HM and Rouhani discuss bilateral relations

THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2017 | JUMADA AL ULA 19, 1438 AH VOL. 36 NO. 94 | PAGES 28 | BAISAS 200
NO CHANGE IN RIAL VALUE
THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF
OMAN (CBO), AFFIRMED THE STRENGTH AND EFFICIENCY
OF THE OMANI RIAL, ADDING THAT ‘THERE IS NO CHANGE
IN ITS VALUE’. IN A STATEMENT TO OMAN NEWS AGENCY,
THE CBO EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT DISMISSED RUMOURS
REGARDING DEPRECIATION OF RIAL EXCHANGE RATE
IN SOME GULF STATES, ADDING THAT THE MONETARY
RESERVES AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF OMAN ARE GOOD
AND ENOUGH TO COVER THE RIALS.
DETAILS P5
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SMARTPHONE MAKER HUAWEI CATCHING UP ON SAMSUNG, APPLE P16 HERMANS CLIMBS TO STAGE 2 PODIUM P21 FARM TOURISM GAINS MOMENTUM P27
HM and Rouhani discuss bilateral relations
His Majesty receiving President Dr Hassan Rouhani at Al Alam Palace Guesthouse on Wednesday.
The visit stems from
the keenness of the
leaderships of both
countries to promote
such cooperation
to achieve further
aspirations of the
Omani and Iranian
friendly peoples in
several fields
MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos received President Dr
Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, who arrived here
on a one-day business visit to the
Sultanate.
An official welcome ceremony
was given for the Iranian President.
Upon the arrival of the
motorcade of the Iranian President
at Al Alam Palace Guesthouse,
His Majesty the Sultan led the
welcoming party for the Iranian
President. Then, His Majesty
accompanied the guest to the Dais
of Honour where the National
Anthem of the Islamic Republic of
Iran was played, while the artillery
fired a twenty-one gun salute to the
Iranian President.
Then, His Majesty the Sultan
shook hands with members of the
official delegation accompanying
the Iranian President.
The President of Iran also shook
hands with their Highnesses, the
Chairmen of the State Council
and Majlis Ash’shura, ministers,
commanders of the Sultan’s
Armed Forces (SAF), Royal Oman
Police (ROP) and members of the
Mission of Honour accompanying
His Majesty and Dr Rouhani during talks. Photos by Mohamed Mustafa
the Iranian President.
Afterwards, His Majesty the
Sultan and the Iranian President
then proceeded to the hall for
taking coffee and exchanged
cordial conversations.
The two leaders reviewed the
strong relations binding the two
countries, aspects of the existing
bilateral cooperation between the
Sultanate and Iran and means of
promoting them in various fields
that serve the common interests
of both the Omani and Iranian
friendly peoples.
TURN TO P2
ANOTHER HISTORIC DAY
It is yet another historical day
in the relationship between
the Sultanate of Oman and the
Islamic Republic of Iran when His
Majesty Sultan Qaboos received
President Dr Hassan Rouhani at
Al Alam Palace Guesthouse on
Wednesday.
The two sides discussed a
number of issues related to
the growing bilateral relations
EDITORIAL
between the two friendly
countries and peoples.
The visit, fourth by an Iranian
president to the Sultanate,
came at a time when peoples
of countries in the region were
looking forward to more peace,
security and stability to focus on
building better present and future
and keep pace with the rapid
developments around them.
TURN TO P3

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His Majesty’s greetings to Lithuania
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has sent a cable of greetings to President Dr Dalia Grybauskaite of
the Republic of Lithuania on the occasion of her country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the
Sultan expressed his sincere greetings along with his best wishes of good health and happiness to
President Grybauskaite and the friendly people of Lithuania further progress and growth. — ONA
His Majesty, Rouhani discuss bilateral relations
FROM PAGE 1
The meeting was attended from the
Omani side by His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin
Mahmood al Said, Deputy Prime Minister
for the Council of Ministers, Sayyid Khalid
bin Hilal al Busaidy, Minister of the Diwan of
Royal Court, General Sultan bin Mohammed
al Numani, Minister of the Royal Office, Sayyid
Badr bin Saud al Busaidy, Minister Responsible
for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal
al Busaidy, Minister of Interior, Yusuf bin Alawi
bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign
Affairs, Shaikh Abdulmalik bin Abdullah al
Khalili, Minister of Justice, Dr Fuad bin Jaafar
al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
(Head of the Mission of Honour accompanying
the Guest), and Saud bin Ahmed al Barwani,
Sultanate’s Ambassador to the Islamic Republic
of Iran, while it was attended from the Iranian
side by the official delegation accompanying the
Iranian President.
President Dr Rouhani arrived earlier in the
day.
The Iranian President and his delegation
were received upon their arrival at the Royal
Airport by HH Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud al
Said, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Dr Fuad bin
Jaafar al Sajwani, Saud bin Ahmed al Barwani,
and members of the Iranian Embassy in the
Sultanate.
During his visit to the Sultanate, the
Iranian President is accompanied by an official
delegation comprising
Dr Mohammed Javad Zarif, Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohammad Nahavandian,
Chief of Staff of the President of Iran,
Mohammadreza Nematzadeh, Minister of
Industries and Business, Dr Valiollah Seif,
Governor of Central Bank of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, Hesamodin Ashna, Cultural
Adviser for the President of the Republic, Head of
the Strategic Studies Centre, Hamid Aboutalebi,
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office for
Political Affairs, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs for Arab and African
Affairs, Bahman Hussein-Pour, Director of the
Protocols Department at the Presidential Office,
Perviz Ismaili, Vice-Chairman of the Office of
the President of the Republic for Relations and
Media, Muhammad Tutunji, Charge d’Affaires
of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
in Muscat and Gholamhossein Shafei, President
of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industry
and Mines.
The visit comes to enhance the existing,
fruitful bilateral cooperation between the
Sultanate and the Islamic Republic of Iran and
stems from the keenness of the leaderships of
both countries to promote such cooperation in a
bid to achieve further aspirations of the Omani
and Iranian friendly peoples in several fields.
Later in the evening, Dr Rouhani and his
delegation left after a one-day business visit to
the Sultanate.
They were seen off at the Royal Airport
by HH Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood al Said,
Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Dr Fuad bin
Jaafar al Sajwani, Saud bin Ahmed al Barwani,
and members of the Iranian Embassy in the
Sultanate.
— ONA

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THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
ANOTHER HISTORIC DAY FOR OMAN-IRAN RELATIONS
President Dr Hassan Rouhani and his delegation were seen off at the Royal Airport by HH Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, Dr Fuad bin
Jaafar al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and others. PHOTOS BY MOHAMED AL RASHDI
FROM PAGE 1
His Majesty the Sultan, who visited Iran
in August 2009 and August 2013, was the
first Arab leader to visit Iran after President
Rouhani assumed office.
The meeting, which happened within
the framework of the continuous exchange
of views on different aspects of growing
bilateral relations in various fields to achieve
the common interests for the two countries,
also provided an opportunity to discuss a
number of pressing regional issues and the
efforts made to reach peaceful solutions.
The relationship between Oman and
Iran dating back to decades did not happen
as a coincidence or due to emergency
circumstances. They are rather based on
long-term historic relations, joint interests,
political will and mutual confidence.
Muscat and Tehran negotiate,
coordinate, and implement joint projects
across a spectrum of sectors.
Both the countries share the
requirements to take advantage of the
new economic conditions to help their
economies.
The relation is based on better
understanding, transparency, abiding
by good neighbouring principles, noninterference
in the domestic affairs to
achieve welfare of peoples and countries of
the region.
Both the countries maintain good
economic relations as they established a
naval shipping line. Their trade is expected
to increase as it is currently worth about
$1.35 billion.
Omani companies target the Iranian
market for exports, while Iran sees Oman
as a gateway to the Asian and East African
markets.
Iran considers Oman as station to deliver
its gas to the outside world, especially to
Asia.
The Sultanate, as it has always been, is
very keen on expanding the horizons of
cooperation and friendship relations with
the sisterly and friendly countries in the
region and the world as well in a bid to
enhance opportunities for peace, security,
stability and common interests with
countries and peoples of the region without
prejudice to any of the Sultanate’s relations
with other sisterly and friendly countries.
As a result of the Iranian President’s
visit to the Sultanate, it is expected that
more direct and indirect benefits will be
delivered, not only in the Sultanate and
Iran, but also to the countries and peoples
of the region.

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THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
PHOTO BY MOHAMED AL RASHDI
Greetings to His Majesty conveyed
MUSCAT: On behalf of His Majesty,
His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin
Mahmoud al Said, Deputy Prime
Minister for the Council of Ministers,
received Prince Guillaume, Crown
Prince of the Grand Duke of
Luxembourg.
His Highness Prince Guillaume
conveyed the greetings of His Royal
Highness Grand Duke Henri of
Luxembourg to His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos and his wishes of further
progress and prosperity to the Omani
people.
Prince Guillaume, and his wife
visited the Sultan Qaboos Grand
Mosque in Muscat on Wednesday
within the framework of his current
visit to the Sultanate.
Prince Guillaume toured the
facilities of the mosque during which
he was briefed on the history of the
mosque’s building and the models of
the Omani and Islamic architecture.
The guest also familiarized himself
with the centres of the mosque, such
as the Islamic Sciences Institute,
the library, lecture halls and other
utilities.
The Crown Prince of the Grand
Duke of Luxembourg and his wife also
visited the Royal Opera House Muscat
(ROHM). The Crown Prince toured
various ROHM facilities during which
he was briefed on the role that it plays
in the cultural field.
He also familiarised himself with the
facilities and nature of shows presented
during its year-round programme, in
addition to viewing its equipment.
The Crown Prince and his wife
also paid a visit to the National
Museum in Muscat. The guest toured
the museum’s utilities, which include
several halls, namely the Earth and
Man Hall, Prehistory Hall and Ancient
Ages Hall, Hall of Greatness of Islam,
Hall of Oman and the Outside World,
Renaissance Hall and intangible
Heritage Hall.
— ONA
Restrictions on hiring of
Indonesian maids stay
KABEER YOUSUF
MUSCAT, FEB 15
The restrictions on hiring
domestic workers from Indonesia
will remain, an Indonesian
diplomatic representative in Oman
has clarified.
Social media was abuzz with
rumours that Indonesia would lift
the ban — imposed almost two
years ago — on hiring maids. “The
ban will continue as want to regulate
the recruitment process,” said
the source at the Indonesian
embassy.
Indonesia had imposed the ban
to protect the interests of those
seeking domestic work abroad from
exploitation by recruitment agencies
back home.
“We aim to end certain
malpractices employed by the
recruitment agencies in Indonesia,”
he said.
The ban is part of Indonesia’s
decision to stop sending domestic
workers to 21 countries in the world,
including some GCC nations.
The current salary of an untrained
housemaid from Indonesia in Oman
is RO 100-120 per month, while
trained maids get RO 200.
“I used to have an Indonesian
domestic help till recently, and
wanted to hire another person from
the country. I was hoping the ban
would be lifted,” said Khadeeja, a
ministry employee, citing rumours
on social media.
She was said to learn she wouldn’t
be able to hire an Indonesian
maid.
Indonesian officials had said they
were studying the living conditions
in each GCC state and were in
the process of revising salaries to
ensure they meet requirements of its
domestic workers.
“We are sending skilled workers
abroad and helping them take part
in the nation-building process while
discouraging domestic workers,” he
said.
“We are keen to reduce the
number of Indonesian housemaids
and increase the number of
professionals in various sectors,
including oil and gas, health and
hospitality,” he said.
According to statistics provided
by the Indonesian embassy, the
current Indonesian population in
Oman is 19,216.
In 2015, it stood at 32,535,
including 31,891 females and
644 males, according to the
National Centre for Statistics and
Information.
Press conference on Muscat
International Book Fair today
MUSCAT: Dr Abdulmunim bin Mansour al Hassani, Minister of Information,
and Head of Muscat International Book Fair Committee will organise today,
Thursday, a press conference during which he will unveil the details of the 23rd
version of Muscat International Book Fair that will be held from February 22 to
March 4, 2017.
During the press conference which will be held at Oman Convention and
Exhibition Centre, the Minister of Information will unveil the new additions to
this year’s version, as well as the timing for the visits and the cultural, literary and
art events that will be held on the sidelines of the Fair.
The Minister of Information will also highlight the Arab and foreign
publishing houses taking part in the Fair, the space allocated for the publishing
houses and the total number of titles. — ONA
Initiatives adopted by Omani societies were also launched
Omani scholars’ forum
activities conclude
BADRIYA MOHAMMED AL BALUSHI
MUSCAT, FEB 15
The closing ceremony of the fourth
annual forum of Omani Societies in
Australia and New Zealand was held
on Sunday in Al Mawalih.
The event was presided over by Dr
Abdullah bin Mohammed al Sarmi,
Undersecretary, Ministry of Higher
Education.
Omani Societies of Australia and
New Zealand, under the supervision
of the General Council of Oman in
Melbourne and under the auspices
of three Australia universities --
Curtin Technology University,
Adelaide University and University of
Swinburne — organised the closing
ceremony.
It was attended by Mustafa Ahmed
Salman, the honorary council of
Australia in Oman, and those from the
Ministry of Higher Education besides
graduates and students of Australian
and New Zealand universities.
The ceremony began with the
screening of a video highlighting
the interactive activities conducted
by Omani graduates and students
of Australian and New Zealand
universities.
Another video titled, ‘None
trivialise it except Omanis’, dwelt on
issues encountered abroad by Omani
students and how to overcome them.
Three initiatives to be adopted
by Omani Societies of Australia and
New Zealand were launched on the
occasion.
Hilal bin Mudhaffar al Riyami,
Head of the Committees organising
the annual forum activities, talked
about the first initiative titled ‘My
experience in scholarship’, which aims
at educating students pursuing studies
overseas about scholarship.
The initiative is divided into three
stages. The first stage approaches the
career guidance teachers and students
graduating from the general diploma
courses.
There are orientation lectures that
cover difficulties and opportunities
overseas. Students can ask questions
over social media platforms on the
accounts of Omani societies abroad.
In the second stage, workshops
on social media will be implemented
from July to August in which Omani
graduates and those studying abroad
can discuss their unique experiences.
In the third stage, which starts in
August and goes on until students
are back to their study destinations,
the initiative will ease the process
of students communicating with
universities and Omani societies
overseas.
They will feel less stressed because
of the guidelines and help offered
by Omani societies and Ministry of
Higher Education of Oman. Social
networking platforms will be of great
help to students.
Mariyam al Balushi, graduate in
event management from University of
Queensland, discussed the initiative
of enhancing working structure and
effectiveness of Omani Societies of
Australia and New Zealand.
Additionally, the Research Council
took part in a gathering.
Ali bin Aamer al Shaidhani,
Director of Department of Research
Centers and Communications
Research and Information Systems
from the research council, talked
about the programme “upgrade”.
It is implemented by the council
in cooperation with the Oman
Telecommunication Company
(Omantel) and SAS Centre for
entrepreneurship affiliated to
Information Technology Authority
and General Authority, for the
development of small and medium
enterprises’ “leadership” and
Omani Company for Innovation
Development.
The programme aims at answering
queries regarding graduation research
projects.
He said good research projects can
help establish promising companies.
Registration details for the programme
and prizes allocated for successful
projects were mentioned.

Rial strong, no change in value
MUSCAT: Hamoud bin Sangour
al Zadjali, Executive President of
the Central Bank of Oman (CBO),
affirmed the strength and efficiency
of the Omani rial, adding that ‘there is
no change in its value’.
In a statement to ONA, the
CBO executive president dismissed
rumours regarding depreciation of
rial exchange rate in some Gulf states,
adding that the monetary reserves at
the Central Bank of Oman are good
and enough to cover the rials.
He added that the Sultanate’s
monetary and economic conditions
have contributed to enhancing the
position of the Omani rial either in
terms of exchange rate or purchase
power.
He affirmed that the CBO
Hamoud bin Sangour al Zadjali
maintains enough foreign reserves and
adopts a monetary and banking policy
that enhances monetary stability
and maintain the attractiveness of
the Omani rial as a mean for local
savings. This policy ensures stability
of the fixed exchange rate of the
Omani rial which in turns leads
to maintaining its purchase power
against the different currencies.
“Since 1973, the Sultanate adopted
a fixed exchange rate of Omani rials
against the dollar; the most important
currency in the world and the most
used currency in international trade,”
he added.
“The latest data affirms the
continuous appreciation of dollar
against other currencies which in
turn led to the appreciation of the
value of the Omani rial against
such currencies, thus enhancing the
purchase power of rial,” he said.
— ONA
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Book launch on Oman by Prof Linda today
MUSCAT: The office of His Majesty the
Sultan’s Adviser for Cultural Affairs will
organise today, Thursday, a ceremony
to mark the launching of a book titled
Oman Reborn Balancing Tradition and
Modernisation.
The launching ceremony of the book
in English and Arabic languages, by
Prof Linda Pappas Funsch, will be held
under the auspices of Sayyid Khalid bin
Hilal al Busaidy, Minister of the Diwan
of Royal Court.
The ceremony, which will be held
at Oasis Club in Al Athaiba includes a
documentary on the book, the author
speech and signing the book.
The book, which falls in seven
THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF
THE BOOK IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC
LANGUAGES, BY PROF LINDA PAPPAS
FUNSCH, WILL BE HELD UNDER THE
AUSPICES OF SAYYID KHALID BIN
HILAL AL BUSAIDY, MINISTER OF THE
DIWAN OF ROYAL COURT
chapters, covers a number of key events
and developments witnessed by the
Sultanate. It also presents the prevailing
conditions in the Sultanate before
1970 and holds a comparison between
them and the achievements made
by the Sultanate during the blessed
Renaissance under the wise leadership
of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. The
book discusses Oman as model for
modernity, especially in comparison to
its neighbours.
It also underscores the Sultanate’s
ability to strike a balance between
authenticity and modernity. The book
also highlights a number of economic,
social, cultural and political issues.
It should be noted that Prof Linda is
specialised in the Middle East modern
studies and Islamic history.
Her first visit to the Sultanate was
in 1974, when she was a member of an
international group which considered
the priorities and critical needs of the
Sultanate in the field of maternity,
childhood, education and nutrition for
rural families. — ONA
Accident
claims 2 lives
in Haima
KABEER YOUSUF
MUSCAT, FEB 15
Two expatriates lost their lives and
3 injured when their car overturned
and went out of control in Haima in
the wee hours on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified
as Mohammed Naushad from the
south Indian state of Kerala and
Abdul Wahab from Bangladesh.
The Royal Oman Police sources
in Haima said that the car in which
they were travelling from Muscat
to Nimr area might have had a tyre
burst and the driver lost control of
the car which resulted in the tragic
death of the two.
Naushad, who had been living in
Oman for more than a decade, was
running a scrap material company
in Ghala Industrial Area while the
Bangladeshis worked for him.
The two bodies are kept in Sultan
Qaboos Hospital morgue in Salalah
which will be sent home after the
necessary legal procedures were
followed by.
CBO issues
bonds worth
RO 150m
MUSCAT: The Central Bank of
Oman (CBO) announced the 52nd
issue of the Sultanate’s government
development bonds as follows: the
total applied for competitive bids
only stood at RO 259,671,600, while
the total amount allotted stood at
RO 150 million.
The CBO pointed out that
the average of the accepted yield
stood at 5.08 per cent and the price
equivalent stood at RO 99.535, while
the high accepted yield stood at RO
98.840 comprising 5.20 per cent and
the low accepted yield stood at RO
100.585 comprising 4.90 per cent.
The 7-year bond will be issued on
20th February 2017 and will mature
on 20th February 2024, carrying a
coupon rate of 5 per cent. — ONA
Rains expected in
Oman Sea coast
LAKSHMI KOTHANETH
MUSCAT, FEB 15
Light to moderate isolated rain is
expected along the Oman Sea coast
today, according to the Met office.
Moderate to heavy rains will continue in
Musandam and Al Buraimi Governorates
until Saturday morning, said the weather
forecaster at Public Authority Civil
Aviation (PACA).
The rest of the Sultanate will
continue to be partly cloudy. By Saturday
afternoon/evening, skies are expected to
be clear.
The northwesterly wind is expected
to blow from Saturday late night or
Sunday morning and is expected to last
until Monday. The northwesterly wind is
expected to bring down the temperature.
Sea waves in the west of Musandam
and Oman Sea coast are expected to be
moderate with a height of 1.5 metres.
Fishermen have been asked to be
cautious during the period.
BANKING TIES DISCUSSED WITH IRAN
MUSCAT: Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Secretary-General of the Foreign
Ministry, received in his office on Wednesday Valiollah Seif, Governor of the
Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The two sides discussed cooperation
opportunities in the field of banking services and means of promoting
mechanisms of joint work among the central and commercial banks in the two
countries to serve growth of economic, trade and investment relations. The
meeting was attended by Hamoud bin Sangour al Zadjali, Executive President of
the Central Bank of Oman (CEO). — ONA
Book fair held at
Rustaq CAS
BADRIYA MOHAMMED AL BALUSHI
RUSTAQ, FEB. 15
Rustaq College of Applied Sciences
(RCAS), representative in the Student
Services Centre, organised a book fair
at the college recently.
The book fair was aimed at
inculcating reading culture among
students and raising awareness on the
necessity of reading.
A number of electronic libraries
took part in the book fair, including
Golden Paper, Al Furat and Al
Bunduqiya Library.
The participating libraries have
accounts on social media platforms
MUSCAT: The
Batinah North
Governorate police’s
Criminal Investigation
Department arrested
a citizen who had
set fire to one of the
vehicles in Sohar.
The source
confirmed that the
Sohar police station
received a tip from a
citizen stated that his
vehicle has been set
on fire in front of his
house. On receiving
the information,
police rushed to the
site and inspected
the incident. After
investigations, they
were able to arrest the
accused, who admitted
that he poured a
flammable substance
that are utilised for displaying books
offered for sale and shipping them to
readers interesting in buying them.
Literary, cultural, social, novels,
poems and many other kinds of
books were on display.
A number of interactive counselling
sessions were implemented that gave
guidelines on the most effective fast
reading techniques to be followed.
These sessions were conducted by
Mahfoudh Salih al Sabagh, Assistant
Lecturer in International Business
Administration Department at the
college. He said reading is a vital part
of learning.
Man arrested for setting
vehicle on fire in Sohar
on inside the vehicle
after breaking the rear
window, set it fire and
fled the scene.
He has been
referred to the public
prosecution.

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THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
Unicef appeal for Sudan children
The UN children’s agency on Wednesday launched a $110 million appeal to help two
million acutely malnourished children across Sudan, including hundreds of thousands
living in conflict areas. Unicef said Sudan is home to around 13 per cent of all children
suffering from acute malnutrition across Africa.
Opposition wants Geneva
talks on political transition
DELAYED: Start of Syria talks in Kazakh capital delayed by one day
Asya Abdullah, leader of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, smiles as she attends the meeting of
Kurdish representatives from Turkey, Syria and Iraq in central Moscow on Wednesday. — AFP
Syria talks won’t work without
Kurds present, says PYD
MOSCOW: Syria peace talks
set for next week in Geneva will
be a failure unless the Kurds
are at the table, a representative
of the Kurdish Democratic
Union Party (PYD) said on
Wednesday.
“It’s clear that if we want
to resolve the Syrian crisis,
everyone must take part,”
said party co-chair Asya
Abdullah, after a conference
in Moscow involving Kurdish
representatives from Syria,
Iran, Iraq and Turkey.
“Any decisions taken
without us are ones we will not
be required to abide by,” she
BEIRUT: Damascus “utterly
rejects” a recent Human
Rights Watch report that said
its military and allied forces
had used chemical weapons
during their capture of
Aleppo last year, Syrian
The Kurds are
ready to come
to Geneva but
have not yet
been invited,
said Asya
Abdullah,
representative
of PYD
added, speaking in Kurdish
through a Russian translator.
Govt rejects report on Aleppo
chemical weapons use
state media reported on
Wednesday.
“An official source at the
Foreign Ministry confirmed
that the government... utterly
rejects the false allegations,”
Syria’s official SANA news
“But then, resolving the Syrian
crisis will be impossible.”
The Kurds are ready to come
to Geneva but have not yet
been invited, said Abdullah,
who added that Ankara could
undermine the peace efforts.
“Where there is Turkey
there cannot be any solution,
because all of Turkey’s efforts
are directed towards keeping
Kurds from gaining anything,”
she said. The Kremlin stepped
up support of the Kurds during
its falling out with Ankara
over the downing of a Russian
military plane at the Syrian
border in 2015. — AFP
agency reported.
Human Rights Watch,
which monitors abuses
around the world, said in the
report published on Monday
that Syrian government
forces had dropped chlorine
bombs “in residential areas
in Aleppo on at least eight
occasions” late last year.
— Reuters
BEIRUT/ROME: The main
Syrian opposition body said
on Wednesday it wanted faceto-face
negotiations with the
Damascus government about a
political transition at peace talks
that are due to begin in Geneva
next week.
Salim al-Muslit, spokesman
of the High Negotiations
Committee (HNC), also said
the opposition was sticking to its
position that President Bashar
al-Assad can have no role in
the transition, saying “the heavy
price paid by the Syrian people”
would have been wasted if he
remained in power.
Russia, Assad’s most powerful
ally, has sought to revive
diplomacy since its air force
helped to defeat rebels in Aleppo
in December, the Syrian leader’s
biggest victory to date. Nearly six
years into the war, Assad seems
militarily unassailable thanks to
the decisive backing of allies.
Muslit said the HNC, which
includes rebel groups and
political opponents of Assad,
wanted to start the negotiations
by discussing a governing body
to oversee the transition.
Assad has previously ruled
out that idea.
“We want direct negotiations,
we want to save time, we want
a quick end to the suffering of
the Syrian people,” said Muslit.
But he said the opposition
had yet to receive an agenda
for the talks, which are due to
begin on February 23 following
preliminary meetings beginning
on February 20.
Disputes over the agenda
have helped to torpedo previous
rounds of Syria peace talks.
UN Syria envoy Staffan de
Mistura, speaking in Italy, said
he would apply the agenda laid
out in a UN Security Council
Syrian students and their teachers receive training from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in evacuation
procedures for an emergency event at a school in the rebel-controlled village of Utaya, in the eastern Ghouta
region on the outskirts of Damascus, on Wednesday. — AFP
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (L) stands next to Italian
Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano during a news conference in Rome on
Wednesday. — Reuters
resolution aimed at ending the
conflict.
This is based on three main
points - establishing a new form
of governance, coming up with
a new constitution and early
elections under UN supervision,
he said.
“That is the agenda and we
will not change it, otherwise we
open up a Pandora’s box,” said De
Mistura, whose attempts to apply
the same agenda to talks last
year drew a sharp rebuke from
Damascus.
The Syrian government
should realise that the Geneva
talks will not be “about
procedures but about the future
of Syria”, De Mistura added.
Turkey has jointly brokered
with Russia a ceasefire to pave
the way for the talks.
Pointing to the challenge
facing the UN-led talks, separate
Syria talks that had been due to
take place in Kazakhstan were
postponed on Wednesday for
one day.
Rebel groups had threatened
to boycott the Moscow-backed
talks in the Kazakh capital
Astana, saying Russia had failed
to secure Damascus’s compliance
with the ceasefire.
The HNC has named a
22-member delegation to
the Geneva talks, including
representatives of dissident
groups that have strongly
opposed the armed revolt against
Assad. — Reuters
Palestinians caution Trump ahead of talks
JERUSALEM: Palestinians warned
the United States on Wednesday
against abandoning a two-state
solution to the conflict with Israel
after a White House official said
peace did not necessarily have to
entail Palestinian statehood.
US President Donald Trump
and Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu were to meet
later in the day for the first time
since the US election in November
that brought the Republican to
office.
On the eve of the meeting,
a senior White House official
said it was up to the Israelis and
Palestinians themselves to decide
on the shape of any future peace.
“Whether that comes in the
form of a two-state solution if
that’s what the parties want, or
something else,” the official said,
adding that Trump, while giving
peace “high priority” would not try
to “dictate” an agreement.
For Palestinians, who seek a
state in the Israeli-occupied West
Bank, East Jerusalem and in the
Gaza Strip, even the notion of a
US retreat from the internationally
backed goal of a future Palestine
existing alongside Israel was
alarming.
“If the Trump Administration
rejects this policy it would be
destroying the chances for peace
and undermining American
interests, standing and credibility
abroad,” Hanan Ashrawi, a senior
member of the Palestine Liberation
Organization, said in response to
the US official’s remarks.
“Accommodating the most
‘Everything must be done’ to
preserve two-state solution: UN
Egyptian Foreign Minister Shameh Shoukry leads UN Secretary-
General Antnio Guterres to the podium as they give a joint press
conference in Cairo on Wednesday. — AFP
CAIRO: UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres said that a
two-state solution to the Israel-
Palestinian conflict should be
preserved, at a press conference
in Cairo on Wednesday.
“There was a complete
agreement” that a resolution
needs a “two state-solution and
that everything must be done to
preserve that possibility,” Guterres
said after meeting Sisi.
A senior Palestinian official
denounced the White House
comment on Wednesday, saying
it was irresponsible.
extreme and irresponsible elements
in Israel and in the White House is
no way to make responsible foreign
“This does not make sense,”
Palestine Liberation Organisation
(PLO) executive committee
member Hanan Ashrawi said.
“This is not a responsible policy
and it does not serve the cause
of peace.
“They cannot just say that
without an alternative,” she
added.
PLO secretary-general Saeb
Erekat said the organisation
remained committed to two
states and would oppose any
system that discriminated against
Palestinians. — AFP
policy,” she said in a statement.
Netanyahu committed, with
conditions, to the two-state goal in
a speech in 2009 and has broadly
reiterated the aim since. But given
regional instability and longrunning
divisions in Palestinian
politics, many in his cabinet argue
the time is not ripe for a Palestinian
state to emerge.
Far-right cabinet ministers in
Israel have called for the annexation
of parts of the West Bank, which
was among the territory Israel
captured in the 1967 Middle East
war. Netanyahu has not endorsed
that demand.
Commenting on the White
House official’s remarks, Husam
Zomlot, strategic affairs adviser to
Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas, noted that Palestinian
statehood has long been at the
heart of international peace efforts.
“The two-state solution is not
something we just came up with.
It is an international consensus
and decision after decades of
Israel’s rejection of the one-state
democratic formula,” Zomlot said
in Jerusalem by telephone from the
West Bank city of Ramallah.
On his departure for
Washington on Monday,
Netanyahu sidestepped a question
on whether he still backed a twostate
solution, saying he would
make his position clear in the US
capital.
But he has spoken of a “state
minus,” suggesting he could offer
the Palestinians deep-seated
autonomy — they already exercise
limited self-rule in the West Bank
under interim deals — and the
trappings of statehood without full
sovereignty. — Reuters
MSF urges aid
access in Yemen
Two Yemeni men sit and talk by the ledge of a bridge as another woman and
two girls pass by next to them, with the Unesco-listed buildings of the old city of
Sanaa in background behind them, on Wednesday. — AFP
AMMAN: Doctors Without Borders
on Wednesday urged all warring
parties in Yemen to allow aid deliveries,
saying it had treated more than 55,000
people wounded during a Saudi-led
intervention in the country.
“Since the violence escalated in
March 2015, MSF has treated... more
than 55,000 war-wounded patients
across the country,” said Djoen
Besselink, using the French acronym
of the medical charity that he heads in
Yemen.
“The warring parties must support
aid organisations to reach the people
most in need,” he told a news conference
in Amman.
Yemen’s war pits the internationally
recognised government of President
Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against
Ansar Allah fighters allied with forces
loyal to former president Ali Abdullah
Saleh.
The fighting escalated in March
2015 when a Saudi-led coalition began
air strikes to help forces loyal to Hadi
to take large parts of the country back
from the rebels.
The United Nations estimates that
more than 7,400 people, including
about 1,400 children, have since been
killed.
“We call on the international aid
organisations and donor governments
to — together with MSF — ensure
that aid is delivered to all in need and
increase the humanitarian response
where needed,” said Besselink.
He also called for ports and airports
to be reopened. The Saudi-led coalition
has imposed a marine and air blockade
against rebel-held areas.
The UN has called for a truce to
allow aid deliveries but UN mediation
and seven ceasefires have so far failed.
Besselink said medical services in
Yemen had been directly affected by the
violence. — AFP

