Chavez sends army to rice plants

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered the army to take control of all rice processing plants in the country.

Mr Chavez accused some firms of overcharging by refusing to produce rice at prices set by the government.

He warned that some companies could be nationalised if they tried to interfere with supplies of the grain.

Mr Chavez - who has nationalised large swathes of Venezuela's economy - did not say how long the government intervention would last.

Major rice processors in the country include the US-owned giant Cargill and Venezuela's main food company, Polar.

Last year, Venezuela seized control of plants and offices belonging to Mexican cement giant Cemex.

In 2007, the government said it had taken control of the massive Orinoco Belt oil projects as part of President Chavez's nationalisation drive.

Price squeeze

Announcing the move to send troops to the rice plants in a televised address to the nation on Saturday, Mr Chavez criticised the producers for failing to sell their rice at government prices.

"I have ordered the immediate intervention in all those sectors of agro-industry, intervention by the revolutionary government," he said.

Venezuela has strict price controls on staple foods such as rice and wheat

"This government is here to protect the people, not the bourgeoisie or the rich."

He said that those companies who had threatened to paralyse rice production could be expropriated.

"I will expropriate them, I have no problem with that, and I'll pay them with bonds. Don't count on me paying with hard cash," he said, without mentioning any companies by name.

The agriculture minister later confirmed that the military were in control of at least one major national producer, Primor, the BBC's Will Grant reports from Caracas.

Further interventions are expected in the next 48 hours.

In Venezuela, the government provides basic foodstuffs at low prices in state-run markets known as "mercales".

But many rice, wheat, meat and dairy producers complain that the price regulations leave them without a profit and that many are facing bankruptcy, our correspondent says.

The country's inflation levels are the highest in Latin America and, as a result, there are often shortages of items such as rice and coffee, leading to hoarding and sale on the black market.

With President Chavez recently granted the right to stand for a third term in office, he is keen to ensure the provision of cheap food to the poor is not put in jeopardy, Will Grant adds.

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Fears of anarchy in Madagascar

The recent outbreak of political violence has left the people of Madagascar traumatised, as Christina Corbett discovered.

Andry Rajoelina (L) wants president Marc Ravalomanana (R) removed

The taxi swerved into the middle of the road as my animated driver twisted in his seat to look me in the eye.

"What do I think of what's happening here?" he cried, repeating my question.

It was a question I was now beginning to regret asking, as the tiny Renault 4 narrowly avoided a collision with an ancient lorry, growling through the chaos of Antananarivo's rush hour.

"I think it is madness," he answered glancing, for a brief moment, at the road ahead.

"People want life to return to normal and all these problems are making things more difficult for us."

The taxi skidded to a stop in the torrential rain. I watched it shudder back into the stream of traffic and bought a couple of wet newspapers from a street seller.

A curtain of water poured from the brim of his straw hat. It was not a hat designed to keep a man dry in a storm brought by the tail end of Madagascar's most recent cyclone.

Frog smuggler

It does not always rain in Antananarivo, this country's dramatic capital.

Malagasy politics have spilled onto the streets of Antananarivo - and turned deadly - claiming the lives of more than 100 people since late January

Up on the high plateau the views stretch across vibrant green paddy fields to distant mountains.

Houses tumble down hillsides with a Mediterranean flamboyancy and evening skies bring sunsets of extraordinary beauty.

I used to have time to admire the view. Work was sporadic. Hot days were spent hanging out at the court rooms, just to see if there might be an interesting story to cover.

Like the one about the man who tried to smuggle frogs and lizards out of the country by stuffing them in his coat pockets.

And there was always a spare five minutes to watch the sun slip behind the mountains at the end of the day.

But recently all that has changed. Times here are tense, as Malagasy politics have spilled onto the streets of Antananarivo - and turned deadly - claiming the lives of more than 100 people since late January.

'Rabble rousing'

Madagascar is no stranger to political upheaval. Since the Indian Ocean island gained independence from France in 1960, several bitter power struggles have punctuated the country's history.

