒŽ…Žƒ‹•ˆ‘”•–ƒ–‡—‡’Ž‘›‡–„‡‡ϐ‹–•
dropped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 282,000
for the week ended March 21, the Labour Department said. That was the lowest level since
mid-February and was better than economists’
expectations for a dip to 290,000.
The four-week moving average of claims,
considered a better measure of labour market
trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell
7,750 to 297,000 last week. In a separate report,
ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ †ƒ–ƒ ϐ‹” ƒ”‹– •ƒ‹† ‹–• ’”‡Ž‹‹ƒ”›
‘” DzϐŽƒ•Šdz —”…Šƒ•‹‰ ƒƒ‰‡”• †‡š ˆ‘” –Š‡
service sector rose to 58.6 in March, the highest
reading since September, from 57.1 in February.
A reading over 50 signals expansion in the vast
services sector.
Survey respondents said economic conditions
were improving and reported an increase in new
orders and an accumulation of backlogs.
Services industry employment growth increased at its fastest pace in nine months in
March. Prices for US government debt fell, while
the dollar rose against a basket of currencies.
US stocks were trading lower after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched air strikes on Yemen.
The sturdy jobs and services sector picture is
in stark contrast with dour reports on manufacturing, home building, consumer spending and
trade, which have suggested the economy has hit
The economy added 295,000
jobs in February, marking
the 12th straight month that
employment gains have been
above 200,000, the longest
such run since 1994
a soft patch. The tepid growth and persistently
Ž‘™ ‹ϐŽƒ–‹‘ …‘—Ž† •‡‡ –Š‡ ‡†‡”ƒŽ ‡•‡”˜‡ †‡laying raising interest rates until later this year.
The US central bank has kept its short-term
interest rate near zero since December 2008.
Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank president Dennis Lockhart said at an investment education
conference in Detroit the recent lull in activity
was temporary and was not a sign that the economy was shifting to slower growth.
The economy added 295,000 jobs in February,
marking the 12th straight month that employment gains have been above 200,000, the longest
such run since 1994.
Thursday’s claims report showed the number
‘ˆ ’‡‘’Ž‡ •–‹ŽŽ ”‡…‡‹˜‹‰ „‡‡ϐ‹–• ƒˆ–‡” ƒ ‹‹–‹ƒŽ
week of aid fell 6,000 to 2.42 million in the week
ended March 14. “The sustained low reading on
continuing claims suggests the trend to a tighter
labour market remains intact,” said John Ryding,
chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.
The so-called continuing claims covered the
period during which the government surveyed
households for March’s unemployment rate.
Continuing claims rose marginally between
the February and March survey periods, suggesting little change in the jobless rate. The unemployment rate fell to a more than 6-1/2-year low
of 5.5 per cent in February. — Reuters
Panama Canal sets sights on
new $17 bn expansion project
ǡƒƒƒȄ•‹–‡–‡”•–Š‡ϐ‹ƒŽ•–”‡–…Š
of a massive expansion, the Panama Canal Authority is setting its sights on an even more ambitious project worth up to $17 billion that would
allow it to handle the world’s biggest ships.
Workers are now installing giant, 22-storey
lock gates to accommodate larger “Post-Panamax” ships through the Canal, one of the world’s
busiest maritime routes. The project involves
building a third set of locks on the Canal.
It is being headed by Italy’s Salini Impregilo
and Spain’s Sacyr, and should open on April 1,
2016.
But Jorge Quijano, who leads the Panama
Canal Authority, is already looking beyond this
project to a fourth set of locks which would serve
a new generation of even bigger ships that can
carry 20,000 containers. “Looking at our geology
and the experience we gained with this current
expansion, we estimate it’s a project that could
cost between $16 billion and $17 billion,” he said,
adding it would allow Panama to compete headto-head with Egypt’s Suez Canal.
The Panama Canal Authority has long talked
about building a fourth set of locks but Quijano
•ƒ‹† ‹– ‹• ‘™ ˆ‘” –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– –‹‡ •‡”‹‘—•Ž› •–—†›‹‰ –Š‡ ’”‘Œ‡…–Ǥ ‡ •ƒ›• …‘–ƒ‹‡” •Š‹’ –”ƒˆϐ‹…
through the Canal has risen around 3 to 4 per
cent in the last few months due to a backlog at
US West Coast ports, which were hit by a now•‡––Ž‡† Žƒ„‘—” †‹•’—–‡ †‹•”—’–‹‰ –”ƒ•Ǧƒ…‹ϐ‹…
trade. “It has had a positive impact for us, but the
Suez Canal has been the big winner because they
can handle the Post-Panamax ships,” Quijano
said.
If the Canal goes ahead with the project, Quijano says it could be completed within 15 years
ƒ†–Šƒ–ϐ‹ƒ…‹‰‘’–‹‘•‹…Ž—†‡‹••—‹‰„‘†•
A view of the construction site of the Panama Canal Expansion project on the Atlantic side on
–Š‡‘—–•‹”–•‘ˆ‘Ž‘‹–›ǤȄ‡—–‡”•ϔ‹Ž‡’Š‘–‘Ǥ
and using the Canal’s own revenues.
China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd
(CHEC), a subsidiary of state-owned China Communications Construction Co Ltd, has voiced
‹–‡”‡•–‹„—‹Ž†‹‰ƒ†ϐ‹ƒ…‹‰ƒˆ‘—”–Š•‡–‘ˆ
Ž‘…•‹ƒƒƒǡƒ†—‹Œƒ‘•ƒ‹†…‘’ƒ›‘ˆϐ‹cials met with him this week.
Further north in Nicaragua, a little-known
Chinese businessman has vowed to build a $50
billion canal across the country to rival Panama’s,
although some industry experts are deeply sceptical, pointing to the high costs, environmental
…ŠƒŽŽ‡‰‡• ƒ† –Š‡ ϐ‹”ǯ• Žƒ… ‘ˆ ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡ ‹
such projects.
The Panama Canal’s current expansion plan
was originally set at $5.25 billion but the costs
rose and the administrator became locked in a
dispute with building consortium Grupo Unidos
Por el Canal (GUPC), which built the third set of
locks. — Reuters
13
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
EUROPE
Co-pilot hid illness, say prosecutors
BERLIN/PARIS — The Germanwings
co-pilot suspected of deliberately
crashing his plane into the French
Alps this week had an existing medical condition he hid from his employers and for which he possessed a note
for sick leave, German prosecutors
said on Friday.
The note would have allowed him
–‘–ƒ‡•‹…Ž‡ƒ˜‡–Š‡†ƒ›‘ˆ–Š‡ϐŽ‹‰Š–ǡ
they said.
But prosecutors in Dusseldorf, the
hometown of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz,
27, said there was as yet no evidence
of a suicide note or a message claiming intentions or responsibility. They
also said police found nothing indicating a strong political or religious
background.
Lubitz is believed to have locked
himself into the cockpit of German™‹‰• ϐŽ‹‰Š– Ͷͻͷʹͷ ™Š‡ –Š‡ ’‹Ž‘–
got up to go to the restroom and intentionally causing the fatal crash.
DzŠ‡ˆƒ…––Šƒ–…‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡•‘ˆ‹ŽŽ‡••
were found — some of them torn up
— for the current time, including the
day of the offence, supports the preliminary suspicion that the deceased
concealed his illness from his employer and his work associates,” the prosecutor said.
Parent company Lufthansa’s chief
executive Carsten Spohr said on
Thursday that Lubitz had interrupted
Š‹• ƒ˜‹ƒ–‹‘ –”ƒ‹‹‰ ‹ ʹͲͲͻǡ „—– ”‡fused to say why. Speculation was rife
about the pilot’s psychological state
leading up to the incident.
Dusseldorf prosecutor Ralf Herrenbrueck said in the written statement that the documents seized were
“of a medical nature” and “indicated a
current illness and that he was under
a doctor’s treatment.”
Lubitz had lived part-time with his
parents and part-time in an apartment in Dusseldorf.
‘‡ ͹ͷ ‡”ƒ•ǡ ͷͲ ’ƒ‹ƒ”†•ǡ
and people representing more than a
dozen other nationalities were on the
ϐŽ‹‰Š– ™Š‡ ‹– •Žƒ‡† ‹–‘ ƒ ‘—tainside in southern France, killing all
ͳͷͲ’‡‘’Ž‡‘„‘ƒ”†Ǥ
The last minutes of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525
Policemen stand in front of a
house from where the co-pilot
of the crashed Germanwings
plane came. — AFP
Lufthansa’s chief
executive Carsten
Spohr said that Lubitz
had interrupted his
aviation training in
2009, but refused to say
why. Speculation was
rife about the pilot’s
psychological state
leading up to the incident
Memorial services were conducted on Friday for a group of German
students killed as they were returning from an exchange programme in
Spain.
German
President
Joachim
Gauck told grieving students from
the Joseph Koenig Gymnasium and
relatives of the victims at a memorial service that there was “a circle of
compassion and shared mourning”
for them. The incident has opened
up a broader debate about air safety
policy.
European air safety authorities
are in discussions with the aviation
industry and member states about
recommending that two crew members should be present at all times in
”‡…‡†‡–•‘ˆ’‹Ž‘–•†‘™‹‰–Š‡‹”’Žƒ‡•
PARIS — Investigators believe the
co-pilot of a German airliner deliberately crashed the plane into the
French Alps earlier this week, killing
ƒŽŽ ͳͷͲ ’‡‘’Ž‡ ƒ„‘ƒ”†Ǥ Š‹Ž‡ ”ƒ”‡ǡ
there have been previous such incidents in which a pilot or co-pilot have
brought down an aircraft.
Mozambique Airlines: Novem„‡” ʹͻǡ ʹͲͳ͵ǣ ‘œƒ„‹“—‡ ‹”Ž‹‡•
ȋȌ ϐŽ‹‰Š– Ͷ͹Ͳ ϐŽ›‹‰ ˆ”‘
Maputo to Luanda goes down in
‘”–Š‡ƒ•–‡”ƒ‹„‹ƒ‹ŽŽ‹‰͵͵Ǥ
Investigators said the captain
had a “clear intention” to crash the
’Žƒ‡Ǥ Š‡› •ƒ‹† ϐŽ‹‰Š– ”‡…‘”†‡”•
•Š‘™‡†–Š‡„”ƒ‡”ͳͻͲ™‡–†‘™
while Captain Herminio dos Santos
Fernandes manipulated its autopilot
in a way which “denotes a clear intention” to bring the plane down.
EgyptAir: October 31, 1999:
‰›’–‹”ϐŽ‹‰Š–ͻͻͲǡƒ‘‡‹‰͹͸͹‡
route from New York to Cairo crashes
into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after
take off, killing all 217 on board.
An analysis of the black boxes
showed that the pilot caused the accident and declared shortly before
–Š‡…”ƒ•ŠǣDzŠƒ˜‡Œ—•––ƒ‡›†‡…‹sion. I put my faith in God’s hands”.
Egyptian authorities, however,
rejected the explanation of pilot suicide, disputing among other things
the interpretation of what he said in
the black box recording.
SilkAir: ‡…‡„‡” ͳͻǡ ͳͻͻ͹ǣ
‹‰ƒ’‘”‡ƒ ‹Ž‹” ‘‡‹‰ ͹͵͹
plunges into a river in Indonesia on
route from Jakarta to Singapore. All
ͳͲͶ ’ƒ••‡‰‡”• ƒ† …”‡™ ƒ„‘ƒ”†
were killed.
‹˜‡•–‹‰ƒ–‘”• •ƒ› –Š‡ …ƒ’–ƒ‹
probably crashed the plane on purpose, while the main investigation
led by Indonesia was inconclusive,
though it did say pilot suicide was a
“plausible hypothesis”.
A report by Singaporean accident investigators at the time said
–Š‡”‡ ™‡”‡ ‹†‹…ƒ–‹‘• –Š‡ ϐŽ‹‰Š–
had been deliberately downed and
–Šƒ– –Š‡ ’‹Ž‘– Šƒ† „‡‡ ‹ ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ
†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–‹‡•Ǥ
However Singaporean police investigated the claims and found that
‘ ‡„‡” ‘ˆ –Š‡ …”‡™ Šƒ† ƒ› ϐ‹nancial problems, and “no evidence
that the pilot, co-pilot or any crew
member had suicidal tendencies or
a motive to deliberately cause the
crash”.
Royal Air Maroc: August 21,
ͳͻͻͶǣŠ‡’‹Ž‘–‘ˆƒ‘›ƒŽ‹”ƒ”‘…
jet crashes the plane into the Atlas
mountains shortly after taking off
ˆ”‘ ‰ƒ†‹” ˆ‘” ƒ•ƒ„Žƒ…ƒǤ ŽŽ ͶͶ
aboard are killed.
The probe, based on the last
words of the co-pilot, quickly concluded it was suicide.
Japan Airlines: ‡„”—ƒ”›ͻǡͳͻͺʹǣ
ƒ’ƒ ‹”Ž‹‡• Ǧͺ …”ƒ•Š‡• ‹–‘
Tokyo Bay on approach to Haneda
Airport. Twenty four people are
killed.
A probe concluded that the pilot,
who survived, was mentally unstable.
Pilot suicide is also among the
various hypotheses considered in
last year’s disappearance of Malaysia
‹”Ž‹‡•Ž‹‰Š–͵͹Ͳ™‹–Šʹ͵ͻ’‡‘ple aboard. The communications system was deliberately deactivated and
–Š‡ϐŽ‹‰Š–…Šƒ‰‡†…‘—”•‡ǤȄ
‘š†”ƒƒ‡ƒ”•ϐ‹ƒŽ‡‹Š‹‰Š…‘—”–
ROME — Italy’s top court was on
”‹†ƒ›…‘•‹†‡”‹‰™Š‡–Š‡”–‘†‡ϐ‹‹tively convict Amanda Knox for mur†‡”‹™Šƒ–…‘—Ž†„‡–Š‡ϐ‹ƒŽƒ…–‘ˆƒ
eight-year legal page-turner dripping
with blood and intrigue.
The American and her Italian exboyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were
convicted last year for a second time
of taking part in the brutal 2007 killing of Meredith Kercher, a British student with whom the then 20-year-old
Knox shared a house in the university
town of Perugia.
Lawyers for the pair were due to
’”‡•‡– ϐ‹ƒŽ ƒ”‰—‡–•ǡ „‡ˆ‘”‡ –Š‡
Court of Cassation judges retire to
…‘•‹†‡” ™Š‡–Š‡” –‘ …‘ϐ‹” ‘…‡
and for all that the Italian judicial system regards the convictions as safe.
If they do, Sollecito could be taken
straight back to jail while the absent
Knox is likely to become the subject
of a wrangle over whether she should
„‡ ‡š–”ƒ†‹–‡† ˆ”‘ –Š‡ ‹–‡† –ƒ–‡•
back to Italy to join him behind bars.
The pair have already spent four
years in jail — two on remand and
two after their initial conviction for
—”†‡”‹ʹͲͲͻǤ
Alternatively, the judges could
send the case back to the appeal stage,
opening the door to one or both of the
The hearing was
scheduled to have been
wrapped up but was
carried over to a second
day, partly as a result
of delays caused by the
huge media interest.
The case has fascinated
a global audience
thanks to its youthful,
photogenic cast, the
‰‘”›ƒ†„ƒˆϔŽ‹‰
nature of the crime and
an endless supply of
headline-friendly detail
The Kercher family’s lawyer Francesco Maresca arrives at the Italy’s
Supreme Court in Rome. — AFP
defendants being acquitted.
“It’s an important day,” Sollecito’s
lawyer Giulia Bongiorno told a scrum
of reporters as she arrived for the
hearing.
“The defendants were sentenced
on the basis of a case riddled with errors and contradictions. I believe that
–‘†ƒ›™‡™‹ŽŽϐ‹ƒŽŽ›Šƒ˜‡ƒ•‹‰‹ϐ‹…ƒ–
response to that.”
Bongiorno depicted the prosecution’s case as a jigsaw of unconnected
evidence.
The hearing was scheduled to have
been wrapped up on Wednesday but
was carried over to a second day,
partly as a result of delays caused by
the huge media interest.
The case has fascinated a global
audience thanks to its youthful, pho–‘‰‡‹… …ƒ•–ǡ –Š‡ ‰‘”› ƒ† „ƒˆϐŽ‹‰
nature of the crime itself and an endless supply of headline-friendly detail
ranging from DNA traces found on the
victim’s bra strap to the ‘rabbit’ vibrator that Knox kept in a see-through
toilet bag.
Prosecutors wrapped up their
presentations on Wednesday by in-
sisting that a Florence court was right
to re-convict the pair last year.
That verdict came nine months after the former lovers were freed on
appeal, allowing Knox to return home
to Seattle, where she now works as a
journalist and has reportedly become
engaged to a childhood friend.
Her lawyers admit she is “very
worried” about a possible extradition request, which legal experts say
would stand a good chance of succeeding.
Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz said that Knox would likely
seek to argue she had effectively been
tried twice for the same crime, in
breach of the double jeopardy principle.
“These arguments are unlikely to
succeed on the merits, but may give
American authorities an excuse to do
what the American public would like
them to do — namely to keep her in
this country,” Dershowitz said.
“Legally she would have a weak
case, but politically she would have
a strong case. The real question is
whether politics would prevail over
the law.”
Kercher, 21, died after being
•–ƒ„„‡† Ͷ͹ –‹‡• ƒ† Šƒ˜‹‰ Š‡”
throat slashed. — AFP
a plane cockpit, in reaction to the conditions of the Germanwings crash.
“We are considering at the mo‡–•Š‘”–Ǧ–‡”‡ƒ•—”‡•ǡdzƒ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ •ƒ‹† ‘ …‘†‹–‹‘ ‘ˆ ƒ‘›‹–›Ǥ
“We are talking about the number of
persons in the cockpit. We are carrying out a general consultation on the
appropriateness and also on the feasibility.”
Meanwhile, airlines around the
world were scrambling to introduce
new rules to increase aviation safety
by ensuring that there are always two
crew members present in the cockpit.
Emergency codes allow crew
members to enter the cockpit when a
pilot becomes incapacitated, but Lubitz is thought to have overridden this
system, which was put in place after
the September 11, 2001, terrorist at–ƒ…•‹–Š‡Ǥ
Norwegian Air Shuttle was one
‘ˆ –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– …ƒ””‹‡”• –‘ ‹–”‘†—…‡ –Š‡
so-called “rule of two,” with Britain’s
Easyjet and Air Canada following suit.
Ryanair said on Friday that it had
already required two people to be
present in the cockpit at all times.
The German Aviation Association
(BDL) was set to discuss the new rule
with the country’s civil aviation authority, with German carriers expected to change their procedures shortly
thereafter. — dpa
Power restored
after cut causes
airline chaos
— A massive power
cut caused chaos in and around the
Dutch capital Amsterdam on Friday,
including temporarily halting all
ϐŽ‹‰Š–• ƒ– …Š‹’Š‘Ž –‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ ‹”port, an airport spokeswoman and
news reports said.
“Normal electricity supply has
been restored and we are slowly
starting up, but there are still a
—„‡” ‘ˆ ‹„‘—† ϐŽ‹‰Š–• „‡‹‰ †‹verted,” an airport spokeswoman,
who declined to be named said.
“We don’t know how long the
delay will be and we suggest passengers contact individual airŽ‹‡• ™Š‡”‡ –Š‡‹” ϐŽ‹‰Š–• Šƒ˜‡ „‡‡
booked,” another Schiphol spokesman, Jeroen Bos, told the NOS public
broadcaster.
ƒ‹”’‘”–‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ƒ‹†–Šƒ–’Žƒ‡•
have started to depart from the airport.
Earlier, Schiphol switched to
emergency power and all in and out„‘—† ϐŽ‹‰Š–• ™‡”‡ †‹˜‡”–‡† –‘ ƒ‹”ports in Belgium and Germany.
Schiphol is a major transport hub
™‹–Š ‘”‡ –Šƒ ͷͲ ‹ŽŽ‹‘ ’ƒ••‡gers passing through every year.
The Dutch capital of Amsterdam
also ground to a halt, with rail and
tram transport severely disrupted,
stranding thousands of commuters.
Hospitals in the capital and the
densely-populated North Holland
province also changed to emergency
power, news reports said.
Television pictures showed dead
–”ƒˆϐ‹… Ž‹‰Š–• ƒ† –”ƒ• •–‘’’‡† ‹
the middle of busy roads with pedestrians, cyclists and cars slowly passing by.
By noon, much of the power cut
had been restored, the Dutch news
agency ANP reported.
The massive powercut was set off
ƒ– ƒ”‘—† ͻǣͶͷ ƒ †—”‹‰ ™‘” ƒ–
an electricity substation at Diemen,
southeast of Amsterdam, a spokesman for the Tennet electricity supplier said.
“We have restored high-tension
lines and the electricity supply is
coming back,” Jeroen Brouwers told
the NOS public broadcaster. “But a
problem in the high-tension network
is felt right to the smallest capillaries of the Dutch electricity network,”
Brouwers added. — AFP
14
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
ANALYSIS
In Yemen, US bets on
Saudis as war looms
A
A man sits under an election banner in Kano on Friday. — Reuters
Power matters in Nigeria’s
presidential election
N
igerian president Goodluck
Jonathan’s election campaign
has trumpeted his reform
of the power sector as a crowning
achievement.
But electricity shortages persist
and the underperformance is a major political issue.
Jonathan took the bold step in
2013 of selling parts of the mori„—†•–ƒ–‡‡Ž‡…–”‹…‹–›ϐ‹”ƒ†•ƒ›•
the privatisation has bourne fruit.
“Power supply in many parts of the
country has improved to a consistent level of 15 hours a day,” a presidential website says.
That is not the experience of
most Nigerians, and the opposition
has given him little credit, focusing
instead on $16 billion allocated to
improving power under previous
president Olusegun Obasanjo that
has yielded no tangible improvements.
Saturday’s vote between Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) and former junta leader Muhammadu Buhari is expected to be
the closest since the end of military
rule in 1999 and could see the PDP
and Jonathan lose power.
Both leaders have made a point
of saying voters should look at their
achievements and policy goals,
putting the electricity issue at centre stage in Africa’s top energy producer.
The wealthy and businesses can
afford generators and market places
buzz with their sound, but the average Nigerian suffers no light or
water for days at a time, since the
pumps stop working if the electricity is out for a long period.
The only place in the capital
that never seems to blink is the
”ƒ•…‘”’‹Ž–‘ǡ–Š‡—‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ…‡tre of politics.
Nigeria has a population of 170
million but an installed capac‹–› –Šƒ– ϐŽ—…–—ƒ–‡• „‡–™‡‡ ƒ”‘—†
6,000 to just over 7,000 MW depending on which plant turbines
are down, according to a daily report by the transmission company.
South Africa’s capacity is almost
seven times greater for a population
less than a third as big.
Six new power plants have been
built and another four are in the
works, but output remains woeful
ƒ• –Š‡ ’Žƒ–• †‘ ‘– ‰‡– •—ˆϐ‹…‹‡–
supplies of natural gas and the
transmission lines cannot handle
the power.
“The most serious constraints
that were impeding power supply
improvement are still there: gas
and transmission and they are still
in the government’s hands,” said
World Bank energy specialist Muhammad Wakil.
Today’s vote between Jonathan
and Buhari in Nigerian poll is
expected to be the closest since
1999. Both leaders have made
a point of saying voters should
look at their achievements
and policy goals, putting the
electricity issue at centre stage
in Africa’s top energy producer.
The average Nigerian suffers no
light or water for days at a time,
since the pumps stop working if
the electricity is out for a long
’‡”‹‘†ǡϔ‹†•Julia Payne
“The privatisation was successful
but the reform agenda hasn’t been
achieved... nothing has changed on
gas.”
Since privatisation, the amount
of power produced has stagnated at
around half total capacity.
It has not topped a 2012 peak
of 4,500 MW as the grid battles
“gas constraints”, plant outages and
tripped circuits, according to the
transmission company’s report,
which showed just 3,346 MW were
sent out to consumers on March 23.
The government also blames gas
pipeline vandalism.
Older plants, privatised two
years ago, are in dire need of an up‰”ƒ†‡ „—– –Š‡ ϐŽ‡†‰Ž‹‰ ‰‡‡”ƒ–‹‰
ϐ‹”• Žƒ… –Š‡ …ƒ•Š ƒ• †‹•–”‹„—–‘”•
struggle with non-paying consumers and sophisticated theft.
In some cases, they pay only 40
per cent of the monthly bill.
The funding situation is likely to
worsen after a shock 50 per cent
tariff cut two weeks ahead of the
polls. The regulator’s decision to
slash tariffs has broken the trust
with investors, occurring outside
–Š‡ ƒ‰”‡‡† •…Š‡†—Ž‡ ‹ ƒ ϐ‹˜‡Ǧ›‡ƒ”
tariff freeze intended to help the
sector settle.
The central bank stepped in
with a $213 billion ($1 billion) loan
in September to keep the system
ƒϐŽ‘ƒ– ƒ† ƒŽŽ‘™ –Š‡ ’‘™‡” ϐ‹”•
to access credit, but more will be
needed as the oil price slump continues to pressure Nigeria’s currency.
“Electricity companies took dollar denominated loans,” said Yinka
Balogun, a central bank adviser.
“They are import-dependent for
equipment so they have currency
exposure.” The power plants rely on
gas for 80 per cent of their energy
but have no say over the gas sector,
which is handled by the state oil
company whose primary focus is
the far more lucrative crude sector.
Gas prices were raised to a level
closer to a US gas benchmark last
year to incentivise investment, but
an equally big problem is a lack of
gas pipelines.
Bolaji Osunsanya, head of the Nigerian Gas Association, said the economic climate and grid constraints
meant gas would only be available
to power 9,000 MW by 2020.
It takes 4-5 years to build a gas
pipeline and 8,500 km were needed, he added.
The government has also still not
†‡…‹†‡†Š‘™–‘‘ˆϐŽ‘ƒ†–Š‡‘‘’oly grid operator, the Transmission
Company of Nigeria (TCN), whose
dilapidated condition is likely to
send a shiver down the spine of
even the hardiest private investor.
“They have an investment plan
to spend $1 billion a year over an
8 year period,” the World Bank’s
Wakil said. “They have quite an am-
bitious plan to increase capacity to
20 gigawatts.
It’s unlikely that they will get all
the funding.”
Nigeria’s opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari said that he does
not expect “tampering” in general
elections this weekend but warned
of “consequences” if there is foul
play.
“I don’t think this election can
be tampered with, like the previous
ones,” Buhari said.
The All Progressives Congress
(APC) candidate, speaking in Nigeria’s capital Abuja after the close
of his campaign, was referring to
his three previous runs for the
presidency in 2003, 2007 and 2011,
when the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party’s victories were disputed and
challenged in court.
He said the APC’s nationwide
support, with loyalists committed
to defending their votes at individual polling stations, helped curb the
prospect of rigging.
‡ƒŽ•‘˜‘‹…‡†…‘ϐ‹†‡…‡‹˜‘–er authentication technology being
—•‡† ˆ‘” –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– –‹‡ „› –Š‡ †‡pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Buhari, 72, reiterated the optimism he has expressed throughout
the campaign.
Dzƒ…‘ϐ‹†‡–™‡ƒ”‡‘–‰‘‹‰
to lose this election,” he said in his
‘ˆϐ‹…‡ƒ–Š‡ƒ†“—ƒ”–‡”•ǡ”‡ˆ—•‹‰
to even discuss the notion of a concession speech. Earlier on Thursday,
Buhari renewed a peaceful election
pledge he had previously signed
with President Goodluck Jonathan,
which also commits both candidates to respect the declared result.
Asked if there were any circumstances that could force him to reject the result, Buhari said: “INEC
and the law enforcement agencies
must work within the law.
“If they are persuaded somehow
to act outside the law, then maybe
they will have to accept the consequences of what happens.”
Buhari is from Nigeria’s mainly
Muslim north, a region seen as
desperately wanting to retake the
presidency from the predominately
Christian south.
Some analysts have described
the north as a tinderbox, which
could erupt if Buhari is perceived to
have been cheated out of an election
win. Post-election violence that followed Jonathan’s victory over Buhari in 2011 killed more than 1,000
people, mostly in Kaduna state,
where the APC leader lives.
Buhari said that maintaining
peace and the unity of Nigeria was,
for him, “certainly” more important
than becoming president.
s the United States backs a
Saudi-led intervention in
Yemen, Washington runs the
risk of undercutting its diplomacy
with Iran and becoming embroiled
‹ ƒ ”‡‰‹‘ƒŽ •‡…–ƒ”‹ƒ …‘ϐŽ‹…– ”—ning from Aleppo to Sanaa.
Despite the risks, and with negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear
programme at a crucial moment,
President Barack Obama swiftly
endorsed air strikes by a coalition of Gulf countries against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on
Wednesday.
‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ••ƒ‹†‡”‹…ƒ’”‘ises of intelligence and logistical
support could include refueling
tankers, early warning radar planes
and spy drones for the Saudis and
their allies.
Dz–ǯ• †‡ϐ‹‹–‡Ž› ‘ –Š‡ –ƒ„Ž‡ ƒ†
„‡‹‰ †‹•…—••‡†ǡdz ƒ †‡ˆ‡…‡ ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ
said.
—– ‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• •ƒ‹† –Š‡ ”‘Ž‡
would remain “limited” and insisted there would be no direct action by American aircraft or troops
†‡’Ž‘›‡† –‘ Œ‘‹ –Š‡ ϐ‹‰Š– ‘ –Š‡
ground. “The premise of this is that
this will be a Saudi-led operation,” a
‹Ž‹–ƒ”›‘ˆϐ‹…‡”•ƒ‹†Ǥ
The decision to lend help to Gulf
states could push the United States
deeper into a widening sectarian
…‘ϐŽ‹…– ƒ…”‘•• –Š‡ ‹††Ž‡ ƒ•–ǡ ‹
™Š‹…Š‹–ϐ‹†•‹–•‡Žˆ‹ƒ‘ˆ–‡…‘tradictory position.
 ”ƒ“ǡ ϐ‹‰Š–‡” Œ‡–• ƒ† ”ƒnian artillery are taking aim at the
same adversary — the IS group,
which both governments see as a
serious threat that must be confronted.
The indirect collaboration between the Americans and the Iranians in Iraq has dismayed the Saudis
and other GCC states, who view the
regime in Tehran as a dangerous rival.
And the US diplomatic drive to
cut a deal with Iran on its nuclear
programme is even more worrying for Arab countries, who have
warned that Tehran will circumvent
any agreement.
In Syria, however, the US and
Iran have ended up on opposite
•‹†‡•‘ˆ–Šƒ–ϐ‹˜‡Ǧ›‡ƒ”Ǧ‘Ž†…‘ϐŽ‹…–Ǥ
Tehran has thrown its full weight
behind the Damascus regime while
Washington has ruled out any future role for President Bashar al
Assad.
‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ• ƒŽ•‘ Šƒ˜‡ „‡‡ ˆ”—•trated with some Gulf allies in recent years over allegations those
states allowed money and volun–‡‡”•–‘ϐŽ‘™–‘‡š–”‡‹•–•‹›”‹ƒǤ
The State Department said on
Thursday there was no inconsistency in US policy and that the delicate
nuclear talks with Iran in Lausanne
had not been disrupted by Yemen’s
proxy war.
“I’ve been in touch with our team
on the ground in Switzerland, and
our sense is that it hasn’t had an
impact,” spokesman Jeff Rathke told
reporters.
“There’s no contradiction, and
we have made clear throughout the
process of the nuclear negotiations
with Iran that we have serious concerns about Iranian behaviour in a
number of areas...,” he said.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the Saudi-led strikes in Yemen amounted to “military aggression” and “condemned all military
intervention in the internal affairs
of independent nations”.
The Obama administration had
a much different response in 2011
when the Saudis sent tanks across
the causeway into Bahrain to help
crush oppositionthere.
In that case, Washington appealed for restraint and called on
the Gulf leaders to respect the rights
of all of Bahrain’s citizens.
But the difference this time is
that there is “too much at stake” in
Yemen, said Seth Jones, a former
adviser to US special operations
forces.
“It’s one of the few places where
we have a terrorist group on the
ground that has the capabilities
and an interest in attacking the US
homeland,” said Jones, referring to
al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen.
The US support for the Saudis
and the Gulf countries was needed
to try to bring stability to Yemen, as
the current chaos was creating fertile ground for al Qaeda and potentially the IS group, said Jones, a fellow at the RAND Corporation think
tank.
US lawmakers from both parties
backed the Saudi-led action, saying that the rebels’ advance had to
be checked to clear the way for an
eventual political settlement and
deprive al Qaeda of a sanctuary.
The Houthis are “dangerously
close to sparking an all-out civil
war” in Yemen and “given the horrors of Syria, such an outcome must
be avoided at all costs,” said Adam
Schiff, a Democrat on the House intelligence committee.
While supporting the Saudi-led
forces targeting the Houthis, the
‹–‡† –ƒ–‡• ‡‡†‡† –‘ ϐ‹† ƒ ™ƒ›
to “not close the door to having
them (Houthis) involved in a negotiated settlement, “ said Jon Alterman
of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“This operation isn’t about completely defeating the Houthis,” he
said, but it did need to succeed
in “preventing the Houthis from
achieving a complete victory.” Without a genuine diplomatic effort to
†‡ˆ—•‡–Š‡…‘ϐŽ‹…–ǡ–Š‡”‡™ƒ•ƒ”‡ƒŽ
danger of an open-ended sectarian
…‘ϐŽƒ‰”ƒ–‹‘ǡ Š‡ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Dzˆ –Š‡ ’”‘š›
™ƒ””‘—–‡‹•’—”•—‡†ǡ–Š‡…‘ϐŽ‹…–‹•
liekly to rage for years.”
Saudi Defence Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz al
Saud (R) receiving Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after his
arrival in Riyadh. — AFP
15
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
ANALYSIS
An international
agreement generally
limits airline liability
to around $157,400 for
each passenger who dies
in a crash if families do
not sue, but if families
have evidence the airline
knew in advance the copilot was at risk, they can
ϔ‹Ž‡Žƒ™•—‹–•ˆ‘”Š‹‰Š‡”
compensation, say
David Ingram and
Victoria Bryan
‡Žƒ–‹˜‡•‘ˆ…”ƒ•Š˜‹…–‹•ˆ”‘’ƒ‹’Žƒ…‡ƒ™”‡ƒ–Š‘ˆϔŽ‘™‡”•ƒ•–Š‡›’ƒ›–Š‡‹””‡•’‡…–•ƒ––Š‡‡‘”‹ƒŽˆ‘”–Š‡˜‹…–‹•‘ˆ–Š‡ƒ‹”†‹•ƒ•–‡”‹–Š‡˜‹ŽŽƒ‰‡‘ˆ‡‡”‡–ǡ
near the crash site of the Airbus A320 in French Alps on Saturday. — Reuters
Pilot’s actions may add to Germanwings’ liability in mountain crash
L
ufthansa subsidiary Germanwings could face liabilities
well above the typical ceiling
in airline crashes for the passengers
who died on Tuesday when one of
‹–• Œ‡–• ™ƒ• ϐŽ‘™ ‹–‘ ƒ Ž’‹‡
mountain, some aviation lawyers
said.