Injured UAE
ambassador to
Afghanistan dies
from wounds
KABUL: Juma Mohammed
Abdullah Al Kaabi, the
Ambassador of the United
Arab Emirates to Afghanistan
who was injured during a
bombing in southern Kandahar,
has died, the UAE Ministry of
Presidential Affairs announced
on Wednesday.
“It is with great sadness
and sorrow that we mourn the
martyr of the nation,” Wam, a
UAE news agency said, citing
a statement released by the
ministry.
Al Kaabi, together with a
delegation of diplomats and
aid workers, visited southern
Kandahar province in January
in order to open an orphanage
when a bomb went off inside
the governor’s house killing 11
including five members of the
Arab delegation.
Among the dead were an
Afghan senator, an Afghan
parliamentarian as well as the
deputy governor of Kandahar.
It is still unclear who was
behind the attack, despite an
investigation by Afghan and
UAE officials, aided by Nato.
The Taliban rejected
accusations by the Afghan
government. Following the
blast, Al Kaabi and other
delegation members were
flown to UAE for treatment.
Taliban kill 5, kidnap 52:
Taliban militants killed five
and wounded one member of
so-called local uprising forces
in northern Afghanistan while
kidnapping 52 farmers nearby,
officials said on Wednesday.
The members of the local
uprising forces were killed when
Taliban militants attacked and
captured the village of Gorzad
on Tuesday. — dpa
Miners protest Philippine plan
Mining firms in the Philippines voiced outrage over government plans to cancel
nearly one quarter of the nation’s contracts, plus a permit to exploit one of the
world’s largest known copper deposits. Environment Secretary Gina Lopez
announced on Tuesday she would cancel 75 of the nation’s 311 mining contracts.
asia
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017 7
Woman held over Kim Jong-Nam killing
MYSTERY GROWS: Pathologists in Kuala Lumpur examine the body for clues as to how he died
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police
probing the killing of the half-brother
of North Korea’s leader arrested a
woman on Wednesday as they tried to
unravel a Cold War-style assassination
the South said was carried out by
Pyongyang’s agents.
As Seoul pointed the finger at
poison-wielding female spies from
North of their shared border, police in
Kuala Lumpur said they were holding
a woman with a Vietnamese passport.
Her arrest came around 24 hours
after news broke of the death of Kim
Jong-Nam, the elder sibling of North
Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, with
reports saying female assassins had
sprayed toxins in his face at Kuala
Lumpur International Airport.
CCTV images that emerged in
Malaysian media, purportedly of
one of the suspects, showed an Asian
woman wearing a white top with the
letters “LOL” emblazoned on the front.
Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu
Bakar said 28-year-old Doan Thi
Huong was arrested at the airport on
Wednesday morning — two days after
the killing.
The suspect was “positively
identified from the CCTV footage at
the airport and was alone at the time
of arrest,” Khalid said in a statement.
Meanwhile, pathologists in the
Malaysian capital were examining the
body for clues as to how he died, in a
killing that has echoes of Soviet-era
spycraft.
If confirmed, the assassination,
which analysts said could have been
ordered over reports he was readying
to defect, would be the highest-profile
death on Kim Jong-Un’s watch since
the 2013 execution of his uncle, Jang
Song-Thaek, in a country with a long
record of meting out brutal deaths.
A Malaysian policeman tries to stop members of the media as a North Korean embassy official leaves the forensic department
where the body of a North Korean man suspected to be Kim Jong-Nam is being kept at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur on
Wednesday. — AFP
This file photo taken on September
25, 2004 shows a man believed to be
Kim Jong-Nam answering questions
from Japanese reporters at the Beijing
International airport. — AFP
South Korea’s spy chief Lee Byung-
Ho said the two women struck on
Monday morning as Kim was readying
to board a flight to Macau where he
has spent many years in exile.
Malaysian police said Kim, a portly
This file handout photo taken on August 19, 1981 and released to AFP in 2000
shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il with his son, Kim Jong-Nam, for a family
portrait in Pyongyang.
45-year-old, was walking through the
departure hall when he was attacked.
“He told the receptionist... someone
had grabbed his face from behind and
splashed some liquid on him,” Selangor
state’s criminal investigation chief
Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying
by Malaysia’s The Star newspaper.
“He asked for help and was
immediately sent to the airport’s clinic.
At this point, he was experiencing
headache and was on the verge of
asia
passing out,” said Fadzil.
“At the clinic, the victim
experienced a mild seizure. He was
put into an ambulance and was being
taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when
he was pronounced dead.”
The head of Kuala Lumpur
Hospital’s forensics department,
Mohamad Shah Mahmood, was taking
part in the autopsy, according to an
aide. A black Jaguar sedan bearing the
North Korean flag was seen outside
the department.
Kim, 45, had at one time been set
to assume the leadership of his isolated
country, but fell out of favour after an
embarrassing attempt to get into Japan
on a fake passport in 2001.
Kim has since lived in exile, gaining
a reputation as something of a playboy
with much of his time spent in the
gambling enclave of Macau, where
he was believed to have enjoyed some
protection from Chinese security
forces.
Quizzed about the killing during
a regular press conference, Chinese
foreign ministry spokesman Geng
Shuang said Beijing was aware of the
reports.
“According to our understanding,
the incident took place in Malaysia
and the Malaysian side is investigating
this issue. We are following the
developments,” he said.
It emerged on Wednesday that
Jong-Nam had pleaded with his
younger brother for his life to be
spared after an earlier assassination
attempt.
“Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a
letter to Jong-Un saying ‘Please spare
me and my family,’” Kim Byung-
Kee, a member of South Korea’s
parliamentary intelligence committee,
told reporters. — AFP
Sri Lankan PM says failed asylum
seekers safe to return home
SYDNEY: Sri Lankan Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe said on
Wednesday that failed asylum seekers
held in Australian-run detention
centres in the South Pacific will not
face prosecution or harm if they
return home.
Wickremesinghe’s comment
comes as Australia increases pressure
on failed asylum seekers on Papua
New Guinea’s Manus island and the
tiny island nation of Nauru to return
home voluntarily, including offering
large sums of money, amid fears a deal
for the United States to take refugees
has collapsed.
Only five men from Nepal on
Manus have so far opted to leave
despite the threat of deportations.
Australia does not publish details
on the nationalities of the 1,152
people held on Manus and Nauru
though refugee advocates said there
are approximately 150 Sri Lankans
detained.
Many of these would have received
their refugee status, advocates said,
but for those who have been rejected,
they face the choice of accepting the
offer of cash from Australia or the
threat of deportation.
“They are welcome to return to Sri
Lanka and we won’t prosecute them,”
Wickremesinghe told reporters in
Fourth bomber strikes
Pakistan in one day
PESHAWAR: A series of suicide attacks
killed six in Pakistan on Wednesday,
unnerving citizens whose growing
sense of security has been shaken by
multiple blasts this week.
The latest assault happened in
Peshawar, said police, after a bomber
rode a motorcycle into a van carrying a
judge travelling through an upmarket
neighbourhood.
“It was a suicide attack,” senior police
official Sajjad Khan said, adding that
five people including the judge were
injured. The driver of the van was killed.
The attack came after two suicide
bombers launched an attack on a
government compound in Pakistan’s
restive tribal area earlier on Wednesday,
killing five people and wounding seven
others.
“One attacker came by foot and
started firing at forces while the other
was on a motorbike and rammed
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (R) with Australia’s Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull during their meeting at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia,
on Wednesday. — Reuters
into the main gate of the complex,”
Hamidullah Khattak, an administration
official in Mohmand tribal district, said.
The one on foot was shot dead while
the second blew himself up, he said,
but not before they managed to kill
three tribal police and two civilians. The
military confirmed the toll.
Later, police said, another suicide
bomber blew himself up when security
forces surrounded him during a search
operation in the area. Wednesday’s
attacks came two days after a deadly
suicide bombing rocked the Punjab
provincial capital Lahore, killing at least
13 people and wounding dozens more.
Also on Monday two members of
a bomb disposal unit were killed in
Quetta, capital of restive Balochistan
province, when a device they were
defusing went off. It was unclear if the
Quetta bomb was related to the other
attacks. — AFP
Australia’s capital Canberra.
Despite the assurances from
Wickremesinghe, refugee advocates
said many Sri Lankans would be
reluctant to return home amid
reports of mistreatment of members
of the ethnic Tamil minority, a claim
Wickremesinghe rejected. — Reuters
Election in Jakarta heads for run-off
JAKARTA: Jakarta’s governor looked set for a tough
run-off against his main opponent in city elections
seen as a test of religious tolerance in Indonesia, after
a tight first round on Wednesday.
Analysts believe incumbent Basuki Tjahaja
Purnama, who is standing trial for blasphemy,
is unlikely to win in a second round against exeducation
minister Anies Baswedan, as majority
voters swing behind Anies.
Purnama, once the odds-on favourite to win the
gubernatorial election, held a narrow lead of about 43
per cent to Baswedan’s 39 per cent in the first round,
according to early vote tallies by private pollsters.
Baswedan exclaimed “Thanks be to God!” on
learning of the tallies, adding: “At the end of the day,
the people of Jakarta want change... this is not about
the complexities of politics, it is about what matters
in life.”
Third candidate Agus Yudhoyono, the son of a
former president, was trailing far behind on about
17 per cent, according to the pollsters. Official results
will not be released for several weeks but the early
China bird flu deaths surge in what
could be the worst season ever
BEIJING: As many as 79 people died
from H7N9 bird flu in China last
month, the government said, stoking
worries that the spread of the virus this
season could be the worst on record.
January’s fatalities were up to four
times higher than the same month in
past years, and brought the total H7N9
death toll to 100 people since October,
data from the National Health and
Family Planning Commission showed
late on Tuesday.
Authorities have repeatedly warned
the public to stay alert for the virus, and
cautioned against panic in the world’s
second-largest economy.
But the latest bird flu data has
sparked concerns of a repeat of previous
health crises, like the 2002 outbreak of
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS).
“It’s mid-February already and we
are just getting the January numbers.
With the death rate almost catching
AUTHORITIES HAVE
REPEATEDLY WARNED
THE PUBLIC TO STAY
ALERT FOR THE VIRUS
up with SARS, shouldn’t warnings be
issued earlier-” said one user of popular
microblog Sina Weibo.
Other netizens in the Chinese
blogosphere worried about the pace of
infections, and called for even more upto-date
reports.
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama with his son Nicholas Sean
Purnama and wife Veronica Tan after casting their
votes in Jakarta on Wednesday. — Reuters
tallies, known as “quick counts”, are regarded as
reliable.
Local polls were taking place across Indonesia on
Wednesday but the race in the capital was the most
hotly contested, with the top job in Jakarta seen as
a stepping stone to victory in the 2019 presidential
polls.
Run-off elections will be held in April.
The People’s Daily, the official paper
of the ruling Communist Party, warned
people in a social media post to stay
away from live poultry markets, saying
it was “extremely clear” that poultry and
their excrement were the cause of the
infections.
“The situation is still ongoing, and
our Chinese counterparts are actively
investigating the reported cases,” the
World Health Organization’s China
Representative Office said in an
e-mailed statement.
“As the investigation is ongoing, it is
premature to conclusively identify the
cause for the increased number of cases.
Nevertheless, we know that the majority
of human cases got the A(H7N9) virus
through contact with infected poultry or
contaminated environments, including
live poultry markets.”
Chinese chicken prices sank to their
lowest levels in more than a decade on
Wednesday. — Reuters
The stakes in the vote have been raised by
allegations that Purnama —the city’s first non-
Muslim governor for half a century and its first
ethnic Chinese leader — committed blasphemy.
The claims drew hundreds of thousands of
conservative people onto the streets of Jakarta in
major protests last year, and Purnama has been put
on trial in a case criticised as unfair and politically
motivated.
He was not barred from running but his
popularity was dented for a period.
Any run-off between Purnama and Baswedan
— who courted a hardline group which organised
the anti-Purnama protests — could stoke religious
tensions further after months of dirty campaigning,
analysts warn.
“The two represent the main political forces in
Indonedia,” said Burhanuddin Muhtadi of pollster
Indikator, adding that Purnama was supported by
progressive and liberal groups and his opponent by
hardliners. “The tense situation will continue until
April — this kind of thing is dangerous.” — AFP

india
india
8
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
India puts record
104 satellites
into orbit
People watch the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C37) at Sriharikota on Wednesday. (Inset) Isro Chairman Kiran Kumar Rao speaks to media after the launch. — AFP
REMARKABLE FEAT: Barring three Indian satellites, all others belong to foreign countries including the US
SRIHARIKOTA: India successfully
put a record 104 satellites from a
single rocket into orbit on Wednesday
in the latest triumph for its famously
frugal space programme.
Celebrations erupted among
scientists at the southern spaceport
of Sriharikota as the head of India’s
Space Research Organisation (Isro)
announced all the satellites had been
ejected as planned.
“My hearty congratulations to
the Isro team for this success,” the
agency’s director Kiran Kumar told
those gathered in an observatory
to track the progress of the Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
immediately congratulated the
scientists for the successful launch
which smashes a record previously
held by Russia.
“This remarkable feat... is yet
another proud moment for our
space scientific community and the
nation,” Modi wrote on Twitter.
The rocket took off at 9:28 am
(0358 GMT) and cruised at a speed of
27,000 kilometres per hour, ejecting
all the 104 satellites into orbit in
around 30 minutes, according to Isro.
The rocket’s main cargo was a
714 kg satellite for Earth observation
but it was also loaded with 103
smaller “nano satellites”, weighing
a combined 664 kg. The smallest
weighed only 1.1 kg.
Nearly all of the nano satellites
are from other countries, including
Israel, Kazakhstan, Switzerland and
96 from the United States.
Around 90 of the satellites
are from a San Francisco-based
company, Planet Inc each weighing
around 4.5 kg that will send Earth
images from space.
The launch means
India now holds the
record for launching
the most satellites in
one go, surpassing
Russia which launched
39 satellites in a single
mission in June 2014
Only three satellites belonged to
India.
Scientists sat transfixed as they
watched the progress of the rocket on
monitors until the last payload was
ejected, and then began punching
the air in triumph and hugging each
other.
This was PSLV’s 39th successful
mission, known as India’s space
workhorse. In 2015, it carried 23
satellites to space.
The launch means India now
holds the record for launching the
most satellites in one go, surpassing
Russia which launched 39 satellites in
a single mission in June 2014.
And it is another feather in the
cap for Isro which sent an unmanned
rocket to orbit Mars in 2013 at a cost
of just $73 million, compared with
Nasa’s Maven Mars mission which
had a $671-million price tag.
Isro is also mulling the idea of
missions to Jupiter and Venus.
The business of putting
commercial satellites into space for a
fee is growing as phone, Internet and
other companies, as well as countries,
seek greater and more high-tech
communications.
India has carved out a reputation
as a reliable low-cost option, relying
in part on its famed skill of “jugaad”
— creating a cheap alternative
solution.
Experts say much of its credibility
stems from India’s successful launch
of the Mars orbiter, which gave it an
edge over its rivals in the space race.
“India is proving to be a very
viable option because of the cost and
the reliability factor,” said Ajay Lele,
a senior fellow at the Delhi-based
Institute for Defence Studies and
Analyses.
“India has been doing these
launches successfully and has
established itself as a very reliable
player.”
Mathieu J Weiss, a liaison officer
for France’s CNES national space
agency who is currently in India, said
Isro had pulled off a major feat.
— AFP
IN BRIEF
Cabinet approves
bill to cover J&K
under Statistics Act
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on
Wednesday approved a proposed
amendment to the Statistics Act that
will enable the central government to
collect data, including demographics,
in Jammu and Kashmir as the existing
law didn’t apply to the state that has
its own Constitution. The proposed bill
was approved at a cabinet meeting
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi here and would now be
introduced in Parliament, according to
an official statement.
It extends the jurisdiction of the
Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, to
Jammu and Kashmir on statistics
on economics, demographic, social,
scientific and environmental aspects.
The state has its own Jammu and
Kashmir Collection of Statistics Act,
2010, which is almost a replica of the
central legislation. But the state act did
not allow jurisdiction to be exercised
by the central government in Jammu
and Kashmir and did not extend to
statistical subjects falling in the Union
List of the Constitution.
ED attaches
Rs 17.17-cr assets
in coal scam case
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement
Directorate (ED) on Wednesday
attached properties worth Rs 17.17
crore of Nagpur-based company
Central Collieries and its Director
Govinddas Daga in its ongoing probe
in the coal block scam case.
“We attached both movable and
immovable properties of Daga and
Central Collieries Company Ltd under
the Prevention of Money Laundering
Act,” an ED official said.
Taking congnisance of the existing
FIR registered by the Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI), the Directorate
in August 2014 had filed a fresh
case against Daga and the Central
Collieries. Investigators said that Daga
entered into a criminal conspiracy
with unidentified public servants and
submitted false information to the
Coal Ministry while applying for Takli-
Jena Bellora Coal Block in Chandrapur
district of Maharashtra in the guise of
captive power plant-cum-washery.
— IANS
UP second phase registers
over 65 per cent polling
Sasikala back in Bengaluru jail,
AIADMK infighting rages
NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN: Over
65 per cent voters cast their ballot in
the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh
assembly elections across 67 seats on
Wednesday, the Election Commission
said here.
“The polling was 65.5 per cent till
5 pm and was continuing,” Deputy
Election Commissioner Vijay Dev
told reporters here. He said that
Election Commission had made cash
seizure of Rs 16.5 crore, liquor worth
Rs 9 crore and drugs worth Rs 1.1
crore. The official said gold and silver
have also been seized.
Officials in Lucknow said that
maximum voting was reported from
Saharanpur and Lakhimpur Kheri.
Barring some places where
Electronic Voting Machines
developed some snags, polling was
smooth and peaceful in most of the
67 assembly constituencies across 11
districts.
Polling began on Wednesday
morning amid tight security at 7 am.
Long queues of women, differentlyabled
and elderly voters were seen in
most parts outside the poll booths.
In the 2012 assembly polls, the
average polling in these constituencies
was 64 per cent.
A total of 721 candidates were in
the fray.
Uttarakhand sees 68pc voting:
Around 68 per cent polling was
witnessed in the Uttarakhand
assembly elections on Wednesday,
bettering the voting percentage of the
past two state polls, officials said.
“The 68 per cent is better than the
66 per cent recorded in 2012 and 64
per cent in 2007,” a poll official said.
Of the main constituencies,
Nainital registered 70 per cent,
Haridwar 70 per cent,
Uttarkashi 73 and Udhamnghnagar
70 percentage. Polling in 69 of the
70 constituencies in the hill state
ended on a peaceful note, Election
Commission officials said.
This is the fourth assembly polls
in the state where 7.5 million voters
decided the fate of 628 candidates.
Men and women braved inclement
weather at some places and voted in
large numbers, officials said. Polling
in Karnprayag was suspended due to
the death of the Bahujan Samaj Party
candidate. — IANS
People queue to vote during the state assembly election, in the town of Deoband in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. — Reuters
B ENGAL URU/ CHENNAI :
AIADMK General Secretary V K
Sasikala, held guilty for corruption, on
Wednesday returned to the Bengaluru
jail as the battle for supremacy in the
AIADMK continued in Tamil Nadu.
Sasikala, 59, was sent to a women’s
cell in the Central Jail soon after she
reached Bengaluru in a convoy of cars
from Chennai after her plea for more
time to surrender was rejected by the
Supreme Court.
A prison official told journalists
that the long-time confidante of the
late J Jayalalithaa, who was chief
minister of Tamil Nadu when she
passed away on December 5, is
expected to make candles in jail.
Sasikala surrendered to the trial
court set up in the prison along
with her sister-in-law Elavarasi and
nephew V N Sudhakaran, all of
whom were held guilty along with
the late Jayalalithaa by the apex
court on Tuesday of having assets
disproportionate to their known
sources of income.
All four were lodged in the
same prison for three weeks from
September 27, 2014 after the trial
court sentenced them. They later got
bail from the Karnataka High Court.
Even at the prison, where police
and AIADMK activists scuffled,
Sasikala sought more time to serve
the jail term but the judge rejected
her request and told her to undergo a
health check-up.
The trial court was set up in
the jail complex because the civil
court complex in Bengaluru is in a
congested area and could have faced
V K Sasikala pays her respects at the
memorial for Jayalalithaa before
leaving to surrender to authorities,
following a Supreme Court ruling, in
Chennai on Wednesday. — AFP
law and order issues due to the highprofile
nature of the case.
In Chennai, Governor C
Vidyasagar Rao prepared to invite
acting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O
Panneerselvam as well as pro-Sasikala
AIADMK leader E Palanisamy to find
out who has majority support among
party MLAs.
Before leaving Chennai, Sasikala
visited the Marina Beach memorial
of Jayalalithaa. Hitting the floor thrice
with her right hand, she pledged to
return to politics after defeating the
“betrayers” in the AIADMK.
She later went to AIADMK founder
late M G Ramachandran’s house at
Ramavaram and paid her respects
before his picture and also meditated
for some time.
At both places, hundreds of
supporters gathered, most of them
looking grim.
Once the Supreme Court held
Sasikala guilty of corruption on
Tuesday, the MLAs backing Sasikala
and housed in a guest house near
here elected Palanisamy as their new
legislature party leader.
On Wednesday, Panneerselvam
aides claimed he had the support
of some 40 of the 135 AIADMK
legislators but Palanisamy said he had
adequate legislative backing to form a
government.
Earlier, police registered a FIR
against Sasikala and Palanisamy
after AIADMK MLA S S Saravanan
accused them of abducting him. The
party denied the charge.
Saravanan, a legislator from
Madurai South constituency, filed
the abduction complaint against
Sasikala and Public Works Minister
Palanisamy.
Saravanan told the media on
Monday that he scaled a wall at the
resort in Koovathur, 90 km from here,
and jumped down to escape.
After his complaint, hundreds of
police personnel in riot gear reached
the resort on Wednesday.
“Saravanan’s complaint is totally
false. He himself had told police a
couple of days back that he is staying
at the resort on his own will,” an
AIADMK MLA, Inbadurai, told
reporters. — IANS

