Observer & Busness 10 Jan 2012 - Oman Observer
Observer & Busness 10 Jan 2012 - Oman Observer
Observer & Busness 10 Jan 2012 - Oman Observer
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HM condolences to Kuwait Emir<br />
HIS Majesty Sultan Qaboos has sent a cable of condolences to<br />
Shaikh Sabah al Ahmed al Jabir al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, on<br />
the death of Shaikh Abdulaziz Shamlan Abdulaziz al Hamoud<br />
al Jarah al Sabah. His Majesty expressed his sincere condolences<br />
and sympathies to Shaikh Sabah and Al Sabah Family,<br />
praying to the Almighty to rest the deceased’s soul in peace and<br />
grant his family fortitude to bear the loss. — ONA<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>-UAE trade ties reviewed<br />
HIS Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Deputy<br />
Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, received Sultan bin<br />
Said al Mansoori, UAE Economy Minister. Al Mansoori conveyed<br />
the greetings and best wishes of the UAE leader to His<br />
Majesty Sultan Qaboos and the <strong>Oman</strong>i government and people.<br />
HH Sayyid Fahd and the guest discussed various aspects of cooperation<br />
between the two countries. Details, P2<br />
Tuesday, <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong>/Safar 16, 1433 AH<br />
www.omanobserver.om editor@omanobserver.om<br />
BOOSTING TIES: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands begins a 3-day official visit<br />
today to boost bilateral relations. The picture shows His Majesty Sultan Qaboos<br />
with the Queen during her earlier visit to <strong>Oman</strong> on March 8, 2011. Details, P25<br />
New high security banknote issued<br />
MUSCAT — The Central<br />
Bank of <strong>Oman</strong> (CBO) has introduced<br />
to the public a new<br />
upgraded banknote of the denomination<br />
RO 50.<br />
The new banknote, valid<br />
from today, <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>10</strong>, is<br />
distinguished for additional<br />
security features.<br />
The apex bank said in a<br />
statement released yesterday<br />
that the new banknote will<br />
be in circulation as a legal<br />
banknote alongside the existing<br />
banknotes, which shall<br />
continue to remain valid and<br />
circulated side by side.<br />
In addition to the general<br />
security features on the front<br />
of the upgraded new banknote,<br />
the front side is superimposed<br />
by the portrait of His<br />
Majesty Sultan Qaboos, along<br />
with His Majesty’s signature<br />
in the lower part of the note.<br />
A watermark picture of<br />
His Majesty appears on the<br />
left side of the note, while<br />
the national emblem (Khanjar)<br />
appears on top of the note.<br />
The apex bank’s name<br />
in Arabic “Central Bank of<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>” also appears on top<br />
of the note, with serial numbers<br />
on the right and left sides<br />
of the note and the category<br />
denomination in Arabic on<br />
the right and left sides of the<br />
note. Special banknote identification<br />
features for the blind<br />
are inserted on the right side<br />
of the new note.<br />
The reverse side of the<br />
note includes the phrase<br />
“Central Bank of <strong>Oman</strong>” in<br />
English on the upper part of<br />
the note, while the banknote’s<br />
denomination in English ap-<br />
pears on the right and left<br />
sides alongside the logo of<br />
the 40th National Day.<br />
The security features on<br />
the front of the note represent<br />
in intaglio portrait of His<br />
Majesty, twin step window, a<br />
holographic element (CBO’s<br />
main entrance), a tactile feature<br />
for the blind, colour and<br />
other features. — ONA<br />
Pictures on page 2<br />
Frequent rent hike illegal Low air fares to Khasab<br />
<br />
MUSCAT — Housing rents<br />
should not be increased for<br />
three years from the date of<br />
the contract that both parties<br />
entered into and any increase<br />
before that without the consent<br />
of the tenant is considered<br />
unilateral and is null and<br />
void. And hence, the tenant<br />
is not obliged to consider<br />
the clause, according to the<br />
department concerned at the<br />
Muscat Municipality.<br />
“There is a Royal Decree<br />
that stipulates that increase in<br />
rents should be legal and any<br />
hike is not permissible without<br />
the mutual agreement of<br />
the parties concerned during<br />
three years of the contract,<br />
and the percentage to be increased<br />
has to be ratified,”<br />
said Hamed Salem al Rasbi,<br />
Director-General, Investment<br />
and Revenue at the Muscat<br />
Municipality.<br />
He said: “Any increase<br />
within this period is void and<br />
hence the affected parties can<br />
seek justice from the court.”<br />
“It is not permitted to increase<br />
rent as and when the<br />
landlord wishes and it is not<br />
allowed by the law. Normally<br />
a maximum of 7 per cent increase<br />
is permissible on any<br />
ground.” To page 5<br />
Deals to train 753 <strong>Oman</strong>is<br />
MUSCAT — Seventeen<br />
agreements worth RO 2.27<br />
million for training of the<br />
national manpower at a<br />
number of private training<br />
institutions in various vocational<br />
specialities to meet<br />
needs of the labour market,<br />
were signed yesterday.<br />
Shaikh Abdullah bin<br />
Nasser al Bakri, Manpower<br />
Minister, signed the agreements<br />
including training<br />
of <strong>Oman</strong>is in various technical,<br />
administrative and<br />
craft fields. The training<br />
covers assistant steel structure<br />
blacksmith, foreign<br />
exchange work, cooling<br />
and air-conditioning, heavy<br />
equipment driving, accounting,<br />
Oracle, sales and construction<br />
foreman.<br />
Hamad bin Khamis al<br />
Amri, Under-Secretary of<br />
the Manpower Ministry, said<br />
that the training agreements<br />
translate the efforts of the<br />
government to avail training<br />
opportunities coupled with<br />
employment for job-seekers<br />
who desire to get training in<br />
different fields.<br />
He said the agreements<br />
cover 753 trainees and that<br />
the ministry will provide<br />
<strong>10</strong>,000 training opportunities<br />
inside and outside the<br />
Sultanate this year. To P2<br />
<br />
MUSCAT — <strong>Oman</strong> Air<br />
has announced new offer<br />
on flights from Muscat to<br />
Khasab, the Governorate of<br />
Musandam’s regional centre.<br />
From <strong>Jan</strong>uary 7, the national<br />
carrier began offering<br />
return flights with one month<br />
validity, at the special rate<br />
of RO 31. The reduced fare<br />
is being offered as part of<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> Air’s commitment to<br />
<br />
MUSCAT — One year after<br />
assuming his mission in Muscat,<br />
the Ambassador of Spain<br />
to the Sultanate, Jose Luis<br />
Rossio, appears determined<br />
to upgrade economic co-operation<br />
between the Sultanate<br />
and Spain.<br />
Rossio said that more and<br />
more Spanish companies are<br />
seeking investments in <strong>Oman</strong><br />
to operate alongside existing<br />
meeting the needs of local<br />
communities, and it will only<br />
be available for citizens.<br />
An official from <strong>Oman</strong><br />
Air’s Commercial Unit,<br />
said: “We are delighted that<br />
through this offer, we are<br />
enabling more people to visit<br />
Musandam and to experience<br />
its unique history, culture<br />
and hospitality. Of course,<br />
visitors will also have the opportunity<br />
to make the most of<br />
our services.” To page 5<br />
Spanish firms seek JVs<br />
firms that operate in the fields<br />
of engineering and technology,<br />
including the ones operating<br />
in Dhofar Governorate.<br />
He said Spain tops the<br />
list of European countries<br />
in terms of commercial exchange<br />
with the Sultanate,<br />
with the volume of bilateral<br />
commercial exchange crossing<br />
RO 1 billion.<br />
Spanish government deals<br />
seriously with the sectors of<br />
oil and industry. To page 3<br />
Prayer timing Fajr Dhuhr Asr Magrib Isha Weather Muscat M Nizwa Sohar Al Buraimi Sur Khasab Salalah<br />
EXCHANGE RATES<br />
GOLD<br />
Dollar per <strong>Oman</strong>i Rial<br />
PRICE<br />
Muscat 05:31 am 12:19 pm 03:22 pm 05:42 pm 06:57 pm Max M 26 29 25 24 28 27 27<br />
Min 17 17 18 14 22 19 19<br />
Buying 0.382 Selling 0.388 $1,617.50
MUSCAT — His Highness<br />
Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood<br />
al Said, Deputy Prime<br />
Minister for the Council<br />
of Ministers received here<br />
yesterday Sultan bin Said al<br />
Mansoori, Economy Minister<br />
in the United Arab Emirates<br />
(UAE), who is currently<br />
on an official visit to the Sultanate.<br />
Al Mansoori conveyed<br />
the greetings and best wishes<br />
of the UAE leader to His<br />
Majesty Sultan Qaboos and<br />
the <strong>Oman</strong>i government and<br />
people.<br />
HH Sayyid Fahd and the<br />
UAE official discussed various<br />
aspects of co-operation<br />
between the Sultanate and<br />
the UAE in economic, commercial<br />
and joint investment<br />
fields.<br />
They also considered<br />
ways to foster the <strong>Oman</strong>-<br />
UAE private sector partnership<br />
and reviewed regional<br />
and international issues of<br />
common concern.<br />
The UAE minister expressed<br />
his delight to visit<br />
the Sultanate and commended<br />
the accomplishments<br />
that the country has<br />
made during its modern<br />
renaissance.<br />
Meanwhile, Sayyid Khalid<br />
bin Hilal al Busaidy,<br />
Minister of the Diwan of the<br />
Royal Court, and Darwish<br />
bin Ismaeel al Balushi, Minister<br />
Responsible for Financial<br />
Affairs, also received the<br />
UAE minister in their offices<br />
here yesterday.<br />
During the meetings,<br />
aspects of existing cooperation<br />
between the two<br />
brotherly countries were<br />
discussed.<br />
The Sultanate and the<br />
UAE held a session of official<br />
talks at Al Bustan Palace<br />
Hotel yesterday.<br />
The <strong>Oman</strong>i side in the session<br />
was led by Shaikh Saad<br />
bin Mohammed al Mardhouf<br />
al Saadi, Minister of Com-<br />
merce and Industry, while<br />
the visiting UAE Minister,<br />
Sultan al Mansoori, led his<br />
country’s team.<br />
Al Mansoor said that the<br />
meeting discussed joint ventures<br />
and obstacles facing<br />
tradesmen in the two countries,<br />
as well as setting up a<br />
vision for economic integra-<br />
tion within the context of a<br />
clear plan for economic integration.<br />
Al Mansoori told reporters<br />
that certificates of origin<br />
and customs procedures<br />
topped the agenda.<br />
He added that the session<br />
reviewed mega projects of<br />
concern to the Sultanate,<br />
including Al Duqm which,<br />
he described as a “strategic<br />
project” in which the UAE<br />
started investing through a<br />
joint refinery project.<br />
Al Mansoori affirmed that<br />
the volume of trade exchange<br />
is expanding in the interest of<br />
both sides.<br />
Meanwhile, Ahmed bin<br />
2 OMAN<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
<strong>Oman</strong>, UAE to boost economic co-operation<br />
Talks tackle obstacles facing tradesmen, review mega projects<br />
Hassan al Dheeb, Under-<br />
Secretary of the Commerce<br />
and Industry Ministry for<br />
Commerce and Industry, said<br />
that the session discussed<br />
promoting joint investment<br />
and unveiled UAE investment<br />
projects to be implemented<br />
shortly, including<br />
investments involving <strong>Oman</strong><br />
Oil Company and UAE companies.<br />
In a statement to journalists,<br />
al Mansoori said that<br />
there is a desire from the<br />
UAE side to invest in the<br />
available industrial, tourism<br />
and service opportunities.<br />
He pointed out that existing<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i investments in the<br />
UAE focus on industrial, real<br />
estate and service fields.<br />
A presentation was given<br />
by Sulaiman bin Salim al<br />
Harasi of the Public Authority<br />
for Investment Promotion<br />
and Exports Development<br />
presented a paper on aspects<br />
of the <strong>Oman</strong>i economy, services<br />
and incentives offered<br />
by authority to investors.<br />
— ONA<br />
New high security RO 50 note issued<br />
THE Central Bank of <strong>Oman</strong> (CBO) has introduced a new upgraded banknote of the<br />
denomination RO 50. The new banknote, valid from today, <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>10</strong>, is distinguished<br />
for additional security features. The security features on the front of the note represent in<br />
intaglio portrait of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, twin step window, a holographic element<br />
(Main Entrance of the Central Bank of <strong>Oman</strong>), a tactile feature for the blind, colour —<br />
shift /colour fix magnetic windowed security thread, micro lettering, three dimensional<br />
mould — made watermark portrait, perfect see-through register, electrotype water mark<br />
and spark OVMI feature. — ONA<br />
YUSUF bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, receives<br />
Salman Bashir, Under-Secretary of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry. — ONA<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>, Pakistan seek to further enhance ties<br />
MUSCAT — The 4th political<br />
consultations session between<br />
the Foreign Ministries of the<br />
Sultanate and Pakistan was<br />
held at the Foreign Ministry<br />
yesterday.<br />
The <strong>Oman</strong>i side was<br />
chaired by Ahmad bin Yousef<br />
al Harthy, Foreign Ministry's<br />
Under-Secretary for Diplomatic<br />
Affairs while the Pakistani<br />
side was chaired by Salman<br />
Bashir, Under-Secretary<br />
of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.<br />
The consultations touched<br />
on means of enhancing cooperation<br />
between the two<br />
countries in bilateral, political,<br />
economic, cultural and scientific<br />
fields.<br />
The two parties expressed<br />
their satisfaction with the<br />
level of bilateral relations between<br />
the Sultanate and Pakistan<br />
on the political side. They<br />
stressed the importance of<br />
developing the economic relations<br />
to the level that matches<br />
the political relations.<br />
The political consultations<br />
were attended from <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
Pacts to establish labour care<br />
offices, train <strong>Oman</strong>is signed<br />
From page 1<br />
He said foreign training<br />
depends on a number of criteria<br />
that should be met by<br />
the applicants. He added that<br />
the ministry has increased the<br />
training allowance given to a<br />
trainee during the training period<br />
at the institutes from RO<br />
50 to RO 150.<br />
It is worth mentioning that<br />
the agreements were signed<br />
between the ministry and the<br />
Technical and Administrative<br />
Training Institute, Rehabilitation<br />
and Training Institute,<br />
Arab Institute for Administrative<br />
and Financial Studies,<br />
National Hospitality Institute,<br />
Training Institute of the<br />
Contractors Union Company,<br />
side by Saud bin Ahmad al<br />
Barwani, Head of West Asia<br />
Department, Mohammed bin<br />
said al Lawati, Sultanate's<br />
Ambassador to Pakistan and<br />
officials at the Foreign Ministry.<br />
From the Pakistani side it<br />
was attended by Nawab Zadah<br />
Amin, Pakistani Ambassador<br />
to the Sultanate, Mandhour al<br />
Haq, Director-General of the<br />
Middle East Department at<br />
the Pakistani Foreign Ministry,<br />
and a number of Pakistani<br />
officials. — ONA<br />
Technical Services Training<br />
Institute, Galfar Training Institute,<br />
MHD Institute, Polyglot<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> Institute, Bahwan<br />
Cybertech Institute, Khimji<br />
Training Institute and Dakhiliyah<br />
Technical Training<br />
Institute.<br />
The minister also signed an<br />
agreement to establish Labour<br />
Care offices in the Wilayat of<br />
Seeb.<br />
Al Amri added that the establishment<br />
of Labour Care<br />
offices in the Wilayat of Seeb<br />
comes within the ministry’s efforts<br />
to develop its services for<br />
the private sector and members<br />
of the society to ensure<br />
quick and smooth processing<br />
of transactions. — ONA
Tenders awarded for additional<br />
power, water projects works<br />
MUSCAT — The Tender<br />
Board yesterday awarded<br />
tenders worth RO<br />
<strong>10</strong>,614,620 for the following<br />
projects:<br />
1 — Additional works for<br />
the construction of water supply<br />
line from Al Amirat to the<br />
Psychiatric Hospital (Al Masarah)<br />
and the nearby areas in<br />
the Wilayat of Al Amirat in<br />
the Governorate of Muscat<br />
(RO 6,302,513).<br />
2 — Annual maintenance<br />
of the dust roads in the Governorates<br />
of A'Dhahirah<br />
and Al Batinah for the period<br />
from <strong>2012</strong> to 2015<br />
(RO 3,908,870).<br />
3 — Additional works<br />
for the construction of the<br />
water supply network for<br />
the Wilayat of A'Duqm (RO<br />
228,357).<br />
4 — Additional works<br />
www.muscat-festival.com<br />
• Qurum Natural Park<br />
26 <strong>Jan</strong>uary - 23 February<br />
• <strong>Oman</strong> heritage & culture village<br />
• Asala T.V Program:<br />
Daily from 7:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m with participation<br />
from the following Wilayats: Al Buraymi<br />
• Al kamil wa Al wafi • Al Khaburah<br />
• Al Mudhaybi • Al Musanaah • Al Rustaq<br />
• As Suwayq • Barka • Bawshar • Bidiyyah<br />
• Jaalan Bani Bu Ali • Jaalan Bani Bu Hasan<br />
• Ibra • Ibri • Izki • Khasab • Manah • Mirbat<br />
• Mahut • Nakhal • Nizwa • Qurayyat • Saham<br />
• Samail • Shinas • Sohar • Sur<br />
• International festival for arts,<br />
heritage & creativity<br />
• <strong>Oman</strong> food festival<br />
• <strong>Oman</strong>i and GCC Theatre plays<br />
8 & 15 February (omani Theatre plays)<br />
1- 2 February (Wonder land Arabic Theatre play<br />
for children)<br />
WITH THE SUPPORT OF:<br />
Ministry of Tourism<br />
for the construction of an independent<br />
power and water<br />
desalination plant in Al Ghubrah<br />
(RO 118,000).<br />
5 — Additional works<br />
for the housekeeping and<br />
waste management at Mina<br />
Official Carrier<br />
al Fahl and Sohar Refineries<br />
(RO 56,880).<br />
The Board’s 1st meeting<br />
for <strong>2012</strong> under the chairmanship<br />
of Dr Rasheed bin al Safi<br />
al Huraibi, Chairman of the<br />
Tender Board. — ONA<br />
Spanish companies seek investments<br />
■From page 1<br />
And this opens wide scopes<br />
for future co-operation with<br />
the Sultanate, said Rossio,<br />
who regretted the language<br />
gap as an obstacle that needs<br />
to be addressed by sending<br />
more <strong>Oman</strong>i students for<br />
study in Spain. He noted that<br />
By A Staff Reporter<br />
MUSCAT -- Several key components<br />
of the Salalah Beach<br />
project are complete and the<br />
New Year promises an exciting<br />
time for tourists visiting<br />
Salalah.<br />
Soon, a new landmark on<br />
the Salalah Beach promenade<br />
will open its doors -- the new<br />
5 star Juweira Boutique Hotel<br />
facing the marina front and<br />
Spanish is a living language<br />
spoken by millions and that it<br />
is an original language stemming<br />
from Latin rather than a<br />
sub-language or vernacular.<br />
Rossio said that arts and<br />
history could also be among<br />
the common grounds that link<br />
Spain and the Arab world. He<br />
offers guests a scenic view<br />
from the comfort of their own<br />
outdoor terraces overlooking<br />
the Indian Ocean. Each of the<br />
65 rooms, which include 21<br />
suites, is equipped with top<br />
class facilities offering comfortable<br />
and spacious relaxation.<br />
In addition to this, the resort<br />
will soon boast the Marina<br />
Apartment Blocks, which<br />
are in the finishing stage. The<br />
referred to the huge Islamic<br />
historical heritage in Spain<br />
which began after the conquest<br />
of Muslims to that part<br />
of the world in 718 AD.<br />
This common heritage,<br />
still visible in old gardens and<br />
palaces, is dear to the Spanish<br />
people.<br />
Key components of Salalah Beach project complete<br />
first of the finished apartments<br />
have already been handed<br />
over. The villas are in various<br />
stages of construction with the<br />
first few ready for handover.<br />
Further exciting additions<br />
will be ready to open later in<br />
the year as the marina will<br />
be ready for berthing in mid-<br />
<strong>2012</strong> and the Rotana Hotel<br />
will open at the end of <strong>2012</strong>,<br />
providing a further 400 rooms<br />
to the Salalah Beach project.<br />
SILVER SPONSORS<br />
MUSCAT — The Legal Committee<br />
at the Majlis Addawla<br />
yesterday held its 3rd meeting of<br />
the first annual sitting of the fifth<br />
term under the chairmanship of<br />
Mohammed bin Ali al Kyoumi,<br />
Head of the Committee.<br />
The meeting discussed a<br />
proposal to establish a constitutional<br />
judiciary by establishing<br />
an independent constitutional<br />
court or forming a department<br />
at the Supreme Court to be incharge<br />
of the constitutional judiciary,<br />
as per the provision of<br />
article No 70 of the Basic Law<br />
of the State.<br />
The meeting also discussed<br />
establishing a higher administrative<br />
court that will verify the<br />
judgments issued by the Court<br />
of Appeal of the administrative<br />
judiciary and establishing<br />
an independent authority<br />
for following up governmental<br />
projects or expanding the<br />
role and powers of the Tender<br />
Board in terms of following<br />
MUSCAT FESTIVAL EVENTS <strong>2012</strong><br />
• Naseem park<br />
26 <strong>Jan</strong>uary - 23 February<br />
• Village Family<br />
• Consumers exhibition<br />
• Amusement Park<br />
• <strong>Oman</strong>i Music Concerts<br />
2 , 9 , 16 and 23 February<br />
• Riyam Park<br />
• Muscat fashion week<br />
21 - 23 February<br />
• The Wave, Muscat<br />
• <strong>Oman</strong>i Traditional boat race<br />
9 - <strong>10</strong> February<br />
3 OMAN<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Setting up of constitutional court proposed<br />
MUSCAT — Ahmed bin<br />
Rashid al Ma'amari, Adviser<br />
at the Finance Ministry and<br />
Chairman of <strong>Oman</strong> Development<br />
Bank (ODB), said that<br />
since establishment and as<br />
of the end of October 2011,<br />
ODB has funded 15,000<br />
loans worth of RO 57 mil-<br />
up these projects.<br />
The meeting approved<br />
lion for small businesses and<br />
craftsmen.<br />
In a statement to <strong>Oman</strong><br />
News Agency (ONA), al<br />
Ma'amari added that ODB<br />
provides up to RO 5,000 interest-free<br />
and up to six-year soft<br />
installment loans with oneyear<br />
grace period for small<br />
minutes of the previous meeting<br />
and viewed a follow up re-<br />
investors and craftsmen. This<br />
comes within ODB's efforts to<br />
encourage small projects and<br />
craftsmen who desire to practice<br />
commercial activities.<br />
He added that ODB, from<br />
its establishment to the end<br />
of October 2011, provided<br />
(36,977) loans worth RO<br />
• Tour of <strong>Oman</strong><br />
Stage one : 14 February<br />
Circuit : Al Alam Palace - Wadi al Huwqayn<br />
Distance : 159 km<br />
Time : 12:00pm - 4:00pm<br />
Stage two : 15 February<br />
Circuit : Sur - Wadi Dayqah Dam<br />
Distance : 140.5 km<br />
Time : 12:30pm - 4:00pm<br />
Stage three : 16 February<br />
Circuit : Al Awabi (Al alya) - Bank Muscat HQ<br />
Distance : 144.5 km<br />
Time : 12:40pm - 4:00pm<br />
Stage four : 17 February<br />
Circuit : Bidbid (Nafa’a) - Al Wadi Al Kabir<br />
Distance : 142.5 km<br />
Time : 12:45pm - 4:30pm<br />
Stage five : 18 February<br />
Circuit : Royal Opera House - Jabal Al Akhdar<br />
Distance : 158 km<br />
Time : 12:00pm - 4:00pm 0pm<br />
Stage six : 19 February ary<br />
Circuit Circ rcuit : Al Khawd - Ma Matrah Corniche<br />
Distance Distanc : 130.5 km<br />
Time : 12:00pm p - 3:00pm 0pm p<br />
port of procedures for implementing<br />
its decisions. It also<br />
354 million to fund different<br />
economic activities. These<br />
projects have contributed to<br />
enhancing entrepreneurship.<br />
Al Ma'amari affirmed<br />
that ODB managed government<br />
funds, such as Sanad,<br />
income generating fund and<br />
agricultural development<br />
discussed the new items to the<br />
agenda. — ONA<br />
ODB provides loans to 15,000 small businesses, craftsmen<br />
Islamic finance conference on <strong>Jan</strong> 23<br />
MUSCAT — In collaboration<br />
with the Central Bank of<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> (CBO), Al Iktissad Wal<br />
Aamal will organise <strong>Oman</strong>’s<br />
First Islamic Finance and<br />
Banking Conference," during<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 23rd and 24th at Al<br />
Bustan Palace Hotel.<br />
The conference will discuss<br />
latest developments on<br />
the heels of the permission<br />
granted for banks and financial<br />
institutions operating<br />
in the Sultanate, to provide<br />
banking and financial services<br />
compliant with Islamic law.<br />
Key issues related to the<br />
Islamic financial industry will<br />
also be discussed during the<br />
course of the two-day conference<br />
including: Policies and<br />
Regulatory Perspectives of Islamic<br />
Finance, Islamic Banking<br />
growth and International<br />
expansion, Islamic Finance<br />
and Capital Market Activities,<br />
Supervisory and Regulatory<br />
Role of Sharia Boards, Islamic<br />
Finance Socio-Economic Accountability.<br />
Elite speakers, academicians<br />
and senior representatives<br />
in finance and Islamic<br />
banking from different markets<br />
in the region will deliver the<br />
keynote speech at the conference's<br />
opening ceremony. The<br />
conference will draw around<br />
400 participants. — ONA<br />
fund. He added that the bank<br />
funds SMEs with about RO<br />
250,000. The major projects<br />
may get loans up to RO 1 million<br />
each and RO 3 million at<br />
maximum for the joint stock<br />
companies that offer 40 per<br />
cent of its shares for public<br />
subscription. — ONA
MUSCAT — High-ranking Toyota<br />
officials and a specially invited<br />
audience recently graced a special<br />
event held at Toyota showroom,<br />
Barka, to felicitate the owners of<br />
the brand new <strong>2012</strong> Toyota Camry.<br />
“It is a joy to see the enthusiasm<br />
with which the <strong>Oman</strong>i customers<br />
have greeted the <strong>2012</strong> Toyota<br />
Camry. This has to be one of the<br />
most successful customer meets we<br />
have had,” remarked a senior group<br />
spokesperson.<br />
During the event, Keiichi<br />
Yoneda, the Project General Manager,<br />
shared his views on the new,<br />
improved Camry, “The new Camry<br />
is an indispensable model in the<br />
Toyota line-up. To further improve<br />
its position and reinforce its reputation,<br />
we set two objectives — to<br />
tackle the changed market of today.<br />
The first objective was to produce<br />
the best selling car in the<br />
mid-size sedan market, as Toyota’s<br />
backbone vehicle.<br />
The second was to refine Toyota’s<br />
safety and quality uncompromisingly.<br />
With these objectives, we wanted<br />
to create a mid-size sedan that<br />
would lead the world and set new<br />
standards in the coming era. Hence,<br />
we made the concept for the new<br />
Camry as the new era sedan, signifying<br />
a combination of greater<br />
emotional-appeal and rational attraction.<br />
Dwelling on the design philosophy<br />
and the thinking behind the<br />
All New Camry, he remarked, “To<br />
engage more emotionally with our<br />
customers, we enhanced the look,<br />
ride and drive factors. We gave the<br />
new Camry a fresh, contemporary<br />
style resulting in an enhanced look.<br />
We wanted to enhance the design<br />
with a modern, expressive style —<br />
4 OMAN<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
New <strong>2012</strong> Camry customers felicitated<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> Environment Day<br />
marathon tomorrow<br />
MUSCAT — In celebration<br />
of <strong>Oman</strong> Environment Day,<br />
the Environment Society of<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> (ESO) will be joining<br />
the Ministry of Environment<br />
and Climate Affairs (MECA)<br />
on <strong>Jan</strong>uary 11 for events taking<br />
place at the Ministries<br />
Park in Al Khuwair under the<br />
theme of “Our Environment,<br />
Our life”.<br />
The event will include a<br />
marathon dedicated to the environment<br />
(4-6 pm), as well as<br />
an outdoor public exhibition<br />
(6-9 pm).<br />
In response to His Majesty<br />
Sultan Qaboos’ emphasis on<br />
the protection of the <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
environment and nature resources,<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 8 of every<br />
year has been marked as the<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> Environment Day since<br />
1996, where environmental<br />
awareness and activities take<br />
place.<br />
ESO has invited its members<br />
and the public to show<br />
their environmental and athletic<br />
spirit by taking part in the<br />
marathon (approximately 3<br />
km), as well as enjoy the public<br />
exhibition.<br />
simple yet dynamic with precise<br />
lines and a nimble appearance from<br />
sporty grade “SE” to standard grade.<br />
For a better ride, we improved the<br />
ride comfort and achieved superior<br />
Noise, Vibration and Harshness levels.<br />
We also gave the Camry a new<br />
engine and transmission that deliver<br />
better performance for a better<br />
drive. Drivers can experience the<br />
agile suspension, with confident,<br />
accurate steering and linear acceleration.<br />
The new 2.5-litre 4-cylinder<br />
engine delivers better performance<br />
while using less fuel.”<br />
“I am quite confident that the<br />
new Camry will resonate with your<br />
emotions when you actually see it<br />
and drive it,” he added.<br />
Touching upon about the rationale<br />
behind Camry's global appeal,<br />
he said that it is entirely based upon<br />
proven “quality, durability and reliability<br />
(QDR) — so we paid special<br />
attention to improve and enhance it<br />
at every opportunity. We didn’t limit<br />
ourselves to QDR, and we further<br />
studied to improve the rational appeal<br />
in space and roominess. While<br />
the Camry’s external dimensions are<br />
similar to the previous generation,<br />
it has a more inviting and spacious<br />
interior, and a greater perception of<br />
space. We also worked on improving<br />
the fuel economy. It is now 12.5<br />
per cent more efficient than before,<br />
and only uses 7.8 litres of fuel per<br />
<strong>10</strong>0 km,” he said.<br />
In closing, he summed up the<br />
developmental entire process with<br />
these words, “I believe we were<br />
able to create a Camry that is emotionally<br />
resonating and rationally attractive<br />
by having a fresh new look.<br />
A superior ride with exceptionally<br />
low noise, vibration and harshness.<br />
Enhanced “Drive” with the new<br />
engine and transmission. Impressive<br />
fuel efficiency. Advanced specs<br />
and safety features, and lastly, a reviewed<br />
and upgraded Toyota Quality,<br />
Durability and Reliability. Finally<br />
you can see that we have put a lot<br />
of thought, energy and passion into<br />
the new Camry. I hope you like it as<br />
much as I do. So please, enjoy,” he<br />
concluded with a flourish.<br />
During the event a highly informative<br />
and engaging skit was<br />
presented around the new Camry,<br />
spellbinding the audience. Hi-tech<br />
robots rolled by to uncover the new<br />
Camry for the audience to feast their<br />
eyes on. Thereafter, Yoneda handed<br />
over a symbolic key to many of<br />
the proud new customers who were<br />
present for the occasion.<br />
The recently launched Toyota<br />
Camry has already received excellent<br />
reviews from around the world<br />
and leading automotive journalists<br />
have dubbed it as the ‘Best Camry<br />
Ever'.<br />
MSM ends marginally down MUSCAT — The State's<br />
MUSCAT — Muscat Securities<br />
Market (MSM) general<br />
index closed at 5,733 points<br />
yesterday recording a fall by<br />
0.11 per cent.<br />
The MSM daily bulletin<br />
pointed out that the market's<br />
major sectors were the main<br />
losers. On the top came Services<br />
sector, which lost 0.23 per<br />
cent to close at 2,574 points<br />
compared to 2,580 points in<br />
close in the earlier session.<br />
The financial sector lost 0.17<br />
per cent and closed at 6,529<br />
By A Staff Reporter<br />
MUSCAT — Electricity<br />
companies in <strong>Oman</strong> yesterday<br />
held a co-ordination<br />
meeting to chalk out a comprehensive<br />
media plan to reduce<br />
the incidents of tampering<br />
with electricity facilities<br />
during the current year.<br />
This step is part of the efforts<br />
to raise awareness of<br />
citizens and residents about<br />
the dangers of tampering<br />
with the electricity facilities<br />
to avoid any damages to this<br />
important and vital sector.<br />
The meeting, attended by<br />
HSE officials and corporate<br />
communication managers<br />
of the electricity companies,<br />
reviewed the proposed work<br />
mechanism to execute the<br />
awareness plan and the ways<br />
of its implementation. The<br />
meeting also discussed the<br />
reports of respective entities<br />
regarding the procedures and<br />
regulations of scraps sale in<br />
the Sultanate.<br />
The meeting also reviewed<br />
the awareness campaigns<br />
started by Muscat<br />
Electricity Distribution<br />
Company (MEDC) to reduce<br />
tampering incidents in<br />
the Muscat Governorate and<br />
discussed their implications<br />
on electricity services.<br />
points compared to 6,541<br />
points. The industry sector<br />
also retreated by 0.16 per cent<br />
and closed at 5,989 points<br />
compared to 5,998 points in<br />
the earlier session.<br />
The MSM daily bulletin<br />
added that trading value<br />
yesterday stood at RO 2.26<br />
million, a decline by (13.88<br />
per cent) compared to Sunday’s<br />
session, which stood at<br />
RO 2.63 million. The market<br />
value fell by (0.06 per cent) to<br />
reach RO <strong>10</strong>.53 billion.<br />
At the end of the meeting,<br />
Dr Ghadeer al Wahibi<br />
was entrusted with the task<br />
The value of shares<br />
brought by foreign investors<br />
reached RO 195,830 comprising<br />
(8.65 per cent). The value<br />
of shares sold by foreign investors<br />
reached RO 389,550<br />
comprising (17.20 per cent).<br />
The total foreign investment<br />
declined by (8.55 per cent) to<br />
RO 173,720.<br />
Out of the 52 companies of<br />
which shares changed hands<br />
yesterday 11 companies rose,<br />
22 companies declined and 19<br />
companies stabilised. — ONA<br />
of heading the media team<br />
which manages the awareness<br />
campaign of the elec-<br />
tricity companies.<br />
The electricity companies<br />
are trying to rope in all seg-<br />
The all-new Camry is now<br />
available at Toyota showrooms all<br />
over <strong>Oman</strong>.<br />
In <strong>Oman</strong>, Toyota soars far above<br />
the rest — both in terms of market<br />
share as well as customer retention.<br />
Its pride of place made possible by<br />
an outstanding product and the ever-reliable<br />
support of Saud Bahwan<br />
Group. Added privileges available<br />
to Toyota customers include 6-year<br />
unlimited mileage protection plan,<br />
98 per cent parts availability and a<br />
vast sales, service and spares infrastructure/facility<br />
network spanning<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>.<br />
Workshop on audit laws<br />
Financial and Administrative<br />
Audit Institute (SFAAI)<br />
organised a workshop titled<br />
"Highlighting the State's Financial<br />
and Administrative<br />
Audit Laws" at the Institute<br />
of Public Administration yesterday.<br />
The workshop aims at familiarising<br />
participants with<br />
SFAAI laws, avoid conflicts<br />
of interest and SFAAI objectives,<br />
prerogatives, powers,<br />
system and work mechanism.<br />
More than 150 participants<br />
from various ministries and<br />
departments took part in the<br />
workshop.<br />
As the government’s financial<br />
watchdog, the SFAAI<br />
conducts special audits at<br />
the specific request of the<br />
government — for example,<br />
special audits of governmentcontrolled<br />
companies in the<br />
oil and gas sector or of pivotal<br />
financial institutions or<br />
government socio-economic<br />
programmes. — ONA<br />
Drive to reduce tampering of electricity facilities<br />
ments of the society to safeguard<br />
the properties of the<br />
electricity sector.
By A Staff Reporter<br />
MUSCAT — Photovoltaic<br />
panels could be the suitable<br />
alternative of oil and gas in<br />
the Middle East countries and<br />
this can be used to tackle increasing<br />
demand of energy resources<br />
replacing fossil energy<br />
with renewable energy in the<br />
region, energy expert Dr Thomas<br />
Blaschke stated this in a<br />
recent presentation held at the<br />
German University of Technology<br />
in <strong>Oman</strong> (GUtech).<br />
Dr Thomas Blaschke is<br />
Professor of Geoinformatics<br />
and Deputy Director of the<br />
Centre for Geoinformatics at<br />
the University of Salzburg,<br />
Austria.<br />
Dr Blaschke cited German<br />
example and said “In<br />
Germany about 20 per cent of<br />
the electricity consumption is<br />
targeted through sustainable<br />
energy resources.”<br />
In his presentation titled<br />
‘Sustainable energy: Modelling<br />
and monitoring energy<br />
demand and supply’, Dr Blaschke<br />
said: “Currently Germany<br />
is one of the leading countries<br />
that has installed many<br />
photovoltaic panels.”<br />
Photovoltaic arrays convert<br />
solar radiation into direct current<br />
using semiconductors that<br />
produce electricity. According<br />
to Blaschke the lifespan of<br />
photovoltaic arrays is rather<br />
short; thus globally renewable<br />
energies cannot compete with<br />
conventional energies due to<br />
high prices. To forecast the<br />
energy demand and supply in<br />
a certain area or region GIS<br />
experts use geospatial data.<br />
“Our energy system is based<br />
on geographic relations,” said<br />
Blaschke.<br />
Scientists combine address<br />
data, population growth, and<br />
the amount of conventionally<br />
produced electricity, into a<br />
model to estimate for example<br />
the need for energy in a<br />
certain area. “Sustainable energy<br />
planning requires thinking<br />
“outside the box”. Here it<br />
By A Staff Reporter<br />
applies thinking beyond lines<br />
and poles — where the technical<br />
component may only play<br />
a small role,” said Blaschke.<br />
He presented examples of<br />
concepts of sustainable energy<br />
planning from Germany<br />
and Austria. In the Bonn area<br />
the scientists evaluated if the<br />
region could be energy independent<br />
from fossil fuels.<br />
“Only if transportation<br />
distances are not too long, the<br />
purchase of renewable energies<br />
should be considered,”<br />
said Professor Blaschke.<br />
The renewable energy<br />
industry promises to accommodate<br />
all types of applications<br />
of smart grids, smart<br />
metering and pay on demand<br />
solutions.<br />
“Still, operational applications<br />
have very specific<br />
requirements and they significantly<br />
differ from longterm<br />
decision-making for a<br />
sustainable energy planning.<br />
The latter is well supported<br />
by Remote Sensing and Earth<br />
Observation in conjunction<br />
with GIS,” said Professor<br />
Blaschke, who is also head of<br />
the Research Studio iSPACE<br />
that specialises in energy modelling.<br />
5 OMAN<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
MUSCAT — With two agreements<br />
inked yesterday, <strong>Oman</strong><br />
LNG has extended yet again<br />
its portfolio of social investment<br />
initiatives to cover rehabilitation<br />
of houses for people<br />
with disabilities and people of<br />
limited income, and upgrade<br />
facilities at the Al Wafa Social<br />
Centre in Al Amerat.<br />
In the first instance <strong>Oman</strong><br />
LNG will support, through an<br />
Photovoltaic panels suitable energy<br />
alternative in ME region: expert<br />
New commercial office at French embassy<br />
By Amal Ragab<br />
MUSCAT — The French<br />
Embassy in Muscat yesterday<br />
celebrated the opening of the<br />
new offices of its commercial<br />
unit which falls within the<br />
By A Staff Reporter<br />
MUSCAT — Sultan Qaboos<br />
University will host<br />
the 8th International Scientific<br />
Conference for Medical<br />
Students in the GCC<br />
countries from <strong>Jan</strong>uary 28<br />
to February 1.<br />
The conference is held<br />
every year for medical students<br />
and international health<br />
professionals to gather in one<br />
place and share their knowl-<br />
embassy premises.<br />
French Ambassador Malika<br />
Barak told <strong>Oman</strong> Arabic<br />
daily reporters that 40 French<br />
companies operate now in<br />
the Sultanate in the sectors of<br />
electricity and water, while<br />
other French businesses like<br />
edge, experiences and new<br />
medical findings.<br />
The event will be attended<br />
by more than 1,500 delegates<br />
including both undergraduate<br />
and post-graduate medical<br />
students not only from<br />
the GCC countries, but from<br />
all over the world.<br />
The conference will include<br />
keynote presentations<br />
from renowned international<br />
scientists, oral and<br />
poster presentation sessions,<br />
Total and CGG Veritas, operate<br />
in the oil sector alongside<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i companies.<br />
Mark De Balon, Head of<br />
the Commercial and Economic<br />
Section, old <strong>Oman</strong> that<br />
French companies wish to<br />
contest tender for the <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
SQU to host conference for medical students<br />
workshops, a scientific and<br />
students’ exhibitions and a<br />
variety of interesting cultural<br />
events and exciting social<br />
programmes.<br />
The organisers said that<br />
all participants will benefit<br />
from this gathering as there<br />
will be sharing of experiences<br />
between the students,<br />
scientific and research exchange<br />
and useful workshops<br />
that are related to the<br />
medical field.<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> LNG signs pact to fund two more social initiatives<br />
railway project.<br />
De Balon pointed out that<br />
French exports to the Sultanate<br />
range between 400 and<br />
600 million euros per annum,<br />
including Airbus aircraft,<br />
medicines, poultry and foodstuff.<br />
The delegates will also<br />
get an opportunity to visit famous<br />
places in <strong>Oman</strong> during<br />
their stay here.<br />
Dr Yahya al Farsi, Dean<br />
of the College of Medicine<br />
and Health Sciences, said<br />
this conference is anticipated<br />
to have a great impact<br />
on “our medical students”,<br />
who are the future promising<br />
generation that will lead our<br />
healthcare sector in the GCC<br />
countries.<br />
Low air<br />
fares to<br />
Khasab<br />
From page 1<br />
“We are pleased that<br />
this promotion allows us to<br />
continue our promotion of<br />
year-round domestic tourism,<br />
which helps in boosting<br />
economic activity for local<br />
communities, and reduce the<br />
seasonal variations which<br />
arise through international<br />
tourism.”<br />
And in a move designed<br />
to reduce the number of unused<br />
bookings, minimise<br />
last-minute ticket changes<br />
and increase passenger<br />
choice, <strong>Oman</strong> Air has announced<br />
that it will be charging<br />
an RO <strong>10</strong> fee for flight<br />
changes and refunds.<br />
He added: “Our aim is<br />
to encourage people to use<br />
their booked flights. Unused<br />
bookings block seats and<br />
reduce the range of choices<br />
available to other passengers.<br />
This has the potential<br />
to impact on choice and convenience<br />
for other customers<br />
and the new RO <strong>10</strong> fee<br />
will help us to protect the<br />
interests of all of our passengers.”<br />
RO 90,000 funding, the rehabilitation<br />
of 30 houses for people<br />
living with disabilities and<br />
limited income in Sharqiyah<br />
South Governorate.<br />
The support will be undertaken<br />
with the co-ordination<br />
of the Directorate-General of<br />
Social Development in Sharqiyah<br />
South.<br />
Saif bin Hamad al Jabri,<br />
acting Director-General of<br />
Social Development — Sharqiya<br />
South, and Ali bin Saleh<br />
From page 1<br />
al Hashar, <strong>Oman</strong> LNG’s Chief<br />
Public Relations Officer,<br />
signed the first agreement.<br />
Under the second accord,<br />
the company, <strong>Oman</strong>’s premier<br />
liquefied natural gas (LNG)<br />
project will provide a shaded<br />
area for children’s playground<br />
at the Al Wafa Centre. The<br />
initiative is at the cost of RO<br />
<strong>10</strong>,000.<br />
The agreements, focusing<br />
primarily on social welfare,<br />
fall under the Empowering<br />
Frequent rent<br />
hike illegal<br />
When brought to his attention the recent case of a Filipina<br />
lady in Al Khuwair who was slapped with more than<br />
300 per cent increase in rent in less than two years, he<br />
said it was illegal on all counts and they cannot justify<br />
their action by any section of the law.<br />
There should be a contract meeting all the conditions<br />
of a valid contract and it should be signed by all parties<br />
concerned. If the tenant is not given a copy of the contract,<br />
he can ask for it and it is his right. “Without a valid<br />
contract, no legal claim can be entertained.”<br />
Regarding commercial buildings, the contract<br />
cannot be ended before the lapse of five years from the<br />
date of the first contract unless both parties agree to<br />
do so.<br />
“The tenant cannot be asked to vacate the place in less<br />
than five years taking into consideration that his business<br />
may suffer due to sudden shifting. But there is an exception<br />
to this.<br />
“The landlord can request the tenant to vacate the<br />
place for his own purposes such as opening an office of<br />
his own or for other familial reasons. In this case too, the<br />
tenant can approach the court if he is not fully convinced<br />
with the landlord’s version. The court, after studying the<br />
action and reaction involved in the case, passes verdict<br />
accordingly”.<br />
He further said <strong>Oman</strong>’s law gives equal consideration<br />
to all with no bias whatsoever.<br />
The affected parties can log to Muscat Municipality<br />
website and register a complaint. Alternatively, they<br />
can also call the hotline number 80077222 and file a<br />
complaint.<br />
Communities’ segment of the<br />
company’s three-pronged Social<br />
Investment Programme<br />
(SIP).<br />
Its other two distinct areas<br />
are Investing-in-People and<br />
Championing Innovation.<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> LNG had last month<br />
broadened its social support to<br />
cover a number of social centres<br />
in various parts of the Sultanate,<br />
including Al Wafa Social<br />
Centre, Nizwa, Child Growth<br />
Houses in Ibri and the <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
Women’s Association (OWA)<br />
Dhank, <strong>Oman</strong>i Women’s Association<br />
in Muscat, and the Al<br />
Wafa Social Centre in Sur.<br />
“The accords signed yesterday<br />
are in line with company’s<br />
efforts at promoting and<br />
upgrading social welfare for<br />
different segments of the society.<br />
This in turn encourages<br />
the building of a strong society<br />
that values and cares for its<br />
people,” said Ali bin Saleh al<br />
Hashar.
6 THE WORLD<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Israel, Palestinians spar as peace contacts resume<br />
JERUSALEM — Israeli Foreign<br />
Minister Avigdor Lieberman dismissed<br />
newly rekindled diplomatic<br />
contacts with the Palestinians yesterday,<br />
accusing them of poor faith in<br />
peacemaking.<br />
Firing back as Israeli and Palestinian<br />
envoys prepared a second<br />
round of the low-key but potentially<br />
decisive exploratory talks later in the<br />
day, the Palestinians said Israel was<br />
at fault for cementing its hold on the<br />
occupied West Bank.<br />
Lieberman, a hardline coalition<br />
partner to Prime Minister Benjamin<br />
Netanyahu who is often sidelined in<br />
statecraft, told lawmakers in Jerusalem<br />
the Palestinians only agreed to<br />
resume contacts last week after being<br />
“dragged against their will” to Amman.<br />
The Jordan meeting was the first<br />
since direct talks stalled in late 20<strong>10</strong>,<br />
when Palestinian President Mahmud<br />
Abbas demanded a halt to Israeli settlement<br />
building before negotiations<br />
went any further.<br />
Israel had previously imposed a<br />
partial building freeze.<br />
“They are preparing a groundwork<br />
of excuses to shift responsibility<br />
for the talks’ failure to Israel,”<br />
Lieberman said, according to an official<br />
transcript of the parliamentary<br />
briefing.<br />
The Jordanian-hosted meeting<br />
was attended by the so-called Quartet<br />
of peace brokers — the United States,<br />
European Union, Russia and United<br />
Nations — which on October 26 gave<br />
the sides three months to submit their<br />
proposals on territory and security.<br />
The Palestinians see an insuperable<br />
obstacle in Israel’s expansion of<br />
Jewish settlements in the West Bank.<br />
They want their own state in the West<br />
Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza<br />
Strip — territories Israel captured in<br />
a 1967 war.<br />
Most countries deem the settlements<br />
illegal.<br />
Israel disputes this, and says it<br />
would keep certain settlement blocs<br />
under any peace deal in accordance<br />
with understandings reached in 2004<br />
with then-US president George W<br />
Bush.<br />
“All sides in the Quartet and our<br />
brothers in Jordan see a complete seriousness<br />
from the Palestinian side,<br />
and an Israeli attempt to turn these<br />
negotiations into a waste of time,<br />
with an intensified campaign of settlement-building,”<br />
said Yasser Abed<br />
Rabbo, senior adviser to Abbas.<br />
In Amman, a regional diplomatic<br />
source described the second round<br />
of talks, held behind closed doors,<br />
as a chance to assess longer-term<br />
CARS drive past a snow blower removing snow during heavy snowfall at the Wolfgang pass mountain<br />
road near the Swiss mountain resort of Davos. — Reuters<br />
Expelled<br />
for size<br />
SYDNEY — A towering<br />
New Zealand man with<br />
“shoulders like buttresses<br />
and legs like pylons” was<br />
awaiting deportation from<br />
Australia yesterday after his<br />
visa was revoked on grounds<br />
partly related to his size.<br />
Hayden Harlem Tewao,<br />
26, was ordered to return to<br />
New Zealand on character<br />
grounds after he acted as an<br />
“enforcer” in a 20<strong>10</strong> robbery<br />
of a drug dealer, battering<br />
his face and causing serious<br />
injuries.<br />
He was also charged with<br />
resisting arrest over the incident<br />
and assaulting police,<br />
and damaging property after<br />
he accidentally pulled a stair<br />
rail from the wall during a<br />
fight with nightclub bouncers.<br />
Immigration Minister<br />
Chris Bowen cancelled Tewao’s<br />
visa on community<br />
protection grounds partly<br />
related to his “exceptionally<br />
large” stature — he stands<br />
2.1 metres tall and weighs<br />
about 200 kilos.<br />
“It is plain that what the<br />
minister had in mind when<br />
he referred to Mr Tewao’s<br />
size was that it played a role<br />
in the commission of the offence<br />
and contributed to the<br />
brutality of the attack,” the<br />
Federal Court said. — AFP<br />
London mulls Scottish<br />
independence vote WELLINGTON<br />
LONDON — The British government<br />
discussed proposals<br />
yesterday to give Scotland the<br />
legal powers to hold a referendum<br />
on independence, which<br />
could happen within the next<br />
18 months.<br />
Prime Minister David<br />
Cameron said a referendum<br />
should be held soon because<br />
the uncertainty about the issue<br />
was damaging Scotland’s<br />
economy, although he remains<br />
strongly opposed to the breakup<br />
of the United Kingdom.<br />
Scotland’s deputy first<br />
minister Nicola Sturgeon, of<br />
the pro-independence Scottish<br />
National Party (SNP), accused<br />
Cameron of “a blatant attempt<br />
to interfere” in an issue that<br />
should be decided by Scotland<br />
and its people.<br />
In elections in May, the<br />
SNP led by Alex Salmond won<br />
the first overall majority in the<br />
Edinburgh parliament since it<br />
opened in 1999, and promised<br />
to hold a referendum on independence.<br />
Cameron’s move is being<br />
seen as a ploy to force a referendum<br />
before the SNP wants<br />
it, in the belief that Salmond<br />
does not yet have enough support<br />
for independence.<br />
The prime minister said<br />
ahead of a cabinet meeting at<br />
which the issue was discussed<br />
that the uncertainty about the<br />
independence issue could have<br />
economic consequences.<br />
“This is very damaging for<br />
Scotland because all the time<br />
business is asking, is Scotland<br />
going to be part of the United<br />
Kingdom, are they going to<br />
stay together, should I invest?”<br />
he told Sky News. “And we’re<br />
beginning to see companies<br />
asking those questions.”<br />
Cameron’s official spokesman<br />
said the discussion in<br />
cabinet was led by Finance<br />
Minister George Osborne,<br />
who is in charge of a committee<br />
looking into the Scottish<br />
referendum issue.<br />
The spokesman said the<br />
government would set out its<br />
views to parliament “in coming<br />
days” after receiving final<br />
legal advice, but added that in<br />
the end it would be a matter<br />
for the Scottish people.<br />
“Any decision on Scotland’s<br />
future is for the people<br />
of Scotland to decide,” the<br />
spokesman told reporters.<br />
“The Prime Minister clearly<br />
has a view on the union and<br />
on the referendum, and he was<br />
setting that out yesterday, and<br />
he thinks that a referendum<br />
needs to be legal, fair and decisive.”<br />
It is believed Cameron’s<br />
government will give its backing<br />
for a binding referendum,<br />
but with certain conditions.<br />
These include that the referendum<br />
be held within 18<br />
months, rather than the 2014<br />
date planned by the SNP,<br />
and that it contain a simple<br />
question of whether Scotland<br />
should remain in the UK rather<br />
than multiple options.<br />
The SNP has said it wants<br />
the vote in 2014 to coincide<br />
with the 700th anniversary of<br />
the Battle of Bannockburn, a<br />
famous Scottish victory over<br />
the English.<br />
It is also thought to want a<br />
third “independence-lite” option<br />
instead of a simple yes-no<br />
referendum favoured by the<br />
British government.<br />
Any decision is likely to<br />
heighten the already open<br />
hostility between Cameron<br />
and Salmond. Speaking on<br />
Sunday, Cameron claimed<br />
that Salmond knew “that the<br />
Scottish people at heart don’t<br />
want a full separation from the<br />
United Kingdom”.<br />
“So he is trying to sort<br />
of make a situation where<br />
that bubbles up and happens,<br />
whereas I think we need some<br />
decisive action so we can clear<br />
up this issue.” — AFP<br />
prospects.<br />
“This is even more important”<br />
than the introductory meeting, the<br />
source said. “We have to see the follow-up,<br />
and what comes now.”<br />
Lieberman said that the Palestinians,<br />
who last year sidestepped Israel<br />
and defied Washington’s censure by<br />
applying directly for full UN membership,<br />
planned to resume this “internationalisation”<br />
campaign after<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 26, the target date set by the<br />
Quartet.<br />
“Whoever talks about a ‘breakthrough’<br />
with the Palestinians is<br />
clueless,” he said, according to the<br />
transcript. “The key word is ‘management’<br />
of the conflict with the Palestinians.”<br />
Speaking to Reuters in the West<br />
Bank city of Ramallah, Abed Rabbo<br />
said: “We will turn to the international<br />
community, and the UN Secu-<br />
Australian woman survives<br />
bungee jump horror<br />
SYDNEY — An Australian woman whose<br />
bungee jumping cord snapped, plunging her<br />
head-first into raging crocodile-infested waters<br />
in Africa’s Zambezi River, yesterday described<br />
her “miracle” survival.<br />
Erin Langworthy, 22, was on holiday on<br />
New Year’s Eve when she took on the 111metre<br />
bungee jump from the Victoria Falls<br />
bridge above the river, which borders Zambia<br />
and Zimbabwe.<br />
But it all went horribly wrong when the<br />
cord snapped about halfway into the jump.<br />
The terrifying moment was caught on video<br />
and Langworthy is seen hitting the water with<br />
her feet still tied before being swept towards<br />
rapids.<br />
“It went black straight away and I felt like<br />
I’d been slapped all over,” she told Australia’s<br />
Channel Nine in an interview recounting the<br />
moment of impact.<br />
“As I went deeper down, the water got<br />
rity Council in any event, not only to<br />
condemn settlement construction but<br />
to demand direct international intervention<br />
to protect the two-state solution.”<br />
A Netanyahu spokesman had no<br />
immediate reaction to Lieberman’s<br />
remarks. The conservative premier<br />
has himself criticised Abbas for seeking<br />
a power-sharing pact with rival<br />
Hamas which rules Gaza and reject<br />
permanent coexistence with Israel.<br />
Abbas has also balked at Israel’s<br />
demand that he recognise it specifically<br />
as a Jewish state.<br />
But both sides have been rattled<br />
by popular upheavals that have bolstered<br />
radicals in Jordan and Egypt.<br />
Pro-Palestinian sentiment in both<br />
countries, among the few Arab countries<br />
to have relations with Israel, often<br />
backs Hamas rather than Abbas.<br />
— Reuters<br />
‘Time running out<br />
for Cyprus deal’<br />
NICOSIA — UN chief Ban Ki-Moon warned Cyprus’s Greek<br />
and Turkish leaders they were running out of time to settle their<br />
dispute over the island, and urged them to break a deadlock in<br />
talks at a summit in New York later this month.<br />
In unusually blunt letters to both leaders, Ban laid out the<br />
differences between divided Cypriot communities that are still<br />
blocking efforts to reunify the country.<br />
“The negotiation ... currently finds itself at an impasse on<br />
several issues,” Ban wrote in both letters.<br />
“I am concerned that opportunities to successfully conclude<br />
negotiations will be limited once the Republic of Cyprus takes<br />
up the presidency of the European Union on July 1, <strong>2012</strong>,” he<br />
added in the letters, dated <strong>Jan</strong>uary 4.<br />
Diplomats fear Cypriot politicians will be distracted by the<br />
presidency of the EU and spend less time on peace talks. They<br />
say the presidency could also alienate the island’s Turkish<br />
leaders and widen differences between the two sides.<br />
Greek Cypriots represent the whole of Cyprus in the EU,<br />
though in practice the island’s effective membership is confined<br />
to the Greek-dominated south.<br />
Ban has invited President Demetris Christofias, the Greek<br />
Cypriot leader, and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu to<br />
Greentree, New York, for talks on <strong>Jan</strong>uary 22-24.<br />
UN officials had hoped the discussions could produce some<br />
progress after three years of troubled negotiations. — Reuters<br />
Looters in NZ raid<br />
cargo from ship<br />
— New Zealand police were forced to shut<br />
down a popular beach yesterday to prevent looters raiding containers<br />
washed ashore from the stricken cargo ship Rena.<br />
The Rena, which had been stuck fast on a reef since October<br />
when it caused New Zealand’s worst maritime pollution<br />
disaster, broke in two in a storm on Sunday to send containers<br />
tumbling into the sea.<br />
Although the devastation was not as severe as maritime officials<br />
feared, the once-pristine beaches in the North Island resort<br />
area of Tauranga were littered with debris, mainly timber,<br />
plastics, bags of milk powder and polystyrene.<br />
There were four containers on the beach and Maritime New<br />
Zealand on-scene commander Alex van Wijngaarden said a<br />
sheen of oil “about 3 km long by 5-<strong>10</strong> metres wide” was visible<br />
offshore.<br />
Wildlife response teams said they had only treated four<br />
oiled birds since the Rena broke up.<br />
When the ship ran aground on October 5, about 350 tonnes<br />
of oil spilled into the sea, killing at least 1,300 birds. An army<br />
of volunteers combed the coastline and saved hundreds more.<br />
At a time when the region is packed with summer holidaymakers,<br />
police closed Waihi beach for several hours and people<br />
were urged to stay out of the water in surrounding areas.<br />
“The expert advice we have received is for people not to<br />
approach items washed ashore for health reasons,” police sergeant<br />
Dave Litton said.<br />
Looters were taking off with what appeared to be milk<br />
powder and “we appeal to those people who have taken objects<br />
to return them to the beach where they can be managed<br />
by decontamination crews”.<br />
Clean-up crews were mobilised to remove the debris as<br />
Maritime New Zealand said it believed 150 shipping containers<br />
were washed overboard, not 300 as originally thought.<br />
About 700 containers remain on the Rena and a spokesman<br />
for the salvors, Matthew Watson, told Radio New Zealand that<br />
it had become “very, very dangerous and very difficult” to remove<br />
them.<br />
Although the bow of the ship remained stuck on the reef,<br />
the rear section of the vessel was causing concern as it moved<br />
around. — AFP<br />
colder and it must have snapped me out of it.”<br />
Langworthy, from Perth, said she had<br />
been white water rafting the previous day and<br />
remembered some of the safety tips to get<br />
through the looming rapids.<br />
“The water was going quite quickly and<br />
then I started to hear the roaring,” she said.<br />
“It’s like being in waves, you get sucked<br />
under and then you pop up so it’s very disorienting,<br />
I didn’t know which was up or down.”<br />
She managed to swim to the Zimbabwe side<br />
of the river, where she hauled herself out.<br />
“It was quite scary because a couple of times<br />
the rope actually got caught on some rocks or<br />
debris. I actually had to swim down and yank<br />
the bungee cord out of whatever it was caught<br />
on to make it to the surface.”<br />
Langworthy suffered a fractured collar<br />
bone as well as massive bruising in the accident<br />
and was taken to South Africa for treatment.<br />
— AFP<br />
GERMAN Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and<br />
his wife Doris Schroeder-Koepf. German media<br />
reported yesterday that Schroeder-Koepf intends to<br />
be a candidate of the Social Democratic Party for the<br />
regional elections in the state of Lower Saxony in 2013.<br />
THE wife of Turkish President Abdullah Gul,<br />
Hayrunnisa Gul (R), greets the spouse of Norwegian<br />
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Ingrid Schulerud, at<br />
the Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara. — AFP<br />
THE leaders of Die Gruenen (Green Party) Cem<br />
Oezdemir (L) and Claudia Roth speak to the media<br />
before a conference of the party executive board in the<br />
eastern town of Woerlitz yesterday. — Reuters<br />
EMPLOYEES from SeaFrance, the trans-Channel<br />
ferry company, react as they gather outside the<br />
Commerce Tribunal courts in Paris yesterday. The<br />
court has ordered the liquidation of SeaFrance<br />
after rejecting a proposal to run the company as<br />
a participation co-operative company (Scop) by<br />
regrouping its employees. — Reuters<br />
A SUPPORTER of Democratic Progressive Party<br />
(DPP) Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai<br />
Ing-Wen waves flags as Tsai’s motorcade moves<br />
through the streets during a campaign rally for the<br />
<strong>2012</strong> presidential election in Chiayi county, southern<br />
Taiwan, yesterday. The upcoming presidential and<br />
legislative election will be held on <strong>Jan</strong>uary 14.
