1. No category

SUNDAY | MARCH 1, 2015 | JUMADA AL ULA 10, 1436 AH
P21 The world’s thinnest convertible laptop
VOL. 34 NO. 107 | PAGES 32 | BAISAS 200
P32 Broken strings can’t stop Ed Sheeran!
P27 œƒ”‡ƒ„‡ƒ–•‡—•ǡƒˆƒ”‘˜ƒƒ™ƒ‹–•‹ϐ‹ƒŽ
Chief Executive Officer
DR IBRAHIM BIN AHMED AL KINDI
Editor-in-Chief
ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI
Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising
PO Box 974, Postal Code 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
www.omanobserver.om
FOLLOW US ON:
[email protected]
OMANI NATIONAL IN
INDIA POLICE CUSTODY
BEARING THE BRUNT
OMAN
7.8 per cent rise in
tourist arrivals
MUSCAT: The Sultanate’s participation
in ITB Berlin 2015, which kicks off on
Wednesday reflects positively on the
tourism sector in the country, as the
figures show that the number of tourists
visiting Oman in 2014 stood at 59,400
compared to 55,126 in 2013, an increase
by 7.8 per cent. Over 180 countries
and 10,000 exhibitors, representing
institutions and companies dealing
in tourism will take part in this year’s
edition. REPORT ON P2
CRIME: Alleged misbehaviour with American woman in Mumbai
R A K SINGH
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI
REGION
UN envoy in Syria to
seek Aleppo truce
DAMASCUS: A UN envoy arrived in the
Syrian capital yesterday for talks with the
regime to try to finalise a deal to freeze
fighting in the war-ravaged second city
of Aleppo. Staffan de Mistura visited
Damascus as the army and pro-regime
fighters regained territory in southern
Syria. De Mistura “hopes to set in motion
as soon as possible his project” to halt
fighting in Aleppo for six weeks, said a
member of his delegation who spoke
on condition of anonymity. The envoy
has met government officials and
opposition chiefs. REPORT ON P13
NEPAL POLICE TEARGAS
CHARTER PROTESTERS
P7
ARUN JAITLEY PRESENTS
BUDGET OF PROMISE
P10
PUTIN PLEDGES TO NAIL
NEMTSOV KILLERS
P14
WEATHER TODAY
MUSCAT
MAX: 230C
MIN: 170C
SALALAH
MAX: 280C
MIN: 200C
FAJR: 05:14
DHUHR: 12:24
ASR: 15:45
MAGHRIB: 18:14
ISHA: 19:25
NIZWA
MAX: 260C
MIN: 150C
SUNRISE 06.29 AM
PRAYER TIMINGS
Picture courtesy: ESO
Reckless holidaymakers and picnickers are emerging as a major threat to the
environment and the perfect harmony of the ecosystem will be in question if they
are not checked, according to the Environment Society of Oman (ESO). Oman’s
rich turtle population is bearing the brunt of littering and irresponsible behaviour
of people at the turtle sites. The number of turtles has gone down drastically.
REPORT ON P3
Sultanate’s ratings affirm
confidence in economy
INSIDESTORIES
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MUSCAT: The Sultanate maintained
its advanced position in credit ratings
published by a number of international
rating agencies which monitor the
economic developments in various
countries around the world.
Moody’s credit rating maintained
the Sultanate’s rating at +A, an advanced
level equal to the rating earned by some
advanced European countries with
stable outlook.
The rating reflects the sound
financial position of the Sultanate’s
government and forecasts of continuous
economic growth.
The agency’s report, which was
published at the end of 2014 said that
the rating took into consideration the
efforts made by the government to
diversify sources of national economy
through various economic activities
and reduce reliance on oil and gas
revenues.
Moody’s report also pointed
out that the non-oil sector has
major contribution to the growth
of the national economy due to the
government’s constant focus on
investment in infrastructure.
The International Monetary Fund
(IMF) expects that the growth of the
Omani economy will take an upward
trajectory starting from 3.6 per cent
from 2014 to 2018.
Standard & Poor’s Agency affirmed
that the Sultanate’s foreign and local
currency sovereign credit ratings on
long and short term at A/A-1 with
stable outlook.
FULL REPORT P4
Setback to UN-backed talks in Yemen
ADEN: Separatists from southern
Yemen suspended their participation
in UN-sponsored talks on the future of
the crisis-hit country as nine soldiers
were wounded yesterday in a clash
with the fighters.
The violence coincided with
a drone strike that killed three
suspected Al Qaeda militants in
southern Yemen, tribal sources said.
An official in the southern province of
Lahij said that separatists opened fire
on an army convoy and clashes broke
out leaving nine soldiers wounded.
Tensions in Yemen have soared
since the Huthis overran the
presidential palace in the capital
in February and placed President
Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Hadi
escaped last week to Aden, where he
has been reconsolidating his grip on
power.
SEE ALSO P13
Freezing cold in Jabal Akhdhar, Jabal Shams
VINOD NAIR
MUSCAT
Feb. 28: The residents and visitors
to Jabal Shams and Jabal al Akhdhar
have reported extremely freezing
temperatures.
Photos of early morning hailstorms
were also supplied to the Observer
from Jabal Shams last morning.
A resort official in Alila Jabal
Akhdhar said that “it was not raining
at that point of time in the evening
yesterday but it was freezing cold out
there.”
TURN TO P4
Feb 28: A 41-year-old Omani has been
arrested by the Mumbai police along
with a Saudi national for allegedly
molesting a 52-year-old American
woman at a five-star hotel in southern
part of the metropolis.
Following their arrests, Omani
citizen Hassan Darwish and 24-year-old
Saudi national Fahad al Ghatani were
produced in a metropolitan court which
remanded the duo to police custody till
March 2 for carrying out investigation
into the case and gathering evidence
against the two.
A Mumbai police official of Colaba
police station, which arrested the two
accused, told the Observer over phone
that the incident occurred during wee
hours of Thursday at a five star hotel
Taj in South Mumbai, where the US
national, a prominent business honcho,
We still have no clear
picture about how
Fahad and Hassan
know each other, or
how long they have been in
Mumbai, because they don’t
understand English and we
are finding it difficult to take
their statement
— A SENIOR OFFICIAL
Colaba Police Station
had been staying for the last few days.
The official said while Fahad was
arrested on the spot, Hassan was
arrested from Mumbai international
airport, minutes before he was to take
a flight.
Quoting from the statement of the
victim, on the basis of which the duo
were arrested, the police said Fahad
had “grabbed the woman for over 20
minutes and didn’t let her go.”
The victim told the police that she
was a resident of Florida in the US and
owned a big business firm there and had
visited India on business purpose.
She said she had met Hassan at the
hotel lobby, where she struck friendship
with him and exchanged their mobile
numbers. The police said the two kept
in touch on phone, while on Thursday,
at around 12.45 am, the woman invited
Hassan to her room.
She told the police that the two
chatted and watched television, while
most of the time Hassan was busy
talking to somebody on phone.
The woman told the police that she
went to a washroom at about 1.20 am,
but when she returned, she saw another
person in the room. TURN TO P4
2
MEETING ON EDUCATION
S U N DAY l M A R C H 1 l 2 0 1 5
Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed al Shaibaniyah,
Minister of Education presided over
a joint meeting between the ministry
of education and the Majlis Ash’shura
Education and Scientific Research
Committee. Seven working papers
were presented and discussed during
the meeting on the basis of the topics
proposed by the Majlis Ash’shura
educational panel.
OMAN
Sultanate to take part in
Berlin tourism exhibition
STARTS WEDNESDAY: Pavilions of Tourism Ministry, Oman Air
MUSCAT: The Sultanate, represented
by the Ministry of Tourism, will take
part in the Leading Travel Trade Show,
ITB Berlin 2015, which will kick-off
this Wednesday and lasts for five days
under the theme of “One World, One
Industry and One Trade Show”.
The Sultanate’s delegation to the
event will be led by Ahmed bin Nasser
al Mehrzi, Minister of Tourism.
The minister said that the ministry
is keen to take part annually in this
event as it is the biggest exhibition
specialised in the travel and tourism
industry worldwide.
In a statement to Oman News
Agency (ONA), he said that over
180 countries and 10,000 exhibitors,
representing
the
authorities,
institutions and companies of world
tourism industry will take part in this
year’s edition. He said that the event
will include meetings, activities and
official gatherings between senior
officials, decision-maker, investors
and those interested in world tourism
industry. “We plan to continue
the Sultanate’s tourism promotion
plans and promote these plans in
cooperation with the respective
authorities” he said.
He pointed out that the event avails
a number of opportunities for the
Sultanate to showcase Omani tourism
and highlight the new projects,
attractive offers and promising
opportunities in the tourism sector
in the Sultanate, and promoting them
to allure the tourism markets that
contribute in the sustainable tourism
development.
As for the Sultanate’s pavilion in
ITB Berlin 2015, he explained that the
Sultanate will take part through two
pavilions. The main pavilion is under
the supervision of the Ministry of
Tourism and comprises the institutions
and companies of the tourism sector,
while the second pavilion is allocated
for Oman Air, the Sultanate’s national
carrier. He explained that 36 Omani
institutions and companies will take
part in this event, including two SMEs
in the tourism sector. — ONA
TRADITIONAL HORSE GAMES FESTIVAL
We plan to continue
the Sultanate’s
tourism promotion
plans and promote
these plans in cooperation
with the respective
authorities
AHMED BIN NASSER AL MEHRZI
Minister of Tourism
The Oman Equestrian Federation
in cooperation with the Al Asail
Equestrian Club organised the
5th Traditional Horse Games
Festival under the auspices of
Dr Abdalla bin Nasser al Harasi,
Chairman, Public Authority for
Radio and TV at the traditional
horse games field in the Wilayat
of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali.
Global health meet begins today
MUSCAT: His Highness Sayyid
Shihab bin Tareq al Said, Adviser
to His Majesty, will inaugurate The
7th International Conference on
Health Issues in Arab Community on
Sunday. The conference is organised
by the Ministry of Health and the
Arab Center for Economic and Social
Services (ACCESS).
The conference will be attended
by over 300 professionals. ACCESS
is one of the largest non-profit Arab
American
human
development
services agency in the US.
The Center provides a variety
of social, economic, health and
educational
services
through
eight centres and more than 100
programmes. For the first time since its
inception, the conference will be held
outside the US. Oman was chosen for
the seventh session after its successful
organisation of 6th session of the
Regional Committee for the Eastern
Mediterranean in 2013, as well as
its greater role in public health and
primary healthcare.
His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tareq al
Said, Adviser to His Majesty, will
inaugurate the 7th International
Conference on Health Issues in Arab
Community on Sunday
In addition, the strategic location of
Oman, its enriched cultural heritage,
active medical development, and
focused health vision 2050, made it the
ideal host for this conference.
The conference has been developed
to address the public health issues
identified by the Regional Office of
the East Mediterranean Region of the
World Health Organization.
The agenda of the conference will
focus on capacity building in social
Certificates of deposit tender results
MUSCAT: Certificates of deposit tender was held at the Central
Bank of Oman this week. The total amount allotted for issue
No 906 was RO 335.4 million. The bulletin issued by the CBO
stated that the average interest rate of these certificates was
0.13 per cent whilst the maximum accepted interest rate was
0.13 per cent. The tenor of these certificates is 28 days, so their
maturity date is on March 25. The certificates of deposit issued
to licensed banks by the CBO as a monetary policy instrument
aimed at absorbing excess liquidity and maintaining stability of
the interest rate and the money market in general. — ONA
Seminar on
impact of
WTO rules on
Gulf industries
DOHA:
The
Gulf
Organization for Industrial
Consulting
(GOIC)
will organise a training
course
titled
“WTO
Rules and their Impact
on the Industrial Sector
in the GCC Countries”
at
the
Organization’s
headquarters in Doha from
May 25 till May 28, 2015.
GOIC organises this
course to build capacities
of workers in the industrial
sector in GCC countries.
Participants
will
get
to know the rules and
regulations of WTO and
their repercussions on
industries and services in
GCC countries. It will also
be a suitable opportunity
for the private sector and
officials from institutions to
understand and use WTO
rules and mechanisms to
exchange opinions and
expertise.
This course targets
representatives of the
private sector and of
institutions in charge
of
specifications
and
standards, in addition to
parties interested in WTO
rules. — ONA
determinants of health, genetics and
chronic disease, the effects of climate
change on public health, and quality
healthcare.
The conference discusses several
aspects such as, public health,
infectious diseases and metabolic
syndrome,
non-communicable
diseases, mental health, accidents and
organ transplant. The overarching
goal of this international forum is
establishing a platform where public
health and healthcare professionals
in the Arab world can interact with
their counterparts from the United
States of America, Canada, Europe,
Australia and other regions, exchange
information and research findings.
Understanding the roots of healthrelated behaviours and healthcare
decision-making
enhances
the
competency of scholars, healthcare
providers, policy makers, public health
officials and other stakeholders in
promoting health within the local,
national, and international Arab
communities. — ONA
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
OMAN
omandailyobserver
3
Supreme Council of
Ship with cows on board drifts ashore Planning, Harvard
University to hold
seminar on economy
SUR: A merchant ship loaded with cows
drifted ashore in Ras Al Hadd in the
Wilayat of Sur due to rough seas and
strong wind. Local residents managed
to quickly rescue the vessel’s crew and
some animals and brought them to
the mainland. The Royal Oman Police
(ROP) launched an investigation into the
incident. Inspectors from the ministry
of agriculture and fisheries and Sur
Municipality carried out health check on
the dead and living animals.
MUSCAT: In the framework of
developing the 9th Five-Year Plan,
a seminar on Omani Economy and
Strategies Implementation will start
on Sunday at the Supreme Council
for Planning.
The two-day seminar is organized
by the Secretariat General of the
Supreme Council for Planning in
cooperation with experts from
Harvard University.
The seminar will discuss a
number of topics.
It will address in its first day
the analysis of production element
in the Sultanate’s economy and
diagnosing the elements of success
in the Omani economy.
The seminar will discuss in its
second day the challenges that face
execution policies.
The seminar will also discuss a
proposed approach to execution of
plans.
It is worth mentioning that
this seminar will be presented
by Prof Matt Andrews and Prof
Brad Cunningham from Harvard
University and aims at benefit from
international expertise in developing
the 9th Five-Year Development plan
of the Sultanate (2016-2020).
— ONA
Capital Markets Forum from today
MUSCAT: The 3rd Capital Markets
Forum, organised by Muscat Securities
Market (MSM), will start on Monday at
the Grand Hyatt Muscat under the title
‘empowering private businesses towards
long term sustainability”.
The opening ceremony will be
presided over by Dr Ali bin Masoud al
Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and
Industry.
Ahmed bin Saleh al Marhoon,
Director General of MSM, affirmed that
the forum aims at empowering private
and family companies to achieve growth
and enhance their economic roles as this
will ensure their sustainability.
He said in a statement that private
sector plays a pivotal role in world
economies. Statistics point out that
the sector contributes by more than 70
per cent of the GDP. The contribution
of this sector in the Sultanate is very
low, therefore these companies should
maximise the role they play in economic
growth to be in line with the Sultanate’s
aspirations.
He pointed out that the private sector
can play a bigger role in the national
economy, especially the Sultanate has
many opportunities that can be utilised
by the private sector. He affirmed that
the message of the Forum focuses on
inviting private companies to seriously
consider the best practices that ensure
their sustainability when shifted to the
coming generations.
— ONA
Littering, irresponsible behaviour of visitors at turtle sites major threats
Nation’s turtles face extinction
KABEER YOUSUF
MUSCAT
Feb.28: Reckless holidaymakers and
picnickers are emerging as major threat
to the environment and the perfect
harmony of the ecosystem will be
on question if they are not checked,
according to the Environment Society
of Oman (ESO).
Oman’s rich turtle population is
bearing the brunt of littering and
irresponsible behaviour of visitors at the
turtle sites. The number of turtles has
gone down.
“Oman’s turtles are endangered due
to light pollution besides the plastic
being dumped on the sea and oil leaks”,
Her Highness Sayyida Tania Shabib al
Said, President, ESO told the Observer.
According to reports from the
Ministry of Tourism, Oman has five of
the seven species of sea turtles, namely,
the Green Turtle, found on most its
beaches and plentiful in Ras al Hadd,
Ras al Jinz, Masirah Island and Ad
Daymaniyat Islands; the Loggerhead
Turtle that nests on Masirah Island, the
shores of Dhofar and Ad Daymaniyat
Islands; the Hawksbill Turtle that
nests on the shores of Muscat and Ad
Daymaniyat Islands; the Olive Ridley
Turtle that nests on Masirah Island; and
the Leatherback Turtle which is found
in Omani waters but does not nest in the
Sultanate. Among these sites, the Ras al
Thousands of sea turtles migrate
Visitors to these sites
should observe the
code of behaviour
at these sites.
Refraining from using
camera flash is one of the
guidelines and those who
violate these rules should
be prohibited from entering
these sites.
HER HIGHNESS SAYYIDA TANIA
SHABIB AL SAID,
President , ESO
annually from the shores of the Arabian
Gulf, the Red Sea and Somalia to lay
their eggs on the Sultanate’s shores. At
night, these turtles carrying their heavy
shells on their backs, drag themselves
out of the water to the beach and dig a
hole in the sand using the tips of their
paws to bury their eggs and then return
to the sea.
A visitor is lighting his torch at a turtle at
Ras al Jinz resort.
After about 55 days, the eggs hatch
and babies come out to start the most
dangerous journey of their lives, trying
to escape foxes, crabs and birds and
push their way towards the sea where
they find safety in the waters.
