Observer & Busness 15 Jan 2012 - Oman Observer

Decree names Rafo Commander 

HIS Majesty Sultan Qaboos has issued Royal Decree No 

2/2012 promoting Air Commodore Matar bin Ali bin Matar al 

Obaidani to the rank of Air Vice Marshal and appointing him 

as Commander of the Royal Air Force of Oman (Rafo). The 

Royal Decree, to be published in the official gazette, took effect 

yesterday. — ONA 

Sunday, January 15, 2012/Safar 21, 1433 AH 

www.omanobserver.om editor@omanobserver.om 

HIS Majesty gave an audience at Bait al Baraka yesterday to Kim Hwang-Sik, Prime Minister of South Korea. — Picture by Salim al Hashly 

Bilateral trade now at $5.7bn 

MUSCAT — His Majesty Sultan 

Qaboos gave an audience at Bait al 

Baraka yesterday to Kim Hwang-Sik, 

Prime Minister of South Korea. 

His Majesty and the South Korean 

premier discussed various aspects of 

bilateral relations and co-operation between 

the two countries. 

The ties between the two countries 

have particularly witnessed rapid development 

in the economic field. Since 

the early 80s, a number of Korean companies 

have actively participated in 

major construction projects in Muscat, 

Salalah, Sohar and Barka. At the same 

time, Oman has been exporting a large 

quantity of LNG (liquefied natural gas) 

and crude oil to Korea. 

The trade exchange between the 

Sultanate and Korea soared three folds 

from $2 billion in 2004 to $5.7 billion 

in 2011. 

Referring to this significant development, 

Kim Hwang-Sik said in comments 

here yesterday that Oman-Korea 

economic partnership is witnessing 

35 flights between Oman-Saudi 

RIYADH — The Sultanate and 

Saudi Arabia agreed to have 

their national carriers operate 

35 flights a week to key cities 

in the two countries. 

Recently, the Omani and 

Saudi civil aviation authorities 

signed an executive schedule 

of work to serve as common 

grounds for all operational aspects 

to foster co-operation between 

the two countries as per 

the regulations in force. 

During the talks, the Omani 

side was headed by Said bin 

Ali al Mashaali, Under-Secretary 

of the Ministry of Transport 

and Communications for 

Civil Aviation Affairs, while 

Dr Faisal bin Hamad al Suqair, 

Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s 

General Authority for Civil 

Aviation, headed Saudi side. 

The Sultanate and Saudi 

first signed an agreement to 

regularise air services on November 

2, 2008. — ONA 

continuous growth. He also vowed his 

country’s support to the Sultanate, not 

only in developing its economy, but in 

energy and industry, including co-operation 

for the peaceful use of nuclear 

power and technology. 

The South Korean premier hailed 

the wise vision of His Majesty Sultan 

Qaboos whose leadership helped 

achieve modernisation while at the 

same time safeguarding the country’s 

heritage, cultural identity and natural 

resources. 

Kim Hwang-Sik also hailed the Sultanate’s 

political stability and human 

resources development achievements, 

noting that Oman ranked first in HRD 

in 2010 in the UN report. 

The Korean premier valued the Sultanate’s 

rescue of the Korean vessel 

Samu Golri from pirates in January last 

year and expressed the gratitude of the 

Korean government and people for the 

humanitarian assistance. He hoped the 

ties of friendship and co-operation will 

continue to grow. See also page 2 

Seismic hazard assessed 

MUSCAT — The Earthquake 

Monitoring Centre at Sultan 

Qaboos University (SQU) organised 

a workshop yesterday 

on “Seismic Hazard Assessment 

for Oman.” 

The event is part of a seismic 

hazard assessment project 

led by the Earthquake Moni- 

toring Centre. 

Prof Khalifa al Jabri from 

the Department of Civil and 

Architectural Engineering at 

SQU, said the unique location 

of Oman on the southeast 

corner of the Arabian Plate 

makes it susceptible to quakes 

over the years. Details, P4 

MUSCAT — His Majesty Sultan 

Qaboos gave an audience 

at Bait al Baraka yesterday to 

Dr Nabil al Arabi, Secretary- 

General of the Arab League. 

His Majesty the Sultan and 

the Arab League chief discussed 

the march of joint Arab 

action in the backdrop of the 

current developments in the 

Arab arena. The meeting also 

touched on the ongoing preparations 

for the forthcoming 

Arab summit. 

The audience was attended 

by Yusuf bin Alawi bin 

Abdallah, Minister Responsible 

for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed 

bin Helli, Deputy Secretary- 

General of the Arab League, 

Wajih Hanafi, Assistant Secretary-General, 

Ali al Garoosh, 

Director of International Relations, 

and the delegation accompanying 

the guest. 

Earlier, Alawi and Dr Nabil 

A true Arabian flavour 

THIS should be a great 

year for Muscat in 

view of the fact that 

it has been named the Arab 

Tourism Capital by the Arab 

Tourism Ministers Council, 

and the world’s second 

best destination for tourists 

to visit by the British travel 

magazine Lonely Planet. 

Among the major tourist 

attractions in Muscat are 

Muttrah, Al Alam Palace, 

Muttrah Fort, Sultan Qaboos 

Grand Mosque, Oman Dive 

Centre, The National Muse- 

Human resources get priority 

THE Sultanate reaffirmed its appreciation for the role of the 

Arab Labour Organisation (ALO) in developing co-operation 

among Arab countries. This came when His Highness Sayyid 

Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the 

Council of Ministers, received yesterday Ahmed Luqman, 

Secretary-General of the ALO. Details on page 3 

Arab League summit 

preparations in focus 

MUSCAT — The ancient history 

of Oman is the theme of 

a valuable research project by 

Dr Asmhan al Jarru in the Department 

of History, Faculty of 

Arts, Sultan Qaboos University 

(SQU). 

The work is an important 

discussed a number of current 

Arab conditions in the light of 

the developments in the Arab 

region particularly the developments 

in Syria and the peace 

process in the Middle East. 

The meeting also touched 

on aspects of developing the 

work at the Arab League. 

Later, Dr Nabil and his 

delegation left here yesterday 

after a visit to the Sultanate 

during which he had the honour 

of having His Majesty the 

Sultan’s audience. 

The secretary-general was 

seen off by Alawi and Ahmed 

bin Yusuf al Harthy, Foreign 

Ministry’s Under-Secretary for 

Diplomatic Affairs. 

The Arab League is involved 

in political, economic, 

cultural, and social programmes 

designed to promote 

the interests of member states. 

The Arab League has served as 

um, The Children’s Museum, 

The Natural History Museum, 

Sultan’s Armed Forces 

Museum, Qurum Natural 

Park, Riyam Park, Naseem 

Public Park and Kalbu Park 

to name only a few. 

Muscat’s scenic beauty, 

cultural events, luxury accommodation, 

the Muttrah 

Souq, the Royal Opera House 

Muscat, aquatic activities, 

and wacky water sports enlivening 

its coastline alongside 

traditional dhows are some 

of the features that appeal to 

contribution to our understanding 

of the Omani history as it 

explores the prehistoric ages 

up to the early times of Majan 

Civilisation during the period 

(5000-1800 BC). The value of 

the study lies in the fact that it 

is almost the only source which 

a forum for member states to 

co-ordinate their policy positions 

and deliberate on matters 

of common concern, settling 

some Arab issues and limiting 

conflicts. 

The League has served as 

a platform for drafting and 

conclusion of almost all landmark 

documents promoting 

economic integration among 

member states, such as the formation 

of the Joint Arab Economic 

Action Charter, which 

set out the principles for economic 

activities of the League. 

It has played an important role 

in shaping school curricula, 

and preserving manuscripts 

and Arab cultural heritage. 

The League has launched 

literacy campaigns and reproduced 

intellectual works 

and translated modern technical 

terminology for the use of 

member states. See also P2 

all tourists. 

In fact, Muscat is a class 

of its own when it comes to 

redefining scenic beauty, cultural 

heritage and legendary 

hospitality. 

This is not the first time 

that Muscat has been recognised 

for its uniqueness. In 

2006, Muscat was declared 

the Arab Cultural Capital. The 

idea that Oman is an oasis of 

peace has further gained currency 

in view of its relative 

calm and stability in time of 

economic crises To P2 

New study on Majan Civilisation 

deals with this part of the history 

of Oman. 

Commenting on the background 

of her study, she says: 

“There is a historical gap that 

generated in me a sense of 

challenge to search for the hidden 

treasures.” Details, P25 

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 05:32 am 12:21 pm 03:25 pm 05:46 pm 07:00 pm Max M 28 29 26 28 30 28 27 

Min 18 18 19 16 21 21 19 

Buying 0.382 Selling 0.388 $1,638.69

2 OMAN 

OMAN DAILY Observer 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 

HIS Majesty Sultan Qaboos gave an audience to Dr Nabil al Arabi, Secretary-General of the Arab League. Right: His Majesty gives an audience to Kim Hwang-Sik, South Korean Prime Minister and his delegation. 

Muscat — A true Arabian flavour Oman-Korea friendship valued 

MUSCAT — Kim Hwang-Sik, 

From page 1 

worldwide, regional unrest 

and geopolitical changes in 

the Middle East. Muscat continues 

to be a perfect destination 

for families in search of 

holiday destinations. 

The forthcoming Muscat 

Festival and celebrations of 

Muscat as the Arab Tourism 

Capital are expected to make 

this city one of the top holiday 

destinations for the tourists 

from within the Gulf region 

or Middle East as a whole 

this year. Also, an increasing 

number of Omanis and other 

Arabs may decide to holiday 

in Muscat in 2012. 

The number of bookings 

to Muscat is expected to increase 

in a big way thanks to 

significant improvement in 

the city’s infrastructure facilities 

— expanding everything 

from its museums to its resorts. 

Moreover, the Muscat 

Festival 2012 is forecast to be 

the biggest draw the capital 

has to offer. 

From the above one can 

easily conclude that the current 

year promises to be full 

of events for the Capital City 

of Muscat. 

In order to keep pace 

with the country’s economic 

growth, construction and 

tourism, increasing vehicular 

population, the Capital City 

has embarked on many unique 

projects in recent times. 

In this context, it won’t be 

out of place to say that Muscat 

needs more entertainment 

parks for children. In all the 

parks, children’s entertainment 

facilities including educative 

toys for the mind and 

others for physical fitness 

need to be provided. 

Undoubtedly, one of the 

benefits of Muscat being Arab 

Tourism Capital for 2012 is 

that it will position Oman as 

an ideal and preferred tourism 

destination in the region. 

More Arab tourists will visit 

Oman not only because of 

unrest in Arab countries but 

because Muscat is a unique 

family destination in its own 

right. 

Within this decade in particular, 

Muscat, the scenic 

gem of the Sultanate, has 

grown into one of the hottest 

tourist spots in the Middle 

East, offering tourists a range 

of distinctive experiences — a 

largely-untouched coastline, 

deserts, mountains, a rich cultural 

heritage, ports, caves, 

castles and palaces and forts. 

Throughout the city of 

Muscat the network of sidewalks 

is impressive. Muscat’s 

natural beauty and pristine 

coastal environment featuring 

saline creeks, mangroves and 

rocky coral reefs, are great 

magnets for tourists. 

Muscat is one of the few 

capitals in the region where 

one can experience the true 

Arabian flavour in a warm and 

friendly atmosphere. It offers 

a wealth of archaeological, 

historical, geological, wildlife 

and marine spots for people of 

a cross section of interests. 

Prime Minister of Korea hailed 

the wise leadership and vision 

of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos 

to achieve not only national 

development, but also preserve 

the Sultanate's cultural heritage, 

history and natural environment. 

In an interview with Oman 

News Agency (ONA), he said 

that he conducted talks with 

His Majesty the Sultan and he 

described them as positive. He 

added that the talks touched on 

a number of current regional 

and international issues, as well 

as the importance of continuing 

co-operation between the two 

countries in fields of economy, 

education, culture, health, medical 

care, tourism and fisheries. 

The Korean Prime Minister 

pointed out that the Sultanate 

managed to achieve political 

stability and economic development 

as it was ranked first in 

UNDP's human development 

index in 2010. 

He affirmed that his country 

is proud of the strong relations 

of friendship with the Sultanate. 

He pointed out that there is 

a big opportunity to enhance relations 

of co-operation between 

the two countries in various 

fields, such as energy, power 

generation plants, technology 

transfer, renewable energy, in 

addition to the possibility of 

opening new avenues of cooperation 

in education, culture 

and healthcare fields. 


furthered that the Sultanate 

and Korea enjoy a close friendship 

despite the far geographical 

distance separating the two 

countries. He added that there is 

a co-operation in the field of energy 

for over 30 years as Korea 

Labour market 

and HRD data 

MUSCAT — A seminar organised 

by the Manpower 

Ministry in collaboration 

with the Arab Labour Organization 

(ALO) kicked-off 

yesterday at the Manpower 

Ministry under the auspices 

of Shaikh Abdullah bin 

Nasser al Bakri, Minister of 

Manpower, in the presence 

of Ahmed Luqman, Secretary-General 

of the ALO and 

a number of officials. 

The seminar aims at developing 

statistics of the 

work market, standardising 

statistical concepts and 

approaches and building 

standardised Arab statistical 

systems. 

The seminar enhances 

skills of those working in the 

statistical departments. 

On the sidelines of the 

seminar, the Manpower 

Minister said that the seminar 

is a continuation of the 

efforts made by the Manpower 

Ministry and ALO 

to enhance the role of data 

and statistics in planning for 

human resources and work 

market. 

He added that the seminar, 

which involved all the industrial 

stakeholders, seeks to 

update the statisticians with 

the modern developments. 

— ONA 

was the first country to import 

Omani LNG and continues to 

be its largest importer. 

Hwang-Sik pointed out that 

since establishing diplomatic 

ties in 1974, the Sultanate has 

always stood as a good friend of 

Korea. He added that over the 

years, the Sultanate has shown 

us unwavering support in the 

international community. 

He also highlighted the major 

efforts exerted by the Sultanate 

in rescuing the Korean 

freighter Samho Jewelry, from 

pirates in January last year. 

He affirmed that the Korean 

government and its people are 

grateful for this help and hope 

to continue these relations of 

partnership between the two 

countries in a bid to serve peace 

and prosperity in the region. 

He added that the Sultanate 

has geopolitical strategic 

importance and the Korean 

government seeks to work in 

various directions with the Sultanate 

in resolving global issues 

that include keeping maritime 

security. 

He hoped that his visit would 

renew our friendship and seek 

ways to further strengthen and 

broaden cooperation between 



expressed his delight over 

the level of economic relations 

between the two countries currently. 

He hoped to enhance 

and develop such relations in 

a manner that serves the joint 

interests between the Sultanate 

and Korea. 

As for the trade balance between 

the two countries, he said 

"a balance of trade is determined 

by our respective economic 

structures, I believe our focus 

should not only be on finding 

balance, but working together 

in a complimentary way". 

He added that the Sultanate 

has embarked on a path of solid 

economic growth and has risen 

as an important regional player. 

He said that the evidence of that 

is when Muscat was named the 

2012 Capital of Arab Tourism 

and was even voted among the 

Lonely Planet's top ten cities to 

travel for 2012. 


pointed out that the Sultanate's 

Government has been pursuing 

regional developmental projects 

vigorously in the Wilayat of Al 

Duqm and different parts of the 

Sultanate in a bid to diversify 

the prospective economic diversity 

in the industrial field and to 

achieve balanced regional development. 

He affirmed that Korea is 

well aware of these efforts and 

has intentions to co-operate 

with the Sultanate for the success 

of the project being implemented 

in Al Duqm. 

As for the total volume of 

bilateral trade, he pointed out 

that it almost tripled from $2 

billion in 2004 to $5.7 billion 

in 2011 with increases in both 

import and export. He affirmed 

that our economic partnership 

has evolved. 

He also affirmed that the 

Korean government welcomes 

visits of Omani officials to Korea 

and will provide every support 

if Oman wishes to hold an 

investment seminar in tandem 

with the third Korea-Oman 

Economic Cooperation Council 

in Korea. He hoped more Korean 

companies will be able to 

make inroads in the Sultanate in 

the future. 

As for the co-operation in 

nuclear field for peaceful purposes, 

the Korean Prime Minister 

pointed out that Korea 

managed to build its nuclear 

industry from zero. 

He pointed out that his 

country is considered among 

the world-class technological 

know-how in nuclear energy 

with 21 nuclear power plants in 

operation producing 31 per cent 

of electricity in Korea and 11 

new plants at home and abroad. 

He also further said that 

Korea is well placed to share 

its technological expertise especially 

with countries that are 

beginning to add nuclear power 

to its energy mix. 

He also affirmed that Korea 

is willing to share its experience 

and technological know-how in 

nuclear power with any country 

that aims to use nuclear energy 

for peaceful purposes. 

He said that his country 

is running an inspection programme 

of nuclear plants in 

Korea from 2009, inviting officials 

working in the nuclear 

industry and diplomats from 

countries that have co-operative 

relations with Korea in nuclear 

energy to visit these plants. 

On the recent developments 

in the Middle East and North 

Africa, the Korean Prime Minister 

pointed out that the Korean 

government has been actively 

engaging in peace keeping efforts 

in the region, understanding 

the importance of the Middle 

East and North Africa in 

maintaining global peace and 

stability. 

He affirmed that relations 

of his country with countries 

of the Middle East have been 

somewhat focused on economic 

co-operation and it seeks to engage 

in "complex diplomacy" 

by adding more aspects including 

politics, society and culture 

in our relations with countries 

of the region. — ONA

All resources used for HRD 

MUSCAT — His Highness 

Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood 

al Said, Deputy Prime Minister 

for the Council of Ministers 

received here yesterday 

Ahmed Luqman, Secretary 

General of the Arab Labour 

Organization (ALO). 

HH Sayyid Fahd reaffirmed 

the Sultanate's appreciation 

for the role of the ALO 

in developing co-operation 

among Arab countries and improving 

the exchange of expertise 

for more productivity. 

HH Sayyid Fahd pointed out 

that the Sultanate has utilised 

MUSCAT — The Culture 

and Media Committee at the 

Majlis Addawla held its 3rd 

meeting of the 1st annual sitting 

for the 5th term under the 

chairmanship of Dr Ibrahim 

bin Hamoud al Subhi, Head of 

the Committee. 

The meeting discussed 

all resources and potentials 

to develop human resources 

and labour laws, which led to 

development of national manpower 

and its contribution to 

sustainable growth. 

The meeting also touched 

on ways of fostering co-operation 

between the Sultanate and 

the ALO in the field of labour, 

vocational training and technical 

specialties. 

Luqman said he was delighted 

to visit the Sultanate. 

He commended the achievements 

made at the domestic 

and foreign levels within the 

DR Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, 

yesterday received Dr Roberto Tomas Morales, Health 

Minister of Cuba. They discussed aspects of joint work 

between the two sides and enhancing co-operation in a 

number of health fields, including exchange of expertise in 

the medical fields, primary healthcare, human resources 

development and promoting the health research. — ONA 

Malis panel reviews 

proposed study 

topics proposed for the study 

presented by members of the 

committee, which included 

studying competitions, festivals, 

cultural, artistic, literary 

and cultural awards, as well as 

study of the Press and Publications 

Law and other laws related 

to media in the Sultanate. 

framework of the comprehensive 

renaissance led by His 

Majesty Sultan Qaboos. 

He valued the Sultanate’s 

support to ALO, which 

enabled it to carry out its mission. 

He also expressed ALO’s 

preparedness to contribute 

with its expertise in various 

sectors and, at the same time, 

benefiting from the Sultanate's 

experience in various sectors. 

The meeting was attended 

by Shaikh Abdullah bin Nasser 

al Bakri, Minister of Manpower. 

— ONA 

MUSCAT — Hamad bin 

Mohammed al Rashdi, Minister 

of Information, received 

in his office yesterday Abdulqadir 

Hussain Mohammed, 

Information, Post and 

Communications Minister 

of Somalia, who is currently 

visiting the Sultanate to attend 

meetings of the Arab 

Information and Communication 

Technologies Organization 

(AICTO). 

3 OMAN 



Oman-Korea ties witness rapid growth 

MUSCAT — An official session 

of talks between the 

Sultanate and Korea was held 

yesterday. 

The Omani side was 

Chaired by His Highness 

Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood al 

Said, Deputy Prime Minister 

for the Council of Ministers, 

while the Korean side was 

Chaired by Kim Hwang-Sik, 

Prime Minister of Korea. 

HH Sayyid Fahd affirmed 

that while the good relations 

between the Sultanate and Korea 

are deep-rooted and date 

During the meeting, good 

relations between the Sultanate 

and Somalia were reviewed 

and aspects of joint 


sides in the media field were 

discussed. 

The meeting also discussed 

aspects of joint co-operation 

between Oman News Agency 

(ONA) and Somali National 

News Agency, as well as 

means of enhancing bilateral 

back to a long period, the effective 

co-operation between the 

two countries got thrust with 

the blessed Renaissance era at 

the early 70s. These relations 

have witnessed rapid growth 

in the past period; thanks to 

the keenness of the wise leaderships 

in both countries to develop 

these relations. 

He pointed out to the importance 

of giving the Omani- 

Korean Joint Committee a 

bigger role in translating the 

co-operation fields among 

them and crystallise them into 

Oman-Somalia media co-operation reviewed 

By Saif al Kharousi 

MUSCAT — His Eminence 

Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad 

al Khalili, Grand Mufti of 

the Sultanate, and Shaikh 

Ahmed bin Saud al Siyabi, 

Secretary General of the Ifta 

Office, received at the Awqaf 

and Religious Affairs Ministry 

here yesterday a delegation 

of Muslims who recently 

embraced the religion (new 

Muslims) from the United 

Kingdom. 

Al Khalili expressed his 

appreciation for the delegation’s 

visit. 

The meeting touched on 

various religious comparative 

issues through a question and 

answer session which was 

very highly received by the 

delegates. 


sides in fields of exchanging 

news, information and reports 

transmitted by network 

of both agencies. 

The meeting was attended 

by the Information Ministry's 

Under-Secretary, Sayyed 

Abdulqadir Mohammed Othman, 

Director-General of Somalia 

National News Agency, 

and ONA Director General 

and Editor-in-Chief. — ONA 

Sultanate’s contribution 

to propagation of Islam 

Al Siyabi briefed the guests 

about the advent of Islam to 

Oman and the contribution 

of Omanis to the propagation 

of the religion through their 

writings and their contacts 

with the contemporary human 

communities. 

Al Siyabi expressed pride 

at Oman’s selection to host an 

exhibition focusing on religious 

tolerance in Germany. 

The visit of the British 

delegation was preceded by a 

visit to Britain by the Assistant 

Grand Mufti, Dr Shaikh 

Kahlan bin Nabhan al Kharousi. 

The members of the delegation 

appreciated the Omani 

people’s ability to live the 

spirit of the age, while at the 

same time safeguard their Islamic 

values. 

Court action against driver 

MUSCAT — The Court of 

First Instance in Al Khaboura 

issued a verdict on December 

25 convicting a female driver 

of dangerous driving and recklessness 

which are punishable 

by law. The court imposed a 

RO 500 fine on the woman and 

ordered the withdrawal of her 

driving licence. 

The woman was reported to 

have been the cause of a road 

accident on August 21, 2011 in 

Al Hajjari. The woman, who 

was driving from the Wilayat 

of Saham, was driving so fast 

that she lost control of her vehicle 

which veered off its course 

and crashed into three cars in 

stationary position. 

reality that enhance the distinguished 

relations between the 

two sides. The Omani-Korean 

Business Council should also 

play a similar role. 

Later, HH Sayyid Fahd 

hosted at Al Bustan Palace Hotel 

a dinner in honour of Kim 

Hwang-Sik and his accompanying 

delegation currently visiting 

the Sultanate. 

The dinner was attended 

by ministers, advisers, senior 

officials and heads of the diplomatic 

missions accredited to 

the Sultanate. — ONA

MUSCAT — Lulu Hypermarket, 

Khasab’s prestigious new 

landmark, was formally inaugurated 

yesterday by Ahmed 

bin Abdullah al Shuhi, Minister 

of Regional Municipalities and 

Water Resources, in the presence 

of Shaikh Abdulmalik bin 

Abdullah al Khalili, Minister of 

Tourism, and other government 

officials and the senior management 

of Lulu Group. 

Located strategically in 

the Tourist Commercial Complex 

of the Wilayat of Khasab, 

which is a part of the Ministry 

of Tourism’s initiative in the 

region, the arrival of Lulu is 

expected to augment the ministry’s 

ventures in the region 

by not just serving the community’s 

everyday shopping needs 

but also furthering the immense 

tourism potential of Khasab in 

particular and the Musandam 

Governorate in general. 

The new destination will cater 

to residents as well as visitors 

and tourists, whose number 

are expected to rise significantly 

in the future. 

MUSCAT — The 10th round 

of the Omani-Singaporean 

Joint Committee Meetings began 

at the Commerce and Industry 

Ministry yesterday. 

During the meetings, the 

Omani side was chaired by 

Ahmed bin Hassan al Dheeb, 

Under-Secretary of the Commerce 

and Industry Ministry 

for Commerce and Industry, 

while the Singaporean side 

was chaired by Lam Chuan 

Leong, senior ambassador 

at the Singaporean Ministry 

of Foreign Affairs and Head 

of the Singaporean side to 

the Omani-Singaporean joint 

committee. 

Al Dheeb stated that the 

meeting of the committee is 

held annually in each country. 

The two-day meeting discussed 

economic, educational 

and training topics, the most 

important of which are training 

the Omanis in Singapore 

in various fields, especially 

the industrial field. 

There will also be meetings 

between: specialists for Information 

Technology Authority 

(ITA) in the Sultanate with 

their Singaporean counterparts 

during which they will 

discuss how to benefit from 

MUSCAT — The Earthquake 

Monitoring Centre at Sultan 

Qaboos University (SQU) organised 

a workshop yesterday 

on “Seismic Hazard Assessment 

for Oman” under the 

auspices of Dr Ali bin Saud 

al Bimani, Vice-Chancellor of 

the University. 

The event is part of a comprehensive 

seismic hazard assessment 

project for Oman led 

by the Earthquake Monitoring 

Centre. This national strategic 

project, sponsored by the government 

of the Sultanate of 

Oman, is supported by international 

institutions like Kandilli 

Observatory and Earthquake 

Research Institute, Bogazici 

University in Turkey, and the 

Department of Earth, Atmospheric 

and Planetary Science 

at Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology (MIT), USA. 

In his opening speech, 

Prof Khalifa al Jabri from 

Speaking on the sidelines 

of the opening, Abdul Malik 

al Khalili said, “We are happy 

to partner Lulu in such a prestigious 

project and are quite 

confident that the venture will 

contribute to the overall development 

of the region and also 

provide the platform for international 

brands in the governorate”. 

The new hypermarket is an 

initiative led by the Ministry of 

Tourism to coincide with the 

41st National Day celebrations, 

has been operational for more 

than two months following a 

soft opening in November. It 

is spread over 15,000 square 

metres on a single level and 

is an archetypal Lulu design, 

with consumables and durables 

arranged in the quintessential 

Lulu style. Lulu patrons will 

be comforted by the familiarity 

and the everything-under-oneroof 

formula, which have been 

subtly woven into the new infrastructural 

changes incorporated 

into the hypermarket. It is 

an extension of Lulu’s ongoing 

the Singaporean experience in 

e-payment process and other 

important topics related to IT, 

and the specialists at the Directorate-General 

of Small and 

Medium Enterprises Development 

and their counterparts 

from the Singaporean side to 

come up with the potential 

of signing a memorandum of 

understanding (MoU) related 

the Department of Civil and 

Architectural Engineering at 

SQU, said the unique location 

of Oman on the southeast 

corner of the Arabian Plate 

makes it susceptible to earthquakes 

over the years. “For 

many years, the authorities 

in the Sultanate have realised 

value-addition programme to 

make way for modernisation in 

the larger interest of buyers. 

Talking to media personnel, 

M A Yusuffali, Managing 

Director of the Lulu Group, 

to providing bilateral services 

between the two countries in 

promoting and developing the 

small and medium enterprises 

(SMEs). 

He explained that the meeting 

discussed other topics pertaining 

to some investments 

from the Omani private sector 

as there are consultations 

in the Omani-Singaporean 

the importance of monitoring 

seismic activities in Oman 

and its neighbouring areas in 

order to set out rules, regulations 

and emergency plans in 

case major earthquakes may 

occur in future. Safety of people 

and properties in the country 

should be ensured by civil 

called the new hypermarket a 

symbolic representation of Lulu’s 

intent to set up a network 

of stores connecting all the 

wilayats in the country. “Since 

1999, when we launched the 

Businessmen Council to set 

up joint ventures in the Sultanate. 

Leong affirmed that the 

coming period includes a 

number of co-operation opportunities 

between the private 

sectors in the two countries. 

He also pointed out that the 

Singaporean companies will 

work with the Omani com- 

engineers and planners by designing 

safe and robust structures 

that resist earthquakes”, 

Prof Al Jabri added. 

The seismic hazard assessment 

project for Oman is 

divided into four phases: development 

of probabilistic and 

deterministic seismic hazard 

maps for Oman; seismic microzonation 

and site effects for 

Muscat; development of shake 

and risk maps for Muscat; and 

development of earthquake 

design provisions for buildings 

in Oman. The outcomes 

and results of the first two 

phases and the fourth phase 

were discussed in detail in the 

workshop. It is anticipated that 

the project will be completed 

by the end of this year. Al Jabri 

revealed that an international 

conference will be organised 

towards the conclusion of this 

project to discuss the final results 

of it. 

4 OMAN 



Lulu Hypermarket inaugurated in Khasab 

Expected to help augment tourism, development of the region 

first Lulu store in the country, 

we have been ambitiously following 

our plan of reaching 

consumers in all parts of Oman. 

Our objective has been to make 

convenience and ease of shop- 

panies to set up a number of 

projects in the Sultanate. 

He said that the meetings 

discussed enhancing the partnership 

relations between the 

governments of the two countries 

in the field of vocational 

and technical training to prepare 

cadres to carry out the 

duties in projects. 

Meanwhile, the Public Establishment 

for Industrial Estates 

(PEIE) hosted yesterday highprofile 

delegates from Singapore 

who are currently visiting 

the Sultanate to be acquainted 

with the investment opportunities 

in the Sultanate in various 

fields. 

The Singaporean delegation 

was received by Hilal bin 

Hamad al Hasani, CEO of the 

Public Establishment for Industrial 

Estates, and Mohamed 

bin Hamad al Maskari, Director-General 

of the Knowledge 

Oasis Muscat (KOM). 

The delegation was briefed 

on PEIE, the most important 

industrial areas in the Sultanate 

and the facilities provided 

to local and foreign investors. 

The delegation was introduced 

to the main services and 

facilities offered by the KOM 

for the companies operating 

The outcomes of this 

project will be useful not 

only to those dealing with 

seismic hazard assessment 

and loss estimation such as 

structural engineers, designers, 

geophysicists but also to 

other administrators in the 

country such as traffic planners, 

emergency response 

teams, utility departments and 

land use planners. 

He hoped that this project 

will provide the authorities 

concerned with a better understanding 

of the seismicity of 

the region and the ways to mitigate 

the effects of earthquakes 

that might occur in future. 

In his address, Prof Nafi 

Toksoz, Professor, Department 

of Earth, Atmospheric 

and Planetary Sciences at MIT, 

USA, congratulated the seismic 

hazard assessment team of 

Oman for efficiently planning 

and executing the project. 

ping a way of life for consumers 

all over Oman. 

“Soon we will open our 

prestigious Buraimi store, establishing 

our presence in yet 

another new destination and 

reaffirming our commitment to 

connect with every wilayat in 

the country. 

“This has been possible 

thanks to the visionary leadership 

of His Majesty Sultan 

Qaboos and the overwhelming 

support from his Government. 

It has paved the road for all our 

plans and ambitions to come to 

fruition and further our growth 

in the country. The local workforce 

has also played and is 

playing — a pivotal role in our 

growth. Their contribution has 

been immense; they are now 

seen not only at the grassroots 

level but also at senior supervisory 

levels. There has been a 

significant growth in talent and 

we are fortunate to have the best 

in the market. The group which 

currently operates 10 stores in 

the Sultanate has chalked out 

clear policy guidelines for gen- 

Oman, Singapore to enhance partnership 

Workshop on seismic hazard assessment 

in the information technology 

sector, and the educational institutions 

functioning within 

KOM. 

On his part, Al Hasani noted 

that PEIE always aspired to 

meet the needs of the market 

by attracting industrial investments 

and provide continued 

support via regional and global 

competitive strategies and 

good infrastructure. 

The Singaporean delegates 

also visited The Knowledge 

Mine (TKM), which is designed 

to support and encourage 

the spread of knowledge 

and technology-dependent 

start-ups by providing an affordable 

working environment 

that makes it possible for companies 

and entrepreneurs to 

devote more of their capital 

to research and development, 

testing and the production of 

future goods and services. 

The delegation expressed 

their admiration for the quality 

of infrastructure within KOM 

community and the various 

cutting-edge facilities provided 

by PEIE to nurture a sound 

industrial sector in the Sultanate, 

and sustain a business 

climate that attracts and generates 

investment. — ONA 

erating employment opportunities 

for the Omani youth. 

“With the 2012 budget 

poised to boost the economy 

and generate more jobs, our 

plans to make further inroads 

in the country are well on path. 

We expect to meet all the shopping 

requirements of our consumers 

in the country with our 

world class range of products 

and services,” he added. 

Shoppers at Khasab’s new 

landmark can look forward 

to a comfortable shopping in 

the plush ambience of the hypermarket, 

housing the best of 

goods and services from local 

as well as international markets. 

With dedicated aisles catering 

to varying needs of the 

consumers, the new hypermarket 

is slated to become a onestop 

shop. Goods ranging from 

fresh fruits and vegetables to 

fish, meat and dairy products, 

alongside a wide array of frozen 

food, make this a complete 

one-stop shop providing consumers, 

literally, everything 

MUSCAT — Khalil bin Abdullah 

al Khonji, Chairman of 

the Oman Chamber of Commerce 

and Industry (OCCI), 

yesterday met Ahmed Luqman, 

Secretary General of the 

Arab Labour Organization 

(ALO), in the presence of 

Shaikh Abdullah bin Nasser 

al Bakri, Minister of Manpower. 

The meeting discussed the 

agenda for the 39th session of 

the Arab Labour Conference 

to be held in Beirut during 

April 1-8, with delegations 

representing the three production 

sectors in Arab countries. 

The meeting also discussed 

the role of labour 

unions' freedom, unemployment 

in the Arab world, the 

complementary role of private 

and public sectors in development. 

The meeting reviewed 

decisions taken by the previous 

conference held in Cairo 

last May, the organisation 

2013-2014 draft budget and 

financial audit reports and accounting 

audit reports for the 

final statements for the fiscal 

year ending December 2010, 

under one roof. The hypermarket 

will also host restaurants, 

coffee shops, mobiles counters, 

perfume and antique shops in 

the days to come. 

With almost a decade long 

presence in the Sultanate, Lulu 

has firmly established itself as 

the most preferred retail destination 

to both locals and the 

large expatriate community residing 

here. It ranked first in its 

category and among the top 10 

overall in the Oman Observer 

survey of the 130 best brands in 

Oman, underscoring its impact 

on the economic landscape. It 

was also awarded as the “Retail 

Company of the Year” and features 

in the Super Brands top 

hundred brands of the Gulf. 

Lulu Hypermarket accounts 

for nearly a third of the Gulf's 

retail market share with a customer 

flow of 475,000 shoppers 

daily. Lulu Group has always 

been a socially conscientious 

corporate organisation bringing 

together over 22,000 employees 

of 29 different nationalities 

in its worldwide operations. 

Agenda for Arab Labour 

Conference discussed 

of the Arab Labour Bureau, 

institutes and centres of the 

organisation. 

The agenda of the 39th 

session of the Arab Labour 

Conference will include formation 

of constitutional and 

organisational structures of 

ALO board, financial auditing 

authority ,union's freedom 

committee and Arab women 

labour affairs committee for 

the period 2012-2014. 

Khalil bin Abdullah al- 

Khunji stressed in the meeting 

the growing role of ALO 

in the development of Arab 

human resources to benefit 

from their total potentials in 

the economic and social development. 

He also affirmed the importance 

of ALO role in coordinating 

the efforts of employers-employees 

at Arab 

and international levels, expanding 

and protecting union 

right and freedom, providing 

technical support in labour 

fields to the three production 

sectors in the Arab countries, 

thus participating in the development 

of the Arab manpower 

and raising of its production 

competence. 

Women’s sports symposium begins 

MUSCAT — The second symposium on GCC women’s sports potentials began here 

yesterday under the auspices of Dr Mohammed bin Hamad al Rumhy, Minister of Oil 

and Gas. The opening session was attended by Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of 

Sports Affairs, Shaikh Mohammed bin Said al Kalbani, Minister of Social Development, 

Sayyida Sana bint Hamad al Busaidiya, Chairperson of the Women’s Sports Committee at 

Oman Olympic Committee, Shaikha Naima al Ahmed al Sabah, Chairperson of the GCC 

Women’s Sports Organising Committee, and other women’s sports representatives from 

member states. Sayyida Sana briefed the guests about the attention of His Majesty Sultan 

Qaboos to women and his Royal patronage of all women’s affairs which, she said, paved 

the way for women’s education and social and economic welfare.

Steps to stop illegal scrap trade 

MUSCAT — In a nationwide 

collaboration to control the 

illegal trade of scrap metals 

in the Sultanate, the Executive 

Committee to Regulate 

Scrap Trade convened its first 

meeting at Mazoon Electricity 

Company. 

A rising concern across all 

sectors, the Committee set an 

action plan to ensure the implementation 

of scrap trade 

regulations as well educate the 

public on its laws and procedures. 

To that end, specialised 

sub-committees have been 

formed in all governorates 

across the Sultanate to oversee 

the scrap businesses. 

“The time has come to 

bring the rule of law to this 

business”, said Abdullah bin 

Said al Badri, General Manager, 

Mazoon Electricity and 

Chairman of the Executive 

Committee. 

“Recent years have witnessed 

an increase in the theft 

and vandalism of public properties 

directly affecting the 

electricity sector in addition 

to the commerce, industry and 

service sectors and resulting in 

human losses as well as substantial 

asset damages”. 

He added, “The welfare 

of society is the Committee’s 

number one priority. We are 

therefore presenting a united 

front to instil the principals of 

social responsibility within the 

general public and raise their 

awareness on the ramifications 

of illegal scarp trade.” 

Public and private entities 

participating in the nationwide 

initiative will work hand in 

hand to ensure the implementation 

of the legal directives set 

for the trade of scrap including 

business licenses and infrastructure 

requirements. 

The Royal Oman Police 

(ROP) and Municipality will 

further conduct routine inventory 

checks on scrap businesses 

while maintaining video surveillance 

as well as monitoring 

vehicle specifications. 

An awareness campaign is 

also scheduled to launch later 

this year focusing on the implications 

of theft and vandalism 

on public properties and will 

be closely monitored by the 

Executive Committee through 

monthly progress development 

meetings. 

The Committee encompasses 

representatives from the 

ROP, Ministry of Interior, Min- 

istry of Regional Municipalities 

and Water Resources, Ministry 

of Commerce and Industry, 

Ministry of Manpower, Oman 

Chamber of Commerce and 

Industry (OCCI), The Public 

Prosecution Office in addition 

to municipality representatives 

from the governorates. Members 

also include the Authority 

for Electricity Regulations, 

Mazoon Electricity Company, 

Majan Electricity Company, 

Rural Areas Electricity Company, 

Muscat Electricity Distribution 

Company and Oman Electricity 

Transmission Company. 

Anna University-BCT Kalam centre 

to enhance professional skills 

By A Staff Reporter 

MUSCAT — The Anna University 

and Bahwan CyberTek 

Kalam Centre of Excellence 

set up by Bahwan CyberTek in 

collaboration with the Ramanujan 

Computing Centre (RCC), 

Anna University, was inaugurated 

by the former President of 

India, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam in 

the university’s Chennai campus 

yesterday. 

Also present at the inauguration 

were Hind Bahwan, Chairperson, 

Bahwan CyberTek 

Group, Durgaprasad, Director 

and CEO Bahwan CyberTek 

Group, Mannar Jawahar, Vicechancellor 

of Anna University 

and Rhymend Uthariaraj, Director 

of RCC. 

Bahwan CyberTek has set 

up the 40-seat state-of-the-art 

Centre of Excellence (CoE) 

with Bahwan CyberTek’s Cuecent 

BPMS Software Suite. 

Through the COE, Bahwan CyberTek 

will provide an opportunity 

to enhance the professional 

skills of the students and 

faculty of Anna University in 

BPM, SOA and emerging technologies. 


will also provide project sponsorships, 

research options and 

paper publications support to 

the students and faculty of the 

University. 

Kalam at the launch set the 

vision for the joint AU-BCT 

Kalam Centre of Excellence 

initiative to research the convergence 

of Bio, Nano, IT and 

Ecology to build sustainable 

innovation and leadership in institutions 

to emerge out of India 

that will have a global impact. 

Hind Suhail Bahwan, Chairperson, 


Group said “With innovation 

being the corporate philosophy, 

and with our strong commitment 

to contribute to the society 

we operate in, we have set up 

this CoE to serve the students 

and faculty of this esteemed 

university and also be a platform 

for ongoing innovations 

in IT.” 

S Durgaprasad, Director and 

CEO, Bahwan CyberTek Group 

said “My association with my 

alma mater is a special one and 

I firmly believe that this coming 

together of the Industry and 

the Academia marks a true collaboration 

and commitment to 

bring about far-reaching technological 

innovations.” 

Prof P Mannar Jawahar, 

Vice Chancellor – Anna University, 

said “The CoE that has 

been established at RCC is a 

world-class, shared-use educational 

and R&D facility serving 

the student and industry community. 

“Bahwan CyberTek will 

conduct certification courses 

and aid in providing projects 

and consulting work for the 

faculty and students of Anna 

University. This collaboration 

holds tremendous potential 

for innovation and offers farreaching 

benefits for students. 

The technologies formed by 

the partnership of RCC-AU 

and Bahwan CyberTek not only 

will enable and enhance further 

technology development and 

research, it will positively impact 

the knowledge of students 

of Anna University”. 

Ramanujan Computing 

Centre (RCC) located in Anna 

University (AU), Chennai, is 

functioning as a technology 

provider to students, researchers 

and teaching community 

to fulfil their computational, 

technological and Internet requirements. 

The centre is truly 

state-of-art with the sophisticated 

Wi-Fi connectivity, Video 

Streaming Server to render 

Video Conference/Video-ondemand 

facility. 

Bahwan CyberTek, established 

in 1999, is a global IT 

provider of innovative software 

products and services. 

5 OMAN 



Arab education system needs revamp, scholar 

By Kabeer Yousuf 

MUSCAT — Despite the various 

accolades that reached the 

Arabian education systems, 

an Arab educationist and a 

scholar is of the opinion that 

the regional education system 

needs a serious revamp. 

Nevertheless, the efforts of 

the Omani government in improving 

the education system 

and the importance of constant 

upgradation are to be lauded, 

according to Dr Tareq al Suwaidan 

(pictured), Educationist, 

and a motivational speaker 

based in Kuwait. 

He opines Oman’s education 

scenario, although ranked 

three in the regional evaluation 

programme, too needs a 

facelift incorporating various 

facets of life including leadership 

skills and critical analysis 

skills. 

“Education system in the 

Sultanate is one of the best 

in the Arab world though it 

doesn’t compete with the international 

educational systems 

at all especially in the 

technical area. In addition, it 

should focus more on the soft 

skills development including 

the critical analysis and leadership 

qualities that help form 

By Ali Ahmed al Riyami 

MUSCAT — After their successful 

inaugural exhibition 

last year, EduVistas annually 

held Overseas Education Exhibition 

2012 is bringing together 

leading universities from 

around the world to showcase 

their programmes and facilities 

this Thursday at the Hotel 

Muscat Holiday’s Sur Ballroom, 

it was announced at a 

specially held press meet here 

yesterday. 

This year prestigious universities 

and colleges from 

Australia, Canada, India, Jordan, 

Malaysia, Spain, Turkey, 

UAE and UK will be participating 

in the event. 

Addressing members of 

the press corps, Asha, the 

Chief Academic Advisor of 

GlobalEdu (event organisers), 

who was joined by their 

PR representative, Naila al 

Shukairiya, noted, “We have 

lined up a selection of prestigious 

international institutions. 

These institutions offer 

foundation, undergraduate and 

postgraduate degrees in medicine, 

engineering, business, 

a sound personality. 

“Omani system is not much 

behind except the Doha system 

of education and we need 

a strong revamp to the education 

system”, Dr Tareq who is 

also the CEO of Innovation 

Group and General manager, 

Al Resalah Satellite TV told 

the Observer, adding, “In the 

Omani context, these two 

skills are left with the teachers 

while in the Canadian system 

which spends billions on the 

system they are a part of the 

curricula”. 

Talking on the sidelines of 

the announcement of Oman 

Modern International Schools 

computing, hospitality, pilot 

training and more.” 

The Exhibition will be 

open for the public from 9 am 

to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 9 pm 

with free entry. Prospective 

students are advised to bring 

English translated academic 

documents to the venue to discuss 

various study options with 

university representatives. After 

the event, GlobalEdu will 

facilitate admissions to all participating 

universities without 

charging service fees. 

