Observer & Busness 1 May 2011 - Oman Observer

Healthy signs 

seen in the 

fish market 

Page 27 

Sunday, May 1, 2011/Jumada al Ula 27, 1432 AH 

www.omanobserver.om editor@omanobserver.om 

City of Al Baleed reflects 

rich history of Oman 

— Features 

Photographer’s ‘magical’ day 

PRINCE William and Kate were “buzzing with 

happiness” on their wedding day, and their evening 

reception was a “magical” affair with “hysterical” 

speeches, their photographer revealed yesterday. Millie 

Pilkington, a friend of the bride’s family, took informal 

pictures of the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 

after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. 

MAJOR MILESTONE: Oman Dry Dock Company yesterday celebrated the experimental operation of the dock by 

receiving the first two vessels owned by GDN of Belgium for repair and maintenance in Duqm. Details, P4 

Bird-watching tower to come up in Qurum 

MUSCAT — The Sultanate of Oman represented 

by the Environment and Climate 

Affairs Ministry has recently signed an 

action plan agreement with Japan International 

Co-operation Agency (JICA) to 

establish an Environmental Information 

Centre in Al Qurum. 

SQU’s e-magazine 

set to be launched 

MUSCAT — Tawasul (Communication) emagazine 

will be launched today at the Sultan 

Qaboos University (SQU). 

This magazine will be the first graduateoriented 

magazine, whose experimental issue 

was launched last week. 

This magazine is the graduation project by 

university students, Shamsah al Riyamiyah, 

Roqiyah al Abriyah and Amal al Kindiyah 

and was supervised by Salim al Rashidi. 

This is one of the Sultanate’s leading 

projects at the higher educational institutions 

and aims at promoting communication between 

the university and the graduates. The 

magazine will keep the students abreast of 

SQU's latest news and present summaries of 

latest researches, studies and will link the university 

with the local community. 

The magazine comprises of several sections 

including news, graduates’ issues and 

other sections. — ONA 

28 immigrants 

nabbed by ROP 

MUSCAT — A Royal Oman Police (ROP) 

coast guards patrol arrested 28 illegal immigrants 

from an Asian country off Sohar Industrial 

Port in the Batinah region. 

The illegal intruders, who were travelling 

in a boat, were handed over to Shinas Police 

Station for further action. 

The ROP urges citizens to co-operate in reporting 

illegal immigration which, it stressed, 

is the source of crimes and insecurity. It also 

advises all to avoid offering employment or 

residence for illegal immigrants or facilitate 

their entry into the Sultanate. 

On April 24, the ROP apprehended a boat 

carrying illegal immigrants off the Wilayat of 

Al Suwaiq. (Courtesy ROP) 

Dr Ahmed al Sa’eedi, Director of the 

Marine Environment Protection Department 

at the Environment and Climate 

Affairs Ministry, said that the idea of establishing 

this centre began in 2003 during 

the visit of a specialised team from 

JICA which proposed preparing a plan to 

MUSCAT — Two people died in an 

accident along the Al Amerat-Bausher 

road yesterday. 

The brakes of a water tanker travelling 

from Al Amerat to Bausher 

failed to function just before the last 

curve. The tanker, carrying two people, 

swerved to the side of the road, 

smashed the median, hit an electricity 

WASHINGTON — Babies who are 

exposed before birth to ethyl benzene, 

a toxic component in crude oil, may 

have a higher risk of developing congenital 

heart disease, researchers said. 

Another chemical used as an industrial 

metal degreasing agent, trichlo- 

15 6 

20 

preserve and manage the mangroves in 

various regions and wilayats of the Sultanate. 

He said the centre will include a birdwatching 

tower which will enable bird 

enthusiasts to familiarise themselves with 

different types of birds. To page 3 

pole and toppled on the opposite lane 

where it came in the way of a saloon 

car travelling towards Al Amerat. 

The two people inside the tanker 

were charred to death, while the driver 

of the saloon car escaped with minor injuries. 

A team from the Civil Defence 

Directorate and the Mobile Ambulance 

was in time to put out the fire and or- 

roethylene (TCE), also boosted heart 

risks, said the research to be presented 

at the Paediatric Academic Societies 

annual meeting in Denver, Colorado. 

Congenital heart disease occurs 

when the heart is malformed before 

birth, and is the most common of all 

Sohar to serve as a regional hub 

Sehwag lifts Daredevils 

VIRENDER Sehwag (80 off 47 balls) played a 

captain’s knock on a difficult wicket to steer Delhi 

Daredevils to a 38-run win over Kochi Tuskers in their 

IPL match in Kochi yesterday. Sehwag, who had been 

critical of his poor form this season, single-handedly 

took the team to 157 for seven on a pitch of uneven 

bounce with some of the deliveries shooting through. 

ROP warns illegal vendors Strict vigil maintained 

Stern action on illicit trade 

 

MUSCAT — After embarking 

upon successful campaigns 

against the ‘blade mafia’ and illegal 

money-senders, the Royal 

Oman Police (ROP) is to crack 

the whip on illicit liquor vendors 

who prowl in many areas. 

In the Sultanate, illicit liquor 

is prohibited by law and 

MUSCAT — The Majlis Ash’shura has 

valued the developmental approach espoused 

by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, 

particularly the Royal executive measures 

to provide employment opportunities for 

Omani job-seekers. It also valued the allocation 

of funds to improve the living 

conditions of Omani citizens as per the 

Royal orders. 

MUSCAT — The Sultanate’s workers 

will join the international community in 

observing the World Labour Day which 

falls on May 1 every year. 

This year’s celebration comes amidst 

many developments that the Omani labour 

market has witnessed, mainly a posi- 

ganise traffic before other vehicles were 

involved in the accident. 

A police lieutenant, Yusuf bin 

Khalfan al Hattali, advised motorists 

who use the Al Amerat-Bausher road to 

maintain their vehicles and take extra 

care while travelling along the road. 

Meanwhile, the Royal Oman Police 

said that 17 people died and 216 were 

birth defects. Previous studies have 

suggested it could be caused by chemicals 

in the environment. 

“Congenital heart disease is a major 

cause of childhood death and lifelong 

health problems,” said D Gail 

McCarver, lead author of the study 

trading in spurious liquor, directly 

buying or selling or acting 

as middleman, is a punishable 

offence under the law. 

Sources at the ROP said it 

has recently found people who 

are not eligible for liquor permit 

are buying the stuff from 

bootleggers. 

“We have initiated serious 

action against these hooch trad- 

ers as we received some tip off 

from good Samaritans in the 

society,” a senior official at the 

Media Relations Department 

of the ROP told the Observer. 

In Oman, due to the cultural 

sensitivities of liquor availability 

in the local environment, 

the industry is highly regulated. 

It is a given privilege to have 

liquor available and, accord- 

The Majlis also expressed its appreciation 

for the positive response of public 

and private establishments to the Royal 

directives. It stressed the need to join 

hands and work hard during the next stage 

of development to maintain the achievements 

of the Omani nation and its aspiration 

for long-term sustainable growth. 

This came at a meeting of the Majlis 

tive tangible response by the government 

and the private sector establishments. 

The recent developments included the 

realisation of demands made by the workers 

in the private sector, coupled with 

amendments to the Omani Labour Law. 

Saud bin Ali al Jabri, Chairman of the 

injured in 137 road accidents last week. 

Accidents in the Dhahirah region 

along claimed 7 lives, while four each 

died in Batinah and Dakhiliyah regions. 

One of the major accidents happened in 

the Wilayat of Ibri. A driver travelling 

on the highway from Al Hajr area to the 

Wilayat of Ibri could not control his vehicle 

at a diversion. See also page 3 

and professor of paediatrics at the 

Medical College of Wisconsin. 

Researchers collected stool samples 

from 135 newborn babies with 

the heart condition and 432 infants 

without it. A full 82 per cent of all the 

infants showed exposure. — AFP 

ing to the representatives of the 

legal vendors, this privilege is 

not necessarily permanent and 

should not be misused. 

“We are keeping vigil 

against these unscrupulous 

tradesmen as it has a call on our 

business,” a line manager of a 

leading chain of authorised liquor 

vendors said on condition 

of anonymity. To page 3 

Majlis values Royal orders on jobs, welfare 

Road accidents leave 19 dead 

Crude oil chemical linked to heart defect in babies 

Vale begins operations 

 

MUSCAT — Brazilian mining conglomerate 

Vale yesterday celebrated 

the launch of the first phase of operations 

at its $1.356 billion Pelletizing 

Plant and Distribution Centre in the 

Wilayat of Sohar. 

The Industrial Complex will position 

Oman as a world-class producer 

of iron ore pellets, with Sohar serving 

as a hub catering to the growing 

demand of iron ore products in the 

Middle East, North Africa and India 

(MENAI). 

Top executives from Vale joined 

government dignitaries and its joint 

venture representatives at an inauguration 

ceremony held at the Industrial 

Complex yesterday. 

Vale’s Industrial Complex is comprised 

of a two-unit Pelletizing Plant, 

each with a nominal capacity of 4.5 

million metric tons of direct reduction 

pellets per year, in addition to a Distribution 

Centre with an annual capacity 

of 40 million metric tons. In May 

2010, Vale entered into a strategic 

partnership with the Omani government 

through the sale of a 30 per cent 

stake in the Pelletizing Company to 

Oman Oil Company. To page 3 

Ash’shura Office here yesterday. The 

10th regular meeting of the fourth annual 

sitting was presided over by Shaikh 

Ahmed bin Mohammed al Isa’ee, Chairman 

of the Majlis Ash’shura. 

Al Isa’ee said in the opening speech 

that the Majlis members were honoured 

to listen to His Majesty during a meeting 

held on March 2, 2011. To page 2 

Dialogue best way to realise demands 

AN overview of Vale Oman’s Sohar Industrial Complex. 

Sultanate’s Labour Confederation, said 

that the achievements made recently are 

a good indicator of the effectiveness of 

communication. 

Al Jabri stressed the significance of 

presenting demands in a civilised manner 

and through wise dialogue. To page 3 

Yemen president 

not to sign deal 

SANAA — Gulf Co-operation Council chief 

Abdullatif al Zayani left Sanaa yesterday 

after Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh 

refused to sign the Gulf-brokered pact, an opposition 

spokesman said. 

The main opposition group accused Saleh 

of thwarting the deal that would see him cede 

power within a month. 

“The authority has thwarted the deal. The 

GCC secretary-general told us that Saleh refused 

to sign in his role as president. He said 

he wanted to sign as head of the ruling party, 

and this is a violation of the text of the Gulf 

initiative,” Sultan al Atwani, said. 

Under the deal, Saleh would also remain as 

head of the ruling party. A transfer of power to 

his vice-president would take place within 30 

days of the signing, followed by presidential 

elections within two months and the formation 

of a unity government. — Agencies 

More region reports on page 9 

Boost to private 

medical sector 

MUSCAT — Starcare Hospital, managed by 

Starcare Health Systems, UK was inaugurated 

near Muscat City Centre in Seeb yesterday. 

The new hospital reflects the rapid 

progress in private healthcare sector in recent 

years and that such hospitals will provide an 

alternative to Omani patients from seeking 

treatment abroad. 

The Ministry of Health participated in the 

opening of Starcare Hospital by running an 

awareness campaign on responsible utilisation/usage 

of prescribed drugs, and importance 

of following doctors instructions. 

The Royal Oman Police also took part in 

the celebration with an awareness campaign 

on safe driving. Details on page 4

MUSCAT — The Ministry of 

Commerce and Industry and 

the Ministry of Environment 

and Climate Affairs have established 

contact departments 

to receive the applications of 

citizens seeking public service, 

process them, keep the 

applicants updated about the 

progress of their documents 

and raise any remarks to the 

ministers concerned. 

The setting up of the new 

units was effected by decisions 

issued separately by 

Shaikh Mohammed bin Saad 

2 OMAN 

OMAN DAILY Observer 

SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

Majlis values Royal orders on jobs 

From page 1 

It noted that development 

is an approach adopted by His 

Majesty, who, Al Isa’ee said, 

will proceed with his plans 

till the institutional system of 

the state is completed and the 

development programmes are 

implemented towards the realisation 

of the aspirations of 

the Omani people. 

He pointed out that Majlis 

Ash’shura considers the 

Royal approach as a guideline 

to work side by side with the 

government to do whatever 

possible to ensure the stability, 

security and progress of 

the Sultanate. 

In this context, he expressed 

his satisfaction over 

the remarkable steps being 

implemented by the depart- 

al Mardhoof al Saadi, Minister 

of Commerce and Industry, 

and Mohammed bin 

Salim al Toobi, Minister of 

Environment and Climate Affairs. 

The establishment of the 

units came in implementation 

ments concerned. 

Then, the Majlis Office 

discussed in depth Royal Decree 

No 39/2011 which grants 

legislative and audit powers 

to Majlis Ash’shura, among 

other topics of the agenda. 

— ONA 

Foodstuff 

airlifted 

MUSCAT — As part 

of the Sultan’s Armed 

Forces’ efforts to enhance 

development efforts, the 

Royal Air Force of Oman 

recently airlifted basic 

commodities to citizens 

in inaccessible mountainous 

terrains in Al Jabal 

Al Aswad in the Wilayat 

of Qurayat and Jabal Al 

Koor in the Wilayat of 

Ibri. 

Public service departments established 

of the directives of His Majesty 

Sultan Qaboos to establish 

specialized departments 

at government establishment 

to facilitate the processing 

of citizens’ transactions and 

undertake relevant executive 

measures. — ONA

From page 1 

He said the centre aims to 

collect and display the environmental, 

economic and social 

data and information relating 

to marine environment 

in general and the mangroves 

and its unique diversity in 

particular, as well as, qualifying 

and training the national 

cadre in various fields related 

to marine environment preservation. 

This training contributes 

in spreading knowledge in 

environment and provides 

new impetus for environmental 

tourism in the Sultanate. 

The centre, which will be 

set up at Qurum Natural Park 

in Muscat, includes halls for 

seminars and workshops concerned 

with environment, as 

well as, screening the docu- 

From page 1 

“We have also reported several such individuals 

to the police.” 

The ROP regulates the liquor industry in 

Oman, both in terms of suppliers and re-sellers 

such as hotels and restaurants. Alcoholic beverages 

are supplied under licence to many of 

the familiar hotel chains as well as local restaurants 

and some private clubs. 

Though the prevailing laws in the country 

permit Omanis and expatriates to consume 

alcohol within licensed premises during the 

legal opening hours, it doesn’t permit them to 

take away alcoholic beverages from licensed 

premises to be consumed elsewhere, nor is it 

mentaries that highlight environmental 

information about 

the natural environment in 

the Sultanate. 

The visitors will familiarise 

themselves with the 

biodiversity in the Sultanate 

through daily shows. There 

will be modern screens which 

highlight the benefits of mangroves 

and the problems that 

threaten the wildlife in the 

Sultanate. 

The centre will be 

equipped with a laboratory 

which enables specialists to 

do environmental tests related 

to wildlife in the Sultanate. 

Dr Al Saeedi explained 

that the Japanese team discussed 

a number of topics, 

most importantly the agreement 

of continuing co-operation 

between the Sultanate 

and JICA delegation for two 

years starting from December 

this year till December 2013. 

He also pointed out that 

the two parties agreed on the 

importance of enhancing cooperation 

by availing technical 

back-up by providing 

experts to promote the environmental 

training and education 

programmes, as well 

as, promoting environmental 

monitoring methodology for 

the environmental system in 

mangrove forests, enhancing 

the executive procedures and 

sustainable measures to protect 

and manage the environmental 

system in mangrove 

forests, in addition to, organising 

exhibitions, promoting 

environmental awareness 

programmes and building 

the abilities in the field of 

environmental education. 

— ONA 

Stern action on illicit liquor lobby 

permitted to consume outside of these hours. 

To regulate liquor sale and consumption, the 

ROP issues liquor permit to non-Muslims with 

a value against which the holder can purchase 

the stuff. The set value is usually 10 per cent 

of the holder’s basic salary as the maximum 

amount he can purchase in any month ensuring 

financial safety is not compromised. 

“It is illegal to purchase in excess of the 

value of the permit and the vendors are not allowed 

to sell more than the prescribed amount. 

Every month, the figures in their stocks ledger 

should tally with their total purchase and sales 

digits,” the ROP official said. 

“To ensure all these, we are conducting regular 

checks at various liquor outlets.” 

From page 1 

3 OMAN 



A WATER tanker travelling from Al Amerat to Bausher carrying two people swerved to the side of the road. Two people inside the tanker were charred to death, while the driver of a saloon car escaped with minor injuries. 

Motorists who use the Bausher-Al Amerat road have been advised to maintain their vehicle on a regular basis and take extra care at curves and undulations along the hilly road. 

A MAJOR accident occurred in the Wilayat of Ibri when an overspeeding driver 

travelling on the highway from Al Hajr area failed to control his vehicle at a diversion. 

Lab for environmental tests 

Amendments to Labour Law sought 

From page 1 

The basic purpose of the 

Sultanate’s Labour Confederation 

is to improve conditions 

for workers, said Al Jabri. 

Accordingly, the confederation 

sought amendments to 

the Labour Law. 

Al Jabri added that labour 

unions plays an important role 

in improving the work conditions 

and resolving different 

issues that may face employ- 

ees. He urged workers at the 

different establishments to 

form labour unions. 

He pointed out that the 

amendment of the Omani Labour 

Law will contribute positively 

to the stability of the 

Omani workers and the labour 

market in general. 

On his part, Nabhan bin 

Ahmed al Battashi, Deputy 

Chairman of the confederation, 

said that there are about 

100 labour unions in different 

economic sectors. This 

number is expected to increase 

to 150, he said. 

Abdullah bin Said al Rashdi, 

Head of the Media and 

Public Relations Department, 

said that the labour confederation 

implements an ambitious 

plan this year to raise 

awareness about labour issues 

through seminars, lectures and 

exhibitions. — ONA 

Priority on retaining local qualified talents 

“Sohar’s strategic location 

outside the Strait of Hormuz, 

with the advantage of deep 

water seas, and the heavy 

infrastructure investments to 

provide leading logistics networks, 

advanced energy and 

power supply technologies 

and world-class facilities at 

Sohar Industrial Port, were 

key to our decision to establish 

our operations in the Sultanate,” 

said Roger Agnelli, 

Vale CEO. 

Agnelli described yesterday’s 

start-up of Phase 1 as the 

culmination of a journey that 

has brought Oman and Brazil 

closer together. He applauded 

Sergio Leite and his team for 

making this “dream” a reality 

on schedule and within budget. 

The Omani government’s 

backing for the project, and 

joint venture partner Oman 

Oil’s steadfast support, also 

contributed to its successful 

launch, he added. 

The visionary economic 

diversification plan adopted 

by the Omani government 

will enable the establishment 

of a competitive steel cluster 

that will be a vital component 

contributing to the reduction 

in the 30 million metric tons 

supply-demand gap of finished 

steel in the region. 

Vale’s project in Oman 

will create a just-in-time operations 

framework to better 

serve customers across 

MENAI. The company is 

committed to emerge as the 

largest investor in the mining 

industry operating around the 

world with a simple yet dynamic 

premise that there can 

be no future without mining 

and there is no mining without 

caring about the future. 

Vale’s history is marked 

by a capacity for transformation 

and has played an 

instrumental role in building 

a solid industrial platform 

by positively contributing to 

the development of the local 

economy. 

By Ali Ahmed al Riyami 

MUSCAT — The documentary 

film premiere of Omani 

record making adventurer 

Nabil bin Riadh al Busaidy’s 

expedition to the North Pole 

that gained him into the record 

books as the first Omani, Arab 

to do so, aptly named ‘The 

Arab who took on the Arctic’, 

was screened to a packed audience 

at the Plaza One Cinema 

in Shatti Al Qurum yesterday. 

The dramatically power- 

VALE executives briefing the media: (From left) Eduardo Ledsham, Executive 

Director (Exploration, Energy & Projects); Roger Agnelli, CEO; 

and Sergio Leite, Country Manager — Oman. 

In line with this strategy, 

the company contracted Sohar 

Industrial Port Company 

to build a 1.5 kilometre jetty 

to be exclusively used and 

operated by Vale, which is 

scheduled to be operational in 

June of this year. 

Three ship-loaders and one 

ship-un-loader have already 

been delivered. A long-term 

agreement was also signed 

with Oman Shipping Com- 

ful film, watched by invited 

guests including Royal Family 

members, senior government 

and corporate officials, diplomats, 

friends and family members 

had audience members 

captivated, as the day-to-day 

account of Nabil’s month-long 

650 kilometre trek, from Resolute 

Bay to the North Pole, was 

unfolded. 

It is only through watching 

this documentary that one can 

have a real feel of what Nabil 

and fellow ‘Team Oman’ 

team-mates, KP and Claire, 

pany for the construction of 

four very large iron ore carriers 

(VLOCs) with a loading 

capacity of 400,000 tons to be 

dedicated to Vale. 

Vale places high priority 

on developing and retaining 

local qualified talents in the 

communities where it operates. 

To date, the company 

has invested $11.3 million in 

recruitment and training programmes 

that aim to generate 

had to go through and put up 

with in this bleak, barren, inhospitable 

snow-laden wilderness 

until they could finally attain 

their objective of reaching 

the North Pole, which they did 

on April 29, 2009. 

It put the viewers through 

all of the emotions Nabil and 

his team-mates went through, 

in what can only be described 

as one the most harrowing of 

experiences a person can put 

themselves through. It shows 

the kind of determination and 

sheer willpower needed to 

720 direct and 1,800 indirect 

jobs. 

Vale considers the environment 

as a fundamental 

component of its operations 

and seeks to balance environmental 

protection with economic 

development. 

In Oman, the company 

continually invests in managing 

environmental aspects 

and risks as well as research 

new technology to surpass 

complete such a journey — 

having to cope with freezingcold 

temperature, blistering 

winds, the threat of frostbite 

and even polar bears. 

The elation and exhalation 

experienced by Nabil at the 

successful conclusion of the 

expedition, as he placed the 

Omani flag on the North Pole, 

made for a happy ending to the 

film. 

At the end of show, Ross 

Cormack, CEO of Nawras 

(the sponsors of the event and 

one of Nabil’s main sponsors 

the established standards of 

excellence in environmental 

control systems. A total of 

$40 million has been invested 

in green technology which 

includes an advanced 100 per 

cent water recycling system 

as well as a 3,150 metre wind 

fence surrounding the Industrial 

Complex to control dust 

emissions. 

Vale is also innovating the 

technology used for the production 

of pellets, making 

its plant in Sohar the first to 

use ‘Grate Kiln’ furnace. This 

technology will provide consistent 

quality results and an 

end product with high compression, 

low abrasion and 

perfect roundness. 

In attendance were Nasser 

bin Khamis al Jashmi, Under- 

Secretary of the Ministry 

of Oil and Gas (who is also 

Chairman of Oman Oil Company; 

Roger Agnelli, CEO 

Vale; Ahmed al Wahaibi, 

CEO of Oman Oil Co; Shaikh 

Salem bin Abdullah al Rawas, 

Board Member of Oman Oil 

Co; and Sergio Leite, Country 

Manager — Vale Oman. 

Nabil al Busaidy’s documentary film premiered 

for the expedition), congratulated 

Nabil and his efforts of 

not only conquering the magnetic 

North Pole, but also of 

presenting and representing 

Oman and the Arab world in a 

very good light. 

The main sponsor of this 

inspirational documentary 

film is Sabco. It will continue 

to be screened for three more 

days with morning sessions 

being reserved for schoolchildren 

free of charge. 

— Photos by Fadhil 

al Hamdani

Minister visits 

Buraimi projects 

AL BURAIMI — Ahmed bin Abdullah al Shuhi, Regional 

Municipalities and Water Resources Minister, yesterday 

visited the wilayats of the Governorate of Al Buraimi as 

part of his visits to the governorates and regions. 

Al Shuhi discussed with directors of departments at the 

Directorate-General of Regional Municipalities and Water 

Resources in the governorate and directors of municipalities 

affiliated to the directorate means of developing the 

quality of municipal and water services rendered by the 

ministry to the community. 

The minister also viewed a presentation by Salim bin 

Humaid al Shebli, Director-General of Regional Municipalities 

and Water Resources in Al Buraimi, through 

which on major municipal and water services rendered by 

the ministry in the wilayats of the governorate and major 

projects currently being implemented. 

The minister also toured a number of municipal and 

water projects, currently being implemented in the governorate. 

Workshop on cultural 

heritage inventory 

MUSCAT — A workshop on “Intangible Cultural Heritage 

and How to Prepare National Inventory” will be held today 

at the Cultural Club under the auspices of Shaikh Hamad 

bin Hilal al Maamari, Under-Secretary of the Heritage and 

Culture Ministry for Cultural Affairs. 

The three-day workshop will focus on the intangible 

cultural heritage in terms of the concept, mechanisms and 

challenges, the national inventory and the future of the intangible 

cultural heritage protection in the states of region. 

The workshop is organised by the Heritage and Culture 

Ministry represented by the Folk Art Department in conjunction 

with the Oman National Commission for Education, 

Culture and Science (ONCECS) and the Unesco. 

— ONA 

Mecit Career Fair opens today 

MUSCAT — Shaikh Saba’a bin Hamdan al Saadi, Secretary-General 

of the Supreme Committee for National 

Day Celebrations, will preside over today’s opening of 

the 3rd Career Fair at the Middle East College of Information 

Technology (Mecit) in Seeb. 

The fair is organised by the college with the participation 

of 18 local and foreign companies. 

The fair aims to help students of the college and other 

college students to develop their communication skills 

and discuss with the officials of the participating companies 

on the available options in training and career opportunities. 

— ONA 

DUQM — Oman Dry Dock Company 

celebrated here yesterday the 

experimental operation of the dock 

by receiving the first two vessels 

owned by GDN of Belgium for repair 

and maintenance. 

The ceremony was held under 

the auspices of Said bin Hamdoon 

al Harthy, Under-Secretary of the 

Transport and Communications 

Ministry for Ports and Marine Affairs, 

in the presence of Shaikh Sultan 

bin Mohammed al Nuaimi, Wali 

of Duqm, shaikhs, dignitaries of the 

Al Wusta Region and ROP officers. 

4 OMAN 



Experimental operation of Duqm Dry Dock begins 

Al Harthy described the experimental 

operation of the dry dock as 

an important day for the Sultanate in 

general and the Dry Dock Company 

in particular. 

He told Oman News Agency 

that the entry of the first two vessels 

to the port for maintenance before 

completion of the construction 

works of the dry dock is a historic 

achievement for the company and 

the Transport and Communications 

Ministry. 

Al Harthy noted that the port will 

receive and do maintenance work for 

giant vessels once the infrastructure 

and other facilities are completed. 

Al Nuaimi said that the dry dock 

is one of the major projects in the region 

and it will activate tourism and 

trade activities and will generate a 

number of job opportunities. 

He also pointed out that the wilayat 

is expected to witness an economic 

and investment boom, especially 

after the new airport opens as 

the wilayat will attract a number of 

investors and major companies that 

seek to open projects in Duqm. 

“This in turn will have a posi- 

Majlis panel discusses economic issues 

MUSCAT — The Economic Committee 

at the Majlis Ash’shura yesterday held its 

fifth regular meeting of the fourth annual 

sitting (2010-2011) of the sixth term under 

the chairmanship of Nasser bin Ali al 

MUSCAT — The Sultanate 

will take part in the three-day 

European Seafood Exhibition 

which opens in Brussels on 

Tuesday. 

The exhibition is being held 

annually where more than 1600 

participants from more than 77 

countries will take part. It at- 

tive impact on our national economy 

in general and the residents in 

Duqm and the other wilayats in the 

Al Wusta Region in particular”, he 

added. 

M J Park, CEO of ODDC, in a 

speech said that the trial operation is 

a “historic moment we are all proud 

of”. The project provides repair 

services for commercial vessels of 

different sizes, including giant vessels 

of 4th and 5th generation, besides 

container vessels. 

He said that, “Receiving the first 

two vessels for maintenance has 

Mahrouqi, head of the committee. 

During the meeting, the committee 

discussed economic topics in the Sultanate 

related to the citizen and the possibility 

of finding appropriate solutions. 

tracts sellers and buyers from 

Europe and other countries. 

It also provides an opportunity 

for those in the seafood 

sector to meet in one place with 

manufacturing and distributing 

companies and those rendering 

related services. 

Following the successful 

participation in the exhibition 

during the two previous sessions 

in 2009 and 2010, the Sultanate’s 

pavilion has been set 

up by the Public Authority of 

Investment Promotion and Exports 

Development (PAIPED) 

and the Agriculture and Fisheries 

Ministry. 

been successful today, which marks 

the beginning of the experimental 

operation of the dock”. 

He pointed out that the company 

management opted to start experimental 

operation as 98 per cent of 

the construction work is over. 

On the sidelines of the experimental 

operation, a repair and maintenance 

agreement was signed between 

Oman Dry Dock Company 

and GDN of Belgium for survey 

and repair of the hull, besides the 

required repair, cleaning and painting. 

— ONA 

The members of the committee presented 

their comments and proposals. 

The committee also approved some of 

its memoranda after their submitting it to 

the Majlis chairmanship. — ONA 

Oman takes part in European Seafood Exhibition 

MUSCAT — Starcare Hospital, 

managed by Starcare 

Health Systems, UK, was inaugurated 

near Muscat City 

Centre in Seeb yesterday under 

the auspices of Mohammed 

bin Salim al Toobi, Minister 

of Environment and Climate 

Affairs. 

The minister expressed 

appreciation over the rapid 

progress in private healthcare 

sector in recent times and commented 

that hospitals such as 

this will provide an alternative 

to Omani patients from seeking 

treatment abroad. 

The Ministry of Health 

participated in the opening of 

Starcare Hospital by running 

an awareness campaign on 

responsible utilisation/usage 

of prescribed drugs and importance 

of following doctors’ 

instructions. Royal Oman Police 

also participated with an 

awareness campaign on safe 

driving. 

“Starcare is the only private 

hospital in Seeb, with a capacity 

of 50 beds and three modern 

operation rooms, offering 

advanced medical services in 

over 35 specialties with one 

of the most advanced private 

emergency departments in the 

country. 

The specialties include 

internal medicine, general 

surgery, laparoscopic and bariatric 

surgery, ophthalmology, 

ENT, orthopaedics, joint replacements, 

sports medicine, 

spine surgery, obstetrics and 

gynaecology, paediatrics, dermatology, 

cardiology, urology, 

vascular surgery and gastroenterology,” 

a hospital press 

release said. 

Diagnostic facilities at 

Starcare Hospital include 16 

slice CT scan, 4D ultrasound, 

colour doppler, TMT and 

Echo. 

A spacious and well 

equipped trauma and emergency 

centre, labour delivery 

suites with world’s best Hill 

Rom multifunction beds, neonatal 

ICU with European technology, 

three advanced operating 

rooms with HEPA filters 

and laminar flow systems, 

sterilisation unit conforming 

to HTM 2020 (UK) and an advanced 

laboratory are some of 

the facilities at Starcare. 

Dr Sadik Kodakat, Chairman 

of the Hospital, said: 

“Starcare UK brings an extensive 

know-how and experience 

in healthcare with effectively 

tried and tested policies 

and procedures that provide 

an enhanced clinical and customer 

care. 

The centre will constantly 

seek to bring innovative and 

advanced healthcare solutions 

to patients as it establishes itself 

as a trusted and recognised 

brand in the community. Integrating 

western clinical expertise 

and eastern cost control 

measures along with legendary 

Omani hospitality would 

be what we need to do to pro- 

Ayman bin Hassan al Busaidy, 

Director of PAIPED Exports 

Development Department, who 

will lead the PAIPED delegation 

comprising 15 members, 

pointed out that four Omani fish 

exporting companies will take 

part in the exhibition by showcasing 

their products. — ONA 

Starcare Hospital opens in Seeb 

vide high standard care at an 

affordable tariff in Oman. 

“The expansion into Oman 

is just the start of an international 

growth strategy. We 

plan to open another 150-bed 

hospital, 10 polyclinics and a 

chain of 15 pharmacies in different 

parts of the Sultanate as 

a five-year plan. The company 

is also in talks with local partners 

to enter into Saudi Arabia, 

the UAE and India in near 

future.” 

Jayan K, General Manager 

of the hospital, said the hospital 

would provide services 

with care and compassion at 

an affordable price and he also 

highlighted the hospital’s intention 

to recruit, train and develop 

Omani nationals for the 

various functions within the 

hospital and minimise the need 

for Omanis to travel aboard for 

their medical needs. 

“This has been possible due 

to the support and encouragement 

of the Ministry of Health 

and the continued investment 

and other measures adopted 

by the government to create an 

environment conducive to the 

growth of business.” 

The inaugural function was 

also attended by ambassadors, 

dignitaries, top corporate executives 

and national players.

Sanctions on major 

Sudanese bank lifted 

KHARTOUM — The United 

States has lifted economic 

sanctions on a major lender in 

Sudan, which has long been 

under a trade embargo, a US 

administration official said on 

Friday. 

In November, Washington 

renewed sanctions on the 

Sudanese government but 

also held out prospect of reconsidering 

its tough action 

if Khartoum made progress in 

resolving the north-south dispute 

and improved the situation 

in the Darfur region. 

The Sudan-based Bank of 

Khartoum has been removed 

from the US blacklist because 

it is no longer controlled by 

the government, the US official 

said. 

The move allows the bank 

limited business dealings with 

US institutions and to claim 

back blocked assets. 

Sudanese officials have 

been hoping Washington will 

end all economic and trade 

sanctions, first imposed in 

1997, and remove Khartoum 

from a US list of state sponsors 

of terrorism. 

Most Sudanese believe 

US sanctions have affected 

ordinary people more than 

the government as banks and 

companies are isolated from 

international financial markets. 

US officials have said 

Washington could remove 

Sudan from a list of state 

sponsors of terrorism by July 

if the north accepts the south’s 

independence referendum. 

Sudan was placed on the 

US sanctions list in 1993 for 

harbouring “international terrorists”. 

— Reuters 

BAGHDAD — The killing 

on Friday of an American soldier 

made April the deadliest 

month for US forces in Iraq 

since 2009. 

The soldier “was killed 

on April 29 while conducting 

operations in southern Iraq,” 

a US military statement released 

yesterday said, without 

giving further details. 

The death brought to 11 the 

number of US troops to have 

died in Iraq in April, according 

to a tally based on data compiled 

by independent website 

www.icasualties.org. 

That is the highest monthly 

toll since November 2009, 

when 11 soldiers also died, 

starkly highlighting the risks 

American soldiers still face 

even after combat operations 

were officially declared over 

last summer. 

Of the 11 to have died in 

April, six died in what were 

described as “non-hostile” incidents. 

Two were killed as a 

result of a roadside bomb in 

Numaniyah, Wasit province, 

while two others died in separate 

mortar attacks in Baghdad 

and Babil provinces. 

Around 45,000 US soldiers 

still remain stationed in Iraq, 

and while they are primarily 

charged with training and 

equipping their local counterparts, 

they can return fire in 

self-defence and still take part 

in joint counter-terror operations 

with Iraqi forces. 

Friday’s death also brings 

to 4,452 the number of American 

troops to have died in Iraq 

since the 2003 US-led invasion 

that ousted Saddam Hussein, 

according to the tally. 

Meanwhile, Iraq is hoping 

to reconcile with any 

members of Al Qaeda’s front 

group in the country who do 

not have blood on their hands, 

5 REGION 



MOROCCAN scientific police stand yesterday on the terrace of the Argana cafe, the 

site of a bomb blast in Marrakesh. Morocco’s King Mohammed VI flew into Marrakesh 

yesterday to visit survivors of a devastating bombing that killed 16 people on April 28, 

and to see the site of the attack itself. — AFP See also page 9 

April deadliest month for 

US in Iraq since 2009 

the national reconciliation 

minister said yesterday. 

“The organisation of Al 

Qaeda is not interested in reconciliation 

— not here, in Africa, 

or anywhere else,” Amir 

al Khuzai said. 

“But our proposal is for 

Iraqi members who work 

for or are forced to join Al 

Qaeda, we want to give them 

a chance to come back to 

normal life.” Khuzai, who is 

minister of state for national 

reconciliation, added: “We 

will not talk to the organisation. 

We want to talk to Iraqi 

individuals who have a desire 

to reconcile.” 

He warned, however, that 

if any of the members of the 

Islamic State of Iraq, Al Qaeda’s 

front group, had killed 

or wounded anyone, cases 

against them would not be 

dropped in the name of reconciliation. 

— AFP 

Poll shows Erdogan to get 3rd term 

ISTANBUL — The AK Party 

of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan 

is on course to win a 

third consecutive term when 

Turkey votes in a parliamentary 

election on June 12, according 

to an opinion poll published 

yesterday. 

The survey conducted on 

April 13-27 by polling company 

Genar, and published in the 

pro-government Sabah newspaper, 

showed AK winning 

48.7 per cent of the vote, above 

the 46.6 per cent it scored in the 

2007 election. 

The Genar findings are in 

line with a survey by pollster 

Metropoll published on April 

25 in Sabah newspaper, which 

showed between 47-50 per cent 

support for AK. 

The polls take into account 

a feature of the Turkish electoral 

system whereby ballots 

cast for parties that score less 

than 10 per cent of the vote are 

redistributed among the leading 

parties. The 10 per cent 

threshold is meant to reduce 

the chance of unstable coalition 

governments. 

The AK Party has overseen 

a period of unprecedented prosperity 

since inheriting a struggling 

economy after a financial 

crisis in 2000-2001. 

Critics, however, remain 

suspicious about the roots of 

AK leaders, including Erdogan, 

although the party has 

cast itself to conform with Tur- 

key’s secular constitution and 

is sometimes compared with 

Europe’s Christian Democrat 

parties. 

The poll of 2,250 voters in 

60 provinces showed support 

for the main opposition Republican 

People’s Party (CHP) 

at 25.2 per cent, while backing 

for the conservative Nationalist 

Movement Party (MHP) was 

11.9 per cent. 

The main Kurdish group, 

the Peace and Democracy Party 

(BDP), is seen getting 6.4 

per cent of the vote, below the 

10 per cent threshold for entering 

parliament. But the BDP’s 

strategy has been to bypass the 

threshold law by fielding candidates 

as independents. — AFP

Top airport under state 

pressure after bombing 

MOSCOW — Russia's top airport Domodedovo, the target of 

a deadly blast, yesterday came under pressure from prosecutors 

who said its foreign ownership was "unacceptable" and a 

security threat. Following the January bombing that killed 37 

and injured over a hundred in the airport's international arrivals 

hall, President Dmitry Medvedev ordered officials to tighten 

up security across the country's transport hubs. 

The Russian General Prosecutor's Office issued a statement 

yesterday, saying it had established that Domodedovo was under 

management of foreign offshore companies. 

"The situation is deemed unacceptable taking into account 

the Domodedovo airport's strategic significance for the country's 

defence and security," the Prosecutor's Office said, adding 

the scheme allowed to conceal the airport's ownership structure 

and stood in the way of efficient control. 

Russia's biggest airport, Domodedovo is also the only privately 

controlled airport, rebuilt from an ageing Soviet relic to 

a bustling hub since 1997, when it went under new management 

of the East Line group. 

The Prosecutor's Office said that it came forward with a 

proposal for a bill banning foreigners from managing Russia's 

strategic transport hubs. — AFP 

S Korea plans to stage 

live-fire drills near islands 

SEOUL — South Korea will stage live-fire artillery exercises 

in the coming week on two frontline islands including one hit 

by a deadly North Korean shelling last November, a news report 

said yesterday. 

A defence ministry spokesman said that regular military 

exercises will be carried out on the two islands but declined 

to give further details on the timing or whether live-fire drills 

will be carried out. 

But Dong-A Ilbo daily said marine troops will fire K-9 

self-propelled howitzers, Vulcan cannons and 81mm mortars 

deployed on Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands, both located 

near the tense Yellow Sea border. About 10 US military 

regiment and battalion commanders will attend the exercises 

as observers, it said. 

Based in Japan's Okinawa, US military commanders have 

been taking part in an annual exercise north of Seoul rehearsing 

the deployment of US reinforcements in the event of conflict, 

the daily said. 

In November, a South Korean live-fire artillery drill from 

Yeonpyeong island, which dropped shells into waters claimed 

by both Koreas, was followed by shelling of the island by the 

North, which killed four people. Tuesday's drills will be the 

second live-fire exercise on the two islands this year. — AFP 

Graffiti in HK: Chinese 

army issues warning 

HONG KONG — A spate of graffiti appearing across Hong 

Kong in recent weeks in support of detained Chinese artist Ai 

Weiwei has sparked a warning by the Chinese army garrison in 

the city, a newspaper reported yesterday. 

An artist in the former British colony calling himself Cpak 

Ming recently projected an image bearing the words "Who's 

Afraid of Ai Weiwei?" onto a wall at the People's Liberation 

Army (PLA) harbour-front barracks in the heart of the city. 

While the brief artistic stunt with a camera, that was photographed 

and uploaded onto Facebook, left no physical trace, a 

PLA spokesman in Hong Kong said such acts breached Hong 

Kong laws and the PLA would "reserve its legal rights" to act, 

the South China Morning Post reported. 

"No one can paint or project pictures and images onto the 

outer wall of the barracks with the garrison's permission. Such 

an offence is a breach of Hong Kong law. The PLA reserve its 

legal rights," the PLA spokesman was quoted as saying. 

Besides the so-called flash graffiti beamed onto prominent 

buildings in Hong Kong, a rash of pro-Ai images has also been 

spray-painted onto walls, pavements and public spaces by a 

group of anonymous artists, sparking a police investigation 

into possible criminal damage. 

China vows to fast-track 

transport links with Asean 

JAKARTA — Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday pledged 

to speed up transport links and other infrastructure co-operation 

with South-East Asia. "In the next decade we will speed 

up the inauguration of land transport routes between China and 

Asean," Wen said, referring to the Association of the South- 

East Asian Nations. 

