OmanObserver_09-02-11 - Observer 09 Feb 2011 - Oman Daily ...

���������������������������� Wednesday, February 9, 2011/Rabee al Awal 5, 1432 AH
www.omanobserver.om ��editor@omanobserver.om
Vietnam official received
MUSCAT — On behalf of His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos, His Highness Sayyid Asaad bin Tareq al Said
received in his office here yesterday Nguyen Danh
Sao, the ambassador of Vietnam to the Sultanate,
who bade farewell at the end of his tour of duty in the
Sultanate. � Details on page 2
HM confers Order on UK citizen
MUSCAT — His Majesty
Sultan Qaboos conferred
Oman Civil Order (3rd
Class) on the family of
British citizen Simon Anthony
Halstead who lost
his life while rescuing an
Omani citizen stranded in
a flooded Wadi Ghizlan in
the Wilayat of Al Amerat.
Absolute Truth?
SOMETIMES I wonder of
those people
who think they
own the keys
for everything.
Starting from
the knowledge
and ending by ignorance.
The Royal gesture was in
appreciation for the late
Halstead’s noble humanitarian
stance.
The Order was handed
over on behalf of His
Majesty the Sultan to Halstead’s
family here yesterday
by Sayyid Ali bin
Hamoud al Busaidy, Min-
Horse race tomorrow
MUSCAT — The Royal Horse Race Club at the Royal Court
Affairs will hold tomorrow the 5th race of the current season
at the Al Fulaij Track in Barka under the auspices of Habib
bin Mohammed al Riyami, Secretary-General of the Sultan
Qaboos Centre for Islamic Culture. The race will consist of
eight rounds and seven for pure Arab horses. — ONA
Be patient
THE family forms the pillar
of every society
and it remains
in good
stead, human
beings, as a society,
becomes
a united block. � Weekend
NEW YORK — Oil prices
rebounded yesterday, with
Brent crude pushing above
$100 a barrel, as gasoline
futures rallied on refinery
outages and lifted crude
futures after they had been
pressured by China’s second
interest rate increase in six
weeks.
Bomb attacks shutting
a crude pipeline in Colombia
and reduced crude oil
ister of the Diwan of Royal
Court.
The ceremony was attended
by Lt Gen Malik
bin Sulaiman al Maamari,
Inspector General of Police
and Customs, and Dr Noel
Joseph Guckian, Ambassador
of the United Kingdom
to the Sultanate. — ONA
Scholarships
programme
MUSCAT — The Research
Council (TRC) has said that
the “Open Research Grants
Programme” has triggered
great activity in academic
and research institutions
concerned, said Dr Saif bin
Abdullah al Hadabi, Assistant
Secretary General of Research
Programmes at TRC.
Al Hadabi pointed out
that, since the programme’s
launch in 2009, 80 research
proposals have been received,
while financing reached more
than RO 3.67 million.
— Oman Arabic daily
flow feeding the Poseidon
Pipeline in the US Gulf of
Mexico added lift to crude
prices.
Traders and brokers also
pointed to Egypt’s continuing
political uncertainty, reinforcing
concerns about the
potential for supply interruptions,
as another factor helping
oil prices shrug off the
effect of China’s latest move
to curb inflation. — Reuters
High priority to food security
MUSCAT —The Council of Ministers
has held a number of sessions to assess
reports and studies related to the
Sultanate’s food security strategy in response
to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s
orders to accord special attention to the
issue by making the basic agricultural,
fishery and food commodities available
to citizens at affordable rates.
This came in a statement by the
Council of Ministers.
Mazoon, an English magazine published by the Oman
Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising,
is being issued free with today’s edition of the Observer.
Dhuhr 12.26 pm
Asr 03.39 pm
Maghrib 06.03 pm
Isha 07.15 pm
Fajr 05.27 am
The Council also reviewed developmental
projects listed on the 8th Five
ROP to book drunk drivers
����������������
MUSCAT — Those who get
onto the driver’s seat after a
couple of shots at a party beware!
The Royal Oman Police
(ROP) is all out there to book
you for multiple offences in-
OMAN as a country on the
whole is very beautiful and
it is well-known for its naturally
rich landscapes.
Each region of the Sultanate
is distinguished by
different natural attractions.
One of the most beautiful
parts of Oman is Al Batinah
Region as it is famous for its
picturesque farms and wadies
surrounded by rugged
mountains. � See Weekend
cluding dangerous driving
and for jeopardising the lives
of others on the road. Hefty
fines, imprisonment, and suspension
of driving licence are
to follow.
ROP sources conformed
to the offence of drunk driv-
Year Plan for the agriculture and fisheries
sectors, which have been prioritised
to achieve the prospective goals. The
Council envisaged solutions to implement
the Royal Directives on the short
term, in addition to developing the general
vision for a sustainable strategy to
develop the agriculture, livestock and
fisheries sectors. — ONA
ing as one of the major factors
contributing to the burgeoning
number of road accidents in
the country. “Each year there
are about 10,000 car crashes
in Oman resulting in an average
680 deaths and 7,550 injuries.
� Details on page 4
New Oman Air offers
MUSCAT — Oman Air Holidays have come up with unbeatable
packages to Kuala Lumpur and Salalah valid until
March 31. For just RO 199 per person, the 3-nights Malaysia
package that includes flight, hotel, transfers and taxes comes
as a never-to-be-missed offer that is sure to be extremely
popular with discerning travellers.
Oman Air Holidays have packages to Salalah partnering
with the 5-star Salalah Marriott Resort and the 5-star Crowne
Plaza Salalah Resort to offer residents of Muscat an opportunity
to experience the enchanting city of Salalah. � See page 4
Wekan Village Nursing strategy planned
Oil bounces above $100 beckons visitors MUSCAT — GCC health
Huge turnout at Egypt protests
CAIRO — Hundreds of
thousands of demonstrators
flooded Cairo’s iconic Tahrir
Square and towns across
Egypt yesterday.
Journalists overlooking
the square confirmed it was
the biggest gathering yet in
a movement which began
on January 25. Witnesses in
Egypt’s second city Alexandria
said a march there also
attracted record numbers.
Earlier, the authorities
issued a decree forming a
committee to oversee con-
Colourful opening of Arts Village
���������������������
MUSCAT — Over 150 artisans
representing 25 countries
showcased best of their products,
folk dances and music to
mark the official opening of
International Village for Arts,
Heritage and Creativity at the
Qurum Natural Park venue of
the Muscat Festival yesterday.
The opening ceremony
was held under the auspices
of Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal al
Busaidy, Secretary-General of
the Council of Ministers. He
was accompanied by Sultan
bin Hamdoon al Harthy, Chair-
man of Muscat Municipality,
dignitaries and representatives
of embassies, countries of
which are participating in the
International Village for Arts
Heritage and Creativity.
The participants used this
as an opportunity to present
popular folk music and dances
of their respective countries
making the whole atmosphere
colourful and a unique mixture
of different cultures of the
world.
Artisans from 25 countries
are working on 10 handicraft
themes of carpets, cadou and
kilims; traditional costumes
and embroidery; metal works,
including Jewellery and Silver
artefacts; pottery and ceramics;
woodwork; architectural
crafts; paper-making and ebru
(marbled paper); stucco coloured
glass; decoration, Miniatures,
Gilding and Binding;
and Straw, Baskets and Bamboo
Crafts.
A competition is being
organised to recognise the
works of participants and an
award titled ‘Muscat International
Award for Innovation
and Creativity in Crafts’ will
be distributed among the winners
of each theme.
7 20
3 Proteas head for India
STAR South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis may
only bat in a Cricket World Cup warm-up against
Zimbabwe in India on Saturday as he recovers from a
rib injury. Team officials said caution was the key word
despite assurances from the veteran that he was fit and
raring to go after being injured last month in the drawn
Test against India at Newlands.
Council of Ministers envisages short and long-term strategies
School robot lab pact
MUSCAT — A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was
signed here yesterday between Knowledge Oasis Muscat
(KOM) and the Directorate General of Education in Muscat
to set up a specialised laboratory for the teaching of robot sciences
and link them to other curricula.
The MoU was signed by Dr Salim bin Sultan al Ruzaiqi,
Executive Chairman of Information Technology Authority,
and Sayyida Sana bint Hamad bin Saud, Director-General of
Education in Muscat. — ONA
stitutional changes ahead of
elections.
“The president welcomed
the national consensus, confirming
we are on the right
path to getting out of the current
crisis,” said Vice President
Omar Suleiman. — Reuters
� In implementation of Royal Directives
� Make food available at affordable prices
� Agriculture and fisheries projects reviewed
Education, health units open
MUSCAT — The Wilayat of
Jaalan Bani Bu Ali yesterday
celebrated the opening
of Al Jawabi Basic Education
School in Al Saleel village.
The schools, which cost
RO 800,000, consists of 18
classrooms and modern ex-
tra-curricula activities facilities,
among other sections.
The school opening was
presided over by Shaikh
Hilal bin Ali al Habsi, Wali
of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali.
Meanwhile, a new health
centre was opened at Wadi
al Minqal under the auspices
of Shaikh Ali bin Ahmed al
Shamsi, Wali of Sur.
In the wilayat of Al Mudhaibi,
a dialysis unit was
opened at Sinaw Hospital
under the auspices of Shaikh
Meaddad bin Mohammed al
Yaqoobi, Wali of Al Mudhaibi.
— ONA
Labour legislations studied
MUSCAT — The Sultanate’s
Labour Confederation,
after one year from its formation,
has gone a long way
in engendering the concept
of labour unions and the
representation of workers in
private sector bodies operating
at local, regional and international
levels.
It also contributed to supporting
the establishment of
labour syndicates and the
resolving of various labour
issues and the study and revision
of laws related to the
MUSCAT — Authorities
overseeing the development
of an industrial and economic
hub at Duqm on the
Sultanate’s Wusta coast have
pledged to put in place robust
measures to safeguard
the region’s immaculate en-
labour sector.
Saud bin Ali al Jabri,
chairman of the Sultanate’s
Labour Confederation, said
that the institution reached an
advanced stage in researching
and revising labour laws
and legislations with a view
to improving the conditions
of employment for private
sector workers.
Al Jabri pointed out that
the Omani Labour Law, as
it stands, needs revision and
upgrading of some of its provisions
to keep pace with the
officials have proposed the
drafting of a common strategy
for planning human
resources development in
the field of nursing to help
promote public health and
implement general policy
goals.
The ‘professional learning’
strategy envisages the
support of vocational groups
in member states.
The proposed strategy
vironment. Some of these
measures were outlined at a
recent forum that served to
showcase the government’s
ambition to transform Duqm
into a world-scale maritime,
industrial and tourism development,
anchored by a huge
requirements of the labour
market and recent economic
developments like price
hikes and the high cost of
living.
Al Jabri said that the confederation
was found to serve
private sector employees and
that it is in particular studying
the articles in the labour
law pertaining to wages and
working hours to help diminish
the gap between the
status of workers in the public
and private sectors.
— Oman Arabic daily
was one of the recommendations
of a two-day forum
which concluded here yesterday.
the 9th Gulf Nursing
Symposium, held at Crowne
Plaza hotel under the theme
“Boosting the Role of Nursing
in Public Health”.
The event was organized
by the Health Ministry in cooperation
with the executive
office of the GCC Health
Ministers Council.
� Details on page 3
Robust environ safeguards
seaport and dry dock complex.
Multimodal transportation
infrastructure.are key components
of the government’s
vision for Duqm’s long-term
development.
� Details on page 9

2 OMAN
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
Asaad receives Vietnam ambassador
MUSCAT — On behalf of His Majesty
Sultan Qaboos, His Highness Sayyid Asaad
bin Tareq al Said received in his office here
yesterday Nguyen Danh Sao, the ambassador
of Vietnam to the Sultanate, who bade
farewell at the end of his tour of duty in the
Sultanate.
The ambassador expressed his thanks
to His Majesty the Sultan for the support
he received during his stay in the Sultanate
from His Majesty, the government and
the Omani people, saying that such co-operation
facilitated mission. He wished His
Majesty good health, happiness and a long
life and the Omani people further progress,
peace and prosperity.
HH Sayyid Asaad expressed his utmost
thanks to the ambassador for his efforts in
serving bilateral relations. He wished the
ambassador success in his future assignments
and the friendly people of Vietnam
further progress and prosperity. — ONA
Agriculture
Committee
visits
Thamrait
THaMRAIT — The Executive
Evaluation Committee
of the Agriculture Months
2010 competition yesterday
visited here and viewed major
projects implemented in
the wilayat.
It also met citizens in
their farms and followed up
projects related to livestock
breeders.
The committee will visit
Taqah and Sadah today.
The visiting team led
by Dr Ishaq bin Ahmed al
Ruqaishi, Agriculture Ministry's
Under-Secretary, includes
Saud bin Salim al
Harthy, Director-General of
Agriculture and Livestock
in Dhofar, Shaikh Amir bin
Mahad Kashoob, Wali of
Thamrait and head of the
committee in the wilayat,
members of the local committee,
farmers, citizens and
directors. — ONA

Sultanate to take part in
Casablanca Book Fair
CASABLANCA — The Sultanate, represented
by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, will
take part in the Casablanca International Book
Fair in Morocco which opens on February 11.
Oman’s pavilion will exhibit the latest and
E-mobile unit visits Sports Affairs Ministry
MUSCAT — The mobile e-unit tasked with installing data on the ID cards of voters
of Majlis Ash’shura elections yesterday visited the Sports Affairs Ministry. — ONA
ISG to celebrate 20th
Founders Day today
By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — Dr Hamad bin
Hamed al Ghaffri, Adviser,
Ministry of Civil Service, will
be presiding over the 20th
Founders Day of the Indian
School Al Ghubra today.
Ambassador of India to
Oman Anil Wadhwa and two
former ambassadors of India
to the Sultanate Ranjit Gupta
and Satnamjit Singh also will
attend the ceremony.
‘Milestones – ISG’ will
highlight all the major events
MUSCAT — As Muscat Eye
Laser Center’s reputation as a
world-class provider of vision
correction services grows internationally,
so does its ability
to attract overseas clients
eager to combine a holiday in
enchanting Oman with the opportunity
to benefit from the
Center’s proven capabilities in
surgical eye care.
A case in point is that of
Austrian national Julia Kasseroller
(pictured) who flew
in from Salzburg for Lasik
surgery at the Center’s fullfledged
facilities at Qurum in
the capital city of Muscat.
After a leisurely stay in the
Sultanate that included preoperative
consultations and
a post-operative follow-up,
Julia recently returned to her
in ISG in the past two decades.
This will be followed by the
release of the ‘School Profile’
a publication commemorating
the occasion.
‘Raag Sandhya’, an ensemble
of Indian classical music,
will follow the celebrations.
The school ground will be converted
into an Egyptian town
with heliographic inscriptions
and Egyptian statuettes for the
staging of “Cleopatra”
The ceremony will becompered
by Merrin Emma Mathews
and Nikitha Mc Donald.
Iran embassy holds
National Day reception
MUSCAT — The Embassy of Iran hosted a reception yesterday
to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic revolution
and the country’s National Day.
Senior state officials and heads of diplomatic missions
accredited to the Sultanate attended the reception.
— ONA
native Austria, her vision fully
restored.
Choosing Muscat Eye La-
By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — A number of
SQU academics have established
their presence in launching
a new peer-reviewed,
open-access journal published
by Medknow Publishers.
Dr M M Mohamed Essa
(pictured), Assistant Professor
in the Food Sciences
& Nutrition Department of
Sultan Qaboos University, is
the Chief Editor of the International
Journal of Nutrition
Pharmacology Neurological
Diseases (IJNPND).
The journal covers all fields
related to nutrition, pharmacology
and neurological diseases.
The co-editors in chief are reputed
scientists from different
parts of the world.
According to Dr Mohamed
Essa, there is no other journal
that focuses on the nutrition,
pharmacology and neurological
diseases in a combined
ser Center in faraway Oman
over equally advanced clinics
nearer home in Europe was
not so much a matter of economics,
as the assurance of
quality care associated with
the former, says Julia.
“I had heard so much about
the Center’s Medical Director,
Dr Maria Clara Arbelaez,
from one of my close friends
who is also an ophthalmologist.
As a specialist in refractive
corneal surgery, Dr Maria
is well-regarded as a pioneer
in international ophthalmology
circles,” explained Julia,
a Key Account Manager at
Sony DADC, a leading manufacturer
of Blue Ray discs and
DVDs.
“Initially, I was a little
nervous about the prospect
3 OMAN
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
PDO supports Al Noor
Association for the Blind
MUSCAT – As part of its continued
support to the community,
Petroleum Development
Oman (PDO) will sponsor the
acquisition of a bus in support
of the Al Noor Association
for the Blind. The bus will be
used by the Al Batinah and Al
Dhahira branch to cover the
transportation needs in the
two regions.
The Company’s commitment
was made today at
a special ceremony held at
PDO’s Oil and Gas Exhibi-
form, and IJNPND aims to fill
this void and provide a forum
for those with an interest in
these areas.
IJNPND has three main
sections: nutrition, pharmacology
and neurological diseases.
IJNPND publishes research
papers, review articles, commentaries,
case reports, brief
communications and correspondence
in all three sections.
The chief editor said
that all articles published in
IJNPND will be abstracted and
Muscat Eye Laser attracts
international patronage
By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — After a perfect
start in perfect conditions just
off Ras al Khaimah’s Al Hamra
Marina the fleet of closely
matched yachts set off to the
eastern-most point of the Arabian
Peninsula.
Soon after the fleet started,
each team sailed their own tactics
which saw some head further
out to sea and others staying
in close to the shore. The
ones who stayed close to the
shore not only enjoyed a closeup
view of the cliffs plunging
into the Oman Sea but crossed
the first gate ahead of those
who went offshore.
After almost seven hours of
sailing New Caledonia crossed
the line at 16:09 Commercial-
bank Group crossed at 16:16
and Renaissance at 16:26. Ras
Al Khaimah was flying along
only 4 minutes behind them
and Royal Navy of Oman sang
their way past the committee
boat at 16:46.
With the tip of Musandam
just past the gate, the sharp uturn
back down the other side
of the coast meant that it was
all to play for with the fleet so
closely matched. And so it was
that the wind dropped as the
teams turned the corner and
pointed their bows towards
Dibba and the luxury resort of
Six Senses Zighy bay, hosts of
the race before they sail again
to Musannah Sports City.
As a result of the wind
dropping it became a game of
patience, calm and nerve and
the most prominent publications of the ministry
focusing on the rich heritage and cultural
achievements.
Oman’s pavilion at the fair witnesses a large
turnout every year. — ONA
Sailing Arabia arrives in
Oman to grand reception
of surgery, which I guess is
normal just before the procedure,
but once I found myself
in the professional care of the
Center’s staff, I felt relaxed
and confident. The outcome
was excellent, and I’m truly
delighted about my decision
to get treated at Muscat Eye
Laser Center,” she stated.
While in Muscat, Kasseroller
also made the most
of her visit by taking in the
country’s natural splendour
and cultural charms.
“I spent four days exploring
Muscat and its delightful
surroundings, while checking
out the countryside as well.
Oman is indeed a beautiful
country. I would love to come
back again,” Kasseroller added.
tion Centre in Mina al Fahal
where a Memorandum of
Understanding was signed
by Human Resources Director
Mundhir bin Salim al
Barwani and Mohammed bin
Ismail al Blushi, Chairperson
of Al Noor Association for
the Blind (Al Batinah and Al
Dhahira branch) in the presence
of Shaikh Hilal bin Said
al Hajri, Wali of Ibri.
“This grant from PDO’s
Social Investment budget is
aimed at helping people in the
indexed in Caspur, EBSCO
Publishing’s Electronic Databases,
OpenJGate, PrimoCentral,
ProQuest, SCOLOAR,
SIIC databases, Summon by
Serial Solutions and Ulrich’s
International Periodical Directory.
Open access means that all
articles are freely available to
all, worldwide, at no cost to
the reader, meaning that the
publication cost should be
covered by the author’s institution
or research grant funds.
The journal is available online;
community,” Mundhir al Barwani
said. “PDO believes that
the best way to support communities
is to work hand-inhand
with local organisations
like the Al Noor Association.”
The Wali of Ibri commented,
“This reflects the
continuous efforts PDO exerts
to support the community.
We appreciate the Company’s
contributions which benefit
the local people and hope this
continues for the benefit of the
society.”
Sultan Qaboos University academics behind
new international research journal
New Caledonia could only
watch as Commercialbank
Group and Renaissance sailed
ahead of them on their offshore
course. Team Ras Al Khaimah
also took the inshore route and
soon overtook New Caledonia
for a brief period. As the
sun set and lit up the sky in a
palette of deep reds and bright
oranges, the crew settled down
for a long night.
Vincent Portugal, one of
the French sailors on New
Caledonia, was impressed
with his first experience of
Musandam, “This is truly an
incredible place to sail. The
mountains were stunning during
the daylight and dramatic
at sunset- sometimes we had
to remember to concentrate on
the sailing instead of watching
the scenery! Sailing through
the Straits of Hormuz was
definitely an incredible experience.”
By 2am New Caledonia
had caught some very light and
fickle wind from the shore and
again surged ahead of the fleet
but it was short lived and they
were soon totally becalmed
along with the rest of the fleet,
MUSCAT — The German
University of Technology
(GUtech) has extended its
admission for the Pre-University
Programme until
Wednesday, February 16,
2011.
The next academic semester
of the Pre-University
Programme will start on Saturday,
February 19.
“The German University
of Technology in Oman welcomes
applications from students
who have earned high
school leaving certificates
from local or international
schools. Applicants must
meet GUtech's language and
academic requirements for
admission,” said Professor
Dr Burkhard Rauhut, Rector
of GUtech.
GUtech offers a Pre-
University Programme for
the following BSc pro-
the URL is www.ijnpnd.com
Dr Amanat Ali, Dr Mostafa
Waly, and Dr Lyutha al Subhi
, academics in the Food Science
& Nutrition Department,
and Prof Samir al Adawi from
Behavioural Medicine Department,
and Dr Abdullah
al Asmi from SQU Hospital
serve as associate editors of
the new journal. Other SQU
researchers who are members
of the Editorial Board are Dr
Marwan al Sharbati, Dr Yahya
al Farsi, Dr Sardar Farook, Dr
Sivakumar Nallusamy, Dr Nejib
Guizani, Prof Shafiur Rahman,
Dr A Manickavasagan,
and Dr Udayakumar Achandira.
The chief editor said that
they have already received 37
articles from different parts of
the world for publication in
IJNPND and all are in various
stages of publication. He
invited scientists from Oman
other countries to submit their
research work to this journal.
Admission open for GUtech
Pre-University Programme
some of whom were now drifting
backwards in the current.
A difficult decision was made
by the race committee to abandon
racing, meaning that the
scores from the first gate count
as the final results, giving New
Caledonia their third win in a
row but with Commercialbank
Group crossing in second,
ahead of Renaissance, it means
grammes: Urban Planning
and Architectural Design,
Sustainable Tourism and
Regional Management, Applied
Geosciences, Applied
Information Technology and
BEng programmes: Process
Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering. All BSc and
BEng programmes take four
years.
The language of instruction
at GUtech is English,
German is taught as an additional
foreign language.
The GUtech Pre-University
campus is located on the
Beach Road in Athaiba.
Admission is open as
well for direct entry into
one of the BSc or BEng
programmes in September
2011.
that second place is becoming
the hot position in the fleet.
Provisional results with
two legs left to sail: 1st: New
Caledonia — 8pts; 2nd: Renaissance
— 14pts; 3rd: Commercialbank
Group — 20pts;
4th: Ras Al Khaimah — 32pts;
5th: Royal Navy of Oman —
40pts; and GAC Team Pindar
— 50pts.
Common nursing
strategy envisaged
MUSCAT — GCC health
officials have proposed the
drafting of a common strategy
for planning human resources
development in the
field of nursing to help promote
public health and implement
general policy goals.
The ‘professional learning’
strategy envisages the support
of vocational groups in
member states.
The proposed strategy
was one of the recommendations
of a two-day forum
which concluded here yesterday.
the 9th Gulf Nursing
Symposium, held at Crowne
Plaza hotel under the theme
Bank Sohar sponsors
Lankan music event
MUSCAT — Bank Sohar was
a sponsor for the Sri Lankan
Community Social Club’s
Musical Nights programme
organised over two evenings
at the Sur Ballroom, Muscat
Holiday Hotel.
A popular band and wellknown
vocalists from Sri
Lanka entertained the gathering
on both evenings.
“We have been a sponsor
for the Sri Lankan Community’s
social events on several
occasions in the past,”
said Mervyn Fernando, Senior
AGM Corporate Banking.
“Our customers belong
MUSCAT — Yahya al Mantheri,
Deputy Director of Higher
Education Admissions Centre
(HEAC), is attending a regional
International Visitor Leadership
Project titled Community
College and Vocational Education
in the United States.
The Academy for Educational
Development (AED)
has developed a programme
that will take participants to
different regions of the United
States, where they will explore
the enormous diversity of the
adult education sector and its
intrinsic link to workforce development.
Throughout the programme,
participants will be presented
with models of innovative
public private partnerships
between government, the business
community, and academia
"Boosting the Role of Nursing
in Public Health".
The event was organized
by the Health Ministry in cooperation
with the executive
office of the GCC Health
Ministers Council.
The symposium reviewed
the latest developments in
the field of nursing and the
current nursing models and
practices in the public health
sector in GCC states. It also
proposed solutions for promoting
the role of nursing
with a view to reshaping
community health approaches.
— ONA
Joint naval exercise today
MUSCAT — The Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) will hold in
the Sea of Oman a naval exercise jointly with the Iran Navy,
supported by the Royal Air Force of Oman and Royal Oman
Police.
The exercise aims at exchanging naval expertise and sustaining
the level of readiness of the RNO fleet and its staff
in various naval disciplines, particularly in search and secure
operations. — ONA
to different nationalities and
we need to communicate
with every one of them. The
informal environment of
a country-specific cultural
and social evening gives us
an excellent opportunity to
communicate directly with
these customers and to tell
them of the different products
that we have that we
know will be of interest to
them.”
The Sri Lankan Community
Social Club is a
charitable and non-profit organisation
approved by the
Sultanate of Oman.
HEAC Deputy Director
attends leadership project
that are preparing young adults
for their first jobs as well as retraining
mid-career workers in
a shifting economy.
Co-ordinated by US Embassy
Muscat, the programme
will address three traditional
missions of the community
college model, namely, university
transfer, vocational
preparation, and developmental
education.
In addition, participants
will meet with representatives
of private for-profit companies
and nonprofit organisations
who provide a wide variety of
adult education, from basic,
remedial education to academic
certificate and degree
programmes.
The programme is sponsored
by the US Department
of State.
‘Dance of India’ today
MUSCAT — Legendary Indian classical dancer Padmabhushan
Dr Padma Subrahmanyam and popular actor-dancer Vineeth will
be performing at a classical dance event titled ‘Bharata Nrityam’
(Dance of India) at the Indian Embassy auditorium today at 7.30
pm.
Jointly organised by Black & White and the Indian Embassy
as part of the Indian Republic Day celebrations, artistes like Dr
Gayatri Kannan, Mahati Kannan and Shyamakrishnan along
with Nrityodaya artistes will be accompanying the dance duo.
Soorya Krishnamoorthy, the founder-director of the Soorya
Stage and Film Society, will be the guest of honour. Anil Wadhwa,
the Indian Ambassador, will also be present for the show.
The event is by invitation only. Dance of India is presented by
Oman Air. Event partners are Oman India Fertiliser Company,
Al Ansari Group, Spicy Village and Damas.

