S - Oman Daily Observer

Amendment to advocacy law 

THE Minister of Justice issued a decision amending Ministerial 

decision No 1020/2009 allowing non-Omani lawyers to 

petition at courts and appear before the courts of appeal and the 

Supreme Court till December 31, 2013. The amendment reaffirms 

the ministry’s announcement to ban combining the profession 

of law practice with a government job. � Details, P5 

�� Tuesday, September 25, 2012/Dhul Qaada 8, 1433 AH 

www.omanobserver.om ��editor@omanobserver.om 

Feasibility 

of Batinah 

cargo zone 

THE Supreme Council for 

Planning has approved a 

plan to conduct a social and 

economic feasibility study 

to establish a zone for cargo, 

storage and packaging in 

South Batinah Governorate. 

The study will identify the 

activities and the land usage 

for the project, including 

the setting up of residential 

and commercial complexes, 

as well as a multipurpose 

land transport system which 

takes into account the zone’s 

vicinity to the planned 

railway. 

Mazoon magazine will 

be distributed soon. 

Killer Mountain’s attraction 

TOWERING above the pine forests of Nepal’s Budhi 

Gandaki river valley, the mighty Manaslu is nicknamed 

“killer mountain” by locals because more than 60 

people have died on its treacherous slopes. The world’s 

eighth highest peak may not be as famous as its bigger 

neighbours Everest and Annapurna, but it again proved 

with the deaths of at least nine climbers on Sunday. 

P5 

13 25 19 

Sultanate monitors 

Sars-like outbreak 

�� 

MUSCAT — Health authorities in the 

Sultanate say they are closely monitoring 

the outbreak of a novel strain of 

coronavirus infection which has already 

claimed two lives in Saudi Arabia, and 

also sparked concerns in Qatar and the 

United Kingdom. 

Often the cause of common colds in 

human beings, coronaviruses are benign 

for the most part, but are known to 

manifest themselves in new variants with 

�� 

MUSCAT — Analysing the tectonics 

of the region, Oman would not really 

be ranked as earthquake-prone area, 

says Dr Abdelmoneam Elasyed Raef, 

Seismologist and Assistant Professor 

in Geophysics in the Department of 

Earth Sciences at the College of Science 

at Sultan Qaboos University. 

However, the northern parts of 

country have a proximity to the active 

tectonic boundary of the Arabian and 

Eurasian plates that elevates the prob- 

WHO is currently 

of the opinion that 

the nature of the 

outbreak doesn’t 

cause any concern 

deadly consequences. 

They are known to belong to the same 

family of viruses behind the outbreak of 

Big earthquakes unlikely 

ability of greater seismicity in this area 

when compared with the central and 

southern parts. 

He said Oman is part of the Arabian 

tectonic plate. “From tectonic settings 

point of view, the northern Oman part 

comes under low to moderate category 

when it comes to the risk of experiencing 

quakes of intensity greater than or 

equal to VII in the Richter scale. Intra-plate 

quakes are by far rare when 

compared to inter-plate events that 

originate as a result of active tectonic 

margins,” he said. � To page 7 

severe acute respiratory syndrome, commonly 

known as Sars, which killed nearly 

800 people and sickened thousands of 

others around the world in 2003. 

“We are following World Health Organization 

(WHO) guidelines when it 

comes to responding to infectious outbreaks 

of such a nature,” said a senior official 

of the Ministry of Health. 

“The WHO is currently of the opinion 

that the nature of the outbreak does not 

give cause for concern as a serious public 

health issue. � To page 7 

Addicts up 100pc 

�� 

MUSCAT — Despite rigorous efforts of government 

and non-government organisations, 

registered cases of drug abuse at the Ibn Sina 

Hospital has risen to 423, recording a nearly 

100 per cent increase. 

In 2006, the number of registered cases at 

this hospital alone for de-addiction and rehabilitation 

was 271, while in 2007 it was 279, 

and in the subsequent years there has been a 

steady increase in the numbers. 

In 2008: 281; 2009: 326; 2010: 365; and 

in 2011: 423, making the total reported drug 

abusers to 1,945. � See P6 

CAS-Sohar graduation today 

THE College of Applied Sciences, Sohar, will today celebrate 

the third graduation of students under the auspices of Ministry 

of Higher Education. The new batch of graduates will give 

impetus to the labour market, which requires qualified human 

resources in various spheres. On this occasion a 4-page supplement 

is being issued with today’s edition. 

Musandam-Oman Sail’s victory 

OMAN Sail’s flagship boat Musandam-Oman Sail 

hurtled across the finish line in Marseilles to celebrate 

their first win of an offshore leg in the MOD70 

European Tour and lift them to third overall in the 

rankings. They finished the course from Cascais to 

Marseilles in 3 days, 16 hours, 11 minutes and 34 

seconds, crossing the line ahead of second contestant. 

JOB-SEEKERS’ enumeration project began yesterday. � Details, P5

2 OMAN 

OMAN DAILY Observer 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 

Science, Tech city project discussed 

MUSCAT — The Executive Committee 

for Science and Technology City held 

its sixth meeting under the chair of Dr 

Rawya bint Saud al Busaidiyah, Minister 

of Higher Education and Chairperson of 

the committee. The meeting approved minutes 

of the fifth meeting of the Committee 

and discussed topics on the agenda where 

the Committee was briefed on models and 

experiments of various world science and 

technology cities and key components of 

MUSCAT — Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq 

al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, 

will open on October 1, at Grand Hayyat 

Muscat Hotel a symposium titled ‘ Preserving 

the Local Traditional Architectural 

Design’ to be organised by the Housing 

Ministry. 

Experts from the Sultanate, Arab and 

foreign countries will take part at the 

symposium. 

The three-day symposium aims at 

identifying visions and policies that 

Innovators to 

be honoured 

on Sept 29 

MUSCAT — The Industrial 

Innovation Centre 

affiliated to the Public 

Establishment for Industrial 

Estates (PEIE) will 

organise a ceremony at 

Al Bustan Palace Hotel 

on September 29, Saturday, 

to honour the innovations' 

owners in Oman 

Innovation Exhibition 

2012 under the patronage 

of Dr Fuad bin Jaafar al 

Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture 

and Fisheries. 

About 74 participants 

took part in the exhibition 

which aimed at disseminating 

the culture of 

innovation in the Sultanate 

and gathering the innovators, 

businessmen, 

industry representatives, 

financers and academics. 

The exhibition also 

aimed at availing channels 

for dialogue and 

communication between 

the innovators, investors 

and financers and encouraging 

the institutions and 

companies to adopt the 

innovative projects in order 

to support the Omani 

youth talents. — ONA 

Arab 

Translation 

Conference 

on Oct 1 

MUSCAT — 

Deliberations of the 

4th Arab Translation 

Conference will be held 

at Sultan Qaboos Grand 

Mosque on October 1st 

under the patronage of 

Dr Abdullah bin Nassir 

al Harrasi, Chairman of 

the Public Authority for 

Radio and TV (PART). 

The conference will 

be organised by the Cultural 

Club in conjunction 

with “Polyglot Institute 

Oman”, Arab Organisation 

for Translation 

(AOT) and Arab Translators 

Union. 

The three-day conference 

will deal with a 

number of topics related 

to the language and translation 

in the era of the 

information and communication 

technology and 

e-publishing, as well as 

future of the paper book, 

dictionaries and encyclopedias 

in the era of information 

technologies, in 

addition to the modern 

technology in serving the 

translation and Changes 

of the language industry 

in the Information Society. 

— ONA 

the city and the proposal about options for 

the city administration. 

The Committee discussed the detailed 

plan of the project, the human resources 

necessary to start the project. Dr Abdul 

Baqi bin Ali al Khabouri, Director of 

Scientific Areas in The Research Council 

(TRC) made a presentation about the work 

mechanism in the city, reviewing the experiences 

of states in this area. Professor 

Thomas Anderson, Adviser at TRC re- 

ensure the architectural character, preserving 

local and Arab identity with 

its unique features appropriate for the 

environmental and social needs and 

identifying the basis and standards for 

design. 

It also aims at studying the evaluation 

systems for the residential buildings, 

highlighting the construction systems and 

materials that meet the needs of the local 

environment and benefiting from the 

similar expertise in the Arab world in par- 

viewed the plan of action. 

The committee was formed to assume 

responsibility for taking the necessary 

steps concerning the city of science and 

technology where the city will be devoted 

to the accredited international higher education 

institutions and which plan to open 

branches in the Sultanate with the aim of 

expanding higher education in the country, 

as well as to attract investments in modern 

technologies. — ONA 

Symposium to focus on traditional architecture 

ticular and the world in general. 

It also aims at promoting the culture 

of p reserving the local building environment 

and its role in heritage, cultural and 

economic sustainability. 

The symposium will include working 

papers on the themes by Adel Mohammed 

al Rowahi, Rashad Bu Khash, Dr 

Waleed al Sayyid, Dr Issam Abdul Salam 

Jodah, Dr Nahid Ahmed Omran, Dr Ghulam 

Eddin Othman and Hiba Yaseen and 

Maysoon Sameh al Aamar. — ONA

IN spite of the tremendous 

efforts the government 

has recently 

exerted to meet the citizens’ 

demands in all spheres 

such as the governmental 

administrative reforms, job 

allocation for thousands of 

Omani job-seekers, the unprecedented 

educational 

chances given to the new 

general diploma graduates, 

the constant market observation 

by the authorities 

concerned to combat price 

AT home, just like 

in many other 

homes, we also 

have a room that 

we refer to as a ‘master bedroom’. 

And at the orders of 

the mother of junior only 

two people are allowed in — 

me and her. In other words 

the room is strictly out of 

boundaries for all except her 

and her husband. Not even 

her own children (although 

I have seen, on several occasions, 

junior and his sister 

sneaking in and out!) are allowed 

in. And the housemaid 

is also barred from entering 

the room. Everything that 

needs to be done there is 

done by the mother of junior 

including the cleaning 

part of it. From the making 

of the bed to the choice of 

quilts and the details on the 

walls and ceiling and the furnishing 

part of it, she makes 

sure that the room is up to a 

hikes in basic commodities 

and the millions of riyals 

that are monthly pumped to 

the yet-to-be-employed citizens, 

there are people who 

still have the “So-What” attitude 

towards what have been 

achieved. 

This worrying and unappreciative 

reaction towards 

the government’s initiatives 

has never been the attitude of 

our fathers who suffered a lot 

in order to secure a living for 

us. They had to leave their 

level of her own set standard. 

And for your information the 

mother of junior is one of the 

most stylish women in our 

community! 

But to me, with all respect, 

a bedroom is only a place to 

sleep and I think there is no 

need to make it so arousing. 

One only visits the bedroom 

when the body is too tired to 

do anything but sleep. Furthermore, 

since ours has been 

made out of bounds for everyone 

else, why would she 

put a lot of effort, time and 

money to maintain it? I mean 

even if it gets messy; ….. No 

problems! In any case no one 

else gets to see it. 

But for the mother of junior, 

the mission is to ensure 

that the room is decorated 

with all sorts of beautiful 

lightings and fresh colours of 

paintings. She then goes on a 

shopping spree for bed linens 

that are cozy and expensive, 

beloved country and look 

for jobs in the neighbouring 

countries. My father worked 

in Saudi Arabia for 11 years 

and came back only when 

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos 

ascended the throne in 1970. 

Our fathers have witnessed 

the dramatic change which 

His Majesty’s far-sighted 

vision has brought about in 

Oman. They built the new 

Oman which we are enjoying 

now. Does not this deserve 

an appreciation? My father’s 

words are still echoing in my 

ears. He used to often say to 

me “keep this in mind son, 

there is no place better than 

home and if you betray it you 

will be asked before God and 

and uses pillows and cushions 

to make the room look 

more inviting. She chooses 

comforters and quilts that 

are perfect for cuddling. She 

packs the bedroom with dozens 

of expensive items, and at 

the end of the day it becomes 

stuffy. And guess what ….. I 

am the one who pays for all 

those stuff! 

She furnishes it with a 

stylish dresser to display her 

perfumes as well as contributing 

to the overall look. As 

if there is no enough space, 

she also opts for a bed with 

drawers underneath so that 

the bedroom looks nice and 

beautiful. She chooses a variety 

of textures that will 

give the room a layered look. 

As if that is not enough, she 

emphasises on different textures 

with multiple colour 

schemes. On the lighting part, 

she prefers the soft lighting 

overhead and she puts a clipon 

task lamp and arranges for 

a light that shine from underneath 

the bed. And every 

time I try to challenge her 

on such extravagance, she 

responds in a tender manner 

saying “lamps are particularly 

essential for any bedroom 

as they create a sense 

of warmth and comfort”. For 

the floor, she always prefers 

thick carpets where the feet 

history”. 

What we see in those who 

are dissatisfied with what the 

government has achieved so 

far is not the attitude of the 

Omani people who set an 

example of unity and togetherness 

during the adverse 

weather conditions that 

lashed the Sultanate. These 

are not the Omanis who His 

Majesty described in his 

speech at the opening of the 

5th term of Council of Oman 

last year, as “Omanis have 

been, from ancient times, 

makers of civilisation with 

their great historical heritage, 

their openness to other 

civilisations across the seas 

and oceans, and their abil- 

get to sink into the pile. She 

claims that the cheery yellow 

rug, that she recently bought, 

is like a burst of sunshine. On 

both sides of our bed she has 

placed luxurious foot rugs. 

Then comes the turn for 

fresh flowers well placed in 

one of the corners. She argues 

that flowers spread fragrance 

in the master bedroom saying 

that “they refresh and neat up 

the place”. 

With the mother of junior, 

it is never easy to make her 

change her mind especially 

if something has to do with 

her sense of style. She insists 

that the bedroom truly 

reflects one’s personality. 

“It is a secret place that has 

all your private treasures”. 

She says that all these things 

are good choices that will 

eclipse the feeling of emptiness 

and make the bedroom 

feel much more lively and 

cherished. She continues to 

defend her position by saying 

that a well-appointed master 

bedroom encourages one 

to unwind at the end of the 

day. She says that a bedroom 

should be a composed oasis 

where the worries of the day 

melt away. 

All that is well and good 

but the problem for the father 

of junior is providing a 

budget for it! 

4 OUTLOOK 



Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer. 

Heavy school bags continue to burden our children 

THE issue of the 

heavy schoolbag 

had been discussed 

widely in the media 

in the past, but unfortunately 

no solutions were found to 

end this problem. The result 

is children get back pain 

from an early age and things 

get worse as they get older. 

Those who address this 

problem are not seeking imaginary 

or unrealistic solutions 

and they are not discussing 

it for special interest. 

They address the problem 

for the society’s benefit so as 

to avoid “building with one 

hand and destroying with the 

other”. Parents are not happy 

to hear the complaints of their 

children of back pain caused 

by the heavy bags they carry 

daily. The bag containing 

more than seven books and 

weighing some kilograms is 

carried by a child who hasn’t 

crossed nine years of age. 

Adding to the child’s burden 

are the lunch box and the bottle 

of water. The child looks 

like a soldier with all these 

equipment. 

One of the possible solutions 

is to keep the books in 

special cupboards at school 

for the children in grade 1 

and 2. The teachers must fo- 

Mohammed Ali Al Rahbi 

rahbi77@hotmail.com 

The master bedroom — 

a home within a home! 

Nizar Al Musalmy 

cus on the teaching process 

inside the school and let the 

children do their homework 

in the school. They may allow 

the children to take their 

bags home on Wednesdays to 

enable parents to review the 

Ahmed Al Falahi 

dreemlife11@yahoo.com 

progress of their wards. 

I don’t think that this 

would give additional responsibilities 

or burden to 

the teaching staff and I don’t 

think that forcing children to 

take their books home eve- 

ryday would do them any 

good. If we take a close look 

at a child’s daily life, we will 

realise that it spends quality 

time at school. Once the 

children return from school, 

they spend time to play and 

watch TV before they go to 

bed early at night exhausted 

after a long day of activities. 

If the case is so, why 

should the school administration 

force the children to 

bear all that pain and burden 

which could leave most of 

them with a slipped disc (A 

prolapsed intervertebral disc) 

later in life? 

Everybody knows that 

ity to communicate and exchange 

mutual benefits with 

others. 

“This is why Omanis 

are well-qualified to be an 

example and a model for 

others to follow in this age 

of rapid development and 

progress, and why they are 

also capable of coping with 

the challenges of the modern 

age, and adopting every new 

enlightened idea, benefiting 

from sciences and new technology 

and at the same time 

always preserving the values 

and high principles that they 

believe in, and the traditions 

and authentic customs with 

which they were brought 

up”. 

this slipped disc condition 

is becoming quite common 

these days and it costs people 

huge amounts of money for 

treatment. 

And many people can’t 

afford to undergo expensive 

treatment for this condition 

at speciality hospitals. 

This is in addition to the 

consequences like absence 

from work. 

We hope that the authorities 

concerned would pay 

urgent attention to this matter 

and resolve the issue. We 

appreciate the efforts exerted 

in most of the issues that we 

often bring to focus. 

It is a serious national issue 

that requires everyone 

living in this blessed land 

to contribute wherever they 

are and what responsibilities 

they take. It is everyone’s 

national responsibility to 

radically stop the spread of 

these misleading and destructive 

ideologies that use 

the freedom of speech and 

democracy as a cover to hide 

their ugly faces. 

Parents should teach their 

children that patriotism is 

second to religion and its 

peace and stability are their 

utmost priority for a better 

future. Educational curriculum 

should also have a bigger 

role in strengthening the 

One of the possible 

solutions is to keep 

the books in special 

cupboards at school for 

the children in grade 1 

and 2. The teachers must 

focus on the teaching 

process inside the school 

and let the children 

do their homework in 

the school. They may 

allow the children to 

take their bags home on 

Wednesdays to enable 

parents to review the 

progress of their wards 

Towards building a national spirit 

country’s image in the new 

generation’s minds. Apart 

from their religious roles 

in Islam, mosques in Oman 

are playing a decisive social 

role. 

This role can now be reinforced 

to handle up-todate 

national issues where 

the young, elderly, men and 

women sit together and discuss 

various issues of national 

concern. University 

professors are also no exception 

as they are dealing with 

students who we assume are 

the best. Our media should 

also work hand in hand with 

other institutions concerned 

to enlighten the public about 

the current and future ambi- 

tious governmental plans. 

The current situation 

which the Arab world is 

going through requires collective 

efforts to restore a 

nationwide national spirit in 

order to build for our new 

generations a solid foundation 

that can firmly stand in 

the face of any unwelcome 

destructive ideologies. Thus, 

everyone’s contribution is 

appreciated to help create a 

peaceful, stable and prosperous 

Oman while at the 

same time safeguarding the 

national achievements for a 

better future for our coming 

generations. 

May God save Oman, its 

people and its wise leader.

Al Batinah cargo zone approved 

By Zakaria Fikri 

MUSCAT — The Supreme 

Council for Planning has approved 

a plan to conduct a social 

and economic feasibility 

study to establish a zone for 

cargo, storage and packaging 

in South Batinah Governorate. 

The study is envisaged to 

identify the activities and the 

comprehensive land usage for 

the project, including the setting 

up of residential and commercial 

complexes, as well as 

a multipurpose land transport 

system which takes into account 

the zone’s vicinity to 

the planned railway now being 

MUSCAT — The training 

programme on training of 

craft trainers in the �elds of 

intellectual property and successful 

management for the 

SMEs, which was organised 

by the Public Authority for 

Craft Industries (PACI) in collaboration 

with World Intellectual 

Property Organisation 

(WIPO), concluded yesterday 

under the auspices of Shaikha 

Aisha bint Khalfan bin Jumiel 

al Siyabiyah, PACI chairperson. 

The three-day training 

Council’s discussions covered support for 

projects to generate jobs, �sheries sector 

development, port-airport related projects 

designed. 

The council also approved 

the formation of a technical 

committee to undertake a contract 

for the recruitment of a 

specialised house of expertise 

to conduct the study. 

This came during the second 

meeting of the Supreme 

Council of Planning held here 

yesterday under the auspices 

of Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, 

Minister of Commerce and In- 

dustry and Deputy Chairman 

of the Council. 

The council discussed 

the mechanisms needed for 

projects associated to ports, 

airports and border checkpoints 

now being �nalised in 

partnership with the private 

sector. 

Other topics discussed 

at the council’s meeting included 

support for small and 

medium industries related to 

the projects discussed and the 

�nalisation of basic services at 

the ports of Sohar, Al Duqm 

and Salalah and different industrial 

estates. 

The council discussed support 

for ‘productive’ projects 

to help provide more employment 

opportunities for the national 

manpower, the development 

of the �sheries sector’s 

economic and social stability 

potentials. 

Approval was also granted 

by the council for the setting 

up of more development 

projects, including the dualisation 

of roads and upgrading of 

Al Duqm area’s infrastructure. 

5 OMAN 



course aimed at reviewing the 

mechanisms that regularise the 

craft work and cast light on 

the most recent international 

experiences with relation to 

developing craft modules and 

improving craft work. 

It also aimed at familiarising 

trainees with the different 

aspect of intellectual property 

rights, raising their awareness 

and building their capacities 

through improving their competitive 

abilities to do SMEs 

from intellectual property 

point of view. 

Job-seekers’ enumeration begins Seminar on collecting fog opens 

SALALAH — The two-day seminar on “Collecting Fog 

MUSCAT — A job-seekers 

enumeration project started 

yesterday across the Sultanate. 

The 30-day project comes 

in implementation of the directives 

of His Majesty Sultan 

Qaboos stating that temporary 

committees under the supervision 

of the Public Authority 

for Manpower Register shall 

be formed in each Wilayat to 

update job-seekers data. 

As many as 89 centres 

in the Sultanate’s 61 Wilayats 

have been allocated for 

project which is being carried 

out by 550 workers from various 

government departments, 

of�ces of walis and Omani 

Women Associations. 

The centres receive application 

forms of job-seekers 

CMA drafts laws on 

insurance legislation 

MUSCAT — The 2-day meeting of the Federation of Afro- 

Asian Insurance and Reinsurance (FAIR) hosted by the Sultanate 

represented by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and 

Oman Insurance Association (OIA) in conjunction with the 

FAIR Secretariat-General started yesterday at Barr al Jissah 

Resort with participation of representatives and heads of the 

insurance and reinsurance companies in 53 Asian and African 

countries. 

Abdullah bin Salim al Salmi, CEO of the CMA referred 

to the great efforts made by the FAIR to strengthen closer 

ties between member companies, stressing the importance of 

the meeting which will give companies an opportunity to exchange 

expertise, consultation and development of relations 

of co-operation for the development of the sector and the development 

of the insurance industry to serve sustainable economic 

development. 

He added that the Sultanate is experiencing an economic 

renaissance in all �elds and steady growth in the promising 

insurance sector and the interaction of the Sultanate with these 

regional groupings will contribute to strengthening the con�dence 

of dealing with the sector. 

CMA continues its efforts to develop the insurance sector 

which is one of the most reliable pillars in the revitalisation of 

the various sectors of the economy as it provides the necessary 

protection for various economic activities. 

Under its plans to develop its legislation, CMA has recently 

completed the drafting of the law on takaful insurance, which 

was introduced to all insurance companies and of�ces of Legal 

and �nancial consulting for feedback and hopefully it will 

contribute to the development of the insurance sector and accommodate 

larger segments of society which will enhance the 

position of the sector and increasing growth rates. 

Sayyid Nasser bin Salim al Busaidy, Chairman of Oman 

insurance Association (OIA), said in a press conference that 

choosing the Sultanate for hosting the event comes for the 

prominent position that the Omani insurance sector has and 

the role it plays to strengthen co-operation between the insurance 

markets in Asia and Africa. 

Craft trainers training programme concludes 

PACI seeks to ensure that 

craft specialists are fully aware 

of the intellectual property 

�elds and that they have the 

required skills and knowledge 

that enable them to make optimum 

bene�t from protecting 

their rights in the different 

�elds cared for by WIOP. 

The training programme 

included a presentation on the 

relationship between PACI 

and WIPO. The presentation 

made reference to His Majesty 

Sultan Qaboos quotes about 

protecting the thought crea- 

to help determine the actual 

number of citizens who have 

no source of income. 

Dr Younis bin Khalfan al 

Akhzamy, Chief Executive 

Of�cer of the Public Authority 

for Manpower Register, said 

that the project is a major part 

of the national plan to accommodate 

job-seekers and establish 

a database to be consulted 

when a vacancy occurs. 

The plan takes into account 

�lling in job vacancies under 

the conditions laid down by 

respective government units 

where the vacancies occur, Al 

Akhzamy explained. 

In a statement to Oman 

News Agency, he said that the 

the Public Authority for Manpower 

Register has developed 

a guide for the project to help 

tivity and nurturing national 

heritage. 

The three-day training 

programme, ‘which was 

held at Platinum Hotel in Al 

Khuwair, included a number 

of working papers on intellectual 

property and the role 

of successful management in 

managing the assets of intellectual 

property. 

Experts from the Sultanate, 

Lebanon, India and professionals 

in the �eld of IP and 

successful management took 

part in the course. — ONA 

all workers and bene�ciaries 

to get familiarised with the requirements 

of the project. 

Akhzamy pointed out that 

temporary inventory committees 

were formed and that a 

timeframe has been laid down 

for job seekers’ enumeration. 

The �rst-day was dedicated 

to persons. From today till 

October 4, citizens with quali- 

�cations below the General 

Education Diploma will be received. 

From October 6 to 18, 

General Education Diploma 

holders will be received, while 

applications of holders of university 

degrees and above will 

be received from October 20 

to 24. 

Al Akhzamy urged all jobseekers 

to abide by the schedule 

of the project. — ONA 

Amendment to 

advocacy law 

MUSCAT — Justice Minister Shaikh Abdul Malik bin Abdullah 

al Khalili issued a decision amending Ministerial decision 

No 1020/2009. The amendment states that non-Omani lawyers 

are not permitted to petition at courts and appear before courts 

of appeal and the Supreme Court beyond December 31, 2013. 

Said bin Salam al Amri, Director of Lawyers Affairs at the 

Justice Ministry, said that the decision coincides with the efforts 

made by the Justice Ministry to promote the practice of 

law. 

The decision seeks to ensure the rights of litigating parties 

and serve the public interest, said Al Amri, noting that the 

amendment reaf�rms the Ministry’s announcement on implementing 

the provision of Article No 2 of Ministerial Decision 

No 1020/2009 issued on 1/10/2009 which bans combining the 

profession of law practice with a government job. 

Al Amri called upon all lawyers to adjust their conditions 

prior to January 1, 2013 as no one will be allowed to 

combine between a public job and law practice, whether this 

person is the owner of the �rm or an associate. Each lawyer 

should approach the lawyer’s affairs department at the Ministry 

to review his/her status and make adjustments accordingly, 

according to the decision. — ONA 

DSEZ website launched 

MUSCAT —Yahya bin Said al Jabri, Chairman of Al Duqm 

Special Economic Zone (DSEZ) Board of Directors inaugurated 

the DSEZ website at its headquarters in Al Athaibah. 

He said in a press statement that launching the website www. 

duqm.gov.om comes to give more space to communicate with 

the world so that investors and interested people can communicate 

with the DSEZ from any point in the world, adding that 

the website contains various data and information on DSEZ 

and that the website is still in the process of formation and 

development. — ONA 

Kuwait Airways to resume 

�ights to Muscat from 28 

MUSCAT — Kuwait Airways (KAC) will be resuming its operation 

to Muscat with effect from October 28 and the details 

of �ight schedule will be announced in the coming days. 

The announcement came at the carrier’s Regional Meeting 

of their country mangers from the Gulf and Arab peninsula stations 

held in Dubai. The meeting discussed their past regional 

sales performance, current market situation and marketing 

plans for the next half �nancial year. 

Kuwait Airways has ceased its operation to Muscat after 

July 22, 2012 due to shrinkage in their �eet size. 

However, the management has now decided to reinstate its 

operation to Muscat in their winter schedule because Muscat, 

according to the airline management, is one of very important 

destinations in the Gulf and it is further important that Kuwait 

Airways continues its operation to Muscat for maintaining the 

strong bilateral relation between Oman and Kuwait. 

The meeting was presided over by Othman Salem Othman, 

Senior Regional Director and the delegation from Kuwait head 

of�ce led by Abdullah al Qaisi, Director for Marketing and 

Sales and accompanied by Khalil al Mishari and Moayad al 

Rifaie from Pricing and Yield Management. 

It was informed in the meeting by the Directors that Country 

Managers should focus on developing customer base, adopting 

new marketing strategy and identifying new markets to boost 

sales and increase KAC market share in the region. 

Water” organised by the Oman Water Society was opened 

at Crowne Plaza Salalah Hotel yesterday under the chairmanship 

of Shaikh Abdullah bin Saif al Mahrouqi Deputy 

Governor of Dhofar in the presence of Ali Redha Hussein, 

chairman of the Water Science and Technology Society. 

Zahir bin Khalid al Sulaimani, Chairman of the Oman 

Water Society said that the seminar, at which about 100 participants 

from Oman and other countries take part, aims at 

discussing fog water collection issues by reviewing the experiences 

of speakers who will present 15 working papers 

and visit one of the sites in Dhofar Governorate to come up 

with ideas that help in implementing fog collection. 

Nine working papers were presented which focused on 

the role of fog water in the dry areas, the uses of fog water 

in arid and semi-arid areas and the ideas for collecting fog. 

A video titled ‘The Road of Hope’, which highlights fog and 

how it is collected has been presented.

Military ties discussed with Spain 

MUSCAT — Lt Gen Ahmed 

bin Harith al Nabhani, Chief 

of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed 

Forces (SAF), received in his 

Of�ce at Muaskar al Murtafaah 

here yesterday Admiral 

Fernando Garcia Sanchez, 

Chief of Defence Staff in 

Spain and his accompanying 

delegation, currently visiting 

the Sultanate. 

SAF Chief of Staff welcomed 

the Spanish guest, 

wishing him a successful visit 

to the Sultanate as the guest 

expressed his delight with this 

visit. 

The meeting exchanged 

views and discussed military 

�elds and matters of com- 

mon concern between the two 

friendly countries. 

The guest was briefed on 

SAF march of progress and 

the care accorded to it in the 

prosperous reign of His Majesty 

Sultan Qaboos, the Supreme 

Commander of the 

Armed Forces. 

The meeting was attended 

by Brigadier Awadh bin Mohammed 

al Mashiki, Head of 

the Committee of Constructing 

the National Defence College, 

Commodore Yaqoob bin 

Yousef al Kamashki, Assistant 

Chief of Staff for Administration, 

senior COSAF of�cers 

and the non-resident Spanish 

Military Attaché. — ONA 

ODC wins BIZZ 2012 Award 

By A Staff Reporter 

MUSCAT — Oman Dry Dock 

Company (ODC) has won The 

BIZZ 2012 Award, one of the 

most prestigious businesses 

awards worldwide, under the 

inspirational company category, 

along with Business Leading 

Award. 

Jamal al Wahaibi, Senior 

Manager at ODC received the 

MUSCAT — The National 

Association for Cancer Awareness 

(NACA) has urged Muscat 

residents to register for the 

ninth annual cancer awareness 

walk on October 16. 

Scheduled to begin at 4 pm 

from the Car Park of the Midan 

al Fateh in Wattayah behind 

the ROP Stadium, the walk 

will be held under the patronage 

of HH Sayyid Faisal bin 

Turki al Said, CEO, of Brand 

Oman Management Unit. 

The Walkathon is aimed 

at raising awareness about all 

forms of cancer and bringing 

hope to those who suffer from 

the disease, NACA founder 

and chairperson Yuthar al 

Rawahy said here yesterday. 

Dr Wahid al Kharusi, 

NACA secretary general, 

said “The walkathon is symbolic 

and we intend it to be 

fun for all ages. There will be 

performances, food stalls and 

plenty of �uid replacement. 

“It is intended that after the 

awards in a ceremony recently 

held in Doha recently. The ceremony 

was attended by VIPs, 

the media, decision-makers 

and ambassadors from different 

countries who awarded the 

winning companies. 50 other 

institutions were awarded by 

WORLDCOP in this ceremony. 

ODC was nominated for 

the award through recommen- 

walkathon especially with the 

children and youth to leave 

an imprint about this disease 

as part of long-term advocacy 

tool”. 

The walk will be 3km and 

within a safe environment. 

As usual there will be excellent 

quality T-Shirts on sale 

at the venue and before at the 

Association and at the NACA 

tables in the malls. 

The National Association 

for Cancer Awareness is a 

Non-governmental, non-profit 

organisation dedicated to 

combating all types of cancers 

through advocacy and awareness 

at community level, patient 

empowerment so as to 

participate in their treatment 

and cure. 

As one of its very successful 

programme, the Association 

conducts an annual walkathon 

usually in the month of October, 

“where it strives to bring as 

many people together and use 

as the platform for awareness, 

dations and surveys conducted 

by The World Confederation 

of Businesses (WORLD- 

COB). Along with The BIZZ, 

WORLDCOB organises The 

BIZZ Arabic, The Bizz Europe 

and The Bizz America, 

fostering healthy competition 

in the dynamic business market 

worldwide. 

Initiated in 2005, The BIZZ 

Award aimed at honouring the 

fun, giving a chance to remember 

those loved ones we lost 

and at the same time strengthen 

the resolve of our cancer survivors 

and remind the community 

at large, the importance of repeated 

regular self-examination 

as the main tool for early diagnoses 

and cure for cancer”. 

The Association has a 

number of projects in its commitment 

in �ghting cancer. 

These are the mobile mammography 

reaching to all 

women in Oman, the Dar Al 

Hanan for children to ensure 

continuous outpatient treatment 

and follow up for children 

residing out of the perimeter 

of the capital Muscat, 

programs for cancer survivors 

from counselling to provision 

of training for self-examination 

and clinical examination 

for the community, outreach 

awareness community based 

programmes, workshop and 

courses for different staffs 

connected to cancer manage- 

most distinguished businesses 

with a renowned record in administration 

leadership, quality 

control systems of products 

and services, creativity and innovation 

and corporate social 

responsibilities. 

Several leading companies 

received this award such as Al 

Rajhi Abdul Aziz Mohamed 

Company, STC, National 

Paints Factories Co, and Emirates 

National Oil Company 

(ENOC). The BIZZ Award 

was formerly held in New 

York, Panama, Huston, Dubai, 

Mexico City, Dakar, Mumbai, 

Pontakana, Frankfort, and 

Lima, among other locations. 

This Award is an incentive 

for ODC to attain more 

achievements in the ship repair 

industry worldwide and 

to establish partnership with 

the companies working in the 

Maritime �eld. 

ODC is committed towards 

providing highly valued training 

programmes for the Omani 

Talents working in such a 

distinguished �eld and to give 

them the opportunity to learn 

from the experienced expatriate 

work force to create a 

generation able to repair large 

tankers. 

Cancer Awareness Walkathon on Oct 16 

ment, supporting the introduction 

of palliative care in Oman 

and supporting research. 

The Association advocate 

for cancer as a strategic disease 

and must be tackled aggressively 

to reduce morbidity 

and mortality amongst our 

people and reduce the burden 

of this disease especially socio-economically. 

This years walkathon will 

be the culmination of NACA 

two weeks of advocacy and 

awareness programmes that 

will be held every evening at 

the Association’s headquarters 

in Athaiba and also the outreach 

community programmes 

at different commercial malls 

starting from beginning of 

October to the end with the 

walkathon on October 16. 

“We hope during this event 

to raise funds to support the 

Association activities especially 

for the mobile mamography 

unit and Dar Al Hanan”, 

said Dr Wahid al Kharusi. 

6 OMAN 



Move to combat drug addiction 

By Kabeer Yousuf 

MUSCAT — Despite the rigorous 

efforts of government 

and non-government organisations, 

the registered cases 

of drug abuse at the Ibn Sina 

Hospital has risen to 423, recording 

a nearly 100 per cent 

increase against the same just 

years ago. 

In the year 2006 the number 

of registered cases at the only 

hospital for de-addiction and 

rehabilitation was 271, while in 

2007 it was 279, and in the subsequent 

years there has been a 

steady increase in the numbers. 

In the years 2008: 281; 2009: 

326; 2010: 365; and in 2011: 

423, making the total reported 

drug abusers to 1945. 

Revealing the statistics of 

the youngsters between the 

age brackets of 20 to 30 years, 

Dr Amira Abdul Mohsin al 

Raaidan, Chairperson of Al 

Hayat Association told the 

Observer that the rate in which 

the menace is fast catching on 

the society is quite alarming 

and the onus primarily lies on 

the parents and other family 

members. 

“The rate in which the tentacles 

of drugs and psychotropic 

substances are seizing 

our young generation is quite 

distressing and we need to be 

more active and vigilant”, Dr 

Amira, who is a Pyschiatrist at 

Ibin Sina Hospital, and Member 

of the National Committee 

for Drugs and psychotropic 

Affairs, said. 

Education level of most of 

the drug patients who sought 

treatment are majority preparatory 

level (626 adolescents) 

followed by high school 

students (480) and elementary 

level (469). 1,155 cases are 

found among single men and 

women while 1,023 cases are 

found among unemployed 

people between the years from 

2006-2011. 

She further said that the 

capital city of Muscat has the 

largest number of cases which 

is 1149 cases while the lowest 

is in Al Wusta region which is 

2 cases. North Al Batinah region 

reported 316 cases. 

“The majority drug addicts 

are teenagers including college 

and school students. But 

what is further shocking is 

the increasing number of girls 

falling prey to this vicious circle”. 

As part of the Association’s 

ongoing �ght against drugs, it 

is conducting an 8-day campaign 

which will attract experts 

in this noble cause from 

across the region and globe. 

Started on September 22 at 

the Association premises, the 

morning and the evening ses- 


MUSCAT — Societe Generale 

Securities Services 

(SGSS) has been mandated 

by bank muscat (SAOG), the 

�agship �nancial services 

provider in Oman, to provide 

its asset management division 

with fund administration, registrar 

& transfer agency, domiciliary 

and custody services in 

Luxembourg. 

Following a thorough review 

of service providers in 

Luxembourg, bank muscat 

Asset Management selected 

SGSS for its ability to provide 

a complete solution 

from fund set-up through to 

essential services for fund 

operations. 

SGSS acts as a one-stop 

shop which meets all bank 

muscat Asset Management’s 

Dr Amira al Raaidan 

sions have been attracting 

large number of people from 

different walks of life. 

The morning sessions of 

the course that deals with understanding 

and helping an 

addict offers assistance to individuals 

and families with 

counselling. Anyone in need 

of the Association’s service 

can either visit them or call 

them for guidance between 9 

am till 12.30 pm. 

The afternoon session, on 

requirements, delivering an 

excellent support service 

with dedicated staff available 

exclusively for the client’s 

teams. 

SGSS offers a comprehensive 

range of value-added �nancial 

services for investment 

professionals, comprising 

asset managers, institutional 

investors, �nancial intermediaries 

and corporations. These 

services include clearing, custody 

& trustee services, retail 

custody services, fund administration 

& asset servicing, 

liquidity management, fund 

distribution services and also 

global issuer services. 

bank muscat is the largest 

bank in Oman, with a local 

market share of 40 per cent, 

over $18 billion of assets, 

capital of over $2 billion and a 

customer base of over 1.2 mil- 

the other hand, deals with the 

ways for recovering from addiction- 

Knowledge- Awareness 

— Skills taking place at 

the Caledonian college Hall 

in the new building next to Al 

Zahra College from 4.30 pm 

till 9.30 pm. 

