Observer 11 Nov 2011 - Oman Observer

Fast test for
severe food
poisoning
Page 12
Friday, November 11, 2011/Dhul-Hijjah 15, 1432 AH
www.omanobserver.om editor@omanobserver.om
Fears of euro zone break-up
POLITICAL and economic crisis in Italy spurred fears
of a split in the euro zone with borrowing costs for
Europe’s third biggest economy near unsustainable
levels and the bloc unable to afford a bailout. The
escalating crisis prompted European Commission
President Jose Manuel Barroso to issue a stern
warning of the dangers of splitting the zone.
7 18
Heavy to moderate showers caused wadis to overflow
Normal outlook for today
MUSCAT — Heavy rains to light
showers lashed several wilayats of
different governorates of the Sultanate
yesterday resulting in overflow
of some wadis.
Drizzle fell on the wilayats of
Seeb, Al Khoudh, Muttrah, Ruwi, Al
Sifah, Zikt, Bausher, Athaiba and Al
Ansab in Muscat Governorate.
Heavy to moderate rains also fell
on the wilayats of Jaalan Bani Bu
Ali, Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan, Sur, Al
Mudhaibi, Dima W’attayeen, in the
governorates of Al Sharqiyah South
and Al Sharqiyah North.
Overcast clouds are predicted
in the governorates of Wusta, Al
Sharqiyah South, Al Sharqiyah North
in the next 24 hours with a chance of
rainfall and thundershowers.
The weather will be partly cloudy
in the governorates of Muscat and
Dhofar, with a probability of rains
and thundershowers.
Fine and clear weather will prevail
in the rest of the Sultanate’s governorates.
Northerly to northeasterly light to
moderate winds will blow on much
of the Sultanate and active winds on
coastal areas overlooking the Arabian
Sea, the thundershowers will also
be accompanied by active winds.
The first major downpour in nearly
a year unleashed chaos in many
parts of the Sultanate, triggering
gridlock along major carriageways,
inundating neighbourhoods, and
sparking an airborne evacuation of
flood-hit Al Nahdha Hospital in the
heart of the capital.
Thousands of motorists were
trapped in their vehicles for as long
as five hours as flooded streets and
busted traffic signals set off lengthy
tailbacks extending for several kilometres
in several areas of the capital.
Worst affected were the Wadi Kabir-
Ruwi, Hamriya-Qurum, Wadi Adai-
Al Amerat, Central Corridor, and
Burj al Sahwa-Mawaleh stretches.
In scenes reminiscent of the devastation
wrought by tropical Cyclone
Gonu in 2007, at least 14 people have
been killed and dozens of cars have
been swept away along the wadis in
a surge of flood water. See page 2
New push for Yemen peace Quake hits Turkey
SANAA — A UN envoy returned to
Yemen yesterday to try to persuade
President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step
aside under a Gulf-brokered plan to
halt months of unrest, which flared
again in the city of Taiz where security
forces fired on protesters.
The UN envoy Jamal Benomar
would meet Vice-President Abd-
Rabbu Mansour Hadi and opposition
leaders to try to clinch the deal
devised by Yemen’s Gulf neigh-
bours to end nine months of protests
against Saleh’s 33-year rule.
“I hope this will be an opportunity
to solve the issues between
the political factions in Yemen,”
Benomar told state news agency
Saba when he arrived in the capital.
In an interview posted on opposition
website al Sahwa, British
Ambassador John Wilks said it was
time for Saleh to fulfill his pledge to
leave office.
VAN — Rescue workers searched
for survivors under rubble in eastern
Turkey after the second earthquake
in three weeks killed at least seven
people, inflating the death toll of
600 from the previous tremor.
Search and rescue teams worked
through the night in the city of Van,
rescuing 25 people from the ruins
of two hotels, said a statement from
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency
Administration. Details on P4
Greece to avert bankruptcy Vit B beats stress
ATHENS — Greece’s new leader
Lucas Papademos steeled his country
for tough times ahead yesterday
as he assured Greeks of the need for
the euro after being named to head a
crisis government.
But Athens’ European peers, who
had watched with anxiety as powersharing
talks dragged on for four
days, insisted on “strong cross-party”
reassurances from the new team
that will be sworn in today.
Welcoming the designation of
a new interim prime minister, EU
president Herman Van Rompuy and
European Commission chief Jose
Manuel Barroso said: “It is important
for Greece’s new government to
send a strong cross-party message of
reassurance to its European partners
that it is committed to doing what
it takes to set its debt on a steady
downward path.”
Giving his maiden speech mo-
ments after receiving a mandate from
Greece’s president, Papademos, a
respected former vice-president of
the European Central Bank, said the
crisis-hit country was at a crossroads
as bankruptcy loomed.
“The Greek economy is facing
huge problems despite the enormous
efforts made,” he told a huge crowd
of journalists outside the presidential
mansion after political leaders took
four days to appoint him.
“Greece is at a crucial crossroads
... the course will not be easy,” he
said. He called on Greeks to pull together
as the country faces up to its
worst economic crisis in decades.
“The problems will be resolved
faster... if there is unity, co-operation
and wisdom,” Papademos said.
The Athens market gained ground
when his appointment was announced,
but later slumped to losses
of 0.72 per cent. See page 5
SYDNEY — Taking more Vitamin
B, found in meat, beans and wholegrains,
seems to significantly
lower work-related stress.
These were the findings of a
three-month trial, conducted by
Con Stough, professor at Swimburne
University of Technology,
where participants were given a
course of either high dose Vitamin
B supplements or a placebo.
“By lowering stress, we also
lower the risk of health problems
such as cardiovascular disease, depression
and anxiety,” Stough was
quoted as saying by the journal
Human Psychopharmacology.
Researchers assessed 60 participants
against factors such as
personality, work demands, mood,
anxiety and strain and then re-evaluated
them at 30 and 90 days, said
Stough, according to a Swimburne
statement. Details on page 12
Qatari premier lauds successful handling of people’s aspirations
Seen it as an example of resolving issues in a very positive way
MUSCAT — An official at the
Health Ministry stated that Al
Nahdha Hospital will be partially
operational as from tomorrow.
The medical services will be
in motion in the sections of Dermatology,
ENT as well as the
emergency department and the inpatient
wards. The hospital’s patients
were evacuated for the sake
of their own safety and the work
was put on hold following flashfloods
that inundated the area on
November 2.
As for the rest of the hospital
News Briefing
Tourism
potential
showcased
Page 11
Oman set to tackle Australia
FULLY aware of a must-win situation, the Oman
soccer team are all charged-up to give their best in the
all-important Group ‘D’ match against Australia in the
2014 World Cup Qualifiers at the Sultan Qaboos Sports
Complex in Bausher today. Oman’s French coach Paul
le Guen sounded optimism that the Sultanate squad
were in perfect shape and geared up to give their best.
Presidential bid
REPUBLICAN presidential candidate
Rick Perry insisted yesterday he was
still in the race despite a potentially
campaign-ending gaffe. — P3
Corruption trial
CROATIA’S former premier Ivo Sanader
pleaded not guilty yesterday to a new set
of corruption charges, accusing him of
taking kickback in a murky deal. — P5
Low profile
FUGITIVE ex-Thai premier Thaksin
Shinawatra is lying low as prospects of a
triumphant homecoming look ever more
distant, observers say. — P17
Protest ends
AFTER 309 days atop a crane — sitting
out snowstorms, a typhoon and heatwaves
— labour activist Kim Jin-Suk came
down to earth yesterday. — P18
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 05:01 am 11:56 pm 03:06 pm 05:28 pm 06:41 pm Max M 29 31 28 26 26 29 31
Min 20 25 22 15 23 21 25
Buying 0.382 Selling 0.388 $1,787.90
20
HM’s wisdom hailed
Latest developments
have given the people
an effective voice
in governance
CAIRO — Shaikh Hamad
bin Jassim bin Jabr al Thani,
Prime Minister and Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Qatar, hailed
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’
wisdom in handling his people’s
aspirations and demands.
The Qatari premier said in a
speech to the Egyptian daily Al
Akhbar that His Majesty showed
absolute wisdom and rapid
response to the sit-ins seeking
improved livelihood. He knew
how to successfully address the
people’s craving for a better life
conditions.
His Majesty, the Qatari premier
said, recognised from the start
that the issue revolves around
job-seeking and job generation,
so he straightforwardly began
addressing the problem in an
astonishingly positive way,
thereby setting a vivid example on
how to cope with such a problem
with utmost calm and astuteness.
A few months ago,
Al Nahdha Hospital to resume services
VILLINGILI ISLAND — India
and Pakistan hailed progress in
diplomatic ties yesterday promising
to open a “new chapter” in their
fraught relationship at a next round
of formal peace talks due to take
place by the end of this month.
Lasting peace between the
neighbours is seen as essential to
South Asian stability and to helping
a troubled transition in Afghanistan
as Nato-led combat forces
plan their military withdrawal
from that country in 2014.
Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani
counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani
held nearly an hour-long discussion
at a resort island in the Maldives,
punctuating a recent thaw
between the two.
That includes Pakistan’s decision
to grant its giant neighbour favourable
trade terms and end huge
understanding the needs of
citizens for jobs, His Majesty the
Sultan issued orders to employ
50,000 citizens and grant RO 150
per month for each job seeker
registered at the Manpower
Ministry till he/she finds a job.
The results are evident as the
process of recruitment continues.
The private sector was also
encouraged to actively take part in
building the edifice of the nation
that is also now strong.
In recent weeks, with the
Majlis Ash’shura elections, steps
have been taken to give more
power to the people.
The election of the chairman
of the Majlis Ash’shura and two
deputies is the latest step that will
ensure its effective functioning as
the true voice of the people and
the symbol of their aspirations.
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos
also amended the process of
choosing his successor, by
appointing five top officials to a
Council.
The latest developments that
have given the people an effective
voice in governance has inspired
them. Indicative of this truth is
the high turnout for the Majlis
departments, the source said the
oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic
will receive patients from Monday
14, while the dental surgery
patients will be treated in Oman
Dental College located close to
Wattayah Medical Centre.
The Sultan Qaboos University
Hospital will continue receiving
emergency cases of ENT and ophthalmology
until further notice.
Al Nahdha, one of the three tertiary
care hospitals run by the Ministry
of Health, was shut after last
week’s torrential rain flooded the
Pakistan, India begin new era
restrictions that require most products
to move via a third country.
“The next round of talks will be
more positive, more constructive
and will open a new chapter in the
history of both countries,” Gilani
told reporters after the meeting
with Manmohan on the sidelines
of a summit of South Asian leaders.
“I can only assure you that I
discussed all core issues.”
Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina
Rabbani Khar said that the next
round of talks would begin by the
end of this month.
“We will resume this dialogue
with the expectation that all issues
which have bedevilled relations
between the two countries will be
discussed,” Singh said. “The time
has come to write a new chapter
in the history of the relationship of
the two countries.” See page 15
Ash’shura elections.
Commenting on the
collaborative process of taking the
national decisions, His Majesty
has said: “It was our wish, from
the very beginning, to see Oman
embark upon its own enterprise in
the field of democratic action in
which the citizens play their part
in taking national decisions.
“This enterprise has been
built up brick by brick on
firm foundation based on the
realities of the Omani life and
the conditions of the age in
which we live. This is reflected
on the step by step approach
which we adopted in this regard,
which culminated in all legally
eligible citizens — both men
and women — being granted the
right to vote. From our side, we
extend support to this process,
while our government from its
side is performing its duty in cooperation
with the Majlis Addawla
and the Majlis Ash’shura”.
The process of consulting the
people began long ago. During his
tours of the country, His Majesty
listened to the grievances of
the people and ordered followup
measures. The results were
facility in the Hamriya area.
Most of the medicines were destroyed
in flooding. Even during
the 2007 tropical Cyclone Gonu,
the area was unaffected.
The parking lot of Al Nahdha
Hospital resembled a junkyard as
cars were stacked on each other after
they were washed away in the
flood waters.
The Royal Oman Police had
to bring in a helicopter to move a
patient, who was operated on November
2 morning, to the Royal
Hospital.
stupendous as projects to benefit
citizens were executed with speed.
The people’s voice was heard
in other ways too. Some time
ago, the government ordered
all ministries to constitute a
department whose officials would
hear the grievances of the people.
Once again, the results were
stupendous.
The Qatari premier pointed
out that the GCC states are
characterised by flexibility and a
distinguished kind of relationship
between the citizens and the
governments, a relationship
that is governed by a firm
communication between the two
sides.
He affirmed the keenness of
the GCC states to correct any
wrong through keeping strong
ties with their people, confirming
that the Gulf states’ citizens
enjoy a high living standard
underpinned by a robust economic
development rate.
The GCC states are marching
in the direction of gradual
change that satisfy the people’s
aspirations while preserving and
protecting what has already been
achieved. — ONA
Fifty-six in-patients of the hospital
were evacuated to safety.
The evacuees from the floodhit
hospital’s Surgical Ward were
transferred to Khoula Hospital,
while those from the General Ward
were moved to the Royal Hospital.
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al
Saeedi, Minister of Health, after
assessing the damage has incated
that the flooding of the hospital
had made it necessary to reconsider
its location and the reasons for
the flooding. — ONA

Lead a righteous
life: Grand Mufti
ADAM — His Eminence
Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamed al
Khalili, Grand Mufti of the
Sultanate, delivered a religious
lecture on the premises
of Al Bashair Club in the
Wilayat of Adam yesterday.
The Grand Mufti said the
worldly life is an arena for
fierce competitions among
people and the Hereafter is
the place of reward or punishment
which will be given according
to every one’s deeds,
be it evil or righteous.
He said that people are different
in terms of their deeds
and actions, and this variation
raises some people to
high ranks while downgrades
others to the lowest ranks.
Hence, everyone should think
of one’s present as well as
future, and the present life as
well the next one and to strike
a balance between the two.
Any man’s deeds in the
worldly life never go unquestioned,
said His Eminence
quoting a verse from the
Holy Quran (Does man think
that he will be left neglected,
Was he not a Nutfah of semen
emitted). Thereby, everyone
is totally responsible for what
he does in the worldly life,
and they will be punished or
rewarded accordingly.
His Eminence concluded
his lecture by saying that the
Islamic religion is the true one
that should be followed.
2 OMAN
OMAN DAILY Observer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Tropical depression continues, rains lash many parts of Sultanate
BIRITISH traveller Adrian Hayes reached the Niyabat of Shasir yesterday afternoon covering 65 km from Al Mathafa which he reached on Wednesday. The traveller is now on the edge of the Empty Quarter which he strives to cross, inspired by
his compatriot Wilfred Thesiger who travelled through the desert of the Arabian Peninsula in the middle of the last century. Adrian and his companions received a warm welcome from residents of the Niabat of Shasar. — ONA

Coal mine blast kills 20, traps 23
Rescue efforts in China mine hampered by gas leak
BEIJING — At least 20 workers
were killed and another 23
were trapped underground after
a blast at a mine in China
yesterday, state media said,
in the latest disaster to hit the
country's vast mining industry.
Hundreds of emergency
workers and medics have
been sent to the mine in
southwest China to try to
rescue the surviving workers,
but their efforts are being
hampered by a gas leak, the
official China News Service
(CNS) said.
The mine was hit by a
"coal and gas outburst" — a
sudden and violent ejection
of coal, gas and rock from
a coal face in a mine, which
can cause serious injuries and
damage machinery, a local
mine safety official said.
CNS said 20 people had
been confirmed dead at the
privately run Sizhuang Coal
Rush to
marry on
‘singles day’
SHANGHAI — Thousands
of Chinese couples are reportedly
planning to get
married today, dubbed "singles'
day" in China because
the date is made up entirely
of the number one.
November 11 has been
celebrated as an unofficial
day for the unattached in
China since the 1990s, and
is seen as a good date to tie
the knot and leave the single
life behind.
This year, it is seen as
particularly auspicious because
the year also ends in
the number 11. The Shanghai
Morning Post said more
than 3,000 couples were
booked to marry in the city,
calling this a "once in a century
opportunity".
Other Chinese cities were
reporting a similar mania
with more than 400 couples
in the central city of Wuhan
and over a hundred couples
in eastern Jinan city planning
to marry because of the
auspicious date.
"It's a once in a lifetime
opportunity to come up with
a wedding date like this and
we won't miss it," groom
Wang Qiang told the official
Xinhua news agency.
Shanghai's wedding planning
agencies said they were
expecting brisk business for
the day, with the rush promising
a commercial boom.
"It's a special day," a
saleswoman of the Wedding
Story company said.
The company will host two
weddings today, a rarity on a
weekday. — AFP
Mine in Shizong county, in
the southwestern province of
Yunnan.
"Eighteen rescue workers
are down in the coal mine, but
the high levels of gas could
cause an explosion, making it
hard to progress with the rescue,"
Tan Xiaopeng, the head
of the local firefighting department,
told CNS.
The state Xinhua news
agency said more than 30 ambulances
had been dispatched
to the mine, and that two senior
government officials were
travelling to the site of the
accident to oversea rescue efforts.
The accident comes days
after a rock blast in a coal
mine in the central province
of Henan trapped dozens of
workers underground.
Most were eventually
pulled out after a 40-hour rescue
operation, though 10 were
killed.
BEIJING/HONG KONG —
China's Commerce Ministry
said yesterday it was "greatly
concerned" about Washington's
investigation into
whether Chinese companies
are selling solar panels in the
United States at unfair discounts.
The Commerce Ministry
spokesman, Shen Danyang,
warned in a statement on the
ministry's website that the
probe could jeopardise Beijing's
co-operation on energy
issues.
The US Commerce Department
said on Wednesday
it would investigate whether
Chinese companies sell solar
panels in the United States at
unfair discounts and receive
illegal government subsidies.
Coal mine accidents are
common in China, where work
safety is often neglected by
bosses seeking a quick profit.
Last year, 2,433 people died
in coal mining accidents in the
country, according to official
statistics — a rate of more than
six workers per day.
Labour rights groups, however,
say the actual death toll
is likely to be much higher,
partly due to under-reporting
of accidents as mine bosses
seek to limit their economic
losses and avoid punishment.
China's rapid economic
growth has caused demand
for energy, including coal, to
surge.
The Asian nation is the
world's leading consumer of
coal, relying on it for 70 per
cent of its growing energy
needs.
Over the past eight years it
has on average built one coalfired
power station a week.
The trade dispute, one of
several sensitive economic
and trade issues between the
United States and China,
could lead to steep duties on
imports of Chinese panels
and help struggling domestic
manufacturers.
"The Chinese government
is greatly concerned about
this case," China Commerce
Ministry's Shen said, adding
that China retains the right to
adopt corresponding measures
within the framework of the
World Trade Organisation.
Chinese solar manufacturers,
which will be most affected
by the petition, include
Suntech Power Holdings,
Yingli Green Energy Holding
and Trina Solar .
The action comes as world
3
ASIA/AMERICAS
OMAN DAILY Observer
And with the arrival of winter,
mines are operating at full capacity.
Fatalities at Chinese coal
mines peaked in 2002 when
6,995 deaths were recorded,
sparking efforts by the government
to boost safety standards.
In its latest campaign, the
government last year issued a
policy that required six kinds
of safety systems — including
rescue facilities — to be installed
in all coal mines within
three years.
But accidents still occur on
a regular basis. Last month, a
gas explosion at a state-owned
coal mine in the central province
of Hunan left 29 miners
dead.
Earlier in October, blasts at
mines in the southwestern city
of Chongqing and the northern
province of Shaanxi killed 13
and 11 miners respectively.
— AFP
China ‘concerned’ about
US solar dumping probe
leaders at the Asia-Pacific
Economic Forum (Apec)
gather to discuss this week a
plan to reduce taxes and market-distorting
regulation on
environmental goods including
solar products.
Industry experts said the
Commerce Department's decision
to launch the investigaction
could derail efforts of
leaders to move forward with
the plan.
"Governments should recognise
the distinct role that
solar plays in reducing carbon
emissions. Surely, trade barriers
do not serve a role in promoting
(the sector's) growth,"
said K K Chan, chief executive
at private equity fund
Nature Elements Capital.
— Reuters
EMPLOYEES inspect and sort solar panels into different quality categories at a
workshop of LDK Solar company in Hefei, Anhui province, yesterday. — Reuters
S Korea silenced as students take key exam
SEOUL — Flights were halted,
rush hour was rescheduled
and parents prayed as hundreds
of thousands of students
in education-obsessed South
Korea sat a crucial college entrance
examination yesterday.
More than 693,000 students
took the day-long standardised
College Scholastic Ability Test
at 1,207 centres nationwide,
the education ministry said.
High marks are essential
for entry to a top university.
This in turn is seen as key to
securing a prestigious job —
and even a prestigious marriage
in some cases.
Aviation authorities said 88
flights would be rescheduled
to avoid noisy landings and
take-offs during language listening
tests in the morning and
afternoon.
Drivers of vehicles and
trains were asked to avoid
honking horns near test centres.
The stock market's opening
and closing was delayed by an
hour. Many government offices
and private companies also
opened late to ease rush-hour
traffic so that students could
arrive at test centres on time.
A police patrol car, siren
blaring, was seen escorting
one latecomer outside Seoul's
Whimoon high school.
"I felt under the weather
and got up late this morning.
There were no cabs in the
street and I got panicky. Then
I saw a street banner telling
latecomers to call (emergency
number) 112," the student told
Yonhap news agency.
In the central city of Daejeon,
a 19-year-old boy who
failed to enter college last
year and was about to take
the exam a second time was
found dead early yesterday in
an apparent suicide, Yonhap
reported.
He was said to have left a
message of apology to his parents.
Exam day is nerve-racking
not only for students but also
for parents, who crowded
churches and Buddhist temples
to pray for good results.
Mothers were seen praying
outside the closed gates of
Seoul's Kyunggi high school,
one of the test centres. They
attached pieces of paper inscribed
with prayers to the
gates.
On the eve of the exam,
department stores and bakeries
were crowded by wellwishers
who bought gift sets
of chocolates and rice cakes
seeking good luck. Superstition
has it that sticky rice
cakes help students cling on
to knowledge. — AFP
A HIGH school student prays for success before the start of her college entrance
test in an exam room in Seoul yesterday. — Reuters
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
PROTESTERS are hit by water cannons used by the police as they try to march towards the headquarters of the ruling
Grand National Party during a rally against the South Korea-US free trade agreement talks in Seoul yesterday. — Reuters
Land granny
executed for
corruption
BEIJING — A Chinese
official dubbed the "land
granny" was executed after
amassing 145 million yuan
($23 million) in bribes and
illicit wealth, media reported
yesterday, offering a glimpse
into the country's underground
economy in land
deals.
Luo Yaping was head of a
land sub-bureau in a district
of Fushun, a city in northeast
China — not an especially
high position — and yet she
was able to use her power
over land development and
compensation to accumulate
a fortune in bribes and
embezzled compensation,
the China News Service reported.
Luo, 50, was executed
on Wednesday, the report
said. "The media called her
the 'land granny' because she
looted 145 million yuan,"
said the report.
A leader of the ruling
Communist Party's anticorruption
agency said Luo's
crime involved "the lowest
ranked official, the biggest
amount, and the most evil
means," the China News
Service said.
China's leaders are struggling
to tame both feverish
property price rises and discontent
over land grabs, and
Luo's exploits illustrated the
problems created by giving
officials such a powerful
grip over land transactions.
A recent survey found
disputes over land acquisitions
had reached a new
peak. — Reuters
Military action
raises violence
in drug war
MEXICO CITY — Mexican
President Felipe Calderon's
military crackdown on drug
gangs has led to a dramatic
increase in killings and abuses
by the security forces, Human
Rights Watch said.
"Instead of reducing
violence, Mexico's 'war on
drugs' has resulted in a dramatic
increase in killings,
torture and other appalling
abuses by security forces,"
said Jose Miguel Vivanco,
Americas director at the USbased
watchdog.
"Neither Rights Nor Security,"
a 200-page report
released in Mexico City,
focused on five of the most
violent states, claiming that
security forces took part in
over 170 instances of torture,
39 disappearances and
24 extrajudicial killings
since Calderon took office in
December 2006.
The report concluded
that "virtually none" of the
alleged abuses were being
adequately investigated.
It criticised the use of
military tribunals to try
soldiers for rights abuses
despite rulings by the Supreme
Court and the Inter-
American Court of Human
Rights that they should
be investigated in civilian
courts. — AFP
Perry says ‘oops’ moment
won’t derail 2012 campaign
WASHINGTON — He may
have "stepped in it" by suffering
a cringe-inducing memory
lapse in the latest Republican
presidential debate, but Rick
Perry insisted yesterday he
was still in the race despite a
potentially campaign-ending
gaffe.
"If there is a day to stay
in the fight, this is it," he told
NBC's Today Show, defending
his campaign when a reporter
reminded him of messages
flooding Twitter and social media
that Perry's White House
bid was likely doomed.
"We'll be in South Carolina
on Saturday," the Texas
governor said, referring to the
next debate among the main
Republican contenders for the
chance to go up against President
Barack Obama next November.
During the Wednesday debate
in the US state of Michigan,
Perry had struggled to
remember a key plank of his
economic platform, managing
to name just two of the three
US government departments
he vowed to eliminate if he
was elected.
"It's three agencies of government
when I get there that
are gone, Commerce, Education
and the, err, what's the
third one there..." Perry began,
amid prompts from his seven
rivals and gentle laughter from
the audience.
"The third one, I can't, I'm
sorry, I can't. Oops," he concluded.
Perry's team instantly
sought to limit the damage
after the debate, but by
LOS ANGELES — Michael
Jackson's estate condemned
as "reprehensible" a TV documentary
featuring convicted
doctor Conrad Murray, set to
be aired after the medic was
found guilty over the star's
death.
Jackson's executors demanded
broadcaster MSNBC
withdraw plans to screen the
programme — along with an
interview in which Murray
quotes Jackson's last words in
2009 as "begging" for propofol,
the drug that killed him —
later this week.
"Like so many of Michael's
fans, the estate is... disgusted
by MSNBC's irresponsible
and inexplicable decision to
air a Conrad Murray 'documentary,'"
it said about the
show, Michael Jackson and
the Doctor, A Fatal Friendship.
The estate's co-executors
John Branca and John Mc-
Clain sent a letter to the top
executives of Comcast, NBC
Universal and MSNBC "to
express their disdain for their
actions," it added in a statement.
The show, scheduled to
be aired today in the United
States and in Britain within
the next week, includes interviews
with Murray in the
months leading up to his trial
in Los Angeles, which ended
RICK Perry answering a question at the CNBC Republican
presidential debate in Rochester, Michigan. — Reuters
the morning after Perry was
acknowledging his self-described
"brain freeze" was a
doozy.
"I don't mind saying clearly
that I stepped in it last night,"
he told NBC with a smile. "I'm
human like everyone else."
"The bottom line is, we're
going to get up every day
and go talk to the American
people," he told ABC's Good
Morning America as he made
a rapid round of the early talk
shows.
"They know that there's not
a perfect candidate that's been
made yet. And I'm kind of
proof positive of it every day,
that people make mistakes
when they debate," he added.
Jackson estate blasts
doctor’s TV show
with his conviction of involuntary
manslaughter on Monday.
In an interview with the
Today show which will be
part the MSNBC special,
Murray notably recounts the
hours before Jackson's death,
when the star was begging for
"milk" — his word for propofol,
which he had been using
to help him sleep.
"He was pleading, and begging
me, to please, please, let
him have some milk," Murray
says in the documentary.
"That was the only thing that
would work. He really could
not sleep," he says, according
to MSNBC.
Murray, who was paid
$150,000 a month by Jackson,
was remanded in custody
after being convicted over the
star's death on June 25, 2009
in Los Angeles, where the
singer was rehearsing for a
series of comeback concerts
in London.
The doctor faces up to four
years in jail, and is due back
in court on November 29 for
sentencing. The estate's letter
to MSNBC said: "No sooner
was Conrad Murray ordered
led away in handcuffs... than
we discovered your MSNBC
network inexplicably will
showcase him in primetime...
as if he is worthy of celebrity."
— AFP
And on CNN, he quipped:
"I bet there are a lot of Americans
out there who would
like to forget some agencies
of the government too," adding
that the third mystery department
he would eliminate,
after Commerce and Education,
was the Department of
Energy.
Perry's debate debacle lit
up the Twittersphere, with
several political analysts
weighing in, many saying his
presidential viability is over.
Democratic strategist Paul
Begala opined: "Perry's tiny
brain freezes when he tries
to name the 3 agencies he'd
close. Mental midget shrinks
even more." — AFP
Christie hits
campaign trail
for Romney
NASHUA, NH — New Jersey
Governor Chris Christie
made good on a promise to
pitch in for Mitt Romney's
bid for the 2012 Republican
presidential nomination.
Christie made two stops
in the early primary state
of New Hampshire in what
seemed to be an effort to
solidify Romney's support
among the state's many moderate
Republicans.
Long discussed as a potential
Republican candidate
for president in 2012, Christie
instead endorsed Romney
in October and promised at
the time to be an active campaigner
for the former Massachusetts
governor.
The move immediately
sparked talk of a Romney-
Christie ticket. Romney has
described the two as "great
friends." In Nashua, Christie
praised Romney's ability to
work across the aisle with
Democrats while governor.
Christie slammed Obama
for projecting a "pessimistic"
view of the US economy and
echoed Romney's regular
suggestions that Obama was
attempting to divide America
between rich and poor.
"He's saying to them,
'The American pie is only
so big and we can't grow it
anymore,'" Christie said.
— Reuters

