S - Oman Daily Observer

CBO Board structured 

HIS Majesty Sultan Qaboos has issued Royal Decree No 37/ 

2012 structuring the Board of Governors of the Central Bank 

of Oman. Article 1 states that the CBO’s Board of Governors 

shall be structured under the chairmanship of His Majesty the 

Sultan and Dr Ali bin Mohammed bin Moosa as a Deputy 

Chairman. The membership’s period shall be five years from 

the date of enforcement of the Decree. � Details, P2 

�� Tuesday, June 19, 2012/Rajab 29, 1433 AH 

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

HM condolences conveyed 

ASSIGNED by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, His Highness 

Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq al Said conveyed the condolences 

of His Majesty to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of 

Saudi Arabia on the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz 

al Saud, the late Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime 

Minister and Interior Minister. � Details, P3 

THE Royal Cavalry participated in the Cartier Queen Elizabeth’s Cup. � See P20 

RO 44bn projects under way 

�� 

MUSCAT — On the back of 

higher oil prices and the commitment 

to implement projects 

stated in its Five-Year Plan, 

the government has become 

aggressive in awarding the 

construction and infrastructure 

projects in the country from 

the beginning of the year. 

The Tender Board has so far 

awarded tenders worth RO 604 

million for various projects. 

With the government entering 

into the penultimate plan 

of its Vision 2020 strategy, 

the overall allocation towards 

various development projects 

including roads, ports, housing, 

airports, health and service 

sectors has reached about RO 

12 billion. 

On an average the government 

is expected to spend 

RO 2 billion per year over the 

2 28 

18 

next five years on numerous 

projects. In addition, the total 

projects planned or under way 

stands at RO 44 billion. 

“The current economic 

indicators suggest that the 

government has enough funds 

to make financing available 

for the ongoing infrastructural 

growth in the country,” says 

Sankar Kailasam, Senior Vicepresident 

of Gulf Baader Capital 

Markets. � See P21 

�� 

SALALAH — The Ministry 

of Tourism will soon launch 

a marketing campaign for 

Khareef Salalah at home and 

abroad, as one of these tourist 

seasons which is being promoted 

through various media 

channels, advertising and other 

means. 

Speaking about the tourism 

sector, Minister of Tourism, 

Ahmad bin Naser al Mehrzi, 

said the ministry promotes 

khareef as one of the most im- 

portant tourist seasons. 

The campaign will be highlighting 

the natural beauty and 

wonderful climate the Governorate 

of Dhofar offers even 

during summer and provides 

visitors and tourists with information 

about the facilities in 

the governorate. 

The minister said that marketing 

and promoting requires 

in general some consistency 

with the actual capacity of 

accommodation facilities — 

hotels and hotel apartments 

— available in the Sultanate, 

in addition to the expectations 

of occupancy rate according to 

the available data. 

This, according to Al Mehrzi, 

makes marketing strategy 

taking into consideration all 

these elements to avoid any 

negative effect. He said that it 

is not possible to invite someone 

to visit the Sultanate with 

no accommodation available. 

“This is our philosophy and 

we won’t deviate from it and 

I ask everybody to observe it; 

whenever enough accommodation 

facilities are available,” 

Ambassadors bid farewell 

ON behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, HH Sayyid 

Haitham bin Tareq al Said received separately at his office 

yesterday Mehmet Hayri Erol, Ambassador of Turkey to 

the Sultanate, and Jamal al Shaikh Ahmed Othman, Ambassador 

of Sudan to the Sultanate, and bid them farewell 

at the end of their tour of duties. � Details, P3 

Hotels not to hike fares 

Focus on power cut 

SALALAH — Sayyid 

Mohammad bin Sultan al 

Busaidy, Minister of State and 

Governor of Dhofar, met in 

his office here yesterday with 

the Chief Executive Officer 

of Dhofar Power Company, 

and a number of officials and 

technicians of the company 

to identify causes of sudden 

power cuts experienced late 

last Monday by the governorate 

and the repeated disruptions 

that ensued in Salalah 

and its niyabats. 

The meeting reviewed the 

reality of electricity, efforts 

exerted in supporting the ba- 

28pc growth 

in revenues 

�� 

MUSCAT — With a whopping 

28 per cent growth in 

net passenger revenue in the 

first five months of this year, 

and with highly promising 

passenger and cargo figures 

for the same period, the future 

seems to be bright for 

the national carrier Oman 

Air. � Details on page 6 

Ties with UK 

press groups 

LONDON — Dr Abdulmunim 

bin Mansoor al Hasani, 

Minister of Information, 

and Dr Abdullah bin Nasser 

al Harasi, Chairman of the 

Public Authority for Radio 

and Television, visited a 

number of the British and 

Arabic press institutions and 

press training centres here 

yesterday. 

They also visited the 

headquarters of the BBC), 

the Independent British TV 

station, Reuters News Centre 

and ISIS Innovation affiliated 

to Oxford University. 

A discussion was held 

on training activities of the 

Reuters and the possibility 

of reaching an deal on training 

for Omanis in news coverage. 

� Details, P5 

Mursi claims 

polls victory 

�� 

CAIRO — Muslim Brotherhood 

candidate Dr Mohammed 

Mursi claimed victory 

in Egypt’s divisive race for 

the top job, while Freedom 

and Justice Party’s candidate 

Ahmed Shafiq’s supporters 

said Mursi’s calculations 

would not be accurate. 

Though unofficial statistics 

point out that Dr Mursi 

seems to be on the lead, with 

almost a difference of one 

million votes from his adversary, 

there would be no 

confirmation until the official 

outcome of the elections 

is announced by the Higher 

Elections Committee on 

Thursday. � To page 5 

sic services and tackling the 

shortage to address any problems 

and constraints in this 

sector. 

The officials attributed the 

problem to a technical failure 

of high voltage line carrier for 

electricity between Ittin and 

Thamrait transformer stations, 

which resulted in separation 

of the line from the network 

and consequently all generators 

stopped working for the 

new power station in Sahl 

Ashor plain. Technicians of 

the station affirmed that they 

controlled the problem for all 

sites in the wilayat. — ONA 

A PACT for Coast Guard 

Command building. � See P5 

the minister said. 

Regarding the fares charged 

by various hotels and hotel 

apartments, Al Mahrizi said 

that everything will be under 

the observation of the Consumer 

Protection Authority, to 

avoid any exploitation of tourists 

and visitors. 

Some cases of excessive 

prices charged by hotels during 

khareef season exceed the accepted 

limits. So, the ministry 

will form a committee which 

will discuss packages to attract 

more visitors. � Details, P25 

Smuggling foiled 

BURAIMI — The Directorate of Customs in the Governorate 

of Al Buraimi foiled an attempt to smuggle diesel 

abroad in a tank designed for the transport of flammable 

petroleum products. 

When the vehicle used for smuggling arrived at the 

customs inspection yard at Wadi Al Jizzi entry post, the 

driver submitted documents stating that the tank contains 

gasoline and he wants to take it to one of the filling stations 

in the Wilayat of Al Buraimi; however the customs 

officer was doubtful. 

After watching him, the officer in charge re-checked 

the load and discovered that it contained diesel estimated 

to be 36,000 litres worth more than RO 5,300. 

Recently, the Customs Department at Wadi Saa border 

checkpoint, Royal Oman Police (ROP), foiled the 

smuggling of diesel. In a routine check-up operation, the 

ROP discovered hidden tanks in two tankers driven by 

Asian men into the border checkpoint. — ONA

By A Staff Reporter 

MUSCAT — In line with 

Omran’s mandate to develop 

memorable destinations and 

experiences across the Sultanate, 

the company announced 

that construction of Al Jabal al 

Akhdar Resort Hotel remains 

firmly on track for completion 

by December 2013. 

Since the groundbreaking 

in December 2011, the project 

has progressed steadily with 

over 300 employees working 

on building the substructure 

and superstructure of the 86 

luxury room resort hotel. 

Earlier this year, the Tender 

Board awarded Dawood Contracting 

for the construction of 

the resort hotel. Operated by 

the Singaporean based hotel 

chain, Alila, the hotel resort is 

envisioned to become a luxury 

hotel and spa development 

along with a cliff side restau- 

rant and pool on top of a large 

mountain, 2,000 metres above 

sea level. 

Wael bin Ahmed al Lawati, 

CEO of Omran, said, 

“Through our careful and 

considered approach, we have 

worked with the contractors 

and designers to ensure that 

2 OMAN 

OMAN DAILY Observer 

TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 

Jabal al Akhdar Hotel on track for completion 

MUSCAT — His Majesty 

Sultan Qaboos has issued 

Royal Decree No 37/ 2012 

structuring the Board of Governors 

of the Central Bank of 

Oman. 

Article 1 states that the 

Board of Governors of the 

Central Bank of Oman shall 

be structured under the 

chairmanship of His Majesty 

the Sultan and the following 

as members: Dr Ali bin 

Mohammed bin Moosa (as 

a Deputy Chairman), Yahya 

bin Said al Jabri, Sultan bin 

Oman supports 

‘green economy’ 

RIO DE JANEIRO — The 

3rd session of preparatory 

negotiations to discuss the 

“Zero Draft Document” 

concluded here yesterday 

without reaching results that 

satisfy the parties involved 

because of the intransigence 

of some states and groups in 

their positions on many of 

the items on the “Zero Draft 

Document”, prompting the 

Brazilian presidency of the 

Conference directly to intervene 

to save the situation 

after the negotiations were 

deadlocked. 

The Sultanate participates, 

under the directives of 

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, 

in the historic meetings and 

negotiations on sustainable 

development, including a 

forum held from June 13 to 

19 and Rio+ 20 main conference 

from June 20 to 22. 

As for what is known 

as the “green economy”, 

which has not yet got a final 

definition yet, the “zero 

draft document” confirmed 

that green economy comes 

in line with sustainable development 

plans and is not a 

substitute for them, which is 

the same as the Arab League 

and matches the position of 

the Sultanate, with no obligations 

on states, and each 

state works according to its 

development plan as the programme 

is carried out in successive 

stages. 

The Brazilian presidency 

divided the items for discussion 

in the zero draft document 

amounting to 200 items 

to four major groups, namely 

the institutional framework, 

operational framework, objectives 

of sustainable development 

and seas and oceans 

groups. — ONA 

every essence of Al Jabal al 

Akhdar’s majestic beauty is 

incorporated into the resort 

hotel. The interior of the hotel 

will reflect the rich Omani 

architecture while the exterior 

will be adorned with the 

mountain rock to accentuate 

the façade of the building.” 

Decree structures CBO 

board of governors 

MUSCAT — The Majlis 

Ash'shura Office yesterday 

met under the chairmanship 

of Shaikh Khalid bin Hilal al 

Maawali, Majlis Ash’shura 

Chairman. 

The Office reviewed the 

message of the Services and 

Local Communities Development 

Committee on addressing 

Secretary-General 

of the Council of Ministers 

in respect to the impact of 

the recent rains on the Niyabat 

of Samad A'Shan in the 

Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi, and 

Salim al Habsi (as Representative 

of the Finance 

Ministry), Hamoud bin 

Sangour al Zadjali, Mohsen 

bin Haider bin Darwish and 

Dr Hatim bin Bakheet al 

Shanfari. 

The membership's period 

shall be five years from the 

date of enforcement of the 

decree. 

Article 2 cancels all that 

contravenes the decree or 

contradicts its provisions. 

The decree came into force 

from June 11, 2012. — ONA 

Social issues reviewed 

the proposal of the one of 

the Majlis members on the 

roads and lighting projects in 

mountains of the Governorate 

of Dhofar. 

The Office discussed questions 

raised to some of the 

Majlis members on students 

of colleges of technology in 

respect to completing the final 

academic year in their residence 

area, employing female 

volunteers of the Disabled 

Children Care Association 

and ration cards for Omani 

families. — ONA

Ambassadors bid farewell 

MUSCAT — On behalf of His 

Majesty Sultan Qaboos, His 

Highness Sayyid Haitham bin 

Tareq al Said received separately 

in his office here yesterday 

Mehmet Hayri Erol, 

Ambassador of Turkey to the 

Sultanate, and Jamal al Shaikh 

Ahmed Othman, Ambassador 

of Sudan to the Sultanate, who 

came to bid farewell at the end 

of their tour of duties. 

The two ambassadors expressed 

their thanks to His 

Majesty the Sultan for the support 

they received from His 

Majesty, the Government and 

the Omani people. 

HH Sayyid Haitham 

thanked the ambassadors for 

their efforts in enhancing the 

Sultanate's relations with their 

countries and wished the peoples 

of their countries further 

progress and prosperity and the 

ambassadors success in their 

future endeavours. — ONA 

Condolences to King Abdullah conveyed 

TAIF — Assigned by His 

Majesty Sultan Qaboos, His 

Highness Sayyid Haitham bin 

Tareq al Said conveyed the 

condolences of His Majesty 

Sultan Qaboos to King Abdullah 

bin Abdulaziz of Saudi 

Arabia on the death of Prince 

Nayef bin Abdulaziz al Saud, 

the late Saudi Crown Prince, 

Deputy Prime Minister and 

Interior Minister. 

HH Sayyid Haitham expressed 

His Majesty's sincere 

condolences and sympathy 

to King Abdullah, the Al 

Saud family and the Saudi 

government and people, 

along with His Majesty the 

Sultan’s prayers to the Almighty 

to rest the deceased’s 

soul in peace and grant his 

family fortitude to bear the 

loss. 

King Abdullah received 

HH Sayyid Haitham and his 

accompanying delegation in 

his palace here earlier in the 

day. King Abdullah expressed 

his utmost thanks and appreciation 

for His Majesty the 

Sultan's sincere sentiments, 

praying to the Almighty to 

protect His Majesty and the 

Omani people against all 

harm. — ONA 

Looking for car, flat and furniture? Check out the Observer classified page. It’s where buyers meet sellers. 

3 OMAN 



Environment challenges highlighted 

SALALAH — Dhofar University 

yesterday organised 

a seminar entitled "Challenges 

of Environment in 

the Governorate of Dhofar," 

under the auspices of Sayyid 

Mohammed bin Sultan bin 

Hamoud al Busaidy, Minister 

of State and Governor of 

Dhofar. 

A number of working papers 

relating to the development 

of the environment in 

the Governorate and the major 

challenges facing it were 

presented at the seminar. 

Dr Hassan bin Said Kashoob, 

acting Vice-Chancellor 

of Dhofar University, 

presented a paper on "Environment: 

Challenges and 

Hopes," highlighting the reasons 

and solutions of desertification. 

The second paper entitled 

"Evaluation of Progress in 

Combating Desertification 

in the Governorate of Dhofar," 

was presented by Ali bin 

Musallam Bait Said, Director 

of the Environment Preservation 

Department at the 

Ministry of the Environment 

and Climate Affairs, during 

which he reviewed the Ministry's 

role in combating desertification 

and preserving 

the environment, laws and 

legislations to combat desertification 

and the index of the 

degree of the private sector's 

co-operation to combat this 

phenomenon. 

MUSCAT — The Ministry 

of Regional Municipalities 

and Water Resources will organise 

today at Crowne Plaza 

Muscat a seminar for quality 

management system project 

in the ministry. The seminar 

is organised by the Regional 

Municipalities and Water Resources 

Ministry in co-operation 

with the Ministry of Civil 

Service. 

Dr Naji bin Bukhait al 

Meshaikhi, Economist in the 

Directorate General for Agriculture 

and Livestock in the 

Governorate, presented the 

third working paper entitled 

"Desertification and its Reflections 

on the Environment 

and Society in Countryside of 

Dhofar," during which he discussed 

problems faced by the 

rural environment and their 

effects on the community. 

A detailed explanation 

Activities of the seminar 

will be presided over by 

Ahmed bin Abdullah al Shuhi, 

Minister of Regional Municipalities 

and Water Resources. 

The seminar aims at familiarising 

participants with the 

concepts of quality management 

system, its stages until 

the ministry obtains quality 

certificate. 

It also comes as a comple- 

was given on the invention of 

a water box aimed at eradicating 

hunger and desertification 

presented by Dutch 

expert Peter Huff. 

A documentary was also 

screened on the phenomenon 

of desertification. The seminar 

was attended by Majlises 

members, advisers and officials. 

Recently, the Environment 

Society of Oman (ESO) 

planted about 1,000 native 

Focus on quality management system 

Majlis Addawla 

to debate reports 

MUSCAT — The Majlis 

Addawla will hold its regular 

session today under the 

chairmanship of Dr Yahya 

bin Mahfoudh al Mantheri, 

Majlis Addawla Chairman. 

The session will discuss 

the report of the Legal Committee 

on the "Draft law on 

postal services" referred by 

the Majlis Ash’shura, the report 

of the Social Committee 

on" Enhancing the values of 

citizenship in the hearts of 

young people", and the report 

of the Committee of 

Culture and Media on "The 

Press and Publications Law 

and other laws relevant to 

the media in the Sultanate." 

The members will also be 

briefed about the reports of 

participation in the international 

parliamentary activities, 

in addition to discussion 

on other topics listed on the 

agenda pertaining to the activities 

of the Council. 

32 dead in 

accidents 

MUSCAT — Thirty-two people 

were dead and 175 others 

injured in 147 traffic accidents 

that took place during 

June 9 to 17 in various governorates, 

the Royal Oman 

Police (ROP) reported. 

The North and South Al 

Batinah recorded the largest 

number of deaths of 8 people 

in each governorate, 3 people 

died in each of the governorates 

of Al Dakhliliyah, Al 

Wusta and North Al Sharqiyah, 

2 people died in each of 

the Governorates of Dhofar 

and Al Dhahirah, one person 

died in each of the Governorates 

of Muscat, Al Buraimi 

and South Al Sharqiyah. 

Collision between vehicles 

was the most common 

accidents during the same 

period as they stood at 70 

accidents, 4) collisions with 

a stationary object, 23 rollover 

accidents and 9 runover 

accidents. 

Among the major accidents 

was a roll-over accidents 

on the highway in 

Qarn Alam in the Governorate 

of Al Wusta that led to 

the death of 3 people and the 

injury of 8 others; all of them 

from the Saudi nationality. 

ment to the efforts of the ministry 

to ensure the effective 

implementation of the quality 

management system in all organisational 

divisions in the 

General Diwan of the Ministry 

and the departments and 

municipalities covered by the 

implementation as a fundamental 

stage of establishment 

and application of the system 

in the Ministry. — ONA 

trees in Salalah as part of 

their drive to plant 12,000 

native trees in the Dhofar region 

by the end of February 

2013. 

“The campaign will include 

planting native frankincense 

tree also,” said Dana 

Sarhan, spokesperson for the 

EDO. 

She added that ESO was 

trying to orient people in 

Dhofar region about the importance 

of native species 

as a main pillar of the local 

ecosystem. She also said that 

ESO would develop effective 

volunteerism programmes in 

Dhofar. 

Dhofar is an area rich 

in biodiversity with more 

than 700 native tree species 

registered. Many of these 

wild species provide valuable 

medical benefits as well 

as economic value, such as 

Frankincense and other fruity 

species. — ONA

4 OUTLOOK 



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

Who is responsible for the three-day holiday? 

UNFORTUNATELY, 

when we wanted 

to change working 

days in the private 

sector to be compatible with 

the outside world and reduce 

the number of days lost in contacting 

and dealing with world 

countries we did not take into 

account what should be done 

without any prejudice to the inside, 

ie with the public sector. 

Instead, we rather worsened 

the situation, as it were. Now 

the problem is not in contacting 

and interacting with others, 

but rather among ourselves. 

Now, most state sectors are 

now out of order for not two 

days a week, but for three consecutive 

days from Thursday to 

Saturday. During that period, 

there is no work in the most 

IDENTITY means the set 

of behavioural or personal 

characteristics by 

which an individual is 

recognisable as a member of a 

group. However, some scientists 

define the identity as that 

which reflect the values and 

norms, beliefs and traditions 

and all the life details, as all 

this together form an identity 

for any nation. 

Most nations have struggled 

to save and protect their 

identity from change and extinction, 

particularly cultural 

and intellectual. For instance, 

most of the western countries 

adhere on their own culture 

and identity. They encourage 

their citizens to practice their 

own language particularly 

France and Germany. They try 

to spread their own language 

around the world through provision 

of free courses, open 

institutes and provide free 

scholarships to study their 

languages. 

Another example is that of 

Turkey whom many European 

countries rejected to be a full 

partner in the European Union 

because of its secular image 

and its rule by the Justice and 

Development Party. 

The Internet has certainly 

changed our lives. Nowadays, 

we communicate with people 

only through email with- 

Ali Al Matani 

ali.matani@hotmail.com 

important sectors of public 

and private sectors, that is, one 

cannot accomplish anything 

in 60 per cent of the week, 

reflecting the uncertainty and 

confusion in managing this 

aspect and lack of harmony in 

attitudes towards the status of 

weekends between the public 

and private sectors. All this 

calls for reducing this difference 

to a minimum. 

The variation in holidays 

between the public and private 

sectors widened the gap even 

more than before. For example, 

the government is off on 

Thursday and Friday and most 

of the private sector is off on 

Saturday, which means that 

government agencies cannot 

conduct any transaction with 

the private sector before Sun- 

out actually visiting them. 

Children also spend a lot of 

time using the Internet without 

concern of visiting their 

relatives and sitting with their 

families. Internet has also affected 

our language. For example, 

when we want to leave 

the chat room, we type BBL 

— be back later. We use such 

abbreviation often and computer 

language is relatively 

new phenomenon and was 

spawned by the growth of the 

Internet. 

I like Indian and Egyptian 

people because they love their 

identities. They leave their 

countries looking for a job but 

they are always proud of their 

culture and identity. Politely, 

they persuade other nations to 

accept their culture and traditions. 

From my experience, I 

like those two nations because 

they are proud of their identities. 

Despite the globalisation 

which has spread around the 

world, the Omani identity and 

culture has not been much 

affected. The cultural scene 

still looks different although 

the world has become a small 

village. The roots of Omani 

identity, which has been 

formed through many generations, 

helps the Sultanate to 

protect its characteristics from 

changing. 

day until the end of Wednesday, 

that is, just four out of 

seven days. 

This is not the case all over 

as far as the discontinuity of 

work between the public and 

private sectors is concerned. 

This has resulted in the delay 

of transactions, claims and actions. 

All this will consequently 

has a negative reflection on 

work in different state sectors 

and a negative impact on the 

overall economy. However, 

some remain silent without 

studying or reviewing this issue 

or saying the truth about 

it. 

Moreover, the private sector 

cannot complete any transaction 

in the government sector 

with all its bodies and organs, 

except on a few days starting 

Sunday or rather Monday on 

which government departments 

starts to get the momentum, 

until Wednesday when 

half of the day is usually lost 

as we all know. 

The reader can calculate 

the number of days on which 

he can complete any transaction 

in the public and private 

sectors. What are the reasons 

which force us to put ourselves 

Since his accession to the 

throne on 1970, His Majesty 

Sultan Qaboos has confirmed 

his decision to save and protect 

the Omani identity and 

culture. At the beginning, His 

Majesty called all Omanis who 

had migrated to return back to 

the Sultanate to participate in 

nation-building. His Majesty 

also issued directives to the 

government to preserve the 

Omani unique culture. 

Many decisions have also 

been issued to save the Omani 

culture and identity, mainly, 

the establishment of the Ministry 

of Heritage and Culture. 

The year 1994 was designated 

the year of national heritage. 

in this situation, which widens 

the gap in this way and impacts 

all aspects. 

For example, Saturday is 

semi-vacation on which one 

cannot perform any transaction 

because banks, insurance 

companies, financing companies 

are off despite that these 

sectors are vital in any country 

and without them no transaction 

can be completed. 

This applies to other companies 

whose role is essential 

to conclude any transaction 

on this day. Therefore, one is 

forced to postpone this transaction 

to Sunday when heavy 

queues can be seen to complete 

transactions that have been accumulating. 

The long time difference 


sectors has negative effects 

that cannot be enumerated here 

for lack of enough space. They 

include reduction of employee’s 

productivity and increase 

of complacency and lethargy, 

which is not conducive to the 

achievement of the goals that 

drive work, productivity, perseverance 

and diligence. 

For example, if one citizen 

desires to complete a transac- 

Conserving the Omani culture 

Bader Al Kiyumi 

baderalkiyumi@hotmail.com 

Despite the 

globalisation which 

has spread around 

the world, the Omani 

identity and culture 

has not been much 

affected. The cultural 

scene still looks 

different although the 

world has become a 

small village. The roots 

of Omani identity, 

which has been 

formed through many 

generations, helps the 

Sultanate to protect its 

characteristics from 

changing 

The Omani basic law 

stipulates that the state is the 

guardian and protector of the 

national heritage. 

Nowadays, the Sultanate 

has around 500 ancient 

fortresses, citadels and other 

building of archeological 

interest, reflecting the proficiency 

of Omani traditions in 

architectural in earlier times. 

The traditional folklore 

and arts reflects the culture 

and identity for any society. 

The Sultanate of Oman is rich 

with its amazing traditional 

folklore. Each region has its 

own folklore. These arts have 

been passed on from parents 

to offspring through genera- 

tions. 

In some regions the arts 

are practiced by children 

more than the elderly, who reflect 

the concern and value of 

saving the basic values of the 

society. 

The Sultanate is also rich 

in craft heritage, which is an 

integral part of the country's 

unique cultural character. This 

treasure is now being preserved 

and sustained through 

training initiatives launched 

by the Public Authority for 

Crafts and Industry (PACI). 

In the same context, the 

Omani people are also concerned 

about the unique national 

dress. They are proud 

of their attire which consists 

of the beautiful dishdasha and 

turban. 

To sum up, the Sultanate’s 

geographical location helps 

to preserve and protect the 

Omani culture and identity 

from changes. However, the 

Omani national identity needs 

more research and scientific 

study to preserve and protect 

it from the globalisation. 

Harmonisation between the public 

and private sectors in work is 

possible if we compromise a little 

and determine the weekend to be on 

Friday and Saturday. This does not 

mean, as some would think, that we 

are imitating or being subordinate 

to others. Rather, our interests and 

those of our people and our economy 

make it an imperative step. We only 

need to liberate some minds which 

still deem the old as the only way 

possible and look at the things 

through outdated perspectives that 

are no longer relevant today 

or tomorrow 

LIFE is full of different 

experiments and challenges 

which we face 

and experience every 

day during our lifetime. Every 

human being gets annoyed and 

upset from the obstacles and 

hard times that come across in 

life; even Allah's prophets had 

undergone such problematic 

or inconvenient circumstances 

throughout their lifespan. It is 

very natural, however, what 

matters is how strong we are to 

put up with and overcome such 

times of distress. 

A real example of a strong 

and noble man who suffered 

different kinds of hard experiences 

is the Prophet Muhammed 

(Peace Be Upon 

Him). Although he was a man 

who was a blessed messenger 

from Allah, he came across 

several challenges and tough 

experiences. Since he started 

spreading the message of Islam 

he faced different challenges 

such as the rejection 

of his message, from his people, 

relatives and even family 

members. 

During the year 619 AD, 

which is known as the “Year 

of Sadness” in the Islamic history, 

the Prophet Muhammad 

lost his beloved wife Khadeeja 

and his uncle Abu Talib. It was 

a tough year for him because 

he lost the major support from 

his family. His wife, Khadeeja 

was the first who believed in 

him as a messenger of Allah 

and Abu Talib was the real 

protection for him from other 

people, especially those who 

denied his message of Islam. 

On that particular year, the 

Prophet Muhammad visited a 

city nearby Mecca called Taif 

to preach the Oneness of God 

and seek peace from the people, 

but he was eventually run 

out of town. For that reason, he 

reached a high point of distress 

and disappointment; besides 

he was emotionally affected by 

the loss of his wife and uncle. 

After all that happened in the 

Prophet's life, he lived his days 

full of sorrow and loneliness. 

In the middle of this hardship, 

the Prophet had a comforting 

experience which is 

now known as Al Isra and Al 

Miraj, the Night Visit and Ascension. 

This unique experience 

was a night trip made 

by the Prophet to the city of 

Jerusalem and when he visited 

the Al Aqsa Mosque; the first 

part of the trip called Al Isra. 

The second part was called 

Al Miraj in which the Prophet 

was raised up into Heaven. 

The trip occurred in the month 

of Rajab, particularly on the 

twenty-seventh day and today 

Muslims all over the world observe 

this day as the Prophet 

Muhammad's Ascension Day. 

Referring to this experience 

in the Holy Quran, Allah said: 

Glory to Allah who did take 

His servant for a journey by 

night from the Sacred Mosque 

to the Farthest Mosque, whose 

precincts We did bless — in 

order that We might show him 

some of Our Signs: for He is 

tion at the Ministry of Housing, 

he will be faced with the 

fact that the Ministry is off 

on Thursday and Friday and 

banks are off on Saturday and 

so he cannot pay the purchase 

price of land or any other 

transaction. Is not that a cause 

for laziness and inactivity? He 

may also think that government 

agencies have created a 

system that encourages this. In 

this way, things go from bad to 

worse. This would render us 

like the creatures that live only 

to eat, Allah forbid. 

The lack of consensus in 

determining the best options 

for weekends and reduction of 

the number of working days 

to the minimum also reflects 

the lack of harmony among 

state agencies in setting priorities 

and compatibility for the 

better between the competent 

authorities. This condition asserts 

that each party pulls from 

its side, reflecting its ego and 

personal aspirations, with total 

disregard to the effects on life 

and practical aspects and the 

heavy losses incurred by the 

state because of these differences 

in attitudes even in the 

weekends. 

the One Who heareth and seeth 

all things. (Al Isra 17: 1) 

Although the Prophet Muhammad 

was facing many bitter 

rejections of his message of 

Islam, the journey was a real 

proof for Muslims and other 

believers of the Prophet's honesty 

and truth of his message. 

At that time, it was impossible 

to travel all the way from 

Mecca to Jerusalem within one 

night. However, the Prophet's 

was granted this miracle by 

Allah to support him and his 

belief. 

During this miraculous trip, 

Prophet Muhammad learnt 

a number of lessons and received 

some instructions like 

the number of prayers Muslims 

should observe each day. It also 

taught him the real value of 

patience and faith; always after 

hardship comes relief. The 

Al Israa and Al Miraj event in 

the Prophet's life was a turning 

point as it opened up opportunities 

for Islam to spread at 

that time. Doors were opened 

up for Muslims in Madina as 

Of course, harmonisation 


sectors in work is possible if 

we compromise a little and 

determine the weekend to be 

on Friday and Saturday. This 

does not mean, as some would 

think, imitation or subordination 

to others. Rather, our interests 

and those of our people 

and our economy make it an 

imperative step. We only need 

to liberate some minds which 

still deem the old as the only 

way possible and look at the 

things through outdated perspectives 

that are no longer 

relevant today or tomorrow. 

They would rather cost us a lot 

of sacrifices and take us backwards. 

We hope that weekends 

become the same for both the 

public and private sectors, take 

into account the interests of 

citizens and residents in the 

first place and reduce the communication 

gap with the outside 

world. If so, we shall have 

stricken balances, achieved all 

the targets and goals that we 

seek, preserved the gains made 

in the fields of work and ignited 

the flares of work in the 

hearts of our people. 

Authentic lessons to be learnt from life 

THE Khareef season is 

just around the corner 

and preparations for 

the Salalah Tourism 

Festival 2012 have already got 

under way with Dhofar Governorate 

gearing up for the landmark 

event. The annually-held 

festival has already gained wide 

reputation and is attracting increasing 

numbers of tourists 

from all over the world with last 

year’s festival drawing some 

428,000 tourists as per official 

statistics. 

It has been noticed that the 

Abdulaziz Al Jahdhami 

aljahdhami22@gmail.com 

Salalah Tourism Festival stimulates 

the economic activities in 

Dhofar Governorate in particular 

and the Sultanate’s economy 

in general due to the influx of 

tourists which stirs the market 

activities. The authorities are 

putting considerable effort so 

that the festival achieves success 

but the power outage that 

occur frequently in the governorate 

causes inconveniences to 

the festival-goers and threatens 

the tourism season. 

Despite the millions of rials 

being allocated to boost elec- 

tricity production in Dhofar 

Governorate and improve the 

power still the problem has not 

been tackled completely. It is 

unimaginable that the power 

goes out for more than four 

hours in the whole governorate 

and without a prior warning. 

This happened twice in the last 

two months. 

Worse, power outages happen 

more frequently during the 

tourism season which negatively 

affects tourism in the 

governorate. The Dhofar Governorate 

depends on one power 

generation plant which is not is 

not connected with any other 

national power grid to supply 

power at times of breakdown or 

increased consumption, which 

is why power outages last long 

hours. 

The nearest power grid that 

can support Salalah Power Plant 

is the Petroleum Development 

of Oman’s (PDO) power plants 

of Nimr or Marmul through the 

many of them emigrated from 

Mecca to Madina. This ended 

up with the Prophet settling 

down in Madina and establishing 

the first civilisation known 

to mankind. 

The Prophet Muhammad's 

midnight trip came as a kind 

of relief for him and a reminder 

not to lose the hope of God's 

support and love after all what 

he came through. It also gave 

him strength and hope that Allah 

was with him despite all 

the obstacles and hard times. 

Therefore, Muslims around 

the world observe the anniversary 

of this occasion to recall 

the history of this event. They 

also remember the major lessons 

of this significant occasion 

in the Islamic history and 

bring the Prophet's teachings 

to the new generations to enable 

them to learn the Islamic 

morals and ethics practiced by 

the Prophet Muhammad. 

Martin Luther King said: 

"We must accept finite disappointment, 

but never lose infinite 

hope". 

Power outage inimical to tourism industry 

Bakheet al Khathiri 

During this miraculous trip, Prophet 

Muhammad learnt a number of lessons 

and received some instructions like the 

number of prayers Muslims should observe 

each day. It also taught him the real value 

of patience and faith; always after hardship 

comes relief. The Al Israa and Al Miraj event 

in the Prophet’s life was a turning point 

as it opened up opportunities for Islam to 

spread at that time. Doors were opened up 

for Muslims in Madina as many of them 

emigrated from Mecca to Madina 

Thamrait Power Station. Connecting 

PDO’s networks with 

the gird at Dhofar Governorate 

which will guarantee extra 

supply lines that can provide 

needed power at times of emergency, 

thereby ensuring nonstop 

power supply to Dhofar 

Governorate. 

The Mirbat Power Plant 

is due to be launched within a 

short period of time, this will be 

a good step towards in solving 

the power problem of Dhofar 

but it is also necessary to lay out 

contingency plans by setting up 

linkage to the power grids available 

in the governorate. 

We hope the authorities concerned 

with the electricity sector 

and the tourism authorities coordinate 

efforts to find solutions 

to the power outage problem in 

Dhofar Governorate so that the 

Salalah Tourism Festival can 

attract more tourists and reflect 

the best aspects of the tourism 

industry in Oman.

Information minister, Radio and 

TV chief visit British institutions 

LONDON — Dr Abdulmunim 

bin Mansour al Hasani, 

Minister of Information, 

and Dr Abdullah bin Nasser al 

Harasi, Chairman of the Public 

Authority for Radio and 

Television, visited a number 

of the British and Arabic press 

institutions and press training 

centres here yesterday within 

their current tour of the United 

Kingdom. They also visited 

the headquarters of the British 

Broadcasting Corporation 

Mursi claims victory 

From page 1 

The unof�cial statistics show that Dr 

Mursi gathered 13.23 million votes till 

yesterday evening prior to the announcement 

of the results of votes of Egyptians 

voting abroad. The same statistics show 

that Sha�q gathered not less than 12.9 

million votes. 

A positive factor in the tense situation 

is that Ahmed Sha�q looks prepared to accept 

his defeat in case the elections committee 

announces Dr Mursi as the winner 

on Thursday. Many media sources show 

that Mursi won about 52.5 per cent of the 

votes against 47.5 per cent of the votes 

for Sha�q, despite the Higher Election 

Committee’s declaration of the illegality 

of the claims. 

In this scenario, security was under 

control yesterday as Tahrir Square looked 

calm and the traf�c in Cairo was not obstructed 

in any way. 

Al Hazm exercise concludes 

MUSCAT — The Command and Staff 

College (CSC) at the Sultan's Armed 

Forces (SAF) yesterday concluded activities 

of Al Hazm exercise that began on 

June 11. 

The exercise comes as part of the general 

plan for the course and crowning the 

series of exercises conducted by CSC personnel 

within subjects of the course in a 

bid to achieve the envisaged training objectives. 

Lt Gen Ahmed bin Harith al Nabhani, 

Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces 

(SAF), Air Vice Marshal Matar bin Ali 

bin Matar al Obaidani, Commander of the 

Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO), Brigadier 

Hamad bin Rashid al Balushi, acting 

Commander of the Royal Army of Oman 

(RAO), and Commodore Mohammed bin 

Ali al Farsi, acting Commander of the 

Royal Navy of Oman (RNO), yesterday 

visited the exercise's site. — ONA 


MUSCAT — National Bank 

of Oman (NBO) has decided 

to support ‘Hayatikum’ the 

weekly recorded Television 

Programme on Oman TV, 

which focuses on various social 

issues. 

The programme highlights 

signi�cant and current ‘true 

to life’ incidents that affect 

the daily lives of individuals 

and the Omani and Arab 

community at large, thereby 

reiterating the bank’s commitment 

to Corporate Social 

Responsibility (CSR) activities 

and community events. 

Guest speakers — experts 

in different related �elds including 

lawyers, academicians, 

members of civil society, 

government of�cials, 

psychologists, human rights 

specialists, are interviewed 

during the programme to 

(BBC), the Independent British 

TV station, Reuters News 

Centre and ISIS Innovation 

af�liated to Oxford University. 

They also took part in a 

media seminar prepared by 

Tom Hockaday and met with 

professors of the University of 

Oxford. 

During the seminar, Dr Abdulmunim 

and Dr Abdullah 

presented an overview of the 

media in the Sultanate, fol- 

obtain their expert advice 

on how to face and handle 

the various social challenges 

lowed by an open discussion 

about the topic and a discussion 

on how to take advantage 

of British media experiences 

in training Omani media personnel 

in future. 

Dr Abdulmunim and Dr 

Abdullah also visited the 

Thomson Foundation Training 

Centre, Services and Consultants 

in Cardiff. 

After touring news section 

in Reuters, a discussion was 

held on training activities of 

that are faced in today’s fast 

moving world. Topics discussed 

include social issues, 

the Agency and the possibility 

of reaching an agreement on 

specialist training for Omanis 

in news coverage. 

Dr Abdulmunim and Dr 

Abdullah also visited Al Hayat 

and Al Quds al-Arabi newspapers 

in London where they 

met with media of�cials and 

toured news rooms and station 

studios to view the latest electronic 

equipment in the area of 

radio and television broadcasting. 

— ONA 

DR Madeeha bint Ahmed al Shaibaniyah, Minister of Education, yesterday 

honoured top performers of the school year 2011-2012. 

youth, marriage to non-Omanis, 

senior citizens and much 

more. 

5 OMAN 



MUSCAT — Lt Gen 

Hassan bin Mohsin al 

Shraiqi, Inspector General 

of Police and Customs, 

signed at General 

Command of Police in 

Qurum yesterday a contract 

for the construction 

of a Coast Guards 

Command building in 

Sidab in the Governorate 

of Muscat. 

The project also 

includes a port for the 

docking of boats for the 

Coast Guards and associated 

facilities and 

utilities, in addition to 

relevant mechanical, 

electrical and security 

workshops.—ONA 

36 PAEW water projects under execution 

By Hasan Kamoonpuri 

MUSCAT — Anticipating a 

constant increase in the demand 

for water, the Public 

Authority for Electricity and 

Water (PAEW) is currently 

executing 36 water projects 

worth many millions of rials. 

The authority has earmarked 

around RO 700 million 

for these projects for the 

current Eighth Five Year Plan 

(2011-2015). 

Some of these projects currently 

under various stages of 

execution in the Muscat region 

include expansion of Al 

Qurum reservoir and related 

works; expansion of Bausher 

Reservoir; Water supply to 

Qurayat, Chlorination unit at 

NBO supports ‘Hayatikum’ on Oman TV 

Oman, Luxembourg ties reviewed 

MUSCAT — Yusuf bin Alawi 

bin Abdallah, Minister 

Responsible for Foreign Affairs, 

received in his of�ce 

here yesterday Jean Asselborn, 

Deputy Prime Minister 

and Foreign Minister of 

Luxembourg, who is currently 

on an of�cial visit to 

the Sultanate. 

The meeting reviewed 

the bilateral relations between 

the two friendly countries 

and means of promoting 

them in various �elds, 

as well as exchanging views 

on the international and regional 

issues of common 

concern. 

The meeting was attended 

by Sayyid Badr bin Hamoud 

Pact signed for Coast Guards facilities 

The programme is aired 

on Wednesdays, Thursdays 

and Fridays and aims to raise 

awareness among viewers 

by using problem solving 

methods. It also addresses 

issues emanating from studies 

conducted by Sultan Qaboos 

University, Ministry of 

Social Development and the 

State Council. 

Aisha al Kharusi, NBO’s 

Head CSR and Corporate 

Communications, said: 

“We believe television media 

is highly signi�cant as 

it reaches all strata of the 

Omani society. NBO is committed 

to supporting events 

organised and held for the 

bene�t of the community at 

large. Sponsoring this programme 

has enabled us to 

back efforts to address and 

solve social issues, which is 

extremely relevant in today’s 

day and age”. 

al Busaidy, Secretary-General 

of the Foreign Ministry, Dr 

Salim bin Nassir al Isma'eeli, 

Chairman of the Public Au- 

al Khoudh Reservoir; Expansion 

of Mawaleh Reservoir; 

relocation of 0.5 migd desalination 

plant from Sur to Qurayat; 

Expansion of Wadi Kabir 

Reservoir; Construction of 

Main Store at Maabella; Scada 

and leakage Control system 

for Water Transmission network 

in Muscat; and Central 

Control Building at Bausher. 

Similarly, seven projects 

are under way at various places 

in Al Wusta region; six in Al 

Sharqiyah; two in Musandam; 

�ve in Al Dakhiliyah; four in 

Al Batinah and one each in 

Buraimi and Dhahirah governorates. 

In total, as many as 36 

projects under various stages 

of execution in the country, 

Omani engineer attends US energy 

resource management programme 


MUSCAT — Hilal al Ghaithi, 

Senior Regulatory Engineer, 

the Authority for Electricity 

Regulation, has headed for 

the US to participate in the 

US Department of State’s 

sponsored programme, the 

International Visitor Leadership 

Programme entitled 

“Trans-Boundary Energy Resource 

Management,” which 

will conclude on June 29. 

This project will examine 

co-operative management 

and maintenance of shared 

ecosystems and resources to 

optimise regional bene�ts, 

and to mitigate energy-related 

tensions, con�icts, and 

disasters. Through meetings, 

case studies, and site visits, 

participants will examine 

models of co-ordinated col- 

thority for Investment Promotion 

and Exports Development 

(PAIPED), Ali bin 

Ahmed al Issa'ee, Head of 

according to Mohammed bin 

Abdullah al Mahrouqi, who is 

Chairman of PAEW since its 

establishment. 

The expansion of Al Qurum 

Reservoir includes the construction 

of a 5,700 cum and 

13,100 cum capacity ground 

level storage reservoirs; construction 

of new pump station 

and providing an additional 

pump of 200 cum/hr capacity 

adjacent to existing pumps. 

The Public Authority for 

Electricity and Water is also 

executing water projects worth 

RO 32 million in the Sharqiyah 

Governorates. These projects 

cover developing potable water 

resources and streamlining 

water supply and distribution 

networks. 

laboration and stakeholder 

decision-making processes. 