Various ministries, health 

centres, and teams supporting 

Al Hayat in its endeavours are 

available for help and guidance 

during these days. 

She said the National Committee 

for Drugs and Psychotropic 

substances has been 

rendering excellent support in 

spreading word against drugs. 

“We’d like to thank the National 

Committee for Drugs 

and Psychotropic substances 

for their support in conducting 

this training course so as the 

Royal Oman Police are. The 

private sector companies who 

have lent a supporting hand to 

us throughout the year in organising 

such courses, workshop 

and the upcoming events 

in this regard”. 

Elite cliff divers getting ready 

for series �nale on Sept 27 

MINISTRY of Tourism of�cial and world cliff diving champions addressing the press conference. 

MUSCAT — The Red Bull 

Cliff Diving World Series, to 

be held under the patronage of 

His Highness Sayyid Tarik bin 

Shabib al Said and in co-operation 

with the Muscat Arab 

Tourism capital 2012 was of- 

�cially announced yesterday. 

The Grand Finale of the 

2012 World Series touches 

down on Arabian sands for the 

very �rst time on September 

27 keeping hundreds of adventure 

sports a�cionados witnessing 

the season showdown 

in the gorgeous Wadi Shab. 

Speakers at the press conference 

at the Crowne Plaza 

Muscat included 2010 and 

2011 world champion Gary 

Forum on 

consumer 

protection 

MUSCAT — The Public 

Authority for Consumer 

Protection (PACP) will take 

part today in the 46th meeting 

of the Trade Co-operation 

Committee, due to be 

held at the GCC Secretariat 

in Riyadh. 

PACP delegation will be 

led by Omar bin Faisal al 

Gahdhami, Director-General 

of the Directorate-General 

of Consumer Services and 

Market Monitoring and the 

membership of of�cials at 

PACP. 

The meeting will discuss 

topics related to consumer 

protection in the GCC countries 

and the proposal submitted 

by Bahrain to the Trade 

Co-operation Committee on 

setting up a joint GCC committee 

for consumer protection 

in the GCC countries. 

Hunt, French Champion Hassan 

Mouti, Niki Stajkovic, International 

Sportive Director, 

Ibrahim al Mahrouqi, Head 

of Festivals from the Ministry 

of Tourism, Farid Hassan 

from Sabco Art and Benjamin 

Schwarz representing Crowne 

Plaza Hotel. 

“The Ministry of Tourism 

wants to promote Oman as a 

destination for sporting events 

and adventurous activities and 

a place for shooting international 

�lms. We thank the organisers 

for choosing Oman 

to be the �rst place in the region 

to host the Grand Finale 

of the Red Bull Cliff Diving 

World Series,” said Ibrahim al 

Mahrouqi, Head of Festivals 

at the Ministry of Tourism. 

“We haven’t seen the location 

yet but from what I have 

seen in the pictures it looks 

like a gorgeous and breathtaking 

place. The race for the 

championship is not over yet 

and I hope we give the audience 

an unforgettable experience,” 

said double world 

champion Gary Hunt. 

“To organise an event of 

this magnitude was quite a 

challenge for us, said Farid 

Hassan, Agency Head, Sabco 

Art. “This is an international 

event and the �rst of its kind in 

the region therefore we had to 

ensure International standards 

were followed and the necessary 

safety precautions were 

carried out. This was done 

with the help of the Ministry 

of Tourism and the ROP and 

of�cials from Sur Wilayat; 

including the Wali Of�ce, 

Shaikhs from Tiwi and the local 

community.” 

The Sultanate of Oman will 

witness the world’s best cliff 

divers in Action on the 27 of 

September. 14 of the best cliff 

divers in the world will battle 

it head to head for the prestigious 

title. 

The event is open to the 

public, gates open at 9.30 am 

while the event starts at 11.30 

am. 

SGSS mandated by bank 

muscat Asset Management 

lion. bank muscat is listed on 

Muscat, Bahrain and London 

Stock Exchanges and is rated 

‘A1’ by Moody’s and ‘A-’ by 

Standard & Poor’s. 

Managing funds and portfolios 

since 1993, bank muscat 

Asset Management Division 

is one of the leading fund 

managers in the GCC region 

and enjoys an undisputed 

dominant position in Oman. 

The �rst fund house in 

Oman with funds rated by 

Standard & Poor’s, bank muscat 

Asset Management Division 

brought the concept of 

mutual funds to Oman and the 

concept of index investing to 

the GCC. 

It manages assets of over 

$800 million across equity 

and �xed income strategies, 

primarily in the GCC countries.

GCC Foreign Ministers yesterday met at the GCC mission headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 

67th session of the UN General Assembly meetings. The Sultanate’s delegation was headed by 

Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs. — ONA 

Al Foori wins French 

Endurance Horse Race 

PARIS — Mahmoud bin Marhoon 

al Foori from the Royal 

Cavalry of the Royal Court 

Affairs won the French Endurance 

horse race organised 

by the International Federation 

for Equestrian in France. 

The race distance was 95 

kilometres and included 3 

stages: the �rst stage distance 

amounted to 40 kilometres; 

the second 35 kilometres and 

the third stage 20 kilometres. 

Al Foori was riding Rivaro. 

Mohammed bin Abdullah al 

Balushi, from the RC was riding 

Face and �nished fourth 

in the race. 

Meanwhile, The Royal 

Cavalry of the Royal Court 

Affairs achieved advanced 

results at Dubai International 

Arabian Raceday held at the 

British Newbury racecourse 

in London. 

The horse Kerim �nished 

second in the �fth race of the 

�rst class horses for a distance 

of 2,000 metres. 

The horse Petra �nished 

third in the eighth race which 

was devoted to horses with 

rate of points 35 to 90 point 

and for a distance of 1,400 metres. 

Djoulla �nished fourth in 

the �rst race for 1,400 metres 

and Djebelia al Mels �nished 

fourth in the 7th race for 1,400 

metres. — ONA 

Oman monitors Sars-like outbreak 

From page 1 

At the current juncture, 

there are no reports of healthcare 

workers or patient contacts 

developing symptoms. 

Neither are there any reports 

of ICU admissions in Saudi 

Arabia and Qatar, where the 

disease is believed to have 

originated,” the of�cial added. 

While he ruled out any immediate 

public health concern 

for Oman, the of�cial nonetheless 

stressed the ministry’s 

commitment to staying vigilant 

in the face of this new outbreak. 

Of immediate priority 

for the ministry, he explained, 

is the task of ensuring that 

the estimated 14,000 pilgrims 

travelling from the Sultanate 

to Saudi Arabia during the upcoming 

Haj season, would be 

kept safe from harm’s way. 

By Ali Ahmed al Riyami 

MUSCAT — Around 150 of 

Oman’s top human resources 

(HR) professionals were 

totally engrossed by Professor 

Dave Ulrich’s presentation on 

‘HR Transformation: HR from 

the outside’ that was given in 

yesterday’s one-day workshop 

at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah 

Resort and Spa. 

The celebrated Professor 

is regarded as the foremost 

HR and management coach 

— ranked number 1 management 

educator by Business 

Week and as one of the top 5 

business coaches in the world 

by Forbes — and through his 

engagingly effective, friendly 

style, he put the entire audience 

in a relaxed and participatory 

mood. 

He added humor and anecdotes 

to lighten the mood, 

as he delivered his important 

messages concerning the transformation 

of human resources 

with the overall goals being: 

Thinking about the challenges 

On Sunday, Saudi authorities 

identi�ed a novel 

strain of coronavirus as being 

behind the recent deaths 

of two of its citizens. A third 

person, also af�icted with 

the same disease, was said to 

be under treatment in a local 

hospital. 

Patients infected with the 

novel strain can potentially 

develop complications affecting 

the respiratory system, as 

well as suffer kidney failure. 

The disease is potentially fatal 

where the patients are either 

elderly, chronic sufferers of 

respiratory and cardiac problems, 

or immuno-compromised. 

In London, health authorities 

are also keeping a close 

watch on the condition of a 

49-year-old man from Qatari 

who had visited Saudi Ara- 

facing today’s businesses and 

how HR can add value to its 

employees, customers, investors 

and communities; Identifying 

things that HR personnel 

can do to further their contribution; 

and Enjoying the overall 

experience together. 

The daylong workshop 

covered a number of important 

and topical HR issues, beginning 

with the ‘Future of HR’, 

its ‘Mega trend’ and ‘Source 

value’ and ending with ‘How 

critical change is required for 

HR to deliver value’ and ‘How 

HR should be transformed in 

terms of the HR department, 

HR competencies and HR 

analytics’ (logical analysis of 

propositions). Audience members 

were encouraged to pose 

questions prior to the end of 

the proceedings. 

In comments given to the 

Observer, Professor Ulrich responded 

to his being given the 

top rankings by noting, he is 

honoured and humbled, adding 

that he does not think of himself 

as a great coach, but rather 

bia and Doha before coming 

down with the deadly illness. 

He was transferred to a London 

hospital by air ambulance 

on September 11, the WHO 

said. 

The world health body has 

discounted the need for travel 

restrictions at this time, citing 

expert evidence that the disease 

has not spread to patient 

contacts. 

It noted however that it was 

in the process of collecting 

further key information on the 

disease from National Focal 

Points (NFPs) in Saudi, Qatar 

and the United Kingdom. 

It also called for further investigations 

into the outbreak, 

and the occupational and 

travel histories of the patients, 

in order to identify possible 

source of infection and reservoir 

of the virus. 

as a professor and a consultant 

who tries to learn and loves to 

learn about HR and organisational 

issues. “My identity,” 

he continued, “is shaped as a 

teacher who learns with the 

7 OMAN 



Famous French 

composer performs 

at ROHM today 


MUSCAT — French composer, conductor and pianist 

Michel Legrand will perform at the Royal Opera House 

Muscat today accompanied by his wife Catherine Michel, 

harp soloist from the Opéra De Paris, and accompanied by 

Orchestra Lamoureux. 

Christina Scheppelmann, Director of Artistic Operations 

at the Washington National Opera and CEO Designate of 

the Royal Opera House Muscat, commented: 

“Through his LONG, high level and versatile musical 

career he became legendary as a great pianist, excellent 

composer for movies and beyond, conductor, exciting singer 

who with all his proli�c activities moves easily between 

musical styles from jazz to classic and back. 

We are thrilled and privileged to host Michel Legrand 

in Oman during his 2012 tour which also includes France, 

UK, Japan, Armenia, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, Korea, 

and the USA. 

For centuries, France has been known for its eclectic musical 

style. 

Now is the time for our audience to enjoy some of this 

legendary music, from one of the top French composers”. 

With over 50 years in the music business, Michel 

Legrand’s portfolio includes over 100 albums and 200 �lm 

and television scores. His legendary work includes the Oscar 

winning musical soundtracks for �lms such as: Summer 

of ‘42 

The Thomas Crown Affair, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. 

In 1968, he received his �rst Academy Award® for the 

hit song The Windmills of Your Mind. Michel has won three 

Oscars, received 13 nominations and won �ve Grammys. 

He is also Emmy nominated. 

Michel Legrand has worked with the world’s most famous 

celebrities such as: Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, 

Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Andy Williams, and Sting. 

The programme at the Royal Opera House Muscat will 

include the following performances: 

Ice Station Zebra, Gable and Lombard, The Summer of 

‘42, Tribute to Steve Macqueen, Yentl, Wuthering Heights, 

Picasso Summer, Brian’s Song, Never Say Never Again, La 

suite des Parapluies de Cherbourg), Tribute to Miles Davis, 

and The Windmills of your Mind. 

Meanwhile, the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) 

has also announced a new show to be added to the Third 

Season, an Opera Gala on October 12 featuring three renowned 

artists from Italy, the birthplace of opera and our 

very own Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra. 

The evening will feature some of the most beautiful operatic 

arias, overtures and compositions by the greatest composers 

such as Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Donizetti and Rossini. 

A highlight of the evening will be Soprano Anna Caterina 

Antonacci, a high mezzo of elegant and intense artistry. 

Ms Antonacci will be singing some of opera’s most classic 

arias. 

Also featured is tenor Fabio Sartori, coming to Oman 

from Opera Houses around the world. 

ROHM is also proud to announce the pleasure of having 

the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra play for the entire 

evening led by accomplished conductor Massimo Zanetti, 

whose international reputation is known across both the operatic 

and symphonic �elds. 

people I learn with.” Regarding 

his very engaging style of 

presentation, he said, “When I 

was teaching at university (he 

lectured at the University of 

Michigan’s Business School) I 

19 new infrastructure, service projects 

MUSCAT — The Tender 

Board has awarded 19 projects 

on new infrastructure and services, 

including a wastewater 

network in Al Amerat, Hasik- 

Shuwaimiyah carriageway 

dualisation, maintenance of existing 

facilities and conducting 

consultancy studies for other 

projects. 

The projects, worth RO 

94.3 million, were awarded at 

the 25th Tender Board’s meeting 

of the year held here yesterday 

under the auspices of Dr 

Rasheed bin al Sa� al Huraibi, 

Chairman of the Tender Board. 

The tenders include the 

construction of a sewerage 

and wastewater treatment 

network in the wilayat of Al 

Amerat to the tune of RO 

28,895,730; additional works 

for the construction of Hasik – 

Ash’shuwaimiyah carriageway 

took notes on the best teachers. 

I would then ask if I could visit 

their classes — in �nance, in 

strategy — not to learn their 

content, but their teaching 

styles. And so I really try to 

in Dhofar Governorate (RO 

22,475,320); the construction 

of a �shing Harbour in 

the wilayat of Taqah in Dhofar 

Governorate (RO 14,550,000); 

supply of rice commodity (RO 

5,979,820); operation and 

maintenance of the assets of the 

Public Authority for Electricity 

and Water in South A'Sharqiyah 

Governorate (RO 4,760,000); 

supply the needs of the medical 

labs and blood transfusion 

services for the Health Ministry 

(RO 4,350,218); additional 

works for the provision 

of dietary services for Sultan 

Qaboos University (SQU) students 



of the consultancy services for 

the engineering supervision on 

Oman Gas Company projects 

(RO 2,180,668); operation and 

maintenance of the assets of the 

MUSCAT — Omantel, the 

pioneer provider of integrated 

telecom services in the Sultanate, 

sponsored the second 

edition of the HRD Conference 

2012, which kicked off 

on Sunday under the auspices 

of Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal 

al Busaidi, Minister of Interior. 

The three day event is 

organised by the Ministry of 

Civil Service in collaboration 

with al Nimr International. 

The chief guest toured 

Omantel pavilion which has 

been designed to demonstrate 

the initiatives made by Omantel 

to develop its human 

resources. 

Commenting on Omantel 

engage people in the learning 

process; it’s a commitment 

that I’ve made to myself.” 

“Good teaching,” he added, 

“is engagement and process, 

it’s also content as well as de- 

Public Authority for Electricity 

and Water ( Water Transport 

and Distribution Networks), 

North Al Batinah Governorate 


works for the construction of 

the main building for Oman 

Wastewater Services Company 

in Al Ansab (RO 1,612,011); 

supply and installation of 4 

diesel generators 1MG for the 

power plant in Al Khuwaimah 

in South Sharqiyah Governorate 



of consumer services, care and 

bill collection for Omantel (RO 

1,019,172); Additional works 

for the construction of main tension 

transformer stations 33/11 

KV, and distribution network 

33 KV in A'Duqm, Al Wusta 

Governorate (RO 865,924); 

Provision of security services 

for Omantel sites at the differ- 

participation as the diamond 

sponsor for the event, Ibtihal 

Mohammed al Riyami, Senior 

Manager Training and Development 

at Omantel said ' Omantel 

is keen on taking part on 

such events as they provide a 

good platform for showcasing 

our successful experiences to 

others and sharing with them 

the best practices. 

“Omantel has made great 

headway in terms of human 

resources development and 

training. Omantel was one of 

the �rst organisations to set 

up a training centre more than 

25 years ago that has provided 

the market with telecommunications 

professionals and 

livery and I hope I can do that 

well.” He said he had learnt 

from his father the lesson that 

there is an ethos, or value, in 

service, which requires that 

‘you give back to the world’. 

And, in this sense, he said he 

does this through his work. 

As a self-proclaimed introvert, 

Professor Ulrich said, he 

learnt how to be extroverted so 

that he could get his message 

across to as many people as 

possible; otherwise he is more 

comfortable being alone in a 

room where he can think and 

re�ect by himself. 

Commenting on his current 

seven-leg journey that prior to 

Oman took him to Singapore, 

Shang-Hai — China, Bahrain 

and Kuwait and where his 

next stop will be Melbourne 

— Australia, he noted, by the 

end of it he will feel exhausted 

and that he uses his time on 

airplanes to recover — where 

rather than chatting to other 

passengers he reads books and 

from scriptures, which gives 

him a sense of renewal. 

ent parts of the Sultanate (RO 

842,400); Provision of security 

services for Oman Re�neries 

and Petroleum Industries 

(ORPIC) (RO 807,786); Additional 

works for the construction 

of water pipeline from the 

wilayat of Nizwa to the wilayat 

of Bahla (RO 327,276); Additional 


of the consultancy services for 

design and supervising the implementation 

of the wastewater 

network projects in Al Ansab 

Darsait and Ruwi as part of 

Muscat Wastewater Project 

(RO 257,709); Additional 

works for the design, supply 

and inspection of IT systems 

of the dry dock in the wilayat 

of A'Duqm (RO 171,920) and 

supply and installation of medical 

equipment for the MRI 

unit in Khoulah Hospital (RO 

147,630). — ONA 

Omantel, diamond sponsor 

for second HRD conference 

From page 1 

Khasab and Musandam 

Governorate in northern 

Oman have earthquake potential 

as the Arabian plates meet 

the Eurasian plates. However, 

according to Dr Raef (pictured), 

in the southern parts of 

the continental Arabian-Eurasian 

plates (northern Oman is 

closer to this zone) the component 

of the movement of 

the Arabian plate is closer to 

the perpendicular to the plate 

boundary and thus relatively 

faster and greater accumulation 

of tectonic stresses than 

that of the north eastern parts 

of the plate boundary. 

Northern Oman is in geographic 

proximity to the zone 

where the seismicity risk of 

events with greater intensities 

can not be ruled out due to 

having the tectonic Arabian- 

Eurasian plate boundary which 

runs parallel to the North West 

trending part of the coast of 

Oman in near central location 

in the Gulf of Oman. 

In this part of the tectonic 

boundary, the Arabian plate is 

being subducted beneath the 

Eurasian plate; subduction 

zones are worldwide associated 

with greater-magnitude/ 

intensity seismic events. 

Elaborating on the tectonics 

and neo tectonics of Oman 

and the seismicity of this area, 

played a signi�cant role in 

supporting the Government 

Omanisation plans in the telecom 

sector through different 

training courses and programs 

in collaboration with 

the Ministry of Manpower”, 

she added. 

Omantel efforts made in 

HRD have been recognised 

internationally as the company 

has been the winner of 

third version of Asia Best 

Employer Brand 2012 held 

in Singapore last July. Omantel 

CEO Dr Amer bin Awadh 

al Rawas also won the HR 

Focused CEO Award at the 

4th GCC HR Excellence 

Awards. 

HR, management coach directs executives on changes 

Prof Ulrich draws in 150 top executives at workshop 

Big earthquakes unlikely 

Dr Raef said that major earthquakes 

take place with much 

higher probabilities in time 

and space at and in the vicinity 

of tectonic plate boundaries 

than in intra-plate settings. 

The Masa� Earthquake 

which occurred in the UAE 

and some parts of northern 

Oman in 2002 is an example 

of intra-plate tectonic movement 

and is intimately related 

to the Arabian-Eurasian tectonic 

plate boundary tectonics, 

which has a great potential of 

re-activating on land faults. 

Many areas in the Middle 

East have witnessed much 

increase in construction activities 

in recent years. It is 

important that structures such 

as telecommunication, airports 

and harbours, hospitals, 

schools and other services 

should remain undamaged 

in the event of an earthquake 

shock. 

Dr Raef said that it is important 

to review and modify, 

if necessary, building codes 

for major structures so that 

seismicity related damages 

would be minimized in the 

case of a major seismic event. 

“In the centre of this effort 

there should be comprehensive 

site investigation before 

embarking upon construction 

of major structures; there has 

been signi�cant advances in 

in-situ, non-invasive geophysical 

site characterization 

in the last 10 years,” he 

added. 

Dr Raef has been teaching 

earthquakes seismology as an 

integral part of the syllabus 

of “Geol 743 introduction to 

geophysics”, which he taught 

for four years at Kansas State 

University, Kansas, USA. He 

has also been involved as a 

researcher in a project of denosing 

seismological records 

when he was a post-doctoral 

scholar at Saint Louis University, 

Saint Louis, Missouri, 

US. 

Dr Raef has also processed 

and interpreted exploration 

seismic data, where the physics 

of seismic wave generation 

and propagation is shared 

with earthquakes seismology. 

He said, he has been coming 

to the Middle East over the 

past 15-years and tries to be 

sensitive to Arab traditions. 

He added, one of the 

things that he �nds fascinating 

in this region is that Moslems 

and Christians share a 

common ancestor in Father 

Abraham (Prophet Ibrahim — 

upon him be peace) and that 

Christ (Nabi Issa — upon 

him be peace) and Prophet 

Mohammed (peace be upon 

him) taught the same principles 

as Prophet Ibrahim — 

upon him be peace. “If we can 

join together as brothers with 

these common beliefs, I think 

the world would be a better 

place. I wish there was a way 

we could do that and come together 

because we share many 

values.” 

He said he is honoured 

to be here in the Sultanate, 

where he has been impressed 

with the beauty of Salalah, 

the sea-views here in Muscat 

and the overall peacefulness 

of Oman.

Investment 

law stalled 

YANGON — Myanmar's 

president has delayed an 

eagerly awaited foreign investment 

bill, an of�cial said 

yesterday, asking for amendments 

to the law that aims to 

open up the long-isolated nation 

to overseas trade. 

Thein Sein returned the 

draft law to parliament at the 

weekend "with remarks", according 

to Zaw Htay in the 

presidential of�ce. 

"The president wanted 

to amend some of the provisions 

in the bill, which was 

approved by the Parliament," 

he said. Myanmar is seen by 

many investors as the next 

regional frontier market as 

businesses eye its huge natural 

resources, large population 

and strategic location 

between China and India. 

A spate of reforms have 

seen the international community 

roll back many of the 

tough sanctions put in place 

to punish a junta that ruled 

until it was replaced by a 

quasi-civilian government. 

8 

THE PHILIPPINES/SUBCONTINENT 



AN illegal settler cries next to her husband as they are being detained by a member of the SWAT police team during a demolition in Manila’s 

Makati �nancial district yesterday. Dozens of slum residents of an abandoned government compound clashed with the police yesterday. — Reuters 

MILF group aims for peace plan this year 

MANILA — The Moro Islamic 

Liberation Front (MILF) 

members waging a decadeslong 

campaign in the southern 

Philippines are aiming to sign 

a roadmap for peace this year, 

their chief negotiator said. 

The planned accord would 

outline steps to be taken to 

achieve a �nal peace pact between 

the 12,000-strong MILF 

and the government before 

President Benigno Aquino 

steps down in 2016. 

"We can see the light at the 

end of the tunnel and believe 

we are 85 per cent sure it will 

be signed by the end of the 

year," MILF chief negotiator 

Mohagher Iqbal said on Sunday, 

referring to the roadmap 

both sides have been working 

Road shows held on 

Tapi pipeline project 

ISLAMABAD — With an 

objective to attract potential 

project sponsors for the 

Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- 

Pakistan-India (Tapi) pipeline 

project, road shows have been 

organised in Singapore, New 

York and London. 

The �rst road show was 

held in Singapore on September 

11, second in New York 

on September 13-14 and third 

in London on September 17- 

20. 

According to a press release, 

the road shows were 

co-ordinated by the Asian Development 

Bank and attended 

by representatives from the 

member countries. 

The Pakistan’s delegation 

was represented by Mobin 

Saulat, Managing Director, 

Inter State Gas System (ISGS) 

and a team comprising technical, 

commercial and legal experts 

from the ISGS. 

The road show in Singapore 

was well received, with 

renowned companies and 

�nancial institutions such as 

on. He said a crucial moment 

would come during the next 

round of peace talks in the Malaysian 

capital Kuala Lumpur, 

which he expected would be 

held from October 2 to 5. 

"This meeting is really the 

peak time to hammer out some 

of the outstanding issues and 

come out with an agreement." 

The government is also 

aiming to sign the roadmap 

this year, according to its chief 

negotiator, Marvic Leonen. 

"We are looking at this 

framework agreement as the 

over-arching architecture of 

the peace process," Leonen 

said. 

"In this agreement, the 

entire roadmap of the peace 

process can be discerned." 

Petronas, Temasek and the 

State Bank of India attending 

it. 

The invitees were given a 

comprehensive presentation 

by the ADB and Tapi members 

on the structure of the project, 

supply source, and the market 

demand in Afghanistan, Pakistan 

and India. 

They were also updated 

on the current status of the 

project and the way forward. 

The Pakistani side informed 

them that the government 

had recently launched 

a new petroleum policy. The 

companies expressed interest 

in the policy. 

The New York road show 

was attended by representatives 

of Chevron, Exxon Mobile, 

Citigroup and US Ex-Im 

who expressed keen interest 

in the project. 

At the London road show 

Tapi parties met the representatives 

of the British Petroleum, 

Shell, British Gas 

and Morgan Stanley. 

— Internews 

Both sides said there was 

a strong spirit of co-operation 

following months of intense 

negotiations, however they 

conceded many of the tough 

issues that derailed previous 

peace efforts had still not been 

agreed upon. 

"There (is) still some hard 

bargaining ahead," Iqbal said. 

There are roughly four million 

Muslims in the southern 

Philippine region of Mindanao, 

an area they see as their 

ancestral homeland before 

Spanish Christians arrived in 

the 1500s. 

The MILF and other Muslim 

groups have been �ghting 

for independence or autonomy 

in Mindanao since the early 

1970s. The campaign has 

ISLAMABAD — Former 

Pakistani president General 

(retd) Pervez Musharraf has 

approached Interpol to seek 

dismissal of a request from 

the Pakistan government for 

issuance of his red warrant in 

Benazir Bhutto’s assassination 

case. 

The former army chief 

sought the international police’s 

help following a third 

request from Pakistan to the 

Interpol headquarters last 

week, seeking a red warrant 

for him. 

“Musharraf has sought 

Interpol’s assistance under 

Article 3 of Interpol’s Constitution, 

which enshrines the 

guiding principle of neutrality 

by explicitly forbidding Interpol 

from engaging in matters 

of political, military, religious 

and racial character,” a senior 

of�cial associated with the 

Federal Investigation Agency 

(FIA) said yesterday. 

The of�cial, who is dealing 

with Benazir Bhutto’s 

assassination case, revealed 

claimed more than 150,000 

lives, most in the 1970s when 

all-out war raged, and left 

large parts of mineral-rich 

Mindanao in deep poverty. 

The MILF is the biggest 

and most important dissidentgroup 

left, after the Moro National 

Liberation Front signed 

a peace pact with the government 

in 1996. 

Since opening peace talks 

with the government in 2003, 

the MILF has said it is willing 

to accept autonomy rather than 

independence. 

Leonen said the planned 

new roadmap would outline 

a new autonomous region in 

parts of Mindanao and spell 

out broad plans for a powersharing 

deal there with the 

that Musharraf has requested 

Interpol to treat his case as a 

matter of “political and military 

character”. “Interpol may 

reject Pakistan’s request as 

neutrality has always been 

paramount to Interpol whose 

activities transcend international 

politics,” he quoted a 

friend of Musharraf as saying. 

The former military ruler 

sent this letter to the Commission 

for the Control of Interpol’s 

Files (CCF) earlier this 

month. The CCF which operates 

in line with a number of 

of�cial rules and documents 

sought more evidence and is 

monitoring Pakistan’s request. 

In response to a question, 

the of�cial claimed that the 

Interpol headquarters never 

rejected Pakistan’s request as 

reported by the media. 

“Interpol did not reject our 

request. It only asked for more 

documents,” he said, adding 

that this time they sent more 

documentary proof to the CCF 

to ensure Musharraf’s arrest. 

Interpol reportedly in- 

MILF. 

The MILF came close to 

a peace deal with the government, 

under the previous administration 

led by then-president 

Gloria Arroyo in 2008, 

that would have given them 

control over 700 townships 

and villages. 

But, amid furious protests 

from leading Christian politicians 

in the south, as well as the 

in�uential Catholic Church, 

the Supreme Court ruled that 

deal as unconstitutional. 

Leonen said the government 

had been consulting with 

of�cials in the south as well as 

congressional leaders in Manila 

to ensure their support for 

the planned new deal and avoid 

a repeat of 2008. — AFP 

Bhutto murder: Musharraf 

seeks red warrant dismissal 

formed the FIA that it could 

not issue a red warrant for 

Musharraf due to insuf�cient 

evidence and documentation 

presented to the CCF. 

Consequently, FIA’s prosecutor 

in Benazir’s murder case 

Azhar Chaudhry said that the 

FIA has again sent additional 

investigation reports and copies 

of statements by the then 

director general of the Intelligence 

Bureau Ejaz Shah and 

director-general of the Inter- 

Services Intelligence’s (ISI) 

counter-intelligence wing 

Javed Iqbal Cheema. 

Copies of Rawalpindi 

ATC’s order and US-based 

journalist Marc Siegel’s email 

to Benazir Bhutto were also 

sent to the CCF. “The CCF is 

the �nal authority to decide 

Musharraf’s fate,” Chaudhry 

said. Pakistan also sought the 

United Kingdom’s assistance 

in this case but the British government 

rejected the appeal on 

the grounds that the two countries 

have no formal extradition 

treaty. — Internews 

AFGHAN police cadets run drills during a training exercise at a police academy some 85 km outside Herat yesterday. 

The cadets have to complete an 8 week course before graduating. Until now the training has been done by Afghan and 

forces from Nato's ISAF coalition but within one week it will be run by Afghan personnel alone. — AFP 

Floods hit 700,000 in 

southwest Pakistan 

QUETTA — Flash �oods 

triggered by record rains in 

southwestern Pakistan have 

affected around 700,000 people 

and destroyed hundreds of 

thousands of acres of crops, 

of�cials said yesterday. 

At least 51 people have 

died across the province of 

Baluchistan and Prime Minister 

Raja Parvez Ashraf on 

Sunday declared three districts 

as calamity-hit areas. 

He announced assistance 

worth 2,600 million rupees for 

relief and rehabilitation work 

in the province where a torrential 

monsoon spell this month 

smashed a 30-year record, 

they said. 

Heavy rains lashed the 

province for 32 hours on September 

11 and the meteorological 

department recorded 

432 millimetres of rain, head 

of the provincial disaster man- 

ISLAMABAD — The passage 

of the Special Economic 

Zones law has encouraged the 

Pakistani province of Punjab 

to consider establishment of 

modern ‘mega industrial estates’ 

spread over thousands of 

acres in the province to attract 

foreign investors. 

In order to study the feasibility 

of such large projects, 

Punjab Industrial Estate Development 

and Management 

Company (PIEDMC) has decided 

to hire a consultant. 

“Our board has approved 

the hiring of a consultant for 

advising the government on 

and studying the feasibility of 

undertaking mega industrial 

estate projects,” says S M Tanvir, 

chairman of the PIEDMC. 

Hopes fade for missing 

climbers after avalanche 

KATHMANDU — Rescuers 

scaled down a search yesterday 

for two French climbers 

and a Canadian missing in a 

Nepal avalanche which killed 

at least nine people attempting 

to scale one of the world's 

highest peaks. 

Police said they had halted 

a helicopter rescue mission as 

hopes faded for the trio, part of 

a group hit by a wall of snow 

in their tents near the peak of 

the 8,156-metre Manaslu in 

the early hours of Sunday. 

"We have now stopped helicopter 

rescue operations. Two 

French and a Canadian mountaineer 

are still missing. Sherpa 

guides are in the mountains 

searching for them," district 

police chief Basanta Bahadur 

Kunwar said. 

Nepal's tourism board had 

earlier put the missing �gure 

at seven, but police said four 

of those were among 13 already 

rescued on Sunday. 

Among those reported 

agement authority Akbar Durrani 

said. Of�cials released 

the �gures almost two weeks 

after the rains hit the sparsely 

populated province. 

Flash �oods damaged 

crops over 380,000 acres of 

land in 13 districts, he said 

adding that the worst hit were 

Jaffarabad, Naseerabad and 

Jhal Magsi, where a large area 

remains submerged. At least 

22 people have died in Naseerabad 

alone and eight in Jafffarabad, 

Durrani said. 

Another 115 people were 

injured in the rains which also 

killed 1,778 cattle. Around 

700,000 people have been affected, 

many people suffered 

crop and property losses, Durrani 

said. "We have already 

distributed 6,670 tents and 

2,378 metric tonnes of food 

items, while the prime minister 

promised to immediately 

The provincial government 

has repeatedly claimed in the 

recent years that some foreign 

companies, especially Chinese 

investors, have approached it 

for the establishment of their 

large, exclusive industrial 

zones in Punjab. 

But the delay in the passage 

of the SEZ (Special Economic 

Zone) law had been hindering 

a decision on the investors’ 

requests. “When we talk about 

mega industrial estates we are 

actually talking about estates 

spread over 5,000-20,000 

acres of land,” Tanvir says. 

A Chinese investor, he 

says, had actually approached 

the PIEDMC for the establishment 

of an estate, exclusively 

for Chinese manufacturers 

missing was a doctor from 

the French-speaking Canadian 

province of Quebec, cardiologist 

Dominique Ouimet, the 

man's sister said. 

"The tents seem to have 

disappeared because the avalanche 

came by," Isabelle 

Ouimet told Radio Canada, 

adding that her brother was 

at camp three when the avalanche 

struck. Kunwar said 

�ve mountaineers had been 

airlifted from among the survivors 

at Manaslu base camp 

on Sunday and were being 

treated in Kathmandu. 

"The other eight mountaineers 

who are at the base 

camp have not sustained any 

injuries. They have said they 

will either walk down or will 

make an attempt to reach the 

peak again and have told of- 

�cials that they should not be 

rescued." 

Eight of the dead have 

been identi�ed, Nepal tourism 

board spokesman Sarad Prad- 

rush 20,000 more tents," he 

said. The government has set 

up several medical camps 

where treatment has been offered 

to nearly 3,000 people 

suffering gastrointestinal diseases 

and more than 2,500 

cases of malaria. 

"We have not launched any 

appeal for foreign assistance. 

We are so far relying on own 

resources and we hope we can 

handle the situation," Durrani 

said. He stressed the rescue 

work is over and rehabilitation 

work including repair of roads 

and infrastructure has started. 

He said the level of disaster 

was much less than 2010, 

when unprecedented monsoon 

rains triggered catastrophic 

�ooding across the country, 

killing almost 1,800 people 

and affecting 21 million. 

— AFP 

Steps afoot to woo investors 

and companies, spread over 

100,000 acres of land. 

“We do not have the capacity 

to handle such mega 

projects. So, for the time being, 

we are looking at relatively 

smaller estates spread over 

up to 20,000 acres,” he says. 

The SEZ law has been 

made to “meet the global 

challenges of competitiveness 

to attract foreign direct investment 

(FDI)”, says the Board 

of Investment (BoI) website. 

It will allow formation of 

industrial clusters with incentives, 

infrastructure and investor 

facilitation services to enhance 

productivity and reduce 

cost of doing business for the 

development and poverty reduction. 

— Internews 

AN unidenti�ed Italian mountaineer who was rescued yesterday. — AFP 

han said, adding that four were 

French, one a Nepali mountain 

guide, one a Spaniard, one 

German and one Italian. 

Harrowing accounts of the 

avalanche began to emerge 

from survivors being treated 

in Kathmandu. 

"We were sleeping in 

our tent after having dinner, 

when all of a sudden we heard 

the noise of other climbers 

screaming. Within moments, 

we were hit by the avalanche," 

Andreas Reiter, 26, from Germany, 

was quoted as telling 

the Himalayan Times from his 

hospital bed in the capital. 

SNGM Vice-President 

Christian Trommsdorff said 

the dead French climbers were 

two mountain guides from the 

Chamonix area in the Alps 

and two of their clients. The 

avalanche happened at around 

7,400 metres and carried away 

part of camp number three at 

6,800 metres, Trommsdorff 

said. — AFP

9 SYRIA 



RUBBLE from destroyed buildings is seen along a street in the northern city of Aleppo following �ghting between government troops and dissident forces. — AFP 

Brahimi: Con�ict worsening 

UNITED NATIONS — UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar 

Brahimi told the UN Security Council yesterday 

that the Syrian civil war is worsening and the 

country faces a growing food crisis, envoys said. 

Brahimi told the 15-nation council that the Syrian 

government estimates there are 5,000 foreign 

�ghters in the country and is increasingly portraying 

the con�ict as a “foreign conspiracy,” envoys at the 

closed meeting said. 

The former Algerian foreign minister, who reported 

on his recent talks with President Bashar al Assad 

in Damascus, painted an increasingly grim picture 

of the 18-month-old con�ict in which activists say 

more than 29,000 people have died. 

Brahimi told the council that the torture of detainees 

has become “routine” and that people were now 

afraid to go to hospitals which were in the hands of 

government forces. 

The envoy estimated that 1.5 million people have 

now �ed their homes and said Syria faces growing 

food shortages because harvests have been slashed 

by the �ghting between government forces and opposition 

dissidents. 

Brahimi briefed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- 

Moon on Sunday of his trips to Middle East countries. 

They agreed on ways to address the levels of violence 

in Syria and how to advance prospects for “an 

inclusive political solution that will address the legitimate 

demands of the Syrian people.” 

The UN said Ban and Brahimi “agreed that the 

worsening crisis in Syria represents a steadily increasing 

threat to regional peace and security.” 

Meanwhile, government warplanes struck dissident 

positions in Aleppo yesterday, killing three children, 

as insurgents claimed to control most of Syria. 

New violence in Syria killed at least 30 people 

across the country, a day after at least 82 died, according 

to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for 

Human Rights. 

It said three children from one family were among 

�ve people killed in a strike by government warplanes 

yesterday on the northern city of Aleppo, the 

country’s commercial hub that has been a focus for 

�ghting since mid-July. 

“Three children from the same family were killed 

when their building collapsed in Maadi district, 

which is located in the Old City of Aleppo, 600 metres 

from the citadel,” Observatory head Rami Abdel 

Rahman said. 

“There are still people buried under the rubble.” 

Videos posted to YouTube by activists showed 

a mountain of rubble and men trying to clear away 

slabs of debris to free trapped residents. 

A fourth child, a girl, was killed in heavy shelling 

of Aleppo’s northern neighbourhood of Shaikh 

Maqsud where several homes were destroyed, the 

Observatory said. 

The army pounded with artillery Bab al Nayrab 

and Bab al Hadid, two dissident areas near Maadi, 

while �erce clashes rocked Jdaidet and Sayyed Ali 

districts in the Old City of Aleppo. 

A �ve-year old child was also killed yesterday in 

the town of Dael, in the southern province of Daraa, 

cradle of the revolt against the government of Assad, 

the Observatory said. Six soldiers were also killed in 

a bomb blast in Daraa, it added. 

Battles also raged overnight in several areas of 

Syria and pre-dawn clashes erupted in the Damascus 

neighbourhood of Qaboon, while a blast shook the 

suburb of Qudsaya in the northeast, said the watchdog. 