Ž‘–™‹ŽŽ†‡’‡†‘™Š‡–Š‡”–Š‡
airline can defend itself against negligence claims given that prosecutors said on Thursday that a young
German co-pilot locked himself
ƒŽ‘‡ ‹ –Š‡ …‘…’‹– ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‹”„—•
͵ʹͲ ƒ† •‡– ‹– ‘ …‘—”•‡ –‘ …”ƒ•Šǡ
killing all 144 passengers and six
crew members.
 ‹–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ ƒ‰”‡‡‡–
generally limits airline liability to
ƒ”‘—† ̈́ͳͷ͹ǡͶͲͲ ˆ‘” ‡ƒ…Š ’ƒ••‡ger who dies in a crash if families do
not sue, but if families want to pursue compensation for greater damƒ‰‡•ǡ–Š‡›…ƒϐ‹Ž‡Žƒ™•—‹–•Ǥ
Lawyers who have represented
families in past airline disasters said
that potential lawsuits could focus
on whether Germanwings properly screened the co-pilot before
and during his employment, and on
whether the airline should have had
a policy requiring two or more people in cockpits at all times during a
ϐŽ‹‰Š–Ǥ
Justin Green, a partner at the
Žƒ™ ϐ‹” ”‡‹†Ž‡” Ƭ ”‡‹†Ž‡” ‹
New York, said passengers’ families
™‘—Ž† „‡ Œ—•–‹ϐ‹‡† ‹ ƒ•‹‰ ™Š›
†”‡ƒ• —„‹–œǡ –Š‡ ʹͺǦ›‡ƒ”Ǧ‘Ž†
co-pilot, was allowed to be alone in
the cockpit. Pilots may temporarily leave the cockpit at certain times
and in certain circumstances, such
as while the aircraft is cruising, according to German aviation law.
Even if the practice was allowed,
though, “this has been a known
risk,” Green said. He noted that
some investigators believed that piŽ‘–• ‹–‡–‹‘ƒŽŽ› †‘™‡† ƒ ‹Ž‹”
ƒ‹”…”ƒˆ–‹ͳͻͻ͹ƒ†ƒ‰›’–‹”ƒ‹”craft in 1999.
“This idea that one pilot could
murder everyone on board and kill
himself is something that’s happened before and something that
everyone knew about,” Green said.
Lufthansa will abide by international agreements dictating liability,
its Chief Executive Carsten Spohr
said. “Honestly, it’s one of my smaller worries,” he told journalists on
Thursday. “We will be able to meet
–Š‡ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽŽ‹ƒ„‹Ž‹–‹‡•Ǥ—”ϐ‹”•–’”‹ority is to help the families where
we can.”
Under an international agreement known as the Montreal Convention of 1999, an airline generally
cannot escape liability for a passenger death. For each death, a carrier
…ƒ„‡Ž‹ƒ„Ž‡ˆ‘”—’–‘ͳͳ͵ǡͳͲͲ•’‡cial drawing rights, a reserve asset
created by the International Mon‡–ƒ”›—†Ǥ—‡•†ƒ›ǡ–Š‡ƒ‘—–
™ƒ• ‡“—ƒŽ –‘ ƒ„‘—– ̈́ͳͷ͹ǡͶͲͲǡ ‘”
̈́ʹʹǤ͹‹ŽŽ‹‘ˆ‘”ͳͶͶ’ƒ••‡‰‡”•Ǥ
The potential lawsuits for ad†‹–‹‘ƒŽ †ƒƒ‰‡• …‘—Ž† „‡ ϐ‹Ž‡† ‹
any of several jurisdictions, including Germany where Germanwings
is based and a number of different
home countries of the passengers,
such as Spain.
Passengers’ families are limited to claiming provable damages,
which vary depending on the jurisdiction but may include loss of
support and pain and suffering, the
lawyers said.
”—…‡ ––Ž‡›ǡ …‘Ǧ†‹”‡…–‘” ‘ˆ –Š‡
–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ˜‹ƒ–‹‘ƒ™•–‹–—–‡
at DePaul University College of Law,
said he was skeptical that Germanwings would need to pay above the
Montreal Convention limit unless
there is evidence the airline knew in
advance the co-pilot was at risk.
—– ––Ž‡› •ƒ‹† ƒ‹”Ž‹‡• …Š‘‘•‡
to settle legal claims in the vast majority of crashes, so the issues may
never go to a judge or jury.” “Very
rarely do these things ever, ever go
to trial,” he said. For Germanwings
to limit its liability, it would have to
establish that it and its employees
and agents were not in any way at
fault or that the accident had been
caused solely by the fault of a third
party, said Clive Garner, a partner at
–Š‡ Žƒ™ ϐ‹” ”™‹ ‹–…Š‡ŽŽ ‹ ‘†‘ǤŠ‡ϐ‹”Šƒ•”‡’”‡•‡–‡†’ƒ•sengers’ families in other aviation
accidents, including a crash in Nepal
‹ʹͲͳʹǤ
“Given this scenario and what we
know at the moment, Germanwings
would be unlikely to be able to establish a relevant defence,” Garner
™”‘–‡ ‹ ƒ ‡ƒ‹ŽǤ ̈́͸Ǥͷ ‹ŽŽ‹‘
claim for the loss of the plane itself
was paid on Wednesday, insurance
industry sources said. Germany’s
ŽŽ‹ƒœ ‹• –Š‡ Ž‡ƒ† ‹•—”‡” ‹ –Š‡
…ƒ•‡ǡ•Šƒ”‹‰–Š‡ϐ‹ƒ…‹ƒŽ„—”†‡‘ˆ
the loss with other insurers.
Syrian army turns to women on Damascus front lines
P
™‘ƒ•‹’‡”ˆ”‘–Š‡‡’—„Ž‹…ƒ
—ƒ”†…‘ƒ†‘„ƒ––ƒŽ‹‘ƒ‹•ϔ‹”‡†—”‹‰…Žƒ•Š‡•™‹–Š”‡„‡Ž•
in the restive Jobar area, in eastern Damascus. — AFP
erched on a makeshift bench tak‹‰ –—”• ™‹–Š ƒ •‹’‡” ”‹ϐŽ‡ǡ –Š‡
Syrian army’s top markswomen
await their “prey” on the front line in
east Damascus.
‡”‰‡ƒ– ‹ǡ ʹͲǡ ƒ† Š‹‡ˆ ‡”‰‡ƒ– ƒƒ”ǡ ʹͳǡ „‡Ž‘‰ –‘ –Š‡ ‹”•–
Women’s Commando Brigade of the
Republican Guard, an elite unit stationed on some of the most dangerous
battlegrounds on the outskirts of the
›”‹ƒ …ƒ’‹–ƒŽǤ Š‡”‡ ƒ”‡ ”‘—‰ŠŽ› ͺͲͲ
soldiers in these all-women commando
brigades, who face determined and entrenched rebels to the east and southeast of Damascus.
Rim and Samar’s Russian-made SVͻͺ”‹ϐŽ‡’‘‡•‘—––Š”‘—‰Šƒ•ƒŽŽŠ‘Ž‡
in the side of a building in the Jobar
district. In front of them is a scene of
devastation.
There is no sign of life amid the rubble and burned-out vehicles.
But looks can be deceiving — the
ground beneath the commandos is
crisscrossed with tunnels and death
lurks at every corner.
The building where the women lie
‹ ™ƒ‹– ‹• Ž‡•• –Šƒ ʹͲͲ ‡–”‡• ˆ”‘
rebel lines.
It is defended entirely by women
commandos. Their commander de•…”‹„‡•–Š‡ƒ•–Š‡ϐ‹‡•–ƒ”•™‘en in the brigade. “It’s true that we
have a lot of patience, and this is the
most important quality for a sniper,”
Rim says shyly.
ˆ‡ƒ”•‘‡ ™ƒ””‹‘” Š‹†‡• „‡Š‹†
her eye make-up and childlike smile —
she boasts a record of 11 kills in a day.
“My commander gave me a sort of cer–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡ǡ Ž‹‡ ‹ •…Š‘‘Žǡdz •Š‡ •ƒ›•ǡ •‹Žing. “I usually hit three or four targets
per day, and honestly, if I miss a gunman, I could cry,” she says. Her fellow
sniper’s record is seven kills in a day.
From another vantage point in the
same building, a third woman comƒ†‘ ‘’‡• ϐ‹”‡ ™‹–Š ƒ ǦͳͲ ”‡…‘‹ŽŽ‡•• ”‹ϐŽ‡ǡ ƒ —…Š „‹‰‰‡” ™‡ƒ’‘ –Šƒ–
is usually mounted on wheels or a tripod. “It has hit the target,” Zeinab says
’”‘—†Ž›ƒˆ–‡”‘‡ͺʹ”‘—†…ƒ—•‡•
ƒ–‡””‹ˆ›‹‰‡š’Ž‘•‹‘‹ƒ„—‹Ž†‹‰ͷͲͲ
metres (yards) away.
Š‡ ʹͳǦ›‡ƒ”Ǧ‘Ž† •ƒ›• •Š‡ …Š‘•‡ ƒ
…ƒ”‡‡” ‹ –Š‡ ƒ”› ƒˆ–‡” ϐ‹‹•Š‹‰ Š‡”
bachelor’s degree.
Her friends and family encouraged
her decision and, after three months of
intensive training, she joined the commandos.
•‡† ™Š› •Š‡ …Š‘•‡ •—…Š ƒ Žƒ”‰‡
weapon, Zeinab is unabashed as she
expresses determination to cause the
maximum casualties.
“Snipers kill one person at a time.
—– ™‹–Š –Š‡ ǦͳͲǡ ™Š‡ Š‹– –Šƒ–
house, I could be sure everyone inside
was killed.” Her male commanding ofϐ‹…‡”ƒ’–ƒ‹‹ƒ†–ƒ‡•’”‹†‡‹Š‡”ƒ–titude. “There’s no difference between
men and women. Some have a strong
heart and deep courage, and others
don’t. It’s not a question of gender.”
The women commandos are new
to the Syrian army but the unit’s commander denies their introduction was
enforced by the heavy losses in male
ranks during more than four years of
…‹˜‹Ž ™ƒ”Ǥ ‘”‡ –Šƒ Ͷ͸ǡͲͲͲ •‘Ž†‹‡”•
Šƒ˜‡ „‡‡ ‹ŽŽ‡† •‹…‡ –Š‡ …‘ϐŽ‹…–
‡”—’–‡† ‹ ƒ”…Š ʹͲͳͳǡ ƒ……‘”†‹‰ –‘
–Š‡ ›”‹ƒ „•‡”˜ƒ–‘”› ˆ‘” —ƒ
‹‰Š–•Ǥ Dz–ǯ• –”—‡ –Šƒ– ‹–ǯ• –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– –‹‡
we have women commandos,” says MaŒ‘”Ž‹ǤDz—–‹–ǯ•ƒ†‡…‹•‹‘–Šƒ–™ƒ•–ƒ‡ „› ”‡•‹†‡– ƒ•Šƒ” ƒŽ ••ƒ†ǡ ™Š‘
wants to promote the role of Syrian
women and show that they are capable
‘ˆ„‡‹‰•—……‡••ˆ—Ž‹ƒŽŽϐ‹‡Ž†•Ǥdz
 ‹–• „ƒ––Ž‡ ™‹–Š ”‡„‡Ž ϐ‹‰Š–‡”• ‹creasingly dominated by IS and oth‡” ‡š–”‡‹•–•ǡ –Š‡ ••ƒ† ”‡‰‹‡ Šƒ•
played up its secular credentials.
ƒŒ‘” Ž‹ •ƒ›• –Š‡ ™‘‡ Šƒ˜‡ ƒŽŽ
‡Ž‹•–‡†ˆ‘”ͳͲ›‡ƒ”•Ǥ‰Šƒǡʹͳǡ•ƒ™
an army recruitment advertisement in
a store in her home province of Hama
after completing her bachelor’s degree.
Š‡ —†‡”™‡– ϐ‹˜‡ ‘–Š•ǯ –”ƒ‹ing at the naval academy in Jbele, in
northwestern Syria, before being transferred to the capital.
“My three brothers are soldiers, and
I have a sister who wants to join me
–‘‘ǡdz‰Šƒ•ƒ›•Ǥ
Her weapon of choice is the Dushka,
a heavy machinegun.
—–•‹†‡ –Š‡ „—‹Ž†‹‰ǡ ƒƒ”ǡ ͳͻǡ
and two female comrades pass by in
a tank, throwing up a cloud of dust
behind them. “Several of the women
have learnt to drive it,” Samar said. “It
™‡‹‰Š•Ͷ͵–‘‡•„—–•ƒ‹†–‘›•‡Žˆǣ
ǮŠ›‘–ǫǯ–™ƒ•˜‡”›†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–„—–™‡
•—……‡‡†‡†ǤdzȄ
Disclaimer:7KHYLHZVDQGRSLQLRQVH[SUHVVHGLQWKHVHSDJHVDUHVROHO\WKRVHRIWKHDXWKRUVDQGGRQRWUHÀHFWWKHRSLQLRQRIWKHObserver.
16
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
THE WORLD
Nigeria president warns against
bloodshed ahead of poll
ABUJA — Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan warned against violence ahead of Saturday’s presidential
election as people stockpiled food,
cash and fuel for fear of post-election
clashes.
Jonathan will face former military
ruler Muhammadu Buhari in what is
seen as the closest presidential race
since the end of military rule in 1999.
In a broadcast to the nation on Friday,
Jonathan said no political ambition
could justify violence or bloodshed,
adding that security measures had
been taken to guarantee a free and
fair election.
“Let me warn, however, that as
President, Commander-In-Chief of
the Armed Forces, I am under oath
to protect the lives of all Nigerians
and the security of our country at all
times. I will never abdicate my responsibilities in that regard,” he said.
“Those who may harbour any
intentions of testing our will by unleashing violence during the elections
in order to advance their political ambitions should think again,” Jonathan
said. He added that security agencies
were ready to deal with anyone who
tried to disrupt the peaceful conduct
of the elections or cause public disorder in Africa’s top oil producer and
biggest economy.
Around 800 people died in postelection violence in 2011 in which
Jonathan defeated Buhari. Western
powers have been pressing both sides
not to stoke tensions, with US President Barack Obama and other world
leaders issuing a direct appeal for
calm this week.
In the capital Abuja long queues
formed outside banks from people
seeking to withdraw money. Queues
for fuel also stretched for hundreds
of metres in cities across the country.
“I’m getting my cash out now because I don’t know what is going to
happen. If it gets bad, you don’t want
to be stuck with no cash,” Wale Olatunji, 31, a businessman queuing in
the sun at a bank in Abuja, said.
Ishaya Yahaya Junior, a 40-year-old
civil servant in the northern metrop-
Prime Minister David Cameron takes part in a live Q&A during the
Sky News/Channel 4 programme. — Reuters
A billboard campaigning for candidates of People’s Democratic Party in Katsina city. — Reuters
Around 800 people
died in post-election
violence in 2011 in
which Jonathan defeated
Buhari. Western powers
have been pressing
both sides not to stoke
tensions, with US
President Barack Obama
and other world leaders
issuing a direct appeal
for calm this week
olis of Kaduna, where worst violence
occurred in 2011, said the atmosphere was tense, amid fears of a repeat of post-election violence.
“We have been stockpiling provisions, lots of people have been doing
this. We don’t want to go outside if
there is trouble,” said the father-oftwo, who estimated that his family
could live for three weeks on stored
food if necessary.
In a sign of growing tensions,
a spokesman for opposition Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi,
•ƒ‹† ƒ —‹†‡–‹ϐ‹‡† ‰—ƒ •Š‘– ƒ–
the governor’s convoy on Thursday,
wounding a security guard. The Nigerian police however, said in a state‡– –Šƒ– –Š‡ ‰— •Š‘–• ™‡”‡ ϐ‹”‡†
from the governor’s convoy.
The Nigerian army said separately that its troops had captured the
northeast town of Gwoza, destroying
the headquarters of the insurgents.
Jonathan said in the speech that
the Nigerian army had contained
Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast who were seen as the biggest security threat ahead of the election.
“They (army) have recaptured
most of the communities and territories formerly occupied by the
insurgents, making it possible for
thousands of internally-displaced
Nigerians to begin returning to their
homes and communities,” Jonathan
said.
The past six weeks have seen a
dramatic turnaround against the
insurgency, with troops from Chad,
Cameroon and Niger joining a battle to dismantle the group’s hold on
a territory that in January was the
size of Belgium. It is unclear, however,
whether that will help Jonathan’s reelection chances.
“Concerted and well-coordinated
land and air operations have liberated Gwoza, the headquarters of their
so-called caliphate, the army said in a
statement, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered and Boko
Haram’s administrative headquarters
was destroyed.
It said Nigerian troops had taken
over enclaves and hideouts from the
‹Ž‹–ƒ–•ǡ ™Š‘ ™‡”‡ ϐŽ‡‡‹‰ –‘™ƒ”†•
border areas. — Reuters
Germany toll
targeting
foreigners,
say critics
BERLIN — Germany’s parliament
approved a motorway toll on Friday
of up to 130 euros per year from
2016 that critics argue unfairly targets foreigners and may violate European Union laws.
A prolonged debate about the
toll, which the centre-left Social
‡‘…”ƒ–•ȋȌŠƒ†ϐ‹”Ž›”‡Œ‡…–ed in the 2013 election campaign,
exposed frictions in their grand coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives.
German drivers would also pay
the toll but would be compensated
with a corresponding reduction in
existing automobile taxes, which
critics inside and outside the ruling
grand coalition say contravenes EU
rules.
“This measure conforms with
European law — it’s high time you
all believed that,” Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt told members of parliament during a debate
before the measure passed.
The toll was a pet project of Dobrindt and his Bavarian Christian
Social Union (CSU) party, though
Merkel’s bigger Christian Democrat
(CDU) sister party and the SPD were
long sceptical.
Merkel and the SPD agreed to
the measure provided it conformed
with EU rules that bar discrimination against foreigners. Last month
a report by EU experts cast doubt on
the toll as discriminatory.
“The SPD is being dragged by
their noses into this by the CSU
even though they always argued it
would violate EU rules,” said Anton
Hofreiter, a leader of the opposition
Greens. “You ought to be ashamed.
What kind of European role model
is this?”
The European Court of Justice
will also examine the law.
— Reuters
ƒ‡”‘™‹•ϐ‹”•–
‡Ž‡…–‹‘‡…‘—–‡”
Corporal Anna Cross arrives with Infectious Diseases Consultant Dr Michael Jacobs at at the Royal Free
‘•’‹–ƒŽ‹‘†‘Ǥ”›”‡•‡”˜‹•–ǡƒŠƒ•”‡…‘˜‡”‡†ˆ”‘–Š‡„‘Žƒ˜‹”—•ƒ†„‡‡†‹•…Šƒ”‰‡†
›‡•–‡”†ƒ›ƒˆ–‡”„‡‹‰–Š‡ϔ‹”•–’ƒ–‹‡–‹–Š‡™‘”Ž†–‘Šƒ˜‡”‡…‡‹˜‡†ƒ‡™•’‡…‹ƒŽ–”‡ƒ–‡–ˆ‘”„‘Žƒǡ
‘MIL 77’. — AFP
Cameron refused to debate Miliband
head-to-head, saying he felt the leaders
of other minor parties should be
included too. His aides are thought to
have advised him that there was no
upside to such a debate which they
feared could help Miliband look like
more of a prime-minister-in-waiting
Ȅ ”‹‡ ‹‹•–‡” ƒ˜‹† ƒ‡”‘ ™‘ –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– encounter of a close national election in Britain, an opinion poll
showed, but opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband leveraged a rare
opportunity to promote himself on a national stage.
With Cameron’s Conservatives neck-and-neck in the opinion polls
with Labour, both are trying to grab an elusive lead over the other
before the May 7 ballot to avoid another possible coalition or even a
minority government. Britain’s future in the European Union and its
territorial integrity could ride on the outcome as Cameron is pledging
an EU membership referendum and Miliband may need to do a deal
with Scottish nationalists intent on breaking up the United Kingdom.
Cameron and Miliband were interviewed separately but back-toback in their toughest cross-examinations in years, and subjected to
question and answer sessions from a studio audience on Sky News and
Channel 4.
A snap Guardian/ICM poll afterwards showed 54 per cent of those
asked thought Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, had won,
compared to 46 per cent who judged Miliband had triumphed.
Cameron refused to debate Miliband head-to-head, saying he felt
the leaders of other minor parties should be included too. His aides
are thought to have advised him that there was no upside to such a debate which they feared could help Miliband look like more of a primeminister-in-waiting.
Cameron, 48, initially appeared uncharacteristically unsettled and
…‘…‡†‡†Š‡ǯ†ƒ†‡‹•–ƒ‡•†—”‹‰Š‹•ϐ‹˜‡›‡ƒ”•‹’‘™‡”ǡ„—–ƒ•‡†
˜‘–‡”• –‘ ‰‹˜‡ Š‹ ƒ •‡…‘† –‡” –‘ ϐ‹‹•Š –Š‡ Œ‘„ ‘ˆ ”‡„—‹Ž†‹‰ –Š‡
economy.
Dzˆ ›‘—ǯ”‡ •ƒ›‹‰ ™‡ Šƒ˜‡ǯ– ‰‘‡ ˆƒ•– ‡‘—‰Š –‘ …—– –Š‡ †‡ϐ‹…‹–ǡ would agree. We need to complete the job,” said Cameron, who was unƒ„Ž‡–‘‰‹˜‡’”‡…‹•‡„‘””‘™‹‰ϐ‹‰—”‡•ˆ‘”–Š‡‰‘˜‡”‡–Ǥ
‹–Š‘•–‘ˆ–Š‡”‹–‹•Š’”‡•••‡–ƒ‰ƒ‹•–Š‹ǡŠ—”•†ƒ›ǯ•ƒ’pearance — which covered everything from immigration to economic
policy — was a rare opportunity for Miliband to talk to voters directly.
He duly used the opportunity to reject persistent criticism from
some of his own lawmakers and the country’s mostly right-wing press
that his image as “a geek” made him an electoral liability, saying he
didn’t care what people said about him.
“The thing is they see you as a North London geek,” Jeremy Paxman,
a famously robust interviewer, told Miliband.
“Who cares? Who does?” came the reply. “You know, I don’t care
what the newspapers write about me.”
Miliband, 45, said he had been underestimated before.
“People have thrown a lot at me over four and a half years, but I’m a
pretty resilient guy and I’ve been underestimated at every turn. People
said I wouldn’t become leader and I did. People said four years ago he
can’t become prime minister; I think I can.”
Stuart Thomson, a public affairs consultant at Bircham Dyson Bell,
said both men had got through the encounter without making a serious mistake, but that Cameron, the incumbent, had more to lose than
Miliband, the challenger. “There’s no doubt that Miliband exceeded expectations but Cameron held his own,” Thomson said. “The debate has
”‡ƒŽŽ›•–ƒ”–‡†–Š‡ϐ‹”‹‰‰—‘–Š‡‡Ž‡…–‹‘ƒ†ƒŽŽ•‹†‡•‘™–Š‡›ƒ”‡
in a real battle.” — Reuters
ƒ”–Š‘—”‰Ž‘„ƒŽ‡˜‡––‘Š‹‰ŠŽ‹‰Š–…Ž‹ƒ–‡…Šƒ‰‡ˆ‘”‹–Š–‹‡
BERLIN — Hundreds of millions of
people are expected to turn off their
lights for one hour on Saturday as
part of the ninth annual global Earth
Hour event to highlight climate
change.
Organised by the World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF) and started
in 2007 in Australia, with 2.2 million people taking part, the event has
grown exponentially into what WWF
calls “the world’s largest grassroots
movement.”
In 2014, hundreds of millions of
people in 162 countries took part
in Earth Hour, according to a report
from WWF. The term Earth Hour —
and its accompanying hashtag — was
mentioned 1.2 billion times on Twitter.
Each year, participants turn off all
the lights in their homes for one hour
between 8:30 and 9:30 pm local time.
WWF describes this as “the symbolic
act of lights off around the world to
inspire and unite people behind a
common purpose.”
More than 1,200 landmarks — including the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate
Bridge and the Acropolis in Athens —
will participate, the WWF said.
The event also aims to raise money
for environmental projects as well as
awareness about the threat of climate
change. In 2014, WWF Singapore’s
Stop The Killing project raised 21,346
dollars “to combat wildlife crime in
South-East Asia.”
Other projects in 2014 include
one by WWF India to help reduce en- A World Wide Fund For Nature panda mascot seen during a media
ergy use and the carbon footprint of „”‹‡ϔ‹‰‹‹‰ƒ’‘”‡ǤŠ‡‹–Š‡†‹–‹‘‘ˆƒ”–Š‘—”™‹ŽŽ”‘ŽŽƒ…”‘••–Š‡
15,000 schools, and 17 million trees globe today. — AFP
were planted in Kazakhstan.
This year, Earth Hour-related action includes a 100,000-name petition against oil exploration in the Russian Arctic and a project to reduce the
—•‡‘ˆϐ‹”‡™‘‘†‹‰ƒ†ƒǤŠ‡”‡ƒ”‡
also crowd-funded climate-resilience
projects happening in India, Indonesia, Colombia and Portugal.
Ambassadors for the event include
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon,
South African Archbishop Desmond
Tutu and global celebrities like British
singer Chris Martin, Italian designer
Giorgio Armani, US actor Edward
Norton and Taiwanese singer, dancer
and actress Jolin Tsai.
Š‡ƒ…‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘‘ˆ‹”‹„ƒ–‹‹•–Š‡
ϐ‹”•– –‘ ”‡ƒ…Š ͺǣ͵Ͳ ’ ƒ– Ͳͺ͵Ͳ ǡ
while American Samoa is the last.