Families<br />
tired of<br />
7 AMERICAS<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
waiting TEHRAN — A judge in Iran<br />
KUWAIT CITY — Families<br />
of Arab prisoners detained<br />
without trial at Guantanamo<br />
Bay since it opened <strong>10</strong> years<br />
ago are despairing of seeing<br />
them again soon despite US<br />
pledges to shut the facility.<br />
Fawzi al Odah and Fayez<br />
al Kandari, the only two<br />
Kuwaitis still at the centre,<br />
“may spend the rest of their<br />
lives in prison without trial,”<br />
said Odah’s father, Khaled,<br />
who heads a committee of<br />
families of detainees.<br />
“Our life has changed<br />
for the worse since <strong>10</strong> years<br />
ago. I am suffering having<br />
to endure missing my son<br />
and at the same time trying<br />
to alleviate the sufferings of<br />
the rest of my family,” Odah<br />
said.<br />
The duo are among detainees<br />
who did not receive<br />
approval for transfer from<br />
the US detention centre that<br />
was built as part of Washington’s<br />
“war on terror”<br />
because they are considered<br />
too dangerous to be released,<br />
Odah said.<br />
Ten Kuwaiti detainees<br />
have been released and sent<br />
back home and all of them<br />
got married and have children<br />
and are now leading<br />
normal lives, Odah said.<br />
Except for one, Mohammad<br />
al Ajmi, who is officially<br />
listed as missing while<br />
US and Iraqi authorities say<br />
he carried out a suicide attack<br />
in northern Iraq a few<br />
years ago.<br />
US authorities initially<br />
promised Kuwait to release<br />
Odah and Kandari, aged 34<br />
and 35 respectively, but they<br />
later retracted their pledge<br />
despite Kuwait agreeing to<br />
conditions that Odah’s father<br />
described as tough.<br />
The two were arrested<br />
in northern Pakistan in late<br />
2001 by tribesmen who sold<br />
them to the Pakistani army<br />
who in turn handed them<br />
over to the United States, he<br />
said.<br />
Both of them were on<br />
charity missions and were<br />
never involved in any act of<br />
fighting, he insisted.<br />
In total, 171 men remain<br />
in detention at Guantanamo<br />
Bay, Cuba.<br />
They come from 20 countries,<br />
but around half of them<br />
are from Yemen.<br />
Some 89 inmates have<br />
already received the green<br />
light for transfer. — AFP<br />
REPUBLICAN presidential candidate former US Senator Rick Santorum and his wife Karen Santorum wait to be<br />
introduced during a campaign stop at Stax’s Original Restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina. Santorum<br />
called himself the only “Reagan Conservative” during his speech to supporters. — AFP<br />
Republicans mount final<br />
New Hampshire blitz<br />
CONCORD, New Hampshire — Republican<br />
presidential hopefuls, led by frontrunner<br />
Mitt Romney, launched a final frenetic<br />
campaign push in New Hampshire<br />
yesterday on the eve of the first-in-thenation<br />
primary.<br />
Polls showed the former Massachusetts<br />
governor, who won Iowa’s caucus<br />
by a whisker last week, slipping slightly<br />
but still holding a commanding lead and<br />
looking to notch a second victory before<br />
the fight shifts to South Carolina.<br />
Romney’s rivals hoped for a shocking<br />
upset in New Hampshire’s bellwether<br />
nominating primary — where he lost in<br />
2008 to the eventual nominee, Senator<br />
John McCain — while they planned for<br />
an all-out assault on his record before the<br />
southern state’s <strong>Jan</strong>uary 21 vote.<br />
“I’m not worried. I’m happy,” Romney<br />
replied at a rally in Exeter when asked<br />
whether he feared his 15-point edge over<br />
his nearest rival, Texas congressman Ron<br />
Paul, might lead overconfident supporters<br />
to stay home today.<br />
Paul, a small-government champion<br />
whose opposition to overseas entanglements<br />
breaks with Republican orthodoxy,<br />
pumped up his passionate base of mostly<br />
young voters in Meredith by dismissing<br />
his competitors as agents of “the status<br />
quo.”<br />
“They don’t challenge the establishment,”<br />
said the lawmaker, who trails<br />
Romney in the polls by a 35 per cent to<br />
20 per cent margin. “I think the country<br />
is looking for something completely different.”<br />
A survey by Suffolk University in<br />
nearby Boston found support for former<br />
US envoy to China Jon Huntsman has increased<br />
to 11 per cent, and former House<br />
speaker Newt Gingrich was at nine per<br />
cent.<br />
Gingrich, savaged in what he has denounced<br />
as false attack ads by Romney allies,<br />
declared that turnabout was fair play<br />
and said he and an independent Super-<br />
PAC (political action committee) backing<br />
him would soon be taking the fight to the<br />
front runner.<br />
“This is a tough business, and should<br />
be, you’re trying to pick someone strong<br />
enough to be president of the United<br />
States, it’s just got to be factually correct,”<br />
he told reporters at a town hall meeting in<br />
a Mexican restaurant.<br />
The opinion poll found Christian conservative<br />
Rick Santorum had fallen to<br />
eight per cent — a slide pollsters have<br />
blamed on his virulent criticisms of gay<br />
rights — while Texas Governor Rick Perry<br />
was at one per cent.<br />
In the second of a pair of debates<br />
held barely <strong>10</strong> hours apart, Santorum on<br />
Sunday worked to soften an angry image<br />
shaped by his past comparisons of homosexuality<br />
to bestiality and by his fierce<br />
Chavez welcomes Ahmadinejad<br />
CARACAS — Venezuelan President<br />
Hugo Chavez dismissed a US warning<br />
to avoid close ties with Iran on Sunday,<br />
denouncing what he said was Washington’s<br />
attempt to dominate the world<br />
as he welcomed the Iranian president<br />
to the Latin American nation.<br />
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad<br />
arrived at the start of a tour<br />
to shore up support from the region’s<br />
leftist leaders, as tough new Western<br />
sanctions aim to isolate the Islamic republic<br />
and target its vital oil exports.<br />
“A spokesman or spokeswoman in<br />
Washington from the State Department<br />
or the White House said it was<br />
not convenient for any country to get<br />
close to Iran. Well, the truth is, it made<br />
you laugh,” Chavez said in a televised<br />
speech.<br />
“They’re not going to be able to<br />
dominate this world. Forget about<br />
it (President Barack) Obama, forget<br />
about it. It would be better to think<br />
about the problems in your country,<br />
which are many,” he said.<br />
“We are free. The people of Latin<br />
America will never again kneel, dominated<br />
by the imperial Yankee. Never<br />
again,” he said, to applause from his<br />
audience at an oil processing facility.<br />
Obama signed measures into law<br />
on New Year’s Eve that will make it<br />
harder for most countries to buy Iranian<br />
oil.<br />
Ahmadinejad was met at Venezuela’s<br />
Maiquetia International Airport by<br />
an honour guard, a red carpet, and a reception<br />
committee of about <strong>10</strong>0 people<br />
led by Vice-President Elias Jaua.<br />
Wearing a grey suit and open-neck<br />
shirt, he did not speak to reporters<br />
but flashed a V-for-victory sign and<br />
pumped his fist in the air before climbing<br />
into his official car.<br />
Other regional leaders due to receive<br />
Ahmadinejad, like Nicaraguan<br />
President Daniel Ortega and Ecuadorean<br />
President Rafael Correa of Ecuador,<br />
have a similar ideological stance<br />
to Chavez, but fewer resources.<br />
Ahmadinejad has said little about<br />
the rising tensions with the West, leaving<br />
it to Iran’s military commanders to<br />
issue the most bellicose statements.<br />
Under increasing fire from rival<br />
hardliners aiming to stop his supporters<br />
making gains at an election in March,<br />
Ahmadinejad will hope the foreign<br />
tour will show voters he still has international<br />
clout and is not, as his critics<br />
say, a lame duck. — Reuters<br />
‘US will have the strongest military’<br />
WASHINGTON — Defence Secretary<br />
Leon Panetta has cautioned global rivals<br />
not to misjudge US plans to slash military<br />
spending over the next decade, saying<br />
America would still field the world’s<br />
strongest military and nobody should<br />
“mess with that.”<br />
Panetta, speaking on CBS’s “Face<br />
the Nation,” also reiterated the tough US<br />
stance towards Iran’s threat to close the<br />
Strait of Hormuz, which is vital for oil<br />
shipping in the Gulf, saying the United<br />
States would not “tolerate” it.<br />
“That’s another red line for us and ...<br />
we will respond to them,” he said.<br />
General Martin Dempsey, chairman<br />
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told “Face<br />
the Nation” Iran had been investing in<br />
the weapons they would need to close<br />
the strait but the United States had been<br />
working to “ensure if that happens, we<br />
can defeat that.”<br />
“The simple answer is, ‘Yes, they can<br />
block it,’” he said. “But we would take<br />
action and reopen the strait.”<br />
The tough talk comes days after President<br />
Barack Obama unveiled a new military<br />
strategy that calls for a smaller force<br />
as the United States cuts $487 billion in<br />
projected defence spending over the next<br />
decade in an effort to deal with the nation’s<br />
$14 trillion debt.<br />
The new strategy, which is meant to<br />
identify spending priorities as the military<br />
cuts back, calls for greater emphasis<br />
on Asia even as the Army and Marines<br />
shrink to become smaller and more agile<br />
forces.<br />
Dempsey said he worried that some<br />
countries might misunderstand the debate<br />
Americans are having over changing<br />
strategy and the need to cut defence<br />
spending.<br />
“There may be some around the<br />
world who see us as a nation in decline,<br />
and worse, as a military in decline. And<br />
nothing could be further from the truth,”<br />
Dempsey said.<br />
He said such a miscalculation could<br />
be “troublesome” in dealing with countries<br />
like Iran or North Korea. Panetta<br />
said US rivals should not misunderstand<br />
the situation.<br />
“I think the message that the world<br />
needs to understand is: America is the<br />
strongest military power and we intend<br />
to remain the strongest military power<br />
and nobody ought to mess with that,” he<br />
said.<br />
Obama and Congress agreed in August<br />
to cut some $487 billion in defence<br />
spending over the next decade.<br />
As part of the August deal, defence<br />
spending could be cut by another $600<br />
billion unless Congress compromises on<br />
an alternative.<br />
Congress missed a deadline for<br />
reaching a compromise that could have<br />
stopped the new defence cuts, but it could<br />
still take action to override the spending<br />
reductions before they are due to go into<br />
force next year. — Reuters<br />
opposition to gay marriage and gay adoptions.<br />
Asked what he would do if he had a<br />
son tell him he was gay, the former senator<br />
from Pennsylvania replied: “I would love<br />
him as much as I did the second before he<br />
said it. And I would try to do everything I<br />
can to be as good a father to him.”<br />
While Romney’s rivals escalated their<br />
attacks on him, notably in Sunday’s debate,<br />
he committed no major errors,<br />
making it unlikely that the assault would<br />
derail his better-funded, better-organised<br />
campaign.<br />
The debates could shape today’s vote,<br />
which may drive one or more candidates<br />
from the race, resetting a field that has<br />
been led alternately by Romney and successive<br />
conservatives who have surged<br />
and fallen back.<br />
A vast campaign war chest and highprofile<br />
endorsements have fed Romney’s<br />
image as the man to beat, but he faces<br />
stubborn doubts about his conservative<br />
credentials and has been unable to push<br />
his support from Republicans nationwide<br />
above 30 per cent.<br />
South Carolina is the first contest for<br />
the Republican nomination in the US<br />
South, where Romney faces pushback<br />
from conservatives who think he is a<br />
moderate flip-flopper and from evangelical<br />
Christians wary of his Mormon faith.<br />
— AFP<br />
US-Iran man sentenced<br />
to death for spying<br />
has sentenced a US-Iranian<br />
man to death for spying for<br />
the CIA, media reports said<br />
yesterday.<br />
Amir Mirzai Hekmati, a<br />
28-year-old former Marine<br />
born in the United States to an<br />
Iranian family, was “sentenced<br />
to death for co-operating with<br />
a hostile nation, membership<br />
of the CIA and trying to implicate<br />
Iran in terrorism,” the<br />
judge in Tehran ruled, the Fars<br />
and ISNA news agencies reported.<br />
Hekmati has 20 days to<br />
appeal, ISNA quoted chief<br />
prosecutor Gholam Hossein<br />
Mohseni Ejei as saying, without<br />
specifying when the sentence<br />
was handed down.<br />
The accused was shown on<br />
state television in mid-December<br />
saying in fluent Farsi and<br />
English that he was a Central<br />
Intelligence Agency operative<br />
sent to infiltrate Iran’s intelligence<br />
ministry.<br />
US auto<br />
industry<br />
‘is back’<br />
DETROIT, Michigan — US<br />
Transportation Secretary<br />
Ray LaHood hailed the remarkable<br />
resurgence of the<br />
US auto industry and American<br />
manufacturing yesterday<br />
at the opening of the Detroit<br />
auto show.<br />
“As you look at these<br />
breathtaking vehicles, I ask<br />
you to remember they represent<br />
more than creative<br />
thinking and design,” La-<br />
Hood said.<br />
“They represent American<br />
factories bustling and<br />
humming, American workers<br />
churning out cars, and<br />
American families earning<br />
paycheques again.”<br />
The US auto industry<br />
shed 400,000 jobs in 2008<br />
— a pink slip for one in five<br />
autoworkers.<br />
But thanks to the President<br />
Barack Obama’s decision<br />
to bail out General<br />
Motors and Chrysler and the<br />
hard work of company executives<br />
and workers, they<br />
are now hiring workers at<br />
the “fastest rate in memory,”<br />
he said. — AFP<br />
He had been arrested<br />
months earlier.<br />
Iranian officials said his<br />
cover was blown by agents<br />
for Iran who spotted him at<br />
the US-run Bagram military<br />
air base in neighbouring Afghanistan.<br />
But Hekmati’s family in<br />
the United States told US media<br />
he had travelled to Iran to<br />
visit his grandmothers.<br />
His father, a teacher in the<br />
US state of Michigan, said<br />
Hekmati was not a spy. Relatives<br />
said they had tried in<br />
vain to hire different Iranian<br />
lawyers for him, rather than<br />
the government-appointed<br />
one.<br />
In his sole trial hearing,<br />
on December 27, prosecutors<br />
relied on Hekmati’s “confession”<br />
to say he tried to penetrate<br />
the intelligence ministry<br />
by posing as a disaffected<br />
former US soldier with classified<br />
information to give.<br />
Hekmati was tried as an<br />
Iranian citizen, not a US one,<br />
because Iran does not recognise<br />
dual nationality.<br />
The United States has demanded<br />
Hekmati’s release.<br />
The State Department said<br />
Iran did not permit diplomats<br />
from the Swiss embassy —<br />
which handles Washington’s<br />
interests in the absence of US-<br />
Iran ties — to see Hekmati before<br />
or during his trial.<br />
The death sentence comes<br />
after the case of three other<br />
Americans who were held in<br />
Iran on spying charges after<br />
hiking in 2009 along the unmarked<br />
Iran-Iraq border. All<br />
three were eventually released,<br />
one in 20<strong>10</strong> and the other two<br />
in September 2011, despite<br />
being sentenced to eight years<br />
in prison.<br />
Hekmati’s case, though,<br />
comes as the temperature rises<br />
between Tehran and Washington<br />
over US-led moves to hit<br />
Iran’s oil exports as part of<br />
new sanctions.” — AFP<br />
Pizza chain apologises for<br />
racial slur on receipt<br />
WASHINGTON — US pizza company Papa John’s has issued<br />
an apology to a New York woman of Asian descent who was<br />
given a receipt that referred to her as “lady chinky eyes.”<br />
Minhee Cho, a communications manager for the journalism<br />
site ProPublica, posted a message with a photo of the offending<br />
receipt on her personal Twitter account after visiting one of<br />
the chain’s restaurants.<br />
“Hey @PapaJohns just FYI my name isn’t ‘lady chinky<br />
eyes,’” she wrote — prompting outrage on the popular microblogging<br />
site.<br />
The message itself was retweeted some 500 times and the<br />
photo quickly garnered over 150,000 views — hours later on<br />
Saturday, Papa John’s posted an apology on its Twitter and Facebook<br />
pages.<br />
“We are very upset by recent receipt issue in New York<br />
and sincerely apologise to our customer,” the company wrote<br />
on Twitter, adding that the employee involved “is being terminated.”<br />
On Facebook, the company said it was “extremely<br />
concerned” to learn of the incident.<br />
“This act goes against our company values, and we’ve<br />
confirmed with the franchisee that this matter was addressed<br />
immediately... We are truly sorry for this customer’s experience.”<br />
— AFP
MYANMAR democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi (C) applauds during a ceremony to unveil her National League for<br />
Democracy (NLD)’s new signboard at the NLD headquarters in Yangon yesterday. Suu Kyi could be given a job in<br />
Myanmar's government if she is elected to parliament in April by-elections, a presidential adviser said. — AFP<br />
Myanmar sanctions eased<br />
SYDNEY — Australia will remove<br />
former Myanmar ministers<br />
and tourism officials from<br />
its sanctions list in recognition<br />
of the country's moves toward<br />
democratic reform, Foreign<br />
Minister Kevin Rudd said<br />
yesterday.<br />
However, targeted financial<br />
sanctions and travel restrictions<br />
will still be applied<br />
to "nominated individuals"<br />
and an arms embargo will remain<br />
on Myanmar, formerly<br />
known as Burma, Rudd said<br />
in a statement.<br />
"We hope positive developments,<br />
such as the increased<br />
participation of opposition<br />
parties in the political process,<br />
the release of around 220<br />
political prisoners, and new<br />
labour laws that will legalise<br />
trade unions, will continue,"<br />
Rudd said.<br />
"In this context we will<br />
keep our approach to sanctions<br />
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's<br />
former ambassador to the<br />
United States denied any involvement<br />
in drafting a memo<br />
that accused the army of plotting<br />
a coup and suggested on<br />
the first day of a Supreme<br />
Court commission yesterday<br />
he was being framed.<br />
Former envoy Husain<br />
Haqqani struck a defiant tone<br />
that was sure to do little to<br />
quell a scandal that has dominated<br />
Pakistani politics for the<br />
past three months and destabilised<br />
the civilian government.<br />
"I had no role in creating,<br />
drafting and/or delivering the<br />
memorandum to the (US)<br />
Chairman Joint Chiefs of<br />
Staff Admiral Michael Mullen,"<br />
Haqqani said yesterday.<br />
"I have no knowledge of the<br />
origin, authenticity or purpose<br />
of the said memo."<br />
The murky scandal<br />
emerged last October when<br />
businessman Mansoor Ijaz,<br />
writing in a column in the Financial<br />
Times, said a senior<br />
under review. Australia retains<br />
the ability to add individuals<br />
to the sanctions list at any<br />
time, but members of Burma's<br />
new government who were<br />
not previously on Australia's<br />
sanctions list will not be listed<br />
at this time," he said.<br />
A civilian government took<br />
power in Myanmar in March<br />
with the blessing of a military<br />
that had ruled the secretive<br />
country since 1962.<br />
The government freed 230<br />
activists in October, going a<br />
long way towards meeting a<br />
demand by the West for the<br />
release of all political detainees<br />
before sanctions are lifted<br />
or reviewed.<br />
Momentum for scaling<br />
back or even ending sanctions<br />
gathered pace with an October<br />
amnesty and a visit by<br />
US Secretary of State Hillary<br />
Clinton in December.<br />
Former ministers and<br />
Pakistani diplomat had asked<br />
that the memo, seeking help to<br />
rein in the military, be sent to<br />
the US Defence Department.<br />
Ijaz says he wrote the<br />
memo following the secret<br />
US raid that killed Osama bin<br />
Laden in a Pakistani garrison<br />
town, embarrassing the Pakistani<br />
military. No evidence has<br />
emerged that the military was<br />
plotting a coup and the Pentagon<br />
at the time dismissed the<br />
memo as not credible.<br />
Ijaz later identified the<br />
diplomat as Haqqani, an ally<br />
of President Asif Ali Zardari<br />
and who says he was never<br />
liked by the military because<br />
of his advocacy for civilian<br />
supremacy.<br />
Ijaz says Haqqani conceived<br />
and dictated the memo<br />
in a May 9 phone call between<br />
the two. Haqqani denies the<br />
phone call was about the<br />
memo and says Ijaz has fabricated<br />
the controversy, which<br />
has been seized upon by Pakistani<br />
media and political op-<br />
deputy ministers who are no<br />
longer in politics, and tourism<br />
officials, will be removed<br />
from Australia's sanctions list,<br />
said Rudd.<br />
"There is much progress<br />
still to be made in Burma, and<br />
Australia continues to urge the<br />
release of all political prisoners,<br />
free and fair by-elections<br />
and the peaceful resolution of<br />
ethnic conflicts in Burma," he<br />
said.<br />
The Australian decision<br />
to ease its sanctions list was<br />
criticised by human rights<br />
campaigners who said more<br />
than 1,500 political prisoners<br />
remained detained and Australia<br />
should wait to see wider<br />
reforms before rewarding the<br />
military-backed government.<br />
"It is not appropriate for<br />
sanctions to be eased at this<br />
time," said Zetty Brake from<br />
The Burma Campaign.<br />
— Reuters<br />
Haqqani denies role in memo<br />
ponents, for his own reasons.<br />
"I was falsely accused in<br />
the media and (by) Mr Ijaz<br />
of being the person that communicated<br />
the contents of the<br />
memo," said Haqqani, dressed<br />
in a grey suit with a Pakistani<br />
flag pin on his lapel.<br />
Haqqani returned to Pakistan<br />
in November and resigned<br />
as ambassador in a bid<br />
to end the crisis, but petitions<br />
by opposition members to the<br />
Supreme Court led to yesterday's<br />
judicial commission.<br />
Ijaz has said he would appear<br />
before the commission<br />
but wants guarantees for his<br />
safety before travelling to Pakistan,<br />
he said yesterday, although<br />
he could take part via<br />
video-conference if he was<br />
unable to come in person.<br />
"I have insisted on being<br />
physically present and have<br />
instructed my counsel to not<br />
consider other options unless<br />
the government refuses permission<br />
for me to come," he<br />
wrote in an email. — Reuters<br />
Philippines jams mobile phone<br />
signals to deter bomb attack<br />
MANILA – Philippine authorities<br />
yesterday jammed mobile<br />
phone signals in areas where a<br />
religious procession attended<br />
by millions of Catholic devotees<br />
passed as part of efforts<br />
to deter a possible terrorist attack.<br />
National police chief Director<br />
General Nicanor Bartolome<br />
said the move would<br />
prevent terrorists from using<br />
mobile phone signals to trigger<br />
bombs as they have done<br />
in past attacks in the Philippines.<br />
"We all know the probability<br />
that cellular phones are<br />
used as detonators of bombs,"<br />
he said. "We need to protect<br />
the citizenry."<br />
Interior Secretary Jesse<br />
Robredo said police and military<br />
intelligence authorities<br />
requested that mobile phone<br />
signals be disrupted during the<br />
6-kilometre procession around<br />
the streets of central Manila to<br />
the district of Quiapo. "The<br />
signals are not totally out, but<br />
the strength was calibrated,"<br />
he said.<br />
Defence Secretary Voltaire<br />
Gazmin said security forces<br />
raided several safe houses of<br />
suspected terrorists in Manila<br />
ahead of the Feast of the Black<br />
Nazarene, but failed to arrest<br />
anyone.<br />
He said that based on information<br />
gathered so far,<br />
the suspects had already assembled<br />
a bomb using parts<br />
acquired in Manila.<br />
A sea of barefoot, maroonclad<br />
men and women swarmed<br />
around the Black Nazarene, a<br />
centuries-old, life-size statue<br />
of a dark-skinned Jesus Christ,<br />
as it was paraded on a carriage<br />
around central Manila.<br />
The devotees pushed and<br />
shoved to wipe cloths on the<br />
idol or the carriage in the belief<br />
that it has healing powers.<br />
Many jumped on the backs of<br />
8<br />
THE PHILIPPINES/SUBCONTINENT<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
others to get nearer the statue.<br />
A stampede broke out at<br />
the start of the 6-kilometre<br />
procession en route to Quiapo<br />
Church from a seaside grandstand<br />
in Manila, while the<br />
carriage suffered mechanical<br />
problems. At least 324 people<br />
suffered minor injuries, according<br />
to the Red Cross and<br />
other emergency services.<br />
Police Director General<br />
Nicanor Bartolome estimated<br />
the crowd at about 3 million,<br />
while 3,000 more were inside<br />
the Quiapo Church.<br />
More than <strong>10</strong>,000 police<br />
and hundreds of soldiers<br />
guarded the event.<br />
President Benigno Aquino<br />
III on Sunday warned that terrorists<br />
were plotting to disrupt<br />
the procession and urged devotees<br />
to be vigilant. The Black<br />
Nazarene is said to have been<br />
brought to the Philippines by a<br />
Spanish priest from Mexico in<br />
1606. — dpa<br />
Poultry items<br />
prices surge<br />
ISLAMABAD — While<br />
the prices of farm products<br />
have slightly eased after the<br />
first winter rain, the following<br />
cold wave has caused a<br />
surge in the prices of poultry<br />
products.<br />
As a result of rain and<br />
cloudy weather in the region<br />
for the past two days and the<br />
temperature dropping two<br />
degrees below the Celsius<br />
in the federal capital, the demand<br />
for chicken and eggs<br />
has surged significantly.<br />
The farm eggs have already<br />
reached their highest<br />
level of last year which was<br />
Rs 116 a dozen, and the distributors<br />
have started indicating<br />
the short supply due<br />
to heavy demand.<br />
“The eggs have already<br />
attained last year’s highest<br />
price level and the real cold<br />
is starting now. — Internews<br />
Drone strikes<br />
killed 609<br />
ISLAMABAD — The<br />
United States carried out 75<br />
drone attacks inside Pakistani<br />
territory during 2011 killing<br />
609 people, among them<br />
only three were Arab commanders<br />
of Al Qaeda; one<br />
was UK’s most wanted and<br />
just four were senior commanders<br />
of different factions<br />
of Pakistani militants, says<br />
Conflict Monitoring Centre’s<br />
annual report on drone<br />
attacks.<br />
It says that no drone attack<br />
was conducted in December<br />
last year.<br />
The report is based on the<br />
data collected from mainstream<br />
national and international<br />
media.<br />
“The CIA failed to eliminate<br />
more than four Al Qaeda<br />
leaders in its highly costly<br />
and controversial ‘assassination<br />
by drones’ campaign inside<br />
Pakistan during the year<br />
2011", the report says.<br />
— Internews<br />
Hope for<br />
peace pact<br />
MANILA — The Philippine<br />
government and the<br />
country's largest group said<br />
yesterday that they hoped a<br />
peace agreement would be<br />
signed this year as they held<br />
talks in Malaysia.<br />
Marvic Leonen, the government's<br />
chief negotiator<br />
with the Moro Islamic Liberation<br />
Front (MILF), said<br />
President Benigno Aquino<br />
III's government "wants to<br />
see the solution to the Bangsamoro<br />
(Muslim nation)<br />
question in motion when it<br />
leaves in a little over four<br />
years' time."<br />
An agreement should<br />
be reached so there would<br />
be enough time to implement,<br />
assess and fine-tune<br />
it before the next president<br />
takes office, he said in Kuala<br />
Lumpur, where the first formal<br />
talks since August began<br />
and were set to last until<br />
Wednesday. — dpa<br />
Pakistan, Taliban exchange<br />
bodies of troops after clashes<br />
PESHAWAR — Pakistani authorities<br />
yesterday recovered<br />
the bodies of <strong>10</strong> soldiers in<br />
an exchange of bodies with<br />
Taliban following a clash two<br />
weeks ago in the northwestern<br />
tribal region.<br />
An official of the military's<br />
media wing said the <strong>10</strong><br />
soldiers had been missing in<br />
Orakzai district since December<br />
21 when fighters attacked<br />
a checkpost and killed 13 others.<br />
One security official said<br />
the 23 soldiers were attacked<br />
in a late-night assault by up to<br />
<strong>10</strong>0 heavily armed insurgents.<br />
Another security official<br />
said the <strong>10</strong> soldiers had been<br />
beheaded and their bodies recovered<br />
in an exchange with<br />
the Taliban.<br />
"They handed over the beheaded<br />
bodies of <strong>10</strong> officials<br />
while we handed over four<br />
bodies of militants to them,"<br />
the official said. The Pakistani<br />
ISLAMABAD — Economic<br />
dividends of democracy accruing<br />
to the electorate do not<br />
appear too impressive as the<br />
representative Pakistani government<br />
enters an expected<br />
election year.<br />
Despite their distaste for<br />
the popular politics, a segment<br />
of the business is positioning<br />
itself to capitalise on the opportunities<br />
that general polls<br />
throw up. The total spending<br />
in the last general elections,<br />
according to informal intelligent<br />
guesstimates, was reported<br />
to be $2.22 billion. Now the<br />
figure is expected to increase<br />
significantly.<br />
The declared cost was a<br />
measly fraction running in few<br />
hundred million rupees. No<br />
consolidated figure of the real<br />
spending was reported.<br />
The question is who will<br />
finance such an expensive<br />
project in the country. The an-<br />
Taliban claimed responsibility<br />
but said <strong>10</strong> of their men had<br />
been killed.<br />
"We killed these soldiers<br />
during the clash. They had<br />
the bodies of our <strong>10</strong> people<br />
and we had in our custody the<br />
bodies of soldiers and the exchange<br />
of bodies took place<br />
today," said Tehreek-e-Taliban<br />
Pakistan (TTP) spokesman<br />
Ehsanullah Ehsan.<br />
The exchange comes four<br />
days after the corpses of 15<br />
members of Pakistan's paramilitary<br />
Frontier Constabulary<br />
(FC) were found in the small<br />
northwestern town of Shawa,<br />
in North Waziristan tribal region<br />
near the Afghan border,<br />
almost two weeks after they<br />
were kidnapped.<br />
The Tehreek-e-Taliban<br />
Pakistan claimed responsibility<br />
for those killings. The FC<br />
personnel were kidnapped late<br />
last month during a night-time<br />
swer is complex as the weak<br />
Election Commission has yet<br />
to focus effectively on the financial<br />
aspect of elections.<br />
The fact is that the rules governing<br />
financing are archaic<br />
and need revision.<br />
Besides, in Pakistan a major<br />
chunk of the cost of electioneering<br />
is covered by funds<br />
the rich individuals contribute,<br />
some voluntarily and others<br />
reluctantly, but companies do<br />
not support political parties<br />
through direct donations.<br />
The corporate world seems<br />
to be adjusting with the changing<br />
country’s power structure.<br />
Generally they hide their contempt<br />
for democracy behind<br />
the argument that politics is<br />
not a business of the business.<br />
However, in their individual<br />
capacity, they do support candidates<br />
and political parties<br />
financially.<br />
Some corporate execu-<br />
attack on a checkpoint in the<br />
northwestern town of Tank.<br />
Pakistan's seven tribal districts<br />
near the Afghan border,<br />
including North Waziristan,<br />
are strongholds of Taliban and<br />
Al Qaeda operatives.<br />
Fighters opposed to the<br />
government, particularly the<br />
nebulous TTP network, have<br />
carried out bomb and gun attacks<br />
across Pakistan since<br />
July 2007.<br />
A Nato air strike on the<br />
border killed 24 Pakistani soldiers<br />
on November 26, with<br />
Islamabad calling it a deliberate<br />
attack.<br />
Pakistan refused to take<br />
part in a Nato inquiry into<br />
the incident, having criticised<br />
previous investigations into<br />
cross-border attacks as worthless.<br />
Instead, it has sought a<br />
formal apology from US President<br />
Barack Obama. Islamabad<br />
has kept its Afghan border<br />
tives express frustration over<br />
demands of donations from<br />
political heavyweights they<br />
find difficult to ignore in the<br />
current political scenario, an<br />
informal limited survey based<br />
on interviews revealed.<br />
However, many manufacturers,<br />
vendors and service<br />
providers look forward to the<br />
election as an event that generates<br />
extra demand-driven<br />
business bonus for them.<br />
The printers, textiles, auto<br />
sector, commodity traders,<br />
contractors, realtors, lobbyists,<br />
advertisers, computer service<br />
providers, cell phone operators,<br />
media houses, security<br />
agencies, event managers, hoteliers,<br />
etc, hope a major spur<br />
in their activity over the year<br />
ahead and are gearing up for<br />
exciting times.<br />
People are generally too<br />
preoccupied with politics in<br />
the public discourse to notice<br />
closed to Natoconvoys since<br />
November 26, boycotted the<br />
Bonn conference on Afghanistan<br />
and ordered Americans to<br />
leave an air base understood to<br />
have been a hub for CIA drone<br />
strikes on the Taliban.<br />
The interior minister, meanwhile,<br />
said yesterday former<br />
president Pervez Musharraf<br />
will be arrested in connection<br />
with the assassination of<br />
former premier Benazir Bhutto<br />
if he returns to Pakistan,<br />
“There should be no doubt<br />
in anyone’s mind that Mr<br />
Musharraf will be arrested by<br />
the police as soon as he lands<br />
in Pakistan,” Rehman Malik<br />
said. Addressing a rally in<br />
southern port city of Karachi<br />
on Sunday via video hookup<br />
from Dubai, Musharraf said he<br />
would return at the end of the<br />
month to prepare for the next<br />
parliamentary elections.<br />
— AFP/dpa<br />
Elections budget to rise significantly<br />
the business side of elections.<br />
If five times bigger India is<br />
reported to have spent one trillion<br />
Indian rupees in the last<br />
election, it would be inappropriate<br />
to assume one-fifth of<br />
that amount being spent here.<br />
The figure of an election<br />
cost that one gets, based on<br />
simple arithmetic, is Rs 400<br />
billion.<br />
Many executives contacted<br />
did not want to be quoted but<br />
accepted the projected figure<br />
as credible. They lamented the<br />
absence of dependable data in<br />
this regard and demanded of<br />
the Election Commission to<br />
monitor and regulate election<br />
spending to avoid wastage of<br />
valuable national resources.<br />
The current spending limit<br />
specified in the rules of Election<br />
Commission on electioneering<br />
by a provincial assembly<br />
candidate is one million<br />
rupees. — Internews<br />
Cash compensation as power subsidy?<br />
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani<br />
government is considering<br />
following the Iranian model<br />
of restricting fuel and energy<br />
subsidies under which market<br />
prices are recovered from consumers<br />
who are then compensated<br />
through a cash grant.<br />
Under its economic reform<br />
plan, Iran recently replaced<br />
fuel and food subsidies with<br />
the cash transfer programme<br />
that was praised by most of<br />
its critics, including the International<br />
Monetary Fund and<br />
World Bank whose largest<br />
shareholder, US, maintains an<br />
aggressive posture towards it.<br />
An official told yesterday<br />
that Iran had adopted the costrecovery<br />
approach under its<br />
reform plan last year, done<br />
away with subsidies on fuel<br />
and introduced the cash transfer<br />
programme to make policy<br />
changes feasible.<br />
In the first year of implementation<br />
— that was delayed<br />
for a couple of months — Iran<br />
is reported to have saved over<br />
$6 billion, which is more than<br />
the reported Rs 500 billion<br />
loss Pakistan’s public sector<br />
corporations suffer every year.<br />
Pakistan set a target of providing<br />
Rs 50 billion subsidy<br />
to power sector consumers in<br />
the current year’s budget, but<br />
the amount is now estimated<br />
to increase to Rs 350 billion,<br />
owing to delay in implementation<br />
of a cabinet decision to<br />
pass on power tariff increases<br />
to consumers as the gap between<br />
sale price and cost of<br />
supply widened to about Rs 2<br />
per unit in the absence of any<br />
success in the loss-reduction<br />
programme.<br />
The official said the Iranian<br />
government had complemented<br />
its subsidy withdrawal<br />
programme with a significant<br />
programme of public education<br />
and communication, explaining<br />
the changes and how<br />
people could gain from cash<br />
transfers.<br />
“We are considering to<br />
adopt a similar approach and<br />
pursue a public communication<br />
plan to link cash transfers<br />
with the tariff increases,” he<br />
said.<br />
He said the relationship<br />
between the consumption behaviour<br />
of rich households and<br />
conservation and efficiency<br />
would be an important factor<br />
of the proposed strategy<br />
because there were benefits<br />
of increasing tariffs, more for<br />
those who could reduce consumption.<br />
“If the pricing signal leads<br />
to better management and use<br />
of electricity, it will reduce<br />
power generation needs, lower<br />
costs, increase conservation<br />
and reduce the gap between<br />
supply and demand.”<br />
The official, who currently<br />
works for the ministry<br />
of finance to advise on policy<br />
reforms, criticised a recent decision<br />
of the ministry of water<br />
and power under which the<br />
benefit of highly subsidised<br />
first <strong>10</strong>0 units was also provided<br />
to high-end consumers<br />
with monthly consumption of<br />
more than 700 units.<br />
“This is misuse of subsidy<br />
under which rich people are<br />
using cheap electricity for<br />
heating swimming pools at the<br />
cost of the national exchequer.”<br />
He said the government<br />
had firmed up policy recommendations<br />
to increase the<br />
slab for lifeline power consumers<br />
to <strong>10</strong>0 units per month<br />
from the existing 50.<br />
The rates for lifeline consumers<br />
will be gradually increased<br />
to about Rs <strong>10</strong> per<br />
unit over two to three years<br />
and they will get back the cost<br />
of <strong>10</strong>0 units through bank accounts<br />
or vouchers. This will<br />
encourage them to contain<br />
power consumption. The pattern<br />
will also be used for consumers<br />
using up to 300 units<br />
per month. All consumers using<br />
more than 300 units will<br />
be charged a little higher than<br />
the cost of power supply with<br />
higher rates for high-end consumers.<br />
— Internews<br />
SRI Lankan dancers perform during the annual Perahera festival of the historic Kelaniya Buddhist Temple in Kelaniya.<br />
Hundreds of devotees and onlookers gathered for the annual elephant pageant, held on the night before the full moon<br />
day in <strong>Jan</strong>uary, to commemorate the visit of Lord Buddha to the temple. Colourful dancers, drummers, whip crackers,<br />
fire eaters, musicians and devotees take part in the pageant that parades through the main streets of Kelaniya. — AFP
9 REGION<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
RUSSIAN sailors standing to attention on board the Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov docked in the Syrian port of Tartous, along the Mediterranean Sea, as they wait<br />
for a visit by Syrian Minister of Defence General Dawood Rajiha. Right: Rajiha (L) is greeted on board the ship. — AFP<br />
League presses on with Syria mission<br />
DAMASCUS — The Arab<br />
League yesterday pressed on<br />
with its mission to halt <strong>10</strong><br />
months of bloodshed in Syria.<br />
Turkey, which has openly<br />
called for Syrian President<br />
Bashar al Assad to step down,<br />
meanwhile, called on the opposition<br />
to keep up its resistance<br />
through “peaceful means.”<br />
After a meeting with the<br />
opposition Syrian National<br />
Council on Sunday in Istanbul,<br />
a foreign ministry spokesman<br />
in Ankara urged the opposition<br />
to carry on with their resistance.<br />
“The Syrian opposition demands<br />
democracy and we told<br />
them during a meeting yesterday<br />
(Sunday) that this should<br />
be done through peaceful<br />
means,” he said, referring to<br />
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s<br />
talks with the SNC.<br />
Iraq police<br />
mark 90th<br />
birthday<br />
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s fledgling<br />
police force, completely<br />
reformed after the 2003<br />
US-led invasion, yesterday<br />
marked 90 years since its<br />
foundation at a time of sectarian<br />
tensions in the face of<br />
political deadlock.<br />
The force, which has<br />
apologised for acts committed<br />
during the rule of<br />
Saddam Hussein, held ceremonies<br />
in major cities such<br />
as Baghdad and Basra, after<br />
the army marked its 91st<br />
anniversary with a huge parade<br />
in the capital’s heavily-fortified<br />
Green Zone on<br />
Friday.<br />
Prime Minister Nuri al<br />
Maliki, attending a police<br />
parade in Baghdad, paid<br />
tribute to the force but called<br />
on political rivals to resist<br />
politicising it amid concerns<br />
among his opponents that<br />
exactly that is taking place.<br />
“We must not politicise<br />
the police — the most dangerous<br />
of problems will affect<br />
the security process if<br />
they become politicised,”<br />
Maliki said in a speech.<br />
The premier also voiced<br />
hope that the police will be<br />
able to handle security on<br />
their own across the country,<br />
without assistance from the<br />
Iraqi army, by next year.<br />
Official claims that Iraq’s<br />
security forces are largely<br />
able to maintain internal security,<br />
if not defend its borders,<br />
have been dealt a blow<br />
by two sets of deadly attacks<br />
since US forces completed<br />
their withdrawal three weeks<br />
ago.<br />
Interior ministry security<br />
forces, made up of city, oil<br />
and federal police as well as<br />
border guards and the facilities<br />
protection service, now<br />
number around 650,000, according<br />
to government figures<br />
issued in October.<br />
On Sunday, the interior<br />
ministry issued a statement<br />
apologising for the actions<br />
of police during Saddam’s<br />
rule.<br />
“Security forces in the interior<br />
ministry apologise for<br />
the practices that took place<br />
during the former regime,”<br />
the ministry said. “They<br />
were forced to carry out<br />
practices that were not their<br />
duties.” — AFP<br />
At a meeting in Cairo the<br />
same day, an Arab ministerial<br />
committee gave its observer<br />
mission to Syria the green<br />
light to carry on and pledged to<br />
boost the number of monitors.<br />
The committee “decided to<br />
give Arab League observers<br />
the necessary time to continue<br />
their mission according to the<br />
protocol,” which sets a onemonth<br />
term, renewable with<br />
the agreement of both sides.<br />
The ministers agreed to increase<br />
the number of observers<br />
and said they may seek<br />
“technical assistance from the<br />
United Nations” in the face of<br />
unrest that the world body said<br />
last month has cost more than<br />
5,000 lives.<br />
The committee urged Damascus<br />
“to fully and immediately<br />
implement its commitments”<br />
under the Arab<br />
plan, calling on all parties “to<br />
immediately stop all forms of<br />
violence.”<br />
The Syrian Revolution<br />
General Commission, grouping<br />
activists on the ground,<br />
said the meeting fell “short<br />
of expectations.” The League<br />
should use the “necessary<br />
means” to halt the violence or<br />
admit failure, it said.<br />
The head of the mission,<br />
General Mohammed Ahmed<br />
Mustafa al Dabi, is to give a<br />
report to the League on <strong>Jan</strong>uary<br />
19 on Syria’s compliance<br />
with the peace plan, the ministers<br />
said.<br />
Qatari Prime Minister<br />
Shaikh Hamad bin Jassem al<br />
Thani, who chaired the Cairo<br />
meeting, called on Syria to<br />
“take a historic decision” to<br />
stop the bloodshed.<br />
A report by the observ-<br />
ers discussed at the meeting<br />
showed that “killing has been<br />
reduced. But even one killing<br />
(is too much),” said Shaikh<br />
Hamad.<br />
Shaikh Hamad said the<br />
League hoped to raise the<br />
number of observers to 300<br />
“within the next few days”<br />
from around 163 now deployed.<br />
The team of Arab League<br />
monitors has been in Syria<br />
since December 26 to oversee<br />
a deal to protect civilians, but<br />
the death toll has mounted despite<br />
its presence.<br />
Security force fire killed<br />
at least three more civilians<br />
yesterday, the Syrian Observatory<br />
for Human Rights said in<br />
Nicosia.<br />
Two people were shot dead<br />
in the flashpoint central province<br />
of Hama and near Damas-<br />
cus, while a woman was killed<br />
in an attack by security forces<br />
in Idlib province of northwest<br />
Syria, the Britain-based watchdog<br />
said.<br />
It called for Arab monitors<br />
to travel to a region of Hama<br />
where it said 12 tanks and armoured<br />
personnel carriers had<br />
been deployed in violation of<br />
the peace plan.<br />
A television channel close<br />
to the government, Dunia, said<br />
a convoy of Arab monitors<br />
came under fire from a “terrorist<br />
group” in Syria’s third<br />
largest city, Homs, wounding<br />
a driver.<br />
In an apparent vote of confidence,<br />
Pope Benedict XVI<br />
said he hoped the Arab League<br />
mission would help promote<br />
dialogue between the government<br />
and its opponents.<br />
“I pray for a rapid end to<br />
IRAQI police women march during a parade to mark 90 years since its foundation in Baghdad yesterday. — AFP<br />
Bahrain court overturns<br />
death terms of two<br />
DUBAI — Bahrain’s cassation court yesterday annulled the<br />
death sentences of two people and the life imprisonment of<br />
three others convicted of killing two policemen in unrest last<br />
year, a lawyer said.<br />
Ali Abdullah Hasan al Singace and Abdul Aziz Abdullah<br />
Ibrahim Hussein were sentenced to death by a semi-military<br />
court established under a state of “national safety” declared by<br />
King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa ahead of the mid-March action<br />
on the month-long protests demanding democratic change.<br />
“The verdicts were annulled and sent to the lower court of<br />
appeal,” said lawyer Mohsen al Alawi, part of the team defending<br />
Singace.<br />
Initially, the National Safety Court of First Instance last<br />
April sentenced four defendants to death, and three to life in<br />
jail, including two tried in absentia.<br />
An appeal court commuted the sentences of two of the convicts<br />
to life in prison and upheld the death sentence of Singace<br />
and Hussein. The verdicts against those at large were not appealed.<br />
“This is a positive verdict. We are optimistic,” said Alawi,<br />
pointing out that a new witness, a policeman, has surfaced<br />
since the appeal verdict was announced.<br />
“His statement has been taken by the public prosecution<br />
and we shall use it,” in the forthcoming retrial, he said.<br />
The seven were accused of running over two policemen —<br />
Kashif Ahmed Manzur and Mohammed Farouk Abdulsamad.<br />
Their trial began on April 17, with BNA state news agency<br />
reporting at the time that the defendants were accused of committing<br />
voluntary homicide of public officials with “terrorist”<br />
aims.<br />
Witnesses addressed the tribunal and a video allegedly<br />
showing the attackers in cars hitting police was played, according<br />
to the agency. — AFP<br />
the bloodshed and the beginning<br />
of a fruitful dialogue<br />
between the political forces,<br />
encouraged by the presence<br />
of independent observers,” the<br />
head of the Roman Catholic<br />
Church said.<br />
Western efforts to raise<br />
the crisis at the UN Security<br />
Council have been stymied by<br />
Damascus ally Moscow.<br />
Russia has a recently expanded<br />
naval base at Tartus on<br />
Syria’s Mediterranean coast,<br />
where it docked a large flotilla<br />
headed by Admiral Kuznetsov<br />
on Saturday.<br />
Defence Minister General<br />
Dawood Rajiha paid tribute<br />
to Russia’s “consistent and<br />
honourable position in support<br />
of Syria,” when he<br />
toured the carrier on Sunday,<br />
the official Sana news agency<br />
reported. — AFP<br />
Yemen’s premier on Gulf<br />
tour to seek financial aid<br />
SANAA — Yemen’s Prime<br />
Minister Mohammed<br />
Basindawa began a tour to<br />
the country’s Gulf neighbours<br />
yesterday to seek urgently<br />
needed aid for an economy<br />
approaching collapse.<br />
Basindawa, formerly an<br />
opposition leader who is now<br />
leading a transitional government,<br />
heads in search of<br />
financial help while political<br />
tensions at home remain acute<br />
and protests continue against<br />
the deal that brought him to<br />
power.<br />
The tour aims to raise<br />
“immediate support to face<br />
Yemen’s budget deficit,” and<br />
will see the prime minister<br />
visit Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,<br />
Kuwait and Qatar, Basindawa<br />
told Al Arabiya news channel.<br />
“We are counting on this<br />
tour, mainly on the visit to<br />
Saudi Arabia... especially<br />
since we have inherited an<br />
empty treasury,” he said.<br />
Last month, UN agencies<br />
said nearly four million<br />
Yemenis will be affected by<br />
the country’s political and<br />
economic crisis in <strong>2012</strong>, more<br />
than half of whom will suffer<br />
from acute food shortages.<br />
Meanwhile, Yemen’s interim<br />
government has approved<br />
a legal proposal to extend amnesty<br />
to President Ali Abdullah<br />
Saleh and his departing<br />
government, according to Al<br />
Jazeera broadcaster.<br />
The move surprised many<br />
in Yemen, where opposition<br />
forces have called for Saleh’s<br />
prosecution in the killing of<br />
hundreds of protesters during<br />
months of opposition demonstrations.<br />
The proposed law, which<br />
must be adopted by Parliament,<br />
was put forward by<br />
Yemen’s new national unity<br />
government, which includes<br />
opposition and loyalist ministers.<br />
The law opens the path for<br />
the departure of Saleh, in accordance<br />
with a long-standing<br />
proposal by the Gulf Co-operation<br />
Council to resolve the<br />
crisis. Saleh said in November<br />
he would depart but only under<br />
the condition that he receive<br />
amnesty.<br />