Meanwhile, Syrian opposition groups tolerated 

by the Damascus government have called on both 

ABU Somer (L), head of the Ahfad al Rasul Brigade, with members of his brigade in Aleppo. — AFP 

Front line dissidents hostile 

ALEPPO — Dissidents in the 

war-ravaged northern city of 

Aleppo greeted the announcement 

that their central command 

has moved from Turkey 

to inside Syria with indifference 

bordering on hostility. 

“The arrival of one single 

new �ghter would be more 

useful than the Free Syrian 

Army chiefs,” said Abdullah, 

spokesman for the Al Tawhid 

Brigade, the most important 

dissident unit in Aleppo, of 

Saturday’s announcement. 

“Combatants on the ground 

are worth more than guys 

who’ve been sitting behind a 

table for a year and a half outside 

Syria,” he said. 

While the FSA leadership 

has presented its transfer to 

inside Syria as “good news,” 

it barely registered with front 

line �ghters in Aleppo who 

have developed their own tactics. 

Abu Somer, head of the 

Ahfad al Rasul Brigade had 

learned three days previously 

that the FSA’s command, 

holed up thus far in neighbouring 

Turkey, was moving across 

the border. 

But he and his men, positioned 

on three fronts in the 

Salaheddin and Saif al Dawla 

districts of the city, continued 

operations as if nothing had 

changed. 

“At this very moment I 

have men on the front,” he 

said, stressing that “strategy 

is decided by those on the 

ground.” 

The dissidents in the city, 

beset by violent clashes and 

bombardments since July 20, 

already have their own local 

command centre and meet up 

regularly. 

“We don’t follow any religious 

or political ideology. 

Not the Muslim Brotherhood, 

Al Qaeda, or any other foreign 

movement. We are the FSA on 

the ground,” he said. 

Abu Somer takes his orders 

at meetings with other 

brigades in the city, in consultation 

with the recently set up 

Aleppo military revolutionary 

council. 

The commanders on the 

ground share one goal: “That 

(President) Bashar al Assad 

falls as soon as possible.” 

For this to happen, Abu 

Somer calls for all insurgent 

the military and dissidents to stop the violence immediately 

in the country, at the end of a meeting in 

the Syrian capital on Sunday. 

The group also urged Brahimi to organise an 

international conference of all parties concerned to 

push for a democratic transition in the country. 

“The government adopted a security and military 

solution in response to the people’s revolution and 

their demands for freedom and democracy, and that 

has generated violence,” the opposition groups said. 

The ambassadors of Russia and Iran, staunch 

allies of the Assad government, attended the conference 

which was held under the umbrella of the 

National Co-ordination Committee for Democratic 

Change. 

On Sunday, government aircraft hammered dissidents 

who said they now control most of Syria and 

have moved their command centre from Turkey to 

“liberated areas” inside the country. 

The air attacks focused on Homs province, Deir 

Ezzor in the east and areas of Damascus, but a dissident 

commander said insurgents destroyed two 

�ghter planes on the ground in Orm, near the Turkish 

border. 

Residents of Bianoun village north of Aleppo 

said that aircraft on Sunday also hit a dissident house 

while a meeting was under way, destroying it and 

killing everyone inside. The report could not be independently 

veri�ed. 

Colonel Ahmad Abdul Wahab of the Free Syrian 

Army said the government’s aerial superiority was 

the only thing preventing the FSA from seizing the 

capital. 

“We control most of the country. In most regions, 

the soldiers are prisoners of their barracks. They go 

out very little and we can move freely everywhere, 

except Damascus,” he said. — AFP 

commanders still in refugee 

camps abroad, especially 

in Turkey, “to get onto the 

ground.” Abu Riad, an army 

of�cer who defected and now 

heads a brigade in Aleppo’s 

old town, �rst learned of the 

central command move when 

he saw the FSA chief Colonel 

Riyadh al Asaad’s YouTube 

video announcement broadcast 

on television. 

The armed opposition leader, 

under pressure from the international 

community to keep 

a leash on extremist splinter 

groups operating under the 

auspices of the FSA, declared 

in the video: “We announce 

good news to our free, brave 

Syrian people. The FSA command 

has moved into liberated 

areas of Syria.”— AFP 

Archaeological heritage 

falls prey to �ghting 

REYHANLI, Turkey — Syria’s 

extraordinary archaeological 

heritage has fallen 

prey to the �ghting ravaging 

the country for more than 18 

months, with destruction, theft 

and systematic looting on the 

rise. 

In a country where corruption 

and traf�cking of archaeological 

artefacts and treasures 

was already a chronic 

problem, widespread clashes 

and a power vacuum in some 

areas have led to an explosion 

of looting and illicit excavations. 

“It is obvious that in such 

situations there is always an 

increase in looting, illegal excavations 

and smuggling,” Veronique 

Dauge of the Unesco 

World Heritage Centre said by 

telephone. “Remember what 

happened in Iraq in 2003.” 

Around 32,000 artefacts 

were looted from 12,000 archaeological 

sites in Iraq during 

the chaos that followed the 

US-led invasion in 2003, and 

15,000 items were also looted 

from the Baghdad National 

Museum. 

The Syrian army has often 

been accused of participating 

in the pillaging or tolerating 

such actions by civilians — 

often in well organised traf- 

�cking bands. 

In Reyhanli, a small Turkish 

village near the border with 

Syria, a newly arrived Syrian 

refugee from the famed ancient 

desert town of Palmyra 

said that the museum there 

had been looted and reported 

large-scale theft at the site. 

An amateur video posted 

online on August 17 shows 

seven or eight sculptures and 

busts crammed into the back 

of a pick-up truck. Soldiers 

can be seen chatting alongside 

the vehicle. 

“We have studied what our 

Syrian colleagues are saying, 

and it is indeed soldiers. Everything 

leads us to believe that 

the army is stealing antiquities 

in Palmyra and elsewhere,” 

Spanish archaeologist Rodrigo 

Martin said. 

He is the spokesman for a 

team of archaeologists, Syrian 

and foreign, who formed 

the “Syrian Heritage in Danger” 

group, whose goal is to 

monitor what happens at ar- 

chaeological sites, through a 

network of informants. 

“Some sites have been the 

scene of �ghting, others have 

been looted, and the military 

has given digging permits to 

gangs in exchange for their 

complicity in the con�ict,” 

Martin added. 

“But even if we have many 

contacts, it is dif�cult to know 

what is really going on. We 

will discover the extent of the 

damage after the war.” 

His organisation has also 

received testimonies accusing 

dissident groups of resorting 

to smuggling in order to �nance 

themselves. “We hear 

rumours, but it is very dif�cult 

to verify these,” he said. 

On September 12, The 

Times in London published an 

article in which a Lebanese 

antiquities dealer said insurgents 

had assembled groups of 

clandestine diggers to recover 

antiquities to �nance their uprising. 

“The dissidents need arms 

and the antiquities are a good 

way to buy them,” Abu Khaled 

was quoted as saying. 

— AFP

PEOPLE work to remove the debris caused by a landslide in Chungthang, in the northeastern state of Sikkim. Floods and 

landslides caused by relentless rain have killed at least 33 people over the past week, of�cials said yesterday. — Reuters 

Kerala IT �rm in Latin America 

By Ashraf Padanna 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — UST 

Global, Kerala's largest homegrown information 

technology services and solutions 

provider with a global footprint, has 

unveiled its plan for expanding operations 

into Latin America. 

Sajan Pillai, chief operating of�cer of 

UST Global, said the company is setting 

up an IT services and solutions facility in 

the city of Leon in Guanamato, Mexico, 

which will eventually house up to 10,000 

employees. 

Vicente Fox, the former President of 

Mexico and noted social entrepreneur 

who was also present, said the knowledge 

capital of UST Global in IT and 

allied services would play a huge role 

in strengthening the economy of Mexico, 

thereby helping to create jobs and 

NEW DELHI — A union cabinet meeting 

Monday is likely to consider a bailout 

package for state power distribution 

companies. 

The cabinet is likely to consider a proposal 

for debt recasting of power distribution 

companies (Discoms). 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic 

Afairs (CCEA) is also likely to consider a 

proposal to increase Dearness Allowance 

(DA) of central government employees 

by 7 per cent. 

Once approved, DA will increase from 

65 to 72 per cent to bene�t nearly 8 million 

government employees. The increase 

will be effective from July 1. 

AGARTALA — Tripura yesterday 

amended its Lokayukta Act to bring of- 

�cials within its purview, with Chief Minister 

Manik Sarkar saying this would help 

to check corruption among public functionaries 

and maintain transparency. 

"Tripura government considered it 

expedient to include the public servants 

within the purview of Lokayukta Act, so 

as to give clean, transparent and corruption 

free administration," Sarkar said in 

the state assembly before the amendment 

was approved by the house. 

Pradip Kumar Sarkar, former judge of 

the Gujarat and Gauhati High Courts, was 

appointed Tripura's Lokayukta in December 

last year after the president gave assent 

to the Tripura Lokayukta Act passed 

alleviate poverty. 

“Mexico is a leading engine which is 

moving the world economy, together with 

India and China,” said Fox, the key promoter 

of the non-pro�t Centro Fox foundation, 

which is facilitating UST Global’s 

entry into South America. 

Addressing a joint press conference 

here Monday, he said his country has a 

robust presence in technology manufacturing 

as well as the time-zone and proximity 

advantages in the context of prime 

markets like the US while Pillai said India 

was the undisputed leader in terms of volume 

of IT services outsourcing. 

Pillai pointed out that major companies 

around the world are now looking 

at a “plus one” strategy, where a complementary 

outsourcing destination is 

identi�ed, such as Mexico to support 

India operations. This location is never a 

The cabinet will also take a decision 

on computerisation of the Public Distribution 

System (PDS). A food ministry 

proposal seeks to digitise ration cards and 

fully computerise the public distribution 

system (PDS) network especially at the 

back-end. 

The meetings of the Cabinet Committee 

on Economic Affairs (CCEA) 

and Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure 

(CCI), scheduled for Friday, were 

postponed reportedly in view of political 

developments in the aftermath of the government's 

decision to hike diesel prices 

and of�cially notify its earlier move to 

allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 

by the state assembly in 2008. 

Of�cials (public servants) were earlier 

not included in the act. 

"It is necessary to improve the level of 

public administration by providing a corruption 

free, transparent environment," 

said Sarkar. 

Sarkar, who also holds the law portfolio, 

said the anti-corruption authority 

would inquire into any accusation against 

public functionaries from the level of village 

head to the chief minister. 

"If complaints of any irregularity in 

Tripura are put forward, even from anonymous 

person, the Lokayukta can take action," 

he said. 

Leader of Opposition Ratan Lal Nath 

and his Congress party, however, termed 

replacement to India, but is in fact bene�cial 

in many ways. For instance, Mexico 

has signed the NAFTA agreement which 

facilitates free trade with North America. 

"The expansion to new locations such 

as Mexico will contribute to increasing 

the supply of IT services at more affordable 

costs, thus setting off a chain reaction 

that will signi�cantly boost the world 

economy," he said. 

Founded by late GA Menon in 1998, 

the company specialises in healthcare, 

retail and consumer goods, banking and 

�nancial services, media and entertainment, 

insurance, transportation and logistics 

and manufacturing and utilities. 

Headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, 

it currently operates from its centres in 

the US, the UK, India, Malaysia, the Philippines 

and Mexico. 

Discoms bailout package, DA hike likely 

multi-brand retail. 

The additional burden on exchequer 

on account of increase in DA would be 

around Rs 5,000 crore for the eight-month 

period between July 2012 and February 

2013. It will be Rs 7,400 crore for the full 

�nancial year. 

The government had last increased DA 

in March this year from 58 per cent to 65 

per cent, effective from January 1, 2012. 

The government DA is linked to consumer 

price index for industrial workers. 

The consumer price index (CPI) based on 

movement in retail prices, rose to 10.03 

per cent in August, from 9.86 per cent in 

July. — IANS 

Tripura of�cials within Lokayukta purview 

the Left Front government's Lokayukta 

Act an eyewash and a farce. 

Nath said there were several loopholes 

in Tripura's Lokayukta Act and suggested 

the appointment of an eminent person 

with high integrity to the post. 

"According to the act, Lokayukta has 

no scope to inquire elected representatives 

of the Tripura Tribal Autonomous 

District Council though the constitutional 

autonomous body governs two-thirds of 

the state's territory," Nath told reporters. 

"Only cases or complaint from a one 

year period against the elected leaders, 

public functionaries and of�cials could be 

inquired into. In the Lokpal bill and in the 

Lokayukta acts of other states, the period 

is seven years," he said. — IANS 

BoB plans to hire 22,000 employees 

CHENNAI — In order to 

meet the manpower needs of 

an expanding branch network, 

public sector Bank of Baroda 

plans to hire some 22,000 

employees over the next four 

years, said a top of�cial. 

"Over the next three-four 

years, we will be hiring around 

5,500 new employees every 

year," M D Mallya, the chairman 

and managing director, 

told reporters here yesterday. 

He was here to inaugurate 

the bank's new zonal of�ce 

for Tamil Nadu and Kerala regions 

besides a branch in the 

city suburbs and six automatic 

teller machine (ATM) centres. 

According to Mallya, the 

bank's hiring plans will take 

care of the large number of 

employees retiring in a couple 

of years. 

Mallya said around 3,500 

employees will be retiring 

every year for next couple of 

years. 

The bank also absorbs successful 

students from Baroda 

Manipal School of Banking. 

At the end of last �scal, the 

bank had 41,447 employees. 

With a distribution network 

of around 4,000 branches and 

2,000 ATM centres, Bank of 

Baroda plans to open 500 more 

branches in India and abroad 

and ATM centres by the end of 

this �scal, Mallya said. 

The bank will open one 

branch in Kenya and Uganda 

and two in Dubai. "We have 

a licence to open a branch in 

Sydney. We will open the Sydney 

branch shortly," Mallya 

said. 

With the new overseas 

branch openings, Bank of Baroda 

will be taking the number 

of foreign branches to over 

100. 

According to Mallya, 28 

per cent of the bank's total 

business (deposits and advances) 

and 26 per cent of the 

pro�t are contributed by the 

overseas operations. 

Queried about the credit 

growth given the downturn 

in economy and the release 

of additional funds for lending 

after the Reserve Bank 

of India (RBI) cut the credit 

reserve ratio (CRR), Mallya 

said: "Going by the past trends 

we will grow our business by 

20 per cent this year." 

According to RBI, the 

banking sector is expected to 

grow by 17 per cent this year. 

But Bank of Baroda will out 

grow the industry's average 

growth, Mallya said. 

On the risk of higher delin- 

quencies of loan accounts due 

to the economic downturn, 

Mallya said the quality of assets 

depends on the economic 

situation. 

"Our loan account delinquencies 

are much better than 

that of peer banks. Our loan 

account delinquency rate is 

around 1.4 per cent of the total 

advances," he said. 

He said during the �rst 

quarter of the current year, the 

bank had restructured its loan 

book worth Rs 780 crore. 

"There is no single sector 

to which we have a major 

exposure. We have no major 

exposure in coal mining companies," 

he said. 

On the issue of pressure 

on margins, he said the bank 

will maintain its net interest 

margin in the 3.4-3.5 per cent 

band. — IANS 

10 INDIA 



Appeal to President to 

allow Telangana march 

HYDERABAD — A group of eminent 

citizens of Hyderabad, supporting the demand 

for separate statehood for the Telangana 

region, has appealed to President 

Pranab Mukherjee to allow Telangana 

groups to hold a march here on September 

30. 

In a letter to the president, they urged 

him to ensure that the democratic rights 

of Telangana's 40 million people are protected. 

They appealed to him to ensure that 

the Andhra Pradesh government does not 

resort to oppressive measures. 

Twenty eminent personalities from 

different walks of life said the government 

should not treat the peaceful march 

as a threat to the law and order situation. 

They said any repressive measure on 

the eve of the global bio-diversity conference 

would showcase the city in the worst 

light possible in the international arena. 

"To use repression and create a terrorlike 

situation in order to conduct a UN 

conference is not the best way for India to 

project itself as the largest democracy in 

the world," they wrote. 

They voiced the apprehension that 

Veteran actor Thilakan dead 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 

— Veteran Malayalam actor 

Thilakan died at a private 

hospital here early yesterday. 

He was 77. 

He had acted in nearly 300 

�lms in south Indian languages, 

mostly Malayalam. 

The actor, who died at 3 

am, was in critical condition 

after suffering two heart attacks. 

Beginning his career on 

stage in the 1950s, Thilakan 

became famous with his very 

�rst �lm, Ulkadal (1979). His 

latest �lm, Ustad Hotel, is still 

running in theatres. 

The state government has 

borne the hospital expenses of 

the actor since his hospitalisation 

a month ago. Thilakan is 

survived by two sons and a 

daughter. 

Before the cremation, the 

actor's body was kept at VJT 

Hall here for fans to pay their 

last respects. 

Chief Minister Oommen 

Chandy said Thilakan had 

straddled both the stage and 

the screen world, and actors 

like him were rare. 

"The void he leaves cannot 

be �lled," he said. 

Leader of opposition V 

S Achuthanandan said Thilakan 

was a close friend of 

the communist movement, 

and one willing to �ght battles 

for the industry singlehandedly. 

SHIMLA — The Himachal 

Pradesh government yesterday 

gave the green signal to 

a policy to take care of over 

500,000 senior citizens, both 

socially and �nancially. 

The state cabinet granted 

approval to the policy on elderly 

persons, above the age 

of 60, especially those living 

in rural areas, a government 

spokesperson said here. 

He said the policy aims to 

ensure the well-being of senior 

citizens by providing them 

a legitimate place in society 

and helping them in leading 

�nancially, socially and physi- 

Online petition calls to give 

Bharat Ratna to Kurien 

NEW DELHI — An online 

petition has sought the Bharat 

Ratna, the country's highest 

civilian honour, for Verghese 

Kurien, father of India's White 

Revolution. He died on September 

9. 

The online petition, started 

by business journalist Sucheta 

Dalal Sunday, has so far gathered 

around 400 supporters, 

and aims at getting a million 

signatures. 

"Verghese Kurien gave 

up his home state of Kerala 

to build a unique milk cooperative 

movement, which 

transformed the lives of millions 

of poor rural Indians. 

He made them self-suf�cient. 

He empowered women. He 

eradicated poverty in a pocket 

anti-Telangana lobby groups might use 

anti-social elements to create trouble during 

the march to defame and weaken the 

Telangana movement. 

The signatories to the letter include 

former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan 

Reddy, former member of the 

Planning Commission of India C.H. Hanumantha 

Rao, former chairman of the 

National Minorities Commission Sardar 

Ali Khan, former secretary to Prime Minister 

K.R. Venugopal Rao and eminent 

scientist P M Bhargava. 

Some other signatories like former 

chairman of the state minorities commission 

Mahbub Alam Khan, freedom �ghter 

B. Narsing Rao, former professor of political 

science in Osmania University 

Rama Melkote and editor of daily 'Siasat' 

Zaheeruddin Ali Khan jointly addressed a 

press conference here Monday. 

Rama Melkote said the march would 

be organised even if there is no police 

permission for the same. 

She wondered why Prime Minister 

Manmohan Singh and Congress president 

Sonia Gandhi were not visiting Telangana 

to assess the ground situation for them- 

"He stood tall in the �eld 

of theatre and cinema and his 

passing away is an irreparable 

loss to the social and cultural 

fabric of the state," he said. 

Thilakan was born in Ayroor 

in Kerala's Pathanamthitta 

district. His father worked 

on an estate in Idukki. 

Although much success 

had come Thilakah's way early 

as an actor, his personal life 

was fraught with pain. 

His sons, Shammi and 

Shobhi, work as dubbing artistes 

in �lms. 

Thilakan was not one 

to avoid controversy. Two 

years ago, following scathing 

comments he made against 

Malayalam superstars, the Association 

of Malayalam Movie 

Artistes showed him the door. 

Despite that, the actor continued 

to bag roles. He also had 

legions of fans loyal to him. 

Recalling Thilakan, Malayalam 

superstar Mammootty 

said: "We have had a great 

relationship, but there were 

times Thilakan was angry with 

me. 

"One incident I'll never forget 

was when I once told him 

after he recovered from an 

illness that if I ever saw him 

drinking again, I'd beat him. 

Pat came his reply: 'If I'm destined 

to die of a beating from 

my son, so be it.' 

"I felt awful afterwards, 

and apologised, but he 

cally digni�ed lives. The cabinet 

meeting was chaired by 

Chief Minister Prem Kumar 

Dhumal. 

He said an age-integrated 

society would be set up to 

provide shelter and protect the 

elders from abuse and exploitation. 

It has been proposed to 

prepare an action plan for 

implementation of the policy 

and to constitute a state-level 

advisory committee, comprising 

national and international 

NGOs working in the 

�eld. 

"Panchayati raj institu- 

of India. But that's not all. In 

Amul, he built one of the biggest 

brands in India," says the 

petition. 

The petition is addressed to 

President Pranab Mukherjee. 

Kurien was the founder 

chairman of the Gujarat Cooperative 

Milk Marketing 

Federation (GCMMF) — that 

markets brand Amul — and 

the National Dairy Development 

Board (NDDB). 

He transformed India from 

a milk-de�cient country to the 

world's largest milk producer 

after he kicked off 'Operation 

Flood' in the 1970s. 

He died at age 90 at a hospital 

in Nadiad. 

Leader of opposition in the 

Bihar assembly Abdul Bari 

laughed it off." 

Besides the Padma Shri in 

2009, Thilakan has won national 

awards in 1988 for best 

supporting actor in the �lm 

Hrithubhedam and a special 

jury award in 2007 for his role 

Policy for senior citizens’ care 

tions (village-level third tier 

of governance) will also be 

encouraged to participate 

in the implementation of 

the policy to address local 

issues," the spokesperson 

added. 

In March, Dhumal had 

said the population of senior 

citizens in the state was 

about 9 per cent of the total of 

6,856,509 as per 2011 Census. 

He had said that for proper 

running and maintenance of 

old-age homes and daycare 

centres, an integrated scheme 

for the senior citizens would 

be introduced. — IANS 

Siddiqui has also written to 

Prime Minister Manmohan 

Singh, calling for the Bharat 

Ratna for Kurien. Siddiqui's 

request is being supported by 

the state's ruling Janata Dal- 

United. 

Kurien was also the man 

behind the success of Bihar 

milk co-operative that was 

later renamed as Patna Dairy 

Project. He was invited by the 

Bihar government in 1981 to 

make the project viable and 

pro�table. 

The Bharat Ratna is India's 

highest civilian honour 

given for exceptional service 

towards advancement of art, 

literature and science, and in 

recognition of public service 

of the highest order. — IANS 

selves, instead of listening to what those 

surrounding them were saying. 

Mahabub Alam Khan said no amount 

of suppression would prevent the formation 

of Telangana state. 

Zaheeruddin Ali Khan said it was a 

movement of four million people of the 

region. 

Narasing Rao described the proposed 

march as the climax of the manifestation 

of the people's aspiration for Telangana 

state. 

K. Vishweshwar Reddy of Progressive 

Telangana Foundation said the government 

was nervous about the march. He 

said the protest would be peaceful provided 

there was no instigation. 

The Telangana Joint Action Committee 

(JAC) plans to hold the march to 

mount pressure on the central government 

to carve out a separate state. 

The state government has appealed to 

the JAC to postpone the march in view 

of the Ganesh immersion procession September 

29 and the bio-diversity conference, 

beginning on October 1. — IANS 

in Ekantham. 

He was honoured with 

Kerala state �lm awards on 

numerous occasions, including 

for best actor in Grammam 

(1994) and Preumthachan 

(1990). — IANS 

Bihar to set 

up its �rst 

IT park 

PATNA — Bihar is in the 

process of setting up its �rst 

Information technology (IT) 

park near the state capital 

on the lines of Bangalore's 

International Tech Park and 

Hyderabad's Software Technology 

Park, of�cials saidyesterday. 

The IT park will be set up 

at Bihta, 30 km from Patna. 

It will be later developed 

as Bihar's IT hub by taking 

advantage of other infrastructure 

and modern facilities 

here, an of�cial of the 

information technology (IT) 

department said. 

"Work is in progress by 

a team led by of�cials of the 

IT department. Construction 

work will begin next year," 

an of�cial at the Chief Minister's 

Of�ce said. 

The IT park will be built 

on public-private partnership 

basis, the of�cial added. 

According to of�cials, 

a private consultancy company 

was hired to survey the 

land and to prepare a business 

plan for the proposed IT 

park. "Only after completion 

of the land survey, a decision 

will be taken about the design 

of the park," the of�cial 

said. The state government 

has acquired 25 acres for the 

IT park. 

"The IT park would have 

high bandwidth facility for 

high-speed Internet and uninterrupted 

power supply," 

another IT department of�cial 

said. — IANS

ARMY personnel rescue villagers at the �ood-affected area in Dholla village, some 575 kms from Guwahati, Assam. — AFP 

Nearly 1.5 milion displaced by �oods 

GUWAHATI — Floods have 

forced nearly 1.5 million people 

to �ee their homes in northeastern 

India where authorities 

have declared a health alert, 

of�cials said yesterday. 

“Eighteen of 27 districts of 

Assam have been hit by �oods 

with 1.4 million displaced and 

11 people drowned in separated 

incidents in the past week,” 

the Disaster Management 

agency said in a statement. 

The �oods, caused by relentless 

rains, marked the second 

round of massive �ooding 

in two months to hit India’s 

JOHANNESBURG — A 

proposal was passed on the 

concluding day of the Ninth 

World Hindi Conference here 

yesterday for initiating timebound 

action to make Hindi 

one of the of�cial languages 

of the UN. 

Participants took oath to 

make coordinated efforts to 

achieve the goal of making 

Hindi, a language spoken 

by over half a billion people 

or every 10th person on the 

planet, an of�cial language of 

the UN. 

It was also decided that 

the World Hindi Conference 

would be organised with a 

maximum gap of three years 

so that the ambitious goal was 

achieved soon. 

The �rst suggestion to 

make Hindi one of the of�cial 

languages of the UN was 

passed at the World Hindi 

Conference in Nagpur city in 

impoverished northeast and 

come towards the end of India’s 

June-to-September monsoon 

season. 

Nearly 130 people died and 

six million were displaced by 

�oods in Assam state in July. 

Rescue of�cials said in the 

latest �oods, at least 2,200 

villages had been swamped 

by over�owing waters from 

the rain-swollen Brahmaputra 

River. 

Himanta Biswa Sarmah, 

the health minister of Assam 

state, said that a “maximum 

health alert” to avert outbreaks 

Proposal to make Hindi 

a UN of�cial language 

India 37 years ago. 

Minister of State for External 

Affairs Preneet Kaur, who 

attended the conference here, 

promised support to achieve 

this goal. The next conference 

would be held in India. 

Mauritius-based World 

Hindi Secretariat would prepare 

a database of global institutions 

involved in promotion 

and teaching Hindi. A 

database for Hindi scholars 

would be made, the proposal 

said. The conference participants 

decided to put in efforts 

to make Hindi the language of 

technology and science. 

A standard courseware 

would be developed for Hindi 

training in various countries 

and the Mahatma Gandhi International 

University, based 

in Wardha city in India, has 

been authorised to prepare 

this training course, the proposal 

said. — IANS 

Sell 35 kg foodgrains 

at Rs 2 a kg: CPI-M 

NEW DELHI — The CPI-M 

yesterday denounced the government 

decision to sell 10 

million surplus foodstock to 

bulk consumers and said ordinary 

people should instead 

be sold 35 kg each at Rs.2 a 

kilo. 

The CPI-M hit out at the 

move to sell the foodstock to 

�our mills and biscuit makers 

through auction under the 

open market sale scheme as a 

part of a plan to tackle in�ation. 

“(A total of) 2.5 million 

tonnes of grain will be allocated 

monthly through auction 

for the next four months 

on a ‘no pro�t, no loss basis’,” 

the Communist Party of 

India-Marxist said. 

With this, it said, the government 

intended to transfer 

food subsidy as largesse and 

to bene�t the traders and 

manufacturers, including big 

companies, and not giving 

help to those in hunger and 

food insecurity. 

“It is totally irrational to 

claim that this will control 

prices.” 

It said that if the government 

was really interested in 

controlling prices, it should 

aim to increase supplies 

through the public distribu- 

tion system. 

“At present the government 

is holding around 5 

crore tonnes of surplus stocks 

of foodgrains. 

“The grains should be 

distributed universally, scrapping 

the discriminatory APL/ 

BPL divisions, with a minimum 

allocation of 35 kg of 

foodgrains of good quality 

per family at the maximum of 

Rs.2 a kilo. 

“This should become a legally 

enforceable right in the 

next parliament session.” 

The CPI-M blasted the 

UPA government for failing 

to control food in�ation, saying 

the August �gures showed 

that food prices had gone up 

by 12.03 per cent. 

This was before the recent 

hike in diesel prices, which, it 

said, will lead to further rise 

in prices. 

The Consumer Price In�ation 

(CPI) was 10.03 per cent 

in August, and the Wholesale 

Price Index was 7.55 per cent, 

mainly due to a rise in food 

prices. 

“India has the dubious distinction 

of having the highest 

retail in�ation among emerging 

BRICS nations,” it added. 

— IANS 

of diarrhea or diseases such as 

typhoid had been declared in 

the devastated zone. 

The annual monsoon provides 

vital irrigation for India’s 

farmers but also claims 

many casualties from �ooding 

and landslides. 

Of�cials said �ooding victims 

had been evacuated to 

temporary shelters on higher 

ground. 

“We’ve dispatched doctors 

and paramedics to ensure there 

is no outbreak of disease,” 

Sarmah said in Guwahati, Assam’s 

largest city. 

P ATNA — A stampede at a 

religious celebration killed at 

least nine people, eight of them 

women, in eastern India on 

Monday, a district of�cial said. 

“Eight women and a man 

died during the stampede,” 

Rahul Purwa, deputy commissioner 

of Deoghar district, in 

Jharkhand state, said. 

The victims were among 

thousands of Hindu devotees 

who had gathered to take part 

in celebrations to mark the anniversary 

of the birth of Saint 

Thakur Anukul Chand. 

The stampede broke out 

while hundreds of devotees 

were gathered in a congested 

hall for early morning prayers, 

said Purwa. 

“I was informed by local 

police of�cials that the incident 

was the result of rumours 

spread by some devotees. The 

Victims and an opposition 

party staged protests in �oodhit 

areas against what they said 

were shortages of emergency 

supplies in the Congress-ruled 

state. 

“The government has 

failed to provide adequate relief 

supplies including food 

and medicines,” said Sarbananda 

Sonowal, a local leader 

of India’s main opposition 

Bharatiya Janata Party. “In 

many parts of the state people 

are even living without food,” 

he added. — AFP 

8 women among 9 

killed in stampede 

11 INDIA 



district administration is conducting 

a probe,” he added. 

The injured were being 

treated in nearby hospitals. 

Stampedes often break out 

at religious events in India 

where policing and crowd control 

are often inadequate. 

The last major stampede 

was in January 2011 in the 

southern state of Kerala when 

more than 100 people died as 

panic spread among worshippers 

crossing mountainous 

terrain in the dark to visit a 

shrine. 

On Sunday, three people 

were killed and over two dozen 

injured in Mathura near New 

Delhi where a large congregation 

had gathered on the occasion 

of the Radha Ashtami festival, 

the Press Trust of India 

news agency reported. — AFP 

NEW DELHI — Four years after 

the 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers 

Group (NSG) opened the 

doors for global nuclear trade 

for New Delhi, India is steadily 

inching closer to its pursuit 

of joining the world’s top four 

atomic control regimes with a 

large number of countries in 

favour of getting it within the 

non-proliferation tent. 

Marking a turnaround in 

global attitudes, India, which 

was once seen as a pariah after 

it went nuclear in 1998, garnered 

the NSG approval for 

the India-US civil nuclear deal 

and global nuclear co-operation 

on September 6, 2008. 

Over the last four years, 

India has been lobbying with 

key NSG players for membership 

of the four key multilateral 

nuclear export regimes - the 

NSG, the Missile Technology 

Control Regime (MTCR), the 

Australia Group and the Wassenaar 

Arrangement. 

The result has been largely 

satisfying, well-placed sources 

close to the strategic-nuclear 

establishment said. 

“We have made steady 

Coal block allocations probe 

NEW DELHI — The Central 

Vigilance Commission (CVC) 

yesterday asked the CBI, 

probing coal block allocations 

made during 2006-09, to extend 

its investigations to cover 

all allocations since 1993, said 

agency sources. 

“CVC asked that the 

agency investigate the system 

adopted by the state governments 

during allocation of 

coal blocks. The criteria and 

selected guidelines followed 

during the allocation must be 

probed,” a source said. 

The Central Bureau of In- 

New Delhi to push Denmark 

to extradite gun-runner 

NEW DELHI — India yesterday 

said it planned fresh efforts 

to win the extradition of a Danish 

gun-runner who parachuted 

weapons into the Indian state 

of West Bengal nearly two decades 

ago to help insurgents. 

New Delhi will “push the 

case through diplomatic and 

legal channels” for the extradition 

of Niels Holck, also 

known as Kim Davy, said K S 

Dhatwalia, a senior of�cial in 

the Indian home ministry. 

India regards the Danish 

citizen as the mastermind of the 

1995 arms drop of hundreds of 

assault ri�es, pistols, anti-tank 

grenades, rocket launchers and 

NEW DELHI — Three staterun 

Indian oil �rms have jointly 

bid to buy oil-sands assets 

owned by ConocoPhillips valued 

at $5 billion, a report said 

yesterday, as India seeks new 

energy sources to fuel a growing 

economy. 

The companies have bid 

for Houston-based ConocoPhillips’s 

assets in the 

western Canadian province 

of Alberta, said an executive 

at ONGC Videsh Ltd, the 

thousands of rounds of ammunition 

in West Bengal’s Purulia 

district. 

Indian convicted �ve Russians 

and British national Peter 

Bleach for their part in the delivery, 

but Holck escaped. 

Since then the Indian government 

has been pursuing 

attempts to get Holck to stand 

trial in India. 

“We will continue to make 

effort to get Davy (Holck) to 

India. This is a very sensitive 

case and we will not let it collapse,” 

Dhatwalia said. 

Holck has admitted parachuting 

four tonnes of anti-tank 

missiles and other weapons 

overseas investment arm of 

ONGC, according to the Dow 

Jones News Wires. 

“We have bid along with 

Oil India and Indian Oil 

Corp,” said the executive, who 

declined to be named. 

Another executive at staterun 

Oil India said the bid was 

submitted at the end of July, 

Dow Jones reported. 

A spokesman at ONGC, India’s 

largest energy explorer, 

said he could not immediately 

India closer to joining NSG 

progress. The preparatory 

phase is well under way,” the 

sources said. 

India feels that joining the 

NSG is key to the entire game 

as it will set the stage for it to 

join the other three regimes, 

which have different compositions 

and membership criteria. 

“There is a general consensus 

that India will join the four 

regimes in a co-ordinated manner. 

The key to the entire game 

is the NSG. In our assessment, 

NSG is the most important,” 

the sources said. 

On this front, there is some 

good news to cheer. Leading 

NSG members, including 

the US, Russia, France and 

Britain, have expressed support 

for India joining the top 

multilateral regimes. “A large 

number of countries are in favour 

of India joining these regimes,” 

the sources said. 

Indian of�cials have been 

careful not to set any timeframe 

for New Delhi’s entry 

into the four regimes but stress 

that the discussions are evolving 

in a positive manner. They 

cite the growing consensus in 

vestigation (CBI) was also 

asked to �nd out the system 

put in place for selection of 

companies for coal block allocation 

between 1993 to 2006, 

whether these guidelines were 

followed and how joint venture 

partners were selected. 

The country’s top anticorruption 

authority had earlier 

this year, tasked the CBI 

with probe into the allotment 

of coal blocks made between 

2006 and 2009. 

A preliminary enquiry to 

examine the irregularities, if 

any, in the allocation of coal 

AN injured man outside a hospital in Deoghar village in Jharkhand, about 345 km northwest of Ranchi yesterday. — AFP 

into the Indian state and wrote 

an autobiography titled They 

Call Me a Terrorist, recounting 

delivering the arms. 

New Delhi says it can guarantee 

Davy will be properly 

treated, that his trial will take 

place in open court and that he 

would be given consular access. 

But a Danish court has said 

there was a “real risk” Davy’s 

human rights would be violated. 

Bleach was released in 

2004 after serving an eightyear 

jail sentence while the 

Russians were freed in 2000 

following appeals by Moscow. 

— AFP 

Bids to acquire Canadian oil asset 

make a statement. Spokesmen 

for the other two companies 

could not be immediately 

reached for comment. 

Indian media reported earlier 

this year that a consortium 

made up of ONGC, Indian Oil 

and Oil India would put forward 

an offer for the Canadian 

oil sand assets. 

ConocoPhillips announced 

early in 2012 it was aiming to 

sell non-core assets globally as 

part of a restructuring drive. 

Communication satellite 

GSAT-10 launch on 29th 

CHENNAI — The latest communication 

satellite GSAT- 

10 will be launched from the 

Kourou space centre in French 

Guiana by Ariane-5 rocket on 

September 29, ISRO said in a 

statement yesterday. 

The Indian Space Research 

Organisation (ISRO) said 

GSAT-10 with 30 communication 

transponders — automatic 

receivers and transmitters 

for communication and 

broadcast of signals- is the 

heaviest satellite built by it. 

The rocket will be launched at 

0248 hours. 

“The 3.4-tonne heavy satellite 

(GSAT-10) has been 

integrated with the Ariane-V 

rocket along with Astra-2F 

spacecraft of SES as co-passenger 

for the launch on September 

29 at 2.48 am IST,” 

the Indian Space Research 

Organisation (ISRO) said in a 

statement. 

Astra-2F belongs to the 

Luxembourg-based leading 

satellite operator SES. A minor 

snag detected on September 

15 had forced the European 

Space Agency (Arianespace) 

to postpone the launsch of the 

twin satellites by seven days 

from September 22. 

The cost of the GSAT-10, 

the NSG on getting India inside 

the tent. 

India, said the sources, is 

being increasingly seen as 

a like-minded country that 

serves the interests and goals 

of the non-proliferation regimes. 

“India’s non-proliferation 

record is exemplary. It’s 

as much in India’s interests 

as it is in the interests of the 

world,” the sources said. 

The US, the prime mover 

behind India’s global nuclear 

rapprochement, is also leading 

the charge this time round. 

In a breakthrough of sorts, 

the US has agreed to disassociate 

India’s membership of 

the NSG from its accession to 

the Nuclear Non-Proliferation 

Treaty (NPT). India has made 

it clear it will never join the 

NPT as a non-nuclear weapon 

state as it regards the NPT as 

a discriminatory regime that 

divides the world into the nuclear 

haves and have-nots. In 

this context, the US circulated 

a “non-paper” on India’s membership 

at the NSG plenary 

meeting in Seattle on June 22. 

The most controversial 

blocks by coal ministry during 

2006-09 was initiated on a reference 

from the CVC in June. 

Of�cial auditor, the Comptroller 

and Auditor General 

(CAG) had, in a recent report, 

estimated undue bene�ts of 

Rs 1.86 lakh crore to private 

�rms due to allocation of coal 

blocks without auction. 

The CBI had earlier this 

month registered two batches 

of FIRs (�rst information reports) 

against seven private 

companies, their directors and 

some public administrative 

of�cials and is understood to 

including its launch and insurance, 

is Rs.750 crore (over 

$135 million). It has a 15-year 

life span. 