4 REGION
OMAN DAILY Observer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
10 die as Turkey rocked again, hunt on for survivors
VAN, Turkey — Riot police fired
tear gas and used batons to disperse
protesters angry at the state's relief
efforts after the second earthquake
in eastern Turkey in three weeks
killed at least 10 people in the city
of Van.
Rescue teams searched for survivors
after the 5.7 magnitude tremor
on Wednesday night heaped misery
on the predominantly Kurdish region
where more than 600 people
died following a major quake on
October 23.
"How can you fire pepper
spray on people who have already
suffered so much?" said Abdulrahim
Kaplan, 32. He had gone to
the crisis centre for a tent when
police began firing tear gas, he
said.
"Our people are freezing. We are
sleeping outside — all seven of my
family," he said, complaining bitterly
over the alleged unfair distribution
of tents. "Some people take
five tents, some 10 and others get
nothing. This is wrong."
Thousands of families are living
in makeshift camps with temperatures
falling to freezing with the onset
of winter. The latest tremor cut
power to the area.
Some 200 demonstrators chanted
for the resignation of the provincial
governor in a rally close to
two city centre hotels that collapsed
during the latest quake.
Working through the night,
searchers had rescued 27 people
from the ruins of the hotels, said
a statement from Turkey's Disaster
and Emergency Administration
(AFAD).
Two of those brought out, including
a 16-month-old, were flown
by air ambulance to a hospital in the
capital Ankara.
RESCUE workers carry Gokhan Yuce, an earthquake survivor, to an ambulance after he was found in a collapsed building in Van yesterday. Right: Japanese aid worker Miyuki Konnai comforting
a young survivor of the October 23 quake on the first day of Eid al Adha in Van. Konnai yesterday was rescued from the rubble of a building after a quake that hit Van. — Reuters/AFP
Rescue workers pulled a Japanese
woman to safety from the rubble
of the Bayram Hotel almost six
hours after the quake but a Japanese
doctor succumbed to his injuries,
state-run Anatolian news agency
reported.
The woman, Miyuki Konnai,
was part of a rescue and relief team
sent to Van from Japan after the first
quake. She was found injured but
conscious and could be seen talking
to her rescuers as she was carried to
an ambulance.
"I am cold. Rescue me quickly,"
said a man aged around 55 to 60
years old. When rescued 11 hours
after the quake, he was strapped
into a stretcher and carried to a
waiting ambulance.
Deputy Prime Minister Besir
Atalay, who visited the devastated
Bayram Hotel with Turkey's foreign
minister, said 25 buildings had
collapsed in Van, of which 23 were
empty.
The owner of the flattened fivestorey
hotel, Aslan Bayram, told
broadcasters that building experts
had given his 47-year-old property
the all-clear after last month's
quake. At the time of the quake,
some 15 guests were believed to be
in the hotel.
Overwhelmed by demand for
tents in the early days, authorities
decided families would be given
them only after their homes were
checked by officials to see if they
were habitable.
Many people were too frightened
to return to homes with
cracked walls and ceilings as multiple
aftershocks continued to rattle
the region.
"What am I going to do? I don't
have a tent, I don't even know who
to get a tent from. Nobody tells
me. I cannot go back into my flat...
Where will I go tonight? It can happen
again," Halit Yazgan, 44, said
as an aftershock shook a nearby
building and sent men running for
the middle of the road.
The latest quake struck 16 km
south of Van at 1923 GMT on
Wednesday, while the epicentre
of the October 23 quake was just
northeast of Van.
A tremor of 5.7 magnitude
would not normally cause significant
damage but thousands of
buildings sustained damage in last
month's quake, and some were in a
dangerous condition.
Atalay, responding to journalists'
questions over why one of the
hotels had been given the all-clear,
said only preliminary, rather than
definitive assessments on structural
damage had been carried out on the
building.
Turkey is criss-crossed with
seismic faultines and experiences
small tremors nearly every day.
Some 20,000 people were killed by
two large earthquakes in western
Turkey in 1999. — Reuters
Egypt’s gas pipeline to
Israel, Jordan blown up
CAIRO — Saboteurs blew up a Sinai pipeline yesterday, halting
gas supplies from Egypt to Israel and Jordan in the sixth
such attack since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak,
Egyptian security sources and witnesses said.
Two blasts were set off by remote control, one in the Mazar
area, 30 km west of Al Arish, and a smaller one near a pumping
station west of the northern Sinai town. Pumping had only
resumed on October 24 after repairs from a previous attack.
"Primary examination showed that improvised explosive
devices were put under the pipeline and were detonated from
a distance," a security source said. "The attackers used two
trucks and extended wires were found at the scene."
Residents in Al Arish said they could see flames after the
blasts. Witnesses told state news agency Mena that security
forces and fire fighters had controlled the blaze. Mena said it
was not clear if the pumping station had been damaged.
No group has claimed responsibility for the series of pipeline
attacks since a popular uprising toppled Mubarak in February.
One attack took place before he was ousted.
Local Bedouin complain the authorities have neglected the
isolated Sinai for decades. Some have taken to smuggling and
gun-running to scrape a living.
The government's grip on Sinai loosened after Mubarak's
fall as the police presence thinned out across the country.
In August, Egyptian armed forces launched a security
sweep to root out suspected gangs and, according to security
sources at the time, captured a group of four insurgents as they
prepared to blow up the gas pipeline in Al Arish. — Reuters
Libyan ex-PM will get
fair trial: Abdel Jalil
BENGHAZI — Libya’s former prime minister Baghdadi al
Mahmudi will get a “fair trial” when he is extradited from Tunisia
to face Libyan justice, interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil
said yesterday.
“First of all we will ensure a secure place for him, then we
will guarantee a fair trial, despite the acts he has perpetrated
against the Libyan people,” said Abdel Jalil, chairman of Libya’s
National Transitional Council.
Rights groups have expressed fears for Mahmudi’s safety
if he is sent back to Libya from Tunisian captivity after ousted
Libyan tyrant Muammar Gaddafi was felled by a bullet to the
head when captured by NTC fighters last month.
Mahmudi, 70, was prime minister until the final days of the
Gaddafi regime. He was arrested on September 21 on Tunisia’s
southwestern border with Algeria and jailed for illegal entry.
A Tunisian appeals court this week gave the nod for his
extradition to Libya.
Mahmudi’s lawyer Mabrouk Kourchid said in Tunis that
his client fears for his life as the sole holder of Libyan state
secrets since Gaddafi’s death on October 20.
During the extradition hearing in a Tunis court, dozens of
Libyans rallied outside the building demanding the man they
called the “third tyrant of Libya” — after Gaddafi and his son
Seif al Islam — be sent back to face justice in Libya.
“The Libyan people have the right to apply the law to those
who robbed the people,” one banner read. — AFP
Katsav’s conviction upheld
JERUSALEM — Former president Moshe Katsav sexually
assaulted a former aide and molested two other women who
worked for him, Israel's Supreme Court said yesterday, upholding
his conviction in a lower court and a seven-year jail
term.
"He misused his high position and defiled the bodies and
dignity of (his accusers)," the three-justice panel said in a
unanimous ruling against Katsav's appeal and ordered him to
report to jail to begin serving his sentence on December 7.
Katsav, 65, was president from 2000 to 2007. He was
convicted in December of twice assaulting an aide when he
was a cabinet minister in the late 1990s and molesting two
other women who worked for him while he was president.
— Reuters

Papademos new Greek PM
ATHENS — Greek President
Karolos Papoulias yesterday
named Lucas Papademos (pictured),
a former vice-president
of the European Central Bank,
as the country's new prime
minister.
Papademos now faces the
Herculean task of keeping the
debt-ridden country in the euro
zone and away from bankruptcy.
The 64-year-old banker
will head a new national unity
government backed by the governing
Socialists and the opposition
conservatives.
The new government will
have a caretaker role until elections
are held. Shortly after
being named, Papademos contradicted
earlier reports suggesting
the polls would be held
on February 19, saying no firm
date had yet been set.
Speaking to journalists outside
the presidential palace,
Papademos said the country's
economy faced major problems
despite months of austerity.
"Greece is at a critical crossroads
and the path that it takes
will be important for the people
... it is not an easy one but those
issues will be solved more
quickly with unity, understanding
and wisdom to deal with the
problems in the best possible
manner," said Papademos, who
until very recently had served
as an adviser to outgoing premier
George Papandreou.
Yesterday's long-awaited
announcement came after four
days of marathon negotiations
between Greece's political
leaders.
A former economics lecturer
at Columbia University in
New York, Papademos played
a key role in preparing Greece
for euro zone membership, but
had never held a political office
before.
Yesterday he said his key
priority would be to implement
the decisions taken at an
October 26-27 European Union
summit in connection with a
130-billion-euro ($175.6 billion)
European debt deal.
His new cabinet was expected
to be sworn in today.
"It is a great honour," he
said after being named, adding
"but the responsibility is greater."
Political analyst Antonis
Karakouris called Papademos'
appointment "a wise choice."
Nikos Xydakis, a commentator
with the Greek daily
Kathimerini newspaper, expressed
"a sigh of relief" over
5 THE WORLD
OMAN DAILY Observer
yesterday's decision and predicted
that a likely fresh round
of belt-tightening measures
would further test the patience
of the public.
Shares on the Athens Stock
Exchange were up 3.17 per cent
on the prospect of a deal.
However, the news also coincided
with the release of new
unemployment data from the
national statistics agency EL-
STAT showing that the country's
jobless rate had increased
to 18.4 per cent in August, from
16.5 per cent in July and 12.2
per cent a year earlier.
Greece's financial crisis
turned political last week after
Papandreou said he would put
the new European rescue package
to a referendum, causing
markets to tumble around the
world and angering European
leaders. He later withdrew
his referendum proposal and
agreed to step down to favour
the creation of a national unity
government. — dpa
HONOUR guards march during a ceremony to welcome Serbia’s President Boris Tadic in Kiev yesterday. — Reuters
Fight to salvage stranded Mars probe
MOSCOW — Russia raced
yesterday to salvage a spacecraft
bound for a moon of
Mars that is stranded in the
Earth's orbit, with just days
left before the window closes
on its first interplanetary mission
in 15 years.
So far Russian controllers
have failed to establish contact
with the $163 million,
unmanned probe, leaving little
hope of recovering the ambitious
mission that was to reassert
Russia's place at the front
lines of space exploration.
Following the launch from
Russia's Baikonur launch
pad in Kazakhstan early on
Wednesday, the Phobos-Grunt
probe is stuck in a dangerously
low orbit, making a drag that
could eventually send it crashing
back to Earth.
Russia's space agency said
it had at least three days to try
to fix the problem and steer
the craft on to its correct path,
and will make another attempt
when it passes over Baikonur
later today, a spokesman said.
Failure so soon after lift-
off in the three-year mission
to bring back soil — "grunt"
in Russia — from the Martian
moon Phobos would be a
major blow to the pride of the
Russian space industry, adding
to a humiliating series of
setbacks.
"So far all efforts to communicate
with the craft have
been unsuccessful," lead mission
scientist Alexander Zakharov
of Moscow's Space
Research Institute said.
"They are trying everything
including visual methods to try
to assess what is wrong with
it, but of course the situation
doesn't inspire much hope."
Experts say the post-launch
problems are linked to the
craft's on-board flight com-
puter, which failed to fire two
engine burns to send it on its
trajectory towards Mars.
There is a small chance
the software could be reprogrammed,
if controllers can
link with the craft. But if the
troubles are hardware related,
the mission is likely lost, Zakharov
and other industry
sources said.
Russia is relying on a single
ground site to try to reach
the craft once every few hours
along its orbit.
"In my opinion Phobos-
Grunt is lost," Vladimir Uvarov,
a former chief Russian military
expert on space, told the
state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
China also could be disappointed
after entrusting its first
interplanetary Mars satellite,
Yinghuo-1, to piggyback on
the mission. Phobos-Grunt is
also carrying bacteria, plant
seeds and tiny animals known
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (R) and Georgian Parliament
speaker David Bakradze (L) walk to attend a parliament session in Tbilisi yesterday.
Rasmussen urged Georgia to intensify its political and military reforms to bring
the ex-Soviet state closer to membership of the Western alliance. — AFP
as water bears, part of a US
study to see if they could survive
beyond the Earth's protective
bubble.
The plan was for Phobos-
Grunt to reach Mars' orbit next
year, touch down on the larger
of its two tiny moons in 2013,
collect a sample from the surface
and fly back to Earth in
2014. Dust from Phobos, scientists
say, would shed light on
the genesis of the solar system
and Mars' enduring mysteries.
If it is lost, it will join a long
string of over a dozen Soviet
and Russian missions to fail en
route to Mars, while US rovers
have logged hundreds of hours
on the Red Planet.
When the first post-Soviet
Mars-96 probe broke up over
the Pacific, it was seen as a
proof of the industry's deterioration
after a generation of
brain drain and crimped budgets.
— Reuters
Stolen album
returned after
17 years
LONDON — A wedding
album which went missing
when a caravan was stolen
in Northern Ireland 17 years
ago has mysteriously reappeared
at the home of its
owners.
Nigel and Gillian Stewart
had long given up hope of
seeing their wedding photographs
which were inside the
caravan when it was stolen,
but on Tuesday the album
was left at the gate to their
home in a plastic bag, the
BBC reported.
"I thought I was seeing
things," the BBC quoted Gillian
as saying this week.
The couple recently celebrated
their 25th wedding
anniversary and the album's
reappearance at their home in
Gilford, County Down, has
been a revelation for their
children. "It's lovely for the
children — they only know
their dad with grey hair," Gillian
joked. — Reuters
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Murdoch blames ex-editor
Myler, ex-legal head Crone
LONDON — James Murdoch turned on his former News of
the World colleagues yesterday as he fought to survive a second
grilling over phone-hacking by British lawmakers and
keep his place in his father's media empire.
Murdoch blamed Colin Myler, the last editor of the nowdefunct
Sunday tabloid, for giving him incomplete information,
and accused the newspaper's ex-legal chief, Tom Crone,
of misleading the committee of MPs investigating the hacking.
"This was the job of the new editor who had come in... to
clean things up, to make me aware of those things," said Murdoch,
appearing confident under interrogation by lawmakers
even when compared by MP Tom Watson to a Mafia boss.
He also said Crone had ordered the surveillance of public
figures by the News of the World — revelations of which have
further damaged the company this week.
The News Corp-owned News of the World was revealed this
year to have run an industrial-scale operation to hack into the
phones of murder victims including schoolgirl Milly Dowler
as well as celebrities and politicians.
Previously, News Corp had maintained the hacking was the
work of a lone, "rogue" royal reporter, Clive Goodman, and
private detective Glenn Mulcaire. Both went to jail for the offence
in 2007.
In 2008, James Murdoch approved a pay-off of about
£750,000 ($1.2 million) to hacking victim and soccer boss
Gordon Taylor, who had in his possession an email of hacking
transcripts appearing to show the hacking went beyond Goodman.
— Reuters
Senate passes plain
cigarette package laws
CANBERRA — Tough anti-smoking laws banning brand labels
passed their last major legislative hurdle in Australia yesterday
and immediately faced the threat of court action from
tobacco companies worried the move could spread and hurt
sales elsewhere.
The upper house of parliament agreed on new laws that
from December next year will force cigarettes to be sold in
plain olive packets, with no mention of the brand. They would
continue to show graphic images of the harm smoking can
cause. "Big tobacco has been fuming since day one that this is
a law that they don't want introduced. They want to keep selling
their deadly products, and we want to reduce their market.
So we are destined to disagree," Health Minister Nicola Roxon
told reporters.
"But we are not going to be bullied into not taking this action,
just because tobacco companies say they might fight it in
the courts. We are ready for that if they take legal action."
The Senate vote is the last major hurdle for the new rules,
although they must now be rubber stamped by parliament's
lower house in two weeks. The laws are being closely watched
by governments considering similar moves in Europe, Canada
and New Zealand, and have angered tobacco companies which
plan to challenge the decision. Some countries are threatening
to take Australia to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The Himalayan nation of Bhutan banned the sale of tobacco
outright earlier this year. Tobacco giants British American Tobacco,
Britain's Imperial Tobacco and Philip Morris have all
threatened to go to court and seek billions in compensation,
arguing that the new rules restrict their trademark and intellectual
property rights. — Reuters
Tunisian coalition govt
to be formed in days
TUNIS — The coalition formed after last month's Tunisian
election will unveil a government within days and retain the
serving defence minister, party officials said yesterday.
The North African country last month elected an assembly
which will draft a new constitution and set new elections. The
chamber will be dominated by the Ennahda party, in coalition
with two secularist parties.
"The new government will be announced in a few days and
not a few weeks," Samir Dilou, a leading figure in Ennahda
said. "There is an agreement in principle that the defence minister
will keep his place." Samir Ben Amor, of the Congress for
the Republic, a junior coalition partner, confirmed that account
of negotiations on the new cabinet and said he expected it
would be ready next week. Defence Minister Abdelkrim Zbidi
has held the post since shortly after the January 14 revolution.
Many Tunisians respect Zbidi for the military's role in helping
keep order on the streets while staying out of politics.
Ennahda has been keen to send a message of continuity,
and has indicated that the finance minister and central bank
governor are also likely to keep their posts. Dilou, a member of
Ennahda's executive bureau, said negotiations were still under
way about other cabinet jobs, and about who will be selected
as president.
That is a largely ceremonial post, but the president may be
asked to mediate if a conflict emerges between the leading parties
in the new assembly. — Reuters
Croatian ex-PM pleads
not guilty in graft trial
ZAGREB — Former Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader yesterday
pleaded not guilty to charges that he took bribes from an
Austrian bank and a Hungarian energy company as his corruption
trial resumed in Zagreb with additional charges added.
Sanader initially went on trial last week for allegedly taking
some 482,000 euros ($695,000) in bribes from Austrian Hypo
Group Alpe Adria (HGAA) during the 1990s war here, when
he was a deputy foreign minister.
But later judges ruled that the case should be merged with
another indictment charging Sanader with allegedly taking 10
million euros ($14 million) in bribes from Hungarian energy
giant MOL. Yesterday the trial resumed under judge Ivan Turudic,
this time including both of the indictments.
The new indictment was read out in court and Sanader,
dressed in a dark suit, pleaded not guilty to charges of abuse of
power, war profiteering and receiving bribes. Appearing selfconfident
and composed Sanader told the court he rejected the
allegations "categorically and with indignation".
The trial against Sanader is the first criminal case against
an ex-prime minister since the former Yugoslav republic proclaimed
independence in 1991. Sanader, who led the government
from 2003 to 2009, is facing several other probes for
abuse of power.
The fight against corruption is one of the key requirements
Croatia has to meet to join the European Union, which it is
expected to do in mid-2013. During yesterday's hearing it
emerged that MOL's chairman Zsolt Hernadi, named in the
indictment as the person who paid bribes to Sanader, is still
under investigation and the case has not been taken over by the
Hungarian authorities as some media reported.— AFP
EUROPEAN Commission President Jose Manuel
Barroso arrives to attend the European Parliament's
Conference of Presidents of political parties in
Brussels yesterday. — Reuters
PORTUGAL’S Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho
speaks at parliament during the presentation of the
2012 state budget in Lisbon yesterday. — Reuters
FRENCH Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand
arrives to attend the funeral of fashion designer
Loulou de la Falaise yesterday in Paris. — AFP
THE head of the International Monetary Fund,
Christine Lagarde, gestures at a press
conference in Beijing yesterday. — AFP
GERMAN President Christian Wulff (R) gestures
after he reviewed with his Romanian counterpart
Traian Basescu a guard of honour at the presidential
Bellevue Palace in Berlin yesterday. — Reuters

$300m likely for
solar projects
ISLAMABAD — At a time when the Pakistan
government is struggling to overcome
the energy crisis, World Bank and the United
States are likely to help out by providing $300
million for 50-megawatt pilot solar projects
in Sindh and Punjab provinces.
The federal government has given clearance
to the pilot projects on the criteria that
financial assistance will be provided from the
Clean Technology Fund of World Bank and
the government will bear no financial liability,
according to documents.
Sources say that the pilot projects will be
a joint venture between DACC Associates,
US and the two provinces. Pilot project refers
to a scheme that demonstrates feasibility of
a study before establishing operations on a
large scale.
The US will be responsible for arranging
finances for initial cost of the project while
the only contribution required from provinces
is provision of land, sources further said.
DACC is already working on the project
under which 2,200MW of clean renewable
energy will be added to the national grid.
The project will make DACC operators of
the world’s largest solar energy project in the
world. The plant is expected to generate its
first megawatt in early 2012. — Internews
Silk Road revival
to benefit region
ISLAMABAD — Renewed efforts are being
made to revive the ancient Silk Road
trade, once at the heart of lucrative business
relations between Asia and the West,
to bring prosperity to the Central and South
Asia regions.
Some 25 countries met on the sidelines
of the UN General Assembly, in September
2011, according to informed circles, and
discussed the idea of reviving the silk route
trade to develop closer economic ties between
Afghanistan and its neighbours.
The idea will be discussed again at the
upcoming conferences on Afghanistan and
its neighbours to be held in Bonn in Germany
on December 5.
The conference would move forward
with the vision of a new Silk Road trade and
Pakistan sees it as a key to its economic uplift.
Since ancient times, Central and South
Asia have enjoyed strong cultural, historical
and commercial bonds. — Internews
Clash kills six
in tribal areas
PESHAWAR — At least six people were
killed in a clash between insurgents and
members of a local pro-government militia
in Pakistan’s Khyber tribal district yesterday,
officials said.
The area close to the border with Afghanistan
has been plagued by fighting between
armed forces and militants tied to the Pakistani
Taliban, and fresh fears of unrest caused
more than 18,000 people to flee the district
last month.
Four members of a local peace committee,
or pro-government militia, and two insurgents
were killed during an exchange of fire,
senior local administration official Rehan Gul
Khattak said.
“Armed guerrillas attacked a patrol of
the local peace committee, which triggered
a gunfight in Akakhel area,” he said, adding
that the more than 30 fighters escaped following
the attack.
Local intelligence officials confirmed the
incident and casualties.
Pakistan’s army has previously launched
a series of offensives targeting the guerrillas
waging a local insurgency.
Pakistan’s seven tribal districts on the Afghan
border are rife with insurgency. — AFP
Girls school
blown up
ISLAMABAD — Unidentified bombers blew
up a government school for girls in Pakistan’s
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. No person
was hurt in the incident, a media report said.
The school, located in Katling Dheri area
of the north-west province’s Mardan city, was
blown up with explosive material, the Daily
Times reported.
The Katling Dheri girls’ school had been
recently upgraded to high school by the provincial
government, said police who have
launched an investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, six insurgents along with
25,000 kg explosives have been arrested in
Pakistan’s Punjab province.
They were arrested in the suburbs of the
province’s Mandi Bahauddin district, the
Daily Times reported.
The arrests could be made after intelligence
agencies raided a poultry farm of one
Aslam Tarar and found insurgents preparing
an explosive device.
Two of them are expert in preparing
suicide cars. These insurgents were being
watched for the last six months. They were
preparing for simultaneous attacks in Punjab,
the report said.
The insurgents later confessed that they
were preparing for attacks in Lahore, Multan
and Faisalabad.
6
THE PHILIPPINES/SUBCONTINENT
OMAN DAILY Observer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
THE Japanese ship Fuji Maru, also known as the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP), arrives in Manila yesterday
for a four-day visit. The SSEAYP, organised by the government of Japan, gathers participants from different Asean-member countries
for a 53-day training to broaden their friendship and understanding among the youth of Japan and Southeast Asian countries. — AFP
Nepal defends China snub
KATHMANDU — Nepal was
forced yesterday to defend a climate
summit for Himalayan nations
next week after it emerged
China had not been invited and no
leader had so far agreed to attend.
Environment Minister Krishna
Gyawali looked flustered at a media
conference to announce details
of the regional meeting co-organised
by Nepal as he fended off hostile
questions from journalists who
suggested it would be “waste of
time, money and resources”.
“I’m not sure I can convincingly
address this question,” he
admitted when asked why China
had not been invited, before adding
that the world’s most populous
nation was not a member of the
South Asian Association for Regional
Co-operation (Saarc).
When it was pointed out that
China had been invited as an ob-
server at the ongoing Saarc summit
in the Maldives, Gyawali said
China “might be invited into the
process later on”.
The Climate Summit for a Living
Himalayas in Thimphu, Bhutan,
on November 19 groups Nepal,
Bhutan, Bangladesh and India
in talks on food and water security,
biodiversity and alternative energy
sources.
Gyawali admitted no leaders
had yet agreed to attend but said
the possibility was “very high” that
Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam
Bhattarai would be there.
The Himalayas, the world’s
tallest mountain range, divide
China from south Asia and many
of the its tallest peaks are located
on the Asia giant’s western border.
They include the 8,848-metre
summit of Everest, the world’s
tallest mountain, and the world’s
second tallest peak, K2, on the
border with Pakistan.
“We have tried before in this
region to bring in different countries
on the issue of climate change
with very little effect,” said Tariq
Aziz of WWF Nepal, a partner at
the summit.
Aziz said bringing in nations
other than those on the southern
slopes of the eastern Himalayas
would “bring in complexities with
Pakistan, with Afghanistan —
you bring in issues which cloud
this whole need for us to actually
empower our people to fight
the oncoming impact of climate
change”.
The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu
was not immediately available
for comment.
Gyawali announced Nepal was
planning to hold a ministerial-level
PAKISTANI Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani speaks to the media as Foreign Minister
Hina Rabbani Khar looks on during the Saarc summit in Addu yesterday. — AFP
Lure of Afghanistan mining
bonanza sparks rivalries
KABUL — Beneath the din of
machine-gun fire reverberating
through Afghanistan’s embattled
valleys, a quieter competition for
eventual control of the country’s
mineral riches is getting under
way.
More than $1 trillion worth of
minerals is the potential prize for
those brave enough to sign contracts
and start mining in the hope
of claiming the spoils of a peace
that Afghans hope will one day
follow the Taliban insurgency.
While an end to the fighting
seems remote for now, mining lots
are being quickly parcelled out
among Afghanistan’s resourcehungry
neighbours, potentially
sparking a new “Great Game”
for control of its battle-worn
ground.
According to mining ministry
documents, Afghanistan is planning
to sell extraction rights for up
to five mines every year until the
departure of the last foreign combat
troops in 2014 — a rattling
pace, say experts.
With the war’s Western backers
pushing economic solutions to end
the decade-long conflict, the tussle
for future influence in Afghanistan
is becoming a regional contest, experts
say.
China, flush with foreign exchange
reserves and undeterred by
the hazards of frontier capitalism,
bought the first tendered oil and
copper concessions, leading the
list of Afghanistan’s neighbours
bidding for the mines so far.
The huge Aynak mine south of
Kabul, to which China won extraction
rights in 2007, could yield
over 11 million tonnes of copper,
according to Soviet-era data and a
newer study by the United States
Geological Survey (USGS).
And India looks set to win
the biggest consignment yet if its
consortium pips Iran’s bid for the
two-billion-tonne Hajigak iron ore
mine in central Bamiyan province.
A decision is due to be announced
in the coming days.
“Everyone’s rushing,” said
deputy minister of mines Nasir
Durrani, estimating the Hajigak
deal could be worth up to $6 billion
to the government.
Staff at his ministry are busy
pulling together Powerpoint presentations
to inform and woo potential
investors, and President
Hamid Karzai urged Australia to
invest in Afghanistan’s minerals
when Prime Minister Julia Gillard
visited Kabul last week. Future
deals on offer include several
oil blocks, more copper and iron
mines, and deposits of gold and
lapis luzuli.
Citing aerial studies, the USGS
says that the war-scarred country
sits on more than $1 trillion worth
of minerals, though some experts
speculate that rough figure could
be three times higher.
One US mining expert predicted
the combined payout from the
Aynak and Hajigak mines could
earn the hard-up Afghan treasury
half a billion dollars a year — a
significant boon to its foreign aiddependent
economy — but not until
2016 at the earliest.
climate change meeting of mountain
countries across the world
early next year.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s main
opposition party yesterday said it
supports China’s bid to join the
Saarc.
The show of support came as
a Chinese Communist Party delegation
and Bangladesh Nationalist
Party (BNP) leadership met in
Dhaka.
“The party expressed full support
for China becoming a member
of the regional platform,” said
BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul
Islam Alamgir.
The move coincides with the
opening of the 17th Saarc meeting
in the Maldives aimed at boosting
economic integration and trade
liberalisation in South Asia, which
is home to more than a fifth of the
world’s population. — AFP
ADDU — Prime Minister
Yusuf Raza Gilani yesterday
thanked India for its supporting
Pakistan’s election as a
non-permanent member of
the UN Security Council and
for easing access to European
markets.
“Once again I thank the
prime minister for supporting
Pakistan in the Security
Council and also for access to
the EU market,” Gilani said
at a joint press conference
with Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh after their
talks here.
Pakistan was elected to
the UN Security Council last
month as a non-permanent
member for a two-year-term
beginning January 1, 2012.
India is already serving a
two-year term in the Security
Council as a rotating
member. Pakistan, too, had
SRI Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse attends bilateral talks with his Maldivian
counterpart Mohamed Nasheed at the State Guest House during the lead up to the
17th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation ministers conference. — AFP
18 pilgrims killed in tractor crash
KATHMANDU — At least 18
people including two children
were killed in southeastern
Nepal yesterday when a tractor
pulling a trailer packed
with pilgrims fell into a roadside
canal, police said.
Around 40 pilgrims were
heading to a festival in the
southern Terai plains border-
UN concern over Nepal
crimes suspect in govt
KATHMANDU — The United
Nations voiced concern
yesterday over a decision by
Nepal’s Maoist-led government
to appoint a minister
accused of war crimes during
the country’s 10-year insurgency.
The Office of the UN
High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) urged
Nepalese authorities to investigate
Suryaman Dong’s
alleged involvement in the
death of Arjun Lama, whom
witnesses say was abducted
from his village in 2005 by
Maoist insurgents and later
killed.
The OHCHR said in a
statement the appointment
would “undermine efforts to
address impunity in the country,
and taint recent positive
progress on the peace process”.
The OHCHR also criticised
the Maoists for seeking
clemency for lawmaker Bal
LAHORE — There is a reason
why former prime minister
Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan
Muslim League-N, more than
any other party in the country,
is worried about the rise
of Pakistan Tehrik Insaf. PTI
Chairman Imran Khan’s campaign
schedule over the last
few months has been focused
almost exclusively on central
Punjab, the PML-N’s electoral
heartland.
Through thick and thin,
the PML-N has been able to
hold on to its dominance of
central Punjab. The party currently
holds 37 of the 68 seats
that represent the region in the
National Assembly. Punjab as
a whole has about 148 seats in
the lower house.
The region that consists of
ing India when their driver
lost control just before dawn.
“Sixteen women and two
men, including a 10-year-old
boy and a 12-year-old girl,
died when the tractor carrying
pilgrims overturned,” police
deputy inspector general
Surendra Bahadur Shah said.
It was not known if the
Krishna Dhungel, who was
convicted in 2004 on murder
charges.
“Such decisions will establish
a trend to entrench
impunity and send the wrong
message at the wrong time,”
Jyoti Sanghera, head of the
OHCHR in Nepal, was quoted
as saying.
“The government should
respect Nepal’s judiciary and
the rule of law.”
But the Maoists dismissed
the statement as “politically
motivated”.
“This has come as a political
slogan. I don’t want
to blame everyone but there
are certain people who want
to gain political advantage
by raising this issue,” said
Skakti Bassnet, a member of
the party’s politburo, without
elaborating.
“This will only increase
the problem and will not help
in the completion of the peace
process.” — dpa
Imran’s party aiming
for Sharif’s heartland
backed India’s candidacy for
a non-permanent seat in the
council in the elections held
last year.
This will the fourth time in
the history of the UNSC that
India and Pakistan will be in
the Security Council as nonpermanent
members. They
had earlier served in 1968,
1977 and 1984.
However, Pakistan has
been actively lobbying
against India’s candidacy for
a permanent seat in the council.
Pakistan narrowly managed
to win the UN seat with
129 of the 193 member-states
of the world body backing
it. India played an important
role by supporting Pakistan’s
candidacy, a point that has
been acknowledged by Islamabad,
signalling the new
spirit of thaw between the
13 districts, with a population
of around 42 million, spread
over nearly 50,000 square kilometres.
It is one of the most
densely populated regions
and has been known to vote
for the PML-N.
PTI, which boycotted the
2008 election, has no representation
in parliament at all.
The other major parties in
the region are the Pakistan
People’s Party of President
Asif Zardari and the Pakistan
Muslim League-Q of Shujaat
Hussain.
Yet Imran’s schedule over
the past four months reveals
that he has been spending
most of his time campaigning,
targeting Punjab’s ruling
party in many of his stump
speeches. — Internews
Pakistan thanks India for
helping it to UNSC seat
two neighbours whose ties
had plunged to a new low after
26/11 attacks.
Many of the countries
that Pakistan had considered
as friends were no longer its
friends, but India “supported
us in becoming a non-permanent
member of the 15-member
Security Council,” Islamabad’s
envoy to the world
body Abdullah Hussain Haroon
told reporters at the Karachi
airport last month.
In another development,
Pakistan’s Interior Minister
Rehman Malik yesterday
sprang a surprise by saying
Ajmal Amir Kasab, convicted
by an Indian court
for the 26/11 attack, should
be hanged, but hedged on
the release of Hafiz Saeed,
the suspected mastermind of
Mumbai attack, saying more
legal evidence is required.
driver was among the dead
The pilgrims were on their
way to Baraha Chhetra temple
on the banks of the Koshi
River.
Road accidents are relatively
common in Nepal, due
to poor surfaces, badly maintained
vehicles and reckless
driving. — dpa

