Observer & Busness 3 Mar 2012 - Oman Daily Observer

HM greets Bulgaria President 

HIS Majesty Sultan Qaboos has sent a congratulatory cable to 

President Rosen Asenov Plevneliev of Bulgaria on the occasion 

of his country’s National Day. His Majesty the Sultan wished 

the president good health and happiness and the friendly people 

of Bulgaria further progress and prosperity. — ONA 

Saturday, March 3, 2012/Rabee al Thani 10, 1433 AH 

www.omanobserver.om editor@omanobserver.om 

Ramadhan Quiz winners 

THE winners of Ramadhan Quiz draw 2011 conducted 

by the Observer have been announced. The quiz was 

conducted in the 30 days of the month of Ramadhan. 

Readers were to collect all 30 coupons and send them to 

the Observer office. Details on page 2 

9 13 

20 

New system to assist recruitments 

Through an electronic 

integrated system the 

Public Authority for 

Manpower Register can 

interact with public and 

private organisations 

on recruitments 

MUSCAT — The Council 

of Ministers, in a statement 

released recently, hailed 

the efforts undertaken by 

the respective government 

authorities to provide citizens 

with job opportunities 

in different sectors as a 

continuation of the policy to 

Broad money up 12pc 

MUSCAT — Broad money 

(M2) increased by 12.2 per 

cent to RO 9,854.9 million 

in December 2011 compared 

to RO 8,784.8 million 

in 2010. Narrow money 

(M1), comprising currency 

held by the public and local 

currency demand deposits, 

expanded by 6.6 per cent to 

RO 3,064.9 million by December 

2011 on a year-onyear 

basis. 

Quasi money (comprising 

RO savings and time 

deposits, certificates of deposit 

issued by commercial 

banks, margin deposits and 

 

MUSCAT — Steel prices 

which witnessed an uptrend 

in the last quarters are now 

showing signs of stability 

providing the much-needed 

relief to the related sectors. 

According to the survey 

of the Public Authority for 

Consumer Protection, there 

has not been any rise in the 

prices last month. The survey 

covered Omani, Turkish, 

UAE and Qatari steel and 

foreign currency denominated 

deposits) increased by 

14.9 per cent to RO 6,790 

million in 2011 compared to 

RO 5,908.9 million in the previous 

year. 

As regards the sources of 

broad money supply (M2), 

net foreign assets of the banking 

system (including CBO) 

increased by 16.2 per cent to 

RO 5,885.9 million by December 

2011 from RO 5,065 

million a year ago, while domestic 

assets increased by 6.7 

per cent to RO 3,969 million 

from RO 3,719.8 million during 

the same period. — ONA 

Steel prices constant 

focused on the prices of four 

main companies; Bahwan, 

Al Ansari, Middle East Company 

and Oman Contracts and 

Construction Materials. 

While the price of Emirati 

steel at Bahwan remained 

at RO 298, it fell at 

Al Ansari Company (RO 287 

to 289). At the same time, 

Omani steel price was RO 

298 at Bahwan, Oman Contracts 

and Construction Materials 

Company and Middle 

East Company. See P 21 

absorb the human resources 

and train them for the labour 

market. 

Dr Younis bin Khalfan 

al Akhzami, Adviser of the 

Manpower Ministry for 

Planning and International 

Relations and Acting Director 

of the Public Authority 

 

MUSCAT — In a thrilling 

close to the Extreme Sailing 

Series, Muscat yesterday, all 

eyes were on the two Omani 

boats, Oman Air and The 

Wave, Muscat who stormed to 

first and second place in the 

final race of the day. 

In his second year as bowman 

on Oman Air, this is the 

first time Nasser al Mashari 

has stood at the top of the po- 

for Manpower Register, 

said that the Authority in 

co-operation with the ITA 

has agreed with one of the 

organisations to set up an 

electronic system. Through 

this system the Authority can 

interact with all public and 

private organisations to know 

dium and he was elated after 

racing. “It is a big achievement 

in such an international 

sailing race. 

“For me it is extra special 

that we are playing in our 

homeland and we thank all 

those who supported and encouraged 

us. Our team was 

determined to win and we 

worked so hard. We have definitely 

set ourselves a standard 

for the rest of the year!” 

The French favourites 

whether a citizen has been 

employed or is a candidate 

for a particular job. This will 

also help to know the actual 

number of job-seekers to 

intensify the efforts of the 

Authority to provide them 

with available vacancies. 

In a statement to Oman 

Groupe Edmond de Rothschild 

went into the day in 

pole position, with Oman Air 

and The Wave, Muscat trailing 

just a few points behind in 

second and third respectively. 

The three teams jockeyed 

for points with the standings 

changing after every race, 

keeping the spectators on the 

edge of their seats. 

Despite receiving a penalty 

during the start of race one 

for crossing the line too early, 

News Agency (ONA), he said 

that it is expected that the 

firm would develop the final 

concept for the linking system 

after six months after which 

it will be implemented. The 

citizen may register his data 

and the Authority will also 

enter the data To Page 6 

Oman Air posts spectacular win 

Oman Air managed to finish 

two places clear of Groupe 

Edmond du Rothschild, edging 

their way to the top of the 

leaderboard, and knocking the 

French off the top spot for the 

first time during the event. 

A spectacular win for The 

Wave, Muscat in the opening 

race saw them climb to 

second, and in race two the 

Omani teams continued to extend 

their advantage over the 

French. Details on P4 

Oman to mark World Water Day 

THE Sultanate represented by the Ministry of Regional 

Municipalities and Water Resources alongside other Arab 

countries will today observe the World Water Day which 

falls on the March 3 under the motto ‘Conservation of 

food and water is a shared responsibility’. 

PEIE to woo Bahrain investors 

Spotlight on 

investments 

MUSCAT — The Public Establishment 

for Industrial 

Estates (PEIE) will organise, 

in collaboration with the Sultanate’s 

Embassy in Bahrain, 

a symposium ‘Invest in the 

Sultanate of Oman’ on Tuesday 

at Ritz Carleton Hotel in 

Manama. 

Shaikh Mohammed bin 

Aisa al Khalifa, Chairman 

of Economic Development 

Board of Bahrain, will preside 

over the opening ceremony 

in the presence of the 

Sultanate’s Ambassador in 

Bahrain and Hilal bin Hamad 

al Hasani, CEO of PEIE and 

several officials from the establishment 

and The Public 

Authority for Investment 

Promotion and Export Development 

(PAIPED), Al Duqm 

Special Economic Zone and 

free zones in Salalah, Sohar, 

Al Mazyounah, Sohar industrial 

port and Hala Golden 

Company. 

Hilal al Hasani said that 

organising the symposium is 

to enlighten Bahraini investors 

and businessmen on laws 

regulating investments in the 

Sultanate, facilities and in- 

 

MUSCAT — The ongoing 

17th Muscat International 

Book Fair offers a rich treat to 

visitors with titles on Oman’s 

economy, tourism, society, 

business directories, lifestyle 

and heritage. 

Some of the important 

participants at the book fair 

are Ministries of Education, 

Information, Awqaf and Religious 

Affairs, and Culture 

and Heritage, Sultan Qaboos 

University, Oman Chamber 

of Commerce and Industry, 

and Ministry of Justice. 

MUSCAT — In a landmark 

agreement, Oman LNG and 

Oman Sail have committed 

to establish the first sailing 

school in Sharqiyah at Sur, 

the historic hub of Oman’s illustrious 

seafaring past. 

The building of the sailing 

school will begin shortly and 

will be ‘open for sailing’ in 

early 2013. 

The school will also offer 

local employment for up to 

40 people who will be introducing 

the sport of sailing to 

 

MUSCAT — The Muscat International 

Airport expansion 

project, one of the ambitious 

projects of the Sultanate in 

terms of catching up with the 

Vision 2020 of His Majesty of 

a most modern city in the region 

with state-of-the-art infrastructure, 

is right on track, 

according to the authorities 

concerned behind the project. 

The project, upon completion 

by April 2014, will enable 

the Muscat International 

Airport to facilitate transfer of 

more than 12 million passengers 

annually. 

The largest project said 

to be ever undertaken in the 

history of the Sultanate by 

the Ministry of Transport and 

Communications, also en- 

centives offered to those who 

like to invest in the Sultanate, 

reviewing the most important 

opportunities available in different 

economic fields and 

discussing with representatives 

from different sectors 

in Bahrain the possibility 

of benefitting from the economic 

co-operation in the two 

countries. 

Al Hasani added in a statement 

to Oman News Agency 

(ONA) that the incentives and 

facilities provided by the government 

of the Sultanate attract 

many international specialised 

companies and open 

investment fields in different 

sectors. 

He stressed that the economic 

and investment climate 

in the Sultanate in general and 

economic and industrial zones 

in particular is appropriate for 

constructing different economic 

projects in those areas. 

He pointed that the Sultanate’s 

government is currently 

paying special attention towards 

establishing economic, 

developmental and free 

zones, especially those linked 

to ports. To Page 2 

Oman books galore 

One of the most interesting 

books at the stall of the 

Ministry of Information is the 

536-page The Royal Speeches 

of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos 

bin Said -1970-2010, containing 

86 speeches. 

The Royal Speeches of His 

Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin 

Said—1970-2010, published 

by the Ministry of Information 

to mark the 40th anniversary 

of the blessed Omani renaissance, 

is a storehouse of information 

about the vision and 

mission of His Majesty for a 

brighter future of the people 

of this country. To Page 2 

Sailing school in Sur 

Sur and Sharqiyah and support 

the Sultanate’s aspiration 

to build regional and national 

teams that will compete at all 

levels in the sport. 

Sur’s history is steeped in 

the sea and many of its families 

can boast forefathers who 

were masters of the oceans 

from India and further east 

as well as down the coast of 

Africa. They developed an 

“empire” and businesses that 

were the backbone of Oman’s 

prosperity. Details on P4 

Expansion on track 

compasses the multi-million 

ATC Tower which is expected 

to be complete by 

October this year. It is a part 

of the overall development 

and expansion of the Muscat 

International Airport (MIA). 

The development of MIA 

follows the upgrading of many 

GCC national airports to cater 

for the expected increase in 

passenger and freight volumes. 

The works also involve 

construction of several buildings 

including the 98m high 

ATC Tower, Data Centre, 

Crash Fire Rescue, Air Traffic 

and Meteorology complex, 

Contingency and Training, 

Guard House ATM Complex, 

ATM Complex Utility Yard, 

C and T Centre Utility Yard. 

See Features 

Prayer timing Fajr Dhuhr Asr Magrib Isha Weather Muscat M Nizwa Sohar Al Buraimi Sur Khasab Salalah 

EXCHANGE RATES 

GOLD 

Dollar per Omani Rial 

PRICE 

Muscat 05:12 am 12:24 pm 03:45 pm 06:16 pm 07:26 pm Max M 35 34 29 33 34 30 31 

Min 20 14 18 19 18 18 21 

Buying 0.382 Selling 0.388 $1,713.10

Oman books galore 

From page 1 

It is one of the best reference books for those 

who want learn about the various phases through 

which the Sultanate has been passing in its quest 

for a development model that combines modernisation 

and Islamic heritage in an elegant manner. 

One of the fundamental tenets of effective leadership 

is consistency in speech and consistency 

of effort over time. A glance at this book shows 

a consistency, clarity and focus in His Majesty’s 

speeches since 1970. There is a clear consistency 

of message about the need to preserve Oman’s Islamic 

heritage and to combine it with modernisation 

and openness. 

For example, in a speech on the occasion of 

the 1st National Day in 1971, His Majesty said: 

“If we avoid boasting of our success and making 

extravagant promises, this is because here in 

Oman our supreme characteristic is still modesty, 

as taught by our Islamic religion”. 

In February 2006 in an interview with a Kuwaiti 

daily, His Majesty said: “I hate exaggeration 

and I direct the media bodies not to exaggerate 

MUSCAT — An educational 

delegation representing 

the education ministry’s 

Directorate-General of Educational 

Programmes participates 

in the 2nd Gulf Forum 

for Young Leaders to be 

launched today at the Saudi 

capital Riyadh. 

The 5-day forum aims 

at disseminating the culture 

of leadership building, fa- 

and to be simple and concise when shedding light 

on achievements. I am one of those who believe 

that acts speak louder than words, so let people 

see things as they are and our government operates 

from this perspective”. 

In the same interview, commenting on the 

simple and beautiful look of many Omani establishments 

in Muscat and its adjacent villages, His 

Majesty said: “The secret of beauty always lies in 

simplicity and whatever we have in this country 

is simple, even the city’s colours and the facades 

of its buildings are in seven elegant colours. We 

always combine our heritage and modernisation 

and I believe that the Omani policy has succeeded 

in this combination”. In His Majesty’s speech on 

the 4th National Day in 1974, His Majesty the 

Sultan said: “Omanis are a nation bound together 

by the Islamic fundamental ideology, by the 

friendly social ties and loyalty to the country”. 

In the interview with the Kuwaiti daily His 

Majesty the Sultan stressed the need for openness 

and modernisation, while at the same time maintaining 

the country’s heritage. His Majesty the 

Sultan said: “I object to the dominance of modernisation 

over heritage. Our heritage is beautiful 

and it only needs some development to keep 

abreast of modernisation”. His Majesty stressed 

the importance of going in for openness and modernisation, 

while at the same time maintaining the 

country’s heritage. 

His Majesty the Sultan has also supported 

freedom of thought and expression. In His Majesty’s 

speech to the students of Sultan Qaboos 

University in the year 2000, His Majesty said: 

“Suppression of ideas, thought and intellectual 

effort is a major sin. We will never allow anyone 

to suppress freedom of thought. Ideas cannot be 

suppressed. Islam stands for ideas and the intellect, 

not the suppression of thought. Every verse 

of the Glorious Quran calls for thinking and cognition”. 

Each speech helps you understand Oman 

and its leader better. 

Ed delegation to attend Riyadh meet 

miliarising the participants 

with the best ways of 

upgrading leadership skills 

as well as providing an appropriate 

environment for 

the youth to discuss the 

present-day challenges and 

urge them to adopt constructive 

initiatives the societal 

issues. 

The forum participants 

will present working papers. 

Justice minister 

on Saudi visit 

MUSCAT — Shaikh Abdulmalik 

bin Abdullah al 

Khalili, the Minister of 

Justice, and his accompanying 

delegation left 

yesterday for Saudi Arabia 

on a several-day official 

visit on an invitation 

from Dr Bandar Bin Fahd 

Al Fahima, Chairman of 

the Arab Tourism Organisation. 

The minister will visit 

some major tourism landmarks 

in Saudi Arabia, and 

will discuss with Saudi tourism 

officials programmes 

of tourism promotion and 

training. 

The visit comes within 

the framework of joint cooperation 

between the two 

friendly countries in various 

aspects. — ONA 

2 OMAN 

OMAN DAILY Observer 

SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 

MUSCAT — Sultan bin Hamdoon 

al Harthi, Chairman of 

Muscat Municipality, said in a 

statement yesterday that Muscat 

Festival wouldn’t have been 

so successful had it not been 

for the huge turnout of citizens 

and residents, adding that this 

year’s festival witnessed wellstudied 

promotion plans and 

was accompanied by distinguished 

media coverage both 

Tie-up with CERN discussed 

MUSCAT — Dr Madeeha bint 

Ahmed al Shibaniya, Minister 

of Education received in her 

office yesterday Prof Dr Felicitas 

Pauss Head of International 

Relations at the European 

Organization for Nuclear 

Research (CERN). During the 

meeting Dr Pauss gave a brief- 

locally and internationally. 

The new festival’s newlyintroduced 

activities which varied 

from sports and culture to 

heritage, arts and entertainment 

made it an internationally recognised 

event. The organisers 

succeeded in displaying the nation’s 

civilization and heritage 

components through a unique 

participation by all the Sultanate’s 

governorates. Programmes 

By Conrad Prabhu 

MUSCAT — A luxury cruise 

ship that suffered an onboard 

fire during a voyage through 

the Indian Ocean last week was 

due to make a scheduled call at 

Port of Salalah tomorrow. 

That visit now stands cancelled 

as the disabled liner, 

the Costa Allegra (pictured), 

awaits repairs at a port in the 

Indian Ocean resort island of 

the Seychelles. 

“A berthing reservation 

that was made in anticipation 

of Costa Allegra’s scheduled 

port visit to Salalah has now 

been cancelled. To all intents, 

Costa Allegra’s current voyage 

has been terminated at the Seychelles,” 

a port official told the 

Observer. 

On Thursday, the stricken 

liner was towed to Mahe, 

capital of the Seychelles, three 

days after a blaze in the engine 

room knocked out the ship’s 

propulsion system and air-conditioning. 

The incident, which 

occurred in pirate-infested wa- 

Omani, Italian 

businessmen 

meet at OCCI 

MUSCAT — A symposium 

titled ‘the potentials 

of Omani-Italian joint investment’ 

was held at the 

premises of Oman Chamber 

of Commerce and Industry 

(OCCI).The forum 

was attended by the Italian 

trade delegation currently 

visiting the country, businessmen 

and stakeholders 

from both the public and 

private sectors. 

Shihab bin Yusuf bin 

Alawi, OCCI board member 

said the meeting comes 

within the framework of 

enhancing investment relations 

between the two 

countries, adding that it is 

an opportunity for discussing 

aspects of co-operation 

between businessmen in 

both countries. 

He said the Sultanate 

boasts of huge investment 

potentials and has 

already accomplished large 

projects in which the private 

sector contributed immensely. 

During the meeting 

some Omani firms gave detailed 

explanation of their 

investment projects and 

their key achievements. 

The executive director 

of Omran Company briefed 

the attendees of his company 

which is one of the biggest 

tourism companies in 

the Sultanate and is currently 

implementing a number 

of tourism projects. 

Shumoukh Investment 

Co, a key contributor to 

the Sultanate’s industrial 

growth, also gave a briefing 

about its investment 

activities. 

ing about the Geneva-based 

European nuclear organisation 

explaining its programmes 

and achievements. 

The two parties also discussed 

the aspects of co-operations 

between the organisation 

and education ministry 

as regards the educational pro- 

such as the heritage village and 

Assalla added new favourable 

dimensions to the already 

successful festival. The event 

was marked by distinguished 

international participation that 

added further dimensions of 

beauty, said the chairman of 

Muscat Municipality who is 

also the chief of the Festival’s 

Main Organizing Committee. 

The Tour of Oman, the Mus- 

ters, prompted regional maritime 

authorities to scramble 

anti-piracy units to the area. 

The stricken 28,600-ton vessel 

was later towed to safety by a 

French fishing vessel, enabling 

all 627 passengers and its complement 

of 413 crew to safely 

disembark at the Seychelles. 

The blaze abruptly brought 

to an end a 27-day cruise that 

began in Mauritius on February 

20 and was due to end at 

grammes conducted annually 

by CERN in different world 

countries. 

The meeting was attend 

by Dr Hanan bint Khalfan al 

Shihiya, Director of the office 

of International Educational 

Programmes at the education 

ministry. 

cat Fashion Week, the Muscat 

International Festival for Arts, 

Heritage and Creativity have 

all drawn large numbers of visitors 

and put the Sultanate in the 

international limelight and contributed 

to one of the Festival’s 

key objectives of becoming a 

melting pot for world cultures, 

said Al Harthi. 

Al Harthi pointed out the 

International Festival for Arts, 

Disabled cruise ship was due in Salalah this week 

the Italian port of Savona on 

March 17. En route, the Costa 

Allegra made scheduled port 

calls at Reunion Islands and 

Madagascar. It was on its way 

to the Seychelles when the 

crippling fire broke out. 

Significantly, Salalah was 

the only Gulf port chosen 

by the liner’s operator Costa 

Cruises as part of the winter 

repositioning of Costa Allegra 

to the Indian Ocean. The vessel 

Ramadhan 

Quiz 2011 

winners 

MUSCAT — The following 

are the winners of Ramadhan 

Quiz 2011 draw 

conducted by Oman Daily 

Observer: 

1 Ali Rashid; 2 Mohamed 

Salim Said al Suleimani; 

3 AlYaqeen Ahmed 

Mohammed al Balushi; 

4 Fatema Mohamed al 

Balushi; 5 Said Rashid 

Ali; 6 Noor Hamed; 7 

Amna Abdullah Mohammed; 

8 Abdullah Mousa; 

9 Pocbin Aktar; 10 Mohammed 

Shaokat Osman; 

11 Shamsa Said; 12 Said 

Abdulaah al Balushi; 

13Sharifa Khamis; 14 

Pradip Vaduita 15 Arwa 

Said Abdullah. 

‘People’s participation behind Muscat Festival success’ 

Spotlight on 

investments 

From page 1 

He emphasised that the 

PEIE is activating the role of 

industrial investment, providing 

all services to develop this 

sector, especially those relevant 

to residential areas and 

other service utilities needed 

by factories, in addition to its 

efforts to provide suitable environment. 

— ONA 

Heritage and Creativity was 

implemented in co-ordination 

with the Public Authority for 

Crafts Industry and the Istanbul-based 

Research Centre 

for Islamic History, Art and 

Culture (IRCICA). Festival’s 

Organizing Committee accepts 

all opinions and constructive 

criticism in order to add to the 

achievements that have hitherto 

accomplished. — ONA 

is due to be redeployed to the 

Mediterranean during summer. 

Given its strategic location 

overlooking the Indian Ocean, 

Salalah is an important stopover 

not only for liners transiting 

the region, but also cruise 

ships repositioned from the 

northern hemisphere during 

the winter season. The transshipment 

and logistics hub 

typically attracts between 25- 

30 cruise ships annually.

By A Staff Reporter 

MUSCAT — In a landmark 

agreement, Oman LNG and 

Oman Sail have committed 

to establish the first sailing 

school in Sharqiyah at Sur, 

the historic hub of Oman’s 

illustrious seafaring past. 

The building of the sailing 

school will begin shortly and 

will be ‘open for sailing’ in 

early 2013. The school will 

also offer local employment 

for up to 40 people who will 

be introducing the sport of 

sailing to Sur and Sharqiyah 

and support the Sultanate’s 

aspiration to build regional 

and national teams that will 

compete at all levels in the 

sport. 

Sur’s history is steeped 

in the sea and many of its 

families can boast forefathers 

who were masters of the 

oceans from India and further 

east as well as down the coast 

of Africa. 

They created an “empire” 

and businesses that were 

the backbone of Oman’s 

prosperity for centuries. 

“Today’s agreement 

today will help revive Sur’s 

fabulous seafaring traditions 

and allow the youth of Sur 

rediscover the challenges 

and thrills of mastering the 

seas through sail. It will be 

a source of sporting talent 

for national and international 

competitive sailing and 

heralds Sur’s re-entry into 

the global world of sailing. 

We are very happy to 

sign this agreement with 

‘Oman Sail’ that will not 

only develop young sailing 

talent but also create new 

employment opportunities 

in the community,” said 

Dr Brian Buckley, CEO of 

Oman LNG, ahead of the 

signing ceremony during 

the ‘Extreme Sailing’ event 

hosted by Oman Sail at The 

4 OMAN 



Oman Air sail to victory in opening round 


MUSCAT — In a thrilling 

close to the Extreme Sailing 

Series, Muscat yesterday, all 

eyes were on the two Omani 

boats, Oman Air and The 

Wave, Muscat who stormed 

to first and second place in 

the final race of the day. Big 

celebrations were expected in 

Muscat later in the night, as the 

Omani-flagged teams congratulated 

themselves on a perfect 

start to the 2012 Series. 

In his second year as bowman 

on Oman Air, this is the 

first time Nasser al Mashari 

has stood at the top of the podium 

and he was elated after 

racing. 

“It is a big achievement 

in such an international sailing 

race. For me it is extra 

special that we are playing in 

our homeland and we thank 

all those who supported and 

encouraged us. Our team was 

determined to win and we 

worked so hard. We have definitely 

set ourselves a standard 

for the rest of the year!” 

The French favourites 


went into the day in 

pole position, with Oman Air 

and The Wave, Muscat trailing 

just a few points behind in 

second and third respectively. 

The three teams jockeyed 

for points with the standings 

changing after every race, 

keeping the spectators on the 

edge of their seats. 

Despite receiving a penalty 

during the start of race one 

for crossing the line too early, 

Oman Air managed to finish 

two places clear of Groupe 

Edmond du Rothschild, edging 

their way to the top of the 

leaderboard, and knocking the 

French off the top spot for the 

first time during the event. 

A spectacular win for The 

Wave, Muscat in the opening 

race saw them climb to 

second, and in race two the 

Omani teams continued to extend 

their advantage over the 

French. 

A win in race three for 

double Olympic-gold medallist 

Roman Hagara and the 

Austrian team on Red Bull 

Extreme, reminded the teams 

that they had to keep an eye 

on their other competitors, and 

with the points so close, any of 

the top five boats could have 

finished in a podium place. 

In race four, Oman Air 

were given a penalty on the 

start line which added to the 

ever mounting pressure, leaving 

them trailing to finish 

seventh, allowing The Wave, 

Muscat and Groupe Edmond 

de Rothschild to gain valuable 

points and close the gap — 

leaving the Omani teams tied 

at the top, with the French just 

two points adrift. 

Race five and it was all 

change again with a penalty on 

the water for Groupe Edmond 

de Rothschild for an infringement 

against Oman Air, whilst 

The Wave, Muscat sailed on 

to finish second — which put 

them at the top of the leaderboard 

for the first time — one 

point ahead of their teammates, 

Oman Air. 

Just when the crowds 

thought it couldn’t get any 

closer, during the penultimate 

race it was Oman Air who this 

time had the advantage over 

The Wave, Muscat, and the 

Omani-flagged teams went 

into the final double points 

race tied on points at the top 

of the leaderboard — with a 

12 point cushion over Groupe 

Edmond de Rothschild. 

The teams were not out of 

danger yet however, and during 

the last race of the day 


were determined to make one 

last assault on the leaderboard. 

A second for the French and a 

third place for Oman Air was 

enough for the Omani team to 

claim the top spot, while sixth 

for The Wave, Muscat was the 

icing on the cake and secured 

both Omani boats positions at 

the top of the leaderboard. 

For The Wave, Muscat’s 

Bowman, Hashim al Rashidi, 

the podium position held extra 

significance, in his debut 

event on the Extreme 40. “I 

very happy that we made it to 

the podium and won the second 

place. 

We worked very hard as a 

team and this was a great way 

to start the Series! The competition 

was very fierce between 

Oman LNG and Oman Sail to establish sailing school in Sur 

Wave, Muscat. 

In the agreement, Oman 

LNG is committing RO 

582,000) for the construction 

of the Sailing School, slipway 

and supply a boat and safety 

equipment for the School 

at Sur to be operated and 

maintained by Oman Sail. 

The project has been 

given the blessing and 

support of the Ministry of 

Tourism, which recognises 

the importance of sailing 

in promoting Oman 

internationally as well 

as the Ministry of Sports 

Affairs which welcomes the 

addition of this facility to 

us and Oman Air and the 

changes in the direction of the 

wind played a major role today 

in changing the positions 

of the teams — every race the 

score board was changing!” 

Shaikha Aisha bint 

Khalfan al Siyabiyah, Chairperson 

of the Public Authority 

for Craft Industries, officially 

presented the awards to the 

teams today, and praised the 

event and the efforts of all 

those involved. 

“I am very happy to be part 

of this event. Having visited a 

lot of cities around the world, 

I can say that when Muscat 

hosts an event such as this it 

is proof that we have the infrastructure 

and facilities here 

to successfully host an international 

race, such as the Extreme 

Sailing Series. 

“Oman has a great maritime 

heritage and I would like 

to encourage all the youth to 

take up this great sailing opportunity 

and to learn not only 

from the professional Omani 

sailors but also from the international 

expertise that are 

sailing in this event with us. I 

congratulate them all of them 

all the best.” 

The public flocked to the 

beach to watch the Omani 

teams challenge for glory 

yesterday, with thousands of 

people turning out to show 

their support for the national 

teams. 

The action on the water 

was complemented by Oman 

Sail’s Try Sailing programme 

for children, which saw an 

incredible 400 young people 

from the local area take to the 

water for the first time — and 

amongst them may be Oman’s 

promote sporting activities, 

particularly amongst the 

youth of Oman. 

“This partnership comes 

in line with Oman Sail's 

five year development 

plan to establish seven 

sailing schools throughout 

the country by 2015 to 

provide opportunities for 

the local communities to 

learn the sport of sailing 

whilst creating employment 

opportunities for the youth 

of Oman. We already have 

two sailing schools in 

Marina Bandar al Rowda 

and Al Musannah which 

are attracting a big number 

sailing stars of the future. 

Oman’s singing sensation, 

Salah al Zadjali rounded 

up what has been a fantastic 

opening to the Extreme Sailing 

Series at The Wave, Muscat 

yesterday, performing a 

live concert for the sailors and 

the crowds. 

Described by Oman Air’s 

new sipper Morgan Larson as 

an ‘awesome experience’ the 

new skipper to the series is already 

turning his attentions to 

the next event which will take 

the teams to the 2008 Olympic 

sailing venue in Qingdao, 

China. 

“To win the first event of 

the year is huge for us and we 

understand what a great field 

we are playing on. Everyone 

pushed us all week long 

right down that last race, and 

I am sure the other teams are 

now already thinking about 

Qingdao. It is going to be a 

very different venue from 

Muscat with different conditions, 

and we need to start 

thinking about that. For now 

though, we couldn’t be happier.” 

The eight-boat fleet will 

next meet in China, from 

April 17-20, before visiting 

Turkey, Portugal, the UK, Italy, 

France and the final event 

of the 2012 Series in Brazil, in 

December. 

Muscat Results: 1. Oman 

Air – 165 points; 2. The 

Wave, Muscat – 159 points; 

3. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild 

– 155 points; 4. Red 

Bull Extreme Sailing – 148 

points; 5. GAC Pindar – 138 

points; 6. ZouLou – 111 points; 

7. Alinghi – 109 points; and 8. 

Team Trifork – 95 points. 

of young male and female 

Omanis amongst whom are 

our ambitious young female 

sailors in the all-women boat 

Al Thuraya BankMuscat 

who have just finished 

fourth in the Sailing Arabian 

— The Tour in their first 

participation and Musaab al 

Hadi and Ahmed al Balushi 

who took part in the Asian 

Sailing Championships in 

Malaysia and won a Bronze 

medal. The new LNG Sailing 

School will further allow 

us to expand our offering to 

another significant region of 

Oman,” said David Graham 

CEO of Oman Sail.


MUSCAT — Knowledge- 

Oman.com, the community 

and knowledge sharing initiative 

in the Sultanate, has been 

honoured with the ‘Outstanding 

Contribution to the Cause 

of Education Award’ at World 

HRD Congress 2012, held in 

Mumbai, India. 

The prestigious award presented 

to KnowledgeOman. 

com consisted of a trophy and 

a citation commending on the 

excellence contribution rendered 

to the community and 

academia towards education 

development in Oman. 

Tariq Hilal al Barwani, 

founder and president of 

KnowledgeOman.com, repre- 

sented the team and received 

the accolade at the event that 

attracted top educational institutions 

from over 60 countries 

around the world. 

“It is of great pleasure and 

pride to everyone at KnowledgeOman.com 

to be recognised 

globally and to receive 

this prestigious award from 

one of the foremost platforms 

that brings the best organisations 

under one roof to celebrate 

achievements from all 

over the world,” noted Tariq. 

The award programme recognises 

the contributions of 

organisations whose unique 

efforts have contributed to the 

education of students in the 

country. The awards of the no- 

5 OMAN 



Haya Water welcomes 75 new employees 


MUSCAT — Haya Water has 

strengthened its commitment 

to increasing levels of Omanisation 

by launching a training 

programme for 75 new staff 

that began with an induction 

briefing day at Al Ansab to 

commence their in-depth training 

programme. 

Following the induction, 

30 students who are degree 

holders have now successfully 

completed their initial training 

programmes and are engaged 

in full-time activity across a 

diverse range of disciplines 

at the company. Forty-five 

are now engaged in training 

programmes ahead of joining 

the company in their full-time 

roles in May. 

During the induction day 

the new staff intake was briefed 

about the profile of Haya and 

the main objectives of the company 

to ensure a smooth transition 

into the business. This 

comes after the company has 

carried out a very comprehensive 

test and interview process 

to choose the best candidates 

and Haya Water will also hire 

more than 20 job-seekers directly. 

The induction day was held 

at Al Ansab, the heart of the 

company’s pioneering water reuse 

project, and hosted by acting 

CEO Abdulla al Hatmi and 

General Manager for Human 

Resources Ibrahim Al Suleimany 

who congratulated the 

new staff on joining the ever 

growing Haya Water family. 

Training and career development 

is a vital part of 

what Haya Water has to offer 

which meant that the 75 new 

staff were given a thorough 

explanation of the training programmes 

that the company has 

to offer them and that they are 

now undertaking. 

The new staff are now actively 

engaged a training programme 

to prepare them to 

work at Haya, and this includes 

self development, professional 

excellence and professional 

careers, stepping in to the business 

world and on the job training. 

Commenting on the successful 

induction day, Haya 

Water HR General Manager Ibrahim 

al Suleimany said: “We 

are very proud to have successfully 

hired so many ambitious 

Omanis who want to work at 

Haya Water and develop rewarding 

long-term careers. 

“Achieving the highest levels 

of Omanisation which has 

now increased from 72 to 76 

per cent has always been an 

important objective for Haya 

Water as we strive to become 

an employer of choice for talented 

Omanis. As a business 

Knowledge Oman wins international honour 

Job openings 

for nationals 

in Galfar 


MUSCAT — Galfar Training 

Institute LLC is selecting 

Omani nationals interested 

in joining six months’ 

training under the Ministry 

of Manpower-funded National 

Projects Training programmes 

for HDD and Operators 

of Heavy Equipment. 

During training candidates 

will be offered a monthly 

stipend of RO 110, with free 

food and accommodation. 

Selected candidates 

will undergo training in the 

ministry-approved Heavy 

Vehicle Course, during 1024 

hours involved in comprehensive 

training with licences 

for the various heavy vehicles 

like Tipper, High Bed, 

Trailer, Low Bed Trailer, 

Tanker, Crane mounted truck 

(HIAB crane). And, Heavy 

Equipment Courses involved 

in comprehensive training 

with licences for the various 

heavy equipment like Bulldozer, 

Wheel Loader, Back 

hoe loader (JCB), Crane, 

Forklift, Tool Carrier, Roller, 

Grader and Excavators. 

After successful completion 

of the training programme, 

the candidates will 

join Galfar Engineering and 

Contracting SAOG with a 

starting salary of RO 310. 

(Also possible overtime between 

RO 100 to RO 150 

and desert allowance if deputed 

in those areas). 

Nationals above 21 years 

old who have not availed of 

the ministry funding before 

and having passion to take 

challenging jobs can register 

online on www.galfartraining.com 

or contact the Registrar 

at Al Hail or Sohar. 

we are fully committed to 

training our new employees to 

become highly valued and experienced 

professionals in their 

careers and make a significant 

contribution to our core objective 

of making Muscat a better 

city through our water reuse 

project. 

“We are delighted that already 

30 degree holders have 

completed their initial training 

and the other training programmes 

are going well for the 

remainder of our new intake 

who will join us full time in 

May” 

Many of the new employees 

say they are delighted with the 

new career opportunity they 

now have with Haya Water and 

are looking forward to a stimulating 

and rewarding career 

with the company. 

Maiada al Sabaheya, a 

bachelor’s degree holder said: 

“I would like to thank Haya for 

believing in the capabilities of 

Omani youth and its commitment 

to Omanisation and opening 

opportunities to Omanis. 

Haya has hired a lot of graduates 

from schools, colleges 

and universities into many engineering 

and administrative 

positions. 

blest stature were designed to 

be presented to individuals and 

institutions that have excelled 

in diverse ways, especially in 

the areas of academic leadership, 

innovation, industry, 

among others. 

The World HRD Congress 

is a non-profit body that is run 

and managed virtually by professionals 

who have a full time 

job and passion to make a difference 

to the community. The 

award winners are selected by 

a Global Research Cell. This 

Cell constitutes professionals 

from different parts of the 

world whom actively monitor 

the progress and achievement 

organisations make towards 

education development.

Sultanate’s pavilion getting 

ready for South Korea Expo 

MUSCAT — Mohsen bin Khamis al Balushi, 

Adviser of the Commerce and Industry 

Ministry and Commissioner General 

of the Sultanate's Pavilion at Yeosu 

Expo 2012, held a meeting to discuss 

Oman’s participation in the expo due to 

be held in Korea from May 12 to August 

12, under the theme "The Living Ocean 

and Coast". 

Al Balushi afrmed that the Sultanate, 

through its scientic, administrative and 

technical committees, is ready to take part 

in the expo and it is the rst country to 

sign the participation agreement with the 

organising committee of the expo. The 

number of participant countries stands at 

more than 100. 

He pointed out that the area of the 


MUSCAT — Daleel Petroleum felicitated 

51 young Omanis on the successful completion 

of their study programmes ahead 

of their formal induction in the company. 

Ali bin Abdullah al Riyami, Director 

General of Marketing at the Ministry of 

Oil and Gas (and also Chairman of the 

company’s Joint Management Committee) 

was the Chief Guest at the ceremony, 

which was held at Holiday Inn Muscat on 

Wednesday. Also present were ofcials of 

the Ministry of Oil and Gas and Ministry 

of Manpower. 

Speaking at the event, Moza bint 

Saleh al Adawi, Chief Operating Ofcer, 

said the new inductees were part of a 

continuing commitment by Daleel Petroleum 

to provide employment to Omani 

job-seekers in line with His Majesty the 

Sultan’s Royal directives. The company 

funded the studies of 35 Higher National 

Diploma (HND) holders and 16 general 

diploma holders who will be joining 

Daleel as technicians and assistant technicians 

respectively. 

Omani pavilion in the expo stands at 

568 square metres. "It is designed to 

Daleel Petroleum to induct 51 youths 

“These young and energetic individuals 

were provided with tailored training 

programmes to facilitate them to obtain 

fulltime employment in Daleel. So, today 

I’m very pleased and feel proud to stand 

here to honour their milestone achievement. 

I’m glad to say that they all showed 

great enthusiasm and commitment to 

learning. Today they bear the fruits of 

their efforts and celebrate their success,” 

said Moza. 

The ofcial urged the new trainees 

to make learning a “continuous everyday 

process” given the complexity of the 

workplace in the oil and gas industry. 

“On the job learning is very important. 

The Daleel workforce has a wealth 

of experience which our young employees 

can learn from. Moreover, we have 

dedicated on-the-job trainers to facilitate 

knowledge transfer as quickly as possible. 

We therefore, have great expectations 

from this group of employees,” 

Moza stated. 

Steadily rising Omanisation was proof 

of Daleel Petroleum’s commitment to 

Omani recruitment, she stressed. “This 

focus on the important unique elements 

of the Sultanate in the eld of protecting 

oceans and coasts and to meet the theme 

of the expo as the pavilion is divided into 

six main sections," he said. 

He afrmed that the shape of the 

Omani pavilion will have a similar design 

used in Yeosu Expo in general. He pointed 

out that currently the pavilion is being 

built and it is expected to be completed 

by April. 

The meeting was attended by Ali bin 

A'mir al Kyoumi, Director- General of 

Environment Protection at the Environment 

and Climate Affairs Ministry and 

Deputy Commissioner General of the 

Sultanate's pavilion, heads and members 

of participant work teams. — ONA 

can be seen by the fact that there has 

been a signicant increase from 29 per 

cent Omanisation at the end of 2002 to 84 

per cent as of today. We would not have 

achieved this without the investment in 

extensive recruitment processes and excellent 

cooperation and support from the 

Ministry of Oil and Gas and the Ministry 

of Manpower.” 

The Chief Operating Ofcer further 

added: “Daleel Petroluem has established 

structured development programmes including 

courses and on-the-job training 

with massive effort in developing inhouse 

training to meet staff development 

requirements and linking these efforts 

with business growth to maintain Daleel 

Petroleum’s as one of the successful oil 

and gas operators in Oman.” 

Of the 31 HND holders, 14 were 

trained for electrical technician positions, 

six for mechanical technician positions, 

six for instrument technician positions, 

seven for production operator positions, 

and two as lab technicians. The company 

has also recruited 14 university degree 

holders. 

THE new inductees with the Chief Guest along with other dignitaries and senior ofcials of Daleel Petroleum. 


MUSCAT — A bit of Tintin, a bit of 

Bond, a bit of Alistair McLean and 

well, a little bit of fun and frolic and a 

lot of adventure… that is what Agent 

Vinod, the much awaited Bollywood 

ick is all about, says its chief protagonist, 

Saif Ali Khan. 

Agent Vinod will be the rst-ever lm 

that is going to be premiered in 

Oman. It has already set the market 

abuzz with excitement and given an 

added llip to the 7th Muscat International 

Film Festival (MIFF). 

Top Indian celebrities and cast of Agent 

Vinod will be gracing the Red Carpet 

of the MIFF at its premiere on March 

25. With Agent Vinod’s premiere in 

Oman, it may perhaps open the doors 

to many more. 

This groundbreaking Indian spy ick, 

which was shot in Morocco, Sri 

Lanka, Pakistan, Latvia among others, 

and featuring the lean, mean and 

ready for action Saif Ali Khan and 

Bollywood’s ultimate diva Kareena 

Kapoor and a host of other glamorous 

stars and veterans in the eld, including 

Prem Chopra, Gulshan Grover, 

Ram Kapoor, Vasilisa Petina will hit 

the box ofce on March 23 (Oman 

premiere will be on March 25). 

This cool spy thriller with a nuclear twist, 

directed by Sriram Raghavan and 

under the banner of Saif Ali Khan’s 

home production, Illuminati Films, 

leaves no stone unturned in attempting 

to woo action thriller lovers. 

“This movie’s entry is groundbreaking 

as far as the nascent cinema industry 

is concerned. For Oman, it is the rst 

ever movie premiere and it will be 

great to have movie stars like Saif Ali 

Khan and Kareena Kapoor in town 

for the MIFF,” Dr Khalid Al Zadjali, 

chairman of MIFF and Oman Film 

Society (OFS) enthused. 

The lm is an action thriller and has Saif 

playing a slick, stylish and a daredevil 

secret agent (Agent Vinod). Saif 

is also co-producing besides acting in 

it. The Bollywood beauty, Kareena, 

plays the character, Iram. Other than 

6 OMAN 



ROP holds training courses 

MUSCAT — The Ofcers 

Training Institute held at its 

headquarters a training course 

aimed at upgrading the skills of 

civil employees of grade 7 and 

providing them with the basic 

skills that enable them to carry 

out their duties effectively. 

The course started on February 

25 and will run till April 

4, and is designed for familiarising 

the participants with the 

Police Law, the nancial bylaw, 

the Penal Law and administrative 

sciences. 

The Trafc Safety Institute 

held a couple of training programmes 

for ROP afliates on 

safe driving, dealing with the 

public, time management, qualities 

of service provider, basic 

rules of customer services, driving 

skills, the Trafc Law, concentration 

while driving as well 

as other relevant topics. 

Bid to smuggle out diesel: 

The Customs Department 

foiled an attempt to smuggle 

Omani students hold cultural evening in US 

MUSCAT — The Omani Students 

Association in North 

Carolina held a cultural evening 

yesterday. The evening aimed at 

familiarising students from the 

US and other countries with the 

Omani culture, traditions and 

heritage as well as providing 

insight into Oman’s history and 

tourism. 

During the event the students 

showcased various aspects of 

the cultural components including 

traditional Omani dresses 

and food, and the ceremonies 

conducted during weddings and 

on other occasions. — ONA 

diesel out of the Sultanate. The 

miscreants hid diesel-lled 

barrels in two tucks bearing 

number plates of a neighbouring 

country. Customs person- 

nel searched the trucks at 

Khatmat Malha checkpoint 

and conscated RO 2,000 

worth of diesel. 

The Customs Department 

Saif, Kareena has also done some 

deadly stunts, promos of the movie 

reveal. 

The affable Saif, who was on his way 

to the Mumbai airport, ready to y 

to some destination, took some time 

to lavish praise on the country he is 

about to visit before the end of this 

month. 

“I have visited Oman couple of times; 

I have a cousin living there. I love 

the country, quiet and peaceful, am 

absolutely thrilled to come to Oman 

for the Agent Vinod premiere. In fact, 

I am coming with some friends and 

am looking forward to the trip,” Saif 

said. 

To a query on his new ‘kiss kiss bang 

at Northern Al Batinah Governorate 

foiled an attempt to 

smuggle in a large amount of 

banned cigar worth RO 600 

hidden in two vehicles. 

New system to assist recruitments 

From page 1 

for the vacant positions. With 

the help of a computer, the 

job-seeker may know the jobs 

he/she is nominated for at the 

agencies according to his/her 

qualication, experience and 

terms for employment. 

He added that the Authority 

has come to know thousands 

of vacant positions in different 

agencies as per certain requirements 

for the positions and the 

criteria that should be met by 

candidates. 

In case a citizen failed to 

get the job he/she was nominated 

for, or he/she refuses 

to take the job without valid 

reasons, he/she will be considered 

an unserious job-seeker 

and therefore will be returned 

to the bottom of the list and 

will be considered as a new 

applicant, he afrmed. 

He added that the priority 

in nomination and employment 

will be for the job-seekers. 

In case the requirements 

specied by the agency are 

not met by the job-seekers, 

nominations will be made 

from among those working 

in the private sector after getting 

conrmation about their 

views. He afrmed that the 

decision comes in a bid to improve 

and develop the status 

of employees in all sectors. 

He added that there will be 

many job opportunities either 

in the public or private sector 

in future and that the private 

sector is generating good 

number of job opportunities. 

He said that a special joint 

committee with other respective 

agencies should be formed 

to co-ordinate and match between 

the education outputs, 

the labour market needs and 

available job opportunities. He 

added that at the moment there 

is a committee formed by the 

Higher Education Council under 

the supervision of Sultan 

Qaboos University (SQU) to 

achieve this objective. 

The challenges include the 

inability of the Authority some 

time to connect with all the 

public and private sector rms 

electronically to get accurate 

data about workers. Moreover, 

many job seekers prefer 

to work in public sector and 

show unwillingness to seek 

vacant positions in private sector, 

he added. 

He said that there is a good 

turnout to registration, communication 

and continuous 

interaction with the Authority 

by job-seekers. 

He pointed out that according 

to census there are about 

146,000 job-seekers. As per 

the ofcial statistics, more 

than 100,000 job-seekers have 

been employed in different 

sectors in the Sultanate. 

The Authority has set up 

a website and a call centre to 

eliminate the need for travel to 

the Authority branches. 

As for opening new branches 

of the Authority, he said that 

the Royal Decree establishing 

the Authority provides it with 

the freedom to open branches 

in all governorates. There will 

be a centre of the Authority in 

each governorate to provide 

the same services given at the 

main headquarters in Muscat. 

