President Tony Tan hosts reception for 2013 Special Olympics team

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Special Olympians had a special reception at the Istana on Saturday.

President Tony Tan Keng Yam and his wife hosted the athletes, officials and coaches who represented the nation at the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games, held in Pyeongchang, South Korea last month.

The athletes were invited to the Istana, after bringing home an unprecedented eight medals. Four of them were gold medals.

The medals were won in the short track speed skating category.

The skaters and the floor hockey team were introduced to the president, who paid tribute to the athletes.

President Tan said: "Not only was this an achievement, the team which we sent also won the first medals for Singapore at an international skating competition. Our athletes in this Special Olympics Winter Games, have, I believe, indeed been very brave and very courageous. They flew the Singapore flag high at the Special Olympics World Winter Games, and they were an inspiration to many Singaporeans."

- CNA/xq

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Canada's Q4 GDP flat, growth at 1.8% for 2012

OTTAWA: Canada's economy grew 1.8 percent last year, a bit less than the central bank's forecast and down from 2.6 percent in 2011, the government statistics agency said on Friday.

Gross domestic product in the fourth quarter was up 0.2 percent, similar to the previous quarter's gains, as mining and oil and gas extraction was up and manufacturing recorded a significant decrease.

The arts and entertainment sector, transportation and warehousing as well as wholesale trade also declined while construction, the public sector, utilities and the finance and insurance sector increased in the last three months of 2012.

Household spending was up.

Business investment on machinery and equipment continued to be weak, with fewer purchases of heavy trucks and buses, and more aircraft and computer outlays. Following 12 months of anaemic government spending, it ticked up slightly in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Business inventories were "sharply lower" in the fourth quarter, said Statistics Canada. Manufacturers' and wholesalers' inventories were down while retailers' inventories rose.

Imports were down, and exports edged up. Disposable income inched up, but Canadians saved less.

- AFP/al

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US pledges US$60m for Syria opposition

ROME: The United States on Thursday pledged US$60 million in "non-lethal" assistance for the Syrian political opposition to President Bashar al-Assad as well as the first direct US aid to rebel fighters in the form of food and medical assistance.

"The US will be providing an additional US$60 million in non-lethal assistance to support the efforts of the Syrian opposition coalition over the coming months," US Secretary of State John Kerry said after talks between the 11-nation Friends of Syria and the opposition in Rome.

"We will be sending medical supplies and food to the (rebel) Supreme Military Council, so there will be direct assistance," he added.

"All Syrians... must know that they can have a future," Kerry said.

A State Department official said the US$60 million (49 million euros) in aid would be used to help local councils and communities in liberated areas in Syria, to provide basic goods and services and "fulfil administrative functions including security, sanitation and education services."

The official said the new money was in addition to US$50 million in non-lethal support Washington has already provided to help Syrian opposition activists, including communications equipment.

That aid was provided through Turkey, while the United States has also contributed some US$380 million dollars in humanitarian aid through UN agencies and aid groups.

Asked about congressional approval of the funding, Kerry told journalists he was "very confident for rapid delivery".

He said the goal was to give a boost to the opposition and show Assad that he could not use violence to resolve the conflict.

"This is the beginning of the process that will change (Assad's) calculation."

The announcement of aid came as news broke of a car bomb explosion in a suburb of the flashpoint city of Homs that left "dead and wounded", according to state news agency SANA, which blamed "terrorists" for the blast.

Kerry had earlier met for about an hour with opposition leader Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib at the 16th-century Villa Madama on a hilltop above Rome.

The Rome talks come two days before an important meeting of the main opposition National Coalition on Saturday in Istanbul, where the umbrella group is to elect a prime minister and government to run parts of Syria seized from Assad's control.

A watchdog reported, meanwhile, that rebels had seized control of the Umayyad Mosque in the second city of Aleppo after days of fierce clashes that damaged the historic building.