Participants will analyse 

lessons learned from those 

involved in managing transborder 

energy systems and 

communication among various 

governmental and nongovernmental 

entities, the 

the Minister's Of�ce Department, 

of�cials at the Ministry 

and the delegation accompanying 

the guest. — ONA 

They include new supply 

networks as well refurbishing 

of existing networks and setting 

up a number of desalination 

plants. A number of wilayats 

will get additional water 

tanks under the project, which 

includes the Qalhat water supply 

network, new networks in 

the wilayats of Al Qabail, Ibra 

and the niyabats of Sinaw and 

Ras al Hadd, and the Masirah 

Island. 

Major supply lines for supply 

to the Wilayat of Wadi 

Bani Khalid will be constructed 

while the network in Sur 

will be extended. While two 

networks will be built in Wadi 

Marir and Qahid, the desalination 

plant in Al Khowemah 

will be expanded. 

private sector, academics, 

and local community members. 

The participants will start 

the program in Washington, 

DC and then travel to: 

Burlington, VT, Dallas-Fort 

Worth, TX, Austin, TX, and 

Las Vegas, Nevada.

Oman Air continues its ascent; 

28pc rise in passenger revenue 

By Bader al Kiyumi 

MUSCAT — With a whopping 

28 per cent growth in net passenger 

revenue in the �rst �ve 

months of this year, and with 

highly promising passenger 

and cargo �gures for the same 

period, the future seems to be 

bright for the national carrier 

Oman Air. 

Over the same period, total 

number of passengers �own 

increased by 19 per cent compared 

to a full-year rise of 16 

per cent in 2011 and tonnage 

of total cargo shot up by 33 per 

cent compared to that during 

2011. The total cargo revenue 

shot up by 47 per cent compared 

to a year-long increase 

of 28 per cent. 

Addressing a press conference, 

Wayne Pearce, Oman 

Air's Chief Executive Of�cer, 

also announced the ambitious 

growth plans of the carrier 

that has a high pace of growth 

among the regional carriers. 

“The scene for continued 

growth has already been set 

with the announcement of a 

new service from September 

1 between Muscat and 

Tehran and the anticipated 

delivery of two new Embraer 

E175 regional jets in Q3 and 


MUSCAT — Oman Oil 

Company (OOC) celebrated 

the graduation of 45 young 

Omani job seekers who have 

been enrolled in the Training 

for Employment programmes. 

The programmes 

were implemented in partnership 

with the Oman Society 

for Petroleum Services 

(OPAL) and various designated 

training institutes along 

with a number of private sector 

establishments who will 

employ these graduates. 

The graduation ceremony 

was held under the auspices 

of Nasser bin Khamis al Jashmi, 

Under-Secretary of Oil 

and Gas, and attended by a 

number of senior of�cials 

from various government 

and private sectors. 

The programme forms an 

integral part of OOC’s corporate 

Social Responsibility 

strategy to enable an Omani 

youth that are skilled contributors 

in their communities. 

Q4 of this year. 

"In addition, six new Boeing 

737s are on order, with two 

being delivered in 2014 and 

four in 2015. Six new Boeing 

787 Dreamliners will also be 

delivered from 2015," Pearce 

said. 

Oman Air’s success has 

not, however, relied solely on 

expansion. The airline’s commitment 

to quality in every 

aspect of its operations and 

genuine value for passengers 

has resulted in signi�cant customer 

loyalty. 

Competitive pricing and 

regular special offers, both 

online and in partnership with 

travel industry partners, have 

attracted many new customers, 

whilst e-booking and web 

check-in – which also allows 

passengers to choose their preferred 

seat, book their choice 

of meals and check in their 

The general education diploma 

certi�cate graduates 

who participated have been 

provided with secured job 

opportunities upon completing 

their respective training 

programmes in Foreign Exchange, 

Auto Computer Aided 

Design/ Drafting (CAD) 

and Health Safety and En- 

luggage up to eight hours before 

departure – build on Oman 

Air’s reputation for easy connections, 

reliable performance 

and high-quality service. 

The carrier which places 

Omanisation on top has two 

more Embraer E175s to join 

its ever-expanding �eet by Q3 

and Q4 of this year. Its current 

�eet comprise 26 aircraft, including: 

15 x Boeing 737, 7 

The airline’s competitive pricing 

and regular special offers, both 

online and in partnership with 

travel industry partners, have 

attracted many new customers 

x Airbus A330, 2 x Embraer 

175, 2 x ATR42. Six Boeing 

737s on order – delivery: 2 in 

2014, 4 in 2015. Furthermore, 

six Boeing 787 Dreamliners 

are on order – delivery: 2 in 

2015, 1 in 2016, 1 in 2017, 2 

in 2018. 

Oman Air currently �ies 

to 41 destinations across the 

Middle East, Asia, Europe 

and Africa and its 42nd destination, 

Tehran will begin on 

September 1, 2012. Adfdition- 

vironment. Commenting 

on the occasion, Mulham al 

Jarf, Deputy Chief Executive 

Of�cer of OOC, said, “The 

initiative is in line with His 

Majesty’s strategic vision of 

having a responsible private 

sector actively participating 

in achieving the national priorities 

such as youth capacity 

building.” 

“There is no doubt that the 

programme will enhance the 

capabilities of young Omani 

job seekers as well as providing 

the marketplace with a 

quali�ed workforce, ready to 

contribute towards the development 

of the society.” 

Mohamed al Harthy, Chief 

Executive Of�cer of OPAL 

said, “This is yet another important 

moment in OPAL’s 

records as we celebrate with 

Oman Oil Company the 

graduation of a new batch of 

elite Omanis. 

“The training for employment 

programme has greatly 

supported the Omanisation 

process in the Omani oil 

ally, new Oman Air lounges 

at Muscat and Bangkok were 

opened in 2011 while taking 

part in the two major events, 

Muscat festival and Salalah 

Festival actively by carrying 

the largest number of visitors 

to the country. 

At Oman Air, participating 

in the major events and supporting 

important events has 

been a part of the corporate 

social responsibility. It has 

been a key part of the Oman 

Football Association as key 

partner for the Oman national 

team, and of�cial carrier of the 

Oman Football Association. 

In the Extreme 40s series 

in the third consecutive year, 

sponsorship to Ahmed al 

Harthy and Oman Air racing 

Team, Porsche Carrera Cup 

GB Championship third year 

in the series are other ones. 

The national carrier has 

distributed 41 computers in 41 

district schools across Oman 

during the Oman First 41st anniversary 

celebrations last year. 

The carrier’s reputation has 

been further enhanced with the 

receipt of a range of international 

awards and accolades. 

Last year, the independent 

airline quality experts Skytrax 

named Oman Air as an Of�cial 

4-Star Airline just weeks before 

the World Airline Awards 

presented the carrier with the 

‘Best Business Class Seat in 

the World’ and ‘Service Excellence, 

Middle East’ awards. 

Last month, Oman Air was 

named ‘Best Business Class 

Airline, Middle East’ at the 

Business Destinations Awards, 

bring to 24 the total number of 

awards received over the last 

two years. 

OOC marks graduation of 45 trainees 

The general 

education 

diploma holders 

who participated 

in the 

programme have 

been provided 

with secured job 

opportunities 

upon completing 

their training 

Oman Air’s 

commitment to 

quality in every 

aspect of its 

operations and 

genuine value 

for passengers 

have resulted 

in signi�cant 

customer loyalty 

and gas sector by qualifying 

a large number of Omani 

youths in various technical 

and professional expertise, 

thus contributing in their entry 

into the job market which 

otherwise would be dif�cult 

for them to join due to the 

nature of their technical requirement. 

For OPAL, Omanisation 

does not mean just 

numbers; rather the objective 

is to provide employment 

opportunities to quali�ed 

citizens to contribute to the 

national economy, productivity 

and prosperity of the nation.” 

Manahel Mohammed al 

Balushi is one of the students 

who completed her course in 

Auto Computer Aided Design, 

“I am really thankful 

for the opportunity to attend 

this training that I can take 

with me directly into my new 

job.” “The programme has 

given me the con�dence and 

skill to step into the workplace 

and know that I can add 

value from the start.” 

6 OMAN 



Arabian Leopard project gains momentum 

By Kabeer Yousuf 

MUSCAT — A project on estimating 

the number of Arabian 

leopards in the Dhofar region 

is gaining momentum and the 

�eld TEAM is expected to 

come out with some statistics 

by the end of the year. 

The study on Arabian 

Leopard, one of the critically 

endangered species of the 

leopard family whose number 

is below 200 in the region 

was initiated by the Of�ce 

for Conservation of the Environment 

under the Diwan 

of Royal Court, Sultanate of 

Oman. 

“We are now working with 

the National Field Research 

Centre for Environmental 

Conservation based in Muscat 

and Earthwatch Institute 

to estimate the Arabian leopard 

population in Oman, Jebel 

Samhan in particular”, Hadi 

al Hikmani, leader of the mission 

team told the Observer. 

“So far, we have set up 

around 20 camera traps in 

Jebel Samhan and we hope 

that we will be able by the 

end of the year to tell that at 

least the minimum number of 

leopards in this area”, Hadi 

said during a routine rounds 

in Jebel Samhan yesterday. 

In Oman, the project was 


SALALAH — The Salalah 

Tourism Festival (STF) 2012, 

taking place from June 21 — 

July 18 at the Municipality Fair 

Grounds from 5 pm — 12 am, 

will offer its visitors a monthlong 

shopping experience like 

no other, where shoppers may 

divide their time and attention 

between the shopping fair, the 

book fair and the Omani products 

exhibition. 

In keeping with His Majesty 

the Sultan’s vision on strengthening 

the national economy 

and promoting the local workforce 

and culture, the concept 

for the Omani products exhibition 

was formed. The Omani 

products exhibition constitutes 

a separate pavilion which will 

be a part of STF 2012 and will 

showcase Omani products and 

consequently the wealth of the 

country. 

“Besides providing local 


MUSCAT — Omantel announced 

that it will be offering 

a number of special offers and 

promotions to its customers as 

it celebrates its sponsorship 

of this year’s Salalah Tourism 

Festival (STF) in Salalah. 

Omantel is a long-term 

supporter of one of Oman’s 

best loved and most popular 

events and this year will be 

sponsoring the festival as the 

company continues its strategy 

of supporting the biggest 

cultural gatherings across the 

Sultanate. 

Once again the telecommunications 

company will be 

the main sponsor of an event 

that attracts tens of thousands 

of visitors from Oman and 

across the Middle East to celebrate 

the monsoon season 

and the favourable cool and 

wet summer conditions — 


MUSCAT — Omantel, the 

leading integrated telecom 

provider in the Sultanate, has 

recently opened a new outlet 

in Lulu Salalah, offering a 

wide array of Omantel �xed, 

mobile and Internet services 

to individual and corporate 

customers. 

This move is part of the 

company’s keenness to bring 

its services closer to customers, 

re�ecting Omantel’s 

core value of simplicity. It is 

also part of Omantel’s customer 

experience enhancement 

project that includes 

the spread of Omantel outlets 

throughout the Sultanate, 

the renovation of old ones 

and opening of new stores to 

make Omantel services. 

started of�cially in 1997 

in Jebel Samhan, and until 

2000, the mission team has 

photographed at least 17 individual 

leopards during the 

�rst three years. Sensing the 

importance of the project, 

the same has been expanded 

to cover other areas of the 

Dhofar region. The project 

that started with a limited 

number of staff in 2002 under 

the auspices of the Diwan of 

Royal Court is planning to 

increase the number of �eld 

staff to around 16. “It is not 

just a project but a series of 

research and conservation 

studies which will contribute 

substantially to the environ- 

STF to showcase products of the region 

companies an adequate platform 

for showcasing their 

products, the exhibition will 

provide the perfect opportunity 

for raising awareness 

about the unique features, 

quality and brand value of 

making Salalah such a totally 

unique summer destination in 

the region. 

The company will shortly 

be announcing details of its 

range of offers for consumers 

during the festival that will 

also allow Omantel to showcase 

to its customers in the 

Dhofar region their full range 

The new store provides 

all Omantel mobile, �xed 

mental studies of the Sultanate 

of Oman”. 

The conservation programme 

includes four important 

elements, �eld research, 

raising awareness, supporting 

local communities and capacity 

building of concerned 

parties. There are also four 

organisations which involved 

in the delivery of the programme. 

The National �eld 

Centre, Earthwatch, Ministry 

of Environment and Of�ce 

for Conservation of the Environment. 

Arabian Leopard, scienti�cally 

known as Panthera 

pardus nimr, are commonly 

found among the mountainous 

local products as well as 

their promotional abilities 

on a local and international 

scale” says Hassan Mohammed, 

senior manager, STF 

2012. 

Providing a unique op- 

of innovative �xed, mobile 

and Internet services. 

During the one month festival 

that runs throughout July, 

Omantel will have an exhibition 

stand at the heart of the 

festival activities in the Salalah 

Municipality Recreation 

Centre and customers will be 

able to �nd out how they can 

bene�t from the special offers 

and buy Hayyak top-up cards 

and other products from this 

location and at all Omantel 

outlets throughout the Sultanate. 

Commenting on their 

sponsorship of the event, Mohammed 

Hassan al Lawatia, 

Events Manager at Omantel, 

said: “We have enjoyed 

a long and highly successful 

relationship with the Salalah 

Tourism Festival and are delighted 

once again this year to 

be putting our support to this 

hugely popular and widely an- 

and Internet to consumer and 

business customers services 

areas throughout the Arabian 

Peninsula, Sinai, and the Levant 

but recently, it was proven 

that they currently exist 

only in the Dhofar region of 

Oman, Hajjah and Al Mahrah 

governorates in Yemen, and 

the Judean Desert and Negev 

highlands of Israel/Palestine. 

Their habitats are high 

mountains and deep wadis 

(valleys) with suf�cient prey, 

permanent water, adequate 

cover, and freedom from 

persecution, the mountains 

of Dhofar region are said to 

have all these favourable conditions 

that make a perfect 

habitat for this wild animal at 

the verge of extinction. 

portunity for local brands to 

cater to global demands, the 

pavilion will cover products 

from diverse sectors such as 

agriculture, livestock, dairy, 

�sheries, textile and fashion, 

food and beverages, furniture, 

gifts, handicrafts, household 

appliances, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, 

electrical and 

electronics, rubber and plastic 

products, paints and decorative 

coatings. 

“The Omani products exhibition 

will offer the local 

customers a chance to better 

understand the products of 

the region and encourage prolonged 

buying behaviour for 

the same. As for international 

customers, it will give them a 

chance to appreciate products 

that de�ne the core of being 

Omani. More than 60 companies 

will be showcasing products 

at the Omani products exhibition 

this year,” concludes 

Mohammed. 

Omantel main Sponsor of STF 

Mohammed al Lawatia 

ticipated event. 

“As the telecommunications 

company with the widest 

network coverage and largest 

customer base in the Sultanate, 

we are always happy to 

take such a strong presence 

in Salalah at this time of the 

year ensuring that our customers 

can bene�t from special 

offers, experience our wide 

range of smartphones and 

have all the Omantel services 

they require at our festival 

stand or branches across the 

Dhofar region.” 

Omantel brings individuals, 

families and businesses 

together and has successfully 

connected different parts of 

the country to each other and 

with the rest of the world. 

Omantel has been a permanent 

supporter of national, cultural, 

tourism, sports, health and educational 

events embodying 

its tagline of “together”. 

Omantel opens new outlet in Lulu Salalah 

in addition to a wide variety 

of smartphone packages that 

include the recently launched 

Samsung Galaxy S3 that 

comes with six months of 

free mobile broadband package 

for RO 250. 

Omantel is the leading 

provider of integrated telecommunications 

services 

in the Sultanate and has been 

the fastest growing mobile 

operator in the Sultanate for 

the past two years. 

It has successfully connected 

various parts of the 

Sultanate to each other and 

with the rest of world through 

an advanced network of mobile, 

�xed and Internet services. 

The number of Hayyak 

subscribers has already 

crossed the threshold of two 

million.

TOKYO — Japan’s Paci�c 

coast was bracing itself for a 

powerful typhoon yesterday 

as it headed northeast along 

the Okinawa Islands, packing 

winds of up to 144 kilometres 

per hour, of�cials said. 

The Japan Meteorological 

Agency warned that the typhoon, 

named Guchol, could 

cause thunderstorms, strong 

winds and high waves as it 

was expected to push a seasonal 

rain front north toward 

the Japanese main islands. 

The storm system was located 

about 170 kilometres 

southeast of Okinawa’s main 

city of Naha and was forecast 

to reach the main southern island 

of Kyushu midmorning 

today, the agency said. 

Rainfall of up to 40 centimetres 

in 24 hours was expected 

along the Paci�c coast, 

the agency said. 

Drilling for oil�eld 

Meanwhile, Japan plans to 

test-drill in the Sea of Japan 

(East Sea) next year where a 

potentially “large-scale” oil- 

�eld has been found, a news 

report said yesterday. 

The Energy Agency has 

collected data proving that 

an area with possible oil and 

natural gas reserves lies some 

30 kilometres southwest of 

Sadogashima island, the Yomiuri 

Shimbun said. 

The possible oil�eld, some 

2.7 kilometres below the sea 

�oor, covers 135 square kilometres, 

the evening edition 

of the mass-circulation daily 

reported. 

“In terms of area, it can 

match a large-scale oil�eld 

overseas,” an agency of�cial 

was quoted by the newspaper 

as saying. 

The government-backed 

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals 

National Corporation will 

carry out the $124 million 

test-drilling, the Yomiuri 

said. 

The three-year project is 

expected to begin as early as 

April next year after obtain- 

7 THE WORLD 


ing agreement from local Japanese 

�shermen, it said, adding 

that the government hopes 

to commercialise it in 2017 if 

results are favourable. 

Resource-poor and energy-hungry 

Japan heavily relies 

on oil imports from the 

Middle East, a situation that 

has been exacerbated by the 

shuttering of all of its nuclear 


BRITAIN’S Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, leave St George’s chapel after the annual service of the Order of the Garter 

at Windsor Castle in Berkshire yesterday. The Order of the Garter is the pinnacle of the UK honours system with appointments 

of Knights of the Garter a prerogative of the Queen, and a gift that is made without consulting ministers. — AFP 

N Korea vows to bolster defences 

SEOUL — North Korea accused 

the US yesterday of 

building up military forces 

in the region and vowed to 

strengthen its own defences 

“in every way”. 

The comments came one 

day after the communist state 

said it would bolster its nuclear 

deterrent in the face of what 

it called US antagonism. 

Tensions on the peninsula 

have been high in recent 

months, following repeated 

threats by Pyongyang against 

Seoul and the North’s failed 

long-range rocket launch in 

April. 

South Korean and US forces 

will hold their largest joint 

live-�re military exercise Friday 

to showcase their “watertight 

defence posture and war- 

�ghting capabilities”, Seoul’s 

defence ministry said. 

The North’s foreign ministry 

described what it termed a 

US arms buildup as an “open 

provocation” to Pyongyang 

and a prelude to a regional 

war. 

The spokesman’s comments 

on the of�cial news 

agency cited the disclosure 

last week that US forces 

based in the South are seeking 

more attack helicopters 

and stronger missile defence 

systems. 

The spokesman also men- 

Hong Kong wealth gap 

widens amid scandals 

HONG KONG — Hong 

Kong’s wealth gap has widened 

over the past few years 

amid surging house prices 

and as the city’s outgoing 

leader grapples with a tide 

of public resentment over a 

spate of scandals involving 

top of�cials and billionaire 

tycoons. 

Despite Hong Kong’s 

reputation as a city of skyscrapers, 

luxury cars and 

swanky malls, around a 

tenth of families in the city 

of seven million live in 

relative poverty, according 

to Oxfam. The wealth gap 

stands now among the widest 

of any Asian developed 

economy. 

The Gini coef�cient in 

2011 for all households in 

Hong Kong was 0.537, up 

from 0.533 in 2006, in the 

latest �ve-yearly �gure for 

income disparity released 

yesterday. 

Some groups have 

blamed the failure of outgoing 

leader Donald Tsang to 

provide greater support for 

the underprivileged and for 

housing policies that have 

coddled the city’s powerful 

property tycoons. Home 

prices are now among the 

highest in the world. 

A major corruption probe 

into a top former of�cial 

and the billionaire Kwok 

brothers who run property 

developer Sun Hung Kai, 

along with lavish overseas 

duty trips by Tsang, haven’t 

helped perceptions of overly 

cosy government business 

ties. 

tioned a naval exercise involving 

South Korea, the US 

and Japan, to be held Thursday 

and Friday south of the 

peninsula. 

South Korean and US naval 

forces, including a US 

aircraft carrier, will also hold 

manoeuvres in the Yellow 

Sea for three days starting 

Saturday. 

The North also blasted last 

Thursday’s Washington meeting 

between the US and South 

Korean defence and foreign 

ministers. It said their aim 

was to discuss “making South 

Korea an advance base for 

the implementation of the US 

strategy for domination over 

Asia”. 

The North said the US 

arms buildup “is a prelude to 

a regional war targeting not 

only the DPRK (North Korea) 

but also several Northeast 

Asian countries...” 

Pyongyang would “increase 

its self-defence capabilities 

in every way to protect 

sovereignty and dignity 

of the country and nation”. 

Some Seoul analysts believe 

the North may engineer 

a border clash as new leader 

Kim Jong-Un tries to bolster 

his status with the military. 

There is also speculation it 

will conduct another nuclear 

test, although Pyongyang has 

Japan braces for powerful typhoon 

A SATELLITE view of Typhoon Guchol off Japan’s Paci�c coast. — AFP 

said it has no plans at present 

to do so. 

The South’s defence ministry 

said Friday’s joint drill 

will involve some 2,000 

troops, F-15K and KF-16 

jet �ghters, and light-attack 

planes. 

Four US Apache attack 

helicopters as well as tanks 

and rocket launchers will �re 

thousands of rounds during 

the drill in Pocheon county, 

near the border. 

The exercise is timed to 

mark the 62nd anniversary of 

the start of the three-year Korean 

War, which began with 

a North Korean invasion on 

June 25. — AFP. 

‘Carbon capture’ too risky, 

earthquake prone: study 

WASHINGTON — A proposed 

method of cutting 

harmful carbon emissions in 

the atmosphere by storing 

them underground risks causing 

earthquakes and is unlikely 

to succeed, a US study said 

yesterday. 

The warning came in a 

Perspective article in the Proceedings 

of the National Academy 

of Sciences, just days 

after another independent US 

study warned that carbon capture 

and storage (CCS) risked 

causing earthquakes. 

CCS is currently considered 

a “viable strategy” by the 

UN Intergovernmental Panel 

on Climate Change for pollution 

control from coal-based 

electrical power generation 

and other industrial sources 

of carbon dioxide, said the 

PNAS study. 

But while no large-scale 

projects are yet under way, 

the huge volume of �uid that 

would need to be stored below 

ground for long periods 

of time make the notion unrealistic, 

argued the study by 

experts at Stanford University 

in California. 

“There is a high probability 

that earthquakes will be 

triggered by injection of large 

volumes of CO2 into the brittle 

rocks commonly found in 

continental interiors,” said the 

article by Mark Zobacka and 

Steven Gorelick, professors in 

the departments of Geophysics 

and Environmental Earth 

System Science. 

“Because even small- to 

moderate-sized earthquakes 

threaten the seal integrity 

of CO2 repositories, in this 

context, large-scale CCS is a 

risky, and likely unsuccessful, 

strategy for signi�cantly reducing 

greenhouse gas emissions.” 

The technique aims to 

reduce carbon dioxide emissions 

to the atmosphere by 

capturing, liquefying and injecting 

them below ground at 

high volumes. 

For CCS to work on a 

global scale, it would need 

to eliminate about 3.5 billion 

tons of C02 per year, or about 

the same volume as 28.6 billion 

barrels, said the study, 

noting that about 27 billion 

barrels of oil are produced 

yearly worldwide. 

reactors following the disaster 

at Fukushima last year. 

On Saturday Prime Minister 

Yoshihiko Noda ordered 

two reactors in western Japan 

to be brought back online, 

bringing to an end a brief period 

without nuclear power. 

In another development 

Japan yesterday pressed 

Greece to swiftly form a new 

cabinet after pro-bailout parties 

won a weekend election, 

and called on European leaders 

to “urgently” strengthen 

the region’s �nancial sector. 

“We will be paying close 

attention to upcoming negotiations 

to form a coalition” 

government, Chief Cabinet 

Secretary Osamu Fujimura, 

the government’s top spokesman, 

told reporters in Tokyo. 

“Our country hopes that 

a stable government will be 

launched early and make 

progress towards stabilising 

markets... We hope that European 

countries will urgently 

take measures to strengthen 

its �nancial sector,” he added. 

Europe is a major market 

for Japanese products and 

Tokyo is a signi�cant buyer 

of euro zone bonds, with of- 

�cials saying Japan’s fragile 

economic recovery was heavily 

tied to the continent. 

Call for global ‘green’ 

industrial revolution’ 

RIO DE JANEIRO — Former 

British premier Tony Blair and 

other statesmen and corporate 

chiefs urged world leaders 

yesterday to usher in “a green 

industrial revolution” to steer 

the planet on a sustainable future. 

“By the end of the decade, 

the low carbon market could 

triple in value to over US$2 

trillion,” said the signatories 

of an open letter published on 

the eve of the G20 and Rio+20 

summits. 

They called for a coordinated 

policy shift to save the world 

economy and the climate. 

Blair, chairman of the nonpro�t 

Climate Group, threw 

his support behind the proposed 

policy chief in a speech 

screened at the Rio+20 conference 

on sustainable development. 

The Climate Group works 

with business and govern- 

SEOUL — Three companies 

have submitted bids for 

a contract worth $6.9 billion 

to supply 60 �ghter aircraft 

to South Korea, the country’s 

arms procurement agency said 

yesterday. 

Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle, 

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 

Lightning II and the Euro�ghter 

Typhoon will vie for 

the order, the Defense Acquisition 

Program Administration 

(DAPA) said in a statement on 

its website. 

Yesterday was the bidding 

deadline, with the winner to 

be selected in October. The 

contract is worth eight trillion 

won ($6.9 billion). 

DAPA also plans to spend 

A US Army instructor conducts training for bombs and explosive detection to 

Indonesian soldiers for deployment to UN peacekeeping duties during the 

‘Garuda Shield VI 2012’ in Malang city in East Java province yesterday. — AFP 

Govt probe 

into deaths 

BANGKOK — Thai police 

yesterday promised a 

swift investigation into the 

deaths of two Canadian 

sisters found in their hotel 

room on a popular resort 

island. 

The bodies of Audrey 

and Noemi Belanger, aged 

20 and 26, from Quebec 

province, were found Friday 

by hotel staff on Phi 

Phi island in the Andaman 

Sea, showing signs of having 

suffered an extreme 

toxic reaction. 

Police said “serious food 

poisoning” might have been 

to blame, but the authorities 

stressed that it was too 

early to pinpoint the cause 

of the deaths. 

“We will send all evidence 

to Bangkok’s forensic 

department this afternoon 

and ask them to 

process it quickly to establish 

what killed them,” said 

Krabi province police chief 

Jamroon Reunrom. 

“As well as the police 

forensic team, a team from 

the health ministry’s department 

of disease control also 

came to help, but we could 

not say right now what is 

the cause of the deaths,” he 

added. — AFP 

ments around the world to 

promote clean technologies 

and policies, with the aim of 

expanding clean technology 

markets and reducing global 

greenhouse gas emissions. 

“At a time when government 

and business leaders everywhere 

are calling for strategies 

that deliver growth, we 

have an historic opportunity 

before us to lead the world out 

of recession and into a more 

stable, sustainable future,” the 

signatories said. 

They backed the launch 

in Rio of a Clean Revolution 

campaign, a major initiative 

by the Climate Group and 

other public and private sector 

partners for a “green growth” 

push out of global recession. 

“The Clean Revolution is 

the expressway to the green 

economy. It will be a new Industrial 

Revolution. Because 

of the current �nancial crisis, 

some 1.8 trillion won on 36 attack 

helicopters, with Boeing’s 

Apache, Eurocopter’s Tiger 

and Turkey’s T129 thought to 

be in competition. 

Tensions with North Korea 

have been high in recent years. 

The North and South remain 

technically at war because a 

peace treaty was never signed 

formally to end their 1950-53 

con�ict. 

South Korea’s military has 

warned it would immediately 

retaliate against North Korea’s 

“core command forces” 

for any attack, after a series 

of threats from the communist 

state. 

The massive weapons acquisition 

being pushed through 

Norway gunman legally 

responsible: experts 

OSLO — Anders Behring 

Breivik, who killed 77 people 

in Norway last July, should 

be considered legally responsible 

for his crimes, psychiatric 

experts said yesterday, 

contradicting �ndings by two 

colleagues. 

“We do not see any sign of 

psychotic symptoms before, 

during and after” his attacks 

in central Oslo and a shooting 

spree on Utoeya island near 

the capital, psychiatrist Agnar 

Aspaas told the court. 

Aspaas and his colleague 

Terje Toerrissen had been 

asked to evaluate the rightwing 

extremists’s mental 

health. 

“It is very unlikely that he 

suffers from an illness in the 

category of forensic psychiatry,” 

he added. 

The evaluation that he was 

not psychotic at the time of the 

attacks and can thus be held 

criminally responsible con- 

�rms their psychiatric probe 

published in early April, days 

before Breivik’s trial opened. 

But it is now also based on 

more than nine weeks of observation 

during the trial. 

An initial probe by of�cial 

experts Synne Soerheim 

and Torgeir Husby had found 

Breivik was suffering from 

acting on climate change is 

more than ever before an opportunity 

to lead the world out 

of recession,” Blair said in his 

speech. 

“An incremental approach 

is no longer adequate for either 

humanity’s needs or the 

new realities of the global 

economy. We need a step 

change. And it begins, today, 

at Rio+20,” said Mark Kenber, 

head of the Climate Group. 

World leaders are to meet 

here from Wednesday to Friday 

to discuss prospects for a 

green economy that reconciles 

economic growth with poverty 

eradication and environmental 

protection. 

Meanwhile a new report 

co-authored by the Chinese 

Academy of Sciences and the 

Climate Group said China was 

on the cusp of driving a new 

global “clean” industrial revolution. 

Bidding for $6.9bn �ghter deal 

in the last year of President 

Lee Myung-Bak’s presidency 

has sparked opposition criticism. 

The Democratic United 

Party urged the government 

not to rush through the programme. 

“Further study and review 

are needed before the government 

goes ahead with the 

purchase of weapons. If necessary, 

this project should be 

handed over to the next government,” 

it said in a statement 

last month. 

South Korea has already 

bought 60 of Boeing’s F-15 

�ghter jets since 2002 under 

the �rst two stages of a �ghter 

modernisation programme. 

“paranoid schizophrenia”, 

which meant he would most 

likely be sentenced to psychiatric 

care instead of prison. 

Experts disagree over 

Breivik’s ideological mindset, 

with some arguing that his 

“delirious ideas” were symptomatic 

of schizophrenia and 

a second group diagnosing a 

radical minority ideology. 

Aspaas and Toerrissen 

believe that the 33-year-old 

defendant is an antisocial narcissist, 

and possibly paranoid. 

These personality disorders 

would not keep him out of 

prison. 

On July 22, Breivik �rst set 

off a car bomb outside government 

buildings in Oslo, killing 

eight people, before travelling 

to Utoeya northwest of the 

capital where he spent more 

than an hour methodically 

shooting and killing another 

69 people, mostly teenagers. 

The victims had been attending 

a summer camp hosted 

by the governing Labour 

Party’s youth organisation. 

The conclusions of the 

April psychiatric evaluation, 

which was ordered by an Oslo 

court amid an outcry over the 

initial exam �ndings, were 

published just six days before 

Breivik’s trial was set to start.

QUETTA — A car bomb tore 

into a university bus in Pakistan's 

southwest yesterday, 

killing four people and wounding 

more than 40 others, mostly 

students, police said. 

The attack took place on 

the outskirts of Quetta, capital 

of the oil- and gas-rich province 

of Baluchistan that borders 

Afghanistan and Iran. 

"An improvised-explosive 

device planted in a car parked 

on the roadside exploded near 

the bus of the local IT university, 

killing four people 

and wounding over 40 others, 

mostly students," said city police 

chief Mir Zubair. 

"The bomb targeted the bus 

as it carried a majority of students," 

he added. Zubair identi�ed 

the dead as three students 

and one passer-by. 

The injured were transferred 

to a military hospital for 

greater protection, said Muhammad 

Nawaz, a doctor at 

the local Civil Hospital. 

Last week a bomb attack 

killed at least eight people and 

wounded more than 20 others 

outside a Pakistani madrassa 

in Quetta, police said. 

The bomb was detonated 

outside the gates of a seminary 

as a degree ceremony 

for students was being held 

inside, police told reporters. It 

was the deadliest attack in the 

city since a car bomb killed 15 

people last December. 

Last Thursday, US Defence 

Secretary Leon Panetta 

warned Pakistan that the 

United States was running out 

of patience over Islamabad’s 

8 

THE PHILIPPINES/SUBCONTINENT 


refusal to do more to eliminate 

safe havens for insurgents who 

attack US troops �ghting a 10year 

war against the Taliban 

in Afghanistan. Panetta made 

the strong remarks after talks 

with Afghan Defence Minister 

Abdul Rahim Wardak on the 

latest leg of an Asian tour that 

has taken him to India, but not 

Islamabad in a sign of dire US- 

Pakistan relations. 

He singled out the Haqqani 

network, a Taliban and 


RESIDENTS travel through knee-deep �ood waters on a make-shift raft after Typhoon ‘Butchoy’ (Gutchol) swept through Catmon, Malabon city, 

north of Manila yesterday. The weather in parts of Luzon and Visayas is gradually improving since yesterday morning as the typhoon continues 

to exit Philippine territory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said. — Reuters 

Allies to avoid tough stand with court 

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani 

political parties in the ruling 

coalition have advised the 

PPP-led government against 

adopting a confrontationist 

stand at a time when the Supreme 

Court was about to take 

a decision on various petitions 

challenging the National Assembly 

speaker’s ruling on the 

issue of prime minister’s disquali�cation, 

it was learnt. 

Representatives of Awami 

National Party, Muttahida 

Qaumi Movement, Pakistan 

Muslim League-Q and Fata 

told the PPP that they supported 

the government in upholding 

the supremacy of parliament 

but believed that exercising restraint 

was a better option than 

going for confrontation. “We 

have advised the government 

to avoid confrontation with 

the judiciary on any matter because 

it could be detrimental 

not only to democratic institutions 

but also to the PPP,” said 

a source. 

He said there was a consensus 

at the meeting that an impartial 

inquiry into the case involving 

property tycoon Malik 

Riaz and Dr Arsalan Iftikhar 

be carried out in accordance 

with the Supreme Court verdict, 

considering it as an issue 

between the two individuals. 

Similarly, he said, the PPP 

had been asked to exercise restraint 

and not to take any step 

that could lead to a clash be- 

Populist measures 

ISLAMABAD — Following 

in the footsteps of the federal 

government, all the four 

provinces of Pakistan have 

adopted a populist stance in 

their respective budgets for 

2012-13. 

Interestingly, senior of�cials 

at the ministry of �nance 

and planning commission are 

yet not in a position to comment 

on the provincial budgets 

arguing that they have 

been pre-occupied with parliamentary 

debate on federal 

budget, and whatever they 

know about the provincial 

budgets is through the media 

reports. 

Instead of expanding their 

revenue base, the provinces 

have relied heavily on additional 

transfers under the 7th 

National Finance Commission 

Award that account for 

82-86 per cent of total provin- 

cial receipts. 

No initiatives have been 

taken to effectively tax farm 

income and real estate despite 

their commitments, even in 

the third budget after 7th NFC 

Award. In fact, the overall 

revenue from farm income 

tax in all the provinces, has 

fallen over time from a couple 

of billion rupees to a few millions 

this year. 

It is clear at the very outset 

of the new �scal year that 

an estimated Rs 80 billion 

cash surplus (of the provinces), 

envisaged by the federal 

government to contain �scal 

de�cit at 4.7 per cent or Rs1.1 

trillion is unrealistic. 

In fact, the two larger 

provinces — Punjab and 

Sindh — have come up with 

a cumulative de�cit of about 

Rs 37 billion for the next �scal 

year.— Internews 

tween institutions in case the 

SC issued an adverse decision 

on the petitions challenging 

the speaker’s ruling on the disquali�cation 

issue. 

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain 

proposed the setting up of a 

commission to investigate the 

bribery scam involving Malik 

Riaz and Dr Arsalan. 

In a statement issued here 

yesterday, the PML-Q chief 

suggested the commission 

should conduct open proceedings 

and there should be no restriction 

on anyone’s entry. 

He regretted that some people 

had launched a one-sided 

propaganda to form an impression 

that there was a confrontation 

between institutions. 

He said that no-one could 

even think that the matter was 

against the Supreme Court or 

could harm the sanctity of the 

apex court. An of�cial handout 

issued by Presidential 

Spokesman Farhatullah Babar 

after the Saturday meeting had 

said the coalition partners had 

“reiterated resolve to uphold 

supremacy of the parliament 

as envisaged in the Constitution”. 

The announcement, according 

to some political analysts, 

is an indication that the government 

is set to �ght on the 

issue of the prime minister’s 

disquali�cation in the wake of 

his April 26 conviction by the 

apex court on charges of con- 

tempt for not writing a letter to 

Swiss authorities to re-open a 

money laundering case against 

President Asif Ali Zardari. 

The spokesman had said 

the meeting appreciated the 

resolution passed by the National 

Assembly endorsing the 

decision of the speaker against 

sending a reference to the election 

commission for disquali- 

�cation of the prime minister. 

In a related development, 

some Fata legislators led by 

Hameedullah Jan Afridi distanced 

themselves from all 

decisions taken in recent meetings 

of the coalition partners 

with particular reference to the 

hearing of different cases by 

the apex court. — Internews 

Physical �tness must for cops 

ISLAMABAD — A Pakistan 

police commander has 

ordered tens of thousands of 

pot-bellied of�cers to diet or 

quit frontline duties, of�cials 

said yesterday in what one 

newspaper dubbed the "battle 

of the bulge". 

Habibur Rehman, police 

chief in Pakistan's most populous 

province Punjab, has 

ordered 175,000 personnel 

not to allow their waistlines 

to exceed 38 inches (96 cm), 

spokeswoman Nabila Ghazanfar 

said. 

"I'm on a diet and if I can 

do it, why can't you?" she 

quoted Rehman as telling of- 

�cials last month in the province. 

At least 50 per cent of 

Punjab police are overweight, 

Ghazanfar said. 

Local daily The News said 

the number of overweight of- 

�cers in the city of Rawalpindi, 

the headquarters of the army 

that has been hit by numerous 

Taliban attacks, stood at more 

than 77 per cent, adding that 

"policemen appear to be losing 

the battle of the bulge". 

Police said of�cers had 

been given until June 30 to 

shape up and those deemed 

too fat from July 1 would not 

be given jobs in the �eld. 

"Police of�cials are joining 

gyms, jogging and doing 

other exercise, including a lot 

of running to become thin and 

slim," Ghazanfar said. 

Overweight of�cers are 

ineffective and "cannot chase 

bandits, robbers and other 

criminals properly", she added, 

blaming the problem on 

under-staf�ng. 

"We have a shortage of personnel, 

what can you expect 

when one of�cial is doing the 

job of six people? They don't 

get time for physical �tness," 

she said. 

Another of�cial who did 

not wish to be named said 100 

stations were initially singled 

out for the exercise order, but 

Rehman later decided to send 

warning letters to the entire 

Punjab police force. 

He said the chief believed 

people only had pot bellies "if 

they commit a sin or if they 

are sick". "It is my guess that 

the department will assess 

progress and if necessary the 

deadline may be extended," a 

senior of�cial said, requesting 

anonymity. The Pakistani diet 

is rich in meat, oil and ghee. 

The country is ranked 165 

of 194 on the Forbes list of 

fattest countries, with 22.2 per 

cent of the population considered 

overweight despite immense 

poverty faced by millions 

in the country. 

Bomb blast claims 4 lives, over 40 hurt 

POLICE inspect a damaged university bus after it was destroyed by a bomb on the outskirts of Quetta yesterday. — AFP 

Al Qaeda-linked faction that 

has bases in Pakistan’s lawless 

tribal district of North 

Waziristan and which has been 

blamed for some of the deadliest 

attacks of the 10-year war 

in Afghanistan. — AFP 

Philippine ship pull-out 

de-escalating tensions 

MANILA — China said yesterday 

it welcomed Philippine 

President Benigno Aquino's 

order pulling out two ships 

from a disputed shoal and expressed 

hope it would calm 

tensions. 

"The Chinese side has been 

urging the Philippine side to 

take measures to de-escalate 

the situation," Chinese Embassy 

spokesman Zhang Hua 

said in a statement. 

"We have noticed the withdrawal 

of government vessels 

by the Philippine side, and 

hope this action will help ease 

the tension." 

Philippine Foreign Department 

spokesman Raul Hernandez 

said Aquino ordered 

the vessels to leave the disputed 

Scarborough Shoal in 

the South China Sea on Friday 

night as passing tropical storm 

Gutchol dumped heavy rains 

across large parts of the Phil- 

ISLAMABAD — Differences 

in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s 

(PTI) party cadres have reportedly 

led chairman Imran 

Khan to inde�nitely delay 

intra-party elections for some 

time, some sources revealed 

here yesterday. 

To justify his decision, the 

PTI chairman has extended 

the party’s ongoing membership 

campaign, without setting 

a clear deadline for its 

conclusion. 

“Imran assented to the point 

of view of two party leaders, 

who had asked the PTI chief 

to �rst prepare for the general 

elections,” said a party leader. 

According to sources, party 

president Javed Hashmi and 

Additional Secretary-General 

AFGHAN girls from the Mobile Mini Circus for Children (MMCC) perform 

at the French Culture Centre in Kabul yesterday. — Reuters 

Tax for farmhouses 

and swimming pools DHAKA — Bangladesh 

ISLAMABAD — The government 

of Pakistan’s eastern 

province of Punjab has decided 

to tax sprawling farmhouses 

and private swimming 

pools in the new budget. 

This annual tax was introduced 

in the last budget, but 

could not be implemented due 

to a legal lacuna that was exploited 

by some owners of the 

farmhouses and swimming 

pools that challenged it in a 

court of law and got a stay order 

against the levy, a senior 

of�cial said. 

But, he said, before the issuance 

of the stay order only 

two wealthy persons — Punjab 

Chief Minister Shahbaz 

Sharif and leading industrialist 

Mian Mohammad Mansha 

— paid the tax on their 

farmhouses. The chief minister 

shelled out around Rs 6 

million as tax on his Raiwind 

farmhouse, perhaps the largest 

amount of tax in Punjab 

where the levy has been introduced 

for the �rst time as part 

of making the rich to contribute 

to the exchequer. 

The of�cial said that this 

year the lacuna was done 

away with in the new budget, 

which paved the way for the 

imposition of the tax. 

Under the law, no such 

ippines. Hernandez stressed 

this did not mean the country 

was giving up on the shoal but 

he would not say if any Philippine 

ships would be returning 

after the weather improved. 

He said both China and the 

Philippines had agreed to pull 

its ships out of a lagoon of the 

shoal, but there was no accord 

to withdraw from the area permanently. 