analysis
analysis
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
9
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
It’s time to take responsibility for our rubbish
ALI AL MATANI
ali.matani2@gmail.com
R
ecently, the social media community
reacted angrily to some people
throwing rubbish on Qurum beach,
one of the best beaches in Muscat, after
an event hosted by some community.
They demanded that such practices
that degrade beautiful places be
handled strictly by imposing harsh
penalties on offenders.
In this context, we must discuss
the idea of charging fees for garbage
to be collected and recycled at
modern industrial facilities as it
happens in developed countries. This
environmental procedure will teach
a very important lesson to citizens:
that there is a price to be paid for the
consequences of wrong practices.
After a look at the civilised societies
in developed countries, we find that
cleanliness has become a positive,
innate, and involuntarily behaviour
there. There is no doubt this should
be followed here also, and the society
should be aware of the importance of
cleanliness.
When we think that removing waste
and maintaining cleanliness are the
duties of other agencies that do these
services for free, it leads to indifference
on the part of us as individuals. We
tend to ignore the tremendous efforts
exerted by the labourers who stay up
all night and clean the waste so that we
can live in a clean environment.
What should be clarified at this
point is the fact that the individual
should be responsible for preserving
the safety and cleanliness of his
environment, society, village and
city. Every individual must take the
responsibility for their every action,
and this way our society can be a
model for civil societies.
In fact, we are encouraged to know
that a study is considering imposing
fees on handling rubbish in the
country, about 1.600 rials per month
on every household in the Sultanate.
Gathering and administrating rubbish
costs nearly 100 million rials per
year. This amount isn’t small, and can
We tend to ignore
the tremendous
efforts exerted by
the labourers who
stay up all night
and clean the
waste so that we
can live in a clean
environment.
be redirected to sectors with higher
importance: education, social welfare,
and other key sectors.
Imposing fees on gathering and
administrating rubbish is important
not to save and redirect money, but
to develop a positive and responsible
behaviour among people with respect
to dealing with rubbish.
Every individual should bear the
responsibility for his rubbish. It is a
flaw that other parties — even if it is the
government — bear the responsibility
of cleaning the rubbish that comes
from our houses and shops. Removing
waste should be the responsibility of
individuals and society.
However, we should all be
convinced that cleanliness should be
a priority in all our behaviours, and
wrong behaviour shouldn’t be justified
under any circumstances, if we want
our country to remain clean and
beautiful.
What we witness in the streets,
beaches, shops and especially
restaurants is really disgusting, and
such wrong behaviour should be
stopped and perpetrators must be
brought to justice.
Unfortunately, we see the
municipality labourers sweeping the
waste from the beach and the green
grass of Qurum’s beach, especially,
on weekends, thrown by families that
enjoyed the day and were too lazy to
dump their waste in the garbage bins.
We see labourers wandering in the
streets to pick up the waste dumped on
the road by vehicle riders.
It is unfortunate that we have
reached this level of irresponsibility
in cleanliness. However, as we said
earlier, with the absence of any laws
prohibiting waste, it is natural to
find such practices and even more.
Therefore, we should immediately
start the enactment of legislations and
laws, and impose fees on collecting
and disposing of rubbish.
Sadly, some encourage the wrong
behaviour, not recognising the duties
of individuals and their role in society,
and walk in the wrong way in a clear
deviation from the responsibility of
individual and society.
Of course, such penalties and fees
on collecting rubbish will be met with
a negative response and refusal by
those who don’t want our country to
be clean, and those who refuse to take
responsibility for their own actions.
What’s your poison? History
of killing with chemistry
Latin America sweats over risks from urban heat
R
SOPHIE HARES
io de Janeiro is sweltering in blazing
temperatures as it gears up for its
spectacular carnival later this month,
but in its northern favelas, the mercury
is spiking even higher as hot, tropical air
trapped in the narrow concrete alleys
causes stifling conditions and a potential
rise in health problems.
Christovam Barcellos, coordinator
of the climate and health observatory
at Brazil’s Fiocruz government health
institute, noted that on summer days,
when the temperature is around 32 degrees
Celsius in Rio’s southern zone, it is 3 to 4
degrees higher in northern parts of the
Brazilian city.
“It’s really significant — not only for
mosquito-transmitted diseases but also in
terms of health for vulnerable people with
heart diseases (or) hypertension,” he said.
In cities across Latin America,
haphazard development combined with
heat pumped out by cars, factories and
buildings is causing “urban heat islands”,
where city temperatures are higher than
their surrounding areas. Temperature
differences are usually greatest at night
when stagnant warm air becomes trapped.
While daytime temperatures often
differ by a few degrees Celsius, some areas
experience substantial spikes. In Rio’s
hottest suburbs, for example, temperatures
can be as much as 20 degrees Celsius
higher than around the city, said Andrews
Lucena, associate professor at Rio’s Federal
Rural University.
“This is a problem that’s going to
become critical,” said Jennifer Doherty-
Bigara, climate specialist at the Inter-
American Development Bank.
“When we think about cities, we
shouldn’t only think about the economic
In cities across Latin
America, haphazard
development
combined with heat
pumped out by
cars, factories and
buildings is causing
“urban heat islands”
opportunities. If we don’t have climatefriendly
cities, it will have an impact on the
same productivity we’re trying to foster,”
she said.
While megacities such as Mexico City,
Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have long
been affected by the heat island effect,
other cities such as Santiago, Lima and
Buenos Aires are now suffering from it too,
climate experts said.
Changing building design and
materials, enhancing airflows and simply
planting trees could help make cities and
their residents more resilient to the urban
heat island effect, which can worsen
pollution, boost energy demand and even
curb economic activity, said experts.
“We think of cities as a series of canyons
with the streets lined with buildings on
either side so they are very efficient in
trapping the heat... You are bombarded by
reflections and re-re-re-reflections from
every building around,” said Rohinton
Emmanuel, professor of sustainable design
at Glasgow Caledonian University.
While specific data on Latin America
is limited, a 2015 global study showed
significant increases in urban heatwaves
over a 40-year period, alongside a
fall in city winds, according to its coauthor
Dennis Lettenmaier. Minimum
temperatures are rising quicker than
maximum temperatures around the world,
causing more hot nights, he added.
Urban development is linked to this
trend, although the warming of the
planet may be a larger contributor, said
Lettenmaier, a geography professor at the
University of California.
While high-rise city centres can generate
their own heat islands as glass sky-scrapers
reflect the sun, block airflow and pump out
warm air from cooling systems, slum areas
such as Rio’s favelas can also become heat
traps with their tightly packed concreteblock
houses and lack of trees.
The associated health risks include
heat exhaustion, stress, respiratory and
cardiovascular problems, while higher
pollution levels are a particular threat to
children and older people.
Scientists are also studying whether
heat islands can expand the spread of
mosquitoes carrying dengue, Zika and
chikungunya. “The poorest people are
always more affected,” said Massimo
Palme, associate professor at Chile’s
Catholic University of the North, who has
studied heat islands in Pacific coast cities.
While persuading local governments to
invest in climate-related measures is tricky,
experts say there are plenty of cheap and
effective options available.
Simply painting building and bus roofs
white reflects heat, as does planting shady
trees which can also cut air pollution.
Promoting public transport over private
cars, and offering tax incentives for roof
gardens are also recommended.
But dealing with existing buildings is
a separate challenge, noted Emmanuel of
Glasgow Caledonian University.
— Thomson Reuters Foundation
F
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AIDAN JONES
rom the courtiers of Ancient Greece to Soviet spies and maybe now
North Korean agents, poison has a long history as a weapon of murder,
favoured by assassins for its stealthy delivery of the fatal blow.
The killing of Kim Jong-Nam, the half-brother of the North Korean
leader, at a Malaysian airport has revived fascination in the poisoner’s
methods.
Intelligence chiefs in South Korea say female agents despatched by
their secretive northern neighbour administered the lethal dose, with
reports suggesting a toxin was sprayed in his face.
An autopsy is being carried out.
A would-be poisoner can choose from a catalogue of deadly
chemicals, some of which are relatively easy to obtain.
Ricin, naturally occurring in castor oil plant seeds, and thallium (rat
poison) are notorious for their murderous properties.
Arsenic delivers a slow and miserable death, while strychnine induces
extreme body spasms as the victim’s respiratory system collapses.
But “cyanide is the fastest killer and the easiest to detect, its pathology
appears all over the body,” said Porntip Rojanasunan a forensic expert
and adviser to Thailand’s Justice Ministry.
She said the victim’s “bright red blood” in post-mortem is the telltale
sign of a potential cyanide poisoning.
Other chemicals such as potassium can cause “an extreme heart
arrhythmia.. and can lead to a heart attack very quickly”.
Tales of poisonings — real or imagined — have formed their own
mythology.
Poisoning has become a byword for backroom scheming by
treacherous political rivals, revenge and cold-blooded murder.
More recently poison featured prominently in Soviet-era tradecraft.
In 1978, Bulgarian dissident Georgy Markov died after receiving a
fatal dose of ricin delivered through the tip of an umbrella on a London
street. His killer has never been caught.
Moscow was accused of carrying out an assassination on British
soil in 2006 when tea laced with highly-radioactive Polonium-210 was
served to ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, condemning him to a
slow death.
Indonesian rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib was killed after
being poisoned on a flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam.
If Seoul’s spy chief is right, North Korea now appears to have added
a new chapter to the chilling history of poison.
— AFP
ESTABLISHED ON 15 NOVEMBER 1981
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Abdullah bin Salim al Shueili
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world
world
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
10 THURSDAY
France warns Russians
against meddling in poll
PARIS: France on Wednesday issued
a stern warning to Russia against
meddling in its upcoming presidential
elections, after US intelligence
accused Moscow of interfering in
that country’s vote to boost Donald
Trump.
“We will not accept any interference
whatsoever in our electoral process,
whether by Russia or any other state,”
said Foreign Minister Jean-Marc
Ayrault.
“After what happened in the
United States, it is our responsibility
to take all steps necessary to ensure
that the integrity of our democratic
process is fully respected,” he told
parliament.
The warning came as aides to
one of the leading French candidates
this week accused Russia of trying to
derail his bid.
A spokesman for the staunchly
pro-Europe Emmanuel Macron on
Tuesday accused Moscow of being
behind a flurry of cyberattacks on
Macron’s campaign website and email
servers over the past month.
“Half of the attacks, and there are
hundreds a day, come from Ukraine,
which is known for its links to
hackers and people responsible for
cyberattacks in Russia,” Benjamin
Griveaux said, accusing the Kremlin
of trying to boost conservative
nominee Francois Fillon and far-right
candidate Marine Le Pen, both of
l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
PREMIER AND PUPILS
British Prime Minister Theresa May sits with pupils during a visit to Captain Shaw’s Primary School in Bootle, Britain, on Wednesday. — Reuters
ACCUSATIONS: A spokesman for Macron accused Moscow of
being behind a flurry of cyberattacks on his campaign website
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault speaks during a session of questions
to the government at the French National Assembly in Paris on Wednesday. — AFP
whom urge closer ties to Russia.
Macron’s aides have also accused
the state-owned Russia Today (RT)
channel and the Sputnik news agency
of waging a smear campaign against
the 39-year-old former economy
minister.
They have pointed to a Sputnik
interview with a pro-Fillon lawmaker
titled “Ex-French Economy Minister
Macron Could Be ‘US Agent’” as
an example of Russia’s alleged bias.
Moscow on Tuesday vehemently
denied the Macron camp’s allegations
of meddling.
“We never had, and do not have,
the intention of interfering in the
domestic affairs of other countries,
and especially not in their electoral
process,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov said.
RT and Sputnik echoed the denial.
In December, the country’s digital
security service, ANSSI, had warned
of the risk of cyberattacks during the
campaign. Defence Minister Jean-
Yves Le Drian had also warned against
the “massive dissemination of fake
news”.
Earlier Wednesday, French
President Francois Hollande asked
his security cabinet to brief him on
the “specific vigilance and protection
measures being taken during the
electoral campaign, including in the
cyber domain”, the presidency said.
Hollande, who is not himself
seeking re-election, did not say what
kind of threat the two-stage April 23-
May 7 presidential election faces, nor
did he point the finger at any group or
country. — AFP
Brazil president’s popularity slides
President Michel Temer’s approval ratings are sinking as he pushes
austerity measures through Brazil’s Congress while the popularity of leftist
former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is rebounding ahead of 2018
elections, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday.
Trump slams
US intelligence
agencies
WASHINGTON: US President
Donald Trump assailed US
intelligence agencies on Wednesday
for what he said were illegal
information leaks, and dismissed
reports of contacts between members
of his presidential campaign and
Russian intelligence officials.
Trump went on the counteroffensive
as his administration
reeled from the abrupt dismissal of
Michael Flynn as national security
adviser on Monday.
The New York Times reported
late on Tuesday that phone call
records and intercepted calls showed
members of Trump’s presidential
campaign and other Trump
associates had repeated contacts with
senior Russian intelligence officials
in the year before the November 8
election.
Trump dismissed the report,
firing back in a series of early
morning tweets on Wednesday.
“This Russian connection
nonsense is merely an attempt to
cover-up the many mistakes made in
Hillary Clinton’s losing campaign,”
the Republican president tweeted,
citing his former Democratic rival in
the 2016 presidential contest.
In another tweet, Trump said:
“Information is being illegally
given to the failing @nytimes & @
washingtonpost by the intelligence
community (NSA and FBI).Just like
Russia,” adding that the situation
was “very serious.”
“The real scandal here is that
classified information is illegally
given out by “intelligence” like
candy. Very un-American!” Trump
wrote— Reuters
IN BRIEF
3 suspects charged
over ‘terror plot’
PARIS: Two men and a 16-year-old
girl were charged in southern France
on suspicion of planning a terror
attack that the authorities believe was
imminent, judicial sources said.
The three — arrested on Friday
near the coastal city of Montpellier
— were identified as Thomas Sauret,
20; his partner, a 16-year-old minor
named only as Sarah; and Malik
Hammami, 33.
They were indicted on Tuesday for
“criminal association in connection
with a criminal terrorist enterprise”, the
sources said.
Sauret and his partner were also
charged with making and possessing
explosives in an organised group.
The three had been spotted several
weeks earlier for using Telegram, an
encrypted message system preferred
by militants, they said.
France remains on high alert after
a wave of attacks that began two years
ago, claiming more than 200 lives.
On February 3, a soldier shot and
wounded a machete-wielding attacker
who lunged at him outside the Louvre
museum in Paris. — AFP
ROYAL VISIT
New peacekeeping
chief named
Russia won’t return Crimea to Ukraine
MOSCOW: Russia does not return its
territories, the Russian Foreign Ministry
has said in response to the White House
statement that US President Trump was
expecting Moscow to return Crimea to
Kiev.
“We do not return our territories.
Crimea is Russian territory,” Russian
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday,
reaffirming Moscow’s long-standing
position that the issue is permanently
closed.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer
said on Tuesday that Trump expected
Russia to “return Crimea” to Ukraine.
“President Trump has made it very
clear that he expects the Russian
government to de-escalate violence in
UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-
General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday
announced the appointment of
Jean-Pierre Lacroix of France to head
UN peacekeeping for a year pending
a review of the world body’s functions
and structure.
The UN’s political affairs chief,
Jeffrey Feltman of the United States,
will remain at that post, also for a year.
The two under-secretary-general
positions are among the most highprofile
at the United Nations.
Lacroix, 56, will replace Herve
Ladsous who steps down in March
after six years in the top job.
Currently director for the United
Nations at the French foreign
ministry, Lacroix will take over UN
peacekeeping as it struggles to
overcome a scandal over mounting
cases of sexual abuse by troops
serving in peace missions.
The United States, the biggest
financial contributor to UN
peacekeeping, is considering cuts to
its contribution, currently at 29 per
cent of the $7.9 billion budget for
2017.
Guterres took over from Ban Kimoon
on January 1 with a pledge to
reform the United Nations to improve
its capacity to address global crises
and prevent conflicts. — AFP
the Ukraine and return Crimea,” Spicer
said at a daily news briefing. ”At the
same time, he fully expects to and wants
to get along with Russia.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
said his country’s sovereignty over the
peninsula could not be discussed as
“Russia does not discuss issues related
to its territory with foreign partners”,
reported Sputnik.
According to him, the issue of
Crimea had not even been raised in
the phone call between Trump and
President Vladimir Putin on January 28.
The spokesman said Moscow
expected the issue to be discussed
calmly and in a constructive way once
relations with Washington were more
positive. — IANS
Queen Mathilde (C) and King Philippe of Belgium (R) seen during their visit to a
non-profit association Tele-Service on Wednesday in Verviers, Belgium. — AFP
Kenyan court frees doctors’ leaders jailed during strike
NAIROBI: Kenya’s Court of Appeal
on Wednesday ordered the release
from jail of officials from the national
doctors’ union so they can negotiate
with the government over a strike that
has paralyzed the public health sector.
The strike has angered Kenyans
and turned into a test of President
Uhuru Kenyatta’s leadership ahead of
an election in August.
The union, which has about 5,000
members, wants the government to
implement a deal agreed in 2013 to
give doctors a 150 to 180 per cent pay
rise on basic salaries, review working
conditions, job structures and criteria
for promotions and address understaffing
in state hospitals.
The seven union officials were
ordered to serve a one-month jail term
on Monday after a lower court found
them guilty of contempt of court in
relation to the strike which started in
December.
Striking doctors hold placards and chant slogans outside the Court of Appeal in Nairobi as they pushed for the release of
jailed officials of the national doctors’ union as they demanded fulfilment of a 2013 agreement between their union and the
government that would raise their pay and improve working conditions on Wednesday. — AFP
The applicants,
respondents and
interested parties
undertake to resume
negotiations forthwith,
with a view to resolving
the outstanding issues, in
order to restore normalcy
in the public health sector
WANJIRU KARANJA
Appellate Judge
Appellate Judge Wanjiru Karanja
said the seven officials would be
released immediately. She said the
parties in the labour dispute had seven
days to find a resolution.
“The applicants, respondents and
interested parties undertake to resume
negotiations forthwith, with a view to
resolving the outstanding issues, in
order to restore normalcy in the public
health sector,” she told a court packed
with doctors. The government has
offered the striking doctors a 40 per
cent pay rise which the union rejected.
The Law Society of Kenya and
the Kenya National Commission
on Human Rights, who appeared as
interested parties, were ordered to
mediate the dispute and report back
to the court. Opposition leader Raila
Odinga said the strike had dragged for
too long and blamed the government
for the impasse.
“So many innocent Kenyans have
died in hospitals for lack of treatment,”
he told reporters outside the court.
— Reuters

SOLDIERS REMEMBERED
europe
europe
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
11
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
G20 ministers to tackle fight
against poverty in Africa
A man lays flowers at a monument to servicemen killed during the Soviet military campaign in Afghanistan, on a day honouring participants of combat operations on the
territories of foreign countries, in Kiev, Ukraine, on Wednesday. — Reuters
BERLIN: G20 foreign ministers
will discuss ways to fight poverty
in Africa, strengthen governmental
institutions and better utilise the
potential of many African countries,
German ministry officials said on the
eve of a two-day meeting in Bonn.
Germany, keen to improve
conditions in Africa and halt
a growing stream of economic
refugees fleeing to Europe, has made
cooperation with Africa a centrepiece
of its presidency of the Group of 20
largest industrialised countries.
The European Union is also
taking steps to stem immigration
from Africa, which is set to rise after
181,000 people arriving last year
and an estimated 4,500 believed
to have died while crossing the
Mediterranean Sea, often in flimsy
boats.
“Foreign policy is and must
be more than crisis management,”
German Foreign Minister Sigmar
Gabriel said in a statement before the
meeting. “We are well advised not to
continually be running from one fire
to another with a fire extinguisher.”
Anthony Mothae Maruping,
economics commissioner for the
African Union, will participate in
the meeting, which will also address
implementation of the Agenda 2030
for sustainable development agreed
by all UN members in September
2015.
Ministers will also discuss the war
in Syria, violence in eastern Ukraine
and other global crises during the
G20 meeting and bilateral meetings
on the sidelines.
Gabriel, who took over as German
foreign minister last month, said it
was important for the G20 countries,
which account for about four-fifths of
the world’s gross domestic product,
to focus on combating the root
causes of conflicts and preventing
crises before they gathered steam.
New US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson will be at the meeting with
his counterparts from Russia, China
and other G20 countries. EU foreign
policy chief Federica Mogherini,
UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres, and foreign ministers
from the Netherlands, Norway,
Singapore, Spain and Vietnam will
also participate. — Reuters
Hate crime in UK reaches
record levels after EU
referendum, shows data
LONDON: A majority of police
forces in England and Wales saw
record levels of hate crimes in the
first full three months following June
2016 EU referendum, according to
new analysis.
In some areas, the number of
incidents jumped by more than 50
per cent.
The fresh data compiled by the
Press Association comes from official
statistics which include detailed
figures for five core crimes which are
deemed to be racially or religiously
aggravated, ranging from assaults
through to criminal damage.
Following the vote to leave the
EU, 75 per cent of constabularies
recorded the highest reports of
racially or religiously aggravated
crimes since figures were first
collected in 2012, the Daily Mail
reported on Wednesday.
In the three months to
September 2016, 33 of the 44 forces
in England and Wales saw their
highest levels of hate crimes since
comparable records began in 2012.
Three forces — the Metropolitan
Police (3,356), Greater Manchester
(1,033) and West Yorkshire (1,013)
— recorded more than 1,000 hate
crimes each over the period.
Only four constabularies
reported a decrease.
The Equality and Human Rights
Commission (EHRC) said the
findings suggested a small number
of people used the Brexit vote “to
legitimise inexcusable racism and
prejudice”, while the charity Victim
Support said that more was needed
to be done to encourage victims to
come forward.
Provisional figures on hate crimes
published by the Home Office
in October 2016 suggested that
offences in July 2016 were 41 per
cent higher than in July 2015.
EHRC Chairman David Isaac said
it “must be sensible to prepare for
any possible spikes” in hate crime
once Brexit negotiations begin.
“The vast majority of people who
voted to leave the European Union
did so because they believed it was
best for Britain and not because they
are intolerant of others.
It is clear, however, that a small
minority of people used the Brexit
vote to legitimise inexcusable racism
and prejudice.”
“We cannot allow such
intolerable acts of hate to be
condoned or repeated.’The
triggering of Article 50 is the next
major milestone and we must do all
we can to discourage hate attacks
and to support people who feel at
risk.”
However, UK Independence
Party (UKIP) leader Paul Nuttall
has said that such incidents have
been “overblown” in an attempt
to “rubbish Brexit”. Lucy Hastings,
Director at Victim Support, said:
“Hate crime has no place in our
society and every victim of this
crime is one too many. We believe
that more needs to be done to
further encourage reporting.”
— IANS
Lufthansa and
pilots reach
pay deal
BERLIN/FRANKFURT: Lufthansa
and a pilots’ union have accepted
pay recommendations from a
mediator, though the German
airline said it planned to offset the
cost by using more crew on cheaper
contracts in a move that could
jeopardise the deal.
Lufthansa, which has been
dogged by a succession of strikes,
said on Wednesday it had agreed to
increase pay for 5,400 pilots by 8.7
per cent in several steps, as well as
one-time payments worth a total of
30 million euros — adding around
85 million euros ($90 million) to its
annual costs.
To make up for the added
expense, Lufthansa said 40 new
aircraft due for delivery would be
staffed not by crew on collective
labour agreements at its core brand,
but by crew from elsewhere within
the group.
Board member Harry
Hohmeister had last month raised
the prospect of shifting new planes
to other parts of the group or even
setting up a new unit to keep costs
down.
Pilots’ union Vereinigung
Cockpit (VC) said the proposals
would be put to a vote of members,
with a result expected by the end
of March, but spokesman Markus
Wahl said the plans to shift the
planes could affect the outcome.
— Reuters
Mattis hails Nato as a
fundamental bedrock
FORGING TIES: US defence secretary has consistently voiced
support for Nato and has been tougher on Russia than his boss
BRUSSELS: US Defence Secretary
James Mattis hailed Nato as
the “fundamental bedrock” of
transatlantic security as he sought
to reassure allies Wednesday
about President Donald Trump’s
commitment to the alliance.
Mattis, who has been on the job
less than a month, spoke as a scandal
over White House officials’ ties to
Russia gripped the Trump presidency
and claimed the job of the national
security adviser.
“The alliance remains a
fundamental bedrock for the United
States and for all the transatlantic
community, bonded as we are
together,” Mattis said as he met his
counterparts in Brussels for the first
time.
“As President Trump has stated,
he has strong support for Nato,” said
Mattis, a former Marine general who
has himself previously served with
Nato.
Mattis however stressed that
the Trump administration, like the
Obama administration before it,
expected Nato allies to boost their
defence spending.
“It’s a fair demand that all who
benefit from the best defence in
the world carry their proportionate
US Defence Minister James Mattis (L) and Spain’s Defence Minister Maria Dolores
de Cospedal Garcia shake hands as they attend a Nato defence ministers’ meeting
at the Nato headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday. — AFP
share of the necessary cost to defend
freedom,” he added.
The 28-member organization is
trying to portray unity after Trump’s
previous comments that the alliance
was “obsolete.”
Since his inauguration, Trump has
taken a more orthodox stance on Nato
and reaffirmed long-standing US
commitment to the alliance.
Mattis has consistently voiced
support for Nato and has been tougher
on Russia than his boss, whose views
worry the alliance’s eastern European
member states in particular.
Mattis meanwhile praised the
alliance for its enduring help for the
United States in Afghanistan. “This
has been the most successful alliance
in military history,” he said.
Despite the message of unity,
Mattis is still set to push the rest of
the 28-nation group to meet their
increased military spending pledges,
despite many in Europe facing hard
economic times. — AFP
Brain damage in former players fuels soccer ‘heading’ fears
LONDON: Scientists have found signs of brain damage
that could cause dementia in a handful of former soccer
players, fuelling worries about the danger of frequent
knocks from heading the ball or colliding with others on
the field.
The small study was the first of its kind, involving post
mortems on six men who died with dementia after long
careers playing soccer. All were skilled headers of the ball.
It suggests that some professional soccer players might
risk the same long-term cognitive problems suffered by
boxers and some American football players.
But experts said more research was needed to prove any
definitive link between heading a football and developing
dementia, and they added that the risk was likely to be
minimal for occasional players.
“We’ve demonstrated that the same type of pathology
that occurs in ex-boxers can also occur in some exfootballers
who have dementia, but I’d emphasise this is a
very small number of players,” said co-lead researcher Huw
Morris of London’s UCL Institute of Neurology.
“The average playing career of these players was 26 years,
which is thousands of hours of game playing, thousands of
hours of practice and thousands of headers ... I think the
risk is extremely low from playing recreational football.”
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and
scientists said the danger of head injuries had to be
weighed against the game’s known benefits in improving
cardiovascular health, which actually reduces the likelihood
of developing dementia.
The study, published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica
on Wednesday, followed 14 retired soccer players with
dementia and secured next-of-kin permission for post
mortem examinations for six of them.
The scientists found evidence of chronic traumatic
encephalopathy (CTE), a potential cause of dementia, in four
of the six brains. All six also had signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
CTE is common in ex-boxers and has been linked to
progressive memory, behavioural and motor impairment.
Unlike boxing or American football, blows to the head
in soccer are generally lower impact and players are less
likely to experience concussion. But there may still be
cumulative damage from sub-concussive impacts, experts
believe.
Britain’s Football Association said more work was
needed into whether degenerative brain disease was more
common in ex-footballers, adding it planned to jointly fund
research with the Professional Footballers’ Association.
— Reuters