Regime troops were forced to withdraw at dawn, taking up positions in buildings around the landmark structure, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Officials from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates took part in the Rome talks, as well as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

The Syrian opposition -- which initially vowed a boycott -- had been lured back to the meeting after the US and Britain promised specific offers of help.

In Paris on Wednesday, Kerry said he wanted to hear from Khatib about how best to end the violence in Syria, where the United Nations says at least 70,000 have died and hundreds of thousands have been uprooted since the conflict broke out in March 2011.

US media including The New York Times and Washington Post have reported that the "non-lethal" aid to be provided to the opposition could include equipment such as vehicles, communications gear and night-vision goggles.

The New York Times also reported that a US mission training rebels at a base in the region was already under way.

Russia, Assad's most powerful supporter, has kept up pressure for the two sides in the Syrian conflict to sit down for negotiations.

In Moscow, French President Francois Hollande said ahead of a meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that a political solution to the Syrian crisis was possible within weeks.

"I think that in the next few weeks we will manage to find a political solution that will stop the conflict from escalating," Hollande told Echo of Moscow radio station in comments translated into Russian.

Hollande stressed Russia's key role as a member of the UN Security Council, where it has vetoed resolutions that would have put pressure on Assad to end hostilities.

"We must finally start the process of political dialogue that has not yet started on the territory of Syria."

"President Putin and I both understand all the seriousness of the situation. And even though our positions at the moment differ, we want to find the best solution for Syria."

- AFP/xq

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Portugal seizes 79 tonnes of meat containing horse

LISBON: Portuguese authorities said they had launched fraud proceedings after seizing 79 tonnes of wholesale food and thousands of packaged meals that contained horsemeat despite not being labelled with it.

The 79 tonnes of "meat and meat-based products" were seized in plants that processed, packaged and distributed meat to supermarkets, the government's Economic and Food Safety Authority said in a statement.

Authorities also seized nearly 19,000 packets of food "such as lasagne, hamburgers, canneloni and meatballs" in retail and distribution outlets, said the statement published on Tuesday.

Five criminal cases of fraud were opened over the seizures, it added, without giving further derails.

A vast food scandal has erupted across Europe after horsemeat was found in supposedly beef ready-made meals and burgers in Britain and Ireland.

Among various companies implicated in the scandal, Swiss food giant Nestle last week withdrew dishes destined for restaurants in Portugal, Spain and Italy.

- AFP/xq

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Impact of China's demand for iron ore on shipping industry

SINGAPORE : China's appetite for iron ore may be among the few bright spots for the shipping industry this year, although there are still many empty vessels plying the waterways.

Analysts have said that those unable to wait out the recovery are likely to go under.

After years of low freight rates, overcapacity and few cargoes, dry bulk shipping firms are finally seeing the light on the horizon.

Credit Suisse predicts China's appetite for iron ore will grow 11 per cent this year, fuelling a pick-up for shippers.

Credit Suisse expects this to spur global commodity demand to 5.3 per cent, from 4.8 per cent last year.

Mercator Lines (Singapore) believes 2013 may be a turning point.

During its third quarter, the dry bulk shipping company was forced to lower its debt by selling one vessel, and terminating settlement agreements with two of its chartered vessels in advance.

Shalabh Mittal, CEO of Mercator Lines (Singapore), said: "We have seen the worst in 2012. 2013 will be more of consolidation...We have already seen the current freight rates are better than 2012's average. So even though it is a very small increase from a very small base, the sentiments reflect that the growth in trade is happening."

But that does not mean a quick turnaround for the global market.

Industry watchers expect overcapacity rates to remain high.

ICAP Shipping said there is still an oversupply of about 16 per cent in the dry cargo market.

Christopher Jones, director of Sale & Purchase at ICAP Shipping, said: "This year, we do not see too much of an improvement. One of the key factors is the oversupply of tonnage in all sectors.

"Freight rates are still lolloping and we seize on any kind of upturn, but analysing ore trades into China for example, they are very slack at the moment because of the high price of iron ore."

ICAP Shipping added that unless more older vessels exit the market by 'scrapping', or the demolition of old ships, market fundamentals are not going to return to equilibrium anytime soon.

