Paul Walker’s car wreckage thief jailed

Nine months after Paul Walker died in a fiery one-car accident, a teenager who stole a part of the actor’s wrecked Porsche from the crash site has been dealt a deathblow. Jameson Brooks Witty, 18, was sentenced to six months in jail on Thursday for stealing a rooftop panel of his car, soon after the Fast and Furious star was killed in the accident, reported Reuters.

Witty, who is one of the two people arrested for taking the car part, pleaded guilty this month to grand theft of property, destroying evidence and obstructing a peace officer, a statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.

A Los Angeles County judge on Thursday sentenced Witty to six months in county jail and three years of probation, said Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office. Anthony Edward Janow, 26, who pleaded guilty to the same charges is scheduled to be sentenced in October, prosecutors said. It is expected that he will be given the same sentence.

The untimely death of Walker in Santa Clarita, California, 48 kilometres northwest of Los Angeles, forced a temporary halt to the production of the seventh instalment of the multibillion-dollar Fast and Furious film franchise.

According to IANS, the accused were caught on camera taking out parts of the Porsche Carrera GT on November 30 after the tow truck removing it from the scene stopped at the traffic signal. After witnessing the crime, the tow-truck driver reported it to Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

The statement reads: “A witness saw a male exit a vehicle that was following the tow truck. The male grabbed a piece of the wrecked Porsche off the tow-truck bed. The male drove away with the stolen vehicle part.”

On the day of crash, someone using the Instagram handle ‘jamesonwitty’ posted photographs of a portion of the roof of a red Porsche and wrote, “Piece of Paul walker’s car, took it off a tow truck at a stop light.” Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies arrested Witty in December after searching his home.

Sweet tooth: Selling ice cream like a hot cake

KARACHI: 

Some business ideas make the news for their innovation. Some do due to their approach and aggressive expansion.

In what may inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, Alpine Gelato – a Hyderabad-based chain of ice cream parlours – is setting new standards in the ice cream business at a retail level despite the challenging environment that discourages investment.

It may still be a relatively unknown brand for most living in Karachi but the chain is rapidly increasing its footprint in the city. In fact, Alpine Gelato is easily the fastest growing ice cream retail chain in Karachi.

Having already tapped the market in Hyderabad, this local ice cream chain entered the provincial capital only recently. A year into its launch, it is already operating five outlets in the city and plans to open four more by the end of this year. This is, however, just the beginning.

All the five outlets currently get their supply from the Hyderabad factory. However, the owner has already bought a 2,500-yard plot at the National Industrial Park, Korangi Creek for its new manufacturing facility, which is expected to be operational in 2015 – a strong indication of the company’s expansion plan for the country’s largest consumer market.

“There should be at least 25 outlets of Alpine Gelato to cover a market the size of Karachi,” the Managing Director Muhammad Shahzad told The Express Tribune in a recent interview at his Korangi outlet.

Karachi is known for its hostile environment for businesses but Alpine Gelato’s rapid growth and expansion plan show strong resilience to challenges, such as power outages, violence and the worst of all – money extortion threats.

“There is no denying that the business community is facing many challenges but we should look for opportunities even in these difficult times,” the 46-year-old said. “If the situation was better, wouldn’t all the multinationals be here?” he asked.

A 2011-startup, which is looking good to expand across Karachi, has done well in Hyderabad by changing the way ice cream is sold – they raised the quality bar while keeping prices low forcing competition to improve their businesses.

This combination of a high-quality product coupled with affordable prices – Rs40 per scoop of 80 grams – is the sole reason for an overwhelming response the first outlet in Karachi received. It led competitors to even renovate their shops, make workers wear a uniform and improve hygiene to re-attract customers who were lost to Alpine Gelato in a matter of weeks.

With the Korangi outlet drawing a huge response, they opened four more outlets in Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Model Town (Malir) and North Nazimabad in a year – they are planning to open one each in Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Azizabad and Shadman Town this year.

Reasons behind the scoop

So what has been driving this rapid growth for a brand that is selling a scoop for as low as Rs50, which was increased this year after being Rs40 last year.

“It is not viable to run a single outlet by selling a scoop for Rs50,” Shahzad said. “We are using economies of scale.”

This is mainly why all of Alpine Gelato’s outlets are in areas where purchasing power is low but the footfall is very high. In other words, the company chose localities that make most of the city’s population.