The rioting and looting that has come with the latest outbreak has left most people shocked.

And many say no good can come of a popular movement that has disintegrated into a bungled coup attempt that could unleash anarchy on the streets of the capital.

"The street is alright for expressing ideas," an Antananarivan resident tells me, as we stand watching a mob throw bricks at security forces protecting government offices, "but not for action. That's not democracy," he nods towards the crowd. "We might need change, but not like this."

Several explosions signal the release of more tear gas and a volley of warning shots is fired into the air.

Now, almost every day thousands of anti-government protestors gather to demand the removal of president Marc Ravalomanana.

They are led by firebrand opposition leader, Andry Rajoelina. He addresses his supporters from behind the immense hulks of his bodyguards.

But while the man himself is hardly visible, his carefully chosen words have bought the complex politics of this island nation to boiling point.

Accusations

Mr Rajoelina, a former DJ who made his money in advertising, knows how to agitate a crowd.

"We won't accept any more misery and poverty," he cries, as he denounces the president and his extensive commercial interests... a popular refrain.

"There is one man with all the business interests in this country," he continues, "and no one else can profit."

Mr Rajoelina, nicknamed TGV after France's high speed train, accuses Mr Ravalomanana of frittering away public funds and striking a controversial land deal with a foreign investor, a deal that has not been completed.

"Rajoelina he is only the tip of the iceberg," sighs one government official close to the presidency.

Madagascar is no stranger to political disturbance since independence

"He is just a spokesman, and everyone with a grievance against the president has got behind him. But this is really the politics of manipulation and revenge."

Revenge or not, some people believe the young opposition leader may offer them their only chance to make life better. And if that means bringing Antananarivo to a standstill with riots and strikes, so be it.

'Deepening crisis'

"This is our way," exclaims one opposition supporter. "In fact, this is the only way."

But others are not so sure. "I've lived through two of these upheavals and this is the worst yet," a friend tells me as we rush to finish our drinks before curfew sets in.

"I don't know what's happening here. All I know is that it's bad for my country. Who is really going to benefit from all this?" he asks.

The damp heap of newspapers on the table catches my eye.

Sadly, I suspect the man who sold them to me, and the thousands like him, will not be among the real beneficiaries of Madagascar's troubles.

From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 28 February, 2009 at 1130 GMT on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times.

EU ready for crunch economy talks

President Sarkozy (left) denies that his bail-out plan is protectionist

European Union leaders are preparing for an emergency summit in Brussels seeking to bridge differences on how to deal with the global economic crisis.

The summit was called after French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised to bail out France's car industry if it did not shift jobs out of France.

The French move raised fears that national protectionism could scupper hopes of recovery within the EU.

Leaders of badly-hit European nations meet earlier for separate talks.

Many of the newer EU members of Central and Eastern Europe have seen their financial institutions and economies battered by the developing recession.

The heads of nine of those nations, among them Hungary and Latvia, both facing serious liquidity problems, will meet before the full summit begins.

They are then expected to highlight their concerns about protectionism and call for more help from richer EU nations, reports the BBC's Oana Lungescu, in Brussels.

However, officials have played down chances of EU leaders taking any decision on Hungary's call for a 180bn euro (£160bn) aid package for Central and Eastern Europe.

'New dividing lines'

The summit, called by the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, is being held just a week after the same EU leaders met to discuss reforming the region's financial system.

Ahead of the latest meeting, France's President Sarkozy denied accusations of protectionism levied at his three billion euro (£2.7bn) bail-out plan, which aims to keep French carmakers manufacturing in France.

We face the threat of a retreat into protectionism UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown Send us your comments

However, he said that if the US defended its own industries, perhaps Europe should do the same.

The French move has been criticised by the Central Europeans, who argue that the French bail-out plan should not be implemented at their expense.

"We do not want any new dividing lines. We do not want a Europe divided along a North-South or an East-West line," Mr Topolanek said ahead of Sunday's summit.