Watching the turtles’ night dash
to the sea is among the most popular
tourist activities in the country and
thousands of visitors are camping at
these sites annually.
“Visitors to these sites should observe
the code of behaviour at these sites as
your reckless actions can be fatal to
these creatures. Refraining from using
camera flash is one of the guidelines and
those who violate these rules should
be prohibited from entering these sites
in view of the national interest. Social
media should discourage complaints of
those who have been thrown out from
such sanctuaries for misbehaving. Then
we can expect the rest to behave in the
correct way”, HH Sayyida Tania said.
2nd Contractors and Suppliers
Forum announcement today
MUSCAT: The Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP) will hold
a press conference on Monday to announce the details of the
second annual forum for of contractors and suppliers in the
electricity sector in Muscat. Hamad bin Salim al Maghdari, CEO
of Rural Areas Electricity Company and Chairman of DCRP Board
will speak at the conference. DCRP is the entity authorized by
the electricity distribution companies and Electricity Regulation
Authority to review and discuss the development of the
distribution codes of the electrical system. — ONA
4
OMAN
omandailyobserver
Lobster fishing season begins today
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
32 entrepreneurs get training
START-UP BOOST: 22 candidates will be awarded RO 5,000 to set up their businesses
STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT
MUSCAT — The lobster fishing season begins
today along the coast overlooking the Arabian
Sea in the governorates of Al Wusta, Dhofar and
South Al Sharqiyah and lasts for two month.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
said in a statement that it has completed the
preparations for the lobster fishing season
regarding the services related to awareness,
inspection, researches, statistics and media
coverage to make the season successful and
also for the best exploitation and conservation
of this national treasure.
The ministry has organised a number of
lectures and seminars to increase fishermen’s
awareness about the regulations and
legislations governing lobster fishing and also
the ministerial decision aimed at regulating
the fishing season. Additionally, the ministry’s
experts and inspectors will follow up the fishing
operations during the season. — ONA
Ratings affirm confidence
in the Sultanate’s economy
MUSCAT: The Sultanate maintained
its advanced position in credit ratings
published by a number of international
rating agencies which monitor the economic
developments in various countries around
the world.
Moody’s credit rating maintained the
Sultanate’s rating at +A, an advanced level
equal to the rating earned by some advanced
European countries with stable outlook. The
rating reflects the sound financial position
of the Sultanate’s government and forecasts
of continuous economic growth.
The agency’s report, which was published
at the end of 2014 said that the rating took
into consideration the efforts made by the
government to diversify sources of national
economy through various economic
activities and reduce reliance on oil and gas
revenues.
Moody’s report also pointed out that the
non-oil sector has major contribution to the
growth of the national economy due to the
government’s constant focus on investment
in infrastructure.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
expects that the growth of the Omani
economy will take an upward trajectory
starting from 3.6 per cent from 2014 to
2018.
Standard & Poor’s Agency affirmed that
the Sultanate’s foreign and local currency
sovereign credit ratings on long and short
term at A/A-1 with stable outlook. In a
recent statement, the agency attributed
the rating to good government assets and
sound investment policies.
The statement added that assuming the
oil prices will remain below $100 up to 2017,
the per capita share of GDP in the Sultanate
of Oman and the fiscal and foreign assets
will remain unaffected.
The ratings by international agencies
is based on the stability and credibility of
the Sultanate’s public finances and that the
Sultanate’s finance provided a high added
value to the GDP and fosters economic
strength of the state.
—ONA
Feb. 28: The Khazzan Growth Finance
project officially took off this week
to provide 32 entrepreneurs with
business mentorship for two months
in Nizwa as part of BP Oman’s Social
Investment Programme that aims
at empowering local entrepreneurs
and SME sector as a part of their
commitment in developing Oman’s
In Country Value (ICV).
The project is a part of the Social
Investment Programme’s Enterprise
Development Projects, managed by
implementing partners Sharakah,
whose General Manager, Abdullah
Al Jufaili, said, “The Khazzan Growth
Finance project is the flagship of the
BP Oman Enterprise Development
Projects. “32 candidates, from the
governorates of Al Dakhiliya and Al
Dhahirah, will undergo an extensive
two to three month entrepreneurship
program. By the end of the program
each of them will have a complete
business plan focused on the financial
aspects of the business, a brand for
the company, social media accounts
and email services. A further 22
William Crew, CEO of Inspired Solutions, conducts the training for the
entrepreneurs in Nizwa
candidates will be awarded RO 5,000
grant from BP Oman to setup their
businesses.”
Inspired Solutions, an SME
consultancy agency in Oman and
the project’s associate implementing
partner, has worked on selecting,
training, evaluating and now
mentoring a segment of entrepreneurs
in Oman, with particular emphasis on
the Al Dakhiliyah and Al Dhahirah.
William R Crew, CEO of Inspired
Solutions, said, “Inspired Solutions is
excited to be able to bring world class
MBA style entrepreneur training
to the small business owners of Al
Dakhiliyah and Al Dhahirah. The
trainees are from all sectors and all
ages. We are very impressed to see the
level of motivation which we see in
these areas.”
The first phase of the project
included the application and
community outreach in Nizwa and
Ibri, which registered 140 people
from across Al Dhakhiliyah and
Fixed telephone lines rise
by 6.8 per cent in 2014
MUSCAT: The subscribers of the
fixed phone service in the Sultanate
stood at more than 375,000 in 2014.
GSM lines reached more than
6 millions, while the number of
subscribers in broadband Internet
rose to reach more than 2.8 million.
The latest statistics issued by
the National Centre for Statistics
and Information (NCSI) pointed
out that subscribers of fixed phone
service in the Sultanate stood at
375,196 at the end of 2014 against
351,411 subscribers at the end of
2013, constituting a rise of 6.8 per
cent.
Subscribers of pre-paid fixed
phone service stood at 33,066
against 25,829 at the end of 2013, a
rise by 2.8 per cent.
The billed fixed phone lines stood
at 287,995 in 2014, compared with
271.400 in 2013. The number of
public phones all over the Sultanate
stood at 6,801. The number of
integrated services digital networks
(ISDN) and the number of fixed
wireless lines witnessed a slight
decline.
RING GOES LOUDER
Q SUBSCRIBERS of pre-paid fixed
phone service stood at 33,066
against 25,829 at the end of 2013,
a rise by 2.8 per cent.
Q SUBSCRIBERS of pre-paid GSM
stood at 5,665,471 at the end of
2014, compared to 5,121,723 by
the end of 2013, constituting an
increase of 10.6 per cent.
Q THE number of mobile broadband
users stood at 2,893,561 at the end
of 2014 compared to 2,443,296 at
the end of 2013,
Subscribers of billed GSM service
stood at 6,194,169 by the end of
2014 against 5,617,426 during 2013,
constituting an increase of 10.3 per
cent.
Subscribers of pre-paid GSM
service stood at 5,665,471 at the
end of 2014, compared to 5,121,723
by the end of 2013, constituting an
increase of 10.6 per cent.
The statistics also pointed out
that the total subscribers of Internet
at the end of 2014 stood at 180,144
Omani in India
police custody
FROM PAGE 1
Hassan introduced the stranger to the US woman as his
friend Fahad from Saudi Arabia, who had come to India on a
tourist visa and was staying at another hotel, the police said.
The US woman told the police that at this juncture she
realised that Fahad was the man who had been stalking her
for last few days also. Meanwhile, Hassan left the room on
some pretext, while Fahad stayed on.
Soon after Hassan left, the woman grew uncomfortable
and asked Fahad to leave the room, but he allegedly grabbed
her instead, and tried to misbehave with her.
The woman tried to flee the room, but he grabbed her
again from behind and pulled her back inside.
“This continued for 20 to 25 minutes, when she finally
raised an alarm and managed to call the hotel staff, who
helped her contact the police,” said the police official.
However, the hotel security came to the rescue and saved
her. Fahad was arrested on the spot, but Hassan was nowhere
to be found. He was eventually arrested at the airport on
Thursday evening. “We arrested Hassan from the airport
when he was trying to flee. We arrested him as he helped
Fahad to approach the woman,” said the police.
“We still have no clear picture about how Fahad and
Hassan know each other, or how long they have been in
Mumbai, because they don’t understand English and we
are finding it difficult to take their statement,” said a senior
official from Colaba police station. The police, however, said
both are businessmen in their respective countries and were
staying at the same SoBo hotel.
compared to 158,678 subscribers at
the end of 2013.
Subscribers of DSL, leased lines
and wimax stood at 177.063 at the
end of 2014, compared to 154,290
at the end of 2013, a rise by 14.8 per
cent.
The number of active subscribers
of mobile broadband stood at
2,893,561 at the end of 2014
compared to 2,443,296 at the end
of 2013, constituting an increase of
18.4 per cent.
— ONA
Al Dhahirah. The second phase
narrowed down 45 of the top eligible
candidates that were interviewed.
Now in their third phase, Inspired
Solutions will conduct training
workshops for the entrepreneurs.
The participating entrepreneurs
in the project have been in business
for approximately 36 months and
are therefore classified as a start-up.
According to Crew, this stage is a
very sensitive time in the life cycle of
small businesses as most fail within
60 months. Inspired Solutions will
offer training in all aspects of small
business management, including
the business plan and associated
financial statements for all successful
graduates.
Inspired Solutions is an expert in
the design and management of SME
accelerators in Oman. In addition
to managing SME accelerators
since 2012, they have provided
management consultancy to SAS and
NBC incubators at KOM (Knowledge
Oasis Muscat). Inspired Solutions
is also engaged by banks in Oman
and the Middle East to provide
consultancy for their SME credit and
sales departments.
Freezing cold in
Jabal Akdhar,
Jebel Shams
FROM PAGE 1
A worker who returned to Muscat
from Jabal Akdhar also confirmed
that it was very cold and the
temperature was reportedly to be
around sub-zero levels. Jebel Shams
reported minus 3.
According to DG of Meteorology
and Air Navigation, 4.4 mm rainfall
was recorded at Jabel Shams.
The met office further said that
mainly clear skies and relatively cool
weather over most of the Sultanate
with chance of dust rising winds
over deserts and open areas. Winds
will be northerly to northwesterly
light to moderate occasionally fresh.
The sea state will be rough along
the coastal area of Oman Sea and
southern Al Sharqiya Governorate
with wave height ranging from 2.5 to
3.5 metres and moderate along rest of
the coastal areas of the Sultanate with
maximum wave height of 2 metres.
Visibility will be good over most of
the sultanate.
In the next 48 hours, it will be
mainly clear skies over most of the
Sultanate with chance of late night to
early morning low level clouds over
Musandam Governorate.
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
OMAN
omandailyobserver
5
Number of fuel pumps
in Sultanate up at 520
AL MAHAJ FLYOVER ROAD TO BE OPENED SOON
STABLE: Net profits of three companies at RO 34.2 million in 2014
85 per cent works of the Al Mahaj flyover and intersection project and the elevated road running over the flyover will open for
traffic from the Wadi Adai direction this week and the whole the project is expected to be completed in the middle of this year.
OPTIMALUSE
Oman Energy
and Water
Exhibition and
Conference
from May 19
MUSCAT: Oman Energy
and Water Exhibition and
Conference
(OEWEC)
2015 will kick-off on May
19 at Oman International
Exhibition Centre.
The 3-day OEWEC is
organised by the Public
Authority for Electricity
and Water (PAEW) in
cooperation with (Oman
Expo).
The exhibition reflects
Sultanate’s sincere efforts
to push the rates of
development,
promote
better
management
methods and the use of
conventional energy to
enable the Sultanate to
provide a sustainable
environment for growth.
The conference will
include a seminar on the
optimal use of energy, water
and ways to rationalise
consumption and reduce
waste, and therefore the
positive effects on the
conservation of energy
and water resources in the
Sultanate.
The exhibition offers
many products including
energy and power tools,
power
transmission
and distribution, power
generation
equipment
and
systems,
power
distribution
systems,
power control systems,
storage control systems,
electrical panels, cables,
power lines and electrical
switches.
It includes products
for green power, such as
saving products, power
technologies, solar technology, wind power, and
commercial and industrial
sustainable power solutions as well as storage of
green power, green power
engineering, power conservation,
management
of emission control and
reduction, besides the environmental and engineering consultancy, protection
of the environment, environmental engineering
and environment-friendly
products, regulatory bodies and smart technologies.
The exhibition will also
include water treatment
methods, methods of
desalination,
water
companies, water pipelines,
maintenance of water
pipelines and its paint
systems, water treatment
with chemical disinfectant,
water conservation and
maintenance, maintenance
of water heaters, software
of water systems, sanitary
wares, pump industry,
valves industry, modern
irrigation systems, and
techniques of wastewater
treatment systems. — ONA
MUSCAT: The number of fuel filling
stations in the different governorates
of the Sultanate as of the end of 2014
increased to 520 with the addition of 27
new stations during the year.
The three companies operating in
fuel products marketing doubled their
efforts to diversify their investments,
increase their sales and enhance the size
of their investments.
The three companies benefited from
the growing demand for oil products
and increasing the number of vehicles.
The statistics point out that the
number of vehicles that have been
registered in the Sultanate stood at
more than 143,000; a growth by 8.6%
compared to the numbers registered in
2013.
They also pointed out that the oil
price decline starting from the last
quarter of 2014 has not affected the
performance of these companies.
They expect to maintain the growth
rates achieved last year this year as well.
They attributed this to the
government commitment to spend
on the infrastructure projects and
to provide new job opportunities, in
addition to the expected growth rates in
the passenger and cargo traffic through
Muscat International Airport and
Salalah Airport, as well as the increase
in the number of incoming vessels to the
Sultanate.
The statistics prepared by Oman
News Agency (ONA) point out that
the value of the gross sales of the three
companies increased to more than RO
1.090 billion compared to RO 1.047
billion in 2013.
The net profits increased from RO
GROWTH AT STEADY CLIP
Q AL MAHA Oil plans to distribute RO 0.110 cash dividend for each share
Q SHELL OMAN will distribute 92 per cent cash dividend ie 92 baisas for each share
Q OMAN Oil Marketing will distribute 60 per cent cash dividends
32.6 million in 2013 to RO 34.2 million
in 2014.
The value of the assets of the three
companies, as of the end of last year,
increased to RO 279.5 million compared
to RO 250.5 million as of the end of
2013.
The gross capital of the three
companies is RO 23.3 million.
Al Maha Oil Marketing Company
said that during 2014, it has expanded
its station network to meet the growing
demand for oil products.
It pointed out that the commercial
sales sector performance has been good
at a competitive environment.
The three companies have positive
outlook toward the future with forecasts
of growth in demand for oil products,
in line with the expected growth in the
national economy.
They also said that despite the
positive forecasts, they expect tough
competition at the different sectors.
On its part, Shell Oil Marketing
said that the fuel products sale sector
is always correlated with the macroeconomic conditions therefore it
expects further growth with economic
activities.
The three companies will hold next
March their annual general assemblies
which will consider distributing
dividends.
— ONA
6
GIFT TO SAFEGUARD BORDER
S U N DAY l M A R C H 1 l 2 0 1 5
PROTEST AGAINST THE FUR
A Malaysian Bay Class Vessel patrol boat
is seen during the handover ceremony
in Port Klang. The vessel, the first of two
former Australian Customs and Border
Protection Service patrol boats, is a
gift from the Australian government to
the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement
Agency. Australia said the patrol boats are
intended for MMEA’s border enforcement
operations.
ASIA
Members of animal rights groups during
a protest against the fur industry, at the
venue for Hong Kong International Fur
and Fashion Fair. The annual International
Fur and Fashion Fair is the world’s largest
fur fashion event, which brought $232
million in exports in 2014, with 75 per
cent of the world’s fur and fur garments
re-exported through the city, according to
the Hong Kong Fur Federation.
TRANSPARENCY: FM says there are concerns about the manner in which the Chinese loans had been raised
Sri Lanka rules out submarine visits by China
BEIJING: Sri Lanka is concerned with
the roughly $5 billion in Chinese loans it
has and will send its finance minister to
Beijing to discuss the issue, the foreign
minister said on Saturday, as he also
ruled out future Chinese submarine
visits to the country.
New
Sri
Lankan
President
Maithripala Sirisena has unnerved
China with his re-examination of
certain projects that China has invested
in, including a $1.5 billion “port city”
project in the capital Colombo.
India, which lost out to China in
infrastructure development on the
Indian Ocean island, was in particular
concerned about the security threat
posed by Chinese ownership of land,
aggravated by the docking of Chinese
submarines in Colombo last year.
India had grown increasingly wary of
former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s
pursuit of closer ties with China, which
became a key supporter of the island’s
economy after its 26-year-civil war
ended in 2009.
Speaking in Beijing at the end of
a two-day visit, Sri Lankan Foreign
Minister Mangala Samaraweera said
there were concerns about the manner
in which the some $5 billion Chinese
loans for his country had been raised.
“During the run up to the last
presidential campaign the people of
Taiwan president
hopes to work on
social harmony
TAIPEI: Taiwan President Ma Yingjeou said on Saturday — marking the
country’s 228 Peace Memorial Day —
that he hopes to push for reconciliation
along with Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je,
grandson of a victim of a historical
incident in 1947, state-run Central
News Agency reported.
Ko’s grandfather, Ko Shih-yuan,
fell ill and died a few years after
being detained and beaten during
the then (KMT) Nationalists-led
Republic of China government’s
response to the 228 Incident, an antigovernment uprising in Taiwan which
began on February 27, 1947, the
agency said.
The incident was violently
suppressed by the KMT government.