Speaking in Jakarta during a two-day visit, Wen said China 

would also invest in telecommunications, roads and electricity 

in Asean countries. 

Asean, with a total population of 500 million, hopes transport 

links will enhance its free trade agreement with China, 

which took effect in January 2010. Analysts said such links 

will protect China's access to energy imports. 

Wen said China aimed to increase trade with Asean to $500 

billion in 2015. The Chinese premier also promised to aid 

poorer Asean countries in their development unconditionally. 

He said China's rise as an economic power was not a threat 

to any nation. "The Chinese people cherish co-operation and 

friendship with the people of other nations," he said. "I'm sure 

people in South-East Asia feel the same way the Chinese do." 

Asean consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, 

Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and 

Vietnam. 

On Friday, Wen pledged a total of $9 billion in loans to 

Indonesia, to develop infrastructure and promised to increase 

trade and investment. — dpa 

Somali pirates release 

Indonesian cargo ship 

MOGADISHU — Somali pirates have freed an Indonesian 

bulk carrier after the ship's owner paid a ransom, pirates and a 

maritime source said yesterday. 

The Sinar Kindus was captured by pirates on March 16 approximately 

320 miles north of east Socotra in the Somali basin, 

with its crew of 20. 

Pirates said they released the ship after a ransom payment 

was airdropped to them. "We received the cash of $4.5 million 

early this morning. We have abandoned the ship and it is preparing 

to sail away," a pirate who gave his name as Geney said 

from El-Dhanane coastal village. 

Andrew Mwangura, a Kenya-based former maritime official 

and now the maritime editor of The Somalia Report confirmed 

the ship had been freed, adding it had not started to sail 

away yet. 

Pirate gangs are making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms 

as international navies patrolling the Gulf Of Aden struggle 

to contain piracy in the Indian Ocean due to the vast distances 

involved. — Reuters 

Putin flays 

Tokyo: nuke 

crisis reaction 

PENZA — Russian Prime 

Minister Vladimir Putin criticised 

Japan yesterday for its 

"slow" reaction to its nuclear 

disaster and for building nuclear 

reactors in earthquakeprone 

zones. 

Japan's Fukushima Daiichi 

nuclear reactor complex 

was hit by tsunami on March 

11, touching off the world's 

worst nuclear crisis since 

Chernobyl in 1986 as radiation 

from damaged reactors 

spewed into surroundings. 

Putin said Japan should 

have promptly brought electricity 

storage devices such 

as batteries and accumulators 

to the complex to help 

pump in water to cool stricken 

reactors. 

"But ... they didn't manage 

to do that on time, and 

then problems erupted," he 

said, speaking at a Russian 

nuclear industry meeting 

in the Volga region city of 

Penza, southeast of Moscow. 

Putin also questioned 

Japan's decision to build nuclear 

power stations in areas 

vulnerable to earthquakes. 

HELSINKI — The head of the eurosceptic 

True Finns said yesterday that helping 

Portugal could be in Finland's best interest, 

the strongest sign yet that the party 

could tone down its opposition to EU 

bailout plans. 

Disagreement among Finland's three 

biggest parties over the bailout package 

has raised concerns that a new government 

could disrupt EU plans to help Portugal. 

Asked in an interview with public 

broadcaster YLE whether the True Finns 

could view aid to Portugal as the best option 

for Finland, party leader Timo Soini 

said: 

"That is possible too. But keeping the 

6 THE WORLD 


TOKYO — Japan's Lower 

House of Parliament passed 

an emergency budget yesterday 

worth 4 trillion yen ($48.5 

billion) for rebuilding after the 

devastating March 11 earthquake 

and tsunami, a downpayment 

on the country's biggest 

public works effort in six 

decades. 

The budget is expected to 

pass into law tomorrow when 

the Upper House of Parliament 

votes on it. Lawmakers 

in the opposition parties that 

control the Upper House have 

said they will back the first 

round of spending to finance 

such work as clearing rubble 

in the disaster-stricken northeast 

and building temporary 

housing for those who have 

lost their homes. 

The emergency budget, 

which is likely be followed 

by more reconstruction spending 

packages, is still dwarfed 

by the overall cost of damage 

caused by the March 11 earthquake 

and tsunami, estimated 


Lower House nod for 

quake relief budget 

at $300 billion. 

Reaching agreement on 

subsequent packages is likely 

to be much tougher as they are 

expected to involve a mix of 

taxes as well as borrowing in 

the bond market, which could 

strain Japan's economy, already 

struggling with public 

debt twice the size of the $5 

trillion economy. 

Unpopular Prime Minister 

Naoto Kan's Democratic Party 

controls parliament's Lower 

House but needs opposition 

help to pass bills because it 

lacks a majority in the Upper 

Chamber, which can block 

legislation. 

Kan, who has come under 

fire for his handling of the crisis, 

has said Japan may have 

to issue fresh government 

bonds to fund any more supplementary 

budgets. If he is 

unable to steer those budgets 

through parliament, he may 

be forced to step down, some 

analysts say. 

Nearly a quarter of re- 

CROWN Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Princess Maxima of the Netherlands 

wave to well-wishers during the annual Queen’s day in Thorn yesterday. — Reuters 

Party chief tones down bailout criticism 

Businessman 

kidnapped 

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A 

Philppine-Chinese businessman 

has been kidnapped by 

suspected militants in the 

southern Philippines, a regional 

military commander 


Nelson Lim, 56, was 

seized outside his house in 

Jolo town on Jolo Island, 

1,000 kilometres south of 

Manila, Lieutenant Colonel 

Randolph Cabangbang said. 

Cabangbang said seven 

gunmen dragged the victim 

to a waiting van and sped 

off towards nearby Patikul 

town, a known hideout for 

the Abu Sayyaf fighters. 

Police recovered the van 

a few hours later, abandoned 

in the village of Sandah in 

Patikul. Abu Sayyaf men 

have been responsible for 

several kidnappings and attacks 

in the country. — dpa 

Finnish people's autonomy, that is the 

core." Finland's previously obscure True 

Finns party emerged as the third-biggest 

party in an election this month, after a 

campaign focused on criticising aid to indebted 

governments. 

Finland's parliament, unlike others in 

the euro zone, has the right to vote on 

EU requests for bailout funds. Financial 

markets are concerned the True Finns' 

increased power and likely participation 

in a coalition government may hamper 

bailout plans. 

Portugal this month became the third 

euro zone country to seek foreign aid, following 

Greece and Ireland. 

spondents to a Kyodo news 

agency poll released yesterday 

called for Kan to resign 

immediately, up about 10 percentage 

points from a similar 

survey last month. More than 

three-quarters said Kan is not 

exercising leadership in dealing 

with the crisis. 

In the latest blow to Kan, 

one of his advisers on the nuclear 

crisis resigned in tears 

on Friday in protest at what he 

called the government's haphazard 

handling of situation. 

Meanwhile, small amounts 

of radioactive substances have 

been found in the breast milk 

of seven women in a survey 

involving 23 women in five 

prefectures, including Tokyo 

and Fukushima, according to 

news reports yesterday. 

The amount was below the 

provisional limit for milk and 

dairy products under the Food 

Sanitation Law and poses no 

health risks to babies, Kyodo 

News agency reported, citing 

Japan’s Health Ministry. 

Stradivarius 

violin auction 

TOKYO — A rare Stradivarius 

violin will be auctioned 

in London in June to 

raise funds for victims of last 

month's earthquake and tsunami, 

a Japanese non-profit 

organisation which owns the 

instrument said. 

The Tokyo-based Nippon 

Foundation, which 

runs maritime development 

and health and welfare programmes, 

said it would 

auction the "Lady Blunt," a 

Stradivarius made in 1721 

which it acquired in 2008. 

It said the violin was once 

owned by Lady Ann Blunt, a 

granddaughter of the poet 

Byron. "It is in nearly unused 

condition, and is said 

to be the best preserved 

Stradivarius violin in existence," 

the foundation said in 

a statement on its website. 

The violin is one of 21 

string instruments the Nippon 

Music Foundation holds 

and loans free of charge to 

top class musicians around 

the world. "The Nippon 

Music Foundation sees the 

instruments in its care as irreplaceably 

important. 

"However, it has decided 

that the extremity of the disaster 

in northeastern Japan 

is something that overrides 

such feelings and is therefore 

selling the instrument to 

aid the people of that area," 

it said. — AFP 

Talks to form a coalition are set to 

start next week, with the focus on whether 

the leading National Coalition Party, 

the second-largest Social Democrats and 

True Finns can agree on Portugal aid. An 

early agreement is crucial as European 

finance minister discuss Portugal aid in 

mid-May. 

Jyrki Katainen, head of the National 

Coalition and prime minister-in-waiting, 

said on Friday Finland has only a few 

days to decide whether to back aid for 

Portugal. His party has said the new government 

must support EU plans. Soini 

acknowledged the risk of Portugal falling 

into insolvency. — Reuters 

Pilgrims arrive in Rome 

for John Paul beatification 

VATICAN CITY — Tens of 

thousands of people from 

around the world descended 

on Rome yesterday for the beatification 

of Pope John Paul 

II, six years after his death. 

"It's almost as if he is here," 

said Enzo Arzellino, who travelled 

all night on a bus from 

southern Italy with his parish 

group to attend the beatification 

today. 

Yesterday, groups of pilgrims, 

many from the pope's 

native Poland, thronged St Peter's 

Square carrying their national 

flags and singing songs. 

"For the people he is already 

a saint. This is just a 

step towards official recognition 

from the church," Arzellino 

said. 

St Peter's Square, where 

the beatification takes place, 

was bedecked with portraits of 

the pope and 27 banners with 

photos reflecting an event in 

each year of his pontificate. 

Rome has been caught 

up in beatification fever. The 

city is festooned with posters 

of the pope on buses, taxis 

and hanging from lamp posts 

as it awaits one of the largest 

crowds since his 2005 funeral, 

when millions came. 

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, 

who was at the pope's 

side for decades as his private 

secretary, said he was thrilled 

by the number of young people 

already in the square 24 

hours before the beatification 

mass. 

Pope John Paul's coffin 

was exhumed on Friday from 

the crypts below St Peter's 

Basilica and will be placed in 

front of the main altar. After 

today's beatification mass, it 

will remain there and the basilica 

will remain open until 

all visitors who want to view 

it have done so. 

It will then be moved to a 

new crypt under an altar in a 

side chapel near Michelangelo's 

statue of the Pieta. The 

marble slab that covered his 

first burial place will be sent 

to Poland. 

Some 90 official delegations 

from around the world, 

including members of five 

European royal families and 

16 heads of state, will attend 

the beatification. 

One is Zimbabwean President 

Robert Mugabe, who has 

been widely criticised for human 

rights abuses in his country. 

— Reuters 

GERMANY’S Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle 

(R) with his Mexican counterpart Patricia Espinoza 

at a meeting of the cross-regional group on nonproliferation 

and disarmament in Berlin. — Reuters 

LAOS’ Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong casts 

his vote in Vientiane yesterday. — Reuters 

THAILAND’S Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva greets 

Thai Muslim women during his visit to the southern 

Thai province of Narathiwat yesterday. — Reuters 

GEORGIAN President Mikheil Saakashvili visits 

the Vaziani military base, outside Tbilisi, 

yesterday with his son Nikoloz. — AFP 

CANADA’S Prime Minister Stephen Harper 

announces his campaign bus driver Tommy Davis 

shares the same birthday as him during an event 

in Ontario yesterday. Harper celebrated his 52nd 

birthday yesterday, while Davis turned 40. — Reuters

PLEASANT GROVE, Alabama 

— The death toll from 

the second deadliest US tornado 

outbreak on record rose 

above 350 yesterday as thousands 

of stunned survivors 

camped out in the shattered 

shells of their homes or moved 

into shelters or with friends. 

With some estimates 

putting the number of homes 

and buildings destroyed close 

to 10,000, state and federal authorities 

in the US South were 

still coming to terms with the 

scale of the devastation from 

the country's worst natural 

catastrophe since Hurricane 

Katrina in 2005. 

One disaster risk modeller, 

EQECAT, is forecasting 

insured property losses of between 

$2 billion and $5 billion 

from the havoc inflicted by the 

swarm of violent twisters that 

gouged through seven southern 

states this week. 

The death toll in Alabama, 

the hardest-hit state, rose to 

255 yesterday, with at least 

101 more deaths reported in 

Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, 

Georgia, Virginia and 

Louisiana. 

In many communities in 

the US South, the scenes of 

destruction with tangled piles 

of rubble, timber, vehicles and 

personal possessions recalled 

the devastation seen in the recent 

Japanese earthquake and 

tsunami. 

Power and water were still 

out in many areas. 

The death toll from the 

week's tornado outbreak, which 

is still expected to rise, was the 

second highest inflicted by this 

kind of weather phenomenon 

in US history. In March 1925, 

747 people were killed after 

tornadoes hit the US Midwestern 

states of Missouri, Illinois 

and Indiana. 

President Obama, mindful 

of criticism that President 

7 AMERICAS 



Storms toll over 350 

Drug lord extradited to US 

MEXICO CITY — Mexico 

extradited once-powerful 

drug lord Benjamin Arellano 

Felix to the United States in a 

renewed sign of US-Mexican 

co-operation in the drug fight. 

Arellano Felix was head 

of the powerful Tijuana cartel 

and operated on the Mexico- 

US border near San Diego 

until his capture in Mexico in 

early 2002. 

He faces charges in the 

United States of smuggling 

tonnes of cocaine into California 

in the 1990s. 

Serving a sentence in 

Mexico on organised crime 

charges, he was due to be extradited 

in 2008, but a Mexican 

federal judge blocked that 

ruling. The injunction was 

overturned in April last year. 

Mexico's attorney general's 

office said in a statement 

that Arellano Felix was 

handed over to US agents at 

an airport outside Mexico 

City on Friday. 

It was not immediately 

clear what sentence Arellano 

Felix might face if convicted 

in the United States, but a US 

official thanked Mexico for 

the extradition. 

Former Gulf cartel leader 

Osiel Cardenas, extradited to 

the United States by Mexico 

in 2007, is serving a 25-year 

sentence in Texas without 

chance of parole. 

The Tijuana cartel, also 

known as the Arellano Felix 

gang, is a shadow of its 

former self after the deaths 

and capture of many of its 

leaders over the past decade. 

The Sinaloa cartel run by 

Mexico's most-wanted man, 

Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, 

has largely taken over its turf. 

— Reuters 

George W Bush was too slow 

to respond to the 2005 Katrina 

catastrophe, visited the 

wrecked city of Tuscaloosa, 

Alabama, on Friday to pledge 

full federal assistance for the 

states hit. 

Some of the twisters — the 

winds of one in Smithville, 

Mississippi, was recorded 

reaching 328 km per hour — 

picked up people and cars and 

hurled them through the air. 

Rescuers were still searching 

for bodies and those unaccounted 

for. But the total of 

missing was not clear. 

As state and federal authorities 

increased efforts to 

clear rubble and provide food 

and water to homeless survivors, 

volunteers in many local 

communities also turned out to 

help the most affected. 

Tornadoes are a regular feature 

of life in the US South and 

Midwest, but they are rarely so 

devastating. — Reuters 

‘Immigration reform 

battle to continue’ 

MIAMI — President Barack Obama has vowed to fight for 

immigration reform, a goal that has eluded him and which 

matters deeply to Hispanic American voters, whose support he 

needs for re-election in 2012. 

In remarks delivered to several thousand wildly cheering 

community college students, Obama was also courting support 

in the vital election battleground state of Florida, which he 

won in 2008 and wants to keep in his column next year. 

"I strongly believe we should fix our broken immigration 

system. Fix it so it meets our 21st century economic and security 

needs," Obama told a Miami Dade College graduation 

ceremony. The college serves tens of thousands of Hispanic 

and African-American students. The president's drive for immigration 

reform has so far taken a back seat to more pressing 

matters, such as getting the economy growing again and driving 

through a massive overhaul of healthcare. 

In addition, the Democrats' loss of control of the House of 

Representatives to Republicans last year makes the chance of 

advancing immigration legislation before the election remote. 

But Obama, who formally announced his 2012 re-election 

campaign earlier this month, must assure Hispanic-American 

voters who helped him win the White House that he will not 

abandon efforts to overhaul US immigration policy. 

The White House has held events over the last two weeks 

to discuss immigration and to show Obama is still pushing the 

issue and seeking to rally public support. — Reuters


 

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Gaddafi call for 

talks rejected 

TRIPOLI — A defiant Muammar 

Gaddafi vowed yesterday 

not to step down and proposed 

talks to end Libya’s conflict, a 

call rejected by dissidents and 

by Nato, as his forces pressed 

an offensive against the key 

port city of Misrata. 

In an early-morning speech 

on state television, the Libyan 

leader said Nato “must abandon 

all hope of his departure. 

“I have no official functions 

to give up: I will not leave my 

country and will fight to the 

death,” he said, but also added 

a conciliatory note. 

“We are ready to talk with 

France and the United States, 

but with no preconditions,” 

Gaddafi said. 

“We will not surrender, but 

I call on you to negotiate. If 

you want petrol, we will sign 

contracts with your companies 

— it is not worth going to war 

over. 

“Between Libyans, we can 

solve our problems without being 

attacked, so pull back your 

fleets and your planes,” he told 

Nato. 

Gaddafi said the dissidents 

battling his forces “are terrorists 

who are not from Libya, 

but from Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia 

and Afghanistan.” 

He also insisted his people 

love him, that he is like a father 

AMMAN — Syrian forces 

backed by tanks shelled 

parts of Deraa and stormed a 

mosque yesterday, residents 

said, trying to quell resistance 

in the city. 

Syrian troops and tanks 

first swept into Deraa on Monday 

to crush protests against 

President Bashar al Assad that 

have spread across the country 

of 20 million, posing the biggest 

challenge to his rule and 

prompting Western powers to 

impose sanctions. 

A resident said Karak, a 

hilltop in Deraa’s old quarter, 

bore the brunt of the shelling. 

“The shelling has stopped. 

There are snipers on the roof 

of the mosque,” he said, adding 

that forces appeared to be 

in control of the old quarter for 

the first time. 

Residents said earlier they 

could hear heavy gunfire in 

the old city where the Omari 

Mosque, a focal point for protests, 

is located. 

“It looks like they (security 

forces) want to finish their 

campaign today. From the new 

tank deployments, it looks as 

though they are intensifying 

their operations today,” resident 

Abu Ahmad said by tel- 

to them — “more sacred than 

the emperor of Japan is to his 

people.” 

His call for talks was dismissed 

by the opposition 

Transitional National Council, 

which has shaped itself into 

a parallel government in the 

eastern city of Benghazi, and 

by Nato. 

“The time for compromise 

has passed,” said TNC vice 

chairman Abdul Hafiz Ghoga. 

“The people of Libya cannot 

possibly envisage or accept 

a future Libya in which Gaddafi’s 

regime plays any role,” he 

added. 

In Brussels, a Nato official 

also rejected the offer of talks. 

“We need to see not words 

but actions,” the official said. 

UN Security Council Resolution 

“1973 explicitly calls for 

an end to attacks on and abuses 

of civilians. The regime has 

announced ceasefires several 

times before and continued 

attacking cities and civilians,” 

the official said. 

On the ground, witnesses 

reported two loud blasts at 

dawn in eastern Tripoli after 

Gaddafi’s son, Seif al Islam, 

vowed on Friday that Libya 

will “fight Nato for 40 years” 

if necessary. 

“We will not raise the white 

flag of surrender,” he said on a 

ephone earlier. 

Deraa, a city near the border 

with Jordan with a population 

of 120,000, is the cradle 

of a six-week-old uprising 

which began with demands 

for more freedom and an end 

to corruption. 

It developed into a movement 

to remove Assad following 

a violent state crackdown, 

in which a Syrian rights group 

said at least 500 people have 

been killed. 

Despite the heavy military 

deployments and mass arrests, 

demonstrators again took to 

the streets calling for Assad’s 

removal on Friday. His Baath 

Party has been in power in 

Syria since 1963, banning any 

opposition. 

Soldiers in Deraa killed 

19 people on Friday when 

tour of hospitals to visit people 

wounded in Nato bombardments. 

And the regime threatened 

to attack any ships trying to 

enter the lifeline dissident-held 

port of Misrata, after tanks 

launched an assault on the city 

some 215 km east of Tripoli. 

Misrata’s port is a crucial 

conduit for humanitarian aid 

to the city of half a million, 

which Gaddafi’s forces have 

been trying to capture for more 

than seven weeks. 

The fighting in Misrata 

has intensified 10 weeks after 

government forces launched a 

deadly crackdown on protests 

inspired by regime-changing 

movements in Tunisia and 

Egypt. 

Fierce fighting erupted 

around the city’s airport yesterday 

morning after several 

hours of relative calm overnight. 

AFP journalists reported 

loud blasts and heavy machinegun 

fire from the direction of 

the airport after dissidents said 

they destroyed at least four regime 

tanks advancing from the 

area. 

The Gaddafi regime said 

later it would attack “with 

force” any ship entering Misrata 

port. 

State television also said 

they fired on protesters who 

were trying to enter the city 

from nearby villages in a 

show of solidarity, a medical 

source said. Syrian rights 

groups put Friday’s death toll 

at 62. 

The government move 

prompted Western powers to 

take their first concrete steps 

in punishing Syria for the 

bloodshed. Washington imposed 

new sanctions on government 

figures, including 

Assad’s brother, Maher, and 

cousin, Atif Najib. 

Ali Mamluk, director of 

general intelligence, was also 

targeted as was Iran’s powerful 

Revolutionary Guard, accused 

of helping Syria, a charge Damascus 

denies. 

European Union diplomats 

said they reached an initial 

the military had “put the port 

out of service,” and that delivery 

of humanitarian aid to Misrata 

should now be carried out 

“overland and under the supervision 

of the armed forces.” 

British Brigadier Rob 

Weighill, director of Nato operations 

in Libya, said Nato 

warships stopped Gaddafi 

forces from laying mines in 

Misrata harbour on Friday. 

“Our ships intercepted the 

small boats that were laying 

them and we are disposing the 

mines that we found,” Weighill 

said at his headquarters in Na- 

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood 

forms ‘non-theocratic’ party MARRAKESH, 

CAIRO — The formerly banned Muslim 

Brotherhood said yesterday it formed a 

non-theocratic party that will contest up 

to half of parliament’s seats in September 

elections. 

Mohammed Hussein, the group’s secretary 

general, told a news conference the 

movement’s council had decided to form 

the Freedom and Justice Party. 

“We have adopted the measures taken 

by the guidance council regarding the 

Freedom and Justice Party and adopted 

its programme,” he said. 

He added that the party will contest 

45-50 per cent of parliament’s 508 elected 

seats in the September polls. 

He did not say why the group had settled 

on that number. 

The party, headed by Brotherhood politburo 

member Mohammed al Mursi, will 

be “independent from the Brotherhood 

but will co-ordinate with it,” he said 

Mursi, who had run the Brotherhood’s 

previous parliamentary campaigns, said 

the party was not “theocratic.” 

“It is not an Islamist party in the old 

understanding; it is not theocratic. It is a 

civil party.” 

Egypt’s constitution bans parties based 

Tanks 

shell 

Deraa 

on religion, class or regionalism. 

The Brotherhood has sought to allay 

fears that an Islamist parliamentary 

majority might emerge from the 

polls and said it would be willing to cooperate 

with secular groups in the September 

election. 

It has also pledged not to field a candidate 

in a presidential election, to be held 

in November. 

Hussein said after the press conference 

that the Brotherhood remained of 

the view that the presidency could “only 

be undertaken by a Muslim male.” 

But Saed al Katatni, Freedom and 

Justice’s secretary general, said the party 

“would not object to any Egyptian” and 

added there was a “multiplicity of views” 

in the movement. 

Brotherhood officials said the party’s 

programme will be released at a later 

date. 

In the past, the Brotherhood ran candidates 

as independents to circumvent a ban 

on the group in place since 1954. 

Its announcement that it would contest 

up to half of the seats in parliament will 

dismay other political groups, said Diaa 

Rashwan, an expert with the Ahram Cen- 

tre for Political and Strategic Studies. 

“This announcement will be depressing 

for political forces in Egypt,” he said, 

adding that other factions who said they 

would participate might field candidates 

for the 50 per cent of seats. 

But Rashwan said he did not expect 

the Brotherhood to gain more than a fifth 

of seats and that the group’s clout was exaggerated 

under Mubarak’s regime. 

Meanwhile, former president Hosni 

Mubarak could be executed if convicted 

of involvement in the deaths anti-regime 

protesters, the justice minister was quoted 

yesterday as saying. 

Mubarak is under detention on suspicion 

of involvement in the deaths of more 

than 800 people. 

“Absolutely, the crime of killing protesters 

could lead to a death sentence if 

there is convincing evidence,” Abdel 

Aziz al Gindi told Al Ahram newspaper 

in response to a question on whether Mubarak 

might be executed. 

The 82-year-old former president is 

in police custody in a hospital in the Red 

Sea resort town of Sharm el Shaikh, after 

reportedly suffering a heart attack during 

questioning. — AFP 

SUPPORTERS of President Bashar al Assad wave the national flag while holding 

his photograph at Hamidiya market in Damascus yesterday. — AFP 

deal to impose an arms embargo 

and would consider further 

measures. 

“We will continue to work 

with our partners to ensure 

that those responsible for the 

violence are held personally to 

account,” British Foreign Secretary 

William Hague said. 

Demonstrations also flared 

on Friday in the central cities 

of Homs and Hama, Banias 

on the Mediterranean coast, 

Qamishly in the east, Harasta, 

a Damascus suburb, and the 

capital itself. 

State news agency SANA 

said on Friday “armed terrorist 

groups” had killed soldiers 

near Deraa. It said groups had 

opened fire on the homes of 

soldiers in two towns near 

Deraa and were repelled by 

guards. — Reuters 

9 REGION 



A DAMAGED building at the High Commission for Children, which the Libyan government said 

was caused by coalition air strikes, in Tripoli yesterday. — Reuters 

ples, Italy. 

“It again shows his complete 

disregard for international 

law and his willingness to 

attack humanitarian delivery 

efforts,” he said of Gaddafi. 

Italian Navy Vice Admiral 

Rinaldo Veri said the “mining 

of a civilian port ... is clearly 

designed to disrupt the lawful 

flow of humanitarian aid to 

the innocent civilian people of 

Libya,” calling it another “deliberate 

violation” of Security 

Council resolutions. 

The International Organisation 

for Migration said in Ge- 

Saudi king 

tightens 

media 

curbs 

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s 

King Abdullah has imposed 

new media restrictions and 

threatened hefty fines and 

closure of news organisations 

allegedly undermining 

national security, press reports 


Under a decree issued 

on Friday, the media will be 

prohibited from reporting 

anything that contradicts the 

sharia law or serves “foreign 

interests and undermines national 

security.” 

The decree requires publishers 

to stick “to objective 

and constructive criticism 

that serves the general interest,” 

media reports said, adding 

that violators face fines 

of up to 500,000 riyals. 

In addition to a threat to 

close publishers who violate 

the decree, the authorities 

can also ban a writer for life 

from contributing to any media 

organisation. — AFP 

neva yesterday an IOM ship to 

evacuate refugees was staying 

out to sea for the moment. 

“The ship is 12 miles off 

Misrata. We are not going 

in for the moment,” said a 

spokesman. “We are waiting to 

get clearance to go in.” 

In Washington, the State 

Department said Secretary 

of State Hillary Clinton 

would attend a Libya Contact 

Group meeting in Rome on 

May 4-6 to discuss how to 

help the dissidents and protect 

civilians. 

The group is composed of 

Morocco 

— Experts from the US and 

Europe have joined the probe 

into the deadly bombing at a 

Marrakesh tourist cafe that 

left 16 dead, Morocco’s interior 

ministry said yesterday. 

Some 14 people injured in 

the blast remained in hospital, 

four in serious condition, 

a hospital source said, while 

seven others have now be released. 

Several hundred police and 

security agents were seen deployed 

yesterday around the 

Ibn-Tofail hospital in Marrakesh 

as Morocco’s King 

Mohammed VI was expected 

to visit the wounded and also 

the site of the bombing in 

Djemaa el Fna square, a security 

source said. 

An interior ministry official 

said no arrests have yet 

been made, while adding Moroccan 

investigators were getting 

international help. 

“American, French and 

Spanish experts are taking 

part in the inquiry. It is an in- 

Western countries, Turkey, 

Arab states, the United Nations, 

the Arab League and 

Nato. 

Medics in Misrata reported 

at least five people killed in the 

city on Friday and many more 

wounded. 

The airport battle, just 

southwest of the city limits, 

followed barrages of rocket 

and mortar fire on the city. 

Forces loyal to Gaddafi 

were pushed back from 

Misrata by the dissidents 

and Nato air strikes on Monday, 

but remained within rock- 

ternational incident as many 

foreigners have died,” the 

ministry official said. 

On Friday Interior Minister 

Taeb Cherkaoui had pointed 

to signs Al Qaeda could be behind 

the attack. 

“The way in which this act 

was carried out reminds us of 

the style normally used by the 

Al Qaeda organisation,” he 

said. 

He also updated the death 

toll from 15 to 16, and said 13 

of those killed had been identified: 

they were seven French 

nationals, two Canadians, two 

Moroccans, a Dutch national 

and a British national. 

A 10-year-old French girl 

was among the victims. She 

was with her father, who was 

seriously wounded, and her 

mother, 15-year-old brother 

and 13-year-old sister who 

were lightly injured, said 

Marie-Francoise Auger, mayor 

of their hometown Herlies, 

near Lille, in northern France. 

The British victim was 

identified as Peter Moss, 59, a 

et range of the city. 

The dissidents said earlier 

in the week they had secured 

the port and that their next objective 

was the airport. 

In western Libya, Nato said 

its warplanes would focus on 

regime forces threatening the 

towns of Zintan and Yefren, 

scenes of heavy fighting. 

Meanwhile, dissidents were 

expecting a new Gaddafi offensive 

for control of the Dehiba 

border crossing into Tunisia, 

witnesses said yesterday, a day 

after they retook it from loyalists 

in fierce fighting. — AFP 

International experts join probe 

into deadly Marrakesh attack 

father of two and a writer from 

London, according to the Jewish 

Chronicle newspaper. 

Another report in the Israeli 

media suggested that a 

30-year-old pregnant Israeli 

woman and her husband, 

originally from Morocco, had 

been among the victims. 

Officials have said that the 

bomb was triggered by remote 

control and was an explosive 

product made up of nitrate and 

ammonium and two TATP explosives, 

as well as nails. 

Triacetone triperoxyde, 

or TATP, is relatively easy to 

make and has surfaced in a 

number of recent investigations 

into attacks, including 

the July 2005 London bombings 

that killed 56 people and 

injured another 700. 

Witnesses said the blast 

went off on the terrace of the 

Argana cafe, a popular tourist 

spot in Marrakesh’s main 

square, wrecking the facade 

and the first floor. No one has 

claimed responsibility for the 

bombing. — AFP

NEWS IN BRIEF 

Two cops of anti-terror 

training school arrested 

TWO Chhattisgarh police personnel 

posted at the Counter-Terrorism and 

Jungle Warfare College (CTJWC) based 

in Maoist insurgency-hit Bastar region 

were arrested for the rape of two tribal 

girls, police said yesterday. 

“The two accused have been arrested 

after the girls registered a complaint of 

rape,” Rajesh John, police station incharge 

of Kanker where the CTJWC is 

based, told reporters. The accused have 

been identified as Lekhraj Sonwani and 

Suresh Kumar, who originally belonged 

to Surguja district. 

The official said that the accused on 

Thursday took the girls, who study in 

Class 9 and 10, respectively, to a forested 

area near CTJWC and raped them. 

The incident has triggered anger 

among the people and the accused were 

suspended. — IANS 

24 million hits on Kerala 

exam results website 

A KERALA government website with 

the results of Class 10 state board exams 

got 2.4 crore (24 million) hits from 90 

countries when the lists of successful 

candidates were put up, an official said 

yesterday. 

The website is managed by state 

owned IT@School and its chief Anvar 

Sadath said that in the first hour of 

the results being published by State 

Education Minister M A Baby on 

Thursday, more than 75 lakh (750,000) 

hits were recorded. 

A total of 458,559 students in the 

state and various Middle East countries 

had appeared in the exam. The pass 

percentage was 91.37. “The hits were 

recorded mostly from the state, other 

parts of India, Middle East countries and 

the US,” said Sadath. — IANS 

Mumbai CBI officer 

awarded top medal 

JOINT Director of Central Bureau of 

Investigation (CBI) Rishi Raj Singh, 

posted in Mumbai, was yesterday 

awarded the President’s Police Medal for 

Distinguished Service, a statement said. 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 

presented the award here to Rishi 

Raj Singh, serving as joint director in 

Mumbai since May 2008. 

He was earlier awarded the Prime 

Minister’s Police Medal for meritorious 

service in 2001 while serving in the 

Special Protection Group, responsible for 

protecting the prime minister. — IANS 

Aligarh university closed 

after violence 

THE administration of the Aligarh 

Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar 

Pradesh yesterday announced the closure 

of the university sine die after unrest 

involving students on the campus. 

AMU Registrar V K Abdul Jaleel, 

while issuing the closure notice, said all 

students have been ordered to vacate the 

hostel within 48 hours. 

According to a notification of 

assistant controller (examinations), all 

examinations scheduled for the day have 

been postponed. Their next date will be 

announced later. 

On Friday there were three rounds 

of violence between armed groups 

of students linked to the university’s 

internal politics. No one was injured. 

The district authorities advised the 

closure the university. AMU Vice- 

Chancellor P K Abdul Azis is in Kerala 

at present and will return May 3. The 

situation will be reviewed on his return, a 

university official said. — IANS 

12 inmates escape from 

juvenile home 

DRILLING a hole in the wall of their 

cell, 12 teenagers have escaped from 

a high-security juvenile home in Uttar 

Pradesh, police said yesterday. 

The inmates, aged between 13-16 

years and convicted for various crimes, 

including murder, escaped late on Friday 

from the juvenile centre near Kotwali 

in Muzaffarnagar, around 350 km from 

Lucknow. 

“They made a large hole in the wall 

and escaped. Officials found them 

missing yesterday morning during a 

routine inspection,” Police Inspector 

Vinod Kumar Sirohi told reporters here. 

He said a search is on and that the 

staff is also being questioned. — IANS 

Delhi fines 21,600 public 

smokers in 15 months 

DESPITE the ban on smoking in public 

places, people continue breaking the law 

and as many as 21,600 violators were 

fined in the national capital over the last 

15 months, according to Delhi Health 

Minister A K Walia. 

“Between January 2010 and March 

2011, a total of 181,000 places were 

inspected, and 21,600 persons and 3,200 

tobacco vendors were fined,” Walia said 

yesterday. The minister said this while 

inaugurating a month-long “No Tobacco” 

campaign in the city. 

The campaign will include a number 

of programmes such as debates, a poster 

competition, sports meet and a rally. 

HYDERABAD — Andhra Pradesh legislator 

and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) 

leader Akbaruddin Owaisi was injured when 

assailants opened fire at him here yesterday, 

sparking tension in the old city. His condition 

was reported to be stable at a hospital. 

Another MIM legislator, Ahmed Balala, was 

also injured when he tried to protect Owaisi. 

One of the assailants was shot dead and two 

others were injured by the legislator’s security 

guards. 

A profusely bleeding Owaisi, who is the 

MIM floor leader in the state assembly, was 

rushed to the Owaisi Hospital in Santosh 

Nagar. 

State Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy 

quoted doctors at the hospital as saying that 

Owaisi’s condition was stable. 

Earlier, Additional Inspector General of Police 

A R Anuradha also told reporters outside 

the hospital that his condition was stable. 

As tension gripped the old city, shopkeepers 

downed the shutters and buses went off the 

roads. 

Director-General of Police K Aravinda Rao 

said adequate forces have been deployed to 

maintain law and order. 

“The situation is under control and we are 

not expecting any serious trouble,” he said. 

According to doctors at the hospital, three 

bullets were removed from Owaisi’s body while 

another surgery is likely later in the evening to 

remove a fourth bullet. 

The attack took place around 11.30 am 

10 INDIA 



Hyderabad MIM leader attacked 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 

— After showing negative 

growth in 2009-10, 

non-resident Indian (NRI) 

deposits in Kerala’s State 

Bank of Travancore (SBT) 

registered positive growth in 

the last fiscal, an official said 

yesterday. 

The SBT has a representative 

office in Dubai and manages 

two exchange houses and 

has tie-ups with 28 exchange 

houses in the Middle East. 

Speaking to reporters here, 

SBT managing director P 

Pradeep Kumar said NRI deposits 

in the last fiscal grew 

from Rs 10,298 crore ($2.3 

billion) in 2009-10 to Rs 

10,914 crore in the last fiscal. 

“In the year ended 2008- 

09, it stood at Rs 10,366 crore 

and now this has shown a positive 

growth. During the peri- 

od when it showed a negative 

growth, there was uncertainty 

prevailing in the Middle East 

and now the NRI deposits 

have grown,” said Kumar. 

The SBT in the last fiscal 

showed a growth of 20.95 per 

cent in operating profit and 

it grew from Rs 972 crore in 

2009-10 to Rs 1,176 crore in 

the last fiscal. 

“Of the 792 branches, 

we have 78 per cent of the 

branches in Kerala and we 

have a market share of 22.13 

per cent in the banking business 

of the state,” he said. 

“In comparison to other 

associate banks of the State 

Bank of India (SBI) we have 

the best e-banking facilities. 

And with regards to granting 

of educational loans we 

have the largest share,” said 

Kumar. 

when Owaisi was visiting his Chandrayangutta 

assembly constituency in the old city area of 

Hyderabad. 

According to witnesses, four to five people 

attacked Owaisi with knives when he was getting 

into his vehicle after attending a meeting in 

Barkas neighbourhood. 

As an injured Owaisi tried to take to the 

steering wheel, attackers opened fire at him. 

His party colleague and legislator Balala 

rushed to Owaisi’s rescue. But Balala and the 

driver also sustained bullet injuries. 

According to the police chief, gunmen of 

both the legislators opened fire, killing one attacker. 

Two other persons are in serious condition, 

the DGP said. 

Both the drivers of the legislators and a 

corporator of the MIM were also injured in 

the attack suspected to be mounted by Mohammed 

Pehlwan and his relatives over a land dispute. 

Mohammed Pehlwan had supported Majlis 

Bachao Tehreek (MBT) against Owaisi during 

the 2009 elections and had even clashed with 

Owaisi’s supporters on a few occasions. 

MIM sources said that Pehlwan, accused 

of being a land grabber, attacked Owaisi as he 

had handed over to the authorities a piece of 

land for building houses for poor after freeing 

it from the alleged encroachment. 

However, MBT leader Amjadullah Khan 

Khalid alleged that Owaisi had been harassing 

the family of Mohammed Pehlwan, whom he 

The overall business of the 

bank grew by a healthy 20.30 

per cent from Rs 89,345 crore 

in 2009-10 to Rs 104,202 crore 

in the last fiscal, he said. 

“We are happy that during 

the past one year our advances 

to the agriculture sector grew 

by 70 per cent to touch Rs 

5,580 crore. The total advances 

touched Rs 50,883 crore. 

During the period, we opened 

44 new branches and the RBI 

(Reserve Bank of India) has 

given us permission to open 

another 75 branches besides 

internal approvals to open 

another 55 more branches,” 

added Kumar. 

The bank since going public 

in 1996 is now getting ready 

for its first ever rights issue to 

the tune of Rs 500 crore which 

has been cleared by the RBI 

and the SBI. — IANS 

termed as a businessman. 

Talking to a Telugu news channel, Pehlwan 

said his nephew was gunned down and two 

other relatives were injured by Owaisi’s gunmen. 

He accused the legislator of targeting him 

and his family. 

Angry MIM activists attacked a hall and 

two hotels reportedly belonging to the family 

of Mohammed Pehlwan. 

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who 

reviewed the security situation with his cabinet 

colleagues, rushed to the Owaisi Hospital. 

The 39-year-old Akbaruddin Owaisi is the 

younger brother of MIM president Asaduddin 

Owaisi, the Lok Sabha member from 

Hyderabad. 

The younger Owaisi is the leader of MIM in 

the state assembly. 

He became MIM floor leader in the state 

assembly in 2004, replacing his elder brother 

Asaduddin Owaisi, who moved to the Lok 

Sabha in 2004 after their father Sultan Salahuddin 

Owaisi decided not to contest elections due 

to ill health. 

Salahuddin Owaisi, who dominated the 

politics in Hyderabad for four decades, was 

elected to parliament for six consecutive terms 

(1984-2004), died in 2008 at the age of 77. 

It was Salahuddin’s father Moulana Abdul 

Wahid Owaisi who revived the MIM in 1958 

with a new party constitution. 

The party was earlier banned as it fought to 

keep erstwhile Hyderabad state as an independent 

state. — IANS 

NRI deposits in SBT up PATNA — Ignoring a boycott call 

Peaceful panchayat poll in Bihar 

of Maoists, nearly 56 per cent voters 

cast their ballots yesterday in the 

fourth round of Bihar’s 10-phase 

panchayat polls which were by and 

large peaceful, bar some disturbances 

in seven districts. 

Additional Director-General of 

Police Rajwardhan Sharma said: 

“Polls were largely peaceful except 

for some attempt by trouble makers 

to create disturbance.” 

There were reports of police firing 

at two places to disperse trouble 

makers, attack on police personnel, 

and clashes between rival groups at 

a few places, Sharma said. 

According to the state election 

commission officials, about 55- 

56 per cent of the electorate cast 

their votes by 5 pm. “The final figure 

on polling percentage is likely 

to increase after detailed reports 

come in by late evening,” an official 

said. 

WOMEN labourers work at the construction site of a commercial complex on the eve of International Labour Day, or May Day, on the 

outskirts of Agartala, capital of India’s northeastern state of Tripura yesterday. — Reuters 

Imposing conditions could 

NEW DELHI — Cairn Energy 

has warned New Delhi that 

imposing conditions on the 

sale of the British firm’s majority 

stake in its Indian unit to 

Vedanta could kill the deal, a 

report said yesterday. 