Oman Air Holidays
unveils offers By Kabeer Yousuf
By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — Oman Air Holidays
have come up with unbeatable
packages to Kuala
Lumpur and Salalah valid until
March 31.
For RO 199 per person, the
3-nights Malaysia package that
includes flight, hotel, transfers
and taxes comes as an offer
that is sure to be popular with
travellers.
Oman Air Holidays also
have packages to Salalah partnering
with the 5-star Salalah
Marriott Resort and the 5-star
Crowne Plaza Salalah Resort
to offer residents of Muscat.
The Salalah Break Package
includes return flights from
Muscat, complimentary hotel
transfers with a two nights
luxury stay at one of the 5-star
resorts on twin share basis and
complimentary buffet breakfast.
Packages start from RO 99
per person at the Salalah Marriott
Resort, and RO 129 per
person at the Crowne Plaza
Salalah Resort, which also offers
free buffet dinner every
night.
Nigel Stoker, General
Manager, (pictured) Oman
TBILISI — Georgia reacted
angrily yesterday to allegations
that organisers of last
year's Winter Olympics knew
in advance about potential
dangers on a track where a
Georgian luger was killed.
"This new information is a
huge scandal," the vice president
of Georgia's Olympics
Committee, Vakhtang Gegelia,
said.
A Canadian media report
alleged on Monday that organisers
were warned that
athletes could be "badly injured
or worse" on the track
almost a year before the accident
which killed luger Nodar
Kumaritashvili (pictured) at
the winter games in Vancouver
in February 2010.
"I want to ask why they
allowed this competition to
go ahead if they knew in advance
that the track was not
safe," the luger's father, David
Kumaritashvili, told Georgian
television.
"Does it mean that my boy
was condemned to death?"
Georgia's Olympics Committee
will demand a new investigation
into Kumaritashvili's
death "if it is confirmed
that there was negligence,
that they knew beforehand
that the safety norms were not
ensured", Gegelia said.
Kumaritashvili, 21, died
hours before the opening of
the Winter Games when his
sled hurtled off the luge track
LONDON — WikiLeaks
founder Julian Assange was
facing a second day in a British
court yesterday fighting
an attempt to extradite him to
Sweden over allegations of
rape and molestation.
The 39-year-old Australian's
lawyer Geoffrey Robertson
is expected to argue that
Assange could face the death
penalty if extradited on from
Sweden to the United States
on separate charges relating to
the whistle-blowing website.
The lawyer spent the first
day of the two-day hearing on
Monday arguing that Assange
would face a "flagrant denial
of justice" if extradited over
allegations of rape and molestation.
Swedish prosecutors want
to question Assange over allegations
he raped one woman
in Sweden and sexually molested
another, moves which
he claims are politically motivated.
The former computer hacker
arrived at the high-security
Belmarsh Magistrates' Court
in southeast London wearing a
blue suit, white shirt and a red
tie and waved cheerily to supporters
in the public gallery as
he made his way to the dock.
Air Holidays
says: “We
have partnered
with
the 4-star Seri
Pacific Hotel
in Kuala
Lumpur which offers great
ambiance and impeccable
service. It is just a short walk
from the Petronas Tower and
the bustling shopping areas of
Kuala Lumpur. Or for just RO
34 extra per person, the stay
can be upgraded to the 5-star
Prince Hotel. The Malaysia
package includes return flight
on Oman Air’s A 330 aircraft
offering 34” pitch legroom
with the best of in-flight entertainment;
3-nights twinshare
at the 4-star hotel, return
airport transfers with meet &
greet, daily buffet breakfast;
all airline taxes, and even free
dinner on the last evening.”
Nigel Stoker says: “Salalah
is an ideal destination for those
who wish to escape the hustle
and bustle of Muscat. Salalah
boasts captivating archaeological
remains registered
as Unesco World Heritage
Sites and is the home to the
prized and fabled frankincense
trees.”
Georgia furious
over luger’s death
‘negligence’ claim
and slammed into a steel pillar,
overshadowing the start of
the event and causing widespread
grief in Georgia.
According to the investigation
by Canadian public
broadcaster CBC, games organising
committee chief executive
John Furlong said in
a March 2009 email that the
International Luge Federation
(FIL) had warned "that the
track is in their view too fast
and someone could get badly
hurt.
A coroner's report released
in October said no "single factor"
was to blame for Kumaritashvili's
death, but pointed
to his "relative lack of experience...
on this challenging
track" as contributing to the
accident.
At the time, Georgia's Olympic
Committee rejected the
conclusions. — AFP
Following the end of the
first day's evidence, Assange
claimed that a "black box" of
accusations against him was
being opened to inspection and
that the claims of his alleged
victims were "empty".
"On the outside of that
black box has been written the
word 'rape'.
“That box is now, thanks
MOSCOW — Russia has put a British reporter
for the Guardian newspaper on a list
of people banned from entering the country
because he entered a closed security zone
without permission, a law enforcement
source said yesterday.
Guardian correspondent Luke Harding
was refused entry at passport control
in Moscow this weekend, had his visa annulled
and was put on a plane back to Britain,
his newspaper said.
The move to ban Harding is the latest
4 OMAN/EUROPE
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
Police to book drunk drivers
MUSCAT — Those who get onto the
driver’s seat after a couple of shots at a
party beware! The Royal Oman Police
(ROP) is all out there to book you for
multiple offences including dangerous
driving and for jeopardising the lives of
others on the road. Hefty fines, imprisonment,
and suspension of driving licence
are to follow.
ROP sources conformed to the offence
of drunk driving as one of the major
factors contributing to the burgeoning
number of road accidents in the country.
“Each year there are about 10,000
car crashes in Oman resulting in an average
680 deaths and 7,550 injuries. The
causes of these crashes include speed,
driver neglect, tiredness, drunk driving,
Russia puts UK reporter on banned list
LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands
— The defence lawyer
for former Liberian President
Charles Taylor walked out
of a war crimes court yesterday
protesting that his client's
rights to a fair trial were being
abused.
Lawyer Courtenay Griffiths
walked out after judges at the
Special Court for Sierra Leone
ruled on Monday against allowing
the defence to file a
final document because they
had missed a Jan. 14 deadline
to submit it.
Presiding judge Teresa
Doherty warned Griffiths he
risked being ruled in contempt.
"Our presence in court is
incompatible in representing
the interests of the accused,"
Griffiths said.
"It's a complete farce given
that judges won't have the
foundational information enclosed
in our written submission,"
Griffiths later told reporters
outside the court.
Although dramatic, the
walkout did not significantly
slow proceedings and judges
allowed prosecutors to continue
with their closing arguments.
Taylor, the first African ruler
to stand trial for war crimes,
is charged with instigating
murder, rape, mutilation, sexual
slavery and conscription
of child soldiers during a civil
war in Sierra Leone. Prosecutors
allege Taylor tried to win
episode in a tense period of relations between
Russia and Britain dating to the 2006
killing of Kremlin critic and ex-security officer
Alexander Litvinenko in London with
a rare radioactive isotope.
The law enforcement source, speaking
on condition of anonymity, said that Harding
"has been put on a so-called blacklist of
Russia's law enforcement structures".
Such lists are normally compiled by the
Federal Security Service (FSB), the Foreign
Intelligence Service (SVR), immigra-
control to exploit the country's
diamond resources.
Taylor has dismissed the
allegations against him as lies.
Prosecutors and defence
lawyers were due to present
their closing arguments over
three days this week, summing
up more than three years of of-
ten gruesome testimony.
Griffiths has questioned the
court's independence and impartiality.
He said the defence
wanted time to respond to
leaked US diplomatic cables
suggesting Taylor's prosecution
was politically motivated.
The US ambassador to
tion services or federal prosecutors.
The source said Harding had crossed
without official permission into an area in
Russia's insurgency-plagued North Caucasus
where federal forces were conducting
a "counter-terrorist operation". He declined
to give details. The Guardian said
that Harding may have been expelled for
reporting on WikiLeaks diplomatic cables
that contained unflattering descriptions of
Russia's leadership, although Harding was
not alone in reporting on those cables.
Charles Taylor’s lawyer
walks out of court in protest BERLIN
to an open court process, being
opened," he told reporters
outside court.
"I hope over the next day
we will see that box is in fact
empty and has nothing to do
with the words that are on the
outside of it."
The judge is expected to
defer his ruling until later this
month. If the decision goes
FORMER Liberian president Charles Taylor (left) waits
yesterday for the start of the prosecution's closing
arguments during his trial at the UN Special Court
for Sierra Leone in Leidschendam. — AFP
against Assange, he will be
able to appeal all the way to
England's supreme court.
Robertson said a rape trial
in Sweden would violate Assange's
human rights.
"He would be tried behind
closed doors in a flagrant denial
of justice," he told the
court.
"The Swedish custom and
practice of throwing the press
and public out of court when
rape trials begin is one that we
say is blatantly unfair, not only
by British standards but also
by European standards," Robertson
added.
Assange's lawyers are also
expected to argue that the extradition
request is unacceptable
because he has not been
charged with any crime.
Having won worldwide notoriety
for his website's release
of thousands of secret US diplomatic
cables, Assange insists
his real fear is that Washington
will try to persuade Sweden to
pass him on to American authorities.
Robertson argued that a
rape charge would not count
as rape under European law.
"The (Swedish) prosecutor
describes this charge as 'minor
rape'. That is a contradiction
in terms, rape is not a minor
offence," the lawyer said.
But Clare Montgomery,
representing the Swedish authorities,
said the arrest warrant
alleges that Assange had
sexual intercourse with one of
the women "improperly exploiting
the fact that she was
asleep".
Montgomery said talk of
Liberia, Linda Thomas-
Greenfield, wrote in a March
10, 2009 cable released by
WikiLeaks that if Taylor was
acquitted or given a light
sentence, his return to Liberia
could "tip the balance in a
fragile peace".
"The international community
must consider steps should
Taylor not be sent to prison for
a long time," she wrote.
Judges were expected to
hand down their verdict in the
case later this year. It was not
immediately clear whether
Tuesday's events would delay
that ruling.
Griffiths said he would
boycott the rest of the week's
hearings and appeal Monday's
decision, requesting that appeals
judges allow him to submit
the evidence and reschedule
the closing arguments.
Justice Richard Lussick
challenged Griffiths' actions,
stressing that he was in violation
of a court order to lodge
his final document by the
deadline.
"If Taylor thinks he can ...
disobey orders at will, then he
is running this court, not us,"
Lussick said. "You're not running
the court you know," he
added.
Prosecutor Brenda Hollis
was also critical of the "whims
and wishes" of the defence.
"The accused is not attending
a social event. He cannot
RSVP at the last moment," she
said. — Reuters
Julian Assange back in court fighting extradition
WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange (centre) arrives with WikiLeaks spokesman
Kristinn Hrafnsson (left) and legal team member Jennifer Robinson at Belmarsh
Magistrates' Court, in south-east London, yesterday. — AFP
overtaking, weather, sudden stops, unsafe
distance, improper acts, vehicle condition,
road condition and cell phone use,”
a police official said.
According to the Traffic Law, the
minimum fine for driving under the influence
of alcohol/drugs or after consuming
any intoxicating substance causing an untoward
incident on the road is imprisonment
for not less than 1 year and a minimum
fine of RO 500.
Besides this, the ROP reserves the
right to forfeit the driving licence depending
upon the gravity of the incident. The
period may vary from 1 year to 5 years if
the victim is temporarily disabled making
him away from his work for not less than
10 days.
“It's just alarming to see that a lot of
deaths and injuries are caused by drunk
driving and consequent lack of attention
in driving. The government has already
stressed that it is strictly not allowed to
drive when intoxicated and not to talk or
text while driving,” the official added.
The normal punishments for traffic
violations such as infringing road signs,
jumping red signal, wrong manoeuvres,
dangerous driving, driving without a
valid driving licence will be doubled and
severe if the offender is found to be under
the influence of any of the aforesaid intoxicating
substances.
Various remedial measures against
drunk driving are being mooted at higher
level, according to the sources. They
vary from considering drunk driving as
non-bailable crime even if he/she has not
caused any injury or death to other drivers/seat
passengers to suspending him/her
from driving for at least 2 to 3 weeks.
extradition to the United States
"depends on a factual hypothesis
that has not yet been established
as being real".
Assange, who was arrested
in London on December 7,
faces a widening criminal
probe in the United States
having enraged Washington
by releasing the cables detailing
US operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan and the work of
US diplomats.
He was released on bail a
week after his arrest and has
been staying at a supporter's
country mansion under strict
conditions.
Meanwhile a British journalist
from the Guardian has
been expelled from Russia
after he reported claims in the
US diplomatic cables released
by WikiLeaks that the country
had become a "mafia state",
the newspaper said.
Luke Harding, the daily's
Moscow correspondent, flew
back to the Russian capital
at the weekend after two
months in London reporting
on the contents of the US
cables, given to his paper by
WikiLeaks.
But he was refused entry
when his passport was
checked on arrival. — AFP
Interior Ministry takes
part in HRD exhibition
MUSCAT — The Interior Ministry, represented by the Directorate-General
of Citizenship and Electoral Affairs, is
taking part in the 1st Human Resources Development Exhibition
now under way at the Oman International Exhibition
Centre.
The ministry is introducing to the public the electronic
system to install data on the ID cards of voters in the Majlis
Ash'shura elections. — ONA
Medvedev dismisses
security officers
MOSCOW — Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev has
fired several FSB security
service officers responsible for
security failures that led to last
month's deadly airport attack,
the Kremlin said yesterday.
"The head of the Federal
Security Service gave
(Medvedev) a list of employees
responsible for miscalculations
in their work, who
were fired for inadequately
carrying out their responsibilities,"
Kremlin spokeswoman
Natalia Timakova was quoted
by the ITAR-TASS agency as
saying.
If the investigation shows
that more security service employees
are at fault for letting
German kangaroo’s bid for
freedom comes to messy end
— A kangaroo's
escape bid ended in tragedy
when it hopped away from
its owner into the path of an
oncoming car, German police
said yesterday, causing costly
damage to the car and a messy
end for the marsupial.
The 49-year-old owner had
kept the kangaroo for many
years as a house pet and had
never before encountered any
problems, said police in Oberfranken,
southern Germany.
"However, at the weekend,
the kangaroo got a taste
for freedom and jumped out.
Despite several attempts, the
owner was not able to recap-
LONDON — A British town
council said yesterday it had
approved plans to use the heat
from a crematorium to warm
up the swimming pool next
door.
The local authority in
Redditch, a town outside Birmingham
in central England,
reckons the move will cut energy
waste.
Work on a link between
the town's crematorium and
its new leisure centre will begin
later this year following
the council decision.
A senior official from Unison,
Britain's second biggest
trade union, has called the
plan "sick", "insulting and insensitive".
ture his pet," police said.
The animal apparently
took an extended journey
around the surrounding area,
because it did not meet its
unfortunate fate until Monday
evening, authorities said.
The 30-year-old driver
who collided with the beast
was treated for shock. The
accident caused an estimated
1,000 euros ($1,360) of damage
to his vehicle.
"The owner, who lived a
mere 200 metres from the site
of the collision, had the unfortunate
task of dealing with 'his
dead sweetheart'," the police
announced sadly. — AFP
UK town to heat pool
with crematorium
TIRANA — Albanian authorities
seized yesterday a tonne
of cannabis at the border with
Greece and arrested one person,
police spokesman Gentian
Mullai said.
Artan Bresha was arrested
after the drugs was found
in his truck near the town of
Jorgucat, some 230 km south
from the capital Tirana.
The narcotics, which could
fetch almost half of billion
euros ($680,000) based on
market prices for cannabis in
Europe, were produced in Lazaret,
a nearby village which
for years has not been under
the control of authorities.
the attack happen, "they, too,
will be punished," she said.
Neither the exact number
of employees nor the precise
list of names have been released
to the public.
The dismissals come after
the FSB became the target of
blame in the press for failing
to prevent the suicide bombing
in Domodedovo airport on
January 24, which killed 36
people.
The secretive service,
which handles domestic intelligence
and grew out of
the Soviet KGB, has not ever
gone through any public scrutiny
despite the spread of militant
attacks from the Caucasus
area into European Russia.
However, Redditch Borough
Council leader Carole
Gandy said correspondence
showed that up to nine in 10
locals were in favour of the
idea.
"Many respondents have
in fact praised the council for
being so innovative and for
being willing to discuss the
idea openly," she said.
"We have been careful to
explain how the technology
would work, that it is tried
and trusted, and that the practice
is quite common in parts
of Europe and especially in
Sweden."
The heating scheme will
be the first of its kind in Britain.
A tonne of cannabis seized
at Albanian-Greek border
DUNKIRK, France — Masked
men firing guns stormed a casino
in northern France overnight,
punching and pistolwhipping
staff but making off
with a relatively paltry 7,000
euros, management and police
said yesterday.
Manager Christelle Simon
said four men, heavily armed
and with faces covered, burst
in and fired shots in the air just
In a separate statement released
in Tirana police said it
was still looking for two other
people who had managed to
escape after a chase over the
mountains near Jorgucat.
According to UN's Office
on Drugs and Crime (UN-
ODC), in last several years
Albania has been "the main
marijuana supplier of Europe."
Although local authorities
claim that they destroy every
year between 70,000 and
100,000 plants, international
experts estimate that there are
still zones that escape controls
of the authorities. — AFP
Masked gunmen rob casino
after 2:00 am (0100 GMT)
and jumped into a getaway
car three minutes later after
stealing "almost nothing."
"They wanted to get into
the safes but one of the managers
told them it was impossible
because they have
time locks," Simon. A police
source who asked not to be
named said the loot totalled
about 7,000 euros ($9,500).

Zimbabwe parties exchange
blame after mobs rampage
HARARE — Police have
arrested more than a dozen
youths after a mob looted
shops in Harare, and the two
main parties in Zimbabwe’s
uneasy unity government
traded accusations over who
was to blame for a spate of
violence.
Police said they had allowed
youths from President
Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF
party to demonstrate against
Harare city council for awarding
a car parking contract to
a South African firm but the
protest had been infiltrated by
criminals.
“We have arrested some
known criminals from Mbare
(a suburb) and we are still
investigating the group that
infiltrated the march,” police
spokesman James Sabawu
said yesterday.
A Reuters witness saw
shattered windows and empty
shops early yesterday. Most of
the shops remained closed.
Members of Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement
for Democratic Change
(MDC) have warned unity
government partner and rival
Mugabe to drop plans for an
early election, saying the poll
could lead to a bloodbath. The
state-owned Herald newspaper
said those arrested in Monday’s
incident were suspected
MDC supporters and quoted
Defence Minister and Mugabe
ally Emmerson Mnangagwa
as blaming Tsvangirai for the
violence.
Tsvangirai told Fox News
in an interview last month
there was nothing wrong with
Zimbabweans demonstrating
against the government
as Egyptians have done. State
media then accused him of inciting
violence. “As far as we
are concerned, the violence
that erupted in Harare was
caused by the prime minister’s
remarks that what happened in
Tunisia and what is happening
in Egypt right now should also
happen in Zimbabwe,” said
Mnangagwa.
Finance minister and MDC
secretary general Tendai Biti
accused the police of working
with ZANU-PF and said
although his party members
were being provoked, they
would not retaliate.
In a rare joint statement
5 AFRICA
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
by the rival parties — also
signed by a small third party
in the unity government —
ZANU-PF and MDC Harare
provincial leaders on Saturday
called for an end to political
violence.
Tsvangirai says ZANU-PF
militants, led by war veterans,
are targeting MDC structures
ahead of a possible general
election later this year.
Mugabe, in power for
about three decades, is pushing
for an election two years
ahead of schedule despite the
MDC saying the political climate
is not yet right for a free
and fair vote.
Elections in 2008 led to mass
violence and a flood of refugees
over the border into neighbouring
South Africa. — Reuters
South Africa
jobless rate
drops to 24
per cent
JOHANNESBURG —
South Africa’s unemployment
rate fell to 24 per cent
in the fourth quarter of 2010,
but nearly half the 1.3-point
drop came from discouraged
workers leaving the labour
force.
“The unemployment rate
declined by 1.3 percentage
points between the third and
the fourth quarters of 2010,”
government statistics agency
Statistics SA said in its quarterly
labour force survey.
“The number of unemployed
persons decreased
by 259,000 jobs between
the third and fourth quarters,
while the number of discouraged
work-seekers increased
by 117,000.”
The manufacturing and
community and social services
sectors led the rebound
as the country posted its first
growth in overall employment
since the fourth quarter
of 2009.
The country has struggled
to develop jobs despite
recovering in the third
quarter of 2009 from its first
recession since the end of
apartheid in 1994. Unemployment
poses the biggest
challenge to the government
of President Jacob Zuma.
Road collision kills 18 people in northern Nigeria
KANO, Nigeria — At least 18 people were killed when a car
collided with two commuter buses in northern Nigeria and
caught fire on Monday, a road safety official said.
Twenty-five others were seriously wounded when the car
tried to overtake a fuel truck then collided with two oncoming
buses at Gagare village outside Potiskum in Yobe state, killing
18 people on the spot. “We have 18 corpses in the morgue including
all the occupants of the car... while 25 others were critically
injured,” Federal Road Safety official Boyi Ali Maigari
said. — AFP