Meanwhile, others unable to hold out will either have to fold or find a more profitable business to operate in, like oil and gas.

Patrik Wheater, editor of Shipping World & Shipbuilder, said: "We are seeing a lot of diversification in the shipbuilding side. Shipyards, either building bulk carriers, tankers, that market is not as good as it once was, so they need to diversify and look at other segments and the oil and gas segment is a saving grace for some yards.

"Although last year 900 Chinese shipyards closed, more shipyards are likely to close in China this year."

So far in 2013, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI), the key benchmark for international freight rates, has risen 6.4 per cent, a minor recovery at least, from last year's near 60 per cent slump.

- CNA/ms

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Fidel Castro backs move to younger leadership: report

HAVANA: Fidel Castro and the Cuban communist party have given the green light for reforms paving the way for a new, younger generation of leaders in the single-party state, state media said Monday.

As expected, Sunday's session of Cuba's National Assembly re-elected Castro's 82-year-old brother Raul to serve a second and final five-year presidential term.

But the assembly also promoted Miguel Diaz-Canel, 52, already a member of the Council of State, to a senior vice presidency of that panel, making him the number two figure in the regime.

The official newspaper Granma said Monday that the changes were approved on Sunday at a meeting of the Communist Party central committee, whose members had not been told in advance of the changes.

Castro, 86, attended Sunday's meeting, in which the National Assembly that was elected February 3 with no opposition candidates took up its seats.

It chose a new 31-member council of state, Cuba's top executive body, with Raul Castro again as its president.

Diaz-Canel already had a post, but was promoted to first vice president, sweeping past some Castro revolutionary era veterans who are historic figures of the gerontocracy that now rules the country.

Diaz-Canel, as political heir, cuts a starkly different profile from the revolutionary leadership, whose members are mostly in their 80s.

If he comes to lead Cuba, he would be the first leader of the regime whose entire life has been under the Castro regime that started in January 1959.

Barring any changes, Diaz-Canel would succeed Raul Castro, who will be 82 in June, if the president serves out his term through 2018.

Fidel Castro stepped aside as president in 2006. Raul Castro took over as acting president and officially became leader in 2008.

-AFP/fl

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Egypt protesters block doors to Cairo administrative hub

CAIRO: Protesters on Sunday blocked the doors to Cairo's main administrative building as part of a growing campaign of civil disobedience around the country against Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

A group of protesters closed the doors of the Mugamma, a massive labyrinth of bureaucratic offices on the edge of Tahrir Square, leaving only a side exit for employees to leave, employees told AFP.

"This is a call for civil disobedience... We want the implementation of the goals of the revolution such as social justice as well as a delay of parliamentary elections," which is set for April 22, one of the protesters told AFP, declining to give his name.

"We must break the monopoly of the state by Brotherhood," he said of the Islamist movement from which Morsi hails.

Since a November decree that pushed through an Islamist-drafted constitution, Egypt has been deeply divided between Morsi's Islamist supporters and a wide-ranging opposition that accuses the president of betraying the uprising that brought him to office and consolidating power in the hands of his Muslim Brotherhood.

Outside the Mugamma, the protesters threatened to extend their protest, adding that the next step could be to close down the television building which also houses the information ministry.

In the northern city of Kafr el-Sheikh, hundreds of quarry workers stormed the governorate headquarters to protest against working conditions and forced employees out of the building, chanting against governor Saad al-Husseini, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

A crippling economic crisis has also fuelled the anger.

Bakeries across Egypt have threatened to go on strike on Thursday due to rising wheat prices, a potentially devastating move in a country where many rely on subsidised bread as the main food staple.

Thousands are employed at the Mugamma, which houses passport offices, tax offices and various other government agencies.

"A small group of young people closed the main doors of the building and they are not letting anyone in," one employee told AFP from inside the building.

The protesters "did not enter the building," the employee said.

"They have left a door open and said employees who finish their shift must leave and that they won't let anyone in," a witness said.