As for the monthly assistance 

he said that His Majesty 

Sultan Qaboos has ordered RO 

150 grant for 50,000 job-seekers 

till they are employed. The 

amount is currently dispensed 

to the numbers specied by the 

Manpower Ministry. He added 

that the Manpower Register 

at that time covered workers 

for the public and private sectors 

and no other apparatuses. 

Therefore, there was no link 

between the organisations. 

Consequently many of those 

who registered on the date of 

issuing the Royal directives 

for the monthly assistance 

were either students or retirees 

or employees in different sectors. 

With the establishment 

of the National Authority for 

Manpower Register, the aid 

has been cut to many who do 

not deserve it. — ONA 

Bollywood stars at Muscat lm festival for Agent Vinod premiere 

bang’ lm, Saif said: “Agent Vinod 

is a commercial movie, full of action, 

adventure and fun, a little bit 

Tintin, a little bit of Bond, and a little 

of the Alistair McLean sort. In short I 

would say, the Muscat audience can 

expect a fun ride! Expect fun, adventure 

and a Sriram Raghavan (director) 

movie with Agent Vinod! When 

I say a ‘commercial’ movie, expect a 

little bit of everything, I don’t mean 

that the character is a copy of a Tintin 

or a Bond, no way — Agent Vinod is 

original. The real thing!” 

Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sriram 

Raghavan and Dinesh Vijan (partnerproducer) 

will be in Oman for the 

Agent Vinod premiere.

CAIRO — Several Egyptian 

lawmakers yesterday accused 

the government of bowing 

to United States pressure by 

allowing a group of foreign 

NGO workers on trial in Cairo 

to leave the country as well as 

the earlier resignation of the 

judges hearing the case. 

Egyptian newspapers angrily 

accused the ruling military 

yesterday of caving in 

to US pressure to allow the 

foreign workers, including a 

number of Americans, to escape 

trial on charges of illegal 

funding. 

One of them also accused 

the Supreme Council of the 

Armed Forces (SCAF) of 

trashing the concept of an independent 

judiciary, insinuating 

that it had strong-armed 

the courts into lifting a travel 

ban on the suspects. 

“What happened is a scandal 

for Egypt,” lawmaker 

Mustafa Bakri was quoted 

as saying in the semi-official 

newspaper Al Ahram. 

The judges hearing the case 

resigned earlier last week. 

Bakri, the lawmaker, said 

he had asked the government 

to explain to parliament the 

7 REGION 



Aid reaches Homs as insurgents quit 

BEIRUT — An aid convoy prepared 

to enter Baba Amro district of Homs 

yesterday after Syria declared the 

area cleared of insurgents. 

Government troops earlier surrounded 

the area with tanks and forces 

for weeks. 

Insurgents withdrew on Thursday. 

An official at Syria’s Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs and Expatriates said the 

army had “cleansed Baba Amro from 

the foreign-backed armed groups of 

terrorists.” 

Activists said Syria’s army had 

begun hunting down insurgents although 

the reports could not be verified. 

It was not immediately clear 

how many insurgents died in the operation 

and how many had fled. 

Protesters meanwhile came out on 

the streets in some towns and cities 

— Homs, Hama, Deir al-Zor, Deraa 

and some districts in Damascus, television 

footage showed. Insurgents’ 

video footage appeared to show 

troops firing at demonstrators. 

The London-based Syrian 

Observatory for Human Rights 

claimed 13 people in protests when 

troops clashed with protesters in the 

town of Rastan. Independent verification 

of such reports is extremely 

difficult. 

In Geneva, the United Nations 

human rights body called upon President 

Bashar al Assad to honour in- 

SANAA — Yemen’s newlyelected 

President Abd Rabu 

Mansour Hadi has sacked 

Mahdi Maqula from his post 

as chief of the country’s southern 

military zone, local media 

reported yesterday. 

Hadi, who was inaugurated 

this week, ordered that 

Maqula be replaced by Salem 

Ali, a prominent army general 

from southern Yemen, the 

TEHRAN — Iranians voted 

yesterday in a parliamentary 

election seen as a test between 

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali 

Khamenei and President Mahmoud 

Ahmadinejad. 

Iranian leaders were looking 

for a high turnout as the 

country faces economic turmoil 

compounded by Western 

sanctions over a nuclear 

programme that has prompted 

threats of military action by 

Israel, whose leader meets US 

President Barack Obama in 

the White House on Monday. 

Leading groups are staying 

out of the contest which is now 

seen as between the Khamenei 

and Ahmadinejad camps. 

“Whenever there has been 

more enmity towards Iran, the 

importance of the elections 

has been greater,” Khamenei, 

72, said after casting his vote. 

DAMAGED buildings covered in snow are seen in Baba Amro district of Homs in this still image 

taken from video footage broadcast on Syria TV yesterday. — Reuters 

ternational law. “We are alarmed at 

reports coming out of the Baba Amro 

district of Homs,” spokesman Rupert 

Colville said. 

A government figure said troops 

had “broken the back” of the uprising 

and the insurgents’ withdrawal 

heralded impending end to Westernbacked 

insurgency. 

The ICRC said a convoy had 

Yemen military sees changes 

government-run Al Gomhoriah 

newspaper reported. 

Maqula’s opponents accuse 

him of corruption and 

sidelining qualified army officers, 

mainly those belonging 

to the south. 

The move came amid increasing 

public pressure on 

Hadi to remove supporters and 

relatives of former president 

Ali Abdullah Saleh from key 

“The arrogant powers are 

bullying us to maintain their 

prestige. A high turnout will 

be better for our nation ... and 

for preserving security.” 

Iranians may be preoccupied 

with sharply rising prices 

and jobs, but it is Iran’s nuclear 

programme that is disturbing 

many. Western sanctions over 

the nuclear programme have 

hit imports, driving prices up 

and squeezing ordinary Iranians. 

The election took place 

without the two main opposition 

leaders. Mirhossein 

Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, 

who ran for president in 2009, 

have been under house arrest 

for more than a year. 

No independent observers 

are on hand to monitor the 

voting or check the turnout 

figures that officials will an- 

reached Homs and was preparing to 

enter Baba Amro. The Free Syrian 

Army (FSA) said on Thursday it was 

leaving the district. 

Conditions in the insurgencyhit 

district are hellish. TV footage 

showed heavy snow and freezing 

weather, with residents lacking electricity 

or fuel for heating. There is 

also a shortage of food and medical 

posts in the country’s military 

and security agencies. 

Thousands demonstrated 

across Yemen yesterday to 

demand that the new president 

restructure the army in the first 

such rally since he took office 

less than a week ago. 

“The people want the army 

restructured,” they chanted in 

northern Sanaa. “The people 

want a new Yemen.” 

YEMENI protesters gather for a rally in Sanaa yesterday to demand the restructuring of the 

army in the first such rally since a new president took office less than a week ago. — AFP 

Aiming for military superiority 

NEW YORK -- President 

Barack Obama on Thursday 

called US support for Israel 

"sacrosanct," and said he 

wanted the country to maintain 

its "military superiority" 

as he prepares to meet with 

Prime Minister Benjamin 

Netanyahu. 

The two leaders are expected 

to make discussions about 

Iran's nuclear development 

program a priority during their 

planned meeting Monday at 

the White House. 

Obama spoke on Thursday 

during a re-election campaign 

fundraiser in New York, 

where he discussed geopolitical 

changes following the unrest 

in some countries of the 

region. 

"One of our long-term 

goals in that region is to make 

sure that the sacrosanct commitment 

that we make to Israel's 

security is not only a matter 

of providing them military 

capabilities, not only providing 

qualitative military edge," 

Obama said. 

The United States also 

should cooperate with Israel 

"to try to bring about 

peace in the region," Obama 

said. 

As he discussed foreign 

policy, a woman yelled out, 

"Use your leadership! No war 

in Iran!" 

Obama smiled and responded 

by saying, "Nobody's 

announced a war, young lady. 

You're jumping the gun a little 

bit." 

At the moment, better relations 

with Palestinians have 

been put aside by Israel as 

its leaders consider a strike 

against Iran on its nuclear programme. 

In his first public comments 

on a North American 

visit, Israeli Prime Minister 

Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday 

Israel reserved the right 

to defend itself. 

"As for Israel, like any sovereign 

country, we reserve the 

right to defend ourselves," he 

told reporters in Ottawa at the 

start of a meeting with Canadian 

Prime Minister Stephen 

Harper. 

Netanyahu and other Israeli 

officials say Iran's nuclear 

program is designed to eventually 

produce nuclear weapons 

although the Iranians have 

been maintaining that their 

nuclear program is for entirely 

peaceful purposes. 

nounce. 

Former president Hashemi 

Rafsanjani said after voting in 

Tehran, “If the election outcome 

turns out to be what the 

people cast in the ballot boxes, 

God willing we will have a 

good parliament.” 

State media briefly showed 

Ahmadinejad voting, apparently 

making no comment afterward. 

Polling stations opened at 

8 am (0430 GMT) and were 

due to close at 6 pm, but state 

television said they would stay 

open longer to cope with the 

“extraordinary” turnout. 

Ballots are counted manually 

and Iranians may have to 

wait three days for full results. 

Voting was slow at first in 

affluent northern Tehran but 

picked up later. Voters queued 

up in poorer parts of the capi- 

supplies. 

In a rare show of unity with Western 

powers, Russia and China joined 

other Security Council members at 

the United Nations in appealing Syria 

to allow the UN humanitarian aid 

chief Valerie Amos to visit the country 

immediately. 

France announced it would shut 

its Syrian embassy and was ready to 

Cry of ‘scandal’ over release 

Oil in Libya 

2012 budget 

TRIPOLI — Libya’s 2012 

proposed budget draws 

heavily on oil revenues, 

forecast to reach about $54 

billion or 41 billion euros, 

to compensate for the loss 

of corporate tax revenues in 

last year’s conflict. 

“Libyan state revenues 

for this year will depend 

heavily on oil revenues,” a 

senior official was quoted as 

saying late on Thursday. 

The interim government 

said in a report that the budget 

was heavily reliant on the 

oil sector to compensate for 

losses in corporate tax revenues, 

as both private and 

public firms had suffered 

financial losses in 2011 unrest. 

Iranians vote in crucial elections 

tal and in provincial cities, 

witnesses said. 

Khamenei has told Iranians 

that their vote would be a “slap 

in the face for arrogant powers”. 

The two main groups competing 

for parliament’s 290 

seats are the United Front of 

Principlists, which includes 

Khamenei loyalists, and the 

Resistance Front that backs 

Ahmadinejad. 

The president has long appealed 

to Iran’s rural poor with 

his humble image but spiralling 

prices have dented his 

popularity. 

Prices of staple goods, 

many of them imported, have 

soared because the Iranian 

rial’s value has sunk as US 

and European Union sanctions 

on the financial and oil sectors 

begin to bite. — Reuters 

reasons for lifting the travel 

ban and to clarify whether the 

judges had resigned as a result 

of political interference in the 

case. 

Yusri Hamad, a lawmaker 

from the Al Nour party, alleged 

that a “dubious deal” 

had been forged between 

Egypt’s military rulers and the 

US administration. 

“This is an insult to the 

Egyptians’ feelings and an infringement 

of the judiciary’s 

independence,” Hamad said. 

The activists flew out of 

Cairo on Thursday night, airport 

officials said, a day after 

the judiciary lifted the travel 

ban. 

Independent daily Al Tahrir 

summed up the general mood 

with its front-page headline: 

“Scandal. Under orders from 

the military, the judiciary 

freed the Americans and let 

them travel.” 

“In only 24 hours, the 

military council proved to the 

world that any talk of judicial 

independence in Egypt is no 

more than an illusion,” the paper 

said. 

It accused the SCAF of 

backing off under “pressure, 

step up support of the insurgents if 

the UN Security Council cleared the 

way for such a move. 

British Prime Minister David 

Cameron said Syrian government 

would be held to account. “We need 

to start collecting the evidence now 

so that there will be a day of reckoning” 

for those responsible, Cameron 

told reporters at a summit of EU leaders 

in Brussels. 

As news of the insurgents’ pull-out 

from Baba Amro spread, video footage 

released on the Internet appeared 

to show the bodies of American journalist 

Marie Colvin and French photographer 

Remi Ochlik being buried 

in Homs, where they were killed in 

shelling eight days ago. 

French journalists Edith Bouvier, 

who was wounded in the same bombardment, 

and William Daniels flew 

to Paris yesterday from Lebanon, 

Sarkozy said, the last of a handful of 

reporters trapped in the city. 

Armed insurgents and defecting 

soldiers have been spearheading 

the unrest in the country that 

began with largely peaceful protests 

inspired by incidents in the neighbourhood, 

but somehow escalated 

later on. 

A Lebanese official said the defeat 

for the attackers in Homs would 

leave the opposition without any major 

stronghold in Syria. — Reuters 

negotiations and visits from 

American officials to Cairo.” 

On Tuesday, US Secretary 

of State Hillary Clinton had 

said there were “very intensive 

discussions with the Egyptian 

government”. 

“But I don’t want to discuss 

it in great detail because 

it’s important that they know 

that we are continuing to push 

them but that we don’t necessarily 

put it out into the public 

arena yet,” she added. 

The activists working for 

four American and a German 

NGO are also accused of operating 

without licenses. 

The Americans include 

Sam LaHood, the son of US 

Transportation Secretary Ray 

LaHood and head of the International 

Republican Institute 

(IRI) in Egypt. 

Earlier, the three judges 

handling the case recused 

themselves under mysterious 

circumstances. 

State news agency MENA 

said chief judge Mohammed 

Shukry wrote to the head of 

the appeals court, which designates 

trial judges, saying 

they could not continue the 

trial. — Agencies 

New charges sought in 

assassination indictment 

THE HAGUE — The prosecution 

at the UN-backed court 

probing the assassination of 

Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq 

Hariri is seeking to add a new 

charge of criminal association 

to the indictment, the tribunal 

said yesterday. 

“The prosecution is seeking 

to add a new count to the 

indictment of ‘criminal association’, 

which is an offence 

under the Lebanese penal 

code,” the Special Tribunal 

for Lebanon said in a statement. 

The Hague-based court 

said the request was made by 

the prosecutor on February 

8 but that the contents of the 

amended indictment remain 

confidential. 

Early last month, the court 

said it would put four Hizbullah 

members on trial in absentia 

over the February 14, 2005 

car bombing in Beirut that 

killed Hariri and 22 others, 

including a suicide bomber. 

Arrest warrants have been 

issued for the four — Salim 

Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, 

Hussein Anaissi and Assad 

Sabra — but they remain at 

large. 

Lebanese Prime Minister 

BAGHDAD — Violence 

killed 151 Iraqi civilians and 

members of the security forces 

in February, according to 

official figures, showing that 

daily bombings and shootings 

remain a persistent fact of life 

despite the withdrawal of US 

forces in December. 

The overall level of violence 

was down slightly from 

the previous month. A spate 

of attacks on February 23 that 

killed more than 60 people 

was a reminder that bloodshed 

is still very much prevalent. 

According to Iraqi government 

figures, 91 civilians, 39 

police and 21 soldiers were 

killed in February. The previous 

month, the death toll was 

177 — 99 civilians, 37 police 

and 41 soldiers. 

At the height of violence 

in 2006-07, monthly civilian 

death tolls were regularly 

around 3,000. 

The government released 

figures this week giving an 

official death toll of nearly 

70,000 for the years of the US 

presence. Other sources, such 

as Iraq Body Count, a group 

Najib Mikati had said last 

month that the tribunal’s prosecutor 

Daniel Bellamare, who 

ended his mandate at the end 

of February, would be submitting 

a revised indictment before 

he left office. 

He said Bellemare informed 

him that the new 

charge sheet concerns information 

on attacks against 

three veteran Lebanese politicians 

linked to Hariri’s assassination 

in a massive seaside 

car bomb blast in Beirut in 

February 2005. 

The officials were named 

as George Hawi, ex-leader 

of the Lebanese Communist 

Party who was killed by a car 

bomb in June 2005, former 

defence minister Michel 

Murr, who survived a car 

bomb in July 2005, and Druze 

MP and ex-minister Marwan 

Hamadeh, who escaped an attempt 

on his life in 2004. 

UN leader Ban Ki-Moon 

on Wednesday named ICC 

deputy prosecutor Norman 

Farrell of Canada as Bellamare’s 

successor. Hizbullah, 

blacklisted as a terrorist 

organisation by Washington, 

has denied involvement in the 

Hariri murder. — AFP 

Iraq death toll stands 

at 151 in February 

which compiles data from 

media reports, give higher 

figures. 

While Iraq is much safer 

than a few years ago, it still 

has not reached the point 

where most of the country is 

considered safe enough for 

outsiders to visit without special 

security measures. 

Meanwhile. Iraq has started 

a probe into bribery allegations 

linked to Australian construction 

contractor Leighton 

Holdings Ltd, the oil ministry’s 

inspector general said 

yesterday. 

“We are conducting an 

investigation into allegations 

of violations in Leighton’s 

contracts in the south. Until 

now we have not received any 

signs of involvement of Iraqi 

officials in corruption,” Hilal 

Ismael said. 

Australian police launched 

an investigation last month 

after Leighton alerted the 

Australian Federal Police to 

possible bribery by a subsidiary 

bidding for work to 

expand Iraq’s oil export facilities. 

— Agencies

Pakistan 

starts Senate 

elections 

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani 

regional lawmakers yesterday 

began casting their votes 

for members of the Senate, 

the indirectly-elected upper 

house of the federal parliament, 

officials said. 

Each of Pakistan’s four 

provinces will have 23 seats 

in the 104-member next senate, 

with four going to the 

capital Islamabad and eight 

for the tribal areas in the 

northwest. 

Some of the places are reserved 

for minorities, women, 

and Islamic scholars or 

technocrats. 

“Polling has started at all 

four provincial assemblies 

and at the parliament house 

in Islamabad,” an official of 

the Election Commission of 

Pakistan said. 

Half the senate’s current 

100 members retire on 

March 12 after completing 

their six-year terms, and the 

four minority places are an 

expansion of the chamber 

being chosen for the first 

time. 

YANGON — Myanmar has 

fewer phones per capita than 

any other country and probably 

the fewest Internet connections, 

and that has regional telecoms 

and IT companies licking their 

lips. 

But behind those statistics 

lies more than simply a virgin 

market waiting to be tapped. 

Myanmar has been run by generals 

for decades, leaving not 

only pent-up demand for connectivity, 

but also a complex 

web of interests and a unique 

ecosystem of technological 

make-do. All of which will 

require careful navigation by 

would-be investors. 

A recent gathering of techies 

in Yangon’s Myanmar Info- 

Tech complex illustrates the 

promise, changes and problems 

Myanmar presents as the next 

frontier for investors. 

The meeting was organised 

by a loose triumvirate of business-oriented 

folk, bloggers and 

the country’s IT diaspora. It was 

a so-called barcamp — an unstructured 

conference and chatfest 

whose format was dreamed 

8 

THE PHILIPPINES/SUBCONTINENT 


Pakistan Budget: 

No new tax likely 

ISLAMABAD — While Pakistani 

government will introduce 

no new tax in the next 

budget, electricity prices will 

increase by at least 6 per cent, 

it was learnt yesterday. 

The government also intends 

to increase the rate of 

withholding tax on the purchase 

of luxury vehicles in 

the next budget for 2012-13. 

The tax is already applicable 

on the purchase of new vehicles, 

depending on the engine 

capacity of the vehicle, but 

purchasers of luxury cars are 

not properly paying the withholding 

tax. 

“We are making an attempt 

to ensure that the buyers of big 

vehicles pay the due amount 

of withholding tax. One of 

the proposals is to collect the 

tax at the time of booking of 

the car to ensure collection of 

withholding tax. This higher 

rate of tax will be adjustable at 

the time of filing of the income 

by up California techies tired 

of the exclusive, closed-door 

meets that are a regular feature 

of Silicon Valley. 

The barcamp idea has taken 

Asia by storm, but nowhere 

more so than Myanmar. In 

October 2009, Emily Jacobi, 

founder of the first barcamp, 

travelled to Yangon in part to 

rustle up interest. Independent-minded 

bloggers and the 

business-oriented Myanmar 

Computer Professionals Association 

jumped at the idea, but 

overcoming mutual suspicions 

between the groups was less 

straightforward. Businessmen 

had long been used to building 

ties with government to win 

work. 

“It was harder to convince 

my fellow independent cofounders 

of BarCamp Yangon 

that parking our activities under 

the umbrella of this legally 

standing computer association 

was a good idea,” says Thaung 

Su Nyein, secretary of the association 

and managing director 

of IT and media company 

Inforithm-Maze. 

tax return by the purchaser of 

the vehicle.” 

Mumtaz Haider Rizvi, 

FBR chairman, said this while 

briefing the NA Committee 

on Finance and Revenue here 

yesterday on the performance 

of the FBR in terms of revenue 

collection/mobilisation. 

He claimed that the FBR 

would collect Rs 2 trillion 

($22.22 billion) in revenues 

against a target of $21.68 billion 

set for the fiscal 2011-12. 

He said no new tax will be imposed 

in the budget for 2012- 

13, which will be growthoriented 

with an emphasis on 

documentation, simplification 

of tax systems, cleansing of 

the statutory regulatory orders 

(SROs) and phasing out of 

federal excise duties. 

Highlighting the performance 

of the FBR in revenue 

collection and mobilisation, 

the newly appointed chairman 

informed the committee 

The first BarCamp Yangon, 

in early 2010, had 3,000 people 

turn up — a barcamp record. 

This was all the more surprising 

as it took place before any 

public sign of a political thaw. 

Opposition leader Aung San 

Suu Kyi was then still under 

house arrest. By the time of 

the third gathering last month 

she was a free woman, about to 

contest a by-election — and the 

gathering’s guest of honour. 

The conference’s popularity 

is a reflection of how much interest 

there is in technology, but 

also illustrates how deprived 

local people are of information 

and networking opportunities. 

Thar Htet, a Singaporebased 

IT consultant who gave 

several talks at the first barcamp, 

said it was clear that 

most of those attending didn’t 

understand even relatively basic 

topics. “You could see from 

their eyes that they didn’t really 

understand,” he recalls. 

When he went back this 

year, however, he found things 

had changed — a little. “People 

are teaching themselves and 

that the budget would focus 

on government policy of moving 

towards only three taxes ie 

income tax, sales tax and customs 

duty. 

In this regard, Rizvi said, 

FED would be phased out 

gradually and FBR will take 

steps to move towards documentation 

of the economy and 

broadening the tax base. The 

growth-oriented budget will 

give priority to employment, 

industrialisation and investment 

and the objective of the 

simplification of taxes would 

be achieved through transparent, 

consistent and predictable 

systems. 

Rizvi said the FBR has been 

able to achieve 27 per cent 

growth despite a downturn in 

the economy. At present the 

FBR was ahead of the target 

and the unprecedented growth 

in revenue collection during 

2011-12 showed the commitment 

of the tax machinery. 

Over 50 dead in NW Pakistan 

PESHAWAR — At least 55 

people were killed yesterday 

in violence in Pakistan’s 

northwestern tribal region of 

Kyhber, which borders Afghanistan, 

local officials said. 

Twenty-two people were 

killed in an attack in the Tirah 

valley, while at least 10 soldiers 

and 23 armed men died 

in an earlier clash around 10 

kilometres away. 

Local administration official 

Jamilur Rehman said 

that the blast killed at least 

22 people and wounded more 

than 20 others, adding the toll 

may rise. 

“The bomber detonated 

himself near the gate of a 

mosque in Tirah valley of 

Khyber tribal region when 

people were returning from 

the prayers,” he said. 

The attack and the toll was 

confirmed by Khyber administration 

chief Mutahir Zeb 

Khan. 

“The bomber blew himself 

up at the entrance of the 

mosque when the worshippers 

were returning after the Friday 

prayers,” he said. 

Khan earlier said at 

least 10 Pakistani soldiers 

and 23 armed men were killed 

in a gunfight in the Tirah valley. 

“At least 10 soldiers embraced 

martyrdom and three 

others were wounded,” a senior 

security official said, add- 

ing that the fighting lasted for 

nearly six hours. 

“All law enforcement agencies’ 

posts in the area were intact 

and the situation was stable,” 

the official said. 

Military officials in Peshawar 

confirmed the attack and 

casualties, but it was not possible 

to independently verify 

the official account of the incident 

as access to the area is 

restricted by the military. 

Separately, gunmen on motorbikes 

yesterday shot dead 

an intelligence official in the 

northwestern city of Peshawar, 

the capital of Khyber 

Pakhtunkhwa province which 

borders Afghanistan, police 

said. 

Bashir Khan, a 38-year-old 

Intelligence Bureau inspector, 

was on his way to work on his 

motorcycle when gunmen also 

riding a motorbike shot him, 

senior police official Tahir 

Ayub said. 

Ayub said it was not immediately 

clear who shot 

Khan, but Taliban fighters 

have previously attacked and 

killed intelligence officials in 

the area. 

Peshawar has a population 

of 2.5 million people and has 

long been on the frontline of 

violence blamed on a fiveyear 

insurgency led by Taliban 

fighters opposed to Islamabad’s 

alliance with the United 

States. — AFP 

ANTI-US protesters shout slogans during a rally by migrant workers in front of the US Embassy in Manila yesterday. A 

group of protesters called on the Philippine government to repatriate Philippine workers in Syria. — AFP 

Slow connection: Myanmar test for IT crowd 

now certainly understand the 

topics better. But I also made 

the presentations simpler.” 

This is perhaps unsurprising. 

Although Internet cafes 

have proliferated since 2003, 

helping spawn a generation 

of bloggers and self-taught 

programmers, there are limits 

to what they can do on slow 

Internet connections and without 

foreign training and expertise. 

When Pyae Phyo Maung, 

for example, attended the University 

of Computer Studies, 

Yangon, he had to bring his own 

computer. To learn more, those 

who can head overseas. Pyae 

Phyo Maung left for Singapore 

in 2009 where he still works as 

a computer consultant. Of his 

class of 10, he says, only two 

have remained in Myanmar. 

The barcamp highlights the 

challenges facing both local IT 

players and any future investors: 

how to address the tight 

grip on the country’s IT and 

communications network by 

a coterie of government and 

business players. 


PROTESTERS shout anti-American slogans during a rally in Peshawar yesterday. About 50 protesters gathered to 

condemn the February 21 desecration of the Quran at Nato’s main base in Afghanistan. — Reuters 

Floods cause 

$3.7 bn loss 

ISLAMABAD — An unreleased 

joint study by the 

Asian Development Bank 

and the World Bank has assessed 

that the floods in 

2011, which ravaged several 

southern districts of Sindh 

and parts of Baluchistan 

province of Pakistan, caused 

a loss of $3.7 billion to the 

country, sources revealed. 

The Damage and Needs 

Assessment (DNA) report, 

carried out by the two lending 

agencies on request of 

the government of Pakistan, 

evaluated the losses to be 

much lower than the initial 

estimates that put the damages 

at $7 billion. — Internews 

Commentator 

injured in 

attack 

MANILA — A Filipino radio 

commentator was wounded 

yesterday in the second attack 

against journalists in the Philippines 

this year, police said. 

Fernando Gabio, 60, was 

outside his home in Iloilo 

City, 465 kilometres southeast 

of Manila, when two 

gunmen on a motorcycle 

opened fire at him, hitting in 

his right leg, the police report 

said. 

Gabio hosts a programme 

on a local radio network 

where he talks about politics 

and problems, including corruption. 

Last month, a radio 

broadcaster and newspaper 

publisher was shot dead in 

the southern city of General 

Santos in the first attack of 

2012 on media in the Philippines. 

According to the Center 

for Media Freedom and Responsibility, 

five journalists 

were killed last year.— dpa 

Maldives committed to all-party 

talks to resolve crisis: minister 

GENEVA — The Maldives 

foreign minister said yesterday 

her government was committed 

to all-party talks to resolve 

a political crisis in the Indian 

Ocean state where the former 

president says he was ousted in 

a coup. 

Responding to a call by UN 

chief Ban Ki-Moon’s call for 

dialogue, Dunya Maumoon 

said: “That is definitely the 

commitment of the government.” 

However Maumoon accused 

elements in the Maldavian 

Democratic Party (MDP) 

of ousted president Mohamed 

Nasheed of stoking up violence. 

DHAKA — Bangladesh’s 

Muhammad Yunus, who won 

a Nobel Prize for his work in 

microfinance, said yesterday 

he had no interest in becoming 

the new head of the World 

Bank despite being proposed 

for the position. 

The country’s Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina put 

forward Yunus last month 

during a visit by some European 

parliamentarians, saying 

he was respected for his pioneering 

role in poverty alleviation. 

The move surprised many 

as Hasina has clashed with 

70-year-old Yunus, who 

founded the Grameen Bank in 

1983 to provide small loans to 

the poor, notably accusing him 

in December 2010 of “sucking 

blood from the poor.” 

“I never thought of taking 

up the top job of the World 

Bank or any other such multilateral 

institutions. I have 

been a regular critic of the 

Opposition MPs prevented 

the new president Mohamed 

Waheed from opening parliament 

on Thursday and violent 

protests erupted outside the 

building. 

“This is really unacceptable. 

They are undermining the 

institution of parliament,” said 

Maumoon. 

“Currently all the parties 

except the MDP are working 

together in the national unity 

government and all have been 

committed to the all party 

talks,” said Maumoon who was 

in Geneva for a meeting of the 

UN Human Rights Council. 

The minister said it was 

“only recently” that the MDP 

World Bank for its policies 

and programmes,” Yunus said 

in a statement, while thanking 

Hasina. 

Yunus said in 1995 US 

President Clinton had invited 

him to the Oval Office and 

“asked whether I had any 

interest in this”. In 2005 ex- 

Bangladesh Prime Minister 

Khaleda Zia wanted to nominate 

him for UN Secretary- 

General’s post. 

“Those who are feeling encouraged 

by the present proposal 

from the Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina may become 

disappointed with me that I 

am not giving importance to 

such a big opportunity for the 

country,” he said. 

World Bank President Robert 

Zoellick will step down at 

the end of his five-year term 

on June 30, setting up a race 

for the top post at the development 

bank. 

Yunus and the Grameen 

Bank shared the Nobel peace 

joined the talks which was 

welcome as “it is only through 

dialogue and peaceful resolution 

that we can overcome the 

obstacles the country faces at 

present.” 

Nasheed says he was ousted 

by Waheed in a military-led 

coup on February 7 and called 

on its supporters to stage 

Thursday’s demonstration 

against the new government. 

Speaking at UN headquarters 

on Thursday, Ban expressed 

concern about the tensions 

on the archipelago and 

said they “must be resolved 

peacefully through a national 

process and on the basis of dialogue 

and consensus.” — AFP 

Bangladesh’s Yunus rules 

out World Bank role 

prize in 2006 for developing 

“economic and social development 

from below” by making 

small loans to poor entrepreneurs. 

Yunus was forced out of 

the bank last year, however, 

after the central bank ordered 

him to be fired for exceeding 

the mandatory retirement age 

— a move seen by critics as 

being engineered by Hasina. 

The microfinance pioneer 

said he hoped that Hasina’s 

proposal that he take over at 

the World Bank would “make 

clear that the impressions she 

previously had about me and 

Grameen Bank no longer exist”. 

“Now I am hopeful that the 

government’s policy towards 

the Grameen Bank and me 

will be in line with the Prime 

Minister’s latest position. This 

will remove a huge burden of 

pain and worry from me also 

from many others in the country.” 

— AFP 

POLICE officers stand guard in front of the United Nations head office during a protest in Colombo yesterday. The UN 

Human Rights Council is currently debating a proposed resolution to probe alleged war crimes in the final months of the 

Sri Lankan civil war against the Tamil Tigers in 2009. — Reuters

‘No action against protest’ 

MOSCOW — Russia’s 

Vladimir Putin promised he 

would not crack down on Russia’s 

burgeoning opposition 

movement following his likely 

election as president today, but 

rejected protesters’ calls for 

early parliamentary polls. 

Tens of thousands of people 

have turned out for protests in 

Moscow and other cities since 

a disputed parliamentary vote 

in December — the biggest 

protests of Putin’s 12-year 

rule. The unprecedented wave 

of demonstrations has cast 

a shadow over the powerful 

prime minister who appeared 

politically invincible throughout 

much of his rule. 

In remarks published yesterday, 

Putin signalled he was 

confident he could maintain 

control and popular support 

without tightening the screws 

or giving in to opponents’ demands. 

Asked in a meeting with 

foreign newspaper editors 

SYDNEY — Australian scientists 

mapping the Great 

Barrier Reef will broadcast 

their findings in partnership 

with Google, modelled on its 

“Street View” to spotlight the 

impact of climate change. 

The University of Queensland’s 

Seaview Survey, funded 

by global insurance giant Catlin, 

will use custom-designed 

cameras and diving robots 

to plumb never-before-seen 

depths of the reef off Australia’s 

northeast coast. 

It is a scientific expedition 

with an everyman twist, according 

to chief scientist for the 

project, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg. 

A special four-lensed camera, 

which can be held by a scuba 

diver swimming through and 

over the corals, will capture 

a “rapid visual census” of life 

forms at 20 sites along the entire 

2,300-kilometre length of 

the reef. 

An estimated 50,000 panoramas, 

shot in 360-degree 

high-definition, will then be 

uploaded to Google’s Panoramio 

photo site for use on 

whether he would move to 

crack down on the opposition 

after the vote, Putin quipped: 

“Why do I need to do that?” 

“I don’t know where these 

fears come from. We are 

not planning anything of the 

kind,” Putin said at the meeting 

held on Thursday at his 

residence outside Moscow. In 

his remarks, Putin dismissed 

such fears. 

“On the contrary all of our 

proposals are geared toward 

establishing a dialogue with 

everyone, with those who support 

us and those who criticise 

us,” he said in a transcript 

posted on the government’s 

website. He said he and President 

Dmitry Medvedev were 

working to liberalise the political 

system, which he tightened 

during his 2000-2008 

presidency, by reinstating 

popular elections of regional 

governors and allowing more 

political parties. 

More firmly than before, 

Google Maps and Google 

Earth — a kind of “Street 

View” under the ocean. 

“By using some really nifty 

digital technology to make 

360-degree imagery we’re essentially 

able to allow people 

to slip into the Great Barrier 

Reef and go for a dive as if 

they were coming with us,” 

Hoegh-Guldberg said. 

The expedition, which will 

however, he ruled out holding 

a early parliamentary election 

— one of the main demands 

voiced by protesters angry 

over suspected fraud in his 

ruling party’s favour in a Dec 

4 vote and dismayed by his 

plans to stay in power for a last 

six more years. “No,” he said 

when asked whether he would 

call for an early election. 

The opposition hopes to 

keep up pressure and plans 

protests in central Moscow 

and other cities on Monday. 

Opposition leaders say they 

suspect the vote will be rigged 

to ensure he avoids a secondround 

runoff by winning more 

than 50 per cent. 

The protests were fuelled 

by suspicions Putin’s United 

Russia party cheated in the 

December polls and served as 

an outlet for anger over Putin’s 

plan to swap jobs with 

Medvedev. The plan deepened 

frustrations among Russians 

who believe the formal elec- 

officially depart in September, 

will also have a dedicated 

YouTube channel documenting 

its progress in real-time. 

Hoegh-Guldberg said its 

primary focus would be recording 

the reef for later comparisons 

to measure the effects 

of climate change, as well as 

mapping depths unreachable 

by scuba divers, about which 

very little is known. 

9 THE WORLD 



tions give them little real say 

in politics. Putin defended 

his decision, saying he and 

Medvedev “honestly and 

clearly told the country” of 

their plans ahead of the parliamentary 

and presidential 

elections. 

“Did we trick anybody? 

... No,” he said. Putin, who 

will be inaugurated in May 

if he wins the presidency, reiterated 

that he plans to make 

Medvedev prime minister. 

In the latest opinion survey 

by independent pollster 

Levada Centre, conducted in 

February, 66 per cent of voters 

who planned to vote and had 

decided on a candidate said 

they would vote for Putin. 

Putin, who steered 

Medvedev into the Kremlin in 

2008 and became prime minister 

when he faced a constitutional 

bar on a third consecutive 

term as president, could 

run for another six-year term 

in 2018. — Reuters 

GENDARMES evacuate Florange’s workers of the world’s biggest steelmaker ArcelorMittal who block the railway 

yesterday in Florange, eastern France, to denounce the closing of the plant with 5.000 people. ArcelorMittal has idled 

one of the furnaces at the plant in Florange and another since October 2012, citing insufficient steel demand. — AFP 

Laptop theft did not endanger ISS 

WASHINGTON — A stolen 

US space agency laptop containing 

codes that control the 

International Space Station 

(ISS) did not put the orbiting 

lab in peril, a Nasa spokesman 


The unencrypted notebook 

computer went missing in 

March 2011 and "resulted in 

the loss of the algorithms used 

to command and control the 

International Space Station," 

Nasa Inspector General Paul 

Martin told lawmakers this 

week.But the US space agency 

insisted that international 

astronauts were never at risk 

aboard the research outpost. 

"Nasa takes the issue of IT 

security very seriously, and 

at no point in time have operations 

of the International 

Space Station been in jeopardy 

due to a data breach," spokesman 

Trent Perrotto said. 

The theft was alerted to 

Congress on Wednesday along 

with 5,408 computer security 

"incidents" that resulted 

in unauthorised access to Nasa 

systems or installation of malicious 

software in the past two 

years, Martin said. 

Perpetrators are suspected 

to include small-time hackers, 

organized criminal networks 

and foreign intelligence 

services. The attacks affected 

thousands of Nasa computers 

and cost the agency more than 

$7 million in 2010 and 2011, 

he said. 

Over the past few years, 

investigations have resulted 

in the arrests and convictions 

of hackers from China, Great 

Britain, Italy, Nigeria, Portugal, 

Romania, Turkey, and Estonia, 

he said. 

One cyber attack still under 

investigation happened in 

November 2011, when Nasa's 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

(JPL) in California reported 

"suspicious network activity 

involving Chinese-based IP 

addresses," he said. 

"Our review disclosed that 

the intruders had compromised 

the accounts of the most 

privileged JPL users, giving 

the intruders access to most 

of JPL's networks," he added 

in testimony to the House Science, 

Space and Technology 

subcommittee. 

To better guard against 

such attacks, "Nasa needs to 

improve agency-wide oversight 

of the full range of its 

IT assets," and must encrypt 

more of its mobile and laptop 

devices, of which just one percent 

are currently encrypted, 

he said. Until then, Nasa "will 

continue to be at risk for security 

incidents that can have a 

AUSTRALIAN scientists mapping the Great Barrier 

Reef with a custom-built underwater camera. — AFP 

severe adverse effect on Agency 

operations and assets." 

Nasa's spokesman said in 

response that the space agency 

is in the process of implementing 

his recommendations and 

has made "significant progress 

to better protect the agency's 

IT systems." 

Meanwhile, a Nasa-led 

study showed on Thursday 

significant declines in perennial 

Arctic sea ice over the past 

decade may be intensifying a 

chemical reaction that leads to 

deposits of toxic mercury. 

The study found that thick, 

perennial Arctic sea ice was 

being replaced by a thinner 

and saltier ice that releases 

bromine into the air when it interacts 

with sunlight and cold, 

said Son Nghiem, a NASA researcher 

at the Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory in Pasadena. 

— AFP 

Never-before-seen view of Barrier Reef 

In particular, he said the 

project team was interested in 

how deep reefs — between 30 

and 100 metres below sea level 

— were triggered to spawn, 

or reproduce. 

Shallow reef spawning was 

triggered by the moon and it 

would be a “phenomenal discovery” 

if deep reefs were also 

found to follow the moonlight, 

which would likely be very 

dim at such depths, he added. 

Another team, led by 

Emmy award-winning cinematographer 

and shark researcher 

Richard Fitzpatrick, 

will track the reef’s “charismatic 

megafauna” such as 

rays, turtles and tiger-sharks, 

and migratory changes due 

to ocean warming. A six-day 

trial of some of the robots in 

a deep-reef environment at the 

end of last year had already revealed 

four new coral species 

for Australian records and a 

new breed of pygmy seahorse. 

Hoegh-Guldberg said the 

project was an exciting combination 

of “real science” and 

popular culture. — AFP 

Ex-PM to face trial 

over banking collapse 

STOCKHOLM — Geir Haarde, Iceland’s former prime minister, 

is due to appear before a special court on Monday, where 

he will be asked to respond to accusations that he put the interests 

of the state at risk by failing to prevent the country’s 

devastating banking crisis of 2008. 

The former leader of the conservative Independence Party 

resigned in January 2009 in the wake of the collapse of the 

Atlantic island nation’s three main banks. According to the 

indictment, Haarde faces charges of negligence for failing to 

take action when Kaupthing, Landsbanki and Glitnir failed. If 

convicted, the 60-year-old risks a two-year jail term. 

During the global financial crisis of 2008, Iceland’s banks 

racked up debts worth up to 10 times the country’s gross domestic 

product, according to some estimates. 

The case has generated controversy as Haarde is the only 

member of the former government to face trial. Parliament in 

September 2010 voted not to charge three other former ministers 

over their role in the affair. 

A website has been set up in support of Haarde and members 

of his party have tried to halt the proceedings by requesting 

that the 2010 act that allowed for trial to take place to be repealed. 

The latest such attempt was voted down on Thursday. 

About 50 witnesses, including former directors of the three 

failed banks and the governors of the Central Bank, are due to 

testify at the trial, which is expected to last several weeks. 

According to Ragnhildur Helgadottir, a professor of constitutional 

law at Reykjavik University, Haarde placed “the interests 

of the state at risk” by failing to act. — dpa 

Wulff under pressure 

to forgo state stipend 

BERLIN — German politicians called yesterday on the nation’s 

former president to forgo an annual gratuity of 199,000 

euros ($264,000) amid growing anger in the country about the 

payment of the remuneration for life. 

Christian Wulff, who was backed by Chancellor Angela 

Merkel, announced last month that he was stepping down from 

the largely ceremonial post of president following allegations 

that he accepted favours from business leaders. 

A poll released by German public television found 84 per 

cent of those surveyed were opposed to the gratuity being paid 

to Wulff, who held the office for less than two years. In the 

meantime, a growing number of politicians have added their 

names to a chorus of calls for Wulff to waiver the annual payment. 

“It would be best if Mr Wulff was to forgo the gratuity or 

donate the money to charities,” one German lawmaker Juergen 

Koppelin told the daily Bild Zeitung yesterday. “This would 

help him to restore his credibility,” said Koppelin, who is a 

member of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), the junior 

member of Merkel’s ruling coalition. 

“Wulff should not accept the gratuity” said Heiko Maas, a 

leading member of the opposition Social Democrats (SPD). 

“He could finally send a signal of reason and regret,” he said. 

On Wednesday, officials of the president office’s administration 

ruled that the 52-year-old Wulff was entitled to receive 

199,000 euros annually. The anti-corruption group Cleanstate 

also joined the storm of protest at the payment, telling Bild that 

it was planning legal action against the head of the administration 

of the president’s office, Lothar Hageboelling. — dpa 

Bob Carr Australia’s 

new foreign minister 

SYDNEY — Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday 

named former state premier Bob Carr as foreign minister as she 

asserted her authority following a leadership challenge. 

Carr, the ex-leader of New South Wales, will become the 

nation’s top diplomat after Kevin Rudd suddenly resigned last 

week in order to take on Gillard and Senator Mark Arbib quit in 

the wake of Labor Party infighting. 

“I have put together a team that will best equip my government 

to pursue our priorities for the nation,” Gillard told reporters 

about the forced reshuffle. “Bob Carr will join the Senate, 

and will take on the role of Minister for Foreign Affairs.” 

Defence Minister Stephen Smith, who had been considered 

the frontrunner for Rudd’s old job, said the ministry make-up 

was a matter for Gillard and he was happy to continue to serve 

in his current position. 

The move follows a period of unprecedented rancour within 

Labor, with ministers dividing between the two candidates for 

the party leadership. Several ministers who backed Rudd — 

including Immigration Minister Chris Bowen and Resources 

Minister Martin Ferguson — kept their jobs but Robert Mc- 

Clelland was dumped as minister for emergency management. 

Carr said he admired Rudd, who lost the leadership ballot and 

returned to the backbenches, and would be seeking his advice 

on the role which sees him come back to politics. — AFP 

Inquiry for formation 

of media regulator 

SYDNEY — An Australian media inquiry called in the wake 

of the British phone-hacking scandal yesterday recommended 

a new statutory body to oversee the profession, drawing fire 

from the Murdoch press. 

In his report, retired Federal Court judge Ray Finkelstein 

said while there were avenues by which members of the public 

could complain about upsetting press coverage, these were 

currently underfunded and inadequate. 

“I have come to the conclusion that these mechanisms are 

not sufficient to achieve the degree of accountability desirable 

in a democracy,” said Finkelstein, who headed the inquiry ordered 

by the government. 

He recommended that a new statutory authority, a News 

Media Council, be established to set journalistic standards for 

the press in consultation with the industry, and handle complaints 

made by the public. The proposed council should have 

secure government funding and its decisions be binding, but be 

otherwise entirely independent, he said. 

“The establishment of a council is not about increasing the 

power of government or about imposing some form of censorship,” 

Finkelstein said. “It is about making the news media 

more accountable to those covered in the news, and to the public 

generally.” The inquiry was prompted by the phone-hacking 

scandal in Britain which saw Australian-born Rupert Murdoch 

close his best-selling tabloid News of the World. Canberra has 

denied it was a “witch-hunt” against the Murdoch press. 

The head of Murdoch’s Australian newspaper arm News 

Limited Kim Williams said the report deserved proper consideration 

but there was no role for government in adjudicating on 

whether a story was fair and balanced reporting. — AFP 

SPANISH Treasury and Public Administration 

Minister Cristobal Montoro (R) makes a point during 

a news conference in Madrid yesterday. — Reuters 

PRESIDENT of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov (L) and 

Austrian President Heinz Fischer in Vienna yesterday. 

MARINE Le Pen, France’s National Front head and 

campaign director Louis Aliot visit the 49th Paris 

International Farm Show at the Porte de Versailles 

exhibition centre in Paris yesterday. — Reuters 

A BOY holding a crossbow sits on a woman’s 

shoulders during a rally of Swiss farmers association 

for a fair milk market in Bern yesterday. — Reuters 

BRITAIN’S former secretary of state for Energy 

Chris Huhne leaves a court in London yesterday. 

Huhne, 57, will stand trial in early October accused 

of perverting the course of justiced. — Reuters

NEWS IN BRIEF 

Ratan Tata, Munda discuss 

Jharkhand development 

JHARKHAND Chief Minister Arjun 

Munda yesterday met Tata group 

chairperson Ratan Tata and his deputy 

Cyrus Mistry to discuss future plans for 

development in the state, including a 

knowledge city. 

"We want to be a partner of 

development in the state," Tata, who 

arrived here on a chartered plane with 

Mistry and met Munda at his official 

residence, told reporters. 

“We spoke about partnership in the 

Information Technology sector and 

developing a knowledge city in the 

state,” added Munda. After the meeting, 

Tata went to the steel city Jamshedpur to 

attend a programme of Tata Steel. 