The energy exploration 

company has also told the Indian 

government that the deadline 

for sealing the transaction 

will not be stretched beyond 

the current extended deadline 

of May 20, according to the 

Indian Express newspaper. 

Imposing conditions would 

“inevitably cause the proposed 

transaction to fail,” Cairn Energy 

chief Bill Gammell said 

in a letter dated April 18, the 

newspaper said. 

The report came ahead of 

a meeting expected early next 

week of an Indian ministerial 

panel formed to advise the 

cabinet on whether to approve 

Cairn Energy’s plan to sell its 

majority stake in Cairn India 

to London-based resources 

giant Vedanta. Last August, 

Vedanta offered to buy up to a 

60 per cent stake in Cairn In- 

dia in a deal expected to cost 

as much as $9.6 billion. 

But the sale has been held 

up by deep differences between 

Cairn and its Indian 

state-owned partner Oil and 

Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) 

over the payment of royalties 

involving India’s biggest onshore 

oilfields. 

ONGC gets just 30 per 

cent of the output from Cairn’s 

oilfields. But it pays royalties 

on 100 per cent of the production 

under a “royalty holiday” 

scheme dating from the 1990s 

aimed at promoting private oil 

exploration in the country. 

ONGC has been pushing 

for an equal share of the royalties 

before the government approves 

the sale. The cabinet is 

split over whether the royalty 

row should be settled before 

or after the sale goes through. 

Vedanta has reportedly expressed 

its inability to proceed 

with the deal if it is asked to 

share the royalty burden. 

The panel headed by 

Finance Minister Pranab 

Mukherjee which is expected 

to meet tomorrow will send its 

recommendations to the cabinet, 

but no date has been set 

for a final decision. 

The sale and the settlement 

of disputes between Cairn 

and ONGC are “two distinct 

issues” that should be settled 

following due process, Gammell 

was quoted as saying by 

the newspaper. 

Gammell added that uncertainty 

over the transaction 

“has resulted in the strategic 

development and businesses 

of all three of Cairn Energy, 

Cairn India and Vedanta essentially 

being frozen”. 

“The board of Cairn Energy 

will not countenance 

any further extension” of the 

deal deadline beyond May 20, 

Gammell added. 

The impasse comes at a 

bad time for India as foreign 

investment has plunged, with 

investors worrying about a 

slew of corruption scandals 

that have shaken the Congress 

government, including a huge 

suspected telecoms licensing 

fraud. — AFP 

Rs 7 lakh for ‘number 

one’ position 

Polling started at 7 am and voters, 

particularly women and youths, 

were seen queueing up at voting 

booths despite a boycott call of the 

Maoists. 

The Maoists have issued a poll 

boycott call and threatened to disrupt 

the elections. 

Police confirmed reports of poll 

disturbances in Aurangaad, Jehanaad, 

Shekhpura, Katihar, Gaya, 

Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur districts. 

“In Aurangaad, some trouble 

makers attacked a police official in 

a bid to grab a booth but the attempt 

was foiled,” a police official said. 

Police arrested 770 troublemakers 

and seized 156 vehicles across 

the state to ensure free and fair 

polls. 

An official in the state election 

commission said voting took place 

in 62 blocks, 19 of which were 

Maoist-hit, in 37 districts to elect 

27,928 village council members. 

PALI, Rajasthan — Depressed 

over harassment by 

a local panchayat (council), 

a 21-year-old woman committed 

suicide by immolating 

herself in a Rajasthan village, 

police said yesterday. 

According to a police official, 

the council members 

were reportedly harassing 

Vimla Ghansi after she separated 

from her husband without 

seeking prior permission 

from leaders of her caste. 

Ghansi’s burnt body was 

found in her Sadari village 

home in Pali district on Friday. 

A kerosene can was recovered 

from the spot, a senior police 

official said yesterday. 

He added that a statement 

from the family members suggested 

the woman had set herself 

ablaze over harassment 

CHANDIGARH — It took Rs 700,000 for See- 

kill Cairn-Vedanta deal ma Goyal to remain “number one” on Chandi- KALPAKKAM, Tamil Nadu 

garh’s roads as the city resident on Friday paid 

the amount to get the registration number “CH- 

01-AH 0001” for her Toyota Fortuner. 

Chandigarh’s Registration and Licensing 

Authority (RLA) collected over Rs 5.3 million 

(Rs 53 lakh) during the auction of “CH- 

01-AH” series numbers on Friday. 

The Rs 700,000 price for CH-01-AH 0001 

was the highest that the RLA fetched, according 

to an official. 

The reserved price for this number was Rs 

25,000, but Goyal, a Sector 21 resident, went 

a lot higher to buy the number for her sports 

utility vehicle (SUV). 

“Craze for VIP numbers is back in 

Chandigarh. Last year also in May, the number 

“0001” went for Rs 10 lakh. The response to 

yesterday’s (Friday) auction was very good,” 

Vinod Kavle, sub-divisional magistrate (south) 

and RLA for Chandigarh, said yesterday. 

Numbers “0009” (Rs 450,000) and “0007” 

(Rs 425,000) went for second and third highest 

bids, respectively. Number “0003” went for 

Rs 400,000 while “0005” netted Rs 380,000. 

“As many as 73 paid numbers were open 

for the auction. The total amount collected 

is Rs 530,1701, which is the highest amount 

ever collected in such an auction,” said the official 

spokesperson of Chandigarh administration 

here. 

In May 2010, a Chandigarh-based real estate 

agent had bought “0001” number for a 

whopping Rs 1 million. — IANS 

PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Party 

general secretary Rahul Gandhi during a rally in Banda, 

Uttar Pradesh, yesterday. — AFP 

There were 93,560 candidates in the 

fray in the fourth round. 

Till date, nearly 3.89 lakh “troublemakers 

and habitual offenders” 

have signed bonds promising not to 

disrupt the panchayat polls in Bihar, 

police said. 

Early this month, the state election 

commission made it clear that 

if a candidate was attacked or intimidated 

in the panchayat polls, 

his rival will be named in the police 

report. 

The first round of Bihar’s 10phase 

panchayat polls on April 20 

saw a police officer and a woman 

voter being killed in a Maoist attack 

in Jamui district. 

Around half a dozen people were 

injured in clashes between rival 

groups in various parts of the state, 

officials said. 

The second and the third rounds 

of the election also witnessed sporadic 

incidents of violence. — IANS 

Woman harassed by 

panchayat kills herself 

— The upcoming 500 MW 

prototype fast breeder reactor 

(PFBR) being built by 

Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut 

Nigam Ltd (Bhavini) in this 

Tamil Nadu town is expected 

to finally cost Rs 5,677 crore 

(Rs 56.7 billion), an official 


“The nuclear power plant 

will go on stream next year. 

The total cost of the project 

by then will be Rs 5,677 

crore. The per MW cost 

will be around Rs 11 crore 

which compares well with 

that of PHWRs (pressurised 

heavy water reactors) costing 

around Rs 10.66 crore. 

The cost per unit of power 

generated by PFBR will be 

Rs 4.44,” project director 

Prabhat Kumar told reporters 

in Kalpakkam, around 50 km 

from Chennai. 

The original cost of the 

project was estimated at Rs 

3,500 crore and the escalation 

was due to increase in input 

costs and construction of residential 

colony for employees, 

he said. 

The cost was high as this 

by the village panchayat. 

The panchayat had slapped 

a fine of Rs 81,000 on Ghansi’s 

family for the divorce, 

which they could not pay. 

The police claimed that the 

woman had separated from 

her husband a few months 

ago and had filed divorce papers 

in a court. 

As per the caste system in 

the area, the woman had not 

sought permission for divorce 

from the panchayat leaders. 

They slapped a fine on her. 

When the family could 

not arrange the money, the 

panchayat leaders issued a 

notice of their excommunication 

from the caste. 

Other families from the 

community were asked not to 

communicate with Vimla and 

her family members. — IANS 

First fast-breeder reactor 

to cost Rs 5,677 crore 

was a single unit while the future 

units will be cheaper due 

to revised design, said Prabhat 

Kumar, adding 80 per cent 

of the cost will be funded by 

the government and rest from 

borrowing. 

According to Baldev Raj, 

director, Indira Gandhi Centre 

for Atomic Research (IG- 

CAR), the sites for two more 

FBRs have already been identified 

in Kalpakkam while the 

other two units can be set up 

anywhere in India. 

They would go critical by 

2020, he said. 

Raj said many states were 

demanding nuclear power 

plant but were now re-looking 

at the projects after the 

disaster at Fukushima nuclear 

power plant in Japan. 

On the safety features on 

IGCAR-designed PFBR, he 

said it has ‘active and passive’ 

features which enable the reactor 

to be shut down immediately. 

Even if all control and 

safety rods (CSR) and one diverse 

safety rod (DSR) fail, or 

if all DSR and two CSRs fail, 

the reactor can be shut down 

within one second, he said.

Copter with Arunachal 

chief minister missing 

ITANAGAR — Mystery surrounds 

the whereabouts of a helicopter 

carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief 

Minister Dorjee Khandu, with official 

claims that it had been traced 

to Bhutan denied and no news about 

the chopper till late evening yesterday. 

Bhutan has denied any Indian 

helicopter had landed in its territory. 

"We have also heard through the 

media about the helicopter landing 

in Bhutan, but we don't have any 

reports of an Indian helicopter landing 

in our territory. But we have 

deployed troops and local villagers 

to see if any helicopter has landed 

here," S Duba, deputy commissioner 

of Trashiyangtse district in 

Bhutan adjoining Tawang, said by 

phone. 

"The official position is there is 

no confirmation or news about the 

helicopter. There has been no direct 

contact with any of the five people 

on board and we really don't know 

any details as of now," Arunachal 

MP Takam Sanjay said. 

"The fact of the matter is we 

don't know yet where the helicopter 

is," Sanjay said. 

The Pawan Hans AS350 B-3 

helicopter had taken off from Tawang 

at 9.50 am yesterday and 

was supposed to land in Itanagar at 

11.30 am. 

According to Sanjay, the chopper 

lost communication with the ground 

after it flew past the Sela Pass along 

the Chinese border. 

The helicopter had two pilots 

and three passengers on board, including 

the chief minister and his 

personal security officer. The third 

passenger, a woman named Lamu, 

is said to be a relative of Dorjee. 

The Indian government is in 

constant touch with Bhutan to find 

out about the missing chopper. 

"We are in constant touch with 

the central government at the high- 

est level. Initially we are also told 

the chopper had landed in Bhutan, 

but now there are conflicting reports 

coming in," Sanjay said. 

Around 2 pm, Arunchal Pradesh 

Governor Gen (retd) J J Singh and 

the state chief secretary spoke to 

the media, and also gave telephonic 

interviews to various national TV 

channels, saying the helicopter had 

landed safely with all the five passengers. 

The chief minister's adviser 

Kiren Rijiju also confirmed the 

news, saying the chopper had landed 

somewhere in eastern Bhutan 

adjoining Tawang district due to 

bad weather and it was flying back 

to Guwahati with the chief minister 

on board. 

The helicopter is a single-engine 

chopper. In case of an engine failure, 

there are very slim chances of 

the helicopter making a safe landing. 

On April 19, a Pawan Hans helicopter 

crashed in Tawang, killing 

17 people and injuring six. 

The Pawan Hans Helicopter 

Services Limited (PHHL) has 

been operating five helicopters 

across Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, 

Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura 

and daily Guwahati-Tawang services 

for the past nine years. It is one of 

the major lifelines of the landlocked 

Arunachal Pradesh. — IANS 

Air India cancels 150 flights 

NEW DELHI — Close to 150 flights 

were grounded and re-scheduled yesterday 

as nearly half of Air India's 1,600 pilots 

continued their strike for the fourth 

day despite facing a possible six-month 

jail for contempt of court and prospect of 

a partial lockout. 

Air India reportedly cancelled and rescheduled 

150 of its daily 225 domestic 

flights. While 60 flights were cancelled 

in Mumbai, 14 were grounded in Kolkata 

and 12 in Kerala. 

"We will operate just around 40 flights 

nationally, which includes 13 flights from 

Delhi, where on an average we have 52 

flights," a senior official with the operational 

arm of the airline said. 

Thousands of stranded passengers 

across the country also were upset with 

the steep 50-75 per cent hike in fares by 

private airlines. 

The strike till yesterday has caused 

a net loss of Rs 35 crore to the airline, 

already facing one of its worst financial 

crises with losses mounting to nearly $3 

billion since 2007 when Indian Airlines 

was merged with Air India. 

According to the official, 100 domestic 

flights of its subsidiary arm of Alliance 

Air were still being run. 

"Only the operations of Air India's 

main domestic arm are effected. Our subsidiary 

Alliance Air is active with 100 

flights on the national network," he said. 

Pilots continue strike 

Air India on Friday curtailed its regular 

operations by 55 per cent from its normal 

daily schedule of 225. 

The official rubbished the talk about a 

possible lockout of Air India, and termed 

it as "baseless rumours" floated by the 

unions. 

"These are just rumours being floated 

about a lockout and nothing more. How 

can the national carrier be locked out? We 

have enough executive pilots to operate 

our flights," the official said. 

He alleged that some pilots in the striking 

unions may be behind these rumours. 

According to the official, the possibility 

of the imposition of Essential Services 

Maintenance Act (ESMA) or any other 

move may be some time away as the matter 

is subjudice. 

"There is no basis in this lock-out talk. 

The management has said nothing, the 

government is with us and the matter is in 

court," the official said. 

According to another airline official, 

the management is considering an extension 

in the suspension of further bookings 

beyond the originally planned today. 

"There are various options being considered. 

But certainly the pilots will not 

dictate terms." 

Pilots on their part apologised to passengers 

who were affected by the strike, 

Joshi submits PAC’s report on 

2G scam, slams UPA members 

NEW DELHI — Public Accounts 

Committee (PAC) chairperson Murli 

Manohar Joshi yesterday submitted 

the committee's draft report on the 

2G spectrum allocation to the office 

of Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar 

and termed the report's rejection by 11 

members, mostly from ruling United 

Progressive Alliance (UPA), as "unconstitutional". 

Talking to media persons after submitting 

the report, Joshi said he expected 

that it will be accepted by the 

speaker and tabled in parliament. 

Asked if the report could be presented 

to the speaker before it is 

adopted by the PAC, Joshi said he had 

submitted the ‘finalised report’ and it 

was for the speaker to take a decision. 

Joshi, a Bharatiya Janata Party 

(BJP) MP, said the report had not 

given clean chit to anybody and added 

that it had mentioned that Prime Min- 

Hot day in 

Delhi 

NEW DELHI — It was a hot 

and humid day in Delhi yesterday 

as the mercury soared 

to 40.8 degrees Celsius, three 

notches above average, and 

the Met office forecast the 

temperature is "likely to rise 

in the days to come". 

The day began on a 

scorching note as it was the 

hottest morning of April in 

the city, with the minimum 

temperature at 27.9 degrees 

Celsius also turning out to 

be four notches above what 

is an average for this time of 

the season. The maximum 

humidity stood at 52 per cent, 

added the official. — IANS 

ister Manmohan Singh remained a 

mute spectator as controversial decisions 

were taken. 

Terming rejection of the report by 

11 members belonging to the Congress, 

the DMK, the Samajwadi Party 

and the Bahujan Samaj Party as "ridiculous", 

the PAC chairman said it 

was done after the meeting had been 

adjourned by him. 

"It is unconstitutional and ridiculous. 

I am worried. It is a mockery of 

democracy," said Joshi, whose term 

as PAC chairman came to end yesterday. 

Joshi said it was natural for members 

to have differences on some 

points and there is a process to address 

any shortcomings in the report. 

Referring to allegations that the 

report had been outsourced, he said 

it amounted to questioning the Lok 

Sabha secretariat. — IANS 

NEW DELHI — The government 

yesterday trashed as 

"mischievous" Purulia arms 

drop accused Kim Davy's allegations 

that politicians and 

state agencies were involved 

in the 1995 conspiracy. 

An official spokesman in 

a press statement said that 

Davy's interview to a TV 

channel was "mischievous and 

aimed at misleading the prosecuting 

agency and a court in 

Denmark". 

Terming the accused as 

a proclaimed offender, the 

statement said Davy had masterminded 

the arms drop and 

would be appearing in the 

Denmark court for his possible 

extradition to India to face 

trial. 

"Earlier also he has admitted 

his role in this crime not 

only in front of the print and 

visual media including BBC 

and in a book written by him, 

but also in front of Danish 

court at Hillerod in Copenhagen," 

the statement said. 

Davy in an interview to 

Times Now TV channel early 

this week alleged that the drop 

was planned by the Indian 

government in collaboration 

with British intelligence to 

destabilise the Communist 

government in West Bengal. 

but stuck to their demands, even levelling 

corruption charges against Air India 

chairman and managing director Arvind 

Jadhav. 

"We want an inquiry into various decisions 

taken by Jadhav, we believe he is involved 

into corruption in various accounts 

like land transfer deal at Mumbai airport," 

said A S Bhinder, central president Indian 

Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA). 

Air India in its reply said that they 

will welcome any inquiry into the issues 

raised by the union, but decided against 

grating the demands posted by the pilots. 

Meanwhile, Delhi High Court on Friday 

had initiated contempt proceedings 

against members of the ICPA, the union 

behind the strike. 

Justice Gita Mittal initiated suo moto 

criminal contempt of court proceedings 

against the union after its members refused 

to return to work despite her earlier 

order, restraining them from going ahead 

with the strike. 

Thousands of stranded passengers 

across the country faced harrowing time 

as they searched for last minute alternatives. 

In the Delhi-Mumbai sector, 

some passengers said the base fare of 

Rs 2,400-Rs 3,000 for last-minute bookings 

had been jacked up to as much as 

Rs 7,500 by some carriers, resulting in 

a one-way cost of Rs 11,500, including 

various levies. — IANS 

The government in the 

statement asserted that the 

"self-serving allegations and 

attempt to give a political colour 

to his crime" was aimed at 

"deflecting the judicial process 

of his extradition". 

The allegations were "not 

substantiated by the evidence 

and facts", it said. 

Referring to the accusations 

by British citizen Peter 

Bleach, convicted and sentenced 

to life by a court for the 

crime, the statement said: "The 

allegations and contentions of 

Bleach could have been raised 

during his free and fair trial in 

an open court of law. He was 

11 INDIA 



OUTGOING chairman and founder of Infosys Technologies N R Narayana Murthy (L) 

talks with newly-appointed Chairman K V Kamath in Bangalore yesterday. — AFP 

Infosys names new chairman 

BANGALORE — Infosys 

yesterday named a prominent 

banker to take charge of 

the country's second-largest 

software exporter as the firm 

struggles to boost performance 

in the face of slow global 

recovery. 

Infosys Technologies appointed 

K V Kamath as chairman 

to replace founder N 

R Narayana Murthy, who is 

slated to retire from the post at 

the age of 65 in August as part 

of a shake-up in its top management. 

Kamath, 63, the first non- 

given every opportunity to 

prove his innocence whereas 

the trial court found him one 

of the main conspirators and 

convicted him for life." 

It also denied that Bleach's 

conviction was set aside by 

any superior court in India. 

The statement said the government 

was seriously trying 

to extradite Davy from Denmark, 

in spite of the fact that 

there was no extradition treaty 

between Denmark and India. 

It said the case remained 

under investigation and the 

government was "committed 

to unravel the truth and 

the entire conspiracy behind 

company founder to head 

the software giant based in 

the southern technology hub 

Bangalore, formerly headed 

the private bank, ICICI. 

"I am so happy he will be 

steering the company in the 

future," Murthy told a news 

conference as he announced 

the appointment, which he 

said had been a unanimous 

choice. 

Kamath, who has been 

an independent director on 

the Infosys board since May 

2009, takes the helm as the 

country's flagship outsourcing 

NEW DELHI — Prime Minister 

Manmohan Singh yesterday urged the 

country's top police agency to investigate 

a series of corruption scandals 

embroiling his government "without 

fear or favour". 

He noted the Central Bureau of Investigation 

(CBI) was probing several 

high-profile corruption cases that have 

attracted wide public attention. 

"The handling of these cases constitutes 

a litmus test for you," Singh 

said at the opening of a new CBI headquarters 

in New Delhi. 

"The CBI should act without fear 

or favour and bring to book all those 

who are guilty, irrespective of their 

position or status," he said. "Whoever 

transgresses the law of the land, 

however mighty, has to be brought to 

book." 

At the same time, Singh said there 

"should be no vendetta, no witch-hunt 

and no harassment of the innocent." 

Singh's statements came as his 

Congress-led coalition reels from a 

host of controversies, with his own 

reputation for probity on the line amid 

charges that he has allowed graft to go 

unchecked during his seven years in 

office. 

The government has been in the eye 

Purulia arms drop: govt refutes accusations 

the crime and to bring all the 

guilty to justice". 

On the night of December 

17, 1995, a large consignment 

of arms, including several 

hundred AK-47 rifles, antitank 

weapons and ammunition 

were dropped from a Latvian 

aircraft in Purulia. 

Five Latvian citizens and 

British arms dealer Peter 

Bleach were arrested, but 

Davy managed to escape to 

Denmark. The Danish government 

wants India to ensure 

that Davy would not be given 

the death sentence if extradited, 

which has been agreed to. 

— IANS 

sector faces challenges from a 

slow recovery in Europe and 

the United States and currency 

volatility. 

Infosys said S D Shibulal, 

now chief operating officer, 

would become chief executive, 

replacing S Gopalakrishnan, 

who will become executive 

co-chairman. 

Murthy, who is widely respected 

for his business acumen 

and ethics, will serve 

as chairman emeritus of the 

company, which will be realigned 

into new broad business 

groups. — AFP 

Act without fear or favour, 

PM tells CBI personnel 

of a storm over allegations that telecom 

licences were sold at cut-rate prices in 

2008 in exchange for kickbacks, depriving 

the treasury of as much as $40 

billion in revenues. 

It also faces a second high-profile 

graft scandal over last October's Delhi 

Commonwealth Games. 

Last week the CBI arrested senior 

Congress lawmaker Suresh Kalmadi, 

who was the top organiser of the $6 billion 

Games, on corruption charges. 

Earlier, it had arrested Singh's 

former telecoms minister A Raja, government 

officials and telecom company 

officials over the telecom scam. 

The main opposition Bharatiya 

Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, accused 

Singh and the then finance minister P 

Chidambaram of "direct complicity" in 

corruption in the telecom case. 

The allegations came as the government 

and opposition clashed over 

the contents of a parliamentary committee 

report into the scandal. 

"There was complete abdication of 

responsibility by the prime minister," 

said senior BJP lawmaker Yashwant 

Sinha, a member of the Public Accounts 

Committee, in the most direct 

opposition attack yet on Singh. 

— AFP 

ARTISTS perform during a full-dress rehearsal for the golden jubilee celebrations of the foundation of Gujarat 

state at the Sardar Patel cricket stadium in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The foundation day 

of the state will be celebrated today. — Reuters 

NEWS IN BRIEF 

Today’s rally to seek 

support for Lokpal Bill 

RALLIES will be held across the nation 

today to express support for the passage 

of the Lokpal Bill ahead of the meeting 

tomorrow of the joint panel drafting the 

anti-graft law. 

The rallies, called under the banner of 

India Against Corruption (IAC), will take 

place in several places across the country, 

the organisers said. 

The event in Delhi would witness 

thousands of people marching from 

Jantar Mantar to India Gate at 5 pm 

today, they said. 

The May 2 meeting is the second 

of the 10-member drafting committee, 

which includes five ministers and five 

members of the civil society. — IANS 

Mob burns seven to 

death in Odisha 

SEVEN people, including a woman, 

were burnt to death by a mob in Odisha’s 

Ganjam district over a dispute related to 

the operation of a stone crushing unit, 

police said yesterday. 

The incident took place at Badagada 

village, some 250 km from state capital 

Bhubaneshwar, late Friday. 

Police said locals were opposed to the 

small stone crushing unit in their village 

as it caused pollution, and demanded 

money from the owners. 

However, the dispute escalated on 

Friday when hundreds of villagers 

attacked the unit and set fire to a room 

where the seven people, including four 

workers, were sleeping. 

State police chief Anup Patnaik said 

seven bodies have been recovered from 

the site. — IANS 

Seminar on Islamic 

banking in India 

A SEMINAR on the global economic 

problems and Islamic banking will be 

held today in Bhopal. 

The seminar is being organised by the 

Muslim Educational Social and Cultural 

Organization-Arabic Language and 

English Education Foundation (MESCO- 

ALEEF). 

The seminar would be addressed by 

eminent personalities like Irfan Shahid, 

a Shariah consultant, and Moulana Wali 

Rahmani, the General Secretary of All 

India Muslim Personal Law Board. 

"Professor Shahid is visiting faculty 

for Islamic economics at various business 

schools in Europe. He has number of 

books and research papers to his credit," 

MESCO-ALEEF Bhopal chapter 

secretary Perwez Bari said. — IANS 

Five arrested for betting 

on IPL matches 

FIVE people were arrested for running 

a betting racket on the Indian Premier 

League (IPL) cricket matches and fake 

currency with the face value of Rs 1.69 

lakh was recovered from them, police 


The arrested include Deepak Kaushik, 

25, Kapil Kaushik, 23, Ankit Kaushik, 19 

and Parvesh, 19, residents of Poothkalan 

in north Delhi, said police. 

"They had received bets worth Rs 12 

lakh by the time of raid. The total bets 

accepted by them in the IPL matches 

amount to Rs 2.5 crore," said a police 

official. 

"Deepak mixed the counterfeit 

currency with the genuine notes for 

making payments to the betters. He 

also circulated the fake currency in the 

market," added the official. 

The police also seized six mobile 

phones, laptops and televisions used in 

the betting, said the officer. — IANS 

Man arrested with Rs 35 

lakh worth heroin in Delhi 

A MAN was arrested in the national 

capital with heroin worth Rs 35 lakh 

in the international market, police said 

yesterday. 

"The accused has been identified as 

Kishan Mohan Gupta, 43. The amount 

of heroin recovered is worth Rs 35 lakh 

in the international market," said Deputy 

Commissioner of Police Ashok Chand. 

Acting on a tip-off, the police nabbed 

Gupta from Bhajanpura in east Delhi 

where he had come to deliver heroin to a 

contact, the officer added. — IANS

Arms-sale snags 

By Jim Wolf 

THE United States has fretted for years that its ties with 

Pakistan and past sanctions against India would harm its 

efforts to win arms deals such as the $11 billion fighter 

order that slipped away from two US suppliers last week, a US 

diplomatic cable showed. 

"Our ability to seize the opportunities presented by this 

newly-improved environment is limited by the commonly held 

view that the US will not prove to be a reliable supplier of 

defence equipment," Timothy Roemer, the US ambassador to 

India, said in an October 29, 2009, cable to Michele Flournoy, 

a top Pentagon official then about to visit India. 

US officials from President Barack Obama down subsequently 

pushed hard to sell US fighter jets to India to crown 

expanding security ties. The US also is eyeing tens of billions 

of dollars in other potential arms deals with India, the cable 

showed. 

In the end, India shortlisted two European aircraft over 

Boeing Co's F/A-18 SuperHornet and Lockheed Martin Corp's 

F-16, company officials said last Thursday. 

Lockheed and Boeing are the Pentagon's No 1 and No 2 

supplier, respectively. Each is pressing to boost sales in India, 

which plans to spend about $50 billion in the next five years to 

modernise old Soviet-era weapons and technology. 

Roemer announced last Thursday he was leaving his post 

for professional and family reasons. "The new environment" 

reference in his 2009 cable concerned the emergence of Prime 

Minister Manmohan Singh's government with "a clear mandate 

not beholden to coalition partners" for the first time since post- 

Cold War US-Indian strategic ties took shape. 

US competitors use the economic sanctions imposed by 

Washington after Indian nuclear tests in 1998 to try to harm US 

sales prospects, the cable said. 

They also point to "our close defence relationship with Pakistan 

as rationale that the US should not be trusted," Roemer 

wrote in the message made available to Reuters. 

The US Defence Department said it was "deeply disappointed" 

by rejection of the US bid to supply 126 new fighter 

aircraft. Instead, India set up a contest between France's Rafale 

and the Eurofighter Typhoon made by Britain, Germany, Italy 

and Spain. 

Keep global focus 

By Shaun Tandon 

JAPAN has pledged that it will stay active on the world 

stage and maintain aid to Afghanistan as it sought to ease 

US concerns that the key Asian ally would turn inward 

after its mega-disaster. 

Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto, who took office just 

two days before his country was ravaged by one of history's 

most powerful earthquakes on March 11, flew to Washington 

for talks on his first bilateral visit overseas. 

"We were hit by the earthquake, but we wish to emerge 

stronger and to continue to fulfil our responsibility in the international 

community," Matsumoto said last Friday after talks 

with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

"I would like to express our gratitude for the support given 

by the United States and also convey our determination to recover," 

he said. 

Clinton and Matsumoto said they discussed disaster relief 

but also a range of global issues such as the Middle East along 

with key regional priorities for Japan such as diplomacy on 

North Korea and China. 

Clinton said that Japan had made "critical contributions" to 

Afghanistan, a leading focus for the US as it tries to find a political 

solution to end its decade-long military involvement. 

Japan "just announced that it will continue its financial assistance 

to Afghanistan at the same level as before the earthquake," 

Clinton said. 

"That is a remarkable example of both leadership and generosity 

that we appreciate," Clinton said. Japan pledged up to $5 

billion in aid to Afghanistan over the following five years. 

Matsumoto later left Washington on a trip that will take him 

to Belgium, Germany and Senegal, where he will go ahead 

with a previously scheduled aid conference between Japan and 

African leaders, a Japanese official said. 

The US military, which stations some 47,000 troops in Japan, 

mounted a round-the-block relief operation after the earthquake 

as it ferried supplies, repaired the key Sendai airport and 

helped the grisly task of searching for bodies. 

The relief operation has helped ease some of the recent frictions 

between the US and Japan, whose centre-left government 

that took office in 2009 tried and failed to renegotiate the location 

of a key military base. 

A bumpy week 

By Mark Egan 

HE was ribbed by US President Barack Obama, called 

a racist by David Letterman, accused of being a draft 

dodger and gave an expletive-laced political speech. 

All in all, the headlines in recent days were not kind to 

property mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump, who is 

running high in polls among potential Republican presidential 

candidates. 

Presidential historian and author Chester Pach said it was 

a terrible week for Trump, who he said revealed more of his 

"foolishly simplistic ideas." 

"Donald Trump is not a serious candidate," Pach said. 

"This is just another chapter in a life long connected with tabloid 

headlines whether it is his hair, his marriages, his bankruptcies 

or now his presidential aspirations." 

"But from Donald Trump's perspective, I expect any week 

in which he got a lot of publicity is a good week. The rating 

for his TV show will go up, his show may get renewed," said 

Pach of Ohio University. 

"But my guess is by summer he will have faded from presidential 

talk." A political spokesman for Trump, who is considering 

a race for the White House in 2012, had a more positive 

take on events. 

"Mr Trump had an amazing week," Michael Cohen said. 

"This week, voters turned out in their droves in New Hampshire 

to tell him, 'Please run! You are our saviour!' If that 

doesn't constitute a good week, what does?" 

Trump's trip to New Hampshire, the first primary voting 

state, has added to buzz he may run. But some think it is all a 

publicity stunt for his Celebrity Apprentice reality TV show. 

Last Wednesday, Obama chided Trump at a fund-raiser after 

releasing his long-form birth certificate to address Trumpfuelled 

talk he was not born in the US and therefore ineligible 

to be president. "What we do in politics is not a reality show. 

It's serious," Obama said in a veiled reference to Trump's reality 

TV role where he utters his catch phrase, "You're fired." 

The billionaire businessman also made news for a speech 

in Las Vegas last Thursday night in which he called US political 

leadership "stupid" and used an obscenity several times, 

including in a reference to taxing Chinese imports. 

"Mr Trump is a patriot," said Cohen. "Nothing gets him 

madder than watching America fall apart." 

By Alex Delamare 

A 

TATTERED UN tarpaulin 

makes a shady awning for one 

of the huts dotting the emerald 

rice paddies of Myanmar's Irrawaddy 

Delta, a reminder of the devastation 

wrought by Cyclone Nargis three 

years ago. 

"We rebuilt everything ourselves 

— the government did nothing," said 

Myo Tun, who came to the area with 

an international aid agency after the 

disaster struck and whose name has 

been changed to protect his identity. 

Bodies were still floating in the 

area's network of waterways weeks 

after the cyclone hit, he said, as the 

ruling junta failed to act to help the 

region. 

Now there are signs that the new, 

nominally civilian government, 

which took power earlier this year after 

controversial November elections 

that excluded democracy icon Aung 

San Suu Kyi, is striving to show a 

changed attitude. 

President Thein Sein, a retired 

general who was prime minister dur- 

By Jerome Cartillier 

CONSTRUCTING taller buildings 

and moving towns to higher 

ground may be the key to rebuilding 

Japan's devastated northeast coast, experts 

say, as the threat of future tsunamis 

shapes ideas for reconstruction. 

It was the monster wall of water, rather 

than March 11 magnitude 9 earthquake 

that spawned it, which tore through towns, 

destroying 300,000 homes and leaving 

26,000 dead and missing. 

"What we agreed with Prime Minister 

Naoto Kan is that it is not simply enough 

to restore things as they were before," said 

Makoto Iokibe, chairman of the Council 

of Reconstruction. 

The daunting task of removing millions 

of tonnes of debris from destroyed 

homes and factories is the starting point 

for the remodelling of coastal towns in 

a region with an ageing population and 

fragile economy. 

But the concept of relocating towns is 

a sensitive issue for those whose livelihoods 

revolve around them. 

"It's actually a rather fundamental and 

philosophical question: where should 

people settle down? The sea is often the 

source of all their resources, so it's difficult 

to settle down away from it," said 

Yukio Nishimura, vice-president of the 

University of Tokyo. 

"When you talk to those who were affected 

by the tsunami, some want to settle 

down to higher places or even move to a 

By Jonathon Burch 

and Rob Taylor 

THE Taliban declared the start 

of a spring offensive across 

Afghanistan yesterday, warning 

they would target foreign troops 

as well as Afghan security forces and 

top government officials in a wave of 

attacks including bombings. 

The Taliban warned Afghan civilians 

to stay away from public gatherings, 

military bases and convoys, as 

well as Afghan government centres 

and buildings, as these would be the 

focus of attacks starting today. 

The Taliban statement comes just 

a day after senior military officials 

and Western diplomats warned they 

expected a surge in attacks over the 

week, beginning today. 

"The Taliban wants to declare the 

12 

ANALYSIS/OPINION 



Myanmar woos aid groups, but wariness stays 

ing Nargis, has pledged to work more 

closely with humanitarian groups and 

responses to recent disasters suggest 

the approach has changed. 

"They are more ready to give 

timely public information on details 

of these events, and to give access to 

international agencies," said Myanmar 

analyst Richard Horsey. But privately, 

many remain cautious. 

"I would not say that any organisation 

operates with 100 per cent confidence 

in this country," said one senior 

international aid agency figure, asking 

not to be named. 

Nargis smashed through the southern 

delta region on May 2, 2008 leaving 

an estimated 138,000 people dead 

or missing. 

Myanmar's rulers refused foreign 

assistance for weeks while 2.4 million 

people struggled desperately for 

survival. 

"Nargis was a real humanitarian 

watershed," said Chris Herink of 

World Vision, which took part in relief 

work after an earthquake hit eastern 

Myanmar in March. 

Thousands are still sleeping in 

bigger town but others want to stay put," 

he said. 

The level of damage masks large regional 

disparities. The mountainous 

northernmost area paid the heaviest price, 

with numerous houses built on the narrow 

strip of land sandwiched between the sea 

and the mountains swept away. 

"Topographically, these areas are very 

vulnerable to tsunamis so we need to 

completely re-think town planning," said 

Jun Iio, who chairs a group of experts that 

submits proposals to the reconstruction 

council. 

Many specialists say detailed analysis 

of the topography of the 300 km of devastated 

coastline on Honshu island should 

encourage rebuilding in higher places and 

further back from the sea. 

Another recommendation for schools, 

hospitals and town halls is to construct 

buildings that are at least four or five 

storeys tall to offer refuge from the giant 

waves when a tsunami strikes. 

Iokibe suggested the vast amount of 

rubble that forms the legacy of the March 

11 disasters could be turned into landscaped 

hills. 

"In normal times people would able to 

use these parks for recreation," he said. 

"During disasters, they would be used as 

evacuation zones." 

Some fishing-related facilities will 

have to be relocated, he said. 

Experts point out that while the huge 

concrete walls facing the sea seen in many 

coastal towns and villages can help, they 

launching of the spring military operations 

to be waged against foreign 

forces and internal supports," the 

Taliban said in an emailed letter. 

"Operations will focus on attacks 

against military centres, places of 

gatherings, airbases, ammunition 

and logistical military convoys of the 

foreign invaders in all parts of the 

country," the Taliban said. 

Senior military officials said that 

recent intelligence reporting indicated 

the campaign of increased violence 

would last about a week and 

would be mounted by the Taliban, 

supported by the Haqqani network 

and other groups. 

Brigadier General Josef Blotz, 

spokesman for the Nato-led International 

Security Assistance Force 

(ISAF), said coalition bases were 

bolstering security. 

"We do know for quite some time 

temporary shelters after the quake 

but, unlike when Nargis struck, those 

affected were helped quickly and by 

the army itself. 

The United Nations said the earthquake, 

as well as Cyclone Giri, which 

affected an estimated 260,000 people 

in western Rakhine state last October, 

represented "increased co-operation" 

between agencies and government. 

"It's an open question in terms of 

the new leadership and how they will 

regard humanitarian assistance and in 

particular international assistance," 

said Herink, who added that the signs 

at the moment were "positive". 

Foreign aid has become crucial 

in filling the gaps left by a government 

that spent just 0.9 per cent of 

its budget on health in 2007, according 

to the World Health Organization 

— substantially lower than any other 

country that year. 

According to Save the Children, at 

least a third of all children in Myanmar 

are malnourished and one in 10 

dies before the age of five. 

In the past, overseas governments 

have scaled down aid in pro- 

THE corner of a brick wall remains standing amid the tsunami devastation in Miyagi prefecture. — AFP 

Japan mulls tsunami lessons 

cannot guarantee safety. 

Several of the tsunami defences gave 

way under the force of the monster wave 

triggered by the earthquake, including the 

one that was supposed to protect the small 

fishing village of Taro, north of the city 

of Miyako, or they were simply not high 

enough. 

Based on experience gained after the 

earthquake that hit the western port city 

of Kobe in 1995, Iokibe estimates it will 

take 10 years to rebuild the devastated 

northeast. 

Japan faces a huge challenge in financing 

the mammoth rebuild without expanding 

a massive public debt of around 200 

per cent of gross domestic product. 

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's last 

Wednesday warned that reconstruction 

costs could be as much as 50 trillion ($612 

billion), higher than government estimates 

of up to 25 trillion yen. 

A first disaster budget of four trillion 

yen will be financed by cuts in welfare 

programmes but the prime minister has 

said a further reconstruction budget will 

be funded by a "sizeable" bond issue. 

For Nishimura, remembering the past 

is vital when rebuilding for the future. 

Northeastern Honshu had already experienced 

the two largest tsunamis to hit 

the country in modern history, the 1896 

Meiji Sanriku and the 1933 Showa Sanriku 

and plans were made at the time. 

"Some were followed and some were 

forgotten. Some of these plans are still 

valid today," Nishimura said. 

already that the insurgency plans an 

attempt to come out with a surge of 

violence in certain areas of this country 

in the next days," Blotz said. 

The United Nations said it was relocating 

some of its staff in Afghanistan 

after receiving "credible threats" 

of increased attacks in a "number of 

locations around the country". 

The United Nations has been the 

target of several attacks over the past 

two years. Earlier last month, seven 

international staff were killed after 

protesters overran a UN compound 

in northern Mazar-i-Sharif. 

The Taliban denied involvement 

in that attack, but officials said the 

group had been involved in stirring 

up an already angry crowd. 

"As a precautionary measure the 

United Nations is shifting its staff 

from some of its regional operational 

centres into safe locations for a short 

test at rights abuses in Myanmar, or 

felt forced to pull out because of the 

junta's tight controls. 

Sanctions have played a part, with 

major donors such as Europe restricting 

development assistance. 

Overseas aid to Myanmar peaked 

in 2008 because of Nargis, but fell 

about 30 per cent to $357 million — 

or around $6 per person — in 2009, 

according to figures from the Organization 

for Economic Co-operation 

and Development. 

Neighbouring Laos received 10 

times more per person that year. 

There are signs that foreign funding 

will rise, with increased donations 

from Britain and an expanded 

Australian aid programme, but local 

groups fear a lack of opportunity. 

Horsey said that while the Myanmar 

government appeared more 

positive about international groups, it 

"still tends to be suspicious" of local 

organisations. 

A representative from one Myanmar 

non-governmental group said 

that overseas agencies "act as an umbrella 

for us, they are very important, 

PAKISTAN President 

Asif Zardari announced 

last week that his son 

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will 

take up some “political responsibility” 

this September. 

However, ruling Pakistan 

People’s Party leaders say that 

Bilawal will not be jumping 

headfirst into politics and will 

first learn the workings of the 

party inside-out. 

According to PPP Member 

of National Assembly and the 

president’s media adviser Farahnaz 

Ispahani said while Bilawal 

is already familiar with 

the party structure and leadership, 

the new move will see 

him being involved with the 

party in an organised manner. 

Ispahani said that party 

general-secretary Jahangir 

Badar will take Bilawal under 

his wing and he will be working 

with senior provincial 

leaders, such as current Sindh 

Chief Minister Qaim Shah. 

“Bilawal has specifically 

expressed interest in the 

party’s youth wing, which 

was very dear to Zulfikar Ali 

Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto,” 

she said. 