Thousands of civilians were
killed in a massacre that marked the
beginning of a decades-long White
Terror period, in which several
thousand others vanished, died, or
were imprisoned, the agency said.
At a memorial event held in Taipei,
Ma also said he had hoped the capital
city could work with the central
government to reconcile differences
between
people
of
different
generations and political stances, the
agency said here yesterday.
“Let’s never forget the lesson from
Sri Lanka’s finance minister
will visit Beijing after
President Sirisena’s state
visit to China, slated for
March 26-28, the foreign
minister said
Sri Lanka raised many questions about
the interest rates especially, and also in
certain cases about the manner in which
these loans were raised,” he told a news
conference.
“So we will, as a government
committed to transparency, want to go
into each of these matters.”
The country’s finance minister will
visit Beijing after President Sirisena’s
state visit to China, slated for March 2628, Samaraweera said.
China has built a seaport and airport
in the south of the country, raising
fears it is seeking influence in a country
with which India has traditionally had
deep ties. India’s concern grew after
the Rajapaksa government allowed the
Chinese submarines to dock.
Asked whether there would be any
Chinese submarine visits in the near
future, Samaraweera said: “I don’t see
any”.
“I really don’t know which
circumstances lead to some submarines
coming to the port of Colombo on the
very day the Japanese prime minister
was visiting Sri Lanka, but we will ensure
that such incidents — from whatever
quarters — do not happen during our
tenure.”
Samaraweera said the re-examination
of certain projects was actually a good
thing for foreign, including Chinese,
investors.
“We want to create a rule-based
investor climate because we feel
that some of the investments which
were decided upon by the previous
government were not totally given on
— Reuters
merit,” he said.
COMMON MAN’S PRESIDENT
Let’s never forget the
lesson from the 228
Incident and never
repeat that history.
(An anti-government
uprising in Taiwan which
began on February 27, 1947)
MA YING-JEOU
President of Taiwan
the 228 Incident and never repeat that
history,” Ma said.
Ko, who also attended the
ceremony as representative of the
victims’ families, choked up when
giving a speech about his grandfather.
“The truth of 228 needs to be
revealed,” Ko said, stressing that
people should also learn to forgive
and reconcile.
“There’s no peace without
reconciliation,” he said.
Ko, an independent, is a surgeon
and a political novice who won
the mayoral election in November,
beating an opponent nominated by
the ruling KMT, which suffered a
landslide defeat in the island’s biggestever local elections.
— dpa
Indonesian President Joko Widodo during a visit to a market in Jakarta. The president bought staples like rice and vegetables
while checking on local food prices.— Reuters
Indonesia’s stance ‘clear’ on
Australians’ executions
JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko
Widodo has said his country’s stance is
“clear” on the pending executions of two
Australian drug smugglers, despite the
suggestion by Australia’s prime minister
that he is “carefully considering” his
position.
The executions by firing squad of
Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan,
the Australian ringleaders of the socalled “Bali Nine” drug smuggling gang,
are believed to be imminent.
Their appeals for presidential
clemency, typically the final chance of
avoiding death, were recently rejected by
Widodo, and a court this week dismissed
a bid to challenge that decision.
The looming sentences have
dramatically
heightened
tensions
between Australia and Indonesia,
fraying ties that were only just recovering
from a spying row.
Australia has been working to
persuade Indonesia to allow the men to
live, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott
on Thursday offered a glimmer of
hope after a phone conversation with
Widodo, who he said was “carefully
considering his position”.
However Widodo shot that
suggestion down in an exclusive
interview with local media on Friday.
“Our stance is clear.
Our laws cannot be interfered,”
Widodo was quoted as saying by Kontan
news website.
ASSAULT
Toll in Philippine
clashes with
fighters rises
MANILA: A military assault on
militants in the southern Philippines
entered its fifth day on Saturday, with
the toll rising to 24 guerrillas and two
soldiers dead, officials said.
Ten Abu Sayyaf fighters were
killed in a two-hour clash on Friday
after the army pounded their jungle
lair on Jolo island with artillery and
helicopter gunships, said Colonel
Alan Arrojado, who is leading the
assault.
Another 14 rebels and two troops
had been killed since the fighting
erupted on Tuesday, he said.
Battles were raging in the
mountainous and thickly forested
villages of Patikul town, an area
controlled by Abu Sayyaf, a group of
a few hundred gunmen with links to
the Al Qaeda network.
The militants were reportedly
moving with three Malaysian Jemaah
Islamiyah members who were
providing them with bomb-making
training, military spokesman Colonel
Restituto Padilla said.
“This (assault) will not stop until
we put an end to the Abu Sayyaf,”
Padilla said. The Malaysians have
been “monitored for some time” he
said.
The Abu Sayyaf in the past have
harboured JI militants, including
Umar Patek and Dulmatin, key
suspects in the 2002 Bali nightclub
bombings that killed 202 people.
The group is currently holding at
least seven hostages, according to the
military.
A German couple that they had
held captive for six months were freed
in October last year with the bandits
claiming they were paid 250 million
pesos ($5.7 million) in ransom.
Founded in the 1990s with seed
money from Al Qaeda, the Abu
Sayyaf had gained international
notoriety for kidnapping foreigners
for ransom.
The hefty ransom payments
enable the group to fund attacks and
replenish its forces from impoverished
communities in southern regions of
the largely Catholic Philippines.
The group was also blamed for the
worst terror attack in the country,
the 2004 firebombing of a ferry off
Manila Bay that killed more than
hundreds of people. — AFP
The second-in-line to the British throne asked for a sword to complete the outfit, and grinned at photographers as he posed for pictures
Prince William dons samurai gear on Japan tour
TOKYO: Britain’s Prince William donned
the trappings of feudal nobility in Japan on
Saturday, wearing the helmet and clothes
of an ancient samurai during a tour of a
TV studio.
The second-in-line to the British
throne asked for a sword to complete
the outfit, and grinned at photographers
as he posed for pictures dressed as a
warrior from yesteryear. William, whose
own military career saw him taking the
controls of an ultra-modern helicopter,
asked: “How does it look?”
“It really suits you,” came the reply.
The dressing up session took place
at the main studios of Japan’s national
broadcaster NHK, on the set of one of its
popular long-running period dramas.
Earlier, he had been treated to a
geisha show in which the ornately-attired
women performed dances with fans and
then sang traditional songs as they played
“shamisen” — a three-stringed instrument
sometimes described as a Japanese banjo.
William, who has left his heavily
pregnant wife, Kate, at home, tried his
hand strumming the instrument, whose
The British prince was
presented with a huge bunch
of flowers by popular actress
Mao Inoue, who looked
stunning in a simple kimono
mastery remains a key skill for geisha.
The highly-trained entertainers learn
to sing, dance and converse, with the cost
of their company running up to thousands
of dollars for an evening.
The British prince was presented with
a huge bunch of flowers by popular actress
Mao Inoue, who looked stunning in a
simple kimono.
The visit to the set was a reminder
of the pageantry and tradition in Japan,
which at times outstrips that of even
Britain’s convention-bound royal family.
William later toured the newsroom
at NHK, one of the world’s biggest
broadcasters, which has bureaus
around the globe, and was told how the
corporation had covered the earthquake,
tsunami and nuclear disaster that struck
Japan in 2011.
Later on Saturday William travelled
to an indoor playground for children in
Fukushima prefecture’s Motomiya city.
Motomiya is far enough from the
crippled plant and was not designated as
an evacuation zone following the nuclear
accident, but the city has created the
indoor facility for local children who have
been encouraged not to play outside due
to radiation fears.
The prince, accompanied by Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe, was greeted by flagwaving small children and invited into
the facility. Toddlers there at first looked
a bit puzzled by the royal visitor but soon
started playing with the smiling prince,
throwing small soft plastic balls to play
with him.
The disaster claimed around 19,000
lives and left tens of thousands of people
homeless. Many of those displaced are
still unable to return home, in some cases
because of radiation that leaked from the
Britain’s Prince William wearing ‘yukata’,
or kimono-style pajama, smiles during
a dinner at a traditional Japanese
inn in Koriyama, Fukushima prefecture.
— Reuters
crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, with
scientists warning some areas may have to
be abandoned.
William was to stay at a traditional
“ryokan” inn in Fukushima, where Abe is
expected to host a dinner.
Earlier on the day, a beaming William,
32, met well-wishers at a bookstore
bestrewn with Union Jacks in west
Tokyo, where he launched an exhibition
showcasing British industry.
The young scion of the House of
Windsor is immensely popular in Japan,
where people speak of his warmth and his
easy manner with members of the public.
That familiarity stands in marked
contrast to Japan’s own imperial family,
who are seen as austere and far removed
from their people, and whose own
carefully choreographed interactions with
crowds frequently look awkward.
“We were really close to him,” said
engineer Takeshi Miyagake, who had
gone to meet the Duke of Cambridge
at the bookshop. “We never have the
opportunity to get this close to members
of the imperial family.”
On Friday, the second day of a fourday tour of Japan, William had met
with the ageing Emperor Akihito and
Empress Michiko, where his youth and
vigour stood in marked contrast to the
increasingly frail-looking couple.
He also had tea with Crown Prince
Naruhito, a man who, like him, is one day
destined to rule his country.
Japan’s media has closely followed the
royal visit, with many outlets using it as
an opportunity to re-broadcast footage of
William’s mother, the late Diana, during
her trips to Tokyo.
The Princess of Wales was wildly
popular in Japan, with her visits setting
off so-called “Diana Fever” as tens of
thousands flocked to meet her and as
women sought to copy her carefullycoiffured hair and stylish dress sense.
On Sunday he will meet people whose
lives were affected by the 2011 earthquake
and tsunami, including the staff of a
newspaper who produced handwritten
copies in the aftermath of the disaster
because their printing presses had been
destroyed.
—AFP
SUBCONTINENT
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
omandailyobserver
7
DEEPENING DISCORD: People demand political parties reach a consensus rather than vote on a new constitution
PRESS FREEDOM
Nepal police teargas charter protesters
Photographer
arrested for
military
Facebook satire
KATHMANDU: Nepalese
police
yesterday fired teargas and water cannon
at thousands of opposition supporters
who converged on the capital to protest
controversial plans to vote on a disputed
new national constitution.
As anger mounts over the planned
vote, protesters threw bricks and stones
in brief clashes with security forces who
responded with about 20 rounds of
teargas, police and witnesses said.
“We estimate that around 35,000
people are participating in today’s rally,”
Kathmandu police spokesman Dinesh
Acharya said, while another officer
said 4,000 police were lining the route
through Kathmandu.
Years of squabbling have seen Nepal’s
politicians miss a series of deadlines to
draft the charter which was designed to
draw a line under a decade of civil war.
The government’s push last month
to hold a vote, rather than seek
agreement on disputed terms of the
constitution, sparked protests including
inside parliament itself, deepening
discord between ruling parties and the
opposition led by former Maoist rebels.
Flag-waving demonstrators, riding
motorcycles and travelling on foot,
packed Kathmandu’s narrow streets and
shouted slogans calling for a constitution
based on consensus.
overnight bus to the capital to join the
protest and pressure lawmakers to draft
a charter that is “friendly to the poor”.
“I don’t think the ruling parties
should push through a constitution
based on a majority vote,” Khadka said.
“They should realise that many sons
of poor farmers lost their lives fighting
for a better future for people like us,” he
said.
A key sticking point concerns internal
borders, with the opposition pushing for
provinces to be created along lines that
could favour historically marginalised
communities, handing them a majority
and therefore more influence in those
areas.
Other parties have attacked this
model, calling it too divisive and a threat
to national unity.
No date has been set for the vote
on the charter, which was intended
to conclude a peace process begun in
2006 when Maoist guerrillas entered
politics, ending an insurgency that left
an estimated 16,000 people dead.
But six prime ministers and two
A Supporter of the 30-party alliance led by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) shout slogans during a
elections
later, political infighting has
mass-demonstration in Kathmandu yesterday. — AFP
confounded efforts to hammer out a
A witness said the situation briefly
Gopal KC, a doctor at Kathmandu’s were also wounded after protesters deal, throwing parliament into disarray
turned violent when protesters tried to Civil Service Hospital, said “24 people threw stones at them.
and crippling the economy of the
enter a restricted area near parliament have been admitted here, all with minor
Man Bahadur Khadka, a 52-year- impoverished Himalayan nation.
and police moved in to disperse them.
injuries”. Acharya said that four officers old farmer from eastern Nepal, took an
— AFP
Afghan mafia
boss executed
by hanging
Rescuers search for victims in Afghan avalanches
KABUL: Afghanistan’s most notorious
mafia chief was hanged yesterday after
five months of detention in Kabul, the
country’s intelligence agency said.
Saidullah, also known as Rais
Khudaidad, was arrested during a
special security forces operation in
Kabul in September. He was involved
in multiple cases of kidnapping,
extortion, robbery and murder across
the country.
“We can confirm that Rais
Khudaidad was hanged to death
today,” said Abdul Haseeb Sediqqi, the
spokesman for National Directorate of
Security (NDS).
Khudaidad was sentenced to death
by a Kabul court last month, in the
first execution case ordered by the new
Afghan government.
— dpa
KABUL: Rescue teams worked into a
fourth day of searching for victims of
avalanches in north-eastern Afghanistan
yesterday, officials said.
At least 184 bodies had been found
so far in different areas of Panjsher
province, provincial police chief Abdul
Aziz Ghairat said.
“The rescue teams are continuing
their mission to find the victims and to
rescue people who are trapped,” Ghairat
said. “Still many more are under the
snow and the death toll could rise.”
President Ashraf Ghani and chief
executive Abdullah Abdullah visited the
affected areas on Friday and made a plea
for international assistance.
“We have asked the international
and Afghan air forces to drop first-aid
packages from the air,” Ghani said.
“I have assigned an engineering
team of international troops to observe
the situation, especially, the situation of
rivers in order to take measurements for
Rescue teams restarted
operations to find the
victims of avalanches in
north-eastern Afghanistan as
four more bodies
were found.
possible floods.”
At least 233 people were killed by
avalanches in different provinces of
Afghanistan this week after heavy
snowfall.
Avalanches killed 25 people in
Badakhshan province, 13 in Parwan,
three in Baghlan, four in Badghis
and four in Bamiyan, according to
authorities.
President Ghani announced a threeday national mourning and donated 20
million Afghanis ($350,877) to affected Afghan authorities removing snow from the roads as part of the rescue after an
families in Panjsher province. — dpa avalanche in the Panjshir valley.
Pakistan has no law against harassment on campuses and students are paying the price
Female students struggle against harassment
ISLAMABAD: Sana Rehan defied
her conservative family background
to enroll in one of Pakistan’s best
universities and pursue a professional
career.
But the 21-year-old found her
dreams nearly shattered when a
teacher tried to intimidate her.
“For a moment I thought this is not
the place for a girl like me,” said the
student of the disaster management
department at the University of
Peshawar. “I wanted to run away.”
After a few depressing weeks Rehan
decided to fight back, not knowing
that her struggle would help expose
the issue on a national scale.
The university suspended professor
Amir Nawaz as head of the department
two months after the allegations came
to light, and an inquiry was ordered
against him in March last year.
“The scale of the problem is
appalling,” said professor Nasreen
Ghufran, a member of the committee
investigating Rehan’s case and
other similar ones. “Such things are
happening routinely.”
Teachers close ranks to save their
colleagues if one of them is found
guilty of harassing their students, said
Ghufran, who teaches international
relations.
“I was shocked to hear a male
colleague saying girls are one of the
fringe benefits of our job,” the professor
said.
Legislators in the provincial
assembly of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Female students at their graduation ceremony from the University of
Engineering and Technology in Taxila, Pakistan.
“The scale of the problem is appalling,” said prof
Ghufran. “Such things are happening routinely.”
Teachers close ranks to save their colleagues if one of
them is found guilty of harassing their students.
also decided to investigate the
revelations and the broader problem of
harassment.
Their findings were even more
disturbing, said local lawmaker Nighat
Orakzai, one of the committee’s
members.
“If parents come to know how their
daughters are treated here, none would
send them to universities,” Orakzai
said.
The pressure on women’s education
in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is already
acute. Adjacent to Pakistan’s north-
eastern tribal regions near the Afghan
border, militants have burned down
hundreds of girls’ schools and barred
females from seeking education. This
is the province where Noble Peace
Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai was
shot for opposing Taliban bombings of
girls’ schools.
But the problem of harassment is
not limited to one region, said Yasmin
Abbasey, a retired judge who heads a
federal department to protect women
in the workplaces.
“Our department keeps receiving
complaints from university and college
students against their teachers from all
across Pakistan,” Abbasey said.
The list of resolved cases in the
department’s files reveals that teachers
from nearly all Pakistani universities
have been accused of harassing their
female students.
“Unfortunately, it is a reality,”
Abbasey said during an interview at
her office in the capital Islamabad
where she conducts daily hearings on
harassment cases.
“Those who were supposed to
be the role models in all aspects are
lacking in something very basic,” she
said.
Pakistan enacted a law to punish
harassment in the workplace in 2010,
but it does not cover campuses, leaving
a legal loophole.
“That is how most of the time
teachers get away with it,” said Abbasey.
A national senator from the
opposition Pakistan People’s Party,
Farhatullah Babar, is pushing an
amendment to extend the law’s scope
to campuses as well.
“It’s a grave problem,” he said.
“We want our daughters not to suffer
anymore.”
Last month, the University of
Peshawar restored professor Amir
Nawaz to his position because there
was no law to punish him.
That decision has revived some of
Rehan’s fears, but she said she would
press on to get her education and chase
her dreams.