For students looking for 

Higher Education Institutions 

(OMIS), the first Canadian 

school in Oman and managed 

by Canadian staff, Dr Tareq 

said the Canadian education 

system is one of the best in the 

world and there should be attempts 

to absorb the best part 

of the same. “We should combine 

the best part of the Canadian 

system of education with 

the Arab system so that a society 

deep-rooted in Islamic values 

with a global outlook can 

be resulted in the country”. 

He said the school is one 

such effort in combining international 

quality education 

with the mother tongue as 

well as their children's Islamic 

in India, EduVistas will offer 

a wide spectrum of choices, as 

there are many Indian universities 

from Delhi, Tamil Nadu, 

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh 

and Maharashtra — offering 

Medicine, Engineering, Business, 

Computing, Hospitality 

Media, Visual Communication 

and Science programs — participating 

in the event. 

Malaysia, yet another top 

higher education destination 

will be represented by some 

of the most prestigious names 

from that country. One of the 

focal areas this year is pilot 

identity. “This new venture 

will also have a curriculum 

that is ranked amongst the 

most advanced in the world. 

It will also give prominence 

to mastery of Arabic and the 

application of Islam to all aspects 

of life. 

The OMIS curriculum is 

designed according to international 

standards, emphasising 

inquiry, stimulating curiosity, 

and fostering comprehension 

and creativity rather than learning 

by rote. Students will have 

the opportunity to earn the Canadian 

High School Diploma 

from Alberta, which provides 

direct access to Omani and 

Canadian universities”. 

Targeting the Omani population 

in particular, the school 

will be accredited by both the 

Omani Ministry of Education 

and the Ministry of Education 

in Alberta. OMIS is expected 

to begin operation in September 

2013 to serve Omani and 

expatriate children. 

The first independent 

school that offers Canadian 

education in Muscat, the first 

years’ enrolment will be open 

to both male and female students 

from KG to Grade 3. 

Higher grades will he added 

each year, up to Grade 12. 

EduVistas attracts top intl varsities 

GCC, Turkey 

to expand 

cultural ties 

By Ali Ahmed al Riyami 

MUSCAT — In the framework 

of promoting greater communication 

and the strengthening 

of deep-rooted cultural 

and historical ties, Oman, as a 

member of the Gulf Cooperation 

Council (GCC) will be 

represented by the Ministry 

of Heritage and Culture in a 

Joint Working Group between 

the GCC and Turkey, formed 

to widen and develop cultural 

co-operation. 

Meetings are to be held 

between the GCC’s Cultural 

Committee and their Turkish 

counterparts on Monday and 

Tuesday to examine different 

cultural aspects related 

to strategies, mechanisms 

and co-operation and ways of 

strengthening them. 

This is part of the important 

cultural study and 

the hosting of GCC Cultural 

Days 2012, in Ankara — as 

adopted by GCC ministerial 

resolution during the last 

meeting of GCC Ministers 

of Culture in Abu Dhabi in 

2011. Other areas covered 

include exchange of expertise 

in ‘protection of archaeological 

sites’, ‘repair works and 

excavations’, ‘museums’ and 

the ‘development of theatres, 

cinemas, and Islamic arts’. 

Yousef bin Ibrahim al 

Balushi, General Manager, 

Organisations and Cultural 

Relations and member of the 

Cultural Committee of the 

GCC, and Biubwa bint Ali al 

Sabria, Director of Excavation 

and Archaeology, will be 

representing the Ministry of 

Heritage and Culture at the 

meetings. 

training. Frontline pilot training 

schools from Europe and 

the Middle East are participating 

in EduVistas this year. 

United Kingdom, Australia, 

and Middle Eastern countries 

like Turkey, Jordan and UAE 

have consistently ranked high 

among students as preferred 

education destinations. The 

event will showcase the best 

institutions from these countries 

as well. 

EduVistas 2012 follows 

the resounding success of 

its 2011 edition, conducted 

in July 2011. “From now on 

EduVistas will be one of the 

most eagerly awaited events in 

Oman’s Overseas Education 

events calendar. Our objective 

is to cater to the requirements 

of Oman’s student community 

and to bring quality institutions 

and world-class higher 

education opportunities to students 

from Oman,” stated the 

organisers. 

All of the participating 

colleges and universities are 

accredited by the Ministry of 

Higher Education. Further 

information is available at: 

www.globalhigheredu.com.

Dozens missing and 4,000 

evacuated in ship disaster 

PORTO SANTO STEFANO, 

Italy — Three people died and 

about 70 were missing yesterday 

after an Italian cruise ship 

with more than 4,000 people 

on board ran aground and 

keeled over, sparking scenes 

of panic. 

The Costa Concordia was 

on a trip around the Mediterranean 

when it apparently hit 

a reef near the island of Giglio 

on Friday, only a few hours 

into its voyage, as passengers 

were sitting down for dinner. 

Local officials also said at 

least 14 people were injured. 

Other sources spoke of about 

40 injured, two of them seriously 

suffering from concussion 

and spinal injuries. 

Around 20 people were 

rescued by helicopters, which 

scoured the sea with searchlights 

during the night-time 

rescue operation. 

Some of the passengers 

jumped into the icy waters. 

"There were scenes of panic 

like on the Titanic. We ran 

aground on rocks near Giglio 

island. I don't know how this 

could happen. The captain is 

crazy," Mara Parmegiani, a 

passenger, was quoted by Italian 

media as saying. 

"We were very scared and 

freezing because it happened 

while we were at dinner so 

everyone was in evening wear. 

We definitely didn't have time 

to get anything else. They gave 

us blankets but there weren't 

enough," she said. 

Linardi quoted Costa Crociere, 

the Costa Concordia's 

owner, as saying that 70 people 

out of the total 4,234 passengers 

and crew were still 

missing but they could be on 

the island. 

The people on board in- 

cluded some 60 nationalities 

and about 52 were children up 

to the age of six. Indian Mondal 

Mithun, 26-year-old restaurant 

manager on the Costa 

Concordia, who was on his 

first cruise, said: "We heard the 

ship hit the rocks but the alert 

only came after one hour." 

Shocked passengers 

crammed into the island's few 

hotel rooms and a local church 

overnight. Hundreds were being 

transferred by ferry to the 

Tuscan resort town of Porto 

Santo Stefano, which is linked 

to the Italian mainland. 

Luciano Castro, another 

passenger, was quoted as saying: 

"We heard a loud noise 

while we were at dinner as if 

the keel of the ship hit something." 

"The ship started taking 

in water through the hole 

and began tilting." Passengers 

had been initially told the ship 

6 THE WORLD 



had shuddered to a halt for 

electrical reasons, before being 

instructed to put on their 

life-jackets and head for lifeboats. 

Francesco Paolillo, a local 

coast guard official, said there 

was a 30-metre hole in the ship 

but that it was too early to say 

what exactly had happened. 

"We think this happened 

as a result of sailing too close 

to an obstacle like a reef," he 

said. The ship left the port of 

Civitavecchia near Rome on 

Friday at the beginning of the 

cruise and was headed for the 

port of Savona in northwest 

Italy. It was then scheduled to 

visit the French port of Marseille 

and Barcelona in Spain. 

The cruise ship boasts 58 

suites with balconies, five restaurants, 

13 bars, five Jacuzzis 

and four swimming pools. 

— AFP 

A CRUISE ship that ran aground is seen off the west coast of Italy at Giglio Island yesterday. — Reuters 

Tanker to pump fuel to Alaska port 

NOME, Alaska — A Russian 

ship carrying vital fuel to a 

remote Alaskan port could finally 

deliver its load yesterday 

after battling through some 

300480 km of Arctic ice, the 

US Coast Guard said. 

Helped by a US Coast 

Guard ice-breaker, the Russian 

tanker Renda was within 

seven miles of the port of 

Nome by late Friday, but was 

proceeding very cautiously for 

its final approach. 

"They're trying to identify 

the best course and the best 

place to navigate into so that 

the Renda can get as close as 

possible but that she'll also 

be able to leave at the end of 

this," said spokeswoman Veronica 

Colbath. 

"We're almost there but 

we're not completely there yet, 

and there's still a lot of moving 

parts to this operation," 

she said, adding that the Russian 

tanker has about a mile of 

hose on board for the delicate 

operation. 

The Russian ship is carrying 

1.3 million gallons of fuel 

for Nome, a city of some 3,500 

people which did not get its 

usual pre-winter oil delivery 

due to a storm in the fall. 

It is the first time such a 

fuel delivery has been attempted 

through some 300 miles of 

ice in the depths of winter, and 

wind and currents have made 

progress through the ice difficult. 

The Renda, travelling 

in the wake of the US cutter 

Healy, has had to be repeatedly 

helped by the ice-breaker after 

ice built up around it, said the 

Coast Guard spokeswoman. 

The bone-chilling weather 

is harsh even by Alaska's 

standards: the Coast Guard 

spokeswoman said tempera- 

tures had been down to minus 

50 degrees on the two vessels. 

A special waiver had to be 

granted to allow the Renda to 

head to the rescue, as normally 

only US-owned and operated 

vessels would be allowed to 

make such deliveries, under a 

1920 US law. 

By Friday everything was 

set for the Russian ship to 

deliver its load, but the Coast 

Guard would not speculate on 

whether the operation would 

in fact happen shortly. 

"They still have to get the 

Renda close enough that the 

hose can reach, and they still 

have to make sure that wherever 

the Renda is moored up 

that she'll be able to get out as 

well," said Colbath. 

Once hoses are connected, 

the fuel transfer operation 

is expected to take some 45 

hours, pumping continuously 

day and night until the fuel is 

all delivered, officials say. 

A path has been cleared 

through the snow on a beach 

with a good view of the harbour 

for townspeople to watch 

the action, but red-tipped 

stakes have been placed in 

the ice to mark off an out-ofbounds 

area where the hoses 

will run. 

"We cannot say at this 

time when the transfer will 

start because after the Renda 

is in place they will have to 

wait until the water refreezes 

around it to help keep it stable," 

said another Coast Guard 

spokeswoman, Sara Francis. 

Even once it has started 

transferring it is difficult to 

predict exactly how long the 

operation will take, since the 

extreme temperatures could 

interfere with how fast the fuel 

can be pumped. — AFP 

Taiwan president wins 2nd term 

TAIPEI — Taiwan voters reelected 

incumbent President 

Ma Ying-jeou yesterday, endorsing 

his push for closer ties 

with Beijing and removing a 

potential irritant in Sino-US 

relations as those two powers 

head for a year of political 

transition. 

The election had been 

expected to be tight, but the 

Central Election Commission 

said the Nationalist Party's Ma 

Ying-jeou won about 51.6 per 

cent of the vote versus about 

45.6 per cent for Tsai Ing-wen 

of the opposition Democratic 

Progressive Party (DPP). 

"In the next four years, 

cross-strait relations will be 

more peaceful, with greater 

mutual trust and the chance of 

conflict will be less," Ma, 61, 

told thousands of his supporters, 

many clapping, waving 

red and blue Taiwan flags and 

cheering in the pouring rain 

outside the party headquarters 

in downtown Taipei. 

There was no official comment 

from Beijing, but the 

TAIWAN President Ma Ying-jeou hugs his wife Chou Meiching 

after winning the elections yesterday. — AFP 

Communist Party's official 

newspaper, the People's Daily, 

welcomed the outcome. 

The election outcome 

would be a relief to China. The 

opposition DPP's independ- 

ence-leaning stance has long 

angered Beijing, even though 

Tsai had tried to distance herself 

from that position in the 

campaign. Analysts had said 

a DPP win would have put 

ties with China in limbo, and 

sharpened Beijing's differences 

with the United States. 

The Nationalist Party also 

won a clear majority in parliament, 

which should give Ma a 

fillip in pushing through policy. 

The election commission 

said the Nationalists won 64 

seats in the 113-member legislature, 

although that is also 

lower than the 81 seats they 

had in the outgoing house. 

"We will continue to let 

economic growth flourish, 

protect cross-strait peace and 

friendly relations to achieve 

more concrete results in cooperation 

in important areas," 

said Lien Chan, the honorary 

chairman of the Nationalists. 

But in an acknowledgement 

of the reduced majority, 

he added: "We need to discuss 

thoroughly the criticism the 

voters have handed to us." 

Nearly 200,000 Taiwanese 

returned from overseas for the 

poll according to local media 

reports, cramming flights in a 

last minute rush. — Reuters 

Spain relaunches probe 

into torture allegations 

MADRID — Spanish government relaunched a probe into torture 

charges brought by four former Guantanamo Bay detainees 

which looks into the role of former US president George 

Bush. In its decree, the national court asked prosecutors to 

look into whether it would be "pertinent to carry out legal action 

against those presumed responsible for the facts relevant 

to the investigation". 

It added that among those cited in charges filed by the 

plaintiffs are Bush, former vice-president Dick Cheney and 

ex-defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld. 

The court further decided to relaunch a request for judicial 

assistance sent to the United States and to Britain on May 26, 

2009, which had so far yielded no response. In February, the 

national court said it would investigate the case brought by 

Lahcen Ikassrien, a Morrocan who has lived in Spain for 14 

years. Since then, the case brought by three other ex-Guantanamo 

detainees — Hamed Abderraman Ahmed, nicknamed 

"the Spanish Taliban," Palestinian Jamil Adullatif El Banna 

and Libyan Omar Deghayes — has been added. 

Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon agreed in 2009 to probe the 

charges brought by Ikassrien and the other detainees, who said 

they tortured during their detention in Guantanamo between 

2002 and 2005. 

But Garzon was suspended in 2010 while awaiting trial on 

charges of abuse of power over a move to probe Franco-era 

crimes, and the file was sent to another magistrate. 

Garzon had found in his preliminary conclusions that there 

was "an authorised and systematic plan of torture and bad 

treatment of people detained without proof and without basic 

rights that all detainees should enjoy under international conventions". 

— AFP 

Thousands protest plans 

for shale gas exploration 

SOFIA— Several thousand Bulgarians demonstrated across 

the country yesterday against plans for shale gas exploration 

by US company Chevron that they say could harm the environment. 

About 1,000 youngsters marched along the streets of 

the capital Sofia, beating drums and blowing whistles as "a 

wake-up call to all Bulgarians," an AFP correspondent at the 

scene reported. 

They urged people to push the government to impose a ban 

on hydraulic fracturing or "fracking", the most commonly used 

method for shale gas exploration that opponents say might 

contaminate drinking water. 

The protestors marched on the government buildings carrying 

banners saying "No to shale gas, Yes to nature", and 

"Chevron go home" to protest the US company's plans to extract 

shale gas in the European Union's poorest member. 

Similar-sized demos were held in the northeastern region of 

Dobrudzha, where Chevron wants to operate, as well as in the 

Black Sea cities of Varna and Burgas, Plovdiv in the south and 

Pleven to the north, national radio reported. 

Environmental pressure group Fracking Free Bulgaria 

said yesterday it had obtained a promise from parliamentary 

speaker Tsetska Tsacheva for lawmakers to consider a moratorium 

on fracking for shale gas. Similar legislation was already 

passed in France last June. Fracking, which uses high pressure 

injections of water, sand and chemicals to blast through rock to 

release oil and gas trapped inside, has been widely used in the 

United States. — AFP 

British Navy captures 13 

suspected Somali pirates 

LONDON — Britain's Royal Navy has captured 13 suspected 

Somali pirates after ships from a Nato-led counter-piracy force 

intercepted their boat in the Indian Ocean, the Navy said. 

A Royal Navy auxiliary ship, RFA Fort Victoria, and a US 

Navy destroyer, the USS Carney, were sent to investigate a 

suspected pirate dhow off the Somali coast on Friday, the Navy 

said in a statement. 

British Royal Marines using speedboats boarded the dhow 

after it ignored warnings to stop, and found 13 suspected Somali 

pirates and a "selection of weapons" on board, the statement 

said. 

A spokeswoman for the Royal Navy in Bahrain, Lieutenant- 

Commander Heather Lane, said yesterday that the suspected 

pirates were still on board their vessel, which she said was in 

a poor condition. 

"We are investigating the evidence on board. They will be 

transferred some time later in the day to RFA Fort Victoria," she 

said. She did not say where they would ultimately be taken. 

Pirates operating from the Somali coast have raked in hundreds 

of millions of dollars in ransoms from hijacking ships, 

and continue to pose a threat to shipping despite international 

efforts to stop them. Britain will host an international conference 

on February 23 to try to agree on measures to tackle instability 

and piracy in the east African country. — Reuters 

Crowds greet Danish 

queen on 40th jubilee 

COPENHAGEN — Crowds thronged the streets of central Copenhagen 

yesterday to fete Danish Queen Margrethe II, who 

celebrated her 40th jubilee with a ride in a golden carriage. 

Members of the queen's horse guard escorted the queen and 

her husband, French-born Prince Henrik, who rode in the shimmering 

carriage drawn by six dapple-grey and white horses. 

Many who lined the route from the Amalienborg palace 

square to the city hall waved red-and-white Danish flags, as 

did many in the crowd that packed the city hall square. 

Big screens allowed the crowd to follow a musical performance 

in the queen's honour at the city hall, which comprised a 

500-strong choir from all over Denmark, as well as self-ruling 

Greenland. After receiving a gift from the mayor, the 71-yearold 

queen said she felt Copenhagen had a "special place in her 

heart" as the city where she was born and lived. 

Dignitaries at the city hall included the kings and queens 

of Norway and Sweden, the president of Iceland and members 

of the Danish government. Queen Margrethe became monarch 

exactly 40 years ago on Saturday following the death of her 

father, King Frederik IX, who had reigned for 25 years. 

Other events during the jubilee weekend were a gala performance 

for the queen later. Today she was set to hold her 

500th state council meeting with the cabinet as well as attend a 

church service and banquet. 

The jubilee started on a more solemn note as the queen travelled 

by train to the nearby city of Roskilde to lay a wreath on 

the graves of her parents, King Frederik and Queen Ingrid. Most 

Danish monarchs have been laid to rest at Roskilde's medieval 

cathedral since the 15th century. The queen's two sisters — 

Princess Benedikte and Anne-Marie, who is married to former 

King Constantine of Greece — each laid a wreath. — dpa 

FRANCE'S Prime Minister Francois Fillon, delivers 

a speech as he attends a news conference at the Hotel 

Matignon in Paris yesterday. — Reuters 

GERMAN Chancellor and leader of the Christian 

Democratic Party (CDU) Angela Merkel and Schleswig- 

Holstein's CDU top candidate Jost de Jager during a 

party convention in Kiel yesterday. — Reuters 

SPAIN’S Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy delivers 

his speech during his Popular Party's convention 

“Andalusian change” at the Congress Palace in 

Malaga, southern Spain, yesterday. — Reuters 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon pins a decoration 

on outgoing Spanish commander of the United Nations 

Interim Force in Lebanon Major-General Alberto 

Asarta Cuevas in Lebanon yesterday. — AFP 

SERGEI Mitrokhin, chairman of the Yabloko political 

party, is restrained by a Russian police officer during 

a protest against results of the recent parliamentary 

election in Moscow yesterday. — Reuters

Memorial 

inscription to 

be corrected 

WASHINGTON — Three 

months after the dedication 

of the Martin Luther King 

Jr Memorial, an inscription 

on the monument to the civil 

rights leader is to be corrected. 

Interior Secretary Ken 

Salazar said he has given 

the National Park Service 30 

days to correct the error on 

the base of the statue. The 

inscription reads, “I was a 

drum major for justice and 

righteousness.” The misquote 

was discovered by a 

Washington Post columnist, 

who called the quote “an odd 

choice” for the monument. 

Research by the columnist 

showed the quote was 

taken from one of King’s 

speeches in which he actually 

said, “If you want to say 

I was a drum major, say I 

was...” “As many have since 

pointed out, the ‘if’ and the 

‘you’ entirely change the 

meaning,” the Post reported. 

US President promises tax 

incentives for job creation 

WASHINGTON — US President 

Barack Obama promised 

yesterday new tax incentives 

for companies that 

create jobs in the United 

States — and punishment 

for those who export them 

overseas. 

In his weekly radio and Internet 

address, the president 

said that in the next few 

weeks, he will “put forward 

new tax proposals 

that reward companies that 

choose to do the right thing 

by bringing jobs home and 

investing in America — 

and eliminate tax breaks for 

companies that move jobs 

overseas.” 

He did not elaborate anything 

further. 

The comments came after 

Obama held a White 

House summit with business 

leaders this week to 

discuss ways of bringing 

outsourced American jobs 

back home while growing 

the US economy. 

The business figures at the 

event included senior executives 

from Ford, DuPont, 

Otis Elevator Company, Intel, 

Siemens USA and Rolls 

Royce North America. 

The president also said he 

had pledged these business 

leaders his firm support if 

they continue on the path of 

job creation. 

“I’ll make sure you’ve got a 

government that does everything 

in its power to help 

you succeed,” he said. 

The president also showcased 

his plan to merge six US 

trade and commerce agencies 

in an effort to cut red 

tape for businesses and end 

government overlap. 

“These changes will make it 

easier for small business 

owners to get the loans and 

support they need to sell 

their products around the 

world,” Obama said. 

Meanwhile, Obama sought to 

strike an implicit contrast 

with his most likely Republican 

election foe Mitt 

Romney on Wednesday, 

hosting a forum on bringing 

back American jobs to 

be outsourced overseas. 

Obama gathered consulting 

professionals and company 

chief executives at 

the White House hours after 

Romney won the New 

Hampshire primary, despite 

a blizzard of attacks on 

Romney’s professed record 

as a job creator while working 

as a venture capitalist. 

Unemployment and the direction 

of the economy as it 

struggles back after the 

worst recession since the 

1930s Great Depression are 

shaping up as the key issues 

of November’s election in 

which embattled Obama 

will seek a second term. 

Obama campaign team slams 

Romney’s corporate past 

WASHINGTON — Barack 

Obama’s campaign has fired 

off a withering attack on Mitt 

Romney, branding the US 

president’s likely election 

foe as a corporate raider who 

made money “hand over fist” 

by destroying jobs. 

The Obama campaign’s intervention 

on Friday whipped 

up a new storm around Romney, 

who has been battered by 

criticism from his Republican 

rivals over his 15-year role at 

equity firm Bain Capital and 

his claims to have created 

100,000 jobs. 

The Chicago-based team’s 

decision to enter the fray added 

to the impression that an 

MEXICO CITY — Two weeks after a 

pipeline leak in coastal Mexico sent oil 

gushing into a river, state oil monopoly 

Pemex has recovered about two-thirds 

of the spilled crude, but the full clean-up 

could take another month. 

Mexico’s environmental protection 

agency, Profepa, is supervising containment 

of the 1,500-barrel spill that killed 

fish, injured wildlife and left greasy slicks 

in the Coatzacoalcos river. 

“Right now it is more about containing 

the emergency,” Profepa official Sergio 

Herrera said. 

“There will be further actions to clean 

the river, the banks of the river, and the 

zone where the damage has happened.” 

Pemex blamed the December 31 leak 

in Veracruz state on vandalism. Fuel 

thieves routinely tap into Mexico’s network 

of pipelines to steal oil and gas for 

sale on the black market, often causing 

small spills. 

The company has contracted 140 

workers to clean up the mess, which it 

said was mostly contained in a lagoon 

near the affected valve. 

In December 2010, 28 people were 

WASHINGTON — A former 

Dow Chemical Company scientist 

has been sentenced to 

five years in prison for selling 

trade secrets to Chinese companies, 

the US Justice Department 

announced on Friday. 

Wen Chyu Liu, also known 

as David Liou, was convicted 

February 7, 2011 of stealing 

and selling secrets about 

Dow Chemical’s Tyrin chlorinated 

polyethylene (CPE) 

process. 

The process is used to 

manufacture automotive and 

industrial hoses, electrical cable 

jackets and vinyl siding. 

He also was convicted of 

perjury for lying to cover up 

his involvement in a conspiracy 

that included at least four 

of his coworkers. 

important moment of the 2012 

campaign could be at hand, 

with Romney battling to shore 

up the central rationale of his 

presidential run. 

Obama strategist Stephanie 

Cutter took aim in a memo at 

Romney’s claim that his business 

expertise gives him the 

corporate savvy and turnaround 

skills needed to reboot 

the struggling US economy. 

She accused Romney of 

taking advantage of an “uneven 

playing field” by using 

the cash of rich investors to 

take over failing firms, strip 

them down and fire workers 

during his time at the private 

equity firm. 

He was sentenced on 

Thursday in US District Court 

in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

In addition to the prison 

sentence, Liu, 75, must forfeit 

$600,000 and pay a $25,000 

fine. 

Liu came to the United 

States from China as a graduate 

university student. He 

started working as a research 

scientist for Dow Chemical in 

1965 and retired in 1992. 

Liu was based at the company’s 

Plaquemine, Louisiana 

facility to develop elastomers, 

including Tyrin CPE. 

“Liu had access to trade 

secrets and confidential and 

proprietary information pertaining 

to Dow’s Tyrin CPE 

process and product technology,” 

a Justice Department 

“Our economic crisis and 

endemic income inequality 

were caused in large part by a 

few who put profits over people,” 

Cutter wrote. 

“Mitt Romney and his 

friends made money hand over 

fist while working families 

lost their grip on the middleclass 

lifestyle they earned. 

“Between now and November 

the American people will 

decide whether to respond to 

this crisis by electing a corporate 

raider who profited from 

— and promises to restore — 

the conditions that caused it.” 

Cutter accused Romney of 

closing more than 1,000 industrial 

plants, stores and of- 

killed when a massive spill caused by an 

illegal pipeline tap east of Mexico City 

caught fire and exploded. 

The spill in Veracruz is the biggest 

since then. 

The latest images of fouled river banks 

and black sludge in the water have environmental 

groups questioning Pemex’s 

spotty safety and environmental record 

just as it embarks on an ambitious plan of 

oil exploration in the deep waters off the 

Gulf of Mexico. 

“If Pemex is incapable of dealing with 

an oil spill in a river, how would they contain 

one at a deepwater project in the Gulf 

of Mexico?” Greenpeace Mexico’s Beatriz 

Olivera said. 

Pemex is eyeing the estimated 29 billion 

barrels of oil beneath its territorial 

Gulf waters as it aims to replace lost output 

from aging fields. 

But upstream production and exploration 

poses different risks than overland 

transport of oil for refining, said Mexicobased 

energy analyst David Shields. 

“The main onshore problem that 

Pemex is having with pipelines is vandalism. 

If you have some kind of problem 

statement said. 

Prosecutors said he traveled 

extensively throughout China 

to market the stolen information. 

He also was accused of 

paying current and former 

Dow Chemical employees for 

material and information about 

the secret chemicals. 

“In one instance, Liu 

bribed a then-employee at 

the Plaquemine facility with 

$50,000 in cash to provide 

Dow’s process manual and 

other CPE-related information,” 

the Justice Department 

reported. 

The Midland, Michiganbased 

company said in a statement 

that, “Because of his 

education and position within 

the company, Mr Liou knew 

of its immense value.” 

fices, cutting employee wages 

and benefits and pensions and 

outsourcing American jobs to 

other countries while making 

hundreds of millions of dollars. 

The controversy was further 

fueled by a report by the 

McClatchy newspaper chain 

that Bain Capital more than 

doubled its money on its acquisition 

of GS Industries Inc., 

the former parent company of 

Georgetown Steel, even as the 

steel manufacturer went on to 

cut more than 1,750 jobs. 

According to the report, 

Bain Capital spent $24.5 million 

to acquire GS Industries 

in 1993. — AFP 

Mexico pipeline oil spill 

may take month to clean 

with deepwater platforms, it’s very unlikely 

to be vandalism,” Shields said. 

The 1,500-barrel pipeline spill is tiny 

compared with the 4 million barrels that 

gushed into the Gulf of Mexico after an 

explosion at BP’s Deepwater Horizon 

well in 2010. 

Mexico, the world’s No. 7 oil producer, 

has stabilized output at around 2.6 million 

barrels per day after a sharp decrease 

at its largest fields. 

Pemex plans to have some 50 deepwater 

oil wells by 2015. 

Mexico’s oil industry watchdog, the 

National Hydrocarbons Commission 

(CNH), said Pemex has not yet acquired 

all of the necessary safety equipment to 

deal with deepwater accidents. 

The CNH does not regulate downstream 

operations, so the Veracruz leak is 

out of its jurisdiction, but the watchdog 

said it was concerned about spills upstream. 

“We have not seen spills decline,” 

CNH president Juan Carlos Zepeda said. 

“In the past three years the number of 

incidents have increased, which is a risk 

factor.” — Reuters 

Scientist sentenced for selling 

chemical secrets to Chinese 

Dow Chemical called the 

theft of its trade secrets “a 

complete betrayal of the trust 

imparted to Mr Liou as a Dow 

employee.” 

Liu’s lawyer, Frank 

Holthaus of Baton Rouge, 

didn’t immediately return a 

call seeking comment. 

“The technology that Mr. 

Liou was convicted of stealing 

belonged to Dow,” the Midland, 

Michigan-based company 

said in an e-mailed statement 

today. “Because of his 

education and position within 

the company, Mr. Liou knew 

of its immense value.” 

Dow called the theft and 

sale of its intellectual property 

“a complete betrayal of the 

trust imparted to Mr Liou as a 

Dow employee.” — AFP 

7 AMERICAS 



CHILDREN wait for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum before a campaign event at Tommy’s 

Country Ham House in Greenville, South Carolina, yesterday. — Reuters 

Newt attacks Romney for speaking French 

WASHINGTON — Struggling US presidential 

hopeful Newt Gingrich has taken 

a shot from a Gallic angle at Republican 

frontrunner Mitt Romney, accusing him 

— sacre bleu! — of speaking French. 

In an attack ad released as he battles 

to turn the tide ahead of the South 

Carolina primary, the former US House 

speaker compares Romney to John Kerry, 

the Democrat skewered by similar 

claims in a run for the White House in 

2004. 

Set to lilting accordion music, the 

ad — named The French Connection on 

YouTube — lists the alleged mistakes of 

Romney including distancing himself 

from Ronald Reagan, raising taxes and 

offering taxpayer-funded abortions. 

Rising to a crescendo, the voiceover 

intones: “Massachusetts moderate Mitt 

Romney, he’ll say anything to win, anything. 

“And just like John Kerry,” — cut to 

a clip of Massachusetts senator Kerry 

exclaiming: Laissez les bons temps rouler! 

(“Let the good times roll!”) — “he 

speaks French, too.” 

“Bonjour, je m’appelle Mitt Romney,” 

the former Massachussets governor 

is shown saying, in footage from a 

promotional video Romney made when 

he was chief executive of the 2002 Winter 

Games in Salt Lake City. 

Romney spent two and a half years in 

France as a Mormon missionary in the 

1960s, including through the turbulent 

period of the May 1968 uprising, before 

returning home to begin a career in business 

and politics. 

But commentators point out that 

Gingrich also speaks French, having 

spent several years in Orleans, northern 

France, as a youth when his father was 

posted there as a soldier. 

Gingrich also has a doctorate in 

European history, and his thesis — on 

Belgian Education Policy in the Congo 

1945-1960 — had a bibliography in- 

cluding several French-language publications. 

The six Republican contenders remaining 

in the race are keen to present 

themselves as the most free-market, 

anti-liberal candidate to take on Democratic 

President Barack Obama in November 

elections. 

In that context, Europe, and France 

in particular, is often presented as an 

example of the economically and socially 

misguided big-government path 

that Obama has allegedly led the United 

States down since taking office in 2008. 

Many conservatives have not forgiven 

France for vigorously opposing 

the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, when 

a torrent of public vitriol was unleashed 

against the French, and French fries 

were renamed Freedom Fries. 

The following year Kerry lost the 

White House race to George W Bush after 

a campaign in which Republicans notably 

said he “looked French.” — AFP

NEWS IN BRIEF 

Imran Khan says 

he’s not anti-West 

IMRAN Khan, the cricket star turned 

politician who is gaining support in 

Pakistan, has rebutted charges he is anti- 

West and said his vision for an Islamic 

society looked like Scandinavia. Khan, 

who has drawn hundreds of thousands 

of followers in recent months after years 

in the political wilderness, reiterated his 

staunch criticism of the US campaign 

against extremists as he addressed a 

forum in Washington. 

But he rejected perceptions that his 

views are anti-Western. Khan, an Oxford 

graduate who was formerly married to 

writer Jemima Khan, said he was one 

of the few Pakistani politicians to have 

spent substantial time in the West. "To 

be anti-Western makes absolutely no 

sense at all. The West is geography. How 

can you be anti-geography?" Khan told 

the Atlantic Council, a think-tank, via 

Internet video provider Skype. 

Govt planning panel 

on child’s rights 

PAKISTANI government has planned to 

table a draft of an autonomous commission 

on children’s rights in the National 

Assembly (the lower house) within six 

months.A senior official of the Ministry 

of Human Rights said that a draft of the 

National Commission on the Rights of 

Children (NCRC) bill will be finalised 

soon. 

He added that the government had 

long been considering the establishment 

of a commission to implement forceful 

legislation against crimes related 

to children. The official said that the 

government took the initiative following 

demands by civil society and NGOs, 

keeping in view the increasing crime rate 

related to juveniles. 

Food security situation 

deteriorating: survey 

PAKISTAN’S food security situation has 

become more deteriorated as a survey 

done by National Nutritional Survey 

(NNS) showed that about 58 per cent of 

Pakistanis are food insecure. This situation 

has deteriorated from the previous 

nutritional survey published in 2003 

which marked food insecure Pakistanis at 

50 per cent.“The situation has gone from 

bad to worse especially in Sindh where 

malnutrition and food insecurity among 

women and children has increased,” 

said a spokesperson for the World Food 

Programme (WFP), Amjad Jamal. 

“Nutrition is not only a health issue 

but a socio-economic one as well,” said 

Dr Muhammad Dauod Altaf, the provincial 

head for the World Health Organisation 

emergency assistance programme, 

while speaking at a seminar organised to 

launch the survey. 

Rival parties dealing for 

Upper House elections 

DESPITE their strict allegations and 

criticism over each other in public, 

Pakistan’s two largest parties reportedly 

have met two-thirds of the way in backdoor 

negotiations over the democratic 

transition process; well-placed sources 

revealed on the other day. 

The ruling Pakistan People’s 

Party (PPP) and the opposition Pakistan 

Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have 

agreed to four out of their six-point negotiation 

agenda comprising discussions 

over Senate elections, snap polls and 

their modalities, interim set-up, accountability 

bill, a strong and independent poll 

supervisory body and the issue of new 

provinces. 

Both parties have agreed to continue 

their negotiations over the remaining 

items, sources said, adding that President 

Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief 

Nawaz Sharif are closely monitoring the 

negotiations process, ongoing for the last 

two weeks. 

Climbers to trek Himalayan 

trail to raise awareness 

THE man who has climbed Mount 

Everest a record 21 times is leading 

a trek along the Himalayan foothills 

to raise awareness of climate change 

effects. 

Apa Sherpa will head a group of four 

on the 1,700-kilometre Great Himalaya 

Trail over 120 days. “The world wants 

to support Nepali communities in their 

climate battle but they need to be told 

how and where,” Sherpa said. 

“My effort to walk from east to west 

in Nepal is to find places and people that 

need the attention and help of the world 

in their climate battle.” — Agencies 

Pakistan’s Army chief 

resents PM’s criticisms 

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's army 

chief is furious with the prime minister 

for statements criticising the 

army and has demanded that they 

be clarified or withdrawn, a senior 

military source said yesterday. 

"The army chief complained to 

the president about the prime minister's 

statements, and said they 

needed to be either clarified or 

withdrawn," the source said. "He 

said such statements were divisive 

and made the country more vulnerable." 

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani 

earlier criticised Army Chief 

General Ashfaq Kayani and the director-general 

of the Inter-Services 

Intelligence agency Lieutenant- 

General Ahmed Shuja Pasha for filing 

court papers in a case involving 

a mysterious memo that has pitted 

the military against the civilian government. 

In an interview with Chinese 

media, Gilani said the filings were 

"unconstitutional", infuriating the 

ISLAMABAD — The process of 

rewriting the terms of engagement 

with the US is expected to be delayed 

due to the Pakistani government’s 

ongoing tensions with the 

judiciary and the military establishment. 

The multi-party, bicameral parliamentary 

panel, which had been 

tasked to formulate new terms of cooperation 

with the US, will finalise 

its recommendations on Wednesday 

after several days of deliberations. 

The final draft recommendations 

will be handed over to Prime Minister 

Yusuf Raza Gilani, who would 

then convene a joint session of parliament 

for their formal approval. 

The review, however, is unlikely 

to be completed anytime 

soon in the wake of rapidly changing 

developments on the political 

front, sources said. A special 

session of both houses of parliament 

is unlikely to be convened 

in coming days as the gov- 

military's high command, who issued 

a stern press release. "There 

can be no allegation more serious 

than what the honourable prime 

minister has levelled," it said. "This 

has very serious ramifications with 

potentially grievous consequences 

for the country." 

Gilani further infuriated the 

army on Wednesday by sacking the 

defence secretary, retired Lieutenant 

General Naeem Khalid Lodhi, 

for "gross misconduct and illegal 

action which caused misunderstanding" 

between institutions. 

Lodhi was the most senior civil 

servant responsible for military affairs, 

a post usually seen as the military's 

main advocate in the civilian 

bureaucracy. 

As angry as Kayani is, the source 

said, the council of senior military 

commanders is even more angry, 

the source said. 

"There is a lot of pressure by 

the main corps commanders on the 

army chief regarding the statements 

ernment grapples with the 

latest ruling by the Supreme Court 

on the implementation of the NRO 

verdict, sources added. 

The review of ties with the US 

was earlier expected to be complete 

by the third week of this month, 

enabling the government to resume 

‘business as usual,’ but under the 

new arrangements. 

A military official also confirmed 

that the domestic political situation 

is impeding efforts to redefine the 

relationship with Washington. 

The review of entire gamut of 

political, economic and military cooperation 

with the US was ordered 

in reaction to the November 26 

Nato air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani 

soldiers. 

The attack prompted Pakistan to 

shut down Nato supply routes and 

ordered the US to vacate a remote 

airbase in Baluchistan believed to 

be used by the CIA for drone attacks 

in the tribal belt. 

of the prime minister," the source 

said. The army's fury is cause for 

serious concern for the civilian government, 

and Gilani and President 

Asif Ali Zardari went on a charm 

offensive yesterday. 

"Our government and parliament, 

and above all our patriotic 

people, have stood fully behind our 

brave armed forces and security 

personnel," Gilani said at a cabinet 

defence committee meeting also attended 

by Kayani. 

"It has been my government's 

policy to allow and enable all state 

institutions to play their role in their 

respective domains," he added. 

Earlier, Zardari met Kayani in a 

similar attempt to mend fences. 

"The current security situation 

was discussed," a presidential 

spokesman said, without giving any 

details. Pakistan's politicians and 

media pundits have been abuzz with 

rumours of a possible coup since 

the memo controversy erupted in 

October. — Reuters 

US ties review may delay 

KARACHI — Pakistani government’s 

proposed Petroleum Exploration 

and Production Policy 2012, 

it seems, is not getting any support 

from anywhere. 

The provincial governments hate 

it because it gives most of the regulatory 

powers (and the attendant 

revenues) to the federal government. 

The oil companies hate it because it 

effectively places an artificial cap 

on the price they can receive and 

does not automatically grant development 

rights to the company that 

finds oil or gas in any given sector. 

And when the National Assembly 

finds out that the policy allows 

the government to give foreign 

state-owned companies control over 

large swathes of Pakistan’s oil and 

gas fields through no-bid contracts, 

they will probably hate it too. For 

the moment, all the attention seems 

focused on the provinces’ objections 

to the proposal. The provincial 

governments have decided to take 

up the issue in the Council of Common 

Interests, a body that includes 

representatives from the federal and 

provincial governments. 

8 

SUBCONTINENT 


The provinces’ stance seems to 

be that, after the 18th Amendment 

to the constitution, oil and gas fall 

under provincial jurisdictions and 

hence the regulatory powers and 

royalty revenues should go to provincial 

governments. Senior officials 

in the Punjab government told 

that the federal government wants 

the matter to be resolved outside the 

CCI, where the provinces can outvote 

Islamabad. 

Perhaps the single biggest complaint 

of the oil companies is that 

the policy does little to reduce the 

bureaucratic red tape that most 

companies need to go through before 

they can begin their exploration 

policies. 

“This policy shows no promise 

of quick and effective expedition of 

ministerial approvals and removal 

of the frustrating red tape which 

every foreign company faces at its 

entry into Pakistan,” wrote Barrister 

Aemen Zulfiqar Maluka, CEO of 

Josh and Mak, an Islamabad-based 

law firm that advises oil companies, 

in a blog that appeared on the website 

Opinion Maker. 


An American diplomat said they 

are “anxiously waiting for the review 

to complete as we would certainly 

want to move on.” 

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister 

Hina Rabbani Khar and the defence 

secretary briefed the parliamentary 

committee on the proposed draft 

recommendations. 

Khar told reporters that the committee 

had accepted majority of the 

proposals finalised by the envoys’ 

conference held in the wake of Nato 

attacks. 

In their recommendations, the 

envoys’ from key world capitals 

sought to scrap all existing anti-terror 

arrangements with the US. 

They particularly called for renegotiating 

the two key pacts signed 

in 2002 by then-military ruler General 

Pervez Musharraf with the US. 

The accords related to the Nato supplies, 

logistic support to the US and 

air corridor for coalition forces stationed 

in Afghanistan. — Internews 

Petroleum policy being opposed 

The policy concentrates considerable 

power into the hands of the 

Directorate General of Petroleum 

Concessions, but, compared to the 

2001 policy, does not appear to 

limit the number of procedures that 

a company must go through to get 

a licence. 

Crucially from the perspective 

of oil companies, there does not 

seem to be an automatic transfer of 

a licence from an oil exploration to 

a development licence, a practice 

that is standard throughout developed 

oil markets around the world. 

For instance, if a company spends 

$40 million drilling exploratory 

holes (the average cost of one hole 

in Pakistan), they would expect to 

be given the right to extract the oil 

or gas if they find any. 

Given that it takes digging an 

average of three holes to find one 

deposit, a company can expect to 

spend upwards of $100 million before 

it finds anything. Yet the government 

is not willing to then automatically 

give the right to extract the 

oil or gas to the company that paid 

to find it. — Internews 

CHINA’S Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L) with Nepal’s Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai at the 

Tribhuvan International Airport upon Wen’s arrival in Kathmandu yesterday. — Reuters 

PAKISTANI soldiers and policemen keep watch following an attack by fighters on a 

police station in Dera Ismail Khan yesterday. A bomber blew himself up as men armed 

with guns launched an attack on a police station in northwest Pakistan. — AFP 

Pak-Afghan meet this week 

ISLAMABAD — The eighth 

conference of the Pak-Afghan 

Joint Economic Commission 

(JEC) in Pakistani capital Islamabad 

on January 16-17 will 

help to normalise relations between 

the two countries, said a 

former Pakistani ambassador, 

Rashid Saleem Khan. 

The two-day discussions 

on mutual trade, economic coordination, 

transit trade and 

different bilateral issues will 

be the first high-level contact 

between the two neighbouring 

countries after the assassination 

of Prof Burhanuddin 

Rabbani in Kabul last year, 

Khan added. 

Khan served as Director- 

General in the Ministry of 

Foreign Affairs on the Afghan 

desk for a number of years. “It 

will be a great opportunity for 

both countries to repair their 

diplomatic relations,” he said. 

The Afghan minister of fi- 

YANGON — Myanmar confirmed 

yesterday that 302 political 

prisoners were freed under 

the latest amnesty that was 

welcomed by the international 

community as a significant 

step forward. 

On Friday, the government 

released them based on a list 

of 600 prisoners of conscience 

provided by “a political party,” 

Home Minister General Ko Ko 

said in Naypyitaw, the administrative 

capital 350 kilometres 

north of Yangon. 

Of the 600 inmates, 430 

were judged to be political 

prisoners, but 128 of those 

were kept in custody because 

they had also committed serious 

crimes, Ko Ko said. 

Other ministry officials 

confirmed that the prisoner list 

was provided by the National 

League for Democracy (NLD), 

headed by Nobel peace laureate 

Aung San Suu Kyi. The Assistance 

Association for Political 

Prisoners-Burma said the NLD 

list was far from complete. 

“As far as we know, there 

nance, who will lead his country’s 

delegation, will reach 

Islamabad with a team of officials 

and Afghan Chamber 

of Commerce and Industry 

representatives to participate 

in the JEC. The Afghan delegation 

is expected to make 

a courtesy call on the Foreign 

Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, 

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza 

Gilani and President Asif Ali 

Zardari. 

Pak-Afghan ties experienced 

a serious setback following 

President Hamid Karzai’s 

attempts to implicate 

Islamabad in the assassination 

of Prof Rabbani. Relations 

saw further deterioration on 

November 26, 2011, when 

Nato helicopters from Afghanistan 

killed 24 Pakistani 

soldiers in strikes against two 

military posts near the Afghan 

border. 

Pakistan retaliated by boy- 

are still more than 700 political 

prisoners in Myanmar jails,” 

spokesman Bo Kyi said. The 

association said 347 political 

prisoners had been released 

under three previous amnesties 

by President Thein Sein since 

March. 

Friday’s amnesty was 

hailed by Western democracies 

as a major step forward for the 

once-pariah state. 

The US government said it 

would send an ambassador to 

the Asian nation for the first 

time in more than 20 years. 