The Indian satellite, carrying 

30 transponders will be injected 

into a geosynchronous 

transfer orbit. 

“After the satellite is injected 

into the elliptical geotransfer 

orbit, ISRO’s master 

control facility at Hassan (180 

km from Bangalore) will take 

control of it and perform the 

orbit raising manoeuvers...,” 

the statement said. 

The transponders include 

12 in normal C-band, six in 

lower extended C-band and 

12 Ku-band and a GPS (global 

positioning system) aided 

Geo-augmented navigation 

(Gagan) payload operating in 

L1 and L5 bands. 

As a two-way device, a 

transponder receives signals 

over a range of uplink frequencies 

and re-transmits them on 

a different set of downlink frequencies 

to receivers on earth 

without changing the content 

(voice, data or pictures) of the 

received signals. 

GSAT-10 will augment the 

communication transponders’ 

capacity to 198 from 168 in 

the Indian satellite (INSAT) 

part of the paper is that NPT 

membership is not being seen 

as a “condition” for being in 

the NSG, carrying forward its 

recommendation for India’s 

membership that the US had 

circulated at the last plenary at 

Noordwijk in the Netherlands 

last year. 

What has brightened India’s 

chances is that the US is 

helming the NSG this year. 

However, as the NSG 

works by consensus, China 

may prove to be a hurdle. 

China had deftly hedged on 

the India-US civil nuclear deal 

and even encouraged fencesitters 

in the NSG not to support 

the deal prior to the 2008, 

approval. But India is hoping 

that if the rest of the NSG, or 

at least a majority of the NSG, 

supports India’s bid to join 

these regimes, Beijing will not 

like to be seen as a spoiler. 

India is ready to negotiate 

a multilateral non-discriminatory, 

universally veri�able 

Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty 

(FMCT), but Pakistan’s opposition 

to the FMCT has stalled 

this pact. — IANS 

be �ling a third batch of FIRs 

soon. 

In its �rst batch of FIRs, 

the CBI registered �ve cases 

against �ve companies and 

their directors, including some 

public administrative of�cials, 

and conducted searches at 30 

locations on September 4. 

In the second phase, the 

agency booked two private 

companies, Vikash Metals and 

Powers Limited and Grace Industries, 

and their directors in 

two separate cases on September 

22 and raided of�ces of the 

�rms in seven cities. — IANS 

system. 

Incidentally, GSAT-10 will 

be the second satellite after 

GSAT-8 to carry the Gagan 

payload for providing navigation 

services to airlines and 

ships. The Ku-band transponder 

will also help in accurately 

pointing ground antennas 

towards the satellite. 

“The satellite’s solar panels 

and antennas will be deployed 

soon after it is placed into the 

geostationary orbit using its 

propulsion system in a threestep 

approach,” the space 

agency said. 

According to Isro, the 

GSAT-10 will be injected in 

geosynchronous transfer orbit 

(GTO) by the Ariane rocket 

around 31 minutes after the 

lift-off. From there, the satellite 

will be moved to geostationary 

orbit (GSO) at 36,000 

km above the equator. 

After the conduct of several 

tests, GSAT-10 is expected to 

be operational by November 

this year and will have a life 

span of around 15 years. 

The Indian space agency 

has a total of 168 transponders 

under its INSAT/GSAT satellite 

series. It has also taken on 

lease 94 transponders from 

foreign satellites. — IANS

Serious 

election 

concern 

By Maria Antonova 

OBSERVERS said 

the election in 

Belarus as neither 

competitive nor free, after 

results showed every seat 

in parliament was won by 

factions loyal to President 

Alexander Lukashenko. 

OSCE-led observers said 

in a indictment of Sunday's 

poll that there were serious 

concerns over the count, 

which the opposition 

claimed produced an 

of�cial turnout almost twice 

that of the real �gure. 

Participation was a 

massive 74.2 per cent, the 

central election commission 

said, while not a single 

member of the opposition 

won one of the 110 

parliamentary seats. 

"This election was not 

competitive from the start," 

said Matteo Mecacci, 

special co-ordinator of the 

OSCE observer mission. 

"A free election depends 

on people being free to 

speak, organise and run for 

of�ce, and we didn't see 

that in this campaign." 

Antonio Milososki, 

head of the long-term 

observation mission, 

said there were "serious 

concerns" over the lack of 

proper counting procedures 

or ways for the results to be 

veri�ed. 

"The continued lack 

of properly delineated 

counting procedures meant 

that an honest count could 

not be guaranteed," the 

observers added. 

Even before the OSCE 

report was released, 

the head of the Belarus 

election commission Lidya 

Yermoshina criticised 

international observers 

for seeing their role "not 

as bringing us help but 

as giving con�ictual 

situations". 

Riot police meanwhile 

detained around 20 young 

activists who observed the 

process as part of a project 

on behalf of rights groups 

based outside the country, 

the Vyasna (Spring) rights 

group said. 

An analysis of the list 

of those elected to the 110seat 

chamber showed that 

only four candidates who 

were not part of the main 

pro-government faction had 

made parliament. 

There is no ruling party 

in Belarus. But three of 

those new lawmakers 

belong to the largely progovernment 

Communist 

Party of Belarus. 

By Linda Sieg 

SOME Chinese commentators 

have urged 

Beijing to prepare for 

military con�ict with Japan as 

tensions mount over disputed 

islands in the East China Sea, 

but most experts say chances 

the Asian neighbours will decide 

to go to war are slim. 

A bigger risk is the possibility 

that an unintended maritime 

clash results in deaths 

and boosts pressure for retaliation, 

but even then Tokyo and 

Beijing are expected to seek to 

manage the row before it becomes 

a full-blown military 

confrontation. 

"That's the real risk — a 

maritime incident leading to 

a loss of life. If a Japanese 

or Chinese were killed, there 

would be a huge outpouring 

of nationalist sentiment," said 

Linda Jakobson, Director of 

the East Asia Programme at 

the Lowry Institute for International 

Policy in Sydney. 

"But I still cannot seriously 

imagine it would lead to an 

attack on the other country. I 

do think rational minds would 

prevail," she said, adding economic 

retaliation was more 

likely. 

A feud over the lonely islets 

in the East China Sea �ared 

this month after Japan's government 

bought three of the 

12 

ANALYSIS/OPINION 



FRENCH President Francois Hollande during a function in southwest Germany on Saturday. — AFP 

Coalition rift widens 

By Mark John 

PRESIDENT Francois Hollande's 

government yesterday 

demanded its Green allies fall 

into line over European Union policy 

after the ecologist party said it would 

oppose a European Union budget discipline 

pact in a vote next month. 

While the pact is set to pass with 

votes from Hollande's Socialists and 

from the right, the Greens' move is the 

most open de�ance of Hollande's authority 

yet from within his four-month 

coalition and comes as his popularity 

ratings are plummeting. 

While no admirer of an EU austerity 

accord made during the rule of 

his conservative predecessor Nicolas 

Sarkozy, the Socialist Hollande backs 

the plan to return to balanced budgets 

as a necessary step to easing the euro 

sovereign debt crisis. 

"I am calling on all members of the 

EE-LV (Europe Ecology- The Greens) 

to show some coherence and, frankly, 

solidarity," said government spokeswoman 

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem. 

The Greens' national council rejected 

the pact agreed by EU leaders 

last March as the wrong response to 

Europe's rising debt burden and called 

for talks on an unde�ned "new European 

agenda" to tackle the crisis. 

Although some Green deputies have 

threatened for weeks to at least abstain 

in the vote, the decision stunned even 

some within the party. Veteran ecologist 

Daniel Cohn-Bendit called the 

move "dramatically pathetic" and suspended 

his party membership. 

Ties between Socialists and Greens 

islands from a private owner, 

triggering violent protests in 

China and threatening business 

between Asia's two biggest 

economies. 

Adding to the tensions, 

China sent more than 10 government 

patrol vessels to waters 

near the islands, known as 

the Diaoyu in China and the 

Senkaku in Japan, while Japan 

beefed up its Coast Guard 

patrols. Chinese media said 

1,000 �shing boats have set 

sail for the area, although none 

has been sighted close by. 

Despite the diplomatic 

standoff and rising nationalist 

sentiment in China especially, 

experts agree neither Beijing 

nor Tokyo would intentionally 

escalate to a military con- 

France’s Greens have 

rejected the pact agreed by 

EU leaders as the wrong 

response to Europe’s rising 

debt burden and called for 

new European agenda 

have been strained by a statement by 

Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg, 

a Socialist, suggesting nuclear 

power was an energy of the future — 

comments the ecologists feared put in 

doubt the government's commitment 

to reducing France's long-standing reliance 

on the energy source. 

Opposition conservatives leapt on 

the Greens' move on the EU pact as 

proof of a split within the coalition, 

and called on their two government 

representatives, Housing Minister 

Cecile Du�ot and Development Minister 

Pascal Can�n, to step down. 

The two ministers were not immediately 

available for comment but the 

Greens' parliamentary group leader 

Francois de Rugy rejected calls for 

them to resign and said the Greens 

were within their rights to reject a pact 

which they never supported. 

"The European pact was not part 

frontation what is already the 

worst crisis in bilateral ties in 

decades. 

"The chances of a military 

con�ict are very, very slim because 

neither side wants to go 

down that path," said former 

People's Liberation Army of- 

�cer, Xu Guangyu, now a 

consultant at a governmentrun 

think tank in Beijing. 

Pressure from the United 

States, which repeated last 

week that the disputed isles 

were covered by a 1960 treaty 

obliging Washington to come 

to Japan's aid if it were attacked, 

is also working to restrain 

both sides, security experts 

said. 

"I very seriously do not 

think any of the involved 

parties — Japan, China and 

including the United States 

because of its defence treaty 

(with Japan) — want to see 

a military con�ict over this 

dispute," said the Lowry Institute's 

Jakobson. 

"They don't want to risk 

it, they don't seek it and they 

do not intend to let it happen." 

Still, the possibility of a clash 

at sea remains. 

While the presence of the 

Chinese surveillance ships — 

none of which is a naval vessel 

— and Japan Coast Guard 

ships in the area might appear 

to set the stage for trouble, 

military experts said each side 

would try to steer clear of the 

other. 

"The bad news is that Chi- 

of the coalition agreement we made 

with our Socialist allies. This pact is 

a legacy of the Sarkozy era, it's even 

dubbed the 'Merkozy pact'," he told 

Canal Plus television, using the play 

on words supposed to show Sarkozy's 

close ties with German Chancellor Angela 

Merkel. 

A survey by Ifop pollster released 

on Sunday showed Hollande's popularity 

fell to 43 per cent from 54 per 

cent in August, the lowest level since 

he took of�ce in May. 

Hollande issued an ambitious 

pledge this month to revive the economy 

in two years, but he also conceded 

that growth next year would fall short 

of an existing one percent of�cial target, 

coming in around 0.8 per cent instead. 

August jobless data due tomorrow 

are widely forecast to add to the 

gloom, showing unemployment, al- 

na sent ships to the area. The 

good news is that they are of- 

�cial ships controlled by the 

government," said Narushige 

Michishita at the National 

Graduate Institute for Policy 

Studies in Tokyo. 

"This is good news because 

they are not likely to engage in 

aggressive action because that 

would really exacerbate the 

situation and turn it into a ma- 

ready at 13-year highs, rising above 

the symbolically important three million 

mark. 

Daniel Boy, Director of research at 

France's Sciences-Po university, said 

the sheer lack of good news on the 

horizon for Hollande meant his ratings 

were likely to fall further. 

"The risk is that we continue to see 

a trend of very low ratings... and that 

in turn will make it even harder to take 

dif�cult decisions on budgetary rigour," 

Boy added. 

Hollande's government will unveil 

on Friday how plans to claw in the 30 

billion euros ($39 billion) needed to 

cut its de�cit to three per cent of gross 

domestic product in 2013 en route to a 

balanced budget by the end of his �veyear 

term. 

It has ruled out making what would 

be deeply unpopular increases to value-added 

tax and the CSG social levy, 

a tax payable by all employees, to narrow 

the de�cit. 

Even the approval ratings of Prime 

Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault have 

fallen sharply since June, two opinion 

polls showed yesterday. 

The polls highlight public frustration 

over stalled growth, unemployment 

at a 13-year high and a series of 

mass layoffs that have made the Socialist 

government appear impotent in 

the face of an economic crisis. 

Ayrault has complained that journalists 

have grown too used to a 

Sarkozy-era pace of near daily policy 

announcements. Eight per cent of respondents 

in the BVA poll declined to 

offer an opinion about the prime minister’s 

performance. 

jor crisis," said Michishita. 

The Chinese ships, he said, 

had another mission besides 

asserting China's claims to the 

islands and nearby waters. 

"My guess is that some 

(Chinese) of�cial patrol boats 

are there to watch out for �shing 

boats... to stop them from 

making problems," Michishita 

said. Military specialists say 

the Chinese patrol vessels are 

Crucial voters 

may back out 

By David Morgan 

EVEN before his 

running mate was 

booed by a lobbying 

group for older Americans 

last Friday, Republican 

presidential nominee Mitt 

Romney was losing support 

among such voters, whose 

backing is crucial to his hopes 

of winning the November 6 

election. 

New polling by Reuters/ 

Ipsos indicates that during the 

past two weeks — since just 

after the Democratic National 

Convention — support for 

Romney among Americans 

age 60 and older has 

crumbled, from a 20-point 

lead over Democratic 

President Barack Obama to 

less than 4 points. 

Romney's double-digit 

advantages among older 

voters on the issues of 

healthcare and Medicare — 

the nation's health insurance 

programme for those over 65 

and the disabled — also have 

evaporated, and Obama has 

begun to build an advantage 

in both areas. 

Voting preferences among 

seniors could change in 

the �nal six weeks of the 

campaign, but the polling 

suggests that a series of 

recent episodes favouring 

Obama and the Democrats 

could be chipping away at 

Romney's support among 

older Americans. 

Romney's selection of 

Wisconsin congressman Paul 

Ryan as his vice-presidential 

running mate put the federal 

budget and Medicare at 

centrestage in the campaign. 

But the debate over spending 

and entitlement programmes 

that Romney seemed to be 

seeking has not unfolded the 

way Republicans wanted. 

At the Democratic 

convention in Charlotte, 

North Carolina, on September 

5, former president Bill 

Clinton gave a folksy but 

blistering critique of Ryan's 

plan to revamp Medicare, 

warning that it could leave 

seniors unprotected from 

escalating healthcare costs. 

Meanwhile, Democrats' 

efforts to portray Romney 

as a wealthy former private 

equity executive with 

little sympathy for the less 

fortunate got a boost last 

week, from Romney himself. 

On a secretly recorded 

video released by the 

liberal magazine Mother 

Jones, Romney was shown 

telling supporters at a 

well disciplined as are the Japan 

Coast Guard ships, while 

the two sides have grown accustomed 

to communicating. 

"Both sides are ready, but 

both sides are very well under 

control," said a former senior 

Japanese military of�cial. 

What worries observers 

most is the risk that a boat 

carrying Chinese �shermen 

slips through or activists try 

$50,000-a-person fundraiser 

that 47 per cent of Americans 

would never vote for him 

because they do not pay 

federal income taxes, feel 

they are "victims," and 

depend on government 

bene�ts. 

Democrats accused 

Romney of dismissing a 

range of Americans, including 

elderly people who depend 

on government programmes 

such as Medicare and Social 

Security. 

Romney's campaign 

rejected that, but the recent 

polls suggest that such claims 

may be resonating with 

Americans aged 60 and older, 

who for months had been the 

only age group to consistently 

support Romney over Obama. 

Analysts say that if 

Romney cannot reverse the 

trend among older voters, he 

won't win on November 6. 

"If Romney loses seniors, 

he loses this election, period," 

said Jonathan Oberlander, a 

health policy specialist at the 

University of North Carolina. 

"A bad showing nationally 

(among older voters) does 

not bode well for Florida and 

other states with big senior 

populations." 

Ryan's plan for Medicare 

would limit the programme's 

costs by converting it from a 

provider of popular bene�ts 

to a system that would 

give future bene�ciaries 

a �nancial stipend to help 

pay for private insurance or 

traditional Medicare. 

Obama and fellow 

Democrats say Ryan's 

approach, which largely 

has been embraced by 

Republicans including 

Romney, would further 

expose seniors to rising 

healthcare costs and hasten 

Medicare's �nancial 

instability. 

Republicans argue that 

their plan would preserve 

Medicare for future 

generations. 

Medicare serves nearly 50 

million retired and disabled 

Americans, and polls show 

stiff public resistance to the 

Ryan plan, with older voters 

opposing it by a 2-to-1 ratio. 

Until now, however, there 

have been few tangible signs 

that opposition to Ryan's 

plan would translate into a 

preference for president. 

Pollsters say Obama's 

recent rise in popularity 

among older Americans could 

signal that Democrats are 

winning the advertising battle 

over Medicare. 

Military conflict unlikely over islets row 

Despite the diplomatic standoff 

and rising nationalist sentiment in 

China especially, neither Beijing 

nor Tokyo would intentionally 

escalate it to a military con�ict as 

neither side wants to risk it, seeks it 

and they don’t intend it to happen 

NEW CLAIMS 

A CHINESE marine surveillance ship cruises next to a Japan Coast Guard patrol ship in the East China Sea. — AFP 

to land, sparking clashes with 

Japan's Coast Guard that result 

in deaths — news of which 

would spread like wild�re on 

the Internet. In 1996, a Hong 

Kong activist drowned in the 

nearby waters. 

Diplomatic relations chilled 

sharply in 2010 after Japan arrested 

a Chinese trawler captain 

whose boat collided with 

a Japan Coast Guard vessel.

Fostering 

new ties 

By Martin Petty 

MYANMAR’S reformist 

president 

heads to the United 

States this week, keen to 

win an end to sanctions and 

open a new chapter in a once 

frosty relationship that could 

bring economic and geostrategic 

bene�ts to both sides. 

After feting Nobel Peace 

Prize winner and opposition 

leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 

Washington last week, the 

United States will welcome 

Thein Sein, a 67-year-old 

former general who emerged 

as the unlikely catalyst for a 

wave of reforms that were 

unthinkable a year ago. 

Thein Sein’s US visit, the 

�rst by a Myanmar leader 

in 46 years, is the strongest 

sign yet of rapprochement 

between the two countries 

— something that will bene�t 

not only the cash-starved 

southeast Asian nation, but 

also could help a superpower 

intent on boosting its political 

and economic muscle in 

a booming region. 

US aid to Myanmar could 

resume at some point and 

the Treasury Department 

on Wednesday removed individual 

sanctions against 

Thein Sein, the latest let-up 

in the tight restrictions that 

isolated his country for two 

decades, squeezed its tattered 

economy and pushed it 

closer into China’s orbit. 

Congress last week approved 

a bill that would 

allow President Barack 

Obama to waive a ban on 

US participation in providing 

development loans from 

international �nancial institutions 

like the World Bank 

to the former British colony. 

But crucial to Thein Sein 

is the removal of a US ban 

on Burmese imports, which 

could pave the way for 

greater foreign investment 

and create urgently needed 

jobs. 

The European Union set 

the pace last week in agreeing 

to grant Myanmar access 

to its Generalised System of 

Preferences, a scheme that 

allows poorer countries access 

to European markets 

without quotas or duties. 

Presidential adviser Ko 

Ko Hlaing, who a diplomatic 

source said helped smooth 

the path for Thein Sein’s visit, 

said ending the embargoes 

would facilitate the kind of 

reforms the United States 

has been asking for. 

“(The visit) is certainly 

intended to have some relaxation 

of restrictions and 

sanctions,” Ko Ko Hlaing 

said. “Because they happen 

now to be obstacles in our 

reform process.” 

By M J Smith 

THE leader of a stick-wielding 

mob, a small axe dangling 

from a rope around his neck, 

made no secret of why they had 

come: to stop a protest organised by 

opposition and civil society groups. 

But he insisted their actions did 

not involve politics, saying the mob 

wanted to protect the elderly people 

in the neighbourhood. If police �red 

tear gas at the protest — as they often 

do — it may harm residents, he said. 

“What we are doing has nothing 

to do with politics,” he said not long 

before the mob pulled a motorcycle 

rider off his bike for unclear reasons 

and repeatedly hit him. “It is just social.” 

Police stood by and watched as 

they roamed the street, and protest 

organisers cancelled the demonstration, 

accusing the mob of being a ruling 

party militia. 

The September 15 incident 

seemed to be another chapter in a 

cat-and-mouse game ahead of parliamentary 

elections in this small west 

African nation run by the same family 

for more than four decades. The 

elections are due in October, but they 

are widely expected to be delayed. 

While change has swept other 

parts of the world over the past couple 

of years, Togo, an impoverished 

and largely agricultural nation under 

French rule before independence 

in 1960, can sometimes feel like a 

throwback to another era. 

Lingering suspicions over an alleged 

coup bid in 2009 have added 

to tensions, with the president’s 

13 

ANALYSIS/OPINION 



THE world’s eighth highest peak Mansalu’s ice falls and �ckle weather are deadly. 

‘Killer Mountain’ attraction 

By Frankie Taggart 

TOWERING above the pine forests 

of Nepal’s Budhi Gandaki 

river valley, the mighty Manaslu 

is nicknamed “killer mountain” by locals 

because more than 60 people have died 

on its treacherous slopes. 

The world’s eighth highest peak may 

not be as famous as its bigger neighbours 

Everest and Annapurna, but it again 

proved with the deaths of at least nine 

climbers on Sunday that its ice falls and 

�ckle weather are just as deadly. 

“Manaslu is a stepping stone towards 

Everest,” said mountaineer Dawa Steven 

Sherpa, whose Kathmandu-based trekking 

agency organises treks on the 8,156metre 

peak. 

“A lot of people attempt it before Everest 

because it’s another 8,000m mountain, 

but it’s less technical. Because it’s an 

easier climb, people who want to attempt 

Everest often try Manaslu �rst to know 

what it’s like to trek at that high altitude.” 

Manaslu’s long ridges and valley glaciers 

offer feasible approaches from all directions, 

but it is considered especially prone 

to avalanches. 

While its name literally translates as 

“Mountain of the Spirit”, it is known by 

locals as “Killer Mountain” after claiming 

the lives of 53 mountaineers between 

1956, when it was �rst conquered, and 

2006. Fewer than 300 people reached the 

summit in that time, according to records 

available in private databases which cover 

only that period. 

Manaslu saw its worst disaster when 

a South Korean expedition was buried by 

snow while attempting to climb the northeast 

face in 1972. The 15 dead included 

10 Sherpas and the Korean expedition 

leader. 

On Sunday a group of climbers from 

Europe was sleeping in tents near the 

top when they were hit by a huge wall of 

snow which killed at least nine of them, 

half-brother sentenced to 20 years in 

prison and 32 others to a range of jail 

terms over the incident last year. 

Opposition and civil society 

groups have been organising protests 

that the government seeks to prevent, 

usually with police �ring tear gas. 

It recently banned demonstrations 

in commercial areas of the capital 

Lome. Clashes have occasionally 

broken out between protesters and 

security forces. 

The Let’s Save Togo coalition has 

been calling the protests over a range 

of demands, most notably the departure 

of President Faure Gnassingbe, 

who was installed in power by the 

army after his father’s death in 2005 

and who won elections a few months 

later and again in 2010. 

Manaslu’s long 

ridges and valley 

glaciers offer 

feasible approaches 

from all directions, 

but it is considered 

especially prone 

to avalanches 

bringing the toll of deaths to more than 

60. Three climbers remained missing as 

of yesterday afternoon. 

Manaslu has been open to tourists 

since 1991, offering spectacular trekking 

along the border of Nepal and Tibet, but 

its dangerous slopes and relative obscurity 

are among the reasons it has largely 

been ignored. 

People who take the risk are often seduced 

by the “authentic experience” the 

Manaslu offers, with trekking companies 

playing up the fact that just a handful of 

expeditions attempt the climb each year. 

Others are persuaded by the relatively 

cheap cost of the expedition which, in the 

region of $18,000 per person, makes it at 

least half the price of attempting Everest. 

But many are experienced climbers 

who will tackle other Himalayan peaks as 

well, said Sherpa, a two-time summiteer 

of Everest. “People who normally climb 

up Manaslu have bigger peaks in mind, 

or they are people who are attempting to 

climb all the 8,000m peaks,” he said. 

“Very few people climb Manaslu for 

the sake of just climbing Manaslu.” 

Huddled in their sleeping bags, the 

More protests are planned for the 

next three days which may be volatile 

since they are to be held in an area of 

Lome where marches are banned. 

“We are holding elections just to 

please others — to please and help a 

fraudulent government and to please 

the West. It’s over,” said Jean-Pierre 

Fabre, leader of the opposition National 

Alliance for Change who demands 

sweeping electoral reforms. 

Fabre �nished second to Gnassingbe 

in 2010 elections and disputes 

the results. 

Gnassingbe’s supporters describe 

a more complex situation, saying 

the government is taking real steps 

towards change, but that it will have 

to come gradually in a country where 

the military wields major power. 

climbers �rst heard the avalanche roar towards 

them and then the sound of screaming 

before being swept hundreds of metres 

down the slopes. 

Survivors of this week’s tragedy said 

the scene resembled a war zone, with 

an entire camp destroyed by the wall of 

snow. 

“I woke up to a huge roar... Then the 

avalanche came down and crushed our 

tents. We were swept 100 metres down 

with our tents — others were carried 300 

metres,” said 26-year-old German Andreas 

Reiter, who had fractured his spine. 

“I was not buried under the avalanche, 

I was carried with it. It was very high and 

so many tents were falling down. But I 

couldn’t move and couldn’t help people 

who were screaming for help and dying,” 

Reiter said from his Kathmandu hospital 

bed. 

Reiter, who was on his �rst visit to 

Nepal, said his group had already planned 

to return to camp two, further down the 

mountain, and attempt the �nal push 

later, because of bad weather and the possibility 

of avalanches. 

Talking about what motivated him initially 

to scale the peak, he said: “I wanted 

to challenge myself that it was possible to 

climb such a big mountain. 

“I feel now it was too risky to climb 

such a high mountain. But I don’t think 

the timing was wrong. 

“I talked to other people and they suggested 

it would be better for the �nal push 

at the summit when autumn began.” 

Reiter was among a group of European 

adventurers who were near the peak of 

the 8,156-metre Manaslu when the avalanche 

struck at 4 am on Sunday. 

Pravin Nepal, Reiter’s surgeon at the 

Norvic Hospital, said another German 

was being treated at the hospital for frostbite. 

Also among the survivors was Glen 

Plake, 48, a three-time freestyle skiing 

world champion from California. He described 

the site of the avalanche as “a war 

zone”. 

Ethnic tensions also come into 

play, with the Kabye ethnic group 

from the country’s north viewed as 

having dominated politics and the security 

forces. 

The president, whose father was a 

general who ruled for 38 years, has 

signalled intentions to move towards 

reforms, and observers have noted 

that 2010 presidential elections were 

a signi�cant improvement over the 

2005 polls, which were marred by 

deadly violence. 

Gilbert Bawara, minister of territorial 

administration, has sought 

to portray the opposition as simply 

power hungry with no real plan to 

run the country. He accused them of 

being �xated on Gnassingbe yielding 

power. He defended the govern- 

Police chief who took 

walk on the wild side 

By Chris Buckley and 

Benjamin Kang Lim 

FORMER police chief Wang Lijun (pictured), 

who lifted the lid on China’s biggest 

political scandal in two decades, was 

known for his wild and �amboyant behaviour. 

Wang, a self-styled crusader against organised 

crime in the vast southwestern municipality 

of Chongqing, was jailed yesterday for 15 

years for trying to cover up a murder carried 

out by the wife of his politician boss, Bo Xilai. 

Wang, 52, was an ally of Bo, the city’s Communist 

Party chief who was once a candidate 

for China’s top leadership but whose career 

now lies in ruins. Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai, was 

last month given a suspended death sentence, 

effectively life in jail, for poisoning British 

businessman Neil Heywood last year. 

Wang’s success in also avoiding the death 

penalty may be due to his publicly acknowledged 

co-operation with investigators, a mitigating 

factor that could spell trouble for Bo 

who also now faces the possibility of criminal 

charges. On February 6, Wang brought the 

murder scandal to the surface in typically dramatic 

fashion. 

According to prosecutors, he �ed to the 

US consulate in the nearby city of Chengdu in 

an asylum attempt after confronting Bo with 

evidence implicating Gu in the death of Heywood, 

once a friend of the Bo family. 

After �rst helping Gu evade suspicion of 

poisoning Heywood, Wang then hushed up evidence 

of the murder, according to the of�cial 

account of Wang’s trial. In late January, Wang 

confronted Bo but was rebuked and slapped. 

Wang spent about 24 hours inside the consulate 

before being collected by Chinese central 

government authorities. 

The rupture in his relations with Bo hastened 

the end of the career of a police of�cer 

whose methods in Chongqing, China’s biggest 

municipality, were decried by critics as brutal. 

Wang was also eccentric: sources said he 

sometimes did his own post mortems, boasted 

of being an FBI agent under an exchange programme 

and of being kidnapped by the Italian 

ma�a. With Bo and Wang out of power, sources 

close to of�cials in Chongqing and Beijing 

provided details about the man who served at 

Bo’s side in a widely publicised drive to sweep 

the city streets of triad-like gangs. They declined 

to be identi�ed owing to the sensitivities 

of the scandal. 

State media for years hailed the tens of 

thousands of arrests, the breakup of gangs and 

the exposure of corrupt police and of�cials, a 

campaign that helped build Bo’s popular support. 

Even by the standards of Chinese police, 

Wang was known as an aggressive of�cer. He 

built his reputation in the northeast province of 

Liaoning, where Bo was governor in the early 

2000s. 

Wang, an ethnic Mongol, boxed as a teen, 

served in the People’s Liberation Army for 

three years and worked as a forestry of�cial 

before becoming a policeman in 1984. 

His crime crackdown in the northeast town 

of Tieling won him national acclaim. Zhou Lijun, 

a screenwriter, spent 10 days with Wang in 

Tieling in 1996 while working on a screenplay 

for a TV series about his exploits called Iron 

Blooded Police Spirits. 

According to Zhou’s account in a Chinese 

newspaper, Wang had a �air for the dramatic. 

He would drive to crime scenes in a Mitsubishi 

jeep modi�ed to carry a double rack of lights 

on its roof so the locals would know “Chief 

Wang” was on the case. 

On arrival, he would leap atop the car, draw 

Togo ruling family faces increasingly determined oppn 

SEVERAL thousand women march in the capital demanding sweeping political reform. — AFP 

ment’s decision to ban demonstrations 

in commercial areas, saying 

such marches posed a threat to public 

order and prevented merchants from 

operating their businesses. 

The opposition says it is fed up 

and has no trust in Gnassingbe, arguing 

that previous agreements to move 

closer to true democracy have not 

been implemented. It is seeking topto-bottom 

reforms throughout Togolese 

institutions. 

The major opposition groups boycotted 

a recent government-led dialogue 

on electoral reform saying they 

had no faith in the process. 

The dialogue resulted in a recommendation 

to limit presidents to two 

�ve-year terms, but it was not speci- 

�ed whether it would apply immediately, 

leaving open the possibility that 

Gnassingbe could remain in of�ce 

until 2025. 

Meanwhile, frustration over the 

economy has helped feed protests. 

Declines in cotton production and 

a stagnant phosphate industry have 

contributed to its struggles. 

“It is the combination of all of this 

anger that has been exploited in this 

way,” said Dimas Dzikodo, editor of 

the privately run Togolese paper Forum 

de la Semaine. 

For some merchants in the central 

Lome neighbourhood of Deckon, 

where the government has sought to 

prevent protests, it was less about 

who was right than about �xing the 

economy. “If the economic situation 

is better, we don’t care who is president 

or not,” Kuegah Toyo Loic, 25, 

said while at his brothers’ mobile 

phone shop. “We just want to eat.” 

By Hector Velasco 

Former police 

chief Wang Lijun, 

who lifted the lid 

on China’s biggest 

political scandal in 

2 decades, is known 

for his wild and 

�amboyant 

behaviour 

his gun and �re shots in the air. On a night raid 

of hair salons thought to be fronts for prostitution, 

Wang rushed into one and threw a young 

man with dyed yellow hair to the ground. 

After a police search for evidence yielded 

nothing, he told them to take the youth to the 

police station, saying: “A man with hair like 

that can’t be any good”. 

Bo brought in Wang to lead a crackdown on 

organised crime in Chongqing after Bo became 

the city’s party chief in 2007. The two men became 

close, said a source in Chongqing with 

access to city of�cials. 

“The anti-organised crime campaign was 

like a two-man skit,” said the source. “But then 

they made the anti-crime campaign so complicated 

and turned it into a campaign, a movement, 

that was politicised and expanded, and 

then there were so many erroneous cases and 

cases of torture,” the source said. 

Since the downfall of Bo and Wang, several 

people who were targets of that campaign have 

come forward with stories of intimidation, torture 

and forced confession. 

Tales of yet more eccentricities emerged. 

Wang would turn up at police stations deep 

in the night to catch of�cers sleeping, bawl 

them out and then storm out, said a Chinese 

businessman who met Wang several times at 

city functions. He also demanded continuous 

supplies of fresh �owers and towels, said another 

source with access to city of�cials. 

A former colleague in northeast China said 

Wang would sometimes perform the autopsies 

on executed convicts himself because he 

claimed he wanted to see if “their hearts were 

black or red”. As Wang’s crime crackdown 

grew, the campaign created enemies in the rank 

and �le, as well as in leadership circles. 

A new city to rise around 

Brazil World Cup venue 

AS Brazil builds new venues for the 2014 World Cup, 

one project stands out for its outsized ambition: the 

Pernambuco stadium is set to be the centrepiece of a 

whole new city. 

Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht obtained a 30-year 

concession to build so-called “Cup City” some 20 km outside 

the northeastern city of Recife. 

The stadium, one of four being built from scratch, is designed 

to be a multi-purpose arena that can host trade fairs and 

conventions as well as sporting events years after the World 

Cup has been and gone. 

Known as Arena Pernambuco, it has been under construction 

since 2010 at a cost of some $265 million. 

Odebrecht plans to build an eco-friendly “smart city” for 

some 30,000 people, complete with skyscrapers, business and 

residential areas, parks and a university in a 240-hectare area 

around the stadium. 

“It is the most ambitious project among the 12 World Cup 

arenas, there is nothing quite like it,” said Ricardo Leitao Teixeira, 

head of Recife’s organising committee. “It is the only one 

that goes beyond the construction or upgrading of an arena.” 

The project will be a tremendous boost for northeastern 

Brazil, which has long been a poor cousin to the country’s economically 

vibrant south. 

According to Odebrecht’s website, there will be plenty of 

room for pedestrians and cyclists in Cup City. Almost half the 

land will be set aside for open areas and public parks, and a 

vast array of cameras connected to a police central command 

will provide 24-hour security. 

Jose Ayres, engineering director for the Odebrecht project, 

says young people lured by Cup City’s university will hopefully 

end up staying on in the area to �nd jobs because they 

enjoy the lifestyle. 

The stadium is being built outside San Lorenzo da Mata, a 

picturesque town of narrow streets and small shops that looks 

like a postcard from the past. Of more than $13 billion Brazil 

estimates it will spend on hosting the World Cup, $2.2 billion 

has been allocated on government and private sector projects 

in Recife, which plays host to �ve World Cup games.

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FOR serious people — 

Flat with 2 bedrooms, 

sitting room, kitchen, 2 

toilets in Mumtaz area. 

�93248832, 98003444. 

FOR serious people — 

Flat/penthouse. 1 

bedroom, sitting room, 

kitchen, 2 toilets in 

Mumtaz area. 

�93248832, 98003444. 

VILLA at Al Athaiba, 4 

bedrooms + 2 hall + 

sitting room. Monthly 

RO950. �99443834. 

4 NEW flats at Al Amerat 

Heights near the 

roundabout, each 

comprising of 3 rooms 

with attached toilets, 

kitchen, family hall. 

�99315359. 

ROOM at Al Khuwair, 

opposite Zakher Mall 

with attached bath and 

window A/C. 

�96339372. 

FLAT in Qurum, 2 

bedrooms with attached 

bathrooms, 1 dining 

room and sitting room 

with guest toilet, 1 

kitchen with balcony. 

�95128985 

(Moihaidin). 

2 BEDROOM flat, Al 

Ghubra, RO 350/- 

�92967853. 

HOUSE Muscat 

Myabeen. 2 bedrooms, 

sitting room, kitchen, 2 

bathrooms. House 

No 632, Way No 8228, 

RO 220/-. Contact 

Mohamed �99805177, 

95407130. 

CLASSIFIED SECTION: 

WAREHOUSE land for 

rent, 35,000 sq m, 

Shaqakhit close to main 

road and easy and wide 

entrance to the land 

�94062019 

2 BEDROOM �at 

Al Ghubra north 

�92967853. 

6 BRAND new �ats 

(A/C provided) at 

Al Amerat 5 (from 

the owner). Contact 

�95033516. 

TWO bedroom flat at 

Wadi Adei. Contact 

�99377249. 

INDUSTRIAL Plot — 

Located in Al Misfah an 

area of 1000 MSQ, 

Corner, fenced with 

existing building consist 

of office, room, kitchen, 

bathroom and external 

bathroom, connected 

with electricity. For 

inquiries:�98209820, 

94086106. 

BASEMENT and shops 

at Ghala and Wadi 

Kabir, suitable for 

restaurants, printing 

press building, offices 

and warehouses with 

reasonable prices. 

Contact: �92283444, 

95098103, 24494979. 

D 

RIVING SSCHOOL 

MORNING STAR 

DRIVING SCHOOL S 

— Learn ddriving i 

manual/ automatic with 

professionally qualified 

male/ female trainees in 

brand new cars and 

flexible payments. Call: 

�99043283, 

24478589, 24478505, 

www.chamberman. 

com/member/ 

morningstar www. 

morningstar.com 

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 

ILYA MANPOWER 

HOUSEMAIDS 

available from 

Philippines, Sri 

Lanka & Africa. 

All types of skilled 

workers (waiters, 

cooks, drivers, 

constructions, 

industrials, hotels 

& ministries.....) 

Tel/Fax 

22050086 — Hail 

Shimaly Al Jabri 

Blg. next to 

Bahja Mall. 

Sulaiman Awlad Thani: 95181747 

Ali al Maashari: 99639264 

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

F 

W 

14 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

Available on very GOOD prices 

HP 1000 Ink-Jet Printer 

RO 10.900 only 

HP 1050 3 in 1 Printer 


HP OJ 4500 4 in 1 Printer 


HP Laser M1132 3 in 1 


AII HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung 

Cartridges also available 

OR SALE 

COM/Res plot at Ghubra 

north, behind Al Maya 

Hypermarket, 2,700 sq 

m �99009179, 

99466655. 

COM/Res plot at Al 

Khuwair 33, Area 

1,800M 2 �99009179, 

99466655. 

AL Biriyani House 

Restaurant, Ruwi — 

MBD area �92557711. 

4 VILLAS (under 

construction) in one plot 

in Al Ansab phase 3. One 

has 5 bedrooms and 4 

bedrooms in each of the 

3 villas. All have extra 

maid room on the 3rd 

floor. RO140 thousand 

for big villa and 95 

thousand each for the 

small villas. The big villa 

has provision for lift and 

small/kids swimming 

pool. �99333479 or 

95215360. 

4 BEDROOMS, 2 floors. 

one side of twin villa in 

Mawaleh between 

Markaz Bahja and The 

Wave. RO 100 thousand. 