— dpa
17
SPORT
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
Hoffman leads at wind-whipped Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO — Charley Hoffman
ϐ‹”‡† ϐ‹˜‡ „‹”†‹‡• ‹ ƒ ϐ‹˜‡Ǧ—†‡” ’ƒ”
͸͹ ‘ Š—”•†ƒ› –‘ –ƒ‡ –Š‡ Ž‡ƒ† „›
‘‡•Š‘–ƒˆ–‡”–Š‡™‹†Ǧ™Š‹’’‡†ϐ‹”•–
”‘—†‘ˆ–Š‡
‘—”‡šƒ•’‡Ǥ
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǯ• ƒ”‘ ƒ††‡Ž‡› ƒŽ•‘
Šƒ† ϐ‹˜‡ „‹”†‹‡• ™‹–Š ‘‡ „‘‰‡› ‹ ƒ
ˆ‘—”Ǧ—†‡”͸ͺƒ–ƒ–‘‹‘Ǥ
‡ ™ƒ• ‘‡ •–”‘‡ ‹ ˆ”‘– ‘ˆ
‡”‹…ƒ ƒš ‘ƒǡ ™Š‘ …Ž‘•‡†
™‹–Š„ƒ…Ǧ–‘Ǧ„ƒ…„‹”†‹‡•–‘‰”ƒ„•‘Ž‡
’‘••‡••‹‘ ‘ˆ –Š‹”† ’Žƒ…‡ ‘ ƒ –Š”‡‡Ǧ
—†‡”’ƒ”͸ͻǤ
‹˜‡Ǧ–‹‡ƒŒ‘”™‹‡”Š‹Ž‹…Ǧ
‡Ž•‘™ƒ•–‹‡†ˆ‘”ˆ‘—”–Š™‹–Š͹Ͳǡ†‡Ǧ
•’‹–‡ ƒ ‡“—‹’‡– ƒŽˆ—…–‹‘ –Šƒ–
•ƒ™ –Š‡ Š‡ƒ† ‘ˆ Š‹• ‡‹‰Š–Ǧ‹”‘ „”‡ƒ
‘ˆˆ‘ƒ•Š‘–ˆ”‘ƒˆƒ‹”™ƒ›„—‡”Ǥ
‡™ƒ•Œ‘‹‡†ƒ––™‘Ǧ—†‡”„›ˆ‡ŽǦ
Ž‘™ ‡”‹…ƒ ›ƒ ƒŽ‡”ǡ ™Š‘•‡
”‘—† ‹…Ž—†‡† ƒ ‡ƒ‰Ž‡ ƒ† ƒ †‘—Ǧ
„Ž‡Ǧ„‘‰‡›Ǥ
Ž› ͳʹ ‰‘Žˆ‡”• „”‘‡ ’ƒ” ƒ• –Š‡
‰—•–›™‹†•’—•Š‡†•…‘”‡•—’Ǥ
Dz– ™ƒ• ”‡ƒŽŽ› …ŠƒŽŽ‡‰‹‰ǡ ”‡ƒŽŽ›
†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–ǡdz •ƒ‹† ‡”‹…ƒ ƒ–– —…Šƒ”ǡ
™Š‘ ™ƒ• Šƒ’’› –‘ ‰‡– ‘ˆˆ –Š‡ …‘—”•‡
ƒˆ–‡”ƒ‡˜‡’ƒ”͹ʹȄ‘”‡–Šƒ•‹š
•–”‘‡•„‡––‡”–Šƒ–Š‡‘”‹‰•…‘”Ǧ
‹‰ƒ˜‡”ƒ‰‡‘ˆ͹ͺǤ͸ͳǤ
’‡…Šƒ’‹‘ƒ”–‹ƒ›‡”
‘ˆ ‡”ƒ› Šƒ† –™‘ –”‹’Ž‡ „‘‰‡›•
‹ ƒ ͺʹǡ ™Š‹Ž‡ †‡ˆ‡†‹‰ …Šƒ’‹‘
–‡˜‡ ‘™†‹–…Š ‘ˆ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ‘’‡‡†
™‹–ŠƒͺͲǤ
‘ˆˆƒǯ•„‘‰‡›Ǧˆ”‡‡‡ˆˆ‘”–Ž‘‘‡†
‡˜‡ ‘”‡ ‹’”‡••‹˜‡ —†‡” –Š‡ …‹”Ǧ
…—•–ƒ…‡•ǡ ƒŽ–Š‘—‰Š Š‡ †‹† „‡‡ϐ‹–
ˆ”‘’Žƒ›‹‰Žƒ–‡”‹…ƒŽ‡”™‹†•Ǥ
‡Š‹–‡‹‰Š–‘ˆͳͶˆƒ‹”™ƒ›•‹”‡‰—Ǧ
Žƒ–‹‘ƒ†‡‡†‡†Œ—•–ʹͶ’—––•Ǥ
ƒ††‡Ž‡›ǯ• ”‘—† ‹…Ž—†‡† ƒ
—Ž‹‡Ž› „‹”†‹‡ ƒ– –Š‡ ’ƒ”Ǧˆ‘—” ͳ͹–Šǡ
™Š‡”‡ Š‡ Š‹– Š‹• –‡‡ •Š‘– ‹–‘ –Š‡
™‘‘†•ǡ –‘‘ ƒ —’Žƒ›ƒ„Ž‡ Ž‹‡ ƒ†
™‡–„ƒ…–‘–Š‡–‡‡Ǥ
‹• •‡…‘† ‡ˆˆ‘”– ™‡– •–”ƒ‹‰Š–ǡ
ƒ† ƒ• Š‡ •–ƒ”–‡† ™ƒŽ‹‰ Š‡ Š‡ƒ”†
–Š‡‰ƒŽŽ‡”›”‘ƒ”ȄŠ‹•–Š‹”†•Š‘–Šƒ†
‰‘‡ ‹ ˆ‘” ƒ „‹”†‹‡ –Š”‡‡ ˆ”‘ ͵͵͸
›ƒ”†•Ǥ
DzŒ—•––Š‘—‰Š–ǯ†Œ—•–Š‹–‹–•–”ƒ‹‰Š–
ƒ†•‘Š‹–‹–ƒ†•–ƒ”–‡†™ƒŽ‹‰ƒ†
–Š‡Š‡ƒ”†–Š‡…”‘™†‰‘‹‰—–•ǡdzŠ‡
•ƒ‹†Ǥ Dz‹– ™ƒ• Ž‹‡ǡ Ǯ™ƒ‹–ǡ Œ—•– ƒ†‡
„‹”†‹‡Ǥǯdz
ƒ††‡Ž‡› ƒŽ•‘ ’Žƒ›‡† ‹ –Š‡ ƒˆ–‡”Ǧ
‘‘ǡ„—–Š‡Šƒ†’”‡’ƒ”‡†Š‹•‡Žˆˆ‘”
†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–…‘†‹–‹‘•Ǥ
Dz ‡™ ‹– ™ƒ• ‰‘‹‰ –‘ „‡ „Ž‘™Ǧ
‹‰ǡdz Š‡ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Dz˜‡ ‰‘‹‰ –‘ „‡† Žƒ•–
‹‰Š–ƒŽ”‡ƒ†›Šƒ†–Š‡‹†•‡–ǡŒ—•–
Šƒ†–‘„‡’ƒ–‹‡–Ǥdz
‹…‡Ž•‘ „‹”†‹‡† –Š”‡‡ ‘ˆ Š‹• ϐ‹Ǧ
ƒŽϐ‹˜‡Š‘Ž‡•ǡ„—––Š‡‘•–ƒ––‡–‹‘Ǧ
‰‡––‹‰‘‡–‘ˆŠ‹•”‘—†…ƒ‡ƒ–
–Š‡ ’ƒ”Ǧˆ‘—” ͳʹ–Šǡ ™Š‡”‡ –Š‡ Š‡ƒ† ‘ˆ
Š‹•‡‹‰Š–Ǧ‹”‘…ƒ‡‘ˆˆƒ•Š‡Š‹–‘—–‘ˆ
ƒˆƒ‹”™ƒ›„—‡”ǡŽ‡ƒ˜‹‰Š‹Š‘Ž†‹‰
–Š‡•Šƒˆ–Ǥ
Dz– ™ƒ• Œ—•– ƒ ™‡‹”† –Š‹‰ǡdz ‹…Ǧ
‡Ž•‘ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Ǯǯ Œ—•– …—”‹‘—• ƒ– ™Šƒ–
’‘‹–‘–Š‡†‘™•™‹‰‹–…ƒ‡‘ˆˆǡ‹ˆ
‹–™ƒ•”‹‰Š–„‡ˆ‘”‡‹’ƒ…–‘””‹‰Š–ƒ–
‹’ƒ…–ǡ„‡…ƒ—•‡–Š‡•Š‘–†‹†ǯ–…‘‡
‘ˆˆ˜‡”›™‡ŽŽǤdz
‹–Š –Š‡ ƒ•–‡”• Œ—•– ƒ ˆ‘”–‹‰Š–
ƒ™ƒ›ǡ‘”–Š‡””‡Žƒ†ǯ•
”ƒ‡‡…Ǧ
‘™‡ŽŽ‘’–‡†–‘’Žƒ›‹–•ƒˆ‡ƒ†™‹–ŠǦ
†”‡™ ƒˆ–‡” ‹‡ Š‘Ž‡• „‡…ƒ—•‡ ‘ˆ ƒ
ƒ‰‰‹‰ƒŽ‡‹Œ—”›Ǥ
™‘Ǧ–‹‡ ‘—” ™‹‡” ƒ‡
ƒ‰Ǧ‘‘‘ˆ‘—–Š‘”‡ƒƒŽ•‘™‹–ŠǦ
†”‡™ ™‹–Š ƒ „ƒ… ‹Œ—”› ƒ† ‡”‹Ǧ
…ƒ‘Ž–‘•–’—ŽŽ‡†‘—–™‹–Šƒ™”‹•–
Charley Hoffman
‹Œ—”›ǤdzȄ
Brazil come from behind to down France Flawless Lee grabs
Ȅ ϐ‹‡ ϐ‹‹•Š ˆ”‘ …ƒ’–ƒ‹
‡›ƒ” Š‡Ž’‡† •‡…—”‡ ƒ …‘‡Ǧˆ”‘Ǧ
„‡Š‹†͵Ǧͳ™‹ˆ‘””ƒœ‹Ž‘˜‡””ƒ…‡
‹ ƒ ˆ”‹‡†Ž› ‹ ƒ”‹• ‘ Š—”•†ƒ› ƒ•
–Š‡› ƒ‹–ƒ‹‡† –Š‡‹” ’‡”ˆ‡…– ”‡…‘”†
•‹…‡–Š‡”‡–—”ƒ•…‘ƒ…Š‘ˆ—‰ƒǤ
‡ƒŽ ƒ†”‹† †‡ˆ‡†‡” ƒ’Šƒ‡Ž
ƒ”ƒ‡Šƒ†Š‡ƒ†‡†–Š‡Š‘•–•‹ˆ”‘–
‘ ƒ …‘Ž† ‹‰Š– ƒ– ƒ ’ƒ…‡† –ƒ†‡ †‡
”ƒ…‡ǡ‘Ž›ˆ‘”•…ƒ”–‘‡“—ƒŽ‹•‡Žƒ–‡
‹–Š‡ϐ‹”•–ŠƒŽˆǤ
ƒ”…‡Ž‘ƒ ˆ‘”™ƒ”† ‡›ƒ” –Š‡
…‘–”‘ŽŽ‡† ƒ ‹ŽŽ‹ƒ ’ƒ•• ƒ† Žƒ•Š‡†
–Š‡ „ƒŽŽ Š‹‰Š ‹–‘ –Š‡ ”‘‘ˆ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‡–
ˆ”‘–Š‡Ž‡ˆ–‡†‰‡‘ˆ–Š‡•‹šǦ›ƒ”†„‘š
‹–Š‡ͷ͹–Š‹—–‡–‘’—––Š‡˜‹•‹–‘”•
‹ ˆ”‘–ǡ ƒ† ƒ —‹œ —•–ƒ˜‘ Š‡ƒ†‡”
•‡…—”‡† –Š‡ ˜‹…–‘”› ‹†™ƒ› –Š”‘—‰Š
–Š‡•‡…‘†’‡”‹‘†Ǥ
”ƒœ‹Ž Šƒ˜‡ ‘™ ™‘ •‡˜‡ …‘Ǧ
•‡…—–‹˜‡ˆ”‹‡†Ž›ƒ–…Š‡•—†‡”—Ǧ
‰ƒˆ‘ŽŽ‘™‹‰–Š‡Š‡ƒ˜›†‡ˆ‡ƒ–•–‘
‡”Ǧ
ƒ› ƒ† –Š‡ ‡–Š‡”Žƒ†• –Šƒ– •ƒ™
–Š‡‹” ‘”Ž† —’ …ƒ’ƒ‹‰ ‘ Š‘‡
•‘‹ŽŽƒ•–›‡ƒ”‡†‹•—…Š…ƒ–ƒ•–”‘’Š‹…
ˆƒ•Š‹‘Ǥ
† –Š‹• Žƒ–‡•– •—……‡•• ƒ‰ƒ‹•– ƒ
ƒ……‘’Ž‹•Š‡† ”ƒ…‡ •‹†‡ ™‹ŽŽ Šƒ˜‡
„‡‡ ’ƒ”–‹…—Žƒ”Ž› ’Ž‡ƒ•‹‰ –‘ —‰ƒǡ
„ƒ…™Š‡”‡Š‡…ƒ’–ƒ‹‡†–Š‡‡Ž‡…ƒ‘
‹ƒ’ƒ‹ˆ—Ž͵ǦͲ‘”Ž†—’ϐ‹ƒŽ†‡ˆ‡ƒ–
–‘–Š‡”‡…Š‹ͳͻͻͺǤ
Dz ˆ‘‘–„ƒŽŽ ›‘— ™‹ ƒ† Ž‘•‡ǡ „—–
‹–ǯ• ƒŽ™ƒ›• ‰‘‘† –‘ „‡ƒ– ƒ –‡ƒ ƒ•
•–”‘‰ƒ•”ƒ…‡ǡdzŠ‡•ƒ‹†ǤDzŠ‡–‡ƒ
’Žƒ›‡†™‡ŽŽǡ„—–‘–Š‹‰™ƒ•’‡”ˆ‡…–Ǥ
‡ •–‹ŽŽ ƒ†‡ ‹•–ƒ‡• –Šƒ– …‘—Ž†
Šƒ˜‡„‡‡ƒ˜‘‹†‡†Ǥdz
 –Š‡ ‘’’‘•‹–‡ †—‰‘—– –Š‹• –‹‡
™ƒ• ‹†‹‡” ‡•…Šƒ’•ǡ –Š‡ …—””‡–
”ƒ…‡ …‘ƒ…Š ™Š‘ •‹’’‡”‡† ‡•
Ž‡—•‘–Šƒ–‰Ž‘”‹‘—•‹‰Š–ͳ͹›‡ƒ”•
ƒ‰‘Ǥ
Dz‡ ™‡”‡ ’—‹•Š‡† ˆ‘” ‘—” ‹•Ǧ
–ƒ‡•ǡdz‡•…Šƒ’•–‘Ž†ͳ–‡Ž‡˜‹•‹‘
ƒˆ–‡” –Š‡ ‰ƒ‡Ǥ Dz˜‡ ‹ˆ –Š‡ ‘”Ž†
—’™ƒ•ƒ–”ƒ—ƒˆ‘”–Š‡ǡ–Š‡›•–‹ŽŽ
Šƒ˜‡˜‡”›ǡ˜‡”›‰‘‘†’Žƒ›‡”•ƒ†–Š‡›
†‹†”‡ƒ…Š–Š‡•‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽ•Ǥ
Dz–™ƒ•‰‘‘†ˆ‘”—•–‘‹‰Š––‘Šƒ˜‡
LPGA Kia Classic lead
Brazil’s forward Neymar (centre) strikes on his way to score a goal during the friendly against Brazil at the
Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. — AFP
–‘ ˆƒ…‡ —’ –‘ ƒ †‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž– •‹–—ƒ–‹‘Ǥ ‡
™‹ŽŽŽ‡ƒ”ˆ”‘–Š‹•Ǥdz
‡‡‹‰‡•…Šƒ’•ƒ†—‰ƒŽ‘…
Š‘”•‘…‡ƒ‰ƒ‹ƒ††‡†‡š–”ƒ‹–”‹‰—‡
–‘ƒ‘……ƒ•‹‘™Š‹…Š™ƒ•ƒŽ•‘‘–ƒ„Ž‡
ˆ‘” –Š‡ ”‡…Š ‘‘–„ƒŽŽ ‡†‡”ƒ–‹‘ǯ•
†‡…‹•‹‘ –‘ Š‘‘—” –Š‘•‡ ™Š‘ Šƒ˜‡
™‘‘”‡–ŠƒͳͲͲ…ƒ’•ˆ‘””ƒ…‡Ǥ
‘”Ž†—’™‹‡”•ƒ”…‡Ž‡•ƒ‹ŽǦ
Ž›ǡ ƒ–”‹… ‹‡‹”ƒǡ Š‹‡””› ‡”› ƒ†
‹‡†‹‡‹†ƒ‡™‡”‡ƒŽŽ”‡…‡‹˜‡†„›
”‡•‹†‡– ”ƒ…‘‹• ‘ŽŽƒ†‡ ‹•‹†‡
–Š‡ •–ƒ†‹— ƒ† –Š‡ ’”‡•‡–‡† –‘
–Š‡…”‘™†„‡ˆ‘”‡–Š‡‰ƒ‡Ǥ
Š‡ ”‡…Šǡ ™‹–Š‘—– ‰‘ƒŽ‡‡’‡”
—‰‘ Ž‘”‹• ƒ† ‹†ϐ‹‡Ž†‡”• ‘Šƒ
ƒ„ƒ›‡ƒ†ƒ—Ž‘‰„ƒ†—‡–‘‹Œ—”›ǡ
Šƒ†–Š‡•‡Ž˜‡•‘–„‡‡„‡ƒ–‡•‹…‡
‡š‹–‹‰ Žƒ•– ›‡ƒ”ǯ• ‘”Ž† —’ ‹ –Š‡
“—ƒ”–‡”ϐ‹ƒŽ•–‘
‡”ƒ›ƒ†Šƒ†‘–
Ž‘•– ƒ ˆ”‹‡†Ž› •‹…‡ ƒ ͵ǦͲ †‡ˆ‡ƒ– ‹
”ƒœ‹Ž‹—‡ʹͲͳ͵Ǥ
Š‡› •–ƒ”–‡† –Š‡ ‰ƒ‡ ™‡ŽŽ ƒ†
‘Ž›ƒ”‡ƒ”ƒ„Ž‡•ƒ˜‡„›‰‘ƒŽ‡‡’‡”
‡ˆˆ‡”•‘ ’”‡˜‡–‡† ƒ”‹ ‡œ‡ƒ
Ȅ ™‡ƒ”‹‰ –Š‡ …ƒ’–ƒ‹ǯ• ƒ”„ƒ† ‹
–Š‡ƒ„•‡…‡‘ˆŽ‘”‹•Ȅˆ”‘‘’‡‹‰
–Š‡ •…‘”‹‰ ˆ”‘ ’‘‹–Ǧ„Žƒ ”ƒ‰‡
‡ƒ”Ž›‘Ǥ
Šƒ–…Šƒ…‡Šƒ†…‘‡ˆ”‘ƒ…‘”Ǧ
‡” ƒ† ‹– ™ƒ• ˆ”‘ ƒ‘–Š‡” …‘”‡”
–Šƒ– –Š‡ Š‘•–• ‰‘– –Š‡ „”‡ƒ–Š”‘—‰Š
‹ –Š‡ ʹͳ•– ‹—–‡ǡ ƒ”ƒ‡ ”‹•‹‰ –‘
‡‡– ƒ ƒ–Š‹‡— ƒŽ„—‡ƒ †‡Ž‹˜‡”›
ˆ”‘–Š‡Ž‡ˆ–ƒ†Š‡ƒ†‹‰Š‘‡Ǥ
–™ƒ•ƒ•‡…‘†‰‘ƒŽ‹ƒ•ƒ›‹Ǧ
–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ ‘—–‹‰• ˆ‘” –Š‡ †‡ˆ‡†‡”ǡ
™Š‘ƒŽ•‘•…‘”‡†™‹–ŠŠ‹•Š‡ƒ†‹–Š‡
ͳǦͲ ˆ”‹‡†Ž› †‡ˆ‡ƒ– ‘ˆ ™‡†‡ ‹ ‘Ǧ
˜‡„‡”Ǥ
OSCAR EQUALISER
‡›ƒ” Šƒ† ˆ‘”…‡† ƒ ‰‘‘† Ž‘™
•ƒ˜‡ ‘—– ‘ˆ –‡˜‡ ƒ†ƒ†ƒ ‹ –Š‡
”‡…Š‰‘ƒŽŒ—•–„‡ˆ‘”‡–Šƒ–ǡƒ†”ƒǦ
œ‹Ž•Ž‘™Ž›‰”‡™‹–‘–Š‡‰ƒ‡ǡ–Š”‡ƒ–Ǧ
‡‹‰–Š”‘—‰Š‘„‡”–‹”‹‘„‡ˆ‘”‡
•…ƒ” Ž‡˜‡ŽŽ‡† ϐ‹˜‡ ‹—–‡• ’”‹‘” –‘
–Š‡„”‡ƒǤȄ
ǡ —
‘—–Š‘”‡ƒǯ•‡‡‹Ǧ‹Šƒ†•‡˜‡
„‹”†‹‡• ™‹–Š‘—– ƒ „‘‰‡› ‹ ƒ •‡˜‡Ǧ
—†‡” ’ƒ” ͸ͷ ‘ Š—”•†ƒ› –‘ –ƒ‡ ƒ
‘‡Ǧ•Š‘–Ž‡ƒ†‹–Š‡
‹ƒŽƒ••‹…Ǥ
‡‡ǡ ™Š‘ ‹••‡† –Š‡ …‘—”•‡
”‡…‘”† ƒ– ˜‹ƒ”ƒ ‘Žˆ Ž—„ „› ‘‡
•–”‘‡ǡ„‹”†‹‡†ƒŽŽˆ‘—”‘ˆ–Š‡’ƒ”Ǧϐ‹˜‡
Š‘Ž‡•ǡ –ƒ‹‰ –Š‡ Ž‡ƒ† ™‹–Š ƒ ‡‹‰Š–Ǧ
ˆ‘‘– „‹”†‹‡ ’—–– ƒ– Š‡” ͳͶ–Š Š‘Ž‡ ‘ˆ
–Š‡†ƒ›Ȅ–Š‡’ƒ”Ǧϐ‹˜‡ϐ‹ˆ–Šƒ†ƒ††Ǧ
‹‰‘‡‘”‡„‹”†‹‡ƒ––Š‡‡‹‰Š–ŠǤ
Dz› Ž‘‰ ‰ƒ‡ †‹†ǯ– ˆ‡‡Ž ‰‘‘†ǡ
›•™‹‰†‹†ǯ–ˆ‡‡Ž‰‘‘†ǡ„—–ƒ†‡
ƒ Ž‘– ‘ˆ ’—––•ǡdz •ƒ‹† ‡‡ǡ ™‹‡” ‘ˆ
–™‘ –‹–Ž‡• Žƒ•– ›‡ƒ” ™Š‘ Šƒ† ƒ
‘‡Ǧ•–”‘‡ Ž‡ƒ† ‘˜‡” ˆ‘”‡” ™‘”Ž†
—„‡”‘‡•‡‰ƒǦ‹‘ˆƒ‹™ƒǤ
‡‡ •ƒ‹† •Š‡ǯ† ’”ƒ…–‹…‡† Dzƒ Ž‘–dz
•‹…‡•–”—‰‰Ž‹‰–‘ƒ͹͹–ŠǦ’Žƒ…‡ϐ‹‹•Š
‹Š‘‡‹šŽƒ•–™‡‡Ǥ
Dz…Šƒ‰‡†–Š‡‰”‹’ǡdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ
•‡‰ǡ…Šƒ•‹‰Š‡”ϐ‹”•–
˜‹…Ǧ
–‘”› •‹…‡ ƒ ʹͲͳʹ ™‹ ‹ ‡ƒ”„› ƒ
‘•–ƒǡ…ƒ’’‡†Š‡”͸͸™‹–Šƒˆ‘—”Ǧˆ‘‘–
„‹”†‹‡ƒ–ͳͺǤ
Š‡ ‰ƒ˜‡ Š‡”•‡Žˆ –Š‡ …Šƒ…‡ ™‹–Š
ƒ ƒ™™ƒ”† •Š‘– ˆ”‘ ‡ƒ” ƒ ˆƒ‹”Ǧ
™ƒ›„—‡”ǡ•–ƒ†‹‰‹–Š‡•ƒ†ƒ†
…Š‘‹‰—’‘Š‡”•‡˜‡Ǧ‹”‘Ǥ
Dz‡˜‡”–Š‘—‰Š–ǯ†„‡–Šƒ–…Ž‘•‡ǡdz
•‡‰ •ƒ‹† ‘ˆ –Š‡ •Š‘– –Šƒ– „‘—…‡†
ƒ†”‘ŽŽ‡†–‘™ƒ”†–Š‡…—’Ǥ
•‡‰ •ƒ‹† •Š‡ Šƒ† ƒ „”‹‡ˆ ‘Ǧ
‡– ‘ˆ ™‘””› –Šƒ– •Š‡ ‹‰Š– ϐ‹†
–Š‡™ƒ–‡”–‘–Š‡”‹‰Š–‘ˆ–Š‡‰”‡‡Ǥ
Dz™ƒ•Ž‹‡ǮŠǡ‹ˆŠ‹–‹–‹–Š‡™ƒǦ
–‡” Œ—•– ‰‘ †”‘’ ƒ‘–Š‡” „ƒŽŽǤ ǯ˜‡
‰‘– ƒ ˆ‡™ „‹”†‹‡• ‹ › ’‘…‡– ƒ†
•Š‘—Ž† „‡ ǡǯdz •ƒ‹† •‡‰ǡ ™Š‘•‡
”‘—† ƒŽ•‘ ‹…Ž—†‡† ƒ ʹͲǦˆ‘‘– ‡ƒ‰Ž‡
’—––ˆ”‘–Š‡ˆ”‹‰‡ƒ––Š‡ͳͲ–ŠǤ
—””‡– ™‘”Ž† —„‡” ‘‡ ›†‹ƒ
‘ǡ –Š‡ ‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ† ͳ͹Ǧ›‡ƒ”Ǧ‘Ž†
™Š‘ …ƒ—•‡† ƒ •‡•ƒ–‹‘ ™Š‡ •Š‡
”‡ƒ…Š‡† –Š‡ •—‹– ‘ˆ –Š‡ ”ƒ‹‰•
‹ ‡„”—ƒ”›ǡ ™ƒ• ƒ‘‰ ƒ ‰”‘—’ ‘ˆ
ˆ‘—” ’Žƒ›‡”• •Šƒ”‹‰ –Š‹”† ‘ ϐ‹˜‡Ǧ
—†‡”͸͹Ǥ
Š‡™ƒ•Œ‘‹‡†„›—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒƒŽŽ
‘ˆ ƒ‡” ƒ””‹‡ ‡„„ǡ ‡”‹…ƒ
”‹•–‹‡‡””ƒ†Š‹ƒǯ•‹‹›—Ǥ
‘ Šƒ• –™‘ ˜‹…–‘”‹‡• ™‘”Ž†™‹†‡
–Š‹•›‡ƒ”ǡ™‹‹‰–Š‡‘‡ǯ•—•Ǧ
–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ’‡ ƒ† –Š‡ ‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ†
’‡‹„ƒ…Ǧ–‘Ǧ„ƒ…™‡‡•ǤȄ
Lee Mi-Rim
Dunga pleased with Brazil character in victory over France
Ȅ”ƒœ‹Ž…‘ƒ…Š—‰ƒ™ƒ•†‡Ǧ
Ž‹‰Š–‡† ™‹–Š –Š‡ …Šƒ”ƒ…–‡” •Š‘™ „›
Š‹••‹†‡ƒ•–Š‡›…ƒ‡ˆ”‘„‡Š‹†–‘
„‡ƒ– ”ƒ…‡ ͵Ǧͳ ‹ ƒ ˆ”‹‡†Ž› ‹ ƒ”‹•
‘ Š—”•†ƒ› –‘ …‘–‹—‡ –Š‡‹” ‹Ǧ
’”‡••‹˜‡’‘•–Ǧ‘”Ž†—’ˆ‘”Ǥ
Š‡‡Ž‡…ƒ‘”‡…‘˜‡”‡†ˆ”‘ˆƒŽŽ‹‰
„‡Š‹†–‘ƒƒ’Šƒ‡Žƒ”ƒ‡Š‡ƒ†‡”‹
–Š‡ϐ‹”•–ŠƒŽˆƒ––Š‡–ƒ†‡†‡”ƒ…‡–‘
‡“—ƒŽ‹•‡ –Š”‘—‰Š •…ƒ” Œ—•– ’”‹‘” –‘
ŠƒŽˆǦ–‹‡ǡ „‡ˆ‘”‡ ‰‘ƒŽ• ˆ”‘ …ƒ’–ƒ‹
‡›ƒ” ƒ† —‹œ —•–ƒ˜‘ ‹ –Š‡ •‡…Ǧ
‘†’‡”‹‘†•‡…—”‡†–Š‡˜‹…–‘”›Ǥ
”ƒœ‹Ž Šƒ˜‡ ‘™ ™‘ •‡˜‡ …‘Ǧ
•‡…—–‹˜‡ ˆ”‹‡†Ž› ƒ–…Š‡• •‹…‡
—‰ƒ ™ƒ• ƒ’’‘‹–‡† ƒ• …‘ƒ…Š ˆ‘” ƒ
•‡…‘† –‹‡ Žƒ•– ›‡ƒ” –‘ ”‡’Žƒ…‡ —‹œ
‡Ž‹’‡ …‘Žƒ”‹ǡ —†‡” ™Š‘ –Š‡› •—ˆǦ
ˆ‡”‡† –Šƒ– ‹ˆƒ‘—• ͹Ǧͳ Ž‘•• –‘ ‡”Ǧ
ƒ›‹–Š‡‘”Ž†—’•‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽ•‘
Š‘‡•‘‹ŽǤ
† –Š‹• ”‡•—Ž–ǡ ƒ‰ƒ‹•– ƒ ”ƒ…‡
–‡ƒ™Š‘Šƒ˜‡‹’”‡••‡†‘ˆŽƒ–‡—Ǧ
†‡” ‹†‹‡” ‡•…Šƒ’•ǡ ™ƒ• ƒ”‰—ƒ„Ž›
–Š‡„‡•–™‹›‡–ˆ‘”—‰ƒ‹Š‹••‡…Ǧ
‘†•’‡ŽŽ‹…Šƒ”‰‡Ǥ
Dz–ǯ• †‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž– –‘ ’Žƒ› ”ƒ…‡ Š‡”‡
‹ ƒ ’ƒ…‡† •–ƒ†‹—Ǥ  ˆ‘‘–„ƒŽŽ ›‘—
™‹ ƒ† Ž‘•‡ǡ „—– ‹–ǯ• ƒŽ™ƒ›• ‰‘‘† –‘
™‹ƒ‰ƒ‹•–ƒ–‡ƒƒ••–”‘‰ƒ•–Š‡ǡdz
•ƒ‹† —‰ƒǡ ™Š‘ ™ƒ• „ƒ… ƒ– –Š‡
‰”‘—† ™Š‡”‡ Š‡ …ƒ’–ƒ‹‡† ”ƒœ‹Ž ‹
–Š‡‹”͵ǦͲ†‡ˆ‡ƒ––‘”ƒ…‡‹–Š‡ͳͻͻͺ
‘”Ž†—’ϐ‹ƒŽǤ
Dz•”ƒœ‹Ž™‡Šƒ˜‡–‘™‹ƒ†’Žƒ›
™‡ŽŽǡ ƒ† –Š‡ –‡ƒ ’Žƒ›‡† ™‡ŽŽǤ ‡
„”‘‡ ‘—– “—‹…Ž› ƒ† Šƒ† ‰‘‘† ’‘•Ǧ
•‡••‹‘ǡ „—– ‘–Š‹‰ ™ƒ• ’‡”ˆ‡…–ǡdz
ƒ††‡†–Š‡…‘ƒ…Šƒˆ–‡”Š‹•–‡ƒ”‡…‘˜Ǧ
‡”‡†ˆ”‘ƒ•Šƒ›•–ƒ”–‹™Š‹…Š–Š‡›
…‘…‡†‡†ˆ”‘ƒ•‡–Ǧ’‹‡…‡Ǥ
Dz‡ ƒ†‡ ‹•–ƒ‡• –Šƒ– …‘—Ž†
Šƒ˜‡ „‡‡ ƒ˜‘‹†‡†Ǥ ‡ ‘™ –Šƒ–
”ƒ…‡ ƒ”‡ ˜‡”› •–”‘‰ ƒ– •‡–Ǧ’‹‡…‡•ǡ
„—– ‘…‡ ™‡ ”‡…–‹ϐ‹‡† –Šƒ– ™‡ ˆ‘—†
ƒ „ƒŽƒ…‡ –Šƒ– ƒŽŽ‘™‡† —• –‘ ™‹ –Š‡
ƒ–…ŠǤdz
—‰ƒ ‹• ‘˜‡”•‡‡‹‰ ƒ ’‡”‹‘† ‘ˆ
–”ƒ•‹–‹‘ƒ•”ƒœ‹Ž„—‹Ž†–‘™ƒ”†•–Š‡
‘’ƒ‡”‹…ƒ‹Š‹Ž‡‹—‡Ǥ
Ž› –™‘ ‡„‡”• ‘ˆ Š‹• •–ƒ”–‹‰
Ž‹‡Ǧ—’ ƒ‰ƒ‹•– ”ƒ…‡ Ȅ •…ƒ” ƒ†
—‹œ
—•–ƒ˜‘Ȅ•–ƒ”–‡†‹–Šƒ–†‡ˆ‡ƒ–
–‘ ‡”ƒ›ǡ ƒŽ–Š‘—‰Š •‹š ‘ˆ Š‹• •‹†‡
™‡”‡‹–Š‡•“—ƒ†ƒ–Žƒ•–›‡ƒ”ǯ•‘”Ž†
—’Ǥ
‘HANDLE THE PRESSURE’
—‰ƒǡ ™Š‘ ƒŽ•‘ •‹’’‡”‡† ”ƒǦ
œ‹Ž ™Š‡ –Š‡› ™‘ –Š‡ ‘”Ž† —’
‹ ͳͻͻͶ ƒ† …‘ƒ…Š‡† –Š‡ –‡ƒ –Šƒ–
Ž‘•– ‹ –Š‡ Žƒ•– ‡‹‰Š– ‹ ‘—–Š ˆǦ
”‹…ƒ ‹ ʹͲͳͲǡ ‹•‹•–‡† –Šƒ– Š‹• •“—ƒ†
ˆ‘” –Š‹• ƒ–…Š ƒ† –Š‹• ™‡‡‡†ǯ•
ˆ”‹‡†Ž›™‹–ŠŠ‹Ž‡‹‘†‘™ƒ•„›
‘‡ƒ•…‡”–ƒ‹–‘”‡ƒ‹–Š‡•ƒ‡
…‘‡–Š‡‘’ƒ‡”‹…ƒǤ
Dz‡Šƒ˜‡•’‘‡ƒŽ‘––‘–Š‡’Žƒ›Ǧ
‡”•ǡ–‡ŽŽ‹‰–Š‡–Šƒ–‹ˆ–Š‡›ƒ”‡Š‡”‡
‹– ‹• „‡…ƒ—•‡ –Š‡› †‡•‡”˜‡ –‘ „‡ Š‡”‡
ƒ† „‡…ƒ—•‡ ™‡ „‡Ž‹‡˜‡ ‹ –Š‡ǡdz Š‡
•ƒ‹†ǤDz–ǯ•ƒŽ™ƒ›•‰‘‘†–‘™‹ǡ„—–™‹Ǧ
‹‰‹•–Š‡‘Ž›‘’–‹‘ˆ‘”—•ƒ†™‡
‡‡† –‘ „‡ ƒ„Ž‡ –‘ Šƒ†Ž‡ –Šƒ– ’”‡•Ǧ
•—”‡Ǥ
Dz‘†ƒ›™ƒ•ƒ”‡ƒŽŽ›ǡ”‡ƒŽŽ›†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–
ƒ–…Šǡ„‡…ƒ—•‡‹–™ƒ•ƒ‰ƒ‹•–”ƒ…‡
ƒ† ™‡ Šƒ†ǯ– ’Žƒ›‡† ‘” •‡‡ ‡ƒ…Š
‘–Š‡”ˆ‘”–Š”‡‡‘–Š•Ǥdz
Š‡ ”‡…Š ™‹ŽŽ ‘˜‡ ‘ –‘ ƒǦ
‘–Š‡” Š‘‡ ƒ–…Š ™‹–Š ‡ƒ” ‘
—†ƒ› ‹ ƒ‹–Ǧ–‹‡‡ ƒˆ–‡” •—ˆˆ‡”Ǧ
‹‰ƒϐ‹”•–†‡ˆ‡ƒ–‹ƒˆ”‹‡†Ž›‡…‘—Ǧ
–‡” •‹…‡ ƒ ͵ǦͲ Ž‘•• ‹ ”ƒœ‹Ž ‹ —‡
ʹͲͳ͵Ǥ ‘ƒ…Š ‡•…Šƒ’•ǡ ™Š‘ ™ƒ•
‹••‹‰‰‘ƒŽ‡‡’‡”ƒ†…ƒ’–ƒ‹—‰‘
Ž‘”‹• ƒ• ™‡ŽŽ ƒ• ‹†ϐ‹‡Ž† †—‘ ƒ—Ž
‘‰„ƒ ƒ† ‘Šƒ ƒ„ƒ›‡ǡ ƒ†‹––‡†
–Š‡”‡•—Ž–™ƒ•ƒ„Ž‘™Ǥ
DzŠ‡›‘—ƒ”‡‘ƒ‰‘‘†”—Ž‘•Ǧ
‹‰ Ž‹‡ –Š‹• ‹• ƒŽ™ƒ›• ƒ „Ž‘™Ǥ Š‡›
™‡”‡ ‘”‡ …Ž‹‹…ƒŽ –Šƒ —•ǡdz •ƒ‹† ‡Ǧ
•…Šƒ’•ǡ™Š‘•‡•‹†‡ƒ”‡„—‹Ž†‹‰–‘Ǧ
™ƒ”†•—”‘ʹͲͳ͸‘Š‘‡•‘‹ŽǤ
Dz‡…ƒǯ–„‡•ƒ–‹•ϐ‹‡†ƒ–…‘…‡†‹‰
–Š”‡‡ ‰‘ƒŽ•ǡ ‡˜‡ ‹ˆ ™‡ ƒ…‘™Ž‡†‰‡
–Š‡“—ƒŽ‹–›‘ˆ–Š‡‘’’‘•‹–‹‘ǤȄ
18
SPORT
S A T U R D A Y, M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 5
Sharapova shocked by Gavrilova in Miami
MIAMI — World number two Maria
Sharapova crashed out of the Miami
Open hardcourt tennis tournament
on Thursday, ambushed by 97thranked Daria Gavrilova 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
The upset, biggest so far at the
combined WTA and ATP Masters
event, took one hour, 49 minutes and
ƒ”‡† –Š‡ ™‘”•– †‡ˆ‡ƒ– ϐ‹˜‡Ǧ–‹‡
Grand Slam winner Sharapova has
endured in Miami since she lost in the
ϐ‹”•–”‘—†‘Š‡”†‡„—–‹ʹͲͲ͵Ǥ
“It’s sport, and I happened to lose
the match,” Sharapova said of dropping her second-round opener after a
ϐ‹”•–Ǧ”‘—†„›‡ǤDzˆ…‘—”•‡‹–ǯ•ƒ„‹–‘ˆ
a surprise ... I’m expected to win.
“But that’s one of the reasons
why we play the matches — you still
have to go out and win it no matter if
you’re the favourite.
“Today I didn’t,” added the former
world number one, who has never
Ž‹ˆ–‡†–Š‡–”‘’Š›‹‹ƒ‹†‡•’‹–‡ϐ‹˜‡
–”‹’•–‘–Š‡ϐ‹ƒŽǤ
Gavrilova, who only broke into the
–‘’ͳͲͲ‘‘†ƒ›ǡŽ‡–‘—–ƒ•“—‡ƒŽ‘ˆ
delight upon sealing the win.
“I still can’t realise that it’s my
dream,” said Gavrilova, who said she
had dreamed of beating Sharapova
ever since she saw her countrywoman beat Serena Williams in the Wim„Ž‡†‘ϐ‹ƒŽ‹ʹͲͲͶǤ
The surprise defeat of the second
seed opens the door for a possible
move by Romanian Simona Halep
from number three to number two in
the world rankings behind Williams.
TOO FAR BEHIND
Sharapova lost the opening set af–‡”‡ƒ”Ž›ƒŠ‘—”ƒ†“—‹…Ž›ˆ‘—†
herself trailing the former junior
world number one 4-1 in the second.
Sharapova clawed a break back
but was then broken to love as
Gavrilova set herself up for the win
with a 5-3 lead.
She calmly closed out the biggest
™‹ ‘ˆ Š‡” …ƒ”‡‡” ‘ Š‡” ϐ‹”•– ƒ–…Š
point. “I thought I was very composed
and just did my best,” Gavrilova said.
“I was believing. When I sat down
with my towel (at the end), I was crying a little bit.”
Sharapova said she simply left herself too much to do in the second set.
“I had little times where I did come
back, but I was always behind,” said
Sharapova, who was broken four
times in the contest. “I put myself in
a situation that was too far behind to
come back from.”
Gavrilova lives and trains in Australia, where she is coached with
funding from the Australian federation and is pursuing Australian citizenship.
Š‡ –”‹—’Š ™ƒ• Š‡” ϐ‹”•– ƒ‰ƒ‹•–
ƒ–‘’ǦͳͲ’Žƒ›‡”ƒˆ–‡”ˆ‘—”’”‹‘”…Šƒ…es. She had never before beaten anyone ranked higher than 35th.
Remaining women’s seeds fared
better, with six of the top 16 making it
through to the third round.
Number four Caroline Wozniacki
Ž‘•–Œ—•–‘‡‰ƒ‡‹ƒ͸ǦͲǡ͸ǦͳŠƒmering of Madison Brengle, while
Polish seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Anna Schmiedlova
6-4, 7-5.
Eighth-seeded Russian Ekaterina
Makarova, German ninth seed Andrea
‡–‘˜‹…ǡͳʹ–ŠǦ•‡‡†‡†’ƒ‹ƒ”†ƒ”Žƒ
Suarez Navarro, number 15 Karolina
Pliskova of Czech Republic and 16thseeded Venus Williams all advanced.
‹ŽŽ‹ƒ•ǡ ’Žƒ›‹‰ Š‡” ϐ‹”•– ƒ–…Š
•‹…‡‡„”—ƒ”›ʹ͹ǡ†‡ˆ‡ƒ–‡†ƒ†™ƒ•ƒǯ• ›‘—‰‡” •‹•–‡” ”•œ—Žƒ ͸Ǧ͵ǡ ͸Ǧʹ
to set up a meeting with Australian
Sam Stosur.