The European Union hailed 

“a further step toward a new 

relationship with Burma-Myanmar.” 

Prominent political 

activists Min Ko Naing, Htay 

Kywe, Zaw That Htwe, Jimmy 

and Ma Nilar Thein, Ko Ko 

Gyi and Sander Minn were 

among those released. 

At least nine journalists 

were also freed, according to 

the Committee to Protect Journalists. 

Others included former 

prime minister Khin Nyunt, 

who fell from grace in 2004; 

cotting the Afghanistan conference 

in Bonn on December 

5, sticking to its decision despite 

Karzai’s requests to the 

PM. 

The forthcoming JEC will 

also discuss the implementation 

of decisions taken by the 

two countries at the previous 

conference. 

To ease the talks, PM Gilani 

allowed a two-month waiver 

to the Afghan traders for nonsubmission 

of financial guarantees 

for Kabul-bound transit 

goods in July last year. 

He also directed the Ministry 

of Finance to constitute 

three committees to resolve 

the issues pertaining to the 

JEC. On a priority basis the 

waiver was extended for another 

month after the two initial 

months as officials from 

both sides could not succeed 

in resolving the nitty-gritty of 

the JEC’s issues. — Internews 

POLITICAL activist Htay Kywe (L) and one of the leaders of a 1988 student uprising 

who spent more than 13 years in prison is greeted by supporters as he arrives at Yangon 

International Airport yesterday following his release from detention earlier. — AFP 

Amnesty covers 302 activists 

Khun Tun Oo, a Shan ethnic 

minority rebel leader; and Buddhist 

monk Gambira, a leader 

of the 2007 street demonstrations. 

Gambira expressed relief, 

but said the country “still has 

a long way to go.” Amnesty 

International urged the government 

to do more. 

“This release of political 

prisoners is a major step 

forward, but the gates must 

be opened even wider to all 

remaining prisoners of conscience,” 

said Benjamin Zawacki, 

a Myanmar researcher. 

Thein Sein has followed a 

reformist track since assuming 

power. He initiated a political 

dialogue in August with opposition 

leader Aung San Suu 

Kyi, paving the way for her to 

contest the April 1 parliamentary 

by-election. 

The president also initiated 

ceasefire agreements with 

three ethnic minority groups: 

the Shan State Army-South, 

Chin National Army and Karen 

National Union — dpa

NEWS IN BRIEF 

Former Turkish Cypriot 

leader Denktash dead 

RAUF Denktash, the founding leader of 

the Turkish Republic of Cyprus (TRNC), 

has died after a long illness, his son announced. 

He was 87. 

“Our grief is great. My father lost 

three children, he is now with them,” 

Serdar Denktash said from a clinic in 

northern Cyprus where his father was 

admitted on Tuesday. 

Last May he suffered a cerebral embolism 

that left him partially paralysed and 

in July received treatment in a military 

hospital in Ankara, but his condition 

failed to improve. 

A British-educated lawyer, Denktash 

represented the Turkish Cypriot community 

for more than 40 years, half of it 

as head of the self-proclaimed Turkish 

Republic of Northern Cyprus which was 

recognised only by Ankara. — AFP 

Jordan’s king begins US 

tour for Mideast talks 

JORDAN’S King Abdallah left Amman 

yesterday for a working visit to the 

United States, the royal court announced. 

The monarch will hold talks with 

President Barack Obama at the White 

House on Tuesday on the prospects of 

bringing the Palestinians and Israelis 

back to the negotiating table with a view 

to accomplishing the two-state solution. 

The discussions between the king 

and Obama are also expected to focus on 

“latest Arab and regional developments” 

and steps taken by Jordan to carry out 

domestic political and economic reforms. 

UN names Briton as 

new Lebanon envoy 

THE UN has named veteran British diplomat 

Derek Plumbly to lead UN efforts 

to help end Lebanon’s internal unrest and 

battles with its neighbours. 

Plumbly will take over as Secretary- 

General Ban Ki-Moon’s special co-ordinator 

for Lebanon from another British 

official, Michael Williams. 

Plumbly has been a Middle East specialist 

during his 35 years in the British 

diplomatic service, including as ambassador 

to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. — AFP 

Palestinian artist 

makes Gaza metro 

UNDERGROUND train travel to bypass 

a chaotic traffic system? Welcome to 

Gaza, one of the world’s most crowded 

places, where a conceptual art installation 

expresses this tantalising idea. 

Palestinian artist Mohamed Abusala 

erected luminous red metro signs in 

50 different, and often unlikely places, 

across the Gaza Strip, the dusty coastal 

territory measuring 40 sq km and home 

to some 1.6 million people. 

A map with seven lines connecting 

different parts of the enclave was 

designed and printed to accompany the 

project, which was so carefully conceived 

that some Gazans were tricked into thinking 

that a real railway system was under 

construction. 

Electricity cut affects 

northwest Turkey 

AN extensive power cut in industrial, 

urban northwest Turkey left five major 

cities without electricity yesterday and 

stopped metro and tramway transportation 

in Istanbul, local media said. 

Electricity malfunction affected more 

than 10 districts of Istanbul, a city of 

almost 15 million people, and the northwestern 

provinces of Izmit, Adapazari, 

Edirne and Tekirdag, news website hurriyet.com.tr 

reported. 

In Istanbul, metro and tramway transportation 

has stopped since 1143 GMT, 

media reports said, according to the information 

obtained from the transportation 

company of the municipality. — AFP 

Hizbullah chief gloats over 

UN worries on party’s arms 

HIZBULLAH chief Hassan Nasrallah 

yesterday gloated over UN chief Ban Ki- 

Moon’s concerns about the military prowess 

of his party, which he vowed would not 

be disarmed. 

“I felt happy when I heard that he (Ban) 

said he was concerned about our military 

power,” Nasrallah said in a televised address. 

“This concern reassures and pleases 

us.” Nasrallah reiterated that his militant 

party, the only movement that did not 

disarm after the 1975-1990 civil war in 

Lebanon, would never give up its weapons. 

9 REGION 



Tunisians celebrate, 

clamour for jobs 

TUNIS — Thousands of Tunisians 

yesterday turned out in central Tunis 

to demand jobs and dignity as 

the North African country marked a 

year to the day since its despot Zine 

El Abidine Ben Ali fled into exile. 

“Work, freedom and dignity”, 

“Work is a right”, and “We will 

continue the fight”, were among the 

slogans chanted by demonstrators 

brandishing banners on the avenue 

which was the epicentre of the popular 

uprising that gave birth to the 

Arab Spring. 

“We made this revolution against 

the dictatorship to impose our right 

to a dignified life and not to help 

certain opportunists realise their political 

ambitions,” 33-year-old Salem 

Zitouni said. 

Other demonstrators, wearing 

the red and white of the national 

flag, called for recognition of the 

“martyrs” killed during the weeks of 

unrest before Ben Ali was toppled. 

“We are faithful to the blood of 

the martyrs,” and “We will never 

forget our martyrs,” their banners 

read. 

Some also chanted the now famous 

“Get lost” and “Good riddance” 

that had accompanied calls 

for Ben Ali’s resignation in the 

weeks leading up to his ouster on 

January 14, 2011. 

Several people who were 

wounded in the revolution began a 

sit-in outside the government headquarters 

in the old town Kasbah. 

Pride of place was given to the 

memory of Mohamed Bouazizi, the 

26-year-old vegetable seller from 

the central town of Sidi Bouzid, 

whose desperate act in setting fire 

to himself was the trigger of the revolt. 

Tunisia’s revolution, which culminated 

in a peaceful election in 

October, has inspired reform movements 

throughout the Middle East, 

Attack on Iraq pilgrims 

kills 53, scores injured 

BASRA, Iraq — A suicide bomber disguised 

as a policeman killed at least 53 

people and wounded scores in an attack 

on pilgrims at a checkpoint yesterday. 

The bombing at the end of Arbain, 

one of the main religious observances, 

was the worst such incident this year, 

amid a political crisis and renewed 

fears of a resurgence of sectarian violence. 

“A terrorist wearing a police uniform 

and carrying fake police ID managed 

to reach a police checkpoint and 

blew himself up among police and 

pilgrims,” said a police official at the 

scene of the bombing. 

The pilgrims had been on their way 

to a major mosque to the west of Basra, 

police said. 

Security forces sealed off the main 

hospital in Basra, fearing further attacks 

as soldiers, police and civilians 

rushed blood-covered victims to the 

hospital. Some of the wounded were 

stuffed into car trunks. 

Hundreds of wailing relatives 

packed into the city morgue searching 

for casualties. One woman lay on the 

floor screaming for her dead son and 

covering her head with dust from the 

ground in a traditional expression of 

grief. 

Riyadh Abdul-Ameer, director of 

the Basra health office, said the blast 

killed 53 people, with another 130 

wounded. Other officials had earlier 

put the toll at 32 to 35 dead with 90 to 

more than 100 wounded. 

There has been a repeated target of 

militants since the US-led invasion that 

ousted Saddam Hussein. 

Hundreds of thousands have flocked 

to Kerbala from across Iraq, as well as 

Iran and other countries in recent days. 

The observance reached its peak yesterday. 

Scores of people have been killed 

in attacks on pilgrims in the last few 

weeks, including a suicide bombing 

which killed at least 44 people. 

Many of the incidents involved 

methods such as suicide bombings, the 

signature of Iraq’s Al Qaeda affiliate. 

Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki’s 

government has issued an arrest warrant 

for a vice-president, triggering 

a political crisis that risks scuttling a 

power-sharing agreement among factions. 

Violence had declined since the 

height of sectarian slaughter in 2006- 

2007, when thousands were killed in 

intercommunal strife. But the withdrawal 

of the last American troops in 

December has stirred worries of a resurgence. 

Meanwhile, Al Maliki has voiced 

criticism of Turkish “interventions” in 

Iraqi affairs, warning that Turkey itself 

would suffer if its actions sparked conflict 

in the Middle East. 

His remarks come amid a political 

row in Iraq, with authorities charging 

Vice-President Tareq al Hashemi with 

running a death squad. Turkish Prime 

Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed 

his concerns over the deadlock 

to Maliki in a telephone conversation 

last week. 

Hashemi, who is currently holed up 

in Iraq’s Kurdish region, has mooted 

the possibility of going to Turkey, even 

though officials have barred him from 

overseas travel. — Reuters/AFP 

including the downfall of longstanding 

autocrats Hosni Mubarak 

in Egypt and Muammar Gaddafi in 

Libya. 

Among the problems that remain 

to be solved by the new authorities 

are soaring unemployment of 19 per 

cent nationally — up to 50 per cent 

in certain inland areas overlooked 

for investment in the past — and 

widespread social discontent. 

Also to mark the anniversary, 

Tunisia granted an amnesty or conditional 

release from prison to 9,000 

detainees. The amnesty on what is 

now a public holiday in Tunisia had 

been expected and includes Tunisian 

and foreign prisoners. 

Capital punishment of another 

122 detainees was converted to life 

imprisonment. 

The death penalty remains on the 

books in the north African country 

but is no longer applied. — AFP 

CAIRO — The ex-head of the 

UN nuclear watchdog and Nobel 

laureate Mohamed ElBaradei 

said yesterday he would 

not run for the Egyptian presidency 

because there is still no 

real democracy in the country. 

“My conscience does not 

allow me to run for the presidency 

or any other official 

position unless there is real 

democracy,” ElBaradei said in 

a statement. 

ElBaradei said there was 

no room for him in Egyptian 

politics because old symbols 

of the government were 

still running the country and 

charged that preparations to 

draw a new constitution were 

“botched.” 

“I have examined the best 

ways of serving the goals of 

the revolution and I found that 

there is no official post for me, 

not even the presidency,” El- 

Baradei said. 

“Preparations are being 

made to elect a president before 

the establishment of a 

constitution that would organise 

relations between the (judicial, 

executive, legislative) 

powers and protect liberties,” 

he said. 

He praised the revolutionary 

youths who led massive 

popular uprisings that ousted 

president Hosni Mubarak last 

year but said “the former gov- 

SUPPORTERS of the Free Syrian Army gather in the Khalidiya neighbourhood of the flashpoint city of 

Homs yesterday as thousands protest in support of the dissidents throughout the country. — AFP 

Residents returning 

ADEN — Residents of 

Yemen’s restive south 

who fled nearly eight 

months of fighting between 

the army and 

radicals began returning 

home yesterday, 

escorted by Al Qaedalinked 

militants. 

“We were finally 

allowed into the city 

after three previously 

failed attempts,” said 

Nayef Jabari, a resident 

of Zinjibar, capital 

of the southern Abyan 

province. 

Gunmen from the Al 

Qaeda-linked Partisans 

of Sharia group, which 

controls large parts of 

Zinjibar, “accompanied 

us as we entered 

the city,” said Jabari. 

He said the city was 

“almost destroyed” 

due to months of fierce 

fighting but added that 

the extremists have 

promised to provide 

residents with water 

and electricity. 

Qais Mohammed, 

another resident, said 

the extremists “welcomed 

us.” 

But, according to 

one military official 

who has fought against 

the group, people need 

“to drive out the Partisans 

of Sharia from 

their city if they want 

to live in peace.” 

Militants overran 

much of Zinjibar last 

May and have retained 

their positions in the 

city and nearby towns 

despite repeated efforts 

by the army to dislodge 

them that have 

left hundreds dead. 

— AFP 

HUNDREDS of Tunisians turn out to demand jobs and dignity on Habib Bourguiba 

Avenue in Tunis as the country marks a year to the day since former president 

Zine al Abidine Ben Ali fled into exile. — AFP 

ElBaradei says not to run 

for Egyptian presidency 

GHARYAN, Libya — Clashes between 

rival Libyan militias have killed two 

people and wounded 16, in the latest 

violence involving armed groups refusing 

to hand in their weapons. 

The clashes began late on Friday 

and continued yesterday. 

“We received eight cases yesterday, 

including one dead who was shot in the 

head and chest, one critical with a head 

wound and six others lightly injured,” 

said Ibrahim Karim, a doctor at the 

main hospital in Gharyan, 80 km south 

of Tripoli. 

Muhammed Hassan, a doctor at the 

same hospital, said another person had 

died and nine others had been taken to 

the hospital yesterday, two in a “very 

ernment did not fall.” 

“No decision was taken to 

purify state institutions, particularly 

state media and the judiciary, 

of symbols of the old 

government,” said ElBaradei. 

ElBaradei compared the 

revolution to a boat and 

charged that “the captains of 

the vessel ... are still treading 

old waters, as if the revolution 

did not take place.” 

He charged that corruption 

was still rife in post-Mubarak 

Egypt, which is being ruled 

by a military council since the 

veteran president was ousted 

from power in February following 

an 18-day popular uprising. 

“We all feel that the former 

government did not fall,” he 

said in the statement. 

ElBaradei denounced 

the “repressive” policies of 

AMMAN — A Syrian military assault on a 

dissident-held town has stalled because of 

snowstorms and armed resistance, an opposition 

leader said yesterday, and the Arab League 

prepared to send more monitors to Syria. 

Tanks and troops attacked Zabadani, a town 

of 40,000 near the Lebanese border on Friday, 

but made little progress against army deserters 

and insurgents defending it, Kamal al Labwani 

said, citing residents reached briefly by 

telephone. 

It was the biggest military assault against 

opponents of President Bashar al Assad since 

Arab observers began work on December 26 to 

check Syria’s compliance with an Arab peace 

plan. 

Security forces trying to crush anti-Assad 

Egypt’s new rulers, who he 

said were putting “revolutionaries 

on trial in military court 

instead of protecting them and 

punishing those who killed 

their friends.” 

His comments reflect 

growing disenchantment with 

the ruling Supreme Council of 

the Armed Forces (SCAF). 

The SCAF has repeatedly 

pledged to cede full powers to 

civilian rule when a president 

is elected by the end of June 

but there is widespread belief 

that the military wants to 

maintain a political role in the 

country’s future. 

The military has also come 

under fire over its human 

rights record in recent months 

and faced accusations that it 

has resorted to Mubarak-era 

tactics to stifle dissent. 

Egypt witnessed deadly 

clashes between democracy 

protesters and government 

forces in November — before 

parliamentary polls began — 

and again in December. 

The SCAF has also kept in 

place several old government 

figures such as prosecutor 

general Abdel Meguid Mahmud 

and appointed a former 

Mubarak-era prime minister, 

Kamal al Ganzuri, as the country’s 

transitional premier. 

The military council is 

headed by Field Marshal Hus- 

sein Tantawi, a veteran defence 

minister who served under the 

ousted president. 

Mubarak is now on trial 

and the prosecution has called 

for him to be hanged for the 

killing of hundreds of demonstrators 

in the January-February 

2011 revolt. 

The liberal-minded ElBaradei 

was initially hailed as a 

hero upon his return to Egypt 

in February 2010 at the end of 

his tenure at the helm of the 

International Atomic Energy 

Agency. 

Many Egyptians saw in 

him an ideal candidate to steer 

the most populous Arab country 

into democracy. 

Rather than join a political 

party, the 69-year-old ElBaradei 

set up a movement of his 

own to act as an umbrella for a 

range of opposition groups — 

the National Association for 

Change. 

But in 2010 he boycotted 

elections, saying that there 

was no hope of them being 

free and fair, and lost many 

fans along the way. 

His coalition took a beating 

in the latest marathon 

elections that wrapped up last 

week while traditionalists won 

a crushing victory and are estimated 

to have clinched 70 per 

cent of seats in the next parliament. 

— AFP 

Syrian attack stutters, 

more monitors ready 

critical condition”. 

A Reuters correspondent at the scene 

saw ambulances and pick-up trucks 

stream into the hospital grounds carrying 

the injured, including an unconscious 

teenager in civilian clothing. He 

said he could hear gunfire nearby. 

Libya’s interim government is struggling 

to control disparate militias which 

played a key role in toppling Muammar 

Gaddafi but are now refusing to disarm, 

saying they are suspicious of the country’s 

new rulers. 

Militia members from Gharyan say 

they are fighting adversaries in Assabia, 

16 km away, whom they accuse of 

being pro-Gaddafi. 

Fighters from Assabia could not be 

protests killed 12 civilians, including a 6-yearold 

girl, on Friday, the British-based Syrian 

Observatory for Human Rights said. The state 

news agency Sana said armed “terrorists” had 

killed six soldiers or policemen. 

“This is the last week in the month agreed 

between Syria and the Arab League and will 

witness a wide deployment of the monitors,” 

said a source at the Cairo-based League, adding 

that 40 monitors were ready to join the team of 

about 165 whenever its leader, Sudanese General 

Mohammed al Dabi, requested them. 

Al Dabi is due to report to the Arab League 

on Thursday and Arab foreign ministers will 

then decide whether to continue the mission, or 

possibly refer Syria to the UN Security Council. 

— Reuters 

2 die, 16 hurt in Libya clashes 

reached yesterday for comment. Since 

Gaddafi’s death, various militias have 

clashed over land and minor disputes 

and often each side accuses the other of 

still supporting the dead dictator. 

A spokesman for Gharyan city council 

said clashes started when fighters 

from nearby Assabia stopped two civilians, 

stripped one naked and stabbed 

the other in the leg. 

“Revolutionaries in Gharyan started 

to amass their weapons late on Friday. 

By 5 pm, Assabia (fighters) started 

shooting heavy artillery at Gharyan,” 

he said, adding that the opposing militias 

clashed briefly in September. 

— Reuters

NEWS IN BRIEF 

Mumbai readies to kick 

off Marathon-2012 today 

NEARLY 39,000 Mumbaikars — 

ranging from celebrities, industrialists, 

women, senior citizens to minors, 

physically-challenged and commoners 

— are readying themselves to run 

today morning in the much-awaited and 

richest sporting event in Asia — the 9th 

Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. 

The registrations, notching houseful 

in different categories, closed a few 

months ago. The event will kick off at 

dawn today, said Bruno Goveas, director 

— media relations for the promoters, 

Procam International. 

This time, 250 running places in the 

full marathon and 1,000 in the halfmarathon 

have been reserved for women 

runners. 

Bollywood actor John Abraham 

(pictured) and former tennis player 

Vijay Amritraj will be the two event 

ambassadors for the Mumbai Marathon, 

Goveas added. 

According to Goveas, the prizes 

on offer have become more attractive 

— a total purse of $340,000 — with 

an overall increase of $15,000 for the 

different categories of winners, including 

prizes for the top three winners, as 

compared to 2011. 

Bhopal tragedy survivors 

burn Chidambaram's effigy 

THE survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy 

yesterday burnt an effigy of Home 

Minister P Chidambaram to protest the 

decision of a ministerial panel not to 

revise in the curative petition pending 

before the Supreme Court the figures of 

dead and injured in the disaster. 

The leaders of survivors' organisations 

alleged that Chidambaram has a history 

of being devoted to Union Carbide’s 

owner Dow Chemical and called for his 

removal from the post of chairman of the 

Group of Ministers (GoM) for Bhopal. 

“The GoM’s decision not to present 

correct numbers of the people Union 

Carbide has killed and injured in Bhopal 

is a decision unilaterally imposed by 

Chidambaram on the entire group. This 

decision is against data from scientific 

studies by the government’s own Indian 

Council of Medical Research (ICMR)” 

said Rashida Bee, president of the 

Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery 

Karmachari Sangh. 

The survivors were expecting that the 

government will add to the figure in the 

ongoing curative petition in the Supreme 

Court, but the GoM's refusal has angered 

them. 

Trinamool not to tie up 

with Congress in Goa 

THE Trinamool Congress will not enter 

into a poll tie-up with the Congress in 

Goa, a party leader said yesterday. 

Speaking to reporters, Trinamool’s 

state unit chief Wilfred de Souza said he 

was speaking only to regional parties for 

a pre-poll alliance. 

“I have been assigned the 

responsibility of tying up with local 

parties for the purpose of elections. 

The Trinamool Congress will have no 

association with the Congress in Goa,” 

he said. 

De Souza, a two-time chief minister 

was formally appointed last week as the 

president of the Trinamool with a specific 

brief to initiate a network with regional 

parties, even as the relationship between 

the Congress and the Mamata Banerjeeled 

party have soured considerably over 

issues like foreign equity in retail and 

some provisions of the Lokpal Bill. 

Pleasant day in Delhi, 

rains expected 

IT was a bright, sunny day for Delhiites 

yesterday, though the minimum 

temperature settled a notch below 

average at 6.7 degrees Celsius. The city 

may see showers today evening, the Met 

office said. 

Yesterday got off to a sunny start, and 

the maximum temperature was recorded 

at 22.6 degrees, two notches above 

average. 

Humidity ranged between a high of 

83 per cent and a low of 37 per cent. 

Today is expected to be wet. 

"There will be shallow fog today 

morning and partly cloudy sky. There 

is possibility of rain and thundershower 

during the evening or night," an official 

of the India Meteorological Department 

(IMD) said. — IANS 

Air India 

pilots ‘sick’, 

flights hit 

NEW DELHI — Upset over non-payment of salaries, 

about 40 Air India pilots reported “sick” yesterday, leading 

to numerous cancellations of flights and leaving thousands 

of passengers stranded. 

The government pleaded with the pilots to return to 

work, saying it was studying their demand. 

Twenty-eight flight cancellations were reported in Delhi 

alone and three in Mumbai, the country’s two busiest airports. 

The cancellations in Delhi began right at dawn and continues 

well over noon, an Air India official said. 

“Nearly 40 pilots have called in sick,” he added. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh urged the employees 

to join back and promised to discuss their problems with 

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Petroleum Minister 

S Jaipal Reddy on Tuesday. 

The talks will be aimed at improving the carrier’s financial 

status, which has left pilots without salaries for two 

months. Most components of the pay have not been paid 

for over four months. 

“We are looking into the problem. The pilots did not 

give any notice... We know the pilots have problems and 

their salaries have not been paid and are under financial 

stress,” the minister said here. 

He added that the airline management was talking to 

pilot unions. Passengers stranded at the airports — particularly 

in Delhi — were furious. 

“My Kolkata-bound flight at 9 was cancelled. I reached 

the airport a little after 7 but I was not informed that my 

flight has been cancelled,” complained Arun Gupta. 

One estimate put the number of stranded passengers at 

around 4,000. An informed source in the airline said: “It 

is not new but very well known that pilots and other staffs 

have not been paid their salaries for November and December 

last year as well as performance-linked incentives for 

September, October, November and December.” 

Such is the sorry state of affairs. 

Performance-linked incentives, which constitute 20-60 

per cent of the total pay package, too have not been paid for 

four months. The airline official also said the mandatory 

notice by the pilots for going on sick leave was not served 

on the carrier. 

“We are in talks with some pilot leaders in Delhi. We are 

taking all possible steps to help passengers like providing 

them flight information, getting them transferred to other 

airlines and providing them refunds,” the official said. 

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), 

which mainly comprises erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots, 

has asked the pilots to return to work. 

“The management also has to initiate immediate steps 

to rein in the situation. We are not part of the protest but 

we understand their problems,” an ICPA spokesperson said 

here yesterday. 

On Friday, Air India Chairman and Managing Director 

Rohit Nandan said that employees’ dues for November 

would be paid soon. 

The carrier currently has a total debt of Rs 43,777 crore, 

including loans and dues it owes to vendors like oil firms 

and airport operators. — IANS 

Fiscal deficit management 

need of the hour: Pranab 

KOLKATA — Faced with a widening fiscal deficit due to a 

dip in revenue and growth in expenditure, Finance Minister 

Pranab Mukherjee yesterday called for containing the shortfall, 

saying it should be within a ‘manageable limit’. 

“We cannot allow our fiscal deficit to go beyond a certain 

limit. We need to manage our receipts and payments so that our 

fiscal deficits, sovereign borrowings and debts are within manageable 

limits,” Mukherjee said while inaugurating the new 

administrative building here of the income tax department. 

There are growing apprehensions that the Centre’s fiscal 

deficit — the gap between overall revenue and expenditure — 

is likely to exceed the budget estimate of 4.6 per cent of gross 

domestic product (GDP) this fiscal. 

The government’s financial problem has aggravated because 

of a rising subsidy bill and slow progress on the disinvestment 

front. While the subsidy bill during the current fiscal 

is expected to shoot up by an additional Rs 1 lakh crore, the 

government is unlikely to meet the disinvestment target of Rs 

40,000 crore. 

The government has already announced borrowing an additional 

Rs 90,000 crore to bridge the revenue-expenditure gap. 

The finance minister said India needed to learn lessons from 

the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. 

“We need to learn some lessons from the euro zone crisis 

where sovereign fiscal deficits of some have surpassed 100 per 

cent of their gross domestic product (GDP). We cannot insulate 

ourselves from what is happening in the global economy, but 

a prudent fiscal deficit management is the need of the hour,” 

said Mukherjee. 

Pointing out that the initial target of Rs 5.85 lakh crore of 

direct tax collection this fiscal has been revised and lowered, 

Mukherjee said emphasis had to be placed on providing improved 

tax administration to ensure better collection. 

“Efforts are there to mop up additional revenue and to improve 

the collection of taxes. We need to provide better taxpayer 

services. More the services, better will be the compliance.” 

He also said the number of direct tax payers has increased 

from 22 lakh in 2000 to 23.56 lakh in recent years. 

M C Joshi, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes 

(CBDT), said direct tax collection would go up in the last two 

months of the financial year. — IANS 

By Ashraf Padanna 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 

— The number of Kerala migrants 

abroad has increased from 

2.19 million in 2008 to 2.28 million 

in 2011 but the increase could 

vanish much before 2015 and the 

migration trend could very well 

slope downwards, according to a 

federally funded study. 

In 2003, when the Centre for 

Development Studies (CDS) 

embarked on the series of studies 

on the pattern of migration, 

the number of emigrants was 

just 1.36 million which showed a 

steady trend upwards. 

Household remittances also 

10 INDIA 



CONVICTS play the bagpipes in a marching band for a Jail Administration sports meet at a prison in central Jammu yesterday. 

Many prisoners have been trained in various skills to help ease integration into society following the completion of their sentences. — AFP 

Parties flay attack on Ramdev 

NEW DELHI — Parties like the 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) joined 

Team Anna yesterday in condemning 

the ink attack on yoga guru 

Baba Ramdev here. 

“The ink throwing on Baba 

Ramdev is shocking and deserves 

outright condemnation,” BJP leader 

Sushma Swaraj posted on microblogging 

site Twitter. 

Party leader Arun Jaitley said 

the attacker should be sent to jail. 

“We strongly condemn it. He 

(Ramdev) is a big social and religious 

leader who has a good reputation 

and is spreading his movement 

against corruption and black 

money,” Jaitley told reporters. 

“Those opposing can criticise... 

we condemn attacking such personality,” 

he said. 

RJD chief Lalu Prasad said the 

practice of attacking personalities 

was spreading “like a disease”. 

“It is spreading like a disease. 

Someone threw a shoe at George 

Bush, and so all are following 

it,” he said. “Ramdev is a good 

person, he has done good work. I 

condemn it.” 

He said such attackers needed 

to be punished. 

Inke dimag ka screw dheela ho 

gaya hai, kanoon se kasna padega 

(their mental screws have loosened, 

it needs to be fixed legally),” 

he added. 

Team Anna member Manish 

Sisodia said the attack was an attempt 

to divert attention from the 

issue of corruption and black money 

being raised by Ramdev. 

“The person who attacked Ramdev 

represents the corrupt powers. 

They have done this so that atten- 

tion could be diverted from the 

issue of black money and corruption 

that Baba Ramdev is raising,” 

Sisodia said. 

A man, identified as Kamran 

Siddiqui, threw black ink at Baba 

Ramdev while he was addressing 

journalists at the Constitution Club 

here yesterday. 

Siddiqui was detained by the 

police after he was caught and 

roughed up by Ramdev’s supporters 

within the club premises. 

A nonplussed Ramdev remarked 

later, “What have I done to 

deserve this?” 

The offender was caught and 

roughed up by Ramdev’s supporters. 

He was repeatedly slapped and 

he bled from the mouth. 

The person has been identified 

as Kamran Siddiqui. He is a 

NGO worker and was offended by 

Ramdev’s remark about Batla encounter. 

Reacting after the incident, 

Ramdev said he had asked for the 

black money being returned to the 

country and instead got black ink. 

“Those who fight for truth have 

to pay the price. We are fighting to 

SCHOOLCHILDREN during the rehearsal for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. India will 

celebrate its 63rd Republic Day on January 26 with a large military parade. — AFP 

doubled to Rs 151.29 billion from 

Rs 79.65 billion in 2003. 

The number of Kerala migrants 

who returned and living in 

Kerala in 2011 is estimated to be 

1.15 million as against 1.16 million 

in 2008, 0.89 million in 2003 

and 0.74 million in 1998. 

Migrants and returnees together 

numbered 3.43 million in 

2011, 3.35 million in 2008, 2.73 

million in 2003 and 2.10 million 

in 1998. 

Of 100 households, there are 

29 emigrants and 14.7 return emigrants. 

Interestingly, Malappuram 

district, which has the lowest 

per capital income sends highest 

number of migrants. Nearly 82 

per cent of the households did not 

have an emigrant member. 

This is the first Kerala Migration 

Survey being conducted 

with 15,000 household samples 

co-ordinated by the CDS directly 

employing 60 field enumerators, 

14 supervisors and a co-ordinator 

and led by professors K C Zachariah 

and S Irudaya Rajan. 

get black money back to the country 

and instead I got black ink... 

What did I do to deserve this?” 

Ramdev said to reporters later. 

“This incident won’t affect me. 

We will continue to fight against 

the odds, come what may,” he 

added. 

Alleging that he is being “victimised” 

for raising issues like 

black money and corruption, Yoga 

guru Ramdev yesterday said he 

was willing to put behind the past 

and talk to the government if it 

takes a clear stand on three issues 

including change in the system. 

Addressing a press conference 

here, Ramdev also indirectly attacked 

the Congress, saying except 

one party at the Centre no other 

political outfit has a problem in 

declaring black money as national 

wealth. 

“For a long time I have been 

talking about black money and 

corruption. For this reason, several 

officials from different agencies 

have been deputed against me and 

my supporters. They have set the 

CBI after my aide Balkrishna,” he 

alleged. — IANS 

CM to confine 

birthday bash 

to party office 

LUCKNOW — Keeping in mind 

the model code of conduct in pollbound 

Uttar Pradesh, the ruling 

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will 

host the birthday bash of Chief 

Minister Mayawati today, when 

she turns 56, at the state party 

headquarters here, an official said 

here. 

Unlike in the past, when the 

birthday bash was hosted by the 

state government which she heads, 

this time it will be a party affair. 

“Behenji’s birthday celebration is 

being hosted by the party and it 

is certainly not a violation of the 

election model code of conduct,” 

claimed state BSP president Swami 

Prasad Maurya. 

According to him, Mayawati 

would also release the seventh 

volume of her autobiography with 

the latest account of her achievements. 

While Maurya feigned ignorance 

about it, sources in the BSP 

indicated that Mayawati was also 

likely to release her election manifesto 

on the occasion. 

Maurya, however, claimed, “It 

is unlikely since the birthday function 

would not be mixed with the 

election, otherwise the election 

commission might link it to poll 

expenses.” 

All major party functionaries 

are expected to attend the function, 

but government officials have been 

told to keep away. — IANS 

Migration from Kerala could start decreasing by 2015: study 

As in the past, the vast majority 

of the migrants from Kerala in 

2011 were Muslims (about 45 per 

cent), although their share in the 

total population was only about 

26.5 per cent. 

The Hindu emigrants were 

only 37.5 per cent of the total, 

although their share in the total 

population is about 56.8 per cent.

NEWS IN BRIEF 

President concerned over 

declining sex ratio 

PRESIDENT Pratibha Patil yesterday 

expressed concern over the declining 

sex ratio in the country, pointing out that 

sex ratio between the age group of 0 to 

six years was the lowest after India’s 

independence in August 1947. 

Addressing an international 

symposium on ‘Women and Child 

Empowerment’ to mark the 175th 

birth anniversary of noted poet and 

social reformer, Maulana Khawaja 

Altaf Hussain Hali at Hali Park here, 

Patil said the statistics of Census 2011 

were shocking as far as sex ratio was 

concerned. 

“In the age group of 0 to six years, 

there were 914 girls per 1,000 boys and 

this being the lowest after freedom of the 

country is an issue of concern,” she said. 

The president said efforts of the 

Haryana government for women’s 

empowerment had helped in 

improvement of sex ratio in the state. 

Haryana, which had the worst sex 

ratio at 861 females per 1,000 males 

earlier (2001 Census), had improved 

the figures in the 2011 Census with 877 

females per 1,000 males. 

12 die in Madhya 

Pradesh stampede 

AT least 12 people, including four 

women, were killed in a stampede 

during a religious gathering in Madhya 

Pradesh’s Ratlam district early yesterday, 

an official said. 

Chehallum is observed after 40 

days of Muharram by a Muslim sect at 

Hussain Tekri in Ratlam district, 300 km 

from here. Thousands take part in the 

annual congregation. 

Unlike in the past, a single gate was 

erected leading to a fire oven on which 

faithfuls walk. A number of people tried 

to enter it, resulting in the stampede. 

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan 

announced Rs 1 lakh compensation to the 

kin of those killed. He ordered an inquiry 

into the incident. Ratlam Collector 

Rajendra Kumar Sharma announced 

Rs 10,000 compensation for those killed 

and Rs 5,000 for the injured. 

Hospital launches 

anti-suicide project 

A HOSPITAL yesterday launched 

a Suicide Prevention Programme to 

provide much needed intervention to 

those in need. 

Senior Superintendent of Police 

Raghubir Lal launched the programme at 

the Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital. 

“Besides catering to patients and their 

families, we will generate awareness 

in the community,” said Anandi Lal, a 

doctor. According to the National Crime 

Record Bureau report for 2010, more 

than one lakh lives are lost every year 

in India due to suicides. The number 

of suicides in India in the last decade 

recorded an increase of 23.9 per cent. 

MCD schools see rise in 

nursery students 

THE number of nursery students enrolled 

in Municipal Corporation of Delhi 

(MCD) schools has seen a jump of over 

4,000 compared to last year, an official 

said yesterday. 

“Total number of students in nursery 

classes has witnessed an increase of 

over 4,000, increasing the total number 

to 49,419 this year. The number of 

boys is 22,259, while there are 27,160 

girls studying in MCD schools,” 

Mahendra Nagpal, chairman of the 

education committee of the MCD, told 

reporters. 

The civic agency attributes the turnout 

to mid-day meals where students are 

provided free lunch, upgrade of school 

infrastructure, free books, notebooks, 

school bags, dresses, shoes and water 

bottles, among other facilities. 

CBI doubles reward money 

in Shehla murder case 

THE CBI team investigating Right 

to Information (RTI) activist Shehla 

Masood’s murder has increased the 

amount announced for information in 

the case from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, an 

officer said yesterday. 

“We have increased the amount to 

Rs 10 lakh. Three phone numbers of 

our officers have also been made public 

to get information on the murder,” CBI 

officer Arun Bothra said. 

The three numbers provided by the 

CBI are: 09425600927, 09425661632 

and 09245001643. — IANS 

SRINAGAR — The night temperature 

in Srinagar yesterday touched 

the lowest in 16 years at 7.8 degrees 

Celsius below the freezing point as 

intense cold gripped the valley, officials 

said. Authorities are on alert 

as more snow is expected over the 

next two days. 

Following its forecast of moderate 

to heavy snowfall in the valley 

in the next two days, the local 

weather office issued an advisory 

for the rough weather ahead. 

The present western disturbances 

over the state are likely to intensify 

and will affect Jammu and Kashmir 

and its adjoining areas till January 

16, it said. 

“Due to this weather system, 

moderate to heavy rain (in plains)/ 

snowfall will occur at most places 

of Pir Panchal ranges in Kashmir division 

and at a few places over higher 

reaches of Jammu and Ladakh 

region. Some places of Pir Panchal 

range would receive heavy snowfall 

(35 cms and above) on January 15 

(today),” the weather office said. 

“This system is likely to disrupt 

surface and air transport systems of 

the state.” “During the above period, 

the day temperatures will fall by 2-3 

degrees and the night temperature 

will rise by 1 to 2 degrees,” said the 

advisory issued by Sonam Lotus, 

director of the local Meteorological 

office. Srinagar recorded minus 7.8 

degrees as the minimum temperature 

yesterday — the lowest since 

1995, when the city had recorded a 

low of minus 8.2 degrees. 

“The lowest ever in Srinagar 

has been minus 14.2 degrees that 

was recorded on January 31, 1893,” 

Lotus said. The maximum temperature 

was 0.7 degree Celsius, which 

raised the day temperature above 

the freezing point for the first time 

in seven days. 

Kargil town in Ladakh region 

recorded minus 17.2 degrees while 

Leh town recorded minus 13.6 degrees 

as the day’s minimum temperature, 

said another weather official. 

The state government has put on 

high alert all its departments associated 

with maintenance of essential 

supplies like water supply, electricity 

and consumer affairs and public 

distribution. 

Snow clearance machines have 

been deployed in Srinagar and other 

11 INDIA 



Srinagar sees coldest 

night in 16 years 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 

— Kerala’s Forest Minister K B 

Ganesh Kumar yesterday offered 

his resignation following sharp differences 

with his father and party 

chief R Balakrishna Pillai. 

Kumar, a popular film and television 

actor, announced his decision 

after his father removed him 

as the vice-president of his Kerala 

Congress (B) party. However, Chief 

Minister Oommen Chandy, whose 

government is surviving on a narrow 

margin, turned down the offer. 

“There is no political compulsions 

that warrant his resignation 

and there’s no pressure on him to do 

so,” Chandy told reporters here. “I 

cannot divulge the entire details to 

you at this juncture”. 

Kumar was removed from the 

party post dramatically as Pillai, 

who is the chairman, rushed through 

the agenda at the meeting before he 

arrived. Kumar left the venue as the 

protests by his father’s men grew. 

“I met the CM immediately after 

Mr Balakrishna Pillai was released 

district headquarters of the valley to 

maintain road connectivity between 

and within districts in view of the 

expected moderate to heavy snowfall 

here. 

Life was thrown out of gear 

across the valley earlier this month 

due to a heavy snowfall in the Pir 

Panchal mountain range that disrupted 

the electric power supply for 

four days, affecting most of Srinagar 

city’s drinking water facilities. 

The Srinagar-Jammu national 

highway was reopened to traffic 

yesterday and over a thousand vehicles 

moved towards their destinations 

on the road. 

According to eye-witnesses, 

Brigadier T P S Rawat, chief engineer 

of the Border Roads Organisation 

(BRO), was personally supervising 

the passage of the traffic at 

Shaitani Nallah at 1.30 am yesterday. 

“The temperature was around 

minus 18 degrees Celsius at Shaitani 

Nallah during the night. Our boys 

manning snow clearance machines 

worked round the clock to keep 

the highway open,” Rawat said. 

— IANS 

India, China to hold boundary 

talks in New Delhi tomorrow 

NEW DELHI/BEIJING — Looking 

to keep their sensitive ties on 

course despite differences over 

a host of issues, India and China 

will hold two-day boundary talks 

in New Delhi beginning tomorrow, 

during which they are also 

expected to sign a landmark border 

mechanism. 

India’s External Affairs Ministry 

in New Delhi and the Chinese 

Foreign Office in Beijing yesterday 

announced the boundary talks, 

which were postponed in November 

due to Chinese objections to 

Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama’s 

participation in a global Buddhist 

conclave in New Delhi. 

“In addition to discussions on 

the India-China boundary question, 

the two sides will hold discussions 

on a wide range of bilateral, 

regional and global issues of 

mutual interest,” the External Affairs 

Ministry said in New Delhi. 

National Security Adviser 

Shivshankar Menon, India’s special 

representative, will hold talks 

with China’s State Councillor Dai 

Bingguo that will focus on evolving 

a framework for delineating 

the border on the map. 

The two sides are now in the 

second stage of boundary negotiations, 

which entails evolving 

a framework for demarcating the 

disputed border. 

The second stage is proving to 

be the “most difficult part of negotiations” 

as it will form the basis 

on which the new boundary will 

be fixed, said informed sources. 

The two sides are also expected 

to sign a landmark border mechanism 

on Tuesday that seeks to 

establish direct contact between 

New Delhi and Beijing in case of 

intrusions or incidents resulting 

from misperceptions arising from 

the Line of Actual Control. 

The two officials will also seek 

to iron out differences over recent 

irritants like the Chinese denial of 

a visa to an Indian Air Force (IAF) 

officer that have shadowed ties between 


They are also expected to discuss 

the likely visit to India of Xi 

Jinping, tipped to succeed Chinese 

President Hu Jintao. 

Ahead of the talks, both sides 

have downplayed recent irritants 

in bilateral ties and sought closer 

collaboration to work jointly on 

global issues ranging from terrorism 

to climate change. 

In a recent interview to Xinhua, 

Liu Zhenmin, an assistant 

foreign minister of China, said: 

“China hopes that the two sides 

will support each other and learn 

from each other, so as to push for 

better and faster development of 

Sino-Indian strategic and cooperative 

partnership.” 

Last week, Shivshankar Me- 

non said in New Delhi: “India and 

China have demonstrated an ability 

to deal with difficult issues and 

to build a co-operative partnership 

based on common interests. 

“Its regional and global impact, 

and its long-term significance to 

our own development, is what 

makes the India-China relationship 

strategic in the true sense of 

the term.” 

“I am confident that by working 

together, India and China will be 

able to successfully face the challenges 

that the new geopolitics are 

throwing up, and would best serve 

their own national interests by further 

deepening their strategic cooperative 

relationship,” he said. 

China recently denied visa to 

an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer 

who was to go as a member of 

the Indian military delegation to 

China, on grounds that he was 

from Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian 

northeastern state which is 

claimed by China. This led to 

India scaling down its delegation 

from the original 30 members to 

15. 

The arrest of two Indian traders 

in the Chinese town of Yiwu, who 

were subsequently released after 

New Delhi’s intense diplomatic 

intervention, also underlined the 

need to keep sensitive ties on an 

even keel. — IANS 

WORKERS unload sugarcane from a truck at a wholesale fruit market in Chennai yesterday. Sugar 

prices in India, the world’s largest producer, fell after rising for two straight sessions as mills sold in spot 

markets to meet cash requirements during the ongoing crushing season, analysts said. — Reuters 

Minister offers to quit following rift with father Lok Adalat for power theft convened 

(after a jail term in a graft case) 

and offered my resignation. I won’t 

cling on to any position,” said Kumar 

after attending a meeting of the 

party where he faced protests from 

leaders. “I won’t indulge in corruption”. 

Pillai said the minister was not 

heeding the party and party could 

survive without a minister who’s not 

co-operating with the party. Kumar 

is the lone legislator of the party 

which is a constituent of the UDF. 

— From Our Kerala Correspondent 

A VILLAGER carries a heavy tree trunk on his back making his way through the market 

to sell firewood in Bhaderwah Valley in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday. — AFP 

No decision on Gujarat CM 

campaigning for civic polls 

MUMBAI — It is yet uncertain 

whether Gujarat Chief 

Minister Narendra Modi 

would campaign for the 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- 

Shiv Sena-Republican Party 

of India (RPI) alliance for the 

civic polls in Mumbai and 

other parts of Maharashtra. 

When asked whether Modi 

would campaign, state BJP 

chief Sudhir Mungantiwar 

said: “Several BJP leaders will 

come here and campaign.” But 

he added that the names have 

not yet been finalised. 