Paper giant
gets heat over
Indonesian forests
Page 10
EU probes
Suedzucker,
ED&F deal
BRUSSELS — EU regulators
opened an in-depth
probe yesterday into German
sugar company Suedzucker’s
bid to take a stake in British
sugar trader ED&F Man,
saying the deal may reduce
competition and result in
higher prices for consumers.
Suedzucker, Europe’s
largest sugar and molasses
producer, unveiled plans to
buy a stake of 25 per cent minus
one share in ED&F Man
in May for $255 million as
part of a capital increase.
It had offered concessions
to the European Commission
in the initial review
of the deal but the regulator
said the offer did not ease its
concerns.
The EU executive said it
would now decide by March
23 whether to clear the deal,
extending a November 9
deadline.
“The Commission has a
duty to be vigilant as this is
an important food ingredient
and there are already few
players in a market that is
concentrated and with high
entry barriers,” EU Competition
Commissioner Joaquin
Almunia said in a statement.
“Recent price increases
also show a need to ensure
that the small margin for
competition is not further
reduced.”
HK investors
flay HSBC on
earnings fall
HONG KONG — HSBC’s
stock price slumped more
than 9 per cent yesterday in
Hong Kong after the global
banking giant reported a
third-quarter earnings plunge
and warned of “significant
headwinds” ahead.
Europe’s biggest bank
reported on Wednesday that
underlying pretax profits
sank 35 per cent in the three
months to September to
about $3 billion, as bad loans
rose in the United States,
Hong Kong, Brazil and the
Middle East.
The stock finished down
9.1 per cent at HK$61.70,
as the Hang Seng index
ended 5.25 per cent lower at
18,963.89.
“As a global bank, HSBC
is unlikely to be insulated
from the European-debt crisis.
Its third-quarter operating
data suggest a weak outlook
for the bank’s earnings
outlook ahead,” Wing Fung
Financial research chief
Mark To told Dow Jones
Newswires.
HSBC chief executive
Stuart Gulliver said in the
earnings release that economic
and political uncertainty,
particularly in Europe,
had hit the banking sector’s
performance in the quarter.
“Against this backdrop,
HSBC remains resilient, with
a strong balance sheet and
robust liquidity,” he said.
Mitsubishi
Heavy sets up
India venture
MUMBAI — Japanese industries
giant Mitsubishi
Heavy yesterday announced
a joint venture with India’s
Anupam Industries to make
port cranes and other equipment
for the domestic and
global markets.
The two companies said
in a statement that they will
invest a total of Rs 1.88 billion
($38 million) in the new
venture, which will be called
Anupam-MHI Industries
Ltd.
Anupam, which is India’s
largest overhead crane manufacturer,
will hold a 51 per
cent stake while shipbuilding-to-machinerymanufacturer
Mitsubishi Heavy will
hold the balance.
The venture plans to set
up two plants in Anand, in
the western state of Gujarat,
to make port cranes and material-handling
equipment.
Tokyo bourse warns Olympus
TOKYO’S stock exchange warned scandal-hit Olympus Corp
yesterday it will be delisted after 62 years as a publicly traded
company if it fails to report earnings by December 14, another
blow to the Japanese camera-maker’s chances of survival.
Olympus said it was unlikely to issue its earnings. Page 8
BEIJING — China’s imports
surged in October as exports
grew at their slowest rate in
months, suggesting efforts
to tilt the economy towards
domestic demand may be offsetting
the external weakness
that has dragged on economic
growth this year.
Customs figures showed
import growth of 28.7 per cent
year on year in October, well
ahead of the 23 per cent forecast
and far in excess of September’s
20.9 per cent growth
rate.
Headline growth in exports
meanwhile was its most sluggish
in eight months, but strip
out the traditionally volatile
month of February and October’s
growth of 15.9 per cent
was the slowest since November
2009 when they shrank.
“We were expecting quite
a deceleration as external demand
continues to decline
in Western economies,” said
Donna Kwok, an economist at
HSBC in Hong Kong. “But the
key thing to look at here is the
strength of the domestic demand
factors as imports grew
nearly 29 per cent.”
Markets showed scant reaction
to the data since investment
sentiment is being driven
by events in Europe.
Imports from all three of
China’s key trading partners
surged.
The rate of import growth
from the United States accelerated
the fastest at 20.5 per cent
over a year earlier, jumping
by 7.6 percentage points from
September’s pace.
Imports from resource-rich
Australia grew at 36.7 per cent
versus September’s 33.4 per
cent, while European Union
imports rose 28.2 per cent versus
25.7 per cent previously.
The surprise imports surge
limited October’s trade surplus
to $17 billion, much lower than
Friday, November 11, 2011
a forecast for $24.9 billion.
That may go some way
to satisfying critics who say
China keeps its currency weak
to support exports — despite
evidence to the contrary in
the form of an appreciation of
the yuan of some 40 per cent
in real effective exchange rate
terms since 2005 when Beijing
Asian shares drop on Italy
Asian stocks fell around 3 per cent yesterday after soaring
Italian borrowing costs stoked fears that the debt crisis in the
euro zone’s third biggest economy will overwhelm its financial
defences, raising the risk of a break-up of the currency area.
Asian credit spreads blew out. Page 9
abandoned a long-standing
currency peg.
China’s government has
been working hard to wean the
world’s number two economy
off of what many analysts say
is an addiction to export-led
growth.
Others dismiss the notion
that exports are so significant
to Chinese growth, pointing
instead to the infrastructure
and consumer demand created
by massive urbanisation that
draws millions of rural workers
into China’s fast-expanding
cities every year.
The rate of fixed asset investment
growth — a principal
driver of economic expansion
in China — was running at
24.9 per cent year on year in
the first 10 months of 2011,
data showed on Wednesday,
again underscoring domestic
economic resilience.
That kind of expansion in
infrastructure spending though
could also distort the view of
the underlying rebalancing of
growth and the ability of the
consumer sector to compensate
for an extended sharp de-
GM outlook
disappointing,
shares tumble
Page 10
Crisis in Italy spurs fears of euro zone break-up
ROME/BERLIN — Political and
economic crisis in Italy spurred
fears of a split in the euro zone with
borrowing costs for Europe’s third
biggest economy near unsustainable
levels and the bloc unable to afford
a bailout.
The escalating crisis prompted
European Commission President
Jose Manuel Barroso to issue a stern
warning of the dangers of splitting
the zone. EU sources said French
and German officials had held discussions
on just such a move.
“There cannot be peace and prosperity
in the North or in the West
of Europe, if there is no peace and
prosperity in the South or in the
East,” Barroso said.
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel weighed in with a call to
arms. She said Europe’s plight was
now so “unpleasant” that deep structural
reforms were needed quickly,
warning the rest of the world would
not wait. “That will mean more Europe,
not less Europe,” she told a
conference in Berlin.
She called for changes in EU
treaties after French President
Nicolas Sarkozy advocated a twospeed
Europe in which euro zone
countries accelerate and deepen integration
while an expanding group
outside the currency bloc stays more
loosely connected — a signal that
some members may have to quit the
euro.
“It is time for a breakthrough to a
new Europe,” Merkel said. “A community
that says, regardless of what
happens in the rest of the world, that
it can never again change its ground
rules, that community simply can’t
survive.”
The European Central Bank, the
only effective bulwark against mar-
ket attacks, intervened to buy Italian
bonds in large amounts but remained
reluctant to go further and Italy’s
10-year bond yields shot above 7
per cent, a level widely deemed unsustainable,
as investor confidence
evaporated.
“Financial assistance is not in the
cards,” one euro zone official said,
adding that the bloc was not even
considering extending a precautionary
credit line to Rome.
Italy replaced Greece at the centre
of the crisis as Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi’s insistence on elections
instead of an interim government
threatened prolonged instability.
Having lost his majority in a
parliamentary vote, Berlusconi confirmed
he would resign after implementing
economic reforms demanded
by the European Union, and said
Italy must then hold an election in
which he would not stand.
He opposed any form of transitional
or unity government, which
the opposition and many in the markets
favour, and said polls were not
likely until February, leaving a three-
WTO approves Russian entry terms
GENEVA — The World Trade
Organisation’s working group
approved documents yesterday
that set out the terms for Russia’s
accession to the 153-member
trade body.
“It has been a long journey,
but today Russia has taken a big
step towards its destination of
membership in the WTO,” the
WTO said in a statement.
Russia agreed to cap average
import tariffs at 7.8 per cent and
at 10.8 per cent for imports of
agricultural products, the WTO
said.
Earlier, Georgia and Russia
sealed a deal removing the
final obstacle to Moscow’s 18year
bid for membership of the
World Trade Organisation.
The Swiss-mediated accord,
described as “a victory” by
Tbilissi, will see international
monitoring of cross-border
trade through Georgia’s Kremlin-backed
breakaway regions
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,
despite Moscow’s initial rejection
of external oversight.
“Representatives of Georgia
and of Russia today signed a
bilateral agreement in Geneva
governing customs administration
and the supervision of
commercial goods between the
two countries,” said Swiss mediators,
confirming the accord
in a statement.
“With this agreement, the
parties have paved the way for
Russia to join the WTO in the
near future.
“Switzerland is convinced
that this measure will lead to
improved economic development
for Russia and for Georgia,”
the Swiss foreign ministry
said.
Russia submitted its application
to join the WTO in
1993 but talks dragged on and
its membership bid was further
delayed after its brief war with
Georgia in 2008.
As a member of the WTO,
THE Russian delegation confer before the negotiations on Russia’s membership bid
yesterday at the World Trade Organisation headquarters in Geneva yesterday. — AFP
Georgia is able to veto any accession
bid and it was only after
months of Swiss-mediated talks
that Tbilisi and Moscow finally
reached a bilateral agreement.
The accord includes the
deployment of a private firm
to monitor the situation on the
ground. A neutral third party —
Switzerland — will also play
the mediator role “in the event
of difficulties.” — Agencies
EADS delays A350 but avoids heat of crisis
PARIS — Airbus parent EADS
pushed back its new A350
jetliner by six months with a
charge of 200 million euros
($272 million) as it gave itself
more room to deliver Europe’s
answer to the carbon-composite
Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The delay trimmed thirdquarter
profits that nonetheless
beat expectations as Airbus stabilised
costs on its troublesome
A380 superjumbo project, lifting
EADS shares as Europe’s
largest aerospace group also
raised its outlook for the year.
Despite the storm clouds
over developed economies, Airbus
and Boeing who dominate
the $70 billion aircraft market
are boosting output to meet demand
from Asia and the Middle
East.
“I am confident the commercial
aircraft market will sustain
our growth in years to come
despite the weakening of the
macro-economic environment
and particularly of the European
economies,” Finance Director
Hans Peter Ring told reporters.
“Fifty per cent of our backlog
is in growing regions of the
world and not in Europe or the
US... so provided there isn’t
a big double-dip recesion we
think it is manageable for us.”
He declined to comment on
the instability ripping through
the euro zone or to say whether
EADS, seen as another European
flagship, had drawn up
contingency plans for further
turmoil.
“I am not in politics and this
is something nobody can anticipate
reasonably at this point, so
we are following the environment,
that is all I can say.”
EADS operating profit fell
15 per cent to 322 million euros
in the third quarter as revenues
fell 4 per cent to 10.751 billion
euros. Net income rose sharply
to 312 million euros.
The Franco-German-led
group said it expected 2011 operating
profit to increase to 1.45
billion euros rather than staying
flat at 1.3 billion euros due to
the commercial market. Shares
rose six per cent to 21.17 euros.
Analysts were predicting
operating profit of 51 million
euros on sales of 10.37 billion
and a net loss of 34.6 million.
Aircraft sales remain buoyant
despite fears that the economy
will dampen passenger travel
and a downturn hitting cargo.
After injecting new life into
its best-selling A320 with a revamped
version in the summer,
the world’s largest cmmercial
planemaker now expects record
orders of 1,500 aircraft in 2011
instead of a previous target of
1,000. — Reuters
month policy vacuum in which markets
could create havoc.
Italian President Giorgio
Napolitano said there was no doubt
about the resignation of Berlusconi
once economic reforms were implemented
by parliament within days.
“Therefore, within a short time
either a new government will be
formed... or parliament will be dissolved
to immediately begin an electoral
campaign,” Napolitano said.
Even with the exit of a man who
came to symbolise scandal and empty
promises, it will not be easy for
Italy to convince markets it can cut
its huge debt, liberalise the labour
market, attack tax evasion and boost
productivity.
Worries that the debt crisis could
be infiltrating the core of the euro
zone were reflected in the spread of
10-year French government bonds
over their German equivalent blowing
out to a euro era high around 140
basis points.
Policymakers outside the euro
area kept up pressure for more decisive
action to stop the crisis spread-
ing.
Christine Lagarde, head of the
International Monetary Fund, told a
financial forum in Beijing that Europe’s
debt crisis risked plunging the
global economy into a Japan-style
“lost decade”.
“If we do not act boldly and if
we do not act together, the economy
around the world runs the risk of
downward spiral of uncertainty, financial
instability and potential collapse
of global demand.”
Berlusconi has reluctantly conceded
that the IMF can oversee Italian
reform efforts.
Euro zone finance ministers
agreed on Monday on a road map
for leveraging the 17-nation currency
bloc’s 440-billion-euro ($600
billion) rescue fund to shield larger
economies like Italy and Spain from
a possible Greek default.
But there are doubts about the
efficacy of those complex plans,
and with Italy’s debt totalling
around 1.9 trillion euros even a
larger bailout fund could struggle
to cope. — Reuters
Debt woes, Iran
tensions keep
oil on edge: IEA
PARIS — The debt crisis, tension over Iran, flagging
growth and the northern hemisphere winter are disorientating
oil markets, the IEA said yesterday, lowering its oil
demand forecast.
The International Energy Agency revised down expected
global demand for oil slightly by 70,000 barrels per day
this year and by 20,000 barrels next year after unexpectedly
low demand data in the third quarter from the United States,
China and Japan.
But the outlook is highly uncertain and some strong underlying
upward risks for oil prices sit alongside substantial
risks of sharp slowdown in the world economy.
“The euro zone sovereign debt crisis hung over the market
like the sword of Damocles for most of October and
early November,” the IEA said in its monthly review of the
oil market.
“The ever-present threat of a far-reaching financial collapse
from the worsening quagmire in Greece and Italy
generated a raft of daily headlines that injected a high level
of trading volatility,” it said.
“Market attention has shifted to Italy where a weak financial
reform package has triggered a dangerous rise in
10-year government bonds (yields).
“Oil markets are inextricably linked to the deterioration
in the European debt situation given the impact on financial
markets, the heightened risk of global recession, and the
corresponding potential loss of oil demand.”
The downward revision by the IEA was the third monthly
downward revision of demand in a row this year.
It means that global demand is now expected to rise this
year by 900,000 barrels per day or by 1 per cent from the
2010 level to 89.2 million barrels per day, and to grow by
1.3 mbd or 1.5 per cent next year to 90.5 mbd.
But a floor was being put under oil prices by the imminence
of winter, and demand for heating fuel in the northern
hemisphere, by a tightening of oil inventories “and from
ongoing political turmoil affecting Libya, Iran, Syria and
Yemen.”
The agency warned: “Upward price momentum in recent
days has centred on the tense situation over Iran’s nuclear
programme, triggering a $2-3 per barrel rise in oil prices in
early November.” Underlying fundamental demand for oil
from members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting
Countries slightly exceeded Opec output.
“Considering this and tightening OECD stocks (inventories),
a fundamentals underpinning for stubbornly high
prices is clear,” the IEA said. Libya had resumed production
faster than had been expected. — AFP
China imports surge as exports stand at its most sluggish stage
cline in external demand.
“I think the underlying
(export) weakness is perhaps
even weaker,” said Li Cui,
an economist at Royal Bank
of Scotland in Hong Kong. “
My estimation is that the real
growth could only be around
7-8 per cent, adjusting for export
prices.”
“The strength of imports
is stronger than expected. It
shows the underlying industrial
demand is fairly solid. Also,
it’s likely that the inventory
building still continues, partly
because of the declining global
prices. The producers take this
opportunity to build their inventories,”
she added.
But it’s that inventory
build that signals the possibility
of risks ahead to analysts
at IHS Global Insight, who
are concerned that final domestic
demand may not keep
pace with the level of stock
building. — Reuters

By Gerard Wynn
SCALED-UP European shale gas development
is likely 10-15 years off
as regulations coupled with little
infrastructure, higher costs and mounting
environmental concerns burden a lengthy
licensing process.
US and European shale gas development
is a tale of two regulations, one marked by
a free-for-all bonanza in some US states
which has cut national gas prices and imports
and by a welter of legislation across
the European Union.
Now the sight of a US public backlash
and back-pedalling regulators will only
further stall a European rollout of hydraulic
fracturing or fracking, the technique of
blasting sand and fluids to force pockets of
gas trapped in shale deposits deep underground.
The practice is currently banned in
France, remains suspended in Britain following
a magnitude 2.3 tremor associate
with a test drill and is a subject of public
debate in Germany.
EU states have barely broken ground
on shale gas resources estimated at about
three-quarters the size of those in the United
States, with some 20 test drills compared
with more than 25,000 US wells.
The European Union's Executive Com-
mission doesn't foresee EU legislation
directly regulating shale gas, much as no
central directive regulates any other hydrocarbon
production, senior European Commission
energy official Philip Lowe told
an SMi industry conference in London last
week.
But that partly reflects existing environmental
regulation encompassing water
quality, environmental impact, planning
permitting and safe use of chemicals
which together capture key concerns of
groundwater contamination and landscape
blight.
A full regulatory picture in Europe must
await an avalanche of reports, in true EU
fashion, on the existing legal permitting
framework (due in late 2011); groundwater
contamination (early 2012); the economic
impact (early 2012); climate impacts (mid-
2012); and environmental impacts (mid-
2012).
New regulation will be a last resort in a
bloc which has plenty, and given the need
for a domestic energy boost which could
also strength Europe's arm in price negotiations
on gas imports.
Concern
Growing US concern has been for full
disclosure of potentially toxic fracking
chemicals used in drilling as well as leakage
of natural gas.
8 INTERNATIONAL FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Red tape, green concerns delay EU shale gas uptake
Fracking caused potentially harmful
methane-contamination of water wells near
drilling sites in the Marcellus shale formation
in Pennsylvania, researchers concluded
this year.
Now US regulators plan to force chemicals
disclosure regarding drilling on federal
lands, and will release next year results of a
study on effects on drinking water, adding
to plans for rules on wastewater disposal by
2014.
Groundwater contamination ranks
alongside other concerns including earth
tremors, leakage of greenhouse gases, air
pollution, truck movements, landscape
damage and water consumption.
In Europe chemicals regulation already
requires the registration of chemicals used
in fracking, and more diffuse concerns
weigh.
Tokyo bourse warns Olympus may be delisted
TOKYO — Tokyo's stock exchange
warned scandal-hit Olympus Corp
yesterday it will be delisted after 62
years as a publicly traded company if
it fails to report earnings by December
14, another blow to the Japanese
camera-maker's chances of survival.
Olympus said it was unlikely to issue
its earnings by an earlier November
14 date, but it aimed to meet the
later deadline.
The company admitted on Tuesday
to a decades long cover-up of
securities losses that is being investigated
by authorities in Japan, Britain
and the United States. Tokyo police
will also look into the scandal, the Yomiuri
newspaper reported yesterday.
The report said police had asked
Olympus for internal accounting
documents and it would question
Olympus executives to determine if
financial laws were violated.
The scandal has raised doubts
about the outlook of the once-venerable
maker of cameras and endoscopes,
and experts said the firm's only future
might lie in being taken over. But potential
buyers would likely steer clear
until the dust settles.
"Delisting does not mean it can't
survive, or that it would definitely be
forced to declare bankruptcy," said
Hiroyuki Fukunaga, CEO of Investrust.
"It has lost a lot of capital but its
businesses still have high value.
"Potential investors can't consider
buying out the businesses until all of
the investigations are complete."
Olympus stunned investors on
Tuesday by revealing it had used
M&A deals to hide securities investment
losses that the Nikkei newspaper
said may have exceeded $1 billion.
Olympus has to delay its November
14 earnings announcement
because its external auditor, Ernst &
Young ShinNihon, will not have the
information needed to sign off on the
accounts, sources with knowledge of
the matter said.
Shell Nigeria told
to start oil cleanup
LAGOS — Royal Dutch
Shell's failure to mop up two
oil spills in the Niger Delta
has caused huge suffering to
locals whose fisheries and
farmland were poisoned, and
the firm and its partners must
pay $1 billion to start cleaning
up the region, Amnesty International
said yesterday.
A spokesman for Shell said
the company and its partners
had already acknowledged
the two oil spills and started
cleaning up, adding it had
been hampered by oil theft,
which was responsible for
most spills in the Delta.
The report by the human
rights group to mark the 16th
anniversary of the execution
of environmental activist Ken
Saro Wiwa by Nigerian authorities
said the two spills in
2008 in Bodo, Ogoniland, had
wrecked the livelihoods of
69,000 people.
"The prolonged failure of
the Shell Petroleum Development
Company (SPDC) of
Nigeria to clean up the oil that
was spilled, continues to have
catastrophic consequences," it
said.
The SPDC is a Shell-run
joint venture between the Nigerian
National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), which
holds 55 per cent, Shell, which
holds 30 per cent, EPNL 10
per cent and Agip, with 5 per
cent.
Amnesty said the community's
UK lawyers suggested
the spill had leaked 4,000 barrels
a day for 10 weeks, which
would make it bigger than the
1989 Exxon Valdez spill in
Alaska.
"Those who used to rely on
fishing for a living have lost
their incomes and livelihoods.
Farmers say their harvests are
smaller than before. Overall,
people in Bodo are now much
less able to grow their own
food or catch fish," the report
said.
Shell agreed in August that
a Nigerian community affected
by the spill can claim compensation
in a British court,
setting a precedent for such
claims.
The Amnesty report urged
implementation of a United
Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) report in
August that was critical of
both Shell and the Nigerian
government for contributing
to 50 years of pollution
in Ogoniland, a region in the
labyrinthine creeks, swamps
and rivers of the oil-rich Niger
Delta.
The UNEP said the region
needs the world's largest ever
oil clean-up costing an initial
$1 billion and taking 30 years
— proposing that each of the
partners of the SPDC pay its
share, based on their stake in
the operator.
Amnesty urged SPDC to
set up a $1 billion clean-up
fund, citing Bodo as an example
of a place needing urgent
attention.
"Bodo is a disaster ... that,
due to Shell's inaction, continues
to this day. It is time this
multibillion dollar company
owns up, cleans up and pays
up," Aster van Kregten Amnesty
International's Nigeria
researcher said in a statement.
Shell stopped pumping
oil from most of Ogoniland
after a campaign led by Saro-Wiwa,
a writer and activist,
but it continues to be the
dominant player in the Niger
Delta. — Reuters
A CUSTOMER looks at the Olympus booth at a camera shop in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP
The auditor would want to wait
for an independent panel to complete
a review and the expected restatement
of past earnings before signing off on
its latest results, the sources said.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange said
it had placed Olympus on a supervisory
list and demanded the company
report earnings by mid December or
be delisted.
Supervision is designed to prevent
short-selling of a stock, but such trad-
MADRID — Spain's new government
will unleash a wave of spending
cuts and strengthen economic
reforms in the first months of its
legislature, moves that will throw
the economy back into recession and
send unemployment higher before
making things better.
Polls show the centre-right People's
Party storming to an absolute
majority in the parliamentary election
on November 20, sweeping aside the
seven-year-old Socialist government
blamed for a deepening crisis and
high unemployment.
The task facing the PP will be to
assure markets that Spain will continue
to do everything to meet its
pledges to shrink the deficit, while
stimulating a stagnant and worsening
economy being hit hard by the European
debt crisis.
While cutting the deficit remains
a key target, at home both parties
focus on reducing unemployment as
the main aim.
ing had already been suspended by
Japan Securities Finance, the processor
of margin transactions.
Lawyers said if the third-party
panel found Olympus made material
mis-statements in its accounts, delisting
would be almost inevitable.
Tokyo police would work with
Japan's markets watchdog, which is
already investigating, and with Tokyo
prosecutors, and swap information
with the US markets regulator
But a much deeper reform of the
labour market, which the PP plans,
and even tougher cuts needed to
meet deficit targets in the year ahead,
will help push the economy into recession,
and send the 21.5 per cent
unemployment rate higher in the
short-term.
"The first half of the year will
be hard because they will have to
cut brutally. It will be the hardest
we've seen in the crisis," said Pablo
Vazquez, director of economic thinktank
FEDEA.
He believes the PP must take
radical moves to make Spain more
competitive. Rigid labour laws, expensive
severance pay to lay off
workers, high regulatory compliance
costs and salaries tied to inflation all
make Spanish companies less competitive.
"It will be a painful process, but if
it's done well Spain will come out of
it stronger and it well help the euro
zone."
and the FBI, the Yomiuri newspaper
added.
Olympus was first listed in 1949
as Japan embarked on a rebuilding
effort following World War Two
that led to its modern day industrial
might.
Its shares were untraded yesterday
because of a glut of sell orders. The
shares were marked down by their
daily limit to 484 yen, a decline on
the day of 17 per cent.
The stock has now dropped more
than 80 per cent since the scandal
erupted on October 14, wiping more
than $6.7 billion off the company's
market value.
The stock price started falling after
sacked chief executive Michael
Woodford went public with assertions
Olympus had improperly accounted
for $1.5 billion in payments related to
mergers and acquisitions.
Olympus admitted on Tuesday to
using the unusual payments to assist
in the cover-up.
It said the revelation came to light
through the independent inquiry it
had commissioned, and it blamed
three senior executives. Two of those
executives were former president
Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and ex-vice
president Hisashi Mori. Both are still
directors.
Investor pressure has mounted for
a change of management. UK fund
manager Baillie Gifford & Co, which
says it holds more than 4 per cent of
Olympus, called on the firm to reinstate
Woodford. — Reuters
He said a short-lived recession
was possible over the coming quarters,
in line with other euro zone
countries, although Spain's economy
will be hit further by new cuts and
reforms.
Even PP think-tank FAES recognised
that Spain's economy will not
see decent growth until after 2012
and 2013.
PP leader Mariano Rajoy has
warned he will "take the scissors to
everything except public pensions,
health and education."
Top on the agenda he said would
be a restructuring of government administrations,
including the possible
closure of public foundations and
works, with a freeze on hiring too.
The economy stagnated in the
third quarter and many analysts now
forecast a contraction by year's end as
a global downturn bites into exports
that had supported a feeble recovery.
In 2008 Spain's economy fell into
a recession that was fiercer than that
France, which has the bloc's second
biggest shale gas reserves, last month cancelled
fracking licences following an earlier
ban given environmental concerns.
In Britain, drilling remains suspended
after leading explorer Cuadrilla Resources
acknowledged last week that it had caused
two small earthquakes.
What next?
EU shale gas uptake has been further
delayed by a lack of a US-style drilling
infrastructure, which raises costs, while
urgency is less given expanding supply options
through new planned pipelines from
Russia and the Caspian Sea and imports of
liquefied natural gas (LNG).
A combination of regulation, public
doubts and higher costs implies a realistic
timetable for scaled up European production
from about 2025, and then still far below
US levels now, according to consultants
Wood Mackenzie and Nexant.
New York state may provide a regulatory
example, meanwhile. In proposed new
rules for drilling, which would end a fracking
suspension, it has imposed off-limits
buffers around waterways. European public
will likely demand additional buffers encompassing
widespread protected areas.
— (The author is a Reuters market
analyst. The views expressed are his own.)
Halfords says not sure
on markets upturn
LONDON — Bicycles to car
parts retailer Halfords said
Britons were scrimping on
the maintenance of their vehicles
to save cash in straitened
times and it had no visibility
on when conditions in
its markets will improve.
"It is impossible to predict
when trading conditions will
ease," Chief Executive David
Wild told reporters yesterday
after Halfords posted an
expected 20 per cent fall in
first-half profit.
"The uncertainty remains
in the oil price. That has a big
impact on inflation and without
visibility on that it's very
difficult to be optimistic," he
said.
Wild said Britons were
driving less and deferring
maintenance when they could
avoid it.
"The rate of MoT failure
has now gone up to 41 per
cent, five years ago it was 28
per cent. Around 40 per cent
of the tyres that we see are illegal
because customers are
waiting until the last minute
before they change them," he
said.
"More and more people
are reluctant to check the
oil, they wait until the light
comes on before they top it
in other European countries thanks
to the bursting of a housing and
construction boom. Unemployment
soared from 8.6 per cent at the end
of 2007 to more than 21 per cent currently.
For a decade previously Spaniards
had piled into a booming housing
sector in a binge fuelled on cheap
bank credit at a time when low euro
zone interest rates stimulated prices
in southern European countries.
Banks also gobbled up large
swathes of property then got dumped
with even more when the crisis forced
land developers and Spanish families
to hand over the keys when they
could not keep up with payments.
The PP has said it will intensify
a restructuring of the banking sector
to assure markets have confidence in
the country's banks, and capital flows
again to businesses.
The Socialist government and the
country's 17 autonomous regions got
carried away with a spending spree
Zinc helps
Vedanta
raise profit
LONDON — India-focused
miner Vedanta Resources has
posted a 27 per cent increase
in first-half core profit, lifted
by its newly-acquired international
zinc assets and
higher volumes.
The miner said earnings
before interest, tax, depreciation
and amortisation (EBIT-
DA) for the six months to
the end of September came
in at $1.7 billion, up 27 per
cent and broadly in line with
analysts' expectations, on the
back of a 43 per cent rise in
revenue as commodity prices
rose year-on-year.
Vedanta, reporting its
first results to benefit from
a minority stake in Cairn
India, said its basic earnings
per share dipped to 186.3 US
cents, on the back of lower
attributable profit from subsidiaries.
Vedanta is in the
final throes of completing
its long-awaited deal to take
control of oil explorer Cairn
India from Cairn Energy.
up."
Cash-strapped British
consumers are feeling the
pinch as disposable incomes
are squeezed by rising prices,
muted wage growth and government
austerity measures,
and as they worry about a
stagnant housing market, job
security and a fragile economic
recovery.
Industry group the British
Retail Consortium (BRC)
said on Tuesday a 0.6 per
cent year-on-year fall in October
sales from stores open
more than a year augured
badly for the key Christmas
trading period.
Wild said there was evidence
Britons were turning
to cycling in the face of austerity,
as first-half bike sales
rose 10 per cent.
"Cycling is very much in
tune with many contemporary
trends. It's the cheapest
way to get around apart from
walking, it's healthy and
you're doing your bit for the
environment."
Shares in Halfords, which
prior to yesterday's update
had lost 21 per cent of their
value over the last year, were
up 3.82 per cent, 348 pence,
valuing the business at £705
million. — Reuters
Cisco beats cautious Wall Street view on earnings
WASHINGTON — Cisco Systems
Inc forecast revenue and
earnings above Wall Street
expectations as demand from
government and enterprises
for its network equipment remained
resilient despite global
economic troubles.
Analysts had expected conservative
quarterly guidance,
given the economic uncertainty.
Chief Executive John
Chambers said that budgets
of large customers as well as
governments were better than
expected.
The world's biggest networking
equipment maker
projected a 7 to 8 per cent rise
in fiscal second-quarter sales,
translating to $11.13 billion
to $11.2 billion in revenue —
matching or slightly ahead of
the $11.14 billion expected, on
average.
Excluding items, Cisco predicted
earnings per share of
42 to 44 cents in the quarter,
beating the average forecast of
42 cents, signalling its monthslong
turnaround was bearing
fruit.
But Chambers, who kicked
off a months-long overhaul of
the company to save $1 billion
through lay-offs and asset sales,
warned that global uncertainty
persists and it remains tough to
predict market conditions.
"There will always be challenges,"
Chambers said. "We
are watching very closely the
developments in Europe and
the global economy, public
sector spending, India busi-
ness, and the fallout from the
flooding in Thailand."
Cisco competes with Juniper
Networks Inc, Brocade
Communications Inc, Alcatel-
Lucent SA and Huawei Technologies
Co Ltd, many of
which have grabbed market
share from the erstwhile highgrowth
Silicon Valley darling
and chipped away at its margins.
Chambers vowed to make
life difficult for rivals, in particular
China-based Huawei.
"In the past we have been a lit-
tle too gentle," he said.
For the time being, unlike
most of the competition, Cisco
looks to be on track to revive
growth and return to its old
glory after it slashed its longterm
targets and laid off thousands
of employees.
Juniper Networks forecast
disappointing fourth-quarter
results, while Alcatel-Lucent
scaled back its profitability
goal for the year as telecom
operators hold back spending
in response to mounting economic
uncertainty.
"The key takeaway is that
Cisco executed well in a tough
environment," Edward Jones
analyst Bill Kreher said.
"Overall, the print looks
clean with margin and operating
profit upside relative to our
estimates that are above the
Street," Brian White of Ticonderoga
Securities said.
Cisco beat its own margin
expectations in the first quarter
with non-GAAP gross margins
at 62.4 per cent, above its target
of 61 to 61.5 per cent.
"Gross margins appear to
be stabilising. We view that as
an important step in the Cisco
turnaround story," Kreher said.
Cisco's shares extended
gains after Chambers' comments,
rising 4 per cent to
$18.30 in extended trade, after
closing down 3.8 per cent.
Yesterday, Cisco reported
quarterly earnings per share
that beat estimates, signalling
that efforts to revive growth
are beginning to pay off.
— Reuters
Spain recession more likely on new govt austerity
too, pushing up the public deficit to
11.2 per cent of economic output in
2009. With analysts predicting some
slippage of the government's public
deficit target this year of 6 per cent
of gross domestic product, even
steeper cuts next year are inevitable
if an optimistic target of 4.4 per cent
in 2012.
The Socialists constructed the target
on a forecast for the economy to
expand by 2.3 per cent next year, but
now analysts see the economy growing
by only half that much.
While Rajoy has ruled out cuts
to education and the health system,
other PP leaders have made cuts in
those areas in autonomous regions
they control, sparking protests.
"The new government will need to
explain clearly that the measures they
take will not solve things in the short
term, but they would help the economy
recover in the medium term," said
Miguel Cardoso, chief economist for
BBVA Research. — Reuters