The company focuses on quality standards that are followed by leading brands, such as Baskin-Robbins and Mövenpick, said Shahzad, but sells the product at a price that even the labour class can afford.

It offers more than 22 flavours – blueberry, belgian chocolate, mango, crunch, pineapple and pistachio being the hot-selling items – and a customised topping (at Rs10 per cup).

While he looks set to meet the target of 25 outlets in Karachi, Shahzad said he would certainly want to expand to other cities in the future.

“Lahore will be our next destination but that will require a factory in Punjab – which is not part of the current plan,” he said.

Anti-monopoly campaign: BMW’s Chinese dealers fined

BEIJING: 

Four Chinese dealers for German auto maker BMW have been fined about 1.6 million yuan ($260,000), authorities have said, as the government steps up a high-profile anti-monopoly campaign involving a number of foreign brands.

The dealers in Wuhan in the central province of Hubei have been ordered to pay the penalties for “forming a price alliance”, provincial authorities said in a statement.

They agreed to consistently charge a fee for the pre-delivery inspection of cars, which falls under “the obligations and responsibilities” of the auto maker and its dealers, according to the statement.

“This is price swindling behaviour and must be resolutely stopped immediately,” the authorities added.

The dealers were each fined between 150,000 yuan and nearly 940,000 yuan.

China has in recent months launched high-profile probes into alleged violations by a host of foreign firms in a range of different sectors including pharmaceuticals, technology and baby milk, raising fears that overseas companies are being targeted.

China’s Ministry of Commerce on Saturday released a statement emphasising that the country’s six-year-old Anti-Monopoly Law does not discriminate between foreign and domestic companies.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China expressed concern in a statement Wednesday that European businesses were “increasingly considering the question of whether foreign companies are being disproportionately targeted”.

Auto firms are the latest to be investigated, and last week the government pledged to sanction Audi, owned by Volkswagen, and Chrysler of the US, now part of Italy’s Fiat group, without stating what penalties they would receive.

On Monday, Audi announced it will accept punishment for breaching Chinese anti-monopoly laws.

The Hubei authorities also said in the statement that they were working on the penalties to be meted out to manufacturers and dealers of other auto brands including Audi.

Several car companies have announced price cuts in response to the inquiries.

Beijing considers using a dominant market position to set prices as a form of monopoly.

Violators’ “illegal gains” can be confiscated, and they can be fined up to 10% of their sales revenues from the previous year.

Karachi-Hyderabad: NHA to begin work on motorway soon

ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) will begin work on the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9) project soon.

An NHA official said the implementation of M-9 project was one of the top priorities of the authority and the Sindh government has been facilitating the NHA in administrative matters to ensure better and qualitative communication services to the people.

He said the 136-kilometre-long Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway was an important project not only for the commuters of both cities, but also for people of the entire country.

“Almost all the work except for 200 acres of land in Jamshoro district has been completed and hopefully construction will start this year,” he said.

To a question, he said at present Super Highway was in a dilapidated condition due to heavy traffic and expiry of its designed period.

He said for the repair and improvement of the highway, the NHA approved periodic maintenance schemes under the Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP) 2013-14 amounting to Rs305.28 million.

In the past few years, the NHA awarded the contract to two firms on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis but both failed to complete work according to conditions of the contract, hence their services were terminated.

The project will cost Rs6.3 billion and the scope of the work includes the expansion of the road from four to six lanes and provision of service areas.

Young entrepreneurs offered seed money, mentorship

KARACHI: 

In a development that would help entrepreneurs convert their ideas into successful business models – without worrying about funding, the National Entrepreneurship Working Group (NEW-G) and INJAZ Pakistan inaugurated a programme titled Business Startup Launch (BSL) at Aman Foundation’s head office on Wednesday.

BSL is a platform for startups, seeking angel investors for further expansion and young entrepreneurs who have progressive business ideas but face a dearth of funds.

Unlike most incubators, the platform is open to a variety of businesses and not just internet-based startups. In fact, half the teams that competed in the inaugural edition were running conventional businesses.

Once shortlisted for the BSL, the participants are allowed to pitch for funding, guidance and mentorships before a panel of judges – the most shortlisted participants or finalists are then eligible for a grant worth Rs1 million and 24 weeks of mentorship.