�99333479 or 

95215360. 

600 sq mtrs residential 

land in Al Ghubra South, 

behind Al Waseet. The 

land has a 3 bedroom 

single storey house. RO 

155 thousand. 

�99333479 or 

95215360. 

INDUSTRIAL land at 

Wadi Kabir, 10,000 sq 

m, suitable for store. 

�99342237. 

2 CONTAINERS (20 

feet) + 13 porta cabins. 

Contact: � 95414115, 

95164903. 

ANTED 

PURCHASING 

immediately: We would 

like to purchase your 

land at Maabela 

� 95490842, 

99323957. 

COMPUTER SUPPLIES 

Ruwi: 24792792 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

A 

DIRECT: 24649594 - FAX : 24649590 

e-mail: classified@omandaily.om 

CLASSIFIED SECTION 

RUWI: � 24785668 

Behind Royal Oman Police 

Adjacent to 

Dhofar Building 

NNOUNCEMENT 

NNOUNC 

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

WE are at Quick Fix 

offer a wide range of 

superior services. Our 

new services are Smart 

Maintenance 

Membership & 

Attractive Internal/ 

External Painting/ 

Designs. We also 

provide membership in 

our Special 

Maintenance Program 

that will provide you 

with a smart 

maintenance solutions 

for your building. Our 

expert Philippine 

workers are well-trained 

to meet your 

expectations. We also 

provide electrical 

repairs, AC 

maintenance, plumbing 

repairs, cleaning 

solutions, pest control 

solutions, swimming 

pool construction & 

maintenance, gorgeous 

gardening and 

landscaping. Please call 

us on �92849838/ 

95790142. 

L 

R 

OST 

VILSON Muthuswamy 

has lost 

Indian Passport No 

F-1893627. Finder 

please handover to 

ROP. 

BIKASH Chandra has 

lost Indian Passport 

No F-4613405. Finder 

please handover to 

ROP. 

ENT A CAR CA 

AL Namaa Rent-A- 

Car 2012, Al Khoud 

99285995. 

CLASSIFIED 

SECTION 

RUWI 

�24785668 

Behind Royal 

Oman Police, 

Ruwi and 

Adjacent to 


al-haditha 

centre 

AUTO REPAIR 

CENTRE 

Quality Repairs & Maintenance of all 

types of Cars and Heavy vehicles 

(ROP approved Grade A Workshop) 

Telephone: 24595951/1414, Fax: 24597979. 

S 

IT. WANT WANTED 

SRI Lankan k housemaid, h 

good good experience experie with 

European E family f 

looking for job 

�92369778. 

INDIAN driver 

(B Com) with own car 

looking for part-time 

job �92581644. 

MECHANICAL 

Engineer having 10 

years GCC experience 

having valid Omani 

driving licence is 

looking for immediate 

job in a reputed 

company. Please contact 

�96093552. 

INDIAN male, 24 

years, B Tech in 

Electronics and 

Communication 

Engineering, MCSE, 1 

year experience in 

telecommunication 

field, excellent 

communication skills. 

Contact �93790414. 

SUDANESE female 

secretary/HR, 

experienced in marketing 

& communication 

company in Sudan seeks 

suitable position. Contact: 

�92308316. 

INDIAN male 38 years 

old, BE Civil, 13 years of 

experience in India and 

Dubai, presently working 

in Dubai as a site 

structural/civil engineer 

and have experience in 

roads, bridges and high 

rise building is looking 

for a suitable placement 

in Oman. Contact: GSM: 

00971-506393251, 

00968-96151002 (Oman) 

e-mail:binumathew11@ 

gmail.com 

MEDICAL: Indian male, 

29 yrs, general nursing 

having MoH licence with 

5 yrs experience, seeks 

suitable placement. 

Contact: �93089822, 

94231922. 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Continued on P-15

S 

A SUDANESE SUDANES female 

graduate, IT 

specialised, 

experience i iin 

marketing, 

communication companies 

and experience 

as secretary and human 

resources and co-ordination 

in oil companies. 

Contact �92308316. 

GRADUATE Engineer 

in Electronics and Communication 

with two and 

a half years experience 

in telecommunication 

�eld having valid Oman 

driving licence, looking 

for suitable placement. 

Contact �95716974. 

FEMALE graduate 

in Computer Science 

Engineering with 3 years 

experience in teaching 

profession in India and 

four months teaching experience 

in Oman. 95% 

marks in English and 

Mathematics. Looking 


Contact �99118817. 

INDIAN female, BSc 

(Maths) with advanced 

diploma in management, 

+16 years experience 

seeks suitable placement 

S 

in administration, exe- 

secretary, co-ordinator 

& back of�ce. Contact 

�99880343. 

INDIAN male, MCom, 

15 yrs experience as an 

Accountant, looking for 

job as Sr Accountant/ 

Credit Controller. Contact 

�99733304. 

NETWORKING Engineer, 

Indian male, 32 years, 

having 8 yrs experience in 

Singapore, Thailand, India 

seeks good placement in 

Oman. Contact: 

�92781754. E-mail: sis_ 

mca@yahoo.com 

MBA (O&M), BTech 

(CSE), 2+ years of 

experience in operations, 

admin and sourcing, Indian 

female, seeks suitable 

placement. �95845030. 

INDIAN male 30 years, 

BBM, 8 yrs experience 

as senior accountant, 

well versed with Tally, 

Focus and accounts up 

to �nalisation, managerial 

& leadership skills 

with valid D/L, seeks 


Contact �98820824. 

E-mail: shaanrose118@ 

gmail.com 

AYURVEDA doctor 

BAMS, MD, Indian 

female with MoH licence, 

seeks suitable opening in 

Muscat region. 

�95724583. E-mail: 

prasu_k_nair@yahoo.com 

SAFETY Of�cer, male 26 

years, diploma in �re and 

safety engineering having 

7 years Gulf experience, 

good communication skill 

in English, seeks suitable 

placement. Contact: 

� 93472419, e-mail: 

fayiz313@yahoo.com 

INDIAN female, 15 years 

of teaching experience in 

India in college & 3 years 

of teaching experience in 

Oman in international 

school, seeks suitable 

placement in school & 

college. �96040624. 

27, MALE, 6 years 

experience in Oman, valid 

Omani driving licence, 

looking for suitable 

placement as electrical 

engineer in oil & gas 

�eld� 93782685. 

INDIAN male, 31 years, 

having 7 years experience 

in Oman (electrician 

& plumber) with valid 

driving licence, seeks 

suitable placement� 

98081236, 93415563. 

MALE, MCA, system 

administrator & PHP 

developer, 4 years 

experience in India and 1 

year experience in Oman, 

seeks suitable position. 

�98677350 e-mail: 

mustafa.devlp@gmail.com 

INDIAN female, diploma 

in general nursing, 

finished Oman attestation, 

3 years experience as a 

staff nurse �97231071. 

HIGHLY experienced 

Indian male (B Com LLB) 

having extensively worked 

in the field of secretarial, 

administration, accounts, 

stores, tours & cargo, 

logistics, procurement etc 

in Oman, seeks 

challenging position. 

Arabic speaking & 

holding valid licence. 

�92842115. 

ACCOUNTANT male 

28 years, Indian having 

7 years experience in 

accounts up to �nalisation, 

MIS reports, well known 

in Tally, MS Of�ce, more 

than 2 years exp in Oman. 

Contact: � 93975323. 

OMANI seeks 

administration & PRO. 

position. Contact: 

salam2oman@yahoo.com. 

CA (Inter), B Com (E 

Com), 25 years, Indian 

male, with handsome 

leadership and 

management qualities, 

well-versed in auditing 

and accounting, holding 

valid Omani D/licence, 

undergoing CA final 

looking for a 


Contact: 

�99667746/99347982. 

shinul.123@gmail.com 

B.TECH Mech Engr, 

10 years industrial exp 

in contract & project 

management, installation 

& erection of various 

projects, steel structure 

project, STP, sewer 

network, chemical plants, 

working exp on Primavera, 

AutoCAD, MS Of�ce, 

Omani driving licence. 

Contact �97793259 

shahid-gew@rediffmail. 

com 

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

Location: OEPPA HEAD OFFICE, Medinat Al Alam, 

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

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

INDIAN male BE 

(electronics) 9 years 

experience in IT & 

electronic field, looking 


Also experience in 

providing system support, 

network, administration 

and PC hardware 

maintenance. �95277507. 

BANGLADESHI young 

male, Light Driver. 

�98959361. 

SALES Executive, male, 

40 INDIAN male, GNIIT, 

working in NIIT Madhya 

Pradesh as faculty and 

centre incharge, (operating 

system, Programming 

languages, Web 

application development, 

RDBMS, Web designing 

and animation, Scripting 

languages, software 

testing) Area of interest: 

Application programming, 

Server side programming, 

Web designing), seeks 

placement �0091- 

9770254418/9713619371, 

sudeesh.kumar1985@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN male 27 

years old, Satellite 

Communication Engineer 

with MSc from UK, 2 

years administrative 

work experience in the 

UK looking eagerly for 

immediate placement in 

Satellite, Telecom and 

Wireless communication 

industry. � 92335181, 

e-mail: joe.kennedy. 

victor@hotmail.com 

INDIAN male, with 15 

years experience in 

Hospitality Industry, 

looking for general 

manager or profit centre 

head operation in hotels or 

restaurants. �97855160. 

BA (pass), excellent in 

data entry operation (5 

years) and know MS 

Word, MS Excel, Adobe 

Photoshop, Adobe 

Illustrator. Contact: 

�99494716, 93412989. 

INDIAN male, having 

more than 6 years 

experience (auto spare 

parts), seeking any suitable 

placement in accounts/ 

stores/sales. Contact: 

98579241/ 95310411. 

ACCOUNTANT, Indian 

male with 2 years 

experience, B Com Tally 

and Peach Tree. Contact: 

�99203566. 

OMANI seeks H.S.E. 

position. contact: 

jeebal3000@gmail.com 

15 



CLASSIFIEDS 

ITUATION ITUATIO WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED 

HR manager/ 

administration manager 

with 25 years experience 

in Oman. Contact 

�92719485. 


male, 27 years, MBA, 

BCom, 4.8 years 

experience, seeks suitable 


E-mail: rijuvo@gmail.com 

OMANI PRO, 5 years 

experience, seeks suitable 


�98206653. 

INDIAN male 27 years 

old, BTech (IT) having 


India, looking for a job 

immediately. Presently on 

visit. Call: � 98677499, 

e-mail: antofelix_1734@ 

yahoo.com 

INDIAN male, 24, 

fresh BBM graduate 

seeks any kind of job 

specialised in marketing, 

computer literate 

and having good 

communication skills. 

Now on visit visa. 

Contact �97090426. 

E-mail: vishalnambiar602@gmail.com 


B Com, MCSE, CCNA 

hardware and networking, 

computerised financial 

accounting, on visit visa, 

looking for job 

�93487544. 

SITE Engineer, BE Civil 


in India and 2+ years in 

Oman with valid Omani 

licence, computer skills, 


placement in construction 

�eld. � 93677586, 

94044908. 

ACCOUNTANT, Sri 

Lankan, completed CIMA 

(UK), 15 years experience 

in native and Middle East. 

Contact: �92230462 

e-mail: maithrees@gmail. 

com 

INDIAN male 27 years, 

Sales Assistant with 

excellent negotiating 

skills & provide highly 

personalised service 

to customers. Also 

having knowledge of 

accounts with (PGDCA), 

MS Of�ce, Tally 9, 

7.2, MS Excel, seeks 

suitable position in retail 

environment. Contact: 

� 93785564, 92287472, 

e-mail: abdul.nasir88@ 

yahoo.com 

B TECH in Computer 

Science with 5 years 

experience in MNC 

companies for business 

development SAP & 

people soft. Good 

knowledge in Web Design, 

Photoshop, MS Office, 

seminar presentations. 

Holding advance diploma 

in Human Resources 

Management. Presently in 

Oman. E-mail: bd. 

hbk1983@gmail.com 

�94182583. 

INDIAN female, 42 years, 

MBA, BSc (Maths) with 8 


business/ office 

management & 

co-ordination, looking for 


Contact: �99880343, 

mist_tc@yahoo.in. 

INDIAN male, 28 years, 8 


Accounts, looking for a 

part-time accountant job. 

�96761026. 

ASST Purchase Manager, 


imported building 

materials. Worked in Saudi 

Arabia, China, Thailand, 

India seeks placement in 

Oman. �92781754. 

INDIAN male, graduate 

29 years with valid omani 

driving licence seeks 

suitable job. Interested in 

sales and marketing (3 

years experience) 

�94286684. 

INDIAN female 23 years 

B Tech in computer 

science, 1½ years 

experience in software 

development, office works 

also interested 

�94286684. 

INDIAN female, 18 years 

of teaching experience, 3 

years in Oman (GCE & 

IGCSE UK syllabus) as 

business teacher, can teach 

KG & primary classes, 

seeks suitable placement in 

schools and colleges. 

Contact: �96040624. 

INTERIOR �tout work 

project co-ordinator having 

5 years experience with 

Omani driving licence, 

seeks suitable placement. 

� 91050445. 


male, 27 years, MBA, 

BCom, 4.8 years 

experience, seeks 


�99233754. E-mail: 

rijuvo@gmail.com 

WAREHOUSE team 

leader, well experienced, 

speciality in chemicals or 

building materials, 

Germany trained, 19 years 

experience, male, B S 

Com graduate Filipino. 

Contact: �92561686. 


BCA (computer 

application) with diploma 

in Java Technologies, 

looking for job. Please 

contact: �98843139 

e-mail: anvish111@gmail. 

com 

SRI Lankan male, BBA 

degree, Chartered Institute 

of Management 

Accountance (UK) GMA. 

2 years of experience and 

looking for a placement in 

accounting & finance 

field. �98999503. 

e-mail: sashivas@gmail. 

com 

10+ YEARS exp in Dubai 

as Oracle ERP 

Administration & head of 

IT in MNC, professionally 

certified Indian (M), 


position. �98299460. 

SENIOR Accountant, 

Indian male, 31, BCom, 

MBA Fin, 11 years 

experience in Accounts, 

knowledge up to 

finalisation, having valid 

Omani D/L seeks 


�98248377. 

SR accountant, Indian 

male, 18 years exp in 

construction, project 

financing, payable, 

receivable, reconciliation 

and auditing, seeks 

suitable placement 

�92126822. 

BE, ECE, Indian male, 21 

years, holding valid Omani 

D/L having valid diploma 

in programming (C, C++, 

SQL) and excellent 

communication skills, 



�91060919/ 99347982. 

shiraz.m.b@gmail.com 

SRI Lankan doctor 

(MBBS, MRCP) with 

valid MoH licence 

available for suitable 

place. Contact: E-mail 

jayantha212000@yahoo. 

com.au �95200293. 



in Autocad, Revit 

Architecture, Pro 100, 

Kitchen software, seeks 

suitable position. 

�98929163. 

INDIAN male, M Com, 


of Oman marketing and 

sales, having good 

communication in Arabic 

and English, having 

valid Oman driving 

licence, looking for 

suitable position in sales 

or senior sales and 

marketing field. Contact: 

�93573380 e-mail: 

saqtariq@hotmail.com 

FEMALE, 11 years Oman 

exp (5 years with Muscat 

Duty Free) in perfumes, 

cosmetics, seeks suitable 

placement �95183213. 

CLASSIFIED 

SECTION 

RUWI: 

� 24785668 

Behind Royal Oman 

Police, Adjacent to 


INDIAN female with 

Omani D/L working for a 

reputed metal fabrication 

company, B.Com, MCA 

graduate with 5 years 

experience, strong 

communication skills, 

including Infosys & two 

years in Oman, seeks 

suitable placement in 

procurement/ HR Admin 

� 98700199. 

MECHANICAL Engineer 

(B Tech) 2½ years 

experience with Omani 

driving licence, seeks 


�96265726, 96178017. 

visitjoms@yahoo.co.in 

SYSTEM support 

engineer, 8 years 

experience, Indian male, 

33 years, Singapore 

resident seeks suitable 


E-mail: SIS_MCA@ 

yahoo.com. 

GP doctor with MoH 

licence and 7 years PDO 

experience, seeks company 

job with good leave 

schedule. Release available 

� 96528807 E-mail: 

mahendraatt@yahoo.co.uk 

A WELL-experienced Sri 

Lankan housemaid looking 

for a full time/part time 

job and baby sitting, speak 

English and Malayalam. 

Please contact: 

�98250572/93887215. 

LOOKING for a senior 

management position. 

Indian male with 15 years 

of experience in gulffinance, 

accounts, admin 

& HR, purchase and sales. 

Currently holding a 

position of Finance 

Manager. srjobsinoman@ 

yahoo.com �93681704. 

SUDANESE BSc 

accounting, diploma in 

�nancial and banking 

studies, various training 

sessions, bilingual (Arabic 

& English), more than 

25 years in various 

capacities (auditing, 

banking, accounting and 

�nancial management) in 

Sudan, KSA and UAE. � 

92423376.

FLIGHT LIGHT SSCHEDULE 

CHEDULE 

ARRIVALS LS — TUESDAY 

Flight No Aircraft From om / Via STA 

WY614 B737-8 Dubai 0005 

WY682 B737-8 Riyadh 0015 

WY648 B737-8 Kuwait 0015 

TK858 B737-8 Istanbul 0130 

BG021 DC10 Dacca-Chittagong 0130 

IX141 B737-8 Amritsar 0140 

PK225 B737-3 Karachi 0200 

QR170 A320 Doha 0315 

EY384 A320 Abu Dhabi 0350 

EK866 B777 Dubai 0355 

FZ041 B737-8 Dubai 0415 

GF560 E190 Bahrain 0425 

MS930 B737-8 Cairo 0500 

WY146 A330-200 Malpensa 0605 

WY122 A330-300 Munich 0630 

WY114 A330-300 Frankfurt 0645 

WY652 E175AR Bahrain 0700 

WY662 E175AR Doha 0700 

FZ043 B737-8 Dubai 0740 

WY132 A330-200 Paris 0745 

WY674 B737-8 Jeddah 0800 

WY202 B737-8 Bombay 0800 

WY914 B737-8 Salalah 0800 

WY632 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 0800 

WY602 B737-8 Dubai 0825 

WY326 B737-8 Islamabad 0900 

WY322 B737-8 Karachi 0900 

WY102 A330-300 London Heathrow 0900 

WY262 B737-8 Lucknow 0920 

EK862 B777 Dubai 0930 

QR166 A321 Doha 0950 

G9113 A320 Sharjah 0955 


PK191 ATR42 Gwadur 1045 

9W530 B737-8 Trivandrum 1045 

WY3302 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1045 

IX549 B737-8 Trivandrum 1050 

WY604 E175AR Dubai 1100 

WY916 E175AR Salalah 1200 

WY314 B737-8 Chittagong 1210 


IX337 B737-8 Calicut 1255 

WY918 ATR42 Khasab 1315 

WY606 B737-8 Dubai 1330 

WY924 A330-300 Salalah 1410 

IX815 B737-8 Mangalore 1425 


FZ045 B737-8 Dubai 1545 

RJ602 ERJ175 Amman 1545 

WY664 E175AR Doha 1615 

WY328 B737-8 Lahore 1640 



WY204 B737-8 Bombay 1655 

WY244 B737-8 Delhi 1710 

WY298 B737-8 Calicut 1750 

WY284 B737-8 Bangalore 1800 

WY216 B737-8 Trivandrum 1805 

GF564 A319 Bahrain 1810 

WY236 B737-8 Hyderabad 1835 


SV534 EMB170 Riyadh 1900 

TG507 A330 Bangkok-Karachi 1900 

G9117 A320 Sharjah 1905 

WY926 B737-8 Salalah 1945 

FZ047 B737-8 Dubai 2020 


WY338 B737-8 Kathmandu 2100 

AI973 A320 Delhi 2125 

BA073 B777 London Heathrow-Abu Dhabi 2130 


WY926 B737-8 Salalah 2155 

AI907 A319 Madras 2200 

WY406 B737-8 Cairo 2215 

WY381 A330-300 Male-Colombo 2215 

LH618 A330 Frankfurt-Abu Dhabi 2225 


QR168 A320 Doha 2235 

LX242 A330 Zurich-Dubai 2235 

GF566 B737-7 Bahrain 2250 

WY228 B737-8 Cochin 2250 

WY624 ATR42 Al Ain 2305 

WY656 B737-8 Bahrain 2305 

WY668 B737-7 Doha 2310 

WY928 B737-8 Salalah 2310 

AI985 A321 Ahmedabad-Bombay 2310 

WY672 A330-300 Jeddah 2315 


WY686 B737-8 Dammam 2320 

9W534 B737-8 Cochin 2330 

WY816 A330-200 Bangkok 2335 

9W540 B737-8 Bombay 2340 

WY258 B737-8 Madras 2340 

QUOTATIONS FOR TODAY 

If boys and girls do not learn discipline in 

their schooldays, money and time spent on 

their education is so much national loss. 

— Mahatma Gandhi 

Don’t be a cynic, and bewail and bemoan. 

Omit the negative propositions. Don’t waste 

yourself in rejection, nor bark against the 

bad, but chant the beauty of the good. Set 

down nothing that will help somebody. 

— Ralph Waldo Emerson 

CINEMA 

FILM INFORMATION 

www.citycinemaoman.net 

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 

06.00 am Opening, Royal Anthem, The Holy Quran, 

Preview of Morning Programme, Weather Forecast, 

Pharmacies on Duty; 06.15 Good Morning Oman; 

07.00 News Bulletin; 07.10 Good Morning Oman 

(Sat-Wed); 10.00 News Headlines; 10.02 Piano; 

11.00 Instrumental Music; 11.30 Light Classical 

Music; 12.00 News Headlines; 12.02 Artist of the 

Day - June; 12.07 Mid Day Edition - June; 02.30 

News Bulletin; 02.40 Behind The Wheel (Laxmi); 

04.00 News Headlines; 04.02 Moments in Music 

History (Laxmi); 04.07 Lifestyle - Laxmi; 06.30 News 

Bulletin; 06.40 Out in Oman; 07.00 Top 10 (Laxmi); 

08.00 News Headlines; 08.02 Night Express 

(Madiha); 10.00 News Bulletin; 10.10 Latino Beat 

(5.30pm Friday Repeat); 11.10 D.J Mix (Saleh 

Masruri); 12.40 News Summary; 12.45 The Holy 

Quran; 01.00 National Anthem, Close Down. 

DEPARTURES 

Flight No Aircraft To / Via STD 

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AI986 A321 Bombay-Ahmedabad 0005 


9W539 B737-8 Bombay 0045 

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WY235 B737-8 Hyderabad 1115 

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9W533 B737-8 Cochin 1145 

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IX350 B737-8 Calicut 1355 

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WY257 B737-8 Madras 1545 

FZ046 B737-8 Dubai 1630 

RJ603 ERJ175 Amman 1630 


WY925 B737-8 Salalah 1750 


GF565 A319 Bahrain 1855 

WY685 B737-8 Dammam 1905 

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WY927 B737-8 Salalah 1905 

WY681 B737-8 Riyadh 1910 

WY667 B737-7 Doha 1910 

WY655 B737-8 Bahrain 1915 

G9118 A320 Sharjah 1945 

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WY623 ATR42 Al Ain 2015 

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LX243 A330 Dubai-Zurich 2335 

QR169 A320 Doha 2335 

GF567 B737-7 Bahrain 2345 

LH619 A330 Abu Dhabi-Frankfurt 2345 

LIBRA 

(September 23- 

October 22) 

Your love of music 

and the enjoyment you get from 

it justi�es the expenditure you are 

contemplating on a musical instrument 

or other musical equipment. 

SCORPIO 

(October 23- 

November 21) 

A successful business 

friend is unlikely to volunteer the 

secrets of his success just for the 

asking. You will have to earn his 

con�dence �rst. 

SAGITTARIUS 

(November 22- 

December 21) 

Think very carefully 

before embarking on a course of 

action suggested to you by a rather 

irresponsible friend. 

CAPRICORN 

(December 

22-January 20) 

It could be that due 

in no small part to your efforts at 

mediation a couple have come together 

again and resolved to make 

a fresh start. 

16 

INFORMATION/LEISURE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 

PHARMACIES 

PHARM 

24-HOUR SERVICE 

Al Hashar ph, Ruwi 24783334 

Muscat ph, Ruwi, 24702542 

Al Sarooj, 24695536 

Scientific ph, Qurum, 24566601 

Ruwi, 24702850 

DAY DUTY 

Muscat Taiba 24421213 

Muscat 24788338 

Scientific 24480230 

Ibra 22017291 

Sur Masira 25544033 

Buraimi City 25653373 

Ibri Sara 25691424 

Nizwa Nizwa 25412323 

Salalah Abu Al Zahab 

23291303 

Sohar Scientific 26845798 

NIGHT DUTY 

Muscat Scientific 24451195 

Badr Al Samaa 

24799760 

Muscat 24497264 

Muscat 24537080 

Sur Ibn Sina 25540669 

Buraimi Yaas 25653855 

Ibri Al Mukhtar 25689839 

Barka Al Farooq 26884553 

Rustaq Rustaq 26875045 

Nizwa Qalaa 25431666 

Samayil Al Rahbi 25350153 

Salalah Nayif 23299466 

Mudhaibi Al Muntasir 25524317 

Ibra Muscat 25570473 

Sohar Sohar 26841825 

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 

� YOUR STARS � 

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: You are likely to have the opportunity in this coming year to develop your plans for 

extending your business interests now that the time is favourable. Your personal life also looks interesting but new 

responsibilities are likely to bring certain restrictions. 

AQUARIUS 

(January 21- 

February 19) 

Your relationship with 

a colleague may become somewhat 

strained in the next few days 

and you will want to avoid a serious 

clash. 

PISCES 

(February 20- 

March 20) 

You may have to postpone 

a social visit this evening in 

order to go and see a bereaved 

friend who desperately needs your 

support at this time. 

ARIES 

(March 21-April 20) 

A carefully guarded 

secret for which you 

have pledged complete silence 

should not be divulged to anyone 

not even the person you trust 

most. 

TAURUS 

(April 21-May 20) 

You are inclined to be 

too easily discouraged 

by the inevitable small dif�culties 

which crop up in everybody’s life. 

Start each day with renewed determination. 

CARTOONS 

GEMINI 

(May 21-June 21) 

A business project 

planned within the 

family circle should have an excellent 

chance of success as long as 

everyone pulls his or her weight. 

CANCER 

(June 22-July 21) 

A hint dropped in the 

right quarter at work 

could work wonders and actually 

get you the concession you want 

for yourself and your fellow workers. 

LEO 

(July 22-August 21) 

Don’t be disappointed 

if your efforts fall 

short of perfection at times as long 

as you are satisfied that you are 

doing the best you can under the 

circumstances. 

VIRGO 

(August 22- 

September 22) 

Give your support for 

a proposal for a new domestic arrangement. 

It will work out better 

if you all pull together and have no 

argument about petty details. 

ADAM @ HOME by Brian Basset 

CALVIN AND HOBBES by Bill Watterson 

GARFIELD by Jim Davis 

STONE SOUP by Jan Eliot 

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

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

Health Services Department 

Muttrah . . . . .24797602 

Quriyat . . . . .24845001 . . 24845003 

SQH, Salalah 23211555 . . 23211151 

Police . . . . . .24603988 . . 24603980 

Al Nahda. . . .24831255 . . 24837800 

Ibn Sina . . . .24876322 . . 24877361 

Nizwa . . . . . .25439361 . . 25425033 

Al Rustaq . . .26875055 . . 26877186 

Sumayil. . . . .25350055 . . 25350022 

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

Haima . . . . . .23436013 . . 23436055 

OTHER HOSPITALS 

CRYPTIC PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

1 Plays in the Proms? (5) 

6 What ’Arry dropped! (5) 

9 Where Londoners may 

be teased about a bit of 

fun (4,3) 

10 Race to get changed 

early (5) 

11 They’re mostly forward 

(5) 

12 Clubhouse! (5) 

13 Overseer who’ll 

sportingly give a chap a 

warning (7) 

15 For each person having 

no heir (3) 

17 Brief admission of 

ignorance, nominally (4) 

18 Wild ligers or young 

salmon! (6) 

19 Williams seems to be in 

heaven usually! (5) 

20 They have an odd 

number of wheels (6) 

22 Story of the Forsytes, 

again (4) 

24 The young are in her 

clutches! (3) 

25 In no hurry to take 

refreshment, delays 

things (5,2) 

26 Like a dozen movie 

characters wanting a 

wash (5) 

27 So long, amigo! (5) 

28 A joint close at hand (5) 

29 Statesman’s name for a 

cocktail (7) 

30 New shade? (5) 

31 Language of an 

alliterative wizard? (5) 

DOWN 

2 Where, in the US, Ron’s 

upset about his psychic 

self (6) 

3 Her mate is spectacularly 

cocky! (6) 

4 Sadly robbed of five 

hundred pounds, let’s 

suppose (3) 

5 A tin’s possible 

discolouration (5) 

6 They can call themselves 

Waltonians (7) 

7 It may occur at any time 

ACROSS 

2 Feeling (5) 

7 Hurried (5) 

8 Rot (5) 

10 Weird (5) 

12 Lad (3) 

13 Flat (5) 

15 Delighted (7) 

17 Worn (6) 

19 Astern (3) 

20 Lured (7) 

23 Formerly (4) 

25 Expensive (4) 

26 Aroused (7) 

30 Rotter (3) 

31 Modest (6) 

34 Scrubbed (7) 

37 Measure (5) 

38 Man’s (3) 

39 Liability (5) 

40 Skirmish (5) 

41 Dressing (5) 

42 Fishing-basket (5) 

DOWN 

1 Manufacturer (5) 

2 War-horse (5) 

3 Lace-hole (6) 

4 Mistake (4) 

5 Discounted (7) 

Sohar . . . . . .26840022 . . 26840099 

Al Buraimi . . .25650855 . . 25652319 

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

Tanam. . . . . .25499011 . . 25499033 

Masirah. . . . .25404018 . . 25404018 

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

Adam . . . . . .25434167 . . 25434055 

Bidiya . . . . . .25483535 . . 25483535 

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

Saham . . . . .26854427 . . 26855148 

Khasab . . . . .26830187 . . 26830187 

Dibba . . . . . .26836443 . . 26836443 

Burkha . . . . .26828397 . . 26828397 

Sinaw . . . . . .25474338 

(4) 

8 Do they figure in 

remedies for being too 

bony? (6) 

12 Saves wrecking vessels 

(5) 

13 Religious woman? (5) 

14 Flier possibly born to get 

out of line? (5) 

15 Appeals, perhaps, 

without upsetting pa (5) 

16 To put it briefly, knock 

around the city area (5) 

18 Fissure in the field? (5) 

19 It can be cooked in ovens 

(7) 

21 Here’s a book for you (6) 

22 What a deviator may do 

to be of use out West? 

(6) 

23 Visitors, let’s suppose, 

about to start tea (6) 

25 Standing in a cornfield 

may be good for a 

drunken sot (5) 

26 As a millennium 

reminder, it’ll suffice for 

me (4) 

28 A popular success, taking 

a bow with a dog (3) 

EASY PUZZLE 

6 Stratum (5) 

9 Lettuce (3) 

11 Passed (7) 

13 Fruit (5) 

14 Utter (5) 

M USEUMS IN OMAN 

FAISAL BIN ALI AL SAID 

MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24641650 

MUSEUM OF OMANI HERITAGE, 

Tel: 24600946 

CHILDREN’S SCIENCE MUSEUM. 

Tel: 24605368 

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24641374 

NATIONAL MUSEUM, Tel: 24701289 

SULTAN’S ARMED FORCES 

MUSEUM, Tel: 24312646 

CURRENCY MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24796102 

MUSCAT GATE MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24739005. 

OMANI-FRENCH MUSEUM (Bait 

Fransa), Tel: 24736613 

BAIT AL ZUBAIR, Tel: 24736688 

BAIT A’NAMAN, Tel: 24641300 

SOHAR FORT MUSEUM. 

Tel: 26844758 

NAHKAL FORT, Tel: 26781384 

BAIT AL MAKHAM. Tel: 24641300 

BAIT ADAM MUSEUM, QURUM, 

Tel: 24605033, 24605013 

OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION 

CENTRE AND PLANETARIUM, 

Tel: 24677834. 

PLANETARIUM, Tel: 24675542. 

AQUARIUM at the Marine Science 

and Fisheries Centre (located next to 

Marina Bandar Rowdha, Sidab). 

SALALAH MUSEUM, Tel: 23294549 

CULTURAL CENTRE, 

Tel: 23294549. 

SUR MARITIME MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24541466. 

BAIT AL BARANDA, Tel: 24714262. 

CROSSWORD 

ACROSS 

1 Overhead (5) 

6 Room (5) 

9 Unlawful (7) 

10 Aptitude (5) 

11 A boast (5) 

12 Wading bird (5) 

13 Meeting for discussion 

(7) 

15 Small piece (3) 

17 Boy’s name (4) 

18 White fur (6) 

19 Smiles (5) 

20 American state (6) 

22 Satisfy (4) 

24 And not (3) 

25 Wine merchant (7) 

26 Escargot (5) 

27 Soldier’s jacket (5) 

28 Vulgar (5) 

29 State (7) 

30 Anaesthetic (5) 

31 Not old (5) 

DOWN 

2 Forbidden (6) 

3 Casualty (6) 

4 Moose (3) 

5 Ague (5) 

6 Relishes (7) 

7 Scheme (4) 

8 Swindler (3,3) 

12 Place of safety (5) 

13 Hairdresser’s shop (5) 

14 Manufacturer (5) 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

16 Newt (3) 

18 Scorned (7) 

21 Outcoming (5) 

22 Command (5) 

24 Pardoned (7) 

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 

15 Giant (5) 

16 Discourage (5) 

18 Electronic message (1-4) 

19 Pub doorman (7) 

21 Sturdy (6) 

22 Hi-fi (6) 

23 Sinew (6) 

25 Holiday home (5) 

26 Flank (4) 

28 Weep (3) 

YESTERDAY’S CRYPTIC 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 3, First 8, (brake) 

Horse 10, Power 11, Cap, 

12, Ro-W-an 13, Ma-GI-Cal 

15, Deb-I-t 18, Ran, 19, Se- 

Sam-e 21, Singles 22, Then 

23, Kent, 24, Lowered 26, 

Avalon 29, Rue 31, Lilac, 

32, Temples 34, T-axed 35, 

O-a-r 36, Can it, 37, Jud-g-e 

38, Nears. 

DOWN: 1, Local 2, Aspirin 

4, I’d-O-L 5, Spades, 6, 

Tones 7, Denim 9, Rag 

12, Rangoon, 14, Can 16, 

Baled (out) 17, Tent-H 19, 

Severe-d, 20, Steal 21, Sep- 

Al 23, Keep out 24, Locate, 

25, Rum 27, Vi-t-al 28, 

Latin 30, Serge(-I), 32, Tear 

33, L-AD. 

YESTERDAY’S EASY 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 3. Plump; 8. 

Dukes; 10. Aaron; 11. Nod; 

12. Roars; 13. Insulin; 15. 

Islam; 18. Cup; 19. Sneeze; 

21. Begonia; 22. Alas; 23. 

Turn; 24. Striker; 26. 

Ecarte; 29. Lit; 31. Solar; 

32. Damages; 34. Liner; 35. 

Now; 36. Scold; 37. Outer; 

38. Yeast. 

DOWN: 1. Bunny; 2. 

Deduces; 4. Lion; 5. 

Marina; 6. Passe; 7. Topaz; 

9. Kos; 12. Riposte; 14. 

Lug; 16. Lemur; 17. Means; 

19. Similar; 20. Hates; 21. 

Banal; 23. Tetanus; 24. 

Stride; 25. Kim; 27. Conch; 

28. Rally; 30. Sewer; 32. 

Dens; 33. Got. 

27 Vehicle (3) 

28 Death (6) 

29 Longed (5) 

32 Element (5) 

33 Respond (5) 

35 Lubricate (3) 

36 Ruminant (4) 

YESTERDAY’S QUICK 

SOLUTION 

ACROSS: 2, Bawdy 7, 

Ache 8, Evince 9, Dress 11, 

Cur 13, Rot 15, Obey 16, 

Air 18, Hero 19, Acrobat 

20, Food 22, Dirt 23, Visitor 

25, Sped 27, Dot 28, Fear 

30, Sad 31, Due 33, Slake 

36, Bistro 37, Ague 38, Beset. 

DOWN: 1, Scrub 2, Bed 3, 

Wee 4, Yes 5, Pip 6, Actor 

10, Stir 11, Confess 12, 

Removed 13, Retired 14, 

Torture 16, Acrid 17, Robot 

18, Had 21, Did 24, Toll 26, 

Panic 29, Augur 32, Sty 33, 

Sob 34, Ass 35, Eat.

LOS ANGELES — Jered 

Weaver kept the Los Angeles 

Angels firmly in the play-off 

hunt by shutting down the 

Chicago White Sox in a 4-1 

triumph on Sunday that gave 

the pitching ace his American 

League-leading 19th win of 

the season. 

Weaver allowed just one 

run in 6 1/3 innings to keep the 

Angels two and a half games 

behind Oakland for the second 

AL wild card spot with nine 

games remaining. 

"We just have to go out 

there and keep winning," 

Weaver told reporters. 

"Obviously there's a little 

bit of scoreboard watching 

(but) we can't worry about 

what other teams are doing." 

The Angels' big right-hander 

won his third consecutive 

start to break a tie with fellow 

Cy Young hopeful David 

Price, of Tampa Bay, for the 

league's lead in wins. 

The visiting White Sox 

missed the chance to extend 

their lead at the top of the AL 

Central. 

The White Sox (81-71) 

have a one-game advantage 

over Detroit, who were swept 

in a doubleheader with Minnesota. 

The Tigers lost 10-4 in the 

opener before falling 2-1 in 10 

innings behind a game-winning 

RBI single from Twins 

infielder Jamey Carroll. 

17 SPORT 



Snedeker holds off Moore for title and $10mn bonus 

BRANDT Snedeker hits his approach shot on the eighth hole 

during the final round of the Tour Championship at East 

Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday. — AFP 

Ryder Cup form flows 

early at East Lake 

ATLANTA — Tour Championship 

winner Brandt 

Snedeker and runner-up 

Justin Rose were among a 

host of players who delivered 

sparkling form in the 

final event of the PGA Tour's 

regular season ahead of next 

week's Ryder Cup. 

With the triumphant 

Snedeker leading the way, 

nine members of the 12-man 

American team finished in 

the top 15 at East Lake Golf 

Club and Englishman Rose 

was one of three European 

players to follow suit. 

The entire US Ryder Cup 

team competed in the elite 

field of 30 at the Tour Championship 

while just five of the 

players who will represent 

Europe next week at Medinah 

Country Club outside 

Chicago took part. 

"It's been a real good ebband-flow 

between the American 

team and European 

team," Rose told reporters after 

firing a one-over-par 71 in 

Sunday's final round to finish 

three shots behind Snedeker. 

"Obviously with Snedeker 

winning, the needle might 

be swinging in favor of the 

Americans. But I think it's 

set up for a great week in 

Chicago. Two great teams, 

all in the top 40 in the world, 

something like that. 

"It's probably as strong 

as it's ever been between the 

two teams. All 12 of their 

guys played this week, and 

only five of ours did. We'll 

see how that plays out." 