Sources said the 12 million tonnecapacity 

greenfield steel plant, for 

which a memorandum of understanding 

was signed seven years ago, was also 

discussed. 

Karunanidhi’s security 

officials’ homes raided 

THE homes of three personal security 

officers (PSOs) of former chief minister 

M Karunanidhi were raided here on 

allegations that they had cheated the 

Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB), 

the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti- 

Corruption (DVAC) said yesterday. 

The three officials — P Pandian, 

C Ganesan and C Vinothan — had 

provided false information to TNHB 

to get housing plots allotted under the 

government discretionary quota in 2008, 

DVAC said in a statement. 

The three officials using their official 

influence as security officers of the 

former chief minister obtained TNHB 

plots. Even before allotment of the 

land, the three entered into joint venture 

agreements with private parties. The 

officials paid the dues to TNHB from the 

money received from the private parties. 

"Further, all the three officers had sold 

their plots to the same private parties and 

obtained an undue pecuniary advantage 

of Rs 19 lakh each, after settling all 

payments to the TNHB," DVAC said. 

'No, never again' in 

politics: Shekhar Suman 

POLITICS is a strict no-no for actor 

Shekhar Suman, who is coming back on 

the small screen with the new season of 

his popular satirical show "Movers and 

Shakers". His first guest on the show 

March 12 will be Anna Hazare. 

"No, never again," was Shekhar's 

response when reporters asked about 

his political plans. He was a Congress 

candidate from Patna in the 2009 Lok 

Sabha polls pitted against Shatrughan 

Sinha of the BJP. He had lost. 

Shekhar, 52, promises a "more 

refined, funnier 'Movers and Shakers'", 

which will now come on SAB TV. 

Court orders CID probe in 

CPM leaders’ killing 

THE Calcutta High Court yesterday 

order the Criminal Investigation 

Department (CID) to probe the killing of 

two Communist Party of India-Marxist 

(CPM) leaders, an incident the Left 

Front blames on the ruling Trinamool 

Congress. 

A division bench, observing that two 

rival political parties were involved in 

the matter, ordered the state government 

to hand over the investigation to the CID 

which will from time to time submit 

probe reports to the court. 

The bench, hearing a public interest 

litigation filed by former Kolkata mayor 

Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and others, 

ordered the CID to submit a preliminary 

investigation report by March 23. 

Youth's hands chopped off 

for not repaying loan 

A YOUNG man whose hands were 

chopped off after he failed to repay 

a loan languishes on the floor of a 

government hospital frightened and 

worried about his life ahead while police 

are yet to take action against his attackers 

more than a week after the incident. 

Twenty-year-old Ram Sagar 

Chandravanshi, belonging to an extreme 

backward caste, has not been even given 

a bed at the Patna Medical College and 

Hospital where he has been lying for the 

past many days. 

Narrating his tale of horror, 

Chandravanshi said he owed a Rs 300 

debt to a powerful man in Kodra village 

in Bihar’s Arwal district, 70 km from 

Patna. 

US doesn’t favour 

NGOs opposing 

N-power projects 

WASHINGTON — The US has said 

it's strongly supportive of India's investment 

in civil nuclear power and its 

support to NGOs is for development 

and for democracy programmes and 

not for opposing projects like Kudankulam. 

Asked to comment on a reported 

remark of Prime Minister Manmohan 

Singh that three US NGOs were funding 

a movement in Tamil Nadu state to 

oppose setting up of a nuclear power 

plant there, State Department spokesperson 

Victoria Nuland said: "I'm not 

aware of that." 

"As you know, we are strongly supportive 

of India's investment in civil 

nuclear power," she said. "The NGOs 

that we fund in India are involved 

in the same kind of democratisation 

projects, et cetera." 

"We are supportive, as a government, 

of India's investment in civil 

nuclear power," she repeated in response 

to another question. "That's 

not what we support NGOs to do in 

India. Our NGO support goes for development 

and it goes for democracy 

programmes." 

Asked if the US was surprised at 

the Indian prime minister's statement 

and if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 

was aware of this, Nuland said: 

"I can't speak to that one way or the 

other." 

The government has put 77 foreign 

NGOs on its global watchlist, making 

it difficult for their officials to get 

visas to India. The step comes within 

days of Prime Minister Manmohan 

Singh complaining that foreign NGOs 

were trying to influence Indian policies 

and projects. 

The home ministry put together the 

list based on information from intelligence 

agencies and the suspicious 

conduct of representatives of these 

NGOs in the past. 

Top government sources said the 

watchlist had been circulated to all In- 

dian missions and posts with an advice 

to “monitor” visa requests from the 

NGOs — a euphemism for putting the 

applications through greater scrutiny 

that would lead to delays or rejection. 

Officials refused to name the 

NGOs, insisting this would have serious 

diplomatic repercussions. But 

one of them confirmed that most were 

from the US and European Union. In 

2010, US-based NGOs accounted for 

one-third of the foreign funds worth 

Rs 9,000 crore to Indian NGOs. 

In an interview to Science magazine, 

the PM had blamed NGOs funded 

by US and Scandinavian countries 

for campaigning against the Kudankulam 

nuclear project and use of biotechnology. 

Recently, Prime Minister Manmohan 

Singh has blamed American 

and Scandivanian NGOs for fuelling 

protests at the Kudankulam nuclear 

power plant in Tamil Nadu. 

The Tamil Nadu government last 

week set up a four-member expert 

panel, which includes former Atomic 

Energy Commission chief M R Srinivasan, 

to submit a report on the fears 

and concerns of local people over the 

Kudankulam nuclear power project. 

Earlier, chief minister J Jayalalithaa 

had announced in the state assembly 

that a panel would be formed to look 

into the concerns of the locals over the 

KNPP project. 

The proposed panel would submit 

its report soon and the government’s 

further action on the issue would be 

based on that report, she had said. 

The Indo-Russian joint venture at 

Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district has 

run into rough weather following continued 

protests from locals, spearheaded 

by the People’s Movement Against 

Nuclear Energy, citing safety reasons. 

A Centre-appointed Expert Committee 

had held consultations at different 

points of time with the protesters and 

wrapped up the talks on January 31. 

PRONAB Sen, principal adviser to India’s Planning Commission, speaks 

during an interview in New Delhi yesterday. The government is likely to 

raise taxes on a number of manufactured items and expand the tax 

net in its budget to rein in its deficit and give space for the RBI to 

cut interest rates to support growth, Sen said yesterday. — Reuters 

IAF rescues 61 in Ladakh 

SRINAGAR — The Indian Air Force 

(IAF) has rescued 61 people trapped 

in a partially frozen river in the cold 

desert Ladakh region of Jammu and 

Kashmir yesterday. 

Amir Ali, officer on special duty 

at the divisional headquarters and in 

charge of the disaster management 

cell, said: "The divisional administration 

requested help from the IAF to 

rescue 61 persons who were travelling 

from Leh town to Zanskar." 

The travelers normally travel over 

NEW DELHI — The government 

yesterday vehemently denied that Defence 

Minister A K Antony's office 

was "bugged", but clarified that routine 

security sweeps were done at his 

office and nothing was found during 

such checks. 

"Reports of ‘bugging’ in the South 

Block in a section of the media is, 

hereby, denied," defence ministry 

spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said in an 

official statement here. 

"Routine checks are conducted in 

the offices of the defence minister and 

other officers in South Block. Nothing 

has been found in these checks," Kar 

said. 

Reports had suggested that on February 

16, during a routine check by 

military intelligence personnel at Antony's 

office in Room number 104 on 

the frozen Chadder river between Leh 

and Zanskar (around 70 km which 

takes one and a half days on foot) this 

time of the year as extreme cold keeps 

all water bodies frozen rock solid during 

the winter months. 

"Unfortunately, portions of the river 

melted after the travelers had covered 

some 30 km on foot," he said. 

"Two IAF helicopters were pressed 

into service to rescue the 61 people. 

The IAF personnel used ropes etc. to 

rescue the trapped persons. 

Ministry denies reports of 

bugging in Antony’s office 

the first floor of South Block, "a discrepancy" 

was found. 

This resulted in the defence ministry 

officials asking the military intelligence 

men to vacate the room and 

home ministry's help was sought to 

carry out a counter-sweep of the room. 

It was suggested that the Intelligence 

Bureau men were called to conduct 

the counter-checks. 

The report had also claimed that 

the "needle of suspicion pointed at the 

army" for the bugging. 

This prompted the army headquarters 

to term the report "totally false" 

and "fictitious". 

The army, in an SMS, said: "The 

report that has appeared regarding 

the bug in the defence minister's 

office is totally false. The article is fictitious." 

— IANS 

10 INDIA 



BENGALURU — A group 

of lawyers here yesterday 

took law into their hands and 

thrashed media persons, stoned 

their vehicles, police and college 

students at a court complex 

injuring 30 policemen and 

10 others from the media. 

Chief Minister D V Sadananda 

Gowda condemned the 

violence and announced a judicial 

probe into the incident. 

Troubled erupted when a 

large number of journalists had 

gone to the complex to cover 

the court appearance of former 

Karnataka minister and mining 

baron Gali Janardhana Reddy 

in an illegal mining case. 

At least two cameramen 

of two Kannada channels suf- 

A LAWYER is restrained from throwing a projectile towards media representatives 

outside The City Civil Court in Bangalore yesterday. — AFP 

Lawyers assault mediapersons, 

police, students in Bengaluru 

NEW DELHI — Water levels 

of a major river flowing through 

India's northeast are "normal," 

an Indian government official 

said yesterday, denying claims 

a dam in neighbouring China 

had caused them to plunge. 

The senior official in India's 

Ministry of Water Resources 

in New Delhi said there had 

been "no reduction in the flow" 

of water in the Brahmaputra 

River which has its source in 

China's southwestern Tibet region. 

The Indian Central Water 

Commission, which measures 

the river, has found the levels 

are "normal," the official said. 

"There have been no sudden 

changes in the river's flow 

and there is no need for India 

to worry or press the panic button," 

he said. 

KOLKATA — The central 

government yesterday said 

it will solve "most of the issues" 

raised by the states on 

the National Food Security 

Bill, which is currently before 

a parliamentary standing committee. 

"The state governments 

have raised about ten points 

regarding the food security bill 

and many of them can be discussed 

and solved. The stand- 

fered bleeding head injuries 

while Deputy Commissioner 

of Police G Ramesh was hit on 

the head by a stone thrown by 

lawyers. 

One policeman suffered 

serious injuries, Bangalore 

Police Commissioner B G Jyothiprakash 

Mirji told reporters 

here. He said seven lawyers 

were injured in the scuffle with 

police. 

The ugly display of anger 

by the lawyers was apparently 

over media coverage of their 

January protest that had gridlocked 

traffic for seven hours 

in the city’s central business 

district. 

The lawyers' assault was 

strongly denounced by Press 

The official's statements 

came as China earlier yesterday 

denied allegations that 

a dam it was building on the 

river had affected the lower 

reaches of the waterway in 

northeastern India. 

"Our projects have not affected 

the lower stream regions, 

including those in India," 

China's foreign ministry 

spokesman Hong Lei told reporters 

in Beijing. 

China pays attention to the 

impact on the lower stream regions 

when developing its water 

resources, Hong said. 

Tako Dabi, a lawmaker 

in India's Arunachal Pradesh 

state, triggered concern on 

Thursday about water levels 

by claiming that they had 

dropped and accusing China of 

diverting the river water on its 

ing committee is now discussing 

the issue with the states," 

union Minister of State for 

Consumer Affairs, Food and 

Public Distribution K V Thomas 

said on the sidelines of 

a programme here organised 

by the Federation of Indian 

Chambers of Commerce and 

Industry (FICCI). 

"The first (issue) is that 

there should be flexibility in 

the distribution of food grains 

Council of India chairman 

Markandey Katju, retired Supreme 

Court judge, former 

Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh 

Hegde, political parties 

and media organisations. 

Gowda told reporters after 

meeting Home Minister R 

Ashoka and senior officials 

that “no mercy will be shown 

to the guilty whoever they may 

be”. 

He said he was ordering 

a judicial probe by a retired 

judge of the high court “as we 

are committed to bring out the 

truth. Have faith in us”. 

Prohibitory orders banning 

assembly of five or more people 

have been clamped here 

and will be in force till today, 

side. 

Likar Angu, chief engineer 

of the Arunachal Pradesh state 

water resources department, 

said that "one can see a few dry 

patches" in the Brahmaputra 

River but the river level was 

higher than last year. 

"This is a lean period and 

obviously the water discharge 

is lower, but compared to last 

year on this day, the water 

level is 80 centimetres more," 

Angu said. 

The Brahmaputra River is 

known in China's Tibet region 

as the Yarlung Tsangpo and 

it enters India in Arunachal 

Pradesh, where it is called the 

Siang. 

The 2,900-kilometre river 

then descends into the plains 

of adjoining Asom state and 

ends in Bangladesh in the Bay 

under the Targeted Public Distribution 

System (TPDS) on a 

weekly and monthly basis, for 

which we have no objections. 

And the issue of cost should be 

prescribed in consultation with 

the states," the minister said. 

The final shape of the bill 

will come up after consultation 

with the states, Thomas said 

adding that the states might 

have to bear some cost after 

the implementation of the bill, 

the chief minister said. 

He denied that some people 

had died in the incident. 

Gowda said the government 

would bear the expenses 

for the treatment of the injured. 

It would consider compensating 

damage to cameras and 

vehicles of media people. 

The trouble started when a 

few advocates objected to TV 

crew and photographers trying 

to film Reddy coming out 

of the vehicle to proceed to the 

court. 

With media persons asserting 

their right to carry out 

their work, lawyers pounced 

on them. They turned their ire 

on police personnel who intervened. 

— IANS 

Brahmaputra levels ‘normal’ 

of Bengal, along the way supplying 

water to hundreds of 

millions of farmers and residents. 

"To satisfy the needs the 

Tibet Autonomous Region, 

China has begun to build the 

hydroelectric power station 

of Zangmu in the middle part 

of Yarlung Tsangpo River," 

China's spokesman Hong said 

yesterday. 

"It does not have a big capacity 

and does not retain an 

excessive amount of water. It 

will not affect the downstream 

water regulation and environment." 

Beijing has regularly faced 

complaints over its water usage 

from Southeast Asian nations 

for damming the Mekong and 

Salween rivers, both of which 

originate in China. — AFP 

Food security bill ‘issues’ to be solved 

STUDENTS celebrate Holi at a college in Chandigarh yesterday. The traditional event 

heralds the beginning of spring and will be celebrated on March 8. — Reuters 

aiming at enhancing food security 

provisions. 

He said the citizens will get 

a legal entitlement when the 

bill comes out and it could be 

implemented with full cooperation 

of the states. 

The minister said West 

Bengal had asked for a Rs 

10 billion assistance for food 

grain procurement and that the 

Centre was holding talks with 

the state to work it out. 

Railways faces 

resource crunch 

MUMBAI — Railway Minister 

Dinesh Trivedi yesterday 

underlined that enormous resources 

would be required to 

meet the objectives of safety, 

development and modernisation 

of the Indian Railways. 

"The Indian Railways 

are facing a severe resource 

crunch and are in need of allround 

support," Trivedi told 

reporters here after his meetings 

with Maharashtra Chief 

Minister Prithviraj Chavan 

and parliamentarians. 

Trivedi said that safety 

was high on the agenda of 

his ministry and admitted 

that the number of deaths on 

railway tracks had gone up in 

recent years. He said: "There 

is a need to evolve long-term 

strategy rather than coming 

out quick-fix solutions."

NEWS IN BRIEF 

I am ready for an 

inquiry: Nair 

FORMER ISRO chairman G Madhavan 

Nair reiterated yesterday that he had 

done no wrong in the controversial 

Antrix deal and was ready to face an 

inquiry. 

“I have done no wrong. If an inquiry 

is ordered, I will come out clean. But 

the inquiry should be done by technical 

people and also those in the know of 

government procedures,” Nair told 

reporters. 

This was his first meeting with the 

media here since the government in 

January barred him and three other space 

scientists from holding official posts. “I 

have not been heard,” he said. 

Antrix, the commercial arm of the 

Indian Space Research Organisation, 

was to provide spectrum by leasing out 

transponders of two satellites to be built 

mainly for Devas, which is into multimedia 

services. Nair and three others 

have been accused of wrongdoing in the 

deal. 

Krishna begans Egypt visit 

with Syria on agenda 

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S M 

Krishna yesterday left for Egypt on 

a three-day visit during which he is 

expected to forge relations with the new 

dispensation in North Africa’s most 

influential country and discuss the Syrian 

crisis with the Arab League in Cairo. 

This is the first high-profile visit from 

India in the aftermath of the changes in 

Egypt’s political landscape. 

Ahead of talks with the new Egyptian 

leadership, Krishna also will meet Nabil 

El Araby, Secretary-General of the Arab 

League and its troika of representatives 

Qatar, Libya and Iraq in Cairo. With 

the crisis in Syria worsening, India is 

expected to lend diplomatic support to 

the Arab League’s initiative to handle the 

Syria crisis. 

GNLA guerrillas, forces 

exchange fire 

THERE was fierce exchange of fire 

yesterday between security forces and the 

Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) 

that ended in the guerrillas retreating into 

the forests in Meghalaya’s East Garo 

Hills district, police said. 

The gunfight lasted for about an hour. 

Though there were no casualties on the 

security forces’ side, police are yet to 

confirm if any of the rebels were injured. 

The exchange of fire took place at 

6.30 am in Arengdo village bordering 

Assam’s Goalpara district when security 

forces came under fire from GNLA 

rebels in hiding. 

“The encounter lasted for an hour and 

the militants retreated back to the jungles 

after intensive firing from security 

forces,” J F K Marak, district police 

chief of East Garo Hills, said. Acting on 

a tip-off, security forces had launched a 

combing operation in the area. 

Tripura to put all officials 

under Lokayukta 

THE Left Front government in Tripura 

would soon amend the necessary law to 

bring government employees of all levels 

under the Lokayukta (ombudsman) to 

curb corruption, Chief Minister Manik 

Sarkar announced yesterday. 

Sarkar, who also holds the law 

department, replying to a query of 

opposition Congress legislator Sudip 

Roy Barman, told the assembly: “The 

Lokayukta act would soon be amended to 

bring all levels of government employees 

and officials under its jurisdiction.” 

The chief minister said the state 

government recently suspended 

eight senior civil service officials on 

corruption charges. 

Sarkar said: “The anti-corruption 

authority would inquire into any 

accusation and charges against public 

functionaries from the level of village 

head to chief minister.” 

Mamata’s nephew 

granted bail 

WEST Bengal Chief Minister Mamata 

Banerjee’s nephew Akash Banerjee and 

three others, arrested for assaulting a 

traffic police officer, were granted bail by 

a court yesterday. 

Alipore chief judicial magistrate S 

M Shahnawaz granted bail to them on a 

personal bond of Rs 1,000 each after they 

were produced in the court. 

The four were accused of assaulting 

traffic policeman, obstructing traffic and 

violating a traffic signal. 

India must show 

respect for our 

country: Italy 

ROME — India must show respect for 

Italy, Defence Minister Giampaolo Di 

Paola yesterday said in an escalating 

row over two Italian soldiers facing 

murder charges for killing two Indian 

fishermen. 

“We have a lot of respect for India 

and for the Indian people but we are 

expecting equal respect to be shown 

for Italy, for legality and for international 

law by the Indian nation,” Di 

Paola told reporters in Rome. 

The two soldiers have been in custody 

since last month in the southern 

state of Kerala on charges of shooting 

dead the two fishermen who were mistaken 

for pirates trying to attack an oil 

tanker that the Italians were protecting. 

“The strength with which these two 

marines are facing up to this extremely 

difficult challenge should serve as an 

example and a stimulus for redoubled 

efforts to resolve this painful incident 

through international law,” he said. 

Italy says the men should be prosecuted 

in Italy and not in India, claiming 

the incident occurred in international 

waters on an Italian-flagged ship. 

India insists the soldiers should be 

dealt with under Indian law. 

“Our military must be prosecuted in 

Italy. They cannot be judged unilaterally, 

otherwise this would throw into 

question all our operational activities,” 

said Italian Navy Chief Admiral Luigi 

Binelli Mantelli. 

“Let’s try and shed light on this incident 

together but we will never leave 

our sailors alone, Italian military who 

were doing their duty and protecting 

not just the ship but also the 19 crew 

members on board,” he said. 

Italy has filed a petition in the 

Kerala state high court seeking instant 

dismissal of the murder case against 

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore 

Girone. 

Ships are increasingly employing 

armed guards for protection off the 

coast of Somalia and across the Indian 

Ocean as vessels of all sizes have been 

seized by pirates who often secure 

huge ransoms for crews’ safe release. 

Meanwhile in Kollam, the navy 

and coast guard continued to search 

for three missing fishermen yesterday, 

a day after a ship collided with their 

boat off the Kerala coast, claiming two 

lives. There is no clue of the erring 

vessel either. 

A top shipping official said the 

search operations would be on for 

some more time. 

“Since the accident took place, our 

officials have intercepted some ships 

to see if they had any role in it. These 

things have to be done in a manner that 

does not interfere with the rights of 

the ships. The vessels that ply on the 

waters have their privileges too as per 

international law,” said the official. 

A ship rammed into the fishing 

boat, Don 1, early Thursday, leaving 

two fishermen dead, three missing, 

while two escaped with injuries. The 

boat had gone for fishing activities 

from the Kollam harbour last week and 

dropped anchor in the deep sea. 

Navy divers are expected to reach 

the accident site. Locals feel the body 

of the missing fishermen could be 

trapped in the capsized boat. 

Anger is mounting in fishing community, 

which says that despite 15 

similar accidents in the past three 

months, nothing has happened except 

assurances to increase coastal security. 

“Three high speed interceptor boats 

that cost more than Rs.4 crore have 

been lying idle near Alappuzha as 

there are no qualified drivers for them. 

Had such a boat been in service, the 

life of Xavier (who died an hour after 

he was rescued in Thursday’s incident) 

could have been saved,” said George, a 

trade union leader of the fishing community. 

— AFP 

HC quashes trial 

of Yahoo India 

NEW DELHI — The Delhi High 

Court yesterday set aside the summons 

issued to Yahoo India by a 

lower court for allegedly hosting objectionable 

content on its website. 

Quashing the criminal proceedings 

against Yahoo India for allegedly 

hosting objectionable content 

on its website, Justice Suresh Kait 

said: “There is no evidence on record 

against the petitioner.” 

The high court had earlier refused 

Yahoo India’s plea for staying a trial 

court’s proceedings against it. 

Yahoo India, among other social 

networking sites facing trial, has told 

a Delhi court that the suit against it 

was “motivated” and should be dismissed. 

The company said that there was 

neither any material on record nor any 

allegation in the complaint against it. 

The company also submitted that it 

could not be made a party in the case 

as the complainant did not disclose 

any cause of action against it. 

The metropolitan magistrate has 

summoned 21 websites, including 

Yahoo, Google and Facebook, to face 

trial for allegedly committing the offence 

punishable under Sections 292 

(sale of obscene books) and 293 (sale 

of obscene objects to young person) 

of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

In another development, the Supreme 

Court yesterday dismissed as 

“irresponsible and scandalous” a petition 

by advocate M. . Sharma that 

alleged conflict of interest over the 

apex court’s verdict in the Rs 11,218 

crore ($2.2 billion) tax dispute case 

of telecom firm Vodafone. 

“This is an irresponsible petition. 

We have grave reservations about 

it. We have bonafide doubts about... 

you want to destroy the institution,” 

the bench of Justice Aftab Alam and 

Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai said 

slamming Sharma. 

As Sharma contended that he 

wanted to save the institution, the 

court said that “as a member of the 

bar of this court, we expected better 

conduct from you”. 

Pulling up the petitioner while 

dismissing the petition, the court imposed 

a cost of Rs 50,000 on him for 

filing “frivolous” and “scandalous” 

petition. Telling the counsel Sharma 

that he was wasting its time, the court 

said: “We have read your petition line 

by line and more we read it, more 

hurt we feel.” 

“We see the cavalier and irresponsible 

way the petition was filed.” 

Sharma had alleged in his petition 

filed last month that Chief Justice S 

H Kapadia had not disclosed that his 

son Hoshnar Kapadia worked with 

Ernst and Young, a consultant firm 

that had tendered advice to Vodafone 

on taxation issues. 

Cops raid Mumbai Cong 

ex-chief, seal property 

MUMBAI — The Economic Offences 

Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police 

yesterday sealed a bungalow belonging 

to former city Congress chief 

Kripashankar Singh after conducting 

searches at his residences and office, 

officials said. 

The raids that started late on Thursday 

were conducted by a team of the 

EOW and a Special Investigating 

Team (SIT) at Singh’s residences and 

office at various locations, including 

Vile Parle and Bandra in northwest 

Mumbai. 

Official sources in the EOW 

said that Singh’s bungalow, named 

“Tarang” in upmarket Bandra, has 

been sealed off. The sources also 

stated that the EOW is likely to attach 

other properties owned by Singh by 

late Friday. 

The raids came barely 48 hours 

after Mumbai police registered a case 

against Singh and his family under 

the Prevention of Corruption Act and 

for other charges. 

The Bombay High Court last week 

ordered the cases to be filed after hearing 

a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) 

of social activist Sanjay Tiwari. 

Following the court directions, the 

SIT lodged a First Information Report 

at Nirmal Nagar police station in 

Khar here on February 29. 

The SIT was directed to probe 

the assets accumulated by Singh and 

his family following the allegations 

in Tiwari’s PIL and the state Anti- 

Corruption Bureau’s report of March 

30, 2011, detailing the assets accumulated 

by Singh and his family members. 

11 INDIA 



VISITORS browse through books on display at the New Delhi World Book Fair in New Delhi yesterday. The 

20th edition of New Delhi World Book Fair is being held from February 25 to March 4. 

India is the third biggest market for English publications. — AFP 

Final phase of UP polls today 

LUCKNOW — Ten districts 

of Uttar Pradesh will go to 

the polls today in the seventh 

and last phase of balloting 

whose outcome is being keenly 

watched across India and even 

beyond. 

About 18.1 million voters 

spread over 60 constituencies 

will be eligible to exercise their 

franchise to pick from among 

962 candidates in Lakhimpur 

Kheri, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, 

Rampur, Badayun, Moradabad, 

Bijnor, Amroha, Bhimnagar 

and Pilibhit. The polling 

assumes significance as most 

of the seats have sizeable Muslim 

voters who could make or 

mar the prospects of key players 

that are vying for the community’s 

votes. 

This includes the ruling 

PANAJI — As Goa votes today, 

vying for the attention of over a 

million voters in 40 constituencies 

will be 215 candidates. The 

real faceoff will be between 

the ruling Congress-NCP alliance 

and the Bharatiya Janata 

Party (BJP)-MGP combine. 

The Congress and the Nationalist 

Congress Party, battling a 

strong anti-incumbency wave, 

are contesting 33 and seven 

seats respectively. The BJP and 

the Maharashtrwadi Gomantak 

Party are fighting for 28 and 

eight seats, and supporting key 

independents in the remaining 

four constituencies. 

The Trinamool Congress, a 

new entrant in Goa’s political 

canvas, has fielded 20 candidates. 

Other parties like the Samajwadi 

Party, the Samajwadi 

Janata Party, the Republican 

AGARTALA — The Airports 

Authority of India (AAI) has 

undertaken a plan to make 

the airport here an air hub to 

expand connectivity between 

India’s northeast and neighbouring 

countries, a Tripura 

minister said here yesterday. 

“The AAI has sought 300 

acres of land to build a new 

terminal building, expand the 

runway and construct addition- 

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 

the Samajwadi Party and the 

Congress. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party 

(BJP) has harped on corruption. 

It has accused both the 

BSP and the Congress of being 

neck deep in corruption. 

This phase will test the waters 

for Congress leader and 

union minister Jatin Prasad 

(Shahjahanpur), BJP leader 

and former central minister 

Maneka Gandhi (Aonla), her 

son Varun Gandhi (Pilibhit), 

cricketer-turned-Congress MP 

Mohammed Azharuddin (Moradabad), 

Samajwadi Party 

general secretary Mohammed 

Azam Khan (Rampur) and 

Jaya Prada (Rampur). 

The BSP has a lot at stake 

as Jugul Kishore, the son of its 

Party of India and the Janata 

Dal-Secular are also contesting, 

albeit in a small way. 

Among the regional parties 

are the Goa Vikas Party and the 

United Goan Democratic party 

(UGDP), which have floated a 

loosely strung alliance. 

Some civil society groups 

have bandied together under 

the banner of Zagrut Goenkarancho 

Ekovtt (ZGE) and fielded 

10 candidates, which includes a 

Catholic priest, whose unique 

campaigning style made waves 

in the state. 

The 215 candidates include 

nine women and 74 independents. 

Allegations of corruption 

and malgovernance against the 

government, including against 

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, 

and the Congress decision 

al infrastructure at the Agartala 

airport to make it an air hub,” 

Transport Minister Manik Dey 

said quoting an AAI communiqué. 

“The air hub scheme was 

planned to improve connectivity 

among the northeastern 

states, the rest of India and adjacent 

countries.” 

Speaking in the assembly, 

he said: “The AAI has sought 

300 acres of land from the state 

co-ordinator and close aide of 

Chief Minister Mayawati, is 

contesting from Kasta. 

A total of 12,907 polling 

stations have been set up for 

today. Authorities say that 

boundaries with Nepal and 

Uttarakhand have been sealed 

from Thursday evening. 

The deafening and highvoltage 

campaign in the state 

ended on Thursday evening. On 

the last day of campaigning all 

major political parties brought 

out their star campaigners to 

woo the voters. 

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam 

Singh Yadav held rallies 

at Shahjahanpur and Pilibhit, 

BJP president Nitin Gadkari 

addressed meetings at Rampur 

and Moradabad, BJP leaders 

Rajnath Singh and Sushma 

to promote dynasty politics in 

Goa by allotting 12 out of 33 

tickets to the kin of legislators 

have been the main poll plank 

of the BJP. 

The Congress-NCP alliance 

has been harping on stability as 

its USP, with Kamat achieving 

the rare distinction of being the 

first to last for full five years 

since Goa attained statehood in 

1987. The BJP has seven Christians 

nominees among its 28 

candidates. 

Two key regional issues 

which have remained imprinted 

on the public consciousness 

here over the last few years have 

been on the medium of instruction 

(MoI) and the Regional 

(development) Plan 2021. 

The MoI issue involves an 

intense debate about whether 

the government should give 

government free of cost. The 

state government has told the 

civil aviation ministry, AAI 

and others to acquire the land 

making necessary payments.” 

The Agartala airport or 

Singerbhil Airport, located 15 

km southeast of Agartala, was 

built by Tripura’s last king Bir 

Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur 

(1923-1947) in 1938-39. 

The AAI has begun prelimi- 

Swaraj toured Badayun, Bareilly 

and Shahjahanpur, and 

Congress leader and central 

minister Salman Khurshid was 

at Shahjahanpur and Bareilly. 

In the 2007 polls, the BSP 

had done fairly well in this region 

and had gained 27 seats. 

The Samajwadi Party was a 

distant second with 17 seats. 

The BJP was runners up in nine 

constituencies. The Congress 

got just two seats. The National 

Election Watch has named 95 

of the 962 candidates as those 

with criminal cases against 

them. Of this 27 are from the 

Samajwadi Party, 20 from the 

BJP, 13 from the BSP, 14 from 

the Congress, four from the 

Rashtriya Lok Dal, 13 from 

Peace Party and four from the 

Janta Dal-United. — IANS 

Congress faces BJP charge in Goa 

grants to schools instructing in 

English. The BJP insists that 

children should be taught in 

their mother tongue. 

The second deals with the 

nature of a futuristic land use 

policy document called the Goa 

Regional Plan 2021. 

The Congress has been accused 

by the opposition and 

civil society of selling out to 

the land mafia and virtually 

opening up Goa to the ravages 

of high density real estate development. 

The manifestoes of the two 

principal parties are nearly 

identical vis-a-vis civic and 

social issues. Both have promised 

a quick solution to Goa’s 

garbage woes while both have 

also promised to safeguard the 

interests of the ‘legal’ mining 

industry. 

Agartala airport to be NE air hub 

OFFICIALS of the Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Private Ltd speak at a press 

conference for the national launch of Bharat Benz Trucks in Hyderabad. — AFP 

nary work to upgrade it to an 

international airport to boost 

connectivity with Southeast 

Asian countries. 

“AAI has taken up an ambitious 

Rs 80 crore project to 

gradually develop Agartala airport 

to international standards. 

Also, a modern Air Traffic 

Control tower is being set up at 

a cost of Rs 10 crore,” an AAI 

official said. 

Two govt officials 

shot dead in Bihar 

PATNA — Two government 

officials were shot dead and 

another was seriously injured 

yesterday by unidentified assailants 

in Bihar’s Sitamarhi 

district, police said. 

The victims were identified 

as officials of the Bihar 

State Bridge Construction 

Corporation Limited, a police 

official said. 

Project manager G B 

Singh and engineer Vikash 

Mishra died on the spot and 

site in-charge Ramdheen 

Pandey, seriously injured, 

was rushed to hospital in 

Muzaffarpur for treatment. 

Belsand police station 

in-charge, Santosh Sharma 

said unidentified assailants 

opened fire on the officials 

when they were going to a 

work site.

Fears for safety 

By Shingo Ito 

TO some of the men who earn as little as $100 a day to 

work inside Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi, the plant at the 

centre of a year-old nuclear disaster is far from safe — 

despite the official line. Operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEP- 

CO) and the Japanese government say the tsunami-crippled 

reactors are all in a “state of cold shutdown” and are keen to 

give the impression that there is just cleaning up to do. 

They acknowledge it is the work of a few decades — perhaps 

40 years — but nonetheless insist things are under control. 

But that is not how those who spend their days inside 

the plant see it. “I can clearly say it’s not safe at all,” said one 

worker in his 50s. 

The man did not want to be identified for fear of losing 

the 8,000 yen ($100) daily paycheck he receives. “There are 

many spots where radiation levels are extremely high,” said. 

In the height of summer with the mercury rising to 38 degrees 

Celsius, workers had to go for up to three hours at a 

time without water because they were unable to take off their 

masks. There have been deaths on site — a 60-year-old subcontractor’s 

fatal heart attack in May was put down to overwork, 

according to a labour standards inspector — although 

TEPCO says none related to radiation exposure. 

Chie Hosoda, a spokeswoman for the utility, admits conditions 

at the plant were unacceptable in the past, with the radiation 

exposure of some workers left unmeasured because of a 

shortage of dosimeters. 

“But working conditions have improved now and we 

are strictly checking the radiation exposure of all workers,” 

Hosoda said. Three of the four reactors at Fukushima Daiichi 

went into meltdown after the tsunami swamped their cooling 

systems last March. 

Fuel began to overheat and the day after the waves struck, 

an explosion — the first of several — ripped through a reactor 

building. Emergency workers tried to cool the rapidly heating 

rods with any water available, including from the sea. 

A month on, Tokyo finally upgraded its assessment of the 

severity of the nuclear emergency to a maximum seven on an 

international scale — equal with Chernobyl. 

Reform calls 

By Kevin Yao and Chris Buckley 

CHINA’S leaders face a parliament meeting next week 

likely to bring into focus a deepening worry that they 

have squandered their chance for reform because of 

fears of instability ahead of a leadership transition. The annual 

session of the parliament, the National People’s Congress 

(NPC), opens on Monday. It appears likely to take little action 

while the ruling Communist Party wards off disruptions to 

preparing its successors to President Hu Jintao and Premier 

Wen Jiabao. 

The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, 

an advisory body that brings in non-party groups, meets in 

parallel with the parliament. It will sit from today. Behind the 

ceremony in the Mao-era Great Hall of the People, however, 

officials and delegates could use the meeting over 10 days or 

so to voice concerns that leaders have let problems pile up 

untreated, policy-advisers and researchers said. 

“There are a lot of complaints that problems are building 

up in Chinese society. China is doing well compared to 

other countries, but no social group seems happy,” said Zheng 

Yongnian, the director of the East Asian Institute at the National 

University of Singapore. 

“It will definitely be reflected in the NPC in calls for more 

debate about reform and more pressure for the government to 

act.” China’s party-run parliament is a regimented show of 

unity that affirms, rather than debates, policies. This year’s 

session should stick to that pattern, but could also expose more 

impatience about the direction of the country in speeches and 

legislative proposals, said Zheng. 

Hu and Wen are due to retire from their party posts late this 

year, and to step down from the presidency and premiership 

at next year’s parliament, when Vice-President Xi Jinping is 

likely to be named president and Li Keqiang premier. 

When they hand over power in late autumn, China could 

be headed for its slowest full year of growth since Hu and 

Wen took office a decade ago. The economy ended 2011 with 

its slackest quarter of growth in 2-1/2-years at 8.9 per cent. 

This year’s session will not reveal the economic and social 

policy shifts that Xi and Li could embrace, but could give a 

taste of the challenges they will be left to grapple with. 

Battling poverty 

By Yuriko Wahl-Immel 

CRAMPED, dirty conditions and violence are the order 

of the day for millions of poor families living in overcrowded 

urban slums, without proper access to clean 

water and regular power supplies. In East Africa, many people 

from impoverished rural areas flock to the ever-growing cities 

hoping to find work. But jobs are limited and unskilled migrant 

labourers often end up in the dilapidated slums. 

For children life can be exceedingly difficult, and many 

leave school to help supplement the family income — or 

just to survive, if they have no relatives. Elisa, aged 13, has 

been living on the streets of Rwanda’s capital Kigali for three 

years. In Nairobi, it is the same story. Instead of going to class, 

15-year-old John combs through the Kenyan capital’s biggest 

rubbish tip every day. 

It is these children who need help, the United Nations says. 

It has launched a new project which plans to use new technology 

to map out the areas, which in turn should enable people 

to get better services. The first spot the project has started to 

map is Kibera — the largest slum in Kenya. 

“Kibera is just a dot on a map and the public does not pay 

any attention to it. That’s ridiculous as between 500,000 to 

700,000 live there,” says Michael Klaus, a Unicef worker in 

Kenya’s largest slums. Other estimates have put the number 

of residents even higher- but no one really knows for sure as a 

proper survey has never been carried out. 

The project also aims to gather socio-demographic data, in 

order to determine how many women, children and vulnerable 

people live in the slum. Unicef has started giving youngsters 

GPS devices and laptops and is training them to use the equipment. 

The teenagers go around the slum’s narrow, unnamed 

allies collecting data for maps. 

There is now even a map which “shows all the dangerous 

places, which are best avoided,” says Klaus. He admits that 

even with good mapping and demographic data the government 

will still have to step up and do a better job of providing 

basic services. “We can determine their needs exactly. Then 

it’s a question of getting the authorities to set up health centres 

or feeding points at certain places,” says Klaus. 

Around 151 out of 1,000 children in Kenya’s slums die before 

their fifth birthday from malnutrition, diarrhoea or pneumonia, 

according to the UN, which fears that the growth of 

the cities will exacerbate the plight of the children. 

By Susan Cornwell 

VERBAL sparring between 

the United States and Russia 

has taken on an ugly tone 

lately, and Vladimir Putin’s determination 

to reclaim the Kremlin in a 

presidential election on Sunday does 

not augur well for a fresh start with 

Washington. 

In one recent US-Russian spat, 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 

called “despicable” the Russian veto 

of a UN resolution backing an Arab 

League plan for transition of power 

in Syria, where President Bashar al 

Assad’s forces have brutally attacked 

demonstrators. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei 

Lavrov responded that the Western 

criticism of the veto verged on “hysteria.” 

Serious strains in US-Russian 

ties date to the start of political turmoil 

in Russia last year, and Russia 

12 

ANALYSIS/OPINION 



US-Russia ties strained during Putin campaign 

MEMBER of Irish party Sinn Fein, Alex Maskey (R) and representatives of the African National Congress ANC 

Robert McBride (C) and Kopeng Obed Bapela (L) attend a political meeting called by the Basque Patriotic Left, 

former Batasuna, recently in the Northern Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian. — AFP 

Long road to heal wounds 

By Sinikka Tarvainen 

YOU stole my adolescence, 

an unidentified 

Spaniard tells an 

unidentified member of the 

Basque separatist group ETA. 

“Do you know how I was 

left when you killed my father? 

You did not only kill him, but 

you left me completely empty. 

I was full of life, and now I 

live without strength. I am no 

longer myself. I am someone 

else.” 

The meeting between the 

imprisoned separatist and 

the child of his victim — described 

by the daily El Mundo 

without giving the names of 

the participants — is part of 

a healing process that Spain 

is facing after ETA ended its 

43-year armed campaign in 

October. 

More than 10 such meetings 

have taken place, partly 

on the initiative of jailed ETA 

members trying to face up to 

the immense pain the group 

masde by killing about 850 

people during its campaign 

for a sovereign Basque state. 

ETA targeted mainly army 

and police officers, politicians, 

judges and others seen 

as representatives of the Spanish 

state. But its bombings and 

By Park Chan-Kyong 

NORTH Korea’s new leaders, 

hungry for food aid ahead of 

a landmark anniversary, have 

bought time in a deal with Washington 

but show no sign of actually 

renouncing their nuclear bargaining 

chip, experts say. 

Under the deal announced on 

Wednesday, the communist state now 

led by the young and untested Kim 

Jong-Un agreed to suspend nuclear 

and long-range missile tests, and its 

uranium enrichment programme. 

The United States — which analysts 

said was keen to remove at least 

one strategic headache in an election 

year — agreed in return to provide 

North Korea with 240,000 tonnes of 

desperately needed food. Implementation 

will be the key, however, after 

watchers say it is unclear whether 

Sunday’s presidential election, which 

Putin is expected to win, and its aftermath, 

will ease them. 

The warming trend under President 

Barack Obama’s “reset” policy 

with Moscow cooled markedly in 

December after Clinton asserted 

that Russian parliamentary elections 

were neither fair nor free, drawing 

accusations from Putin that she had 

instigated street protests in Russia. 

If a similar cloud develops over 

the results of Russia’s presidential 

election, with allegations of ballotstuffing 

to get Putin back in the 

Kremlin, the former KGB spy could 

remain under pressure domestically, 

especially if street protests against 

him continue. 

Putin has helped stoke anti-Americanism 

as part of his election campaign 

emphasising a strong Russia. 

He has warned the West not to inter- 

shootings also left hundreds of 

ordinary people dead, such as 

drivers or family members of 

the targets, or passers-by. 

Its ranks decimated by police 

crackdowns, its violence 

opposed by the overwhelming 

majority of the Basque 

region’s more than 2 million 

residents, ETA finally ended 

Western Europe’s last armed 

nationalist campaign. 

Faith is now growing in 

Madrid that the peace is definitive, 

and Prime Minister 

Mariano Rajoy’s government 

is preparing to steer Spain towards 

normality after decades 

of bloodshed. 

The main political parties 

in the Madrid parliament recently 

signed an agreement 

calling for the dissolution of 

ETA and for steps to heal the 

social divisions left by the 

conflict. 

Officially, the government 

excludes making any policy 

changes as long as ETA still 

exists. But, behind the scenes, 

it is believed to be considering 

some concessions to radical 

separatists linked to ETA. 

More than 500 ETA activists 

are in Spanish jails. Those 

who repent of their acts of terrorism 

could be moved to prisons 

closer to home, while the 

almost two decades of nuclear negotiations 

and broken agreements amid 

mutual accusations of bad faith. 

Peter Beck, Korea representative 

of the Asia Foundation, likened 

the deal to “a second marriage — 

the triumph of hope over experience”, 

but also said that pragmatism 

had prevailed in Washington and 

Pyongyang. “At this point the best 

that can be done is to freeze the nuclear 

programme,” he said. 

North Korea under Jong-Un’s 

late father Kim Jong-Il repeatedly 

offered to bargain over its nuclear 

programme, only to renounce negotiations 

and press ahead with atomic 

and missile tests once new aid was 

secured. 

But for now at least, the deal appears 

to be the best that could be 

hoped for by both sides as US President 

Barack Obama grapples for re- 

fere in Syria or Iran, and accused the 

United States of “political engineering” 

around the world. 

Putin might scale back the strong 

words if he wins, some analysts say. 

But he does not understand that his 

harsh rhetoric, coming as the United 

States is also going into a presidential 

election campaign, “just strengthens 

the hand of those people (in the 

United States) who are critical of cooperation 

with Russia,” said Stephen 

Hadley, national security adviser to 

former President George W Bush. 

Looking beyond the rhetoric, 

Putin may be arguing for continuity 

in foreign policy, said James Collins, 

a former US ambassador to Russia. 

Despite Putin’s criticism of the US 

missile defence programme, for example, 

he has not ruled out Russian 

co-operation with it, Collins said. 

The Russian attacks on Clinton 

are short-sighted but something of 

sentences of some who are in 

poor health could be relaxed, 

the daily El Pais reported. At 

the same time, Madrid will no 

longer seek to ban radical separatist 

parties close to ETA. 

The group’s political wing, 

Batasuna, was outlawed in 

2003 and its successors were 

prohibited. But the new radical 

party Bildu now governs 

about 100 Basque municipalities, 

while like-minded 

Amaiur entered the national 

parliament in the November 

elections. Attempts are underway 

to get the banned party 

Sortu legalised as well. 

Rajoy’s government, however, 

wants to avoid appearing 

lenient in order not to alienate 

its most conservative supporters, 

who stress the suffering of 

ETA’s victims, analysts say. 

Spanish mainstream political 

leaders do not want to lend 

an ear to Amaiur or Bildu, 

who say ETA’s victims were 

not the only ones to suffer 

during the Basque conflict. 

Separatists say Spanish 

police and judiciary exercised 

heavy repression upon them. 

They also point to the GAL, 

government-sponsored death 

squads, which killed about 20 

suspected ETA members in 

the 1980s. 

The suffering is difficult to 

heal. ETA has not apologized 

to people who lost their loved 

ones, and many of the victims 

feel they can never forgive. 

“Hatred destroys you, 

damages you, impregnates 

everything. I realised that this 

hatred was destroying me,” 

said Inaki Garcia Arrizabalaga, 

whose father was shot 

dead by ETA. Garcia Arrizabalaga 

is one in the handful 

of victims who have met with 

imprisoned ETA activists. 

Not all of them meet with 

the person who killed their relatives. 

Even a contact with another 

ETA member is thought 

to have a healing effect. 

Few of the ETA members 

apologise — but most of them 

cannot hold the victim’s gaze, 

according to media reports. 

Yet even if ETA dissolves 

and a reconciliation ensues, 

Spain’s Basque problem is far 

from over. Spain has consistently 

refused to discuss the 

subject of Basque independence. 

But the decline of ETA has 

gone hand in hand with the 

rise of new separatist parties, 

such as Bildu and Amaiur, 

which are expected to step up 

their campaign for independence. 

election and North Korea prepares to 

mark a symbolic date next month. 

“For the United States, the agreement 

lays the foundation for bringing 

the North’s nuclear issue under 

control for a while,” professor Yang 

Moo-Jin of Seoul’s University of 

North Korean Studies said. 