The Mugamma has been closed before, most recently during protests marking two years since the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising.

A general strike in the canal city of Port Said, meanwhile, entered its second week on Sunday, with most shops and factories closed down.

- AFP/fa

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Britain clings to austerity despite AAA loss

LONDON: British finance minister George Osborne insisted Saturday that he would not abandon his deficit-cutting drive after Moody's stripped the country of its coveted triple-A debt rating.

The opposition lashed Osborne, saying his plan for the economy was shot through, while analysts said that although it was an embarrassment for him, the downgrade would have a limited impact in the markets.

In an expected rebuff to London's hopes that sharp spending cuts would both gradually eliminate the deficit and revive growth, Moody's rating agency cut Britain's grade by one notch to Aa1 on Friday.

Osborne said it was a "loud and clear message that Britain cannot let up in dealing with its debts, dealing with its problems, cannot let up in making sure that Britain can pay its way in the world.

"What is the message from the ratings agency? Britain's got a debt problem. I agree with that. I've been telling the country for years that we've got a debt problem, we've got to deal with it.

"What do they also say? That if we abandon our commitment to deal with that debt problem, then our situation would get very much worse and I'm absolutely clear that we must not do that."

Asked if he had broken his commitment to protecting Britain's credit rating, he said the true test of credibility was whether Britain could borrow money.

"At the moment, we can do that very cheaply with very low interest rates precisely because people have confidence that we have got a plan," he said.

Moody's said government debt was still mounting and that growth was too weak to reverse the trend before 2016.

It described the British economy as constrained both by turgid global growth and the drag from businesses and the government rapidly slashing their debt burdens.

Calling it a "humiliating blow", Labour opposition finance spokesman Ed Balls said Osborne had failed in his chief stated mission of retaining Britain's AAA status.

"The reality is an economy which is not growing, a deficit which is getting bigger, families in real stress and a government which is ploughing on regardless with a plan which is not working," he told BBC television.

"Saying 'the medicine is not working, let's increase the dose of the medicine' -- that is completely crazy economics."

However, Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight research group, said that the market had been anticipating the downgrade for some time, though Britain's pound sterling currency may be vulnerable.

"It does focus attention on the UK economy's extended and ongoing serious problems," he said.

"The loss of the AAA rating certainly puts pressure on Mr Osborne to come up with more initiatives in the (March 20) budget to try and boost growth.

"While an embarrassment for the government and a cause for piqued pride, we suspect that the loss of the AAA rating will have only a limited negative impact for the UK economy."

Mark Littlewood, director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs free-market think-tank, said: "The damaging impact of ballooning national debt, public spending raging out of control and tax rises should not be underestimated.

"Taking immediate action to tackle the deficit must now be the priority. George Osborne should focus on making sufficient savings in public spending to implement a substantial programme of tax reductions."

Meanwhile Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at stockbrokers BGC Partners, said the downgrade was not a reason for an economic policy change.

"Any amount of manipulation by attempted false stimulation of the economy in an attempt to create 'artificial' growth would in my view make an already bad deficit problem even worse," he said.

"We have all lived beyond our means for far too long.

"If the UK deficit is to be brought down and the task of reducing the debt mountain begun, Mr Osborne has no option but to stick to his guns.

"We are light years away from returning to growth."

- AFP/fa

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Volkswagen says net profit up 40% in 2012

FRANKFURT: Volkswagen, Europe's biggest car manufacturer, said on Friday that its net profit zoomed ahead by more the 40 percent last year on higher vehicle sales.

VW said in a statement its net profit soared by 40.9 percent to a record 21.7 billion euros ($28.6 billion) in 2012 as revenues rose by 20.9 percent to 192.7 billion euros and deliveries to customers were up 12.2 percent at 9.276 million vehicles.

Underlying or operating profit rose by 2.1 percent to 11.51 billion euros.

The group said it would propose an increased dividend of 3.50 euros per share for 2012 compared with 3.00 euros per share a year earlier.