"Efforts and measures to fight the economic crisis within the EU must respect the principle of solidarity, but they also require that all players show responsibility," Mr Topolanek said.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also warned that state aid to bail out ailing sectors should not be used to reverse the EU's progress towards competitive cross-border markets.

"The EU needs open world markets now more than ever if part of our recovery is to be export-led," he said.

However, no new decisions are expected in Brussels on Sunday, as EU leaders will be meeting again later this month for a scheduled summit, our correspondent says.

That summit is part of the build-up to a G20 meeting of world leaders which British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will host in London on 2 April.

In a letter to the EU leaders meeting in Brussels, Mr Brown echoed the call to work together: "We face the threat of a retreat into protectionism," he said.

Mr Brown, who travels to Washington this week, where he will become the first European leader to meet US President Barack Obama, said the upcoming G20 talks represented an opportunity to agree "a new deal".

"Only by working together will we deliver the EU and international recovery we need."

Serie A - Juventus scrape past Napoli

Serie A - Juventus scrape past Napoli

Claudio Marchisio's first-half goal gave second-placed Juventus a 1-0 home win over Napoli in Serie A.

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Marchisio's deflected shot put the Bianconeri ahead just before half-time in a poor match with few genuine opportunities.

An uninspiring opening 45 minutes saw Juventus create more chances but Napoli keeper Nicolas Navarro was in fine form.

The 23-year-old Argentine denied Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet with top class saves and also covered the back of shaky-looking 21-year-old centre-back Fabiano Santacroce with some timely interceptions.

Gianluigi Buffon was considerably less busy in the Juventus goal, but when the Italy keeper was called into action he did not disappoint with a good near-post block from Slovak playmaker Marek Hamsik.

The hosts took the lead just before the break after a good move involving Sebastian Giovinco and Christian Poulsen, although Marchisio's shot would not have beaten Navarro without a big deflection off Manuele Blasi.

The second half began with a slight improvement in terms of the passing, but it stayed tight and neither side created any clear-cut chances.

After the hour mark passed, the game took a turn for the worse and became a slog, with both teams short on inspiration and the majority of goal threat coming from high, hopeful balls which proved not to be the best decision with goalkeepers as strong in the air as Buffon and Navarro.

Trezeguet had a half chance but his shot was blocked by Matteo Contini, while substitute Amauri met a cross from the France striker with a mis-directed header.

Napoli's Ezequiel Lavezzi had the ball in the back of the net after a goalmouth scramble followed a late free-kick, but it was correctly ruled out for offside on the part of Paolo Cannavaro, whose initial header was blocked by Buffon.

Despite some late Napoli pressure, Juve held on for the win and move six points behind runaway leaders Internazionale, while the visitors stay in mid-table.

In the earlier Serie A clash, Mauro Zarate struck twice as Lazio beat struggling Bologna 2-0 to move up to seventh in Serie A.

The Argentine forward ended his three-month goal drought by curling a free-kick past Francesco Antonioli on 36 minutes.

He sealed the win with nine minutes to go when he chipped Antonioli after a one-two with strike partner Tommaso Rocchi.

The former Birmingham man now has 10 league goals for the season.

Lazio's first league win at home in two months made it a bitter return to the Stadio Olimpico for Bologna boss Sinisa Mihajlovic, who played for the Rome side between 1998 and 2004.

Midfielder Massimo Mutarelli came on in the second half to make his debut for 17th-placed Bologna against the club he took to a tribunal to free himself from his contract.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Sarwan leads West Indies recovery

Ramnaresh Sarwan batted all day for a superb 184 not out, his third century of the series, to lead West Indies to 398 for five on the third day of the fourth Test against England.

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Sarwan's chanceless innings carried West Indies to within 202 runs of England's first innings 600 for six declared on a day tinged with controversy over umpire referral decisions.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made a smooth 70 in a 122-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Sarwan, and Brendan Nash were given out lbw when third umpire Daryl Harper overturned the onfield official's decision following England referrals.