RWE in red
on German
N-phase-out
FRANKFURT — RWE,
Germany's second-biggest
power supplier, said yesterday
it plunged into the red in
the third quarter, not least as
a result of the country's decision
to phase out nuclear
power.
RWE said in a statement
it booked a net loss of 174
million euros ($235 million)
in the period from July to
September, compared with
a year-earlier profit of 594
million euros.
Operating profit plummeted
69.6 per cent to 410
million euros and revenues
dropped 4 per cent to 10.71
billion euros.
For the first nine months
as a whole, bottom-line net
profit was down 46.3 per cent
at 1.416 billion euros on a 0.9
per cent decline in revenues
to 38.167 billion euros.
"Group earnings deteriorated
considerably year on
year" in the first three quarters,
RWE said.
"The lifetime reduction
imposed on our German
nuclear power stations was
a major contributing factor.
Together with the new
nuclear fuel tax, it reduced
the operating result by about
one billion euros compared
to the first nine months of
2010," the group said.
But earnings were also
hurt by lower electricity generation
margins, an "unusually
weak performance" by
RWE's energy trading activities
and substantial burdens
in the midstream business,
it said.
Looking ahead to the full
year, chief executive Juergen
Grossmann said "this year
continues to be dominated
by the accelerated nuclear
phase-out, lower electricity
margins, and heavy burdens
in the gas midstream business."
— AFP
Morrisons
sales at top
of forecasts
LONDON — A focus on low
prices, promotions and fresh
foods helped Wm Morrison
Supermarkets to defy the
gloom surrounding Britain's
retailers and post third-quarter
sales growth ahead of its
main rivals.
Chief executive Dalton
Philips said yesterday there
was no sign of a let up in the
pressure on British shoppers,
who are seeing disposable
incomes squeezed by rising
prices, muted wages growth
and government austerity
measures.
A third of customers at
Morrisons, which has most
stores in the less affluent north
of Britain, have no money left
over at the end of the month,
he said, predicting a tough
Christmas.
However, he said supermarkets
were well placed to
cope as Britons go out less
and treat themselves more
cheaply at home.
"People will be trading
more out of restaurants and
pubs into the supermarkets,
so that bodes well for the sector,"
Philips told reporters on
a conference call.
Morrisons was in a particularly
good position, following
its launch of premium
own-brand ready meal range
M Kitchen, backed by partnerships
with five top British
chefs, he said.
Ready meal sales had leapt
60 per cent since M Kitchen's
launch, with top sellers including
Nigel Haworth's Lancashire
Hotpot and Aldo Zilli's
Pizza Calabrese, he added.
Morrisons, Britain's No
4 grocer behind J Sainsbury,
Wal-Mart's Asda and Tesco,
said sales at stores open over
a year rose 2.4 per cent in the
13 weeks to October 30, excluding
fuel and VAT sales
tax. — Reuters
SINGAPORE — Asian stocks fell
around 3 per cent yesterday after
soaring Italian borrowing costs
stoked fears that the debt crisis in
the euro zone's third biggest economy
will overwhelm its financial defences,
raising the risk of a break-up
of the currency area.
Asian credit spreads blew out
as the deepening crisis in Europe
sapped investor appetite for risk,
while safe haven assets such as
Japanese government bonds were in
demand.
"Whatever they come up with, it
doesn't avoid a European recession,"
said Su-Lin Ong, senior economist
at RBC Capital Markets in Sydney.
"The question now is just how
deep it will be and whether this is
going to bleed over into the banking
system, because that is much more
significant."
Tokyo's Nikkei share average fell
2.9 per cent, while MSCI's broadest
index of Asia Pacific shares outside
Japan lost 3.5 per cent, with the financial
and industrial sectors hammered
hardest.
Both the Nikkei and Topix
dropped further in the afternoon as
other Asian markets fell sharply. By
midafternoon, Hong Kong's Hang
Seng Index had plunged 4.33 per
cent and South Korea's Kospi Index
had plummeted 3.45 per cent.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average
lost 3.2 per cent overnight as the
yield on Italy's 10-year bonds at one
point surged to nearly 7.5 per cent.
Economists see 7 per cent as an
important threshold. Crossing it has
previously pushed Greece, Ireland
and Portugal to seek bailouts.
Japan's key machinery orders declined
a seasonally adjusted 8.2 per
cent in September from the previous
month, due to sharp drops in the
telecommunications equipment and
automotive sectors, the government
said.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index,
the Asian market that has tended
to be most susceptible to European
developments in recent months, was
the biggest regional loser, falling 4.5
per cent as banks such as HSBC led
9 INTERNATIONAL FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Asian shares drop as bond yields push Italy to the brink
SK Telecom makes final bid
for Hynix stake: report
SEOUL — South Korea's top
mobile carrier SK Telecom has
submitted a final bid to buy
a controlling stake in Hynix
Semiconductor, the world's
second-largest memory chip
maker, a report said yesterday.
SK Telecom submitted a
preliminary bid in July to buy a
15 per cent stake and has been
left as the sole candidate since
the STX shipbuilding group
withdrew in September, citing
market uncertainties and the
financial burden.
Yesterday was the deadline
for final bids, and creditorsturned-shareholders
received
a solo bid from SK Telecom,
Yonhap news agency said.
SK Telecom officials and
creditors were not available for
comment.
SK Telecom's bid was
thrown into doubt on Tuesday
when prosecutors raided the
headquarters of its parent company
SK Group, the country's
third-largest conglomerate by
assets.
News reports said the raid
was part of an investigation
into allegations that the group's
founding family diverted company
funds. The group rejected
such allegations as groundless.
WASHINGTON — Angry
words and rejected proposals
have been the hallmark lately
of deficit-reduction talks in the
US Congress, masking signs
that the two sides are starting
to move towards a possible
compromise.
With time evaporating for a
congressional "super committee"
to find at least $1.2 trillion
in budget savings over 10
years, there are still no guarantees
that Republicans and
Democrats can agree on a deal
by a November 23 deadline.
Both sides made counter
offers this week after swiftly
rejecting each initial plan last
week. An analysis of all the
proposals shows negotiators
are inching away from entrenched
positions as they
search for compromise.
After about two months
of closed-door meetings that
produced few outward signs
of progress, Republicans and
Democrats in recent days have
been floating ideas, mainly on
PEDESTRIANS pass before share prices boards in Hong Kong and Tokyo stock exchanges yesterday. — Reuters
EMPLOYEES of SK Telecom walk in the main office
building of the company in Seoul yesterday. — Reuters
SK Telecom, which controls
about half of the country's
mobile market, has said that
convergence of the chipmaking
and telecommunications
businesses would enhance efficiency
and help expand its
overseas interests.
Creditors rescued Hynix by
swapping their debt holdings
into shares in 2001 and 2002.
They have been trying for
years to sell out but previous
attempts have been dogged
by uncertainties over the chipmaking
sector and the need for
the hot-button issue of taxes,
that demonstrate a new willingness
to reach out to their
opponents.
The ideas, ranging from
ending some special-interest
tax breaks for corporations
to letting the rich maintain
their current income tax rate,
marked significant shifts.
"The fact that Republicans
have mentioned the word 'revenue'
is a breakthrough," Richard
Durbin, the No 2 Democrat
in the Senate, told the Reuters
Washington Summit on
Wednesday.
The liberal lawmaker was
referring to a proposal offered
by a Republican super
committee member, Senator
Patrick Toomey, earlier this
week. It called for limiting
tax deductions, in part to help
bring more money into federal
coffers to reduce deficits.
Democrats rejected the proposal,
complaining it was coupled
with huge new tax cuts
for the wealthy while poten-
losses.
Financial spreadbetters expected
Britain's FTSE 100 to open down
1.5 per cent, while Germany's DAX
and France's CAC-40 were called
down 1.7 per cent.
Italy has, for the time being, replaced
Greece as the biggest source
of concern in Europe's two-year-old
debt crisis.
Italian 10-year bond yields rose
above 7 per cent on Wednesday, a
level most market economists consider
unsustainable for financing
huge investment in Hynix.
Due to weak demand for
personal computers, Hynix
swung to a third-quarter net
loss of 562.62 billion won
($496 million), compared with
a record net profit of 1.04 trillion
won a year ago.
Major chipmakers are struggling
as the weakening global
economy hits demand for
chips and pushes down prices.
The popularity of smartphones
and tablets has also decreased
demand for personal computers.
— AFP
tially adding to the tax bill for
middle-income earners, who
could lose some deductions.
Despite that, both parties
took note that tax revenues for
the first time were put into the
deficit-reduction mix by Republicans.
Republican Senator John
Cornyn, Durbin's ideological
opposite, said of his party's offer
to limit tax deductions, "We
recognise this is a good-faith
way to allow Democrats to say
they got additional revenue by
doing tax reform, cutting out a
debt of more than 2 trillion euros.
A pledge by Italian Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi to stand down
failed to reassure bond markets that
Rome has the will to bring its debts
under control, and moves by two
major clearing houses to raise the
level of collateral needed for holders
of Italian debt pushed the country
near breaking point.
European and US stocks fell
steeply on Wednesday in response,
with Wall Street shares losing more
than 3 per cent
Cookson says global
slowdown hits profit
LONDON — British industrial
materials group Cookson
said its second-half results
would be hit by a slowdown
in global steel production,
particularly in Europe.
Cookson, whose products
are used in the glass and solar
industries as well as by
steelmakers and foundries,
said yesterday its second-half
performance would likely be
slightly below first half levels.
"Global steel production
in the third quarter of the
year declined by some 2 per
cent compared to the second
quarter," the company said.
"There have been recent signs
of some moderate softening
in steel production volume
trends for the remainder of the
year, particularly in Europe."
The news sent its shares
down 5 per cent to 437.2
pence, making them the top
percentage losers on the FTSE
250 index.
"Second-half performance
is now expected to be slightly
below first half when trading
profit of 145.9 million were
reported," Singer Capital
Markets analyst Jo Reedman
said.
The analyst said that would
imply a full-year result of
less than £291.8 million — a
downgrade versus consensus
expectations.
"While the shares are already
lowly rated, this is likely
to further undermine investor
confidence in the group's near
term prospects," she added.
Cookson, however, said
trading in its core Ceramics
and Electronics divisions remained
strong, and that fullyear
results would be substantially
ahead of 2010.
Still, analysts at Brewin
Dolphin said they would likely
downgrade their full-year
pretax profit estimates by 5
per cent.
"It is disappointing to have
to downgrade forecasts whilst
the group's core markets are
performing in line with expectations,"
they said.
Larger British engineer
IMI also disappointed investors
with its trading update,
which one analyst said signalled
slowing growth.
Shares in the company
dropped 1.3 per cent to 783.5
pence, after it said full-year
earnings would be in line with
estimates and reported a ten
per cent rise in year-to-date
reported sales. — Reuters
lot of loopholes."
There is also evidence of
conciliation on the Democratic
side.
Democrats floated a new
plan on Monday that included
a major concession to Republicans
— no tax rate hikes on the
S&P 500 futures traded in Asia
were up slightly yesterday.
Ireland and Portugal were both
forced to seek aid soon after their
10-year bond yields topped 7 per
cent, but a rescue for Italy would
be on a different scale and Europe's
bailout fund is widely considered
inadequate for the task.
The European Central Bank
(ECB), considered the only institution
capable of repelling the bond
market attacks, bought Italian bonds
in substantial amounts on Wednes-
LONDON — British newspaper
publisher Trinity Mirror
expects to perform
slightly better than the market
anticipated this year thanks to
higher Sunday circulations
following the closure of the
News of the World.
The publisher of the popular
Daily Mirror and Sunday
Mirror tabloids said yesterday
its revenue in the 17 weeks to
end-October was in line with
the same period in 2010, and
it had seen an improvement
in the rate of decline of ad
sales.
"The board expects increased
circulation volumes
and revenues of our Sunday
titles will help deliver performance
marginally ahead
of the top end of the current
range of market expectations
in 2011," the company said in
a statement.
rich, despite earlier demands
by President Barack Obama
and many of his fellow Democrats.
Under the Democratic proposal,
obtained by Reuters, individual
tax rates for the highest
earners would be capped
at 35 per cent. The current top
tax rate of 35 per cent is set to
jump to 39.5 per cent in January
2013 unless Congress acts.
Prominent Republicans
have been calling for lowering
the top rate to as low as 25
per cent. Their latest proposal
called for a 28 per cent top
rate.
"We thought we were close
to a deal" on Monday, a Republican
congressional aide
said.
The aide said Republicans
also showed a willingness to
go along with a major Obama
demand: ending some specialinterest
loopholes, such as corporate
jet tax breaks. Scrapping
the tax breaks would
bring in about $60 billion in
day, but is reluctant to go further to
force down yields.
"The markets were basically in a
panic yesterday and the only thing
that can give the euro at least a temporary
respite is quick action from
the ECB to lower Italian yields,"
said Koji Fukaya, chief currency
strategist at Credit Suisse in Tokyo.
While many outside Europe are
calling on the ECB to take a more
active role, as other major central
banks do, in acting as lender of last
resort, Germany remains implacably
opposed to what it views as a threat
to the central bank's independence.
In a sign of the depth of fear gripping
European capitals, EU sources
told Reuters that French and German
officials had held discussions
about a euro zone split.
The single currency was steady
around $1.3540, after tumbling
around 2 per cent on Wednesday.
The dollar was also steady
against a basket of currencies, after
surging in the previous session as
investors scurried for safety, while
yields on 10-year Japanese government
bonds fell 1 basis point to
0.965 per cent.
In Asian credit markets, spreads
widened around 13 basis points on
the Asia ex-Japan iTraxx investment
grade index, a gauge of risk
appetite.
Concerns about flagging demand
knocked London Metal
Exchange copper down 2.4 per
cent. US crude oil edged down to
$95.70 a barrel, while Brent crude
dipped a touch to around $112.26.
— Agencies
Murdoch effect on to
buoy Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror shares rose
2.1 per cent to 49 pence, outperforming
a flat European
media index.
Rupert Murdoch's British
newspaper arm News International
shut down the News
of the World (NOTW), at the
time the country's most popular
Sunday tabloid, in July in
an attempt to contain a rapidly
escalating phone-hacking
scandal.
London brokerage Numis
reiterated its "buy" recommendation
on Trinity Mirror
shares.
"Our positive recommendation
reflects our belief
that the group will continue
to benefit from the NOTW
closure into FY12, however
we expect News Int to reenter
the Sunday market in
the medium term," it said in
a note.
Progress seen in US deficit-cut talks despite counter offers
revenues from corporations,
the aide said.
Other developments in recent
days further heartened
deficit hawks.
A bipartisan group of about
45 senators has been urging the
super committee to "go big"
and find far more than its mandated
target of $1.2 trillion in
savings. About 40 Republican
congressmen joined last week
with about 60 Democrats in a
letter saying revenues had to
be part of any super committee
deal.
But for all the focus on the
process towards a deal, it is the
final product that matters for
credit rating agencies watching
closely to see whether
Washington can demonstrate
the political will to deal with
its huge deficits.
"We tend to look at not all
of the noise and everything
that goes into the process, but
what are the results," Moody's
chief US analyst Stephen Hess
said. — Reuters

10
OMAN/INTERNATIONAL FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Paper giant gets heat over Indonesian forests
JAKARTA — An Indonesian
pulp and paper company
accused by Greenpeace of
helping destroy the country’s
rain forests has been
on the defensive after
the global environmental
group announced more
companies were cutting
ties with it.
Greenpeace said last week that
seven major companies,
including toymaker Hasbro
Inc, New Zealand’s largest
group of department stores
The Warehouse Group
Ltd and luxury pen maker
Montblanc International
GmbH had decided to stop
buying from Asia Pulp &
Paper Co (APP).
Greenpeace said it had found
extensive clearance of rainforests
inside APP plantations
on Sumatra island,
including areas mapped as
habitat for the endangered
Sumatran tiger.
“APP must stop the destruction
of natural forests and
peatland conversions,” said
Bustar Maitar, Greenpeace
South-East Asia forest
campaigner. “From the perspective
of climate change,
what APP is doing is far
from being sustainable forest
management.” APP, one
of the world’s largest pulp
and paper companies, is
owned by the Indonesian
conglomerate Sinar Mas
Group, which also controls
palm oil plantations
that environmentalists say
threaten forests and the
habitat of endangered animals.
APP produces 7 million tonnes
of pulp, paper and packaging
a year and markets its
products to 65 countries,
according to company figures.
Moody’s may downgrade Lloyds
LONDON — Credit rating
agency Moody’s said it may
downgrade part-nationalised
British bank Lloyds, citing
concerns that the temporary
absence of Lloyds’ chief executive
due to health issues may
hinder its restructuring plans.
“The review has been
prompted by the significant
upheaval within Lloyds’ senior
management, following
the announcement that the
current CEO, Antonio Horta-Osorio,
has had to take a
temporary leave of absence,”
Moody’s said in a statement
on Wednesday.
Lloyds shocked investors
last week by announcing that
47-year-old Chief Executive
Antonio Horta-Osorio was
taking a break due to stressrelated
illness, leaving a potential
power vacuum at the
top of Britain’s biggest retail
bank.
Tim Tookey, the finance
director who is due to leave
DETROIT — General Motors
Co posted a lower third-quarter
profit on losses in Europe
and offered a disappointing
outlook that raised doubts
about the speed of its turnaround
two years after emerging
from bankruptcy.
GM vowed to slash costs
to shore up margins and said it
would consider closing plants
in its sputtering European unit,
but its fourth-quarter outlook
disappointed investors and
sent shares tumbling 11 per
cent yesterday.
The percentage drop was
the largest one-day decline
since the company’s initial
public stock offering in November
2010.
Worries about slowing
growth in key markets like
Brazil and the continued drag
from Europe prompted questions
about whether the top
US automaker had taken its
foot off the pedal after a 2009
taxpayer-funded restructuring
wiped away its debt.
Chief Executive Dan Akerson
called the third-quarter
profit of $1.7 billion “solid”
but quickly added “solid isn’t
good enough,” an unusually
stark assessment from a com-
the bank in February for insurer
Resolution, is serving
as interim CEO, adding to
worries that a major executive
shake-up by Horta-Osorio
has left Lloyds thin at the top
at a time when it faces several
headwinds.
Tookey said Horta-Osorio
was still expected back at
work before Christmas, but
his absence comes at a difficult
time for the bank, as it
works on the disposal of some
630 retail bank branches and
a broader strategy review that
has entailed some 15,000 job
cuts and plans to halve Lloyds’
international presence.
“Moody’s is concerned
that the group may face a
major challenge in ensuring
continuity of leadership, given
that the CEO has only been in
place since March 2011; and
there have been several highlevel
management changes
since his arrival, including the
announcement that the current
pany long-criticised for moving
too slowly to admit mistakes
and force changes.
GM exceutives conceded
the automaker needed to follow
Ford Motor Co in streamlining
historically tangled
operations. Under the slogan
“One Ford,” CEO Alan Mulally
has pushed GM’s smaller
rival to unify its vehicle development
and purchasing over
the past five years.
“You just can’t turn on a
dime,” said Mirko Mikelic,
senior portfolio manager with
Fifth Third Asset Management,
who said GM’s turnaround
remained complicated
by the US Treasury’s 27 per
cent ownership stake.
“I don’t think the US Government
wanted to see them do
a scorched-earth policy — go
into bankruptcy and radically
change everything — because
that would have had an impact
not only on GM but their suppliers,
and that would have
hurt the overall industry,” he
said.
The biggest drag on GM’s
third-quarter results came from
Europe, where the automaker
posted a $300 million loss.
GM opted to keep the German
CFO will leave in February
2012,” the agency said.
“The situation is exacerbated
by the fact that it comes
at a time of turbulent conditions
in the financial markets
and the necessity for Lloyds
to execute important tasks, including
the EU-mandated sale
of branches and the ongoing
wind-down of non-core assets,”
it added. Moody’s has
an A2 senior debt rating on
Lloyds Banking Group.
Britain ended up with its
Lloyds stake and a holding of
83 per cent in Royal Bank of
Scotland after rescuing both in
2008 with state bailouts, and
in return European regulators
ordered RBS and Lloyds to
sell off a string of assets.
Lloyds was saddled with
billions of pounds of losses after
buying troubled rival HBOS
at the height of the 2008 crisis,
in a deal that was brokered by
the Labour government of the
time. — Reuters
GM outlook disappointing
Opel brand two years ago after
saying it would sell the unit,
but it has struggled to turn
around its European operations
since. On Monday, GM
announced it would change its
top executive in Europe.
“The big story today is
going to be what looks like a
pretty disappointing fourthquarter
outlook,” said Citi analyst
Itay Michaeli, who has a
“buy” rating on GM’s shares.
GM said it now expected
a full-year loss in Europe, an
economy Akerson described
as a “morass.” Akerson also
vowed more cuts in Brazil after
reducing 4 per cent of the
automaker’s jobs there in the
current quarter.
“We need to do a better job
in Europe and South America.
The results there are not sustainable
and not acceptable,”
said Akerson, who became
CEO just over a year ago.
Chief Financial Officer Dan
Ammann said nothing was
“off the table” in restructuring
GM’s European operations, including
closing plants. Unions
and politicians in Europe have
resisted plant closures, stranding
the industry with excess
capacity. — Reuters
Its managing director Aida
Greenbury said the company’s
operations followed
Indonesian laws and that
the Greenpeace campaign
was misdirected.
“Greenpeace is attacking the
policies of the Indonesian
government, which allows
industrial forest concessions
in peatland and natural
forest areas,” Greenbury
said in an interview.
Peatland releases enormous
quantities of carbon when
burned or drained and its
destruction results in pollution
that contributes to
global warming.
“Accusations that APP is destroying
forests are not
true,” she said. “APP performs
strict due diligence
on timber suppliers from
around the world and they
are audited by world-class
auditors,” she said.
Greenbury said Indonesianmade
paper still contains
wood from natural forests
that were not of high conservation
value.
“Timber from natural forests
can be sustainable,”
she said. “The question
is: Why are we as an Indonesian
company being
singled out?” Indonesia is
estimated to be the world’s
third-largest producer of
greenhouse gases, largely
HONG KONG/LONDON — Londonbased
jeweller Graff Diamonds plans to
raise about $1 billion in a Hong Kong
listing next year, a move that could
fund expansion in Asia and capitalise
on booming gem prices.
The buyer last year of the 24.78
carat “Graff Pink”, Graff and its flagship
Bond Street store are controlled by
Britain’s 13th richest man, septuagenarian
Laurence Graff.
While most initial public offering
(IPO) markets are virtually shut across
the world due to uncertainties surrounding
the euro zone debt crisis, Graff’s
pursuit of a Hong Kong listing shows
companies in some sectors are still positioning
themselves into the pipeline.
“I can confirm we are considering
our options” with regard to a possible
Hong Kong IPO, Chief Financial Officer
Nick Paine said yesterday, after
a source familiar with the deal said the
IPO was in the pipeline and could raise
$1 billion.
Paine also confirmed plans for store
openings in Asia. He declined further
comment.
Laurence Graff began his career as
owing to the rapid destruction
of its forests. It aims to
reduce the emissions by at
least 26 per cent by 2020.
In May, Indonesia issued a decree
committing the country
to a two-year moratorium
on new permits to clear
about 64 million hectares
of natural forest and peatland.
However, the moratorium did
not affect existing forestry
concessions and those that
had been approved in principle.
Greenpeace said the move did
not go far enough, arguing
that about 40 million hectares
of forest could still be
destroyed, including some
of the last habitats of endangered
species like the
orangutan and the Sumatran
tiger.
A spokesman for the Forestry
Ministry, Masyhud, who
like many Indonesians uses
only one name, said the
moratorium was likely to
be extended until 2015.
“We are strictly monitoring existing
forest concessions,”
he said.
“We cannot just close them
because that would be
against the law as their licences
are legally binding.”
Greenpeace said major
retailers such as Carrefour
SA, Auchan SA, Metro
Group and Tesco Plc have
all dropped APP from their
own-brand products in the
last two years.
Mattel Inc, the US toy company
that produces Barbie
dolls, said in June that it
would direct its suppliers to
stop buying wood products
from APP after Greenpeace
activists dressed as Barbie
and her boyfriend Ken
scaled its headquarters in
a protest against its use of
APP-made paper.
Greenpeace said tests by a
US-based paper testing
company, Integrated Paper
Services (IPS), found
that APP paper packaging
used by toy makers in
North America contained
mixed tropical hardwood,
indicating that some of the
raw materials originated in
natural forests.
APP in turn accused
Greenpeace of misleading
toy companies by making
what it called “false
claims” that its products
had been proven to contain
Indonesian rainforest fibre.
The company said IPS had
confirmed that it was
only able to determine
the types of fibres present
in such samples and had
not been able to identify
country of origin of the
samples. — dpa
a teenage apprentice in London’s Hatton
Garden jewellery quarter. He heads
a firm that retails some of the world’s
most expensive jewellery.
With 33 stores worldwide it counts
the Sultan and Queen of Brunei and
American property mogul Donald
Trump among clients, Forbes said.
The IPO plan follows a pattern of
Stark takes swipe at
bond-buying plan
FRANKFURT — European
Central Bank chief economist
Juergen Stark appeared to hit
out once more at the bank’s
controversial bond-buying
programme yesterday, saying
the crisis was no excuse for the
bank to overstep its mandate.
“The intensity of the crisis
must not be used as a pretext
to throw principles overboard
that guarantee the long-term
economic stability in the euro
area,” Stark said in a speech
prepared for delivery at a European
forum in Lucerne.
A copy of the speech was
made available by the ECB in
Frankfurt.
“This is true for governments
as it is for central banks.
Red lines must not be crossed,
otherwise what is a solution to
today’s crisis will lay the basis
for a new crisis tomorrow,” the
economist said.
Stark, 63, did not explicitly
luxury brands flocking to list on the
Hong Kong stock market as a platform
for a broader expansion into China and
beyond.
The diamonds business in Asia has
been booming as consumers in China
and India turn to diamond jewellery
even in the face of a poor global economic
outlook.
mention the ECB’s controversial
decision to help bail out
debt-wracked eurozone countries
by buying up their sovereign
bonds.
But his shock announcement
in September that he
is standing down at the end
of the year is widely seen by
analysts and ECB watchers
as a consequence of his vocal
opposition to the bond-buying
programme.
“Little is to be gained if we
blindly act a European level to
ease the pressure on the markets
in the short-term, but in
doing this jeopardise the longterm
stability and ultimately
the very existence of economic
and monetary union,” Stark
said.
“Or if in misjudging structural
problems, we offer excessive
liquidity as a solution,” he
added.
Stark, who is set to be replaced
by the current number
two at the German finance
ministry Joerg Asmussen, insisted
the ECB “must not go
beyond its mandate.”
He said: “Its sole democratic
legitimacy is in the
safeguarding of price stability
and it is solely for this reason
that it has been made independent
from political influence.”
— AFP
Graff plans to expand in Asia, HK listing soon
The two countries are expected by
some analysts to overtake the United
States in the next four years as the top
diamond consumers — growth that
sits behind the move by miner Anglo
American to buy out diamond industry
goliath De Beers earlier this month.
Diamonds have been one of the best
performing commodities this year, with
rough diamond prices boosted by a
dearth of new mines, low inventories at
cutting centres and growing demand.
“The investment community in Asia
would welcome more luxury goods,
and in this case, super luxury goods
like Graff,” said Aaron Fischer, Head
of Consumer and Gaming at CLSA
Asia-Pacific Markets.
Rothschild is advising Graff on the
IPO, according to the source, who declined
to be named as the plan is not
yet public.
Hong Kong has been the top global
destination for initial public offerings
for two years, in part due to its access
to Asian capital and markets. Italian
fashion house Prada SpA this year sold
shares in a Hong Kong IPO, raising
around $2.5 billion. — Reuters
TEL: 24601003, 24600586 • FAX: 24600736
• WEBSITE: www.salalahport.com