worldinpictures
panorama
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
12 THURSDAY
l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
ANTI-TRADE PACT DEMO: Protesters stand in front of a Trojan Horse balloon with a
banner reading ‘Stop Ceta’ as they demonstrate against the Transatlantic Trade
and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and
Trade Agreement (CETA) in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg,
eastern France, on Wednesday. — AFP
SKY SKILLS: The Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran aerobatic team flies in formation
during a display on the second day of the Aero India exhibition at Yelahanka Air
Force Station in Bangalore on Wednesday. — AFP
Rare pulsating star 7,000 light years away spotted
LEMON ART: A worker checks a sculpture made with lemons and oranges which depicts the musical comedy “The Lion King” during the 84th Lemon Festival around the
theme “Broadway” in Menton, France, on Wednesday. — Reuters
NEW YORK: Astronomers have
spotted a rare pulsating star which is
expanding and contracting in three
different directions simultaneously.
It is situated 7,000 light years away
from Earth in the constellation Pegasus,
said astronomer Farley Ferrante, a
member of the team that made the
discovery at Southern Methodist
University in Dallas, Texas.
The star is one that pulsates and so
is characterised by varying brightness
over time.
Called a variable star, this particular
star is one of only seven known stars of
its kind in our Milky Way galaxy.
“It was challenging to identify it,”
Ferrante said in a university statement.
The Milky Way has more than 100
billion stars. But just over 400,900 are
catalogued as variable stars.
Of those, a mere seven — including
the newly-identified one — are the rare
intrinsic variable star called a Triple
Mode ‘high amplitude delta Scuti’ or
Triple Mode HADS(B), for short.
“The discovery of this object helps
to flesh out the characteristics of this
unique type of variable star.
These and further measurements can
be used to probe the way the pulsations
happen,” Robert Kehoe, Professor at
Southern Methodist University, said.
“Pulsating stars have also
been important to improving our
understanding of the expansion of
the universe and its origins, which is
another exciting piece of this puzzle,”
Kehoe said.
The astronomers discovered the
variable star by analysing light curve
shape — a key identifier of star type —
created from archived data procured by
ROTSE-I telescope. — IANS
Black hole that
produces fuel for
star formation
discovered
NEW YORK: In a surprising
discovery, astronomers have observed
a black hole producing cold, starmaking
fuel from hot plasma jets and
bubbles.
The researchers found that
powerful radio jets from the black
hole — which normally suppress
star formation — are stimulating the
production of cold gas in the galaxy’s
extended halo of hot gas.
This newly identified supply of
cold, dense gas could eventually
fuel future star birth as well as feed
the black hole itself, said the study
published in the Astrophysical Journal.
The researchers studied a galaxy at
the heart of the Phoenix Cluster, an
uncommonly crowded collection of
galaxies about 5.7 billion light-years
from Earth.
The team analysed observations
of the Phoenix cluster gathered by
the Atacama Large Millimeter Array
(ALMA), a collection of 66 large radio
telescopes spread over the desert of
northern Chile.
Researchers believe that new
findings may help to explain Phoenix
cluster’s exceptional star-producing
power. They may also provide new
insight into how supermassive black
holes and their host galaxies mutually
grow and evolve.
“With ALMA we can see that
there’s a direct link between these radio
bubbles inflated by the supermassive
black hole and the future fuel for
galaxy growth,” said study lead author
Helen Russell, an astronomer with the
University of Cambridge in Britain.
“This gives us new insights into
how a black hole can regulate future
star birth and how a galaxy can acquire
additional material to fuel an active
black hole.” — IANS
KEEPING TRADITIONS ALIVE: Villagers parading a dragon through fields near Gutian
village, Liancheng county of China’s eastern Fujian province. Dragons several
hundred metres long snake their way down pastoral roads and through country
hamlets, part of centuries-old Chinese folk celebrations for a mythical creature
revered as a blessing. The visually striking festival is among a range of colourful
traditional observances unique to eastern Fujian province and its Hakka people
and held each year in conjunction with the Lantern Festival, which fell this year on
February 11. — AFP
Avoid becoming a boring speaker
NEW YORK: Do you feel that your
friends are getting bored while listening
to your stories or personal experiences?
If so, try saying things that are more
familiar to them, suggests a research.
The study showed that although
both speakers and listeners expected
new stories — such as ranging from
exotic vacations to celebrity sightings
— to be more interesting, listeners
showed more pleasure with familiar
stories.
Hearing experiences one has not
seen or known may leave the listener
bored, confused and underwhelmed.
The reason may be because the
experiences shared are so complex
that they are nearly impossible for an
ordinary person to communicate well,
the researchers said.
“Our friends are actually a whole lot
happier when we tell them what they
already know because at least they
understand what we’re talking about,”
said Daniel T Gilbert, psychological
scientist at Harvard University.
“We worry too much about thrilling
our listeners and not enough about
confusing them,” Gilbert added.
For the study, published in
Psychological Science, the team
conducted a series of experiments.
In one of their experiments, the
researchers assigned participants to
groups of three, with one person acting
as the speaker and the other two acting
as listeners.
Speakers watched a video — either
a TED talk or an interview with the
owner of a specialty soda shop — and
then tried to describe it to the listeners.
While some listeners had seen the
video the speaker was describing,
others had not. The results showed that
the listeners responded much more
positively when they had seen the
video. — IANS
ANNIVERSARY SHOW: An image is projected on the Degollado theatre, Mexico,
during festivities for the 475th anniversary of the founding of the Guadalajara on
Tuesday. This year the city celebrated its anniversary with the largest robotic light
festival in Latin America. — AFP

THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2017 | JUMADA AL ULA 19, 1438 AH
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INBRIEF
Airbus to set up
skill development
centre in India
BENGALURU: European aerospace
major Airbus on Wednesday signed
a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Indian state of
Telangana government, the National
Skill Development Corporation and
Aerocampus France to set up an
aerospace skill development centre in
Hyderabad.
The MoU was signed in the presence
of Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Indian Union
Minister of State for Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship, and K Taraka
Rama Rao, Telangana’s Minister for
Industries and Commerce.
“This first of its kind centre of
excellence aims to enhance the
employability of young aspirants
by imparting the required skills to
them,” Rudy was quoted as saying in a
statement issued here.
The centre, likely to come up at the
Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, will
provide short and long term Certificate
and Diploma courses on aircraft
manufacturing, logistics, maintenance,
Repair and Overhaul (MRO), ground
handling and special aviation processes.
— IANS
Danone to slash
costs as sales
growth slows
PARIS: French dairy giant Danone
unveiled a one-billion-euro ($1.1-billion)
cost-cutting programme on Wednesday
as it said that sales growth slowed
last year. Danone said in a statement
that although it turned in a “robust”
performance last year, it needed to
improve costs in order to face up to the
current challenges.
“While we delivered a robust
performance... the challenges we faced,
including a slower turnaround of dairy
in Europe and major market volatility,
are a clear case to step up in our ability
to seize consumer opportunities and
improve our efficiency,” said chief
executive Emmanuel Faber.
Danone said its net profit jumped
by 34 per cent to 1.7 billion euros ($1.8
billion) in 2016, but sales declined by 2.1
per cent to 21.9 billion euros, largely due
to exchange rate effects. On a like-for-like
basis, sales grew by 2.9 per cent, slower
than the rate of 4.4 per cent recorded
the previous year. Danone is in the
process of acquiring the US organic foods
producer WhiteWave Foods. — AFP
Bids close for two hydrocarbon blocks
UPSTREAM FOCUS: Bidding for Oman Licensing Round 2016 comes to a close
CONRAD PRABHU
MUSCAT, FEB 15
Bids closed here yesterday, February
15, for two hydrocarbon concessions
offered up by the Ministry of Oil &
Gas as part of the Oman Licensing Bid
Round 2016.
Initial interest in the two licenses
— onshore Block 31 located in the
northwest of the Sultanate and the
offshore Block 52 located off the
country’s southern and southeastern
seaboard — is reported to have been
enthusiastic at the outset. They
were among a portfolio of four
blocks offered for investment under
Exploration & Production Sharing
Agreements (EPSA) with the Omani
government as part of the latest
licensing round.
Tight gas is the predominant
petroleum play in Block 31 which,
along with Block 30, was last owned by
Norwegian based international energy
DNO. The 8,526 sq km concession
has produced no discoveries to date,
although gas shows were encountered
in Suneinah-2 within the Mayhah
formation. Four prospects have so
far been mapped within the block,
according to the ministry.
“Block 31 is located to the north of
People walk past a retail shop of the SoftBank telecommunications company in
Tokyo, Japan. — Reuters
Japan’s SoftBank to buy US
investment firm for $3.3 bn
TOKYO: Japan’s SoftBank said
on Wednesday it will buy US asset
manager Fortress Investment Group
for $3.3 billion, as it moves to hire
experienced money managers
before launching a major technology
investment fund.
The mobile giant said it was
paying $8.08 a share for New Yorkbased
Fortress, a 39 per cent premium
on its February 13 close price.
Fortress is a global investment
firm with 1,100 employees and $70.1
billion in assets under management
as of September last year, according to
a joint statement. SoftBank said the
firm’s top management would stay in
place and it would continue to operate
independently under its umbrella.
“We look forward to benefiting
from its leadership, broad-based
expertise and world-class investment
platform,” said SoftBank chief
executive Masayoshi Son.
Son was among the first business
people to meet Donald Trump after
his November election victory.
SoftBank’s founder pledged to
invest $50 billion in business and jobcreation
in the United States, winning
praise from the then-president-elect.
Son later said the money would
come from the $100 billion technology
investment fund he is setting up with
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
The Japanese billionaire plans
to use the SoftBank Vision Fund
to invest heavily in the “Internet of
Things,” artificial intelligence and
robotics.
SoftBank, which is little known
outside Japan, has gone on an
acquisition spree over the years. It
paid $22 billion for 80 per cent of
US mobile carrier Sprint in 2013 and
more recently announced the $32
billion purchase of British iPhone
chip designer ARM Holdings. — AFP
some of Oman’s largest oil fields. Like
those fields the expected reservoirs are
within the Wasia and Kahmah groups.
Additional potential may exist within
thrust sheets of the Sumeini Group,”
the ministry said in a backgrounder
on the concession.
Referring to the tight gas potential
of the concession, it noted: “Within
the tight gas play is an unconventional
sub-play for the Natih E.
This unit is a source interval and
also a reservoir. Development of
unconventional gas is only beginning
in the Sultanate and the Natih E has
been recognised as a prime target
across northern Oman.”
Also up for grabs is Block 52, a
mammoth 90,790 sq km concession
off Dhofar Governorate, by far the
largest block offered up for investment
to date. Although there have been
no discoveries made to date within
this concession, gas shows were
encountered in the Lower Tertiary and
Aruma sections in the Sawqrah Bay
South-1, according to the ministry.
The northern boundary of the
concession adjoins Blocks 50, where
Masirah Oil Ltd announced a major
hydrocarbon discovery two years
ago. The GA South-1 exploration
well in Block 50 indicated light oil
production at a rate of 3,000 barrels
per day, while the results of the
Manarah-1 appraisal well indicated
the presence of a working petroleum
system in the offshore concession. The
only well in Block 52, the Sawqrah
Bay South-1, was drilled by Petroleum
Development Oman (PDO) in 1991.
Awards leading to the signing of
Exploration & Production Sharing
Agreements (EPSA) are expected to be
around by March 15, 2017, according
to the ministry.
Meanwhile, bids for the onshore
Blocks 30 and 49, which were also
part of the latest licensing round, had
closed during December and January
respectively
Oman has pledged to push ahead
with its upstream exploration efforts
with a view to uncovering new
hydrocarbon resources that currently
account for around 60 per cent of
government revenues.
PEIE launches ‘Azeemati’ strategy for
Omani skills development in industry
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, FEB 15
As part of Oman Manufacturing Group
(OMG) series of events organised by
the Public Establishment for Industrial
Estates (PEIE), a seminar was held
yesterday on the role of qualified
national cadres in the manufacturing
sector at InterContinental Muscat.
During the event, PEIE launched a
dedicated training programme for
developing Omani workforce in the
manufacturing sector — ‘Azeemati’,
which is supported by Petroleum
Development Oman (PDO) and
National Training Fund (NTF).
Speaking at the event, Hilal bin
Hamad al Hasani, Chief Executive
Officer of PEIE, stressed that this
Oman Manufacturing Group meeting
is very special due to the fact that a
major step is being taken to strengthen
the industrial sector, by providing a
dedicated human capital development
programme. He thanked Petroleum
Development Oman and the newly
formed National Training Fund for
their “valuable advisory and financial
support”.
He added, “Since a few years,
OMANISATION
BOOST: ‘Azeemati’ is
supported by Petroleum
Development
Oman and National
Training Fund
apart from providing excellent
infrastructure, PEIE has been
functioning as a harbinger of
progressive changes to create a vibrant
industrial community in Oman. The
setting up of the Industrial Innovation
Centre, National Business Centre
and most importantly creating our
own private investment arm called
Shumookh Investment and Services
Company have transformed the way
we function. We now work hand-inhand
with the private sector through
many PPP projects.”
Speaking about Azeemati
programme, Al Hasani said,
“Through the Azeemati initiative, we
are launching today, there is going
to be focus on Quality Omanisation.
That is, through a structured training
programme over 8 to 12 months,
we will develop highly skilled and
TURN TO P15

insideoman
business
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
14 THURSDAY
l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
Bank Muscat hosts Harvard Business
School alumni learning event
MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship
financial services provider in the Sultanate,
in association with Harvard Business
Publishing (HBP) and Harvard Business
School (HBS), organised an HBS alumni
learning event at the bank’s head office,
attended by AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief
Executive, members of the Management
Team and Harvard Alumni Club of the
GCC. The unique opportunity came in line
with the bank’s ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and
commitment to partnership in facilitating
top-of-the-line learning experiences.
Bank Muscat maintains strong relations
with leading global business schools where
senior Omani executives are nominated
to attend management and leadership
development programmes to enable them
to accelerate career development. Bank
Muscat and Harvard Business School enjoy
strong partnership in offering management
and leadership development programmes
for Management Team members. In
recognition of the collaboration in
leadership development of the bank’s
Management Team members, HBP and
HBS presented an award to AbdulRazak
Ali Issa.
AbdulRazak Ali Issa said: “Bank Muscat
is proud of its association with Harvard
Oman Air Catering capable of producing
over 18,000 meals daily
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, FEB 15
Oman Air Catering Services has posted
positive results for 2016 despite volatile
market conditions. Being awarded a new
contract for British Airways to supply in
flight catering to their London flights, at the
end of last year, for an initial period of three
OAPFD participates in Abu Dhabi
Offset Confererence 2017
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, FEB 15
The Oman Authority for Partnership for
Development (OAPFD) participated in the
Abu Dhabi International Offset Conference
(ADIOC 2017) in the UAE which organised
by Tawazun Economic Council, the entity
supervising the implementation of the
offset programme in the UAE.
Dr Dhafir Awadh al Shanfari, Chief
Executive Officer of Omani Authority for
Partnership for Development OAPFD,
led the Omani delegation to the UAE.
The three-day conference aims to discuss
different issues relating to global offset,
countertrade, industry and education,
with a particular emphasis on the Middle
East, North Africa and South Asia with the
theme of the Conference being “Enticing
Opportunities: The role of industrial
partnerships in a shifting economic
landscape”.
The Conference was attended by
delegates from Government, industry
experts and leading international companies
from both Defence and Industry. ADIOC
represents an opportunity to exchange
expert views and to share best practice in
core offset principles such as economic
diversification, foreign direct investments,
technology transfer, fair trade, and joint
cooperation between countries.
Business School for providing top grade
leadership and management training for
Management Team members. The bank
has adopted innovative strategies to equip
Omani employees to take up leadership
positions in tandem with future challenges.
The HR practices focus on creating,
nurturing and supporting employees to
meet the ambitious growth plans of the
bank. The initiative comes as part of efforts
and commitment by the bank to equip
Omani employees with leadership and
management acumen.”
Dr Francesca Gino, Professor of Business
and a half years, is just one among them.
In addition, Oman Air Catering Services
recently won the contract with Royal
Flight, a Russian based charter airline, for
three years. With a focus on quality and
increased efficiency, Oman Air Catering
Services division now offers services to
12 airlines worldwide (including its two
Dr Al Shanfari delivered a presentation
on Oman’s PFD Programme — the second
official presentation of the PFD Programme
and its Regulations to an international
audience.
In his presentation he explained the
history of the PFD Programme and how it
began in the Ministry of Defence in 2000,
up to the issuing of Royal Decree 9/2014
in February 2014 and the establishment of
the Authority, the independent body that
manages the PFD Programme.
He mentioned in the presentation the
role of OAPFD to manage and administer
the Partnership for Development (PFD/
Offset) Programme and ensure that all units
of the State Administrative Apparatus and
the companies in which the government
share is more than 50 per cent should apply
the PFD programme in all procurement
Administration in the Negotiation,
Organisations & Markets Unit at Harvard
Business School, led the learning session
on the topic ‘Making Better Decisions’.
The reference for discussion was Dr. Gino’s
latest publication: ‘Sidetracked — Why Our
Decisions Get Derailed and How We Can
Stick to the Plan’. In this book, Professor
Gino explores inconsistent decisions
played out in a wide range of circumstances
— from our roles as consumers and
employees (what we buy, how we manage
others) to choices that we make more
broadly as human beings.
newest contracts).
The Catering Services division has
grown from strength to strength and has
the capability to produce in excess of 18,000
meals a day. In the past year alone Oman
Air Catering Services produced an extra
one million meals, increasing productivity
without compromising on quality. Oman
Air Catering Services operates adjacent to
Muscat Airport in a 10,000 square metre
HALAL certified facility. The division
employs around 650 staff with 74 per cent
of the work force being Omani.
Abdulaziz al Raisi, Executive
Vice-President, Products and Brand
Development said: “Despite difficult
trading conditions, we are delighted to
announce these new contracts. Oman Air’s
Catering Services division aim to replicate
the vision of Oman Air as a whole, focusing
on being the best, increasing efficiency
and differentiating products and services
through enhanced quality. Our talented
team is derived from a multicultural array
of nationalities which gives us an edge
when developing and producing menus for
our many international clients.”
contracts with foreign companies and with
local companies where foreign content is
involved.
The PFD programme is a valuable
economic tool for accomplishing a variety
of goals relating to economic diversification,
enhancing national capabilities including
military and security capabilities, and
strengthening the private sector through
new technologies and human resource
development.
Dr Dhafir said: “ADIOC conference is the
ideal forum for us to present the Sultanate’s
experience in the implementation of
the PFD/Offset programme. In addition
to that, the Conference is an excellent
platform for exchanging expert views and
for creating industrial relationships and
for strengthening our current partnerships
with the aim of advancing economic
diversification in Oman.”
OAPFD had previously participated
in 2016 in the Global Industrial
Cooperation Conference (GICC) in Spain
as the first official presentation of the PFD
Programme.
The participation in these Conferences
and Forums are part of the OAPFD’s
strategy in introducing Oman’s experience
in implementation and the mechanisms for
its implementation to achieve the objectives
of the OAPFD.
BUSINESS ALERT
Alizz Islamic Bank launches new corporate website
MUSCAT: With a strong belief in enhancing the
online customer experience, Alizz Islamic Bank
has launched its newly redesigned website. This
launch coincides with the bank’s expanding role
as a leader of customer experience in Oman. The
attractive site, which can be navigated with ease via
desktop, tablet or mobile device, offers customers
and visitors clearer and more informative content
in both Arabic and English including details on
products and services and online application
for accounts, finance, and credit cards. The new
website provides a clear message of who Alizz
Islamic Bank is, what the bank stands for and
where the bank’s values lie when developing and
maintaining a relationship with customers.
The new Alizz Islamic Bank website boasts a
lean design and intuitive consistent site-wide navigation system with improved menu functionality that
directs the customer to the information most relevant to them. It is also fully responsive with mobile
devices, making it easy to navigate on a wide range of web browsers and portable devices.
Bank Sohar Appoints CFO
and AGM of Compliance
BANK Sohar, continuing to invest in the
capabilities and growth of its Executive
Management members, has announced the
appointment of Pieter De Witt, as the Bank’s
new Chief Financial Officer and Khalid Khalfan
Rashid Al Subhi, as the new AGM and Head of
Compliance. Both; Pieter De Witt and Khalid
Al Subhi are highly qualified individuals in their
respective fields.
Commenting on the new appointments, Sasi
Kumar, Acting CEO of Bank Sohar said, “We
are pleased to welcome Pieter Burger De Witt
and Khalid Khalfan Rashid Al Subhi to the
bank, both of whom have almost 20 years of
experience in the financial sector. I am confident
their leadership skills, coupled with their focus
on continuous improvement and performance
will serve Bank Sohar well as we drive our growth
SOTC Holiday Bazaar on February 18
strategy and progress on our path towards
Banking excellence.”
Pieter De Witt, a British national, is a
qualified chartered accountant with over 20
years of experience in the Banking Sector.
Prior to joining Bank Sohar, he served as Head
of Financial Reporting & Review with Arab
National Bank and Saudi Hollandi Bank in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In addition,
he previously worked at globally recognised and
respect institutions, such as, Merrill Lynch and
PricewoaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in London,
and KPMG in South Africa.
KHIMJI’S House of Travel in partnership with
Qatar Airways will be hosting its annual “SOTC
Holiday Bazaar” an exclusive one day event on
Saturday, 18th of February 2017 at the “House of
Travel” office in Ruwi — Opposite to Haffa House
Hotel.
The SOTC holiday bazaar is focused on
travellers considering the option of group travel.
SOTC offers popular itineraries to America,
Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Far
East. Additionally in 2017 travellers can also check
unique itineraries to South America, Scandinavia
with the midnight sun, Spain during the Tomatino
festival and Baltic Pearls covering Estonia ,Lativia , Lithuania and Poland.
All the SOTC itineraries are designed keeping in mind the requirements of the Non-Resident Indians.
Falling under the three categories of Premium, Value and Cost Saver, the packages include vegetarian
meals and the services of a tour manager at all times.
The holiday Bazaar will be held at the new office of Khimji’s House of Travel , located adjacent to the
Samsung showroom in Ruwi.
Aster Al Raffah introduces
new orthopaedic surgeon
DR George Varghese, an internationally
experienced and highly accomplished
Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 26 years of
diagnostic and surgical experience, and more
than 6000 knee replacement surgeries to his
credit, joins Aster Al Raffah Oman.
Muscat, Oman, 14th February 2017: Aster Al
Raffah Hospital is one of the leading healthcare
providers in Oman, especially in the treatment
for musculoskeletal disorders. Since its inception
in 2009, Aster Al Raffah Hospital has always
maintained high standards of care which have
been exhibited by each and every one of its
departments, and a big part of consistently
providing high quality treatments has been
the appointment of world class surgeons and
physicians.
On the event of introducing Dr. Varghese as
the new Visiting Orthopaedic Surgeon at Aster
Al Raffah Oman, the COO of Aster Al Raffah
Hospitals and Clinics, Seeniya Biju, had the
following words to say, “Omani nationals and
residents have always been travelling to India in
order to meet their medical and surgical needs.
The appointment of an experienced surgeon such
as Dr. George Varghese to the orthopaedic team
at Aster Al Raffah Oman, is another initiative to
provide the residents of Oman with world class
Orthopaedic medical and surgical care.”
Lexus impresses with new revolutionary concept seat
LEXUS has literally leaped to the next level of bringing imagination to
life with the display of the revolutionary concept seat at the Paris Motor
Show 2016. A look at this seat will completely shatter your expectations
of a simple interior element that has remained unchanged for decades.
Lexus debuted the Kinetic Seat Concept at the 2016 Paris Motor
Show, as a standalone display. The very sight of it will leave so many
questions in the mind and unbelievably all of them have answers so
simple that it will leave you longing to own one in your future Lexus.
In humans, the spine acts to stabilise the head. It allows the pelvis
and chest to rotate in opposite directions, stabilising movement of the
head even while walking or jogging. In order to recreate this movement
in car seats, the seat cushion and back rest were designed to move kinetically with occupant weight and
external forces. Thus, simply sitting in the seat helps stabilise head movement caused by vehicle motion,
keeping the field of vision steady. This reduces the burden on occupants, improving ease of driving
and comfort. The seat frame “upholstery” comprises a spider web-pattern net with threads that spread
out radially from the centre of the back rest. The net is sufficiently flexible to closely fit body shape,
dispersing the load to help make it possible to sit comfortably for prolonged periods.