Saleh is titular president<br />
until February 21, when a new<br />
president is to be elected. The<br />
transitional government was<br />
formed in early December<br />
with equal weight to Saleh’s<br />
party and the opposition.<br />
The United Nations has<br />
called the political transition<br />
“precarious.” “It cannot<br />
be claimed that the unrest is<br />
over,” UN special envoy Jamal<br />
Benomar told the UN Security<br />
Council in late December.<br />
Benomar said Al Qaeda<br />
militants had been very active<br />
and gained ground in southern<br />
Yemen during the popular unrest<br />
against Saleh and the political<br />
vacuum there. He said<br />
the militants “very cleverly”<br />
exploited popular grievances<br />
against the government because<br />
of shortage in electricity<br />
and government services.<br />
“The development in the<br />
south is very worrying,” Benomar<br />
told reporters. — AFP<br />
Police blamed for<br />
deaths in Egypt<br />
CAIRO — Lawyers for<br />
victims’ families in the trial<br />
of ousted president Hosni<br />
Mubarak charged that<br />
Egyptian police were ordered<br />
to use lethal fire against<br />
protesters in the revolt which<br />
brought him down.<br />
The ailing, 83-year-old<br />
Mubarak lay on a stretcher<br />
in the defendants’ cage at the<br />
trial in which the prosecution<br />
has called for him to be<br />
hanged for the killing of<br />
hundreds of demonstrators in<br />
the <strong>Jan</strong>uary-February 2011<br />
revolt.<br />
Sameh Ashour, lead<br />
counsel for victims’ families<br />
in the Cairo trial, submitted<br />
official documents which he<br />
said showed that 160 police<br />
officers had been armed with<br />
automatic weapons and 4,800<br />
live rounds.<br />
The lawyer also showed<br />
a report from the Central<br />
Security Forces that four<br />
units, each made up of 50<br />
policemen, had been supplied<br />
with automatic weapons and<br />
ammunition.<br />
A speech by Mubarak<br />
on <strong>Jan</strong>uary 28, three days<br />
after the outbreak of the<br />
unrest, amounted to “implicit<br />
recognition of the use of<br />
force against demonstrators,”<br />
according to Ashour.<br />
Mubarak said he had<br />
given instructions for<br />
police “to protect the<br />
demonstrations... before they<br />
turn into riots.”<br />
Lawyers for civil<br />
plaintiffs have until today to<br />
present their case before the<br />
defence takes its turn, after<br />
the prosecution last week<br />
urged the court to sentence<br />
the fallen strongman to hang.<br />
“The law punishes<br />
premeditated murder with<br />
execution. The prosecution<br />
demands the maximum<br />
punishment,” Mustafa Khater<br />
told the presiding judge,<br />
Ahmed Refaat.<br />
Mubarak, detained in a<br />
military hospital where he<br />
is being treated for a heart<br />
condition, is on trial along<br />
with seven former security<br />
chiefs. The defence is to<br />
argue their innocence.<br />
Chief prosecutor Mustafa<br />
Suleiman told the court<br />
that Mubarak must have<br />
ordered police to open fire on<br />
protesters during the 18-day<br />
uprising that ended his threedecade<br />
rule on February 11,<br />
leaving more than 850 dead.<br />
Essam el Batawy, a<br />
defence lawyer, said the<br />
prosecution’s closing<br />
arguments were based,<br />
in part, on statements<br />
from witnesses they had<br />
questioned during their<br />
investigation who had not<br />
taken the stand.<br />
“They used partial quotes<br />
from their testimony,” he<br />
said. “We will insist on<br />
listening to these witnesses<br />
in court,” saying they will be<br />
called to testify.<br />
Mubarak went to trial on<br />
August 3, after protesters<br />
stepped up demonstrations<br />
calling on the ruling military<br />
to try him and other former<br />
regime officials.<br />
None of the police<br />
witnesses summoned by<br />
the prosecution has directly<br />
implicated Mubarak.<br />
The country’s military<br />
ruler, Field Marshal Hussein<br />
Tantawi, Mubarak’s defence<br />
minister for two decades,<br />
testified behind closed<br />
doors, but lawyers said<br />
he did not incriminate the<br />
ousted leader. — AFP<br />
Khamenei says Iran<br />
will resist sanctions<br />
TEHRAN — Iran will not falter in the face of Western-imposed<br />
sanctions, the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali<br />
Khamenei, said in comments broadcast on state television yesterday.<br />
“The firm decision of the Islamic Republic is to resist the<br />
pressures” of Western powers, Khamenei said.<br />
“While the Iranian people have travelled the road to success<br />
and see the signs of new victories to come, the (Western) oppressor<br />
is trying to frighten the Iranian people and officials by<br />
brandishing the threat of sanctions.”<br />
While analysts and some in Iran’s government have said<br />
the latest round of sanctions have hit Iran’s economy, the top<br />
leader dismissed claims that the strategy will block his country<br />
from pursuing its goals.<br />
“Western officials have declared on a number of occasions<br />
that, with sanctions and pressure, they want to discourage<br />
the people and lead officials to renounce their plans, but they<br />
are mistaken and they will not achieve their objectives,” said<br />
Khamenei.<br />
The European Union is joining the United States in ratcheting<br />
up sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, which<br />
the West believes masks a drive to develop an atomic weapons<br />
capability.<br />
Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is exclusively for<br />
peaceful purposes, has said it is “not concerned” by the imminent<br />
EU embargo. It says it will easily be able to sell its oil<br />
to other markets.<br />
Iranian political and military officials have threatened to<br />
close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf<br />
if their country is threatened by military action or if sanctions<br />
halt oil exports. — AFP<br />
UAE delays oil pipeline<br />
to bypass Hormuz<br />
ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates has delayed the<br />
launch of a crucial oil pipeline to bypass the Straits of Hormuz to<br />
mid-<strong>2012</strong>, which analysts said would add to supply worries at a<br />
time when Iran threatens to block the strait for all the Gulf’s oil.<br />
Oil prices have remained elevated in recent weeks as Iran<br />
has threatened to block the strait should the West impose<br />
tougher sanctions on its oil industry as part of a standoff over<br />
Tehran’s nuclear programme.<br />
Flows through the strait are estimated at around 15-17 million<br />
barrels per day (bpd), or just under a fifth of global supplies,<br />
and a new pipeline would bypass it to carry most of the<br />
UAE’s oil, 1.5 million bpd, to global markets.<br />
“The pipeline is almost complete. Hopefully it will be operational<br />
within six months, by May, June,” the UAE’s Oil<br />
Minister, Mohammed bin Dhaen al Hamli, told reporters on<br />
the sidelines of an energy conference in Abu Dhabi.<br />
The previous deadline for the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline<br />
(ADCOP) project was set in April.<br />
“There is delay; it is a lot of work. It is not only construction<br />
of the project, but it also has to be filled,” Hamli said.<br />
The first tests have been done on the pipeline, industry<br />
sources said, adding that the first cargo from Fujairah was<br />
scheduled for May.<br />
The pipeline would link state oil firm Abu Dhabi National<br />
Oil Company’s Habshan oilfields to the port of Fujairah, one<br />
of the top three bunkering hubs and a major oil storage terminal<br />
outside the Straits.<br />
Abu Dhabi government-owned International Petroleum<br />
Investment Company (IPIC) is undertaking the project, and<br />
China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation<br />
is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor<br />
(EPC). — Reuters
NEWS IN BRIEF<br />
‘High command will decide<br />
about Mamata ministry’<br />
STRAINING the ties with alliance<br />
partner Trinamool Congress further, the<br />
Congress' West Bengal unit yesterday<br />
said the decision on whether to leave<br />
the government will be taken by its<br />
party high command and not by the<br />
Trinamool's leadership.<br />
Taking the fight to the state secretariat<br />
itself for the first time, the Congress<br />
sought to remind Chief Minister Mamata<br />
Banerjee to perform her 'Raj Dharma<br />
(policy)' impartially.<br />
"Whether we will leave the state<br />
cabinet or not, it will be decided by our<br />
party high command. The day our high<br />
command asks us to leave the ministry,<br />
we will leave this ministry. We have not<br />
got ministries because of somebody’s<br />
wish or help. We have got ministries<br />
because of Congress high command,”<br />
said Manoj Chakraborty, Congress leader<br />
and Minister of State for Parliamentary<br />
Affairs.<br />
Delhi Governor expresses<br />
hope in MCD trifurcation<br />
DELHI Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna<br />
yesterday expressed hope that with<br />
trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation<br />
of Delhi (MCD) the day-to-day problems<br />
of residents will be addressed more<br />
“effectively” and “expeditiously".<br />
In his address to the Delhi Legislative<br />
Assembly on the opening day of the<br />
winter session, Khanna said: “With three<br />
new smaller municipal bodies, the dayto-day<br />
problems of the citizens of Delhi<br />
will be addressed more expeditiously and<br />
effectively.”<br />
“A widely shared desire will be<br />
realised shortly with trifurcation of<br />
the Municipal Corporation of Delhi,”<br />
Khanna said. The Bharatiya <strong>Jan</strong>ata<br />
Party (BJP) MLAs kept shouting<br />
anti-government slogans sporadically<br />
during Khanna's speech whenever<br />
he highlighted achievements of the<br />
Congress-led government.<br />
Cong highlights farmers<br />
plight in Madhya Pradesh<br />
THE Congress in Madhya Pradesh held<br />
a statewide 'jail bharo' (court arrest)<br />
agitation yesterday against the Shivraj<br />
Singh Chouhan government's failure<br />
to provide farmers with fertilisers and<br />
adequate power supply.<br />
While state Congress president<br />
Kantilal Bhuria led the protest in the<br />
state capital, leader of opposition in the<br />
assembly Ajay Singh Rahul was heading<br />
the stir in the financial capital Indore.<br />
Similar protests were being held in the<br />
other 48 districts of the state.<br />
"We have decided to observe <strong>2012</strong> as<br />
'Madhya Pradesh Bachao Year' against<br />
Chouhan's 'Aao Banaye Apna Madhya<br />
Pradesh' as the state government has<br />
failed to provide fertilisers and electricity<br />
to drought-hit farmers," Bhuria told<br />
reporters before launching the protest in<br />
Bhopal.<br />
Ten train passengers<br />
found drugged, robbed<br />
TEN passengers in a general, unreserved<br />
compartment of the Delhi-Patna<br />
Shramjeevi Express were yesterday<br />
found drugged at Danapur railway<br />
station near Patna and their valuables<br />
worth Rs 150,000 stolen, police said.<br />
The valuables included cash, cellphones,<br />
wrist watches and other belongings. The<br />
passengers were admitted at Danapur<br />
railway hospital where three of them are<br />
said to be unconscious.<br />
Ram Pukar Singh, a railway police<br />
official at Patna junction, said there has<br />
been a rise in cases of poor passengers<br />
being drugged. "The gang members first<br />
befriend the passengers on long distance<br />
trains. They offer tea, coffee, biscuits or<br />
other eatables laced with sedatives or<br />
intoxicants. When their prey becomes<br />
unconscious, they steal all the valuables,"<br />
he said.<br />
TDSAT adjourns hearing<br />
on 3G roaming till <strong>Jan</strong> 17<br />
THE Telecom Disputes Settlement and<br />
Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) yesterday<br />
adjourned till <strong>Jan</strong>uary 17 the case on 3G<br />
roaming after the Department of Telecom<br />
(DoT) requested for a copy of the<br />
confidential agreements signed between<br />
operators.<br />
The DoT said being the licensor they<br />
should be given a copy of the agreements<br />
which have already been submitted to the<br />
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India<br />
(TRAI). Earlier this month, the DoT had<br />
challenged TDSAT's jurisdiction over<br />
the matter and stressed that the tribunal<br />
cannot entertain the petition which alters<br />
the licence conditions.<br />
A two-judge bench headed by Justice<br />
(retd) S B Sinha said the hearing on both<br />
the issues — whether the copy of the<br />
agreements should be disclosed to the<br />
DoT and if TDSAT had the jurisdiction<br />
to decide on the 3G roaming issue —<br />
will be discussed <strong>Jan</strong>uary 17.<br />
Last year, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and<br />
Idea Cellular had entered into roaming<br />
agreements to offer 3G services such as<br />
video calling, mobile TV and multimedia<br />
gaming. — IANS<br />
SRINAGAR — The Kashmir Valley,<br />
which had plunged into darkness on<br />
Friday evening after two transmission<br />
lines bringing electricity from<br />
the northern power grid snapped,<br />
was in for some respite yesterday after<br />
one of the lines was restored.<br />
"The 400 KV Kishenpur-Wagoora<br />
transmission line was restored<br />
on Sunday evening. Electric supply<br />
has been restored in most areas of<br />
Srinagar, Ganderbal, Badgam, Baramulla,<br />
Kupwara, Anantnag, Kulgam,<br />
Shopian, Pulwama and Bandipora<br />
towns, except for some local<br />
faults in south Kashmir's far-flung<br />
areas which are being corrected,"<br />
said Muhammad Muzaffar Mattoo,<br />
chief engineer (electric maintenance)<br />
Kashmir.<br />
"We have restored power supply<br />
to Gulmarg. We have also restored<br />
electricity to the far-flung areas of<br />
Tangdhar and Keran. We are in the<br />
process of restoring the supply in<br />
Pahalgam," Mattoo informed.<br />
The electric supply in Kashmir<br />
has improved from a bare 87 megawatts<br />
to over 700 megawatts.<br />
"We are supplying over 700 megawatts<br />
of power in the valley and are<br />
importing more to take up the availability<br />
to 1,000 megawatts. This will<br />
restore normal supply throughout<br />
the valley today," said Mattoo.<br />
The chief engineer added that the<br />
other major power transmission line,<br />
the 220 KV Kishenpur-Pampore<br />
line, was also being restored.<br />
“The restoration work on the<br />
Kishenpur-Pampore line is on. The<br />
electric power situation is near normal<br />
now. All essential supplies,<br />
including those to hospitals, water<br />
filtration plants, airports, dewatering<br />
stations and the supply position<br />
to the consumers, are running on<br />
schedule. The worst is already over,"<br />
the chief engineer said.<br />
Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Jammu<br />
highway, struck by a massive<br />
avalanche, was yesterday opened to<br />
<strong>10</strong> INDIA<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
A KASHMIRI boatman uses his oar to break through ice on Dal Lake in Srinagar yesterday. A cold<br />
wave further tightened its grip in Jammu and Kashmir with most places in the state recording sub-zero<br />
temperatures. The icy temperatures have frozen many bodies of water in Kashmir. — AFP<br />
Power supply nearly restored<br />
one-way traffic, allowing supplies to<br />
reach the snowed-in Kashmir Valley<br />
from the state's winter capital<br />
Jammu.<br />
Border Roads Organisation's<br />
chief engineer Brigadier T S Rawat,<br />
who is supervising the road opening<br />
operations, said: "Traffic will move<br />
on the road from Jammu to Srinagar.<br />
No vehicles will be allowed to travel<br />
in the opposite direction."<br />
He said all the stranded vehicles<br />
on the highway were allowed to<br />
move towards Srinagar. "Stranded<br />
vehicles carrying passengers and<br />
essential supplies to the valley have<br />
been allowed to move on priority<br />
basis on the highway," Rawat said.<br />
"I have been personally supervising<br />
the road clearance operations<br />
from Patnitop to Banihal tunnel.<br />
Our boys had a tough time cutting<br />
through the 15-foot-high avalanche<br />
that struck the road yesterday (Sunday)<br />
at Panthal," he said. — IANS<br />
Infosys prizes for noted scientists<br />
BANGALORE — Former president<br />
A P J Abdul Kalam yesterday<br />
awarded six distinguished scientists<br />
with the Infosys Prize 2011, instituted<br />
by the Infosys Science Foundation,<br />
a not-for-profit trust set up<br />
by India’s IT bellwether.<br />
The winners are Kanpur Genetic<br />
Algorithms Laboratory director<br />
Kalyanmoy Deb in engineering and<br />
computer science, Centre for Cellular<br />
and Molecular Biology scientist<br />
Imran Siddiqi in life sciences,<br />
Stanford University professor Kannan<br />
Soundararajan in mathematical<br />
sciences and Indian Institute of Science<br />
(IISc) physics professor Sriram<br />
Ramaswamy in physical sciences.<br />
University of Chicago professor<br />
Raghuram G Rajan and Centre<br />
for Policy Research chief executive<br />
Pratap Bhanu Mehta were awarded<br />
in Social Sciences (Economics and<br />
Political Science and International<br />
Relations respectively).<br />
In recognition of their outstanding<br />
achievements and contributions<br />
in scientific field and social arena,<br />
Kalam honoured each of the winners<br />
with a prize money of Rs 50<br />
CHENNAI — Nuclear power plant<br />
operator Nuclear Power Corporation<br />
of India Ltd (NPCIL) has restarted<br />
its second unit at its Madras<br />
Atomic Power Station (MAPS) that<br />
was shut down for maintenance and<br />
surveillance tests last week, said an<br />
official.<br />
"The unit was restarted on Sunday<br />
afternoon and it is now feeding<br />
1<strong>10</strong> MW to the grid. The generation<br />
will be increased to 150 MW soon,"<br />
MAPS station director K Ramamurthy<br />
said.<br />
NPCIL has two units at MAPS,<br />
located at Kalpakkam around 80 km<br />
from Chennai, generating around<br />
150 MW each. The rated capacity<br />
of the reactors is 220 MW.<br />
"Availability of uranium is the issue<br />
in increasing generation," Ramamurthy<br />
said. He said the unit was<br />
taking necessary steps to augment<br />
the safety measures recommended<br />
by the Atomic Energy Regulatory<br />
Board (AERB) so as to secure the<br />
five-year operational licence rather<br />
than a temporary one.<br />
lakh ($<strong>10</strong>0,000), a 22-karat gold<br />
medallion and a citation expounding<br />
the Infosys laureate’s work.<br />
The noted scientists were selected<br />
by the Foundation trustees and<br />
the eminent jury panels comprising<br />
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen for<br />
Social Sciences, Shrinivas Kulkarni<br />
(physical sciences), Pradeep K.<br />
Khosla (engineering and computer<br />
science), S.R. Varadhan (mathematical<br />
sciences) and Inder Verma (life<br />
sciences).<br />
The Foundation is funded by a<br />
corpus of Rs <strong>10</strong>0 crore (Rs<strong>10</strong> billion),<br />
contributed by the trustees<br />
and an annual grant from the global<br />
software major. The Infosys Prize is<br />
amongst highest in terms of money<br />
given for any award in India.<br />
Trust president and the company’s<br />
former director T V Mohandas<br />
Pai also announced on the occasion<br />
that the Foundation would introduce<br />
a prize for Humanities from this<br />
year (<strong>2012</strong>) covering philosophy,<br />
history, archaeology, linguistics<br />
and literary studies. Congratulating<br />
the winners, Kalam said the awards<br />
celebrate the success of researchers,<br />
Both the units of MAPS have licences<br />
to operate till March <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Every nuclear power plant in<br />
India has to renew its operational<br />
licence once in five years. With the<br />
accident in Fukushima reactors in<br />
Japan, additional safety measures<br />
have been suggested by AERB to<br />
NPCIL for its units. The NPCIL has<br />
also been asked for an implementation<br />
road map.<br />
Meanwhile, in order to put into<br />
productive use its engineers at the<br />
stalled Kudankulam Nuclear Power<br />
Project (KNPP), the Nuclear Power<br />
Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL)<br />
has started transferring them to<br />
other upcoming projects in India, an<br />
official said yesterday.<br />
"It has been three months since<br />
the work at the 2,000 MW power<br />
project came to a standstill. So some<br />
engineers have been transferred<br />
to the upcoming power projects at<br />
Kakrapar (Gujarat) and Rajasthan,"<br />
a senior NPCIL official said on condition<br />
of anonymity.<br />
NPCIL is building two 700 MW<br />
their research work and their teachers<br />
from school to university.<br />
“We live in a knowledge-based<br />
era and a nation’s strength is truly<br />
judged by the quality of collective<br />
knowledge. It is important to recognise<br />
and encourage productive<br />
academic pursuits. Initiatives like<br />
Infosys Prize will boost the confidence<br />
of researchers in physical,<br />
biological and social sciences and<br />
related fields,” he said after presenting<br />
the awards.<br />
Lauding the winners for worldclass<br />
contributions in their respective<br />
areas of specialisation, Infosys<br />
chairman emeritus N R Narayana<br />
Murthy said the prestigious prize for<br />
the third year was a commitment to<br />
encourage the distinguished scientists<br />
at a time when it could make a<br />
greater difference to their career and<br />
attract young minds to research.<br />
“The winners’ effort and dedication<br />
to science, discovery and development<br />
will inspire educationists<br />
and researchers in India and world<br />
over to strive harder to excel in science<br />
and technology and attain global<br />
recognition,” he said.— IANS<br />
Nuke station restarts one unit<br />
atomic power plants in Gujarat and<br />
Rajasthan. He said around 12 officials<br />
belonging to mechanical, civil<br />
and fuel disciplines have been transferred<br />
from KNPP.<br />
India’s nuclear power plant operator<br />
NPCIL is building two 1,000<br />
MW atomic power reactors at Kudankulam<br />
in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli,<br />
around 650 km from Chennai,<br />
at an outlay of Rs 13,171 crore.<br />
The first unit was slated to be<br />
commissioned in December. However,<br />
villagers, citing fears for their<br />
lives and safety, brought all the<br />
project-related activities to a standstill.<br />
“The district administration<br />
monitors the number of people who<br />
enter the project site. They do not<br />
allow more than <strong>10</strong>0 officials in a<br />
day. We are sending people on rotation<br />
so that they do not lose their<br />
morale,” the NPCIL official said.<br />
He said the condition of the<br />
coolant water in the first reactor is<br />
being monitored and water chemistry<br />
maintained. — IANS<br />
‘Operation cover-up’<br />
keeps officials busy<br />
LUCKNOW – With only two<br />
days to go before the <strong>Jan</strong>uary<br />
11 deadline, officials were<br />
yesterday busy covering up<br />
statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief<br />
Minister Mayawati and of elephants,<br />
the ruling BSP's symbol,<br />
in Noida and Lucknow<br />
to comply with the Election<br />
Commission order.<br />
While the implementation<br />
of Chief Election Commissioner<br />
S Y Quraishi‘s directive<br />
that all the statues must be<br />
covered by <strong>Jan</strong>uary 11 had begun<br />
on Sunday evening, work<br />
began in real earnest yesterday<br />
morning.<br />
“The task is huge and<br />
would require both the procurement<br />
of material and arrangement<br />
of manpower," said<br />
Lucknow District Magistrate<br />
Anil Kumar Sagar. “We will<br />
do our best to get the work<br />
completed latest by Wednesday<br />
evening.”<br />
The unusual order has<br />
sparked a debate across Uttar<br />
Pradesh, which holds assembly<br />
elections over seven phas-<br />
NEW DELHI — India kicks<br />
off its Africa diplomacy this<br />
year by rolling out the red<br />
carpet for President Amadou<br />
Toumani Toure of Mali, the<br />
landlocked mineral-rich West<br />
African country, during his<br />
three-day state visit that begins<br />
here today.<br />
Prime Minister Manmohan<br />
Singh will hold talks with<br />
Toure tomorrow to ramp up<br />
bilateral ties across the spectrum,<br />
including the intensification<br />
of economic ties and<br />
developmental co-operation<br />
between the two countries.<br />
The two sides will also discuss<br />
a cluster of global issues,<br />
including the international<br />
financial crisis, counter-terrorism,<br />
the UN reforms and<br />
climate change.<br />
Some agreements in the<br />
areas of developmental cooperation<br />
and capacity build-<br />
Partnership Summit in Andhra<br />
HYDERABAD — For the<br />
first time in nearly three years,<br />
Andhra Pradesh is set to bid<br />
for attracting investments<br />
when it hosts the <strong>2012</strong> Partnership<br />
Summit here from<br />
tomorrow.<br />
After months of agitation<br />
over the demand for separate<br />
Telangana state and the political<br />
uncertainty, which saw the<br />
state losing the 20<strong>10</strong> Summit<br />
to Chennai and cancellation<br />
of last year's Global Investors'<br />
Meet, the state would be holding<br />
the premier mega business<br />
event.<br />
The state government says<br />
it has already received 140<br />
investment proposals worth<br />
Rs 3.15 lakh crore, with a potential<br />
for employing 2.5 lakh<br />
people, for the three-day summit.<br />
According to a statement<br />
from the chief minister's office,<br />
the proposals cover mega<br />
es in February.<br />
While opposition parties<br />
are thrilled over the Election<br />
Commission conceding their<br />
demand, the ruling Bahujan<br />
Samaj Party has taken strong<br />
exception to the EC move.<br />
“This is the right step. After<br />
all, Mayawati’s statues<br />
are all over the place together<br />
with those of elephants in the<br />
several parks and memorials<br />
created by her with government<br />
funds worth thousands<br />
of crores. How can those be<br />
kept open when we are not<br />
even allowed to put up posters<br />
or banners," said Samajwadi<br />
Party leader Shiv Pal Yadav.<br />
BSP spokesperson Swami<br />
Prasad Maurya countered him<br />
by labelling the poll panel's<br />
move unfair.<br />
“If elephants have to be<br />
wrapped up because elephant<br />
is also the BSP symbol and<br />
the Election Commission<br />
thinks the statues can influence<br />
voters, then why don’t<br />
they cover every lotus growing<br />
in ponds and not allow any<br />
ing are expected to be signed<br />
after the talks, said informed<br />
sources. Mali is Africa's second<br />
largest producer of long<br />
staple cotton after Egypt and<br />
the third largest producer of<br />
gold in the continent.<br />
Toure, popularly known<br />
as "soldier of democracy",<br />
will also address top industry<br />
leaders at an interactive lunch<br />
where he is expected to pitch<br />
for greater Indian investment<br />
in his country.<br />
The two sides will explore<br />
collaboration in areas of agriculture<br />
and agro-processing<br />
industries that have huge potential.<br />
India's relations with Mali<br />
have been steadily growing<br />
in the past decade. During<br />
2009-<strong>10</strong>, goods worth $42.24<br />
million were exported to Mali<br />
from India.<br />
Indian exports to Mali<br />
projects, public sector undertakings<br />
and sectors like information<br />
technology, power,<br />
infrastructure and tourism.<br />
Organised by the Confederation<br />
of Indian Industry<br />
(CII) with the theme "New<br />
Age Innovation Partnerships",<br />
the event will see the participation<br />
of policy-makers and<br />
business delegations from<br />
about 30 countries. The summit<br />
would be the platform for<br />
exploring the various facets of<br />
innovation that can drive future<br />
global growth and the role<br />
that India can play in fostering<br />
and strengthening the forces<br />
of such innovation.<br />
The countries which have<br />
so far confirmed their participation<br />
include the United<br />
States, China, Italy, Israel,<br />
Kuwait, the Czech Republic,<br />
Mali, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia,<br />
Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka,<br />
South Africa, Turkey, Uganda,<br />
individual on the street to raise<br />
his hand," he said, referring to<br />
the Bharatiya <strong>Jan</strong>ata Party's<br />
symbol of the lotus and the<br />
Congress's hand symbol.<br />
Some political analysts<br />
were of the view that the<br />
move could prove counterproductive<br />
and ultimately<br />
help Mayawati consolidate<br />
her Dalit vote bank.<br />
“I would not be surprised if<br />
Mayawati tries and twists this<br />
to gain sympathy by raising<br />
her usual ‘Dalit ki beti’ bogey<br />
to impress upon her voters that<br />
she was being targeted simply<br />
because she was a Dalit and<br />
that tomorrow the opposition<br />
could even pull down all those<br />
statues if she was voted out,”<br />
said veteran journalist P C<br />
Tandon.<br />
The Congress party, which<br />
leads the national ruling coalition,<br />
has been campaigning<br />
hard in Uttar Pradesh, India’s<br />
largest and most politically<br />
important state, but many experts<br />
predict Mayawati will<br />
retain power. — IANS<br />
Mali president arriving today<br />
includes electricity transmission,<br />
cotton fabrics, cycle<br />
parts, machinery and machine<br />
parts, transport equipment,<br />
drugs and pharmaceuticals<br />
and processed food items.<br />
India’s imports from Mali<br />
are limited to raw cotton and<br />
few agro products like shea<br />
nuts. India has provided several<br />
lines of credit (soft loans)<br />
to a swathe of infrastructure<br />
projects to Mali.<br />
These include $15 million<br />
for rural electrification, $12<br />
million for agro-machinery<br />
and tractor assembly plant,<br />
11 million in three tranches<br />
for electricity transmission<br />
and distribution projects from<br />
Cote D’Ivoire to Mali, $20.62<br />
million for acquiring railway<br />
coaches and locomotives from<br />
India and $15 million for development<br />
of agro-industries.<br />
— IANS<br />
FIREFIGHTERS aim coloured water at a target during the annual fire drill competition<br />
in Mumbai yesterday. Firefighters in Mumbai took part in the annual competition to<br />
enhance their emergency response during fire incidents. — Reuters<br />
the United Arab Emirates and<br />
Zambia.<br />
Singapore's Goh Chok<br />
Tong, Ghana's Hanna Tetteh,<br />
Sri Lanka's Rishad Bathiudeen,<br />
United Arab Emirates'<br />
Shaikha Lubna bint Khalid<br />
al Qasimi, Zambia's Robert<br />
Sichinga, and Zimbabwe's<br />
Welshman Ncube are among<br />
the ministers expected to participate<br />
in the summit.<br />
There will be plenary sessions<br />
on subjects like "Global<br />
economic shocks: perfect<br />
storm ahead", "The India and<br />
USA promise: partnership for<br />
progress", "India and Africa:<br />
joining hands", "India and<br />
China: a new dynamic", "New<br />
drivers of development",<br />
"Corporate global citizenship<br />
in the 21st century" and "A<br />
unified earth theory: combining<br />
solutions to extreme poverty<br />
and the climate crisis".<br />
— IANS
PRIME Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar with President Pratibha<br />
Patil after being awarded with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman yesterday. — AFP<br />
AIIMS exam racket busted<br />
NEW DELHI — An elaborate<br />
plan to leak the question paper<br />
for the post-graduate entrance<br />
test to the All India Institute of<br />
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was<br />
busted with the arrest of five<br />
people, including a doctor, in<br />
the capital, police said yesterday.<br />
Deputy Commissioner of<br />
Police (Crime) Ashok Chand<br />
said the arrests were made<br />
from Delhi and Noida on Sunday.<br />
Those arrested include an<br />
MBBS graduate, an MBBS student<br />
and two MBA graduates.<br />
"The mastermind of the gang,<br />
Mohit Choudhary, a second year<br />
MBBS student, was caught red<br />
handed with photo copies of the<br />
entrance test papers on Sunday<br />
in the national capital. It was a<br />
racket to leak the question papers<br />
of the post-graduate medical<br />
exam organised by AIIMS,"<br />
Chand said.<br />
According to police, Choud-<br />
By T N Shaji<br />
KOCHI — A rare breed of cow<br />
and its milk in Kerala has again<br />
hogged the limelight. The Vechur<br />
cow, acknowledged by<br />
the Guinness Book of World<br />
Records as the smallest in the<br />
world (90 cm in height), is in<br />
the news again after a scientific<br />
analysis of its milk confirmed<br />
medicinal properties. The cow<br />
is an indigenous breed of Kerala.<br />
The Kochi-based institute’s<br />
study was published in the International<br />
Journal of Functional<br />
and Evolutionary Genomics<br />
(GENE) on December<br />
30, 2011.<br />
The study by the SCMS<br />
Institute of Bioscience and<br />
Biotechnology Research &<br />
Development focused on the<br />
anti-bacterial property in the<br />
protein component of the cow's<br />
milk.<br />
“It is for the first time that<br />
hary, 23, resident of Bulandsahar<br />
(Uttar Pradesh) co-ordinated<br />
the whole racket. He was a second<br />
year MBBS student from<br />
Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh).<br />
The other gang members<br />
were Kapil Kumar, 27, MBA<br />
graduate from Jamia Milia and<br />
Krishan Pratap Singh, 27, MA<br />
in public administration from<br />
Jamia Milia and MBA from<br />
IMT Meerut.<br />
Bhishma Singh, 27, who<br />
was operating computers in a<br />
rented accommodation in Noida,<br />
helped them in the racket,<br />
while Amit Punia, who did his<br />
MBBS from PGI Rohtak, was<br />
also part of the gang. Punia appeared<br />
in the exam along with<br />
the two MBA students posing<br />
as medical students.<br />
"The gang was very well organised.<br />
They hired two MBA<br />
students and one MBBS graduate<br />
in the exam organised on<br />
Sunday. They used high-end<br />
a report on the milk protein of<br />
the Vechur cow confirmed its<br />
medicinal property with solid<br />
molecular evidence,” director<br />
of the institute C Mohan Kumar<br />
said.<br />
The new finding could provide<br />
a shot in the arm for the<br />
rearing of Vechur cows, which<br />
had been categorised by the<br />
Food and Agriculture Organisation<br />
of the United Nations as<br />
a critical breed, implying that it<br />
was facing extinction.<br />
“Even though the medicinal<br />
property of the Vechur cow's<br />
milk had been accepted by Ayurveda,<br />
an ancient treatment<br />
science, we had no scientific<br />
evidence to substantiate our<br />
knowledge at the genomic level,”<br />
Kumar said.<br />
The study was conducted by<br />
the institute, in co-ordination<br />
with associate scientists Salini<br />
Bhasker and Anisha S.<br />
The Lactoferrin gene of the<br />
cow was sequenced and ex-<br />
mobile phones Sony Xperia and<br />
Nokia Lumina to scan the question<br />
paper. Using blue tooth and<br />
earphones, the scanned copy of<br />
the papers were sent to an email<br />
ID. One of the gang members<br />
Bhisham Singh, who was working<br />
in a computer operating<br />
room in Noida, provided photocopy<br />
of the papers to Choudhary,"<br />
the police official said.<br />
As soon as Punia and the two<br />
MBA graduates received the<br />
question paper at the exam venue,<br />
they clicked a photograph of<br />
it and emailed it through blue<br />
tooth and earphone. "For this<br />
purpose they used high-end mobile<br />
phones," added Chand.<br />
"The gang was to collect<br />
around Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh<br />
from each student," the official<br />
added. Choudhary was to get<br />
the solved answers and send<br />
them via sms to the students<br />
who had given money for the<br />
answers. — IANS<br />
BJP’s star campaigners<br />
NEW DELHI — Ailing former<br />
prime minister Atal Behari<br />
Vajpayee and Gujarat Chief<br />
Minister Narendra Modi are<br />
among the star campaigners<br />
for the Bharatiya <strong>Jan</strong>ata Party<br />
in the upcoming polls in Uttar<br />
Pradesh and Punjab.<br />
Even though Vajpayee is<br />
ailing and barely able to get up<br />
from his bed, the former prime<br />
minister, who is one the most<br />
charismatic leaders of the<br />
party, has been listed the first<br />
among the party campaigners<br />
in the two states.<br />
The list, which has been<br />
sent to the Election Commission<br />
for approval, also features<br />
the name of Modi. A star<br />
campaigner for the party, he<br />
was last year kept out of campaigning<br />
in Bihar after ally <strong>Jan</strong>ata<br />
Dal-United objected due<br />
to his communal image.<br />
Modi had also kept away<br />
from the party's national exec-<br />
utive meet, and was reportedly<br />
also upset with party leader L<br />
K Advani for launching his<br />
anti-corruption 'yatra' from<br />
Bihar instead of Gujarat, from<br />
where the octogenerian leader<br />
has been elected to the Lok<br />
Sabha.<br />
There were speculations of<br />
Modi staying away from Uttar<br />
Pradesh since Sanjay Joshi,<br />
a party worker from Gujarat<br />
who was suspended and then<br />
re-admitted to the party, is<br />
one of the main in-charges of<br />
the state. The other key campaigners<br />
are Advani, Arun<br />
Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and<br />
Murli Manohar Joshi.<br />
Other names include Madhya<br />
Pradesh Chief Minister<br />
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chhattisgarh<br />
Chief Minister Raman<br />
Singh, Jharkhand Chief Minister<br />
Arjun Munda and Bihar<br />
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil<br />
Modi. Former Rajasthan chief<br />
minister Vasundhara Raje,<br />
general secretaries Ananth<br />
Kumar, Ravi Shankar Prasad<br />
and Narendra Singh Tomar,<br />
deputy leader of the BJP in the<br />
Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde,<br />
and his Rajya Sabha counterpart<br />
S S Ahluwalia also figure<br />
in the list.<br />
Among the minority campaigners<br />
are prominent Muslim<br />
faces of BJP — Shahnawaz<br />
Hussain and Mukhtar<br />
Abbas Naqvi. From Bollywood<br />
and sports, there will be<br />
Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini,<br />
Smriti Irani and Navjyot<br />
Singh Sidhu.<br />
Others the BJP will field<br />
for campaigning include Kalraj<br />
Mishra, Vinay Katiyar,<br />
Ramlal, Yashwant Sinha, Uma<br />
Bharti, Varun Gandhi, Ramapati<br />
Ram Tripathi, Kesarinath<br />
Tripathi, Ramnath Kovind,<br />
Saudan Singh and Radha Mohan<br />
Singh. — IANS<br />
Cow milk can cure diseases!<br />
pressed for the first time. The<br />
gene sequence analysis showed<br />
mutations.<br />
“The three-dimensional<br />
structure analysis of the protein<br />
confirmed the ‘Arginine' position.<br />
Arginine is an amino acid<br />
with therapeutic functions like<br />
wound healing, cell proliferation,<br />
cell signalling, and management<br />
of cardio-vascular<br />
diseases,” Kumar said.<br />
“Based on recent reports<br />
on the nutritional therapies of<br />
‘Arginine' supplementation for<br />
wound healing and for cardiovascular<br />
diseases, the higher<br />
level of ‘Arginine' in the Lactoferrin<br />
protein of Vechur cow<br />
milk provides enormous scope<br />
for further therapeutic studies,”<br />
the journal, which reported the<br />
finding, said in its website.<br />
K R Jayarajan, the former<br />
managing director of the Ernakulam<br />
region of Milma said<br />
that only about 200 cows of the<br />
variety existed in Kerala.<br />
11 INDIA<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
14 awarded for boosting<br />
country’s global image<br />
JAIPUR — President Pratibha Patil<br />
yesterday conferred the "Pravasi<br />
Bharatiya Samman" awards to 14<br />
eminent overseas Indians, including<br />
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister<br />
Kamla Persad Bissessar, and a<br />
Canada-based institution, for their<br />
outstanding contributions in enhancing<br />
India's image globally.<br />
"Indian overseas community<br />
is not only large, but is becoming<br />
increasingly influential in the economic,<br />
professional and political<br />
fields in the country in which they<br />
are now living. We are proud of their<br />
accomplishments," Patil said while<br />
addressing the valedictory function<br />
of the <strong>10</strong>th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas<br />
here.<br />
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is<br />
the highest award conferred by the<br />
Indian government on Non-resident<br />
Indians and Persons of Indian Origin<br />
(PIOs) and institutions run by<br />
them for their contribution in serving<br />
the Indian diaspora and enhancing<br />
India's image in different parts<br />
of the world.<br />
Bissessar, a person of Indian<br />
origin who became the first female<br />
prime minister of Trinidad and To-<br />
NEW DELHI — In an effort to keep<br />
their sensitive ties on an even keel,<br />
India and China will next week hold<br />
the 15th round of boundary talks that<br />
will also provide them an opportunity<br />
to iron out differences over recent<br />
irritants like the Chinese denial of a<br />
visa to an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer.<br />
The talks, between National Security<br />
Adviser Shivshankar Menon and<br />
Dai Bingguo, China's special representative,<br />
are expected to be held<br />
around <strong>Jan</strong>uary 17, said informed<br />
sources. They will focus on evolving<br />
a framework for delineating the border<br />
on the map.<br />
The boundary talks were postponed<br />
in November after New Delhi<br />
refused to relent on China's objection<br />
to Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama's<br />
participation in a global Buddhist<br />
conference in New Delhi.<br />
The two sides are now in the second<br />
stage of boundary negotiations<br />
which entails evolving a framework<br />
for demarcating the disputed border.<br />
bago, is the most prominent among<br />
this year's awardees.<br />
The other Pravasi Bharatiya<br />
Samman awardees include: P V<br />
Radhakrishna Pillai from Bahrain,<br />
Sachchidanand Sahai from Cambodia,<br />
Deepak Naraindas Shivdasani<br />
from Cote D'Ivoire, Victor Shahed<br />
Smetacek from Germany, Prakash<br />
Lohia, chairman of Indorama Corporation,<br />
Jose Parayanken from<br />
Mozambique, Kiran Navinchandra<br />
Asher from <strong>Oman</strong>, Hassan Abdulkarim<br />
Chougule from Qatar, S R<br />
Nathan from Singapore, Khorshed<br />
Noshir Ginwala Rustomjee from<br />
South Africa, Rajesh Kumar Saraiya<br />
from Ukraine, Surendra Kumar<br />
Kaushik from US and Kalpalatha<br />
Kummamuri Guntupalli from US.<br />
Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce<br />
and Industry was also honoured<br />
for its contribution in bettering<br />
business and economic relations<br />
between the two countries.<br />
So far, 133 NRI and PIOs and<br />
three institutions run by NRIs or<br />
persons of Indian origin have been<br />
conferred the award. Overseas Indian<br />
Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi<br />
said the <strong>10</strong>th edition of the annual<br />
The second stage is proving to be the<br />
“most difficult part of negotiations”<br />
as it will form the basis on which the<br />
new boundary will be fixed, said informed<br />
sources.<br />
The two sides are also expected to<br />
sign a landmark border mechanism<br />
that seeks to establish direct contact<br />
between New Delhi and Beijing in<br />
case of intrusions or incidents resulting<br />
from misperceptions arising from<br />
the Line of Actual Control.<br />
During the talks, the two sides are<br />
expected to discuss the likely visit to<br />
India of Xi Jinping, who is expected<br />
to succeed Chinese President Hu Jintao.<br />
The talks between Menon and Dai<br />
will also focus on ironing out recent<br />
differences over a host of issues that<br />
have shadowed ties between the two<br />
countries in the past few months.<br />
China recently denied visa to an<br />
IAF officer, who was to go as a member<br />
of the Indian military delegation<br />
to China, on grounds that he was<br />
from Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian<br />
diaspora meet saw the highest participation.<br />
Over 2,000 delegates from 59<br />
countries participated at the threeday<br />
event. The closing day of the<br />
event marked the 97th anniversary<br />
of homecoming of Mahatma Gandhi.<br />
The father of the nation had<br />
come back to India from South Africa<br />
on <strong>Jan</strong>uary 9, 1915.<br />
"Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a<br />
celebration of Indians living abroad.<br />
It is an occasion to welcome them<br />
to the land of their ancestors, to the<br />
country of their origin to interact<br />
with them and to reacquaint ourselves<br />
with each other," the president<br />
said.<br />
Meanwhile, chief ministers of<br />
several states yesterday urged overseas<br />
Indians to step up investment,<br />
assuring a business-friendly environment.<br />
Showcasing the development<br />
initiatives launched by their<br />
respective governments, they assured<br />
the non-resident Indians and<br />
persons of Indian origin at the <strong>10</strong>th<br />
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here that<br />
their states would facilitate investment<br />
providing all possible support.<br />
— IANS<br />
Boundary talks with China next week<br />
northeastern state which is claimed<br />
by China. This led to India scaling<br />
down its delegation from the original<br />
30 to 15. The arrest of two Indian<br />
traders in the Chinese town of Yiwu,<br />
who were subsequently released after<br />
New Delhi's intense diplomatic intervention,<br />
also showed how fragile relations<br />
between the two rising Asian<br />
powers could be.<br />
Against this backdrop, China has<br />
declared that one of its top priorities<br />
this year would be to deepen strategic<br />
mutual trust with India.<br />
In an interview to Xinhua on Sunday,<br />
Liu Zhenmin, an assistant foreign<br />
minister of China, said: “China<br />
is willing to make joint efforts with<br />
India to continuously implement the<br />
important consensus reached between<br />
leaders of the two countries,<br />
maintain high-level exchanges, enhance<br />
strategic mutual trust, deepen<br />
mutually beneficial co-operation in<br />
various fields and properly handle issues<br />
concerning the bilateral relationship.”<br />
— IANS<br />
A CHILD enjoys a lollipop at Kalachakra Ground during the ninth day of the Kalachakra Festival in<br />
Bodhgaya yesterday. Kalachakra <strong>2012</strong>, a festival of teachings and meditations takes place in the<br />
northern state of Bihar and is attended by Tibetan Spiritual Leader The Dalai Lama. — AFP<br />
Industry excited about biennale<br />
By Ashraf Padanna<br />
TRIVANDRUM — Not only tourism<br />
but the whole gamut of industries<br />
are excited about the prospects<br />
of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which<br />
will be kicked off in the Kerala port<br />
city on December 12.<br />
The Confederation of Indian Industries<br />
(CII) believe that the threemonth-long<br />
festival of art will help<br />
boost the state's economy where<br />
tourism plays a major role.<br />
"Kochi, Kerala, India finds itself<br />
in the list of biennale thanks to (renowned<br />
artists) Nose (Krishnamachari)<br />
and Riyaz (Komu). Kerala<br />
and Kochi need to welcome the<br />
event and not allow detractors to kill<br />
the event," said CII Kerala chapter<br />
chairman Jose Dominic. "Art and<br />
culture can be powerful drivers for<br />
the economy especially in Kerala".<br />
India's own festival of contemporary<br />
art which is preparing for its<br />
debut this year has already drawn<br />
international attention with reputed<br />
media, including The New York<br />
Times, Forbes magazine and British<br />
Airways High Life besides a host of<br />
niche art magazines, listing it as one<br />
of the major cultural event to take<br />
place in <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
"This event will be India’s largest<br />
contemporary public art event. It<br />
will display some of the best artwork<br />
by international artists ranging from<br />
film installation to painting sculpture,<br />
new media and performance<br />
art," says Forbes magazine which<br />
included it among the '13 cultural<br />
events to be seen at in <strong>2012</strong>'.<br />
The art gala brought by renowned<br />
painter-curators to their home state<br />
taking much pain and still trying<br />
hard to convince the local artists, is<br />
expected to catapult the Kerala port<br />
city onto the world art map. It will<br />
also feature film, sculpture, installations,<br />
new media and performances<br />
by Indian and international artists.<br />
"We have already toured major<br />
centres of art events during the past<br />
one year promoting the event. Going<br />
by the response, we expect it to be a<br />
huge hit attracting world renowned<br />
artists, curators and architects to<br />
Kerala," said Krishnamachari.<br />
The promoters have identified a<br />
number of heritage sites from Fort<br />
Kochi to Kodungallur, where the<br />
legendary port that attracted traders<br />
from Arabia and Rome two millennia<br />
back is believed to be located, to<br />
be restored to its past glory where<br />
they'll work and exhibit them. Several<br />
nonconventional venues have<br />
also been identified for the event.<br />
"Last year, India hosted its first<br />
pavilion at the Venice Biennale.<br />
This year the country inaugurates<br />
a biennale of its own," the New<br />
York Times says noting that the<br />
most remarkable historical reclamation<br />
project is happening in<br />
Muziris.Most of the action will unfold<br />
in the colonial city of Kochi,<br />
whose contemporary art scene already<br />
offers more than a dozen venues,<br />
from the two-year-old David<br />
Hall — a 1695 Dutch colonial mansion<br />
— to the long-standing Kashi<br />
Art Café, a restaurant-gallery-garden-cafe.<br />
NEWS IN BRIEF<br />
Web-based Tagore<br />
bibliography launched<br />
A WEB-BASED bibliography of Nobel<br />
laureate Rabindranath Tagore's works<br />
was launched by Union Finance Minister<br />
Pranab Mukherjee in the capital yesterday<br />
to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary<br />
of the poet. Apart from works by<br />
Tagore, literary criticism and other works<br />
on Tagore published in India or abroad<br />
have been included in the bibliography,<br />
the Culture Ministry said in a statement.<br />
Speaking on the occasion, Mukherjee<br />
said: “The National Implementation Committee<br />
and the Ministry of Culture have<br />
undertaken several projects to celebrate<br />
the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore.”<br />
Mukherjee heads the committee set up to<br />
implement the programmes on the poet's<br />
150th birth anniversary.<br />
“The projects focus on the multi-faceted<br />
genius of Tagore, through cultural programmes,<br />
films, publications, workshops,<br />
research works, digitisation programmes<br />
and seminars,” Mukherjee said. The compilation<br />
of the bibliography, a continuous<br />
process, has been taken up by the Raja<br />
Rammohun Roy Library in Kolkata.<br />