Women don’t have shelf
life in showbiz: Freida
Page 14
Take Vitamin B to lower
work related stress
Page 12
THE global tourism industry’s signature
travel fair concluded in London
at the weekend, affording the Sultanate
of Oman yet another opportunity to
showcase its distinctive tourism product
on the world travel and hospital stage.
Staged annually in the British capital,
World Travel Market (WTM) is a vibrant
must-attend four-day business to business
event that features a diverse range of destinations
and industry sectors to UK and
international travel professionals.
For the official Omani delegation,
WTM presented a unique opportunity to
meet, network and conduct business with
prospective investors and key players
from the multi-trillion dollar global travel
and hospitality sector.
The Sultanate’s presence at the prestigious
fair was made possible through
the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism,
Salon du Chocolat
goes Broadway
Page 14
The Adventures of Tintin — a
Spiel-bugging experiment
Page 14
Fea ures
Friday, November 11, 2011
with the support of national carrier Oman
Air. A splendid pavilion captured the essence
of the catchphrase behind Oman’s
distinctive tourism brand — ‘Beauty has
an address’. Oman Air, which continues
to play a central role in the marking of the
Sultanate’s tourist product globally, had
its own delightful stand at WTM 2011.
Led by Maitha al Mahrouqi, Tourism
Ministry Under-Secretary, the official delegation
from Oman also included representatives
of around 25 key players in the
domestic tourism industry. Represented
on the delegation were major tour operators,
prominent hotel and resort properties,
and companies offering niche tourism
packages.
During the four-day event, Maitha and
her senior colleagues held a number of
meetings with executives of a diverse variety
of organisations exploring opportu-
nities for collaborative arrangements and
partnerships with the Omani tourism sector.
The meetings were also an opportunity
for the Omani delegation to highlight
key travel and tourism trends that make
the Sultanate a unique holiday destination
in its own right.
A reception held to mark Oman’s presence
at the fair attracted key figures and
travel professionals. In opening remarks,
Maitha al Mahrouqi provided a brief overview
of the tourism sector’s growing role
in the country’s socioeconomic development.
She described the recent opening
of the Royal Opera House Muscat as
evidence of Oman’s keenness to enrich
— and be enriched by — the cultural and
musical heritage of the wider world.
The launch of the Arab region’s only
other opera house, she noted, also provides
a perfect backdrop for activities and
celebrations marking the designation of
Fast test for severe food
poisoning
Page 12
Oman shares spotlight with global destinations
The Sultanate’s
presence at the
prestigious World
Travel Market fair
was made possible
through the efforts
of the Ministry of
Tourism, with the
support of national
carrier Oman
Air. A splendid
pavilion captured
the essence of the
catchphrase behind
Oman’s distinctive
tourism brand —
‘Beauty has an
address’. Oman Air,
which continues
to play a central
role in the marking
of the Sultanate’s
tourist product
globally, had its
own delightful
stand at WTM 2011
A green thumb on call: The plant doctor
By Arne Meyer in Berlin
HIS patients can’t describe their
symptoms or even point to where
it hurts, but Bernhard Furtner is
able to understand.
A plant doctor, Furtner can help a sick
plant get better. However, like any doctor,
he can’t save all of his patients.
On a recent typical day in his office a
woman pushed in a wheelbarrow holding
a plant that was drooping and covered
with brown spots. “This doesn’t look
good,” said Furtner. He reached into the
moist soil in the plastic bag that held the
European spindle tree, pulled gently on
the roots and ran his hands through the
shrivelled leaves. His diagnosis: Water
damage caused by too much rain.
“The tree is dead,” Furtner said. “It
drowned.” Furtner is the last hope for
many hobby gardeners. The 40-yearold
landscape architect pampers bushes,
flowers and trees and advises their worried
owners when they need help deciding
whether to use fertiliser or pesticide,
organic materials or chemicals.
Often Furtner needs only to look at a
diseased leaf in order to recognise a condition
and find a way to get rid of it. When
there’s doubt, the sample is sent to a city
plant protection office for analysis.
Furtner’s office is in a garden centre
near Berlin’s Olympic stadium. He also
goes into the field and even does house
calls to solve bigger problems. He could
be mistaken for an emergency doctor in
his sweater and vest, white pants and
medical briefcase. He and his two colleagues
carry scissors, soil testers and
a magnifying glass with them on their
daily appointments.
“We are heroes to many customers and
that makes us feel good,” he said with a
laugh. “After all we do rescue lives.” His
team takes care of plants in hotels, cafes
and offices, and he recently began offering
his services to cemeteries.
“Many of my customers simply don’t
have the time to take care of the plants
properly,” said Furtner. Most of them are
older people “because they simply are
more likely to have a garden. People under
30 come to me less often.” There is
no charge to get advice at the garden centre.
House calls and garden service cost
up to 550 euros ($763) per year.
Another worried customer appears at
his office asking what is wrong with his
plant. The elderly man shows Furtner a
leaf from a climbing hydrangea. He runs
his thumb over its surface. The tip of the
leaf is brown.
“This is what typical water damage
looks like,” Furtner said. He reaches into
a shelf and takes out a white pot. “Potas-
A plant doctor can help a sick plant get better
sium-containing fertiliser. It makes the
plant harder, ensuring that it can withstand
frost. The cells become resilient.”
The plant doctor concept came from
Furtner’s boss, the owner of the garden
centre, about 10 years ago.
“People were always coming with
pieces of their plants and asking for advice,”
Furtner said. “We thought about
how we could make it more professional.”
Furtner, who did research on plant
diseases in Sweden after completing his
education, has developed a loyal customer
base. He gets about five customers a
day in the autumn. Springtime — when
people are preparing their gardens for the
blooming season — is his busiest time of
the year.
Roses are a constant problem. “They
are as good as sick all the time. They get
every kind of fungus imaginable,” said
Furtner. Rhododendrons also have to be
treated often.
A seldom-seen Hawaii palm stands
on Furtner’s desk, near a copy of a book
about plants. Furtner says he and his colleagues
occasionally have to look things
up. Only by first determining the disease
or pest can the doctor prescribe the correct
remedy. He keeps medicine for bushes
and flowers handy, while fertilisers
and pesticides are on a shelf. His practice
is also a pharmacy.
Germany has more than 100 plant
doctors and Werner Ollig, Director of a
Gardening Academy in Rhineland-Pfalz,
Muscat-Arab Cultural Capital 2012. The
under-secretary concluded her remarks
by thanking the delegates from Oman for
their enthusiastic participation in the 2011
edition of the World Travel Market.
On the second-day of the fair, Maitha
al Mahrouqi joined fellow heads of travel
delegations from around the world for a
‘summit’ hosted by WTM’s organisers.
Heads of more than 90 official delegations,
representing the 182 countries taking
part in WTM 2011, attended the summit.
Chairing the summit was Dr Taleb Rifai,
Secretary General of the UN World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO), who
urged all countries to pull together in
nurturing the tourism sector’s rapid return
to health after the global economic
meltdown, and other upheavals around
the world. Delegates urged governments
to take steps to facilitate — and not im-
said it is an “absolute trend” because the
garden and people’s plants have become
more important. “People want more nature
and gardens than indoor living space.
They have more longing for nature.”
Furtner finds himself making increasingly
more house calls. People often call
him when their plants are already deathly
ill. Customers consider a plant sick when
it starts looking poorly, but there’s too little
expert advice available at home stores.
Most people water too much or overdo
the fertiliser. They mean well, but this
upsets the plant’s nutritional balance.
In big cities plants are even more sus-
Rhododendrons have to be treated often
pede — the movement of tourist traffic,
notably through the adoption of improved
visa formalities, investment in infrastructure,
training of national staff, and other
measures.
According to the UN body, the expansion
of the tourism industry will slow
down slightly towards the end of 2011,
resulting in a rise of up to 4.5 per cent
in international arrivals for the year as a
whole.
Growth is projected to be between
three and four per cent in 2012, despite
continuing economic problems around
the world and the financial challenges that
face the sector.
“The trends of recent months make us
confident that though at a slower pace, international
tourism will continue to grow
in 2012, creating much-needed exports
and jobs in many economies around the
world,” Rifai said at the summit.
ceptible to diseases. Furtner said plants
suffer because they are constantly under
stress.
When treating plants, Furtner takes
care to use as little pesticide as possible.
Chemical “culls” kill everything that
flies, he said, adding that he favours an
organic spray with plant-based active ingredients.
In many cases he can’t get around using
chemicals. If small insects will die if
he uses a chemical on a plant, he feels
some hesitation. He said, “It’s a trade off,
but a plant is certainly more sympathetic
than a leaf fungus.” — dpa

PEOPLE’S
PLATFORM
LONELY Planet’s recent
designation of Muscat as the
second best city in the world
bodes well for enhanced tourist
traffic into the Sultanate. After all,
Lonely Planet is one of BBC’s top
travel programmes with a global
audience of discerning travellers,
travel experts and opinion-makers.
In bestowing Muscat with the No
2 ranking among best cities of the
world, Lonely Planet wasn’t trying
to suggest that the Omani capital
is the second largest destination
for international tourists. It has
never been Oman’s goal to attract
mammoth numbers of tourists, but
rather to cater to modest numbers
of well-heeled holidaymakers
at the high-end of the market
and with a culturally-inclined
bent. In adjudging Muscat as the
second best city, Lonely Planet is
recognising the Omani capital’s
attributes as an authentic Arabian
city, well-ordered, with delightful
parks and gardens, and most
importantly, immaculately clean.
— Joyce Monteiro
Editor: Yes, it’s important to clarify
that the accolade does not refer
to Muscat’s current tourist appeal
as to its distinctive urban characteristics.
Getting tough with piracy
AS a security expert specialising
in marine law, I’m delighted
that Oman has decided to get tough
with pirates operating within its
territorial waters and Exclusive
Economic Zone. This is evident
from the Appeal Court’s recent
Take Vitamin B to lower
work related stress
TAKING more Vitamin B,
found in meat, beans and
wholegrains, seems to significantly
lower work-related stress.
These were the findings of a
three-month trial, conducted by
Con Stough, professor at Swimburne
University of Technology,
where participants were given a
course of either high dose vitamin
B supplements or a placebo.
“By lowering stress, we also
lower the risk of health problems
such as cardiovascular disease,
depression and anxiety,” Stough
was quoted as saying by the journal
Human Psychopharmacology.
Researchers assessed 60 participants
against factors such as
personality, work demands, mood,
anxiety and strain and then reevaluated
them at 30 and 90 days,
verdict awarding hefty jail terms
to a gang of pirates who had seized
a livestock-laden dhow just off Sur
a couple of months ago. A couple
12
LETTERS/HEALTH FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Lonely Planet accolade lauds Muscat’s attributes
said Stough, according to a Swimburne
statement.
“At the end of the three-month
period, those in the Vitamin B
group reported much lower levels
of work stress than they did at
the beginning of the trial,” Stough
said.
“On the other hand, those in
the placebo group showed no significant
change,” he added.
“Vitamin B, which is found in
whole unprocessed foods such as
meat, beans and wholegrains, is
integral to the synthesis of neurotransmitters
critical to psychological
wellbeing,” he said.
“But the reality is that many
people don’t get enough Vitamin
B from their diet, so they are turning
to vitamin supplementation,”
added Stough. — IANS
Fast test for severe food poisoning
FAST and
A reliable new test
under development
could help people
avoid a terrible type
of food poisoning that
comes from eating
fish tainted with a
difficult-to-detect
toxin from marine
algae growing in
warm waters.
The researchers
say the method outdoes
current detection
methods. Besides helping diagnose patients, it will also help scientists
study how the toxins move through the food chain from one animal to
another.
Takeshi Yasumoto, expert in marine biotoxins and professor emeritus
at Tohoku University, and colleagues explain that 20,000-60,000 people
every year come down with ciguatera poisoning from eating fish tainted
with a ciguatoxin — the most common source of food poisoning from a
natural toxin. Fish, such as red snapper and sea bass, get the toxin by eating
smaller fish that feast on marine algae that produce the toxin in tropical and
subtropical areas, such as the Gulf Coast of the US.
There’s no warning that a fish has the toxin — it smells, looks and tastes
fine, reports the journal Analytical Chemistry.
But within hours of ingesting the toxin, people with ciguatera have
symptoms that often include vomiting, diarrhoea, numbness or tingling in
the arms and legs and muscle and joint aches.
Debilitating symptoms may last for months, according to an American
Chemical Society statement. Yasumoto’s team proved the new test’s effectiveness
by identifying 16 forms of the toxin in fish from the Pacific
Ocean. — IANS
of Indian sailors lost their lives in
a firefight that had ensued when
Omani naval authorities challenged
the pirates in Omani waters. By
arresting and prosecuting these
high-seas bandits, Oman joins a
growing number of countries that
have been menaced by Somali-
New drug zaps fat cells in monkeys
AN experimental drug helped obese monkeys
lose 11 per cent of their extra weight in a
month, a promising sign in the hunt for obesity
drugs that could apply to humans, US researchers
said.
The drug, known as Adipotide, works by attacking
the blood supply of a certain kind of fat (pictured)
, known as white adipose tissue, that tends to
accumulate under the skin and around the belly.
Most other obesity drugs focus on either reducing
appetite, boosting metabolism or preventing the
absorption of fat.
The research, led by the University of Texas MD
Anderson Cancer Centre, offers a potential new
pathway for treatment and has also shown effects in
mice who lost 30 per cent of their body weight during
treatment.
“Most drugs against obesity fail in transition between
rodents and primates,” said co-senior author
Renata Pasqualini, whose study appears in the journal
Science Translational Medicine.
“We’re greatly encouraged to see substantial
weight loss in a primate model of obesity that closely
matches the human condition.”
The monkeys in the study were spontaneously
obese, meaning they overate of their own free will,
avoided exercise and therefore had packed on extra
pounds.
Their weight declined for the first three weeks
of treatment, though a small uptick was seen in the
fourth week. The average weight loss during that
span of time was 11 per cent of their body weight.
The drug designed by the MD Anderson group
“binds to a protein on the surface of fat-supporting
blood vessels,” and contains a “synthetic peptide that
triggers cell death,” the findings said.
“Their blood supply gone, fat cells are reabsorbed
and metabolised.” Clinical trials of the drug on obese
men with prostate cancer are planned next, in which
human subjects will get daily injections of the drug
for 28 days.
“The question is, will their prostate cancer become
better if we can reduce their body weight and the associated
health risks?” asked co-author Wadih Arap, a
professor in MD Anderson’s David H Koch Centre for
Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers. — AFP
Brain’s response to stress can predict dementia
A
MEMORY stress test could tal Health and Complex Disorders ning on a treadmill we make you
make it easier to predict programme, who led the study. think to the point of mental exhaus-
who has greater chances of Some of dementia symptoms tion and measure your brain activ-
developing dementia.
are forgetting names, appointity. Researchers from the Queensments and losing things, difficulty “By using a brain imaging scanland
Institute of Medical Research in driving, cooking a meal, housener, we were able to detect subtle
(QIMR), with the Brain and Agehold chores, managing personal changes in brain activity. We studing
Research Programme, Uni- finances, becoming quiet and withied the patients again after two
versity of New South Wales, have drawn, according to a Queensland years and found that their initial
shown how the brain’s response to statement. Breakspear studied peo- response to the stress test predicted
increasing mental stress can predict ple aged between 70 and 85 years whether their everyday functioning
cognitive decline.
with mild cognitive impairment, a was stable or declined.
“Accurate detection of those at known risk factor for dementia. “What is also interesting is we
risk before they show clinical signs They were given a series of found that the level of accuracy
of dementia would allow for early, memory tasks of increasing diffi- when the brain is under stress is
targeted preventive interventions,” culty and their brain activity was also a good indicator of future
said Michael Breakspear, professor monitored. For instance, think of a mental decline,” concluded Break-
and co-ordinator of QIMR’s Men- heart stress test but instead of runspear. — IANS
based piracy. It’s only collective
international action that can help
tackle this phenomenon.
— Arnold Sacramento
Editor: As a seafaring nation that
depends on international shipping
for maritime trade, Oman is keen
to secure its vital maritime interests.
Adverse weather
THE succession of adverse
weather events seen over the
past week is another reminder
of Oman’s susceptibility to the
effects of global warming and
climate change. Tropical Cyclone
Gonu of June 2007 marked the
start of a trend in adverse weather
phenomena that has manifested
itself in the region.
Given the rapid frequency at
which, these phenomena — cyclones,
deep depressions, tropical
storms, and so on — are making an
appearance, it is important that scientists
recommend ways for Oman
to cope with these events, in much
the way Japan, for instance, has
learnt to cope with earthquakes,
and the United States with hurricanes.
— Saif Nizar
Editor: Gonu, Phet, and most
recently, Keila have underlined the
need for intensive study of the factors
that spawn these phenomena.
Perhaps, The Research Council or
Sultan Qaboos University should
explore the potential for research
in this area.
Disaster management
mandate
IT is heartening to know that the
National Committee for Civil
Defence (NCCD) is spearheading
the development of Oman’s
disaster management capability.
Going by news reports, this
capability will be designed to
mitigate natural disasters, such as
cyclones, tsunamis, quakes and so
on.
But what about human-linked
emergencies, such as toxic chemical
spills, fallout from industrial
disasters and so on? Is the NCCD
gearing up for such contingencies?
— Hina Saifullah
Editor: Our understanding is that
the NCCD’s remit is very wide and
will cover all kinds of potential
emergencies.
Shrinking gut does not
lead to larger brain size
IT was believed that early humans were able to redirect energy to
their brains due to a reduced digestive tract. But primatologists have
disproved this, showing that mammals with relatively large brains
tend to have a larger digestive tract.
Doctoral student Ana Navarrete from the University of Zurich, Switzerland,
who led the research, studied hundreds of carcasses from zoos
and museums, the journal Nature reports.
“The data set contains a hundred species, from the stag to the shrew,”
explains Navarrete, according to a university statement.
The scientists then compared the brain size with the fat-free body
mass.
Study co-author Karin Isler stresses: “It is extremely important to
take an animal’s adipose (fat) deposits into consideration as, in some
species, these constitute up to half of the body mass in autumn.”
But even compared with fat-free body mass, the size of the brain
does not correlate negatively with the mass of other organs.
Nevertheless, the storage of fat plays a key role in brain size evolution.
The researchers discovered another rather surprising correlation:
the more fat an animal species can store, the smaller its brain.
Although adipose tissue itself does not use much energy, fat animals
need a lot of energy to carry extra weight, especially when climbing or
running.
This energy is then lacking for potential brain expansion. The rapid
increase in brain size and the associated increase in energy intake began
about two million years ago in the genus Homo. — IANS
Fighting gum disease easier
when fat cells disappear
THE human body is better geared
to fighting gum disease when fat
cells, which trigger inflammation,
go away.
Inflammation that continues to
brew in the body can have harmful
effects over time, and inflammation
from gum disease can erode
bone and cause tooth loss. Inflammation
can also cause breaks in the
gums where harmful oral bugs can
enter the blood stream. They have
been linked to pre-term birth, foetal
death, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis,
said Nabil Bissada, professor
in periodontics at Case Western Reserve
School of Dental Medicine.
The findings come from a pilot
study of obese people with gum
disease. Half of the group with an
average body mass index (BMI), a
height to weight ratio, of 39 had gastric
bypass surgery and had fat cells
from the abdomen removed, according
to a Case Western statement.
That half fared better than a
group of obese people with a BMI
of 35 who were also treated for gum
disease but did not have the gastric
bypass surgery or fat removed, the
Journal of Periodontology reports.
The majority of those who underwent
surgery had a drop in their
glucose levels. — IANS

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QUOTATIONS FOR TODAY
Happiness is not something you
postpone for the future; it is something
you design for the present.
— Jim Rohn
Clouds come floating into my life, no
longer to carry rain or usher storm,
but to add color to my sunset sky.
— Rabindranath Tagore
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WY253 B737-8 Madras 0115
WY237 B737-8 Hyderabad 0120
WY223 B737-8 Cochin 0120
WY631 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 0120
WY825 A330-200 Kuala Lumpur 0125
9W529 B737-8 Trivandrum 0130
WY201 B737-8 Bombay 0130
WY241 B737-8 Delhi 0130
WY661 E175AR Doha 0130
WY651 E175AR Bahrain 0140
WY329 B737-8 Lahore 0200
WY273 B737-8 Jaipur 0205
WY325 B737-7 Islamabad 0220
TK859 B737-8 Istanbul 0220
IX816 B737-8 Abu Dhabi-Mangalore 0220
WY335 B737-8 Kathmandu 0235
PK226 A310 Karachi 0340
FZ042 B737-8 Dubai 0500
EK867 B777 Dubai 0500
KU678 A320 Dubai-Kuwait 0540
QR171 A320 Doha 0550
MS931 B737-8 Cairo 0600
GF561 E190 Bahrain 0700
RJ601 A319 Amman 0715
WY915 E175AR Salalah 0800
WY603 E175AR Dubai 0800
EP6556 F100 Chah Bahar 0810
EP6556 F100 Shiraz 0810
FZ044 B737-8 Dubai 0820
WY315 B737-8 Chittagong 0900
NL769 B737-2 Lahore 0945
WY323 A330-200 Karachi 1000
WY297 B737-8 Calicut 1005
WY263 B737-8 Lucknow 1010
WY283 B737-8 Bangalore 1015
WY917 ATR42 Khasab 1030
WY605 B737-8 Dubai 1030
WY923 B737-8 Salalah 1035
G9114 A320 Sharjah 1035
WY203 B737-8 Bombay 1040
EK863 B777 Dubai 1045
EY383 A320 Abu Dhabi 1050
QR167 A321 Doha 1055
WY3923 B737-8 Salalah 1135
9W533 B737-8 Cochin 1145
IX554 B737-8 Cochin-Trivandrum 1150
EP6556 F100 Shiraz 1210
WY663 E175AR Doha 1215
WY715 B737-8 Dar-es-Salaam 1230
WY645 B737-7 Kuwait 1255
WY113 A330-300 Frankfurt 1300
WY145 A330-200 Malpensa 1300
WY405 B737-8 Cairo 1310
WY653 E175AR Bahrain 1315
GF563 E190 Bahrain 1315
WY131 A330-300 Paris 1330
IX350 B737-8 Calicut 1355
WY101 A330-300 London Heathrow 1400
WY121 A330-300 Munich 1405
WY607 B737-8 Dubai 1440
WY925 B737-8 Salalah 1540
WY671 B737-8 Jeddah 1540
WY3925 B737-8 Salalah 1640
WY619 E175AR Dubai 1715
ED451 A319 Lahore 1730
WY615 B737-8 Dubai 1805
GF565 A319 Bahrain 1855
WY647 B737-8 Kuwait 1905
WY685 B737-8 Dammam 1905
WY927 B737-8 Salalah 1905
WY681 B737-8 Riyadh 1910
WY667 B737-7 Doha 1910
WY655 B737-7 Bahrain 1915
G9118 A320 Sharjah 1945
WY635 B737-8 Abu Dhabi 2015
WY613 B737-8 Dubai 2045
FZ048 B737-8 Dubai 2105
KL450 A330 Abu Dhabi-Amsterdam 2200
AI978 A319 Hyderabad-Bangalore 2200
SV533 EMB170 Riyadh-Jeddah 2205
WY913 B737-8 Salalah 2245
AI908 A319 Madras 2300
AI974 A320 Delhi 2310
EY381 A320 Abu Dhabi 2325
LX243 A330 Dubai-Zurich 2335
QR169 A320 Doha 2335
WY673 B737-8 Jeddah 2340
GF567 B737-7 Bahrain 2345
LH619 A330 Abu Dhabi-Frankfurt 2350
SCORPIO
(October 23-
November 21)
Don’t resist your partner’s
attempts to put something by
for the future, but be glad that at
least one of you is provident and
thinks ahead.
SAGITTARIUS
(November 22-
December 21)
Put a time limit on that
overdue household task, and avoid
straining domestic relationships. It
is not a job that can be put off any
loner.
CAPRICORN
(December 22-
January 20)
Make an effort to get
in touch more often with a relative
to whom you owe a great deal. He
may have reason to feel hurt by
your apparent neglect.
AQUARIUS
(Jan 21-February 19)
Don’t let your determination
to stick to a
strict budget evaporate. You’ll need
every penny if you are to achieve
your ambitions for the future.
13
INFORMATION/LEISURE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
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 Ibn Sina 24490394
As Salam 24451092
Al Sawaqam 24815336
Belqees 24540622
Sur Sur 25545298
Ibri Muscat 25689216
Buraimi Zohal 25640211
Rustaq Al Murshid 26875561
Barka Lulu 26885340
Nizwa Al Hazfah 25431650
Samayil Belqees 25352186
Salalah Ibn Sina 23296112
NIGHT DUTY
Muscat Atlas 24503585
Mahaq 24421644
Muscat 24833323
Muscat 24537080
Sur Muscat 25543660
Ibri Al Huda 25692604
Buraimi Yass 1 25653855
Barka Scientific 26883673
Rustaq Al Rustaq 26875045
Nizwa Muscat 25410235
Samayil Al Rahbi 25350153
Salalah Al Mawasa 23225201
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
IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: There is a great deal of work required of you in the coming year which only you can
do. The home situation requires some sorting out and you are the only person who can handle the present
state of affairs but you can be sure that it will be well worth while in the end.
PISCES
(Feb 20-March 20)
Try to conduct your
life along more consistent
lines instead of jumping
from one project to another, and
you will be rewarded with steadier
progress.
ARIES
(March 21-April 20)
Due to a letter just received
you will have
to improvise arrangements for
visitors, but they appreciate that
you have not had time to make any
elaborate preparations.
TAURUS
(April 21-May 20)
Try to mix with people
who share your interests
instead of spending time on
empty social encounters. There is
a lot to be learned from the experience
of others.
GEMINI
(May 21-June 21)
Be your own natural
self if you want to
impress a new acquaintance of the
opposite sex. There is no point in
putting up a front, which you cannot
maintain.
CARTOONS
CANCER
(June 22-July 21)
Something which is
worrying you and you
are finding it difficult to cope with
will be partially resolved today and
completely resolved soon.
LEO
(July 22-August 21)
Don’t base your decision
concerning a
young person’s future on your own
enthusiasm. Consider his points of
view — his feelings should be of
greater importance.
VIRGO
(August 22-Sept 22)
You may have to take
the initiative if a person
of the opposite sex continues hiding
their feelings and is too shy to approach
you.
LIBRA
(September 23-
October 22)
Make allowances for
a friend’s pre-occupation with his
own pressing problems, and don’t
expect his individual attention at
the moment.
ADAM @ HOME by Brian Basset
CALVIN AND HOBBES by Bill Watterson
GARFIELD by Jim Davis
STONE SOUP by Jan Eliot
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
OTHER HOSPITALS
Sohar . . . . . .26840022 . . 26840099
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
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 PLANETARIUM,
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.
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
YOUR STARS For cancer survivor, sun shines in heart
By Vishal Gulati
HERE’S a deeply
personal account
by middle-aged
Shimla-based
Minakshi Chaudhry,
who beat the ghost of
breast cancer. Now the
sun is shining again for
her.
“The dark clouds
have passed, letting
sunshine in,” journalistturned-writer
Chaudhry,
41, writes in her latest
book, her 10th. Sunshine
My Encounter
With Cancer narrates
her innate struggle and
captures the intense experience
of her journey
to recovery.
The first part of the
book, How could it happen
to me, gives a complete
account — from
the diagnosis of breast
cancer till the treatment
is completed.
Vomiting my guts out but not dying is the second part
that elaborates her experience during chemotherapy.
In Bald but bowling, Chaudhry narrates her experience
of hair loss and eventual triumph.
The section Family and friends tells how important
the role of family and friends is to help one cope.
Then comes Life goes on, which shows how one
can come out of difficult times and how it is possible to
face difficult situations. It also emphasises that every
pain is transitory and passes with time. We must not
lose hope.
The diary entries by the author make a separate section
at the end of the book which gives insights into
her state.
The epilogue of the book brings out the cyclical
flow of events and the ability of humans to fight back
when faced with adversity.
It ends with the words, “Today is a great day. The
sun shines in my heart.”
Trekker and nature-lover Chaudhry had no hint of
impending cancer and she was feeling absolutely fit
and energetic.
She was perfectly normal when, suddenly, she was
BOLLYWOOD
actor Anil
Kapoor is set
to foray into television
with the Indian remake
of hit US TV series 24.
The actor is said
to have inked Rs 100
crore deal with 20th
Century Fox to remake
the TV series, originally
starring Keifer
Sutherland as the protagonist.
Anil will not
only produce it, he will
also take up the lead
role as Jack Bauer.
“It will be a great
honour for me to play Jack Bauer. Kiefer has created
an iconic character which has inspired me to bring the
franchise to India.
“This will be my first foray to Indian television and
I look forward to duplicating the standard of excel-
told that she had breast
cancer on July 26, 2008,
after her biopsy.
When her radiologist
handed over the
report of “very suspicious”
mammogram,
she had an inkling of
what might be in store
for her. Yet the news
came as a shock and it
took time for it to sink
in.
All cancer patients
go through the phases
of shock, denial, fear,
why me and what next?
Though Chaudhry
bravely accepted that
she had cancer right
from the beginning and
did not personally go
through the phase of
“denial”, so many of
her relatives and friends
could not accept the
news even when she
was under treatment.
Instead of thinking
that her fate was sealed,
she fought back with the support of family and friends
and came out of darkness into bright sunshine, full of
hope and positive energy.
The book talks of what it means to be a husband, a
teacher, a sibling and a friend.
Chaudhry also raises important questions about a
patient’s rights and how doctors and caregivers can
make it easy for the patient and the family members
who are passing through a very traumatic phase.
She writes, “My treatment is now over. I may have
it again, who knows? The future is not ours to see.
Yet now I feel a strange kind of tranquillity. The worst
fear — that of something terrible happening — has
become a thing of the past.”
Chaudhry announces that the proceeds from the
book will be used for the cause of preventing and
curing cancer through the Shimla-based NGO Sewa
Trust.
Her books include Ghost Stories of Shimla Hills,
Love Stories of Shimla Hills and Whispering Deodars:
Writings from Shimla Hills.
Her manuscript Ghost Stories of Shimla Hills: Volume
II has been accepted for publication. — IANS
Anil Kapoor to remake US TV series 24
lence Fox has so successfully
created,” Anil
said in a statement.
Anil had made an
appearance in the US
TV series, where he
played the middleeastern
leader Omar
Hassan, who comes
to the US on a peace
keeping mission.
“Anil’s passion for
the series goes back to
his time as a guest star
on the show, and we’re
excited to enable him
to realise his vision
of creating a new version
of the series for his native India. We think this
could pave the way for many more iterations of this
brilliant series in other international territories down
the road,” said Marion Edwards, president, Fox International.
— IANS