In men’s play, Canadian Vasek Pospisil spoiled Juan Martin del Potro’s
Daria Gavrilova hits a backhand against Maria Sharapova (not pictured) on day three of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis
Center. — USA Today Sports
ings, double-faulted on a set point
Argentina’s del Potro showed the der two hours.
return from injury with a 6-4, 7-6
The former world number four, which would have levelled the contest
ȋͻȀ͹Ȍϐ‹”•–Ǧ”‘—†™‹‘˜‡”–Š‡ˆ‘”‡” rust after months of left wrist injury
rehab in a contest lasting a shade un- who has slumped to 616 in the rank- at a set each. — AFP
US Open champion.
Hamilton fastest in Malaysian GP practice Ilyasova sparkles in
SEPANG, Malaysia — World champion Lewis Hamilton overcame technical problems to top the timesheets for
Mercedes in Friday practice for the
Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix.
Hamilton led the way on the
5.543-kilometres course with 1
‹—–‡ ͵ͻǤ͹ͻͲ •‡…‘†• ƒŽ–Š‘—‰Š Š‡
started the afternoon session late and
complained about ongoing problems.
The Briton’s car had to be towed
away in the morning session as he
ˆƒ‹Ž‡† –‘ …‘’Ž‡–‡ ƒ ϐŽ›‹‰ Žƒ’ǡ ™‹–Š
Mercedes later referring to a failure
on the power unit inlet system.
But the mechanics got his car
ready and Hamilton dominated
ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikko‡ ȋͳǣͶͲǤͳ͸͵Ȍ ƒ† ‹…‘ ‘•„‡”‰
ȋͳǣͶͲǤʹͳͺȌ ™Š‘ Šƒ† †‘‹ƒ–‡† –Š‡
ϐ‹”•–•‡••‹‘‹–Š‡‘–Š‡”‡”…‡†‡•Ǥ
Raikkonen’s new team-mate Sebastian Vettel came seventh and
McLaren’s Fernando Alonso had to
•‡––Ž‡ˆ‘”ͳ͸–Šǡ‘”‡–ŠƒʹǤ͹•‡…‘†•
„‡Š‹† ƒ‹Ž–‘ǡ ‹ Š‹• ϐ‹”•– •‡ƒ•‘
outing after being sidelined with a
concussion for the opening Australian
race two weeks ago. “It was an amazing job by the guys to get me back out
this afternoon — particularly here
in such tough conditions, so I’m very
grateful to them,” Hamilton said.
“Fortunately I got a few laps in at
the end on a longer stint. In terms of
setup I didn’t have time to make any
changes — I just went with what
we brought over from the last race.
–ǯ•’”‘„ƒ„Ž›“—‹–‡ƒ„‹–‘ˆˆ™Š‡”‡ǯŽŽ
Milwaukee victory
MILWAUKEE — Ersan Ilyasova set
a career high with 34 points as the
Milwaukee Bucks won consecutive
‰ƒ‡•ˆ‘”–Š‡ϐ‹”•––‹‡‹‘”‡–Šƒ
ƒ‘–Š™‹–ŠƒͳͳͳǦͳͲ͹˜‹…–‘”›‘˜‡”
the Indiana Pacers in the only game
on the NBA schedule.
Ž›ƒ•‘˜ƒǡ ™Š‘ …‘‡…–‡† ™‹–Š ϐ‹˜‡
–Š”‡‡Ǧ’‘‹–‡”•ǡ ƒ†‡ ͳʹ ‘ˆ ͳͶ •Š‘–•
ˆ”‘ –Š‡ ϐ‹‡Ž† ƒ† ƒŽ•‘ Šƒ† •‹š ”‡bounds, two assists and two steals.
The result consolidated the Bucks
(36-36) in sixth place in the Eastern
Conference, and dropped the Pacers
ȋ͵ͳǦͶͲȌ ŠƒŽˆ ƒ ‰ƒ‡ „‡Š‹† ‡‹‰Š–ŠǦ
placed Boston.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in action during practice. — Reuters
‡˜‡–—ƒŽŽ›™ƒ–‹–•‘–Š‡”‡ǯ•†‡ϐ‹‹–‡ly improvements to be made.”
Hamilton warned that Ferrari
looked strong and Rosberg spoke of
Dzƒ †‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž– †ƒ›dz ˆ‘” ‡”…‡†‡•Ǥ ‡––‡Ž
would not be decieved though despite “a decent day” for himself and
Ferrari. It will be close between us
and Williams, and probably Red Bull
as well. Mercedes didn’t have a clean
day but is still very strong. But we
have to look now after ourselves.”
Manor Marussia also raced for
–Š‡ ϐ‹”•– –‹‡ ƒ† ™‡”‡ ‡˜‡ ˆ—”–Š‡”
„‡Š‹† ˆ”‘ ‹ŽŽ –‡˜‡• ȋͳǣͶͷǤ͹ͲͶȌ
ƒ†‘„‡”–‘‡”Š‹ȋͳǣͶ͹ǤʹʹͻȌǤ
“It’s really nice to be back in a
Formula One car and to get down to
the business of racing,” Stevens said.
“We’re not under any illusions about
the challenges that lie ahead though.”
Hamilton tops the early standings thanks to his victory in Australia ahead of Rosberg in a dominant
Mercedes showing. Qualifying is Saturday and the race over 56 laps on
Sunday. — dpa
Enjoy England ride, Rooney tells Kane
LONDON — England captain Wayne
Rooney has beseeched his new teammate Harry Kane to savour the experience as the Tottenham Hotspur
•–”‹‡” ’”‡’ƒ”‡• ˆ‘” Š‹• ϐ‹”•– –ƒ•–‡ ‘ˆ
international football.
ƒ‡ǡ ʹͳǡ Šƒ• „‡‡ †”ƒˆ–‡† ‹–‘
–Š‡ ‰Žƒ† •“—ƒ† „› ƒƒ‰‡” ‘›
‘†‰•‘ ƒˆ–‡” •…‘”‹‰ ʹͻ ‰‘ƒŽ• –Š‹•
season and could make his debut in
”‹†ƒ›ǯ• ʹͲͳ͸ —”‘’‡ƒ Šƒ’‹‘•Š‹’“—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹‡”ƒ–Š‘‡–‘‹–Š—ƒ‹ƒǤ
– ‹• ‘˜‡” ͳʹ ›‡ƒ”• •‹…‡ ‘‘‡›
made his England debut at the age of
17, in a friendly against Australia at
Upton Park, and he has encouraged
Kane to relish every second of his international career.
“When you’re playing for your
country, the one thing you want to do
is enjoy it,” Rooney told journalists at
the England team hotel in Watford,
north of London on Thursday.
“And listen to your friends and
family and coaches, because if you
start listening to people from the outside or reading too much of what is in
the press about how good you want
to be or how well you did or didn’t do,
it does affect your mind.
“So enjoy it and keep doing what
he’s doing, concentrate on his football. I’m sure he’ll have a good career
if he does that. It took me a few years
(to realise that).”
Hodgson refused to reveal whether Kane would start against Lithuania, but Rooney predicted that the
youngster would face a nervous
night’s sleep regardless. “He’ll be lying in bed tonight (Thursday) hoping
that he’ll make his England debut tomorrow,” said Rooney, who described
Kane’s recent displays as “sizzling”.
“I can imagine that. I know because I’ve felt the same feeling, the
excitement he’ll have tonight.”
•‡ŽŽǦ‘—– …”‘™† ‘ˆ ͻͲǡͲͲͲ ‹• ‡špected at Wembley, but Hodgson believes Kane will be able to handle the
attention.
LITHUANIA ‘REALISTIC’
“I would like to think he is up to
the expectations,” said the England
manager, whose side are seeking a
ϐ‹ˆ–Š•—……‡••‹˜‡˜‹…–‘”›‹
”‘—’Ǥ
“If he is going to be a top England
player as we hope he will be, then I
suppose you have got to learn to deal
with these expectations.
“Wayne Rooney, if I remember,
thrust in against Turkey in a vitally
‹’‘”–ƒ– ‰ƒ‡ ȋƒ —”‘ ʹͲͲͶ “—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹‡”‹’”‹ŽʹͲͲ͵Ȍǡ…ƒ‡‘—–‘–‘Ž›
smelling of roses, but he is sitting
Š‡”‡™‹–ŠͳͲͳ…ƒ’•Ǥ
“But there are other examples. I
am pretty sure you (reporters) can
give me another example of someone
who in a similar situation got thrown
in and turned out to be disastrous.
But we believe in Harry.”
A hip injury to Liverpool’s Daniel
Sturridge appears to have opened the
door for Kane, but Arsenal’s Danny
Welbeck is also in contention to partner Rooney in attack. Michael Carrick,
meanwhile, is expected to step in for
the injured Jack Wilshere at the base
‘ˆ‰Žƒ†ǯ•‹†ϐ‹‡Ž††‹ƒ‘†Ǥ
Igoris Pankratjevas’s Lithuania,
currently ranked 94th in the world,
™‘–Š‡‹”ϐ‹”•––™‘“—ƒŽ‹ˆ›‹‰‰ƒ‡•ǡ
against San Marino and Estonia, but
Šƒ˜‡ •‹…‡ Ž‘•– ʹǦͲ ƒ– Š‘‡ –‘ Ž‘˜‡‹ƒƒ†ͶǦͲƒ™ƒ›–‘™‹–œ‡”Žƒ†Ǥ
Dz‡ ƒ”‡ “—‹–‡ ”‡ƒŽ‹•–‹… ƒ„‘—– ‹–ǡdz
Pankratjevas told his pre-game press
conference.
“We are not dreamers. It is always
history that Lithuania are playing
‰Žƒ†ˆ‘”–Š‡ϐ‹”•––‹‡‡˜‡”ǤȄ
Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) shoots during the
second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at BMO Harris Bradley
Center. — USA TODAY Sports
S AT U R DAY M A R C H 2 8 l 2 0 1 5
19
iN BRIEFS
England name
Gibson as fast
bowler coach for
West Indies tour
LONDON — England named former
West Indies paceman Ottis Gibson as
their fast bowling coach on Thursday for
a Caribbean tour in April.
It will be the second time the 46-yearold has been in charge of England’s pace
attack. He was fast bowling coach from
2007-2010 before becoming West Indies’
head coach.
The English Cricket Board (ECB) said
Gibson would join the team next week
ahead of the start of a three-Test tour of
the West Indies in April.
England will be looking to hit
form again after a disastrous World
Cup campaign where they failed to
get past the first round. David Saker
quit as England’s fast bowling coach
in September to join the Melbourne
Renegades Big Bash in Australia.
ECB managing director Paul
Downton said it was “a short-term
appointment at this stage. No decision
has yet been made on a long-term
replacement for David and we will need
to review how we staff this position
going forward following the conclusion
of the West Indies tour”.
Gibson was West Indies’ head coach
from 2010 until August last year. The
team won just nine out of 36 Tests in
that time. — AFP
†‹ƒ…”‹…‡–ˆƒ•™ƒ–…Šǡ‹
•‹Ž‡…‡ǡ–Š‡‡†‘ˆ†‹ƒǯ••‡‹Ǧ
ϔ‹ƒŽƒ‰ƒ‹•–—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǡ‘ƒ
giant TV screen at a local mall
‹‡™‡ŽŠ‹ǤȄ
Mature fans accept
end of India’s reign
MUMBAI — India’s notoriously
volatile fans showed rare maturity
in accepting the end of their team’s
reign as world champions after
Thursday’s semifinal defeat against
co-hosts Australia in Sydney.
The defending champions
struggled during their build-up,
losing a four-test series 2-0 against
Australia and then failing to win a
single match in the following triseries, also involving England.
But expectations soared after they
won all their six pool matches and
easily defeated Bangladesh in their
quarterfinal, taking all 70 opposition
wickets in the process.
The Hindustan Times newspaper
summed up the mood of the nation
with their front page headline which
read “Heartbreak, but young team
does India proud”.
“Overall, quite happy with
where we were,” said India captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, while
addressing reporters at the Sydney
Cricket Ground after the 95-run loss.
“At the start of the tournament,
a lot of people didn’t really think
we’ll come so far.”“He tried” ran the
main headline on the front page of
the Indian Express newspaper with a
picture of the Indian captain walking
back with his head bowed after being
run out for 65. — Reuters
FEBRUARY 14 TO MARCH 29
AUSTRALIA &
NEW ZEALAND
Is Dhoni losing his
Midas touch?
ȅŠ‡ƒŠ‡†”ƒ ‹‰Š Š‘‹ ™ƒ• •—”’”‹•‹‰Ž› ƒ‡† †‹ƒǯ• …ƒ’–ƒ‹ ‹
ʹͲͲ͹ ƒ• •‡‹‘” ’Žƒ›‡”• „ƒ…‡†
‘—– ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‹ƒ—‰—”ƒŽ ‘”Ž†
™‡–›ʹͲǡ Š‡ ”‡•’‘†‡† „›
Ž‡ƒ†‹‰Š‹•–‡ƒ–‘–Š‡–‹–Ž‡Ǥ
™‘ ›‡ƒ”• Žƒ–‡”ǡ Š‘‹ ™ƒ•
ƒ––Š‡Š‡Ž™Š‡†‹ƒ–‘’’‡†
–Š‡ ‡•– ”ƒ‹‰• ƒ†ǡ ƒ‘–Š‡”
–™‘ ›‡ƒ”• Žƒ–‡”ǡ Š‡ …ƒ’–ƒ‹‡†
–Š‡ ƒ–‹‘ –‘ –Š‡‹” •‡…‘†
‘”Ž† —’ –”‹—’Š ‹ ˆ”‘–
‘ˆ ƒ†‘”‹‰ Š‘‡ …”‘™†• ‹
—„ƒ‹Ǥ
—––Š‡Š‘‹ƒ‰‹…™ƒ•–‘‘
‰‘‘†–‘Žƒ•–Ǥ‡ƒ›•–‹ŽŽ„‡”‡‰ƒ”†‡† ƒ• †‹ƒǯ• „‡•– Ž‹‹–‡†Ǧ
‘˜‡”• ’Žƒ›‡” „—– Š‹• —…ƒ›
ƒ„‹Ž‹–›–‘…‘Œ—”‡™‹•‹ƒŒ‘”
–‘—”ƒ‡–••‡‡•–‘Šƒ˜‡†‡•‡”–‡†Š‹Ǥ
†‹ƒ ™‡”‡ „‡ƒ–‡ „› ”‹
ƒƒ‹–Š‡ϐ‹ƒŽ‘ˆ–Š‡‘”Ž†
™‡–›ʹͲ ‹ ƒ‰Žƒ†‡•Š Žƒ•–
›‡ƒ” †‡•’‹–‡ ‡Œ‘›‹‰ ƒ —„‡ƒ–‡ ”— ‹ –Š‡ –‘—”ƒ‡–
–‹ŽŽ–Š‡Ǥ
 Š—”•†ƒ›ǡ †‹ƒ •—……—„‡† –‘ ƒ ͻͷǦ”— ‘”Ž†
—’ •‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽ Ž‘•• –‘ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ
ƒ– –Š‡ ›†‡› ”‹…‡– ”‘—†
ƒˆ–‡” •‹š •–”ƒ‹‰Š– ™‹• ‹ –Š‡
Ž‡ƒ‰—‡ ƒ† ‘‡ ‘”‡ ƒ‰ƒ‹•–
ƒ‰Žƒ†‡•Š‹–Š‡“—ƒ”–‡”ϐ‹ƒŽǤ
—– ‹– ™ƒ• ‘…‡ ƒ‰ƒ‹ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǡ –Š‡ –‘’Ǧ”ƒ‡† ‘‡Ǧ†ƒ›
–‡ƒǡ™Š‘‰‘–‹–Š‡™ƒ›ƒ•–Š‡
–‘—”ƒ‡– …‘ǦŠ‘•–• „—‹Ž– ‘
–Š‡‹”•—……‡••‘˜‡”Š‘‹ǯ•‡
‹–Š‡‡•–•ƒ†‘‡Ǧ†ƒ›–”‹Ǧ•‡”‹‡•™Š‹…Š’”‡…‡†‡†–Š‡‘”Ž†
—’Ǥ
• –Š‡ †‹ƒ• –”—†‰‡† ‘ˆˆ
ˆ”‘ –Š‡ ƒˆ–‡” –Š‡ ƒ–…Šǡ
–Š‡“—‡•–‹‘ƒ•‡†™ƒ•™Š‡–Š‡” Š‘‹ ™‹ŽŽ ‰‹˜‡ —’ –Š‡ …ƒ’–ƒ‹…› Ȅ ‘” “—‹– ’Žƒ›‹‰ ‘‡Ǧ
†ƒ›…”‹…‡–ƒŽ–‘‰‡–Š‡”Ǥ
 Žƒ–‡ ‡…‡„‡”ǡ Š‘‹
ƒ†‡ ƒ •Š‘… ”‡–‹”‡‡– ˆ”‘
‡•–…”‹…‡–ƒˆ–‡”–Š‡–Š‹”†‡•–
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood reacts after India’s
Š‹Šƒ”Šƒ™ƒ™ƒ•…ƒ—‰Š–‘—–†—”‹‰–Š‡‹”
‘”Ž†—’•‡‹ϔ‹ƒŽ‹›†‡›ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ…‘ϐ‹†‡–
ƒœŽ‡™‘‘†™‹ŽŽ
„‡ϐ‹–ˆ‘”ϐ‹ƒŽ
India’s batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni plays a shot off Australia’s Mitchell Johnson during
–Š‡‘”Ž†—’•‡‹ϔ‹ƒŽƒ–›†‡›”‹…‡–
”‘—†ǤȄ
‘ˆ–Š‡ˆ‘—”Ǧƒ–…Š•‡”‹‡•ƒ‰ƒ‹•–
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǡ™‹–Š–Š‡†‡…‹•‹‘„‡‹‰ ƒ‘—…‡† „› –Š‡ ‘ƒ”†
‘ˆ ‘–”‘Ž ˆ‘” ”‹…‡– ‹ †‹ƒ
ȋȌ–Š”‘—‰Šƒ‡†‹ƒ”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡Ǥ
Š‹• –‹‡ǡ Š‘‹ ™ƒ• ‘”‡
ˆ‘”–Š…‘‹‰ ƒ– –Š‡ ’‘•–Ǧƒ–…Š
’”‡•‡–ƒ–‹‘ǡ •ƒ›‹‰ Š‡ ™‘—Ž†
”‡–Š‹Š‹•Ž‘‰Ǧ–‡”ˆ—–—”‡ƒˆ–‡”‡š–›‡ƒ”ǯ•‘”Ž†™‡–›ʹͲ
–Šƒ–†‹ƒƒ”‡†—‡–‘Š‘•–Ǥ
•‡† ‹ˆ Š‡ ™‹ŽŽ ’Žƒ› ‹ ƒ‘–Š‡”ͷͲǦ‘˜‡”‘”Ž†—’ǡŠ‘‹ •ƒ‹†ǣ Dzǯ ‘– •—”‡ ƒ„‘—– ‹–Ǥ
ǯ͵͵ǡǯ•–‹ŽŽ”—‹‰ǡǯ•–‹ŽŽ
ϐ‹–Ǥdz
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ …ƒ’–ƒ‹ ‹…Šƒ‡Ž
Žƒ”‡ •ƒ‹† Š‘‹ǯ• –‹‡ ™ƒ•
‘–‘˜‡”›‡–Ǥ
PROUD BUNCH
DzŠ‡ƒ”†›‘—ƒ•‹ˆ‹–‹•‰‘‹‰
–‘„‡Š‹•Žƒ•–‘”Ž†—’ǡdzŽƒ”‡
–‘Ž† –Š‡ ’”‡•‡–‡”Ǥ Dzǯ ’”‡––›
•—”‡‹–ǯ•‘–‰‘‹‰–‘„‡ǡ–Š‡”‡ǯ•
ƒ Ž‘– ‘ˆ …”‹…‡– Ž‡ˆ– ‹ Š‹• „‘†›
›‡–Ǥdz
Š‘‹ Š‹– ƒ ”—ǦƒǦ„ƒŽŽ ͸ͷ
‹ –Š‡ •‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽǡ „—– …‘—Ž† ‘–
’”‡˜‡– †‹ƒ ˆ”‘ „‡‹‰ †‹•‹••‡†ˆ‘”ʹ͵͵‹”‡’Ž›–‘—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǯ•͵ʹͺˆ‘”•‡˜‡Ǥ
‡•’‹–‡ –Š‡ Ž‘••ǡ Š‘‹ǯ•
‡ ™‹ŽŽ ”‡–—” Š‘‡ ƒ ’”‘—†
„—…Š ™Š‘ ƒ†‡ ƒ …”‡†‹–ƒ„Ž‡
…‘‡„ƒ… ƒˆ–‡” –Š‡ †‹•ƒŽ „‹Žƒ–‡”ƒŽ–‘—”Ǥ
‘”‡” „ƒ––‹‰ ‰”‡ƒ– —‹Ž
ƒ˜ƒ•ƒ” ƒ––”‹„—–‡† –Š‡ †‡ˆ‡ƒ– –‘ –Š‡ ’”‡••—”‡ ‘ˆ …Šƒ•‹‰
†‘™ ƒ ͵ͲͲǦ’Ž—• –ƒ”‰‡–ǡ „—–
…‘…‡†‡† —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ‘—–’Žƒ›‡†
†‹ƒ™‹–Š„‘–Š„ƒ–ƒ†„ƒŽŽǤ
Dz†‹ƒ •—……—„‡† —†‡”
–Š‡ ’”‡••—”‡ ‘ˆ „‹‰ ϐ‹ƒŽ•ǡdz •ƒ‹†
ƒ˜ƒ•ƒ”ǤDzŠ‡„ƒ–•‡’Žƒ›‡†
‹””‡•’‘•‹„Ž› ƒ† ‰‘– ‘—– –‘
•‘‡•Ž‘’’›•Š‘–•Ǥdz
†‹ƒ ™‘ ‹ ʹͲͳͳ ™‹–Š ƒ
‡•–ƒ„Ž‹•Š‡†Ž‹‡Ǧ—’–Šƒ–‹…Ž—†‡†„ƒ––‹‰”‡…‘”†ǦŠ‘Ž†‡”ƒ…Š‹
‡†—Žƒ” ƒ† ‘–Š‡” •‡ƒ•‘‡†
’Žƒ›‡”• Ž‹‡ ‹”‡†‡” ‡Š™ƒ‰ǡ
ƒ—–ƒ ƒ„Š‹”ǡ —˜”ƒŒ ‹‰Šǡ
ƒŠ‡‡” Šƒ ƒ† ƒ”„ŠƒŒƒ
‹‰ŠǤ
 –Š‹• ‡†‹–‹‘ǡ Š‘‹ ™ƒ•
–Š‡ ‡Ž†‡” •–ƒ–‡•ƒ ‘ˆ ƒ ”‡Žƒ–‹˜‡Ž› ›‘—‰ –‡ƒ –Šƒ– ™‹ŽŽ
ˆ‘”–Š‡—…Ž‡—•‘ˆ–Š‡•‹†‡–‹ŽŽ
–Š‡‡š–‘”Ž†—’‹‰Žƒ†
‹ˆ‘—”›‡ƒ”•ǯ–‹‡Ǥ
 Š‹Šƒ” Šƒ™ƒǡ ™Š‘
•…‘”‡†Ͷͳʹ”—•‹–Š‡–‘—”ƒ‡–ǡ ƒ† ‘Š‹– Šƒ”ƒǡ ™‹–Š
͵͵Ͳ ”—•ǡ †‹ƒ Šƒ˜‡ ƒ •–ƒ„Ž‡
‘’‡‹‰’ƒ‹”ƒ––Š‡–‘’‘ˆƒ–ƒŽ‡–‡†„ƒ––‹‰Ž‹‡Ǧ—’Ǥ
–ƒ” „ƒ–•ƒ ‹”ƒ– ‘ŠŽ‹
ˆƒ‹Ž‡† –‘ Ž‹˜‡ —’ –‘ Š‹• ‘™
Ž‘ˆ–› •–ƒ†ƒ”†• ƒˆ–‡” •…‘”‹‰ ƒ
ƒ–…ŠǦ™‹‹‰ …‡–—”› ‹ –Š‡
ϐ‹”•– ƒ–…Š ƒ‰ƒ‹•– ƒ‹•–ƒǡ
„—– ”‡ƒ‹• ‘‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‘•–
’”‘Ž‹ϐ‹…„ƒ–•‡‹–Š‡‘†‡”
‰ƒ‡ǤȄ
Clarke salutes Smith as Australia
’‘™‡”‹–‘‘”Ž†—’ϐ‹ƒŽ
SYDNEY Ȅ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ …ƒ’–ƒ‹
‹…Šƒ‡Ž Žƒ”‡ ’”ƒ‹•‡† –Š‡ Dz‡š…‡’–‹‘ƒŽdz–‡˜‡‹–Šƒˆ–‡”Š‹•
•‹†‡ „‡ƒ– †‡ˆ‡†‹‰ …Šƒ’‹‘•
†‹ƒ„›ͻͷ”—•‘Š—”•†ƒ›–‘
•‡– ƒ ‘”Ž† —’ ϐ‹ƒŽ ™‹–Š ‡™
‡ƒŽƒ†Ǥ
–‡˜‡ ‹–Šǯ• ͳͲͷ ƒ† Š‹•
•‡…‘†Ǧ™‹…‡–•–ƒ†‘ˆͳͺʹ™‹–Š
‘’‡‡” ƒ”‘ ‹…Š ȋͺͳȌ ’‘™‡”‡† —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ –‘ ͵ʹͺ ˆ‘” •‡˜‡
ƒˆ–‡”Žƒ”‡™‘–Š‡–‘••Ǥ
†‹ƒ™‡”‡‘Ž›„”‹‡ϐŽ›‹–Š‡
Š—– ƒ† ™‡”‡ ‡˜‡–—ƒŽŽ› †‹•‹••‡†ˆ‘”ʹ͵͵ǡ†‡•’‹–‡ƒ”—ǦƒǦ
„ƒŽŽ ͸ͷ ˆ”‘ …ƒ’–ƒ‹ ƒŠ‡†”ƒ
‹‰Š Š‘‹ǡ ™Š‘ ’”‘†—…‡†
ƒ ƒ–…ŠǦ™‹‹‰ ϐ‹ˆ–› ‹ –Š‡
ϐ‹ƒŽƒ‰ƒ‹•–”‹ƒƒˆ‘—”›‡ƒ”•
ƒ‰‘Ǥ
Dz ˆ‡‡Ž ”‡ƒŽŽ› ‡š…‹–‡†Ǥ ‹–Š›
™ƒ•‡š…‡’–‹‘ƒŽ‘…‡ƒ‰ƒ‹ǡƒ†
™ƒ•”‡ƒŽŽ›’”‘—†‘ˆ–Š‡‡š‡…—–‹‘‘ˆ‘—”„‘™Ž‡”•ǡdz•ƒ‹†Žƒ”‡
ƒˆ–‡” ƒ …‘˜‹…‹‰ ™‹ ƒ– –Š‡
›†‡› ”‹…‡– ”‘—† ™Š‡”‡
–Š‡ ‹’”‡••‹˜‡ ‹–…Š‡ŽŽ –ƒ”…
–‘‘–™‘ˆ‘”ʹͺ‹ͺǤͷ‘˜‡”•ƒ†
ƒ‡• ƒ—Ž‡” –Š”‡‡ ˆ‘” ͷͻ ‹
‹‡Ǥ
—†ƒ›ǯ• ϐ‹ƒŽ ‹ ‡Ž„‘—”‡
™‹ŽŽ ‰‹˜‡ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ –Š‡ …Šƒ…‡
–‘ ƒ˜‡‰‡ –Š‡‹” ‘‡Ǧ™‹…‡– Ž‘••
–‘ ‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ† ‹ ƒ ’‘‘ŽǦ’Šƒ•‡
–Š”‹ŽŽ‡”ƒ–—…Žƒ†ǯ•†‡ƒ”
Australia’s batsman Steve Smith celebrates scoring his century
Žƒ•–‘–ŠǤ
Dz‘•‹‰–‘‡™‡ƒŽƒ†”‡ƒŽŽ› ƒ‰ƒ‹•–†‹ƒ†—”‹‰–Š‡‹”•‡‹ϔ‹ƒŽ‹›†‡›ǤȄ
‰ƒ˜‡ —• ƒ ‹… —’ –Š‡ „ƒ…•‹†‡ǡdz
•ƒ‹†Žƒ”‡ǤDz‡–ƒŽŽ›–Š‹–Š‡
‰—›• ƒ”‡ ”‡ƒ†› –‘ ™ƒŽ ‹–‘ –Š‡
ϐ‹ƒŽǤ
Dz‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ† Šƒ˜‡ „‡‡
’Žƒ›‹‰•‘‡‰”‡ƒ–…”‹…‡–ǡȋ…ƒ’–ƒ‹Ȍ ”‡†‘ ȋ…—ŽŽ—Ȍ Šƒ•
†‘‡ƒ‰”‡ƒ–Œ‘„Ǥdz
‹–Š ƒ††‡†ǣ Dz‡ –Š‘—‰Š–
͵͵Ͳ ™ƒ• ƒ”‘—† ’ƒ”ǡ ™‡ ‡™
™‡ Šƒ† –‘ „‘™Ž ƒ† ϐ‹‡Ž† ™‡ŽŽ
ƒ† –Š‡ „‘›• †‹† ƒ ‰”‡ƒ– Œ‘„ǡ •‘
”‘ŽŽ ‘ ‡Ž„‘—”‡Ǥ –ǯ• ‹…‡ –‘
…‘–”‹„—–‡–‘ƒˆ‡™™‹•Ǥ
Dz Š‘’‡ Šƒ˜‡ ‘”‡ ”—•
‹ –Š‡ „ƒ Ȅ ƒ „‹‰ Š—†”‡†
™‘—Ž†„‡‹…‡Ǥdz
†‹ƒ ƒ†‡ ƒ „‘Ž† •–ƒ”– –‘
–Š‡‹” …Šƒ•‡ǡ ™‹–Š –Š‡ Š‹‰Š‡•–
•…‘”‡ ‡˜‡” ƒ†‡ „› ƒ •‹†‡ „ƒ––‹‰ •‡…‘† –‘ ™‹ ƒ ‘‡Ǧ†ƒ›‡”
ƒ––Š‡
–Š‡͵͵Ͷˆ‘”•‹šƒ†‡
„› —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ƒ‰ƒ‹•– ‰Žƒ† ‹
ʹͲͳͳǤ
—– ‘…‡ ‘’‡‡” Š‹Šƒ”
Šƒ™ƒŠ‘Ž‡†‘—–ˆ‘”Ͷͷ‘ˆˆ‘•Š
ƒœŽ‡™‘‘†ǡ †‹ƒ •–”—‰‰Ž‡† ƒ†
‡˜‡Š‘‹ǯ•„”‹•‹‹‰•…ƒ‡
–‘‘Žƒ–‡–‘–—”–Š‡–‹†‡Ǥ
Dz˜‡”ƒŽŽ—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ’Žƒ›‡†˜‡”›
‰‘‘†…”‹…‡–Ǥ˜‡”͵ͲͲ‹•ƒ˜‡”›
„‹‰•…‘”‡–‘…Šƒ•‡ǡ„—––Š‘—‰Š–
‹–™ƒ•Œ—•–‘˜‡”’ƒ”ǡdz•ƒ‹†Š‘‹Ǥ
DzŠ‹Šƒ”Šƒ™ƒ™ƒ•„ƒ––‹‰
ˆ”‡‡Ž›ǡŠ‡†‹†ǯ–‡‡†–‘’Žƒ›–Š‡
„‹‰•Š‘–Ǥ–™ƒ•–‘‘ƒ›ˆ‘”‡
–‘…Šƒ•‡ǤȄ
Ȅ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ƒ”‡ …‘ϐ‹†‡– ’ƒ…‡ „‘™Ž‡”
‘•ŠƒœŽ‡™‘‘†™‹ŽŽ„‡ϐ‹––‘ˆƒ…‡‡™‡ƒŽƒ†‹
—†ƒ›ǯ• ‘”Ž† —’ ϐ‹ƒŽ †‡•’‹–‡ „‡‹‰ ˆ‘”…‡† –‘
Ž‡ƒ˜‡–Š‡’‹–…Š–‘™ƒ”†•–Š‡‡†‘ˆ–Š‡•‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽǤ
Š‡ ʹͷǦ›‡ƒ”Ǧ‘Ž† –‘‘ ͶǦ͵ͷ ƒ‰ƒ‹•– ƒ‹•–ƒ ‹
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǯ• “—ƒ”–‡”ϐ‹ƒŽ ƒ† „ƒ…‡† –Šƒ– —’ ™‹–Š
ƒ•–”‘‰†‹•’Žƒ›‹—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǯ•ͻͷǦ”—˜‹…–‘”›‘˜‡”
†‹ƒ –Šƒ– •‡– –Š‡ …‘ǦŠ‘•–• ‹–‘ –Š‡ –‹–Ž‡ •Š‘™†‘™Ǥ
DzƒœŽ‡™‘‘†…ƒ‡‘ˆˆ–Š‡ϐ‹‡Ž†–Š‡”‡ƒ––Š‡‡†
™‹–Š ƒ •‘”‡ –Š—„ǡ „—– •‘—†• –‘ ‡ Ž‹‡ Š‡ǯ•
…‘’Ž‡–‡Ž› ϐ‹‡ǡdz …ƒ’–ƒ‹ ‹…Šƒ‡Ž Žƒ”‡ –‘Ž† ”‡’‘”–‡”• ƒˆ–‡” –Š‡ ƒ–…Š ƒ– –Š‡ ›†‡› ”‹…‡–
”‘—†Ǥ
Dz‡Œ—•–™ƒ–‡†–‘”‡•–—’ˆ‘”–Š‡ϐ‹ƒŽ•ǡ•‘–Š‡
›‘—‰•–‡”Œ—•––‘‘ƒˆ‡™‘˜‡”•‘ˆˆǤ–Š‹ƒ––Š‹•
•–ƒ‰‡ǡ‡˜‡”›„‘†›‡Ž•‡‹•’”‡––›‰‘‘†Ǥdz
ƒœŽ‡™‘‘† ™ƒ• ’”‡ˆ‡””‡† ƒ• ƒ –Š‹”† •’‡…‹ƒŽ‹•–’ƒ…‡‘’–‹‘‹•–‡ƒ†‘ˆ•’‹‡”ƒ˜‹‡”‘Š‡”–›
ˆ‘”–Š‡•‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽƒ‰ƒ‹•–†‹ƒƒ•—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ’—–‘—–
ƒ—…Šƒ‰‡†•‹†‡ˆ‘”–Š‡ϐ‹”•––‹‡‹–Š‡–‘—”ƒ‡–Ǥ
‹˜‡ –Š‡‹” …‘˜‹…‹‰ ˜‹…–‘”› ‘˜‡” –Š‡ ™‘”Ž†
…Šƒ’‹‘•ǡ Žƒ”‡ǡ ™Š‹Ž‡ •–”‡••‹‰ Š‡ ™ƒ• ‘
Ž‘‰‡” ƒ •‡Ž‡…–‘”ǡ –Š‘—‰Š– –Š‡ •ƒ‡ –‡ƒ ™‘—Ž†
ˆƒ…‡ ‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ† ƒ– ‡Ž„‘—”‡ ”‹…‡– ”‘—†Ǥ
Dz–Š‹‹ˆ‡˜‡”›‘‡‹•ˆ—ŽŽ›ϐ‹–ǡ‹–ǯ•‰‘‹‰–‘„‡‡š–”‡‡Ž›Šƒ”†–‘…Šƒ‰‡–Š‡ͳͳǡdzŠ‡•ƒ‹†ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
‹™‹ˆƒ•Š‹–„ƒ…ƒ–
ƒ›†‡
Œ‹„‡
SYDNEYȄ‡™‡ƒŽƒ†ˆƒ•’‘‡†ˆ—‘”‹†ƒ›
ƒ– ƒ––Š‡™ ƒ›†‡ ƒˆ–‡” –Š‡ ˆ‘”‡” —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ
„ƒ–•ƒ•—‰‰‡•–‡†–Š‡Žƒ…ƒ’•™‘—Ž†„‡‘˜‡”ƒ™‡† „› –Š‡ Š—‰‡ †‹‡•‹‘• ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‡Ž„‘—”‡
”‹…‡–
”‘—†‹–Š‡‘”Ž†—’ϐ‹ƒŽǤ
‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ† ‰‘ ‹–‘ –Š‡ …Šƒ’‹‘•Š‹’ ƒ–…Š
‘ƒ”—‘ˆ‡‹‰Š–™‹•‹‡‹‰Š–‰ƒ‡•ƒ––Š‡–‘—”ƒ‡–„—–ƒŽŽ‘ˆ–Š‡‹”ƒ–…Š‡•Šƒ˜‡„‡‡’Žƒ›‡†‘
–Š‡‹”‘™ǡ—…Š•ƒŽŽ‡”ǡ‰”‘—†•Ǥ
DzŠ‡”‡™‡”‡ƒ—„‡”‘ˆ–‹‡•‹–Š‡•‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽ
™Š‡”‡ –Š‡ ‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ† „ƒ–•‡ ƒ’’‡ƒ”‡† –‘ „‡
Š‹––‹‰„‹‰„ƒŽŽ•ǡ„—––Š‡›ǯ†„‡‰‡––‹‰…ƒ—‰Š––Š”‡‡
“—ƒ”–‡”•‘ˆ–Š‡™ƒ›–‘–Š‡ˆ‡…‡ƒ––Š‡
ǡdzƒ›†‡™”‘–‡‹Š‹•…‘Ž—ˆ‘”™™™Ǥ‡™•Ǥ…‘Ǥƒ—Ǥ
Dz‡–ǯ•„‡Š‘‡•–ǡ–Š‡•‹œ‡‘ˆ†‡ƒ”ȋ‹—…Žƒ†Ȍ‹•”‹†‹…—Ž‘—•Ǥ–•Š‘—Ž†ǯ–„‡ƒ…”‹…‡–‰”‘—†Ǥ
ˆ›‘—…ƒŠƒŽˆ–Š”‘™‹–ˆ”‘–Š‡Ž‘‰‘ˆˆ„‘—†ƒ”›
–‘–Š‡‘’’‘•‹–‡‡†‹–ǯ•–‘‘•ƒŽŽǤdz
ƒ›†‡ǯ• …‘‡–• Ž‡† –‘ ƒ ‘—–„—”•– ‘ˆ
–‘‰—‡Ǧ‹Ǧ…Š‡‡ ”‡•’‘•‡• ˆ”‘ ‹™‹ ˆƒ•ǡ ™‹–Š
–Š‡Šƒ•Š–ƒ‰͓…‰•‘„‹‰–”‡†‹‰‘™‹––‡”Ǥ
‘‡‘ˆ–Š‡™‹––‹‡•–‹…Ž—†‡†ǣ
Dz͓
•‘„‹‰ •–”‡ƒ‡”• ‡‡† ƒ †”‹• „”‡ƒ ƒ–
ŠƒŽˆ™ƒ›Ǥdz
Dz͓
•‘„‹‰ –Šƒ– –Š‡ ”‡ƒ– ‘—–Š‡” –ƒ† ‹•
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Dz͓
•‘„‹‰ ƒ˜‹† ‘‘ …‘—Ž† †”‹ ͷʹ „‡‡”•
™ƒŽ‹‰ˆ”‘‘‡•‹†‡‘ˆ‹––‘–Š‡‘–Š‡”Ǥdz
DzŠ‡
‹••‘„‹‰…ƒ’–ƒ‹•‹••—‡
…‘Ǧ‘”†‹ƒ–‡•™Š‡ƒ‹‰ϐ‹‡Ž†‹‰…Šƒ‰‡•Ǥ͓
•‘„‹‰Ǥdz
Dz͓
•‘„‹‰ Š‡ •–ƒ–‡ ‘ˆ ‡šƒ• …ƒ ϐ‹– ‹ ‹–ǡ
–™‹…‡Ǥdz
Dz͓
•‘„‹‰
̷Š‡̴”‘…Žƒ‹‡”•
™”‘–‡
͓ͷͲͲ‹Ž‡•ƒ„‘—–™ƒŽ‹‰–‘–Š‡…Šƒ‰‹‰”‘‘Ǥdz
Dz͓
•‘„‹‰ƒ›„‡Ž‹‡˜‡–Š‡Ž‘•–…‹–›‘ˆ–Žƒ–‹• ‹• •‘‡™Š‡”‡ ‹ –Š‡ ‘—–ϐ‹‡Ž† „‡–™‡‡ ϐ‹‡ Ž‡‰
ƒ†͵”†ƒ͓ͳͷ͓ƒ…–Š‡Žƒ…ƒ’•Ǥdz
Dz͓
•‘„‹‰ –Š‘•‡ ƒ”‡ǯ– Ž‹‰Š–• „—– Žƒ”‰‡ •—•
ˆ”‘ƒ‡‹‰Š„‘—”‹‰‰ƒŽƒš›Ǥdz
SATURDAY | MARCH 28, 2015 | JUMADA AL THANIA 7, 1436 AH
Form meets pedigree in
Australasian World Cup final
BEST
QUOTE
Let’s be honest, the
size of Eden Park (in
Auckland) is ridiculous.