In both cases the decisions were highly questionable and left coach John Dyson gesticulating on the pavilion balcony.

England's four wickets on Saturday all came from lbw dismissals with Devon Smith (55) and Ryan Hinds (15) trapped by spinner Graeme Swann before lunch.

Swann also later removed Nash for 33.

Harper's decisions, made under a trial system of video referrals that remains a source of much debate, should not take anything away from another outstanding performance by Sarwan.

The right-hander, confidently driving and cutting against some largely unthreatening England bowling, made his second highest Test score and continued a rich vein of form.

In four knocks in this series only once has Sarwan failed to make a century and that was when he struck 94 in the third Test in Antigua.

West Indies resumed on 85 for one and made a positive start with Smith and Sarwan reaching their half-centuries before Swann struck.

Smith, pushing forward, was ruled leg before after an appeal to the referral system. He and Sarwan had put on 108. Left-hander Hinds, on his home ground, then went in similar fashion just before lunch.

There was something inevitable about the way Guyanese pair Sarwan and Chanderpaul, so often the backbone of the batting, set about chasing the target of 401 to avoid the follow-on.

Seamer James Anderson's lbw appeal against Chanderpaul looked optimistic, with the ball striking the left-hander high on the pad. Even though the television images seemed to confirm that, he was given out.

Nash, whose tenacious batting has added steel to the West Indies middle-order, was livelier than usual as he made his 33 off 43 balls including a six over third man.

However he too will consider himself unlucky after the television images of Swann's delivery indicated the ball would have gone over the top of the stumps.

Denesh Ramdin joined Sarwan to see things through to the close, the wicketkeeper making 25 not out.

West Indies lead the five-match series 1-0.

Reuters

Premier League - Fulham impress as Arsenal draw again

Fulham held Arsenal to a fourth consecutive goalless Premier League draw in an entertaining clash at the Emirates.

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Arsenal left the pitch to jeers after a clash that was enjoyable for neutrals but frustrating for partisans, although Fulham fans will have been impressed by their side's organisation and passing.

The hosts had the better chances but both sides could have won a game characterised by slick play from both teams and stout defending by Fulham in particular.

The first half somehow remained goalless despite a frantic pace and attacking attitude from both sides that saw chances traded at will.

Andy Johnson (pictured to the left of Gael Clichy) fired just wide in the second minute, while Samir Nasri went straight down the other end to do likewise.

Johnson had another chance five minutes later but again he sent the ball just beyond the post after a good turn on the edge of the box.

In keeping with the theme of the game, the Gunners hit back and on 10 minutes Robin van Persie forced a superb point-blank save from Mark Schwarzer with a bullet header from Andrei Arshavin's right-wing cross.

Both sides play good football and the end-to-end nature of the match continued with Nasri and Van Persie dilly-dallying for Arsenal when they should have scored, while Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and Simon Davies went close for Fulham.

The second half began with Arsenal by far the dominant force.

Nasri had a near-post shot blocked wide after more great work from Arshavin, Van Persie headed over from the subsequent corner and Arshavin had a volley of his own blocked.

The best chance of the game fell to Van Persie on the hour mark when Fulham failed to clear a corner and the ball popped up for Bacary Sagna on the right.

The right-back played an excellent cross to the edge of the six-yard box where Dutch striker Van Persie rose unmarked to flick an angled header past Schwarzer but on to the post.

Fulham had been under the cosh for the first quarter-hour of the second half but after that escape they regained confidence and should have scored themselves.

A 10-minute spell of possession saw Davies, Clint Dempsey and Zamora go close, while Johnson had two superb chances to put his side in front.

The first came when he mis-controlled Davies's ball, which had put him one-on-one with Manuel Almunia.

Then he somehow headed Fredrik Stoor's excellent cross wide after a hypnotic spell of passing from the Whites.

Arsene Wenger realised his side were close to throwing the match away, so brought on Nicklas Bendtner for the anonymous Carlos Vela.