Aarushi murder: Talwar to<br />
remain on bail till Feb 4<br />
GIVING Rajesh Talwar a breather, the<br />
Supreme Court yesterday directed that the<br />
dentist would continue to be on bail till<br />
February 4 when he will appear before a<br />
Ghaziabad court to face trial in the murder<br />
case of his teen daughter Aarushi. The<br />
apex court bench of Justice A K Ganguly<br />
and Justice J S Khehar passed the directions<br />
on a plea by Talwar seeking the<br />
continuation of his bail granted in 2008.<br />
The court said that its order allowing<br />
Talwar to remain on bail would not come<br />
in the way of both the Central Bureau<br />
of Investigation (CBI) and the Talwars<br />
taking further steps in pursuance of the<br />
on-going trial.<br />
Aarushi, 14, was found with her throat<br />
slit in her parents' Noida apartment on<br />
May 15, 2008. The family's domestic<br />
help, Hemraj, who was initially suspected<br />
to be the prime suspect, was also found<br />
dead on the apartment's terrace a day later.<br />
Museum staff training<br />
programme opened<br />
MUSEUMS have played an important<br />
role in our society by bringing people<br />
closer to their roots, Union Culture Minister<br />
Kumari Selja said yesterday, inaugurating<br />
a training programme for museum<br />
professionals. “Museum visits as an<br />
integral part of school life were important<br />
events which shaped our understanding<br />
of the growth of human life on earth,” she<br />
said.<br />
"The Leadership Training Programme,<br />
being organised by the ministry in collaboration<br />
with the British Museum, is a<br />
unique programme especially designed<br />
for Indian museum professionals," said<br />
Selja.<br />
“There are over 1,000 museums in India.<br />
Over 90 per cent of these are funded<br />
and maintained by the central and state<br />
governments and few renowned museums<br />
have also been set up through private efforts,”<br />
she said.<br />
Twenty professionals from 12 national<br />
level museums will participate in the programme.<br />
The Archaeological Survey of<br />
India manages 44 museums located near<br />
important historical sites, some of them in<br />
the remotest parts of the country.<br />
After Mamata, Pawar<br />
headache for Congress<br />
AFTER Trinamool Congress supremo<br />
Mamata Banerjee's angry outbursts,<br />
more headaches from allies seem to be<br />
in store for the Congress with Nationalist<br />
Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's ultimatum<br />
to finalise by today seat-sharing<br />
for the upcoming Mumbai civic polls.<br />
Following Pawar's ultimatum, given<br />
on Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister<br />
Prithviraj Chavan is in Delhi to discuss<br />
the issue with senior Congress party<br />
leaders. He met senior party leader and<br />
Defence Minister A K Antony, a former<br />
state in charge, yesterday, and was also<br />
expected to meet Congress president<br />
Sonia Gandhi.<br />
Terming Pawar's statement as mere<br />
"political posturing to get a good deal<br />
ahead of the municipal corporation poll",<br />
political observers said "the Congress<br />
must assert itself".<br />
Supreme Court grants bail<br />
to Sukh Ram, two others<br />
THE Supreme Court yesterday granted<br />
interim bail till <strong>Jan</strong>uary 16 to former<br />
telecom minister Sukh Ram, 84, who was<br />
sentenced to three years' imprisonment in<br />
a 1993 telecom scam case.<br />
Besides Sukh Ram, the apex court<br />
bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam<br />
granted interim bail to Runu Ghosh,<br />
former director in the department of<br />
telecom, and Hyderabad-based businessman<br />
P Ramarao till <strong>Jan</strong>uary 16 when the<br />
court will take up for hearing their plea<br />
for regular bail.<br />
Sukh Ram is accused of showing undue<br />
favour to a cable supply company and<br />
accepting Rs 300,000 as bribe when he<br />
was a minister. In 2002, he was awarded a<br />
three-year jail term under the Prevention<br />
of Corruption Act. — IANS
Rural careers<br />
By Abdelrahman Youssef<br />
FAR from Egypt's cities where old allies might fear to<br />
face the electorate, figures from the earlier era have<br />
re-emerged to run for parliament in rural areas where<br />
sectarian rivalries can be played for political advantage.<br />
In Menya, 270 km south of Cairo, the Freedom Party put<br />
prominent local candidate Ihab Ramzy top of its list, helping<br />
it draw votes from the city's community.<br />
Some parties have dominated the staggered vote, Egypt's<br />
first free election in six decades, and a bloc of mostly newly<br />
established liberal parties is scrambling for remaining seats up<br />
for grabs in a final run-off votes today and tomorrow.<br />
But the courting of the some groups’ vote by former rulers<br />
in Menya and other cities is posing an added headache for the<br />
liberal alliance as it struggles to respond to the well organised<br />
vote-winning machine to gain a foothold in the assembly and<br />
exert its influence in the drawing up of new constitution.<br />
Ibrahim Gamil, 23, a jeweller in Menya who said he voted<br />
for the Freedom Party, was unmoved by the fact that its founders<br />
were once loyalists of earlier regime. "I want the guy on<br />
the top of the list. He is a good guy," said Gamil.<br />
Leaders of the Freedom Party say they are former members<br />
of the defunct National Democratic Party (NDP) but<br />
want people to give them a chance in Egypt's first free parliamentary<br />
vote.<br />
"I was a member of the NDP and I am proud of it," said<br />
Taher Abdel Hamid, a top Freedom Party official in Cairo.<br />
"Those who committed wrongdoing should be punished, but<br />
it isn't fair to generalise."<br />
For years, the NDP's rivals accused it of shoving them<br />
aside by stuffing ballot boxes, buying votes or intimidating<br />
voters into choosing its candidates.<br />
Many are wealthy businessmen, merchants and lawyers<br />
with deep roots in their home towns who offer a familiar face<br />
in a complex political landscape with thousands of parliamentary<br />
candidates and dozens of parties.<br />
One of the poorest parts of Egypt, Menya is also a stronghold<br />
of some religious groups. The Freedom Party, which<br />
identifies itself as liberal, said it had already won at least five<br />
seats in southern Egypt during the third stage of the staggered<br />
parliamentary vote before this week’s run-offs.<br />
Media mileage<br />
By John Grafilo<br />
THE acquittal of Anwar Ibrahim yesterday has boosted<br />
the opposition's chances in upcoming elections in<br />
Malaysia, political analysts and social activists said.<br />
James Chin, a political science professor at Monash University,<br />
said the acquittal would actually benefit both the opposition<br />
and the government.<br />
"It's good for the government since Prime Minister Najib<br />
Razak can go around the world and tell anyone that the court<br />
system in Malaysia is independent," he said.<br />
"It is also good for the opposition since Anwar can work<br />
for the elections full time now and doesn't have to worry about<br />
the trial." But he said Malaysians know that the acquittal did<br />
not mean the judiciary was an independent institution.<br />
"If the judiciary were independent, this trial would not have<br />
gone ahead," he said, adding that he believed government officials<br />
allowed a not-guilty verdict because "they calculated<br />
that the political price of a guilty verdict would be too high."<br />
Augustine Loorthusamy, an electoral reform advocate, said<br />
the opposition gained much from the acquittal but he expected<br />
the government's propaganda machine to promote the verdict<br />
as an example of fairness of the justice system.<br />
"They are going to town with that but the people know better,"<br />
he said. "They would not get much media mileage from<br />
the acquittal of Anwar since the people already know that this<br />
government is not sincere in reforming the system."<br />
Loorthusamy said the opposition should concentrate on reforming<br />
election laws in order to have a chance on wresting<br />
control of the government, which has been in the hands of the<br />
ruling National Front since the country gained its independence<br />
in the 1950s. Anwar admitted that he was surprised by<br />
his acquittal since he and his supporters thought the government<br />
intended to send him to jail.<br />
"It was a surprise to everyone here because the general perception<br />
is with evidence that the conduct of the judiciary has<br />
not been fair," he said shortly after leaving the courtroom.<br />
"But we welcome the decision. Now, we have an agenda<br />
and we have to move forward." He also emphasised that his<br />
acquittal was not a vindication of the justice system.<br />
"To suggest that the judiciary is independent, I think it remains<br />
to be seen," he said.<br />
Young voters<br />
By Brigitte Dusseau<br />
TATIANA does not hide her tears of happiness as she<br />
gushes, "Ron Paul, you are my hero." She shouts her<br />
praise as the Republican presidential candidate graciously<br />
accepts to pose for a photo with her.<br />
The 32-year-old woman is among the many young people<br />
who came to a hotel ballroom in the small town of Meredith to<br />
meet with the 76-year-old Texan doctor ahead of today's primary<br />
in New Hampshire. The room is crowded and the applause is<br />
loud. "Revolution!" shout supporters.<br />
Dressed in a navy sweater and open-necked shirt, the oldest<br />
of the Republicans vying for the party's nomination elegantly<br />
explains his radical economic views, including his opposition<br />
to the Federal Reserve, the Department of Education, and US<br />
military interventions abroad.<br />
Paul on Sunday denounced the "military-industrial complex"<br />
and called for ending aid to Israel, which he even encouraged<br />
to become "the Hong Kong of the Middle East." He also<br />
talks about defending the Constitution and freedoms.<br />
The other candidates, he says, "support the status quo" while<br />
"the country is looking for something completely different."<br />
Voters in New Hampshire refuse to be taken for granted.<br />
With Ron Paul, a Libertarian running for president for the third<br />
time, they cannot hide their enthusiasm.<br />
Outside the hotel, near Lake Winnipesaukee, another of his<br />
young supporters held a huge sign declaring, "Ron Paul, we<br />
love you!" "He is the only one to tell the truth," says Tatiana<br />
Moroz, who wore a Ron Paul T-shirt and said she had decided<br />
to write a song dedicated to her favourite candidate.<br />
"He is the first candidate that really excites me," adds James<br />
Blalock, who came here from Chicago to hear Paul."<br />
"He brings people from different political spectrums together.<br />
He is anti-establishment, he respects our troops."<br />
Kyle Shattuck, a 34-year-old technician, came here with his<br />
mother, fiancee and brother — all Ron Paul fans.<br />
"He is not unelectable if people vote for him!" he says with<br />
indignation, rebuffing comments by some pundits who have<br />
questioned Paul's chances of winning the White House.<br />
This view is shared by Dawn McGill, a mother of three.<br />
She says even some Democrats have switched parties to vote<br />
for Paul in today's primary because of his commitment to civil<br />
liberties and his opposition to foreign wars.<br />
By Anne K Walters<br />
CRIES of 'Mitt, Mitt, Mitt'<br />
filled the small gymnasium of<br />
Exeter High School as hundreds<br />
of New Hampshire residents<br />
packed in to hear from the Republican<br />
candidate who seems poised to<br />
face President Barack Obama in the<br />
November elections.<br />
But Mitt Romney is taking no support<br />
for granted in his bid to secure<br />
the Republican nomination and a win<br />
today, when the small north-eastern<br />
state of New Hampshire heads to the<br />
polls, is key to that plan.<br />
New Hampshire, with a population<br />
of just 1.3 million, plays an outsized<br />
role in picking presidential contenders<br />
and has long held the first party<br />
primaries. Along with the small central<br />
state of Iowa, which held caucus<br />
meetings of party members last week,<br />
New Hampshire draws inordinate attention<br />
from candidates who spend<br />
months attempting to woo voters.<br />
12<br />
ANALYSIS/OPINION<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
New Hampshire takes hard look at Romney<br />
Romney, a former governor of<br />
neighbouring Massachusetts, has<br />
long-standing ties to New Hampshire<br />
and has focused much of his effort<br />
here. His appeal to many supporters<br />
comes from his perceived ability to<br />
beat Obama and make use of his business<br />
experience to turn around the faltering<br />
US economy.<br />
"I believe he's the only one ready<br />
to be president," said Marsha Chapple<br />
after surveying the field of six major<br />
candidates. "I want someone who can<br />
walk in there right after the inauguration<br />
and get to work."<br />
But first Romney's campaign must<br />
do the difficult work of overcoming<br />
the rest of the Republican presidential<br />
field, which has spent much of the<br />
past months looking for an alternative<br />
candidate perceived as more conservative<br />
than Romney.<br />
In New Hampshire, each candidate<br />
gives voters the rare chance to interact<br />
with them up close and personal.<br />
One candidate, Jon Huntsman, has<br />
staked his entire campaign on such<br />
a strategy, refusing to participate in<br />
Iowa last week.<br />
Meanwhile, former Pennsylvania<br />
senator Rick Santorum who ended just<br />
eight votes behind Romney in Iowa is<br />
making a final push to persuade voters<br />
in the much less conservative New<br />
Hampshire.<br />
Supporters both from New Hampshire<br />
and flown in from elsewhere are<br />
hitting the streets to hand out campaign<br />
literature, knock on doors of<br />
undecided voters and make calls in<br />
support of candidates.<br />
Manchester, the state's largest city,<br />
has filled with national and international<br />
media and television cameras<br />
nearly outnumbering residents.<br />
Just blocks away, Romney's campaign<br />
headquarters is abuzz with dozens<br />
of volunteers, who packed folding<br />
tables and used their mobile phones<br />
and laptops to contact undecided voters<br />
for Romney's campaign.<br />
Bob Duffy was spending his after-<br />
TAIWAN’S Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen during a rally in Tainan.<br />
Wary of an election win<br />
By Amber Wang<br />
TAINAN, Kaohsiung, Chiayi —<br />
cities little known outside Taiwan,<br />
but in Saturday's presidential<br />
election they could hand victory to<br />
an opposition candidate expected to cool<br />
relations with China.<br />
The cities are in the island's south,<br />
where Taiwanese are traditionally wary<br />
of the mainland's embrace and where<br />
many are pinning their hopes on Tsai Ingwen,<br />
who is aiming to become Taiwan's<br />
first female head of state.<br />
"Little Ing elected," hundreds of people<br />
chanted on Sunday in Tainan, affectionately<br />
using Tsai's nickname as they<br />
caught a glimpse of her passing by in an<br />
open-top jeep.<br />
Morale is high among Tsai's followers<br />
who believe she has a real chance<br />
of regaining power for the Democratic<br />
Progressive Party (DPP) which lost to incumbent<br />
Ma Ying-jeou four years ago.<br />
Relations between China and Taiwan<br />
have improved markedly since Ma took<br />
office on a Beijing-friendly platform,<br />
allowing in more mainland tourists and<br />
signing an important trade pact.<br />
Ma is running for a second and final<br />
term, arguing that he can maintain prosperity<br />
in Taiwan through stable China<br />
ties, although some voters appear unconvinced.<br />
"I don't like China as it often<br />
bullies Taiwan and looks down on us,"<br />
said 22-year-old student Liu Chia-wen as<br />
she took part in a major rally for Tsai in<br />
Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second-largest city.<br />
"I think Ma is leaning too much towards<br />
China and he hasn't done enough<br />
By Agnieszka Flak<br />
ONLY one in three Afghans<br />
has access to electricity despite<br />
years of spending to<br />
improve supply, and the country is<br />
still far too dependent on imported<br />
power, the head of the country's state<br />
owned power utility said.<br />
Abdul Razique Samadi, the chief<br />
executive officer at Da Afghanistan<br />
Breshna Sherkat (DABS), said the<br />
situation in the capital, Kabul, is far<br />
better than the rest of the country,<br />
with around 70 per cent of households<br />
connected.<br />
"Instead of having electricity for<br />
two hours, we have power for 24<br />
hours and it is quite reliable," he<br />
said. About half of India's 1.2 billion<br />
people have no access to power and<br />
less than a third of sub-Saharan Af-<br />
to uphold Taiwan's sovereignty."<br />
Tsai has given few details about where<br />
she would take Taiwan's mainland policy<br />
if elected, and China has been careful not<br />
to explicitly warn against her, fearing it<br />
could boost her support.<br />
But there is little doubt China would<br />
prefer four more years for Ma rather than<br />
a return of the DPP, whose then-leader<br />
Chen Shui-bian tried to push for more<br />
formal independence when he was president<br />
from 2000 to 2008.<br />
In a veiled reference to the DPP's<br />
track record, a spokesman for Beijing's<br />
Taiwan Affairs Office said last month<br />
that insisting on Taiwanese independence<br />
will "harm the peaceful development of<br />
relations."<br />
Southern voters are concerned the island<br />
has become too reliant on Beijing<br />
during Ma's term and dubious over the<br />
supposed benefits of closer ties.<br />
"We southerners are rooting for a Tsai<br />
victory," said Wu Jia-chi, a mother of two<br />
who runs a restaurant in Chiayi county.<br />
"I don't think we should open too<br />
much to China, which will want to have<br />
more control of Taiwan and eventually<br />
turn us into a second Hong Kong," she<br />
said, referring to the territory where British<br />
rule ended in 1997.<br />
Interviews with voters in the south lay<br />
bare the unease that remains to this day.<br />
Huang Li-chin, a rice distributor from<br />
a farming family in Tainan, criticised<br />
Beijing for "trying to buy its way into<br />
Taiwan people's hearts" while refusing to<br />
remove missiles targeting the island.<br />
"Taiwan may be small and weak and<br />
China may be rich and powerful but we<br />
rica is electrified.<br />
Connecting Afghans to power is<br />
key to boosting an economy weakened<br />
by war and improving living<br />
standards in a country with a poor<br />
record on health and education.<br />
Demand in Kabul has tripled over<br />
the past five years and is rising each<br />
year. Samadi estimates Afghanistan<br />
will need around 3,000 megawatts<br />
(MW) to meet the country's needs by<br />
2020, compared with current supply<br />
of around 600 MW.<br />
But demand is still so modest that<br />
his total forecast for 2020 is just 5<br />
per cent of what is consumed by the<br />
United Kingdom now — even though<br />
Afghanistan's population is already<br />
nearly half the size of Britain's.<br />
Power cuts are still a regular feature<br />
of life, especially at peak times,<br />
with more Afghans wanting to watch<br />
want to be our own masters and we don't<br />
want to become a province of China,"<br />
she said.<br />
Huang is among those dismayed by<br />
a 2008 incident when police prevented<br />
demonstrators from displaying Taiwan's<br />
national flags during a visit by a top Chinese<br />
official.<br />
"If we don't have any dignity, it won't<br />
matter how much more money we can<br />
make from trade deals with China," she<br />
said.<br />
Tsai has sought to ease fears that her<br />
victory would stir up tensions, vowing to<br />
seek peace and dialogue with Beijing.<br />
Taiwan's young democracy has traditionally<br />
been defined by China policy but<br />
it is a less prominent factor in these elections<br />
due to voter apathy. National polls<br />
show Ma leading Tsai by as little as three<br />
percentage points.<br />
However, a recent China Times survey<br />
showed Tsai's support in the south<br />
was running at 48 per cent in southern<br />
Tainan, Yunlin and Chiayi, against 32 per<br />
cent for Ma, reflecting the strong feelings<br />
in the region.<br />
Shen Feng-piao, a retired businessman,<br />
said he believes China is using<br />
trade as a foil to push for its ultimate<br />
political goal of taking over Taiwan, and<br />
that it will pile pressure on Ma if he is<br />
re-elected.<br />
"I think Tsai won't move so fast like<br />
Ma but she won't be too radical. She can<br />
uphold Taiwan's sovereignty and maintain<br />
the status quo," he said.<br />
"No matter how big and strong China<br />
is, I want to live in a democracy and I<br />
want to elect my president."<br />
TV, use electric radiators or cook on<br />
electric stoves.<br />
To meet its shortfall, the country<br />
has to rely on expensive, noisy and<br />
polluting diesel generators.<br />
Access has improved since a new<br />
power line from Uzbekistan began<br />
transmitting electricity to Kabul<br />
in 2009. Land-locked Afghanistan<br />
also sources power from its other<br />
neighbours Iran, Turkmenistan and<br />
Tajikistan.<br />
More than half of total supply<br />
comes from imports and that is unlikely<br />
to change in the near term, Samadi<br />
said.<br />
Afghanistan's power stations —<br />
mainly hydro plants — have potential<br />
to produce around 500 MW, but<br />
actually churn out less than half because<br />
of water shortages and maintenance<br />
problems.<br />
noon making phone calls, but didn't<br />
simply settle on a candidate, instead<br />
attending events with some <strong>10</strong> major<br />
and minor candidates to give each a<br />
chance to sway his views.<br />
"I supported Mitt before, but I believe<br />
in hearing what others have to<br />
say," he said, stressing the fair shot<br />
given to each candidate in the state<br />
that prides itself on its independent<br />
streak and cherishes its motto.<br />
Duffy said he decided on Romney<br />
largely because of what he called his<br />
honesty and character, but also because<br />
of his business acumen to get<br />
the country's finances back in order.<br />
"In this case we need a turn-around<br />
person," he said.<br />
But although Romney leads big in<br />
pre-vote opinion surveys here, other<br />
candidates and their supporters are far<br />
from giving up and everyone thinks<br />
they are better poised to serve the<br />
party and the country.<br />
Among the most passionate are<br />
the young supporters of Ron Paul.<br />
By Chris Allbritton<br />
PAKISTAN'S former<br />
envoy to the United<br />
States, Husain Haqqani,<br />
is no stranger to intrigue. But<br />
even he didn't anticipate finding<br />
himself effectively imprisoned<br />
amid a scandal involving<br />
a shady memo, a businessman<br />
with unclear motives and allegations<br />
of treason.<br />
He is caught up in a tense<br />
stand-off between Pakistan's<br />
civilian leaders and its generals<br />
over a memo that accused<br />
the army of plotting a coup<br />
after the US raid that killed<br />
Osama bin Laden last May.<br />
Now fearing for his life, he<br />
has taken refuge in the home<br />
of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza<br />
Gilani in Islamabad.<br />
The scandal broke three<br />
months ago when businessman<br />
Mansoor Ijaz, writing<br />
in a column in the Financial<br />
Times, said a senior Pakistani<br />
diplomat had asked that the<br />
memo be delivered to the US<br />
Defence Department for help<br />
in reining in the military.<br />
Ijaz later identified the diplomat<br />
as Haqqani, who was<br />
never liked by the military for<br />
his strong advocacy of civilian<br />
supremacy. No evidence has<br />
emerged that the military was<br />
plotting a coup and the Pentagon<br />
at the time dismissed the<br />
memo as not credible.<br />
Haqqani returned to Pakistan<br />
in November and resigned<br />
as ambassador in a bid to end<br />
the crisis. He denies that he<br />
had anything to do with the<br />
memo and says he is fighting<br />
the traditional foes of civilian<br />
government in Pakistan.<br />
"Since the 1980s, there are<br />
powerful interests within the<br />
permanent state apparatus as<br />
well as outside who want to<br />
control the definition of what<br />
it means to be a Pakistani<br />
patriot," Haqqani said last<br />
Friday at the prime minister's<br />
residence.<br />
He avoided naming the<br />
powerful Directorate of Inter-<br />
Services Intelligence (ISI), but<br />
it was clear he considers parts<br />
of the spy agency responsible<br />
for his troubles in a scandal<br />
that the media has dubbed<br />
"memogate".<br />
Pakistan's Supreme Court<br />
set up a judicial commission<br />
"For now we are quite vulnerable.<br />
We are dependent and here we have<br />
a problem," Samadi said.<br />
Imports are also limited by an<br />
inadequate transmission network,<br />
and even though several projects are<br />
planned to strengthen power links,<br />
they will take years to complete.<br />
Despite millions of dollars of aid<br />
poured into the sector over the past<br />
<strong>10</strong> years, many big projects that<br />
could light up all of Afghanistan still<br />
remain on the drawing board, have<br />
faced cost overruns or have been delayed<br />
due to security concerns.<br />
Afghanistan has the potential<br />
to produce up to 23,000 MW from<br />
its vast hydro, solar, wind, gas and<br />
thermal resources, but much of that<br />
remains unexploited due to ongoing<br />
conflict.<br />
There is currently around $200<br />
The Texas congressman appeals to<br />
the state's strong independent streak<br />
as a standard bearer for the party's<br />
libertarian wing: free market, socially<br />
liberal and opposed to US foreign intervention.<br />
Volunteer Jeremey Stull, a 21-yearold<br />
student, who travelled from Connecticut<br />
to stump for Paul, said he had<br />
supported Obama in the last election<br />
but now sees Paul's foreign policy and<br />
strict adherence to the constitution as<br />
the best option.<br />
"I don't think constitutionality is a<br />
radical position," he said.<br />
That message may be beginning<br />
to pay off, with Paul gaining ground<br />
in recent opinion polls to 20 per cent,<br />
closing in on the heavily favoured<br />
Romney with 35 per cent, in a Suffolk'7<br />
News Tracking poll.<br />
That poll also put Huntsman at 11<br />
per cent, followed by former speaker<br />
of the House of Representatives Newt<br />
Gingrich at 9 per cent and Santorum<br />
with 8 per cent.<br />
NEWSMAKER<br />
Caught in web<br />
of own scandal<br />
to investigate the memo, keeping<br />
Haqqani nervous.<br />
He has some allies still in<br />
Washington. Senators Mark<br />
Kirk, John McCain and Joe<br />
Lieberman issued a joint statement<br />
last Thursday decrying<br />
his treatment.<br />
"We are increasingly troubled<br />
by Ambassador Haqqani's<br />
treatment since he returned<br />
home to Pakistan, including<br />
the travel ban imposed on<br />
him," the senators said.<br />
"We urge Pakistani authorities<br />
to resolve this matter<br />
swiftly and consistent with<br />
civilian rule of law and to prevent<br />
the judicial commission<br />
investigating Ambassador<br />
Haqqani from becoming a political<br />
tool for revenge."<br />
"Memogate" encapsulates<br />
the two issues that have troubled<br />
Pakistan for decades, and<br />
which dominate national debate:<br />
the relationship between<br />
the military and civilian governments<br />
and Pakistan's ties<br />
with the United States.<br />
Friction between the civilian<br />
leadership and the generals<br />
has bedevilled the country<br />
for almost its entire existence.<br />
Another takeover could<br />
further tarnish the military's<br />
public image, which took a<br />
battering after the surprise Bin<br />
Laden operation by US Navy<br />
Seals that was widely seen as<br />
an intelligence failure.<br />
Army chief General Ashfaq<br />
Kayani last month dismissed<br />
coup rumours as speculation<br />
and said the army supported<br />
democracy. Pakistan's relationship<br />
with the US is just as<br />
contentious. Anti-Americanism<br />
is rampant, and any whiff<br />
of collusion with Washington<br />
can lead to accusations of treason,<br />
which Haqqani has — so<br />
far — successfully deflected.<br />
Electricity reaches only one in 3 Afghans<br />
million in donor funds flowing into<br />
the sector each year, but Samadi aims<br />
to make DABS more independent to<br />
negotiate the expected decline in foreign<br />
aid as most combat troops pull<br />
out by the end of 2014. The firm,<br />
which had turnover of $200 million<br />
in 2011, also urgently needs to<br />
strengthen its billing system, as it is<br />
currently owed around $40 million,<br />
mainly by the government.<br />
Samadi downplayed criticism<br />
that corruption has hampered revenue<br />
collection and the completion<br />
of projects.<br />
"Maybe 20 or 30 per cent (of the<br />
allegations are justified). Still, the<br />
government, the donors are doing<br />
well," he said. "This is a very difficult<br />
country to work in. Even if it is<br />
only a 50 per cent success, it's still a<br />
success," he said.
13<br />
PANORAMA<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
A FILM production group shooting scenes for film The Soul of Bread in the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung. Right: Max Fang, chairman and CEO of Maxima Capital Management,<br />
stands in front of a billboard featuring The Soul of Bread, one of the two films jointly invested by a fund he operates. — AFP<br />
Taiwan’s IT wizards turn to the movies<br />
A<br />
S a long career devoted<br />
to Taiwan’s technology<br />
sector draws<br />
to a close, Max Fang has<br />
turned to an entirely new task<br />
— helping to build a globally<br />
competitive film industry on<br />
the island.<br />
To this end, 60-year-old<br />
Fang has launched a venture<br />
capital fund, much as he would<br />
do if he were to pour money<br />
into new IT start-ups, but with<br />
the crucial difference that the<br />
fund is solely meant for movie<br />
and TV projects.<br />
“Our eventual goal is to<br />
build a Chinese Hollywood,”<br />
said Fang, the chairman of<br />
Maxima Capital Investment<br />
which runs the TC-1 Culture<br />
Fund.<br />
The fund is bolstered not<br />
only by T$270 million ($9<br />
million) of risk-loving cash,<br />
but also by a comprehensive<br />
vision for where Taiwan’s<br />
economy should be heading<br />
in the coming years.<br />
Taiwan has been very successful<br />
in the IT industry, but<br />
as competition from other<br />
tech-savvy societies heats up,<br />
it is time to start thinking about<br />
new ways to prosper, according<br />
to Fang. And he has some<br />
ideas how.<br />
“Taiwan has become the<br />
hub of the Chinese-language<br />
entertainment industry. That<br />
position is entrenched and hard<br />
to challenge,” Fang said.<br />
“And as China gradually<br />
becomes richer, there will be<br />
rapid growth in the demand for<br />
films, televisions and musical<br />
programmes. That’s already<br />
a clear trend emerging on the<br />
mainland.”<br />
Fang’s idea has caught<br />
on, and investors in his fund<br />
include John Hsuan, former<br />
chairman of the world’s<br />
second-largest contract chip<br />
maker United Microelectronics<br />
Corp, and Stan Shih, the<br />
Elvis birthday<br />
kicks off big<br />
year for fans<br />
ON what would have<br />
been Elvis Presley’s<br />
77th birthday<br />
on Sunday, hundreds of fans<br />
from around the world made<br />
the annual pilgrimage to the<br />
Graceland mansion where<br />
the “King of Rock and Roll”<br />
lived.<br />
This year, the birthday<br />
celebration also served as the<br />
kick-off to what is expected<br />
to be a year of global Elvis<br />
mania marking the 35th<br />
anniversary of the beloved<br />
icon’s death.<br />
Memphis officials expect<br />
record numbers of visitors all<br />
year, leading to the August 16<br />
anniversary commemoration<br />
of his death at Graceland,<br />
where Presley is also buried.<br />
In Dusseldorf, Germany,<br />
a new Elvis Presley<br />
museum opened its doors<br />
in December; an “Elvis<br />
Cruise” departs from Florida<br />
to the Bahamas next week;<br />
and in Sao Paulo, Brazilian<br />
officials are planning one of<br />
the largest exhibits of Elvis<br />
memorabilia outside of the<br />
United States to open in<br />
September.<br />
“Every five years, we see<br />
history repeat itself and we<br />
expect that to happen again<br />
this year as fans remember<br />
Elvis Presley,” said Kevin<br />
Kane, president and CEO of<br />
the Memphis Convention and<br />
Visitors Bureau, who added<br />
that the city is preparing for a<br />
wave of visitors to exceed the<br />
typical 600,000 to 700,000<br />
fans who visit Graceland<br />
each year.<br />
Georgina Trejo, 55,<br />
from Mexico City is among<br />
the singer’s diehard fans<br />
who flew to Memphis to<br />
attend Presley’s birthday<br />
celebration, and plans to<br />
return with friends — all<br />
members of the Mexico City<br />
“Forever For Elvis Fan Club”<br />
— in August to observe his<br />
memorial ceremony.<br />
This year,<br />
Elvis Presley’s<br />
birthday<br />
celebration also<br />
serves as the<br />
kick-off to what<br />
is expected to be<br />
a year of global<br />
Elvis mania<br />
marking the<br />
35th anniversary<br />
of the beloved<br />
icon’s death<br />
“He sang the sound track<br />
of my life,” said Trejo, who<br />
was bundled up against the<br />
blustery Memphis morning in<br />
an Elvis-illustrated jacket and<br />
carried a black purse painted<br />
with dancing Elvises.<br />
“All the important<br />
moments in my life, I can<br />
remember Elvis’ songs<br />
playing.”<br />
Trejo said she has lost<br />
count of the number of times<br />
she has visited Graceland<br />
since the site first opened to<br />
the public in 1978.<br />
Presley’s popularity has<br />
endured since he released<br />
Blue Suede Shoes on his first<br />
studio album Elvis Presley<br />
in 1954.<br />
He has sold more than a<br />
billion albums since then and<br />
continues to out-earn many<br />
other living celebrities.<br />
Forbes magazine<br />
estimated Presley’s earnings<br />
at $55 million in 2011,<br />
exceeding contemporary<br />
superstars such as Taylor<br />
Swift and Justin Bieber.<br />
Graceland will open three<br />
exhibits to mark the 35th<br />
anniversary of Presley’s<br />
death. — AFP<br />
founder of computer vendor<br />
Acer.<br />
The fund reflects long-term<br />
changes in Taiwan’s economy,<br />
as the island, which left agriculture<br />
behind decades ago<br />
to take up manufacturing and<br />
then moved to technological<br />
innovation, may become a<br />
centre for creative industries.<br />
Taiwan is especially strong<br />
in the field of popular music<br />
and has massive influence in<br />
China and various Chinesespeaking<br />
communities in<br />
Southeast Asia.<br />
Heart-throb Jay Chou, to<br />
mention just one example, is<br />
as hot in the region as Justin<br />
Bieber is in the west.<br />
Another growth industry<br />
is TV programming, but is in<br />
the movies — where the island<br />
is experiencing a renaissance<br />
with titles such as history<br />
epic Warriors of the Rainbow:<br />
Seediq Bale — that Fang hopes<br />
for the big breakthrough.<br />
The fund, which was<br />
launched in late 20<strong>10</strong>, has invested<br />
an approximate total of<br />
T$40 million in two Taiwanese-Chinese<br />
co-productions<br />
premiering in <strong>Jan</strong>uary — The<br />
Soul of Bread and Perfect<br />
Two.<br />
Fang said he has especially<br />
high hopes for The Soul<br />
of Bread, starring rising star<br />
Michelle Chen as a Taiwanese<br />
woman pursued simultaneously<br />
by a local baker and a<br />
French gourmet.<br />
“We did not expect<br />
Michelle Chen to become so<br />
popular before shooting the<br />
film,” he said.<br />
Fang’s venture is part of a<br />
broader trend, with about 20<br />
similar Taiwanese funds earmarked<br />
for investment in the<br />
culture industry, each capitalised<br />
at T$200 million or more.<br />
Liang Liang, a senior<br />
movie analyst, said Taiwan’s<br />
movie industry has never been<br />
in a better position to win over<br />
the mainland market, now one<br />
of the top five markets in the<br />
world.<br />
“Hong Kong’s movie makers<br />
have switched their focus<br />
to the mainland in the past few<br />
years and while they jointly<br />
produced movies with Chinese<br />
partners, they have chosen<br />
to set certain restrictions on<br />
themselves,” he said.<br />
“On the contrary, Taiwanproduced<br />
movies are taking<br />
their own distinctive route, describing<br />
the free lifestyle of the<br />
people on the island.”<br />
Despite the optimism, the<br />
fate of Fang’s fund, and the<br />
20 others like it, remains to be<br />
seen.<br />
“Next year will be crucial<br />
not only to us, but to all venture<br />
capitalists investing in the<br />
sector. Should the results fail<br />
to meet the targets, many of<br />
them would be phased out,”<br />
Fang said.<br />
So far, at least, Taiwan’s<br />
film industry is no match for<br />
its technology sector.<br />
In the 11 months to November,<br />
box office revenues<br />
for 32 Taiwan-produced films<br />
totalled around T$700 million<br />
($23.17 million), according to<br />
statistics from the Government<br />
Information Office.<br />
The revenues of Taiwan’s<br />
IT industry, by contrast, came<br />
in at $121.2 billion in 20<strong>10</strong>,<br />
according to the Market Intelligence<br />
Centre, a quasi-official<br />
IT market and research firm.<br />
Li Ya-mei, an independent<br />
movie producer, pointed<br />
out that Taiwan and China are<br />
facing a cultural divide, as a<br />
result of the island’s self-rule,<br />
in place since the end of a civil<br />
war in 1949.<br />
“I don’t know how long it<br />
may take to overcome the barrier,<br />
but I know it’s not likely<br />
to be done within a short period<br />
of time,” she said. — AFP<br />
ELVIS Presley fans leave mementos at his grave at the Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee,<br />
on Sunday on what would have been Presley’s 77th birthday. — AFP<br />
London marks 200 days till Olympics with legacy in mind<br />
LONDON marked 200 days to<br />
go until the opening ceremony<br />
of the <strong>2012</strong> Olympic Games in<br />
an upbeat mood yesterday, announcing<br />
new deals to secure the future of<br />
the mostly completed sites.<br />
Prime Minister David Cameron<br />
led a special meeting of his cabinet<br />
at the Olympic Park in east London,<br />
where he said organisers were “well<br />
on track” to delivering a lasting legacy<br />
for the whole of Britain.<br />
As London prepares to become<br />
the first city to host the Olympics for<br />
the third time, most of the venues are<br />
completed and tickets for all events<br />
— except the hundreds of thousands<br />
still available for football — are sold<br />
out.<br />
Organisers can take pride in the<br />
remarkable transformation of a once<br />
rundown area of scrapyards and<br />
workshops into a collection of hightech<br />
sporting venues, thousands<br />
of apartments and, eventually, a<br />
park.<br />
The government announced yesterday<br />
that ownership deals had been<br />
agreed for the Aquatics Centre, the<br />
Handball Arena and Anish Kapoor’s<br />
115-metre high red steel Orbit sculpture,<br />
ensuring they will survive beyond<br />
the Games.<br />
The operator of the Aquatics Centre<br />
expects 800,000 local users every<br />
BRITAIN’S Prime Minister David Cameron (L) and Deputy Prime<br />
Minister Nick Clegg ride a train to a cabinet meeting at the London<br />
<strong>2012</strong> Olympic Games site in London yesterday. — AFP<br />
year, while the Handball Arena hopes<br />
to welcome 500,000 people a year<br />
for concerts, exhibitions and sports<br />
events.<br />
“Today, as we mark 200 days to<br />
go, and six out of the eight Olympic<br />
venues having already secured their<br />
future, we are well on track to delivering<br />
a lasting legacy for the whole of<br />
Britain,” Cameron said.<br />
The excitement has been marred<br />
however by the disappointment of<br />
hundreds of thousands of British<br />
fans who missed out on tickets for<br />
the Games in last year’s lottery, amid<br />
massive demand.<br />
There were also red faces last week<br />
when organisers LOCOG admitted<br />
they had mistakenly oversold tickets<br />
for synchronised swimming sessions<br />
and were forced to offer thousands of<br />
people tickets to other events.<br />
Adding to their blushes, the website<br />
for recipients to resell tickets they<br />
Sutherland’s touch on<br />
paternal emotions<br />
KIEFER Sutherland (pictured) is ready to let audiences<br />
get in touch with his emotional side.<br />
Sutherland told reporters on Sunday at the Television<br />
Critics Association panels for Fox, held in Los Angeles,<br />
that he was ready to transition from repressed action man Jack<br />
Bauer in 24 to an emotional father of an autistic son in the new<br />
Fox drama Touch.<br />
Touch tells the story of an evolving relationship of a father<br />
and his voiceless child who communicates through numbers,<br />
drawing connections between seemingly disconnected people<br />
and events across the world.<br />
Sutherland said stepping away from the character of Bauer<br />
into Martin Brohm, a former journalist and luggage handler<br />
whose wife was killed in the September 11 attacks, was refreshing.<br />
“The opportunity that I had in 24 to repress the character,<br />
informed the character beautifully for me. To be able to have<br />
the antithesis to that in this show, where he can openly show<br />
and have an emotional reaction to what is happening at this<br />
moment, is another fantastic opportunity,” said Sutherland.<br />
“The real choice to do this was not to get away from 24, the<br />
reason I could not turn this down was that it spoke to me on a<br />
really profound level.”<br />
Creator Tim Kring,<br />
who was behind the scifi<br />
series Heroes about<br />
ordinary people with superhuman<br />
capabilities,<br />
said he has long been interested<br />
“in this theme of<br />
interconnectivity.”<br />
“This is really a chance<br />
to continue what you<br />
would call social-benefit<br />
storytelling, the idea of<br />
using archetypal narrative<br />
to create and promote<br />
a positive energy in the<br />
world,” said Kring.<br />
The series will operate<br />
as stand-alone episodes<br />
with characters that interconnect<br />
throughout, tied<br />
together by the relationship between father and his autistic son<br />
as the son leaves a trail of clues through numbers to guide his<br />
father on a path of discovery.<br />
The character of the son, Jake, played by David Mazouz, is<br />
initially identified as autistic, but Kring was eager to emphasise<br />
that the show was not exploring autism specifically.<br />
“The show does not attempt to talk about autism, it’s not<br />
a show about autism,” said Kring, adding “as storytellers, we<br />
want to reserve the right to say there is some other idea floating<br />
above it, something spiritual or supernatural.”<br />
For 24 fans, Jack Bauer will be making a return as Sutherland<br />
confirmed he was shooting the 24 movie in late April<br />
this year.<br />
Sutherland and Mazouz will be joined by co-stars Danny<br />
Glover and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Touch, premiering mid-season<br />
on Fox. — Reuters<br />
Device brings energy<br />
boost to e-show<br />
A<br />
BACKPACK is handy for carrying things around but how<br />
about one that can also charge your smartphone?<br />
That’s the promise of Powerbag, a backpack equipped with<br />
a built-in battery that is one of the thousands of new products<br />
going on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)<br />
which opens in Las Vegas today.<br />
“It will charge all smartphones. It will charge all tablets, all<br />
e-readers, Bluetooth devices,” Dan Kurzon, vice-president of<br />
sales for Powerbag, said at a preview event for exhibitors at the<br />
annual high-tech gadget extravaganza.<br />
“Let’s say I have a bunch of devices,” Kurzon said. “I have<br />
an iPhone, an iPad, a BlackBerry.<br />
“I get to my hotel, I load up the bag with all those different<br />
devices and I plug it into the wall,” he said. “It’s going to<br />
charge up those devices and it’s going to charge up the battery<br />
on the bag.”<br />
Powerbag began selling the battery-equipped bags in October<br />
and offers several different styles, from a standard backpack<br />
to a messenger bag with a single shoulder strap to a rolling<br />
briefcase.<br />
Up to four mobile devices can be charged at once using the<br />
bags which feature 3000 mAh, 6000 mAh or 9000 mAh batteries<br />
depending on the style.<br />
Powerbags, which are made by RFA Brands, start at $140<br />
with the most expensive retailing for $250. — AFP<br />
Prime Minister David<br />
Cameron yesterday<br />
led a special meeting<br />
of his cabinet at the<br />
Olympic Park in east<br />
London, where he said<br />
organisers were “well<br />
on track” to delivering<br />
a lasting legacy for the<br />
whole of Britain<br />
do not want has been suspended because<br />
of technical problems.<br />
An additional one million tickets<br />
are due to go on sale in April once the<br />
final configuration of the stadiums<br />
has been worked out, and they are<br />
certain to be snapped up.<br />
But as the clock ticks down to the<br />
July 27 opening ceremony, chief organiser<br />
Sebastian Coe said the acid<br />
test of his organisation would be<br />
whether athletes could be delivered<br />
to their event on time, and ready to<br />
compete.<br />
“I never want an athlete telling<br />
me he did not make a final because<br />
the Olympic Village did not create<br />
the right atmosphere, or he did not<br />
get the right service or the transport<br />
did not work,” Coe told the Evening<br />
Standard newspaper last week.<br />
“The Games have to work for<br />
the most important client group, the<br />
athletes. I can’t screw it up for them.<br />
That would be a cardinal sin.”<br />
In an already congested city like<br />
London, few doubt that transport is<br />
one of the biggest issues the Games<br />
face.<br />
Specially reserved Olympic road<br />
lanes, reserved for athletes, officials<br />
and the media are designed to ensure<br />
competitors are not delayed but their<br />
effect is likely to be traffic snarl-ups<br />
elsewhere in the capital.<br />
British ministers are hoping the<br />
Olympics and the celebrations marking<br />
the queen’s 60 years on the throne<br />
this year will help lift the country out<br />
of the economic doldrums, as it faces<br />
the real prospect of a return to recession.<br />
But Cameron has faced criticism<br />
for ordering an additional £41 million<br />
to be spent on the opening and closing<br />
ceremonies of the Games, which<br />
many view as frivolous at a time of<br />
austerity.<br />
Slumdog Millionaire director<br />
Danny Boyle has the difficult task<br />
of ensuring that London’s opening<br />
ceremony can compete with the spectacular<br />
show staged by Beijing four<br />
years ago. — AFP
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CLASSIFIED SECTION:<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong> TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
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L<br />
NNOUNCEMENT<br />
OST<br />
ABBAS Nazam has lost<br />
Pakistani passport No.<br />
AK-<strong>10</strong>17721. Finder<br />
please handover to ROP.<br />
KASHEM Ali Miah has<br />
lost Bangladeshi passport<br />
No. V-0536222. Finder<br />
please handover to ROP.<br />
RAM Lallu Ganesh Ram<br />
has lost Indian passport<br />
No. J-9765232. Finder<br />
please handover to ROP.<br />
MUHAMMAD Ishaq<br />
Rahim Shah has lost<br />
Pakistani passport No.<br />
DH-1846971. Finder<br />
please handover to ROP.<br />
MUHAMMAD Akram<br />
Muhammad Aslam has<br />
lost Pakistani passport<br />
No. AD-1323832. Finder<br />
please handover to ROP.<br />
SOHEL Mostafa<br />
Sarnakar has lost<br />
Bangladeshi passport No.<br />
B-1414803. Finder please<br />
handover to ROP.<br />
Sulaiman Awlad Thani: 95181747<br />
Ali al Maashari: 99639264<br />
GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!!<br />
G<br />
14<br />
GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!!<br />
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WATER TANKER<br />
Available on very GOOD prices<br />
HP F<strong>10</strong>00 Printer<br />
RO 9.900 only<br />
HP F4500 4 in 1 Printer<br />
RO 24.500 only<br />
HP M1132 4 in 1 Laser Printer<br />
RO 54.900 only<br />
HP LJ1<strong>10</strong>2 Laser Printer<br />
RO 30/900 only<br />
AII HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung<br />
Cartridges also available.<br />
OOD NEWS<br />
FREE<br />
INFORMATION<br />
ABOUT ISLAM<br />
If you would like to<br />
know more about<br />
Islam, please call:<br />
Tel : 99425598,<br />
96050000, 99353988,<br />
99253818, 99341395,<br />
99379133,<br />
For ladies: 99415818,<br />
99321360, 99730723<br />
Or visit:<br />
www.islamfact.com<br />
AYURVEDIC<br />
Treatment, Yoga<br />
massage & slimming.<br />
Contact: 92504980/<br />
24475280 , www.<br />
drsajjay.com<br />
W<br />
G<br />
F<br />
ANTED<br />
LAND REQUIRED<br />
REQUIRE commercial/<br />
industrial land<br />
measuring 20,000<br />
to 30,000 Sq mtrs in<br />
and around Ghalal/<br />
Halban/Rusayl on long<br />
term lease/purchase.<br />
Interested property<br />
owners may Contact:<br />
92892001 with all<br />
details.<br />
S<br />
ALE/BUYING<br />
OLD household furniture,<br />
carpet, curtain, wallpaper<br />
and fixing. 99834373.<br />
UEST HOUSE<br />
MURAHIB<br />
HOTEL<br />
APARTMENTS<br />
welcome our<br />
valuable GUESTS<br />
to our excellent<br />
location,<br />
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near AL ZAWAWI<br />
MOSQUE, a single<br />
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& majlis, two<br />
bedrooms & majlis<br />
24478087,<br />
Fax: 24482454.<br />
QURUM BEACH<br />
HOTEL. 24564070.<br />
OR SALE<br />
DIRECT from the<br />
owner: 2 bedrooms<br />
at Al Wadi al Kabir<br />
92919135<br />
COMPUTER SUPPLIES<br />
Ruwi: 24792792<br />
GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!!<br />
DIRECT: 24649594 - FAX : 24649590<br />
e-mail: classified@omandaily.om<br />
CONTACT: 993<strong>10</strong>448 /99333506 /24505994<br />
FAX: 24504023. E-mail: afaqwadi@yahoo.com<br />
U<br />
MRAH/HAJ<br />
GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!!<br />
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and UMRAH — With<br />
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including the following:<br />
Hiring luxurious<br />
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including transport,<br />
housing, meals<br />
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MORNING STAR<br />
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with professionally<br />
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trainees in brand new<br />
cars and flexible<br />
payments. Call:<br />
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www.morningstar.com<br />
C<br />
ANPOWER<br />
FRIENDS<br />
MANPOWER: Filipino<br />
housemaids and all kinds<br />
of workers. 24489268<br />
Tel/Fax: 24478153.<br />
INDONESIAN house<br />
maid start from RO<br />
740, Uganda RO 370,<br />
Sri Lankan RO 720,<br />
Ethiopia RO 390.<br />
Contact 24831448/<br />
9280<strong>10</strong>98/ 95330209.<br />
CCOM AVAILABLE<br />
A ROOM with attached<br />
washroom and sharing<br />
kitchen is available for a<br />