Northern Irish world No 

1 Rory McIlroy, who tied 

for 10th at the Tour Championship 

where he had been 

bidding for a third successive 

victory in the PGA 

Tour's play-offs, was equally 

thrilled by the recent form of 

his peers. 

"You look at how the Ry- 

MINNESOTA — On a day of 

surprises, the San Francisco 

49ers suffered a shock 24-13 

loss to the Minnesota Vikings 

while the New Orleans Saints 

sunk to 0-3 with an overtime 

defeat by Kansas City in the 

National Football League 

(NFL) on Sunday. 

To add to the surprises, the 

Cincinnati Bengals spoiled 

rookie Robert Griffin III's 

home debut for the Washington 

Redskins by coming away 

with a 38-31 win while the 

Arizona Cardinals moved to 

3-0 with a win over the Philadelphia 

Eagles. 

The biggest upset though 

was the 49ers, who had already 

beaten Green Bay and Detroit 

and were expected to challenge 

for the Super Bowl. 

Vikings quarterback Christian 

Ponder threw two touch- 

der Cup players have played 

over the past few weeks, and 

they've been at the top of the 

leaderboards. They've been 

winning, they've been contending, 

it's great," the 23year-old 

smiled. 

"I just hope that we're all 

still as fresh for next week. 

It's been a long run. I think 

everyone's going to take the 

day off tomorrow, the ones 

that have played here, chill 

out and just get ready for the 

Ryder Cup because it's a long 

week. 

"Not just with the golf and 

how much golf you have to 

play, but all the commitments 

you have outside of that. It's 

a draining week, and you've 

got to really conserve your 

energy." 

Snedeker is one of four 

rookies on the US team that 

will host holders Europe at 

Medinah next week and he 

is expecting a fiery baptism 

in the emotional pressure 

cooker of the biennial team 

competition. 

"I'm not under any illusion 

of being calm next week," the 

American said after winning 

his fourth title on the PGA 

Tour. "I know it's going to 

be a very pressure-packed 

week. 

"But I am going to use 

today as a huge thing to fall 

back on next week. I played 

against the best in the world 

this week for 72 holes and I 

beat them. 

"Nothing's going to happen 

next week that's going to 

change that fact, so I'm going 

to use it as confidence. I'm 

playing the best golf of my 

career. And I look forward 

to getting up there next week 

and playing some even better 

golf." 

The 39th Ryder Cup will 

start on Friday. — Reuters 

down passes to tight end Kyle 

Rudolph, including the game 

winner in the fourth quarter. 

It was an unusually sloppy 

performance from the 49ers 

with running back Frank Gore 

giving up a fumble, quarterback 

Alex Smith throwing his 

first interception of the season 

and David Akers seeing a field 

goal blocked. 

The Saints now find themselves 

winless after three 

games — a position no team 

has recovered from to win the 

Super Bowl. 

The Chiefs, who had six 

field goals from Ryan Succop, 

came back from 18 points 

down to win 27-24 in overtime. 

Their comeback began 

with Jamaal Charles's stunning 

91-yard touchdown run and 

Succop's sixth successful kick 

sealed it. 

ATLANTA — Brandt Snedeker held 

off a late charge by fellow American 

Ryan Moore to win the season-ending 

Tour Championship by three shots on 

Sunday, along with FedExCup honours 

and the eye-popping $10 million 

bonus. 

Tied for the lead overnight with 

Britain's Justin Rose in the PGA 

Tour's final play-off event, Snedeker 

birdied three of the last six holes to 

clinch his fourth title on the US circuit 

and his second of the year. 

Snedeker, one of five players who 

came into this week knowing that victory 

would automatically secure him 

the play-off crown, signed off with a 

two-under-par 68 on a sun-splashed 

day at East Lake Golf Club for a 10under 

total of 270. 

After chipping in from the front 

of the green at the 17th for his fifth 

birdie of the day, the 31-year-old 

could afford the luxury of a bogey at 

the tricky par-three 18th where his tee 

shot sailed long into a grandstand. 

"This has been an unbelievable 

week," Snedeker smiled after being 

presented with the two trophies. "The 

golf course is in great shape and obviously 

I liked it. At the end of the day, 

I had complete confidence of what I 

was doing out here." 

Englishman Rose, playing with 

Snedeker in the final pairing on a difficult 

day for scoring in breezy conditions, 

finished alone in second after 

closing with a 71. 

Moore, who had surged into a tie 

for the lead with three holes to play, 

Charles exposed the Saints' 

weak rush defense again by 

amassing 233 yards on the 

ground and he added 55 yards 

receiving for good measure. 

Redskins quarterback Griffin 

has enjoyed plenty of plaudits 

this season but it was the 

much less heralded Andy Dalton 

who emerged victorious 

from FedEx Field after throwing 

for 328 yards and three 

touchdowns. 

Cincinnati wide receiver 

Mohamed Sanu stole the limelight 

at the outset when, in the 

wildcat formation, he threw a 

73-yard touchdown pass to A 

J Green. 

The Bengals were up 24-10 

at the half but a seven-yard Alfred 

Morris touchdown run and 

a three-yard pass from Griffin 

to Santana Moss put the Redskins 

right back in the game. 

bogeyed 16, 17 and the last for a 70 to 

tie for third at six under with Britain's 

Luke Donald (67). 

World No 1 Rory McIlroy and 

second-ranked Tiger Woods, who like 

Snedeker had victory in their sights 

to complete the FedExCup 'double', 

both finished poorly. Northern Irishman 

McIlroy, winner of the two previous 

playoff events, hit only two of 

14 fairways on the way to a 74 and a 

share of 10th place. 

"I'm a little disappointed to be 

Detroit's Miguel Cabrera 

had an RBI in each game, 

giving him a Major Leagueleading 

133. The slugger is 

still pursuing baseball's elusive 

triple crown as he leads 

the league in batting average 

(.331) and runs batted in and 

is tied for the top spot in home 

runs with 42. 

In Seattle, the Texas Rangers 

avoided being swept by the 

Mariners with a 3-2 victory. 

The first-place Rangers (90- 

Dalton responded with two 

touchdown passes in the fourth 

quarter to make Griffin's twoyard 

touchdown run too late to 

change the outcome. 

The league's other bigname 

rookie quarterback, Andrew 

Luck of the Indianapolis 

Colts, also tasted defeat at the 

hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, 

who notched their first 

win of the season, 22-17. 

The Atlanta Falcons, showing 

their all-round strength 

again, are also unbeaten after 

a convincing 27-3 road win at 

San Diego. 

Peyton Manning suffered 

his second straight loss with 

Denver as the Broncos fell to 

a 31-25 defeat at home to the 

Houston Texans. 

Sebastian Janikowski's 43yard 

field goal on the final 

play secured a 34-31 win for 

honest," said the 23-year-old Northern 

Irishman who had been seeking a 

fifth PGA Tour victory this year and 

his fourth in just five starts. 

"I didn't play the way I wanted to, 

especially today. I only hit two fairways, 

and you can't do that around 

this place." 

ERRATIC WOODS FINISH 

Woods, who has twice landed FedExCup 

honours, closed with an erratic 

72 to finish joint eighth at two 

under. 

62) have a four-game lead in 

the AL West. 

In Boston, Baltimore's 

Ryan Flaherty struck out with 

the bases loaded in the ninth 

inning to halt the Orioles' lateinning 

magic as they lost 2-1 to 

the Red Sox to remain a game 

behind New York in the tight 

American League East race. 

Baltimore had rallied on 

Saturday for their 16th straight 

extra inning victory, but their 

latest charge fell just short and 

the Oakland Raiders against 

the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The New York Jets grabbed 

an overtime win at the Miami 

Dolphins thanks to a Nick Folk 

field goal, although he was 

given a second chance when 

his first effort was blocked 

moments after the referees had 

blown for a Miami timeout. 

Results: Dallas Cowboys bt Tampa 

Bay Buccaneers 16-10; Chicago 

Bears bt St Louis Rams 23-6; Minnesota 

Vikings bt San Francisco 49ers 

24-13; Tennessee Titans bt Detroit 

Lions 44-41 (OT); Cincinnati Bengals 

bt Washington Red Skins 38-31; 

Kansas City Chiefs bt New Orleans 

Saints 27-24 (OT); NY Jets bt Miami 

Dolphins 23-20 (OT); Buffalo Bills 

bt Cleveland Browns 24-14; Jacksonville 

Jaguars bt 22 Indianapolis 

Colts 22-17; Arizona Cardinals bt 

Philadelphia Eagles 27-6; Atlanta 

Falcons bt San Diego Chargers 27-3; 

Houston Texans bt Denver Broncos 

31-25; Oakland Raiders bt Pittsburgh 

Steelers 34-31. — Reuters 

they missed a chance to catch 

the first-place Yankees, who 

lost to Oakland. 

New York (88-64) was 

beaten 5-4 by the Athletics, 

ending the Yankees' run of 

seven consecutive wins. 

Oakland (86-66) now 

leads for the second American 

League wild card spot by three 

games. 

In the National League, Atlanta 

beat Philadelphia 2-1 as 

they stretched their hold on the 

"I fought very hard just to shoot 

what I shot on the last couple of 

days," said Woods. 

"I shot under par (overall), but, 

obviously, not enough. 

"My short game was really dialled 

in this week. I chipped and putted really 

well. I need to hit the ball a little 

better than I hit it certainly this weekend." 

Snedeker's double triumph capped 

a storming late season run that began 

with his tie for third at the British 

Weaver keeps Angels in play-off hunt 

JOHANNESBURG — Quade 

Cooper's belief there is 'a toxic 

environment' in the camp will 

not distract Australia ahead of 

Saturday's Rugby Championship 

test against South Africa, 

said utility back Adam Ashley- 

Cooper. 

Flyhalf Cooper, who is 

OAKLAND Athletics’ batter Cliff Pennington hits a single off a pitch from New York 

Yankees starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to drive in what proved to be the winning run in 

Oakland’s 5-4 victory in their MLB American League game in New York on Sunday. 

missing from the squad because 

of knee trouble, made 

his outspoken comments at the 

weekend but his team-mate responded 

yesterday by saying 

there was a convivial mood in 

the dressing room. 

"This won't be a distraction 

for us," Ashley-Cooper told a 

news conference in Johannesburg. 

"There's a great buzz in 

the squad and we're excited to 

be here. 

"We've had two good wins 

in this competition and we feel 

we're building as a group." 

Cooper had launched a 

Twitter outburst against Rob- 

bie Deans, venting his frustration 

at the tactics of the 

coach of the Wallabies and 

also at the Australian Rugby 

Union. 

The 24-year-old flyhalf, 

who needs a knee operation 

and could miss the tour of Europe 

in November and Decem- 

top wild-card spot. 

The Milwaukee Brewers 

topped Washington 6-2 to stay 

within two and a half games 

of the second Wild-Card spot 

held by St Louis. The Cardinals 

stayed in position with a 

6-3 victory over the Chicago 

Cubs. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers 

managed to stay three games 

out of a playoff spot by beating 

Cincinnati 5-3. 

The San Francisco Giants 

clinched their second NL West 

Division title in three years 

on Saturday night with an 8-4 

victory over the San Diego Padres. 

The Giants, winners of the 

2010 World Series, claimed 

the pennant despite losing All- 

Star closer Brian7 Wilson to a 

season-ending injury and leading 

hitter Melky Cabrera to a 

50-game doping suspension. 

Results: Oakland Athletics bt 

NY Yankees 5-4; Minnesota Twins 

bt Detroit Tigers 10-4; NY Mets bt 

Miami Marlins 3-2; Boston Red Sox 

bt Baltimore Orioles 2-1; Milwaukee 

Brewers bt Washington Nationals 

6-2; Atlanta Braves bt Philadelphia 

Phillies 2-1; Tampa Bay Rays bt Toronto 

Blue Jays 3-0; Pittsburgh Pirates 

bt Houston Astros 8-1; Cleveland 

Indians bt Kansas City Royals 

15-4; St Louis Cardinals bt Chicago 

Cubs 6-3; Arizona Diamondbacks bt 

Colorado Rockies 10-7; LA Angels 

bt Chicago White Sox 4-1; San Diego 

Padres bt San Francisco Giants 

6-4; Texas Rangers bt Seattle Mariners 

3-2; Minnesota Twins bt Detroit 

Tigers 2-1 (10 innings). 

Cooper tirade no distraction, says Wallaby team-mate 

ber, then continued his tirade 

in an interview with the Australian 

Associated Press. 

"There are a lot of people 

who are afraid to say what 

they feel so they just go along 

with it and nothing is going to 

change," Cooper told the news 

agency. — Reuters 

Open in July where he opened with 

scores of 66 and 64. 

He finished second and sixth in 

the first two playoff events to earn 

himself a wildcard selection for next 

week's Ryder Cup, and underlined 

his likely value to the US team with 

a stunning display of putting at East 

Lake. 

With a massive pay-day looming 

large in the final round, Snedeker 

moved into the outright lead at nine 

under when he rolled in a nine-footer 

to birdie the par-four third. 

Though he emulated Woods and 

McIlroy by double-bogeying the 

daunting par-three sixth, after hitting 

his tee shot into water, he remained a 

stroke in front at seven under. 

Snedeker, widely regarded as 

one of the best putters in the game, 

drained a 40-foot birdie putt at the 

eighth before parring the ninth to 

reach the turn two shots clear. 

He did well to save par at the 

10th, coolly sinking an 11-footer, before 

Rose and Moore moved within a 

stroke of the lead with birdies at the 

par-three 11th. 

However Snedeker sank another 

bomb, this time an 18-footer, to birdie 

the 13th and regain a two-shot cushion, 

prompting a vigorous fist pump 

in celebration. 

Though Moore briefly caught 

him in a two-way tie at the top with 

birdies at 14 and 15, Snedeker pulled 

ahead for good with a two-putt birdie 

at the par-five 15th. — Reuters 

Japan to 

sharpen teeth 

vs Wales 

TOKYO — Asian champions 

Japan will face the fire 

of World Cup semifinalists 

Wales in a two-match home 

test series next June, the Japan 

Rugby Football Union 

(JRFU) said yesterday. 

The 'Brave Blossoms' 

will take on the world's 

sixth-ranked team in Osaka 

on June 8 and in Tokyo on 

June 15. 

Japan coach Eddie Jones 

insisted his side needed 

more games against top opposition 

in order to stand any 

chance of improving on their 

wretched run of results at 

World Cups. 

"We need more quality 

games against the world's 

biggest teams to achieve our 

goal of getting into the top 

10," Jones said. 

"We'll have Wales and 

then games with the islands 

(Fiji and Samoa) and Canada 

next year, so those are good 

tests but we need to keep 

plugging away. 

"When you're at the bottom 

of the food chain all 

you can do is keep asking 

and keep sticking your hand 

out." 

Japan's one World Cup 

victory in 24 matches came 

against Zimbabwe in 1991. 

They are currently ranked 

16th in the world. 

"There is a big gap between 

the level of rugby 

played in Japan and international 

rugby," Jones was 

quoted as saying by Japan's 

Kyodo news agency. 

"These two tests are so 

important. But two are not 

enough. You can't play low 

level teams and improve. 

We need 10 games like this 

a year." 

Wales last played in Japan 

in 2001, when they swept a 

two-test series. — Reuters 

Shock loss for 49ers, Saints slump on day of surprises at NFL 

SAN Francisco 49ers running back Kendall Hunter is tackled by Minnesota Vikings line 

backer Jasper Brinkley during their NFL game in Minneapolis on Sunday. — Reuters

TOKYO — Former world No 

1 Caroline Wozniacki squeezed 

through to the second round of 

the Pan Pacific Open, just one 

day after ending a 13-month title 

drought in South Korea. 

The Dane made hard work 

of beating Serb qualifier Bojana 

Jovanovski 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 

in a match halted for an hour 

in the third set by lightning 

flashes and torrential rain. 

Nine of the world's top 

10 women are competing in 

Tokyo this week at the $2.16 

million event, with the leading 

eight seeds receiving byes into 

the second round. 

Wozniacki, who captured 

the Korea Open on Sunday, 

powered through a first set 

played in a warm breeze before 

fatigue hit her in the second. 

The heavens broke at 3-3 

in the decider and Wozniacki, 

down 15-30, eventually 

dropped her serve after waiting 

for the roof to be closed 

and the waterlogged court to 

be mopped dry. 

Normal service was quickly 

resumed, however, as the 10th 

seed took the next three games 

to wrap up victory in two 

hours 17 minutes after forcing 

Jovanovski into a wild back- 

hand. "I was very lucky the 

rain came at 3-3 in the third," 

Wozniacki told reporters. "I 

was feeling tired and it gave 

me a little time to relax and get 

my body back together." 

Serb Ana Ivanovic, another 

former world No 1 who is seeded 

11th this week, progressed 

by beating Andrea Hlavackova 

6-3, 2-0 when the Czech retired 

with a thigh injury. 

Ivanovic, who reached the 

US Open quarterfinals earlier 

this month, said she still 

had the game to challenge for 

Grand Slam titles. 

"That's the only reason 

I'm still here," Ivanovic told 

reporters. "I already achieved 

two of my biggest dreams in 

winning a Grand Slam and being 

number one in the world. 

"But I believe I can still 

be at the top level and winning 

Grand Slams," added the 

Serb who topped the rankings 

after winning the 2008 French 

Open. 

Ninth seed Marion Bartoli 

of France bundled out Japan's 

Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-1, 6-4 

— just four days before the local 

favourite's 42nd birthday. 

Wild-card Date-Krumm, 

who won the title in 1995, 

kicked an advertising board 

and left the court fuming at a 

boisterous fan, glaring back at 

the seats as she went to shake 

hands with Bartoli. 

Italy's former French Open 

champion Francesca Schiavone 

squeezed past Yaroslava 

18 SPORT 



Musandam-Oman Sail’s victory in France sparks national pride 

OMAN Sail’s flagship 

boat Musandam- 

Oman Sail hurtled 

across the finish line in Marseilles 

yesterday to celebrate 

their first win of an offshore 

leg in the MOD70 European 

Tour and lift them to third 

overall in the rankings. 

The Omani team completed 

the course from Cascais to 

Marseilles in 3 days 16 hours 

11 minutes and 34 seconds, 

crossing the line two hours 

and 23 minutes ahead of second 

placed Steve Ravussin’s 

Race for Water and two hours 

and 45 minutes ahead of sailing 

legend Michel Desjoyeaux 

on French team Foncia. 

For Khamis al Anbouri, 

it was his first experience of 

Rain break rescues Wozniacki in Tokyo 

PARIS — Olympique Marseille 

became the first French 

Ligue 1 club in more than 

fifty years to win their first six 

league games when they beat 

Evian Thonon Gaillard 1-0 on 

Sunday. 

Morgan Amalfitano headed 

home in the 33rd minute 

to lift Marseille to 18 points, 

four ahead of second-placed 

Olympique Lyon who drew 

1-1 at Lille thanks to a late 

Lisandro Lopez equaliser. 

Lille, who won the title in 

2011, are 12th on seven points 

having won only one of their 

opening six league games. 

Marseille are the first team 

to win their six first league 

games since Monaco completed 

the feat at the start 

of the 1960-61 season. Monaco 

went on to be crowned 

sailing offshore after a career 

spent mainly racing inshore, 

during which time he has 

posted a win against MOD70 

European Tour rival team 

Spindrift's skipper Yann Guichard 

in the Extreme 40s. 

“It was my first offshore 

sailing and winning the stage 

was amazing. It shows we are 

competitive. I was seasick just 

for an hour but I was able to 

keep on working because I 

was so happy to be on board 

for the leg. I love to compete 

and win especially against 

these sailors because they are 

the best. I have now beaten 

Yann Guichard twice — one 

in the Extreme 40s and now 

this. It would be nice one day 

to see an Omani sailor skip- 

Marseille win to record 

best start in 50 years MUSCAT — Ahmad al Harthy 

champions at the end of that 

campaign. Three days after 

a tightly-contested Europa 

League draw at Turkish side 

Fenerbahce, Marseille were 

visibly tired and struggled to 

create chances against 17th 

place Evian. 

"It was a tough game, we 

paid for the effort we put it 

on Thursday," captain Steve 

Mandanda told a French TV 

channel. "We won with our 

heads and our hearts. We have 

been showing a lot of solidarity 

since the season started. 

But there is still a long way to 

go in the league." 

Girondins Bordeaux drew 

for the fourth consecutive 

time after a stoppage-time 

goal from substitute Chahir 

Belghazouani secured Ajaccio 

a point in a 2-2 draw. 

pering one of these boats and 

we are working very hard towards 

that aim.” 

As soon as they docked, 

the crew received a call from 

Maitha al Mahrouqi, Under- 

Secretary of Ministry of Tourism, 

congratulating them. "We 

are very proud of what our athletes 

have achieved," she added. 

"It is a result of hard work, 

integrity and sportsmanship. 

They are an example to the 

youth and are fabulous Omani 

ambassadors in representing 

our country overseas." 

“I always felt we could 

win because each time we 

finished a leg, we discovered 

something new and added to 

our experience. In this leg, we 

discovered we were very fast 

made it 10 wins for the season 

in the Pro-Am 1 Class of the 

Porsche Carrera GB Championship 

at Rockingham on 

Sunday, with a tremendous 

performance in awful weather 

— the result enabling the 

Omani to maintain his 48 point 

lead in the standings. 

Beginning the second of 

the day’s races, round 16, 

from Pro-Am 1 pole position, 

the Oman Air Racing Team 

driver made an outstanding 

getaway from the slippery grid 

and thankfully survived heavy 

contact to the rear of his car at 

Deene Hairpin on the opening 

lap. 

Following a two-lap safety 

car period, required after a 

separate incident at the hairpin, 

the action resumed on lap 

four and Ahmad immediately 

proved his class — as the rain 

in the light winds, which has 

given us a lot of confidence. 

We have beaten some of the 

best sailors in the world by a 

long distance and that makes 

us proud,” said Omani trimmer 

Fahad al Hasni. “I am 

so happy for the team — and 

very proud of them as I hold 

and raise the Omani flag high 

with pride,” added Al Hasni. 

This win reflects how far 

the Omani sailors have come 

across in their offshore career 

in such little time, Oman 

Sail's CEO David Graham 

comments: " I'm delighted for 

the team and I'm absolutely 

thrilled for Fahad, Khamis and 

Mohsin. They have worked 

incredibly hard and have 

achieved the unthinkable goal 

CAROLINE Wozniacki of Denmark returns the ball against Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia 

during the first round match at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP 

Shvedova of Kazakhstan 4-6, 

7-6, 6-4 to set up a secondround 

match with Australian 

Samantha Stosur. 

Russia's Nadia Petrova 

overpowered Peng Shuai 6-1, 

6-4, ousting one of three Chinese 

taking part despite their 

continued to fall — by opening 

a significant gap to his 

championship rivals. 

Circulating a full 0.9 seconds 

quicker than his closest 

Pro-Am 1 competitor, the 

31-year-old posted the fastest 

class lap of one minute and 

32.521 seconds (75.48mph) 

on the eighth tour and took the 

chequered flag on lap 16 more 

than five seconds clear. In addition 

to being his 10th win 

of 2012, the result took his 

tally of podiums to 14 from 16 

races. 

The race wasn’t without 

additional worries though 

for Ahmad, his Porsche 911 

picked-up a slow puncture a 

couple of laps from the end so 

he had to coax the car to the 

finish knowing the tyre could 

give way at any moment. 

“I could feel something 

wrong with the left-front near 

so early on in their offshore 

career." 

After battling with light 

winds from the start of the 

leg in Cascais on Thursday, 

the final few hours saw an 

altogether different struggle 

as Musandam's crew encountered 

35 knot winds. “We 

were going very fast — sometimes 

too fast,” said an emotional 

Gavignet. “It was a bit 

scary going at those speeds in 

the black night. The wind was 

dropping but we were suddenly 

caught by a 40 knot gust. 

The boat reared up — it was 

so sudden”. 

But the end result was a 

great testament to the developing 

skills of the Musandam- 

Oman Sail crew, Gavignet 

country's fierce political row 

with Japan over disputed islands. 

Zheng Jie beat American 

Vania King 6-3, 6-4 while 

last year's French Open champion 

Li Na opens her campaign 

against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 

today. 

the end so it was quite a scare, 

I really don’t think we’d have 

managed even one more lap — 

it was that close”, said Ahmad, 

“I had a great start to the race 

and was then really lucky at 

the second corner, (Derek) 

Pierce hit me really hard from 

the back and I wasn’t sure if 

the car would be OK or not. 

“Thankfully it was and after 

the safety car we kept pushing 

hard and had very good pace. 

It was comfortable from that 

point of view, and the car was 

working really well, but the 

track surface was extremely 

slippery. I’m really happy we 

mastered those conditions and 

delighted to win.” 

Unfortunately for the 

Oman Air, Oman Ministry of 

Sports Affairs, Oman Ministry 

of Tourism, Nawras, National 

Bank of Oman and Muscat 

Eye Laser Centre-backed rac- 

said, making special mention 

of Omani helmsman and trimmer 

Fahad al Hasni, Khamis 

al Anbouri also from Oman 

and navigator Jeff Cuzon from 

France. 

“Fahad is a great example 

of what we are trying to do at 

Oman Sail. He has grabbed 

the opportunity of being part 

of Oman Sail's National Sailing 

Squad and is running with 

it. He still has a lot to learn but 

he is becoming a serious offshore 

sailor, both technically 

and in terms of his energy. He 

is very positive and contributes 

to the team, which for me 

is almost more important than 

whether they are good or bad 

sailors." 

“Being part of Oman Sail 

is a platform for doing something 

great and he is really 

making the most of his opportunity. 

And while commenting 

on Khamis's debut offshore 

leg Gavignet said, “Although 

Khamis was seasick, his energy 

was impressive. I think 

he may have been our lucky 

charm.” 

Thousands of spectators are 

expected to visit the city races 

in Marseilles where Musandam-Oman 

Sail and the rest of 

Results (x denotes seeds): 

Singles 1st rd: Jamie Hampton 

(USA) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA) 

6-2, 6-2; Ana Ivanovic (SRB x11) 

bt Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 

6-3, 2-0, retired; Nadia Petrova 

(RUS) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-1, 

6-4; Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt 

Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-3, 6-4; Johanna 

Larsson (SWE) bt Romina 

Oprandi (SUI) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; Simona 

Halep (ROM) bt Carla Suarez 

Navarro (ESP) 6-2, 6-3; Urszula 

Radwanska (POL) bt Kurumi Nara 

(JPN) 6-2, 6-4; Marion Bartoli 

(FRA x9) bt Kimiko Date-Krumm 

(JPN) 6-1, 6-4; Francesca Schiavone 

(ITA) bt Yaroslava Shvedova 

(KAZ) 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4; Tamira 

Paszek (AUT) bt Camila Giorgi 

(ITA) 6-4, 6-3; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 

(RUS) bt Chanelle 

Scheepers (RSA) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; 

Kaia Kanepi (EST x15) bt Silvia 

Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 6-1, 6-4; Julia 

Goerges (GER) bt Monica Niculescu 

(ROM) 6-3, 6-2; Heather 

Watson (GBR) bt Sabine Lisicki 

(GER) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3); Zheng Jie 

(CHN) bt Vania King (USA) 6-3, 

6-4; Lucie Safarova (CZE x16) bt 

Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-4, 

7-6 (7/3); Caroline Wozniacki 

(DEN x10) bt Bojana Jovanovski 

(SRB) 6-0, 3-6, 6-4. Klara Zakopalova 

(CZE) bt Hsieh Su- 

wei (TPE) 6-3, 6-7 (8/10), 6-1; 

Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) bt 

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-4, 

4-6, 6-3. — Reuters 

Tenth victory for Pro-Am 1 leader 

er, the dry 15th round earlier 

in the day wasn’t as fruitful 

when contact resulted in a disappointing 

retirement. 

Able to lap much faster 

than his Pro-Am 1 rivals, 

Ahmad was third in class and 

challenging for second position 

at Yentwood when his car 

under-steered into the Porsche 

of Victor Jimenez and the impact 

led to the Omani being 

forced to pull off the circuit 

two corners later with damaged 

steering. 

Next up for Ahmad will 

be rounds 17 and 18 of the 

Porsche Carrera Cup GB 

Championship which will take 

place October 6 and 7 at Silverstone 

National Circuit. 

2012 Porsche Carrera 

Cup GB Championship – 

Pro-Am1 Driver Standings 

(after Round 16): 1 Ahmad 

Al Harthy 141 pts. 

the fleet will be displaying a 

nail-biting race to secure their 

position in the podium while 

Oman Sail in partnership with 

the Ministry of Tourism will 

MUSCAT — In an Oman 

Cricket-conducted ‘G’ Division 

Group ‘A’ 25 oversa-side 

match played in the 

morning at the University 

grounds, BankMuscat aided 

by a brilliant 90 (63b, 13x4) 

from opening batsman Osman 

al Zadjali gained an emphatic 

seven-wicket win against debutants 

Excellent Electricals. 

Winning the toss and deciding 

to field, Bank Muscat 

did well to restrict Excellent 

Electricals to 188 for the loss 

of nine wickets. 

For Excellent Electricals, 

opener Anoop Kumar top 

scored with 62 (58b, 6x4). 

Other useful contributions 

came from Muthu Murugan 

42 (30b, 1x6 and 5x4) and M. 

Faizal 20 (12b, 2x4). 

The wickets were shared 

by Mony Subromonium (3 

for 25), skipper Abbas Abdul 

Aziz al Balushi (3 for 30) and 

Akshay Agarwal (2 for 41). 

BankMuscat in reply 

reached their target scoring 

189 for the loss of three wickets 

off 23.3 overs. Mony Subromonium 

scored 39 (28b, 

4x4) whilst Abbas al Balushi 

remained unbeaten on 35 

(18b, 4x4). 

Brief scores: Excellent 

Electricals 188 for 9 in 25 overs 

(Anoop Kumar 62, Muthu Murugan 

42, M Faizal 20; Mony Subromonium 

3/25, Abbas Abdul Aziz 

al Balushi 3/30, Akshay Agarwal 

2/41) lost to BankMuscat 189 

for 3 in 23.3 overs (Osman al 

Zadjali 90, Mony Subromonium 39, 

Abbas al Balushi 35 n.o). Points: 

BankMuscat 2 pts, ISC-Excellent 

Electricals 0. 

I-PARK WIN THRILLER 

I-Park Auto Car Parking 

registered a thrilling nine-run 

win against Al Bahihi in an 

Enhance sponsored ‘F’ Division 

Group ‘B’ 25 over match 

played during the weekend at 

the OAC III ground. 

Electing to bat after winning 

the toss, I-Park Car Parking 

piled up 221 for the loss of 

eight wickets off the 25 stipulated 

overs with a top score of 

64 (34b, 2x6 and 5x4) from 

opening batsman Michael 

Winston. 

Other useful contributors 

were Majgaonkar Nadeem 

(59, 38b, 8x4s), Santosh 

Kumar 26 (23b, 3x4), Majgaonkar 

Asgar 24 (13b, 3x4) 

continue to exhibit Oman in 

the promotional exhibition 

tent, to showcase Oman as a 

unique high-end tourist destination. 

Osman’s brilliant knock 

lifts BankMuscat 

and Waseem Raza 22 (24b, 

2x4). 

The bowling honours were 

shared by Sooraj Kumar and 

Omani player Khalid Gulbaik 

who claimed two wickets 

each conceding 28 and 

44 runs respectively off five 

overs each. 

Requiring 222 for victory 

Al Bahihi were reeling at 97 

for six wickets off 13 overs 

but did well to reach 212 

thanks to contributions from 

the lower order. Batting at 

No 7 Iqbal Mohammed made 

52 (31b, 8x4) whilst Gaurav 

Ganguly 35 (22b, 2x6 and 

2x4) helped the score to 212 

off 24.4 overs. Earlier opening 

batsman Vasudev Pai 30 

(15b, 1x6 and 3x4) and Nigil 

Rajkumar 26 (33b, 3x4) made 

valuable contributions. 

The bowlers to be amongst 

the wickets were skipper 

Tasleem Khan three for 47, 

Michael Winston two for 23, 

Zaheer Mohammed two for 

34 and Abdul Rehman two 

for 38. 

Brief scores: I-Park 221 for 8 

in 25 overs (Michael Winston 64, 

Majgaonkar Nadeem 59, Santosh 

Kumar 26, Majgaonkar Asgar 24, 

Waseem Raza 22; Sooraj Kumar 

2/28, Khalid Gulbaik 2/44) bt Al 

Bahihi 212 all out off 24.4 overs 

(Iqbal Mohammed 52, Gaurav 

Ganguly 35, Vasudev Pai 30, Nigil 

Rajkumar 26; Tasleem Khan 3/47, 

Michael Winston 2/23, Zaheer Mohammed 

2/38). Points: I-Park Auto 

Carparking 2, Al Bahihi 0. 

EASY FOR SAYARTI 

Sayarti registered a 71run 

win against Rukun Al 

Yaqeen (RAY) in a ‘G’ Division 

Group ‘B’ match played 

in the afternoon session at the 

same venue. 

Winning the toss and deciding 

to bat first, Sayarti 

made a massive 232 for the 

loss of seven wickets off the 

25 allotted overs. 

RAY in their turn were 

bowled out for 161 off 20.5 

overs. 

Brief scores: Sayarti CT 232 

for 7 in 25 overs (Christopher Raja 

62, Muhammed Faisal Nawaz 42, 

Aders Janardhan 36; Rajesh 2/30, 

Abhilash 2/51) bt Rukun Al Yaqeen 

161 all out in 20.5 overs (Rajesh 

36, Sujith 32 and Mayank 23 n.o., 

Muhammed Faisal Nawaz 3/33, 

Lokesh Naik 2/26, Ajith Kumar 

2/26, Srinivasan Selvarajan 2/42). 

Points: Sayarti 2, RAY 0.

�� 

19 SPORT 



Almouj hosts monthly medal contest 

MUSCAT — Almouj Golf 

last week hosted the inaugural 

monthly medal competition 

sponsored by The Chedi Muscat, 

the first of 12 monthly 

golf competitions which will 

run throughout 2012 and 2013 

golfing season. 

The Almouj Golf course 

was in very good shape for 

the first of the series of competitions, 

with the harsh summer 

temperatures easing and a 

breeze coming in from the Sea 

of Oman. The pin placements 

proudly displayed The Chedi 

Muscat emblem and were 

challenging, as you would expect 

for the marque monthly 

competition where the score 

is kept by counting strokes per 

round and totalling them to 

find the winning score of lowest 

strokes. 

Troy Hart, Vice-President 

of Asset Management at The 

Wave, Muscat, commented: 

“We are delighted to have the 

support of The Chedi Muscat 

for our monthly medal competitions, 

and we believe that the 

standing and reputation of The 

Chedi Muscat with the worldclass 

quality of Almouj Golf is 

a perfect match. We are truly 

proud of the association and of 

what it allows us to offer to our 

Almouj Golf membership.” 

York Brandes, General 

Manager at The Chedi Mus- 

MUSCAT — Srinivas Laxman lifted the 

veterans’ singles title defeating R Murali 

in the final at the Muscat Insurance 

Services-sponsored annual table tennis 

tournament organised by the Indian Social 

Club Muscat. 

Srinivas and Murali played entertaining 

table tennis as Srinivas held his 

nerves in the third game to register a 

11-5, 11-7, 15-13 victory over the thirdseeded 

Murali. 

Srinivas continued from where 

he had left in his semifinal win over 

fourth seed Ashish Pandey and plundered 

winners at will before Murali set- 

WINNERS: Lee O’Donoghue, Robert Daniel, Yvonne Welling, Aaron O’Hara, James Wood. 

Almouj to be officially opened on Saturday 

MUSCAT — The leading asset of the worldclass 

residential, leisure and commercial facilities 

on offer at The Wave, Muscat, Oman’s 

premier lifestyle destination, Almouj Golf 

will be officially launched on Saturday. 

The opening ceremony will be held at 4.00 

pm at Almouj Golf, Oman’s first Professional 

cat, said: “Almouj Golf and 

The Chedi Muscat both provide 

an unrivalled lifestyle 

experience. Our exclusive 

partnership for the Monthly 

Medal competitions at Almouj 

Golf is another way in which 

we can give the best of the 

leisure world to Almouj Golf 

members, The Chedi Muscat 

guests and visitors.” 

In the first competition’s 

net division Robert Daniel, 

playing off a handicap of 

8, took the honours with a 

fine net 72 which placed Lee 

O’Donoghue into second with 

a close net score of 73. Aaron 

O’Hara secured six successive 

pars on the back nine to take 

the gross title with a solid 78. 

The ladies division was 

well contested and an in-form 

Yvonne Welling took the prize 

with a net 73 after a very wellplayed 

back 9 which put Cath- 

erine Shackleton’s close score 

of net 74 into second. 

Jamie Wilson recorded the 

only ‘two’ of the day and as 

such was the happy recipient 

of the substantial pot of Titleist 

golf balls. 

This achievement was 

made even more impressive as 

his ‘two’ came at hole number 

2, Almouj Golf’s longest Par 

3 hole measuring over 200 

yards. 

Srinivas regains veterans’ title at ISC TT tourney 

Srinivas (left) and R Murali 

Golf Association (PGA) standard 18-hole 

golf course. The event will be presided over 

by His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin As’ad al 

Said and attended by dignitaries from both 

government and private sectors and Greg 

Norman, the golfing legend and designer of 

Almouj Golf. 

tled down to play some vintage table 

tennis. 

Murali gained a slender lead in the 

third game and looked set to pull the 

game in his favour. 

Srinivas fought back to restore parity 

and scores went neck and neck until 

10-all. 

They exchanged the lead before 

Srinivas wrapped up the third game to 

regain the title which he had last won in 

2010. 

The finals of the men’s singles and 

doubles are scheduled be played tomorrow. 

IMMERSE YOURSELF 

�� 

�� 

Munich Percussion 

Ensemble with 

Conductor Adel Shalaby 

��CONCERTS & RECITALS�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

��

Snedeker holds off 

Moore for title 

and $10mn bonus 

Page 17 

West Indies in Super Eight 

WEST Indies’ Chris Gayle (centre) celebrates with his captain Darren Sammy (left) after 

he dismissed Ireland’s Niall O’Brien during their World T20 match in Colombo yesterday. 

COLOMBO — The West 

Indies qualified for the Super 

Eight stage of the World 

Twenty20 after their Group 

'B' match against Ireland was 

abandoned due to rain yesterday. 

Ireland made 129 for six 

in their 19 overs before heavy 

rain at the Premadasa Stadium 

prevented the West Indies 

from starting their innings. 

COLOMBO — World Twenty20 

organisers have changed 

the bottled water supplier and 

called in food inspectors to 

check the spread of suspected 

gastro virus at the tournament, 

officials said yesterday. 

Several players from New 

Zealand, Ireland, South Africa 

and Australia have reportedly 

been treated for stomach bugs 

since their arrival in Sri Lanka, 

with Kiwi Tim Southee even 

Both teams gained one 

point each, but the West Indies 

joined Group 'B' winners Australia 

in the next round due to 

a superior net run-rate over the 

Irish. 

The West Indies will be 

placed alongside defending 

champions England, New 

Zealand and hosts Sri Lanka in 

group one of the Super Eight 

which starts on Thursday. 

requiring hospital treatment 

for dehydration. 

An International Cricket 

Council (ICC) spokesman said 

the brand of bottled water used 

by players and officials so far 

in the tournament had been replaced. 