Palestinians
set local polls
RAMALLAH, West Bank
— The Palestinian government
yesterday set July 9 as
the date for local elections
that had been postponed indefinitely
in the West Bank.
The poll was supposed to
have been held last July but
disagreement within Palestinian
President Mahmoud
Abbas's Fatah faction over
who would stand as candidates
led to a postponement
a month before election day.
In December, a court ruled
that the Palestinian Authority,
which exercises limited
self-rule in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank, must allow
the elections to go ahead.
Palestinian government
spokesman Ghassan al-
Khatib said the cabinet also
decreed elections should
be held in the Gaza Strip,
which is ruled by the Hamas
movement. But the
group has said it would not
allow a vote there.
Last year's cancellation
was a sign of the problems
faced by the Western-backed
Fatah that once dominated
Palestinian politics. The party
has struggled to maintain
its standing since the death of
Yasser Arafat, the first Palestinian
president, in 2004.
Hamas Islamists who oppose
Abbas's peace strategy
with Israel defeated Fatah in
a 2006 parliamentary election
and a unity government
was formed, but the coalition
collapsed in a power struggle.
Hamas seized control of
the Gaza Strip in 2007.
Abbas had called legislative
and presidential elections
for January 2010 but
they were postponed after
Hamas banned participation
in the Gaza Strip. Hamas disputes
Abbas's legitimacy and
his right to call elections.
Norwegia ratifies Arctic
border deal with Russia
OSLO — The Norwegian parliament yesterday ratified an accord
reached with Russia on demarcating the two countries'
maritime border in the Barents Sea, removing another hurdle
to tapping suspected vast oil and gas reserves in Arctic region.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev reached the deal in April last year,
ending a 40-year dispute over a 176,000-square-kilometre
maritime area straddling their economic zones in the Barents
Sea and the Arctic Ocean.
The accord was unanimously ratified by the Norwegian
parliament, but still needs approval from the Russian Duma
before it can go into effect, clearing the way for both countries
to begin charting the seabed.
"The Russians are in the process of handling the case, from
what I understand," Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr
Stoere told parliament. "This is the beginning of a new era of
Russian-Norwegian co-operation," he was quoted as saying by
the NTB news agency.
The Arctic seabed is believed to hold 90 billion barrels, or
13 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil reserves and 30 per
cent of the gas resources yet to be found, according to the US
Geological Survey. — AFP
Romania starts graft probe
against border workers
BUCHAREST — More than 100 Romanian customs workers
are under investigation for graft, officials said yesterday, as the
government tries to reassure EU partners it is serious about
tackling endemic corruption.
The action follows the arrest last week of 59 border guards
suspected of helping cigarette smuggling on the border with
Ukraine. "Over 100 policemen and workers from several
checkpoints on the western frontier have been brought to our
office on suspicion of graft," said a spokeswoman for the DNA
anti-corruption prosecuting office, Livia Saplacan.
No arrests have been made yet.
Romania and its southern neighbour Bulgaria are trying
to join the EU's passport-free Schengen zone, four years after
both joined the European Union. But France and Germany
have opposed their membership because of concerns over corruption.
— Reuters
‘Lord of the Ants’ wins major
environment award
MADRID — A leading US biologist known as the Lord of the
Ants for his groundbreaking study of insects won a 400,000euro
($546,000) Spanish award yesterday for his life's work.
Edward Wilson, 81, was the first scientist to describe the
social behaviour of ants, the BBVA Foundation said in a statement
after conferring on him its Frontiers of Knowledge Award
for ecology and conservation.
Wilson succeeded in deciphering ants' use of pheromones
as a chemical language to communicate and plan routes, it
said. The biologist also coined and popularised the term biodiversity,
the prize jury said.
His studies spread into other fields including a seminal
work on island habitats, and he provided the basis for the new
field of evolutionary psychology, the jury said.
Informed of the jury's decision on the eve of the announcement,
Wilson said he saw the prize as a "culminating award"
that recognised the advance of knowledge in the broadest
sense, the foundation said.
Wilson, emeritus professor at Harvard University, had not
lost his interest in ants, it added.
"I will certainly enjoy looking out for them when I come to
Madrid for the award ceremony," he was quoted as saying.
"They have the most complex social systems of any creatures
on Earth apart from humans. People often ask me how
I can connect ants to people and I point out that the study of
ants has had a huge impact on the study of human behaviour."
— AFP
Handbag-wielding granny
attacks jewel thiefs
LONDON — An angry grandmother used her handbag to fight
off a gang of sledgehammer-wielding robbers who were attempting
to raid a jeweller's shop in a British town, media reported
yesterday.
The woman in her 70s was captured on video running
across a road to confront the crash-helmeted gang.
Wielding her handbag, she hit three of the six robbers and
one fell off his moped as he tried to make his escape during the
botched raid in Northampton, central England.
Eyewitness Sarah-Jane Brown told the Daily Mirror
newspaper: "She was amazing. We were terrified but she ran
down the road with her handbag in the air. She did not seem
scared."
The gang had been foiled when staff in the shop activated
metal shutters to protect the windows.
Five men have been arrested. The woman's identity has not
been revealed. — AFP
TUNIS — Tunisia's interim government
said yesterday it had called up reservists
to bolster the army as it confronts pockets
of unrest and struggles to meet demands
for democratic reforms after a popular
uprising.
As European Parliament MPs called
for an international donors' conference to
help the country in its democratic transition,
the European Union said it was
drawing up an assistance plan to help
meet the country's "new needs" after the
ouster of leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Soldiers who retired between 2006
and 2010 and conscripts who left the
ranks at the end of 2008 and throughout
2009 were told to report to military posts
from February 16, a statement from authorities
carried by the TAP news agency
said.
The army boasts some 45,000 troops,
vastly outnumbered by the police and security
apparatus of an estimated 100,000
men run by Ben Ali before his ouster.
Some members of the caretaker government
of new Prime Minister Mohammed
Ghannouchi have accused Ben Ali
Danish court
says scribes can
keep sources
secret
COPENHAGEN — Denmark's
supreme court yesterday
ruled against the
country's top prosecutor's
demand that two journalists
reveal their sources in a controversial
story that leaked
out in 2007 about a Danish
troop deployment in Iraq.
The case pertains to a
story broadcast in April
2007 leaking news that Denmark
was deploying around
30 special forces in Iraq on
the day they arrived in the
war-torn country.
The public prosecutor
maintains the leak put soldiers'
lives in danger, and
has demanded that two journalists
at semi-public broadcaster
TV2 reveal how they
got the information.
In its ruling yesterday,
the supreme court however
backed two lower court rulings,
insisting "Michael
Dyrby (TV2 news chief) and
Rasmus Tandholt (the journalist
behind the report) have
no obligation to witness" to
reveal their sources.
That Denmark was sending
elite forces to Iraq constituted
"information of national
interest" that can be
divulged to the public since
it is "significant for (Danish)
society" in the context of
Denmark's involvement in a
the armed conflict, the court
said. — AFP
6 THE WORLD
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
Tunisian army reservists called
up as unrest continues
PARIS — Doctors in France
yesterday announced the birth
of France's first geneticallyengineered
baby, just as parliament
began debating a bill
on bioethics.
Umut-Talha (meaning "our
hope" in Turkish) was born on
January 26 at Antoine Beclere
hospital in the Paris suburb of
Clamart.
Doctors are calling the
baby a "double hope baby"
because the child was born
healthy to a family with a
history of beta thalassemia,
a genetic blood disorder, and
because its stem cells can be
loyalists of fomenting unrest against the
new leadership in an attempt to derail the
transition to democracy.
On Sunday the government banned
Ben Ali's all-powerful Constitutional
Democratic Assembly and on Monday
parliament approved a law granting decree
powers to interim President Foued
Mebazaa.
Ahead of the vote Ghannouchi spoke
of "dangers" to the transition to democracy
following Ben Ali's overthrow on
January 14 amid mass protests.
"Time is precious. Tunisia has real
need of rule by decree to remove dangers,"
Ghannouchi said at the first parliamentary
session since Ben Ali's overthrow.
Interim authorities have vowed to
hold elections within six months but no
date has been announced and pressure is
growing to move to a vote more quickly.
Pockets of protests have erupted
across the country since Ben Ali's ousting
and police, closely associated with
the hated Ben Ali regime, have played no
role in restoring law and order.
That task has been left to the army in
recent unrest in Kasserine in central Tunisia,
Kef in the northwest and Gafsa in
the centre.
The army refused to fire on demonstrators
during rallies that led to the overthrow
of Ben Ali and army chief general
Rachid Ammar joined street protesters
in late January to tell them the military
backed their demands.
The EU's enlargement commissioner,
Stefan Fuele, said during a visit to Morocco
yesterday that Europe was keen to
support democratic reforms in Tunisia
and across the region, including in Egypt
where mass protests against President
Hosni Mubarak entered their third week.
"We are currently putting in place a
transition package at the request of Tunisian
authorities and we want to set priorities...
that will allow Tunisia to face
up to its new needs," he told reporters in
Rabat.
"In regards to Egypt (the EU) has
requested the preparation of a broad aid
package for this country and for the countries
in the region," he said. — AFP
More controversy over new
Basque party in Spain
BILBAO, Spain — Controversy
raged in Spain yesterday over
a new Basque separatist party
which took the unprecedented
step of rejecting the violence of
ETA armed separatists.
Those favourable to the
party said it offered an opportunity
to solve Spain's fourdecade
Basque conflict, while
critics saw it as a ploy by
ETA's banned political wing
Batasuna to return to Basque
political life.
The new party's name,
which had not been announced
at its launch on Monday,
was given as Sortu — ‘to
be born’ or ‘emerge’ in Basque
language. Sortu representa-
BERLIN — German Chancellor
Angela Merkel slammed
German companies yesterday
for not appointing enough
women to positions on their
boards.
"I find it quite a scandal
that at the 200 biggest German
companies, the representation
of women on the boards is only
between 3 and 4 per cent," said
Merkel, at an event in Berlin to
promote changes in the workplace
to make life easier for
working mothers.
Top companies had said
used to help treat the disorder
in an older sibling.
The embryo was screened
for the disease using pre-implantation
genetic diagnosis
before being implanted in the
womb using invitro fertilisation.
The first "designer baby"
as they are dubbed by critics
of the technology, was born
over 10 years ago in the US.
Adam Nash's stem cells were
successfully used to treat a
disease in his older sister,
Molly.
The announcement of this
French first comes as the par-
tives presented its logo, which
shows a rising sun, stressing
its independence from any
previous groups.
The main opposition conservative
People's Party (PP),
however, associated the party
with ETA and said it should
not be allowed to contest the
Basque civic election in May.
Sortu was due to seek legal
status by entering the party
register today. Prime Minister
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's
Socialist government will
then hand its case over to the
judiciary, which is to decide
whether it has distanced itself
from ETA sufficiently to be
legalised.
Lack of women in boardrooms is a
scandal, German’s Merkel says
10 years back that they would
boost women's roles in the
workplace, but almost nothing
had happened, she said.
"We'll give them one more
chance," she said at the government-
business summit.
"Get creative, or else we'll be
getting creative." Last week,
Merkel said she did not support
fixed quotas for women
in boardrooms, as proposed by
Labour Minister Ursula von
der Leyen.
While Germany has a large
number of kindergartens, work-
FRENCH professor Rene Frydman (C) speaks during a press conference, next to French
professor Nelly Achour-Frydman (L) and French geneticist Julie Stephan (R), yesterday
at the Antoine Beclere hospital in Clamart, a Paris suburb, a day after he announced the
country's first birth of a “saviour sibling”, born on January 26 at this hospital. — AFP
First genetically-engineered
baby born in France
liament began debating a bill
on bioethics.
France has traditionally
taken a conservative approach
to medically-assisted procreation
and stem cell research.
Professor Rene Frydman,
one of the doctors behind the
baby's birth, said French "ideology"
was blocking progress
in medically- assisted procreation.
"We need a law that allows
us to develop innovation and
research to improve the quality
of care," Frydman said.
— dpa
Sortu representatives said
at its launch that it rejected
all violence, including that of
ETA, "should it occur." That
wording was probably not sufficient
for the party to be authorised,
as long as ETA still
existed, legal experts said.
The Basque separatist
movement comprises a radical
wing linked to ETA, as well as
moderate, non-violent parties
that are more or less clearly in
favour of independence.
ETA, which has killed
about 850 people since 1968,
declared a ceasefire in September.
It is listed as a terrorist
organisation by the European
Union and the US. — dpa
ing mothers often complain
about the difficulties of getting
time off when their children fall
sick, during school holidays or
when schools close early.
Merkel said greater flexibility
in start and finishing times
at the office or factory to align
with childcare duties would
not only benefit mothers, but
also fathers.
Chief executives and labour
leaders signed a charter at the
event promising to adapt working
hours, and to check on improvements
in 2013. — dpa
Anti-tax
haven
campaign at
social forum
DAKAR — Civil society
groups at the World Social
Forum here launched a campaign
yesterday to end financial
secrecy in tax havens by
multinationals they say deprive
developing countries
of huge sums of money.
"Very few people are
aware that developing
countries lose more money
through tax dodging than
they receive in aid. It is really
important to make the
link between tax and development,"
said Mariana Paoli
of London-based group
Christian Aid.
The group joined Oxfam,
the Tax Justice Network Africa
and others in calling on
the G20 group of leading
economies to end financial
secrecy in tax havens.
The groups estimate tax
losses in developing countries
at more than 125 billion
euros ($170 billion) per year,
"more than the total budget
for development assistance,
while the economic crisis
leads to significant budget
cuts and millions of children
lack access to education."
"It has been 10 or 15
years that their detrimental
role has been known," said
Eva Joly, a former anti-corruption
judge who chairs the
European Parliament's development
committee.
— AFP
BRITISH Foreign Secretary William Hague addresses
the media during a news conference in Tunis. Hague
was in Tunisia yesterday, becoming the highestranking
Western official to visit since President Zine
al Abidine Ben Ali left. — Reuters
US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates (L) and French
Minister of Defence Alain Juppe exchange documents
after signing a statement of principles for US DOD-
French MOD space partnership at the Pentagon in
Washington, DC, yesterday. — AFP
GREEK Prime Minister George Papandreou (L)
chats with Eurogroup's chairman Jean-Claude
Juncker during their meeting in Athens
yesterday. — AFP
SPANISH Crown Prince Felipe (front row, 3rd R)
and Princess Letizia (front row, 2nd R) pose next to
parliamentarians during their visit to the Spanish
parliament to mark the 25th anniversary of Prince
Felipe's swearing of the Spanish constitution in
Madrid yesterday. — Reuters
EUROPEAN Council President Herman Van
Rompuy (R) welcomes Swiss President Micheline
Calmy-Rey ahead of their meeting at the EU Council
headquarters in Brussels yesterday. — Reuters
SPANISH Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez (R)
talks to Palestinian girls during a visit to the divided
West Bank city of Hebron yesterday. — AFP

Serious
blow to
economy
CAIRO — Egypt’s revolt
has dealt the economy a serious
blow, scaring off tourists
and foreign investors.
“The crisis is costing the
economy at least $310 million
daily,” since it began
on January 25, said a report
from Credit Agricole, lowering
a growth forecast for
2011 from 5.3 per cent to 3.7
per cent.
Egypt was already struggling
pre-revolt with major
socio-economic challenges,
including high unemployment
and inflation.
But the government has
undertaken a vast economic
reform and liberalisation
programme, with its public
debt under control and
growth bolstered by direct
foreign investment and oil
and gas exports.
Nevertheless, around 40
per cent of the country still
lives around or under the
poverty line of $2 a day,
and ongoing demonstrations
against risk further weakening
the economy.
Chaos, fear and attacks
on foreigners in Cairo and
Alexandria led tens of thousands
of holidaymakers to
flee Egypt, where tourism
accounts for six per cent
of gross domestic product,
at the height of the holiday
season.
“Prolonged political
uncertainty and perceived
violence could have a destructive
impact on tourism
earnings this year,” said
Credit Agricole in its report
on Egypt.
The sector brought in $13
billion in 2010, with a record
15 million people taking
their holidays in the Land of
the Pharaohs.
“Losing the winter season
could mean more significant
repercussions, especially
if coupled with a possible
summer downturn as customers,
planning and booking
trips now, are put off by
news coverage,” said World
Travel and Tourism Council
spokesman Elliott Frisby.
“Despite this, there is
much to remain positive
about. While part of Egyptian
tourism may be on its
knees right now, many key
tourist destinations are isolated
and away from the
cities where incidents have
taken place.” — AFP
7 EGYPT
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
A CHILD holds a soldier’s gun as protesters wake up in Tahrir Square. — AFP
New power transfer plan
No reprisals against demonstrators � President vows to raise public sector wages
CAIRO — Egypt has a plan and timetable for the
peaceful transfer of power, the vice president said
yesterday, as protesters called more demonstrations.
With signs growing that the government may be
gaining the upper hand in the struggle for power,
Vice President Omar Suleiman promised no reprisals
against the protesters for their two-week campaign.
However, protesters camped on Cairo’s Tahrir
Square accused the government of merely playing
for time, and swore they would not give up until the
current “half revolution” was complete.
“A clear road map has been put in place with a
set timetable to realise the peaceful and organised
transfer of power,” said Suleiman, a long-time intelligence
chief who has led talks with opposition
groups including the Muslim Brotherhood.
So far the government has conceded little ground
in the talks. The president appears to be weathering
the storm engulfing Egypt, at least for the moment.
Negotiations between the government and opposition
factions took place on Sunday.
“The president welcomed the national consensus,
confirming that we are putting our feet on the right
path to getting out of the current crisis,” Suleiman
said in comments broadcast by state television, after
briefing President Hosni Mubarak on the talks.
However, people on Tahrir Square are sceptical
about the talks and suspicious of the government’s
motives.
Ayman Farag, a Cairo lawyer, said the protesters’
work was far from complete. “What has happened
so far is only half a revolution and I hope it will continue
to the end,” he said.
Some normality is returning to Cairo. Traffic was
bumper-to-bumper in the city centre yesterday and
queues quickly built up at banks, which are still open
only for restricted hours.
While opposition groups talk to Suleiman, the
mainly younger protesters called for a push to continue
the protests as the authorities tried to squeeze
them out of central Cairo.
Suleiman promised that the harassment of protesters
would end. “The president emphasised that
Egypt’s youth deserve the appreciation of the nation
and issued a directive to prevent them being pursued,
harassed or having their right to freedom of expression
taken away,” he said.
Opposition figures have reported little progress
in the talks with the government. The official news
agency said Mubarak issued a decree ordering the
establishment of a committee to study and propose
legal and constitutional amendments, which he has
promised as part of his concessions.
The Muslim Brotherhood said on Monday it could
quit the process if protesters’ demands were not met.
The United States, adopting a cautious approach
to the crisis, has urged all sides to allow time for an
“orderly transition” to a new political order in Egypt,
for decades a strategic ally.
The opposition has been calling for the constitution
to be rewritten to allow free and fair presidential
elections, a limit on presidential terms, the dissolution
of parliament, the release of political detainees
and lifting of emergency law.
Keen to get traffic moving around Tahrir Square,
the army has tried to squeeze the area the protesters
have occupied. Some slept in the tracks of the army’s
armoured vehicles to prevent them being used to
force the protest into a smaller space.
The army’s role in the next weeks is considered
critical to the country’s future.
Meanwhile, Mubarak pledged to raise public sector
wages by 15 per cent and order a probe into the
violence.
The leader met his new-look cabinet for the first
time on Monday as the regime battled to get the
economy moving.
According to the official Mena news agency, the
cabinet approved a plan to increase state sector salaries
by 15 per cent from April and to spend another
6.5 billion Egyptian pounds ($940 million) boosting
pensions.
Mubarak also pledged to launch an “independent”
investigation into the violence that left 11 dead and
nearly 1,000 injured, according to official estimates.
The president “has given instructions for the establishment
of a... transparent, independent and impartial
investigatory commission,” Mena reported.
The commission will investigate “the terrible and
unacceptable violations that made some protesters
innocent victims”, it said.
In other government moves to revive economic
life, the nightly curfew in three cities including Cairo
was pushed back to 8 pm (1800 GMT) until 6 am.
Spain’s foreign minister said the election should
be brought forward, but US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton warned that an early election could lead
to complications if opposition groups are not organised
for the vote. — Reuters/AFP
Fresh revelation by French PM on Nile holiday
PARIS — French Prime Minister Francois
Fillon (pictured) admitted yesterday
that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
paid for his and his family’s New
Year holiday on the Nile and lent them a
plane to go sightseeing.
The revelation came as France’s
foreign minister battled calls for her
resignation over a New Year holiday in
Tunisia during which she used a private
jet owned by a tycoon allegedly close to
the country’s ousted dictator.
Fillon’s office rushed out a statement
after the satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine
broke the story about his trip to
Egypt.
US defends choice
of envoy to Egypt
WASHINGTON — The
United States has defended
the choice of veteran diplomat
Frank Wisner to head a
mission to Egypt even though
he works for a firm with past
work for President Hosni Mubarak’s
government.
Wisner was at the centre of
controversy on Saturday when
he suggested that Mubarak
should stay in power during
a democratic transition in the
protest-hit nation. President
Barack Obama’s administration
quickly distanced itself.
The retired diplomat has
served as ambassador to
Egypt, India and other nations.
He has worked since
2009 for Patton Boggs, a US
law firm that represented interests
of Egypt and several
other Arab states in the past.
State Department spokesman
Philip Crowley said that
the administration knew of
Wisner’s employment with
Patton Boggs but believed he
was a “distinguished diplomat”
who knew Egypt.
“We felt that he was
uniquely positioned to have
the kind of conversation that
we felt needed to be done in
Egypt,” Crowley said.
Asked about Wisner,
White House spokesman
Robert Gibbs said that the
State Department “selected
him based on his experience
with Egyptian policy.”
Ed Newberry, a spokesman
for Patton Boggs, said that the
firm represented Egyptian
interests until the mid-1990s,
well before Wisner joined.
— AFP
The Fillon family got a free holiday
that lasted from December 26 to January
2 in the Nile resort of Aswan, were
treated to a Nile boat ride and a flight
on an Egyptian government plane to go
sight-seeing, it said.
“The prime minister was lodged
during this visit by the Egyptian authorities,”
the statement said, noting
that Fillon met Mubarak in Aswan on
December 30, before anti-government
protests kicked off in Egypt.
“The prime minister, again at the invitation
of the authorities, used a plane
from the Egyptian government fleet to
travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel where
he visited a temple,” it said.
The prime minister was making this
information public “in the interest of
transparency,” it added, and pointed out
that Fillon personally paid for his family’s
flight from France to Aswan on a
French government plane.
Fillon has in recent days repeatedly
backed his foreign minister Michele
Alliot-Marie as she faced calls to step
down over her alleged links with the
former Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine
Ben Ali.
During a holiday in Tunisia in late
December, she took two trips in a plane
owned by a prominent businessman —
who critics said was close to the regime
— when the uprising that eventually deposed
Ben Ali was already under way.
It was also Le Canard Enchaine that
broke the story about the foreign minister’s
end of year holiday in Tunisia, a
former French colony.
Alliot-Marie has said she now deeply
regretted her actions but she refuses
to step down despite repeated calls from
the opposition Socialists.
The outcry over Alliot-Marie came
at a delicate time, after France was accused
of being slow to react to the Tunisian
uprising and of indulging Ben Ali’s
authoritarian regime. — AFP
WOMEN pray in Cairo’s Tahrir Square yesterday, on the 15th day of protests. — AFP
Central bank intervenes
to curb speculation
CAIRO — The central bank pumped “large amounts” of US
dollars into the market yesterday to curb currency speculation
that has put pressure on the Egyptian pound, the MENA state
news agency said.
The first such intervention in two years raised the local
currency’s value to 5.87 pounds to the dollar, up from 5.96
pounds, said Hisham Ramez, the bank’s deputy governor,
quoted on Mena. He said the intervention had “inflicted huge
losses on speculators.”
Ramez went on to warn speculators against “exploiting the
current situation to speculate on dollar rates,” stressing that the
bank would act whenever an “unreasonable speculation” was
noticed.
Banks in Egypt were shut for 10 days. On Sunday, people
formed long queues to withdraw money after banks reopened.
An offer of Egypt treasury bills worth 13 billion Egyptian
pounds ($2.2 billion) has been oversubscribed by local banks
despite the country’s political crisis, Mena said.
The 50-per cent oversubscription by commercial banks “reflects
the high liquidity available in Egypt’s banking sector,”
said a finance ministry official cited by Mena.
It also reflects “the confidence of financial institutions in
the ability of Egypt’s economy to overcome the crisis caused
by the current developments,” he said.
The bills were part of a previously-announced programme
that is put in place to secure government budgetary needs in
the fiscal year 2010-2011.
The offer was initially for 15 billion pounds of treasury
bills, but the ministry decided to accept subscriptions for 13
billion pounds only to avoid “exaggerated hikes in interest on
the treasury bills,” the official said.
The official said the high value of this offer, in comparison
with earlier sale of bills, was due to a 10-day shutdown
of banks.
The official said also the finance ministry repaid yesterday
matured bills worth 6.1 billion pounds ($1.04 billion).
Egypt’s stock exchange is to reopen on Sunday with reduced
trading hours after a two-week closure brought about by
the widespread political unrest in the country.
There has been no trading since January 30, after the benchmark
EGX30 index lost 17 per cent of its value in its last week
of trading.
In two days alone, some $12 billion were wiped off the exchange’s
market value, according to some estimates.
Banks opened on Sunday after one-week closure, and are
operating with reduced hours as daily limit on cash withdrawal
— of 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($8,500) — was enforced on
clients. — AFP/dpa
First-timers join protest
CAIRO — Thousands of protesters including first-timers gathered
in Cairo’s Tahrir Square from early yesterday and numbers
built quickly as demonstrations entered their third week.
Many had camped out overnight in what has become a
tented village in the heart of the Egyptian capital, with people
selling food, drink, newspapers and Egyptian flags that were
being waved aloft in the festival atmosphere.
Some joined the protest for the first time. “I came here for
the first time,” said Afaf Naged, 71, a former member of the
board of directors of the state-owned National Bank of Egypt.
Amr Fatouh, 25, a surgeon, said it was his first time protesting
at the square because of his hospital duties.
“I hope people will continue and more people will come.
At first, people didn’t believe the regime would fall but that is
changing,” he said. — Reuters
Engineer for US oil firm missing
CAIRO — An Egyptian employee of US oil services giant
Baker Hughes has been missing for over 10 days since taking
part in the protests, his family said yesterday.
Tarek Abdel Latif, 36, has not been seen or heard from
since January 28.
“We have not heard from him since that Friday. We have
looked everywhere, in hospitals, police stations, we’ve asked
everyone. Nothing,” his brother Khaled Abdel Latif said.
He was last reported seen by friends on January 28 evening
in Tahrir Square.
“Some people told us he is being held at state security headquarters
in Cairo. We went and they turned us away saying no
one was being held there,” Abdel Latif said.
Several people taking parts in the protests have been reported
missing, but the exact numbers are not clear. — AFP
Thomas Cook sees £20m
hit from Egypt/Tunisia
LONDON — British travel group Thomas Cook said it expected
unrest in Egypt and Tunisia to wipe around £20 million
($32 million) off second-quarter profit with holidaymakers being
advised to stay away from the region.
Europe’s second-biggest tour operator, which has been taking
around a million holidaymakers to Egypt each year, hopes
to offset the impact by offering more holidays to alternative
destinations such as Greece and Spain.
“We have got nine months to go in our financial year and
we have got plenty of time to recover the 20 million and mitigate
that impact,” chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa told
reporters on a conference call yesterday.
In the last four weeks, Fontenla-Novoa said British bookings
to Greece were up 20 per cent with bookings to the Balearic
Islands rising 30 per cent.
“The two destinations which are benefiting the most from
these troubles are Spain and Greece. The main beneficiary is
Spain, in particular the Canary and Balearic Islands. The second
destination is Greece which is seeing a big comeback,” he said.
Thomas Cook said all travel to Egypt and Tunisia was currently
restricted with the exception of travel from Britain to
Red Sea resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh, which have been
relatively unaffected by the troubles.
Rival TUI Travel said last week the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia
could wipe up to £30 million ($49 million) off its profits.
Thomas Cook said revenue rose by 7 per cent to £1.8 billion
in its first quarter to end December. The group narrowed
its operating loss by 10 per cent to £37.3 million.
Tour operators usually make a loss in this traditionally quiet
quarter.
Thomas Cook said it had seen a positive start to summer
trading with bookings from continental and northern European
markets particularly strong.
Shares in Thomas Cook, which have lost nearly 10 per cent
of their value over the past week reflecting concerns over the
impact of the unrest, were up 2 per cent to 197.4 pence at 1000
GMT, valuing the business at £1.63 billion.
“As with TUI Travel, Thomas Cook is showing good underlying
resilience and its exposure to strong continental European
source markets should prove to be a positive,” said KBC
Peel Hunt analyst Nick Batram, who rates the stock a ‘buy’.
Thomas Cook said it was continuing to work closely with
the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) with a view to obtaining
clearance for its takeover of the Co-Operative Group’s travel
business. — Reuters