insideoman
business
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
15
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
Economic crime in Mideast still tough to tackle: PwC
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, FEB 15
PwC Middle East’s Forensics
Services team hosted a conference on
Global Trends in Investigations and
Enforcement at the InterContinental
Hotel Dubai, in collaboration with
the UAE’s chapter of the Internal
Audit Association (IIA) last month.
PwC’s Global Forensics leaders in
attendance shared their experience
on international trends in economic
crime and discussed the importance of
how new technologies can help protect
and mitigate risks for businesses.
Samia al Yousuf, UAE IIA General
Manager opened the event and
welcomed Achraf el Zaim, Forensic
Services Partner for PwC Middle
East who discussed the impact of
globalisation on today’s economy
and the latest Middle East statistics
HIGHLIGHTS:
The four most
commonly reported
types of economic
crime are asset
misappropriation,
cybercrime, bribery
and corruption and
procurement fraud
reported in PwC’s Global Economic
Crime Survey.
Nick Robinson, PwC Middle East
Partner and Forensic Services Leader
said, “Economic crime continues
to adversely affect organisations
across the region, as awareness grows
organisations will be judged on how
they react and respond to instances.”
Abdul Qader Obeid Ali, Chairman
of the UAE IIA stated: “We are all
aware that economic crime is not just
a global problem but also a major issue
that we are facing in the Middle East.
We are all requested to engage in the
efforts to mitigate economic crime as
well as investigate it.”
Nick Robinson and Abdul
Qader Obeid Ali co-chaired the
panel discussions which outlined
how organisations protect their
reputation in a global environment
and the importance in cross-border
investigations and enforcement.
During the conference, a PwC live
polling session on economic crime’s
impact on organisations surveyed 150
participants. Survey results showed
that despite the Middle East’s efforts
to combat economic crime, there has
been no clear indication that levels
in the Middle East or globally have
decreased. Economic crime remains
as tough to tackle as it’s ever been.
Although 65 per cent of the survey’s
respondents cited “opportunity” as
the biggest factor driving crimes
committed by employees (74 per cent
of all economic crimes reported in the
last two years were committed by staff),
40 per cent of respondents indicated
that their organisations have never
performed a fraud risk assessment.
Furthermore, the four most commonly
reported types of economic crime
are “asset misappropriation” (49 per
cent), “procurement fraud” (16 per
cent), “bribery and corruption” (15
per cent) and “cybercrime” (12 per
cent). Finally, although 72 per cent
of respondents indicated that their
perception of the risk of cybercrime in
their organisation has increased over
the last 24 months, 44 per cent reported
that their organisation restructured or
reorganised departments responsible
for governance and compliance as
a measure implemented in the last
24 months to address increased
regulatory expectations.
Further interesting findings from
the survey are around the most likely
characteristics of an internal fraudster,
incident response plans to deal with
cyber-attacks and the most significant
challenges with response to AML/CFT
systems.
Seminar showcases S Korea’s
healthcare prowess
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, FEB 15
South Korea’s formidable reputation
as a healthcare services global
heavyweight was showcased at the
first ever Oman-Korean Health
Cooperation Seminar which opened
at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort &
Spa yesterday.
In attendance at the event was
an 18-member high-level Korean
delegation representing some of
the biggest and most prestigious
components of Korea’s globally
renowned healthcare and life-sciences
sector. The list includes reputable
institutions such as the Korea Health
Industry Development Institute
(KHIDI), Korea University Anam
Hospital, Samsung Medical Centre,
Seoul National University Hospital,
and Severance Hospital . Also present
were officials from Korea’s Ministry of
Health and Welfare.
OAB attends IIF MENA Financial Summit
MUSCAT: Amin al Husseini, CEO
of Oman Arab Bank, participated
in a panel discussion on the ‘New
Challenges Facing GCC Banks:
Views from the C-Suite’ at the IIF
MENA 2017 Financial Summit held
this week.
Organised by the Institute of
International Finance (IIF) and
held at the Ritz Carlton — Dubai
International Financial Centre Hotel,
the 2017 IIF MENA Financial Summit
took place between February 13 and
14. This financial world event was
attended by more than 250 financial
leaders and policymakers from across
the MENA Region, including global
market participants.
The Summit featured expert panels
and keynote speakers addressing
topics of central importance to the
financial industry, while discussing
The two-day visit was organised
by the Korea Trade-Investment
Promotion Agency (KOTRA),
a nonprofit trade promotion
organisation, representing the
Commercial Division of Korean
Embassy in Oman.
The opening session featured
presentations from each of the
represented institutions showcasing
their specialties in areas such as organ
transplant, thyroid treatment, cancer
treatment, cardiovascular surgery,
challenges and opportunities for this
important and dynamic region of the
world.
Amin al Husseini participated as
a panellist in a session on the new
challenges facing GCC banks, held
on the first day of the summit. The
session illustrated how financial
institutions overcame the challenges
faced in light of the sharp fall in oil
prices, tightening liquidity and rising
interest rate.
Commenting on his participation
cosmetic surgery, and so on.
A large contingent of high-ranking
officials from Oman’s Ministry of
Health also took part in the seminar.
Leading the Omani side at the
deliberations were Dr Ali Talib al
Hinai, Under-Secretary for Planning
Affairs, Dr Mohammed Saif al Hosni,
Under-Secretary for Health Affairs,
Dr Darwish Saif al Maharbi, and
Under-Secretary for Administration
& Finance Affairs.
in the Summit, Amin al Husseini
noted, “I am privileged and humbled
to sit on a panel representing the
Omani Banking Sector.
The IIF MENA Financial Summit
provides a valuable opportunity for
financial business leaders and experts
from the MENA region to touch upon
the various headwinds being faced
by the Banking and Financial sector;
facilitating the exchange of strategies
and experience, together with possible
solutions.
MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET
PEIE launches ‘Azeemati’ strategy for
Omani skills development in industry
FROM P13
motivated industry-ready Omani
workforce. It is quite a pleasant coincidence
that both PDO and NTF are
adopting significant strategies to develop
Omani workforce in various sectors
and we, PEIE, could gel with their
ambitions.”
“There are many stakeholders giving
the manufacturing sector a great
opportunity,” Al Hasani said, adding:
“I urge the industrialists not to undermine
this great opportunity to get
highly trained people. They should
simply grab this opportunity and benefit
from it.”
The Azeemati initiative was then
launched at the seminar in line with
social responsibility framework and
PEIE’s keenness to actively contribute
to solve the challenges faced by jobseekers.
PEIE has made great efforts
in order to develop a mechanism and
create job opportunities for young
job seekers in the various industrial
estates pertaining to PEIE. Azeemati
programme comprises foundation period
to provide the trainees with initial
skills, for instance in English language,
work ethics, health and safety, and information
technology.
In this regard, PEIE signed a threeyear
Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Petroleum Development
Oman (PDO) to fund a training programme
for jobseekers registered in
the Public Authority of Manpower
Register. The programme will continue
for a period of 12 months in a
specialised institute. A Memorandum
of Understanding was also signed between
PEIE and the National Training
Fund (NTF) to facilitate full time employment
of trainees. The MoU aims
at facilitating employment of trainees
on full-time basis following successful
completion of their training programme.
The National Training Fund shall
finance the training programme
following allocation of the trainees to
the companies operating in the various
fields of manufacturing and other
fields in the industrial estates pertaining
to PEIE in the various governorates
of the Sultanate.

international
business
16 THURSDAY
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
Asia markets, dollar rally as dealers welcome Yellen
A man walks past an electronic quotation board flashing the Nikkei key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in front of a
securities company in Tokyo. — AFP
HONG KONG: The dollar extended
gains and most Asian markets resumed
their rally on Wednesday as
traders cheered upbeat remarks on the
US economy by Federal Reserve boss
Janet Yellen.
Wall Street hit record highs for a
fourth successive day as Yellen reinforced
the view that the world’s top
economy was in rude health, with the
jobs market improving and inflation
heading to the Fed’s two per cent target.
She confirmed the next rate rise
could come at any time, which leaves
open the possibility of a move at the
Fed’s March 14-15 policy meeting.
Her remarks, in the first of two
days of testimony to Congress, helped
drag US markets out of a morning
slumber and reinvigorated the greenback
against most of its peers.
“The US dollar was on the back
foot during the Asian trade (Tuesday),
but it got that boost from Yellen,
so it will be on a stronger position
(Wednesday),” said Greg McKenna,
chief market strategist at CFD and FX
provider AxiTrader.
“She said rates need to rise. That’s
important because to wait is to risk
having to overreact and then knock
the economy — and markets — for
six.”
In Tokyo the dollar was at 114.35
yen from 114.27 yen in New York and
well up from the 113.40 yen earlier in
Asia. The pound and euro were sharply
down from their levels in Asia on
Tuesday.
Higher-risk currencies retreated,
with Australia’s dollar, the South Korean
won, Malaysian ringgit and New
Zealand dollar all well down.
Equity markets tracked the US
surge. Tokyo shot up one per cent
as the weaker yen helped exporters,
while Hong Kong added 1.2 per cent.
Sydney ended up 0.9 per cent,
Seoul gained 0.5 per cent and Singapore
was up 0.4 per cent. Wellington
and Taipei also advanced.
China stocks reversed earlier gains
to end lower on Wednesday, as technology
and resource stocks took a
breather after their recent strong rally.
The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 0.4
per cent, to 3,421.71 points, while the
Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.2
per cent to 3,212.99 points.
Most sectors retreated, led by materials
and industrial stocks.
The tech-heavy start-up index
ChiNext lost 0.9 per cent in its biggest
fall since January 24. However, bank
stocks gained 1 per cent as some large
Chinese joint-stock banks and local
commercial banks were reported to be
involved in the second batch of nonperforming
asset securitisation.
The Shanghai SOEs Index also
gained 1.8 per cent after news that
Shanghai State-owned Enterprises
Work Conference would be held on
Thursday, which was expected to set
the course for this year’s reform.
Golden Dragon slumped 7.9 per
cent to a near one-month low, after the
company said it is being probed for
suspected bribery.
The broad advance extends a rally
that began last week when President
Donald Trump promised details of
“phenomenal” tax reforms, raising
hopes he will also honour other election
promises of massive infrastructure
spending and deregulation.
“In principle, the Trump rally continues,”
said Toshihiko Matsuno, chief
strategist at SMBC Friend Securities.
— AFP
Oil prices dip over doubts high Opec
compliance with agreed cuts will last
SINGAPORE: Oil prices dipped
on Wednesday over concerns that
Opec producers would not be able
to maintain their high compliance
so far with output cuts aimed at
reining in a global fuel supply overhang.
Brent crude was trading at
$55.83 per barrel at 0800 GMT,
down 14 cents from its last close.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI)
crude was down 23 cents at $52.97
per barrel.
The Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries (Opec)
and other producers including
Russia agreed in December to cut
output by almost 1.8 million barrels
per day (bpd) during the first
half of 2017.
BMI Research said that, based
on an estimated compliance with
planned production cuts of 92.8
per cent by Opec alone, output was
down 1.08 million bpd, led primarily
by deep cuts from Opec’s defacto
leader Saudi Arabia. But BMI
warned that a compliance rate of
just 40 per cent by Iraq, Opec’s second-biggest
producer, “could prove
problematic to group cohesion” as
others will have to go beyond their
targets to meet the overall goal for
the first half of 2017.
Some traders said upcoming
oil field maintenance across the
Middle East might help the group
achieve production cuts.
Yet overall, analysts said oil
markets remain well supplied despite
the Opec-led cuts, in part due
to a 6.5 per cent rise in US oil output
since mid-2016 to 8.98 million
bpd.
US bank Citi said that it was
lowering its 2Q 2018 and 4Q 2018
oil price forecasts by $1 a barrel.
“Our ICE Brent forecasts for
2Q’18 will now be $63 per barrel
and for 4Q’18 will be $58 per barrel
to give a calendar average of $60
per barrel,” it said.
Outside physical oil markets, a
rising correlation between crude futures
and the US dollar has caught
market attention. Oil prices and the
dollar are typically in an inverse correlation.
A strong greenback weighs
on crude as it makes fuel purchases
more expensive, potentially crimping
demand. A weaker dollar supports
oil by making fuel imports
cheaper.
— Reuters
France’s Michelin pumps up profits 43pc
PARIS: France’s Michelin, one of the
world’s biggest tyre makers, reported
a sharp rise in net profit for 2016 even
as sales dropped partly on pound
weakness following last year’s Brexit
vote.
Net profit increased by 43 per cent
to 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) on
sales of 21 billion euros, down 1.4 per
cent. The drop in sales was partly due
to weakness in the pound after Britain’s
vote to leave the European Union as
sales generated in sterling resulted in
fewer euros, the company’s reporting
currency.
Commodity prices also weighed on
sales, Michelin said.
But the tyre maker, in the global top
Higher energy prices boost US
producer inflation in January
WASHINGTON: US producer prices
rose more than expected in January,
recording their largest gain in more
than four years amid increases in the
cost of energy products and some
services, but a strong dollar continued
to keep underlying inflation tame.
The Labor Department said on
Tuesday its producer price index for
final demand jumped 0.6 per cent last
month. That was the largest increase
since September 2012 and followed a
0.2 per cent rise in December.
Despite the surge, the PPI only increased
1.6 per cent in the 12 months
through January. That followed a similar
gain in the 12 months through December.
Economists polled by Reuters
had forecast the PPI rising 0.3 per
cent last month and the year-on-year
increase moderating to 1.5 per cent.
The rise in producer prices comes
as manufacturers report paying more
for raw materials. The Institute for
Supply Management’s (ISM) prices
index surged in January to its highest
level since May 2011. The ISM index,
which is closely correlated to the PPI,
has increased for 11 straight months.
The gains in PPI last month largely
reflected increases in the prices
of commodities such as crude oil,
three with Bridgestone and Goodyear,
managed a 2.1 per cent rise volume
sales, outperforming the overall
market, Michelin said. Combined
with a favourable product mix and
an exceptional gain this resulted in a
much better bottom line.
“The 2016 results show clear
progress compared with the previous
year,” CEO Jean-Dominique Senard
said. Michelin met all its annual
targets, including “very significant”
cash flow.
Debt fell and Michelin’s operating
margin rose. The results “make us
extremely confident about the future,”
Senard told reporters.
He said the Brexit fallout was
having a “complex” impact on
Michelin’s performance, but had so far
been “limited overall.”
He said Michelin raised its tyre
prices in Britain to compensate for
the pound’s weakness. At the same
time Michelin’s factory in Scotland
was enjoying a competitive advantage
from the weaker currency’s impact on
export prices.
— AFP
Women shop for handbags at Macy’s Herald Square store in the Manhattan
borough of New York. — Reuters
which are being boosted by a steadily
growing global economy. Oil prices
have risen above $50 per barrel. But
with the dollar strengthening further
against the currencies of the United
States’ main trading partners and
wage growth still sluggish, the spillover
to consumer inflation from rising
commodity prices is likely to be limited.
A government report on Friday
showed import prices excluding fuels
fell in January for a third straight
month. Data on Wednesday is expected
to show the consumer price index
increased 0.3 per cent in January after
a similar gain in December, according
to a Reuters survey of economists.
Last month, prices for final demand
goods increased 1 per cent, the
largest rise since May 2015. The gain
accounted for more than 60 per cent
of the increase in the PPI. Prices for
final demand goods advanced 0.6 per
cent in December.
Wholesale food prices were unchanged
last month after climbing 0.5
per cent in December. — Reuters
BIZ BRIEF
Smartphone
maker Huawei
catching up on
Samsung, Apple
PARIS: Chinese smartphone maker
Huawei managed to gain ground
on Samsung and Apple in terms of
market share last year, following the
problems encountered by the two
sector giants, the Gartner consultancy
group said on Wednesday.
Over the year as a whole, the
Chinese maker saw its sales leap by
26.7 per cent, while the South Korean
and US rivals both saw their sales
decline by 4.3 per cent, Gartner said
in a study.
As result, Huawei was able to
increase its share of the smartphone
sector to 8.9 per cent in 2016 from 7.3
per cent a year earlier, while Samsung
saw its market share shrink by two full
percentage points to 20.5 per cent
and Apple’s contracted to 14.4 per
cent from 15.9 per cent.
“Chinese makers succeeded in
winning market share over last year
and Huawei now seems to be the
main rival to the two giants, even if
the gap remains large,” Gartner analyst
Annette Zimmermann said.
Among the other Chinese
smartphone makers are OPPO, BBK
Communication Equipment (with
its One Plus and Vivo brands), ZTE,
Xiaomi and Lenovo.
“We’re seeing a very real
progression compared with earlier
years, when the number three maker
and the others had struggled to hold
on to a market share of more than
four per cent,” Zimmermann said.
“Huawei looks likely to strengthen
its position again this year,” she added.
In the fourth quarter of 2016
alone, the launch of the iPhone 7 and
Samsung’s difficulties with its Note 7
model enabled Apple to take top slot
in the market with a share of 17.9 per
cent or 77 million units sold.
Samsung sold 76.8 million
smartphones in the October-
December period, giving it a market
share of 17.8 per cent, while Huawei
sold 40.8 million phones or a market
share of 9.5 per cent. — AFP
China new bank loans surge to $300 bn
BEIJING: Chinese bank lending surged in January, the central bank said, as concerns
grow that a flood of credit is increasing financial risks in the world’s second-largest
economy.
New loans extended by banks rose to 2.03 trillion yuan ($300 billion), nearly twice
the 1.04 trillion yuan in December, said the People’s Bank of China.
Analysts have been raising the alarm over the surge in China’s debt as Beijing has
flooded the market with credit to prop up economic growth. In an attempt to reduce
risks, the central bank has rolled out monetary tightening policies in recent weeks,
raising short-term borrowing rates for the first time since 2013.
In a separate statement the central bank said total social financing — an
alternative measure of credit in the real economy — rose dramatically to 3.74 trillion
yuan in the month, compared to 1.63 trillion yuan in December.
The growth of long-term residential housing loans to a record 623 billion yuan
shows that the red-hot real-estate market has not cooled despite tighter government
restrictions, analyst Liu Dongliang of China Merchant’s Bank said in a note.
But the data showing strong demand for loans also points to stability for the
economy in the first half of the year, Liu added.
Figures released on Tuesday showed that consumer and producer prices climbed
in January, raising hopes China may begin to export much-needed inflation to the
global economy. Last week data showed that exports and imports surged more than
expected, while manufacturing activity also continued to grow. — AFP
Chairman of Japan’s Toyota Motor Takeshi Uchiyamada introduces its
redesigned Prius PHV (plug-in hybrid vehicle) during a press conference in
Tokyo on February 15, 2017. Toyota released the new Prius PHV yesterday all
over Japan, which expanded an EV mode range to 68.2 km, more than
double that of its predecessor, and achieved high fuel efficiency of 37.2 km
per litre. — AFP
Dutch economy grows 2.3pc in Q4 2016
THE HAGUE: The Dutch economy has grown by 2.3 per cent year-on-year in the
fourth quarter of 2016, with consumer confidence at its highest levels since the 2008
economic crisis, the central statistics office said.
“The gross domestic product was 2.3 per cent better than the fourth quarter of
2015. Growth is mainly due to higher consumption by families and exports,” the CBS
said in a statement, based on an initial calculation.
“Consumer confidence at the end of 2016 reached its highest levels in nine years. It
has been the highest consumer growth in nine years,” it added.
The Dutch government’s economic think-tank in December said the country’s
economy grew by 2.1 per cent in 2016, recovering to pre-crisis levels.
Consumers in Europe’s sixth-largest economy “especially spent more on clothing,
cars and electrical appliances,” the CBS said.
“They also used relatively more gas due to cold weather in November and
December and spent more on services such as in the hotel, restaurant and cafe trade,
recreation and culture,” it said.
Housing also saw increased investment levels in the fourth quarter “although not
as much as in the third quarter”.
The Dutch economy took a serious blow in the aftermath of the 2008 global
financial crisis and has seen several years of austerity-driven budgets by Prime Minister
Mark Rutte’s Liberal-Labour coalition government. — AFP

perspective
business
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
17
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
TECHNOLOGY PUSH
Geeks venture into Goldman’s world of big deals
T
OLIVIA ORAN
echnology whizzes who helped Goldman
Sachs (GS.N) eliminate hundreds of trading
jobs over the past few years are venturing into
the bank’s flagship M&A business, making
some junior bankers uneasy.
A team of 75 programmers, internally
referred to as “strats,” has been developing
technology to make Goldman’s elite
dealmakers more productive. That team
within investment banking has doubled in
size since 2014, when long time tech banker
George Lee was appointed chief information
officer for the investment banking division.
Programmers are now supporting those
handling equity underwriting, leveraged
buyouts and deals within the financial services
and real estate sectors. They are also analysing
client data to offer better advice on deal targets
and types of actions that might please a
particular company’s investor base.
Conventional wisdom holds that
investment banking does not yield itself to
automation the way trading does, because it
Conventional wisdom holds that investment
banking does not yield itself to automation the way
trading does, because it relies so much on personal
relationships forged over years of business lunches,
rounds of golf and boardroom presentations.
relies so much on personal relationships
forged over years of business lunches, rounds
of golf and boardroom presentations.
Goldman executives say technology aims
to reduce the grunt-work junior bankers now
perform, so they can spend more time helping
top dealmakers rake in more money.
But some who joined Goldman in recent
years expecting to advance from supporting
cast to lead roles on big deals are wondering
whether technology will be their friend or foe.
One employee who asked not to be named
said investment bank staff are looking at how
trading got automated, and wondering if the
same fate awaits them.
There is more water-cooler chatter among
young employees about using their Goldman
experience to build a career outside banking,
he said. Automation is not the only concern,
but it does come up, he added. “Banking used
to be an area where the top undergrads and
MBAs wanted jobs, but now so much of those
roles are automatable,” said Tom Davenport,
a professor of information technology and
management at Babson College.
One concern is that technology may
make some staff redundant. Another is that
the strats themselves — more likely to hold
engineering PhDs from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology than MBAs from
Wharton — could get ahead of bankers on a
career path. Worries have been exacerbated by
weak business and broader job cuts across the
industry.
At Goldman, revenue fell 9 per cent last
year to its lowest since 2011, and its return on
equity remains below the 10 per cent investors
generally expect. Investment banking had a
rough year, hurt by a near-empty calendar for
initial public offerings, and a broad slowdown
in M&A activity.
The top 10 Wall Street firms have cut the
number of client-facing investment bankers
they employ by 15 per cent since 2010,
according to research firm Coalition.
Advances in technology could thin the
ranks of low-level staff at Goldman as much
as 10 per cent in the next few years, people
familiar with the matter said. Kognetics,
a software company that uses artificial
intelligence to assist investment bankers,
says about a quarter of their routine can be
automated.
Goldman’s strats recently launched
“Sellside,” an application that allows junior
bankers to quickly compile deal information,
such as when bids from different buyers
arrive. They have also made it possible for
senior bankers to check deals remotely while
travelling, instead of calling analysts for
updates. As certain tasks get automated, it
could become harder for junior bankers to
learn the basics of their job and advance to
more senior positions, said Jeanne Branthover,
managing partner at executive search firm
DHR International. “The pipeline of talent
will dwindle,” she said.
But Goldman executives involved in the
technology push say their goal is to make
junior staff more efficient and call concerns
about job losses overblown. Expanding strats’
roles is necessary to stay competitive, they say.
Goldman’s deputy finance chief, Marty
Chavez, has been telling people worried
about their jobs to learn skills that cannot be
replicated by a computer. At a Harvard event
last month, Chavez said some investment
banking tasks were “begging to be automated,”
according to an MIT Technology Review
report. — Reuters
*
POLICY CHANGE
*
PENSION DEALS
Insurers sense opportunity
in unwanted pension plans
SUZANNE BARLYN
A view shows the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. — Reuters
Pharma firms shun Trump’s push for shift at FDA
U
DEENA BEASLEY
S President Donald Trump’s vow to roll back
government regulations at least 75 per cent
is causing anxiety for some pharmaceutical
executives that a less robust Food and Drug
Administration would make it harder to
secure insurance coverage for pricey new
medicines.
The prospect of big change at the
regulatory agency comes as drugmakers
are under fire for high prices, including
Marathon Pharmaceuticals LLC, which said
on Monday it was “pausing” the launch of
its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug after
US lawmakers questioned its $89,000 a year
price.
Industry trade group Biotechnology
Innovation Organization said that during
high-level discussions with Trump advisers,
lobbyists urged the administration not to
name a new commissioner of the Food
and Drug Administration who would act
rashly to speed up the agency’s approval
of new medicines. That sentiment was
echoed by executives at more than a dozen
pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms,
who said that the FDA is already adopting
new drug development models and warned
that a looser review process would put
patients at risk.
“People often argue that the FDA is too
restrictive,” said Roger Perlmutter, head of
research and development at Merck & Co
Inc. “We have the sense that the balance
is pretty right... you have to have a wellcharacterised
risk/benefit profile.”
That stance underscores the unique
position the drug industry finds itself in
when it comes to regulating its products.
While most sectors welcome less oversight,
drugmakers say a robust review process
is critical in convincing physicians and
insurers that a pricey new medicine has
value.
Otherwise, the time and money it takes
to get a new drug to market — estimates
run as high as $2.6 billion — would be lost
if insurers are not willing to pay for the
product.
“It is great that the administration is
seeking deregulation... to make sure the
private sector can be more competitive,” said
John Maraganore, chief executive officer at
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc and co-chair
of BIO’s regulatory committee. “But payers
“Any change at the FDA
that allows drugs to be
tried out on patients
without clinical evidence
is a damaging approach”
are looking for evidence of value.”
He said the FDA should speed the
approval of lower cost generic versions of
drugs that have lost patent protection, but
warned that allowing novel products to be
launched without extensive testing could be
dangerous.
“Any change at the FDA that allows drugs
to be tried out on patients without clinical
evidence is a damaging approach,” said
Jeremy Levin, chief executive officer at Ovid
Therapeutics Inc, which is developing drugs
for rare diseases.
Health insurers are pushing back against
high-priced drugs. Sales of expensive new
cholesterol drugs from Amgen Inc and
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc have stalled
as insurers limit coverage until they see
results of trials designed to prove that the
drugs significantly lower the risk of heart
attack and other cardiovascular crises.
“It is one thing to get a drug approved,
but you have got to get reimbursed,” said
Paul Perreault, CEO at biotech company
CSL Ltd, adding that won’t happen unless
payers see proof that a new drug is better
than what is already available.
To be sure, some pharmaceutical
executives have been vocal about the need
for deregulation. Reducing regulation “will
help with drug prices, because it will induce
more competition,” Pfizer Inc CEO Ian Read
said on a recent conference call.
After top executives at Merck, Johnson
& Johnson and others met at the White
House last month with Trump, who
pledged to “streamline” the FDA, industry
trade group Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America said the meeting
found common ground such as tax reform,
and removal of outdated regulations. The
trade group declined to comment on
changes at the FDA.
The prospect of a shake-up at the FDA is
being welcomed by a new class of investor
with ambitions to disrupt the current
drug development model, in which larger
pharmaceutical players often buy or licence
early-stage medicines, and reap the bigger
rewards if they succeed.
“The system we have now has its roots
50, 60 even 70 years ago... it has become
incredibly expensive,” said Tim Shannon, of
venture capital firm Canaan Partners.
He supports the notion that some prescription
medications could reach the market,
possibly at discounted prices, once testing
shows they are safe. If such controlled
usage indicates that they are also effective,
prices could then be raised. — Reuters
U
S insurers are buying corporate pension plans at a record clip as rising
interest rates and all-time high stock-market values give companies
the perfect excuse to offload them.
Calculating they can make more money from selling companies
an annuity to cover the cost of the pension plans and then invest the
proceeds in bonds and other securities, insurers are competing to
persuade corporate America to sell them their pension risk.
These deals, known as pension risk transfers, have been around for
at least 90 years, but they can be limited by a Catch 22: in good times,
corporate leaders feel less of a need to rid their companies of pension
burdens, and in bad times it is more expensive to do so.
“There’s a huge opportunity for the insurance industry,” said
Ellen Kleinstuber, who advises
pension-plan sponsors as an
actuary for CBIZ Inc.
Last week, Prudential
Financial Inc, the biggest player
in pension transfers, said it had
finalised $2.2 billion in pension
deals during the fourth quarter,
including a $1.8 billion deal with
United Technologies Corp.
Other large insurers, including
Transamerica Life Insurance Co
and Principal Financial Group
Inc are also competing for hefty
pension deals as smaller insurers
jockey for a slice of the market.
With so much
competition, many
pension consultants
expect 2017 to be a
strong year for pension
deals. Pension
transfers totalling
$8.1 billion were
finalised in the first
nine months of 2016
With so much competition, many pension consultants expect
2017 to be a strong year for pension deals. Pension transfers totalling
$8.1 billion were finalised in the first nine months of 2016, according
to the Life Insurance and Market Research Association (LIMRA),
an industry trade group. The number of deals hit 225, the highest in
more than 25 years.
“It’s really unstoppable now,” said Scott McDermott, a managing
director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management who advises companies
on pension issues. Pension transfers have been kicking around the
insurance industry since the Cleveland Public Library unloaded its
pension to Prudential in 1928.
Prudential is still making payments to two of those employees,
ages 100 and 103, a spokesman said.
The biggest driver of the trend in recent years is the growing number
of companies that are deciding to end their plans, McDermott said.
As retirees live longer and the legal and financial cost of
maintaining pensions rise, corporations are keen to jettison them.
The problem for companies looking to offload is that the pension
plans must be fully-funded before they can sell them. GM, for
example, had to inject more than $2.8 billion into its pension before
closing a 2012 transfer to Prudential. It also paid Prudential a $2.1
billion fee for taking on the assets.
GM’s current US pension plan that is still held by the company is
underfunded by $7.2 billion. — Reuters
US dollar
notes are
seen in this
illustration.
— Reuters

THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16, 2017 l JUMADA AL ULA 19, 1438 AH
www.omanobserver.om
editor@omanobserver.om
SPECIAL Rates on
New Cars & 4 WDs
RENTING & LEASING
Tours and Airport Transfer
Tel: 24582663
GSM: 95859497,
Fax: 24582664,
abcrent@omantel.net.om
· · · · ·
RENT a car daily or
yearly. 91169990.
· · · · ·
4WD Land Cruiser
Rent A Car, daily or
yearly. 91169990.
· · · · ·
For Rent
attached with hall, kitchen
and guest toilet near Mars
Hypermarket, Al Ghubrah
92902313.
· · · · ·
Indian School Darsait,
kitchen and 2 toilets near
Indian School Darsait
92902313.
· · · · ·
FURNISHED
Muscat Grand Mall are
for rent. 93204595/
93203481.
· · · · ·
near Brazilian Embassy
24704994, 99238012.
· · · · ·
A HOUSE in Al Maabela
two bedrooms + sitting
room + kitchen + toilet for
each room. 99700908.
· · · · ·
NEW building in
Maabela Industrial Area
available for rent. Corner
location for showroom,
hypermarket or bank.
99323030
· · · · ·
2 FLOOR house at Al Hail
North. Each floor: 3
bedrooms, 3 bathrooms,
kitchen, store, 1 sitting
room. 92133551,
95067585
· · · · ·
A PREMISE consists of a
2-storey villa, 5 rooms, 2
majlis and 2 apartments.
majlis in South Al Maabela.
Priority is for companies.
99420140.
· · · · ·
A FAMILY
Two bedrooms + majlis +
sitting room + two toilets
99329949.
· · · · ·
4 BEDROOM villa at
Madinat Qaboos,
RO 1,100. One BHK at
Ruwi, RO 275 with A/C.
Single bedroom at Wadi
Kabir, RO 200. Details
call 24790449. e-mail:
infoajsest@gmail.com
· · · · ·
Rent a Car
Buttercup
Rent A Car
AMAZING OFFERS
Rent a car for 10
days and get an extra
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and get 5 days free.
All the cars are
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special prices for
public departments,
companies and longterm
contracts.
972494490.
· · · · ·
Al Shorooq Car Rent
location opposite to
Al Nahda Hospital.
99222617.
· · · · ·
AHAD 2000 Rent a Car.
93204595/ 93203481.
· · · · ·
FLAT for rent with airconditioner,
two bedrooms,
sitting room, medium-sized
sitting room, two toilets and
kitchen near the healthcare
centre of North Al Ghubra at
RO 320. 95548774.
· · · · ·
TWO new apartment for rent
in Al Qurum near Mina al
Fahal. Contact. 94664635,
95850345.
· · · · ·
AN
bedrooms + majlis + medium
sitting room + two toilets
and kitchen, close to North
Al Ghubrah Health Centre is
offered for rent at RO 330.
95548774.
· · · · ·
SHOP in Seeb market.
95250300/ 99110600/
24182000.
· · · · ·
LUXURIOUS villa for
rent near Mina al Fahal
consists of 5 bedrooms, 2
living rooms, 3 kitchens, 7
bathrooms, laundry room,
yard. Monthly rent RO 1,500
+ guarantee cheque. Contact.
94664635, 95850345.
· · · · ·
VILLA in Al Mawaleh (5),
5 rooms + toilets + majlis
and family living room.
92880977.
· · · · ·
1) 2 bedrooms, 2 bathroom,
kitchen, living room, store
with split unit Air
conditioner in Ruwi Rex
road. 2) Basement 580
square metre (new building).
Contact. 99833369.
· · · · ·
floor house behind
German University of
TECHNOLOGY in Halban is
offered for rent. The house
contains 4 bedrooms, living
room, a kitchen and 3 toilets.
91239119.
· · · · ·
ELFAYED for sedative
investment in Salalah
introduces the best price
and utilities, for rent:
daily, monthly and yearly.
98035135/ 96177304/
91788999.
· · · · ·
PEST CONTROL
OMAN CO. LLC.
Supply of
Pesticides,
Gel (Cockroaches),
Public Health
chemicals,
Agriculture
chemicals,
Snake repellent,
Rodent
baits and
other insect
repellent from
Agropharm
Ltd UK.
PROFESSIONALS
in Pest Control Service,
Bedbug Treatment, Rodent
Treatment, Snake Treatment
and Termite Treatment
(Pre and Post Construction).
Tel: 24787606 / 24787503
Fax: 24787607
E-mail: pcomctom@omantel.net.om
P. O. Box: 565, Wadi Kabir,
Postal Code: 117,
SULTANATE OF OMAN
CLASSIFIED SECTION
Ruwi : 24785668 Behind Royal
Oman Police, Adjacent to
Dhofar Building
For Rent For Rent For Rent
FLAT for rent in Maabela 3
master rooms. 96088926.
· · · · ·
A FLAT in South Al
Maabela consists of 3
bedrooms with toilets
for each room + sitting
room and kitchen with
air-condition. The flat is
near a public water
source and in excellent
location. 99700408.
· · · · ·
SHOWROOM in Al
Khoudh Market for rent.
94887300.
· · · · ·
FLAT for rent in Al Mawaleh
South. 3 bedroom + 3
toilets + 1 family hall + 1
kitchen. Monthly rent RO
270, for family only. Contact.
99882551.
· · · · ·
NEW villa in Al Khoudh 6 is
offered for rent. The premise
comprises 6 bedrooms,
male majlis, female majlis, a
split unit air-conditioned
family living room and 8
toilets. 99668686.
· · · · ·
A COFFEE shop with all
equipment in South Al Hail
near Hail Al Awamir School.
99469900.
· · · · ·
AN apartment consists of
two bedrooms, two toilets,
a kitchen and a living room
is offered for rent in Sidab.
99455397, 99181929.
· · · · ·
ONE
and 2km from Wave Muscat,
contains 4 bedrooms, living
room, a kitchen and 2 toilets,
RO 300. 99077722.
· · · · ·
SEMI furnished 2 & 3 BHK
flats at Bausher — near
Atlas Hospital. 99348493/
93200424/ 24502254.
· · · · ·
FLATS in Al Wadi Al Kabeer
near to the Al Kuwaiti
Mosque. 99425958.
· · · · ·
A FLAT in North Al Hail
consists of 4 bedrooms with
toilets for each, sitting room
and kitchen. 99700908.
· · · · ·
AL Hikmani for
HAJ and UMRAH
— With a host of
services including
the following:
Hiring luxurious
coaches, arranging
weekly trips,
preparing visas
for expats at
cost-effective
price, including
transport, housing,
meals and visits to
shrine locations.
Land and air
trips weekly.
99311310,
24566016,
99361982,
99707248,
90777858.
· · · · ·
Umrah/Haj
NEW apartment in Ruwi
near church consists of 2
rooms with its facilities.
Contact. 94664635,
95850345.
· · · · ·
2-STOREY villa in South Al
Maabela consists of majlis, 4
bedrooms with toilets for
each + 2 sitting rooms and
kitchen, located near a
public water source. Contact
999700908
· · · · ·
FLATS for rent in Salalah
European design, farm view,
good situation in the centre
92181524 WhatsApp.
· · · ·
and
Maabela consists of 3
bedrooms, sitting room and
toilets for each room + sitting
room and kitchen close to
water source. 99700908.
· · · · ·
FLATS for rent in Al Khuwair,
Al Hail, Wadi Kabir, Al Falaj,
MBD and Muttrah.
99119699/ 95250300/
24813002.
· · · · ·
1BHK & 2 BHK flats for rent
at Ruwi and Al Khoudh.
93994402, 93994403,
24834644.
·· · · · ·
VILLA for rent in North Al
Hail consists of 4 bedrooms
with toilets for each room +
majlis. 99760908
· · · · ·
2 BEDROOM flat in Al
Ghubra near Oman Oil 18
November Street, RO 330
monthly. 99333479 or
95215360.
· · · · ·
2 BEDROOMS with toilets,
one sitting room with toilet.
Contact. 993803465.
· · · · ·
FLATS for rent near Diwan
Zafraniya area end of
Muttrah Corniche close
to (Muscat Shiva Temple),
family, bachelor. Contact
99083071, 99323015.
· · · · ·
APARTMENT 3 bedrooms
+ sitting room + balcony at
Al Ansab Heights at RO360
monthly. 93993354.
· · · · ·
CLASSIFIED SECTION:
near to Ministry of Sports,
includes 1 living room, 2
bedroom, kitchen, 3 toilets.
Every rooms with split AC
Interested parties please
contact 00968-92225523.
· · · · ·
FURNISHED
Mall Muscat. 93204595/
93203481.
· · · · ·
SINGLE
Khuwair and Al Ghubra,
family only. 92967853.
· · · · ·
FULLY maintained, 4
bedrooms with toilets in
every room, family hall,
kitchen and covered parking
in Al Hail north RO 230
negotiable. 99316900.
· · · · ·
4 BEDROOM villa at Madinat
Qaboos, RO 1000.000. One
near LULU RO 200/RO 225
Ruwi with AC and 2 toilets
RO 275. Opp police station,
Ruwi. 24790449.
· · · · ·
MULTIPLE FLATS FOR RENT
IN AL MAABELA, CONTACT
A FLAT is offered for rent.
It includes 2 bedrooms,
majlis, kitchen with AC, 2
toilets and small balconies.
Al Maabela, Al Nakheel. The
building is for families onle.
Only serious. 99337455.
· · · · ·
AN
with 1 bedroom, toilet and
kitchen is offered for rent
in North Al Ghubra, close to
the healthcare centre in Al
Ghubra. RO 250 + municipal
fees. 95548774.
· · · · ·
VILLA in Al Khuwair 33 - 7
bedrooms + hall + sitting
room, RO 800 monthly.
93993354.
· · · · ·
1 BEDROOM + bathroom +
kitchen in Al Hail south, RO
120 monthly. 93993354.
· · · · ·
For Rent
1 & 2 BHK
Khuwair. 96173094.
· · · · ·
IN Wattayah villa for
rent, 3 bedroom, one
sitting room, large garage.
99071071.
· · · · ·
NEW
Darsait, 5 rooms, hall
with A/C, 4 bathrooms,
balcony, overlooking the
sea, RO 550 per month.
99315986.
· · · · ·
DELUXE villa M/Sultan
Qaboos Road. Flats,
Al Khuwair (A/C),
MBD & Walja, Ruwi.
97167846/24815404.
· · · · ·
Maabella, 4 bedrooms, 4
toilets, UPVC Windows,
LED lights 95739000.
· · · · ·
BIG villa for rent in
Maabela 8 near Express
Way, 6 rooms, 7 toilets, 3
halls. 94664635.
· · · · ·
SHOPS for rent in Maabela
price start from RO 150.
94664635.
· · · · ·
NEW apartment in Al
Qurum, 2 bedrooms, 2
bathrooms, living room
& kitchen, monthly rent:
RO 400. 95186839/
92294647.
· · · · ·
Saada al Rashdi: 95919344
Ali al Maashari: 99639264 ali.almashari@omandaily.om
Available on
UNBEATABLE PRICES
HP2130 3 in 1 Printer
RO 10.900 only
All Cartridges also
available
on UNBEATABLE prices
AII HP, Epson, Canon,
Lexmark, Samsung
Cartridges also available
COMPUTER SUPPLIES
Ruwi: 24792-792
comsuply@omantel.net.om
FLAT in Wattayah,
behind Honda
Showroom, consists of
2 bedrooms, 2 toilets,
a hall and kitchen with
balcony. 99428161.
· · · · ·
For Sale
SHOP FOR SALE
Tiles & sanitary wares
showroom, Rustaq
Sanaiya (before Jabreen
Showroom). 97844477,
97844474.
· · · · ·
DIESEL Tanker, 1,600
gallon Volvo, 1987.
92836774.
WE have 2 electric
generators type Comenss
12 cylinder (480)
kilowatt and Caterpilar 6
cylinder (240) kilowatt.
For more details kindly
call99339448.
For Sale/Rent
VILLAS for sale/
rents
KABIR/AL
),
for rent/ Al
Khuwair)
(Flats for rent/
Wadi Kabir).
· · · · ·
FREE
INFORMATION
ABOUT ISLAM
If you would like
to know more
about
Islam, please
call:
Tel : 99425598,
99250777,
99353988,
99253818,
99341395,
99379133,
For ladies:
99415818,
99321360, 99730723
Or visit:
www.iicoman.om
www.islamfact.com
For Sale
94501166
Mohammed al Rashdi: 99841230 m.alrahdi86@yahoo.com DIRECT: 24649595 — FAX : 24649590
· · · · ·
· · · · ·
A WOMEN tailoring shop
is offered for sale along
with its equipment, activity
registration and labour, Al
Ghubra North, RO 12,000/-
. 99317317.
· · · · ·
WE have tourism,
residential, commercial
lands and farms existing in
large areas in Muscat and
Barka and over looking
directly on the beach.
We also have rented and
non-rented buildings
purposes. 94380002.
· · · · ·
RESTAURANT in an
excellent location
in Salalah with
equipment and workers.
93397812.
· · · · ·
HEIDELBERG GTO single
colour, 36cm x 52cm &
Sorm Machine, single
colour, 52cm x 74cm.
99369880/ 92857355.
· · · · ·
A RESIDENTIAL land in Al
Athaiba. Close to the sea,
850 sqm. 94380002.
· · · · ·
BEAUTY Salon, Maabela
South. 96232236.
· · · · ·
WE supply quantities of
excellent mountainous
soil in Bausher (suitable
for compaction and
99242445,
99327939.
· · · · ·
behind GUtech is
offered for sale. The
land enjoys a permit
for twin-villa.
2) A LAND is for sale in
Al Maabela 8 owner.
95959166.
· · · · ·
FOR sale: Extravagant
and furnished residences
for female students in Al
Khuwair, Al Mawaleh and
Al Khoudh along with all
assets. 99001332.
· · · · ·
A SHOWROOM in Al
Qurum in strategic
location with extravagant
interior design on 280
sqm is offered for sale at
RO 25,000. 92470024.
· · · · ·

classifieds
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
19
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
required
MEP Engineers
and Estimators
· · · · ·
Situation Vacant
URGENTLY required:
A/C G.I duct
fabrication
supervisor with
and knowledge of
No: 1
Duct fabricator
No:
2.
· · · · ·
RESTAURANT Chef
and waiter in Al Mouj.
· · · · ·
required
chef/
cook (vegetarian &
non vegetarian) for a
Indian (North Indian,
· · · · ·
contact
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SITUATION
leading construction
1. HR
Manager - 1 No.
No. 98943457.
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Nurse, General
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X-ray Technician.
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electrician able to do
electrical works and
with requisite
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required
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(DCRP).
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required
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HIGH
for Accounts Clerk
and PRO with one or
Sohar kindly send your
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henna artist for a
They should be honest
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If you are interested,
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with at least 3 years
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Expatriate Heavy
Duty Drivers, JCB
Operators
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estate and construction
Civil
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required
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Merchandiser,
3 years with
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in English.
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in Mudhaibi requires
in the following
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OMANI
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Interested parties may submit quotation in a sealed
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international
business
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
20 THURSDAY
l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
ATHAR PARVAIZ
ecades after farmers on
D
India’s plains flocked to
the “Green Revolution”,
reliant on chemical
fertilisers to drive
agricultural growth, the
northeast Himalayan
state of Sikkim is trying
its luck with organic farming - a pull
for young, green-minded entrepreneurs
who could help get the produce to
market.
Last year Sikkim was declared 100 per
cent organic by the Indian government,
while across the country, organic
farming is growing rapidly.
India has the world’s highest number
of organic producers at 650,000, or over
a quarter of the global total, according to
the Europe-based Research Institute of
Organic Agriculture.
Abhinandan Dhakal, 28, who lives
in Sikkim’s state capital Gangtok, has
invested INR 3.4 million ($50,959) over
four years, as well as his time and energy
in laying the foundations for an organic
business growing and selling Peruvian
ground apple, or yacon, a crisp, sweettasting
tuber.
“I have always been passionate about
rural livelihoods,” said Dhakal, who
joined an organisation helping farmers
in Tanzania after finishing his studies
in environmental economics. Two years
later, he returned to Sikkim with the
ambition of becoming an agricultural
entrepreneur.
To capitalise on Sikkim’s organic
status and stand out from the field,
he decided to focus on yacon, a highvalue
product that is often eaten raw
or consumed for its health benefits in
the form of syrup and powder. He has
taught other farmers in east Sikkim how
to cultivate and sell the tuber.
“Ground apple grows only in hills
and has a great demand in the market,
especially outside India,” Dhakal said,
noting its popularity in the Middle East,
Europe, Singapore and Australia.
“It is much sought after by the food
industry and health-conscious people as
it has a lot of medicinal value,” he added.
Dhakal’s Shoten Network Group
has tied up with marketing firms in
Bangalore and Delhi to sell yacon to
retailers and pharmaceuticals companies
both inside and outside India.
He plans to raise his venture’s current
annual production of 10 tonnes to 200
tonnes next year, by collaborating with
more farmers.
Dharni Sharma, a 33-year-old farmer
from Linkey in east Sikkim, said growing
Peruvian ground apple had “brought a
refreshing change”. It is also productive,
he said, noting that 1 kg of seed yields
40-50 kg of ground apple, which sells for
around INR 45 per kilo.
Renzino Lepcha, chief operating
officer of Mevedir, a Sikkim-based
company that offers farmers services
such as export and processing, said the
shift to organic agriculture could lure
back young people who had left for
urban centres to find work in recent
years. “Some are returning to farming
with big hopes,” he said.
They include Sonam Gyatso of
Dzongu in north Sikkim, who previously
worked for a state security agency. He
quit his job after deciding to focus on
organic farming on his four acres of land.
“I think I am doing well, as I now have
a livelihood which I control myself,” he
told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
CUT OFF FROM MARKETS
But not all of Sikkim’s farmers are so
positive about the state’s “100 per cent
organic” label.
Some say they need more help from
the state government to make the niche
business profitable for them - especially
to reach markets outside Sikkim where
consumers are more willing to pay
higher prices for organic produce.
Suraj Pradhan, a farmer of vegetables
and spices in Nemche in south Sikkim,
highlighted the need for cold storage and
advice on improving yields using only
organic fertilisers.
Sonam Lepcha in Dzongu in the
north of the state, who grows oranges,
ginger and cardamom, said farmers in
remote rural areas had yet to reap the
rewards of Sikkim going fully organic.
“We love organic farming but we
don’t have a good market,” he said. “The
government has been saying that organic
products from remote villages will be
collected by government agencies, but so
far we have not seen it happening.”
Mevedir’s Lepcha said transporting
produce to market is a major challenge
because the tiny, landlocked state has no
railway or airport.
“The risk factor is quite high as there
are no proper facilities,” he said. Local
farmers lack refrigeration, processing
equipment and packaging materials,
while access to inputs such as organic
pesticides and fertilisers is another
obstacle, he added.
However, last March the government
launched a $62-million, three-year
programme to develop organic value
chains in the country’s northeast,
including Sikkim, intended to help
the region become a major supplier of
organic commodities for national and
international markets, Lepcha noted.
Anbalagan, executive director of the
Sikkim Organic Mission who goes by
one name, said efforts are underway
to establish cold-storage facilities and
improve connections with the rest of the
country, including construction of an
airport.
HEALTH-CONSCIOUS
Organic agriculture is growing
rapidly in all of India’s states. The area
under certified organic cultivation grew
around 17-fold in the decade to 2013-
2014, to 723,000 hectares (1.79 million
acres).
Claude Alvares, director of the
Organic Farmers’ Association of India,
said the growth is higher than reflected
in official records because they leave out
some traditional crops grown without
chemicals by small-scale farmers.
“For instance, the value of a single
organic crop — jackfruit — is more than
the value of the entire certified export of
organic food from India,” he said.
With growing awareness about
health, changing lifestyles and increased
spending capacity in India, experts say
the country’s organic food market has
a bright future. A recent government
study predicted its value would reach
$1.36 billion per year by 2020.
Indian scholar and green activist
Vandana Shiva, who runs a campaign
to make India’s food supply healthier by
regenerating soil, water and biodiversity,
believes the whole country should
become 100 per cent organic. — Reuters
YOUNG INDIAN FARMERS
spice up market for organic Himalayan crops
A farmer waters his organic vegetable plot in Dzongu in the Himalayan state of Sikkim, India. — Reuters

sport
THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2017 | JUMADA AL ULA 19, 1438 AH
The
Ben Hermans (BMC
Racing) won stage
two of the Tour
of Oman 2017,
surviving four climbs
to take the final sprint.
He pulled away in the
final metres to take a convincing win
over Rui Costa (UAE Abu Dhabi) and
Jakob Fuglsang (Astana).
“I think I can be happy with my
performance. Normally I’m not an
explosive kind of guy but this was
something in between and it worked
out well,” Fuglsang said after the stage.
“From 500 metres you think, ‘Bah,
the finish is just there,’ but it’s not like
this. I know this climb from other
years, where I attacked on the first part
and you pay for that on the second
small part here to the finish.”
“Even though it’s not so long, it’s
super hard. I tried to do my best but it
also throws in a bit of tactics when it’s
such a big, open road and there’s wind,”
he told Cyclingnews.
“We needed to play it smart. I think
Hermans, he came from behind in
a good moment. Maybe he played it
smarter or maybe he was stronger,
but he showed good form already in
Valencia, and he is for sure one of the
guys to beat together with Rui Costa
and a few others”.
Climbing entered the picture in
stage 2, with four classified climbs,
including the stiff Al Jissah shortly
before the finish.
It took a while for the day’s break
group to form and several large groups
tried to get away, but were brought
back.
The field was flying along, at more
than 50 km/h for the first hour but, at
last after some 45 km, Mark Christian
(Aqua Blue Sport) and Preben Van
Hecke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
finally got away. The field was happy to
let them go and the gap rapidly hovered
near the eight-minute mark.
The last three climbs came in the
final third of the stage, and as the first of
those appeared, the gap started coming
down. With 40 km and two more
climbs, it was down to three minutes
and decreasing with regularity.
Van Hecke was caught with just over
20 km to go, and Christian fought on
alone with a handful of seconds before
succumbing to the peloton.
Best young rider Lasse Norman
Hansen (Aqua Blue) attacked on
the lead-up the final ranked climb,
soon to be joined by Daniel Eaton
(UnitedHealthcare). They carried 35
seconds up the fearsome Al Jissah,
but were gathered in with only two
kilometres to go.
A reduced and splintered peloton
approached the finish line. Hermans
moved away to take an easy win, with
Costa and Fuglsang, his nearest chasers,
fighting it out for the remaining podium
positions, Cyclingnews reported.
— ONA
Belgian
pulls away
in the final
phase to
take a
convincing
win over
Rui
Costa (UAE
Abu Dhabi)
and Jakob
Fuglsang
(Astana)
RESULTS FROM THE 145KM
SECOND STAGE OF THE
TOUR OF OMAN ON
WEDNESDAY:
1. Ben Hermans (BEL/BMC)
3hr 20min 49sec
2. Rui Costa (POR) same
time
3. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) s.t.
4. Merhawi Kudus (ERI) at
4sec
5. Nathan Haas
(AUS) 7
6. David De LA Cruz (ESP)
s.t.
7. Fabio Aru (ITA) s.t.
8. Janier Acevedo (COL) s.t.
9. Greg van Avermaet (BEL) s.t.
follow us @observersportz
www.omanobserver.om
editor@omanobserver.om
TOUR OF OMAN RESULTS
10. Romain Bardet (FRA) s.t.
OVERALL STANDINGS
1. Ben Hermans
(BEL/BMC) 7hr 07:08
2. Rui Costa (POR) 4
3. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) 6
4. Merhawi Kudus (ERI) 14
5. Nathan Haas (AUS) 17
6. Fabio Aru (ITA) s.t.
7. Janier Acevedo (COL) s.t.
8. David De LA Cruz
(ESP) s.t.
9. Matthias Frank
(SUI) s.t.
10. Romain Bardet (FRA) s.t.
SELECTED OTHERS
12. Greg Van Avermaet
(BEL) s.t.
Belgium’s Ben
Hermans (R) from
BMC Racing Team
crosses the finish line
ahead of UEA Abu
Dhabi’s Portugese
cyclist Rui Costa (C)
and Astana’s Danish
cyclist Jakob
Fuglsangm (L) at the
end of the second
stage of the cycling
Tour of Oman
between Nakhal and
Al Bustan. — AFP
HERMANS
CLIMBS TO STAGE 2 PODIUM