He added that as of the last 

count on Thursday, there were 

still seven Chinese ships at the 

shoal. 

A statement on the Chinese 

Embassy's website yesterday 

meanwhile said Beijing had 

deployed a vessel to help its 

�shermen pull out of the shoal 

as well due to bad weather and 

a strong tide. 

The Philippine vessels had 

been posted in Scarborough 

Shoal, which the Chinese call 

Huangyan Island, over the 

Saifullah Niazi, as well as 

some in�uential members of 

the steering committee, had 

recommended ‘putting off 

party elections’ for now. 

Earlier, Imran had dissolved 

all regional bodies by 

constituting regional steering 

committees in all the provinces, 

a move that aimed to 

pave way for holding party 

elections. 

However, the party’s top 

leadership held many meetings 

to resolve all outstanding 

issues but failed to generate an 

agreement to hold intra-party 

polls before the next general 

elections. 

“PTI is unlikely to hold 

elections at the council level 

before the general elections,” 

tax could be charged on the 

‘rating area’. Technically the 

whole of Punjab fell in this 

category. On this ground the 

tax on the farmhouses was 

challenged and stayed. 

In surroundings of Lahore 

alone, there are nearly 500 

private farmhouses and 300 

swimming polls in the city, 

which will now have to pay 

the new tax, the of�cial said. 

He said the survey was 

done last year, which was being 

updated through Google 

map by the Information Technology 

Board of Punjab. 

The farmhouse tax has 

been proposed keeping in 

view the covered area. Ten 

rupees will be charged per 

square foot per annum on a 

farmhouse having covered 

area between 5,000 to 7,000 

sq ft, Rs 15 with covered area 

between 7,001 to 10,000 sq ft; 

and Rs 20 with covered area 

of more than 10,000 sq ft. 

The of�cial said even if 

some farmhouses were still 

left out, the government was 

introducing a special scheme 

under which those giving information 

about such palatial 

places would be offered a special 

monetary incentive from 

the tax levied on them. 

— Internews 

past two months amid a tense 

territorial standoff. 

A larger number of Chinese 

maritime patrol vessels 

as well as �shing boats were 

also in the area, according to 

the Philippines, though both 

sides imposed unilateral �shing 

bans in the area during the 

dispute. 

The dispute began after 

Chinese government vessels 

blocked Philippine ships from 

arresting Chinese �shermen 

near the shoal on April 10. 

Since then, both countries 

have maintained ships there to 

press their respective claims 

to the area. 

China claims nearly all of 

the South China Sea, even 

waters close to the coasts of 

neighbouring countries. The 

Philippines says the shoal is 

well within its 200-nauticalmile 

exclusive economic 

zone. — AFP 

Intra-party elections delayed 

said one of the sources. New 

inductees into the party, especially 

Sikander Hayat Bosan 

and Javed Hashmi, had advised 

Imran Khan to focus on 

the next general elections �rst. 

Bosan said that he had opposed 

the idea of holding intra-party 

polls �rst, since that would 

take the focus away from the 

challenge of the general elections. 

On the other hand, some 

leaders from the old guard had 

wanted intra-party elections to 

precede the general elections. 

According to sources, 

there were serious differences 

among the echelons of the 

party leadership over the exact 

framework to be followed in 

formulating a party hierarchy 

as well. — Internews 

23 held over 

wage riots 

police yesterday arrested 23 

garment workers on charges 

of vandalism after tens of 

thousands of staff last week 

held violent protests that 

shut down 300 factories. 

Police said the workers 

were rounded up earlier in 

connection with the unrest 

in which at least 100 people 

were injured and dozens 

of factories were damaged, 

sparking concern for a sector 

that is key to the national 

economy. 

The arrests came after 

manufacturers in the Ashulia 

industrial area outside the 

capital Dhaka shut the 

plants, which make clothes 

for global retailers due to the 

rioting over low wages. 

"We have arrested 23 

workers since Sunday 

evening for their roles in the 

violence. We won't tolerate 

any vandalism or unruly behaviour," 

police sub-inspector 

Sadiq Dewan said. 

"Ashulia is largely peaceful 

today. Some protesters 

tried to gather. But they left 

because of tight security." 

Crowds of angry workers 

last week clashed with 

police, blocked key highways, 

attacked factories and 

torched vehicles.

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s 

King Abdullah yesterday issued 

a royal decree naming 

Prince Salman as heir to the 

throne following the death of 

crown prince Nayef. 

The monarch appointed 

Salman “crown prince and 

deputy prime minister” while 

also keeping him on as defence 

minister, said the decree 

published by the state news 

agency SPA. 

In a simultaneous decree, 

the monarch promoted Prince 

Ahmed bin Abdulaziz as inte- 

9 REGION 



Salman named new Saudi crown prince 

KING Abdullah is escorted by Prince Salman in Mecca to attend funeral of Prince Nayef on Sunday. — Reuters 

EU says willing to extend Iran 

nuclear talks until tomorrow 

MOSCOW — European 

Union representatives said 

yesterday that they would be 

willing to persist with talks on 

Iran’s nuclear programme for 

two more days as the Moscow 

talks between Iran and six key 

nations saw little movement 

on their �rst day, with both 

sides unwilling to budge. 

The clash almost prematurely 

ended the �rst of two 

scheduled days of negotiations, 

according to participants. 

But later in the day, a 

spokesman for EU foreign 

policy chief Catherine Ashton 

said the talks might now last to 

tomorrow, according to Russian 

news agencies. 

“The negotiations are hard, 

but they are continuing,” said 

the spokesman. 

If nothing else, the talks 

now seemed set to at least continue 

through today, as originally 

planned. Iranian sources 

said Ashton had requested a 

break until midday today. 

One sticking point was the 

European Union’s refusal to 

countenance an end to sanctions 

on Iranian oil, as demanded 

by Iran. 

The import ban on Iranian 

oil would come into effect 

on July 1 as planned, said a 

spokesman for EU foreign 

policy chief Catherine Ashton, 

who leads the six-power group 

made up of the United States, 

Britain, France, Germany, 

Russia and China. 

Iran also stuck to its posi- 

tions, with its chief negotiator 

Saeed Jalili demanding that 

the �ve permanent UN Security 

Council members and 

Germany formally recognise 

its right to enrich uranium for 

peaceful purposes. 

But Ashton’s spokesman 

Michael Mann said the world 

powers want Iran to stop enriching 

uranium to a level of 

20 per cent. While Iran says 

it needs this materials to fuel 

a scienti�c reactor in Tehran, 

the group of six fears that this 

enriched material might one 

day be processed further into 

nuclear weapons grade. 

The powers also want Iran 

to let the International Atomic 

Energy Agency (IAEA) investigate 

alleged nuclear weap- 

LIBYAN women attend a training session for electoral workers in Benghazi yesterday in 

preparation for the upcoming Libyan elections on July 7. The election will be Libya’s �rst 

national poll after four decades of dictatorship under toppled leader Muammar Gadda�. 

Egypt president to be handed over 

powers by June 30: military 

CAIRO — Egypt’s ruling military pledged 

again yesterday to hand power to the winner of 

this election by June 30 and said he would enjoy 

full presidential powers. 

The military council will transfer power to 

the new president, who will swear his oath before 

the constitutional court, by “June 30, this 

month,” one of the ruling generals, Mamduh 

Shahin, said at a news conference. 

Shahin and fellow ruling council member 

General Mohammed al Assar had called the 

press conference to respond to criticisms after 

the military dissolved parliament and took over 

legislative power with a new interim constitution. 

“The elected president of the republic will 

be vested with all the powers given to the president,” 

Assar said, amid a furore from activists 

and the powerful Muslim Brotherhood over 

what they describe as a military coup. 

The Muslim Brotherhood, which declared 

its candidate Mohammed Mursi as the winner 

of the election early yesterday, also dominated 

parliament and has refused to recognise the military’s 

decision to disband the house. 

The generals said the military has taken only 

“restricted legislative powers” to create a balance 

with the president, after a court last week 

ordered parliament dissolved. 

“The military council will study law proposals 

by the government,” said Shahin, adding the 

president would pick the cabinet. 

“It will then raise them to the president. Neither 

the council nor the president can (alone) 

pass a law,” he said, adding the arrangement 

would continue until a new parliament is elected, 

perhaps by the end of the year. 

“No government branch can assume two 

powers,” he said. “The idea is to create a balance.” 

Before its annulment by the constitutional 

court, parliament had elected a constituent assembly 

to draft a new charter to replace the one 

annulled by the military last year when it took 

charge. The court ordered parliament disbanded 

because it ruled that parts of the complicated 

electoral law were unconstitutional. 

The military gave itself the power in Sunday’s 

updated interim constitution to appoint a 

new constituent assembly, should the one elected 

by parliament be “hindered in its work.” 

ons and research projects, but 

Tehran’s representatives said 

this would be possible only if 

sanctions were lifted. 

The EU did not expect the 

sanctions issue to be solved in 

Moscow, according to Mann. 

Participants said that the atmosphere 

yesterday was “not 

positive.” Ashton and Jalili 

had been scheduled to meet 

over dinner on Sunday, but the 

appointment was cancelled, 

with no explanation provided 

to reporters. 

Moscow’s Deputy Foreign 

Minister Sergei Rybakov 

urged Iran to convince its 

counterparts that its nuclear 

programme was really only for 

civilian purposes. “We need to 

rebuild con�dence,” he said. 

Suicide 

bombing kills 

15 in Iraq 

BAQUBA, Iraq — A suicide 

bomber killed 15 people at a 

gathering in central Iraq yesterday, 

of�cials said, in the 

latest in a string of attacks 

that has left dozens dead. 

The bomber targeted an 

evening gathering of mourners 

in central Baquba, north 

of Baghdad, a police colonel 

said, adding an army �rst 

lieutenant, four police of�cers 

and seven other security 

forces members were among 

the dead or wounded. 

Dr Ahmed Ibrahim at 

Baquba General Hospital 

con�rmed the facility had 

received 15 bodies and 40 

wounded people. 

Security forces cordoned 

off the area, preventing people 

from approaching the 

scene, a journalist said. 

The attack came as Sami 

al Massudi said a roadside 

bomb hit his convoy at about 

midday in the Saidiyah area 

of south Baghdad. 

Massudi said the bomb, 

which wounded three of his 

bodyguards, hit the middle 

vehicle in his convoy. 

The blasts are just the latest 

in a series of attacks. 

On Saturday, two car 

bombs in Baghdad, killing 

32 people and wounding 

dozens. 

On Wednesday, 72 people 

were killed in attacks 

across Iraq. The attacks later 

claimed by Al Qaeda’s front 

group, the Islamic State of 

Iraq (ISI). 

They included a car bomb 

that killed seven people on 

the outskirts of Kadhimiyah 

and another blast in Karrada 

in central Baghdad. 

On June 4, 25 people 

were killed in a suicide car 

bombing in Baghdad. 

rior minister, the SPA said. 

Salman, 76, became defence 

minister in October 

following the death of Sultan, 

the then crown prince 

and long-serving defence and 

aviation minister, while Nayef 

had been named heir to the 

throne. 

It was the �rst ministerial 

post for Salman who had been 

the governor of Riyadh for 

around 50 years. 

Nayef died on Saturday in 

Switzerland of “cardiac problems,” 

a medical source in 

Geneva said. 

King Abdullah in 2006 

established the Allegiance 

Council, a commission of 

35 senior princes, as a new 

mechanism to name heirs to 

the throne of the state in the 

long term. 

But the royal decree 

showed that the monarch had 

taken his decision “after consulting 

the law of allegiance” 

without any reference to debating 

his choice in the council. 

He did the same when he 

named Nayef crown prince, 

since the new system of selecting 

an heir is not supposed 

to come into force during 

King Abdullah’s reign. 

Prince Salman is a respected 

arbiter among the ruling 

family. 

GENEVA — Those responsible 

for attacks on UN observers 

in Syria must be brought 

to justice, UN rights chief 

Navi Pillay said yesterday. 

The call came after the UN 

Supervision Mission in Syria 

(UNSMIS) announced on 

Saturday the suspension of its 

operations short of its threemonth 

mandate, blaming the 

intensifying violence threatening 

the 300-strong force. 

A UN convoy trying to 

reach Al Haffe town last 

week came under �re and was 

forced to turn back by a stonethrowing 

crowd. 

“We must make our utmost 

possible efforts to ensure 

accountability for all 

perpetrators, including those 

TEL AVIV — Five persons 

were killed in separate incidents 

in the Gaza Strip and 

along Israel’s border with 

Egypt yesterday, prompting 

fears of a new round of violence 

following weeks of relative 

calm. 

Two Palestinian activists 

were shot dead by Israeli soldiers 

in an early-morning gunbattle 

after they crossed the 

border from the Sinai peninsula 

and detonated a roadside 

bomb near the town of Kadesh 

Barnea. 

The bomb struck two vehicles 

carrying Israeli contract 

workers. 

One worker, identi�ed as 

an Arab-Israel from Haifa, 

was killed. 

Another passenger in one 

of the vehicles was injured. 

Israeli army spokeswoman 

The new crown prince became 

defence minister in October 

following Sultan’s death, 

in what was the �rst ministerial 

post for Salman who had 

been the governor of Riyadh 

who have attacked UN observers 

in Syria,” Pillay told a 

meeting of the Human Rights 

Council. 

The High Commissioner 

for Human Rights was addressing 

the opening of the 

council’s 20th session. 

The commission is next 

week scheduled to give an 

update on its investigations to 

the council, which holds three 

regular meetings a year. 

Russia told the council 

yesterday that an international 

conference being organised 

by UN-Arab League envoy 

Ko� Annan should give a 

boost to the faltering six-point 

plan which came into action 

on April 12. 

“The Syria crisis can 

Avital Leibovich said the activists, 

wearing camou�age 

and helmets, had also used a 

rocket-propelled grenade and 

AK-47 assault ri�es in the attack. 

One of the two died in 

“huge explosion,” that was 

sparked by gun�re, she said. 

Residents were told to 

stay indoors, as Israeli troops 

combed the area and closed 

off roads in search of more 

accomplices. It was unclear 

whether the two who were 

killed had acted alone. 

Shortly after the attack, two 

activists were killed in an Israeli 

airstrike in northern Gaza 

Strip. An Israeli military statement 

said they belonged to a 

sniper squad which had been 

operating along the security 

fence separating the salient 

from Israel. 

for more than 50 years. 

Until last year he remained 

at the helm of the capital, winning 

credit for its development 

into a modern city. As 

governor, he contributed to 

be solved only by peaceful 

means,” said representative 

Roman Kashaev. 

“It’s important to refrain 

from initiatives which could 

harm those efforts.” 

US President Barack 

Obama, meanwhile, is due to 

meet his Russian counterpart 

Vladimir Putin at a G20 summit 

to discuss differences over 

what to do about the con�ict. 

“Shelling and shooting 

renewed in Homs city, with 

explosions heard in the Khaldiyeh 

neighbourhood,” the 

Britain-based Syrian Observatory 

for Human Rights said, 

reporting that at least 19 people 

were killed nationwide 

yesterday. 

Housing several insurgent 

The Islamic Jihad con- 

�rmed that the two were members 

of its armed wing, the 

Quds Brigades. 

Five Palestinians, including 

a woman and her child, 

were injured in two overnight 

airstrikes by Israeli forces — 

in Rafah along the border with 

Egypt and in Gaza City. 

Israel con�rmed the airstrikes, 

with the military saying 

in a statement they were 

in response to rockets �red at 

southern Israel. 

It claimed a weapons workshop 

in Rafah and a site in 

Gaza City had been targeted. 

The early morning border 

attack was the most sophisticated 

against Israelis in the 

area since August 18 last year, 

when an attack squad crossed 

from the Sinai into Israel, �ring 

at vehicles and sparking a 

the development of Riyadh 

from a mid-sized town into a 

major urban metropolis. He 

has attracted tourism, capital 

projects, and foreign investment 

inside his country. 

Eleanor Gillespie, a contributing 

editor of the Londonbased 

Gulf States Newsletter, 

said that Salman’s job as Riyadh 

governor has “allowed 

him to serve as a generally 

very well respected arbiter 

of Al Saud family affairs, as 

well as overseeing the city’s 

emergence as Saudi Arabia’s 

capital.” 

“Salman has a reputation 

for probity and for being 

‘clean’ when it comes to 

money,” says Gillespie. 

Jane Kinninmont, a Middle 

East and North Africa 

senior research fellow from 

London’s Chatham House, 

said “the new crown prince 

may adopt a more reformist 

approach but with the constraints 

and red lines of the 

system... But don’t expect 

change to come quickly or 

dramatically.” 

Prince Salman was born 

on 31 December 1935. Prince 

Salman received his early education 

in the Princes’ School 

in Riyadh which was established 

by King Abdulaziz to 

provide education to his children. 

— Agencies 

Observers’ attackers in Syria 

must be brought to justice: UN 

strongholds, Homs has been 

under intermittent attack by 

the government forces since 

early March. 

The European Union meanwhile 

reiterated its support for 

Pillay’s call to have the case 

looked at by the ICC. 

Speaking on behalf of 

the group, Denmark’s Soren 

Kragholm said the reported 

atrocities committed against 

children were “particularly 

shocking.” 

Leader of the UN mission 

in Syria Major General Robert 

Mood said the observers 

“will not conduct patrols and 

will stay in their locations until 

further notice,” citing the 

force’s inability to carry out 

its duties. 

Five die in attacks by Israel forces, violence 

PALESTINIANS survey a destroyed metal workshop after an Israeli air strike in Rafah, 

in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday. — Reuters 

chain of events that claimed 

eight lives. 

According to Leibovich, 

authorities are investigating 

whether the two attackers had 

originated in the Gaza Strip. 

North Sinai Governor Major 

General Abdul Wahab Mabrouk 

denied there had been 

an in�ltration from Gaza into 

Sinai. He said that Egypt is securing 

its borders. 

“Sinai is secured and is totally 

under control by the government. 

Any in�ltrator is captured. 

Egypt is not responsible 

for securing Israeli territories, 

and Israel must secure its borders,” 

he said. 

Israel has expressed concerns 

that, since the unrest in 

Egypt began in early 2011, 

the authorities in Cairo have 

effectively lost control of the 

Sinai peninsula. — dpa

INVESTORS look at a display of stock prices outside the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai yesterday. — Reuters 

Unrest in Thiruvananthapuram 

Ashraf Padanna 

THIRUVANANTHAPU- 

RAM — Protests by a student 

union over a murder descended 

into violence for the second 

day yesterday in the state 

capital. 

Police caned and chased 

away students who started 

stoning at them after their leaders 

were picked up and taken 

to the police station. Some of 

them entered the university 

college campus and engaged 

in heavy stoning, forcing the 

police to lob teargas shells at 

them. 

The Students Federation of 

India (SFI), a feeder out�t of 

the Communist Party of India- 

Marxist (CPI-M), launched 

the stir last week demanding 

the arrest of those responsible 

Three insurgents including a 

woman arrested in Tripura 

AGARTALA — Three hardcore 

militants, including a 

woman, belonging to an insurgent 

group were arrested 

with Rs 25 lakh cash and some 

electronic gadgets in Tripura, 

police said yesterday. 

"The militants belonging 

to the banned National Liberation 

Front of Tripura (NLFT) 

were arrested. They were carrying 

money and electronic 

devices to pass on to their 

co-cadres to procure arms and 

ammunition," a police spokesman 

told reporters here. 

He said: "Acting on a tip 

off, police led by Inspector 

Paluram Das arrested the 

NLFT extremists on Sunday 

night from a house at Jirania 

(in western Tripura) on the 

NEW DELHI — The Supreme 

Court yesterday stayed 

the Rajasthan judicial services 

competitive examination 

(main) scheduled for June 30 

over a candidate's plea alleging 

errors in the preliminary 

test held last year. 

The court issued notice to 

the state government and others 

over the alleged inaccuracies 

in the preliminary exam 

held by the Rajasthan Public 

Service Commission (RPSC) 

on December 21, 2011. 

The apex court vacation 

CHENNAI — The 1,600 

MW joint venture power 

project between Tamil Nadu 

Electricity Board (TNEB) 

and power equipment maker 

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd 

(BHEL), planned at Udangudi 

in Tuticorin district, is expected 

to be formally scrapped 

soon, said a senior of�cial of 

the Tamil Nadu Generation 

and Distribution Corporation 

Ltd (Tangedco). 

Tangedco is the power 

generation and distribution 

state utility owned wholly by 

TNEB. 

"A meeting of the Board of 

for the death of one of its leaders 

in Idukki district, Aneesh 

Raj, who was killed three 

months back in a clash. 

The stir re�ected in the 

Kerala Assembly where 

Leader of Opposition V S 

Achuthanandan led a protest 

walkout. CPI-M legislator EP 

Jayarajan, who demanded adjournment 

of regular business 

to discuss the issue, raised 

used grenades amidst his 

speech stunning the House. 

Speaker G Karthikeyan 

reacted sharply to the action 

of Jayarajan bringing in two 

grenades into the House in 

violation of its rules. He reminded 

him that the rules did 

not permit members to carry 

explosives or weapons into 

the House and directed him to 

hand over the grenades to the 

security staff. 

outskirts of the capital city. 

An amount of Rs 2,500,000 in 

cash, electronic apparatus and 

subscription receipts of NLFT 

were recovered from them." 

The militants were presented 

in a local court which 

has sent them to seven days' 

police remand. 

Police, quoting intelligence 

reports, said that the militants 

have been trying to increase 

their cadre strength by recruiting 

new people and acquiring 

arms and ammunition. 

Intelligence report said 

some 27 former militants of 

the state who had surrendered 

to the authority earlier are 

now missing. Police suspect 

that they have rejoined their 

out�ts. 

bench of Justice H L Gokhale 

and Justice Ranjana Prakash 

Desai stayed the June 30 main 

examination for selection of 

civil judges (junior division) 

on a plea �led by candidate 

Kalu Ram Gujjar and others. 

Gujjar, who appeared in the 

December 2011 preliminary 

exam, said there were factual 

inaccuracies in the question 

paper. 

The petition said there 

were some questions with 

multiple choice answers but 

some questions had no correct 

Directors of Udangudi Power 

Corporation will be called 

soon to discuss the termination 

of the joint venture project. 

The joint venture agreement 

will be terminated," a senior 

Tangedco of�cial, preferring 

anonymity, said. 

"Within six months after 

scrapping of the joint venture 

agreement, the tender for 

equipment will be issued. Already, 

site grading work has 

been completed. The project 

will be implemented by TNEB/ 

Tangedco," he said. 

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa 

in February announced the 

Jayarajan said the students 

were holding a peaceful demonstration 

demanding the arrest 

of the killers when they 

were beaten up by the police. 

Home Minister Thiruvanchoor 

Radhakrishnan said the 

killing was the result of a dispute 

over a forcible shutdown. 

A Special Investigation Team 

will be formed to handle the 

case since some are not satis- 

�ed with the ongoing investigation. 

On the used grenades in the 

House, the minister asked the 

Speaker to ensure that such 

incidents should not happen 

in the assembly and raised 

concern on the safety of its 

members. 

"The Speaker should see 

that adequate steps are taken 

to see that such things are not 

repeated," he said. 

Tripura Chief Minister 

Manik Sarkar in a recent internal 

security meeting in New 

Delhi had said that though militancy 

had by and large been 

controlled in the bordering 

state there still are reports that 

NLFT militants are attempting 

to strike at security forces, establishments, 

developmental 

agencies and people. 

"The militant out�ts are 

trying to recruit new cadres," 

Sarkar said. 

NLFT and the All Tripura 

Tiger Force, both banned by 

India, have set up their bases 

in Bangladesh and get support 

from other separatist out�ts 

of the northeast. They have 

been demanding secession of 

Tripura from India. 

answer among the options. 

The answers to some of the 

questions were wrong resulting 

in the faulty evaluation, it 

said. 

Following objections, the 

RPSC, on its own, deleted 14 

questions and changed the option 

of 11 questions, the petition 

said. 

Appearing for the petitioner, 

counsel Sushil Kumar 

Jain told the court that the examination 

so conducted by the 

RPSC had become a farce and 

could not be held valid. 

cancellation of the Rs 8,000 

crore joint venture, citing the 

lack of progress after a Memorandum 

of Understanding 

(MoU) was signed by TNEB 

and BHEL in 2007. 

The state government 

would fully fund the project, 

she said, adding that it would 

be executed by TNEB as a 

state project with imported 

coal as it is yet to get the domestic 

coal linkage and environmental 

clearance. 

As a 26 per cent stakeholder 

in Udangudi Power, BHEL 

was assured of the equipment 

order and it had already sub- 

mitted the technical speci�cation 

and commercial offer 

for the two units of 800 MW 

capacity. 

In 2008, TNEB and BHEL 

�oated a joint venture company 

Udangudi Power Corporation, 

each taking 26 per 

cent. The balance 48 per cent 

stake was to be contributed by 

a private player participating 

in the project or by a �nancial 

institution funding the project. 

The project is yet to get a 

coal linkage or environmental 

clearance. 

The joint venture partners 

have invested Rs 32.5 

10 INDIA 



NEW DELHI — Industrial 

out�ts yesterday expressed 

disappointment over the Reserve 

Bank of India’s (RBI) 

decision to keep key lending 

rates unchanged to control in- 

�ation while the economy is 

facing a slow-down. 

"CII (Confederation of Indian 

Industry) and industry 

are disappointed by the monetary 

stance taken by the RBI 

in today's (Monday's) policy 

announcement," said CII 

director-general Chandrajit 

Banerjee. 

"It needs to be understood 

that with a steadily declining 

GDP (gross domestic product) 

growth millions of livelihoods 

are under threat." 

The re-purchase rate remains 

unchanged at eight per 

cent, which automatically 

keeps the reverse re-purchase 

Selvaraj of Congress 

sets a record 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — R Selvaraj, the Congress 

legislator who was elected in the Neyattinkara by-election, 

yesterday wrote himself into the record books of the Kerala 

assembly by becoming the �rst legislator to sit on both the opposition 

and treasury benches in the same House. 

Selvaraj had quit as a legislator of the Communist Party of 

India-Marxist (CPI-M) in March this year and soon also resigned 

from the party. 

A month later, he was given membership of the Congress 

and was also chosen to contest again from the same constituency 

in the by-election that was held on June 2. 

On June 15, Selvaraj won the election with a margin of 

6,334 votes. 

Yesterday, soon after question hour when Speaker G 

Karthikeyan announced that Selvaraj would be sworn in, he 

was greeted with thumping of the desks by the treasury benches 

and comments from the opposition benches. 

Entering the assembly, Selvaraj went around the front row 

by greeting Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and others. When 

he shook hands with P C George, the chief whip in the assembly, 

the gesture was greeted with visible anger by the opposition 

benches. 

Himachal offers sops 

to employees 

SHIMLA — Barely months ahead of the assembly elections, 

the Himachal Pradesh government yesterday decided 

to give additional �nancial incentives to its employees and 

pensioners. 

A cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Prem 

Kumar Dhumal, decided to enhance the �xed medical allowance 

of the government employees and pensioners from 

Rs 100 to Rs 250 per month with effect from April 1. 

A government spokesperson said that this would bene�t 

over 80,000 people, entailing an annual expenditure of Rs 

14.40 crore. 

It was also decided to enhance the honorarium of computer 

operators, engaged under the central government's 

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the rural 

development department, from Rs 8,000 to Rs 13,500. 

For ex-servicemen and their widows, the cabinet decided 

to increase the monthly pension from Rs 330 to Rs 400. 

World War II soldiers and their widows will get a pension of 

Rs 750 instead of Rs 500. 

Addressing a function in Bilaspur district on Sunday, 

Dhumal said �nancial bene�ts worth Rs 6,500 crore had 

been given to the government employees in the past four 

years. 

Doctor couple in police 

custody till June 30 

BEED, Maharashtra — A doctor couple suspected to be involved 

in culpable homicide and female foeticide in Beed district 

was yesterday remanded to police custody till June 30 by 

a Maharashtra court, an of�cial said. 

Doctors Sudam and Saraswati Munde, who ran a hospital in 

Parli town, were booked in connection with the death of a 30year-old 

woman during an abortion at their hospital in May. 

The two surrendered before police late on Sunday evening. 

They surrendered after being on the run for around a month. 

A magistrate court remanded them to police custody till 

June 30, an of�cial from Parli Police Station said. 

The couple was absconding after Beed resident Vijaymala 

Patekar, who had come to their hospital for an abortion, died 

while under their care. 

TN to annul Udangudi power joint venture 

Disappointment as RBI leaves 

interest rates unchanged 

crore each and completed the 

site levelling activities at the 

project site. BHEL does not 

have much leverage as the 

project land is yet to be registered 

in the name of Udangudi 

Power Corporation, power 

sector analysts said. 

"The project will get the 

mega power status if implemented 

by TNEB which, in 

turn, would be eligible for tax 

and other concessions. The 

overall project cost may come 

down by Rs 900 crore which, 

in turn, would result in reducing 

the power cost," the Tangedco 

of�cial said. — IANS 

rate at seven per cent. The repurchase 

rate is the interest the 

central bank levies on shortterm 

borrowings by commercial 

banks. The reverse repurchase 

rate is the interest on 

short-term lending. 

The RBI declared, however, 

that it was ready to provide 

relief in situations arising out 

of the on-going turbulence in 

the global economy. 

"Recognising that the global 

situation is turbulent, the 

Reserve Bank stands ready to 

use all available instruments 

and measures to respond rapidly 

and appropriately to any 

adverse developments," the 

apex bank said in a statement. 

The apex bank said that 

since the last rate cut, global 

macroeconomic indicators had 

deteriorated and that headline 

in�ation numbers were far 

Ashraf Padanna 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — Australia 

hopes to strengthen engagement with Kerala in 

a number of sectors like education, agriculture, 

energy and waste management. 

Australian High Commissioner Peter N 

Varghese said Canbera’s private sector has expertise 

and capabilities in all of the 10 focus 

sectors identi�ed for showcasing at Emerging 

Kerala 2012 Global Connect summit to be held 

in Kochi from September 12 to 14. 

A high-level diplomatic delegation led by 

him met Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, senior 

ministers and of�cials to discuss the possibility 

of new trade and business partnerships. 

He identi�ed agribusinesses and agro-based 

services among the key areas to partner with 

Kerala besides deep-sea �shing projects. The 

country is offering services, including the training 

of �shermen and promotion of sustainable, 

environment friendly practices. 

Varghese promised to make private industries 

in his country aware of the connect oppor- 

LUCKNOW — Rattled by 

strong opposition to its decision 

to close all shops and 

malls by 7 pm for the next 15 

days due to the acute power 

shortage in the state, the Uttar 

Pradesh government yesterday 

withdrew the order. 

Drawing �ak for its "unreasonable 

order" from both opposition 

parties and traders' associations 

who even proposed 

day-long protests on June 20, 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister 

Mohammad Azam Khan 

said the state government had 

Girl pleads against her child marriage 

JODHPUR — A 20-year-old girl has sought 

protection by the Rajasthan authorities from 

members of a village community council who, 

she says, are threatening her with serious consequences 

if she did not accept her childhood 

marriage, of�cials said yesterday. 

She also requested the district administration 

of�cials to annul her marriage that was 

solemnised when she was a mere �ve-year-old, 

they added. 

The girl, Rekha Kumari, is a resident of 

Peepar city area of the district, some 330 km 

from state capital Jaipur. 

"She �led an application before the local 

sub-divisional of�cer on Sunday, requesting 

security from a village community council or 

panchayat. She says that they were threatening 

to expel her from the locality, which means she 

and her family members would not be able to 

above comfort range. 

The Federation of Indian 

Chambers of Commerce and 

Industry (FICCI) said a cut in 

key lending rates would have 

been timely as the mining and 

manufacturing sectors were 

slowing down. 

Recent data from the Central 

Statistics Of�ce showed 

industrial output grew marginally 

by 0.1 per cent in April. 

The stock markets will now 

have to depend on government 

action and a good monsoon to 

sustain upward trends, according 

to Dipen Shah, head of 

fundamental research at Kotak 

Securities. 

"From the market's perspective, 

this is disappointing, 

and it will now have to wait 

for government action and the 

monsoon's progress to see any 

sustained uptrend," Shah said. 

only "suggested" and had not 

"ordered" the closure of shops 

and malls by 7 pm. 

With the assembly in session, 

the government was put 

on the mat right away as the 

house met at 11 am. 

The opposition legislators 

slammed the move and sought 

to know why districts like 

Mainpuri, Etawah, Kannauj 

and Rampur were being given 

special treatment even as the 

entire state was faced with an 

unprecedented power crisis. 

BJP's chief whip Rad- 

Simon Rubinsohn, chief 

economist at Royal Institution 

of Chartered Surveyors, said 

that the RBI's statement about 

providing liquidity relief, as 

and when required, was an indication 

of a possible cut in the 

near future. 

On sectoral basis, rate sensitive 

industries such as banks, 

realty and auto stocks were hit 

by the news on the Bombay 

Stock Exchange (BSE). 

The bank index at the BSE 

fell 365.78 points. Realty sector 

stocks too took a hit with 

the sectoral index at BSE down 

45.08 points at 1,577.78. 

Meanwhile industrialist in 

Kolkata reacted sharply and 

said that the RBI's reluctance 

to cut key lending rates may 

lead to a further slowdown in 

the economy. — IANS 

Australia aims for Kerala investment 

tunity and said the Australian government will 

be happy to bring trade delegations and make 

presentations at the event. 

As a world leader in vocational education 

and training, Australia has offered collaboration 

in improving technical education in schools and 

ITIs through projects similar to the ones it has 

completed in Maharashtra and Karnataka for 

capacity building and skills training with the 

goal of making the graduating students more 

employable. Among the mega projects that have 

attracted Australia’s attention are the proposed 

Oceanarium and LNG Terminal in Kochi. 

Australia has some of the world’s best 

aquariums and oceanariums. It is also a country 

with very large reserves of natural gas. They are 

naturally interested in sharing their technology 

and resources for the projects that leverage their 

strengths, of�cials said. 

Australia, which set up a trade of�ce in Kochi 

in 2010, has also offered its expertise in the 

�eld of food processing, medical equipment and 

healthcare, water management and desalination, 

sports management, infrastructure and renewable 

energy. 

PHYSICALLY challenged participate during a statewide protest organised by the 

Network of Persons with Disability Organisation (NPDO) in Hyderabad yesterday. NPDO 

staged a demonstration to highlight the problems of mentally and physically challenged 

people and to highlight areas for improvement in the government use of funds. — AFP 

SC stays judicial services exam 7 pm closure order withdrawn 

hamohan Das Agarwal called 

the order irrational. 

The BJP members were 

joined by Congress legislators 

who started shouting anti-government 

slogans, before both 

groups of legislators staged a 

walk-out. 

BJP state spokesman Vijay 

Bahadur Pathak said the 

state government has completely 

failed in rescuing the 

state from the power supply 

"chaos" and was coming up 

with options that were neither 

rational nor practical. 

mingle with other villagers. It also warned of 

slapping huge cash �nes on her and her family 

members if she did not accept the marriage," a 

senior district administration of�cer said. 

The of�cer said that Rekha is doing graduation 

from a government college in Peepar city. 

She was married with the consent of her grandfather 

when she was only �ve years old. Rekha 

was staying with her family members in keeping 

with the tradition as her 'gauna' — move 

from the paternal house to the in-laws — had 

not been performed. 

"After the death of her grandfather recently, 

her so-called in-laws started pressuring the girl 

to start living with them which she refused as 

the boy she was married to is hardly literate," 

said the of�cer. He added that the in-laws then 

approached the village panchayat members 

who started threatening the girl.

NEW DELHI — Seeking a lasting solution 

to the decades-old maritime boundary 

dispute over Sir Creek in the Rann 

of Kutch marshland, India and Pakistan 

yesterday began a two-day dialogue here, 

the 12th in the series. 

The talks, to end today, come just about 

a week after the two countries' discussions 

on troop withdrawal from Siachen 

glacier, the world's highest battle �eld, 

and a solution to the three-decade dispute 

in the Karakoram ranges of Jammu and 

Kashmir remained inconclusive. 

India is led in the talks by its Surveyor 

General S Subba Rao and Pakistan by its 

additional defence secretary, Rear Admiral 

Farrokh Ahmed. 

The marshland along the 96-kilometre 

disputed stretch of border between Paki- 

KOLKATA — Electronic auctioning 

of the world-famous 

Darjeeling tea has become uncertain 

with glitches hitting the 

launch platform. 

The e-auction platform was 

supposed to start in April at the 

Kolkata Auction Centre to enable 

the aromatic tea to reach 

out to maximum number of 

buyers. 

"The launch of e-auction 

of Darjeeling tea is currently 

not on our agenda since some 

operational hiccups are still 

there," Calcutta Tea Traders' 

Association chairperson Sangeeta 

Kichlu said. 

NSE.IT, the technology arm 

of National Stock Exchange 

(NSE), has developed the soft- 

HYDERABAD — Bharat 

Biotech and the University of 

Maryland Center for Vaccine 

Development (CVD) yesterday 

announced that they had 

received a $4 million Strategic 

Translation Award from The 

Wellcome Trust for clinical 

development of a new vaccine 

against a lethal infectious dis- 

NEW DELHI — Hundreds of 

saffron-clad "sadhus," or holy 

men, protested in New Delhi 

yesterday against plans to construct 

more than 50 dams on the 

River Ganges — whose waters 

are sacred to millions of Hindus. 

The sadhus, and environmentalists, 

say the dam projects 

— which are linked to hydropower 

creation on the Ganges 

and its myriad tributaries 

— will throttle the river at its 

source and threaten the natural 

ecosystem. "Our mother river 

is being murdered by the government. 

It will dry up if all 

the dams are built," said Swami 

Mukteshwar of the Ganga 

Mukti Mahasangram (Battle to 

Save the Ganges). 

"The dams will slow the 

mighty river's �ow to a trickle. 

Our holy water will be diverted 

and used to generate hydro 

power. This is shocking." 

The sadhus pledged to lay 

down their lives to save the 

Ganges as a dozen of them 

started a three-day hunger strike 

at Jantar Mantar, a common 

protest venue in New Delhi 

"Dams will be built over 

INDIAN and Pakistani delegation at the meeting in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP 

India, Pakistan discuss Sir Creek 

stan's Sindh province and India's Gujarat 

state is believed to have rich oil and mineral 

reserves. 

Sir Creek remains one of a number of 

territorial disputes, including Kashmir, 

hampering reconciliation efforts between 

the nuclear-armed neighbours. 

It is a 96-km-long disputed territory 

between India and Pakistan in the Rann of 

Kutch marshlands, which opens up into 

the Arabian Sea. The Sir Creek divides 

the Kutch region of Gujrat state in India 

and the Sindh province of Pakistan. 

The consultations are part of a bilateral 

dialogue initiated in 2004. 

The discussions, originally scheduled 

in May this year, were postponed at the 

request of Pakistan, which it was presumed 

wanted to hear out India's views 

ease common in sub-Saharan 

Africa. The vaccine, whose initial 

clinical trials will begin in 

three years, is aimed at preventing 

the invasive non-typhoidal 

Salmonella (NTS). NTS have 

emerged as an important cause 

of invasive bloodstream infection 

in Africa, among children 

with malaria and malnutrition, 

Protest against dam projects on Ganges 

our dead bodies. They can mix 

our blood in the cement," said 

Swami Aseemanand, 65, who 

has been bathing in the Ganges 

for over 35 years in the northern 

state of Uttar Pradesh. 

Hindus believe the Ganges' 

waters can wash away their sins 

and free them from the cycle of 

life and rebirth. 

and among adults with HIV, 

said a statement by Hyderabadbased 

Bharat Biotech. 

Strains of NTS that can 

cause systemic disease such 

as meningitis or sepsis are 

particularly common in sub- 

Saharan Africa. Approximately 

20 to 30 per cent of children 

with infections die. "The CVD 

The 2,525 kilometre (1,568 

mile) long river �ows across 

�ve states. A recent report 

prepared by the state-funded 

Wildlife Institute of India had 

recommended scrapping 34 of 

the Ganges dam projects, citing 

environmental concerns. 

"The Ganges is in serious 

danger," Himanshu Thakkar, an 

on resolution of the Siachen dispute �rst 

before it puts forth its own views on Sir 

Creek, a dispute both sides feel is easily 

doable. 

The last Sir Creek talks between the 

two sides were held in May last year in 

Rawalpindi, the seat of the military headquarters 

of Pakistan, north of capital Islamabad. 

India was represented during those 

talks by Subba Rao and Pakistan by its 

then additional defence secretary, Rear 

Admiral Shah Sohail Masood. 

With both sides having stood their 

positions on Siachen dispute last week, 

not much progress or forward movement 

is expected from the Sir Creek talks too. 

— IANS 

Glitch hits tea e-auction plan 

ware for the platform. 

"It is a complex procedure. 

We have pointed out the operational 

glitches to NSE.IT," said 

Kichlu, also vice president of 

Jay Shree Tea and Industries, a 

B K Birla Group company. 

She said the platform would 

be rolled out once the glitches 

were ironed out. 

"We are taking time. We 

will not launch it until the 

process becomes smooth," she 

said, adding all the varieties 

of Darjeeling tea would be put 

on e-auction once the process 

started. 

She was, however, unable 

to give any time frame for the 

process to start. 

Darjeeling Tea Association 

secretary Kaushik Basu said 

the electronic platform was still 

in a "�uid state". 

He said the country, on an 

average, produced about 8.5 

million kg to 9 million kg of 

Darjeeling tea and more than 

50 per cent of that was generally 

sold through the manual 

auction route. 

The Kolkata Auction Centre 

is the oldest surviving centre 

in the world and the country's 

largest. Electronic auction was 

introduced in the city in 2009 

for all varieties of tea except 

Darjeeling tea which was still 

sold through the manual outcry 

method. Sourenee Leaves Pvt 

Ltd, part of the Titagarh Group, 

said e-auction of the tea was 

important for tea growers and 

owners of tea gardens in Darjeeling. 

The company, which has 

been selling organic tea in bulk 

through auction and private 

sales since 2009, said the eauction 

should not be kept con- 

�ned to local entities. 

Rather, the platform should 

be thrown open for global participation 

which would lead to 

fair price discovery and exposure 

of new markets to Darjeeling 

tea, the company said. 

"We are currently losing 

out. Now we have to sell Darjeeling 

tea to an internal agency, 

the agents then sell it out to 

retailers," said Vinita Bajoria, a 

member of the Titagarh Group. 

NTS project is a testimony of 

our belief in collaborative research 

and our commitment to 

introduce highly effective and 

affordable vaccines to solve 

region- speci�c neglected diseases 

in the developing world," 

said Krishna Ella, Chairman 

and Managing Director Bharat 

Biotech. — IANS 

expert on water management 

at the South Asia Network on 

Dams, Rivers and People research 

group in New Delhi 

said. 

"The construction of dams 

should be scrapped as they will 

cause irrevocable damage to 

the biodiversity," Thakkar said. 

— AFP 

11 INDIA 



Kalam not in the race 

NEW DELHI — Former president A P J 

Abdul Kalam yesterday opted out of the 

presidential election after studying the 

"totality" of the situation, dealing a blow 

to the BJP and Trinamool Congress leader 

Mamata Banerjee who badly wanted him 

to take on Pranab Mukherjee. 

His decision spiked what could have 

been a high-pro�le battle between him 

and Finance Minister Mukherjee, who 

appears set to occupy the Rashtrapati 

Bhavan as the United Progressive Alliance 

(UPA) nominee. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party refused to 

comment on Kalam's decision. 