NEWS IN BRIEF
Zardari to give awards to
textile business leaders
THE All Pakistan Textile Mills
Association (APTMA) is organising
an event at the Presidency for award
distribution on February 11. The APTMA
for the first time in is introducing the
Legends of APTMA Awards for leading
textile businessmen having given their
best to the textile industry and business
in a decade or so.
President Asif Ali Zardari has agreed
to confer the awards on legendary figures
of textile industry during the annual
dinner. The managing committee of
APTMA with its central chairman Gohar
Ejaz took the decision on the Legends of
APTMA Awards.
Ejaz said Asif Ali Zardari has time
and again proved through his actions
he was a pro-industry, pro-growth and
pro-people person. He appreciated the
efforts of Minister for Textile Industry
Rana Farooq Saeed in steering the textile
industry out of a string of crises.
Many incumbent ministers
likely to be dropped
AROUND 90 per cent of incumbent
Pakistan ministers, ministers of state and
others are likely to be dropped in the
new cabinet which Prime Minister Yusuf
Raza Gilani will be announcing later this
week. “I foresee that almost 90 per cent
present ministers and ministers of state
will be dropped in the new cabinet and
only 10 per cent will survive,” daily The
News reported quoting a federal minister.
The present cabinet, with 62
members including ministers, ministers
of state, special advisers and advisers,
will be dissolved today following its
last meeting. Surprisingly, except for
the law and commerce ministers, no
minister or minister of state has formally
tendered resignation. These ministers and
ministers of state are engaged in hectic
lobbying to keep their slots in the new
formation.
Minister says no deal
to outsource flights
DEFENCE Minister Chaudhry Ahmad
Mukhtar has said that an agitation
launched by Pakistan Airlines Pilots
Association is unjustified, as the Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA) has not
signed any agreement with the Turkish
Airlines for outsourcing international
flights to the United States and Canada.
The defence minister said that PIA and
Turkish Airlines had just recorded discussions
for co-operation on international
routes, which had neither been cleared by
his ministry nor approved by the federal
cabinet for implementation.
Mukhtar alleged that a group of pilots
who had their families settled in Canada
and New York were trying to delay
PIA flights through agitation which was
against the interest of the country and the
national flag carrier.
The minister denied any disruption
in international flights of the PIA and
said that two flights to Toronto and New
York were taking off yesterday according
to schedule. The minister said that pilots
normally got three to four days of layover
in New York and Toronto where they
stayed with members of their families
who, he alleged, were doing business.
Safari trains to celebrate
150th anniversary
THE Pakistan Railways and Pakistan
Railways Advisory and Consultancy
Services (PRACS) have decided to
operate special safari trains for tourist
spots to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
The tourist spots included in the list for
running safari trains include Khewra,
Kalabagh and Changa Manga besides
other places.
According to PRACS Chief Public
Relations Officer Shahid Salim, the Pakistan
Railways and PRACS would jointly
operate special safari trains on February
20 from Rawalpindi to Taxila and from
Lahore to Changa Manga.
He said similarly safari trains would
also be operated on February 27 for
Chary and on March 12 for Kalabagh.
The official said after inauguration, safari
trains would provide services on regular
basis. He said the package is Rs 2,000 to
Rs 5,000 per person with one night stay
including foods and other facilities.
Over 2.4 million saplings to
be planted in Islamabad
MORE than 2.4 million saplings would
be planted in the Pakistan capital during
the three-year clean and green capital
programme. Over 1.8 million trees
have been planted during the threeyear
programme which started in 2009
and this would be the last year,” said
Ramzan Sajid, spokesman for the Capital
Development Authority (CDA).
The official expressed the confidence
that the target would be achieved during
the current year as over 1.8 million
saplings have already been planted.
Sajid said that two plantation drives are
being carried out every year during which
400,000 to 500,000 saplings are being
planted. “Our main focus is the survival
of these saplings and over 50 per cent
survival is satisfactory,” he said.
— Internews
Bombs kill soldiers,
police in Peshawar
PESHAWAR — Bomb attacks yesterday
killed three security officials and
devastated Nato oil tankers in northwest
Pakistan, officials said.
There was no immediate claim of
responsibility.
“A roadside improvised explosive
device exploded as an army vehicle
passed by in Janikhel town, killing
two soldiers and wounding four others,”
a senior military official said.
An intelligence official confirmed
the incident and casualties, about 150
kilometres south of Peshawar, the capital
of the northwest.
Just north of Peshawar, another
roadside blast struck a police van, killing
one policeman in the Mithra area.
Police official Muhammad
Ejaz said three other policemen
KARACHI — Pakistan introduced
a tax yesterday on all goods
transiting into Afghanistan, except
supplies for US-led Nato troops,
a provincial government minister
said.
The decision in southern Sindh
province, where Karachi is Pakistan’s
largest sea port and used by
Nato troops to ship equipment to
landlocked Afghanistan, follows
a transit trade deal between Kabul
and Islamabad.
“We have levied the tax under
the Afghan Transit and Trade
agreement signed by the two
countries last year on all the
goods going to Afghanistan by air
and road,” provincial excise and
taxation minister Mukesh Kumar
Chawla said.
“We have imposed a tax of 0.08
per cent on the value of every item
transported to Afghanistan... It will
earn at least Rs 5 billion ($58.62
million) annually,” he said.
Nato goods have been shipped
to Karachi and driven through
Pakistan for more than nine years
since the 2001 US-led invasion of
Afghanistan.
But Pervez Musharraf, Paki-
8
SUBCONTINENT
OMAN DAILY Observer
were injured.
On the outskirts of Peshawar, a
bomb planted in a Nato oil tanker
exploded in a massive ball of fire, destroying
16 vehicles including three
other tankers used to supply Nato
forces, police said.
“The bomb was planted in a Nato
oil tanker. Sixteen vehicles were completely
destroyed in the fire caused by
the explosion,” police official Shafiullah
Khan said.
Six people were hurt and six nearby
shops damaged in the fire, Khan said.
The tankers and other vehicles
were parked at the time of the explosion
and had been due to continue the
journey into the lawless tribal district
of Khyber and across the border into
Afghanistan, he added. — AFP
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
Pakistan taxes Afghan-bound goods, Nato still exempt
stan’s ruler from 1999 to 2008,
exempted Nato goods from taxation,
despite heavy criticism from
opposition parties.
“We are not applying the tax to
Nato supplies because it is part of
our longstanding policy,” Chawla
said.
Pakistan was devastated by
floods last year, which affected 21
million people and according to
the World Bank caused $9.7 billion
of damage.
The cash-strapped government
is under increasing international
pressure to introduce tax reforms
MEN hold onto a rope as they attempt to cross a flooded area in Vavuniya, about 260 km from Colombo.
to raise revenue, avert economic
meltdown and meet IMF targets
in line with a bail-out package negotiated
in 2008. A standing committee
in Pakistan’s upper house
of parliament last month called for
taxes to be imposed on Nato goods
trucked through the country.
Pakistan remains the main
overland supply route for troops in
Afghanistan, although the United
States increasingly looks to open
alternative routes in central Asia.
Transporters say more than 200
tankers and trucks leave Karachi
daily for Afghanistan through the
COLOMBO — The United
Nations said yesterday that
recent monsoon flooding in
Sri Lanka had hit hundreds
of thousands of victims who
were forced from their homes
just weeks ago.
“The impact on people of
this second wave of floods is
even greater than the first in
large part as peoples’ capacity
to cope was already diminished,”
UN Colombo chief
Neil Buhne said in a statement.
“The UN will revise its
flash appeal of $51 million
in emergency funding at the
end of this month in accordance
with needs of both flood
events.”
More than 300,000 people
in the north, east and centre
are currently displaced, with
thousands of houses destroyed
and over a million people di-
Pakistani border towns of Chaman
and Torkham.
Meanwhile, suspected tribal
gunmen blew up two major natural
gas pipelines in Pakistan’s
southwest yesterday, forcing the
suspension of supplies to the strategic
region bordering Afghanistan
and Iran, officials said.
“We have suspended gas supply
to the province as the pipelines
are on fire,” Inayatullah Ismail, a
spokesman for Sui Southern Gas
Company (SSGC) that supplies
gas to the southern parts of the
country said.
Floods pile on misery
rectly affected by the floods.
The government’s Disaster
Management Centre yesterday
reported at least 19 floodrelated
deaths. Last month’s
flooding claimed at least 43
lives.
Oxfam said that the destruction
of rice fields had
left Sri Lanka with long-term
food security issues in addition
to the immediate humanitarian
needs. “The floods are
likely to destroy more than 90
per cent of the (rice) paddy
cultivation in the affected
districts,” Oxfam’s manager
in Sri Lanka, Thusitha Siriwardana,
said.
“We estimate that the
damage could be around 50
billion rupees (450 million
dollars) due to the latest wave
of floods,” Disaster Management
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera
said. — Agencies
Colombo shrugs off inflation fears, holds rates
COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s central bank
yesterday shrugged off food inflation fears
and held interest rates at six-year lows as
expected, saying export earnings growth
and adequate rice stocks should offset any
supply shocks.
Two rounds of heavy flooding that hit
the staple rice crop, the first of which came
right after the central bank surprised market
expectations by cutting interest rates in
January, have heightened inflation fears in
the Indian Ocean nation.
Sri Lanka’s monetary policy board in
its monthly review kept the repurchase rate
at 7.00 per cent and the reverse repurchase
rate at 8.50 per cent, the central bank said
yesterday.
A Reuters poll had forecast the rates
would stay unchanged.
Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard
Cabraal said the central bank was closely
monitoring supply shocks for any inflation
spikes, given the impact of higher global
food and energy prices on the island nation’s
$50 billion economy.
“Our assessment is there wouldn’t be
such a spike. If there is a spike, it will be
supply and we will support it with intervention
like a tariff reduction,” Cabraal said.
Adequate rice stocks and the potential
for a larger crop in the May-September
growing season “are likely to ease any
prices pressures in 2011”, the central bank
said in a statement.
“The recent price surges in other food
crops are expected to subside as the situation
normalises in the coming months,” it
said, referring to flood-damaged crops.
Barely two years after it won a quartercentury
separatist war, the government is
Lanka rally for jailed
former army chief
COLOMBO — Thousands of Sri
Lankan opposition activists staged a
protest outside a jail yesterday to demand
the release of former army chief
and defeated presidential candidate
Sarath Fonseka.
Supporters of the JVP, or People’s
Liberation Front, shouted slogans and
carried placards demanding freedom
for Fonseka who is serving a 30-month
sentence after being convicted by a
court martial.
The JVP organised the demonstration
outside the Welikada jail to mark
the first anniversary of Fonseka’s arrest
by the military, just two weeks
after he lost the January 2010 presidential
vote.
“We will not give up our struggle
until he is released,” Fonseka’s wife,
Anoma, told the protesters.
Police closed a section of the main
road outside the prison in a bid to
prevent a repeat of Friday’s violence
when government supporters clashed
with Fonseka loyalists.
At least four opposition MPs were
among a dozen people wounded in
the Friday night attack, while cars belonging
to opposition lawmakers were
smashed by ruling party activists.
The main opposition United National
Party (UNP) is planning another
protest in Colombo today to press for
Fonseka’s release.
Mass protests erupted in Sri Lanka
soon after Fonseka’s arrest a year ago.
Fonseka is widely credited with
leading troops to crush Tamil Tigers
and ending the island’s decades-long
separatist war in May 2009. However,
he then fell out with President Mahinda
Rajapakse.
A court martial found him guilty of
irregularities when he was army chief
and also stripped him of his pension
and medals. — AFP
FIREFIGHTERS extinguish burning oil tankers which were set ablaze by a bomb explosion in Peshawar yesterday.
working to spur corporate expansion and
capitalise on solid performance under a
$2.6 billion International Monetary Fund
loan to bring in outside investment.
It is also keen to keep economic growth
humming along, after hitting an estimated
8 per cent last year and forecasting 8.5 per
cent this year. The IMF was more conservative,
estimating growth at 7 per cent this
year.
“This is mainly to support growth rather
than attracting investments,” said Anushka
Shah, an economist at Citibank in Mumbai.
“With an increase in inflation, the central
bank may have to hike the rate towards the
end of the year.”
Since early 2009, the central bank has
pushed interest rates lower and urged banks
to drop the spread to cut borrowing costs,
after tackling inflation that surged to 28.2
per cent in June 2008 with a tight monetary
policy stance.
Experts have said the central bank’s relaxed
policy has yet to encourage corporate
investment as loans taken for consumption
are still high, but Cabraal said most of Sri
Lanka’s companies have adequate cash for
their own expansion.
Private credit growth shrank in 2009 as
the corporate sector postponed its investment
plans due to low global demand, but
by the end of 2010 it had hit 24 per cent,
well past the central bank target of 15 per
cent, Cabraal said.
Credit growth has not overheated, and
the large expansion is due to the negative
base effect from 2009, Cabraal said.
Around 78 per cent of borrowing is corporate
for intermediate-term loans and project
financing, he said. — Reuters
Ismail said he was unsure how
long it would take to extinguish the
fire and resume gas supplies.
The twin explosions followed a
late Monday night attack on four
transmission pylons in the Bolan
area, suspending power supplies
to around half of the province’s 30
districts.
A spokesman for the government-owned
power company said
that electricity to some parts of the
provincial capital of Quetta had
been restored, but the rest of the
districts had been “in complete
darkness for the last 24 hours”.
Call for review
of sanctions
YANGON/BRUSSELS —
Myanmar's main opposition
movement yesterday called
for talks with the United
States, European Union, Australia
and Canada on how to
modify economic sanctions
against the country in order
to encourage democracy and
human rights.
"Available evidence indicates
that economic conditions
within the country have
not been affected by sanctions
in any notable degree," the
National League for Democracy
(NLD), led by Nobel
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi,
said in a four-page statement.
The NLD blamed Myanmar's
current economic
malaise on the authority's
economic policies, that have
stymied market forces, and
cronyism between the authority
and its select business
partners.
Myanmar has been under
the rule of a junta since 1988,
and was under a military-run
socialist government between
1962 and 1988.
The World Bank, the International
Monetary Fund
and the Asian Development
Bank all ended their aid to
Myanmar, also called Burma,
in 1988, in the wake of an
army crackdown on a pro-democracy
movement that left
an estimated 3,000 dead.
Most western democracies
froze aid at the same time
and some, such as the United
States, have prohibited their
private sectors from investing
in the country.
The US and European Union
have also imposed financial
sanctions on the country's
leading generals and their main
business cronies.— DPA
A PROTESTER holds a poster up in support of former army chief Sarath Fonseka in front of a police line near
the prison in which Fonseka is serving his sentence, in Colombo yesterday. — Reuters

MSM INDEX
6923.67
� See page 10 �
Dollar holds
firm against euro
TOKYO — The dollar held
firm against the euro in Asia
yesterday in the absence
of fresh trading pegs after
inching up in New York
on weaker-than-expected
German data.
The euro bought $1.3577
in Tokyo trade, a shade
lower than $1.3581 in
New York late on Monday.
Against the Japanese unit,
the common currency was
flat at 111.78. The dollar
was flat at 82.32 yen.
The euro fell on Monday
after data showed German
industrial orders tumbled
3.4 per cent in December,
much worse than forecasts
for a drop of 1.5 per cent.
The dollar also got
support from higher yields
on US Treasury bonds.
Investors were also
reassessing the prospect of
rate hikes in the eurozone,
which had boosted the
single currency in recent
weeks.
"For US bond yields
to gain further, better
US economic indicators
and more hawkish Fed
comments are needed," Tate
said. — AFP
BankMuscat holds meet
BANKMUSCAT highlighted the 2010 performance at an investor
meeting organised by Muscat Securities Market (MSM).
BankMuscat was the first company to hold the 2010 annual
result-linked investor meet which was well appreciated by the
Capital Market Authority (CMA) and MSM. ● Page 10
By Conrad Prabhu
MUSCAT — Authorities overseeing the development
of an industrial and economic hub at Duqm on the Sultanate’s
Wusta coast have pledged to put in place robust
measures to safeguard the region’s immaculate environment.
Some of these measures were outlined at a recent forum
that served to showcase the government’s ambition
to transform Duqm into a world-scale maritime, industrial
and tourism development, anchored by a huge seaport
and dry dock complex.
Multimodal transportation infrastructure encompassing
rail, road and air connectivity, as well as dedicated
clusters for heavy industry, refining and petrochemicals,
light manufacturing, fisheries and minerals processing,
and tourism are key components of the government’s vision
for Duqm’s long-term development.
Dr Maurice Girgis, Duqm Project Adviser at the
Ministry of National Economy, emphasised the government’s
commitment to securing Duqm’s long-term environmental
well-being.
Management of Duqm’s industrial waste streams,
he stressed, will be a priority objective for the all the
government agencies concerned, including the Ministry
of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) and Ministry
of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources
(MRME-WR).
According to Yahya Khamis al Zadjali, Director of
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Physical Planning and Policy at the Supreme Committee
for Town Planning — which is master-planning the
German
industrial
output falls
BERLIN — German industrial
production posted
a surprise fall in December
as heavy falls and sub-zero
temperatures hit output in
Europe's biggest economy,
data showed.
The Ministry of Economics
and Technology said output
fell by 1.5 per cent in December
to record its second
consecutive monthly drop.
Forecasters had predicted
a modest gain of 0.3 per cent
in December.
Helping to drag down the
production data was a sharp
24.1 per cent slump in in
output in the building industry.
Industries such as construction
and transport were
badly hit by the prematurely
cold winter weather that took
hold across Germany during
December.
But despite the December
contraction in output, the
economics ministry said that
the outlook for production
remained positive.
"The manufacturing industry
output suffered a setback
as a result of the impact
of weather conditions on
production in the construction
industry," the ministry
said in a statement.
However, it said overall
production "remained on an
upward trend." Production of
capital goods rose by a solid
3.3 per cent in December.
Releasing the data the
ministry revised up slightly
the November output data to
show a 0.6 per cent fall instead
of previously estimated
0.7 per cent fall. Output in
October bounded ahead by 3
per cent. — dpa
Training for Galfar staff
GALFAR Engineering & Contracting arranged a 4-day course at
Hotel Golden Tulip Seeb titled “Manage Project Professionally”,
an approved and certified programme by Project Management
Institute, USA for Galfar Project Management Personnel
engaged in prestigious projects in Oman. ● Page 10
Govt vows robust environment safeguards for Duqm Development
UK slaps extra £800m tax on banks
LONDON — Britain slapped
an extra £800 million ($1.3
billion) tax on banks this year,
taking a harder line on the sector
as it negotiates a deal to
curb bonuses and free up business
lending.
The government on Tuesday
said it will impose the full
amount of a planned levy on
bank balance sheets this year,
instead of phasing it in.
UK banks like HSBC and
Barclays and the UK operations
of banks from other
countries, such as Goldman
Sachs and Deutsche Bank
will pay a total £2.5 billion in
2011.The Treasury had initially
planned to raise £1.7 billion
from the levy this year and the
full amount from 2012.
Finance Minister George
Osborne said he hoped that
making the tax position plain
would aid any possible deal
with banks on increasing the
amount they lend to businesses
and limiting bonuses
— known as Project Merlin.
"I'm still confident we can
secure a deal with the banks
on seeing an increase in lending
to small businesses and
see that bonuses are lower this
year than last year," he said on
BBC radio.
Britain said last year it
would introduce a levy on
banks that would raise about
£2.5 billion a year by 2012-13
when it was fully running.
"That (extra £800 million)
is a substantial sum of money
that will help the government
and help Britain deal with its
budget deficit," Osborne said.
The Treasury said it wants
banks to make "a fair contribution"
to the potential risks
they pose to the financial system
and to encourage them to
move to less risky funding.
— Reuters
long-term development of Duqm, a high-level subcommittee
has been tasked with overseeing all issues relating
to wastes emanating from this future coastal hub. As
part of its brief, the Environment and Wastes Subcommittee
— part of the apex Duqm Development Steering
Committee — will draft an overall strategy for dealing
with hazardous and non-hazardous wastes generated as
a result of Duqm’s industrial and economic investments.
The panel, he said, is working closely with MECA and
MRME-WR in evaluating ways to manage all wastes
from Duqm.
Al Zadjali also envisaged a key role for the stateowned
Oman Environmental Services Holding Company
(OESHCO), which has been mandated by the
government to oversee the management and eventual
privatisation of the solid waste sector in the Sultanate.
Duqm’s output of hazardous waste, for example,
will be temporarily stored at special landfills pending
the completion of a National Hazardous Waste Facility
planned by OESHCO at Adam in the Dakhiliya region.
OESHCO also revealed earlier this week that it is preparing
a strategy for the management of Duqm’s output
of solid waste.
Meanwhile, the state-owned Oman Dry-dock Company
(ODC), whose state-of-the-art ship repair yard at
Duqm will be soft-launched in April, is putting in place a
special facility to receive slops and sludge – oily wastewater
and residual waste oil collected from ships prior to
their dry-docking.
The reception facility is due to be brought into operation
by June, according to company officials.
The establishment of a slop and sludge reception and
treatment facility enables ODC to meet key provisions of
the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution
from Ships (MARPOL). Further, in line with its objective
to be an environmental-friendly ship repair yard,
ODC plans to chemically treat and recycle the slops.
Commercially valuable oil recovered as a result will
either be put to further use or exported. Any hazardous
solid waste remaining over from the treatment process
will be temporarily stored until the Adam facility is operational.
Besides, with a view to safeguarding Duqm’s residents
from potential industrial emissions, a 10-kilometre
wide buffer will separate the heavy industrial zone from
the hub’s future township and residential quarter. Zoning
maps made on the basis of studies of wind conditions
restrict heavy industry to the northern part of Duqm,
thereby keeping local residents safe from any downwind
exposure to industrial emissions, said Al Zadjali.
Steps have also been taken to preserve Duqm’s idyllic
and pristine beachfront setting, the official stated.
A 150-metre wide corridor from running the length
of the seafront has been declared off-limits to any permanent
construction. Further, in a move to protect the
region’s famed white-sand shores, economic activity of
any kind will be banned within a 300-metre-wide zone
at beachfront locations.

By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — BankMuscat,
the leading financial services
provider in the Sultanate, highlighted
the 2010 performance at
an investor meeting organised
by Muscat Securities Market
(MSM). BankMuscat was the
first company to hold the 2010
annual result-linked investor
meet which was well appreciated
by the Capital Market Authority
(CMA) and MSM. The
meeting evoked good response
from the media, investors and
representatives of brokerage
and investment companies.
The Bank’s Management
Team, including AbdulRazak
Ali Issa, Chief Executive,
Sunder George, Deputy Chief
Executive, K. Gopakumar,
General Manager – Wholesale
Banking, Abdullah al Hinai,
AGM - Investment Banking,
and T Ganesh – Financial Con-
troller, attended the meeting.
AbdulRazak Ali Issa said:
“Such events promote better
investor relations culture in
Oman. I thank the CMA and
MSM for organising the meeting
which will help in building
a stronger corporate governance
and investor relations
culture in Oman. As always,
10 OMAN WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
BankMuscat highlights
2010 performance at
MSM investor meeting
By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — The Oman Oil & Gas HR
Forum held it’s 35th Quarterly Meeting
recently at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Muscat.
The meeting was attended by more than
20 HR Managers and Senior HR Professionals
from the Oil and Gas Industry and
other business sectors in the country. The
Oman Oil & Gas HR Forum has existed
now for more than 10 years and has active
members from over 25 companies.
Organised on a rotational basis amongst
the member Companies, the meeting this
time around was facilitated and hosted
by MB Holding Company LLC. The session
started with a welcome speech by Dr
Mohammed al Barwani, Chairman of MB
Holding and followed by a Q & A Session
with the Forum Members.
In his speech, Dr Al Barwani talked
about the growth of MB Holding as a
family-owned business from its humble
beginnings in the 1980’s to where it
is today, the challenges and issues faced
over the years, his aspirations and goals
for the Company in the future, and finally
the critical role and contribution of the
HR Function in helping him to achieve
his dream.
The session was followed by a series
of presentations by MB Holding LLC on
some of the key initiatives that have taken
place in the Company under the theme
“HR Transformation – Building HR Capability”.
The first presentation on “HR Transformation
in MB Group” was delivered
by Mohammed al Kharusi, Director HR
& IT for MB Group. In this session, Al
Kharusi shared the experience of the
BankMuscat takes proactive
measures to enhance investor
relationship.
The Bank is grateful to customers,
the banking community,
shareholders and regulators
for their continued support.” T
Ganesh made a presentation
on the Bank’s 2010 financial
highlights. The presentation
transformation journey in the Group from
2008-2010, how the plan was built, the
business assumptions used, the model
and approach taken to develop and implement
the plan, and finally the challenges
and key learning that can be derived from
this transformation journey.
The second presentation on “Designing
and Implementing the New Job Grading
and Salary Structure for MB Holding”
was delivered by Saleh al Muslehi,
Compensation & Benefits Analyst for
MB Group.
In this session, the Forum was given
an overview on the need for MB Group to
adopt a new job grading and salary structure,
the design methodology adopted for
this purpose, how the new scheme works,
and some of the issues and challenges
faced in implementing the structure across
MB Group of Companies. The final presentation
was delivered by Peter Salleh,
also touched upon the 2011
outlook on Oman and the GCC
markets, serving as a pointer
to business opportunities for
the Bank. In 2010, BankMuscat
posted a net profit of RO
101.6 million, higher by 38
per cent compared to 2009.
Core earnings of the Bank improved
during the year.
MB Holding sponsors Oil & Gas HR forum
By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — Galfar Engineering
& Contracting arranged a
4-day course at Hotel Golden
Tulip Seeb titled “Manage
Project Professionally”, an
approved and certified programme
by Project Management
Institute, USA for
Galfar Project Management
Personnel engaged in prestigious
projects in Oman.
Gurdev Singh Randhawa,
PMP, an expert project
management professional, a
sought after speaker, and a
renowned trainer on project
management conducted the
programme. The main objective
of the programme is to
learn the World's Best Project
Management practices based
on PMI's PMBOK Edition,
and to prepare participants for
PMP / PMI-RMP / PMI- SP /
C APM Certification.
“We recognise that our people
are our greatest asset, we
continuously energise our em-
DR Mohammed al Barwani, Chairman of MB Holding (right) and Mohammed
al Kharusi, Director HR & IT for MB Group, addressing the forum.
ployees by making available
to them learning and development
opportunities that are
aligned with rapidly changing,
and globally oriented business
needs. The mission of the Human
Resources team is to continually
prepare our employees
to position themselves for
future business challenges”
said Dr Rashid al Ghailani,
Vice President HR.
The Training Programme,
organised by Galfar Training
Institute, Director M M Shahdad
welcomed the participants,
and manager M A Moyeed
coordinated the programme
which followed a practical and
theoretical methodology and
was characterised by an interactive
approach. The training
was appreciated by the participants
who believed that this
would equip them to hone their
approach towards achieving
the company’s growth goals.
Moyeed said, “We are overwhelmed
by the positive feedback
and the level of interaction
and seriousness shown is
very encouraging. Because of
the demand we are going to
arrange another programme in
Group L & D Manager for MB Group.
Under the topic “Developing and Implementing
HR Competence Development
Framework”, he shared with the Forum
the business case for having a competence
framework for the HR Community
in the Group, the principles and process
adopted in designing and developing the
framework, the definitions, standards and
assessment tool used, the plan for implementation
and finally, the challenges and
key learning derived from the exercise.
In addition, Aakanksha Chaudhary a
Consultant from Ernst and Young, Muscat
also made a presentation on the “HR
Transformation” which covered the process,
approach and methodology for undertaking
a transformation exercise from
a conceptual perspective, and drawing
from their experiences on the work that
they have done with organisations in this
area.
Project Management Training for Galfar staff
MUSCAT — The German Industry and Commerce Office
(AHK Oman) hosted two separate events for the business delegation
from Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany on February 7 at
the Grand Hyatt Muscat.
One of the goals of this initiative of the Ministry of Economics,
Transport, Agriculture and Viniculture of Rhineland-Palatinate
was to present a workshop on “Landscaping and Agriculture”
by Prof Dr Roland Kubiak from the German Institute for
AgroEcology, which was warmly received by representatives
from the local private and public sector.
The other focus of the delegation was a Business-to-Business
meeting event between high profile German companies
and Omani companies in order to develop and explore potential
partnership.
The inauguration of the workshop and the Business-to-Business
meetings was held by Angelika Storz-Chakarji, the German
Ambassador in Oman and the representative of the Rhineland-
Palatinate Ministry of Economics, Transport, Agriculture and
Viniculture, Claudia Brillmann.
March.”
Galfar Engineering &
Contracting SAOG is one of
the largest, multi-disciplined
engineering, contracting and
construction company in the
Sultanate of Oman. Galfar is
today the most trusted name in
construction industry in the region,
with unparalleled records
in quality, safety and reliability.
It has had many successful
joint ventures with the global
giants in construction and is
one of the most sought after
construction partners today in
the region.
AHK Oman hosts events for German business team
“We are pleased to renew the success of the Delegation’s
first visit in 2010 and are looking forward to further enhance
the business relationship between Oman and the German
federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the future,” said Sousann
al Heureithi, Representative of the German Industry and
Commerce Office in Oman.