State party leaders point 

out that all prominent leaders 

around the country, especially 

chief ministers of the 

BJP-ruled states, would be 

required to campaign for the 

party in the five states going 

to assembly elections from 

this month-end. 

“We shall take a final call 

on inviting Modi for campaigning 

in Maharashtra after 

considering all aspects and his 

requirement for the assembly 

elections in five states,” a BJP 

leader in Mumbai said. 

Incidentally, the BJP did 

not invite Modi to campaign 

in the 2009 Maharashtra assembly 

elections though he 

enjoys a good equation with 

all the major opposition par- 

Three lakh take holy dip at 

Gangasagar; cold kills two 

SAGAR ISLAND — With 

the mercury dipping below 

normal, two devotees died 

while 146 others were taken ill 

yesterday at the annual Gangasagar 

fair here which saw 

around three lakh pilgrims 

taking a holy dip in the Ganga 

on the occasion of Makar 

Sankranti, an official said. 

“Jaso Ram, 80, from Gwalior 

and O P Yadav, 66, from 

Hardoi died apparently due 

to climate-related ailments. 

A total of 146 other devotees 

have been admitted to various 

hospitals following ailments, 

mostly related to climate,” 

Additional District Magistrate 

of South 24 Parganas Y R Rao 

said. 

“The minimum temperature 

for the day is between 6 

to 8 degrees Celsius, which is 

below normal,” added Rao. 

NEW DELHI — A special 

electricity Lok Adalat was 

held yesterday by the Delhi 

State Legal Services Authority 

(DLSA) for resolution of 

power theft cases. 

Twelve special benches 

were constituted exclusively 

at the Saket Court Complex 

and any consumer having 

disputes could walk in to get 

them resolved. 

“A total of 1,100-odd 

cases were taken up in the 

ties. 

After the seat-sharing between 

the BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI 

was declared on Thursday 

evening, it is expected that a 

majority of the 227 civic wards 

(city constituencies) with a 

dominant Gujarati speaking 

population would fall in the 

BJP’s lap, as in the past. 

These include wards in 

Borivli, Kandivli, Malad, Mulund, 

Ghatkopar and South 

Mumbai which could sway in 

the BJP’s favour with Modi’s 

mass appeal. 

While the BJP is yet to decide 

on its ‘star campaigner’, 

ally Shiv Sena’s executive 

president Uddhav Thackeray 

announced on Friday night 

that party chief Bal Thackeray 

would address at least two 

election rallies, in Mumbai 

and Thane each. 

Twenty-seven major zilla 

parishads (district councils) 

will go to polls on February 

7, followed by 10 top municipal 

corporations on February 

16. 

Meanwhile, a day after 

seeking to distance itself from 

Law Minister Salman Khurshid’s 

promise to provide 

nine per cent reservation to 

backward Muslims in Uttar 

Pradesh if the party comes to 

With nearly three lakh devotees 

already at the island and 

around 60,000 more waiting 

on the other side of the bank, 

the state government has made 

elaborate arrangements for the 

peaceful conduct of the fair as 

also to provide the devotees 

essential facilities. 

About 150 km from Kolkata 

in South 24 Parganas district, 

this island is considered 

auspicious by the Hindus, who 

gather here at this time of the 

year to take a holy dip at the 

confluence of the Ganga and 

the Bay of Bengal and pray by 

offering coconut at the Kapil 

Muni temple. 

The devout believe that a 

single dip in the sacred water 

washes off life’s sins. 

The head priest of the Kapil 

Muni temple, Gyan Baba, took 

the holy dip exactly at 5.35 

special electricity Lok Adalat 

out of which approximately 

1,040 cases were settled and 

settlement amount was approximately 

Rs 3 crore,” said 

a DLSA spokesperson. 

Besides, a regular second 

Saturday Lok Adalat was 

also conducted. Forty-three 

benches were constituted for 

the Lok Adalat, organised in 

six district court complexes, 

DLSA said in a statement. 

More than 3,553 cases 

power, the Congress yesterday 

supported the move. 

Party spokesperson Rashid 

Alvi said the Congress manifesto 

for the 2009 Lok Sabha 

elections had promised to 

provide reservation to minorities 

on the lines it had done in 

Andhra Pradesh. 

He said the party’s manifesto 

for Uttar Pradesh elections 

would contain the promise 

of increasing sub-quota 

for minorities in the existing 

quota for other backward 

classes (OBCs) from 4.5 per 

cent already announced by the 

central government. 

“The manifesto for Uttar 

Pradesh elections is being prepared. 

We are discussing to increase 

the percentage and that 

will be in our manifesto for 

the elections,” he said. 

He said Khurshid called 

him yesterday and said that 

the percentage of reservation 

to be provided to backward 

Muslims in the OBC quota 

was being worked out for inclusion 

in the party’s manifesto. 

Alvi had on Friday distanced 

the party from Khurshid’s 

sub-quota promise, 

which has earned the minister 

a notice from the Election 

Commission. — IANS 

pm to signal the commencement 

of Sankranti, which will 

continue till 5.35 pm today. 

As per Hindu belief, Sankranti 

marks the transition of the Sun 

into Makara rashi (Capricorn) 

on its celestial path. 

BJP leader Jaswant Singh 

also took a dip in the river. 

A three-pronged security 

arrangement on land, water 

and sky has been arranged, 

with 14 hovercrafts, several 

helicopters and over 6,000 

security personnel being deployed. 

Adequate number of buses, 

vessels and taxis has been arranged 

for transportation of 

the devotees. Pouched drinking 

water is available free of 

cost for the devotees. Around 

1,000 temporary and one mobile 

toilet too have been arranged. 

— IANS 

relating to cheque bouncing, 

civil, labour, criminal 

compoundable offences and 

recovery matters pending 

at various city courts were 

taken up. 

A total of 3,021 cases pending 

in various courts were 

disposed of, out of which 74 

cases pertaining to motor accident 

claims were also decided 

in which a total amount of Rs 

1.12 crore was awarded as 

compensation. — IANS

Fleeing home 

By Ian Timberlake 

MOVING at night through the cold, flat desert, armed 

people smugglers are exploiting, abducting and 

sometimes killing Eritreans fleeing their homeland, 

the UN and refugees say. 

“People catch us, sell us like a goat,” one Eritrean asylumseeker 

said of the human traffickers. 

Like others who have reached this wind-blown collection 

of shelters inside the Sudanese border, he accused the local 

Rashaida tribe of involvement in the people trade, which the 

United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is hoping to counter 

through a $2-million effort to support local police and improve 

camp security. 

“These groups that are involved in this are heavily armed. 

We hear of firefights between government forces and these 

armed groups,” said Felix Ross, the UNHCR’s senior protection 

officer in Sudan’s eastern region. 

He said the problem has emerged over the past two or three 

years, with the UNHCR hearing of at least 20 kidnapping cases 

a month. “But we believe that the number itself is much 

higher,” Ross said. 

On a visit to the Shagarab camp last Thursday, the UN 

High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said a 

global criminal network of smugglers and kidnappers is “taking 

profit of the desperate situation of many Eritreans.” 

Shagarab camp receives about 2,000 asylum-seekers 

monthly, largely from neighbouring Eritrea where many have 

fled compulsory military service. 

The UN estimates that 80 per cent of the new arrivals leave 

the camp within two months for Khartoum, Egypt, Israel or 

further afield, in search of better economic opportunities. 

“Due to the limitation on the freedom of movement of 

refugees in Sudan, refugees and asylum-seekers resort to 

smugglers to transport them into, through and out of Sudan,” 

a UNHCR briefing paper said. 

But some simply end up being kidnapped for ransoms 

which the UNHCR said can reach $10,000. 

“Here there is not security. There is many person kidnapped,” 

an Eritrean who has spent four months at Shagarab 

said, speaking in English. 

Radical roots 

By Jeremy Tordjman 

AT 95, age has not diminished the radical convictions 

that led Arsene Tchakarian to join France’s legendary 

Resistance. Tchakarian, a Turkish-born Armenian, is 

the last survivor of the Manouchian Group, mainly foreign 

Resistance fighters who were initially shunned for their communist 

orientation but later decorated as war heroes and feted 

in poetry, song and film. 

He has worked to keep their legacy alive, belonging to a 

proud tradition of radicals — such as fellow Resistance nonagenarian 

Stephane Hessel, whose 2010 pamphlet Indignez 

Vous! (Time for Outrage!) turned into a surprise best-seller, 

urging a popular movement against finance capitalism. 

The title inspired Spain’s Indignados (The Indignant), 

among masses worldwide who have taken to the streets to 

protest government austerity programmes seen as punishing 

ordinary people for the excesses of big business. 

Tchakarian said: “With the crisis, we are destroying countries. 

... It is here, now, the real dictatorship.” 

Tchakarian, a struggling apprentice tailor when he came 

to Paris in 1930, has been showered with decorations for his 

wartime activities including the Legion d’Honneur, France’s 

highest award. 

Though he concedes he lives an easier life these days, Tchakarian 

says he remains a radical “revolted by the capitalist 

system”. “I’ll always belong to the working class,” he said. 

Tchakarian was part of a network run by fellow Turkishborn 

Armenian Missak Manouchian. While many comrades, 

including Manouchian, were hunted down and executed, Tchakarian 

and a handful of others survived to tell their story. 

With the death in November of fellow veteran 90-year-old 

Henry Karayan, he sees his mission as all the more important. 

“In a way, I’m the last of the Mohicans,” he joked. 

In February 1934, he was among a group of communists 

who fought French fascists outside parliament during riots 

that some left-wing commentators have described as a coup 

attempt by the far right. He later became active in the leftwing 

Popular Front alliance. 

Tchakarian fought under the codename “Charles” as the 

group carried out attacks including the September 1943 ambush 

of S S General Julius Ritter, whom they gunned down in 

a Paris street. 

Smoking breaks 

By Theresa Muench 

AN organisation of family-owned businesses in Germany 

has angered labour groups with a call to improve 

productivity and raise staff health by banning smoking 

breaks in the workplace. 

“They should stop for calisthenics, not for a smoke,” said 

Mario Ohoven, president of the BVMW Federation of Mid- 

Sized Businesses. 

He told a newspaper, Bild, he wanted to “get rid of the fug 

during work,” adding, “Smoking breaks cost employers money.” 

A smoker who takes three smoking breaks daily, each five 

minutes long, costs his employer on average well over 2,000 

euros ($2,600) annually in lost work, the BVMW maintains. 

“And a lot of them smoke more than three cigarettes a day,” 

said Ohoven, who says lunch breaks offer sufficient time out 

for smokers. Germany’s Cancer Science Council estimated in 

2009 that nationally, smoking breaks cost Germany 28 billion 

euros annually in lost productivity. 

Smoking in offices and factories used to be common, but 

over the past decade, most employers have gradually banned 

it. But they allow smokers to go outside every hour or so to 

smoke in the open air. Some even provide smoking rooms. 

The most recent official statistics, from 2009, show 74 per 

cent of adult Germans are non-smokers. Smoking is legally 

banned in shops, public transport and most restaurants. 

Another group of family-owned companies agrees with the 

BVMW. Ursula Frerichs of the Federation of Mid-Sized Business 

Entrepreneurs told Bild that smoking breaks discriminate 

against non-smokers who keep working. 

“Non-smokers are losing out,” she said, charging that 

workshops were often idled when the smokers all left at the 

same time to smoke together. The business groups say many 

employers in Scandinavian nations have successfully implemented 

a “smoke-free work time” policy. 

Annelie Buntenbach of a national trade union federation, 

the DGB, denied the economy was hurt by Germany’s smoking 

minority. “The idea that it disturbs work or idles factories 

is ridiculous,” she said, adding that working in life in Germany 

had become so stressful that people needed more breaks. 

Kerstin Jerchel, a lawyer at one trade union, Verdi, said 

outdoor smoking breaks were a good solution to friction between 

smokers and non-smokers. 

By Sinikka Tarvainen 

WHEN Spain’s “Indignant 

Ones” protest movement 

began eight months ago, it 

was widely seen as a young people’s 

initiative, with no coherent ideas, 

which would soon die out. 

Yet while the movement is now 

less visible on the streets, it is increasingly 

reverberating in academic 

circles, where economists are challenging 

the dominant free-market 

thinking. 

The austerity policies with which 

European governments are trying to 

solve the euro crisis are on the wrong 

track, say Fernando Luengo and Nuria 

Alonso, two Madrid economy 

lecturers who helped to launch the 

EconoNuestra initiative. 

The platform, which opposes 

“market fundamentalism” and proposes 

“a different vision of the economy,” 

was launched less than two 

By Hiroshi Hiyama 

ONCE the preserve of rowdy 

teenagers, game arcades in 

Japan are rapidly becoming 

the hippest place to hang out for a 

whole new generation — their grandparents. 

With plenty of time on their hands 

and cash in their pockets, well-behaved 

elderly customers make up a 

significant and growing number of 

those prepared to feed coins into machines 

for a few hours’ entertainment. 

The so-called “silver market” is 

increasingly important for industries 

in Japan, where a plunging birth rate 

and a long life expectancy is leaving 

society increasingly top-heavy. And 

for the elderly themselves, arcades offer 

a chance to find fun and friendship 

away from the more traditional pur- 

12 

ANALYSIS/OPINION 



Economists challenge Europe’s austerity 

months ago. Yet its manifesto has 

already been signed by about 1,000 

people, including more than 200 academic 

economists. 

An alternative school of economic 

thought is also emerging in 

other countries such as France, Italy, 

Greece or Britain, said Luengo and 

Alonso, who teach at Madrid’s Complutense 

and Rey Juan Carlos universities 

respectively, in an interview. 

The Indignant Ones’ protests were 

sparked partly by Spain’s record unemployment 

— currently at more 

than 21 per cent — which brought 

80,000 people to the streets all over 

the country mid-May. The date of 

May 15 gave the movement the other 

name it is known under, 15-M. 

The first rallies were followed by 

others, as well as by protest camps 

at city squares and neighbourhood 

assemblies debating democratic reforms. 

The Indignant Ones sparked 

or encouraged similar movements 

suits of old age. 

Rather than the fast-paced shootem-ups 

or the hand-to-hand combat 

video games their grandchildren play, 

older gamers are more likely to splash 

their cash on “medal games”, in which 

players drop coins into slots where 

they hope they will knock over other 

piles of coins. 

Noboru Shiba, 68, said he began 

visiting the arcade at a shopping mall 

near his home in Kiba, Tokyo after he 

retired from his job as a taxi dispatcher 

seven years ago. “I used to stay home, 

and just watch TV,” he said. 

“I would have gone senile if I had 

kept on doing that. I needed to get out 

of the house,” he said, his eyes fixed 

on “Bing Bing Pirates”, a cross between 

coin-shunting and bingo. 

Shiba says during his three- or 

four-hour visits he usually uses the 

around the world, and simultaneous 

rallies were staged in dozens of 

countries on October 15. 

Assemblies and occasional rallies 

are still being held. The Indignant 

Ones are also increasingly focusing 

on problems in the housing sector, 

with protesters preventing the 

expulsion of people unable to pay 

mortgages, and squatters occupying 

empty buildings. The apparently 

heterogeneous movement is far from 

directionless, says Luengo, the likes 

of whom are trying to give it a more 

solid theoretical basis. 

Academia is dominated by thinkers 

supportive of the current economic 

policies, who are funded and 

backed by the financial and media 

powers, Luengo and Alonso said. 

“But the 15-M has encouraged 

critical economists to start getting 

organised,” Luengo says. 

Spain, for instance, focuses on 

trimming its 8 per cent budget deficit 

WORKERS wrap elephant statues at the Ambedkar Park in Noida. — AFP 

Another electoral bout 

By Amulya Ganguli 2007, may be felt by the BSP this time, to unsettle the Akali Dal in Punjab, which 

largely because of the latter’s neglect of has tended to vote for the Akalis and the 

MAYAWATI’S statues and her significant development projects that Congress in alternate elections. The Con- 

election symbol of elephants make a difference to the lives of the poor gress’ hopes of staging a comeback have 

carved out of stone have been and marginalised, reminiscent of a similar been buoyed by its success in the 2009 

covered, the Congress’ pro-minority sops indifference shown by Lalu Prasad during parliamentary polls, when it won eight of 

have been shot down, the officials be- his 15 years as Bihar chief minister. the 13 seats while the Akalis won four. 

lieved to be biased in favour of the ruling In both their cases, the belief that a Since then the Akalis have been shak- 

party have been transferred by the Elec- neat stitching of caste combinations — en by the departure of their former finance 

tion Commission and cash meant for dis- Mayawati’s Dalit-Brahmin rainbow coa- minister, Manpreet Singh Badal, who actribution 

among voters have been seized. lition and Lalu Prasad’s Muslim-Yadav cused the government of leading the state 

The country is ready for another elec- (MY) alliance — was considered enough towards financial ruin by following poputoral 

bout among political parties under to cross the electoral Rubicon. 

list policies, and the resignation of two 

the commission’s stern, impartial gaze, But, ever since the Janata Dal-United’s ministers of the BJP, an ally of the Akalis, 

which promises that the contests will be Nitish Kumar showed in Bihar in 2005 on bribery charges. 

free and the outcome fair. 

that a focus on development, law and or- Punjab is not the only state where the 

It is the certainty about the results reder and social welfare was the only real local BJP leaders have been under a cloud. 

flecting the popular mood which has fa- guarantor of success, parties like the BSP, In Uttarakhand, the party had to hastily 

cilitated the task of forecasts since the ear- which have failed on this account, have remove Ramesh Pokhriyal from the chief 

lier ugly phenomenon of booth-capturing, become vulnerable. 

minister’s post in favour of B C Khanduri, 

impersonation and forcibly keeping at bay In Mayawati’s case, the inordinate who held the office earlier, in view of the 

large groups of voters, mainly in the Hindi extolling of her own self via statues has corruption charges faced by Pokhriyal’s 

heartland, is no longer prevalent. made her a figure of ridicule while how administration. 

As is known, this remarkable cleans- impressed the Dalits have been will only In fact, there is little doubt that the 

ing of the electoral system is the contribu- be known when the results are out. BJP would have lost power if Pokhriyal 

tion of T N Seshan, who was chief elec- Interestingly, the Janata Dal-United had remained in office. Even now, memotion 

commissioner from 1990 to 1996. and the BJP, which are allies in Bihar, ries of his time in power may damage the 

Since his time, the commission, like the will be on opposite sides of the fence in party’s prospects. 

Comptroller and Auditor General’s office, Uttar Pradesh, diminishing the latter’s However, the Congress formed the 

has been a truly autonomous body. chances of getting a sizeable chunk of the government with the help of the Nation- 

As a result, perhaps the most crucial of other backward caste (OBC) votes via the alist Congress Party (NCP), which won 

the “cow belt” states, Uttar Pradesh, will Janata Dal-United and, therefore, pushing three seats. This time too, the alliance 

see another riveting battle between the it further down in the electoral stakes. evidently hopes to pip the BJP to the post 

two old regional adversaries, the Bahujan For the Congress, it is a do-or-die battle despite its rickety nature. 

Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi for the party’s heir apparent, Rahul Gan- In Manipur, the Congress may gain 

Party (SP), and two “national” parties dhi. If he falters yet again he will have to from the differences that have cropped 

with limited local influence, the Congress reconsider his tactics. But, if the Congress up between two constituents of the Peo- 

and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with can repeat its 2009 performance in Uttar ple’s Democratic Front (PDF) — the 

all of them accepting the results without Pradesh, Rahul will be the frontrunner for Janata Dal (United) and the RJD — with 

making too much of a fuss. 

the prime minister’s chair in 2014. the enmity rooted in Bihar between these 

In all likelihood, the anti-incumbency If anti-incumbency is expected to hit two parties souring their relations in the 

factor, which led to the SP’s ouster in the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, it is also likely northeastern state. 

piles of coins he has previously won, 

but has spent as much as 20,000 yen 

($250) some months. 

“When my grandson comes to 

visit, I show him my bag of coins. I 

drop the bag on a table and it makes a 

really loud ‘thud’. He gets a kick out 

of that,” he said. 

There are no official statistics for 

elderly game players, who occupy a 

minority share of an overall 500 billion 

yen ($6.5 billion) Japanese arcade 

sector, a market still dominated by 

teens and pre-teens. 

But industry professionals all 

agree that the number of customers 

in the autumn of their lives has been 

steadily increasing for the past five 

or so years. With around 25 per cent 

of Japanese now aged 65 or over — a 

figure projected to rise to 40 per cent 

by 2050 — everything from karaoke 

with draconian spending cuts, and is 

planning a reform to make the labour 

market more flexible, in an attempt 

to restore investor confidence and to 

ward off an eventual EU-led bailout. 

Such measures ignore the root 

causes of the financial crisis, transferring 

the burden of combating it to 

ordinary citizens while reinforcing 

the privileges of the financial powers 

whose practices sparked it in the first 

place, Luengo and Alonso said. 

Cuts in areas such as health and 

education are leaving citizens increasingly 

unprotected, while public 

money is being channelled to banks 

which use it to speculate on government 

debt, Luengo says. 

“Financial markets and some political 

powers are delivering a strategic 

battle” to extend their control 

over society, a situation which is 

leading to the increasing privatisation 

of social services and “weakening 

the public sphere,” the two 

clubs to stock brokerages are chasing 

the “silver yen”. 

Arcades, which have the advantage 

of being in places like shopping 

malls, where elderly people go regularly, 

are actively chasing older gamers, 

especially during the school day 

when younger players are — or at 

least should be — busy. 

Yuji Takano, a spokesman for 

Namco, the makers of Pac-Man, a 

game that has been a global phenomenon 

for 30 years, said today’s elderly 

have grown up around such entertainment 

and feel comfortable with it. 

“In the 1980s, we saw an explosion 

of household video game consoles. 

Babyboomers have seen that, and they 

are more familiar with games than the 

elderly of the past,” he said. 

“We are making our game arcades 

into places that engage a broad range 

economists said. 

Increasing numbers of Spaniards, 

for instance, are taking private health 

insurance while tens of thousands 

have been left without medical care 

for not affording to pay social security 

fees. Meanwhile, “there is no talk 

at all” about reforming the functioning 

of financial markets and about 

placing them under stricter controls, 

Luengo notes. 

Social inequalities are now higher 

in Spain than at any time since 1995, 

according to an OECD study. 

Not only do the current policies 

deepen inequalities, but the austerity 

also undermines consumption and 

paralyses Spain’s economy, which is 

slipping into a recession, Luengo and 

Alonso say. 

A growing number of politicians 

— including German Chancellor 

Angela Merkel — are now admitting 

that austerity alone cannot revive European 

economies. 

STRONG SHOWING 

A vote for more 

economic unity 

By James Pomfret 

TAIWAN’S incumbent 

president was reelected 

yesterday as 

official tallies showed he held 

a near-unassailable lead in the 

vote-count and the opposition 

conceded defeat. 

The result, which points to 

a continuation of the detente 

between Taiwan and China, 

should reassure both Beijing 

and Washington at a time of 

political transition for both 

superpowers. 

The elections had been expected 

to be tight, but the Central 

Election Commission said 

that with most votes counted, 

the Nationalist Party’s Ma 

Ying-jeou, who has fostered 

warmer ties with China, had 

about 51.5 per cent of the vote 

versus about 45.7 per cent for 

Tsai Ing-wen of the opposition 

Democratic Progressive 

Party (DPP). 

“We have won,” Ma, 61, 

shouted to supporters at party 

headquarters as they cheered 

and clapped in pouring rain. 

“In the next four years, 

cross-strait relations will be 

more peaceful, with greater 

mutual trust and the chance of 

conflict will be less.” 

Tsai conceded defeat and 

said she was quitting as DPP 

party chief. However, Ma’s 

victory will be much reduced 

from the near 17-point margin 

he had over the DPP at the last 

election in 2008. 

But the Nationalist Party 

was also projected to get a 

clear majority in parliament, 

which should give Ma a fillip 

in pushing through policy. 

Television said the Nationalists 

would get about 65 seats 

in the 113-member legislature, 

although that is also lower 

than the 81 seats they had in 

the outgoing house. 

“We will continue to let 

economic growth flourish, 

protect cross-strait peace and 

friendly relations to achieve 

more concrete results in cooperation 

in important areas,” 

said Lien Chan, the honorary 

chairman of the Nationalists. 

But in an acknowledgment 

of the reduced majority, he 

added: “We need to discuss 

thoroughly the criticism the 

voters have handed to us.” 

Even early in the day, Ma 

radiated confidence. 

“I see a little sunshine 

now,” he told reporters as he 

cast his vote at a polling station 

in a Taipei church after a 

slight drizzle eased. 

Opposition leader Tsai was 

also confident but appeared to 

have lost ground to the incumbent 

after a strong showing in 

the campaign because of perceptions 

that she was not as 

inclined to closer economic 

integration with China. 

The DPP’s independenceleaning 

stance has long angered 

Beijing, which deems 

Taiwan a renegade province 

and considers US arms sales 

to the self-ruled island as the 

top obstacle to improved ties 

between the United States and 

China, now the world’s two 

biggest economies. Under Ma, 

the Nationalists have pursued 

detente with China — closer 

economic ties while vowing 

not to declare independence 

nor seek unification. 

A Ma victory should also 

go down well in the United 

States, which holds presidential 

elections later this year, 

as Washington would be keen 

to take at least one potential 

irritant in bilateral ties with 

China off the table. 

Like the run-up to the election, 

the voting was smooth. 

Unlike in 1996, when China 

fired missiles into waters off 

Taiwan before the island’s 

first direct presidential election, 

Beijing has learnt to 

temper any response to avoid 

antagonising voters into backing 

the DPP. 

Nearly 200,000 Taiwanese 

returned from overseas for the 

poll, cramming flights in a last 

minute rush to cast ballots. In 

a measure of the easing ties 

with the mainland, most of 

them came over from China. 

Senior citizens take over Japan’s arcades 

of customers by using bright, pop 

decorations and setting up wide aisles 

for people to move around easily,” 

he said. Some arcades have installed 

more comfortable chairs to cater for 

those who cannot cope so well with 

hours on hard seats. 

Others have instructed their staff 

to do regular rounds of the parlour 

and talk to elderly customers to make 

them feel welcome. 

Developers tout the possible benefits 

of playing their products. 

“Some customers say games force 

them to use their fingers and think 

strategically. That might help keep 

them in good health and lessen the 

impact of growing old,” said Hiroyuki 

Tanaka, spokesman for game powerhouse 

Sega. “We as a company are 

mulling ways to better attract the senior 

generation,” he said.

‘ Bipasha will be a good wife ’ 

BOLLYWOOD actress Bipasha Basu will make 

a good wife, feels her Jodi Breakers co-star R 

Madhavan. 

“Whoever she will marry, she will keep him very happy,” 

Madhavan told reporters in Mumbai. 

The 33-year-old actress dated model-turned-actor 

John Abraham for eight years before calling it quits last 

year. Ever since, Bipasha has been linked to actors like 

Rana Daggubati, Shahid Kapoor and her Singularity costar 

Josh Hartnett. 

Madhavan is impressed with the lady. 

“I feel Bipasha is a wonderful person. I don’t think I 

have ever worked with such a wonderful co-star till date,” 

he said. 

Romantic comedy “Jodi Breakers”, directed by Ashwini 

Chaudhary, is a story of two individuals who break 

others’ relationships but end up falling in love with each 

other. — IANS 

Poorna eager to work 

By Subhash K Jha 

FOUR fine actors, one 

wild unpredictable 

night of adventure. As a 

premise for a two-hour adventure-caper 

this sounds exactly 

like the recipe Sudhir Mishra 

ordered from his scriptwriters 

when he made Iss Raat Ki 

Subah Nahin 15 years ago. 

Times have changed. So 

has morality. Nowadays guns 

are no longer what the villains 

hold in our films. They are 

often the tools to trigger off 

a torrent of titters in times of 

violence. In this day and age 

of dithering morality Chaalis 

Chauraasi (4084) has some 

finger-licking fun with the 

formula of farce. 

4084 is a feast of the feisty. 

Indeed Hriday Shetty who 

earlier directed a tender but 

undercooked tale of midlife 

romance Pyar Mein Twist, is 

here on far surer grounds as 

he takes his quartet of quirky 

characters through a maze of 

mindboggling adventures. All 

highly nefarious, of course. 

So who said crime doesn’t 

pay? 

The thing about the morality 

in this film’s rapidly-mutating 

screenplay is that it’s a 

negotiable commodity. There 

are episodes in this extremely 

rugged slice-of-strife cinema 

where the four protagonists’ 

conduct scrapes the bottom of 

the morality barrel. This isn’t 

a film for the weak-hearted. 

This is not a film about heroes. 

And the four principal 

actors play the unheroic heroes 

with compelling gusto. 

Indeed the camaraderie 

among the quartet of overaged 

fun-seekers is so convincing 

you wonder if the 

13 

ENTERTAINMENT SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 

Tom and Jerry now 

in Tibetan language 

AMERICAN cartoon 

series Tom and Jerry 

is among 1,500 hours 

of English and Chinese TV 

programmes translated into 

Tibetan language and on show 

daily through a local cable 

channel in Tibetan capital 

Lhasa, a top official said. 

Tenzin, a six-year-old 

first-grade student in Lhasa 

believes the US-born cat and 

mouse can actually speak 

Tibetan. 

“It makes me laugh to see 

the cat make a fool of itself 

every time,” said Tenzin. 

Zhang Chongyin, chief 

of Tibet’s regional bureau 

of radio, film and television, 

said: “Many Chinese classics 

director Hriday Shetty came 

up with this brawny concoction 

of crime and comedy after 

getting Naseeruddin Shah, 

Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay 

Menon and Ravi Kissan on 

board. 

The rest just follows. 

There’s no blood and gore, 

no abusive invocation of 

mothers and sisters and their 

private spaces. And yet the 

rollercoaster ride is never free 

of excitement. In spite of some 

repetitive scenes Bunty Negi’s 

editing is crisp and sassy. The 

camerawork by Najeeb Khan 

makes Mumbai by night look 

famished and naked. Shetty 

has chosen actual locations 

of Mumbai’s underbelly as 

resting-places for his restless 

plot. Into these redolent locations 

of cramped ethics, the 

narration pours a sort of sly 

and slippery street wisdom 

that gives the ‘heroes’ room 

to improvise without losing 

the centre of this precariousperched 

tale of crime and nil 

punishment. 

The shootouts specially in 

a lodge where the four protagonists 

masquerading as 

cops comes to a messy nemesis, 

are shot with a feeling of 

have also been translated 

into the Tibetan language, 

such as the Monkey King and 

the Legend of the Condor 

Heroes.” 

All urban residents living 

in Tibet’s cities have access 

to at least three wireless TV 

channels and 30 cable TV 

channels, while about 70 per 

cent of the rural population 

can receive satellite TV 

and radio signals, Xinhua 

reported. A 24-hour Tibetanlanguage 

TV channel that 

offers news and drama series 

is most favoured by Tibetan 

people. 

Besides TV, Tibet 

translates more than 10,000 

hours of radio programmes 

and 60 films every year, said 

Zhang. 

“We’re working to enrich 

the Tibetan people’s cultural 

life by providing quality 

TV programmes and films. 

But there’s still a huge gap 

between what people demand 

and what we can offer at this 

stage,” he said. 

About 30 per cent of 

Tibet’s farmers — living in 

remote areas — still have no 

access to power supply and 

cannot receive TV or radio, 

he said. This year, the bureau 

aims to launch more bilingual 

TV and radio programmes and 

translate more Chinese and 

foreign films for the people. 

— IANS 

with Aamir Khan again DESIGNER Kiran Uttam 

Ghosh, known for 

CTRESS Poorna 

A Jagannathan seems to be 

smitten by Aamir Khan. The 

actress says she would love 

to work with the Delhi Belly 

producer again, even if it 

means being a part of his new 

talk show’s audience. 

“Hundred per cent! I even 

will be an audience member 

on his new TV show,” 

the 39-year-old actress said 

at the Filmfare Awards 

nomination party on Friday 

night, when asked if she 

would like to team up with 

Aamir again. 

Aamir will soon make his 

TV debut with a new talk 

show on social issues. It is to 

be aired on Star Plus. 

Meanwhile, Poorna is waiting 

for some good Bollywood 

scripts to come her way. 

However, for the moment she 

is busy with her international 

projects. 

“One is a comedy... it’s really 

what I do. It has Gwyneth 

Paltrow and Mark Ruffalo 

and is hilarious... a very funny 

script. The other is Peace, 

Love and Misunderstandingwith 

Jane Fonda,” said 

Poorna, who is currently seen 

on American TV show Royal 

Pains. 

Peace, Love and Misunderstanding 

is being directed 

by Oscar winner Bruce Beresford, 

and also features Catherine 

Keener. — IANS 

Chaalis Chauraasi — a quirky and exciting comedy 

Film Review 

Film: Chaalis Chauraasi; 

Starring: Naseerduddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, 

Kay Kay Menon, Ravi Kissan; 

Directed by: Hriday Shetty; Rating: *** 

her chic and glamourous 

designs, has presented a 

modern avatar of the six-yard 

sari for the new-age woman. 

The designer has launched 

her sari range under her pret 

line — Chiconomics. The collection 

is unique in terms of 

drapes and presentation. 

“Blending my signature 

style, spirit and spunk, the saris 

are fluid and light weight, 

giving today’s women the simplicity 

and drama of a well cut 

ensemble with sensual, understated, 

zipped-edges and smart 

pleats,” Ghosh said in a statement. 

Showcasing an entire 

gamut of ethnic wear in a lighter, 

playful and more contempo- 

Shabana picks 

dad’s songs 

for compilation 

EARS well up in 

T Shabana Azmi’s eyes 

whenever she listens to Tum 

itna jo muskura rahe ho. The 

song, with heart-warming 

lyrics, reminds her of her 

father, writer-lyricist Kaifi 

Azmi, in whose honour she 

has launched a compilation 

of his songs. 

The veteran actress says 

the song is very close to her 

heart, as it was penned by 

her father, and picturised on 

her in the 1982 film Arth. 

“If stimulus was good, 

then actors didn’t need to do 

anything... they just had to 

react. Such a wonderful situation 

it was and the song was 

so beautifully shot by Mahesh 

Bhatt. It had good tune 

and was sung in a nice voice. 

Even today when I listen to 

this song, my eyes fill with 

tears,” Shabana said. 

The proud daughter decided 

to handpick a few 

of her father’s songs and 

launched an album called 

‘Legends — Kaifi Azmi’, in 

association with music label 

Saregama, in Mumbai on 

Friday. 

It was launched in the 

presence of father-daughter 

duo Anil Kapoor and Sonam 

Kapoor. Also present at the 

event were Shabana’s husband, 

writer-lyricist Javed 

Akhtar, and his children from 

first marriage — Farhan 

Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. 

The album is a compilation 

of evergreen songs 

penned by Kaifi Azmi, 

whose 90th birth anniversary 

was celebrated yesterday. 

Saris with a twist by Kiran Uttam Ghosh 

rary tone, the saris are designed 

using cutting edge technology 

on fabrics like georgettes, chiffons 

and satin. 

Ghosh says “the favoured 

colors this season are bright 

acid shades like orange, lime 

green and coral along with 

a more mellow jewel-toned 

range,” and her collection is 

also dominated by the same. 

The designer feels her 

clothes are understated and 

can appeal to those who do not 

like to go overboard with jazzy 

clothes. 

“Our label has defied categorisation, 

and our clothes are 

understated, with silhouettes, 

characteristic and textures that 

refuse to be bracketed by terms 

such as eastern or western.” 

Harding proves fresh start with new tattoo 

INGER Sarah Harding 

S is ready to make a fresh 

start in 2012, and she proved it 

with a new tattoo, which reads 

“Don’t be bitter — glitter.” 

The “Girls Aloud” star, who 

was hospitalised in Austria 

over the New Year following 

an alleged argument with her 

boyfriend, gave out a clear, 

positive message through her 

new inking on her back. 

The tattoo stretches between 

her shoulder blades. She 

was spotted in a low-backed 

dress, which revealed the inking 

as she took a trip out to a 

spa, reports thesun.co.uk. 

The 30-year-old singer, 

who gave up drinking after a 

spell in rehab in October last 

year, continued her healthy 

living regime with a three hour 

detox session at the Kensing- 

ton health club. She even went 

for some retail therapy to store 

Harrods. 

Madonna appreciates 

Gaga: Pop star Madonna appreciated 

singer Lady Gaga 

for taking inspiration from her 

iconic song “Express Yourself” 

in last year’s album “Born This 

Way”, admitting she “recognised” 

the tune and found the 

similarities “interesting”. 

inebriated recklessness. Anything 

can happen. Nothing is 

as it seems. And yet director 

Shetty, manoeuvring through 

incidents that border on the 

absurd and yet preserve a 

core of credibility, takes the 

narrative screaming kicking 

though blessedly not abusing, 

through a night of adventures 

that have to be seen to be believed. 

4084 is a crisply editedone-wild-night-on-thewrong-end-of-town 

caper 

that manages an improbable 

merger of the sinister and the 

satirical. 

The four principal performers 

are dead-on, full of 

beans percolating with a pungency 

that makes them credible 

all through their incredible 

journey. 

And you’ve to see the four 

super-actors dance to Hawa 

hawaa to know how much 

fun they’ve extracted from 

the film. In this item song it’s 

Atul Kulkarni who surprises 

with his spinning feet. 

And his three colleagues 

don’t seem to mind. Oneupmanship 

is not the point in 

this game that big boys play 

in the dark. Solidarity is. 

Kerr becomes Qantas face 

USTRALIAN supermodel Miranda Kerr has been 

A named the new ambassador of Australia-based airline 

Qantas. 

Kerr, who is married to actor Orlando Bloom, has joined 

the likes of John Travolta, racing driver Mark Webber and 

athlete Cathy Freeman as brand ambassador for the airline, 

reports dailystar.co.uk. 

Qantas bosses organised a party in Los Angeles to announce 

Kerr’s new role on Thursday. 

“She takes your breath away. She adds a whole other 

level of excitement and glamour to the airline,” said Travolta, 

a trained pilot. 

Kerr is upbeat about the new endorsement. 

“It is very exciting. Qantas is such an iconic Australian 

brand and to be an ambassador for them is such an honour. 

I always fly Qantas, so this (role) is really exciting, what a 

privilege,” she said. 

Stewart to endorse perfume 

ACTRESS Kristen 

Stewart will now 

endorse Balenciaga’s 

perfumes. 

“Balenciaga has always 

stood out to me. 

Even when I first began 

to consider fashion and 

admittedly rarely knew 

the brand I was wearing, 

I always knew and 

loved Balenciaga,” femalefirst.co.uk 

quoted 

the Twilight actress as 

saying. 

“It feels full circle to 

be involved with something 

that spoke to me 

then and of course continues 

to excite me now. The brand is just cool. That’s the 

way it is,” she added. Nicolas Ghesquiere, creative director 

of the brand, admits Stewart was great for Balenciaga 

because of her “progressive character”. 

Seyfried to flash her assets 

ACTRESS Amanda 

Seyfried says she 

is keen to flash her 

assets for an upcoming 

movie. 

The 26-year-old is 

currently shooting a 

biopic of 70s porn actress 

turned women’s 

rights activist Linda 

Lovelace and she’s not 

hesitant to flaunt her 

assets for the movie. 

“There is a lot of 

nudity in the movie 

as it is but at certain 

points Amanda has 

actually insisted on 

showing more,” showbizspy.com 

quoted a source as saying. 

“She’s actually quite a shy girl but she’s so passionate 

about Linda’s story and what this movie has to say about 

women’s rights that she’s going beyond the call of duty to 

make her portrayal as real as possible,” the source added. 

Shirt for Obama campaign 

SINGER Beyonce Knowles has designed a T-shirt to 

raise money for US President Barack Obama’s reelection 

campaign. 

The 30-year-old, who gave birth to daughter Blue Ivy 

on January 7, is one of 22 people to get involved in the 

Runway to Win campaign by creating a garment, reports 

contactmusic.com. 

Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles, who manages the 

star’s House of Dereon clothing line, says that the designs 

are embellished with many slogans and phrases associated 

with the president, including ‘Yes we can’. — IANS

R 

F 

ENT-A-CAR 

Latest Model Cars — Excellent Service 

Saloon Cars, 4WD, Pick-ups, Buses 

Luxury Cars with Chauffeur 

Al Khuwair: 2448 9248/9648 

Ruwi: 24707074, Qurum: 24691110 

Mct. Airport: 24521189, 

Sohar: 26845565 

Salalah: 23296246, 

Sll.Airport 99323619 

95228450 

OR RENT FOR RENT 

SAVILLS OMAN 

QUALITY homes 

for rent throughout 

Capital Area 

Muscat. Contact: 

24692151. 

www.sav-oman.com 

FULL floor in CBD, 

open space, central AC, 

very luxurous building. 

Contact: 98048595 

OFFICES, shops, villa 

(Al Khuwair), flats Wadi 

Kabir, MBD, Al Khuwair 

& Mumtaz (furnished & 

unfurnished) 

96596348. 

BEAUTIFUL 7B/R 

Villa, N Mawaleh 

opposite The Wave, split 

unit A/Cs, kitchen, big 

living room, laundry 

area and servant room 

plus 2 shaded parking 

Rent RO 750 negotiable, 

only direct contact to the 

owners 99275277/ 

92813443. 

A VILLA at the Rahab 

Al Madina Complex 

in Mawaleh behind 

Carrefour 99466602. 

TOWN house, 2 

bedrooms, sitting 

room, kitchen, 3 toilets, 

spacious balcony 

with marina and sea 

view, shaded parking, 

closed compound 

with swimming pool. 

The Wave Muscat 

99459614/ 99342184. 

3 BEDROOM deluxe 

flat for rent near Indian 

School Ghubra, with 

store, Split AC. Contact: 

98830838. 

A HOUSE of 10 rooms 

total area 2500. Southern 

Al Hail near to Al Hamad 

Mosque. 99489849. 

FULLY furnished 

apartment Bareeq Al 

Shatti Monthly Rental 

RO 800/- Contact: 

99888417. 

TWIN villa in The Wave, 

total area of 197 sqm, 

price: RO 170 thousand, 

monthly rent RO 850. 

99728459. 

FLAT at Al Hamriya 

99341112. 

FOR SALE 

Industrial land, 50,000 

sq m at Rusayl 

approved for 3 storey 

building with all services. 

Required price: 

Only RO 75 per sq m. 

Call the owner: 

93647210 

ASTC 

RENT A CAR 

4-wheel and 

saloon cars. 

95059259, 97885217 

FURNISHED and 

unfurnished apartments 

in North a Al Ghubra, 

Gala, Al Wadi al Kabir 

in addition to shops 

and offices with AC’s 

with attractive prices 

starting from RO 300. 

Contact: 95098103/ 

93296550/ 92283444/ 

24494979. 

4 VILLAS each with 

2 rooms, living room, 

kitchen, two bedrooms. 

7 km from Sohar Port 

99100777. 

FLAT for rent near 

church, south of Ghubra. 

Contact 99333919. 

FLAT for rent in Ruwi 

(Walja), 3 bedrooms, 2 

bathrooms and a kitchen. 

99328939 

BRAND new studio 

Flat in Al Hail, fully 

furnished, including 

Electricity & water for 

singles. 92817777. 

BRAND new apartments 

3 bedroom RO 450, 4 

bedroom RO 550 near 

Zakher mall Al Khuwair 

Contact: 95806606. 

VILLA for rent in Al 

Amerat (5/1). Contact: 

99438887. 

A FLAT at Al Ghubra, 

consists of 3 bedrooms, 

ACs available (tiles). 

Wanted price RO 750 

Contact 99332907. 

NEW flat, 1 bedroom 

with sitting, 2 split ACs, 

RO 260, at Al Qurum 

95570288, 99358589. 

GOOD villa, 3 

bedrooms, sitting, 

dining, family hall, 

servant room, 7 split 

ACs, marble floor, 

RO 580 at Al Qurum 

95570288, 

99358589. 

ROOM at Hamriya 

99341112. 

SHOP near Ruwi bus 

stand 92107267 

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 

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 

MARBLE 

CRYSTALLISATION, 

restore the original shine 

of your marble. 

24792998/99314807. 

MARBLE polishing 

and crystallisation, 

building, cleaning floor, 

floor polishing, carpet, 

sofa shampooing, pest 

control, anti-termite, 

shifting, maintenance. 

99504275. 

CARPET, sofa 

shampooing, 

GUARANTEED 

CLEANING. 

24793614/ 99314807 

1. A/C, Fridge & 

Washing Machine 

Servicing & Repairing 

2. Painting, Plumbing, 

Electrical & Carpentry 

Works. Contact: 

97014234/ 97123569, 

24504281. 

NEW and old house 

cleaning and floor 

polishing, painting, 

maintenance, carpentery, 

furniture shifting 

96642500. 

M 

ANPOWER 

FRIENDS 

MANPOWER: Filipino 

housemaids and all kinds 

of workers. 24489268 

Tel/Fax: 24478153. 

INDONESIAN house 

maid start from RO 

740, Uganda RO 370, 

Sri Lankan RO 720, 

Ethiopia RO 390. 

Contact 24831448/ 

92801098/ 95330209. 

CLASSIFIED SECTION: 

OMAN DAILY Observer SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 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 

office personally after 

completion. Our address 

is: Ruwi, near Gulf 

Transport Co. (GTC), 

Fax: 24793331, GSM: 

98793665 (Direct) 


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 

TO the owners of 

commercial/residential 

buildings and villas, we 

are specialised in fixing 

security and safety 

systems and advanced 

technology alarm 

systems. Contact 


Land for sale — 

Jifnain 

Commercial / 

Commercial/ 

Residential Land 

28,300 SQM at Jifnain 

in prime location 

exactly facing on 

Express Highway. 