— dpa
YANGON: A freelance photojournalist
has been arrested in Myanmar for
uploading a satirical post on Facebook
mocking the country’s powerful
military, relatives said yesterday.
Aung Nay Myo, 37, was taken from
his house in Monywa town, central
Sagaing region.
“First they came to search for
drugs at his photo studio. When they
couldn’t find any drugs, they took... his
belongings including his diary, laptop,
memory sticks and CCTV equipment,”
a family member told reporters.
After decades of brutal junta rule,
Myanmar’s military handed power to
a quasi-civilian government in 2011,
which has ushered in a new era of
political openness in the emerging
Southeast Asian nation.
But the international community
has also expressed rising alarm that the
country is backsliding in key areas of
its democratic transition, particularly
press freedom and human rights.
Aung Nay Myo was taken to
Monywa prison and charged under
an emergency provision that forbids
traducing the government or military
and carries up to seven years in jail.
“We cannot get bail for him
under this emergency provision act.
His mother was able to meet him
yesterday evening at the prison. We are
now trying to get a lawyer for him,” the
relative said.
A Special Branch police complaint
letter accuses the photographer and an
unspecified group of trying to destroy
the reputation of the government.
The complaint centres around a
photoshopped flyer for a film about a
fierce battle fought in the early 1970s
between Myanmar’s military and
rebels in eastern Shan state.
The faces of the actors had been
replaced by key government and
military officials including current
army chief Min Aung Hlaing,
parliament speaker Shwe Mann,
information minister Ye Htut and
hardline monk Wirathu.
Former junta leader Than Shwe
and current president Then Sein also
had writing credits on the mocked-up
poster.
The name of the film had been
tweaked to make a pun.
— AFP
8
ANALYSIS
omandailyobserver
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
A WORD OF THANKS
FOR THE TEACHERS
ABDULAZIZ AL JAHDHAMI
[email protected]
T
eachers all over the world play a very vital and influential role in students’ life.
Certainly there is no doubt about it. Regardless how good or bad the teacher is, he
or she could make a difference. Teachers are part of the key elements that contribute
in shaping students’ personalities and attitudes towards life. Students initiate their
journey of life with teachers since the early years of childhood. Some children start
their company with teachers at the kindergarten while others in first grade of school
at the age of six.
All teachers are admirable and great. They always leave no stone unturned to
feed students with knowledge; enlighten them with various life experiences and
necessities throughout the school years. They are teachers of life as being not merely
teachers, but fathers, brothers and friends for the students. Likewise, female teachers
are being mothers, sisters and friends for the girls as well. Teachers’ role and goodwill
are beyond just teaching and transforming knowledge.
They devotedly teach and benevolently raise students since childhood to make
out of them good citizens who contribute in
serving the nation through various walks of
All teachers are
life. As a matter of fact, teachers are serving the
children more than parents do! A teacher is admirable and great.
like a candle; it consumes itself to light the way They always leave no
for others.
stone unturned to
For many students, their dreams begin with
a teacher who believes in them, who pulls, feed students with
pushes and leads them to the next step in life.
knowledge; enlighten
Just let’s all look back at our school days.
them with various
Some teachers may be etched in our memory
because they were unique or they influenced life experiences and
our thinking in a way or another. Today we may necessities during
recall our teacher’s inspiration that influenced
the school years
our mental and spiritual growth. A teacher
continues to impact a student’s life far after the
student has graduated. The teacher’s influence
works on a subconscious level, constantly shaping the personality of the student.
I’m sure everyone one of us has his unforgettable stories with teachers and school
life in general. Some of these were hard stories or incidents that we experienced
decades of years back.
However, both the tough and easy experiences were useful ways of learning;
with no pain no gain. Learning and achieving dreams have never been easy! It has
been said that a teacher’s purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to
develop students who can create their own image.
Teaching is the core of every other profession; without teachers in all educational
institutions, there will be no other professions. All those pilots, engineers, doctors
and others were students someday and had been taught by teachers at schools,
colleges and universities so they became what they are today. Without the teachers’
encouragement and support, students’ dreams would have never become true.
The teacher’s day, February 24 every year, it’s time to acknowledge the
commendable dedication of the teachers towards their students. At such moments
of celebrations, our feelings deep down in our hearts are mixed of happiness and
thankfulness to our teachers. We highly appreciate the sacrifice of time and efforts
they made for us. May Allah bless all teachers.
It’s time to show our all as society, students and parents our gratitude and
appreciation and express sincere thankfulness to all teachers for their efforts,
dedication and sacrifices. Teachers spared no efforts to teach each and every student
who are today serving the nation in different fields. That is all because of teachers;
they made citizens handling various positions starting from leaders and decisionmakers, ministers, businessmen to other ordinary employees.
Dear Teachers, in teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day’s work. It is invisible
and remains so, maybe for 20 years. Thus, never give up on your students. Thank
You Teachers!
Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on an armoured personnel carrier near Artemivsk, eastern Ukraine. — Reuters
Arming Kiev can hurt West
A
Even as this conflict has demonstrated the speed
dangerous, possibly irreversible, dynamic of conflict is
taking hold of Russian-Western relations. In every arena of with which Washington can push for sanctions whose
the Ukraine crisis, escalation is the order of the day. On the consequences are largely borne by Europeans, Merkel has
made maintaining trans-Atlantic, as well as European,
ground, where fresh fighting rages in the Donbass region.
In the skies over Europe, where British fighter jets are unity her lodestar.
What the current escalation risks, however, is a
intercepting Russian nuclear bombers. In Washington,
where Congress and ambitious policymakers with an eye breakdown of this unity — even as the possibility of open
on the 2016 presidential elections are forcing the White conflict is growing. A new approach is urgently needed.
It must begin with a reality check on the nature of the
House’s hand on lethal assistance to Kiev.
In Moscow, where the few remaining voices of adversary, and the futility of the current course of action.
The features of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
compromise are considered weaklings or traitors. Even
in the realm of global finance, where expelling Russia regime that its critics most like to cite — kleptocracy,
from the SWIFT payment system is now under serious repression, chauvinism, revisionism, paranoia — are the
consideration. At this rate, someone’s really going to get very characteristics that will make it utterly unwilling to
capitulate under pressure, be it financial
hurt soon.
or military.
This is not to make light of the
In the United States,
The more the West emphasises a
suffering already being caused by the
policymakers are
belligerent course of action, the more
conflict in eastern Ukraine, with half a
Putin’s popular support, already in a
million people displaced and thousands
forcing the White
range undreamed of by Western leaders
killed and wounded in fighting there.
House’s hand on
(80 per cent approval), will harden rather
What it does suggest is the need
for perspective amid the increasingly lethal help to Ukraine, than soften.
The West is increasingly dealing
unhinged talk of war with Russia.
writes NADER
with a government in Moscow whose
Memories are short. The fallout from
MOUSAVIZADEH
most liberal and pluralist elements see a
the wars of 9/11 in Afghanistan, Iraq,
reality of economic war with the West,
Libya and now Syria has all but consumed
and a future of responses “without
Western strategic thinking.
But the Cold War ended only 25 years ago, and Ukraine’s limits” to further sanctions — as that most pliable (and
singular strategic significance to Russia ought to make unrepresentative) of Russian leaders, Dimitri Medvedev,
the memory of a nuclear crisis over Cuba seem positively noted on January 27.
Moscow will view a decision to expel the Russian
quaint by comparison.
Russia still possesses a nuclear arsenal in excess of 8,000 banking system from SWIFT as not just an economic
warheads. It has a conventional military of nearly one measure but as a strategic one. To be met by any and all
million men under arms, and in the age of cyberwarfare means at Russia’s disposal.
Cyber, energy, finance, nonstate groups in neighbouring
has the ability to inflict catastrophic damage on critical
states — all could become weapons in such a response.
Western infrastructure.
That is also without considering the risk of a catastrophic
To their credit, President Barack Obama and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel have sought to keep the West on miscalculation or overreaction by a single pilot,
a sober path, addressing Moscow’s annexation of Crimea nuclear submarine captain or militia member with a
shoulder-fired missile.
with firm diplomacy in the pursuit of a peaceful solution.
Greek premier vows no retreat in ‘battle’ with creditors
G
reece’s prime minister vowed yesterday
not to back down in his “battle” with
the country’s creditors, in line with his
election promise to abandon austerity and
avoid a third bailout.
“The battle will continue,” Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras told the central
committee of his hard-left Syriza party.
“Anybody thinking that we are going to go
away will be disappointed.”
Tsipras said that in the talks that landed
Greece a four-month extension to its
240-billion-euro ($270-billion) bailout
last Tuesday, the pressure from other
European countries “had the character of
blackmail”.
“Conservative forces (in Europe)
tried to set a trap for us, to drive us into
budgetary asphyxia,” the 40-year-old said.
“We will not retreat from the difficulties or
from our own principles.”
Syriza swept to power in January on
a promise to ease the hardship caused by
past government spending cuts imposed
in return for the euro zone country’s two
bailouts in 2010 and 2012.
Tsipras reiterated last Friday that once
the current bailout expires on June 30
there would be no “third memorandum”
as the previous agreements tying aid to
spending cuts are known.
“Memorandums are finished,” he said.
Is it unclear however whether Tsipras
can avoid another rescue package.
His self-declared “government of
social salvation” faces a major challenge
in keeping both voters and Greece’s
international creditors happy by providing
relief for the poor while also keeping
government spending in check.
Last Thursday saw the first protests
in Athens since the bailout extension,
with several hundred anti-capitalists and
anarchists taking to the streets, some
smashing shop windows and setting fire to
rubbish bins.
Greece must also repay billions of euros
in debt in the coming months.
Tsipras has said he wants to renegotiate
the country’s 320-billion-euro debt pile,
despite fierce opposition, particularly in
Germany, to any new debt “haircut”.
Meanwhile, Greece’s nascent recovery
from six straight years of recession also
looks in trouble, with official data on
Friday showing a contraction of 0.4 per
Tsipras reiterated that once
the current bailout expires
on June 30 there would be
no ‘third memorandum’ as
the previous deals tying aid
to spending cuts are known,
notes HÉLÈNE COLLIOPOULOU
cent in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Initial estimates had forecast a 0.2 per
cent drop in gross domestic product.
After winning four months of breathing
space from its creditors, the government
now has until the end of April to provide
them with more details of its reform
programme in order to receive the final
bailout tranche.
A list of reforms submitted by Athens
this week, which focused on tackling tax
evasion and excessive bureaucracy, was
described by German Chancellor Angela
Merkel as just a “starting point”.
Germany’s parliament nonetheless
overwhelmingly approved the bailout
extension last Friday, despite a minor
rebellion by members of Merkel’s party,
surveys suggesting German voter unease
and the country’s Bild daily saying “greedy”
Greece should get no more money.
Yesterday, Yanis Varoufakis, Greece’s
maverick new finance minister, promised
“no pity” in tackling tax evasion and said
that the government might impose a
one-off levy on the rich to help fill
government coffers.
“What interests us is those who have
money but who have never paid (tax).
They are our target and we will show no
pity,” Varoufakis told the TV channel Skai.
Varoufakis assured such a levy would
“only be for those who can pay.”
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras delivers a speech at the Syriza party
headquarters, in Athens, yesterday. — AFP
ANALYSIS
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
omandailyobserver
9
Does more money offer more independence?
I
RAY PETERSEN
[email protected]
’m no different to most people in that I have
difficulty budgeting effectively, and making my
salary last from one month to another. Then, as I
read the world’s newspapers daily, I realise that I
am envious of those among us who behave in an
immoral, criminal, or even excessively flamboyant
manner where money is concerned. No! Not
envious of, more… frustrated by! You see, from one
perspective, I can understand that someone would
like a lot of money, as it will offer independence
(big time) and the opportunity to do whatever
you want to do, but when do you stop? When is
enough, enough?
Floyd Mayweather, the current ‘big thing’ in
the boxing world, he has never been beaten, has
a reported current net worth of $295 million.
Mayweather and the veteran Manny Pacquaio have
signed contracts to fight for a $250 million purse, in
Las Vegas, on May 2. He has a Gulfstream jet, three
Ferraris, three Bugattis, a Lamborghini and a Porsche,
together valued in excess of $60 million. Doesn’t he
have enough? What drives a man to get into a boxing
ring where, even winning, he will suffer? It can’t be
the need for money, he couldn’t spend all he has now!
He’s certainly not ordinary though, is he?
Much worse are the UK politicians like Jack
Straw, and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, both former
Worse, he did this in a country where the
Foreign Secretary to Her Majesty’s Government.
They have been touting themselves as consultants average wage is $50,000 (equivalent) per year,
to foreign companies, indicating that they can use but when the ‘fat cat’ salaries of the banking and
their influence and contacts to “arrange useful finance sectors are exempted, the average is closer
to $30,000. Then, ordinary people have to pay for
access” to prominent diplomats and politicians.
Both have led sheltered and well subsidised lives EVERYTHING out of that. For them, nothing
of the benefits enjoyed by
as full-time politicians with
the politicians is subsidised,
everything, accommodation,
nothing is free, and they still
transport, phones, power, even
I can understand
have to pay taxes.
meals, travel and entertainment,
that someone would
Straw and Rifkind should
all paid for, or subsidised by their
like a lot of money, as it hang their heads in shame.
long, and always (comparatively)
suffering, taxpayers. Pouring
will offer independence They won’t though, because
they see themselves as ‘entitled’
oil on the fire, Rifkind has even
(big time) and the
and will fight tooth and nail
had the cheek to say that “it’s
opportunity to do
to maintain their innocence.
unrealistic for politicians to
The shame of it all is that it’s
be expected to live on £67,000
whatever you want
not about right or wrong, but
($130,000) per year.”
to do, but when do
about greed. About wanting
Rifkind says this when he
you stop?
more, and about keeping their
could claim for every expense
nose in that trough that is the
he has, that is not reimbursed,
public purse for as long as they
against his taxes. When he
lived in subsidised high-class accommodation in can. It’s about getting so acclimatised to the take,
the centre of the most expensive city in Europe. take, take, that any sense of proportion is lost,
When he dined among the ‘hoi-polloi’ for free, and and any visage of empathy and sympathy for their
was chauffeured around the city (again for free) for constituents is long forgotten. Embarrassed and
ashamed, probably not!
whatever purpose.
The global banking giant HSBC is also in
trouble! Foreign exchange rigging in the form of
its participation in the LIBOR scheme has been
exposed, and has led to a fine of $637 million
(who gets that I wonder?). It has been found guilty
of illegally laundering money from drug cartels
and Al Qaeda. It has been found to be active and
complicit in deforestation and the destruction of
invaluable flora and fauna conservation areas, by
the aggressive financing and marketing of a palm
oil project with a Malaysian company. The same
project has faced allegations of slavery and child
labour involvement.
Now HSBC Chief Executive, Stuart Gulliver,
has been revealed as having ‘hidden’ his annual
bonuses in a Swiss based HSBC account, under the
name of a Panamanian company, so “no-one would
find out how much my bonus is.” Coincidentally
however, it was not declared, so he pays no tax!
Earned in the UK, but not taxed!
So these then, are some examples, just this
week, of those for whom enough will never be
enough, and as I sweat over making my salary
stretch from the 30th of February to the 30th of
March, I may be frustrated by them, but I will take
satisfaction in a moral and ethical responsibility
shared by most of us.
A FIGHT FOR GAS
PETER GRAFF AND PAVEL POLITYUK
T
he rhetoric is as melodramatic as ever, but this time around Russia’s threat
to cut off Ukraine’s natural gas is mostly hot air. After months in which
Kiev has been faithfully paying for gas and Moscow reliably supplying
it under a deal brokered by the European Union, last week has seen the
quarrel erupt anew.
Russia, which has cut off the gas three times in the past decade,
including for six months last year, has once again threatened to switch off
supplies unless Ukraine sends more money within days.
After a public announcement by Russian gas giant Gazprom’s boss
Alexei Miller that Kiev had put European supplies in jeopardy, Vladimir
Putin personally jumped in on Wednesday.
The Russian president said Ukraine’s lack of “financial discipline” could
cause energy shortages across the continent — a reference to the fact that
Russia supplies about 30 per cent of the EU’s gas needs, half of that via
Ukraine. He accused Kiev of threatening to cut off gas to separatist regions
in the east of the country, an act which he said “smells of genocide”.
Kiev has responded by accusing Russia of failing to meet its contractual
obligations under the EU-brokered deal.
But for all the noise from both sides, the natural gas feud which has
divided the two neighbours since long before Russian-backed separatists
went to war against Ukraine last year is no longer the make-or-break
crisis it once was. The EU shrugged off Miller’s and Putin’s threats that
cutting off Kiev could cause supply problems for European customers
further downstream.
Nothing of the sort happened during the six-month shut-down last
year. The timing of the latest quarrel is no coincidence. The winter season
of high demand is ending, and the temporary, EU-mediated winter
supply deal is due to expire at the end of this month.
Both sides are gearing up to negotiate terms to replace it.
“What’s been happening the past few days, these statements by Miller
and Putin, is all just a prelude for talks between Russia and Ukraine over
a summer deal,” said Valentyn Zemlyansky, a gas industry analyst in Kiev
and former spokesman for Ukraine’s gas firm Naftogaz.
The threat to “cut off ” Kiev’s gas is no longer quite what it sounds like.
In the past, Kiev bought its gas from Russia on credit. That meant that
Ukraine could find itself asking for more gas, only for Russia to refuse
to supply it. Nowadays, Kiev pays for any Russian gas it receives with
cash up front. If Russia does halt gas to Ukraine in coming days as Putin
threatened, it won’t be because Moscow has decided to cut Kiev off; it will
be because Kiev hasn’t ordered any.