With Kalam — who was the president 

in 2002-07, not joining the race, the BJP 

said it will meet again to decide whether it 

should back Mukherjee or support former 

Lok Sabha speaker Purno Sangma, the 

joint candidate of the AIADMK and Biju 

Janata Dal. 

Breaking his silence since his name 

began doing the rounds as a possible 

presidential candidate, Kalam, 80, said 

many politicians and others wanted him 

to contest. 

Third coast guard station in 

Andhra Pradesh opened 

NEW DELHI — The Indian 

Coast Guard yesterday opened 

a new station in Krishnapatnam 

in Andhra Pradesh, the 

third in the state, to help boost 

the coastal security apparatus 

on the country's east coast. 

The station was inaugurated 

by Minister of State for 

Defence M M Pallam Raju in 

the presence of Coast Guard 

Director General Vice Admiral 

M P Muralidharan and ICG 

Commander (East) Inspector 

General Satya Prakash Shar- 

NEW DELHI — The civil 

aviation regulator yesterday 

directed all domestic airlines 

to check the exponential rises 

in air fares, even as demand 

declined in May by 0.87 per 

cent and stood at 54.48 lakh 

passengers. 

According to the Director 

General of Civil Aviation 

Information 

security 

courses 

NEW DELHI — The Indira 

Gandhi National Open University 

(IGNOU) has started 

the admission process for 

post-graduate diploma and 

certi�cate courses in information 

security, a statement said 

yesterday. 

Both courses are conducted 

by the university's School 

of Vocational Education and 

Training (SOVET) 

"These programmes aim 

to raise high professional ethics 

in the individuals and students 

towards providing information 

security and make 

one competent enough to acquire 

the necessary skills and 

techniques to ensure protection 

against any in�ltration," 

said programme coordinator 

Urshla Kant in the statement. 

While the graduate students 

can go for the one year 

Post Graduate Diploma in 

Information Security programme, 

the six month Advanced 

Certi�cate in Information 

Security will be available 

for matriculate students. 

"Though I have never aspired to serve 

another term or shown interest in contesting, 

Mamata Banerjee, other political parties 

wanted me to be their candidate," he 

said in a brief statement. 

"I am really overwhelmed... This being 

their wish, I respect it. I want to thank 

them for the trust they have in me. 

"I have considered the totality of the 

matter and the present political situation 

and decided not to contest the presidential 

election," he said. 

Informed sources said Kalam conveyed 

his decision �rst to BJP star L 

K Advani, who telephoned him twice 

requesting him to contest next month 

against Mukherjee. 

Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former aide to 

Advani, met Kalam twice yesterday in a 

bid to persuade him to take the plunge. 

But Kalam, who had also consulted 

close friends, eventually decided not to 

join the race, perhaps realising that his 

chances of winning were near nil. 

Unlike in 2002 when he enjoyed near 

universal support barring the Left, this 

time even some sections of the BJP-led 

ma, according to a defence 

ministry release here. 

"The establishment of a 

station at Krishnapatnam is 

part of the ongoing efforts by 

the ICG to strengthen coastal 

security in the coastal states of 

the nation," it said. 

In his address during the 

commissioning ceremony, 

Raju said the coast of Andhra 

Pradesh, being cyclone prone, 

had witnessed a number of 

incidents in the past resulting 

in loss of life and property at 

(DGCA), the airlines were also 

directed to have a relook on 

the route-wise airfares offered 

in the highest fare bucket, so 

as to rationalise phenomenally 

high fares. 

"Scheduled domestic airlines 

have now proposed 

reduction of airfares in the 

highest fare bucket on various 

NEW DELHI — Chief Minister 

Sheila Dikshit yesterday 

directed the Delhi Jal 

Board (DJB) to reduce water 

supply in Delhi's elite Lutyens 

zone, and distribute it to 

colonies which have been 

facing acute shortages for 

the last six days. 

"In order to ensure the 

distribution of drinking water 

to everyone, the DJB and 

the NDMC (New Delhi Municipal 

Council) have been 

directed to reduce the water 

supply in the Lutyen's zone, 

which has the chief minister's 

residence. The water 

saved can be evenly distributed 

especially to those 

colonies which have been 

facing acute shortage during 

the last six days," a statement 

from chief minister's 

of�ce said. 

The Lutyens' zone in central 

Delhi is home to India's 

top politicians and bureaucrats, 

besides industrialists. 

"Being a VVIP area, the 

water is supplied 24 hours a 

day, With the chief minister's 

sea. The newly-commissioned 

ICG station at Krishnapatnam 

would facilitate search and 

rescue operations towards 

saving lives. 

The station will function 

under the administrative and 

operational control of ICG 

Commander (East) through 

the Visakhapatnam-based district 

headquarters commander. 

Commandant (Junior 

Grade) T R K Rao has been 

appointed commanding of- 

�cer of the station. — IANS 

routes in the domestic network 

between �ve per cent to 20 

per cent," an of�cial statement 

from the civil aviation ministry 

said. 

"Airlines have been advised 

to upload the revised 

tariff sheet on their respective 

websites." 

The development comes 

Reduce water supply 

to VVIP areas: Dikshit 

direction, we will reduce the 

supply. The duration is yet to 

be decided," said a NDMC 

of�cial, pleading anonymity. 

The capital has an average 

potable water demand 

of around 1,100 million gallons 

a day (MGD). But DJB 

supplies only around 835 

MGD. Now, the demandsupply 

gap has further widened 

with the water supply 

to various treatment plants 

in Delhi from neighbouring 

Haryana being reduced. 

"We have been sincerely 

striving to overcome this extraordinary 

situation created 

by the reduced supply of 

water by the government of 

Haryana. The government is 

sensitive to the needs of the 

citizens of Delhi. We have 

taken up the issue of reduction 

in supply of raw water by 

the government of Haryana 

with Hon'ble Prime Minister 

and the Group of Ministers 

(GoM) headed by Home 

Minister P. Chidambaram," 

the statement said. 

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 

were not eager to �eld him. 

Political observers said the decision 

was embarrassing for the BJP and Mamata 

Banerjee as they both rooted for Kalam 

without even consulting him. 

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh 

(RSS) was also for Kalam. 

In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish 

Kumar (JD-U) said there should be a free 

and fair discussion in the NDA meeting. 

"We are in favour of consensus (on 

the president poll) but how will there be 

a consensus unless NDA itself comes up 

with a consensus? Efforts are on to build 

a consensus," he said. 

What came as a surprise was BJP MP 

Maneka Gandhi meeting Mukherjee. After 

her meet, she said she wants consensus 

on president. 

The Congress, which wants other parties 

to also back Mukherjee, welcomed 

Kalam's exit. 

"(Kalam) is a very distinguished person... 

I think it obviously must be an appropriate 

decision," spokesperson Manish 

Tewari said. — IANS 

New BARC 

director 

MUMBAI — A nuclear submarine 

propulsion and nuclear 

reprocessing and waste 

management expert, Sekhar 

Basu will be the new director 

of the Bhabha Atomic 

Research Centre here, an of- 

�cial said yesterday. 

Basu, 59, is currently the 

chief executive of�cer of the 

Nuclear Recycling Board 

and will assume his new 

charge today. 

An alumnus of the Victoria 

Jubilee Technical Institute, 

Mumbai, he started his 

career with BARC in 1974. 

$4 million award for new vaccine Airlines told to rationalise fare structures 

PROTESTERS against dams on the River Ganges rally in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP 

(L-R) Brazilian President Dilma Roussef, Russian President Vladimir Putin,Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 

Chinese President Hu Jintao and South African President Jacob Zuma pose for group photo in Los Cabos, Mexico, 

yesterday during a BRICS’s Presidents meeting before the opening of the G20 leaders Summit. — AFP 

as DGCA director general E 

K Bharat Bhusan convened a 

meeting with all the chief executives 

of domestic airlines. 

Average airfare of the airlines 

had grown substantially 

even though the jet fuel prices 

had only gone up by 16 per 

cent in June 2012 compared to 

June 2011. 

Plane makes 

emergency 

landing 

KOLKATA — Suspecting 

a technical snag, an Air India 

�ight from New Delhi 

to Bhubaneswar with 115 

passengers on board made 

a precautionary landing at 

the NSC Bose International 

Airport here yesterday, an 

airport of�cial said. 

"The Air India �ight enroute 

to Bhubaneswar from 

New Delhi made a precautionary 

landing here at 2.55 

pm on Monday after the 

pilot suspected a technical 

snag. The weather at the 

Bhubaneswar airport was 

also inclement due to which 

the pilot was apprehensive 

of landing there," airport 

spokesperson Suprakash 

said. 

The aircraft was still at 

the airport and technicians 

were looking for the snag. 

Air India of�cials were 

arranging for a different 

�ight to accommodate 

the passengers, added the 

spokesman. — IANS

NEW DEMOCRACY party leader, Antonis Samaras waves at supporters in central Athens. — AFP 

A torturous reality 

By John Hadoulis 

ANTONIS Samaras, who leads 

the conservative party that won 

crucial elections in Greece, is 

a hawkish former foreign minister who 

has vowed to banish recession and rid the 

country of undocumented migrants. 

The 61-year-old politician, an economist 

by training, was yesterday tasked 

by head of state Carolos Papoulias with 

forming a government after his New 

Democracy party came �rst in Sunday’s 

elections, although not by a wide enough 

margin for an outright majority. 

As he began a round of coalition talks 

with a three-day deadline, Samaras called 

for “national understanding” and amendments 

to the conditions of an EU-IMF 

bailout deal “so the Greek people can escape 

from today’s torturous reality.” 

Samaras has a track record of confrontation 

when he wants to get his point 

across. Twenty years ago as a minister, 

Samaras did not hesitate to bring down 

an entire government over a foreign policy 

spat with the Greek prime minister. 

Today, he plans to use his political 

af�liation with key European leaders, 

including German Chancellor Angela 

Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano 

Rajoy and European Commission chief 

Jose Manuel Barroso, to secure an easier 

recovery transition for Greece. 

The pro-business conservatives want 

By Clare Byrne 

THE new poster girl for 

France’s far right National 

Front (FN) is a 

blonde pin-up with angelic 

features, who became the 

youngest ever deputy in the 

National Assembly on Sunday 

at the age of 22. 

Marion Marechal-Le Pen 

(pictured), granddaughter of 

FN founder Jean-Marie Le 

Pen, was con�rmed as the 

party’s brightest new star after 

winning one of only two 

seats picked up by the antiimmigrant, 

anti-Europe FN 

in the country’s parliamentary 

runoff. 

Her victory in the southern 

town of Carpentras, along 

with that of lawyer Gilbert 

Collard in the nearby Gard region, 

mark a return by the FN 

to parliament after more than 

two decades. 

The fourth-year law student, 

who was given the nudge 

to run by her grandfather, was 

left carrying the Le Pen torch 

after her aunt was beaten by a 

whisker in the northern town 

of Henin-Beaumont. 

FN leader Marine Le Pen 

NEWSMAKER 

Far-right gets 

a new pin-up 

to cut top income tax thresholds and sales 

tax and mobilise European funds for construction 

projects to pull the economy out 

of a �ve-year trough that has left over a 

million jobless. 

Samaras has famously pledged to “eat 

iron” to bring investment to Greece. 

The conservative chief in 2010 refused 

to approve a �rst EU-IMF bailout 

deal worth 110 billion euros. 

Following weeks of posturing, he 

gave his conditional consent last year to 

a second package of 130 billion euros after 

European leaders threatened Greece 

with bankruptcy. He also insisted on 

holding early elections, ending the term 

of a six-month Conservative-Socialist 

coalition government that controlled an 

overwhelming parliamentary majority. 

At only 26, Samaras was once one 

of the youngest politicians elected to 

Greece’s parliament and a rising conservative 

star who reached his peak as 

foreign minister in the early nineties. 

But he fell spectacularly from grace 

during Greece’s bitter diplomatic crisis 

with neighbouring Macedonia. 

Samaras had favoured adopting a 

strong stance against the newly-independent 

former Yugoslav republic, which 

was seen in Greece to have usurped the 

name of one of its northern territories after 

declaring independence in 1991. 

But he clashed with then prime minister 

Constantine Mitsotakis over the issue 

went down to the Socialist 

Party’s Philippe Kemel, winning 

49.9 per cent of the vote 

to his 50.1 per cent. 

Marechal-Le Pen scored a 

smaller proportion of the vote 

in Carpentras, an FN stronghold, 

but her 42 per cent was 

enough to get her elected in a 

three-way race against a candidate 

from the centre-right 

Union for a Popular Movement 

and a Socialist. 

Jean-Marie Le Pen, who 

had considered running in 

Carpentras but decided in 

the end to defer to his granddaughter, 

was clearly delighted 

at the party’s win. 

“The National Front wants 

to avenge what happened 

in Carpentras through this 

young girl, who is a symbol 

of her generation,” he said, 

announcing her candidacy in 

April. 

Celebrating his progeny’s 

win on Sunday the 84-yearold 

provocateur said his 

granddaughter was “de bonne 

race” (well-bred). 

Marechal-Le Pen said she 

was “proud” of her family but 

�rmly rejected accusations of 

being a “marionette” (puppet), 

who was pushed into 

politics as part of a strategy to 

give the FN a softer, more attractive 

face. 

Spearheaded by Marine Le 

Pen that strategy has seen the 

party’s support surge among 

young people and women, 

con�rming the FN as France’s 

third-largest political movement. 

“I’m not here to look 

good,” Marechal-Le Pen defended 

on Sunday. “I’m carving 

out my own path.” 

12 

ANALYSIS/OPINION 


and defected, bringing down the government. 

Samaras formed his own party, 

Political Spring, and retreated into the 

political wilderness for nearly a decade. 

But he would ironically return to the 

conservatives over a decade later and defeat 

Mitsotakis’s daughter for the party 

leadership in 2009. 

Samaras now intends to take a stronger 

stance on illegal immigration by 

toughening residency and naturalisation 

requirements that had been relaxed by 

the previous socialist administration. 

“There is a mass of immigrants, a million 

of them without work,” Samaras said 

last week on the sidelines of a party meeting. 

“We will stop this invasion,” he said. 

Samaras has promised to abolish a 

law passed by the Socialist government 

that opened the way for second-generation 

immigrants to be granted Greek citizenship, 

as well as a series of reforms to 

boost security. Ironically, critics say Samaras 

himself is not entirely blameless 

on undocumented migration. 

As foreign minister, Samaras is said 

to have contributed to the �rst wave of illegal 

migration by opening the border to 

ethnic Greeks from neighbouring Albania 

as its Communist regime imploded. 

A father of two, Samaras is descended 

from one of Greece’s top families and 

holds economics and business management 

degrees from Amherst College and 

Harvard. 


Keeping eye 

on the sharks 

By Justine Gerardy 

UNDETECTED on the 

mountain slope, Tino 

Simmerie sweeps his 

binoculars over the South African 

bay where bathers happily 

splash about in turquoise 

waters. 

“They don’t have a clue 

what’s going on basically,” 

he said, staring out at the 

popular Fish Hoek beach 

where he once saw a shark 

come up to the shore. 

“We never know for sure 

when a shark is going to 

come into this bay — that’s 

why we’re every day up here 

to just keep an eye out.” 

Armed with a walkie-talkie, 

binoculars and polarised 

sunglasses to protect against 

the harsh ocean glare, the 

22-year-old is part of Cape 

Town’s frontline with the 

Great Whites sharing its seas. 

The pioneering programme, 

Shark Spotters, 

started in 2004 after a spate 

of bites and sightings by 

placing human look-outs at 

busy beachers to give the 

alert for the sea to be cleared 

if �ns are seen moving in. 

South Africa records 

fewer attacks than other 

shark international hotspots 

like Australia and the US. 

But the fatality rate is 

high: South Africa accounts 

for one-third of the 24 deaths 

worldwide on the International 

Shark Attack File for 

the past three years, despite 

local bites making up less 

than 10 per cent of all attacks. 

The latest victim was a 

young Cape Town bodyboarder 

who died on April 

19 after his leg was bitten 

off at a remote sur�ng spot, 

which followed a near-fatal 

mauling in September across 

the bay at top swimming site 

Fish Hoek. 

Attacks in the age of 

Twitter have sparked alerts 

of “dinosaur huge” killers — 

as tweeted by a witness to 

a 2010 death on Fish Hoek 

— and �erce debate over 

theories of why bites are on 

the increase. 

“You can understand, 

it’s a very emotional issue 

especially for the people 

who have witnessed shark 

attacks,” said Sarah Titley, 

Shark Spotters project 

manager. 

“Being eaten by a very 

large �sh is a very scary unknown 

that makes people react 

in a completely disproportionate 

way to what the actual 

sense of risk is. You’ve got a 

one in 253 million chance of 

being killed by a shark.” 

“So the risk is very small 

but it’s such a traumatic 

event for people and it really 

does cause a lot of hype and 

hysteria.” 

To counter some of the 

fears, an exclusion net is 

on the cards for Fish Hoek, 

to add another layer to the 

city’s prevention buffers 

after the attack seven months 

ago deepened its deadly 

reputation on the back of two 

deaths since 2004. 

“It’s a series of �xed nets 

which are very small diameter 

mesh so that nothing 

can swim through it,” said 

Cape Town alderman Felicity 

Purchase. 

“We needed to �nd something 

that would be practical, 

that would not cause damage 

— we don’t want to kill the 

sharks, we don’t want to 

damage the other marine life 

that comes through.” 

Shark nets are controversial 

and were ruled out years 

ago, but of�cials say they 

need to tackle the damaging 

economic fall-out and that 

the square-inch sized mesh 

technology is successfully 

used in Hong Kong and the 

Seychelles. 

“This will provide a safe 

area for parents who are worried 

about their children, and 

for the elderly who are not so 

fast getting out of the water,” 

said Purchase. 

“This will prevent shark 

attacks in an area which allows 

considerable swimming 

space for our bathers. So I 

believe it could actually be 

the end of shark attacks.” 

Reaching up to 20 feet 

in length and two tonnes in 

weight, Great Whites are 

protected in South Africa and 

listed as vulnerable on the 

IUCN Red List of Threatened 

Species. 

CHINA’S Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao at a press conference in Los Cabos. — AFP 

An eventual split 

By Andreas Landwehr 

AS the G20 prepares to meet in 

Mexico, all eyes are on China. 

But the world’s second-largest 

economy is shying away from the international 

responsibility it is being asked to 

shoulder. 

The people’s republic does not wish 

to take a place among the major economic 

powers, but is instead insisting 

on claiming status as the world’s largest 

developing country. “Before China 

truly becomes an economic power in 

the world, we have a long way to go,” 

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Cui 

Tiankai said as the leaders of the 20 most 

economically powerful economies gathered 

to meet in Los Cabos. 

Cui noted that, in terms of output per 

capita, China was around 100th on the 

list. There were “many poor people” in 

China coping with “acute problems” and 

uneven development, he said. 

“China will always remain a developing 

country, no matter how strong we 

are,” Cui said in remarks seen as a declaration 

of solidarity with developing 

countries, aimed at providing a counterweight 

to the dominance of the Western 

industrialised countries, led by the US. 

China fears that, should its growing 

economic power lead to it becoming a 

member of the industrialised nations club, 

that group could face an eventual split. At 

the same time, China would become isolated 

from the developing world. 

“This would weaken the status of all 

of us,” the deputy foreign minister said. 

By insisting on its role as mouthpiece for 

the developing world, China was launching 

a call on the rich world to pay greater 

heed to the needs of poorer countries, as 

the minister’s comments made clear. 

Beijing is also demanding a greater 

say in the operations of the International 

Monetary Fund (IMF). This would come 

in exchange for being willing to put billions 

of dollars from its foreign reserves 

— the world’s largest — at the disposal 

of the organisation to counter global �nancial 

instability. 

Despite the imbalances in the �ow of 

goods, which are also part of the crisis, 

the world’s largest exporter continues to 

see itself as a victim, blaming the current 

problems on the US and Europe. 

“These countries must �rst put their 

own houses in order,” is the message 

from China, which stresses its hard work 

in generating growth. 

China intends to make a contribution 

to stabilising Europe — its most important 

trading partner — through the purchase 

of European government bonds. 

Beijing keeps insisting on Europe’s 

capacity to resolve the crisis, but a tone 

of doubt has, nevertheless, crept in. “We 

are banking on the best results from the 

politicians, but we are simultaneously 

prepared for the worst case,” Deputy Finance 

Minister Zhu Guangyao says. 

“China is not prepared to accept economic 

or political responsibility so easily,” 

Cheng Xiaohe of the People’s University 

in Beijing said. The key question 

was whether China could really solve the 

problems, Cheng said. 

Toxic drugs 

By Donny Kwok 

HOU Zhihui breaks open a cold-medicine capsule, 

pours the powder on to a piece of steamed dough and 

folds it together. He passes the miniature bun to a colleague 

who pops it in her mouth. 

That is his response to the discovery of 77 million capsules 

made of industrial gel containing chromium, a carcinogenic 

heavy metal, the latest in a series of safety problems blighting 

China’s healthcare industry, including the widespread manufacture 

of fake drugs. 

The government has repeatedly promised to tighten regulatory 

systems after safety scandals involving �sh, drugs, toys, 

toothpaste, children’s clothes, tyres, drugs and milk forti�ed 

with melamine, used in the manufacture of tabletops. But little 

has been done apart from a few, highly publicised arrests. 

“I read about the capsule problem... the next morning, a 

colleague of mine had a cold, so I thought of a way for her to 

take the medicine,” Hou said. 

China announced in May that 254 pharmaceutical suppliers, 

or 12.7 per cent of the total, were producing tainted 

capsules. At least 10 are listed or linked to China-listed �rms, 

according to the of�cial media. Of 11,561 batches of drugs 

tested, 5.8 per cent contained excessive levels of chromium. 

Instead of using gelatine derived from animal parts, they 

used cheap industrial gelatine from leather scraps treated with 

chromium that tans and softens animal hide. 

The problem is pervasive because of the pressure to produce 

low-cost drugs and still make a pro�t, and the popularity 

of traditional Chinese medicine, which is often made 

into powders and packed into capsules. Authorities swooped 

in on 236 capsule makers, ordered 42 of them to stop production, 

closed 84 production lines, revoked the licences of seven 

companies and referred 13 to the police. 

As China revamps its healthcare system to make it more 

affordable to its 1.3 billion population, bureaucrats have gone 

all out to lower drug prices in large drug tenders that give 

winners a captive market spanning several provinces. Toxic 

capsules have also been uncovered in Hong Kong, where 

drugmakers source 90 per cent of their capsules from China. 

Parent trigger 

By Stephanie Simon 

HUNDREDS of mayors from across the United States 

called for new laws letting parents seize control of 

low-performing public schools and �re the teachers, 

oust the administrators or turn the schools over to private 

management. 

The US Conference of Mayors, meeting in Orlando, Florida, 

on Saturday unanimously endorsed “parent trigger” laws 

aimed at bypassing elected school boards and giving parents 

at the worst public schools the opportunity to band together 

and force immediate change. 

Such laws are �ercely opposed by teachers’ unions, which 

stand to lose members in school takeovers. Union leaders say 

there is no proof such upheaval will improve learning. And 

they argue that public investment in struggling communities, 

rather than private management of struggling schools, is the 

key to boosting student achievement. 

But in a sign of the unions’ diminishing clout, their traditional 

political allies, the Democrats, abandoned them in 

droves during the Orlando vote. Democratic Mayors Michael 

Nutter of Philadelphia, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles 

and Kevin Johnson of Sacramento led the charge for parent 

trigger — and were backed by scores of other Democrats as 

well as Republicans from coast to coast. 

“Mayors understand at a local level that most parents lack 

the tools they need to turn their schools around,” Villaraigosa 

said. Parent trigger laws, he added, can empower parents to 

do just that. Representatives from the two largest teachers’ 

unions, the National Education Association and the American 

Federation of Teachers, were not available for comment. 

Parent trigger laws are in place in several states including 

California, Texas and Louisiana and are under consideration 

in states including Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. So 

far, though, the concept has never successfully been used to 

turn around a school. Parents in two impoverished, heavily 

minority California cities, Compton and Adelanto, gathered 

enough signatures to seize control of their neighbourhood 

schools but the process stalled in the face of ferocious opposition 

from teachers’ unions. 

Land grab 

By Claudine Renaud 

FOREIGN farms are spreading across Africa to grow 

food and biofuels for global markets, bringing muchneeded 

investments but also new troubles for a continent 

struggling to feed itself. 

China, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh are just some 

of the countries spending billions of dollars in what critics 

have dubbed a new “scramble for Africa”, a reference to Europe’s 

19th century colonisation drive. 

But Africa holds an estimated 60 per cent of the world’s 

uncultivated, arable land, making the continent a critical component 

to international efforts to feed the planet’s growing 

population. How to achieve global food security is one of the 

most contentious issues at the upcoming Rio Summit on the 

environment, where activists are expected to sound the alarm 

over “land grabs” in Africa. 

Many of the deals are with private companies, from Asian 

states seeking to feed large, growing populations to Europeans 

looking to produce biofuels, and their arrival on the continent 

has sometimes provoked angry backlashes. 

Bangladesh’s government explicitly encourages such 

schemes as a way to feed its 150 million people, as its own 

farmland falls to urban and industrial growth. 

Bangladeshi companies have deals to grow rice in Uganda 

and Tanzania, but across the continent in Gambia, the government 

rejected a deal following an uproar over a foreign farm 

project in neighbouring Senegal. Last year two people died in 

protests in Senegal over a 50,000-acre biofuel scheme. The 

government in Dakar put the scheme on ice. 

The most dramatic case so far has been a South Korean 

conglomerate’s $6-billion plan to grow corn and palm oil in 

Madagascar, on an area the size of Belgium. 

Public outrage at the deal was one of the sparks to protests 

that toppled then-president Marc Ravalomanana in 2009. The 

deal was scrapped after the coup, which tipped the island into 

an ongoing crisis. Con�icts with local residents, often caused 

by shady contracts, are one of the biggest problems caused by 

the large-scale deals. Some communities are resettled, others 

complain about competition for water. 

“Recent land acquisitions in Cameroon all look shocking, 

due to their scale, their low cost, their length (of up to 99 

years), and their secrecy,” said Samuel Nguiffo, of the Centre 

for Environment and Development.

13 

THE WORLD 



A DRIVER looks out from his car as a �ock of ducks are herded by farmers along a street towards a pond as vehicles drive past 

in Taizhou, Zhejiang province. There were about 5,000 ducks, local media reported. — Reuters 

Socialists vow reforms 

after major poll victory 

PARIS — A resounding Socialist 

victory in weekend parliamentary 

elections will allow 

President Francois Hollande 

to press ahead with reforms 

to tame France's de�cit and 

promote economic growth in 

Europe, a senior minister said 

yesterday. 

The Socialists, who won a 

comfortable majority in Sunday's 

parliamentary elections, 

will use a special session of 

parliament next month to axe 

tax breaks and increase taxes 

for large corporations, particularly 

banks and energy 

companies. 

The measures are part of 

Hollande's twin track drive 

to balance France's budget by 

2017 and persuade Europe's 

paymaster Germany to back 

his call for a stimulus package 

of more than $100 billion to 

boost growth. Election results 

for mainland France showed 

the Socialists and their af- 

�liates won 307 seats, comfortably 

exceeding the 289 

required for a majority in the 

National Assembly. De�nitive 

�gures including overseas territories 

were due later, with 

polls predicting the Socialists 

could win up to 320 seats. 

With the left already controlling 

the Senate upper house 

of parliament, that would free 

the Socialists from relying on 

the votes of the anti-austerity, 

eurosceptic Left Front or the 

conservative UMP opposition. 

Interior Minister Manuel Valls 

said the government would 

waste no time in pressing 

ahead with promised reforms. 

"We need to sort out this 

country's �nances, to ensure 

we achieve a balanced budget 

by 2017, and at the same 

time pursue our priorities in 

terms of growth, employment, 

education and security," said 

Valls, promising tax reforms 

to ensure that the richest 

French pay their share. 

Valls said that a resurgence 

in the vote for the National 

Front — which won two parliamentary 

seats and returns 

to parliament for the �rst time 

since the mid-1980s — was 

due to widespread disenchantment 

with France's economic 

situation. 

"We need to mobilise our 

European partners because 

piling more austerity on top of 

austerity will lead to tragedy 

and a deep rift between the 

peoples of Europe and their 

politicians." 

With unemployment at a 

13-year high of 10 percent and 

economic growth stagnating, 

Hollande faces a delicate balancing 

act in reducing the government's 

de�cit and keeping 

the euro zone's second largest 

economy out of the sights of 

�nancial market speculators 

attacking Spain and Italy. 

— Reuters 

ARGENTINE President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner(L) and Brazilian President 

Dilma Rousseff in Mexico yesterday in the framework of the G20 Leaders Summit. 

UN of�cial calls on West to 

cut clamour for cars and TVs 

UNITED NATIONS — Rich 

countries will have to stop the 

consumer high life as part of 

any deal to heal the world's 

social and environmental 

stresses, a top UN of�cial said 

ahead of a key development 

summit this week. 

"We don't need more cars, 

more TVs, more whatever" 

UN Development Programme 

chief Helen Clark said in an 

interview ahead of the Rio+20 

summit starting Wednesday. 

The 116 heads of state and 

government and their populations 

-- rich and poor -- face 

"chaos" unless the three day 

summit can at least lay the 

groundwork for economic 

growth that eases poverty and 

preserves natural resources, 

said the former New Zealand 

prime minister. 

"I think there is a high level 

of awareness that the planet is 

in peril, to put it bluntly," said 

Clark, who will be one of the 

key �gures at the Rio de Janeiro 

event. 

Negotiators are struggling 

to get agreement on the �nal 

declaration. Differences between 

rich and poor, east and 

west on topics such as how to 

de�ne "green economy" and 

how to set new global development 

goals have bedevilled 

negotiations for months. 

Clark insists though that 

every leader agrees on the key 

problem: how to ensure economic 

growth that helps the 

most destitute without further 

damaging an environment that 

is being "wrecked underneath 

our feet." 

"So the issue is how to get 

human development that will 

see it continue to rise for the 

world's poorest people and 

people in developing countries. 

Because frankly human 

development in the West -- we 

don't need more cars, more 

TVs, more whatever. 

"Our needs are by and large 

satis�ed, although the recession 

has put a lot of strains on 

that." — AFP 

West should open its 

borders over crises 

GENEVA — Crises around the world have forced record 

numbers of people to �ee their countries and Western countries 

should help the developing world deal with the in�ux by 

accepting more refugees, the United Nations said in a report 

yesterday. 

Last year, con�icts in Africa, the Middle East and other regions 

forced 800,000 people to leave their countries, the highest 

number since 2000, the of�ce of United Nations High Commissioner 

for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres said. 

Including people who were displaced in their own countries, 

that number rose to 4.3 million. Con�ict in Syria, Sudan 

and Mali did not make this year look better, Guterres told reporters 

ahead of the report's release. 

He noted that the international emergency system only 

worked because all developing countries located next to crisis 

spots shouldered their responsibility and kept their borders 

open. "It is very important to underline that fact in a world 

where sometimes countries that are further away from crisis 

situations try to close their borders when people come to them 

in need of protection," he told reporters. 

European states this month to reintroduce the possibility 

of emergency border controls in the border-free Schengen in 

response to a �ow of refugees to southern European countries 

from North Africa after the Arab Spring uprisings. 

Guterres said industrialised countries should not only give 

economic aid to poorer countries that host a lot of migrants, 

but that they should also take in more long-term refugees. 

Some 80,000 refugees were resettled in third countries in 

2011, but there was a need for countries to accept ten times 

more, according to the UNHCR. The United States, Canada 

and Australia took in 91 per cent of last year's resettlers. 

Ocean acidi�cation 

research unit launch 

VIENNA— The UN nuclear agency announced yesterday the 

formation of a new centre in Monaco to help co-ordinate international 

efforts to research and combat the serious environmental 

problem of ocean acidi�cation. 

"During the past �ve years, numerous multinational and national 

research projects on ocean acidi�cation have emerged and 

signi�cant research advances have been made," the International 

Atomic Energy Agency said. "The time is now ripe to provide 

international coordination to gain the greatest value from national 

efforts and research investments," said Daud bin Mohamad, IAEA 

Deputy Director General for Nuclear Sciences and Applications. 

The growing amounts of carbon dioxide released into the 

atmosphere through human activity are being absorbed in the 

planet's oceans, increasing their acidity. According to experts, 

ocean acidi�cation may render most regions of the ocean inhospitable 

to coral reefs by 2050 if atmospheric carbon dioxide levels 

continue to increase, the IAEA said. 

This could lead to substantial changes in commercial �sh 

stocks, threatening food security for millions of people as well 

as the multi-billion-dollar �shing industry, it added. 

The new centre, due to be opened this summer, will be overseen 

by national and international bodies including the UN Intergovernmental 

Oceanographic Commission and leading scientists 

and economists in the �eld. — AFP 

East Asia has highest 

female labour force 

BANGKOK — The East Asian-Paci�c region boasts the 

world's highest level of female labour participation, although 

more could be done in terms of equal opportunities, the World 

Bank said yesterday. "Female labour force participation in the 

region is the highest in the world, with about 70 per cent of 

women involved in economic activities," said Andrew Mason, 

the chief author of the World Bank's report - Toward Gender 

Equality in East Asia and the Paci�c. 

Mason attributed the high level of female employment in 

part to the in�ux of foreign investment in export-oriented, 

labour-intensive industries that have fuelled the region's rapid 

growth over the past three decades. 

"Export-oriented manufacturing has provided opportunities 

throughout South-East Asia for women's increased employment 

in the formal sector at higher and more regular wages," 

Mason said. The large percentage of women at work was also 

attributed to the region's "favourable endowments," said coauthor 

Reena Badiani. 

"There are high levels of education, low levels of fertility 

and also favourable social norms towards women working," 

she said. — dpa 

End to EU 

sanctions 

BRUSSELS — EU �nance 

ministers will lift �nancial 

sanctions on Hungary on 

Friday, two EU diplomats 

said, restoring Budapest's access 

to half a billion euros of 

frozen funds and rewarding 

Prime Minister Viktor Orban 

for dealing with budget 

shortfalls. 

Finance chiefs in March 

blocked 495 million euros 

($625 million) in EU funds 

from 2013, to send a message 

to Budapest and other 

�scally pro�igate nations 

that consistently high budget 

de�cits were unacceptable in 

the European Union. 

But in a sign of better 

ties between Brussels and 

Orban's centre-right government 

in recent months, the 

European Commission said 

last month that Hungary had 

shown genuine progress in 

bringing down its de�cit in a 

sustainable manner. 

EU �nance ministers are 

now set to back that decision 

in their meeting in Luxembourg, 

two EU diplomats 

said yesterday. "The blocking 

of those funds will be 

lifted, I expect that to happen," 

said a diplomat. 

Capsule links 

with space lab 

BEIJING — Three Chinese 

astronauts �oated into the 

cabin of an orbiting module 

yesterday afternoon, of�cial 

news agencies reported, 

making them the �rst Chinese 

to enter an orbiter in 

space. 

Television pictures 

showed China's �rst female 

astronaut 33-year-old 

Liu Yang, commander Jing 

Haipeng, 46 and �ight engineer 

Liu Wang, 42, waving to 

the camera in blue uniforms 

from inside Tiangong-1 after 

entering the 8.5-ton laboratory 

unit from their spacecraft 

Shenzhou-9. 

The lab module has been 

orbiting Earth for 263 days 

since its September 2011 

launch. Earlier reports said 

only two of the three astronauts 

would transfer, but the 

Xinhua News Agency reported 

that all three had now 

moved into the 15-squaremetre 

cabin of Tiangong-1, 

or Heavenly Palace, following 

their successful automatic 

docking procedure. 

Cop on trial: 

protest death 

LONDON — A Scotland 

Yard of�cer killed newspaper 

seller Ian Tomlinson in 

a "gratuitous act of aggression" 

during G20 protests in 

London in 2009, prosecutors 

told a court yesterday as the 

trial opened. 

Constable Simon Harwood, 

44, is accused of hitting 

47-year-old Tomlinson 

with a baton and pushing 

him to the ground during 

the violent protests on April 

1, 2009 against the Group 

of 20 summit in the British 

capital. 

Tomlinson, who had 

been trying to walk home 

but found his usual route 

blocked by thousands of 

anti-capitalist protesters 

and riot police in the City 

of London �nancial district, 

collapsed and later died. 

4-year jail for 

Berlusconi? 

ROME — Milan prosecutors 

called yesterday for former 

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi 

to be sentenced to 

three years and eight months 

for tax evasion linked to his 

Mediaset empire, Italian media 

reported. 

Prosecutor Fabio De 

Pasquale said the media 

magnate was clearly "heading 

the chain of command" 

when the tax evasion is alleged 

to have taken place, 

and that Mediaset's slush 

funds abroad "bear his �ngerprints." 

Berlusconi founded Mediaset, 

which includes Italy's 

three main privately owned 

national television channels, 

in the 1970s. 

DANISH Crown Prince Frederik (L) with Danish 

Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt during the 

Baltic Development Forum summit in Copenhagen. 

RUSSIA’S Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev chairs 

a meeting with his deputies at the Gorki residence 

outside Moscow yesterday. — AFP 

EU commissioner for international co-operation, 

humanitarian aid and crisis response Kristalina 

Georgieva (L) and EU commissioner for development 

Andris Piebalgs (R) in Brussels yesterday. — AFP 

ROMANIAN Prime Minister Victor Ponta (L) with 

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann in Vienna 

yesterday during an of�cial visit. — AFP 

AUNG San Suu Kyi signs the guest book with Irish 

President Michael Higgins as the two hold talks in the 

presidential residence in Dublin yesterday. -- AFP

PORTA CABINS / TURNKEY CAMPS 

Our Services Manufacturing, Erection, Mobilization. 

Our Products Camps, Kitchens, Offices, Ablutions 

Phone 24503725 Fax 24503723 

Mobile 95228450 Mobile 99277505 

e-mail info@speedhouseoman.com 

Web www.speedhouseoman.com 

SPEED HOUSE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION LLC 

R 

CLASSIFIED SECTION 

RUWI: �24785668 

S 

ENT-A-CAR 

ENT-A-C 

Luxury Cars 

BMW 750il Mercedes 430SL 

on hourly & daily basis 

with chauffeur. 

Contact: 

Contact: 99337159/99359628 

SPECIAL Rates on 

New Cars & 4 WDs 

RENTING & LEASING 

Tours and Airport Transfer 

Tel: 24582663 

GSM: 95859497, 

Fax: 24582664, 

abcrent@omantel.net.om 

ERVICES 

SERVICES OOD NEWS NEW 

OR RENT 

HOOPOE SMART 

CARD SERVICES SE 

Sanad Servi Service Centre 

We provide the following 

services: Typing, clearing 

all transactions related to 

government departments 

and private sector, eg 

labour agreement for 

Omanis and expatriates, 

typing of labour 

card for expatriates, 

typing of visas and 

document clearing from 

immigration department, 

Ministry of Commerce 

& Industry, Ministry of 

Manpower, Commercial 

names reservation, 

renewal of commercial 

registration, renewal 

of OCCI membership, 

attestation of all 

documents from OCCI 

& Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs. Renewal of 

labour cards through 

electronic payment or 

cash payment. 

Please note you may 

deliver your transaction 

through our e-mail 

and our representative 

will deliver it to your 

of�ce personally after 

completion. Our address 

is: Ruwi, near Gulf 

Transport Co. (GTC), 

Fax: 24793331, GSM: 

98793665 (Direct) 

99231500. 

E-mail: hoopoeoman@ 

gmail.com 

AL FAHAD 

TRANSLATION 

SERVICES 

Translation of all kinds 

of legal, medical, 

and other types of 

documents, Commercial 

Agencies, etc. Ruwi, 

near Gulf Transport Co 

(GTC), 

Fax: 24794286. GSM : 

98793665 (Direct) 

95959838. E-mail: 

bptland@gmail.com 

LANDRAIL 

TRADING & 

SERVICES 

(Smart Card) 

Ruwi, near Gulf 

Transport Co. (GTC), 

Fax: 24780244, Tel: 

24789117, GSM 

98793666 (Dir), 

96777170. E-mail: 

landrailoman@ 

gmail.com 

MARBLE 

CRYSTALLISATION, 

restore the original shine 

of your marble. 

�24792998/ 

99314807. 

EXECUTIVE of�ce 

services available: 

Modern furniture, 

personalised telephone 

line with receptionist 

services, Unlimited 

wireless Internet, 

P.O. Boxes address, 

executive conference 

room (10 people), prime 

location (Al Khuwair), 

complimentary tea & 

coffee, service duration 

quarterly. Contact: 

�99463334/99201763/ 

24479400. 

T 

OURS 

MARINE Tourism 

� 92808636, e-mail: 

info@alainain.com 

SHAMPOO cleaning 

of mosque carpet and 

house majlis, sofa carpet 

and curtains, general 

cleaning all types of 

old and new building, 

gardening mosaic tiles 

polishing marbles and 

granites, house painting 

�96642500. 

1. A/C, Fridge & 

Washing Machine 

Servicing & Repairing 

2. Painting, Plumbing, 

Electrical & Carpentry 

Works. Contact: 

�97014234/ 97123569, 

24504281. 

CARPET, sofa 

shampooing, 

GUARANTEED 

CLEANING. 

�24792998/ 99314807 

P.C.O. (PEST 

CONTROL OMAN 

CO. LLC) 

Professionals who 

specialise in all types 

of Pest Control 

Services & Snake 

control and 

Guaranteed Termite 

Control. Also 

available Gel 

treatment for 

Cockroaches. 

Suppliers of UK 

Pesticides Chemicals, 

Snake Repellent, 

Cockroach Gels and 

Peripel treated 

Mosquito Nets. 

�24787606, 

24787503, 

Fax: 24787607. 

M 

ANPOWER 

ANPOWE 

FRIENDS 

MANPOWER: Filipino 

housemaids and all kinds 

of workers. �24489268 

Tel/Fax: 24478153. 

F 

OR SALE SAL 

COFFEE Shop at Al 

Hail. � 99323957. 

W 

ANTED 

TOYOTA Tercel required 

�92322898. 

S 

ALE/BUYING 

ALE/BUY 

USED furniture buying 

wall paper supply and 

�xing, sale of all types of 

blinds, curtains, carpet. 

Yousuf �99834373. 

G 

FREE FRE 

INFORMATION 

INFORM 

ABOUT ISLAM 

If you would like to 

know more about 

Islam, please call: 

Tel : 99425598, 

96050000, 99353988, 

99253818, 99341395, 

99379133, 

For ladies: 99415818, 

99321360, 99730723 

Or visit: 

www.islamfact.com 

AYURVEDIC Treatment, 

Yoga massage & 

slimming. Contact: 

�92504980/ 24475280 , 

www.drsajjay.com 

FOR NRI. BOOKING 

open for villas in Aluva, 

Kochi, Kerala. Rs 50 

lacs onwards near UC 

College. Contact: 

�98934705, or 

skprealty@yahoo.com. 

GO & Buy in China 

� Buildiing 

Materials 

� Furniture 

� Electronics 

Altogether in one 

container. We have 

staff in China to help 

you! Contact: 

�98528776. 

C 

ARGO 

HURRY! Ramadhan 

sailing. Cargo for 

ZANZIBAR, DAR 

ES SALAAM & 

MOMBASA. 

Maritime Shipping 

Agency. 

�24834850/ 

99323513 

CARGO transfer with 

attractive price to all 

areas in the Sultanate 

and outside of Oman 

(by truck). 