“He will be looking into 

modernising the Peoples Youth 

Organisation, and bringing in 

new ideas, media technology 

etc through intellectual and 

practical exercises.” 

Bilawal, who turns 23 this 

September, is two years away 

from being eligible to run for 

a provincial or national assembly 

seat. However, the PPP 

believes that the idea is not for 

Bilawal to jump into politics 

by contesting elections, but to 

spend time learning. 

“He is a keen learner,” said 

Ispahani. “He has spent time 

travelling here and meeting 

party leaders and members. 

He listens and he takes his 

time with making comments 

on issues.” 

While Bilawal has attracted 

criticism for being the newest 

symbol of dynasty politics in 

the subcontinent, he garnered 

praise for his stance on the assassinations 

of former Punjab 

governor Salman Taseer and 

former Minority Affairs min- 

period. Staff are not leaving their 

regions and will continue working 

from these locations," said Kieran 

Dwyer, spokesman for the UN Mission 

in Afghanistan. 

The Taliban said the targets of 

the attacks would be foreign forces, 

high-ranking officials of President 

Hamid Karzai's government, members 

of the cabinet and lawmakers, as 

well as the heads of foreign and local 

companies working for ISAF. 

"All Afghan people should bear in 

mind to keep away from gatherings, 

convoys and centres of the enemy 

so that they will not become harmed 

during the attacks," the Taliban said. 

Senior military commanders have 

long anticipated a spike in violence 

with the arrival of the spring and 

summer "fighting season", although 

the usual winter lull was not seen as 

US-led forces pressed their attacks 

but it is crucial that we build up local 

capacity". 

His group provides services from 

education to agriculture, many of 

which he said should be provided by 

the state. 

Maung Zarni, of the London 

School of Economics, said there were 

fears that government-friendly local 

groups would become more dominant. 

"The military doesn't allow any 

entity to operate freely or show any 

receptivity towards any entity which 

doesn't serve the regime's interests 

and agendas," he said. 

He added that the funding capacity 

of foreign agencies meant "they, not 

the locals, set the agendas in terms of 

what communities feel or think they 

need". 

"Most international aid agencies 

have a certain amount of money to 

spend and then withdraw, but us civil 

society groups will stay even if there 

isn't any funding," said the head of 

another agency, who said he feared 

the role of local groups "will be very 

limited". "I am quite worried for the 

future," he added. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

No headfirst jump 

into politics now 

ister Shahbaz Bhatti. 

Bilawal, who graduated 

from Oxford University last 

year, could emerge as PPP’s 

much-needed progressive 

voice, given what appears to 

be his interest in social issues 

and stance on minorities. 

The timing of the announcement 

is worth noting. 

The PPP, like all other political 

parties, is looking at the 

2013 elections. While it managed 

to win a large number 

of seats in the 2008 elections, 

observers noted that the party 

also won the sympathy vote in 

the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s 

assassination. 

By working with the youth 

wing, Bilawal could possibly 

galvanise young voters and 

Bhutto family loyalists. 

“He seems to have a natural 

talent for public speaking. 

It’s impossible to not have 

goosebumps when hearing 

him. In terms of sustaining the 

family legacy in Sindh, Bilawal 

has that natural appeal as 

Benazir’s son which Zardari 

can never have,” remarked 

analyst Mosharraf Zaidi. 

While his late mother, 

former prime minister Benazir 

Bhutto, faced opposition from 

the party’s old guard when she 

returned to Pakistan, Ispahani 

said this would not be an issue 

for Bilawal. 

Bilawal’s sisters, Bakhtawar 

and Asifa, have also taken 

on public roles, but there 

appears to be no move yet 

to assign them political responsibilities. 

The three have 

met key foreign leaders with 

Zardari. — Internews 

Afghan Taliban declares start to spring offensive 

against Taliban. 

While Washington and ISAF commanders 

have trumpeted successes 

against a growing violence since 

30,000 extra US troops were sent to 

Afghanistan last year, the insurgency 

has shown little sign of abating. 

The Pentagon said in a report that 

an overall increase in violence was 

due in part to increased targeting of 

insurgent safe havens and unseasonably 

mild weather. 

Military commanders interviewed 

last week were not sure why May 1 

had been chosen by the Taliban to 

launch their renewed offensive. 

The anticipated Taliban campaign 

would not change the coalition's 

counterinsurgency strategy 

put in place last year by US General 

David Petraeus, the commander of 

the 150,000 US and ISAF troops in 

Afghanistan, they said.

13 LIFESTYLE SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

First Kochi biennale to provide artists a platform 

By Madhusree 

Chatterjee in New Delhi 

AROUND 65 artists 

from 45 countries will 

participate in the Kochi-Muziris 

Biennale in Kerala 

in 2012 that is set to position 

Kochi as an “art-heritage destination”. 

The art exhibition 

will be held at select places, 

including Fort Kochi and spice 

godowns, organisers said. The 

Kochi showcase is India’s firstever 

biennale modelled on the 

Istanbul and Havana biennales 

and will be distinctly different 

from India Art Summit which 

is also a trade platform, the organisers 

said. 

It will be held every two 

years. The Kochi-Muziris 

Foundation will be hosting a 

stakeholders event in Venice 

in June to promote the Kochi 

Biennale. According to the 

organisers, the Kochi-Muziris 

Biennale will fill “a gap by 

giving artists from India and 

Asia a platform to exhibit their 

work”. 

“It is the need of the hour 

for the Indian art scene with 

Pritam packs entertaining 

songs in Ready album 

MUSIC REVIEW 

Film: Ready; Music 

Directors: Pritam 

Chakraborty and 

Devi Shri Prasad; 

Lyricists: Amitabh 

Bhattacharya, 

Neelesh Misra, Ashish 

Pandit and Kumaar; 

Singers: Neeraj 

Shridhar, Amrita 

Kak, Tulsi Kumar, K 

K, Mika Singh and 

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan; 

Rating: *** and 1/2 

The music of upcoming 

Salman Khan-starrer 

Ready can be described 

in two words — fun and entertaining. 

Songs are totally 

commercial, meant for the 

masses, and will make you 

gyrate. The music album offers 

four originals and four 

remixes. 

The album begins with 

a bang with Dhinka chika, a 

song by guest composer Devi 

Shri Prasad. It is the Hindi 

version of Shri’s Telugu composition 

Ringa ringa. In this 

version, Mika Singh and Amrita 

Kak go behind the mike 

to croon it. Full on energy, 

the composition has whistles 

and dhols’ sounds; it is a total 

dance number. Its infectious 

rhythm will force you to 

shake a leg. The track is a hit 

from the word go. 

WHEN you’re using 

Windows, do you find 

yourself performing 

the same tasks over and over? If 

so, you’re not alone. 

Although computers are 

designed to make short work 

of repetitive tasks, few people 

take the time to learn how to 

cut down on repetition and win 

back some time in the process. 

Read on for some ideas on how 

to do just that 

How do I automate a series 

of tasks in Windows that involve 

different programs? 

Unfortunately, Windows 

has no such built-in automation 

tool. So your best option here is 

probably to turn to a third-party 

utility that makes it fairly easy 

to boil down a bunch of repetitive 

tasks into one keystroke. 

If your repetitive tasks simply 

involve launching a bunch of 

programs, you can turn to a 

free utility such as Batchrun 

(http:”bit.ly’dTp5rW). Batchrun 

simplifies the job of creating 

batch files, which are files that 

contain a series of commands 

that Windows can recognise and 

run without user intervention. 

However, for more complex 

repetitive tasks that you’d 

like to automate, check out 

WinAutomation (http:”www. 

artists now being recognised 

and Asia being looked at as a 

region of artistic importance. 

The biennale will position itself 

as a window to resonate 

the need for a platform that 

encourages such discourse 

towards appreciating international 

and national art practices,” 

Co-artistic Director 

and Co-curator of Biennale 

Krishnamachari Bose, a leading 

Indian contemporary artist 

and curator of repute, said in 

It has a remixed version 

too. Then enters Pritam’s composition 

Character dheela 

hai”, another sure-fire hit from 

the album. It has a lot of entertainment 

in store, thanks to interesting 

composition and lyrics. 

Crooned by Neeraj Sridhar 

and Amrita Kak, the song can 

become a favourite at DJ consoles. 

The music is such that 

you get addicted to it. 

This one too has a remixed 

version. 

Then the album takes a 360 

degree turn and introduces a 

light, moderately paced love 

ballad Humko pyar hua. A 

one-time hear, the song is not 

very different from Pritam’s 

previous romantic compositions. 

It has Tulsi Kumar and 

KK behind the mike but does 

not have anything extraordinary. 

There is a re-mixed song 

attached to it too. Meri ada 

bhi, sung by Rahat Fateh Ali 

Khan and Tulsi Kumar, adds 

Punjabi favour to the album. 

The song is a contemporised 

version of Punjabi folk song 

Laung gawacha. With added 

lyrics and sounds, it turns out 

to be a foot-tapping and entertaining 

number. 

There is a remixed version 

here too. On the whole, the 

soundtrack is packed with fun 

tracks that are meant to liven 

up your evenings and parties. 

— IANS 

winautomation.com), which 

gives you a couple of options 

for automating tasks. You can 

use the program’s “macro recorder” 

to record mouse clicks 

and keystrokes, and then play 

back the results. Or you can use 

the tool’s job designer, which 

lets you “build” a shortcut that 

can perform all sorts of complex 

actions, including launching 

programs, opening dialog 

boxes, entering data, and much 

more. The program is not free, 

but you can download it and try 

it out for free for a month. If 

you regularly spend a lot of time 

performing the same tasks each 

day, you might find the $149 

purchase price to be money well 

spent. 

How can I set my computer 

up to reboot automatically 

each night? 

Windows comes with a 

little-known application called 

Shutdown.exe. You can use it 

in conjunction with Windows’ 

built-in scheduler either to 

shut down or restart your PC at 

any specified time. To set this 

up, open the Start menu, type 

“scheduled tasks” and click the 

The ancient port city of Muziris will be the venue of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. — IANS 

an e-mail interview. 

The 47-year-old artist and 

curator said the biennale will 

translate “into a unique connector 

wherein current and 

future generations will experience 

a vital social force that 

enhances and illuminates contemporary 

living and social 

cohesiveness towards a new, 

solid cosmopolitan art world”. 

The biennale will be jointly 

curated by Bose and cuttingedge 

contemporary artist Ri- 

yas Komu, both natives of 

Kerala. According to Riyas 

Komu, “the biennale was conceived 

in late spring of 2010”. 

Bose and Riyas Komu were 

approached by the department 

of cultural affairs, government 

of Kerala, to “initiate a largescale 

festival of contemporary 

visual arts in the state”. 

“Following the creation of 

a non-profit organisation and 

commitment from leading 

lights of the Indian cultural es- 

tablishment, the Kochi-Muziris 

Biennale was established”. 

To the 1971-born Komu, 

who left the shores of Kerala 

several years ago to seek out 

his fortune in Mumbai, Kochi 

fits the bill as a destination because 

“in recent years Kerala 

has been home to many international 

festivals on literature 

and theatre, and the performing 

arts”. 

The exhibition will be held 

every two years in selected 

venues and public sites in 

Kerala, he said. “For example, 

Fort Kochi, the Mattanchery 

warehouses, spice godowns 

and historic spaces across Kochi-Muziris 

region. “As a part 

of the project with the Muziris 

Heritage Foundation, the 

biennale has also undertaken 

the renovation of local Durbar 

Hall by a team of renowned 

architects and conservation 

experts,” Komu said. 

The biennale was anticipating 

more public and private 

sponsorship, corporate and individual 

involvement in creating 

a better infrastructure for 

the biennale and Indian Arts as 

well in the future, the artistic 

directors said. 

According to the Executive 

Officer of the biennale, 

Shwetal Patel, a Londonbased 

culture activist and 

film-maker, “there is no better 

way than having our own 

biennale, with a raft of international 

and national artists, 

institutions, curators, critics 

and art-loving corporations on 

a single platform to celebrate 

national and international and 

art”. — IANS 

Underground fashion thrives in Philippines 

IN a dark and hot pedestrian 

tunnel underneath Manila’s 

university district, shoemaker 

Julius Wilfredo Gregorio 

sweats as he sews rubber 

soles to a pair of hand-crafted 

leather boots. The 37-year-old 

is aiming to make five pairs 

for the day and avoid getting 

buried under a pile of orders 

from his ever-growing list of 

cash-strapped fans of fashion. 

Since taking over his father’s 

“Freddie’s Leather 

Haus” shop in 1991, Gregorio 

has gained a steady stream of 

both foreign and local clients 

who buy his designs that aim 

to rival those sold in trendy 

boutiques. “You don’t have to 

be a rich action movie star to 

own top-quality boots and be 

fashionable,” Gregorio said, 

his sweat dripping as the battered 

electric fan in the corner 

struggled to provide ventilation. 

“I can make you shoes that 

will make you feel like one, 

all you have to add is a little 

attitude,” he said, pointing to 

a picture strategically tacked 

on his display wall of a local 

action movie star wearing one 

of his designs. Gregorio is one 

of the movers of the Philippine 

capital’s underground 

fashion haven that operates 

semi-legally in two pedestrian 

tunnels on Recto boulevard, 

where you can find many of 

the city’s universities. 

Over the decades, their tiny 

stalls and cubicles have come 

to symbolise defiance of an 

industry obsessed with ultraexpensive 

signature labels 

favoured by Manila’s social 

elite. The tunnels’ strategic location 

has helped clothiers and 

expert craftsmen gain a cult 

following among mostly college 

students short on cash but 

high on fashion sense. 

Shops here sell anything 

from jeans, boots and leather 

garments, accessories such as 

beads and bracelets, to school 

and office uniforms and athletic 

gear at friendly prices. Designs 

patterned after popular 

THE COMPUTER HELPER 

By Jay Dougherty 

first entry that appears. Or, if 

you’re using Windows XP, open 

the Control Panel and doubleclick 

the Scheduled Tasks icon. 

Once the task scheduler 

starts, add a new task. When, 

in the course of adding the task, 

you are asked which application 

you want Windows to run, 

click the Browse button, and 

browse to Windows and then 

Shoemaker Julius Gregorio dusting off shoes for sale at a pedestrian tunnel in Manila. — AFP 

American brands are perennial 

top sellers, although those 

seeking a personal touch can 

bring their own designs while 

most retailers offer their own 

cutting-edge concepts. 

Price tags range from 300 

to 400 pesos ($6 to $9) for a 

pair of denim jeans, while 

cowhide boots can cost up to 

$93. This season’s hot tickets 

are colourful basketball jerseys 

to be worn in summer 

leagues organised by various 

athletic organisations in a 

country addicted to the sport. 

“I often go here to get my 

clothes done,” said Pauline 

Banigued, a 23-year-old communications 

major at one of 

the nearby universities, as she 

had her measurements taken 

from a tailor for a blouse. 

“They are not exactly fashion 

runway material, but they 

suit my taste just the same.” 

The shops began operating 

illegally in the 1970s but city 

the System32 subfolder. Within 

Sytem32, you will find shutdown.exe. 

Double click that to 

add it to the task scheduler, and 

complete the task scheduling 

wizard. 

When you’ve finished adding 

the task, right-click the new 

task name, and select Properties 

from the pop-up menu. In the 

resulting Properties dialog box, 

hall long ago gave up the fight 

to evict them, instead allowing 

them to thrive informally in 

exchange for token electricity 

and rent payments. The subterranean 

industry has survived 

globalisation and the influx 

of foreign brands sold in airconditioned 

department stores 

and malls that are ubiquitous 

across the megalopolis of 12 

million people. 

A powerful storm in 2009 

that triggered Manila’s worst 

flooding in 40 years threatened 

to shut them down for good 

with the tunnels completely 

submerged, but demand for 

their services remained high 

and they soon returned. Veteran 

tailor Ruben Rosal, 59, 

began in the tunnels making 

just denim jeans, but diversified 

over the years to meet 

customer demand. 

“People go to us and ask us 

to make them blouses, skirts, 

even school and office uni- 

place the mouse cursor at the 

end of the command in the Run 

text box, add a space, and then 

type “‘r,” without the quotation 

marks. The “‘r” means that the 

shutdown command should restart 

your computer rather than 

shutting it down. While you are 

in the Properties dialog box, you 

can also click the Schedule tab 

to fine-tune when the automated 

restart procedure occurs. 

How can I create a batch 

file to launch a bunch of programs 

at one time? 

Batch files have been around 

since the days of DOS, and 

Windows still recognises them 

as special files intended to deliver 

a series of commands that 

should be executed in succession. 

Opening a series of programs 

consecutively is one way 

to use batch files. 

Start by opening Notepad, 

which you’ll find by opening 

the Start menu and typing 

“notepad.” A blank text editing 

window appears. On the first 

line, type “@echo off,” without 

the quotation marks. On the 

next line, type the word “start,” 

again without quotation marks. 

forms,” said Rosal, 59, amid 

the distant rumble of automobile 

engines overhead and as 

flourescent lights flickered in 

his shop. 

Rosal learned his craft from 

his older brother, Danny, who 

channelled his creative juices 

from photography to clothing 

design in the late 1970s. They 

named their shop Crazy Horse 

Jeans to capitalise on spaghetti 

westerns that were the rage 

in Hollywood then, and the 

catchy label stuck. 

Rosal’s family now owns 

four shops, and the earnings 

from the business have paid 

for the education of his five 

children, all of whom now 

have university degrees. “I’ve 

been a farmer and a fisherman 

in the province, but this 

is what I do best. I have made 

clothes for all sorts of people, 

and I feel happy when they 

come back because they are 

satisfied,” he said. — AFP 

Add a space. Then, within quotation 

marks, add the full path 

and filename of the executable 

used to launch your program. 

You can find this information 

by right-clicking the shortcut 

(or icon) that you normally use 

to launch the application, selecting 

Properties from the pop-up 

menu, and from the Shortcut 

tab of the resulting dialog box, 

copying the text that appears in 

the Target box. Paste that text, 

including quotation marks, just 

after the space you added after 

the word “start.” Here’s an 

example of how the final line 

should look: start “C:’Program 

Files’Adobe’Acrobat 

9.0’Acrobat’Acrobat.exe” Create 

a new “start” line for the 

next application you’d like to 

launch, and repeat the procedure 

above to complete the line. Add 

a new line for each application 

you would like to start. 

Now save the file on your 

Windows desktop with a name 

such as “myapps.bat.” Be sure 

to include the “.bat” after the 

name of the file. Otherwise 

Windows will not know how 

to run it. When you’re finished, 

double-clicking the myapps. 

bat file on your desktop should 

launch all of the programs listed 

in it automatically. — dpa 

January Jones is pregnant 

CTRESS January Jones is pregnant with her first child, 

A but has not revealed who the father of her baby is. The 

Mad Men actress whose relationship with Saturday Night 

Live star Jason Sudeikis ended in January after around six 

months of dating is due to give birth to her first child in the 

autumn, reports femalefirst.co.uk. 

“January Jones is happy to announce that she is expecting 

her first child this fall,’ said her spokesperson. A friend 

of the star insisted she is not worried about raising the child 

alone. “She’s really looking forward to this new chapter in 

her life as a single mum,” said a source. 

Perry hates costume changes 

SINGER Katy 

Perry who wore 

16 different outfits 

on her latest tour has 

complained she hates 

the constant costume 

changes. “I have seen 

cooking shows where 

they are trussing up a 

turkey and that’s what 

I feel like — strings 

and bows and stitching 

up,” femalefirst. 

co.uk quoted Perry as 

saying. 

“My knees are 

messed up with scars and bruises, so I’m wearing very 

thick granny stockings to hide all that. There are jabs from 

safety pins. And certainly there’s not a lot of room for modesty 

when the dressers are clawing at you and watching 

the clock to the split second that I have to go back on,’ she 

added. Perry’s recent costumes include dresses made of 

cupcakes and wild feathers and a candy-coloured basque. 

Sambora quits Bon Jovi tour 

GUITARIST Richie Sambora is opting out of upcoming 

Bon Jovi tour to re-enter rehabilitation centre. 

Sambora’s bandmates will resume the Bon Jovi Live trek in 

New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday without the troubled 

guitarist as he is looking for an undisclosed facility to seek 

treatment for alcohol addiction and exhaustion, according 

to TMZ.com. 

“Our support for 

Richie is absolute. He 

is, and will remain, a 

member of Bon Jovi. 

Although he will be 

absent from upcoming 

shows for the 

time being, we very 

much look forward 

to his healthy return. 

In the meantime, we 

will keep our commitment 

to our fans 

and continue our tour, 

“daily star quoted the 

source as saying. 

The guitarist is 

struggling to cope 

with his divorce from actress Heather Locklear and the 

passing of his father. 

Mel B’s pregnancy hunger 

SINGER Mel B who is five months pregnant with her 

third child admits she constantly feels hungry when 

she is expecting a baby. The former “Spice Girls” singer 

is currently expecting her third child and the 35-year-old 

star who also has daughters Phoenix, 12, and Angel, four, 

from previous relationships and is stepmother to husband 

Stephen Belafonte’s daughter Giselle, six, thinks she will 

end up the size of a “house” before she gives birth in four 

months time, reports femalefirst.co.uk. 

“Every pregnancy is different but one guarantee is I go 

like a house,” she said. “What can I say, I like eating. I 

think that when you’re pregnant, you kind of eat what you 

want, when you want. Mine is all day long and all night 

long. But I don’t mind,” she added. — IANS

R 

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OMAN DAILY Observer SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

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etc. Contact Nos. 00968- 

23211360/ 23211367. 

Fax: 00968-23211844. 

GSM: 99880007. E-mail: 

gharbia@omantel.net.om 

V 

EHICLE FOR SALE 

OLD Hummer NPK 

(used) for CAT 320CL, 

Call 99361707 

BLOCK Trailer MAN 

26 tonne, model 95 

with Hiab140K crane. 

97092070, 

97681753. 

SEWAGE vehicle, 

model 2007, 5000 Gallon 

capacity for sale 

99242984. 

B 

VACANCY 

WE are buying cars 

in cash. Contact 

95921203. 

L 

UYING CARS 

OST 

ZIAUL Haque 

Abdulkashem has lost 

Bangladeshi Passport 

No: A - 0192659. Finder 

please handover to ROP. 

Sulaiman Awlad Thani: 95181747 

Ali al Maashari: 99639264 

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

S 

14 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

Available on very GOOD prices 

HP P1102 Laser Printer 

RO 31.900 only 

HP F1050 3 in 1 Printer 


HP B 209 Photosmart Printer 


Samsung ML 1660 Laser Printer 


AII HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung 

Cartridges also available. 

COMPUTER SUPPLIES 

Ruwi: 24 792-792 

Sohar: 2684 2420 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

ERVICES SERVICES 

HOOPOE Smartcard 

Services near Gulf 

Transport Co, Ruwi. 

Typing of all Labour 

Agreements for Omanis 

& expatriates & all 

documents related to 

Ministry of Manpower, 

Immigration & ROP. 

24793331, Ruwi. 

GSM: 95959838. 

Al Fahad Translation 

Services 

Near Gulf Transport 

Co, Ruwi, Translation 

of all kinds of 

documents. 

24794286 Ruwi, 

GSM: 99231500 

Landrail Smartcard 

Services 

Dohat Al Adab Street 

Near Used Car 

Showroom 



& Expatriates & 

All documents related 

to Ministry 

of Manpower, 

Immigration, ROP etc 

24487759, Al 

Khuwair, GSM: 

96777170 

Landrail Trading & 

Services Co. 

Near Gulf Transport 

Co, Ruwi 



& Expatriates & All 

documents related to 

Ministry of Manpower, 

Immigration, ROP etc. 

24789117, 

Fax: 24780244 

GSM: 99231500 

Website: www. 

brightplanettrading. 

com, E-mail: 

bptland@gmail. 

com/salim@ 

brightplanettrading. 

com 

MARBLE 

CRYSTALLISATION, 

restore the original shine 

of your marble 

24792998/99314807. 

MAINTENANCE: 

1. AC, fridge & washing 

machine servicing & 

repairing. 2. Painting, 

plumbing, electrical 

& carpentry works 

97014234, 24504281 

A 

CCOM AVAILABLE 

SHARING for family in 

Hamriya. Khalid 

99639211. 

FOR executive 

bachelors or couples in 

SHARADI MABELLAH 

99560589. 

P.C.O. (PEST 

CONTROL OMAN 

CO. LLC) 

Professionals who 

specialise in all types 

of Pest Control 

Services & Snake 

control and Guaranteed 

Termite Control. Also 

available Gel treatment 

for Cockroaches. 

Suppliers of UK 

Pesticides Chemicals, 

Snake Repellent, 

Cockroach Gels and 

Peripel treated 

Mosquito Nets. 

24787606, 

24787503, 

Fax: 24787607. 

TRANSFER and 

installation of 

furniture with 

packaging. 

92118538 

OR RENT/SALE/INVT 

DIRECT: 24649594 - FAX : 24649590 

e-mail: classified@omandaily.om 

AFAQ WADI AL-MA’AWIL LLC 

CRANE (35 - 80 Ton) 

DOZER 

LOAD/ALL 

GRADER 

EXCAVATOR 

BACK HOE/LOADER 

FUEL TANKER 

SEWAGE TANKER 

WATER TANKER 

CONTACT: 99310448 /99333506 /24505994 

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

F 

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

MARBLE polishing and 

crystallisation building, 

cleaning floor, floor 

polishing, carpet, sofa 

shampooing, pest 

control, anti-termite, 

shifting, maintenance. 

99504275. 

CARPET, sofa 

shampooing, 

GUARANTEED 

CLEANING 

24793614/99314807 

INDUSTRIAL and 

commercial land at Al 

Maabela, Rusayl, 

Barka, Al Amerat and 

Quriyat. 95113217, 

95490842, 99323957, 

24453352. 

G 

UEST HOUSE 

MURAHIB 

HOTEL 

APARTMENTS 

welcome our 

valuable GUESTS 

to our excellent 

location, 

AL KHUWAIR, 

near AL ZAWAWI 

MOSQUE, a single 

bedroom, a bedroom 

& majlis, two 

bedrooms & majlis 

24478087, 

Fax: 24482454. 

QURUM BEACH 

HOTEL. 24564070. 

al-haditha 

centre 

G 

F 

for vehicles repairing 

High quality maintenance and repairing for 

all kinds of light and heavy vehicles 

(A certified workshop from ROP, Grade A) 

Telephone: 24595951, 95306257. 

OOD NEWS 

FREE 

INFORMATION 

ABOUT ISLAM 

If you would like to 

know more about 

Islam, please call: 

Tel : 99425598, 

96050000, 99353988, 

99253818, 99341395, 

99379133, 

For ladies: 99415818, 

99321360, 99730723 

Or visit: 

www.islamfact.com 

OR SALE 

INDUSTRIAL land 

1,400 sq m in Madam 

Al Roudha, Dubai. 

99323957, 

95490842. 

5,000 sq m at Al 

Amerat (Al-Mhaj). 

First line from dual 

carriage way. Suitable 

for showrooms or 

petrol station. 

95557222, 

99251777. 

FOR interested people 

Residental/commercial 

land at Ruwi next 

Minisrty of Sport 

Affairs, on the corner, 

behind oman oil petrol 

station, 1,570 m/sq 

approval permission to 

establish a hotel, 

(directly from the 

owner). 92340989. 

WELL equipped 

running Ayurvedic 

Clinic in Shatti Al 

Qurum. 99693305. 

H/D STEEL racks for 

store. 99715865/ 

96609864. 

JCB Breaker (only 

breaker) — 3 Nos. 

4000IG Fuel tanker — 

1 No. 99310448. 

FOR NRIs. 5 cents land 

for sale in Mahe 

(Pallor) Kannur Dist, 

Kerala. Contact: 

95705857 (Muscat) 

or 91 9645179733 

(Mahe-Kerala). No 

brokerage. 

SPECIAL occasion 

— excellent 

investment: 

CASTLE in 

SWITZERLAND 

for sale with lake 

view, 20,000 sq m. 

Hotel or for private 

use. Fully equipped 

and renovated with 

great historical 

value. Contact: 

96441968. 

agugolz@bluewin. 

ch 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Continued on P-15 

F 

O 

R 

H 

I 

R 

E

Photographer recalls 

the ‘magical’ day 

LONDON — Prince William 

and Kate were “buzzing with 

happiness” on their wedding 

day, and their evening reception 

was a “magical” affair 

with “hysterical” speeches, 

their photographer revealed 

yesterday. 

Millie Pilkington, a friend 

of the bride’s family, took informal 

pictures of the new 

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 

after the ceremony at 

Westminster Abbey, which will 

be kept private for the couple 

to remember the event. 

“They were drawn to each 

other magnetically throughout 

the day. Their love for 

each other was so evident. 

Everyone could see it. They 

just looked like they had been 

made for each other,” she said 

yesterday. 

“They were buzzing with 

happiness and seemed to be 

S 

A FEMALE, Bachelor 

of English Literature is 

looking for a suitable 

teaching job in one of 

private colleges. Contact: 

96456688. 

having the best day of their 

lives, as indeed we all were.” 

Despite the millions of 

people watching her all over 

the world, Pilkington said 

Kate had an “air of calm and 

serenity” throughout the day, 

adding: “They just looked so 

relaxed and happy with each 

other. It was wonderful.” 

After the formal photographs 

were taken of the couple 

and they made their appearance 

on the balcony of 

Buckingham Palace to kiss 

before the cheering crowds 

below, Pilkington shadowed 

the newlyweds for most of the 

reception. 

She captured some “lovely, 

informal, intimate shots that I 

hope they will treasure forever”, 

she said. 

In the evening, the 39-yearold 

photographer said, “it 

became the wonderful, inti- 

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in a leading company. 

Admin/HR & other 

experiences. 

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mate family affair, the family 

wedding that I photograph all 

the time”. 

Pilkington said Kate was 

“very sweet”, recalling: “She 

said ‘If you don’t want to photograph 

in the evening, please 

don’t. Put your camera down, 

relax, have a good time, you’re 

here as a guest, and enjoy it’. 

“But to be a photographer 

and to be surrounded by that 

much beauty, the location, 

all these stunning guests, I 

couldn’t stop, so I photographed 

all night and to the 

early hours of the morning.” 

Asked about the speeches, 

she said: “They were hysterical, 

absolutely hysterical.” 

Pilkington said the evening 

party was “almost more magical” 

than the rest of the day, 

adding: “The whole thing was 

incredible.” 

More than 24 million view- 

CHARTERED Accountant 

having 19 years experience 

including 11 years in 

GCC, looking for a 

suitable position. Contact: 

95215241 

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

Location: OEPPA HEAD OFFICE, Medinat Al Alam, 

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

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

15 

BRITAIN/CLASSIFIEDS 



PRINCE William and Kate with front row (L-R): Grace van Cutsem, Eliza Lopes, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, Margarita Armstrong-Jones, 

Louise Windsor and William Lowther-Pinkerton and back row (L-R): Tom Pettifer, Camilla, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, 

Michael Middleton, Carole Middleton, James Middleton and Philippa Middleton. — AFP 

ers in Britain watched the 

royal wedding on terrestrial 

television, according to early 

estimates from the BBC yesterday. 

The broadcaster, which 

provided the official feed for 

B Tech Electrical 

engineer seeking 

a suitable job. 

94005950. 

INDIAN male, 3 years 

experience in AutoCad, 

Civil Draughtsman, seeks 

for suitable job. 

96387042. 

20 YEARS Oman 

experienced male, 

who is able to introduce 

full fledged accounting 

procedures and system & 

could manage the day to 

day affairs of the 

whole accounts 

department & 

administration, seeking 

for a suitable placement, 

part-time or full-time 

97221993. 

MCA, 9 years experience, 

Oracle 9i/10g, PL/SQL, 

Forms, Reports, Java, 

seeks suitable placement. 

99564639. 

the marriage, said 24.5 million 

watched the event on BBC 

channels and ITV, which made 

up more than 99 per cent of the 

terrestrial TV audience. 

The estimate puts the 

wedding in the top 10 of pro- 

INDIAN female software 

engineer with S/W testing 

knowledge and proficiency 

in technical support with 

IBM experience. Seeks 

suitable placement. Contact 

99814320 e-mail: 

romy_reynold@yahoo. 

co.in 

CHARTERED Accountant, 

Indian female, with more 

than 4 years experience 

of Banking (Nationalised 

Bank), finance, audit, 

accounts and reports of 

financial statements, MIS, 

is looking for a suitable 

placement. Currently in 

Oman. 97849892, 

99877305 e-mail: 

unigenre@yahoo.com 

MBA Finance, 11 years 

experience (Financial 

statements, inventory, 

budgeting, payroll, Oracle 

11i) Now on family visa, 

looking for a suitable 

placement. 96364241. 

grammes ever watched in 

Britain, although more people 

watched England’s victorious 

1966 World Cup final and the 

funeral of William’s mother 

Diana in 1997. 

The current population of 

IMBA Finance, LLB, 

Indian male, 5 years 

experience as finance & 

admin manager with 

Omani D/L, seeks suitable 


B TECH/MBA — 

Marketing with 2 years 

experience in Sales and 

Marketing, now working 

as senior executive 

manager in a leading 

MNC in India, on visit 

visa, seeks suitable 


E-mail: beffin@gmail.com 

INDIAN driver, having 

valid Oman driving 

licence, 5+years GCC 

experience, seeks suitable 

placement. Contact 

93054924. 

INDIAN male, M.Com/ 

MBA (finance), 32 years, 

experience of 4 years in 

Gulf/India as accountant, 

administrator on visit visa. 

Contact 95309741, 

92880150. e-mail: 

psnair1808@gmail.com 

IRAQI Civil Engineer 

with 10 years experience 

(4 years in Oman) with 

masters degree in civil 

engineering. 

95612180. 

ZAJEL weekly magazine evry saturday along with OMAN DAILY 

for advertising contact 

Mobile 96224397 95181747 

Tel 24649593 Fax 24649590 Email zajeloman@yahoocom 

Britain is about 62 million. 

Government ministers 

had estimated that two billion 

people would watch the 

wedding on television worldwide. 

Record numbers of people 

YOUNG, dynamic 

Sudanese female graduate 

in BSc Business with 2½ 

years experience in USA 

and Oman, seeks job in 

admin, HR, Business 

Development. Release 

available. 98591626. 

INDIAN female, computer 

Engg, looking for suitable 

job in admin, HR, IT, back 

office, 2 yrs exp as quality 

analyst. Contact: 

92597626. 

BTECH/MBA — Finance 

(29) presently working in 

Industrial Finance division 

of a leading nationalised 

bank in India is looking for 

a suitable post. Knowledge 

of Peoplesoft 8.9 

implementation, C,C++, 

oracle9i, SQR etc. Contact: 

98416190. 

INDIAN male 25 years on 

visit visa having Master 

of Science degree in 

petroleum engineering 

from University of New 

South Wales Australia. 

Possessing good subject 

knowledge in Reservoir/ 

production operations, 

seeks suitable placement in 

Oman. Contact: 

95701429. e-mail: 

ramakrishnanh2020@ 

yahoo.com 

also watched it streamed live 

on the Internet, and the interest 

caused trouble for the BBC 

website, which flashed up error 

messages during the ceremony 

saying it was experiencing 

“abnormal traffic”. — AFP 

UK wedding leaves Australian media in a royal flush 

SYDNEY — The royal nuptials 

blanketed Australian media yesterday, 

with dozens of souvenir 

pages devoted to every imaginable 

aspect of Kate and Wills’ 

“uncommon journey to love”. 

More than 4.4 million Australians 

tuned in to watch their 

future king Prince William wed 

Kate Middleton, a much-hyped 

event that received wall-to-wall 

television coverage and was 

celebrated with parties across 

the nation. 

The 1981 marriage of William’s 

parents, Charles and 

Diana, drew six million viewers, 

an audience only topped by 

major sporting events such as 

the Sydney Olympics closing 

ceremony, which was watched 

by 8.7 million people. 

Newspapers declared the 

wedding a “spectacular” success 

for the royal family, with 

pictures of the couple’s balcony 

kiss splashed across the front 

pages under headlines such as 

“Love is in the heir” and “Once 

upon a time.” 

Souvenir pullout sections 

picked over every detail, applauding 

Middleton’s dress and 

the ceremony’s subtle tributes 

to Diana. 

“Beaming with happiness 

and radiant with love, a remarkably 

relaxed William and 

Catherine Middleton looked 

like the university sweethearts 

they were and the modern royals 

they are,” said the Daily Telegraph 

tabloid under the headline 

“An uncommon journey to 

love”. 

Noting that Middleton was 

the “first non-aristocrat in almost 

500 years to marry a future 

king of England,” The Australian 

described the wedding as a 

coup for “Monarchy Inc” which 

would “revive fortunes of (the) 

family firm.” 

“The monarchy remains capable 

of stumbling into scandal 

at any moment, but the wedding 

... shows it has taken cues from 

corporate and celebrity image 

makers in a bid to more carefully 

craft its future,” The Australian 

said. 

The Sydney Morning Herald 

also noted the modern touch, 

describing a service “that entwined 

the most imposing 

ceremonial traditions of the 

1,000-year-old English monarchy 

with the quicksilver immediacy 

of the digital age.” 

Though the guests, fashions 

on show and gossip were 

top billing, the economic boost 

from the event and even its carbon 

footprint — more than 10 

times Buckingham Palace’s annual 

emissions — were poured 

over in detail. 

Prime Minister Julia Gillard 

received mixed reviews for 

her blue-and-white ensemble 

but was “warmly received” by 

Queen Elizabeth II for a private 

audience during festivities, according 

to Australian press in 

KATE’S sister Philippa Middleton leaves The Goring 

Hotel in central London yesterday. — Reuters 

ITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED 

INDIAN Engineer, 

BE (Civil), working as 

Senior Manager, having 

20 years experience in 

Oman, seeks suitable 

placement. Contact: 

98839709. 

QUALIFIED Finance 

Manager with almost 

10 years experience 

in manufacturing, 

contracting and trading 

companies, looking for 

an immediate placement. 

Contact: 96341326. 

London. 

Unmarried and a staunch republican 

who believes Australia 

should appoint its own head of 

state once Elizabeth dies, it was 

Gillard’s first meeting with the 

Queen as leader. 

Half of all New Zealanders 

tuned in to coverage of the 

royal wedding, prompting republicans 

to concede yesterday 

that Prince William and Kate 

Middleton’s marriage would set 

back their cause. 

Prime Minister John Key, 

who attended the wedding at 

Westminster Abbey, said the 

royal marriage would strengthen 

ties between New Zealand 

and Britain. 

According to a Nielsen 

TAM poll, 2.2 million viewers 

in the land of 4.4 million people 

watched the wedding at some 

stage during the marathon fivehour 

coverage. 

Viewers of the actual nuptials 

were predominately wom- 

en (64 per cent), and the wedding 

easily outrated coverage 

on rival channels of the New 

Zealand Breakers winning the 

Australian Basketball League 

final and Super 15 rugby. 

The wedding also dominated 

yesterday newspapers with Key 

quoted as saying the royal couple 

was keen to visit New Zealand 

although it was not their 

honeymoon destination. 

“The first thing Kate said to 

me was she wants to visit New 

Zealand. So, very keen to come 

down, so hopefully we can encourage 

her to come and visit us 

sometime very soon,” Key said. 

But he was sure they will not be 

honeymooning in New Zealand 

“from something the Queen 

said to me the other day.” 

The pro-royalty organisation 

Monarchy New Zealand 

said interest in the royal wedding 

highlighted the enduring 

importance of the institution to 

New Zealanders. 

“I thought it was fantastic, 

a great celebration,” said Monarchy 

New Zealand chairman 

Simon O’Connor who watched 

coverage of the wedding with 

300 people. 

“This is good for the monarchy, 

(it) brought attention back 

to why it is something we enjoy 

being part of.” 

Even New Zealand Republican 

Movement chairman Lewis 

Holden watched the wedding 

and found it “an amazing spectacle”, 

adding it would likely 

cause a dip in support for his 

organisation. 

“What we know from Australia 

(is) the support for the 

monarchy has gone up, but 

people are saying this has put 

republicanism back 50 years, I 

think that’s overstated it quite 

a bit, maybe five years — who 

knows?” 

Key said the wedding would 

strengthen ties between New 

Zealand and Britain. — AFP 

INDIAN executive having 

15 yrs of experience in 

sales and marketing of 

various products, having 

driving licence and 

release is looking for a 

suitable position. Presently 

working for a food stuff 

company and I can shoulder 

bigger responsibility 

and give positive results. 

97905735. 

INDIAN male, BA 

graduate, having 19 years 

experience (3 years in 

Oman) as commercial exe/ 

secretary/exp & import 

documentation/storekeeper, 

seeks suitable 

position. Contact: 

98178614. 

ACCOUNTANT, Indian 

(M), 15 years experience 

in finance/accounts 

(finalisation/Admin/HR 

in India, UAE, Africa, 

Oman (currently) in 

contracting/manufacturing/ 

consultancy, seeks 

immediate placement. 

Contact 97655759. 

CLASSIFIED 

SECTION 

RUWI: 

24785668

FLIGHT LIGHT SSCHEDULE 

CHEDULE 

ARRIVALS — SUNDAY 

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WY624 ATR42 Al Ain 2300 

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QUOTATION FOR TODAY 

The limitation of riots, moral 

questions aside, is that they cannot 

win and their participants know it. 

Hence, rioting is not revolutionary but 

reactionary because it invites defeat. 

It involves an emotional catharsis, 

but it must be followed by a sense of 

futility. — Martin Luther King, Jr 

CINEMA 

FILM INFORMATION 

AL BAHJA CINEMA: 

24540856, 24540855. 

AL NASR CINEMA: 

24831358, 24831809 (after 3pm) 

AL SHATTI PLAZA: 

24607360, 24692656 (after 2pm) 

STARS CINEMA: 

24791641, 24792360 

MAJLIS A’SHURA 

ADDRESSES 

Keep in touch with Majlis Ash’shura’s 

news. 