Looking ahead, VW said it expected to "outperform the market as a whole in a challenging environment" and deliveries to customers would increase year-on-year.

"However, we are not completely immune to the intense competition and the impact this has on business," it cautioned.

While 2013 sales revenues were expected to exceed the 2012 level, "given the ongoing uncertainty in the economic environment, our goal for operating profit is to match the prior-year level in 2013," VW said.

Despite the car manufacturer's strong 2012 performance, analysts had been expecting an even stronger gain in profits last year.

As a result, VW shares were the biggest losers on the Frankfurt stock exchange in afternoon trading, plummeting 4.26 percent while the overall market was showing a gain of 0.81 percent.

- AFP/de

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International standard schools face shutdown after Indonesia court ruling

JAKARTA: Ten years ago, Indonesia set up international standard schools with the aim of producing globally-competitive students.

But some say the project was a failure... and the Constitutional Court has recently called for the schools to be disbanded, as they are now considered to be discriminatory.

Students in one of the classes are learning Chemistry... not in Bahasa Indonesia, but in English.

This is one out of over 1,300 public schools nationwide that run classes following international standards.

The project that began in 2003 was meant to groom Indonesian students to compete globally.

Besides the national curriculum, schools employ internationally-recognised curricula and set higher standards for student enrolment and teacher qualification.

Anwar Farid, Vice Principal of SMA 68 High School, said: "The standards set in the programme motivate teachers to get a Masters degree and reach a certain TOEFL score of English proficiency. It motivates teachers to reach a higher standard. The applied curriculum combines the national curriculum and the Cambridge curriculum. This enhances teachers' and students' knowledge."

In international standard classes, Science, Math, Chemistry, Physics and Biology are mostly taught in English.

Adam Abdullah, an SMA 68 high school student, said: "This is a globalisation era, we need to speak English everywhere, even in our own country."

But a recent Constitutional Court ruling will put an end to these international standard schools, as they are now considered to be unconstitutional and discriminatory.

Febri Hendri, Public Service Monitoring Division, Indonesia Corruption Watch, said: "International standard schools provoke discrimination against other schools and within the community. Discrimination comes from the government giving privilege and much financial assistance to international standard schools."

International Standard Schools or RSBI school get a block grant from the government ranging from US$20,000 to US$50,000 a year for the first three years.

They are also allowed to charge higher school fees - US$2,500 a year - that includes Cambridge curriculum books and annual exams.

Students at regular or "normal track" public schools don't have to pay any school fees.

Ridha Tobing, a SMA 68 high school student, said: "There are also bad things about maintaining this RSBI. It's making different social gaps in terms of our SMA 68 school and other schools that are non-RSBI schools. It makes us look better, more educated, and more skilful."

The Education and Culture Minister is devising a new plan to keep some of the programmes under the international standard school plan but didn't clarify how he'll be able to keep English as the primary language of instruction as it is now deemed illegal.

The Constitutional Court Chief Justice said the Ministry has until April to decide the status of the schools, but will allow international standard schools to operate normally until the end of the school year in June.

- CNA/de

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Annabel Pennefather named Chef de Mission for SEA Games in Myanmar

SINGAPORE: Miss Annabel Pennefather has been named Chef de Mission for the Singapore contingent at this year's SEA Games in Myanmar.

This will be her fifth time as Chef de Mission to Singapore's contingent.

Previously, she filled that role at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2006 Asian Games in Doha and most recently, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

- CNA/de

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SGX to review listing rules to protect retail investors of troubled firms

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Exchange (SGX) is looking at reviewing listing rules to better protect retail investors of troubled firms.

This was revealed in a letter to the Securities Investors Association (Singapore) (SIAS) from SGX deputy chief regulatory officer Richard Teng.

SGX was responding to SIAS' earlier proposals to safeguard investors of foreign issuers on the SGX.

The exchange said SIAS' proposals have been discussed and considered by its newly formed working committee to review the SGX listing rules.