It shouldn’t be a cricket
ground. If you can half
throw it from the long
off boundary to the
opposite end it’s too
small.
throughout the summer at the MCG
ƒ•™‡ŽŽǡdzŽƒ”‡•ƒ‹†ƒˆ–‡”–Š‡•‡‹ϐ‹nal win at the Sydney Cricket Ground
‘ Š—”•†ƒ›Ǥ Dz‘†‹–‹‘• ƒ”‡ ƒ Ž‘–
different to what New Zealand have
„‡‡ ’Žƒ›‹‰ ‹ ‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ†Ǥ —–
in saying that, I think we’re going to
have to play our best cricket, there’s
‘†‘—„–ƒ„‘—–‹–Ǥdz
Southee, though, thinks New Zealand’s bowlers have shown they can
prosper even when they do not get
—…Š ‘˜‡‡–Ǥ Dz– Šƒ•ǯ– •™—‰
for us in every game but we’ve found
ways to take wickets so I think that’s
–Š‡„‡ƒ—–›‘ˆ‘—”ƒ––ƒ…ǡdzŠ‡–‘Ž†”‡’‘”–‡”•‹‡Ž„‘—”‡‘”‹†ƒ›Ǥ
“I think we’ve got variety to it
and if it does swing, obviously we do
„‡…‘‡ ƒ „‹– ‘”‡ †ƒ‰‡”‘—•Ǥ —–
we have found ways to take wickets
™Š‡‹–ǯ•‘–•™‹‰‹‰Ǥdz
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ Šƒ˜‡ ƒ ’‘–‡– „‘™Žing attack of their own in the
rampant Mitchell Starc and
Mitchell Johnson, with the
older Johnson looking close
to his best with two key Indian wickets in the semiϐ‹ƒŽǤ
It has largely been
a World Cup more
notable for batting, though, and
both sides have
quality all their
way
through
–Š‡‹”Ž‹‡Ǧ—’•Ǥ
The
fearless aggression
shown by New
Zealand openers
Brendon McCullum and Martin
Guptill has been a
sight to behold for
cricket lovers eve”›™Š‡”‡Ǥ
†‹ˆ–Š‡”‡™ƒ•ƒ›
doubt about New Zealand’s ability to deal with
pressure, they can point to
two tight victories won with six‡• Ȅ ϐ‹”•– ƒ‡ ‹ŽŽ‹ƒ•‘ ƒ‰ƒ‹•–
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ƒ† –Š‡ ”ƒ– ŽŽ‹‘–– ‹
–Š‡•‡‹Ǧϐ‹ƒŽƒ‰ƒ‹•–‘—–Šˆ”‹…ƒǤ
— Reuters
— MATTHEW HAYDEN,
FORMER AUSTRALIAN
BATSMAN, TAKING A DIG AT
NEW ZEALAND AHEAD OF THE
WORLD CUP FINAL AT THE MCG
ON SUNDAY.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (left) points skywards as
team-mates look on during a training session at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground (MCG). — AFP
”‹ƒƒ„Žƒ‡•
ϐ‹–‡••ˆ‘”ϐŽ‘’
COLOMBO — Sri Lankan cricketing au–Š‘”‹–‹‡•„Žƒ‡†ƒŽƒ…‘ˆϐ‹–‡••ƒ†–Š‡
poor form of the side’s top order batsmen for failing to progress beyond the
“—ƒ”–‡”ϐ‹ƒŽ• ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‘”Ž† —’ ‹ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒƒ†‡™‡ƒŽƒ†Ǥ
Chief Selector Sanath Jayasuriya said
‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•™‹ŽŽ†”ƒ™—’‡™•–ƒ†ƒ”†•–‘
‡•—”‡„‡––‡”ϐ‹–‡••ƒ†–ƒ‡DzŠƒ”††‡…‹•‹‘•dzƒ„‘—–’Žƒ›‡”•™Š‘™‡”‡„‡Ž‘™
’ƒ”ǤDzŠ‹•ȋϐ‹–‡••Ȍ‹•ƒƒ”‡ƒ™‡‡‡†–‘
address and take hard decisions about
players who don’t meet the new standƒ”†• ™‡ ™‹ŽŽ •‡–ǡdz ƒ›ƒ•—”‹›ƒ •ƒ‹†ǡ ‹ ƒ
’‘•–Ǧ‘”–‡‘ˆ”‹ƒƒǯ•ˆƒ‹Ž—”‡Ǥ
Injury-prone Sri Lanka was kicked
out of the tournament after losing to
‘—–Š ˆ”‹…ƒ „› ‹‡ ™‹…‡–• ‹ –Š‡
“—ƒ”–‡”ϐ‹ƒŽ•‘ƒ”…ŠͳͺǤ
ƒ›ƒ•—”‹›ƒ•ƒ‹†ϐ‹˜‡’Žƒ›‡”•Ȅ‹‡•Š
Chandimal,
Dimuth
Karunaratne,
Šƒ‹ƒ ”ƒ•ƒ†ǡ ‡‡˜ƒ ‡†‹• ƒ†
Rangana Herath — had to be replaced
during the tournament because of inju”‹‡•ǤȄ
SYDNEY — There’s been no place
Ž‹‡Š‘‡ˆ‘”—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒƒ†‡™‡ƒland on their respective paths to the
‘”Ž† —’ ϐ‹ƒŽ „—– Œ—•– ‘‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡
co-hosts will enjoy that particular
advantage when they meet in Sun†ƒ›ǯ•–‹–Ž‡†‡…‹†‡”Ǥ
ˆ–‡” Ͷͺ ‘‡Ǧ†ƒ› ‹–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ•
played out over six weeks between
–‡ƒ•ˆ”‘ϐ‹˜‡…‘–‹‡–•ǡ–Š‡ͳͳ–Š
version of cricket’s showpiece tournament comes down to a trans-Tasman tussle at the Melbourne Cricket
”‘—†Ǥ
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǡ’Žƒ›‹‰‹–Š‡‹”•‡˜‡–Š
ϐ‹ƒŽǡŠƒ˜‡ƒŽŽ–Š‡…”‹…‡–‹‰’‡†‹‰”‡‡
and their four previous titles make
them by far the most successful na–‹‘‹‘”Ž†—’Š‹•–‘”›Ǥ
New Zealand have indisputably
been the form team of the tournament, their eight-match unbeaten
”‘’ –‘ –Š‡‹” ϐ‹”•– ‘”Ž† —’ ϐ‹ƒŽ
‹…Ž—†‹‰ƒ˜‹…–‘”›‘˜‡”–Š‡—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ•‹—…Žƒ†Ǥ
Now, though, they have left New
‡ƒŽƒ†ˆ‘”–Š‡ϐ‹”•––‹‡‹–Š‡–‘—”ƒ‡– –‘ ’Žƒ› –Š‡‹” ϐ‹”•– ‘‡Ǧ†ƒ›‡”
at the MCG in six years in front of a
Š‘•–‹Ž‡…”‘™†‘ˆ—’–‘ͳͲͲǡͲͲͲǤ
In their last 12 one-dayers at the
‰‘‹‰„ƒ…ϐ‹˜‡›‡ƒ”•ǡ—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ
have won all but two and they are
unbeaten at the ground in their last
•‹š‡…‘—–‡”•Ǥ
Crucial to New Zealand’s chances of lifting
ƒϐ‹”•–‘”Ž†—’‹•ǡ’‡”haps, how their potent new ball attack
of Trent Boult and
Tim Southee handle the change
of conditions
on the drop-in
™‹…‡–Ǥ
Consensus
has it they
will get less
of the swing
they
have
used to such
devastating effect back home and will have
to adjust the length of their
†‡Ž‹˜‡”‹‡•Ǥ
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ‡š’‡…– –Šƒ– –‘ ’Žƒ›
to their advantage the same way
‡™‡ƒŽƒ†„‡‡ϐ‹–‡†‹–Š‡
one-wicket victory at Eden
ƒ” Ȅ –Š‡ ‘Ž› †‡ˆ‡ƒ– ˆ‘”
‹…Šƒ‡ŽŽƒ”‡ǯ••‹†‡Ǥ
“I think the fact that the
conditions are different will
certainly
help
us,
and we’ve
played
a
fair bit of
cricket
New Zealand cricketer Ross Taylor
(left) looks on as team-mate Daniel
Vettori kicks a football during a
training session at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground (MCG), ahead of the
‘”Ž†—’ϔ‹ƒŽ‹‡Ž„‘—”‡ǤȄ
MCG holds no fears for Black Caps — Southee
ȅ New Zealand seamer Tim Southee believes the Black
Caps have the experience and the
ϐ‹”‡’‘™‡” –‘ –‘’’Ž‡ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ‹ —†ƒ›ǯ•‘”Ž†—’ϐ‹ƒŽ‹‡Ž„‘—”‡Ǥ
Southee said the Black Caps were
relishing the opportunity of playing
‹–Š‡‹”ƒ‹†‡‘”Ž†—’ϐ‹ƒŽȄƒ
match that will also mark New ZeaŽƒ†ǯ• ϐ‹”•– ƒ’’‡ƒ”ƒ…‡ ƒ– –Š‡ ˜ƒ•–
Melbourne Cricket Ground in six
›‡ƒ”•Ǥ
New Zealand are the form side of
the tournament having won all eight
of their matches at this World Cup, a
sequence that includes two dramatic
…Žƒ•Š‡• ‹ —…Žƒ† Ȅ ƒ ‘‡Ǧ™‹…‡–
™‹ ‘˜‡” —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ‹ –Š‡ ’‘‘Ž ’Šƒ•‡
ƒ† —‡•†ƒ›ǯ• •‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽ †‡ˆ‡ƒ– ‘ˆ
‘—–Š ˆ”‹…ƒ •‡ƒŽ‡† „› ”ƒ– ŽŽ‹‘––ǯ•
•‹š‘ˆˆ–Š‡•‡…‘†ǦŽƒ•–„ƒŽŽǤ
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ …ƒ’–ƒ‹ ‹…Šƒ‡Ž Žƒ”‡
reckons his side’s knowledge of play-
ing at the MCG will be a major factor
‹ –Š‡ ϐ‹ƒŽ ƒ• –Š‡ Š‘‡ –‡ƒ …Šƒ•‡
ƒϐ‹ˆ–Š‘”Ž†—’–‹–Ž‡ˆ‘ŽŽ‘™‹‰–Š‡‹”
‡’Šƒ–‹… ͻͷǦ”— •‡‹Ǧϐ‹ƒŽ ˜‹…–‘”›
over defending champions India in
›†‡›‘Š—”•†ƒ›Ǥ
But that doesn’t wash with Southee, who has claimed 15 wickets at
ʹ͹Ǥͳ͵‹–Š‡–‘—”ƒ‡–ƒ†ˆ‘”‡†
a potent new-ball combination with
left-armer Trent Boult, the tournament’s leading bowler with 21 wick‡–•ƒ–ͳͷǤ͹͸Ǥ
‘”‡” —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ‘’‡‡” ƒ–thew Hayden suggested the sheer
side of the MCG for a New Zealand
team who’d played all their previous
matches at this World Cup on their
own, much smaller grounds — sparking a tide of derisive comments on so…‹ƒŽ‡†‹ƒˆ”‘Žƒ…ƒ’•ˆƒ•Ǥ
But Southee told reporters at the
MCG on Friday: “We are not too wor-
New Zealand’s Tim Southee bowls
during a training session at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG),
ƒŠ‡ƒ†‘ˆ–Š‡‘”Ž†—’ϔ‹ƒŽ‹
Melbourne. — AFP
”‹‡†ƒ„‘—––Š‡•‹œ‡‘ˆ–Š‡‰”‘—†Ǥ
“It’s a dream come true for all the
‰—›•Ǥ Š‹• ‹• ƒ• ‰‘‘† ƒ• ‹– ‰‡–•ǡ –ƒ‹‰ ‘ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ‹ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ‘ ‘‡
of the best cricket grounds in the
™‘”Ž†Ǥdz
Veteran left-arm spinner Daniel
Vettori has more experience of the
MCG than his New Zealand teammates, having played there seven
times since 1997, while skipper Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor have
played there twice with Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Southee and Kyle
Mills all having had one MCG appearƒ…‡‡ƒ…ŠǤ
ŽŽ•‡˜‡’Žƒ›‡†‹‡™‡ƒŽƒ†ǯ•
last visit to the ground, when they
„‡ƒ–—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ„›•‹š™‹…‡–•‹ʹͲͲͻǤ
“We haven’t played here for a long
–‹‡Ǥ ‡ Šƒ˜‡ ‰‘‘† ‡‘”‹‡• ˆ”‘
–Šƒ– ȋʹͲͲͻȌ ‰ƒ‡ ƒ• ™‡ŽŽǡdz ‘—–Š‡‡
•ƒ‹†ǤȄ
Dharmasena and
Kettleborough to
•–ƒ†‹ϔ‹ƒŽ
Australian bowler Mitchell
Starc (left) argues with
umpire Kumar Dharmasena
after Starc exchanged words
with India’s Suresh Raina
during the semi. — Reuters
MELBOURNE — Sri Lanka’s
Kumar Dharmasena and England’s Richard Kettleborough
™‹ŽŽ„‡–Š‡‘Ǧϐ‹‡Ž†—’‹”‡•ˆ‘”
—†ƒ›ǯ• ‘”Ž† —’ ϐ‹ƒŽ „‡–™‡‡ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ƒ† ‡™ ‡ƒland in Melbourne, the International Cricket Council said on
”‹†ƒ›Ǥ
ƒ”ƒ‹•”ƒ•—•‘ˆ‘—–Šˆrica will be the television umpire, with Sri Lanka’s Ranjan
ƒ†—‰ƒŽŽ‡–Š‡ƒ–…Š”‡ˆ‡”‡‡Ǥ
Both Dharmasena and Ket–Ž‡„‘”‘—‰Š •–‘‘† ‹ —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǯ•
ͻͷǦ”— •‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽ ™‹ ‘˜‡” †‡fending champions India at
the Sydney Cricket Ground on
Thursday where they both intervened, at different stages, to
prevent an escalation of sledg‹‰ƒ•–‡’‡”•„‡…ƒ‡ˆ”ƒ›‡†Ǥ
Erasmus was the television
—’‹”‡‹–Šƒ–ƒ–…Šƒ•™‡ŽŽǤ
England’s Ian Gould, who
•–‘‘† ‹ –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– •‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽ „‡–™‡‡ ‡™ ‡ƒŽƒ† ƒ† ƒ‹•–ƒǡ™‹ŽŽ„‡–Š‡”‡•‡”˜‡‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ
ˆ‘”–Š‡ϐ‹ƒŽǤ
—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒǯ• ‘† —…‡”ǡ
‘—Ž†ǯ• ‘Ǧϐ‹‡Ž† …‘ŽŽ‡ƒ‰—‡ ƒ–
—…Žƒ†ǯ• †‡ ƒ”ǡ ™ƒ•
”—Ž‡† ‘—– ‘ˆ ƒ ”‘Ž‡ ‹ –Š‡ ϐ‹ƒŽ
after Michael Clarke’s men beat
India at the Sydney Cricket
”‘—†Ǥ
‘”Ž†—’ϐ‹ƒŽƒ–…Š‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ•ǣ
’‹”‡•ǣ Kumar Dharƒ•‡ƒ ȋȌǡ ‹…Šƒ”† ‡––Ž‡„‘”‘—‰Šȋ
Ȍ
—’‹”‡ǣ Marais Eras—•ȋȌ
ƒ–…Š”‡ˆ‡”‡‡ǣ Ranjan Ma†—‰ƒŽŽ‡ȋȌ
‹…ŠŽ‘‘•–‘–Š”‹˜‡ƒ‰ƒ‹
ƒ–‡Ž„‘—”‡
MELBOURNE Ȅ—•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ‘’‡‡”
ƒ”‘ ‹…Š „‡Ž‹‡˜‡• Š‹• ͺͳ ‹ –Š‡
‘”Ž† —’ •‡‹ϐ‹ƒŽ ™‹ ‘˜‡” dia could spur him on to a match™‹‹‰ ‹‹‰• ‹ —†ƒ›ǯ• ϐ‹ƒŽ
against New Zealand at the Mel„‘—”‡”‹…‡–
”‘—†Ǥ
The vast MCG arena is a place
™Š‡”‡–Š‡ʹͺǦ›‡ƒ”Ǧ‘Ž†Šƒ•‡Œ‘›‡†
considerable success and has allowed him to boast an impressive
ƒ˜‡”ƒ‰‡‘ˆ͸ͷǤͳ͸Ǥ
Dz–ǯ• ƒ ’Žƒ…‡ Ž‘˜‡ ’Žƒ›‹‰Ǥ ǯ˜‡
had a fair bit of success there with
„‘–Š —•–”ƒŽ‹ƒ ƒ† ‹…–‘”‹ƒǡdz •ƒ‹†
‹…ŠǤ
DzŠ‡™‹…‡–ǯ•ƒŽ™ƒ›•‰‘‘†ǡˆƒ•–‘—–ϐ‹‡Ž†ƒ†ƒ„‹‰‰”‘—†Ǥdz‹…Šǯ•
runs against India were a welcome boost for a man who had been
‹•‘‡–Š‹‰‘ˆƒ‹‹Ǧ•Ž—’•‹…‡Š‹•ͳ͵ͷƒ‰ƒ‹•–‰Žƒ†‹‡Ž„‘—”‡‹–Š‡–‘—”ƒ‡–‘’‡‡”‘‡„”—ƒ”›ͳͶǤȄ
MARCH 28, 2015 | JUMADA AL THANIA 7, 1436 AH
P23
Feud on earth
but peace
in space
www.omanobserver.om
P24
The Salton sea:
A time-bomb amid
California drought
editor@omanobserver.om
P28
A minute with
Naomi Watts
on comedies
Use Your Power to
Change Climate
Change
THE 60-MINUTE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN ORGANISED BY THE CONSERVATION GROUP WWF
ENCOURAGES CITIZENS, COMMUNITIES, BUSINESSES AND ORGANISATIONS TO SWITCH THE
LIGHTS OFF FOR AN HOUR FROM 8:30 PM TO HIGHLIGHT THE PLIGHT OF PLANET EARTH
By Mariette Leroux
H
UNDREDS of landmarks
from Paris’ Eiffel Tower
to the Seattle Space
Needle will dim their
lights today, as people
ƒ”‘—†–Š‡™‘”Ž†‰‘„”‹‡ϐŽ›‘ˆˆǦ‰”‹†
to mark Earth Hour with candlelight
and barbecues.
Š‡ ͸ͲǦ‹—–‡ ƒ—ƒŽ …ƒ’ƒ‹‰
organised by the conservation
group WWF encourages citizens,
communities, businesses and organǦ
isations to switch the lights off for
an hour from 8:30 pm to highlight
the plight of planet Earth.
Now in its ninth year, Earth
Hour’s goal is not to achieve measǦ
urable electricity savings, but to
raise awareness of the need for susǦ
tainable energy use, and this year
also to demand action to halt planǦ
‡–ǦŠƒ”‹‰…Ž‹ƒ–‡…Šƒ‰‡Ǥ
“Over 170 countries and territoǦ
”‹‡• Šƒ˜‡ ƒŽ”‡ƒ†› …‘ϐ‹”‡† –Š‡‹”
participation; more than 1,200
landmarks and close to 40 UNESCO
world heritage sites,” Earth Hour
head Sudhanshu Sarronwala said.
These range from the Christ the
Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro,
the Acropolis in Athens, Edinburgh
Castle, Big Ben, Ecuador’s Quito
historical centre, New York’s Times
Square and the Sydney Harbour
Bridge.
Earth Hour 2015 takes place just
months before UN member states
are meant to sign an ambitious pact
in Paris in December to limit gallopǦ
ing global warming, and just days
„‡ˆ‘”‡ ƒ Ž‘‘•‡ ‡†Ǧƒ”…Š †‡ƒ†Ž‹‡
for “those parties ready to do so” to
•—„‹– –Š‡‹” …ƒ”„‘Ǧ…—”„‹‰ ’Ž‡†‰Ǧ
es.
From a small, symbolic event
held in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour
has grown to a global campaigning
event with a festive twist.
Š‹• ›‡ƒ” ™‹ŽŽ ‹…Ž—†‡ ƒ ‰Ž‘™Ǧ‹Ǧ
–Š‡Ǧ†ƒ”—„ƒ’ƒ”–›‹–Š‡Š‹Ž‹’Ǧ
pines, a coordinated candlelit dinǦ
ner in Finland billed as the world’s
largest, restaurant dinners by canǦ
†Ž‡Ž‹‰Š– ‹ ‘†‘ǡ ƒ† ƒ ’‘™‡”Ǧ
‰‡‡”ƒ–‹‰ †ƒ…‡ ϐŽ‘‘” –‘ Ž‹‰Š– —’
–Š‡ ‹ˆˆ‡Ž ‘™‡” ƒˆ–‡” ‹–• Š‘—”ǦŽ‘‰
sleep, said WWF.
The organisers published a list
of ideas for individual participants,
which included barbecuing instead
‘ˆ •–‘˜‡ …‘‘‹‰ǡ ƒ …ƒ†Ž‡ǦŽ‹– •–”‡‡–
party or a picnic under the stars.
This year’s message is: “Use your
power to change climate change”,
according to the Earth Hour
website.
“We hope that with each light
switch that goes off, the light cast on
Earth Hour’s
goal is not
to achieve
measurable
electricity
savings, but to
raise awareness
of the need for
sustainable
energy use,
and this year
also to demand
action to halt
planet-harming
climate change
people calling for action becomes
clearer and paves the way ahead for
climate action,” said Sarronwala.
……‘”†‹‰–‘‹‡‡”‡”•Ǧ‡‡ǡƒ
private consultant on business and
household carbon emissions, Earth
Hour is a powerful way of sending a
message “that we really, really care
about the success of the Paris talks”.
“Turning off your lights for an
hour doesn’t really do very much
about saving carbon. What matters
is that you are sending out a mesǦ
sage that we really care about this
stuff,” he said.
“We need to get as much momenǦ
tum as we can, as far in advance of
the Paris talks as we can. The harder
we push, and the more people who
push, the better the chances will be
for a better deal.”
An estimated nine million peoǦ
ple in 162 countries took part in
Earth Hour last year, according to
the WWF, of whom 85 per cent “said
that they felt inspired to do more to
protect the planet, such as making
small changes to live more sustainǦ
ably and reduce their impact on the
environment.”
Sarah Olexsak, the author of a
study on the impact of Earth Hour,
said that in 10 countries where
the event’s impact on the grid was
measured over six years of the
campaign, there was an average
ˆ‘—”Ǧ’‡” …‡– †”‘’ ‹ ‡Ž‡…–”‹…‹–›
…‘•—’–‹‘ †—”‹‰ –Š‡ ͸ͲǦ‹—–‡
window of darkness. “We found that
Žƒ”‰‡Ǧ•…ƒŽ‡ ’—”’‘•‡ˆ—Ž „‡Šƒ˜‹‘—”
change can result in a measurable
reduction in electricity at the grid
level,” she said by email.
“Evidence shows that extensive
„‡Šƒ˜‹‘—” …Šƒ‰‡ ”‡“—‹”‡• ƒ ϐ‹”•–
step. People like to be consistent
‹ –Š‡‹” „‡Šƒ˜‹‘—” ƒ† •‡ŽˆǦ‹ƒ‰‡ǡ
•‘ „› –ƒ‹‰ –Šƒ– ϐ‹”•– •–‡’ ‹ ’ƒ”Ǧ
ticipating in Earth Hour, they show
a commitment to energy saving that
they may then carry out in other arǦ
eas of their lives.”
— AFP
22
MUSIC
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER
MARCH 28, 2015
‘The Prodigy’ Still Fighting War on Pop
THE PRODIGY IS OFFERING ITS LATEST DOSE OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC — THE
PUNCHY, AGGRESSIVE VARIETY AND NOT THE MAINSTREAM FORMULA THAT
DOMINATES AIRWAVES — WITH THE BAND’S FIRST ALBUM IN SIX YEARS,
“THE DAY IS MY ENEMY,” WHICH COMES OUT ON MONDAY
By Anthony Lucas
T
The Prodigy performs at the
Roskilde Festival. (2010)
— AFP
ǧ years after
gate-crashing the British
music scene with a furious mix of punk attitude
ƒ† ‡Ž‡…–”‘‹… „‡ƒ–•ǡ Š‡
”‘†‹‰› ‹• ‘– ϐ‹‹•Š‡† ™‹–Š ‹–• ™ƒ”
‘„—„„Ž‡Ǧ‰—’‘’Ǥ
The Prodigy is offering its latest dose of electronic music — the
punchy, aggressive variety and not
the mainstream formula that domiƒ–‡• ƒ‹”™ƒ˜‡• Ȅ ™‹–Š –Š‡ „ƒ†ǯ•
ϐ‹”•– ƒŽ„— ‹ •‹š ›‡ƒ”•ǡ DzŠ‡ ƒ›
Is My Enemy,” which comes out on
Monday.
For Liam Howlett, the leader of
the group from Braintree in EngŽƒ†ǯ• ••‡š …‘—–›ǡ –Š‡ •‹š–Š ƒŽ„—
„› Š‡ ”‘†‹‰› ‹• ’ƒ”–‹ƒŽŽ› ƒ ™ƒ› –‘
–ƒ‡„ƒ…‡Ž‡…–”‘‹…—•‹…Ǥ
“I’m not an angry person. But this
ƒŽ„— ‹• ƒ ”‡ƒ…–‹‘ –‘ ™Šƒ– ‹• ‰‘‹‰
around us musically,” Howlett said.
DzŽ‡…–”‘‹… —•‹… Šƒ• „‡‡ Š‹Œƒ…‡† „› ‡˜‡”› –›’‡ ‘ˆ —•‹… ’‘••‹„Ž‡ǡdz Š‡ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Dz ‡˜‡”› ˆ‘” ‘ˆ ’‘’
—•‹…ǡ™‡Š‡ƒ”„‹–•‘ˆ‡Ž‡…–”‘‹…—•‹… Ȅ –Š‡ ‰”‡ƒ– „‹–• ˆ”‘ –Š‡ —†‡”ground music. They seep into pop
artists’ music, ‘cause all these pop
artists want to have a piece of it.”
The Prodigy stormed onto the
scene in the 1990s with a handful
‘ˆ •‘‰• –Šƒ– ”‡•‡„Ž‡† ƒ ‹–‡•‡
adrenaline rush such as “Firestarter”
and — controversially — “Smack My
Bitch Up.”
……‘’ƒ‹‡† „› •‘‡–‹‡• ˜‹‘lent videos and impassioned live performances, the group was proclaimed
as a leading force in the hardcore or
industrial electronic music scene.
“I’ve only got one motto — this is
what I do,” Howlett said. “It’s something that happens naturally for me.
The type of music I like is a music
Singers Keith Flint and Maxim (L) perform on the ‘Main stage’ during 14th Sziget (Island) Festival on Hajogyar
Island in Budapest. — AFP
that attacks — this is the type the
‹–Š–Š‡„ƒ†ǯ•„Ž—–ƒ’’‡ƒŽǡŠ‡ –‘—”‘ˆ—”‘’‡–‘•—’’‘”––Š‡ƒŽ„—Ǥ
music I wanna write.”
Prodigy has long achieved commer- Howlett is looking forward to touring
Popular success, underground …‹ƒŽ •—……‡••Ǥ Š‡ Žƒ•– ƒŽ„—ǡ ʹͲͲͻǯ• since — in another departure from
roots
Dz˜ƒ†‡”• —•– ‹‡ǡdz •‘Ž† •‘‡ ͳǤͷ mainstream electronic acts — he says
DzŠ‡ƒ›‹•›‡›dz’”‡•‡”˜‡• million copies around the world.
that The Prodigy plays its music live
the same warrior spirit. The song
But Howlett said that The Prodigy and never simply programs a compuDzƒ•–›dz •–ƒ”–• ™‹–Š ƒ –‹‰‡ ‘ˆ •‹ƒǦ still saw itself as having a punk edge. ter.