sailing/tennis
sport
22 THURSDAY
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
Mourinho deals Shaw fresh Europa League snub
Luke Shaw received another setback on Wednesday when Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho revealed
he will not play in Thursday’s Europa League game against Saint-Etienne. Shaw has battled back from a double
broken leg suffered last season, but has made just one appearance since November. Mourinho said Wayne
Rooney, Michael Carrick and Phil Jones would all miss Thursday’s game due to minor injuries.
Team Renaissance beat EFG Bank Monaco
Omani skipper Fahad al Hasni leads his home team to win over defending champions in thrilling offshore opener
MUSCAT: Omani skipper Fahad al
Hasni led his home team to victory in
the opening leg of EFG Sailing Arabia
— The Tour, snatching first place
from the event favourites just before
the finish line in Sohar. Al Hasni’s
Team Renaissance (Oman) had trailed
reigning champions EFG Bank Monaco
for much of the 105-nautical mile leg
from Muscat to Sohar, the first of five
offshore stages that make up the 763nm
Gulf classic. But as the leg reached its
climax they were able to squeeze some
extra boat speed from their 30ft racing
yacht to close down fellow Omani crew
Team Al Mouj Muscat to move up to
second place.
Just a few boat-lengths from the
finish off Sohar Port Al Hasni’s men
took advantage of a wind shift to
overhaul EFG Bank Monaco, in the
end beating them by just a few metres.
Team Al Mouj Muscat crossed the line
in third place to round off the podium
in what was a thrilling curtain raiser to
EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour.
Al Hasni, who has competed in
every edition of EFG Sailing Arabia –
The Tour since it began in 2011, said
the win would give his crew a welcome
boost ahead of the second leg to Khasab,
starting tomorrow. “It is an amazing
feeling to win the opening leg of EFG
Sailing Arabia — The Tour,” Al Hasni
said. “It is even more special as we are
an Omani team winning in Oman. We
managed to stay in good pressure, and
first we overtook Team Al Mouj Muscat
and then we managed to pass EFG
Bank Monaco right before the line after
we got a good wind shift. It was very
NEW DELHI: Former skipper Steve
Waugh has warned that Australia’s
only hope of beating India in their
upcoming series is by taming
Ravichandran Ashwin, branding
the record-breaking spinner “the
Bradman of bowling”.
After the off spinner became
the fastest bowler to claim 250 Test
wickets last weekend, Waugh paid
Ashwin the ultimate Australian
compliment by comparing him to
the game’s greatest batsman, the late
Donald Bradman.
“He is the Bradman of bowling.
Ashwin is doing what Don Bradman
did with batting. Pretty incredible
stuff and he is a handy batsman too,”
Waugh was quoted as saying in the
Times of India on Wednesday.
“Ashwin is the player that Australia
have to overcome and probably then
we have a chance. His record in India
is just phenomenal,” said Waugh, who
was attending an awards ceremony in
Monaco.
Australia have not won a Test in
satisfying to win like that. It’s all down
to our communication onboard, which
was brilliant.”
EFG Bank Monaco are favourites
to win the SATT 2017 after taking the
top spot in the previous three editions.
Issa, Marwan line up
title-clash in ISC Open
MUSCAT: Talented Omani
youngsters Issa al Suleimani and
Marwan al Khanjari lined up a clash
for the boys under-12 singles title
at the ISC-Muscat Pharmacy Open
Junior Tennis Tournament organised
by the Indian Social Club.
In a thrilling semifinal encounter,
second seed Issa al Suleimani staged
a brilliant recovery and rallied from
a set down to edge to a narrow 4-6,
6-4, 10-8 victory over third seed
Praneeth Raj. In a well contested first
set, Praneeth earned the first break in
the fifth game but was broken straight
back. Praneeth upped the ante with
Issa’s next serve at love and held for a
5-3 lead. Issa held to stay in the set but
Praneeth was at his best as he served
out to win the first set. Praneeth
squandered a 2-0 lead in the second
set as Issa rallied to take a 5-3 lead.
Praneeth attempted to force the pace
but Issa broke to gain the crucial 5-3
lead and served out the second set.
The third set super tie-breaker was a
cliffhanger. At first, Praneeth led 5-3
but unforced errors allowed Issa to
reel the next five points. Praneeth
saved two match points but lady
luck smiled on Issa who booked his
passage into the final.
In the second semifinal, fourth
seed Marwan al Khanjari displayed
patience and consistency in his game
to overcome the determined effort put
in by Vatsal Manikandan. Marwan
won 6-4, 6-3. Vatsal showed grit to
rally from 0-4 down to 4-5. Marwan
broke Vatsal in the tenth game to win
the first set and continued to maintain
the upperhand in the second as well.
Marwan led 4-1 before Vatsal staged
a partial recovery. Marwan broke in
the eighth game and served out the
second set for a place in the final.
Ashwin ‘Bradman of
bowling’: Steve Waugh
India since their 2-1 series victory
in 2004 and few observers give them
much hope of success this time round
against what is currently the world’s
number one ranked team.
India are on a record-breaking
19-Test unbeaten run and have also
won six series on the trot under the
captaincy of their star batsman Virat
Kohli.
Ashwin is the team’s undoubted
star bowler, ranked number one in
Test bowling rankings and top of the
allrounders’ list after picking up 61
wickets in the last three series — all of
them at home.
His latest match-winning
performance came during the
one-off Test against Bangladesh in
Hyderabad, which ended on Monday
when Ashwin recorded figures of
4-73 in the second innings. “India are
very hard to beat in India and that
has been proved in the last couple of
years. They are a very settled side and
everyone is very confident in their
role,” said Waugh. — AFP
Thierry Douillard, skipper, said his
crew, which includes former match
racing world champion Mathieu
Richard, would come back stronger in
Leg 2.
“The first leg was 105 miles long
TENNIS
and up until 104 miles everything was
perfect for us,” he said.
“We had a very good leg and we had
a good lead but unfortunately Team
Renaissance managed to get a good
shift and get close to us. They were
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands:
Top seed Marin Cilic battled
past temperamental French
opponent Benoit Paire 5-7, 6-3,
6-2 for only his second win
of the year at the Rotterdam
World Tennis on Tuesday.
Cilic, a 2014 finalist,
struggled with an out-ofsorts
and injured Paire, whose
racquet-smashing antics left
him flirting with the wrath of
the chair umpire in a match
lasting more than two hours.
Cilic lost the opening set
as Paire, who later suffered a
hamstring problem, saved two
of set points.
But Cilic slowly began
turning the tables in a firstround
match in which the
Croat committed 39 unforced
errors while Paire had 43 and
was able to convert only one
of 10 break points. “It was a
tough match but that is what
I expected,” Cilic said. “He is
always tricky and difficult, a
talented shotmaker - you never
know what is coming.
“After I lost the first set I
had to keep my level up. I did
faster than us and were able to pass us.
It is frustrating to sail 99 per cent of the
leg in the lead then come second but it’s
all part of the game. We know now why
we were slower and we will sort it for the
next leg.”
that, got a break in the second
set and things started to roll
to my side. “It was good to get
into the match after being a set
down and winning in the end,
It’s good for the confidence,
obviously.”
Sixth-seeded Frenchman
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was kept
guessing by unheralded Greek
Stefanos Tsitsipas before
grinding out a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)
first-round win.
The 19-year-old wildcard
entry came onto the court as a
complete unknown to Tsonga,
who played the Dutch final in
2011, losing to Swede Robin
Soderling. Tsonga, returning to
Team Al Mouj, runners up in last
year’s SATT, took an early lead in
the stage as it began in strong winds
yesterday afternoon, but slipped back
to second place overnight. Despite
eventually having to settle for third,
trimmer Gilles Favennec said the crew
were happy with the result.
“We showed we can be strong when
it’s windy which is important,” the
French sailor said. “We’re happy with
third place on Leg 1. We were leading
early on then made a few mistakes, but
we’re very content with our boat speed
and team spirit. It is only the first leg –
there are four more to go so it’s all to play
for. Team Renaissance did a great job to
take the win from EFG Bank Monaco. It
shows the racing will be tight and that
any team can win a leg.”
Kuwaiti crew Team Zain finished in
fourth place, ahead of Adelasia di Torres
(ITA), Team Averda (GBR), Bienne
Voile (SUI) and DB Schenker (GER).
The Leg 1 prize-giving will take place
this evening at a special cultural evening
at Sohar’s International Maritime
College Oman.
Leg 2 sees the fleet race 140nm
north to Khasab on Oman’s stunning
Musandam Peninsula. Starting at
midday local time, the stage is expected
to take around 22 hours to complete.
RESULTS AFTER LEG 1:
Team Renaissance (OMA/Fahad Al Hasni) – 1 point
EFG Bank Monaco (MON/Thierry Douillard) – 2 points
Al Mouj Muscat (OMA/Christian Ponthieu) – 3 points
Team Zain (KUW/Cedric Pouligny) – 4 points
Adelasia di Torres (ITA/Renato Azara) – 5 points
Team Averda (GBR/Andrew Baker) – 6 points
Bienne Voile (SUI/Lorenz Mueller) – 7 points
DB Schenker (GER/Annemeike Bes) – 8 points
BARBADOS KING UPSETS AUSSIE TOMIC
MEMPHIS: Darian King of Barbados won
his opening match at the Memphis Open,
surprising fifth seeded Bernard Tomic 6-4,
6-4 to become the first player from his
country to win an ATP Tour match.
This was uncharted territory for King
who is also the first player from Barbados in
the 41-year history of the tournament.
King, who had to go through the
qualifying rounds to get into the
tournament, is making just his second
appearance in the main draw of an ATP
Tour event.
He hammered four aces, won 75 per
cent of his second-serve points and had no
double faults in Tuesday’s 66 minute match
between the two 24-year olds.
King, who is ranked 140th in the world,
said it was a “dream come true.”
“Playing against Bernard, the No. 5 seed
is a dream come true,” King said.
“The discipline in Barbados is not as big
so to come from there and compete against
these guys, it’s a lot of progress. I’m glad to
get my first ATP win.
“I played at least three years in Futures
against college guys and Americans then
basically had my first breakthrough in Cali,
Colombia, in a Challenger against former
top 50 player Victor Estrella [Burgos]. Then
I realised I can play.”
King booked a second round match
against Steve Darcis of Belgium who beat
Radu Albot 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
During his only other main draw
appearance, at the 2015 Washington ATP
event, King lost in the first round.
Australia’s Tomic had one double fault
and won just half of his second serve
points.
Earlier this year, Tomic reached the
third round of the Australian Open and the
quarterfinals of this event two years ago.
In other first round matches Tuesday,
Tomic’s fellow Aussie Matthew Ebden
rallied to beat Canadian qualifier Peter
Polansky 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-1 and American
Ryan Harrison eased past Russian
Konstantin Kravchuk 6-3, 7-5. — AFP
RESULTS
FIRST ROUND: Tim Smyczek (US) bt Frances Tiafoe
(US) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; Taylor Fritz (US) bt 8-Lu Yen-
Hsun (Taiwan) 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(7); Ryan Harrison
(US) bt Konstantin Kravchuk (Russia) 6-3, 7-5;
Matthew Ebden (Australia) bt Peter Polansky
(Canada) 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-1; Darian King (Barbados) bt
5-Bernard Tomic (Australia) 6-4, 6-4; 7-Steve Darcis
(Belgium) bt Radu Albot (Moldova) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Darian King
Top seed Cilic battles past Paire
Marin Cilic of Croatia
the Ahoy stadium for the first
time since 2014, led by a set and
5-3 in the second set against the
205th-ranked challenger but
was unable to kill off the match.
Holder Martin Klizan of
Slovakia began his title defence
with a defeat of Fernando
Verdasco 6-4, 0-6, 6-1. — AFP
ROTTERDAM WORLD
TENNIS RESULTS
First round: Gilles Muller (LUX) bt
Tallon Griekspoor (NED) 6-3, 6-2; Jo-
Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x6) bt Stefanos
Tsitsipas (GRE) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2); Martin
Klizan (SVK) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
6-4, 0-6, 6-1; Philipp Kohlschreiber
(GER) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA x8) 7-5, 6-2;
Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Nicolas Mahut
(FRA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Marin Cilic (CRO x1)
bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2

ANGEL REBORN
IN THRASHING OF BARCA
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
23
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
One month ago,
Angel di Maria
was an outcast
on the Paris
Saint-Germain
substitutes’
bench, but the striker was reborn in
the Champions League demolition
of Barcelona.
Two goals in the 4-0 thrashing of
Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi’s
Barca saw birthday boy di Maria
hit near perfection in a way that
he rarely managed at Manchester
United or Real Madrid. Superstar
Messi has rarely looked so poor.
Long-suffering PSG players and
fans, so often at the receiving end
against the Spanish giants, still could
not believe the scoreline
when they woke up
on Wednesday.
“You saw
14 warriors
out there,
people who wanted to help each
other. And when you play like that
you have nights like that. It was
fabulous,” said midfielder Blaise
Matuidi.
Di Maria hit a goal in each half
on his 29th birthday and each time
gave his traditional celebration,
forming a heart with his hands.
But di Maria’s heart has not really
been in the PSG game this season.
Last month, coach Unai Emery
banished the second most expensive
import into the French league — 63
million euros paid to United in 2015
— to the substitutes’ bench.
Julian Draxler had arrived from
Germany and Lucas was playing
well. Being out in the January cold
jolted di Maria into action.
Di Maria’s metamorphosis
Already against Bordeaux last
Friday, he scored one in the 3-0 win
that kept PSG in the French title
race against Monaco.
PSG back Thomas Meunier said
di Maria hated being on the bench
and hailed di Maria’s game against
Bordeaux as “an Angel who has
gone through a metamorphosis.”
Di Maria said he had problems
with the tactics brought in by Emery
last year.
“Those who know me know
that I like to run everywhere, a bit
haphazard. He wants every player to
take care of his own space and press
from that position. It was a problem
at the start, but I understood and
now I like it,” di Maria told the
Spanish sports daily Marca after the
Bordeaux game.
Di Maria forced Lucas out of the
starting line up for the Barcelona
game and received a standing
ovation from the Parc des Princes
crowd when he left in the
61st minute.
He scored with
a curling free kick
and a second half
shot, both attempts
from outside the
penalty area. Di
Maria now has nine goals for the
season and hopes it will set him
up for a spectacular finale. “It was
a very special day. It’s impossible
to have a better performance and
birthday. It was a wonderful display
and fully deserved,” he said on BeIn
TV after the match. “We controlled
the game for 90 minutes. It was hard
to control Neymar, Luis Suarez and
Lionel Messi but we managed it in
the end.”
PSG had twice been eliminated
from the Champions League at the
hands of Barcelona in the previous
four seasons. Barca also had a
fearsome record in games against
sides coached by Emery, losing just
one of 23 games before being put to
the sword on Wednesday.
PSG’s Qatari owners
have set Emery the task
of at least reaching the
Champions League
semifinals. The Spaniard
has now had a lot of
pressure taken off his
Argentina team-mate Lionel Messis been in the PSG game this season. from that position. It was a problem Lionel Messi but we managed it in
shoulders. But he warned that the
players must make sure they finish
the job in the second leg in Barcelona
and reach the quarterfinals.
“The only feeling I have is that
the team produced a massive effort
against the great Barca,” Emery said
after the triumph.
“I respect Barca and the message
was clear in the dressing room: there
is still 90 minutes to go and we are
going to suffer there in Barcelona.
“So, prudence, satisfaction,
concentration on the second match
and respect for the great opposing
team and its players.”
— AFP
Paris Saint-Germain’s Angel Di Maria celebrates after
scoring a goal during the Uefa Champions League round
of 16 first leg match against Barcelona in Paris. — AFP
Benfica beat
wasteful
Dortmund
Benfica’s Kostas Mitroglou in
action with Borrusia
Dortmund’s Erik Durm and
Julian Weigl. — Reuters
LISBON: Benfica made Borussia
Dortmund pay for missing a host of
chances, as the Portuguese side snatched
a 1-0 win in their Champions League last-
16 first leg on Tuesday thanks to forward
Kostas Mitroglou’s 13th goal in his last 13
games.
Greece international Mitroglou flicked
the ball into the net to open the scoring
in the 48th minute and Benfica then held
on against their misfiring opponents to
take a slender lead into the second leg in
Dortmund on March 8.
Benfica, who have now not conceded
a goal at home for 383 minutes, kept
another clean sheet thanks largely to
keeper Ederson, who denied the Germans
with a string of superb saves.
Dortmund, who had netted a record 21
times in the group stage, missed a secondhalf
penalty through Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang, who also squandered
several other scoring chances on a night
to forget for the Gabon striker.
“We ended up scoring a goal in a
situation we had been working for,” said
Benfica coach Rui Vitoria. “In order to
play such teams one has to be prepared to
suffer at the limit. We had our problems
getting out of our own half to attack.
“Now we know what we have to do in
the return leg. Scoring a goal there will
have a huge impact,” the Portuguese said.
Benfica, who had striker Jonas ruled
out through injury just before kickoff, got
off to an explosive start but Dortmund
began to dominate possession and
gradually slowed the game down.
The visitors, looking to counter
their lacklustre domestic form with
European success, missed a huge chance
when Aubameyang, the Bundesliga’s
leading scorer, fired over the bar after an
outstanding through ball from Ousmane
Dembele in the 10th minute.
Benfica captain Luisao was making
his 500th club appearance and was kept
busy at the heart of the Benfica defence,
with Dembele sneaking into the box
and forcing a superb save from keeper
Ederson in the 23rd.
Aubameyang then missed another
good opportunity before the break and
Benfica were quick out of the blocks again
after the restart with Mitroglou doing
well to control a Luisao header and then
beating keeper Roman Buerki from close
range.
Aubameyang almost drew Dortmund
level in the 53rd and then had a penalty,
awarded for a hand ball on the hour, saved
by Benfica’s Brazilian keeper.
Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel
put Aubameyang out of his misery by
substituting him soon after and following
a sensational save from Ederson with six
minutes left, the hosts held on to celebrate
victory. “We cannot do much more
than carve out these golden chances,”
Tuchel told reporters. “We will now need
efficiency in the return leg if we are to
advance.” — Reuters
Hobday claims Muscat
Open Championship
MUSCAT: The 2017 Muscat Open Golf
Championship was played at Ras Al Hamra
Golf Club this weekend. Sixteen overseas
players joined 70 of Oman’s best golfers to
compete in the 44th edition of Oman’s longest
running open golf championship. The golf
course was prepared to perfection, with fast
greens and very challenging pin positions,
making the competition arguably the hardest
test ever experienced at the Ras Al Hamra Golf
Club.
As it turned out, the gross competition
was dominated by two young golfers based
at Royal Bahrain Golf Club. After two days of
high quality golf, a new champion emerged, in
which the British national living in Bahrain,
Sam Hobday, clinched the trophy with a second
round new championship course record of 70,
and an overall gross score of 143. His French
golf colleague and last year’s Muscat Open
winner, Yaseen Le Falher, finished 4 strokes
behind on 147, while the Bahraini national,
Nasser Yaqoob, representing Bahrain Golf
Club, claimed third position with a score of
153. Five-time Muscat Open winner, Azaan al
Rumhy bounced back on day two to finish in
fourth place. Sam Hobday said, “It was a great
tournament and it was very well run indeed.
I’m extremely happy to win the Muscat Open
Golf Championship the first time I participate.
If I remain an amateur golfer next season, I
would love to come back and defend my title
next year.”
The Nett Prize category was a tightly
contested competition with some very good
scores. Tam Burns from Al Mouj Golf Club
won overall with a nett score of 138. Salim al
Harthy from Ghala Golf Club beat Ras Al
Hamra Golf Club’s own Brett Merrel to second
place on count-back with a net score of 140.
Fahad al Kitani won the Junior Best Gross prize.
At the prize giving ceremony held at the
RAH Recreation Club, the Muscat Open
President Gary Battersby thanked the players,
the organising committee and all the volunteers.
He said: “I would like to extend a special thanks
to the 2017 Muscat Open sponsors, RSS -
Rental Solutions & Services, Knowledge Grid,
GAC, Mackenzies, Golf World, Troon, Imagine
OVERALL GROSS PRIZES
1st Gross & Champion:
SAM HOBDAY, 143
2nd Gross: YASEEN LE FALHER, 147
3rd Gross: NASSER YAQOOB, 153
4th Gross: AZAAN AL RUMHY, 159,
COUNT-BACK
5th Gross: HAMAD AL AATHEM,
159
Junior Best Gross: FAHAD AL
KITANI
OVERALL NETT PRIZES
1st Nett: TAM BURNS, 138
2nd Nett: SALIM AL HARTHY, 140,
COUNT-BACK
3rd Nett: BRETT MERREL, 140
4th Nett: ALTAF BEG, 144
5th Nett: MOHAMED AL
MAWLY, 146
Plate: GEOFF MURRAY, 146
DAILY PRIZES
Best Gross Day 1: LYNN CASEY, 76
Best Gross Day 2:
TENZIN TSARONG, 80
Best Nett Day 1:
EDZARD VAN LOON, 69
Best Nett Day 2:
MILIND NADKARNI, 72
Technologies and Ras Al Hamra Recreation
Club.”
The many prizes were then presented to all
the winners by the OGC Chairman, Mundhir
al Barwani, as well as by representatives from
the sponsors, before the evening was concluded
with a buffet dinner and raffle draw.

acing/nba
sport
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
24 THURSDAY
l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
Injured Guptill to miss start of SA series
New Zealand will be without Martin Guptill for the one-off Twenty20 international against South
Africa and the start of the one-day series as he recovers from another hamstring strain. Guptill injured
his right hamstring during training, a separate injury to the one on his left leg that ruled the opening
batsman out of the Bangladesh T20 series in January and one-day matches against Australia.
CONSISTENT AHMED EYES BETTER SHOW
OMANI ENDURANCE RACER AL HARTHY, WHO COMPLETED 10 YEARS OF RACING, CONFIRMS BLANCPAIN ENDURANCE CUP BID
ANUROOP ATHIPARAMBATH
MUSCAT, FEB 15
Omani racing star Ahmed al Harthy
believes consistency is the key in the
tough endurance races.
Unveiling his schedule for 2017,
Al Harthy hopes for a even better
performance this year from the fourth
place last year.
“It has been a memorable and
eventful 10 years of circuit racing for
me. I have a learned a lot and look
forward to much more challenge
every year. The key for my team is to
be consistent. We are ready for the
season with good preparation,” he
said during a function on Wednesday
at Barr Al Jissah resort in Muscat.
The successful racer confirmed
his participation in the Blancpain
Endurance Cup with Oman Racing
and Aston Martin.
High among Ahmad’s priority with
be the ‘Pro-Am’ title bid in the ultracompetitive
Blancpain Endurance
Cup which gets underway at Monza,
Italy, in April.
“This year, we celebrate 10 years
of Oman Racing (rebranded from
the earlier Oman Racing Team) and
what better way to do that than by
revealing our most exciting season
yet,” said Ahmad.
For the first time, Oman Racing
also conducted a pre-season unveiling
of the race car. “I’m thrilled to be
racing with Jonny [Adam] as my
team-mate again and, of course, with
Aston Martin,” Ahmad said.
The 35-year-old will continue tie
up with Aston Martin, again piloting
an Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3
during the season.
The Omani will be partnered
throughout 2017 by ‘works’ driver
Jonny Adam who has been an integral
part of Oman Racing for the past two
years.
New for this season, the Oman
Racing entry will be run by reigning
British GT champions TF Sport
and, in addition to the Blancpain
Endurance Cup commitments, the
squad will also participate in the
Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup support
race to the Le Mans 24 Hours in
June and also in December’s Gulf 12
Hours in Abu Dhabi. Team-mates for
the longest races of the season, the
aforementioned Abu Dhabi contest,
the Paul Ricard six-hour in France
in late June and the annual Total
24 Hours of Spa in Belgium, will be
confirmed in due course.
“Oman Racing’s new partnership
with TF Sport is the start of a fresh
chapter and we’re determined to
mount a very strong challenge
in Blancpain this year. I am also
extremely excited to be taking part in
the Le Mans 24 Hours support race
and to be returning to the Gulf 12
Hours. I must say a huge thank you
to my incredible sponsors for making
Oman Racing such a key part of their
plans too,” Al Harthy added.
Scottish racer Adam, who won
the 2015 and 2016 British GT
Championship drivers titles, also
helped Oman Racing to a top four
finish in the Pro-Am standings in the
Blancpain Endurance Cup last year,
including a memorable second place
result in round two at Silverstone
Grand Prix Circuit.
The 32-year-old said: “I’m very
happy to be part of Oman Racing’s
programme again for 2017 and
delighted to be continuing the
partnership with Ahmad, which has
developed very well over the last
couple of years. The Aston Martin
Vantage GT3 is a competitive package
in the Blancpain Endurance Cup and
from the success TF Sport had in
2016, it looks set to be a very exciting
year for Oman Racing.”
TF Sport Director Tom Ferrier
HIGHLIGHTS
Newly branded ‘Oman
Racing’ entry to be run
by British squad
TF Sport
Aston Martin
partnership continues
with 2017 spec V12
Vantage GT3
Luxury fragrance
house Amouage
becomes newest
partner of Oman Racing
said: “We have already done the
unveiling of the race car. So this
season we have more time to go for
testing of the car and the training.”
“This is a hugely exciting
programme for TF Sport. The
Blancpain GT Series is the toughest
GT3 platform in Europe and we relish
the chance of competing for honours
in the Pro-Am class. Ahmad comes
with years of experience in the Aston
Martin V12 Vantage GT3 and has
proven his mettle in Blancpain over
the last few years.”
“TF Sport is really looking
forward to working with Ahmad and
SCHEDULE
BLANCPAIN ENDURANCE
CUP CALENDAR
Rd1 Monza, Italy – April 22-23
Rd2 Silverstone, UK – May 13-14
Rd3 Paul Ricard, France – June 23-24
Rd4 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
July 29-30
Rd5 Barcelona, Spain
– September 30-October 1
Pre-Season Test: Paul Ricard, France
March 13-14
Total 24 Hours Test: Spa-Francorchamps,
Belgium – July 4
Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup - Le Mans 24
Hours Support Race
Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France
– June 17
Gulf 12 Hours
Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi
– December 16
Oman Racing and also exploring the
motorsport opportunities that exist in
Oman. We have some great partners
on board and I am really flattered
we have another car in another
championship that I believe can bring
us more success.”
SPONSORS CONTINUE
SUPPORT
Crucial to the success of Ahmad’s
motor racing programme is the
backing of his long-standing portfolio
of sponsors and, for 2017, the
Ministry of Sports Affairs once again
provides support to Oman Racing.
Oman Air maintains its presence
for a ninth consecutive year while
the National Bank of Oman (NBO),
Omantel, and Barr Al Jissah all
remain as an integral part of the
Muscat racer’s impressive group of
commercial partners.
Notably, ahead of the new season,
Ahmad gets additional support from
brand new sponsor Amouage, the
luxury fragrance house, which has
been internationally renowned for
almost 35 years.
On behalf of the Oman Ministry
of Sports Affairs, Fahad al Raisi said:
“We are very proud to support Ahmad
and Oman Racing once again in 2017,
our long-standing partnership has
been hugely successful and we are
delighted Ahmad is again flying the
flag for Oman on the international
sporting stage.”
Mohamed al Shikely, Vice
President Marketing of Oman Air,
said: “Oman Air has been proud
to support Ahmad’s motorsport
programme for many years now, this
year being the ninth of our successful
partnership, and we are relishing the
new season.”
Speaking on behalf of NBO, John
Chang, said: “We are delighted to
be continuing our partnership with
Ahmad al Harthy and Oman Racing
and we look forward to seeing the
team achieve even more success in
Ahmad al Harthy (right) with co-driver Jonny Adams.
the future.”
Hamdan Moosa al Harasi, Acting
Vice-President Corporate Strategy
at Omantel, said the continuation
of the renewed partnership is key
to Omantel’s strategy of supporting
Omani talents.
Firas Matraji, CEO of Barr Al
Jissah, said: “Not only are we very
proud to be the host venue for today’s
launch of Oman Racing’s new motor
racing programme, Barr Al Jissah is
delighted to be supporting Ahmad’s
challenge again this year and making
the most of those links to promote
all Oman has to offer.”
Amouage CEO David Crickmore
said: “At Amouage we are delighted to
confirm our association with Ahmad
al Harthy for the 2017 endurance
racing season. We are glad to be
able to invite some of our clients to
experience the excitement of motor
racing first hand and to enjoy a
day at the track with Amouage and
Ahmad Al Harthy.”
Ahmad and Oman Racing will
make their first ‘official’ appearance
of the year during the pre-season
Blancpain Endurance Cup test
days at Paul Ricard in France on
March 13/14. The championship gets
underway one month later, over the
weekend April 22/23 at Monza in
Italy.
LOCAL FLAVOUR
ISC Salalah Open badminton tournament begins
SALALAH: Indian Social Club
Salalah has recently started
the Open Shuttle Badminton
Tournament 2017, sponsored
by Al Takween Building
Materials and Machine World,
in the air conditioned indoor
courts of Sultan Qaboos
Multipurpose Hall.
The opening ceremony
started with the welcome
address by Vinay Kumar,
Joint General Secretary of
ISC Salalah. The matches
were declared open by
Manpreet Singh, Chairman
of ISC Salalah, accompanied
by Abdul Sathar, Managing
Al Hail post
impressive win
Al Hail School of Cricket
(senior batch) comfortably
beat the visiting Iftikhar
Cricket Academy (ICA) team
from Karachi in their fourth
match at Al Hail Cricket Club
ground in Mabellah.
Oman Cricket General
Secretary Madhurish Jesrani,
and national coach Duleep
Mendis, Chief Development
Officer of Oman Cricket, were
the chief guests.
In the 30-over match,
the toss was won by Al Hail
Director of Al Takween, who
exchanged some rallies.
On the opening day, Manu
Samuel beat John 21-16, 21-6
in open singles. In the second
match, Prasanth defeated
Praveen 21-19,21-15.
In open doubles, Dr
Dhanesh and Pramod beat Dr
School of Cricket and elected
to field first. ICA were all out
for 108 with Dany Baruea
claiming 5 wickets for Al Hail.
Easily chasing the target
Al Hail scored 109 in 19
overs.
Karim Ahmed scored
47 runs not out for Al Hail.
Santhosh and Dr Shibu 21-17,
21-9. In the second match,
Shaiju PD and Biju duo beat
Rajasekhar and Muneer 21-
10,18-21, 21-14.
In the jumbled doubles,
Hashim and Sibi Manoharan
duo beat Shihab and Rajan
21-18, 21-16.
Karim and Dany shared the
man of the match award.
On Friday, Al Hail Cricket
Team will play ICA in their
final tour match. Certificates
and trophies will be
presented by chief guests
Mohammed Juma al Raisi
and Abdul Rahim al Balushi.
MINNEPOLIS: LeBron James
and Kyrie Irving each scored
25 points as the Cleveland
Cavaliers withstood a huge
night from Andrew Wiggins to
record a 116-108 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves.
Canada’s Wiggins finished
with a game-high 41 points for
the Timberwolves, equalling his
second-highest point total this
NBA season.
James also had 14 assists
for Cleveland, who sealed
their 38th win of the season
with 1:39 remaining when ex-
Timberwolves player Derrick
Williams finished off a fast
break layup.
The lay-up came just
moments after James had nailed
a step back three pointer.
Wiggins had help from
Karl-Anthony Towns, who
scored 26 points and grabbed
seven rebounds. Gorgui Dieng
added 12 points, but no other
Timberwolves player reached
double figures in scoring.
Wiggins got the
Timberwolves back in the
game Tuesday, sparking a rally
after Irving hit a three pointer
halfway through the third
quarter to give Cleveland a
14-point lead.Wiggins tallied
19 points in the third quarter.
Cleveland had to make due
without forward Kevin Love,
who had surgery on his left
knee on Tuesday and will be
sidelined for six weeks. Love
was averaging 20 points and 11
rebounds per game.
NO LOVE, NO PROBLEM
“The one thing that we
can always rely on is the fact
that we’ve played without Kev
before,” James said. “We’ve had
to do that in the play-offs. As
much as you don’t like to play
without some of your big guns,
sometimes if it happens then
you’re just ready for it.”
Channing Frye helped fill
the void by chipping in with
21 points. Tristan Thompson
also contributed to the offense
by adding 14 points and 11
rebounds.
Elsewhere, Jimmy Butler
returned from an injury to
score 19 points as the Chicago
Bulls held off a late Toronto
Raptors rally for a 105-94
victory. Butler, who last played
February 10 and was sidelined
with a right heel contusion,
nailed seven free throws in the
final 1:48.
He played 38 minutes and
hit 15 of 19 free throws as the
Bulls snapped a three-game
losing streak.
In Los Angeles, DeMarcus
Cousins scored 40 points,
grabbed 12 rebounds and
dished out eight assists, leading
the Sacramento Kings to a 97-
96 victory over the Los Angeles
Lakers at Staples Center arena.
— AFP
Los Angeles Lakers’
Jordan Clarkson (6)
dunks to score a
basket against the
Sacramento Kings
at Staples Centre.
—USA Today Sports
JAMES
HELPS
CARRY
CAVS,
BUTLER
SHINES IN
RETURN