Among the committee's proposals are to give SGX legal powers to appoint special auditors or other professionals to help or investigate troubled companies.

It added that there could also be a requirement that imposes a minimum notice period before board directors of listed companies can effectively resign.

In the meantime, SIAS said retail investors who own shares from foreign companies continue to face risks in recover their investments "should the untoward happen to any of the foreign issuers."

In a separate announcement, SGX said that it has formed a working committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the listing manual to enhance the robustness, efficacy and relevance of the listing framework in Singapore.

The new committee comprised capital market stakeholders, including representatives from the SGX, Association of Banks in Singapore, Singapore Institute of Directors, law firms, accounting firms and company secretarial firms.

The committee has commenced its review to identify areas of possible enhancements to strengthen Singapore's attractiveness as a capital market.

- CNA/fa

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EU agrees new sanctions against North Korea after nuclear test

BRUSSELS: The European Union agreed a raft of new sanctions on Monday against North Korea in retaliation for the country's nuclear test last week, EU officials said.

The measures range from financial measures to travel bans and asset freezes against individuals.

The sanctions include the implementation of individual sanctions approved at UN level as well as EU restrictions on financial dealings and trade sanctions on items potentially linked to Pyonyang's ballistic and nuclear programmes, the source said.

"It is a tough package that aims to mark our opposition to the nuclear test," conducted by Pyonyang on February 12, said a senior EU diplomat who asked not to be named.

The UN Security Council on January 22 ordered expanded sanctions against North Korea, adding its state space agency, a bank, four trading companies and four individuals to an existing UN sanctions list.

- AFP/de

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Pope calls for Church to "renew", thousands flock to Angelus

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI called on the Church and its faithful on Sunday to "renew themselves" as tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists attended his penultimate Angelus prayers.

Families with young children, pensioners and nuns packed into the square in the sunshine said they had come to pay their respects to the pope, make their goodbyes or just share in a historic event ahead of Benedict's resignation.

Groups of scouts held up banners reading "We have loved you so much!" and "We will be with you... always" and said they wanted to show Benedict that his shock decision to stand down on February 28 had not shaken their faith in him.

"He has done it for the good of the Church, and will keep serving us," said Germana Blaiotta.

A serene-looking Benedict waved to the crowds and thanked them for turning out in such large numbers, calling it a "sign of affection and spiritual closeness", as the onlookers called out "viva il papa" (long live the pope).

The Vatican said over 50,000 people had turned out to see the 85-year-old pope, while local authorities put the number at over 100,000.

Benedict, whose surpise announcement last Monday that he would step down after eight years rocked the Church, called on the world's faithful to "refocus on God by disowning pride and egoism".

His words were seemed by some to hold a veiled reference to internal bickering within the Church in recent months, as well as the jostle for power as cardinals from all over the world prepare to vote in his successor.

"Benedict did everything for the Church, he was always in the limelight but they did nothing but criticise him and try and undermine him. Whoever follows him will have to have strong nerves," said Margherita Yager, 61, from Germany.

Christine Renier, a 48-year-old teacher from Paris, said she was in Rome on holiday and had wanted to see the pontiff before he retires to a secluded monastery behind the Vatican walls for a life of contemplation.

"It is a sad day, but I think Benedict was actually too rigid and lost many faithful among the young. I'm hoping for a pope who can throw out the bureaucracy and get back to the Church's roots, perhaps an African," she said.

Amid speculation over which of the 117 cardinals in the running might snap up the Vatican's top job, Italian media said Cardinal Angelo Scola, the Archbishop of Milan, was among the favourites backed by Benedict.

After meeting the pope on Saturday, Scola said Benedict had told him "you have to become a light for everyone", a phrase pounced on by the media as a clue.

"Significant words which will be weighed by everyone," said the Repubblica, while La Stampa agreed they were "meaningful words".

At St Peter's Square, tourists snapping souvenir photographs of Benedict on their smart phones said he may have revolutionised the papacy.