•‘—†‹‰ ‹•–”—‡–ƒ–‹‘ „‡ˆ‘”‡
“We are not underground — we
“I use the computer as a tape ma„”‹‰‹‰ ‹ ƒ ˆ‘”…‡ˆ—Ž „‡ƒ– ƒ• •‹‰‡” ƒ”‡ƒ’‘’—Žƒ”„ƒ†Ȅ„—–‘—”‡–Š‹…• chine and a recorder more. When you
Keith Flint shouts in a dozen different are punk rock and have stayed the program something, it comes very
ways, “Nasty, nasty.”
same from day one. We feed off the differently, you lose something — you
The Prodigy has gone through underground,” he said.
lose the kind of swing or the human
˜ƒ”‹‘—• ƒ‹ƒŽ• ƒ• ‹–• ‡„Ž‡ ƒ†
The Prodigy invited the punk-in- kind of feel. This is very important
ˆ‘” –Š‡ Žƒ–‡•– ƒŽ„— ’‹…‡† –Š‡ ˆ‘šǤ ϐŽ—‡…‡† Š‹’ǦŠ‘’ †—‘ Ž‡ƒˆ‘”† ‘†• for me to retain these elements,” he
The video for “Nasty” shows a fox- –‘ …‘–”‹„—–‡ ‘ ƒ –”ƒ… ‘ –Š‡ ‡™ said.
hunt turning wrong as the animals ƒŽ„—Ǥ –Š‡” ƒ…–• ˆ‘” ™Š‹…Š ‘™Ž‡––
Dz‡‘’Ž‡†‘ǯ–„—›—•‹…ƒ•—…Š
out-maneuvre the rapacious hunters. voiced admiration included the in- as they used to do. Today, for us, writ“Wild Frontier” similarly evokes ˜‡–‹˜‡ ‘—–Š ˆ”‹…ƒ ”ƒ’’‡”• ‹‡ ‹‰ ƒ ƒŽ„— ‹• ƒ„‘—– ƒ •‘—†–”ƒ…
†ƒ‰‡” ‘˜‡” ‹–‡•‡ „‡ƒ–•ǡ ™‹–Š –Š‡ –™‘‘”† ƒ† –Š‡ ”‡…Š ‡Ž‡…–”‘‹… for a live show — taking music to
lyrical message, “Gotta face your duo Justice.
people. It’s the power of Prodigy.”
fears in the wild frontier.”
The Prodigy has announced a Ȅ
Tenor Hymel Soars to Highs in Both Voice and Career Chita Rivera Returns in
HYMEL DEMONSTRATES
THE POWER OF HIS
INSTRUMENT ON
“HEROIQUE” WITH HIS
MASTERY OF HIGH CS
— THE PRIZED NOTE AT
THE TOP OF A TENOR’S
RANGE, WHICH WAS
FAMOUSLY ASSOCIATED
WITH THE LATE
LUCIANO PAVAROTTI
By Shaun Tandon
W
ITH a voice that soars to startling
highs and an ease in taking new
roles, tenor Bryan Hymel has
quickly found himself in the league of top
opera stars — and is pushing full speed
ahead.
The 35-year-old New Orleans native re…‡–Ž› ”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡† ƒ ϐ‹”•– •‘Ž‘ ƒŽ„— ‡–‹–Ž‡†
Dz‡”‘‹“—‡ǡdz‹™Š‹…ŠŠ‡†‡˜‘–‡•Š‹•”‘„—•–
yet expressive voice to valiant arias from
the French opera tradition.
Hymel demonstrates the power of his
instrument on “Heroique” with his mastery of high Cs — the prized note at the top
of a tenor’s range, which was famously associated with the late Luciano Pavarotti.
˜‡”ƒ͹͵Ǧ‹—–‡ƒŽ„—ǡ›‡ŽŠ‹–•‘
fewer than 19 high Cs — and goes even
further with two high C-sharps and, on
‡›‡”„‡‡”ǯ•Dzǯˆ”‹…ƒ‹‡ǡdzƒŠ‹‰ŠǤ
Š‡ƒŽ„—ǡ”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡†„›ƒ”‡”Žƒ••‹…•ǡ
ƒ”• ƒ „‘Ž† ’”‡†‹…–‹‘ –Šƒ– ›‡Ž …ƒ
’”‘˜‡–‘„‡ƒŠ‹–‘—–•‹†‡–Š‡†‘‘”•‘ˆ‘’‡”ƒ
houses as few opera singers — and even
ˆ‡™‡”‘ˆ–Š‡‡”‹…ƒ•Ȅƒ…Š‹‡˜‡…‘‡”…‹ƒŽ•—……‡••–Š”‘—‰Š•ƒŽ‡•Ǥ
Hymel has kept a hectic schedule.
Switching to Italian, he is performing “La
‘Š‡‡dz –Š‹• ‘–Š ƒ– –Š‡ ƒŽŽƒ• ’‡”ƒ
ƒ† ™‹ŽŽ –ƒ‡ ƒ •Š‘”– „”‡ƒ ‹ ’”‹Ž ™Š‡
he expects his second child with his wife,
Greek soprano Irini Kyriakidou.
“Every direction in my life right now is
going 100 miles an hour,” Hymel said with
a hearty laugh.
DRAMATIC MET DEBUT
Hymel, a jovial man who sports a tidy
„‡ƒ”†ǡƒ…Š‹‡˜‡†–Š‡•‘”–‘ˆŠ‡”‘‹…•Š‡—•—ally portrays on stage when, in late 2012,
Š‡ ƒ†‡ Š‹• ’”‘ˆ‡••‹‘ƒŽ †‡„—– ƒ– ‡™
York’s Metropolitan Opera with literally a
moment’s notice.
‡ Šƒ† Œ—•– ϐ‹‹•Š‡† ƒ ’”‘†—…–‹‘ ƒ–
London’s Royal Opera House when the Met
‘ˆˆ‡”‡† Š‹ –Š‡ •–ƒ””‹‰ ”‘Ž‡ ‘ˆ ‡‡ƒ• ‹
‡”Ž‹‘œǯ•‡’‹…Dz‡•”‘›‡•dzȄƒ†„‘‘‡†
Š‹‘ƒϐŽ‹‰Š––Š‡ˆ‘ŽŽ‘™‹‰‘”‹‰Ǥ
Hymel — who had previously played
the role, known for its challenging range,
in London — rehearsed just once with the
‡™‘”…ƒ•–‘Š”‹•–ƒ•˜‡„‡ˆ‘”‡‰‘ing live and winning a lengthy ovation.
“It was a hell of a way to make a Met de„—–ǡdz›‡Ž•ƒ‹†Ǥ
Š‡ ‘’‡”ƒǡ „ƒ•‡† ‘ ‹”‰‹Žǯ• ‡’‹…
’‘‡ ƒ„‘—– –Š‡ ”‘Œƒ Š‡”‘ǡ Šƒ• „‡…‘‡
›‡Žǯ•†‡ϐ‹‹‰™‘”Ǥ
‡ •‹‰• ˆ”‘ ‹– ‘ Š‹• ƒŽ„— ƒ† ™‹ŽŽ Hymel (R) and French orchestra conductor Emmanuel Villaume talk about Hymel’s
perform “Les Troyens” again on stage in new album “Heroique” in New York. — AFP
June at the San Francisco Opera.
cognizant of the fact that people don’t re“This time I’ve had months to know it’s †—…–‘”ƒ—‡Ž‹ŽŽƒ—‡Ǥ
Š‡
ƒŽ„—
”‡˜‘Ž˜‡•
ƒ”‘—†
–Š‡
–Š‡‡
ally speak it that way,” Hymel said.
coming,” Hymel said.
‘ˆ Š‡”‘‹• ƒ† …‘„‹‡• „‘–Š …Žƒ••‹…• Ȅ
“I don’t know if I agree or disagree with
‡”†‹ǡ
‘••‹‹ǡ
‡”Ž‹‘œ
Ȅ
™‹–Š
™‘”•
‘ˆ
Š‹ǡ„—–Šƒ˜‡–‘–ƒ‡Š‹•™‘”†ˆ‘”‹–ǡdzŠ‡
SINGING, NOT SPEAKING, FRENCH
…‘’ƒ”ƒ–‹˜‡Ž›‘„•…—”‡…‘’‘•‡”••—…Šƒ• said.
›‡Ž™‹ŽŽƒ‡Š‹•†‡„—–ƒ––Š‡ƒ”‹•
ƒ‹•‡† ‹ –Š‡ „‹”–Š’Žƒ…‡ ‘ˆ Œƒœœǡ ›‡Ž Žˆ”‡†”—‡ƒ—Ǥ
“I
think
you
have
to
split
the
difference
’‡”ƒ
‹ ‡…‡„‡” ™‹–Š ‡”Ž‹‘œǯ• Dzƒ
didn’t grow up with opera and started as a
„‡–™‡‡ ™Šƒ– ‹• ƒ”‡–ƒ„Ž‡ ƒ† ™Šƒ– ‹• ƒƒ–‹‘†‡ƒ—•–Ǥdz
musician with the trumpet.
›‡Ž•ƒ‹†Š‡™ƒ•„‡›‘†–Š‡’‘‹–‹
But teachers encouraged him to sing — also equally artistic,” he said.
‡•’‹–‡ Š‹• ‰”‘™‹‰ ”‡’—–ƒ–‹‘ ƒ• ƒ his career of experiencing stage fright —
ƒ–ϐ‹”•–ǡ„‡…ƒ—•‡„”ƒ…‡•ƒ†‡’Žƒ›‹‰„”ƒ••
master of French opera, Hymel said that he ƒ†Š‡Šƒ•’‡”ˆ‘”‡†„‡ˆ‘”‡‘–Š‡””‡…Š
‹•–”—‡–•†‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–Ǥ
audiences, including at the new Philhar•–”—…–‘”• ƒ– –Š‡ …ƒ†‡› ‘ˆ ‘- ‘Ž›•’‡ƒ•„ƒ•‹…”‡…ŠǤ
Hymel said that his French singing monie de Paris.
…ƒŽ ”–• ‹ Š‹Žƒ†‡Ž’Š‹ƒ –—”‡† Š‹ ‘ –‘
But he is still extra cautious in France.
”‡…Š ƒ”‹ƒ•ǡ ™Š‹…Š Š‡ †‹•…‘˜‡”‡† Dzϐ‹– ‡ coach had actually discouraged him.
“He thinks that if I get too used to the
Dz•ƒ‡”‹…ƒǡƒ‘Ǧƒ–‹˜‡•’‡ƒ‡”ǡ
‹ ƒ ”‡ƒŽ •’‡…‹ϐ‹… ™ƒ›dz ƒ• …‘’ƒ”‡† ™‹–Š
™ƒ›
’‡‘’Ž‡
•ƒ›
‹–ǡ
‹ˆ
–Šƒ–
„Ž‡‡†•
‹–‘
›
‘™–Šƒ–›”‡…ŠŠƒ•–‘„‡ƒ•‰‘‘†ƒ•
Italian opera.
Hymel recorded “Heroique” with the •‹‰‹‰ǡ‹–™‹ŽŽ‘Ž‘‰‡”„‡ƒ•ˆ”‡‡ƒ†ƒ• Š—ƒŽ› ’‘••‹„Ž‡ǡdz Š‡ •ƒ‹†Ǥ Dz—– ‘•–Ž›ǡ Prague Philharmonic under French con- …Ž‡ƒ” ƒ• ‹– ™ƒ•ǡ „‡…ƒ—•‡ ™‘—Ž† –Š‡ „‡ •‡‡–Š‹•ƒ•ƒŠ‘‘—”ǤdzȄ
New Musical ‘The Visit’
By Alicia Powell
C
hita Rivera, the
veteran
stage
star who shot to
ˆƒ‡ ƒ• ‹–ƒ ‹ –Š‡
1957 production of
“West Side Story,”
is returning to
Broadway
as
the
world’s
wealthiest
woman in the
new
musical
DzŠ‡‹•‹–Ǥdz
The two-time
Tony award winning actress and
dancer stars opposite Welsh actor
Roger Reese (“The
‹ˆ‡ ƒ† †˜‡–—”‡•
‘ˆ ‹…Š‘Žƒ• ‹…Ž‡„›dzȌ
in the one-act musical
that is due to open at
the Lyceum Theatre on
’”‹Žʹ͵Ǥ
Rivera, 82, plays oftenwidowed Claire Zachanas•‹ƒ‹–Š‡—•‹…ƒŽ„ƒ•‡†‘
–Š‡ ͳͻͷ͸ ’Žƒ› „› ™‹•• ƒ—thor and dramatist Friedrich
—””‡ƒ–– ƒ„‘—– ‰”‡‡†ǡ
love and revenge.
“It’s a wonderful theater piece, and the theater
is where I am at home,” she
said in an interview.
Zachanassian returns to her
poverty-stricken hometown only
–‘ ϐ‹† –Šƒ– –Š‡ ƒ •Š‡ Ž‘˜‡•ǡ –‘…Š‡ŽŽȋ‡‡•‡ȌǡŠƒ•‘˜‡†‘ǡ…ƒ—•‹‰Š‡”–‘•‡‡”‡venge.
“It’s funny. It’s sad and sweet and affectionate and a
–‡””‹„Ž›Š—ƒ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡–‘„‡‹ǡdz•ƒ‹†‡‡•‡Ǥ
The show is a return to familiar territory for Rivera,
who starred in the musical when it premiered in 2001
at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. She reprised the
role last summer at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
It is also the third time she has starred in a musical with
ƒ„‘‘„›‡””‡…‡…ƒŽŽ›ƒ†—•‹…„›‘Šƒ†‡”
ƒ†Ž›”‹…•„›”‡†„„ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
23
Šƒ–ƒ…”—‡Ž–Š‹‰™ƒ”‹•ǤǤǤ–‘ϐ‹ŽŽ‘—”Š‡ƒ”–•
with hatred instead of love for our neighbours.
— Robert E. Lee, an American soldier best
known for commanding the Confederate
Army of Northern Virginia
SPOTLIGHT
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER
MARCH 28, 2015
Mankind One
Step Closer to
Exploring Mars
By Christine Coester
A
From L: Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka and US astronaut Scott Kelly pose in front of the Soyuz TMA-16M
space vehicle. — AFP
Feud on Earth
BUT PEACE IN SPACE
By Max Delany
H
undreds
of
kilometres below on Earth,
their governments are
locked in a standoff
‘˜‡” ”ƒ‹‡ Ȅ „—– —’
in space, Russian cosmonauts and
American astronauts are still working
together side by side.
The International Space Station
ȋȌ ‹• ‘‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ”ƒ”‡ ƒ”‡ƒ• ‘ˆ Ǧ
Russian cooperation that has not
„‡‡ Š‹– „› –Š‡ ”ƒ‹‡ …”‹•‹• ƒ† ‹
the latest show of commitment.
The crew includes two space veterans — American Scott Kelly and
Russian Mikhail Kornienko — who
ƒ”‡ †‘™ –‘ „‡…‘‡ –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– ’‡‘’Ž‡
to spend a whole year straight on the
cosmic outpost, rather than the usual
six months.
“We do our work that we love and
we respect each other,” Russian cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev said
of life aboard the ISS after returning
to Earth this month.
“Whatever the politicians want to
get up to, that is their business,” he
told journalists at a press conference
just after landing.
First launched as an international
project back in 1998, the station was
heralded as a symbol of the cooperation that emerged from the Cold War
rivalry of the space race between the
‘˜‹‡–‹‘ƒ†‹–‡†•–ƒ–‡•Ǥ
And while the research outpost
may technically be divided into Russian and American sections the truth,
analysts say, is that neither country
can run it on their own.
DzŠ‡ƒ†—••‹ƒ‡‡†‡ƒ…Š‘–Šer,” American expert John Logsdon, a
‡„‡” ‘ˆ ƒ•ƒǯ• †˜‹•‘”› ‘—…‹Žǡ
said.
‘LIKE A MARRIAGE’
“It is like a marriage where divorce
is almost impossible.”
Since ending its Space Shuttle
ϐŽ‹‰Š–•ǡ –Š‡ Šƒ• „‡‡ †‡’‡†‡–
on Russian rockets to take astronauts
and vital supplies to the space station, especially since the explosion of
a commercial rocket in October cast
†‘—„–‘˜‡”ƒƒ•ƒ†‡ƒŽ–‘—•‡’”‹˜ƒ–‡
ϐ‹”•Ǥ
Meanwhile the American sector
supplies the power to run the whole
project and the Russian cosmonauts
‘ˆ–‡”‡Ž›‘ƒ•ƒǯ••—’‡”‹‘”…‘—nications system to talk to Earth.
“Even though we are butting heads
on Earth, up on the ISS we can’t work
The International Space Station
is one of the rare areas of
US-Russian cooperation that has not
been hit by the Ukraine crisis and
in the latest show of commitment
without them and they can’t work
without us,” Russian space expert
Vadim Lukashevich said.
“It’s impossible to break up this
cooperation.”
•–‡•‹‘•‘˜‡””ƒ‹‡•’‹”ƒŽŽ‡†ǡ
fears mounted that it was only a matter of time before the worst EastWest standoff since the collapse of
Communism would hit the space programme.
Š‡ „”‹‡ϐŽ› „Ž‘…‡† ‡š’‘”–• ‘ˆ
The Soyuz rocket and Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft assembled at Baikonur
Cosmodrome scheduled to launch to the ISS today. — AFP
certain defence-linked technologies
to Russia that some thought would affect the cooperation in space.
But rather than affect work on the
ǡ –Š‡ ”ƒ‹‡ …”‹•‹• ‹‰Š– ƒ…–—ƒŽŽ›
have helped cement it for the longer
term.
—••‹ƒ Žƒ•– ‘–Š …‘ϐ‹”‡† –Šƒ–
it will continue using the International Space Station in partnership with
ƒ•ƒ—–‹ŽʹͲʹͶǤ
ƒ•ƒ Šƒ† ƒŽ”‡ƒ†› •ƒ‹† –Š‡ ƒ‰‡ing ISS will remain operational until
ʹͲʹͶ „—– ‘•…‘™ Šƒ† –Š”‡ƒ–‡‡† –‘
’—ŽŽ‘—–ƒ†•–‘’ϐ‹ƒ…‹‰‹–„›ʹͲʹͲǤ
However, as Russia’s economy has
suffered economic strife in part due
to sanctions imposed by the West
‘˜‡””ƒ‹‡ǡ‘•…‘™”‡ƒŽ‹•‡†–Šƒ–‹–
could no longer spare the cash to go
it alone.
“Why did we decide to stay on the
—–‹Ž ʹͲʹͶǫ Š‡ ƒ•™‡” ‹• „‡cause we had no other option. The
crisis also hit us,” said Russian expert
Lukashevich.
MARS BARRED
While cooperation on the station
looks set to continue, it is likely that
the next stage of space exploration —
aimed at eventually putting someone
on Mars — will be hit by deteriorating relations.
‡›‘† ʹͲʹͶǡ ™Š‡ –Š‡ ™‘” ‘
the ISS is set to end, as the situation
stands now it seems unlikely that
the two sides will agree on any major
projects.
And experts say that without interƒ–‹‘ƒŽ…‘‘’‡”ƒ–‹‘ǡ†”‡ƒ•‘ˆϐŽ›‹‰
a manned mission to Mars will struggle to take off, or face lengthy delays
at the very least.
For those being blasted into space
now, that is a bitter pill to swallow.
They are hoping their governments can put aside current differences on Earth to bolster mankind’s
exploration of space for future generations.
“As to the International Space Station, it’s a priceless experiment in
international cooperation. We are
learning to work together, and in my
opinion the next step is interplanetary exploration of space, the moon
or Mars,” said Kornienko, the cosmonaut who is set to spend a year
‹ •’ƒ…‡ǡ ‹ ƒ ‹–‡”˜‹‡™ ‘ ƒ•ƒǯ•
website. “It’s impossible to do it with
one country alone, and the experience from international cooperation
on the ISS will be very important
here.” — AFP
one-of-a-kind mission led by astronaut Scott Kelly will bring
astronauts and mankind one step closer to exploring Mars.
Š‹Ž‡ ‡ŽŽ› ƒ‡• Š‹•–‘”› „› „‡…‘‹‰ –Š‡ ϐ‹”•– ƒ•tronaut to orbit Earth on the International Space Station (ISS) for
an entire year, his identical twin brother Mark, a retired astronaut,
™‹ŽŽ†‘Š‹•’ƒ”–Ǥƒ”ǯ•ˆ‡‡–ǡŠ‘™‡˜‡”ǡ™‹ŽŽ”‡ƒ‹ϐ‹”Ž›‘ƒ”–ŠǤ
…‡ ƒ„‘ƒ”† –Š‡ ϐŽ‘ƒ–‹‰ Žƒ„‘”ƒ–‘”› ͶͲͲ ‹Ž‘‡–”‡• ƒ„‘˜‡
Earth, Kelly and others will conduct research to provide clues on
how long trips into outer space impact humans.
Š‡ ™‹• –—†› ‹˜‘Ž˜‹‰ –Š‡ ͷͳǦ›‡ƒ”Ǧ‘Ž† ‡ŽŽ›• ‹…Ž—†‡• ͳͲ
†‹ˆˆ‡”‡–‡š’‡”‹‡–••‡Ž‡…–‡†ˆ”‘‘”‡–ŠƒͶͲ’”‘’‘•ƒŽ••—„‹––‡†„›’”‡•–‹‰‹‘—•—‹˜‡”•‹–‹‡•‹–Š‡Ǥ
The goal is “expanding our envelope and understanding how
people can live and work in space for longer periods of time,” Kelly
told reporters in a teleconference. The trip to Mars is a long one ƒ–‹–ǯ•„‡•–ǡƒ„‘—–ʹ͸Ͳ†ƒ›•‘‡™ƒ›ǡƒ•ƒ•ƒ›•Ǥ
ƒ•ƒ ‹• †‡˜‡Ž‘’‹‰ –Š‡ –‡…Š‘Ž‘‰› ƒ† •’ƒ…‡…”ƒˆ– ‡‡†‡† –‘
•‡† Š—ƒ• –‘ ƒ”• ‹ –Š‡ ʹͲ͵Ͳ•ǡ ƒ† ‡‡†• ‘”‡ †ƒ–ƒ ƒ„‘—–
how a human being can survive that long in space. With almost
ͳͲͲ’‡”…‡–‹†‡–‹…ƒŽǡƒ”ƒ†…‘––‡ŽŽ›Šƒ˜‡–Š‡—‹“—‡
genetic blueprint that offers the rare opportunity to look at physical differences which may arise during Scott’s year in orbit.
“My brother and I are identical twins and as such, we have
˜‡”›•‹‹Žƒ”ǡdz‡ŽŽ›•ƒ‹†ǤDz‘–‡šƒ…–Ž›–Š‡•ƒ‡„—–˜‡”›ǡ˜‡”›
close.” All humans are approximately 99.5 per cent identical.
That remaining half per cent accounts for all the diversity seen
among humans. Humans and chimpanzees, for example, are already 96 per cent identical.
The brothers are ideal candidates because their exceptionally
•‹‹Žƒ””‡†—…‡•–Š‡—„‡”‘ˆ˜ƒ”‹ƒ„Ž‡•™‹–Š‹–Š‡•–—†›Ǥ
That means Mark will act as a control to which researchers can
compare Scott.
“Any scientist will tell you this is only one data point,” Kelly said.
“What we learn here is somewhat anecdotal, but it will give us a
sense for areas that we need to investigate further.”
Researchers will follow up with more experiments and ultiƒ–‡Ž›ϐ‹‰—”‡‘—–™Šƒ–‹•‡‡†‡†Dz–‘‰‡–ˆ—”–Š‡”ƒ™ƒ›ˆ”‘ƒ”–Šǡdz
Kelly said.
The Twins Study investigations cover a spectrum of research
focused on the impact of space travel on the human body, which
Kelly noted is physically taxing. Astronauts are exposed to high
levels of radiation from cosmic rays, they experience bone and
muscle loss, a weakened immune system and often have trouble
with their vision.
‡˜‡”ƒŽ•–—†‹‡•™‹ŽŽŽ‘‘ˆ‘”…Šƒ‰‡•‹ǡ•—…Šƒ•™Š‡–Š‡”
cosmic rays cause premature ageing by impacting the length of
–Š‡ ’”‘–‡…–‹˜‡ •Š‘‡Žƒ…‡ǦŽ‹‡ –‹’• ˆ‘—† ƒ– –Š‡ ‡† ‘ˆ ‡ƒ…Š strand, called telomeres.
“Most of the experiments that compare us are genetic based,
Ž‘‘‹‰ ƒ– –Š‡ …Šƒ‰‡• ‹ ‘—” ǡ ƒ† ’”‘–‡‹ ‘˜‡” –Š‹•
year-long period,” Kelly said.
Another study will look at how dietary differences and stressors impact the bacteria living in the twins’ digestive tracts.
Investigations will compare how the twins’ immune systems
”‡•’‘†–‘ƒϐŽ—˜ƒ……‹‡ƒ†™Š‡–Š‡”‹…”‡ƒ•‡†’”‡••—”‡ƒ†ϐŽ—‹†
distribution within the skull, resulting from being in a weightless
environment, impacts brain function and vision.
‘•– ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‡š’‡”‹‡–• ™‹ŽŽ ”‡“—‹”‡ „Ž‘‘†ǡ —”‹‡ ƒ† ˆƒ‡…ƒŽ
samples, while other tests will measure perception, reasoning and
alertness.
ƒ††‹–‹‘–‘–Š‡™‹•–—†›ǡ–Š‡”‡™‹ŽŽ„‡‡ƒ”Ž›ͶͲͲ†‹ˆˆ‡”‡––›’‡•‘ˆ•…‹‡–‹ϐ‹…‡š’‡”‹‡–•…‘†—…–‡†ƒ––Š‡•–ƒ–‹‘Ǥ
Those experiments are focused on improving life on Earth or
building systems that would allow humans to venture deeper into
the solar system, Kelly said.
“We do a lot of other science on the space station,” Kelly said.
“It’s all important to the future of our species as explorers.”