11
OMAN/INTERNATIONAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
The Wave, Muscat’s properties
showcased at Muscat Festival
MUSCAT — The Wave,
Muscat, the Sultanate’s first
Integrated Tourism Complex,
has established a fullyfledged
promotional stand at
Qurum National Park as Silver
Sponsor of the 2011 Muscat
Festival.
The stand is centrally located
at the Silver Jubilee
Square amidst the entertaining
atmosphere that celebrates
Oman’s rich and traditional
arts, culture and heritage
making The Wave, Muscat
the only real estate project in
Oman to have a stand at the
park.
Manned by two sales promoters,
the stand offers prospective
home buyers and tenants
a friendly and convenient
opportunity to gain comprehensive
information and key
insights about the multitude
ZURICH — UBS expects to
win more client funds for its
wealth management business
in 2011 and sees a rebound
in the investment banking division
whose losses almost
felled it in the financial crisis.
Switzerland's biggest bank
said it had seen improvement
across all its businesses in the
fourth quarter — with total
net new money of 7.1 billion
Swiss francs — although
inflows were flat at its core
wealth management unit after
1 billion in the third quarter
and big withdrawals in the
first half.
"We are optimistic that
overall positive net new money
inflows will continue in the
first quarter. For the full year,
of property options that are
available at The Wave, Muscat
ranging from apartments
to villas and townhouses.
The stand also offers other
fun activities especially for
children and families, such
as face painting, balloons and
other interesting giveaways.
Muscat Festival has also
provided an ideal platform
to introduce the public to the
various lifestyle advantages
of becoming part of a growing
and vibrant multi-cultural
beachfront community in
the heart of Muscat which
includes Oman’s first PGA
Links Golf Course designed
by the legendary Greg Norman,
a fully equipped Sailing
Academy, world-class hotels
and globally renowned retail
outlets.
In light of increased de-
we believe that net new money
will strengthen noticeably,"
UBS said in a statement.
Clients rattled by huge
writedowns on toxic assets
and a US dispute over clients
who dodged taxes using secret
Swiss accounts had pulled
nearly 400 billion francs from
the world's second-largest
wealth manager in recent
years.
"The results are a relief after
the poor results of US brokers
and those from Deutsche
Bank and even Julius Baer,"
said Helvea analyst Peter
Thorne. "It is a relief to hear
their optimism for 2011."
UBS shares were up 1.6 per
cent at 17.77 francs at 0956
GMT, against a 0.7 per cent
mand for affordable home financing
schemes, visitors can
also obtain useful information
about the numerous mortgage
and financial solutions that
are available for purchasing
and leasing through the Development’s
long standing
partnerships with a number of
leading national banks.
These solutions have been
specifically designed to make
residential property more accessible,
convenient and simple.
Festival goers can also
arrange for more in-depth
one-on-one interviews at The
Wave, Muscat’s dedicated
Sales Center by simply completing
consultation cards
to schedule appointments to
tour the properties and discuss
their residential requirements
in further detail.
UBS sees rise in client funds
TOKYO — Japan's Toyota
said yesterday its net profit
for the nine months to December
nearly quadrupled
and upped its outlook, saying
the "wounds" from a massive
recall crisis and spate of lawsuits
had partly healed.
However, the maker of the
popular Prius hybrid saw a 39
per cent fall in third quarter
net profit year-on-year as sales
slipped and operating profit
tumbled at a time when the
yen hit 15-year highs versus
the dollar.
Previously lauded for its
safety, Toyota became mired
in crisis when it recalled nearly
nine million autos between
late 2009 and February last
year due to brake and accelerator
defects alleged to have
caused dozens of deaths.
The crisis dealt a huge
blow to the firm's reputation,
prompting predictions it
would lose market share as it
tightened its recall policy to
encompass around 16 million
vehicles between late 2009
and January this year.
But despite a plunge in
third quarter profits, Toyota
joined rival Honda in predicting
a brighter picture for
the year as a whole thanks to
strong demand in emerging
markets.
In the nine months to December,
Toyota sold more
than 910,000 units in China
and Asia excluding Japan, a
30 per cent increase on the
weaker European STOXX
banks index.
Analysts said litigation
charges of 230 million francs
and an own credit charge of
509 million in the investment
bank mainly explained why
quarterly profit missed forecasts.
Gruebel's overhaul of the
investment bank started to
pay off in the fourth quarter
as equities and fixed income,
commodities and currencies
(FICC) revenues improved,
though the own credit charge,
as well as losses on student
loans, kept net profit to just 75
million Swiss francs ($78.35
million) after a surprise loss
for the previous three months.
— AFP
Toyota profits quadruple
same period a year earlier.
Net profit for the period
soared 293.7 per cent to 382.7
billion yen and the car giant
raised its annual net profit
forecast to 490 billion yen
($5.95 billion) from an earlier
350 billion yen.
"I think half of the wounds
(from the recalls) have been
healed," senior managing director
Takahiko Ijichi told reporters,
adding that cost cuts
and efforts to improve profitability
were bearing fruit.

Discover Malaysia with Malaysia Airlines
MUSCAT — Malaysia Airlines has recently launched ‘Discover Malaysia Pass’ — a
prepaid ticket voucher, at affordable fares starting from $99 for economy class and
$199 for business class enabling tourists to visit more places in Malaysia.
Valid from January 1 to June 30, 2011, the ‘Discover Malaysia Pass’ can be exchanged
for a ticket of 6 months validity to travel to four sectors within Malaysia. To be
eligible to purchase the pass, customers must have travelled on an international ticket
with one month validity purchased from Malaysia Airlines.
Malaysia Airlines Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Dato Bernard
Francis said: “To deliver value to customers, we constantly match our prices to the
needs and demands of our market. Such value-added services offered by Malaysia Airlines
will give our customers a range of choices to choose from. This is a good way for
tourists to visit more places in Malaysia while keeping in line with our efforts to help
showcase Malaysia as an exciting tourist destination in Asia,” he said.
On economy class, those travelling within Peninsular and within Sabah and
Sarawak, will only have to pay $99 for the pass. Those travelling from Peninsular to
Sabah and Sarawak will only have to pay $199.
For business class customers, the fare is only $499 for travels between Peninsular
and East Malaysia and $199 for travels within Peninsular and East Malaysia. All prices
are for all 4 sectors — and inclusive of tax and fuel surcharge.
The voucher can be purchased from any Malaysia Airlines ticketing office which
can then be exchanged for a ticket.
Malaysia Airline, Southeast Asia’s largest airline, covers 110 destinations across 6
continents. In Oman, the GSA for Malaysia Airlines is National Travel and Tourism,
one of the leading travel houses offering total travel services through a professional
sales and service team.
Joyalukkas Valentine’s Day specials
TO celebrate Valentine's
Day, Joyalukkas
has created
exquisite designs
keeping with the
theme in gold, diamonds
and pearls.
In addition to this
there are many offers
available at
Joyalukkas to make
the celebration rewarding
for Joyalukkas
customers.
The Valentine's Day collections in Diamond will be offered under the popular Joyalukkas
Be Mine Heart to Heart Collection. The customers will get the chance to ex-
Nikkei hits 9-month high in
inflation-hit Asian markets
SINGAPORE — Most Asian
share markets struggled for
traction yesterday, but Japan's
Nikkei hit a fresh 9-month
high and Australian stocks
rose as hopes of a sustained
recovery for the rich world encouraged
investors to switch
funds from emerging to developed
markets.
The euro edged up from
a two-week low plumbed after
surprising weak German
industrial orders data, but
fading expectations of a nearterm
eurozone interest rate
rise stopped the single currency
from pushing too much
higher.
US S&P 500 futures were
flat. Merger activity drove US
stocks to two-and-half year
highs on Monday, when the
Dow Jones industrial average
and broader S&P 500 both
rose 0.6 per cent.
Market players in Tokyo
said better-than-expected
earnings reports from US and
Japanese companies have accelerated
a shift of money out
of inflation-dogged emerging
markets and into developed
markets with loose monetary
policies and more subdued
price pressures.
"The performance of all
emerging markets, including
Brazil, India, Indonesia and
China, has been very weak
this year and the shift of market
focus to developed economies
with lower inflationary
risk is helping Tokyo stocks,"
said Norihiro Fujito, a senior
investment strategist at Mitsubishi
UFJ Morgan Stanley
Securities.
Data from Lipper last week
showed a record $4.1 billion
outflow from emerging market
equity funds in the week to
February 2.
Despite sluggish economic
growth and persistent deflation,
Japan has been the best
performing Asian market so
far in 2011, with year-to-date
gains of around 4 per cent.
The Nikkei rose 0.4 per
cent, but MSCI's index of
Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
eased 0.2 per cent, led by a
1 per cent decline for the tech
sector, with markets in Hong
Kong, Singapore, South Korea
and India in negative territory.
Australian shares rose 0.5
per cent as positive earnings
from National Australia Bank
lifted the top four lenders,
but shares in investment bank
Macquarie fell 0.3 per cent
after it lowered its full-year
profit guidance.
Shares in National Australia
Bank, the country's top
lender, gained 1.9 per cent on
the back of a forecast-beating
18 per cent rise in first-quarter
cash profit.
"Every time they come out
with a result that says basic
operations have done reasonably
well and conditions are
all tracking in the right direction,
you get a steady decrease
in the perceptions of risk that
go with NAB," said Angus
Gluskie, chief investment officer
at White Funds Management.
The euro rose to around
$1.3625, having fallen to
$1.3508 on Monday. Some
traders were wary of more
buying by Asian central banks,
which had helped push the single
currency higher in the previous
session.
"I think that's the train of
thought market players have,
because they have been intervening
constantly," said a trader
at a major Japanese bank in
Singapore. — Reuters
12
OMAN/INTERNATIONAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
BUSINESS ALERT
press their love for their special someone from a range of Be Mine Diamond pendants
starting from RO 65 only.
"Valentine’s Day is a universal celebration of love and relationships and at Joyalukkas,
we ensure customers get the choice, range and price to make the day memorable
for them and their loved ones. Our price points are also created to ensure our exquisite
pendants are accessible to all budgets", said Joy Alukkas, Chairman, Joyalukkas
Group.
In addition to Diamond pendants Joyalukkas has also created exclusive and specially
Valentine themed designs in Pearl. This will be available under the popular Joyalukkas
brand, Masaaki Pearls. The pendants will be available all across the Joyalukkas
GCC showrooms and there are also special offers and promotions at select Joyalukkas
showrooms to make the purchase extra special for the Joyalukkas customers.
Proton makes its presence in Japan
PROTON made its presence felt for the very first time in Japan when renowned Japanese
automotive parts manufacturer Carrosser Co., Ltd. (CUSCO) officially unveiled
at the Tokyo Auto Salon today, a specially-developed Satria Neo rally car that will be
sold in Japan.
Developed for the Japanese domestic market, the CUSCO-engineered Group N
Proton Satria Neo rally car will be sold by CUSCO to competitors who will be competing
in the Junior Rally Championships in Japan and Asia Pacific.
The Group N Proton Satria Neo rally cars will be based on stock standard road registered
1600cc showroom models acquired by CUSCO, homologated according to FIA
regulations for competition use, and retrofitted with CUSCO-developed aftermarket
performance and race components.
A well known company for producing top-of-the-line aftermarket performance
parts for both the Japanese and international tuning markets, CUSCO is also regarded
as the only independent firm in Japan to compete in all categories of the All-Japan
Championships: track racing, rallying, dirt trials and gymkhana.
The technical collaboration between both companies was a direct result from the
performance and the potential the Satria Neo S2000 rally car had demonstrated in the
Asia Pacific Rally Championship and Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).
McDonald’s promotes Omani Crew
MCDONALD’S Oman (Al Daud Restaurant LLC) announced the promotion of an
Omani Service Crew to a managerial-level position in McDonald’s Qurum restaurant.
The promotion is yet another example of McDonald’s continuous commitment to giving
Omani employees opportunities to grow in their careers.
Khaseeb al Hashani has been promoted as an Assistant Manager, after being named
Crew of the Year by McDonald’s management team during the recent year. The Crew
of the Year award is given to an employee on the basis of his outstanding performance,
high levels of productivity, dependability and excellent customer service.
Ali K Daud, Development Licensee of McDonalds Oman, commented, “It is part
of McDonald’s culture to recognize and reward employees who show exemplary per-
formance in their work and
go the extra mile. He added
that “McDonald’s provides
employees with a base to develop
from through continuous
training and mentoring.
I am pleased to share that
Khaseeb’s promotion is a testimony
to McDonald’s commitment
to provide greater
opportunity for all our Omani
staff to grow in their careers.”
Speaking with pride in his
voice, Khaseeb, 24 years old,
said: “I feel grateful that over
the last one and a half years,
McDonald’s has provided me
with various trainings that
have helped me become more
confident about myself, thus
making me efficient and effective
in my responsibilities.
I am all the more grateful that
through the years, McDonald’s
has valued my contributions.”
“With my new role as an Assistant Manager, I have now an even greater opportunity
to excel further in my career. Along with McDonald’s systematic training and development
program, I look forward to becoming a Restaurant Manager in the near future”,
Khaseeb concluded.
BankDhofar with Nizwa College Fair
BANKDHOFAR took part in the Nizwa college career fair in its efforts towards providing
opportunities for the future workforce of Oman. BankDhofar's objective at the
event is to provide students with career guidance by drawing their attention to recruitment
requirements as well as create opportunities for them to interact directly with the
bank’s Human Resources team. The fair also provided BankDhofar with a platform to
introduce its corporate culture to students and discuss the work environment and various
experiences they offer.
“BankDhofar prides itself in the development of young graduates, honing their
knowledge, skills and savvy to be a competitive force in today's challenging job market,”
said Mohammed al Balushi, AGM Human Resources. “Our broad range of resources
enables us to participate in such career fairs, providing graduates with an opportunity
to get a glimpse of the bank’s corporate culture and career progression."
TEL: 24601003, 24600586 • FAX: 24600736
• WEBSITE: www.salalahport.com

Gunning for graft
By Alistair Scrutton
WHEN the Indian Express newspaper listed India’s
100 most powerful people for 2011, top of the list
was neither a politician, nor a businessman, but the
bookish Supreme Court Chief Justice S H Kapadia. It was a
sign of the court’s strong grip as Kapadia pushes graft probes
in a face-off with the government. Since Kapadia’s appointment
in May after what was seen as a lacklustre predecessor,
the court has criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for
failing to deal with a telecoms scam — India’s biggest corruption
scandal in decades. It has also overseen investigations
into a host of other graft controversies.
As Asia’s third largest economy booms, the court may
become a crucial checks and balances in a country increasingly
weighed down by corruption in discredited institutions,
which by some estimates knocks 1-2 per cent off GDP
growth. “There has certainly been a sea change in the court’s
role and the chief justice has provided important impetus,”
said Prashant Bhushan, one of India’s most well-known Supreme
Court lawyers who is involved in probing the telecoms
scam. “Court activism is not unprecedented,” he said. “But
the importance of this court is it comes when levels of corruption
are more than ever before and when public outrage is
greater than ever before.”
The court’s growing activism under Kapadia means the
government will find it harder to side-step graft probes that
threaten to erode its political support ahead of key state elections
this year. The face-off, and growing fears from officials
that signing off on business contracts often worth billions of
dollars may come back to bite them in corruption investigations,
may also be starting to be a factor in hindering investments.
“We can safely expect bureaucrats/politicians to be a
lot more cautious, a lot less ready to take decisions that can
be later questioned. This will necessarily compound the slowdown
that has taken place in investments,” wrote commentator
Sunil Jain in The Indian Express.
When scandals first broke last year, many believed they
would go the way of others — kicked into grass by stonewalling
moves such as setting up committees to report years later.
But the court has managed to keep momentum into probes
when there were signs the government was dragging its heels.
This has helped keep issues alive for media and voters, as well
as bolster opposition protests that stalled the last session of
parliament. The court has taken up three cases in particular. It
is forcing the police to deepen a probe into the telecoms scam,
leading to the arrest of ex-telecoms minister Andimuthu Raja,
accused of selling licenses at unfairly cheap prices to favour
some firms in what may have cost $39 billion in revenues. It
is also investigating the government’s appointment of an anticorruption
agency chief while he faced a graft case against
himself — a case that has seen the opposition accuse Singh of
being directly involved. Thirdly, it is demanding the government
probe tax evasion and illegal funds stashed abroad.
A more transparent, pro-active court may be good for business
as India strives for regulatory certainty to attract investments.
But the face-off with the government may have actually
put the brakes on investment decisions as ministries go
slow, worried about a corruption backlash. “The minister I
deal with is holding off on making decisions, worried contracts
may be corruption-tainted,” said one foreign executive,
who asked to remain anonymous. That may compound investor
problems in India. Foreign direct investment has fallen for
three consecutive years, from 2.9 per cent of GDP in 2008/09
to around 1.8 per cent of GDP in 2010/11. Some of this has to
do with the global economic slowdown, but regulatory uncertainty
is also a factor.
Kapadia, who lists his interests as theoretical physics and
Buddhist philosophy, has helped overturn the image of a previous
chief justice whose reputation was undermined by allegations
that he did not act forcefully on corruption cases.
Disdain for leaders
By Linda Sieg
A maverick
politician’s re-election as mayor in the central
Japanese city of Nagoya sends a US Tea Party-like
message of contempt for the ruling party less than two
years after it took power with pledges of sweeping change.
The ruling Democratic Party of Japan’s (DPJ) defeat in
Nagoya and a governor race the same day portends a thrashing
in a string of local polls in April, only making it harder for
unpopular Prime Minister Naoto Kan to implement a workable
budget and craft tax reforms to curb massive public debt.
But while Japanese voters are echoing the disaffection that
has fired up US Tea Party activists, analysts question whether
it will translate into the sort of grassroots movement that sent
Tea Party lawmakers to Congress with promises to get government
out of people’s lives.
“It’s certainly a reflection of popular disgust with the status
quo and what is perceived as an inability of the established
parties to do any good,” said Sophia University professor
Koichi Nakano. “But it is not so much grassroots as the Tea
Party ... It’s much more passive,” he said. The Democrats
themselves swept to power for the first time in 2009 on a
similar wave of voter frustration, then directed at the longdominant
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which had ruled
almost non-stop for more than half a century. But support for
the party has since sagged, eroded by flipflops over promises
to put more cash in consumers’ hands, diplomatic missteps,
bickering over a scandal-tainted powerbroker and perception
of weak leadership.
The Democrats were trounced in last year’s election for
parliament’s upper house after Kan’s predecessor abruptly
quit and he himself clumsily floated a possible rise in the 5 per
cent sales tax hike to fund rising social welfare costs and curb
a public debt already twice the size of the $5 trillion economy.
Now Kan is struggling to enact laws to implement a $1 trillion
budget for the year from April in a divided parliament where
the opposition-controlled upper house can block bills. He is
also urging opposition parties — so far to no avail — to join
talks on social welfare and tax reform. The DJP admitted that
voters were fed up.
“A sense of stalemate in Japan’s political circles seem to
have pushed voters to a third candidate, who is non-DPJ and
non-LDP,” DJP Secretary General Katsuya Okada told reporters
after the local votes. Things were no better for the LDP
which also fared badly in the weekend polls, in which both
victors were independents. Nagoya’s Takashi Kawamura, a
colourful former DPJ lawmaker first elected mayor in 2009,
had resigned his post to force a vote after clashing with the
city assembly over his proposal to cut residential taxes by 10
per cent and slice assembly member’s salaries in half. A frequent
guest on TV talk shows who often appears wearing a
local baseball team cap, Kawamura argues the tax cut makes
economic sense despite creaking local finances. The populist
thrust of his “Tax Cut Japan Party” has some in Japan’s mainstream
media worried.
“‘Theatrical politics’ that garners support by putting forward
policies that are easy for people to swallow and playing
up conflict with the local assembly carries a risk,” said the
Yomiuri newspaper in an editorial. The anti-tax stance mimics
Tea Party rhetoric, but Kawamura has said little specific about
scaling back services as a result.
By Sinikka Tarvainen
THE launch of a new Basque
separatist party was yesterday
fanning hopes of peace in the
troubled northern Spanish region, after
more than four decades of separatist
bloodshed. “The cycle of armed
struggle has closed,” said Rufi Etxeberria,
a representative of Sortu, the
first radical separatist party to explicitly
distance itself from the violence
of the armed separatist group ETA.
Spanish politicians, however, received
such statements with skepticism,
wavering between a positive
impression made by the new party
and their distrust of the radicals
who launched it. ETA’s violence has
plagued Spain since 1968, claiming
about 850 lives in a violent campaign
that was interrupted by around a dozen
ceasefires.
ETA’s political wing Batasuna
was outlawed in 2003, and the current
law bans any similar parties
unless they unambiguously sever
ties with the group. Sortu tried to
do just that, saying it “rejected” all
political violence including that of
ETA, “should it occur.” The wording
sparked a debate on whether the
party had distanced itself from ETA
sufficiently for it to be authorised. A
“rejection” was not a “condemnation,”
and Sortu was only rejecting
future instead of past attacks, conservative
commentators argued.
The formation of Sortu followed
other signs that peace could be closer
than ever before. The signs included
international pressure — including a
declaration signed by several Nobel
Peace Prize laureates — and a ceasefire
announced by ETA in September.
The group reinforced the truce in
January, making it permanent, gener-
13
ANALYSIS/OPINION
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
New political party awakens peace hopes
al and verifiable. ETA has not killed
anyone since shooting a police officer
dead in France in March 2010.
The engine of change — analysts
said — was a growing perception
among ETA’s entourage that armed
struggle had led nowhere.
ETA’s car bombings and shootings
have undermined its popularity,
turning the vast majority of the
Basques against the group, while
Japan army reservists are
ready for gun-shy defence
By Chisa Fujioka
GROWING up in Japan,
Yusuke Tsuge
never imagined he’d
run around in military fatigues
or carry a rifle in a
country that has not engaged
in armed conflict since its defeat
in World War Two. But
on a recent sunny day, Tsuge,
a magazine editor, was among
42 Japanese taking part in
training to join the military reserve
force, in which ordinary
people with day jobs stand by
to help out the military when
it is mobilised to defend the
country.
Under a gun-shy, post-war
defence policy, Japan has never
deployed its reserve force,
formed in 1954 and now with a
headcount of 39,500. Even the
military, officially called the
Self-Defence Forces (SDF),
is untested in battle. Japan’s
pacifist constitution bans the
maintenance of a military, although
it has been stretched
to allow armed forces for
self-defence. After saluting
the national flag following an
early morning formation drill,
Tsuge and the other trainees,
clad in uniforms and green
helmets, slung rifles over their
shoulders before marching to
a field to practice surveillance
and capturing enemy soldiers
at gunpoint.
As a reservist with no military
experience, Tsuge would
not take part in front-line defence
but could still be called
on to guard army posts at
By Alister Doyle and
Gerard Wynn
THE icy winters suffered
by Europe and
North America for the
last two years contrast with
unusually mild weather in the
Arctic, in a pattern first noted
by a Danish missionary in
Greenland in the 1770s. Some
scientists suggest climate
change may be intensifying a
natural oscillation. Others say
that verdict would be premature
and the pattern appears to
be the same old natural one. A
deep freeze struck the eastern
United States, northern Europe
and parts of Russia in the
last two winters. But the Arctic
had high temperatures and
last year was one of the hottest
on record globally, according
MEMBERS of the new Basque party Sortu (Create) at a news conference in Bilbao yesterday. Sortu replaces banned pro-Basque independence
party Batasuna as representatives of the Izquierda Abertzale (Patriotic Left) movement. They hope to have their statutes, which include
condemnation of armed separatists ETA, approved in time for local elections in May. — Reuters
home or to transport supplies.
He could also be deployed to
help the SDF in rescue work
for earthquakes, floods and
other disasters.
“I usually work in ordinary
clothes so when I come in for
training, put on my uniform
and hold my rifle, I feel a
sense of determination to do
my duty,” said the 33-year-old
Tsuge, a car salesman before
an interest in tank engines
led him to work at a military
magazine, at the SDF’s Camp
Takeyama in Yokosuka, 45
kilometres southwest of Tokyo.
“I have a family now, so
I have a stronger feeling of
wanting to protect my family
and to protect my country,”
added Tsuge, dressed in crispclean
fatigues and boots, who
has a baby son. Joining the
reserves is voluntary in Japan,
unlike countries such as South
Korea, Taiwan and Israel,
where service is mandatory
for some time after national
service.
Japan’s reserve force
opened its door to ordinary
citizens just 10 years ago.
While it is still made up mostly
of former SDF personnel,
the number of applicants has
grown in recent years. Some
attribute the boost in applicants
to the bad economy,
rather than a rising interest in
defence. Reservists are given
a 4,000 yen ($49) monthly allowance
in addition to 8,100
yen a day for training which
they take part in five days a
year. But others attribute the
to the UN’s World Meteorological
Organization.
In a paradoxical side-effect
of global warming, a less chill
Arctic may be changing wind
patterns, diverting cool northern
air south, some researchers
say. One theory is that melting
ice in the Arctic exposes
warmer water that disrupts polar
winds. “The overall warming
of the Earth’s northern half
could result in cold winters,”
said a study led by Vladimir
Petoukhov of the Potsdam
Institute for Climate Impact
Research in Germany.
He said that a retreat of sea
ice in the Barents and Kara
Seas in the Arctic had tripled
the risks of cold winters in
Europe and northern Asia
and doubled risks over North
America. But other experts say
the deep freeze may simply be
more than 600 ETA members have
ended up behind bars. Batasuna and
most related groups now want ETA
to lay down arms, arguing that its
violent campaign paved the way for
the launch of a new and peaceful
separatist movement.
Police experts, however, believe
Batasuna’s influence on ETA is limited,
and that the armed group is split
internally over the possibility of a
rise to a small but growing
interest in the SDF, which has
boosted its profile — not for
its militarism but rather for its
work in disaster relief.
While public concern is
rising over China’s military
build-up and North Korea’s
nuclear and missile programmes,
those issues appeared
not to be a driving
force for aspiring reservists.
“Most people come because
they become interested
in the SDF after seeing it at
work during natural disasters
and think that they too
can help out in rescue work,”
said Takeshi Ishibashi, a first
lieutenant and SDF trainer at
Camp Takeyama.
Still, the training for the
reserve force includes indoor
shooting practice. Tsuge and
his group only pretended to
shoot in the recent training,
shouting “Bang, bang!”, but
will eventually practice with
live ammunition during their
50-day course.
Only a third of those who
are accepted for training end
up becoming reservists, while
about a tenth end up joining
the SDF.
“I’d be lying if I said I
wasn’t worried,” said Masayuki
Takeda, 24, a sports gym
instructor, of his future duties.
He is training to be a reservist
but expects to join the SDF in
April.
“But I think I’ll be able to
overcome those worries as
long as I actively take part in
training and raise my sense of
duty through that training.”
part of a natural variation first
recorded by Denmark’s Hans
Egede Saabye, a missionary
who lived in Greenland from
1770-78. “Every winter in
Greenland is severe, but they
are not equally so,” he wrote in
his journal. “The Danes have
observed that, if the winter in
Denmark has been severe, that
in Greenland was, in its kind,
more mild, and vice versa.”
That see-saw pattern is
now known as the North Atlantic
Oscillation (NAO). In
a so-called negative phase, it
disrupts westerly winds across
the Atlantic and sends warmer
air towards the Arctic while
parts of Europe and North
America freeze. “The NAO
has been negative for longer
than at any time since the
winter of 1969-70,” said John
Cappelen, a Senior Climatolo-
By Olivia Hampton
FORMER US defence
secretary Donald
Rumsfeld admitted in
an interview that the country
“would’ve been better off” if
he had quit after the 2004 Abu
Ghraib scandal and spared no
criticism of his colleagues in
his new memoir published
yesterday. In Known and Unknown,
Rumsfeld defends his
handling of the war and recounts
his government career
serving Republican presidents
from Richard Nixon to George
W. Bush. However the former
Pentagon chief also admitted
his biggest error during his
tenure under Bush was his
failure to convince the president
to accept his resignation
in the wake of the Abu Ghraib
prison scandal.
“That was such a stain
on our country. To think that
people in our custody were
treated in that disgusting and
perverted and ghastly way —
unacceptable way,” Rumsfeld
told ABC News anchor Diane
Sawyer. “And so I stepped
up and told the president I
thought I should resign. And I
think probably he and the military
and the Pentagon and the
country would’ve been better
off if I had,” he said.
The comments came in his
first television interview since
leaving public life in December
2006 after a long and divisive
tenure at the Pentagon.
In his memoir, Rumsfeld
meanwhile wrote how he was
military surrender. ETA “retains its
entire structure, and reserves itself
the right to kill again whenever it
considers that the state is not making
sufficient concessions to its political
demands,” the daily El Mundo said in
an editorial. Those demands include
negotiations on Basque independence
— a taboo subject for Spain.
“There is still a long way to go”
before the conflict is solved, Deputy
‘surprised and troubled’ that
US interrogators went further
than the controversial methods
of detainees at Guantanamo
or Abu Ghraib prison in
Iraq that had been otherwise
approved. In earlier parts of
the ABC interview released
on Monday, Rumsfeld was reluctant
to endorse Bush’s assessment
that the decision to
draw down US troops shortly
after the 2003 invasion of
Iraq was ‘the most important
failure in the execution of
the war.’ Telling Sawyer that
assessment was ‘possible,’
Rumsfeld also cautioned that
“the path you didn’t take is
always smoother.”
The admissions largely
echoed his memoir, in which
he laid blame for much of the
failings and heavy bloodshed
of the Iraq war on “too many
hands on the steering wheel.”
Rumsfeld, who served as
Bush’s defence chief for six
years after holding the same
job under president Gerald
Ford in the 1970s, acknowledged
that “in a war, many
things cost lives.” But he had
no regrets about his leadership
of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan — the latter now
nearing its 10th anniversary.
He refused to echo the regrets
of another domineering
defence secretary — the late
Robert McNamara — who
came to describe the Vietnam
War as ‘terribly wrong.’
“That’s not the case with
Iraq,” Rumsfeld countered.
“I think the world’s a better
place with Saddam Hussein
Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba
warned. Skeptics saw Sortu as
only a revamped Batasuna seeking a
way to contest the Basque municipal
elections in May.
The government said it would
hand the question over to the judiciary,
which was to examine Sortu’s
statutes and to decide whether it
should be allowed to become a legal
party.
Rumsfeld’s top regret: not
quitting after Abu Ghraib
gist at the Danish Meteorological
Institute, who happens
to be a distant descendant of
Saabye. “It’s a natural variation.
That’s the explanation
for the very strong winter last
year and this year,” he said.
He said that cold winters
were sometimes bunched together,
like three years during
World War Two. Still, that
could mean a quick return to
milder winters for Europe and
North America. The NAO
was very positive — meaning
milder winters for Europe and
North America — during the
1990s. A link between climate
change and recent cold is unproven,
said Kevin Trenberth,
head of the climate analysis
section at the National Center
for Atmospheric Research.
“There are some important
questions about, does
decreased Arctic sea ice and
a little extra snow in northern
Siberia lead to this kind of
pattern? I don’t think we have
good answers at the moment.”
The past two winters hit
record NAO values in an index
dating back more than a century,
but that just be chance,
said James Hansen at Nasa’s
Goddard Institute for Space
Studies. “Whether these last
two years were a fluke or not
will not be known until more
years have passed. High latitude
atmospheric dynamics is
very chaotic, so I wouldn’t bet
on anything,” he told Reuters.
The contrasting temperature
pattern noticed by Saabye
appear to still hold true.
In 2010, Greenland’s capital
Nuuk had an average temperature
of 2.6 degrees Celsius,
4.0 degrees C above normal.
gone and with the Taliban
gone and the Al Qaeda out
of Afghanistan,” he added,
insisting the Bush administration’s
decision to invade Iraq
in the wake of the September
11, 2001 strikes in the United
States was “incremental,” not
rushed.
Rumsfeld said it was Paul
Wolfowitz, then a deputy secretary
of defence and later a
major architect of the Iraq war,
who raised Iraq at the Camp
David presidential retreat
shortly after 9/11. Just as in
his book, the former defence
chief also ripped into some
of George W Bush’s closest
advisers, saying Condoleezza
Rice lacked experience and
Colin Powell showed poor
management skills. He said
Powell — Bush’s first top
diplomat — “did not, in my
view, do a good job of managing
the people under him,”
calling leaks out of the State
Department “unhelpful.”
On the weapons of mass
destruction that never surfaced
despite being cited by
the Bush administration as
the primary justification for
the war, Rumsfeld acknowledged:
“My goodness, the
intelligence was certainly
wrong.” But he categorically
refused to say whether he
would have acted differently
had he known then what he
knows now about Saddam’s
alleged weapons. “I have no
idea. I have no idea,” he said.
“What you know today can
help you on things you’re
thinking about tomorrow.
Changing climate: history repeating itself after centuries?
Denmark, by contrast, had an
average temperature of 7.0 degrees
C, 0.7 degree C below a
long-term average.
The area of Arctic sea ice
in January 2011 was at its
smallest since satellite records
began, at 13.55 million sq km,
1.27 million sq km less than
the 1979-2000 average, the
US National Snow and Ice
Data Center said.
Bjorn Lomborg, a Danish
statistician and author of “The
Skeptical Environmentalist”,
said that chill winters were a
cautionary tale about not being
too certain about dire predictions
of more heatwaves,
droughts and rising seas. “We
have been told the science of
climate change is settled. And
then something happens and we
have a very different attempt to
try to explain it,” he said.