Log on to the Majlis’s website: 

www.shura.om 

and the Majlis’s 

e-mail: info@shura.om 

Or write to the Majlis’s postal address: 

P O Box 981 

Postal Code 111, Muscat 

Tel: 24510344 / 24521427/ 

Fax 24510560 

INFORMATION 

MINISTRY WEBSITES 

Ministry: www.omanet.om 

Oman TV: 

www.oman-tv.gov.om 

Oman Radio: 

www.oman-radio.gov.om 

Omani Centre for Traditional Music: 

www.octm-folk.gov.om 

OMAN RADIO 

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

Morning Programme, Weather Forecast and Pharmacies 

on Duty; 6.15 Good Morning Oman; 7.00 News Bulletin; 

7.10 Good Morning Oman (Sat-Wed) with What the Paper 

Says; 9.00 News Headlines; 9.02 Piano; 10.00 Instrumental 

Music; 11.00 Light Classical Music; 12.00 News Headlines, 

12.02 Midday Edition (Live) Sat-Wed; 2.00 Around the 

World in 30 mins; 2:25 Jungle — On Road with 90.4 — 

Sat-Wed; 2.30 News Bulletin; 2.40 Sports (Faiq) Daily 

except Thu & Fri; 2:50 Mix Music Except Thu & Fri; 3.00 

Words in Action — Judith Repeat on Monday; 6.00; 3.15 

Radio Station Jingles and Programmes; 3.25 Mix Music; 

3.30 Juze Cafe (Repeat); 4.00 News Headlines; 4.02 Juze 

Cafe (Repeat); 6.00 Let’s Talk Business — Nisham Repeat 

of Sat 3.00 & Fri 2pm. 6.20 Radio Station Jingles and 

Programmes; 6.30 News Bulletin; 6.40 Mix Music Except 

Thu & Fri; 7.00 The Oasis Live; 8.00 News Headlines; 8.02 

Oman in Focus (5 mins) Daily; 8.07 The Oasis Live; 10.00 

News Bulletin; 10.10 Love Songs; 11.15 Mix Music; 12.40 

News Summary; 12.45 The Holy Quran; 01.00 National 

Anthem, Close Down. 

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WY221 B737-8 Cochin 0120 

WY660 B737-8 Hyderabad 0120 

WY201 B737-8 Bombay 0130 

WY281 B737-8 Bangalore 0135 

WY115 A330 Frankfurt 0140 

NL668 B737-2 Sialkot 0215 

WY271 B737-8 Jaipur 0220 

WY133 A330 Paris 0225 

WY327 B737-8 Lahore 0230 

PK230 B737-7 Sialkot 0230 

BG022 A310 Chittagong-Dacca 0315 

EK867 A330 Dubai 0500 


QR171 A320 Doha 0550 


RJ601 ERJ195 Amman 0700 

WY603 B737-8 Dubai 0730 

WY291 B737-8 Calicut 0800 

FZ044 B737-8 Dubai 0840 

IX142C B737-8 Amritsar 0855 

WY311 B737-8 Chittagong 0905 

NL772 B737-2 Peshawar 0930 

WY243 B737-8 Delhi 0950 

WY323 B737-8 Karachi 1000 

WY263 B737-8 Lucknow 1000 


WY663 B737-8 Doha-Bahrain 1040 

WY203 B737-8 Bombay 1040 

WY605 B737-8 Dubai-Abu Dhabi 1040 

EK863 A330 Dubai 1045 

G9114 A320 Sharjah 1045 


WY905 B737-8 Salalah 1100 

9W533 B737-8 Cochin 1125 

IX554 B737-8 Cochin-Trivandrum 1200 

WY401 B737-8 Cairo 1200 

WY701 B737-8 Dar-es-Salaam 1210 

WY421 B737-8 Amman-Beirut 1300 

WY101 A330 London Heathrow 1305 


WY607 B737-8 Dubai 1400 

IX350 B737-8 Calicut 1405 


WY671 B737-8 Jeddah 1640 

WY907 B737-8 Salalah 1650 

IX141C B737-8 Abu Dhabi-Dubai 1715 

WY609 B737-8 Dubai 1800 

IC886 A320 Delhi 1800 

WY681 B737-8 Riyadh 1850 

MP097 B747F Sharjah-Hong Kong 1900 

WY647 B737-8 Kuwait 1900 


WY683 B737-8 Dammam 1915 

WY909 B737-8 Salalah 1920 

QR165 A321 Doha 1925 

G9118 A320 Sharjah 1935 

SV535 EMB170 Riyadh 2000 

WY669 B737-8 Doha 2005 

WY635 B737-7 Abu Dhabi 2010 

WY659 B737-8 Bahrain 2010 

WY623 ATR42 Al Ain 2015 

WY611 B737-8 Dubai 2030 

FZ048 B737-8 Dubai 2105 

TG508 A330 Karachi-Bangkok 2140 

IC924 A319 Madras 2300 

KL450 A330 Abu Dhabi-Amsterdam 2305 


QR169 A320 Doha 2335 


LH619 A340 Abu Dhabi-Frankfurt 2355 

CRYPTIC PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

3 Restriction in the use of 

shale (5) 

8 The animal takes a trip 

(5) 

10 Usefulness of an 

inaccurate throw (5) 

11 Vehicle useful in back 

tracking (3) 

12 Having given the prizes, 

he broke a bone and left 

(5) 

13 Though a companion 

brings the horses round, 

walks (7) 

15 For one to be in debt, is 

on the cards (5) 

18 The sloppy style in which 

some ladies kiss (3) 

19 Most comedians have the 

makings of a doctor (6) 

21 Literally landlords? (7) 

22 Periods of indefensible 

rashness (4) 

23 Thus, going on foot is 

quiet (4) 

24 Maybe one can but hail 

this swimmer (7) 

26 He’s left school, dear 

fellow! (3,3) 

29 Meg may be a little 

treasure (3) 

31 He’s only able to be 

unhappy! (5) 

32 Of pills, he may have 

many in a large box (7) 

34 Notes the range (5) 

35 Work with an electric tinopener 

(3) 

36 Wonderful Yank in a mac 

(5) 

37 Parson’s part of SW 

London? (5) 

38 In one version, can be 

infinitely discouraging 

(5) 

DOWN 

1 Parrot a masterly 

imitation of a crow (5) 

2 Goes round endlessly (7) 

4 Deity of cupidity? (4) 

5 Foreigners rooted to the 

spot? (6) 

6 Damaged his head getting 

TAURUS 

(April 21-May 20) 

Don’t feel obliged to return 

the hospitality of someone 

with whom you have little in common. 

To prolong the association will be of no 

benefit to either of you. 

GEMINI 

(May 21-June 21) 

Trust your partner to make 

a wise choice when buying 

an article for your common enjoyment. 

You know his good taste is a bye-word 

in the family with good reason. 

CANCER 

(June 22-July 21) 

Don’t jump to any conclusions 

about the motives and 

actions of a friend but wait until he is 

ready to give you a reasonable explanation 

of his behaviour. 

LEO 

(July 22-August 21) 

Don’t let jealousy cloud 

your judgement and make 

you see guilt where none exists. 

Examine the situation with an unbiased 

mind and you will find there is no cause 

for suspicion. 

16 

INFORMATION/LEISURE SUNDAY, MAY 1, 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 Belqees 24540622 

24424603 

Al Rimah Medical 

Center 24479664 

Al Sawaqam 

24815336 

Sur Sur 25545298 

Buraimi Al Shamsi 25650452 

Ibri Muscat 25689025 

Nizwa Basmat Nizwa 

25431060 

Salalah Abu Aldahab 

23291303 

NIGHT DUTY 

Muscat Al Salam 24537331 

Muscat 24421691 

Muscat 24497264 

Muscat 24702542 

Sur Muscat 25543660 

Buraimi Al Buraimi 25650392 

Ibri Al Aryaf Al Omania 

25689715 

Rustaq Bader Al Jashmi 

26876523 

Barka Barka 26882140 

Samayil Al Hurriya 25359435 

Nizwa Nizwa 25412323 

Salalah Al Hadeeqa 23292991 

KHOULA HOSPITAL VISITING HOURS 

Private & Other Wards 

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

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

ICU 

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

Holidays: 16:00-17:00 

Special Care Baby Unit 

Working Days: Parents may visit at any time. 

Weekends & Public Holidays: Parents may visit 

at any time 

CROSSWORD 

the dole, perhaps (5) 

7 Drunken sot, I see, 

showing little emotion (5) 

9 Standard of comparison 

(3) 

12 Shortly afterwards, 

foolishly deny tax (4,3) 

14 Topping thing to wear (3) 

16 Being prejudiced, he’ll 

leave a part out (5) 

17 Darling little children 

possessing nothing (5) 

19 Never the wrong chap to 

marry (2,5) 

20 Figures out how one is 

upset by poison (5) 

21 Praises the lads who 

aren’t in uniform (5) 

23 In brief, all woman! (7) 

24 Name a house for people 

(6) 

25 Be noted as an 

industrious type (3) 

27 If it’s colour you want, I 

may be within call (5) 

28 Ask to enter and get 

started! (5) 

30 To stare unduly is a 

bloomer! (5) 

32 Neat way to slice the last 

of the cake (4) 

33 It’s broken in a friendly 

manner (3) 

EASY PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

3 Hell (5) 

8 Skinflint (5) 

10 Black bird (5) 

11 Number (3) 

12 Transfer (5) 

13 Squash (7) 

15 Of sound (5) 

18 Decay (3) 

19 Threat (6) 

21 Tea urn (7) 

22 Type of duck (4) 

23 Untidy state (4) 

24 Snatched (7) 

26 Possessors (6) 

29 Illuminated (3) 

31 Liquid measure (5) 

32 Ties (7) 

34 Rants (5) 

35 Also (3) 

36 Yields (5) 

37 Mountain range (5) 

38 River-mouth (5) 

DOWN 

1 Heading (5) 

2 Fundamental (7) 

4 So be it (4) 

5 Rubber (6) 

6 Large room (5) 

7 Keepsake (5) 

9 Body of water (3) 

YOUR STARS 

VIRGO 

(August 22- 

September 22) 

If you have a problem on 

your hands rely more on your good 

judgement rather than on the luck that 

sometimes comes to your rescue. 

LIBRA 

(September 23- 

October 22) 

You will find it very irritating 

today to be held up in your plans by 

a person who does not seem to be able 

to make up his mind. 

SCORPIO 

(October 23- 

November 21) 

Plan your work carefully 

step by step until it is finished and you 

will thus avoid coming up against unexpected 

snags. 

SAGITTARIUS 

(November 22- 

December 21) 

Finish a complicated job in 

the morning as it will become more 

difficult to concentrate on it later in the 

day. 

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

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

Health Services Department 

Muttrah . . . . . .24797602 

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

SQH, Salalah .23211555 . . . .23211151 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 Deviations (7) 

14 Male cat (3) 

16 Nude (5) 

17 Stop (5) 

19 Glass spheres (7) 

20 Backless seat (5) 

21 Good person (5) 

23 Greenhouse gas (7) 

24 Lubricant (6) 

25 Section (3) 

27 Broaden (5) 

28 Strayed (5) 

30 Command (5) 

32 Examine (4) 

33 Conclude (3) 

YESTERDAY’S CRYPTIC 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 1, Ca-va-n 6, Oath-s 

9, V-ari-ous 10, Green 

11, T.-Hird 12, M-O-od-y 13, 

Winston 15, Rib 17, (com-) 

Edie(-s) 18, Pe-lot-a 19, Isles 

20, Go ho.-me 22, So-me 

24, Eat 25, Debated 26, Bo- 

W-er 27, M-in-US 28, Booby 

29, Rep-lies 30, Chard 

31, N-acre. 

DOWN: 2, Afr-aid 3, Averse 

4, Nan 5, Simon 6, Outdoes 

7, A-shy 8, H-e-rmit 12, Mor- 

S-e 13, W-edge 14, Nigh-t 

15, Robot 16, Bared 18, Pet-er 

19, I’m-posed 21, Oafish 

22, S-Amos-A 23, M-ember 

25, Della 26, Burr 28, Ben. 

YESTERDAY’S EASY 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 1, Crewe 6, 

Hobby 9, Anagram 10, Beard 

11, Lingo 12, Befit 13, 

Restore 15, Sea 17, Arch 18, 

Duress 19, Scoot 20, CanapŽ 

22, Sere 24, Hit 25, Admirer 

26, Marry 27, Sleek 28, Spoil 

29, Refusal 30, Usher 31, 

Dense. 

DOWN: 2, Reefer 3, Warmth 

4, End 5, Agree 6, Halibut 7, 

Omit 8, Bugles 12, Brace 

13, Ranch 14, Scent 15, 

Sever 16, Aster 18, Dowdy 

19, Speaker 21, Aisles 22, 

Simple 23, Relies 25, Argue 

26, Mere 28, Sad. 

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: Things haven’t been going so well for you recently but the coming year will show 

improvements all the way. They may be a little hard to see at first, but as time goes on you will feel your 

confidence gaining ground and things will start going your way in a most noticeable manner. 

CAPRICORN 

(Dec 22-January 20) 

Avoid taking any risks in a 

business deal particularly if 

you have others to consider beside 

yourself. Security has a lot to be said 

for it. 

AQUARIUS 

(January 21- 

February 19) 

Your pride in your work 

may be fully justified but you must not 

lose sight of the fact that you still have 

a great deal to learn. 

PISCES 

(February 20-March 20) 

An item offered you as a 

real bargain should be 

carefully valued as it may not be worth 

the price which is being asked. 

ARIES 

(March 21-April 20) 

Treat certain confidential 

information with caution 

and don’t count on its reliability. Check 

all the details and possible consequences 

before you come to a decision. 

OTHER HOSPITALS 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sinaw . . . . . . .25474338 

ACROSS 

1 Plant (6) 

5 Inquires (4) 

8 Cubicle (5) 

9 Compartment (3) 

10 Gaze (4) 

11 Heap (4) 

12 Icy (5) 

13 Knife (6) 

16 Rip (4) 

18 Selves (4) 

20 Limb (3) 

22 Number (3) 

23 Knight (3) 

24 Meditate (4) 

25 Shrub (4) 

28 Painting (6) 

30 Sheet (5) 

32 Virtuous (4) 

33 Against (4) 

34 Anger (3) 

35 Ski-run (5) 

36 Record (4) 

37 Book (6) 

DOWN 

1 Energy (6) 

2 Travellers (8) 

M USEUMS IN OMAN 

FAISAL BIN ALI AL SAID MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24641650 

MUSEUM OF OMANI HERITAGE, 

Tel: 24600946 

CHILDREN’S SCIENCE MUSEUM. 

Tel: 24605368 

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24641374 

NATIONAL MUSEUM, Tel: 24701289 

SULTAN’S ARMED FORCES 

MUSEUM, Tel: 24312646 

CURRENCY MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24796102 

MUSCAT GATE MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24739005. 

OMANI-FRENCH MUSEUM (Bait 

Fransa), Tel: 24736613 

BAIT AL ZUBAIR, Tel: 24736688 

BAIT A’NAMAN, Tel: 24641300 

SOHAR FORT MUSEUM. 

Tel: 26844758 

NAHKAL FORT, Tel: 26781384 

BAIT AL MAKHAM. Tel: 24641300 

BAIT ADAM MUSEUM, QURUM, 

Tel: 24605033, 24605013 

OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION 

CENTRE AND PLANE-TARIUM, 

Tel: 24677834. 

PLANETARIUM, Tel: 24675542. 

AQUARIUM at the Marine Science 

and Fisheries Centre (located next to 

Marina Bandar Rowdha, Sidab). 

SALALAH MUSEUM, Tel: 23294549 

CULTURAL CENTRE, Tel: 23294549. 

SUR MARITIME MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24541466. 

BAIT AL BARANDA, Tel: 24714262. 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

3 Oesophagus (6) 

4 Unburnable (9) 

5 Strove (7) 

6 Slide (4) 

7 Impart (4) 

8 Barrel (3) 

14 Reciprocate (9) 

15 Hairstyle (3) 

17 Tool (3) 

19 Estimating (8) 

20 Seabird (3) 

21 Pleasant-sounding 

(7) 

26 Stoat (6) 

CARTOONS 

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 

EMERGENCY 9 9 9 9 

DG of Passports & Residency, 24569603 

DG of Customs, 24714626 

Traffic offences, 24510227/228 

ROP Public Relations, 24569270 

Consumer Complaints Cell, 24817013 

Muscat Governorate Headquarters, 24560021 

Muscat, 24736611 

Wattayah, 24677990 

Ruwi, 24701099 

Muttrah, 24712211 

Bausher, 24600099 

Al Amerat, 24875999 

Qurayat, 24845555 

A’Seeb, 24420099 

Al-Athaiba, 24521099 

AI-Khodh, 24425012 

Directorate of the University Security, 24513999 

Directorate of Traffic Muscat, 24567898 

Al Batinah Headquarters, 26840096 

Al Rustaq Division, 26875099 

Al Dakhiliyah, 25425099 

Nizwa Division, 25425099 

Samayil Division, 25350099 

Al Sharqiyah Headquarters, 25545070 

Ibra Division, 25570100 

Al Dhahirah Headquarters, 25650099 

Al Buraimi Division, 25650199 

Ibri Division, 25689099 

Al Wusta Headquarters, 23436099 

Haima Division, 23436211 

Special Task Force, 24560088 

Coastguard Headquarters, 24714888 

Dhofar Governorate Headquarters, 23234599 

Salalah Police Station, 23290099 

Thamrait Division, 23279099 

Musandam Governorate Headquarters, 

26730299 

Khasab Division, 26731502 

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

net and 

e-mail: ropnet@omantel.net.om 

27 Show-off (6) 

29 Old (4) 

30 Dandies (4) 

31 Undivided (3) 

YESTERDAY’S 

QUICK SOLUTION 

ACROSS: 3, Curbs 9, 

Horror 10, Rivets 11, 

Scrap 12, Amid 15, Ache 

17, Paladin 20, Hot 21, 

Nadir 23, Step 25, Limb 

26, Soars 28, Cry 30, 

Eastern 33, Roam 35, 

Saga 36, Grids 38, Bikini 

39, Lollop 40, Upset. 

DOWN: 1, Cheap 2, 

Frail 3, Cos 4, Urchin 

5, Brag 6, Sip 7, Teach 

8, Asset 13, Maestro 14, 

Dares 16, Homburg 18, 

Nacre 19, Oil 22, Riots 

24, Pox 27, Saddle 28, 

Cribs 29, Yanks 31, Early 

32, Nappy 34, Drip 

36, Gnu 37, Sot. 

ADAM @ HOME by Brian Basset 

CALVIN AND HOBBES by Bill Watterson 

GARFIELD by Jim Davis 

STONE SOUP by Jan Eliot

17 SPORT 



Lorenzo on pole in Estoril 

ESTORIL, Portugal — Jorge Lorenzo 

will start on pole for today’s Portuguese 

MotoGP after topping the times 

in qualifying at the Estoril circuit here 

yesterday. 

The Yamaha rider secured his fourth 

consecutive pole at Estoril, at the expense 

of Italy’s Marco Simoncelli and 

fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa. 

Lorenzo, the reigning world champion, 

lines up on the back of success in 

his home grand prix in Jerez and a second-place 

finish behind Casey Stoner 

in the season-opening race in Qatar. 

He leads the overall standings by 

nine points from Honda’s Pedrosa with 

another Honda rider, Australian Stoner 

who failed to finish in Jerez, 22 points 

back in third. 

Stoner will start fourth on Sunday 

with Lorenzo’s Yamaha team-mate 

Ben Spies in fifth. 

Multiple former champion Valentino 

Rossi could only manage ninth on 

his Ducati. 

Lorenzo replaced Simoncelli, who 

suffered a late crash, at the head of the 

time sheet four minutes from the end of 

the hour-long session. 

This was his first pole of the season, 

his 17th in MotoGP and 43rd in all. 

The pole position lap time of 

1min 37.161sec was just over one 

tenth of a second faster than his 

SEOUL — Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and 

Australian Brett Rumford were in the driving 

seat at the Ballantine’s Championship yesterday 

before rain and the threat of lighting 

brought an early end to the third round. 

The weather forced players off the Blackstone 

Golf Club course near the South Korean 

capital just after the leaders had completed 

their front nine, tied on 10-under. 

The 33-year old Rumford fired an even-par 

36 with a bogey and a birdie and witnessed 

his overnight lead slip away as Jimenez holed 

three birdies to make the turn at 33. 

Rumford, chasing his fourth European Tour 

title at the event co-sanctioned by the European, 

Asian and Korean Tours, parred his first six 

holes before he bogeyed the seventh. 

The Australian recovered with a birdie on 

the eighth that brought him back for a share of 

the lead with Jimenez. 

“That was some tricky pins out there today. 

They were placed up on the top part of all the 

tiers and ridges, and it was pretty tricky trying 

to get on the right tier,” he said. 

“Obviously with the weather and the rain, 

there’s a lot of growth on the front nine which 

made the greens really slow. Speed was my 

biggest battle out there and I just have to stay 

patient and see what happens tomorrow.” 

Jimenez, 47, started the day with consecutive 

birdies at the first and second holes and 

added the third with a 15-foot put on the eighth. 

“I played very well in my first nine holes. I hit 

it very well and I’m happy with my three bird- 

WASHINGTON — The Tampa 

Bay Lightning struck down 

the Washington Capitals 4-2 in 

a physical Eastern Conference 

NHL semifinal series opener 

on Friday, while San Jose 

edged Detroit 2-1 in overtime 

in their Western opener. 

Following an early goal by 

Tampa Bay’s Sean Bergenheim 

the Capitals took control, 

drawing level before the end 

of the first through Alexander 

Semin and taking the lead early 

in the second period through 

Eric Fehr. 

Steve Downie’s pass deflected 

off the stick of Washington’s 

Scott Hannan late in 

the second period to tie it at 

2-2 and the Lightning regained 

the lead on Steve Stamkos’ 

power-play goal just before 

the intermission. 

The Lightning tightened 

up defensively in the third period 

and limited the Capitals to 

just five shots before Dominic 

Moore scored into an empty 

net in the final minute to complete 

the scoring. 

“It was definitely good to 

get that first game,” Tampa 

Bay captain Vinny Lecavalier 

said. 

YAMAHA MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo of Spain takes a curve at the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril yesterday. 

INSET: Lorenzo of Spain waves at the public after setting his pole position. — Reuters 

nearest challenger, Simoncelli. 

HAPPY HUNTING GROUND 

Jorge Lorenzo is the man to beat in 

the Portuguese MotoGP this weekend 

as Spain’s reigning world champion 

Jimenez, Rumford tied 

for lead at Ballantine’s 

BRETT Rumford in action at the 

Ballantine’s Championship. — AFP 

ies,” the pony-tailed Spaniard said. “Tomorrow’s 

a marathon with 27 holes to play but I’m 

feeling good.” 

Rhys Davies of Wales was in third place, 

two stokes behind with seven holes remaining, 

while England’s world No 1 Lee Westwood 

was tied for 11th, four strokes off the pace after 

12. — Reuters 

“It could have went either 

way tonight.” 

Tampa Bay netminder 

Dwayne Roloson held the 

Lightning close, making 21 

of his 26 saves in the opening 

two periods. 

“I think we just did what 

we’ve been doing all playoffs,” 

Stamkos said. “When 

we get the lead, we obviously 

want to maintain it and we’ve 

goes for his fourth consecutive win in 

Estoril. 

Lorenzo’s three straight wins in 

Estoril have all come from pole and 

the circuit has happy memories as he 

Watson takes charge in New Orleans 

NEW ORLEANS — Longhitting 

American Bubba 

Watson eagled the par-five 

11th for a second consecutive 

day on his way to a one-shot 

lead in the second round of 

the New Orleans Classic on 

Friday. 

Joint pacesetter overnight 

with Australian Matt Jones, the 

left-hander fired a four-underpar 

68 in dazzling sunshine at 

the TPC Louisiana and stayed 

in front of the late starters as 

the greens firmed up and wind 

strengthened in the afternoon. 

The 32-year-old Watson, 

from nearby Bagdad in the 

Florida panhandle, also recorded 

three birdies and a 

lone bogey to take control of 

the PGA Tour event with a 

10-under total of 134. American 

Josh Teater, a rookie on 

the circuit last year, briefly 

got to 11 under before doublebogeying 

the last for a 66 and 

second place. 

John Rollins carded a 69 

to lie third at eight under, a 

stroke in front of fellow Americans 

Jason Dufner (69), Webb 

Simpson (69) and Dean Wilson 

(64), plus Australians John 

Senden (67) and Jones (71). 

Watson, who clinched his 

second PGA Tour victory at 

been able to do that so far. 

“But they had a lot of good 

chances and they’ve got a lot 

of firepower on that team. We 

had a couple of good bounces 

tonight, Rollie (Roloson) made 

the Farmers Insurance Open 

in January, was delighted to be 

heading into the weekend in 

contention for another title. 

“This is what we strive to 

do,” the slim American told reporters. 

“We always want the 

pressure. We always want the 

nerves, the butterflies. We’re 

trying to win golf tourna- 

Lightning strike down Washington Capitals 

TAMPA Bay Lightning right wing Steve Downie (left) celebrates his goal over the 

Washington Capitals with team-mates during the second period of their NHL semifinal 

series in Washington on Friday. — Reuters 

claimed his first ever MotoGP here in 

2008. 

“The track has turned into a talisman 

for me...” he told the sport’s official 

website, motogp.com. — AFP 

some big saves when he had to 

and it was a good team effort.” 

Tampa Bay’s Simon Gagne 

left the game after his head 

bounced off the ice on a check 

by Hannan, while defenseman 

Pavel Kubina was also unable 

to finish the game due to a 

head injury. 

Washington defenseman 

John Carlson suffered a leg 

injury in the second period 

and played just one shift in the 

third. 

In San Jose, Red Wings 

captain Nicklas Lidstrom 

scored on a slapshot midway 

through the first period and 

Detroit tried to nurse the onegoal 

lead through the remainder 

their Western Conference 

semifinal opener. 

San Jose outshot Detroit 

by a two-to-one margin over 

the final two periods and Joe 

Pavelski scored the tying goal 

midway through the third period.In 

overtime, Benn Ferriero 

scored to seal the win for the 

Sharks. 

Results: Tampa Bay Lightning bt 

Washington Capitals 4-2 (Tampa 

Bay lead best-of-seven series 1-0); 

San Jose Sharks bt Detroit Red 

Wings 2-1 (San Jose lead bestof-seven 

series 1-0). — Reuters 

Grizzlies stun Spurs 

MEMPHIS — The Memphis 

Grizzlies sealed a stunning 

upset of top-ranked San Antonio 

Spurs in the first round 

of the NBA play-offs on Friday, 

beating the Spurs 99-91 

to clinch their series 4-2 at the 

FedEx Forum on Friday. 

“I’m pleased with where 

we are, but not satisfied from 

the perspective that we have an 

opportunity to do something 

really special,” said Grizzlies 

coach Lionel Hollins. 

“Not a lot of people knew 

about us coming in, but we certainly 

have made some noise 

and turned some heads and got 

some attention that probably 

wouldn’t have been given to us 

if we had lost this series. “We 

would have just been another 

No 8 seed losing to the No. 1 

seed. But I’m pleased with the 

way it turned out.” 

San Antonio scored the first 

points of the game but a 12-0 

run by Memphis forced the 

Spurs to chase the Grizzlies 

for much of the encounter. 

Despite trailing by as many 

as 12, San Antonio managed 

to grab the lead briefly at 80- 

79 with 4:39 remaining in the 

fourth quarter on a jump shot 

by Antonio McDyess. 

ments. “I’ve just putted really 

well, hit a lot of good tee shots 

and stayed out of the water as 

much as possible.” 

Asked if his strategy 

would change for the weekend, 

Watson replied: “No. If 

I could play the same the next 

two days, I have a great shot at 

winning.” 

WASHINGTON — Jason 

Marquis outduelled Tim 

Lincecum to pitch the Washington 

Nationals to a 3-0 win 

over the San Francisco Giants 

in the MLB at Nationals Park 

on Friday. 

Marquis pitched a complete 

game, allowing just five 

hits with seven strikeouts and 

not issuing a walk. 

“I never worry about the 

opposing pitcher other than 

when I step in the box,” Marquis 

said. 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s 

Cy Young or the fifth starter 

on any team, you still have 

to make pitches to keep your 

team in the game. I have to 

be on top of my game and not 

worry about what anybody 

else is doing.” 

Laynce Nix hit a two-run 

home run in the second inning 

to drive in Wilson Ramos. In 

the fifth inning Ian Desmond 

scored from second on a single 

by Marquis, who drove a 

chin-high fastball into the outfield 

to aid his cause. 

Lincecum nearly matched 

Marquis, allowing three runs 

on seven hits while striking 

out seven in seven innings 

However, they were unable 

to contain Zach Randolph 

down the stretch. 

Randolph scored 17 of his 

game-high 31 points in the 

BUBBA Watson hits his tee shot on the eighth hole during the second round of the 

Zurich Classic at the TPC Louisiana on Friday. — AFP 

TONY Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball 

during their game against the San Antonio Spurs in the 

NBA play-offs in Memphis on Friday. — AFP 

On Thursday, Watson 

eagled the 11th after hitting a 

booming 343-yard drive followed 

by a soaring six-iron 

over a cypress tree that landed 

32 feet from the pin. 

On Friday, he eagled the 

same hole after belting his tee 

shot 329 yards down the fairway, 

striking his second from 

without allowing a walk but 

was left ruing his knee-high 

changeup to Nix. “I should 

have known better with a lowball 

hitter,” Lincecum said. “I 

should have buried it.” 

Results: Toronto bt NY Yankees 5-3, 

Cleveland Indians bt Detroit Tigers 

9-5, Washiongton Nationals bt San 

Francisco Giants 3-0, Philadephia 

Phillies bt NY Mets 10-3, Florida 

Marlins bt Cincinnati Reds 7-6, 

fourth quarter. He also had 11 

rebounds while Marc Gasol 

had a double-double with 13 

rebounds and 12 points. 

— Reuters 

244 yards to 20 feet and coolly 

knocking in the putt. 

“Yeah, that hole was good 

for me,” he said with a smile. 

“I hit two good shots. The 

fairway and tee shot was a little 

scary for me but it worked 

out today.” British world No 3 

Luke Donald, beaten in a playoff 

for The Heritage on Sunday, 

was hot on Watson’s heels 

with seven holes to play before 

losing momentum. 

Eight under overall, Donald 

bogeyed the third, his 12th 

hole of the day, and then double-bogeyed 

the fourth before 

carding a 71 to end the round 

five strokes off the pace. 

“You’re going to make a 

few mistakes occasionally,” 

said the Englishman, who 

could become world number 

one with victory this week. 

“Up until then I played pretty 

solid golf. 

“Through 29 holes, I only 

missed a couple greens. But 

I’m still there or thereabouts 

and the greens are only going 

to get firmer. It will be a tough 

weekend.” 

The cut fell at one-under 

143 with last week’s Heritage 

champion Brandt Snedeker, 

David Duval and Graeme Mc- 

Dowell among those missing 

out. — Reuters 

Nationals outplay Giants 

SEATTLE Mariners (from left) Brendan Ryan, Ichiro 

Suzuki, and Michael Saunders celebrate their MLB victory 

against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Massachusetts, 

on Friday. Seattle Mariners won 5-4. — Reuters 

Seattle Mariners bt Boston Red Sox 

5-4, LA Angels bt Tampa Bay Rays 

8-5, St Louis Cardinals bt Atlanta 

Braves 5-3, Milwaukee Brewers 

bt Houston Astros 5-0, Baltimore 

Orioles bt Chicago White Sox 10-4, 

Kansas City Royals bt Minnesota 

tiwns 4-3, Pittsburgh Pirates bt 

Colorado Rockies 3-0, Chicago 

Cubs bt Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2, 

Oakland Athletics bt Texas Rangers 

3-1, LA Dodgers bt San Diego 

Padres 3-2. — Reuters

LONDON — Chelsea kept 

their English Premier League 

title dream alive yesterday after 

scrambling a controversial 

late 2-1 victory over Tottenham 

at Stamford Bridge. 

Second-half substitute 

Salomon Kalou's 89th minute 

strike secured a priceless win 

for the reigning champions, 

who closed the gap on leaders 

Manchester United to three 

points. 

But Chelsea's win owed 

everything to a bitterly contested 

equaliser by Frank Lampard 

on the stroke of half-time 

after Sandro had fired Spurs 

ahead with a 25-yard rocket on 

19 minutes. 

The flashpoint — which is 

certain to renew debate about 

the use of goal-line technology 

— occurred when Lampard 

let fly with a long-range effort 

that Heurelho Gomes appeared 

to have covered. 

But the erratic Spurs keeper 

could only watch in horror as 

he fumbled Lampard's shot 

and the ball rolled through his 

legs towards goal. 

Gomes scrambled back 

desperately to hook the ball 

back to safety but referee Andre 

Marriner checked with 

his assistant and the goal was 

given despite furious protests 

from Tottenham's players. 

Television replays lent 

weight to Spurs' sense of injustice, 

indicating the ball had 

not completely crossed the 

line before being recovered by 

Gomes and so should not have 

stood. 

There was a second dose 

of controversy surrounding 

Kalou's winner, when replays 

suggested the Ivorian was 

marginally off-side in the 

build-up. 

Chelsea's victory sets up 

a potential title decider next 

weekend when Carlo Ancelotti's 

men travel to Old Trafford 

to face United. 

But the defeat leaves Spurs' 

hopes of overhauling Manchester 

City for fourth place 

— and entry to next season's 

Champions League — hanging 

by a thread. 

Fifth-placed Spurs now 

trail City by four points. Rob- 

erto Mancini's side can stretch 

the gap to seven points if they 

beat bottom club West Ham 

today. 

Elsewhere yesterday, 

Blackburn scored their first 

victory in three months with a 

1-0 win over Bolton that eased 

18 SPORT 



Kalou keeps Chelsea dream alive 

Ali shines but Everton deny Wigan priceless victory 

Indian cricket 

board says no to 

Aussie Big Bash 

SYDNEY — The Indian 

cricket board has declined 

the invitation of Cricket 

Australia to play in the 

Big Bash as the Twenty20 

league clashes with India’s 

tour Down Under, 

and also the domestic season 

back home. 

The Board of Control 

for Cricket in India 

(BCCI) stated that it is 

not in a position to release 

the players for the Bash 

as India’s tour of Australia 

and its own domestic 

season coincide with the 

October-March Australian 

season. 

The popular Indian 

Premier League (IPL) is 

played immediately after 

the Indian and Australian 

seasons, giving the players 

from both the countries a 

chance to play without 

any hassles. 

As many as 35 Australians 

are playing in 

the 10 IPL franchises. 

Even retired stalwarts 

like Adam Gilchrist and 

Shane Warne are in great 

demand. 

“In fact, last year some 

teams wanted Indian 

players and they were not 

available because of the 

domestic tournament,” 

PARIS — French football was plunged into 

turmoil again when the national federation's 

(FFF) technical director Francois Blaquart was 

suspended yesterday amid a row over an alleged 

project to enforce racial quotas in youth 

academies. 

Less than a year after the World Cup fiasco, 

France coach Laurent Blanc, who took over 

from Raymond Domenech after the embarrassing 

South Africa episode, was also caught up in 

the controversy. 

"Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno and FFF 

President Fernand Duchaussoy have decided to 

suspend immediately national technical director 

Francois Blaquart pending the conclusions 

of an investigation led by the FFF and the IGJS 

(General Inspection of Youth and Sports)," 

Jouanno said in a statement. 

The statement said the investigation was expected 

to be completed within eight days. 

"I will apply myself to clarify this situation 

and write a report that will put the ministry and 

WIGAN Athletic’s Omani goalkeeper Ali al Habsi (right) saves a penalty shot by Everton’s Mikel Arteta (centre) during 

their English Premier League match at the DW Stadium in Wigan, north-west England, yesterday. — AFP 

Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI 

chief administrative officer, 

was quoted as saying 

by the Sydney Morning 

Herald yesterday. 

Shetty said only the 

BCCI has the discretion 

to allow players to 

compete in the overseas 

tournaments and no one, 

including the new India 

coach Duncan Fletcher, 

can have any say in this. 

“It’s a policy decision of 

the board, the new coach 

has nothing to do with 

that, and when there is a 

domestic tournament on I 

don’t think we will release 

any players. Sri Lanka 

now has some league in 

the month of July and it 

doesn’t clash with our 

domestic tournament. So 

whoever wants to go with 

prior permission can participate,” 

Shetty added. 

The international 

schedule suggests that 

England players will be 

available for the first half 

of the Big Bash while New 

Zealand, Pakistan and 

Bangladesh players for 

the second. Dwayne Bravo, 

Chris Gayle and Kieron 

Pollard are the West 

Indies players who should 

be up for grabs. — IANS 

BERLIN — Borussia Dortmund 

secured the German 

Bundesliga title with two 

games to spare yesterday 

when they beat Nuremberg 

2-0 and closest rivals Bayer 

Leverkusen lost by the same 

score at struggling Cologne. 

The two results left Borussia 

an unassailable eight points 

clear of Leverkusen with two 

matches each to play, handing 

them their seventh title and 

their first since 2002. 

First-half goals from Lucas 

Barrios, his 14th Bundesliga 

goal of the season, and Robert 

Lewandowski gave Borussia 

their win in front of more than 

70,000 fans, leaving them with 

72 points from 32 games. 

The second half was played 

in a festive atmosphere especially 

after Leverkusen fell 

behind in their game. 

Two second-half goals from 

Milivoje Novakovic gave Cologne, 

playing their first game 

under interim coach Volker 

Finke after Franck Schaefer 

quit on Wednesday, their win 

over Leverkusen. 

Leverkusen, four-times 

runners-up, remain without a 

Bundesliga title after yet another 

near miss. 

Borussia have won 22 of 

their 32 games and lost only 

four despite suffering longterm 

injuries to key players 

Nuri Sahin and Shinji Kagawa. 

Hanover 96's chances 

of finishing third and taking 

the Champions League qualifying 

spot were dented when 

they lost 1-0 at home to rel- 

the federation in front of their responsibilities," 

Patrick Braouezec, who will head the FFF investigation, 

said. 

On Thursday, French investigative website 

Mediapart (www.mediapart.fr), citing sources 

within the FFF, said Blaquart proposed to enforce 

racial quotas to limit the number of players 

of black or Arab origin in youth academies. 

Yesterday, Mediapart published a verbatim 

report of a meeting at which Blanc, Blaquart, 

under-21 coach Erick Mombaerts and under-20 

coach Francis Smerecki, among others, had a 

debate over African players with dual nationality 

groomed in France eventually opting to play 

for their country of origin. 

"We can mark out, in an unspoken way, a 

sort of quota. But it needs to remain unspoken," 

Blaquart was quoted as saying by Mediapart. 

Blaquart told RMC radio's website (www. 

rmc.fr) yesterday: "I cannot not acknowledge 

these remarks. 

"They have to be put in their context. We 

egation-threatened Borussia 

Moenchengladbach, Marco 

Reus scoring a second-half 

winner. 

Moenchengladbach, whose 

win followed a 1-0 victory over 

Borussia Dortmund last week, 

threw themselves a lifeline as 

they moved onto 32 points. 

Although they are still in 

the relegation zone in 17th 

place, they moved within two 

points of Eintracht Frankfurt 

who were trounced 3-0 at 

acknowledged the fact that there were many 

players with dual nationality...we had to control 

the management of these players who might be 

leaving us. There is nothing more to it." 

France team media officer Philippe Tournon 

said yesterday: "It was a debate on players with 

dual nationality. Causes and effects are being 

confused here. There is no official comment 

now but I'm in contact with Laurent Blanc and 

the federation and there could be some reaction 

in the afternoon." 

Blanc, who won the 1998 World Cup with 

a team dubbed 'Black-Blanc-Beur' (Blacks, 

Whites and Arabs) by French media, has often 

raised the issue of dual nationality players. 

He denied, however, being in favour of quotas 

in youth academies. 

"No such project has been revealed to me. 

It's a lie," Blanc told a news conference in Bordeaux 

on Friday. 

"You cannot have quotas in football. It does 

not exist. Football is made of diversity." 

the club's relegation fears. 

Rovers' Swedish international 

defender Martin Olsson 

scored the decisive goal at 

Ewood Park after 20 minutes, 

lashing in a low shot from 20 

yards to beat the outstretched 

hand of Bolton goalkeeper 

Mainz 05 where Colombian 

Elkin Soto scored twice after 

Andreas Ivanschitz had 

opened the scoring. 

Eintracht had Sebastian 

Rode sent off before halftime 

for a professional foul. 

Freiburg's Senegalese striker 

Papiss Cisse scored both 

goals in a 2-0 win at Hamburg 

SV, taking his tally to 22. 

Borussia made a cagey 

start at home to Nuremberg 

with Andreas Wolf twice go- 

Adam Bogdan. 

Wigan Athletic remain 

mired in the relegation zone 

after Leighton Baines’s late 

penalty rescued a 1-1 draw 

for Everton against his former 

club. 

Charles N’Zogbia gave 

Wigan the lead in the 21st 

minute at the DW Stadium and 

Everton’s Mikel Arteta then 

had a penalty saved by Omani 

goalie Ali al Habsi. 

Wigan came close to extending 

their lead on several 

occasions but a handball by 

Hugo Rodallega enabled 

Baines to draw the Toffees 

level from the penalty spot 12 

minutes from full-time. 

Blackpool's hopes of Premier 

League survival remain 

on a knife-edge after a gritty 

0-0 draw with Stoke at Bloomfield 

Road. 

The hard-earned point left 

Ian Holloway's men hovering 

just above the relegation zone, 

ahead of 18th placed Wigan on 

goal difference. 

Fulham maintained their recent 

run of good form at Sunderland, 

downing the Black 

Cats 3-0. 

The Cottagers went ahead 

through loan signing Gael 

Kakuta before Welsh international 

Simon Davies scored 

twice in the second half. 