Obama needs some progress on 

North Korea at least before facing 

US voters in November, especially 

when Iran and Syria present such 

challenges, Yang said. “For Jong- 

Un, he secured a practical gain in the 

form of food aid.” 

Yang said Kim Jong-Un needed 

massive food aid in the run-up to 

April 15, the 100th anniversary of 

the birth of his grandfather and North 

Korea’s founding leader Kim Il-Sung. 

The government has pledged to turn 

the impoverished nation, stalked by 

years of famine, into a “strong and 

a “freebie,” Collins said, because 

Clinton has let it be known she will 

step down as secretary of state after 

Obama’s first term ends next January. 

“They know they won’t have to 

deal with her.” 

Collins warned there could be 

further fallout if US and European 

officials portray Putin as something 

short of a legitimate head of state 

after the election. “It is not a perfect 

election, but this is a Russian question,” 

said Collins, the US envoy to 

Russia from 1997 to 2001, who now 

directs the Carnegie Endowment’s 

Russian programme. 

“I think it’s very important, personally, 

that the political leadership 

here and in Europe not get engaged 

in the business of making judgements 

about whether Mr Putin is president 

or not,” Collins said. While Putin is 

considered the favourite in the election, 

he is one of five candidates, and 

By Claire Rosemberg 

SERBIA took a “milestone” 

leap towards 

EU membership when 

Europe’s leaders granted 

Belgrade candidate status 

on Thursday, opening a new 

chapter in the troubled history 

of the Western Balkans. 

“European Council grants 

Serbia EU candidate status,” 

EU president Herman Van 

Rompuy said on microblogging 

site Twitter as the 

bloc’s 27 leaders ushered in 

Belgrade in recognition of its 

efforts to defuse tension with 

breakaway Kosovo. 

The decision to grant Belgrade 

official EU candidate 

status, a first but crucial step 

in an often long and rocky 

road to full membership, 

marks a historic leap for a 

country only 13 years ago 

the target of a Nato bombing 

campaign. 

Serbian President Boris 

Tadic welcomed the EU’s 

decision, saying it paves the 

way for “economic advance 

and prosperity”. However he 

warned that a “lot of work 

is ahead of us in order to 

launch the negotiations on 

the EU membership which is 

the next step after obtaining 

the status.” 

Serbia’s 2009 application, 

launched in the throes of 

the financial crisis and amid 

worries that the EU had expanded 

too far and too fast in 

its 2004 “big bang” enlargement, 

has been fraught with 

problems. 

Seen as a shoo-in for 

membership after last year’s 

arrest of Balkans war criminals 

Ratko Mladic and Goran 

Hadzic after almost two 

decades on the run, Belgrade 

had been suddenly held 

back and told to do more for 

regional peace by easing ties 

with Kosovo. 

While staunchly refusing 

to recognise Kosovo’s 2008 

independence, Serbia joined 

an EU-sponsored dialogue 

with its former province a 

year ago, aimed at smoothing 

tensions and overcoming 

daily headaches caused by 

the border row — problems 

such as disrupted roads, 

railways and telecommunications. 

But Belgrade’s hopes of 

prosperous” state to mark the anniversary. 

Officially at least, Pyongyang 

and Washington are committed to a 

six-nation agreement of September 

2005, under which the North would 

scrap all nuclear programmes in return 

for major diplomatic, security 

and economic benefits. 

But many analysts doubt whether 

the government will ever abandon 

a decades-old atomic drive that 

is vaunted as one of the Kim’s dynasty’s 

greatest achievements. “For 

now, the agreement is a welcome 

development. Talking is better than 

not talking and a freeze is better than 

an unfettered nuclear programme,” 

Beck said. 

But he added that the North would 

not give up its nuclear programmes 

and it was “highly unlikely” that any 

significant progress could be made 

if he does not get 50 per cent, there 

will be a runoff later in March. 

His critics, fuelled by fears that 

Putin will rig the election, shun reform 

and mire Russia in Soviet-style 

stagnation if he comes back as president, 

are expected to keep up street 

demonstrations if Putin is declared 

the winner. A return of Putin to the 

presidency could spark more criticism 

of Russia in the US Congress 

this year during an expected debate 

on whether to grant Russia permanent 

normal trade relations by revoking 

a Cold War provision known as 

the Jackson-Vanik amendment. 

Some US lawmakers in both parties 

are deeply sceptical of Russia due 

to concerns about Putin’s KGB background 

and human rights record. 

They do not like Moscow’s relations 

with Iran, which the West seeks 

to isolate because of its nuclear programme. 

A ‘historic’ 

leap into EU 

a subsequent EU pat on the 

back at a December summit 

were dashed notably by 

Britain and Germany, among 

22 EU nations to have recognised 

Kosovo. More was 

demanded from the Serbia- 

Kosovo dialogue. 

Other EU nations fretted 

over the friendship with 

Russia enjoyed by one of the 

last ex-communist states of 

eastern Europe still outside 

the bloc. But last week, Serbia 

and Kosovo, both keen 

to inch closer to the bloc, 

staged a key breakthrough. 

In an 11th-hour deal 

days before the EU summit 

deadline, Belgrade agreed to 

allow Kosovo to speak under 

its flag in regional meetings 

and to sign international 

agreements like any other 

fully recognised nation. 

The two sides also agreed 

to jointly manage their flashpoint 

border, scene of recurrent 

clashes in past months 

between Nato peacekeepers 

and Serbs who make up the 

majority in northern Kosovo 

but refuse to recognise Pristina’ 

independence. 

“Serbia deserves candidate 

status,” said European 

Commission president Jose 

Manuel Barroso. A summit 

statement also said the EU 

would study the feasibility 

of a trade and political 

accord with Kosovo, known 

as a Stabilisation and Association 

agreement. “We 

have reached an important 

milestone,” Kosovo Prime 

Minister Hashim Thaci said 

on Thursday. 

A decision on Serbia’s 

bid had been expected earlier 

this week at EU ministerial 

talks but was blocked when 

Romania wielded its veto 

against opening the EU door 

to Belgrade — a decision 

requiring a unanimous vote. 

Removing a last potential 

hitch, Serbia did a deal with 

Romania ahead of Thursday’s 

summit to mutually 

respect the rights of each 

other’s minority groups. 

“The status of candidate 

will not bring us much in 

direct and fast benefits,” 

said former premier Zoran 

Zivkovic this week. But “it is 

a historic event, strategically 

linking the future of small 

and poor Serbia with the 

huge European family”. 

North Korea buying time with US nuclear deal 

on denuclearisation any time soon. 

North Korea abandoned the sixnation 

talks in April 2009 and conducted 

its second nuclear test the 

following month. There have been 

months of diplomatic effort to revive 

them, culminating in US-North Korean 

talks in Beijing last week that 

agreed the latest deal. 

Yang said that if things go as 

planned, six-party negotiations may 

resume in the first half of this year. 

Richard Bush, a senior researcher 

at the US Brookings Institution, said 

Wednesday’s agreement could be 

an initial step towards serious negotiations. 

“Or they could simply be a 

ploy to get nutritional assistance and 

meddle in South Korean politics,” 

Yonhap news agency quoted him as 

saying. 

“North Korea’s record suggests 

the latter, but we shall see.”

Nigaar to play vamp in 

Sapno Ke Bhanwar Mein 

FTER sharing screen space with her sister Gauhar 

AKhan in The Khan Sisters, actress Nigaar Z Khan is set 

to enter ction show Sapno Ke Bhanwar Mein in a negative 

role. 

Nigaar’s glamorous character will be called Rangoli. She 

is shown as one who has travelled the world, has a superiority 

complex, is rude and picks on people and their ways. 

“I simply love my character Rangoli in the show. It’s 

very interesting as my character will bring great conict in 

the show,” Nigaar said in a press statement. 

The actress, who has earlier featured in Mitwa — Phool 

Kamal Ke, will play the wife of Brij Bhushan, who falls in 

love with the protagonist Pooja. 

“I will enter just when Pooja and Brij confess their love 

for each other. I am very jubilant about Sapno Ke Bhanwar 

Mein,” she added. 

The show, which airs on Life OK, narrates the story of 

an ambitious small town girl Pooja, and how she gets embroiled 

in the dirty game of politics. — IANS 

Actress Nigaar Z Khan to enter Sapno Ke Bhanwar Mein 

Yoko Ono wins top Austrian prize 

OKO Ono, the widow of Beatle John Lennon has won the 

Y2012 Oskar-Kokoschka-Prize, Austria’s highest award for 

applied contemporary art. 

Tokyo-born Yoko Ono, 79, is an avant-garde artist who has 

shot a number of experimental lms and has been involved in 

writing music and singing. 

The Oskar-Kokoschka-Prize, named after an Austrian painter 

who died in 1980, is awarded every two years to a contemporary 

artist and is worth $26,600. 

Japanese-American artist Yoko Ono being awarded the 

Oskar-Kokoschka-Prize by Austrian Minister of Science 

Karlheinz Toechterle in Vienna. — AFP 

Spears lawsuit: Pop star Britney Spears has reportedly settled 

a sexual harassment lawsuit led by her ex-bodyguard Fernando 

Flores. According to tmz.com, Flores previously claimed at 

the Los Angeles County Superior Court that the singer sexually 

harassed him and abused her own children. The case is now of- 

cially closed. 

Britney is believed to have gone before a private mediator 

to end the lawsuit, but no details of the settlement have been 

disclosed as the terms are condential. 

Demi Moore out of rehab: Actress Demi Moore has reportedly 

completed her rehab stint and has gone on a vacation 

to an undisclosed place. The actress had checked into Cirque 

Lodge in Sundance, Utah, to deal with an eating disorder and 

addiction issues. “She’s in no rush to get back to LA. She’s on 

total lockdown and only talking to a small group of people,” E! 

News quoted a source as saying. Moore’s decision to seek treatment 

came after her hospitalisation after smoking an “incenselike 

substance” on January 23. 

13 

ENTERTAINMENT SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 

The drape is reborn — sari gets a new avatar 

By Nivedita Sharma 

TIED low on the waist, 

pinned high on the 

shoulder, paired with a 

mismatching blouse, woven 

in traditional fabric or crafted 

in sexy chiffon, the six-yard 

drape called the sari is being 

reborn on the Indian fashion 

scene. 

Designers say experimentation 

with draping styles, endorsement 

by celebrities and 

an Indo-Western spin to this 

piece of clothing are popularising 

it among the younger lot 

of women. 

Designer Varija Bajaj describes 

it as “the sexiest and 

most evergreen outt that suits 

all body types”. “Over the 

past few years, designers and 

Bollywood have played a lot 

with sari drapes, embroideries 

and colours. However, the sari 

today, in its most sexy avatar, 

is targeting young girls”. 

And innovations are being 

made in draping styles and 

blouses. “Bikini blouses, backless 

choli styles, stitched saris, 

lehnga saris, cocktail versions 

like the one Priyanka Chopra 

wore in the Desi Girl song are 

all targeted at the youth and, of 

course, the look is irresistible,” 

Bajaj tells. 

Designer Debarun 

Mukherjee adds: “The sari has 

always been a favourite silhouette 

for women and with the attire 

emerging as big trend, it is 

surely one of the sexy avatars a 

girl can look out for.” 

If Kareena Kapoor, Deepika 

Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Dia 

Mirza, Malaika Arora Khan 

and Anushka Sharma have 

given the sari a llip by draping 

it with a modern twist, 

Vidya Balan is aunting the 

traditional ones. 

Niharica Rai, a 21-year-old 

PR consultant, tries different 

styles of draping a sari. “Nothing 

can make one look more 

feminine than a sari and I feel 

there’s a maximum possibility 

for me to showcase that oomph 

factor in a sari,” she said. 

“For me, the best way to 

wear one is to show the curves. 

The sari must be tied low on 

the hips, the pallu pleated 

tightly and pinned high on the 

shoulder to aunt the waist.” 

Thanks to designers, the 

sari has evolved and designer 

Nikhil Mehra conrms this 

saying it has seen a huge trans- 

formation from traditional to 

contemporary. 

“Earlier saris were styled 

in a traditional way, but now it 

has taken a more Indo-Western 

look and this transformation attracts 

young girls. “Last month 

Kajol wore a sari-inspired 

gown for Filmfare cover and 

now many youngsters are asking 

for the outt. Such saris 

are ideal for girls who want to 

look glamorous with no compromise 

on responsibilities,” 

he says. 

Options are plenty, styles 

are exotic and designs are 

created keeping body shapes 

in mind. “Mermaid cuts and 

plain chiffon saris are best for 

the pearl-shaped body. If you 

have broad shoulders, it is best 

to opt for wide necklines and 

short-sleeved blouses with 

midriff-revealing saris,” says 

Bajaj. 

If you are skinny, “choose 

uffy or tissue saris with low 

cut blouses or corsets”, suggests 

Bajaj and adds, “Petite 

girls can go for georgettes and 

embrace long chunky necklaces 

and earrings.” 

When it comes to those six 

yards, innovation has become 

a key word. For instance, 

Kiran Uttam Ghosh, known 

for her elegant and glamorous 

designs, has come up with a 

modern avatar for her pret line 

— Chiconomics. 

“Today’s girl wants to do 

a lot of mix and match and 

keeping this in mind, I recently 

launched saris, which are very 

uid and light weight, giving 

today’s women the simplicity 

and drama of a well-cut ensemble,” 

says Ghosh. — IANS 

Carven’s young designer keeps it real 

IF my own friends couldn’t afford 

it, then something is wrong: that is 

the mantra adopted by Guillaume 

Henry, the young French designer who 

put the Carven fashion house back on 

the map. 

On Thursday the 33-year-old sent 

out a fresh-coloured, clean-lined collection, 

showcased inside a former 

Paris convent on day three of the 

French capital’s marathon of fashion 

shows for next autumn-winter. 

Like each season Henry created a 

complete wardrobe, though with a soft 

spot for dresses — which he describes 

admiringly as the only garment “that 

men don’t have, and that allows women 

to dress up in a single movement.” 

Short, ample-skirted dresses nipped 

the waist, but closed demurely at the 

neck, with ne slashes between the 

breasts that offered the tiniest glimpse 

of skin. 

Skirts and bodices, in velvety leather 

or lace, were cut out to suggest a 

cathedral’s stain-glass windows and 

there were ashes of fur, with coloured 

racoon collars or a caramel coat in lustrous 

rabbit. 

A 1970s-style orange print was inspired 

by the apocalyptic Garden of 

Earthly Delights, by the 15-century 

Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch — 

minus the “goriest” details, explained 

the team backstage. 

In-store, Carven’s clothes range 

from “affordable to special treat,” the 

designer, who took over at the brand in 

2009, explained in an interview ahead 

of the show. 

“We are not talking inexpensive, of 

course, because a $400 dress, for the 

girls I know, is already a tidy sum. For 

a dress to wear for a very special occasion, 

we go up to 800 euros, but no 

higher.” 

So there are none of the 2,000- or 

3,000-euro pieces that are common 

currency in the luxury ready-to-wear 

segment. And yet when it comes to 

creativity the brand is regularly put on 

a par with its high-end rivals. 

Designs by French designer Guillaume Henry as part of his Fall/Winter 

2012-2013 women’s ready-to-wear fashion collection. — Reuters 

For Carven, Henry’s recipe has 

been a commercial success: the brand 

which didn’t have a single sales outlet 

in 2009, now counts more than 

400 across the world, from the United 

States to Japan, Britain and Italy. 

When Henry joined its ranks, the 

French house’s haute couture was 

showing signs of age. He made the 

switch to ready-to-wear, but continued 

to rely on an in-house workshop of traditional 

seamstresses. 

“To bring out a collection in two 

months — from the idea to presenting 

it to the press, you’d better have an 

army at your disposal,” he said. 

“With an outside workshop, you 

waste a lot of time,” said the designer, 

who says he cannot imagine running 

a long-distance relationship with his 

suppliers, communicating over Skype 

to shape his clothes. “A fabric is a 

living thing, you have to see how it 

moves, how it falls,” he said. 

Working this way, he says, means 

“you are exchanging all the time. 

Sometimes it takes eight attempts to 

get something right — sometimes only 

two, and that’s when it’s magical.” 

But despite the luxury of working 

with an in-house team, the designer 

keeps a close eye on costs, in particular 

in his choice of fabrics, many of which 

he had factory-made to order this season 

“with our colours, our lines, our 

designs.” “Here, for instance, it is not 

silk but a mix of cotton and polyester,” 

he said, showing off a piece from his 

collection. 

“Bringing the price of the fabric 

down, allows us to keep clothes 

affordable — which means they sell 

better and the manufacturer is happy 

too.” — AFP 

My life is not perfect: Alba 

CTRESS Jessica Alba 

A(pictured) says she 

doesn’t have a perfect life. 

The 30-year-old, who raises 

two young daughters with 

husband Cash Warren, 

says she’d like to spend 

more time with her family 

but can’t because of work 

commitments. 

“It’s not perfect. I’m constantly 

feeling I should be 

spending more time at home. 

I installed a kids’ corner in 

the ofce, and the baby is really 

easy right now. But every 

day is evolving and changing. 

If I’m not going to be home 

all day, I know I’ll be home 

at night,” showbizspy.com 

quoted Alba as saying. 

“I feel like I’ve nally 

come into my own and become 

the person I always 

should have been, or that I 

always wanted to be. I feel 

more grounded, free and 

comfortable in my own skin 

than I ever have,” she added 

Terence dances his way 

to Guinness record again: 

It was a crowd of almost 

4,500 people, who gathered 

here, danced together to 

the tunes of Salman Khan’s 

song Dhinka chika and broke 

the Guinness World Record 

for the largest Bollywood 

dance. 

Choreographed by Dance 

India Dance (DID) mentor 

Terence Lewis, the threeminute 

song saw the huge 

crowd matching steps and 

creating history at KJ Somaiya 

College Grounds on 

Thursday. Choreographer 

Remo D’Souza, who is one of 

the mentors on DID, was also 

present to cheer the crowd. 

The previous record was 

1,336 participants, set by Terence 

in Mumbai in 2011. This 

year it turned out to be three 

times more with 4,428 participants 

setting the record. 

And Terence is beaming with 

joy to have broken his own 

record. — IANS 

Rihanna spends £15,000 

on hair rescue mission 

INGER Rihanna ended up blowing £15,000 to rescue 

S her tangled hair post a sauna session. The pop star ew 

her stylist rst class from Los Angeles to London because 

she didn’t want to experiment with a local hairdresser. 

Rihanna, 24, had gone for a swim at her hotel and used 

its steam room and sauna, which led to the situation. 

“When she got out, her hair were tangled and matted. 

She slapped a load of conditioner on but it didn’t get 

through the mass,” thesun.co.uk quoted a source as saying. 

Rihanna was due to shoot a chat show the next day so she 

called her stylist Ursula Stephen. 

“She didn’t want to take the chance on an unknown. 

Because they were on such a tight schedule, they had to 

get her on the rst ight. Rihanna didn’t care about paying 

a fortune,” the source added. 

She hid her hair with a cap as she left London’s Corinthia 

hotel and kept the cap on during rehearsals for the 

chat show. 

I can take punches: JLo 

JENNIFER Lopez 

appears on the current 

cover of V Magazine 

showing her more 

combative side and 

discussing her artistic 

career of almost two 

decades and her booming 

business activities. “I can 

take a lot of punches,” 

she said. 

“I can take a lot of 

punches and still keep 

going,” she said in an 

interview with the magazine. 

“I’ve been trained 

like a boxer to go 15 rounds.” The interview accompanies 

an eye-catching graphic report by Peruvian Mario Testino. 

JLo, who rocketed to fame in the mid-1990s with the 

lm Selena, posed for Testino’s camera dressed like a boxer 

with an aggressive look on her face, and showing once 

more that even at age 42 she continues to be one of world’s 

sexiest women. 

Mischa’s 

new clothing 

range 

ACTRESS Mischa 

Barton is launching 

a retro-inspired clothing 

and accessories range. 

The 26-year-old, who 

already has her own 

collection of handbags, 

has teamed up with her 

mother Nuala to launch 

the new line this year, 

reported contactmusic. 

com. 

Kunis to play Jacqueline? 

ACTRESS Mila Kunis might essay the role of 

Jacqueline Kennedy in a new movie. The actress is in 

talks to feature as the wife of the iconic US president John 

F Kennedy in the lm by director Lee Daniels. 

He has written a new screenplay called The Butler, 

about a staffer Eugene Allen, who served in the White 

House for 34 years, waiting on eight different presidents 

from 1952, reports dailystar.co.uk. 

Hugh Jackman, John Cusack and media mogul Oprah 

Winfrey have also been linked to the project. If Kunis signs 

on, she will become the latest actress to portray Jackie 

Kennedy. Earlier, Katie Holmes played her in the History 

Channel mini-series The Kennedys.

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hall, store, kitchen and 

car park, rent RO 650/-. 

Contact 99228134. 

2 TWIN villas, 5 and 

6 bedrooms in Qurum 

99346372, (Hussain) 

95128985 (moideen). 

SPACIOUS 1 bedroom 

at in a prime locality in 

Ruwi 95244618. 

2 BEDROOMS, one 

big majlis, 2 bathrooms, 

kitchen, rent RO 350, 

location Al Ghubra, 

beside Al Khalili head 

ofce, China Gate 

building. 99244656, 

99244838. 

OFFICES, shops, villa 

at Al Khuwair, ats 

at Al Khuwair, Wadi 

Kabir, MBD, Mumtaz, 

furnished/unfurnished. 

96596348. 

SPACIOUS 2 storied 

villa, Al Khoudh (6). 5 

bedroom + 5 bathrooms, 

big living room, 2 halls + 

car park, RO 500/-. Call 

99324296. 

APARTMENTS furnished 

and unfurnished 

high cost and large 

Ghubra Valley, of- 

ces and shops with gas 

central air-conditioner 

provider at attractive 

prices begin at RO 300/- 

92283444, 95098103, 

93296550, 24494979. 

FLAT in South Al Ghubrah 

behind the American 

International School, 

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 

a hall, kitchen 

& store. Rent RO 350/- 

95040200. 

GOOD 3 bedroom villa, 

sitting, servant room, 

two oors, RO 550 at Al 

Qurum. 95570288, 

99358589. 

T 

OURS 

MARINE Tourism 

92808636, e-mail: 

info@alainain.com 

AVAILABLE 

industrial, commercial 

& residential in 

Ghala, Wattayah, Al 

Amerat, Al Masafah, 

Al Rumaiz, Al Thraf 

in Sohar. For rental/ 

any kind of proposal 

for development of 

the properties are 

welcome for discussion. 

All properties are 

accessible to all kinds 

of facilities (road, 

electricity & water & 

telecommunication). 

Contact the owner: 

92111192. 

FOR RENT 

OFFICES & 

SHOWROOMS 

With 

air-conditioning 

in prime locations 

MBD & Qurum area. 

For more details call 

A 

99348053 

TRUCK for rent on 

monthly contract 

92661408. 

GOOD new at 1 

bedroom with sitting RO 

260 at Al Qurum. 

95570288, 99358589. 

GOOD 2 bedroom at 

with hall, 3 split ACs, 

RO 340 at Al Khuwair. 

95214359. 

CC0M AVAILABLE 

AVA 

ROOM, hall, toilet with 

sharing kitchen for 

small family/bachelors 

at Al Wattayah. 

94053006. 

S 

ALE/BUYING 

ALE/BUY 

SELL your lla 

land, our 

ofce ofce at Maab Maabela 

99323957/ 99323957/ 95490842/ 

96554668. 

CLASSIFIED 

SECTION 

RUWI: 

24785668 

Behind Royal 

Oman Police 

Adjacent to 

Dhofar 

Building 

SPECIAL Rates on 

New Cars & 4 WDs 

RENTING & LEASING 

Tours and Airport Transfer 

Tel: 24582663 

GSM: 95859497, 

Fax: 24582664, 

abcrent@omantel.net.om 

S 

ERVICES 

SERVICES 

P.C.O. (PEST 

CONTROL OMAN 

CO. LLC) 

Professionals who 

specialise in all types 

of Pest Control 

Services & Snake 

control and 

Guaranteed Termite 

Control. Also 

available Gel 

treatment for 

Cockroaches. 

Suppliers of UK 

Pesticides Chemicals, 

Snake Repellent, 

Cockroach Gels and 

Peripel treated 

Mosquito Nets. 

24787606, 

24787503, 

Fax: 24787607. 

TRANSFER and 

installation of 

furniture with 

packaging. 

96114982 

EXECUTIVE Ofce 

Services available. 

Modern furniture, 

Personalised telephone 

line with receptionist 

services, Unlimited 

wireless internet, 

P O Boxes address, 

Executive conference 

room (10 people), Prime 

location (Al Khuwair), 

Complimentary tea & 

coffee, Service duration, 

quarterly. Contact: 

99463334/ 99201763/ 

24479400. 

1. A/C, Fridge & 

Washing Machine 

Servicing & Repairing 

2. Painting, Plumbing, 

Electrical & Carpentry 

Works. Contact: 

97014234/ 97123569, 

24504281. 

D 

MORNING STAR 

DRIVING SCHOOL S 

— Learn ddriving i 

manual/ automatic 

with professionally 

qualified male/ female 

trainees in brand new 

cars and flexible 

payments. Call: 

99043283, 

24478589, 24478505, 

www.chamberman. 

com/member/ 

morningstar 

www.morningstar.com 

C 

RIVING SSCHOOL 

ARGO 

CARGO transfer with 

attractive price to all 

areas in the Sultanate and 

outside of Oman 

(by truck). Contact 

00968-99171758 

CLASSIFIED SECTION: 

OMAN DAILY Observer SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 

HOOPOE SMART 

CARD SERVICES 

Sanad Service Centre 

We provide the following 

services: Typing, clearing 

all transactions related to 

government departments 

and private sector, eg 

labour agreement for 

Omanis and expatriates, 

typing of labour 

card for expatriates, 

typing of visas and 

document clearing from 

immigration department, 

Ministry of Commerce 

& Industry, Ministry of 

Manpower, Commercial 

names reservation, 

renewal of commercial 

registration, renewal 

of OCCI membership, 

attestation of all 

documents from OCCI 

& Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs. Renewal of 

labour cards through 

electronic payment or 

cash payment. 

Please note you may 

deliver your transaction 

through our e-mail 

and our representative 

will deliver it to your 

ofce personally after 

completion. Our address 

is: Ruwi, near Gulf 

Transport Co. (GTC), 

Fax: 24793331, GSM: 

98793665 (Direct) 

99231500. 

E-mail: hoopoeoman@ 

gmail.com 

AL FAHAD 

TRANSLATION 

SERVICES 

Translation of all kinds 

of legal, medical, and 

othe types of documents, 

Commercial Agencies, 

etc. Ruwi, near Gulf 


Fax: 24794286. GSM : 

98793665 (Direct) 

95959838. E-mail: 

bptland@gmail.com 

LANDRAIL TRADING 

& SERVICES 

(Smart Card) 

Ruwi, near Gulf 


Fax: 24780244, Tel: 

24789117, GSM 

98793666 (Dir), 

96777170. E-mail: 

landrailoman@ 

gmail.com 

CARPET, sofa 

shampooing, 

GUARANTEED 

CLEANING. 

24793614/ 99314807 

MARBLE polishing 

and crystallisation, 

building, cleaning oor, 

oor polishing, carpet, 

sofa shampooing, pest 

control, anti-termite, 

shifting, maintenance. 

99504275. 

MARBLE 

CRYSTALLISATION, 

restore the original shine 

of your marble. 

24792998/99314807. 

W 

LAB Technician Technici 

or Microbiologist 

Microbiolo 

for f marketing k ti LLab 

Referral Service, with 

Omani driving licence. 

mubasu23@gmail.com 

G 

M 

U 

ANTED 

UEST HOUSE HO 

MURAHIB 

HOTEL 

APARTMENTS 

welcome our 

valuable GUESTS 

to our excellent 

location, 

AL KHUWAIR, 

near AL ZAWAWI 

MOSQUE, a single 

bedroom, a bedroom 

& majlis, two 

bedrooms & majlis 

24478087, 

Fax: 24482454. 

QURUM BEACH 

HOTEL. 24564070. 

4-wheel and 

saloon cars. 

95059259, 97885217 

I 

ASTC 

RENT A CAR 

NVESTMENT 

NVESTM 

INDUSTRIAL 5000m 

road with very suitable 

way. 99323957/ 

95490842/ 96554668/ 

Fax: 24452534 

ANPOWER 

ANPOWE 

FRIENDS 

MANPOWER: Filipino 

housemaids and all kinds 

of workers. 24489268 

Tel/Fax: 24478153. 

MRAH/HAJ 

MRAH/HA 

AL Hikman Hikmani for 

HAJ and UM UMRAH 

— With a host of 

services including 

the following: Hiring 

luxurious coaches, 

arranging weekly 

trips, preparing 

visas for expats at 

cost-effective price, 

including transport, 

housing, meals 

and visits to shrine 

locations. Land and 

air trips weekly. 

(99311310, 

24566016, 

99361982, 99707248, 

99322124. 

Sulaiman Awlad Thani: 95181747 

Ali al Maashari: 99639264 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

S 

14 

URGENTLY required 

an experienced Pest 

Control Operator. 

Please call 98048868 

or 98989443. 

REQUIRED an experienced 

operator (brick 

factory & crushing 

(aggrigate and sand). 

Contact 92292379, 

23210246, Fax 3214004. 

S 

STEEL fabrication fabri bi 

(Pakistani) eengineer 

10 

years + 2 years yea UAE 

experience; production, 

workshop, die and press 

shop, Auto Cad and MS 

Office, currently 

working in Muscat. 

e-mail: ghaziservices@ 

yahoo.com Contact: 

98440507. 

INDIAN male, B.Com, 

HDC, now working in 

Oman for ve years as an 

accountant, total 13 years 

experience, seeks suitable 

placement. Contact 

92839085. 

M.TECH Civil Engineer 

(trafc and transportation), 

Indian female, 27, 

2 yrs experience, wellversed 

in Primavera (P6), 

AutoCad, MS Ofce, 

presently at Muscat on 

family visa 99734319, 

E-mail: jishaakkara@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN male, Chief Accountant, 

20 yrs experience 

in Oman & exp in 

nance, accounts, auditing, 

admin, with valid DL, 

seeks suitable placement, 

can join immediately. 

Contact 93044176. 

INDIAN male, 25 yrs, 

B.A., M.A, (Arabic) 

with good knowledge in 

translation of Arabic into 

English with more than 6 

years experience in teaching. 

Contact 95646785. 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

AFAQ WADI AL-MA’AWIL LLC 

CRANE (35 - 80 Ton) 

DOZER 

LOAD/ALL 

GRADER 

EXCAVATOR 

BACK HOE/LOADER 

FUEL TANKER 

SEWAGE TANKER 

WATER TANKER 

Available on very GOOD prices 

HP 2000 Printer 

RO 12.900 only 

HP F4500 4 in 1 Printer 


HP M1132 4 in 1 Laser Printer 


HP LJ1566 Laser Printer 

RO 49/900 only 

AII HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung 

Cartridges also available. 

ITUATION VACANT 

WANTED English 

Language Teacher 

(Female) to coach 4 

students of Class 1 to 8, 

evening time Saturdays 

to Tuesdays for 

residence in Madinat 

Al Qaboos. Contact: 

92310405. 

ITUATION WANTED 

COMPUTER SUPPLIES 

Ruwi: 24792792 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

CONTACT: 99310448 /99333506 /24505994 

FAX: 24504023. E-mail: afaqwadi@yahoo.com 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

URGENTLY required a 

driver to transport the 

labour to and from their 

camp to work place. The 

driver shall be able to 

drive a mini bus of 15 

and 25 seaters in both 

morning and afternoon 

shifts. Please call 

98989443. 

REQUIRED urgently 

for a reputed club Barman. 

Candidates having 

requisite qualication, 

minimum Secondary 

School Certicate and 

3 years experience as 

barman. 

Please send CV by 

e-mail to: oceanint@ 

omantel.net.om or by 

Fax No 24832193. 

PERSONAL assistant/ 

Admin Assistant, Ofce 

Manager, having more 

than 24 yrs Oman exp, 

Arabic/ English computer/ 

communication skills, 

currently on visit visa 

seeks placement. Contact: 

99653910. E-mail: 

iqbalinamdar@ yahoo.com 

INDIAN male, 26 yrs, 

MBA completed, with 

more than 5 years of work 

experience in customer 

care, administrative 

and sales/marketing 

elds, having excellent 

computer knowledge and 

communication skill. 

Currently on visit visa, 

seeks suitable placement. 

98150733, e-mail: 

ramtnair@gmail.com 

INDIAN male, Diploma in 

electronics, knowledge of 

hardware & networking, 

CCNA, 2 years 

experience. 99210940. 

A SRI Lankan housemaid 

looking for job with good 

experience. 93450893. 

LIGHT Duty Driver with 

10 years experience in 

Oman. 98652468. 

AN Egyptian chef with 

long experience at hotels 

and hypermarkets looking 

for a suitable job. Contact 

92319591, 98766269. 

DIRECT: 24649594 - FAX : 24649590 

e-mail: classified@omandaily.om 

al-haditha 

centre 

AUTO REPAIR 

CENTRE 

V 

G 

EHICLE SALE 

OOD NEWS NEW 

FREE FRE 

INFORMATION 

INFORMA 

ABOUT ISLAM 

CLASSIFIED 

SECTION 

RUWI: 

24785668 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Continued on P-15 

F 

O 

R 

H 

I 

R 

E 

Quality Repairs & Maintenance of all 

types of Cars and Heavy vehicles 

(ROP approved Grade A Workshop) 

Telephone: 24595951/1414, Fax: 24597979. 

For Sale 

1. 3 tonnes used vehicles 

2. 10 tonnes used vehicles 

3. Used Trailers Head 

4. Used freezer 

5. Used spare parts 

Above mentioned vehicles, 

freezer and spare parts are 

available for sale at Unikai & 

Co LLC as per condition as 

per place as it is available. 

Quotation required at our 

Barka and Izki branches. 

From 13-03-2012. 

Contact No: Mr Muhammad 

Hanif, Tel: 95649093 (Barka) 

Contact No: Naseer Ahmed, 

Tel: 99707084 (Izki) 

JCB 3CX, model 

2002, Mitsubishi 

D/C 4x4, model 2005, 

Mazda T-3500 S/C 

model 2001, Mitsubishi 

Pajero, model 2001, 

Suzuki G/Vitara, model 

2005, Mitsubishi D/C 

4x4 PDO, model 2006, 

Mitsubishi D/C 4x4, 

model 2005, Daewoo 

BF 105 66 Seat, model 

1999, Daewoo BF 105 

52 Seat, model 1999, 

Daewoo BF 105 66 

Seat, model 1999. Contact 

Mr Ali al Siyabi 

99381333, 24503232. 

If you would like to 

know more about 

Islam, please call: 

Tel : 99425598, 

96050000, 99353988, 

99253818, 99341395, 

99379133, 

For ladies: 99415818, 

99321360, 99730723 

Or visit: 

www.islamfact.com 

AYURVEDIC 

Treatment, Yoga massage 

& slimming. Contact: 

92504980/ 24475280 , 

www.drsajjay.com

S 

CIVIL Engine Engineer i (B.Tech), 

having having 6 mon months 

experience, experience se seeks suitable 

placement. Please contact 

93521675. E-mail: 

gypsumes@gmail.com 

ACCOUNTANT seeking 

suitable post, 8 years 

experience, (6 yrs in 

GCC), accountant seeks 

suitable post (up to 

nalisation) 96749374. 

E-mail: sebychalakkal@ 

gmail.com 

FEMALE, MBA, 9 

yrs experience in India 

as manager in bank, 

spealised in operations, 

audit and marketing, valid 

Oman driving licence, 

seeks suitable position. 

Contact 93140604 or 

careerinmuscat@gmail. 

com 

FILIPINO, female, 

Bachelor of Science in 

Commerce graduate, a 

multi-tasking & 4 yrs UAE 

experienced operations of- 

cer with secretarial skills 

in line with tourism mainly 

in transportation industry, 

knowledge in MS Ofce, 

business correspondence 

and highly levelled 

customer service oriented. 

Contact 96893261158, 

E-mail: arcel_77eyahoo. 

com 

INDIAN male, B.Com, 

3 yrs experience as a 

storekeeper cum accounts 

assistant in Oman, looking 

for suitable placement. 

96374066. E-mail harihari76@gmail.com 

SENIOR Accountant, 

Indian, Male, B.Com + 

PG Diploma in Computer 

Applications + ISO 

Internal Auditor Certicate 

holder having 18 Years 

Experience in Oman, 

handling accounts till 

nalization and Banking 

& Fund Management with 

valid Oman D/License, 

Seeks suitable placement. 

Contact 93378495 E-mail: 

rajkvenu70@yahoo.co.in 

INDIAN male, postgraduate, 

civil engineer, 

11 yrs experience in Oman 

with Oman & UAE driving 

licence, exp in PMG 

of high rise building, 

green buildings and govt 

projects, 93045079 and 

shammy_sasidhar@yahoo. 

com 

INDIAN male, aged 

24, B.Tech Mechanical 

Engineer having diploma 

in Automobile Engineering 

with experience in 

automobile sector on visit 

in Oman, seeks suitable 

placement. Contact: 

92722408. 

INDIAN male 23 years, 

BTech Electronic and 

instrumentation Engineer, 

completed training from 

major fertilizer company 

in India in instrumentation, 

done PLC and SCADA, 

very procient in the 

computer softwares, 

seeks suitable placement 

preferably oil companies. 

99866389, 24702588, 

e-mail: mojin.a.kabeer@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN female, BSc, 

BEd + MBA with 5 years 

teaching experience 

in BBA college, seeks 

lecturer job or suitable 

position in corporates. 

Contact: 92224106, 

92231584. 

FABRICATION Engineer 

Pakistani, BA with 

diploma in mechanical, 12 

years experience + 2 years 

UAE, steel fabrication, 

machine shop, workshop, 

dye mould shop, Auto Cad 

2D, 3D and production. 

98440507. E-mail: 

ghaziservices@yahoo.com 

MECHANICAL Engineer 

(BE), having 6 months 

experience in industrial 

machines, seeks suitable 

placement. Please contact: 

faisal2861989@yahoo. 

co.in 

INDIAN male, 28 

yrs, MBA-Finance & 

Marketing, 7 years hard 

core experience in sales, 

marketing, business 

development & nance, 


Now on visit visa. 

Contact: 97739011, 

guruprasadsb@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN male, 20 yrs of 

Gulf experience in HR & 

Admn, stores, logistics, 

warehouses and inventory, 

having Oman driving 

licence. Contact: 

99451254. 

PAKISTANI male 

32, bachelor degree 

(Economics), 11 yrs work 

exp in administrative, 

accounting, sales 

promotion, customer 

care, seeks suitable job 

in Muscat. 97404202. 

abdulmaalik2011@ 

gmail.com 

ACCOUNTS Manager 

having 24+ years 

experience in accounts 

and nance seeks suitable 

placement. Please contact: 

jamalmeeran@yahoo.co.in 

INDIAN male, Diploma 

in hardware engg, 8 yrs 

experience in computer 

hardware, networking & 

laptop servicing, worked 

as team leader & customer 

support engg. On visit 

visa seeks suitable job. 

94235561. 

15 

CLASSIFIEDS 


INDIAN male 27 yrs, BA, 

MS Ofce, Inventory, 7 

years experience in Oman 

as store in-charge, seeks 

suitable placement. 

99850227, 98806986. 

INDIAN male 27 yrs, 

MBA graduate, having 3.2 

yrs exp in handling own 

sales & services business 

and 1.4 yrs MNC corporate 

fundamental accounting 

exp, seeks a good position 

in accounts or sales. 

Contact: 

92854483. 

INDIAN male 26 yrs, 

BCom with 3 yrs exp in 

accounting in India, 1 year 

in UK, holding ICWAI ‘O’ 

level certicate, Tally, exp 

in computing, diploma in 

foreign accounting, seeks 

suitable placement. 

99785101. 

AUTOCAD 

(Architectural) Design 

Draftsman having 8 years 

experience in drafting 


Contact: 92493498. 

E-mail: chaudryishfaq@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN male, 15 years 

experience as Storekeeper/ 

Salesman, having valid 

Driving licence with car, 

on visit, seeks suitable 

placement 99284879. 

AUTOCAD draughtsman 

Indian, 13 years experience 

in drainage, water supply, 

re-ghting. Presently 

working in Muscat. Seeking 

new placement with release. 

99569755. Mail: 

kgravi100@gmail.com 

SUDANESE Civil 

Engineer, one year 

experience in 

Oman. 92273940. 

INDIAN male experienced 

4 years in Oman and 2 

years in KSA as gas pipe 

insulator approved licence 

and certicate seeks 

suitable job immediately. 

Contact: 93046240. 

BE Eectronics & 

Communication Engineer, 

Indian male 23 yrs with 

certicate in CCNA & 

automation seeks suitable 

placement. Contact: 

99457898, e-mail: 

joeljames89@gmail.com 

INDIAN male 25, with 3 

yrs experience in System 

Administration (B Com 

(Computer Application), 

MCSA messaging in 

exchange server) working 

in India, looking for 

a suitable replacement 

in Oman. Contact: 

+919847525360. E-mail: 

sreesankarrs@gmail.com 


ITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED 

COMMERCIAL/ 

Procurement: Indian 

versatile management 

professional having 

22 years of Gulf 

experience in 

Procurement, Costing, 

Accounting, Product 

Management & 

SAP-MM module 

(Super user). Seeking 

a suitable position 

as Commercial/ 

Procurement 

manager in a reputed 

organization; please 

contact: 95934873, 

99335375. 

Mailing Address: OBSERVER CLASSIFIEDS SECTION, P.O. Box 974, Muscat, P.C. 100 

Location: OEPPA HEAD OFFICE, Medinat Al Alam, 

Near Ministry of Information 24649 593, 594, 594, 595, 596, 597 

& OEPPA Ruwi Office, Next to Dhofar Bldg, Behind Ruwi Police Station 24785668 

INDIAN male, 30 years, 

B.E. Computer Science, 

MCSE certied, with 4 

years experience, seeks 

suitable placement, holding 

valid Oman driving 

licence 92324217, 

E-mail: linish.thomas@ 

live.in 

SENIOR Accountant, 

Indian, Male, B.Com + 

PG Diploma in Computer 

Applications + ISO 

Internal Auditor Certicate 

holder having 18 Years 

Experience in Oman, 

handling accounts till 

nalization and Banking 

& Fund Management with 

valid Oman D/License, 


Contact 93378495 E-mail: 

rajkvenu70@yahoo.co.in 

FRESH Sudanese graduate 

with two yrs experience in 

civil engineering, having 

B.Sc civil engineering and 

knowledge of AutoCad, 

uency in English & Arabic. 

Contact 24527791. 

B.COM, MBA (human resources), 

3 yrs experience 

in K.P.M.G Bangalore 

as HR, seeks immediate 

placement. Family visa. 

Contact 93691458. 

INDIAN male, 8 years 

experience as an accountant 

looking for change. Tally 

ERP9, Peachtree, Dec Easy, 

Max Client 7.2, MS Ofce 

with valid Oman driving 

licence. 96761026. 

LOOKING for parttime, 

heavy equipment 

maintenance & repair, 

Crane, loader, etc. Please 

contact: 95925094. 

SR Material Controller, 

14 years Gulf experience 

with multinational and 

international co, seeks 

better placement. Contact: 

97350232. 

INDIAN male, 26, 

B.Com with Tally, 5 years 

experience in accounts, 

Omani driving licence, 

seeks suitable placement 

96470171. 

INDIAN female, 

electronics and 

communication engineer, 

seeks suitable position with 

work visa around Muscat 

area 95924356. 

INDIAN male 37 yrs, IT 

Manager, OCP (DEVP), 

OCA (DBA), MCITP 

(Doing), 14 yrs exp, soft 

devp/hardware/networks/ 

servers/IT infrastructure. 

Contact: 99638010. 

GULF experienced male 

Care Taker, can take care 

of building/family/person/ 

ofce, good in English, 

presently in India, looking 

for a job in Oman, can join 

immediately. Contact: 

99235823. 

PAKISTANI male 24, 

BCom, 2 years experience 

in administration in Oman, 

looking for a job. E-mail: 

zh.rathore@hotmail.com. 

PAKISTANI male, Graphic 

Designer, 1 year post 

diploma (BFA) in graphic 

designing, knowing Adobe 

Photoshop, Illustrator, 

Corel Draw with 4 yrs exp. 

Contact 92798344. 

mnadeem.artist@gmail. 

com 

INDIAN female, 23 yrs 

MBA Finance with one 

year experience in Auditing 

rm looking for suitable 

placement in Finance / 

Accounts eld. Contact: 

93254104. 

INDIAN male, 6 yrs exp 

in accounts in Oman 


Contact: 93484503. 

INSTRUMENTATION 

engineer, 3+ years 

experience in power plant, 

seeks suitable position. 

Contact 98487675. 

ASSISTANT accountant 

cum ofce Admin. Having 

4 yrs exp in India currently 

in Oman on a visit. Ready 

to join immediately. 

Contact: 98280649. 

CLASSIFIED 

SECTION 

RUWI: 

24785668 

Behind Royal 

Oman Police 

Adjacent 

to Dhofar 

Building 

ZAJEL weekly magazine evry saturday along with OMAN DAILY 

for advertising contact 

Mobile 96224397 95181747 

Tel 24649593 Fax 24649590 Email zajeloman@yahoocom 

BANGLADESHI having 

a valid Omani driving 

licence searching for 

a job opportunity as a 

driver or cook. For info 

92895563. 

MORE than 15 years 

Oman experienced 

Storekeeper/Salesman 

having valid Driving 

licence, on visit, seeks 

suitable placement 

99284879. 

A WELL experienced 

Accountant, BCom 

with Tally, very good in 

computers and English, 

presently working in India, 

looking for a job in Oman, 

ready to join immediately. 

Contact: 99087175. 

INDIAN, male, age 

32, Diploma in 

Electrical Engneering 

Telecommunication, 

commissioning and 

servicing 93184891. 

INDIAN female, MSc 

(bio-tech) qualied, 5 

years teaching experience 

in India, CBSE syllabus at 

school and 

pre-college level. (Expert 

in EVS, Science, Maths). 

Contact 98046628, 

93567940. E-mail: 

shulesen07@gmail.com 

(or) kumar.senthil71@ 

yahoo.com 

8 YEARS experience 

with .Net,Oracle,PL 

SQL,Sql Server, Business 

Objects,VB & Crystal 

Reports, using share-point 

& moodle for E-Learning 

seeks suitable job. 

96932038 

WAREHOUSE stores 

& logistics manager 

currently working with 

corporate management in 

Muscat having immense 

experience. Seeks 

challenging opportunity. 

94211162. 

JORDANIAN, (CIS, 

MBA qualied), seeks job 

in reputed companies in 

Oman or Gulf. Contact 

99273600. 