"Although there is no evidence 

to suggest that water 

was the cause of any illness, 

the product supplied for use 

in the tournament has been 

The other half has Australia, 

South Africa, India and 

either Pakistan or Bangladesh, 

with the top two teams from 

each group advancing to the 

semifinals. 

The match, watched by 

barely 1,000 fans, was reduced 

to 19 overs per side after an 

hour's interruption midway 

through Ireland's innings due 

to rain. 

replaced," the spokesman told 

reporters. 

A Sri Lankan source connected 

with the tournament 

said public health inspectors 

had checked the food given to 

the players and found nothing 

untoward. "If an entire team, 

or at least a majority, go down, 

we can understand that there is 

something wrong with the food 

and beverages department," 

the source told reporters. 


Chris Gayle turned star performer 

with the ball with two 

wickets as the Ireland innings 

failed to gain any momentum 

after the West Indies won the 

toss and elected to field. 

Niall O'Brien made 25 and 

Gary Wilson scored 21, before 

both batsmen fell to Gayle's 

off-spin. 

Irish captain William Porterfield 

was dismissed off the 

first ball of the match for the 

second time in a row, bowled 

by Fidel Edwards. 

He had also fallen to Australian 

Shane Watson's first 

delivery in Ireland's previous 

match last week. 

The West Indies, who had 

lost to Australia in a rainaffected 

match, endured another 

wet outing as rain lashed 

the ground during the innings 

break. 

SCOREBOARD 

Ireland 

W Porterfield b Edwards ..............0 

P Stirling c Gayle b Sammy .......19 

E Joyce b Narine ........................17 

N O'Brien b Gayle ......................25 

G Wilson c Ramdin b Gayle ......21 

K O'Brien b Rampaul .................13 

T Johnston (not out) ...................15 

N Jones (not out) ........................14 

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

Total: (6 wkts, 19 overs) ..........129 

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-33, 3-37, 

4-70, 5-96, 6-107. 

Bowling: Edwards 3-0-23-1; Rampaul 

4-0-20-1; Sammy 3-0-23-1; 

Narine 4-0-21-1 (nb-1); Russell 2-0- 

19-0 (w-1); Gayle 3-0-21-2 (w-1). 

World T20 gets new water to stop stomach bug 

"Just a few players have 

been affected." 

No official complaints had 

been lodged by any of the 

teams, he added. 

Among players who went 

down with gastro trouble over 

the past two weeks included 

New Zealand's Daniel Vettori, 

Mitchell Starc and Brad Hogg 

of Australia, and Paul Stirling 

and George Dockrell of Ireland. 

— AFP 

U-22 probables 

picked for 

Egypt camp 

MUSCAT — The Oman 

Under-22 team will undergo 

a training camp in Eygpt 

from October 6. During the 

camp, the team will play two 

matches, the first with Egypt 

Olympic team on October 12 

and the second with another 

team on October 15. 

The camp is part of the 

preparation for the AFC 

U-22 Asian Cup to be hosted 

by the Sultanate early next 

year with the participation of 

16 teams from the continent, 

an event seen as the first 

major championship to be 

hosted by Oman at regional 

and continental levels. 

The players selected for 

the camp are: Mubarak bin Humaid 

al Maqbali, Omar bin Talib 

al Fazari, Muhannad bin Obaid 

al Zaabi, Ahmed bin Nasser 

al Quraini, Hamoud bin Saleh 

al Saadi, Hatim bin Khamis al 

Hamhami, Nazeer bin Salome 

al Maskari, Husin bin Obaid 

al Busaidy, Mazin bin Masoud 

al Kasbi, Ahmed bin Faraj al 

Rawahi, Ahmed bin Khalfan al 

Siyabi, Muhannad bin Abdullah 

al Hussaini, Basil bin Abdullah 

al Rawahi, Saud bin Khamis al 

Farsi, Khalid bin Saleh al Alawi, 

Mannea bin Subait al Mukhaini, 

Mohammed bin Saleh al 

Mukhaini, Muheeb bin Izzet 

al Balushi, Sami bin Mubarak 

Bawain, Abdullah bin Noah al 

Hamer, Tareq bin Mukhallaf 

Baid Mustahail, Badr bin Naseeb 

Bamsailah, Ali bin Saloim 

al Nahar and Rushid bin Rajab 

al Shukaili. 

Oman go down 

to Australia 

MUSCAT — Oman went 

down to Australia 2-1 in the 

AFC U-16 Championship in 

Tehran yesterday. 

According to information 

received here, Oman lost 

both their Group 'B' matches 

having lost to Iraq 2-1 in 

the opener, and now play 

the other team in the group 

Thailand tomorrow. 

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka — 

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur 

Rahim said feedback 

from former Pakistan spinner 

Saqlain Mushtaq will help 

counter Saeed Ajmal in their 

do-or-die clash against Pakistan 

today. 

Bangladesh need a big 

win over the 2009 champions 

in their final Group 'D' 

match to advance to the Super 

Eight round but Ajmal's danger 

looms large after the offspinner 

took 4-30 in Pakistan's 

13-run win over New Zealand 

on Sunday. 

New Zealand, who have 

already qualified for Super 

Eight, beat Bangladesh by 

59 runs in the opening group 

match. The top two teams 

from the group qualify for the 

Super Eight. 

Saqlain regarded as the 

inventor of "doosra" — offspinner's 

stock delivery which 

turns the other way and is mastered 

by Ajmal — is currently 

serving as Bangladesh's bowling 

coach. 

"Ajmal is a world class 

bowler but we have taken help 

from Saqlain who is very experienced 

but we have to execute 

our plans on the field and 

it's a do-or-die match for us 

but Pakistan is not unbeatable 

if we play well," said Rahim. 

Ajmal is the leading wicket 

taker in Twenty20 internationals 

with 64 and his wicket taking 

ability poses a real challenge 

for Bangladesh, who 

have lost all their five matches 

in this shortest format against 

Pakistan. 

"Playing Pakistan is a big 

challenge because their bowling 

is good but we want to 

put up our best to qualify for 

the next round," said Rahim, 

whose team only reached the 

second round in the inaugural 

World Twenty20 held in South 

Africa in 2007. 

Since then Bangladesh 

Rain break saves 

Wozniacki 

in Tokyo 

Page 18 

Bangladesh seek Pakistani 

help to tackle Ajmal 

BANGLADESH spin-bowling coach Saqlain Mushtaq 

(left) talks with cricketers Elias Sunny (right) and 

Mohammed Mahmudullah during a training session on 

the eve of the World T20 match against Pakistan 

in Pallekele yesterday. — AFP 

have lost nine consecutive 

matches in World Twenty20 

editions. 

Pakistan captain Mohammed 

Hafeez said he feels 

blessed with a varied bowling 

attack, led by Ajmal. 

"What else can you want 

when you have such a variety 

in your bowling attack," said 

Hafeez, who along with Ajmal 

and Shahid Afridi holds spin 

responsibilities, with rookie 

left-armer Raza Hasan in reserves. 

"As a captain it is a blessing 

for me. This is something I 

am very pleased to have that I 

have so many options in bowl- 

ing and whenever I throw the 

ball to any of my bowlers he is 

ready to bowl," said Hafeez. 

Hafeez, however, said 

Bangladesh will not be taken 

lightly. 

"We are not thinking that 

we have already qualified, we 

have to win against Bangladesh. 

They have lost their first 

match so they will come down 

hard on us. We are not going 

to take Bangladesh lightly," 

said Hafeez. — AFP 

Today’s Fixture 

Pakistan vs Bangladesh 

at Pallekele, 1400 GMT


MUSCAT — A project rail 

boom within the transport 

sector in the Middle East and 

North Africa is expected to 

materialise in the next three 

years as the region allocates 

more than $250 billion worth 

of investments in various rail 

bank muscat wins JP Morgan award 

BANK muscat, the flagship financial institution in the Sultanate, 

has won the prestigious J P Morgan Quality Recognition Award 

for outstanding performance in fund transfer. This is the 12th 

consecutive year the bank is winning the J P Morgan award for 

forex transactions related to dollar payments. � Page 22 

projects. 

The region has one of the 

lowest density rail networks 

in the world, with just under 

34,000 km of track over a 

landmass of 15 million square 

km. The boom in the construction 

of railway infrastructure 

is expected to double the track 

network to 67,000 km and cre- 

ate huge opportunities for local 

and international businesses — 

from consultancy and design 

services to track, rolling stock 

and communication systems. 

This year, there are currently 

$156 billion worth of 

rail projects planned or under 

way in the region, according 

to projects tracker MEED 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 

Projects. Nearly 29 per cent of 

these are currently being built 

and 12.5 per cent are currently 

being tendered. 

Not surprisingly, the most 

active countries are those that 

cover large areas and have 

comparatively large populations. 

Iran has the most projects 

planned or under way with $34 

billion of schemes, closely followed 

by Saudi Arabia with 

$31 billion. Other markets 

with more than $10 billion of 

projects are Iraq with $13 billion, 

Kuwait with $14 billion, 

Qatar $13 billion, and the UAE 

with $14 billion. 

“With governments across 

the region investing heavily in 

rail mega projects, the vision 

of the early railway pioneers 

to link cities across the Middle 

East and beyond is finally being 

realised. MEED’s MENA 

Rail Projects conference has 

been designed to provide a 

critical review of these major 

projects which will reveal key 

challenges, insights and business 

opportunities for the rail 

industry focused on projects 

in the MENA region,” said 

Edmund O’Sullivan, chairman, 

MEED Events, organisers 

of the MENA Rail Projects 

Conference. 

First Nawras customers get iPhone 5 

GREAT excitement was in the air yesterday as the first Nawras 

customers in Oman got their hands on the new iPhone 5 with its 

Nano SIM card and LTE capabilities. As the customers got the call 

they had been eagerly awaiting they headed to the Nawras store at 

Muscat Grand Mall to pick up their new phone.� Page 23 

$250bn investments in MENA rail projects until 2015 

Spain under pressure to seek bailout 

BRUSSELS/MADRID — 

Spain once pushed hard for 

Ireland and Portugal to ask for 

bailouts from their partners in 

the euro because it was keen to 

shelter itself from an accelerating 

sovereign debt crisis. 

Now the tables are turned 

and Madrid is holding back 

from applying for help, not 

least because the Spanish government 

knows all too well 

what befell its Portuguese and 

Irish peers once they did seek 

help — voters dumped them. 

Facing an important regional 

election on October 21, 

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy 

is in no rush to yield to nervous 

pleas, from France, Italy 

and indeed Ireland, that he request 

a rescue deal that might 

dampen investors' concerns 

about their own debt. 

Dublin and Lisbon fought 

shy of EU and IMF help for 

long months in 2010-11, fuel- 

SPAIN’S Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gestures during a 

news conference at Madrid’s Moncloa Palace. (File photo) 

ling turmoil in the bond markets, 

in forlorn attempts to 

avoid a humiliating loss of 

sovereignty and lenders' demands 

that they draft unpopular 

budgets. 

Now Rajoy, in office for 

nine months, is doing the reverse 

of what his Spanish 

predecessors urged on others, 

and insisting Madrid may not 

need help — at any rate not 

right now. 

Part of the procrastination 

is down to Rajoy's personality. 

The dour conservative Gallego 

from rainy northwestern Spain 

built his career on digging in 

his heels and letting everyone 

else wear themselves out until 

he decides he's ready to act. 

People in Rajoy's homeland, 

Galicia, are renowned 

for being noncommittal and 

answering a question with 

a question. Meet a Gallego 

on the stairs, a Spanish saying 

goes, and it's hard to tell 

whether he is going up or 

coming down. 

"Rajoy is resistant. That's 

his life. He prefers to take a 

bad decision in three months to 

taking a good one tomorrow," 

said a former government official 

from Rajoy's People's Party. 

Such is Rajoy's poker-faced 

ambiguity that even longtime 

associates cannot tell when he 

will come off the fence. 

— Reuters 

Foxconn 

China plant 

closed 

TAIPEI — Taiwan's Foxconn 

Technology Group, 

which assembles Apple's 

iPhones and makes components 

for top global electronics 

companies, closed a plant 

in northern China yesterday 

after about 2,000 workers 

staged a riot at a company 

dormitory. It was not immediately 

clear how long the 

shutdown would last at the 

plant, which employs about 

79,000 people in the Shanxi 

provincial capital, while police 

and company officials 

investigate the cause of the 

disturbance. 

"The plant is closed today 

for investigation," Foxconn 

spokesman Louis Woo told 

Reuters, but a company employee 

contacted by phone 

said the closure could last 

two or three days. 

The unrest is the latest in 

a string of incidents at plants 

run by Foxconn, the trading 

name of Hon Hai Precision 

Industry Co and the world's 

largest contract maker of 

electronic goods. Hon Hai's 

Taipei-listed shares fell 1 per 

cent yesterday in a broader 

market that rose 0.2 per cent. 

— Reuters 

Rail network across the region to double to 67,000 km 

However, mega projects 

in the transport sector in the 

region come with a myriad 

of challenges such as interoperability 

issues, financing 

and resourcing. Important 

stakeholders will have the opportunity 

to dissect these and 

offer potential solutions and 

possible business models at 

the MENA Rail Projects Conference 

to address projected 

expansion of the rail network 

in the MENA region. 

In addition, conference 

attendees will get the inside 

track from clients on project 

pipelines and announcements, 

including updates and developments 

on the Saudi Landbridge, 

Haramain High-Speed 

Rail network, North South 

Railway, the Doha Metro, 

an operational assessment of 

Dubai Metro’s planned Green 

and Red line networks and 

Kuwait’s $7bn, 3 line metro 

network. Government officials 

and railway operators 

in attendance will likewise 

provide real-time project updates 

and opportunities, such 

as railway developments taking 

place in Jordan, Iraq, Iran, 

Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and 

Libya; thus providing visitors 

the opportunity to capitalise 

on the opportunities in these 

exciting new markets. 

Andrew Price, respected 

transport economist and 

former advisor of the UK’s 

Department of Transport, will 

present how various stakeholders 

can capitalise on the 

rail projects opportunities in 

the region, exploit favourable 

market conditions and protect 

against forecasted challenges 

in developing markets. 

For new work in the near 

future, different markets will 

dominate as smaller rapidly 

growing countries develop 

urban rail schemes. Qatar 

currently had $8.5 billion of 

railway construction contracts 

out to tender, Iraq has $2.5 

billion and Tunisia has $2.1 

billion. 

The most significant 

scheme to start construction 

over the coming year will be 

in Doha, which recently invited 

18 consortiums to bid for 

five packages on its proposed 

metro network that will alleviate 

congestion in the Qatari 

capital and transport football 

fans across the city during the 

2022 FIFA World Cup. 

The tenders attracted international 

interest and more 

than 60 local and international 

groups attempted to prequalify 

to bid for construction work. 

The MENA Rail Projects 

Conference is scheduled during 

October 15-18, 2012 at 

the Beach Rotana Hotel, Abu 

Dhabi.

Toyota Innova — the true family car 

MUSCAT — Redefining the concept of family cars, Innova is the first 8-seater passenger 

car in the Toyota range. With all the comforts of a passenger car and spaciousness 

of a family carrier, it is a unique vehicle offering the best of both worlds. 

The Toyota Innova takes the concept further with its youthfully sporty image, featuring 

a large, rounded surface with flares. Adding to its young looks are the front 

bumper, front grill/hood design and headlamps. The round shaped wide rear end and 

newly designed rear combination lamps together with bright alloy wheels accentuate 

its assertive stance. 

The interior of the new Innova has been sculpted with light interior colours - soft 

and smooth dual tone fabric seats – to create a soothing ambience of depth and speciousness 

– a true family car. 

Thoughtful touches abound - cup/bottle holders, cargo area, places to tuck in small 

articles, in addition, the 8 seater configuration ensures spacious legroom in and around 

the second and third row seats. The second row seats offer sliding and recline mechanisms. 

The top of line grade is the new Innova 2.7 family A/T which hosts a plethora of 

high class features – dual and auto A/C, multi-information display, outer mirrors with 

turn signal Indicators, side protection molding, rocker panels and door lower molding, 

rear spoiler, stylish side stripes, Bluetooth integrated music system with 6.1” display 

screen, woodgrain paneling, rear view camera, alloy wheels, fog lamps, steering 

mounted audio/Bluetooth/MID controls, to name a few. 

Powered by a 2.7-litre, 4-cylinder, 16V, DOHC, EFi, VVT-i engine, the new Innova 

offers outstanding maneuverability at high speeds. The newly developed front and 

rear suspensions achieve excellent drive comfort and stability. The Innova’s extremely 

quiet ride can be attributed to it. 

The Innova packs a host of active and passive safety measures. These include the 

thoughtful design of the driving position, enabling each driver to tailor a position of 

comfort and control with an excellent field of view. Passive safety measures include a 

specially designed body, comprising a crumple zone and high integrity cabin, which 

help to protect occupants by minimising deformation to the passenger compartment. 

The dual airbags, ABS, seatbelts and rear parking sensors further add to the outstanding 

safety offered by Innova. 

This outstanding performer comes from Toyota, Oman's most coveted brand. Toyota 

offers enduring quality and nothing comes close to it in terms of value-retention. It 

is no surprise; therefore, that Toyota soars far above the rest, with a dominant market 

share and ever-expanding customer base. 

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

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

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

amongst many other exclusive privileges from the Group. 

Infiniti QX evokes intelligent craftsmanship 

THE new Infiniti QX is all about unique craftsmanship and a philosophy that takes 

on a new dimension. The full-size performance luxury SUV offers a bold exterior, a 

world-class luxury interior, powerful yet efficient VVEL 5.6-litre DIG V8, and features 

advanced technology, including a hydraulic body motion control system. It starts with a 

breathtaking presence, a calm strength derived of clean fluid lines that attract and hold 

your attention. It continues with the highest level of luxury, not just for the driver and 

22 OMAN TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 

bank muscat wins JP Morgan elite award 


MUSCAT — bank muscat, the 

flagship financial institution 

in the Sultanate, has won the 

prestigious J P Morgan Quality 

Recognition Award for 

outstanding performance in 

fund transfer. This is the 12th 

consecutive year the bank is 

winning the J P Morgan award 

for forex transactions related 

to dollar payments. bank muscat 

was among a select group 

of regional institutions to receive 

the prestigious awards 

for achieving above 99 per 

cent straight through process- 

ing (STP) rates for dollar remittances. 

Ali Amin Moosa, AGM 

– Central Operations, said: 

“Winning this prestigious 

award consecutively for the 

12th time is testimony to the 

bank’s commitment to high 

standards of quality in meet- 

ing the stringent criteria for 

fund transfer. The Central Operations 

electronic payments 

department, Treasury back 

office and Global Trade Services 

department are handling 

fund transfer operations in the 

bank while the technical and 

security issues are handled by 

the Systems & Procedures department. 

The Financial Institutions 

Group has established 

more than 500 correspondent 

banking relationships across 

the world and is acknowledged 

as one of the leading FI teams 

in the region.” 

The award recognised bank 

BUSINESS ALERT 

front seat passenger, but all occupants – world class, personalised control over their 

environments for passengers in every seat in the house. 

The Infiniti QX is conceived to attract and hold viewers’ attention, conveying its 

underlying sense of power and strength. The design is dynamic, its size capable of 

transporting up to eight adults and their belongings with spacious elegance. 

The bold front chrome grille is flanked by automatic on/off bi-functional xenon 

headlights with windshield wiper interlock and integrated front fog lights. An adaptive 

front lighting system (AFS) with auto-leveling headlights are also fitted as standard. 

Shell training on ‘PR and Media’ 

SHELL Development Oman LLC organised a two-day training programme on ‘Public 

Relations & Media’ that took place at the Crowne Plaza Muscat earlier this week. 

Twenty four participants from various public, private sector and non-governmental 

organisations attended this training programme which was designed to enable them understand 

the role of public relations and media on the success of any organisation. The 

programme also enabled to build their awareness on conventional and modern media 

and public relations’ tools and processes that are widely used. Participants were also 

taken through the best practiced methods normally adopted when developing strategic 

public relation plans suitable for their organisations. 

“Public Relations and Media Programme is amongst the up to date programmes 

we recently added as part of Shell Professional Training Programmes scheme. We organise 

such training programmes for both public and private sector employees here in 

Oman,” said Hilal bin Yahya al Mawali, General Manager of External Affairs in Shell 

Development Oman. 

Hilal added, Shell Professional Training Porgmmes theme comes as part of Shell’s 

Social Investment Programme undertaken in Oman, and lays significant focus on training 

and developing the capacities of Omani employees and enable them become more 

productive in their professional careers. 

Ford sees future through advanced R&D 

FORD Motors is passionate about the way customers feel when they drive any Ford 

vehicle. Which is why they take active interest in researching and developing technologies 

that are unique and class-leading. The result their efforts bring is truly amazing. 

In its quest to reward customers with nothing but the best, Ford Motor Company is 

researching and developing intelligent, next-generation driving technologies designed 

to help address future mobility challenges that come with rapid urbanisation and population 

growth around the world. 

“Developing these technologies is part of the first step in a journey towards a more 

connected future,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford’s Chief Technical Officer and Vice- 

President, Research and Innovation. “It’s an undertaking we believe will save time, 

conserve resources, lower emissions and improve safety.” 

Ford is developing the technologies around the world, including its European Research 

and Advanced Engineering Centre in Aachen, Germany. Ford’s “Blueprint for 

Technology” vision, outlined by Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford 

earlier this year, defines the start of the company’s thinking on what transportation may 

look like in 2025 and beyond, and the technologies, business models and partnerships 

needed to address the challenges of population growth and urbanisation. 

Traffic Jam Assist is an intelligent driving technology that Ford is developing potentially 

for the mid-term (2017 to 2025). It uses radar and camera technology to keep 

pace with other vehicles and provide automated steering control to stay in the current 

lane, reducing driver stress and potentially improving vehicle flow. 

“Drivers spend more than 30 per cent of their time in heavy traffic,” said Joseph 

Urhahne, Engineer, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. “Traffic Jam Assist 

could help make travelling through congestion a more relaxing experience and, by 

using Ford technology to keep pace with the flow of traffic, potentially help relieve 

road congestion.” 

Individual simulation studies have found that where 25 per cent of vehicles on a 

stretch of road are equipped to automatically follow the traffic ahead, journey times can 

be reduced by 37.5 per cent and delays reduced by 20 per cent. 

Traffic Jam Assist has the potential to follow the traffic ahead while maintaining 

lane position in environments where there are no pedestrians, cyclists or animals, and 

where lanes are clearly marked. 

Many of the sensing technologies required to deliver Traffic Jam Assist are already 

available on current Ford models including the Focus. Independent steering already 

muscat’s exceptional quality 

of SWIFT messages on dollar 

payment, maintaining an outstanding 

99.7 per cent errorfree 

rate for remittances in 

2012. The award was based on 

evaluation of the quality and 

accuracy of SWIFT payment 

messages routed through J P 

Morgan Bank. 

J P Morgan Bank is one 

of bank muscat's main correspondents 

for US dollar 

payments. J P Morgan Bank 

representatives commended 

the operational teams involved 

in processing payments at 

bank muscat for the error-free 

rate maintained consistently 

throughout the high volume of 

remittances processed during 

2012. 

The award acknowledged 

bank muscat for exceptional 

quality in the delivery of commercial 

payments and transfers. 

The award also recognised 

bank muscat’s state-of-the-art 

in-house payment architecture 

and affirmed that the bank 

consistently maintained high 

SWIFT standards, which facilitated 

automated processing 

throughout the payment chain 

resulting in extremely high 

STP rates. 

A multi-award winning organisation, 

bank muscat’s performance 

has been consistently 

lauded by the international 

financial and banking community 

for several years. 

Bank Nizwa CEO attends 

GIFF as key speaker 


MUSCAT — Central Bank of 

Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia) 

hosted the third Global 

Islamic Finance Forum 

(GIFF), a premier event in 

the world of Islamic finance, 

in Kuala Lumpur recently and 

invited Dr Jamil el Jaroudi, 

the Chief Executive Officer 

of Bank Nizwa, Oman’s first 

Islamic bank, as a key panellist. 

GIFF is a highly anticipated 

event in the calendar of 

Islamic finance. Dr El Jaroudi 

being a key speaker at GIFF’s 

Executive Master Class, 

shared this platform with 

prominent local and international 

regulators, experts and 

practitioners. His presence at 

the event is a testimony to the 

high calibre of experts and 

professionals at Bank Nizwa 

who are spearheading Islamic 

banking in the Sultanate of 

Oman. 

During the event Dr El 

Jaroudi provided his expertise 

on how Islamic finance 

channelises the economy in 

the right direction by linking 

its basic principles to the betterment 

of the core sectors, 

employment generation and 

ultimately towards financial 

stability. He said, “Islamic 

banking is emerging globally 

and Bank Nizwa is proud to 

pioneer it in the Sultanate. 

Islamic banking will unravel 

new business dimensions in 

all spheres of Oman’s economy.” 

As the CEO of Bank 

Nizwa, Dr El Jaroudi is playing 

a stellar role in pioneering 

Islamic banking in Oman and 

recognised this opportunity of 

representing Oman’s Islamic 

Banking at GIFF as a matter 

of great pride. He thanked 

Bank Negara Malaysia for the 

invite and commended them 

on their efforts towards leveraging 

Islamic Banking and 

Finance to a global platform. 

The three-day event was 

themed "Internationalisation 

of Islamic Finance — Bridging 

Economies" and was 

aimed at unlocking the true 

potential of global Islamic 

finance. 

features on Lane Keeping Aid, which provides steering input to assist the driver to steer 

the vehicle back into lane if an unintentional drift is detected. Lane Keeping Aid also 

provides the camera technology required to monitor its lane position. 

Traffic Jam Assist’s automatic speed regulation requirement is supported by Ford 

powershift transmission as well as adaptive cruise control, a radar-based system which 

helps to maintain a set distance to other vehicles. “If there’s one thing more frustrating 

than being stuck in a jam, it’s being stuck in a jam where drivers are slow to keep 

pace with the movement around them,” Urhahne said. “Traffic Jam Assist could make 

unavoidable traffic jams less stressful and less tiring for the drivers who must negotiate 

them.” 

Traffic Jam Assist would be able to respond to changing traffic situations ahead 

and communicate any developments to the driver. Traffic Jam Assist would also incorporate 

features to help ensure the driver remains alert and in contact with the vehicle 

controls, even when the system was active. It could also be overridden at any time. 

“The idea is not only to make parking as quick as possible, but also to make it as accurate, 

efficient and undemanding as possible – and that means exploring new concepts 

and approaches.” said Thomas Lukaszewicz, Supervisor, Research and Advanced Engineering, 

Ford of Europe. It uses ultrasonic sensors to identify suitable parking spaces, 

for width rather than length, and then steers the vehicle into them using Ford’s electronic 

power assisted steering system. 

Perpendicular parking functionality would use the vehicle’s rear parking distance 

control sensors to monitor for obstructions not seen by the driver when reversing into 

the space. Where there is insufficient space to complete the manoeuvre in one attempt, 

the system might ask the driver to edge forwards and backwards as necessary. When 

perfectly parked, the driver gets a finish signal. 

In Oman, Ford vehicles are marketed by Arabian Car Marketing Co LLC, a part of 

the renowned Saud Bahwan Group. They come with 6 years unlimited mileage protection, 

service and parts network that stretches across the Sultanate, over 98 per cent 

parts availability and Ford Privilege Card which provides 24 hours On-road assistance 

from AAA. 

OAB sponsors HRD Expo, Conference 

OMAN Arab Bank (OAB) has sponsored the 2nd Human Resources Development Exhibition 

and Conference, which is under way from September 23 to 25, 2012 at Oman 

International Exhibition Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Service and 

Al Nimr Expo. 

OAB was represented at the opening by Bishara Qafiti, DGM Banking Services and 

Operations in addition to a number of executives and employees from OAB Human 

Resources Department. 

Bishara Qafiti noted that OAB’s sponsorship of the event underscores the importance 

accorded by the Bank to human resources, being the key asset of any successful 

organisation. Moreover, OAB’s management pays special interest in training and qualifying 

its staff in order to ensure that the performance is based on competence, skills 

and knowledge. The 2nd HRD Expo and Conference aims at enhancing the standard 

of training programmes, in the Sultanate in addition to developing the comprehensive 

skills of employees in both public and private sectors.

First Nawras customers 

get new iPhone 5 


MUSCAT — Great excitement 

was in the air yesterday 

as the first Nawras customers 

in Oman got their hands on the 

new iPhone 5 with its Nano 

SIM card and LTE capabilities. 

After leading the charge 

to pre-register their interest in 

the phone, the delighted customers 

got the call they had 

been eagerly awaiting and 

headed to the Nawras store 

at Muscat Grand Mall to pick 

up their new phone. Nawras 

Chief Executive Officer, Ross 

Cormack, shared the celebration 

by handing over the latest 

Apple devices to the overjoyed 

recipients. 

Cormack said, “This is an 

exciting day for our customers 

and it shows Nawras as a 

thought leader, providing the 

means for customers to use the 


MUSCAT — Ahlibank recently 

re-launched its online 

e-learning portal to its staff 

members. The portal serves as 

a self learning tool which employees 

can utilise from any location 

and provides them with 

over 400 courses covering different 

disciplines and job roles 

within the organisation. 

Said Hamdani, AGM HR 

at ahlibank highlighted the 

importance of E-learning 

platforms. “E-learning is the 

most expedient way in learning 

and training. without having 

to send our ahlibankers to 

training centres. We realised 

that due to various valuable 

reasons, staff prefer learning 

at their convenient time and 

therefore, E-Learning is the 

right solution to fulfill such 

needs. 

The E-Learning platform is 

advantageous to those and also 

gives our employees who still 

want to pursue their studies an 

added benefit. Our ahlibankers 

now have excellent 24 hours 

availability of world class 

training courses at their own 

offices or at home.” 

latest technology to communicate 

in any way they choose 

to. We are pleased to bring 

in this hugely popular phone 

and will continue to bring in 

the latest handsets from Apple, 

Samsung, BlackBerry 

and other leading smartphone 

manufacturers. This new approach 

goes hand in hand with 

our network turbocharging 

programme which is ushering 

in a new era of customer experience 

to Oman.” He added, “I 

am also thrilled to say that we 

got the Nano SIMs in record 

time too, so our customers can 

start enjoying their new phone 

right away.” 

The first assignment of 

iPhone 5 devices has been 

allocated to those customers 

who pre-registered on the 

Nawras website. Additional 

stock will arrive shortly and 

be distributed in line with the 

The E-learning platform offers 

ahlibank staff 12 libraries 

of courses classified according 

to the subject they are interested 

in which includes, customer 

services, finance related 

courses and risk management 

courses to name a few. There 

is also an option of pre designed 

courses called “career 

tracks” a shorter version of 

certification courses which is a 

collection of 2-5 programmes 

or modules that address several 

competencies related to a 

specific job role in the bank. 

The E-learning platform 

also offers ahlibankers certification 

programmes which are 

made up of 6-14 modules that 

pre-registration order. The latest 

Apple iPhone is expected 

to fly off the shelves in Oman 

as it has done around the world 

so customers are encouraged 

to check the company’s updates 

online, via Twitter @ 

nawras_oman or facebook. 

com/nawras. 

Along with the iPhone 5, 

Nawras introduced the new 

Nano SIM card which, at a 

fraction of the size of previous 

SIMs, fits the new Apple 

device. Nano SIM cards 

will soon be available at all 

Nawras stores nationwide, for 

the same low price as a standard 

SIM. Once regular stocks 

are available, customers will 

be able to replace their existing 

SIM for only two Omani 

Rials. Measuring just 12.3 by 

8.8 millimetres, the Nano is 

about 30 per cent smaller than 

a Micro SIM and about 15% 

thinner, with a capacity to save 

up to 1000 contact numbers. 

Amongst the many exciting 

attributes of the iPhone 

5, is its LTE capability and 

Nawras will soon be launching 

this technology. As part 

of its current turbocharging 

programme, Nawras is rolling 

out a 4G LTE network ready 

for launch before the end of 

the year. This latest technology 

will be supporting an incredible 

customer experience, 

not least in terms of speed and 

capabilities. 

For the next three months, 

all Nawras customers buying 

an iPhone 5 for RO 499.9 

will get 2GB of free data each 

month for the following six 

months together with a free 

Nano SIM card. 

Ahlibank relaunches 

e-learning portal 


MUSCAT — As part of a rebranding 

operation aiming to 

underline a simpler and more 

transparent corporate structure 

and a unified culture, Havas 

has renamed the Euro RSCG 

Worldwide network and its 

agencies as Havas Worldwide. 

Havas’s main focus is 

therefore to deliver the most 

integrated offer that drives 

greater effectiveness, consistency 

and value for its clients. 

Havas has implemented a 

unique business model with a 

simple, clear and agile structure 

placing digital at the core 

of all its activities and agencies, 

unifying creative and 

media assets and strengthening 

visibility of its global 

brand by renaming its largest 

network. 

David Jones, Global CEO 

Havas comments: “A decade 

ago, we set ourselves apart by 

being the first major communication 

holding company plac- 

ing digital at the core of all our 

creative agencies. We’re once 

again pioneers through the 

integration of creative, media 

and digital aiming to maximise 

collaboration and offer our 

clients a powerful combination 

of creative excellence, 

scale agility and innovation. 

We are the only communications 

group with a unibrand 

structure and approach which 

makes life easier for our clients.” 

The Havas group will now 

consist of 2 main brands: Havas 

Media, which includes 

all global media agencies, 

and Havas Creative, which 

includes the Havas Worldwide 

network, the Arnold 

Worldwide micronetwork (16 

agencies in 15 countries on 5 

continents) and all other communications 

agencies. 

As of today all Euro RSCG 

agencies are renamed Havas 

Worldwide. In Oman too Euro 

RSCG Muscat will henceforth 

be called Havas Worldwide 

Muscat. 

address all competencies related 

to a job role at the bank. 

In addition the users also have 

the option of attending online 

seminars, video classrooms 

and an up to date library containing 

articles and books related 

to the banking industry. 

Commenting on the Elearning 

platform Abdulaziz 

al Balushi CEO of ahlibank 

said: “In today’s new economy, 

value is greatly enhanced 

by knowledge. The terms 

new economy and knowledge 

economy go hand in hand and 

are complimentary assets. We 

have always believed that the 

bank’s growth is linked to the 

knowledge and skills of our 

employees. The E-learning 

platform combined with the 

options of multi-media education 

can aim to satisfy the demand 

for alternative forms of 

education and training to our 

staff members. Our E-learning 

platform uses the work of the 

best instructors, an extensive 

collection of resources and 

provides a 24/7 approach. It 

serves as an equaliser in terms 

of access and equity, provides 

quality courses at a click of a 

button.” 

Euro RSCG rebranded 

as Havas Worldwide 

“The name change reinforces 

our belief here at Havas 

Worldwide Muscat that 

the way forward is through a 

true integration of all creative 

services. 

For us nothing has changed 

and yet everything has 

changed. Our commitment to 

our existing clients and potential 

clients, our belief and 

our passion has not changed. 

What has changed is the way 

of working together, as an 

integrated unit delivering the 

best possible solutions for the 

clients brands to grow,” says 

Vikas Mehta General Manager 

Havas Worldwide Muscat. 

The rebranding also includes 

the creation of Havas 

Digital Group, a new umbrella 

brand that will operate across 

both media and creative. Havas 

Digital Group will purely 

be a brand name as opposed 

to a new network or new operational 

division and reflects 

Havas’s continued commitment 

to its digital at the core 

model. 

23 OMAN TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

Asia Express Exchange opens new branches 


MUSCAT — Leading remittance 

company, Asia Express 

Exchange (AEE) on Sunday 

opened two additional 

branches simultaneously at Al 

Khoudh, and Khadra, taking 

the exchange powerhouse’s 

number of outlets in Oman 

to 17. With the increase in 

the count of its branches in 

Oman, AEE has now spread 

its operations across the Sultanate. 

Speaking at the occasion, 

Adeeb Ahamed, Managing 

Director of Asia Express Exchange 

said, “Asia Express 

Exchange’s increasing popularity 

as the preferred and most 

trusted exchange house cou- 

pled with enabling smart and 

stable money transfer services 

in Oman has also charted its 

growth plan. The success of 

our growth depends on the excellent 

Customer Service and 

Satisfaction that we have been 

tirelessly delivering.” 

“We have, as a socially 

responsible organisation, ensured 

fair business practices 

24 

OMAN/INTERNATIONAL TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 

including rigorous compliance 

to global anti-money 

laundering protocols, in the 

best interest of our regulators 

and customers. We dedicate 

these two new branches to 

the service of our esteemed 

customers, who have always 

supported and encouraged us 

to deliver the best”, he stated. 

“In line with the Vision, de- 

termination and dedication of 

our Chairman, Yusuffali MA 

to take money transfer services 

closer to our target customers 

in the interior regions, 

it is and will be our ongoing 

commitment to enhance customer 

experience by identifying 

customer requirements”, 

Adeeb added. 

The new branches at Al 

Khoudh, and Khadra focuses 

the company’s prime objective 

to make high-quality remittance 

services available to 

the interior regions in Oman, 

where there is a growing need 

for timely and accessible finance 

transfer services. Asia 

Express Exchange features a 

potent mix of highly competent 

and committed workforce 

paired with latest technologies 

to deliver the best possible 

customer satisfaction. 

AEE has strategic partnerships 

with Western Union 

Worldwide Remittance Services, 

Xpress Money Services, 

and Ceylinco Fast Cash, 

which only further guarantees 

that clients’ hard earned 

money reaches its destination 

in a fast and secure way. 

Currently the exchange house 

caters to markets world over 

with direct online remittance 

arrangements to India, Bangladesh, 

Srilanka, Nepal, Philippines, 

and Indonesia. 

Asian stocks slip as central bank rally fizzles 

HONG KONG — Asian markets 

mostly fell yesterday as 

the recent rally fuelled by 

central banks' stimulus plans 

petered out, while there were 

fears over Greece's ability to 

meet requirements to get more 

bailout cash. 

Earlier losses in China and 

Hong Kong were pared despite 

a People's Bank of China 

adviser warning the mainland 

economy was still weak. 

Tokyo was 0.45 per cent 

down, closing 40.71 points 

lower at 9,069.29, while Sydney 

shed 0.52 per cent, or 22.8 

points, to close at 4,385.5 and 

Seoul closed flat, edging up 

1.07 points to 2,003.44. 

Hong Kong ended 0.19 per 

cent lower, giving up 40.24 

points to 20,694.70 while 

Shanghai rose 0.32 per cent 

higher, adding 6.50 points to 

2,033.19. 

"Uncertainties over the 

overseas markets during the 

holiday will keep investors 

from building positions aggressively 

this week," Dongxing 

Securities investment adviser 

Hou Yi told Dow Jones 

Newswires. 

Global markets have been 

boosted in September by central 

bank announcements in 

the United States, Europe and 

Japan that they would buy up 

huge amounts of government 

debt to pump liquidity into 

their respective economies. 

However with little else to 

drive buying, traders on Monday 

cashed in the recent gains. 

Investors are becoming 

concerned about progress between 

Greece and the "troika" 

— the European Commission, 

the European Central Bank 

(ECB) and the International 

Monetary Fund — over budget 

cuts that need to be presented 

by Friday, Mizuho Securities 

forex strategist Kengo Suzuki 

said. 

Wall Street was unable to 

provide any inspiration. The 

Dow closed down 0.13 per 

cent, the Nasdaq added 0.13 

per cent and the S&P 500 was 

flat. 