Since beginning his career in 1996, Kelly has participated in
–Š”‡‡•’ƒ…‡ϐŽ‹‰Š–•„—–‘‡Ž‘‰‡”–Šƒ•‹š‘–Š•Ǥ
The longest time spent in space was in 1995 by Russian cosmoƒ—–ƒŽ‡”‹‘Ž›ƒ‘˜ǡ™Š‘•’‡–Ͷ͵͹†ƒ›•‘”„‹–‹‰‹–Š‡‹”•’ƒ…‡
•–ƒ–‹‘ǤŠ‡…—””‡–•–—†›™‹ŽŽ‡š’ƒ†‘–Š‡‘Ž›ƒ‘˜ϐ‹†‹‰•Ǥ
“We have a much better capability to do science and collect
data than we did when those cosmonauts did those missions well
over 15 years ago,” Kelly said. — dpa
Scott Kelly poses for a portrait near a model of the Soyuz
rocket in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. — AFP
24
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER
MARCH 28, 2015
In the 1950s
and 60s, the
banks of the
Salton Sea were
a playground
for southern
California’s rich
set, who would
come for waterski-ing, yachtracing and
fishing
ENVIRONMENT
A seagull stands beside algae-affected water
THE SALTON SEA: A Time-Bomb
Amid California Drought
By Veronique Dupont
A
– ϐ‹”•– •‹‰Š– –Š‡ ƒŽ–‘ ‡ƒ
Ž‘‘• ’—–”‹†ǡ ™‹–Š †‡ƒ†
ϐ‹•Š •…ƒ––‡”‡† ƒ‘‰
’ƒ–…Š‡•‘ˆˆ‡–‹†™ƒ–‡”‹ƒ
˜ƒ•– •ƒŽ–› Žƒ‡ ‹ –Š‡ ‹††Ž‡‘ˆ–Š‡ƒŽ‹ˆ‘”‹ƒ†‡•‡”–Ǥ
 –Š‡ ˆ‘—”–Š ›‡ƒ” ‘ˆ ƒ Š‹•–‘”‹…
†”‘—‰Š–‹–Š‡™‡•–‡”‹–‡†–ƒ–‡•ǡ
•‘‡ •ƒ› –Š‡ ™‡–Žƒ† ‹• ƒ ‡˜‹”‘‡–ƒŽ–‹‡„‘„Ǥ
—–ǡ‘…Ž‘•‡”‹•’‡…–‹‘ǡ‹–•„‡ƒ—–›ƒ†ˆ‡”–‹Ž‹–›…‘‡–Š”‘—‰ŠǤ
• –Š‡ •— •‡–• ‘ –Š‡ •‡ƒ Ȅ ƒ
ˆ‘”‡” —’•…ƒŽ‡ ˜ƒ…ƒ–‹‘ ’Žƒ›‰”‘—†
ȄŠ—†”‡†•‘ˆ’‡Ž‹…ƒ•ǡ•‡ƒ‰—ŽŽ•ƒ†
†—…•’‡”ˆ‘”ƒƒ‡”‹ƒŽ„ƒŽŽ‡–ƒ‰ƒ‹•–
–Š‡ ‹”‹†‡•…‡– •›ǡ ”‡ϐŽ‡…–‡† ‹ –Š‡
‹””‘”ǦŽ‹‡™ƒ–‡”Ǥ
DzŠ‡ ”‡’—–ƒ–‹‘ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‡ƒ ƒŽ™ƒ›•
•‡ŽŽ‹‰ǡ”‹‰‡†„›†‡ƒ†ϐ‹•Š‘”†‡ƒ†
„‹”†•‹•™”‘‰ǡdz•ƒ‹†”—…‡‹Ž…‘šǡƒ
‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ ™‹–Š –Š‡ ’‡”‹ƒŽ ””‹‰ƒ–‹‘
‹•–”‹…–ǡ ƒ Ž‘…ƒŽ ™ƒ–‡”Ǧƒƒ‰‡‡–
ƒ‰‡…›Ǥ
Š‡•‡ƒǡ™Š‹…Š•‡‡••‘‡ͶͲͲ•’‡…‹‡• ‘ˆ ‹‰”ƒ–‘”› „‹”†• ’ƒ•• –Š”‘—‰Šǡ
™ƒ•„‘”ˆ”‘ƒ…‹˜‹Ž‡‰‹‡‡”‹‰ƒ……‹†‡–‹ͳͻͲͷǡ™Š‹…ŠŽ‡†–‘ƒ‘˜‡”ϐŽ‘™‹‰‘ˆ–Š‡‘Ž‘”ƒ†‘‹˜‡”Ǥ
– Ž‹‡• ͹ͳ ‡–”‡• ƒ„‘˜‡ •‡ƒ Ž‡˜‡Žǡ
•‘—–Š ‘ˆ ‘•Š—ƒ ”‡‡ ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ ƒ”ǡ
•‘‡ ʹͷͲ ‹Ž‘‡–”‡• •‘—–Š‡ƒ•– ‘ˆ
‘•‰‡Ž‡•Ǥ
–Š‡ͳͻͷͲ•ƒ†͸Ͳ•ǡ–Š‡„ƒ•‘ˆ
–Š‡ƒŽ–‘‡ƒ™‡”‡ƒ’Žƒ›‰”‘—†ˆ‘”
•‘—–Š‡” ƒŽ‹ˆ‘”‹ƒǯ• ”‹…Š •‡–ǡ ™Š‘
™‘—Ž† …‘‡ ˆ‘” ™ƒ–‡”Ǧ•‹Ǧ‹‰ǡ ›ƒ…Š–Ǧ
”ƒ…‹‰ƒ†ϐ‹•Š‹‰Ǥ
– –Š‡ –‹‡ ‹– ™ƒ• ‘”‡ –Šƒ ͷͲ
‹Ž‘‡–”‡•‹Ž‡‰–Šƒ†ʹͲ™‹†‡Ǥ
DzŠ‡”‡ —•‡† –‘ „‡ Ž‘–• ‘ˆ •‹Ǧ‹‰
ƒ† ϐ‹•Š‹‰ǡ ˆ‘—” ƒ”‹ƒ•ǡ ƒ† •‘
ƒ›’‡‘’Ž‡›‘—…‘—Ž†ǯ–’—–ƒ–‘™‡Ž
‘–Š‡„‡ƒ…Šǡdz•ƒ‹†ƒ””›‹‡‡„‘…ǡ
ƒ”‡–‹”‡†–”—…‡”ǡ•‹––‹‰‹–Š‡‰ƒ”ƒ‰‡
‘ˆŠ‹••ƒŽŽŠ‘—•‡‘‘„ƒ›‡ƒ…ŠǤ
Unparalleled disaster
Š‹• ˆ‘”‡” •‡ƒ•‹†‡ ”‡•‘”– –‘†ƒ›
Ž‘‘• Ž‹‡ ƒ ‰Š‘•– –‘™ǡ ‹–• „‡ƒ…Š
ƒ””‡†„›ƒ‡ƒ”–Š‘—†ƒ†•…ƒ––‡”‡† ™‹–Š –Š‡ ™”‡…• ‘ˆ …ƒ”• ƒ†
”—•–‹‰‡–ƒŽ‘ˆƒŽŽ•‘”–•Ǥ
”‘ ͳͻ͹Ͳǡ –Š‡ ƒŽ–‘ ‡ƒ „‡‰ƒ
–‘•Š”‹ǡŽ‡ƒ†‹‰–‘ƒ•—”‰‡‹•ƒŽ‹‹–›
ƒ†ƒ”‡†—…–‹‘‹†‡’–Š™Š‹…Š‡†‡†
‹–• †ƒ›• ƒ• ƒ ϐ‹•Š‹‰ ƒ† „‘ƒ–‹‰ Šƒ˜‡Ǥ
Š‡ ›ƒ…Š– …Ž—„ǡ ϐ‹•Š‹‰ •–‘”‡• ƒ†
‘–Š‡” •Š‘’• …Ž‘•‡†ǡ ‹ ƒ ‡˜‡”Ǧƒ……‡Ž‡”ƒ–‹‰†‡…Ž‹‡Ǥ
DzƒŽ‹ˆ‘”‹ƒ‹•‹–Š‡‹†•–‘ˆƒŠ‹•-
–‘”‹… †”‘—‰Š–ǡdz •ƒ‹† ‹ ”ƒ–œǡ ’”‘ˆ‡••‘”‘ˆ‡˜‹”‘‡–ƒŽ•–—†‹‡•ƒ––Š‡
‹˜‡”•‹–›‘ˆ‡†Žƒ†•Ǥ
‘ƒ‡ƒ––‡”•™‘”•‡ǡ‹ʹͲͳ͹ƒ
…‘’Ž‡šƒ‰”‡‡‡–™Š‹…Š•Šƒ”‡•™ƒ–‡”ˆ”‘–Š‡‘Ž‘”ƒ†‘‹˜‡”…‘‡•–‘
ƒ‡†ǡŽ‡ƒ†‹‰–‘ƒ‡š’‡…–‡†ˆ—”–Š‡”
†‡…”‡ƒ•‡ ‹ ™ƒ–‡” ϐŽ‘™‹‰ ‹–‘ –Š‡
‡ƒǤ
‹Ž…‘š•ƒ‹†–Š‡„‘†›‘ˆ™ƒ–‡”™‹ŽŽ
Ž‘•‡ƒ–Š‹”†‘ˆ‹–••—”ˆƒ…‡ƒ”‡ƒ‹Œ—•–ƒ
ˆ‡™›‡ƒ”•ǡ™Š‹Ž‡‹–•„‡†‘ˆ•ƒ†‹š‡†
™‹–Š •‡†‹‡–• ‘ˆ …ƒ†‹—ǡ ’Š‘•’Šƒ–‡•ǡˆ‡”–‹Ž‹œ‡”ƒ†‹•‡…–‹…‹†‡•™‹ŽŽ
•’”‡ƒ† ˆ—”–Š‡”ǡ …ƒ””‹‡† „› ˆ”‡“—‡–
•–‘”•Ǥ
”ƒ–œ•ƒ‹†ǣDzŠ‡ƒŽ–‘‡ƒ‹•Ž‹‡
ƒ•‘……‡”ϐ‹‡Ž†™‹–Š‘Ž›ʹ…‡–‹‡–”‡•
‘ˆ ™ƒ–‡” ‹ ‹–Ǥ – ‹• •—’‡”•‡•‹–‹˜‡ ‘
ƒ›”‡†—…–‹‘‘ˆ‹ϐŽ‘™Ǥ
Dz–™‘—Ž†„‡ƒƒ‹”“—ƒŽ‹–›†‹•ƒ•–‡”
—’ƒ”ƒŽŽ‡Ž‡† ‹ –Š‡ ™‘”Ž†ǡdz Š‡ •ƒ‹†ǡ ƒ
•–ƒ” ™ƒ”‹‰ ‹ ƒ ”‡‰‹‘ ‹Šƒ„‹–‡†
„›•‘‡ͳǤͷ‹ŽŽ‹‘’‡‘’Ž‡Ǥ
ƒ•‡• ‘ˆ ƒ•–Šƒǡ Ž—‰ …ƒ…‡” ƒ†
‘–Š‡” ”‡•’‹”ƒ–‘”› …‘†‹–‹‘• …‘—Ž†
•—”‰‡ ‹ ƒ ƒ”‡ƒ ™Š‡”‡ –Š‡› ƒ”‡ ƒŽ”‡ƒ†›ˆ‘—”–‹‡•–Š‡ƒ–‹‘ƒŽƒ˜‡”ƒ‰‡Ǥ
‘––‘‡–‹‘–Š‡„‹ŽŽ‹‘•‘ˆ†‘ŽŽƒ”•
‹ ƒ‰”‹…—Ž–—”ƒŽ ”‡˜‡—‡• –Š”‡ƒ–‡‡†ǡ
ƒ†”‡ƒŽ‡•–ƒ–‡’”‹…‡•™Š‹…Š”‹•…‘ŽŽƒ’•‹‰Ǥ
Dzˆ–Š‡‡ƒ†”‹‡•—’‹–ǯ•‰‘‹‰–‘„‡
‹Šƒ„‹–ƒ„Ž‡ „‡…ƒ—•‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ †—•– Š‡”‡ǡ
–Š”‘—‰Š‘—– –Š‡ ™Š‘Ž‡ ‘ƒ…Š‡ŽŽƒ ƒŽŽ‡›ǡdz •ƒ‹† ƒ†› ›‡ƒ”•‘ǡ –Š‡ •ƒŽ–Ǧ
ƒ†Ǧ’‡’’‡” ‰”‹œœŽ‡† ‘™‡” ‘ˆ ƒ
‹”‘‘‰‡”ǯ••–‘”‡‹ƒŽ–‘‹–›Ǥ
Š‡ …‘•‡“—‡…‡• ˆ‘” –Š‡ ‡…‘•›•–‡…‘—Ž†„‡‡˜‡‘”‡…ƒ–ƒ•–”‘’Š‹…ǡ
†‡…‹ƒ–‹‰ –Š‡ ˆ‡™ ϐ‹•Š ™Š‘ ”‡ƒ‹
‹–Š‡‡ƒǡƒ•™‡ŽŽƒ•„‹”†•†‡’”‹˜‡†‘ˆ
ƒ ‡› •–‘’’‹‰ ‘ˆˆ ’‘‹– ‘ –Š‡‹” ‹‰”ƒ–‘”›ϐŽ‹‰Š–’ƒ–ŠǤ
‘…ƒŽ’—„Ž‹…„‘†‹‡•ǡ‡˜‹”‘‡–ƒŽ
‹Ž‹–ƒ–• ƒ† ”‡•‡ƒ”…Š‡”• ƒ”‡ –”›‹‰
‡˜‡”›–Š‹‰ –‘ …‘˜‹…‡ ƒŽ‹ˆ‘”‹ƒǯ•
‰‘˜‡”‡– –‘ ƒ…–ǡ ƒ† –‘ ˆ”‡‡ —’
ˆ—†•Ǥ
—‡”‘—• ’”‘Œ‡…–• Šƒ˜‡ „‡‡
Žƒ—…Š‡†Ȅ•‘‡‘”‡”‡ƒŽ‹•–‹…–Šƒ
‘–Š‡”•Ȅ•—…Šƒ•–Š‡…‘•–”—…–‹‘‘ˆ
’‹’‡™‘”„”‹‰‹‰™ƒ–‡”ˆ”‘–Š‡ƒ…‹ϐ‹…‘”–Š‡
—Žˆ‘ˆƒŽ‹ˆ‘”‹ƒǤ
Š‡•‡ ’”‘Œ‡…–• ™‘—Ž† …‘•– „‡–™‡‡ϐ‹˜‡ƒ†ͳͲ‹ŽŽ‹‘†‘ŽŽƒ”•Ǥ
—– ƒ •–—†› „› –Š‡ ƒ…‹ϐ‹… •–‹–—–‡ •ƒ‹† –Š‡ …‘•– ‘ˆ ‹ƒ…–‹‘ ™‘—Ž†
„‡ ‡˜‡ Š‹‰Š‡”ǡ ƒ– ̈́ʹͲ „‹ŽŽ‹‘ –‘ ̈́͹Ͳ
„‹ŽŽ‹‘ǡ‘––‘‡–‹‘–Š‡”‹••‘ˆ‹–‡”‹ƒ„Ž‡ Ž‡‰ƒŽ ƒ…–‹‘ „› ”‡•‹†‡–•
ˆƒŽŽ‹‰•‹…ˆ”‘ƒŽ‘‰Ǧ‡š’‡…–‡††‹•ƒ•–‡”Ǥ
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near
TIME RUNNING OUT FOR WILD ELEPHANTS
An aerial view of a herd of elephants
in the Zakouma National Park
By Christophe Beaudufe
A
‡Ž‡’Šƒ–•…‘—Ž†„‡‡š–‹…– ‹ –Š‡ ™‹Ž† ™‹–Š‹ ƒ ˆ‡™
†‡…ƒ†‡•ǡ ‡š’‡”–• ™ƒ”‡† ƒ– ƒ
ƒŒ‘” …‘•‡”˜ƒ–‹‘ •—‹– ‹ ‘–•™ƒƒ –Šƒ– Š‹‰ŠŽ‹‰Š–‡† ƒ ƒŽƒ”‹‰
†‡…Ž‹‡ ‹ —„‡”• †—‡ –‘ ’‘ƒ…Š‹‰
ˆ‘”‹˜‘”›Ǥ
Š‡ ˆ”‹…ƒ Ž‡’Šƒ– —‹–ǡ Š‡Ž†
ƒ–ƒ–‘—”‹•–”‡•‘”–‹ƒ•ƒ‡ǡ‰ƒ–Š‡”‡†
†‡Ž‡‰ƒ–‡• ˆ”‘ ƒ„‘—– ʹͲ …‘—–”‹‡•
ƒ…”‘•• —”‘’‡ǡ ˆ”‹…ƒ ƒ† •‹ƒǡ ‹…Ž—†‹‰Š‹ƒǤ
DzŠ‹• •’‡…‹‡• …‘—Ž† „‡ ‡š–‹…– ‹
‘—” Ž‹ˆ‡–‹‡ǡ ™‹–Š‹ ‘‡ ‘” –™‘ †‡…-
ƒ†‡•ǡ ‹ˆ –Š‡ …—””‡– –”‡† …‘–‹—‡•ǡdz
—‡ ˜‡•ǡ •‡‹‘” ”‡•‡ƒ”…Š‡” ƒ– —Ž…ƒǡƒ’Š‹Žƒ–Š”‘’‹…‘”‰ƒ‹•ƒ–‹‘”—
„›„‹ŽŽ‹‘ƒ‹”‡ƒ—ŽŽŽ‡ǡ•ƒ‹†Ǥ
Dzϐ‹˜‡›‡ƒ”•™‡ƒ›Šƒ˜‡Ž‘•––Š‡
‘’’‘”–—‹–› –‘ •ƒ˜‡ –Š‹• ƒ‰‹ϐ‹…‡–
ƒ†‹…‘‹…ƒ‹ƒŽǤdz
Š‡ …‘ˆ‡”‡…‡ Š‡ƒ”† Žƒ–‡•– ϐ‹‰—”‡• ˆ”‘ –Š‡ –‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ ‹‘
ˆ‘”‘•‡”˜ƒ–‹‘‘ˆƒ–—”‡ǡ™Š‹…Š”‡’‘”–‡†–Šƒ––Š‡ˆ”‹…ƒ‡Ž‡’Šƒ–’‘’—Žƒ–‹‘Šƒ††”‘’’‡†ˆ”‘ͷͷͲǡͲͲͲ‹
ʹͲͲ͸–‘Ͷ͹ͲǡͲͲͲ‹ʹͲͳ͵Ǥ
ƒ•–ˆ”‹…ƒŠƒ••‡‡–Š‡™‘”•–†‡…Ž‹‡ǡˆ”‘ͳͷͲǡͲͲͲ–‘ƒ„‘—–ͳͲͲǡͲͲͲǤ
DzŠ‡‘˜‡”ƒŽŽ‘„Œ‡…–‹˜‡‘ˆ–Š‹•‡‡–‹‰ ‹• –‘ •‡…—”‡ …‘‹–‡–• ƒ– –Š‡
Š‹‰Š‡•– ’‘Ž‹–‹…ƒŽ Ž‡˜‡Ž –‘ ‡ˆˆ‡…–‹˜‡Ž›
’”‘–‡…––Š‡‡Ž‡’Šƒ–•ƒ†•‹‰‹ϐ‹…ƒ–Ž› ”‡†—…‡ –Š‡ –”‡†• ‘ˆ ‹ŽŽ‹‰• ‘ˆ ‡Ž‡’Šƒ–•ǡdz •ƒ‹† Ž‹ƒ• ƒ‰‘•‹ǡ ˆ”‘ –Š‡
‘–•™ƒƒ‡˜‹”‘‡–‹‹•–”›Ǥ
DzŠ‡ …—””‡– ‹ŽŽ‹‰ ”ƒ–‡ ‹• —•—•–ƒ‹ƒ„Ž‡ƒ†–Š‡’‘’—Žƒ–‹‘‘ˆˆ”‹…ƒ
‡Ž‡’Šƒ–•‹•‹†ƒ‰‡”Ǥdz
Ž‡’Šƒ– Š—–‹‰ ‹• ‘ˆ–‡ ‘”‰ƒ‹•‡† „› ‹–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ …”‹‹ƒŽ ‡–™‘”•–‘•—’’Ž›–Š‡‹ŽŽ‡‰ƒŽ‹˜‘”›ƒ”‡–ǡƒ‹Ž›‹•‹ƒǡ™‹–Š•‘‡’”‘ϐ‹–•
–Š‘—‰Š––‘ˆ—†”‡‰‹‘ƒŽ…‘ϐŽ‹…–•ƒ†
‹Ž‹–ƒ–•Ǥ
DzŠ‡•‡ •›†‹…ƒ–‡• –ƒ‡ ƒ†˜ƒ–ƒ‰‡
‘ˆ …‘ϐŽ‹…–•ǡ •‘…‹ƒŽ —”‡•–ǡ ’‘‘” ‰‘˜‡”ƒ…‡ǡdzƒ‰‘•‹•ƒ‹†Ǥ
IVORY TRADING ROUTES
ǡ –Š‡ ™‹Ž†Ž‹ˆ‡ –”ƒ†‡ ‘‹–‘”‹‰ ‰”‘—’ǡ •ƒ‹† ‹˜‘”› –”ƒ†‹‰
”‘—–‡• †‡‘•–”ƒ–‡† –Š‡ ϐŽ‘™ ˆ”‘
‡›ƒ ƒ† ƒœƒ‹ƒ –‘ –”ƒ•‹– …‘—–”‹‡• ‹…Ž—†‹‰ ‹‡–ƒ ƒ† Š‹Ž‹’’‹‡•ǡ „‡ˆ‘”‡ ‰‘‹‰ ‘ ϐ‹ƒŽ ƒ”‡–•
‹Š‹ƒƒ†Šƒ‹Žƒ†Ǥ
Š‡”‡ǡ –Š‡ ‹˜‘”› ‹• •…—Ž’–‡† ‹–‘
Œ‡™‡ŽŽ‡”›‘”ƒ”–’‹‡…‡•–Šƒ–ƒ”‡’”‹œ‡†
„›–Š‡™‡ƒŽ–Š›Ǥ
ƒ”–‹…‹’ƒ–• •ƒ‹† –Šƒ– †—”‹‰ ƒ
…Ž‘•‡††‹•…—••‹‘ƒ––Š‡…‘ˆ‡”‡…‡ǡƒ
Š‹‡•‡†‡Ž‡‰ƒ–‡…‘’Žƒ‹‡†–Šƒ––Š‡
…‘—–”› ™ƒ• „‡‹‰ —ˆƒ‹”Ž› –ƒ”‰‡–‡†
ƒ† •Š‘—Ž† „‡ …‘•‹†‡”‡† ƒ ƒŽŽ› ‹
ϐ‹‰Š––‘•ƒ˜‡–Š‡‡Ž‡’Šƒ–Ǥ
‡›ƒ‹Ž†Ž‹ˆ‡‡”˜‹…‡•‘ˆϔ‹…‡”••–ƒ†‹‰‡ƒ”ƒ’‹Ž‡‘ˆͷͻ–‘‡•‘ˆ
elephant ivory seized at Nairobi National Park. — AFP
Š‡ †‡Ž‡‰ƒ–‡ •ƒ‹† Š‹ƒ ˆ—†•
ƒ–‹Ǧ’‘ƒ…Š‹‰ ‡ˆˆ‘”–• ‹ ˆ”‹…ƒ ƒ† ‹•
•–”‡‰–Š‡‹‰Ž‡‰‹•Žƒ–‹‘Ǥ
Š‡ …‘ˆ‡”‡…‡ ˆ‘ŽŽ‘™• —’ ƒ ʹͲͳ͵
‡‡–‹‰ ™Š‡ ͵Ͳ …‘—–”‹‡• ƒ†‘’–‡†
ƒ •‡– ‘ˆ —”‰‡– …‘•‡”˜ƒ–‹‘ ‡ƒ•—”‡•ǡ ‹…Ž—†‹‰ ƒ …ƒŽŽ –‘ —‹–‡ ƒ‰ƒ‹•–
’‘ƒ…Š‹‰ ƒ† ˆ‘” ‹’”‘˜‡† …”‹‹ƒŽ
’”‘•‡…—–‹‘Ǥ
Dz‡ ‡‡† ƒ Ž‘– ‘ˆ …‘ŽŽƒ„‘”ƒ–‹‘ǡdz
•ƒ‹† ‡ŽŽ› ƒ†‡ ˆ”‘ Ž‡’Šƒ–•
‹–Š‘—–‘”†‡”•Ǥ
DzŽ‡’Šƒ–• ƒ”‡ …”‘••‹‰ ˆ”‘–‹‡”•
ƒ†‘˜‹‰ˆ”‘•ƒˆ‡ƒ”‡ƒ•–‘’‘ƒ…Š‹‰ƒ”‡ƒ•ǤŠ‹•‡‡†–‘„‡ƒ††”‡••‡†Ǥ
—–™‡ƒ”‡‘˜‹‰‹–Š‡”‹‰Š–™ƒ›Ǥdz
 ‡†‡•†ƒ›ǡ –Š‡ ‘ˆ‡”‡…‡
‘ ŽŽ‡‰ƒŽ ‹Ž†Ž‹ˆ‡ ”ƒ†‡ ȋȌ ‡–
‹ ƒ•ƒ‡ –‘ ˆ‘…—• ‘ –Š‡ –”ƒˆϐ‹…‹‰
‘ˆƒŽŽ–Š”‡ƒ–‡‡†•’‡…‹‡•Ȅƒ‹ŽŽ‡‰ƒŽ
–”ƒ†‡™‘”–Š̈́ͳͻ„‹ŽŽ‹‘ƒ›‡ƒ”ǡƒ……‘”†‹‰–‘–Š‡–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ—†ˆ‘”‹ƒŽ‡Žˆƒ”‡Ǥ
˜‘”›‹•”‡’‘”–‡†Ž›„‘—‰Š–ƒ–̈́ͳͲͲ
’‡” ‹Ž‘‰”ƒ‡ ȋ̈́Ͷͷ ’‡” ’‘—†Ȍ
ˆ”‘’‘ƒ…Š‡”•ǡƒ†•‘Ž†ˆ‘”̈́ʹǡͳͲͲ‹
Š‹ƒǤ
—Ž‹ƒ Žƒ…ǡ ƒ ‡Ž‡’Šƒ– •’‡…‹ƒŽ‹•–ˆ‘”–Š‡‘˜‡–‹‘‘ˆ–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ
”ƒ†‡‹†ƒ‰‡”‡†’‡…‹‡•ȋȌǡ
•ƒ‹† –Š‡ Ž‹ „‡–™‡‡ ’‘˜‡”–› ‹ ˆ”‹…ƒ ƒ† ’‘ƒ…Š‹‰ Š‹‰ŠŽ‹‰Š–‡† ‘‡
™ƒ› –‘ –ƒ…Ž‡ –Š‡ ‹ŽŽ‡‰ƒŽ ‹ŽŽ‹‰ ‘ˆ ‡Ž‡’Šƒ–•Ǥ
25
Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence
— is the key to unlocking our potential.
— Winston Churchill, a British politician
who was twice Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom
BOOKS
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER
MARCH 28, 2015
Berlin’s Abandoned Buildings Full of Tragic History
By Elias Schneider
E
VEN as real estate prices in
Berlin rise inexorably and
‰‡–”‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘ –—”• ”—down corners into trendy
neighbourhoods, the Gerƒ …ƒ’‹–ƒŽ ‹• •–‹ŽŽ ϐ‹ŽŽ‡† ™‹–Š ‡‡”‹‡
pockets of empty spaces and abandoned buildings.
Ghost-like structures and vacant
amusement parks that haven’t tempted investors yet are overgrown with
trees and shrubbery.
They range from deserted mansions to apocalyptic bunkers, disused
hospitals and even the 1936 Olympic
village.
Irish writer Ciaran Fahey, who
moved to Berlin in 2008, was so
fascinated that he started a
now-popular blog called “Abandoned
Berlin” and has just turned it into a
book.
Fahey spoke about his book.
German amusement park, taken
over by a family with big ambitions
ƒˆ–‡”—‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘Ǥ
It started well enough but fell on
hard times.
The owner ended up trying to
smuggle a huge amount of cocaine
back to Germany from Peru in one
of the rides.
His son is still in a Lima prison.
Then there’s the Garbaty cigarette factory and a Jewish family
persecuted by the Nazis.
They were lucky enough to escape with their lives I guess, but
they lost everything else.
What prompted you to start a
blog about it?
To be honest, it was just a bit of
fun.
I had my own personal blog,
which I started for family and friends
at home in Ireland when I moved
abroad.
Then I went to the Spreepark and I
could not believe what I saw...
Then somebody told me about
Teufelsberg, the abandoned NSA listening station. I researched the story.
And then it just took on life on its
own.
What is your favourite?
There’s the story behind the deployment of nuclear weapons to
Vogelsang, the Soviet-built military
camp in the middle of nowhere.
Erich Honecker, the former East
German leader, had a colossal bunker built underground in a forest
north of Berlin.
You didn’t think anyone would
care about these places?
I didn’t know anyone who was
even remotely interested in this stuff.
It started almost as something I wrote
just for myself.
I was really surprised that there
was so much interest.
There are empty buildings all
over the world.
What’s different about them in
Berlin?
There is usually a sort of tragic history behind them being abandoned.
For me it’s kind of a powerful mix to
have the stories illustrated by the
abandoned places as they are now.
What role does the narrative of
German history play?
Berlin is so unique because of all
the crazy stuff between the wars,
the Berlin Wall, and the Cold War.
If you take them on their own,
there’s an unbelievable richness of
stories that in a way can’t possibly
be written.
People focus on the better known Ciaran Fahey, who moved to Berlin in 2008, was so fascinated with the empty spaces and abandoned buildings
What are some of the tragedies?
in the German capital that he started a now-popular blog called “Abandoned Berlin” and has just turned it into
There’s Spreepark, the former East things like the Berlin Wall.
a book. — Reuters
Stieg Larsson’s Partner Appalled
by ‘Millennium Business’
By Camille Bas-Wohlert
E
VA Gabrielsson doesn’t mince her words:
continuing the wildly successful Millennium trilogy written by her late partner Stieg
Larsson is a mistake and should never have happened.
The highly-anticipated fourth instalment, written by David Lagercrantz, a journalist and author
best known as footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s ofϐ‹…‹ƒŽ „‹‘‰”ƒ’Š‡”ǡ ‹• †—‡ ‘—– ‘ —‰—•– ʹ͹ ‹ ͵ͷ
countries.
But Gabrielsson won’t be buying it.
“They say heroes are supposed to live forever.
That’s a load of crap, this is about money,” Gabrielsson said in a Stockholm cafe.
“It’s about a publishing house that needs money, (and) a writer who doesn’t have anything to
write so he copies someone else,” she laments.
At 61, Gabrielsson is composed and discreet,
†”‡••‡†‹ƒ†ƒ”‘—–ϐ‹–™‹–Šƒ•…ƒ”ˆŽ‘‘’‡†ƒ”‘—†
her neck.
She lived with Stieg Larsson for 32 years until
his sudden death in 2004 from a heart attack at
age 50 — before the publication and phenomenal
success of the dark crime trilogy that took the
Lagercrantz has nothing in common with Larsworld by storm.
son, a journalist and leftist activist who was pasŠ‡ ϐ‹”•– –Š”‡‡ „‘‘• Šƒ˜‡ •‘Ž† ‘”‡ –Šƒ ͹ͷ sionate about combatting extremism, she points
million copies in more than 30 languages, accord- out.
ing to publisher Norstedts.
He “comes from a completely different background. Everything has always been easy for him.
‘TOTALLY IDIOTIC CHOICE’
He’s never been an activist. Everything is wrong,”
Gabrielsson grows animated when the subject she argues.
of defending Larsson’s work comes up, and the
Picking Lagercrantz as the author “is a totally
publication of the fourth tome clearly disgusts her. idiotic choice”, in her view.
The title of the 500-page brick is, literally transEven the title is all wrong, in her eyes: “It’s a litlated, “That Which Does Not Kill Us”.
tle tame, a little weak, very literary. The other titles
Just after Larsson’s death, Gabrielsson said in in- were much more straightforward,” she blasts, beterviews that she had the draft of a fourth book he fore sighing: “Let him dig his own grave.”
had begun several months before his death.
Few details about that draft ever leaked out, and
‘THERE WAS NO PLAN’
Gabrielsson is unwilling to be drawn on it now.
The idea to continue the Millennium trilogy is
“I don’t want to talk about the fourth manu- based on a misconception about Larsson’s plans
script. I don’t have it anymore and Lagergrantz for his protagonists Lisbeth Salander, a feisty rebel
started over from zero.”
hacker-turned-detective, and Mikael Blomkvist, an
investigative reporter, according to Gabrielsson.
“Everyone thinks there was some grand
•…Š‡‡„—–‘ǡŠ‡Šƒ†‘’Žƒˆ‘”–Š‡ϐ‹”•––Š”‡‡
books and when he started writing the fourth one,
it was spontaneous. He still didn’t have a plan,” she
explains.
If it were up to her, none of this would have
happened.
“I wouldn’t have continued Stieg’s work. It was
his language, his unique narrative,” she says.
Gabrielsson fought a bitter battle with Larsson’s family to manage her late partner’s work,
but lost.
The couple were not married, and — unable to
predict his sudden death nor the wild success of
his trilogy -- he left no will.
As a result his family inherited his entire estate,
not her.
Gabrielsson wanted to manage his authorship
to avoid its commercialisation, but she says she
never reached an agreement with Larsson’s brother and father and they now manage his estate.
“It’s in European intellectual property laws
that you have to manage an author’s work in such
a way that its origin is respected and protected.
Those who manage it are responsible for that,” she
insists.
But “Stieg’s family, they’re too weak, they don’t
protect his work and now there’s nothing left to
protect.”
“The worst thing is how saddened Stieg would
have been. He never let anyone work on his literary texts. He would have been furious. Who knows,
maybe he’ll send a lightning bolt at the book
launch,” she muses.
Today, more than 10 years after Larsson’s death,
Gabrielsson is ready to turn a page in her life. Last
year she moved out of the apartment they shared
together.
“I needed a change. Everything reminded me of
him.” “I don’t think of him everyday anymore, but
often. He accompanies me.”
Come August, she won’t buy the new book. Read
it maybe, but not buy it. “I don’t think this book will
do very well. But I don’t care.” — AFP
Dharamvir Bharti’s Masterpiece and Man Booker Winner
T
HOSE who have read Hindi author Dharamvir Bharti’s works
must be familiar with one of his
masterpieces, “Gunaho Ka Devta”. For
–Š‡ ϐ‹”•– –‹‡ǡ –Š‹• …Žƒ••‹… ‘˜‡Ž Šƒ•
been translated into English.
This passionate tale of starcrossed lovers, along with a novel by
a Man Booker winner and a slew of
other stories, is what IANS has for its
readers this week. Take a look.
1. Book: Chander and Sudha by
Dharamvir Bharti, translated by
Poonam Saxena; Publisher: Penguin
Viking; Pages: 352.
In an idyllic university town, young
women daydreamed as they lay on
the grass and gazed up at the clouds.
Young men took morning walks at Alferd Park.
Hot summer afternoons were for
drinking sherbet and eating watermelons and evenings for reading poetry.
–™ƒ•ƒŽ•‘ƒ–‹‡‘ˆ•–‹ϐŽ‹‰•‘…‹ƒŽ
mores, and love was an unattainable
ideal seldom realised.
Allahabad of the 1940’s is the serene backdrop to the turbulence of
Chander’s love for his professor’s
daughter Sudha.
Driven by his passionate belief in
the transcending purity of their love,
Chander persuades Sudha to marry
another man, with devastating consequences.
Unhinged by his separation from
Sudha and consumed by a restless
desire to make sense of love — Is
it really about sex? Is the purity of
love a lie — Chander spirals into a
destructive affair with the seductive
Pammi.
Immensely popular since its publication more than half a century ago,
this novel continues to seduce readers with its potent mix of tender passion and heartbreaking tragedy.
2.Book: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro; Publisher: Faber and
Faber; Pages: 345.
The Romans have long since departed and Britain is steadily declining into ruin.
But at least the wars that once ravaged the country have ceased.
This novel by a Man Booker winner begins as a couple — Axl and Veatrice - set off across a troubled land of
‹•–ƒ†”ƒ‹‹–Š‡Š‘’‡‘ˆϐ‹†‹‰ƒ
son they have not seen for years.
They expect to face many hazards
— some strange and otherworldly —
and they cannot yet foresee how their
journey will reveal to them dark and
forgotten corners of their love for one
another.
Sometimes savage, often intensely
‘˜‹‰ǡ –Š‡ ƒ—–Š‘”ǯ• ϐ‹”•– ‘˜‡Ž ‹ ƒ
decade is about lost memories, love,
revenge and war.
— IANS
Did you ever get into trouble
while urban exploring?
Yeah, a few times.
In the Spreepark I had to run away
and jump over the fence.
A security guard at another spot
caught me, but it was nothing serious.
They saw I was a guy with a camera and not some dude smashing windows and wrecking the place so they
just told me I shouldn’t be there and
should leave.
— Reuters
‘THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN’
TOPS BESTSELLERS LIST
A
UTHOR Paula Hawkins’ debut thriller, “The Girl on the
Train,” kept the top spot No 1 on the US bestsellers list for
the ninth consecutive week on Thursday.
Data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors across the United States is used
to compile the list.
Hardcover Fiction Last Week
1. “The Girl on the Train,” by Paula Hawkins (Riverhead,
$26.95)
2. “NYPD Red 3” by James Patterson and Marshall Karp (Little,
Brown, $28.00)
3. “All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr (Scribner,
$27.00)
4. “Last One Home” by Debbie Macomber (Ballantine, $26.00)
5. “Prodigal Son” by Danielle Steel (Delacorte, $28.00)
6. “The Assassin” by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott (Putnam,
$28.95)
7. “A Dangerous Place” by Jacqueline Winspear (Harper,
$26.99)
8. “A Spool of Blue Thread” by Anne Tyler (Knopf, $27.95)
9. “The Buried Giant” by Kazuo Ishiguro (Knopf, $26.95)
10. “The Nightingale,” by Kristin Hannah (St Martin’s, $27.99)
ƒ”†…‘˜‡”‘ϐ‹…–‹‘
1. “Dead Wake” by Erik Larson (Crown, $28.00)
2. “Pioneer Girl” by Laura Ingalls Wilder (South Dakota Historical Society, $39.95)
3. “The Hormone Reset Diet” by Sara Gottfried (HarperOne,
$27.99)
4. “Get What’s Yours” by Lawrence J Kotlikoff, Philip Moeller
and Paul Solman (Simon & Schuster, $19.99)
5. “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” by Marie Kondo
(Ten Speed, $16.99)
6. “Better than Before” by Gretchen Rubin (Crown, $26.00)
7. “Being Mortal,” by Atul Gawande (Metropolitan, $26.00)
8. “The 20/20 Diet” by Phil McGraw (Bird Street, $26.00)
9. “Killing Patton,” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (Henry
Holt, $30)
10. “H Is for Hawk” by Helen Macdonald (Grove, $25.00).
— Reuters
26
HERITAGE
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER
MARCH 28, 2015
PRESERVING PERU’S INCA RUINS
By Roberto Cortijo
P
URUCHUCO, an ancient Incan complex, sits at the fast-moving edge of
Lima’s real estate boom, forcing authorities in the Peruvian capital to get
creative as they seek to preserve the
archaeological treasure.
– ϐ‹”•– ‰Žƒ…‡ǡ –Š‡ •‹–‡ Ž‘‘• Ž‹‡ ƒ ‡’–›
hill on the city’s east side — a bald spot surrounded by a slum, a new university and a
shopping mall scheduled to open soon.
But then, a low structure becomes visible —
Puruchuco, an Incan palace with a 16th-century
burial ground, and untold numbers of priceless
artifacts buried within.
Just 10 per cent of the 75-hectare complex
has been explored, but that small slice held
more than 2,000 mummies and some 100 artifacts in gold, silver and copper.
“The entire Puruchuco hill has monuments,
cemeteries, pre-Hispanic mausoleums that
have never been explored because of a lack of
funding,” said archaeologist Clide Valladolid, the
director of a small museum at the site.
The problem is that as the Peruvian economy has boomed in recent years — registering
average annual GDP growth of 6.4 per cent in
the decade to 2013 — Lima, a city of more than
nine million people, has expanded voraciously,
with rich and poor alike snapping up real estate.
Puruchuco sits right in the growing capital’s
path.
Authorities want to extend Javier Prado Avenue, one of the city’s main arteries, to link it
up with Carretera Central, the highway to the
Andean region and the main route to the capital
for food and other products from the country’s
interior.
Originally, the idea was to split Puruchuco in
two and build the road straight through it — a
plan that initially got a green light from authorities.
But then the culture ministry intervened,
asking for construction to be halted.
With a little creative engineering, planners came up with a system of two three-lane
tunnels, each 45 metres long, that will pass
through the narrowest part of the hill.
—‹ϔ‹‡†’”‡Ǧ…ƒ„ƒ„›
ƒ‘”ƒ‹…˜‹‡™‘ˆ–Š‡ƒŽ‘•–—‘™’”‡Ǧ…ƒ—”—…Š—…‘…‘’Ž‡š‹‹ƒǤȄ
Work on the $8.9 million project began last
August using non-disruptive digging techniques
and no explosives, and is due to be completed
in June.
“It was the engineering equivalent of heart
surgery to avoid one of the cemeteries on the
upper part of the hill,” said engineer Onerio
Robles, who designed the project.
DzŠ‡™‡Šƒ††‡ϐ‹‡†–Š‡”‘—–‡ƒ†„‡‰—
excavating, we found a mummy a metre away
from the tunnel’s path and had to recalculate
everything.”
An archaeologist at the Universidad Mayor
de San Marcos had warned in 2010 that there
was a pre-Inca palace hidden in that part of the
hill.
EARLY VICTIMS OF CONQUEST
Puruchuco means “feather helmet” in the
Quechua language.
The complex is named for a headpiece on
display at the site museum. Crowned with
brightly coloured feathers, it was worn by the
curaca, or ruler, who lived in the palace.
‘”‡–Šƒϐ‹˜‡…‡–—”‹‡•ƒ‰‘ǡ—”—…Š—…‘™ƒ•
an important administrative and religious centre where the curaca led rituals.
Today, the palace has been painstakingly reconstructed and is open for visits.
Authorities have promised to expand the
site museum, opening the largest collection of
mummies in the country and a laboratory to
study them.
Valladolid, the museum’s director, wants to
bring back 2,000 mummies that were discovered at Puruchuco in 2000 during a separate
construction project — a road through a slum
that had sprung up atop the largest burial
ground.
Some of the mummies’ bones had been broken with sharp swords in combat — apparently
an early battle with the Spanish conquistadors,
who descended on the area in 1532 and made
Lima the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru.
One of the mummies’ skulls was pierced by a
—•‡–„ƒŽŽȄ‹–‹•„‡Ž‹‡˜‡†–‘„‡–Š‡ϐ‹”•–’‡”•‘‹ŽŽ‡†„›‰—ϐ‹”‡‹–Š‡‡”‹…ƒ•Ǥ
Many more discoveries are likely lurking in
the hill, said Valladolid.
“In the lower part of Puruchuco, called
Huaquerones, there are three pyramids
with ramps and cemeteries. We need to fence
them off to stop squatters from moving in,” she
said.