People look at a screen displaying the Sensex on the facade of the Bombay Stock Exchange building in Mumbai. — Reuters
Indian budget goes for growth and investment
I
ndian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
yesterday announced a budget that put
boosting growth before painful reforms,
slowing the pace of fiscal deficit cuts and
seeking to put domestic and foreign capital
to work.
In his first full-year budget since Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s landslide election
victory last May, Jaitley said India’s economy
was about to take off.
Modi tweeted that the budget would
“further reignite our growth engine”.
Billed as a test of the nationalist premier’s
willingness to reform a $2 trillion economy
with a bloated public sector and weak
private investment, the budget was short on
structural reforms and contained revenue
targets some called unrealistic. It drew a
mixed reception from economists, with some
calling it a path to an investor-friendly India,
but others seeing a missed opportunity to
tackle deep-seated structural problems.
“Definitely far from what some were
hoping would be an event similar to the
game-changing budget of 1991 which
ushered in India’s economic liberalisation,”
said Devika Mehndiratta, senior economist
at ANZ research.
Apparently anticipating such barbs,
Jaitley, 62, said his government had acted
“rapidly” to right the course of Asia’s thirdlargest economy.
“People who urged us to undertake ‘big
bang’ reforms also say the Indian economy
is a super giant, which moves slowly but
surely,” Jaitley told parliament as he wrapped
up a 90-minute speech.
Jaitley promised higher investment in
India’s decrepit roads and railways, offered
the carrot of tax cuts to global companies
and the stick of tighter rules to get Indian
tycoons to invest at home rather than stash
wealth abroad.
Tax evaders face jail sentences of up to 10
years, he warned.
The tax changes and tougher enforcement
would raise $2.5 billion next year, he said.
Tax receipts overall would rise 15 per
cent and government asset sales would raise
$11 billion — goals that past experience
shows may be hard to meet. Although
Jaitley forecast that growth would accelerate
to 8-8.5 per cent in the fiscal year starting
in April, up from 7.4 per cent this year, the
budget contained little obvious support for
Modi’s call to “Make in India”.
“It assumes a questionable growth rate,
relies too heavily on divestment to meet
fiscal targets, does not address the revenue
deficit issue head on and leaves the good
things for the future,” said Arvind Sethi,
CEO of Tata Asset Management.
Capitalising on windfall savings
stemming from cheaper oil imports,
Jaitley was able to ramp up infrastructure
investment without slashing spending on
politically sensitive subsidies and welfare
schemes. Jaitley forecast inflation at 5 per
cent by the end of the fiscal year ending
March 2016, undershooting the Reserve
Bank of India’s 6 per cent target and creating
room to cut interest rates. Annual inflation
was 5.1 per cent in January.
But he pushed back by a year, to 2017/18,
a deadline for cutting the fiscal deficit to
Jaitley has promised higher
investment in roads and
railways, offered tax cuts to
global companies and the stick
of tighter rules to get Indian
tycoons to invest at home,
reports RAJESH KUMAR SINGH
3 per cent of gross domestic product. In
2015/16, the deficit will be 3.9 per cent of
GDP, above the 3.6 per cent target inherited
from the last government.
In volatile trading, India’s NSE share
index ended 0.7 per cent higher after having
briefly fallen into the red on his comment
that the fiscal deficit would slip.
Ratings agency Moody’s gave the budget
a cool reception, saying it was neutral for
India’s credit and left stabilising government
finances at the mercy of economic growth.
Moody’s rates India at the lowest notch of
investment grade.
“We were not expecting big bang reforms,”
said Atsi Sheth, a Moody’s sovereign ratings
analyst. “The big bang reforms are also not
desirable because they have a higher chance
of rollback.”
India’s budget concentrates a year’s
economic policymaking into a single speech,
and the range of measures Jaitley announced
included a monetary policy overhaul, a
bankruptcy code and the creation of a public
debt management agency.
In a key passage, Jaitley said he would cut
the tax on company profits to 25 per cent
over four years from the current 30 per cent,
high by international standards. A national
goods and services tax would enter force, as
planned, in April 2016 and a controversial
set of new rules to fight tax avoidance would
be delayed by two years, he said.
Jaitley scrapped a distinction between
direct and portfolio investors, in a move to
encourage foreign investors to take strategic
stakes in Indian firms. He also simplified
regulation of financial markets.
The government shied away from
politically sensitive cuts in its $37 billion
subsidy bill, seeking instead to boost
efficiency of a rural jobs scheme that is
India’s costliest welfare programme.
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10
INDIA
omandailyobserver
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
UNION BUDGET: Rs 17.78 lakh crore national budget for the next fiscal
IN BRIEF
Jaitley presents budget of promise
NEW DELHI: Falling just short of big
bang reforms called for by his own economic survey, Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley on Saturday presented a Rs 17.78
lakh crore (nearly $300 billion) national
budget for the next fiscal that seeks to
put more money in the hands of the average citizen, tackle the menace of black
money more effectively and end an era
of “scam, scandal and corruption”.
In his 93-minute budget speech in
the Lok Sabha, the finance minister
said a new law on black money stashed
abroad will call for an imprisonment of
up to 10 years on its perpetrators with
a penalty of 300 per cent, while another
proposed legislation will clamp down
on benami property in India with both
confiscation and prosecution.
This apart, the 62-year old lawyerpolitician also proposed a new public
procurement law for the consideration of the house that can encourage
transparency in the way government
buys goods and services while removing the reluctance in decision-making
among the bureaucracy due to the fear
of being questioned later by probe agencies.
The finance minister said while individual tax payers would stand to gain as
much as Rs 440,200 by way of enhanced
exemptions he has proposed in his two
budgets since July last year, the corporate sector can benefit from a cut in tax
rates from 30 per cent to 25 per cent over
four years, albeit with a sharp reduction
in the exemptions.
The other highlights of Jaitley’s budget include universal social security with
health insurance coverage for the poor, a
new bankruptcy law, a fresh gold monetisation scheme, the deferment of muchcriticised General Anti-Avoidance Rule
by two years with prospective effect, a
pan-India goods and services tax regime
from April 1, 2017, tax-free bonds to
fund rail, roads and irrigation projects
and five new ultra mega power projects.
HIGHLIGHTS
Q KARNATAKA to get an IIT.
Q INDIAN School of Mines to be upgraded
to IIT.
Q FULLY IT-based student-help facility for
needy students.
Q Corporate tax to be reduced to 25 per
cent from 30 per cent in four years.
Q TAX exemption for contributions to
‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ and ‘Clean Ganga
Fund’.
Q NEW law to be brought against black
money.
Q Rigorous imprisonment for
concealing income.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley leaves his office to present the federal budget in New
Delhi. — Reuters
Individual tax payers would
stand to gain as much
as Rs 440,200 by way of
enhanced exemptions
proposed in his two budgets
since July last year, the
corporate sector can benefit
from a cut in tax rates from
30 per cent to 25 per cent
over four years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
hailed the budget as progressive and
practical which delivers on job creation, equity and growth. “Union budget
2015 is a budget with a clear vision. It
is a budget that is progressive, positive,
practical, pragmatic and prudent,” Modi
tweeted.
The prime minister said it had a distinct focus on farmers, youth, poor and
neo-middle class, while it laid down
the goals over the next seven years on
a host of areas such as housing for all,
jobs, health, education and total electri-
fication. It also signalled a stable, predictable and fair tax system, the prime
minister added. Industry, too, welcomed
the proposals and said it will encourage
investment with a better environment
for doing business. The emphasis on infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing
and rural economy was particularly welcomed.
Regarding radical liberalisation suggested by the economic survey, Jaitley
sought to give an explanation. “People
who urge us to undertake big bang reforms also say that the Indian economy
is a giant super tanker, or an elephant.
An elephant, Madam Speaker, moves
slowly but surely. Even our worst critics
would admit that we have moved rapidly,” he said.
Among the various welfare programmes, the finance minister outlined
a new student loan scheme for higher
education, Rs 8.5-lakh credit for farmers, significant hikes in the allocations
for women safety, rural job guarantee
scheme, and mid-day meal programme,
a new pension fund and several skilling
schemes for the youth.
He also made several references
to two of Prime Minister Modi’s pet
projects, and said while policies outlined
by him and various tax proposals were
aimed to giving an impetus to ‘Make in
India’ campaign, particularly aimed at
the youth and manufacturing, he also
announced 100 per cent tax rebate on
money spent by the corporate sector towards the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
In the realm of taxation, Jaitley said
wealth tax will be abolished, with a cess,
instead, on the super rich, the service tax
rate hiked, exemption limits for individual tax-payers significantly enhanced,
notably in areas like insurance, excise
and customs duty rationalised and corporate tax rate cut over four years from
30 per cent to 25 per cent, with the removal of a host of exemptions.
“My direct tax proposals would result in revenue loss of Rs 8,315 crore,
whereas the proposals in indirect taxes
are expected to yield Rs 23,383 crore.
Thus, the net impact of all tax proposals would be revenue gain of Rs 15,068
crore,” the finance minister said, while
also earmarking a target of Rs 41,000
crore from divestment of stake in staterun enterprises.
— IANS
Gold prices set to rise
Health budget dips by 5.7 pc
MUMBAI: Gold premiums could jump to as much as $5 an ounce
over world prices next week, from being almost at par, after Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley surprised jewellers by maintaining import duty at a
record level.
The wedding season that extends to May typically raises gold demand,
but many had delayed purchases expecting a cut in the 10 per cent tax. Buying had been muted in the past few weeks in the otherwise buzzing jewellery
centres, Zaveri Baazar in Mumbai and Karol Bagh in New Delhi.
“Gold prices were declining on expectations of a duty cut but now prices
would rise and premiums would shoot to $3 to $4 an ounce,” said Rahul
Gupta, Director at PP Jewellers in New Delhi. Keyur Shah, head of precious
metals at retailer Muthoot Pappachan, reckons jewellers and manufacturers
will replenish their inventory from Monday, boosting premiums to $5 an
ounce.
“Inventories with jewellers and manufacturers are low as everyone was
waiting for the duty cut to place fresh orders,” Shah said. “Next week we
would see big purchases from them.”
— Reuters
THE health budget saw a dip of 5.7 per cent with the government announcing an outlay of Rs 33,152 crore for the sector, giving special emphasis to the
promotion and development of Ayush, the country’s traditional methods of
medicines.
The ministry of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and
homeopathy (Ayush) was allotted Rs 1,214 crore. Ayush till last year was
a department under the health ministry, but was carved out as a separate
ministry last year by the Modi government which believes in promoting
India’s ancient methods of treatment. The health sector has been allotted Rs
33,152 crore. The budgetary allocation decreased by 5.7 per cent as in the
last fiscal it stood at Rs 35,163 crore.
The department of health research under the health ministry got a hike
of 9.2 per cent with Rs 1,018.17 crore allotted to it compared to last year’s Rs
932 crore, whereas the department of health and family welfare got a hike
of a mere two percent as Rs 29,653 crore earmarked this year as compared
to Rs 29,042 crore last fiscal. The department of Aids control also got a hike
of just 7.4 per cent. It was allotted Rs 1,397 crore this fiscal compared to Rs
1,300 crore last year.
— IANS
Infrastructure spending to help economy ‘fly’
The Union Budget Viewing Session organised by CII in New Delhi. — IANS
change is not going to get us anywhere,”
said the finance minister.
“We have to think in terms of a quantum jump.”
Analysts have said the government’s
challenge will be to balance its spending
with the need for fiscal restraint.
Jaitley said the government would
achieve its goal of cutting the fiscal
deficit to 4.1 per cent of gross domestic
product (GDP) for 2014/2015 from 4.5
per cent the year before.
But he said it would delay by a year
the goal of cutting the deficit to 3 per
cent, forecasting a figure of 3.9 per cent
in 2015/16.
“Although possibly controversial...
and against economist expectation, the
pushing out of meeting (the) fiscal deficit target by a year shows pragmatism
in bringing in additional public investments for infrastructure development,”
said Nilaya Varma, the head of government services for consultants KPMG in
India.
Jaitley also announced plans for a
universal social security system that
would give poor Indians access to subsi-
THE emphasis on health and several tax benefits, with no change in income tax
rates and a universal social security system, has left the public largely satisfied
with the union budget.
“I am glad that the personal income tax rates have remained unchanged
even if they haven’t gone down. It has lessened the burden on us,” Sunil Moitra,
a 45-year-old central government employee, said.
The tax exemption limit for health insurance was increased from Rs 15,000
to Rs 25,000 by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a bid to “encourage people to
take health insurance”.
The announcement of six more AIIMS-like institutes in the country was
applauded by many.
“Health is of paramount importance in one’s life and we need hospitals where
the poor and underprivileged can get treatment. This is a welcome move,” said
50-year-old Ghanshyam who drives an auto-rickshaw.
With six new premier hospitals, the number of such super speciality
institutes will go up to 14 in the country. In addition, the government also
announced an outlay of Rs 33,152 crore for health, with special emphasis on
improving the public health sector.
The hike in the prices of tobacco items, including cigarettes, paan masala
and gutkha will put off youngsters, felt many.
The increase in prices of tobacco items will act as a deterrent because people
start smoking at young age due to peer pressure. But many of us have limited
money, the higher cost of cigarettes will make them unaffordable for us,” said
19-year-old Yash Bhatia, a Delhi University student.
Other announcements such as a universal social security system for all
Indians, especially for the poor and disadvantaged sections, Atal Pension Yojna
for the economically disadvantaged and an increase in the allocation to the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA)
funds received a thumbs up.
However, there were some who criticised the budget saying it was favouring
the corporates and was anti-middle class.
“There is nothing in the budget for the middle class. The government is
either favouring the rich or the poor. But those in between have been ignored,”
lamented 46-year-old businessman Prakash Suri, a resident of Mayur Vihar.
Fund for women, child slashed
THE allocation of the women and child development ministry has been slashed
by 44 per cent in the budget for 2015-16.
While the allocation for the ministry in 2014-15 was Rs 18,588 crore, it was
reduced to Rs 10,382 crore for this financial year.
Jaitley promised to provide additional funds of Rs 1,500 crore to the
Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Rs.500 crore to Integrated
Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) in case of more revenue collection due to tax
buoyancy.
“I hope to garner some additional resources during the year from tax
buoyancy. If I am successful, then over and above the budgetary allocation, I
will endeavour to enhance allocations to ICDS by Rs 1,500 crore, ICPS by Rs
500 crore,” Jaitley said in his budget speech.
The allocation for ICDS has been increased from Rs 41.61 crore to Rs 90
crore, according to budget documents.
The budget allocation for National Commission for Women has been
reduced from Rs 27.35 crore to Rs 23.15 crore.
People look at a screen displaying the budget on the facade of BSE building in
Mumbai. — AFP
Sports budget up by Rs 384.52 cr
‘The credibility of the Indian economy has been re-established’
NEW DELHI: Finance minister pledged
major investment in infrastructure, saying it was time for the economy to “fly”,
as he unveiled the new right-wing government’s first full budget.
Arun Jaitley said his government had
inherited an economy dominated by
“doom and gloom” when it took power
last year, trumpeting its achievements in
conquering inflation and kick-starting
growth. “The credibility of the Indian
economy has been reestablished. The
world is predicting this is India’s chance
to fly,” he said.
Jaitley said the government would increase spending on the country’s crumbling roads, railways and ports by $11.3
billion in 2015/16 as it seeks to win back
investment and boost growth.
He said the government would complete 100,000 km of roads currently
under construction and build another
100,000 km.
The government will set up tax-free
infrastructure bonds to finance its plans
through a national fund that would receive a Rs 200-billion injection of public
money.
“It is quite obvious that incremental
Tax, health benefits delight many
dised insurance and pensions.
The scheme will provide coverage for
accidents and death for just Rs 12 — less
than 20 US cents — a year.
Despite new figures showing the
economy is growing at a faster clip than
previously thought, many ordinary Indians have yet to feel the benefit.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
last month suffered a drubbing in Delhi
state elections, its first major defeat at
the polls since it came to power, with
critics saying Indians were tired of waiting for change.
On Saturday Jaitley said the BJP
government was committed to achieving “genuine, effective upliftment of the
poor” by boosting growth and helping
create jobs for all.
The government has forecast that
growth for 2014/15 will reach 7.4 per
cent, making it the world’s fastest growing major economy, topping 8 per cent
in 2015/16 before moving into double
figures in subsequent years.
India’s economy has been see as stagnating in recent years and the dramatic
turnaround is due partly to a change in
the way the data is calculated. — AFP
FINANCE Minister Arun Jaitley allocated Rs 1541.13 crore to the ministry of
youth affairs and sports for 2015-16, an increase of approximately Rs 384.52
crore from the last financial year.
For the 2014-15 year, the sports ministry was earmarked Rs 1156.61 crore.
The Youth Welfare Scheme is a major beneficiary, getting Rs 336.62 crore as
against last fiscal year’s Rs 255.51 crore.
Another beneficiary are awards that have been increased to Rs 30 crore as
against last fiscal year’s Rs 13.20 crore.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) will have a share of Rs 369.39 crore as
compared to last fiscal year’s Rs 352.05 crore.
The budget allocation for development of sports in the Union Territories
remained the same at Rs 22.60 crore.
Bankruptcy code for business
A COMPREHENSIVE bankruptcy code has been suggested making it easier
for entrepreneurs to exit unviable ventures on the lines prevailing in the US,
towards improving the ease of doing business, Finance Minister Arun Jaitely
said.