Directly call to owner: 

99840555 

A 

Executive Office 

Services available 

Modern Furniture 

Personalised 

telephone line with 

receptionist services 

Unlimited wireless 

Internet PO Boxes 

address Executive 

conference room (10 

people) Prime 

location (Al Khuwair) 

Complimentary tea 

& coffee Service 

duration, quarterly. 

Contact: 99463334, 

99201763, 24479400. 

G 

NNOUNCEMENT 

UEST HOUSE 

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. 

S 

ALE/BUYING 

OLD household furniture, 

carpet, curtain, wallpaper 

and fixing. 99834373. 

SELL your land, our 

office at Maabela 

99323957/ 95490842/ 

96554668. 

Sulaiman Awlad Thani: 95181747 

Ali al Maashari: 99639264 

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

S 

14 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

Available on very GOOD prices 

HP F1000 Printer 

RO 9.900 only 

HP F4500 4 in 1 Printer 

RO 24.500 only 

HP M1132 4 in 1 Laser Printer 

RO 54.900 only 

HP LJ1102 Laser Printer 

RO 30/900 only 

AII HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung 

Cartridges also available. 

ITUATION VACANT 

PRIVATE school in 

North Al Hail would 

like to hire Teachers 

in the following 

subjects: English, 

Science, Maths & 

ICT 24541266, 

95339066. 

REQUIRED 

experienced HVAC 

Engineer preferable 

with min 5 years field 

experience. Interested 

candidates may send 

their CV to: info@ 

utilityacrs.com 

URGENT requirement 

a reputed facilities 

management company 

requires Omani & 

expatriate (with local 

release) cleaners for 

immediate employment. 

Candidates meeting the 

following criteria may 

apply. Education 10th STD 

and experience:1 year or 

more. Please forward your 

CV on Fax No. 24590861 

or e-mail to mcc@omzest. 

com 

FOUR Star Hotel 

requesting for employees 

any nationalities, General 

Chef, Waiters/ Waitress, 

Sheesha makers. Contact: 

98048595 E-mail: 

abdullah.albahrani@ 

yahoo.com 

JOB vacancy in a 

contracting company for 

civil engineer 7 years 

experience including 

in the Sultanate of 

Oman Salary will be 

decided according to 

the qualifications and 

experience. For Contact: 

95206909/ 23291719, 

Fax: 23291716. E-mail: 

salallah@gmail.com 

L 

OST 

ASIM Ali Muhammad 

Akram has lost Pakistani 

passport No KY - 

799891. Finder please 

handover to 

I 

VESTMENT 

LAND for rent MISFA 

part-6 1000 Sqm/ and for 

rent. Amerat 1000 sq.m. 

9914261/ 92087781. 

COMPUTER SUPPLIES 

Ruwi: 24792792 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

DIRECT: 24649594 - FAX : 24649590 

e-mail: classified@omandaily.om 

AFAQ WADI AL-MA’AWIL LLC 

CRANE (35 - 80 Ton) 

DOZER 

LOAD/ALL 

GRADER 

EXCAVATOR 

BACK HOE/LOADER 

FUEL TANKER 

SEWAGE TANKER 

WATER TANKER 

CONTACT: 99310448 /99333506 /24505994 

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

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

URGENTLY required 

Qualified Mechanical/ 

Electrical/Electronics 

graduates/diploma, 

age max; 32. Send 

resume: ssi01@ 

omantel.net.om 

PRIVATE school in 

Muscat seeks fully 

qualified and experienced 

special need English 

teacher for elementary 

school. Forward your CV 

and recent photograph to: 

omaniacademy@gmail. 

com 

REQUIRE an experienced 

and dynamic staff for 

design and marketing 

of gift items. Should 

have good knowledge 

of computer specially 

on design applications 

like 3D Max. Should be 

able to market gift ideas 

to new clients. Required 

work experience 2-3 

years. Forward your CV to 

E-mail 

address: abualkhalil98@ 

hotmail.com 

HOUSEMAID wanted 

full-time by expatriate 

family in Ruwi, should 

read and write English. 

Visa available, from 10 

to 12 morning and 7 to 9 

evening. 

95602878 

REQUIRED General 

Practitioner, 

Gynaecologist, Female 

Dentist and a Nurse to 

work in a new medical 

centre at Wilayat of 

Mudhaibi. Contact 

99812298, 99240928. 

al_habsi2003@yahoo.com 

REQUIRED a Female 

Cook 93387962. 

C 

T 

ARGO 

CARGO transfer with 

attractive price to all 

areas in the Sultanate and 

outside of Oman 

(by truck). Contact 

00968-99171758 

OURS 

Marine Tourism 

92808636, e-mail: 

info@alainain.com 

al-haditha 

centre 

G 

W 

S 

F 

OOD NEWS 

FREE 

INFORMATION 

ABOUT ISLAM 

F 

O 

R 

H 

I 

R 

E 

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 

ITUATION WANTED 

SALES executive, 

24 years old, Indian 

male, new in 

Oman 93579114 

seekingjobinoman@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN male, 8 years 

experience in accounts, 

finance (5 years in 

Oman) with Omani 

driving licence, seeks 

suitable placement. 

Contact 99489419 

E-mail: skismail_ 

ismail@yahoo.com 

OR SALE 

DIRECT from the 

owner: 2 bedrooms 

at Al Wadi al Kabir 

92919135 

D 

for vehicles repairing 

High quality maintenance and repairing for 

all kinds of light and heavy vehicles 

(A certified workshop from ROP, Grade A) 

ANTED 

LAND REQUIRED 

REQUIRE commercial/ 

industrial land 

measuring 20,000 

to 30,000 Sq mtrs in 

and around Ghalal/ 

Halban/Rusayl on long 

term lease/purchase. 

Interested property 

owners may Contact: 

92892001 with all 

details. 

CHEVROLET Tavera 

(7 seat), milage 50 

thousand under warranty, 

silver colour Call: 

98048595. Free of 

accident. 

RIVING SCHOOL 

MORNING STAR 

DRIVING SCHOOL 

— Learn driving 

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 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Continued on P-15

‘Mama Oprah’ celebrates 

with 1st SA school grads 

HENLEY-ON-KLIP — US talk show queen 

Oprah Winfrey cried yesterday as the first 

graduates of her South African girls’ academy 

thanked her for her effort to turn a handful of 

impoverished girls into elite leaders. 

Beaming, in a turquoise dress, with the 72 

graduates sitting behind her in white, Winfrey, 

whose rise to stardom and an estimated fortune 

of $2.7 billion followed a deprived childhood 

in Mississippi, spoke of why she decided to 

open the school with a $40 million investment 

in 2007. 

“I know that education is the door to freedom. 

So I want to do that for girls who come 

from backgrounds like my own, who have 

disadvantaged circumstances but no disadvantaged 

attitudes or brainpower or spirit. I want 

to give them the chance that I was given.” 

Winfrey, 58, told the story of how she mentioned 

to Nelson Mandela over tea at his house 

one day that she was interested in building a 

girls’ school in South Africa. 

The country’s first black president jumped 

up and immediately called then-education minister 

Kader Asmal, she said. By that evening 

Winfrey was in a planning meeting with him. 

“I really thought one day I would build a 

school — I didn’t mean that day,” she joked. 

Speaking at the idyllic campus of the 

school, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy 

for Girls — which boasts computer and 

science laboratories, a 600-seat theatre and a 

10,000-volume library — Winfrey defended 

the idea of investing lavishly in a small group 

of promising young women. 

The school has faced criticism for focusing 

on a select few in a country that struggles to 

meet basic education needs. 

“We are in the leadership building business. 

We are in the business of creating assets for 

girls so they don’t have to just use their bodies 

but they go out into the world and use their 

S 

15 

SPOTLIGHT/CLASSIFIEDS 



ITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED 

A SRI LANKAN lady 

looking for part-time 

job. 7 years experience 

in cooking, cleaning and 

baby caring. Contact: 

93450893. Time from 

1 pm - 8 pm. 

20 years of Gulf experience 

in HR Admin, stores, 

Logistics, warehouse and 

inventory having Oman 

Driving Licence. Pls 

Contact: 93448311 

BE Electrical and 

Electronic Engineer having 

two years experience in 

Industrial field. Seeks 

suitable placement. 

Contact: 96681536. 

E-mail: morshedcuet@ 

yahoo.com 

MORE than 15 years 

Oman experienced 

Storekeeper/Salesman 

having valid Driving 

licence, on visit, seeks 

suitable placement 

99284879. 

INDIAN male, 46 years, 

23 yrs experienced civil 

engineer, woring as QScivil 

in Oman, looking 

for part-time/freelance 

works in estimating, qty. 

Surveying, prep of BOQ, 

etc. Contact: 96013166. 

QUALIFIED Finance 

Manager with 10 years 

experience in reputed 

companies in contracting, 

manufacturing and trading 

fields, seeks immediate 

placement. 96251458. 

minds,” she said. 

“The only way this country and developing 

countries throughout the world are going to 

have long-term sustainability, and not just sustainability 

but success, is through its women. 

Africa will be saved by its women,” she said. 

All yesterday’s graduates passed their endof-year 

exams and will attend universities in 

South Africa, the US and other countries. 

The campus was packed yesterday with celebrating 

families, journalists and VIP guests, 

including Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, who 

gave the keynote address. 

Visibly emotional throughout the ceremony, 

Winfrey cried as top-10 student Mashadi 

Kekana gave a commencement speech that 

thanked “Mama Oprah” for her investment in 

the girls. 

But the school has gone through its share of 

crises to reach this day. 

Soon after it opened in 2007, the academy 

was hit by allegations that a dormitory matron 

had sexually abused some of the girls. She was 

arrested and charged, but later acquitted in a 

decision Winfrey said at the time “profoundly 

disappointed” her. 

Last year, the school was rocked by reports 

that a dead baby had been found in a student’s 

bag after she apparently hid a pregnancy and 

gave birth in secret. 

Winfrey said her own experiences of being 

sexually abused as a child and hiding a teenage 

pregnancy — the baby died soon after birth, 

and she never had any more children — had 

helped her deal with the crises at her school. 

“For me, the experience of child abuse as 

a child created a greater sense of empathy and 

strength for me to be able to deal with it when it 

occurred in this school. For me, the experience 

of being a 14-year-old girl hiding a pregnancy 

gave me the strength and the empathy to deal 

with it (here),” she said. — AFP 

IT professional, Indian 

male, Age: 29, having 

5 years experience in 

hardware, networking, PHP 

programming, SQL, seeks 

suitable position. Contact 

98677350 E-mail: 

emustafa_mca@yahoo.co.in 

INDIAN male, 26, 

B.Com with Tally, 5 years 

experience in accounts, 

Omani driving licence, 

seeks job 96470171. 

INDIAN female, electronics 

and communication 

engineer, seeks suitable 

position with work visa 

around Muscat area 

95924356. 

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 

OPRAH Winfrey speaks to high school students from her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for 

Girls during the school’s first graduation ceremony yesterday. — Reuters 

NEW DELHI — After almost two decades in the 

fashion business, he has earned an impressive clientele 

— from Hollywood’s Lady Gaga and Paris 

Hilton to Bollywood’s Bipasha Basu and Akshay 

Kumar. But guess what designer Rocky S (pictured) 

is now excited about? The Indian kidswear market. 

“Trends in the Indian market are fast changing 

and the kids’ apparel market is growing rapidly. One 

of the important changes is the increasing preference 

for branded apparel. Kids focus on dressing styles 

and are aware of what suits them most. Influenced 

by mass media and peer pressure, today’s kids are 

more informed and self-conscious,” Rocky said. 

He is all set for his debut in the kidswear segment 

at the forthcoming India Kids Fashion Week starting 

in Mumbai on Tuesday. 

“The boom in this segment has opened a huge 

opportunity in the retail sector with new stores... 

INDIAN male, BBM/ 

MBA in marketing & HR, 

having valid D/L, seeks 

suitable placement. Contact 

95473531/99784121. 

DIPLOMA in civil 

engineering, 19 years 

experience (16 years in 

Oman) in quantity survey, 

seeks suitable placement 

99360190, 96328687. 

INDIAN male, 32 years, 

MBA graduate, having 

more than 8 years 

experience in Europe 

& Asia in marketing & 

managerial, computer 

proficiency in MS Office 

& Tally, on visit, seeks 

suitable immediate 

placement in sales/ 

marketing/banking. 

97163101/ 99628440, 

E-mail: mkrishnankutty@ 

gmail.com 

MECHANICAL 

engineering graduate, 12 + 

years experience in project, 

people, performance, 

management, design 

validation, Gsigma, quality, 

currently with Caterpillar 

India as deputy manager, 

seeks suitable placement in 

Muscat 92283707. 

SUDANESE, Cisco 

certified CCNA-CCNP 

looking for job in hardware 

and networking field 

99066253. 

INDIAN male 29 yrs 

MSc, BSc in computers 

5+years of exp in network 

engineering 2 years 

of Oman exp, seeking 

suitable placement. CCNP, 

MCP certified. Contact: 

93223629. 

ARCHITECT, 3 years 

experience in Oman — 

decoration, landscape, 

construction, AutoCAD, 

Photoshop and 3D 

97164803. 

HYDROGEOLOGIST 

with long experience in 

Oman having valid 

Omani driving licence 

needs suitable 

placement. 95451104. 

shuja54@hotmail.com 

INDONESIAN female 

looking for household 

job, only for full-time 

93542338. 

NDIAN male, 33, 

commerce graduate, 

having 8 years experience 

in accounts in Gulf, 

presently staying in Oman 

on visit visa, seeks suitable 

placement 95772160. 

INDIAN male 25, 3 years 

experience in system 

administration [B.Com 

(computer applications) 

MCSA messaging in 

exchange server] Looking 

for a suitable placement 

in Oman. Contact: e-mail: 

sreesankarrs@gmail.com 

MALE, 23, Indian, MCA, 

PGDBA, B.Sc computer 

science, seeks suitable job. 

vineeth1000@gmail.com 

97310219. 


experience in civil 

construction, project 

manager/co-ordinator, 20 

years experience in road 

construction Oman. Can 

join immediately with 

NOC. 99881794/ 

95081965. 

the trend is indeed a boon for 

the growth of the business and 

economy of India,” he added. 

At the fashion week, Indian 

and international designers will 

explore the untouched territory 

of the kids line by displaying 

apparel, toys, accessories and a 

lot more. 

Some of the big names to 

participate in the three-day event 

are Narendra Kumar, Nishka Lulla and Malini Ramani. 

International brands like Barbie, Kidology, Little 

Kangaroos, Just for Kids, Mineral and Coochie 

Coo will also present their collection on the ramp. 

Rocky feels the platform will help in exploring 

more business avenues. 

“With the changing trends in fashion and style, 

BACHELOR of 

Engineering in Computer 

Science with 5 years 

experience in multinational 

company, business 

Development SAP 

& people soft. Good 

knowledge in Photoshop, 

Web design, seminar 

presentations. Holding 

advance diploma in Human 

Resource Management. 

E-mail: just4hansel@ 

gmail.com Contact 

95959494. 

INDIAN male, 15 years 

experience in accounts/ 

finance (7 years in Oman) 

with Oman driving licence, 

seeks suitable placement. 

Contact: 98653345, 

e-mail: unniyath@gmail. 

com. 

YOUNG male Indian 

graduate with one and a 

half years local experience, 

currently pursuing CIMA, 

holds valid Omani driving 

license with excellent 

communication skills 

seeks suitable placement 

in accounts or finance 

department. Contact : 

97098973. 

INDIAN male with 

B.Com, MBA, 17 years 

of experience which 

includes 15 years of local 

experience and holds 

a valid Omani driving 

license seeks suitable 

placement in accounts 

or finance department. 

Contact: 99705790. 


experience in automobile 

department, seeks suitable 

placement as transport, 

logistics or service 

manager. Valid ROP, DD01 

& DD03 licence. On a visit 

visa. Contact: Jayaseelan 

99121390. 

ZAJEL weekly magazine evry saturday along with OMAN DAILY 

for advertising contact 

Mobile 96224397 95181747 

Tel 24649593 Fax 24649590 Email zajeloman@yahoocom 

Now ‘last words’ 

on Facebook 

LONDON — Social network Facebook has 

launched a new application through which a user 

can post one last message on his “wall” after his 

death. But there is a catch — three “trustees” 

have to confirm the person is actually dead. 

The free application is called “If I Die”, the 

Daily Mail has reported. 

It, however, has no option to automatically 

post a person’s “last words”. A user has to appoint 

three trustees from the friends list, who 

will be messaged when the user dies. 

Only when the three friends confirm the 

death, will the final message be posted. 

The application has been made by an Israeli 

start-up company. 

Facebook already offers a “memorial” service. 

Once it is confirmed someone has died, a 

memorial page is created, which only friends can 

see. — IANS 

Kidswear market boon for Indian economy 

why should kids stay aloof? A fashion week solely 

for them is a great idea to not only create a vast 

platform for them but also to encourage the market, 

business and brands for kids’ apparel and accessories,” 

he said. 

The designer, known for his bold and sensuous 

women’s wear, will showcase classic and vintage 

kidswear collection in fabrics like silk, velvet and 

brocade. 

“From perfectly tailed Tuxedos, modern fit suits 

with waistcoats, which are bound to make every little 

boy look handsome, to tantalising dresses for the 

girls that will bring out the princess in (them). The 

collection has it all,” said Rocky. 

“The colour palette ranges from greys, ivories 

to pastels like old rose, pistachio and baby pinks,” 

the designer added. He is still keeping himself away 

from Bollywood movies. — IANS 

FILIPINA housemaid 

looking for job, with 

release letter 97096041. 

INDIAN male 39, 16 yrs 

exp, in import/export, 

freights, purchase, 

inventory, general 

management, MBA 

(logistics & supply 

chain), valid Omani D/L, 

seeks suitable placement. 

Contact: 99500670. 

OMANI seeks position in 

HSE. Jeebal3000@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN male, B Tech 

(EEE) , 7 yrs exp in 

Software CRM & SAP 

with IBM experience 

seeks suitable placement in 

Oman. Currently available 

in Oman with visit visa. 

Contact: 96352937, 

samlou1310@gmail.com 

LIGHT Driver (Pakistani), 

8 years experience in 

Oman, looking for a job. 

92179597. 

LOOKING for job — 

House cleaning, labour 

works. 99529342. 

PRO (Omani), 4 years 

experience having 

valid D/L (PDO), seeks 

immediate placement in a 

reputed company 

92265302. 

CLASSIFIED 

SECTION 

RUWI: 24785668 

Behind Royal Oman Police 

Adjacent to 

Dhofar Building 

IRAQI civil engineer, one 

year experience outside 

Oman, speaking Arabic 

and English, excellent 

computer skills 

98956592. 

FILIPINO, female, 

Bachelor of Science and 

commerce graduate, a 

multitasking & 4 years 

experience as operations 

officer with secretarial 

skills in line with tourism 

mainly in transportation 

industry, knowledge in MS 

Office, business letter correspondences 

and highly 

levelled customer service 

oriented for immediate 

appointment 92789467 / 

arcel_77@yahoo.com. 

U 

MRAH/HAJ 

AL Hikmani for HAJ 

and 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 

Saada: 

95919344

FLIGHT LIGHT SSCHEDULE 

CHEDULE 

ARRIVALS — SUNDAY 

Flight No Aircraft From / Via STA 

WY614 B737-8 Dubai 0005 

WY648 B737-8 Kuwait 0015 

WY682 B737-8 Riyadh 0015 

WY717 B737-8 Zanzibar-Dar-es-Salaam 0015 

WY648 B737-8 Kuwait 0015 

WY824 A330-200 Kuala Lumpur 0100 

NL771 B737-2 Peshawar 0130 

IX141 B737-8 Amritsar 0140 

PK223 A310 Sialkot-Peshawar 0230 

KU677 A320 Kuwait-Dubai 0230 

QR170 A320 Doha 0315 

EY384 A320 Abu Dhabi 0350 

EK866 B777 Dubai 0355 

FZ041 B737-8 Dubai 0415 

GF560 E190 Bahrain 0425 

RJ600 A319 Amman 0505 

WY662 E175AR Doha 0700 

WY114 A330-200 Frankfurt 0725 

FZ043 B737-8 Dubai 0740 

WY632 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 0800 

WY602 B737-7 Dubai 0800 

WY914 B737-8 Salalah 0800 

WY202 B737-8 Bombay 0800 

NL669 B737-2 Sialkot 0830 

WY274 B737-8 Jaipur 0840 

WY238 B737-8 Hyderabad 0850 

WY102 A330-300 London Heathrow 0900 

WY254 B737-8 Madras 0920 

WY262 B737-8 Lucknow 0920 

WY218 B737-8 Trivandrum 0925 

WY224 B737-8 Cochin 0925 

EK862 B777 Dubai 0930 

QR166 A321 Doha 0950 

G9113 A320 Sharjah 0955 


9W530 B737-8 Trivandrum 1045 

WY3302 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1045 

IX549 B737-8 Trivandrum 1050 

WY604 E175AR Dubai 1100 

WY336 B737-8 Kathmandu 1140 


IX337 B737-8 Calicut 1255 

WY918 ATR42 Khasab 1315 

WY606 B737-8 Dubai 1330 

WY924 B737-8 Salalah 1440 

WY324 B737-8 Karachi 1440 


MP097 B747F Amsterdam 1600 

WY654 E175AR Bahrain 1615 

WY204 B737-8 Bombay 1655 


QR164 A321 Doha 1735 

WY608 B737-8 Dubai 1740 

WY298 B737-8 Calicut 1750 

WY664 B737-7 Doha 1800 

WY284 B737-8 Bangalore 1800 

GF564 A319 Bahrain 1810 


TG507 A330 Bangkok-Karachi 1900 

G9117 A320 Sharjah 1905 

WY374 B737-8 Colombo 1905 

WY316 B737-8 Chittagong 1910 


FZ047 B737-8 Dubai 2020 

WY124 A330-300 Munich 2030 

WY142 A330-200 Malpensa 2040 

KL449 A330 Amsterdam-Abu Dhabi 2045 

WY134 A330-200 Paris 2045 

AI973 A320 Delhi 2125 

BA073 B777 London Heathrow-Abu Dhabi 2130 

WY616 B737-8 Dubai 2145 

AI907 A319 Madras 2200 

LH618 A340 Frankfurt-Abu Dhabi 2215 

QR168 A320 Doha 2235 


LX242 A330 Zurich-Dubai 2235 

GF566 B737-7 Bahrain 2250 

WY624 ATR42 Al Ain 2305 

WY656 E175AR Bahrain 2305 

WY668 B737-7 Doha 2310 

AI985 A321 Ahmedabad-Bombay 2310 

WY672 B737-8 Jeddah 2315 

WY636 B737-8 Abu Dhabi 2315 

WY686 B737-8 Dammam 2320 

WY423 B737-8 Beirut-Amman 2325 

9W534 B737-8 Cochin 2330 

WY816 A330-200 Bangkok 2335 

9W540 B737-8 Bombay 2340 

QUOTATIONS FOR TODAY 

I think everyone should go to college and 

get a degree and then spend six months as 

a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. 

Then they would really be educated. 

— Al McGuire 

I would rather entertain and hope that 

people learned something than educate 

people and hope they were entertained. 

— Walt Disney 

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. 

DEPARTURES 

Flight No Aircraft To / Via STD 

BA072 B777 Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow 0001 

AI986 A321 Bombay-Ahmedabad 0005 

WY113 A330-300 Frankfurt 0045 

9W539 B737-8 Bombay 0045 

KQ318 B737-8 Nairobi 0050 

WY253 B737-8 Madras 0115 

WY601 B737-7 Dubai 0115 

WY217 B737-8 Trivandrum 0115 

WY237 B737-8 Hyderabad 0120 

WY223 B737-8 Cochin 0120 


WY261 B737-8 Lucknow 0125 

WY661 E175AR Doha 0130 

WY241 B737-8 Delhi 0130 

WY201 B737-8 Bombay 0130 

9W529 B737-8 Trivandrum 0130 

WY123 A330-300 Munich 0200 

WY141 A330-200 Malpensa 0200 

WY273 B737-8 Jaipur 0205 

NL668 B737-2 Sialkot 0215 

IX816 B737-8 Abu Dhabi-Mangalore 0220 

WY133 A330-200 Paris 0230 

WY335 B737-8 Kathmandu 0235 

PK224 A310 Peshawar-Sialkot 0330 

FZ042 B737-8 Dubai 0500 

EK867 B777 Dubai 0500 


KU678 A320 Dubai-Kuwait 0540 

QR171 A320 Doha 0550 


WY3301 ATR42 Mukhaizna 0715 

RJ601 A319 Amman 0715 


FZ044 B737-8 Dubai 0820 

WY315 B737-8 Chittagong 0900 

NL772 B737-2 Peshawar 0930 

WY373 B737-8 Colombo 1000 

WY297 B737-8 Calicut 1005 

WY815 A330-200 Bangkok 1010 

WY283 B737-8 Bangalore 1015 

WY323 B737-8 Karachi 1020 

WY605 B737-8 Dubai 1030 

WY917 ATR42 Khasab 1030 

WY923 B737-8 Salalah 1035 

G9114 A320 Sharjah 1035 

WY203 B737-8 Bombay 1040 

EK863 B777 Dubai 1045 


QR167 A321 Doha 1055 

WY3303 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1115 

9W533 B737-8 Cochin 1145 

IX554 B737-8 Cochin-Trivandrum 1150 


WY823 A330-300 Kuala Lumpur 1300 

WY423 B737-8 Beirut-Amman 1310 

WY405 B737-8 Cairo 1310 

GF563 E190 Bahrain 1315 

WY663 B737-7 Doha 1330 


IX350 B737-8 Calicut 1355 

WY101 A330-300 London Heathrow 1400 

WY607 B737-8 Dubai 1440 

WY3305 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1515 

WY671 B737-8 Jeddah 1540 

WY619 E175AR Dubai 1715 

MP097 B747F Sharjah-Hong Kong 1800 

WY615 B737-8 Dubai 1805 

QR165 A321 Doha 1840 

GF565 A319 Bahrain 1855 

WY685 B737-8 Dammam 1905 

WY647 B737-8 Kuwait 1905 

WY681 B737-8 Riyadh 1910 

WY667 B737-7 Doha 1910 


G9118 A320 Sharjah 1945 

TG508 A330 Karachi-Bangkok 2005 

WY927 B737-8 Salalah 2010 

WY635 B737-8 Abu Dhabi 2015 

WY623 ATR42 Al Ain 2015 

WY613 B737-7 Dubai 2045 

FZ048 B737-8 Dubai 2105 

KL450 A330 Abu Dhabi-Amsterdam 2200 

WY817 A330-300 Bangkok 2205 

WY913 B737-8 Salalah 2245 

AI908 A319 Madras 2300 

AI974 A320 Delhi 2310 


LX243 A330 Dubai-Zurich 2335 

QR169 A320 Doha 2335 

GF567 B737-7 Bahrain 2345 

LH619 A340 Abu Dhabi-Frankfurt 2355 

CRYPTIC PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

9 To cut the bread, have to 

press on (4,4) 

10 The knack of painting (3) 

11 Admission and food 

provided (6) 

12 Old Book found in an 

outhouse (6) 

13 Plus ordering in one, 

myself, having a sudden 

urge to (7) 

14 He’s the tot playing with 

the ball (4) 

15 Also forming part of the 

annex (2,8) 

17 Rang at once and said how 

good it was (8) 

18 He stole something from 

the kitchenware shop (7) 

19 Catching a hard crack hurt 

(4) 

21 Bears out that I have come 

in to cook (6) 

24 Does one provide 

everything you could wish 

for in a light? (3,5,2,3,4) 

27 Like best running about 

with the dog (6) 

29 Drew level with, at the end 

of the game (4) 

30 The cadet wrongly held he 

had been tricked (7) 

33 He can’t decide if the drier 

should be spinning (8) 

35 Weighs up and buys shares 

in (5,5) 

36 Stingy is getting warm! (4) 

37 Said to put the animal 

back outside (7) 

38 Went off, as the revolver 

did (6) 

40 Navigational aids, I put in, 

“for the flight” (6) 

41 Catch that’s hard to hold! 

(3) 

42 Foreigner Sean bumped 

into, running in (8) 

DOWN 

1 Exhibiting, when starting 

on one’s trip (7,3) 

2 The river fish caught is not 

at all colourful (4) 

3 Certain it will come back 

to me, I don’t know when 

(8) 

4 Rude as a public servant 

wouldn’t be? (7) 

5 Wherever things are 

16 

INFORMATION/LEISURE SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 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 Belqees 24540703 

Scientific 24496436 

Al Jabry 24420761 

Al Ahad Al Mazhar 

24836313 

Sur Ibn Saleem 

25543770 

Ibri Ataka 25691455 

Buraimi Yass 1 25653855 

Nizwa Basmat Nizwa 

25431060 

Salalah Al Mawasa 

23299393 

NIGHT DUTY 

Muscat Muscat 24537080 

Atlas 24503585 

Capital 24456760 

Muscat 24833323 

Sur Aukadh 25540643 

Ibri Al Hekma 25688177 

Buraimi Al Yamama 

25652225 

Barka Scientific 26883673 

Rustaq Al Murshid 6875561 

Nizwa Nizwa 25412323 

Samayil Al Rahbi 25350153 

Salalah Muscat 23291635 

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 

happening, anyway (2,3,6) 

6 Clean? You can say that 

again! (10) 

7 At half past, to get bread 

and to take a walk (6) 

8 On balance, not so fidgety 

(8) 

10 A small jug, by the tree (5) 

16 A writer? The heck he 

was! (7) 

20 The end is imminent (5) 

22 Very firm it’s an insect that 

can be tempted by an 

apple? (7) 

23 Taken from the shop in its 

present form (4-7) 

25 An undertaking requiring 

initiative? (10) 

26 Lectured by pater about, 

longed to take refuge 

inside (8,2) 

28 Before I lay in the afterdinner 

drink (8) 

31 Wait a little, for the sea 

waves to engulf it (8) 

32 At one point was fooling 

and lost control of the car 

(7) 

34 A solitary individual 

among their milling 

number (6) 

35 That’s all, kid - a pound 

(5) 

39 Having contacted, spoke 

(4) 

EASY PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

9 Inside (8) 

10 Number (3) 

11 Packet (6) 

12 Mariner (6) 

13 Struggle (7) 

14 Seize (4) 

15 Measure (10) 

17 Strangle (8) 

18 Mutinous (7) 

19 Place (4) 

21 Prying (6) 

24 Venturing (6,4,7) 

27 Behind (6) 

29 Finished (4) 

30 Imitation (7) 

33 Concluded (8) 

35 Ornamental light fitting 

(10) 

36 Difficult (4) 

37 Listless (7) 

38 Decrease (6) 

40 Bottle (6) 

41 Child (3) 

42 Flowering plant (8) 

DOWN 

1 Forebear (10) 

2 Expression (4) 

3 Spice (8) 

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 

4 Warship (7) 

5 Contest (11) 

6 Look (10) 

7 Intelligent (6) 

8 Happened (8) 

10 Commerce (5) 

16 Thin, slow flow (7) 

20 Prostrate (5) 

22 Particular (7) 

23 Inferior (11) 

25 Casual (10) 

26 Improbable (3-7) 

28 Appropriate (8) 

31 Roundabout (8) 

32 Fish (7) 

34 Blue dye (6) 

35 Foreign nobleman (5) 

39 Expensive (4) 

YESTERDAY’S CRYPTIC 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 4, Mi-nu-te 7, 

Veronica 8, Custer 10, CL-asp 

13, Kane 14, Ti-Lt. 15, Ki-WI 

16, Ova 17, O-pen 19, Side 

21, Pound note 23, Reds 24, 

RE-N-E 26, Cup 27, He-e-’d 

29, Ma-I-d 32, Tend 33, Aside 

34, De-p-art 35, Ex-tracts 36, 

Stoker. 

DOWN: 1, Evict 2, Trial 3, 

Snap 4, MA-caw 5, Nose 6, 

Twelve 9, Un-I-son 11, Lie 

12, Stood 13, Kind-red 15, 

Ken 16, Ode 18, Pusher 20, 

Items 21, Pep 22, Ned 23, 

Ru-pert 25, Kid 28, Enter 30, 

A-I-tch 31, Dense 32, Tack 

33, Afro. 

YESTERDAY’S EASY 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 4. Sector; 7. 

Twilight; 8. Agents; 10. Flash; 

13. Draw; 14. Felt; 15. Deem; 

16. Fox; 17. Eric; 19. Bran; 

21. Brigadier; 23. Wand; 24. 

Gets; 26. Tay; 27. Dhow; 29. 

Imam; 32. Plan; 33. Knife; 

34. Allies; 35. Tortoise; 36. 

Sphere. 

DOWN: 1. Stiff; 2. Vital; 3. 

Fish; 4. Stare; 5. Crew; 6. 

Option; 9. Gambit; 11. Let; 12. 

Stern; 13. Decagon; 15. Dig; 

16. Far; 18. Riddle; 20. Resin; 

21. Bay; 22. Dew; 23. Wallop; 

25. Oaf; 28. Haste; 30. Mimic; 

31. Melee; 32. Pine; 33. Kite. 

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: This year may present you with problems concerning your future. 

You may be tempted to embark on a completely new career, at the suggestion of a persuasive 

colleague, but before making any decision you would do well to consult an older person with 

business experience in this field. 

CAPRICORN 

(December 22- 

January 20) 

It would be stimulating to 

obey an impulse and step out of your 

familiar surroundings today and enjoy 

something quite new in your experience. 

AQUARIUS 

(January 21-Feb 19) 

After long negotiations, 

avoid putting anything in 

writing which could be used against 

you later on. If necessary, take professional 

advice. 

PISCES 

(February 20-March 20) 

A good chance for promotion 

could easily be missed 

unless you use your initiative to catch 

the attention of the person who has the 

final say. 

ARIES 

(March 21-April 20) 

It would be futile to imagine 

that a lesson learned in the 

past can be applied to today’s changed 

conditions. You must adjust yourself to 

present circumstances. 

YOUR STARS 

TAURUS 

(April 21-May 20) 

Don’t let your generous 

nature get the better of you 

when buying a present for someone 

close. It could mean depriving yourself 

of things you really need. 

GEMINI 

(May 21-June 21) 

A newcomer to your 

neighbourhood may prove 

on closer acquaintance to be a very 

compatible person, whom you could 

happily introduce to your circle of 

friends. 

CANCER 

(June 22-July 21) 

Faced with an unjustified 

and unreasonable demand 

for payment for services supplied to 

you, you ought to consult a solicitor 

before parting with any money. 

LEO 

(July 22-August 21) 

Having been approached by 

a friend with a straight question, 

the best thing you can do is to reply 

with an equally straight answer. It will 

prevent possible misunderstanding. 

VIRGO 

(August 22- 

September 22) 

If you feel that your knowledge 

of a certain subject 

would be improved by asking for an 

expert’s guidance, trust him to give you 

some constructive help. 

LIBRA 

(September 23- 

October 22) 

If you have been disappointed 

in love, be more selective in the 

future and let your head help you in the 

promptings of your heart. 

SCORPIO 

(October 23- 

November 21) 

You will derive great satisfaction 

from a chance to 

protect someone you love from harm by 

taking the necessary steps to prevent that 

situation. 

SAGITTARIUS 

(November 22- 

December 21) 

Thanks to your good judgement 

and experience, you 

will be able to put right some bad feeling 

within the family. Your efforts will 

be well worth it. 

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 Indolence (5) 

5 Meal (6) 

8 Proportion (5) 

10 Erase (6) 

11 Employer (4) 

14 Rushing (6) 

15 Twist (7) 

18 Mine (3) 

19 Wrath (3) 

21 Pip (4) 

23 Silly (5) 

24 Prophet (4) 

27 Trap (3) 

29 Encountered (3) 

31 Lottery (7) 

32 Left (6) 

34 Prong (4) 

35 Guide (6) 

38 Correct (5) 

39 Guard (6) 

40 Outcoming (5) 

DOWN 

2 Untruth (3) 

3 Pact (6) 

4 Headgear (3) 

M USEUMS IN OMAN 

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 Acid (4) 

6 Summary (6) 

7 Rocky (6) 

9 Ripping (7) 

12 Weaken (3) 

13 Ceremony (4) 

16 Inactive (4) 

17 Characteristic (5) 

20 Exalt (7) 

22 Wicked (4) 

24 Appeared (6) 

25 Discharge (4) 

26 Withdraw (6) 

28 Scrape (6) 

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 Number (3) 

33 Deceased (4) 

36 Finish (3) 

37 Bird (3) 

YESTERDAY’S 

QUICK SOLUTION 

ACROSS: 1, Except 5, 

Dais 8, Towel 9, Par 

10, Seen 11, Land 12, 

Atlas 13, Caller 16, 

Dean 18, Edam 20, 

Asp 22, Sit 23, Dry 

24, Wise 25, Plea 28, 

Draper 30, Paint 32, 

Oval 33, Dome 34, 

Imp 35, Steer 36, Easy 

37, Staged. 

DOWN: 1, Expect 2, 

Careless 3, Posted 4, 

Contented 5, Delayed 

6, Alas 7, Side 8, Tea 

14, Responded 15, Lay 

17, Ail 19, Dripping 

20, Aid 21, Penalty 26, 

Arrest 27, Groped 29, 

Mode 30, Pass 31, Tor. 

ADAM @ HOME by Brian Basset 

CALVIN AND HOBBES by Bill Watterson 

GARFIELD by Jim Davis 

STONE SOUP by Jan Eliot

Lendl recipe is 

slow-burner, 

says Murray 

MELBOURNE — Andy 

Murray yesterday tempered 

hopes his new partnership 

with tennis great Ivan 

Lendl would reap immediate 

dividends at the Australian 

Open, where he will resume 

his quest for a maiden Grand 

Slam. 

Murray, a two-time finalist 

at the season's first major, 

said it could take months to 

feel the benefits of Lendl's 

guidance, despite winning 

last week's Brisbane International 

in their first tournament 

together. 

"I'm not going to get the 

benefits from having Ivan 

this week. I'm going to see 

it in six months, 12 months 

time, you know, when all the 

things we work on start falling 

into place," he said. 

"I mean, it's obviously 

good to have someone with 

his experience around the 

slams and these situations. 

But in terms of the actual 

improvements in my game, 

it's going to take a little bit 

longer than a week to make 

changes." 

Murray's quest to end 

Britain's 76-year grand slam 

drought took a surprising 

twist when he appointed 

Lendl, who is not a full-time 

coach. But victory in Brisbane 

has turned sceptics of 

the move into supporters. 

The 24-year-old Scot said 

he was too young to remember 

watching any of Lendl's 

eight Grand Slam triumphs 

and had only watched clips 

of the Czech-born American. 

But Murray, who split 

with ex-coach Alex Corretja 

last March and appeared to 

drift during 2011, said he 

appreciated his new mentor's 

approach: good fun, but 

hard-working and businesslike. 

"I really enjoy being 

around him. He's been good 

fun, good sense of humour. 

As you probably expect, he 

has a lot of great stories to 

tell," Murray said. 

"Yeah, he doesn't hang 

around all the time. — AFP 

NEW YORK — The struggling 

Buffalo Sabres snapped 

the Toronto Maple Leafs fourgame 

winning streak with a 

3-2 victory over their Northeast 

division rival in NHL at 

the First Niagara Center on 

Friday. 

The win avenges a 2-0 

loss to Toronto on Tuesday 

and ends a three-game losing 

streak for the Sabres, who 

have won just three of their 

last 12 games to sit 19-19-5 

for the season. 

"It wasn't our best game, 

so it was nice to be able to get 

that one," Sabres captain Jason 

Pominville told reporters. 

Buffalo gained the early 

advantage with two goals on 

their first three shots against 

Toronto goalie Jonas Gustavsson, 

who earned a shutout on 

Tuesday. 

Matt Ellis scored a minute 

into the game when his centring 

pass deflected off Maple 

Leafs defenseman Cody 

Franson. Paul Gaustad then 

doubled the lead three minutes 

later with a wrist shot 

from distance that Gustavsson 

probably should have saved. 

MUSCAT — Opening batsman Zeeshan 

Maqsood with a top score of 68 

(58b, 1x6 and 6x4) and bowling figures 

of 3 for 16 off 4 overs helped 

Assarain register a narrow 12-run 

win against Enhance. 

The Khimji Ramdas sponsored A/B 

Division T20 match was the first of the 

three matches played at the OAC III 

grounds during the weekend. 

Electing to bat after winning the 

toss Assarain made 160 for the loss of 

4 wickets off their quota of 20 overs. 

Arif Hussain 32 (28b, 3x4) and Sindo 

Michael 22 (15b, 3x4) made useful 

contributions. 

Ghazanfar Iqbal and skipper Guru 

Prasanna claimed two wickets each 

conceding 24 and 30 runs respectively. 

Enhance in reply were bowled out 

for 148 off 19.5 overs. 

Major contributions came from 

opening batsman Ghazanfar Iqbal 32 

(19b), Unnikrishnan P 31 (28b, 2x4), 

Shamas Ul Haq made a cameo 24 (11b, 

2x6 and 1x4) whilst Ikhtiar Kazmi 

chipped in with 21 (18b, 1x6). 

Arif Hussain two for 20, Arun Poulose 

two for 26 and Nadeem M two for 

36 lent valuable support to Zeeshan 

Maqsood in the bowling department. 

Brief scores: Assarain 160 for four wickets 

off 20 overs (Zeeshan Maqsood 68, Arif Hussain 

32 and Sindo Michael 22, Ghazanfar Iqbal 2/24 

and Guru Prasanna 2/30) bt Enhance 148 all 

out off 19.5 overs (Ghazanfar Iqbal 32, Unnikrishnan 

P 31, Shams Ul Haq 24 and Ikhtiar 

Kazmi 21; Zeeshan Maqsood 3/16, Arif Hussain 

2/20, Arun Poulose 2/26 and Nadeem M 2/36). 

Points: Assarain ‘A’ 2 pts (7 games, 12 

pts) and Enhance 0 pt (6 games, 4 pts). 

MUSCAT CT CRUSH 

TR ENGINEERING 

Muscat CT crushed TR Engineering 

by 82 runs in another Khimji Ramdassponsored 

A/B Division T20 match 

played during the afternoon at the same 

venue. 

Winning the toss and deciding to bat 

Muscat CT made 167 for five wicket off 

the 20 allotted overs with a top score of 

55 (45b, 4x4) from No 3 batsman Swapnil 

Khadye. 

The other batsmen to make major 

contributions were opening batsman 

Asad Mohammed 34 (27v, 4x4), Ganesh 

Narsimayah 32 (26b, 3x4) and Adnan Ilyas 

22 (13b, 4x4). 

Zahir Dosani picked up two wickets 

conceding 37 runs off four overs. 

17 SPORT 



Clijsters and Wozniacki 

fit for Australian Open MELBOURNE 

MELBOURNE — Holder 

Kim Clijsters and top seed 

Caroline Wozniacki yesterady 

declared themselves fighting 

fit after successfully dealing 

with injuries with the Australian 

Open starting tomorrow. 

Belgian Clijsters, ranked 

12th, quit in a Brisbane semifinal 

just over a week ago with 

a problem which turned out to 

be muscle spasms in her hip. 

Wozniacki has recovered after 

a wrist injury last week in 

Sydney. 

"When it happened, I really 

felt the sharp pain, I was a bit 

concerned. But now it feels 

good, so I'm okay," said world 

number one Wozniacki. 

The 21-year-old Dane, who 

opens play at Melbourne Park 

against Australian Anastasia 

Rodionova, said that a mishap 

of any kind on court "makes 

you a bit scared." "I should 

maybe not have finished the 

match, I should maybe just 

have cut it off in the third set. 

But I'm a competitor, I wanted 

to try to do my best out there. 

"Everything turned out to 

be okay with the wrist. You 

know, I had some pain, but it's 

going away. I'm confident that 

on Monday it will be a 100 per 

cent ready. 

"I've been pretty lucky with 

injuries," said the Dane, who 

is on a quest to lift her first 

Grand Slam title after holding 

the WTA top spot for the past 

two seasons. "I've had some 

small ones also with the ankles 

and things. 

Clisters said the timing of 

her injury could not have been 

better, as her January 6 problem 

allowed her time to get fit 

for the major. 

"I knew it was something 

that would only need a few 

days to get better," said the 28year-old 

mother of one, who 

could well be playing in her 

last season. "I had my scan just 

to make sure the day after, but 

that showed no problems. 

"I was relieved, I came to 

Melbourne and started hitting 

The Maple Leafs got back 

on level terms late in the period 

with goals by Mikhail 

Grabovsky and Joey Crabb. 

The Sabres scored the 

game-winner in the second 

period when Jason Pominville 

converted a beautiful pass 

from Thomas Vanek, who 

threaded the puck through two 

Maple Leafs defenders. 

"I knew the whole time he 

(Vanek) was going to make 

the play," said Pominville. "It 

just landed right on my stick. 

Buffalo's penalty killers held 

off the Maple Leafs through 

Zeeshan helps Assarain post narrow win 

ARIF HUSSAIN AND ZEESHAN 

when I got here." The former 

number one and winner of 

four Grand Slams — she beat 

China's Li Na in the 2011 Melbourne 

final — said her title 

defence will be exciting. 