Contact: �00968- 

99171758 

T 

O LET 

WAREHOUSE at Ghala 

behind Komatsu. 

� 99414644. 

A 

NNOUNCEMENT 

NNOUNC 

ETHIOPIAN housemaid 

for release RO 300 

�93320020. 

TANZANIAN English 

speaking housemaid on 

release �94027010. 

CLASSIFIED SECTION: 

OMAN DAILY Observer � TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 

F 

SAVILLS OMAN 

QUALITY homes 

for rent throughout 

Capital Area 

Muscat. Contact: 

�24692151. 

www.sav-oman.com 

FLAT for rent at Al 

Wattayah behind 

Honda Showroom, 2 

bedrooms, 2 toilets, 

sitting hall and big 

kitchen with balcony. 

Rent RO 320 

�98544508. 

SPACIOUS new 4 

bedroom villa plus family 

hall, dining hall, 5 

bathrooms, housemaid 

room, at Al Hail north at 

prime location, behind 

Zamzam Hypermarket, 

good for 2 family. Contact 

�92881136. 

FLAT for rent in Al 

Hail south near Sultan 

School, 2 bedrooms, 

family hall, 3 

bathrooms, kitchen 

�92884549. 

A SPACIOUS room 

at PDO road, Qurum 

�99654530. 

TWO �ats, 3 bedroom 

and 3 toilet 

with one kitchen at 

Amerat block (5) 

near Al Nadha health 

centre �99229822, 

93390099. 

FLAT, 3 bedrooms 

in Al Wadi Kabir 

�95700400. 

FOR Rent, 4 bedroom 

house in Wadi Adai with 

2 halls, 4 WC & kitchen, 

for family only. Contact 

�93452446, 99412651. 

G 

UEST HO HOUSE 

MURAHIB HOTEL H 

APARTMENTS 

APARTMEN 

welcome our valuable 

GUESTS to our 

excellent location, 

AL KHUWAIR, near 

AL ZAWAWI 

MOSQUE, a single 

bedroom, a bedroom & 

majlis, two bedrooms & 

majlis �24478087, 

Fax: 24482454. 

QURUM BEACH 

HOTEL. �24564070. 

B 

UYING & SSELLING 

USED furniture and 

shifting�99320402 

A HOUSE at Al 

Ansab/2, 4 bedrooms, 

a sitting room, a hall, 3 

bathrooms. Contact: 

� 99738278. 

OFFICES, shops, villa 

at Al Khuwair, �ats at Al 

Khuwair, Wadi 

Kabir, MBD, 

Mumtaz, furnished/ 

unfurnished. 

� 96596348. 

2 BEDROOM �at 

at Madinat al Alam 

with a small garden 

�24704994, 99238012. 

VILLA at Madinat al 

Alam with sea view 

�24704994, 99238012. 

SPACE available for rent 

in running hypermarket 

at good location in Ruwi 

�99338587. 

I 

L 

FOR RENT 

9000M² of secured 

open land, with basic 

of�ce and labour camp 

facilities in GHALA. 

To be leased for long 

and short term lease. 

Serious offers write to 

2275/112. 

Tel : 24791485/ 

92137157 

NVESTMENT 

NVESTM 

INDUSTRIAL land in 

Rusayil, 400m 2 divided 

1,000 m 2 , divided 1,000 

m2 for each land. Ready 

for industrial workshops 

�99323957, 95490842, 

96554668. 

OST 

MOHAMMAD Faruk 

has lost Bangladeshi 

passport No Z-0410930. 

Finder please handover 

to ROP 

ILYA MANPOWER 

HOUSEMAIDS 

available from 

Philippines, 

Sri Lanka & 

Africa. All 

types of skilled 

workers (waiters, 

cooks, drivers, 

constructions, 

industrials, hotels 

& ministries.....) 

Tel/Fax 

22050086 — Hail 

Shimaly Al Jabri 

Blg. next to 

Bahja Mall. 

Sulaiman Awlad Thani: 95181747 

Ali al Maashari: 99639264 

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

S 

ITUATION VACANT 

14 

URGENTLY required 

experienced Electricians 

�92830626, 99605915, 

24702349. E-mail: 

ardhalarab99gmail.com 

EXPERIENCED English, 

math and science teachers 

are required for a private 

school. �99360842, 

24586506. 


Workshop Managers 

— 2 Nos for a leading 

Transport Company — 

Crane Division and Truck 

Division. The candidates 

should have good technical 

background dealing 

with repair & maintenance 

of cranes, forklifts and 

trucks with minimum 

managerial experience of 

5 years plus in a transport 

company in similar capacity. 

Send your detailed 

resume with photograph 

to shidhany@omantel.net. 

om or ahmed.suliman@ 

sultan-s.com 

S 

Available on very GOOD prices 

CRAP SALE SA 

HP 1050 3 in 1 Printer 

SCRAPPED copper 

telephone cables in 

various sizes for sale 

as-is-where-is basis. 

Interested parties may 

contact on GSM No. 

99259157 for inspection. 

Sealed offers with rate 

per tonne should be 

submitted to our of�ce on 

24th June, 2012 at 10 am 

with security deposit. 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 

RO 15.500 only 

HP 2050 3 in 1 Printer 


HP OJ 4500 Printer 


HP Colour Laser M175a 3 in 1 

RO 109.900 only 

AII HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung 

Cartridges also available. 

PRIVATE school in 

North Al Hail would 

like to hire Female 

Teachers in the 

following subjects: 

(English & Science & 

Math) �24541266, 

95339066. 

D 

RIVING SSCHOOL 

MORNING STAR 

DRIVING SCHOOL S 

— LLearn ddriving i 

manual/ automatic with 

professionally qualified 

male/ female trainees in 

brand new cars and 

flexible payments. Call: 

�99043283, 24478589, 

24478505, www. 

chamberman.com/ 

member/morningstar 

www.morningstar.com 

COMPUTER SUPPLIES 

Ruwi: 24792792 

GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! 


11 kV cable jointer 

with certi�cate. Please 

send your details to: 

hr@altaher.com — Fax 

24605001. 

REQUIRED Teachers 

for English-speaking 

nationalities such as 

British, New Zealand, 

Australia, Canada, South 

Africa and United States. 

For more information 

contact �99333352. 

REQUIRED Building & 

Construction Technician 

Controller). Contact: � 

99346589. 


experienced personnel 

for a rapidly growing 

organisation: 1 

Accountant. Experienced 

candidates please e-mail 

CV to: aston@omantel. 

net.om 

R 

DIRECT: 24649594 - FAX : 24649590 

e-mail: classified@omandaily.om 

F 


RUWI: � 24785668 

Behind Royal Oman Police 

Adjacent to 

Dhofar Building 

OR REN RENT/SELL 

EQUIRED EQUIRE 

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

A COMPANY at 

Wilayat of Sur requires 

a Supervisor for 

cleaning department 

with experience. 

For inquiry call � 

25540330. 25542760. 

DIRECTLY from the 

owner: new building 

composed of 5 �ats 

located close to the Technical 

College, Nizwa. 

Rent: RO 930 monthly 

or selling: RO 135,000. 

Contact �96679950. 

Investor is required: 

For Commercial/ 

Resident land at 

wilayat Al Suwaiq (Al 

Tharmad), 4,893 sq 

m on Muscat, Sohar 

road + a building (13 

shops + 4 �ats (all 

are for rent). Annual 

income RO 24,000. 

A big surrounded 

space suitable for a lot 

of activities and for 

long-term investment. 

Contact �99221466, 

0097150-6676406. 

al-haditha 

centre 

AUTO REPAIR 

CENTRE 

Quality Repairs & Maintenance of all 

types of Cars and Heavy vehicles 

(ROP approved Grade A Workshop) 

Telephone: 24595951/1414, Fax: 24597979. 

U 

AL Hikmani 

for 

HAJ and UM UMRAH 

— With a ho 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, 

99322124. 

S 

MRAH/HAJ 

MRAH/HA 

ITUATION WANTED 

MALE, having 5 years 

working experience as 

an of�ce assistant and 

having bachelor degree, 

computer literate, MS 

Of�ce, looking for 

suitable placement 

in Oman. Contact 

�92758192. E-mail: 

asifbhatti_53@hotmail. 

com 

PHARMACIST with 

MoH licence, seeks 

suitable placement in 

Muscat area �99566311. 

INDIAN male, 25 years, 

BA, MA (Arabic) with 

good knowledge in 

translation of Arabic & 

English, MS Of�ce, seeks 

as a translator or suitable 

placement �95646785. 

INDIAN male, 23 

years, B.Tech, worked 

as Graduate Trainee 

Engineer at In�nite 

Shipping and Engg 

Pvt Ltd from 2 August 

2011 to 12 April 2012, 

knowing Autocad, 

Autodesk inventor, 

Solidworks, MS Of�ce, 

Ansys analysis software, 

seeks suitable placement. 

frederick_000@yahoo. 

co.in 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Continued on P-15

S 

ITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED 

EXECUTIVE Secretary 

with 10 years experience 

(8 years in Oman), �uent 

English spoken and 

written, familiar with 

electronic communication 

seeks placement. Contact 

�99635059. 

BE (Electronics and 

Communications) and 

MBA, having experience 

in handling purchase and 

supply chain, seeks suitable 

placement in procurement/ 

logistics, etc. E-mail: 

jesham12486@gmail.com. 

ACCOUNTANT 

�ve years experience 

handling accounting up to 

�nalisation, seeks part-time 

job. Contact �95968160. 

INDIAN male, diploma in 

automobile engineering, 

having Oman experience 

in pre-owned car with 

18 yrs experience, seeks 

suitable position. Contact 

�95095530 

INDIAN male, 

B.Tech in electronics 

and communication 

engineering, looking 

for job. Contact 

�92533114/93936878. 

E-mail: rijwingeorge@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN male with 5 

yrs experience in Oman 

& 17 yrs experience in 

India with own business, 

presently working as 

showroom incharge, 

looking for suitable 

placement. Contact 

�99133255. E-mail: 

priayraman28@yahoo.com 

OMANI seeks position in 

HSE. E-mail: jeebal3000@ 

gmail.com 

INDIAN Draftsman, 

having 10 years exp (4 

years in Oman) in 

architectural, interior 

decorators works, seeks 

suitable placement. 

Contact: �95934829. 

DIPLOMA in mechanical 

engineer, having more 

than 12 years experience 

in fabrication (pressure 

vessel, heat exchanger, 

column, reactor, 

transformer). Contact 

�92660457. 

INDIAN female MCom 

graduate experienced as 

Accounts Assistant with 

computer literate, Tally 

and banking, seeks suitable 

placement. �95357969 

ACCOUNTS Manager 


(Oman & Dubai) with 

GCC licence, seeks 

immediate placement. 

Contact: �93946545. 

MBA marketing, + 

8 years experience in 

�nance, administration, 

SAP, Oracle, Focus, 

GCC driving licence. 

�98200126. 

SENIOR Accountant, 

Indian male, B.Com, 

PGDCA, 10 yrs experience 

in accounts, �nance up to 

�nalisation. Well-versed 

with MIS reporting, Tally 

& ERP, 5 yrs experience 


�95593273. 

SUDANESE B.E. Electronics 

& Communication 

(Anna University, India), 

good knowledge in R F 

planning & optimisation 

(2G, 3G), BTS 3900, RTN 

Installation with CCNA 

�97620210 


diploma in automobile 

engineering having Gulf 

experience in transport, 

logistics, operation maintenance, 

seeks suitable position 

in transport operation 

supervisory/sales position. 

Contact �93732699. 

HR Manager/ 

Administration Manager 



�92719485. 

M.TECH in construction 

engg & management, 

B.Tech in civil, Indian 

male having 8 years of 

experience in tendering 

and contracts, planning 

with P3 and other software 

in Dubai and India on 

visit visa, seeks suitable 

placement. � 97701845. 

E-mail: rabbayalam@ 

gmail.com 

QUALIFIED �nance 

controller with 10 years 

experience in contracting, 

manufacturing and trading, 

looking for an opportunity 

and available to join 

immediately. Contact 

�96341326. 

A PAKISTANI national 

Chemical Engineer, having 

internship in fertilizers 

& chemicals with 1 year 

job experience in sugar 

sector, recently working 

in Salalah, seeks better 

placement. � 93848364. 

waqarahmad216@gmail.com 

LOOKING for part-time 

job with any reputed 

company/personals for 

admin/HR/secretarial 

works, having computer 

knowledge and well 

versed in Arabic language 

and any contract wised 

documents work also 

will be completed. Call: 

� 95331600. E-mail: 

byraza@yahoo.com 

INDIAN Project Engineer 

with 15 years of experience, 

seeks suitable 

placement in reputed 

consultancy, contracting 

company in senior 

position, please contact 

�96592025. 

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

Location: OEPPA HEAD OFFICE, Medinat Al Alam, 

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

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

15 

CLASSIFIEDS 


FINANCE & accounts 

manager, 9 yrs Oman 

experience, 10 yrs India 

experience, excellent 

English & communication 

skills, �nalisation, 

Audit, MIS, bank facilities, 

credit & collection, 

purchases, etc, 

seeks senior position in 

MNCs, reputed companies, 

immediate joining 

�99283938. 

ARCHITECT, 3 years 

in Oman, experience 

in construction �nishes 

and drawings, �uent 

AutoCAD, Photoshop 

and 3D: �97164803 


on visit visa, 6 months 

experience as Accounts 

Assistant and in Marketing. 

BBA (Bachelor of Business 

Administration) and DIFA 

(Diploma in Indian and 

Foreign Accounting), 

languages known English, 

Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil. 

� 93129142. E-mail: 

cheriyanprince@gmail. 

com 

AUTOCAD Draughtsman, 

Indian male, 25 years 

having 2 years Oman 

experience in MEP 

draughtsmen, seeks for 

placement. Contact: � 

93233427, 99504816. 

BUSINESS Development 

Manager, 16 years 

experience in oil & 

gas, petrochemical, 

environmental, laboratory 

and calibration services. 

Contact: sssbusiness@ 

yahoo.com 

5 YEARS experienced 

Accountant in Oman with 

computer background 

with valid Omani 

driving licence, seeks for 

placement. 

� 96323749, 95194404. 

BE (Electronics & Communication 

Engineer), 

Indian male, 24 yrs experience 

in India, on-going 

MBA, CCNA completed, 

on visit visa, seeks suitable 


�93807203, E-mail: 

thejus2310@gmail.com 

SRI Lankan male, 

currently working in 

Oman, holding diplomas 

in HR and Business 

Management, having 5 

years experience in Gulf 

and 7 years in Sri Lanka in 

HR/Administration/ 

Purchasing/Sales 

Administration, good 

knowledge of IT, seeks 

suitable placement 

�98878815 E-mail: 

domi292003@yahoo.com. 

WELL-quali�ed �nance 

controller with 10 years 

experience in reputable 

manufacturing, contracting 

& trading companies in 

Oman, looking for an 

opportunity, currently in 

Sri Lanka, available to 

join immediately. Please 

contact 0094778560312, 

gunaratnac@gmail.com. 

Local �97195540. 


SENIOR accounting 

professional with 25 

years excellent 

experience looking for a 

senior job immediately. 

Local release available 

�99359254. 


B.Tech, worked as Graduate 

Trainee Engineer at 

In�nite Shipping and 

Engg Pvt Ltd from 2 

August 2011 to 12 April 

2012, knowing Autocad, 

Autodesk inventor, 

Solidworks, MS Of�ce, 

Ansys analysis software, 


frederick_000@yahoo. 

co.in 

INDIAN male, Technical 

Project Manager, B-Tech 

in Electrical and Electronics, 

history of entrepreneurship 

and experience 

with energy 

management projects, 

electrical machines and 

installations, 7 years experience, 

seeks suitable position. 

Contact �98567230, 

99622930, dilu.mohan@ 

gmail.com 

DIPLOMA Civil Engineer, 

Indian male 25, 3.5 years 

experience in civil construction, 

1.5 years Oman 

with Oman driving licence, 


Contact �95989500. 

INDIAN male, 24, System 

Engineer with two years 

experience. �92515049. 


Indian male, 3 years 

worked as bank operation 

of�cer in international 

bank in Bahrain, 7 years 

experience in Middle 

East in leading reputed 

companies as Operation 

Manger/Admin Manager, 

in various departments 

(Audit/�nance/Admin/ 

Accounts/operation). 

Presently working as 

operation and admin 

manager in Oman, seeking 

for suitable position. 

Contact: �98519020. 

E-mail: ptlitson@yahoo. 

com 

INDIAN female, 26, 

B.Tech in Electrical & 

Electronics, 4½ years 

of experience as business 

analyst in telecom 

domain, currently working 

in a leading MNC in 

Bangalore, looking for 

suitable opportunities in 

Muscat, �98567230, 

24593202, E-mail: anjuchan@gmail.com 

BSC, MCA, Indian male, 

2 years experience in IT 

industry, seeks suitable 

position �93883120. 


BBA (degree), DIFA 

(diploma in Indian & 

foreign accounting), 

6 months work experience 

in marketing and as 

accounts assistant, 

on visit visa 

� 93129142. 

BACHELOR of 

Engineering in 

Computer Science with 


multinational company, 

business development, 

SAP & people soft. 

Good knowledge in 

Photoshop, Web design, 

seminar presentations. 

Holding advance 

diploma in human 

resource management, 

presently in Oman. 

E-mail: bd.hbk1983@ 

gmail.com. Contact 

�94200105. 

FINANCE manager, 15 

years + experience (Oman 

& India) in project �nancing 

MIS, management 

accounts, budget costing, 

ERP, project feasibility 

study, business promotion 

etc, seeks immediate 


�92439941 E-mail: 

georaji9@hotmail.com 

INDIAN male, 24, Electronics 

communication 

Engineer. �92515049. 

PROFESSIONAL videographer 

with good editing 

system available for functions 

and events 

�99011423. 

FILIPINO female looking 

for job placement for sales 

and marketing, knows 

Tally, Excel, administration 

job. Contact: 

�93421264. 

MALE, having bachelor 

degree and 5 yrs working 

experience as an of�ce 

assistant, good knowledge 

of MS Of�ce, seeks suitable 

placement in Oman 

�92758192, E-mail: 

asifbhatti_53@hotmail. 

com 

SALES & marketing, experience 

in Gulf, 6 years, 

Indian male, 30 years, 

B Com with valid D/L 

KSA, looking for suitable 

position, on visit visa. 

�92662408. 

UGANDAN Teacher, 

female, Diploma in 

teaching from Kyambogo 

University and HIV and 

Aids counselling certi�cate 

from the Aids support 

organisation. 

Teaching subjects: 

English language, Nutrition, 

Guidance and 

counselling on health 

issues (in health centres 

as HIV and Aids counsellor), 

on visit visa. Contact 

�+968-93824768, 

+256-772881574, E-mail: 

nahyuhannet@yahoo.com 

B.TECH computer engineer 

with good knowledge 

in Java Asp Net C, Oracle 

SQLC++, MS Of�ce, Windows 

& Linux, on visit 

visa, experience as system 

administrator, looking for 

placement in software, 

networking. Contact 

�97638112. 


professional in business 

development of construction 

chemical, water 

proo�ng and coating industry, 

who is well versed 

in UAE & Oman market, 

seeks senior management 

level position in a reputed 

organisation. Contact 

�99420769. 

BE (Mechanical), 24 

years, Indian/ Kerala male, 

on visit, seeks suitable 

placement. Contact: 

�96063076/ 

99012308 Johnson0475@ 

gmail.com 

PURCHASE/procurement/ 

documentation control/ 

logistics/administration, 

expert with more than 

15 years of Gulf and 

India experience in large 

organisation, seeks suitable 

position. Contact: 

Mosin Ahamed �+968- 

96269788 e-mail: mosinahmed@hotmail.com 

INDIAN male, B.Com, 

working as Finance Manager 

(presently since 10 

years in a reputed oil�eld 

company in Oman) with 


�nance & administration 

in Oman, seeks placement. 

Contact �96222366. 

SYED Salman, 24 years, 

BBM purchase/documentationcontrol/administration/accounts 

with 3 years 

experience in India, looking 

for suitable position. : 

� 93751702. 

INDIAN female, MBA 

(Finance & Marketing) 

having 2 years experience 

in India as Accounts Executive, 

looking for suitable 

placement in accounts/ 

teaching profession. Contact: 

�94063726 

MALE, 24 years, Indian, 

MSW holder, specialised 

in Medical and Psychiatry 

with 2 years experience in 

India, currently in Oman, 

seeks opportunities in 

health service industry. 

Brian Benjamin 

�95052079. 

IT manager, Indian male, 

37 years, 14 years experience, 

B.Sc, OCP (Devp), 

OCP (DBA), MCTS, 

CCNA (Prep), experience 

in soft devp/hardware/network, 

EDP management 

�93289652. 

BE instrumentation engineer, 

5 years exp, currently 

associated with Occidental 

Oman project, good exposure 

to DCS, PLC & 

Scada systems, also experience 

in petrochemical 

field, seeks placement with 

oil & gas consultancies & 

petrochemical industries 

�93438200. 

INDIAN male, MSc Physics, 

B.Ed, Mphil, Ph.D 

having more than 32 years 

of experience in teaching, 

presently available on visit 

visa, seeks suitable opportunities 

�95123125. 

ACCOUNTANT, Indian 

male, 27 yrs, MBA �nance 

with 6 yrs of working 

exp (2 yrs in Oman) 

in accounts, �nance & 

purchase, seeks suitable 

placement. Contact: 

�93750815. E-mail: 

sadath9632@gmail.com 

INDIAN male, experience 

in building material/timber/aluminium/ 

water proo�ng, working 

with a reputed organisation, 

seeks suitable 

placement in sales/ 

stores. Contact 

�99879309, 92203891. 


RUWI: 

� 24785668 

Behind Royal Oman 

Police Adjacent to 

Dhofar Building 

Sulaiman Awlad Thani: 

95181747 

Ali al Maashari: 

99639264

FLIGHT LIGHT SSCHEDULE 

CHEDULE 

ARRIVALS LS S — TUESDAY 

S 

Flight No Aircraft From om / Via STA 

WY614 B737-8 Dubai 0005 

WY682 B737-8 Riyadh 0015 

WY648 B737-8 Kuwait 0015 

TK858 B737-8 Istanbul 0130 

BG021 DC10 Dacca-Chittagong 0130 

IX141 B737-8 Amritsar 0140 

PK225 B737-3 Karachi 0200 

QR170 A320 Doha 0315 

EY384 A320 Abu Dhabi 0350 

EK866 B777 Dubai 0355 

FZ041 B737-8 Dubai 0415 

GF560 E190 Bahrain 0425 

MS930 B737-8 Cairo 0500 

WY146 A330-200 Malpensa 0605 

WY122 A330-300 Munich 0630 

WY114 A330-300 Frankfurt 0645 

WY652 E175AR Bahrain 0700 

WY662 E175AR Doha 0700 

FZ043 B737-8 Dubai 0740 

WY132 A330-200 Paris 0745 

WY674 B737-8 Jeddah 0800 

WY202 B737-8 Bombay 0800 

WY914 B737-8 Salalah 0800 

WY632 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 0800 

WY602 B737-8 Dubai 0825 

WY326 B737-8 Islamabad 0900 

WY322 B737-8 Karachi 0900 

WY102 A330-300 London Heathrow 0900 

WY262 B737-8 Lucknow 0920 

EK862 B777 Dubai 0930 

QR166 A321 Doha 0950 

G9113 A320 Sharjah 0955 


PK191 ATR42 Gwadur 1045 

9W530 B737-8 Trivandrum 1045 

WY3302 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1045 

IX549 B737-8 Trivandrum 1050 

WY604 E175AR Dubai 1100 

WY916 E175AR Salalah 1200 

WY314 B737-8 Chittagong 1210 


IX337 B737-8 Calicut 1255 

WY918 ATR42 Khasab 1315 

WY606 B737-8 Dubai 1330 

WY924 A330-300 Salalah 1410 

IX815 B737-8 Mangalore 1425 


FZ045 B737-8 Dubai 1545 

RJ602 ERJ175 Amman 1545 

WY664 E175AR Doha 1615 

WY328 B737-8 Lahore 1640 



WY204 B737-8 Bombay 1655 

WY244 B737-8 Delhi 1710 

WY298 B737-8 Calicut 1750 

WY284 B737-8 Bangalore 1800 

WY216 B737-8 Trivandrum 1805 

GF564 A319 Bahrain 1810 

WY236 B737-8 Hyderabad 1835 


SV534 EMB170 Riyadh 1900 

TG507 A330 Bangkok-Karachi 1900 

G9117 A320 Sharjah 1905 

WY926 B737-8 Salalah 1945 

FZ047 B737-8 Dubai 2020 


WY338 B737-8 Kathmandu 2100 

AI973 A320 Delhi 2125 

BA073 B777 London Heathrow-Abu Dhabi 2130 


WY926 B737-8 Salalah 2155 

AI907 A319 Madras 2200 

WY406 B737-8 Cairo 2215 

WY381 A330-300 Male-Colombo 2215 

LH618 A330 Frankfurt-Abu Dhabi 2225 


QR168 A320 Doha 2235 

LX242 A330 Zurich-Dubai 2235 

GF566 B737-7 Bahrain 2250 

WY228 B737-8 Cochin 2250 

WY624 ATR42 Al Ain 2305 

WY656 B737-8 Bahrain 2305 

WY668 B737-7 Doha 2310 

WY928 B737-8 Salalah 2310 

AI985 A321 Ahmedabad-Bombay 2310 

WY672 A330-300 Jeddah 2315 


WY686 B737-8 Dammam 2320 

9W534 B737-8 Cochin 2330 

WY816 A330-200 Bangkok 2335 

9W540 B737-8 Bombay 2340 

WY258 B737-8 Madras 2340 

QUOTATIONS FOR TODAY 

You must not lose faith in 

humanity. Humanity is an ocean; 

if a few drops of the ocean are 

dirty, the ocean does not become 

dirty. 

— Mohandas Gandhi 

CINEMA 

FILM INFORMATION 

www.citycinemaoman.net 

AL BAHJA CINEMA: 

24540856, 24540855. 

AL NASR CINEMA: 

24831358, 24831809 (after 3pm) 

AL SHATTI PLAZA: 

24607360, 24692656 (after 2pm) 

STARS CINEMA: 

24791641, 24792360 

MAJLIS A’SHURA 

ADDRESSES 

Keep in touch with Majlis Ash’shura’s 

news. 

Log on to the Majlis’s website: 

www.shura.om 

and the Majlis’s 

e-mail: info@shura.om 

Or write to the Majlis’s postal address: 

P O Box 981 

Postal Code 111, Muscat 

Tel: 24510344 / 24521427/ 

Fax 24510560 

INFORMATION 

MINISTRY WEBSITES 

Ministry: www.omanet.om 

Oman TV: 

www.oman-tv.gov.om 

Oman Radio: 

www.oman-radio.gov.om 

Omani Centre for Traditional Music: 

www.octm-folk.gov.om 

OMAN RADIO 

06.00 am Opening, Royal Anthem, The Holy Quran, 

Preview of Morning Programme, Weather Forecast, 

Pharmacies on Duty; 06.15 Good Morning Oman; 

07.00 News Bulletin; 07.10 Good Morning Oman 

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

11.00 Instrumental Music; 11.30 Light Classical 

Music; 12.00 News Headlines; 12.02 Artist of the 

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

News Bulletin; 02.40 Behind The Wheel (Laxmi); 

04.00 News Headlines; 04.02 Moments in Music 

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

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

08.00 News Headlines; 08.02 Night Express 

(Madiha); 10.00 News Bulletin; 10.10 Latino Beat 

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

Masruri); 12.40 News Summary; 12.45 The Holy 

Quran; 01.00 National Anthem, Close Down. 

DEPARTURES 

DEPARTURESS 

Flight No Aircraft To / Via STD 

BA072 B777 Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow 0001 

AI986 A321 Bombay-Ahmedabad 0005 


9W539 B737-8 Bombay 0045 

KQ318 B737-8 Nairobi 0050 

WY601 B737-8 Dubai 0115 


WY261 B737-8 Lucknow 0125 

WY201 B737-8 Bombay 0130 

9W529 B737-8 Trivandrum 0130 

WY661 E175AR Doha 0130 


WY313 B737-8 Chittagong 0200 

WY325 B737-8 Islamabad 0220 

TK859 B737-8 Istanbul 0220 

WY321 B737-8 Karachi 0220 

IX816 B737-8 Abu Dhabi-Mangalore 0220 

PK226 B737-3 Karachi 0300 

BG022 DC10 Chittagong-Dacca 0300 

EK867 B777 Dubai 0500 

FZ042 B737-8 Dubai 0500 


QR171 A320 Doha 0550 

MS931 B737-8 Cairo 0600 



WY915 E175AR Salalah 0800 


FZ044 B737-8 Dubai 0820 

WY243 B737-8 Delhi 1000 

WY717 B737-8 Zanzibar-Dar-es-Salaam 1000 

WY327 B737-8 Lahore 1000 

WY825 A330-200 Kuala Lumpur 1000 

WY923 A330-300 Salalah 1005 

WY297 B737-8 Calicut 1005 

WY215 B737-8 Trivandrum 1010 

WY815 A330-200 Bangkok 1010 

WY917 ATR42 Khasab 1030 

WY605 B737-8 Dubai 1030 

WY381 A330-300 Male-Colombo 1030 

G9114 A320 Sharjah 1035 

WY203 B737-8 Bombay 1040 

EK863 B777 Dubai 1045 


QR167 A321 Doha 1055 


WY235 B737-8 Hyderabad 1115 

PK192 ATR42 Gwadur-Turbat 1130 

9W533 B737-8 Cochin 1145 

IX554 B737-8 Cochin-Trivandrum 1150 

WY337 B737-8 Kathmandu 1155 

WY663 E175AR Doha 1215 


WY405 B737-8 Cairo 1310 



IX350 B737-8 Calicut 1355 

WY101 A330-300 London Heathrow 1400 

WY227 B737-8 Cochin 1445 


IX142 B737-8 Abu Dhabi-Amritsar 1515 

WY671 A330-300 Jeddah 1540 

WY257 B737-8 Madras 1545 

FZ046 B737-8 Dubai 1630 

RJ603 ERJ175 Amman 1630 


WY925 B737-8 Salalah 1750 


GF565 A319 Bahrain 1855 

WY685 B737-8 Dammam 1905 

WY647 B737-8 Kuwait 1905 

WY927 B737-8 Salalah 1905 

WY681 B737-8 Riyadh 1910 

WY667 B737-7 Doha 1910 

WY655 B737-8 Bahrain 1915 

G9118 A320 Sharjah 1945 

SV535 EMB170 Riyadh 2000 

TG508 A330 Karachi-Bangkok 2005 

WY623 ATR42 Al Ain 2015 

WY613 B737-8 Dubai 2045 

FZ048 B737-8 Dubai 2105 

WY635 E175AR Abu Dhabi 2105 

WY913 B737-8 Salalah 2245 

AI908 A319 Madras 2300 

AI974 A320 Delhi 2310 


LX243 A330 Dubai-Zurich 2335 

QR169 A320 Doha 2335 

GF567 B737-7 Bahrain 2345 

LH619 A330 Abu Dhabi-Frankfurt 2345 

16 

INFORMATION/LEISURE TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 

PHARMACIES 

PHARM 

24-HOUR SERVICE 

Al Hashar ph, Ruwi 24783334 

Muscat ph, Ruwi, 24702542 

Al Sarooj, 24695536 

Scientific ph, Qurum, 24566601 

Ruwi, 24702850 

DAY DUTY 

Muscat Lulu 24818263 

Ibn Sina 24597942 

Scientific 24423684 

Belqees 24540703 

Sur Aukadh 25540643 

Buraimi Al Zayana 25694458 

Ibri Al Hekma 25688177 

Nizwa Lulu 25447721 

Salalah Muscat 23291635 

NIGHT DUTY 

Muscat Apollo 24787766 

Atlas 24503585 

Muscat 24421691 

Muscat 24537080 

Sur Bin Saleem 

25543770 

Buraimi Naseem 25653070 

Ibri Muscat 25689025 

Rustaq Bader al Jashmi 

25876523 

Barka Badr al Samaa 

26884910 

Nizwa Qalaa 25431666 

Samayil Belqees 25352186 

Salalah Dofar International 

23288101 

KHOULA HOSPITAL VISITING HOURS 

Private & Other Wards 

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

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

ICU 

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

Holidays: 16:00-17:00 

Special Care Baby Unit 

Working Days: Parents may visit at any time. 

Weekends & Public Holidays: Parents may visit 

at any time 

CROSSWORD 

CRYPTIC PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

4 Bad start to a game, being 

drunk (6) 

7 A mere bagatelle that 

seems somehow drinkable! 

(3,5) 

8 Sex, it seems, makes a senior 

officer turn red (6) 

10 Is she the one for a 

Frenchman? (5) 

13 Join up for a singular 

course (4) 

14 Bound to upset us again 

(4) 

15 Report from a suburban 

garden (4) 

16 We get a headpiece that’s 

maybe too small (3) 

17 Left uncle out — what a 

blow! (4) 

19 Australasian word of regret 

(4) 

21 They prevent young attendants 

from continuing (9) 

23 Just for the record, a police 

inspector’s cool head (4) 11 Manage to get a French 33 Herb is a wise old fellow 

24 It can’t fly, and may hear one at the air terminal (3) (4) 

amiss (4) 

26 Can you play it with your 

eyes shut? (3) 

27 District where there’s a 

reason to be childless? (4) 

29 A double-dealing game (4) 

32 Perform quiet, lazy pieces 

(4) 

33 A name in fashion? (5) 

34 Ominously devilish fellow 

in movies (6) 

35 To overindulge us with 

love would be lovely 

indeed! (8) 

36 It’s hard to cut a key (6) 

DOWN 

1 It consumes juice and may 

take a sip out of the hogshead 

(5) 

2 The heat in a strange room 

(5) 

3 Accept the proceeds (4) 

4 Being wrong, it’s the first 

thing to do (5) 

5 Goose’s reply to what the 

pig said? (4) 

12 Comfortable accommodation 

for some honest souls 

(5) 

13 Just the creature to wallop 

its victim? (7) 

15 Soft, edible part of a crab 

apple (3) 

16 Lived in the western part 

of Asia (3) 

18 Where something happened 

to a pub at Mile End 

(6) 

20 Smallest in a large way! 

(5) 

21 Yes, an apple core is not 

greatly refreshing (3) 

22 Exclamation by a lieutenant 

coming to a halt? (3) 

23 Many a game spoilt by 

injury (6) 

25 Being a good mate, will 

wash up (3) 

28 As far as a cowboy can 

ride? (5) 

30 One of a pair only changed 

at one point (5) 

EASY PUZZLE 

ACROSS 

4 Grips (6) 

7 In the open air (8) 

8 Small restaurant (6) 

10 Era (5) 

13 Facility (4) 

14 Ceremony (4) 

15 Rolls of banknotes (4) 

16 Supporter (3) 

17 Ruminant mammal (4) 

19 American state (4) 

21 French cheese (9) 

23 Cutting remark (4) 

24 Assistant (4) 

26 Hiatus (3) 

27 Nobleman (4) 

29 Unfortunately (4) 

32 Summit (4) 

33 Gaze (5) 

34 Besoms (6) 

35 Examines closely (8) 

36 Explosions (6) 

DOWN 

6 Subjects he’s met going 31 Dietary contribution to soft 1 Highland games log (5) 

around (6) 

comfort? (5) 

2 Astir (5) 

9 Hire someone to join in 32 Do you long for such fur- 3 Net (4) 

conversation? (6) 

niture? (4) 

4 Putrefy (2,3) 

GEMINI 

(May 21-June 21) 

Be wary of forming a binding 

association with a person 

born under Sagitarius, who could 

at times be quite domineering and 

could weaken y our self respect. 

CANCER 

(June 22-July 21) 

It would be a mistake to 

confine your opinions to 

those people who share your critical 

views. It is always wise to know what 

the other person is thinking. 

LEO 

(July 22-August 21) 

You have relied far too long 

on old established methods 

and you will get better results if you 

make up your mind to go with the times 

and adapt yourself to modern ways. 

VIRGO 

(August 22-Sept 22) 

A change in your working 

hours may make it easier 

for you to join an evening class. If you 

can find the right subject take it up immediately. 

� YOUR STARS � 

LIBRA 

(September 23 - 

October 22) 

Keep your temper today 

when facing of�cialdom. It is best initially 

to try to get your way by reasonable 

behaviour and only use bad temper 

as a last resort. 

SCORPIO 

(October 23- 

November 21) 

Put a break on a sudden 

imp8ulse to go and spend a lot of money 

on a trifle just in order to impress a 

person of no importance to you. 

SAGITTARIUS 

(November 22- 

December 21) 

Whilst you are always ready 

to help people out of a tight corner you 

should not be expected to pay for their 

indiscretions. 

CAPRICORN 

(December 22- 

January 20) 

Although you do not relish 

being in the presence of a sick person, 

you ought to try to bring the patient 

some cheer by an occasional visit. 

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

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

Health Services Department 

Muttrah . . . . . .24797602 

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

SQH, Salalah .23211555 . . . .23211151 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Church recess (4) 

6 Social outcast (6) 

9 Gave out (6) 

11 Mine (3) 

12 Tree (5) 

13 Set aside (7) 

15 Very small (3) 

16 Not thin (3) 

18 Symbol (6) 

20 Deal with (5) 

21 Head covering (3) 

22 Offer (3) 

23 Cask (6) 

25 Conflict (3) 

28 Fertile spot (5) 

30 Jousting weapon (5) 

31 Perceive (5) 

32 Seedcases (4) 

33 Drinks gingerly (4) 

YESTERDAY’S CRYPTIC 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 1, Muscat 7, Head 

girl 8, GI-GI 10, Thames 11, 

Misses 14, P-et 16, SE-Ems 

17, Rosa(-lie) 19, Pilot 21, Mil-an 

22, Boned 23, Barb 26, 

Train 28, Par 29, Ran-do-M 

30, Better 31, Oats 32, Spell 

out 33, Harrow. 

DOWN: 1, M-aster 2, Crimea 

3, This 4, Addison(‘s) 5, 

Rinse 6, G-lass 8, Ga-p-s 9, 

Get 12, Set 13, Ember 15, 

Miles 18, Op.-era 19, PIN 20, 

L-ad 21, Monocle 22, Bid 23, 

Batter 24, Art’s 25, Barrow 26, 

T-rash 27, Anne-X 28, Pea 30, 

Both. 

YESTERDAY’S EASY 

SOLUTIONS 

ACROSS: 1. Heroes; 7. Adelaide; 

8. Zest; 10. Avenue; 

11. Potato; 14. Tee; 16. Honey; 

17. Dear; 19. Mason; 21. Petal; 

22. Fated; 23. Gasp; 26. Sitar; 

28. Nab; 29. Hearse; 30. 

Tenure; 31. Rent; 32. Marriage; 

33. Either. 

DOWN: 1. Herald; 2. Opener; 

3. Sate; 4. Alcohol; 5. Divan; 

6. Decoy; 8. Zeta; 9. Sue; 

12. Ton; 13. Temps; 15. Dated; 

18. Eerie; 19. Met; 20. Sad; 

21. Parsnip; 22. Far; 23. Gannet; 

24. Abut; 25. Prefer; 26. 

Shame; 27. Tarry; 28. NŽe; 

30. Tree. 

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: This year may present you with problems concerning your future. You may be 

tempted to embark on a completely new career, at the suggestion of a persuasive colleague, but before making any 

decision you would do well to consult an older person with business experience in this field. 

AQUARIUS 

(January 21- 

February 19) 

Don’t hesitate to show the 

people who matter what you are capable 

of accomplishing, even at the risk 

of antagonising some of your colleagues. 

PISCES 

(February 20-March 20) 

Your faith in human nature 

may be temporarily shaken 

by the inexplicable behaviour of a person 

you thought you knew well. 

ARIES 

(March 21-April 20) 

Curb your outbursts of temper 

and don’t be vindictive 

even under extreme provocation. You 

would only upset yourself more than 

those who brought it about. 

TAURUS 

(April 21-May 20) 

When faced with a problem 

of interpreting 

instructions, which seem too 

vague to be really useful your own 

experience and skills come to the 

rescue. 

OTHER HOSPITALS 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sinaw . . . . . . .25474338 

ACROSS 

1 Aperture (4) 

4 Decay (3) 

6 Tower (4) 

9 Sphere (3) 

10 Told (8) 

11 Guide (4) 

14 Bone (3) 

16 Appended (5) 

19 Got (8) 

21 Danger (5) 

23 Abandoned (8) 

24 Late (5) 

27 Beverage (3) 

31 Idiot (4) 

33 Shy (8) 

34 Nothing (3) 

35 Hideous (4) 

36 Frenzied (3) 

37 Harbour (4) 

DOWN 

2 Join (4) 

3 Implement (4) 

4 Left (8) 

5 Neat (4) 

6 Compact (5) 

FAISAL BIN ALI AL SAID MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24641650 

MUSEUM OF OMANI HERITAGE, 

Tel: 24600946 

CHILDREN’S SCIENCE MUSEUM. 

Tel: 24605368 

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24641374 

NATIONAL MUSEUM, Tel: 24701289 

SULTAN’S ARMED FORCES 

MUSEUM, Tel: 24312646 

CURRENCY MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24796102 

MUSCAT GATE MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24739005. 

OMANI-FRENCH MUSEUM (Bait 

Fransa), Tel: 24736613 

BAIT AL ZUBAIR, Tel: 24736688 

BAIT A’NAMAN, Tel: 24641300 

SOHAR FORT MUSEUM. 

Tel: 26844758 

NAHKAL FORT, Tel: 26781384 

BAIT AL MAKHAM. Tel: 24641300 

BAIT ADAM MUSEUM, QURUM, 

Tel: 24605033, 24605013 

OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION 

CENTRE AND PLANE-TARIUM, 

Tel: 24677834. 

PLANETARIUM, Tel: 24675542. 

AQUARIUM at the Marine Science 

and Fisheries Centre (located next to 

Marina Bandar Rowdha, Sidab). 

SALALAH MUSEUM, Tel: 23294549 

CULTURAL CENTRE, Tel: 23294549. 

SUR MARITIME MUSEUM, 

Tel: 24541466. 

BAIT AL BARANDA, Tel: 24714262. 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

7 Mineral (3) 

8 Diminish (5) 

12 Woo (5) 

13 Ox (5) 

14 Tear (3) 

15 Cap (5) 

17 Soiled (5) 

M USEUMS IN OMAN 

18 Shabby (5) 

20 Sick (8) 

22 Meadow (3) 

25 Between (5) 

26 Loiter (5) 

28 Forbidding (4) 

29 Grasp (4) 

CARTOONS 

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 

EMERGENCY 9 9 9 9 

DG of Passports & Residency, 24569603 

DG of Customs, 24714626 

Traffic offences, 24510227/228 

ROP Public Relations, 24569270 

Consumer Complaints Cell, 24817013 

Muscat Governorate Headquarters, 24560021 

Muscat, 24736611 

Wattayah, 24677990 

Ruwi, 24701099 

Muttrah, 24712211 

Bausher, 24600099 

Al Amerat, 24875999 

Qurayat, 24845555 

A’Seeb, 24420099 

Al-Athaiba, 24521099 

AI-Khodh, 24425012 

Directorate of the University Security, 24513999 

Directorate of Traffic Muscat, 24567898 

Al Batinah Headquarters, 26840096 

Al Rustaq Division, 26875099 

Al Dakhiliyah, 25425099 

Nizwa Division, 25425099 

Samayil Division, 25350099 

Al Sharqiyah Headquarters, 25545070 

Ibra Division, 25570100 

Al Dhahirah Headquarters, 25650099 

Al Buraimi Division, 25650199 

Ibri Division, 25689099 

Al Wusta Headquarters, 23436099 

Haima Division, 23436211 

Special Task Force, 24560088 

Coastguard Headquarters, 24714888 

Dhofar Governorate Headquarters, 23234599 

Salalah Police Station, 23290099 

Thamrait Division, 23279099 

Musandam Governorate Headquarters, 

26730299 

Khasab Division, 26731502 

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

net and 

e-mail: ropnet@omantel.net.om 

30 Ale (4) 

32 Lubricate (3) 

YESTERDAY’S 

QUICK SOLUTION 

ACROSS: 1, Effort 

5, Aspect 8, Pretence 

9, Amen 10, Rep 12, 

Dread 15, Sly 17, Air 

18, Ash 19, Van 20, 

Erupt 21, Era 22, Sea 

23, Eye 24, Ray 26, 

Muted 29, Ton 33, Stir 

34, Identify 35, Accede 

36, Thwart. 