Collectors Keep Vietnam’s
War Memories Alive
By Do Khuong Duy
G
RUBBY satchels, helmets, rusty
knives and chunky radios are
strewn around Dinh Van Loc’s
front room, transforming his house in
Vietnam’s capital into an abandoned
„ƒ––Ž‡ϐ‹‡Ž†Ǥ
For Loc, these are treasured items
amassed over the years, rooted in a
teenage fascination with the country’s devastating war with the United
States that ended nearly four decades
ago.
The 32-year-old’s obsession with
combat zone memorabilia is a rare
one in Vietnam, where the vast majority of its 90 million people were
born long after the war.
And those who do remember it
chose to move on.
“These things help me feel the
lives of the soldiers,” said Loc, the
proud owner of more than 2,000 war
souvenirs. “That’s what drove me to
collecting.”
He points to etchings on unused
ration tins retrieved from the front
THE WOUNDS OF WAR HAVE NOT
ENTIRELY HEALED AND COLLECTOR
LAI DUNG SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT THAT
FUTURE GENERATIONS DON’T FORGET
THE WAR THAT KILLED SEVERAL
MILLION VIETNAMESE
line, some bearing the names of
soldiers and their lovers or crude
scratchings meant to resemble Hanoi
landmarks.
“I can feel some of the atmosphere
of those days,” Loc said. “I can see
what they were thinking, their emotions, how they were missing their
parents.”
Postwar generations in communist-run Vietnam are proud of their
‹Ž‹–ƒ”›…‘—‹…ƒ–‹‘•‡–ˆ‘”•ƒŽ‡‹ƒ‘‹ǤȄ‡—–‡”•
heritage, schooled in the same ideology as their parents, but are increasingly seduced by the tokens of capitalism — smartphones, couture and
ϐŽƒ•Š›‘–‘”„‹‡•Ǥ
Still, the wounds of war have
not entirely healed and collector
Lai Dung says it’s important that
future generations don’t forget the
war that killed several million Vietnamese.
The 32-year-old mattress maker
scours tables at a makeshift Hanoi
market each Sunday where Kalash‹‘˜ ”‹ϐŽ‡ ’ƒ”–•ǡ ‹••‹Ž‡ –ƒ‹Ž• ƒ†
boxes of ammunition vie for attention with uniforms worn by Vietcong
ϐ‹‰Š–‡”• ƒ† •ƒ†ƒŽ• ˆƒ•Š‹‘‡† ˆ”‘
car tyres.
There are plenty of American
souvenirs too — dog tags, bayonets, watches, and even a chunk of a
downed US plane.
“These are relics from the time
™Š‡ ‘—” ’ƒ”‡–• •ƒ…”‹ϐ‹…‡† –Š‡selves for our country, allowing us to
enjoy our lives in peace,” said Dung.
“We can see the value of our lives
now.”
War veteran Vu Van Bao said his
visits to the market stirred memories
of his contribution to the war, which
pitted his communist North against
the US-backed South and ended with
the fall of Saigon in April 1975.
“When I see these things, I’m reminded of unforgettable memories
with pride,” said Bao, 62, pointing to
metal US helmets on sale. “I used to
cook my vegetables in them.”
— Reuters
‹Ž‹–ƒ”›‹–‡•—•‡††—”‹‰–Š‡‹‡–ƒƒ”ˆ‘”•ƒŽ‡ƒ–ƒ‘Ž†‹–‡•ƒ”‡–
‹••‹Ž‡ˆ”‘ƒ‹Ž‹–ƒ”›Š‡Ž‹…‘’–‡”
27
FASHION
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER
MARCH 28, 2015
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the
attribute of the strong.
— Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent leader of
Indian independence movement
CHINA FASHION WEEK
Designer Malini Ramani unfolds winter
story on AIFW ramp
AIFW Brings Fantasy
World on Runway
By Sugandha Rawal
A
’”‹…‡ǡ ’”‹…‡••ǡ ƒ‰‹ϐ‹…‡– …ƒ•–Ž‡•ǡ
•™ƒ• ƒ† ƒ •Š‹’ ‡‡”‰‹‰ ‘—– ‘ˆ –—”„—Ž‡– ™ƒ˜‡• Ȅ –Š‡ ™‘”†• ƒ› •‡‡ –‘
’‘’‘—–‘ˆƒˆƒ‹”›–ƒŽ‡ǡ„—––Š‡•‡ƒ”‡•‘‡
‘ˆ –Š‡ ‡Ž‡‡–• –Šƒ– †‡•‹‰‡” Œ— ‘†‹
—•‡†–‘•Š‘™…ƒ•‡Š‡”…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘Ǯ‘™–‘™”‹–‡ƒˆƒ‹”›
–ƒŽ‡ǯ ƒ– –Š‡ ƒœ‘ †‹ƒ ƒ•Š‹‘ ‡‡ ȋȌ ‹
‡™‡ŽŠ‹Ǥ
Š‡…”‡ƒ–‡†ƒ‡…Šƒ–‹‰™‘”Ž†‘–Š‡”ƒ’Ǥ
DzŠ‡ –Š‡‡ ‹• ƒ ˆƒ‹”›–ƒŽ‡ Žƒ†ǡ ™Š‹…Š ‹• ˆ—ŽŽ ‘ˆ
Š‘’‡Ǥ
‡™ƒ‡—’‡˜‡”›†ƒ›™‹–ŠƒŠ‘’‡•‘–Š‡ƒ‹™ƒ•
–‘…ƒ’–—”‡–Šƒ–‡‘–‹‘ƒ†…‡Ž‡„”ƒ–‡Ž‹ˆ‡ǡdz‘†‹•ƒ‹†
ƒ–ƒ’”‡••„”‹‡ϐ‹‰’‘•–Š‡”•Š‘™‘‡†‡•†ƒ›Ǥ
•–Š‡•Š‘™•–ƒ”–‡†ǡ–Š‡ƒ—†‹‡…‡™ƒ•–”ƒ•’‘”–‡† –‘ ƒ †‹ˆˆ‡”‡– ™‘”Ž† ™‹–Š „ƒ…‰”‘—† —•‹… ‘ˆ
ϐŽ‘™‹‰™ƒ–‡”ƒ†…Š‹‹‰‘ˆ„‡ŽŽ•ǡ™Š‹…Šƒ…–‡†ƒ•ƒ
–‹‡ƒ…Š‹‡Ǥ
‹–Šƒ•’Žƒ•Š‘ˆ”‡†ǡ„Ž—‡ƒ†‘–Š‡”’ƒ•–‡Ž•Šƒ†‡•ǡ
–Š‡ …‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘ …‘•‹•–• ‘ˆ ‰‘™•ǡ •ƒ”‹•ǡ †”‡••‡•ǡ
†”ƒ’‡•ǡ…ƒ’‡•ƒ†Ž‘‰ϐŽ‘™‹‰•—‹–•Ǥ
 ‡•™‡ƒ”ǡ •—‹–• ƒ† Œƒ…‡–• ”—Ž‡ –Š‡ Ž‹‡Ǥ ‘–Š‡”’ƒ––‡”‘ˆ•‹‰‹ϐ‹…ƒ…‡‹‘†‹ǯ•…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘™ƒ•
„Žƒ…ƒ†™Š‹–‡•–”‹’‡•Ǥ
‘†‹ —•‡† ‘–‹ˆ• ˆ”‘ –Š‡ ˆƒ–ƒ•› Žƒ† Ž‹‡
•™ƒ•ǡ…ƒ•–Ž‡ƒ†—„”‡ŽŽƒ–‘ƒ††–‘–Š‡˜‹„‡‘ˆŠ‡”
…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘Ǥ
Š‡ ƒŽ•‘ ‰ƒ˜‡ •ƒ”‹ ƒ Ǯˆƒ‹”›–ƒŽ‡ –™‹•–ǯ ™‹–Š ƒ …ƒ’‡
™‹–Š”‡†ϐŽ‘™‡”•‘‹–Ǥ…ƒ’‡™‹–Š™‹‰•ƒ†…ƒ•–Ž‡
‡„”‘‹†‡”‡† ‘ ‹– ƒŽ•‘ ƒ†‡ ƒ ƒ’’‡ƒ”ƒ…‡ ƒ– Š‡”
•Š‘™Ǥ
ƒŽ‹‰ ƒ„‘—– ‘–‹ˆ•ǡ •Š‡ •ƒ‹†ǣ Dz‡ Šƒ˜‡ —•‡† •‘
ƒ› ‡Ž‡‡–• Ž‹‡ ‡…Šƒ–‡† …ƒ•–Ž‡•ǡ ‘™Ž•ǡ ’‹”ƒ–‡
•Š‹’•ǡ—„”‡ŽŽƒ•ǡ™ƒ˜‡•ƒ††‘Ž’Š‹•Ǥ
‡”‡ƒ†ƒ„‘—––Š‡•‡‡Ž‡‡–•‹•–‘”›„‘‘•ǡƒ†
–Š‡…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘‹•ƒ„‘—–‰‘‹‰„ƒ…–‘–Š‡„‘‘•Ǥdz
Š‡ †‡•‹‰‡” ƒŽ•‘ ‘–‡† –Šƒ– •Š‡ Šƒ• —•‡† …‘Ž‘—”•–‘‰‹˜‡ƒˆ‡‡Ž‘ˆ–Š‡ˆƒ‹”›Žƒ†ǡ™Š‹…Š™ƒ•ˆ—ŽŽ‘ˆ
Dz„‡ƒ—–‹ˆ—Ž…‘Ž‘—”•ƒ†”‡‹†•—•‘ˆƒŽŽ–Š‡„‡ƒ—–‹ˆ—Ž
•–‘”‹‡•dzǤ —– ™Šƒ– …ƒ—‰Š– –Š‡ ƒ––‡–‹‘ ™ƒ• ‹‘˜ƒ–‹˜‡ƒ†“—‹”›ƒ……‡••‘”‹‡•Ȅ„‡‹–•Š‘‡•™‹–Š™‹‰•ǡ
…ƒ•–Ž‡Ǧ•Šƒ’‡†„‡Ž–•‘”–‹ƒ”ƒ•™‹–Š™‹‰•Ǥ
DzŠ‡ •Š‘‡• ™‹–Š ™‹‰• ƒ”‡ ƒŽ•‘ †‡•‹‰‡† „› ‡Ǥ
‹–Š–Š‡„‡Ž–•ƒ†ƒ–‹ƒ”ƒ™‹–Š™‹‰•ǡ™Š‹…Šƒ””ƒ–‡•
–Š‡ˆ‡‡Ž‹‰•‘ˆƒ’”‹…‡••™Š‘‘™•ƒ”‹…‡Šƒ”‹‰‹•™ƒ‹–‹‰ƒ––Š‡…ƒ•–Ž‡ȄǮ•Š‡‰‡–•™‹‰•ǯǤ‘–Š‡
™Š‘Ž‡‹†‡ƒ‹•–‘•‡ŽŽˆƒ•Š‹‘ǡdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ
‘†‹Šƒ•—•‡†DzŠƒ†Ž‘‘ǡ™‘‘Žƒ†Šƒ†’”‹–‡†
’”‹–•dzˆ‘”–Š‡…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘Ǥ˜‡”›ˆƒ„”‹…†”ƒ’‡†ǡ‡˜‡”›
Ž‹‡ •‡–…Š‡†ǡ ‡˜‡”› —•‡ ”‡˜‡”‡† ’ƒ‹† ƒ ‘†‡ –‘ ƒ
ˆƒ‹”›–ƒŽ‡Ǥ
 –Š‡ ™Š‘Ž‡ǡ –Š‡ …‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘ •‡–…Š‡† ƒ ’”‡––›
•–‘”›‘ˆ‹‰Ž‹‰‘ˆˆƒ„”‹…™‹–Š•‘ˆ–…‘Ž‘—”•‹ƒŽ—…‹†
ƒ†•—„–Ž‡™ƒ›Ǥ
–™ƒ•–‹‡ˆ‘”–Š‡†ƒ”‡”•Šƒ†‡•‘ˆ™‹–‡”–‘–ƒ‡
‘˜‡” –Š‡ ”ƒ’ ™‹–Š †‡•‹‰‡”• ƒŽ‹‹ ƒƒ‹ ƒ†
‹ƒ Šƒƒ –ƒ‹‰ –‘ –Š‡ •–ƒ‰‡ –‘ ’”‡•‡– –Š‡‹” …‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘• ™‹–Š ƒ ”‡…—””‹‰ ƒ–—”ƒŽ‹•–‹… –Š‡‡ǡ –›‹‰
–Š‡—’–‘‰‡–Š‡”Ǥ
Š‡ –™‘ †‡•‹‰‡”• Šƒ† –Š‡‹” •Š‘™• •…Š‡†—Ž‡†
„ƒ…Ǧ–‘Ǧ„ƒ…‘–Š‡•‡…‘††ƒ›‘Š—”•†ƒ›‘ˆ–Š‡
ϐ‹˜‡Ǧ†ƒ›ˆƒ•Š‹‘‰ƒŽƒǤ
† „‘–Š ’”‡•‡–‡† ƒ ˜‹•—ƒŽ –”‡ƒ– –‘ –Š‡ ˆƒ•Š‹‘
‡–Š—•‹ƒ•–•ƒ––Š‡‡˜‡–Ǥ
Š‡”‡™ƒ•ƒ‰‘‘†…Š—‘ˆ”‘ƒ–‹…‹•™‹–ŠŠ—‡•
‘ˆ„‡‹‰‡ǡ’Ž—ƒ†ƒ†ƒ•Š‘ˆ„Ž—‡Ǥ
ƒƒ‹ǯ• …‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘ Ǯ”‡‡ ’‹”‹–ǯ ƒ‹Ž› –”ƒ‹Ž‡†
‹–‘ –Š‡ †ƒ”‡” ”‡ƒŽ• ‘ˆ ™‹–‡” ™Š‹Ž‡ ’Žƒ›‹‰ ™‹–Š
…‘Ž‘—”•Ž‹‡„Žƒ…ȋ™Š‹…Š†‘‹ƒ–‡†–Š‡”ƒ‰‡Ȍǡ‘Ž‹˜‡
DR IBRAHIM BIN AHMED AL KINDI Chief Executive Officer
ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI Editor-in-Chief
Child models parade
creations during the
jnby by JNBY Children
Collection at China
Fashion Week in Beijing.
The biannual China
Fashion Week is being
held in Beijing from
March 24 to 31. — AFP
‰”‡‡ǡ”‡†ƒ†‰‘Ž†‡Ǥ
Š‡…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘…ƒ„‡†‡ϐ‹‡†„›Ž‘‰•‹”–•™‹–Š
•‹†‡ –Š‹‰Š Š‹‰Š •Ž‹–•ǡ ƒŽ‡ Ž‡‰–Š •‹”– ™‹–Š •Ž‹–•ǡ
ƒ•›‡–”‹…ƒŽ …—–• ™‹–Š ‡„‡ŽŽ‹•Š‡–•ǡ ‘–‹ˆ• ƒ†
œƒ”†‘œ‹™‘”Ǥ
‘‡ †”‡••‡• ˆ”‘ Š‡” …‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘ ‘—–•Š‹‡† –Š‡
”‡•–™‹–Šƒ‡š–”ƒ‘”†‹ƒ”›•Š‹‡‘‘œ‹‰‘—–‘ˆ–Š‡
Ȅ„‡‹––Š‡‘—–ϐ‹–™‹–Š•‡“—‹•ǡ’”‹–‡†–”‘—•‡”•ǡ…ƒ’‡
™‹–Š ϐŽ‘™‡” ‘–‹ˆ• ‘” ŠƒŽˆ •Ž‡‡˜‡• Œƒ…‡– ‡š—†‹‰ ƒ
Ǯ…‘™Ǧ„‘›ǯˆ‡‡ŽǤ
Š‡”‡ƒ• Šƒƒǯ• …‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘ ‹• ƒŽŽ ƒ„‘—– …Žƒ••‹…
…Š‡…•ǡ •–”‹’‡•ǡ •’‹†‡” ™‡ƒ˜‡•ǡ Ž‡ƒ˜‡• ƒ† ‹ƒ– Ž‹‡
’ƒ––‡”•Ǥ
Š‡…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘„‘ƒ•–•‘ˆ„‘šǦŽ‹‡ƒ•›‡–”‹…ƒŽ†‡•‹‰•ƒŽŽ…ƒ—‰Š–‹‡„”‘‹†‡”‹‡•Ǥ
Dz– ȋ…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘Ȍ ‹• –Š‡ —•‡ ‘ˆ Ž‹‡ƒ” ‘˜‡‡–•
ˆ”‘ƒ•–”ƒ‹‰Š–Ž‹‡–‘ƒ™ƒ›‘ˆŽ‹‰Š–ǤŠƒ˜‡–”‹‡†–‘
ƒ‡ ‹– ƒ• •‹’Ž‡Ǥ ‡ ƒŽ•‘ ™‡– ‹–‘ •–‘”‹‡• ™‹–Š
’Žƒ–•‘”™‹–Š•‘‡‘ˆ–Š‡…—–Ǧ™‘”•ǡˆ‘”ƒ–•‘”•’‹†‡”ǦŽ‹‡–Š‹‰•ǡdzŠƒƒ•ƒ‹†Ǥ
Šƒƒǯ• ”ƒ‰‡ ‹• ƒŽŽ ƒ„‘—– Žƒ›‡”‹‰ ™‹–Š ƒ ‡Ž‡‡–‘ˆƒ„•–”ƒ…–ƒ†ƒ•—”’”‹•‡ˆƒ…–‘”‹‡ƒ…Š‘—–ϐ‹–Ǥ
‡‹–‰‹˜‹‰ƒ͵‡ˆˆ‡…––Š”‘—‰Šƒ‰ƒ”‡–ǡ•Šƒ†‘™
‡ˆˆ‡…–†”‡••‘”‰‡‘‡–”‹…‡„”‘‹†‡”‡†Ž‹‡ƒ”†”‡••Ǥ
”‘–Š‡…‘Ž‘—”’ƒŽ‡––‡ǡ•Š‡Šƒ•‹„—‡†•Šƒ†‡•‘ˆ
—†‡ǡ„Ž—‡ǡ…Šƒ”…‘ƒŽ„Žƒ…ƒ†’Ž—™‹–Šˆƒ„”‹…•Ž‹‡
Žƒ…‡ǡ …‘––‘ǡ •–”‡–…Š› ˆƒ„”‹…ǡ ˜‡Ž˜‡–ǡ •ƒ–‹ ™‹–Š Šƒ†™‘”ǡ…—–Ǧ™‘”ǡ’ƒ–…Š™‘”Ǥ
–ǯ•‘–‘Ž›†ƒ”•Šƒ†‡•ˆ‘”ŠƒƒǤ
Š‡”‡ ‹• ƒŽ•‘ ƒ „—”•– ‘ˆ …‘Ž‘—”• Ž‹‡ ’‹ǡ ’—”’Ž‡
ƒ†”‡†‹Š‡”Ž‹‡Ǥ
ŠƒƒƒŽ•‘‘–‡†–Šƒ–ˆ‘”ʹͲͳͷ•Š‡‹•’Žƒ‹‰–‘
ƒ‡Dz”‡ƒ†›–‘™‡ƒ”dz…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘Ǥ
Š‡ ‡•‡„Ž‡ ™ƒ• …‘’Ž‡‡–‡† ™‹–Š ƒ ‘–Š‹…
Ž‘‘ǡ…”‡ƒ–‡†™‹–Š•‘›‡›‡•ƒ†—‡’–’Žƒ‹–•Ǥ
—›ƒ……‡••‘”‹‡•Ž‹‡„‹‰‘•‡”‹‰•ǡ…Š—›‡…
’‹‡…‡•ǡ„”ƒ…‡Ž‡–•ǡˆ—”ǡŠ‡ƒ†‰‡ƒ”ƒ†•…ƒ”˜‡•ƒŽ•‘ƒ††‡†•’—–‘–Š‡…‘ŽŽ‡…–‹‘Ǥ
Ȅ
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ENTERTAINMENT
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER
MARCH 28, 2015
A Minute With Naomi
Watts on Comedies
By Alicia Avila
A
FTER a slew of dramas including
“The Impossible” and “Diana,” actress Naomi Watts said she was
looking for something that would “feel
lighter.”
Watts, 46, found herself drawn to comedies such as Noah Baumbach’s “While
We’re Young,” a look at the disconnect
between Generation X and Millennials
through two New York couples - Cornelia
and Josh (Watts and Ben Stiller), and Jamie
and Darby (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyˆ”‹‡†ȌǤŠ‡ƒ†‘ˆ–Š‡ϐ‹Žǯ•–Š‡ƒ–”‹…ƒŽ”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡
on Friday, Watts spoke about her character.
Following are excerpts from the interview.
Šƒ–ƒ––”ƒ…–‡†›‘—–‘–Š‹•”‘Ž‡ǫ
This feels a little bit familiar,
and the juxtaposition of each
couple, how different they
were in the stages of their
lives and how they were approaching everything, their
work — it felt like a funny
dynamic to be a part of.
‘™ ‹• –Š‹• •–‘”› ”‡Žƒ–ƒ„Ž‡–‘’‡‘’Ž‡ǫ
It’s really a human
drama-slash-comedy that could take
place in any part
of the world.
There’s
endless
fascination with youth culture and in the
same regard, the young are fascinated with
us but possibly for less pure reasons.
Even though (Jamie and Darby) present
themselves as this very purist couple, I
think they, particularly Adam Driver’s character, were using us as a form of a meal
ticket.
‹† ›‘— ‘˜‡”…‘‡ ƒ› …ŠƒŽŽ‡‰‡• –‘
’Žƒ›‘”‡Ž‹ƒǫ
‘–”‡ƒŽŽ›ǡŽ‘˜‡†Š‡”‹•–ƒ–Ž›ǤŠ‡ϐ‹”•–
read I just thought, ‘Wow, she’s great and
she’s smart and she’s made choices that
she thinks she’s all good and squared on,’
but she ends up changing, so there were no
issues with me playing her.
I never felt, ‘Oh, I don’t like this.’ I mean,
you’ll often take on characters and you’ll
think ‘Oh God, I wish she hadn’t done this
and done that,’ but in Cornelia’s case I pretty much loved her in every direction.
‘›‘—•‡‡›‘—”•‡Žˆ™‘”‹‰‹‘”‡
…‘‡†›ǫ
ǯ† Ž‘˜‡ –‘Ǥ –Š‹ ‹–ǯ• Šƒ”†‡” –‘ ϐ‹†
good comedies and the formulaic ones
don’t interest me as much, it’s more the
situational and the ones that are more believable.
Or slapstick, I like that.
“St Vincent” felt pretty broad but it was
really fun to do that and with Bill Murray, of course, and Melissa McCarthy, and
(Oscar-winning) “Birdman” being a black
comedy — now maybe I’m on people’s radar for that.
— Reuters
ZAYN MALIK QUITS BOY BAND ONE DIRECTION
Z
AYN Malik has left boy band One
Direction but the group will continue
without him, they said on Wednesday, in
news set to break the hearts of millions of
teenage girls worldwide.
Malik apologised to fans for leaving the
British band, whose hits include “What
Makes You Beautiful” and “Best Song Ever”,
but said he had to do “what feels right”.
“I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and
have some private time out of the spotlight,”
he said in a statement released by One Direction on social media.
“I know I have four friends for life in
Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they
will continue to be the best band in the
world,” Malik added.
The remaining members of the band —
Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Harry Styles
and Niall Horan — sent Malik “all our love
for the future”.
“The four of us will now continue. We’re
looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next
stage of the world tour,” they said.
One Direction, who played in Jakarta on
Wednesday, have sold more than 50 million
records and had 91 number one hits globally in countries from Britain to Denmark and
New Zealand.
Highlighting their popularity, six out
of the 10 global trending topics on Twitter
were about One Direction after Malik’s departure was announced.
Malik, who is engaged to Little Mix pop
star Perrie Edwards, quit the tour earlier
this month due to stress after pictures ap-
peared online showing him close to another
woman in Thailand.
He also faced controversy when a video
apparently showing him and Tomlinson
smoking marijuana in a car while on tour in
Peru last year went viral.
The band was formed during British
talent show The X Factor in 2010 before
achieving global success.
They are signed to Syco Music, founded
by British music mogul and talent show supremo Simon Cowell, and are due to release
ƒϐ‹ˆ–ŠƒŽ„—Žƒ–‡”–Š‹•›‡ƒ”Ǥ
Cowell said he was “very, very fond” of
Malik and “truly sorry” to see him leave One
Direction.
“Fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam,
Harry and Louis are hugely excited about
the future of the band,” he added.
— AFP
Oscar-Winning Cotillard to Take Joan of Arc to New York
F
RENCH actress Marion Cotillard
will play Joan of Arc with the New
York Philharmonic in a production
of Arthur Honegger’s oratorio, the
orchestra announced on Thursday.
Cotillard, who won an Oscar for
portraying singer Edith Piaf in the
movie “La Vie en Rose,” will perform
in “Joan of Arc at the Stake” for the
‡™ ‘” Š‹ŽŠƒ”‘‹…ǯ• •‡ƒ•‘ ϐ‹nales from June 10-13.
The performances mark the US
premiere of director Come de Bellescize’s production of “Joan of Arc at
the Stake,” which opened in Japan in
2012 at Seiji Ozawa’s Saito Kinen fes-
Lil Wayne, Christina Spotted Holding Hands
R
APPER Lil Wayne and
actress
Christina
Milian were spotted
walking hand-in-hand
on the set of her
upcoming comedy
show “Grandpa”.
A
photograph
obtained by Mail
Online on Wednesday showed Milian
smiling widely as the
rapper held her hand
tightly, reports aceshowbiz.com.
The “Lollipop” rapper
was seen wearing a black long
hoodie over a white t-shirt and grey
pants and completed his look with
red sneakers.
The “Christina Milian Turned Up”
star wore an unbuttoned white shirt
over a netted black brassiere.
She completed her look
with a black leather
blazer, ripped jeans and
black heels.
Milian shared on
image-sharing
site
Instagram a photograph of her and
Wayne posing alongside former football
and baseball player
Deion Sanders and
comedian Don Rickles
the sets of “Grandpa”.
She captioned the image: “Look who made a cute
cameo on my pilot for #TheGWord aka #Grandpa fun times! Life is
all about trying new things.#blessed
to share the fun! #tunechi #dionsanders #donrickles #tnt Safe to say
you’ve never seen this group of men
in one picture together.@fox.”
tival and recently toured France with
Cotillard.
Cotillard — who was also nominated for an Oscar this year with
“Two Days, One Night” — will be
making her New York Philharmonic
debut.
But she has repeatedly portrayed
Joan of Arc in Honegger’s oratorio, a
role also played by her mother Niseema Theillaud.
Cotillard in a statement described
the role as “one of my greatest experiences as an actress.”
Š‡ ‘”ƒ–‘”‹‘ …‘˜‡”• –Š‡ ϐ‹ƒŽ
moments of Joan of Arc as she was
„—”‡† ƒ– –Š‡ •–ƒ‡ǡ ™‹–Š ϐŽƒ•Š„ƒ…•
to the peasant girl’s short life rallying
against English forces.
De Bellescize said that the oratorio, which Honegger wrote on the
eve of World War II, could have easily been turned into a nationalist anthem.
“But it’s really the opposite: it is
about going out of the darkness and
–”›‹‰–‘ϐ‹†–Š‡Ž‹‰Š–™‹–Š–Š‡’‘™‡”
of love,” he said.
“The whole world meets together in New York, and I think there is
something universal to say with this
production.”
— AFP
Acting is Like a Vacation: Jessica Alba
J
ESSICA Alba says acting
is like a “vacation”. The
33-year-old, who has
daughters Honor, six,
and
three-year-old
Haven with husband
Cash Warren, insists
working on a movie is
a much more “easy”
job than her day-today dealings with her
eco-friendly brand The
Honest Company, reports
ˆ‡ƒŽ‡ϐ‹”•–Ǥ…‘Ǥ—Ǥ Dz…–‹‰ ‹•
totally the easy job. It’s like
vacation! It’s also something I
have been doing for so long,” ELLE
magazine quoted Alba as saying.
Dz–ǯ• †‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž– „‡…ƒ—•‡ ›‘— Šƒ˜‡ –‘
be open and vulnerable and in the
moment. It’s hard for me to be in a
mental state to do all of that sometimes, but it’s much more the crea-
tive side of the brain.
“That’s tough for a lot
of people and it’s tough
for me... My day-to-day
stress is running my
business and knowing I am part of a bigger movement with
my company,” she
added.
The
33-year-old
actress feels a lot more
“pressure” in her business, but she is willing to
work hard at it to make her
family proud.
“We have a lot of employees who
rely on us and lots of customers to
deliver this quality product to.
I do feel that pressure and I also
want my kids and husband and family to be proud of me. It’s a completely
different business,” she said.
Taylor Swift, Calvin
Spotted Together
P
HOTOGRAPHS featuring singer Taylor
Swift and DJ Calvin Harris together in
Nashville have added fuel to rumours that
the duo has been dating.
According to celebrity gossip site Perez Hilton, the “Blank Space” hitmaker and
Scottish DJ were spotted holding hands together during their outing on Wednesday,
reports aceshowbiz.com.
In two photographs posted by a fan,
Swift and Harris were seen wearing simiŽƒ”–‘‡‘—–ϐ‹–•Ǥ
The “Shake it off” songstress sported a
long-sleeved dark grey tee, a black skater
skirt and black boots.
She tied her hair in a low ponytail and
carried a black handbag.
The 31-year-old music producer wore
a short-sleeved dark grey tee, black pants
and a pair of sneakers.
He was seen carrying a shopping bag
too.
Š‡ϐ‹”•–‹ƒ‰‡•Š‘™‡†™‹ˆ–ƒ†ƒ”ris talking to a young female fan outside
a restaurant, while in the second photograph, the rumoured couple was seen
walking side-by-side at a parking lot.
Š‡†—‘ǯ•†ƒ–‹‰”—‘—”•ϐ‹”•–‡‡”‰‡†
last week after she, Selena Gomez, Ellie
Goulding and HAIM headed to Las Vegas to
watch the DJ’s performance at Hakkasan
nightclub.
Harris reportedly sent a private jet for
–Š‡ •‹‰‡” ƒ† –Š‡ ‰‹”Ž• –‘ ϐŽ› –Š‡ ˆ”‘
New York to Las Vegas.
DzƒŽ˜‹ ƒ…–—ƒŽŽ› …Šƒ”–‡”‡† –Š‡ Œ‡– –‘ ϐŽ›
Taylor and her mates over to see him in
Las Vegas.
Ellie, Selena and the HAIM sister all
joined her for the trip and they had a great
time,” a source told Heat Magazine, reports
aceshowbiz.com
Barrymore Feels Like
Kangaroo After Childbirth
A
CTRESS Drew Barrymore,
who has two daughters
†‘‡•ǯ–ˆ‡‡Ž…‘ϐ‹†‡–ƒ„‘—–
her curves anymore. In fact, she
ˆ‡‡Ž•Ž‹‡ƒƒ‰‘”‘‘Ǩ
Dzˆ–‡” ƒ‹‰ –™‘ „ƒ„‹‡•ǡ Š‘Ž›
…‘™ǡ†‘‡•›‘—”„‘†›†‘•‘‡…”ƒœ› •–—ˆˆǨ –ǯ• Šƒ”† –‘ •–ƒ› ’‘•‹–‹˜‡
and love yourself.
‘—ˆ‡‡ŽŽ‹‡ƒƒ‰ƒ”‘‘™‹–Šƒ
‰‹ƒ– ’‘—…ŠǢ ‡˜‡”›–Š‹‰ǯ• •ƒ‰‰›
ƒ† ™‡‹”†ǡdz –‘Ž† Glamour magaœ‹‡ ‹ ƒ ‹–‡”˜‹‡™ǡ ”‡’‘”–• ƒ…‡•Š‘™„‹œǤ…‘
‘™‡˜‡”ǡ •Š‡ Šƒ• ƒ ’‘•‹–‹˜‡
™ƒ›‘ˆŽ‘‘‹‰ƒ–‹––‘‘Ǥ
DzǤǤǤ–Š‹ ƒ„‘—– Š‘™ „‡ƒ—–‹ˆ—Ž ‹–
‹• –Šƒ– ›‘—ǯ”‡ ƒ„Ž‡ –‘ ƒ‡ …Š‹Ždren.
Š‡Ž‘•‡•‹‰Š–‘ˆ–Šƒ–ǡ‡š‡”…‹•‡ǡ”‡ƒ†”‡—••ǯ•ǮŠǡ–Š‡Žƒ…‡•‘—ǯŽŽ
‘Ǩǯǡƒ†•’‡†–‹‡™‹–Š
›‹†•Ǥ
Š‡ •–ƒ”– –‘ •‡‡ –Š‹‰• –Šƒ–
ƒ”‡ „‹‰‰‡” –Šƒ ›•‡Žˆǡdz •Š‡ …‘–‹—‡†Ǥ
However, Barrymore loves one
–Š‹‰–Š‡‘•–ˆ”‘Š‡”„‘†›ƒ†
–Šƒ– ‹• Š‡” „Ž‘†‡ Šƒ‹”Ǥ Dz› Šƒ‹”
ȋ‹•›ˆƒ˜‘—”‹–‡ˆ‡ƒ–—”‡ȌǤ––ƒ‡•ƒ
Ž‹…‹‰ƒ†‡‡’•‘–‹…‹‰Ǥ
†‡•–”‘›‹––‹‡ƒ†–‹‡ƒ‰ƒ‹ǡ
ƒ† ‹–ǯ• •–‹ŽŽ –Š‡”‡ǡ •‡‹ǦŠƒ’’›ǡ Ž‘˜‡ ’Žƒ›‹‰ ™‹–Š ‹–Ǣ ‹–ǯ• Ž‹‡ ›
’‡”•‘ƒŽ’Žƒ–Ȅ‡‡’‰‡––‹‰–‘
’”—‡ ‹–ǡdz –Š‡ Dz—•‹… † ›”‹…•dz
ƒ…–”‡•••ƒ‹†Ǥ
ƒ””›‘”‡ ‰ƒ˜‡ „‹”–Š –‘ ‡Ž†‡•–
†ƒ—‰Š–‡” Ž‹˜‡ ƒ””›‘”‡ ‘’‡Žƒ ‹ ‡’–‡„‡” ʹͲͳʹǡ ƒ† •‡…-
‘† †ƒ—‰Š–‡” ”ƒ‹‡ ƒ””›‘”‡
‘’‡Žƒ‹’”‹ŽʹͲͳͶǤ
Š‡ ‰‹”Ž•ǯ ˆƒ–Š‡” ‹• ƒ ƒ”– …‘•—Ž–ƒ– ‹ŽŽ ‘’‡Žƒǡ –‘ ™Š‘
–Š‡ ƒ…–”‡•• Šƒ• „‡‡ ƒ””‹‡†
•‹…‡—‡ʹͲͳʹǤ