"Obviously you have that 

good feeling when you step out 

on a court where you've done 

well, where you've achieved a 

dream or something that came 

true. So you automatically get 

Struggling Sabres edge Leafs 

TIM Connolly (right) of the Toronto Maple Leafs 

skates against Jason Pominville of the Buffalo Sabres 

in Buffalo on Friday. — AFP 

DEFENDING Australian Open Champion Kim Clijsters watches the ball during a 

practice session in Melbourne on Friday. — AFP 

four shorthanded situations 

and goalie Ryan Miller made 

24 stops, nine of them in the 

final period, to help deliver the 

win. 

"A couple of bad bounces 

early put us behind the eightball," 

Leafs captain Dion 

Phaneuf said. "We fought, 

we just didn't have enough to 

even it up in the third." 

Results: Washington Capitals bt 

Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3, Columbus 

Blue Jackets bt Phoenix Coyotes 

4-3, Buffalo Sabres bt Toronto Maple 

Leafs 3-2, Pittsburgh Penguins bt 

Florida Panthers 4-1, Anaheim Ducks 

bt Edmonton Oilers 5-0. — Reuters 

that positive vibe again. 

"But that obviously doesn't 

mean that it will go easy and 

smooth the next year. I'll just 

take one match at a time, just 

make sure that I keep having 

my same routines. 

"I need to try and be in 

the best shape that I can be 

every day, then we'll see how 

it goes." Clijsters said that a 

dream scenario of wrapping 

NEW YORK — Derrick 

Rose, who took last season's 

Most Valuable Player award, 

returned to the Chicago lineup 

on Friday and paced the 

league leading Bulls to an 

88-79 victory over the Boston 

Celtics in NBA at the TD 

Garden. 

Rose sat out the Bulls' win 

over Washington on Wednesday 

with a sprained big left 

toe, and after a slow start 

on Friday he finished with a 

game-high 25 points and added 

seven assists. 

The Celtics (4-6) struggled 

through a horrendous 

first half scoring on just 33 

per cent of their shots while 

the Bulls (11-2) sprinted to a 

52-33 lead. 

"The great players find a 

way," Rose told reporters of 

playing through the pain. 

Slow starts have been a 

recurring theme in the Celtics' 

current three game losing 

stretch, all at home. 

"We have to have better 

starts," said Ray Allen. "The 

up her career at the London 

Olympics is too far ahead to 

plan for. "I'm just very focused 

on why I'm here — to play 

good tennis and try to stay 

healthy throughout the whole 

season. 

"I don't want to have major 

injuries where my season 

might be a question mark. I'd 

like to end it (her career) on 

my terms." — dpa 

Rose’s return sparks 

Bulls past Celtics 

one thing I can say is this first 

quarter was a mirror image 

of the last game. It's hard to 

blame it on a lack of energy, 

because we had great shots 

and didn't make them." 

Boston responded with 

a strong push into the fourth 

quarter, trimming the deficit 

to 67-66 on a three-pointer by 

Mickael Pietrus with 10 minutes 

left, before losing their 

momentum. 

Boston missed their next 

two shots and Rose scored 

seven of the next nine points 

in the game to send the Bulls 

to victory. 

Results: Detroit Pistons bt Charlotte 

Bobcats 98-81, Philadelphia 

76ers bt Washington Wizards 120- 

89, Indiana Pacers bt Toronto Raptors 

95-90, Minnesota Timberwolves 

bt New Orleans Hornets 87-80, Chicago 

Bulls bt Boston Celtics 88-79, 

Houston Rockets bt Sacramento 

Kings 103-89, Dallas Mavericks bt 

Milwaukee Bucks 102-76, San Antonio 

Spurs bt Portland Trailblazers 

99-83, New Jersey Nets bt Phoenix 

Suns 110-103, LA Lakers bt Cleveland 

Cavs 97-92, Denver Nuggets bt 

Miami Heat 117-104. — Reuters 

Requiring 168 for victory TR Engineering 

were bowled out for a trivial 85 

runs off 18.5 overs with skipper Sharad 

Kohle opening the batting making a 

top score of 29 (38b, 4x4). 

Wilson Burboz was the pick of the 

bowlers ending with figures of four for 

16 off 3.5 overs. 

Brief scores: Muscat CT 167 for 5 wickets 

off 20 overs (Swapnil Khadye 55, Asad Mohammed 

34, Ganesh Narsimayah 32 and Adnan Ilyas 

22; Zahir Dosani 2/37) bt TR Engineering 85 

all out off 18.5 overs (Sharad Kohle 29, Wilson 

Burboz 4/16 and Hemal Mehta 2/8). 

Points: Muscat CT 2 pts (7 games, 6 pts) 

and TR Engineering 0 pt (6 games, 2 pts). 

AL TURKI NMC REDS 

RECEIVE WALK OVER 

In the third match of the day at 

the same venue Al Turki NMC Reds 

received a walk over from Sinha CT 

in another Khimji Ramdas sponsored 

A/B Division match. 

Points: Al Turki NMC Reds 2 pts (5 

games, 8 pts) and Sinha 0 pts (6 games, 2 

pts). 

Djokovic hopes 

to repeat 2011 

landmark 

— Serbian 

ace Novak Djokovic warned 

he was in the form of his 

life and hoping to repeat his 

landmark 2011 as he prepares 

to unleash his title tilt 

at the Australian Open. 

The world No 1 said he 

would take some stopping as 

he bids to add to last year's 

triple Grand Slam triumph, 

achieved during a breathtaking 

year often described as 

the best the sport has seen. 

"You can always see the 

negatives and positives. I'm 

always trying to take the 

positive side and say, okay, 

I've done it once, I can do it 

twice," he told journalists. 

"I feel that I'm at the 

peak of my career. I feel that 

physically, mentally, gamewise, 

I'm right up there. 

"I can perform equally 

well on any surface, as I 

have proven in 2011. That's 

my focus. That's something 

that I'm thinking of. Just taking 

it slowly, step by step." 

Djokovic said the London 

Olympics were firmly in his 

sights and that he planned to 

enter both the singles and the 

men's doubles in a bid to bring 

home a medal to Serbia. 

"It's right up there. It's 

one of the biggest priorities 

this year, Olympic Games. I 

had that privilege and honor 

to represent my country in 

2008 Beijing Olympics. It 

was a remarkable experience, 

like no other," he said. 

"Tennis is just one of so 

many sports that is present in 

the Olympic Games, which 

is the most prestigious, the 

most valuable, the most well 

known sporting event in the 

history of sport. That says 

enough." 

He also shrugged off 

the challenge of resurgent 

world number three Roger 

Federer, who is coming off 

a 20-match winning streak 

including victory at the ATP 

World Tour Finals at the end 

of last season. 

"Well, he finished off the 

season best from all the other 

players," Djokovic said. 

— AFP 

MELBOURNE — Five-times 

Olympic gold medallist Ian 

Thorpe took a small step forward 

in his bid to qualify for 

this year's London Games yesterday 

but it could be too little, 

too late. 

The 29-year-old Australian 

placed fifth in the 200 metres 

freestyle final at the Victorian 

swimming titles in Melbourne, 

a day after failing to make the 

100 final. 

"This is hard enough without 

trying to bluff your way 

or fake your way through it," 

Thorpe told local media, denying 

he was playing mind 

games by keeping his best in 

reserve. 

"This is the best I can swim 

at this stage. There is a lot I 

have to improve on now." 

Australian national coach 

Leigh Nugent floated the idea 

Thorpe needed to make the 

200 his priority in the run-in 

to London. 

"He's got more time to relax 

into the race and be his 

natural self," said Nugent. 

Ferrer too good for 

Rochus in Auckland 

AUCKLAND — Top-seed 

David Ferrer retained his 

Auckland ATP title yesterday 

with a comfortable victory 

over Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-4 

in a rain-disrupted final. 

The Spaniard fell to the 

ground in celebration as he 

closed out the match in an 

hour and 34 minutes to claim 

the Auckland title for a third 

time, having previously won 

in 2011 and 2007. 

"This is the most special 

as every year is more difficult 

because I am older," the 29year-old 

said. 

Winning his 12th ATP title 

has given the Spaniard confidence 

going to Melbourne for 

the Australian Open where 

he has drawn Rui Machado 

of Portugal in the first round 

but he put his celebration on 

hold. 

"I have no time to celebrate. 

I will have dinner 

and drink only one (beer) tonight." 

World number five Ferrer 

had too much class for 

Rochus, winning 83 per cent 

of his first serve points and 

breaking the diminutive Belgian 

three times in the stopstart 

encounter. 

The match had just started 

with Ferrer 1-0 up when the 

SYDNEY — The final of 

the Sydney International was 

postponed because of wet 

weather yesterday. 

Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 

and France's Julien Benneteau 

will now meet at 10am today, 

local time, complicating the 

travel plans of both players 

for the Australian Open which 

starts tomorrow. 

World No 49 Benneteau's 

first match at Melbourne 

Park, against Slovakia's Karol 

Beck, is not scheduled until 

Tuesday but Nieminen has 

been drawn to play on Mar- 

players had to leave the court 

for the first time because of 

the wet weather. 

When play resumed Ferrer 

raced to a 5-3 lead but Rochus 

had a break point with 

a chance to strike back when 

rain interrupted play a second 

time. 

Back on court when the 

rain cleared, Ferrer saved 

the game and took the first 

set. He then made a decisive 

break mid-way through the 

second set to wrap up the 

match in an hour and 34 

minutes. — AFP 

Sydney International 

final washed out 

Thorpe clocked one 

minute, 50.79 seconds, a time 

well outside his former world 

record of 1:44.06 set in 2001, 

which stood for almost six 

years. 

Jarrod Killey won the race 

in 1:48.28 at the Melbourne 

Sports and Aquatic Centre. 

Thorpe has failed to impress 

since his comeback to 

competitive swimming last 

November, flopping at meets 

across the Asian World Cup 

series after returning from a 

five-year absence. 

SPAIN’S David Ferrer 

celebrates after defeating 

Belgium’s Olivier Rochus 

in the final of the Auckland 

Open yesterday. — Reuters 

garet Court Arena in the night 

session tomorrow. 

The world No 77 will barely 

have been in Melbourne 

for 24 hours when he takes 

the court against Argentina's 

David Nalbandian. 

Nieminen's situation is 

complicated by also being in 

the doubles final. That match, 

between Nieminen and Australia's 

Matthew Ebden versus 

the American pairing of Bob 

and Mike Bryan, will follow 

the singles, delaying his 

departure from Sydney even 

longer. — Reuters 

Time running out on Thorpe’s 

London Games’ dreams 

"Any race he swims will 

be important to him," said 

Nugent. "To link two races 

together in the one day will 

be particularly significant for 

him. "Being a big man it takes 

perhaps longer for him to get 

ready for a competition." 

Thorpe himself conceded 

he made have begun his comeback 

a little late to qualify for 

London after failing to reach 

the 100 final on Friday. 

"Time was always going 

to be the enemy," he said. 

"Maybe the run for the trials, 

for the Olympics, was a little 

bit late." 

Nugent said Thorpe 

could still prove the doubters 

wrong. 

"It won't be until he really 

rests properly that we'll see 

what he's really capable of," 

said Nugent. "That won't be 

until the (Olympic) trials (in 

March). 

"He's a fantastic athlete. 

He's our greatest ever and you 

can never underestimate his 

capability." — Reuters 

ACTION from the Al Rahba Integrated Projects-BEB match during the third OCCI- 

Companies Basketball Competition held at the SQSC recently. Al Rahba Integrated Projects 

beat BEB 77-46. In another match Nasma beat Enhance 57-50. In today’s matches, Friendi 

Mobile will take on Oman Gas Company (OGC) while CCC will face Enhance.

From Andy Jalil in Perth 

THERE is inevitability about 

India’s defeat in the third 

Test after another abject batting 

performance which saw them 

reduced to 88 for four and needing 

a further 120 to make Australia bat 

again. No amount of disciplined 

auxiliary action from the remaining 

batsmen can take the play even 

into the fourth day let alone think of 

saving the match. 

Australia are poised to go three 

up in the series and it is a matter of 

time to see how long Rahul Dravid 

and Virat Kohli on 32 and 21 respectively 

can hold out, for after 

them the tail is long even though M 

S Dhoni is the next man in. 

India batsmen have shown a lack 

of ability in handling the bouncing 

ball. They would have been perfectly 

aware that pace and bounce 

are the feature of the pitch here and 

Australia with the strength of their 

attack would ensure that it remains 

so. With Australia’s first innings 

coming to an end on 369 at tea, the 

tourists faced a daunting deficit of 

208. 

The start of their innings clearly 

indicated that they were not up to 

the challenge. Both opening batsmen 

fell within the space of a run to 

balls that were a bit short and rising. 

From 25 for two, India progressed 

to just 42 when Mitchell Starc 

claimed the prized wicket of Sachin 

Tendulkar. 

He had come to the crease to a 

standing ovation and departed 20 

minutes later to another such ovation 

for what would be his last Test 

appearance on this ground. 

The great batsman was not 

happy with the leg before decision 

against him as the ball might possibly 

have missed leg stump, it was 

not clear-cut looking at the replay. 

But he will be sporting enough to 

agree that one has to take the rough 

with the smooth in this game. 

V V S Laxman too went in similar 

fashion to the first two. Again it 

was the short ball, moving away a 

little and he played at it from the 

crease. That was 51 for four and 

clearly the end is not far. India batsmen 

have been unable to cope with 

the pressure of the relentless pace 

attack. 

Earlier, resuming their first innings 

on a commanding overnight 

score of 149 without loss, David 

Warner and Ed Cowan once again 

were in control as they picked up 

runs freely. 

Warner in particular enjoyed 

himself although not quite as explosive 

as on the previous afternoon 

when his phenomenal 104 

had come from just 80 balls. He 

reached 115 with a lofted drive for 

four to long-off, the ball landed just 

inside but he made sure of clearing 

the boundary with his next scoring 

shot. 

Meanwhile, Cowan, 40 overnight, 

brought up his half century 

from 79 balls. Zaheer Khan was unlucky 

not to have dismissed Warner 

on 126 when Virat Kohli at first slip 

failed to take the catch. 

That was the wicket that India 

needed the most but instead dismissed 

Cowan on 74. The batsman 

had edged the ball on to his pad and 

then saw it roll on to his stumps 

much to India’s relief. 

The partnership had put on 214 

18 SPORT 



India stare at defeat after another abject batting display 

Test-best 

haul little 

consolation 

for Yadav 

PERTH — Emerging Indian 

paceman Umesh Yadav 

took little solace from a 

Test-best performance as 

his side slid towards another 

heavy defeat in the third 

Test against Australia in 

Perth yesterday. 

Yadav, 24, claimed his 

first five-wicket haul in 

Test cricket in the Australian 

first innings to give his 

team brief hope after a disastrous 

first day, before the 

Indians again capitulated 

with the bat. 

"Even if I take five 

wickets and the team is 

on the verge of losing, it 

doesn't make me happy," 

he said through an interpreter. 

Yadav, who is playing in 

just his fifth Test and has 

been one of the few standouts 

for the Indians with 

12 wickets at 32.66, said 

he reaped the rewards for 

deciding to bowl a fuller 

length on the second day. 

With India set to go a 

decisive 3-0 down in the 

series, Yadav refused to lay 

blame on the misfiring Indian 

top order. 

"They have been trying 

their best, but have not 

been succeeding," he said. 

"That happens in the 

game." — AFP 

LONDON — Paul Scholes scored a fairy-tale 

goal as Manchester United outclassed Bolton 

Wanderers 3-0 to go level on points with Premier 

League leaders Manchester City yesterday. 

Playing his first game at Old Trafford since 

making a shock return from retirement in the 

FA Cup win over City last Sunday, Scholes 

fired United ahead in first-half injury time. 

The 37-year-old's strike was his 103rd goal 

in the Premier League and came just under 18 

years after his first, scored on his debut against 

Ipswich Town in September 1994. 

Late goals from striker Danny Welbeck and 

Michael Carrick made sure of the points as 

United — who also had a Wayne Rooney penalty 

saved — ended a run of two league defeats 

to leave Bolton firmly stuck in the relegation 

quagmire. 

Tottenham, meanwhile, missed the opportunity 

to join United and City — who face bottom 

club Wigan Athletic today — at the top after 

being held to a 1-1 draw by Wolverhampton 

Wanderers at White Hart Lane. 

Wolves stunned Spurs by taking the lead on 

22 minutes, Steven Fletcher bagging his ninth 

goal of the season after Roger Johnson headed 

on Matt Jarvis' teasing corner. 

Spurs ramped up the pressure after the restart 

and soon drew level, Croatian midfielder 

Luka Modric rifling in the equaliser from the 

edge of the area in the 51st minute. 

Elsewhere, Chelsea clung on for a 1-0 victory 

over Sunderland at Stamford Bridge to 

remain four points clear of Arsenal in fourth 

place. 

Indian press lashes out 

at Perth ‘disgrace’ 

NEW DELHI — Indian media 

lashed out at the national 

cricket team's latest miserable 

performance on their 

shambolic tour of Australia, 

labelling their efforts in Perth 

a 'disgrace' and mourning the 

spectacular decline of a team 

that won the 2011 World 

Cup. 

Thumped by the hosts in 

Melbourne and Sydney, India 

are staring at a seventh overseas 

defeat in Perth where 

they collapsed for 161 in their 

first innings on Friday. 

'DISGRACE' shouted the 

Times of India newspaper on 

its front page yesterday. 

It also carried a tweaked 

poster of the movie 'Friday 

the 13th', calling it a 'Warner 

Production' with obvious reference 

to David Warner's blistering 

century. 

"This, we were assured, 

was India's best chance to 

make history by winning its 

maiden series in Australia," 

the newspaper fumed. 

"Just nine days of action 

later the script has gone horribly 

wrong. Mauled at Melbourne, 

slammed at Sydney, 

and now pummelled at Perth 

on Friday the 13th, another 

whitewash looms for Dhoni's 

men." 

The Hindustan Times also 

explored the 'Friday the 13th' 

theme and joined the mourning 

with 'India drown under' 

splashed on its front page. 

"If you thought those Friday 

the 13th movies were 

scary, then the scenes on this 

Friday the 13th at the Waca 

Ground would probably leave 

you mortified," it said. 

"India blunder, Aus plunder" 

read its sports page headline. 

Skipper Mahendra Singh 

Dhoni led India to 50-overs 

World Cup victory in April 

last year but the team suffered 

a 4-0 whitewash in England to 

lose their Test No 1 status and 

their overseas woes continue 

in Australia. 

Questions have been asked 

as to what prompted India to 

opt for an all-pace attack in 

Perth while former captains 

Kapil Dev and Saurav Ganguly 

felt Dhoni's announcement 

in Perth that he might 

quit Test cricket next year was 

ill-timed. 

"I wish he is joking and 

trying to divert the attention 

of media," Ganguly told Aaj 

Tak channel. 

"And if he is really serious, 

then it is not sensible of him 

at all to make such a comment 

24 hours before the start of an 

important Test match," added 

the former captain. 

Echoing the view, Kapil 

Dev said: "The timing of 

his statement is completely 

wrong. It is fine if the team 

knows about it, otherwise the 

squad can fall apart midway 

through the tour with players 

thinking about their next 

skipper rather than focusing 

on the game." — Reuters 

Chelsea took the lead on 13 minutes when 

Fernando Torres' volley thundered off the underside 

of the crossbar and rebounded into the 

net off Frank Lampard. 

Chelsea were forced to work hard for the 

win, however, and survived strong Sunderland 

penalty claims in the second half when Nicklas 

MITCHEL Starc (second left) of Australia celebrates after dismissing India’s Sachin Tendulkar 

during the second day of their third Test at the Waca in Perth yesterday. — Reuters 

in three hours and it was only the 

third time an opposing opening 

stand, in reply, had passed India’s 

entire total. 

The other two occasions were 

by Australia in Melbourne in 1967- 

68 when India were all out for 173 

and by South Africa in Ahmedabad 

in 2007-08, with India having been 

dismissed for just 76. 

The Warner-Cowan partnership 

‘Whirlwind’ Warner the 

new Gilchrist: media 

PERTH — David 'Whirlwind' 

Warner was the 

new darling of the Australian 

media yesterday 

after his rapid-fire century 

against India earned him 

comparisons with Adam 

Gilchrist. 

The 25-year-old cracked 

a sizzling unbeaten 104 on 

Friday as Australia ended 

the opening day of the 

third Test at 149 for none 

in reply to India's paltry 

161. 

Warner brought up his 

century in just 69 balls, 

placing him equal fourth 

on the list of Test cricket's 

fastest tons alongside Shivnarine 

Chanderpaul but 

behind Jack Gregory (67 

balls), Gilchrist (57) and 

Viv Richards (56). 

Several newspapers 

gave him the moniker 

'Whirlwind Warner' with 

The Australian comparing 

him to Gilchrist, the attacking 

former left-hander 

considered one of the 

greatest wicketkeeperbatsmen 

in the history of 

the game. 

"It might have been 

Adam Gilchrist reborn as 

David Warner smashed 

the fastest century ever by 

a Test opener, taking the 

long handle to an Indian 

attack short on heart and 

answers," the newspaper 

said. 

"Not since Gilchrist 

smashed the fastest Ashes 

Bendtner appeard to be shoved over by Ashley 

Cole. 

Liverpool's push towards a top-four finish 

suffered another setback when they were held 

to a 0-0 draw at Anfield by Stoke City. 

The stalemate was Liverpool's seventh draw 

in 11 home matches this season, once again 

ton ever off just 57 balls 

on the same ground five 

years ago, has an Australian 

ever cut so loose in Test 

cricket." 

Under the headline 

'Aussie Master Blaster', 

the West Australian heralded 

the Australian team's 

new hero, while having a 

dig at the lacklustre Indian 

team. 

"The only way India 

could stop the left-hander 

was for Umesh Yadav to 

send a ball through the 

batsman’s helmet, flooring 

Warner with his score on 

80," it said. 

"But, unlike some of his 

opponents in their innings, 

Warner wanted to fight 

on." 

The Sydney Morning 

Herald was equally gushing 

in its praise of Warner 

knock on a Waca ground 

renowned for its pace and 

bounce. 

"Out of this world," the 

newspaper said in analysing 

his innings. 

"An awe-inspiring 

David Warner has all but 

driven the final nail in the 

coffin of India's sorry tour 

of Australia. 

"India might as well 

hand over the Border- 

Gavaskar Trophy now," it 

added. 

India are already 2-0 

down in the four Test series. 

— AFP 

was also the highest against India 

by any country since 2003-04 when 

New Zealand’s Richardson and 

Vincent put on 231 in Mohali. 

Warner went on his merry way 

bringing up 150 from only 128 balls 

but meanwhile lost partners at the 

other end. 

Shaun Marsh, with scores of 0, 3 

in the first Test, 0 in the second and 

11 here on his home ground, again 

Scholes on target as Man Utd keep pace 

MANCHESTER United’s Paul Scholes celebrates after scoring a goal against Bolton 

Wanderers during their English Premier League match at Old Trafford yesterday. 

LAHORE — Dav Whatmore, 

the man tipped to become 

Pakistan's next cricket coach, 

arrived for an interview in 

Lahore yesterday, moving 

a step closer to taking the 

sport's hot seat. 

The 57-year-old former 

Australian batsman, who 

coached Sri Lanka to World 

Cup glory in 1996, is the 

favourite to replace Waqar 

Younis who quit the post in 

September last year over 

health issues. 

Pakistan Cricket Board 

(PCB) appointed former 

opener Mohsin Khan as an 

interim coach against Sri 

Lanka and Bangladesh but 

had to extend his stint in 

charge for the series against 

England as the selection 

process was delayed. 

Pakistan take on England 

in the first of three Tests in 

Dubai from Tuesday. The 

Tests will be followed by four 

one-day and three Twenty20 

internationals. 

A new coach will take 

over during the Asia Cup to 

be played in Bangladesh in 

March. 

PCB appointed a threeman 

committee headed by 

former captain Intikhab 

Alam, which shortlisted five 

candidates for the post. 

"Whatmore has reached 

here and we will talk to him 

on the issue," Alam said, 

without giving further details. 

PCB has also kept silent 

drawing attention to the Merseysiders' failure 

to find a reliable goalscoring threat this season. 

An eventful game at Ewood Park saw Blackburn 

Rovers recover from the early dismissal of 

striker Ayegbeni Yakubu to cling on for a 3-1 

win over Fulham. 

Yakubu was given his marching orders for 

a wild tackle on Fulham's Danny Murphy midway 

through the first half, but Rovers shrugged 

off the setback to take a 2-0 lead with goals from 

Morten Gamst Pedersen and David Dunn. 

Fulham were given hope when Damien Duff 

pulled a goal back against his former club on 

56 minutes. 

But Rovers striker Mauro Formica scored a 

late goal on the counter-attack to seal a win that 

moved Blackburn out of the relegation zone 

on goal difference at the expense of QPR, who 

play Newcastle today. 

In yesterday's other games, newly promoted 

Norwich City dug out another vital win away 

from home with a 2-1 win over West Bromwich 

Albion. 

Andrew Surman fired Norwich into the 

lead with a superb volley from Wes Hoolahan's 

cross before Shane Long equalised for the Baggies 

from the penalty spot on 68 minutes. 

But Steve Morison popped up with a winner 

on 79 minutes to give the Canaries another 

impressive result. 

Aston Villa and Everton battled to a 1-1 

draw at Villa Park. 

England striker Darren Bent gave Villa 

the lead on 56 minutes but Everton hit back 

to level through Victor Anichebe in the 69th 

minute. — AFP 

gave his critics further opportunity 

to reiterate that he wasn’t ready for 

cricket at this level. 

Australia were 230 for two and 

ten runs later Ricky Ponting was 

bowled ‘through the gate’ going for 

an expansive shot. Yadav had taken 

all three wickets for 70. 

At lunch Australia were 256 for 

three with Warner still threatening 

the opposition on 156. After the 

break he soon reached 168 with two 

boundaries off consecutive balls 

from Ishant Sharma. 

An extraordinary shot over 

extra cover, off Zaheer, for the last 

of his five sixes (in addition to 20 

fours) took him to 175 and five 

runs later the great innings finally 

ended. 

In going for another big hit he 

was held inside the long-on boundary 

and a magnificent display, spanning 

nearly four and a half hours 

during which he faced 159 balls had 

given the sell-out crowd an innings 

to remember. 

Having scored a hundred in just 

the last session of play on the first 

day, Warner had become only the 

fifth player to do so. Three of his 

countrymen, Doug Walters, Matthew 

Hayden and Adam Gilchrist 

had also achieved the feat previously 

along with Sehwag who scored 

133 against Sri Lanka in Mumbai 

in 2009-10. 

India’s pace bowlers who had 

come through a punishing period 

with Warner at the crease suddenly 

Whatmore arrives for 

Pakistan coach talks 

on the issue so as not to derail 

the process. 

Whatmore, who played 

seven Tests and one one- 

day international for Australia 

in 1979, was in talks with 

the PCB through another 

former captain Rameez 

Raja, who assisted the committee. 

Whatmore, who also 

coached Bangladesh between 

2003-2007, resigned from his 

role as coach of the Indian 

Premier League side Kolkata 

Knight Riders earlier this 

month. 

Pakistan has a history 

of sacking its coaches and 

has had six in the last ten 

years. 

It showed the door to its 

first foreign coach Richard 

Pybus of South Africa after 

the 2003 World Cup, and 

sacked former Australian 

paceman Geoff Lawson in 

2008. 

But former England batsman 

Bob Woolmer had a 

successful stint from 2004 

before he died in mysterious 

circumstances in the West Indies, 

a day after Ireland upset 

Pakistan in the 2007 World 

Cup. 

England's former county 

player Julian Fountain is in 

contention to take over as 

fielding coach, while former 

Pakistan paceman Aqib 

Javed, already on the UAE 

tour, is the likely bowling 

coach. — AFP 

PERTH — The strong 

emergence of the Twenty20 

format has the ICC 

considering a bid to have 

cricket return to the Olympics 

after more than a 

century, ICC Chief Executive 

Haroon Lorgat said 

yesterday. 

Cricket has been played 

only once at the Olympics, 

in 1900, although it was 

not officially recognised as 

an Olympic sport until 12 

years later. 

The International 

Cricket Council (ICC), the 

sport's world governing 

body, was officially recognised 

as a federation by 

the International Olympic 

Committee in 2010, meaning 

the ICC can bid to join 

the 2020 Games. 

Speaking on radio at 

the third Test between 

Australia and India in 

Perth, Lorgat said Twenty20 

was the first international 

cricket format suitable 

for the Olympics. 

"We have never had 

a format that would lend 

had a spring in their step as they 

went among the wickets. Zaheer 

removed the next two and Yadav 

completed his five-wicket haul for 

93 with the eighth and ninth wickets. 

Remarkably Australia lost seven 

wickets in a space of 79 runs. 

SCOREBOARD 

India 1st innings 161 

Australia 1st innings 

(overnight 149 for 0) 

E Cowan b Yadav .................................. 74 

D Warner c Yadav b Sharma ............... 180 

S Marsh c Laxman b Yadav .................. 11 

R Ponting b Yadav .................................. 7 

M Clarke c Dhoni b Khan ..................... 18 

M Hussey c Sehwag b Kumar .............. 14 

B Haddin c Dhoni b Khan ...................... 0 

P Siddle b Yadav ................................... 30 

R Harris c Gambhir b Yadav ................... 9 

M Starc (not out) ................................... 15 

B Hilfenhaus c Kohli b Sehwag ............. 6 

Extras: (lb-3, w-2) ................................. 5 

Total: (all out; 76.2 overs) .................. 369 

Fall of wickets: 1-214, 2-230, 3-242, 

4-290, 5-301, 6-303, 7-339, 8-343, 9-357. 

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 21-3-91-2 (w-1), 

Umesh Yadav 17-2-93-5 (w-1), Vinay 

Kumar 13-0-73-1, Ishant Sharma 18-0- 

89-1, Virender Sehwag 7.2-0-20-1. 

India 2nd innings 

G Gambhir c Hussey b Starc ................ 14 

V Sehwag c Haddin b Siddle ................ 10 

R Dravid (not out) ................................. 32 

S Tendulkar lbw Starc ............................. 8 

V Laxman c Marsh b Hilfenhaus ............ 0 

V Kohli (not out) ................................... 21 

Extras: (b-1, lb-1, w-1) .......................... 3 

Total: (4 wkts, 32 overs) ...................... 88 

Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-25, 3-42, 4-51. 

Bowling: Ryan Harris 8-1-23-0, Ben 

Hilfenhaus 9-2-25-1, Mitchell Starc 6-2- 

14-2, Peter Siddle 7-2-21-1 (w-1), Mike 

Hussey 2-0-3-0. 

Swann leads 

calls for Panesar 

inclusion in 

Test team 

LONDON — Graeme 

Swann would like to see 

Monty Panesar included in 

England's Test team to play 

Pakistan next week after his 

fellow spinner dismantled a 

Pakistan Cricket Board XI in 

their final warm-up. 

Panesar, who played his 

last Test match in July 2009, 

took five for 57 in the first 

innings followed by three 

for 46 as England won the 

practice match which ended 

in Dubai on Friday by 100 

runs. 

"I like the rhythm of 

spinners at each end and I'd 

go with two in this part of 

the world," Swann told the 

BBC. 

"Monty has done himself 

no harm and given (coach) 

Andy Flower and (captain) 

Andrew Strauss a tough decision." 

The Sussex bowler has 

taken 126 wickets in 39 Test 

matches at an average of 

34.37 but has not featured 

for England since the Ashes 

Test against Australia in Cardiff 

in July 2009. 

"He's shown he can be 

a match winner when he's 

back to his best," Swann 

added. 

"I spin the ball in, he 

spins it away and a partnership 

like that can be formidable." 

— Reuters 

ICC considers T20 

for Olympics 

itself to playing in the 

Olympics until Twenty- 

20 came to the fore," he 

said. 

"We are starting to 

have a look at that. 

"In the strategic plan 

the board approved in 

2011, we will evaluate 

properly what the benefits 

are for Olympic participation. 

There are pros and 

cons to that decision. 

"We would need to 

see what the implications 

would be on the Cricket 

World Cup." 

Lorgat said the biggest 

hurdle facing cricket's return 

to the Olympics was 

the already packed playing 

schedule. 

"If we were to introduce 

cricket into the Olympics, 

that is another 

extended period of time 

taken out of the calendar," 

he said. 

Lorgat added that the 

ICC was keen to limit 

the amount of Twenty20 

cricket played at international 

level. — AFP

Clijsters and 

Wozniacki fit for 

Australian Open 

Page 17 


Oman face Congo in friendly today 

OMAN’S coach Paul le Guen (second right) looks on as his players train during a practice session on the eve of their friendly match 

against DR Congo at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex yesterday. 

By Our Sports Reporter 

MUSCAT — Oman, who are currently 

preparing for their final and crucial 

Group ‘D’ home qualifier for the 2014 

World Cup against Thailand, will take 

on DR Congo in a friendly match at 

the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex 

today. 

The match is scheduled to kick off 

at 6.30 pm. 

Paul le Guen-coached Omanis will 

come up against a team that is managed 

by Claude le Roy, the man who 

guided the Sultanate squad to their 

maiden Gulf Cup triumph in 2009. 

In today’s friendly, Le Guen 

will be testing most of his bench 

strength as well as the home-based 

players. 

Professional players who are 

playing their trade abroad, including 

Wigan Athletic custodian Ali al Habsi 

as well as Fanja defender Saad Suhail 

al Mukhaini who are away in London 

for a two-day trial with Arsenal, will 

be absent. 

And that gives Le Guen an opportunity 

to field some of the new players 

he was grooming in the domestic 

camps, including Fanja’s Mohammed 

Mubarak al Hussain, who is most like- 

DR Congo’s French coach Claude le Roy (second right) watches as his wards undergo physical training exercises 

during a training session at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex yesterday. — Pictures by Mohammed Mahjoub 

ly to be fielded in today’s match. 

In the World Cup qualifiers, Oman 

(5 points) are currently in third place 

in four-team Group ‘D’ behind al- 

ready qualified Australia (12) and 

Saudi Arabia (6). In the final group 

matches to be played on February 29, 

Oman hope to beat Thailand at home 

to qualify for the next stage. But all 

will depend on the outcome of the 

match between Saudi Arabia and host 

Australia. 

EAST LONDON, South 

Africa — South Africa condemned 

Sri Lanka to their 

fifth successive one-day international 

(ODI) defeat with 

what home captain A B de Villiers 

described as a 'clinical' 

five-wicket win in the second 

one-dayer at Buffalo Park yesterday. 

Despite an innings of 92 

not out by Dinesh Chandimal, 

Sri Lanka’s total of 236 

for six was not enough to put 

real pressure on the home 

side, who sealed a well-paced 

run chase with eight balls to 

spare. 

Hashim Amla made 55 and 

man-of-the-match J P Duminy 

an undefeated 66 for South 

Africa. 

Amla hit five fours and 

two sixes and took advantage 

of the early powerplays as he 

and Graeme Smith (28) put 

South Africa in control with 

an opening partnership of 76. 

Duminy, by contrast, hit 

only one boundary in his 87ball 

innings — a six off Sri 

Lankan captain Tillekeratne 

Dilshan — as he played the 

anchor role in the second half 

of the innings. 

Dhammika Prasad took 

three for 46 but South Africa 

were able to play cautiously 

against dangerman Lasith Malinga, 

who only conceded 38 

runs but took his only wicket 

in his final over when the result 

was all but assured. 

Sri Lanka have lost 12 out 

of 18 one-day internationals 

since contesting the World 

Cup final against India in 

April including the last three 

matches of their previous series, 

against Pakistan in the 

United Arab Emirates, and the 

first encounter of their current 

five-match series. 

Seeking to come back after 

a record defeat in the first 

match in Paarl, where they 

were bowled out for 43, Sri 

Lanka made a poor start after 

being sent in on a slow pitch 

on an overcast day. 

Dilshan was run out for 

his second successive nought 

MUSCAT — Omani defender 

Saad Suhail al Mukhaini 

has begun his two-day trial 

with the English Premier 

League side Arsenal yesterday, 

according to a report 

posted on ESPNsoccernet 

website. 

The Fanja player is 

training with the full Gunners 

squad and is likely to 

stay with the team, after his 

trial, for about a week. 

Saad Suhail could be recruited 

to provide competition 

for summer signing 

Andre Santos, with the talented 

Kieran Gibbs proving 

to be increasingly injury 

prone, the report said. 

The defender came to the 

attention of Arsene Wenger 

following a recommenda- 

India stare 

at defeat in 

Perth Test 

Page 18 

SA condemn Sri Lanka 

to fifth loss in row 

HASHIM Amla of South Africa celebrates after 

completing his 50 runs during the second one-day 

international against Sri Lanka at the Buffalo Park 

in East London, South Africa, yesterday. — AFP 

and Kumar Sangakkara was 

caught behind for three as they 

struggled to 21 for two after 

ten overs. 

Upul Tharanga, who made 

a solid 66, and Chandimal put 

on 84 for the third wicket to 

build a foundation for a late 

innings assault which yielded 

109 runs off the last 15 overs. 

But the tourists were seldom 

able to break a stranglehold 

imposed by tight South 

African bowling and tigerish 

fielding, which included two 

spectacular diving catches, by 

Dale Steyn at short fine leg to 

dismiss Mahela Jayawardene 

and Robin Peterson, running 

back from mid-on to end an 

aggressive innings of 22 off 13 

balls by Nuwan Kulasekera. 

"It was a better performance 

but we were 20 or 25 

runs short," said Dilshan. 

Chandimal hit only one 

four in reaching his fifty off 

84 balls but added five more 

boundaries off the remaining 

31 balls of his innings to finish 

tantalisingly short of a third 

one-day international century 

in 19 matches. 

tion from a fellow Frenchman 

— Oman coach Paul 

le Guen. 

Meanwhile, Wigan Athletic 

goalkeeper Ali al Habsi, 

first and only Omani to play 

in Premier League, said: 

“Saad is fast and strong and 

he likes to train hard and 

learn. Hopefully he will do 

well. 

“I told him Arsenal are a 

top team and not many get 

this kind of chance. I wish 

him all the luck and said, 

‘Do your best, show what 

you can do and the rest is 

with Allah’. He’s a young 

talent and this is a great 

chance for him.” 

Saad Suhail, who won 

23 caps for his country and 

is said to be excited at the 

SCOREBOARD 

Sri Lanka 

U Tharanga c De Villiers 

b M Morkel ............. 66 

T Dilshan run out .......................... 0 

K Sangakkara c De Villiers 

b Tsotsobe ............. 3 

D Chandimal (not out) ................ 92 

M Jayawardene c Steyn 

b M Morkel ...... 19 

N Kulasekara c Peterson 

b Tsotsobe ............ 22 

A Mathews c M Morkel b Steyn 28 

Extras: (lb-1, w-5) ....................... 6 

Total: (6 wkts, 50 overs) .......... 236 

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-21, 3-105, 

4-140, 5-164. 

Bowling: Steyn 9-1-54-1, Tsotsobe 

10-2-43-2, M Morkel 9-1-39-2 

(w-3), A Morkel 6-0-29-0, Duminy 

6-0-26-0 (w-1), Peterson 10-0-44-0 

(w-1). 

South Africa 

G Smith c Tharanga b Prasad ..... 28 

H Amla b Prasad ......................... 55 

J Kallis c Chandimal b Prasad .... 37 

J Duminy (not out) ...................... 66 

A de Villiers run out .................... 17 

F du Plessis c&b Malinga ........... 18 

A Morkel (not out) ...................... 12 

Extras: (lb-3, w-1) ....................... 4 

Total: (5 wkts, 48.4 overs) ....... 237 

Fall of wickets: 1-76, 2-94, 3-152, 

4-193, 5-224. 

Bowling: Malinga 10-1-38-1, N 

Kulasekera 8-0-47-0, Mathews 

2-0-13-0 (w-1), Prasad 10-0-46-3, 

Dilshan 8.4-0-44-0, K Kulasekera 

1-0-6-0, Herath 9-0-40-0. 

Saad Suhail on two-day 

trial with Arsenal 

FILE picture of Oman’s Saad Suhail (left) in action during a 

friendly match against Qatar in Doha on November 4, 2011. 

“Saad is fast 

and strong and 

he likes to train 

hard and learn. 

Hopefully he 

will do well. I 

told him Arsenal 

are a top team 

and not many 

get this kind of 

chance. I wish 

him all the luck 

and said, ‘Do 

your best, show 

what you can 

do and the rest 

is with Allah’. 

He’s a young 

talent and this is 

a great chance 

for him.” 

— Ali al Habsi 

prospect of joining Arsenal, 

said: “Ali sent a message to 

me. He has already taken 

Omani football to a new 

height and there is no one 

else I could have looked up 

for tips. 

“Ali has asked me not to 

worry much and stay focused 

on training. He told me a 

few technical things, the way 

Arsenal play and asked me 

to concentrate on what the 

coach wants from you at the 

trials.” 

“Of course, there is pressure 

on me to do well in the 

trials, but I have to cope 

with it. I have to be focused 

and believe in myself, that I 

have been selected as there 

is something in me,” he 

added.

BankMuscat hosts 

Islamic banking 

seminar in Sohar 

Page 23 

Arab stocks to remain under pressure 

ARAB stock markets are to remain under pressure in the coming 

months, analysts said, because of the political turmoil following 

the uprisings and the standoff between Iran and the West over 

nuclear programme. Arab markets closed the week mixed as investors 

awaited the release of annual corporate results. Page 24 

Sunday, January 15, 2012 

S&P downgrades 9 EU countries 

BERLIN/ATHENS — Standard 

& Poor's downgraded the 

credit ratings of nine euro- 

zone countries, stripping 

France and Austria of their 

coveted triple-A status but not 

EU paymaster Germany, in a 

Black Friday the 13th for the 

troubled single currency area. 

"Today's rating actions are 

primarily driven by our assessment 

that the policy initiatives 

that have been taken by European 

policymakers in recent 

weeks may be insufficient to 

fully address ongoing systemic 

stresses in the euro zone," the 

US-based ratings agency said 

in a statement. 

In a potentially more ominous 

setback, negotiations on 

a debt swap by private creditors 

seen as crucial to avert a 

Greek default that would rock 

Europe and the world economy 

broke up without agreement 

in Athens, although officials 

said more talks are likely this 

week. 

If Greece cannot persuade 

banks and insurers to accept 

voluntary losses on their bond 

holdings, a second international 

rescue package for the euro 

zone's most heavily indebted 

state will unravel, raising the 

prospect of bankruptcy in late 

March, when it has to redeem 

14.4 billion euros in maturing 

debt. 

S&P cut the ratings of Italy, 

Spain, Portugal and Cyprus 

by two notches and the standings 

of France, Austria, Malta, 

Slovakia and Slovenia by one 

notch each. 

Changes at 

Sohar Port 

JAN Meijer, the highly 

successful CEO of Sohar 

Port since its start in 2003 

has handed over to a leading 

figure in the global 

shipping industry, Andre 

Toet, formerly chief operating 

officer of the Port 

of Rotterdam. Jamal Aziz 

remains in charge of the 

fast growing Free Zone. 

This week the Observer 

carries interviews with all 

three of these key figures. 

On Monday Jan Meijer 

will tell the story of how 

the port developed, on 

Tuesday the new CEO 

will outline his plans and 

thoughts for the future, 

and on Wednesday Jamal 

Aziz will explain how 

the Free Zone intends to 

expand its fast growing 

influence in the whole of 

the region. 

Merkel sees long road ahead to restore confidence 

BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela 

Merkel said yesterday that Europe still 

had a "long road" ahead to restore investor 

confidence, after a raft of credit rating 

downgrades of EU countries. 

"The decision confirms my conviction 

that we in Europe still have a long road 

ahead of us until investor confidence is 

again restored," she told reporters in the 

northern German city of Kiel. 

"But it's also apparent that we have 

pursued resolutely this road of a stable 

currency, solid finances and sustainable 

growth," she said. 

Merkel also stressed that Standard 

and Poor's, which decided to cut the ratings 

of nine euro zone nations including 

top-rated Austria and France but not Germany, 

was just one of three ratings agencies. 

She said they had "taken note" of 

The move puts highly 

indebted Italy on the same 

BBB+ level as Kazakhstan 

and pushes Portugal into junk 

status. 

It put 14 euro zone states on 

negative outlook for a possible 

further downgrade, including 

France, Austria, and still triple-A-rated 

Finland, the Netherlands 

and Luxembourg. 

Germany was the only 

country to emerge totally unscathed 

with its triple-A rating 

and a stable outlook. 

French Finance Minister 

Francois Baroin, speaking after 

an emergency meeting with 

President Nicolas Sarkozy, 

played down the impact of Europe's 

second-biggest econo- 

my being downgraded to AA+ 

for the first time since 1975. 

"This is not a catastrophe. 

It's an excellent rating. But it's 

not good news," Baroin told 

France 2 television. 

The euro fell by more than 

a cent to $1.2650 on the news. 

European stocks, which had 

been up for the day, turned 

negative, but reaction to the 

widely anticipated news was 

moderate. Safe-haven German 

10-year bond futures rose to a 

new record high while the risk 

premium that investors charge 

on French, Spanish, Italian and 

Belgian debt widened. 