"This is a moment which will go down in history. He's opened the door to future resignations and I cannot see anyone suffering through an old age as pope again. From now on they'll retire," said Michele Agostino, 66.

Later Sunday, the pontiff will start a week-long spiritual retreat and have only very few public engagements before he formally steps down -- the first to resign voluntarily in 700 years.

Benedict will receive Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on February 23, celebrate his last Angelus prayer on February 24 and hold a final audience in St Peter's Square with tens of thousands of followers on February 27.

- AFP/xq

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Pertapis children's home using music to boost academic performance

SINGAPORE: Pertapis children's home is trying to raise its residents' academic achievements through using music as educational therapy.

As part of the programme, the children learn to play various musical instruments.

It is one way to help them express themselves and focus better on their studies as a result.

The home is also getting help from partners like Hwa Chong Institution for lessons on playing other instruments.

At the end of the music therapy programme, the children will be performing in a concert next month, where their family members are invited to attend.

Pertapis has seen positive changes in the children.

Haloyah Atana, administrator at Pertapis said: "We have seen slight improvements in their studies such as increase in marks in the exams. They are also more forthcoming in seeking help.They are more open and able to manage their daily needs."

- CNA/xq

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Eurozone returns to trade surplus

BRUSSELS: The 17-nation eurozone posted a 2012 trade surplus of 81.8 billion euros ($108 billion), more than reversing a deficit of 15.7 billion euros in 2011, official data showed Friday.

For December, the eurozone had a trade surplus of 11.7 billion euros, down from 13 billion euros in November, as exports fell 1.8 percent and imports by 3.0 percent, the Eurostat agency said.

For the wider 27-member EU, December showed a trade deficit of some 700 million euros after a deficit of 1.9 billion euros in November, as exports dropped 1.9 percent and imports were down 1.6 percent.

For 2012, the full EU suffered a trade deficit of 104.6 billion euros, improving from a deficit of 162.7 billion euros in 2011.

Eurostat said that for the January-November 2012 period, the EU 27 deficit on energy increased to 388.6 billion euros from 354.6 billion euros in the same period a year earlier, while the bloc enjoyed a surplus in manufactured goods of 330.8 billion euros, up from 224.9 billion euros.

Among member states for the same period, powerhouse Germany had the biggest trade surplus at 174.6 billion euros, followed by the Netherlands, Ireland and the Czech Republic.

Britain had the largest deficit at 152.9 billion euros, with France, Spain and Greece next.

- AFP/al

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Life in Kashmir inches back to normalcy after curfew lift

SRINAGAR: Life in Indian Kashmir is slowly returning to normal as authorities lift a curfew in phases. The curfew was imposed during the weekend after the execution of a Kashmiri militant.

The Batmalu area of Srinagar in Kashmir valley was under curfew since Saturday, after Afzal Guru was hanged in Central Prison in Delhi.

Since Guru came from the valley, police anticipating any kind of backlash had imposed a curfew in the region. But now, the police is slowly and gradually relaxing the curfew, depending on the condition in a day-to-day manner.

S M Sahi, inspector general of police in Kashmir, said: "We take these decisions on a daily basis, so what we will see when the day gets over today, then we will take a decision for tomorrow, and of course we are in favour of relaxation as much as possible and we will work towards that."

The relaxation in the curfew has brought a sigh of relief for the people who live in the valley, and people by and large want the curfew to be relaxed, but in a phased manner so that there are no incidents of violence and the valley remains peaceful.

Resident Ansar Ahmad said: "If the curfew is relaxed step by step, then it'll be good because there won't be too much violence."

Newspapers are also back in circulation. There was no censorship of press as such but because of the curfew, the newspapers were not reaching the residents.

- CNA/xq

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Apple loses rights to iPhone trademark in Brazil

BRASILIA: Regulators in Brazil on Wednesday rejected Apple's application to register its iPhone trademark in the country, having already recognized a local manufacturer's claim to the name.

The Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) "denied Apple registration of the iPhone trademark," the institute's press office told AFP. The decision was officially published by the INPI.