Ten-man West Brom came 

from behind to take the honours 

in their Midlands derby 

against Aston Villa, winning 

2-1 at the Hawthorns, goals 

from Peter Odemwingie and 

Youssouf Mulumbu giving the 

Baggies the win after Villa had 

taken the lead through an Abdoulaye 

Meite own goal. 

Borussia wrap up Bundesliga title 

ing close for the visitors early 

on. 

In Dortmund's first real 

attack, Barrios escaped with 

a yellow card after clipping 

Raphel Schaeffer with his 

right foot as the Nuremberg 

goalkeeper dived at his feet 

after he broke clear of the defence. 

The breakthrough came 

shortly afterwards when Mario 

Goetze's low shot saved by 

Schaeffer but ran straight to 

French football in turmoil over racism row 

FFF President Fernand Duchaussoy on Friday 

also denied there were 'instructions, orders' 

to limit the number of black and Arab players in 

the youth academies. 

"What happened in a meeting, behind a door 

or in the corridors...I cannot vouch for everyone 

working at the federation but I am confident 

(that there was no wrongdoing)," he said. 

France's World Cup campaign ended in turmoil 

last year after the players went on strike 

in support of forward Nicolas Anelka, who 

had been thrown off the squad for insulting 

Domenech. In the aftermath of France's firstround 

exit, Anelka was banned for 18 matches 

and three other players were sanctioned. 

France has been facing a re-emergence of 

far-right ideas, with National Front possible 

presidential candidate Marine Le Pen soaring 

in recent opinion polls. 

The French presidential election will be 

held next year amid heated debates on immigration. 

— Reuters 

Del Potro awaits 

Verdasco in final 

ESTORIL, Portugal — Argentina's 

2009 US Open winner 

Juan Martin del Potro's 

impressive return to the circuit 

after a wrist injury ruined 

his 2010 campaign continued 

yesterday as he defeated Uruguyuan 

Pablo Cuevas 6-2, 7-6 

(8-6) to reach the final of the 

Estoril Open. 

The 46th-ranked Del Potro, 

who was in the top five 

until wrist surgery ended his 

2010 season more than a year 

ago, will play second seeded 

Fernando Verdasco. Verdasco 

advanced after Milos Raonic, 

Canadian fifth seed, retired 

losing first set 6-4. 

While Del Poro and Vuevas 

finished their quarterfinals 

on schedule on Friday, 

the weather caught them out 

in the semifinal, with an interruption. 

But Del Potro did not let 

the pause distract him as he 

improved his 2011 record to 

24-6 including a title on cement 

in February at Delray 

Beach, the eighth of his career. 

Barrios and the Paraguayan 

buried the ball in the back of 

the net. Barrios could have 

added another with a far post 

header but saw the ball later 

and failed to connect properly. 

But Dortmund struck again 

in the 43rd minute when a long 

clearance from Mats Hummels 

bounced over Lewandowski 

and Javier Pinola, but 

the quick-thinking Pole turned 

quickly and lobbed the ball 

over Schaeffer. — Reuters 

PARIS — France's suspended 

National Technical Director 

(DTN) Francois Blaquart said 

yesterday that a controversial 

plan to introduce a quota for 

dual-nationality players had 

been 'abandoned'. 

"We abandoned this idea 

of a percentage (of dualnationality 

players), but we 

asked ourselves to be vigilant 

about players' motivations," 

Blaquart said. "We have 45 

per cent of players in our national 

sides (including junior 

teams) who have a possibility 

of leaving us. 

"We think it's a lot. We 

want to reduce it. It's a problem 

in the management of the 

squad. When you see that in 

one generation between 10 

and 30 per cent of the players 

aged 18 to 21 could leave us, 

Verdasco, ranked 15, and 

the 27th-ranked Raonic both 

had to play quarterfinals 

stretching over two days due 

to atrocious weather on the 

Portuguese coast near Lisbon. 

Verdasco overcame South 

African seventh seed Kevin 

Anderson 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-3 

while Raonic completed a win 

over fourth-seeded Frenchman 

Gilles Simon, 7-6 (7/4), 

4-6, 6-3 yesterday. 

Yesterday's women's final 

at the Estadio Nacional was 

also interrupted by the rain. 

However, Spain's Anabel 

Medina Garrigues came back 

out after the pause to round 

off her victory against German 

Kristina Barrois 6-1, 6-2 

in 75 minutes with six breaks 

of her 29-year-old opponent's 

serve. 

Medina Garrigues was 

playing her first WTA final of 

the year, but 16th of her career 

and first since 2009. The Spaniard 

now holds nine clay titles, 

level with leader Venus Williams 

among active players. 

ANABEL Medina Garrigues (left) of Spain holds her 

trophy next to Kristina Barrois of Germany after their 

Estoril Open final match in Oeiras yesterday. — AFP 

Boucher 

replaces 

Haddin in 

KKR team 

KOLKATA — South 

African wicketkeeper-batsman 

Mark 

Boucher will replace 

injured Australian 

Brad Haddin in the 

Kolkata Knight Riders 

(KKR) squad for the 

Indian Premier League 

(IPL), the franchise announced 

yesterday. 

Haddin, who joined 

the team straight after 

Australia’s tour of 

Bangladesh, will not 

take further part in 

IPL4. 

“He was diagnosed 

with acute fracture on 

his middle finger which 

he had sustained during 

the tour of Bangladesh. 

An MRI scan showed 

Friday the finger has 

not healed,” KKR CEO 

and MD Venky Mysore 

said in a statement. 

Boucher will join 

the KKR squad before 

their match against the 

Deccan Chargers in 

Hyderabad on Tuesday. 

“We are fortunate 

to have someone 

like Mark Boucher as 

Brad’s replacement. 

Mark comes with a lot 

of experience and a terrific 

track record in all 

forms of the game.” 

‘Quota plan abandoned’ 

it's a problem. "We envisaged 

limiting this situation to avoid 

putting ourselves in danger, 

but as soon as it stopped being 

a good solution, we eliminated 

it." 

Blaquart, responsible for 

youth coaching policy, was 

suspended after website Mediapart 

published a transcript 

of a meeting in which several 

high-ranking officials — including 

national team coach 

Laurent Blanc — discussed 

introducing quotas for players 

with dual nationalities. 

His suspension was announced 

yesterday by French 

Sports Minister Chantal 

Jouanno and Blaquart's employers, 

the French Football 

Federation (FFF), who have 

launched an inquiry into the 

affair. — AFP

Alonso 

confident 

Ferrari will 

mount 

fightback 

LONDON — Two-times 

champion Fernando Alonso 

remains utterly confident 

that Ferrari are poised to 

mount a fightback in this 

year's Formula One world 

championship. 

After failing to enjoy a 

single podium finish in the 

season-opening races in 

Australia, Malaysia and China, 

the team are struggling 

in the drivers' world championship. 

Alonso is already 

42 points behind defending 

champion and current leader 

Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull 

with Felipe Massa, the second 

Ferrari driver, a further 

two points adrift. 

Alonso said: "I trust in 

the team — I know what it's 

made of and I can feel the 

will to fight back from everyone 

at Maranello. 

"I well remember when I 

was at Renault in 2006 that 

in the first part of the season 

I had built up a big lead, but 

then Ferrari made such a 

good job of developing its 

cars that (Michael) Schumacher 

staged a great fight 

back. 

Alonso, however, has 

enough experience to know 

that it is too soon for anything 

to be conclusive and 

believes that the team can 

begin to revive its fortunes 

next weekend at the Turkish 

Grand Prix. —AFP 

WELLINGTON — An Aaron 

Cruden penalty on fulltime 

saw the struggling Wellington 

Hurricanes snatch an upset 

28-26 victory from the competition 

powerhouse Queensland 

Reds in a home Super 15 

match yesterday. 

In only their third win of 

the season the Hurricanes 

knocked the Reds off the top of 

the ladder while earning a bonus 

point for scoring four tries 

to lift themselves from 14th to 

eighth. 

After running up a commanding 

22-5 lead by halftime, 

the Hurricanes saw their 

dominance whittled away 

through the second spell and 

they eventually slipped behind 

25-26 when Quade Cooper 

landed a 70th minute penalty. 

Then with time fast running 

out they fought their way back 

into Reds territory, won a penalty 

35 metres from the posts, 

and Cruden made amends for 

an off night with the boot by 

landing the shot that gave them 

the win. 

The victory was all the 

more memorable for captain 

Andrew Hore, who was celebrating 

his 100th Super game, 

as it was achieved without their 

star backs Ma'a Nonu, Conrad 

Smith and Cory Jane who were 

all injured. 

The Reds opened with a 

roar, with Will Chambers and 

Mike Harris opening up the 

novice Hurricanes backs with 

their first touch of the ball to 

set up Scott Higginbotham for 

a try with just over a minute on 

the clock. 

But the Reds were soon 

Bahrain keeps options 

open on F1 rescheduling 

LONDON — Bahrain refused 

to give up hope of rescheduling 

its postponed Formula 

One Grand Prix yesterday 

with a statement that kept all 

options open. 

The International Automobile 

Federation (FIA) said 

last month that it had asked 

Bahrain "to communicate by 

May 1 at the latest" whether 

it would be in a position to 

reschedule. 

Formula One supremo 

Bernie Ecclestone said on 

Thursday, however, that he 

was prepared to give the 

country more time. 

Bahrain International Circuit 

chairman Zayed Rashid 

Alzayani thanked Formula 

One management, the governing 

FIA and motor racing 

fans for their understanding. 

"Bahrain's Grand Prix is a 

time of celebration and host- 

Al Faisal lift Bazme Falah Kokan trophy 

AL FAISAL defeated Al Faisal A in the double-wicket knock-out cricket tournament organised by Bazme Falah Kokan 

at the Ghoubra Ground on Friday. In the first semifinal, Al Faisal beat Kokan Express A, while Al Faisal A won against 

Coastal in the second semifinal. Sagir, who cracked 10 sixes in five matches and slammed 78, was declared the man of 

the series. Sultan, with a four-wicket haul, won the man of the final award. Sandeep Mishra, COO, Shanfari Group of 

companies, who was the chief guest on the occasion presented the winners’ trophy to Al Faisal captain Manoj. Guest of 

honour Freddy Manager from Omasco Group and Mrs Sulochana Malkar, General Manager New Features Printing 

presented the runners-up trophy. The sponsors for the tournament were Honda (Omasco), Khana Khazana, New Feature 

Printing Bombay Sweet & Bakery, Al Yam, Al Eant Oasis, Al Rawabi Dairy Co, Polythene & Plastic Products Co. LLC. 

The chief organiser Mujahid Surve thanked all the sponsors and those who made this event a grand success. 

19 SPORT 



Hurricanes blow Reds away with Cruden penalty 

ing the race is a source of 

great pride for Bahrain and 

Bahrainis. 

"It is a showcase to the 

world and we look forward 

to welcoming the teams 

and drivers and everyone 

involved in Formula One 

back to Bahrain in the very 

near future." 

No dates were mentioned 

and there was no specific confirmation 

that the race, originally 

scheduled as the seasonopener 

on March 13, could be 

rescheduled. 

A senior member of the 

Sakhir circuit media team 

said the statement meant what 

it said and contained no official 

commitment. 

"We are not saying we are 

hosting it, we are not saying 

we are not hosting it. We are 

not saying it is cancelled," he 

added. — Reuters 

NEW Zealand’s Wellington Hurricanes celebrate a try against Australia’s Reds during their Super 15 

rugby match in Wellington yesterday. — Reuters 

to learn they would not romp 

away with the game and instead 

quickly became flustered 

as the Hurricanes regrouped. 

The home side mounted 

a constant wave of attacks 

and the Reds defence, which 

served them so well in holding 

out the NSW Waratahs last 

week, could not combat the 

'Canes ability to offload in the 

tackle. 

NEW DELHI — Danish ace 

Peter Gade and world No 1 

Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia 

yesterday set up a mouth-watering 

final in the Indian Open 

Super Series badminton. 

Gade, the former All England 

champion and the third 

seed, swept aside Korea's Park 

Sung-Hwan 21-15, 21-19 in 

the first semifinal to keep himself 

on course for a title win. 

Lee made short work of 

Hu Yun, the eighth seed from 

Hong Kong, racing to a 21-11, 

21-15 victory in less than half 

an hour and underlining his recent 

dominance of the sport. 

The Malaysian said he was 

looking forward to the clash 

with Gade, having lost only 

once to the Dane in 11 previous 

encounters. 

"It is the first Super Series 

in India and I would like to 

win it," said the two-time All 

England champion. 

"He (Gade) is an experi- 

WARATAHS BEAT REBELS 

The New South Wales 

Waratahs scored two late tries 

to keep their finals hopes alive 

as they beat the Melbourne 

Rebels 28-9 in Sydney. 

The Waratahs scored three 

tries and kept their own line 

intact to close the gap on 

Australian conference leaders 

Queensland, who earlier suffered 

a two-point loss to the 

enced player and it is always 

tough playing him. I will try 

my best and prepare myself 

well for the final. I hope I can 

beat him once again," Lee 

said. 

Gade, 34, started out confidently 

against his much 

younger Korean rival, who is 

trying to re-establish himself 

as a top player in his country 

after recent indifferent form. 

The opening set saw Gade 

outwit Park with his attacking 

style and take a 11-7 lead 

before consolidating it further 

at 15-9. 

The Korean tried hard to reduce 

the gap, but Gade surged 

ahead to seal the set by a good 

margin. 

Park fought back in the second 

game, taking an early 5-1 

lead as Gade committed a few 

unforced errors. Trailing 11-6, 

Gade changed gear to earn five 

consecutive points and level 

the scores at 12-12. 

Hurricanes in Wellington. 

Despite the 19-point win, 

the Waratahs struggled to subdue 

a Melbourne side who 

were gallant in defence but 

very limited in attack, with the 

match in the balance until the 

last 10 minutes. 

“We did a lot of work early 

and probably didn’t get a lot of 

pay out of it, and I think that 

might have worn the Rebels 

Park started to feel the pressure 

and allowed Gade to take 

a crucial three-point lead, but 

Passage to India post three-wicket win 

MUSCAT — Defending Senior 

Cup knock-out champions 

Passage to India registered 

a three-wicket win in a lowscoring 

match against Enhance 

Cricket Team. 

The Khimji Ramdas-sponsored 

T20 match was played in 

the morning during the week 

end at the OAC III grounds. 

Electing to field after winning 

the toss, Passage to India 

did well to restrict Enhance 

CT to 128 for the loss of nine 

wickets at the end of their quota 

of 20 overs — thanks to a 

top-score of 36 (30b, 1x6 and 

3x4) from Omani player Nadil 

Al Balushi batting at No 7. 

The bowling honours were 

shared by Muhammad Asghar. 

Saeed Mohammed and Javed 

Shahzada who claimed two 

wickets each conceding 19, 21 

and 22 runs respectively off 4 

overs each. 

Requiring 129 for victory 

and a place in the finals Passage 

to India in their turn were 

precariously placed at 89 for 

the loss of six wickets at the 

end of 14 overs with opener 

out,” NSW skipper Dean 

Mumm said. 

The Waratahs, who 

thrashed the Rebels 43-0 in 

Melbourne’s first ever Super 

15 match in round one, had all 

the possession in the opening 

stages as they looked to press 

home their superiority. 

They were held out by some 

resolute Melbourne defence, 

but the Rebels finally cracked 

the see-saw battle turned in favour 

of the Korean sixth seed 

again when he rallied to catch 

Saeed Mohammed chipping in 

with 24 (23b, 3x4). 

Syed Amir Ali remained 

unbeaten on 33 (21b, 4x4) and 

together with skipper Syed 

Amir Kaleem 23 (26b) helped 

the team to reach their target 

off 19.1 overs for the loss of 

seven wickets. 

Mohammed Irfan two for 

14 and Muthu Pandian two for 

27 were amongst the wickets. 

Brief scores: Enhance CT 128 

for the loss of nine wickets off 20 

overs (Nadil Al Balushi 36; Muhammad 

Asghar 2/19, Saeed Mohammed 

2/21 and Javed Shahzada 

2/22) lost to Passage to India 129 

for the loss of seven wickets off 19.1 

overs (Syed Amir Ali 33 n.o, Saeed 

Mohammed 24 and Syed Amir Kaleem 

23; Mohammed Irfan 2/14 and 

Muthu Pandian 2/27) 

AL TURKI NMC ‘A’ IN 

SENIOR CUP FINAL 

At the same venue in the 

afternoon skipper Ajay Lalcheta 

70 (48b, 1x6 and 6x4) 

opening the batting led from 

front to steer Al Turki NMC 

‘A’ to a thrilling 12-run win 

against archrivals Muscat 

Cricket Team and a place in 

after 12 minutes when hooker 

Tatafu Polota-Nau crashed 

over for the opening try. 

CRUSADERS EDGE FORCE 

The Canterbury Crusaders 

doused a spirited Western 

Force challenge to notch a 

thrilling 42-30 win in a highly 

entertaining Super 15 clash in 

Perth. 

In a scintillating start that 

set the tone for the match, the 

Kiwi team ran in two tries in 

the first 10 minutes to stun the 

home side, but the Force regrouped 

and led until deep into 

the second half. However, the 

seven-times champions dug 

deep when the game was on 

the line, running in two tries 

in the last 10 minutes to snatch 

the win. 

The Crusaders also picked 

up a bonus point for scoring 

five tries for the match, while 

the Force crossed twice. 

It seemed as if the Crusaders 

would demolish the Force 

when they led 12-0 after nine 

minutes, following a pair of 

tries to Israel Dagg. 

However, the Force stayed 

in touch through the boot of 

James O’Connor, with three 

penalties. A try to Cameron 

Shepherd in the 29th minute 

and subsequent conversion by 

O’Connor gave them an unlikely 

16-15 lead in the 30th 

minute. 

But the lead lasted just two 

minutes, with former rugby 

league star Sonny Bill Williams 

scoring under the posts 

to give his side a 22-16 lead. 

The Kiwis were up 22-19 

at the main break and an early 

Matt Berquist penalty in the 

up with Gade at 19-20. 

The Dane then scored two 

consecutive points to win the 

the finals of the Khimji Ramdas 

sponsored Senior Cup T20 

tournament. 

Invited to bat Al Turki 

NMC ‘A’ were off to a flier 

with Ajay together with his 

partner Rajesh Pachal 32 (20b, 

5x4) putting together 65 runs 

for the first wicket off five 

overs. 

With the departure of 

Rajesh the runrate dropped 

with the final score being 155 

for the loss of six wickets at 

the end of 20 overs. 

None of the other batsmen 

made any noteworthy contribution. 

Wilson Burboz with two 

for 20 and Vaibhav Wategaonkar 

two for 27 off four 

overs each shared the bowling 

honours. 

Muscat CT in reply were 

bowled out for 143 off the 

20 stipulated overs with only 

opening batsman Rajesh Ranpura 

who was last out for 54 

(49b, 4x4) and wicketkeeper 

batsman Swapnil Khadye batting 

at No 5 making 51 (30b, 

2x6 and 4x4). 

second half doubled the lead, 

but the game turned when Crusaders 

skipper Richie McCaw, 

playing after turning down an 

invite to the royal wedding, 

was sent off for for repeated 

infringements in the 47th 

minute. 

BULLS TRIUMPH 

A sensational burst of try 

scoring at the start of the second 

half gave the Bulls a 43- 

27 victory over the Waikato 

Chiefs in Pretoria. 

The Bulls had hardly 

looked the side who have won 

the southern hemisphere’s 

premier provincial competition 

three times in the last four 

years when they trailed 3-20 

after 32 minutes. 

But a try by Wynand Olivier 

and a conversion and a penalty 

by flyhalf Morne Steyn 

just before halftime gave the 

Bulls a glimmer of hope when 

they went into the break 13- 

20 down. Springbok centre 

Olivier then sparked a matchwinning 

burst of three tries 

in eight minutes as he broke 

through the line to score again 

in the 42nd minute. Steyn’s 

conversion meant the Bulls 

were level and they then totally 

overpowered a shell-shocked 

Chiefs side to record only their 

fifth win in 10 matches. 

Captain Victor Matfield 

said the win had been a fine 

riposte to their critics and was 

quick to credit their much maligned 

traditional game plan. 

“We were under pressure, so 

we went back to the things that 

make us work for us. I’m very 

happy with the second half,” 

Matfield said.— AFP/Reuters 

Lee Chong Wei to face Gade in Super Series final 

LEE Chong Wei returns a shot to Hu Yun in the men’s singles semifinal match during 

India Open Super Series at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP 

set and the match. 

"I am getting better and 

better in the tournament," said 

Gade, a former world No 1. 

"I have been making to the 

quarters and semis regularly, 

so it feels good to be in the final 

after a long time. The last 

I played in a final was in (the) 

2010 Korea Open," he said. 

"I played a clever and smart 

game today. Park had the game 

in control but I fought back 

well." 

In the women's singles, 

Thailand's teen sensation 

Porntip Buranaprasertsuk outclassed 

Hong Kong's fourth 

seed Yip Pui Yin 21-13 21-8 to 

book a place in her first Super 

Series final. 

The diminutive 19-year-old 

shuttler will take on Korean 

third seed Bae Youn-Joo, who 

was made to fight hard by her 

Japanese rival Sayaka Sato 

before carving out a 23-21, 15- 

21, 21-12 win. — AFP 

None of the other batsman 

got into double figures. 

The bowlers to cause the 

debacle were Santosh Desai, 

Rajesh Panchal and Sandeep 

Pawar who bagged two wickets 

each conceding 19, 28 and 

33 runs respectively off four 

overs each. 

Al Turki NMC ‘A’ will be 

vying for a double after having 

already clinched the ‘A’ 

Division League title when 

they take on defending champions 

Passage to India on Friday 

(May 6) during the morning 

session at the OAC III 

grounds. Khalifa bin Khamis 

al Jabri, Director of Private Organizations, 

Ministry of Sports 

Affairs will be the Chief Guest 

and distribute the prizes after 

the completion of the match 

Brief scores: Al Turki NMC 

‘A’ 155 for the loss of six wickets 

off 20 overs (Ajay Lalchata 70 and 

Rajesh Panchal 32; Wilson Burboz 

2/20 and Vaibhav Wategaonkar 

2/27) bt Muscat CT 143 all out off 

20 overs (Rajesh Ranpura 54 and 

Swapnil Khadye 51; Santosh Desai 

2/19, Rajesh Ranpura 2/28 and Sandeep 

Pawar 2/33).

Fatma to 

take part 

in India 

tourney 

MUSCAT — Sultanate’s 

tennis star Fatma 

al Nabhani will be 

taking part in a tournament 

to be held in 

Indian capital of New 

Delhi. 

According to a press 

release issued by the 

Oman Tennis Association 

(OTA) yesterday, 

Fatma will be participating 

in the $10,000 

New Delhi hard-court 

tennis tournament 

from May 9 to 15. 

The Omani girls, 

who is at 437 in the 

WTA women’s rankings, 

is the highest 

ranked in player in the 

New Delhi tournament. 

Fatma, who is trying 

to improve her 

ranking, has competed 

in the $20,000 tournament 

in Belarus where 

she bowed out in second 

round of the singles 

event. 

She will also be taking 

part in a $20,000 

tournament in Uzbekistan 

from tomorrow. 

Lorenzo 

takes pole 

in Estoril 

Page 17 


Sehwag lifts Daredevils vs Tuskers 

KOCHI — Virender Sehwag 

(80 off 47 balls) played a 

captain’s knock on a difficult 

wicket to steer Delhi Daredevils 

to a 38-run win over Kochi 

Tuskers in their Indian Premier 

League (IPL) match here 

yesterday. 

Sehwag, who had been 

critical of his poor form this 

season, single-handedly took 

the team to 157 for seven on 

a pitch of uneven bounce with 

some of the deliveries shooting 

through. 

Chasing under the circumstances 

was always going to 

be hard for the Tuskers and 

they folded up for 119 in 18.5 

overs. 

Morne Morkel (three for 

18), Roelf Vand der Merwe 

(three for 20) and Irfan Pathan 

(two for 27) bowled in the 

right areas to get Daredevils 

home. 

The win has pushed the 

Delhi side to seventh place in 

the table with six points from 

eight matches. The Tuskers 

also have same points, but 

they are placed ninth. 

The Kochi Tuskers were 

under pressure from ball 

one and it showed with their 

main batsman Brendon 

McCullum (7) getting out 

straightaway to a rash shot off 

Pathan. 

The low bounce also got 

the better of Patel (1) and when 

captain Mahela Jaywawardene 

was caught by his counterpart 

off Agarkar, the match seemed 

to have slipped out of Tuskers’ 

grasp. 

Brad Hodge (27) and 

Ravindra Jadeja (31) provided 

some resistance but getting 78 

off last 36 balls seemed like a 

mountain to climb. 

Earlier, Daredevils did well 

to post a 150-plus score after 

being at 45 for three in the first 

10 overs. 

David Warner (3) and Na- 

DELHI Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag pats Irfan Pathan after the latter dismissed 

Kochi Tuskers’ Parthiv Patel during their IPL match at the Jawaharlal 

Nehru International Stadium in Kochi yesterday. — AFP 

man Ojha (1) were victims 

of the pitch with Sreesanth’s 

deliveries keeping awfully 

low, especially in the case of 

Ojha as he was adjudged leg 

before getting the ball on his 

toe. 

A 100 plus score looked 

improbable at that time but 

Sehwag came to the rescue 

as he batted beyond 15 overs 

for the first time in the tournament. 

Batting patiently on a 

challenging wicket, Sehwag 

smashed the bowlers in his 

trademark style after getting 

used to the variable bounce. 

The India opener got to his 

50 with a maximum on a slow 

bouncer off Vinay Kumar and 

departed in the 18th over trying 

to hit another one out of 

the park. 

It was a remarkable recovery 

from the visitors as they 

amassed 112 runs in the last 

10 overs, of which 63 came off 

the last 30 balls. 

Yogesh Nagar (22) and 

Travis Birt (20) made useful 

contributions towards the 

end. 

Kumar, Balachandra Akhil 

and Rajesh Powar proved 

most expensive for the Tuskers 

as they conceded 83 runs 

in the eight overs they bowled 

between them. 

Today’s matches: Rajas- 

than Royals vs Pune Warriors; 

Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan 

Chargers. 

STANDINGS 

KOLKATA — Putting up an all-round 

impressive show, Kolkata Knight Riders 

(KKR) cruised to an eight-wicket win 

over Kings XI Punjab to move atop the 

Indian Premier League (IPL) points table 

here yesterday. 

Cheered on by a large crowd at the historic 

Eden Gardens, the Knights restricted 

the Kings to 119 for six and then cantered 

to their target with 16 balls to spare to 

record their fifth overall and second backto-back 

win in the tournament. 

Gautam Gambhir (45 not out off 

44 balls, 4x4) hit a boundary to level 

the scores and then set off for a single off 

leg-spinner Piyush Chawla to take the 

knights to 120 for two in 17.2 overs and 

bolster their points kitty to 10 from eight 

games. 

Mumbai Indians also have the 

same points but have played a match 

less. On the other hand, the Kings remained 

on six from the same number of 

matches. 

The KKR’s convincing batting display 

centred around an unfinished 85-run third 

wicket stand between skipper Gambhir 

and Manoj Tiwary (34 not out off 42 

balls, 3x4, 1x6) after Jacques Kallis (1) 

departed cheaply while Eoin Morgan (28; 

15 balls, 6x4) — promoted as an opener 

— played a brief cameo. 

Kings XI pacer Bharghav Bhatt (two 

for 22) took the wickets. 

Gambhir and Tiwary never seemed 

in undue hurry, as they paced their innings 

well, rotating the strike frequently 

and clobbering the loose deliveries to the 

fence on the slow wicket where run scoring 

was not easy. 

They never let the asking rate go up 

and in the end it was another emphatic 

win for the Knights, the only side to have 

SCOREBOARD 

Delhi Daredevils 

D Warner b Sreesanth ....................3 

V Sehwag c Hodge b V Kumar ...80 

N Ojha lbw Sreesanth ....................0 

V Rao lbw Jadeja ...........................1 

Y Nagar run out ...........................22 

T Birt c V Kumar b Powar ...........20 

I Pathan run out ............................13 

R van der Merwe (not out) ............2 

Extras: (lb-8, w-6, nb-2) .............16 

Total: (7 wkts, 20 overs) ...........157 

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-4, 3-35, 4-91, 

5-132, 6-145, 7-157. 

Bowling: R P Singh 4-0-29-0; S 

Sreesanth 4-1-10-2; Ravindra Jadeja 

4-0-27-1; R Vinay Kumar 4-0-41-1; 

B Akhil 2-0-22-0; Romesh Powar 

2-0-20-1. 

Kochi Tuskers 

B McCullum b I Pathan .................7 

M Klinger c van der Merwe 

b Morkel .......................2 

P Patel b I Pathan ...........................1 

M Jayawardene c Sehwag 

b Agarkar ...........18 

B Hodge c Ojha b Morkel ............27 

R Jadeja c van der Merwe 

b Agarkar .......................31 

B Akhil c Ojha b Morkel .............13 

V Kumar c Yadav 

b van der Merwe ..........11 

R Powar b van der Merwe .............0 

S Sreesanth b van der Merwe ........0 

R P Singh (not out) ........................1 

Extras: (b-2, lb-1, w-5) ..................8 

Total: (all out, 18.5 overs) .........119 

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-15, 3-28, 

4-50, 5-77, 6-93, 7-118, 8-118, 

9-118. 

Bowling: I Pathan 4-0-27-2; M Morkel 

4-0-18-3; U Yadav 3-0-28-0; A 

Agarkar 4-0-23-2; Roelof van der 

Merwe 3.5-0-20-3. 

P W L T N/R NRR Pts 

Kolkata 8 5 3 0 0 +0.530 10 

Mumbai 7 5 2 0 0 +0.498 10 

Bangalore 8 4 3 0 1 -0.052 9 

Rajasthan 8 4 3 0 1 -0.202 9 

Chennai 7 4 3 0 0 +0.143 8 

Deccan 7 3 4 0 0 +0.194 6 

Delhi 8 3 5 0 0 -0.031 6 

Punjab 6 3 3 0 0 -0.276 6 

Kochi 8 3 5 0 0 -0.853 6 

Pune 7 2 5 0 0 -0.066 4 

(Read as played, won, lost, tied, no result, net run rate, points) 

Borussia are 

Bundesliga 

champions 

Page 18 

Pakistan to host 

Afghan series 

LAHORE — Afghanistan's 

cricket team will become 

the first foreign national 

side to play in Pakistan, 

two years after internationals 

were suspended over security 

fears, an official said 

yesterday. 

International cricket has 

been suspended in Pakistan 

since March 2009, when 

gunmen attacked a convoy 

carrying the Sri Lankan 

cricket team in the eastern 

city of Lahore. 

"Afghanistan will send 

its national team to Pakistan 

in July and play the 

Pakistan 'A' team, and 

hopefully this will benefit 

our team," Naseem Ullah 

Danish, chief executive of 

the Afghanistan Cricket 

Board, said. 

Danish met Pakistan 

Cricket Board officials in 

Lahore on Friday where 

they agreed to play a threematch 

one-day series, with 

games in Lahore, Faisalabad 

and Rawalpindi. 

Five Afghan regional 

teams and their under-19 

string are playing their domestic 

matches in the Pakistani 

border town of Peshawar, 

as their main grounds 

are being renovated. 

Danish hoped Pakistan's 

second XI will also play 

in Afghanistan later this 

year. 

"We have also invited 

the Pakistan 'A' team to Afghanistan 

for the inaugural 

match in Nangarhar where 

we have almost completed 

an international stadium," 

he said. 

Since many Afghan players 

learnt their cricket in 

Pakistan they owe a great 

deal to the neighbouring 

country, Danish said. 

"Pakistan has always 

been helpful to us and have 

helped us reach this far in 

international cricket," he 

said. 

Most of the Afghan national 

team learnt the game 

as refugees in Pakistani 

camps after Soviet troops 

invaded their country in 

1979. 

Afghanistan won the 

Inter-Continental Cup and 

the International Cricket 

Council's divisions five to 

one in the last two years, 

earning ICC one-day status 

and qualifying for the 

World Twenty20 held in the 

West Indies last year. 

International teams 

were reluctant to tour Pakistan 

even before the Lahore 

attack, and the troubled 

country has since had 

to play its home matches at 

neutral venues in England 

and the United Arab Emirates. 

The attack, which left 

eight people dead and 

wounded seven Sri Lankan 

players and their assistant 

coach, forced the ICC 

to strip Pakistan of its 

share of World Cup 2011 

matches. 

But Danish said security 

in Pakistan would not be an 

issue for his team. 

"Security is not an issue 

and by playing in Pakistan 

we want to send out a positive 

message to the world 

and hope that teams come 

to Pakistan and play here," 

he said. — AFP 

Knight Riders move to top 

KOLKATA Knight Riders’ Iqbal 

Abdulla (left), Brett Lee and Gautam 

Gambhir (right) celebrate after the fall 

of Kings XI Punjab’s Adam Gilchrist 

during their IPL match at the Eden 

Garden Stadium in Kolkata yesterday. 

never made it to the IPL semifinal in the 

earlier three editions of the league. 

Earlier, put in to bat, Kings XI started 

off badly, losing their top order before 

even half of the scheduled overs were 

bowled. 

Skipper Adam Gilchrist struck 26 off 

27 balls, helped by three fours and one 

six, while Paul Valthaty (7), Shuan Marsh 

(5) and Abhishek Nayar (0) went back 

cheaply. The visitors were 53 for four in 

9.2 overs. 

Dinesh Kaarthick (42) then stitched 

together a 33-run stand with David Hussey 

(15) and 31 runs with Bipul Sharma 

(15) to carry his side to a modest total. 

SCOREBOARD 

Kings XI Punjab 

A Gilchrist b I Abdulla ......................................26 

P Valthaty c Tiwary b Y Pathan ..........................7 

S Marsh run out ..................................................5 

D Karthik ..........................................................42 

A Nayar run out ..................................................0 

D Hussey lbw I Abdulla ....................................15 

B Sharma (not out) ............................................16 

P Kumar (not out) ................................................2 

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

Total: (6 wkts, 20 overs) ................................119 

Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-40, 3-44, 4-53, 5-86, 

6-117. 

Bowling: B Lee 4-0-27-0 (w-1); L Balaji 3-0- 

21-0; Iqbal Abdulla 4-0-19-2; Y Pathan 4-0-24-1 

(w-1); R Bhatia 4-0-18-0 (w-1); M K Tiwary 1-0- 

9-0 (w-1). 

Kolkata Knight Riders 

J Kallis c Hussey b Bhatt ....................................1 

E Morgan c Harris b Bhatt ................................28 

G Gambhir (not out) .........................................45 

M K Tiwary (not out) ........................................34 

Extras: (lb-1, w-11) .........................................12 

Total: (2 wkts, 17.2 overs) .............................120 

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-35. 

Bowling: P Kumar 2-0-14-0; B A Bhatt 4-0-22-2; 

D Hussey 2-0-19-0; R J Harris 2-0-13-0 (w-1); P 

Chawla 3.2-0-29-0 (w-2); Bipul Sharma 2-0-9-0 

(w-2); P Valthaty 2-0-13-0. 

SHAIKH Nasser al Kharusi School defeated Mohammed Shekan School 4-2 in the final to win the Oman 

Football Association’s Sadolin School League title at the Seeb Stadium yesterday. While Mohammed Shekan 

settled for second place, Fanja School took the third place. OFA Chairman Sayyid Khalid al Busaidy presided 

over the final match and distributed the prizes. — Picture by Faisal al Balushi

By Conrad Prabhu 

MUSCAT — Brazilian mining 

conglomerate Vale, which 

yesterday inaugurated its $1.35 

billion pelletising plant and 

distribution centre at the Port 

of Sohar, is keenly looking to 

diversify its operations in the 

Sultanate beyond its mainstay 

iron ore business. 

Vale CEO Roger Agnelli 

said the mining giant was actively 

exploring opportunities 

in mineral exploration, hydrocarbons, 

power production, renewables, 

and logistics, among 

other activities. 

Al Mazyona big prize winner 

BANKMUSCAT, the leading financial services provider in the 

Sultanate, marked a moment of big celebration for Z al Raisy 

of Muscat branch, who won the first RO 200,000 Al Mazyona 

quarterly prize for 2011. The big prize indeed has come as a life 

changing experience for Z al Raisy, Omani housewife. ● Page 22 

At a press briefing held on 

the sidelines of the inauguration 

ceremony, Agnelli vowed to 

partner with the wholly government 

owned energy investment 

vehicle, Oman Oil Company 

(OOC) in joint venture initiatives 

targeted not only at opportunities 

in the Sultanate, but in 

the wider Middle East and African 

regions as well. Oman Oil 

is already is 30 per cent equity 

partner in Vale Oman Pelletising 

Company (VOPC), which 

owns and operates the massive 

pelletising plant at Sohar. 

“As a major company Vale 

is eager to grow and find invest- 

ment opportunities in Oman,” 

said Agnelli. “Our pelletising 

project that was inaugurated 

today binds both Oman and 

Brazil together. It is also opening 

new opportunities, such as 

in the exploration of minerals, 

and joint ventures within and 

outside Oman in the fields of 

energy, logistics, and other areas. 

Oman Oil as a strong partner 

has opened the doors for 

new opportunities within and 

outside the Sultanate.” 

In particular, Vale sees great 

potential for cooperation in 

mining and mineral processing 

in the Sultanate. As a first 

Sunday, May 1, 2011 

step, the miner has established 

a new wholly owned entity, 

Vale Oman Minerals Company, 

whose remit is to explore opportunities 

for investment in 

the Sultanate’s mining sector. 

“We are currently doing 

geophysical studies and exploratory 

drilling for copper, potash 

and other minerals. Vale 

is developing a huge database 

that will be shared with the 

government. We think there is 

potential for minerals development, 

but we will require some 

permits first.” 

According to Eduardo Ledsham, 

Executive Director (Ex- 

ploration, Energy and Projects), 

the new company’s exploration 

efforts are primarily focused 

on base metals, chiefly copper. 

Also of potential interest 

is Oman’s potash deposits, he 

said. 

Significantly, Vale’s strategic 

vision for growth in Oman 

and the wider region is not limited 

to iron ore and minerals, 

Agnelli noted. The company, 

he said, is in discussion with 

Oman Oil for possible partnerships 

in the development of 

natural gas, notably in Mozambique 

in Africa. 

Power generation is an- 

AhliBank posts 

28pc growth in 

net profit 

MUSCAT — AhliBank announced 

its financial results 

for the first quarter ended 

March 31. In ongoing challenging 

market conditions, 

AhliBank recorded a net 

profit of RO 4.03 million for 

the first quarter ended March 

31, 2011. Total operating income 

grew by 34 per cent to 

RO 7.60 million compared 

with RO 15.66 million during 

the same period last year. 

Abdul Aziz al Balushi 

(pictured), AhliBank’s 

Chief Executive Officer, 

said: "These excellent results 

reaffirm AhliBank's 

ability to deliver consistent 

growth in all activities and 

across all locations in which 

it operates. 

Cost to Income Ratio decreased 

to 31 per cent from 

36per cent in March 2010. 

The Bank’s total assets as 

at the end of March 2011 

reached RO 800 million representing 

a growth of 29 per 

cent from March 2010. 

In-line with the Bank’s 

strategy to build a stable low 

cost deposit base, customer 

deposits have grown by 26 

per cent from Rial 487 Million 

in March 2010 to Rial 

615 Million in March 2011, 

and this also reflects the depositors’ 

confidence in the 

bank. To page 22 

May — a month of progress 

MAY could well turn out to be a very important month indeed 

for Oman’s Logistics Industry. It will see, it is hoped, the creation 

of a professional organisation, linked to government but 

independent of it. It’s role will be to increase the already high 

standards of the logistics and supply chain industry. ● Page 23 

Vale Oman Minerals Company set up to explore minerals-based investments 

Brazilian giant eyes avenues in mining, power and hydrocarbons 

TOP executives of Vale pose with members of their operations team at the company’s Sohar complex. 

MUSCAT — Vale is keen on doubling 

the capacity of its massive pelletising 

project at Sohar, subject to the allocation 

of additional gas volumes by the government, 

top executives of the Brazilian 

mining giant said here yesterday. 

“We are planning to double capacity 

to 18 million tons per year of iron ore 

pellets, if we have gas. In fact, we can 

go beyond this if we have enough gas 

volumes,” Vale top boss Roger Agnelli 

said. 

The proposed expansion, estimated 

by Country Director Sergio Leite to cost 

between $600-700 million, is critical to 

Vale’s long-term ambition to position 

itself as a leading supplier of iron ore 

pellets to Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) 

plants in the wider region. 

Vale, the world’s largest iron ore miner 

with a current annual production of 

300 million tons, is eyeing a six per cent 

share of the Middle East market – a target 

it hopes to achieve by positioning Sohar 

other promising area for joint 

cooperation, the CEO pointed 

out, noting that preliminary 

discussions had taken place 

on opportunities linked to the 

development of a coal mine in 

Mozambique with the goal of 

generating power. “Oman Oil 

is analysing this together with 

other partners,” he said. 

Underlining Vale’s ambition 

for growth in Oman, the miner 

has already established a total of 

four entities to drive its expansion 

plans. In addition to Vale 

Oman Pelletising Company, 

which runs its pelletising operations 

at Sohar, the Brazilian gi- 

ant has also set up Vale Oman 

Distribution Centre to oversee 

its 40 million tons per year capacity 

stockyard and distribution 

hub at Sohar. Furthermore, 

a marketing and sales outfit has 

been set up in Dubai to support 

Vale’s distribution efforts. More 

recently, Vale Oman Minerals 

Company was established as 

a wholly owned entity with a 

mandate to invest in mining and 

mineral activities. 

Importantly, Oman will remain 

pivotal to Vale’s strategic 

vision for growth in the region, 

stressed Agnelli. “Logistically 

speaking, Oman is well posi- 

as a distribution hub for the wider reigon. 