B COM graduate with 

good Oman experience in 

HR Admin/rent-a-car & 

leasing/sales support & 

back ofce management, 

seeks immediate 

placement. 24812857/ 

98731659. 

INDIAN male, B Com, 

having 9 years experience 

in Gulf as an accountant 

with computer knowledge 

looking for an accountant 

or any suitable position 

currently on visit visa. 

Contact 98735924. 

INDIAN male, 22 years, 

BE ECE completed and 

having certications in 

CCNA & Microsoft 

with excellent computer 

and communication 

skills looking for suitable 

placement. Contact 

99676386, e-mail: 

thousi4jb@gmail.com 

FINANCE & Accounts 

Manager, MBA (Finance), 

CA Inter with more than 

20 years Oman experience 

seeks suitable position in 

reputable organisation. 

Contact: 94103929. 

B.Tech IT graduate having 

good knowledge in oracle 

DBA with OCP certied. 


Currently on visit visa. 

Contact: 95829462. 

MAINTENANCE 

supervisor, electrical, 

plumbing, civil, good 

experience in Oman with 

driving licence. Able 

to handle jobs 

independently, knowledge 

in materials and purchase. 

Contact 95798713. 

WELDER 6G (SMAW) 

— Indian male, more than 

10 yrs experience in India 

and Gulf presently working 

in Oman, seeks placement. 

Contact 92177850. 

EXECUTIVE Secretary/ 

Admn Assistant having 12 

yrs exp in multinational 

companies (3 yrs Oman 

exp), seeks suitable 

placement in reputed 

companies. Contact: 

99091047. 

PRODUCTION engineer, 

6 years Gulf experience in 

false ceiling, bre 

glass and rubber 

moulding, valid 

Omani driving licence. 

95952104. 

FEMALE Jordanian 

(Bachelor degree in dental 

technology and MBA), 

seeks job in reputed 

companies in Oman or 

Gulf. Contact 

99273600 

B.TECH, electronics & 

telecommunication 1st 

class engineer, Indian 

male, 26 years, looking for 

suitable placement with 

school teaching. Pls contact 

93605854. E-mail: 

pmvipi@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN male, graduate, 

having 8 years work 

experience in stores, sales 

& general accounting, 

purchase and computer 

operation, seeks suitable 

job. Contact: 92540909. 

LIGHT Duty Driver with 

10 years experience in 

Oman. Contact: 

98652468.

FLIGHT LIGHT SSCHEDULE 

CHEDULE 

ARRIVALS LS S — SATURDAY SSATURDAY 

Flight No Aircraft From/Via om/Via STA 

WY614 B737-8 Dubai 0005 

WY648 B737-8 Kuwait 0015 

WY682 B737-8 Riyadh 0015 

WY716 B737-8 Dar-es-Salaam 0015 

BG023 DC10 Dacca 0130 

TK858 B737-8 Istanbul 0130 

PK259 B737-3 Islamabad 0200 

QR170 A320 Doha 0315 

EY384 A320 Abu Dhabi 0350 

EK866 B777 Dubai 0355 

GF560 E190 Bahrain 0425 

MS930 B737-8 Cairo 0500 

WY146 A330-200 Malpensa 0605 

WY122 A330-300 Munich 0630 

WY114 A330-300 Frankfurt 0645 

WY652 E175AR Bahrain 0700 

WY662 E175AR Doha 0700 

FZ043 B737-8 Dubai 0740 

WY132 A330-200 Paris 0745 

WY632 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 0800 

WY914 B737-8 Salalah 0800 

WY674 B737-8 Jeddah 0800 

WY202 B737-8 Bombay 0800 

WY602 B737-8 Dubai 0825 

WY328 B737-8 Lahore 0840 

WY274 B737-8 Jaipur 0840 

WY322 A330-300 Karachi 0900 

WY102 A330-300 London Heathrow 0900 

WY286 B737-8 Bangalore 0920 

WY262 B737-8 Lucknow 0920 

EK862 B777 Dubai 0930 

QR166 A321 Doha 0950 

G9113 A320 Sharjah 0955 


9W530 B737-8 Trivandrum 1045 

PK191 ATR42 Turbat 1055 

WY604 E175AR Dubai 1100 

IX543 B737-8 Trivandrum-Cochin 1130 

IX337 B737-8 Calicut 1155 

WY916 E175AR Salalah 1200 

WY314 B737-8 Chittagong 1210 

WY3302 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1230 


WY918 ATR42 Khasab 1315 

WY606 B737-8 Dubai 1330 

WY924 B737-8 Salalah 1440 

FZ045 B737-8 Dubai 1545 

WY664 E175AR Doha 1615 


WY204 B737-8 Bombay 1655 


WY326 B737-8 Islamabad 1710 

WY244 B737-8 Delhi 1710 

IX817 B737-8 Mangalore-Abu Dhabi 1725 


WY236 B737-8 Hyderabad 1730 

WY298 B737-8 Calicut 1750 

WY216 B737-8 Trivandrum 1805 

GF564 A319 Bahrain 1810 

WY930 B737-8 Salalah 1810 

G9117 A320 Sharjah 1905 

FZ047 B737-8 Dubai 2020 


WY338 B737-8 Kathmandu 2100 

AI973 A320 Delhi 2125 

BA073 B777 London Heathrow-Abu Dhabi 2130 

WY616 B737-8 Dubai 2145 


AI907 A319 Madras 2200 

WY406 A330-300 Cairo 2215 

WY381 A330-300 Male-Colombo 2215 

LH618 A330 Frankfurt-Abu Dhabi 2225 


LX242 A330 Zurich-Dubai 2235 

QR168 A320 Doha 2235 

WY228 B737-8 Cochin 2250 

WY656 B737-8 Bahrain 2305 

WY624 ATR42 Al Ain 2305 

AI985 A321 Ahmedabad-Bombay 2310 

WY928 B737-8 Salalah 2310 

WY668 B737-7 Doha 2310 

WY672 A330-300 Jeddah 2315 

WY636 B737-8 Abu Dhabi 2315 

WY686 B737-8 Dammam 2320 

9W534 B737-8 Cochin 2330 

WY816 A330-200 Bangkok 2335 

9W540 B737-8 Bombay 2340 

WY258 B737-8 Madras 2340 

KQ318 B737-8 Nairobi-Dubai 2350 

QUOTATIONS FOR TODAY 

Every man is a damn fool for at least five 

minutes every day; wisdom consists in 

not exceeding the limit. 

— Elbert Hubbard 

I regard the theatre as the greatest of 

all art forms, the most immediate way 

in which a human being can share with 

another the sense of what it is to be a 

human being. — Oscar Wilde 

CINEMA 

FILM INFORMATION 

AL BAHJA CINEMA: 

24540856, 24540855. 

AL NASR CINEMA: 

24831358, 24831809 (after 3pm) 

AL SHATTI PLAZA: 

24607360, 24692656 (after 2pm) 

STARS CINEMA: 

24791641, 24792360 

Majlis A’Shura 

ADDRESSES 

Keep in touch with Majlis Ash’shura’s 

news. 

Log on to the Majlis’s website: 

www.shura.om 

and the Majlis’s 

e-mail: info@shura.om 

Or write to the Majlis’s postal address: 

P O Box 981 

Postal Code 111, Muscat 

Tel: 24510344 / 24521427/ 

Fax 24510560 

INFORMATION 

MINISTRY WEBSITES 

Ministry: www.omanet.om 

Oman TV: 

www.oman-tv.gov.om 

Oman Radio: 

www.oman-radio.gov.om 

Omani Centre for Traditional Music: 

www.octm-folk.gov.om 

OMAN RADIO 

6.00 Opening, Royal Anthem, The Holy Quran, Preview of 

Morning Programme, Weather Forecast and Pharmacies on 

Duty; 6.15 Morning Tea; 7.00 News Bulletin; 7.10 Morning 

Tea; 9.00 News Headlines; 9.02 Piano; 10.00 Instrumental 

Music; 11.00 Light Classical Music; 12.00 News Headlines, 

12.02 The Holy Quran; 12.15 Pioneers of Civilization; 12.45 

Slow Mix Music; 01.00 Top 10 (Laxmi) Repeat on Thursday 

5.30; 2.00 Let’s Talk Business — Nisham Repeat of Sat 3.00 

& Sunday 6.00; 2:20 Radio Station Jingles And Programmes; 

2.30 News Bulletin; 2.40 Forts and Castles of Oman — Laxmi 

Repeat of Monday 3.00 & Tuesday 6.00; 3.00 Short Stories 

(Judith) Repeat on Saturday 6.00; 3.20 Radio Station Jingles 

and Programmes; 3.25 Mix Music; 3.30 Women in Focus — 

Nisham Repeat on Tuesday 3.00 & Thursday 6.40; 03.50 

Radio Station Jingles and Programmes; 4.00 News 

Headlines; 4.02 Around The World Live; 6.30 News Bulletin; 

6.40 Words in Action (Judith) Repeat of Sunday 3.00 & Mon 

6pm; 7.00 Night Groove; 8.00 News Headlines; 8.02 Night 

Groove; 10.00 News Bulletin; 10.10 Oman in Focus (5 mins) 

Daily; 10.15 D J Rock Special; 11.15 Mix Music; 12.40 News 

Summary; 12.45 The Holy Quran; 01.00 National Anthem, 

Close Down. 

Flight No Aircraft 

DEPARTURES 

To / Via STD 

BA072 B777 Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow 0001 

AI986 A321 Bombay-Ahmedabad 0005 

9W539 B737-8 Bombay 0045 

WY601 B737-8 Dubai 0115 


WY261 B737-8 Lucknow 0125 

WY201 B737-8 Bombay 0130 

9W529 B737-8 Trivandrum 0130 

WY661 E175AR Doha 0130 

WY285 B737-8 Bangalore 0135 


WY327 B737-8 Lahore 0200 

WY313 B737-8 Chittagong 0200 

WY273 B737-8 Jaipur 0205 

WY321 A330-300 Karachi 0220 

TK859 B737-8 Istanbul 0220 

BG024 DC10 Dacca 0300 

PK260 B737-3 Islamabad-Lahore 0300 

EK867 B777 Dubai 0500 


QR171 A320 Doha 0550 

MS931 B737-8 Cairo 0600 





FZ044 B737-8 Dubai 0820 

WY929 B737-8 Salalah 0825 

WY717 B737-8 Zanzibar-Dar-es-Salaam 1000 

WY243 B737-8 Delhi 1000 

WY823 A330-200 Kuala Lumpur 1005 

WY297 B737-8 Calicut 1005 

WY215 B737-8 Trivandrum 1010 

WY235 B737-8 Hyderabad 1010 

WY815 A330-200 Bangkok 1010 

WY381 A330-300 Male-Colombo 1030 

WY917 ATR42 Khasab 1030 

WY605 B737-8 Dubai 1030 

WY325 B737-8 Islamabad 1030 

G9114 A320 Sharjah 1035 

WY923 B737-8 Salalah 1035 

WY203 B737-8 Bombay 1040 

EK863 B777 Dubai 1045 


QR167 A321 Doha 1055 

PK192 ATR42 Turbat-Gwadur 1130 

9W533 B737-8 Cochin 1145 

WY337 B737-8 Kathmandu 1155 

WY113 A330-200 Frankfurt 1200 

WY663 E175AR Doha 1215 

IX542 B737-8 Trivandrum 1220 


WY405 A330-300 Cairo 1310 




IX350 B737-8 Calicut 1355 

WY101 A330-300 London Heathrow 1400 

WY227 B737-8 Cochin 1445 

WY671 A330-300 Jeddah 1540 

WY257 B737-8 Madras 1545 

FZ046 B737-8 Dubai 1630 



WY615 B737-8 Dubai 1805 

IX146 B737-8 Amritsar 1815 

GF565 A319 Bahrain 1855 

WY927 B737-8 Salalah 1905 

WY347 B737-8 Kuwait 1905 

WY685 B737-8 Dammam 1905 

WY681 B737-8 Riyadh 1910 

WY655 B737-8 Bahrain 1915 

G9118 A320 Sharjah 1945 

WY667 B737-7 Doha 2000 

WY635 B737-8 Abu Dhabi 2015 

WY623 ATR42 Al Ain 2015 

WY613 B737-8 Dubai 2045 

FZ048 B737-8 Dubai 2105 

WY913 B737-8 Salalah 2245 

AI908 A319 Madras 2300 

AI974 A320 Delhi 2310 


QR169 A320 Doha 2335 

LX243 A330 Dubai-Zurich 2335 

LH619 A330 Abu Dhabi-Frankfurt 2350 

CRYPTIC PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

9 Immediately, is in an 

awkward position (2,3,4) 

10 With which the bout began 

or, to put it otherwise, 

opened (5,3) 

12 Don’t go — postpone it (4) 

13 Goes to pieces when one 

gives the news to? (6) 

14 Waste food (7) 

15 Packed ready to go off it 

means you’ll be back soon 

(3,6) 

17 Prayer gives the worried 

four new heart (3,6) 

18 Fidgety as ever, it’s moving 

about (7) 

20 All of a doodah holding the 

runaway: a potential killer 

(6) 

21 It’s a permit, miss (4) 

24 Telling jokes, is very good 

(8) 

26 Only mousse of cod, I put 

in, “and not very good” (8) 

28 Was sorry and, in turn, 

embarrassed about (4) 

29 Make a big thing of and get 

very angry (4,2) 

31 A cab and the dog angered 

by it? (7) 

34 A deviation from the 

previous ways of taking 

off? (9) 

36 Stops when the holiday’s 

cancelled (6,3) 

38 The little two: a clue for 

you! (7) 

39 Stops to let me in, which 

changes things (6) 

40 The person who 

misinformed you in the 

back bar (4) 

41 Only thing the hungry 

burglar was interested in? 

(4,4) 

42 Agreed on a cocktail that’s 

innocuous to drink (9) 

DOWN 

1 Think “Drink!” when the 

son staggers in (8) 

2 Hold on, there! That’s my 

boy friend! (6) 

3 Tear up agitatedly again 

after opening (8) 

4 Notes the great effort (6) 

5 The car swerves, there’s a 

yell and you lose 

16 

INFORMATION/LEISURE SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 

PHARMACIES 

24-HOUR SERVICE 

Al Hashar ph, Ruwi 24783334 

Muscat ph, Ruwi, 24702542 

Al Sarooj, 24695536 

Scientific ph, Qurum, 24566601 

Ruwi, 24702850 

DAY DUTY 

Muscat Al Hashar 24480838 

Al Salam 24451092 

Belqees 24540703 

Ibn Sina 24788436 

Sur Al Rawdah 25546454 

Buraimi Fajr al Khaleej 

25654321 

Ibri Al Aryaf 25689715 

Nizwa Al Qalaa 25431666 

Salalah Al Iman 23290170 

Sohar Al Asma 26841511 

NIGHT DUTY 

Muscat Atlas 24503585 

Mahaq 24421644 

Muscat 24535977 

Muscat 24833323 

Sur Belqees 25544779 

Buraimi Modern, 25650755 

Ibri Muscat 25689025 

Barka Belqees 26884541 

Rustaq Muscat 26878631 

Samayil Al Jinan 25351030 

Nizwa Al Qalaa 25410076 

Salalah Muscat 23291635 

Ibra Muscat 25570473 

Saham Al Mazaini 26854066 

Sohar Muscat 26840211 

KHOULA HOSPITAL VISITING HOURS 

Private & Other Wards 

Working Days: 16:00-18:00. Weekends & Public 

Holidays: 10:-12:00, 16:00-18:00 

ICU 

Working Days: 16:00-17:00. Weekends & Public 

Holidays: 16:00-17:00 

Special Care Baby Unit 

Working Days: Parents may visit at any time. 

Weekends & Public Holidays: Parents may visit 

at any time 

CROSSWORD 

consciousness (5,3) 

6 Propose to adjust the clock 

that’s losing time (3,7) 

7 The officer is driven mad 

by the silly “40” (7) 

8 Some of the music from 

“Kidnap”? (6) 

11 A gun turret? (3-4) 

16 Show I even scribbled a 

note to pop in (6) 

19 His name is fabricated! (5) 

20 Trail the convict (3) 

22 Her days are numbered (5) 

23 Gloomy, getting the key to 

the rooms let out (6) 

25 What the rep wants the 

customer to say? I believe 

you! (3,3,4) 

26 Hair of the dog, knocked 

back! (3) 

27 Take out and stick in a 

purplish cover (7) 

30 A question always put to, if 

time is of no consequence 

(8) 

31 Someone who’ll watch 

over, for a charge (8) 

32 Spoken of as “The arbiter 

who slipped up” (8) 

33 The clergyman before; the 

previous one (7) 

35 Fruit crops (6) 

36 To hide the hole well, I 

weave all round it (3,3) 

37 Herb is on about some 

place in Latvia (6) 

EASY PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

9 Loathe (9) 

10 Girl’s name (8) 

12 Blood (4) 

13 Mad (6) 

14 Cyclone (7) 

15 Incisive (9) 

17 Bleak (9) 

18 Chorus (7) 

20 Movement (6) 

21 Resound (4) 

24 Saviour (8) 

26 Tree (8) 

28 Ritual (4) 

29 Slanted (6) 

31 Get level with (5,2) 

34 Held (9) 

36 Awful (9) 

38 European language (7) 

39 Hit (6) 

40 Grotto (4) 

41 Small fleet (8) 

42 On hand (9) 

DOWN 

1 Hoodlum (8) 

2 Gruff (6) 

3 Claim (8) 

4 Leave (6) 

Hospital. . . . . . Board . . . . . . . Emergency 

Royal. . . . . . . .24599000 . . . .24590491 

Health Services Department 

Muttrah . . . . . .24797602 

Quriyat . . . . . .24845001 . . . .24845003 

SQH, Salalah .23211555 . . . .23211151 

Police . . . . . . .24603988 . . . .24603980 

Al Nahda. . . . .24831255 . . . .24837800 

Ibn Sina . . . . .24876322 . . . .24877361 

Nizwa . . . . . . .25439361 . . . .25425033 

Al Rustaq . . . .26875055 . . . .26877186 

Sumayil. . . . . .25350055 . . . .25350022 

Izki . . . . . . . . .25340033 . . . .25340033 

Haima . . . . . . .23436013 . . . .23436055 

Sohar . . . . . . .26840022 . . . .26840099 

5 Boxing blow (8) 

6 Bird (10) 

7 Fears (7) 

8 Gratify (6) 

11 Abandoned (7) 

16 Pit (6) 

19 Speedy (5) 

20 Ruin (3) 

22 Squash (5) 

23 Sew (6) 

25 Gloomy (10) 

26 Rotter (3) 

27 Exact (7) 

30 Stand (8) 

31 Gossip (8) 

32 Stolen (8) 

33 Emit (7) 

35 Almost (6) 

36 Conventional (6) 

37 Flaccid (6) 

WEDNESDAY’S CRYPTIC 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 4, Albums 7, Atlantic 

(Charter) 8, Tear up 10, Amity 

13, S-old 14, None (nun) 15, 

Gere 16, Hew 17, Peat 19, Veer 

21, First team 23, Side 24, Long 

26, Ma-X 27, B-r-E-d. 29, E-den 

32, Sue-d 33, Draco 34, Remiss 

35, Terrible 36, Un-less. 

DOWN: 1, C-a-van 2, Slain 3, 

On-l-y 4, Actor (ham) 5, Bead 

6, MO-user 9, Eleven 11, Mob 

(rule) 12, Te-p-id 13, Settled 

15, Gas (sag) 16, Hem 18, Erebus 

20, E-ager 21, F-IX 22, Tod 

23, S-at-een 25, Sec 28, Rests 

30, Darby 31, No.-V-el 32, Sire, 

33, D-arn. 

WEDNESDAY’S EASY 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 4. Suture; 7. 

Emporium; 8. Access; 10. Alias; 

13. Flat; 14. Bold; 15. Dill; 16. 

Sea; 17. Mail; 19. Amid; 21. 

Direction; 23. Iota; 24. Host; 

26. Won; 27. Brew; 29. Omit; 

32. Plus; 33. Trade; 34. Killer; 

35. Apiarist; 36. Dental. 

DOWN: 1. Kebab; 2. April; 

3. Arms; 4. Small; 5. Tact; 6. 

Rushed; 9. Calais; 11. Lot; 12. 

Admit; 13. Filches; 15. Die; 16. 

Sin; 18. Arable; 20. Motor; 21. 

Don; 22. Tow; 23. Iodine; 25. 

Kid; 28. Rural; 30. Magic; 31. 

Tents; 32. Plot; 33. Thaw. 

YOUR STARS 

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: You will need to be extremely cautious in the coming year about some unusual 

transactions suggested to you, which are not in your usual sphere of activity. You must seek expert advice before 

investing any money without having a guarantee of tangible results. 

PISCES 

(February 20-March 20) 

Do not abuse the great 

influence you have over a 

very young person. Such youngsters 

need to be guided, not led, so don’t 

force him against his will. 

ARIES 

(March 21-April 20) 

Discuss a joint arrangement 

with your partner in detail, 

and thus avoid disputes later on. If there 

is no agreement now, wait awhile before 

mentioning it again. 

TAURUS 

(April 21-May 20) 

A plan for which you were 

unable to get the necessary 

support can be carried through successfully 

by you alone. You will feel proud 

of having had the courage of your convictions. 

GEMINI 

(May 21-June 21) 

Don’t get into a heated argument 

today over a trivial 

matter. Keep your temper and let the 

other person lose face by over-reacting 

on a matter of no importance. 

CANCER 

(June 22-July 21) 

A romantic association is 

reaching the point where 

you ought to make up your mind concerning 

the future. Have a frank talk 

and don’t keep the other person in suspense. 

LEO 

(July 22-August 21) 

You may rob a youngster of 

his pride of accomplishment 

if you supervise every step of his work. 

Give him the opportunity to show what 

he can do by himself. 

VIRGO 

(August 22-September 22) 

A newly formed friendship 

may encroach too much on 

your time in the next few days, but do 

not begrudge it if there is a chance of 

establishing a lasting bond. 

LIBRA 

(September 23- 

October 22) 

Make sure that your extreme 

politeness towards everybody is not assumed 

to be weakness on your part and 

taken advantage of in an unfair way. 

SCORPIO 

(October 23- 

November 21) 

Don’t exaggerate the importance 

of a casual remark made by a 

rather thoughtless person who has most 

likely forgotten all about it by now. 

SAGITTARIUS 

(November 22- 

December 21) 

Some members of the family 

may not always be aware of and appreciate 

your sacrices in putting their 

pleasure before your own. 

CAPRICORN 

(December 22- 

January 20) 

All your actions are prompted 

by your admirable character and everybody 

in contact with you is well aware 

of this rare quality of yours. 

AQUARIUS 

(January 21- 

February 19) 

By defending your principles 

against all corners you will build 

up a great feeling of strength and be 

able to carry through any future plans 

you have in mind 

OTHER HOSPITALS 

Al Buraimi . . . .25650855 . . . .25652319 

Sur . . . . . . . . .25440244 . . . .25461373 

Tanam. . . . . . .25499011 . . . .25499033 

Masirah. . . . . .25404018 . . . .25404018 

Ibra . . . . . . . . .25470533 . . . .25470535 

Adam . . . . . . .25434167 . . . .25434055 

Bidiya . . . . . . .25483535 . . . .25483535 

Ibri. . . . . . . . . .25491011 . . . .25491990 

Saham . . . . . .26854427 . . . .26855148 

Khasab . . . . . .26830187 . . . .26830187 

Dibba . . . . . . .26836443 . . . .26836443 

Burkha . . . . . .26828397 . . . .26828397 

Sinaw . . . . . . .25474338 

ACROSS 

1 Yielding (4) 

4 Tune (3) 

6 Bogus (4) 

9 Fighting (3) 

10 Erection (8) 

11 Border (4) 

14 Vehicle (3) 

16 Guide (5) 

19 Reiterated (8) 

21 Satan (5) 

23 Deated (8) 

24 Robust (5) 

27 Cover (3) 

31 Commotion (4) 

33 Proof (8) 

34 Mineral (3) 

35 Reared (4) 

36 Manage (3) 

37 Despatched (4) 

DOWN 

2 Responsibility (4) 

3 Lofty (4) 

4 Disturbed (8) 

FAISAL BIN ALI AL SAID MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24641650 

MUSEUM OF OMANI HERITAGE, 

Tel: 24600946 

CHILDREN’S SCIENCE MUSEUM. 

Tel: 24605368 

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24641374 

NATIONAL MUSEUM, Tel: 24701289 

SULTAN’S ARMED FORCES 

MUSEUM, Tel: 24312646 

CURRENCY MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24796102 

MUSCAT GATE MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24739005. 

OMANI-FRENCH MUSEUM (Bait 

Fransa), Tel: 24736613 

BAIT AL ZUBAIR, Tel: 24736688 

BAIT A’NAMAN, Tel: 24641300 

SOHAR FORT MUSEUM. 

Tel: 26844758 

NAHKAL FORT, Tel: 26781384 

BAIT AL MAKHAM. Tel: 24641300 

BAIT ADAM MUSEUM, QURUM, 

Tel: 24605033, 24605013 

OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION 

CENTRE AND PLANE-TARIUM, 

Tel: 24677834. 

PLANETARIUM, Tel: 24675542. 

AQUARIUM at the Marine Science 

and Fisheries Centre (located next to 

Marina Bandar Rowdha, Sidab). 

SALALAH MUSEUM, Tel: 23294549 

CULTURAL CENTRE, Tel: 23294549. 

SUR MARITIME MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24541466. 

BAIT AL BARANDA, Tel: 24714262. 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

5 Storm (4) 

6 Perspire (5) 

7 Owned (3) 

8 Disagree (5) 

12 Broom (5) 

13 Javelin (5) 

14 Rotter (3) 

15 Spree (5) 

M USEUMS IN OMAN 

17 Boredom (5) 

18 Noisy (5) 

20 Section (8) 

22 Youth (3) 

25 Performer (5) 

26 Challenged (5) 

28 Ale (4) 

29 Muddle (4) 

CARTOONS 

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 

EMERGENCY 9 9 9 9 

DG of Passports & Residency, 24569603 

DG of Customs, 24714626 

Traffic offences, 24510227/228 

ROP Public Relations, 24569270 

Consumer Complaints Cell, 24817013 

Muscat Governorate Headquarters, 24560021 

Muscat, 24736611 

Wattayah, 24677990 

Ruwi, 24701099 

Muttrah, 24712211 

Bausher, 24600099 

Al Amerat, 24875999 

Qurayat, 24845555 

A’Seeb, 24420099 

Al-Athaiba, 24521099 

AI-Khodh, 24425012 

Directorate of the University Security, 24513999 

Directorate of Traffic Muscat, 24567898 

Al Batinah Headquarters, 26840096 

Al Rustaq Division, 26875099 

Al Dakhiliyah, 25425099 

Nizwa Division, 25425099 

Samayil Division, 25350099 

Al Sharqiyah Headquarters, 25545070 

Ibra Division, 25570100 

Al Dhahirah Headquarters, 25650099 

Al Buraimi Division, 25650199 

Ibri Division, 25689099 

Al Wusta Headquarters, 23436099 

Haima Division, 23436211 

Special Task Force, 24560088 

Coastguard Headquarters, 24714888 

Dhofar Governorate Headquarters, 23234599 

Salalah Police Station, 23290099 

Thamrait Division, 23279099 

Musandam Governorate Headquarters, 

26730299 

Khasab Division, 26731502 

ROP websites: www.rop.gov.om, www.ropoman. 

net and 

e-mail: ropnet@omantel.net.om 

30 Scrutinise (4) 

32 Wrath (3) 

WEDNESDAY’S 

QUICK SOLUTION 

ACROSS: 1, Random 

5, Create 8, Commence 

9, Cube 10, Has 12, 

Waste 15, Sag 17, Tea 

18, Nip 19, Awe 20, 

Gross 21, Era 22, Ace 

23, Use 24, Dim 26, 

Rie 29, Due 33, Once 

34, Terminal 35, Crater 

36, Dither. 

DOWN: 2, Aroma 3, 

Damp 4, Mania 5, 

Cheat 6, Each 7, Tibia 

10, Hoard 11, Steam 

12, Wager 13, Scoff 

14, Ensue 15, Speed 

16, Grace 25, Inner 

27, Inter 28, Lurid 30, 

Usage 31, Feat 32, 

Gift. 

ADAM @ HOME by Brian Basset 

CALVIN AND HOBBES by Bill Watterson 

GARFIELD by Jim Davis 

STONE SOUP by Jan Eliot

PALM BEACH GARDENS, 

Florida — Davis Love matched 

the course record with a 64 

on Thursday to seize a twoshot 

first-round lead at the 

Honda Classic over a group 

led by Northern Ireland's Rory 

McIlroy. 

As 14-time Major champion 

Tiger Woods again found 

it tough to get putts to drop, 

Love avoided any putting 

problem completely at the 

197-yard fifth hole, where he 

made a hole-in-one. 

The 47-year-old US Ryder 

Cup captain capped his round 

with birdies at 17 and 18 as 

his six-under effort on the par- 

70 course put him in position 

to challenge for his first US 

PGA Tour title since Disney 

in 2008. 

He became the 10th player 

to shoot 64 at PGA National, 

the first since Graeme Mc- 

Dowell last year. 

"If I had not birdied the 

last two holes, it still would 

have been a good start," Love 

said. "It's fun to tie the course 

record. And it's fun to shoot 

low scores." 

McIlroy, 22, arrived in 

Florida with a chance to claim 

the world number one ranking 

with a victory. 

On Sunday he was runnerup 

at the elite World Golf 

Championships Match Play 

Championship in Arizona. 

McIlroy, the reigning US 

Open champion, teed off on 10 

and birdied 14, 17 and 18. 

He nabbed two more birdies 

coming in, at the par-four 

second and par-three seventh 

— where his six-iron landed 

12 feet from the pin. 

"It was pretty stress-free 

out there," McIlroy said. "I hit 

quite a few fairways and a lot 

of greens and gave myself a 

lot of chances, and that's sort 

of what you need to do around 

this golf course." 

McIlroy was joined on 

66 by England's Justin Rose, 

Ryan Palmer, Dicky Pride, 

17 SPORT 



Love leads, McIlroy lurks, Woods well back 

Jordan says 

Chinese suit 

to go ahead 

WASHINGTON — Retired 

NBA superstar Michael Jordan 

on Thursday welcomed 

the news that Chinese courts 

have agreed to hear his 

lawsuit against a Chinese 

sportswear and shoe maker 

over unauthorised use of his 

name. 

"I am very happy that the 

Chinese courts have accepted 

my case to protect the use of 

my name and the interests of 

Chinese consumers," Jordan 

said in a statement issued in 

both the US and China. 

"Qiaodan Sports has built 

a business off my Chinese 

name, the No 23, and even 

attempted to use the names 

of my children, without authorisation. 

"I think Chinese consumers 

deserve to be protected 

from being misled, and they 

should know exactly what 

they are buying." 

The lawsuit filed by Jordan 

in February charges that 

Qiaodan Sports Company 

deliberately misled Chinese 

consumers about ties to the 

six-time NBA champion. 

Jordan has been known 

in China by the name Qiaodan 

since he became a global 

basketball star in the 1980s, 

his playmaking skills being 

seen on Chinese television 

since the 1987 NBA All-Star 

Game, the first NBA telecast 

in China. 

"No one should lose control 

of their own name, and 

the acceptance of my case 

shows that China recognises 

that this is true for everyone," 

Jordan said. "After all, 

what's more personal than 

your name?" 

Jordan led the Chicago 

Bulls to six NBA titles in 

the 1990s and sparked the 

1992 Barcelona Olympic US 

"Dream Team" to gold. 

He led the NBA in scoring 

a record 10 times and his average 

of 30.1 points a game is 

the highest in NBA history. 

MELBOURNE — World 

and Olympic champion Asbel 

Kiprop plans to work on 

his speed after placing fifth at 

the Melbourne Track Classic 

in his first 1,500 metres of the 

year yesterday. 

The 22-year-old Kenyan 

led for the middle stretch of 

the race on a gusty evening at 

Lakeside stadium, but faded 

coming into the last lap to post 

a time of three minutes 42.52 

seconds, over four seconds shy 

of local winner Ryan Gregson. 

"I don't know exactly what 

happened. It was not my day 

today. This is sports," Kiprop, 

who won the 800 metres in 

Sydney last week, told reporters. 

RORY McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during first round play in the Honda Classic 

PGA golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Thursday. — Reuters 

ORLANDO — Kevin Durant 

led the league-leading Thunder 

to a seventh consecutive 

victory as Oklahoma City 

used an explosive fourthquarter 

charge to rally for a 

105-102 road victory over the 

Orlando Magic in the National 

Basketball Association (NBA) 

League on Thursday. 

Durant scored 18 of his 

game-high 38 points in the 

final quarter at the Amway 

Center to help the Thunder 

(29-7) overcome a 14-point 

deficit. 

"I was so down on myself, 

I was going downhill fast after 

the first quarter but my 

coaches and my team-mates 

continued to talk to me and 

encourage me," Durant told 

reporters. 

"They told me they believed 

in me. It just clicked for 

me. I always feel like I have to 

be aggressive in the fourth. I 

guess that is my time no matter 

how I am playing." 

The forward sank two free 

throws with four minutes remaining 

to give the Thunder 

their first lead since the opening 

quarter (90-89) and then 

added 10 more points to protect 

the advantage. 

The most damaging basket 

by Durant was a desperation 

heave as the shot clock expired 

to give the Thunder a 101-96 

Martin Flores, Kevin Stadler, 

Noh Seung-Yul of South Korea 

and Harris English. 

Reigning PGA champion 

Keegan Bradley headed a 

group of nine players on 67. 

lead with less than a minute to 

play. 

"That was a prayer," Durant 

said. "I threw that one up. God 

McIlroy's round included 

two tough par putts from 

within six feet in his first three 

holes. 

"That's been a huge improvement, 

especially inside 

six feet," McIlroy said. "The 

more you see the ball go in 

from there, the more confidence 

you get." 

Woods, playing at PGA 

National for the first time as a 

professional, would have liked 

to see more putts go in but settled 

for a one-over par 71 that 

included four bogeys and three 

birdies. 

He drained a 19-foot birdie 

putt at the first hole, but didn't 

make another putt from outside 

10 feet. A 14-foot birdie 

attempt at 18 brushed the left 

edge but didn't drop. 

Woods, seeking his first 

tour-level win in more than 

two years, played in more difficult 

afternoon conditions and 

said he was pleased with the 

way he hit the ball, even if he 

didn't score well. 

"I didn't get a whole lot out 

of my round," said Woods, 

who missed only three greens 

but needed 34 putts. 

"I hit the ball a lot better 

than I scored, and I certainly 

putted well, and I didn't hardly 

get anything out of the round. 

Hopefully, tomorrow it will be 

better." — AFP 

Durant helps Thunder rally past Orlando Magic 

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets 

narrowed the Florida Panthers' NHL 

Southeast Division lead with a comprehensive 

7-0 thrashing of their rivals 

at the MTS Center on Thursday. 

The Jets (31-27-8) scored five goals 

in the third period to add some gloss to 

the scoreline as well as snap a threegame 

winning streak for the Panthers 

(30-21-12). 

The win moves Winnipeg to within 

two points of Florida and into the 

eighth and final play-off berth in the 

Eastern Conference. 

"You could tell there was an extra 

little buzz around the city with everything 

on the line," Winnipeg's Blake 

Wheeler told reporters. "I think they 

want first place, they made that clear 

tonight, too and that was great. 

"Our team definitely had that feeling 

in our locker room and to go out 

there on the ice and get the same feeling 

from the fans was a huge lift for us 

was on my side on that one and 

I made a decent shot." 

The Thunder outscored the 

Magic 35-21 in the final quarter. 

"Our fourth-quarter defence 

was pathetic," Magic 

coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I 

give them credit for what they 

did, and they're hard to stop. 

But it shouldn't be every possession." 

The Magic (23-14) used a 

21-10 run to extend a 53-50 

halftime lead into a 14-point 

cushion in the third quarter, 

led by Dwight Howard, who 

finished the game with 33 

points and nine rebounds. 

Russell Westbrook added 

29 points for the Thunder and 

had 10 assists, while James 

Harden scored 13 points off 

the bench. 

In other games, Phoenix 

Suns beat Minnesota Timberwolves 

104-95, Los Angeles 

Clippers defeated Sacramento 

Kings 108-100 and Miami 

Heat bested Portland Trailblazers 

107-93. — Reuters 

Winnipeg Jets give Florida Panthers a pasting 

"I did 10 seconds slower 

than what I was expecting. It 

doesn't disappoint me at all. 

"Since November when we 

started the buildup, we concentrated 

only on long runs... 

So I'll go home now and go 

to prepare well to do speed 

work and to train hard," added 

Kiprop, who came second to 

Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi at the 

2008 Beijing Olympics but 

was awarded the gold after the 

Moroccan-born runner failed a 

dope test. 

The time was also over 12 

seconds short of his personal 

best set at Rieti last year, and 

marked his third consecutive 

disappointment in Melbourne 

over the distance, having lost 

MIAMI Heat’s Dwyane Wade (left) drives to the basket as Portland Trail Blazers’ Gerald 

Wallace defends during their NBA game in Portland on Thursday. Miami Heat won 107-93. 

WINNIPEG Jets’ Kyle Wellwood (right) celebrates a Jets goal on Florida 

Panthers goaltender Jose Theodore during their NHL game in Winnipeg. 

to Australia's Jeff Riseley in 

the previous two meetings. 

The night doubled as Olympic 

trials for local athletes 

but strong winds put paid to 

the small crowd's hopes of impressive 

times. 

World champion and local 

hero Sally Pearson won the 

100 metres in 11.83 seconds, 

using the race as preparation 

for her specialty 100 hurdles. 

"It's frustrating when I 

know I'm in good shape and I 

can't show my good shape because 

of the winds... That's the 

way it goes," said the 25-yearold, 

who has won 21 of her last 

22 races in the hurdles. 

"The conditions are supposed 

to be better tomorrow so 

we'll see." 

Australian triple jumper 

Henry Frayne battled fluky 

gusts to leap an Olympic qualifying 

distance of 17.23 metres 

on his last jump, three centimetres 

over the benchmark. 

His previous jump of 17.34 

and it helped us, especially early on." 

Evander Kane and Jim Slater scored 

goals two minutes apart early in the 

first period to set the Jets on course for 

a resounding home victory. 

The Panthers responded with a 

strong second period by out-shooting 

Winnipeg 17-8 but were unable to find 

a way past Ondrej Pavelec, who made 

33 saves for his fourth shutout of the 

season. 

Kane scored again in the third period 

and added two assists to complete a 

four-point game. Kyle Wellwood, Bryan 

Little, Nik Antropov and Wheeler 

also scored for the Jets. 

Results: Boston Bruins bt New Jersey Devils 

4-3, Montreal Canadiens bt Minnesota Wild 

5-4, Philadelphia Flyers bt NY Islanders 6-3, 

New York Rangers bt Carolina Hurricanes 3-2, 

Winnipeg Jets bt Florida Panther 7-0, Columbus 

Blue Jackets bt Colorado Avalanche 2-0, 

Calgary Glames bt Phoenix Coyotes 4-2, Vancouver 

Canucks bt St Louis Blues 2-0, Buffalo 

Sabres bt San Jose Sharks 1-0. — Reuters 

Kenya’s Kiprop misfires in year’s first 1,500m in Melbourne 

metres had not counted for 

qualification because of a 

tailwind over the legal speed 

of two metres per second and 

Frayne found himself rushing 

into his last chance as the wind 

picked up. 

"It was really gusting some 

rounds," the rangy 21-year-old 

said. "On that last one, it was 

still and I had to do my routine 

and it started to pick up a bit 

and I thought "'Oh God!' So I 

just went." 

Frayne will also compete in 

the long jump in the second and 

final day of the meeting today, 

as he bids to join Australian 

world silver medallist Mitchell 

Watt who has already qualified 

for London. — Reuters 

Chiefs use strong 

first half to blast 

Blues off park 

THE New South Wales players celebrate after defeating 

Melbourne Rebels 35-19 in a Super Rugby clash 

in Melbourne yesterday. 

HAMILTON — Scrum-half 

Tawera Kerr-Barlow was at 

his sniping best as he scored 

a try and constantly tested the 

defensive line as the Waikato 

Chiefs used a blistering first 

half to beat the Auckland 

Blues 29-14 in their Super 

Rugby clash here yesterday. 

Undaunted by driving 

rain, Kerr-Barlow was given 

an easy ride by his pack, who 

cleared out the breakdown 

and provided him with a superb 

attacking platform to unleash 

his back-line. 

The home side, who let 

the Otago Highlanders pinch 

a 23-19 victory last week, put 

the game beyond doubt in 

the first half when prop Sona 

Taumalolo, wingers Asaeli 

Tikoirotuma and Tim Nanai- 

Williams, and Kerr-Barlow 

all scored tries as the hosts 

blasted the Blues off the park. 

Fly-half Aaron Cruden 

was also deadly accurate with 

his boot, slotting three conversions 

and a penalty while 

his Blues opposite Michael 

Hobbs was successful with 

two penalties as the Chiefs 

went into the break with a 

29-6 lead. 

"It was one of those halves 

of footy where everything 

went right, everything seemed 

to stick and it was pretty expansive 

for a wet weather 

game," Chiefs captain Craig 

Clarke said. "We just had to 

stick to it in the second half." 

The Blues were more organised 

and held on to the 

ball in the second half but 

were stymied by a blistering 

defensive line from the Chiefs 

as they fell to their second 

straight defeat in a disappointing 

start to the season. 

Hobbs added a penalty for 

Auckland to reduce the deficit 

Open TT junior events 

after examinations 

MUSCAT — Children attending 

exams need not feel 

disheartened as they can also 

participate in the forthcoming 

Open table tennis tournament 

beginning on March 10. 

Indian Social Club Muscat, 

the organisers of the Villelroy 

& Boch and Hansgrohe Open 

table tennis tournament sponsored 

by Al-Amana Building 

Materials have announced 

that matches for the junior 

boys and girls’ u-13 and u-16 

events will be scheduled in 

such a way that their preparations 

for the examinations are 

not affected. 

The junior events will 

begin only after March 15 

and matches of those having 

exams after this date will be 

with 25 minutes remaining, 

but neither side was able to 

trouble the scoreboard again 

until Blues replacement Sherwin 

Stowers scored a consolation 

try with three minutes 

left. 

"The Chiefs played... well 

today and we played poorly in 

the first half and it just wasn't 

good enough," Blues captain 

Keven Mealamu said in a 

blunt television interview. 

"We have to go away and 

look at ourselves because 

we were just not... good 

enough." 

WARATAHS DOWN 

REBELS 

In Melbourne, the New 

South Wales Waratahs produced 

a controlled performance 

to secure a bonus point 

and overcome an error-prone 

Melbourne Rebels 35-19 in a 

niggly Super Rugby clash that 

resulted in several off the ball 

scuffles. 

The Waratahs dominated 

the first 55 minutes to establish 

a 23-point lead then seemed to 

lower their intensity, allowing 

the Rebels to gain some momentum 

that was halted once 

Daniel Halangahu kicked a 

70th minute penalty. 

"The first 50 minutes everything 

went to plan and we 

executed well but getting 

involved in that niggly stuff 

let them back in the game," 

Halangahu said. "It was really 

on out there and there was a 

lot of feeling... but I'm happy 

with the win." 

Inside-centre Tom Carter 

scored two tries and tight-head 

prop Sekope Kepu notched 

his first Super Rugby try for 

the Waratahs, while fly-half 

Halangahu added two conversions 

and full-back Bernard 

Foley slotted a penalty. 

scheduled in such a way that 

their exams will not be affected. 

The juniors should mention 

their examination dates 

on the entry form, said a press 

note from the ISC. 

The tournament, open to 

players of all nationalities, 

will include Omani men's 

singles, open men's singles, 

women's singles, veterans' 

singles, junior singles for 

boys and girls u-13 and u-16 

years of age, men's doubles 

and mixed doubles. The deadline 

for submission of entries 

is set for 8 pm on March 5. 

Entry forms are available 

at the Indian Social Club in 

Darsait. More information can 

be had from the ISC in Darsait 

(24797921/24701347). 

THE Jotun Paints Trophy was held at WNGC in ideal 

conditions of blue skies with a slight breeze. Taking 

advantage of these conditions Ali Said was victorious with 

37 points. Paul Sharples with an excellent back nine tried 

his best to catch Ali but had to settle for top place in the 

A division. In the B division a better back nine by Paddy 

Fitzgerald pipped Tam Sutherland on count-back. Ian 

Brown was nearest the pin on the 4th hole. Prizes were 

given by the Club captain, Kevin Fitzgerald.

MANCHESTER — Manchester 

United striker Wayne Rooney has recovered 

from a throat infection in time 

to spearhead the attack for the trip to 

Tottenham Hotspur that manager Alex 

Ferguson has branded their most important 

game of the season so far. 

The Premier League champions, 

who trail leaders Manchester City by 

two points, head to third-placed Spurs 

tomorrow thinking only of their own 

title challenge rather than the fact they 

can almost certainly destroy Tottenham's 

with a victory. 

Their bid to maintain an excellent 

record against the north London side, 

whose last victory over United was in 

May 2001, will be boosted by the return 

of top scorer Rooney who missed 

their last two games through illness. 

"We realise...how important it is on 

Sunday to maintain our challenge, we're 

not interested in anyone else's challenge, 

but to maintain our challenge we 

need to win on Sunday," Ferguson told 

a news conference. "It's the most important 

game for us so far now. 

"If you look at the rest of the season, 

you would certainly say it's building up 

to what could turn out to be the decider 

with City (at Eastlands in April) but 

this is our hardest away game (before 

that), no doubt. Hopefully we can navigate 

it." 

Defender Chris Smalling is doubtful 

after a clash of heads on England 

duty midweek, while midfielders Tom 

Cleverley and Antonio Valencia are 

ruled out with foot and hamstring injuries. 

"Rooney's fit, he's trained all week 

which is good news," Ferguson said. 

"Smalling — there's no concussion 

but it is quite a nasty cut, whether we 

can patch it up I'm not quite sure. It's 

something we'll need to tread carefully 

with. We'll see what he's like tomorrow." 

Striker Michael Owen, who has 

been out for more than three months 

with a thigh injury, has returned to 

training. 

"Hopefully the lad has a bit of luck, 

he's not had much at all," Ferguson 

said. "When he has an injury it's always 

a long-term one but hopefully 

he's back for the rest of the season 

which will help us." 

'STRANGE GAME' 

Ferguson singled out midfielder 

Michael Carrick's recent contributions 

as being key at an important part of the 

season and was hoping for more of the 

same from a player whose publicity- 

18 SPORT 



Rooney returns to lead Man United 

attack at Tottenham Hotspur 

MANCHESTER — Manchester 

City's strikers could be the 

trump card that ends the club's 

44-year wait for the English 

league title as their leading 

trio are in form at just the right 

time in the season, manager 

Roberto Mancini said yesterday. 