DOWN: 2, Forge 3, 

Oath 4, Tenor 5, Arena 

6, Plan 7, Creel 10, 

Rover 11, Pansy 12, 

Dream 13, Exult 14, 

Dated 15, Sheet 16, 

Yearn 25, Attic 27, 

Unite 28, Elect 30, Offer 

31, Free 32, Stow. 

ADAM @ HOME by Brian Basset 

CALVIN AND HOBBES by Bill Watterson 

GARFIELD by Jim Davis 

STONE SOUP by Jan Eliot

SAN FRANCISCO — American 

Webb Simpson clinched 

his first major title with a 

nerve-jangling one-shot 

victory at the 112th US Open 

on Sunday after overhauling 

overnight leaders Jim Furyk 

and Graeme McDowell. 

The 26-year-old Simpson, 

who triumphed twice on the 

PGA Tour last year, charged 

into contention with four 

birdies in five holes around 

the turn on the way to a twounder-par 

68. 

On a foggy afternoon at 

the brutally difficult Olympic 

Club, Simpson coolly parred 

his last eight holes to finish 

at one-over 281 as the other 

main contenders faded over 

the closing stretch. 

“It was pretty nerve 

wracking,” Simpson told NBC 

television. “I knew it was a 

tough golf course. 

“I had to go out and do as 

well as I could. I probably 

prayed more the last three 

holes than I’ve ever done in 

my life. It helped me stay calm 

and get in with two under.” 

Simpson, who got up and 

down from greenside rough 

to save par at the last, became 

the ninth consecutive 

first-time winner of a major, 

and the 15th different player 

in succession to claim one of 

golf’s blue riband events. 

Northern Irishman Mc- 

Dowell, US Open champion 

at Pebble Beach two years ago, 

closed with a six-bogey 73 to 

finish joint second with little 

known American Michael 

Thompson (67). 

As Simpson and his wife 

Dowd watched on television, 

McDowell had a chance to 

force a play-off with a downhill 

birdie putt from 25 feet 

at the par-four last but his attempt 

slid past the left edge of 

the cup. 

“I thought even though 

Graeme had a 25-footer, it 

was probably going to hit the 

hole or have a good chance,” 

Simpson said after being presented 

with the glittering US 

Open trophy. 

“I couldn’t be happier right 

now. Congrats to Graeme and 

Michael for playing great 

golf.” McDowell rued a final 

round in which he hit only 

three fairways out of 14 off 

the tee. 

“There’s a mixture of emotions 

inside me right now, disappointment, 

deflation, pride 

but mostly just frustration,” 

the 32-year-old said. 

“That’s the US Open. 

You’re supposed to hit it in 

17 SPORT 



Simpson wins US Open for first Major title 

WEBB Simpson hits from a sand trap to the 17th green during the final round at the US Open. INSET: Simpson holds the Championship Trophy. — Reuters 

Aiming for 

more wins on 

Croft return 

MUSCAT — Oman Air 

Racing Team driver Ahmad 

al Harthy arrives at Croft in 

North Yorkshire this weekend, 

aiming to continue his 

unbroken run of Pro-Am 

1 podium finishes and to 

also add to his tally of 

four class wins during 

rounds nine and 10 of the 

Porsche Carrera Cup GB 

Championship. 

Going into the fifth event 

of the campaign, which will 

signal the end of the first half 

of the season, the Muscat 

racer holds a 32-point lead 

at the top of the Pro-Am 1 

standings and is determined 

to try, at the very least, to 

maintain that gap. 

At Oulton Park Island 

Circuit just over a week 

ago, 30-year-old Ahmad 

produced one of the drives 

of the season in round eight 

to keep his 100 per cent 

podium record for 2012 intact 

with a sensational performance 

from the back of 

the grid. 

Carving his way through 

the order from last place — 

as a result of choosing to 

run new tyres rather than 

his original allocation which 

were damaged in qualifying 

— he scorched through the 

field to end the encounter 

a mere 0.1 seconds shy of 

his fifth Pro-Am 1 victory 

of the year. Earlier in the 

day, Ahmad was third in 

class from fourth on the 

grid. 

“After the way qualifying 

went for us at Oulton we 

weren’t sure if we’d be on 

the podium”, said the Oman 

Air Oman Ministry of Sports 

Affairs, Oman Ministry of 

Tourism, Nawras, National 

Bank of Oman and Muscat 

Eye Laser Centre-supported 

driver, “So to keep the run 

of podiums going, and to 

even increase our lead in the 

championship, was beyond 

what we thought would be 

possible. 

some fairways. And that was 

the key today really for me.” 

Furyk, US Open champion 

in 2003, briefly moved two 

strokes clear and was tied for 

the lead with three holes to 

play but bogeyed 16 and 18 

for a 74 and a five-way share 

of fourth place at three over. 

The 42-year-old failed to 

record a single birdie in the 

final round as he finished 

level with compatriots David 

Toms (68), Jason Dufner (70) 

and John Peterson (70), and 

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington 

(68). 

Furyk struggled to sum up 

his feelings after the disap- 

‘Wallabies starting to believe in themselves’ 

SYDNEY — The Wallabies 

are starting to believe in themselves 

after their last-gasp 

win over Wales at the weekend 

clinched the Test series, 

Australian pundits and newspapers 

said yesterday in mixed 

reactions. 

Mike Harris kicked a penalty 

under huge pressure af- 

MUSCAT — Kenneth Vaz, 

Armaan Sattikar and Shounak 

Kelkar hogged the limelight 

on the concluding day of the 

second quarterly junior table 

tennis tournament organised 

by the Indian Social Club 

Muscat sponsored by New 

Makha Enterprises. 

Kenneth Vaz captured the 

boys’ under-16 singles title, 

Armaan Sattikar put in a sterling 

act to win the boys’ under-14 

title and little Shounak 

Kelkar, winner of the under-10 

title went on to win the boys’ 

under-12 singles to bad a dou- 

ter the full-time siren to give 

the Wallabies a 25-23 win in 

Melbourne Saturday to deny 

shattered Wales their first win 

in Australia for 43 years, and 

secure the three-match series. 

Just weeks after lambasting 

the Wallabies following their 

inept 9-6 loss to Six-Nations 

wooden-spooners Scotland, 

ble crown. Armaan played 

like a man possessed and attacked 

on all cylinders and put 

in a splendid game to win the 

boys’ under-14 singles title. 

In the best-of-seven-games 

final, Armaan defeated fancied 

Kenneth Vaz11-4, 7-11, 11-9, 

11-7, 11-7 victory to become 

the new under-14 champ. 

Shounak Kelkar put in a 

mature display to defeat Yash 

Tanna to win the boys’ under- 

12 singles to bag a double 

crown. Shounak, the under- 

10 champ, rallied from a 

game down and played fluent 

the Aussie press hailed the 

national team for “slowly 

but surely winning the tight 

ones”. 

“As coach Robbie Deans 

realises, it is only when they 

do that regularly can they properly 

push for the number one 

international rugby ranking,” 

The Sydney Morning Herald’s 

Kenneth, Armaan and Shounak lift titles 

forehand drives and smashes 

to emerge winner with a fine 

8-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-8, 12-10 

verdict. 

Yash had his chances but 

paid dearly for hasty shots 

against a player who was 

played with more maturity. 

Kenneth Vaz shrugged off 

his loss in the under-14 final to 

score a hard-fought 11-8, 11-8, 

12-10, 12-10 over Avinash 

Mukund to claim the boys’ 

under-16 title. 

Kenneth and Avinash 

played brilliant attacking 

table tennis but 

WINNERS of the junior table tennis tournament along with officials. 

Greg Growden wrote. 

“In recent times, the 

Wallabies were guilty of falling 

away late in Tests, but 

the past two internationals 

against Wales have shown 

they have the will to play to 

the last second and finish on 

top — even if by the tiniest of 

margins. — AFP 

the more consistent Kenneth 

held the edge throughout. 

Avinash held game point 

in the third game which he 

failed to convert and kept up 

the fight before going down 

fighting. 

Jyothsna Rao won the 

girls’ under-16 singles title after 

winning all her matches in 

the round-robin league. 

Rhea Bhatia was runner-up 

with one loss, to Jyothsna. 

Viren Tanna of sponsors 

New Makha Enterprises distributed 

medals to the winners 

and runners-up. 

pointing final round. 

“I don’t know how to 

put that one into words, but 

I had my opportunities and 

my chances and it was right 

there. 

“On that back nine, it was 

my tournament to win. I felt 

like if I had shot even par, one 

under, I would have distanced 

myself from the field. And I 

wasn’t able to do so. I played 

quite well, actually until the 

last three holes.” 

Three-times champion Tiger 

Woods, aiming to end a 

four-year major title drought, 

never recovered from a bogey, 

bogey, double-bogey start and 

tied for 21st at seven over after 

returning a 73. 

“I felt great on the greens, 

had the perfect speed all day 

and unfortunately just got off 

to such an awful start,” Woods 

said. “I tried coming in, but I 

was too far out. 

“But overall, the way I 

struck the golf ball, the way I 

controlled it all week is something 

that’s very positive going 

forward.” 

The hilly Lake Course at 

Olympic posed all sorts of 

problems for the players, especially 

with its first six holes 

which Woods has described as 

the hardest start to any tournament. 

However, organisers 

moved up some tee positions 

to create scoring opportunities 

in the final round and the 

fans were treated to some exhilarating 

shot-making, along 

with the relentless grind for 

pars so typical at a US Open. 

One of the biggest roars 

of the day came when twice 

former champion Ernie Els 

rolled in a curling 20-foot eagle 

putt at the driveable parfour 

seventh to move into a tie 

for second. 

But the smooth-swinging 

South African bogeyed the 

next two holes to derail his 

title bid. 

British world No 3 Lee 

Westwood began the day three 

strokes off the pace but never 

recovered from a double-bogey 

at the fifth where he lost 

his ball after his tee shot sailed 

right into trees and never came 

down. — Reuters 

Dodgers 

edge past 

White Sox 

NEW YORK — Dee Gordon 

erased a ninth-inning mistake 

with a game-winning hit to 

give the Los Angeles Dodgers 

a 2-1 comeback win over 

the Chicago White Sox in 10 

innings in the Major League 

Baseball on Sunday. 

The Dodgers were trailing 

1-0 in the ninth when 

Gordon failed to lay down a 

sacrifice bunt and was called 

out for bunting a foul ball 

with two strikes. 

The Dodgers still rallied 

to tie the game and send 

it to extra innings on Juan 

Rivera’s sacrifice-fly, however, 

and Gordon delivered 

the walk-off RBI single 

after Tony Gwynn’s one-out 

triple. 

The Major Leagueleading 

Dodgers (42-25) 

scratched out the victory in 

a tough home series against 

the White Sox (35-31) with 

two wins in a trio of one-run 

finishes. 

Starting pitcher Chris 

Capuano struck out 12 batters 

and allowed one run in 

eight innings in a duel with 

Chicago rookie Jose Quintana, 

who tossed eight scoreless 

innings. 

Dodgers reliever Ronald 

Belisario worked the 

ninth and 10th to get the 

well-deserved win. 

Results: Pittsburgh Pirates 

bt Cleveland Indians 9-5, Detroit 

Tigers bt Colorado Rockies 

5-0, Toronto Blue Jays bt 

Philadelphia Phillies 6-2, Cincinnati 

Reds bt NY Mets 3-1, Baltimore 

Orioles bt Atlanta Braves 

2-0, NY Yankees bt Washington 

Nationals 4-1, Tampa Bay Rays 

bt Miami Marlins 3-0, Minnesota 

Twins bt Milwaukee Brewers 

5-4, Kansas City Royals bt 

St Louis Cardinals 5-3, Texas 

Rangers bt Houston Astros 

9-3, LA Angels bt Arizona Diamondbacks 

2-0, San Diego Padres 

bt Oakland Athletics 2-1, 

Seattle Mariners bt San Francisco 

Giants 2-1, LA Dodgers bt 

Chicago White Sox 2-1, Boston 

Red Sox bt Chicago Cubs 7-4. 

— Reuters 

Tiger tries to look 

on bright side 

SAN FRANCISCO — Tiger 

Woods tried to look on the 

bright side on Sunday, despite 

a final-round 73 that left 

him well out of the running 

at the US Open and without a 

major championship victory 

since 2008. 

“There’s a lot of positives 

this week,” insisted 

Woods, who started the day 

five shots off the lead and 

saw any hopes of making a 

charge unravel when he was 

six-over through the first six 

holes at The Olympic Club. 

At least his tie for 21st, on 

seven-over 287 and six shots 

behind winner Webb Simpson, 

was better than his equal 

40th finish at the Masters 

in April. 

“Overall, the way I struck 

the golf ball, the way I controlled 

it all week is something 

that’s very positive 

going forward. 

“If I just would have just 

hung in there little bit better 

yesterday and missed it 

on the correct side a couple 

times then I would have been 

in a better position going into 

today.” 

Woods looked confident 

and in control on Thursday 

and Friday as he seized a 

share of the 36-hole lead 

and raised expectations that 

he could rekindle his pursuit 

of Jack Nicklaus’s all-time 

record of 18 major championships. 

He played the two weekend 

rounds at eight over par, 

saying it wasn’t so much the 

big misses but the fickleness 

of Olympic’s slanting fairways 

and greens that cost 

him. “I was just a fraction off 

just a couple yards here and 

there and that’s all it takes,” 

said Woods, who also said 

he had trouble gauging the 

speed of the greens. “I had 

so many balls that landed in 

the fairway that went into 

MIAMI — Miami Heat’s 

dominance from the freethrow 

line proved strong 

enough to quell the Oklahoma 

City Thunder in a fierce 

fourth-quarter battle as the 

Heat claimed a 91-85 Game 

Three victory on Sunday and 

a 2-1 series lead in the NBA 

Finals. 

The Heat outscored the Thunder 

31-15 from the line, making 

all but four of their attempts 

as they cashed in on 

opportunities won with their 

relentless attacks on the rim, 

while Oklahoma City made 

just 15-of-24 from the charity 

stripe. 

“This is competition at 

its highest,” Heat coach Erik 

Spoelstra told reporters. “We 

kept on mentioning that in the 

fourth quarter. That’s what 

this is about. We’re facing 

the rough.” Woods opened 

with a bogey at the par-four 

first hole, bogeyed the second 

then missed the green 

en route to a double-bogey at 

the par-three third. 

A par at the fourth was but 

a brief respite before bogeys 

at the fifth and sixth. 

By the time he rolled in 

the first of his three birdies 

of the day, at the par-three 

eighth, Woods could only 

wave his hand dismissively 

— his demeanour as gray as 

the thin fog drifting across 

the course from the Pacific 

Ocean. 

Woods’s 2008 triumph 

over Rocco Mediate in a 

US Open play-off at Torrey 

Pines was the last of his 14 

major titles. Since then he 

has been slowed by injury, 

scandal and the re-modelling 

of his swing. 

Two US PGA Tour victories 

this season, at Bay Hill 

and Memorial, had bolstered 

expectations, and Woods said 

that despite his difficulties 

the swing changes he has implemented 

with coach Sean 

Foley stood up well to the 

pressure of the US Open. 

“I’m excited about the 

consistency of it,” Woods 

said. “How well I hit the ball 

all week, really. I didn’t really 

miss it that badly this 

week.” — AFP 

Heat edge ahead 

of Thunder 

KEVIN Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action 

against Chris Bosh (right) of the Miami Heat. — AFP 

great competition. We showed 

some resolve there in the second 

half.” LeBron James, 

who led the scoring with 29 

bruising points, drained one 

of his two free throws with 

16.2 seconds on the clock to 

give Miami a four-point lead. 

After Oklahoma City defensive 

wizard Thabo Sefolosha 

threw away an inbounds 

pass, Dwyane Wade sank 

two more free throws to cap 

the victory. “That was a very 

intense play-off game,” Thunder 

coach Scott Brooks said. 

“They made some plays down 

the stretch and we didn’t. 

“We led the league in freethrow 

shooting percentage, 

but we missed some tonight,” 

he added. 

Game Four of the championship 

series will be played 

today. — Reuters

England add Woakes as 

Windies lose Bravo 

LONDON — England added 

Warwickshire paceman Chris 

Woakes to their squad yesterday 

for the two one-day internationals 

(ODIs) against the 

West Indies. 

Woakes was called up into 

the squad in case, a statement 

said, Jade Dernbach was 

unavailable for the remaining 

fixtures on "compassionate 

grounds". 

English cricket was 

stunned yesterday when 

promising batsman Tom 

Maynard, a Surrey team-mate 

of Dernbach's, died aged just 

23 after being hit by a London 

Underground train. 

Fast-medium bowler Dernbach 

didn't feature as England 

took a 1-0 lead in their threematch 

one-day series against 

the West Indies courtesy 

of a 114-run win under the 

Duckworth/Lewis method at 

Southampton on Saturday. 

The second ODI is at The 

Oval, Surrey's headquarters 

ground in south London, today. 

Woakes, 23, has taken 

seven wickets at just over 21 

apiece in his four ODIS, with 

his most recent appearance 

against Ireland in Dublin last 

year. 

Meanwhile West Indies 

batsman Darren Bravo was 

ruled out of the remainder 

of the series after suffering a 

groin injury while fielding at 

Southampton. 

The tourists said yesterday 

they would not be summoning 

a replacement. 

England (from): Alastair 

Cook (capt), James Anderson, 

Jonathan Bairstow, Ian Bell, Ravi 

Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart 

Broad, Jade Dernbach, Steven 

Finn, Craig Kieswetter (wk), 

Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Graeme 

Swann, Jonathan Trott, Chris 

Woakes. 

West Indies (from): Darren 

Sammy (capt), Tino Best, Darren 

Bravo, Johnson Charles, Fidel 

Edwards, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, 

Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin 

(wk), Ravi Rampaul, Andre 

Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl 

Simmons, Dwayne Smith. 

18 SPORT 



Oman Sail’s Hussain al Jabri wins gold in Singapore 

MUSCAT — Oman’s plans to 

qualify for the Olympic Games 

in 2020 are firmly on track after 

Omani sailor Hussain al 

Jabri won the gold medal at 

the Singapore Laser Trophy in 

Singapore yesterday. 

The 23 year-old sailor, from 

MUSCAT – Oman’s beach 

handball team entered the 

second round in the group 

stage of the third Asian Beach 

Games being organised in 

Chinese city of Haiyang 

yesterday. 

Yiti just outside Muscat is a 

member of the Oman Sail Laser 

squad and although he has 

only been sailing for a year, 

recorded seven outright wins 

to record an emphatic title 

victory in the Laser Standard 

class by nine points at his first 

The Omani team emerged on 

top of Group I after an easy 

2-0 win over Thailand. 

They will now play Pakistan 

and Bahrain, while Group II 

comprises Thailand, Qatar and 

Kuwait. 

major event. 

Mark ‘Corky’ Rhodes 

Oman Sail’s head national 

dinghy coach said: “We were 

looking for a top three position 

so for Hussain al Jabri to get 

the top position is something 

we are all very proud of.” 

Oman beach handball team win 

ACTION from Oman-Thailand handball match in Haiyang yesterday. 

However, the Oman beach 

soccer team went down to 

Syria 6-7. 

Faisal al Nasir suffered an 

injury, while Yaqoob Rabeea 

Abu Hama failed to arrive in 

China. 

Banned Aamir wants 

to return: psychologist 

KARACHI, Pakistan — Pakistan's 

disgraced paceman 

Mohammed Aamir is looking 

forward to returning to cricket 

"as and when possible", the 

psychologist helping to rehabilitate 

his career said yesterday. 

In the first of several counselling 

sessions Maqbool 

Babri, who was hired by 

the Pakistan Cricket Board 

(PCB) to counsel Aamir, said 

his client appeared "positive 

and relaxed" despite his fiveyear 

ban from the game for 

cheating. 

The 20-year-old was found 

guilty of spot-fixing during 

a Test at Lord's in 2010, 

spent three months in a British 

jail and was banned from 

the game by the International 

Cricket Council (ICC). 

The ICC also banned pace 

partner Mohammad Asif and 

ex-captain Salman Butt, ordering 

the trio to undergo rehabilitation. 

Babri said Aamir was upbeat 

in the first of eight to 10 

“It was a colossal win. He 

was the fastest boat out on the 

water and used clever tactics 

to keep rival sailors close to 

open up any opportunities to 

overtake due to his speed. He 

used that to his advantage so 

it’s a nice confidence booster 

Thus the coach had to depend 

only on six players in 

yesterday’s match. 

The Omanis, who are being 

coached by Talib Hilal al 

Thanawi had defeated Iraq 5-1 

on the opening day. 

sessions. "I am very surprised 

that he was very positive and 

relaxed during the first session 

with me on Saturday," Babri 

said. "I think that Aamir's 

lawyer was a positive influence 

on him and has guided 

him well." 

Before the scandal, Aamir 

was regarded as the hottest 

new international talent due 

to the lethal left-arm pace 

bowling which likened him to 

Pakistan former great Wasim 

Akram. 

Babri said Aamir believes 

he belongs in the cricketing 

world. 

"Aamir realises that cricket 

is his profession and he wants 

to return to the game as and 

when possible, and during the 

session we moved towards 

enlightment," he said. 

"I think he realises that he 

made a mistake... and since 

he is very passionate about 

his cricket I have to make 

him ready for that," Babri 

added. — AFP 

for him.” 

Hussain al Jabri, who finished 

second at Mussanah race 

week in March, will now start 

preparing for his next events 

to be held in Germany in July. 

The Laser Europa Cup is likely 

to attract a field of around 200 

Man City kick off season 

at home to Southampton 

LONDON — English 

Premier League champions 

Manchester City will 

kick off their title defence 

at home to promoted 

Southampton on August 

18 before facing Liverpool 

at Anfield the 

following weekend. 

Alex Ferguson's Manchester 

United, runnersup 

last season, kick 

off their campaign at 

Everton and then host 

Fulham, while Newcastle 

United start out at home 

to currently manager-less 

Tottenham Hotspur. 

Roberto Di Matteo, 

now confirmed as permanent 

Chelsea boss, 

takes the Blues on the 

road to Wigan Athletic 

before two home games 

against Newcastle and 

Reading and then a 

trip to west London rivals 

QPR. 

Arsenal, who finished 

third last season, 

start with a home match 

Laser sailors. 

Al Jabri will also be preparing 

for a major upcoming regional 

even in the second GCC 

Beach Games in Saudi Arabia 

in November. 

But the focus will also be 

on qualifying for the Olympic 

Games in 2020. 

“2020 is our main goal with 

these guys,” said Rhodes. 

“Hussain al Jabri is very self 

motivated. In a few months, he 

has showed that he is embracing 

everything he needs to do 

as an athlete to reach the top. 

This is a demonstration of 

that. 

“He has been consistent 

and professional so it is easily 

possible to focus all his attentions 

on a pathway to the Olympics.” 

Despite suffering a back 

injury, Oman Sail’s Haitham 

al Wahaibi also came fifth in 

the 14 strong fleet to signify 

another excellent week for 

Omani dinghy sailing in international 

competition. 

“It stamps our authority 

within Asia and shows that 

Oman is not just an up and 

coming nation. We are here to 

compete,” stressed Rhodes. 

After celebrating his win, 

Hussein al Jabri commented: 

“This is a great moment for 

me. This win is the result of 

countless hours of intensive 

training.’’ 

‘‘The key element was to 

go in line with the coaches 

direction and avoid any major 

mistakes. The race saw intense 

competition by international 

sailors who are far more 

experienced than me and the 

against Sunderland. 

Steve Clarke, the 

former Liverpool first 

team coach who left Anfield 

to replace England 

manager Roy Hodgson at 

West Bromwich Albion, 

welcomes his previous 

club to the Hawthorns 

for their opener. 

The opening fixtures 

published yesterday also 

have Liverpool, under the 

new guidance of Brendan 

Rodgers, at home to 

Arsenal for their third 

match of the season on 

September 1. 

Former Barcelona 

great Michael 

Laudrup's Premier 

League managerial 

debut with Welsh side 

Swansea City takes 

his club to Queens 

Park Rangers managed 

by Mark Hughes, 

the former Wales international 

who also 

played for Barcelona in 

the 1980s. — Reuters 

wind condition and gust all 

helped in intensifying the race. 

But our coach Mark Corky’s 

instructions played a crucial 

role in overcoming any obstacles 

and ultimately achieve the 

gold medal.” 

He added, “This achievement 

will inspire me to keep 

developing more in sailing and 

give better and achieve more 

medals and titles. This is only 

my first year in Oman Sail and 

it’s the start of my sailing career. 

I would like to thank to 

all those who contributed to 

this achievement specially the 

officials from the Ministry of 

Sports Affairs and Oman Sail 

who gave me the opportunity 

to participate and develop my 

skills. I would like to dedicate 

this win to Oman and members 

of my family and friends, and 

Oman Sail”. 

Oman Sail aims to continue 

developing the Omani sailors 

and ultimately prepare them to 

qualify for the Olympics. 

National Sailing teams 

Dwyer leads Australia 

team to Olympics 

SYDNEY — Five-time World 

Player of the Year Jamie Dwyer 

will spearhead the Australian 

men's pursuit of hockey 

gold at next month's London 

Olympics, it was announced 

yesterday. 

The 33-year-old is heading 

for his third Games and 

scored the golden goal that 

earned Australia — the current 

World Cup holders — the 

Olympic title in Athens eight 

years ago. 

"I'm so honoured to be 

named in the team," Dwyer 

said. "The Olympics only 

come around every four years 

and it's such a long road to 

get there, it's really a fantastic 

feeling." 

Dwyer will lead a team of 

16 to London, with 10 Olympic 

debutants, for an Australian 

side that is ranked number 

one in the world and strongly 

tipped for Olympic glory. 

Apart from Dwyer, more 

seasoned campaigners include 

Mark Knowles, Liam 

De Young, Eddie Ockenden, 

manager Rashid al Kindi 

explains: “This is a great moment 

for the sport of sailing 

in Oman. We aim to have a 

new generation of professional 

sailors and both Hussein al Jabri 

and Haitham al Wahaibi are new 

recruits who just joined 

Oman Sail less than 

a year ago and they 

have both showed some very 

promising skills and results. 

Both sailors have participated 

in a number of 

international training camps 

and regattas and this is 

very crucial element of our 

training strategy in order to 

prepare the Omani sailors 

for international regattas and 

ultimately see an Omani get 

an medal in Olympics 2020, 

especially since Laser is one 

of the Olympic classes. Next 

step is to prepare the boys to 

participate in the second GCC 

Beach Games and continue 

training the sailors and focus 

on developing their sailing 

skills. 

Sri Lanka clinch ODI series 

COLOMBO — Angelo 

Mathews hammered a brisk 

80 not out as Sri Lanka 

posted a thrilling twowicket 

victory over Pakistan 

in the fifth and final 

one-day international in Colombo 

yesterday to clinch the 

series 3-1. 

Mathews smashed two sixes 

and four boundaries in his 

76-ball knock to help his team 

achieve a 248-run target with 

two balls to spare in the daynight 

match. 

Sri Lanka needed 15 runs 

to win in the last over bowled 

by paceman Mohammad Sami 

before Mathews completed the 

win with a four. 

Dinesh Chandimal was 

the other main scorer for Sri 

Lanka with 54. 

Paceman Sohail Tanvir 

bagged three wickets and legspinner 

Shahid Afridi two to 

reduce Sri Lanka to 138-6 

before Mathews received 

valuable support from Jeevan 

Mendis (19) and Nuwan Kulasekara 

(10 not out) to steer 

his team home. 

Afridi removed well-set 

Kumar Sangakkara (40) and 

skipper Mahela Jayawardene 

off successive balls to put pressure 

on Sri Lanka. 

Sangakkara, who was 

dropped on 25 by wicketkeeper 

Sarfraz Ahmed off 

Sami, failed to capitalise on the 

chance as he could add 15 more 

runs. Ahmed made amends 

when he smartly stumped Sangakkara 

off Afridi, who then 

held a return catch off his next 

ball to dismiss Jayawardene. 

Tanvir jolted Sri Lanka 

when he removed openers 

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul 

Tharanga, but Sangakkara and 

Chandimal put on 78 for the 

third wicket. 

Pakistan's opener Imran 

Farhat, playing his first onedayer 

in four months, earlier 

cracked an impressive 56 and 

Umar Akmal an unbeaten 55. 

Pakistan batted steadily after 

losing out-of-form opener 

Mohammad Hafeez (six), with 

Azhar Ali (30) and Farhat adding 

60 for the second wicket 

and then Akmal putting on 61 

for the fifth wicket with skipper 

Misbah-ul-Haq (32). 

Sri Lanka and Pakistan will 

now play a three-Test series, 

starting in Galle on Friday. 

SCOREBOARD 

Pakistan: 

I Farhat c Chandimal b Perera ... 56 

Mohd Hafeez b Kulasekara .......... 6 

A Ali c Thirimanne b Mendis ..... 30 

A Shafiq run out 38 

Misbah-ul-Haq c Perera 

b Mendis........... 32 

U Akmal not out ......................... 55 

S Afridi c J’rdene b Kulasekara ... 9 

Sohail Tanvir c Tharanga 

b Malinga ............ 11 

Umar Gul (not out) ....................... 2 

Extras: (b-2, lb-3, w-3) ............... 8 

Total (for seven wkts; 50 overs) 247 

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-82, 3-113, 

4-146, 5-207, 6-229, 7-244 

Bowling: Malinga 10-1-52-1 (w1), 

Kulasekara 10-1-53-2, Mathews 

10-0-41-0, Dilshan 3-0-12-0, Perera 

8-0-54-1 (w-1), Mendis 9-0-30-2 

(w-1). 

Sri Lanka: 

U Tharanga b Tanvir .................... 2 

T Dilshan b Tanvir ..................... 10 

K Sangakkara st Ahmed b Afridi 40 

D Chandimal c Sami b Hafeez ... 54 

M Jayawardene c and b Afridi ..... 0 

A Mathews not out ..................... 80 

T Perera run out............................ 0 

L Thirimanne run out ................. 11 

J Mendis c Shafiq b Tanvir ......... 19 

N Kulasekara (not out) ............... 10 

Extras: (lb-10, w-12) .................. 22 

Total (for 8 wkts; 49.4 overs) ... 248 

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-19, 3-97, 

4-97, 5-135, 6-138, 7-175, 8-212. 

Bowling: Gul 10-1-43-0, Tanvir 

10-0-42-3 (w-7), Hafeez 10-0-30-1, 

Sami 9.4-0-75-0 (w-2), Afridi 10-0- 

48-2 (w3). 

Des Abbott and Fergus Kavanagh. 

"We've got a few experienced 

guys on the team," 

Dwyer said. "The young guys 

look up to us and come to me 

for advice, and that's good. 

"It's good for us to have the 

young guys on the team too, 

we'll feed off their energy." 

The Kookaburras, under 

coach Ric Charlesworth, are 

widely expected to repeat the 

success of previous Games 

— they are the only Australian 

sports team to win a 

medal at each of the last four 

Olympics."There is not much 

difference between us and the 

rest of the world," Dwyer cautioned. 

Squad: Des Abbott, Nathan 

Burgers, Matthew Butturini, Joel 

Carroll, Chris Ciriello, Liam De 

Young, Tim Deavin, Jamie Dwyer, 

Matt Gohdes, Kieran Govers, 

Fergus Kavanagh, Mark Knowles, 

Eddie Ockenden, Simon Orchard, 

Matthew Swann, Glenn Turner. 

— AFP

KHARKIV — Cristiano Ronaldo 

at his thrilling best scored 

twice for Portugal as they 

reached the last eight with a 

2-1 win over the Netherlands 

on Sunday, eliminating the 

Dutch who ended a miserable 

Euro 2012 campaign without 

a point. 

Man of the match Ronaldo 

delivered the tournament's 

best individual display so far 

with goals in each half, after 

Rafael van der Vaart had raised 

Dutch hopes with a wonderful 

strike in the 11th minute, 

as they finished runners-up to 

Germany. 

The Germans beat Denmark 

2-1 in the other Group 'B' 

game to finish with nine points 

ahead of Portugal on six, Denmark 

with three and the Dutch 

who had nothing to show for 

their efforts. 

Portugal will now face the 

Czech Republic on Thursday 

in Warsaw while the Dutch 

will go home to lick their 

wounds. 

There was no complaint 

about the outcome from a 

Netherlands team that two 

years ago were World Cup 

runners-up but this time around 

deserved their place among the 

tournament's 'also-rans'. 

"I am responsible and 

therefore failed in this tournament 

but at this moment I am 

not thinking about my future," 

said Netherlands coach Bert 

van Marwijk as the inquest 

began. 

Like the Dutch, Ronaldo 

had come in for criticism but 

the winger's classy touches, 

electrifying pace and composed 

finishing proving to be 

the difference between the two 

teams. 

For the Netherlands, their 

first exit from a tournament in 

the group stage since winning 

the European title in 1988 was 

all they deserved after three 

straight defeats. 

DESERVED WIN 

While the Netherlands, 

among the pre-tournament 

favourites, will search for solutions 

to their massive underachievement, 

Portugal have 

little time for reflection. 

The Portuguese will prepare 

for the knockout phase, 

having recovered so well from 

their opening defeat by Germany. 

"The win was entirely deserved 

as was the qualification. 

The players had quality, hard 

work, belief and confidence," 

said Portugal coach Paulo 

Bento. 

"They showed this over the 

whole course. We proved that 

you can lose the first game and 

still qualify," he added. 

Finishing second in the 

toughest group is testament 

to the impressive progress of 

Bento's team who significantly 

have been unchanged throughout 

the tournament. 

The Dutch, in contrast, 

made three changes as Van 

Marwijk again searched in 

vain for the right formula. 

His side had to deliver a 

two-goal victory to have a 

chance of squeezing into the 

last eight and Bundesliga top 

scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 

got his first start of the tournament. 

Van Marwijk's plans looked 

to have been justified by a 

confident opening 10 minutes, 

with smart possession play 

laying the foundations for Van 

der Vaart's glorious opener. 

Arjen Robben cut in from 

the right and slipped the ball 

to the midfielder who superbly 

curled a left-foot shot inside 

the post beyond the reach of 

Rui Patricio for an 11th minute 

lead. 

Yet the goal marked the 

high tide mark for the men in 

orange. 

RONALDO THREAT 

Soon after, Ronaldo gave an 

early reminder of his threat on 

the counter, powering through 

before hitting the outside of 

the post with a low effort — a 

sign of things to come. 

The Netherlands were surprisingly 

loose with possession 

and it was from a poor 

give-away by left-back Jetro 

Willems that Portugal equalised 

in the 28th minute. 

Joao Pereira threaded a ball 

to Ronaldo who finished in 

characteristic style to send the 

teams in level at the break. 

The Dutch tried to get back 

in front after the interval but 

it was Portugal who got the 

19 SPORT 



Ronaldo steers Portugal into last eight 

Powerful Germany ease through with perfect record 

CRISTIANO Ronaldo scores his second goal past Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg during their Euro 2012 game in Kharkiv on Sunday. — AFP 

Tomas Rosicky 

returns home 

for treatment 

PRAGUE — Czech Republic 

captain Tomas Rosicky 

left Poland for Prague on 

Sunday for treatment on the 

Achilles tendon injury in 

a desperate bid to be fit for 

Thursday's Euro 2012 quarterfinal 

with Portugal, Czech 

media said yesterday. 

The Czech Republic, 

without the injured Rosicky, 

reached the last eight and 

topped Group 'A' after beating 

co-hosts Poland 1-0 on 

Saturday. 

"We wanted to carry out 

procedures we are not able 

to do here," the website of 

the DNES broadsheet quoted 

chief team doctor Petr Krejci 

as saying. 

Rosicky, suffering from 

an inflamed Achilles tendon, 

went to Prague to see 

renowned physiotherapist 

Pavel Kolar, who takes care 

of top Czech athletes including 

the Davis Cup team 

or ice-hockey star Jaromir 

Jagr. 

Kolar said Rosicky would 

undergo sonography in 

Prague, and that his chances 

of playing against Portugal 

were "open." 

"Any finding on the 

Achilles tendon signals a serious 

problem," he said. 

Rosicky limped off at 

half-time in the game against 

Greece on June 12, which 

the Czechs won 2-1, and was 

replaced by Viktoria Plzen 

midfielder Daniel Kolar for 

the rest of the match and in 

the game against Poland. 

KRAKOW, Poland — Key 

England striker Wayne Rooney 

is set to feature at Euro 2012 

for the first time today but 

co-hosts Ukraine could be 

without their talisman Andriy 

Shevchenko as they battle to 

stay in the tournament. 

England, with four points 

from two games, need only a 

draw to progress to the quarterfinals 

from their final Group 

'D' match while Ukraine must 

win at the Donbass Arena to 

avoid the same fate as co-hosts 

Poland and be eliminated after 

the first round. 

Rooney is available again 

after serving a two-match ban 

for his red card against Montenegro 

in a Euro qualifier last 

year, but Ukraine are sweating 

on the fitness of Shevchenko, 

who scored both goals in the 

2-1 victory over Sweden in 

their opening game. 

Shevchenko, 35, missed 

training on Sunday after suffering 

two painful blows to his 

knee in Friday's 2-0 defeat by 

France. Ukraine spokesman 

Oleksander Hlyvinsky said 

team doctors were draining 

fluid from Shevchenko's knee. 

In four previous appearances 

at the stadium, Ukraine 

have failed to triumph and 

coach Oleg Blokhin has spoken 

of his team's need to break 

a perceived curse at the modern 

$400 million arena. 

England manager Roy 

Hodgson must choose who 

makes way for Rooney, with 

Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck 

netting superb goals in 

the 3-2 win over Sweden, but 

winger Theo Walcott could 

miss out with a hamstring injury 

after an inspired display as a 

substitute against the Swedes. 

reward for their positive approach. 

Ronaldo created chances 

for Fabio Coentrao and Nani 

but in the 74th minute he decided 

the outcome in impressive 

fashion. 

Deep in his own half, the 

winger swung the ball out wide 

to Nani on the right who raced 

goalwards before looking up 

and finding Ronaldo in the 

area where he steadied himself 

before firing past Maarten 

Stekelenburg. 

Luck was also against the 

Dutch when Van der Vaart hit 

the post with from 25 metres 

but the sight of Robin van 

Persie and Huntelaar shooting 

wide in the final minutes was 

more symbolic. 

Ronaldo was determined to 

complete his riposte to hasty 

critics with a hat-trick and 

nearly got his wish when in the 

final minute when he sprinted 

down the right, screaming for 

the ball, collected and struck 

the post with a left-foot shot. 

A third goal would have 

been just reward for an outstanding 

display but cruel on 

Rooney said on Sunday 

that he was delighted to be 

available again and was sure 

England had no cautious 

thoughts going into their final 

group game. 

"The lads have done so 

well to put us in the position 

we are in now and hopefully 

I'll get a chance to play and 

try and shine and help us get 

through the group," he told a 

news conference. 

"It's great that we've scored 

a few goals and we've got the 

points that we've got. I'm not 

going to win the Euros on my 

own — there are 23 players 

who are going to chip in and 

help us win the tournament, or 

go as far as we can." 

Rooney said he was fullyfit 

and ready to play, a prospect 

that may enhance England's 

prospects and improve the fluency 

of their attacking play, 

but will do little to encourage 

Ukraine. 

"Since I've joined up with 

the squad, I've took part in 

every training session," he 

the thousands of travelling 

Dutch fans who kindly applauded 

their team at the conclusion. 

Whether many back home 

believe they deserved that generosity 

is likely to be fiercely 

debated in the days and weeks 

to come. 

GERMANS ON TOP 

In Lviv, German defender 

Lars Bender scored a clinical 

late goal to give his team 

a workmanlike 2-1 win over 

Denmark and secure top spot 

in Group 'B'. Germany, who 

looked comfortable throughout 

and finished with the maximum 

nine points, will play 

Greece, runners-up in Group 

'A', in the quarterfinals. Denmark 

failed to qualify. 

Bender, replacing the suspended 

Jerome Boateng in 

his first international start, 

benefited from poor Danish 

defending to run on to a pass 

from Mesut Ozil and calmly 

slot home from close range in 

the 80th minute. 

"It is something special for 

me," Bender said. "It's a wonderful 

present to come in top in 

this group.” 

Lukas Podolski scored 

his 44th international goal in 

his 100th match in the 19th 

minute, smacking the ball into 

the net after a cross hit the boot 

of team-mate Mario Gomez 

fell perfectly into his path 

some 10 metres out. 

Michael Krohn-Dehli levelled 

for Denmark in the 24th 

minute with his second goal of 

the tournament, nodding in unmarked 

after German defender 

Mats Hummels failed to cut 

out a header into the danger 

zone from Nicklas Bendtner. 

The Danes, who needed 

to win to go through, could 

have taken the lead in the 51st 

minute but Jakob Poulsen 

shaved the post from 10 metres 

after great set-up play 

from Bendtner, who was one 

of Denmark's best players in 

the tournament. 

Denmark did little else to 

threaten the German goal and 

could easily have lost more 

heavily had Podolski, Thomas 

Mueller and in particular Sami 

Khedira converted presentable 

first-half chances. 

Man-of-the-match Podolski, 

27, became the youngest European 

player to win 100 caps for 

his country. — Reuters 

Today at Euro 

GROUP ‘D’ 

England vs Ukraine 

France vs Sweden 

England get Rooney filip, Ukraine fret on Sheva 

ROONEY (left) and Gerrard jog during a training session. 

said. "I'm feeling good, I'm 

just feeling ready and excited 

to get out onto the pitch..." 

England's approach, he 

said, would be unchanged. "It's 

the same as the first two games 

— we'll go into the game 

wanting to win and wanting 

the three points. If we have to 

take a point then we'll happily 

do that, but we're going into 

the game trying to win." 

The natural decision for 

Hodgson would be to play 

Rooney with Manchester 

United team-mate Welbeck. 

The two scored 30 goals between 

them on the 18 occasions 

they played for United 

last season. 

Hodgson, however, was 

keen to lift the expectations on 

his 21-year-old striker. 

"I would do well to encourage 

you not to put too 

much pressure on the lad," he 

said. "Before we build him 

up to the skies to knock him 

down, we should remember 

he has a lot of time ahead of 

him." — Reuters 

Dutch has become Euro 2012’s joke, says press 

THE HAGUE — The Dutch 

team has become Euro 2012's 

joke and could not count itself 

among the world's top footballing 

nations any more, the 

Dutch press said yesterday, 

after an unexpected early exit 

against Portugal. 