The Dane had an immediate impact, creating chances for Van Persie and Arshavin, while Abou Diaby's header from Nasri's 73rd-minute corner forced a close-range, reflex stop from Schwarzer's legs.

Emmanuel Eboue was inexplicably brought on for the impressive Sagna and quickly showed his lack of composure when he thrashed the ball out for a throw after being put through on the right.

The pendulum then swung Fulham's way, with several waves of attacks culminating in Zamora muscling through the home defence and firing wide.

Arshavin - Arsenal's best player on the day - was denied by another diving stop from Schwarzer and the latter stages saw Fulham keep the ball well.

A lengthy period of stoppage time irked Fulham boss Roy Hodgson as Arsenal threw the kitchen sink at his team but the North London side were blunt in attack as this season's surprise package held on for a point.

Arsenal now lie only two points ahead of sixth-placed Everton, while Fulham closed to within a point of seventh-placed Wigan, who have played one game more than the West Londoners.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Premier League - Chelsea's late strike stuns Wigan

A late Frank Lampard winner continued Guus Hiddink's perfect start as Chelsea manager with a 2-1 victory over Wigan at Stamford Bridge.

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John Terry's flamboyant volley on 25 minutes opened the scoring, but Wigan's tireless efforts to come back at their hosts were rewarded when Olivier Kapo equalised on 82 minutes.

The goal looked to have secured a hard-fought point for Wigan until Lampard's looping injury-time header gave the points to the home side.

The game started cagily, with both sides keeping things tight and no clear-cut chances falling to either team.

That soon changed, however, as Chelsea built a good attacking move on 18 minutes that culminated in Nicolas Anelka drawing a good save from Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal.

Thinking quickly, Kirkland got a counter-attack going with his well-targeted clearance, and before they knew it Wigan had Paul Scharner clear through on Petr Cech.

Sadly for the visitors, Scharner wasted the golden chance with a pulled shot that went wide left, perhaps betraying a little rustiness after his absence from the team through illness.

Three minutes later, however, Wigan looked to put things right as Titus Bramble got on the end of a corner and headed strongly past Cech - only for Ashley Cole to clear the ball off the line. Lee Cattermole pounced on the rebound but the ball was somehow kept out once more, this time Terry the man responsible.

Terry's heroics continued apace: on the stroke of 25 minutes he latched on to Bramble's loose headed clearance from a corner, hitting a spectacular volley which confirmed his status as Chelsea's highest-scoring defender.

The goal both relaxed and galvanised Chelsea, and they began to dominate the match after having looked so vulnerable beforehand. Yet for all their chances, Lampard's over-curled long-range effort on 37 minutes was as close as they got to increasing the lead.

Chelsea started the second half as they had finished the first, and on 51 minutes looked as if they had broken through as Lampard's brilliant angled through-pass to Didier Drogba gave the Ivory Coast striker a perfect chance to score.

Yet while Drogba beat Kirkland and found the target, his celebrations were prevented by the flying Bramble, scorching in across the six-yard box and clearing the ball off the line.

Having survived the chance Wigan fought back in to the game, and a goalmouth scramble on 65 minutes almost saw Cattermole weave a long, powerful drive through the mass of players in the six-yard box.

Chelsea continued to push hard for the goal which would make the game safe, but Wigan kept up their counter-attacking pressure as well and were rewarded when Kapo slid in at the near post on 82 minutes to put Maynor Figueroa's cross in to the net.

The strike seemed to have secured a point for the visitors, with the tireless defending of Bramble and Emmerson Boyce seemingly equal to Chelsea's attacks.

But then, a minute in to injury time, Michael Ballack's long ball from the half-way line was poorly headed by Boyce, allowing Lampard to head over Kirkland and in to the Wigan net.

It was a crushing blow to Wigan, who seemed to have done enough to take something away from Stamford Bridge - but Hiddink's Chelsea retain their perfect record and go second in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool.

Toby Keel / Eurosport