A goal each from Sergio 

Ageuro, Edin Dzeko and 

Mario Balotelli secured a 3-0 

win over Blackburn Rovers 

last weekend, with the Premier 

League leaders finding themselves 

in the ideal situation of 

having all their main forwards 

scoring with ease. 

With those three having 

scored 39 of the club's 67 

league goals this season, City 

are either going to find it hard 

to bring back last term's top 

scorer Carlos Tevez when he is 

match-fit or will be even more 

potent when the Argentine returns. 

Mancini said Tevez, who 

has been training to regain 

fitness after an unauthorised 

three-month absence from the 

club following a fall-out both 

parties want to put behind 

them, was still at least a couple 

of weeks away from first-team 

action. 

"We know that Carlos is a 

top striker but in this moment 

he needs to train," the Italian 

manager told a news conference. 

"It's important that in this 

moment all our strikers score 

goals, are in good form, this 

is very important because it 

is two months to the end (of 

the season) and it's impor- 

tant to have all the strikers 

ready." 

Apart from the fitness of 

Tevez and the reception the 

Argentine can except to receive 

from the fans who feel 

betrayed by their former captain, 

the only concern hanging 

over City's prolific strike-force 

is the volatile temperament of 

Balotelli. 

GOOD BEHAVIOUR 

The Italian was dropped by 

national coach Cesare Pran- 

delli for the midweek friendly 

with the US after serving a 

four-match domestic ban and 

told that unless he stopped getting 

into disciplinary trouble he 

could miss out on Euro 2012. 

Mancini backed Prandelli's 

stance over the striker, whose 

spells of brilliance have often 

been overshadowed by offfield 

antics or on-field rushes 

of blood to the head. 

"It's his (Prandelli's) decision. 

I think that could be 

shyness was "refreshing". 

"He always does better in the second 

half of the season," the Scot said. 

"I know he disagrees with me on 

this but I feel the second half of the 

season sees him at his best and he's doing 

that at the moment, he's doing very 

well so it's pleasing." 

United head to White Hart Lane to 

face a team still reeling from last weekend's 

5-2 thumping by bitter rivals Arsenal 

which came after Spurs had established 

a two-goal lead. 

The north London side are eight 

points behind United, who have 61 

points from 26 games, and 10 adrift 

of City, and defeat by Ferguson's men 

would probably leave them with too 

much ground to make up for a realistic 

title tilt. 

With Spurs on the rebound, 

Ferguson knows his side face a tough 

game and refused to read too much into 

the Arsenal defeat. 

"It was a strange game, I think 

derby games can be like that, you can't 

predict them too much," said Ferguson, 

whose side had a derby nightmare of 

their own earlier this season when they 

were hammered 6-1 by City at Old 

Trafford. 

"They are still in the FA Cup...so 

they've got a great season still on a 

promise really." — Reuters 

Mancini sees City forwards as key to title hopes 

LONDON — The Asian 

Football Confederation 

(AFC) has backed a Fifa 

investigation into Bahrain's 

10-0 World Cup qualifying 

win over Indonesia in 

midweek, although General 

Secretary Alex Soosay later 

said he was confident nothing 

would come of it. 

The mauling in Manama 

raised suspicion because 

Bahrain needed a huge turnaround 

to have any chance 

of reaching the fourth round 

of regional 2014 qualifiers. 

Bahrain had to beat Indonesia, 

hope Qatar lost to Iran 

and also make up a nine-goal 

difference on the 2022 World 

Cup hosts. 

Fifa's security department 

has launched a routine 

probe, which the AFC said 

yesterday it supported and 

would "co-operate closely 

with". 

Soosay later issued a sec- 

ond statement expressing his 

belief that the suspicions of 

foul play were groundless. 

"I have read the media 

reports about suspicions of 

match-fixing," he said. "But 

I am confident that none of 

our teams are involved in 

this. Bahrain were the better 

team both tactically and 

technically. 

"Moreover I have gone 

through the official reports 

of the AFC match commissioner 

and the match referee 

and they indicate nothing." 

Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein 

of Jordan — Asia vice-president 

on the Fifa Executive 

Committee — was keen to 

stress that while match-fixing 

should not be taken lightly, it 

was not just an issue for his 

region. 

"It has to be taken very 

seriously regardless of what 

region it is played in. It is a 

world issue, not just simply 

in the Asian region," he told 

reporters in London. 

"We need to put as much 

resources as we can into this 

aspect of football and support 

those who are dealing 

with it in Fifa. 

"The important thing is 

that if there are suspicions 

you have to investigate it. 

"It might just be a coincidence, 

however there might 

be something behind it. Regardless, 

it can happen in 

any country in the world." 

Bahrain's 10-goal rout 

almost sent them through 

but Qatar advanced after an 

86th-minute goal gave them 

a 2-2 draw and the point they 

needed in Tehran to clinch 

second place in Group 'E'. 

INDONESIA LOW 

Indonesia, already eliminated, 

fielded a inexperienced 

side of mostly uncapped 

under-23 players 

after they were blocked by 

the country's federation 

from selecting their regular 

squad because they mostly 

play in the breakaway Indonesian 

Super League. 

The size of defeat marked 

a new low for Indonesian 

soccer, already torn apart by 

internal strife and political 

wrangling. 

Indonesia finished bottom 

of Group 'E' with no 

points, conceding 26 goals 

and scoring just three, the 

worst record of the 20 teams 

in the third round of Asian 

qualifying. 

"We apologise to the 

people of Indonesia," Indonesian 

Football Association 

(PSSI) secretary-general Tri 

Goestoro said in a statement. 

"The PSSI tried to pick the 

best players and aimed for 

the best results for the last 

match. But Bahrain was 

clearly playing better and 

defeated us." 

correct because we know that 

Mario is a top player but he 

should improve his behaviour," 

Mancini said. 

"For the national team it 

is important because when 

you go to play the European 

(championship) and you play 

only three or four or five 

games, you should have good 

behaviour. But Mario is the 

best Italian striker, this is sure, 

100 per cent." 

City will fancy their chances 

of another free-scoring display 

today when they host one 

of the league's leakiest defences 

in second-from-bottom Bolton 

Wanderers, who have let in 

just over two goals a game on 

average this season. 

Victory would put City five 

points clear at the top for at 

least 24 hours as second-placed 

Manchester United do not play 

until tomorrow when they face 

a difficult trip to third-placed 

Tottenham Hotspur. 

City, aiming for a first English 

league title since 1968, 

have 63 points from 26 games, 

while champions United are 

on 61 and Spurs have 53. 

Asia backs Fifa probe into 10-0 Bahrain rout 

MADRID — Barcelona must live 

without the inspirational presence 

of Lionel Messi when they tackle 

Sporting Gijon today as the Argentine 

superstar serves his first La 

Liga suspension. Messi was booked 

in last weekend's 2-1 win at Atletico 

Madrid, his fifth yellow card of the 

campaign. 

His absence will be a huge blow 

to Barcelona, who trail Real Madrid 

by 10 points in the title race, as his 

value was shown in midweek when 

he smashed a wonderful hat-trick 

in Argentina's 3-1 friendly win in 

Switzerland. 

Real Madrid, who face Espanyol 

tomorrow, also have their own 

worries with the club facing more 

speculation over the future of coach 

Jose Mourinho. 

The colourful Portuguese was 

spotted in London in midweek, 

fuelling rumours of a return to the 

English Premier League next season. 

While some media reports say 

the trip was to purchase a property 

in the British capital, Spanish 

newspaper Marca claimed this is 

for Mourinho's own investment 

purposes and not a signal that he 

will be coaching in London next 

season. 

Espanyol will provide another 

stern test of Madrid's dominance in 

La Liga. 

Currently sitting eighth, just two 

points from a Champions League 

place, the Barcelona-based club 

have their own objectives. 

"I won there with Seville and I 

think we can do it again. It was a 

nice feeling, very intense and difficult 

but I think we can repeat that 

if we stick to our game," said midfielder 

Koffi Romaric. 

"We want the points for our own 

goals, not to do Barca a favour." 

Portuguese international Fabio 

Coentrao joined Madrid's injury list 

when he pulled up with a muscle 

problem in his country's friendly 

with Poland on Wednesday. 

He will be out for three weeks 

and joins Angel Di Maria and Karim 

Benzema, both also out for 

PSSI national team 

co-ordinator Bob Hippy criticised 

Lebanese referee Andre 

El Haddad for awarding 

Bahrain four penalties and 

sending off goalkeeper Samsidar 

in the second minute. 

"Before the game, I heard 

rumours saying Bahrain 

would win big and it happened," 

said Hippy. "How 

could the referee give so 

many penalties for Bahrain? 

He killed us." 

Sports Minister Andi 

Mallarangeng demanded 

the PSSI end the infighting, 

which almost resulted in a 

Fifa ban last year. 

"That is what we get if 

the officials keep fighting 

with each other," he said. 

"They should put national 

football's interests first. They 

need to end the bickering 

right away. We've become 

the victims of the league's 

dualism." — Reuters 

Arsene Wenger considers official 

complaint against Belgian FA 

LONDON — Arsenal manager 

Arsene Wenger is considering 

lodging a formal complaint 

with the Belgian FA, 

saying they "forced" defender 

Thomas Vermaelen to play in 

the friendly against Greece on 

Wednesday even though he 

was injured. 

The normally diplomatic 

and urbane Frenchman was 

uncharacteristically forthright 

when asked if the centre-half, 

who has come through a series 

of injuries, would be fit for today's 

Premier League match at 

Liverpool. 

Wenger said the defender 

was doubtful and added: "It 

looks like Belgium has made 

a decision which I still do not 

understand and we will look 

to see if we can put a complaint 

in." 

Speaking to reporters at the 

club's training ground, he continued: 

"Firstly they forced 

the player to travel, then they 

forced him to play 90 minutes 

after being injured and had a 

centre-back on the bench who 

similar periods with muscular 

injuries. 

Although Madrid can welcome 

back Turkish stars Nuri Sahin and 

Hamit Altintop into their ranks they 

will have to do without the services 

of central defender Pepe who is suspended. 

Barca's opponents Sporting Gijon 

are six points from safety in 

La Liga's penultimate position but 

have turned a corner since ex-Spain 

manager Javier Clemente has taken 

over. 

Two draws in two games under 

the new coach have halted a sequence 

of one win in seven for the 

north coast club. 

With only 14 games to go Barca 

Blatter ‘would die’ rather than 

see another Cup blunder 

BAGSHOT, England — 

Fifa President Sepp Blatter 

has said he "would die" if 

he saw another World Cup 

blunder such as Frank 

Lampard's disallowed goal 

for England against Germany 

in South Africa in 

2010. 

Blatter, in England for 

this weekend's meeting of 

the game's law-making 

body — the International 

Football Association Board, 

told reporters it was now 

time to "move forward" 

and embrace the goal-line 

technology he was once so 

opposed to. 

IFAB, which comprises 

four Fifa representatives 

and the four British nations, 

will consider a report 

on the latest tests of goalline 

technology with a final 

decision expected to be 

taken after the European 

Championship final in Kiev 

on July 2. 

Blatter has said he wants 

technology in place by the 

2014 World Cup in Brazil 

although UEFA President 

Michel Platini and Franz 

Beckenbauer, head of Fifa's 

Football Taskforce 2014, 

are both opposed to it. 

Speaking as he arrived, 

Blatter said: "We don't 

want a repeat of the last 

World Cup. 

"I think I can convince 

the IFAB board that we 

must go forward with technology, 

we cannot afford to 

just wait and see what happens. 

"Platini doesn't want it 

but I wouldn't be again in a 

World Cup and witness another 

situation like that — I 

would die." 

Among the other issues 

on this weekend's 

agenda are the possibility 

of a fourth substitute during 

extra time and whether 

IFAB will overturn its ban 

on Muslim women players 

wearing headscarves. 

The hijab was banned 

on safety grounds in 2007 

but Prince Ali of Jordan, 

Asia's vice-president on 

the Fifa executive committee, 

will present IFAB with 

a specially-designed Dutch 

headscarf that has velcro 

fastenings and opens immediately 

if pulled. 

did not play at all, in a friendly 

game knowing they do 

not even go to the European 

Championship. 

"For me, that is difficult to 

understand." 

Wenger also said Robin 

van Persie was a doubt for today's 

game after he played for 

the opening 45 minutes for the 

Netherlands against England 

at Wembley on Wednesday. 

Van Persie has been in 

outstanding form for Arsenal, 

scoring 29 times this season, 

but nursed a groin injury 

throughout the week. 

"The friendlies are becoming 

more and more difficult to 

accept for everybody," Wenger 

said. 

"I was always in favour of 

using the players for official 

games and I never asked any 

player not to go 100 per cent 

for his country when it is a 

qualifier or a big competition, 

but the friendlies are becoming 

more and more difficult, 

especially in this period." 

Arsenal, like most of the 

Giggs loses damages 

claim against The Sun 

LONDON — A damages 

claim lodged by Manchester 

United midfielder Ryan 

Giggs against The Sun newspaper 

was dismissed by a 

High Court judge in London 

yesterday. Giggs claimed the 

Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid 

"misused" private information 

and argued that he was 

entitled to claim damages for 

distress and breach of a right 

to privacy enshrined in human 

rights legislation. 

But lawyers for The Sun 

argued that Giggs' claim — 

made after the newspaper 

published an article about a 

relationship with reality television 

star Imogen Thomas 

— was "dead in the water". 

Hugh Tomlinson, acting 

for Giggs, argued at a hearing 

last month that The Sun 

misused private information 

in the article, in which the 

Wales international was not 

identified. 

The lawyer said Giggs was 

claiming damages for the republication 

of information in 

other newspapers and on the 

Internet which had generated 

"a large media storm", and his 

claim should go to trial. 

Tomlinson said the point of 

the claim was to "provide effective 

protection" for Giggs' 

right to privacy as enshrined 

in the European Convention 

on Human Rights. 

But Richard Spearman, 

a lawyer for The Sun's publisher 

News Group Newspapers, 

said the article reported 

Thomas' relationship with a 

Premier League player and 

did not identify Giggs. 

The paper had therefore behaved 

"properly" and was not 

to blame for what happened 

after the article appeared. 

can't afford to drop any more points 

in their pursuit of Madrid, with a 

home fixture to come against the 

leaders in late April. 

One player who will be looking 

for a good performance against 

Sporting is Pedro Rodriguez, who 

was left out of Spain's squad for 

the 5-0 victory over Venezuela in 

midweek. 

"All players want to go to Euro 

2012, I hope I can too but it is going 

to be difficult, they played great the 

other day but we'll see what happens," 

he said. 

"To win the league is tough because 

10 points is a big gap, but we 

are not going to give up." 

One player who could be going 

IFAB will also review 

the so-called "triple sanction" 

rule which Fifa now 

believes is unfair in punishing 

an offending player too 

harshly if he denies an opponent 

a goal-scoring opportunity. 

At the moment he faces 

conceding a penalty, receiving 

a red card and then a 

suspension. 

Fifa is proposing that a 

red card should only be automatic 

outside the penalty 

area and that if a spot-kick 

is awarded then the referee 

should only dismiss the offending 

player for "denying 

an opponent an obvious 

goal-scoring opportunity by 

holding or an offence committed 

from behind inside 

his own penalty area when 

he has no opportunity to 

play the ball". 

The International 

Board, formed in 1886, 

predates the foundation 

of Fifa by 18 years and is 

the game's ultimate lawmaking 

authority. Any law 

or rule changes need a 75 

per cent majority to be accepted. 

— Reuters 

leading European clubs, have 

a tough schedule between now 

and the end of season in May 

and Wenger said the calendar 

makes it "impossible" to get 

the best out of players for both 

club and country. 

"For us it is vital we do not 

lose the players now. If you 

go into a period like that with 

players already touched (by 

injury) you have more chances 

to lose the players," he said. 

"The Holland manager 

(Bert van Marwijk) hasn't spoken 

to me, but he knew Robin 

was injured because he said 

despite his groin problem, he 

will play him, it is the same 

with the Belgium manager 

(Georges Leekens). 

"We are the only team in 

the world who had that schedule 

so it is very difficult to understand 

that our players had 

to go injured to Greece and 

play 90 minutes for Belgium. 

That's frankly not defendable. 

It is disrespectful to the players 

as well as me." — Reuters 

FA will wait 

to appoint 

next England 

manager 

LONDON — The FA will 

put off naming a permanent 

England manager until close 

to the end of the season, general 

secretary Alex Horne 

told reporters yesterday. 

He said the FA had drawn 

up a shortlist of candidates 

to fill the role which opened 

up when Fabio Capello resigned 

last month, but would 

not make an imminent appointment 

to avoid disrupting 

the clubs' campaigns. 

"We've got a list. It's a 

back-end-of-the-season decision 

for us," Alex Horne 

said. 

"We recognise that a lot 

of the managers on the list 

are employed and we don't 

want to interrupt anyone's 

season.” — Reuters 

Superstar Messi ban a huge blow to Barcelona as they tackle Sporting Gijon 

to Euro 2012 is Valencia forward 

Roberto Soldado who grabbed a 

hat-trick in Spain's victory on his 

return for 'La Roja'. 

His side sit third and visit Granada 

tomorrow while the battle behind 

them for fourth position and a 

Champions League berth is hotting 

up. 

Seven clubs are separated by 

three points with fourth placed Levante 

entertaining Betis on Monday 

and Athletic Bilbao, currently fifth, 

facing a Basque derby against Real 

Sociedad tomorrow. 

Sevilla and Atletico Madrid are 

both three points behind Levante 

and meet today in a showdown neither 

team can afford to lose. — AFP

BARCELONA — Lotus driver Romain 

Grosjean set the fastest time in Formula 

One testing for the second successive 

day yesterday, clocking a best lap of one 

minute and 22.614 seconds. 

Grosjean's French compatriot Jean- 

Eric Vergne, who had topped the time 

charts with 1min 23.614 in the Toro Rosso 

in the morning session, finished the 

day as second overall fatest. 

World champion Sebastian Vettel, in 

the Red Bull, was third, ahead of Ferrari's 

Fernando Alonso. 

Testing continues until Sunday ahead 

of the first race of the 2012 Formula One 

season in Melbourne, Australia, on March 

18. 

Another former world champion 

Lewis Hamilton was down in ninth 

19 SPORT 



Murray downs Djokovic, awaits Federer in final 

Dubai — Record-setting Roger 

Federer stormed back from 0-5 

down in the second-set tie-breaker 

to overhaul Juan Del Potro 7-6 

(7-5), 7-6 (8-6) and book a place in 

his seventh final at the Dubai Open 

yesterday. 

The Swiss who has won the 

event four times will face off for 

the 72nd trophy of his career in 

his 102nd ATP final when he plays 

Andy Murray after the Scot stunned 

world No 1 Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7 

to give the Serb his first defeat of 

2012. 

Federer, who trails Murray 6-8 

in their head-to-head, did not face 

his rival in 2011, winning their last 

match in November, 2010 at the 

Tour finals. 

"This is a nice opportunity to try 

and win another title ," said Federer, 

who claimed his last Dubai honour 

in 2007. "I'm looking forward to the 

match, it should be a great matchup." 

The Swiss ace calmly recovered 

after trailing Argentine Del Potro 

5-0 in the tiebreaker after winning 

the opening set in nearly an hour 

through a decider. 

Federer, champion last month 

over Del Potro in the Rotterdam 

final and at the Australian Open, 

worked his stylish game to perfection 

as he levelled form 2-6 to 

six-all the breaker before Del Potro 

T20 league expected 

in US next year 

NEW YORK — A professional 

Twenty20 cricket 

league is scheduled to start 

in the United States next 

year, the chief executive of 

Cricket Holdings America 

LLC (CHALLC) Keith Wyness 


Wyness, a former chief 

executive of English Premier 

League Everton and 

Scottish Premier League 

Aberdeen, is responsible for 

a business plan including the 

sale of Twenty20 franchises 

for a professional league. 

CHALLC is a joint venture 

between New Zealand 

Cricket and the United 

States of America Cricket 

Association for the develop- 

ment of cricket within the 

United States. 

"At present we are 

looking at a target date of 

starting games in the summer 

of 2013," Wyness said 

in a statement released by 

CHALLC. "We will certainly 

have lead-up events 

through 2012. 

"Without a doubt Twenty20 

is the format that is going 

to achieve most visibility 

and penetration in the USA 

— that is what we expect to 

happen. 

"However, we will also 

be supporting other forms 

of the game if there is a need 

and desire as we move forward." 

— Reuters 

Casey to make comeback 

in Miami next week 

LONDON — Former world 

No 3 Paul Casey will make 

his comeback at the WGC- 

Cadillac Championship in 

Miami next week after a 

snowboarding accident late 

last year forced him to miss 

the start of the season. 

The 11-time European 

Tour winner had a mediocre 

2011 season due mainly to 

a foot injury and he is itching 

to get back to competitive 

golf. 

"I'm now looking forward 

to getting out there and playing 

again because I've really 

missed it," the 34-year-old 

Briton told the tour's website 

ROGER Federer of Switzerland hits a return to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina during their semifinal match at the Dubai Open yesterday. PICTURE RIGHT: Andy 

Murray of Britain hits a return to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their semifinal. — Reuters 

(www.europeantour.com) 

yesterday. 

"I had to build up a bit 

more stamina and a bit more 

endurance which is why I had 

to miss the WGC-Accenture 

Match Play last week," added 

Casey. 

"But the good thing is I'm 

not missing any of the majors 

and I'll be going into the US 

Masters fresher than I've ever 

been before," he said, referring 

to next month's Augusta 

tournament. 

Casey, now ranked 25th in 

the world, is still chasing the 

first major victory of his career. 

— Reuters 

netted backhand to yield a match 

point. 

That was all it took for Federer 

to drive home the victory in a shade 

under two hours. 

19 Omanis to vie for honours 

at Abu Dhabi triathlon meet 

ABU DHABI — Inspirational 

Omani athletes will today 

conquer the streets and waters 

of Abu Dhabi for the GCC’s 

biggest mass participation endurance 

event as the $250,000 

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon 

gets underway on one of 

the sport’s most picturesque 

courses. 

Oman has 19 athletes competing 

in today’s Abu Dhabi 

Tourism and Culture Authority-organised 

event, which 

boasts a record breaking 1,855 

triathletes from 62 countries 

including more than 50 of the 

sport’s top elite athletes, the 

strongest line-up in the event’s 

three-year history. 

The prestigious event, 

which sees a 27 per cent participant 

increase from the 

GCC from the 2011 event, 

starts in the beautiful turquoise 

waters of the Abu Dhabi Corniche, 

biking up to the famous 

Yas Marina Circuit, home to 

the Etihad Airways Formula 

1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and 

then ending with a run back 

on the sweeping shores of the 

Corniche. 

“I’m thrilled to be in Abu 

Dhabi racing alongside some 

of the world’s best triathletes 

in a beautiful environment and 

OMANI CHALLENGE: Sulaiman al Alawi 

and Sulaiyam al Alawi 

climate,” said Omani triathlete 

Suleiman al Alawi. 

“The gruelling event is 

one of the highlights on the 

international triathlon calendar 

and I’m hoping to perform 

strongly as one of the Omani 

competitors!” 

Abu Dhabi’s 223km ‘long 

course’ boasts a 3km swim, a 

200km cycle and 20km closing 

run is the same distances 

as the world class elite while 

newcomers can choose to 

"I played well but I knew I 

would have to against Juan Martin," 

said Federer, winner of four of 

the last six ATP events he has 

played. 

in his McLaren, but was adamant that 

the team had collected crucial information. 

"Today was all about testing set-up. 

It was a good day: we learned quite a lot 

and improved a few things. We didn't get 

a lot of mileage, as we had a lot of downtime 

in between changes," said Hamilton. 

"Our car feels better set-up wise, we 

still haven't added the new aero package, 

so I think we'll get a better picture of what 

the car will be like in Australia over the 

next two days. But I definitely feel like 

we have a competitive car. 

"This year's winter testing has 

been way better than last year. I've not 

had any problems, we've ironed out a lot 

of issues and I feel very comfortable. I'm 

LONDON — Olympic organisers 

will meet betting industry 

representatives this month 

to finalise measures to prevent 

illegal gambling at London 

2012, with plans for a drop-in 

zone to offer advice to athletes 

in the Olympic Village during 

the Games. 

International Olympic 

Committee (IOC) president 

Jacques Rogge said last year 

that illegal betting is as big a 

threat to the integrity of sports 

as doping. 

British company Betfair, 

which operates the world's 

largest betting exchange, has 

agreed to share information 

with the IOC on potentially 

suspect gambling at this year's 

Olympics. 

London organisers will 

meet representatives of the 

IOC, Sports Minister Hugh 

Robertson, the Gambling 

Commission and betting companies 

on March 20, a Betfair 

executive told reporters yesterday. 

"The idea is to make sure 

that we all know who we are, 

the system of contact during 

the Olympics and what will 

happen if there are any issues. 

Ninety per cent of the ground 

work is already there," Betfair's 

public affairs manager 

Susannah Gill said in an interview. 

Among the measures being 

considered by the IOC's 

head of ethics Paquerette Zappelli 

is setting up an area in a 

prominent location within the 

Olympic Village where athletes 

get advice on gambling 

regulations. 

"It will be a kind of education 

zone, a place where they 

can go and get information," 

said Gill. 

Betting is prohibited for 

athletes taking part in the 

Games under a code of ethics 

running for a month from the 

opening of the Olympic Village 

on July 16. 

The ban applies to other 

delegation members including 

coaches, team officials and 

referees. 

Gill said she believed the 

world of sport was beginning 

to address the issue of illegal 

betting having previously 

been slow to realise the severity 

of the threat it poses. 

"I think with doping, sports 

have got their heads around 

that and are dealing with the 

issue. I think betting is some- 

"There was not much between 

us in this match. 

"It was very close, I got some 

of the luck and came through." Del 

Porto, who missed 2010 with wrist 

Grosjean fastest in Barcelona 

LOTUS Formula One driver Romain Grosjean of Switzerland takes a curve during a training session at 

Circuit de Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, yesterday. — Reuters 

tackle the ‘short’ course at 

half the length, with a 1.5km 

swim, a 100km cycle and a 

10km run. 

The sprint course offers 

a 750m swim, a 50km bike 

and 5km run. Both the short 

and sprint distance also offer 

the option of a relay entry, 

encouraging like-minded 

friends, families and colleagues 

to take up the Abu 

Dhabi International Triathlon 

challenge. 

fit and ready for Melbourne." 

Times: 1 Romain Grosjean (FRA/ 

Lotus-Renault) 1:22.614 (124 laps), 2 

Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA/Toro Rosso- 

Ferrari) 1:23.126 (45), 3 Sebastian Vettel 

(GER/Red Bull-Renault) 1:23.361 (85), 4 

Fernando Alonso (ESP/Ferrari) 1:23.447 

(125), 5 Heikko Kovalainen (FIN/Caterham-Renault) 

1:23.828 (104), 6 Kamui 

Kobayashi (JPN/Sauber-Ferrari) 1:23.836 

(77), 7 Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Force India-Mercedes) 

1:23.893 (36), 8 Michael 

Schumacher (GER/Mercedes-AMG) 

1:23.978 (79), 9 Lewis Hamilton (GBR/ 

McLaren-Mercedes) 1:24.111 (65), 10 

Bruno Senna (BRA/Williams-Renault) 

1:24.925 (48), 11 Pastor Maldonado 

(VEN/Williams-Renault) 1:25.801 (20). 

Organisers step up efforts 

to stop illegal gambling 

thing which has cropped up 

which they hadn't given as 

much thought to, particularly 

the world of online gambling 

which is fair enough as the 

industry is only a decade old," 

Gill said. 

Betfair, which has eight 

analysts monitoring betting 

patterns on its exchange, has 

struck similar agreements to 

share information with soccer's 

governing body Fifa, the 

International Cricket Council 

and the English Football Association. 

The threat posed by sports 

betting corruption came to the 

fore last year when three Pakistani 

cricketers were jailed 

after being found guilty of 

taking bribes to fix parts of a 

Test match against England in 

London in 2010. 

Despite the efforts of the 

gaming industry to combat 

fixing, everyone involved in 

sport recognises that the main 

threat lies in unregulated betting 

in Asia. 

"The unregulated market, 

the blackness of it to everyone 

is the issue. Regulation and 

transparency is the key," Gill 

said. — Reuters 

surgery, was pleased with his week. 

"In the end, he played better in the 

important moments. I was close, really 

close. 

"I missed easy balls, and you 

LONDON — Team principal 

Frank Williams signalled 

the end of an era yesterday 

with his decision to 

follow co-founder Patrick 

Head and step down from 

the board of the former 

Formula One world champions. 

Williams and Head, who 

left the board at the end 

of December after selling 

more than half of his shares, 

founded the team in 1977 

and went on to oversee 113 

grand prix wins, nine constructors' 

titles and seven 

drivers' crowns. 

"I turn 70 in April and 

I have decided to signal the 

next stage in the gradual 

but inevitable process of 

handing over the reins to 

the next generation by stepping 

down from the board 

at the end of this month," 

Williams said in a statement. 

"This is not as dramatic 

a move as it may appear," 

he cautioned, however. "I 

shall continue to work fulltime 

as team principal and 

I shall continue to attend 

all board meetings as observer." 

Williams, whose daughter 

Claire will join the 

board on April 1 as newlyappointed 

director of marketing 

and communications, 

will also remain as 

the majority shareholder in 

Williams Grand Prix Holdings 

PLC. 

"It is no secret that 

Claire is my daughter but 

I am proud to say that she 

has fought hard to earn this 

LONDON — London Olympic 

organisers are asking 

gardeners to give British 

athletes some flower 

power this summer by 

planting flowers and vegetables 

in the national colours. 

Britons are proud gardeners, 

with annual flower 

shows attracting large 

numbers of entrants and 

fierce competition. 

Green-fingered residents 

are now being 

encouraged to grow red, 

white and blue flower 

beds to showcase Britain 

during this year's Games 

which begin on July 27. 

They are also being advised 

on how to plant the 

colours of the Olympic 

rings. 

LOCOG, the Games' 

organisers, has suggested 

a combination of colours 

and shapes, including 

pink dahlias, blue geraniums, 

yellow snapdragons, 

purple petunias and green 

carex. 

Residents are also being 

asked to plant golden 

marigolds in their window 

boxes and hanging baskets 

along the 12,800 kms 

can't miss those against Federer or 

the top guys. I made a good tournament, 

and I'm glad with my level at 

this moment." 

Murray charged through the 

opening set against Djokovic in 

half an hour, winning seven straight 

games at one point. 

Djokovic came to the court an 

undefeated 10-0 on the season after 

claiming the Australian Open 

for a second straight year and going 

through three Dubai matches in 

straight sets. 

Djokovic had won the last three 

editions in the emirate. 

"It's been a very successful tournament," 

said the Serb. "I still feel 

that this week, playing semi-finals 

is a good result, under the circumstances. 

"I lost to somebody that's a top 

player, top quality player. I move 

on. I take the best out of it and hope 

to play better next week." 

Murray gets his dream final as 

he faces Federer. 

"I like to play against the top, 

top guys, I like playing against 

Roger because it's a good opportunity 

for me. I haven't played him for 

a year." — dpa 

Frank Williams to leave 

board of F1 team 

appointment and of all the 

battles she has had to fight, 

the prejudices of her father 

were not the least challenging," 

said Williams. 

The British-based company 

has been listed since 

an initial public share offer 

in Frankfurt last March. 

The team, who will be 

using Renault engines this 

season, last won a race in 

2004. Their current drivers 

are Venezuelan Pastor 

Maldonado and Brazilian 

Bruno Senna, nephew of 

the late triple champion 

Ayrton who died in a Williams 

in 1994. 

The team suffered their 

worst season last year, finishing 

ninth overall with 

just five points. 

Williams has already 

established a clear line of 

succession at the company, 

with chairman Adam Parr 

taking over much of the 

day-to-day running of the 

business. 

"If for whatever reason 

I couldn't come in to do 

my job, Adam would fill 

the gap," Williams, who 

has been a tetraplegic since 

1986 after fracturing his 

spine in a car accident, told 

this month's edition of F1 

Racing magazine. 

"He's not a racer but, in 

a way, that's probably an 

advantage in these distinctly 

commercial days. He's 

very good at making financial 

decisions and working 

out cost-to-benefit. And he 

can hold his own in the Formula 

One meetings." 

— Reuters 

Ready, steady, grow 

for London 2012 

route of the Olympic torch 

relay. 

LOCOG Chairman Seb 

Coe said it was a chance 

for a 'nation of gardeners' 

to show their skills. 

"(We) are using 

London 2012 as an opportunity 

to get friends, 

family and neighbours 

together to brighten up 

their area and build on 

our proud gardening heritage," 

he said in a statement. 

However, all is not coming 

up smelling of roses. 

Some residents in a village 

along the road cycle 

race in Surrey, southern 

England, objected to LO- 

COG's advice. 

The chairman of Mickleham 

parish council, Richard 

Roberts-Miller, was 

reported in the media late 

last year as saying he was 

unimpressed with the "order 

from on high" on how 

he should be doing his garden. 

"Some people might 

wonder whether this 

should be high up the 

council's agenda," he was 

quoted as saying. 

— Reuters

Love leads, 

McIlroy lurks, 

Woods well back 

Page 17 

Australia lose, India out 

MELBOURNE — Sri Lanka held their 

nerve to end India's late bid for a tri-series 

finals spot with a gripping nine-run win 

over hosts Australia at the Melbourne 

Cricket Ground yesterday. 

The Sri Lankans dismissed David Hussey 

with five balls to spare, clinching their 

place in the best-of-three match finals 

against the Australians, which starts in 

Brisbane tomorrow. 

World Cup champions India, who narrowly 

failed to leap-frog Sri Lanka into 

the finals after a sensational run-chase in 

Hobart last Tuesday, will return home this 

weekend after a dismal tour of Australia. 

Sri Lanka triumphed in a thrilling game 

which saw medium pacer Dan Christian 

take a hat-trick for Australia, before the 

visitors — defending a low total — bowled 

out the Australians with five balls to go. 

Hussey hit a run-a-ball 74 and finished 

the group stage of the tournament as the 

top run-scorer with 412 at an average of 

82.40. Lasith Malinga finished with four 

for 49 as skipper Mahela Jayawardene 

WELLINGTON — Troubled 

New Zealand cricket star 

Jesse Ryder was dropped yesterday 

from the squad for the 

first Test against South Africa 

but selectors said the move 

was due to form, and not his 

latest drinking bout. 

The 13-man squad includes 

Rob Nicol and Andrew 

Ellis, yet to make their Test 

debuts, and marks the return 

of captain Ross Taylor who 

has been sidelined for nearly 

six weeks by injury. 

The Test starts in Dunedin 

next Wednesday. 

Ryder's exclusion was announced 

a few hours after 

he and pace bowler Doug 

Bracewell were dropped from 

today's third and final one-day 

international against South 

Africa following a drinkfuelled 

bar incident. 

Team manager Mike Sandle 

said the pair broke team 

protocols by going out drinking 

and had "verbally reacted 

to taunts from the public" 

about New Zealand's sixwicket 

defeat in the second 

ODI in Napier. 

Bar patron Brendon Ark- 

chopped and changed his eight bowlers 

to defend Sri Lanka's below-par total. It 

was Sri Lanka's third consecutive victory 

over Australia in the series, making them 

favourites for the finals. 

Although requiring just 4.7 runs an 

over after dismissing Sri Lanka for an low 

total, the Australians, led by Shane Watson 

in the absence of rested skipper Michael 

Clarke, struggled under pressure. 

Watson scored 65 off 83 balls and Mike 

Hussey 29 off 56, but it was David Hussey, 

who almost got Australia home with 

his skilful farming of the strike with the 

tailenders. 

All-rounder Christian captured a hattrick 

as Australia dismissed Sri Lanka for 

238 off the last ball in their innings after 

Jayawardene had won the toss. Sri Lanka 

lost momentum when Christian struck in 

the 44th over, removing Thisara Perera (5), 

Sachithra Senanayake (0) and Kulasekara 

(0) with consecutive deliveries. 

Perera fell to a spectacular juggling 

catch by Mike Hussey on the boundary 

SRI Lanka’s Nuwan Kulasekara (second right) celebrates with team-mates after 

claiming the final Australian wicket in their tri-series match at the MCG yesterday. 

NZ drop troubled 

Ryder for Test 

ABU DHABI — One year on from 

scoring the fastest hundred ever in the 

Cricket World Cup, Ireland batsman 

Kevin O'Brien has yet to watch the 

innings in its entirety. 

On March 2 last year, O'Brien 

hit England's bowlers for 113 from 

63 deliveries in Bangalore, reaching 

three figures in 50 balls to eclipse 

the previous record set by Australia's 

Matthew Hayden against South Africa 

four years earlier in St Kitts. 

O'Brien's effort propelled his 

country to a famous victory but, 12 

months on, the DVD of that innings 

is still gathering dust at home. 

The 27-year-old all-rounder 

marked the anniversary by doing two 

training sessions in Port Elizabeth, 

South Africa, as he and his Ireland 

team-mates prepared for the ICC 

World Twenty20 qualifiers taking 

place this month in the United Arab 

Emirates. 

"I still haven't seen the innings as 

a whole, although I've seen highlights 

here and there," he said by telephone. 

"I'm not really one for sitting down 

and watching a full match again. It's 

great to have in the DVD collection 

but I won't be pulling it out every 

couple of months to watch it. 

wright told the Rotorua Daily 

Post he had asked Ryder why 

he was 'drinking like you've 

won the game when you didn't 

score any runs. He and one of 

his mates has taken offence to 

that and gone off on me'. 

Ryder, 27, has a Test batting 

average of 40.93 and an 

ODI average of 34.37 but his 

career has been marred by incidents 

involving alcohol. 

Officially Ryder will miss 

the next ODI as punishment 

and the first Test because of 

form, but New Zealand coach 

John Wright told reporters 

standards had to be upheld. 

"He's a talented cricketer 

and it's up to him and certainly 

everyone has the opportunity 

to play if they perform and 

are fit and abide by some of 

the rules that go with being in 

the team," he said. "There are 

certain standards that have to 

be adhered to and there have 

to be consequences." 

Team: Ross Taylor (captain), 

Brent Arnel, Trent Boult, Doug 

Bracewell, Andrew Ellis, Martin 

Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon Mc- 

Cullum, Rob Nicol, Tim Southee, 

Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane 

Williamson. — AFP 

"Maybe a couple of years down 

the line when I've hung up the boots, 

then I can sit down with a few drinks 

watch it in my house," he said. 

Not that O'Brien needs to watch 

the recording to recall his blazing 

hitting, which included 13 fours and 

six sixes as Ireland stunned Andrew 

Strauss's side by chasing down an apparently 

imposing 327 for eight after, 

at one stage, standing at 111 for five 

in the 25th over in reply. 

"I still remember every run scored; 

it's hard to forget it and it's pretty 

alive in my memory," he said. "I can 

still look back and see the ball being 

bowled and the shots I was playing. 

"It's a bit surreal and sometimes I 

do have to pinch myself. It was one of 

those freak innings where everything 

happened (in my favour) on the day. 

BEST YEAR 

"It's great to have from a personal 

point of view, to be sitting at the top 

of the list (of fastest individual World 

Cup hundreds) and it's great to look 

back on it as it always puts a smile 

on my face. 

"Time has gone fast for me 

personally and for the team and it's 

hard to believe that one year ago it 

was the World Cup but I can't com- 

LAHORE — Former Australian batsman 

Dav Whatmore, who guided Sri Lanka 

to World Cup glory, arrived in Pakistan 

to sign a contract as the new coach of 

the national team, an official said yesterday. 

The 57-year-old Whatmore, who 

played seven Tests and one limited overs 

international for Australia, coached Sri 

Lanka to the World Cup title in 1996 and 

also helped Bangladesh reach the second 

round in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean. 

Whatmore was chosen by a threemember 

coaching committee of the Pakistan 

Cricket Board (PCB) after regular 

coach Waqar Younis left the post citing 

health issues in September last year. 

Former Pakistan opener Mohsin Khan 

was appointed interim coach under whom 

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 

and whitewashed England 3-0 in Tests 

before they went down tamely 4-0 in oneday 

series and 2-1 in the Twenty20 internationals 

last month. 

The head of the coaching committee 

Intikhab Alam confirmed Whatmore will 

sign a contract. 

"Whatmore and Julien Fountain (likely 

to take over as fielding coach) have arrived 

here and Whatmore will sign a contract 

as head coach of the Pakistan team," 

Alam said, refusing to give further details 

of the contract. 

Whatmore's first assignment will be 

to help the team in the four-nation Asia 

Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Defending 


rope at deep mid-wicket, while Senanayake 

and Kulasekara were lbw for ducks, 

although replays suggested the Kulasekara 

dismissal was dubious with the ball missing 

leg-stump. 

Christian also captured the wickets of 

Angelo Mathews (5) and last man Malinga 

(2) to slow the Sri Lanka run-rate after 

they were 186 for four in the 39th over 

and heading for a score of 250-plus. James 

Pattinson was also among the wickets with 

four for 51. 

SCOREBOARD 

Sri Lanka 

M Jayawardene run out ........................................ 5 

T Dilshan c Wade b Pattinson .............................. 9 

K Sangakkara c Forrest b Pattinson .................. 64 

D Chandimal c McKay b Pattinson .................. 75 

L Thirimanne b Pattinson .................................. 51 

A Mathews c Doherty b Christian ....................... 5 

T Perera c M Hussey b Christian ......................... 5 

S Senanayake lbw Christian ................................ 0 

N Kulasekara lbw Christian ................................. 0 

R Herath (not out) .............................................. 14 

L Malinga b Christian .......................................... 2 

Extras: (b-2, lb-4, w-2) ....................................... 8 

Total: (all out, 50 overs) .................................. 238 

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-17, 3-140, 4-186, 5-195, 

6-206, 7-206, 8-206, 9-235. 

Bowling: Pattinson 10-0-51-4, Hilfenhaus 7-0- 

29-0, McKay 8-0-39-0, D Hussey 1-0-6-0, Christian 

9-0-31-5, Watson 7-0-28-0, Doherty 8-0-48-0. 

Australia 

M Wade lbw Kulasekara ...................................... 9 

D Warner c Perera b Malinga .............................. 6 

S Watson b Malinga ........................................... 65 

P Forrest c Sangakkara b Malinga ....................... 2 

M Hussey c Sangakkara b Thirimanne ............. 29 

D Hussey c Dilshan b Kulasekara .................... 74 

D Christian c and b Senanayake .......................... 3 

J Pattinson c Dilshan b Herath ........................... 12 

C McKay run out ................................................. 6 

X Doherty c Dilshan b Malinga ........................... 7 

B Hilfenhaus (not out) ......................................... 0 

Extras: (w-15, nb-1) ......................................... 16 

Total: (all out, 49.1 overs) ............................... 229 

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-18, 3-26, 4-113, 5-140, 

6-151, 7-178, 8-187, 9-226. 

Bowling: Malinga 10-0-49-4, Kulasekara 9.1-1- 

38-2, Mathews 4-0-8-0, Senanayake 10-0-50-1, 

Perera 0.5-0-8-0, Thirimanne 4.1-0-25-1, Herath 

10-0-43-1, Dilshan 1-0-8-0. 

Whatmore arrives to take over as Pak coach 

plain as it's been the best year of my 

life. 

"It changed my life on and off the 

field. At the start of 2011 I was probably 

a fair way away from playing 

county cricket but after that innings 

Gloucestershire came calling, I was 

over the moon to play for them and 

I think I did well for them in one-day 

cricket. 

"My name and profile has increased 

in India 100 per cent or even 

more than that in the last year since 

that innings, and I was in the IPL 

(Indian Premier League) auction recently. 

"Unfortunately I didn't get signed 

but my name is still out there and 

hopefully I can get picked up in the 

next couple of weeks or so." 

With Gloucestershire, O'Brien 

produced another spectacular innings 

in the English domestic Twenty20 

competition in June 2011, scoring 

119 from 52 deliveries against Middlesex, 

this time hitting 11 sixes and 

seven fours. 

His form and profile gave him the 

opportunity to take part in the recently-concluded 

Bangladesh Premier 

League, something his brother Niall, 

also an Ireland international, opted to 

champions India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 

will also compete in the March 11- 

22 event. 

Alam said Whatmore would assist the 

newly-formed selection committee along 

with captain Misbah-ul Haq to pick the 

squad. Former spinner Iqbal Qasim was 

appointed head of the selection committee 

after Mohammed Ilyas resigned from 

the post on Thursday. 

Chief selector Iqbal Qasim said the 

squad for the Asia Cup will be announced 

join. However, with Ireland's selectors 

making it clear that only players 

available for the build-up to the T20 

qualifiers would be considered for 

selection, Kevin chose national duty, 

rejecting the potential for greater financial 

rewards and the shop-window 

for his talents Bangladesh would 

have provided. 

EXTRA PRESSURE 

"Cricket Ireland's contract is my 

bread-and-butter so if I had gone to 

Bangladesh I would not have been offered 

a Cricket Ireland contract, so in 

my opinion it was a no-brainer," he 

said. 

"I wanted to come here (to South 

Africa) to prepare for the Twenty20 

in Dubai. It is one of those things, it 

was Niall's decision and it was my 

decision. He still wants to play for 

Ireland, he is a world-class player, we 

still need him back in the team and 

hopefully he can come back in the 

summer." 

Given the Irish administration's 

desire, announced in January, to 

achieve Test status by 2020, O'Brien 

said it was vital to qualify for September's 

T20 event in Sri Lanka. 

"It is massive (for us to qualify)," 

he said. "People in Ireland and other 

today after consultation with Whatmore. 

"We will consult with (new coach) 

Whatmore on the team and then announce 

the squad on Saturday," Qasim 

told reporters. 

The PCB will also officially announce 

Whatmore's appointment today. 

Whatmore will be Pakistan's fourth 

foreign coach after Richard Pybus (South 

Africa), Bob Woolmer (England and 

South Africa) and Geoff Lawson served 

in the past. — AFP 

O’Brien recalls innings that changed his life 

Irish sensation describes Oman as a dangerous team 

countries expect Ireland to be at every 

World Cup that is on and that expectation 

does bring extra pressure. 

"We have got a tough group with 

Kenya and Scotland, as well as Oman, 

who we played in 2009 and are a dangerous 

team, and Namibia, who have 

got some very good hitters and some 

good bowlers. 

"Every team's going to pose a 

different threat to us. With only two 

teams qualifying (out of 16) and 

Twenty20 being so unpredictable, 

it would be stupid to rule out any 

team. 

"Our training camp (in South Africa) 

has been good, we have been doing 

double sessions every day for the 

past few days, training hard, putting 

in the hard yards and trying to get 

everyone in peak form for Dubai. 

"We are all confident in our own 

abilities that we can go out and do the 

job and we don't need to put any more 

pressure on ourselves than what is already 

on us. If we play to our own 

strengths then hopefully that will be 

enough to come out on top." 