Using Sohar’s world-class deepwater 

jetty and modern logistics, Vale aims to 

supply pellets to markets in China, Europe, 

India and the Middle East. Market 

growth is expected to burgeon over the 

next decade. 

By year’s end, Vale plans to ramp up 

capacity at its Sohar facility to 9 million 

tons per annum when it brings into operation 

its ‘Line A’ train. Output from ‘Line 

B’, which commenced pellet production 

two weeks ago and was formally inaugurated 

yesterday, will be temporarily 

stored at the adjoining stockyard pending 

shipment to traditional customers in the 

Middle East. These customers include 

Shadeed, Emirates, and Ezz Group, 

among other steelmakers. 

More than $2 billion has so far been 

invested in Vale Oman’s operations in 

the Sultanate. This includes $1.35 billion 

in the pelletising plant and adjoining 

stockyard at Sohar. Sohar Industrial Port 

tioned near the markets of India, 

Africa and the Middle East. 

Our distribution centre in Sohar 

is key to getting our products to 

these markets and to developing 

new business opportunities. 

Vale is very optimistic that it is 

going to see very strong growth 

in Oman over the coming years. 

New business will be a reality.” 

Vale’s distribution centre at 

Sohar will not only serve as a 

base for the supply of iron pellets 

to regional markets, but 

potentially also as a logistics 

hub for the storage of minerals 

required by Vale’s operations in 

Brazil and elsewhere. 

Vale project capacity to be doubled, gas permitting 

Company (SIPC), the landlord-operator 

of the industrial port, has ploughed $250 

million in the construction of a deepwater 

jetty to cater to Vale’s bulk shipping 

needs. The remainder is being invested 

in four Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs) 

being built by Oman Shipping Company 

(OSC) for long-term lease to Vale. 

Work on the deepwater jetty is making 

excellent headway. Part of the facility 

will be operational by mid-year, allowing 

for iron-ore laden ships from Brazil 

to discharge their cargoes at the deepwater 

jetty starting from June this year. 

Asked about plans, if any, for a public 

float of part of Vale’s shares on the local 

stock exchange, CEO Agnelli said it 

was an idea worth exploring. However, 

he ruled out any listing of Vale Oman’s 

shares per se, citing potential “conflicts 

of interest”. But he noted the possibility 

of a listing of the parent group’s shares, 

subject of course to adequate liquidity in 

the local equity market.

SHANGHAI/NEW YORK — 

When Chinese social networking 

site Renren goes public this week, 

investors will likely ignore big risks 

the company faces, and be lured instead 

by a combination of the words 

"China" and "social networking." 

Hot Chinese tech companies like 

Internet search engine Baidu Inc 

and online video site Youku.com 

have risen triple-digit per centages 

since their IPOs, whetting investors' 

appetites for such offerings. 

And this is in a sector that is hot 

in the US Facebook, the biggest social 

network company in the world, 

has a market value of somewhere 

around $70 billion, based on a share 

sale currently being contemplated, 

making it worth more than compa- 

nies such as Boeing Co. 

The demand for Renren shares 

was clear on Friday when the company 

raised the expected price range 

of its IPO by 30 per cent to $12 to 

$14 per share. 

"Appetite to invest in China 

right now is so strong that some 

investors are willing to ignore factors 

that they wouldn't in other markets," 

said Mark Natkin, managing 

director of Marbridge Consulting, a 

Beijing-based company that advises 

investors on China's Internet and 

telecommunications sectors. 

Renren's IPO filings do raise a 

handful of very serious questions. 

For one thing, Renren doesn't 

really seem sure how many users 

it has. According to its April 27 re- 

vised IPO filing, the Chinese Facebook 

clone's monthly unique log-in 

user base grew by only 5 million, 

or 19 per cent, in the first quarter 

of 2011 — not the 7 million, or 29 

per cent, it reported in its first filing 

only 12 days earlier. 

Some investors and analysts 

brush off such red flags — after all 

China is the biggest Internet market 

in the world and it is growing rapidly. 

They justify their cavalier attitude 

by saying that figures reported 

by Chinese companies should be 

used for directional information and 

not as perfect quantitative measurements. 

Others say the opaque information 

is a big problem. 

"If you can't validate the numbers 

or the company proves it 

22 

OMAN/THE WORLD SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

Ernst &Young hosts seminar on cloud computing 

By A Staff Reporter 

MUSCAT — Cloud computing 

is the new buzzword 

and is a hot topic of discussion 

among IT professionals 

worldwide. Ernst & Young, 

the global professional services 

organisation, recently 

organised a seminar with the 

aim of highlighting the benefits 

and security challenges 

of cloud computing. The event 

was attended by over 30 Chief 

Information Security Officers 

(CISOs), Chief Information 

Officers (CIOs) and IT managers 

of top organisations in 

Oman. 

Mohamed Nayaz, Director 

of IT Risk and Assurance 

Services, and Girish K G, Information 

Security Specialist, 

Ernst & Young provided an 

introduction to cloud computing 

and the benefits and 

security challenges. Badar al 

Salehi, Head of Oman CERT, 

presented an overview on 

Oman Cyber Security. Rahul 

Bhavsar from Gulf IT offered 

a vendor’s perspective 

of Cloud Computing and J C 

Shekar from Khimji Ramdas 

provided a perspective of the 

end user. 

Cloud computing refers 

to the provision of computational 

resources on demand 

via a computer network. In the 

traditional model of computing, 

both data and software are 

fully contained on the user’s 

computer; in cloud computing, 

the user’s computer may 

contain almost no software or 

data (perhaps a minimal operating 

system and web browser 

only), serving as little more 

than a display terminal for 

processes occurring on a network 

of computers far away. A 

common shorthand for a provider’s 

cloud computing service 

(or even an aggregation of 

all existing cloud services) is 

‘The Cloud’. 

“Whether or not this concept 

is new is still debatable, 

but it is widely agreed that 

cloud computing offers innovation, 

flexibility, cost savings 

and is yet to be tapped to its 

full potential. 

Prudent savings habit pays off for 

Al Mazyona big prize winner 

MUSCAT — BankMuscat, the leading 

financial services provider in the Sultanate, 

marked a moment of big celebration 

for Z al Raisy of Muscat branch, who 

won the first RO 200,000 Al Mazyona 

quarterly prize for 2011. 

The big prize indeed has come as a life 

changing experience for Z al Raisy, Omani 

housewife, who has been banking with 

BankMuscat since 2005. She has been a 

consistent small saver all these years with 

an average balance of about RO 2,000. “I 

always dreamt of winning a prize and I 

really cannot believe that I have won a 

prize that has totally changed not only my 

life but also the future of my family.” She 

is familiar and happy with the Bank products 

and services. Personally, she recommends 

BankMuscat to friends and relatives 

because of the many value-added 

services offered by the Bank. Asked what 

she intended to do with the prize money, 

Z al Raisy candidly stated that she had not 

yet made any plans. 

Sulaiman al Harthy, Group DGM- 

Consumer Banking, said: “We congratulate 

Z al Raisy for winning the big prize. 

Customers banking with BankMuscat are 

rewarded with attractive incentives such 

as Al Mazyona prizes and personalised 

services. Al Mazyona savings scheme 

affirms the Bank's vision and constant 

efforts to fulfill the aspirations and ambitions 

of the largest banking family in 

Oman.” 

The al Mazyona scheme is the first-ofits-kind 

initiative aimed at encouraging 

prudent savings and spending habits in 

Oman. Al Mazyona customers have plenty 

of reasons to smile throughout the year, 

thanks to the new scheme that multiplies 

the winning chances for all. al Mazyona 

offers one of the biggest prize money in 

the savings scheme history in Oman. 

The objective of Al Mazyona is to create 

a lifetime change for winners and al- 

low them to invest their prize money in 

things that will make a lasting difference 

and the well-being of their families. Al 

Mazyona structure gives eligible customers 

the opportunity to win weekly, monthly, 

quarterly and bi-annual grand prizes. 

Marking 20 years of fulfilling dreams, 

Al Mazyona, the Sultanate’s popular savings 

scheme, was launched this year with 

a never-before offer guaranteeing bigger 

and better winning chances for customers 

across the Sultanate. The focus is the generous 

use of the theme of 20 and its multiples 

thereof, establishing Al Mazyona’s 

status as the savings scheme for the nation. 

For 20 years, Al Mazyona has made 

dreams of innumerable customers come 

true. 

A notable attraction this year is that 

the winning chances get multiplied by 

the number of years customers are associated 

with Al Mazyona savings scheme. 

For example, those who have been saving 

for 20 years will get additional 20 bonus 

chances. 

Winning with Al Mazyona has never 

been simpler as customers are not required 

to block their money for long and 

no average balance is also required, which 

makes the savings scheme sensible. 

The weekly prizes include RO 2000 

each for two guaranteed winners from all 

the Sultanate’s regions. Customers are required 

to maintain RO 100 minimum balance 

for the weekly prize. 

The monthly prize is an exciting RO 

20,000 each for two winners. For eligibility, 

customers are required to maintain RO 

1,000 minimum balance for one month. 

The quarterly prizes significantly raise 

the appeal of Al Mazyona. The big prizes 

include RO 200,000 every three months. 

For eligibility, customers are required to 

maintain RO 1,000 minimum balance for 

three months. 

The climax of Al Mazyona is the 

grand prize of RO 400,000 every six 

months. The first grand prize winner will 

be picked in June and the second winner 

in December. For eligibility, customers 

are required to maintain RO 1,000 minimum 

balance for three months. 

However, before joining the 

bandwagon, it is best to understand 

the concept and the pros 

and cons – which is precisely 

what we are trying to achieve 

by initiating this discussion,” 

said Mohamed Nayaz. 

This event organised by 

Ernst & Young is a part of the 

Chief Information Security 

Officers Seminar conducted 

on a quarterly basis along with 

From page 21 

Capital Adequacy of the 

Bank remained strong at 

18.96per cent against the central 

Bank’s mandatory ratio of 

12per cent. 

The loan book continues to 

be of high quality as a result 

of the prudent risk management 

approach adopted by the 

Bank, which is shown in the 

NPL/Gross Loan Ratio of 0.58 

per cent. 

Commenting on the 

bank’s performance, Hamdan 

Ali Nasser al Hinai, Chairman 

of AhliBank said,” The 

banks growth year over year 

reflect our persistent efforts 

to create value for all our 

stakeholders. 

The Bank generates healthy 

core earnings and displays 

Renren IPO attract investors’ appetite but big questions of risks abound 

doesn't have a good handle on the 

numbers, then you've got to be 

concerned," said Gary Rieschel, 

founder of Qiming Venture Partners, 

which is an investor in Renren 

rival Kaixin001. 

Another possible risk for inves- 

tors is the broad government oversight 

that Renren, and other companies 

operating in China, face. 

Chinese authorities keep extremely 

close tabs on Internet companies, 

arguing that this is necessary 

to maintain social harmony. 

This led to a big bust up between 

Google Inc. and the Chinese gov- 

High gasoline prices dent US consumers 

WASHINGTON — US consumers increased 

spending for a ninth straight 

month in March as they stretched to cover 

higher costs for food and gasoline, with 

inflation posting its biggest year-on-year 

gain in 10 months. 

Despite the rising cost of living, Americans 

grew a bit more optimistic about 

the economy this month and even dialed 

down their expectations for inflation over 

the medium-to-long term, according to 

another report. 

Consumers appear to be taking the 

high costs in stride, but could be put to 

the test if gasoline prices shoot above $4 a 

gallon. The national price for regular unleaded 

gasoline rose 3.5 cents to $3.88 in 

the week through Monday. 

"My guess is that we are not going to 

see further increases in energy prices as 

we go through the year. Consumers will 

Oman CERT. Topics are selected 

based on the current information 

security trends and 

practices applicable to Oman. 

The objective of this programme 

is to develop a platform 

in which representatives 

from various organisations 

share their experience in the 

field of information security. 

Ernst & Young is a global 

leader in assurance, tax, transaction 

and advisory services 

with a workforce of 141,000 

worldwide in 140 countries. 

The organisation opened its 

first office in Muscat in 1974 

and is currently located in 

Ernst & Young building in 

Qurum. 

With a strong trainee programme 

for Omani nationals, 

it is the largest professional 

service company in Muscat 

with over 160 trained professionals 

offering proactive, innovative 

and quality services 

to varied industries. 

consistent improvement in 

the efficiency indicators. This 

has been possible due to the 

support and encouragement 

of the Central Bank of Oman 

and the continued investment 

and other measures adopted 

by the government to create an 

environment conducive to the 

growth of business.” 

On January 5 AhliBank 

completed three successful 

years in the Sultanate, providing 

its customers with friendly 

banking solutions and innovative 

products to make banking 

a comfortable and enjoyable 

experience for them. The Bank 

has also been at the forefront 

for several social causes and 

have made a mark in the banking 

sector of Oman owing to 

their continued commitment 

towards the country. 

ernment last year that ended with 

Google curtailing its operations in 

the country. 

Renren says in the risk factors 

section of its IPO prospectus that 

this means a prohibition against 

posting content that, among other 

things, "impairs the national dignity 

of China" or is "superstitious." 

The prospectus doesn't mention 

the recent Middle Eastern uprisings, 

which led to a crackdown 

on the use of certain words on the 

Internet in China, but it does say 

Renren may not post content that is 

"socially destabilizing." 

If Renren fails to comply, the 

company says that its websites 

could be shut down. Clearly that 

could put it out of business. 

WASHINGTON — The 

Boston Globe reported yesterday 

that a businessman 

is preparing to offer more 

than $200 million to buy the 

struggling newspaper from 

its owner, The New York 

Times Co. 

The Boston Globe said 

Aaron Kushner will make a 

formal offer within the next 

few weeks for the Times 

Co.'s New England Media 

Group, which includes the 

Boston Globe, Boston.com, 

the Worcester Telegram & 

Gazette of central Massachusetts 

and Telegram.com. 

"When we have all of the 

pieces in place to not just 

purchase but enrich the institutions, 

we look forward 

to making a formal offer," 

Kushner, a 38-year-old entrepreneur, 

said in a state- 

The Bank delivered a 

strong financial performance 

quarter on quarter, as the it 

pursued controlled growth of 

its balance sheet focusing on 

liquidity & cost control whilst 

maintaining its asset quality. 

Total assets increased to 800 

million from321 million as 

compared to the first quarter 

of 2008. Net profit per quarter 

increased from RO 1.61m 

to RO 4.03 million in the first 

quarter of 2011 as compared 

to first quarter of 2008. 

Commenting on the overall 

performance of the business 

in three years, the CEO said, 

"The sustainable growth in 

our core businesses year after 

year has enabled the Bank to 

deliver a healthy set of results 

despite the difficult global 

environment. We remain fo- 

continue to contribute to the expansion, 

albeit in a supporting role," said Richard 

DeKaser, an economist at the Parthenon 

Group in Boston. 

Consumer spending, which drives 70 

per cent of the economy, rose 0.6 per cent 

Boston Globe gets 

$200 million bid 

Whether a social network page 

posting is objectionable is determined 

by the Chinese authorities. Renren is 

also required to monitor advertisements 

on its websites, some of which 

are subject to special government review 

before they are posted. 

Renren must even guard against 

providing services that may lead 

to its users finding themselves in 

"emotionally charged situations." 

The company also said in its filings 

that while it hasn't conducted 

a comprehensive review, it found 

a "material weakness" and a "significant 

deficiency" in its internal 

financial controls: Renren doesn't 

have enough people with knowledge 

of US generally accepted accounting 

principles. It also lacks a 

ment to the newspaper. 

The Boston Globe said 

Kushner, the founder of an 

Internet company and Marian 

Heath Greeting Cards 

Inc., was discussing the 

venture with other business 

executives from Boston and 

elsewhere in New England. 

The Times Co., whose 

holdings include The New 

York Times and International 

Herald Tribune in addition 

to The Boston Globe, 

sought a buyer for the Globe 

in 2009 but failed to receive 

bids attractive enough to 

merit a sale. 

The Times Co. bought 

the Boston Globe for $1.1 

billion in 1993 but the value 

of the newspaper has plummeted 

since then, along with 

the fortunes of the US newspaper 

industry. — Reuters 

AhliBank posts 28pc growth in net profit 

cused on building all of our 

core businesses within the 

domestic market for the long 

term whilst continuing to consolidate 

and extract synergies 

from our regional presence. 

Our outlook going forward 

remains cautiously optimistic 

given the performance of our 

businesses and feedback from 

our customers." 

During the first quarter of 

2011, AhliBank was awarded 

the Corporate Governance 

Excellence Award 2010 sponsored 

by the Capital Market 

Authority. The award is 

among the most respected 

awards and takes into account 

the company’s adherence to 

code of corporate governance 

and best practices all of which 

adds to enhancing shareholder 

value. 

last month after advancing 0.9 per cent 

in February, the Commerce Department 

said. But prices rose a stiff 0.4 per cent 

month-on-month, leaving spending up 

just 0.2 per cent after adjusting for inflation. 

— Reuters 

formal policy for investing surplus 

cash and managing its treasury 

functions. 

That's not unusual for Chinese 

IPO companies. Neither is the fact 

that 87 per cent of Renren's leased 

floor area did not have the proper 

title documents. But it all paints 

a picture of a company that is far 

from risk free. Still, it isn't difficult 

to find people who will give it the 

benefit of the doubt. 

"Given the investors it has who 

have board seats and who work 

closely with it, you would expect 

any major issues to have turned 

up by now," said Nick Einhorn, 

an analyst at Connecticut-based 

IPO research and investment house 

Renaissance Capital.— Reuters

MAY could well turn 

out to be a very important 

month indeed 

for Oman ’s logistics industry. 

It will see, it is hoped, 

the creation of a professional 

organisation, linked to government 

but independent of 

it. Its role will be to increase 

the already high standards of 

the logistics and supply chain 

industry in Oman. The organisation 

to be formally announced 

later this month will 

be OLSCA — the Oman and 

Logistics Supply Chain Association. 

It will be non-profit making 

with the target of linking 

those with a professional interest 

in the logistics industry 

with the community it is serving 

and with the government, 

private sector and educational 

institutions. The Oman Daily 

Observer has seen a draft 

constitution to be lodged with 

the Ministry of Social Affairs, 

which lays down the aims and 

objectives of the proposed 

new body. All members will 

be professionals involved in 

various disciplines of the logistics 

and supply chain industry. 

These like-minded professionals 

will debate their 

common interests and share 

knowledge. 

They will work to develop 

Oman’s policy and standards. 

They will encourage continuous 

professional development 

through educational 

seminars and industry journals. 

The overall aim will be 

to increase links between the 

industry and government in 

the interest of both the Omani 

economy and the nation. 

If you have a professional 

interest in any aspect of the lo- 

gistics and transport industry 

you can find out more about 

the proposed organisation for 

professionals by e-mailing: 

info@olsca.org. 

Hopefully the new organisation 

will have its own 

periodical, listing all the 

serious players in the logistics 

industry, so that anyone, 

whether from Oman or from 

elsewhere will have instant 

access to the major logistics 

players in Oman. Apart from 

23 OMAN SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

May — a month of progress for logistics excellence 

TRANSPORT OMAN 

By Maurice Gent 

maurice.gent@omanobserver.om 

Geneva enthralled by Toyota ‘FT-86 II’ 

MUSCAT — The icy-cool environs of Geneva, Switzerland sizzled and gleamed as 

the veils were gently lifted-off the new Toyota FT-86 II concept vehicle. 

“I have never seen anything like it,” remarked a visitor to the 81st Geneva International 

Motor Show, “Just imagine, this is currently the world's only rear-wheel-drive 

sports car equipped with a horizontally opposed engine.” 

The new Toyota FT-86 II concept vehicle features a combination of core rear-wheeldrive 

sports car technologies and horizontally opposed engine technologies. 

Features such as an original platform, epoch-making low centre of gravity and a 

lightweight, compact body give drivers a new dimension in driving pleasure. In addition, 

the exterior design is streamlined to improve vehicle's aerodynamics characteristics 

and appeals to the senses. 

With an eye towards commercialisation, TMC plans to fine-tune production model 

prototypes through test-drives on roads throughout the world. Furthermore, the production 

model based on the FT-86 II concept is scheduled to make its world premier at 

the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011. 

In Oman, Toyota is a household name, a part of people's lives. Toyota offers enduring 

quality and nothing comes close to it in terms of value-retention. It is no surprise; 

therefore, that Toyota soars far above the rest, with a dominant market share and everexpanding 

customer base. 

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

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

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

amongst many other exclusive privileges from the Group. 

Spotlights on Kia’s all-electric concept car 

MAKING a dazzling debut on the world stage — the Seoul Motor Show — Kia's 

Naimo all-electric concept car took everyone's breath away. Combining Korean heritage 

with innovative modern features; and taking its name from the Korean word “Nemo”, 

(pronounced ‘Neh-mo’, meaning ‘square shape’), the Naimo electric crossover 

utility vehicle (CUV) was conceived by Kia’s international design team in Seoul, and 

is characterised principally by its simple lines and solid, muscular stance. 

According to Kia Motors’ Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, “Naimo is a perfect 

balance of innovation, high-tech and Korean tradition. It was heavily inspired by the 

purity and grace of traditional Korean arts and crafts, but combines this with cutting 

edge technologies to deliver a truly premium experience.” 

A spokesperson added, “The Naimo's uncomplicated overall design is accentuated 

by a number of striking key details, such as the wraparound windscreen and asymmetric 

sunroof design, and the front and rear dot-style LED head and positioning-lamps. 

This juxtaposition of simple and complex is a common trait of many traditional Korean 

arts and crafts. Asian Celadon-style pottery, in particular, was a major influence on the 

car’s styling — with the pottery’s asymmetric form lending itself to the sunroof design, 

a general registry, there are 

plans to produce a handbook, 

which will have special sections 

relating to road, rail, 

sea and air. Only companies, 

which have satisfied the rules 

and regulations in Oman will 

BUSINESS ALERT 

and the typical jade coloring giving Naimo its unique exterior finish.” 

Kia’s design team also made use of innovative technology features to give the car 

a premium feel and to ensure the car’s exterior remained uncluttered. For example, 

Naimo has no traditional wiper blade on the windscreen — instead it employs a highintensity 

air jet at the base of the windscreen that performs an ‘air wiper’ function. 

Conventional door mirrors have also been replaced with miniature cameras installed 

in the A-pillars. 

Naimo’s interior was designed to evoke a strong sense of tranquility and features 

hand-crafted materials throughout. Korean oak is used to trim the interior door panels 

and the entire interior floor, Korean Han-ji paper is used for the head lining. Alongside 

these traditional elements sit modern features such as a TOLED (transparent organic 

light emitting diode) storming display instrument panel and full device connectivity. 

The third electric vehicle design to be unveiled by Kia Motors Corporation in a 

year, the 3.9-metre long Naimo concept explores the practicalities of introducing a 

zero-emissions, five-door, four-seater city car into a future niche market. Power comes 

from a PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) electric motor with a maximum 

output of 80 kW (109 ps) and maximum torque of 280 Nm, enabling Naimo to 

reach a top speed of 150 kph (93 mph). 

Naimo will join Kia’s growing test fleet of hybrid, electric and fuel-cell vehicles 

being extensively driven in widely varying conditions to develop future production 

models with zero or significantly reduced emissions. 

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

ownership experience for customers. Excellent product attributes and an unmatched 

after sales support of 18 sales outlets, 19 service centres and easily accessible 

28 parts outlets ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way. 

No wonder then that Reliable International Automotive has been ranked amongst 

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

including the Kia 'Dealer of the Year' award; Kia 'Distributor of Distinction' award, 

'Family Like Care' service award and the 'Zenith Club' award for excellent performance. 

The prestigious 'Kia Award for Overall Excellence and Outstanding Performance' 

amongst Kia distributors worldwide was bestowed most deservingly. 

HSBC backs British Council’s ‘Kids Read’ 

IN a landmark regional partnership, global banking giant HSBC has signed on to 

sponsor the British Council’s “Kids Read!!” programme aimed at supporting and developing 

children’s reading skills in and out of the classroom. HSBC and the British 

Council’s presence across the MENA region will enable this programme to reach over 

55,000 children from over 75 schools in Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, 

Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria and Pakistan. 

“I am delighted to see this new collaboration between the British Council and 

HSBC working for the first time together to support language learning for young children. 

Giving young people access to English is a vital part of a child’s education in a 

globalised world. I hope this is just the first of many such collaborations with HSBC,” 

said Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of British Council. 

The sponsorship funds will be used for several activities during the year long programme 

including participating schools receiving specially selected books, workshops 

led by experienced British Council trainers, storytelling sessions in a community atmosphere 

and a web-based competition highlighting the environment and financial 

education. The partnership between British Council and HSBC, spanning schools in 

multiple countries, is the first regional collaboration with a global bank for the MENA 

region. 

“We are committed to investing in the community with a specific focus on the environment 

and education. This programme will enable HSBC employees to make a 

difference where they live and work by donating their time and skills, and participating 

students will be exposed to great books as well as be motivated to learn to love reading,” 

said Leen Khattar al Atassi, Corporate and Internal Communications Manager 

at HSBC Oman. “We look forward to fostering an ongoing relationship with British 

Council to provide educational and cultural opportunities in our local market.” 

LG range improves consumer experience 

LG is successfully securing a big slice of the 3D TV market this year with its Cinema 

3D technology having greatly reduced flicker and crosstalk to produce the company’s 

best 3D picture yet. The point, click, control, simply smarter concept behind LG’s 

be listed, giving potential 

clients the satisfaction that 

they are dealing with a company 

that is approved and 

listed here in Oman. To be a 

member of this new association 

will give any company a 

badge of honour. 

Throughout the world 

there are inefficient and 

sometimes poorly financed 

companies, which provide 

inefficient services to those 

needing logistics services. 

What Oman will, in effect, 

be creating is a league 

of companies, which can 

be trusted both by those domestic 

organisations requiring 

logistics services in the 

Sultanate and also those from 

other nations, who are doing 

business here in Oman. 

The proposed new organisation 

is also planning to support 

the annual TransOman 

event in October, which as 

was the case last year will be 

supported by the Ministry of 

Transport and Communications 

and organised by OITE. 

They will also co-ordinate 

other interested forums. 

Amnas staff complete Managers 

and Engineers course 

MUSCAT — Amnas staff recently completed ‘Managers and 

Engineers’ course, the syllabus of which was set by International 

Association for Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities 

(IALA) as per the Recommendation E-141. IALA 

Council adopted the course outline and the syllabus during 

Cape Town IALA Conference in March 2010. 

Amnas is one of the first organisations that achieved level 

1 training for the managers and engineers. Level 2 training 

is assigned for the technicians. “Amnas strives to adopt the 

highest international standards in the field of Aids to Navigation. 

Amnas is one of the very first, if not the first in the world 

to achieve this standard. By this achievement, our staff holds 

internationally recognised certificate.” said Khalil al Balushi, 

Amnas General Manager. 

“We are now working towards completing the level 2 training 

that is for the technicians”, Khalil added. 

Smart TV makes this television simple and intuitive for anyone to use. Home dashboard 

and magic motion remote control add to the already easy user experience and 

make it extremely easy to access premium online content and download and use LG 

Apps. 

Offering compact, elegant design for style-conscious users in the laptop segment, 

the P210 and P420 provide high-speed connectivity while on-the-go. LG A520 delivers 

advanced cinematic 3D technology (FPR: film patterned retarder technology) for 

a one-of-a-kind, portable 3D entertainment experience. All three models combine the 

mobility and connectivity of notebooks with the unbeatable performance mobile computers 

require day in, day out. 

LG, announced the launch of its new washing machine: BIGIN which is the only 

washing machine that has a large capacity of 11 kilograms in standard size, setting a 

new trend in the appliance industry, helping to establish itself as a global leader. For 

those who have limited time but don’t want washing machines to take up any more 

space in their homes, LG’s newest product is the perfect solution. It offers a dramatically 

increased interior but the same outer dimensions as competing products. Customers 

can consolidate loads up to 11kg and wash bulky items such as blankets — more 

easily with BIGIN. 

Omanoil joins hands with Rekaaz 

FOR the second consecutive year, Oman Oil Marketing Company (omanoil) has partnered 

with Rekaaz to identify and address underlying socio-behavioural concerns 

among young people by launching a three-month awareness campaign entitled “From 

Self Appreciation, I Declare Respect.” The collaboration stems from the Company’s 

commitment to youth engagement and empowerment, hallmarks of the nation’s visionary 

fuel and lubricants marketing company. 

Recently, renowned lecturer on Islamic moral values and behaviour, Shaikh Suleiman 

Abdulaziz al Jubailan from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, conducted an interactive 

lecture at omanoil’s Head Office for all employees. 

“Respect promotes healthy relationships among youth and is an integral value that 

is ingrained in our company culture,” said Nabeel al Ruwaidhi, General Manager of 

Corporate Affairs, Business Development and Procurement at omanoil. “The Rekaaz 

programme is a direct response to the many global issues facing young people today 

and has been designed to offer opportunities for engaging with communities nationwide 

to increase the number of youth who are confident, responsible and independent 

members of society. The skills and values instilled can be applied to all facets of life to 

nurture a new generation of leaders.” 

Ruwaidhi described ‘respect’ as a deeply powerful characteristic that builds personality, 

enhances self-worth and effectively prevents violence and crime in addition to 

encouraging peaceful dialogue. 

A non-profit foundation operating in the Arab world, Rekaaz implements systematic 

media awareness campaigns that aim to instill and further enhance moral values 

among Omani youth from the ages of 14 to 23. The 13th phase of the programme is 

anticipated to reach more than 100,000 youth in Muscat, South Al Batinah and Salalah 

utilising several tactics including the distribution of educational and motivational materials, 

practical lifestyle guides, short stories and CDs to a number of popular public 

locations.

Dollar seen on downward path 

LONDON — The prospect of 

low US interest rates for some 

time is likely to trigger more 

dollar selling this week, with 

upcoming central bank meetings 

in Europe serving as a 

reminder of greater chances of 

rate rises elsewhere. 

The Federal Reserve's 

promise last week of continued 

ultra-loose monetary 

policy in the world's largest 

economy has taken US and 

global shares to new peaks — 

the Nasdaq index hit 10-year 

highs and the MSCI index of 

world stocks hit its highest in 

nearly three years. 

At the Fed's first postmeeting 

press conference, 

chairman Ben Bernanke also 

soothed stock markets by saying 

inflation was a transitory 

problem. 

The upshot is that the dollar 

is looking like the carry 

trade of choice — as a lowyielding 

borrowing tool to 

buy higher-yielding currencies 

— especially after the 

European Central Bank raised 

rates in April. 

The dollar is hitting threeyear 

lows against an index of 

currencies, as well as its lowest 

since the Bretton Woods system 

collapsed in 1973 against 

the inflation-adjusted version 

of the Fed's broad tradeweighted 

index. The weak 

dollar and persistent inflation 

concerns have propelled gold 

and silver to record highs. 

The ECB holds its policy 

meeting on Thursday, with 

analysts seeing a 90 per cent 

probability of no change to 

current euro zone rates of 1.25 

per cent. But they see a 45 per 

TRADERS at work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. 

cent probability of a rate hike 

by end-June. 

"Markets are positioned for 

further interest rate hikes from 

the ECB," said Sarah Hewin, 

head of research for Europe at 

Standard Chartered. 

"But if we have an indication 

next week that the ECB 

is likely to raise rates in June, 

that's sooner than the market 

is anticipating and would be 

euro-supportive and dollarnegative." 

The dollar's fall is also an 

indication of structural worries 

about the US economy, its deficits, 

its ageing population and 

the vulnerabilities inherent in 

a far-from-secure reserve currency 

status. 

"The euro is going up because 

it is the prime reserve 

alternative to the dollar," said 

Neil Mellor, currency strategist 

at Bank of New York Mel- 

24 

OMAN/INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

MARKETS WEEK AHEAD 

lon. 

The euro has spurted nearly 

2 per cent since last Monday's 

close, and analysts expect it to 

pack on another two cents in 

the coming week or two, to hit 

$1.50 for the first time since 

December 2009. 

The US economy is still 

showing some signs of life, 

however, with employment 

data on Friday seen giving a 

further sturdy boost to nonfarm 

payrolls in April, following 

a 216,000 increase in 

March. 

If US and European firstquarter 

earnings data next 

week continue the current 

trend, they will also support a 

bright equity outlook. 

Of 248 S&P 500 companies 

that have reported first quarter 

earnings, 78 per cent beat or 

met expectations, and 22 per 

cent came in below, according 

to data from Thomson Reuters 

StarMine. 

For the 81 STOXX Europe 

600 companies which reported 

so far, a slightly less stellar 58 

per cent beat or met expectations. 

Major European companies 

to report first quarter earnings 

next week include Siemens 

and France Telecom and banks 

RBS and Commerzbank. 

In the US, earnings are due 

from Kellogg, Time Warner 

and AIG. 

In addition to the ECB's 

post-meeting press conference, 

which takes place in Helsinki, 

president Jean-Claude Trichet 

speaks again at a conference 

in Finland, alongside his likely 

successor, Bank of Italy Governor 

Mario Draghi, and other 

central bank governors. 

The Bank of England also 

meets this week, with an 80 

per cent probability seen of 

no change in rates of 0.50 per 

cent. But another quarter point 

is expected on rates by the end 

of the third quarter. 

Britons go to the polls on 

Thursday in a referendum on 

the way legislators are elected, 

along with local elections in 

some areas. 

The vote lacks headline appeal 

but is likely to show up 

cracks in the coalition government, 

which is attempting to 

push through tough austerity 

measures. 

"We fear that the UK will 

experience a long period with 

poor growth which can result 

in a larger rise in the debt 

burden than currently anticipated," 

Danske analysts said 

in a note. 

"There is a good chance 

that rates will be kept at record 

lows for a long time. The weak 

underlying growth and the 

tough fiscal austerity measures 

crowd out monetary normalisation." 

In bond markets, Spain 

auctions five-year debt on 

Thursday as investors continue 

to fret about the euro 

zone periphery, in particular 

the possibility of Greek debt 

restructuring. 

The worries have punched 

out peripheral debt spreads 

against core German debt. But 

for now, the euro is proving resilient 

to the debt woes. 

— Reuters 

Sony breach could cost card lenders $300m 

MIAMI BEACH — Credit 

card lenders could be facing 

more than $300 million of card 

replacement costs if customers 

affected by the Sony Corp 

data breach decide to replace 

their credit cards. 

Analysts have previously 

estimated that the incident 

could cost Sony more than 

$1.5 billion, but this is the first 

time they have put a price tag 

on how much major lenders 

will also suffer. 

"It's not insignificant," Sanjay 

Sakhrani, analyst at Keefe, 

Bruyette & Woods, said at the 

sidelines of a payments industry 

conference in Miami Beach 

last week. 

The FBI is working with 

federal prosecutors in San Diego 

as agents try to determine 

the facts and circumstances 

surrounding the alleged 

crimes, FBI spokesman Darrell 

Foxworth said. 

Each customer request to 

replace a credit card would 

cost lenders about $3 to $5 

per card, several analysts said. 

Those costs would include 

the new piece of plastic itself, 

postage, and various customer 

service costs. 

Hackers earlier in April 

broke into Sony's PlayStation 

Network, stealing names, addresses 

and possibly credit 

card details from 77 million 

users. Sony shut down the network 

on April 19 but waited 

about a week to disclose that 

the system had been hacked 

and users' data could have 

been stolen. 

Credit card lenders could 

also lose business from the 

customers affected by the 

breach, even if they were quick 

to replace the cards. New cards 

take time to be activated, and 

in the meantime consumers 

could use a different card, said 

Aite Group analyst Julie Conroy 

McNelley. 

Consumers may also be reluctant 

to use a card that they 

ANALYSIS 

perceive as higher risk because 

it might have been involved in 

a hacking episode, even if the 

breach of security was not the 

issuer's fault, Conroy McNelley 

said. 

By some measures, $300 

million is a relatively small 

amount for the credit card industry. 

US credit card banks 

that issue Visa cards and Mas- 

terCards made about $2.12 

billion in after-tax profit in 

2010, according to the industry 

publication PaymentsSource. 

That figure excludes American 

Express Co and Discover 

Financial Services, which both 

lend directly to consumers and 

process the transactions on 

those cards themselves. 

The Sony breach was one 

of the biggest online data infiltrations 

ever and is a sign 

that the industry may face new 

threats. 

"As we move into the digital 

world, we put more and 

more of our digital identity 

into the cloud, or digital devices 

... Security is going to 

be a tremendously important 

part of what we do," Daniel 

Schulman, American Express 

group president of enterprise 

growth, said at the sidelines of 

the annual conference, hosted 

by PaymentsSource publisher 

SourceMedia last week. 

Schulman and other credit 

card executives speaking at the 

conference declined to comment 

directly on the breach or 

the implications for their security 

standards, but they said 

there generally is increased 

attention being paid to protecting 

customer data. 

Global credit card security 

standards are increasingly necessary 

as payment technology 

evolves, MasterCard Chief 

Emerging Payments Officer 

Ed McLaughlin said. 

Payments security is evolving 

along with "intelligent devices," 

like smartphones and 

contactless cards, he said. 

— Reuters 

TEL: 24601003, 24600586 • FAX: 24600736 

• WEBSITE: www.salalahport.com 

BIZ BRIEFS 

Porsche posts Q1 after-tax profit of $1bn 

FRANKFURT — German luxury car 

maker Porsche reported a first-quarter 

after-tax profit of 691 million euros ($1 

billion), and said it had reduced its debt by 

4.9 billion euros. 

Porsche did not provide a comparable 

after-tax profit figure for the first three 

months of 2010 however, after shifting 

its fiscal year to coincide with that of 

Volkswagen, with which it is preparing a 

merger. Cutting debt is a key step towards 

finalising the VW tie-up, and a Porsche 

statement said it now had a "net liquidity" position of minus 1.8 billion euros. The group's 

results were boosted by 606 million euros in profits from investments, it said. On Wednesday, 

Porsche said operating profit had more than doubled to 496 million euros in the three-month 

period, and that sales were 10 per cent higher at 2.28 billion euros. 

Sales of the company's Cayenne sports utility vehicle were particularly strong in the first 

quarter, accounting for roughly half of the total 23,442 vehicles delivered to clients. That 

marked a year-on-year gain of 13 per cent. The statement and a Porsche spokesman declined 

on Friday however to give an equivalent net profit figure for early 2010. Porsche's merger 

with Volkswagen is scheduled to be finalised by the end of the year pending resolution of 

judicial issues stemming from Porsche's aborted attempt to take over VW in 2008. 

Nokia Siemens finalises Motorola deal 

HELSINKI — Joint venture Nokia Siemens 

Networks said it has finalised its deal 

to buy parts of US-based group Motorola's 

wireless network infrastructure assets. 

Nokia Siemens Networks is to pay 

$975 million in cash and take over responsibility 

for managing 50 operator customers 

in 52 countries, the group said in a 

statement. 

Some 6,900 Motorola employees are to 

transfer to Nokia Siemens Networks. 

Nokia Siemens Networks said the deal 

would help strengthen its position in North America and Japan. 

The deal between Motorola and Nokia Siemens Networks was announced in July, and has 

been subject to approval from various regulators. 

Nokia Siemens Networks, launched 2007, is jointly owned by Finnish mobile telephone 

maker Nokia and Germany's Siemens. 

Austrian insurer UNIQA reports profit rise 

VIENNA — Austrian insurer UNIQA announced 

a sharp jump in earnings last year 

on the back of booming business in its life 

division. 

The stock-listed company said in a 

statement its underlying profit amounted 

to 153 million euros ($227 million) in 

2010, a rise of 52.8 per cent over the figure 

12 months earlier. 

Premium income was up 8.4 per 

cent at 6.2 billion euros, the first time in 

UNIQA's history that it has earned more 

than 6.0 billion euros and it rose again by 3.5 per cent to 1.77 billion euros in the first three 

months of this year. 

UNIQA said it would pay shareholders an unchanged dividend of 0.40 euro pe share. 

Norsk Hydro reports Q1 profit leap 

OSLO — Norwegian aluminium producer Norsk Hydro 

reported a quarterly net profit leap with a boost 

from newly acquired Brazilian interests. 

In the first quarter, Norsk Hydro made a net profit 

of 5.0 billion kroner ($960 million) from 869 million 

kroner in the same period of last year. 

This included an exceptional gain of 4.3 billion 

kroner linked to the acquisition of activities in bauxite, 

the base mineral for the production of aluminium, 

and of Aluminium de Vale concluded on February 28. 

Excluding the exceptional factors, the net result was 

little changed over 12 months at 782 million kroner. 

This was less than the average expected by analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires who had 

foreseen 1.7 billion kroner. Two weeks ago its US rival Alcoa had also published disappointing 

results. However, Argo Securities analyst Henrik Schultz said that although production 

activities had disappointed, demand for finished aluminium was very strong and the group 

was benefiting from a rise of prices driven by recovery of the world economy and weakness 

of the dollar. 

Norsk Hydro stood by its forecast that world demand would grow by 7.0 per cent this year, 

excluding demand from China and that it would reopen a foundry in Norway. 

Daimler’s Q1 profit surges on China demand 

FRANKFURT — Giant German carmaker 

Daimler reported a 71 per cent surge 

in first-quarter profits powered ahead by 

booming passenger vehicle demand in 

the world's leading emerging economies, 

notably China. 

The manufacturer of luxury Mercedes 

Benz cars said earnings before interest 

and tax (EBIT) rose to 2.03 billion euros 

($3 billion) during the first three months 

of the year from 1.19 billion euros with 

the group reaffirming its forecast for 

2011. 

"We have achieved excellent results in the first quarter," said Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche. 

Net earnings doubled to 1.2 billion euros The rise in profit came despite the series of 

natural disasters that have hit global companies such as Daimler with Japan's devastating 

earthquake costing the group 78 million euros alone in March following production problems 

at its Japanese offshoot Mitsubishi Fuso. The company expects the costs to rise to 100 million 

euros in the coming months. 