couple only. Near Qurum<br />
private school. Rent<br />
RO 160 (All utility bills<br />
included) 99051933/<br />
24563618.<br />
RIVING SCHOOL<br />
ARGO<br />
CARGO transfer with<br />
attractive price to all<br />
areas in the Sultanate and<br />
outside of <strong>Oman</strong><br />
(by truck). Contact<br />
00968-99171758<br />
al-haditha<br />
centre<br />
for vehicles repairing<br />
S<br />
PRIVATE school in<br />
North Al Hail would<br />
like to hire Teachers<br />
in the following<br />
subjects: English,<br />
Science, Maths &<br />
ICT 24541266,<br />
95339066.<br />
W<br />
Telephone: 24595951, 95306257.<br />
ITUATION VACANT<br />
ANTED<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
Continued on P-15<br />
F<br />
O<br />
R<br />
H<br />
I<br />
R<br />
E<br />
High quality maintenance and repairing for<br />
all kinds of light and heavy vehicles<br />
(A certified workshop from ROP, Grade A)<br />
PRIVATE school<br />
in Muscat seeks<br />
fully qualified and<br />
experienced special<br />
need English teacher<br />
for elementary school.<br />
Forward your CV and<br />
recent photograph to:<br />
omaniacademy@gmail.<br />
com<br />
REQUIRE an<br />
experienced and dynamic<br />
staff for design and<br />
marketing of gift items.<br />
Should have good<br />
knowledge of computer<br />
specially on design<br />
applications like 3D<br />
Max. Should be able<br />
to market gift ideas to<br />
new clients. Required<br />
work experience 2-3<br />
years. Forward your<br />
CV to E-mail address:<br />
abualkhalil98@hotmail.<br />
com<br />
HOUSEMAID wanted<br />
full-time by expatriate<br />
family in Ruwi, should<br />
read and write English.<br />
Visa available, from <strong>10</strong><br />
to 12 morning and 7 to 9<br />
evening. 95602878<br />
WE need Ladies Staff<br />
for new beauty salon,<br />
located in Athaiba.<br />
Contact 92180734.<br />
REQUIRED General<br />
Practitioner,<br />
Gynaecologist, Female<br />
Dentist and a Nurse to<br />
work in a new medical<br />
centre at Wilayat of<br />
Mudhaibi. Contact<br />
99812298, 99240928.<br />
al_habsi2003@yahoo.<br />
com<br />
REQUIRED a Female<br />
Cook 93387962.<br />
URGENTLY required<br />
Qualified Mechanical/<br />
Electrical/Electronics<br />
graduates/diploma,<br />
age max; 32. Send<br />
resume: ssi@omantel.<br />
net.om<br />
URGENTLY required<br />
Salesman for our printing<br />
press. If any person<br />
interested 99733149,<br />
98287246.<br />
URGENTLY required<br />
for design studio. 8<br />
-<strong>10</strong> years experience<br />
min in fashion field.<br />
Contact Miss Smisha<br />
at 24542111, Fax:<br />
24541916. E-mail: your<br />
resume to: smiishaa@<br />
gmail.com
SHIMLA sees the first heavy snowfall of the season early yesterday, turning the hill station more picturesque. — IANS<br />
Attempt to discover country on bicycles<br />
BHOPAL — Experience the real India on<br />
bicycle, with every spin of the wheel revealing<br />
a whole new world of adventure<br />
and mysticism. Pushing this philosophy<br />
and the accompanying thrill is a group of<br />
young men who have launched a novel<br />
bicycle-tour movement in India.<br />
Pradeep Sharma and his two friends<br />
are engineers working for multinational<br />
companies (MNCs) in Bangalore. But<br />
their quest for adventure and green concerns<br />
has driven them to launch cycle<br />
tours and encourage people to take to<br />
pedalling for fun.<br />
Pradeep hails from Morena district<br />
of Madhya Pradesh, while his friends<br />
Pankaj Mangal and Gaurav Mehendiratta<br />
respectively are from Jaipur (Rajasthan)<br />
and Delhi. The three are aged 28 and studied<br />
together in an engineering college in<br />
Ahmedabad.<br />
S<br />
15<br />
INDIA/CLASSIFIEDS<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
ITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTED<br />
BE Electrical and<br />
Electronic Engineer having<br />
two years experience in<br />
Industrial field. Seeks<br />
suitable placement.<br />
Contact: 96681536.<br />
E-mail: morshedcuet@<br />
yahoo.com<br />
INDIAN male, 46 years,<br />
23 yrs experienced civil<br />
engineer, woring as QScivil<br />
in <strong>Oman</strong>, looking<br />
for part-time/freelance<br />
works in estimating, qty.<br />
Surveying, prep of BOQ,<br />
etc. Contact: 96013166.<br />
They use films, music, songs, poetry,<br />
painting, photography, creative writing,<br />
books and rides to popularise bicycle<br />
tours and have also started a store in<br />
Bangalore — Art of Bicycle Trips.<br />
The novel idea came to them during a<br />
cycle trip in July 20<strong>10</strong>. The trio went on<br />
a 120-km bicycle trip from Bangalore to<br />
a Cauvery fishing camp.<br />
"After riding for around 60 km we<br />
sat under a statue of Mahatma Gandhi<br />
and started discussing our trip. We<br />
thought that for some bicycle is a utility<br />
and for others a revelation of human potential,<br />
but for us it was more of a new<br />
experience," Sharma recalled. "Through<br />
that experience, the idea of a bicycle<br />
movement and Art of Bicycle Trips<br />
emerged," Sharma said from Bangalore.<br />
"India's beauty actually lies in its rural<br />
areas. And bicycle is the best medium to<br />
MORE than 15 years<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> experienced<br />
Storekeeper/Salesman<br />
having valid Driving<br />
licence, on visit, seeks<br />
suitable placement<br />
99284879.<br />
IT professional, Indian<br />
male, Age: 29, having<br />
5 years experience in<br />
hardware, networking, PHP<br />
programming, SQL, seeks<br />
suitable position. Contact<br />
98677350 E-mail:<br />
emustafa_mca@yahoo.co.in<br />
INDIAN male, 26,<br />
B.Com with Tally, 5 years<br />
experience in accounts,<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i driving licence,<br />
seeks job 96470171.<br />
INDIAN female, electronics<br />
and communication<br />
engineer, seeks suitable<br />
position with work visa<br />
around Muscat area <br />
95924356.<br />
INDONESIAN female<br />
looking for household<br />
job, only for full-time <br />
93542338.<br />
Mailing Address: OBSERVER CLASSIFIEDS SECTION, P.O. Box 974, Muscat, P.C. <strong>10</strong>0<br />
Location: OEPPA HEAD OFFICE, Medinat Al Alam,<br />
Near Ministry of Information 24649 593, 594, 594, 595, 596, 597<br />
& OEPPA Ruwi Office, Next to Dhofar Bldg, Behind Ruwi Police Station 24785668<br />
get connected with its nature and people,<br />
directly. So we offer a simple and unique<br />
way to experience the real India. Bicycling<br />
opens up a whole new world of adventure,<br />
freedom and mysticism on every<br />
spin," Sharma said.<br />
The firm designs unique bicycle trips<br />
from day-long tours of within a city to safaris<br />
to other states including Karnataka,<br />
Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Tamil<br />
Nadu and Himachal Pradesh.<br />
One day-long safari has been named<br />
after the 1970s Bollywood hit Sholay and<br />
is called Sholay Adventure. Under it, riders<br />
can tour the region where the blockbuster<br />
was shot. We have 15 bicycles specially<br />
designed for different tours. So far<br />
70 to 80 groups (comprising 5-6 people)<br />
have taken our service, mostly foreigners.<br />
— IANS<br />
INDIAN male, BBM/<br />
MBA in marketing & HR,<br />
having valid D/L, seeks<br />
suitable placement. Contact<br />
95473531/99784121.<br />
QUALIFIED Finance<br />
Manager with <strong>10</strong> years<br />
experience in reputed<br />
companies in contracting,<br />
manufacturing and trading<br />
fields, seeks immediate<br />
placement. 96251458.<br />
DIPLOMA in civil<br />
engineering, 19 years<br />
experience (16 years in<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>) in quantity survey,<br />
seeks suitable placement<br />
99360190, 96328687.<br />
INDIAN male, 32 years,<br />
MBA graduate, having<br />
more than 8 years<br />
experience in Europe<br />
& Asia in marketing &<br />
managerial, computer<br />
proficiency in MS Office<br />
& Tally, on visit, seeks<br />
suitable immediate<br />
placement in sales/<br />
marketing/banking.<br />
97163<strong>10</strong>1/ 99628440,<br />
E-mail: mkrishnankutty@<br />
gmail.com<br />
MECHANICAL<br />
engineering graduate, 12 +<br />
years experience in project,<br />
people, performance,<br />
management, design<br />
validation, Gsigma, quality,<br />
currently with Caterpillar<br />
India as deputy manager,<br />
seeks suitable placement in<br />
Muscat 92283707.<br />
SUDANESE, Cisco<br />
certified CCNA-CCNP<br />
looking for job in hardware<br />
and networking field<br />
99066253.<br />
ARCHITECT, 3 years<br />
experience in <strong>Oman</strong> —<br />
decoration, landscape,<br />
construction, AutoCAD,<br />
Photoshop and 3D<br />
97164803.<br />
INDIAN male 29 yrs<br />
MSc, BSc in computers<br />
5+years of exp in network<br />
engineering 2 years<br />
of <strong>Oman</strong> exp, seeking<br />
suitable placement. CCNP,<br />
MCP certified. Contact:<br />
93223629.<br />
HYDROGEOLOGIST<br />
with long experience in<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> having valid<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i driving licence<br />
needs suitable<br />
placement. 95451<strong>10</strong>4.<br />
shuja54@hotmail.com<br />
INDIAN male 25, 3 years<br />
experience in system<br />
administration [B.Com<br />
(computer applications)<br />
MCSA messaging in<br />
exchange server] Looking<br />
for a suitable placement<br />
in <strong>Oman</strong>. Contact: e-mail:<br />
sreesankarrs@gmail.com<br />
MALE, 23, Indian, MCA,<br />
PGDBA, B.Sc computer<br />
science, seeks suitable job.<br />
vineeth<strong>10</strong>00@gmail.com<br />
973<strong>10</strong>219.<br />
INDIAN male, 27 years<br />
experience in civil<br />
construction, project<br />
manager/co-ordinator, 20<br />
years experience in road<br />
construction <strong>Oman</strong>. Can<br />
join immediately with<br />
NOC. 99881794/<br />
95081965.<br />
INDIAN male, 33,<br />
commerce graduate,<br />
having 8 years experience<br />
in accounts in Gulf,<br />
presently staying in <strong>Oman</strong><br />
on visit visa, seeks suitable<br />
placement 95772160.<br />
BACHELOR of<br />
Engineering in Computer<br />
Science with 5 years<br />
experience in multinational<br />
company, business<br />
Development SAP<br />
& people soft. Good<br />
knowledge in Photoshop,<br />
Web design, seminar<br />
presentations. Holding<br />
advance diploma in Human<br />
Resource Management.<br />
E-mail: just4hansel@<br />
gmail.com Contact<br />
95959494.<br />
INDIAN male, 15 years<br />
experience in accounts/<br />
finance (7 years in <strong>Oman</strong>)<br />
with <strong>Oman</strong> driving licence,<br />
seeks suitable placement.<br />
Contact: 98653345,<br />
e-mail: unniyath@gmail.<br />
com.<br />
YOUNG male Indian<br />
graduate with one and a<br />
half years local experience,<br />
currently pursuing CIMA,<br />
holds valid <strong>Oman</strong>i driving<br />
license with excellent<br />
communication skills<br />
seeks suitable placement<br />
in accounts or finance<br />
department. Contact :<br />
97098973.<br />
INDIAN male with<br />
B.Com, MBA, 17 years<br />
of experience which<br />
includes 15 years of local<br />
experience and holds<br />
a valid <strong>Oman</strong>i driving<br />
license seeks suitable<br />
placement in accounts<br />
or finance department.<br />
Contact: 99705790.<br />
ZAJEL weekly magazine evry saturday along with OMAN DAILY <br />
for advertising contact <br />
Mobile 96224397 95181747<br />
Tel 24649593 Fax 24649590 Email zajeloman@yahoocom<br />
Snowfall in Himachal throws life<br />
out of gear but cheers fruit farmers<br />
SHIMLA — Heavy snowfall,<br />
accompanied by blizzards,<br />
continued across Himachal<br />
Pradesh yesterday snapping<br />
transportation links but bringing<br />
cheer to fruit growers in<br />
the state. State capital Shimla<br />
saw a moderate spell of snowfall<br />
— 24.6 cm of snow — but<br />
recorded a minimum temperature<br />
of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius,<br />
the season's lowest.<br />
Other parts of Shimla<br />
district, especially the upper<br />
reaches, experienced heavy<br />
snowfall. These included Narkanda,<br />
Jubbal, Kotkhai and<br />
Khada Pathar. Reports said<br />
some of the areas in Jubbal,<br />
Narkanda and Kotkhai experienced<br />
up to three feet of snow<br />
in just a few hours.<br />
"Power cables have been<br />
snapped by the heavy snow,"<br />
Rohit Thakur, a prominent apple<br />
grower from Jubbal, said.<br />
He said the area saw three to<br />
four feet of snow.<br />
However, the heavy snow<br />
has brought cheer to apple<br />
growers in the region. "The<br />
prolonged dry spell is finally<br />
over. This spell of snow is<br />
good for the apple, peach,<br />
plum, apricot and almond<br />
crops," Thakur said.<br />
Besides Shimla, other parts<br />
in the state too experienced<br />
snowfall. Manali received<br />
moderate snowfall of 19 cm<br />
early yesterday. It experienced<br />
a low of minus 1.4 degrees<br />
Celsius. Kalpa, 250 km from<br />
Shimla, saw 8.8 cm of snow<br />
while Keylong in Lahaul and<br />
Spiti district experienced 7 cm<br />
of snow. These towns saw the<br />
night temperature at 4.5 de-<br />
grees and 5.7 degrees Celsius<br />
below freezing point, respectively.<br />
The snowfall paralysed<br />
normal life and snapped road<br />
and air links. The cold weather<br />
resulted in the freezing of<br />
taps in posh residential areas<br />
in Shimla city such as the<br />
US Club and the Jakhu hills<br />
throughout the day.<br />
Flights in and out of<br />
Shimla were cancelled with<br />
Chief Minister Prem Kumar<br />
Dhumal cancelling his visit<br />
to Manali from here due to inclement<br />
weather.<br />
Incessant snow also hampered<br />
vehicular traffic on the<br />
highways in Shimla, Kinnaur,<br />
Chamba and Kullu districts.<br />
Vehicular traffic to upper<br />
Shimla and Kinnaur district<br />
remained suspended throughout<br />
the day beyond Shimla<br />
FILIPINA housemaid<br />
looking for job, with<br />
release letter 97096041.<br />
INDIAN male, 36 years<br />
experience in automobile<br />
department, seeks suitable<br />
placement as transport,<br />
logistics or service<br />
manager. Valid ROP, DD01<br />
& DD03 licence. On a visit<br />
visa. Contact: Jayaseelan<br />
99121390.<br />
INDIAN male 39, 16 yrs<br />
exp, in import/export,<br />
freights, purchase,<br />
inventory, general<br />
management, MBA<br />
(logistics & supply<br />
chain), valid <strong>Oman</strong>i D/L,<br />
seeks suitable placement.<br />
Contact: 99500670.<br />
INDIAN male, B Tech<br />
(EEE) , 7 yrs exp in<br />
Software CRM & SAP<br />
with IBM experience<br />
seeks suitable placement in<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>. Currently available<br />
in <strong>Oman</strong> with visit visa.<br />
Contact: 96352937,<br />
samlou13<strong>10</strong>@gmail.com<br />
LIGHT Driver (Pakistani),<br />
8 years experience in<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>, looking for a job.<br />
92179597.<br />
CLASSIFIED<br />
SECTION<br />
RUWI: 24785668<br />
Behind Royal <strong>Oman</strong> Police<br />
Adjacent to<br />
Dhofar Building<br />
city. The state road transport<br />
corporation sent some buses<br />
to Rohru via Vikasnagar and<br />
to Rampur and Kinnaur via<br />
Basantpur and Dhami.<br />
"The road link to picturesque<br />
Dalhousie and Chamba<br />
towns was partially restored<br />
on Monday," Superintendent<br />
of Police Madhu Sudan said.<br />
The towns had remained<br />
cut off for two days due to<br />
heavy snowfall near Banikhet,<br />
which is located on the<br />
Pathankot-Chamba national<br />
highway.<br />
The Met department's forecast<br />
has said that Western disturbances<br />
— storm systems<br />
originating from the Mediterranean<br />
Sea and moving across<br />
the Afghanistan-Pakistan region<br />
— would be totally withdrawn<br />
today. — IANS<br />
Unquenchable thirst for education in Jaunpur<br />
JAUNPUR — Broken roads<br />
and power cuts have failed to<br />
deter people in their drive for<br />
education in this eastern Uttar<br />
Pradesh district. They have set<br />
up more than 30 schools and<br />
technical institutes for youth<br />
of the area.<br />
If you drive between Imran<br />
Ganj to Guraini in the Shahganj<br />
sub-division of the district<br />
— a distance of some <strong>10</strong><br />
km — you can count about 40<br />
schools and technical institutes.<br />
Only about <strong>10</strong> of them<br />
are government run or aided.<br />
The area covers some 60<br />
villages, with a population<br />
of over <strong>10</strong>0,000. From primary<br />
schools to degree colleges,<br />
madrassas to computer<br />
and mobile phone repairing<br />
centres, the area offers a<br />
wide choice to parents anxious<br />
about their children's<br />
education.<br />
Ramdhani Rajbhar, a<br />
farmer of Amilo Pashurampur<br />
village, was confused about<br />
which school to choose for his<br />
son Sanjay.<br />
"When my son finished<br />
Class 5, it was very difficult<br />
for me to choose a school,<br />
as I felt that all schools are<br />
providing the best possible facilities,"<br />
says Rajbhar.<br />
Mirza Azfar Baig, manager<br />
of the Mirza Anwar Baig<br />
Educational Society, remembers<br />
that earlier it was too<br />
hard to even open a school.<br />
"When we started, there<br />
was nothing but forest and<br />
some barren land. It was hard<br />
to run a school as there was<br />
lack of transportation and<br />
educational awareness," Azfar<br />
said.<br />
The Mirza Anwar Baig<br />
Educational Society was<br />
established in 1962 and at<br />
present runs three institutes<br />
— Abdul Aziz Ansari Degree<br />
College, Mirza Anwar<br />
Baig Intermediate College<br />
and Maulana Azad Taleemi<br />
Markaz (Islamic madrassa),<br />
where about 5,000 students<br />
are enrolled.<br />
Geeta Maurya, headmistress<br />
of R K Convent School<br />
in Khetasarai town, thinks<br />
that it is a sign of progress that<br />
people are now eager to give<br />
their kids good education.<br />
"This is a good thing that<br />
there are enough schools. If<br />
we have more schools then<br />
the student-teacher ratio will<br />
be better," says Maurya.<br />
Raghunath Yadav, a<br />
65-year-old tea maker of<br />
Khetasaria, says that unlike<br />
earlier, he can now spot<br />
many vehicles ferrying kids to<br />
schools.<br />
"There are more school<br />
vehicles in the mornings and<br />
evenings than local transport.<br />
You can see a series of at least<br />
50 yellow- and white-coloured<br />
buses and vans here daily," he<br />
said. — IANS<br />
LOOKING for job —<br />
House cleaning, labour<br />
works. 99529342.<br />
PRO (<strong>Oman</strong>i), 4 years<br />
experience having<br />
valid D/L (PDO), seeks<br />
immediate placement in a<br />
reputed company<br />
92265302.<br />
OMANI seeks position in<br />
HSE. Jeebal3000@<br />
gmail.com<br />
IRAQI civil engineer, one<br />
year experience outside<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>, speaking Arabic<br />
and English, excellent<br />
computer skills <br />
98956592.<br />
FILIPINO, female,<br />
Bachelor of Science and<br />
commerce graduate, a<br />
multitasking & 4 years<br />
experience as operations<br />
officer with secretarial<br />
skills in line with tourism<br />
mainly in transportation<br />
industry, knowledge in MS<br />
Office, business letter correspondences<br />
and highly<br />
levelled customer service<br />
oriented for immediate appointment<br />
92789467 /<br />
arcel_77@yahoo.com.<br />
Sulaiman Awlad<br />
Thani:95181747<br />
Ali al Maashari:<br />
99639264<br />
Saada:<br />
95919344
FLIGHT LIGHT SSCHEDULE<br />
CHEDULE<br />
ARRIVALS — TUESDAY<br />
Flight No Aircraft From / Via STA<br />
WY614 B737-8 Dubai 0005<br />
WY682 B737-8 Riyadh 0015<br />
WY648 B737-8 Kuwait 0015<br />
TK858 B737-8 Istanbul 0130<br />
BG021 DC<strong>10</strong> Dacca-Chittagong 0130<br />
IX141 B737-8 Amritsar 0140<br />
PK225 B737-3 Karachi 0200<br />
QR170 A320 Doha 0315<br />
EY384 A320 Abu Dhabi 0350<br />
EK866 B777 Dubai 0355<br />
FZ041 B737-8 Dubai 0415<br />
GF560 E190 Bahrain 0425<br />
MS930 B737-8 Cairo 0500<br />
WY146 A330-200 Malpensa 0605<br />
WY122 A330-300 Munich 0630<br />
WY114 A330-300 Frankfurt 0645<br />
WY652 E175AR Bahrain 0700<br />
WY662 E175AR Doha 0700<br />
FZ043 B737-8 Dubai 0740<br />
WY132 A330-200 Paris 0745<br />
WY674 B737-8 Jeddah 0800<br />
WY202 B737-8 Bombay 0800<br />
WY914 B737-8 Salalah 0800<br />
WY632 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 0800<br />
WY602 B737-8 Dubai 0825<br />
WY326 B737-8 Islamabad 0900<br />
WY322 B737-8 Karachi 0900<br />
WY<strong>10</strong>2 A330-300 London Heathrow 0900<br />
WY262 B737-8 Lucknow 0920<br />
EK862 B777 Dubai 0930<br />
QR166 A321 Doha 0950<br />
G9113 A320 Sharjah 0955<br />
EY382 A320 Abu Dhabi <strong>10</strong>00<br />
PK191 ATR42 Gwadur <strong>10</strong>45<br />
9W530 B737-8 Trivandrum <strong>10</strong>45<br />
WY3302 ATR42 Mukhaizna <strong>10</strong>45<br />
IX549 B737-8 Trivandrum <strong>10</strong>50<br />
WY604 E175AR Dubai 1<strong>10</strong>0<br />
WY916 E175AR Salalah 1200<br />
WY314 B737-8 Chittagong 12<strong>10</strong><br />
GF562 E190 Bahrain 1235<br />
IX337 B737-8 Calicut 1255<br />
WY918 ATR42 Khasab 1315<br />
WY606 B737-8 Dubai 1330<br />
WY924 A330-300 Salalah 14<strong>10</strong><br />
IX815 B737-8 Mangalore 1425<br />
WY3304 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1445<br />
FZ045 B737-8 Dubai 1545<br />
RJ602 ERJ175 Amman 1545<br />
WY664 E175AR Doha 1615<br />
WY328 B737-8 Lahore 1640<br />
WY654 E175AR Bahrain 1650<br />
WY638 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 1655<br />
WY204 B737-8 Bombay 1655<br />
WY244 B737-8 Delhi 17<strong>10</strong><br />
WY298 B737-8 Calicut 1750<br />
WY284 B737-8 Bangalore 1800<br />
WY216 B737-8 Trivandrum 1805<br />
GF564 A319 Bahrain 18<strong>10</strong><br />
WY236 B737-8 Hyderabad 1835<br />
WY3306 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1845<br />
SV534 EMB170 Riyadh 1900<br />
TG507 A330 Bangkok-Karachi 1900<br />
G9117 A320 Sharjah 1905<br />
WY926 B737-8 Salalah 1945<br />
FZ047 B737-8 Dubai 2020<br />
WY620 E175AR Dubai 2020<br />
WY338 B737-8 Kathmandu 2<strong>10</strong>0<br />
AI973 A320 Delhi 2125<br />
BA073 B777 London Heathrow-Abu Dhabi 2130<br />
WY616 E175AR Dubai 2145<br />
WY926 B737-8 Salalah 2155<br />
AI907 A319 Madras 2200<br />
WY406 B737-8 Cairo 2215<br />
WY381 A330-300 Male-Colombo 2215<br />
LH618 A330 Frankfurt-Abu Dhabi 2225<br />
EY388 A320 Abu Dhabi 2235<br />
QR168 A320 Doha 2235<br />
LX242 A330 Zurich-Dubai 2235<br />
GF566 B737-7 Bahrain 2250<br />
WY228 B737-8 Cochin 2250<br />
WY624 ATR42 Al Ain 2305<br />
WY656 B737-8 Bahrain 2305<br />
WY668 B737-7 Doha 23<strong>10</strong><br />
WY928 B737-8 Salalah 23<strong>10</strong><br />
AI985 A321 Ahmedabad-Bombay 23<strong>10</strong><br />
WY672 A330-300 Jeddah 2315<br />
WY114 A330-200 Frankfurt 2315<br />
WY686 B737-8 Dammam 2320<br />
9W534 B737-8 Cochin 2330<br />
WY816 A330-200 Bangkok 2335<br />
9W540 B737-8 Bombay 2340<br />
WY258 B737-8 Madras 2340<br />
QUOTATIONS FOR TODAY<br />
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if<br />
you want to test a man’s character, give<br />
him power. — Abraham Lincoln<br />
He who gives what he would as readily<br />
throw away, gives without generosity;<br />
for the essence of generosity is in self<br />
sacrifice. — Henry Taylor<br />
CINEMA<br />
FILM INFORMATION<br />
AL BAHJA CINEMA:<br />
24540856, 24540855.<br />
AL NASR CINEMA:<br />
24831358, 24831809 (after 3pm)<br />
AL SHATTI PLAZA:<br />
24607360, 24692656 (after 2pm)<br />
STARS CINEMA:<br />
24791641, 24792360<br />
MAJLIS A’SHURA<br />
ADDRESSES<br />
Keep in touch with Majlis Ash’shura’s<br />
news.<br />
Log on to the Majlis’s website:<br />
www.shura.om<br />
and the Majlis’s<br />
e-mail: info@shura.om<br />
Or write to the Majlis’s postal address:<br />
P O Box 981<br />
Postal Code 111, Muscat<br />
Tel: 245<strong>10</strong>344 / 24521427/<br />
Fax 245<strong>10</strong>560<br />
INFORMATION<br />
MINISTRY WEBSITES<br />
Ministry: www.omanet.om<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> TV:<br />
www.oman-tv.gov.om<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> Radio:<br />
www.oman-radio.gov.om<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i Centre for Traditional Music:<br />
www.octm-folk.gov.om<br />
OMAN RADIO<br />
6.00 Opening, Royal Anthem, The Holy Quran, Preview of<br />
Morning Programme, Weather Forecast and Pharmacies<br />
on Duty; 6.15 Good Morning <strong>Oman</strong>; 7.00 News Bulletin;<br />
7.<strong>10</strong> Good Morning <strong>Oman</strong> (Sat-Wed) with What the Paper<br />
Says; 9.00 News Headlines; 9.02 Piano; <strong>10</strong>.00<br />
Instrumental Music; 11.00 Light Classical Music; 12.00<br />
News Headlines, 12.02 Midday Edition (Live) Sat-Wed;<br />
2.07 Around the World in 30 mins; 2:25 Jungle — On<br />
Road with 90.4 — Sat-Wed; 2.30 News Bulletin; 2.40<br />
Sports (Faiq) Daily except Thu & Fri; 2:50 Mix Music<br />
Except Thu & Fri; 3.00 Women in Focus — Nisham<br />
Repeat of Thu 6.40 & Fri 3.30 pm; 3.20 Radio Station<br />
Jingles and Programmes; 3.25 Mix Music; 3.30 Health<br />
Matters; 4.00 News Headlines; 4.02 Health Matters; 6.00<br />
Forts and Castles of <strong>Oman</strong> — Laxmi Repeat of Monday<br />
3.00 & Fri 2.40 pm;. 6.15 Radio Station Jingles and<br />
Programmes; 6.30 News Bulletin; 6.40 Mix Music; 7.00<br />
Football Lounge (Rumaitha); 8.00 News Headlines; 8.02<br />
Night Express; <strong>10</strong>.00 News Bulletin; <strong>10</strong>.<strong>10</strong> Flash Back;<br />
11.15 Mix Music; 12.40 News Summary; 12.45 The Holy<br />
Quran; 01.00 National Anthem, Close Down.<br />
DEPARTURES<br />
Flight No Aircraft To / Via STD<br />
BA072 B777 Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow 0001<br />
AI986 A321 Bombay-Ahmedabad 0005<br />
WY113 A330-200 Frankfurt 0035<br />
9W539 B737-8 Bombay 0045<br />
KQ318 B737-8 Nairobi 0050<br />
WY601 B737-8 Dubai 0115<br />
WY631 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 0120<br />
WY261 B737-8 Lucknow 0125<br />
WY201 B737-8 Bombay 0130<br />
9W529 B737-8 Trivandrum 0130<br />
WY661 E175AR Doha 0130<br />
WY651 E175AR Bahrain 0140<br />
WY313 B737-8 Chittagong 0200<br />
WY325 B737-8 Islamabad 0220<br />
TK859 B737-8 Istanbul 0220<br />
WY321 B737-8 Karachi 0220<br />
IX816 B737-8 Abu Dhabi-Mangalore 0220<br />
PK226 B737-3 Karachi 0300<br />
BG022 DC<strong>10</strong> Chittagong-Dacca 0300<br />
EK867 B777 Dubai 0500<br />
FZ042 B737-8 Dubai 0500<br />
EY385 A320 Abu Dhabi 0525<br />
QR171 A320 Doha 0550<br />
MS931 B737-8 Cairo 0600<br />
GF561 E190 Bahrain 0700<br />
WY3301 ATR42 Mukhaizna 0715<br />
WY915 E175AR Salalah 0800<br />
WY603 E175AR Dubai 0800<br />
FZ044 B737-8 Dubai 0820<br />
WY243 B737-8 Delhi <strong>10</strong>00<br />
WY717 B737-8 Zanzibar-Dar-es-Salaam <strong>10</strong>00<br />
WY327 B737-8 Lahore <strong>10</strong>00<br />
WY825 A330-200 Kuala Lumpur <strong>10</strong>00<br />
WY923 A330-300 Salalah <strong>10</strong>05<br />
WY297 B737-8 Calicut <strong>10</strong>05<br />
WY215 B737-8 Trivandrum <strong>10</strong><strong>10</strong><br />
WY815 A330-200 Bangkok <strong>10</strong><strong>10</strong><br />
WY917 ATR42 Khasab <strong>10</strong>30<br />
WY605 B737-8 Dubai <strong>10</strong>30<br />
WY381 A330-300 Male-Colombo <strong>10</strong>30<br />
G9114 A320 Sharjah <strong>10</strong>35<br />
WY203 B737-8 Bombay <strong>10</strong>40<br />
EK863 B777 Dubai <strong>10</strong>45<br />
EY383 A320 Abu Dhabi <strong>10</strong>50<br />
QR167 A321 Doha <strong>10</strong>55<br />
WY3303 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1115<br />
WY235 B737-8 Hyderabad 1115<br />
PK192 ATR42 Gwadur-Turbat 1130<br />
9W533 B737-8 Cochin 1145<br />
IX554 B737-8 Cochin-Trivandrum 1150<br />
WY337 B737-8 Kathmandu 1155<br />
WY663 E175AR Doha 1215<br />
WY653 E175AR Bahrain 1300<br />
WY405 B737-8 Cairo 13<strong>10</strong><br />
GF563 E190 Bahrain 1315<br />
WY637 ATR42 Abu Dhabi 1345<br />
IX350 B737-8 Calicut 1355<br />
WY<strong>10</strong>1 A330-300 London Heathrow 1400<br />
WY227 B737-8 Cochin 1445<br />
WY3305 ATR42 Mukhaizna 1515<br />
IX142 B737-8 Abu Dhabi-Amritsar 1515<br />
WY671 A330-300 Jeddah 1540<br />
WY257 B737-8 Madras 1545<br />
FZ046 B737-8 Dubai 1630<br />
RJ603 ERJ175 Amman 1630<br />
WY619 E175AR Dubai 1715<br />
WY925 B737-8 Salalah 1750<br />
WY615 E175AR Dubai 1805<br />
GF565 A319 Bahrain 1855<br />
WY685 B737-8 Dammam 1905<br />
WY647 B737-8 Kuwait 1905<br />
WY927 B737-8 Salalah 1905<br />
WY681 B737-8 Riyadh 19<strong>10</strong><br />
WY667 B737-7 Doha 19<strong>10</strong><br />
WY655 B737-8 Bahrain 1915<br />
G9118 A320 Sharjah 1945<br />
SV535 EMB170 Riyadh 2000<br />
TG508 A330 Karachi-Bangkok 2005<br />
WY623 ATR42 Al Ain 2015<br />
WY613 B737-8 Dubai 2045<br />
FZ048 B737-8 Dubai 2<strong>10</strong>5<br />
WY635 E175AR Abu Dhabi 2<strong>10</strong>5<br />
WY913 B737-8 Salalah 2245<br />
AI908 A319 Madras 2300<br />
AI974 A320 Delhi 23<strong>10</strong><br />
EY381 A320 Abu Dhabi 2325<br />
LX243 A330 Dubai-Zurich 2335<br />
QR169 A320 Doha 2335<br />
GF567 B737-7 Bahrain 2345<br />
LH619 A330 Abu Dhabi-Frankfurt 2345<br />
CRYPTIC PUZZLE<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 Sportsman causing a<br />
runner hesitation (5)<br />
6 Crazy about ceramics?<br />
(5)<br />
9 Out-of-this-world skill in<br />
main distribution (7)<br />
<strong>10</strong> Measures taken to<br />
elevate oneself? (5)<br />
11 Daunt from taking the<br />
car into the Kentish area<br />
(5)<br />
12 The prize is in the bag!<br />
(5)<br />
13 Nationalist ready to<br />
cause civil disturbance?<br />
(7)<br />
15 Had an encounter with<br />
the police (3)<br />
17 One spilling the gore of<br />
his victims? (4)<br />
18 Something to wear for<br />
the dance (6)<br />
19 Protector of a soft little<br />
fellow (5)<br />
20 Her outcry is ruddy<br />
fruity! (6)<br />
22 Show sorrow at putting<br />
me out of work (4)<br />
24 Outwitted and put in the<br />
shade (3)<br />
25 Where, in sum, the rain<br />
is stormy (7)<br />
26 At school, they lead to a<br />
certain amount of better<br />
writing (5)<br />
27 Lord of Bolton? (5)<br />
28 Just the type to cow<br />
people (5)<br />
29 Something snappy to eat<br />
(7)<br />
30 Transport half a yard in<br />
play (5)<br />
31 Charges for tea at the<br />
Royal Society (5)<br />
DOWN<br />
2 A serviceable container<br />
(6)<br />
3 Striker back at the<br />
cinema (6)<br />
4 Academician’s princely<br />
title abroad (3)<br />
5 Strong drink (5)<br />
6 Anger with one’s love?<br />
16<br />
INFORMATION/LEISURE TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
PHARMACIES<br />
24-HOUR SERVICE<br />
Al Hashar ph, Ruwi 24783334<br />
Muscat ph, Ruwi, 24702542<br />
Al Sarooj, 24695536<br />
Scientific ph, Qurum, 24566601<br />
Ruwi, 24702850<br />
DAY DUTY<br />
Muscat Bombay 24795252<br />
Ahmed 24541856<br />
Muscat 24485740<br />
As Salam 2445<strong>10</strong>92<br />
Sur Al Rawdah 25546454<br />
Buraimi The Modern<br />
25650755<br />
Ibri Al Huda 25692604<br />
Nizwa Al Hazfah 25426<strong>10</strong>2<br />
Salalah Al Hashar 23297622<br />
NIGHT DUTY<br />
Muscat Al Hashar 24833115<br />
Almassa<br />
Muscat 24695536<br />
Mahaq 24421644<br />
Sur Al Fajr 25543113<br />
Buraimi Fajr Al Khaleej<br />
25654321<br />
Ibri Muscat 25689216<br />
Barka Badr Al Smaa<br />
268849<strong>10</strong><br />
Rustaq Muscat 26878631<br />
Samayil Al Jinan 2535<strong>10</strong>30<br />
Nizwa Qarn Al Rawdah<br />
25425012<br />
Salalah Waleed 23294905<br />
KHOULA HOSPITAL VISITING HOURS<br />
Private & Other Wards<br />
Working Days: 16:00-18:00. Weekends & Public<br />
Holidays: <strong>10</strong>:-12:00, 16:00-18:00<br />
ICU<br />
Working Days: 16:00-17:00. Weekends & Public<br />
Holidays: 16:00-17:00<br />
Special Care Baby Unit<br />
Working Days: Parents may visit at any time.<br />
Weekends & Public Holidays: Parents may visit<br />
at any time<br />
(7)<br />
7 Formerly going ahead at<br />
half pace (4)<br />
8 Artist who brought about<br />
change? (6)<br />
12 Fatherly bloomer? (5)<br />
13 The Dog and Duck’s<br />
between the post office<br />
and the church (5)<br />
14 Lashed out with a right<br />
when vexed (5)<br />
15 Misguided lemon? (5)<br />
16 It’s significant when<br />
Tom’s out a bit late (5)<br />
18 Something extra round<br />
in buns, perhaps (5)<br />
19 Men appearing in an<br />
operatic part abroad (7)<br />
21 Smoky city! (6)<br />
22 Waltz time (6)<br />
23 Roll up to dad with a<br />
sickly look (6)<br />
25 It can also be worn<br />
around the fifth of<br />
November (5)<br />
26 He’s in jug (4)<br />
28 Sank in a little (3)<br />
EASY PUZZLE<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 Gambling game (5)<br />
CROSSWORD<br />
6 Celebration (5)<br />
9 In general (7)<br />
<strong>10</strong> Country house (5)<br />
11 Abundant (5)<br />
12 Portents (5)<br />
13 Loss of memory (7)<br />
15 Meadow (3)<br />
17 Employer (4)<br />
18 Navigates (6)<br />
19 Undergarments (5)<br />
20 Was jealous (6)<br />
22 Certain (4)<br />
24 Fish eggs (3)<br />
25 Loser (4-3)<br />
26 Name (5)<br />
27 Keepsake (5)<br />
28 Garret (5)<br />
29 Raise (7)<br />
30 Stage whisper (5)<br />
31 Borders (5)<br />
DOWN<br />
2 Dialects (6)<br />
3 Sportsman (6)<br />
4 Eggs (3)<br />
5 Smell (5)<br />
6 Celestial bodies (7)<br />
7 Charity money (4)<br />
8 Cashier (6)<br />
12 Lubricated (5)<br />
13 Hand tool (5)<br />
YOUR STARS <br />
Hospital. . . . . . Board . . . . . . . Emergency<br />
Royal. . . . . . . .24599000 . . . .24590491<br />
Health Services Department<br />
Muttrah . . . . . .24797602<br />
Quriyat . . . . . .24845001 . . . .24845003<br />
SQH, Salalah .23211555 . . . .23211151<br />
Police . . . . . . .24603988 . . . .24603980<br />
Al Nahda. . . . .24831255 . . . .24837800<br />
Ibn Sina . . . . .24876322 . . . .24877361<br />
Nizwa . . . . . . .25439361 . . . .25425033<br />
Al Rustaq . . . .26875055 . . . .26877186<br />
Sumayil. . . . . .25350055 . . . .25350022<br />
Izki . . . . . . . . .25340033 . . . .25340033<br />
Haima . . . . . . .23436013 . . . .23436055<br />
Sohar . . . . . . .26840022 . . . .26840099<br />
14 Courage (5)<br />
15 Madagascan primate (5)<br />
16 Poplar (5)<br />
18 Musty (5)<br />
19 Transport (7)<br />
21 Books (6)<br />
22 Arranged (6)<br />
23 Steep valley (6)<br />
25 Living (5)<br />
26 Bound (4)<br />
28 Consumed (3)<br />
YESTERDAY’S<br />
CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS<br />
ACROSS: 1, O-cean 6,<br />
Larch 9, Mention <strong>10</strong>, Snipe<br />
11, Youth 12, Milan 13,<br />
Sp-art-an 15, Lea 17, Here<br />
18, Sta-I-rs 19, Mitty 20,<br />
Fro-L-ic 22, Sire 24, Ta-n<br />
25, Sigh-ted 26, Blown 27,<br />
Cur-I-e 28, B-rain (-storm)<br />
29, Train-ER 30, Wanes 31,<br />
Dying.<br />
DOWN: 2, Can-ape 3,<br />
Ampere 4, Nee (rev.) 5,<br />
Stain 6, Loyalty 7, Anon 8,<br />
Cutter 12, Magi-c 13, Shift<br />
14, Arson 15, Licit 16, Asked<br />
18, Stein 19, Millers 21,<br />
Rag-USA 22, Sh-err-y 23,<br />
Region 25, Swain 26, Bit-e<br />
28, Bed.<br />
YESTERDAY’S EASY<br />
SOLUTIONS<br />
ACROSS: 1, Crept 6, Scope<br />
9, Respite <strong>10</strong>, Often 11,<br />
Adore 12, State 13, Antique<br />
15, Let 17, Odes 18, Arcade<br />
19, Store 20, Teases 22, Fear<br />
24, Ass 25, Repents 26,<br />
Steed 27, Basil 28, Attic 29,<br />
Defence 30, Aster 31, Erred.<br />
DOWN: 2, Refund 3, Precis<br />
4, Ten 5, Spate 6, Stature 7,<br />
Cede 8, Parted 12, Suits 13,<br />
Aorta 14, Texas 15, Laden<br />
16, Tears 18, Armed 19,<br />
Settler 21, Essays 22, Fester<br />
23, Attire 25, Refer 26, Side<br />
28, Ace.<br />
IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: You will need to be extremely cautious in the coming year about some unusual<br />
transactions suggested to you, which are not in your usual sphere of activity. You must seek expert advice before<br />
investing any money without having a guarantee of tangible results.<br />
CAPRICORN<br />
TAURUS<br />
VIRGO<br />
(December 22-<br />
(April 21-May 20)<br />
(August 22-September 22)<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20)<br />
A plan for which you were<br />
A newly formed friendship<br />
All your actions are prompted<br />
unable to get he necessary<br />
may encroach too much on<br />
by your admirable character and every- support can be carried through successfully your time in the next few days, but do not<br />
body in contact with you is well aware of by you alone. You will feel proud of hav- begrudge it if there is a chance of estab-<br />
this rare qquality<br />
of yours.<br />
ing had the courage of your convictions. lishing a lasting bond.<br />
AQUARIUS<br />
GEMINI<br />
LIBRA<br />
(<strong>Jan</strong>uary 21-<br />
(May 21-June 21)<br />
February 19)<br />
(September 23-<br />
Don’t get into a heated argu-<br />
October 22)<br />
By defending your principles<br />
ment today over a trivial<br />
against all corners you will build up a<br />
Make sure that your extreme<br />
matter. Keep your temper and let the other<br />
great feeling of strength and be able to<br />
politeness towards everybody is not as-<br />
person lose face by over-reacting on a<br />
carry through any future plans you have<br />
sumed to be weakness on your part and<br />
matter of no importance.<br />
in mind.<br />
taken advantage of in an unfair way.<br />
PISCES<br />
CANCER<br />
SCORPIO<br />
(February 20-March 20)<br />
(June 22-July 21)<br />
(October 23-<br />
Do not abuse the great influ-<br />
A romantic association is<br />
November 21)<br />
ence you have over a very<br />
reaching the point where you<br />
Don’t exaggerate the impor-<br />
young person. Such youngsters need to be ought to make up your mind concerning<br />
tance of a casual remark made by a rather<br />
guided, not led, so don’t force him against the future. Have a frank talk and don’t<br />
thoughtless person who has most likely<br />
his will.<br />
keep the other person in suspense.<br />
forgotten all about it by now.<br />
ARIES<br />
(March 21-April 20)<br />
LEO<br />
(July 22-August 21)<br />
SAGITTARIUS<br />
(November 22-<br />
Discuss a joint arrangement<br />
You may rob a youngster of<br />
December 21)<br />
with your partner in detail,<br />
his pride of accomplishment<br />
Some members of the family<br />
and thus avoid disputes later on. If there if you supervise every step of his work. may not always be aware of and appreciate<br />
is no agreement now, wait awhile before Give him the opportunity to show what he your sacrifices in putting their pleasure<br />
mentioning it again.<br />
can do by himself.<br />
before your own.<br />
OTHER HOSPITALS<br />
Al Buraimi . . . .25650855 . . . .25652319<br />
Sur . . . . . . . . .25440244 . . . .25461373<br />
Tanam. . . . . . .25499011 . . . .25499033<br />
Masirah. . . . . .25404018 . . . .25404018<br />
Ibra . . . . . . . . .25470533 . . . .25470535<br />
Adam . . . . . . .25434167 . . . .25434055<br />
Bidiya . . . . . . .25483535 . . . .25483535<br />
Ibri. . . . . . . . . .2549<strong>10</strong>11 . . . .25491990<br />
Saham . . . . . .26854427 . . . .26855148<br />
Khasab . . . . . .26830187 . . . .26830187<br />
Dibba . . . . . . .26836443 . . . .26836443<br />
Burkha . . . . . .26828397 . . . .26828397<br />
Sinaw . . . . . . .25474338<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 Decapitate (6)<br />
5 Passionate (6)<br />
9 Poetry (5)<br />
<strong>10</strong> Pamper (6)<br />
11 Small (6)<br />
12 Spree (5)<br />
14 Pitcher (4)<br />
17 Managed (3)<br />
18 Vessel (4)<br />
20 Jockey (5)<br />
22 Fret (5)<br />
23 Amble (7)<br />
24 Twist (5)<br />
26 Storehouse (5)<br />
29 Voucher (4)<br />
30 Donkey (3)<br />
32 Finished (4)<br />
33 Longed (5)<br />
35 Mend (6)<br />
36 Squandered (6)<br />
37 Eater (5)<br />
38 Evaded (6)<br />
39 Bred (6)<br />
DOWN<br />
1 Supporter (6)<br />
2 Silent (6)<br />
3 Declare (4)<br />
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Tel: 24641650<br />
MUSEUM OF OMANI HERITAGE,<br />
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CHILDREN’S SCIENCE MUSEUM.<br />
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NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM,<br />
Tel: 24641374<br />
NATIONAL MUSEUM, Tel: 24701289<br />
SULTAN’S ARMED FORCES<br />
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CURRENCY MUSEUM,<br />
Tel: 24796<strong>10</strong>2<br />
MUSCAT GATE MUSEUM,<br />
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OMANI-FRENCH MUSEUM (Bait<br />
Fransa), Tel: 24736613<br />
BAIT AL ZUBAIR, Tel: 24736688<br />
BAIT A’NAMAN, Tel: 24641300<br />
SOHAR FORT MUSEUM.<br />
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NAHKAL FORT, Tel: 26781384<br />
BAIT AL MAKHAM. Tel: 24641300<br />
BAIT ADAM MUSEUM, QURUM,<br />
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OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION<br />
CENTRE AND PLANE-TARIUM,<br />
Tel: 24677834.<br />
PLANETARIUM, Tel: 24675542.<br />
AQUARIUM at the Marine Science<br />
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Marina Bandar Rowdha, Sidab).<br />
SALALAH MUSEUM, Tel: 23294549<br />
CULTURAL CENTRE, Tel: 23294549.<br />
SUR MARITIME MUSEUM,<br />
Tel: 24541466.<br />
BAIT AL BARANDA, Tel: 24714262.<br />
QUICK CROSSWORD<br />
4 Dissuade (5)<br />
5 Tree (5)<br />
6 Stagger (4)<br />
7 Reviser (6)<br />
8 Pact (6)<br />
13 Lacquer (7)<br />
15 Sorceress (5)<br />
16 Readjust (5)<br />
M USEUMS IN OMAN<br />
18 Drilled (5)<br />
19 Fire-raising (5)<br />
21 Uncooked (3)<br />
22 Marry (3)<br />
24 Scratched (6)<br />
25 Torn (6)<br />
27 Placard (6)<br />
28 Nursed (6)<br />
CARTOONS<br />
ROYAL OMAN POLICE<br />
EMERGENCY 9 9 9 9<br />
DG of Passports & Residency, 24569603<br />
DG of Customs, 24714626<br />
Traffic offences, 245<strong>10</strong>227/228<br />
ROP Public Relations, 24569270<br />
Consumer Complaints Cell, 24817013<br />
Muscat Governorate Headquarters, 24560021<br />
Muscat, 24736611<br />
Wattayah, 24677990<br />
Ruwi, 2470<strong>10</strong>99<br />
Muttrah, 24712211<br />
Bausher, 24600099<br />
Al Amerat, 24875999<br />
Qurayat, 24845555<br />
A’Seeb, 24420099<br />
Al-Athaiba, 2452<strong>10</strong>99<br />
AI-Khodh, 24425012<br />
Directorate of the University Security, 24513999<br />
Directorate of Traffic Muscat, 24567898<br />
Al Batinah Headquarters, 26840096<br />
Al Rustaq Division, 26875099<br />
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Nizwa Division, 25425099<br />
Samayil Division, 25350099<br />
Al Sharqiyah Headquarters, 25545070<br />
Ibra Division, 25570<strong>10</strong>0<br />
Al Dhahirah Headquarters, 25650099<br />
Al Buraimi Division, 25650199<br />
Ibri Division, 25689099<br />
Al Wusta Headquarters, 23436099<br />
Haima Division, 23436211<br />
Special Task Force, 24560088<br />
Coastguard Headquarters, 24714888<br />
Dhofar Governorate Headquarters, 23234599<br />
Salalah Police Station, 23290099<br />
Thamrait Division, 23279099<br />
Musandam Governorate Headquarters,<br />
26730299<br />
Khasab Division, 26731502<br />
ROP websites: www.rop.gov.om, www.ropoman.<br />
net and<br />
e-mail: ropnet@omantel.net.om<br />
30 Pungent (5)<br />
31 Drain (5)<br />
33 Assistant (4)<br />
34 Challenge (4)<br />
YESTERDAY’S<br />
QUICK SOLUTION<br />
ACROSS: 4, Brash 7,<br />
Afresh 9, Era <strong>10</strong>, Has<br />
12, Agent 13, Thaw 15,<br />
Lunge 17, Serene 19,<br />
Dash 20, Style 22, Tat<br />
24, Debated 27, Den 28,<br />
Learn 31, Hero 33, Angler<br />
35, Cater 37, Post<br />
38, Adder 39, Day 41,<br />
Aim 42, Banner 43,<br />
Grand.<br />
DOWN: 1, Cactus 2,<br />
Greasy 3, Ash 4, Brag<br />
5, Raged 6, Sinister 8,<br />
Hale 11, Suntanned<br />
14, Weld 16, Neat 18,<br />
Reed 21, Toreador 23,<br />
Tell 25, Beat 26, Deep<br />
29, Around 30, Nature<br />
32, Ocean 34, Grab 36,<br />
Arid 40, Yap.<br />
ADAM @ HOME by Brian Basset<br />
CALVIN AND HOBBES by Bill Watterson<br />
GARFIELD by Jim Davis<br />
STONE SOUP by <strong>Jan</strong> Eliot
KAPALUA, Hawaii — Steve<br />
Stricker recovered from a poor<br />
run around the turn with a<br />
stunning four-birdie finish to<br />
maintain a five-shot lead after<br />
Sunday's third round at the<br />
Tournament of Champions in<br />
Hawaii.<br />
Starting the round five<br />
strokes clear of the field,<br />
Stricker had his advantage<br />
trimmed to just one before he<br />
regained control with his sizzling<br />
late surge to fire a fourunder-par<br />
69.<br />
That gave the American<br />
world No 6, the highest-ranked<br />
player in the elite field, a 19under<br />
total of 200 in the PGA<br />
Tour's season-opening event at<br />
the Kapalua Resort.<br />
Defending champion<br />
Jonathan Byrd recovered from<br />
two early bogeys to card a sixbirdie<br />
67 for a share of second<br />
place with fellow American<br />
Webb Simpson (69) and Britain's<br />
Martin Laird (67).<br />
Two more Americans,<br />
Bryce Molder (67) and Kevin<br />
Na (71), were tied for fifth at<br />
11 under in the limited-field<br />
tournament which brings together<br />
PGA Tour winners from<br />
the previous season.<br />
"It was a struggle today,"<br />
Stricker said after recording<br />
five birdies and a bogey on the<br />
hilly Plantation Course. "Not<br />
a lot of good things happened<br />
but I stayed patient.<br />
"I felt like things were<br />
going to turn my way coming<br />
in, and they did. It was a<br />
good finish and put me in a<br />
good position heading into<br />
tomorrow."<br />
Stricker, seeking his 12th<br />
victory on the PGA Tour,<br />
found the third round especially<br />
frustrating after carding<br />
a brilliant <strong>10</strong>-under-par 63 the<br />
previous day.<br />
"I knew it was going to be<br />
tough, it always is," he said.<br />
"When you're leading a golf<br />
tournament, it's just hard to<br />
keep that momentum.<br />
"I had such a good day<br />
yesterday and when you're<br />
not making birdies, you feel<br />
like you are letting things slip<br />
away. I just felt like everybody<br />
was coming after me and I was<br />
kind of coming back to the<br />
pack.<br />
"Fortunately I had a good<br />
finish and we've got one more<br />
day. I've still got to come out<br />
and play good tomorrow."<br />
TOTAL CONTROL<br />
Another glorious day of<br />
sunshine on the Hawaiian<br />
island of Maui began with<br />
Stricker in total control but the<br />
17 SPORT<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Stricker keeps five-shot lead<br />
CHICAGO — Pavel Datsyuk's<br />
overtime winner helped<br />
the Detroit Red Wings move<br />
to the of the Central division<br />
with a 3-2 victory over the<br />
reeling Chicago Blackhawks<br />
on Sunday.<br />
With less than two minutes<br />
remaining in the extra period,<br />
Datsyuk gathered a rebound<br />
and lifted a wrist shot from<br />
a difficult angle into the net<br />
as the Red Wings rallied past<br />
their divisional rival, who<br />
were consigned to a fourth<br />
straight loss.<br />
"It was a good screen and I<br />
hopped on the puck," Datsyuk<br />
told reporters. "The goalie<br />
(Corey Crawford) just fell<br />
on the ice and I just shot and<br />
made sure I didn't miss."<br />
Chicago led 2-0 on first<br />
period goals from Dave Bolland<br />
and Patrick Sharp but<br />
could not hold on to the lead<br />
and are now mired in their<br />
longest losing skid since<br />
they dropped five straight in<br />
2009.<br />
Detroit's Valtteri Filppula<br />
cut the deficit to 2-1 later in<br />
the first and that scoreline<br />
stood until Daniel Cleary tied<br />
the game with just under five<br />
minutes remaining in regulation.<br />
Henrik Zetterberg assisted<br />
on both goals for the Red<br />
Wings.<br />
With the win, Detroit (26-<br />
14-1) moved into a three-way<br />
tie at the top of the division<br />
with St Louis and Chicago.<br />
DENVER — Tim Tebow<br />
threw an 80-yard touchdown<br />
pass to Demaryius Thomas<br />
only 11 seconds into over-time<br />
on Sunday to give Denver a<br />
stunning 29-23 NFL play-off<br />
upset of six-time Super Bowl<br />
champion Pittsburgh.<br />
Thomas caught the ball running<br />
across the middle, stiffarmed<br />
defender Ike Taylor<br />
and ran the last 60 yards into<br />
the end zone to put the Broncos,<br />
who lost their final three<br />
regular-season games, into the<br />
second round of the playoffs.<br />
“I don’t think it’s the first<br />
time our offense has clicked<br />
in but it certainly was well<br />
timed,” Broncos coach John<br />
Fox said. “I don’t think we<br />
reinvented the wheel. We just<br />
executed better.<br />
“A lot of that was because<br />
of our quarterback. He stepped<br />
up and played well and was a<br />
big part of our winning that<br />
game.”<br />
Southpaw quarterback Tebow<br />
recaptured the magic of<br />
his mid-season six-game win<br />
streak, throwing for 316 yards<br />
and two touchdowns and running<br />
for another. But his last<br />
play was his greatest, ending<br />
the shortest over-time in NFL<br />
playoff history.<br />
“They made the signifi-<br />
STEVE Stricker plays a shot during the third round of the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Sunday. — AFP<br />
Wings dump Blackhawks NEW YORK — "The Big<br />
DETROIT Red Wings’ Pavel Datsyuk celebrates his gamewinning<br />
goal against Chicago Blackhawks during the<br />
NHL game in Chicago on Sunday. — Reuters<br />
The Blackhawks earned<br />
a one-goal win over the Red<br />
Wings in the United Center<br />
on December 30 but have not<br />
won since. Sharp, who recorded<br />
his 20th goal of the season,<br />
left the game in the second period<br />
with an upper-body injury<br />
and did not return. He will be<br />
evaluated on Monday.<br />
Chicago also had a goal<br />
disallowed early in the third<br />
when it appeared a shot hit<br />
cant plays that allowed them<br />
to win,” Steelers coach Mike<br />
Tomlin said. “It was what we<br />
expected. He did a nice job. A<br />
lot of guys did.”<br />
Denver will visit New<br />
England next Saturday while<br />
Houston will travel to Baltimore<br />
next Sunday in American<br />
Conference secondround<br />
games.<br />
In Sunday’s other playoff<br />
game, Eli Manning threw<br />
three touchdown passes, two<br />
of them to Hakeem Nicks, and<br />
the New York Giants advanced<br />
with a 24-2 victory over visiting<br />
Atlanta.<br />
Manning completed 23-of-<br />
32 passes for 277 yards while<br />
Nicks caught six passes for<br />
115 yards as the Giants won<br />
the first play-off game in their<br />
new stadium for their first<br />
home playoff triumph since<br />
2000.<br />
“It’s special. It’s a big win,”<br />
Manning said. “The defense<br />
came out awesome and we<br />
were able to get some things<br />
going in the second half.”<br />
The Giants booked a second-round<br />
visit next Sunday to<br />
defending Super Bowl champion<br />
Green Bay while New<br />
Orleans, on a nine-game win<br />
streak, goes to San Francisco<br />
next Saturday in the other Na-<br />
goaltender Ty Conklin and<br />
crossed the line but it was not<br />
ruled as a score and could not<br />
be reviewed.<br />
Conklin finished with 29<br />
saves and stopped a penalty<br />
shot from Jimmy Hayes in the<br />
third to keep his team in the<br />
contest.<br />
Results: Ottawa Senators bt<br />
Philadelphia Flyers 6-4, Detroit Red<br />
Wings bt Chicago Blackhawks 3-2,<br />
Anaheim bt Columbus Blue Jackets<br />
7-4. — Reuters<br />
tional Conference matchup.<br />
“They are a great team,”<br />
Manning said of the Packers,<br />
who lost only once this season.<br />
“We played them tough.<br />
We have to give it our all. The<br />
44-year-old failed to make a<br />
fast start.<br />
He parred the first six holes<br />
before making his first birdie<br />
of the round at the seventh,<br />
where he rolled in a 20-footer<br />
to regain his five-stroke cushion<br />
over the chasing pack.<br />
However, he was the victim<br />
of a two-shot swing at the<br />
tricky par-three eighth after<br />
defense will have to continue<br />
to play well and we’ll have to<br />
make some big plays.”<br />
three-putting from long range<br />
for bogey.<br />
Playing partner Simpson<br />
sank a 21-foot birdie putt there<br />
to cut the lead to three.<br />
They each failed to birdie<br />
the par-five ninth but Simpson<br />
closed to within two strokes of<br />
the lead at 13 under when he<br />
knocked in a <strong>10</strong>-footer at the<br />
par-four <strong>10</strong>th.<br />