"The joke of the Euro 2012," 

said daily tabloid De Telegraaf 

adding that the much vaunted 

"miracle of Kharkiv" never 

happened after the Dutch were 

eliminated from Group 'B' by a 

2-1 loss to Portugal on Sunday 

evening. 

"Taken off" De Telegraaf's 

simple headline said in bold 

letters yesterday, adding the 

"Orange have failed miserably" 

and asking the question 

"Bert, what now?" in reference 

to the Dutch team's coach Bert 

van Marwijk. 

"Three matches, zero 

points. Never before has the 

Netherlands done this bad," 

said daily paper NRC next 

adding "seldom has a team, 

that was still number one on 

the ranking list last year, broken 

its reputation as quickly 

and thoroughly as the Orange 

did in the last months." 

"A symbolic duel" said the 

left-leaning Volkskrant saying 

that the team's exit has left a 

"black mood." 

"For the first time in history 

the Dutch team is coming 

home with three losses in a 

group," the paper added. 

"The players' egos were 

too big," said Christian daily 

Trouw, adding it was "difficult 

to imagine how (coach) Van 

Marwijk could continue." 

"Not for the first time 

the difference in dynamism, 

athletic ability and content 

of Dutch footballers as opposed 

to better foreign players 

showed," the paper said. 

"The third loss of the Orange 

has caused the most 

pain," the daily tabloid Algemeen 

Dagblad said, adding "a 

stone-hard evaluation should 

follow with the knife on the 

table." — AFP 

Platini pleased with 

Euro atmosphere, 

not with Croatians 

WARSAW — UEFA president 

Michel Platini yesterday 

praised Euro 2012 and 

its atmosphere in Poland and 

Ukraine as all but fantastic, 

if it wasn't for some Croatian 

fans. "The atmosphere was 

99 per cent fantastic. They 

have delivered. It is very difficult 

to do better than what 

we have done," the head of 

Europe's controlling football 

body told reporters at a lunch 

in Warsaw. 

"Poland and Ukraine have 

delivered... They have already 

won Euro. The championship 

can bring very important 

things for the development of 

these countries." 

"People were nice, except 

some Croatians. I am not happy 

with the Croatian people." 

UEFA is probing the behaviour 

of some Croatian 

fans, who made negative 

headlines with racist chants 

and symbols and by lighting 

flares in the stands during last 

Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Italy. 

Croatia had already been 

fined for fan misbehaviour in 

the first game with Ireland. 

UEFA is to decide on 

sanctions today, the day after 

Croatia's last group game 

against holders Spain. 

Last year, Platini threatened 

to ban Croatia from international 

events after fan 

WARSAW — Denmark's 

Nicklas Bendtner was yesterday 

banned for one match and 

fined 100,000 euros (£80,000, 

$126,000) for flashing the 

sponsored waistband of his 

underpants while celebrating 

a goal during Euro 2012, 

UEFA said. 

European football's governing 

body said that its Control 

and Disciplinary Body 

had decided to impose the 

fine and suspend the Sunderland 

player for "one competitive 

fixture" after the celebration 

during last Wednesday's 

match against Portugal. 

"This suspension applies 

to the next 2014 Fifa World 

Cup match, including the 

qualifying competition, for 

which Bendtner is eligible," 

a statement said on the UEFA 

website. 

Bendnter has three days 

from the written receipt of the 

sanction to appeal. 

UEFA last week an- 

France in dilemma 

for Sweden game 

KIEV — France face a dilemma 

ahead of a game they 

can afford to lose when they 

take on eliminated Sweden in 

their final Euro 2012 Group 

'D' match today. 

They may have to decide 

whether they want to top the 

group and avoid a potential 

quarterfinal against world 

champions Spain or would 

prefer to finish second and 

stay in the comfort and familiarity 

of their Donetsk base. 

Coach Laurent Blanc may 

also ponder resting his three 

players who have been booked 

in the tournament but he was 

adamant Les Bleus will try to 

win the game, even though a 

one-goal defeat could still see 

them through. 

"It is always difficult to 

play against Sweden and we 

will prepare to win it," he told 

reporters. 

The balance, however, is 

difficult to find. 

France train at the excellent 

facilities used by Shakhtar 

Donetsk and it has been 

proving beneficial. 

"It is the ideal structure. 

We never experienced this before. 

Everything is available 

on site and it helps us gain 

a lot of time," said Francois 

Darras, one of three France 

physiotherapists. 

If France finish top of the 

group they would need to 

travel to Kiev from Donetsk 

early on the day before the 

quarterfinal, losing precious 

recuperation time. 

France, who snatched their 

trouble, and told the nation's 

president Ivo Josipovic to 

tackle the racism problem in 

order to avoid sanctions. 

"It's a matter of society and 

education. It's not just in eastern 

Europe, there is nationalism 

in all countries. But one 

case is one too many," said 

Platini, who captained France 

to the Euro 1984 title. 

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic 

and the Croatian football federation 

condemned the latest 

incidents and called on UEFA 

not to punish the team for the 

action of troublemakers. 

UEFA has also sanctioned 

other federations for incidents 

in the stands, most notably 

Russia. 

He singled out the elimination 

of World Cup runnersup 

Netherlands as a disappointment, 

while Italy had 

surprised the UEFA boss with 

more attacking football than 

expected. 

However, Platini stuck to 

his pre-tournament prediction 

that Spain and Germany 

would reach the final as in 

2008, dismissing some suggestions 

that Spain may be 

tired. 

"The ball is tired, not the 

(Spanish) players," Platini 

said in reference to the passing 

game of Xavi, Andres Iniesta 

and company. — dpa 

Bendtner fined, suspended 

for goal celebration 

nounced disciplinary proceedings 

against the player 

for "improper conduct (Law 

4 of the Laws of the Game)" 

during the Group 'B' game in 

Lviv, Ukraine, that Denmark 

lost 3-2. 

Law 4, which covers "The 

players' equipment" states: 

"Players must not reveal undershirts 

which contain slogans 

or advertising. A player 

removing his jersey to reveal 

slogans will be sanctioned by 

the competition organiser. 

Article 18.18 of the "Regulations 

of the UEFA European 

Football Championship 

2010-12" also states: "All kit 

items worn during the final 

tournament must be free of 

any sponsor advertising." 

The waistband of Bendtner's 

green and white underwear 

had the name of a Dublin-based 

online betting firm. 

The company, Paddy Power, 

said on its website that they 

were "lucky pants". — AFP 

first win in a major championship 

since 2006 when they 

beat co-hosts Ukraine 2-0 in 

their last match, would head 

the standings if they beat 

Sweden and England defeated 

Ukraine without making up 

an inferior goal difference. 

They have four points like 

England, with Ukraine in third 

place on three and Sweden on 

none. A draw in both games 

would put France and England 

through with Les Bleus 

top on goal difference. 

With the scenarios favouring 

France, Blanc could 

be tempted to rest players or 

spare those who have been 

booked. 

Centre back Philippe 

Mexes, right back Mathieu 

Debuchy and winger Jeremy 

Menez will miss out on a potential 

quarterfinal appearance 

if they pick up another yellow 

card today. 

Mexes is unlikely to be 

left out because Blanc will 

not want to break up his solid 

partnership with Adil Rami. 

Utility back Anthony Reveillere 

could come in for Debuchy 

and Menez could be 

rested with Florent Malouda 

or Mathieu Valbuena taking 

his place. 

Sweden will be out to restore 

pride back home after 

throwing away leads in losses 

to Ukraine and England. 

"We will go for it. We are 

playing for honour," said forward 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic. "We 

are going to bring some points 

home with us." — Reuters

Simpson triumphs 

by one shot at 

US Open 

Page 17 

DRIVE IT TO DISCOVER IT 

2.5L Dual VVT-i Engine with 6-speed Multimode Transmission 

Premium 7.0” HDD Navigation System with Touchscreen Infotainment 

Dual Auto A/C with D+P Temperature Controls 

VSC & TRC 

Advanced Smart Entry & Start System 

6 Airbags (Driver + Passenger + Front Side + Curtain) 

Luxurious Authentic Stitched Dashboard 

Rear Power Sunshade 

Rearview Monitor with Parking Guide Meter 

Bluetooth Connectivity (Phone + Audio Connect) 


Portugal and 

Germany 

in last eight 

Omani riders showcase equestrian skills in London 

THE Royal Cavalry participated in the Cartier Queen Elizabeth’s Cup. The riders of the Royal Cavalry (of the Royal Court Affairs) exhibited many equestrian skills reflecting the Sultanate’s centuries-old traditions. They rode around the stadium 

prior to the start of the final polo match. As part of the event, an exhibition of equestrian articles from the Sultanate was organised. Saif bin Ali al Rawahi, Supervisor of the Exhibition, said that the exhibition showcased two horse 

models with silver accessories for horses, photos highlighting the Royal Cavalry’s participations and most prominent tourist attractions in the Sultanate. The shows were attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al Hinai, 

the Sultanate’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the United Kingdom and international guests interested in this ancient sport. — ONA 

�� 

Page 19 

All New - 7th Generation 

THE NEW ERA SEDAN 

Follow us on 

www.facebook.com/toyotaoman 

Scan the code, visit the 

mobisite for more details. 

*Internet charges as per 

service provider.

Omanpumps unveils 

Grundfos sewage 

pumps 

� Page 24 

By Conrad Prabhu 

MUSCAT — Declining date 

production has the potential 

to negatively impact Oman’s 

food security strategy, an agricultural 

expert has warned. 

Dr Rashid Abdullah al 

Yahyai, who is currently 

a Member of the Majlis 

Addawla, also lamented 

slumping date exports which, 

he said, was a reflection of the 

gradual decline of this once 

BankMuscat training on forex 

BANKMUSCAT, the flagship financial institution in the Sultanate, 

signed an agreement with BahwanCybertek to train 15 

Omani youth from low-income families in foreign exchange 

transactions to be employed with Global Exchange Company 

across the Sultanate. � Page 24 

mainstay food crop as a source 

of nutrition and sustenance. 

Addressing delegates at an 

economic forum held here recently, 

Dr Al Yahyai said date 

exports had fallen from a norm 

of 4 per cent of total annual 

domestic production to around 

one per cent presently. 

“For a country that is 

known for its abundance of the 

date crop, we exported around 

1,800 tonnes of dates out of a 

total yield of around 270,000 

tonnes. Whereas in the past, 

exports represented 4 per cent 

of total production, it’s down 

to 1 per cent today,” he said. 

Presenting on the theme, 

‘Available Alternatives for 

Food Security’, the expert 

made a strong plea for the inclusion 

of dates in the country’s 

food security strategy. 

Local crops provide the most 

important guarantee of food 

security, he said, noting that 

dates account for around 80 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012 2012 

per cent of the Sultanate’s total 

agricultural output. 

“Oman has around eight 

million date palms currently 

under cultivation, with plans 

under way for the planting 

of another one million more 

trees. We are among the largest 

producers of dates in the 

world but, of late, output has 

been declining on account of 

a number of factors, including 

climate change. Also, of 

the 250 different types of dates 

that can be cultivated in Oman, 

our focus is only on 10 varieties,” 

he said. 

In particular, Dr Al Yahyai 

bemoaned the declining trend 

in date exports which, he said, 

had an impact on date farmers. 

Of the estimated 1,800 tonnes 

of dried dates exported annually, 

roughly half was shipped 

to India. Saudi Arabia and the 

United Arabia Emirates received 

a combined 40 per cent 

share, while the remainder was 

exported to markets in Europe. 

India, a traditional destination 

for dried Omani dates, was 

itself gradually achieving selfsufficiency 

in date production, 

thus requiring the Sultanate 

to diversify its export market 

base, he said. 

Another factor that is hurting 

the date farming sector is 

the comparatively low cost of 

Omani export dates, he said. 

While Pakistani dates cost as 

much as $600 per tonne, and 

Algerian dates as much as 

$2,000 per tonne, Omani dates 

in contrast fetched a mere $290 

per tonne in export markets, 

he said. Also weighing on the 

sector is the lack of adequate 

manpower, Dr Al Yahyai said. 

“Date farming is usually hard 

work, so it’s not surprising that 

many people prefer cultivating 

mangoes and other fruit crops 

because they are not labour intensive. 

Indigenous manpower 

is inadequate in this sector,” he 

said. 

Falling consumption and 

the limited number of date 

processing factories (a total 

of five at present) were other 

shortcomings ailing the industry, 

he added. 

HSBC Bank Oman welcomes staff 

MORE than 500 former Oman International Bank employees 

from all branches across Muscat were inducted to the newly 

formed HSBC Bank Oman SAOG family at a special meeting 

with the senior management team which included Shaikh Aimen 

bin Ahmed al Hosni, Board Director and Ewan Stirling, CEO. 

Need to boost date exports: Expert Tenders for new projects 

Plea for inclusion of dates in food security strategy 


MUSCAT — BankDhofar has 

expanded and enhanced its 

ATM and CDM network to 

meet the highest possible technological 

standards enabling it 

to record an impressive 99.9 

per cent uptime on its ma- 

MEBSELLI dates are spread out to dry after being cooked in cauldrons prior to export 

Near perfect ATM uptime for BankDhofar 

chines. 

The bank has invested 

heavily in the infrastructure of 

its machines in order to keep 

up with the requirements of its 

customers. 

Statistics show CDM uptime 

being at 99.9 per cent 

and ATM uptime at 99.6 per 

cent. Speaking about this 

great achievement, Abdul Hakeem 

al Ojaili, GM Corporate 

Services, BankDhofar said, 

“ATM uptime is crucial for 

maintaining customer loyalty 

and it is a key focus for us at 

BankDhofar. The ATM is a 

dominant point of contact for 

our customer, and we would 

like to ensure that technology 

makes accessing funds as easy 

and hassle free as possible. To 

do this, we constantly maintain 

and test our machines to 

ensure they are working at 

their optimum.” 

The bank has a dedicated 

operations room to monitor 

the performance of ATM and 

CDM machines spread across 

the Sultanate. In the event of 

any malfunction, these devices 

will be rectified centrally or 

a team of technicians will be 

sent to carry out the repairs required 

for these devices. 

By Samuel Kutty 

MUSCAT — On the back of 

higher oil prices and the commitment 

to implement projects 

stated in its Five Year Plan, the 

Omani Government has become 

relatively aggressive in 

awarding the construction and 

infrastructure projects in the 

country from the beginning of 

the year. 

The Tender Board of Oman 

has so far awarded tender 

worth a record RO 604 million 

for various projects. 

With the government entering 

into the penultimate plan 

of its Vision 2020 strategy, 

post record high 

the overall allocation towards 

various development projects 

including roads, ports, housing, 

airports, health and service 

sectors has reached about 

RO 12 billion. 

On an average the government 

is expected to spend 

RO 2 billion per year over the 

next five years on numerous 

projects. In addition, the total 

projects planned or under way 

in Oman stands at RO 44 billion. 

“The current economic 

indicators suggest that the 

Omani government has 

enough funds in reserve to 

make financing available for 

the ongoing process of infrastructure 

growth in the country”, 

says Sankar Kailasam, 

Senior Vice-President of Gulf 

Baader Capital Markets. 

Although there has been 

fall in the oil prices, it is not 

expected to affect the spending 

level nor the budget. The 

first months of the current year 

saw higher prices. The budget 

is set at a break-even level of 

$ 75 per barrel. 

The budget balance in 

January-February indicates 

a surplus of RO 756 million, 

against a deficit of RO 85 million 

in the corresponding period 

last year. � To Page 23

Mazda road show at Safeer hypermarket 

MUSCAT — As part of the efforts to showcase their exciting range of Mazda cars 

and SUV’s to customers, Towell Auto Centre (TAC) recently organised a three-day 

road show at the Safeer hypermarket at Athaiba. Big screens playing the Mazda brand 

videos, special displays of the Mazda range of cars, and the presence of trained sales 

staff and promoters who gave out Mazda related information and answered customer 

queries made the road show a fun, interactive experience. 

“Through innovative media choices, opening of new branches and service centres, 

and the application of experiential marketing and promotional techniques we are aiming 

to take our dynamic image to every corner of Oman. Events of this nature reinstate 

our constant tryst to keep getting ‘closer to our customers’ and highlights our commitment 

in raising the brand awareness of our entire range of Mazda vehicles across the 

Sultanate,” says Annurag Chawla, Head of Marketing and Communications, TAC. 

Management and staff at TAC believe that road shows are a great platform for 

members of the public to see and experience their magnificent range of automobile solutions, 

and are confident that a majority of those who visit and experience the Mazda 

range at the shows purchase a Mazda in due course. Built to run reliably and economically; 

while reducing fixed costs and providing maximum road performance, the 

growing number of Mazda cars and SUV’s on the roads prove that the Mazda range 

has a huge following, and that there is certainly no looking back for the brand in the 

Sultanate. 

Geely Emgrand draws customers’ interest 

TOWELL Auto Centre’s (TAC) striking Geely Emgrand LC (Panda) is attracting customers’ 

attention in a big way now days 

22 OMAN TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 

BankMuscat training on forex transactions to benefit 15 Omani youth 


MUSCAT — BankMuscat, 

the flagship financial institution 

in the Sultanate, signed 

an agreement with Bahwan- 

Cybertek to train 15 Omani 

youth from low-income families 

in foreign exchange transactions 

to be employed with 

Global Exchange Company 

across the Sultanate. Ahmed 

Al Barami, AGM — Chairman’s 

Office, BankMuscat, 

and S Durgaprasad, Director 

and CEO of BahwanCybertek, 

signed the agreement aimed 

at enhancing the skills of the 

beneficiaries and raising their 

level of economic and social 

status. 

The training comes under 

the Bank’s ‘Jesr Al Mustaqbal’ 

(Bridge to future) integrated 

CSR programme offering 

scholarships, training and 

rehabilitation directed to serve 

young Omanis dependent on 

social welfare and hailing 

from low-income families. 

The beneficiaries will undergo 

training at BahwanCybertek 

Training Centre. The 

7-month training modules 

include basic English and 

business English and aspects 

covering foreign exchange 

trade and role of cashiers. 

Following theoretical classes, 

the trainees will have on-job 

training for two months. The 

trainees will sign employment 

contracts with Global Exchange 

Company before being 

trained and upon successful 

completion of the training 

programme, they will be absorbed 

in different branches 

of the company on a starting 

monthly salary of RO 300. 

Early this year, BankMuscat 

launched ‘Jesr al Mustaqbal’ 

(Bridge to future) 

programme in execution of 

the directive of His Majesty 

Sultan Qaboos to provide relevant 

educational and training 

opportunities to Omani youth 

to develop employable skills. 

To ensure continuity and success 

of the unique programme, 

the bank has allocated 20 per 

cent of its CSR budget for the 

programme. 

Ahmed Al Barami, AGM 

— Chairman’s Office, said: 

“Jesr al Mustaqbal programme 

is aimed at helping young 

Omanis to receive proper education 

and vocational training 

that will enable them to develop 

employable skills and improve 

their living standards, 

social and economic status. 

This will also encourage them 

to positively participate in the 

service of society and development 

of the country.” 

Al Barami added: “Bank- 

Muscat is committed to corporate 

social responsibility and 

thereby contribute towards 

sustainable development by 

working closely with local 

communities with the aim of 

improving living standards 

in a manner that serves the 

national economy and development 

process at the same 

time. The training programme 

will help Omani youth from 

weaker sections of society 

to acquire employable skills, 

guaranteeing economic independence 

to them.” 

BUSINESS ALERT 

Having a 1.3L DOHC, 4 cylinders 5-speed manual, the popular Geely Emgrand LC 

is equipped with an audio system, AM/FM radio with CD player and MP3 facility, air- 

conditioner, rear wiper, and central locking. For safety, the car is also equipped with 2 

airbags, ABS + EBD, front and rear fog lights, 3-point pre-tightening safety belts, alloy 

wheels, and a steering locking anti-theft device. 

A popular sedan in the small-size segment, the Geely Emgrand LC has been 

conferred the five-star safety victory from C-NCAP and is brought to Oman by TAC 

under a distributorship agreement with fast developing automobile manufacturer 

— Geely International Corporation. It is noteworthy that Geely has also acquired 

the world’s luxury car brand — Volvo cars, and has earned itself the reputation of 

being a company that makes quality cars that are environment friendly and energy 

efficient. 

BMW launches upgrade programme 

THE BMW upgrade programme offers customers an opportunity to upgrade from their 

current vehicle to a brand new BMW. The month long campaign is currently running at 

Al Jenaibi International Automobiles, the official importer of BMW in Oman. 

It enables customers in Oman to experience the joy of driving a brand new BMW 

vehicle, by exchanging their current BMW vehicles on the condition that they are not 

more than five years old. 

The campaign also offers the owners of BMW vehicles, and non-BMW brand vehicles 

the opportunity to benefit from complimentary vehicle evaluation, attractive 

trade-in prices on their current cars, exclusive financing deals, exciting BMW loyalty 

exchange bonus vouchers and the option of test-driving BMW models. 

Rachid Zamani, General Manager, Al Jenaibi International Automobiles said, 

“Our Trade-In. Trade-Up! Campaign is part of our continuous efforts to provide 

premium quality products and services to our customers, and offer them a premium 

ownership experience that consistently exceeds their expectations and recognises 

their loyalty." 

Infiniti on display at Qurum City Centre 

INFINITI’S EX 35 model, a uniquely personal expression of style, is on display at the 

Qurum City Centre and is drawing huge appreciation from mall customers. In line with 

the Infiniti brand, the EX 35 model is impressively luxurious, powerful in stance giving 

coupe-inspired performance and elevated in every respect. 

As the world’s first coupe crossover, the Infiniti EX 35 supremely ignores conventional 

categories. A blend of progressive coupe design with the performance of an SUV 

and the home comforts of a saloon, the EX 35 goes its own way — especially when it 

comes to design. 

Powered by 298-hp award-winning V6 engine, Infiniti EX 35 is the perfect touring 

vehicle for you and the people in your life. Its intelligent all-wheel drive is designed to 

be one of the most advanced all wheel drive that exists. 

Constantly monitoring wheel spin, throttle position and vehicle speed, the infinitely 

variable torque split can automatically divert up to 50 per cent of available power to 

the front wheels, giving you 4-wheel traction control when road conditions are less 

This year, BankMuscat 

trained 15 hearing impaired 

Omani youth who underwent 

a vocational training programme 

in association with 

Carrefour hypermarket. The 

15 youth who benefited from 

the training programme have 

been absorbed by Carrefour 

for various jobs. 

The bank also trained 40 

vision impaired Omani youth 

in the fields of pottery and 

ceramic craft, aimed at enhancing 

the skills of physically 

challenged artisans and 

raising their level of economic 

and social status by 

integrating them with main- 

stream society. 

BankMuscat is the first 

Omani bank to establish a 

full-fledged CSR department. 

Considered among core values, 

the CSR policy stems 

from the bank’s strong belief 

in the importance of social responsibility. 

It reflects the bank’s concern 

and care for various segments 

of society. The bank is 

of the view that its social responsibility 

is not merely participation 

in charitable works 

and organisation of voluntary 

campaigns, but responsibility 

towards all-round development 

of society. 

BankMuscat focuses on 

all types of projects that fall 

within the framework of social 

responsibility and their 

importance and overall benefit 

both to society and individuals. 

The prime consideration 

includes the benefit reaching 

the largest number of individuals; 

the youth and job-seekers 

and provision of opportunities 

for the development of 

skills/human capital. Efforts 

are also targeted at individuals 

with special needs to enhance 

their capabilities with 

the aim of integrating them 

into mainstream society. 

than optimal, then returning seamlessly to a more performance oriented ratio when 

conditions improve. 

Its active brake limited slip can further distribute the torque from side to side, if 

necessary. And since the electromagnetic clutch can divert up to 100 per cent of the 

power to the rear wheels, intelligent AWD does not soften the crisp responsiveness of 

the handling of your EX. 

RMP wins ISO 9001:2008 Certification 

RUWI Modern Printers (RMP) has been awarded the ISO 9001:2008 Certification, in 

recognition of their high standards of quality. 

Known for being the first printing press in the entire GCC region to bring the first 

A3 size 5-colour printing machine, Ruwi Modern Printers has always led the way with 

state-of-the-art equipment to deliver top quality print materials. 

For the last 25 years, Ruwi Modern Printers has been meeting the printing requirements 

of top corporate houses as well as all the leading advertising agencies in Oman. 

Backed by a professional management team who themselves are qualified in 

Graphic Designing and Printing Technology, Ruwi Modern Printers has been setting 

the benchmark for excellence in printing. 

Sulaiman Masoud Ali al Harthy, Chairman, Ruwi Modern Printers, says, “We are 

absolutely delighted to win the ISO 9001:2008 Certification which is a reflection of our 

unflinching commitment to our customers. We will continue to invest in top-of-the-line 

machinery and talented professionals to continue delivering top quality products.”


MUSCAT — More than 500 former 

Oman International Bank employees 

from all branches across the Governorate 

of Muscat were inducted to 

the newly formed HSBC Bank Oman 

SAOG family at a special town hall 

meeting with the senior management 


HSBC Bank Oman welcomes staff to its family 

Tenders for new projects 

post record high 

� From Page 21 

The surplus was mainly 

thanks to a 43.4 per cent rise 

in oil export earnings to nearly 

RO1.53 billion from RO1.07 

billion due to a sharp rise in 

crude prices and a slight increase 

in Oman’s oil production 

to nearly 888,800 barrels 

per day from 887,100 bpd 

in the same period, the data 

shows. 

The total revenues witnessed 

an increase by 30.8 

per cent posing RO 1.85 billion 

as compared to RO 1.42 

billion during the same period 

last year. 

Investments during the 

Eighth Five-Year Plan stand at 

RO 30.487 billion, including 

an additional allocation of RO 

1.6 billion towards infrastructure 

projects in the Budget 

2012. 

Oman’s 2012 budget for - 

sees a nine per cent growth 

in public spending, with an 

allocation of a total of RO10 

billion for public expenditure. 

There is a clear focus on social 

aspects with increased current 

expenditure on areas such as 

education, health and social 

security by 18 per cent. 

“The prevailing robust 

pipeline of project spending 

will aid in the creation of 

strong infrastructure story in 

Oman attracting several global 

majors to the country, in 

addition to providing more 

benefits to the local players”, 

Sankar says. 

Cement sector firms in 

Oman are scaling up their production 

capacity to meet the 

ever-rising local demand. So 

are the steel sector and other 

related firms. 

The expected spending 

level in 2012 will be slightly 

more than 2011 outlays. The 

nine per cent growth in public 

spending covers most of 

this committed expenditure, 

as well as additional requirements 

resulting from providing 

increased employment opportunities 

for the Sultanate’s 

citizens. 

The domestic economic 

scenario witnessed improvement 

in 2011, driven by higher 

oil revenue and prudent macro-economic 

policies adopted 

by the government. Higher 

than forecasted oil revenue 

resulted in budget surplus despite 

increase in government 

spending. 

Inflation has remained at 

acceptable levels and IMF 

forecasts inflation to moderate 

to 3.3 per cent in 2012. 

Overall the government 

infrastructure investment size 

during the Eighth Five Year 

Plan stands at RO 30.487 billion. 

Asian stock markets, euro 

rally after Greece vote 

HONG KONG — Asian markets 

surged yesterday and the 

euro rose after pro-austerity 

parties came out on top in 

Greek elections, easing but not 

ending concerns over whether 

the country will stay in the single 

currency. 

The results were also welcomed 

by the governments 

of Japan and China — two 

of Europe's biggest creditors 

— which called for leaders in 

Greece to act quickly to form 

a cabinet. 

Tokyo stocks jumped 1.77 

per cent, or 151.70 points, to 

8,721.02, Sydney was 1.96 per 

cent higher, or 79.6 points, at 

4,136.9, while Seoul climbed 

1.81 per cent, ending up 33.55 

points at 1,891.71. 

Hong Kong rose 1.01 per 

cent, or 193.87 points, to 

19,427.81 and Shanghai closed 

up 0.40 per cent, or 9.20 points, 

at 2,316.05. 

Dealers cheered Sunday's 

result, which saw the New Democracy 

party win about 30 

per cent of the vote, just ahead 

of the radical Syriza group 

which had campaigned on the 

promise of tearing up an EU- 

IMF bailout agreement. 

New Democracy did not 

win outright but Greece's electoral 

system gives it an extra 

50 seats in the 300-member 

parliament for coming first, so 

that it should be able to form a 

coalition with the left-leaning, 

pro-austerity Pasok party. 

The news boosted the single 

currency in Asian trade, 

which surged to morning highs 

of $1.2727 and 100.86 yen before 

falling to sit at $1.2614 

and 100.11 yen. 

It sat at $1.2644 and 99.47 

yen in New York trade late 

on Friday. In Europe, after an 

opening rally, stock markets 

petered out. In late morning 

trade, London's FTSE 100 

index of leading companies 

fell 0.07 per cent to 5,472.27 

points, Frankfurt's DAX 

30 gained 0.72 per cent to 

A BUSINESSMAN talks on his mobile phone as he walks 

in front of a share prices board in Tokyo yesterday. 

6,274.01 points. 

In Paris the CAC 40 climbed 

0.20 per cent to 3,094.47, 

while Madrid's IBEX 35 was 

down 1.16 per cent, awaiting 

details of Spain's 100 billion 

euro bank bailout. 

The election in Greece was 

the second in six weeks after 

May 6 polls failed to produce a 

government, stoking fears that 

the political stalemate would 

paralyse efforts to bring the 

country back from the brink. 

The vote essentially became 

a referendum on the country's 

membership of the euro zone, 

with European leaders warning 

that a win for Syriza would 

probably see Athens renege on 

its debt commitments and ultimately 

exit the bloc. 

Japan welcomed the result 

but called on Europe to "urgently" 

strengthen its financial 

sector and pressed Greece to 

swiftly form a new government. 

"We will be paying 

close attention to upcoming 

negotiations to form a coalition," 

Chief Cabinet Secretary 

Osamu Fujimura, the government's 

top spokesman, told 

reporters in Tokyo. 

"Our country hopes that 

a stable government will be 

launched early and make 

progress towards stabilising 

markets," he added. 

China echoed those sentiments, 

with the official Xinhua 

news agency saying in a commentary: 

"The Greek parties 

must work together to form a 

new government quickly and 

convince the Greek voters of 

the need for painful austerity." 

But analysts warned Sunday's 

developments would 

not vanquish concerns about 

the embattled euro zone or 

Greece's economic future. 

Yoshikiyo Shimamine, 

economist at Dai-ichi Life 

Research Institute in Tokyo, 

said the election result meant 

Greece had just "returned 

where it was before". 

"They are back to the difficult 

path they had been taking 

before. I pay respects to the 

Greek people who chose this 

road, but it will be a painful, 

tough road," he told AFP. 

"We now have no worries 

that Greece will leave the euro 

or declare default suddenly." 

Kenichi Hirano, operating 

officer at Tachibana Securities, 

told Dow Jones Newswires 

that the election results were "a 

net buy incentive for stocks" 

but added that "Greece's problems 

are far from over". 

team which included Shaikh Aimen 

bin Ahmed al Hosni, Board Director, 

Ewan Stirling, CEO, and Ali al Abri, 

Head of Human Resources. 

The management expressed their 

appreciation to all staff for making 

the merger a success and shed light 

on the comprehensive integration 

plan in addition to the promising career 

paths that lie ahead. 

“We are delighted to welcome 

new colleagues to the HSBC family. 

Together, we will be a stronger force 

in the banking industry with a great 

and prosperous future in Oman,” 

expressed Ewan Stirling, CEO of 

HSBC Bank Oman SAOG. “People 

are our greatest asset and with a combined 

team of more than 1,300 staff, 

we will make this organization the 

best place to work and the best place 

to bank. 

We will offer our customers exceptional 

service and manage our 

business with the highest quality of 

standards in the industry.” 

Similar town hall meetings with 

employees are scheduled to take 

place in the coming weeks across 

the Sultanate. Staff will also undergo 

various products and service training 

along with other skill development 

modules to ensure the delivery of exceptional 

customer care. 

HSBC Bank Oman S.A.O.G. will 

foster a high-performance culture 

and offer programs and initiatives 

that help employees manage their careers 

and their diverse lifestyles. 

Recognition and rewards will 

continue to play a pivotal role in 

reinforcing standards of excellence 

which the Bank believes is fundamental 

for the sustainable advancement 

of the organisation. 

Both OIB and HSBC have been 

a key part of Oman’s burgeoning 

financial community. OIB came 

into existence on the 1st of January 

1984 as the first 100 per cent Omani 

owned commercial bank in the Sultanate, 

but its establishment actually 

dates back to 1979. 

It maintained one of the largest 

branch networks in Oman and has 

made significant contributions to the 

community. HSBC has been a key 

part of Oman since 1948, and was the 

only bank operating in the Sultanate 

for almost two decades. 

In 1970, HSBC assisted in the 

first issue of the Omani currency and 

became one of the leading banks in 

the Sultanate. 

HSBC was also the first to launch 

ATMs, to provide international ATM 

cash withdrawals through its Global 

Access card, and to introduce both 

online banking system and electronic 

banking in Oman. 

Emirates Airline repays 

$550m Sukuk bond in full 

By Staff Reporter 

DUBAI — Emirates Airline 

announced yesterday that 

it has repaid a $550 million 

Sukuk bond in full on its maturity, 

date on June 18, 2012. 

The Sukuk bond, listed on the 

Luxembourg Stock Exchange, 

was originally issued in 2005 

with a seven-year term. 

The $550 million Sukuk 

bond was the first of its kind 

to be issued by Emirates representing 

its commitment to 

utilising a diverse range of 

funding tools, including Islamic 

financing. 

“The repayment of our 

first ever Sukuk bond is part 

of Emirates’ varied financing 

strategy and reflects our 

robust financial position,” 

commented Shaikh Ahmed 

bin Saeed al Maktoum (pictured), 

Chairman and Chief 

Executive, Emirates Airline 

and Group. “Our consistent 

profitability and sound business 

model continue to ensure 

that we receive sufficient offers 

of financing to support 

our long term growth,” Shaikh 

Ahmed added. 

Emirates recorded its 24th 

consecutive year of profit in 

the 2011-12 financial year, 

despite unprecedented economic 

pressure, highlighting 

its strong financials. 

“With the euro zone debt 

crisis on-going it is likely 

that Islamic financing, with 

its large pool of liquidity, will 

play an increasingly important 

role for us moving forward,” 

Shaikh Ahmed, noted. 

Emirates uses a variety 

of financing options, including: 

operating leases, EU/US 

export credits, commercial 

asset-backed debt, Islamic financing, 

conventional bonds 

as well as Islamic Sukuks.


Stylishly new 2013 Corolla Exclusive arrives in Oman 

MUSCAT — This “stylishly 

new” marvel of Toyota is available 

in Oman with many attractions 

that include front and rear 

body-kit, alloy wheels, chrome 

side protection moulding, turn 

signal indicators on the outer 

mirrors, rear-lip spoiler, chrome 

garnish fog lamp, chrome muffler 

cutter, and several redesigned 

features. New “exclusive” 

decals on both flanks add 

to its appeal. 

And that’s just on the outside. 

Stepping inside stylishly 

new 2013 Corolla exclusive, 

one can immediately feel the 

air of exclusivity created by the 

rich woodgrain paneling that 

adorns the front console along 

with woodgrain steering wheel 

and gear shift knob. The Bluetooth 

kit adds to the convenience. 

Generous head and legroom 

and superb fit and finish 

heighten the feel of relaxation. 

“You know it when something 

just fits one’s sense of 

style. The Corolla exclusive 

edition is one such stylishly 

new example where state-ofthe-art 

technology and superb 

design comes together perfectly. 

Elegantly crafted and 

loaded with special touches, 

the stylishly new Corolla exclusive 

edition puts all others 

in the shade,” say those who 

have seen the stylishly new 

marvel from up close. 

With a formidable presence 

in 170 countries and over 35 

million customers the Corolla 

remains a global phenomenon 

and a hot favourite in Oman. 

Its performance, safety and 

reliability are legendary and 

one drive can prove its prowess. 

Pressing the pedal, one 

can sense the surge of power 

arising from the powerful dual 

VVT-i engines ( available in 

both 1.8L &1.6L models ). The 

engines feature EFi and dual 

VVT-i technology resulting 

in increased power, enhanced 

torque, better fuel efficiency 

and lower emissions. 

McPherson strut suspension 

on the front and Torsion 

beam suspension on the rear 

ensure admirable stability and 

advanced ride comfort. Both 

front and rear suspensions are 

supported by the stabiliser 

bar. The new 2013 Corolla is 

available with leather steering 

wheel, steering mounted 

audio controls, electric power 

steering (EPS) with both tilt 

and telescopic mechanism and 

other important features like 

rear parking sensors, Optitron 

combination meter and keyless 

entry system. 

The audio system in the Corolla 

has been upgraded from a 

cassette player to a 6CD/MP3 

changer with 6 speakers. In addition 

an auxiliary port too has 

been provided for connecting 

external audio device to get 

more music. 

Other exciting features that 

find place in the Corolla include 

driver seat height adjuster, 

power outer mirrors, alloy 

wheels, moonroof, rear spoiler, 

cruise control and addition of 

more interior ornamentation/ 

garnishes on dashboard, blue 

colour illumination on combination 

meter. 

The Corolla integrates safe- 

TEL: 24601003, 24600586 • FAX: 24600736 

• WEBSITE: www.salalahport.com 

ty technology of the highest 

order to ensure peace of mind 

for the occupants — earning 

good rating from the Insurance 

Institute for Highway Safety. 

Corolla’s comprehensive active 

and passive safety measures 

provide the occupants 

with class-leading levels of 

safety. The Corolla is equipped 

with high integrity impact absorbing 

cabin, ABS with electronic 

brake force distribution 

and brake assist, 3-point ELR 

seatbelts, fog lamps and dual 

SRS airbags for driver and 

front passenger. The whiplash 

injury lessening (WIL) design 

of front headrests is yet another 

reassuring feature. 

This outstanding performer 

comes from Toyota, Oman’s 

most coveted brand. 

Toyota offers enduring quality 

and nothing comes close to 

it in terms of value-retention. 

It is no surprise; therefore, that 

Toyota soars far above the rest, 

with a dominant market share 

and ever-expanding customer 

base. 

The unmatched, nationwide 

parts and service support 

of Saud Bahwan Group 

makes Toyota’s pride of place 

a reality. Toyota customers in 

Oman enjoy 6-year unlimited 

mileage protection, over 98 

per cent parts availability and 

round-the-clock care, amongst 

many other exclusive privileges 

from the Group. 

Omanpumps introduces 

Grundfos sewage pumps 


MUSCAT — Omanpumps, 

the pump and pumping systems 

company, launched 

Grundfos sewage pump with 

‘S’ tube impeller at a seminar 

held here recently. 

Opening the seminar, 

Basim Hamed al Riyami, Senior 

Executive Director of Al 

Riyami Group, emphasised 

the fact that “Omanpumps, a 

Al Riyami Group company, is 

the only authorised partner of 

Grundfos in Oman and their 

association with Grundfos 

goes back to more than three 

decades”. With the S-tube 

impeller, Grundfos sets new 

standards for wastewater hydraulic 

design. The S-tube im- 

peller offers better hydraulic 

efficiency than any other type 

of wastewater impeller, without 

compromising free passage, 

thus ensuring troublefree 

operation. 

In the S-tube impeller, the 

efficiency is higher compared 

to other wastewater impellers, 

as there are no edges, 

dead zones, cutting functions 

or alternative constructions 

that will get worn over time 

to remove clogging problems. 

Furthermore the S-tube impeller 

features an innovative and 

patented labyrinth and sealing 

system, for years of troublefree 

operation. 

“Innovation has always 

been a cornerstone of Grundfos 

philosophy. Omanpumps 

believes in working together 

with the customer to find innovative 

solutions for their 

Pumping needs” Said A K 

Srivastava, General Manager 

of Omanpumps. 

Technical Presentation was 

attended by more than 100 Engineers 

from Public Authority 

for Electricity and Water, Haya 

Water, Rural Area Electricity 

Company, Sultan Qaboos University, 

Royal Oman Police, 

Ministry of Defence, Diwan of 

Royal Court, Dhofar Municipality, 

Water Supply Division 

— Salalah, Salalah Sanitary 

and Drainage Company — 

Salalah, Sohar Development 

Office — Sohar and a large 

number of consultants, contractors 

and end users.

By Ali al Matani 

THE Minister of Tourism, 

Ahmed bin Nasser 

al Mehrzi, confirmed the 

intent of the Tourism Ministry 

to launch a promotion and marketing 

campaign for Khareef 

Salalah (Autumn of Salalah) at 

Dhofar Governorate, inside and 

outside the Sultanate, as one of 

the tourist seasons the ministry 

continually promotes through a 

variety of media channels, advertising 

and electronic media 

means. 

The Ministry of Tourism 

promotes Kharref Salalah as 

one of the most important tourist 

seasons in the Sultanate, 

through highlighting the natural 

beauty and wonderful climate 

the Dhofar experiences during 

summer, and providing visitors 

and tourists with information 

about the scope of travel here. 

Also, he signalled the fact that 

Dhofar has irresistible tourist 

attractions. 

“The Ministry plans to promote 

Dhofar Governorate can 

be divided into three stages: the 

first starts before Khareef and 

Salalah Tourism Festival, from 

June to the last day of July, and 

aims to promote Khareef in 

general by focusing on the merits 

of the governorate during the 

season such as low temperatures, 

tourism facilities offered 

and the attractive destinations. 

The second stage starts with 

Ramadhan and extends to Eid 

holidays, from July to the end 

of August. This stage focuses 

on spending Eid days enjoying 

nice weather in Dhofar. The 

last stage starts with the last 

days of Khareef and aims to attract 

attention to the beauty of 

the place for activating local 

tourism,” Al Mehrzi said while 

briefing about his last visit to 

Dhofar to follow-up some tourist 

projects. Another top priority 

is the Medical City which is 

expected to revive tourism and 

conferencing medical. 

Not dating Parineeti, 

says Uday Chopra 

� Page 28 

“The promotion of Khareef 

season is not limited to tourist 

season only but throughout the 

year and it continues, either 

through exhibitions in which 

the Ministry participates or 

through the representative offices 

spread over a number of 

capital cities,” Al Mehrzi said, 

stressing the fact that the tourist 

potentials Dhofar has are at 

present at the top of the agenda 

of the ministry. He said that 

Dhofar has tourist and cultural 

potentials throughout the 

year: tourists from some European 

countries come in winter, 

though, the Ministry of Tourism 

focuses on tourism export to 

Arabian and Gulf countries, in 

summer particularly by advertising 

in local, Gulf and Arabian 

newspapers, apart from satellite 

channels and social networks. 

He noted that marketing and 

promoting require, in general, 

some consistency with the actual 

capacity of accommodation 

facilities like hotels and 

hotel apartments available, in 

addition to the expectations of 

occupancy rate according to the 

available data. This, according 

to Al Mehrzi, marketing 

strategy takes into consideration 

all these elements to avoid 

any negative reflections. He 

Muriya soft-launches luxurious 

Juweira Boutique Hotel 

� Page 26 

explained that it is not possible 

to invite someone to visit the 

Sultanate, with no accommodation 

available. “This is our 

philosophy and we won’t deviate 

from it and I ask everybody 

to observe it; whenever enough 

accommodation facilities are 

available, promoting peace increases”, 

he said. 