Hong Kong and Shanghai 

recovered from earlier deep 

losses caused by a central bank 

adviser saying at the weekend 

that he saw no signs of a rebound 

in China, following a 

string of soft data on trade, investment 

and growth. 

But the ongoing diplomatic 

dispute between Beijing and 

Tokyo over a group of islands 

in the East China Sea was still 

capping gains. 

"There are still more hurdles 

that need to be crossed 

before we can say that we are 

out of the woods," said Medha 

Samant, investment director at 

Fidelity in Hong Kong, adding 

that the market is looking 

to the next set of Chinese data 

due at the weekend. 

On currency markets the 

euro, which had strengthened 

in recent weeks after 

the banks' monetary easing, 

bought $1.2900 and 101.62 

yen in early European trade, 

from $1.2985 and 101.42 yen 

in New York late Friday. 

The dollar was at 78.00 yen 

against 78.12 yen. 

Oil prices eased. New 

York's benchmark contract, 

West Texas Intermediate 

crude for November delivery, 

was down 81 cents to $92.08 

in the afternoon, while Brent 

North Sea crude for November 

dipped $1.00 to $110.42. 

Gold was at $1,757.00 at 

1100 GMT compared with 

$1,774.34 on Friday. 

In other markets: 

� Taipei rose 0.18 per cent, 

or 13.71 points, to 7,768.3. 

Hon Hai Precision lost 1.03 

per cent to Tw$95.8 while Taiwan 

Semiconductor Manufacturing 

Co. was 0.47 per cent 

higher at Tw$86.1. 

� Manila rose 0.63 per cent, 

or 33.54 points, to 5,325.60. 

Ayala Land added 2.08 per 

cent to 24.50 pesos and Petron 

Corp. gained 0.38 per cent at 

10.30 pesos. 

� Wellington was flat, 

nudging down 0.42 points to 

3,809.15. 

� Singapore closed down 

0.33 per cent, or 10.30 points, 

to 3,067.93. 

Singapore Airlines fell 1.93 

per cent to Sg$10.66 and DBS 

Group shed 1.03 per cent to 

Sg$14.35. 

� Jakarta ended 1.03 per 

cent or 43.71 points lower at 

4,200.91. 

Bumi Resources fell 19 

per cent to 680 rupiah, Timah 

dipped 3.1 per cent to 1,540 

rupiah and Vale Indonesia slid 

6.6 per cent to 2,850 rupiah. 

� Kuala Lumpur dipped 

0.70 per cent or 11.32 points, 

to end at 1,612.38. 

Malayan Banking fell 1.53 

per cent to 9.01 ringgit, while 

Sime Darby lost 0.41 per cent 

to 9.75. Scomi Group gained 

4.48 per cent to 0.35 ringgit. 

� Bangkok fell 0.15 

per cent or 1.96 points to 

1,284.30. 

Oil company PTT lost 0.89 

per cent to 334.00 baht, while 

Banpu dropped 2.97 per cent 

to 392.00 baht. 

� Mumbai slid 0.42 per cent 

or 79.49 points to 18,673.34. 

HDFC fell 2.52 per cent 

to Rs 759.5, while Hindustan 

Unilever slid 2.16 per cent to 

Rs 518.10. — AFP 

TEL: 24601003, 24600586 • FAX: 24600736 

• WEBSITE: www.salalahport.com 

Dhofar Automotive and OGC 

announce Chrysler Cup results 


MUSCAT — Dhofar Automotive 

and the Oman Golf 

Committee (OGC) have announced 

the team draw for the 

semi-finals of the inaugural 

Chrysler Cup held at Almouj 

Golf Course. 

This follows the June announcement 

of a the Chrysler 

Cup – the Golf initiative 

form Dhofar Automotive, 

the exclusive distributor for 

Chrysler in Oman, and which 

is supported by the Oman 

Golf Committee. This tournament 

was conceived in order 

to provide a platform that involved 

the entire golfing community 

by playing various 

OGC rated tournaments that 

enabled them to qualify to 

play for their club in a Grand 

year ending tournament. Furthermore, 

the endeavour is to 

help raise the profile of golf 

and recognize the finest golfers 

in the Sultanate. 

Commenting on the 

Chrysler Cup, General Manager 

of Dhofar Automotive, 

Chris Edwards said; “Oman 

has rapidly become one of 

the premier destinations for 

golfers in the Middle East. 

Locally, there has been an upsurge 

in talent, interest and in- 

frastructural growth, placing 

Oman firmly on the golfing 

map. Globally, Chrysler has 

a reputation for setting new 

levels of luxury and promoting 

the finer things in life, as 

is apparent from our superbly 

crafted vehicles. Chrysler is 

proud to be associated with 

prominent golf tournaments 

worldwide and the Chrysler 

Cup, here in Oman gives us 

an excellent platform and 

focused exposure for our 

brand.” 

He added, “For the 

Chrysler Cup, our intention is 

to elevate the sport in Oman, 

improve the level of competition 

amongst golfers, as well 

as identify the crème de la 

crème of golfers. These semifinalists 

have been through a 

series of arduous matches that 

culminated in them qualifying 

to represent their club – 

Chrysler wishes them the best 

of luck and may the best team 

win.” 

With the purpose of determining 

the order of play for 

the semifinals, a draw ceremony 

was held at the Almouj 

Golf Club on September 20, 

2012. The draw was conducted 

by Chris Edwards, General 

Manager, Dhofar Automotive 

and Arqam al Busaidi, Gener- 

BIZ BRIEFS 

al Secretary, OGC in front of 

the captains of the teams that 

qualified for the semi finals - 

Muscat Hills Golf Club, Ras 

al Hamra Golf Club, Ghala 

Valley Golf Club and Almouj 

Golf Club. Ghala Valley Golf 

Club will compete against the 

Almouj Golf club and Muscat 

Hills will compete against 

Ras al Hamra Golf Club. The 

showdown begins with a one 

day Semi finals on September 

27 at the Almouj Golf Course 

and will culminate at a two 

day final event on October 11 

and 12 at Muscat Hills. 

Salim al Harthy, OGC Executive 

Vice-Chairman, said: 

“It has been our mission is to 

build a foundation for golf in 

Oman that will in turn, promote 

the local golfing teams 

and better the sport. We are 

delighted to have a brand like 

Chrysler associated with Golf 

in Oman as, through their 

involvement and other initiatives 

such as the Chrysler 

Cup, the profile, attention on 

and interest in the sport can 

only grow. As of now, we 

have received a very welcome 

response in the initial stages 

of the Chrysler Cup from the 

golfing community and know 

that we have a great tournament 

and competition ahead.” 

Toyota to release more hybrid cars 

TOKYO — Auto giant Toyota yesterday 

unveiled plans to unveil 21 new hybrid 

models and launch its latest all-electric 

vehicle this year in a bid to ramp up sales 

of environmentally friendly cars. 

The firm said it would release the new 

autos models by the end of 2015 and "expects 

global sales of its hybrid vehicles to 

be at least one million units a year from 

2013 to 2015". Vice-chairman Takeshi 

Uchiyamada (pictured) said Toyota would 

continue focusing on hybrid technology. 

"If we carry out hybrid technology 

(development), we can use it as elements of technologies for next-generation vehicles," Uchiyamada 

told a news conference. "Above all, hybrid is very practical," he said. "So, we will 

continue to develop the hybrid as the core technology." The company said 14 models would 

be completely new, with the remainder being updates of already existing vehicles. Separately, 

Toyota announced a plan to sell its new limited edition electric vehicle, "the eQ", for 3.6 

million yen ($46,000) in the Japanese and US markets, starting in December. It plans to sell 

about 100 units of the compact electric vehicle featuring a lithium-ion battery with the world's 

best electric power consumption rate at 104 watt per kilometres, Toyota said. Toyota will also 

launch another electric vehicle, "RAV4 EV", in the United States starting in September. 

Total plans to raise $15-20bn with asset sales 

LONDON — French oil group Total said 

yesterday it intended to raise $15-20 billion 

with asset sales by the end of 2014 

and aimed to boost production after expected 

flat output this year. 

Total plans to dispose of some exploration 

and production activities and some refining 

and chemical interests to raise $15- 

20 billion (11.5-15.4 billion euros) from 

2012 to 2014, finance director Patrick de 

la Chevardiere told a press conference 

alongside a presentation to investors. 

It also said it intended to raise oil and 

gas production by 3.0 per cent a year on average from 2011 to 2015, from 2.5 per cent from 

2010 to 2015, with the increase arising wholly from projects already in production or being 

developed. The new production schedule follows a series of incidents which have constrained 

output this year, particularly a leak which has disrupted gas production from the Elgin field in 

the North Sea since the end of March. Total said it hoped that production from Elgin would 

be resumed by the end of the year. We are working towards a gradual restart of the production 

prior the end of year, but at the end of the day, it's up to the UK authorities to decide," 

Chevardiere said. 

Dairy Crest expects lower first half profit 

LONDON — Dairy Crest Group Plc said 

it expects adjusted profit to fall in the first 

half as its core milk business continues to 

weigh on results, but the maker of Cathedral 

City cheese said its forecast for fullyear 

profit remains unchanged. 

Aggressive price wars between supermarkets 

and low bulk cream prices have 

hurt Dairy Crest’s core milk business. 

But strong cheese and spreads sales 

have helped the company maintain profitability. 

Dairy Crest said trading in the first 

half of the year was challenging and that it 

expects profit, adjusted for the disposal of its St. Hubert business, to be lower than last year. 

Brands like Cathedral City cheese, Country Life butter, Clover spread and Frijj milkshakes 

performed strongly, but the company’s dairies business continued to face “unprecedented 

market conditions.” Dairy Crest is raising milk selling price, closing its Aintree creamery and 

consolidating milk rounds to reduce costs.

Washing dishes ward off 

gloomy thoughts 

� Page 27 

Radisson Blu hosts Fun Day 

for orphans 

� Page 26 

Edward Maya to 

perform on Oct 4 

� Page 26 

The biggest mistakes business 

owners make 

� Page 26 

Fea ures 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 

Oman’s rich 

heritage, culture 

and geological 

landscape is 

adorned with 

ancient oasis 

settlements, 

sandy beaches, 

coral reefs, caves, 

historic castles, 

archaeological 

remains, 

traditional craft, 

museums and a 

friendly and openhearted 

people 

living gracious 

and gentle lives 

Sugary beverages 

amplify risk of obesity? 

� Page 27 

Exploring richly varied natural charms 

By Hasan Kamoonpuri 

OMAN is a big scenic 

country with varied 

charms for tourists. As 

a round-the-year destination, 

Oman offers opportunities to 

writers and enthusiasts of nature 

to write about its varied 

wonders. A great many books 

by Omani and foreign writers 

have come on Oman’s tourists 

spots. 

Recently an interesting 

book Green Guide to Exploring 

Oman co-authored by Robert 

Baldwin hit the newsstands. 

In an exclusive interview 

with the Observer, Robert 

Baldwin said, “This is a book 

for those prepared to look beyond 

the usual experience of 

Oman’s great outdoors. Its 

central message is for us all 

to make the most of what the 

Sultanate has to offer in a responsible, 

sustainable manner. 

It calls upon readers to be 

more socially conscious, more 

aware of the environment, and 

to leave a positive legacy of 

their visit. And this should not 

detract from your experience 

— indeed it will enhance your 

experience, allowing you to 

more thoroughly enjoy Oman’s 

stunning environment, varied 

wildlife, rich culture and in- 

triguing history”. 

Discovering the ‘real’ Oman 

involves adventuring beyond 

the luxury of the five-star accommodation 

and travel that 

most people encounter here. It 

requires you to make a meaningful 

connection with people, 

places and nature, through exploration, 

understanding and 

respect. By allowing the essence 

of Oman to come to you 

in its most natural form, you 

will be rewarded with a lasting 

experience of the very best that 

this magnificent country has to 

offer. 

With carefully researched 

information from leading experts 

in their respective fields, 

the Green Guide to Exploring 

Oman covers the entire country 

and is divided into three main 

eco-regions: Mountains and 

Wadis, Coasts and Islands, and 

Deserts. It also has chapters on 

how to travel around Oman in 

the most responsible way, how 

to plan your adventure, learn 

about what you may encounter, 

and be prepared for safety and 

first aid. 

The core message of the 

book is contained within a dedicated 

series of ‘Green Codes’, 

the first of their kind in Oman, 

which give you guidance on 

how best to responsibly enjoy 

your experience, whether it’s 

driving off-road, discovering 

the desert, hiking or biking up 

a mountain, diving or snorkelling 

over a coral reef, watching 

whales and dolphins, nesting 

turtles or birds, exploring 

caves, rock climbing, camping 

wild, picnicking on the beach, 

visiting castles and forts, or 

even buying souvenirs, interacting 

with local people or ordering 

from a menu. The basic 

message is: get more from your 

experience and minimise your 

impact on the environment and 

local people at the same time. 

Three authors have taken 

more than three years to complete 

this work, and have gathered 

knowledge from resident 

and foreign experts on their 

quest to provide a comprehensive 

and credible guide that 

provides you with 185 pages 

of the requisite information 

and then leaves you free, in 

that special way that Oman 

has to offer, to explore. With 

a foreword from His Highness 

Tarik bin Shabib al Said, Patron 

of the Environment Society 

of Oman, the Green Guide 

to Exploring Oman is a whole 

new approach to enjoying the 

Sultanate in line with the most 

responsible tourism practices 

and targets both residents and 

visitors to the country. 

The book is printed on recycled 

and sustainably-sourced 

paper, inks are made from nonpolluting 

vegetable dyes and 

the entire printing process followed 

the very highest environmental 

standards in the industry, 

minimising waste, pollution 

and environmental impacts at 

all stages of production. 

Investing in infrastructure 

The readers like to read this 

book because it explains how to 

explore and enjoy Oman's natural 

landscapes and destinations 

in an environmentally responsible 

manner. 

Tourists coming to Oman 

from Arab countries often say 

that Oman is an absolutely safe 

travel-destination and a country 

whose state-income goes 

back to the people in the form 

of a world-class infrastructure, 

free access to education, free 

healthcare and no income tax. 

Oman has put in place a worldclass 

infrastructure in terms 

of roads, flyovers, hospitals, 

schools, universities, ports, airports, 

industrial estates, transport 

and communication. 

Oman’s tourism has much 

on offer for visitors from any 

part of the world. But Oman’s 

tourism, they say, does not 

seem to be for the backpackers; 

it’s for the high-end luxury 

traveller. 

Oman’s rich heritage, culture 

and geological landscape 

is adorned with ancient oasis 

settlements, sandy beaches, 

coral reefs, caves, historic castles, 

archaeological remains, 

traditional craft, museums and 

a friendly and open-hearted 

people living gracious and gentle 

lives. 

Here you can find cliffs that 

drop deeply, quiet beaches, 

vivid blue ocean, hidden caves, 

green mountains, sand dunes 

and vast tracks of mangrove 

forests. More than 1,000 forts, 

castles and watchtowers are 

scattered all over the country. 

Oman is blessed with valleys, 

beaches, caves, coral 

reefs, bird life and historical 

spots such as forts and castles. 

In short, Oman offers travellers 

a combination of sophisticated 

Arabian heritage and unspoiled 

natural landscape that includes 

mountains, sand dunes, beaches 

and world-class dive sites. 

The tourism sector will 

become one of the biggest 

contributors to Oman’s GDP 

within the next decade. Oman 

is spending billions to boost 

tourism as part of a strategy to 

diversify its economy. In recent 

times, the government and private 

sector have invested over 

$10 billion in a host of major 

tourism projects across the Sultanate. 

Oman received some 

1.6 million tourists in 2010 and 

a little more than that in 2011. 

The authorities aim to reach the 

target of 12 million visitors a 

year by 2020. 

Oman, a fascinating land 

with marvels to see, be it in the 

dizzying heights of the jabals 

or in the faraway islands, along 

the dipping coastline or the rising 

dunes — a traveller will 

certainly find it a pleasure to 

explore these places using the 

green guide.

26 SPOTLIGHT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 

Oman Air honoured for supporting Yeosu Pavilion 

COMPANIES that contributed 

to Oman’s 

remarkable success at 

the Expo Yeosu 2012 in Korea 

this summer have been 

thanked and presented with 

individual awards by Sayyid 

Hamoud bin Faisal al Busaidy, 

Interior Minister and Chairman 

of the Ministerial Committee 

that supervised the Sultanate’s 

participation in Expo 

Yeosu 2012 in Korea, at a ceremony 

held at the Grand Hyatt 

Muscat Hotel. Wayne Pearce, 

Chief Executive Officer of 

Oman Air, received the certificate 

of appreciation on behalf 

of Oman Air. 

Oman Air and other companies 

received their awards in 

recognition of the contribution 

they made to Oman’s pavilion 

winning the Gold Award at 

the Expo for Best Theme De- 

velopment, which embodied 

and translated the exhibition’s 

theme of ‘The Living Ocean 

and Coast’. 

Expo Yeosu 2012 was a 

major international event, held 

between May and August this 

year, with a focus on the importance 

of balancing the preservation 

of ocean and coastal 

areas with economic development. 

Oman’s participation 

followed an invitation from 

the Government of Korea and 

saw the Sultanate join exhibitors 

from around the world. 

Wayne Pearce commented: 

“We are delighted to have received 

this award from His 

Excellency Sayyid Hamoud 

bin Faisal al Busaidy and to 

have played a part in Oman’s 

notable success at the Expo 

Yeosu 2012. Oman is a wonderful 

tourist destination and 

Edward Maya to 

perform on Oct 4 

THERE’S good news for 

music lovers in the city! 

Global sensation, musician, 

producer, performer and 

composer Edward Maya will 

be in Muscat on Thursday, 

October 4, 2012 at the Lawns, 

InterContinental Muscat. 

In 2009 Maya launched his 

first song as an artist, Stereo 

Love, reaching number 2 in 

the Romanian singles charts. 

Later that year, Stereo Love 

became a hit in clubs all over 

the world and has received 

over 174 million YouTube 

views since August 2009, for 

just one video. 

Maya who has formed his 

own record label ‘Mayavin 

Records’ released his second 

single This is My Life. 

Roar Entertainment which 

has enthralled Muscat audiences 

with great shows like 

Atif Aslam and Pritam, is 

thrilled to host Edward Maya. 

Tickets are available at the 

following outlets: OUA Retail 

MQ, InterContinental Hotel 

— Muscat, Love at First Bite, 

Dunkin Donuts branches at 

City Cinema — Shatti, Muscat 

Grand Mall, Qurum City Centre, 

Muscat City Centre and 

Madinat al Sultan Qaboos. 

Kasinath Rajeev Karan Kodwani 

Oman Daily Observer would like to take the lead in sharing 

the joy with its readers. Send us a colour photograph of 

your baby (below 10 years) along with name, date of birth, 

address, telephone number and parents’ names. Send in 

your baby’s picture and other details to: 

observerfeatures@gmail.com or Kids Corner, Oman 

Daily Observer, P O Box 974, PC 100, Muscat, 

Sultanate of Oman 

Oman Air’s growing network 

has enabled us to bring more 

visitors than ever before to 

enjoy its remarkable facilities, 

together with its awe-inspiring 

landscapes, untouched coastlines 

and year-round sunshine. 

The Sultanate’s commitment 

to protecting its environment 

ensures that not only will it 

Music album 

launched 

‘ A STHA’, a music album 

composed by Muscatbased 

expatriate resident D 

Sivaprasad, and sung by Kerala 

State Film Award winner 

Sudeep Kumar, was launched 

by film actor Manoj K Jayan at 

Onam celebrations held at Al 

Falaj Hotel recently. 

The album launch took 

place in the presence of Christy 

and Bhaskaran, Convenor of 

the Malayalam Wing, Indian 

Social Club. 

The biggest mistakes business owners make 

LOOKING back over 

the years of working 

with entrepreneurs in 

many countries, I can easily 

say the following are some of 

the biggest mistakes that I’ve 

seen business owners make: 

1. Getting into business 

for the money. If someone 

doesn’t love what they do and 

want to share it with everyone 

they see, they will never 

achieve the goals they’ve set 

for themselves, not to mention 

the goals they’ve set for their 

company. If you’re in business 

just for the money, get 

out now because it will never 

work. 

2. Failing to understand 

that their purpose and their 

attitude is at the heart of their 

business. People aren’t so 

much buying a product as 

they are buying into the vision 

of the creator. A big part 

of committing to the vision is 

the positive outcome one expects 

to receive. It’s a shared 

investment and commitment 

that cannot be underestimated. 

3. Failing to systematise. 

In the early stages of setting 

be safeguarded for future generations, 

but also that it will 

remain a unique attraction for 

visitors and Oman Air is honoured 

to have been able to 

support the government’s initiative.” 

Oman Air’s participation in 

the Expo highlighted its ongoing 

commitment to promoting 

LEADERSHIP CORNER 

By Susan Bagyura 

up the business, instead of 

wasting time repeating tasks 

over and over, create a system 

that anyone can use. If you 

find yourself doing something 

twice, create a template or 

system for the next time. 

4. Holding employees responsible 

for whatever happens 

in the business. Countless 

times business owners 

will say that everything would 

be fine if it wasn’t for a mistake 

that someone else made. 

Oman as an exciting tourism 

destination and publicising its 

excellent hotels, rich culture 

and legendary hospitality. 

The airline’s senior staff 

were joined by 20 speciallyselected 

Omani students who 

helped to greet the 521,783 

visitors to the 786 square-metre 

pavilion, which featured 

The term was 

used to describe 

an enterprising 

individual who 

builds capital 

through risk and/ 

or initiative 

It’s easy to blame others for 

results, but the truth is that 

as the business owner, you 

are ultimately responsible for 

everything that happens in 

your business. Follow up and 

communicate with people to 

understand what’s happening 

and maintain involvement. 

5. Blaming outside circumstances. 

This is all too familiar 

and easy to do. Everything 

and everyone else is responsible 

for the success or failure of 

high-tech touch screen information 

points. 

The pavilion also included 

a 44-seat movie theatre with 

a semi-circular screen and 

surround-sound audio which 

presented documentaries on 

the Sultanate’s marine wealth 

and its preservation of natural 

resources. 

Radisson Blu hosts Fun Day for orphans 

A GROUP 

of children 

from the Social Development 

Ministry’s 

Orphanage Care Centre at Al 

Khoudh enjoyed a memorable 

day out at Radisson Blu Hotel 

Muscat at the weekend. In 

all, 25 children were accorded 

five-star luxury at the charming 

Al Khuwair property as part of 

the hotel’s “Responsible Business 

Action Month” initiative. 

They were joined by five social 

workers from the centre. 

Arriving at 10 am in the 

morning, the young guests 

headed to the hotel’s exciting 

poolside where they frolicked 

in the water for several hours 

before tucking into a delightful 

spread organised by the 

property. Management executives 

as well as members 

of the Responsible Business 

Team were in attendance at the 

Lazy Lizard Garden and Pool, 

organising drawing and painting 

activities, as well as games 

for the kids. 

This weekend’s Fun Day 

was the second in a series of 

charitable events organised by 

Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat as 

part of its continuing relationship 

with the Orphanage Care 

Centre. 

matters. It could be the computers 

were done; the weather 

was horrendous or mail wasn’t 

delivered. All of these are excuses. 

When something and 

someone is really important, 

then nothing will stand in the 

way of making things happen 

positively. Instead of looking 

for excuses, find ways of creating 

the outcomes you want 

to see in your business and for 

your customers. 

6. Trying to sell to people 

instead of understanding what 

people want to buy. Frequently 

companies are focused on 

who they are and what they 

want to sell rather than understand 

how their customers are 

and what they want in order 

to achieve their goals. Understand 

that when you speak 

to a potential customer, they 

have heard pitches from many 

companies. These pitches all 

sound the same. To differentiate 

your company from 

others, take the time to understand 

what your prospective 

client wants to achieve, what 

their challenges are in their 

market and how you can help 

them get to where they want 

Dr Rajan Philips 

rajanph@yahoo.co.uk 

Responsible tourism and 

sustainable development 

THIS year, one billion international tourists are 

expected to travel to foreign destinations. Add to 

this the number of domestic tourists. Tourism has 

truly grown into a mammoth industry that sustains several 

nations and billions of people. This places a tremendous 

responsibility on all stakeholders to create the right 

environment for further growth without undue negative 

impact on natural resources and cultural heritage. 

World Tourism Day (WTD) observed annually on 

September 27 since 1980, provides the impetus and 

norms for a constructive approach to tourism. The Day 

aims to create international awareness on the cultural, 

ecological and economic implications. 

The celebrations are orchestrated by United Nations 

World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The agency 

strives to promote responsible and sustainable global 

tourism. WTO sets a theme for each year. For instance, 

the 2011 theme was ‘Tourism Linking Cultures’. It emphasised 

the interaction between diverse cultures, leading 

to tolerance, respect and international understanding. 

The theme for 2012 is ‘Tourism & Sustainable Energy: 

Powering Sustainable Development.’ It highlights the 

role of tourism in creating a brighter and more efficient 

and affordable energy future. The official celebrations 

are to take place in Maspalomas, Spain. 

More significantly WTO encourages the implementation 

of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, to maximise 

tourism’s socio-economic contribution while minimising 

its negative impacts, an action very relevant to 

realise this year’s theme. 

The message of the UN Secretary-General makes 

this abundantly clear by asserting that tourism sector 

is well-placed to promote environmental sustainability, 

green growth and check climate change. The industry 

has already taken initiatives to develop and deploy clean 

energy solutions, cut energy consumption and carbon 

emissions. 

The WTD 2012 celebrations encourage all stakeholders 

— governments, businesses and tourists themselves 

— to adopt sustainable energy initiatives enthusiastically. 

These include use of new technology to make lighter 

aircraft, renewable fuel for aviation and better energy 

conservation in hotels. 

Individual tourists are urged to take simple steps that 

make a big difference such as switching off the lights in 

the hotel rooms and unplugging appliances when not in 

use or taking a shower instead of a bath. 

To create greater awareness, WTO has organised the 

annual WTD photo competition, and Twitter competition. 

Travel and tourism industry must recognise the positive 

role of ‘armchair travellers’. They experience the 

pleasures of travel without stirring out of the homes, by 

watching excellent travel programmes on the TV and by 

browsing the Internet. They serve as indirect but significant 

ambassadors for tourism. 

The industry must also cater to budget travellers 

while developing infrastructure. Hotels that are moderately 

priced but clean, safe and secure must come up to 

encourage the less affluent too to experience the joys of 

travel. 

Thankfully, Oman’s tourism scenario is blooming 

and booming even while it maintains a healthy balance 

between economic growth and cultural and ecological 

concerns. 

This explains the popularity of Oman as a favoured 

destination among serious and discerning tourists who 

yearn for a genuinely relaxed trip, savouring the splendid 

variety of tourist spots and the unmistakable warmth of 

the people, reinforced by unmatched level of peace and 

security. 

Tourism today has a dramatic role in bringing the 

world closer, and making laudable gains in economic and 

cultural terms. Let us also hope that in consonance with 

this year’s WTD theme, the industry will also contribute 

to creating a cleaner and more energy-efficient world. 

Quotes: 

� There are two classes of travel — first class, and with 

children. 

— Benchley 

� Travel is ninety per cent anticipation and ten per cent 

recollection. 

— Streeter Edward 

� A tourist is one who drives thousands of miles so he 

can be photographed standing in front of his car. 

— Emile Gamest 

to be. Don’t try to sell them; 

try to help them instead and 

see what happens. 

7. Lack of commitment to 

or belief in what they are doing. 

Surprisingly many people 

will be trying to convince others 

to buy or to do something 

that they aren’t doing. Real 

estate people trying to sell 

high-priced properties and 

meanwhile they are renting 

or living in a different neighbourhood. 

Whatever it is that 

your company makes or offers 

as a service, you must be the 

top proponent of it. 

Believe in what you are 

doing; take responsibility for 

everything that’s happening 

in your business; look for 

how you can unselfishly help 

others get what they want and 

be an example of what you 

are promoting paves the road 

to success. 

(Susan Bagyura, a leadership 

coach, business consultant 

and Amazon best-selling 

author of The Visionary 

Leader: How to Inspire Success 

From the Top Down, 

works with small business 

owners and entrepreneurs to 

create financially sustainable 

businesses.)

PEOPLE’S 

PLATFORM 

IT was intriguing to read in your columns 

about progress being made in 

the implementation of the Khasab- 

Lima-Diba road project. As a construction 

engineer myself, I’ve always marveled 

at how the government would try 

to build a road through some of the most 

rugged landscapes that Oman ever has. 

Musandam is no country for ‘city slicker’ 

types. The terrain is brutally wild, barren 

for the most part, save for splotches of 

greenery in the bowels of wadis. 

As an inveterate trekker and adventurer, 

I’ve explored much of this pristine 

wilderness. While a road would undoubtedly 

transform this region, I’m a little 

worried about the impact it would have 

on this untouched landscape. 

For sure, tourists would come and 

explore the hills and wadis of this peninsula, 

but the hardcore adventure types 

like me would have to seek out new frontiers 

to explore. I wonder if there are any 

uncharted landscapes still waiting to be 

explored in Oman. 

— Kevin Morell 

Editor: There’s no doubting the importance 

of this project to Musandam’s 

long-term socio-economic development. 

Villages have isolated for too long simply 

for want of road communications. The 

government is determined to press ahead 

with this project 

Filling stations needed on 

Muscat Expressway 

ALTHOUGH the Muscat Expressway 

has been in operation for nearly 

two years, not a single filling station has 

come on either side of this important 

carriageway. This is a shame. I’ve known 

of at least half a dozen instances of people 

I know who have been stranded on the 

Expressway after running out of fuel. 

True, it’s their fault for not having fuelled 

up before heading out on this road. But 

how can the three major fuel marketing 

companies — Shell, omanoil and Al 

Sugary beverages amplify 

risk of obesity? 

HIGHER intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) 

seems to amplify the risk of obesity, according to a 

finding. “The findings may motivate further research on 

interactions between genomic variation and environmental 

factors regarding human health,” said Lu Qi, assistant 

professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health 

(HSPH) and senior study author. 

Although widespread evidence supports a link between 

SSBs (whose consumption has increased dramatically worldwide), 

obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, there has 

been little research on whether environmental factors, such as 

drinking sugary beverages, influence genetic predisposition to 

obesity, the New England Journal of Medicine reported. 

The results showed that the genetic effects on BMI (height 

to weight ration) and obesity risk among those who drank one 

or more SSBs per day were about twice as large as those who 

consumed less than one serving per month. 

Washing the dishes can help 

ward off gloomy thoughts 

WASHING the 

dishes and making 

a cup of tea are among 

the simple, consciously 

executed tasks that are 

able to dispel negative 

thoughts. 

When people with 

psychological problems 

experience something 

positive they are able to 

see it only in a negative 

light, says Sabine Herpertz, 

a Berlin professor 

of psychiatry. 

Exercises in so-called 

attentiveness help people 

to see what they have experienced 

in a neutral way. Patients are then able to control 

their negative feelings and improve their ability to concentrate. 

Simple household chores can serve as exercises, Herpertz 

says, but even apparently senseless activities, such as 

trying to get a raw egg to stand upright will do as well. 

Maha – continue to ignore the needs of 

motorists along the Expressway? 

In other places, it’s not uncommon to 

find rival fuel marketing brands operat- 

27 

LETTERS/HEALTH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 

A road through Oman’s final frontier 

ing virtually next door to each other, as 

if one sells a better quality of fuel than 

the other. 

— Manish Kaviratna 

Editor: We understand that the fuel 

marketing companies are quite eager to 

set up filling stations along the Expressway, 

but are awaiting allocations of suit- 

able plots and other permissions. Until 

then, we should try to ensure that we are 

suitably topped up when we ride out into 

areas that have no filling stations. 

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Home exercises can take 

place of gym workout 

PEOPLE lacking the time or inclination 

to go to a workout studio can still get in 

shape with simple exercises that can be 

done at home. 

Sabine Kind, an instructor at the German 

University of Applied Sciences for Prevention 

and Health Management in Saarbruecken, recommends 

the following ones. 

For co-ordination, balance and protection 

against falls: Stand on one leg while brushing 

your teeth. Change legs after a minute. If this 

is too easy, you can slightly bend the knee of 

the leg you are standing on, close your eyes or 

stand on tiptoe. This exercise can also be done 

while cooking. 

For firm buttocks: While standing, tense 

your buttocks, firmly pressing your bum cheeks 

together for 20 seconds. Relax. Repeat. 

For the biceps, abdomen and back: Put your 

shopping in a box. Pick up the box by bending 

your knees and keeping your back straight. 

Tighten your abdominal muscles. Carry the 

box close to your body and make sure that your 

pelvis is tilted backwards. 

For attractive arms: Bottles of water can 

be used instead of dumbbells to train biceps. 

Before drinking the water, do 10 to 20 bicep 

curls with each arm. 

For the triceps: The bathtub can be used 

for this exercise. Place your feet hip-width 

apart and hold on to the rim of the tub. Slowly 

dip your body by bending your arms, and then 

straighten them again. 

For the neck: Sit or stand straight. Draw 

your shoulders towards your ears, hold them in 

this position briefly, then let them drop. 

Protein can kick-start male fertility 

ADDING a protein could 

activate infertile human 

sperm into fertilising 

an egg, improving chances 

of a successful pregnancy, says 

a new study. 

The team from Cardiff University’s 

School of Medicine 

first found that sperm transfers 

a vital protein, known as PLCzeta 

(PLCz), to the egg upon 

fertilisation. Then it initiates a 

process called ‘egg activation,’ 

which switches on all the biological 

processes necessary for 

development of an embryo. 

The team has found that 

eggs that don’t fertilise because 

of a defective PLCz, as in some 

forms of male infertility, can be 

treated with the active protein 

to produce egg activation. 

The added PLCz kick-starts 

the fertilisation process and significantly 

improves the chance 

of a successful pregnancy, the 

journal Fertility and Sterility 

reports. 

“We know that some men 

are infertile because their 

sperm fail to activate eggs. 

This exercise can also be done while holding 

bottles of water in each hand. — -dpa 

Even though their sperm fuses 

with the egg, nothing happens,” 

said Tony Lai, professor 

at Cardiff, who with professor 

Karl Swann, led the team at 

Calf pain 

could indicate 

increased risk 

of heart attack A 

PAIN in the calves 

could be an indicator of 

increased risk of heart attack, 

according to the German 

heart foundation. 

Patients should be on the 

alert if the pains occur while 

walking and then eases off 

when standing still. The 

same applies to pains that 

become noticeable in the toe 

region when lying down, in 

particular when standing up 

causes them to fade. 

Both types of pain are 

symptoms typical of arteriosclerosis, 

better known 

as hardening of the arteries, 

the foundation says. The deposits 

in the arteries result in 

poor blood flow to various 

parts of the body. — dpa 

Cardiff University’s Institute 

of Molecular and Experimental 

Medicine and funded by the 

Wellcome Trust, according to a 

Cardiff statement. 

“These sperm may lack a 

proper functioning version of 

PLCz, which is essential to 

trigger the next stage in becoming 

pregnant,” Lai added. 

“What’s important from our 

research is that we have used 

human sperm PLCz to obtain 

the positive results that we had 

previously observed only in 

experiments with mice,” Lai 

said. 

“In the lab we have been 

able to prepare human PLCz 

protein that is active. If this 

protein is inactive or missing 

from sperm, it fails to trigger 

the process necessary for egg 

activation — the next crucial 

stage of embryo development,” 

Lai said. 

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

Printers and Publishers OMAN ESTABLISHMENT FOR PRESS, PUBLICATION AND ADVERTISING 

Tough measures needed to 

address parking congestion 

PARKING congestion will continue to 

haunt our capital city as long as the 

authorities do nothing to oblige property 

developers to make enough provision 

for car parking within their premises. 

Save for a small proportion of civilised 

developers, the large majority build their 

projects virtually up to their boundary 

limits, forcing tenants, visitors and 

customers to park in public areas, often 

with disastrous results. 

Where builders are forced to allocate 

space for parking, they convenient locate 

this space in the basement of their buildings, 

which is then placed off-limits to 

visitors and customers. 

Automatic gates ensure that only tenants 

have access to the basement parking 

areas. Visitors and customers are 

forced to park in public areas, adding to 

an already distressed parking situation in 

these neighbourhoods. 

— Miriam H 

Editor: There is broad consensus that 

developers of new real estate projects 

must set aside enough space for car 

parks commensurate with the number of 

cars each property is likely to generate. 

Prices of vegetables still high 

DESPITE efforts by the consumer 

protection authorities to curb 

any unwarranted price increases, I’m 

surprised to see that the prices of some 

vegetables are still relatively high. 

Cucumber still sells for roughly 500 – 

600 baizas a kilo. This is too steep for this 

time of the year. 

— Haider Shaikh 

Editor: We hope the consumer protection 

watchdog will look into this. 

Headset zaps epilepsy 

and depression 

SMALL headset created by scientists can zap depression 

or epilepsy when you are asleep. It comprises two square, 

sticky pads, attached to either side of the forehead, just above 

a major nerve in the brain. These pads are wired with a mobile 

phone-sized box that sits at the waist. 

The box generates a small electrical pulse that lasts 30 seconds 

and is followed 30 seconds later by another pulse. 

The pulses stimulate the trigeminal nerve and can reduce 

the number and severity of epileptic seizures as lowering depression. 

The procedure, called Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation, 

was created by University of California neurologists. 

Studies have shown that a small number of severely epileptic 

patients who used the gadget for a year saw their number 

of seizures drop by an average of 60 per cent, the Daily Mail 

reports. 

Tests on people with major depression saw their scores on 

the Beck Depression Inventory, a scale used to rank depression, 

improve significantly. 

Mole-rats hold key to pain relief 

NAKED mole-rats which have evolved to thrive in an 

acidic environment in their tightly crowded burrows, 

may hold the key to pain relief, according to an ongoing 

study. 

In their burrows, carbon dioxide builds up to levels 

that would be toxic for other mammals, including humans. 

However, these animals freely tolerate these unpleasant 

conditions, which may offer clues to relieving pain in other 

animals and humans, says Thomas Park, professor of biological 

sciences at University of Illinois, Chicago and principal 

study investigator. 

Much of the lingering pain of an injury, for example, is 

caused by acidification of the injured tissue, Park said, the 

journal Public Library of Science ONE reports. 

"Acidification is an unavoidable side-effect of injury," he 

said. "Studying an animal that feels no pain from an acidified 

environment should lead to new ways of alleviating pain in 

humans," adds Park. Pamela LaVinka, graduate student in 

biological sciences Chicago, co-authored the study. 

In the nose of a mammal, specialised nerve fibres are 

activated by acidic fumes, stimulating the trigeminal nucleus, 

a collection of nerves in the brainstem, which in turn 

elicits physiological and behavioural responses that protect 

the animal — it will secrete mucus and rub its nose, for example, 

and withdraw or avoid the acidic fumes, according 

to a Chicago statement. 

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WORLD TOURISM DAY 

27 September 2012 

Towards Sustainability 

His Excellency Ahmed Al Mahrizi, 

Minister of Tourism 

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Sustainable and Emerging Energy 

Sources are Attractive 

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Tourism and Sustainable Energy: 

Powering Sustainable Development 

A Sustainable Centre for 

Oman’s Tourism Sector 

Her Excellency Maitha Al Mahrouqi, 

Undersecretary, Ministry of Tourism 

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Sustainable Energy Sources 

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Planning and Design 

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28 OMAN TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 

OMRAN 

Developing Sustainably 

Engineer Wael Al Lawati, Chief Executive 

Officer 

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Business Practices 

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S - Oman Daily Observer

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