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CLASSIFIED SECTION:
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S
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Cockroaches.
Suppliers of UK
Pesticides Chemicals,
Snake Repellent,
Cockroach Gels and
Peripel treated
Mosquito Nets.
�24787606,
24787503,
Fax: 24787607.
WALLPAPERS,
wooden floor, Vinyl
Floor, Fixing, carpets,
curtains, sofa, Arabic
Majlis, All kinds
of Blainds making,
upholstery, furniture
remove and fixing
clean and polishing,
Contact Yousuf
Ali �99834373/
97102699. Fax:
22018293
LOGISTIC Services
— Transportation,
shifting, cargo
services. All kinds of
transportation
available �92118538,
99332771.
DIRECT: 24649594 - FAX : 24649590
e-mail: classified@omandaily.om
GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!!
Presents
1. Tourism journeys to all around
the Sultanate’s areas.
2. Delivery service from/to Dubai.
3. Delivery service from/to the airport.
In association with Thrifty Rent-A-Car
For enquiries: 24478902/99337159
SAMA MUSCAT
REAL ESTATES
� We are doing all kinds of
mediation
� Sale and purchase of
lands, villas and buildings
� Renting the flats and villas
� Management and
maintenance of the
buildings.
FOR SALE
Two storeys villa +
two apartments
The villa contains:
4 bedrooms, living room, two
kitchens, servant room and
dining room.
Each apartment contains:
3 bedrooms, a living room,
dining room and a kitchen.
The area of the land is 907
square metre.
�24560040, GSM: 98789228,
Fax: 24560070
G
W
ANTED
WANTED Male Nurse
with MOH licence
to work in Salalah
with total special salary
package. Contact
�92444271, Fax
23294159, e-mail:
liya159@gmail.com
A
UEST HOUSE
MURAHIB HOTEL
APARTMENTS
welcome our valuable
GUESTS to our
excellent location,
AL KHUWAIR, near
AL ZAWAWI
MOSQUE, a single
bedroom, a bedroom
& majlis, two
bedrooms & majlis
�24478087,
Fax: 24482454.
QURUM BEACH
HOTEL. �24564070.
CCOM AVAILABLE
FULLY furnished room
in Al Khuwair for expat
bachelor for one month
�95975937.
WANTED
A dynamic Salesman/
Manager required to sell
electrical fittings etc,
Past experience in this
field a must.
Must have a valid Omani or
UAE driving licence. Salary
and other perks negotiable.
Contact with CV artco@
omantel.net.om
Office space for Rent
Open
Office Space
on the Main Highway
at Wattayah
(Opposite Toyota Showroom)
Contact
99338220/99263443
CLASSIFIED
SECTION
RUWI� 24785668
CLASSIFIEDS
Continued on P-15

S
15
CLASSIFIEDS
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
Sahara Hotel Apartments
Rotana Hotel
We are glad to receive our honourable customers in our new hotel (Rotana Hotel) at our distinguished
location at Al Khuwair area opposite the Ministries Street next to Al Zawawi
Mosque. We have Single, Double rooms, suites and Meeting Hall.
For further information please contact us on the following numbers: For further information please contact us on the following numbers:
24483888/+968-24487799 /+968-24488117 / fax : 968-24488221 +968-24476000/ 24394444 /99449009 fax: +968- 24476999
ITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED
CHEMICAL Engineer,
Iraqi nationality having
experience. (1 year)
water treatment, (2
years) oil & gas field, (1
year) sales & marketing
of (LPG), Central
Systems Installation
& Projects. Contact
�95945927, E-mail:
Fahadian_Fahadian@
yahoo.com.
NETWORKING
professional + 3 years
experience in network,
system administration,
structural cabling,
Cisco switches
Routers. MSc Telecom
Engineering, BS
Computer Engineering,
CCNA, JNCIA-EX,
JNCIA-ER, MCSE
and RHCE. Contact
�98813936/ 92223661
GENERAL Manager,
seeks assignment, 20
years experience in
Oman. Engineer, can
turn around business.
Experience in real estate,
building materials,
construction machinery,
home appliances,
overseas representation,
joint venture, sales &
marketing. Contact
�92618954, e-mail:
recruitment1234@
gmail.com
HR generalist with
experience in nurturing
Omani Talent is looking
for a challenging and
exciting career in a
dynamic Organisation.
Contact �97369630.
ENGLISH speaking Sri
Lankan housemaid looking
for full-time or part-time
job. Contact � 92480866.
CREDIT manager —
MBA & B Tech, 32 yrs,
working with a leading
bank in India, 5.5 yrs
experience, seeks suitable
placement. Contact �+91-
9895317327, jobunf@
yahoo.com
PAKISTANI male, 33 yrs,
experienced driver with
valid GCC licence, seeks
suitable placement as
domestic or official driver.
Contact �95853704.
MALE, 25 years, Bachelor
of Management (Western
educated), 3 years +
administrative experience.
Tech savvy. Good
knowledge of MS Office
applications seeks immediate
placement. Contact
�98569053.
BUSINESS continuity
planner, male, 25 yrs,
looking for project
management, co-ordination
job, past experience
in handling projects
include BCP/DRP, ATM,
SVS. Contact: e-mail:
ammarirfan@yahoo.com
ARAB American female,
26 years, Business BA, 2
years experience (USA,
Oman) placement
Admin/HR Business
development release
available. Contact
�98591626.
WELL qualified finance
manager, with over 10
years of proven expertise
in managing finance
and accounts of leading
companies from various
backgrounds in Oman, is
looking for a position in
similar capacity. Contact
�96341326.
INDIAN male, 26,
graduate, seeks suitable
placement in office admin,
Data Entry, visit visa for
immediate placement.
Contact 96248925, e-mail:
shrinivas.devang@gmail.
com.
MALE, 26 years,
P.G Diploma in 3D
Animation, more than
2 years experience as
animator, proficient in
Maya software-lighting,
texturing and inorganic
modelling (sets & props),
multi-linguistic
and good communication
skills, presently on visit
visa, seeks suitable
placement. �98295939,
email:febin.joshy@gmail.
com
INDIAN female College
Lecturer (IT Computer
Science, MPhil/MSc
qualified, with 8 years
teaching experience in
reputed university college
in Oman and India,
seeks placement. Call
�96170812/92954948.
YOUNG & energetic
Indian male, 32 years old
with more than 7 years
experience in HR &
admin, presently working
for a well established
construction co, excellent
in Word, Excel, Foxpro
& ERP computer system,
looking for a suitable
placement. Please contact
�96129755.
CHARTERED accountant,
Indian female, with 4½
years of post qualification
experience, seeks suitable
placement. Contact
�93291178.
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
ACCOUNTANT, 13 yrs
experience, 7 yrs in Oman
with knowledge of Tally &
Oracle, seeks job. Contact
�98075840.
SOFTWARE Engg,
MCA, 3 + yrs experience,
experience in VB, SQL,
DOT, net, 2 + yrs exp
in Oman, seeks better
placement. Contact
�96268492. e-mail:
chailyantony@yahoo.co.in
PART-TIME accountant
upto finalisation, tally
teaching. E-mail to
aoneacct@gmail.com
INDIAN male, 8 years
experience in Oman,
having valid driving
licence, seeks suitable
job as office assistant and
store in-charge. Contact
�93530182.
INDIAN male, MBA
(marketing) with 3 years
experience in sales and
marketing, presently
on visit visa in Muscat,
seeks suitable placement.
Contact �95701738.
OFFICE boy Gulf experienced,
fluent in English,
attending telephone
calls and front office etc,
seeks suitable placement
�95675143.
SR Accountant, Indian
male, 34, with 12 years
experience (including 6
years in Oman) working
in a reputed organisation,
seeks suitable placement
�92353285.
MBA (Marketing) B.Sc.
(Biochemistry) with 2
years experience in sales
and marketing currently
on a visit visa in Muscat,
seeks immediate and
suitable placement.
Contact �95701738,
e-mail: wasimalig04@
rediffmail.com.
ARCHITECT: Young,
talented, female graduate
Architect with good
knowledge of AutoCAD,
3D Max & Photoshop,
seeks placement in reputed
firms. Please contact:
99242164 /email:
esses@omantel.net.om
INDIAN male, graduate,
holder of FIATA/DGR
foundation with 5 years
experience in shipping /
logistic operations, seeks
suitable placement
� 99284879
saviorodrigues2002@
yahoocom.
INDIAN female graduate
having 9 years experience,
good computer &
communication skills,
seeks suitable placement in
Administration HR Dept.
�99652943/9934422.
INDIAN female, 24, B
Com, experience in travel
agency accounts, seeks
placement as an accounts
assistant, preferably close
to Wadi Kabir. Contact
�92125848.
MARKETING executive:
A well experienced Indian
male, 42 yrs, having
driving licence, own car,
space and familiar with
Salalah market is ready
to market your product/
service in Salalah on
part-time/ commission
basis. �99087175.
26 YEARS old female on
family visa, B Com, PG in
Marketing and Financial
Services with Canadian
experience in Banking
operations. 93363358,
jeanramacha@gmail.com
INDIAN male welltrained
security officer,
having experience
in working in Indian
Embassy and United
Nations, serving various
countries. Also having
experience in International
Airport, New Delhi as
an immigration officer.
Worked for 5 years as
security officer in
Jumeriah International
Dubai (Burj al Arab),
seeks suitable job.
Contact �92383771,
mohan_nair84@yahoo.
com
INDIAN Female, M Sc
Bio-Chemistry, having
3 years experience in
the relevant field, seeks
suitable placement.
�95785608/ 95463475.
INDIAN female, MSW,
having 5 years work
experience in hospital
and charitable organisation
seeks suitable placement in
Muscat urgently.
Contact �95372368.
NETWORK/
instrumentation Engr.
Indian male, B.Tech 4
years experience in Oman
(PDO sites), seeks suitable
placement now on visit
visa. Contact �92870375.
e-mail: manojidicula@
yahoo.co.in
ACCOUNTS professional,
6+ years Oman experience
in finalisation, finance,
ERP, Credit control, MIS,
Banking, seeks senior/
managerial post in MNCs/
reputed Cos. Release
available �99283938.
INDIAN male, having
driving licence, looking
for job in sales. Contact
�96447531/99651214.
MASTERS journalism,
Mass communication,
excellent English &
communication skills,
very good writing
abilities, seeks suitable
communication/Media/
Banks/MNCs/reputed Cos.
Contact �99283938.
MBA (Marketing), B Sc
(Bio-chemistry), with 2
yrs experience in sales
and marketing, currently
on a visit visa in Muscat
seeks immediate and
suitable placement. Please
contact �95701738.
wasimalig04@
rediffmail.com
26 YEARS old Indian
Mechanical Engineer
with 3 yrs of experience
in oil field projects
related to installation
and commissioning of
centrifugal compressors
with diploma in
Mechanical Engineering,
ASNT Level 2
certification and well
versed in
Autocad is looking
for suitable opening.
�95228261.
INSTRUMENT
Technician. Indian male,
18 years experience
in oil field Instrument
maintenance and
calibration seeks suitable
placement in sales or
Instrumentation and
Electronics field in
Muscat, having valid
Oman D/L. �96377953.
E-mail: jacobmampara@
gmail.com
INDIAN male, 27 years
MBA (Marketing),
experienced in sales and
marketing seeks suitable
placement. Contact
�95809231. e-mail:
mdkazi.mba@gmail.com
PAKISTANI male 30 yrs.
Intermediate + computer
office management
diploma. 6 yrs office work
experience as accountant,
Data Entry and computer
clerk in Pakistan Army.
Good knowledge in
English and Hindi (Urdu).
Good typing speed in
English. Release available
on requirement. Looking
for good job. �96182450
zafar8612@gmail.com .
OMAN experienced
Indian Executive, having
ability to sell almost
anything is looking for a
good paying sales
job. Having driving
licence and good
educational background
� 95043952.
ZAJEL weekly magazine evry saturday along with �OMAN DAILY �
for advertising contact �
Mobile � 96224397 � 95181747
Tel �24649593 Fax �24649590 Email � zajeloman@yahoo�com
INDIAN male, BE
Mechanical (HVAC)
with 14 years experience,
Oman experience 4 years,
having valid D/L, seeks
suitable placement.
� 96093552/95780203.
CHARTERED accountant,
female, Indian, with 4.5
years of post qualification
experience, seeks suitable
placement. �93291178.
MECHANICAL
Engineer, Iraqi male, 20
years of various MEP
construction experience,
MEP co-ordinator and
Project Management, BSc
Mechanical Engineering,
resident in Dubai and has
UAE driving licence. �
+971 55 2029 100. e-mail:
sabahna2003@yahoo.com
INDIAN male, age 28,
B Com, 3 years experience
in networking, presently
working in Oman in IT
section, CCNA, MCSE,
MCSA, MCP, MCTS,
ISA Firewall, Linux,
Hardware, seeks
suitable placement.
�98427610,royp4u@
gmail.com.
INDIAN male, 6 years
experience in 3D Max-
Interior and exterior
designing, landscaping
(Muscat and Dubai),
highly experienced in 3D
Max-V RAY,
Photoshop, Illustrator,
AutoCad, revit and MS-
Softwares, seeks suitable
placement. �97162200,
97645059.
OMANI seeks suitable
position in a leading
company. Experience in
Administration, Business.
asaleel@hotmail.com
�99326700.
INDIAN female graduate
as Executive Secretary
cum office administrator
with 8 years experience in
Gulf, seeks placement
� 97369092 Mubashira.
CHARTERED accountant,
Sri Lankan, expertise more
than 13 years including
heading the finance team,
business analysis and
quality management in
large scale organisation in
Oman, looking for
suitable placement.
�93044123,
ca.mohamed1@gmail.com
INDIAN F/24 BE
(E&C), dip in mobile
communications, CCNA,
sound in Windows backup,
Router, GSM, CDMA,
administration, with 2
years Oman experience in
IT field. Get CV: www.
sajeeb.com/kabeela.doc
�96152765.
F
OR SALE
2 RESIDENTIAL lands
together, one 610 and
the other 600 sq mtrs,
in Al Haram on way to
Barka, RO16,000 each
�99333479 or 95215360.
967 SQ mtrs residential
land in Azaiba near
the sea, RO 22,000
�99333479 or 95215360.
884 SQ mtrs residential
land in Al Ghubra north
behind Waleed Pharmacy
and near to Shell,
RO330,000 �99333479
or 95215360.
800 SQ mtrs residential
land in Lansab phase 2,
RO50,000 �99333479 or
95215360.
700 SQ mtrs residential
land in Lansab phase 4,
RO65,000 �99333479 or
95215360.
3 BEDROOM house in
Al Khoudh near to Bank
Muscat with land area of
450 sq mtrs, RO80,000
�99333479 or 95215360.
3 RESIDENTIAL plots of
950 sq mtrs each near to
Naseem garden roundabout,
RO25,000 each
�99333479 or 95215360.
6,100 SQ mtrs land
about 1 km from the
sea and Naseem garden,
RO80,000 �99333479 or
95215360.
600 SQ mtrs residential
land in Mahoot, Hijj 7,
RO4,000 �99333479 or
95215360.
TWIN villa in Lansab
phase 3 near to the
roundabout, 5 bedrooms,
3 floors each side,
RO115,000 each side
�99333479 or 95215360.
CLASSIFIED
SECTION
RUWI:
� 24785668
Sulaiman Awlad
Thani: 95181747
Ali al Maashari:
99639264
Saada:
95919344