Euro zone finance ministers 

responded jointly by saying 

in a statement they had 

taken "far-reaching measures" 

in response to the sovereign 

debt crisis and were accelerating 

reforms towards stronger 

economic union. 

Greek negotiators, who 

have repeatedly voiced confidence 

in a deal in which private 

creditors would accept 

writedowns of 50 per cent of 

the face value of their bond 

holdings, said they were now 

less hopeful, warning of "catastrophic 

consequences" for 

Greece and Europe if they 

failed. 

"Yesterday we were cautious 

and confident. Today we 

are less optimistic," a source 

close to the Greek task force 

in charge of the negotiations 

the decision. "It did not totally surprise 

us after discussions of recent weeks," 

she said. German Finance Minister 

Wolfgang Schaeuble also sought to play 

down the ratings downgrade of France 

and Austria, insisting euro zone nations 

were on the "right path" and warning 

against overestimating its impact. 

"In recent months, we have increasingly 

come to an understanding worldwide 

that we should not overestimate the 

ratings agencies in their assessments," he 

told television station RTL. 

Germany, Europe's top economy, was 

spared by S&P, maintaining its top AAA 

rating. But the euro zone economy was 

plunged back into crisis as France and 

Austria were reduced from AAA to AA 

and talks to agree a Greek debt writedown 

stalled. — AFP 

said. The Institute for International 

Finance, negotiating on 

behalf of banks, said: "Under 

the circumstances, discussions 

with Greece and the official 

sector are paused for reflection 

on the benefits of a voluntary 

approach. 

The two sides are divided 

principally over the interest 

rate that Greece will end 

up paying, which determines 

how much of a hit banks take. 

While both appear to be engaged 

in brinkmanship, there 

are also doubts about the takeup 

rate of any voluntary deal, 

since some hedge funds have 

bought up Greek debt and 

want to be paid out in full or 

trigger default insurance. 

Euro zone bailout fund threatened 

BRUSSELS — The euro zone 

bailout fund is in danger of 

losing its triple-A rating after 

countries backing it were 

downgraded, complicating efforts 

to shield big nations like 

Italy from the debt crisis. 

Governments were already 

struggling to boost the firepower 

of the European Financial 

Stability Facility (EFSF) 

before Standard and Poor's decided 

to cut the ratings of nine 

euro zone nations including 

top-rated Austria and France. 

S&P, which indicated in 

December that any downgrade 

of a triple-A nation could lead 

to similar action against the 

EFSF's stellar rating, slashed 

the credit scores of France and 

Austria by one notch to AA+. 

"Now there is a risk that the 

EFSF will lose its triple A," 

said a European government 

source. 

"It's a real problem," the 

source said, noting that France 

contributes to one-fifth of 

the fund. Luxembourg Prime 

Minister Jean-Claude Juncker 

(pictured), who heads the 

group of euro zone finance 

ministers, said governments 

will strive to protect the 

EFSF's AAA rating. 

"The shareholders of the 

EFSF affirm their determination 

to explore the options for 

maintaining the EFSF's AAA 

rating," he said in a statement 

after the S&P announcement. 

The EFSF is backed by 

guarantees from euro zone 

states, allowing the fund to 

borrow money from investors 

at cheap rates and then 

lend that money to nations 

that have been shut out of the 

private markets. A credit score 

downgrade would likely raise 

the interest rate demanded by 

investors to buy bonds issued 

by the EFSF, in turn making it 

more expensive for euro zone 

states to help each other out. 

The EFSF had a lending 

capacity of 440 billion euros 

when it was created, but the 

figure is now down to 250 billion 

euros following bailouts 

of Ireland and Portugal. 

The fund is now considered 

too small to come to the aid of 

bigger countries like Italy or 

Spain, the euro zone's third 

and fourth biggest economies, 

whose borrowing costs have 

spiked in recent months. 

Greece, which received 

a 110-billion-euro EU-IMF 

bailout before the EFSF was 

founded in May 2010, is hoping 

to secure a second 130-billion-euro 

rescue package from 

the euro zone. 

With more bailouts a growing 

possibility, EU leaders had 

hoped last year to leverage the 

EFSF to one trillion euros by 

using clever financial footwork. 

— AFP 

JPMorgan profit falls, but 

sees hope in economy 

NEW YORK — The drag of the European debt crisis on 

investment banking weighed on JPMorgan Chase & Co's 

fourth-quarter profit, sending financial stocks tumbling even 

as the bank provided evidence that the domestic economy is 

strengthening. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said the New 

York-based bank was seeing signs of improvement in credit 

quality as well as loan demand from corporations and consumers 

in the United States. 

"We see a mild recovery which actually might be strengthening, 

and it's broad," Dimon said in a conference call with 

reporters following the earnings report on Friday. "Hopefully, 

it will add to more jobs. We have seen jobs growing ... it's not 

enough but it could be self-sustaining." 

Loan balances in JPMorgan's commercial division were 

up 13 per cent at the end of December compared with a year 

earlier, the sixth consecutive quarterly rise in the measure of 

business borrowing. But Dimon sounded renewed alarm on 

the European debt crisis. "I would put myself in the 'increasing 

worried' category," he said. His comments came shortly before 

a senior euro zone government source said credit rating agency 

Standard & Poor's was set to downgrade several euro zone 

countries, not including Germany. The report sent the euro and 

US markets lower. — Reuters 

It’s earnings vs Europe for stocks 

STOCK investors will return to a tug of war between signs of 

domestic strength and overseas concerns this week as a batch 

of critical earnings reports look to add credence to the idea the 

economy is improving, while credit rating downgrades in Europe 

will keep that region’s difficulties in view. Page 24 

Al Madina Financial to 

enter education field 


MUSCAT — Diversification 

has always been the forte of 

Al Madina Financial Services 

and Investments. With one of 

the best track records in the region 

in a wide range of financial 

and investment services 

and a portfolio that includes 

real estate, insurance, logistics 

and food and beverages, 

the company has decided to 

venture into the field of education. 

Named ‘Oman Modern International 

Schools’ (OMIS), a 

joint venture between Al Madina 

and Vancouver will offer 

unprecedented opportunities 

for Omani families to educate 

their children in a school that 

offers the best of both worlds. 

According to Al Madina, this 

is doubly important at a time 

when many Omani parents 

are looking for schools that 

provide international quality 

education while preserving the 

mother tongue as well as their 

children's Islamic identity. 

OMIS, the first Canadian 

school in Oman and managed 

by Canadian staff, will have 

a curriculum that is ranked 

among the most advanced in 

the world. It will also give 

prominence to mastery of Arabic 

and the application of Islam 

to all aspects of life. The OMIS 

curriculum is designed according 

to international standards, 

emphasising inquiry, stimulating 

curiosity, and fostering 

comprehension and creativity 

rather than learning by rote. 

Students will have the opportunity 

to earn the Canadian High 

School Diploma from Alberta, 

which provides direct access to 

Omani and Canadian universities. 

Targeting the Omani population 

in particular, the school 

will be accredited by both the 

Omani Ministry of Education 

and the Ministry of Education 

in Alberta. OMIS is expected 

to begin operation in September 

2013 to serve Omani and 

expatriate children. The first 

independent school that offers 

Canadian education in Muscat, 

the first year’s enrolment 

will be open to both male and 

female students from KG to 

Grade 3. Higher grades will he 

added each year, up to Grade 

12. 

With a Canadian programme 

that is ranked among 

the best five education systems 

in the world, OMIS will be 

managed by professional Canadian 

and Western certified 

educators that specialise in effective 

teaching methodology 

and educational leadership. The 

Arabic department will be administered 

by qualified Omani 

and Arab educators who will 

also contribute to the integration 

of Islamic values into the 

Canadian curriculum. 

Khamis bin Mubarak al 

Kiyumi, Chairman, Al Madina 

Financial Services and Investments 

said, "Our vision is to 

empower students to be the 

catalyst for change. OMIS 

aims to offer superior education 

in a stimulating environment 

relevant to the individual 

student's learning styles and 

spiritual needs. Our students 

will learn to practise strong 

leadership skills and develop 

a sense of global responsibility 

through the integration of 

international education with 

Islamic values”.

Toyota Avalon — simply desirable 

MUSCAT — The boldly redesigned Toyota Avalon possesses a distinctive new exterior 

style while offering a restyled interior rich with premium touch points and practical 

new technologies. 

Even with numerous refinements inside and out, the Avalon remains true to the 

idea that comfort is honest and uncomplicated, and “Travelling Avalon Class” is a 

great feeling. Consequently, the new Avalon has dynamic and expressive lines, and 

an infusion of comfort, safety and technology advancements that enrich the driving 

experience. 

The Avalon is re-styled to project an elegant, outgoing presence. A wider, more substantial 

grille ties into state-of-the-art projector headlamps, working with a broad, undisturbed 

front hood to suggest a lowered centre of gravity and emphasise the Avalon’s 

wide stance. The new headlamps, with HID low beams, utilise light pipes to create a 

signature, night-time appearance. The front fog lamps, now integrated into a trapezoidal 

front bumper, provide a wider angle of illumination. Viewed from the side, New 

Avalon is enhanced by additional use of chrome trim, redesigned rocker panels and 

glare-resistant outer mirrors with integrated turn signals. New 17-inch wheels on the 

Limited grade feature a 10-spoke design with a mirror finish. 

At the rear of the car, identification is cleanly defined by a single Avalon logo 

located above the licence plate. Dual-exhaust pipes are integrated into the cutaway 

trapezoid shape of the lower bumper for a modern image. Tail lights have been reshaped 

to reduce turbulence at the rear, helping to create a lower coefficient of drag. 

The new lights integrate stop, turn and side marker lighting functions in one combined 

lamp. Unique LED light pipes with dark aluminised sides and both clear and red lenses 

project a modern appearance. 

A new interior has been designed with a contemporary style. The new interior 

remains generously spacious and elegant, fitted with comfortable seating and thoughtfully 

integrated amenities. Co-ordinated colours and rich wood-grain materials were 

carefully chosen to convey an optimistic attitude and modern essence. Standard leather-trimmed 

front seats and seatbacks on the Limited are fitted with ventilation systems 

and an enlarged perforation area to help keep them cool. 

The rear seating area is configured to seat three passengers comfortably, with ample 

legroom and reclining rear seats, unique in the segment. The rear headrests have 

also been reshaped and enlarged for better support, and a convenient flip-down centre 

armrest provides storage when the middle seat is not in use. A power rear sunshade, 

deployable via a one-touch lever, filters direct sunlight coming through the rear window. 

The sunshade, which helps to protect rear seat passengers from unwanted light 

and heat, automatically detracts when the driver selects reverse gear. 

The steering wheel includes controls for Bluetooth hands-free phones, the audio 

system, climate system and the information centre. 

Performance and Efficiency Combined: Avalon’s exceptional combination of ample 

horsepower and excellent fuel economy offers one of the best overall dynamic 

performances in the large sedan segment. New Avalon is powered by a 24-valve, dualoverhead 

cam 3.5-litre V6 engine that produces 268 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. The 

engine is equipped with the latest dual VVT-i electronic valve-control mechanism that 

provides a broader power band, while requiring less fuel and generating fewer emissions. 

It is mated to a multi-mode six-speed automatic transmission. 

The new Avalon’s occupant-safety strategy includes use of extensively tested energy 

absorbing structures, protective side impact beams and overhead structure, advanced 

belt systems and active front headrests as standard equipment. Avalon will also have a 

redesigned accelerator pedal assembly and a brake override system. Nine airbags, including 

a front knee bag for the driver, and front side curtain airbags for both rows, are 

also standard. Toyota’s standard Star Safety System includes Vehicle Stability Control 

(VSC), anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), 

brake assist and (Trac) traction control system. Trac and VSC functions can be disengaged 

if the driver needs to free the vehicle if stuck in mud or snow. 

New Avalon is available in three grades, Avalon XL, Limited and Limited + Navi. 

These grades are well equipped with standard equipment like power driver’s seats, dual 

zone automatic climate control with air filtration, moon roof and 17-inch alloy wheels. 

Limited will have additional standard equipment, such as an eight-way passenger’s 

seat with lumbar support, driver’s seat cushion extension, rain-sensing wipers, smart 

key and cooled leather seats. 

This outstanding performer comes to you from Toyota — a household name in 

Oman and a part of people's lives. Toyota offers enduring quality and 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, 

among many other exclusive privileges from the Group. 

22 OMAN SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 

BUSINESS ALERT 

Omanoil launches ‘ahlain’ promotion 

TWENTY-NINE lucky ahlain convenience store customers stand the chance to win a 

host of coveted prizes in Oman Oil Marketing Company’s highly anticipated seasonal 

‘Shop and Win with ahlain’ promotion. The Sultanate’s pioneering fuel and lubricants 

marketing company launched its renowned ahlain promotion to ring in the New Year 

2012 by rewarding customers with the iPhone 4S, iPad 2, ahlain shopping vouchers, 

basmaCard points and a grand prize of a Jeep Wrangler. 

The first draw on February 18 will announce 3 winners of the iPhone 4S, 3 iPad 2 

winners, 4 winners of RO 50 worth of basmaCards and 4 winners of ahlain shopping 

vouchers, also worth RO 50. The promotion ends on April 14 with the second draw on 

21st that will see the same number of winners and prizes, including one winner of the 

grand prize, a Jeep Wrangler Sahara Auto. 

“We at omanoil continuously strive to revolutionise the concept of total convenience 

with best-in-class customer experiences, a philosophy that transcends through our prizes,” 

said Hussain bin Jama al Ishaqi, omanoil Retail General Manager. “The callibre 

and practicality of our prizes this season have been selected to suit the population’s 

evolving lifestyles, in a representation of our vision for innovation and progress.” 

To participate in the draws, customers are required to make a minimum purchase of 

RO 2 at any of omanoil’s 74 ahlain convenience stores across the Sultanate, fill in the 

blank coupons with personal contact details and tear the serrated section to drop in the 

designated draw boxes. 

Operating 24 hours and seven days a week, ahlain convenience stores have become 

well-respected as an Omani household name, recognised for its wide range of premium 

products and services including fresh staple snack foods, international Quick Service 

Restaurants (QSRs) and onsite ATMs. 

Kia Optima hybrid for USTCC track 

AFTER taking the championship in the Grand-Am Continental Tyre Sports Car Challenge 

street tuner challenge this year, Kia is announcing further commitments to the 

world of Motorsports. In addition to the 2012 Rio B-Spec racer, built by Kia Racing 

and Kinetic Motorsports, Kia has unveiled an Optima hybrid pace car for the United 

States Touring Car Championship (USTCC). The Optima, built by GoGoGear.com, 

actually replaces the modified Soul. 

It may be a hybrid, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring, already deliver over 

200-hp in stock form the car gets a Magnaflow exhaust system and air intake kit. So it’s 

not sloppy when out on parade laps the car also gets a coilover suspension, and looks 

the part with a new aero kit (including front splitter and rear spoiler), plus the usual 

light bars. And no SEMA car would be a SEMA car without an over-the-top 2,400-watt 

Infintiy audio system. 

The Optima hybrid safety car will hit the track at the USTCC in March of 2012. 

Kia produces over 2.1 million vehicles a year in 13 manufacturing and assembly 

operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of 

distributors and dealers covering 172 countries. 

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 among 

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’ 

among Kia distributors worldwide was bestowed most deservingly. 

Top level management votes for Mercedes 

TOP level management in the Sultanate have voted Mercedes-Benz as their favourite 

automotive brand, in a survey conducted by a leading local business magazine to identify 

the Best Brands in Oman for 2011. 

Results were tabulated by the International Marketing and Research Consultancy 

(IMRC) from the responses of 100 company Chairmen, CEOs and General Managers, 

asked to spontaneously recall an automobile brand. With ten points given for each 

brand named, the luxury 

German automotive manufacturer 

— represented 

by Zawawi Trading Company 

in Oman — topped 

a list of ten others to take 

the honours. 

The news caps a stellar 

year for Mercedes-Benz 

in Oman, which saw ZTC 

launch a raft of new cars 

and initiatives during the 

three pointed star’s 125th 

anniversary since its invention 

of the automobile. 

ZTC also made numerous 

new management 

appointments to improve 

its customer experience, 

and announced a strategy 

to establish Zawawi 

Mercedes-Benz as the 

leading luxury automotive 

company in Oman within 

five years. Delighted by 

the Best Brand accolade, 

Craig Hardie, CEO — Automotive, 

Zawawi Trading 

Company, said: “The results 

of the survey affirm 

the affinity our customers 

have for Mercedes-Benz 

in the Sultanate, and clearly proves that we are already achieving our ambitions to 

become the leading luxury automotive brand in Oman. The persistent efforts we made 

to set new benchmarks in 2011 were a great success, and will continue with the new 

plans and initiatives in store for 2012.” 

OTE Group wins Maxam Tires award 

OTE Group was recently recognised as ‘The Best Distributor of the year in the MENA 

region’ for the year 2011 by Maxam Tires, Luxemburg. The award was presented by 

Ian Thomas, C E O and President of Maxam Tires, in the presence of Malek Droubi, 

Regional Sales Manager, MENA Region. 

Maxam all-steel radial Off The Road (OTR) tyres are designed and engineered in 

Europe and are widely used in OTR applications such as dump trucks and High Speed 

Crane tire applications. These tyres provide excellent traction and wear resistance in 

extreme and demanding applications. The group behind Maxam has been operating 

as a major force within the radial OTR tire sector for over 55 years and manufactures 

quality radial OTR tyres in Asia and Europe. Produced to the highest standards at 

Maxam’s state of the art manufacturing facility, the Maxam plant is technically highly 

advanced with a highly skilled management team and workforce utilising the very latest 

manufacturing techniques, materials and production equipment to produce radial 

OTR tyres of the highest quality capable of performing in the toughest of applications. 

In Oman, Maxam is already the preferred brand for many users. OTE Group is the 

exclusive distributor for Maxam tyres in Oman with showrooms spread across the 

Sultanate. 

Nawras gold sponsor of 

Muscat Festival 2012 


MUSCAT — Nawras, Oman’s 

customer friendly communications 

provider is the gold 

sponsor of this year’s highly 

entertaining Muscat Festival. 

To be held from January 26, 

2012 until February 23, 2012, 

the event promises to be bigger 

and better than ever before 

and Nawras is looking forward 

to having the opportunity to 

get closer to customers as they 

experience the excitement at 

Qurum Natural Park and Naseem 

Gardens. 

A number of activities will 

take place at the Nawras stand 

to provide entertainment and 

information for visitors. Special 

gold and silver numbers 

will be launched exclusively 

at the festival site. 

Nawras is also proud to be 

associated with all six stages 

of the exciting Tour of Oman. 

This spectacular sporting 

event saw 126 of the world’s 

leading cyclists participating 

in 2011 and this year, the field 

is set for another challenging 

competition. 

Mutassim al Zadjali, 

Nawras Head of Corporate 

Affairs, announced the participation 

of Nawras at the 

Muscat Festival by saying, 

“We are delighted to support 

this important cultural and 

sporting event in the Sultanate’s 

calendar and to be part 

of the wonderful experience 

for Oman’s residents and visitors 

alike. We invite everyone 

to visit the Nawras stands to 

benefit from our latest offers 

and promotions including our 

exciting broadband Internet 

developments.” 

Muscat Festival provides 

the ideal opportunity for visitors 

to see for themselves the 

many advantages of being a 

Nawras customer including 

how easy it is to purchase 

and set up a same-day home 

broadband Internet connection 

or mobile broadband 

Internet from Nawras. Live 

demonstrations will show the 

simple plug and play access to 

this service offered by Oman’s 

customer friendly full service 

provider. 

A member of the Qtel 

Group, Nawras is committed 

to enriching the lives of people 

in Oman through better 

communication services.

NEW YORK — Consumer 

sentiment hit an eight-month 

high in early January as Americans 

grew more optimistic 

about job prospects, a survey 

released on Friday showed. 

Separate data released earlier 

showed the US trade deficit 

widened in November to its 

largest in five months, prompting 

some economists to slightly 

rein in growth expectations 

for the fourth quarter. 

The Thomson Reuters/ 

University of Michigan preliminary 

January reading on 

its overall index of consumer 

sentiment rose to 74.0 from 

69.9 in December for the fifth 

month of gains and the highest 

level since May 2011. 

The report topped expectations 

of 71.5 and was in 

contrast to December's weaker-than-expected 

retail sales 

reported on Thursday. 

"This shows even though 

the retail sales number this 

week was disappointing there 

could be a little more underlying 

strength," said Kathy Lien, 

director of research at GFT Forex 

in Jersey City. 

"I'd be wary of looking at 

this as a shift in long-term confidence, 

but I'd look at this as 

good news today." 

While the gain brought 

the index close to 2011's high 

point, it is still well off the 

strength seen before the financial 

crisis. 

The day's data was eclipsed 

in financial markets, however, 

by reports that Standard & 

Poor's was set to downgrade 

the ratings on several euro 

zone countries. Wall Street 

was down about 1 per cent in 

midday trade. 

US Commerce Department 

data showed the trade gap totaled 

$47.8 billion in November, 

exceeding analysts' fore- 

cast of a $45.0 billion deficit. 

"The trade balance deteriorated 

pretty significantly and it 

could shave a few tenths of a 

per cent off our expectation for 

fourth quarter (growth)," said 

Russell Price, senior economist 

at Ameriprise Financial. 

JPMorgan said gross domestic 

product growth for the 

fourth quarter was now tracking 

closer to 3.0 per cent than 

their forecast of 3.5 per cent. 

A wider deficit shows 

that more goods and services 

bought by US businesses and 

consumers were produced outside 

the country, subtracting 

from gross domestic product. 

"The external outlook does 

not bode well for US exports, 

as a deceleration in global 

growth will coincide with 

a stronger US dollar due to 

lingering financial concerns 

regarding Europe's sovereign 

debt turbulences," wrote 

23 

OMAN/INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 

BankMuscat hosts Islamic banking seminar in Sohar 


MUSCAT — BankMuscat, 

the leading financial services 

provider in the Sultanate, 

hosted the third seminar 

on Islamic banking at Sohar 

College of Applied Science. 

Shaikh Muhanna bin Saif al 

Lamki, Governor of North 

Batinah, presided at the event 

attended by members of the 

Majlis Addawla and Majlis 

Ash’shura and other prominent 

citizens. Shaikh Ibrahim 

al Sawafi and Shaikh Azan al 

Amri, researchers at Ifta’a office, 

Ministry of Awqaf and 

Religious Affairs, addressed 

the seminar aimed at raising 

awareness and familiarising 

people with the main characteristics 

of Islamic finance. 

Sulaiman al Harthy, Group 

DGM — Consumer Banking, 

said: “The BankMuscat 

strategy is to attract customers 

through innovative products 

and services. As always, 

BankMuscat takes the lead 

in offering value added services 

and strives to increase the 

range of benefits for customers 

and we are confident that 

the Islamic banking seminar 

helped in shedding light on 

important aspects of Islamic 

banking from the Sharia per- 

spective.” 

BankMuscat recently announced 

the decision of its 

Board of Directors to set up 

an independent Islamic banking 

window at the Bank and 

launch Islamic banking operations 

in accordance with the 

injunctions of Sharia, subject 

to approval from the Central 

Angelides to 

lead distressed 

mortgage firm 

NEW YORK — Phil Angelides, 

(pictured) formerly 

the chairman of a federal 

commission who led investigations 

into why the financial 

markets collapsed, is heading 

an investment group that 

hopes to "do a good thing" 

for America while turning a 

profit from the wreckage of 

the housing market. 

The startup company, of 

which Angelides is executive 

chairman, seeks to raise money 

from investors to purchase 

troubled mortgages from 

banks and other financial institutions 

in order to help keep 

homeowners from being foreclosed 

upon, according to a 

January 4 letter. 

The company, Mortgage 

Resolution Partners, claims 

its strategy of using "legal and 

political leverage" to acquire 

the loans could generate a 20 

per cent annual return for investors. 

The company intends 

to purchase mortgages at a 

steep discount and re-work 

them to enable the homeowners 

to continue making payments, 

with the firm collecting 

the proceeds. 

"We just might do a good 

thing for America, and along 

the way get a great return on 

investment," says the letter 

to prospective investors. "If 

our hopes do not pan out, the 

amount wagered should be a 

deductible loss." In the letter, 

the mortgage company refers 

to its political connections as 

its "secret formula." 

Angelides, a former California 

state treasurer, Democratic 

politician and land 

developer, was head of the 

Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission 

until last February. 

Planning for the Mortgage 

Resolution Partners began 

last summer, less than five 

months after the Commission 

wrapped up its work in 

Washington, D.C. In January 

2011, the Commission issued 

a 662-page report that highlighted 

Wall Street's role in 

the collapse of the US housing 

market. Emily Lenzner, a 

spokeswoman for Mortgage 

Resolution Partners, said the 

mortgage crisis was affecting 

millions of families in California 

and beyond, having a 

devastating impact on communities 

and the economy. 

She said political initiatives 

had come up short and "Mortgage 

Resolution Partners is 

exploring business and public 

policy solutions to this critical 

matter." 

In a September interview 

with Bloomberg television on 

the housing crisis, Angelides 

said: "The banks unfortunately 

aren't doing enough to fix the 

housing crisis." He added: 

"I think we need to be much 

more forceful now about modifications. 

There are millions of 

people who can stay in their 

homes if they have principal 

reductions." — Reuters 

Bank of Oman (CBO). In the 

run-up to comply with the 

CBO requirements, the Bank 

unveiled the logo of its Islamic 

banking window under the 

brand name ‘Meethaq’. 

Further, in line with CBO 

requirements, the Bank announced 

the formation of a 

3-member Sharia board to en- 

sure the ‘Meethaq’ operations 

are in compliance with Sharia. 

Al Harthy added: “As the 

nation’s leading financial services 

provider, BankMuscat 

is well positioned to provide 

Islamic financial expertise to 

diverse segments and thereby 

promote the good of society as 

a whole. 

US consumer sentiment perks up while trade gap widens 

Martin Schwerdtfeger, senior 

economist at TD Bank Group, 

in a note. 

Separately, a dip in import 

prices showed inflation pres- 

The Bank has in place a 

comprehensive strategy to effectively 

respond to the directive 

of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos 

on Islamic banking and 

thereby cater to the financial 

needs of people in accordance 

with the guidelines and regulatory 

framework to be prescribed 

by the CBO.” 

sures were still muted, giving 

the Federal Reserve wiggle 

room as it holds US benchmark 

interest rates at ultralow 

levels.Import prices were 

BankMuscat’s ‘Meethaq’ 

will reach out to customers 

with the promise of being true 

to their beliefs, offering all the 

advantages of Islamic banking 

by following the principles of 

Sharia law. 

The ‘Meethaq’ suite of 

banking products which combine 

traditional values with 

A SHOPPER crosses 34th Street outside Macy’s in Herald Square in New York. — Reuters 

down 0.1 per cent in December 

after a 0.8 per cent gain in 

November as oil prices fell, in 

line with economists' expectations. 

Economic growth in the 

modernity are in the pipeline 

to give the choice of staying 

true to one’s values. 

Inspired by faith and a tradition 

of trust, ‘Meethaq’ will 

help customers stay true to 

their values. 

Al Harthy said: “Since Islam 

is the religion of the Sultanate 

of Oman as stated in the 

final quarter of 2011 is likely to 

have accelerated from the third 

quarter's 1.8 per cent rate, with 

many economists expecting an 

annualised rise of around 3 per 

cent.JPMorgan Chase & Co 

Chief Executive Jamie Dimon 

sounded a positive note on the 

economy on Friday, saying the 

United States' recovery was 

strengthening, though he expressed 

concern over the European 

debt crisis. 

Consumer spending, once a 

key pillar of the US economy, 

remains lackluster and sensitive 

to shocks. 

Although some Federal Reserve 

officials have said taking 

further steps to juice the 

economy may be needed, no 

action is expected at the next 

Fed policy meeting at the end 

of the month. 

Thirty-four per cent of consumers 

polled in the confidence 

survey said they had heard of 

Basic Law, Oman is ideally 

placed to play a leading role in 

Islamic finance. Omani commercial 

codes are completely 

supportive to Islamic banking 

structure without any conflict. 

The commercial code has a 

very strong Sharia foundation 

in the form of Article 2, 4 and 

5 of Royal Decree 55/1990.” 

Banker in Olympus scandal steps into public view 

DELRAY BEACH — A Japanese 

banker who is a key figure 

in the Olympus accounting 

fraud came into public view for 

the first time since the scandal 

broke, appearing at his divorce 

hearing in a Florida court. 

Hajime "Jim" Sagawa ran a 

US investment firm that earned 

a massive $687 million fee for 

advising Olympus in a 2008 

acquisition deal that ranks as 

the largest advisory payment 

in history. 

Olympus has admitted the 

deal along with others was 

part of a 13-year scheme to 

cover up $1.7 billion in losses 

in an accounting fraud that has 

caused the company's stock 

market value to drop around 

40 per cent since October. 

The scandal, involving inflated 

advisory fees and prices 

in acquisition deals, has triggered 

investigations by law 

enforcement agencies in the 

United States, Japan and Britain. 

An outside investigation 

commissioned by Olympus 

found the scheme was hatched 

by several key executives and 

aimed to hide losses from investors, 

but law-enforcement 

agencies are continuing their 

investigations. 

WASHINGTON — US regulators 

looking at whether 

Google manipulates its 

search results to favour its 

own products have expanded 

the probe to include Google+, 

the search giant's new social 

networking tool, a source familiar 

with the probe said. 

Google+, which was 

launched in June, offers many 

of the capabilities available 

on Twitter and on Facebook. 

Google announced last 

week new features aimed at 

making search results more 

personalised. As part of the 

changes, photos and posts 

The whereabouts of Sagawa, 

a former PaineWebber 

banker, were unknown until 

Reuters located him when he 

attended the divorce hearing in 

a state court in Delray Beach, 

Florida. 

When asked about the Olympus 

case, he responded with 

a terse "no comment." Pressed 

further, he waved his hand and 

said "it's rude" to keep asking. 

Dressed in a blue sport 

coat and gray slacks, Sagawa 

emerged with his ex-wife from 

a courtroom after a final divorce 

hearing. 

The couple walked briskly 

to a parking garage after being 

asked again to comment 

on the scandal that has rocked 

Olympus and left the Japanese 

medical equipment and camera 

maker in need of a capital 

infusion and at risk of being 

delisted from the Tokyo Stock 

Exchange. 

Sagawa ran the Axes America 

brokerage firm involved in 

Olympus' $2 billion takeover 

of British medical instruments 

company Gyrus. The Gyrus 

fee was among several vehicles 

used by Olympus to disguise 

securities losses. 

Axes America later allo- 

from Google+ will increasingly 

appear within the search 

results. 

A Google spokesman, 

however, said that the Federal 

Trade Commission had 

not asked about Google+ or 

indicated it was looking into 

the new social network as of 

this week. 

Google has been broadly 

accused of using its clout in 

the search market to shut out 

rivals, like travel search, by 

putting them low in search 

results. The source said that 

the FTC was roughly in the 

middle of what could be an 

PEOPLE walk past a signboard of Olympus Corp outside its showroom in Tokyo. — Reuters 

cated a large share of its $687 

million advisory fee payment 

to Cayman-based AXAM Investments. 

That company was 

later struck off a company registry 

in the Cayman Islands. 

Axes is also linked to another 

Japanese banker, Akio 

Nakagawa, whom Reuters 

located in Hong Kong in late 

extended probe. The Federal 

Trade Commission declined 

comment. Bloomberg earlier 

on Friday reported the expansion 

of the Google probe, citing 

two people familiar with 

the situation. 

The Electronic Privacy Information 

Center had asked 

the FTC this week to look at 

Google's decision to include 

information from Google+ in 

Google's search results. 

Twitter had also protested 

the change. Twitter's general 

counsel, Alex Macgillivray, 

a former Google executive, 

said in a Tweet on Tues- 

November after he went on 

the run when the scandal was 

uncovered. He also declined to 

comment. Olympus is suing its 

current president and 18 other 

past and present company officials 

over the scandal. 

Until reports of the fraud 

emerged, Sagawa lived in a 

luxury waterfront house in 

FTC expands Google antitrust probe 

day that Google's changes 

"warped" Web searches and 

represented a "bad day for the 

Internet." 

Google said on Friday that 

it believed including Google+ 

in search results was 

good for users. "We believe 

that our improvements to 

search will benefit consumers 

by better surfacing social 

content, and the great thing 

about the openness of the 

Internet is that if users don't 

like our service they can easily 

switch to another site," the 

company said in a statement. 

— Reuters 

Boca Raton, Florida, but was 

unable to be located afterward. 

His ex-wife has repeatedly 

defended his involvement with 

Olympus and said she did not 

know where he was. 

Sagawa has not responded 

to repeated emails and phone 

calls seeking more detail on 

Axes America's role in the 

scandal. 

The Sagawas filed for 

divorce in October, days after 

the Olympus accounting 

fraud surfaced when the company's 

former chief executive, 

Michael Woodford, blew the 

whistle on the Axes America 

advisory fee and other deals. 

In a divorce petition filed 

in October, the Sagawas, who 

married in 1979 in Tokyo, cited 

"irreconcilable differences." 

The couple listed more than 

$11 million in combined assets 

and Sagawa reported a monthly 

income of $2,500 with 

$1,800 coming from social security 

and $700 from interest 

and dividend payments. 

According to their settlement 

agreement, Ellen Sagawa 

will receive nearly $9.9 million 

in assets, including their 

Boca Raton home valued at 

$2.5 million. Also among the 

assets are $6.7 million held in 

a savings account. 

Sagawa will keep nearly 

$1.5 million in assets that include 

$1.3 million in several 

retirement plans, $100,000 

in a savings account and 

$100,000 in a brokerage account. 

— Reuters 

Bank of America, Goldman 

results likely to beat estimates 

NEW YORK — Bank of Americ, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup 

could be among companies that beat estimates when 

they report this week, Thomson Reuters StarMine forecasts 

show. Bank of America's forecast by StarMine, which weights 

forecasts based on analyst accuracy and how recent the estimates 

are, is 18.4 per cent above the consensus estimate, or the 

average of analysts' forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters. 

A forecast of at least 2 per cent above consensus suggests 

the company is likely to post results above it, according to 

StarMine. Goldman Sachs' forecast by StarMine is 2.8 per 

cent above consensus, while Citigroup's forecast is 2.1 per cent 

above, the data showed. 

The companies are among 46 Standard & Poor's 500 .SPX 

components expected to report earnings this week. 

On Friday, JPMorgan Chase (JPMN) reported earnings 

in line with Street estimates. But its stock fell 2.5 per cent to 

$35.92. — Reuters 

recent job gains, a record high 

in the survey's history and well 

above December's 21 per cent. 

"The data suggest a stronger 

consumer spending outlook, 

rising to about a 2.1 per cent 

gain in 2012," survey director 

Richard Curtin said in a statement. 

But consumers still lacked 

confidence in government economic 

policies with the majority 

rating them unfavourably 

for the sixth month in a row. 

Americans also remained 

dour on their personal finances 

with just 24 per cent expecting 

their finances to improve in 

January, slightly below 25 per 

cent last month. 

The survey's barometer of 

current economic conditions 

rose to the highest since February 

at 82.6 from 79.6 while 

its gauge of consumer expectations 

gained to 68.4 from 

63.6.— Reuters

It’s earnings versus Europe for stocks 

NEW YORK — Stock investors 

will return to a tug of war 

between signs of domestic 

strength and overseas concerns 

this week as a batch of 

critical earnings reports look 

to add credence to the idea the 

economy is improving, while 

credit rating downgrades in 

Europe will keep that region's 

difficulties in view. 

Bank stocks will probably 

once again be a primary focus, 

as not only will European issues 

call the group's profit outlook 

into question, but many 

key names report results. 

Equities have recently undergone 

a decoupling with 

respect to Europe's sovereign 

debt crisis as signs of progress 

in the euro zone, along with 

improving US data, have 

pushed Wall Street higher on 

improved growth prospects. 

Financials have been a beneficiary 

of that rising tide, with 

Bank of America up 22 per 

cent since the start of the year. 

So far this month, the S&P 

500 SPX is up 2.5 per cent, 

while the Dow DJI is up 1.7 

per cent and the Nasdaq is up 

4.1 per cent. 

"We're going to see more 

volatility in the weeks ahead 

with tension between earnings 

and Europe," said Christopher 

Sheldon, the Boston-based director 

of investment strategy 

at BNY Mellon Wealth Management, 

which oversees $171 

billion globally. 

"We want to see Europe 

AMMAN — Arab stock markets 

are to remain under pressure 

in the coming months, financial 

analysts said, because 

of the political turmoil following 

the Arab Spring uprisings 

and the standoff between Iran 

and Western powers over Tehran's 

nuclear programme. 

"I believe Middle East 

bourses will continue to suffer 

in the new year from the fallout 

of Arab uprisings and the 

political turmoil resulting from 

Western threats to Iran," Nizar 

Taher, the chief of brokerage at 

Jordan Ahli Bank, said. 

Arab stock markets closed 

the week mixed as investors 

awaited the release of annual 

corporate results, particularly 

of blue chips, analysts said. 

Taher said that pressure on 

the regional markets from the 

euro zone debt crisis was "easing 

as investors feel assured 

that European policymakers 

were serious in finding sustainable 

solutions." Taher expected 

oil prices at about $100 

a barrel would provide a catalyst 

to Arab stock markets in 

THE traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. 

resolved, but there will continue 

to be ups and downs, and 

while earnings will continue 

to be relatively good, we do 

expect slowing compared with 

2011." 

However, the uncertainty 

about Europe returned in a 

big way on Friday after Standard 

& Poor's downgraded the 

ratings of several euro-zone 

countries, including Italy, after 

the market closed. Talk of the 

downgrades spurred a sell-off 

that erased most of the gains 

for the week, when the S&P 

rose for four straight sessions. 

2012 and beyond. 

"Part of the huge surplus 

petrodollars accumulated by 

Arab oil exporters usually 

finds its way to regional stock 

markets as fresh investments," 

he said. In a report released 

last week, the Kuwait Financial 

Centre (Markaz) expected 

the earnings of firms listed on 

the bourses of the six member 

states of the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation 

Council (GCC) to 

grow by 19 per cent in 2012, 

topping $64 billion. 

24 

OMAN/INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 

WALL ST WEEK AHEAD 

A downgrade could exacerbate 

the area's difficulties and 

bring concerns about how they 

might affect US banks’ profits 

back to the forefront. 

Still, market participants 

looking for signs of strength 

don't have to look far. Data has 

been bullish lately, including 

Friday's consumer sentiment 

reading at an eight-month high 

that sharply exceeded what 

was anticipated. 

"The prospect of a downgrade 

has been around for a 

while, so despite today's reaction, 

everyone was aware 

of the potential, and I don't 

think it will be as impactful, 

especially as corporate business 

trends remain strong," 

said Hank Herrmann, chief 

executive of Waddell & 

Reed Financial Inc in Overland 

Park, Kansas. 

Earnings reports from nu- 

merous bellwethers could 

reinforce the growth story. 

Bank of America Corp, General 

Electric Co, Intel Corp, 

Goldman Sachs Group Inc and 

Microsoft Corp are among the 

names set to report. 

Early reads have supported 

the idea that better times lie 

ahead. JPMorgan Chase & Co 

said the domestic economy 

was strengthening even as its 

profit fell 23 per cent, while 

Alcoa Inc rallied earlier in 

the week after giving a bullish 

outlook for the aluminium 

sector. 

"Banks will be an important 

part of the story, especially 

with Europe in the picture, and 

investors will also be looking 

at names like GE, which have 

global exposure, to see what 

insights can be gleaned from 

that," said Herrman, who helps 

oversee $90 billion in assets. 

This week, when markets 

will be closed tomorrow because 

of the Martin Luther 

King holiday, will also see the 

release of the New York Fed's 

January manufacturing data, 

December readings on inflation 

from both the Producer 

Price Index and the Consumer 

Price Index, as well as December 

housing starts. 

For the week, the Dow rose 

0.5 per cent while the S&P 

500 gained 0.9 per cent and 

the Nasdaq added 1.4 per cent. 

— Reuters 

Arab stocks to remain under pressure 

"This will bring the GCC 

corporate sector back to the 

levels reached in 2007 prior to 

the onset of the global crisis," 

the report said. 

Saudi shares rebounded 

last week, driven by annual 

profit expectations of blue 

chips, particularly in the petrochemical 

and banking sectors, 

analysts said. 

The Tadawul All Share Index 

of the Arab world's largest 

stock exchange gained 1.23 

per cent on weekly basis, clos- 

WEEKLY REVIEW 

ing at 6,486.41 points. 

Saudi analyst Walid Abdul- 

Hadi expected the market's 

benchmark to push higher in 

the coming weeks as investors 

monitor the yearly earnings 

of leading firms, foremost the 

Saudi Basic Industries Corp. 

Kuwait's KSE all-share index 

gained 0.35 per cent last 

week, to close at 5,747 points. 

The benchmarks of the 

United Arab Emirates’ stock 

exchanges of Dubai and Abu 

Dhabi fell by 1.6 per cent, to 

close at 1,328 points and 2,361 

points respectively. 

Qatar's index plunged by 

2.1 per cent last week, closing 

at 8,699 points; while Bahrain's 

benchmark closed week 

0.4 per cent in the red at 1,133 

points. 

Jordanian shares lost fresh 

ground because of shrinking 

liquidity and the effects on the 

economy of the Syrian uprising, 

Taher said. 

The all-share index of the 

Amman Stock Exchange shed 

1.1 per cent last week, closing 

at 1,955 points. 

However, Taher expected 

the government's appointment 

of Mohammad Tash as the 

new chief of the Jordan Securities 

Commission to spur the 

market in the coming weeks. 

Egyptian shares were the 

main regional gainers last 

week, largely because of 

promises by the United States 

and the International Monetary 

Fund to boost the faltering 

economy, analysts said. 

The successful conclusion 

of general elections also 

prompted foreign and Arab 

buying of Egyptian shares last 

week, they added. 

Egypt's AGX 30 index, 

which measures the performance 

of the market's 30 most 

active stocks, climbed 3.5 

per cent, closing at 3,778 

points. — dpa 

TEL: 24601003, 24600586 • FAX: 24600736 

• WEBSITE: www.salalahport.com 

BIZ BRIEFS 

Fitch revises S Africa’s outlook to negative 

JOHANNESBURG — Ratings agency 

Fitch revised South Africa's outlook from 

stable to negative, citing the country's 

failure to create enough jobs and to speed 

up economic growth. 

"Not least of the problems that require 

urgent attention is the economy's inability 

to create sufficient jobs for its labour 

force," said Purvi Harlalka, director in 

Fitch's Sovereigns group. 

"This inability has not only constrained 

growth and kept the tax base narrow but 

has also caused public finances to become 

increasingly redistributive in an effort to address the lack of social mobility," she said. 

"The resultant narrowing of fiscal space undermines a key support to South Africa's creditworthiness." 

South Africa's unemployment rate is mired around 25 per cent, while its economic 

growth has averaged 2.7 per cent over the last five years — lower than the average in 

similar economies, Fitch said. 

"High unemployment already fosters widespread criminal violence and deters foreign investment," 

Fitch said in a statememt. "Over time it could also threaten social and political 

stability, damaging the investment climate further." 

But Fitch said that South Africa's BBB+ foreign credit rating was still supported by the 

strength of its courts, regulators and government authorities, which has fostered a solid corporate 

and financial sector. 

The agency also said that debate over nationalisation of mines, led by the youth wing of 

the ruling African National Congress, was unlikely to result in expropriations but had dented 

investor confidence. Fitch's downgrade follows similar action by Moody's two months ago. 

The Treasury said in a statement on Friday that South Africa was being affected by global 

uncertainty, particularly in Europe. 

"Europe, a major trading partner, accounts for more than 30 per cent of our manufacturing 

exports (and) is currently experiencing major economic challenges. This therefore impacts 

negatively on South Africa," it said. 

GM plans to invest $1 billion in Russia 

DETROIT — US auto giant General Motors 

will invest $1 billion (778 million 

euros) in Russia over five years to more 

than double production by 2015, the managing 

director of its Russian operations 

said. 

"The reason we are there is we see 

opportunity," James Bovenzi said late on 

Thursday at a dinner event organised by 

the US-Russia Business Council on the 

sidelines of the Detroit auto show. 

"There is a lot of pent-up demand in 

Russia... The average vehicle is more than 

10 years old," he said. "The middle class is growing and nine of the 10 best-selling cars in 

Russia are foreign brands," he said, adding that GM's Chevrolet was a top-seller. 

The new plan calls for increasing production in Russia from 232,000 units in 2010 to more 

than 520,000 in 2015, he said. 

Alan Draper, vice-president in charge of purchasing at Ford of Europe, said plants established 

there by respected parts suppliers could improve quality and let international firms 

meet local content requirements. 

"Russia will (soon) be one of the most important markets in the world," he said. 

A business group meanwhile announced that sales of cars in Russia rose by 39 per cent 

in 2011 year-on-year to over 2.65 million vehicles as the market bounced back from the last 

economic crisis. 

The Association of European Businesses (AEB) — whose auto committee groups 43 Russian 

and European brands — predicted that growth would continue in 2012 with sales of cars 

in Russia reaching 2.8 million units. 

That would bring Russia back to the record sales high of 2.9 million units recorded in 2008 

just before the global economic crisis caused a 49 per cent reduction in sales the following 

year. 

USB key opens home files from anywhere 

LAS VEGAS — A USB-style key that 

splits in two lets people open their home 

or work computer files from any Internetlinked 

computer. 