The qualifying event takes place 

in the UAE from March 13-24, with 

Ireland's first match against Namibia 

on the opening day. — Reuters 

Murray downs 

Djokovic, awaits 

Federer in final 

Page 19 

LASITH Malinga (right) of Sri Lanka celebrates after shattering the stumps of Australian captain Shane Watson 

during their tri-series match at the MCG yesterday. — Reuters 

DAV Whatmore leaves the Allama Iqbal International Airport upon 

his arrival in Lahore yesterday. — AFP 

WICB leaves Gayle 

out of ODI team 

BARBADOS — Former West 

Indies captain Chris Gayle 

has been left out of their preliminary 

squad for the limited 

overs series against Australia 

in the Caribbean as the Jamaican's 

row with the regional 

cricket board rumbles on. 

The West Indies Cricket 

Board (WICB) plans to meet 

Jamaica's Prime Minister to 

discuss the damaging dispute 

which has resulted in strong 

criticism from fans, media 

and politicians in the Caribbean 

island over the treatment 

of Gayle. 

The West Indies Cricket 

Board (WICB) on Thursday 

named a 30-man squad to attend 

fitness testing ahead of 

the series which begins on 

March 16 in St Vincent with 

the first of five one-day internationals. 

The squad, made up of 

17 contracted players and 

13 others 'under consideration 

for selection', will train 

in Barbados ahead of the 

series. 

Gayle has not played for 

West Indies since the 2011 

World Cup following a public 

spat with the board. 

The WICB board of directors 

agreed this week that its 

president Julian Hunte should 

meet Jamaica's Prime Minister 

Portia Simpson Miller 

‘to discuss matters pertaining 

to cricket in Jamaica and 

the West Indies and Chris 

Gayle’. 

The 17 contracted players 

are: Adrian Barath, Carlton 

Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, 

Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren 

Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 

Fidel Edwards, Kirk 

Edwards, Shannon Gabriel, 

Nelon Pascal, Kieran Powell, 

Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, 

Darren Sammy, Marlon 

Samuels, Shane Shillingford 

and Devon Thomas. 

The 13 additional players 

under consideration for 

selection for the series are: 

Samuel Badree, Tino Best, 

Nkrumah Bonner, Dwayne 

Bravo, Johnson Charles, 

Shane Dowrich, Danza Hyatt, 

Garey Mathurin, Sunil Narine, 

Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, 

Krishmar Santokie and 

Dwayne Smith. — Reuters 

O’BRIEN: ‘It is massive to qualify for T20 World Cup.’

Samsung 

launches dual SIM 

smartphone 

Page 22 

MUSCAT — Daleel Petroleum 

aims to ramp up oil production 

from its Block 5 concession 

in northwest Oman to 50,000 

barrels per day (bpd) within 

the next few years, from the 

current output level of 35,000 

bpd. 

The targeted output increase 

is part of the Omani coowned 

oil producer’s strategy 

to be among the frontline players 

in the Sultanate’s mainstay 

hydrocarbon sector. 

“Daleel has achieved a 

great deal of progress in raising 

oil production,” said Moza 

bint Saleh al Adawi, Chief Operating 

Officer. “When Daleel 

took over the concession in 

2002, production was around 

4,500 bpd. This year we are 

marking 10 years of successful 

operations, having boosted 

output to 35,000 bpd. That’s a 

significant improvement. We 

are looking forward to higher 

production levels. Our vision 

is to reach 50,000 bpd perhaps 

within the next 3-4 years. Our 

goal is to reach 40,000 bpd 

Nawras customers win Huawai tablets 

More Nawras customers are becoming winners with, as they 

choose to enjoy plug and play Home Broadband. Customers are 

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Gold or Platinum postpaid plan. Customers also have the opportunity 

to win the Huawei 3G tablet to surf the net. Page 22 

within two years, and we are 

working very hard towards 

these targets,” she added in 

comments to the Observer. 

A 50:50 joint venture 

partnership between Mazoon 

Petrogas SAOC (part of 

the well-known Omani business 

house MB Holding) and 

Mazoon Petrogas BVI (part 

of China National Petroleum 

Corporation — CNPC), Daleel 

Petroleum has been often held 

up as an example of how 

Omani owned businesses can 

excel in a sector dominated 

primarily by international oil 

companies. 

In 2002, the joint venture 

signed a Petroleum Agreement 

with the Omani government 

for the exploration, appraisal 

and production of hydrocarbon 

reserves in the onshore Block 

Saturday, March 3, 2012 

5, located about 110km southwest 

of Ibri. That followed the 

departure of the then operator 

Japex Oman from the concession, 

which is now operated 

by a joint operating company 

founded by CNODC, CNPC 

(Hong Kong) Limited and MB 

Holdings. 

As part of its efforts to 

augment output, Daleel plans 

to drill dozens of new wells 

this year. “We have three rigs 

drilling continuously this year, 

and we expect to increase this 

number to four rigs next year. 

Our goal is to drill about 40 

wells this year and perhaps a 

little more than this number 

next year,” the Chief Operating 

Officer said. 

At the same time, efforts 

continue apace in the quest for 

new hydrocarbons, she said. 

“We are continuing drilling 

and searching for new prospects 

within our concession. 

We have a big exploration 

programme this year. We are 

shooting seismic and hope to 

add to our success in finding 

new fields. Our expectation 

reserves currently stand at 146 

million reserves.” 

Asked about plans by the 

company to add new acreage 

to its current exploration portfolio, 

Moza al Adawi stated: 

“Our shareholders will not 

stop looking for any new opportunities.” 

The COO listed employment 

generation and 

Omanisation as among the 

company’s biggest achievements. 

“Over the years Daleel 

has grown. We now have a 

little under 300 people in the 

company. Omanisation presently 

stands at 84 per cent, and 

is targeted to grow to 86 per 

cent by year’s end.” 

She further added: “We 

take pride in our large Omani 

workforce. We have an extensive 

training programme to enable 

Omanis to take on jobs in 

the company. Enrollees are put 

through a tailored programme 

to prepare them for full-time 

jobs in the field. We will continue 

to give on-the-job training 

for nationals in line with 

our commitment to the directives 

of His Majesty the Sultan 

to provide jobs for Omanis.” 

Asian stocks lifted by US data 

ASIAN markets’ upward trend since the start of the year continued 

yesterday as optimism was boosted by a fresh set of upbeat US 

data and positive euro zone news. Improving risk sentiment also 

supported the euro against the yen but strong oil prices, which hit 

4-year highs in New York, tempered gains. Page 24 

Daleel eyes 50,000 bpd production target Jazeera Steel sets sights 

on overseas markets 

By Conrad Prabhu 

By Samuel Kutty 

MUSCAT — Steel prices 

which witnessed an uptrend 

in the last quarters are now 

showing signs of stability providing 

the much-needed relief 

to the related sectors in the 

Sultanate. 

According to the survey of 

the Public Authority for Consumer 

Protection, there has not 

been any rise in the prices last 

month. The survey covered 

Omani, Turkish, UAE and 

Qatari steel and focused on 

the prices of four main companies; 

Bahwan, Al Ansari, Middle 

East Company and Oman 

Contracts and Construction 

Materials. 

While the price of Emirati 

steel at Bahwan remained at 

RO 298, it fell at Al Ansari 

Company (RO 287 to 289). 

At the same time, Omani steel 

price was RO 298 at Bahwan, 

Oman Contracts and Construction 

Materials Company 

and Middle East Company. 

The prices of Turki and Qatari 

steel remained stable, the data 

released at the end of February 

shows. 

Reports from the industry 

indicate that all steel manufacturing 

units in the Sultanate 

MOZA bint Saleh al Adawi, Chief Operating Officer, 

Daleel Petroleum. 

Steel prices turn stable amid rising demand 

are running on maximum capacity 

production. 

According to Ramesh 

Gopal, General Manager, Production, 

Sharq Sohar Steel 

Rolling Mills, the company 

has crossed 100 per cent production 

level. The domestic 

demand is so high that the 

company has stopped exports 

and is planning to go in for 

further expansion. 

“We expect that with the 

rise in demand from various 

industrial sectors and favourable 

government support, the 

steel demand in the country is 

expected to increase between 

7 to 10 per cent this year”, he 

told Observer. 

The steel sector in the Sultanate 

has been tremendously 

growing on the back of increased 

government spending 

on infrastructure and rising demand 

from various consumption 

sectors. 

“The government’s proactive 

incentive plans to boost 

economic growth by injecting 

funds in various industries, 

such as construction, infrastructure, 

and power will help 

the steel industry to register 

more growth”, he says. 

Sharq Sohar Steel produces 

300,000 tonnes per annum 

reinforcement steel rebars of 

8mm to 32 mm, while Sohar 

Steel’s capacity is 250,000 

tonnes of steel billets. 

Producers are optimistic of 

Oman's potential to become a 

major steel producer in the region, 

with the government taking 

substantial investments in 

developing its steel production 

capacity primarily to supply 

enough to the local market. 

Construction industry has 

one of the strongest economic 

linkages with other sectors 

like steel and cement of the 

economy and has a very strong 

multiplier effect. 

The domestic demand for 

steel by this sector is likely 

to pick up in the current fiscal 

year as part of increase in the 

governments’ efforts to boost 

investments in construction 

activities. 

“Private investment in the 

construction sector is also expected 

to pick up steam this 

year thanks to rising residential 

demand for housing”, he 

adds. 

As far as the prices concerned, 

he says: “Like other 

metals, variation in the prices 

of steel happens at par with 

international markets. It is not 

possible to have indigenous 

controls”. 

EU signs new treaty to control budgets 

BRUSSELS — EU leaders 

signed a new treaty to control 

budgets yesterday, vowing 

to turn the corner on the 

euro zone debt crisis, but new 

public deficit strains soured 

the event. Leaders from 25 of 

the bloc's 27 nations — apart 

from the Czech Republic and 

Britain — signed the treaty 

at a ceremony in Brussels on 

the second day of a summit 

aiming to shift the focus from 

crisis management to jobs and 

growth. 

The treaty is "a strong signal 

that we are drawing lessons 

from the crisis and that we are 

focusing on the future of a politically 

united Europe," said 

German Chancellor Angela 

Merkel, the main architect of 

the pact. 

The countries signed up to 

a promise to anchor in their 

constitutions — if possible 

—rules to stop their public 

deficits and debt spiralling out 

of control in the way that led 

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron speaks during a 

press conference at the end of a two-day European Union 

summit in Brussels. — AFP 

to the euro zone crisis. 

The new treaty is "an important 

step in reinforcing the 

confidence in our economic 

and monetary union" and a 

"major step towards responsibility", 

said EU president Herman 

Van Rompuy as he invited 

leaders to sign the document. 

But amid the relief at 

progress made to overcome 

the crisis, new fiscal problems 

in Spain and the Netherlands 

— one of the most outspoken 

critics of Greece's fiscal recklessness 

— showed that dangers 

still lurk. 

The Netherlands announced 

that its "provisional" 

public 2012 deficit would rise 

to 4.5 per cent of gross domestic 

product from 4.1 per 

cent forecast before, sparking 

a pointed rebuke from the 

European Commission. "We 

think that the Netherlands 

is one country that has been 

very vocal when supporting 

the reinforcement of our fiscal 

surveillance rules," said European 

Commission economy 

spokesman Amadeu Altafaj. 

And Spain, at the centre 

of the debt crisis with soaring 

borrowing costs that have 

since receded, had to explain 

why the country's 2011 public 

deficit estimate grew to 8.5 per 

cent of GDP from a previous 

forecast of 6.0 per cent. 

"Spain will fulfil its commitments 

regarding budget 

cuts, taking into account the 

fact that circumstances have 

changed," Finance Minister 

Luis de Guindos told reporters. 

But, he added, "given the 

changed circumstances, it is 

foreseen that a process of negotiations 

will begin now. And 

here Spain is absolutely loyal 

and transparent regarding (fiscal) 

consolidation." — AFP 


MUSCAT — Al Jazeera Steel 

Products Co SAOG, which 

posted a solid 59 per cent jump 

in profit during 2011, is seeking 

to boost its international 

presence through enhanced 

exports to Asia, Europe, Australia 

and the Middle East, 

among other markets. 

“The firm is also looking to 

enhance its presence in markets 

like Saudi Arabia, North 

Africa, Asia, Australia and 

Eastern Europe for its tubular 

as well as Merchant Bar Mill 

(MBM) products, for which a 

start has been made in 2011. 

Externally, we are working on 

expanding the distribution of 

the MBM products and gaining 

new territories for our tube 

mill. We are looking at Africa 

and Iraq as new areas for 

growth,” Chairman Sulaiman 

Mohammed Shaheen al Rubaie, 

stated in a report of the 

company’s financial performance 

during 2011. 

Burgeoning construction 

and infrastructure investments 

in the GCC, particularly Qatar, 

augured well for Jazeera 

Steel, Al Rubaie stated. “Even 

though the fourth quarter has 

been challenging as the commodity 

markets worldwide 

took a beating, there is much 

reason for optimism. 

There is overcapacity everywhere, 

but there remains 

room for growth for steel 

manufacturers in the GCC due 

to the number of infrastructure 

projects coming up across the 

region. We expect the construction 

activities to accelerate 

further due to the increased 

government budget surpluses 

and spending in infrastructure 

activities. In addition, demand 

for steel products in Qatar 

is expected to significantly 

increase, with the large construction 

projects lined up for 

the 2022 World Cup.” 

To Page 23

Samsung launches new 

Dual SIM smartphone 


MUSCAT — Samsung Electronics 

Co, Ltd, a leading 

global mobile phone provider, 

has announced the latest addition 

to the Galaxy smartphone 

series — the Samsung Galaxy 

Y Pro Duos, which is the first 

Dual SIM smartphone powered 

by Android. 

The unique Dual SIM system 

in the Galaxy Y Pro Duos 

maximises communication 

flexibility by allowing two 

separate phone numbers and 

a simultaneous use of data on 

the same device. Users who 

need to balance busy professional 

and social lives can 

access and seamlessly switch 

from one line to the other with 

Galaxy Y Pro Duos. 

“The Galaxy Y Pro Duos 

is tailored for young professionals 

to help keep their work 

and social life in sync,” said, 

Ashraf Fawakherji, General 

Manager of Telecommunications 

Group at Samsung Gulf 

Electronics. “Outfitted with 

essential business applications 

and a full QWERTY keyboard 

in a sleek design, the Galaxy 

Y Pro Duos is remarkable 

for its ease of use and faster 

functionality. The launch of 

this new smartphone aims 

at strengthening Samsung’s 

leadership position within the 

smartphone category.” 

The Samsung Galaxy Y 

Pro Duos offers additional 

Toyota Hiace — No 1 for everyone 

benefits for young professionals 

with the combination of a 

full QWERTY keyboard with 

a 2.6’’ display, giving them 

more business-friendly experience 

with better flexibility 

and usability. 

Galaxy Y Pro Duos offers 

enhanced productivity with 

the inclusion of Polaris and 

Find My Mobile professional 

tools. Polaris offers easy viewing 

and editing of a wide range 

of Office documents, enabling 

you to work with Word, Excel, 

PowerPoint and even PDF 

files while on-the-move. Samsung’s 

Find My Mobile Service 

ensures peace-of-mind by 

letting users remotely lock the 

phone at anytime, as well as 

trace the phone or remotely 

wipe its contents in case of 

loss or theft. 

The users can also enjoy 

Social Hub Premium, offering 

support for push email 

and messaging, and seamless 

calendar and contact synchronisation 

between the phone 

and users’ Google, Yahoo and 

MSN accounts. 

MUSCAT — “In Oman, who does not know of the Hiace? Everyone wants this pick-up 

for doing business. It is merely a question of when and how soon one can get it, that 

is all,” asserts a proud owner. And this is only because Hiace satisfies the demands of 

every kind of customer. 

As the largest selling range of buses, vans and taxis in Oman, Toyota Hiace continues 

to set the standard in performance, reliability & advanced features. 

The current model, the 5th generation of the Hiace remains in a class of its own, 

whether one considers its powerful engine, body appearance, stability, cargo space, 

occupant comfort, safety or driver ergonomics. 

Whether it is the standard 15-seater bus, or the luxurious high roof bus, the high roof 

van or the standard van, the Toyota Hiace offers distinct advantages. 

When the Hiace is to be used as a bus or coaster, a wide body and high roof are 

available. For use as a delivery van, customers have the choice of the standard version 

or a high-roof version with options of panel type and glass type (STD only) windows. 

Furthermore, most of these combinations are available in either petrol or diesel versions 

(2.7 twin cam 16-valve petrol EFI engine with VVT-i or 2.5-litre turbo diesel 

engine with the sophisticated ‘common rail direct injection’ technology). 

Tuned to meet the vehicle’s dual usage either as a professional cargo hauler or as 

a people carrier, the Hiace suspension system provides the best possible ride comfort 

and handling. 

A large volume 70-litre fuel tank offers long distance driving capacity. 

Safety features include a crash resistant body, SRS dual airbags (on selected grades 

only), and Load Sensing Proportioning Valve (LSPV), amongst other features. No 

wonder then that Hiace is yet another favourite of the people, from Toyota. 

In Oman, Toyota is a household name, a part of people’s lives. 

On the one hand, Toyota offers enduring quality. On the other, nothing comes close 

to it in terms of value-retention. It is no surprise; therefore, that Toyota soars far above 

the rest, with a dominant market share and ever-expanding customer base. 

The unmatched, nationwide parts and service support of Saud Bahwan Group 

makes Toyota’s pride of place a reality. Toyota customers in Oman enjoy 6-year unlimited 

mileage protection, over 98 per cent parts availability and round-the-clock care, 

amongst many other exclusive privileges from the Group. 

Muscat City Centre — Kia does it in style 

FROM February 22 to 24, Kia put a smile on many faces at the capital’s favourite 

venue — Muscat City Centre. “I knew I had to be there for sure,” said a proud Kia 

owner, “...along with my entire family, who had a jolly good time with all the things 

Kia planned-out for us.” 

So what was this event that everyone was so eager to be a part of? 

We asked a spokesperson and he explained that Kia had planned-out a thrill-aminute 

event revolving around Kia Feature Hunt, where the participants were challenged 

to look for some specific Kia features, answer the compere’s questions and 

Certificates 

of deposit 

tender 

22 OMAN SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 

results By A Staff Reporter 

MUSCAT — Certificates of 

deposit tender was held at 

the Central Bank of Oman 

(CBO) last week. 

The total amount allotted 

for issue No (757) was RO 

322 million. 

A bulletin issued by the 

CBO stated that the average 

interest rate of these certificates 

was (0.08 per cent) 

whilst the maximum accepted 

interest rate was (0.09 per 

cent). 

The tenor of these certificates 

is 28 days, and their 

maturity date is on March 

28. 

The certificates of deposit 

issued to licensed banks 

by the CBO as a monetary 

policy instrument aimed at 

absorbing excess liquidity at 

the banking sector in particular 

and maintaining stability 

of the interest rate and the 

money market in general. 

The Repo rate during 

February 29 to March 6 is 2 

per cent. — ONA 

BUSINESS ALERT 

win exciting prizes. Also, since Kia offers Stylish cars, a special highlight of the event 

would be “Kia Style Awards” where the compere singled — out the stylishly dressed 

members of the crowd — to win exciting prizes including LCDs, cameras, mobile 

phones, City Centre Gift vouchers. 

All the while, a Disc Jockey kept the excitement levels at fever-pitch, with youthful, 

upbeat and peppy music selections. Simultaneously, an hour long Kia Live Show was 

hosted by Radio Jockey Laure Jassar of Al Wisal programme, Oman FM. 

“All-in-all this turned out to be a great time for the entire family and was glad I 

came. This weekend has been special for me!,” affirmed Rashid al Hinai with his family 

looking happy and thrilled. 

The highlight of the event was the opportunity everyone got to test-drive some of 

the most stylish, powerful and highly affordable Kia models, “Merely taking a test 

drive, we gave our patrons the chance to discover just what makes Kia such hot favourites 

and also to have a go at the ‘Scratch & Win’ offer in which they could win many 

exciting prizes such as iPpad2, LCD TVs, mobile phones, food processors, chocolate 

boxes and Kia souvenirs,” informed the spokesperson, “For all those who take a test 

drive in the featured Kia models, this offer was an added advantage!,” he added. 

The ravishing range of Kia Rio models offer a choice of 3-door coupes, 4-door 

sedans & 5-door hatchbacks. The 3-door Rio is for young couples, the 4-door suits the 

family and the 5 door model is ideal for stylish youth groups/friends. 

The newly introduced Rio has low running-costs and industry-leading design credentials. 

Even recently, the Rio was awarded the maximum five stars for accident 

safety from leading European road safety organisation, EuroNCAP. 

Reliable International Automotive, the distributor for Kia in Oman provides a 

rewarding ownership experience for customers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched 

18 facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way. 

No wonder then that Reliable International Automotive has been ranked amongst 

the top Kia distributors worldwide and has been honoured with prestigious accolades 

including the Kia ‘Dealer of the Year’ award; Kia ‘Distributor of Distinction’ award, 

‘Family Like Care’ Service award and the ‘Zenith Club’ award for excellent performance. 

The prestigious ‘Kia Award for Overall Excellence and Outstanding Performance’ 

amongst Kia distributors worldwide was bestowed most deservingly. “You can 

like us and follow us on www.facebook.com/kiaoman for the latest happenings on Kia 

in Oman,” invites the spokesperson. 

OAB Bronze Sponsor of Customer Care meet 

OMAN Arab Bank participated as a Bronze Sponsor in the Customer Care conference 

2012. The event was held from February 27 to 28 at the Grand Hyatt, Muscat. Corporate 

customer care has always been on the agenda of the Bank. 

The conference organised the first Oman Customer Care Excellence Awards to recognise 

the business and government organisations which have provided and delivered 

exemplary service to their customers and citizens. The Oman Customer Care Excellence 

Awards aims to promote excellence and innovation in customer care and service 

in the Sultanate. Rashad al Shaikh, Head of Retail Banking in the Bank received the 

Oman Customer Care Excellence Award. 

Record sales for Hyundai 

HYUNDAI Motor Company has announced best ever sales figures for the Middle East 

region in 2011. The company showed a nine per cent increase in total sales in comparison 

to 2010, selling a record 283,953 vehicles. 

Among the GCC and Levant countries, the Korean manufacturer’s impressive 

achievements were led by Qatar, which reported the biggest increase by a single country 

with sales up by 93 per cent. They were followed by Kuwait with 76 per cent 

growth and Lebanon, which registered a 35 per cent rise in sales. United Arab Emirates 

saw sales leap by 29 per cent. 

There was significant growth in Saudi Arabia, the company’s single biggest market 

in the region, which experienced an 18 per cent rise in sales to over 106,000 units. 

Bahrain and Yemen also registered increased sales, while Syria, Jordan and Oman remain 

Hyundai’s biggest volume markets after Saudi Arabia. 

Customers win Huawei 3G tablets 

with Nawras Home Broadband 

MUSCAT — More Nawras 

customers are becoming winners 

with, as they choose to 

enjoy plug and play Home 

Broadband. 

Customers are being entered 

into a prize draw after 

they subscribe to a Silver, 

Gold or Platinum postpaid 

plan. Along with same-day 

broadband including one 

month’s free Internet, customers 

also have the opportunity 

to win the latest Huawei 3G 

tablet to surf the net, enjoy social 

media, check emails and 

much more. 

The first 17 prize winners 

from Ibri, Nizwa, Sohar, Barka 

and Muscat have already been 

notified. They are now in the 

process of collecting their Android 

media pads from Nawras 

stores across the country. 

Following the second draw 

which took place last week, 

Nawras is currently contacting 

the latest group of winners. 

Their prize is not only a way 

to connect to the Internet but 

with a touch screen display, 

two cameras, WiFi and microSD 

card slot, they can do 

so much more too. 

One final draw is scheduled 

to take place just after the 

promotion concludes on 18 

March. 

“Our first winners are delighted 

of course and we want 

to remind everyone that they 

can still be in the draw for the 

remaining Huawei media tablets,” 

said Ahmed al-Adawi, 

Nawras Home Broadband Internet 

Manager. 

“Now is the time to get a 

fast broadband connection at 

home and when we say fast, 

we mean in terms of set up as 

well as referring to the speed 

of the service. Simply buy 

a modem from any Nawras 

Store and you can plug it in at 

home and start visiting your 

favourite websites or read and 

send emails, straight away. 

Nawras has made getting online 

affordable and accessible 

for over 86 per cent of Omani 

households.” 

Nawras Home Broadband 

and Voice services are delivered 

using the latest wireless 

WiMAX technology. Like all 

services from this customer 

focused communications provider, 

Nawras Home Broadband 

and Voice is easy to buy, 

easy to use and easy to pay 

for and most importantly, it 

is supported around the clock 

by friendly, professional customer 

service. 

One of many advantages of 

being a Nawras Home Broadband 

and Voice customer is 

the free telephone connection. 

With no installation fee or 

monthly line charge, customers 

simply pay for the calls 

they make. 

Tom Lee, Head of Hyundai Middle East’s Regional Headquarters, said: “Across the 

GCC and Levant countries, customers have shown their confidence in our new range 

of ‘Modern Premium’ cars in growing numbers. While our SUV line-up continues to 

perform strongly across the region, new models such as the Elantra, Sonata, Veloster 

and Accent, together with our flagship luxury cars, the Centennial and Genesis, are 

introducing the Hyundai brand into increasing numbers of homes.” 

Ahlibank MyHassad draw winners 

AHLIBANK has announced the names of the 

recent MyHassad daily prize draw winners. 

Omar Farir Mohammed al Zadjali from main 

branch, Sami Musallam Shamis al Hashemi 

from Ibri branch, Said Rashid Salim al Jahdmi 

from Ibri branch and Hamed Saghyar Hamed 

al Janaoubi from Barka branch, were the lucky 

winners of RO 1,000 each for the week. 

MyHassad Saving Scheme was introduced in July 2008 as an extension of the 

bank’s tradition of product innovation. MyHassad savings account continues to successfully 

satisfy the existing customers and attract new ones. 

TAC unveils plans for Total lubricants 

TOWELL Auto Centre (TAC) the authorised distributor for Total range of lubricants in 

the Sultanate, unveiled their marketing plans for 2012 at a seminar held recently. Over 

130 of TAC’s prominent dealers from the Muscat region attended the event. 

S Kasthurirengan, CEO of Towell Auto Centre, reminded the audience that the 

Towell Group stands for superior service and takes pride in having long-term relations 

with its customers; who are responsible for the brand’s growth in the market. 

Stephane Flambert, Vice-President, Sales Support, Total Marketing ME, addressed 

the audience highlighting Total’s growing investment on sustainable branding across 

the GCC and their commitment to improve their offers for the Omani market. This was 

followed by a technical presentation and announcement of Total’s marketing activities 

for the year 2012. 

The event also saw Total’s best performing dealers receive special acknowledgment 

certificates for their outstanding performance in 2011. And that’s not all; TAC also took 

the opportunity to introduce the attending dealers to the concept of ‘Total Quartz Pit 

Stop’ at the event. ‘Total Quartz Pit’ is a premium partnership programme for service 

centre owners that helps to improve the centre’s visibility, image and customer retention.


National Hotels signs 

MoU with Tawasel 


MUSCAT — The National 

Hotels Co Ltd SAOC (Sheraton 

Hotel Oman) has signed a 

memorandum of Understanding 

(MoU) with UAE based 

Tawasel International Trading 

Company for the operations of 

the Sheraton Hotel Oman. 

The agreement was signed 

by Shaikh Nasser Mohammed 

al Hasher and Shaikh Hamed 

al Hamed from the respective 

organisations. Sheraton Hotel 

and Resort is part of Al Hashar 

Group, owned by National 

Hotels Company Ltd SAOC. 

According to the MoU, 

Tawasel, with its established 

expertise in operating hotels in 

the MENA region, will handle 

the running of Sheraton Hotel 

Oman, which is currently 

Jazeera Steel sets sights 

on overseas markets 

From Page 21 

At the weekend, the Sohar 

based steelmaker announced a 

59 per cent rise in profit, which 

jumped to RO 3.030 million in 

2011, up from RO 1.903 million 

a year earlier. 

Total revenues soared 40 

per cent to RO 91.196 million, 

from RO 64.912 million 

in 2010. In volume terms, 

sales climbed 27 per cent 

to 263,435 metric tonnes in 

2011, from 207,261 MT a 

year earlier. Production also 

rose 26 per cent to 266,991 

MT last year, from 211,647 

MT in 2010. 

Al Rubaie attributed the 


NEW DELHI — Adding yet 

another milestone to Le Méridien 

Kochi’s laurels, the International 

Convention Centre 

has been adjudged as the Best 

Five Star Convention Hotel at 

the National Tourism Awards 

for the year 2010-2011. The 

award was received by Dr P 

Mohammed Ali, Managing 

Chairman, Mfar hotels and 

Rajesh K Madan, General 

Manager, Le Méridien Kochi. 

The national tourism award 

was held last week at Vigyan 

Bhawan in the Indian capital 

city of Delhi. 

The President of India, 

Prathibha Patil was the Chief 

Guest. Subodh Kant Sahai, 

Minister for Tourism presided 

over the function. 

Le Méridien as a hotel 

played a pivotal role in transforming 

Kochi from just a 

tourist destination to a dominant 

MICE destination, which 

has seen many national and 

international conferences and 

conventions propelling the 

being refurbished to match 

and offer international luxury 

standards. 

"Oman is a favoured vacation 

destination in the GCC 

and the region enjoys a neutral 

climate and offers urban 

convenience in sync with 

close proximity to nature”, 

said Shaikh Nasser Mohammed 

al Hasher, Chairman of 

the Al Hashar Group of Companies. 

“World class facilities that 

offer luxury hospitality to domestic 

and international vacationers 

are scarce in Oman 

and the re-opening of Sheraton 

Hotel Oman will be a step 

in the right direction towards 

joining hands with the Sultanate 

in progressing as a preferred 

holiday destination." 

The Sheraton Hotel Oman 

higher profit to the management’s 

cost optimisation initiatives 

and effective overhead 

management. 

“Diversification of raw 

material suppliers has helped 

the company reduce concentration 

risk and control inventory 

holdings. As a result, this 

positively impacted borrowings 

and significant savings 

were achieved on interest and 

financing cost,” he said. 

Al Jazeera’s tube mill 

marked another strong year, 

with sales volumes increasing 

10 per cent over 2010 sales. 

“One of the main factors fuelling 

Jazeera Steel’s optimism 

is the performance of its mer- 

city’s room occupancy levels 

to a new scale and also gave 

the City of Kochi a purpose 

and reason for rapid infrastructural 

development. 

“Our people are our biggest 

asset and the award is the 

biggest acknowledged for our 

efforts and is a great motivation 

for us to continue delivering 

excellence in conducting 

conferences, weddings and 

great events at Le Méridien” 

said Madan. “The hotel is 

honoured to receive the National 

Tourism Award and 

recognition of such magnitude 

brings forth the collective effort 

of the entire team at Le 

Méridien Kochi and also adds 

to the responsibility to continue 

maintaining the international 

standards to meet guest 

expectations”. 

Le Méridien Kochi, International 

Convention Centre 

is always recognised as one 

of the leading meetings and 

events destination in the global 

arena, celebrating more 

than 10 years of success, the 

International Convention 

is currently being refurbished 

and Tawasel brings hands- on 

experience in running Sheraton 

chain, Rocco Forte chain 

and Crown Plaza hotels and 

resorts in the MENA region. 

The hotel is expected to reopen 

its doors in a short span 

of time. 

Shaikh Hamed Al Hamed 

of Tawasel International Trading 

Company said: "It is a 

privilege to have the responsibility 

of running the operation 

of Sheraton Hotel Oman turning 

it into a profitable holiday 

and recreational five star facility. 

We will ensure that world 

class design; service and facilities 

are available for hotel 

guests. Oman is a great destination 

and we aim to create 

a success story through this 

venture". 

chant bar mill (MBM) unit, 

which managed to break even 

in 2011 within two years of 

starting commercial production. 

Annual production at the 

MBM unit was ramped up by 

66 per cent to over 100,000 

MT in 2011 and Jazeera Steel 

is now targeting a production 

of more than 125,000 MT for 

2012 at the unit.” 

Projects in the pipeline 

include like steel making for 

billet manufacturing and an 

additional slitting line to manufacture 

smaller angles and 

channels from hot roll material 

along with cut-to-length 

sheets and plates. 

Le Méridien Kochi wins Best 

5-Star Convention Hotel award 

Centre at hotel Le Méridien 

Kochi has set stage to meetings, 

incentives, conferences, 

exhibitions, launches and 

beauty pageants. The facility 

to cater to different needs of 

different clientele, the capability 

to meet the demand of 

multiple breakaway halls and 

the availability of pre function 

facility along with the option 

of three outdoor venues over 

18 acres of pristine green land 

has converted the International 

Convention Centre to one of 

the finest MICE destination in 

the country. 

Le Méridien is the first hotel 

in Kerala to tap the MICE 

business and has hosted conventions 

attended by almost 

10,000 people. Weddings are 

frequent in the state and Le 

Méridien stands tall in grabbing 

many major weddings of 

1500-2000 pax. Le Méridien 

Kochi has continuously over 

the years participated in various 

national and international 

travel and trade fairs showcasing 

Kochi and Kerala as the 

place to visit.

24 

OMAN/INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 

Asian stock markets lifted by US data, European moves 

HONG KONG — Asian markets' 

upward trend since the 

start of the year continued yesterday 

as optimism was boosted 

by a fresh set of upbeat US 

data and positive news from 

the euro zone. 

Improving risk sentiment 

also supported the euro against 

the yen but strong oil prices, 

which hit four-year highs in 

New York, tempered gains. 

Tokyo added 0.72 per 

cent, or 69.66 points, to end at 

9,777.03, Sydney rose 0.41 per 

cent, or 17.6 points, to 4,273.1 

and Seoul added 0.22 per cent, 

or 4.38 points, to 2,034.63. 

Hong Kong gained 0.81 per 

cent, or 174.30 points, to close 

at 21,562.26 and Shanghai 

jumped 1.43 per cent, or 34.58 

points, to 2,460.69. 

In Europe ministers agreed 

measures linked to a Greek 

debt restructuring and the beleaguered 

country is expected 

to be given the all clear for its 

second bailout next week. 

The move came at a twoway 

summit where leaders are 

discussing measures to promote 

long-term growth and 

jobs in the region. 

Investors around the world 

JAPANESE businessmen walk past an electronic stock quotation board in Tokyo yesterday. 

have also been encouraged by 

a committee's crucial ruling 

that Greece was not in default 

on its bonds in the 107 billion 

euro ($142 billion) write-off 

deal. default ruling would 

have triggered the payment of 

credit default swaps, insurance 

on the debt, which could have 

tanked Athens' entire 237 billion 

euro second bailout. 

Adding to positive sentiment 

was news from the US 

Labor Department that new 

claims for unemployment insurance, 

a key indicator of the 

pace of layoffs, fell slightly 

last week. 

Japan spending down 

as deflation persists 

TOKYO — Japanese unemployment 

inched up and 

household spending fell more 

sharply than expected in January, 

government data showed 

yesterday, but analysts said 

the nation's economic recovery 

was still on track. 

Figures from the internal 

affairs ministry showed the 

unemployment rate crept up to 

4.6 per cent in January from a 

revised 4.5 per cent in the previous 

month while household 

spending dropped by 2.3 per 

cent year-on-year. 

The inflation-adjusted fall 

in spending was far bigger 

than the 0.8 per cent dip economists 

had expected. 

However, analysts said the 

figures did not indicate Japan's 

economic recovery was 

in trouble because they were 

more than offset by upbeat 

production figures earlier in 

the week. 

The recent batch of data 

confirmed "the economy is on 

a gradual recovery track," said 

Satoshi Osanai, economist at 

Daiwa Institute of Research. 

"The data on production 

and capital spending continued 

to be positive. As production 

recovers and currency 

exchange rates help improve 

corporate earnings, we expect 

employment and consumption 

will also pick up," he said. 

The yen has tracked lower 

since the Bank of Japan surprised 

markets two weeks ago 

with the announcement that it 

would pump $130 billion more 

into the economy in the latest 

push to combat deflation. 

The yen changed hands at 

81.20 to the dollar and 108.17 

to the euro in Tokyo midday 

trade yesterday, much weaker 

than 76.19 and 99.56 of a 

month ago. The internal affairs 

ministry also said Japan's 

core consumer prices fell 0.1 

per cent in January from a 

year earlier, as the deflation 

that has plagued Japan for 

years persisted. 

Deflation is bad for the 

economy because it encourages 

consumers to put off spending 

in the belief their intended 

purchases will be cheaper in 

the future, softening demand 

and hurting producers. 

Yoshiro Sato, economist 

at Credit Agricole bank, said 

"there is still room for employment 

growth especially in 

manufacturing industries." 

"Considering the expected 

recovery in industrial production 

going forward on the back 

of supply chain normalisation 

and reconstruction demand, 

we maintain our view that employment 

in those industries 

will recover and contribute to 

stable labour market conditions 

going forward." 

Japanese exporters were 

hit badly by the massive earthquake 

and tsunami in Japan 

and flooding in Thailand last 

year. 

The trade and industry 

ministry said on Wednesday 

Japan's industrial production 

in January rose by a 

bigger-than-expected 2.0 

per cent from the previous 

month. — AFP 

Claims have been trending 

downward since the middle of 

last year and are now at levels 

last seen in March 2008, while 

in January, the unemployment 

rate fell for the fifth straight 

month, to 8.3 per cent, the lowest 

since February 2009. 

A recent series of posi- 

tive employment reports has 

led some analysts to predict 

the jobless rate will fall again 

when the Labor Department 

releases its February job report 

on March 9. 

"There's definitely a bit of 

relief out there," said Sydneybased 

CBA Institutional Equities 

head of sales trading, 

Justin Rooney, referring to the 

US data and receding European 

debt worries. However, 

Rooney said "the oil price is 

becoming a bit of a handbrake 

for the market", according to 

Dow Jones Newswires. 

On oil markets New York's 

main contract, West Texas 

Intermediate crude for delivery 

in April, fell 57 cents to 

$108.27 per barrel while Brent 

North Sea crude for April was 

down $1.06 to $125.56 14. 

Prices had surged overnight 

on an Iranian media report 

about a pipeline fire in Saudi 

Arabia, which sent Brent to its 

highest level since July 2008 

— when they were retreating 

from their record highs. 

However, Saudi officials 

later issued a statement denying 

the report, which eased 

costs slightly. 

TEL: 24601003, 24600586 • FAX: 24600736 

• WEBSITE: www.salalahport.com 

Prices have also been lifted 

by the upbeat outlook for the 

US economy, while easing European 

debt woes are also providing 

support. 

However, the increased 

cost of the black gold has led 

to caution among some dealers 

due to inflation fears. 

On currency markets the 

euro fetched $1.3275 and 

108.38 yen in Tokyo afternoon 

trade, compared with $1.3311 

DETROIT — US auto sales 

rose nearly 16 per cent in February 

and the annual sales rate 

leapt to its best level in four 

years, helped by a surprising 

sales gain by General Motors 

Co and strong results from 

Chrysler Group LLC and Ford 

Motor Co. 

For a second month in a 

row, sales surpassed even the 

most optimistic expectations. 

Analysts ascribed the gains 

partly to rising consumer confidence 

and upbeat US economic 

data. 

"That in itself is probably 

a big green-light indicator for 

consumers," said TrueCar.com 

analyst Jesse Toprak. "It's telling 

them it's OK to buy a car. 

You'll be fine." 

The annual sales rate, a 

closely watched industry 

yardstick, jumped to 15.1 million 

vehicles, according to 

Autodata, the best monthly 

showing since February 2008, 

before the financial crisis that 

sent Detroit into a tailspin. 

Analysts had expected an 

annual pace of 14 million vehicles, 

with the high estimate 

at 14.4 million. 

Vehicle sales rose 15.7 per 

cent to more than 1.1 million. 

The gains came even as fuel 

prices shot up 30 cents a gallon 

last month, which spurred 

compact car sales. Sales of 

Ford's Focus small car more 

than doubled in February. 

Toprak said the wider 

availability of financing last 

month helped some consumers 

offset the rising cost of 

fuel. American drivers also 

sought to replace their aging 

and 107.97 yen in New York. 

The dollar was changing 

hands at 81.65 yen 

against 81.10 yen in New 

York. 

Gold was at $1,714.50 an 

ounce at 0820 GMT, compared 

with $1,717.20 late on Thursday. 

In other markets, Manila 

surged 1.57 per cent, or 77.69 

points, to 5,016.30. 

The index closed at a new 

vehicles, which contributed to 

the better-than-expected sales 

performance. 

"There are a number of 

factors that are helping release 

this pent-up demand," GM's 

US sales chief, Don Johnson, 

told analysts on a conference 

call. "Perhaps the most encouraging 

sign is that home 

builders are becoming more 

optimistic." 

Some analysts and industry 

executives have said that the 

US auto sector will not recover 

significantly until US home 

prices pick up and consumers 

feel more prosperous. 

The auto industry is now 

in its third year of a fitful recovery 

from a severe slump 

that led to the bankruptcies of 

GM and Chrysler in 2009. The 

US industry was selling nearly 

17 million vehicles a year on 

average in the 10-year period 

ending in 2007. 

Last year, the industry sold 

12.8 million vehicles. 

Short-term fluctuations in 

fuel prices will not hurt demand 

for new vehicles this 

year, but they could influence 

consumer preferences on what 

record high above the psychological 

5,000-point level. 

Ron Rodrigo of DBP-Daiwa 

Securities told Dow Jones 

Newswires there were expectations 

that the Philippines 

may soon get a credit rating 

upgrade. 

This helped sustain positive 

sentiment, he said, a day after 

the central bank trimmed its 

key interest rates. 

Alliance Global added 1.18 

per cent to 11.98 pesos, Philippine 

Long Distance Telephone 

rose 0.63 per cent to 2,868 pesos 

and Metro Pacific Investments 

gained 2.54 per cent to 

3.63 pesos. 

Taipei rose 0.32 per cent, or 

25.70 points, to 8,144.04 

Chunghwa Telecom was 

0.44 per cent higher at Tw$92.2 

while Taiwan Semiconductor 

Manufacturing Co fell 0.12 per 

cent to Tw$80.0. 

Wellington rose 1.35 

per cent, or 44.95 points, to 

3,375.81. 

Sky City rose 1.8 per cent 

to NZ$3.87, its highest level 

since May 2008, Telecom added 

1.6 per cent to NZ$2.19 and 

Chorus was 1.8 per cent up at 

NZ$3.36. — AFP 

UK ‘bad bank’ repays £2.1bn to taxpayer 

LONDON — The British "bad 

bank" running down the loans 

of bailed-out lender Northern 

Rock repaid £2.1 billion ($3.4 

billion) to the government last 

year after its annual profits 

more than doubled as fewer 

home-owners had trouble with 

repayments. 

UK Asset Resolution 

(UKAR) is effectively a "zombie 

bank" that doesn't take 

new business and runs down 

the loans held by Northern 

Rock and Bradford & Bingley 

which had to be rescued when 

they ran into trouble in the 

credit crisis. 

UKAR still owes the gov- 

LONDON —British cleaning 

to pest control firm Rentokil 

Initial said problems at its 

struggling City Link parcels 

business would likely result in 

another loss for the division in 

2012, as it posted a 6 per cent 

drop in group full-year profit. 

Rentokil, which offers services 

from hiring work uniforms 

and tropical plants to catering 

and security, said 2011 adjusted 

pretax profit was £184.4 

million ($294.3 million), 

down 6 per cent from 2010 at 

constant exchange rates, but in 

ernment 46.6 billion pounds, 

down from 49.7 billion when it 

was formed in October 2010. 

line with consensus according 

to a Reuters poll. 

Despite aims to up productivity 

at City Link and cut 

costs, its drag on group profit 

has stretched to around four 

years. For 2011, it posted a 

bigger than expected operating 

loss of £31.3 million. 

Referring to it as "the problem 

child", Chief Executive 

Alan Brown said: "City Link 

continues to disappoint. However, 

we remain committed 

to resolving the key revenue 

and cost control issues fac- 

Richard Banks, UKAR 

CEO, said he expects to repay 

the majority of the remaining 

ing this business," before later 

conceding to reporters that he 

expected the division to make 

government loan over the next 

decade, with repayments accelerating 

as home loans are 

repaid. 

UKAR made an underlying 

profit of 1.1 billion pounds 

last year, up from 444 million 

in 2010, after a fall in losses on 

bad debts. 

Banks said arrears were 

likely to rise this year, even 

though low interest rates 

should prevent a major problem 

for customers. 

"We think interest rates are 

going to remain at the low level 

for the next 12 months, but 

there are still pressures on disposable 

income, which is go- 

another loss for 2012, albeit at 

lower levels than 2011. 

Asked if the group would 

ing to make life hard for some 

of our customers," he said. 

"We expect more customers to 

experience difficulties during 

2012." 

UKAR has 657,000 mortgage 

customers — down from 

726,000 a year earlier — and 

properties more than three 

months in arrears fell by 14 

per cent to 33,216 at the end of 

December. 

Banks said he was willing 

to sell portfolios of loans to accelerate 

the pace it repays the 

government, but interest from 

private equity firms and hedge 

funds had not been at attractive 

prices. — Reuters 

Rentokil struggles to deliver City Link turnaround 

consider selling City Link, 

Brown said: "Like all of our 

portfolio, it is not for sale, but 

it could of course be bought", 

adding that its new management 

team, brought in late last 

year, deserved time to turn it 

around. The FTSE 250 firm's 

decision to reinstate a dividend 

of 1.33 pence on the back of 

growth elsewhere in the group 

failed to lift the gloom as 

shares dropped 5 per cent to 

76.35 pence at 0940 GMT, 

making it the index's biggest 

faller. — Reuters 

US Feb auto sales rise to 

highest level in 4 years 

types of cars to buy, analysts 

said. Analysts are watching 

gasoline prices, which early 

last year contributed to a softening 

in the economy that 

nearly pushed it back into recession. 

Chrysler posted a February 

US sales increase of 40 per 

cent compared with the yearago 

period. Ford saw a 14 per 

cent rise, Volkswagen AG was 

up 42.5 per cent, Kia Motors 

Corp gained 37.3 per cent and 

Nissan Motor Co Ltd was up 

15.5 per cent. 

But sales of trucks and 

sport-utility vehicles were better 

than expected in February, 

analysts and executives said. 

This is in stark contrast to 

spending habits in 2008 when 

average gasoline prices first 

topped $4 a gallon, spurring a 

"mass defection" from trucks 

to smaller cars, said Al Castignetti, 

head of the Nissan 

brand in North America. 

"Every time it happens, 

up until this point, we've seen 

the exodus," he said. "Is the 

American public being conditioned 

to accept higher gas 

prices?" — Reuters

By Kabeer Yousuf 

THE Muscat International Airport 

expansion project, an 

ambitious undertaking conceived 

in line with the government’s 

Vision 2020 economic development 

Kunis to play 

Jacqueline? 

Page 13 

strategy, is making excellent headway, 

according to authorities. 