Regarding fares and costs 

charged by hotels and apartments 

Al Mehrzi said that 

everything will be under the 

observation of the Consumer 

Protection Authority to avoid 

any exploitation of tourists and 

visitors. Some cases of excessive 

prices in hotel facilities in 

Khareef exceed the accepted 

‘Soft drinks not 

linked to obesity’ 

� Page 27 

Faces prompt us to form 

complex judgements 

� Page 27 

Fea ures 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012 

limit. The Ministry of Tourism 

will form a committee that 

will appoint persons in charge 

at four- and five-star hotels together 

with Oman Commerce 

and Industry Chamber to discuss 

tourist packages and promotion 

programmes to attract 

more visitors. There must be a 

vision based on innovation and 

creativity at attracting visitors 

through offers instead of hotels 

keeping its same capacity with 

low occupancy rates at some 

seasons, either in Dhofar Governorate 

or any other. 

“Tourist season in Dhofar 

witnesses large tourist flow 

from inside and outside the 

Sultanate which results in more 

pressures on hotel facilities, 

so costs increase, according to 

supply and demand rule. It is 

difficult to control this because 

it is difficult to have an intervention 

in market mechanism 

on which our economy is built”, 

he explained. 

In any case, rates and costs 

should not be exaggerated. For 

this reason efforts have been 

made by Tourism Ministry to 

promote tourism at all international 

and regional exhibitions 

in which the ministry participated 

recently. The ministry organised 

a number of have-an-idea 

tours for journalists and photographers 

from important newspapers 

and magazines published 

in the Gulf, from January to the 

end of May 2012. Besides, the 

Ministry has published promotional 

advertisements at some 

specialised Arabic and foreign 

newspapers, magazines, 

websites and social networks, 

such as Facebook and twitter. 

The ministry has also reprinted 

its tourist map and 

guidebook with new and updated 

data to make tours easy and 

enjoyable. Moreover, the ministry 

has operated tourist information 

phone line 232232000, 

around the clock/seven days 

a week, during Khareef. The 

ministry has also co-ordinated 

with competent parties to activate 

the oversight role and 

supervision at accommodation 

facilities and activating providing 

health services to visitors 

and tourists in Salalah and at 

Nizwa-Thamrait Road. 

Positive indicators 

“Tourism sector is very sensitive 

and can be affected by 

political, economic and security 

variables all over the world. 

Thanks to Allah, our tourist 

seasons, such as Khareef, are 

not affected by such variables, 

because the places where tourist 

flow comes from — the Sultanate 

and neighbouring Gulf 

countries — are in a state of 

permanent stability. Stability is 

a positive factor that will contribute 

to the future of Khareef 

tourism in the coming years and 

signals positive indicators for 

investors in Dhofar”, the Minister 

said. 

Role of govt and private 

sector: About investments in 

tourism sector, the Minister said 

that, “the Govt invests in developing 

services and facilities 

related to this sector or through 

the infrastructure provided by 

other parties that support tourism 

sector”. He also emphasised 

that the government will 

encourage investments by the 

private sector and said that investments 

at tourism sector in 

Dhofar will be launched in the 

near future, including accommodation 

facilities and services 

and tourist facilities. The 

government role, according to 

Al Mehrzi, is drafting simulative 

laws and supervising investments 

at this sector. He 

explained that the government 

has many development priorities 

to concentrate on and has 

no interest in competing with 

the private sector at constructing 

accommodation facilities. 

Regarding to the availability of 

some service facilities, such as 

public WCs at the areas of tourist 

attraction, he said the Min- 

‘I’m an Hindi actress, 

not Bollywood’ 

� Page 28 

� Competent authorities to monitor exaggerated price rise by hotels 

� Do not confuse between licensed and unlicensed accommodation 

facilities which come to surface during Khareef 

� Government stimulates investments in tourism sector and 

doesn’t compete with private sector 

� Operation of tourism information phone line to activate the 

oversight role on accommodation facilities 

Importance of tourism development in Dhofar stressed 

A 3-stage plan to promote Salalah till the end of tourist season 

New tourism projects are being planned in the Dhofar Governorate 

The Minister of Tourism, 

Ahmed al Mehrzi 

istry is building many of these 

at the areas of tourist attraction 

across the country, including 

Dhofar. There are initiatives to 

establish paid WCs services. 

One of these services will be 

run on an experimental basis at 

Al Sarooj filling station, at Muscat 

and Wadi Bani Khalid. The 

initiative will be available at 

many areas of tourist attraction 

in future. Some companies have 

welcomed the financing of these 

services in return for exclusive 

advertisement. Also, there are 

talks with other authorities to 

construct public WCs. 

Medical and conference 

tourism 

The Minister, who was ac- 

companied by some officials, 

briefed him on the progress 

made at the Salalah Beach Spa 

project. “The Tourism Ministry 

will also support conference 

and medical tourism”, he said. 

He had recently visited the 

Medical City project at the 

Wilayat of Taqah. 

“Within the tourism development 

programme, the 

Ministry has executed a 

number of projects at Dhofar 

the most prominent being the 

Al Murooj Theatre at Salalah, 

besides youth houses and 

road signs making visits 

to tourist places easy, in addition 

to developing tourist 

attraction like Al Mughsayl 

beach and some springs”, he 

explained. 

Minister of tourism pointed 

out the different major 

projects undertaken by the 

private sector like the Salalah 

Beach project and Al Sudah 

Island project, tourist commercial 

complex project, the 

two spas of Al Shuwaimah, 

Medical City project and 

Al Blaid Tourist Spa. 

The minister of tourism 

concluded his talk by 

stressing that Ministry hopes 

the Sultanate and Dhofar 

Governorate in particular 

will be an attractive tourist 

destination, in terms of cost, 

natural beauty, services available 

and the different tourist 

potentials.

26 SPOTLIGHT TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 

Muriya soft-launches luxurious Juweira Boutique Hotel 

WITH Dhofar’s 

khareef weather just 

weeks away from 

weaving its subtropical magic 

upon Salalah, a new chic boutique 

property is set to open 

its doors on the eve of this delightful 

summer holiday season 

in the south of Oman. 

Juweira Boutique Hotel, a 

premium five star property, is 

the first of five leading international 

hotel brands that will 

anchor the luxurious Salalah 

Beach lifestyle destination 

overlooking the Arabian Sea. 

Everything about Juweira 

— from its striking waterfront 

setting and distinctive design 

through to its sophisticated 

dining options and refined 

standard of service — is exceptionally 

boutique. Indeed, 

its launch is set to redefine the 

THE real advertisement, 

according to the 

Country Club is the 

first-hand word-of-mouth 

publicity that those who had 

experienced the same share 

with others. And invariably, 

that has been the driving force 

of this leading Indian leisure 

infrastructure company which 

is spreading wings across the 

globe. Testimonies from the 

satisfied and cherished guests 

of this multi-billion conglomerate 

speak volumes on its 

own. 

For J Sridhar, a resident of 

Muscat, it was a once in a lifetime 

experience. “My family 

and I went to Bandipur for a 

week last year where we spent 

our holidays with great enjoyment. 

We had a very nice time 

there. The hospitality given at 

Bandipur Resort was great 

By Susan Bagyura 

LIKE Peter Drucker, I 

believe entrepreneurial 

skills, attitudes and behaviours 

can be learned. It’s a 

mindset and all mindsets are 

learned. The sooner we start exposing 

people to entrepreneurship 

education, creating an inclusive 

educational foundation 

that supports an individual’s 

lifelong learning path, starting 

from youth and continuing 

through adulthood into higher 

education — the faster society 

resort experience for guests 

and visitors to Salalah, as well 

as enhance Dhofar’s international 

cachet as a tourism and 

leisure destination in its own 

right. 

Designed by celebrated 

Egyptian architect Adel 

Mokhtar, this trendy property 

with its charming Oriental 

theme offers 64 guestrooms including 

21 superbly appointed 

suites. Its location on the marina 

promenade affords guests 

unrivalled views of Salalah’s 

pristine beachfront and the Indian 

Ocean beyond. 

The guestrooms and suites 

exude luxury and refinement 

which is reflected in the rich, 

yet understated, décor and furnishings. 

Facilities available 

are both comprehensive and 

modern, keeping in mind the 

and we had nice food there. If 

I have to put the overall experience 

in just one sentence, 

I’d say “it was superb". 

We really wish to visit 

there again for it was an awesome 

experience and I keep 

telling my friends to try the 

holidays out with Country 

Club.” 

Venkatesh D Shenoy, another 

resident of the capital 

city, said: “Although I 

couldn’t make it, my family 

members went to Mumbai 

and Kovalam. It was an excellent 

experience for them. 

I understand that even the experience 

with the staff in The 

Country Club Muscat office 

has been really overwhelming. 

We would really love to 

try it once again — but this 

time definitely with me”. 

He further represents his 

LEADERSHIP CORNER 

‘Most of what you hear 

about entrepreneurship is 

all wrong. It’s not magic; it’s 

not mysterious; and it has 

nothing to do with genes. 

It’s a discipline and, like 

any discipline, it can 

be learned.’ 

— Peter F Drucker 

will be able to adapt and thrive 

to the continual global and economic 

changes. The advantage 

of educating the youth is that 

they only have to make up their 

minds whereas adults need to 

change their minds. 

Entrepreneurship education 

is a game changer because it has 

far reaching impact in all sectors 

— private, public, academia 

and non-profit. Although not 

everyone will become an entrepreneur, 

society at large needs 

property’s wide appeal across 

the complete spectrum of sophisticated 

and discriminating 

clients. 

Standard offers in all 

guestrooms are facilities such 

as Interactive LCD television 

with satellite, fully-serviced 

mini-bar, walk-in showers, 

Wi-Fi Internet access, IDD 

telephone and voicemail, tea/ 

coffee making facilities, and 

24-hour in-room dining. DVD 

players and PlayStation sets 

are available on request. 

Complementing the hotel’s 

impeccable facilities is its diverse 

dining and entertainment 

options. For seafood-lovers, 

there is As Sammak which 

conjures up a fine menu featuring 

some of the day’s finest 

catch, with splendid views of 

the marina to boot. 

family’s comments: “The 

property was beautiful and 

very well maintained. They 

had excellent facilities like 

swimming pools, spa facilities, 

and well maintained 

grounds. The rooms were 

very nice, well furnished, and 

well serviced and additionally, 

there was a doctor on 

call whose services my family 

used because one of the 

family members fell ill. The 

concierge was really helpful, 

and arranged for taxi service 

for our needs — both for 

sightseeing, and for our trip to 

the railway station.” 

As far as the food and restaurants 

are concerned, the 

restaurant on the property 

was good and we enjoyed 

the sumptuous buffet breakfast, 

except that the service 

was little slow. However, we 

Starting an entrepreneurial society 

to be more entrepreneurial so 

all will benefit from the education. 

Then, regardless of the 

role a person chooses to play, 

from the entrepreneur to a supporter, 

they can become a societal 

change agent. However, 

first we need to create an environment 

that encourages entrepreneurial 

ways of thinking 

and behaving. 

The time has come to connect 

both entrepreneurship and 

education to develop the talent 

and capabilities required for 

building the future. Entrepreneurship 

will be the basis for 

innovation, employment and 

economic growth. For that to 

happen, we need to create an 

environment where entrepreneurship 

can prosper and where 

entrepreneurs can try new ideas 

and empower others. 

Now more than ever, we 

need innovation, new solutions, 

creative approaches and 

new ways of operating. This 

will require people to stretch 

beyond their usual ways of do- 

Delectable fare prepared 

from fresh local produce is 

ordered in advance and went 

to the restaurant after 30 minutes, 

and this solved the problem”. 

Himanshu Swaly, from 

Wadi Kabir is indeed smitten 

by the Turangi leisure 

resort in New Zealand where 

his family and he spent holidays. 

“I found the staff very 

co-operative, prompt service, 

variety of choices of resorts 

all around the world, flexibility 

of planning the vacations, 

excellent offers through affiliates, 

organising functions and 

events on different occasions 

etc. 

“Thus my membership has 

value for money and more. 

I strongly recommend all to 

ing or thinking; demanding a 

willingness to be open, challenging 

old ideas and barriers. 

There are many big problems 

in the world that need 

to be solved. To do it, it’s 

imperative to create learning 

environments that encourages 

innovation, new ideas, creative 

solutions and approaches. 

“My greatest challenge has 

been to change the mindset of 

people. We see things the way 

our minds have instructed our 

eyes to see”, says Muhammad 

also a key theme at Al Fanar, 

a welcoming and intimate 

all-day diner. Guests can also 

choose from a la carte menu or 

tuck into an enormous buffet 

spread encompassing international 

and regional cuisines. 

Abounding throughout the 

property are outlets that offer 

guests and visitors the opportunity 

to unwind amid relaxing 

surroundings. Sip n’ Dip, located 

by the pool along the marina, 

has the appeal of a cosy 

hangout that comes alive as 

the day progresses and music 

enlivens the scene. Al Boom 

Pool Bar is another venue that 

allows guests to kick back with 

a beverage while enjoying the 

poolside settings. 

With the soft-launch of Juweira 

Boutique Hotel, Muriya 

celebrates yet another milestone 

in the ongoing development 

of its Salalah Beach leisure 

destination in the Dhofar 

Governorate. Situated around 

20 kilometres from Salalah International 

Airport, this high- 

Local travellers recount their holiday experience 

take full advantage of it, especially 

those who love tours 

and travelling. I am thankful 

to The Country Club who 

managed to get this unit for 

us in short notice”. 

Puneet Chopra, an official 

from BankMuscat, said: “It 

was a wonderful experience 

last year when we holidayed 

in Europe, thanks to Country 

Club. We spent two weeks 

there and stayed in Radisson 

in Paris where we were given 

a marvellous treat. In Switzerland 

too the experience was 

awesome and we wouldn’t 

mind trying next destination 

in a short while”. 

Venugopalan, hailing from 

Kerala made it as part of an 

Yunus, Managing Director, 

Grameen Bank 

Until now, education has 

predominantly been focused on 

preparing people to enter the 

workforce by taking a job. Entrepreneurship 

education goes 

well beyond that and as such, 

it requires a revolutionary approach 

bringing with it new 

teaching tools and methods. 

Incremental change just won’t 

do. 

Entrepreneurship education 

is about developing attitudes, 

end lifestyle development is 

spread over an area of 15.6 

million square metres fronted 

by 8.2 kilometres of white 

sandy beaches. 

Designated an Integrated 

Tourism Complex (ITC) by 

the Tourism Ministry, Salalah 

Beach will eventually comprise 

of high-end freehold 

apartments and villas, luxury 

shopping and retail outlets, 

five star hotels, two 18-hole 

PGA golf courses, 200-berth 

inland marina anchored by a 

Marina township, restaurants 

and cafes. 

“The Juweira Boutique Hotel 

is quite unlike anything that 

Salalah has to offer on the hospitality 

front. With significant 

emphasis being placed on leisure, 

entertainment and quality 

of customer service, this property 

has the potential to establish 

itself as a high quality 

destination and cosmopolitan 

address for locals and tourists 

alike,” said Daniel Fanselow, 

General Manager. 

official visit to the south Indian 

city of Chennai along with 

his family. “The hotel where 

we stayed during our couple 

of days in Guindy, Chennai 

was highly appreciable. Services 

too were of high standard 

and we really enjoyed our 

stay there. 

Credits should first go to 

the staff of Country Club in 

Muscat who took us through 

a detailed presentation on 

the services and other facilities 

that we were going to receive 

and about the whole 

set of holiday destinations. 

We chose Chennai because 

I combined both official and 

leisure trip and made a trip to 

the south Indian state”. 

As awards and accolades 

along with the testimonies of 

the guests pour in, The Country 

Club do not want rest to 

rest on their laurels. They are 

pioneers in the concept of 

family clubbing in India, with 

225 established properties of 

which 55 are owned and 155 

are franchised, and has over 

172 affiliated clubs and 3,000 

resorts. 

For the year ended March 

31, 2012, CCIL reported net 

sales of RO 25 million and 

its consolidated net profit was 

RO 3.3 million. The Limca 

Book of World Records has 

recognised CCIL as India's 

biggest chain of family clubs. 

Recently, the Country 

Club has also entered the 

Guinness World Record for 

its noble concept and excellent 

services to the tourism 

industry. 

behaviours and capabilities. 

Leadership is at its core. The 

skills and attitudes that will 

be developed can take many 

forms during a person’s career, 

creating a range of longterm 

benefits to society and the 

economy. 

Rather than backing into 

future dragging the old ways 

of thinking and doing things, 

the time has come to create 

an entrepreneurial society. To 

be successful, this will require 

collaboration and multi-stakeholder 

support, including government, 

academic institutions 

and the private sector. 

Please visit my blog to learn 

the 12 mindset differences between 

a small business owner 

and an entrepreneur. http:// 

www.thevisionaryleader.com/ 

blog/ 

— Susan Bagyura, a 

leadership coach and business 

consultant, works with SME 

owners who want to create 

financially sustainable 

businesses. 

A tribute to fathers 

A 

RECENT cartoon I saw depicts a family flaunting their 

latest electronic possessions — the little daughter with 

the i- pod shuffle, the mother with an i- pod touch, the younger 

son has an i-pad and the elder son with an i-phone 4! What 

about the father? Well, he holds a placard that says: I-paid.! 

There may be a slight exaggeration and light hearted banter 

here but the underlying truth is not really off the mark. 

Serious reflection suggests that this is a situation that demands 

corrective measures and I suppose the annual Father’s 

Day celebrations is a positive effort to acknowledge the substantial 

contribution by fathers to sustain families and societies. 

The Day provides children an opportunity to express 

their love, gratitude and respect to their fathers. 

The credit for the pioneering efforts to institutionalise Father’s 

Day observance goes to a motivated, persevering and 

grateful daughter Sonora Louise Smart Dodd from Spokane, 

US. Her father Henry Jackson Smart revealed extraordinary 

love and spirit of sacrifice in single-handedly raising Sonora 

and her five siblings after the death of her mother during 

childbirth. 

Sonora was inspired by a Mother's Day Sermon in 1909 

and felt Fathers too deserved such a recognition. Initially, 

people scoffed at her idea. But she pursued her goal relentlessly 

till it was accepted. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge 

first recognised Father's Day. In 1972, President Richard 

Nixon established it as a permanent national event to be observed 

on the third Sunday of June. 

Since then the concept has transcended geographical 

boundaries. Today, millions of children express gratitude for 

their dads though the day and manner may differ. 

The Day reminds us that a father has an equally significant 

role in the physical, emotional, financial, social and 

spiritual well-being of a child. He is the biggest source of 

strength for the growing child. For daughters, father is the 

ideal man worthy of adoration, while for sons, father is a 

resilient role model. 

As I look back at my father, who is no more, I believe this 

is true. He was not well educated but his practical experience 

and worldly wisdom gained while in government service 

when the British still ruled India and the freedom struggle 

led by Gandhi was at its peak, were immense sources of 

education. He inspired me to set higher goals in life and live 

with dignity and always within one’s means. Lessons that 

continue to shape my life. ‘Did I express adequately my love 

and gratitude for his life transforming touch, when he was 

around,’ I wonder. 

Children would do well to remember that only fathers 

provide honest and unselfish advice when it matters. They 

never ever give the smallest hint of how hard they work to 

fulfil the needs and even the whimsical demands. If this is judiciously 

mingled with occasional but affectionate chastisements, 

the aim is to mould them into strong and independent 

men and women. 

Don’t the dads deserve the children’s unreserved affection 

and appreciation not only on Father's Day but every single 

day of our lives. 

Quotes: 

� A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall 

you grow. — Anon. 

� My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give. 

Self-belief. — Amy Heckerling 

� By the time a man realises that maybe his father was 

right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong. 

— Charles Wadworth 

BSM Sports Dinner 

recognises sporting talent 

THE annual sports gathering of The British School Muscat 

was held the Crowne Plaza Muscat recently. It was an 

opportunity for the coaches, students and parents to celebrate 

a year of sporting achievement and experience in a dazzling 

array of trophies, prizes and gifts. 

Andy Taylor, Deputy Director of Sport, created this special 

event for ‘special recognitions’. 

Now in its seventh year, the Sports Dinner was conceived 

in order to recognise and honour the great number of hugely 

talented students at The British School Muscat from a diverse 

number of sports which are enjoyed as part of the extracurricular 

activities programme. 

The Event was sponsored MHD, Oasis Water, Muscat 360 

and Omanta Scuba.

PEOPLE’S 

PLATFORM 

I 

WAS truly delighted that after a recent trip 

abroad my fellow passengers and I were met 

by hospitable and courteous airport staff. 

It was a bit of a surprise to have been so well 

received as the place had received adverse criticism 

due to staff behaviour in the past. This, I 

learnt, has changed thanks to promotional steps 

taken by the leadership of the country to ensure, 

visitors, particularly tourists, are given hassle 

free welcome when entering the country. 

It proved to me that it is possible to reverse 

tendencies from negative to positive if the right 

instructions are given and followed by those 

concerned. 

Furthermore, this seemed to be the trend 

throughout the country, which has recognised 

the important revenues tourism in general generates 

and has acted in a way that will encourage 

and promote this. 

— H S Raghiman 

Editor: These are wise steps that have been 

taken and for the visitor and it is always nice to 

be given a hearty welcome. 

Why the need for sit-ins? 

WAS alarmed to hear about the sit-ins that 

I have taken place at some oil concession 

areas. 

Normally, employees working in these remote 

areas are given special benefits and are 

well taken care of when they have to perform 

their duties in often inhospitable places and 

conditions. 

They are provided with good accommodation, 

transportation and catering and receive 

special nature of work allowances and extended 

rest periods. 

Many of the people employed in this field 

prefer this type of work rather than the normal 

nine-to-five routine. 

However, workers grievances should have 

been tackled by the management well before it 

became a serious problem. 

Employees today are much savvier about 

their rights and are reluctant to be ridden over 

roughshod. It is high time management realised 

this and started taking better care of the em- 

FOOD CORNER 

Gourmands prospect 

for truffles in 

deepest Croatia 

DARKNESS is falling and the peaks around 

Livade are wreathed in mist. The air is moist 

and heavy at the close of another humid day on 

the Istrian peninsula in Croatia. 

“This was just what nature needed,” said Giancarlo 

Zigante. For a long it was dry in these 

parts, very dry and extremely warm with it. 

The air in the small village of Livade, which 

consists of little more than a few streets and a 

roundabout, is filled with a cacophony of barking 

dogs — the noise seems to come from everywhere 

at the same time. 

The animals hereabouts are as important 

as the mountains which hem in this tiny place 

and also the swathes of mist since this is truffle 

country. All the ingredients combine to create 

the ideal growing conditions for some of the 

world’s most sought-after examples of this aromatic 

delicacy. 

The truffles, black and white ones, grow in 

the woods. Next to Italy and France, Croatia 

is the only other region in Europe where these 

sought-after subterranean mushrooms can be 

found by the kilo. 

Mister Giancarlo, as everyone here calls 

him, is no ordinary truffle-seeker. It was while 

out walking with his dog in 1999 that Zigante 

made the find of a lifetime. He brought back a 

rare white truffle which weighed 1.31 kilos and 

Truffle chocolates 

earned its place in the Guinness Book of Records. 

The scarcity of the white truffle, the flesh of 

which is usually pale cream, makes it the most 

expensive of all. 

Even today Giancarlo searches for words to 

describe the joy he felt at the time. “Actually, I 

still can’t believe it,” he said. No translation is 

necessary when he raises his arms to the sky and 

his eyes start to shine. 

The chunky truffle brought him more than 

just fleeting fame and honour. Mister Giancarlo 

has built up a small empire here in Istria. 

He is the only one for miles around who buys 

up the truffles from around 600 people who 

scour the countryside in search of them. 

Giancarlo sells the truffles throughout the 

EU, to America and even as far as China. He also 

uses the flesh to create such delicacies as truffle 

honey and butter, and conserves the small fruiting 

bodies using salt. 

He also runs a restaurant in Livade — one 

which has been annually accorded two toques or 

traditional chef’s hats in the Gault Millau culinary 

guide since it opened eight years ago. A wide 

range of truffle dishes is served along with olive 

oil from the 61-year-old’s own plantation. A selection 

of wines is due to be added soon. — dpa 

27 

LETTERS/HEALTH TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 

Kudos to hospitable and 

courteous airport staff 

ployees whom they insist are the backbone of 

the company and yet often do little to better or 

improve their lot. 

— Yousuf Yacoub 

Editor: As noted many times in these editions 

it is imperative to make sure that employees 

rights are taken care of and their legitimate 

needs are met — which are stipulated as a 

minimum benchmark in the country’s Labour 

Law. 

Do you have a word of appreciation for any services you received? Or suggestions for improvement? Observer is giving you 

an opportunity to rant or rave about anything and everything around you: Please write to: 

Tel: 24649451, Fax: 24649469; e-mail: observerfeatures@gmail.com 

Faces prompt complex judgements 

PEOPLE make complex judgements 

about a person just by 

looking at the face, based on a 

number of factors that go beyond race 

and gender, says a study. 

Kimberly Quinn and her colleagues 

from the University of Birmingham 

found that people “see” 

faces in a multiple of ways. 

“How we perceive faces is not just 

a reflection of what’s in those faces,” 

said Kimberly. “We are not objective; 

we bring our current goals and past 

knowledge to every new encounter. 

And this happens really quickly — 

within a couple of hundred milliseconds 

of seeing the face.” 

This could have wider importance 

in understanding stereotyping and 

discrimination because it has implica- 

tions on whether and how people categorise 

others. 

The findings question a long-held 

belief that people immediately put 

a person they meet into a limited 

number of social categories such as: 

female or male; Asian, Black, Latino 

or White; and young or old. 

Categorisation is not done purely 

on the physical features of the face in 

‘Changing plate’s colour helps you shed weight’ 

SCIENTISTS have suggested an 

easy way out for those who want 

to shed pounds. They should simply 

change the colour of their plates. 

People tend to take more generous 

helpings when the food they eat 

is of the same hue as the crockery on 

which it is placed, says a new study. 

When foods “blend in” with their 

background, people serve themselves 

20 per cent more than if they were 

serving the same meal on a plate of 

contrasting colour. 

In the study, people were given 

either a red or a white dinner plate 

and led to one of two buffet tables offering 

pasta; one in tomato sauce, the 

other in cream sauce, the Telegraph 

reports. 

Those given crockery which 

“matched” their food — red for tomato 

sauce, or white for cream sauce 

— gave themselves helpings between 

17 and 22 per cent larger than those 

with plates of contrasting colour. 

Further, research has established 

that the average person eats around 

92 per cent of a portion they serve 

themselves. 

The latest study by researchers 

at Cornell University, US, repeated 

several times on groups of 60 participants, 

found the actual colour of 

the food and plates made no difference; 

what mattered was the contrast 

between the two. 

Study authors said the colour contrast 

appears to act as a “stop sign” 

reminding people to think about how 

much food they were serving. 

Brian Wansink, professor who 

runs Cornell University’s Food and 

Brand Lab, said: “People will generally 

serve themselves far more on a 

large dinner plate than they would 

on a smaller one, because the eye is 

tricked. It seems that colour contrast 

is one way to block this illusion.” 

The research author said those 

trying to lose weight could help 

themselves by buying brightly coloured 

or dark plates, to provide contrast 

with common white foodstuffs 

such as pasta, rice and potatoes. 

Alternatively, green plates could 

be used as a way to trick children 

into eating more vegetables, he said. 

— IANS 

front of us, but depends on other information 

as well, including whether the 

person is already known and whether 

the person is believed to share other 

important identities with us, a Birmingham 

statement said. 

Researchers explored social categories 

such as sex, race and age; 

physical attributes such as attractiveness; 

personality traits such as trustworthiness; 

and emotional states such 

as anger, sadness and happiness. 

In order to investigate the causes, 

mechanisms, and results of social categorisation, 

Quinn used techniques 

from cognitive psychology and neuroscience 

to investigate how people 

process faces. The research was designed 

to provide insight into when 

and why people categorise others according 

to social group membership. 

Their findings differ from previous 

research that adopted a ‘dual process’ 

approach and assumed people initially 

categorised faces based on factors 

such as gender, race or age before determining 

whether to stereotype them 

or to see them as unique individuals. 

Quinn’s findings were more consistent 

with a single process that initially 

focuses on ‘coarse’ information 

that is easy to detect, and then immediately 

starts to include more finegrained 

processing as time elapses. 

— IANS 

Centre for Sight 

expands in N India 

IN a bid to consolidate its market 

position in north India, eyecare 

chain Centre for Sight (CFS) 

said that it has partnered with two 

institutes in Chandigarh. 

“The partnership expands the 

footprint of Centre for Sight in 

Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana 

from two to seven centres for 

bringing world class affordable 

eye care at a patient’s door step,” 

said CFS chairman Mahipal Singh 

Sachdev. 

Currently, the company has 40 

centres pan-India and aims at doubling 

this figure by 2015 at a cost of 

Rs 150 crore. 

“We expect that the expansion 

process will cost around Rs 150 

crore,” said Sachdev in a statement. 

According to Sachdev, the company 

aims to fill in the vacuum created 

by a huge demand in the eyecare 

segment that has lagged behind 

the whole sectoral growth of the 

healthcare sector. 

The company is also looking at 

expanding in the tier-II and III cities. 

In the latest expansion the company 

has tied up with two centres in 

Chandigarh — Mirchia’s Laser Eye 

Centre and Monica’s Eye Clinic. 

While, Mirchia’s Laser Eye Centre, 

is one of the oldest centres in the 

city, Monica’s Eye Clinic, on the 

other hand, works in rural areas near 

the city. — IANS 

On minister’s absence 

AS read in your recent article on the Majlis 

Ash’shura’s Deputy Chairman’s quest to 

have the Minister of Oil and Gas grilled due to 

what was described as his absence during the 

recent sit-in crisis, I wonder if it required his 

direct presence to rectify the problem. 

After all, these were apparently private sector 

employees working in concession areas and 

steps should have been taken by those in positions 

of responsibility within the companies 

concerned. 

If there are legitimate complaints, then it is 

up to the management of these companies to 

take necessary fair and affirmative action before 

matters deteriorate and the problem is further 

exacerbated. 

As it stands, this affirmative action and addressing 

of employee grievances rests solely on 

the shoulders of the management of the companies 

that employ the workers. It is they who are 

the de facto people in-charge. 

In this sense, to insist the Minister of Oil and 

Gas be held responsible and be grilled by the 

Majlis Ash’shura seems to be over-the-top and 

overstretched accountability. 

— B R Ryan 

Editor: That’s an interesting comment. 

‘Soft drinks not linked 

to childhood obesity’ 

The researchers determined beverage 

consumption patterns among children 

aged two years using cluster analysis 

where socio-demographics, ethnicity, 

household income and food security 

were significantly different 

SOFT drinks and other sweetened beverages 

don’t contribute to childhood obesity, though 

it may increase the risk factor among boys aged 

6-11 years, says a new study. 

The study examined the link between beverage 

intake patterns of children and their risk for 

obesity. 

“We found sweetened drinks to be dominant 

beverages during childhood, but saw no consistent 

association between beverage intake patterns 

and overweight and obesity,” says Susan J Whiting, 

professor of nutrition and dietetics from Canada’s 

University of Saskatchewan, who led the 

study, the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, 

and Metabolism reports. 

“Food and beverage habits are formed early 

in life and are often maintained into adulthood. 

Overconsumption of sweetened beverages may 

put some children at increased risk for overweight 

and obesity,” said Whiting, according to a 

Saskatchewan statement. 

“Indeed, boys aged 6-11 years who consumed 

mostly soft drinks were shown to be at increased 

risk for overweight and obesity as compared with 

those who drank a more moderate beverage pattern,” 

added Whiting. 

The researchers determined beverage consumption 

patterns among Canadian children aged 

two years using cluster analysis where sociodemographics, 

ethnicity, household income and 

food security were significantly different across 

the clusters. 

Data were divided into different age and gender 

groups and beverage preferences were studied. 

For this study the sweetened, low-nutrient 

beverages, categorised according to Canada’s 

Food Guide, consisted of fruit-flavoured beverages, 

beverages with less than 100 per cent fruit 

juice, lemonades, regular soft drinks and sweetened 

coffees or teas. — IANS

Not dating Parineeti, 

says Uday Chopra 

ACTOR Uday Chopra finds rumours of a relationship 

with Yash Raj Films (YRF) discovery Parineeti 

Chopra (pictured) “ridiculous”. 

“Whoa! @ParineetiChopra and I are not dating, it’s kinda 

ridiculous! And she doesn’t call me sir, though I think 

she should start,” tweeted Uday. 

Parineeti’s Bollywood career kicked off with YRF’s 

Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. She followed up its success with 

Ishaqzaade. 

Meanwhile, Uday is looking after the banner’s 

Hollywood wing — YRF Entertainment, which develops 

and produces feature films for the US and international 

market. 

The duo were spotted enjoying together at various 

nightspots, sparking rumours that there’s something beyond 

a professional camaraderie. — IANS 

Madagascar 3 still reigns 

ALEX the lion and his wild friends in Madagascar 3: 

Europe's Most Wanted retained their crown as king 

of the American box office this weekend, industry figures 

showed on Sunday. 

For the second week running, the cartoon romp starring 

Ben Stiller that sees the animals rampage through Europe 

with the help of a run-down circus as they try to return to a 

New York zoo stayed at the top of the charts, according to 

Exhibitor Relations. 

The movie took $35.5 million over the weekend. The 

third instalment of the wildly popular Madagascar franchise 

has now taken more than $120 million since its debut 

last week. Ridley Scott's hotly anticipated sci-fi adventure 

Prometheus remained in second place with $20.2 million, 

the box office tracker said, adding that the prequel to the 

"Alien" movies had now pocketed some $88.8 million. 

But the duo's grip on the charts, saw Rock of Ages starring 

Tom Cruise enter at third place earning just $15 million 

on its opening weekend, despite weeks of pre-release 

publicity. — AFP 

SHE is fairly new to the industry but 

Richa Chadda, who was seen in 

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye, takes objection 

to the word Bollywood and says 

she would like to be known as the Hindi 

film actress. 

“I don’t like the word Bollywood. I 

don’t want to be called a Bollywood actress. 

I would like to be called a Hindi 

film actress. I don’t mean to challenge 

Bollywood, I love it. But I don’t think we 

should derive a name just because there 

is Hollywood,” Richa said. 

She is aware that her views can stir up 

a debate. At the same time, she is proud 

of the fact that she is part of the film industry 

that is giving competition to Hollywood. 

“We are the only industry in the world 

that has guts to stand up in front of Hollywood. 

If you go to Europe, their cinema 

is suffering. In Japan and China, everywhere 

cinema has taken a huge hit because 

of Hollywood. And Hollywood is 

America’s largest export to the world.” 

“I feel very proud to be part of the 

industry which has the guts to make 

big budget, expensive films. We are in 

good place. Like if Avengers and Rowdy 

Rathore come together for a release, 

28 

ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012 

I’m an Hindi actress, not Bollywood, 

says new entrant Richa Chadda 

ACTRESS Emma Stone, (pictured) 

who plays Peter Parker’s first love 

Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man, 

wants to study biology. 

She visited a laboratory for the first 

time on the set and was fascinated by the 

work of real scientists and is inspired to 

study the subject. 

“It was the first time I had ever been 

angry about not going to college because 

I was fascinated by what they were showing 

us at the laboratory. I thought, ‘What 

do I need to do to intern?’ You need to be 

a college graduate,” starpulse.com quoted 

Stone as saying. 

“It sucks because I can learn, I swear I 

got so interested in biology, learning about 

medicine and regeneration and stem cells. 

It expanded my mind in so many ways, so 

now I’m gonna go take a biology class. 

What’s amazing is you can do it at home,” 

said the 23-year-old. 

then also there is no comparison. Rowdy 

Rathore will still do well,” she said. 

The actress says Bollywood is an imaginary 

landscape. 

“What is Bollywood? When we go to 

LA, we see a board — Hollywood, which 

is a place. We are taking it from there and 

saying Bollywood. I think Bollywood 

is an imaginary landscape. Actually, we 

are working in the Hindi film industry,” 

Richa said. 

She will be seen in Gangs of Wasseypur, 

which is releasing on June 22. The 

crime thriller was showcased at the 65th 

Cannes International Film Festival and 

she says the experience has been great. 

“At the Cannes Film Festival, you get 

to see Marathi, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Hinglish 

and urban films. Cannes was a beautiful 

experience, can’t describe it. For a newcomer 

to go there is unbelievable. I feel 

lucky as my first film as a main lead went 

there and got appreciation,” she added. 

The actress wants to do films that 

would make a difference. 

Directed by Anurag Kashyap, Gangs 

of Wasseypur also features Manoj Bajpayee, 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma 

Qureshi and Tigmanshu Dhulia among 

others. — IANS 

Emma Stone plans to study biology 

Baldwin loses case against Costner: 

Actor Stephen Baldwin has lost a 

multi-million dollar case against actor 

Kevin Costner. 

Baldwin accused Costner of cheating 

him and his business partner in a deal to 

sell oil clean-up devices to British Petroleum 

after 2010’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill. 

The case was settled in front of a federal 

jury in Louisiana who, after two hours 

of deliberation, rejected Baldwin’s claim 

for more than $17 million in damages. 

Later Baldwin and his attorney issued a 

statement expressing their disappointment 

at jury’s decision, but said that he respected 

their choice. 

Meanwhile, Costner expressed his 

gratitude to the jury and said getting his 

name cleared was more important than 

money. — IANS 

Jessie J to return to The Voice 

SINGER Jessie J, (pictured) who The 42-year-old is developing a stage 

was part of the coaching panel show about the Ancient Egyptian 

of British TV talent show The queen with her Traffic director Ste- 

Voice, has reportedly been offered ven Soderbergh. 

£500,000 to return to the second “I just finished a movie with Steven 

season of the show. 

Soderbergh and we have an idea 

“Jessie has signed on the dotted line — actually it was for a movie — 

and will definitely be back for an- to play Cleopatra. It’s a rock and 

other series,” imdb.com quoted a roll musical movie, but we think it 

source as saying. 

would just be fantastic on Broad- 

“She did find some of it tougher than way,” dailystar.co.uk quoted Zetashe 

expected but the positives out- Jones as saying. 

weighed the negatives so she’s The actress won the Tony Award for 

chosen to come back,” added the best leading actress in a musical for 

source. 

her portrayal of Desiree in A Little 

Zeta-Jones to play Cleopatra: Welsh Night Music in 2009. 

actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is She’s currently showing off her vocal 

planning to return to Broadway as talents in the Hollywood adaptation 

Cleopatra in a new rock and roll of another Broadway show, Rock of 

musical. 

Ages. — IANS 

Bollywood report card: Small films boost box office 

SMALL is big in Bollywood. 

In the first five months, smallbudget 

non-commercial films 

have kept the cash registers ringing 

and kept film-makers happy, trade 

experts say, adding that the icing on 

the cake has been three biggies that 

crossed the Rs 100 crore ($22 million) 

mark. In the second half, all 

eyes will be on the Khans. 

A bouquet of non-commercial offerings 

— Kahaani, Vicky Donor and 

Ishaqzaade — turned into big successes 

at the ticket window, which 

also saw biggies Agneepath, Housefull 

2 and Rowdy Rathore doing roaring 

business. 

Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia 

Combines said: “I would say smallbudget 

films have done exceptionally 

well at the box office. Ishaqzaade 

has collected around Rs 40 crore, 

Kahaani Rs 75 crore, Vicky Donor 

Rs 45 crore and Paan Singh Tomar 

Rs 20 crore” 

Except Ishaqzaade, which was 

made at a budget of Rs 25 crore, the 

other three were made within Rs 10 

crore. The total cost of Kahaani was 

Rs 8 crore, Vicky Donor Rs 5 crore, 

and Paan Singh Tomar Rs 4.5 crore. 

Thadani added that the “satellite 

rights of these small-budget films 

have also been sold on high rate. The 

films have garnered profit from the 

satellite rights as well”. 

Both film-makers and the audiences 

have evolved and, thanks to 

that, non-mainstream cinemas’ box 

office returns have been overwhelming. 

Pramod Arora, CEO of PVR Cinemas, 

explained the phenomenon: 

“This is the process of evolution. A 

lot of non-mainstream cinema happened 

to be mainstream, including 

Vicky Donor, Kahaani, Paan Singh 

among others. Had Vicky Donor re- 

leased two years back, it may not 

have worked. Two years ago Vicky 

Donor would have been taken as a 

taboo.” 

Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Arts said 

that “As far as small-budget films are 

concerned, films like Kahaani, Vicky 

Donor, Paan Singh Tomar and Isahqzaade 

have not just recovered the 

A scene from the big grosser Ishaqzaade 

money but have also earned decent 

profits at various circuits.” 

The year 2011 helped Hindi cinema 

break the gloom of 2009 and 

2010, with several films crossing the 

Rs 100 crore mark. 

This year, about 45 films have 

come out so far and some big-budget 

films among them crossed the net 

Rs 100 crore mark. Trade analysts 

call it a very positive sign. 

“Three big films including Agneepath, 

Housefull 2 and Rowdy 

Rathore have crossed the net Rs 100 

crore mark,” said Sanjay Ghai. 

Giving the box office figures, 

Thadani said: “These big-budget 

films have marked a record this year. 

Agneepath has collected around Rs 

120 crore, Rowdy Rathore Rs 105 

crore so far, and Housefull 2 Rs 110 

crore.” 

Most importantly, film-makers 

didn’t hesitate in releasing movies 

during Indian Premier League 

matches and enjoyed good business. 

“Films have done very well at the 

box office; in fact it has been better 

than last year. This year’s collection 

was superior to last year’s. There was 

not a single fall during the IPL. The 

fear factor of releasing your film during 

IPL was not there,” Arora said. 

Trade Analyst Amod Mehra 

summed it up, saying: “This year, 

some films have done exceptionally 

well and some have not, but so far 

the collections at the box office have 

been satisfactory.” 

Then came a rider: “No big films 

like a Salman Khan or a Shah Rukh 

Khan or an Aamir Khan film has released 

yet. The real picture is yet to 

come in the second half of the year.” 

Salman’s Ek Tha Tiger, Shah 

Rukh’s film with Yash Chopra and 

Aamir’s Talaash are scheduled for 

release later this year. — IANS 

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

Printers and Publishers OMAN ESTABLISHMENT FOR PRESS, PUBLICATION AND ADVERTISING 

Singer Nelly Furtado arrives on the red carpet for the 

MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto. — Reuters 

Singer Katy Perry (centre) stands with children 

dressed as characters from her videos during the 

MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto. — Reuters 

Actresses Brooklyn Decker (left) and Jessica Szohr 

attend the The 24 Hour Plays: Los Angeles at The 

Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California. — AFP 

Singer and actress Victoria Duffield arrives on the red 

carpet for the Toronto music award. — Reuters 

Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising; P.O. Box 974, Postal Code 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman; Tel: 24649444, 24649450, 24649451, 24604563, 24699437 � Fax: 24699643 � Website: omanobserver.om 

� e-mail: editor@omanobserver.om � Salalah Office: Tel: 23292633, Fax: 23293909 � Nizwa Office: Tel: 25411099, P.O. Box 955, P.C. 611 � ADVERTISING: AL OMANEYA ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS, P.O. Box 3303, 

Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman, Tel: SWITCHBOARD: 24649444, DIRECT: 24649430/24649437/24649401, Fax: 24649434 � DISTRIBUTION AGENT: AL OMANEYA FOR DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING, 

P.O. Box 974, P.C. 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Tel: 24649351/24649360, Fax: 24649379, subscribe@omandaily.om

S - Oman Daily Observer

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?