“Bankruptcy law reform, that brings about legal certainty and speed, has
been identified as a key priority for improving the ease of doing business,”
Jaitley told the Lok Sabha while presenting the NDA government’s first full
budget.
“We will bring a comprehensive Bankruptcy Code in fiscal 2015-16, that
will meet global standards and provide necessary judicial capacity,” he added.
The new code will essentially help banks recover dues in case promoters
default. It will replace the Sick Industrial Companies Act (SICA) as well as the
Board for Industrial and Finance reconstruction (BIFR) Act which have failed
in achieving the objective of bankruptcy law reform, the finance minister said.
A recent celebrated case of corporate default is that of the grounded
Kingfisher Airlines, which owes over Rs 7,000 crore to a consortium of banks.
The airlines owes the state-run State Bank of India Rs 2,000 crore, while the
bank took possession of Kingfisher House in Mumbai earlier this month in a
bid to recover some part of its money.
— IANS
INDIA
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
omandailyobserver
11
FOREIGN SECRETARY TALKS: Major push to neighbourhood outreach
HOMAGE TO DESAI
Saarc yatra begins with Bhutan
The sub-regional pact is a parallel initiative
to the proposed Saarc transport agreement
for which ongoing efforts to find early
resolution would continue. India has said
membership of the sub-regional agreement
would be open to all other neighbouring
countries, should they so desire
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage to former prime minister Morarji
Desai on his birth anniversary in New Delhi. Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha speaker,
is also seen. — IAN
NEW DELHI: Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar begins his ‘yatra’ of four Saarc
countries from Sunday, with Bhutan as
the first stop, in a major push to the government’s neighbourhood outreach.
Jaishankar, who took over on January 28, travels to Bangladesh March 2,
Pakistan March 3 and Afghanistan the
following day.
His schedule to the rest of the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) neighbours — Sri
Lanka, Maldives and Nepal — will be
announced later.
The schedule was announced days
after Prime Minister Narendra Modi
tweeted on February 13 that Jaishankar
would be leaving on a Saarc yatra.
His Pakistan visit would see Jais-
Defence ministry clears mine
sweepers, trainer aircraft deals
NEW DELHI: Defence ministry on Saturday cleared a project worth Rs 32,000
crore for 12 mine sweeping vessels to be
made in the country, along with some
other projects including one for buying
38 basic trainer aircrafts.
In a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar, the government also cleared acquisition of
38 Pilatus basic trainer aircraft. However, the remaining requirement for
the trainer aircrafts after this acquisition will be met by home made planes,
sources said.
Sources from the defence ministry
said the manufacture of the 12 MCMV
(Mine Counter-Measures Vessel) will
have Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) as the
lead agency.
In November 2014, the ministry had
scrapped the Rs 2,700 crore deal for acquiring two minesweeper vehicles from
a South Korean firm after it was found
that there were violations of tender conditions as agents were in the play.
“The whole process will be started
from scratch. The vessels will be made
on India,” an official said.
He added that there could be foreign
partners in the project.
The other major project cleared was
for buying 38 Pilatus P-7 aircraft for
training pilots.
India has already acquired 75 Pilatus
aircraft against a projected requirement
Pilatus basic trainer aircraft
of 181 planes and 59 of these have been
inducted.
Sources said the rest of the requirement will be met by HTT40 (Hindustan
Turbo Trainer-40) aircraft manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Officials added that number of
planes can be increased to make the
manufacturing viable.
“Adequate orders will be given to
HAL to make this commercially viable
project. The number of aircraft can be
increased,” an official said.
The council also cleared buying one
Hercules C-130J aircraft to replace at
the cost of Rs.533 crore to replace the
one that crashed last year.
The council also discussed buying
amphibious US-2i aircraft, but no decision was taken as the it was felt further
discussions are needed on the issue.
No decision was taken on the bid by
Airbus-TATA consortium to replace the
ageing Avro transport aircraft fleet of
the Indian Air Force. — IANS
hankar hold talks with his counterpart
Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry — in a major
move seeking to normalise bilateral ties.
India had called off the foreign secretary-level talks in August last year after
the Pakistani envoy in India held talks
with Kashmiri separatists, ignoring India’s objections.
His visit to the region comes even
as India is pushing ahead with a subregional connectivity project with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan to provide
seamless transit of passenger, personal
and cargo vehicles among the four Saarc
nations.
In early February, senior officials
from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal met at Raichak near Kolkata to finalise a Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA)
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar
for a seamless transit of passenger and
cargo vehicles between their countries
and draw up plans for its speedy implementation.
The sub-regional pact is a parallel initiative to the proposed Saarc transport
agreement for which ongoing efforts to
find early resolution would continue.
India has said membership of the
sub-regional agreement would be open
to all other neighbouring countries,
should they so desire.
Pakistan had refused to sign the MVA
Five ultra mega power
projects on anvil
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said his government
plans to build five new ultra mega power projects totalling 20,000 MW which
will unlock investment of up to Rs 1 lakh crore. Economists, however, seemed
sceptic.
The step has been planned with the aim of electrification of the remaining
20,000 villages in the country by 2020.
“The government proposes to set up five new ultra mega power projects,
each of 4,000 MWs in the plug-and-play mode.
“All clearances and linkages will be in place before the project is awarded
by a transparent auction system. This should unlock investments to the extent
of Rs 1 lakh crore,” Jaitley told the Lok Sabha while presenting the budget for
2015-16.
He said his government will also consider similar plug-and-play projects
in other infrastructure projects such as roads, ports, railway lines, airports and
other sectors.
The minister said the second unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
will be commissioned in 2015-16.
Even as the government was moving towards enhancing the national
power capacity, economists seemed sceptic.
“Prima facie, we have not seen any concrete measures in the budget
for renewable energy. Unlike rail and roads, tax free bonds have not been
specifically proposed for renewable energy,” said Anish De from market
researcher firm KPMG.
He said the general emphasis on renewable energy and re-stating of the
MNRE target to 175 GW by 2022 comprising 100 GW of solar, 60 GW of wind
and 15 GW of other technologies was not adequate to make capacity creation
happen in reality.
Economist Abhirup Sarkar also echoed a similar feeling.
“There hasn’t been considerable progress on the public-private partnership
model. There are concerns from private investors in infrastructural projects as
the price chargeable to the consumer is regulated by the authorities,” Sarkar, a
professor of the Indian Statistical Institute, said.
He said the gestation period in the power sector may go up to 20 years
and investors might not be keen about making any large investments in the
segment. — IANS
The TDP leader said the budget dashed hopes of people who had reposed faith in the alliance
Naidu to meet Modi over ‘injustice’ to Andhra
HYDERABAD: Unhappy over the “raw
deal” meted out to Andhra Pradesh in
the union budget, Chief Minister N
Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday decided to meet Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to seek justice for his state reeling
under the impact of bifurcation.
Naidu, who is also president of the
Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a partner
in the National Democratic Alliance
(NDA) government, told reporters here
that the budget dashed hopes of people
who had reposed faith in the alliance.
Stating that everybody in the state is
disappointed with the budget, he said
it was Modi’s responsibility to ensure
that Andhra Pradesh gets all the support and its state capital is developed
at par with Hyderabad, Bengaluru and
Chennai.
Unhappy over the state not being
given special category status and sufficient funds in the union budget, Naidu
said he would make all efforts to pursue
the central government to undo the injustice done to the state by the previous
Congress-led government by dividing
the state.
Naidu reminded Modi that during
the election campaign, they gave assur-
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu addresses a press conference
regarding the national budget in Hyderabad. — IANS
ances to people and made promises.
“At an election meeting in Tirupati,
Modi had promised that a world-class
capital city would be developed which
would be better than Delhi,” he said.
Naidu said he had been seeking Rs
1 lakh crore for developing new state
capital as it may take 15-20 years for it
to reach Hyderabad’s level of development.
The chief minister said he visited
Delhi seven-eight times and met the
prime minister, the finance minister
and others to explain to them the prob-
lems faced by his state and the assistance required to overcome them.
“I did not expect this,” said Naidu,
while pointing out that the budget has
nothing to offer to the state.
The TDP chief said division of the
state was a political decision and hence
the creation of level-playing field has to
be a political decision.
He, however, said this would have
no impact on his “friendship” with the
BJP-led government.
Asked if he would withdraw support
to the government, he retorted: “I am
not going to play petty politics.”
Naidu said the state’s division was
done in “unjust” manner. The successor
state of Andhra Pradesh ended up with
11 per cent revenue loss in proportion
to its population.
Stating that the state suffered loss of
Rs 61,000 crore due to Hudhud cyclone
last year, aggravating the situation, he
urged the central government to extend
every help to the state both in terms of
policy decisions and provision of funds.
Referring to meagre allocation of Rs
100 crore in the budget for Polavaram
project, he wondered how long it would
take to complete the project.
Naidu said no decision was taken
on making Visakhapatnam a separate
railway zone as committed in the Reorganisation Act.
Earlier, TDP parliamentarians and
Andhra Pradesh cabinet ministers said
injustice was done to the state as there
was no clarity with regard to the special
status promised in the Andhra Pradesh
Reorganisation Act.
MP G Jayadev said in New Delhi
that they were “very disappointed”.
He said though Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley said all legal commitments
made at the time of reorganisation
would be complied with, there was no
clarity in the budget.
He said it was a year since the Reorganisation Act was passed but nothing
had been done to fulfil the commitment
made therein.
Union Minister of State for Science
and Technology YS Chowdary said
Jaitley told parliament that Bihar and
West Bengal would be provided special
assistance as was provided to Andhra
Pradesh but there was no clarity.
TDP had joined NDA before last
year’s elections. It has 15 members in
Lok Sabha. — IANS
during the Kathmandu Saarc Summit in
November last year, citing the need for it
to be ratified by its parliament.
India is also planning an electricity
grid among the Saarc nations. India and
Bangladesh are already connected with
a power grid. The grouping of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN)
had last month discussed the scope for
power trade and inter-grid connectivity.
Jaishankar’s visit to Bangladesh
comes as the country has been rocked
by continuing political unrest, spurred
by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party-Jamaat.
India and Bangladesh have also
inched closer to inking the Land Boundary Agreement for swap of enclaves
within each other’s territory.
Modi is likely to go on a bilateral
visit to the two key Indian Ocean neighbours of Maldives and Sri Lanka in midMarch, during which he is to be accompanied by the foreign secretary.
Modi had visited Nepal twice last
year, one a standalone bilateral visit
and the second for the Saarc Summit in
Kathmandu.
Modi had kicked off his neighbourhood diplomacy on the day of his swearing-in May 26 last year, by inviting the
leaders of the South Asian countries, including Mauritius, to the event. He had
also interacted with each leader briefly
the following day. — IANS
Document leak:
Court extends
Sharma’s police
custody
NEW DELHI: A court here on Saturday extended the police custody of
Lokesh Sharma, an employee of Noidabased energy consultantcy, arrested in
the document leak case.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
Satish Kumar Arora allowed Delhi Police to quiz Lokesh Sharma, 33, an employee of Infraline Energy, till March 3.
He was presented before court after
his five day police custody expired.
During the argument, police told
court further investigations are being
conducted as few more names of people working as private secretaries and
assistants of senior bureaucrats in the
ministries have cropped up.
The police also added that Sharma
is required for confrontation with other
accused arrested in the case.
Sharma, who was arrested on Sunday, used to provide stolen documents
of the coal and petroleum ministries to
some corporate houses, police said.
Police have arrested Jatinder Nagpal, personal assistant to the joint secretary in the ministry along with Vipan
Kumar, personal assistant to a member
of the UPSC, on Wednesday and was
remanded to five day’s police custody
on Thursday. So far, 16 people, including Sharma, Nagpal and Kumar, have
been arrested and Delhi Police have
registered two FIRs in connection with
the leak. — IANS
Visa on arrival
now for 150
countries
NEW DELHI: India will provide visa
on arrival (VoA) to visitors from 150
countries — a sharp rise from the 43
countries now, Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley announced on Saturday.
“Last year VoA was issued to 43
countries. As tourism in the country
has increased, I propose to increase
the countries covered under this to
150,” Jaitley said while presenting the
Union Budget 2015-16 proposals in
the Lok Sabha.
The government had eased
Indian tourism visa regime through
the expansion of VoA enabled by
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
and extended this facility to tourists
from countries like the US, Israel,
Palestine and Japan to boost tourism
sector.
This hassle-free process has given
a fillip to Indian tourism whose share
in world tourism is a paltry 0.6 per
cent of international tourist arrivals
compared to 7.8 per cent in France
and 6.4 per cent in the US. — IANS
12
STOLEN CAR FORCES TEAM OUT OF RACE
S U N DAY l M A R C H 1 l 2 0 1 5
Travis Kvapil never imagined his race
weekend would end before it started
because his car would be stolen from
a hotel parking lot, but that’s exactly
what happened on Friday. The
38-year-old American was forced to
withdraw from Sunday’s QuikTrip 500
after thieves drove off a truck
and the trailer that contained his
Sprint Cup Series race car.
WORLD
Cameroonians
protest against
Boko Haram
YAOUNDE: Thousands of people
marched in Cameroon’s capital
yesterday to protest against Nigeria’s
Boko Haram insurgency and support
the Central African nation’s army,
which is fighting alongside regional
neighbours to defeat the armed group.
The march in Yaounde was aimed
at informing the public, especially in
the southern regions, about the threat
posed by Boko Haram, which has
carried out regular cross-border raids in
the far north, one of the organisers said.
Yaounde is located in the central
region of the country.
“It was important to tell
Cameroonians that we are at war and
a part of the country is suffering,”
said Gubai Gatama, a newspaper
editor who was among the march’s
organisers.”About 150,000 people have
been displaced by the conflict.”
In addition to its own citizens
forced to flee the violence, thousands
of refugees have poured into Cameroon
from northeastern Nigeria. “Some 170
schools in Cameroon’s northern region
have been closed,” Gatama said.
Boko Haram’s six-year insurgency
in Nigeria has spread to neighbouring
countries, where the group has launched
attacks over the past year, burning
villages and kidnapping residents.
The Lake Chad region nations
threatened by Boko Haram, Nigeria
along with Cameroon, Niger and Chad,
have launched a joint offensive to quell
the rebellion and claim to have retaken
territory from group in recent weeks.
Muhamadou Labara Awal was among
the 5,000 people who organisers estimated
marched on the May.
— Reuters
BOMBARDIER LAUNCHES BIGGEST JETLINER
Canadian
manufacturer
Bombardier’s largest
ever passenger jet,
the CS300, made
its maiden test
flight after billions
of dollars spent on
development
and long delays.
STOP INEQUALITY: Calls for new ways of thinking about poverty, welfare, employment
Petronas suffers
$2bn loss due
to low oil prices
ROME: Pope Francis launched a fresh
attack on economic injustice yesterday,
condemning the “throw-away culture”
of globalisation and calling for new
ways of thinking about poverty, welfare,
employment and society.
In a speech to the association
of Italian cooperative movements,
he pointed to the “dizzying rise in
unemployment” and the problems that
existing welfare systems had in meeting
healthcare needs.
For those living “at the existential
margins” the current social and
political system “seems fatally destined
to suffocate hope and increase risks and
threats,” he said.
The Argentinian-born pope, who
has often criticised orthodox market
economics for fostering unfairness
and inequality, said people were forced
to work long hours, sometimes in the
black economy, for a few hundred euros
a month because they were seen as
easily replaceable.
“’You don’t like it? Go home then’.
What can you do in a world that works
like this? Because there’s a queue of
people looking for work. If you don’t
like it, someone else will,” he said in an
unscripted change from the text of his
speech.
“It’s hunger, hunger that makes us
accept what they give us,” he said.
His remarks have a special resonance
in Italy, where unemployment,
particularly among young people, is
running at record levels after years of
economic recession.
The cooperative movement in Italy,
whose roots go back to 19th century
workers’ associations, have long had
close ties to the Catholic Church, with
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia stateowned energy firm Petronas suffered a
7.27 billion ringgit ($2 billion) loss in
the final quarter of 2014 due to lower
oil prices, the company said yesterday.
Malaysia’s only Fortune 500
company — and the largest contributor
to government revenue — said the
October to December performance
was a reversal from the 12.76 billion
ringgit profit it generated for the same
period in 2013.
The showing pulled down the
company’s profit for the whole year to
47.6 billion ringgit from 65.6 billion
ringgit in the previous year, it said.
The company warned of more tough
going as crude oil prices are expected to
remain depressed.
“Based on the crude oil prices
outlook whereby the average prices for
2015 are expected to be significantly
lower than that of 2014, Petronas
expects its 2015 performance to be
impacted,” it said.
The company said it would take steps
to reduce planned capital investments
and operating expenditures in order to
mitigate the potential adverse impact of
low oil prices on its profitability. — dpa
Pope blasts ‘throwaway culture’
Pope Francis delivers his speech during an audience with members of the confederation of Italian cooperatives at the Vatican
yesterday.
— Reuters
credit services, agricultural and building
co-ops forming an important part of the
overall economy.
Pope Francis said they could help
find new models and methods that
could be an alternative model to the
“throw-away culture created by the
powers that control the economic and
financial policies of the globalised
world.”
Perhaps mindful of a wide-ranging
corruption scandal linked to some
cooperatives in Rome last year, he
attacked those who “slander the
LESOTHO GOES TO POLLS
The Argentinian-born pope,
who has often criticised
orthodox market economics
for fostering unfairness and
inequality, said people were
forced to work long hours,
sometimes in the black
economy, for a few hundred
euros a month because
they were seen as easily
replaceable.
cooperative name”.
But his overall message was that
economic rationale had to be secondary
to the wider needs of human society.