- AFP/fa

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Cycling: Sagan wins second stage in Oman, takes lead

AL BUSTAN, Oman: Slovakia's Peter Sagan won the second stage of the Tour of Oman on Tuesday and moved into the overall lead, following a 146km run from Fanja in Bidbid to Al Bustan, close to the Oman Sea.

The 23-year-old Cannondale rider broke free from the pack in the final kilometre to finish nine seconds in front of Frenchman Tony Gallopin, with Swiss rider Martin Elmiger a further two seconds back.

Sagan, the defending Slovakian champion, also won stage two on last year's race and counts three stages wins to his name on both the Tour de France and Tour of Spain in a career that continues to flourish.

Last year's Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins endured a frustrating start to his challenge during stage one on Monday as he came in last over a minute behind stage winner Marcel Kittel.

The popular British rider was delayed by a pile-up in the last few kilometres of the 162km stage and came in 1min 30sec adrift of the leaders.

However, Team Sky are confident they will win an appeal on the basis that according to rules governing crashes, he should be awarded the same time as those riders he was riding within the closing 3km of a stage.

"There was a crash with 2km to go," said Team Sky's sports director Nicolas Portal.

"Bradley was not caught up in it but he was behind it and there was a little split in the peloton as the riders slowed down. So, with the 3km rule he should be fine."

The official results still listed the Olympic time-trial champion as 142nd and last before the start of stage two as Team Sky await a decision on their appeal.

The six-stage race continues on Wednesday with the third stage route over 190km between Nakhal Fort and Wadi Dayqah Dam, which features a profile that will again suit the likes of attacking riders like Sagan.

- AFP/al

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Two Nobel Prize winners share their success stories

SINGAPORE: Fifteen internationally-renowned scientists were in Singapore recently for the inaugural Global Young Scientists Summit.

Among them were Nobel Prize winners Eric Cornell and Ada Yonath, who gave talks, participated in panel discussions and mentored young scientists during their time in Singapore.

The discoveries that garnered them the prestigious Nobel Prize were years in the making.

In 2009, Professor Yonath became the first woman in 45 years to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry - after documenting the spatial structure of a ribosome, which are used by cells to make protein.

She said the discovery - the culmination of 20 years of research - was a dream come true.

"This was overwhelming, it is unbelievable, inside me I couldn't sleep, I saw it all the time," said Ms Yonath.

For Professor Cornell, who lost an arm to flesh-eating bacteria a few years ago, his discovery was the highlight of his career.

The physicist was one half of the duo that created a new form of matter - called a Bose-Einstein condensate, which had been predicted as early as the 1920s, but had never been proven up to that point.

Professor Cornell, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001, said: "It was exciting to win the Nobel Prize but not as exciting as it was to make the experiment work. It was 1995 when the experiment worked, I loved that! It was a sense of great power and excitement."

The loss of his left arm hasn't stopped him from going about his life and work as per normal. Professor Cornell said: "It wasn't very difficult to adapt...I am at a point in my career where I do not use my hands to adjust the apparatus.

"I have graduate students who are working, and I explain to them what to do, and they do it. So it hasn't changed my life very much. I have learnt how to type very rapidly with one hand..."

For both, science was a love affair that began when they were very young.

When she was five years old, Professor Yonath fell two floors trying to gauge the distance between the floor and the ceiling. She broke her hand in many places.

Meanwhile, Professor Cornell used to solve physics brainteasers when he had trouble falling asleep.

He said: "For me, I feel that learning physics is like discovering the secrets. You know maybe you are an actor, and performing in a play, and you get to go behind the scenes and see how the play comes together.

"I think as a physicist, it is like that. You get to go behind the scenes, find out what is really going on. I feel it is almost like secret knowledge."

And it is a love affair that has endured.

Professor Yonath said: "Once it becomes boring, I will stop. As long as it is interesting, my curiosity drives me. Passion for science and curiosity."

Both scientists said that summits which bring an international mix of young scientists together could pave the way for future collaborations.

- CNA/ms

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