At the par-four 12th, Simpson's<br />
tee shot trickled into<br />
the right rough from where<br />
he struck a brilliant approach<br />
from 61 yards to six inches.<br />
The tap-in birdie putt put him<br />
one off the pace.<br />
Stricker, who found fairway<br />
bunkers off the tee at the 12th,<br />
13th and 14th, gave himself a<br />
much-needed boost when he<br />
birdied the par-five 15th after<br />
reaching the green in two and<br />
two-putting.<br />
Though Stricker made a<br />
hash of his approach at the<br />
par-four 16th, where his ball<br />
pitched below the hole and<br />
spun back down the slope<br />
off the front of the green, he<br />
chipped in for birdie from 22<br />
yards.<br />
That put him at 17 under<br />
and three ahead of the chasing<br />
pack.<br />
Stricker finished in style,<br />
knocking in a four-and-a-halffoot<br />
putt at the 17th and then<br />
ending up just short of the<br />
green in two at the par-five last<br />
and two-putting. — Reuters<br />
Tiger’s ex-coach writes tell-all book<br />
Miss", a tell-all book detailing<br />
Hank Haney's six years serving<br />
as swing coach for golf<br />
star Tiger Woods, is set to go<br />
on sale March 27, barely a<br />
week before the Masters tees<br />
off. A synopsis of the book<br />
on the Random House Incorporated<br />
website described<br />
Haney as being impressed by<br />
the work ethic of Woods.<br />
But it also noted how<br />
Haney saw the 14-time major<br />
champion was fearful of "the<br />
big miss", a woeful shot that<br />
would doom his chances in a<br />
tournament.<br />
And it mentions Haney's<br />
observations on how Woods<br />
used a variety of tactics to<br />
keep people from getting too<br />
close to him.<br />
Woods was 28 when he<br />
asked Haney to coach him in<br />
March of 2004.<br />
Haney said he spent 1<strong>10</strong><br />
days a year with Woods, staying<br />
at the Woods home more<br />
than 30 days a year to see him<br />
in relaxed moments.<br />
Woods, chasing the alltime<br />
record of 18 Majors won<br />
by Jack Nicklaus, won six<br />
majors while working with<br />
Haney, including the 2005<br />
Masters and British Open, the<br />
2006 British Open and PGA<br />
Championship, the 2007 PGA<br />
and the 2008 US Open.<br />
Woods snapped his drought<br />
last month with a triumph at<br />
the World Challenge. Woods<br />
FILE photo of Tiger Woods (right) and his coach Hank<br />
Haney on the putting green at Augusta National Golf Club<br />
during the 2009 Masters Tournament in Augusta. — AFP<br />
served as an honorary captain<br />
for Stanford University's<br />
American football team in a<br />
41-38 over-time loss to Oklahoma<br />
State in the Fiesta Bowl<br />
gridiron match-up last week.<br />
Woods attended Stanford for<br />
two years before his 1996 pro<br />
debut.<br />
Woods, nagged by injuries<br />
the past two seasons but<br />
healthy now, will open his<br />
<strong>2012</strong> campaign on <strong>Jan</strong>uary 26<br />
at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship<br />
against such rivals as<br />
England's World No 1 Luke<br />
Donald, US Open champion<br />
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland<br />
and defending champion<br />
Martin Kaymer of Germany.<br />
"I am looking to get off<br />
to a fast start and keep building<br />
from there," said Woods<br />
on his website. "Now that I<br />
am healthy, I feel I can keep<br />
building my game and confidence<br />
each week.<br />
"It was a great confidence<br />
boost and the perfect way to<br />
end the season and head into<br />
Christmas break. It's a culmination<br />
of all the hard work I<br />
have been able to put in off<br />
the course.<br />
"I am pretty close to delivering<br />
my best, week in and<br />
week out."<br />
Woods, ranked 23rd in the<br />
world, said he looks forward<br />
to testing such rivals as Donald<br />
and McIlroy in the upcoming<br />
season.<br />
"It is exciting for golf fans<br />
and I relish the challenge of<br />
going head-to-head with any<br />
number of the leading players<br />
on a Sunday afternoon,"<br />
Woods said. — AFP<br />
The Packers visited the Giants<br />
last month and escaped<br />
with a 38-35 victory.<br />
Howard<br />
struggles but<br />
Magic win<br />
ORLANDO Magic’s Hedo Turkoglu of Turkey (left)<br />
shoots as Sacramento Kings’ J J Hickson defends<br />
during the NBA game in Sacramento, California,<br />
on Sunday. — Reuters<br />
NEW YORK — Dwight<br />
Howard failed to produce<br />
his usual magic but Orlando<br />
Magic did enough to defeat<br />
Sacramento Kings <strong>10</strong>4-97<br />
in NBA on Sunday and hand<br />
new Kings coach Keith Smart<br />
his first loss.<br />
Howard managed just five<br />
points while battling foul<br />
trouble in 20 minutes of play<br />
but Orlando still pulled out<br />
the win with a strong run in<br />
the fourth quarter.<br />
With the game tied at 87-<br />
87 with little more than five<br />
minutes remaining, Jason Richardson<br />
and Hedo Turkoglu<br />
knocked down back-to-back<br />
three-pointers as the visitors<br />
closed with a 14-7 run.<br />
Richardson had a seasonhigh<br />
22 points and Glen Davis<br />
had 20 and eight rebounds off<br />
the bench as the Magic improved<br />
to 6-3 despite trade<br />
rumours swirling around<br />
Howard, who will become<br />
a free agent at the end of the<br />
season.<br />
"You can either make excuses<br />
about that and get distracted,<br />
or you can overcome<br />
it," Orlando coach Stan Van<br />
Gundy told reporters.<br />
Sacramento coach Smart<br />
lost in his second game in<br />
charge after he took over from<br />
the fired Paul Westphal last<br />
week. The Kings won their<br />
first game under Smart with<br />
a spirited comeback over Mil-<br />
“High-powered is exactly<br />
what comes to mind when you<br />
talk about that crew,” Giants<br />
defender Justin Tuck said.<br />
“It’s going to be a big challenge<br />
and we’re looking forward<br />
to it.”<br />
At Denver, Pittsburgh’s Ben<br />
Roethlisberger connected with<br />
Jerricho Cotchery on a 31-yard<br />
touchdown passes with 3:48 to<br />
play, pulling the Steelers level<br />
at 23-23 and setting the stage<br />
for Tebow’s over-time heroics.<br />
Pittsburgh’s Ryan Mundy<br />
forced a fumble by Broncos<br />
rusher Willis McGahee and<br />
LaMarr Woodley recovered<br />
for the Steelers near midfield<br />
to set up the drive for the<br />
equalizer.<br />
Mike Wallace ran one yard<br />
on a sweep around the right<br />
side that capped an 87-yard,<br />
11-play march and pulled Pittsburgh<br />
within 20-13 with 4:29<br />
to play in the third quarter.<br />
Denver answered on Matt<br />
Prater’s 35-yard field goal<br />
with 13:<strong>10</strong> to play but Shaun<br />
Suisham responded with a<br />
37-yard field goal 3:11 later<br />
to keep Pittsburgh within a<br />
touchdown.<br />
Suisham kicked field goals<br />
of 38 and 45 yards in the first<br />
quarter to give the Steelers a<br />
6-0 lead but the Broncos an-<br />
waukee. Sacramento's Tyreke<br />
Evans had 28 points and eight<br />
assists while DeMarcus Cousins<br />
added 16 and <strong>10</strong> rebounds.<br />
It was the second straight start<br />
for Cousins, who had clashed<br />
with Westphal leading to him<br />
being dropped from a game<br />
last week before returning to<br />
the team and coming off the<br />
bench.<br />
Following the game,<br />
Howard had a lengthy conversation<br />
with the 21-year-old<br />
Cousins, who has been criticised<br />
for showing a lack of<br />
maturity early in his career.<br />
"I just told him not to get<br />
into it with the referees. I said,<br />
'learn from me, learn from<br />
someone who has gotten on<br />
the wrong side of the refs',"<br />
said Howard, who picked up<br />
a technical foul in the third<br />
quarter. "I told him you don't<br />
want to have that reputation<br />
with the refs." The game was<br />
a razor-close contest throughout<br />
with the Magic holding a<br />
two-point lead at halftime and<br />
after the third quarter.<br />
Orlando made <strong>10</strong> threepointers<br />
to gain an advantage<br />
and capitalised on 17 Sacramento<br />
turnovers.<br />
Results: Minnesota Timberwolves<br />
bt Washington Wizards 93-72,<br />
Orlando Magic bt Sacramento Kings<br />
<strong>10</strong>4-97, Oklahoma City bt San Antonio<br />
Spurs <strong>10</strong>8-96, Phoenix Suns bt<br />
Milwaukee Bucks <strong>10</strong>9-93, Portland<br />
Trailblazers bt Cleveland Cavs 98-<br />
78, LA Lakers bt Memphis Grizzlies<br />
90-82. — Reuters<br />
Broncos stun Steelers in thriller, Giants advance in play-offs<br />
DENVER Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (left) celebrates with team-mate Virgil Green after scoring a touchdown<br />
during the second quarter of the NFL game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Denver, Colorado, on Sunday. — Reuters<br />
swered quickly.<br />
Tebow threw a 30-yard<br />
touchdown pass to Eddie Royal<br />
96 seconds into the second<br />
quarter and followed with an<br />
8-yard touchdown run 2:48 later.<br />
Prater added field goals of<br />
20 and 28 yards to give Denver<br />
a 20-6 half-time lead.<br />
At New York, Atlanta took<br />
a 2-0 lead 1:16 into the second<br />
quarter on a rare safety when<br />
Manning was whistled for an<br />
intentional grounding penalty<br />
from his own end zone.<br />
But New York’s defense,<br />
among the NFL’s worst against<br />
the pass despite finishing third<br />
in quarterback sacks, shut<br />
down 4,000-yard passer Matt<br />
Ryan and sent Atlanta home<br />
after one playoff game for the<br />
second season in a row.<br />
“It’s incredibly disappointing<br />
but you have to deal with<br />
it,” Ryan said. “You have to<br />
move on.”<br />
Manning threw touchdown<br />
passes of 4 and 72 yards to<br />
Nicks in the second and third<br />
quarters respectively and<br />
added another of 27 yards to<br />
Mario Manningham in the<br />
fourth quarter to complete the<br />
rout.<br />
Results: Dever Broncos bt Pittsburgh<br />
Steelers 29-23, NY Giants bt<br />
Atlanta Falcons 24-2. — Reuters
ZURICH — Barcelona's Argentine<br />
forward Lionel Messi was yesterday<br />
named winner of the Fifa World<br />
Player for the third successive year,<br />
while the women's award went to the<br />
captain of Japan's World Cup winning<br />
team Homare Sawa.<br />
The 24-year-old, who made history<br />
by becoming the first Argentine<br />
player to win the award in 2009, beat<br />
off team-mate Xavi and Real Madrid's<br />
Cristiano Ronaldo.<br />
The award, announced at a glamorous<br />
gala in the Kongresshaus in<br />
Zurich, crowns a successful year for<br />
Messi, who won the Spanish league,<br />
the Champions League, the World<br />
Club Cup, as well as the Spanish and<br />
UEFA Super Cups with Barcelona.<br />
The forward, who received the<br />
trophy from former winner Ronaldo,<br />
received 47.88 per cent of the vote,<br />
beating Ronaldo, who was second<br />
with 21.60 per cent. Xavi picked up<br />
9.23 per cent of the vote.<br />
"It is a huge pleasure. It is the<br />
third time and it is a huge honour and<br />
I would like to share this award with<br />
my team-mates both in Barcelona<br />
and Argentina. I want to share this<br />
also with my team-mate Xavi. It is<br />
the fourth time we are here together<br />
and it is an honour to play together on<br />
the pitch," Messi said.<br />
Sawa denied Brazilian Marta a<br />
sixth successive triumph.<br />
The 33-year-old, who received her<br />
award from popstar Shakira, is the<br />
first-ever Asian winner of a World<br />
Player award.<br />
She beat Marta into second place<br />
by picking up 28.51 per cent of the<br />
votes, while the Brazilian received<br />
17.28.<br />
The coaches awards went to Ja-<br />
FORMER India football team captain Baichung Bhutia<br />
(right) shakes hands with Bayern Munich’s captain Philipp<br />
Lahm (left) as Bayern Munich’s coach Jupp Heynckes looks<br />
on during a news conference in New Delhi yesterday.<br />
pan's Norio Sasaki, who won the<br />
FIFA World Coach Women's Football<br />
award, while Messi's Barcelona<br />
18 SPORT<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Messi, Sawa win Fifa Ballon d’Or awards<br />
Lugano gives Ancelotti<br />
winning start at PSG<br />
PARIS — Diego Lugano<br />
saved Carlo Ancelotti's blushes<br />
on his official debut as Paris<br />
St Germain (PSG) coach<br />
with a stoppage time goal to<br />
secure a 2-1 French Cup win<br />
at fifth division Locmine on<br />
Sunday.<br />
Uruguay defender Lugano<br />
headed home from a Javier<br />
Pastore cross three minutes<br />
into injury time after the Argentine<br />
playmaker's opener<br />
had been cancelled out by<br />
Abou Maiga in the second<br />
half.<br />
"When you're 1-0 up you<br />
need in that kind of game to<br />
be able to add a second," PSG<br />
midfielder Christophe Jallet<br />
told Eurosport after PSG went<br />
through to the last 32.<br />
"It was not a great game<br />
from us but the most important<br />
is to qualify."<br />
PSG survived an early<br />
scare as Abou Maiga hit the<br />
bar after only four minutes<br />
and took control of the game<br />
although they struggled to<br />
break the deadlock.<br />
Pastore finally found the<br />
back of the net eight minutes<br />
into the second half from<br />
close range but missed two<br />
clear chances shortly afterwards.<br />
Maiga converted a penalty<br />
after Fabrice Peru was fouled<br />
in the box by Mamadou Sakho,<br />
only for Lugano to stab<br />
in the winner deep in stoppage<br />
time.<br />
Earlier, Toulouse became<br />
the latest Ligue 1 Cup casualty<br />
when they were knocked<br />
out 1-0 by third division team<br />
GFCO Ajaccio.<br />
Mickael Colloredo struck<br />
two minutes into the second<br />
half for the home side as Toulouse<br />
joined Caen, Sochaux,<br />
Lorient and Stade Brest on<br />
the list of top flight teams<br />
eliminated by lower league<br />
opposition.<br />
Elsewhere, Lisandro<br />
Lopez netted a first-half hattrick<br />
to give Olympique Lyon<br />
a 3-1 win at neighbours Lyonla-Duchere.<br />
— Reuters<br />
Ginola, Houllier defamation<br />
case set for March<br />
TOULON, France — David<br />
Ginola's defamation case<br />
against Gerard Houllier<br />
over disparaging remarks<br />
made by the former France<br />
coach in a recent book will<br />
be heard on March 7, a<br />
magistrates court in Toulon<br />
announced yesterday.<br />
Houllier resigned from<br />
his post as France manager<br />
in 1993 after their dramatic<br />
failure to qualify for<br />
the 1994 World Cup in the<br />
United States.<br />
Ranked as one of<br />
France's biggest sporting<br />
setbacks, Ginola was widely<br />
vilified for an over-hit<br />
cross that led to Emil Kostadinov<br />
scoring an 89th<br />
minute goal in a 2-1 win in<br />
Paris that took Bulgaria to<br />
the World Cup at France's<br />
expense.<br />
Ginola has accused<br />
Houllier of labelling him a<br />
'salaud' (bastard) in a book<br />
written by two journalists,<br />
'Secrets des Coachs'<br />
(Coaches' Secrets), over his<br />
role in the defeat by Bulgaria.<br />
— AFP<br />
BARCELONA — Barcelona<br />
slipped five points behind<br />
La Liga leaders Real Madrid<br />
when Alvaro Vazquez netted a<br />
shock late equaliser to snatch<br />
a 1-1 draw for Espanyol in the<br />
Catalan derby on Sunday.<br />
The champions were looking<br />
to improve their patchy<br />
away form at their local rivals<br />
and stay hard on the heels of<br />
Real, who thrashed Granada<br />
5-1 on Saturday.<br />
A gritty Espanyol had prepared<br />
a different script and<br />
the result leaves Barca on 38<br />
points from 17 matches, with<br />
Real on 43. Valencia are third<br />
on 34 after they came from<br />
two goals down to draw with<br />
struggling Villarreal earlier on<br />
Sunday.<br />
"The league is not over<br />
and I don't think we let a significant<br />
part of it slip away tonight,"<br />
Barca coach Pep Guardiola,<br />
whose side are chasing<br />
a fourth straight La Liga title,<br />
told a news conference.<br />
"We have a very strong rival<br />
ahead of us but there are<br />
still a lot of very tough stadiums<br />
to visit," he added.<br />
"All we can do is look at<br />
ourselves. Continue doing the<br />
things we are doing well and<br />
improve those we are not."<br />
Guardiola deployed the<br />
team that won 3-1 at Real last<br />
month and they looked to be<br />
cruising to victory when Cesc<br />
Fabregas nodded them in front<br />
in the 16th minute at a chilly<br />
Cornella-El Prat stadium to<br />
take his league tally for the<br />
season to nine.<br />
Espanyol battled hard and<br />
did well to restrict the Spanish<br />
and European champions<br />
to one goal before substitute<br />
Vazquez struck with a header<br />
four minutes from time.<br />
The equaliser stunned<br />
NEW DELHI — Bayern Munich<br />
play a friendly international<br />
against India's national<br />
team today in one of the biggest<br />
football matches to be<br />
played in the South Asian<br />
country.<br />
The German league leaders<br />
are appearing at New Delhi's<br />
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in<br />
a match to raise money for the<br />
state of Sikkim, which was hit<br />
by an earthquake in September.<br />
For Indians, the spotlight<br />
is also on former captain<br />
Bhaichung Bhutia, who will<br />
lead the side in his final game<br />
following his retirement from<br />
international football last<br />
year.<br />
The match will put the<br />
focus on football in India, a<br />
cricket-crazy country which is<br />
slowly opening to the game.<br />
Barca into life and centre back<br />
Gerard Pique smashed a shot<br />
against the crossbar late on before<br />
Pedro had a shot cleared<br />
off the line, but they were unable<br />
to find a winner.<br />
Argentina forward Lionel<br />
Messi had an anonymous<br />
match by his standards, although<br />
he struck a shot against<br />
the post in the second half.<br />
It was Barca's fourth draw<br />
in eight away matches this<br />
term and they also crashed to<br />
a 1-0 reverse at Getafe at the<br />
end of the November.<br />
By contrast, they have taken<br />
25 points from a possible<br />
27 at their Nou Camp stadium,<br />
scoring 39 goals without<br />
reply.<br />
Aritz Aduriz came off the<br />
bench to snatch a late equaliser<br />
for Valencia as they recovered<br />
to draw 2-2 at regional rivals<br />
Villarreal earlier on Sunday.<br />
Goals from Marco Ruben<br />
and Gonzalo put Villarreal<br />
two up by the 18th minute at<br />
the Madrigal before Sofiane<br />
Feghouli pulled one back just<br />
before the break.<br />
The standard of Indian<br />
football has deteriorated in<br />
recent years, with the country<br />
slipping to the 162nd position<br />
on the Fifa rankings from the<br />
94th rank in 1996.<br />
The downfall of the twotime<br />
Asian Games champions<br />
is owed to lack of facilities,<br />
investment and promotion of<br />
talent at grassroot levels.<br />
"They (Bayern) have the<br />
best players in the world at<br />
the moment.<br />
"It will prove to be a great<br />
opportunity for players to<br />
know how much they need to<br />
work to match the level of top<br />
international players," Bhutia,<br />
who hails from Sikkim state,<br />
told reporters.<br />
Over the past months,<br />
several European clubs have<br />
looked at India, which is expected<br />
to generate annual rev-<br />
coach Pep Guardialo took the male<br />
award.<br />
The awards are voted for by the<br />
Barcelona five shy of Real<br />
after draw at Espanyol<br />
ESPANYOL’S Alvaro Vazquez celebrates a goal against<br />
Barcelona during their Spanish La Liga match at<br />
Cornella-El Prat Stadium near Barcelona on Sunday.<br />
Aduriz made the most of a<br />
defensive error three minutes<br />
from time to secure a draw that<br />
leaves Valencia four points<br />
ahead of neighbours Levante,<br />
who drew 0-0 at home to Real<br />
Mallorca on Saturday.<br />
Villarreal stay in relegation<br />
trouble on 16 points after<br />
an erratic and injury-plagued<br />
campaign.<br />
Sevilla's bid for a European<br />
qualification berth was dealt<br />
a blow when they lost 2-1 at<br />
Rayo Vallecano and slipped a<br />
point behind sixth-placed Malaga.<br />
It was a disappointing debut<br />
for Jose Antonio Reyes after<br />
the former Arsenal winger<br />
sealed a move back to Sevilla,<br />
the Andalusian club where he<br />
began his professional career,<br />
from Atletico Madrid last<br />
week.<br />
Athletic Bilbao were held<br />
0-0 at Getafe in the fourth<br />
goalless draw of the weekend<br />
and improving Real Betis<br />
beat Sporting Gijon 2-0 to<br />
climb above Atletico into<br />
<strong>10</strong>th. — Reuters<br />
enues of $2 billion by 2015<br />
through sport, according to a<br />
PriceWaterhouseCoopers report.<br />
Liverpool opened football<br />
schools in New Delhi last<br />
August and Inter-Milan has<br />
participated in a talent-hunt<br />
programme, the Hindustan<br />
Times reported.<br />
Manchester United also<br />
announced a non-residential<br />
football school for children<br />
while an under-16 football<br />
tournament was launched in<br />
Delhi recently.<br />
But for Bayern, it is about<br />
consolidating their relationship<br />
with the country. This<br />
will be their fifth visit to<br />
India since the first one in<br />
2005.<br />
Legendary goalkeeper Oliver<br />
Kahn's farewell match at<br />
Kolkata in 2008 remains the<br />
coaches and captains of the world's<br />
national teams, as well as international<br />
media.<br />
In his opening speech Fifa President<br />
Joseph Blatter acknowledged<br />
that it had been a difficult year for<br />
football.<br />
"With a family of 300 million,<br />
there are bound to be some devils<br />
amongst them.<br />
"There are a lot of devils, some<br />
very big ones, but we are determined<br />
to steer the ship back into clear and<br />
clean waters," he said.<br />
Earlier in the evening, Manchester<br />
United manager Sir Alex<br />
Ferguson and Barcelona coach Pep<br />
Guardiola were also awarded at the<br />
ceremony.<br />
Ferguson was given the Fifa Presidential<br />
Award for services to football,<br />
the 70-year-old Scot was presented<br />
with the award by Fifa President<br />
Sepp Blatter.<br />
Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola won<br />
the Fifa World Coach of the Year<br />
award<br />
Guardiola has been named the<br />
world’s best coach in 2011 after guiding<br />
Barcelona to five trophies including<br />
the Champions League, Spanish<br />
and Club World Cup.<br />
Guardiola won the honour ahead<br />
of Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho and<br />
Ferguson.<br />
Norio Sasaki won the award for<br />
best coach of a women’s team. He<br />
guided Japan to the 2011 Womens’s<br />
World Cup.<br />
Brazil’s Neymar picked up the<br />
Puskas Award for Best Goal.<br />
City appeal<br />
Kompany<br />
red card<br />
MANCHESTER — Manchester<br />
City lodged an appeal<br />
with the Football Association<br />
(FA) yesterday as<br />
they sought to overturn the<br />
red card handed out to Vincent<br />
Kompany in their FA<br />
Cup defeat by Manchester<br />
United.<br />
In a brief statement, Premier<br />
League leaders City said<br />
the appeal would be heard<br />
before tomorrow's League<br />
Cup semifinal against Liverpool<br />
at Eastlands.<br />
If an appeal is rejected,<br />
City will be without star<br />
defender Kompany for both<br />
legs of the semifinal and<br />
league games against Wigan<br />
and Tottenham.<br />
Kompany was, controversially,<br />
shown a straight<br />
red card by referee Chris<br />
Foy in the 12th minute of<br />
Cup holders' City's 3-2 third<br />
round loss at home to United<br />
on Sunday for a two-footed<br />
tackle on Nani even though<br />
he won the ball cleanly.<br />
City, already 1-0 down<br />
to an early Wayne Rooney<br />
goal, were 3-0 behind at<br />
the break after further goals<br />
from Danny Welbeck and<br />
Rooney.<br />
However, despite being<br />
down to <strong>10</strong> men, they<br />
hit back in the second half<br />
through Aleksandar Kolarov<br />
and Sergio Aguero.<br />
But it was not enough to<br />
prevent a defeat in the third<br />
round — the stage at which<br />
top-flight clubs enter the FA<br />
Cup — and with it the defence<br />
of the trophy City won<br />
after beating Stoke in last<br />
season's final.<br />
City lead reigning champions<br />
United by three points<br />
at the top of the Premier<br />
League table. — AFP<br />
Bayern put focus on football in India<br />
most memorable tie that Bayern<br />
have played in India with<br />
an estimated <strong>10</strong>0,000 fans<br />
watching the match.<br />
Bayern have also conducted<br />
some coaching clinics,<br />
promised a football school in<br />
Kolkata and selected youngsters<br />
from different cities to be<br />
trained in Munich, the Daily<br />
News and Analysis newspaper<br />
reported.<br />
"It is true that we want to<br />
expand our fan base, we look<br />
at India differently. It's a puzzle<br />
waiting to be solved,"<br />
former German international<br />
Paul Breitner was quoted as<br />
saying by the daily.<br />
"We genuinely want Indian<br />
football to develop and<br />
be a part of the process, while<br />
also making brand Bayern famous<br />
in India." — dpa<br />
Ferguson warns<br />
Rooney is media’s<br />
new Gascoigne<br />
MANCHESTER — Manchester<br />
United manager<br />
Sir Alex Ferguson believes<br />
Wayne Rooney will have to<br />
get used to dealing with a level<br />
of press scrutiny not seen<br />
by an England player since<br />
Paul Gascoigne.<br />
Rooney scored twice as<br />
United dumped holders and<br />
local rivals Manchester City<br />
out of the FA Cup with a 3-2<br />
win at Eastlands on Sunday.<br />
But the weekend began<br />
with reports his relationship<br />
with Ferguson had been damaged<br />
beyond repair after he<br />
was left out of the team for the<br />
recent defeat against Blackburn<br />
following a poor training<br />
display after he stayed out late<br />
on Boxing Day.<br />
There had even been suggestions<br />
United could be<br />
ready to sell the England<br />
striker, possibly in the current<br />
transfer window.<br />
However, both parties<br />
swiftly distanced themselves<br />
from such talk after United<br />
survived an uncomfortable<br />
second half against a City<br />
side that played with <strong>10</strong> men<br />
for 79 minutes after defender<br />
Vincent Kompany was sent<br />
off.<br />
"There is absolutely no<br />
problem with Wayne Rooney,"<br />
said Ferguson, who then<br />
compared the forward to<br />
former England midfielder<br />
Gascoigne, whose career became<br />
as notable for a series<br />
of lurid off-field headlines as<br />
it was for his undoubted onfield<br />
ability.<br />
"You hear this stuff all the<br />
time and what Wayne has to<br />
realise is the media have another<br />
Paul Gascoigne," Ferguson<br />
said.<br />
"They have a headline<br />
maker, whether it is good or<br />
bad, and Wayne is going to<br />
have to suffer that.<br />
"We have seen the good<br />
stuff today but any flaws will<br />
be absolutely annihilated by<br />
the press. That is what they<br />
are like," he added before<br />
United were paired with bitter<br />
rivals Liverpool in the fourth<br />
round.<br />
Rooney did submit a<br />
transfer request in October<br />
20<strong>10</strong> but Ferguson insisted on<br />
Sunday: "There is no problem<br />
MANCHESTER — Wayne<br />
Rooney has slammed Manchester<br />
City manager Roberto<br />
Mancini's claim he got<br />
Vincent Kompany sent-off in<br />
Manchester United's 3-2 FA<br />
Cup derby win over the holders<br />
at Eastlands.<br />
Italian boss Mancini felt<br />
Rooney influenced referee<br />
Chris Foy into showing defender<br />
Kompany a red card<br />
for a two-footed challenge<br />
on Nani just 12 minutes into<br />
Sunday's incident-packed<br />
third round clash.<br />
But the England striker,<br />
who scored goals either side<br />
of Kompany's exit in a first<br />
half where Danny Welbeck<br />
also netted for United, defended<br />
himself on Twitter<br />
yesterday by saying: "Funny<br />
how people think i got kom-<br />
BERLIN — Bundesliga leaders<br />
Bayern Munich and champions<br />
Borussia Dortmund<br />
were locked in a war of words<br />
yesterday days after the latter<br />
snapped up forward Marco<br />
Reus, long a target for the Bavarians.<br />
The 22-year-old Borussia<br />
Moenchengladbach and<br />
Germany forward, who has<br />
scored <strong>10</strong> goals this season,<br />
agreed last week to join Dortmund<br />
at the end of the season<br />
in a five-year deal that is the<br />
biggest so far in the winter<br />
transfer period. "Dortmund<br />
have been successful in keeping<br />
up with their own understated<br />
position," Bayern<br />
sports director Christian Nerlinger<br />
told Bild. "This is now<br />
finished with this transfer. It is<br />
a whole new step."<br />
with the boy's temperament<br />
at all.<br />
"It is just off-the-field he<br />
is going to be spotlighted all<br />
the time."<br />
And Rooney stressed he<br />
wanted to spend many more<br />
years at Old Trafford.<br />
"I think everything that<br />
has been said is a lot of nonsense,"<br />
Rooney said.<br />
"Because it is me, because<br />
it is Manchester United, it is<br />
blown out of context," the 26year-old,<br />
who joined United<br />
from Everton in 2004, added.<br />
"There is no problem with<br />
me at this club. I want to be at<br />
this club for a long time."<br />
Ferguson was unhappy<br />
United almost let slip a 3-0<br />
half-time lead — Danny Welbeck<br />
also netted before the<br />
break — against a City side<br />
who hit back through Aleksandar<br />
Kolarov and Sergio<br />
Aguero.<br />
"It was a careless performance<br />
in the second half," he<br />
said. "We should have been<br />
home and dry with a clear<br />
scoreline but we were too<br />
careless."<br />
By contrast City manager<br />
Roberto Mancini, whose side<br />
lead the Premier League by<br />
three points from champions<br />
United, was delighted with a<br />
fightback the Italian felt confirmed<br />
his team's title credentials.<br />
"Today was important for<br />
us for the league. Now I know<br />
we can win the league because<br />
of the character we showed.<br />
"United are the top squad<br />
in England but if we play like<br />
we did this (Sunday) afternoon,<br />
with the same attitude,<br />
the same strength, every game,<br />
we will win the league."<br />
The match also saw 37year-old<br />
United great Paul Scholes,<br />
who retired last season,<br />
come off the bench in the second<br />
half after the former England<br />
midfielder made himself<br />
available again following an<br />
injury crisis.<br />
"When I saw he was on<br />
the bench, I told (City coach)<br />
David (Platt), 'go on the bench,<br />
please!," joked Mancini.<br />
"But Paul Scholes is a fantastic<br />
player. He is no stranger<br />
to us but it was still an incredible<br />
surprise." — AFP<br />
Rooney rejects Mancini<br />
claim on Kompany red<br />
pany sent off. Im not ref. i<br />
didn't give red card. But it<br />
was a clear red card. 2 footed<br />
tackle."<br />
Mancini compared the actions<br />
of Rooney, seen speaking<br />
to Foy after Kompany's<br />
tackle and before the sendingoff,<br />
to his own in waving an<br />
imaginary red card during<br />
City's win over Liverpool last<br />
week.<br />
"It was not a red card,"<br />
Mancini said after a defeat<br />
that saw City's defence of the<br />
FA Cup they won last season<br />
end after just one match.<br />
"Rooney told him his decision.<br />
"When I did this against<br />
Liverpool, people told me not<br />
to do it.<br />
"I said I was sorry and<br />
made a mistake." — AFP<br />
Bayern and Dortmund in<br />
war of words over Reus<br />
Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes<br />
said Bayern had had a<br />
string of rivals over the years<br />
but remained top of the heap<br />
as challenges from clubs such<br />
as Werder Bremen, Gladbach<br />
and Dortmund faded after a<br />
few seasons.<br />
"Let's wait and see how<br />
long they can keep moving on<br />
this level," Heynckes said.<br />
Dortmund have repeatedly<br />
played down their chances<br />
of defending the title, saying<br />
they would be happy with a<br />
finish that would secure them<br />
European football next season.<br />
"Have no fear. When we<br />
decide to change our strategy<br />
we will make sure to let Mr<br />
Nerlinger know," Dortmund<br />
coach Juergen Klopp told reporters<br />
in response.
MUSCAT — Shamas made a<br />
blistering unbeaten 137 (55b,<br />
7x6 and 14x4) to help TECS<br />
register a 89 run win against<br />
Renaissance and maintain<br />
their unbeaten stint in an Al<br />
Ansari Group of Companies<br />
sponsored ‘C’ Division T20<br />
tournament.<br />
The first match of the morning<br />
was played during the<br />
weekend at the PDO Grounds.<br />
Electing to bat after winning<br />
the toss TECS — thanks<br />
to a 158 runs second wicket<br />
partnership between Shamas<br />
and opening batsman skipper<br />
Jayaprakash N D 51 (39b,<br />
4x4) piled on 242 for the loss<br />
of three wickets at the end of<br />
their quota of 20 overs. Opener<br />
Nishanth chipped in with a<br />
useful 23 (18b, 3x4).<br />
Renaissance with a required<br />
run rate of over 12 runs<br />
per over made 153 for the loss<br />
of nine wickets at the end of<br />
20 overs. Mohammed Yakub<br />
batting at No 3 scored 42 (26b)<br />
whilst opening batsman Rozario<br />
Blaise made 20 (18b).<br />
Rajesh Rao three for 23,<br />
Mughis three for 31 and M<br />
Shahzad two for 25 off four<br />
overs each shared the bowling<br />
honours.<br />
Brief scores: TECS 242 for the<br />
loss of three wickets off 20 overs<br />
(Shamas 137 n.o, Jayaprakash N D<br />
51 and Nishanth 23)) bt Renaissance<br />
153 for the loss of 9 wickets 20 overs<br />
(Mohammed Yakub 42 and Rozario<br />
Blaise 20, Rajesh Rao 3/23, Mughis<br />
3/31 and M Shahzad 2/25).<br />
Points: TECS 2 pts (4 games,<br />
8 points) and Renaissance 0 pt (4<br />
games, 0 point).<br />
SHAKEEL BOWLS<br />
MUSCAT TO WIN<br />
In the second match of the<br />
morning Shakeel Mahmood<br />
with enticing figures of five<br />
for 28 was instrumental in<br />
OCT Muscat’s 58 run win<br />
against OCT Mabella. The Al<br />
Ansari Group of Companies<br />
sponsored ‘C’ Division T20<br />
match was played at the same<br />
venue.<br />
Winning the toss and deciding<br />
to bat OCT Muscat lost<br />
Ahmed Mohammed 34 (22b,<br />
1x6 and 3x4) and Mohammed<br />
Ali 26 (19b, 4x4) leaving<br />
the score on 95 for the loss of<br />
four wickets in the 11th over.<br />
Skipper Mohammed Aslam 35<br />
(18b, 6x4) together Shoaib Ismail<br />
60 not out (31b, 1x6 and<br />
6x4) was associated in a 75 run<br />
fifth wicket partnership which<br />
helped the score to 186 for the<br />
loss of five wickets off the 20<br />
19 SPORT<br />
OMAN DAILY <strong>Observer</strong><br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Schiavone upsets Stosur<br />
SYDNEY — Francesca Schiavone<br />
upset US Open champion<br />
Samantha Stosur's preparations<br />
for next week's Australian<br />
Open with a straight sets opening<br />
round win at the Sydney<br />
International yesterday.<br />
The Italian matched home<br />
favourite Stosur's power with<br />
aggression to secure a 6-2, 6-4<br />
win in 90 minutes in the feature<br />
match on Ken Rosewall<br />
Arena.<br />
The loss followed Stosur's<br />
second-round exit from the<br />
Brisbane International last<br />
week and has left the world<br />
number six short of match<br />
practice heading into the season's<br />
first Grand Slam starting<br />
in Melbourne on Monday.<br />
Schiavone, ranked 11, has<br />
been a tricky opponent for<br />
Stosur, beating her in the 20<strong>10</strong><br />
French Open final and in last<br />
year's Fed Cup tie in Australia.<br />
"I think I was really aggressive,<br />
and she couldn't play her<br />
game at the best," said Schiavone,<br />
who next plays Daniela<br />
Hantuchova.<br />
"You have to play at a top<br />
level, and I think it's not easy<br />
for her to play here in Australia.<br />
I think to play at home,<br />
when you love something, is<br />
tough to catch it.<br />
"For the Australian Open it<br />
will be different. She has big<br />
power and big shoulders to do<br />
it."<br />
Stosur, who mastered Serena<br />
Williams in last year's US<br />
Open final, said she failed<br />
to cope with the centre court<br />
crowd's expectations.<br />
"I think today I certainly<br />
didn't handle that side of things<br />
at all well," Stosur said.<br />
"I think playing in Australia,<br />
I want to play the best I<br />
can play and do it all here this<br />
month right here right now.<br />
"Then when it doesn't happen,<br />
it's obviously disappointing.<br />
It probably makes it more<br />
disappointing here than any-<br />
where else."<br />
Defending champion Li<br />
Na, third seed Victoria Azarenka<br />
and eighth seed Marion<br />
Bartoli all progressed to the<br />
last 16.<br />
China's Li needed just an<br />
hour to sweep past Russia's<br />
Ekaterina Makarova 6-0, 6-3<br />
after reeling off the first nine<br />
games of the match.<br />
The French Open champion<br />
next faces South African<br />
Kvitova shrugs off talk of<br />
world No 1 ranking<br />
SYDNEY — Petra Kvitova<br />
will challenge Caroline Wozniacki<br />
for the world No 1<br />
ranking this week, though it is<br />
a subject the Czech prefers not<br />
to discuss.<br />
"I read in the newspaper<br />
that I can be No 1 in Sydney<br />
so I know, but this tournament<br />
is very tough," Kvitova told<br />
reporters ahead of her first<br />
match at the Sydney International<br />
today.<br />
"It's not easy to win these<br />
matches and this tournament.<br />
Wimbledon champion Kvitova,<br />
who plays Romanian Alexandra<br />
Dulgheru today, will<br />
replace Dane Wozniacki at the<br />
top of the rankings if she wins<br />
the Sydney title.<br />
MUSCAT — Coastal CC defeated<br />
Stars light CC by seven<br />
wickets in the final of the<br />
Welcome <strong>2012</strong> Cup day and<br />
night cricket tournament,<br />
FRANCESCA Schiavone of Italy hits a return to Samantha Stosur of Australia during<br />
their first round match at the Sydney International yesterday. — AFP<br />
Wozniacki opens against<br />
Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova,<br />
who beat her in straight<br />
sets at the same stage last year.<br />
Both Wozniacki and Kvitova,<br />
the top two seeds, have firstround<br />
byes.<br />
The 21-year-old Kvitova<br />
said she was feeling strong after<br />
taking to the mountains to<br />
help her cope with asthma.<br />
"I had 14 days in the mountains<br />
in Slovakia where there<br />
was snow and we did the fitness<br />
preparation," she said.<br />
"The altitude there is very<br />
good for my asthma and I can<br />
breathe well.<br />
"We did a lot of running<br />
and we were in the gym, and<br />
of course we could take the<br />
walk to the mountains and see<br />
the beautiful places there."<br />
Kvitova beat Wozniacki in<br />
three sets at the Hopman Cup<br />
in Perth last week. The mixedteam<br />
event carried no rankings<br />
points but still provided a<br />
confidence boost ahead of the<br />
Australian Open starting next<br />
week.<br />
"I'm happy that I won, but<br />
it's something different," Kvitova<br />
said. "It's tough to say<br />
anything because it was not<br />
about the points or rankings<br />
or anything like that. It was<br />
a good match for us to prepare<br />
for Sydney and for the<br />
grand slam. We saw a little bit<br />
how we have both prepared."<br />
— Reuters<br />
Chanelle Scheepers for a place<br />
in the quarter-finals.<br />
Li, the first Asian player to<br />
win a grand slam, beat Kim<br />
Clijsters in last year's Sydney<br />
final before losing to the Belgian<br />
two weeks later in the<br />
Australian Open final.<br />
"Last year is over," the<br />
world number five said.<br />
"I don't have to think about<br />
what I did already last year. I<br />
mean, everyone has to look<br />
Shamas slams unbeaten century to help TECS register win<br />
SHAMAS AND JAYAPRAKASH<br />
AUCKLAND — Colombian<br />
Alejandro Falla recovered<br />
from a poor start to beat<br />
American Donald Young 4-6,<br />
6-3, 6-3 in the first round of<br />
the Auckland ATP tournament<br />
yesterday.<br />
In one of only three matches<br />
played on the opening day as<br />
organisers rushed to complete<br />
the rain-disrupted qualifying<br />
tournament, Young broke Falla<br />
twice as he raced to a 4-0 lead<br />
in the opening set.<br />
The Colombian, who was<br />
only promoted to the main<br />
draw on the weekend, fought<br />
back breaking Young twice<br />
before losing the set when<br />
he dropped his serve for the<br />
third time. However, he then<br />
settled into the game, bustling<br />
forward to see what you should<br />
do right now."<br />
Azarenka only dropped<br />
three games in a 6-2, 6-1 defeat<br />
of Swiss qualifier Stefanie<br />
Voegele and takes on former<br />
world number one Jelena<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>kovic in the next round.<br />
French Open semi-finalist<br />
Bartoli beat Slovenia's Polona<br />
Hercog 6-3, 6-3 to set up a<br />
showdown with Australian Jelena<br />
Dokic.<br />
Results: (x denotes seed): Women:<br />
1st Rd: Li Na (CHN x4) bt Ekaterina<br />
Makarova (RUS) 6-0, 6-3;<br />
Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Anastasia<br />
Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-2, 6-3; Alexandra<br />
Dulgheru (ROM) bt Sofia<br />
Arvidsson (SWE) 6-1, 6-1; Victoria<br />
Azarenka (BLR x3) bt Stefanie<br />
Voegele (SUI) 6-2, 6-1; Marion<br />
Bartoli (FRA x8) bt Polona Hercog<br />
(SLO) 6-3, 6-3; Svetlana Kuznetsova<br />
(RUS) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS<br />
x6) 6-1, 6-2; Daniela Hantuchova<br />
(SVK) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA) 7-5,<br />
6-2; Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)<br />
bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4;<br />
Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) bt Melinda<br />
Czink (HUN) 6-4, 6-2; Agnieszka<br />
Radwanska (POL x7) bt Urszula<br />
Radwanska (POL) 6-1, 6-1; Francesca<br />
Schiavone (ITA) bt Samantha<br />
Stosur (AUS x5) 6-2, 6-4; Jelena<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>kovic (SRB) bt Julia Goerges<br />
(GER) 6-1, 3-1 (retired ill).<br />
Men: 1st Rd: Lukasz Kubot (POL)<br />
bt Ivan Dodig (CRO) 7-6 (7/4), 7-5;<br />
Ryan Sweeting (USA) bt Gilles<br />
Muller (LUX) 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-5;<br />
Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Pablo Andujar<br />
(ESP) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3; Jarkko<br />
Nieminen (FIN) bt James Duckworth<br />
(AUS) 6-2, 6-2; Matthew Ebden<br />
(AUS) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP<br />
x7) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3; Bobby Reynolds<br />
(USA) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)<br />
7-5, 6-3. — AFP<br />
Falla outsmarts Young<br />
in Auckland opener<br />
through the last two sets 6-3,<br />
6-3 as he grew accustomed to<br />
the windy conditions.<br />
"He played better at the<br />
beginning but then I started<br />
to move well and play better.<br />
I was fighting for every<br />
point and was focused,"<br />
Falla said.<br />
"I think I'm playing well.<br />
I'm confident with my game.<br />
Today I made some unforced<br />
errors but this was normal."<br />
Results: Men’s first round (prefix<br />
number denotes seeding):<br />
6-Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) bt Rui<br />
Machado (Portugal) 6-3 7-6(3);<br />
Alejandro Falla (Colombia) bt<br />
7-Donald Young (U S) 4-6 6-3 6-3<br />
— AFP<br />
Coastal CC defeat Stars light to lift Welcome <strong>2012</strong> Cup<br />
organised by the <strong>Oman</strong> Indo-<br />
Pak Friends, at the Al Rifa<br />
ground during the weekend.<br />
Sushant of Coastal CC was<br />
adjudged the best player of<br />
the tournament while the<br />
award for the best bowler<br />
went to Saleem of the same<br />
team.<br />
Chasing a target of 42 to win<br />
after Stars light had totalled<br />
41 for three wicket off eight<br />
overs, Coastal could get past<br />
the total in just 5.5 overs scoring<br />
44 for three wickets with<br />
Sushanth slamming 16 while<br />
Jeetu cracked an unbeaten<br />
11. Mohsin took two wickets.<br />
Altogether 16 teams participated<br />
in the championship.<br />
SHAKEEL MAHMOOD<br />
stipulated overs.<br />
Sharif Pindook picked up<br />
two wickets conceding 29 runs<br />
off four overs.<br />
Set a target of 187 for victory<br />
the OCT Mabella batsmen<br />
found runs hard to come by<br />
and were bowled out for 128<br />
off 16.4 overs with Sharif Pin-<br />
Action during the third OCCI-Companies Basketball Competition played at the Bausher<br />
Complex on Sunday. In the first match, <strong>Oman</strong> Cement Company (OCC) defeated Friendi<br />
Mobile 97-69 while CCC beat Al Rahba Integrated Projects 76-51. In the matches to be<br />
played today, Enhance will take on Nasma while Al Rahba Integrated Projects face Enka.<br />
England must start fast for<br />
sake of 2015, says Dallaglio<br />
LONDON — England’s new<br />
coaching regime might want<br />
time to bed in players but they<br />
will need to hit the ground<br />
running to avoid making<br />
things tough for themselves<br />
when they host the rugby<br />
World Cup in 2015, Lawrence<br />
Dallaglio said yesterday.<br />
Seeding for the tournament<br />
will be decided on the<br />
International Rugby Board's<br />
(IRB) rankings at the end<br />
of <strong>2012</strong> and former captain<br />
Dallaglio, an "ambassador"<br />
for the 2015 event, said what<br />
happens over the next few<br />
months will have a huge impact<br />
on England's hopes.<br />
"While performance and<br />
development are the buzzwords<br />
at the moment, results<br />
are key," Dallaglio told reporters<br />
at the opening of the<br />
new Twickenham headquarters<br />
of the 2015 tournament.<br />
"It's going to take a while<br />
for things to settle down but<br />
we don't really have that time<br />
as the Six Nations, the South<br />
Africa tour and four games<br />
in the autumn will go a long<br />
way to determining England's<br />
position in the draw."<br />
With England hosting all<br />
three southern hemisphere<br />
sides in November and also<br />
playing the Springboks on a<br />
tough three-Test tour in June,<br />
they desperately need to build<br />
up their ranking points during<br />
the Six Nations, which begins<br />
in four weeks.<br />
They are currently ranked<br />
fifth and if they remain outside<br />
the top four at the end<br />
of the year they face the unpleasant<br />
prospect of perhaps<br />
having New Zealand, South<br />
SAMEER MEHRAB<br />
dook contributing a valuable<br />
27 (22b, 5x4).<br />
Rashad Mohammed with<br />
three for 16 off 3.4 overs lent<br />
valuable support to Shakeel.<br />
Brief scores: OCT Muscat 186<br />
for the loss of 5 wickets off 20 overs<br />
(Shoaib Ismail 60 n.o, Mohammed<br />
Aslam 35, Ahmed Mohammed 34<br />
and Mohammed Ali 26, Sharif Pin-<br />
Africa or Australia in their<br />
pool and, if they lose a group<br />
match, facing a similarly<br />
daunting quarter-final.<br />
"Last time round we got<br />
lucky and got in a group with<br />
(seeded) Argentina but unfortunately<br />
we didn't capitalise<br />
on that in the way we performed<br />
in the World Cup,"<br />
Dallaglio said.<br />
"Stuart Lancaster's first<br />
training camp and that first<br />
game in Scotland (on Feb.<br />
4) are critical for the next 12<br />
months because if they do get<br />
off to a good start they immediately<br />
get momentum."<br />
With the international<br />
retirement of Jonny Wilkinson,<br />
captain Lewis Moody<br />
and Steve Thompson and the<br />
probable exclusion of Mike<br />
Tindall, Mark Cueto and Nick<br />
Easter, there is room for plenty<br />
of new faces when caretaker<br />
coach Lancaster names his<br />
squad tomorrow.<br />
"You need to harness the<br />
desire within those players<br />
he believes still have a future,<br />
and an angry player is<br />
a valuable asset, and some<br />
of those players come with<br />
experience," said Dallaglio,<br />
who himself returned in great<br />
form to England after being<br />
stripped of the captaincy<br />
in 1999 following a tabloid<br />
sting.<br />
"Some of them will be<br />
looking to turn over a new<br />
leaf in their international<br />
careers and this gives us a<br />
chance, and them, to see how<br />
much they really are hurting.<br />
"There will be a number<br />
of new names, guys who are<br />
getting picked because they<br />
dook 2/29) bt OCT Mabella 128 all<br />
out off 16.4 overs (Sharif Pindook<br />
27; Shakeel Mahmood 5/28 and<br />
Rashad Mohammed 3/16).<br />
Points: OCT Muscat 2 pts (4<br />
games, 4 pts) and OCT Mabella 0<br />
pt (3 games, 0 pt).<br />
SAMEER HELPS HATAT<br />
REGISTER WIN<br />
In the third match of the day<br />
at the same venue Sameer Mehrab<br />
with figures of four for<br />
eight runs off 2.2 over helped<br />
OCT Hatat register a 29-run<br />
win against Towell CPD in<br />
low-scoring Raha Poly Products<br />
sponsored ‘D’ Division<br />
T20 match.<br />
Deciding to bat after winning<br />
the toss OCT Hatat were<br />
bowled out for 134 off 19.2<br />
overs with only opening batsman<br />
Khalid Moosa making a<br />
cameo 41 (15b).<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i player Suhaib al<br />
Balushi claimed three wickets<br />
conceding eight runs off<br />
four overs one of which was<br />
are bang in form, and a new<br />
captain.<br />
Dallaglio echoed the general<br />
media opinion that the<br />
captain would be either Tom<br />
Wood or Chris Robshaw, both<br />
likely starters in a new-look<br />
back row.<br />
"Tom Wood certainly fits<br />
the bill and probably shades it<br />
because he's spent more time<br />
in the England environment,"<br />
he said. "But leadership is not<br />
just about one man it's about<br />
surrounding the captain with<br />
a group of leaders."<br />
Dallaglio said he supported<br />
Lancaster's decision to drop<br />
scrumhalf Danny Care from<br />
the Six Nations after he was<br />
caught drink-driving.<br />
"One of the big mantras of<br />
Clive Woodward was that you<br />
have to get things right off<br />
the field to get them right on<br />
the field and even the small<br />
things have a huge impact,"<br />
he said.<br />
He also agreed with the<br />
decision to cancel the planned<br />
training camp in Portugal and<br />
take the players to junior club<br />
West Park Leeds in northern<br />
England before they return to<br />
their traditional plush base in<br />
Surrey (south west of London).<br />
"It makes sense as a preparation<br />
for playing in Scotland<br />
and goes along with the idea<br />
of trying to reconnect with<br />
the fans," he said.<br />
"You have to earn the right<br />
to be at Pennyhill Park and<br />
maybe Stuart's making that<br />
point." — Reuters<br />
a maiden over whilst Joshi<br />
Shailender and Sagara Chaminda<br />
Ratnayake bagged two<br />
wickets each conceding 14 and<br />
31 runs respectively.<br />
Towell CPD in their turn<br />
were bowled out for <strong>10</strong>5 off<br />
14.2 overs with a top score of<br />
57 (33b, 2x6 and 6x4) from<br />
opening batsman Waqar ul<br />
Hassan.<br />
Nasser Haider and Khalid<br />
Moosa lent valuable support to<br />
Sameer claiming two wickets<br />
each conceding 32 and 33 runs<br />
respectively.<br />
Brief scores: OCT Hatat 134<br />
all out off 19.2 overs (Khalid Moosa<br />
41, Suhaib Al Balushi 3/8, Joshi<br />
Shailender 2/14 and Sagara Chaminda<br />
Ratnayake 2/31) bt Towell CPD<br />
<strong>10</strong>5 all out off 14.2 overs (Waqar<br />
ul Hassan 57, Sameer Mehrab 4/8,<br />
Nasser Haider 2/32 and Khalid<br />
Moosa 2/33).<br />
Points: OCT Hatat 2 pts (4<br />
games, 4 pts) and Towell CPD 0 pt<br />
(4 games, 0 pt).