NEWS IN BRIEF
BJP’s mass movement
against JK govt
BJP yesterday threatened to launch a
mass movement in Jammu and Kashmir
if the state government failed to
implement 73rd and 74th Amendments
of the Panchayati Raj — aiming at
devolution of powers of planning to
councils at district, block and village
level — before the forthcoming
Panchayat polls.
“The government has turned a
deaf ear to BJP’s repeated demand
to implement the Amendments in the
state to ensure empowerment at grass
root level...If the amendments are not
implemented before the Panchayat
elections, we will launch a mass
movement in the state,” BJP state
president Shamsher Singh Manhas said.
He was reacting to some media
reports that the ruling NC-Congress
coalition is contemplating to go ahead
with the Panchayat election in the state
without or only cosmetic implementation
of the Amendments.
Raj Thackeray gets bail
from Aurangabad courts
MAHARASHTRA Navnirman Sena
president Raj Thackeray was yesterday
granted bail in three different cases by
the local courts in Aurangabad.
Raj will have to furnish personal
bonds of Rs 30,500 in total.
A case, related to rioting, was
registered by Cantonment police here
against Raj and seven others after a bus
of the state transport was damaged in
stone pelting during MNS’s anti-north
Indians agitation two years ago. There
were incidents of violence at many
places in the state after Raj’s arrest
during the agitation. He also got bail in
similar cases from Railway court and
another local court.
Stalemate continues
in Asom Assembly
A DETERMINED Opposition stalled
proceedings of Asom Assembly for the
seventh consecutive day yesterday even
as listed business was passed and the
House adjourned sine-die.
Immediately after the House
commenced on the last day of the budget
session, the opposition demanded
dropping of tainted ministers and probe
into all departments of the multi-crore
North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council
scandal by the CBI.
Pandemonium prevailed as treasury
and opposition members traded charges
forcing Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai to
adjourn the question hour. Even after the
House re-assembled the opposition, led
by their leader and former Chief Minister
Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, continued their
protests.
Fire guts Nagaland
CM’s residence
NAGALAND Chief Minister Neiphiu
Rio and his family had a narrow escape
yesterday when a major fire broke out at
their official residence while they were
inside the house, officials said.
“The chief minister and his family
were inside the house. Fortunately, they
escaped unhurt,” Nagaland Additional
Chief Secretary Alemtemshi Jamir said.
“It was a wooden structure... almost
everything has been destroyed,” he
added. The fire broke out at around 7 pm.
Fire fighters were battling the blaze.
Subrata Roy gets relief
in fraud case
THE Delhi High Court yesterday stayed
the proceedings against Sahara India
group’s chairman Subrata Roy and four
other officials in a Delhi court on a
complaint that they duped investors in a
proposed housing project.
Justice Ajit Bharihoke said: “The
proceedings and the execution of the
warrants against Roy and four other
company officials would remain stayed
till May 10, the next date of hearing.”
A Delhi court last month issued a
bailable warrant against Roy and the four
officials on a complaint that they duped
investors in the project of Rs 25,000
crore, holding that there was enough
prima facie material to proceed against
them.
Automatic ticket vending
machines at stations
SUBURBAN train commuters in
the National Capital Region can no
longer have to wait in long queues for
purchasing tickets.
Railways have installed 25 automatic
ticket vending machines at key stations
in the city. The move would cut long
queues and passenger time in the
morning rush hours as one has to only
use a smart card to purchase the ticket at
the vending machines.
The smart card can be purchased from
the smart card counter situated adjacent to
booking counter in booking office at the
station. According to a Northern Railway
spokesperson, seven such machines have
been installed in New Delhi station while
six and four vending machines have been
installed in Old Delhi and Nizamuddin
stations respectively. — Agencies
By Ashraf Padanna
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — The
Kerala Assembly plunged into chaos
yesterday as a woman member of the
ruling coalition raised the issue of a
scandal allegedly involving Indian Union
Muslim League (IUML) leader PK
Kunhalikkutty and the shouting brigades
of the CPM and the IUML almost came
to blows.
Speaker K Radhakrishnan had to
adjourn the house for nearly an hour to
settle the issue.
Provoked by CPM member K K Shylaja’s
reference to the former industries
minister linking him to the ice-cream
parlor sex racket case, IUML members
Abdurahiman Randathani and K Muhammedunni
Haji made some scathing
remarks leading to the commotion.
CPM legislator V Sivan Kutty, sitting
16 INDIA
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
No revenue loss in S-band spectrum, contract being reviewed: Govt
NEW DELHI — The government yesterday
denied there had been any revenue
loss from the spectrum allocation of
radio waves used for satellite communication
and said the controversial contract
by the Indian space agency to a private
company was under review.
Space department Secretary K Radhakrishan
yesterday said the contract
between Indian Space Research Organisation’s
(Isro) commercial arm ANTRIX
to Bangalore-based Devas Multimedia
Pvt Ltd in allocation of space segment
using S-band was under review “and a
decision in public interest will be taken
soon”.
“No revenue loss has been caused
because of the decision” to allocate
space segment using S-Band spectrum
to ANTRIX or Devas, he told reporters
at a media briefing jointly with Planning
Commission member K. Kasturirangan
here.
Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office
(PMO) yesterday in a statement denied
there had been any revenue loss. “It is
clarified that no decision has been taken
by the government to allocate space
segment using S-Band Spectrum to AN-
TRIX or Devas. The question of revenue
loss does not arise,” the statement said.
It added that the PMO has seen reports
alleging loss of government revenue in
a contract entered into by ANTRIX and
Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd on lease of
space segment capacity that would use
Bedlam in Kerala assembly over ice cream scandal
next to Shyalaja came to her defence and
the heated exchanges between him and
the IUML members culminated in his
moving towards the Opposition benches,
closely followed by his party colleague
Babu M Palissery. Port and Youth Affairs
Minister V Surendran Pillai rushed to the
spot and stood between the two sides
preventing physical contacts.
Deputy Speaker Jose Baby who was
in the chair appealed for calm but that
didn’t deter backbenchers from both
sides rushing to the scene of action.
On hearing about this, Speaker K Radhakrishnan
rushed back and announced
the adjournment.
He later called party leaders into his
chamber where a consensus was reached
to expunge the controversial remarks of
both sides and resume the sitting imme-
S-Band Spectrum.
The space department portfolio is
looked after by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh. Reports quoting the findings
of the Comptroller and Auditor General
(CAG) indicated that an alleged deal between
ANTRIX and Devas has caused
the nation an estimated loss of Rs 2 lakh
crore.
The CAG is probing the agreement
between ANTRIX and Devas, according
to which Devas was allegedly given
the high-value bandwidth at throwaway
price without competitive bidding by the
Isro. The PMO said: “Any such reports
are without basis in fact”.
“The Comptroller and Auditor General’s
office and the Department of Space
DEVOTEES pray to the sun deity Surya after taking a holy dip on the occasion of Basant Panchami during the Magh Mela festival at
Sangam in Allahabad yesterday. The festival is an annual religious event held during the month of Magh, when thousands of
devotees take a holy dip in the waters of the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati.
Basant Panchami marks the beginning of the spring season. — Reuters
CBI gets 2 more days
for questioning Raja
NEW DELHI — A Delhi court yesterday
allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) to keep former communications
minister A Raja in its custody and question
him for two more days over the 2G spectrum
scam.
Raja was brought to the Patiala House
courts complex at the end of his five-day
CBI custody, and after the hearing CBI
Judge O P Saini granted the agency his
custody till February 10.
The 47-year-old DMK MP, wearing
a grey safari suit, greeted the judge with
folded hands when his name was called to
mark his presence in the case.
The court said: "It is a case in which
allegations are that the acts of the accused
caused loss to the state Exchequer to the
tune of Rs 22,000 crores in the grant of unified
service access licences (to telecom operators)
by misuse of his official position.
Naturally, it is a complex case based on
documents and at the relevant time accused
(A Raja) was the minister in charge of the
department.” Raja’s two aides — Siddharth
Behura and R K Chandolia — have
been sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.
The CBI earlier sought Raja’s custody
for four more days but the court allowed
only two more days for questioning.
“Since documents are still to be recovered
and Raja is required for further investigation,
he may be remanded to our custody
for four more days,” said CBI counsel.
The trio, arrested by the agency on
February 2 for their alleged role in the
2G spectrum allocation scam were produced
before the Special Judge following
expiry of their five-day custody with the
CBI. — IANS
Hooda calls off rally after
3 rallyists die in accident
ROHTAK — Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda
yesterday called off his public rally near here after three people,
arriving to participate in it, died in a road accident. The
chief minister’s political adviser, Virender Singh, announced
that three people arriving for the rally, had died in a road accident
yesterday near here.
Hooda led other leaders to observe a two-minute silence at
the event and did not make a speech. The rally was scheduled
to mark the birth anniversary of Sir Chhotu Ram, a provincial
leader in pre-Independence India, at Sampla town near here.
Hooda later went to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical
Sciences, where the victims were taken after the accident.
He offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims
who had rushed to the hospital on hearing the tragic news.
Hyundai to launch 6 new cars
NEW DELHI — Automobile major Hyundai Motor India
Ltd yesterday said it intends to launch six new cars in the next
three years and is developing a small car that will be placed
below its bestseller compact car Santro.
“We are planning for six new car launches in the Indian
market in the next three years, with two car launches a year,”
said Arvind Saxena, director, sales and marketing, Hyundai
Motor India. According to him, the company is in the process
of developing a new compact car for the Indian market which
would be placed below the Santro hatchback.
EThames launches India campus
HYDERABAD — EThames Graduate School, one of London’s
leading colleges, yesterday opened its India campus in
Hyderabad.
Minister of State for Human Resource Development Daggubati
Purandeswari inaugurated the college, where students
from around India can study for British qualifications, and
benefit from the best teaching methods and latest classroom
technology. The campus has come up in Ameerpet area in the
heart of the city. — Agencies
Oppn attacks govt on appointments
diately. Addressing the house, he advised
the members to observe parliamentary
decorum and reminded them that spats
did not behove good parliamentary behaviour.
Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
said the government had constituted an
investigation following revelations made
by a close relative of Kunhalikkutty and
a television channel headed by another
IUML leader, Dr M K Muneer, about
the way the ice cream parlour case was
sought to be scuttled in exchange of cash
and by influencing judges.
Replying to the calling attention motion
moved by Shylaja, the said the government
had asked a special investigation
team headed by ADGP (Crime) and the
Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau
(VACB) to go into the various aspects of
have already issued statements, stating
the factual position on the matter.”
In its statement on Monday, the CAG
clarified that media reports on the alleged
scam cannot be seen as its findings.
The probe relates to the allocation of
S-band frequency, also known as 2.5 Ghz
band that is globally used for providing
mobile broadband services using fourth
generation technologies such as WiMax
and Long Term Evolution.
The PMO statement came amid a
fresh political controversy with the BJP
and the Left parties demanding a probe
into the CAG estimate of losses.
The BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, hitting
out at the government, said: “Spectrum
is a national asset and when they are
CHENNAI — Countering Janata Party president
Subramanian Swamy’s allegation that he
abused his powers in housing allotment, Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi Yesterday
told the state assembly the discretionary quota
for allotting housing plots and apartments was
introduced by the AIADMK government in
1979.
The quota was hiked by five per cent to 15
per cent during 1991-96 by the then AIADMK
government, Karunanidhi said and listed out
names of close relatives of various AIADMK
leaders, Indian administrative and police service
officials and others who have been allotted
land under the discretionary quota.
Ghaziabad — A special CBI
court here yesterday adjourned
till ‘ its ruling on the
investigating agency’s closure
report in teenager Aarushi
Talwar’s murder case.
Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) Special Magistrate
Preeti Singh was told
by the probe agency that it
had not found any substantial
evidence in the case and
a closure report was its only
option.
“The fingerprints found
on a (blood stained) wall also
could not be verified by the
forensic lab,” CBI lawyer R
K Saini told the court.
“The Talwars did not cooperate
in the investigation
and the CBI did not find any
substantial evidence.
Hence it had no option
but to submit the closure report
immediately.”
Saini requested the court
to accept the closure report.
He said the probe agency
failed to establish the motive
and the sequence of the
crime.
Satish Tamta, appearing
for Aarushi’s father Rajesh
the ice cream parlour case including the
conspiracy and corruption angles.
Kozhikode Town Police had registered
a case under Sections 120 (1), 109,
468, 465, 214, 191 and 34 of the Indian
Penal Code in connection with the revelations
made by K A Rauf, the husband
of the IUML leader’s sister-in-law, and
the media.
Earlier, the Congress party-led United
Democratic Front (UDF) opposition,
which the IUML is the second largest
parter of, staged a walkout alleging that
the Left government was on a recruitment
spree posting their supporters in
government bodies before the elections
due in May..
Seeking leave for an adjournment
motion to discuss the issue, Congress
legislator P C Vishnunadh said the government
should stop backdoor appointments
of their supporters.
“The newly-made nine state public
given to an organisation like Isro, they
are trustees for the spectrum and they
cannot alienate it by transfer or lease in
any other way.”
As per the deal under the scanner,
Devas is to get unbridled access to 70
MHz — megahertz, units of frequency
— of the scarce S-band spectrum over a
20-year period. This spectrum was once
used by the state-owned Doordarshan for
overall satellite transmission to all parts
of the country. It is now considered to be
of enormous commercial value for highspeed,
terrestrial mobile communications.
In 2010, the union government got
nearly Rs 67,719 crore from the auction
of just 15 Mhz of similar airwaves for
3G mobile services. — IANS
Aarushi murder: Decision
on CBI’s report’
Talwar, opposed the CBI
plea and requested the court
not to accept its closure report
as it “had not submitted
the complete facts and evidence
before the court”.
He urged the court to instruct
the agency to investigate
the case further using
latest scientific techniques.
The lawyer said a low
count DNA test should be
conducted for the fingerprints
on the blood stained
wall on the terrace of Talwars’
Noida house.
The CBI opposed Saini’s
plea and said the forensic
lab already had shown its inability
to conduct the highly
expensive test.
Aarushi, 14, was found
murdered under mysterious
circumstances in her parents’
Jalvayu Vihar apartment in
Noida, May 16, 2008.
Their domestic help Hemraj
was initially suspected for
the killing, but his body was
found on the flat’s terrace a
day later. — IANS
Karunanidhi trashes Swamy’s
allegations in land allotment
Referring to news reports of Subramanian
Swamy petitioning Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit
Singh Barnala for sanction to prosecute him
for allotting land of the Tamil Nadu Housing
Board (TNHB) under his discretionary quota,
Karunanidhi read out a statement in the assembly.
He said the practice of allotting 85 per cent
of the TNHB’s plots or apartments to applicants
based on lots and the balance 15 per cent under
the government’s discretionary quota has been
followed in the state for a long time.
He said Swamy’s contention was that
there have been discrepancies in allotment of
plots/apartments under the discretionary
quota. — IANS
CHAIRMAN of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom)
Harsh Manglik (L) with Information Technology and Communications Minister Kapil
Sibal at the start of a three-day conference in Mumbai yesterday. — AFP
sector undertakings have all been stuffed
with your supporters. The written test
was a farce because many got their hall
tickets either the previous day or after
the examination date. The High Court
had asked for all jobs in universities in
the state to be handed over to the public
service commission (PSC) but nothing
has been done,” he said.
A record 1,919 new jobs have been
made in the nine hastily set up new public
sector units and the opposition has been
attacking the government for not having
a transparent recruitment process.
“The Lok Ayukta has come down
heavily on the appointments made in
the Kerala University. Even after several
requests, you have not been able to produce
the 42,000 answer scripts of those
who wrote the examination.
The police have also arrested people
who got government jobs without writing
the PSC examination,” he said.

S
15
CLASSIFIEDS
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
Sahara Hotel Apartments
Rotana Hotel
We are glad to receive our honourable customers in our new hotel (Rotana Hotel) at our distinguished
location at Al Khuwair area opposite the Ministries Street next to Al Zawawi
Mosque. We have Single, Double rooms, suites and Meeting Hall.
For further information please contact us on the following numbers: For further information please contact us on the following numbers:
24483888/+968-24487799 /+968-24488117 / fax : 968-24488221 +968-24476000/ 24394444 /99449009 fax: +968- 24476999
ITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED
CHEMICAL Engineer,
Iraqi nationality having
experience. (1 year)
water treatment, (2
years) oil & gas field, (1
year) sales & marketing
of (LPG), Central
Systems Installation
& Projects. Contact
�95945927, E-mail:
Fahadian_Fahadian@
yahoo.com.
NETWORKING
professional + 3 years
experience in network,
system administration,
structural cabling,
Cisco switches
Routers. MSc Telecom
Engineering, BS
Computer Engineering,
CCNA, JNCIA-EX,
JNCIA-ER, MCSE
and RHCE. Contact
�98813936/ 92223661
GENERAL Manager,
seeks assignment, 20
years experience in
Oman. Engineer, can
turn around business.
Experience in real estate,
building materials,
construction machinery,
home appliances,
overseas representation,
joint venture, sales &
marketing. Contact
�92618954, e-mail:
recruitment1234@
gmail.com
HR generalist with
experience in nurturing
Omani Talent is looking
for a challenging and
exciting career in a
dynamic Organisation.
Contact �97369630.
ENGLISH speaking Sri
Lankan housemaid looking
for full-time or part-time
job. Contact � 92480866.
CREDIT manager —
MBA & B Tech, 32 yrs,
working with a leading
bank in India, 5.5 yrs
experience, seeks suitable
placement. Contact �+91-
9895317327, jobunf@
yahoo.com
PAKISTANI male, 33 yrs,
experienced driver with
valid GCC licence, seeks
suitable placement as
domestic or official driver.
Contact �95853704.
MALE, 25 years, Bachelor
of Management (Western
educated), 3 years +
administrative experience.
Tech savvy. Good
knowledge of MS Office
applications seeks immediate
placement. Contact
�98569053.
BUSINESS continuity
planner, male, 25 yrs,
looking for project
management, co-ordination
job, past experience
in handling projects
include BCP/DRP, ATM,
SVS. Contact: e-mail:
ammarirfan@yahoo.com
ARAB American female,
26 years, Business BA, 2
years experience (USA,
Oman) placement
Admin/HR Business
development release
available. Contact
�98591626.
WELL qualified finance
manager, with over 10
years of proven expertise
in managing finance
and accounts of leading
companies from various
backgrounds in Oman, is
looking for a position in
similar capacity. Contact
�96341326.
INDIAN male, 26,
graduate, seeks suitable
placement in office admin,
Data Entry, visit visa for
immediate placement.
Contact 96248925, e-mail:
shrinivas.devang@gmail.
com.
MALE, 26 years,
P.G Diploma in 3D
Animation, more than
2 years experience as
animator, proficient in
Maya software-lighting,
texturing and inorganic
modelling (sets & props),
multi-linguistic
and good communication
skills, presently on visit
visa, seeks suitable
placement. �98295939,
email:febin.joshy@gmail.
com
INDIAN female College
Lecturer (IT Computer
Science, MPhil/MSc
qualified, with 8 years
teaching experience in
reputed university college
in Oman and India,
seeks placement. Call
�96170812/92954948.
YOUNG & energetic
Indian male, 32 years old
with more than 7 years
experience in HR &
admin, presently working
for a well established
construction co, excellent
in Word, Excel, Foxpro
& ERP computer system,
looking for a suitable
placement. Please contact
�96129755.
CHARTERED accountant,
Indian female, with 4½
years of post qualification
experience, seeks suitable
placement. Contact
�93291178.
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
ACCOUNTANT, 13 yrs
experience, 7 yrs in Oman
with knowledge of Tally &
Oracle, seeks job. Contact
�98075840.
SOFTWARE Engg,
MCA, 3 + yrs experience,
experience in VB, SQL,
DOT, net, 2 + yrs exp
in Oman, seeks better
placement. Contact
�96268492. e-mail:
chailyantony@yahoo.co.in
PART-TIME accountant
upto finalisation, tally
teaching. E-mail to
aoneacct@gmail.com
INDIAN male, 8 years
experience in Oman,
having valid driving
licence, seeks suitable
job as office assistant and
store in-charge. Contact
�93530182.
INDIAN male, MBA
(marketing) with 3 years
experience in sales and
marketing, presently
on visit visa in Muscat,
seeks suitable placement.
Contact �95701738.
OFFICE boy Gulf experienced,
fluent in English,
attending telephone
calls and front office etc,
seeks suitable placement
�95675143.
SR Accountant, Indian
male, 34, with 12 years
experience (including 6
years in Oman) working
in a reputed organisation,
seeks suitable placement
�92353285.
MBA (Marketing) B.Sc.
(Biochemistry) with 2
years experience in sales
and marketing currently
on a visit visa in Muscat,
seeks immediate and
suitable placement.
Contact �95701738,
e-mail: wasimalig04@
rediffmail.com.
ARCHITECT: Young,
talented, female graduate
Architect with good
knowledge of AutoCAD,
3D Max & Photoshop,
seeks placement in reputed
firms. Please contact:
99242164 /email:
esses@omantel.net.om
INDIAN male, graduate,
holder of FIATA/DGR
foundation with 5 years
experience in shipping /
logistic operations, seeks
suitable placement
� 99284879
saviorodrigues2002@
yahoocom.
INDIAN female graduate
having 9 years experience,
good computer &
communication skills,
seeks suitable placement in
Administration HR Dept.
�99652943/9934422.
INDIAN female, 24, B
Com, experience in travel
agency accounts, seeks
placement as an accounts
assistant, preferably close
to Wadi Kabir. Contact
�92125848.
MARKETING executive:
A well experienced Indian
male, 42 yrs, having
driving licence, own car,
space and familiar with
Salalah market is ready
to market your product/
service in Salalah on
part-time/ commission
basis. �99087175.
26 YEARS old female on
family visa, B Com, PG in
Marketing and Financial
Services with Canadian
experience in Banking
operations. 93363358,
jeanramacha@gmail.com
INDIAN male welltrained
security officer,
having experience
in working in Indian
Embassy and United
Nations, serving various
countries. Also having
experience in International
Airport, New Delhi as
an immigration officer.
Worked for 5 years as
security officer in
Jumeriah International
Dubai (Burj al Arab),
seeks suitable job.
Contact �92383771,
mohan_nair84@yahoo.
com
INDIAN Female, M Sc
Bio-Chemistry, having
3 years experience in
the relevant field, seeks
suitable placement.
�95785608/ 95463475.
INDIAN female, MSW,
having 5 years work
experience in hospital
and charitable organisation
seeks suitable placement in
Muscat urgently.
Contact �95372368.
NETWORK/
instrumentation Engr.
Indian male, B.Tech 4
years experience in Oman
(PDO sites), seeks suitable
placement now on visit
visa. Contact �92870375.
e-mail: manojidicula@
yahoo.co.in
ACCOUNTS professional,
6+ years Oman experience
in finalisation, finance,
ERP, Credit control, MIS,
Banking, seeks senior/
managerial post in MNCs/
reputed Cos. Release
available �99283938.
INDIAN male, having
driving licence, looking
for job in sales. Contact
�96447531/99651214.
MASTERS journalism,
Mass communication,
excellent English &
communication skills,
very good writing
abilities, seeks suitable
communication/Media/
Banks/MNCs/reputed Cos.
Contact �99283938.
MBA (Marketing), B Sc
(Bio-chemistry), with 2
yrs experience in sales
and marketing, currently
on a visit visa in Muscat
seeks immediate and
suitable placement. Please
contact �95701738.
wasimalig04@
rediffmail.com
26 YEARS old Indian
Mechanical Engineer
with 3 yrs of experience
in oil field projects
related to installation
and commissioning of
centrifugal compressors
with diploma in
Mechanical Engineering,
ASNT Level 2
certification and well
versed in
Autocad is looking
for suitable opening.
�95228261.
INSTRUMENT
Technician. Indian male,
18 years experience
in oil field Instrument
maintenance and
calibration seeks suitable
placement in sales or
Instrumentation and
Electronics field in
Muscat, having valid
Oman D/L. �96377953.
E-mail: jacobmampara@
gmail.com
INDIAN male, 27 years
MBA (Marketing),
experienced in sales and
marketing seeks suitable
placement. Contact
�95809231. e-mail:
mdkazi.mba@gmail.com
PAKISTANI male 30 yrs.
Intermediate + computer
office management
diploma. 6 yrs office work
experience as accountant,
Data Entry and computer
clerk in Pakistan Army.
Good knowledge in
English and Hindi (Urdu).
Good typing speed in
English. Release available
on requirement. Looking
for good job. �96182450
zafar8612@gmail.com .
OMAN experienced
Indian Executive, having
ability to sell almost
anything is looking for a
good paying sales
job. Having driving
licence and good
educational background
� 95043952.
ZAJEL weekly magazine evry saturday along with �OMAN DAILY �
for advertising contact �
Mobile � 96224397 � 95181747
Tel �24649593 Fax �24649590 Email � zajeloman@yahoo�com
INDIAN male, BE
Mechanical (HVAC)
with 14 years experience,
Oman experience 4 years,
having valid D/L, seeks
suitable placement.
� 96093552/95780203.
CHARTERED accountant,
female, Indian, with 4.5
years of post qualification
experience, seeks suitable
placement. �93291178.
MECHANICAL
Engineer, Iraqi male, 20
years of various MEP
construction experience,
MEP co-ordinator and
Project Management, BSc
Mechanical Engineering,
resident in Dubai and has
UAE driving licence. �
+971 55 2029 100. e-mail:
sabahna2003@yahoo.com
INDIAN male, age 28,
B Com, 3 years experience
in networking, presently
working in Oman in IT
section, CCNA, MCSE,
MCSA, MCP, MCTS,
ISA Firewall, Linux,
Hardware, seeks
suitable placement.
�98427610,royp4u@
gmail.com.
INDIAN male, 6 years
experience in 3D Max-
Interior and exterior
designing, landscaping
(Muscat and Dubai),
highly experienced in 3D
Max-V RAY,
Photoshop, Illustrator,
AutoCad, revit and MS-
Softwares, seeks suitable
placement. �97162200,
97645059.
OMANI seeks suitable
position in a leading
company. Experience in
Administration, Business.
asaleel@hotmail.com
�99326700.
INDIAN female graduate
as Executive Secretary
cum office administrator
with 8 years experience in
Gulf, seeks placement
� 97369092 Mubashira.
CHARTERED accountant,
Sri Lankan, expertise more
than 13 years including
heading the finance team,
business analysis and
quality management in
large scale organisation in
Oman, looking for
suitable placement.
�93044123,
ca.mohamed1@gmail.com
INDIAN F/24 BE
(E&C), dip in mobile
communications, CCNA,
sound in Windows backup,
Router, GSM, CDMA,
administration, with 2
years Oman experience in
IT field. Get CV: www.
sajeeb.com/kabeela.doc
�96152765.
F
OR SALE
2 RESIDENTIAL lands
together, one 610 and
the other 600 sq mtrs,
in Al Haram on way to
Barka, RO16,000 each
�99333479 or 95215360.
967 SQ mtrs residential
land in Azaiba near
the sea, RO 22,000
�99333479 or 95215360.
884 SQ mtrs residential
land in Al Ghubra north
behind Waleed Pharmacy
and near to Shell,
RO330,000 �99333479
or 95215360.
800 SQ mtrs residential
land in Lansab phase 2,
RO50,000 �99333479 or
95215360.
700 SQ mtrs residential
land in Lansab phase 4,
RO65,000 �99333479 or
95215360.
3 BEDROOM house in
Al Khoudh near to Bank
Muscat with land area of
450 sq mtrs, RO80,000
�99333479 or 95215360.
3 RESIDENTIAL plots of
950 sq mtrs each near to
Naseem garden roundabout,
RO25,000 each
�99333479 or 95215360.
6,100 SQ mtrs land
about 1 km from the
sea and Naseem garden,
RO80,000 �99333479 or
95215360.
600 SQ mtrs residential
land in Mahoot, Hijj 7,
RO4,000 �99333479 or
95215360.
TWIN villa in Lansab
phase 3 near to the
roundabout, 5 bedrooms,
3 floors each side,
RO115,000 each side
�99333479 or 95215360.
CLASSIFIED
SECTION
RUWI:
� 24785668
Sulaiman Awlad
Thani: 95181747
Ali al Maashari:
99639264
Saada:
95919344