Taylor Swift, The Band Perry
big winners at CMA awards
T
AYLOR Swift
(pictured) took the
most-coveted entertainer
of the year award for the
second time and newcomers
The Band Perry reaped a hat
trick of honours at the 45th
Country Music Awards.
“I’m so happy right
now. You’ve made my
year. Thank you so much,”
said the 21-year-old singersongwriter
with the supermodel
looks at the climax of
a three-hour gala in country
music’s capital city of Nashville,
Tennessee.
Just minutes earlier, Swift
— whose Speak Now has
been one of the year’s top
country albums — looked
bewildered when she was
passed up for female singer
of the year and three other
categories for which she had
been nominated.
Swift last won entertainer
of the year, the top honour at
the most prestigious of country
music’s many award evenings,
in 2009, the youngest
artist ever to do so.
Taking the evening by
storm was Tennessee sibling
trio The Band Perry, who
first won single of the year
for their melancholic hit If I
Die Young, then song of the
year, and then best new artist.
— AFP
Salon du Chocolat
goes Broadway
THEY have always
been in vogue, but
twin actresses and
A model displays an outfit
made of chocolate during a
fashion show for the opening
night of the New York
Chocolate Show. — AFP
OVERS of chocolate and
Lmusicals met on Broadway
at the opening of the New York
Chocolate Show, which started
with a parade of models —
dressed in chocolate.
Broadway is the theme of
this year’s event and spectators
welcomed 13 new creations including
a Lion King mask and
tail in dark chocolate, Roxy
from the musical Chicago, in
a chocolate-encrusted miniskirt,
bowler hat and cane, and
a French cancan dancer whose
head wore a chocolate Eiffel
Tower.
The show, which opens
three weeks after its older,
Paris counterpart, the Salon
du Chocolat, is hosting more
than 60 exhibitors in its 14th
edition, which runs from up to
Sunday.
The chocolate sculptures
required much work from designers
and noted chefs, with
the Lion King creation needing
12 hours of work from a
three-person team, its leader
Deborah Pellegrino said.
Visitors at the event can
sample chocolate from its best
creators, listen to experts who
may disclose a tip or two, and
buy books on the subject.
The dresses used in
Wednesday’s parade will
also be on display, alongside
a small-scale model of the
Broadway district, all in chocolate.
— AFP
clothing designers Mary
Kate and Ashley Olsen are
now truly in Vogue, gracing
the cover of the fashion
magazine’s newest best
dressed issue.
The widely-read
edition, which was
unveiled yesterday and hits
newsstands on November
15, puts its spotlight on nine
global sister acts from British
royalty, the Duchess of
Cambridge Kate Middleton
and her sister Pippa, to
celebrity singers Beyonce
and Solange Knowles.
Also getting special
mention inside the pages are
the French Courtin-Clarin
foursome, grand-daughters
of Clarins cosmetics
company founder, Jacques
Courtin-Clarin.
“It’s been a year of
sisters, most famously
with Catherine and Pippa
Middleton,” Mark Holgate,
Vogue Fashion News
Director and Editor of the
best dressed issue, said.
Holgate credits the
Middletons with popularising
their own mid-thigh length
of dress: “Short enough to
be impossible for an oldergeneration
royal to wear,
long enough to be decent
when sitting or bending
down to talk to a child.”
But it was the Olsen
twins, who rose to fame
14
ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Women don’t have shelf
life in showbiz: Freida
SHE plays a priestess
with the power to see
the future in Hollywood
film Immortals and actress
Freida Pinto (pictured) says
if she actually gets such powers
she would like to increase
the longevity of her career as
women don’t have shelf life
in filmdom.
“If I had Phaedra’s powers
and if I could look into the
future, I think I would want
longevity in my career. I say
from the point of view that
women as such do not have
greater shelf life in this industry,”
Freida said in an e-mail
interaction.
However, there are a
few exceptions, she says.
“Some of them defy all odds
like Helen Mirren or Meryl
Streep, who can do exactly
what a 20-year-old can do. So
I think I would wish for that,”
she added.
Directed by Tarsem Singh,
the film Immortals starring
Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke
and Luke Evans is an epic tale
of treachery, vengeance and
destiny, and the actress is all
praise for the director.
“What is unique about this
film is it is completely Tarsem’s
take. He never puts you
in a box tight room and wants
you to repeat his vision word
to word. He not only wants
you to understand his vision
but also bring in your own
take to the film,” said Freida,
who rose to fame with Danny
Boyle’s Oscar winning film
Slumdog Millionaire.
“I was to incorporate still-
ness in my character from the
very beginning, which meant
no twitching of the eyebrows
or too many body movements.
He felt that since Phaedra is
so contained and internalised,
everything had to come
out through the eyes and her
words rather than the body
movement. Because he gave
me the flexibility and chance
to understand his vision and
bring that into my character,
Olsens best dressed sisters: Vogue
as child stars on US TV
and as adults founded two
successful high-end clothing
labels, who were picked for
the prestigious cover.
Holgate called the choice:
“Kind of a no-brainer. Are
there any more chic, stylish,
cool, and original sisters
than Mary Kate and Ashley
Olsen? They are incredibly
stylish,” he said of the twins.
The fact they have
appeared on worst dressed
lists in the past, including an
I think we managed to pull it
off.”
Ever since her rise to fame,
the 27-year-old has been part
of an interesting mix of films
like You Will Meet A Tall
Dark Stranger, Miral, Rise of
the Planet of the Apes, among
others and the actress says
each film has been a learning
experience.
“Every director that I have
worked with has had a USP.
annual one from late fashion
critic Blackwell, is actually a
positive thing, said Holgate.
“They don’t have
someone telling them,
‘This is cool, this is hot,
this is what you should be
wearing.’ It comes from
within them. It’s instinctual.
“Look at what they’ve
done with (their fashion
labels) The Row and
Elizabeth and James,”
said Holgate. “They are
legitimate fashion forces.”
Danny sees how he keeps
you sucked into the character
throughout the film. With
Woody Allen, it’s hands off
but sometimes hands on, so
you sometimes don’t know
which way you are going.
Every time you deliver a line
and look at him for approval,
which is quite rare to receive.
He was interesting to work
with as he lets you improvise
and play with the lines,” she
said.
“Julian Schnabel of Miral
was very fatherly and kind
and compassionate about the
story he was filming. With
Tarsem it was a completely
different world. Nothing like
what I had already experienced.”
With Freida being an Indian
actress, one would always
think she would be a part of
Bollywood but she has ruled
out any such plan. However,
Freida does admit that with
the advent of modern technology,
the Hindi film industry’s
style is changing.
“They (Bollywood films)
are an amazing celebration,
we have enjoyed them
for years. At the moment it
is changing and with directors
like Anurag Kashyap
and Dibakar Banarjee
it’s a style that is slowly
changing; something that we
saw in the 1980s and it’s happening
again with modern
technology. I have already
done Trishna, so when people
see it, they’ll know I’ve already
done a Hindi film,” she
said.— IANS
The issue also highlights
sisters with contrasting
styles, such as the Maras
— actresses Rooney of the
upcoming The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo and Kate,
currently seen on TV’s
thriller series American
Horror Story.
The magazine notes that
Rooney Mara looked like “a
goth Pippi Longstockings”
at a recent Rodarte fashion
show while Kate Mara
“exudes the glamour of
bygone screen sirens.”
“There was just
something interesting about
seeing how siblings’ style
can be so different and
unique,” said Holgate. “We
started thinking about all of
the great sister acts who are
around right now who look
really good together but also
look good apart.”
The colourful Solange
Knowles, younger sister
of pop superstar Beyonce,
is known for taking style
risks, including shaving her
head, donning afro wigs and
mixing prints and colours.
But she told Vogue in an
interview that both their
tastes are evolving and
bridging the gap between
their styles.
“I never borrowed clothes
from Beyonce when we were
growing up,” said Solange.
“But now my style is a little
more tame and hers is a little
more adventurous.
— Reuters
The Adventures of Tintin — a Spiel-bugging experiment
Film Review
Film: The Adventures of Tintin — The Secret of the
Unicorn; Cast: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig,
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost;
Director: Steven Spielberg; Rating: ** 1/2
THE sheer thrill of seeing
one’s favourite
childhood comic being
transposed on to a different
medium (film) combined
with technology and the best
of hands from Hollywood
surely sets one’s expectations
soaring. Steven Spielberg’s
The Adventures of Tintin features
superb animation and
the most refined use of motion
capture technology thus
far.
This film attempts to bond
three different Tintin stories
— most notably The Secret
of the Unicorn (which is the
film’s subtitle) as well as The
Crab with the Golden Claws
and Red Rackham’s Treasure.
What The Adventures of
Tintin boils down to is essentially
an Indiana Jonesesque
movie, and is very much in
that vein; a rollicking tour
around the globe, hunting
for mysterious treasures with
various complex outcomes
and action set pieces.
Set in the 1930s, Tintin’s
(Jamie Bell) adventure starts
at a market place in Brussels.
A few seconds after he
purchases a miniature sailing
ship he gets exorbitant
offers to sell it off. He learns
that the miniature is a replica
of a 17th century sailing ship
called the Unicorn.
Apparently the Unicorn
was navigated by Captain
Haddock’s (Andy Serkis) ancestor
and was carrying huge
treasures in its vaults when it
was raided and sunk by the
pirates.
This ancestor was the only
person who knew the exact
location of the sunken treasures.
So he left behind a clue
on a parchment in the three
identical miniatures of the
Unicorn.
Mild humour is infused
in this film by the bumbling
police officers Thompson and
Thomson (Simon Pegg and
Nick Frost) and Tintin’s faithful
canine Snowy. — IANS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Indian actresses Mink Brar (left) and model Jesse
Randhawa pose during a birthday event for fashion
designer Rohit Verma in Mumbai. (Below) Television
actress Sara Khan walks the ramp. — AFP
Actress Ginnifer Goodwin arrives at the 45th
Country Music Association Awards in
Nashville, Tennessee. — Reuters
Actress Rachelle Lefevre arrives for the 2011 Victoria’s
Secret Fashion Show in New York. — Reuters

Prime ministers vow
to start ‘new chapter’
ADDU, Maldives — India
and Pakistan yesterday
talked about writing “a new
chapter” in their accidentprone
ties, with Islamabad
assuring New Delhi that the
fighters behind the Mumbai
carnage, that virtually froze
relations between the neighbours,
will be brought to justice
soon.
Meeting on the sidelines of
the 17th South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation
(Saarc) summit here, the two
leaders held delegation-level
talks for around half an hour
in a seaside beach cottage at
the idyllic Shangri-La resort
hotel and followed it up with
nearly 45 minutes of one-onone
talks.
With relations having languished
since the cataclysmic
26/11 terror attacks nearly
three years ago, the two sides
agreed to push a host of initiatives,
including the revival of
the joint commission, a preferential
trade agreement and
liberal visa regime.
India conveyed to Pakistan
the imperative need to punish
perpetrators of 26/11 carnage
and underlined that terror
should not be allowed to spoil
improving relations between
them.
Pakistan promised to conclude
the trial of the Mumbai
terror accused in its custody
and declared that Ajmal Kasab,
the lone surviving 26/11
fighter, should be hanged.
In a sign of the new spirit of
mutual accommodation, Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
and his Pakistani counterpart
Yusuf Raza Gilani agreed to
open a new chapter in ties and
hoped the next round of talks
will be “more productive and
constructive.”
Coming out after their
meeting, the two smiled and
made brief statements before
the media in which they virtually
echoed each other in their
desire to start a new phase in
relations.
Describing Gilani as “man
of peace,” Manmohan Singh
said that the dialogue process,
which the two countries
resumed early this year, have
yielded positive results, but
stressed that “more needs to
be done.
“We have decided that we
will resume this dialogue with
the expectation that all issues
which have bedevilled the relations
between our two countries
will be discussed with
all the sincerity that our two
countries can bring to bear on
these talks,” said Manmohan
Singh.
Saying that “the destinies
of people of India and Pakistan
are very closely linked,”
the prime minister stressed
that “we have wasted lot of
time in the past in acrimonious
debates.
Saying that Gilani had fully
endorsed this view, he said
that “the next round of talks
should be far more productive,
far more result-oriented
in bringing the two countries
closer to each other than ever
before.” — IANS
Obama, Manmohan to
meet in Bali on Nov 18
WASHINGTON — Describing
India as an important security
and counter-terrorism
partner in South Asia, the
White House has said President
Barack Obama will meet
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh in Bali on November
18.
Meeting for the first time
at the East Asia Summit after
about a year, the two leaders
are expected to review the
progress of their bilateral ties
since Obama’s visit to India
last November, White House
Deputy National Security Adviser
Ben Rhodes told reporters
on Wednesday.
They would also discuss
their deepening economic
and commercial ties besides
a wide range of other issues
including Afghanistan, economic
ties and security relationship,
he said.
“India, of course, as a
rapidly growing economy,
as a strong democracy and
as an important security
partner and counter-terrorism
partner in South Asia,
By Ashraf Padanna
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
— Kerala Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy has released
the logo of the fifth
edition of Global NRK Meet
to be held here on December
29 and 30.
Non-resident Keralite
Affairs (NORKA) Minister
K C Joseph, who attended the
function held at the chief minister’s
chamber, said the meet
would see convergence of
expatriates and the returnees
who could contribute ideas for
the state’s development and
welfare of the community.
Representatives of the expatriate
bodies, leading NRK
entrepreneurs and Malayalees
residing in other Indian states
will also attend the conclave to
be held at Mascot Hotel here.
The delegates can register at
the NORKA office directly or
on the official website www.
globalnrkmeet2011.norkaroots.net.
The registration fee for
the NRKs is fixed at Rs 1,000
while others need to pay Rs
500. Besides the chief minister
and his cabinet colleagues,
overseas Indian Affairs Minister
Vayalar Ravi, Planning
Board Vice-Chairman K M
Chandrasekhar and representatives
of financial institutions
and Air India will also attend
the meet.
“There will be discussions
on the emerging opportunities
in the state in view of emerging
investment-friendly climate
and the role of NRKs in
is a very important relationship
to the United States,”
Rhodes said.
From the beginning of
Obama administration, the
US “had engaged the emerging
powers in the Asia Pacific
— China and India, Indonesia
and others — as well as engaged
regional institutions,
like Apec and the East Asia
Summit,” he said.
In a major speech in Australia,
Obama will focus on
the US efforts over “the last
three years to strengthen
our core alliances to engage
emerging powers like China
and India and others, and to
engage Asian regional institutions
like Apec and the East
Asia Summit.”
Noting that “in addition to
almost all of our key allies in
the region, we’re meeting with
China, Russia, India,” Rhodes
said.
“They will have the opportunity
to discuss issues
like Iran, which are particularly
important in the wake
of the IAEA report, as well
exploiting it as well as improving
the welfare schemes that
the government has launched.
I expect the NRKs will make it
a success,” said Joseph. “The
special feature of this year’s
meet is that it comes as a prelude
to the ‘Emerging Kerala
investors’ meet next year”.
The first meet was held in
Kochi in 2001, in Germany in
2002, in Thiruvananthapuram
in 2005 and the last meet was
in Ernakulam in 2008, con-
as discussing Afghanistan in
the lead-up to some important
international conferences on
Afghanistan.”
So it’s also an opportunity
to check in on Asia-Pacific
issues, but also a number of
other global issues,” he said
noting that “this is a region
that sees a lot of rapidly developing
change, including the
rise of China.”
“But in that context, the US
wants to, again, make it clear
that we are going to continue
to be a strong Asia-Pacific
power; that we’re going to
continue to stand by our core
alliances; that we’re going to
build positive relationships
with emerging powers like
China and India.”
Meanwhile, soon after a
successful meet with his Pakistani
counterpart, India’s
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh yesterday called for all
South Asian nations to “trust
each other” and to “put aside
our differences”, so that they
can “challenge ourselves to do
even better”. — IANS
Online registration starts
for Kerala diaspora meet
KERALA Chief Minister Oommen Chandy releasing the
logo of Global NRK Meet in Thiruvananthapuram. Also
seen is Non-resident Keralites Affairs Minister K C Joseph.
tributing to policy formulation
of government in matters pertaining
to NRKs and addressing
the various issues.
The delegates can interact
with the chief minister and
other ministers at the meet
which will provide a conducive
platform for NRKs to
make effective interactions
with the government departments
and agencies involved
in promoting investment in
Kerala.
15 INDIA
OMAN DAILY Observer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh with Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani after a meeting
during the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Addu yesterday. — AFP
Use affinity test, documents to
assess caste claim: Apex court
NEW DELHI — The Supreme
Court has said that the genuineness
of a caste claim has to be considered
not only on the strength of
documentary evidence but also on
affinity test involving anthropological
and ethnological traits of the applicant.
The “genuineness of a caste
claim has to be considered not only
on a thorough examination of the
documents submitted in support
of the claim but also on the affinity
test, which would include the
anthropological and ethnological
traits of the applicant”, said the apex
court bench of Justice D K Jain and
Justice A K Ganguly in a recent
judgement.
“However, it is neither feasible
nor desirable to lay down an absolute
rule, which could be applied
mechanically to examine a caste
claim,” the court said.
The court said this while allowing
an appeal by Anand who
had challenged the decisions of the
Committee for Scrutiny and Verification
of Tribe Claims, Amravati,
and that of the Nagpur bench of the
Bombay High Court holding that he
did not belong to the Halbi Sched-
uled Tribe.
The apex court directed the caste
scrutiny committee to consider
afresh Anand’s plea in accordance
with the relevant rules and the broad
guidelines enunciated by it.
The court called for a cautious
approach while applying the affinity
test, which focuses on the ethnological
connections with the Scheduled
Tribe.
“A few decades ago, when the
tribes were somewhat immune to
the cultural development happening
around them, the affinity test could
serve as a determinative factor,” the
judgement said.
“However, with the migrations,
modernisation and contact with other
communities, these communities
tend to develop and adopt new traits
which may not essentially match
with the traditional characteristics
of the tribe,” the court said.
The affinity test could not be
treated as a litmus test for establishing
the link of the applicant with a
Scheduled Tribe, the judges said.
The claim of a person being part
of a tribe could not be disregarded
merely because his present traits
“do not match his tribes’ peculiar
anthropological and ethnological
traits, deity, rituals, customs, mode
of marriage, death ceremonies or
method of burial of dead bodies”,
the judgement said.
“In case the applicant is the first
generation ever to attend school,
the availability of any documentary
evidence becomes difficult, but that
ipso facto does not call for the rejection
of his claim,” it said.
“Needless to add that in the
event of a doubt on the credibility
of a document, its veracity has to
be tested on the basis of oral evidence,
for which an opportunity has
to be afforded to the applicant,” the
judgement said.
Anand, who holds a bachelor’s
degree in engineering, claimed to
be from the Halbi tribe and got the
job of field officer in the Maharashtra
Pollution Control Board on the
condition that he would present his
caste certificate.
His application was rejected by
the Committee for Scrutiny and
Verification of Tribe Claims on the
grounds that the vigilance officer
found that Anand’s traits did not
resemble those of members of the
Halbi Scheduled Tribe. — IANS
Grand Kerala Shopping Fest
begins from December 1
101 kg gold bonanza, magnanimous prize winning chances
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM —
The fifth edition of Grand Kerala
Shopping Festival (GKSF), claimed
to be one of Asia’s biggest shopping
show of 45 days, will begin from
December 1. Organisers say the
GKSF will turn the state into a huge
shopping mall this season.
Addressing a news conference
here, the festival director Dr Rathan
Kelkar, said it’ll attract shoppers
and tourists from all over the world
to the state. The inaugural function
will be held in Kochi, opening the
38,863 kilometres of the state for
the shopping jamboree.
The state’s tourism board has
designed the festival to give a ‘Real
Shopping Experience’ while awarding
an opportunity to ‘Feel the Kerala’
where visitors can connect with
the state and explore its rich art,
craft, culture, customs and architecture.
Kerala is the first Indian state
to promote such a shopping festival
on a mammoth scale.
“Our market share in Indian
tourism has been increased over the
period. With new innovative promotional
properties like GKSF, we
can raise our tourism profile beyond
boundaries to national and international
markets. We want to ensure
the best quality visitor experience
and multiple community benefits
and establish Kerala as a global
brand,” said Dr Kelkar, who is also
the additional director of Kerala
Tourism.
The GKSF will allow shops from
all across the state to participate as
member establishments (MEs). A
voluntary participation of MEs will
thus create the largest retail channel
of about 7,000 retailers from vari-
ous categories of jewellery, textiles,
electronics, automobiles and furnishing.
It also rolls out exciting contests
to encourage even small retailers
to participate in the festival and
to boost the retail chain. Shoppers
can enjoy good discounts through
‘scratch and win’ coupons and daily
and weekly lucky draws. On offer is
101 kilogramme of gold.
This year, GKSF will also be
providing 100 per cent refund of
sales tax for the consumers from
outside the state who shop through
their credit cards. The festival will
also promote art, culture, customs
and architecture of Kerala, enabling
visitors to have a real ‘feel’ of Kerala
with a complete package of tourism
with shopping.
“It opens during the peak tourism
season in Kerala and we want to
make most out of it. The GKSF will
allow huge marketing and product
placement opportunities to small
and large retailers across categories.
With promotional schemes, contests
and competitions, we intend to
augment domestic retail industry,”
Dr Kelkar said.
GKSF also opens up a new shopping
season for the state besides
Onam but it has been witnessing
more sales than Onam season. Last
season it marked sales of more than
Rs 20 billion.
Major brands like South Indian
Bank, Malabar Gold, World Gold
Council, Josco and Bhima Jewellers
have entered into strategic alliances
with GKSF — 5.
END TO NOKKUKOOLI:
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy
has declared Thiruvananthapuram
as Nokkukooli-free city, doing away
with the extortive trade union practice
of charging exorbitant money
for loading and unloading goods
without actually doing any work.
At a public function presided
over by Labour Minister Shibu
Baby John, he announced unification
charges which is posted on the
website www.lc.kerala.gov.in.
The unified fee structure for
building construction materials, furniture
and household articles will be
implemented in all the five municipal
corporations later.
— From Our Kerala
Correspondent
NEWS IN BRIEF
Govt initiates major free
trade move in Saarc
IN a major trade liberalisation move,
India yesterday announced the reduction
of the ‘sensitive list’ for least developed
countries under the South Asian Free
Trade Area Agreement (SAFTA) from
the existing 480 tariff lines to 25 tariff
lines.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
in his address at the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation
(Saarc) summit in Maldives, said India
will give zero basic customs duty
access to all items removed from the list
immediately.
“I am happy to announce that, in
a major trade liberalisation effort,
the Government of India has issued a
notification to reduce the sensitive list for
the Least Developed Countries under the
South Asian Free Trade Area Agreement
from 480 tariff lines to 25 tariff lines,” he
said in his address, amid roaring applause
from the region’s delegates.
“Zero basic customs duty access
will be given for all items removed with
immediate effect,” he added.
Jharkhand to launch
anti-measles campaign
A MEASLES vaccination campaign
covering 57 lakh children in 19 districts
of Jharkhand is set to begin on November
18, a statement said yesterday.
Being organised by the state
government and Unicef, the drive will
vaccinate children in the age group of 9
months to 10 years.
According to a Unicef statement, the
first phase will cover 10 districts.
“An estimated 400 children die
from measles every day in the world.
Three out of four children who die from
measles in 2008 were in India. In India,
measles account for 4 per cent child
deaths below five years,” it added.
Mahindra Satyam’s merger
with Tech Mahindra soon
MAHINDRA Satyam’s merger with
parent firm Tech Mahindra will take
place next year, its chairman Vineet
Nayyar said yesterday.
“It is a process. We are looking at
when to commence it and we are hoping
that by the next year, some time in later
half of the year, this amalgamation will
in fact take place,” he told reporters
while declaring Q2 results of Mahindra
Satyam.
Nayyar recalled that after winning the
bid for the company in April 2009, Tech
Mahindra had indicated its intention to
merge. “That intention remains,” he said.
Tech Mahindra had acquired Satyam
Computer Services Limited in April
2009, a few months after Satyam was
rattled by India’s biggest corporate fraud.
Satyam was subsequently re-named
Mahindra Satyam.
Shahrukh, Sharmila open
17th Kolkata Film Festival
WITH a balance of glamour and
tradition, the 17th Kolkata Film Festival
(KFF) started in Kolkata yesterday with
Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan and
the popular Sharmila Tagore inaugurating
the eight-day fest by lighting the
ceremonial lamp.
West Bengal Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee, host of Bengali film
personalities including top star Prosenjit
Chatterjee and delegates from across the
country and abroad, as also creme de la
crème of the culture-loving city were at
the Netaji Indoor Stadium to attend the
opening of the KFF — the second oldest
international film festival of India.
United India targets
Rs 8,000cr premium
LOGGING an average business
growth of 27 per cent this fiscal, public
sector non-life insurer United India
Insurance Company Ltd yesterday said
it is targeting a gross premium of Rs
8,000 crore and sizeable reduction in
underwriting losses.
“We are targeting a premium income
of Rs 8,000 crore this year at 25 per cent
growth rate in business,” United India
Insurance Company Ltd Chairman and
Managing Director G Srinivasan told
reporters. “We plan to bring down our
underwriting losses — premium less
claims outgo — to Rs 900 crore from
last year’s figure of Rs 1,760 crore,” he
added.
Tally co-founder gets
lifetime achievement award
BHARAT Goenka, co-founder and
managing director of Tally Solutions,
has been conferred the first lifetime
achievement award of the National
Association of Software and Services
Companies (Nasscom).
This is the first such award from
the premier software association of the
country, given to 50-year-old Goenka, to
recognise him as the “father of the Indian
software products industry”.
“Receiving this has been an
overwhelming experience. Recognition
from your peers and contemporaries is
very special,” Goenka said in a statement
yesterday. — Agencies