“When money becomes an idol, it
commands the choices of man. And
thus it ruins man and condemns him. It
makes him a slave,” he said.
“Money at the service of life can
be managed in the right way by
cooperatives, on condition that it is a
real cooperative where capital does not
have command over men but men over
capital,” he said.
— Reuters
AROUND THE GLOBE
Diamond thieves sentenced to prison
Residents wait to cast their ballot for the parliamentary elections at a voting station on the outskirts of the Maseru. A snap
election got under way in Lesotho yesterday, six months after an attempted coup plunged the small southern
African nation into a political crisis.
— AFP
$1 million birthday celebration financed with ‘donations’
Mugabe holds big B-day bash
VICTORIA
FALLS:
Zimbabwe’s
President Robert Mugabe celebrated his
91st birthday with a lavish party by the
spectacular Victoria Falls on Saturday,
prompting many Zimbabweans to
question once again when he would
leave office and who would succeed him.
Thousands of supporters sat in
large white tents during the $1 million
birthday celebration on a rolling golf
course near the waterfalls, organised by
his ZANU-PF party.
His party has said the money was
raised from individual and company
donations.
Mugabe is a deeply divisive figure
at home and abroad and is the only
leader the southern African country has
known since declaring independence
from colonial power Britain in 1980.
He is one of a handful of African
leaders remaining from a generation
that fought white domination, which
included South Africa’s Nelson Mandela.
But while Mandela served one
presidential term and then retired,
I don’t choose my
successor, never. I
was not appointed
successor by anyone.
The successor can come from
any level of the party. It may
be either of the
vice- presidents, but it’s up
to the people.
ROBERT MUGABE
President of Zimbabwe
Mugabe tightened his grip on power
and shows no sign of departing from the
political scene.
Mugabe told state television in an
interview, the final of a two-part series,
that he would not annoint a successor to
take over ruling the ZANU-PF party.
“I don’t choose my successor, never. I
was not appointed successor by anyone,”
Mugabe said.
“The successor can come from any
level of the party. It may be either of the
vice-presidents, but it’s up to the people.”
Last December ZANU-PF re-elected
Mugabe, making him candidate in the
next election in 2018 when he will be 94.
Mugabe denies media reports he
is suffering from prostate cancer and
maintains his several trips to Singapore
are for routine medical checks and to fix
a recurring eye problem.
At his party in Victoria Falls Mugabe,
who donned a striped black suit and red
tie, showed no signs of ill health as he
spoke for more than an hour, during
which he attacked Western powers for
imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe.
He was flanked by his two deputies,
senior party and government officials,
his children and wife Grace.
A local farmer, who runs a wildlife
farm in Victoria Falls told a stateowned newspaper last month that he
had donated wildlife meat, including
crocodile and elephant, to be part of the
menu for the party.
— Reuters
‘Barbie’ candidate
dashes hope
for left’s revival
WARSAW: Poland’s main left-wing
party was once a major player. It
helped bring Poland into the European
Union, sent troops to Iraq and let the
CIA operate a secret prison for terror
suspects. Today the Democratic Left
Alliance — heir to the Cold War-era’s
Communists — is fighting for its very
existence. Corruption scandals and a
failure to inspire young voters have
eroded its standing, leaving Poland’s
political scene without a viable centreleft party.
With presidential and parliamentary
elections coming up this year, the
left-wing party’s leader, Leszek Miller,
has gambled on an unknown and
untested presidential candidate to
reverse the party’s sharp decline:
Magdalena Ogorek (pictured), a
36-year-old former bit-part actress
and TV presenter with striking good
looks — whom some Poles dub a
“Barbie” candidate. While Ogorek has
a doctorate in history, she has virtually
no political experience.
The 68-year-old Miller says he is
counting on her youth and energy
to attract new voters to the party,
whose ranks include many former
communists like himself — a major
factor in the party’s decline in this
young, Western-looking democracy.
So far the tactic seems to be
backfiring. Ogorek has attracted the
praise of some magazines thanks to
her looks, but many Poles, even the
party’s traditional supporters, say
Miller has made the party look foolish
by choosing an unknown candidate
without political experience to
compete for the prestigious position,
a job once held by Solidarity founder
Lech Walesa.
— AP
PARIS: A French court has sentenced eight men to jail over a double heist at a Harry
Winston jewellery shop in Paris in which they made off with gems and watches worth
more than 100 million euros ($114 million). The Paris court sentenced them to prison
terms ranging from nine months to 15 years over the robberies in 2007 and 2008.
Douadi Yahiaoui, nicknamed “Doudou” and considered the brains behind the
double heist, was handed a 15-year jail term.
Yahiaoui, 50, has already served 23 years for theft and drug trafficking.
“He was the brains of the team. He is the one who organised everything, recruited
the robbers, gave instructions and was in charge of selling the jewellery,” said
prosecutor Sylvie Kachaner.
The court also sentenced former Harry Winston security guard Mouloud Djennad,
39, to five years in jail, with three suspended, for providing information to Yahiaoui.
“My thoughts are with my former colleagues at Harry Winston. I’m ashamed every
day but I cannot undo what I’ve done,” he had told the court before the jury retired to
deliberate their verdict.
In the first robbery in October 2007, four masked gunmen wearing decorators’ overalls
held up employees at the store in an upmarket part of the French capital. — AFP
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde greets Liberian President Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf (L) with elbows, as they greet people in Liberia to help
fight Ebola’s contagion, after their meeting at the IMF Headquarters
in Washington yesterday.
— Reuters
Shaolin Temple’s big plans for Australia
BEIJING: China’s Shaolin Temple, historically known for its martial arts traditions but
which recently has gained a reputation for aggressive commercialisation, is planning
to build a $297 million complex in Australia that would include a temple, a hotel, a
kung fu academy and a golf course.
The Shoalhaven City Council in New South Wales state said earlier this month that
Shaolin Temple Foundation Australia, the developer, had finalised a land purchase at
Comberton Grange for what will be known as Shaolin Village.
Mayor Joanna Gash said on Saturday that the city council and the state
government had both approved the concept plan for the project, which is to include
a temple sanctuary with resident monks, a live-in kung fu academy, a 500-bed fourstar hotel and a 27-hole golf course. Planning officials have rejected a residential
component, but the developer hopes to restore it, according to media reports.
“We would like to see it happen as soon as possible,” Gash said in a phone interview
on Saturday. “Shaolin Temple is well regarded. It will be phenomenal for us. There’s a lot
of interest in it.”
— AP
REGION
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
UN-BROKERED DIALOGUE: Negotiators facing ‘political and psychological pressure’
Yemen separatists boycott talks
ADEN:
Separatists from southern
Yemen suspended their participation in
UN-sponsored talks on the future of the
crisis-hit country as nine soldiers were
wounded on Saturday in a clash with
secessionist fighters.
The violence coincided with a drone
strike that killed three suspected Al
Qaeda militants in southern Yemen,
tribal sources said.
An official in the southern province of
Lahij said that separatists opened fire on
an army convoy and three soldiers were
wounded in a gunbattle.
The separatists last week abducted
12 soldiers and threatened to kill them
unless the army handed over a military
base to offset the growing influence of the
Houthi militia that has seized Sanaa.
Tensions in Yemen have soared since
the Houthis overran the presidential
palace in the capital in February and
placed President Abedrabbo Mansour
Hadi, a southerner, under house arrest.
Hadi escaped last week to Aden,
where he has been reconsolidating his
grip on power buoyed by support from
Gulf states which have relocated their
embassies to the southern city.
Several countries, including Britain
and the United States, closed their
embassies in Sanaa over security fears
following the Houthi takeover.
Yemen has never managed to achieve
stability since longtime president Ali
Abdullah Saleh stepped down in early
2012 after a bloody year-long popular
uprising. Hadi’s escape to Aden has turned
what was the capital of an independent
south Yemen before unification in 1990
into a diplomatic hub.
Kuwait became the latest Gulf nation
to reopen its Yemeni Embassy in Aden,
instead of the militia-controlled capital,
following similar moves by Saudi Arabia
and United Arab Emirates.
Aden was the capital of an independent
south Yemen before unification in 1990.
The Southern Movement, which
Iraq truck bomb
attack kills 11
SAMARRA: A suicide truck bomb
killed at least 11 Iraqi forces south of
Tikrit on Saturday during operations
paving the way for an assault on the
militanat-held city, the army said.
“Three suicide bombers driving
tanker trucks sped towards a gathering
of security forces at a checkpoint,”
an army lieutenant colonel said on
condition of anonymity.
He said the attack took place near
Sur Shnas, an archaeological site on the
banks of the Tigris between the cities of
Samarra and Tikrit, the main cities in
Salaheddin province north of Baghdad.
“Security forces opened fire,
managed to stop two but the third got
closer to the group and blew himself
up,” the officer said. Clashes ensued, he
said, but “security forces successfully
completed preparations to surround
Ad Dawr”.
— AFP
Yemeni protesters hostile to the Houthi militia take part in a rally in Sanaa on Saturday in solidarity with French woman Isabelle
Prime and her Yemeni interpreter Sherine Makkaoui who have been kidnapped last week in the capital by unidentified
gunmen. The father of the French woman taken hostage called on her kidnappers “to show their humanity” and release her
free along with the Yemenite woman taken at the same time. — AFP
seeks the secession of the regions of the
The Southern Movement,
formerly independent south, announced
overnight on Friday that it was pulling which seeks the secession of
out of UN-brokered talks.
the regions of the formerly
“We have suspended our participation
independent south,
in the (UN-backed) national dialogue
until it is moved out of the country,” announced on Friday night
Southern Movement member Yassin that it was pulling out of UNMekkawi said. He said negotiators
brokered talks.
were facing mounting “political and
psychological pressure”.
UN envoy Jamal Benomar has been
shuttling between Yemeni parties to
Benomar met Hadi in Aden on
secure an end to the country’s political
deadlock and to persuade them to return Thursday and said the latter wanted the
talks moved to a “safe place to which the
to the negotiating table in Sanaa.
But there has been widespread parties should agree”.
Saleh’s party, however, insists the talks
disagreement on the venue.
resume in Sanaa, warning of a boycott.
The Huthis, who have long clashed
with central authorities, descended from
their power base in northern Yemen to
seize Sanaa in September.
After moves to expand into southern
and central Yemen were checked by
fierce resistance from Al Qaeda and from
tribesmen, the militia grabbed the seats of
power in Sanaa in February.
The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, is seen by
the United States as the deadliest branch
of the global extremist network.
AQAP took advantage of a 2011
uprising that forced veteran president
Saleh from power to seize large swathes
of the south and east.
— AFP
omandailyobserver
Jailed Kurdish leader in
Turkey urges PKK
to lay down arms
ISTANBUL: The jailed leader of the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on
Saturday urged the separatists to take a
“historic” decision to lay down arms, a
key step in efforts to end Turkey’s longrunning Kurdish insurgency.
Reading a statement live on
television, Sirri Sureyya Onder, a
lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish
People’s Democratic Party (HDP),
relayed a message from Abdullah
Ocalan calling on the Kurdish rebels to
hold a congress on disarmament in the
spring.
“We are in the process of ending
the 30-year of conflict in the form of
a perpetual peace, and our primary
goal is to reach a democratic solution,”
Onder quoted Ocalan as saying in a
joint press conference with Deputy
Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan.
“I’m calling on the PKK to hold an
extraordinary congress in the spring
months to take the strategic and
historic decision on disarmament,”
Ocalan’s message said.
“This is a historic call to replace
armed struggle with democratic
politics.”
Onder, who spoke alongside
now split between loyalist forces and
dissidents.
Last week De Mistura said the
government had shown a willingness to
suspend aerial bombardment of Aleppo
for six weeks to allow a humanitarian
ceasefire.
Under the plan, dissidents would be
asked to suspend rocket and mortar fire
there during the freeze.
De Mistura incurred the wrath of
the opposition earlier in February by
describing Assad as “part of the solution”
to the conflict.
About 220,000 people have been
killed in Syria since the conflict began
in March 2011 with anti-government
protests that spiralled into a multi-sided
civil war drawing foreign militants.
In Daraa province southwest of
Damascus, government troops gained
territory from opposition fighters and
Al Nusra Front, the Syrian Observatory
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal
Moqdad (L) with UN special envoy for
Syria Staffan de Mistura, in Damascus on
Saturday. — AFP
Akdogan and Interior Minister Efkan
Ala following a brief meeting with the
two ministers in Istanbul, said the both
sides were “closer than ever to peace.”
The press conference was of
significance because it was the first
time a message by Ocalan was read out
in the presence of Turkish government
officials.
Akdogan
emphasised
the
importance of a ceasefire and said:
“We have reached an important and
historical phase in the peace process.”
“Silencing arms will contribute to the
development of democracy,” he said.
The statement came after an HDP
delegation met with PKK rebels for talks
at their base in the Kandil Mountains
in Iraq on February 23 and met Ocalan
himself on his prison island of Imrali
on the Marmara Sea on Friday.
The statement also listed 10
measures that the government must
agree to ensure peace, including
drafting a new constitution.
“Today, a critical point has been
reached in Turkey’s democratisation,
the expansion of freedoms and for
lasting peace,” said HDP chairman
— AFP
Selahattin Demirtas.
The People’s Democratic Party (HDP) representative and HDP’s Istanbul MP Sirri
Sureyya Onder (R) speaking next to Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan
during a meeting at the Dolmabahce office of Prime Ministry in Istanbul. — AFP
UN envoy in Syria to seek Aleppo ceasefire
DAMASCUS: A UN envoy arrived in
the Syrian capital on Saturday for talks
with the government to try to finalise a
deal to freeze fighting in the war-ravaged
second city of Aleppo.
Staffan de Mistura visited Damascus
as the army and pro-government
fighters regained territory in southern
Syria from forces opposed to President
Bashar al Assad.
De Mistura “hopes to set in motion
as soon as possible his project” to halt
fighting in Aleppo for six weeks, said a
member of his delegation who spoke on
condition of anonymity.
The envoy has met government
officials and opposition chiefs in
recent weeks to promote his plan for a
temporary truce in Aleppo in order to
move aid into the northern city.
Once Syria’s commercial hub,
Aleppo has been devastated by fighting
that began in mid-2012, and the city is
13
for Human Rights said on Saturday.
The pro-government forces took
control of three villages and several
hills in Daraa in clashes that left seven
dissidents dead, the Britain-based
monitor said.
The strategically important region is
near Damascus, the border with Jordan
and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Observatory estimates that 5,000
Hizbullah fighters are deployed in Syria.
In northern Syria meanwhile, dozens
of people were killed in fierce fighting
that broke out on Friday between Al
Nusra Front and US-backed dissidents
for a strategic northern military base.
At least 29 fighters from the Hazm
movement died along with six Al
Nusra Front fighters, according to the
Observatory.
“Al Nusra captured Base 46,” said
Observatory director Rami Abdel
Rahman.
— Reuters
Palestinian killed
in blast near ruined
Gaza airport
GAZA CITY: A young Palestinian
was killed and his brother seriously
wounded in an explosion on Saturday
near the Gaza Strip’s abandoned
airport, the health ministry said.
“Naji Khaled Abu Sabla, 21, was
killed and his brother Akram, 18,
seriously wounded in the face and
stomach when an unidentified device
blew up in the area of the airport”
in southern Gaza, said ministry
spokesman Ashraf al Qodra.
Police suspect it was “a device left
behind by the Israelis in the zone,
where they make regular incursions”, a
local security source said.
Israeli forces hit the airport’s radar
tower in 2001 when Palestinians
launched an uprising, forcing it to
close down. Further strikes reduced
the airport buildings to rubble. — AFP
The reopening was brought forward in what officials said was a response to the destruction of priceless artefacts by IS group in Mosul
Iraq reopens Baghdad museum 12 years after looting
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s national museum
officially reopened on Saturday after
12 years of painstaking efforts during
which close to a third of 15,000 pieces
looted during the US-led invasion were
recovered.
The reopening was brought forward
in what officials said was a response to
the destruction of priceless artefacts by
IS group in the northern city of Mosul.
“We have been preparing to reopen
for the past couple of months, the
museum should be open to everyone,”
Qais Hussein Rashid, the deputy
tourism and antiquities minister, said.
“The events in Mosul led us to speed
up our work and we wanted to open it
today as a response to what the gangs
of Daesh did,” he said, using an Arabic
acronym for the IS group.
On Thursday, the insurgents who
have occupied Iraq’s second city of
Mosul since June last year released a
video in which militants smash ancient
statues with sledgehammers in the
The 2003 plundering of the
Baghdad museum, footage
of which was beamed
around the world at the
time, has been compared
to the 13th century Mongol
sack of the city’s library. The
museum was considered
to host one of the world’s
greatest archaeological
collections.
outrage, calls for an emergency meeting
of the UN Security Council and fears
over the fate of other major heritage
sites in areas under IS control.
The Mosul destruction was the
city’s museum.
40-tonne Assyrian winged bull in an
worst disaster to strike Iraq’s treasures
Militants are also seen using a archaeological park in Mosul.
jackhammer to deface a colossal
The destruction sparked global since the national museum in Baghdad
A man looks at ancient Assyrian human-headed winged bull statues at the Iraqi
National Museum in Baghdad on Saturday. — Reuters
was looted in the chaos that followed
the toppling of Saddam Hussein.
The pictures of militants gleefully
hacking away at treasures dating back
several centuries before Christ drew
comparisons with the 2001 dynamiting
by the Taliban of the Bamiyan buddhas
in Afghanistan. One militant speaking
to the camera claims they are destroying
them on religious grounds because the
statues are symbols of idolatry.