DALLAS — The Cleveland Cavaliers
hit rock bottom by losing an
NBA-record 25th straight game in
a 99-96 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks
on Monday, topping the previous
mark they set over two seasons
in 1982.
The Cavaliers, who set the record
for consecutive losses in one season
at 24 when they fell to the Portland
Trail Blazers on Saturday, had a
chance to tie the game against Dallas
in the final seconds but Anthony
Parker missed a three-pointer.
“When it hit the front of the rim,
I still thought it was going to hit the
backboard and trickle in,” Parker
told reporters. “It is disappointing to
come up short again. We just have
to keep at it.”
Cleveland (8-44), whose last
win came on December 18 over the
New York Knicks, play their next
eight games at home, where they
have recorded five of their wins this
season.
J J Hickson put up 26 points and
12 rebounds while Ramon Sessions
added 19 points and 13 assists to
help Cleveland put up a good fight
against Dallas.
The Cavaliers fell behind by 15
points during the second quarter but
clawed back to tie things early in
the fourth and take the game down
to the wire.
Dallas reserve Jason Terry finished
with 23 points to rally the
Mavericks (36-15).
The Cavaliers posted the NBA’s
best record last season, but things
took a downturn when two-times
reigning NBA MVP LeBron James
signed with the Miami Heat during
the off-season sending the franchise
into a free-fall.
In Memphis, the Los Angeles
Lakers survived an off night and
avoided a third straight loss to the
Grizzlies with a 93-84 victory that
extended their unbeaten start to a
seven-game road trip.
Other results: Charlotte Bobcats
bt Boston Celtics 94-89, Minnesota
Timberwolves bt New Orleans
Hornets 104-92, LA Lakers bt
Memphis Grizzlies 93-84, Houston
Rockets bt Denver Nuggets 108-
103, Portland Trail Blazers bt Chicago
Bulls 109-103, Utah Jazz bt
Sacramento Kings 107-104, Phoenix
Suns bt Golden State Warriors
104-92. — Reuters
18 SPORT
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
Cavs set all-time record losing streak
Goergl defeats favourites for super-G gold
GARMISCH-PARTEN-
KIRCHEN, Germany — Austria’s
Elisabeth Goergl upstaged
favourites Maria Riesch
and Lindsey Vonn to snatch
women’s super-G gold in the
opening event of the Alpine
skiing world championships
yesterday.
Goergl, double bronze
medallist at the Vancouver
Olympics last year, beat Julia
Mancuso of the United States
by just 0.05 seconds to claim
her first world championship
gold at the age of 29.
Riesch, racing in her home
town, had to be content with
the bronze medal while Vonn
blamed the after-effects of a
training crash last week for a
disappointing seventh.
Olympic champion Andrea
Fischbacher and Gina Stechert
both suffered dramatic crashes
on an icy course but escaped
unscathed.
“It wasn’t me,” Vonn,
World Cup winner for the previous
three seasons, told German
television.
PARIS — Half a season on
from a World Cup where their
respective teams largely failed
to impress, England, Germany,
Italy and France will use
midweek friendlies to chart a
course for happier times which
they hope can materialise at
Euro 2012.
England boss Fabio Capello,
and German, Italian and
French counterparts Joachim
Loew, Laurent Blanc and Cesare
Prandelli will be out to
show that they are building
solid foundations for the end
of next season.
And the unavailability of
several experienced names
brings an opportunity to nurture
young blood.
Europe’s traditional powerhouses
had won nine World
Cups between them before
Spain put them in the shade
last summer in breaking their
“I had a bad headache, I
decided to give it a go but I
wasn’t aggressive, it was bad
for me.”
“The course is very danger-
duck in South Africa.
Capello’s charges, chastened
in South Africa, now
head to Copenhagen to meet
Denmark today.
And the Italian knows he
has his work cut out as summer
blues lingered into autumn
with a 2-1 defeat against France
at Wembley in October, which
did little to restore English morale
while suggesting France
have recovered from their travails
under Blanc’s predecessor
Raymond Romenech.
With a Euro 2012 qualifier
against Wales a month away,
Capello will use the game
against the Danes to see if
young starlets such as Arsenal
midfielder Jack Wilshere are
ready to step up to the plate.
Wilshere is set to start
alongside Chelsea veteran
Frank Lampard with the latter’s
habitual sidekick Steven
ous, it wasn’t as icy as yesterday
but it is worrying, nobody
had any grip and it wasn’t easy
to ski.”
Goergl was the first of the
Super Bowl draws record
111 million TV viewers
DETROIT — Sunday’s Super Bowl set a new
record for the largest US television audience
for a single broadcast.
The Green Bay Packers’ 31-25 victory over
the Pittsburgh Steelers in Texas drew a US TV
audience of 111 million, topping the 2010 final
tally by almost 5 million, according to data released
on Monday by broadcaster Fox.
“The airing of Super Bowl XLV goes down
as Fox’s most-watched night of prime time
ever, as well as Fox’s highest-rated night ever
among Adults 18-49. It’s also the most-watched
night on any network in at least 20 years,” Fox
said in a statement.
Last year, 106.5 million watched the New
Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts, surpassing
the 106 million who tuned in for the
finale of the comedy “M*A*S*H” in 1983.
“We’re excited about the fan reaction from
last night and the incredible game they were
able to see,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
told reporters on Monday.
The Super Bowl in 2009 drew 98.7 million
viewers, and the audience in 2008 was 97.5
million.
The growth in the Super Bowl’s audience
illustrates why advertisers pay up to $3 million
for a 30-second commercial during the game.
The final numbers for this year’s Super
Bowl capped a strong year for the US sports
league. The NFL’s 2010 regular season games
were watched by a record 207.7 million unique
viewers, according to research firm Nielsen.
For the first time, an NFL game was the
most-watched show among all programs in
each of the season’s 17 weeks, and league
games accounted for the 19 most-watched TV
shows among all programming last fall as well
as 28 of the top 30.
The most-watched moment of this year’s
Super Bowl was Pittsburgh quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger’s last incomplete pass in the final
minute, clinching the victory for the Packers,
according to digital video recorder maker TiVo.
The Super Bowl’s drawing power also was
seen in the ratings for musical comedy “Glee,”
which drew 26.8 million viewers — more than
double its normal TV audience — for a special
episode that aired immediately after the NFL
game. — Reuters
LOS Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (right) makes a move to go around Memphis Grizzlies’ Sam Young (centre)
and Zach Randolph (left) during their NBA action in Memphis on Monday. The Lakers won 93-84. — Reuters
ELISABETH Goergl of Austria celebrates during the winner’s presentation after the
women super-G race at the Alpine skiing world championship in
Garmisch-Partenkirchen yesterday. — Reuters
Transition time for Capello, Loew, Prandelli and Blanc
Gerrard missing out after injuring
his groin in Liverpool’s 1-0
win over Chelsea on Sunday.
“Gerrard has a groin problem.
We’ve spoken to the England
team, he’s got to go to let
them have a look at him but
he won’t be playing,” Anfield
boss Kenny Dalglish indicated.
With regular skipper Rio
Ferdinand also injured Capello
will likely choose Lampard
or Wayne Rooney to wear the
armband.
In attack, Rooney with
partner Darren Bent, who has
quickly found his feet with Villa
since his big-money move
from Sunderland.
“Everyone knows he is terrible
for defenders in the box,
but now he is a player who can
play for the team and not just
himself,” opined Capello.
Other attractive friendly
top racers to grapple with the
Kandahar course and her time
of one minute 23.82 seconds
proved unbeatable.
“I had to fight with all
Canucks stay out front with win over Senators
VANCOUVER — The Vancouver
Canucks kept their
command of the NHL Western
Conference with a 4-2 triumph
over the Ottawa Senators on
Monday, their sixth straight
win.
The Canucks took a 3-0
lead thanks to goals from Alexandre
Burrows, Ryan Kesler
and Mikael Samuelsson then
held on to keep their nine-point
lead at the top of the West.
After Nick Foligno and
Jason Spezza scored in the
second period to pull Ottawa
within one, Samuelsson added
his second goal of the night for
Vancouver into an empty net
with 32 seconds left to clinch
the win. Samuelsson also added
an assist to help send the
struggling Senators (17-29-8)
to their 10th straight loss.
“You’ve got to stick with
it,” Samuelsson, who has 11
points in the last six games
following a 14-game goal
dates include France meeting
Brazil in a repeat of the 1998
World Cup final, while Germany
go up against Italy, who
suffered a debacle in South
Africa, failing to get out of
their group.
my heart, it was very icy and
bumpy with lots of ruts,” said
Goergl, who has won three
World Cup races but never
before a gold medal at a world
championship or Olympic
Games.
“I’ve been fighting for a
big result like this for my entire
career.”
Riesch was next to go,
missing out by 0.21 seconds,
then came Fischbacher, who
lost her balance halfway down,
clipped a fence and slid at least
100 metres down the icy surface
before crashing into the
net.
“I’m really relieved, I was
incredibly nervous this morning,”
said Riesch.
“My goal was to start off
with a medal and this result is
really positive.”
Mancuso missed out by
a fraction on her first world
championship gold before
there was another ugly crash,
this time involving Germany’s
Stechert who slammed into the
nets at high speed. — Reuters
drought, told reporters.
“It’s not going to go your
way all the time. You stay
humble and you really have to
bear down and remind yourself
JOACHIM LOEW LAURENT BLANC
Germany at least finished
third and will want to shine
against the team that deprived
them of a 2006 World Cup final
on home soil in their most
recent meeting.
Prandelli brings back vet-
what (worked) in the past.”
Goaltender Roberto Luongo
made 31 saves and Mason
Raymond added three assists
in the victory for the Canucks
eran goalkeeper Gianluigi
Buffon less than a month after
making his injury comeback
to bring some experience to
the side and has also called in
Inter Milan’s Brazilian-born
midfielder Thiago Motta.
Loew will have a pacy attack
including wingers Mesut
Ozil of Real Madrid and Bayern
Munich’s Thomas Mueller
but Bayern Munich striker
Mario Gomez is missing with
a knee injury and ex-captain
Michael Ballack is also sidelined
so Bayern defender
Philipp Lahm is set to skipper
the side.
Loew has called up 18-yearold
Dortmund starlet Mario
Goetze, who made his senior
debut in Sweden last November.
France bombed as badly
as Italy at the World Cup but
under Blanc the seedlings of
recovery are taking root as wit-
McCaw out for 6 weeks
with foot fracture
AUCKLAND — All Blacks
and Crusaders captain Richie
McCaw will miss the first
month of the Super Rugby
season after fracturing a bone
in his foot.
The 30-year-old open-side
flanker, who sustained the
stress fracture to the fifth metatarsal
on his right foot during
a fitness test last Monday, has
been booked in for surgery
and is expected to be out for
six weeks.
“The injury is obviously
disappointing but it’s not likely
to be one that will bother
me in the long term,” McCaw
told reporters yesterday.
“I’ll have the operation
and then get on with my rehab
and look forward to turning
out for the Crusaders when
I’m given the all-clear by the
medical staff.”
The expanded Super rugby
tournament starts on February
18 and the first match
for the Canterbury-based
Crusaders, who reached the
semifinals last year, is against
(35-10-9).
Ottawa, in last-place in
the Northeast Division, lost
for the 16th time in 17 games
while reaching its longest los-
nessed by the win over England
while he has stressed his
authority by refusing to bow
to political pressure regarding
bringing back — or not
— ringleaders of the summer
rebellion protesting the disciplining
of Nicolas Anelka.
He says selection is purely
his affair — but has left out
Patrice Evra, although for
footballing reasons as the
Manchester United man has
fallen behind Barcelona’s Eric
Abidal in the left-back pecking
order.
Evra was available after
completing his post-World
Cup suspension handed down
for his role as captain in the infamous
World Cup strike.
Brazil are also getting to
grips with a new man at the
helm after Mano Menezes replaced
Dunga.
They lost 1-0 to arch-rivals
the Auckland Blues on February
19.
McCaw, who will captain
New Zealand as they attempt
to win the World Cup on home
soil at the end of the year, said
waiting before having surgery
was not an option.
“There was no real
choice,” McCaw said. “With
or without the surgery there
would have been time laid off
and they’ve decided that’s the
thing to do.
“A lot of people have said
to me that it’s better to have
happened now but I wanted to
get stuck in for the Crusaders
and get going for the year,” he
added.
“But it’s happened now, I
guess with it being a big year
I’ve got it out of the way and
this is all we have to deal
with.”
Fellow back-rower Kieran
Read will stand in as Crusaders
captain while McCaw is
sidelined. — Reuters
Force India target the podium
as Indian Grand Prix looms
LONDON — Force India unveiled the car
yesterday that they hope will put them on the
podium at India’s first Formula One grand prix
later this season.
Principal Vijay Mallya said there was plenty
to be optimistic about after the Mercedes-powered
team, who also have a technical partnership
with McLaren, finished seventh overall
last year.
“We’ve got three race drivers that are
hungry to take the next steps in their careers,
whether that be points, podiums or wins,” the
liquor and aviation billionaire said in a statement
after the online launch. “Not to mention
the very special event, and one that I personally
can’t wait for, the inaugural Indian Grand
Prix. What better place would there be to reach
some of those aims than on our home soil?”
India is due to host a race on October 30
at a circuit being built near New Delhi. Force
India’s best result in Formula One remains Italian
Giancarlo Fisichella’s second place from
pole position in Belgium in 2009.
Force India were the last of the 12 teams
to reveal their new car, pipped by a matter of
hours by struggling Hispania (HRT) who presented
pictures online of their largely-unbranded
F111 car.
VANCOUVER Canucks’ Alex Burrows scores against Ottawa Senators goalie Brian Elliot
during the first period of their NHL game in Vancouver on Monday. — Reuters
Hispania have an Indian driver, Narain
Karthikeyan, in their car while Force India
have British rookie Paul di Resta and Germany’s
Adrian Sutil as main racers and Germany’s
Nico Hulkenberg in reserve.
“We’ve got targets to finish at least one spot
higher than last year so consistency has got to
be key. As for podiums, why not? We should
certainly be in the mix at some races,” said Sutil,
now in his fifth season with the team.
The VJM04 car is the first car created by
the team under new technical director Andrew
Green.
“The most obvious visual change is that
we’ve gone away from a conventional rollhoop
to a blade,” he said. “But there are a lot
of differences under the skin that people won’t
necessarily notice.
“There are some big developments in the
pipeline, probably bigger than this team has
seen for quite a while,” he added. “I think
we’re looking for a much stronger finish to
the season, and we do recognise the fact that
there’s an Indian GP on the calendar, and we
are an Indian team.
“The plan is to be putting stronger performance
on the car through the year that will lift us
up the ranks.” — Reuters
ing streak since the 1995-96
season when the team dropped
11 straight.
“We’ve just got to figure
out what we did well in the
second half of the game and
bring that to our next game,”
said Spezza. “We’re not getting
the wins. We’ve just got
to find a way to start getting
them.”
Senators goaltender Brian
Elliott made 26 saves but was
lifted late in the third for a sixth
attacker as Ottawa pressed for
a tying goal.
Vancouver defenceman
Keith Ballard suffered a leg injury
and was taken off the ice
during the game after he got
tangled with Senators forward
Milan Michalek.
Other results: Toronto Maple
Leafs bt Atlanta Thrashers 5-4, Detroit
Red Wings bt NY Rangers 3-2,
Edmonton Oilers bt Nashville Predators
4-0, Calgary Flames bt Chicago
Blackhawks 3-1, Phoenix Coyotes bt
Colorado Avalanche 3-0. — Reuters
Argentina in their last friendly
outing — but France winger
Florent Malouda insists the
five-time world champions are
“a point of reference at the global
level.”
Menezes named a squad of
purely Europe-based players
and there was thus no place for
livewire Santos forward Neymar,
headlining the Under-20
South American championship
in Peru. World Cup stars such
as centre-back Lucio, Real
Madrid playmaker Kaka and
striker Luis Fabiano miss out
but striker Renauto Augusto of
Bayer Leverkusen may start.
Spain, without gastroenteritis-stricken
Cesc Fabregas,
meanwhile welcome Colombia,
while their conquered
World Cup final rivals the
Netherlands host Austria and
Argentina take on Portugal in
Geneva. — AFP

By Sanjay Chakhaiyar
MUSCAT — The very idea of
solving problems like filing
the referees report or recording
the details of incidents like
fan trouble or for that matter
the history of the game as well
as the players and many other
issues related to the sport can
be solved by the introduction
of the Information Technology
(IT) system.
The Oman Football Association
(OFA), that is working
round the clock to achieve
their mission to fully professionalise
the Sultanate’s soccer,
is turning to IT in order
to first streamline the association’s
activities and the way it
runs the game in the country.
For this very purpose,
the OFA yesterday roped in
globally-renowned Ernst &
Young as their consultant ‘to
advise them in the process of
defining a road map for their
business IT systems’.
Speaking at the contract
signing ceremony at the OFA
Headquarters in Seeb, the association
chairman Sayyid
Khalid al Busaidy said: “The
IT-based system in the OFA
will enhance the process of
professionalisation.”
Stating that OFA have chosen
Ernst & Young as they
suited their requirements.
Sayyid Kahlid said: “After a
through research into our requirements,
they will come up
with their suggestions, which
once implemented will hopefully
enhance the process of
professionalisation to a great
extent.’’
“IT is the key for the success
and we will be focussing
on this aspect as development
is high on our agenda. “I feel
it’s a big day for the OFA as
such a step will lead us to emanagement.’’
Sayyid Khalid was also of
the opinion that apart from
19 SPORT
OMAN DAILY Observer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
OFA to streamline activities with IT
Inks deal with Ernst & Young
OFA Chairman Sayyid Khalid al Busaidy (second from right) and Ben Wareing,
partner of the advisory services at E&Y, exchange documents after the signing
ceremony at the OFA Headquarters in Seeb yesterday.
getting all the necessary work
done in the shortest possible
time, it will be as per the Fifa
requirements.
‘‘It will save our precious
time and also be compatible
with the Fifa needs. Strategic
analysis will one of the major
aspects of this plan.’’
Ben Wareing, partner of the
advisory services at E&Y, who
signed the deal, said that this
was a significant step towards
modernisation of the OFA.
“We have had similar
projects for the world governing
body Fifa during the World
Cup Soccer 2010 in South
Africa and for the United
Kingdom Olympic Delivery
Authority and they have been
very successful. We hope to
develop similar partnership
with the OFA as well.’’
Meanwhile, E&Y’s Director
of advisory services Mohamed
Nayaz said: “We will
be working on three key areas:
technology, process and manpower.
We will also be conducting
workshops to train the
staff.”
Nader al Rawahy, the executive
manager of the advisory
services of E&Y, said that
OFA will benefit immensely
by this collaboration.
‘‘This system will help in
getting the profile of all the
players which I feel will be a
great help as far as the players
are concerned,” said Al
Rawahy.
Saleh al Farsi, OFA General-Secretary
and CEO, was
happy on the occasion and
described it as a ‘dream come
true’.
Muscat Open golf
on Feb 24 and 25
MUSCAT — The 38th edition of the Muscat
Open golf tournament will be organised at Ras
Al Hamra Golf Club (RAHGC) on February
24 and 25.
According to a press release issued by the
club yesterday, the competition, which has
been attracting the best golfers of Oman as
well from neighbouring GCC countries over
the years, will probably be played for the last
time on RAHGC sands as the plans are on to
reconstruct the course.
In the last edition, Ian Morrison emerged
as champion just one shot ahead of four other
players in one of the most exciting finishes in
the competition’s history.
Mundhir al Barwani, Chairman of Muscat
Open Committee said; “I am really proud to
present the Muscat Open to the golfing elite
of Oman. With the golf rapidly developing in
Oman with grass golf courses and the season
full of superb competitions, we are happy to
welcome the best golfers in Oman and the region
to Ras Al Hamra GC.
“This year will probably see the last Muscat
Open champion crowned on a sand course, as
after the development of our club we will be
able to offer golf on grass.
“I am also very grateful for our current
sponsors Gulf Agency Company, Shanfari
Group’s Contractors Technical Services, The
Eight Group and Aker Solutions to once again
support us and welcome S C Mustaqbal Tubular
Solutions of Sumitomo Corporation as a
new sponsor. Without our sponsors the Muscat
Open would not be able to produce this qualitative
event.”
David Watson, Projects Manager at Sumi-
THE 2010 WINNERS: Champion Ian
Morrison (centre), runner-up Ali Hameed
(left), second runner-up Sachin Bawa.
tomo Corporation said: “SCMTS of the Sumitomo
Corporation is honoured and takes great
pleasure in being a sponsor of the 38th Muscat
Open. As part of our corporate strategy of contributing
to society and the business community
our sponsorship reflects the importance of
strong and well rounded business relationships
and the value we place in the ongoing development
of both business and the community of
the Sultanate of Oman.”
The pre-registration of the competition is
now open on-line at www.golfclub.pdorc.com.
Golfers with a hcp of maximum 18, for
Omani residents the USGA based OGC hcp,
are eligible to register. Those playing in the
competition are required to personally confirm
their participation on February 23 between
16.00 to 18.00 hours, at RAHGC, where also
the entry fee of RO 20 is to be paid.

Goergl beats
favourites for
superG gold
Page 18
Hussey and Hauritz
out of World Cup
SYDNEY — Australia
dropped injured duo Nathan
Hauritz and Mike Hussey
from its World Cup squad
yesterday, calling up Callum
Ferguson and Jason Krejza to
replace them at this month's
showpiece one-day tournament.
Hussey and Hauritz were
both in doubt after undergoing
surgery on injuries and chief
selector Andrew Hilditch said
officials had decided to replace
them and take a fully-fit
squad to the World Cup which
is starts on February 19.
"Based on the medical advice
an application is being
made to the ICC to replace
both players in the World
Cup squad," Hilditch said in a
statement.
"(Selectors have) determined
that the best strategy
to ensure a successful campaign
is for Australia to enter
the tournament with a fully fit
squad of fifteen from the first
game."
Veteran batsman Hussey,
felled with a hamstring tendon
injury, has been replaced
by the 26-year-old Ferguson,
who was recently called up
for the final two matches of
Australia's one-day series
against England.
"Callum has an excellent
record in one-day international
cricket and played well
in the one-day game against
England in Sydney recently,"
said Hilditch.
"We think he’ll play well
in subcontinental conditions."
Revised Australia squad:
Ricky Ponting (captain), Shane
Watson, Brad Haddin, Michael
Clarke, Callum Ferguson, David
Hussey, Cameron White, Tim
Paine, Steven Smith, John Hastings,
Mitchell Johnson, Jason
Krejza, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait,
Doug Bollinger.
Injured Praveen out,
Sreesanth steps in
MUMBAI — India paceman
Praveen Kumar has been ruled
out of the World Cup due to
an elbow injury and will be
replaced by Shanthakumaran
Sreesanth, the Indian cricket
board (BCCI) said yesterday.
India had gambled on the
fitness of Kumar, who had
missed the recent five-match
one-day series against South
Africa, by including him in
the 15-member squad for the
February 19-April 2 showpiece
event in India, Sri Lanka
and Bangladesh.
"The International Cricket
Council (ICC) has confirmed
that Praveen Kumar can be
replaced in the squad by
Sreesanth," BCCI Secretary
N Srinivasan said in a statement.
The loss of Kumar, who
has taken 57 wickets in 48
one-dayers at an average of
33.57, will be felt by the co-
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011
hosts as he delivered consistent
line and length and varied
pace.
His replacement, right-arm
paceman Sreesanth, is known
more for a volatile temperament
and has been fined and
cautioned on multiple occasions
by the ICC and the Indian
board.
"Honestly speaking, I play
with a lot of passion and people
misunderstand my passion
for aggression. I will play with
passion and try to win for my
country," he told CNN-IBN
channel yesterday.
"I'm obviously happy (to
be called up). I was worried
with my economy (rate) but
over the last two years, from
whatever chances I got, I
managed to bring it down.
"With age and experience
you learn and I have learnt a
lot. Hopefully I will do a good
job." — Reuters
JOHANNESBURG — Star
South Africa all-rounder
Jacques Kallis may only bat in
a Cricket World Cup warm-up
against Zimbabwe in India on
Saturday as he recovers from
a rib injury.
Team officials said caution
was the key word despite assurances
from the veteran that
he was fit and raring to go after
being injured last month in
the drawn Test against India at
Newlands.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn —
ranked No 1 in the world at
Test level — confirmed he was
'good' after being involved in
a Cape Town hit-and-run car
accident last weekend.
South Africa headed to
India yesterday with public
and media expectations lower
than in previous tournaments
where the Proteas reached the
semifinals three times and the
quarterfinals once in five appearances.
Ironically, the worst showing
was in 2003 when they
hosted the quadrennial cricket
showcase and made a humiliating
first round exit after getting
their sums wrong in a run
chase against Sri Lanka.
Captain Graeme Smith,
who stands down as one-day
skipper after the World Cup,
believes 'really good bonding
sessions' could take his team
to a first International Cricket
Council tournament triumph.
While he detests the 'chok-
LONDON — Pakistan quick
Mohammed Aamir has promised
to come back from the
'worst day of my life' after receiving
a five-year ban from
cricket for his part in a spotfixing
scandal.
"What can I say about my
feelings?," Aamir told the
BBC. "When someone is seeing
in front of him the end of
his future, his career, then that
is the worst day of one's life.
"Cricket is the most important
thing in my life because I
left my studies for cricket, I
was so passionate about it.
"My entire family depends
er' tag placed on his team, they
have repeatedly failed when
it comes to the crunch, most
recently as 2009 Champions
Trophy hosts when the Proteas
did not get past the first
round.
"That is the nature of
knockout tournaments, that
is what makes them so tough
and exciting. The stakes are
always so high," said the skipper
who turned 30 this month.
"Pressure is part of your
life as an international sportsman
and you learn to deal with
it. This team is in a good space
and we are looking forward to
getting going, getting some
good results and on to a roll.
There are some exciting things
to come from this team.
on me and I depend upon
cricket so the entire thing will
be upset by this decision.
"We (Aamir and his lawyer)
have the option to appeal
which we will exercise. About
the future, I will never lose
hope. I have never done that
in my life. I firmly believe
that in all adversity something
good always comes out.
"I have firm faith that God
must have some lessons for me
to learn from all of this, like in
a player's career when he has
a bad patch, I'll take it in the
same way and I'll try to work
hard, make a comeback."
Chief Executive Officer ABDULLAH BIN NASSIR AL RAHBI. Editor-in-Chief FAHMY BIN KHALID AL HARTHY
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Canucks stay out
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Page 18
Proteas head for India
Kallis may only bat in warm-up game
Aamir vows to recover
from ‘worst day of life’
RICARDO Katza (left), captain of South Africa’s football
team ‘Supersport United’ and Calvin Marlin (right),
goalkeeper of football team ‘Mamelodi Sundowns’ present
a football to cricket captain Graeme Smith in Sandton,
North of Johannesburg, yesterday. — AFP
"We have had some good
chats among ourselves. We
are as well prepared as we
can be for this tournament,"
Smith said of the February 19
to April 2 championship being
co-hosted by India, Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka.
Coach Corrie van Zyl said:
"We hope to do the country
proud. We have been preparing
for a year for our opening
match against the West Indies.
I believe we have a very good
squad and lots of options.
"We want to focus on the
World Cup one day at a time
rather than getting ahead of
ourselves and thinking about
the quarterfinals or semifinals.
We will just concentrate on
what we are doing right now."
England bring
in Bopara
for injured
Morgan
LONDON — Ravi Bopara
has replaced the injured Eoin
Morgan in England's World
Cup squad after the former
Ireland batsman was ruled
out of the tournament with a
broken finger yesterday.
Tests revealed Morgan
had cracked the middle finger
of his left hand during
the fourth one-day international
against Australia in
Adelaide last month.
The 24-year-old will have
the finger operated on and
is out of the entire World
Cup.
Morgan has been England's
most successful oneday
batsman since making
his debut in 2009 but coach
Andy Flower insisted Bopara
would be a valuable addition
to the squad.
Flower, speaking shortly
after England returned from
Australia, told reporters
yesterday: "It is a serious
loss to us. He (Morgan) has
been a very influential limited
overs performer for us
since he joined the England
team.
"But no one is irreplaceable
and Ravi Bopara is a
very exciting and talented
player. He will also bring a
little bit of medium-paced
bowling which will help out
the captain in those middle
overs.”
Eden likely to retain
remaining 3 games
NEW DELHI — Kolkata is
likely to host its remaining
three World Cup matches
after being stripped of the
high-profile game between
India and England due to unfinished
renovation work at
Eden Gardens, a top official
said yesterday.
"We are pleased with the
progress made since January
25 and if that pace of work
is maintained, we believe
that the stadium will be ready
for the games scheduled in
March," ICC Chief Executive
Haroon Lorgat said in
a statement.
A three-person ICC team,
which visited the ground on
Monday, reported that outstanding
work can be completed
in time to host the three
matches, the statement added.
Four matches were to be
played at the Eden Gardens,
but doubts over the fate of the
last three games arose after the
February 27 match between
India and England was shifted
to Bangalore. The venue is
now scheduled to host South
Africa vs Ireland on March
15, Ireland vs the Netherlands
on March 18 and Zimbabwe
vs Kenya on March 20.
Ferrer falls in
Rotterdam
ROTTERDAM — Third
seed David Ferrer became
the first upset victim at the
ATP Rotterdam Open yesterday
as the Spaniard lost 6-3,
6-4 to Finn Jarkko Nieminen
in the opening round.
The 43rd-ranked Nieminen
will play Serb Viktor
Troicki in the second round.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga sauntered into the
second round after a 6-4, 6-4
defeat of Bulgarian Grigor
Dimitrov.
Croatian seventh seed
Ivan Ljubicic defeated
Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky
7-6 (7/3), 6-3 while German
Philipp Kohlschreiber lined
up as a possible opponent
for top seed Robin Soderling
after defeating Lu Yen-Hsun
of Taiwan 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).
Soderling, a two-time
Roland Garros finalist, is
set to begin his campaign
against Dutchman Robin
Haase. — AFP