NEWS IN BRIEF
Trial in 2G scam
begins today
THE trial in the second generation (2G)
spectrum allocation case is set to begin in
a special court today after formal charges
were framed against all the 17 accused,
including former telecom minister A
Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and three
corporate entities.
CBI Special Judge O P Saini had
on October 22 ordered the trial to
commence from today (November 11)
with all the accused declining to plead
guilty to various offences.
All the 14 individuals accused in the
case are in judicial custody.
While framing charges, the judge
observed that there was prima facie
evidence against Raja, his former private
secretary R K Chandolia and former
telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura.
The judge said evidence was also
there against Reliance Telecom, Swan
Telecom and Unitech (Tamil Nadu)
Wireless. He said CBI had also given
evidence to frame charges against three
corporate executives of Reliance Group.
I have no links with RSS,
says Anna Hazare
ANNA Hazare yesterday said he has no
links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS) and he is being targeted.
“I have no links with the RSS. I don’t
care what everybody is saying as people
know what Anna is. I don’t need RSS,”
Hazare told reporters in his village, 250
km from Mumbai.
The anti-corruption crusader said he is
being targeted by different people.
RSS chief Vishnu Bhagwat on
Wednesday said they supported the anticorruption
movement launched by Team
Anna. “We support Anna. Many of our
workers have joined his movement. We
haven’t asked them to support neither
have we stopped them,” Bhagwat said.
Earlier, Congress general secretary
Digvijay Singh alleged that Team Anna
has links with (BJP)-RSS.
CBI quizzes former
Rajasthan minister
THE CBI yesterday questioned sacked
Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna
over his alleged involvement in the case
of missing nurse Bhanwari Devi.
“The CBI is questioning Maderna in
the Bhanwari Devi missing case. He is
being questioned in Jodhpur where a CBI
investigating team is camping,” a CBI
official said in Delhi.
Bhanwari Devi had gone missing
from Jodhpur’s Bilara area on September
1. On October 16, Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot sacked Maderna from
the cabinet over allegations that he had
a role in her disappearance as she had
started blackmailing him on the basis of
a CD showing both in a compromising
position.
Rajasthan’s opposition BJP called for
a “transparent investigation” in the case.
“This is an issue concerning all of
society. Those who are responsible in
this case should be rounded up,” added
BJP’s Rajasthan unit president Arun
Chaturvedi.
Six more babies die
in Bengal hospital
UNDERLINING yet again the poor
health infrastructure in West Bengal’s
government hospitals, six babies have
died in a Malda district hospital, officials
said yesterday.
“Since yesterday (Wednesday)
morning, six babies have died. All of
them were underweight. They were
brought to the hospital in a very critical
condition,” H Ari, superintendent of
Malda Sadar Hospital, said.
However, Ari admitted that the
hospital lacks a neo-natal unit and
assured that a specialised infant unit will
come up very soon in the hospital.
Between October 25 and 28, 16
babies died at the B C Roy Children’s
Hospital — the only children’s referral
hospital in Kolkata. The Burdwan
Medical College and Hospital reported
12 infant deaths on October 27-28.
Bihar’s visually impaired to
get RTI Act copy in Braille
THE Bihar government will provide a
copy of the Right to Information (RTI)
Act in Braille for the benefit of visually
impaired people in the state, officials said
yesterday, describing it as a first for the
country.
An official of the Bihar State
Information Commission (BSIC) said the
Nitish Kumar government had initiated
the move to help visually challenged
people in understanding the act and the
rules.
“The commission will distribute the
copies of the RTI Act in Braille script
among visually impaired people to
create awareness and to provide them an
opportunity to use it for their benefit,” an
official said.
The commission has also decided to
accept applications submitted in Braille.
According officials of the BSIC, there
are one million visually impaired people
in Bihar but not one had turned up with
an RTI application in the last five years.
— Agencies
By Ashraf Padanna
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — More than
20,000 applications for various social welfare
schemes trapped in red tapes were cleared at the
unique mass contact programme of Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy held here yesterday.
Thousands of people with various grievances
started pouring in from early morning at
the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in the city
where the programme held and it continued late
in the evening. He came down from the podium
and went to the disabled and terminally ill patients
to receive their petitions.
“I’ll be here to address your problems as
16 INDIA
OMAN DAILY Observer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
SIKH devotees pay their respects at the Golden Temple in Amritsar yesterday. Devotees thronged the temple on the occasion of the
542nd birthday of Sri Guru Nanak Dev. Guru Nanak was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of ten Sikh Gurus. — AFP
N-plants totally safe: AEC chief
CHANDIGARH — All Indian nuclear plants
are “absolutely safe”, Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC) chairman Srikumar Banerjee
said yesterday and indicated that people living
around the upcoming Kudankulam Nuclear
Power Project (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu could
have been “misled”.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the
golden jubilee celebrations of the defence ministry’s
Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory
(TBRL) near Panchkula, 30 km from Chandigarh,
he said that the safety concerns regarding
the KKNPP, where work has been stalled in
recent months, were unfounded.
“A CT-scan can give you more radiation
than one can get while working in a nuclear reactor
throughout your life,” Banerjee said.
“All nuclear power plants in the country are
absolutely safe. We have not only tested safety
measures in existing conditions, but have also
conducted stress-tests on our nuclear power
plants,” he said. Referring to the safety concerns
of locals near the KKNPP in the context
of the nuclear accident at Japan’s Fukushima
plant earlier this year following a tsunami, Banerjee
said that the (Fukushima) incident had
served as an eye-opener for nuclear scientists
in India.
“We immediately constituted task forces,
which examined each and every dimension at
every plant and suggested short-term and longterm
measures. The people around KKNPP are
thoroughly being misled,” he said.
He said that the KKNPP design includes
provisions for withstanding damage from
earthquakes, tsunami, tidal waves, cyclones,
shock-waves, aircraft impact on main buildings
and fire.
He said that it was a misconception that nuclear
power reactors spread radiation. “In fact,
even in the Fukushima accident, there was a
zero casualty because of radiation,” he said.
Meanwhile, answers to the queries raised
by a group opposing the Kudankulam Nuclear
Power Project (KKNPP) are being prepared
and will be given to them, Union Minister of
State in the Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy
said yesterday.
“Several issues were discussed at the meeting
of the expert committees (Tuesday). The
answers to the questions given by the agitators
are being prepared,” Narayanasamy said
here about the questions asked by the People’s
Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)
in the meet.
The central and the state governments have
long as you are ready to wait. I may not be able
to solve all your problems but I’m sure many issues
will come to the fore for all of us to solve,”
Chandy told the crowd at the outset.
Desks of officials from various government
departments functioned at the venue. By the
evening he received some 26,000 petitions and
resolved 16,500 of them instantly. Social workers
were also active helping the petitioners with
application forms.b
Many went home with new ration cards
meant for people below poverty line making
them eligible for subsidised food and other
provisions and cheques issued to the destitute
people from the chief minister’s relief fund to
the turn of Rs 4.5 million.
constituted two different committees to discuss
the issues regarding and allay the fears of the
local communities at Kudankulam and surrounding
areas.
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd
(NPCIL) is building two 1,000 MW nuclear
power reactors with Russian technology and
equipment in Kudankulam, around 650 km
from Chennai. The first unit is expected to go
on stream in December. The project is estimated
to cost around Rs 13,160 crore.
Hoping that the KKNPP project would
be back on track soon, Banerjee said that the
Tamil Nadu government had set up a 15-member
committee, including scientific experts,
government representatives and public representatives
who would be engaging locals in
talks on the issue of setting up the plant. “There
are around 14,000 nuclear reactors in 30 countries
and till date the casualty figure is only 52,”
he said adding that, in comparison, around 1.7
lakh people die every year in road accidents on
Indian roads.
Justifying nuclear power, the AEC chairman
said that the country was importing large quantities
of coal for thermal power stations. He
added that nuclear power was the way forward
for energy requirements. — IANS
KAPIL Gehlot pulls a truck weighing 9,300 kg wearing roller blades, 80 metres at the Goshala Grounds in Jodhpur yesterday.
Gehlot was able to break his old record pulling a vehicle 1,046 kg for a distance of 68 metres. — AFP
Thousands turn up at mass contact programme
“These are people who resourceful enough
to bribe the officials and avail of the government
services,” said Opposition legislator V
Sivankutty, who spoke at the function on behalf
of legislators from the district.
Standing in the crowd without break for
more than three hours from the morning, the
chief minister received the petitions from the
disabled who couldn’t climb up, went through
them, and forwarded to concerned officials for
taking immediate action before returning to the
podium.
Transport Minister V S Sivakumar and
Shashi Tharoor, member of parliament representing
the constituency, and local legislators
helped him with individual cases.
Economic Summit in
Mumbai from Sat
MUMBAI — For the first time, Mumbai will host the World
Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual 3-day India Economic
Summit, officials from the WEF and its Indian partner, industry
chamber Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said
yesterday.
Over 800 participants from 40 countries will take part
in the summit under the theme of ‘Linking Leadership with
Livelihood’, a CII official said.
WEF senior director and Asia head Sushant Palakurthi
Rao said that coming to Mumbai this year is “symbolic of
bringing the discussions from the centre to the states”.
“States in India play a critical role in shaping the success
of the national economic agenda, and coming to Maharashtra,
as one of the most economically important states in India,
and to India’s commercial capital of Mumbai was a logical
decision,” Rao observed.
“This year’s summit showcases the compelling opportunities
that India has to offer in these turbulent economic times,
as well as the actions that companies and civil leaders are
taking to make sure the next phase of growth is equitable,”
said CII director-general Chandrajit Banerjee.
Welcoming the summit in Mumbai, Chief Minister Prithviraj
Chavan, in a statement ahead of the summit, said: “Maharashtra
has entered an exciting era of accelerated industrial
growth and socio-economic development, thereby creating a
benchmark for the rest of the country. We are proud to invite
leaders to this state of rich opportunities.”
Among those scheduled to participate in the summit are
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman M S Ahluwalia,
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Communications
and IT Minister Kapil Sibal, his deputy Sachin Pilot,
BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and Adviser to Prime Minister on
Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovations Sam G
Pitroda.
Besides, Chavan, his Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra
Pradesh counterparts, Oommen Chandy, Shivraj Singh
Chouhan and N Kiran Kumar Reddy, respectively, will also
participate in the deliberations.
Prominent foreign speakers at the IES include Britain’s
Minister of State for Climate Change Gregory Barker, Singapore’s
Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian
Balakrishnan, Tanzanian Industry and Trade Minister
Cyril Chami, New South Wales’ (Australia) Premier Barry
O’Farrell and British Columbia (Canada) Premier Christy
Clark. — IANS
ED issues summons
to Jaganmohan
HYDERABAD — Widening its probe into the finances of
YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) has issued summons in connection with the
money laundering case against the MP.
The ED has asked Jaganmohan, son of the late Andhra
Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, to send an authorised
person who has his power of attorney to submit documents
and answer questions on his behalf at its headquarters in
Delhi on or before November 28.
The ED has registered a case under the provisions of Prevention
of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against him and is
also probing alleged contravention of foreign exchange rules
in his financial transactions and investments, sources said.
The CBI, which has also registered a case against him, had
called him recently for questioning in connection with the alleged
multi-crore iron ore mining scam.
The agency is said to be probing alleged nexus between
Jaganmohan and former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana
Reddy who owns Obulapuram Mining Company.
The case was registered after ED conducted a probe to trail
the funds pumped by the Kadapa MP and his associates into
the companies owned by them.
Meanwhile, several Congress MLAs who had joined the
YSR Congress led by Jaganmohan Reddy are considering
returning to the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh, according to
political observers. — IANS
CPM to appeal sentencing
of leader for contempt
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — The CPM Kerala unit yesterday
decided to go in appeal in the apex court after its leader
M V Jayarajan was on Tuesday sentenced to six months imprisonment
by the Kerala High Court in a contempt of court
case.
The state CPMs top brass led by state secretary Pinarayi
Vijayan held closed door discussions with top legal experts in
Delhi. An appeal would be filed today at the Supreme Court,
according to a top CPM leader.
A high court division bench of Justice V Ramkumar and
Justice P Q Barkath Ali sentenced Jayarajan, ruling his statement
last year about judges was demeaning.
The leader is currently lodged in the Thiruvananthapuram
Central prison and since yesterday he has been getting a steady
stream of visitors.
In July last year, Jayarajan spoke unparliamentary expressions
about the manner the judges pass judgements after the
high court ruled that there should be no wayside public meetings.
Taking note of the statement, a three-member bench of
Chief Justice J Chelameswar, Justice A K Basheer and Justice
K M Joseph decided in October last year to go ahead with the
contempt proceedings.
Biodiversity panel to be
set up in all local bodies
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — Kerala has become one of
the first states in the country where all the 978 local village
bodies have completed the formation of a Biodiversity Management
Committee (BMC).
The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) which was
entrusted the task of co-ordinating with the local bodies handed
over a copy of the documents to Chief Minister Oommen
Chandy on Wednesday night.
“Very shortly, all the 60 municipalities and the five corporations
would fall in line,” Chandy said.
The BMC is an elected body from among the village council
and would include experts from the area concerned who
will now be the custodians of the biodiversity of the village.
The term of every BMC is three years and this committee is
empowered by the Biological Diversity Act 2002 and Biological
Diversity Rules 2004 passed by the Indian parliament.

Floods dampen Bangkok’s
water candle festival
BANGKOK — Bangkok was headed for a
subdued Loy Krathong Festival yesterday,
as flood waters swamped half the capital,
taking much of the fun out of the traditional
floating of water candles.
This year’s Loy Krathong, which translates
as floating bowl of leaves, comes at a
time when waist-high floods have inundated
much of the capital and continue to threaten
the inner city.
Because of the floods, the Bangkok Metropolitan
Authority has called off organised
events marking the annual festival, which
falls on the night of the full moon of the 12th
month in the lunar year.
Officials have urged people to avoid
floating their krathongs in standing water
outside their homes as they will further
hamper efforts to drain the city.
The city authorities have promised to
keep open 18 city parks last night for those
wishing to participate in the festival, but
have urged a “one family, one krathong”
policy.
In ancient Thailand, krathongs were
made of baskets of leaves bearing candles
and incense sticks and floated down a river
as offering to water spirits.
Nowadays, most krathongs are made of
styrofoam or banana tree wood, which require
a massive cleanup the following day.
In the wake of the floods, many Bangkok
residents have decided to forego this year’s
festivities. “I’m not in the mood for Loy
Krathong,” said Sunthorn Mansing, a factory
employee. “This year I’m just going to
stay at home with my family and pray.”
The sentiment seemed widespread.
Krathong vendors at the Pakklong Market,
in Bangkok’s China Town, said sales
were down 50 per cent compared with last
year, Thai PBS TV reported.
Central Thailand has been hit by the
worst floods in decades this monsoon season,
which had claimed up to 533 lives by
yesterday and caused billions of dollars in
damage to farmland, industry and private
property.
Much of the rest of the country, including
popular tourist destinations Chiang Mai,
Pattaya beach resort and Phuket island,
have been untouched by the floods, which
have been blamed on unusually heavy rains
this wet season. — dpa
Thaksin keeps low profile
BANGKOK — With a flood
crisis rocking his sister’s government,
fugitive ex-Thai
premier Thaksin Shinawatra
is lying low as prospects of a
triumphant homecoming look
ever more distant, observers
say.
The usually outspoken
Thaksin, who lives abroad to
avoid a jail term for corruption,
has mostly shied away
from publicly commenting on
a disaster that has killed more
than 500 people and threatens
the heart of Bangkok.
The former tycoon, 62, has
posted several messages on
Twitter and Facebook offering
sympathy to the victims.
Some relief supplies reportedly
also had “with love and
great concern from Thaksin
Shinawatra” written on them
— without his knowledge, his
aides say.
But the one-time policeman
has largely remained
silent during the disaster and
has done little to rally support
for his under-pressure sibling,
Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra.
“Thaksin has generally
remained more silent than expected,”
said Paul Chambers,
director of research at the
Southeast Asian Institute of
Global Studies at Payap University
in Chiang Mai.
Thaksin — who was ousted
in a 2006 coup — might
already be distancing himself
from Yingluck who could be
at risk of losing her job, he
said, as she struggles to get
a grip on the country’s worst
floods in half a century.
AYUTTHAYA — For Pao
Khunpol, a 49-year-old shop
owner in Thailand’s ancient
capital of Ayutthaya, this
year’s monsoon floods were
the most terrifying experience
of her life.
On October 5, the Chao
Phraya River that surrounds
Ayutthaya, making it an islandcity,
overflowed its banks with
a vengeance, inundating Pao’s
two-storey shophouse to the
ground floor ceiling.
“We didn’t have time to
save anything but our lives,”
said Pao, who had to flee with
her family to a government
evacuation centre.
After a few days, she began
to worry about her shop
so she returned and stayed on
the second floor while the city
remained under water.
“One day we saw a crocodile
swim by,” Pao said. “I’m
not kidding.”
By Sunday, Ayutthaya’s
flood waters had receded
enough for Pao and her family
to start hosing off the ground
floor of their shop, collect rubbish
and take stock. The floods,
and perhaps some neighbours,
had emptied her shop of sundry
goods — drinks, cigarettes
and odd and ends.
Sirima Chaithongsri, 38,
was standing in what used to
be her restaurant in downtown
Ayutthaya but is now an empty
building.
“Everything went with the
water,” Sirima said. “I’ll need
to replace everything and the
“Better for Thaksin and
other Puea Thai politicians to
let Yingluck ride out the storm
and take any unpopularity relating
to her handling of this
crisis with her,” said Chambers.
The 44-year-old former
businesswoman, whose Puea
Thai party won a resounding
victory in a July election, has
been accused by her critics of
acting too slowly and lacking
leadership in her management
of the crisis.
Her administration has
also come under fire for giving
contradictory statements
about the threat from the rising
waters, further rattling
nerves in the kingdom.
Thaksin’s overthrow heralded
five years of political
unrest, culminating in street
protests by his “Red Shirt”
supporters last year, in which
more than 90 people died in
clashes with the army.
He is despised by the
Bangkok-based elite but remains
a much-loved figure
among many poor Thais.
Other observers said Thaksin
— who once described his
sister as his “clone” — was
taking a back seat to give
Yingluck a chance to step out
of his shadow.
“It’s good for him to allow
Yingluck to deal with it
herself, even though she is
failing,” said Pavin Chachavalpongpun,
a Thailand expert
at the Institute for Southeast
Asian Studies in Singapore.
He said that any meddling
by Thaksin would only “further
complicate” the situation,
and “open the door for the opposition
to attack the government”.
Besides, he said, Yingluck’s
big brother may not be in any
position to help. “Thaksin
doesn’t have a PhD in water
management,” he quipped.
Yingluck has pleaded for
the public’s understanding,
saying Thailand’s dams were
already full when she took
office in early August, since
when the country has been
battered by a series of storms.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a
political scientist at Bangkok’s
Chulalongkorn University,
said he suspected the siblings
were “communicating very
closely” but there was only
so much Dubai-based Thaksin
could do from exile.
“The nature of this crisis
precludes a more active role
— it’s an hour-by-hour crisis,”
he added.
Yingluck stormed to power
on the back of the vast popularity
of her brother among
poor Thais, particularly in rural
areas, many of which have
been hit hard by the floods.
— AFP
17 THAILAND
OMAN DAILY Observer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
A BOY stands next to floating krathongs, a small lantern made of banana leaves, in flood waters during the Loy Krathong Festival in Bangkok yesterday.
Consumer confidence falls for
2nd month due to severe floods
BANGKOK — Thai consumer
confidence fell to a 10year
low in October because
of flooding that has taken 533
lives and shut thousands of
factories, with another industrial
estate threatened yesterday
as water spread in the east
of the capital, Bangkok.
“The flooding has dragged
down consumer confidence
and it will probably fall further
if the economy is severely
affected and the government
can’t speed up rebuilding
within 3-6 months,” said university
economist Thanavath
Phonvichai.
The consumer confidence
index from the University of
the Thai Chamber of Commerce
(UTTC) slumped from
72.2 in September to 62.8 in
October, its lowest level since
the aftermath of the September
2001 attacks on the United
States.
The flooding began in the
north of the country in late
July, ruining a quarter of the
main rice crop now being harvested
and overwhelming industrial
estates north of Bangkok
in October.
Now the capital itself is in
danger. Residents in a third
of its districts, mostly in the
north of the densely populated
city of 12 million people, have
been advised to get out.
Water has seeped into parts
of Bang Chan industrial estate
in the eastern suburbs, home
to 93 factories run by local
and international companies
including Nestle SA, instant
noodle maker YumYum and
President Bakery Pcl, which
makes buns for McDonald’s
and Farmhouse bread.
Yongyuth Thongsuk, deputy
permanent secretary of
the Industry Ministry, said 16
companies had temporarily
shut.
“Most operators who have
stopped are in the painting and
industrial glue businesses,” he
said. “Major food producers
like Nestle, Farmhouse and
YumYum are still operating as
normal.
Industry Minister Wannarat
Channukul said factories had
been advised to raise machinery
from floor level but the
estate was only at flood alert
level one, meaning firms could
decide for themselves whether
they should continue operations.
Wannarat said 10 more
pumps would be brought in
to add to the 44 the estate already
used to push water into
a nearby canal. “If all goes
as planned, we should still be
able to defend this estate,” the
minister said.
Idthipol Patimavirujh,
Deputy Managing Director of
Daily Foods Co Ltd, the thirdbiggest
milk producer in Thailand,
said its three plants at
Bang Chan were still working.
“We can’t stop producing.
Bang Chan is now the only big
kitchen left for Bangkok people,”
he said.
The central bank has
slashed its economic growth
forecast for this year to 2.6
per cent from 4.1 per cent and
may have to cut it further if the
flooding spreads right across
Bangkok, which accounts for
41 per cent of the country’s
gross domestic product.
“We still cannot tell the
exact damage, but it will be
higher than 120 billion baht
($3.9 billion),” Deputy Governor
Suchada Kirakul told
reporters.
The UTTC put the damage
at 300-400 billion baht and
forecast economic growth of
1.5-2.5 per cent this year. If
rebuilding did not start quickly
and Europe’s debt crisis wors-
ened, it may be just 0.5 per
cent, it said. The floods would
cut foreign tourist arrivals this
year by up to 800,000 from the
18 to 19 million expected, at
a cost of more than $651 million,
Suchada said.
Suvarnabhumi international
airport in the east of Bangkok
is functioning normally inside
a reinforced dyke at least
10 feet high, but the old Don
Muang airport in the north of
the city, used mainly for internal
flights, is closed.
In streets south of Don
Muang, stagnant water chesthigh
in places was starting to
leave dark stains on buildings
in places, a Reuters reporter
said. Many locals have refused
to evacuate, some getting
around on bamboo rafts,
others waiting at flooded bus
stops for transport provided by
the military or aid groups.
Workers are trying to hold
the line at the city’s Bang Sue
canal running from east to
west, pushing water into the
Chao Phraya River and stopping
it from overflowing to the
south.
Reuters reporters in the
government is only offering us
5,000 baht ($166) as compensation.”
Ayutthaya was Thailand’s
capital from 1350 until 1767,
when it was sacked by the
Burmese, forcing the Thais to
migrate south, eventually establishing
their new capital in
Bangkok in 1782.
Only 90 kilometres north
of Bangkok, the ruins of Ayutthaya
have long been a popular
side trip for tourists.
And in Thailand, where
there are tourists, there are elephants
for them to ride.
The Ayutthaya Elephant
Farm, originally situated on a
low-lying area in the old capital,
had to move its 169 pachyderms
to higher ground twice
last month to keep them out of
the flood waters.
“The elephants are stressed
from all the moving and from
not having enough to eat,” said
Laithongrian Meephan, owner
of the farm.
“I’m stressed too,” he said,
as he organised the drainage
of the farm. “I want to reopen
the farm by November 15 because
we need to start making
money to feed the elephants,”
Laithongrian said.
An adult elephant eats
about 150 kilogrammes of
food a day.
While Ayutthaya city is
a tourist attraction, much of
Ayutthaya province has been
turned into an industrial zone
over the past two decades,
despite sitting on what was
area said workers had largely
managed this so far. But highways
to the north of the country
are inundated and Rama
II Road, the main route to the
rubber-producing south, which
has not been flooded, is under
threat.
Yesterday saw the Loy
Krathong festival, when Thais
like to float offerings of food,
flowers and candles on rivers
and lakes, a symbolic pushing
away of bad feelings and bad
luck.
But Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand
Paribatra has cancelled
a big event on the fastflowing
river and urged people
not to float their offerings in
flooded areas. That would add
to the tonnes of rubbish lying
in sodden piles in the streets,
he said, and the candles were a
fire hazard.
The Chao Phraya River
snaking through Bangkok has
another phase of high tides
from yesterday to Monday
but a navy official said water
should not reach the record
high levels seen at the end of
October, when banks overflowed
in places. — Reuters
Ayutthaya picks up the pieces as waters recede
FOREIGNERS assist in clean-up efforts after flood waters receded from the ruins of a temple in Ayutthaya yesterday. — Reuters
533 killed since July Tourist sector hit
Water spreading in east Bangkok
clearly a flood plain for the
Chao Phraya River.
Five major industrial estates
situated in Ayutthaya
were swamped by last month’s
floods, forcing about 1,000
factories to shut down and
putting some 300,000 staff out
of work.
The estates, built in lowlying
areas, will take longer to
dry out than the old city.
Rojana Industrial Park,
which houses 230 factories
including the major production
facilities in Thailand for
Honda Motor Co, is still under
two metres of water.
“This is an improvement,”
Rojana’s marketing director
Kosit Sombatthawee said.
“Last week it was three metres
deep.” The park has constructed
a new wall around the compound
and has started pumping
water off the premises.
“I think it will take 15 to
20 days to pump all the water
out,” Kosit said.
Ayutthaya’s inundation has
disrupted supplies to the automotive
and electronics industry
worldwide.
Honda last week announced
it would also need to cut production
in Japan, the United
States and Canada because of
the interruption to the supply
of parts from Thailand.
California-based Western
Digital Corp, the world’s largest
maker of hard disc drives,
until October produced 60 per
cent of its world output in its
Ayutthaya factory. — dpa

A MAN walks in a bus lane next to a rush hour traffic jam in Jakarta. — Reuters
AFTER 309 days atop a
crane — sitting out snowstorms,
a typhoon and
heatwaves — labour activist Kim
Jin-Suk came down to earth yesterday,
claiming victory against
one of South Korea's shipbuilders.
Kim's case became a cause celebre
in Asia's fourth biggest economy
amid growing worker anger
over wage levels and the government's
business-friendly policies.
Her soapbox was a cabin
aboard crane No 85 at Busan shipyard.
Thousands of supporters
travelled to the port in the south
Snails plan
goes wrong
BOUT 800 rare New
A Zealand giant snails,
painstakingly moved out of
the way of a coal-mining
development four years
ago, have frozen to death
after a temperature gauge
failed in an indoor breeding
programme, conservation
officials said yesterday.
Nearly 6,000 Powelliphanta
augusta snails,
previously known as Augustus,
were in 2007 taken off
a South Island plateau that
is their only known habitat
to protect them from a new
opencast mine.
The gargantuan gastropods
— they can grow as
big as a man's fist — are
carnivores with a remarkable
ability to pounce on
unsuspecting slugs and suck
up worms like humans eat
spaghetti.
The Department of Conservation
released 4,000
of them into the wild but
retained about 1,600 for
a breeding programme to
ensure the survival of the
snails, descendants of prehistoric
creatures that slithered
across the ground 200
million years ago. — dpa
of the country to attend a series of
rallies near the crane which also
drew applause from the main opposition
party.
Kim said via Twitter that her
protest had not only been successful
in winning back employees'
jobs, but also underlined "ideals
that I have been working for half
my life."
Dressed in blue overalls, and
wearing a baseball cap, she waved
to a few dozen supporters and
bowed, before climbing down a
35-metre ladder to end her sit-in.
"It's the first time in 309 days
that I've seen a human this close,"
Yonhap news agency quoted Kim
as saying to surrounding labour
union officials who welcomed her
down. "I knew I would be able to
come down alive ... You guys saved
me."
Police escorted her to hospital
for a check-up, and said they
would arrest her for business obstruction
and other charges.
She ended her sit-in after unionised
workers at Hanjin Heavy
Industries & Construction unanimously
approved a deal their leaders
reached with management to
18
PANORAMA
OMAN DAILY Observer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Shattered dreams haunt life
in Spanish ghost towns
A
TOWN to live in!
boasts the faded sign
in the Spanish town of
La Muela, overlooking a new
road. The irony is bitter. Only
one building lines the road, an
isolated survivor of Spain's
calamitous 2008 property
bubble collapse.
"We are victims of the
property slump because if it
was not for that, all this would
be built," said 29-year-old
computer specialist Samuel
Caravallo from his tidy living
room in one of the apartments
of the brick- and yellow-coloured
building.
He pointed out of the
glazed balcony's windows to
the bare, weed-strewn hills
outside. Those hills were the
site for 5,000 luxury homes,
detached houses, buildings
with swimming pools, play areas
and shopping centres that
should have made up "Ciudad
Zaragoza Golf".
A residential zone by the
northeastern Spanish city
of Zaragoza, it should have
turned Muela, population
5,100, into the third largest
town in the entire region of
Aragon.
Sold on the architect's
plans in 2007, the apartments
were subsidised by the region-
al government and went for
127,000 euros for 90 square
metres ($174,000 for 970
square feet).
The 19 inhabitants of the
only building to be completed
before construction ground to
a halt had been counting on
infrastructure to be developed
for their neighbours, owners
of future private homes.
"We don't have the telephone,
or Internet and we
don't get our mail," said Samuel's
girlfriend, Aurora Maestra,
30.
It's no place for pedestrians,
either. The few buses that run
in the area pick up at the nearest
stop two kilometres away.
"Their excuse for everything
is that there are not enough
of us. But no-one helps us to
grow," she charged.
The sudden halt to work
on "Ciudad Zaragoza Golf"
is a symptom of the collapse
of the construction industry in
Spain: the number of building
permits crashed from 734,000
in 2006 to just 91,509 in
2010.
The stalled housing project
is just one among many: the
property boom left a stock of
1.5 million unsold homes, notably
in the small towns that
sprouted up just before the
After 309 days, S Korean protester climbs down from crane
end their 11-month-long dispute
triggered by the shipmaker's massive
lay-offs last year.
The deal calls for reinstating 94
laid-off employees within one year
and other benefits.
The former welder slept in the
crane's cab that had no shower
and used a bucket as a toilet.
She celebrated her 51st birthday
aboard the crane in July.
Earlier this week, she tweeted:
"Many people are worried about
winter here. But cold is just part of
what (I) have to endure. No worries
and good night."
bubble collapsed.
Many are now owned by
the banks, which have become
the country's biggest real estate
agents after having seized
homes and building land to
settle developers' debts.
The banks are desperate to
rid themselves of this stock
of buildings classed as toxic
assets, even at knock-down
prices.
"Sales have increased
enormously," said Jesus Diaz-
Meco, real estate manager at
Illescas, a small town 45 minutes
south of Madrid where
detached homes and new
buildings are finding buyers
after more than two years of
paralysis. "Banks are dropping
prices by up to 50 per
cent and more," he said.
Thanks to record discounts,
there are new signs of life in
the windswept streets of Valdeluz,
a new town 70 kilometres
northwest of Madrid that
stagnated as a ghost town for
a long time after its first buildings
went up in 2007.
Conceived as a home for
30,000 people, its population
now is just over 2,000.
"More than 100 homes have
gone in six months: banks are
selling thanks to a very aggressive
policy on prices,"
Her protest attracted a strong
national following, particularly
during the warmer summer
months, when up as many as 7,000
people joined a series of rallies at
the port, travelling to Busan in a
caravan of so-called "Hope Buses."
The Busan demonstrations
morphed into general anti-government
rallies amid rising discontent
over a growing divide between rich
and poor, rising youth unemployment
and inflation. South Korea
elects a new parliament and president
next year. — Reuters
CHINA’S Miao ethnic women in traditional costumes in a celebration for the Miao Minority New Year festival in Leishan county yesterday. — Reuters
Beware: overheated laptop batteries a fire hazard
O
WNING a laptop may have
become a necessity for some
and fashionable for the rest,
This incident bears an uncanny lithium ion battery, a relatively new Charging a dead battery is like con-
similarity with the case of 25-year- technology, to overheat and burst tinually trying to light a fuse that is
old Arun Gopalratnam, an MBA into flames that proved fatal for him. soaked in water. Eventually, it will
that way if the fire breaks out, the
surge protector trips," says Powers.
A Class D fire is one that involves
but it poses a potential fire threat graduate, who died on June 4, 2010 Being lightweight and portable, spark," he adds.
combustible metals or combustible
to thousands of users who prefer to in a tragic fire in Wisconsin, US. users prefer to take their laptops to Almost invariably, lithium bat- metal alloys.
take the device to bed and go to sleep The blaze was reportedly caused bed to work, surf the net or watch teries seem to be a major factor in There are basically two types of
without logging off, as was seen in by his laptop when it overheated on movies, until they fall asleep in the exploding laptops because of certain Class D fire extinguishers. It is the
the recent death of a Kolkata-based his bed while he slept, because it had wee hours without logging off, even limitations, which had necessitated second variant that uses a copper
executive in India.
not been logged off.
as the batteries overheat and start a companies like Dell, Sony and IBM based dry powder — the only known
Sayan Chowdhury, a 34-year-old Investigators found that the lap- fire.
to recall a series of batteries in the lithium fire-fighting agent — which
MNC employee, was found dead in top's positioning on the bed had cut Experts advise people to avoid past.
can put out laptop flames.
his bedroom on November 6, where off air from its cooling fan, overheat- this practice. "Bottom line is that we "The only thing you can do if The current drive towards more
he had dozed off while working on ing the set, which sparked the fire and take things for granted. We feel safe your laptop heads into flames is... compact laptops also downsizes ven-
his laptop.
produced carbon monoxide, killing putting a device that pushes 19 volts don't throw water on it. Remember, tilation to manage heating, just as
The laptop and the charging cord Gopalratnam in his sleep. Similarly, and holds many harmful chemicals this can make a fire hotter than a slimmer batteries raise chances of a
were found partially burnt. an overheated laptop also killed a 56- on the lap. We put a potential grenade standard fire," advises Powers. short circuit from a punctured sepa-
According to the autopsy report, year-old man in Vancouver, Canada. next to our eye, hoping it won't go up "A Class D fire extinguisher will rator, a membrane that separates the
he lost his life either because of over- The unnamed man fell asleep with in flames," writes US gadget expert, help stop the fire. Try to use some- positive and negative charges in a
heating of the battery which caused a the computer still logged on. His lap- technical consultant and blogger Jefthing to push it into a trash can or battery.
fire, or electrocution or carbon montop's placement on the bed had cut off frey Powers.
something non-flammable. Keep the DVD players built into laptops
oxide poisoning.
its source of ventilation, causing the "If your battery is dead, replace it. laptop plugged into a surge strip — too add their share of heat. — IANS
said Roberto Aranda Fuentes,
site agent for the project promoters
Reyal Urbis.
It is an option that many
owners and small developers
either cannot or do not want
to choose. "Prices have still
not hit bottom in Spain," said
Fernando Encinar, head of research
at the online real estate
site Idealista.com.
After surging 155 per cent
during the boom, the price per
square metre in Spain has fallen
22 per cent from the peak,
according to the European
Commission's official statistics
agency Eurostat.
It is not enough to bring
the depressed market back
to life. For residents in the
small, isolated community of
La Muela, there is no chance
of leaving even by slashing
prices: by law they have to remain
at least 20 years in their
subsidised apartments.
Samuel and Aurora hope
one day to see the new town
that was promised before the
crisis.
"We hope some of the
works could be finished in 10
or 15 years," Samuel said cautiously.
"Well, we have no choice
but to hope," added Aurora
with a bitter smile. — AFP
$316 million art sale
T
Arctic Sea
ice to melt
HE Arctic Sea ice could
T completely melt away
by mid 2015, destroying the
habitat of polar bears and
other endangered animals,
says an expert.
Peter Wadhams, professor
at Cambridge University,
warned the ice over the
Arctic Sea is shrinking so
fast that it could be gone in
about four years. Although it
would reappear again every
winter, its absence during the
peak of summer would rob
polar bears of their summer
hunting ground and threaten
them with extinction.
The ice mass between
northern Russia, Canada and
Greenland waxes and wanes
with the seasons, currently
reaching a minimum size
of about four million square
kilometres, The Telegraph
reported.
Most models, including
the latest estimates by the
Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC),
track the decline in the area
covered by ice in recent
years to predict the rate at
which it will deteriorate.
Citing a research by Wieslaw
Maslowski, from the
American Naval Postgraduate
School, Wadhams said
such predictions failed to
spot how quickly climate
change is causing the ice to
thin. — IANS
KIM Jin-Suk speaks to her fellow workers after she came
down from a 35-metre-high crane yesterday. — Reuters
HE art auctions ended with a flourish as Sotheby's sold
$316 million of contemporary and post-war art, the
best result of two weeks of sales and led by a $61.7 million
Clyfford Still abstract. The sale, held amid a backdrop of
world financial market turmoil, gave Sotheby's its highest
contemporary total since May 2008 — when the art market
was at its peak and just months before the financial crisis took
hold.
"The sale blew every expectation away," said Tobias Meyer,
Sotheby's worldwide head of contemporary art who also
served as auctioneer. The $315,837,000 total including commissions
easily beat the presale estimate of $192 million to
$270 million. "It was one of the best auctions I've ever seen
in my life," said Nicolai Frahm, a leading London-based contemporary
art adviser. "And in the middle of a recession," he
added.
Sotheby's scored a coup by landing a group of four Stills,
whose works virtually never come to market and which were
being sold by the city of Denver to benefit a new Still museum
opening there this month. Led by "1949-A-No 1," which
soared to $61,682,500 against an estimate of $30 million and
smashed the record for the artist, the group of abstracts took in
$114 million, nearly twice the pre-sale estimate.
A group of works by Gerhard Richter totalled $74 million,
nearly three times the low estimate. The artist's abstract numbered
(849-3) fetched $20.8 million, nearly twice the estimate
and setting an artist's record. Francis Bacon's Three Studies
for a Self Portrait also fared well, selling for $19.7 million.
Several works produced protracted bidding wars, yielding
records for artists including Joan Mitchell and Cady Noland.
"It is incredible to see prices like this in a deep recession,"
said Frahm. "But people still have a lot of money, and it seems
art is one of the very few asset classes where it's safe to put
your money — if you buy the right works." Marc Porter,
chairman of Christie's Americas, concurred. "We have seen
two weeks of record-breaking prices for artists across price
bands whenever the object has the requisites of quality and
freshness to the market," he said.
Hydrogen-run lorry model
PROTOTYPE, developed by researchers, could
A successfully show the way to developing hydrogenpowered
trucks and ensure clean, green and silent
transportation. The prototype — an exact replica of an actual
lorry — is operated by remote control and simulates the
performance of a long-haul diesel truck.
The hydrogen-powered electrical system could also supply
power for truck air-conditioning and radio, along with
a trailer refrigeration unit. Aleksandar Subic, professor and
head of the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing
Engineering at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
(RMIT) University, said given rising diesel costs, new
sustainable technologies are also cost effective for industry,
according to a university statement.
John Andrews, associate professor at RMIT, said students
were testing the small-scale truck against pre-defined dynamic
loads, with the result being scaled up using mathematical
models to predict the performance of a full-scale truck. "A
wireless data system is being used to monitor truck performance
and collect the critical data such as hydrogen consumption
rate and electrical power supply," Andrews said. Subic
said: "For residents worried about fumes and noise, the prospect
of a silent, zero-emission truck is exciting." — IANS