Bresnan<br />
ruled out of<br />
Pak series<br />
DUBAI — England pace<br />
bowler Tim Bresnan has<br />
been ruled out of England’s<br />
three-Test series<br />
against Pakistan in the<br />
United Arab Emirates after<br />
failing to recover from<br />
an elbow injury, the England<br />
and Wales Cricket<br />
Board (ECB) said yesterday.<br />
Bresnan underwent<br />
surgery on the elbow last<br />
month but was unable to<br />
play in England’s opening<br />
warm-up game.<br />
“Bresnan tried to bowl<br />
today, having had an injection<br />
and a good rest,”<br />
Strauss told the ECB<br />
website (www.ecb.co.uk).<br />
“I think we were all<br />
expecting him to be absolutely<br />
fine. But it’s very<br />
painful and, given that,<br />
he’s probably not going to<br />
be able to play for two or<br />
three weeks.<br />
“That means he’s unable<br />
to play any part in<br />
the Test series, so he’s flying<br />
home.”<br />
Bresnan took 16 wickets<br />
in the three Tests he<br />
played against India at<br />
home last year — a series<br />
which lifted captain Andrew<br />
Strauss’s men to No<br />
1 in Test rankings.<br />
Graham Onions, who is<br />
already with the England<br />
team as cover for Bresnan,<br />
will be officially added to<br />
the squad.<br />
Strauss said off-spinner<br />
Graeme Swann would<br />
be sent to hospital for a<br />
precautionary scan on a<br />
tight leg muscle while fast<br />
bowler Chris Tremlett,<br />
who was ruled out of the<br />
opening match with an eye<br />
infection, would see a doctor<br />
later.<br />
Stricker keeps<br />
five-shot<br />
lead<br />
Page 17<br />
DUBAI — Steve Davies and<br />
Stuart Broad shared a resolute<br />
seventh-wicket stand of 61 to<br />
help an unimpressive England<br />
to win the three-day tour<br />
opener against ICC Combined<br />
XI by three wickets here yesterday.<br />
It was a case of second<br />
batting failure for the tourists<br />
as, chasing 261 to win, England<br />
owed the win to captain<br />
Andrew Strauss (78), Ian Bell<br />
(39) and Jonathan Trott (35) on<br />
the final day at the ICC Global<br />
Cricket Academy ground.<br />
Kevin Pietersen (1) and<br />
Eoin Morgan (3) flopped a<br />
second time in the match and<br />
when Bell departed at 199 for<br />
six, England looked down and<br />
out before Davies (37 not out)<br />
and Broad (31) saved their<br />
blushes.<br />
Despite the win England's<br />
batting looked rusty ahead of<br />
the first of three Tests against<br />
Pakistan which starts here<br />
from <strong>Jan</strong>uary 17.<br />
England will have another<br />
opportunity to settle their batting<br />
on the slow, dusty pitches<br />
here as they play the second<br />
warm-up game against a Pakistan<br />
Cricket Board XI, also in<br />
Dubai, from <strong>Jan</strong>uary 11 to 13.<br />
Strauss and Alastair Cook<br />
(26) looked solid during<br />
their opening stand of 63 but<br />
Afghanistan's spinner Mohammed<br />
Nabi (three for 66),<br />
George Dockrell (one for 28)<br />
and Majid Haq (one for 42)<br />
derailed on the run chase.<br />
Strauss and Trott added 70<br />
for the second wicket but England<br />
lost five more wickets<br />
before reaching the 200-mark.<br />
Strauss hit 13 boundaries and<br />
a six during his 96-ball innings<br />
but his departure put England<br />
in trouble.<br />
It was left to Broad and<br />
Davies to carry their team<br />
within one run of the victory.<br />
Earlier, the ICC Combined<br />
XI declared their second innings<br />
at 164 for nine with<br />
Afghanistan's wicket-keeper<br />
batsman Mohammed Shahzad<br />
notching a second half century<br />
of the match with a defiant 74.<br />
Shahzad, who scored 51<br />
TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Broad, Davies save England blushes<br />
COLOMBO — Sri Lanka's<br />
sports minister yesterday<br />
blasted the national cricket<br />
team's recent performances,<br />
saying the side was riven by<br />
politics and in 'crisis'.<br />
Mahindananda Aluthgamage<br />
vowed to deliver a stern<br />
lecture to the players when<br />
they return later this month<br />
from their tour of South Africa,<br />
where they last week lost<br />
the Test series 2-1.<br />
ENGLAND’S Stuart Broad (left) and Steven Davies pictured during the third day of their three-day practice match<br />
against ICC Combined XI at the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai Sports City yesterday. — AFP<br />
in the first innings, held the<br />
Combined XI innings and<br />
added 43 for the eighth wicket<br />
with Haq who scored 256 not<br />
out. Shahzad hit 13 boundaries<br />
during his attractive <strong>10</strong>4-ball<br />
knock.<br />
Broad finished with three<br />
for 22, a match haul of seven<br />
wickets, while James Anderson<br />
took two for 62.<br />
Brief scores: ICC Combined<br />
XI 1st innings 281 and<br />
2nd innings 164 for 9 decl (K<br />
Coetzer 31, M Shahzad 74;<br />
Anderson 2/62, Broad 3/22)<br />
lost to England 1st innings<br />
185 for 8 decl and 2nd innings<br />
261 for 7 (261 A Strauss 78, A<br />
Cook 26, J Trott 35, I Bell 39,<br />
S Davies 37 n.o., S Broad 31;<br />
Nabi 3/66).<br />
Sri Lanka cricket in ‘crisis’, says minister<br />
"The Sri Lanka cricket team<br />
is in a crisis situation. It is very<br />
unfortunate," Aluthgamage<br />
told reporters. "The team is not<br />
clicking together off-field and<br />
it has shown in the results on<br />
the field."<br />
"Once the team returns, I<br />
plan to meet them," Aluthgamage<br />
said. "I feel there is a lot<br />
of internal politics within the<br />
team that is spilling over to the<br />
cricket pitch."<br />
Since the retirement of<br />
bowling star Muttiah Muralitharan<br />
in July 20<strong>10</strong>, Sri<br />
Lanka have won only one Test<br />
match, though they did reach<br />
the final of the one-day World<br />
Cup last year.<br />
Sri Lanka will now play<br />
five one-day internationals in<br />
South Africa starting tomorrow,<br />
before heading to a triseries<br />
tournament in Australia<br />
which also includes India.<br />
The government has often<br />
been accused of meddling in<br />
the sport and recent uncontested<br />
elections for the cricket<br />
board were mired in allegations<br />
of interference.<br />
Aluthgamage's comments<br />
came after Sri Lanka skipper<br />
Tillakaratne Dilshan blamed<br />
his side's inconsistent results<br />
on the island's weak domestic<br />
scene.<br />
"It is very difficult to find<br />
good cricketers. We have to<br />
correct our domestic structure.<br />
Coming from our club cricket<br />
to international cricket is a<br />
huge difference," he said after<br />
losing the Test series.<br />
Some players have complained<br />
about months of unpaid<br />
wages as the Sri Lanka board<br />
struggles with debts of $69<br />
million after building two new<br />
venues and revamping a third<br />
ground for the World Cup.<br />
Bayern put<br />
focus on football<br />
in India<br />
Page 18<br />
Marsh in illness<br />
scare ahead of<br />
Perth Test<br />
SYDNEY — Australian top<br />
order batsman Shaun Marsh<br />
was unable to fulfill a media<br />
engagement ahead of the third<br />
Test against India in Perth because<br />
of illness yesterday.<br />
Team officials said the 28year-old<br />
should be fit to train<br />
with the rest of the team today<br />
ahead of Friday's start to the<br />
Test at the Waca.<br />
Marsh won a race to be<br />
fit for the first Test but his<br />
form in the four-match series<br />
has been far from convincing,<br />
despite Australia making<br />
a strong start with emphatic<br />
wins in Melbourne and Sydney.<br />
Playing at number three in<br />
the batting order, Marsh has<br />
been out for a duck twice and<br />
made three in the second innings<br />
at the Melbourne Cricket<br />
Ground.<br />
Mike Hussey, who bucked<br />
his own run of poor form with<br />
a superb 150 not out in Sydney,<br />
replaced Marsh in yesterday's<br />
news conference and<br />
backed his fellow Western<br />
Australian to find his touch at<br />
SHUAN MARSH<br />
his home ground. "The Waca<br />
crowd always give the local<br />
guys a huge welcome and a<br />
louder roar than any other<br />
player, so he's got plenty of<br />
motivation to play exceptionally<br />
well in this Test," Hussey<br />
told reporters.<br />
"It's always tough when<br />
you have been out of the game<br />
for over a month to be able to<br />
come straight back into Test<br />
match cricket and perform<br />
straight away.<br />
"It does take a bit of time.<br />
But he has been working very<br />
hard and he's been hitting the<br />
ball very well in the nets.<br />
"So it's just a case of him<br />
being able to get through that<br />
first half an hour of his innings<br />
and then if he gets a start, I'm<br />
sure he'll want to turn it into a<br />
big hundred."<br />
Marsh, the son of former<br />
Australia opener Geoff<br />
Marsh, made his Test debut in<br />
Sri Lanka earlier this year and<br />
has been included in the 12man<br />
squad for the third Test<br />
against India. — Reuters
Asian markets mixed<br />
on Europe fears, US<br />
jobs data<br />
Page 22<br />
Global tech<br />
sales to cross<br />
$1tn in <strong>2012</strong><br />
LAS VEGAS — Smartphones<br />
and tablet computers will help<br />
push worldwide consumer<br />
electronics spending over $1<br />
trillion this year but growth<br />
is sluggish compared to last<br />
year, according to industry<br />
analysts.<br />
"Most product categories<br />
are slowing down or going<br />
into contraction," Steve Bambridge,<br />
global business director<br />
for GfK Boutique Research<br />
said on Sunday ahead of the<br />
annual Consumer Electronics<br />
Show (CES) in Las Vegas.<br />
"Really there's two main<br />
exceptions: tablets and<br />
smartphones," Bambridge<br />
said at a briefing for reporters<br />
before the official opening<br />
today of the high-tech gadget<br />
extravaganza.<br />
GfK and CES sponsor the<br />
Consumer Electronics Association<br />
(CEA) forecast that<br />
global spending on technology<br />
products will grow five per<br />
cent in <strong>2012</strong> to $1.04 trillion<br />
compared to eight per cent<br />
growth last year and $993 billion<br />
in sales.<br />
GfK and CEA said they<br />
expect smartphone sales to<br />
grow 22 per cent this year<br />
compared with 59 per cent<br />
last year while overall tablet<br />
sales are expected to double<br />
to more than <strong>10</strong>0 million this<br />
year.<br />
As demand slackens in the<br />
United States and Western<br />
Europe grapples with an economic<br />
crisis and wobbly euro<br />
emerging markets such as<br />
Brazil, China and India will<br />
increase their share of spending<br />
on consumer electronics,<br />
GfK and CEA said.<br />
Emerging economies are<br />
expected to account for 46 per<br />
cent of global tech sales revenue<br />
in <strong>2012</strong>, up from 37 per<br />
cent in 2008, while developed<br />
economies will see their share<br />
fall to 54 per cent from 63 per<br />
Saham customer wins Al Heson prize<br />
BANKDHOFAR continues to announce the winners of Al Heson<br />
Saving Scheme weekly and monthly prize. The latest mega<br />
monthly prize of RO <strong>10</strong>0,000 went to Rashid Suliaman Suhail al<br />
Maamari. The prize cheque was handed over to the winner by Ali<br />
al Marzooki, Saham Branch Manager, BankDhofar. Page 22<br />
cent over the same period.<br />
CEA chief economist<br />
Shawn Dubravac said he expects<br />
more than 20,000 new<br />
products to launch at CES,<br />
which brings together over<br />
2,700 exhibitors from around<br />
the world to the cavernous Las<br />
Vegas Convention Center.<br />
Last year, more than <strong>10</strong>0<br />
tablet computers alone were<br />
unveiled at CES as rival<br />
manufacturers sought to cap-<br />
A GAMETEL wireless<br />
controller by Fructel.<br />
OSLO — Norway's Statoil announced yesterday<br />
a major oil discovery in the Barents Sea<br />
that could contain up to 300 million barrels of<br />
crude.<br />
The Havis prospect is the twin of Skrugard,<br />
another deposit Statoil discovered in April<br />
2011, confirming the potential of the waters as<br />
yet untapped in the Barents Sea.<br />
Together the two deposits could contain between<br />
400 and 600 million barrels of oil equivalent,<br />
Statoil said in a statement yesterday.<br />
"Skrugard and Havis open up a new petroleum<br />
province in the North," Statoil chief executive<br />
Helge Lund said in the statement.<br />
The two discoveries, which are located just<br />
seven kilometres apart but are not connected,<br />
could be developed together, which would<br />
limit costs.<br />
Covered by the same production licence,<br />
the two deposits are owned by Statoil, which<br />
holds 50 per cent, Eni of Italy, with 30 per cent<br />
and Norwegian state-owned company Petoro<br />
which owns the remaining 20 per cent.<br />
The two deposits remain modest in size<br />
compared with massive Norwegian fields such<br />
as Statfjord, which contains some 3.6 billion<br />
barrels and was found in 1974 in the North<br />
Sea.<br />
But they indicate there is potential for Arctic<br />
oil and gas riches for Norway, whose oil production<br />
has been on the decline for <strong>10</strong> years.<br />
After a peak in 2001, oil production in the<br />
Scandinavian country — the world's seventhbiggest<br />
exporter of black gold — has steadily<br />
decreased and is now around two million bar-<br />
ture the magic of Apple's hotselling<br />
iPad.<br />
Dubravac said he expects<br />
to see about 50 new tablets<br />
this year and a plethora of<br />
snazzy smartphones which he<br />
described as "more like fullfledged<br />
computers."<br />
Another hot product category<br />
at CES this year is<br />
expected to be the sleek,<br />
lightweight laptop computer<br />
known as the "ultrabook,"<br />
Dubravac said.<br />
He said he expected to see<br />
between 30 and 50 ultrabooks<br />
launched at CES as computer<br />
makers again seek to make<br />
up ground on Apple and its<br />
popular MacBook Air.<br />
Getting the jump on the<br />
competition, Taiwan's Acer<br />
on Sunday took the wraps off<br />
what it said was the world's<br />
thinnest laptop computer, the<br />
Acer Aspire 5, which has a<br />
34-centimetre screen and is<br />
15 millimetres at its thickest<br />
point. — AFP<br />
Tuesday, <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
By Ali Ahmed al Riyami<br />
MUSCAT — The Board of Directors<br />
of the <strong>Oman</strong> Chamber of Commerce<br />
and Industry (OCCI) held their first<br />
meeting of the current session, 2011-<br />
2014, under the chairmanship of<br />
Khalil bin Abdullah al Khonji, OCCI<br />
Chairman, and elected Ayman bin<br />
Abdullah al Hasani as Deputy Chairman,<br />
Shihab bin Yousuf bin Alawi<br />
as Secretary and Redha bin Juma al<br />
Saleh as Treasurer.<br />
Agenda for the new session was<br />
also discussed at the meeting.<br />
The Executive Council of the<br />
Chamber elected at the meeting are<br />
Rashid bin Amir al Mslahi, Salem bin<br />
Saleem al Junaibi and Ali bin Salem<br />
al Hajry.<br />
Al Khonji expressed his gratitude<br />
to His Majesty the Sultan for the confidence<br />
he placed on the board.<br />
"It has been a good motivation for<br />
them to dedicate all of their efforts<br />
and capabilities to serve and fulfil<br />
the objectives required for sustain-<br />
able, comprehensive development",<br />
he said.<br />
OCCI is committed in extending<br />
full co-operation for the development<br />
of various economic, production and<br />
service sector activities, he added.<br />
Further, he said, they would<br />
strengthen co-operation with the<br />
private sector for the growth of the<br />
economy.<br />
"This is to be achieved through<br />
regular co-ordination with various<br />
authorities so as to realise the set<br />
Commodities boom — for now<br />
THE annual return of investors and traders after weeks of hibernation<br />
has caused the usual chasing after potential profitable<br />
trades. Fresh money has been put to work and the energy sector<br />
and precious metals have so far been the main recipients triggering<br />
renewed safe haven buying of gold. Page 23<br />
OCCI elects board, committee heads; outlines agenda<br />
LONDON — Worries over<br />
Europe's banks and uncertain<br />
prospects for a hefty slate of<br />
euro zone debt sales this week<br />
kept markets volatile yesterday,<br />
with shares weaker and<br />
the single currency off lows but<br />
vulnerable to further losses.<br />
German and US data provided<br />
some relief but the euro<br />
zone's deep-seated problems<br />
kept investors wary, and a meeting<br />
between German Chancellor<br />
Angela Merkel and French<br />
President Nicolas Sarkozy will<br />
be closely watched for fresh<br />
developments.<br />
The MSCI world equity<br />
index held onto a slight gain<br />
of just 0.1 per cent despite a<br />
weaker session on Asian markets.<br />
The FTSEurofirst 300 index<br />
of top European shares gave<br />
up early gains to be slightly<br />
weaker, falling 0.3 per cent to<br />
<strong>10</strong><strong>10</strong>.40 points, having been hit<br />
last week by worries over bank<br />
capital raising plans following<br />
a deeply discounted rights issue<br />
by UniCredit.<br />
Statoil makes major oil<br />
discovery in Barents Sea<br />
rels per day, just two-thirds of what it was a<br />
decade ago.<br />
The region has also become increasingly<br />
attractive after Norway and Russia in 20<strong>10</strong><br />
ended a 40-year maritime border dispute over<br />
176,000 square kilometres, which paves the<br />
way for prospecting.<br />
According to the US Geological Service<br />
(USGS), the entire Arctic region could hold 13<br />
per cent of the world's as yet undiscovered oil<br />
reserves and 30 per cent of its natural gas.<br />
The region is however characterised by extreme<br />
cold, sea ice and total darkness in winter,<br />
making oil and gas drilling technically complex<br />
and costly.<br />
However, high oil prices and technological<br />
progress are making it attractive nonetheless.<br />
Environmentalists have meanwhile<br />
expressed concerns about oil prospecting<br />
in the Arctic waters due to its fragile<br />
ecosystem and sea life. — AFP<br />
Shares in Italy's biggest<br />
bank by assets fell again and<br />
trading in the rights to buy into<br />
the cash call were suspended,<br />
fuelling speculation other lenders<br />
may be deterred from using<br />
rights issues to plug capital<br />
shortfalls.<br />
UniCredit's rights issue is a<br />
litmus test for banking stocks<br />
at a time when many European<br />
lenders are under pressure to<br />
shore up their capital buffers<br />
to withstand the spreading debt<br />
crisis.<br />
The Italian bank's shares<br />
have lost 37 per cent since<br />
it priced the 7.5 billion euro<br />
($9.5 billion) capital increase,<br />
trading in the rights to buy into<br />
the cash call were suspended,<br />
fuelling speculation other lenders<br />
may be deterred from using<br />
rights issues to plug capital<br />
shortfalls.<br />
The euro, which fell to a<br />
16-month low in Asian trade<br />
of $1.2666, recovered to<br />
$1.2760 in volatile trade to<br />
stand up around 0.5 per cent<br />
for the day as traders covered<br />
goals and objectives outlined for the<br />
national economy and in the current<br />
eighth five-year plan", he said, adding<br />
they will proceed within the outlined<br />
framework, especially in relation to<br />
human resources development.<br />
He noted that during the previous<br />
term 2007-20<strong>10</strong>, the chamber was<br />
able to implement a number of activities<br />
and events aimed at strengthening<br />
the performance of private sector<br />
companies in implementing various<br />
developmental projects. This, he add-<br />
short positions.<br />
"These are testing times<br />
for the currency and the scale<br />
of the recent decline seems to<br />
have caught some people by<br />
surprise," said Geoffrey Yu,<br />
currency strategist at UBS.<br />
A busy week of government<br />
bond issues features triple-A<br />
issuers Germany, Netherlands<br />
and Austria, but most interest<br />
will be on sales by Spain and<br />
Italy on Thursday and Friday.<br />
"The main focus is still<br />
the Italian and Spanish supply.<br />
While we've got that lurking<br />
over us I think the market<br />
is likely to still be a little bit<br />
wary," said Eric Wand, strategist<br />
at Lloyds Bank in London.<br />
ed, was achieved by exploiting the favourable<br />
climate of development, as<br />
part of several fundamental pillars:<br />
•Restructuring of OCCI internally<br />
and externally,<br />
•Improving the branches, internal<br />
offices and external offices of the<br />
Chamber,<br />
•Expansion in the adoption of<br />
modern technology to improve and<br />
renew levels of service offered by the<br />
Chamber to its members,<br />
•Greater attention towards SMEs,<br />
Italian <strong>10</strong>-year paper yielded<br />
around 7.13 per cent, firmly<br />
above the 7 per cent level<br />
widely seen as unsustainable.<br />
Spanish equivalent bonds were<br />
at 5.74 per cent.<br />
Friday's upbeat US jobs<br />
data showed the jobless rate<br />
dropped to a near three-year<br />
low of 8.5 per cent, and non-<br />
•Greater support of national products<br />
along with extra investment in<br />
sectors such as agriculture, fisheries,<br />
industry, tourism, services and scientific<br />
research.<br />
At regional and international levels,<br />
the Chamber supported ambitious<br />
projects in order to achieve Gulf and<br />
Arab integration — at pace with the<br />
trends of sustainable development<br />
in the Sultanate and to meet the demands<br />
from changes in the economy.<br />
Besides contributions made in supporting<br />
external economic relations<br />
and from entering into economic and<br />
investment co-operation agreements.<br />
The Chairman urged the new<br />
Board members to interact and respond<br />
with new ideas and visions<br />
and adopt proposals with the aim of<br />
achieving the objectives and goals<br />
envisaged for the national economy.<br />
He also called on members of the<br />
business community and private sector<br />
companies to keep up and interact<br />
more with the plans and programmes<br />
of OCCI, which embody the ambitions<br />
of the private sector.<br />
Euro zone woes outweigh economic hopes<br />
CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel with French President Nicolas Sarkozy upon<br />
his arrival at the Chancellery in Berlin yesterday. — AFP<br />
farm payrolls increased by<br />
200,000. Yesterday German<br />
exports jumped 2.5 per cent<br />
in November, unexpectedly<br />
widening the trade surplus in a<br />
sign Europe's largest economy<br />
is still outpacing peers.<br />
But rising debt tensions<br />
took the shine off both sets of<br />
figures, with a German magazine<br />
reporting on Saturday<br />
the International Monetary<br />
Fund was losing confidence in<br />
Greece's ability to clean up its<br />
public finances.<br />
Also, an adviser to Germany's<br />
finance minister told a<br />
Greek newspaper a 50 per cent<br />
writedown on Greek debt holdings<br />
— a key part of Greece's<br />
debt swap deal — was not<br />
enough to put the country's<br />
huge debt on a viable footing.<br />
Underscoring the bearish<br />
view on the euro, currency<br />
speculators boosted short positions<br />
in the currency to record<br />
levels in the week ended <strong>Jan</strong>uary<br />
3, data from the Commodity<br />
Futures Trading Commission<br />
showed on Friday. — Reuters
Panasonic launches Lumix G Series cameras<br />
By Kabeer Yousuf<br />
MUSCAT – Panasonic represented<br />
by Omasco are all set to<br />
increase its market share 22 per<br />
cent from the current 21 per<br />
cent with the launch of its new<br />
Lumix G micro system compact<br />
and light weight digital<br />
interchangeable lens system<br />
cameras which use a collection<br />
of features that put enormous<br />
photographic power in a palmsized<br />
camera.<br />
“We are aiming to increase<br />
our market share from the current<br />
21per cent to 22 per cent<br />
which is based on a realistic<br />
assessment”, George Alexander,<br />
General Manager- Retail,<br />
Engineering and Distribution<br />
at Omasco said. He said the<br />
cameras under the brand name<br />
are next to the leading ones in<br />
the market and are all set to<br />
reach the higher level in a short<br />
while. “We will very soon<br />
reach yet another milestone<br />
as far as our camera division<br />
is concerned and what really<br />
matters is the knowledge of<br />
the market and how you tailormake<br />
your products according<br />
to the market”.<br />
The Lumix G Series mod-<br />
OAB sponsors OEA conference<br />
MUSCAT — <strong>Oman</strong> Arab Bank (OAB) sponsored the fifth conference on “Demographical<br />
Changes and GCC Labour Market” organised by the <strong>Oman</strong>i Economic Association<br />
(OEA) during <strong>Jan</strong>uary 7 to 8.<br />
The conference aimed at discussing the key challenges facing the GCC labour markets<br />
and the reality of these markets, exchanging expertise between the government<br />
and private sectors in providing jobs to the locals, and addressing as well the challenges<br />
in training and recruiting local manpower. It touched upon knowledge management,<br />
human resources development, labour market development, and head-hunting for local<br />
and foreign talents to participate in the conference, as it discussed solutions with local<br />
and international experiences in providing jobs.<br />
OAB’s sponsorship of this conference came to confirm the bank’s firm belief in<br />
the importance of finding radical solutions to provide job opportunities as well as the<br />
importance of educating and training human resources so as to cater for the labour<br />
market needs and positively contribute to the development march through reducing<br />
unemployment and ensuring a decent life standard to the largest number possible of<br />
the members of the society.<br />
Nawras voted most popular telecom choice<br />
NAWRAS has been named as the<br />
most popular choice of telecom service<br />
provider in the annual best brands<br />
survey carried out by a local business<br />
magazine.<br />
Over 800 respondents from students<br />
to senior managers voted for<br />
their top telecom service provider in<br />
the Sultanate with Nawras leading<br />
the field as the most popular choice.<br />
Nawras first appeared in the top slot<br />
in the 2007 survey when it was written<br />
that ‘little surprise was expressed<br />
at the company’s emergence as the<br />
number one brand’.<br />
The survey result reflects customers’<br />
appreciation of the Nawras brand<br />
continuing to deliver different services to meet the diversified communication needs<br />
HONG KONG — Asian markets<br />
were mixed yesterday as<br />
worries over the euro zone<br />
debt crisis were tempered by<br />
better-than-expected US jobs<br />
data, while the under-pressure<br />
euro touched fresh lows.<br />
South Korea's benchmark<br />
Kospi index closed 0.90 per<br />
cent, or 16.65 points, down<br />
at 1,826.49, Sydney edged<br />
down 3.1 points to 4,<strong>10</strong>5.4 and<br />
Hong Kong closed up 1.47<br />
per cent, or 272.66 points, at<br />
18,865.72.<br />
els launched yesterday at the<br />
Marina Bander Rawdha, set<br />
against the stunning landscape,<br />
are compact and comfortable<br />
to use, with features that are<br />
designed to let users truly enjoy<br />
exploring completely new<br />
realms of photography. The<br />
high-grade metal body combined<br />
with the 4/3-type sensor<br />
delivers high D-SLR-like performance,<br />
however in much<br />
smaller and lighter cameras<br />
and lenses than with a conventional<br />
D-SLR system.<br />
“With Panasonic’s G series<br />
of LUMIX cameras photographers<br />
can enjoy a new level of<br />
freedom, mobility and creativeness.<br />
These cameras come with<br />
enhanced features and func-<br />
Shanghai finished 2.89 per<br />
cent higher, or 62.49 points,<br />
at 2,225.89 after Chinese Premier<br />
Wen Jiabao said on Saturday<br />
that the government will<br />
boost confidence in the stock<br />
market, but gave no details.<br />
Financial markets in Japan<br />
were closed yesterday for a<br />
public holiday.<br />
"As expected, the black<br />
clouds from Europe stopped<br />
any US sunshine breaking<br />
through," Justin Harper, Head<br />
of Media and Research at IG<br />
tionality that make photography<br />
easy, more enjoyable and<br />
rewarding. Users can choose<br />
between the DMC-GF3, DMC-<br />
G3 and the DMC-GH2 all of<br />
which are capable of taking<br />
that perfect image or video”.<br />
Developed by Panasonic in<br />
cooperation with leading photographic<br />
engineers, the Micro<br />
Four Thirds standard system<br />
gives users the opportunity to<br />
explore the creativity aspect<br />
of taking photographs with a<br />
range of compact lenses (in total,<br />
eleven lenses from 35mm<br />
equivalent 14mm–600mm,<br />
and with the fixed-focus 3D<br />
lens you can even record 3D<br />
photos). It carefully preserves<br />
the image quality of the 4/3-<br />
Markets, said in a note.<br />
"This pessimism is being<br />
played out across equity and<br />
currency markets and is likely<br />
to be <strong>2012</strong>'s recurrent theme."<br />
Last week, European banks<br />
parked 455 billion euros ($577<br />
billion) in the safe haven of<br />
the European Central Bank<br />
overnight — a new record —<br />
preferring to earn low interest<br />
rather than taking on the risk<br />
of lending to each other.<br />
After a brief respite from<br />
bad headlines over the New<br />
22<br />
OMAN/INTERNATIONAL TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
type sensor and offers excellent<br />
expandability and adaptability<br />
to future functions as<br />
well. The G series is renowned<br />
for its Micro Four Thirds System<br />
standard for high quality<br />
and wide compatibility. Furthermore,<br />
full-time Live View<br />
for setting up the perfect shot<br />
and the unique iA mode for<br />
capturing stunning photos with<br />
all the ease of a compact digital<br />
camera are just some of the<br />
user friendly features.<br />
The Live MOS offers the<br />
superior image quality of a<br />
CCD sensor and the lower<br />
power consumption of a<br />
CMOS sensor, efficiently capturing<br />
more light for brighter<br />
corners and enhanced resolution.<br />
The camera delivers fulltime<br />
live view shooting, while<br />
reproducing images with fine<br />
detail and rich gradation. What<br />
is more, the 4/3-type sensor<br />
enables the camera to be used<br />
with a host of lightweight<br />
zoom and wide-angle lenses.<br />
All Panasonic Lumix G Series<br />
cameras are compatible with<br />
advanced Micro Four Thirds<br />
and renowned Leica lenses,<br />
which stand up to any shooting<br />
situation with grandeur. Lumix<br />
G micro system cameras also<br />
BUSINESS ALERT<br />
of people in <strong>Oman</strong>.<br />
“We sincerely thank our customers for voting for Nawras and we are delighted and<br />
honoured to be named as <strong>Oman</strong>’s most popular choice for telecom services,” said Chief<br />
Executive Officer, Ross Cormack.<br />
“Great care is always taken to provide a comprehensive range of innovative services<br />
to suit the many different requirements of our customers, whether they are at home,<br />
at work or travelling. We consider it important to pay close attention to the details, from<br />
the provision of quality network coverage to consistent accuracy and transparency in<br />
billing as well as innovative products and services.<br />
“We believe our customers deserve the very best and we are constantly striving to<br />
reach new heights to enhance their communications experience in every way while<br />
staying true to our core values of delivering caring, excellent and pleasingly different<br />
services.”<br />
Nawras has won over 40 awards since launch in 2005 including a number recognising<br />
its brand value. Amongst this list is the Award for Brand Leadership at the Global<br />
Awards for Brand Excellence in 2009 and Brand of the Year from Superbrands <strong>Oman</strong><br />
in 20<strong>10</strong>. Nawras was also recognised with an award at Asia’s Best Employer Brand<br />
Awards in 2011.<br />
Hayashi Fans celebrates one million mark<br />
HAYASHI Fans from Al Saleh Enterprises LLC celebrated one million Pieces sold<br />
recently in its Operations Office and Al Hail showroom attended by customers and<br />
end users.<br />
Hayashi products incorporate all the important factors such as quality and cost effectiveness,<br />
value for their money, whether it is in the form of advanced technology,<br />
longer life span or energy efficiency, said Sarah bint Mustafa bin Mukhtar al Lawatiya,<br />
Director, Al Saleh Enterprises LLC.<br />
The latest model Ceiling and Ventilating fans displayed in the venue enabled customers<br />
and end users to have the closer look of the product. From a humble beginning<br />
with ceiling fan the brand has grown in size and strength. Hayashi has a wide range<br />
comprising of ceiling fans and ventilating fans which includes Window mount type,<br />
Wall mount type, Ceiling mount type and Industrial type Fans.<br />
Chand Pasha, Commercial Manager, thanked his team for the achievements in the<br />
modest span of nine years. The brand is all set to meet the market demand as its products<br />
are widely accepted in innumerable projects, due to its durability and fascinating<br />
look. The ceiling fans are designed to provide comfort to the user by delivering a<br />
Year holiday period, the euro<br />
zone debt crisis has resurfaced<br />
with a vengeance, driving<br />
down the single currency and<br />
threatening Italy and Spain.<br />
The euro fell to a near-16month<br />
low of $1.2665 in early<br />
trade yesterday before recovering<br />
slightly to $1.2774 later<br />
in the day, but still off Friday's<br />
rate of $1.2792 in New York.<br />
It also slipped to 98.20<br />
yen, compared with 98.71 yen<br />
on Friday, as dealers worried<br />
about European leaders' abil-<br />
records not only high quality<br />
photo but also stunning video.<br />
The AVCHD format features<br />
almost twice the recording<br />
time in HD quality than the<br />
conventional Motion JPEG.<br />
In addition to the practical<br />
full-time AF, the Touch AF in<br />
video recording also lets users<br />
enjoy professional-like rack<br />
focusing. Just by pointing the<br />
subject, the focus is shifted to<br />
it and let it stand out to attract<br />
attention. Precision Contrast<br />
AF system of Lumix G micro<br />
system gains even higher speed<br />
realising approx. 0.09 second<br />
of light speed AF. Consecutive<br />
shooting is also improved<br />
for 4.2 fps in 16.0-megapixel<br />
full resolution. All cameras of<br />
Lumix G micro system adopt<br />
Contrast AF for its focus system.<br />
The phase-difference AF<br />
system is susceptible to mechanical<br />
margin of error. However,<br />
in contrast AF system,<br />
focusing is controlled by the<br />
image sensor so that no mechanical<br />
margin of error occurs<br />
to achieve precise focusing.<br />
Compared with the phase difference<br />
system AF, the contrast<br />
AF boasts higher accuracy especially<br />
in shooting with bright<br />
lens with small F value.<br />
ity to tame the region's fiscal<br />
woes and the possibility<br />
of credit rating downgrades<br />
across the debt-strapped euro<br />
zone. The dollar bought 76.88<br />
yen from 77.24 yen.<br />
Concerns about Spain and<br />
Italy are driving fears they<br />
could be next to need bailouts<br />
from the European Union and<br />
International Monetary Fund,<br />
after Greece, Ireland and Portugal.<br />
In Spain, the new economy<br />
minister has warned that<br />
banks may face up to 50-bil-<br />
McDonald’s Seeb branch<br />
Manager wins award<br />
By A Staff Reporter<br />
MUSCAT — The McDonald’s<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> (Al Daud Restaurants<br />
LLC) ‘Restaurant Manager<br />
of the Year’ award was won<br />
by Ahmed al Afari, restaurant<br />
manager of McDonald’s<br />
Seeb, for his outstanding contributions<br />
and consistently<br />
delivering high standards of<br />
quality, service, cleanliness,<br />
value, <strong>Oman</strong>isation and total<br />
customer satisfaction<br />
Al Afari is the first <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
restaurant manager to have<br />
received such an award – the<br />
highest distinction given to a<br />
restaurant manager who exemplifies<br />
excellent performance<br />
and achievements throughout<br />
the year.<br />
Al Afari, who started as a<br />
Service Crew in McDonald’s,<br />
has developed himself into<br />
a successful restaurant manager.<br />
“Thanks to McDonald’s<br />
career and development programme”,<br />
Al Afari enthused.<br />
“The company does not only<br />
hone my skills, leadership and<br />
capabilities, but also recog-<br />
steady breeze of air. Hayashi fans are an unmatched example of path breaking technology.<br />
With its maximum air propulsion technology, it gives incomparable air spread and<br />
volume.<br />
Al Madina Logistics provides new services<br />
AL Madina Logistics now provides 3PL services for Vale <strong>Oman</strong>. As per the agreement,<br />
Al Madina Logistics will provide full warehouse management services for the Vale<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> facility at the Sohar Industrial Port, as well as full logistics services and inventory<br />
management.<br />
The importance of superior logistics services cannot be over emphasised. Mahmood<br />
Sakhi Albalushi, CEO, said that the soaring standards of Al Madina Logistics,<br />
their warehouse construction and management systems, logistics services, and highly<br />
professional staff are their strengths. Al Madina Logistics aims to set a benchmark for<br />
the provision of superior logistic services, and have nearly completed the first state-ofthe-art<br />
integrated distribution centre facility in <strong>Oman</strong>.<br />
Ahlibank MyHassad draw winners<br />
AHLIBANK announced recently the names of the MyHassad daily prize draw winners,<br />
Muhalhal Kadhim Ghuloom al Ajmi from Barka branch, Ali Marhoon Salim al<br />
Yaqoobi and Khursheed Qamar Sultan Mohammed From Main branch and Kathiya<br />
Salam Khamis al Waali from Ibri branch, were the lucky winners of RO 1,000 each<br />
for the week. MyHassad savings account continues to successfully satisfy the existing<br />
customers and attract new ones.<br />
BankDhofar Al Heson draw winner<br />
BANKDHOFAR continues to announce the winners of Al Heson Saving Scheme<br />
weekly and monthly prize. The latest mega monthly prize of RO <strong>10</strong>0,000 went to<br />
Rashid Suliaman Suhail al Maamari. The prize cheque was handed over to the winner<br />
by Ali al Marzooki, Saham Branch Manager, BankDhofar.<br />
The Al Heson draw has been gaining momentum over the years as people are steadily<br />
starting to appreciate the wealth of benefits that the account offers. This promotion<br />
embodies the bank’s firm commitment to its customers, in not only providing the very<br />
best in terms of products and services but also helping to educate people to manage<br />
their own finances; instead of just putting in their money.<br />
The scheme provides customers with an opportunity to save with the prospects to<br />
making one’s wishes come true faster. Both existing and new customers of BankDhofar<br />
are eligible to reap the benefits of its weekly and monthly prize draws.<br />
Asian stock markets mixed on Europe fears, US jobs data<br />
lion euros in bad loan provisions.<br />
There were also worries<br />
that another round of meetings<br />
among European leaders<br />
this week would produce few<br />
concrete debt-busting measures.<br />
"The tone for the euro remains<br />
weak into the ECB<br />
meeting on <strong>Jan</strong>uary 12," DBS<br />
Group Research said in a report.<br />
"Today’s meeting between<br />
German Chancellor Angela<br />
nises my efforts and achievements.<br />
This makes my journey<br />
with McDonald’s very fulfilling”.<br />
Commenting on Al Afari’s<br />
achievement, Ali K Daud, Development<br />
Licensee and President<br />
of McDonald’s <strong>Oman</strong>,<br />
said: “It gives me great pride<br />
that an <strong>Oman</strong>i is named the<br />
‘Restaurant Manager of the<br />
Year’ for the first time. His<br />
achievement is a testament<br />
to our mission of providing<br />
greater job opportunities for<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>is and supporting their<br />
career growth within the or-<br />
Merkel and French President<br />
Nicolas Sarkozy is unlikely to<br />
deliver any surprises."<br />
The negative feeling stood<br />
in contrast to jobs data from<br />
the United States, where the<br />
unemployment rate dropped<br />
to 8.5 per cent in December,<br />
the lowest level in nearly three<br />
years, as hiring surged by<br />
200,000, topping forecasts for<br />
a 150,000 increase.<br />
Wall Street was mixed on<br />
Friday with the Dow Jones<br />
Industrial Average losing 0.45<br />
ganisation through various<br />
training and development programmes.<br />
I look forward to<br />
seeing more <strong>Oman</strong>is growing<br />
and building successful careers<br />
at McDonald’s”.<br />
The ‘Restaurant Manager<br />
of the Year’ award was presented<br />
by Ali K Daud, Development<br />
Licensee of McDonald’s<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>, Matt Abunasser,<br />
Senior Director of Operations,<br />
McDonald’s Middle East, and<br />
Christopher Charles, Market<br />
Manager during the company’s<br />
Annual Dinner, held at<br />
Crowne Plaza Muscat.<br />
per cent, the broad-based S&P<br />
500 slipping 0.25 per cent<br />
while the tech-heavy Nasdaq<br />
finished up 0.16 per cent.<br />
On oil markets, New York's<br />
main contract, West Texas Intermediate<br />
crude for delivery<br />
in February, was up 26 cents at<br />
$<strong>10</strong>1.82 in afternoon trade.<br />
Brent North Sea crude for<br />
February gained 51 cents to<br />
$113.57.<br />
Gold was at $1,620.60 an<br />
ounce by <strong>10</strong><strong>10</strong> GMT against<br />
$1,621.20 late Friday. — AFP
23 OMAN TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
OCCI elects board, committee<br />
heads, outlines agenda<br />
From page 21<br />
He said, this cannot be achieved without the<br />
joint efforts, togetherness and co-operation<br />
of all of the parties involved. The upcoming<br />
stage will bring even higher levels of co-operation<br />
and co-ordination between the public<br />
and private sectors with the Chamber acting as<br />
the point-of-contact between the two sectors<br />
throughout the coming period, he added.<br />
Meanwhile, the heads of specialised committees<br />
were selected at the meeting:<br />
Economic Committee and Food Safety<br />
Committee — Khalil bin Abdullah al Khonji,<br />
OCCI Chairman, Tourism Committee — Ibrahim<br />
bin Said al Nabahani, Industrial and Mining<br />
Sector Committee — Ayman bin Abdullah<br />
al Hasani, Banking Committee — Mustafa bin<br />
Ahmed al Lawati, Insurance and Finance Committee<br />
— Majid bin Abdulrahim al Bahrani,<br />
HRD and Labour Market Committee —<br />
Sahar Sa’ad al Ka’abi, Investment Promotion<br />
Committee — Ahmed bin Saleh Ba’abood,<br />
Services Committee — Redha Mohammed<br />
al Saleh, Real Estate Development Committee<br />
— Shihab bin Yousuf bin Alawi, Transportation<br />
Committee — Salem bin Saleem al<br />
Jenaibi, Businesswomen Forum Committee<br />
— Abeer bint Mohammed al Abduwaniya and<br />
SME Committee — Khalid bin Mohammed<br />
al Zubair.<br />
The Chairman stressed that the new formation<br />
of the specialised committees took into<br />
consideration the changes in the current economic<br />
climate and the requirements and needs<br />
of the private sector.<br />
New committees were formed under the<br />
names of SME Committee, Food Security<br />
Committee and Real Estate Committee. The<br />
Chairman called on the business community to<br />
interact with all of the committees by joining,<br />
communicating views and providing suggestions<br />
to them.<br />
The meeting also nominated the Chairmen<br />
THE annual return of<br />
investors and traders<br />
after weeks of hibernation<br />
has caused the usual<br />
chasing after potential profitable<br />
trades. Fresh money has<br />
been put to work and the energy<br />
sector and precious metals<br />
have so far been the main<br />
recipients as improved economic<br />
data, especially from<br />
the US, and not least the threat<br />
of conflict in the Arabian Gulf<br />
has lifted oil prices and triggered<br />
renewed safe haven<br />
buying of gold and silver. Also<br />
included in this week’s report<br />
are our views on the outlook<br />
for the first quarter.<br />
This week attention will<br />
focus on the annual rebalancing<br />
of the world’s two most<br />
followed commodity benchmarks,<br />
the Dow Jones-UBS<br />
Commodity Index (DJ-UBS<br />
CI) and the S&P GSCI Commodity<br />
Index (S&P GSCI).<br />
It is estimated that between<br />
$250 billion and $300 billion<br />
is invested directly or benchmarked<br />
against these two indices<br />
and it will be an important<br />
focus over the next couple of<br />
weeks as investor flows across<br />
underlying commodity futures<br />
can be quite significant.<br />
A quick look at the performance<br />
table for the first week of<br />
<strong>2012</strong> reveals the DJ-UBS index<br />
returning a healthy 2 per<br />
cent primarily helped by gains<br />
in energy and precious metals.<br />
Soft commodities have generally<br />
been struggling and wheat<br />
prices on both sides of the<br />
Atlantic succumbed to profittaking<br />
following a strong end<br />
of year rally.<br />
<strong>2012</strong> index rebalancing<br />
Each <strong>Jan</strong>uary, both the DJ-<br />
UBS CI and the S&P GSCI indices<br />
alter their current exposure<br />
of their baskets to bring<br />
them back to their original<br />
fundamental target weights<br />
and to allow for any new adjustments.<br />
The rebalancing<br />
is mostly but not exclusively<br />
a matter of selling the previous<br />
year’s outperformers and<br />
buying the underperformers<br />
to bring the portfolio composure<br />
back in line. This year<br />
we have an added twist, with<br />
Brent crude being added to<br />
the DJ-UBS index for the first<br />
time and WTI crude seeing<br />
its weight being reduced by a<br />
similar amount.<br />
The settlement price on<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 6 will determine the<br />
final amount of contracts to be<br />
bought and sold with the actual<br />
exercise taking place from<br />
Monday, <strong>Jan</strong>uary 9, to Friday,<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 13. Some 20 per cent<br />
of the rebalancing size will<br />
REDHA Juma al Saleh, Ayman Abdullah al Hasani and Shihab<br />
bin Yousuf bin Alawi<br />
be adjusted each day using<br />
the futures contracts’ closing<br />
prices on that day.<br />
Broadly speaking, agriculture,<br />
livestock and industrials<br />
will be bought while precious<br />
metals and energy will be sold<br />
with the exception of natural<br />
gas and the above mentioned<br />
Brent crude contract.<br />
It may potentially have an<br />
upside price impact on sugar,<br />
nickel, cotton, wheat and zinc<br />
as the estimated rebalancing<br />
size required represents a sig-<br />
nificant portion of the available<br />
liquidity of each commodity.<br />
Signs that traders had<br />
tried to pre-empt this buying<br />
was seen on Thursday when<br />
sugar dropped 5.2 per cent,<br />
the most since September, as<br />
fundamental news caused the<br />
price to drop and then be exacerbated<br />
by speculators who<br />
were forced to close long positions.<br />
With the S&P GSCI also<br />
reducing its exposure to WTI<br />
crude to the benefit of Brent<br />
crude and gas oil the total<br />
amount of WTI crude that<br />
needs to be sold is estimated<br />
at above $15 billion against<br />
more than $5 billion being<br />
bought in Brent crude.<br />
Although significant these<br />
amounts are still relatively<br />
small compared to the daily<br />
average volumes but have<br />
nevertheless helped trigger a<br />
significant outperformance of<br />
Brent crude this week.<br />
The spread has widened by<br />
$3 over the last week to above<br />
$11 indicating that traders and<br />
fund managers, who tracks the<br />
DJ-UBS, have been active already<br />
ahead of the big trades<br />
next week.<br />
of OCCI branches in various governorates:<br />
Ibrahim bin Said al Nabahani — Dakhiliyah<br />
Governorate, Shaikh Batti Mohammed al<br />
Niyadi — Al Buraimi Governorate, Hassan bin<br />
Hamed al Ma’eeni — Musandam Governorate,<br />
Salem bin Saleem al Junaibi — Al Wusta Governorate,<br />
Said bin Saleh al Kiyumi — Al Batinah<br />
South and North Governorates, Abdullah<br />
bin Salem al Rowas — Dhofar Governorate,<br />
Ali bin Salem al Hajry — Sharqiyah South<br />
and North Governorates and Ali bin Saleh al<br />
Kalbani — Dhahirah Governorate<br />
Al Khonji concluded by noting, other important<br />
factors include the provision of training<br />
for the national workforce — in order to<br />
improve their capabilities and efficiency in<br />
serving the nation and society, keeping pace<br />
with global economic developments, exerting<br />
efforts to increase the interaction of business<br />
communities in various economic activities<br />
and including them in the formulation of economic<br />
policies.<br />
Other needs include promoting <strong>Oman</strong>i products<br />
locally and internationally by participating<br />
in trade exhibitions and hosting trade delegations,<br />
as well as the further activation of OCCI<br />
branches through the employment of economic<br />
services studies for each governorate.<br />
The participation of the private sector in<br />
formulating economic policies will be achieved<br />
via the representation of various committees<br />
and authorities that deal with economic concerns.<br />
While the attraction and promotion of<br />
foreign investment is sought to further increase<br />
national income and create new job opportunities<br />
for the country’s citizens.<br />
The Chairman re-emphasised the importance<br />
of improving services being offered by<br />
OCCI for the benefit of its members and the<br />
necessity of interacting with various companies<br />
and establishments of the private sector.<br />
Commodities boom – for now<br />
WEEKLY UPDATE<br />
By Ole S. Hansen<br />
Bracing for headwinds<br />
The first quarter will most<br />
likely produce a great amount<br />
of uncertainty as the market<br />
will be looking for clarity on<br />
many of the unanswered questions<br />
left from 2011, especially<br />
the all-important unknown of<br />
whether we will face another<br />
global recession in <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
With our expectations for<br />
further dollar appreciation<br />
during the early stages of<br />
<strong>2012</strong>, the upside for the major<br />
commodity indices seems<br />
to be limited during the first<br />
quarter with investors likely<br />
to be very selective.<br />
Precious metals like gold<br />
and to certain extent silver<br />
will continue to benefit from<br />
continued risk aversion.<br />
Supporting factors also<br />
include the negative yield<br />
environment, currently seen<br />
among more than half of the<br />
G20 nations, combined with<br />
strong physical demand from<br />
central banks and emerging<br />
market investors.<br />
We see prices stabilising after<br />
a late 2011 correction with<br />
fresh investment flows driving<br />
the price towards 1,800 during<br />
Q1 and even higher later in the<br />
year.<br />
Technical update: the rally<br />
from the lows has put gold in<br />
a much better near-term situation<br />
with a close above the<br />
200-day moving average at<br />
$1,634 signalling further upside<br />
potential. Only a weekly<br />
close below $1,545 would<br />
shatter this projection and lead<br />
to a deeper correction.<br />
The author is Senior<br />
Commodity Strategist<br />
at Saxo Bank
BankMuscat wins top honours<br />
in Best Brands survey<br />
By A Staff Reporter<br />
MUSCAT — In recognition<br />
of extraordinary distinctive<br />
brand-building initiatives,<br />
BankMuscat has been voted<br />
the Best Brand in the banking<br />
segment in the annual Best<br />
Brands in <strong>Oman</strong> survey conducted<br />
by a leading local business<br />
magazine.<br />
BankMuscat took an unassailable<br />
lead over its nearest<br />
competition scoring 520<br />
points in the top management<br />
choice compared to the<br />
runner-up which received<br />
only 130 points. In the popular<br />
choice, the bank scored<br />
4,270 points as against the<br />
790 points scored by the second<br />
place winner.<br />
“As every year,<br />
BankMuscat is way ahead<br />
of the rest. Few brands have<br />
seen such complete domination.<br />
BankMuscat has clearly<br />
emerged the favourite among<br />
people from all walks of life,<br />
irrespective of their age or<br />
position. What is most commendable<br />
is the margin by<br />
which BankMuscat has won<br />
the top spot,” the business<br />
magazine said, hailing the<br />
bank as the titan in the banking<br />
segment.<br />
Mohammed Mubarak al<br />
Hassani, Head — Corporate<br />
Communications, said: “The<br />
recognition as the top brand<br />
is a tribute to the largest banking<br />
family in <strong>Oman</strong> which has<br />
FRANKFURT — BMW<br />
posted record car sales for<br />
2011 and forecast that a boom<br />
in luxury cars would keep it<br />
ahead of rivals this year as<br />
the world's biggest maker of<br />
premium cars enjoys strong<br />
demand from China and the<br />
United States.<br />
The Munich-based company<br />
said yesterday that worldwide<br />
sales of BMW, MINI and<br />
Rolls-Royce cars rose 14.2 per<br />
cent to 1.67 million last year as<br />
it sold more X3 sport untility<br />
vehicles, 5 Series models and<br />
MINIs.<br />
Appetite for BMW's ultraluxury<br />
cars reached a new<br />
high, with annual sales of<br />
Rolls-Royce vehicles in 2011<br />
rising to the highest level in<br />
the company's <strong>10</strong>7-year history,<br />
jumping almost 31 per<br />
cent to 3,538 cars.<br />
Finance chief Friedrich<br />
Eichiner said last week he expected<br />
the global market for<br />
premium cars to grow at more<br />
than 8 per cent this year, more<br />
played a key role in establishing<br />
BankMuscat as the first<br />
choice for banking services.<br />
The emotional chord emanating<br />
from the brand has helped<br />
BankMuscat products and<br />
services to evolve over the<br />
years in tandem with specific<br />
customer requirements.”<br />
Al Hassani added:<br />
“BankMuscat recognises that<br />
building strong brand equity<br />
is an important recipe for success.<br />
The brand is associated<br />
with its commitment to the<br />
development of <strong>Oman</strong>i citizens<br />
and society. BankMuscat<br />
strongly believes in the need<br />
for bringing about a positive<br />
change in the lives of different<br />
segments of society.”<br />
Al Hassani said: “The<br />
BankMuscat brand possesses<br />
the characteristics of innovation<br />
and creativity. The brand<br />
has evolved over time to become<br />
a brand personality. The<br />
brand possesses youthful and<br />
smart characteristics acquired<br />
through effective communication<br />
and initiatives which take<br />
than twice as fast as the overall<br />
car market, which should work<br />
in favour of BMW.<br />
Volkswagen said last week<br />
that 2011 sales of luxury<br />
Bentley cars rose 37 per cent<br />
to 7,003 after recording the<br />
brand's second-highest sales<br />
volume ever in December.<br />
Credit Suisse analyst Arndt<br />
Ellinghorst raised his target<br />
price on BMW shares to 76<br />
euros from 72 euros, saying he<br />
into account the wishes of customers.”<br />
The brand recall for<br />
BankMuscat was among the<br />
highest compared to previous<br />
years. Among the top management<br />
survey respondents, 40<br />
per cent of <strong>Oman</strong>is and 57 per<br />
cent of expatriates endorsed<br />
BankMuscat. In the popular<br />
choice, 52 per cent of <strong>Oman</strong>is<br />
and 54 per cent of expatriates<br />
voted for BankMuscat. The<br />
survey findings were mainly<br />
based on unaided recall,<br />
which implied superb brand<br />
exposure, indicating a clear<br />
competitive advantage in the<br />
brand space.<br />
In the top management category,<br />
a cross-section of executives<br />
at the level of chairmen,<br />
CEOs and general managers<br />
across industries were asked<br />
to spontaneously recall one<br />
brand in each category. In the<br />
popular choice category, a<br />
cross-section of people across<br />
Muscat were randomly selected<br />
from executives to senior<br />
managers to ensure a healthy<br />
mix of survey respondents, including<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>is, Asian, Western<br />
and Arab expatriates.<br />
With a brand value of $300<br />
million, BankMuscat was<br />
ranked among the top 500<br />
global banking brands by The<br />
Banker magazine in 2011. The<br />
bank also won the prestigious<br />
Asia’s Best Brand award in<br />
recognition of building a successful<br />
global brand.<br />
expects premium carmakers to<br />
come out ahead this year as the<br />
gap between the strong and the<br />
weak widens further.<br />
"Globalisation of demand<br />
and the emergence of wealth<br />
in emerging markets have<br />
widened the gap between global<br />
players with strong brand<br />
equity and weak domesticallydependent<br />
brands," Ellinghorst<br />
said in a note yesterday.<br />
BMW's biggest single mar-<br />
24<br />
OMAN/INTERNATIONAL TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Spain faces deficit<br />
challenge: Moody’s<br />
MADRID — Spain must<br />
squeeze an "unprecedented"<br />
40 billion euros ($51 billion)<br />
out of the budget in <strong>2012</strong> so<br />
as to meet its deficit-cutting<br />
target, Moody's warned yesterday.<br />
The New York-based rating<br />
agency said the new rightleaning<br />
Spanish government<br />
faced a much tougher task in<br />
<strong>2012</strong> because of a significant<br />
budget overrun in 2011.<br />
The government announced<br />
on December 30<br />
that Spain's public deficit<br />
would come in at 8 per cent<br />
of gross domestic product in<br />
2011, down from 9.3 per cent<br />
in 20<strong>10</strong> but way above the official<br />
6 per cent target.<br />
"The large fiscal deficit in<br />
2011 is credit negative and<br />
clearly illustrates the challenge<br />
facing authorities in<br />
bringing Spain's finances<br />
back onto a sustainable path,"<br />
Moody's Investors Service<br />
said. Prime Minister Mariano<br />
Rajoy's Popular Party government<br />
has promised to stick<br />
to a <strong>2012</strong> target of cutting<br />
the deficit to 4.4 per cent of<br />
GDP.<br />
"Achieving this year's unchanged<br />
budget deficit target<br />
of 4.4 per cent of GDP for<br />
the general government sector<br />
requires an unprecedented<br />
effort," Moody's said in a report.<br />
"Under our assumptions<br />
the required adjustment is<br />
ket is the United States, where<br />
it sells about 18 per cent of its<br />
vehicles. It is followed by Germany<br />
and China, accounting<br />
for 17.8 per cent and almost<br />
14 per cent, respectively.<br />
BMW said the rate of sales<br />
growth slowed to 11.9 per cent<br />
in December.<br />
The shares were up 1.6 per<br />
cent at 56.44 euros by 1118<br />
GMT, making them the biggest<br />
gainer on the German bluechip<br />
index and outperforming<br />
the STOXX Europe 600 Automobiles<br />
& Parts index, which<br />
was up 0.4 per cent.<br />
BMW Chief Executive<br />
Norbert Reithofer earlier said<br />
in a newspaper interview<br />
that he was "very optimistic<br />
about the US market's growth<br />
prospects", after the German<br />
carmaker's sales grew by almost<br />
15 per cent there in 2011.<br />
Reithofer told The Wall Street<br />
Journal he expects vehicle<br />
sales growth to be fastest in<br />
the second half of the year<br />
thanks to the market launch of<br />
around 40 billion euros."<br />
That compared to a deficit<br />
reduction of about 28 billion<br />
euros in 20<strong>10</strong> and 2011<br />
combined, it said. "Achieving<br />
such a massive fiscal adjustment<br />
amid slowing economic<br />
growth risks exacerbating the<br />
negative economic outlook,"<br />
Moody's said.<br />
It forecast the Spanish<br />
economy would shrink by<br />
0.5-1 per cent in <strong>2012</strong> after<br />
growing 0.7 per cent in 2011.<br />
The government, which<br />
won power in November<br />
20 elections, has announced<br />
spending cuts of 8.9 billion<br />
euros, including a public sector<br />
wage freeze, and tax increases<br />
to bring in 6.275 billion<br />
euros. Combined, those<br />
measures added up to about<br />
15.2 billion euros, or 1.5 per<br />
cent of GDP, Moody's said.<br />
In addition, the government<br />
said last week it aimed<br />
to recoup 8.17 billion euros<br />
this year by fighting tax<br />
fraud, in particular boosting<br />
the number of tax inspectors<br />
and limiting the size of cash<br />
payments. "However, such<br />
revenues are notoriously difficult<br />
to estimate and recover,"<br />
Moody's said.<br />
The new government's<br />
swift action showed its commitment<br />
to repairing state<br />
finances but more measures<br />
would be needed to bring<br />
Spain back to a sustainable<br />
path, Moody's said. — AFP<br />
BMW aims for top spot this year<br />
the new BMW 3 Series next<br />
month. One in three BMWs<br />
sold is a 3 Series, and the new<br />
car is crucial for BMW to fend<br />
off rivals Mercedes-Benz and<br />
Audi, the premium brand of<br />
Volkswagen.<br />
Reithofer's comments come<br />
as the Detroit Auto Show<br />
opened yesterday, where car<br />
makers are showing off upcoming<br />
models such as Cadillac's<br />
ATS, with which General<br />
Motors is squarely targeting<br />
BMW's 3 Series.<br />
BMW grabbed the top spot<br />
in the US luxury car market<br />
last year, edging out Toyota's<br />
Lexus and Daimler's Mercedes-Benz.<br />
Reithofer said he expects<br />
BMW to grow faster than the<br />
overall market this year, after<br />
entering the new year with<br />
strong orders.<br />
"We're starting <strong>2012</strong> with<br />
a very good order book and<br />
very young model range ... this<br />
should provide some momentum."<br />
— Reuters<br />
TEL: 2460<strong>10</strong>03, 24600586 • FAX: 24600736<br />
• WEBSITE: www.salalahport.com<br />
BIZ BRIEFS<br />
Rolls-Royce posts record car sales<br />
LONDON — German-owned British<br />
luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce announced<br />
yesterday that sales rocketed to an alltime<br />
high last year, smashing its 33-yearold<br />
record, driven by demand from China<br />
and the United States.<br />
The group, which is owned by German<br />
auto giant BMW, said in a statement that<br />
production leapt 31 per cent to 3,538 cars<br />
in 2011.<br />
That compared with 2,711 in the previous<br />
year and was the highest-ever output<br />
in the <strong>10</strong>7-year history of Rolls-Royce.<br />
The 2011 performance beat the previous record of 3,347 cars set in 1978. Rolls-Royce, which<br />
is based at the Goodwood factory in West Sussex, southern England, also said China and<br />
the United States were now the "most significant individual markets" for the maker of ultraluxurious<br />
vehicles.<br />
"We had an outstanding year in 2011 and we should take a moment to reflect on this great<br />
British success story," said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer at Rolls-Royce<br />
Motor Cars. "Our business is in excellent shape. We are developing our dealer network, moving<br />
into new markets like South America, expanding our manufacturing operation in West<br />
Sussex to meet global demand and have plans to develop our product range.<br />
"At the core of this extraordinary success is a dedicated, committed and, above all, passionate<br />
workforce," he added.<br />
The company, purchased by BMW in 1998, said sales surged last year by 47 per cent<br />
across the Asia Pacific region, by 17 per cent in North America and by 23 per cent in the<br />
Middle East.<br />
In September, Rolls-Royce unveiled plans to expand its Goodwood factory to meet strong<br />
global demand for the group's personalised range of 'Ghost' and 'Phantom' models. Expansion<br />
work will start in February and take nine months to complete.<br />
Europe steelmakers file suit against China<br />
BRUSSELS — European steelmakers<br />
have filed an anti-subsidy complaint<br />
against cut-rate China imports blamed<br />
for undermining the EU industry, the European<br />
Steel Association (Eurofer) said<br />
yesterday.<br />
The complaint put to the European<br />
Commission on Friday is Eurofer's second<br />
recent move against Chinese steel imports<br />
after it called for an anti-dumping inquiry<br />
in November against organic coated steel<br />
from China, which is used in cars and<br />
construction.<br />
The latest complaint is against "massive subsidisation" through preferential loans, grants,<br />
tax breaks and cheap supplies across the entire spectrum of the industry — investment, production,<br />
sales and exports.<br />
"Clearly the miracle of the Chinese steel industry, which now counts for almost 50 per cent<br />
of global steel production, is not the result of free market forces," said Eurofer head Gordon<br />
Moffat. "The Chinese government at central, provincial and local level owns, directs and subsidises<br />
virtually every aspect of its steel industry and has financed huge excess capacities," he<br />
said. "By promoting a sector intrinsically lacking a genuine cost advantage, China continues<br />
to be the major cause of unfair competition in the global steel market, injuring in particular<br />
the European steel industry on the domestic and third markets."<br />
Late November, Eurofer said in filing an anti-dumping complaint that imports of organic<br />
coated steel had increased from 0.5 per cent in 2004 to 15 per cent in 2011, with the products<br />
sold well below prices of EU and other producers.<br />
The European steel industry has annual turnover of 190 billion euros ($242 billion) and<br />
employs 360,000 people in more than 500 sites in 23 European Union states.<br />
GSK to file lung drug despite poor data<br />
LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline will<br />
push ahead with filing its key new lung<br />
drug Relovair for regulatory approval<br />
in mid-<strong>2012</strong>, despite releasing a mixed<br />
batch of clinical trial results that disappointed<br />
some investors yesterday.<br />
Although the new once-a-day inhaled<br />
treatment did not show superiority<br />
to GSK's existing twice-daily drug<br />
Advair, Britain's biggest drugmaker<br />
said the totality of the data gave it confidence<br />
about the medicine's prospects.<br />
The convenience of Relovair's oncedaily<br />
dosing should give it an edge, which GSK hopes will help it carve out billions of dollars<br />
in sales as a replacement for Advair, which has worldwide revenue of more than $8 billion<br />
a year. Mark Clark, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, said the data was "poor" and the failure to<br />
beat Advair in clinical outcomes would reduce Relovair's commercial potential and GSK's<br />
pricing power for the product.<br />
"This means any advantage is limited to its once-versus twice-daily format," he said.<br />
Clark also believes GSK may now have trouble getting Relovair approved, since the results<br />
were inconsistent across trials and reports of fatal pneumonia in some of the studies<br />
were a potential concern. Analysts at Shore Capital said the lack of superiority to Advair<br />
could limit Relovair's commercial positioning but added the data would probably not impact<br />
its chances of winning of approval. Relovair, which is being developed with US-based Theravance,<br />
will be filed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the United States<br />
and Europe in the middle of the year.<br />
Yell begins debt purchase process<br />
LONDON — Yellow pages publisher Yell<br />
Group said it will begin its debt buyback<br />
process on <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>10</strong> and conclude it on<br />
or before <strong>Jan</strong>uary 19.<br />
As agreed by lenders in December,<br />
Yell has up to £159.5 million ($245.75<br />
million) available to repurchase part of<br />
its £2.6 billion debt at discounted market<br />
prices.<br />
The company's euro-denominated term<br />
loan B is offered at 32 per cent to face<br />
value in secondary trading, according to<br />
Thomson Reuters LPC data.<br />
The repurchase is part of the company's efforts to reduce its debt burden while it implements<br />
a number of strategic initiatives to shift from print operations to digital as the business<br />
is in decline.<br />
To ensure more flexibility, lenders to Yell in December agreed, among other things, to<br />
provide more headroom on its net debt to earnings (EBITDA) covenant until 2014 and reduce<br />
the amount of its revolving credit facility to £75 million from £172.6 million.<br />
Hannover Re insures some of L&G risks<br />
FRANKFURT — German reinsurer Hannover<br />
Re is insuring Legal and General<br />
against the risk that about 11,500 pensioners,<br />
former employees at British glass<br />
maker Pilkington, will live longer than<br />
expected.<br />
Hannover Re said yesterday it expected<br />
£800 million ($1.23 billion) in premiums<br />
from the deal, which covers about £1 billion<br />
worth of combined future pension that<br />
will go to the retirees, who on average are<br />
73 years old.<br />
Hannover Re expects to post about £60 million in additional premiums from the deal this<br />
year.<br />
"With this transaction we are cementing our leading position in the attractive longevity<br />
risks market," Chief Executive Officer Ulrich Wallin said.<br />
"We anticipate good business opportunities since it is likely that companies will increasingly<br />
seek to limit their direct pension obligations," he added.<br />
The reinsurer will not assume any investment and inflation risks linked to Legal and General's<br />
pension contracts.<br />
Since striking its first longevity block transaction in 1998 Hannover Re has taken pension<br />
obligations representing around 5 billion euros ($6.36 billion) in pension payouts, with a<br />
focus on blue-collar workers, it said. — Agencies
By KabeerYousuf<br />
THE bilateral relations between the<br />
Sultanate of <strong>Oman</strong> and The Netherlands<br />
date back to several centuries<br />
down the history. Both have long seafaring<br />
traditions, and encountered each other<br />
regularly, by the way not only in <strong>Oman</strong><br />
but also in Zanzibar.<br />
In the 17th century the Dutch East<br />
India company had for a short while a<br />
consulate in Muscat and in the 19th century<br />
both parties even signed a free trade<br />
agreement. Those maritime relations<br />
are in no way history now: maritime cooperation<br />
still belongs to the core of the<br />
bilateral relations given the co-operation<br />
between Rotterdam and <strong>Oman</strong> in the Port<br />
of Sohar.<br />
Water in general is an issue that binds<br />
both countries together though from quite<br />
different angles: the Dutch have to make<br />
major efforts to pump the excess water<br />
out to the sea as fast as possible since a<br />
large part of the Netherland is below sea<br />
level. The <strong>Oman</strong>is on the other hand have<br />
to make efforts to keep as much water as<br />
possible in since every drop is valuable.<br />
Co-operation in economic<br />
and investment areas<br />
Both <strong>Oman</strong> and Netherlands are working<br />
hard on exploring newer vistas in economic,<br />
investment and other areas. Just<br />
before the State Visit the Agreement between<br />
the Kingdom and the Sultanate on<br />
Ten Tactics to Get Into The<br />
State of Flow<br />
Page 26<br />
the avoidance of double taxation and the<br />
prevention of fiscal evasion with respect<br />
to taxes on income entered into force. Tax<br />
treaties can play a vital role in achieving<br />
tax efficiency on cross-border investments<br />
and thus can stimulate cooperation.<br />
Mutual investments are on the rise and the<br />
volume of <strong>Oman</strong>i investments in Holland<br />
is increasing on a steady scale mostly in<br />
real estate and shipping. On a reciprocal<br />
note, Holland’s Port of Rotterdam has<br />
made substantial investments in the Port<br />
of Sohar, together with the <strong>Oman</strong>i Government.<br />
“My hope is that the Port and the<br />
Freezone next to the port will become<br />
ever bigger engines for the <strong>Oman</strong>i economy<br />
and a major employment booster for<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>is. Holland has, of course, also been<br />
quite involved in <strong>Oman</strong>’s energy sector”,<br />
Stefan van Wersch, Dutch ambassador to<br />
the Sultanate told the <strong>Observer</strong>.<br />
“We have a substantial Dutch community<br />
in <strong>Oman</strong>, is obviously a direct result<br />
of the presence of Royal Dutch Shell, an<br />
Anglo-Dutch company. But we are active<br />
in many other fields such as wind and<br />
solar energy, food security, consultancy,<br />
logistics, environment, road safety, transport,<br />
shipbuilding, electronics, you name<br />
it. Crosscutting themes are always innovation<br />
and sustainability.<br />
“We recently had an architectural<br />
mission visiting in <strong>Oman</strong> and they showed<br />
the kind of schools that are nowadays built<br />
Complex exercises can help the old<br />
be more secure on their feet<br />
Page 27<br />
Healthy eating may<br />
helps ADHD kids<br />
Page 27<br />
All-girls team heading towards<br />
mountains<br />
Page 28<br />
Fea ures<br />
Tuesday, <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
for vocational training”.<br />
Further enhancement of cultural<br />
and educational ties<br />
The Netherlands Embassy had in the<br />
last years some great events, such as the<br />
Rembrandt etchings exhibition in 2009<br />
in Muscat, and an <strong>Oman</strong> exhibition in the<br />
heart of Amsterdam in 20<strong>10</strong>. Those were<br />
real toppers, and it is not easy to emulate<br />
that level year after year.<br />
“We will have classical and jazz events<br />
coming up in March <strong>2012</strong>, and I hope that<br />
very soon a Dutch orchestra will be able<br />
to perform in the Royal Opera House. But<br />
we are also working hard on the project of<br />
the shipwreck of the Amstelveen in 1763<br />
and the survival trek of the 30 castaways<br />
which I mentioned above. Actually we<br />
signed last year an MoU on this subject<br />
which is in a sense the perfect example<br />
of shared heritage, namely encounters of<br />
Dutch and <strong>Oman</strong>is in the desert 250 years<br />
ago. We are working on a documentary on<br />
this story”.<br />
The Dutch diplomatic mission in Muscat<br />
is giving the final touches to an exhibition<br />
and a maritime conference and is also<br />
looking into the possibility that <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
students or young professionals will have<br />
internships in Dutch museums.<br />
“Regarding education let me mention<br />
that we provide scholarships to young<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>i professionals on a yearly basis:<br />
they get a chance to follow courses in the<br />
Netherlands that directly relate to their<br />
jobs. That could be water management,<br />
business administration, agriculture and<br />
fisheries or geography, just to name some<br />
fields. Thanks to the scholarships that His<br />
Majesty granted, more and more <strong>Oman</strong>is<br />
are now going to Dutch universities which<br />
provide high quality education in the English<br />
language. Through the initiatives<br />
of Prof Ruud Schotting, who holds the<br />
Sultan Qaboos Chair for Water Management<br />
at my alma mater the University of<br />
Utrecht, we also see a start of Dutch students<br />
studying in <strong>Oman</strong>”.<br />
MoUs to be signed<br />
Coinciding with the visit of Beatrix<br />
the Queen of the Netherlands who is visiting<br />
the Sultanate of <strong>Oman</strong> from together<br />
with Crown Prince Willem Alexander and<br />
Princess Maxima, the two friendly countries<br />
will sign six MoU’s on several issues,<br />
namely small and medium company,<br />
about vocational training and social-economic<br />
cooperation.<br />
“These are issues that are very topical<br />
in <strong>Oman</strong> right now and I am proud that<br />
the Sultanate and the Netherlands work<br />
together in these fields that really matter.<br />
But both sides will also sign some business<br />
contracts among which a big one on<br />
hazardous waste management”. There will<br />
also be an agreement on the environment<br />
in the area of the Port of Sohar. Within<br />
the context of the visit there will also be<br />
a speech by Prof RinnooyKan, Chairman<br />
of the Dutch Socio-Economic Council on<br />
Corporate Social Responsibility.<br />
At the beginning of the Queen’s visit<br />
she will have a briefing lunch with a large<br />
group of <strong>Oman</strong>is from different sectors<br />
of society: ministers and undersecretaries<br />
but also representatives of both houses<br />
of parliament, civil society organizations,<br />
education and business. “In a sense it<br />
will be a crash course on <strong>Oman</strong> and<br />
I am certain that the high-level<br />
delegation will highly appreciate their<br />
presentations and insights on <strong>Oman</strong>’s<br />
achievements and challenges”.<br />
Katy Perry thanks<br />
fans for support<br />
Page 28<br />
Closer ties boost <strong>Oman</strong>-Netherlands friendship<br />
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands<br />
Queen Beatrix of<br />
the Netherlands will<br />
begin a three-day<br />
official visit to the<br />
Sultanate from today.<br />
Queen Beatrix will<br />
be accompanied<br />
by Crown Prince<br />
Willem Alexander<br />
and his wife Princess<br />
Máxima, and other<br />
diginitaries<br />
Prince Willem-Alexander Princess Máxima<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> and the Netherlands are working on<br />
exploring newer vistas in economic, investment<br />
and other areas. Mutual investments are on the<br />
rise and the volume of <strong>Oman</strong>i investments in<br />
Holland is increasing on a steady scale mostly<br />
in real estate and shipping. On a reciprocal<br />
note, Holland’s Port of Rotterdam has made<br />
substantial investments in the Port of Sohar,<br />
together with the <strong>Oman</strong>i government<br />
‘Flowersome’ nations<br />
Just as the <strong>Oman</strong>’s soil is a wonderland<br />
with exotic flowers and that kind,<br />
the Dutch name is somewhat synonymous<br />
with beauty and exceptional flowers. The<br />
Netherlands is the Wall Street of global<br />
ornamental horticultural trade. Its favourable<br />
climate and important logistical hubs<br />
such as main port Schiphol, plus the development<br />
of high-quality production methods,<br />
have enabled the Dutch horticulture<br />
cluster to become particularly strong. The<br />
Netherlands is also the largest exporter<br />
and importer of cut flowers and potted<br />
plants, and they are the world’s main auction<br />
centre for both. In 20<strong>10</strong>, exports of<br />
flowers and related items amounted to no<br />
less than €5.5 billion. The famous Keukenhof<br />
flower fields yearly attract millions<br />
of visitors.<br />
For Netherlands, what started as a love<br />
affair with the precious tulip, originally<br />
imported from Turkey in the 16th century,<br />
has now become a global industry worth<br />
billions of dollars. From seed technology<br />
to greenhouse innovation and from auctioning<br />
to transport, the Dutch occupy an<br />
unrivalled position in the word of flowers.<br />
Today, some 6.821 companies make a<br />
living producing cut flowers and potted<br />
plants. Of the world’s 13 most important<br />
producers of tulip bulbs, Netherlands is<br />
the most dominant force with 88 per cent<br />
of production and a total surface of <strong>10</strong>,800<br />
hectares (while the number 3, France, only<br />
produces 2.4 per cent of tulips on 293 hectares).<br />
The Dutch production of lily bulbs<br />
has a similarly unassailable position: we<br />
produce 77 per cent of lily bulbs, com-<br />
Stefan van Wersch, Dutch ambassador<br />
pared to second-placed France’s 0.8 per<br />
cent. The Netherlands accounts for 70<br />
per cent of EU trade in ornamental plant<br />
products, it accounts for 60 per cent of<br />
global trade in ornamental products and<br />
its share for flower bulbs is more than 90<br />
per cent. The Dutch are also the world’s<br />
largest exporter of seeds. Flowers, bulbs<br />
and trees contribute 35 per cent to Dutch<br />
trade surplus. The main export markets<br />
for ornamental horticulture are Germany,<br />
UK and France.<br />
The Dutch dominate the global production<br />
and trade of flower bulbs. With <strong>10</strong> billion<br />
bulbs in 20<strong>10</strong>, Netherlands accounts<br />
for 70 per cent of total global production.<br />
Some 75 per cent (a value of around €6<br />
million) is exported to more than <strong>10</strong>0<br />
countries, mainly the US, Japan, Germany<br />
and the UK. The Netherlands Embassy organized<br />
in the last years two major flower<br />
events, lastly during the National Day in<br />
2011. According to Ambassador van Wersch<br />
it is very well possible that such event<br />
will repeated again: “flowers are like our<br />
business card and business cards should<br />
be handed out on a regular basis.