Singapore-based iTwin was at the Consumer 

Electronics Show last week to entice 

technology fans with a way to avoid 

being out of touch with data on work or 

home machines no matter how far they 

roam. 

"The iTwin acts like a cableless cable 

connecting you to your files," said company 

spokeswoman Kara Rosenthal. 

"If you are on a business trip and don't know what files you need you can just access your 

hard drive from any other computer and have whatever files you want." 

An iTwin user simply plugs the device, which is the size and shape of standard thumb 

drive, into their computer USB port and drags into it any data they wish even if it is an entire 

hard drive. 

Half the gadget is left plugged into a home or work computer, while a user takes the other 

half with him or her to serve as a key. 

Plugging the key into another Internet-connected computer automatically accesses files. 

Data is encrypted and password protected. Keys can be remotely disabled if lost or stolen. 

At CES iTwin demonstrated a newly added "multi" feature that lets as many as 20 keys be 

synched to the part left in a home or work machine. ITwin devices were priced at $99. 

ING in cost-cutting plan, outlook difficult 

THE HAGUE — Dutch banking giant 

ING said it aims to cut expenses by 300 

million euros ($385 million) by 2015 

while the outlook remains difficult for the 

business. 

"Procurement initiatives are expected 

to save 300 million euros per year by 2015 

but further structural efficiency improvements 

and IT investments will be needed 

to reach ING's long-term cost ratio target 

(of 50 per cent)," the Amsterdam-based 

group said in a statement. 

ING chief executive Jan Hommen said 

the group needed "to move beyond simple cost cuts and focus on achieving true operational 

excellence."This year and 2013, ING said it would concentrate on paying off a 10-billioneuro 

cash injection it received from the government in October 2008 at the height of the 

global financial crisis. 

"We still have to pay three billion euros with a premium, to a total value of 4.5 billion 

euros," a spokesman said, adding that ING wanted to repay the loan "as soon as possible." 

The group will only start paying dividends once repayment is completed. 

"In 2011, market circumstances became increasingly difficult and volatile and we expect 

that to remain the case in the near future," Hommen cautioned. 

McDonald’s renews Olympic sponsorship 

INNSBRUCK — US fast food giant Mc- 

Donald's will remain a key sponsor of the 

Olympic Games until at least 2020, the 

company announced. 

"We take tremendous pride in feeding 

the athletes and visitors from around 

the world, and are excited to play a role 

in helping make the Olympics possible," 

Don Thompson, McDonald's president and 

chief operating officer said in a statement. 

Terms of the deal for McDonald's to 

become the "Official Restaurant" of the 

Olympics were not disclosed. 

The deal was announced on the opening day of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in the 

Austrian city Innsbruck. McDonald's has been an official Olympics sponsor since 1976. 

"We are delighted that McDonald's is announcing its renewal, building on our work together 

for more than 35 years," said Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee president. 

— Agencies

THE ancient history of 

Oman is the theme of a 

valuable research project 

by Dr Asmhan al Jarru in the 

Department of History, Faculty 

of Arts, Sultan Qaboos University. 

The work is an important 

contribution to our understanding 

of the Omani history as it 

explores the prehistoric ages 

up to the early times of Majan 

Civilisation during the period 

(5000-1800 BC). It thus monitors 

a significant period that 

represented the early presence 

Working mothers’ kids 

likely to be obese 

Page 27 

of civilisations in this region. 

The value of the study lies in 

the fact that it is almost the only 

source which deals with this 

part of the history of Oman. 

Commenting on the background 

of her study, the academic 

says: ‘There is a historical 

gap that created in 

me a sense of challenge and 

search for the hidden treasures 

of the cultural history of 

ancient Oman. This project 

complements another book of 

mine published under the title 

Oman-South Korea relations 

set to grow 

Page 26 

Sources of the Ancient History 

of Oman which created in 

me a sense of responsibility to 

uncover the brighter side of the 

history and culture of Oman 

and to highlight its historic role 

and contributions to humanity 

as a whole.” 

Dr Al Jarru, an Associate 

Professor of Ancient History 

Archaeology, adds: “For some 

time, I was entirely seized by 

the idea of compiling a book 

about the prehistoric eras of 

Majan Civilisation, the theme 

FRANKINCENSE is the 

focus of a new study by 

an SQU academic. The aim 

is to establish a database of 

the physical, chemical and 

antimicrobial properties of 

Omani frankincense. 

The substance is thought 

to have antimicrobial 

activity and has wide 

applications in traditional 

culture and medicine. Its use 

is becoming more diverse, 

spreading to the food and 

cosmetic industries. 

Dr Mohammad Shafiur 

says that his project will 

Deaf quicker at 

body language 

Page 27 

A welcome refuge in a small 

mosque in Al Saleel 

Page 28 

Fea ures 

Sunday, January 15, 2012 

which was largely the focus of 

my readings and reflections. 

Looking into the ancient history 

of Oman, one should pay 

tribute to those people who left 

behind a great legacy of creativity 

characterising long and 

hard stages of gathering and 

hunting up to the formation of 

permanent human settlements 

and intellectual development. 

So this research work has been 

triggered by my desire to probe 

into the nature of this civilisation.” 

Unknown History 

Al Jarru explains: “For 

ages, the ancient history of the 

Arabian Gulf in general and 

the history of Oman in particular 

remained unknown, as 

we see this clearly in the textbooks 

about the ancient east. 

However, the breathtaking archaeological 

discoveries in the 

region since the mid-twentieth 

century categorically proved 

that this land is rich in remains 

of an ancient civilisation, no 

less important than the civilisations 

of Egypt and Mesopotamia.” 

“Recent archaeological 

studies and cuneiform writing 

have constituted an essential 

source for the study,” says 

the researcher, adding that the 

methodology is mainly based 

on induction and analysis. This 

approach has been very useful 

in drawing a rough picture of 

the realities of ancient Oman. 

She classifies her study into 

five chapters each covering 

a specific series of historic 

events. 

Chapter I is an introduction 

to the study of Oman's 

pre-history and consists of 

three sections: the first section 

examines the impact of 

geographical potentials and 

natural resources on the emergence 

of Oman's ancient civilisation. 

The chapter has as its 

main objectives to explore the 

environmental conditions that 

contributed to the settlement of 

prehistoric people in Oman and 

to see how they interacted with 

their immediate surroundings. 

The second section reviews 

the natural resources that had 

abounded in ancient Oman 

and are divided into: minerals, 

plants and animals. 

The third section discusses 

the sources that have documented 

the history of ancient 

Oman. All the information 

about the ancient history of 

Oman is generally derived 

from a variety of primary and 

secondary sources. Primary 

sources are key as they were 

usually written immediately 

during or following historical 

events. Thus, they represent the 

view of initiator of the event 

and consist of inscriptions and 

remains. The secondary sources 

are mostly written by those 

who are not directly related to 

the event, and may be recorded 

after a period of time. In order 

to study the ancient culture of 

Oman, it is essential to consult 

those sources, in the forefront 

of which are the monuments 

and inscriptions, religious literature, 

classical literature, 

Arabic and Islamic writings, 

and recent studies. 

Chapter Two covers the 

prehistoric times in Oman (the 

stone age and the Stone Copper 

Age) (5000-2500 BC). Needless 

to say, the study of prehis- 

toric times is an important factor 

in understanding the cultural 

history of any nation, whereby 

man made the first crucial step, 

discovering the unknown and 

defying the odds. The chapter 

is divided into four sections. 

Section One explores Oman 

in the Stone Age, including 

the environment and climate 

in the south east of the Arab 

Peninsula. Section Two looks 

into the first achievements of 

ancient man in Oman during 

the Stone Ages, in the light 

of archaeological discoveries. 

Section Three deals with the 

effects of the Neolithic period 

and examples of settlements, 

as we will discover the very 

beginning of the formation of 

settlements (Ras al Hamra and 

Jebel Bahayes mountain). Section 

Four concerns the history 

of Oman in the Stone /Copper 

Age (3200-2500). 

Omani Frankincense: a database of properties 

consider the three commonly 

used forms, namely resin 

crystals, oil and smoke, 

adding that two grades of 

Omani frankincense will 

be compared: the highest 

quality (Hojari) and the 

lowest quality (Sha’bi). 

Statistical analysis will 

be used to compare the 

antimicrobial activity of the 

different grades. 

The researcher suggests 

that his work will provide 

important data concerning 

potential uses of Omani 

frankincense 

‘Bipasha will be a 

good wife’ 

Page 13 

A New Study on Ancient Majan Civilisation 

A step towards camel cloning 

A 

NEW study has been initiated by an SQU scholar 

to characterize donor cell types of somatic or embryonic 

background of camels and to test their potential 

for cryopreservation and genomic stability. 

According to Dr Senan Baqir, at the College of Science, 

“characterisation and improvement in the cryo-survivability 

of donor cells would enhance the reprogramability 

and compatibility of donor with the recipient oocyte”, a 

cell from which an egg develops. This, he believes, could 

improve the success rate of camel cloning. 

Cloning of domestic animals is a reality. This reality 

is manifested by the latest announcement of cloning the 

dromedary camel in the UAE. Given the fact that the camel 

species is of paramount importance in the GCC from a 

cultural and economical aspect, Baqir argues, the race to 

optimise and standardise the nuclear transfer/cloning procedure 

has just begun. 

“Although the first cloned animal was produced from a 

cumulus cell, no other cell type has been tested to date”, he 

says, adding that the state-of-the-art biotechnologies used 

in the study would provide the means to preserve the genetics 

of the most valuable milk producing and high merit 

racing camels in Oman and the entire GCC countries. 

This study provides significant 

insights into the prehistory of Oman 

and the achievements of those 

people who built great civilisations 

Dr Asmhan al Jarru 

In Chapter Three, the author 

focuses on the Omani cultural 

innovation during the prehistoric 

times. She classifies her 

discussion into three basic 

themes: the first topic deals 

with the economic conditions 

of the stone-age people, as 

there had been a consumptive 

economy that depended largely 

on hunting and fishing. Only 

during the Neolithic age that 

the economy became productive 

when agricultural oases 

came to life, signifying the 

beginning of human knowledge 

of agriculture and animal 

husbandry. It is during that era 

that the Omani man practised 

trading, most notably in pottery, 

which contributed largely 

to the exchange and sharing of 

ideas and cultures. In the early 

copper or bronze age, the economy 

included mining, fishing, 

agriculture, manufacturing of 

pottery, stones and stamps, 

boat-building (Majan), diverse 

crafts, and precious stone engraving. 

The second topic relates to 

the social organizations in prehistoric 

Oman, most prominent 

of which are communities of 

hunting, capturing, and movement. 

The third theme has to 

do with the intellectual life 

of those people of prehistoric 

Oman, concentrating on the religious 

beliefs embodied in the 

various types of cemeteries, 

rituals of burial, and funeral 

materials. 

A 

NEW study has 

been launched 

by an SQU 

academic to explore the 

phenomenon of divorce 

in Omani society. 

The research will 

use empirical tools for 

investigating the impact 

of current societal 

developments on the wellbeing 

of Omani families 

and increased divorce 

rates. 

Dr Aida al Nablawi, at 

the College of Arts, says 

that one of the goals of 

her project is to see to 

what extent divorce is 

spreading all over the 

Umm al Nar Civilisation 

Chapter four is centred 

on the ancient civilisation of 

Majan (the early Bronze Age 

2500-1800 BC), the period 

having the richest in terms of 

inscriptions and monuments. 

It falls in three sections: Section 

One addresses the Umm 

al Nar civilisation, Section Two 

sheds light on some models of 

settlements, while the last section 

examines traces of Majan 

in the writings of the kings of 

Mesopotamia. 

Dr Al Jarru concludes her 

comments by introducing the 

last chapter of her study. She 

explains that it covers the cultural 

aspects of the early period 

of Majan Civilisation, including 

the then political conditions, 

social life and architecture, economic 

development, and copper 

mining which helped the 

emerging civilisation of oases 

to grow and flourish. People of 

Majan knew copper crafts, pottery 

and stone vessels, and engraving 

on precious stones. 

Trade prospered, sea transport 

expanded, and oases and 

irrigation systems were developed. 

Finally, the chapter 

examines Majan Civilisation 

in terms of intellectual life, religious 

beliefs, and patterns of 

cemeteries and burial rituals. 

No doubt, this study provides 

significant insights into 

the prehistory of Oman and the 

achievements of those people 

who built great civilisations. 

Divorce in Omani Society 

Sultanate and whether 

there are any indications 

of this phenomenon. 

For that purpose, a 

comparison will be made 

between different regions 

of Oman to look for 

any variation in divorce 

statistics. 

The work will also 

try to examine the main 

reasons behind divorce 

and the influence of 

prevalent social and 

religious norms on 

marriages. 

It will trace Omani 

divorce customs and postdivorce 

effects on couples 

and children.

26 SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 

Oman-South Korea relations set to grow 

By Kabeer Yousuf 

THE bilateral relations between 

the Sultanate of Oman and 

Republic of Korea are deep 

rooted and date back to the establishment 

of their diplomatic relations way 

back in 1974. Since then both countries 

have been maintaining friendly 

and close ties that saw the opening 

of the Embassy of the Republic of 

Korea in Muscat in 1976 while the 

Omani Embassy in Seoul was set up 

in 1984. 

There have been tremendous efforts 

to fortify the bilateral diplomatic 

relations between the two countries 

over the years. On the political front, 

the two countries have exchanged 

high level visits. In 2010, Korea's 

Minister of Defence and Minister 

of Patriots and Veterans Affairs visited 

Oman while Oman's Minister 

of National Economy and Minister 

of Environment and Climate Affairs 

visited Korea. Another important 

milestone is the year 2005 when the 

two countries exchanged high level 

visits by Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood 

al Said, Deputy Prime Minster of the 

Sultanate and Lee Hae-Chan, Prime 

Minister of the Republic of Korea. 

Recently, The Cheonghae Unit, 

Korean element of the international 

anti-piracy naval task force, has made 

regular visits to the ports of Oman. 

“We, at the South Korean Embassy 

would like to take this opportunity 

to express its deepest gratitude to 

the Omani government for co-operation 

and assistance provided by the 

Sultanate of Oman during and after 

THE Gogonocephalus are starfish 

with branched tips and 

they live in deep waters. Only 

few people, mostly divers, may have 

accoutered them in waters below 60 

feet at places around Daimaniyat Islands 

and Bandar Al Khairan. 

In some cold countries these 

animals are found up to 400 metres. 

The Gogonocephalus rarely 

are found within intertidal zones. 

These starfish are in the same Phylum 

Echinodermata within the animal 

kingdom tree. They are entirely 

invertebrate like other star fish and 

sea urchins. 

The bodies of Gogonocephalus 

the rescue operation conducted by 

the Cheonghae Unit to free Korean 

cargo ship Samho Jewelry from Somali 

pirates in the Arabian Sea last 

January”, South Korean Ambassador 

Choe Jong-Hyun (pictured) told the 

Observer. 

The ties between the two countries 

have particularly witnessed 

rapid development in the economic 

field. Since the early 80s, a number 

of Korean companies have actively 

participated in major construction 

projects in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, 

Barka etc. At the same time, Oman 

has been exporting a large quantity 

of LNG (liquefied natural gas) and 

crude oil to Korea. 

The most important milestone was 

in 1996 when Oman LNG and Korea 

Gas Corp (Kogas) signed a 25-year 

sales and purchase agreement for the 

supply of 406 million tonnes/year 

of LNG to Korea. By this contract, 

Kogas has been the largest buyer of 

Oman LNG. 

The bilateral economic and industrial 

relations received a shot in 

the arm when the Korean Hyundai 

Engineering Co Ltd was selected to 

be the prime contractor for the implementation 

of the $600m hydrocarbon 

project recently opened in Bukha in 

the Musandam Governorate. The 

sole financier is the Oman Oil Company 

Exploration and Production 

(OOCEP), the upstream subsidiary of 

the government owned energy investment 

firm Oman Oil Company. The 

project, part of a sizable integrated 

development centring on the offshore 

West Bukha field, has the potential 

The Gogonocephalus and the basket star fish 

are composed of five arms branched 

at the fore end, forming hundreds 

of branch-lets. Their colour varies 

from area to area depending on 

the environment they live in but 

mostly they range from white to 

beige. 

The central disc (the body) of 

the Gogonocephalus can reach 

up to 15 cms and their branched 

arms can reach up to five times the 

length of the disc. The Gogonocephalus 

juveniles’ are attached to 

their parents. 

Basket star fish hide in crevices 

during day and hunt for food at night. 

During daytime they are either hid- 

to spur economic growth in this strategically 

important Omani enclave 

overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. 

“Gas volumes produced by the 

facility will not only provide energy 

feedstock for the governorate’s 

first gas-based Independent Power 

Project, but also potentially spur 

investments in industrial projects 

as well”, Sang-Rok Sung, Senior 

Executive Vice-President, Hyundai 

said, adding: “Additionally, the venture 

will also help establish a new oil 

export terminal on the Sultanate’s 

north coast”. 

With the Engineering-Procurement-Construction 

(EPC) of the 

project acquired in last December, 

Hyundai is in the process of employing 

around 2,000 workers at the peak 

of construction. There is an agreement 

between Oman and Korea on avoidance 

of double taxation. It was signed 

in 2005 and went effective next year. 

A number of important projects 

are currently being undertaken. The 

Duqm ship repair yard, which will 

begin its soft operation soon, has 

been built by Daewoo Construction. 

Its management is also assisted by 

DSME which has a ten-year O&M 

contract with Oman Drydock Company 

(ODC), a government-owned 

company in-charge of the project. 

Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction 

is participating in the second 

phase of construction of Al Duqm International 

Airport. GS Construction, 

together with Siemens, takes part in 

IPP projects of Barka 3 and Sohar 2, 

each with a planned generation capacity 

of 744MW. In Seeb, a wastewa- 

By Mohammed Amour 

al Barwani 

ter project is being implemented by 

Hyundai Rotem. The road between 

Salalah and Thumrait is expanded by 

Sambu Construction. Additionally, 

Korean companies such as DSME 

and GS Caltex have provided various 

technical training for a number 

of Omani staff as part of their operational 

support for ODC and Sohar 

Refinery respectively. 

At the end of 2010, Korea’s investment 

towards Oman stands at 

$409m according to the statistics of 

Korean EXIM Bank. Oman Oil Company 

(OOC) owns 30per cent stake of 

GS Electric Power and Services (GS 

EPS) and also co-invested with the 

company in the construction of LNGfired 

power plants in Korea. 

Korea has a number of companies 

which have competitive edge in renewable 

energy projects. Moreover, 

they are also much interested in entering 

foreign markets and offering 

technical co-operation. Korean company 

DSME is already participating 

in setting up of a solar pilot project 

at Al Mazyunah. “Given Oman’s 

strong potential to develop renewable 

energy such as solar power, we 

look forward to more opportunities 

for co-operation between Korean and 

Omani companies in this field”. 

The products and service that the 

Sultanate of Oman exports to Korea 

include natural gas (71.5 per cent, 

$2,813m), crude oil (20.5 per cent, 

$842m) and aluminium (5.2 per cent, 

$215m). The total amount of import 

in 2010 is $4,095m. 

Korea’s major export items include 

automobiles (51.6 per cent, $343m), 

ing in rocks or roll themselves into a 

ball-like shape. 

While hunting for feed they extend 

their branched arms like a spider’s 

web or net to catch planktonic 

organisms carried by currents. The 

Gogonocephalus are filter feeders 

and they perform their operations 

through their mouth and anus. 

The basket starfish catches its 

prey by means of thousands microscopic 

hooks attached to the tips of 

its branched arms and extrudes mucous 

from its glands which immobilise 

the prey and transfer them to the 

mouth which is located at the base 

of the body. 

electric wires (7.5 per cent, $50m), 

steel plates (5.0 per cent, $33m) and 

petrochemical products (3.5 per cent, 

$23) and construction equipment (2.8 

per cent, $18m). The total amount of 

export in 2010 is $664m. Other items 

that Oman imports include wireless 

communication devices, various steel 

products, synthetic fibers, motors and 

automobile parts. 

There are various partnerships 

between Korean companies and 

their Omani counterparts, particularly 

in the field of construction. 

For instance, DSME and Omran 

are jointly developing a residential 

area and tourism town in Duqm by 

establishing a joint-venture Duqm 

Development Company (DDC) in 

April 2010. DDC has recently embarked 

on its first project which is 

building accommodation for the 

staff of ODC. “Additionally, I think 

Oman has much to offer in terms of 

tourism, especially if you compare 

the Sultanate with other Gulf countries. 

In Oman, there are stunning 

landscapes which has a strong po- 

tential to attract a number of Korean 

tourists. I also believe that Korea 

is an attractive and interesting place 

for Omani tourists”, the ambassador 

further said. 

It would be helpful to raise awareness 

of how much Korea and Oman 

can benefit each other by encouraging 

more meetings and exchanges 

between the two countries. Last year, 

Korea-Oman Joint Business Council 

was established for this purpose and 

I hope this important channel will be 

fully utilised. 

After spawning planktonic larvae, 

the newly born cling to their 

parents till they are strong enough to 

look after themselves. When a limb 

is chopped of, it will grow back as 

time passes. 

The main predators of Gogonocephalus 

are crabs and trigger fish. 

Basket star fish have a close protective 

relationship with soft corals 

and sponges as these animals have 

poisonous enzymes which other 

animals are vary about. At night, 

the basket star fish crawls on top 

of the sponge and eats material that 

are mostly edible debris, leaving the 

sponge clean. 

On The 

Airwaves 

Learning f from experiences! 

TODAY once again I am in the mood to reflect on 

interviews that have been featured on the Radio. 

Interviews not just about the guests who have 

been featured but more on what I have learned from interviewing 

different age groups. Well, always we learn 

from interviewees. As we have established before in a 

previous columns everyone has a story. A story that is 

unique to them. And only they can be the best narrators 

of their story. 

What has been striking in the interviews is the influence 

of the age on the interviewees’ attitudes. The younger 

they are more they are convinced in their convictions. We 

have all gone through this phase. I remember those days 

when my friends told me, “You are too idealistic.” 

But I would not hear of it. Nobody could change my 

mind. I was so convinced of my thinking that it was part 

of my values, part of my objectives. The journey goes on 

and one realises that some of those objectives you are able 

to achieve, while others you try and try and then with difficulty 

accept defeat. Those are the trying times. 

I remember right at the beginning of my career as a 

broadcaster how I would chase interviews and stories. I 

still do not believe in taking a no for an answer. But during 

those days I would try and if I could not get the story 

or interview I want, it would be a great disappointment. 

Then a producer asked me a question that changed my 

outlook in a way that made me calmer in handling a difficult 

situation. 

All he asked why do you get so worked up? If it was 

not meant for you, then that is it — it is not meant for 

you. It took me a while to digest it. Of course there are 

circumstances that would make an interview impossible. 

However, when your mind is set on something it is difficult 

to accept it is not going to happen. The producer 

had a solution. He said, “Try to get what you want three 

times and if you do not get it then consider it as not meant 

for you.” 

For a while I thought it was a sign of giving up and 

even wondered if I was blaming it on fate. Whatever 

we can label this method it really calms the mind realising 

the fact that I tried my best. But I was trained to try 

harder so I have not given up the habit completely. The 

point is I would not bother to waste time to ponder on it 

to regret. 

Regret is a strong word. We invest so much of our time 

on it. Then I met a lot of successful persons through my 

interviews who never really regretted much in life. They 

took it as a learning experience. They learned from a difficult 

experience and came out stronger. They are living 

their dreams as well. This is the age group who I would 

say from anywhere in the middle twenties to forties to 

even fifties for that matter. Because I truly believe there 

is nothing called retirement. The age group before that are 

group of people who want their life to be the way it is in 

their plans. They tend to use a lot of ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ 

in their sentences. 

Then there is the age group who are really I consider 

teachers for the society. They are elderly and wise with experience. 

They have had disappointments but have overcome 

them and proven to be successful but they also still 

have the strength to dream more. They are more practical 

though. They might say something like, “I would like to 

…”, because they know sometimes things may not happen 

the way they want to but are willing to try. That will is a 

true inspiration! 

The treasures that 

are grandmothers! 

By B R Chander 

AS we begin the journey 

of life we come 

across many people 

who can sway us. We can 

cite for instance our parents, 

teachers, colleagues, bosses 

the list is unending. But one 

person who is not widely spoken 

of is a grandmother. There 

is something grand about a 

grandmother, lovingly called 

grannies. 

However, for the new generation 

kids grandmothers 

seem to be out of place due 

to the nuclear family style 

many of us have adopted. 

The materialistic generation 

is fast paced and has no time 

to sit and talk to grandmothers. 

Therefore the present day 

grandmothers are consigned 

to old age homes or an orphanage 

depending on affordability. 

If we look back at history 

we find that grandmothers 

have played a valuable role in 

shaping the destiny of many 

families around the world. 

The British Queen is an example. 

There is famous adage: “A 

grandmother is a wonderful 

mother with lots of experience. 

Grandmas play many 

roles at the same time: a little 

bit of a doctor, a leader, a 

friend, philosopher and guide. 

If nothing goes well we can 

always bank on the grandmother 

for advice and help. 

Children too get the chance 

to know about their ancestors 

only through a grandmother. 

She plays a pivotal role in 

passing the traditional and 

cultural values to the generation 

next. 

A grandmother forms a 

valuable bridge in binding the 

past with the present. Thus 

the tradition passes on to the 

future. Grandmothers are the 

voices of the past, role models 

for the present and they open 

the doors to the future. 

There is a saying that 

when a wise old person dies it 

is like a grand library getting 

burnt. What a puny grandma 

sees standing on the ground, 

the sturdy young man cannot 

see even if they climb a tree 

top. These are qualities that 

give her a grand stature in a 

society. 

There are few things we 

can learn from the American 

President Barack Obama, 

one such thing was his love 

for his grandmother; he visited 

his grandmother during 

the concluding days of his 

presidential campaign where 

each and every minute was 

precious. 

Obama has acknowledged 

that his grandma taught him 

to love the country, to work 

hard and more importantly 

to be accountable for ones 

actions as an ongoing way 

of life. He owed much of his 

success to values his grandma 

taught during him in his childhood 

days. 

Grandparents living with 

grandchildren have become 

a rarity; they seem to be losing 

touch with the present 

world. The younger generation 

should make a conscious 

effort to reach out to their 

grandparents and learn from 

their past. 

Before concluding I wish 

to tell the story of a wise shop 

keeper. This shop keeper did 

not want to give any credit facility 

or loan to his customers. 

He just hung a small plank on 

which it was politely written 

in very small letters: “Credit 

is given only to those customers 

who bring along with 

them their great-grandmother, 

who can read this notice without 

wearing any glasses.” 

The shop keeper is yet to find 

a customer meeting his specifications.

PEOPLE’S 

PLATFORM 

AM a resident of Hamriya area where 

I my family settled down some 25 years 

ago. For the past one and a half years, a 

construction and maintenance company 

has been doing repair works in this area. 

They do sewage, drainage and small road 

repairing works. In a small place like 

Hamriya, road rollers, JCBs, bobcats and 

other heavy to medium sized construction 

equipment of this company have been 

causing major hindrance to the residents 

as well as motorists passing this way. 

Remember, this area is the easy connecting 

point to the touristic destination 

Yiti. We could see that they are digging 

at the same places where they dug a few 

months ago. 

Hamriya was severely affected by the 

recent rains and floods. And the severity 

of the situation was partly caused by the 

activities of this construction company 

without any planning, according to many 

experts who commented in newspapers 

in the following days. 

Recently they asphalted some parts 

of the road, but within days the company 

started cutting and digging the roads 

again apparently for mending some 

technical faults. Or can anyone think further? 

We, as citizens of this country, and 

as residents of this particular area, have 

all the liberty to know what is going on 

in Hamriya. In some countries, there is 

a law called Right to Information (RTI) 

with which they have all liberty to know 

A 

SINGLE sneeze infests 

a room with 

deadly bugs and the 

contamination can last for 

hours. 

Microscopic droplets 

sneezed or coughed out float 

around the air in large enough 

concentrations to spread disease, 

researchers say. 

A sneeze typically contain 

as many as 40,000 droplets, 

some of which leave the body 

at more than 160 kmph. 

Breathing in airborne 

specks of virus found in a typical 

office, plane or train could 

infect a person after just one 

hour, the Journal of the Royal 

Society Interface reports. 

It also highlights why so 

many holidaymakers pick up 

coughs, colds and sniffles at 

the start of their trip, following 

a flight, according to the Daily 

Mail. 

Flu passes from person to 

person through direct physical 

contact, or when someone 

sneezes or coughs. 

US researchers collected 

samples of air from the waiting 

room of a healthcare clinic, 

three rooms in a nursery and 

three cross-country flights. 

Half the samples contained 

small droplets containing the 

flu virus. 

Scientists found that a 

typical cubic metre of air-contained 

an average of 16,000 

particles of flu virus. Most 

were less than 2.5 thousandths 

of a millimetre across, which 

about anything of public interest. 

— Residents of Hamriya 

Editor: As far as we know, there are 

some repairing and drainage works going 

on. We strongly feel that the company 

representatives should come forward and 

let the people know actually what work is 

being carried out. 

27 

LETTERS/HEALTH SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 

Hamriya residents’ woes continue 

remain suspended in the air 

for hours on end. 

“Given these concentrations, 

the amount of viruses 

a person would inhale over 

one hour would be adequate 

to induce infection,” said Lin- 

sey Marr, who led the study at 

Virginia Tech. 

“The virus-laden aerosols 

are small enough that 

the smallest ones can remain 

suspended for days,” she added. 

— IANS 

Fibrous foods cut death risk 

DIETARY fibre tends 

to lower death risk 

from cardiovascular, 

infectious and respiratory diseases, 

a study conducted over 

a nine-year period says. 

Fibre from edible plants is 

known to ease bowel movements, 

reduce blood cholesterol 

levels, improve blood 

glucose levels, lower blood 

pressure, promote weight loss 

and reduce inflammation, 

among other benefits. 

Yikyung Park of the National 

Cancer Institute, US, 

and colleagues analysed 

data from 219,123 men and 

168,999 women in the Na- 

tional Institutes of Health- 

AARP Diet and Health Study, 

the journal Archives of Internal 

Medicine reports. 

Participants completed a 

food frequency questionnaire 

at the beginning of the study 

in 1995 and 1996. Causes of 

death were determined by 

linking study records to national 

registries, according to 

a Cancer Institute statement. 

Their fibre intake ranged 

from 13 to 29 grams per 

day in men and from 11 to 

26 grams per day in women. 

Over an average of nine years 

of follow-up, 20,126 men and 

11,330 women died. 

Fibre intake was associated 

with a significantly decreased 

risk of death in both 

men and women. 

The one-fifth of men and 

women consuming the most 

fibre (29.4 grams per day for 

men and 25.8 grams for women) 

were 22 per cent less likely 

to die than those consuming 

the least (12.6 grams per 

day for men and 10.8 grams 

for women). The risk of cardiovascular, 

infectious and 

respiratory diseases was reduced 

by 24 per cent to 56 per 

cent in men and 34 per cent 

to 59 per cent in women with 

high fibre intakes. — IANS 

Bridge to the future 

AM delighted to know about the 

I new scholarship programme that has 

been put in place by BankMuscat. I am 

happy that such schemes will go a long 

way in helping students to achieve their 

goals. I am excited about the prospect of 

qualifying for the scholarship. 

New device 

can scan 

brain diseases 

A 

DEVICE that can scan 

and provide a threedimensional 

image of the 

brain to help treat diseases 

like Alzheimer’s was 

developed by an Israeli firm. 

The non-invasive system, 

called the BNA, or Brain 

Network Activation, was developed 

by ElMindA, reports 

Xinhua. 

It helps doctors visualize 

the connectivity between 

nerve cells and synchronization 

that can even measure 

the severity of the patients 

condition from one day to 

another, the Israel21c news 

site said. BNA developers 

hope the system will become 

a regular way of diagnosing 

brain illnesses. 

“Our vision is that every 

psychiatrist and neurologist 

in the world will routinely 

send every patient for BNA 

tests,” said Eli Zangvil, El- 

Minda’s strategic adviser for 

business development. 

“Our test would add information 

and aid in diagnostics 

in a way no other existing 

technology can do,” he 

added. 

BNA could help doctors 

find out exactly at what stage 

a patient’s illness is and prescribe 

exact medication. “To 

do that, we must collect a lot 

of data,” Zangvil said. 

“To say this person has a 

certain disease or condition, 

I have to be able to compare 

their pattern to a normal 

brain pattern of a person of 

the same age and gender,” he 

said. — IANS 

SCIENTISTS have developed 

a new technique which uses 

cutting edge technology to 

peer inside living viruses, the tiniest 

among micro-organisms, says 

a study. 

The technique combines cryoelectron 

microscopy (cryo-EM) 

— cutting-edge microscopy with 

3D computer imaging — to image 

the internals of a virus no bigger 

than 15 and 200 nanometres. A nanometre 

is a billionth of a metre. 

Cryo-EM by itself does not 

help visualize internal structures 

of the micro-organism, because 

radiation is used to image them. 

But by tweaking the process with 

computers, imaging is possible. 

"With lower doses of radiation, 

it is not possible to see inside the 

organism," said study author Alasdair 

Steven of the National Insti- 

The results of these efforts shall surely 

be seen in the development of the youth 

and reflect in the progress of the years to 

come. 

— Badr al Lawati 

Editor: As the country continues with 

its Omanisation initiative it is important 

that the Omani youth are qualified as well 

as experienced. Indeed, this scholarship 

DEAF people who rely on sign language 

are quicker at catching on 

to body language than people with 

normal hearing, reveals a study. 

The latest study suggests the deaf may 

be adept at picking up on subtle visual 

traits in the actions of others, an ability 

that could be useful for some sensitive 

jobs, such as airport screening. 

“There are a lot of anecdotes about 

deaf people being better able to pick up 

on body language, but this is the first evidence 

of that,” said David Corina, professor 

of linguistics, University of California-Davis 

Centre for Mind and Brain. 

Corina and graduate student Michael 

Grosvald, measured the response times of 

both deaf and hearing people to a series 

of video clips showing people making 

American Sign Language signs or nonlanguage 

gestures, such as stroking the 

chin, the journal Cognition reported. 

“We expected that deaf people would 

recognise sign language faster than hearing 

people, as the deaf people know and 

use sign language daily, but the real surprise 

was that deaf people also were about 

100 milliseconds faster at recognising 

non-language gestures than hearing people,” 

Corina said. This work is important 

because it suggests that the human ability 

for communication is modifiable and 

is not limited to speech, Corina said, according 

to a university statement. 

Deaf people show us that language 

can be expressed by the hands and be perceived 

through the visual system. When 

this happens, deaf signers get the added 

benefit of being able to recognise nonlanguage 

actions better than hearing people 

who do not know a sign language, said 

Corina. The study supports the idea that 

sign language is based on a modification 

of the system that all humans use to recognise 

gestures and body language, rather 

than working through a completely different 

system, added Corina. — IANS 

will benefit many and boost the morale of 

the Omani youth. 

Carriageway in Salalah 

FROM time to time traffic has been 

a problem in many parts of the 

region. However, the new carriageway 

of Salalah-Thamrait in the Dhofar 

Governorate is good news as road traffic 

may be eased, and thus hopefully there 

will be fewer accidents and delays. 

— Sara Mahgoub 

Editor: Road safety is a major concern 

in the Sultanate. This carriageway 

is believed to ease traffic in the governorate. 

Stop littering 

OMAN has always been a clean 

country. Recently, however, I noticed 

a surge in uncleanliness especially 

on beaches. I am aware of Oman’s 

commitment to sustainable development 

via recycling; so I would like to take this 

opportunity to remind the public about 

the need to collect rubbish and throw it 

in the bin. 

This is to treasure and honour 

Oman for her natural splendour. I 

would also like to take this opportunity 

to suggest that trash bins and recycling 

bins may be placed near beaches and 

that the youth recognise their place in 

society as the future groomers of the nation. 

— Charlotte Makala 

Editor: The Sultanate has always 

prided itself as being a clean and orderly 

nation. It is unfortunate that some areas 

are becoming cluttered due to the lazy 

or mindless attitude of some individuals. 

Despite these few incidents, the Sultanate 

still maintains a high standard of cleanliness. 

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, Co-ordinator, 

Office of the Editor-in-Chief Tel: 24649451, Fax: 24649469; 

e-mail: featuredesk@yahoo.co.in 

Deaf quicker at catching body language 

Latest microscopy reveals 

inner working of viruses 

tute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal 

and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). 

"However, higher doses of radiation 

damage the virus, destroying 

the very structures that we 

would like to view," said Steven, 

the journal Science reported. 

Working with researcher Lindsay 

Black at the University of 

Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, 

Steven and his team were 

able to turn the problem of radiation 

damage into an asset, according 

to a university statement. 

They realized that proteins inside 

the virus are more sensitive to 

damage than DNA. 

"We first used low doses of 

radiation and recorded images in 

which the inner structure of the virus 

was invisible," said Steven. 

"Next, we used high doses of 

radiation, and found that the inner 

structure could be seen as a cylinder 

of bubbles," he added. While 

the inner structure was damaged, 

the team was able to superimpose 

the images, using 3D computer reconstruction. 

As a result, they were able to 

clearly visualize the viral structure. 

The investigators termed this 

technique as bubblegram imaging. 

— IANS 

KIDS whose mothers work long hours tend to put on weight after missing 

out on healthy meals, a research has found. 

Researchers say that for every 10 hours a week a mother works, the 

weight of their children increases by an average 1.5 per cent. 

Childhood obesity has grown enormously since the 1960s in the US with 

an estimated 14 per cent of boys and 17 per cent of girls in the age group 2-15 

being obese, the journal Child Development reports. 

The new research in the US found that it was statistically connected to women 

going to work, according to the Telegraph. 

Researchers at American University, Cornell University and the University 

of Chicago used data from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, 

looking at 900 children who lived in 10 cities across the US. 

They found that the total number of years mothers were employed had a small 

but cumulative influence on their children’s weight as it lead to an increase in 

the likelihood of being overweight. Every six months of work undertaken by a 

mother added approximately one pound in weight to their child. — IANS

AS dawn broke the girls slowly emerged 

from the small mosque at Al Saleel 

from where they had taken shelter. The 

night had been cold and windy so the mosque 

was a welcome refuge. By eight O’clock the 

sun had crept over the hill and started to warm 

the camp. Packed and ready to go the Golden 

Torches Trading team was on the road by 8.30 

am. Although weary from the extremely difficult 

climb yesterday, the girls seemed remarkably 

cheery knowing they had only 7.1 km to 

cover today. 

The route took them straight to a one kilometre 

climb before levelling on top of the 

mountain at sixteen hundred metres. From 

here on the road gently meandered over the 

barren terrain. It is a harsh landscape with 

little in the way of shelter or vegetation, but 

home to numerous pairs of wild donkeys. 

Originally used as a reliable form of transport, 

these beasts have long since been replaced by 

the 4x4. Although they make a pretty sight, 

the feral donkey is doing great damage to the 

mountain landscape. 

The team did well to cover the ground, and 

arrived ahead of schedule at 10.40 am. For the 

girls, reaching the towers symbolised the pinnacle 

of their achievement. Mohammed, the team 

leader had given them all a surprise that they 

were to have a half day rest because they had 

done exceptionally well, and were well ahead 

of the schedule. They all rejoiced and took a 

long break that had been missed in many days. 

Before the afternoon they were ready with their 

tents up, and chatted and relaxed and for the 

28 ADVENTURE SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 

A welcome refuge in a small mosque in Al Saleel 

Outward Bou Bound nd Oman 

Salalah-Muscat 

41st National Day 

Youth Challenge 

— DAY 56 

Oman Establishment for Press, 

Publication and Advertising, publishers 

of the Oman Daily Observer and Oman 

Arabic daily, are the media sponsors 

first time in so many days. 

“Knowing that we are a day ahead, and that 

we have covered a total of 116 km, we all feel 

a sense of achievement. It feels great”. Intesar 

exclaimed. 

“It was amazing to get over here after a hard 

climb the day before and look at what we have 

accomplished; the weather is around 10 degrees 

at night. It’s freezing, but we are having fun 

around the fire”, said Fatma. 

The ‘beehive’ tombs are an impressive sight, 

and are believed to date from 2000-2500BC. 

Built during the Umm An Nar period they were 

used for burials and were sighted on the highest 

points in the landscape. Some ninety tombs 

Camped beside the ancient tombs on 

top of Salma Plateau. 

Steep ascent leads to easier ground 

— girl power rules! 

Current Location: Camped at the 

tower tombs on top of Salma 

Plateau. 

Latitude: 22.48.95 North 

Longitude: 059.08.26 East 

cover an area of several square kilometres. Local 

legend states that the Kebir Keb spirit built 

the tombs. Tonight the girls are camped just 

below them. 

Chief Executive Officer ABDULLAH BIN NASSIR AL RAHBI. Editor-in-Chief FAHMY BIN KHALID AL HARTHY 

Printers and Publishers OMAN ESTABLISHMENT FOR PRESS, PUBLICATION AND ADVERTISING 

Between Us Only! 

Majid Said al Suleimany 

www.majidall.com 

Reconcile and 

support the youth! 

HERE is the UK Archbishop Rowan Williams’ New 

Year Speech on the British Youth: In reflecting on 

the events of the summer in UK 2011 — which 

showed us “a face of our society we don’t like to think 

about — angry, destructive, lawless”, Archbishop Rowan 

Williams urges us to recognise that this destruction was the 

work of a minority — and that most of the young people 

of their generation “strongly shared the general feeling of 

dismay at this behaviour”. 

“When you see the gifts they can offer, the energy that 

can be released when they feel safe and loved, you see what 

a tragedy we so often allow to happen. Look at the work 

done by groups like the Children’s Society or by the astonishing 

network of Kids Company here in London, and 

you see what can be done to wake up that energy and let it 

flourish for everyone’s good.” 

Finally, the Archbishop urges us to recognise how our 

own actions can make a real difference to society: 

“... being grown-up doesn’t mean forgetting about the 

young. And a good New Year’s Resolution (2012) might 

be to think what you can do locally to support facilities for 

young people, to support opportunities for counselling and 

learning and enjoyment in a safe environment. And above 

all, perhaps we should just be asking how we make friends 

with our younger fellow citizens — for the sake of our happiness 

as well as theirs.” 

Nelson Mandela of South Africa and The TRC — Truth 

and Reconciliation Commission — From Wikipedia, the 

free Encyclopaedia: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission 

(TRC) was a court-like restorative justice body 

assembled in South Africa after the abolition of apartheid. 

Witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human 

rights violations were invited to give statements about their 

experiences, and some were selected for public hearings. 

Perpetrators of violence could also give testimony and request 

amnesty from both civil and criminal prosecution. 

The TRC led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel 

Peace award) was set up in terms of the South African Promotion 

of National Unity and Reconciliation. The mandate 

of the commission was to bear witness to, record and in 

some cases grant amnesty to the perpetrators of crimes relating 

to human rights violations, as well as reparation and 

rehabilitation 

The TRC, the first of the 19 held internationally to stage 

public hearings, was seen by many as a crucial component 

of the transition to full and free democracy in South Africa. 

Despite some flaws, it is generally (although not universally) 

thought to have been successful 

Our own youth in reflections: Though we did not escape 

from the aftermaths of the Arab Spring uprisings — Allah 

is Great — we in Oman were able to escape mainly and 

largely unscathed. We were able to pragmatically, dynamically 

and wisely sit to talk and solve our own problems, 

admittedly too with mainly some few elements of the youth 

that went overboard. Majority of our youth remain in the 

mainstream of being concerned with getting jobs and their 

perceived rights in peaceful and meaningful ways. 

However, we still do need to change our outlook and 

perceptions to make our own decisions, chart our own 

course and path and do the ethical and professional things 

required of us for our own legacy, destiny and future. Our 

future history and generations will judge us by what we do 

now — or not do! 

Bottomline everyone is responsible for one’s actions 

and actions. 

We need to sit and talk with our youth. Any parent with 

teenage children, be they Omani or otherwise, will tell you 

almost the very same things of the difficulties, pains and 

complexities of dealing with the youth now. Seen as mainly 

rebellious and independent in their ways, traits and behaviour. 

We need to think outside the box, to see the bigger 

picture and be more appreciative, sympathetic and understanding 

per se! 

Truthfully, we do need to wake up from this deep slumber 

some of us are still in now before it is too late for everyone! 

Jane had French film on ‘bucket list’ 

VETERAN 

Hollywood 

actress 

Jane Fonda, 

returning to 

the screen in 

a French film 

about a band 

of friends in 

their 70s, has 

said making the 

movie was on 

her ‘bucket list’ 

of things to do 

before she dies. 

Set for release next Wednesday, 

Et si on Vivait Tous Ensemble 

(Why Don’t we all Live 

Together?) tells of a group of 

friends who decide to move in 

together, to share the joys and 

challenges of old age. 

It is Fonda’s 

first French film 

since the 1972 

release, Tout 

Va Bien, by the 

New Wave director 

Jean-Luc 

Godard. 

“You know 

the expression 

‘bucket list’,” 

she told RTL 

radio in an interview, 

conducted 

in fluent French. “When you 

are old, you draw up a list of 

all the things you want to do 

before you die.” 

“I wanted to shoot another 

film in French — I couldn’t 

die before making at least one 

film in French.” — AFP 

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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