ENGLAND’S Joe Hart wears a poppy as he leaves a
news conference in Watford, north of London, yesterday.
England are due to play Spain in an international
friendly match tomorrow. — Reuters
19 SPORT
OMAN DAILY Observer
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Journeymen put stars in shade in Singapore
EDOARDO Molinari of Italy in action during day one of the Singapore Open at the
Serapong Course on Sentosa Island in Singapore yesterday. — AFP
Iniesta helps
Barca earn
Cup advantage
MADRID — A spectacular
strike from Andres Iniesta
earned Barcelona a 1-0 win
at third tier Hospitalet in a
King's Cup last 32 first-leg
match on Wednesday.
The Spain midfielder,
scorer of the winning goal in
last year's World Cup final,
lashed a long-range shot into
the top corner just before
the break on the Segunda
B side's artificial pitch just
down the road from the Nou
Camp.
The visitors dominated
with a weakened team, missing
players such as Lionel
Messi and Dani Alves, but
Jose Manuel Pinto was required
to make a flying save
near the end to prevent a
breakaway equaliser from
the hosts.
The game was brought
forward due to European
champions Barca's participation
in the Club World Cup
in Japan next month.
Most of the rest of the first
legs, including holders Real
Madrid against another third
tier side Ponferradina, are to
be played around December
13 with the second legs the
following week. — Reuters
Lightning
down Flyers
TAMPA, Florida — Brett
Connolly scored with a wrist
shot 2:30 into overtime to
give the Tampa Bay Lightning
a 2-1 victory over the
Philadelphia Flyers in the
NHL on Wednesday, their
fifth consecutive win at
home.
Connolly secured the win
on a rebound after Dominic
Moore had skated into the
Flyers' zone and slipped the
puck past a Philadelphia defender.
Scott Hartnell opened
the scoring with a tip-in for
the Flyers on a power-play
in the second period before
Marc-Andre Bergeron netted
the tying goal with a high
slap shot in the third.
The Flyers had been bidding
to improve on a 4-1
road mark, their best travel
start in 18 seasons, but they
were closed down by the
Lightning, who outshot them
24-15.
Tampa Bay, despite failing
to take advantage of
two power plays late in the
second period, recorded a
seventh win in their last nine
games.
In other games, New
York Rangers defeated Ottawa
Senators 3-2 and Nashville
Predators beat Anaheim
Ducks 4-2. — Reuters
PARIS — Euro 2012 qualifying
enters its endgame today
with Portugal facing a tough
assignment in Zenica and the
Republic of Ireland in Tallinn
hoping to erase the bitter memories
of missing the boat to last
year's World Cup.
The programme for the first
leg of the Euro 2012 play-offs
pits the Portuguese against
Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Irish
against surprise package Estonia,
the Czech Republic against
Montenegro and Croatia in
Turkey.
Thierry Henry's infamous
handball helped France edge
Ireland in qualifying for South
Africa 2010 and Giovanni Trapattoni's
side are desperate to
atone for that agonising near
miss and qualify for their first
major finals in almost a decade.
Ireland, who made the playoffs
after taking the runner-up
spot in Group 'B' behind Russia,
are up against a side they
beat twice in qualifying for the
World Cup in 2002.
Despite the apparent gulf in
quality Trapattoni has warned
against seeing Estonia as pushovers.
"There is no room for complacency,"
the Italian says.
"We will remember that Estonia
have as much right to be
in the play-off as ourselves.
"These games will be a
huge challenge for us, and we
SINGAPORE — Edoardo
Molinari and James Morrison
shrugged off sweltering conditions
to upstage a star-studded
field yesterday as they sizzled
to nine-under-par 62s for the
Singapore Open's joint first
round lead.
As temperatures topping
33 degrees Celsius (91 Fahrenheit)
turned players a deep
shade of pink, the unheralded
duo left a field dotted with
Major winners in the shade as
they tore up Sentosa Island's
par-71 Tanjong course.
Molinari went on a 10birdie
blitz, blemished only by
a lone bogey, while Morrison
turned at four-under before
adding another six on his last
nine holes, dropping his only
shot at the par-three 16th.
Asia's only Major winner,
2009 PGA Championship
title-holder Y E Yang, was just
one shot back in lone second
place but it was a torrid day
must maintain the correct mentality
from start to finish."
The Estonians are just happy
to be still in the running for
Ukraine and Poland after finishing
second to Italy in Group
'C'.
"There is definitely no pressure
on us," Estonian Football
Association spokesman Mihkel
Uiboleht said.
"We have already achieved
something wonderful and extraordinary.
For us, we never
thought there was a possibility
we would be playing in the
play-offs."
Portugal take on a Bosnia
side that like Estonia has
punched above its weight,
coming within 13 minutes
for the $6 million event's other
big names on Singapore's dual
lay-outs.
Phil Mickelson was frustrated
by a level-par 71,
Graeme McDowell was three
under and Ernie Els was two
over. Retief Goosen and Colin
Montgomerie were the closest
of the established stars on four
under.
Mickelson was lobsterred
as he came off the course
while Molinari was drenched
in sweat after signing for his
score, which raised his hopes
of ending a winless year on a
high.
"As you can see, I'm wet.
Sometimes it's difficult because
it's so warm and humid
that it's almost difficult to
breathe sometimes," said the
Italian. "But after a while you
get used to it and it's the same
for everyone, so I can't complain."
Morrison, who is in just his
Jarrod Lyle leads, Daly departs on
dramatic day at Australian Open
SYDNEY — John Daly
stormed off mid-round, Adam
Scott hit an albatross and Tiger
Woods submitted a blemishfree
scorecard but little-known
Jarrod Lyle trumped them all
to take a one-stroke lead after
an eventful opening day at the
Australian Open yesterday.
Twice Major winner Daly
blamed his abrupt departure
on running out of balls after
dumping six into a lake off
the 11th tee but his excuse cut
little ice with PGA Australia,
who withdrew his invitation
to the Australian PGA Championship.
Championship director
Trevor Herden slammed Daly
as "unprofessional" and said it
was unlikely the 45-year-old
American, who staged a similar
walkout in Austria in September,
would ever be invited
back.
"I'm extremely bitter and
disappointed that he's treated
this championship this way,"
said Herden.
Australian Lyle, who lost
his card after a disappointing
season on the US PGA Tour,
earlier prospered in the morning
rain with a seven-underpar
65 to finish a shot ahead of
American world No 5 Dustin
Johnson and his compatriot
Nick Watney.
Watney was the only player
to threaten the top of the leaderboard
in difficult afternoon
conditions when a changeable,
gusty wind reduced players
and caddies to throwing grass
into the air at every tee.
Fred Couples, playing in
Sydney alongside much of his
team in preparation for next
week's Presidents Cup, was in
a group of four players sharing
fourth with a 67.
The 52-year-old former US
Masters champion, who will
be non-playing captain for the
United States at Royal Melbourne,
was tied on five-under
with locals Steven Jones, Greg
Chalmers and James Nitties.
AFTERNOON DRAMA
Woods, who started his
round just after the wind
started picking up, was delighted
with his four-birdie 68,
which left him tied for eighth
on four-under and gave him a
first bogey-free round in nine
months.
"I hit it really good today,"
said the former world No 1,
who has slumped to 58th in
the world after two years of
personal turmoil and injury.
"That was exactly how I've
been hitting them at home and
that's good, I was able to take
it to the golf course today and
I was able to hit all the shots in
these conditions."
If the better scores were recorded
in the morning, the drama
came mostly in the afternoon,
starting when Australian
Scott delighted a packed gallery
at the par-five eighth hole
with only the second albatross
of his career.
The world No 8 hit his second
shot with a six iron from
behind a bunker some 200
metres out and it landed on the
green before screwing into the
hole.
"It gave me a boost for
sure," said Scott, who celebrated
by high-fiving his contro-
LONDON — Fifa has agreed to let the
England team wear embroidered poppies
on their black armbands to mark
Remembrance Day during tomorrow's
friendly against Spain, the English Football
Association (FA) said on Wednesday.
"The FA welcomes Fifa's decision and
thanks them for agreeing to this," the FA
said in a statement.
"While continuing to adhere to the
laws of the game, wearing the poppy on
the armband does ensure the poppy will
be visible throughout the game."
World soccer's governing body had
initially rejected requests from the British
government to allow England and
Wales to wear poppies, instead permit-
versial caddie Steve Williams.
"It put me where I should have
been considering how I hit the
ball. I didn't make a putt today
so I'm quite happy with threeunder."
Scott's 69 was matched by
fellow Australian top 10 player
Jason Day, who finished with
a bogey and will count himself
unlucky not to have done better
after a string of near misses
with the putter.
Lyle, ranked 477th in the
world, will start today's second
round of his home open
three shots ahead of his more
illustrious compatriots and he
felt he could have done even
better than his five birdies and
eagle three.
"I probably left three or
four out there, to be honest,"
the 30-year-old, who battled
cancer in his late teens, said.
"Everything evens itself
out in the world. I missed a
couple today. I might hole a
couple tomorrow. I'm happy.
Seven under is a damn good
score. I am looking forward to
tomorrow." — Reuters
of automatic qualification
and consigning France to the
play-offs.
Portugal winger Nani is set
to earn his 50th cap against
a side that he helped defeat
when the two countries met at
the play-off stage for last year's
World Cup.
Losing finalists in Lisbon
in 2004 Portugal are seeking to
reach a fifth consecutive European
championships.
Coach Paulo Bento has
recalled fit-again Real Madrid
defenders Pepe and Fabio
Coentrao while forwards
Hugo Almeida and Danny are
also back after missing the final
two group games.
Bosnia coach Safet Susic
second year on the European
Tour and is more used to chilly
temperatures in his home country
of Britain, also took time to
adjust to the balmy conditions.
"After (hole) 14 or 15 it felt
very, very hot. It is getting cold
back home now so it's a bit of
a culture shock," said the Englishman.
"I'm getting used to it
now so it wasn't too bad."
And Yang, who is searching
for his first win of the year after
ditching his coach in favour
of picking up tips on YouTube,
said he was sweating so much
that he had to keep drying his
hands with a towel.
"I was sweating like a pig. I
had to use a towel quite a few
times before I teed off," said
the South Korean.
"First few shots I made
were quite bad and it was
disappointing, first par five I
could not make birdie there.
But I think it was good that I
got all those bad shots out of
ting them to wear black armbands and
observe periods of silence.
However, following statements from
British Prime Minister David Cameron,
who called the ban "outrageous" and
"absurd", and FA President Prince William,
Fifa changed its stance.
"The Duke's strong view is that the
poppy is a universal symbol which has
no political, religious or commercial
connotations. The Duke has asked Fifa
to apply an exception in this special circumstance,"
said a spokesman for Prince
William, the Duke of Cambridge and
second-in-line to the English throne.
England take on world champions
Spain at Wembley and Wales play Norway
in Cardiff tomorrow while Scot-
my system early on."
Despite its large purse the
Singapore Open, now in its
50th year, is facing stiff competition
from a glut of bigmoney
tournaments competing
for attention in the Asia-Pacific
region.
It is taking place at the same
time as the Australian Open,
featuring 14-time Major winner
Tiger Woods, and follows
back-to-back events in Shanghai
that offered combined prize
money of $12 million.
The bumper, 204-player
field will shoot a round each
on Sentosa's Serapong and
Tanjong courses, both par-71,
but the weekend action will
all take place on the Serapong
lay-out.
Japan's Daisuke Maruyama
occupied fourth spot on sevenunder-par
64 while deaf South
Korean Lee Sung was among
a group of four players sharing
fifth spot. — AFP
JOHN Daly of the US smokes while hitting out of the rough
on the sixth hole during the Australian Open golf tournament
in Sydney, in this December 11, 2008 file photo. Twice Major
winner John Daly left Australian Open organisers “bitter and
disappointed” after walking off the course in the middle of
his opening round yesterday. — Reuters
Fifa allows England to wear poppies on black armbands
Euro 2012 qualifying enters its endgame: Ireland wary of complacency
is hopeful of turning the tables
on Cristiano Ronaldo and
company. "This is not the same
Bosnia team as two years ago,"
he said.
"We have midfielders who
are capable of causing problems
to anyone. And we also
have Edin Dzeko, who is certainly
the best striker in the
world." Croatia also have revenge
on their minds as they
travel to Istanbul to take on a
Turkey side that knocked them
out of the Euro 2008 quarterfinals
on penalties.
Tottenham defender Vedran
Corluka is one of nine Croatian
players who figured in that defeat.
"It was one of the saddest
days of my life, and for Croatia
land are playing a friendly in Cyprus
today, and said with the Cypriot FA's
approval they would do the same as
England.
"The decision to allow players to
wear black armbands featuring poppies
during the match is a pragmatic solution
to the fact that Fifa's rules forbid
the wearing of the poppy on the match
shirt," the Scottish Football Association
(SFA) said.
"We believe this is a fitting way to
show our respect for those members of
the armed forces who have lost their
lives fighting for their country."
British media confirmed that Wales
would adopt the same addition to their
kit for tomorrow's match. — Reuters
as well," he recalled.
Despite the history hovering
over the game Corluka
cautioned against letting the
lingering pain of that defeat
cloud Croatia's judgement.
"We just need to forget
about that, it's a new game and
we should play like that never
happened. If we let our feelings
lead us through this game
it won't be good, we just need
to keep cool heads."
Guus Hiddink's Turkey owe
their presence in the play-offs
to their runner-up position behind
runaway Group 'A' winners
Germany.
In Prague the Czech Republic,
second to Spain in
Group 'I', host a Montenegro
Adebayor
discusses
international
future with
officials
LOME — Emmanuel Adebayor
will not make a return
to international football
today but could be back in
the Togo line-up for a World
Cup qualifier next Tuesday
after more talks between the
Tottenham Hotspur striker
and soccer federation officials.
Adebayor wants officials
to keep promises they made
to look after the families of
two delegation members
who were killed and those
injured when the Togo team
were attacked in Angola
almost two years ago. Adebayor
said he was meeting
Togolese federation officials
in Accra in neighbouring
Ghana and would make a
decision in the next days.
"There are a few things
we must still discuss but I'll
keep it between me and the
football association people
of my country," he told the
BBC, which then reported
that Adebayor was seeking
assurances of better security
for the team and more compensation
for those injured
and the families of officials
killed when the team bus was
ambushed before last year's
African Nations Cup finals.
Adebayor has not played
for his country since the
shooting by separatists in
January 2010, minutes after
Togo had crossed into the
disputed Angolan territory
of Cabinda on their way to a
game. Two delegation members
died and goalkeeper
Kodjovi Obilale was seriously
injured.
The Togo federation said
Adebayor could join the
squad at the weekend, ahead
of Tuesday's second leg
of the first-round qualifier
against Guinea Bissau. The
first leg is in Bissau today.
"We are expecting him to
join up with the squad when
they return on Saturday," a
federation spokesman said
yesterday. — Reuters
Rosberg extends
contract with
Mercedes
ABU DHABI — Nico Rosberg
has extended his contract
with Mercedes, the
Formula One team said yesterday
in Abu Dhabi.
The German driver has
agreed "a multi-year contract
extension to include the
2013 season and beyond,"
the team said.
Rosberg, who is in his
second season with Mercedes,
is still looking for his
first Grand Prix victory.
Since joining the team,
where he partners seven-time
world champion Michael
Schumacher, Rosberg has
achieved three podium places.
— dpa
team that edged Switzerland
for second in Group 'G' behind
England.
The second legs are being
staged next Tuesday.
The four play-off winners
will join the 10 nations who
went through automatically
from the qualifying groups
— Germany, Russia, Italy,
Netherlands, Sweden (as best
runners-up), Greece, England,
Denmark, holders Spain and
France, as well as Poland and
Ukraine who qualify as cohosts.
The draw for the finals
will be held on December 2 in
Kiev, with the finals starting on
June 8 next year and running
to July 1. — AFP

England allowed
to wear poppies
on armbands
Page 19
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Fit Oman ready to tackle Australia today
By Sanjay Chakhaiyar
MUSCAT — Fully aware of a
must-win situation, the Oman
soccer team are all charged-up
to give their best in the allimportant
Group ‘D’ match
against Australia in the 2014
World Cup Qualifiers at the
Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex
in Bausher today.
Addressing a press conference
at the Grand Hyatt yester-
CAPE TOWN — Australia
narrowly avoided scoring the
lowest ever Test total as they
capitulated to 47 all out but the
tourists could still win the first
Test against South Africa following
an extraordinary second
day yesterday.
The lowest Test score was
26 by New Zealand against
England in 1955 while Australia's
lowest was 36 against
England in 1902.
A dogged last-wicket stand
of 26 from Peter Siddle and
Nathan Lyon made sure Australia
steered clear of those
unwanted records but it was
their fourth lowest total, worst
against South Africa and lowest
score since 1902.
Hosts South Africa had earlier
been bowled out for 96 on
a reasonable-looking wicket
after the tourists had made
284 in their first innings with
captain Michael Clarke scoring
151.
Parts of all four innings will
take place on the same day as
22 wickets fell.
Despite their woeful second
innings effort albeit
with the ball moving, Australia
led by 235 and still have a
decent chance of winning the
first match of the two-Test series.
Number 11 Lyon was the
top scorer in their second innings
with just 14 after Vernon
Philander took five for 15 off
seven overs as Cape Town witnessed
an amazing passage of
play.
Wickets were falling so often
it was hard to keep up as
Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey,
Brad Haddin and Shaun Marsh
all went for ducks.
ASTONISHING BURST
All-rounder Shane Watson
earlier destroyed South Africa's
batsmen after lunch in an
astonishing burst as the home
side were bowled out for 96.
South Africa had set off 55
minutes before lunch in search
of Australia's first innings total
of 284 and had reached a comfortable
49 for one at the break
with Jacques Rudolph the only
man out in his first test for five
years.
But Watson joined the attack
immediately after lunch
and stunned South Africa's
leading batsmen with a spell of
five wickets in 20 balls to end
up with 5-17 off five overs.
South Africa's rusty batsmen
failed to bat with any
authority as Watson bowled
accurately at a lively pace and
moved the ball appreciably in
the air and off the seam.
In the first over after lunch,
Hashim Amla was trapped lbw
for three and Jacques Kallis
edged a hook on to his shoulder
and then to second slip for
a duck.
Both decisions were given
not out by the on-field officials
before Australia won successful
reviews.
Graeme Smith (37) then
chopped the ball on to his
stumps and Ashwell Prince
(0) was trapped lbw by a
yorker in successive deliveries
in Watson's third over and
the all-rounder completed his
third five-wicket haul when he
trapped Mark Boucher lbw for
four, the batsman unsuccessfully
calling for a review.
Ryan Harris gave Watson
superb support with four for
33, claiming the wickets of AB
de Villiers (8), Philander (4)
and Imran Tahir (5) as well as
Rudolph.
Australia rode on the back
of Clarke's dazzling 151 to
post a respectable 284 all out
in their first innings earlier in
the day having resumed on 214
for eight.
SCOREBOARD
Australia 1st innings
(overnight 214-8)
M Clarke b Morkel ................... 151
P Siddle c De Villiers b Morkel . 20
N Lyon (not out) ........................... 1
Extras: (b-5, lb-7, nb-4, w-1) .... 17
Total: (all out, 75 overs) .......... 284
Fall of wickets: 9-273, 10-284.
Bowling: Steyn 20-4-55-4; Philander
21-3-63-3 (nb-3, w-1); Morkel
18-2-82-3 (nb-1); Tahir 10-1-35-0;
Kallis 6-0-37-0.
Chief Executive Officer ABDULLAH BIN NASSIR AL RAHBI. Editor-in-Chief FAHMY BIN KHALID AL HARTHY
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Page 19
PARIS — Novak Djokovic
overcame a first-set wobble
to beat Serbian countryman
Viktor Troicki and reach the
Paris Masters quarterfinals
yesterday, after Andy Murray
blitzed Andy Roddick.
Djokovic, the world No 1,
was broken twice in the first
set at Bercy Arena and folded
on Troicki's first set point
when he drove a backhand
into the net.
The top seed went 2-0 up
in the second set, only for
Troicki to level, but Djokovic
broke again to go 4-2 ahead
with a cross-court backhand
winner before levelling the
match.
Troicki had lost his last
nine encounters with Djokovic
and the 15th seed's resistance
broke apart in the third
set, enabling the 2009 champion
here to complete a 4-6,
6-3, 6-1 win.
Djokovic will meet sixth
seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the
2008 champion, for a place
in the semifinals after the
Wickets tumble in remarkable Newlands Test
Australia dismissed for just 47 but lead by 235 South Africa earlier all out for 96
DUBAI — Rival captains
Misbah-ul Haq and Tillakaratne
Dilshan agreed sling-action
paceman Lasith Malinga could
make the difference when Pakistan
and Sri Lanka play their
first one-day international here
today.
The 28-year-old fast
bowler, who bowls with a
round-arm action is fresh from
his exploits in last month's
Champions League where he
finished as the player of the
tournament in Mumbai's title
triumph with ten wickets.
Pakistan captain Misbah
conceded Malinga could be
vital.
"Malinga is a very good
bowler, he makes a differ-
day evening, Oman’s French
coach Paul le Guen sounded
optimism that the Sultanate
squad were in perfect shape
and geared up to give their
best.
‘‘Our boys are much fitter
and in a better shape to put up
an excellent show,’’ said the
Frenchman.
Le Guen emphasised the
need for the team to be wellorgansied
in their endeavour.
ence and everyone knows he
is a good bowler," said Misbah
yesterday. "We have played
very well against him but they
have an edge with him in the
side."
Pakistan won the preceding
three-Test series 1-0 when Sri
Lanka were without Malinga
who retired from Test cricket
earlier this year because of
persistent injury problems.
Dilshan said Malinga, who
has 149 wickets in 94 one-day
internationals, is an asset for
his team.
"Lasith is one of the assets
for Sri Lanka," said Dilshan.
"He is one of the great bowlers
in the world and he can guide
other bowlers as well and his
‘‘We all know that the Socceroos
are a better team but if
we are well-organised we can
do wonders. For this we have
to be good in both attack as
well as defence.’’
Le Guen felt that the team’s
performance in Sydney last
month was not that bad, especially
since we were playing
Australia in Australia.
‘‘Our performance in Sydney
cannot be described bad.
Malinga holds key in one-day series
comeback in the series is a
good sign for the team."
Malinga was also sidelined
with injury when Pakistan beat
Sri Lanka in the group match
in Colombo in this year's
World Cup.
But once Malinga returned,
Sri Lanka finished runners-up
to India. Pakistan lost to India
in the semifinal of the World
Cup.
Pakistan were boosted by
the return of all-rounders Shahid
Afridi and Abdul Razzaq
who both had turbulent periods
since the World Cup.
After the West Indies series
in May, Afridi fell out with
then coach Waqar Younis before
being sacked as one-day
After the Sydney match, we
organised many camps and
all the players are keen to put
their best.''
''We have to fight till the
end against a formidable team
like Australia.”
Oman star goalkeeper Ali
al Habsi who too addressed
the media said that the team
were ready for this all-important
game. ‘‘After playing the
league matches in Oman and
captain. In protest he retired
from international cricket and
only took back his decision
last month.
Razzaq was sidelined after
a poor World Cup, but was
recalled after he led Pakistan
to Super Sixes title in Hong
Kong earlier this month.
And Misbah hoped both
the all-rounders give Pakistan
more strength.
"Both Afridi and Razzaq
give strength to our team," said
Misbah, who was appointed
captain for all three formats in
June this year.
"We know Sri Lanka are a
good side but we are ready for
them."
Dilshan also hoped his
in other places in the Gulf our
players are in prime shape,’’
said Al Habsi.
‘‘We all know how crucial is
this game for us to qualify for
the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Thus we need to concentrate
for the full 90 minutes.’’
Meanwhile, the Australians
who were camping at Jebel Ali
in Dubai for the last three days
arrived in Muscat yesterday.
They will leave for Bangkok
SOUTH Africa’s Vernon Philander celebrates after taking the wicket of Australia’s Brad Haddin during the second day of
their first Test in Cape Town yesterday. PICTURE RIGHT: Australia’s Shane Watson celebrates with team-mates
after taking the wicket of South Africa’s Ashwell Prince yesterday. — Reuters
team remain focused and win
the series.
"We know we have not won
a series since the World Cup,
so the players are determined
to put that behind and play our
brand of cricket to win the series,"
said Dilshan, who took
over from Kumar Sangakkara
after the World Cup.
Sri Lanka need to win 4-1
or better to keep their second
place in the ICC (International
Cricket Council) one-day
rankings intact. They drop one
place even if they win 3-2.
On the other hand Pakistan
jump fifth to their current sixth
place if they win 4-1 and in
case they win 5-0 they go to
fourth. — AFP
tomorrow to play their next tie
against Thailand there.
Other Asian zone 2014
World Cup qualifiers to be
played today: Group ‘A’:
Jordan v Singapore, Iraq v
China ; Group ‘B’: Kuwait v
Lebanon, UAE v South Korea;
Group ‘C’: Uzbekistan v
North Korea, Tajikistan v Japan;
Group ‘D’: Saudi Arabia
v Thailand; Group ‘E’: Qatar
v Indonesia, Bahrain v Iran.
Murray, Djokovic
reach quarters
South Africa 1st innings
J Rudolph b Harris ..................... 18
G Smith b Watson ...................... 37
H Amla lbw b Watson .................. 3
J Kallis c Ponting b Watson ......... 0
AB de Villiers lbw Harris............. 8
A Prince lbw Watson .................... 0
M Boucher lbw Watson ................ 4
V Philander c Ponting b Harris .... 4
D Steyn (not out) .......................... 9
M Morkel run out ......................... 1
I Tahir b Harris ............................. 5
Extras: (lb-4, w-1, nb-2) 7
Total: (all out, 24.3 overs) 96
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-49, 3-49,
4-73, 5-73, 6-77, 7-77, 8-81, 9-83.
Bowling: Harris 10.3-3-33-4 (nb-1);
Johnson 5-0-26-0 (w-1); 4-1-16-0
(nb-1); Watson 5-2-17-5.
Australia 2nd innings
S Watson lbw Steyn ..................... 4
P Hughes c Rudolph b Morkel ..... 9
R Ponting lbw Philander .............. 0
M Clarke lbw Philander ............... 2
M Hussey c Prince b Morkel ....... 0
B Haddin c Boucher b Philander . 0
M Johnson c Amla b Philander .... 3
R Harris c Smith b Morkel ........... 3
P Siddle (not out) ....................... 12
S Marsh lbw Philander ................. 0
N Lyon c De Villiers b Steyn ..... 14
Total: (all out, 18 overs) ............ 47
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-11, 3-13,
4-13, 5-15, 6-18, 7-21, 8-21, 9-21.
Bowling: Steyn 5-1-23-2; Philander
7-3-15-5; Morkel 6-1-9-3.
South Africa 2nd innings
G Smith (not out) ....................... 36
J Rudolph c Haddin b Siddle ..... 14
H Amla (not out) ........................ 29
Extras: (nb-2) .............................. 2
Total: (one wkt, 17 overs) .......... 81
Fall of wicket: 1-27.
Bowling: Harris 6-0-26-0; Siddle
4-0-23-1 (nb-1); Watson 4-0-15-0;
Johnson 3-0-17-0 (nb-1).
SRI Lanka’s Lasith Malinga delivers a ball during a
practice session at the Dubai cricket stadium. — AFP
Frenchman overcame Italy's
Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-4.
In-form Murray made it
18 games unbeaten by beating
Roddick 6-2, 6-2 to reach
the last eight.
Murray, the second seed,
will now face Czech fifth seed
and 2005 champion Tomas
Berdych, who beat 11th-seeded
Serbian Janko Tipsarevic
in straight sets.
Tipsarevic's defeat means
the line-up for the year-end
ATP Tour Finals in London
has now been finalised, with
Berdych, Tsonga and Mardy
Fish claiming the three places
that were up for grabs at the
start of the tournament.
Spanish fourth seed David
Ferrer continued his serene
progress to the last eight by
winning 6-3, 6-2 against Alexandr
Dolgopolov of Ukraine.
Third seed Roger Federer
— who has never reached the
final at this event — takes on
France's Richard Gasquet,
the number 16 seed, in a later
match. — AFP
Loeb and
Hirvonen
neck and
neck in Wales
LLANDUDNO, Wales
— Sebastien Loeb and
Mikko Hirvonen shared
the opening day's honours
in the Wales Rally
GB here yesterday, with
the world rally title protagonists
winning one
stage apiece.
Citroen's French ace
Loeb, bidding for an
unprecedented eighth
successive championship,
claimed the second
stage with his Finnish
arch-rival's Ford Fiesta
taking the day's third
and final special.
Loeb, who has an
eight-point advantage
in the drivers' standings
going into this 13th
and final title-decider,
holds a 0.7sec edge on
Hirvonen, with Hirvonen's
team-mate Jari-
Matti Latvala, winner
of the first stage, 3.1sec
back in third.
The first two stages
were run over the Great
Orme all-asphalt toll
road in North Wales,
not used in the event
since 1981, with Latvala's
third special win
coming in the Clocaenog
Forest, appearing
for the first time on the
rally's itinerary since
1996.
Ford driver Hirvonen
has vowed to go all
out for victory here this
weekend as he attmepts
to muscle in on Loeb's
title monopoly.
But if Hirvonen does
emerge as the winner
tomorrow with Loeb
second then it is Loeb
who will take the drivers'
crown by a solitary
point.
However, with bonus
points up for grabs
on the Power Stage,
the championship could
be decided by the outcome
of the rally’s final
test tomorrow afternoon.
— AFP