“Entrepreneurship is the biggest agent for economic progress, which is why NEW-G is working on Pakistan’s entrepreneurship ecosystem,” NEW-G President Rizwan Razvi told the audience in the inaugural speech.

Razvi said there was no infrastructure in the country for startup capital, making it difficult for entrepreneurs to execute their business plans. “Having a brilliant idea is one thing but converting it into a successful business model is the biggest challenge for any entrepreneur.”

These participants have made it to this round and the funding is available to them but they really have to earn it, Razvi said.

All the participating teams were instructed to sell their respective business plans to convince the judges and angel investors to justify why and how their project would be a success.

“For the first-ever edition, we received 10 applications,” said Faizan Rafi Hashmi, Academic Coordinator of INJAZ Pakistan – an initiative and incubate of Aman Foundation.

After assessing their executive summaries, the organisers shortlisted seven teams for the elevator pitch round, in which the participants had to pitch their projects before judges and angel investors.

The first edition saw a very interactive session as each of the six presentations – as the seventh team withdrew – was followed by questions from investors and judges, testing the participants’ ability to defend their projects.

During the first edition, contestants belonging to various business sectors – laptop retailer based in Sajawal and Badin, Quail farmer based between Karachi and DG Khan, MBA students from LUMS and civil engineers from NED University – compete for a common goal.

However, only four of these six teams will be selected by the judges and these will be further shortlisted to two finalists, according to Hashmi, who will be eligible for funding and training.

“After completing the mentorship programme, the finalists will work as independent entities,” he said.

Giving details about the focus of the programmes, NEW-G President Razvi said they would work to identify weaknesses and strengths of the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem in the next couple of years. They also plan to create a director and a web portal for entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneur’s education, regulatory framework, access to finance, women entrepreneurship and overcoming barriers to entrepreneurship are some of the areas they would focus, Razvi said.

Ibrahimovic: I'll retire at PSG in 2016

The Sweden international says that he cannot see himself playing beyond the age of 34, while insisting he is not the pillar holding Laurent Blanc's team together

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed his intention to retire from professional football when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in 2016.

The 32-year-old forward arrived at Parc des Princes from AC Milan in 2012 and has starred in successive Ligue 1 title triumphs for les Parisiens, although Champions League success continues to elude him.

Having dismissed suggestions earlier this month that he wants to return to Juventus before he retires, the Sweden international has now claimed that he will finish his career at the Parc des Princes.

"I have a contract until 2016," Ibrahimovic told ESPN. "I will be 34 next season and I don't see myself continuing to play at the top level after that.

"So yes, I will probably retire at PSG."

Ibrahimovic's match-winning performances in the French capital have led some to claim les Parisiens would be nowhere near as strong without him, but he insists that PSG are no one-man team.

"I don't feel like I am PSG at all," he added. "I would be nothing without the team and my team-mates. 

"I am playing with very good players, players who respect me. I respect them. Respect is a very important notion for me.

"You can't do well if there is no respect. We work hard every day to reach the same goals and objectives. Everything comes with hard work.

"I am one of the leaders, but there are a few. We have a good group here. We have a great atmosphere in the dressing room. We never had any problems.

"It is a funny dressing room. Everybody likes to have a laugh and take the p*ss out of each other, so it's good. I like it."

Rami: I only wanted to join AC Milan

The French defender, who was on loan at San Siro from Valencia last season, says he feels as though he has joined "a family" in Italy

Adil Rami has insisted that AC Milan were the only club he wanted to join this summer.

The 28-year-old joined Milan on loan in January following a falling-out with Valencia, and immediately became a regular at the heart of the defence during his six-month spell, making 18 appearances and scoring 3 times in Serie A. 

He made the switch permanent in July, joining Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi's new regime for a reported fee of €4.25 million.

Speaking to Calcio 2000, Rami claims he had no hesitation over returning to the "family" at San Siro.

"I had problems with Valencia and I heard that Milan were looking for a defender," said the Frenchman.

"I didn't know about any other clubs that may have been interested. For me, I just wanted to sign for Milan – and that's what happened.

"[Philippe] Mexes helped me in the early days, but I have to say that everyone has been really helpful.

"I found more than just a team here – it's a family."

Milan play Lazio at San Siro in their first Serie A fixture of 2014-15 on August 31.