The project, upon completion by 

April 2014, will enable the Muscat 

International Airport to handle more 

than 12 million passengers annually. 

CAS Theatre Day from 

March 8 

Page 26 

Memory training 

for brain 

Page 27 

Extreme Sailing: Competing 

for glory on the water 

Page 28 

Fea ures 

Saturday, March 3, 2012 

Apparently the largest project undertaken in the history of the Sultanate by the 

Ministry of Transport and Communications, also encompasses the multi-million- 

multi-million- 

rial ATC Tower which is expected to be complete by October 2012. It is a part of 

the overall development and expansion of the Muscat International Airport (MIA) 

The project, 

upon 

completion 

by April 2014, 

will enable 

the Muscat 

International 

Airport 

to handle 

more than 

12 million 

passengers 

annually 

Apparently the largest project 

undertaken in the history of the Sultanate 

by the Ministry of Transport 

and Communications, also encompasses 

the multi-million-rial ATC 

Tower- Main Contract MC2 as well 

which is expected to be complete 

by October 2012. It is a part of the 

overall development and expansion 

of the Muscat International Airport 

(MIA). 

The works also involve construction 

of several buildings including 

the 3,710m 2 and 97m high ATC 

Tower, a Data Centre of 2,834m 2 , 

Crash Fire Rescue – 5,500m 2 , Air 

Traffic and Meteorology complex 

– 20,266m 2 , Contingency and 

Training – 6,000m 2 , Guard House 

ATM Complex – 17m 2 , ATM Complex 

Utility Yard – 200m 2 , C and 

T Centre Utility Yard – 180m 2 . In 

addition to the above edifices, the 

contract also includes an option for 

a Sea Rescue Building. 

Carillion Alawi, a well-known 

construction firm, is working on the 

project on a round-the-clock basis 

so as to complete it on schedule. 

London-based TPS, the engineering 

and architectural design arm of 

the Carillion Group, is the principal 

consultant for the MC2 package being 

undertaken by the Group on behalf 

of the ministry. 

Designed in keeping with the 

International Air Transport Association 

(IATA) Service Level A 

standards, the new Muscat International 

Airport will be able to accommodate 

the staggering number 

of passengers with the best overall 

experience when travelling in and 

out of Oman. 

The existing airport based on a 

design way back in 1973 has now 

reached its maximum capacity and 

the design of the new airport aims to 

meet the nation’s passenger growth 

numbers, according to a statement 

from the Oman Airports Management 

Authority. 

Muscat International Airport has 

in recent years experienced a period 

of healthy growth in passenger 

numbers, this positive and considerable 

growth is expected to continue 

for the foreseeable future. It is being 

driven by a number of factors including 

fleet and route expansion by 

the national carrier, Oman Air, and 

increase in capacity and frequency 

by the existing carriers. This in turn 

is being fuelled by the growth and 

development of the tourism industry 

within the country as well as 

strong commercial and economic 

activities. 

The project is part of the Sultanate’s 

plan to expand and upgrade 

Muscat International Airport. The 

Transport and Communications 

Ministry awarded an RO 706m 

($1.8bn) contract to a consortium 

of US’ Bechtel, Oman’s Bahwan 

Engineering and Turkey’s Enka to 

build the new passenger terminal 

at Muscat International airport. The 

new building will cover a total area 

of 300,000 square metres and will 

have a total capacity of 12 million 

passengers annually. 

Some of the new facilities and 

features of the new airport include a 

Passenger Terminal Building which 

Carven’s young designer 

keeps it real 

Page 13 

will be in accordance with the international 

standards, a 97 metre high 

Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, 

two runways, 28 contact gates, more 

than 7,000 parking spaces, dual 3 

lanes access road and striking landscaping 

along the access and at the 

entrance to the airport and new Passenger 

Terminal Building. COWI 

and Larsen, two popular names in 

the infrastructure arena, has formed 

COWI-Larsen Joint Venture to be 

the main consultant. 

An exemplary piece of architectural 

brilliance, the airport will 

not only be an attractive edifice to 

see but it has also a dynamic and 

functional structure, which has been 

designed to accommodate several 

future expansion stages. 

Several elements of comfort and 

convenience have all been carefully 

considered in order to provide passengers 

with the highest standards 

of comfort and to make their experience 

at Muscat International Airport 

remarkable. This concept has indeed 

helped the authorities to design the 

new Passenger Terminal Building 

in such a way that it will let light to 

travel through large spaces. 

The project also includes some 

70 buildings apart from the terminal, 

including a 97 metre high control 

tower and an Air Traffic Management 

Centre. Furthermore, the 

existing runway is to be upgraded 

and supplemented with a new runway. 

Both runways will be able 

to serve the world’s largest aircraft, 

the Airbus 380. The project 

includes additional 30 remote 

stands. The project also includes 

multi-level parking facilities and a 

highway to the airport. 

Keeping future expansion in 

mind, the new airport is designed in 

such a way that the second stage expansion 

can handle 24 million passengers 

annually, followed by 36 

million and 48 million in the third 

and fourth phases respectively. 

— Pictures by Faisal al 

Balushi

26 SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 

Islamic titles attract visitors at book fair 

By Hasan Kamoonpuri 

THE 17th Muscat International 

Book Fair (MIBF) 

(February 29-March 9), 

which has seen a record visitor 

turnout, is clearly different 

from its previous editions because 

of its unprecedented variety 

of books on Islamic thought 

and culture. 

The visitors as well as exhibitors 

say the renewed interest 

in such titles is due to the geopolitical 

changes in the Middle 

East in recent times. “There 

is a huge demand for titles on 

Islamic thought following the 

continued wave of Arab Spring 

or Islamic awakening,” said 

Ahmad, Manager at one of the 

Egyptian stalls. 

Two publishers, namely 

Goodword and Darussalam 

Int’l Islamic Bookshop in Ibn 

Durid Hall have a huge collection 

of titles on Islamic thought 

and worldview. In addition, the 

stalls from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, 

WINDOW ON 

OMAN 

By Mohammed Anwar al 

Balushi 

morwared@hotmail.com 

Iran, Lebanon, Tunisia, India, 

and Oman have titles on topics 

of interest to both Muslims and 

non-Muslims. 

The Goodword, an Important 

Indian publishing house, 

offers some books such as the 

Life of the Prophet Muhammad 

(PBUH), The Story of Islamic 

Spain, Islam at the crossroads, 

Islamic medicine, Decisive Moments 

in the History of Islam, 

and Greatest Stories from the 

Holy Quran. 

Established in 1970 by Wahiduddin 

Khan, a leading Islamic 

scholar, the Goodword 

tries to create special rapport 

with the children by bringing 

out for them picture and storybooks 

with exquisite illustrations 

based on the guidance and 

ideas taken from the Quran. 

Some of the useful titles 

from Darussalam Int’l Islamic 

Bookshop include 100 Ahadith 

about Islamic Manners, A Brief 

Guide to Understand Islam, 

A Day in the Life of a Muslim 

THE former CEO of National Bank of Oman, Ayben 

Hill, once told me: “Change the change before the 

change changes you”. I still remember that whenever 

I hear people discussing ‘Change’. 

People look at change from two angles: Some see it as 

an 'opportunity' for those who are willing to change, and for 

some others it comes across as a 'threat' where people don’t 

want change. It is a matter of mindset and viewpoint that 

makes people to go for change or to oppose change. 

The question is how can the change be managed. Even 

if people don’t like the change, it is bound to happen. As a 

wise man once said, "Change is the only constant in life". 

Change comes in many shapes and forms; it can be a 

change in people, technology, culture, environment, and so 

on. For example, when a fresh graduate enters the job field, 

the whole world is new for him. Indeed, it is a great change 

for him. 

Oman presents a big change for expatriates who come 

from different countries to take from and give to the country 

and society. Some of them come to the country excited as 

they want to see change in their lifestyle, income and standard 

of living. Some others do not like to come out from their 

comfort zones, where they have spent their earlier life. 

The conservative-minded people do not like technology 

when it is newly introduced. They are generally afraid of 

using it. However, the changes are going to take place anyway 

and technology will gradually replace most of the paper 

work in offices. 

History is full of stories of continuous changes. We can 

see changes all around us in the way of working at offices, 

the style of living for people, the way of thinking and the 

way of doing businesses. In the age of information, all these 

changes are coming faster than before. The change is always 

there and people are subject to continual change of 

one form or another. 

Change brings forward many opportunities for people. 

What can be the opportunity for an individual who decides 

to leave his own country and go abroad to work? Once he 

reaches his destination, he might face many changes (culture, 

language, tradition, way of living and the way of working 

in the organisations). The opportunities which are hidden 

in such process are: the learning, the experience, the 

revelation, and interface with different people. It will be 

easy for him to bring new changes for his own country once 

he returns. He will become one of the open-minded persons 

where he can observe and think more widely and strategically 

on different issues. On the other side, some threats are 

there where people are afraid of accepting such changes. 

They think that their dignity might be lost, their culture 

might be changed and mixed, and their language might become 

dead and vanished. 

The essential in change is how to manage the 'opportunity' 

and the 'threat'. According to the article titled 'Leading 

Change, Its 24-7' by Kevin Dwyer, some people react to 

change along a conservative line, waiting until the last moment 

to adopt to change. They resist change at every turn, 

believing in the intrinsic value of tradition; they tend to be 

backward looking, remembering the “old good days” and 

ignoring the here and now. This reminds me of an entrepreneur 

from Japan who was invited to BBC for the 'Hard 

talk' programme in which he said that he wanted to bring a 

change in his company by introducing a new system, but 

most of the employees were not in favour of it and resisted 

the change. When he was asked what did he do with those 

employees? He replied; “Let them die for a while”. He 

added, no matter how much they resist but the change will 

occur and they will appreciate it. 

In conclusion, the change is a must. People will have to 

give up one day their current processes, systems and their 

mentality. The new generation will definitely opt for a newer, 

faster and a continuously changing world. 

child, A Treatise on Hijab, Basic 

Principles of Islam, Beautiful 

Names of Allah, and the 

Encyclopaedia of Islamic Jurisprudence. 

Also available at Darussalam 

Int’l Islamic Bookshop 

is a range of computers for 

children with Holy Quran and 

duas (supplications) for chil- 

JINNAH House (Boys) and 

Sir Syed House (Girls) 

showed enthusiasm and 

remarkable teamwork to 

elevate their houses in winning 

the Annual Inter House 

Athletics 2012 at Pakistan 

School Muscat (PCM). All 

the four houses, Jinnah, 

Johar, Sir Syed and Iqbal 

athletes exhibited tremendous 

performance levels in their 

alotted sports events. 

The athletes were honoured 

by the presence of the 

Chief Guest H E Nawabzada 

Amin Ullah Khan Raisani, 

dren, which serve as great educational 

toys. One of the visitors 

said a book entitled Islamic 

Awakening between Rejection 

and Extremism by Shaikh 

Yusuf al Qaradawi shows that 

after geopolitical changes in 

Tunisia and Egypt people have 

opted for moderate Islam. The 

Muslim youth are demanding 

Ambassador of Pakistan to the 

Sultanate of Oman, Chairman 

BOD Zia ul Haq Siddiqui, 

BODs and Principal PSM Muhammad 

Zakariya Babur. The 

winners were awarded medals 

and trophies by the chief guest. 

The overall runner up houses 

were Johar House (Boys) and 

Jinnah House (Girls). The best 

athlete were Waqas Illyas and 

Zainab Saeed. 

Tug-of-War: There was 

tough competition in the tugof-war 

between Johar House 

and Sir Syed House with Johar 

finally winning the event. 

dignity, pride, honour and a 

system of governance based on 

Islamic principles. 

In this important book, Al 

Qaradawi examines the worldwide 

revival of Islamic interest 

and attempts to explain why 

this has led to the rise of moderate 

Islam. 

Dr Yusuf says Allah (SWT) 

Parents and teachers also participated 

in the event with the 

teachers being beaten by the 

parents. 

Long Jump: Waqas Illyas 

from the Sir Syed House 

won the First position while 

Mustafa Ali, Jinnah House 

stood 2nd. In the girls category 

Rabia Shahid, Jinnah House, 

secured the position while 

Hagar Abdus Sami, Johar 

House, got the 2nd position. 

Short put: Amir Khan, 

Iqbal House, got 1st position 

while Asif Ali-Iqbal House 

stood 2nd. In the girls Jozita 

has entrusted the Muslim Ummah 

with a great mission to 

lead humanity to the right path 

of truth, justice, and progress. 

The World Forum for Proximity 

of Islamic Schools of 

Thought, an important organisation 

from Iran, is also participating 

in the book fair with titles 

such as Unity of the Islamic 

World: Vision of the future, 

Islam the Misunderstood Religion, 

The Messenger, Muhammad 

(PBUH) in the Mirror of 

Islam, Glimpses of the Prophet’s 

Life, Doctrine of Islam, G 

B Shaw on Islam, and Women’s 

rights and Responsibilities in 

an Islamic System. In addition, 

there are many titles on the topic 

of world unity in Arabic. 

Similarly, there is a huge 

collection of books on the 

Saudi and Egyptian stalls on Islamic 

culture, Holy Quran and 

Hadith of Prophet Muhammad 

(PBUH). 

— Pictures by Hasan 

Kamoonpuri 

Alexander-Johar House stood 

1st and Rabia Shahid-Jinnah 

House, took the 2nd place. 

Javelin Throw: Adil 

Habib, Jinnah House, got 1st 

position while Mohsin Ashraf- 

Sir Syed House stood second. 

Zainab Saeed, Jinnah House, 

stood 1st while Rida Shahzad 

the 2nd position. 

Discuss Throw: Asif Ill- 

Yas, Sir Syed House, got 1st 

position while Waqas Illyas 

from the same house got 2nd. 

Zainab Saeed, Jinnah House, 

stood 1st while Wajiha-Iqbal 

House got 2nd position. 

Pak School Salalah graduation ceremony held 

A GRADUATION 

ceremony was held at 

the Pakistan School Salalah 

recently. Nawabzada Amin 

Ullah Khan, Ambassador 

of Pakistan to Sultanate 

of Oman, graced the 

occasion as Chief Guest. 

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq 

Siddiqi, Chairman Board of 

Directors, Pakistan Schools 

in Oman, Muhammad 

Zakriya Babur, Principal 

of PSM, Raja Muhammad 

Ashraf, Chairman SMC, 

members of SMC and a large 

number of parents added to 

the spectacular programme 

with their presence. The 

programme was hosted by 

Tariq Abbas and Muhammad 

Jamil Malik. 

Students also performed 

Kalam-e-Iqbal and national 

songs. 

Shields and awards with 

cash prizes were given to the 

position holders. Iqra Hafiz 

and Tahreem Tariq were 

given special trophies for 

being the Top Ten students in 

FBISE, SSC-I, 2011. 

“Our talented student 

Anam Ashraf was highly applauded 

for her commendable 

performance as she topped 

in the whole Gulf region. All 

those Teachers who produced 

splendid results in FBISE 

Exams were awarded letters 

of appreciation,” Muzaffar 

Ali, Principal PSS, said 

while throwing some light on 

their past achievements and 

performance of students. 

“It was a simple great 

show,” said the ambassador 

in his presidential address. He 

also appreciated the efforts 

of the students, teachers, 

principal and the management 

committee for showing good 

results and advised them to 

work even harder in the days 

to come. He exhorted the students 

to follow the discipline 

even in their routine life. 

In the end mementos were 

presented to Nawabzada 

Amin Ullah Khan, Chairman 

BOD, and other distinguished 

guests. The memorable 

ceremony ended with the 

National Anthem. 

WINDOW 

By Salim bin 

Hamad al Jahwari 

Transparency from 

slogan to reality 

CORRUPTION is more hazardous than narcotics and 

pollutants; it poses greater threat than any other ills 

of the modern age. Corruption strikes deep into the fabric 

of the society causing it to tear apart. 

Corruption has always been the most serious disease 

to afflict any society, its effect becomes worse particularly 

in a predominantly materialised age like the one we 

are living in. This materialistic tendency imposes on individuals 

many evils and the most prominent is to make 

money by hook or by crook. 

The nation’s resources should be preserved for posterity. 

They have a right to enjoy the revenues of agriculture 

and industry. However, this can be realised only 

in a totally transparent climate. Without transparency the 

resources would be wasted and the interests of the people 

would be delayed. 

When transparency disappears, advantages go to those 

who don’t deserve, dirty transactions prevail to the interest 

of the influential and self-interest groups. Transparency 

is truly a protective shield against a wide range of 

malpractices. 

We should admit that the ripple effect of corruption 

has spread everywhere especially in the service departments. 

To deny this means to murder transparency and to 

encourage the corrupt who are unluckily great in number, 

and they have placed their personal interest above all 

considerations. Let’s bear in mind that transparency is 

the sole salvation and the only way to ensure a healthy 

community. 

To ensure transparency and to combat corruption, we 

need to make public the names of those who breach the 

law and commit crimes against society be it a major one 

or minor. Only in this way the members of the community 

can be assured that corruption is besieged and contained. 

Transparency should be enhanced and improved in a 

way that makes it more effective and able to stem wrongdoing 

and disclose undercurrent malpractices. 

The people have lost patience with corruption and 

tthey 

are no longer capable of bearing it as they did in 

tthe 

past as they have taken the example of communities 

tthat 

rose against those who robbed them of their wealth 

aand 

dedicated the political power to serve their individual 

interests. 

Transparency ensures that the citizens will have their 

transactions done for them seamlessly without suffering 

and without the need for someone to facilitate their every 

procedure. 

They want to make sure that the government services 

such as health, education, jobs and land distribution are 

available to them and their children in the future without 

suffering to access these services and without applying 

deceitful methods. 

In order to stem out corruption proper monitoring approaches 

should be adopted in conjunction with scientific 

methods that help detect corruption cases. 

CAS Theatre Day 

from March 8 

COLLEGES of Applied Sciences (CAS) is organising 

Theatre Day competitions from March 8 to 11 at Sohar 

College of Applied Sciences. There will be participation 

from all the six CAS colleges locations in Nizwa, Sur, 

Ibri, Rustaq, Sohar and Salalah. University of Sharjah, 

Buraimi University College and College of Technology 

Shinas are also participating in the competition. 

Ananya Satish 

Oman Daily Observer would like to take the lead in sharing the joy with its 

readers. Send us a colour photograph of your baby (below 10 years) along 

with name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’ names. 

Send in your baby’s picture and other details to: editor@omanobserver. 

om; featuredesk@yahoo.co.in or Kids Corner, Oman Daily Observer, 

P O Box 974, PC 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

PEOPLE’S 

PLATFORM 

WITH yet another edition 

of Muscat Festival now 

coming to an end, many 

families — Omani and expatriate 

alike — will now have to look for 

other ways to entertain and amuse 

themselves especially on weekends. 

The festival afforded a splendid 

opportunity for thousands of 

people to spend their evenings and 

weekends amid carnival-like settings 

that offered visitors of all ages 

the chance to relax and enjoy themselves. 

What will be sorely missed 

is the kaleidoscopic nature of such 

festivals — the mix of amusement, 

entertainment, music, dance, good 

food, shopping, discovery, learning, 

and so on. Clearly, the general 

public would welcome more such 

events spread through the year to 

encourage people to step out of 

their homes and thereby wean them 

away from the TV screens. 

— Brenda Lobo 

Editor: Thankfully, the closing 

of the Muscat Festival coincides 

with the start of the Muscat International 

Book Fair, which provides 

another great opportunity for 

people to enrich themselves, albeit 

literally. 

Entry ticket disparity 

MUSCAT Festival visitors 

entering the Qurum Natural 

Park through Marah Amusement 

Land had to cough up 300 baisas 

as the entry free (as opposed to the 

festival entry charge of 200 baisas 

for an adult). This seemed unfair 

because those entering the festival 

venue via the main or rear gates 

could still access Marah Land’s 

amusement facilities by gaining 

access through a back gate without 

having to pay any additional entry 

charge. When I showed my festival 

entry ticket at the Marah Land 

entrance, I was turned away by 

the staff and asked to buy another 

ticket for 300 baisas. Consequently, 

I ended up paying 500 baisas to 

gain entry into the festival venue, 

while thousands of others simply 

had to pay 200 baisas (per adult) 

for access not only to the Qurum 

Park but also Marah Land. Clearly, 

this duplicity leaves a bad taste in 

the mouth. 

— Antonia Ferreira 

Editor: Muscat Municipality 

should look into this apparent disparity. 

Eschew recklessness when 

celebrating sporting victories 

WHILE Oman’s sensational 

win over Thailand in the 

World Cup qualifiers last week 

did merit the unbridled jubilation 

that it inevitably provoked, what 

it did not warrant was the public 

exhibition of this joy in often 

reckless ways. For example, it was 

not uncommon to see ecstatic fans 

perched perilously on flag-draped 

cars that sped crazily through the 

streets. Worse, children as young 

27 

LETTERS/HEALTH SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 

All good things must come to an end 

LET’S TALK 

HEALTH 

Maryam Khalfan 

healthtalk2012@gmail.com 

Preventing common 

cold or flu 

WHENEVER a change in weather is experienced, 

a lot of people tend to develop some kind of 

sniffling and sneezing due to a common cold 

or flu. But, considering the fact that viruses responsible 

for causing cold and flu infections are contagious, it is 

significantly important to be acquainted with the basic 

knowledge of how, to a certain degree, the flu related illnesses 

can be controlled. 

For instance, if we are to learn from the experience 

of the UK’s 2009 Public health campaign that came up 

with a catchy phrase to caution people about the spread of 

swine flu with a simple slogan like: Catch it, Bin it, Kill 

it. I am certain that some contagious infections like the 

seasonal flu can, to some extent, be controlled. 

I do not mean to say that we should imitate the same 

slogan. But we may probably adopt the idea by coming 

up with a catchy phrase that suits our society. For example, 

an incident that happened to an eight-year-old girl 

who was travelling with a team of visiting relatives from 

the UK can be cited. 

The girl sneezed and coughed on and she had 

no tissue or handkerchief at the moment. So she 

coughed onto her shoulder as had been nurtured by her 

parents. Unfortunately, two other people were sitting by 

her side. 

Since the other UK kids were familiar with the concept 

through regular practice, they at once advised her 

to: Catch it, Bin it, Kill it in a repeated rhythm. In fact, 

it was at that juncture that the little girl and her family 

were inspired by the motive to learn and adopt the concept 

to ‘Catch the virus with tissue whenever they either 

coughed or sneezed, Throw the tissue in a Bin and Kill it 

by washing hands’. 

However, since the cold and flu viruses cannot be 

completely avoided; especially if a person has not been 

immunised against the seasonal flu viruses, adopting the 

concept of practicing good hygiene can help control the 

disease. 

Since the viruses responsible for causing flu and cold 

are mainly transmitted by contact with either an infected 

person or other objects, developing the habit of regular 

hand wash is medically preached. 

It is also strongly advisable to cover mouth and nose 

with a tissue or a handkerchief while sneezing, coughing 

in order to avoid further spread of the virus and to protect 

those around you from getting infected. 

It is equally important that used tissue papers should 

be disposed of with care in the trash bin. For those who 

prefer to use handkerchiefs, it is advisable to wash it in 

hot water. Likewise, in case you sneeze or cough into the 

hands, wash them immediately. 

Also avoid touching face, mouth and nose especially 

if someone within your proximity is infected or if you get 

exposed to touching objects and other surfaces in public 

places. 

For hygienic measures, while travelling carry 

some antiseptic wipes or a sanitiser gel. It is equally 

wise to maintain a healthy and strong immunity against cold 

and flu virus preferably by eating healthy foods and to have 

a good night sleep of least seven to eight hours daily. 

Also avoid touching face, mouth, eyes and nose to 

prevent the possibility of contracting the illness from 

other objects and surfaces. Regularly exercise in limitations 

to enhance the body’s immune-system and try to 

reduce the stress levels. 

Equally important is the concept of maintaining a good 

hydration level of the body by drinking a lot of lukewarm 

or normal room temperature water. 

According to medical experts, drinking a lot of water 

helps to flush away the cold and flu viruses from the 

throat to the stomach where such viruses cannot survive. 

Also, considering the fact that the cold and flu viruses 

are heat sensitive and they rapidly multiply in cool environment, 

practicing an appropriate hygiene and avoiding 

exposure to cold drinks and environment can help avoid 

the infection. 

as eight emerged from sunroofs 

as their euphoric daddies honked 

horns and generally whizzed 

around in their vehicles. Such 

displays of joy have been part 

of our landscape for so many 

decades, but given the horrific toll 

that our roads reap in fatalities 

and injuries, I think it’s important 

for us to exercise more sense 

on the roads when our national 

teams score big in their respective 

arenas. 

— Hisham Ahmed 

Editor: True, there are plentiful 

Do you have a word of appreciation for any services you received? Or suggestions for improvement? Observer is 

giving you an opportunity to rant or rave about anything and everything around you: Please write to: 

Badr Mohammed al Thanawi, Executive Co-ordinator, Office of the Editor-in-Chief 

Tel: 24649451, Fax: 24649469; e-mail: featuredesk@yahoo.co.in 

Memory training can overcome forgetfulness 

IF you can’t recall where 

you have placed your car 

keys or reading glasses, 

chances are that memory 

training could help. 

Memory training can even 

re-engage the hippocampus, 

part of the brain critical for 

memory formation, according 

to the findings by the 

Emory University School of 

Medicine, which is conducting 

studies into mild cognitive 

impairment (MCI). 

MCI is meant to identify 

those at increased risk 

of Alzheimer’s disease. Such 

people have difficulty forming 

new memories but are still 

able to handle daily tasks, because 

of impaired function in 

brain parts including the hippocampus, 

the journal Hippocampus 

reports. 

Researchers at Emory and 

Atlanta Veterans Medical 

Centre have been investigating 

memory-building strategies 

for people with MCI. 

The techniques used in the 

study were known to be effective 

for healthy people, 

but it has been uncertain how 

they could affect brain function 

in people with MCI. 

“Our results suggest that 

these strategies can help 

patients remember specific 

information, such as 

the locations of objects,” 

says Benjamin Hampstead, 

neuropsychologist and assistant 

professor of rehabilitation 

medicine at Emory, 

according to an Emory statement. 

“This is the first randomised 

controlled trial to 

show that these techniques 

are not only effective in MCI 

patients, but that they can also 

re-engage the hippocampus, 

which is a brain region that 

is critical for forming new 

memories,” said Hampstead. 

Both brain halves vital: 

Whenever we are engaged in 

a task, one half of our brain 

is more active than the other 

— but some problems require 

both halves to work together 

to find a solution. Researchers 

in Germany are investigating 

how such specialisations and 

co-operations arise. 

Based on a pigeon-model, 

Martina Manns and Juliane 

Romling of the Ruhr-Universität 

Bochum, in Germany, 

are proving for the first time 

experimentally that the ability 

to combine complex impres- 

sions from both halves depends 

on environmental factors 

in the embryonic stage, 

the journal Nature Communications 

reports. 

Within the egg, bird embryos 

always turn their head 

in such a way that one eye is 

turned close to the eggshell, 

and the other one is covered 

by the body. This causes an 

asymmetrical light stimulation, 

which influences developmental 

processes in both 

brain halves, according to a 

statement of Ruhr-Universität 

Bochum. 

Manns uses this mechanism 

for her experiment. One 

group of embryos hatch in a 

lighted incubator, another one 

in complete darkness. The results 

show that information 

exchange is impaired without 

light-stimulation. 

This research sheds light 

on the origin of communication 

processes in the brain. 

Developmental disorders like 

ADHD or autism are characterised 

by a deviating pattern 

between the two brain 

halves. 

Therefore, there is a 

possibility that the results 

may help to understand those 

disorders and open the way 

for better therapeutic approaches. 

— IANS 

Long term diabetics exposed to triple stroke-risk 

PEOPLE suffering from 

diabetes for 10 years or 

more face triple the risk of 

stroke, compared to nondiabetics, 

says a new study. 

This is the first study to 

examine whether the length 

of time a man or woman has 

type 2 diabetes impacts the risk 

of ischemic stroke, which is 

the commonest type of stroke 

caused by blocked blood flow 

to the brain. “The findings 

emphasise the chronic nature 

of diabetes and the fact that it 

damages the blood vessels over 

time,” said Mitchell SV Elkind, 

senior study author from the 

Columbia University Medical 

Center, New York City, the 

journal Stroke reported. 

“Although stroke rates have 

DEPRESSION which clouds the 

prospects of millions of people 

worldwide may actually be ‘hard-wired’ 

into our brains to combat disease, a study 

reveals. 

The radical new theory being proposed 

by a pair of psychiatrists suggests 

that genetic variations promoting depression 

may be a by-product of our ancestors’ 

ability to fight infection. 

“Most of the genetic variations that 

have been linked to depression turn out 

to affect the function of the immune system,” 

said Andrew Miller, professor of 

psychiatry and behavioural sciences at 

Emory University. 

“This led us to rethink why depression 

seems to stay embedded in the genome,” 

added Miller, the journal Molecular Psychiatry 

reported. 

“The basic idea is that depression 

been declining overall, the increase 

in diabetes incidence 

over the same period may lead 

to a higher overall stroke burden 

in the future,” said Elkind, 

also associate chairman of neu- 

rology for clinical research and 

training at Columbia. 

As part of the Northern 

Manhattan Study (NOMAS), 

researchers followed 3,298 

people (average age 69) who 

and the genes that promote it were very 

adaptive for helping people — especially 

young children — not die of infection in 

the ancestral environment, even if those 

same behaviours are not helpful in our 

relationships with other people,” said 

had never had a stroke, according 

to a university statement. 

Nearly 22 per cent of participants 

had type 2 diabetes at 

the start of the study. After an 

average nine years of followup, 

an additional 10 per cent 

developed diabetes. 

After considering other factors 

such as age, smoking history, 

physical activity, history 

of heart disease, blood pressure 

and cholesterol, researchers 

said that compared to people 

without diabetes, the risk of 

stroke increased 70 per cent in 

people with diabetes for less 

than five years; 80 per cent in 

people with diabetes for five to 

10 years; and three-fold in people 

with diabetes for 10 years 

or more. 

Is depression byproduct of our ability to fight infection? 

Miller’s colleague Charles Raison, from 

the University of Arizona. 

Infection was the major cause of death 

in humans’ early history, so surviving infection 

was a key determinant in whether 

someone was able to pass on his or her 

genes, said a university statement. 

Evolution and genetics have bound 

together depressive symptoms and bodily 

responses that were selected on the basis 

of reducing mortality from infection. 

Fever, fatigue/inactivity, social avoidance 

and anorexia can all be seen as adaptive 

behaviours in light of the need to contain 

infection, they study authors wrote. 

Similarly, a disruption of sleep patterns 

can be seen in both mood disorders 

and when the immune system is activated. 

This may come from our ancestors’ need 

to stay on alert to fend off predators after 

injury, Miller said. 

ways to celebrate and demonstrate 

our joy when our national teams 

triumph. Celebrations should never 

be an occasion for tragedy and 

grief, which inevitably follow suit 

when we go overboard. 

Road projects must address 

chokepoints 

WHILE the authorities 

announced with much 

fanfare the opening of the 

new intersection (in place of a 

roundabout) just outside the new 

Muscat Grand Mall in Bausher, 

motorists found the announcement 

premature. On the face of things, 

the new intersection does suggest 

a significant streamlining of 

traffic flows, but unfinished road 

work barely 20 yards away serves 

to choke traffic leading to Bausher 

roundabout. 

In fact, four lanes of traffic 

must squeeze into one-and-half 

lanes at this chokepoint, resulting 

in frustrating moments for motorists. 

One only dreads what traffic 

problems are in store when Muscat 

Grand Mall starts to pull in major 

crowds when it is fully functional. 

— Malik Hassan. 

Editor: Perhaps, if we’re a little 

patient and give the contractor 

concerned time to finish his 

work, we should then be able to 

judge the overall efficacy of this 

project. 

HEALTHY 

FOODS 

By Mini Padikkal 

We are what we eat 

FOOD is what makes us what we are. It affects the shape of 

our body and helps us to grow into adults. Unfortunately, 

not all food is good for us. Some foods are of little nutritional 

value and high in fat, sugar and calories. Such foods are 

known as ‘junk foods’ or ‘fast foods’. These foods are cheap 

and convenient but they contain harmful synthetic chemicals. 

The unwise change in food habits of people are causing 

major health problems in Oman. Traditional Omani diet is 

healthy with more locally available fish, chicken, eggs, rice, 

salad, fruits, vegetables, yoghurt and dates. But with the increasing 

popularity of ‘fast food’ outlets in Oman, the eating 

habits of Omani youth are also changing to a highly processed 

diet which is high in sugar, fat and salt. Health officials have 

expressed concern about the long term impact of ‘ junk’ food 

consumption on public health in Oman. A look at the contents 

in shopping baskets will surely show fake fruit drinks (mostly 

refined sugar and citric acid and not much fruit) fizzy drinks 

(1 cup of sugar in a can of coke) spongy cakes (refined flour, 

sugar and fat), bags of potato chips (high amount of salt and 

hydrogenated fats which is not at all good for health). These 

kinds of food put people at a higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes, 

high blood pressure and high cholesterol level in blood. 

Harmful effects 

‘Junk food’ has been identified as a major cause of heart 

diseases including myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest and 

atherosclerosis. This is because junk food contains excessive 

amount of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and cholesterol 

that get deposited on the inner linings of blood vessels. 

This results in formation of plaques in the arteries and the 

heart is then required to put an extra effort for pumping 

blood through the arteries. 

Most of the junk food is not in the natural state because of 

the processing procedure. Junk foods such as candy, chips, 

cakes, candy bar, chewing gum and ice cream are usually 

added with chemical preservatives and synthetic vitamins. 

The purpose of this is to prolong their shelf life and thus 

help to reduce costs. 

A negative effect of junk food on children is rapid weight 

gain, often leading to excessive weight and sometimes obesity. 

Children are getting addicted to these kinds of foods. 

For example, candy, chips, soft drinks, french fries and 

other fried foods, pizza, burgers, baked items, ice creams 

etc, can provide hundreds of calories per day. 

Most fast food restaurants use hydrogenated fats to deepfry 

their foods because they have a long shelf life. The bad 

thing about hydrogenated fat is that when heated to high 

temperatures for a certain amount of time, it undergoes a 

chemical transformation and becomes carcinogenic. 

Amongst the dangerous ingredients found in junk foods 

are genetically modified ingredients (GM ingredients). 

Research indicates that genetically modified foods lead to 

birth defects, organ failure, infertility and cancer. 

Junk foods do not contain any nutrients that are beneficial 

to the human body. The foods are filled with harmful carbohydrates, 

fats and cholesterol that do not provide any useful 

energy. As a result, consuming junk food reduces the level 

of essential nutrients thereby causing weakness in the body. 

Even liver gets damaged due to the presence of ingredients 

such as fat, cholesterol and salt inside the junk foods. 

Junk foods also cause damage to the pancreas resulting in 

insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). 

If we do not take care, we will see a difference to the health 

of our children and grandchildren in the next 20 years caused 

by poor diet choices now! The good news is that we can turn 

back the clock and make a difference now to our health by 

eating simple, healthy, homemade food and by taking time off 

for exercise. There is a need to educate people to change over 

to healthy foods because youth mostly rely on junk foods. 

School canteens should not sell junk food but supply only balanced 

food to students. We can call for a total ban of junk 

foods at least in school canteens, to protect youngsters from 

diabetes and other related problems in future. 

The food industry has conditioned us to buy what they 

want us to eat, but we have the power to change that. If we do 

not buy salty snacks, sweets and highly packaged ready-made 

food, the food industry will have to change and sell the simple, 

healthy food that we want. 

(Note: The writer is a dietician at 

Atlas star Medical Centre, Al Khuwair, Muscat.)

ON the penultimate day of 

the Extreme Sailing Series, 

Muscat, the competition 

turned up a notch between the Oman 

flagged teams, who have both made 

a big impression on the leaderboard 

as they climb ever closer to the top of 

the podium. 

The teams had additional incentive 

on Wednesday, with His Highness 

Sayyid Tareq bin Shabib al Said 

showing his support for the Omani 

teams, as well as members of Oman’s 

national football team present, fresh 

from world cup qualifying win. 

Starting the day in third place 

behind their team-mate Oman Air, 

The Wave, Muscat were continually 

chipping away at the points on 

the leaderboard, steadily closing the 

gap between the two teams. A great 

race start followed by an incredible 

win for The Wave, Muscat in race 

seven was what they needed to tie 

the two Omani teams on points as 

they went into the final race of the 

day, mounting the pressure on their 

team-mates. 

Oman Air, however were not going 

to make it easy for The Wave, 

Muscat, and came back fighting, 

securing a win in the final race, and 

reclaiming a four point advantage 

on their team-mates at the end of the 

day. Nasser al Mashari, Oman Air’s 

Bowman, reflected on the competition 

between them and their teammates. 

“The competition was intense 

between us and The Wave, Muscat 

today. I am happy that the Omani 

teams are both fighting at the top 

of the leaderboard but obviously 

we want Oman Air to come out on 

top! Two Omani flags on the podium 

would be a perfect end to the event. 

We will try our hardest tomorrow for 

all the spectators here and we hope 

people will come to support us.” 

Oman Sail were honoured to welcome 

His Highness Sayyid Tareq bin 

Shabib al Said to The Wave, Muscat, 

a keen sportsman himself, who 

joined Oman Air on the water during 

racing. His Highness has supported 

the Oman Sail projects since its infancy, 

as Nasser explained: 

“I am so proud to have the support 

of His Highness. He has followed 

our progress for the last few 

Omani, Indian designers team up for a cause 

INDIAN and Omani fashion designers came together 

to create awareness against female infanticide 

through a fashion show that supported the Save The 

Girl Child initiative in New Delhi. 

From film-maker Akbar Khan, singer Anoop Jalota 

to model Diana Hayden and cartoonist Sudhir Tailang 

walked the ramp on Wednesday to support the cause. 

"I am a very strong believer of this because Prophet 

Mohammad (PBUH) stood for this cause. In ancient 

Arabia, the moment a girl child was born they would 

bury her alive and he is the man who created awareness 

against it," Akbar Khan said. 

Omani designer Anisa al Zadjaliya (pictured) 

showcased a collection dedicated to confident women, 

which included a variety of heavily embroidered salwar 

suits in bright colours with the dupatta draped in 

traditional Islamic style. 

Her show was followed Indian designers Pallavi 

Mohan, Zubair Kirami and Sulakshana Monga — they 

presented a range of dresses and gowns dedicated to 

modern women. 

Diana, who walked the ramp as the showstopper, 

said: "The more awareness created, better it is. It is disgusting 

to see so much female infanticide happening. 

It is important to attract attention, whether it is through 

fashion or any other medium. 

"It is lovely that Oman has collaborated with Indian 

designers. If other foriegn countries get involved, 

it would be great. By doing this if you can save one life 

its so worth it." 


years and to be able to offer him the 

chance to sail with the team makes 

us all feel very honoured.” 

As two of Oman’s national teams 

campaign for glory on the water, 

back on dry land, Oman’s national 

football team ended Thailand's 

World Cup dream with a win in 

Muscat. Fresh from their 2-0 victory 

which will secure the teams place in 

the next round of qualifying for the 

2014 World Cup, defender Saad al 

Mukhaini and the teams coach, Paul 

Le Guen made a special appearance 

at The Wave, Muscat to support the 

Oman Sail teams. 

Saad and Paul went head-to-head 

on the Oman Sail boats, and after 

sailing with Oman Air, Saad said: “It 

was like a relief to come here after 

the hectic match yesterday, and it 

was such a great and new experience 

for me to sail with such great 

sailors! I was amazed at the speed of 

the boat and I wish the Omani teams 

the best of luck tomorrow — I hope 

they can both be on the podium and I 

give them my full encouragement to 

play hard.” 

Hashim al Rashisi, The Wave, 

Muscat’s Bowman was thrilled to 

sail with the national teams coach, 

Frenchman Paul Le Guen. “It was 

fantastic to have the Omani football 

coach onboard with us today — he 

has sailed before but never on an Extreme 

40 so it was great to be able to 

offer him that experience! 

“I'm extremely proud of our 

national football team and their 

achievements and we hope that we 

as an Omani team can continue the 

winning and finish in first place.” 

Before racing, the team on The 

Wave, Muscat welcomed the seven 

winners of the ‘Extreme Colours’ 

colouring competition to the boat, 

giving the young budding sailors the 

chance to meet the crew and sail on 

The Wave, Muscat Extreme 40! 

With just one day left of the regatta, 

a single point separates Oman Air 

from the French on Groupe Edmond 

de Rothschild at the top of the leaderboard, 

and the team need to continue 

their consistency to overthrow the 

French and win the championship. 

They will be keeping a close eye on 

their team-mates The Wave, Muscat, 

who are just four points adrift 

and very much in contention for the 

championship title. The Wave, Muscat’s 

skipper Leigh McMillan was 

quietly confident. 

Extreme 40 sailing thrills 

EXTREME Sailing fans and 

their families turned out at 

The Wave, Muscat’s splendid 

waterfront to watch the Oman 

flagged boats, as well as other 

Extreme 40s representing various 

international teams, in action on 

Thursday afternoon. Pictured above 

is Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al 

Haddabi of Sohar Refinery, who 

sailed on board one of the Extreme 

40s as ‘fifth man’. Thanks to Oman 

Sail, a number of enthusiasts were 

given the opportunity to experience 

the thrill of Extreme 40 sailing in 

the ‘fifth man’ position 

“It's going to be a big day tomorrow 

and everybody is fighting it out 

so there is going to be lot a of action 

and we hope to be right in the middle 

of it and to put in some good races. 

It's the last day and we are fighting 

for the top spot so we'll go out and 

fight all the way to the end tomorrow. 

Looking forward to tomorrow we are 

feeling confident we can convert our 

efforts into a strong podium finish.” 

Racing started at 1330 hours local 

time yesterday, and the action culminated 

with Omani music sensation 

Salah al Zadjali performing live for 

the public, ending the first stage of 

Extreme Series racing. 

Desperate Housewives star 

claims unfair dismissal 

A 

FORMER Desperate Housewives 

actress took her ex-employer 

to court, claiming unfair 

dismissal from the hit TV series about 

lust and scandal in Wisteria Lane. 

Nicollette Sheridan claims she was 

fired for complaining that the show's 

creator, Marc Cherry, slapped her on 

the head during rehearsals for a scene 

in September 2008. 

The 48-year-old actress featured in 

five seasons of the ABC series, before 

her character Edie Britt was written out 

of it a few months after the slapping 

incident — she claims in retaliation for 

her complaint. 

Cherry's lawyers claim he had already 

decided to drop her character in 

May 2008, four months before the incident 

— but Sheridan says she was assured 

in 2007 that her character would 

continue for the duration of the show. 

"We know Edie's character is one 

we definitely won't be killing off," 

Cherry said, according to Sheridan, 

the first witness to take the stand in the 

trial on Thursday. 

Sheridan filed a lawsuit in April 

2010, alleging battery and wrongful 

terminal of employment against Cherry 

and Touchstone Television Productions, 

which makes the show. 

The actress told the Los Angeles 

Superior Court that she wanted a funny 

line to remain in the script, but Cherry 

resisted because it included part of 

a Beatles song, for which the studio 

would have to pay royalties. 

While discussing the line, Cherry 

shouted: "What is it that you want?," 

said Sheridan, who at times struggled 

to maintain her composure. — AFP 

Chief Executive Officer DR IBRAHIM BIN AHMED AL KINDI. Editor-in-Chief FAHMY BIN KHALID AL HARTHY 

Printers and Publishers OMAN ESTABLISHMENT FOR PRESS, PUBLICATION AND ADVERTISING 

Time To Talk 

By Aziza al Habsiya 

azizaalhabsi28@yahoo.com 

It’s time we 

had a union 

for teachers! 

THE civil i il society i must play l a vital i l role l iin the h 

promotion of education in Oman. 

At the outset, let’s talk about the need for a 

teachers union in the Sultanate. With the recent 

events and spate of demonstrations witnessed in 

the country, which included protests by those in 

the education sector, I feel it is indeed the call 

of the day to establish a union for teachers in 

Oman. 

This union, I believe, will contribute in effecting 

fundamental changes in the education 

system. It will not only help keep pace with the 

changes being witnessed by our country, but also 

help rebuild a new education system with a view 

to ensuring the progress of the society and the 

well-being of the masses. 

In fact, we need this association especially in 

view of the worsening standards seen in the education 

sector lately, and in particular, I believe 

that this role cannot be fulfilled by the Ministry 

of Education alone; the civil society must walk 

side by side with a strong presence so as to fix 

this problem to end the educational woes. 

The union will be there to defend the interests 

of teachers, as in most countries across the 

world, especially with a greater number of teachers 

joining the Ministry of Education and the 

various private sector schools in the Sultanate. 

There is no doubt that the education sector 

stands at a critical crossroads not just in Oman 

but in the entire Arab region. The situation, 

therefore, requires the involvement of teachers 

in the development of the education system so 

that it becomes concomitant to aspirations of the 

present generation and suits the technological 

age in which we live. 

The union should consider curriculum development 

in line with modern developments, taking 

into account the participation of teachers in 

becoming partners in the process of creating a 

new strategy for the new programmes. 

Personally, I feel that the task of such a union 

should begin with improving the working conditions 

of the teachers, their physical and occupational 

well-being; improved classrooms, better 

curricula etc. 

The union should also be tasked with combating 

all forms of corruption within the educational 

system as well as furthering the interest of 

technical education. 

Probably, the Assembly would be the appropriate 

body to address the complaints against teachers, 

without them suffering any loss of prestige. 

This could be co-ordinated with the Ministry of 

Education, which, in turn, should be working on 

the system of rewards and punishment. 

Taking legal action against any attack on a 

teacher at his work place should also be the task 

of such a union besides ensuring the dignity of 

teachers as well as stand firmly against any defective 

laws that threaten their job security. 

The union could also pitch in for the better 

treatment of teachers, provision of appropriate 

teaching aides, and improving the conditions of 

workers in the field of education. 

It would be the domain of such an Assembly 

to help achieve the general goals of public education, 

eradicating all forms of fraud and leakage 

of examination papers, and participation in the 

creation of committees that would be responsible 

for monitoring the conduct of examinations. 

I think that the establishment of the Association 

could galvanise the teachers to stress on 

their rightful positions and hierarchy and to see 

to it that the norms are not breached and the system 

runs on with fairness and objectivity. 

The presence of this association would also 

improve communication between the education 

sector and the community, by focusing on the 

boards of parents and ensure that the communication 

process carries on unhindered. 

There is no doubt that this association would 

go a long way in uniting the efforts of the teachers 

and work on further development and progress 

of the country. 

Besides helping to revive moral values, this 

union would look forward to the future — a future 

armed with science and technology where our 

students can compete with the best in the world 

and take the country to new heights of glory. 

Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising; P.O. Box 974, Postal Code 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman; Tel: 24649444, 24649450, 24649451, 24604563, 24699437 Fax: 24699643 Website: omanobserver.om 

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