26 SPOTLIGHT TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Ten Tactics to Get Into The State of Flow<br />
LEADERSHIP CORNER<br />
By Susan Bagyura<br />
RECENTLY I was listening to<br />
a very successful entrepreneur<br />
as he told the story of<br />
how his life and business has completely<br />
changed during the past four<br />
years. He started his business in 2002<br />
while he was working a full-time job.<br />
Each night he made a game of learning<br />
how to do online marketing. At<br />
first he was losing money, but rather<br />
quickly he started making small sums<br />
of money.<br />
By 2004, he was doing his business<br />
full-time and that’s when everything<br />
changed. It was no longer<br />
a game or a fun challenge. He had<br />
goals, overheads and needed to make<br />
money. As soon as he changed the<br />
way he felt about what he was doing,<br />
he was no longer in the flow. For 4<br />
years, he was stressed out and working<br />
extremely long hours. His profits<br />
were meagre and his lifestyle was unsatisfactory.<br />
In 2007, while attending seminar,<br />
he suddenly discovered that his<br />
mindset was the cause of his business<br />
results. He hadn’t realised his<br />
playful and relaxed approach to his<br />
business was actually the reason it<br />
grew and was successful enough for<br />
him to leave his high paid engineering<br />
job.<br />
It was from that point that he made<br />
a mind shift and changed his business<br />
to adapt to this new attitude. Within<br />
18 months, his business exploded by<br />
400 per cent, work became fun and he<br />
was living his dream life. Instead of<br />
chasing clients, people were coming<br />
to him; so much so that he actually<br />
had to start turning business down.<br />
People came from around the world<br />
to work in his business enabling him<br />
to pick the very best. His company<br />
THE 21th Annual Sports Meet of<br />
Indian School Al Ghubra was held<br />
last month on the school grounds.<br />
Mahamood bin Mohamed al Abri,<br />
Director, International Schools Office<br />
was the Chief Guest on the occasion.<br />
The event was also graced by the various<br />
members of the School Management<br />
Committee, well-wishers and<br />
parents.<br />
Rovina D’Souza, Sports Captain-<br />
Girls presented the welcome address<br />
and Saayefa Tarerah offered a floral<br />
welcome to the Chief Guest.<br />
The splendid March Past was<br />
followed by the students of the four<br />
Houses of the school, Sohar, Muscat,<br />
Nizwa and Sur. The Chief Guest took<br />
the salute and officially inaugurated<br />
the event.<br />
The Sports for Peace Run, a unique<br />
feature of the Annual Sports Meet of<br />
Express gratitude on a<br />
daily basis. Gratitude<br />
magnifies happiness by<br />
as much as 25 per cent<br />
within 30 days<br />
was winning awards for their business<br />
practices. He started limiting<br />
his working hours to a maximum of<br />
45 and spending more time with his<br />
family.<br />
He created a state of flow in his<br />
life and business. What is flow? As<br />
he describes it, it’s being happy in the<br />
present with great visions of the future.<br />
The key is to love what you are<br />
doing while you are doing it and, as<br />
we are all here to grow and contribute,<br />
having big goals of where you want to<br />
be — but not having your happiness<br />
tied to those goals. If your happiness<br />
is tied to the goals, this is what creates<br />
stress and negativity. It may be<br />
counter-intuitive for some, but you<br />
will accelerate to your dreams faster<br />
if you are happy in the now.<br />
Start to notice the moments when<br />
you see flow happening in your life<br />
and then create more of those moments.<br />
Consciously make efforts<br />
to keep yourself in a state of flow.<br />
If you are in a job, career or even<br />
your own business and you don’t<br />
enjoy it; you’ll never get into a state<br />
of flow unless you either get out of<br />
that position or you make some major<br />
shifts.<br />
Here are the <strong>10</strong> tactics this entrepreneur<br />
used to put his life, business<br />
and team into a state of flow:<br />
1 Express gratitude on a daily basis.<br />
Gratitude magnifies happiness by<br />
as much as 25 per cent within 30<br />
days. He made it a daily practice<br />
and included all of his employees<br />
and clients. The company created<br />
a page on their website where people<br />
could post at least one thing<br />
that they are grateful for each day.<br />
2 Instead of having weekly meetings<br />
complaining about what went<br />
KACHCHHI wing of<br />
A Indian Social Club,<br />
Muscat will be staging<br />
acclaimed Gujarati play Jaa<br />
Tari Sathe Kitta on <strong>Jan</strong>uary<br />
27 at Le Grande Hall, Al Falaj<br />
Hotel at 7 pm starring Apara<br />
Mehta and Feiroz Bhagat.<br />
The play is presented by<br />
Baliwala Theaters, written by<br />
Imtiaz Patel and directed by<br />
Feiroz Bhagat. The other cast<br />
includes well-known artistes<br />
like Babul Bhavsar, Vaishali<br />
Shukla, Khushali Jariwala,<br />
Ajay Parekh, Pritesh Sodha<br />
and Mehul Joshi.<br />
After completing 260<br />
shows in India and Dubai,<br />
Canada and USA, this highly<br />
popular play is coming to win<br />
the hearts of drama lovers of<br />
Muscat.<br />
ISG featured the athletes who have<br />
brought fame and glory to their alma<br />
mater in the various National and International<br />
Sporting events. Bearing<br />
the Sports for Peace flag were Jhanvi<br />
Shah and Rhea Shah, the swimming<br />
sensations of ISG, who won medals at<br />
wrong, he asked his team to send<br />
him stories of cool things they did<br />
outside of work, achievements<br />
within the job, new sales or innovations.<br />
Then in a meeting, he<br />
would present an Awesomeness<br />
Report and they celebrated their<br />
successes throughout the past<br />
week.<br />
3 Ten per cent of the profits are<br />
shared with the employees every<br />
month. Linking the founders and<br />
management revenue goals with<br />
the employee goals led to complete<br />
alignment. People are more<br />
committed and willing to work extra<br />
just meet deadlines.<br />
4 He created software where everyone<br />
can appreciate and praise<br />
each other. Called the Sweet<br />
Sugar Love Machine, each day<br />
people send their co-workers an<br />
icon along with their praise for<br />
something they’ve done. Since<br />
the launch, all office pettiness,<br />
politics and unwillingness to help<br />
others has disappeared, leaving in<br />
its place a very close-knit team.<br />
5 The company instituted a 45/5<br />
rule which simply stated means<br />
no one works longer than 45 hours<br />
a week. Everyone must learn to<br />
be productive so that the work is<br />
completed within 40 hours. Fur-<br />
the CBSE National Swimming Meet.<br />
Various track events were held<br />
for the sub-junior, junior, intermediate<br />
and senior categories which saw<br />
some tough competition among the<br />
athletes.<br />
The young gymnasts of ISG won<br />
ther, 5 of those hours must be invested<br />
in learning new skills and/<br />
or personal development.<br />
6 As he believes people learn more<br />
by teaching, they have implemented<br />
weekly sharing and teaching<br />
sessions to each other. Whenever<br />
someone attends a training, seminar<br />
or conference, they must teach<br />
what they have learned to the rest<br />
of the company.<br />
7 They hold weekly group meditations<br />
where he guides them to<br />
visualising their lives in 6 to 12<br />
months from now. He asks them<br />
to see what their life looks like,<br />
what job they are doing, what their<br />
bonus cheques look like, who their<br />
friends are, etc. The earlier steps<br />
like gratitude and praise raise the<br />
happiness level in the now, while<br />
the visualisations have them building<br />
great visions of their future.<br />
8 Company sponsored fun! They<br />
organise lots of parties and celebrating.<br />
He gives each employee<br />
two tickets each and asks them to<br />
bring their smartest friends to the<br />
party. This has created an excellent<br />
pool of potential employees<br />
because everyone loves the company<br />
spirit so much that they want<br />
to work there.<br />
9 He creates positive stamina in<br />
Cartoon by Fahad al Zadjali will appear in <strong>Observer</strong> every day<br />
the applause of the audience with<br />
some exceptional gymnastic exercises<br />
which included back spin, cart wheel,<br />
somersaults and many more. The audience<br />
was spell bound to see the students<br />
jump through the fire loop with<br />
skill and co-ordination. The group of<br />
the company by looking past the<br />
wrong, creating a bold, new vision<br />
of the future and staying focused<br />
on that vision. Whenever something<br />
goes wrong, rather than focus<br />
on the mess up, they have the<br />
employee create a vision board<br />
or a list of where they want their<br />
project to be. By focusing on the<br />
vision, they come up with new<br />
ideas to make that problem irrelevant<br />
and obsolete.<br />
<strong>10</strong> The five people who you hang<br />
out will average out to who you<br />
become. He is constantly exposing<br />
his people to brilliant minds.<br />
Whenever someone comes to their<br />
city, he hosts a party and invites<br />
that person to it and then gives his<br />
employees a chance to learn from<br />
that person. He sends his employees<br />
to some of the biggest and<br />
most important conferences in the<br />
world so that they can be exposed<br />
to other great minds.<br />
While you raise your state of flow,<br />
raise your employees too. They will<br />
gain so much and so will you.<br />
(Susan Bagyura, a leadership<br />
coach and author, works with leaders<br />
to inspire success from the top down.<br />
The book is available at Family<br />
Bookshop in MQ or online at http://<br />
www.thevisionaryleader.com)<br />
little children performing with hula<br />
hoops delighted the audience with<br />
their mettle and confidence.<br />
The students of classes 3, 4 and<br />
5 displayed some well co-ordinated<br />
‘Synchronised Dance’. The boys and<br />
girls of CBSE-I class 6 and 9 presented<br />
the ‘Laziam Drill’ to the beats of<br />
traditional music. The Yogasanas presented<br />
by the boys of class 3, 4 and 5<br />
was impressive.<br />
The boys of classes 6, 7 and 8<br />
performed the spectacular Pole Drill<br />
while the girls of the same class presented<br />
the Pyramid Formation. The<br />
students won the hearts of all present<br />
with their well orchestrated movements.<br />
The chief guest gave away the trophies<br />
to the well deserved winners.<br />
The overall winner of the 21th Sports<br />
Meet of ISG was Nizwa House.<br />
Dr Rajan Philips<br />
rajanph@yahoo.co.uk<br />
OCCASIONALLY, most of us tend to put off unpleasant<br />
or tedious tasks. A sophisticated term for this is<br />
procrastination.<br />
If we indulge in this behaviour only now and then it is<br />
quite understandable. But if we persistently put off crucial<br />
decisions and steps that could takes us forward in life, we<br />
risk literally ‘missing the bus’ — the flight, promotions at the<br />
workplace, deadlines and much more. If so, it is time to take<br />
remedial action.<br />
Procrastination that degenerates into a chronic habit has<br />
multiple ill effects. This view is substantiated by research<br />
studies. The resultant anxiety from procrastination may even<br />
interfere with our immune systems, and make us more susceptible<br />
to infections! We may lose mental focus that could<br />
lead to accidents.<br />
Furthermore, procrastination leads to stress and failures. It<br />
poses a threat to personal health, happiness and productivity<br />
of individuals. We end up with low self-esteem, self-control,<br />
self-confidence, and become vulnerable to depression and<br />
anxiety. The carry over effect can impact our workplace and<br />
communities. Putting off things is no solution. It only delays<br />
the inevitable and in the long-term multiplies our work. It<br />
gnaws into our inner peace.<br />
At the workplace, the -management and colleagues may<br />
consider such employees as unreliable, incompetent or just<br />
plain lazy. Such an image can cause irreversible damage<br />
to one’s credibility, commitment, morale and professional<br />
growth.<br />
When procrastination gets entrenched in our system we<br />
lose out on many opportunities that come our way. We may<br />
even lose our ability to recognise fresh opportunities.<br />
Regular procrastinators are often poor at time management.<br />
They retreat into the past and fail to take firm decisions<br />
in the present or act on their intentions.<br />
Some psychologists trace such a trait to the kind of childhood<br />
home environment the procrastinators had. Probably<br />
their strong-willed parents did not give them much room for<br />
creative expression or the blooming of their self confidence.<br />
So they grow up into diffident individuals who shy away from<br />
challenges and take refuge in procrastination as a means to<br />
avoid failure! Their fuzzy logic is: ‘If I never finish the task,<br />
you will never know how good or bad I am at it! “Thus they<br />
may avoid making mistakes, but we cannot move forward in<br />
life this way.<br />
Is there a way out of this state of affairs? Yes, but it is not<br />
easy. There are no ready made solutions.<br />
The first step is to gain the insight or understanding that<br />
procrastination is no solution to any problem we encounter.<br />
We must recognise the damage we do to ourselves and those<br />
who depend on us when we procrastinate. We must firmly resolve<br />
to get out of the habit in the interest of our physical,<br />
mental and emotional well-being.<br />
We must guard against boredom and complacency and<br />
stay motivated to avoid the temptation to procrastinate. Let us<br />
remember that we might become busier tomorrow than today.<br />
Our wise forefathers remind us: ‘Strike while the iron is hot’.<br />
According to a writer ‘Those who succeed are those who<br />
see opportunity where no one else sees it and takes timely<br />
action’. Let us overcome procrastination that blinds us to the<br />
opportunities around us. Out timely action will help us realise<br />
our true potential.<br />
Quotes:<br />
One of the greatest labour-saving inventions of today is<br />
tomorrow. — Vincent T Foss<br />
I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for<br />
hours. — Jerome K Jerome<br />
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after<br />
tomorrow. — Anon.<br />
I bought some books about procrastination ... but never got<br />
around to read them yet. — Mark Twain<br />
Santa visits Babyshop<br />
SANTA and his pet friends visited the major Babyshop<br />
outlets at Muscat in connection with the last week’s<br />
Christmas celebrations. Santa welcomed children who<br />
received goodies from the big man himself within the shop,<br />
amid a festive atmosphere that added to children's enjoyment.<br />
Santa made two visits to the shops. The visit was publicised<br />
to the customers of Babyshop through SMS to the Shukran<br />
members which ensured that there were large crowds waiting<br />
for Santa to make his appearance.<br />
Preetham Benakal<br />
<strong>Oman</strong> Daily <strong>Observer</strong><br />
would like to take the lead<br />
in sharing the joy with its<br />
readers. Send us a colour<br />
photograph of your baby<br />
(below <strong>10</strong> years) along<br />
with name, date of birth,<br />
address, telephone<br />
number and parents’<br />
names. Send in your<br />
baby’s picture and other<br />
details to: editor@<br />
omanobserver.om;<br />
featuredesk@yahoo.co.in<br />
or Kids Corner, <strong>Oman</strong><br />
Daily <strong>Observer</strong>, P O Box<br />
974, PC <strong>10</strong>0, Muscat,<br />
Sultanate of <strong>Oman</strong>
PEOPLE’S<br />
PLATFORM<br />
THE His Majesty’s<br />
Cup for best factories<br />
this year was exciting and<br />
encouraging. It gave away<br />
HM shield to eight companies<br />
instead the usual five.<br />
The HM Cup and Shield<br />
Awards for best factories are<br />
the most prestigious corporate<br />
awards that any manufacturing<br />
unit in <strong>Oman</strong> can win.<br />
The HM cup is undoubtedly<br />
a real mark of excellence and<br />
quality and therefore it opens<br />
new doors of business growth,<br />
partnership and other opportunities<br />
for the winners.<br />
It is heartening to notice<br />
that more and more small<br />
and medium enterprises are<br />
being awarded this Cup and<br />
Shield each year.<br />
The real benefit of winning<br />
the HM Cup or Shield<br />
award is that it is a unique<br />
mark of quality, of excellence,<br />
and it’s a real boost<br />
for morale, it’s a boost for<br />
the value that people place<br />
on that particular factory<br />
and its products, and the fact<br />
that around 40 to 46 factories<br />
apply for this award is a<br />
sign of the popularity of this<br />
award.<br />
RESEARCH by scientists<br />
from the Institute<br />
of Movement Sciences<br />
and Sport at the Swiss Federal<br />
Institute of Technology (ETH)<br />
shows that multi-task exercises<br />
can help prevent motor deficits<br />
in old age. Engaging in dual<br />
tasks, such as walking forward<br />
while holding a glass of water<br />
and counting backwards or<br />
standing on one leg and naming<br />
rivers, improves mental fitness<br />
and helps prevent falls, according<br />
to the researchers. It is<br />
important that the task isn’t too<br />
easy, as the exercise is only of<br />
benefit if it tests the pensioner<br />
to his or her limit and beyond.<br />
Winter blues need to<br />
be taken seriously<br />
Many people experience<br />
mood swings and sadness in<br />
winter but if the symptoms<br />
persist for longer than two<br />
weeks then the problem could<br />
be linked to depression and it is<br />
advisable to seek medical help,<br />
according to Munich psychologist<br />
Benjamin Martens.<br />
Fresh air, daylight and the<br />
company of others all help<br />
combat the winter blues. Experts<br />
recommend spending<br />
every available moment in the<br />
open air or meeting up with<br />
friends to help overcome any<br />
feelings of depression.<br />
Small breaks can help<br />
prevent burnout<br />
Employees can help avoid<br />
feelings of burnout by incorporating<br />
small breaks into their<br />
daily work routine such as<br />
walking around the block during<br />
lunchtime or ensuring that<br />
the weekend is free from all appointments.<br />
The challenges posed by<br />
everyday working life can<br />
only be overcome when the<br />
body enjoys regular periods<br />
27<br />
LETTERS/HEALTH TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
HM Cup for factories is a real morale booster<br />
Against this background<br />
it won’t be out of place to say<br />
that more categories for micro,<br />
small and medium enterprises<br />
must be created in the<br />
HM Cup and Shield competition<br />
as well as an award for<br />
a women entrepreneur.<br />
— Muhammad Hasan<br />
Editor: His Majesty’s<br />
Cup and Shield are no doubt<br />
the most prestigious and<br />
coveted awards in <strong>Oman</strong>. It<br />
has evolved over the years<br />
with many new and exciting<br />
changes from time to time.<br />
The need of the hour is to<br />
hold an open seminar with<br />
business leaders on how to<br />
make it more useful for the<br />
business community and<br />
how to increase its benefits<br />
for emerging companies.<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>’s media policy<br />
praiseworthy<br />
ON <strong>Jan</strong>uary 7, after<br />
a meeting between<br />
<strong>Oman</strong>’s Information Minister<br />
Hamad bin Mohammed<br />
al Rashdi, and Riyadh al<br />
Hassan, Chairman, Board<br />
of Palestinian News and<br />
Information Agency (PNIA),<br />
a MoU between ONA and<br />
PNIA was signed to enhance<br />
bilateral co-operation.<br />
Exercise for new mothers<br />
NEW mothers can begin<br />
moderate exercise for<br />
their abdominal and back<br />
muscles four to six weeks after<br />
giving birth if their doctor and<br />
midwife approve, according<br />
to Ingo Froboese, a professor<br />
at the Health Centre of the<br />
German Sport University in<br />
Cologne.<br />
“Mothers shouldn’t overdo<br />
it shortly after birth, though.<br />
Walks can be a good, healthy<br />
way to get started,” Froboese<br />
said, noting that women<br />
should give their body time<br />
to recuperate from pregnancy<br />
and labour. “So don’t go from<br />
naught to sixty right away,” he<br />
said.<br />
Ten minutes of light stretching<br />
exercises for the abdomen<br />
and back every other day are<br />
enough to start with.<br />
Froboese said the muscles<br />
should sting slightly after the<br />
exercises, an indication of<br />
the right intensity. Pilates and<br />
yoga, in particular, are good<br />
ways to get weakened pelvic<br />
floor muscles back into shape<br />
and prevent long-term problems.<br />
“After two or three months,<br />
workouts are OK, for example<br />
at a fitness club,” Froboese<br />
said. “Deep knee bends or<br />
machine exercises, like leg<br />
presses, are especially good.”<br />
Froboese also advised new<br />
mothers to boost their metabolism<br />
with everyday activities.<br />
“Go a lot of places on foot<br />
instead of by car, and climb<br />
the stairs instead of using the<br />
lift,” he said, pointing out that<br />
just 20 to 30 minutes of daily<br />
postpartum exercise were sufficient<br />
to get back into shape.<br />
Moderate endurance training<br />
is also possible with a<br />
baby in tow.<br />
“Grab the child and pram<br />
and take a brisk, 30-minute<br />
walk outdoors.<br />
It will do both you and<br />
your baby good,” Froboese<br />
remarked. The level of activity<br />
can be raised after about<br />
two months with exercise<br />
forms such as Nordic walking,<br />
swimming and cycling.<br />
“After a Caesarean section<br />
you should be very careful,<br />
however,” Froboese warned.<br />
The wound must be completely<br />
healed before major exercise<br />
is taken up.<br />
“This period normally lasts<br />
from four to six weeks, during<br />
which exercise is taboo,”<br />
he said. If the woman’s doctor<br />
and midwife give the green<br />
light, she can do light stretching<br />
exercises that can help the<br />
wound to heal by moderately<br />
stimulating the tissue. In particular,<br />
the exercises aid the<br />
alignment of the fibre structure<br />
in connective tissue. — dpa<br />
of relaxation, says Professor<br />
Johannes Siegrist from the<br />
Dusseldorf Institute for Medical<br />
Sociology. If workers don’t<br />
take enough breaks then they<br />
feel overstretched faster and at<br />
some stage will face burnout.<br />
Also, employees working<br />
in a permanently stressful environment<br />
feel under pressure<br />
faster when an unexpected<br />
event occurs as a lack of rest<br />
periods means they are incapable<br />
of reacting appropriately to<br />
the situation.<br />
15 minutes of exercise a day<br />
Taking a minimum of 15<br />
By Kerry Sheridan<br />
SIMPLY eating healthier<br />
may improve the behaviour<br />
of children with attention<br />
deficit hyperactivity<br />
disorder if therapy and medication<br />
fail, said a study published<br />
yesterday in the journal Pediatrics.<br />
Researchers, however, said<br />
that their review of recent controlled<br />
scientific studies had<br />
shown conflicting evidence<br />
on the impact of supplements<br />
and restricted diets — in some<br />
cases they were no better than<br />
Al Hassan said the MoU<br />
will open the door for multiple<br />
activities and help advance<br />
co-operation among<br />
correspondents and media<br />
organisations between the<br />
two sides.<br />
The co-operation between<br />
the two sides in this field assumes<br />
special significance<br />
in view of the negative role<br />
of media organisations of<br />
certain oppressive powers<br />
who want to tarnish the image<br />
of Palestine. The media<br />
exchanges and co-operation<br />
between <strong>Oman</strong> and Palestine<br />
will allow fair coverage of<br />
Palestinian affairs in <strong>Oman</strong>i<br />
media and this is important<br />
especially at a time when<br />
Palestine is making all out<br />
efforts to gain full membership<br />
of the UN as an independent<br />
sate.<br />
In all fields of human en-<br />
minutes of exercise a day can<br />
extend life expectancy by up to<br />
three years, according to Germany’s<br />
Society of Neurologists<br />
and the Stroke Society.<br />
A regular programme of<br />
exercise can reduce the risk of<br />
stroke, cardiovascular illness,<br />
cancer and diabetes. The advice<br />
is based on a study of over<br />
400,000 participants in Taiwan<br />
whose health status was<br />
checked regularly over eight<br />
years.<br />
The study discovered that<br />
15 minutes of exercise a day<br />
made a surprising contribution<br />
to improving overall health.<br />
the placebo effect.<br />
Nutritional interventions<br />
should therefore be considered<br />
an alternative or secondary approach<br />
to treating ADHD, not a<br />
first-line attack, said the review<br />
by doctors at Northwestern<br />
University Medical School in<br />
Chicago.<br />
“Supplemental diet therapy<br />
is simple, relatively inexpensive,<br />
and more acceptable to<br />
patient and parent,” than strict<br />
additive-free diets that have<br />
been popular in the past, said<br />
the study.<br />
“Public education regard-<br />
deavour, <strong>Oman</strong> has always<br />
exuded a favourable, sympathetic<br />
and exemplary attitude<br />
towards the oppressed<br />
people of Palestine, which is<br />
a source of pride for <strong>Oman</strong>is,<br />
Arabs, Muslims and peaceloving<br />
and independent people.<br />
— Ali Ahmed<br />
Editor: Media co-operation<br />
between Arab and<br />
Muslim countries is key to<br />
fair reporting of their affairs.<br />
Media is power. Its proper<br />
use can put an end to many<br />
injustices. Friends of Palestine<br />
like <strong>Oman</strong> want fair reporting<br />
of their affairs.<br />
Omran and<br />
tourism sector<br />
OMRAN, mandated<br />
which<br />
by<br />
is<br />
the<br />
Government of <strong>Oman</strong> to<br />
The mortality rate for those<br />
who took the exercise was 14<br />
per cent lower than the inactive<br />
participants.<br />
Extrapolating the results<br />
over 30 years resulted in a<br />
projected extended life expectancy<br />
of three years as well as<br />
a reduced chance of developing<br />
cancer and diseases of the<br />
cardiovascular system. The<br />
conclusion was that the more<br />
a person exercises, the less<br />
chance they have of falling ill.<br />
The recommended 15 minutes<br />
a day is half what the<br />
World Health Organization advises<br />
people to take. — dpa<br />
ing a healthy diet pattern and<br />
lifestyle to prevent or control<br />
ADHD may have greater longterm<br />
success.”<br />
The study reviewed research<br />
published on the sugar-restricted,<br />
additive-free Feingold Diet,<br />
megavitamin therapies, omega-3<br />
fatty acid supplementation<br />
and the suspected link between<br />
ADHD and a “Western-style”<br />
high-fat, low-fiber diet.<br />
Three to five per cent of US<br />
schoolchildren, or nearly five<br />
million youths, are diagnosed<br />
with ADHD, which involves<br />
hyperactive behaviour, inabil-<br />
deliver major projects and<br />
manage tourism assets and<br />
investments, has received<br />
huge funds from the<br />
government in the recent<br />
past.<br />
It is true that the government<br />
has allocated huge funds<br />
to Omran in line with its vision<br />
of positioning tourism as<br />
a major economic driver of<br />
the future and as a generator<br />
of employment.<br />
From what we see in the<br />
press, it appears that Omran<br />
is always interested in publicity<br />
and used the local<br />
media to the fullest extent<br />
to feed it positive and imagebuilding<br />
reports.<br />
What the people want to<br />
know is how it utilises its<br />
resources, and whether its<br />
projects are financially selfsustaining?<br />
If so, then what<br />
is the period of cost recov-<br />
Drink more fluids: lower<br />
bladder cancer risk<br />
MEN who drink plenty of low-sugar fluids may<br />
reduce their risk for bladder cancer, new<br />
research suggests.<br />
Although the reason for the association between<br />
fluid intake and protection against cancer remains<br />
unknown, researchers theorise the fluids may flush<br />
out potential cancer-causing agents before they have<br />
a chance to cause any damage.<br />
In conducting the study, Jiachen Zhou, a doctoral<br />
candidate in epidemiology at Brown University, and<br />
colleagues evaluated the fluid intake of nearly 48,000<br />
men who were part of a long-term study. The men,<br />
who were aged 40 to 75 when they enrolled in the<br />
study in 1986, answered a questionnaire about their<br />
fluid intake every four years for more than two decades.<br />
The investigators found that the men with a high<br />
daily fluid intake, or those who drank more than <strong>10</strong><br />
cups per day, had a 24 per cent reduced risk for bladder<br />
cancer. The study authors concluded that doctors<br />
should tell their patients to drink plenty of low-sugar<br />
fluids.<br />
Although this link between fluid intake and bladder<br />
cancer risk was discovered <strong>10</strong> years ago, the association,<br />
the study found, was stronger among younger<br />
men. This could be due to the fact that the men drank<br />
less as they aged, particularly water, the researchers<br />
pointed out in a news release from the American Association<br />
for Cancer Research.<br />
The study findings — which revealed an association<br />
between fluid consumption and reduced cancer<br />
risk, but not a cause-and-effect — were slated for<br />
presentation on October 24 at the AACR International<br />
Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention<br />
Research, in Boston.<br />
ity to pay attention, and impulsivity.<br />
It is often treated with<br />
stimulant medications such as<br />
the controversial Ritalin drug.<br />
The precise causes of ADHD<br />
are unknown, although studies<br />
have pointed to hereditary factors<br />
as well as social and environmental<br />
influences. Eating<br />
high-sugar and high-fat foods<br />
may exacerbate symptoms,<br />
some research has shown.<br />
But while proposed interventions<br />
such as giving iron<br />
supplements or cutting out<br />
additives and food dyes have<br />
soared in popularity in recent<br />
years, the Pediatrics article said<br />
there is little solid science to<br />
back up those claims.<br />
For instance, the muchhyped<br />
Feingold Diet which advocates<br />
no red or orange color<br />
dyes in food as well as no apples,<br />
grapes, deli, sausage or<br />
hot dogs, was highly touted in<br />
the 1970s and 80s for improving<br />
symptoms in more than half<br />
of ADHD children.<br />
“Controlled studies failed to<br />
confirm the effectiveness of the<br />
diet to the extent claimed,” said<br />
the Pediatrics review, also noting<br />
that the regimen was very<br />
difficult for many parents to<br />
follow.<br />
Similarly, studies focused<br />
on getting rid of potential allergens<br />
in the diet such as wheat,<br />
eggs, chocolate, cheese and<br />
nuts, have shown limited success<br />
with some ADHD kids<br />
“but a placebo effect could not<br />
be excluded,” said the study.<br />
Even when it comes to sugar<br />
and diet soda, two elements<br />
which many parents believe<br />
can trigger hyperactivity in<br />
children, scientific studies have<br />
ery?<br />
What is the percentage<br />
of local raw materials in<br />
its projects and whether it<br />
sources its supplies and services<br />
from local <strong>Oman</strong>i companies?<br />
While Omran has highsounding<br />
vision and mission,<br />
it seems it lacks transparency.<br />
In order to shed any misgivings<br />
and doubts, Omran<br />
would do well to hold free<br />
and frank media briefing sessions<br />
where one can ask any<br />
questions.<br />
— Omar Muhammad<br />
Editor: Gone are the<br />
days when transparency and<br />
other issues were not raised<br />
in public and media. <strong>Oman</strong><br />
is very different now. Press<br />
freedom, transparency and<br />
fair play are now values of<br />
utmost importance.<br />
Do you have a word of appreciation for any services you received? Or suggestions for<br />
improvement? <strong>Observer</strong> is giving you an opportunity to rant or rave about anything and<br />
everything around you: Please write to:<br />
Badr Mohammed al Thanawi, Co-ordinator,<br />
Office of the Editor-in-Chief Tel: 24649451, Fax: 24649469;<br />
e-mail: featuredesk@yahoo.co.in<br />
been unable to prove a definitive<br />
link.<br />
“The majority of controlled<br />
studies fail to demonstrate<br />
a significant adverse effect of<br />
sucrose or aspartame,” said the<br />
study.<br />
The authors noted that<br />
avoiding high sugar foods in<br />
young children “may prevent<br />
diet-related exacerbations of<br />
ADHD.”<br />
But when parents restrict<br />
a child’s sugar intake in order<br />
to ward off bad behavior, their<br />
inherent belief that it will work<br />
is likely to blur any objective<br />
assessment of whether it works<br />
or not.<br />
“In practice, the link between<br />
sugar and hyperactive<br />
behaviour is so universal in the<br />
opinion of parents of children<br />
with ADHD that no controlled<br />
study or physician counsel is<br />
likely to change this perception.”<br />
The suspected role of zinc<br />
and iron-deficiency deserves<br />
further study, while megavitamin<br />
therapy has not been<br />
proven to work and may even<br />
be dangerous in the long term,<br />
it said.<br />
For many parents, simply<br />
paying more attention to feeding<br />
their kids a healthy diet,<br />
rich in fish, vegetables, fruit,<br />
legumes, and whole-grains, is<br />
likely to help.<br />
“A greater attention to the<br />
education of parents and children<br />
in a healthy dietary pattern,<br />
omitting items shown to<br />
predispose to ADHD, is perhaps<br />
the most promising and<br />
practical complementary or alternative<br />
treatment of ADHD,”<br />
said the study.
DAWN broke today with a thick mist in the valley, and<br />
the Golden Torches girls emerged shivering from their<br />
damp tents. Hot tea, and the sun rising above the dunes<br />
quickly helped raise the spirits of the team.<br />
By 09.30 the girls were ready to go, and had packed some<br />
thirty minutes quicker than yesterday, a sign that teamwork<br />
and communication are improving rapidly. The last 2 km of<br />
sand desert lay ahead, and within half an hour they had reached<br />
the tarmac road on the southern edge of Bidiya. For some it<br />
was a welcome relief from the soft, strenuous desert sand, but<br />
for others it was a sad moment to leave the wilderness behind<br />
for several days.<br />
The team walked single file down into the town of Bidiya,<br />
attracting many curious onlookers; numerous questions came<br />
from the local residents as they passed through the town and<br />
headed out on the Muscat road. The route north towards the<br />
mountains quickly took them to a quiet trail alongside the camel<br />
racing track, and after 14 km the team stopped for lunch in<br />
the shade of a tree, and a forty minute break was taken to rest<br />
weary legs. Pushing on after lunch, the girls completed another<br />
5 km before stopping at 1600 hrs. This was an excellent effort<br />
from the girls, making a total of 19.2 km walked in total.<br />
Tonight the team is camped on a savannah plain near to the<br />
end of the camel racing track. A beautiful sunset was enjoyed<br />
by all; now a full moon has risen, the campfire is burning and<br />
people are heading off for a well-earned sleep.<br />
OBSERVER SPECIAL<br />
Outward Bound <strong>Oman</strong> Salalah-Muscat<br />
41st National Day Youth Challenge<br />
— DAY 51<br />
Golden Torches Trading team wave<br />
goodbye to the desert.<br />
Current location: Camped <strong>10</strong> km from the<br />
town of Bidiya.<br />
Latitude: 22.30.35 North<br />
Longitude: 58.47.54 East<br />
28 ADVENTURE TUESDAY, JANUARY <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Chief Executive Officer ABDULLAH BIN NASSIR AL RAHBI. Editor-in-Chief FAHMY BIN KHALID AL HARTHY<br />
Printers and Publishers OMAN ESTABLISHMENT FOR PRESS, PUBLICATION AND ADVERTISING<br />
On the<br />
Lighter Side<br />
Nizar al Musalmy<br />
BECAUSE times are tough and money is becoming<br />
scarce day by day and yet life has to go on, the father<br />
of junior has to seek his own means of survival.<br />
That is why this time he has decided to jot down some of<br />
the things to initiate during this New Year. As prices of all<br />
commodities continue to soar, he cannot help but feel the<br />
blow. He has to seek his own means of endurance. He understands<br />
very well that lifestyle determines the expenditure.<br />
The faster you adjust it to suit the current situation,<br />
the better. So he has to get into the mode of austerity measures.<br />
From now on, the mother of junior has to change her<br />
lifestyle a little bit. We have to opt for home-cooked meals<br />
and avoid as much as possible eating out. I know the mother<br />
of junior does not enjoy the business of stirring things in<br />
a pan and getting her fingers burnt but cooking can come in<br />
handy when things are really tight. I will have to convince<br />
her that not only will we be saving money, but also creating<br />
a family bond because food cooked by the wife’s hand<br />
is the most delicious a man can have. In most restaurants<br />
around, a meal for two can cost the same amount of money<br />
to shop for fresh food that will last several days.<br />
On my part, I will have to sell that V8 vehicle of ours.<br />
You see the problem is that we own that vehicle and yet the<br />
money we earn per month is equal to its fuel consumption.<br />
So we have to get rid of that car. Yes, everyone’s going to<br />
talk about how my standard has dropped, but the reality is<br />
you have to survive. After all, you do not know how those<br />
people you are trying to keep up with get their money.<br />
Another money saving strategy will be on hiring manual<br />
labour. Some of the housemaids don’t do their work<br />
properly, others make all sorts of demands and others go<br />
to the extent of escaping. This is enough headaches. Why<br />
spend money on paying someone to collect your rubbish<br />
when you can dump it yourself? Go an extra mile and make<br />
your garden. Not only will you be cutting costs, but also<br />
toning up your muscles. You do not need a plumber to fix<br />
a blocked sink when all it needs is a little pumping. Why<br />
pay money for the simplest of things to be done. Instead of<br />
taking your car to the washing bay, why don’t you wash<br />
it yourself? No more being obsessed with having things<br />
done for us.<br />
That gym membership also needs to be looked at. The<br />
father of junior pays a lot every month and rarely uses the<br />
facility. I think it is worthwhile cancelling the membership<br />
and consider jogging home from work three times a week.<br />
It is free and the results are the same. The next on the list<br />
is to, as much as possible, stay away from shopping malls.<br />
For example you can stay in for soccer games. There is<br />
nothing exciting like going out on a shopping spree at your<br />
much loved mall. Well, these financial times call for sacrifice.<br />
Wondering around shopping malls can lead you into<br />
unnecessary expenditures. If, for example, you have some<br />
notes or some credit cards in your wallet, chances are that<br />
if you are at a mall, you will be tempted to buy something<br />
and that something can be very expensive.<br />
These days prices are not like gravity, where one can<br />
anticipate they would start dropping soon. While prices of<br />
commodities are rising again and again and food prices are<br />
soaring, the salaries and incomes remain stagnant. So when<br />
it comes to surviving, people have to learn how to economise<br />
to avoid agonizing.<br />
Katy Perry thanks<br />
fans for support<br />
SI NGER<br />
Katy Perry<br />
has thanked<br />
her fans for their<br />
love and support<br />
while she<br />
was coping with<br />
her split from<br />
husband Russell<br />
Brand.<br />
“I am so grateful<br />
for all the love<br />
and support I’ve<br />
had from people<br />
around the world.<br />
You guys have<br />
made my heart<br />
happy again,”<br />
the 27-year-old<br />
singer wrote on<br />
her Twitter page,<br />
reports usmagazine.com<br />
Brand, 36,<br />
cited “irreconcilable differences” when he filed for divorce to<br />
end his one-year-old marriage.<br />
Bethenny Frankel to end her reality show: Reality TV<br />
star Bethenny Frankel is quitting reality show Bethenny Ever<br />
After after season three.<br />
The former Real Housewife of New York star has reportedly<br />
decided not to continue with the reality show based on her life.<br />
The show comes on Bravo-US TV channel.<br />
“Frankel is going to concentrate on her many business ventures.<br />
The door is open for other projects with Bravo,” showbizspy.com<br />
quoted a source as saying.<br />
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