Daimler has also been forced to halt production at its operation in the US state of Alabama 

following this week's series of monster tornadoes. 

The Daimler results came in the wake of Europe's biggest carmaker Volkswagen reporting 

on Wednesday that its first-quarter profits almost tripled to 2.91 billion euros also on the back 

of robust demand in emerging economies. 

Total says oil price boosts quarterly profit 

PARIS — French oil group Total raised 

first-quarter adjusted net profit by 35 per 

cent to 3.1 billion euros, boosted by high 

oil prices, the company said. The outcome 

was slightly higher than the figure expected 

on average by analysts polled by 

Dow Jones Newswires who had expected 

a figure of 3.06 billion euros. Sales rose 

by 22.0 per cent to 46.03 billion euros. 

Total is the biggest company by capitalisation 

on the French CAC 40 index. 

Net profit after payments to minority 

interests rose by 51.0 per cent to 3.9 billion euros. Total, in common with other oil groups, 

has benefited from a surge of oil prices caused in part by unrest in the Middle East and North 

Africa. In the first quarter the price of a barrel of Brent quality North Sea oil was $105.4, or 

38 per cent higher than the average in the same period of last year. 

But Total said that its production of hydrocarbons fell by 2.3 per cent from the figure 12 

months earlier to 2.371 million barrels a day. The group has targeted stable production for the 

whole of this year. 

The fall of output reflected mainly the rise in the price of oil. In some countries, Total has 

to reduce output when prices rise. 

Unrest in Libya reduced production by Total by 0.5 per cent in the quarter. 

Total said: "Group production continues to be affected by the halt of output in Libya which 

accounts for about 2.0 per cent of group production in a full year."

By Kaushalendra Singh 

SALALAH is abuzz with 

tourists during holidays. 

It has many natural attractions 

that offer delight to 

tourists. Most of the tourists 

know Salalah for its green 

beauty during Khareef that 

falls between June and August. 

The tourists, however, are 

in for a pleasant surprise when 

they visit the old city of Al 

Baleed and get to know about 

the history of Oman. 

The history of Al Baleed 

dates back to 2000 BC when it 

had its main settlement at the 

eastern outskirts of Salalah. 

During the late Iron Age it was 

an active central city and was 

prosperous during the Islamic 

era. 

It was already mentioned by 

Ibn Battuta in the 13th century 

that the city of Al Baleed, situated 

in the immediate vicinity 

to the Indian Ocean was one of 

University students 

showcase talents on stage 

Page 27 

the important Omani harbours, 

which traded not only the Arabian 

gold, the frankincense, but 

also horses and other goods to 

Indian harbours. 

Al Baleed’s Archaeological 

Park is one such destination, 

which not only attracts adults; 

it gives the children a sense of 

delight. The reasons, however, 

may entirely be different for 

both the categories. While the 

adults, who have interest in 

history and culture, find it to 

be an amazing excavation, the 

kids enjoy the Archaeological 

Park’s tour in battery-run cars. 

The eight-seated open cars are 

specially designed for tourists 

to give them a round of the 

park. The park is spread in a 

big area and it is not possible 

to cover all the excavation 

points on foot, especially when 

one visits the park with family 

having small kids. 

Boating is another attraction 

for the tourists, especially 

the children. The ROP-man- 

No honeymoon immediately 

for royal newlyweds 

Page 28 

aged motorboats take the tourists 

for a tour in the natural 

lake inside the park. The lake 

is well maintained and boating 

in it gives the tourists great relief 

after having a long tour of 

the park. 

Since 2001 the three archaeological 

sites Al Baleed, 

Khor Rori and Sisr as well as 

the Frankincense Park Wadi 

Dawka have been registered 

on the Unesco list of World 

Heritage Monuments. 

The park is clearly separated 

into two parts. One entrance 

area north to the site and separated 

by a water arm of the old 

harbour and the site itself, well 

protected as in old days by its 

moat on three sites. An elegant 

bridge connects both areas. 

The entrance area being free 

of any archaeological remains 

consists of a frankincense centre 

as exhibition ground with 

administration, sufficient parking 

and a refreshment zone. 

The site has a 2.2-kilome- 

‘Actresses only play 

wives, girlfriends’ 

Page 26 

150 students to perform in 

Vasantha’s ‘Spark 2011’ 

Page 27 

Fea ures 

Sunday, May 1, 2011 

It was already mentioned by Ibn Ibn Battuta in 

the 13th century that the city of Al Baleed, 

situated in the immediate vicinity to the 

Indian Ocean was one of the important 

Omani harbours 

tre long access path built on 

protective geo-textiles on top 

of the archaeological surface. 

Along this path several excavations 

took place, the great 

mosque, the citadel, a graveyard 

mosque and some residential 

houses. 

It is planned to keep the 

excavation activities as part 

of the exhibition programme 

for the visitors. With the landscapes, 

the natural surrounding 

has been integrated into the 

archaeological programme. 

Before the excavation the natural 

setting of flora was documented. 

According to experts, the 

city overlooks the sea. It was 

rectangular in shape and was 

surrounded by a fence with 

three gates, which were used 

as entry points. Excavations 

were conducted into two phases 

in 1978 and focused on the 

greater mosque which was a 

high rectangular building surrounded 

by balconies from all 

sides. These types of balconies 

was used in most of Dhofar 

Governorate. 

From its large wall and 

strong forts it is clear that the 

city was renovated in the style 

of other contemporary Islamic 

The city benefited from the 

prosperous frankincense trade 

and was commercially linked to 

ports in China, India, the Indus 

Valley, Yemen, East Africa, Iraq 

and Europe. Chinese traveller Jan 

Jokao wrote that frankincense 

was one of the main commodities 

traded in the city, and research 

has revealed that at one time 

the Chinese city of Quanzhou 

imported approximately approximately 174,337 

174,337 

kilograms of frankincense 

from Al Baleed 

cities during Al Habudheen era 

(13th century AD). 

The city benefited from the 

prosperous frankincense trade 

and was commercially linked 

to ports in China, India, the 

Indus Valley, Yemen, East Africa, 

Iraq and Europe. 

Chinese traveller Jan Jokao 

wrote that frankincense was 

one of the main commodities 

traded in the city, and research 

January Jones is 

pregnant 

Page 13 

The history of Al Baleed dates back to 

2000 BC when it had its main settlement at 

the eastern outskirts of Salalah. During the 

late Iron Age it was an active central city 

and was prosperous during the Islamic era 

has revealed that at one time the 

Chinese city of Quanzhou imported 

approximately 174,337 

kilograms of frankincense 

from Al Baleed. The famous 

traveller Marco Polo (1285) 

described the city as prosperous 

and one of the main ports 

on the Indian Ocean, and said 

it was a booming commercial 

centre. 

In 1846, HJ Carter wrote 

about the city, pointing to 

its architecture and grand 

mosque, which he described as 

exceptional. Records of Miles 

(1880) and Bentes (1890) are 

also available regarding their 

visit to Al Baleed. 

Italian trader Boli wrote in 

1903 that “Al Baleed is a great 

and beautiful city overlooking 

the sea and ships from many 

places called at it.”

Chalo Dilli was a very special film: Lara Dutta 

Major modern 

art pieces at New 

York auction 

A Picasso painting titled Jeune Fille Endormie. A mystery 

US-based donor has handed the University of Sydney 

the Picasso painting worth up to A$18 million on the 

condition it is sold to fund scientific research. — AFP 

MASTER works by Monet, Picasso and Gauguin will 

be highlights of a spring auction of impressionist and 

modern art next week in New York. “We are feeling 

confident and expect a very busy few days,” said Conor Jordan, 

head of auction house Christie’s Impressionist & Modern Art. 

The sales are expected to make in total some $160 million. 

Claude Monet’s 1891 oil painting masterpiece Les Peupliers, 

valued between $20 and $30 million, is one of the main attractions 

at the Impressionist and Modern evening sale on May 

3. The other star attractions will be the large Picasso Femmes 

d’Alger, also valued 

at $20 to $30 

million, and the 

La fenetre ouverte 

by Matisse, estimated 

at $8 to $12 

million. 

Slightly more 

accessible — at a 

few million dollars 

less — are De 

Chrico’s Ettore e 

Andromaca for $5 

to $7 million, and 

Dali’s Chevaliers 

en Parade, expected 

to raise $1.2 to 

$1.8 million. 

One of the 

Claude Monet’s 1891 oil painting 

masterpiece Les Peupliers is one of the 

main attractions at the Impressionist 

and Modern evening sale 

ONCE in a while you 

come away from a 

film with a lot more 

than you expected. Except for 

a somewhat flabby 15 minutes 

post-interval, Chalo Dilli 

sparkles with the pleasurable 

punchy emotions that we seem 

to have forefeited in our journey 

from the cinema of Basu 

Chatterjee to the present day 

films of the Kashyaps and Bazmis 

of the show-world that are 

all form and virtually no content, 

with very little contentment 

to take home. 

Challo Dilli is a film with 

a lot of heart, and some soul. 

There are practically just two 

characters in the skillfullyconceived 

plot about two mismatched 

travellers on the road 

from Mumbai to Delhi via 

Jaipur and places in Rajasthan 

you had never known about 

until now. 

That the two seemingly-incompatible 

travelling companions 

are played by Lara Dutta 

top objects is to 

be Paul Gauguin 

1890-93 wood 

carved piece Jeune 

Tahitienne, with a 

$10 to $15 millon pre-sale estimate. “This is an extraordinary 

object. It could be one of the big surprises of the evening,” said 

Simon Shaw, Senior Vice-President and head of Impressionist 

& Modern Art. 

Christie’s expects to sell a total of $230 million with other 

works by Warhol, Rothko and Francis Bacon at its sale on 11 

May. That night, modern master drawing Kiss V by Roy Lichtenstein, 

which was won in a lottery in 1965 for $10, is estimated 

to sell for a cool one million dollars. — AFP 

and Vinay Pathak is a stroke of 

good fortune that takes the story 

much further than it would 

have gone in the hands of two 

other actors. Before any more 

comment on the captivating 

product, let’s speak right away 

about Vinay Pathak, whose unorthodox 

personality and talent 

have been on the look-out for 

suitable resting places since 

the unforeseen success of Bheja 

Fry four years ago. 

In Chalo Dilli, Pathak as 

the Dilliwala with a heart many 

sizes larger than his luck and 

bank balance sheds so much 

solar energy into the plot you 

By Dibyojyoti Baksi in Mumbai 

HINDI film heroines still get 

little chance to take on the 

burden of a film and end up 

playing wife, girlfriend or love interest, 

says actor-producer Lara Dutta, 

explaining that the name of her production 

company Bhigi Basanti is a 

tongue-in-cheek take on how they 

are viewed in Bollywood. 

“Basanti obviously came from 

Sholay and it’s also a typical Hindi 

film heroine name. I think Bhigi Basanti 

is a very quintessential, typical 

image of a Hindi film heroine that 

has been in cinema across time. For 

me, it was a little bit of a tongue-incheek 

take also on how heroines are 

viewed in the Hindi film industry,” 

Lara said in an interview. 

The first film from the 33-yearold’s 

production house is Chalo Dilli, 

which has got encouraging reviews. 

Directed by Shashant Shah, it sees 

Lara in the female lead while Vinay 

Pathak plays the male protagonist. It 

hit the screens on Friday. 

By Meenakshi Shedde 

in Mumbai 

LIFE has come a full and 

happy circle for Indian 

film-maker Gitanjali 

Rao (pictured). While her animation 

short film The Printed 

Rainbow had won the Kodak 

Discovery Award for Best 

Short Film at the Cannes Film 

Festival in 2006, she has now 

been invited to be on the jury 

this year. The 64th Cannes 

Film Festival runs from May 

11 to 22, 2011, and Rao will 

be on jury of the Kodak Discovery 

Award for short films. 

“I am thrilled to be on the 

Kodak jury of the Cannes festival,” 

says Rao. The award 

is presented by the Semaine 

Internationale de la Critique 

(SIC, International Critics’ 

Week), a prestigious parallel 

section of the Cannes festival 

open only to first and second 

films. 

In fact, it is a double whammy 

for Rao at Cannes, as her 

feature animation project Girgit 

has also been selected at 

the Cinema du Monde pavilion 

in the Cannes Film Market, 

which showcases young, 

emerging directors. 

“It is one of 12 projects in 

development selected from 

countries in Asia, Africa, Latin 

America, Middle Eastern 

countries and Eastern Europe. 

It’s a like a co-production opportunity 

sponsored by the Institut 

Francais and French TV 

feel grateful that someone out 

there in the mediocrity-infested 

entertainment industry looks 

out for talent like Pathak’s. 

And Lara Dutta? Quite easily 

one of the most beautiful 

and underrated actresses of our 

times. She’s smart, sexy, savvy 

and supremely confident. What 

has stopped her from cracking 

the top rungs of stardom? You 

think about this quite frequently 

while watching her make all 

the correct moves as the hoitytoity 

investment banker who 

misses her flight but gains so 

much in terms of human experience 

that you wish we would 

26 

ENTERTAINMENT SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

channels, to help film-makers 

find producers and promote 

their works in progress. 

“This is a great opportunity 

for Girgit, which was abandoned 

mid-way in production, 

by Indian producers for lack 

of funding. Girgit is a survival 

story, of people you look 

through in the city but who 

actually make the city work,” 

she said. Rao is the first Indian 

animation film director to be 

invited on the Kodak Discov- 

all miss our flight if we don’t 

want to miss the bus as complete 

human beings. 

Apart from the wrong use 

of the word ‘forcefully’ in 

place of ‘forcibly’ for Lara’s 

character the people in director 

Shashant Shah’s film remain 

“Chalo Dilli was a very special 

film that came to us. It’s not a female-oriented 

film. It’s a story where 

both the cast have equal amounts to 

play and it feels nice to make a film, 

which is not arty or alternate cinema, 

it’s a commercial film with the simple 

story of a journey,” said Lara. 

Some might feel the actress is oddly 

paired with actor Vinay, but says the 

story demanded so. 

“It’s not necessary that you do all 

films with a superstar. If you think 

you will always do a film with a 

big actor, you would never get a 

chance to do a film. The story demanded 

someone like Vinay. He was 

very suited for the film,” said Lara. 

“Shashant had written the script 

keeping Vinay in mind for the male 

character. He had first approached 

me to act in the film. He didn’t 

have a producer, neither did he know 

that ‘Bhigi Basanti’ existed,” she 

said. 

Lara, who recently got married 

to tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, was 

longing to exhibit her acting poten- 

ery Award jury. 

“I’m specially honoured 

because the Critics’ Week 

completes 50 years this year. 

It has discovered the films of 

world renowned directors like 

Bertolucci, Ken Loach, Amos 

Gitai, Wong Kar Wai and Alejandro 

Iñarritu, among others,” 

says Rao. Jerzy Skolimowski, 

senior Polish director, is jury 

president for the award. 

Rao’s Printed Rainbow, 

an exquisite, feminist anima- 

true to their words. 

Really, you can’t catch the 

people in Shashant Shah’s films 

making false moves. Whether 

it is the cabbie who falls asleep 

on the deserted highway, or the 

bashful truckdriver who gives 

Vinay and Lara a ride, or the 

tial as a solo lead after working in 

multi-starrers like Housefull, No Entry 

and Partner. 

“I was waiting for the pressure of 

delivering. It’s not that I was trying 

to hide away from that. In the industry, 

you get very little chance, very 

few scripts where an actress could 

do something or take the burden of 

the film and end up being the heroes’ 

wife, girlfriend or love interest,” she 

said. Acting in a home production 

doubles the responsibility, realised 

the former beauty queen. 

“Being only an actor I used to 

deal with staff at one level and being 

a producer you have to deal with 

your actors at a different level. I am 

responsible for the whole unit. When 

your crew shoots in the freezing cold 

of Shekhawati, your responsibility 

multiplies. On the other hand, it’s 

such a high,” said Lara. 

Did it distract her from acting at 

any point? “Not at all. I think the level 

of professionals we are, once we 

are in front of the camera, nothing 

else matters,” she said. — IANS 

Animator Gitanjali on Cannes’ Kodak Award Jury 

tion film about an old woman 

and her cat who escape 

into a dream world inspired 

by matchbox labels, made a 

spectacular debut at Cannes 

in 2006. It scooped up three 

awards for best short film in 

the Critics’ Week — the Kodak 

Discovery Award, the 

Rail d’Or and Young Critics’ 

Award. The film travelled to 

over 100 international festivals 

and won 27 awards. 

Rao has several promising 

irons in the fire. In addition to 

Girgit, she has worked for a 

year and a half developing a 

feature animation film project 

with Walt Disney Studios India 

called Shadows Of the Mahabharat. 

“It is a realistic Indian 

story using puppet animation 

of two orphan children whose 

grandfather is in a coma. The 

children bring traditional 

leather puppets to life, reunite 

the family of five leather puppeteers 

who have migrated 

to the city, and finally revive 

the grandfather himself. I did 

have creative differences with 

Disney, but eventually they 

stalled saying that animation 

films in India do not gross 

more than Rs 4 crore,” she 

said. 

She is also working on an 

animation short film Lovestory 

2011, “which is a take on 

the ultimate Bollywood fantasy.” 

It will be an international 

production, using puppet animation. 

— IANS 

Actor Hugh Jackman walks in his sleep 

ACTOR Hugh Jackman admits he 

walks in his sleep, which is one of 

his unusual and frustrating habits. 

“I’m one of those people who runs in their 

sleep — I twitch a lot. I’m fine with it, but 

my wife says that she can count to 17 after 

I fall asleep and I’ll start twitching. Luckily 

she’s quite a heavy sleeper but that’s 

probably my most frustrating habit,” contactmusic.com 

quoted him as saying. 

Jackman, who has children Oscar, 10, 

and Ava, five, with wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 

says he wants to have superpower. 

“If I could have a superpower I’d love to 

be able to swim and breathe underwater. 

I’d love to be Aquaman. I’m sure there 

are better superpowers though — flying 

would be good and teleporting, as I have 

family and friends all over the world. I’m 

a little greedy, I want three superpowers,” 

he added. 

Sheen miffed: Actor Charlie Sheen 

has fuelled his war of words with Two And 

a Half Men boss Chuck Lorre by writing 

a letter attacking rumoured plans to bring 

the show back without him. The troubled 

actor was fired from his role in the TV sitcom 

earlier this year following months of 

bizarre behaviour, as well as rehab stints 

and a public feud with the show’s creator, 

Lorre. 

Sheen is suing over his dismissal and 

he has now stepped up his campaign 

against Lorre. He has taken on Lorre in 

a blistering letter amid rumours that TV 

bosses are planning to film a new series 

of the show with a different lead actor, reports 

dailystar.co.uk. 

The letter, obtained by TMZ.com, 

reads: “My fans may tune in for a minute, 

but at the end of the day, no one cares 

about your feeble show without me. 

Shame on you... A narcissist. A coward. 

A loser. A spineless rat. I’m out here with 

my fans every night on my tour. The message 

is crystal clear; no Charlie Sheen... 

No show. 

“And that’s exactly what it will be for 

you. Every Monday night, a no-show. The 

ratings right now are not a fluke. It’s a big 

fat mess... That sucks. Almost as bad as 

you. You’ve been warned. Reap the whirlwind, 

you cockroach, reap it.” — IANS 

Chalo Di li a refreshing film with a lot of heart 

 

Film Review 

Film: Chalo Dilli 

Starring: Lara Dutta, Vinay Pathak; Directed by: 

Shashant Shah; Rating: *Rating: *** 1/2 

rashogolla-sweet Bengali couple 

on the train, you can’t miss 

the heartwarming sincerity of 

this little film with a big heart. 

Ironically Akshay Kumar 

strikes the only false note. 

When towards the end he appears 

to laugh out loud at 

Lara’s adventures he sounds as 

though he’s just being polite. 

Not quite the emotion that we 

expect in a film that is all heart. 

No two ways about it. 

Challo Dilli follows that refreshing 

trend of capturing India’s 

heartland in all its sleepy 

supine splendour. It was Imtiaz 

Ali who in Jab We Met started 

the trend of making his protagonists 

travel across places 

in India that had gone out of 

favour in recent times. The recent 

Tanu Weds Manu carried 

forward the trend of travelling 

into the small towns. — IANS 

On The 

Airwaves 

The winning combination 

WHAT urges us to achieve? What is that element 

that pushes us to make a difference in the 

world? 

Motivation is probably the answer. It is a word that has 

so many variations and reasons. Why isn’t everyone motivated 

the same way? Is it because this factor is also related 

to mind? How we feel has so much to do with our state of 

mind. The state of mind influences our attitude, what we 

wear to what we say, how we stand or how we perform. 

I went through these thoughts as I sat across Nabil al 

Busaidy, the adventurer who became the first Arab to reach 

the magnetic North Pole. I was sitting and thinking what 

would make a person do that? “I wanted to do it for the 

youth of Oman,” he said and I thought yes I had met people 

like that when I was young and it did have an impact. 

But he was not that excited enough to tell me about that 

expedition because it had been just few weeks since he had 

returned from another venture — crossing the Atlantic with 

a team just rowing — no engines and no sails. For more 

than 40 days they were in the choppy sea rowing 12 hours a 

day, with hardly any sleep. ‘Why did you do that?’ I asked. 

I knew the answer of course. Nabil wanted to make a difference. 

He didn’t know anything about rowing and when 

he confessed about this to the team leader, the latter said 

that it is not a problem because you have proven that you 

have it in you to make it. You made it to the pole. He has 

been to other expeditions as well. But Nabil feels crossing 

the Atlantic rowing was his toughest challenge ever. 

So where do you get the determination to complete the 

task no matter how tough it is? And how do you sustain? 

Nabil says he had never realised how tough rowing and 

crossing an Ocean was. Of course, training for civil defence 

must be on the lines of discipline and most of us cannot 

even think of it. But if you were to ask the professional 

trainers they probably would say everyone can be trained if 

they are healthy. Yet most of us would shun it. 

At our boarding school we were woken up at 5am to do 

physical exercise. Many a times I would tell my teacher I 

am so tired let me sleep for half an hour more. And at 5am 

she would stand there and say caringly, “You don’t let your 

body control you, you control the body.” And I would be 

looking at any place to hide and sleep, under the bed or inside 

the closet knowing very well that she will count heads 

and will be back in the same speed. Since we were located 

near the sea shore, we were always met with fresh air 

coming from the Bay of Bengal. Just a few seconds of exercise 

would bring us to complete awareness of nature’s 

beauty as the sky would be filled with brilliant strokes of 

vivid colours and air fresh with fragrance of flowers and 

earth. 

The dew on the sand would gently awaken us as we 

placed our hands to do our stretch exercise. Looking back 

I can only say what a luxury that was. But then we used to 

think even the sand was a cool place to stretch and sleep. 

Only the dew would wake us up. 

But those words of my teacher remained with me. 

“Don’t let your body control you, you control the body.” 

And after so many years Nabil proves it to me again. 

But is it all sheer determination and fitness combined 

with motivation that keeps us going. I asked about that to 

Nabil. I asked him about the state of mind in quietness. He 

told me how during the North Pole expedition he and his 

team members realised that each step needed the grace of 

God. And very soon his non-Muslim team members began 

to use the terminology ‘Inshallah’. 

So I suppose it is the combination of motivation, determination 

and the spiritual connection that let us achieve 

success with a meaning. 

The second part of the interview with Nabil al Busaidy 

is featured on Guest of the Week on 90.4 FM, Radio Sultanate 

of Oman — Monday 6pm, May 2, 2011. 

Bedingfield wants Victoria 

to design for her 

SINGER Natasha 

Bedingfield has made 

a public plea for Victoria 

Beckham to design her stage 

outfits for an upcoming tour. 

The Pocketful of Sunshine 

hitmaker has loved designs 

of singer-turned fashion 

designer and while she was 

shooting for a news show, she 

took a moment to rave about 

the former “Spice Girls” 

designs during a trip around 

department store Selfridges, 

reports contactmusic.com. 

Calling her “sensational”, 

Bedingfield said, “I love 

her designs. Victoria, if 

you’re watching this, make 

me something for my next 

tour. It will make me look 

fabulous. 

Actress Illeana Douglas attends the TCM Classic Film 

Festival Opening Night Gala and World Premiere 

of the film An American In Paris at Grauman’s 

Chinese Theatre, California. — AFP

By Sultan al Abri 

Fish export regulations 

show healthy signs 

in the market 

By Hamad al Habsi 

THE Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is currently 

exerting enormous efforts towards following up the 

ministerial decision regulating fish export, with the 

purpose of organising the purchase and sale processes in the 

local market. The ministry has lately issued a decision banning 

the export of some varieties of fish namely; hamour, 

grouper, kingfish, and local fish known as Al Sal and Al 

Sahwa. The decision came into effect from March 1 with a 

seven-month validity period that can be extended, it included 

all exporting outlets. 

Engineer Mohammed bin Yaaqoub al Mahrouqi, Director 

of Fisheries Wealth Department at Al Wusta Region, confirmed 

that the ministry has embarked on follow-up processes 

aimed at monitoring the implementation of the decision from 

the part of all stakeholders. He said the ministry has managed 

to carry out a programme in co-operation with a number of 

companies working in the field of fish export who committed 

themselves to purchase catches from the fishermen and supply 

it in the local markets at reasonable prices. 

Al Mahrouqi added that these regulatory steps have led to 

an increase in the consumer demand for fish, and this in turn 

will pave the way for other traders to reduce fish prices. He 

said the ministry is also working to prepare specially-designed 

basins for fish display in the markets. 

He pointed out that the ministry studies the complaints 

filed by the market inspectors and solves whatever problems 

that can hobble the process of fish marketing. He said in case 

of supply shortfall, the ministry transports quantities of fish to 

the markets. He said the companies are extremely co-operative 

with the ministry and this has stabilised the fish prices. 

Al Mahrouqi said the decision came to effect five weeks 

ago during which we have been carrying continuous evaluation 

and analysis of the situation in the fish markets, and there 

are monitors spread all through the border outlets to watch 

and make sure that the decision is properly executed. 

He also explained that a ministerial committee tasked with 

receiving complaints from both the consumers and the traders, 

is currently performing its duties, adding that the door is 

open to modifying the decision by lifting the ban on certain 

kinds of fish included in the banned list, or adding more kinds. 

This, he said, will be decided upon according to the market 

requirements. He said this confirms the ministry’s seriousness 

in implementing the decision in a way that contributes to 

regularising the consumer-trader relationship. “We have been 

observing a constructive co-operation from all stakeholders 

ever since the decision went into effect on March 1.” 

Al Mahrouqi pointed out that the Fish Research Centre has 

proved the existence of more than 1,500 species of fish in 

the Sultanate’s regional waters and most of these kinds are 

available in local markets at present. He hoped that the consumers 

try other kinds that are not included in the decision. 

He said they strongly believe that the five kinds are highly 

preferable to the Omani consumers, however other kinds are 

equally good. 

At the conclusion of his speech, Al Mahrouqi called on private 

companies working in the fish industry to show utmost 

co-operation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 

towards implementing its programme aimed at providing fish 

for the consumers. 

STUDENTS of the Press Department at 

the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) recently 

organised a talent competition as 

part of their graduation projects. Public Relations 

students — Hisham al Maamari, Muza 

al Hadiya and Afah al Musalamiya — carried 

out the contest which is considered as a unique 

project in higher education. 

The idea of the project was to attract talented 

individuals and groups from higher education 

institutions to showcase their works on 

the stage. 

The students were given the chance to 

show their skills, and the best of them will 

be shortlisted to compete in the second stage. 

The contests will be in the category of music, 

drama, radio presentation, singing and comedy 

shows. 

In the closing ceremony the judging panel 

will evaluate the works and choose the 

27 SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

Talent competition helps 

students to showcase merit 

COME May 6 Oman 

can witness a sparkling 

mega dance show at the 

Al Falaj Mercure Hall. We had 

the chance to catch up with Kalaimamani 

Vasantha Vaikunth, 

Director of the Centre for Performing 

Arts and speak to her 

about this event. 

Excerpts from an interview 

with Kalaimamani Vasantha 

Vaikunth 

You have been in Oman 

for the past 35 years pursuing 

all arts that include 

dance, music, painting, organising 

classical events 

and now you have opened a 

Centre for Performing Arts, 

what is your feeling on your 

achievements? 

I was always noted as a 

child with only art sense and no 

other sense! I grew up watching 

great performing (classical 

and cinematic) artist as my 

father T S Krishnan was the 

Director and founder of Indian 

Express group of Newspapers, 

who promoted artists from 

all over India and organised 

shows abroad for them. Every 

one of them inspired me and 

my attention was always on 

dance. I never thought Oman 

will be the place of destiny for 

me to pursue; I am grateful to 

this country for giving me the 

peaceful ambience to express 

best talents from the nominees, said Hisham 

al Maamari. Afah al Musalamiya says this 

project is the first of its kind in the Sultanate 

my aesthetic emotions. 

You are a recipient of several 

prestigious awards for 

your dance performance, 

choreography and for the 

book you have published on 

spirituality in dance. How 

did you manage it all from 

this part of the world? 

Everything is in the mind, 

one needs oneself to do what 

they want to do. I saw the positivity 

in this quite desert land 

and travelled whenever I needed 

to in my pursuit. I never 

had to take any vacation during 

that time as I enjoyed my 

work and was very passionate 

about it. My family supported 

me all the way. 

We always wonder about 

the energy you execute even 

now when you have to be involved 

in any art pursuits? 

What made you start the 

Centre for Performing Arts? 

What are the activities do 

and its importance lies in the fact that it discovers 

hidden talents, and brings together students 

from different varsities to exchange their views 

and show their skills. Moreover, the project 

helps the students improve their career prospects 

and gives them a chance to excel in the 

future endeavours. 

Afah pointed out that the project targets individual 

students and groups from higher education 

institutions with special focus on SQU, 

Waljat College, Middle East College, and The 

Higher College of Technology, based on the results 

of a survey conducted by a team prior to 

the competition. These institutions have scores 

of talented students who should be given opportunities 

to excel on stage. 

The students eligible for the contest should 

be registered at one of the four institutions 

namely SQU, Waljat College, Middle East 

College, and The Higher College of Technology, 

they should be of between 18-26 years of 

age. Students who previously participated in 

such competitions and won top prizes are not 

considered for the competition. 

— Translated by Khalid al Kush 

IT course for people with special needs 

By Yousuf al Barami 

SIXTEEN people with 

hearing and speaking impairments 

have recently 

completed a course on information 

technology (the Cambridge 

Diploma on Computer 

Sciences) at the Al Ansar Institution 

for Administration Sciences. 

The one month course 

from February 27 to April 27 

was supported by Oman Methanol 

Company and included 

people from the social insurance 

families. 

The initiative stems from 

the company’s keenness to 

play an effective social role 

that contributes to sustainable 

development. The participants 

completed the required 120hour 

course that dealt with 

basic concepts of information 

technology, Office Application 

and PowerPoint, and Internet. 

The Al Ansar Institution for 

Administration Sciences provided 

a sign language translator 

and learning aids to help 

the students get the maximum 

benefit from the course. 

Karim al Maktoumiya, one 

of the participants in the course 

said, “ the course was extremely 

successful and we managed to 

obtain the Cambridge Diploma 

in Computer Sciences, which 

is a highly-valued certificate. 

The course has enhanced my 

knowledge and information in 

the field of technology which 

will boost my chances of getting 

a job.” 

Miaad al Braikiya, another 

student expressed her delight 

about joining the course and described 

it as fantastic. She said 

you do in there? 

My prayers and faith in the 

supreme energy motivate me 

to do what I am doing for the 

past 30 years. I felt the need for 

a stage for the young dancers, 

musicians, painters, speakers 

in this country. I am fortunate 

enough to give a platform in 

the Centre for Performing Arts 

for many artists from here and 

India. This is our 4th year of 

Spark show where 150 students 

are participating and it 

will be a real treat to watch all 

age groups in colourful cos- 

the course has acquainted her 

with computer skills and information 

technology and added 

that it was a good chance for 

the deaf to play their social role 

and improve their skills. 

Ali bin Said al Badi, hailed 

the Oman Methanol Company, 

and the Directorate-General 

of Social Development at the 

Batinah Region for the effort 

they made to make the course 

a success, and the role they are 

playing to help the people with 

special needs find jobs and improve 

their lives. 

tumes, performing to different 

music. We have a well-trained 

adult group performing in the 

show who come from different 

professional backgrounds. 

They feel de-stressed and happy 

when they visit our Centre 

to dance. 

Tell us more about the 

Spark event coming up on 

May 6. You come out with 

new concepts every year 

in your shows, what are 

the highlights in the Spark 

now? 

Rajesh master and his wife 

Between Us Only! 

Majid Said al Suleimany 

www.betweenusonly.com 

TWO weeks ago, I got a frantic and desperate call 

from a relative living in Tanzania asking for financial 

help and assistance for medical bills (talk of the 

blind leading the blind!) — because his 14-year-old son 

was dying in hospital due to both failed kidneys. Not lucky 

like us Omanis (thank God!) getting free medical treatment! 

In the Eastern African lingo there is an expression — 

with its literal translation in English — that goes on like 

this — ‘To carve up your face’ — that is meant to go out 

to ask for help (financially and materially!) from others — 

which I too was bound to do for the sake of the boy at 

least! 

Actually, the amount was almost negligible and just 

amounted to RO 100. I went around frantically looking to 

help him — but all I met from those I had approached were 

open stares and indifference — as if nobody was hearing 

me — as I knew I was talking rather emotionally and highly 

charged too! 

By the time I was able to get some money to send to 

him — the news came next day that the poor boy died in 

great pain. And the poor family’s great traumatic stress and 

desperation — because they could not afford the medicines 

— and to ‘let the child go away’ in peace! 

I want to prick your conscience and ask you this question 

— whether you are Omani, resident or visitor. Do you 

remember your folks at home? I mean your home village 

and town here in Oman — if you are from an Omani family 

that did not go out and for other Omanis too and non- 

Omanis — for the villages and homes you left behind for 

coming to Oman? 

Let me ask you a direct question — if I may? How 

many rubbish things you buy — let us say over RO 20s 

that you throw away as soon as you reach home — because 

‘it tastes awful’ — or ‘is not good after all’ — from all the 

Departmental Stores sales gimmicks and advertisements. 

How many pairs of shoes and dresses — especially the ladies 

— that you had bought but used once or twice at the 

most — and now lies cluttered in the cupboards? 

And for the men — how many electrical, electronic, appliances, 

IT and other goods that you had bought and now 

lies unused as you have become now disinterested — after 

all not that fanciful and interesting? Try to sell them if you 

can — nobody wants them — even at throw away prices 

— because surely there must be something wrong with 

them — otherwise you would not want to sell. 

Yet this same RO 20 can help a poor family — whether 

respectively here in Oman or abroad in your home village 

and town — and or even in Muscat capital? If you tell me 

you cannot find them or do not know them — are you 

sure you do not know where to send these monies here in 

Oman to charitable organisations and societies — or direct 

to poorer families in your home towns here and villages 

abroad? Take a minute — think and ponder on it! I hope it 

will prick your conscience in the process! 

For non-Muslims you will forgive me — but in our religion 

it says — There is nothing wrong in being wealthy (or 

well off) — but it is important to avoid being greedy and 

miserly. The Quran encourages Muslims to donate their 

funds: ‘The likeness of those who spend their wealth in 

the way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain that sprouts 

seven spikes. In every spike there are 100 grains, and Allah 

multiplies for whom He will’ (2:261). 

In our religious books also, it is narrated as by Abu 

Hurairah — reported — Seven are the persons whom 

Allah will give protection with His shade onto the Day 

when there will be no shade except His Shade that is on 

The Day of Resurrection and one of them is — A person 

who gives charity and conceals it to such an extent that the 

left hand might not know what the right hand has given; 

— Al Bukhari and Muslim. 

“This worldly wealth is (like) green and sweet (fruit), 

and whoever takes it without greed, Allah will bless it for 

him, but whoever takes it with greed, Allah will not bless 

it for him, and he will be like the one who eats but is never 

satisfied” (Bukhari, Muslim). 

The best charity is to satisfy a hungry person, said 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He also said “No wealth 

(of a servant of Allah) is decreased because of charity.” 

(Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith — No 2247). 

And for those big high profile peoples — now you 

know why I sent ‘Stop Mail’ send — and for the rest with 

due and sincere apologies — Take Care! 

150 students to perform in Vasantha’s ‘Spark 2011’ 

My prayers and faith 

in the supreme energy 

motivate me to do what 

I am doing for the past 

30 years. I felt the need 

for a stage for the young 

dancers, musicians, 

painters, speakers 

in this country 

Renjini are totally dedicated to 

teaching dance at the Centre 

and they have been my biggest 

strength in bringing up 

my Centre. Rajesh master’s 

creativity in contemporary 

dance along with my classical 

background, we are able 

to give an aesthetic quality to 

our shows. He has been invited 

by the dance union of 

India to choreograph modern, 

cinematic and folk dances and 

teach 50 students. It is a great 

honour for him. We are happy 

to work together. Our senior 

students who have the expertise 

in acrobatic, martial art, 

styles of dances and the aerial 

dance are to perform on May 6 

at Al Falaj Mercure Hall. The 

dance lovers are in for lots of 

surprises. 

There is news in the air 

that you may be performing 

in the Spark show after a gap 

of five years? 

I thought it will be a good 

idea to give a classical and 

contemporary dance demonstration 

to show the deep and 

subtle differences in the styles 

and help the audience to see a 

futuristic presentation. Classical 

dance can be done for 

any music and there are a few 

parallel modern movements to 

match the mood. Classical art 

is more defined and has many 

rhythmic patters to memorise, 

modern dance can divulge in 

to free styles. I have spent 

30 years of my life dancing 

in different parts of the world 

and I have been aware of the 

changing element in the dance 

movements. I have done a similar 

presentation in the University 

of Tufts and it was well 

received. Every art form has a 

place in the field of aesthetics. 

Spark is a journey of art, love, 

harmony and peace and we are 

dedicating it this year to world 

peace.

A still from the movie She Monkeys 

She Monkeys, Bombay Beach 

win Tribeca top honours 

SWEDISH films She Monkeys and Bombay Beach took 

home top honours at the Tribeca Film Festival for best 

narrative feature and best documentary, respectively. The 

judges announced the winners of the two categories on 

Thursday so that moviegoers could catch the films before the 

festival closes today. 

Contactmusic.com reports that Carice Van Houten was 

named as the best actress for Black Butterflies and Ramadhan 

Shami Bizimana was named the best actor for Grey Matter. 

South Korean Park Jungbum was named best new narrative 

director for The Journals of Musan, while Venezuelan 

film-maker Pablo Croce was named for the best new documentary 

director award for Like Water. The festival started on 

April 20. — IANS 

Fish livers contain 

beneficial fatty acids 

THE fishing industry usually discards fish livers, but 

they are actually a good source of polyunsaturated 

fatty acids which are beneficial to health, according to a 

new study. 

Fish livers have hardly been used to date, with exceptions 

such as cod livers, which are used to produce the 

well-known medicinal oil. 

However, these organs contain compounds that are beneficial 

to health, according to researchers from the University 

of Almeria, Spain, reports the Journal of Food Composition 

and Analysis. 

“The livers of edible fish are a good source of longchain 

polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially 

those in the omega 3 family, such as eicosapentaenoic acid 

(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),” said Jose Luis 

Guil-Guerrero, who led the study. 

These fatty acids are used to prevent and treat some 

kinds of cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, 

behavioural problems and cardiovascular diseases, 

according to an Almeria statement. 

The study focused on 12 kinds of fish that are commonly 

eaten in south eastern Spain, such as hake, shortfin 

mako and European pilchard. 

The livers of the great weever and the European anchovy 

were those that showed up the highest levels of 

LCPUFA. 

Besides, all the species had a combination of omega-3/ 

omega-6 acids that was “beneficial for human consumption”, 

especially in the case of the liver of the blue whiting. 

“Unfortunately, discarding these livers means that all 

their nutritional properties are missed,” said Guil-Guerrero, 

“and if they were used this would also reduce the environmental 

pollution caused by throwing innards into the 

water”. — IANS 

28 PEOPLE SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2011 

No honeymoon immediately 

for royal newlyweds 

BRITAIN’S royal 

newlyweds will 

not be going on 

honeymoon this weekend, 

their office said 

yesterday, with Prince 

William returning to 

his military duties next 

week. 

William and Kate 

will spend a private 

weekend in Britain and 

take their honeymoon 

abroad some time in 

the future, St James’s 

Palace said in a statement. 

The newly named 

Duke of Cambridge — 

who delights in outfoxing 

the media — is to go 

straight back to work 

as a full-time Royal Air 

Force search and rescue 

pilot, based on the 

island of Anglesey in 

northwest Wales. 

The couple had 

been expected to depart 

immediately for a 

two-week break, with 

several foreign destinations 

mooted. 

“The Duke and 

Duchess of Cambridge 

have chosen not to de- 

Prince William and his wife Kate walk hand in hand from 

Buckingham Palace in London, yesterday. — AFP 

part for a honeymoon 

immediately,” the 

statement said. 

“Instead, after 

spending the weekend 

privately in the United 

Kingdom, the duke 

will return to work as 

a search and rescue pilot 

next week. 

“The locations 

of both their private 

weekend before 

the duke returns to 

work and their future 

honeymoon, which 

will be overseas, will 

not be disclosed in advance. 

“The couple have 

asked that their privacy 

be respected during 

the coming weekend 

and during their honeymoon.” 

Earlier Saturday, 

the couple left 

Buckingham Palace 

by commercial helicopter, 

having spent 

the night at Queen 

Elizabeth II’s official 

residence in London 

following a party 

that went on until 

3 am. — AFP 

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

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

Ira Vannut of Belgium performs during the ladies free 

skating event in Moscow. — Reuters 

Model Cindy Crawford and Singer LaToya Jackson 

(below) arrive for the 18th Annual Race 

in Los Angeles. — AFP 

A child holds a sunflower as he joins anti-nuclear 

power plant demonstrators in Taipei. — AFP 

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