@dogshow
Archaeologist opens tomb of King Tut
On this day in 1923, in Thebes, Egypt, English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed
burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen. Among the riches found in
the tomb — golden shrines, jewellery, statues, a chariot, weapons, clothing — the perfectly
preserved mummy was the most valuable, as it was the first one ever to be discovered.
international
features
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017 25
@ gems
‘7,000-year-old
enigma’ on display
A 7000-year-old
Neolithic statuette
is temporarily
displayed at the
National
Archaeological
Museum in
Athens. — Reuters
KAROLINA TAGARIS
(Top) Rumor, a German shepherd and winner of Best In
Show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, is
run by Handler Kent Boyles during the final judging at
Madison Square Garden in New York City. — Reuters
LAILA KEARNEY
Cody, a Shih Tzu from Cleamont, Florida, sits in the
* crossword
benching area before competition at the 141st Westminster
Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. — Reuters
A West Highland White Terrier is pictured during day one
of competition at the Westminster Kennel Club 141st
Annual Dog Show in New York. — AFP
CRYPTIC PUZZLE
ACROSS
3 Maybe a picture book (5)
8 Prays for something that might
feel like rain (5)
10 It’s in out blood (5)
11 A rotten ingrate? (3)
12 Big and brilliant (5)
13 Thought to be like walnut
veneer? (7)
15 Bigheaded despicable persons,
these kids? (5)
18 Wet or dry, it’s unwanted (3)
19 Comprehensive reason to make
all go staggering round the
Boar’s Head (6)
21 Green drink? Red or white,
rather (3,4)
22 Light to raise, when told (4)
23 Dramatic part of New Orleans
(4)
24 Stapler used as an aid to
dressing (7)
26 Unprincipled morning test (6)
29 Derby, perhaps (3)
31 Of a sound quality not managed
by a novice (5)
32 Ruling systems upsetting to
mere GIs (7)
34 Singular thing to shoot in a
canoe! (5)
35 None can match her (3)
36 A note to leave out for a bit of
peace (5)
37 Rosy? Very much so! (5)
38 Two fine boys (5)
DOWN
1 It’s time an unruly pair got left
5)
2 Gets old in a nice way (7)
4 Fat lad, outside-right (4)
5 Superior fur is obviously not
bad (6)
6 Underground railway just
finished in Rome, possibly (5)
7 Start queuing for some
potatoes, one’s ration (5)
9 Are you angry at losing yours?
(3)
12 Recover or obtain properly (7)
14 Start working up a racket (3)
16 Hate needing half an hour yet
to make harbour (5)
17 Smooth shiny keels, perhaps (5)
19 Ground one’s teeth at what
possibly hangs over the Editor
(7)
20 An old coin in strange argot (5)
21 Possibly paired New York with
part of London (5)
23 Royal train? (7)
24 Tastes what a friend had to eat
RUMOR HAS IT!
German shepherd takes top prize
Rumor, a German shepherd, was named
best in show at the 141st Westminster
Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday,
besting more than 2,800 other dogs that
competed in New York this week. It marks
the second time a German shepherd has
won the top prize at the show. The breed last won in 1987,
which also represents the only other time a dog from the
herding group has won at Westminster.
“She’s got a lot of beautiful details,” Rumor owner,
breeder and handler Kent Boyles, from Edgerton,
Wisconsin, said about the features that make Rumor a
winner.
Boyles, who said he became “German shepherd crazy”
as a child, has been breeding the dog for 35 years.
Boyles said he and his family will drive back to
Wisconsin with Rumor, where she will be retired from
shows. “This was definitely the ultimate type of win for
her,” Boyles said. Rumor, whose favourite snack is prime
rib, will likely begin bearing puppies, Boyles said.
Rumor won the herding category in 2016 as well, but
lost the top prize to a German shorthaired pointer.
“She is just magnificent,” Judge Thomas H Bradley III
said, in an interview with broadcasters about his pick.
(6)
25 The label of a secret agent (3)
27 Great man absurdly glum about
nothing (5)
28 What’s better is hard to find (5)
30 Finish up in outer Wembley
with a woman (5)
32 City of madrigals (4)
Adrian, an Irish setter from the sporting group, was
named runner-up.
A total of 200 breeds vied for the blue ribbon at
Westminster, which began in 1877, making it the country’s
second longest-running sporting event behind the
Kentucky Derby horse race, launched in 1875.
Devlin, a boxer, won the working group on Tuesday,
while Tanner, a Norwich terrier, was the winner in the
terrier group.
On Monday, the opening night of the two-day
competition, in addition to the German shepherd Rumor,
a Norwegian elkhound, a Pekingese, and a miniature
poodle won their groups.
Devlin, the boxer, has lived with and been trained by
Diego Garcia in Lillington, North Carolina for the past
two years, and will return to her owner in Canada after the
show to retire.
“I started to cry this morning,” Garcia said about
returning Devlin.
Three new breeds debuted in this year’s competition:
the sloughi, a North African sighthound; the American
hairless terrier, first bred in the 1970s to hunt rats and
other vermin; and the pumi, an ancient Hungarian herding
breed. This year’s contestants came from 49 states and 16
foreign countries. Dogs are judged on characteristics
specific to their breeds. — Reuters
33 It’s in evidence after rain in
Bermuda (3)
EASY PUZZLE
ACROSS
3 Veracity (5)
8 Fundamental (5)
10 Helicopter blade (5)
11 Pull (3)
12 Military student (5)
13 Funny (7)
15 Under (5)
18 Hill (3)
19 Fascination (6)
21 Equilibrium (7)
22 Transaction (4)
23 Peruse (4)
24 Relegated (7)
26 Tooth covering (6)
29 Section (3)
31 Valleys (5)
32 Quickly (7)
34 Scope (5)
35 Negative (3)
36 Large house (5)
37 Stifled (5)
38 At no time (5)
DOWN
1 Conductor’s stick (5)
2 Using numbers (7)
4 Genuine (4)
5 Triple (6)
6 Boarding house (5)
7 Engine (5)
9 Total (3)
12 Burnt sugar (7)
14 Mountain pass (3)
16 Enticed (5)
17 Feeble (5)
19 Tumbler (7)
20 Appended (5)
21 Trite (5)
23 Entourage (7)
24 Lust (6)
25 Gratuity (3)
27 Of birth (5)
28 Fruit (5)
30 Change (5)
32 Mature (4)
33 Speck (3)
A
bird-like statuette dating back 7,000 years has
mystified archaeologists in Greece who still
do not know exactly what it is, or where it
came from. The “7,000-year-old enigma,” as it has been
dubbed by the National Archaeological Museum, has
been put on display until March 26 after being brought
from the museum’s storerooms.
It is the latest item to be presented under the title
“The Unseen Museum” — a reference to the roughly
200,000 antiquities from statues to gold jewellery and
every-day objects in store and not on daily display.
Carved out of granite, the 36 cm (14 inches) “enigma”
statuette of the late Neolithic era has a pointed nose and
long neck leading to a markedly round belly, flat back
and cylindrical stumpy legs.
“It could depict a human-like figure with a birdlike
face, or a bird-like entity which has nothing to do
with man but with the ideology and symbolism of the
Neolithic society,” Katya Manteli, an archaeologist with
the museum, said.
Experts also cannot be sure of its provenance, as it
belongs to a personal collection. They assume only that
it is from the northern Greek regions of Thessaly or
Macedonia.
Unlike most Neolithic figurines made of soft stone, it
is carved out of hard rock even though metal tools were
not available at the time.
And while it is too short for a life-size depiction of the
human figure, it is bigger than most Neolithic statues,
which are rarely found over 35 cm tall. — Reuters
Second-largest
diamond discovered
A
227-carat diamond, the second-largest ever
found in Angola, has been discovered at the
Lulo Diamond Project mine east of the capital
Luanda, Australian miner
Lucapa Diamond said on
Monday. Lucapa, along
with Angolan state firm
Empresa Nacional de
Diamantes E.P., co-own
the mining concession.
A 404-carat stone was
discovered in 2007, Lucapa
said.
“The recovery underlines the significant potential of
the Lulo Kimberlite drilling programme,” the Australian
company said in a statement. Angola is the world’s fourthlargest
diamond producer by value. It is keen to find
alternative exports to oil, following a sharp drop in global
crude prices over the last two years which has forced it to
borrow to cover a shortfall in revenue. — Reuters
YESTERDAY’S CRYPTIC
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS: 9, Poppy-cock 10,
Receiver 12, Av(o)id 13, Starts
14, Observe 15, High-class 17,
Ill-gotten 18, D’I-sh out 20, Region
21, Fawn 24, Crack-pot 26,
Ma-gnolia 28, Drew 29, Accord
31, B-rig-and 34, Enclosure 36,
Broken out 38, Star-tle 39, Second
40, Sees (seize) 41, Deso-late 42,
Minus-cule.
DOWN: 1, S-p-lashed 2, Spring 3,
Contract 4, Skirts 5, Crossing 6,
School song 7, Miss-I-on 8, Ferret
11, R-emn-ant 16, Choice 19, Serge
20, Rat 22, A-nit-a (rev) 23, Pol-it-e
25, Picture hat 26, Mad 27, A-dverse
30, Over-sees 31, Browning
32, De-test-ed 33, Port-I-on 35,
C-hased 36, Became 37, Open up.
YESTERDAY’S EASY
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS: 9, Bollywood 10, Onesided
12, Tune 13, Hobble 14,
Tractor 15, Catalogue 17, Nerveless
18, Explain 20, Narrow 21, Wand
24, Internal 26, Sabotage 28,
Eros 29, Osprey 31, Malaria 34,
Envelopes 36, Polo shirt 38, Pilsner
39, Origin 40, Ever 41, Rudeness
42, Relegates.
DOWN: 1, Obstacle 2, Planet 3,
Toboggan 4, Edible 5, Governor
6, Letter bomb 7, Pirates 8, Gentle
11, Crusade 16, Loafer 19, Panto
20, Nil 22, Augur 23, Stalls 25,
Nosy parker 26, Sty 27, Receipt 30,
Response 31, Multiply 32, Asterisk
33, Slender 35, Valour 36, Pliers
37, Invite.

international
features
Castro sworn in
On February 16, 1959, Fidel Castro is sworn in as prime minister of Cuba after leading a
guerrilla campaign that forced right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista into exile. Castro replaced
the more moderate Miro Cardona as head of the country’s new provisional government.
26 THURSDAY
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
@healthissues
The results
showed that
the married
participants had
lower cortisol
levels than the
never-married
or previouslymarried
people.
Soda, pizza and salty
food up liver disease
Marriage makes you happier
Offering couples
more reasons to
celebrate love
on February —
and beyond, a
new study has
found that married people face less
psychological stress than unmarried
individuals. Married individuals had
lower levels of the stress hormone
cortisol than those who never married
or were previously married, showed
the study published in the journal
Genetic markers linked to male baldness identified
Researchers have identified more than 200
genetic markers that may help predict a
man’s chance of severe hair loss, in a study
over 52,000 males.
Male pattern baldness can have substantial
psychosocial effects and it has been phenotypically
linked to adverse health outcomes such as prostate
cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Based on the presence or absence of certain
genetic markers, the researchers from the University
of Edinburgh in Britain, created a formula to try and
predict the chance that a person will go bald.
The findings, published in PLOS Genetics,
pinpointed 287 genes, many of which are related to
hair structure and development, and could provide
possible targets for drug development to treat
baldness or related conditions.
Further, the study showed-in line with a previous
study, but with much greater precision that a
substantial proportion of individual differences
in hair loss patterns can be explained by common
Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Prolonged stress is associated with
increased levels of cortisol which
can interfere with the body’s ability
to regulate inflammation, which in
turn promotes the development and
progression of many diseases.
“It is exciting to discover a
physiological pathway that may
explain how relationships influence
health and disease,” said one of the
researchers Brian Chin from Carnegie
Mellon University in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, US. Over three nonconsecutive
days, the researchers
collected saliva samples from 572
healthy adults aged 21-55. Multiple
samples were taken during each 24-
hour period and tested for cortisol.
The results showed that the married
participants had lower cortisol levels
than the never-married or previouslymarried
people across the three day
period. The researchers also compared
each person’s daily cortisol rhythm —
typically, cortisol levels peak when a
genetic variants on the autosomes as well as on the X
chromosome — the gene for the androgen receptor,
which binds to the hormone testosterone.
“We identified hundreds of new genetic signals.
It was interesting to find that many of the genetics
signals for male pattern baldness came from the
X chromosome, which men inherit from their
mothers,” said Saskia Hagenaars, doctoral student at
the University of Edinburgh.
person wakes up and decline during
the day.
Those who were married showed a
faster decline, a pattern that has been
associated with less heart disease, and
longer survival among cancer patients.
“These data provide important
insight into the way in which our
intimate social relationships can
get under the skin to influence our
health,” co-author Sheldon Cohen,
Professor at Carnegie Mellon
University, noted. — IANS
The findings, published in PLOS
Genetics, pinpointed 287 genes,
many of which are related to hair
structure and development, and
could provide possible targets
for drug development to treat
baldness or related conditions.
“We are still a long way from making an accurate
prediction for an individual’s hair loss pattern.
However, these results take us one step closer.
The findings pave the way for an improved
understanding of the genetic causes of hair loss,”
added Riccardo Marioni from the University of
Edinburgh. — IANS
Children who regularly
intake fructose present
in soda, sweetened
beverages, pizza and
salty food, biscuits, yogurt may be
be prone to liver disease, researchers
warn.
According to a study, led
by researchers from Bambino
Gesu Hospital in Italy, dietary
fructose increases serum uric acid
concentrations.
Both uric acid concentration and
fructose consumption may be high
in individuals with non-alcoholic
fatty liver disease (NAFLD) —
a condition where extra fat is
accumulated in liver cells in people
who drink little or no alcohol.
It is estimated to affect up to 30
per cent of the general population in
Western countries and up to 9.6 per
cent of all children and 38 per cent
of obese children across a spectrum
of liver disease, including NASH
(defined as steatosis, hepatocyte
ballooning and inflammation).
Although NASH is a less
aggressive form of NAFLD, it can
progress to severe fibrosis and
cirrhosis, with development of
hepatocellular carcinoma in adults.
The findings suggested that
fructose consumption was
independently associated with high
uric acid, which occurred more
frequently in patients with NASH
than in not-NASH patients.
“It is plausible that dietary
fructose intake and uric acid
concentrations are potential risk
factors for liver disease progression
in NAFLD,” said Valerio Nobili
from Bambino Gesu Hospital in
It is estimated to
affect up to 30 per
cent of the general
population in Western
countries and up
to 9.6 per cent of all
children and 38 per
cent of obese children
across a spectrum of
liver disease.
Italy.
“The study shows for the first
time that uric acid concentrations
and dietary fructose consumption
are independently and positively
associated with NASH,” Nobili
added.
For the study, reported in the
Journal of Hepatology, the team
analysed 271 obese children and
adolescents with NAFLD — 155
males, mean age 12.5 years — who
underwent liver biopsy.
Nearly 90 per cent were found
drinking sodas and soft drinks
one or more times a week. Almost
95 per cent of patients regularly
consumed morning and afternoon
snacks consisting of crackers, pizza
and salty food, biscuits, yogurt, or
other snacks.
The development of NASH may
markedly affect life expectancy and
quality of life in affected individuals.
Thus, “it is crucial to understand
the risk factors for NASH in
children and adolescents in order
to design effective interventions,”
Nobili said. — IANS
Strauss’s Blue Danube keeps waltzing
SOPHIE MAKRIS
Born out of defeat, initially not that popular
and dedicated to a river that’s more greenygrey,
the beginnings of “The Blue Danube”
150 years ago this week were inauspicious.
But Johann Strauss Junior’s rousing waltz, first
performed on February 15, 1867, is now one of the
world’s most famous and catchiest pieces of classical
music.
It features in movies galore and is being performed
and danced to still.
“An der schönen blauen Donau”, as it is known
in the original German, began life as a choral work
commissioned by the Vienna Men’s Choral Society.
The main aim was to cheer people up after Austria
had lost an important and bloody battle against
Prussia, at Koniggratz, the previous summer. The
title was said to have been inspired by a poem but
the words were penned by the society’s own lyricist,
a policeman who humorously bemoaned the state of
the defeated country.
It was not an immediate runaway success, although
an exhibition marking the anniversary at Vienna’s
Rathaus (City Hall) seeks to refute the belief that it
was a total flop.
One glowing contemporary account even calls it a
“schlager” (German for “hit”) — supposedly the first
recorded use of the term.
But the piece only really took off once an orchestral
version was performed in Paris later in 1867, to a
rapturous reception, and soon afterwards in London.
In a tour of the United States in 1872, Strauss
conducted a performance by a 2,000-piece orchestra
and a 20,000-strong choir to 100,000 people.
“How am I supposed to conduct this mess?” the
composer reputedly said.
The rest is history Today “The Blue Danube”
evokes like no other waltz the elegance of Vienna’s
19th-century heyday — which lives on in the city’s ball
season, currently in full swing.
It also takes pride of place in the Vienna New Year’s
Concert every January 1, and is Austria’s unofficial
national anthem.
When Austria declared its independence from Nazi
Germany in April 1945, it was “The Blue Danube” that
was performed since at the time the country had no
official national anthem of its own.
The national airline Austrian Airlines
plays the music to passengers
before takeoff and
after landing.
A survey in 2016
of customers found 72 per cent in favour of the
practice continuing.
It is also a perennial favourite on the silver screen,
most famously in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space
Odyssey” but also in “Cool Runnings” and “Titanic”,
to name but a few.
More irreverently, a sketch by British comedy
troupe Monty Python showed members of an
orchestra exploding one by one as they played the
piece in a field.
It has also featured in madcap animated series
“SpongeBob SquarePants” while in “The Simpsons”,
Homer, in homage to Kubrick, floats around a
spaceship eating potato chips.
But apart from it simply being a nice tune, how to
explain the popularity, particularly considering that
Strauss wrote almost 500 other waltzes?
“There is no definitive answer,” Thomas Aigner,
curator at the Rathaus exhibition, said. “It’s a patriotic
song, but not too much.
Everyone can project their own memory linked to
the river, to a visit to Vienna.” — AFP

@localinsight
Joseph Stalin attacks the UN
This day in 1951, in a statement focusing on the situation in Korea,
Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin charges that the United Nations has
become “a weapon of aggressive war.”
insideoman
features
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
27
THURSDAY l FEBRUARY 16 l 2017
FARM TOURISM
gains momentum
KABEER YOUSUF
With the extremely
beautiful climate
complemented by
cool breeze and
a misty dawns
descending upon
the Sultanate, farm tourism, a highly potential
sector but often overlooked at, is far gaining
momentum as people venture out more often
exploring outdoor destinations to spend quality
time with their dear and near ones.
A large number of farms, mostly in Batinah
Governorate, are packed with weekend daylong
activities mostly for families and corporate
clients, thanks to the homely feeling that these
massive farms give to the guests.
These farms, obviously owned and run by
locals, cater to the needs of their guests which
mostly comprise expatriates from planning to
arrangement to execution. While some farms
take care of the food requirements, some laisse
with outdoor catering agencies or hotels for
catering.
“We had a birthday party last week at one of
the farms in Barka where we hosted nearly 100
pax and catered by an outside hotel. It was an
unforgettable day with loads of fun and games
and above all, it was a perfect family reunion on
a weekend”, Shahbaz Nasser and Rasha Ashraf,
a recently married couple said
More than formal gatherings, these farms
are catering to the ordinary people with bigger
dreams of conducting family gatherings at
minimal cost but better avenues of enjoyment,
according to Said Moosa al Hasani, a farm
owner.
“I think, farms are getting more popularity
day by day firstly because they are cheaper, and
Farm tourism is not devoid
of a drawback in the sense
that it is taking away much
of the business that the
hotels in the country would
have taken care.
secondly because of their informal set up where
every single individual ,whether he is aged or a
child, has something to explore and keep them
busy”, Said said.
Underlining what he said, an average farm
which would fetch its owner at least 200 Omani
rials would have, besides an open area with halfshaded
roofs, a kitchen area (not necessary),
eating space, play area with children’s toys and
other activities, swimming pool (size doesn’t
really matter), changing rooms for privacy,
washrooms separate for men and women and
the like.
“The advantages of conducting a party or
a gathering at one of these sprawling farms is
a wonderful and cool concept to ponder”, says
Rafa and Aysha Jasna.
“Such a gathering can help bond relations
while offering a perfect day-long outing with
family and friends and have some time away
from the hustle bustle of daily life”, he adds.
Having said, farm tourism is not devoid of
a drawback in the sense that it is taking away
much of the business that the hotels in the
country would have taken care.
“Certainly, farm tourism is taking away
a great amount of business of hotels in the
country for various reasons”, says Praveen, GM,
Al Falaj Hotel, part of Atkin Spence Hotels.
“These farms offer packages much cheaper
than the hotels in the city and they offer allinclusive
itinerary with lesser operational
costs”, he adds.
But once the weather turns hotter and
venturing outdoors would mean a wearisome
activity, farm tourism wouldn’t be a highly
income-yielding tourism avenue but given
substantial support to SME’s to have outdoor
cooling and the like, this sector can survive any
season.
At a time when tourism is fast getting in
the prime focus of the country, farm tourism
can gain further reach and more people would
certainly give it a thought before deciding on
the venue of an informal gathering. Provided
sufficient support is extended by the authorities,
farm tourism will only prove to be yet another
mode of tourism of international repute.
@sharedthoughts
February 14th gift
Nizar al Musalmy
nizar.nmh.musalmy@gmail.com
On this day or on any other, no man
should underestimate the process
of choosing a present for his wife.
The challenge would be which gift
to avoid. Most men are terrible in
choosing gifts and that is why one
has to be very careful lest he loses his
dignity.
The day before yesterday — February 14th
came as expected. This is the day that the
mother of junior looks down upon and I still
don’t understand why but I saw some people
striving to renew the bond of love with their beloved
ones to mark the day.
They went deep in expressing their love in different
ways to their lovers. On that day, these people’s hearts
dripped into a deep, tender and overwhelming feeling
of affection and solicitude. The day made life become
very beautiful for lovers.
They made all sorts of dreams. On this day I saw
many leaving no stone unturned in the effort of
unlocking the way to their lover’s hearts.
The so-called ‘lovers’ in a climax of stupidity
endeavoured to make themselves too busy thinking
hard about that gift and all those items to deliver to
their equally obsessed partners.
They bought special presents with a mission of
leaving their loved ones speechless. And I tell you
what; never try to stop someone in love to celebrate
his/her love. Even those who have brains will, in those
circumstances, act crazy.
So they work so hard in doing all they can during
that shopping spree because they know that their lovers
expect a special gift.
But on this day or on any other, no man should
underestimate the process of choosing a present for his
wife. The challenge would be which gift to avoid.
Most men are terrible in choosing gifts and that is
why one has to be very careful lest he loses his dignity.
In the name of expressing true love to one’s wife, a man
has to be very careful and cautious in choosing what
kind of gift to give her.
I say this because I know women have all the
potential of changing moods at any one point in time
and what you think is the best gift to give her can
be thrown on your face just there and then. Keep all
reservations intact for your gift can be taken as an
insult.
Take, as an example, a man going out of his way and
buys his partner a diet book as a gift.
It is very considerate of you to wish for your partner
to live a healthy life, but with all your good intentions
that diet book might be a reason for you to be accused
of implying that she reminds you of an animal that
starts with a letter ‘E’.
Imagine a husband coming home to celebrate his
wife’s love and brings in a cookware as a gift.
He might have heard her complaining about old
kitchen utensils and lack of enough frying pans and
saucepans, but a man should never restock the kitchen
item and expect the wife to count it as a gift.
The doctors will promote things like tooth brush,
tooth paste, roll on, mouth wash as essential things to
have. But within the lovers’ context, the implication can
be brutal. If she needs them just buy them, but not as
gifts.
Please don’t even think of buying her cleaning
utensils such as brooms, rags, dustbins, moppers as
gifts. She might think you have gone bonkers.
So next time you are out to buy your partner a
gift in the pretext of love, remember the correct size,
avoid cheaper ones than what the beloved already has.
Never buy any that can be used by both of you. Stick to
appropriate, special, delicate, personal, elite, exclusive,
romantic and symbolic gifts.
Your expression will impress for a long time. Enjoy
your weekend and take care!

THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2017 | JUMADA AL ULA 19, 1438 AH
follow us on instagram @omanobserver
www.omanobserver.om
editor@omanobserver.om
Farm tourism
A large number of farms, mostly in al Batinah Governorate, are packed with weekend day-long
activities mostly for families and corporate clients, thanks to the homely feeling that these massive
farms give to the guests. Find out more on how you can spend you family weekend in PAGE 27
filmwatch
@ editor’spick
worldcelebration
nowshowing
SINGAM 3 [TAMIL]
DO A GROUCH A FAVOUR DAY
happeningtoday
Rating: 12+
Running Time: 180 min
Release Date: February 9, 2017
Synopsis: In Singam 3, Suriya
returns as the fierce police officer
Duraisingam in the third entry to
the action packed Singam saga.
A 2017 Indian Tamil-language
action-masala film written and
directed by Hari. A sequel to
Singam II and the third film in the
Singam franchise, it stars Suriya,
Shruti Haasan and Anushka
Shetty in the lead roles.
A model walks the runway for the Blonds show during Fashion Week in New York
on Tuesday. — AFP
Have you done a grouch a favour today? If not then it’s likely that no one
told you it was Do a Grouch a Favour Day, as doing a grouch a favour is
what the day is all about. We all know a grouch at some point in our lives,
and it is very likely that we’ve had phases of being grouchy ourselves.
— daysoftheyear.com