But officials and experts argue the IS
militants are seen destroying the pieces
that are too bulky to be smuggled and
sold to finance their self-proclaimed
“caliphate”.
The 2003 plundering of the Baghdad
museum, footage of which was beamed
around the world at the time, has
been compared to the 13th century
Mongol sack of the city’s library. The
museum was considered to host one
of the world’s greatest archaeological
collections.
Officials said on Saturday that about
15,000 pieces were looted in 2003, of
which 4,300 have been recovered.
“We are still tracking down more
than 10,000 artefacts in markets and
auctions. What we got back were the
most important,” Rashid said.
After cutting a red ribbon at an
official ceremony, Prime Minister
Haider al Abadi said: “Today the
message is clear from Baghdad, from
the land of Mesopotamia.
“We will preserve civilisation and
we will track down those who want to
destroy it,” he said.
Rashid said the reopening would
help heal the wounds of the Mosul
looting.
“We don’t want February 26 to be a
day of sadness and gloom... reopening
the museum sends a message at home
and abroad that it should be restored as
a touristic and cultural institution,” he
said.
The museum is due to reopen to the
public on Sunday.
— AFP
14
EUROPE
omandailyobserver
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
JUSTICE: The former deputy premier who was a vocal critic of Putin, was shot in the back several times on Friday
IN BRIEF
Putin pledges to nail Nemtsov killers
Six-month
long Iceland
volcano
eruption ends
The murder, investigators
added, was the work of one
or more gunmen who shot
seven or eight times at the
opposition figure who in
the 1990s served as deputy
premier under the then
president Boris Yeltsin
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin
on Saturday vowed to bring the “vile”
killers of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov
to justice as Western leaders and Russia’s
opposition roundly condemned the
drive-by shooting near the Kremlin
walls.
Putin, who earlier blamed the
assassination on foes trying to discredit
the Kremlin, said in a message to
Nemtsov’s mother: “Everything will
be done so that the organisers and
perpetrators of a vile and cynical murder
get the punishment they deserve,”
The 55-year-old former deputy
premier who was a vocal critic of Putin,
was shot in the back several times
shortly before midnight Friday as he
walked across a bridge a stone’s throw
from the Kremlin.
Hours later on Saturday a steady
stream of mourners, many in tears, filed
by on the bridge, heaping flowers and
photos of Nemtsov at the spot where
Photos and flowers are left in memory of Nemtsov, who was recently murdered in Moscow, in Independence Square in Kiev.
he fell. Police closed off a lane of traffic
to let them through. Investigators said
Nemtsov was shot in the back while
walking with a woman, who was not
injured.
She was later identified as 23-yearold Ukrainian model, Anna Duritskaya,
by Russian state television.
The murder, investigators added,
was the work of one or more gunmen
who shot seven or eight times at the
opposition figure who in the 1990s
served as deputy premier under then
president Boris Yeltsin.
He “left his trace in Russia’s history,
in politics and public life,” Putin said in
the message to his 86-year-old mother,
Dina Eidman. “He always directly and
honestly announced his position, stood
up for his point of view,” Putin added.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
praised Nemtsov as a “principled
person” who “acted openly, consistently
and never betrayed his views.”
Hours earlier the Putin critic and
anti-corruption crusader had called on
Russians to join an opposition rally on
Sunday against the Kremlin stance in
Ukraine.
US President Barack Obama
condemned a “brutal” and “vicious
murder” and urged a probe and British
Prime Minister David Cameron said the
“callous murder” must be investigated
“fully, rapidly and transparently”.
The brazen assassination is one of
the highest-profile killings in Putin’s
15 years in power and recalls the
shooting of anti-Kremlin reporter Anna
Politkovskaya, who was gunned down
on Putin’s birthday in October 2006.
Earlier, Putin and other officials
suggested the crime was aimed at
smearing the authorities.
It “had all the hallmarks of a contract
killing and is entirely provocative
in nature,” he was quoted as saying
by the Kremlin. Putin’s spokesman
Dmitry Peskov told Kommersant FM
radio station that the crime “can look
very much like a provocation” since
“Boris Nemtsov was known as being in
opposition to the Russian leadership.”
Even the last Soviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev believed the killing was
aimed at “destabilising the situation
in the country, at heightening
confrontation” with the West.
And the powerful Investigative
Committee leading the probe said it was
looking into a possible “provocation to
destabilise the political situation in the
country.”
Nemtsov could have been “offered as
a sacrifice” by those who are “not averse
to using such a method to reach their
political aims,” it suggested. — AFP
Catalonia region prepares for Italy’s leader leads rally
independence ahead of vote to unseat Renzi govt
MADRID: The wealthy Catalonia
region is strengthening its tax office
and expanding its network of foreign
missions in defiance of the central
government, as it prepares for possible
secession from Spain.
Nationalist leaders in the rich region
in northeastern Spain have called a
snap regional vote for September 27
centred on independence after Spanish
authorities blocked their bid for a
referendum on the issue in the courts.
Catalan president Artur Mas
went ahead with a symbolic vote on
independence last November organised
by volunteers.
The outcome, however, was mixed
— about 80 percent of the 2.3 million
people who voted backed secession, but
the turnout was little more than 40 per
cent.
His government is building the
structure of an independent state in
areas such as diplomacy, taxes and social
security to be ready in case the proindependence camp wins September’s
elections.
It has enlisted a former Spanish tax
inspector, Joan Iglesias, to prepare the
Catalan government to collect its own
taxes.
The Catalan tax authority currently
collects about five percent of the total
amount of taxes raised in the region,
which has a population of 7.5 million
people and accounts for one-fifth of
Spain’s economic output.
Catalonia could collect around 100
billion euros ($113 billion) in taxes each
year, much more than the 65 billion
euros that an independent Catalan state
would need, he added.
“Everyone knows that Catalonia
would be viable economically,” Iglesias
told AFP, rejecting critics who argue an
independent Catalan state would have a
hard time financing itself and could not
ask for European Union aid.
“It is the most economically
productive territory in Spain,” he added.
Disagreements over tax income are a
key source of tension between Catalonia
and Madrid.
The Catalan officials complain that
the central government collects far more
in taxes in the region than it spends in
public sector expenditure. — AFP
Several makers are all set to unveil new ‘smartwatches’
Phone firms look beyond the
handset at top mobile fair
MADRID: Phone makers will seek to
seduce new buyers with even smarter
Internet-connected watches and other
wireless gadgets as they wrestle for
dominance at the world’s biggest mobile
fair starting Monday.
Along with the launches of numerous
new smartphones — dominated by
South Korean giant Samsung — tech
firms are trying to conquer users’ bodies
and connect their environments.
Several makers are set to unveil new
“smartwatches”, some of which will
have users chattering into their cuffs
or getting on-wrist email updates, at
the four-day Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona in northeastern Spain.
Tech executives and regulators will
meanwhile seek to chart a course for
a new age of wireless networks that
could lead to billions of objects being
connected, from cars to refrigerators.
“It’s a showpiece for smartphones in
the short term, but it’ll go way beyond
smartphones,” said Nigel Major, a top
executive at tech group Laird.
“The most exciting trend we can see
is the proliferation of connected devices
It’s a showpiece for
smartphones in the
short term, but it’ill
go way beyond smartphones
NIGEL MAJOR
Executive at Tech Group Laird
everywhere we go. Ten years from now,
virtually everything you’re looking at
will have the potential to be connected.”
On Sunday evening, Samsung
is expected to unveil its Galaxy S6
smartphone, the larger Galaxy S6 Edge
“phablet”, and the latest in its series of
watches. Samsung is the world’s biggest
seller of smartphones but saw its share
of the world market fall in 2014 from
34 per cent to 20 per cent, according to
research group IDC.
It faces a squeeze by Chinese phone
makers on one side and on the other
by US titan Apple, which released its
iPhone 6 last year.
Apple, as usual, is steering clear of
the show in Barcelona, but is set to
launch its own smartwatch in April.
Several other Asian heavyweights also
plan launches of “wearable” gadgets on
the eve of the congress, such as Korean
firm LG, Chinese contender Huawei
and Taiwanese makers Asus and HTC.
Designers have come up with
numerous gadgets that can connect to
an application on your mobile, from
popular “fitness tracker” wristbands to
measure your heart rate to sex toys.
Now they hope some big product
launches this year can make
smartwatches a mainstream gadget and
boost sales of other wearables.
This year could be a “tipping point
for wearables”, research firm CCS
Insight said in a report.
In Barcelona, “low-cost smartphones
will feature prominently, as will
wearables”, it said.”We expect an
avalanche of new products.”
Mobile telephones are a massive
business — 2.1 billion people, or one
person in three in the world, owned
one in 2014, according to Linda Sui,
an analyst at global tech consultancy
Strategy Analytics.
— AFP
REYKJAVIK: Iceland authorities
said Saturday that a six-month long
volcanic eruption has ended, but they
would continue to monitor the site.
The subglacial Bardarbunga
volcano in the south-east of the
country began to erupt August 31,
preceded by heightened seismic
activity that also resulted in air traffic
alerts.
The eruption did not cause major
disruptions to European air travel,
unlike in 2010, when a volcano under
the Eyjafjallajokull glacier erupted.
Aerial surveillance showed that
lava has stopped streaming from
the Holuhraun lava field, north of
the Vatnajokull glacier, the Icelandic
Meteorological Office said.
Sulphur dioxide and other gases
was still registered in the air near the
site, and monitoring will continue as
the emissions could bother people
with asthma and other respiratory
problems.
The Civil Protection service said
areas north of the Vatnajokull glacier
and roads leading into the highlands
area remained closed.
German state
hunts through
its museums
for stolen art
Northern League party leader Matteo Salvini shakes hands during a rally in Rome.
ROME: The leader of Italy’s anti-euro
and anti-migrant Northern League
party, Matteo Salvini, was slated on
Saturday to lead a protest rally and
cement his position as the loudest critic
of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
Salvini’s star has been rising fast in
recent months: his party is now polling
on around 14 per cent, and has become
more popular than the mainstream
conservative Forza Italia of former
premier Silvio Berlusconi.
“Today we are trying to chart a
perspective not just for the medium
term, but also for the long term.
I am aiming to build something for
the next twenty years,” the Northern
League leader said before the start of his
“Renzi go home” event.
Salvini has far-right allies, such as the
Brothers of Italy party and Casa Pound,
a neo-Fascist movement.
His friends in Europe include the
French National Front and Germany’s
anti-migrant Pegida movement, which
were both due to be represented at
Saturday’s rally.
The demonstration was taking place
amid tight security, for fears of clashes
between Northern League symphatizers
and far-left groups who organized a rival
march called “Never with Salvini.” Some
4,000 police officers were deployed to
maintain calm. — AFP
Bouygues death denied
PARIS: French conglomerate Bouygues
on Saturday denied the death of its CEO
Martin Bouygues.
“Bouygues categorically denies that
its chairman and CEO Martin Bouygues
has died and deeply regrets that such a
rumour has been allowed to spread,”
the group told AFP in a statement.
The TF1 television channel, which
is owned by Bouygues, also denied the
62-year-old businessman’s death.
Questioned earlier by AFP about
reports of his death, the mayor of the
village of Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon,
nearby a property owned by Martin
Bouygues in the northwestern Orne
region, had announced the tycoon’s
death. AFP reported the erroneous
information but immediately withdrew
the reports following the denials.
“We take this incident very seriously
and are carrying out an investigation
among editorial staff to understand
how such an error could have been
made,” AFP’s global news director
Michele Leridon said.
“We offer our humblest apologies to
Martin Bouygues, his loved ones, his
group and all our clients,” she added.
WIESBADEN: The German state of
Hesse has set up an office that will
go through its museum collections
to pinpoint art that was stolen by
the Nazis and then return it, a senior
official has said.
Hesse’s Art Minister Boris Rhein
recently introduced to the press the
two women who will staff the office
located in the State Museum in the
capital, Wiesbaden.
The museum has returned stolen
artwork to its Jewish owners in the
past. Most recently, the museum
handed back a Romantic-period
painting by the artist Andreas
Achenbach to the heirs of Jewish art
dealer Walter Westfeld.
“The central office is the first in
a German federal state,” museum
director Alexander Klar said.
Art
provenance
researchers
Miriam Merz and Ulrike SchmiegeltRietig will be responsible for the
main museums in Wiesbaden,
Darmstadt and Kassel, and they will
also advise smaller local museums,
Klar said.
Their salaries of 140,000 euros
($157,000) have been included in the
state’s annual budget in perpetuity,
he added. “We have taken an active
position towards our historical
responsibility,” Minister Rhein said
yesterday.
The director of Wiesbaden’s
museum between 1935 and 1945 was
Herrmann Voss, who was given the
job by Adolf Hitler of collecting art
for the planned Fuehrer Museum in
the Austrian city of Linz.
Researcher Merz said that 140 out
of the 200 works acquired at the time
had been examined in the past few
years and so far four works had been
returned.
— dpa
AMERICAS
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
omandailyobserver
15
WITH CLOCK TICKING: Lawmakers avoid a partial shutdown after passing a one-week funding extension two hours before a deadline
US Congress averts Homeland Security shutdown
WASHINGTON: Feuding US lawmakers narrowly avoided a Department of
Homeland Security shutdown on Friday
at the 11th hour, but funded the agency
only until March 6, forcing Congress to
revisit the issue next week.
House and Senate members scrambled to prevent the premier agency securing the United States against terror
threats from running out of money at
midnight, as DHS became a battleground for lawmakers clashing over
President Barack Obama’s controversial
immigration reforms.
Earlier attempts to secure comprehensive funding failed spectacularly on
Friday, with conservative Republicans
balking because amendments they had
inserted to repeal Obama’s immigration
executive orders had been stripped out.
With the clock ticking, the House of
Representatives passed the seven-day
measure 357 to 60, with just two hours
to spare.
The Senate approved it earlier by
voice vote.
It now goes to the White House,
which said Obama would sign a temporary measure despite his preference for
full DHS funding through the end of the
fiscal year on September 30.
Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi
suggested congressional leaders agreed
to a deal that would see Democrats help
get the one-week stopgap over the finish
line, in return for a vote next week on
full funding.
“Your vote tonight will assure that
US House Speaker John Boehner (C) returns to his office
after a visit to the House floor for procedural votes for
legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security
at the Capitol in Washington, on Friday. — Reuters
we will vote for full funding next
week,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to colleagues.
If Congress did not pass legislation
FLOODS CROSS BORDERS
The Senate
approved it by
voice vote. It
now goes to the
White House,
which said
Obama would
sign a temporary
measure
that allows money to flow, 30,000 DHS
employees would be furloughed, while
some 200,000 agency staff, including
border agents, airport screeners and Se-
WASHINGTON: Cuba and the United
States held a second round of talks late
on Friday towards normalising ties,
and both sides said they made good
progress, although they did not set a
date for renewal of diplomatic relations
that Washington severed 54 years ago.
Going into the talks, Communistruled Cuba pushed to be removed from
a US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
But Washington said that while it
was reviewing Cuba’s place on the list,
the designation should not be linked to
the negotiations on renewing relations
and opening embassies.
The head of Cuba’s delegation to the
talks, Josefina Vidal, said afterwards
that removal from the list was not a precondition for renewal of diplomatic ties.
But it was “a priority” for Cuba, she
said, adding it would be “very difficult
to say that we have re-established relations with our country still on a list that
we believe very, very firmly that we have
never belonged to and we do not belong
to.”
The talks in Washington stemmed
from the historic decision announced
by the two Cold War era foes last December to work to normalise relations,
8 dead in door-to-door Missouri shooting spree
senior pastor at Ozark Baptist Church,
about three miles from Tyrone. “Anytime you see families that go to this level
of violence, it’s a shame.”
The events, which police said were
spread over six crime scenes, began
unfolding around 10 pm on Thursday
when a girl called 911 from a neighbour’s home.
A man who declined to be identified told a Reuters photographer that
a teenaged girl in a nightgown came to
his house, running barefoot through a
snowy wooded area and crying that her
parents had been shot.
They called police and law enforcement officials found her parents dead at
their home.
Authorities said they later discovered
five other people dead and a wounded
All of those killed by the
gunman, identified as
Joseph Aldridge, 36, lived
within a few miles of each
other in the tiny community
of Tyrone, an unincorporated
area with a population of
about 50, authorities said.
woman in three other houses.
The woman, who is expected to recover, gave them information about the
shooter, Texas County Sheriff James Sigman said.
Four of the victims were identified
as Garold Aldridge, 52, his wife Julie
Aldridge, 47, Harold Aldridge, 50, and
his wife Janell Aldridge, 48.
Authorities would not identify the
other victims, but the St Louis PostDispatch reported that they were Carey
Shriver and his wife Valirea Shriver, and
Carey’s father Darrell Shriver.
Darrell’s wife Martha was wounded
but survived, the paper said.
The Shrivers are members of a prominent family that has lived in the area for
generations and operates several businesses, including a cabinet making shop,
a cattle ranch and an auto dealership.
There was no sign of forced entry in
any of the houses, Sigman said, adding
that the killings had shattered a sense of
safety in the town. “Start locking your
doors. The world is changing. You got to
be safe,” he said.
— Reuters
US Assistant Secretary of State Roberta
Jacobson speaks at a news conference
during talks between the US and Cuba
at the State Department in Washington.
— Reuters
including opening embassies in each
other’s countries, and to exchange prisoners.
“We have made progress,” Vidal,
chief of the Cuban foreign ministry’s US
division, told reporters.
The discussions followed a first
round of talks in Havana last month.
She said there was no date yet for the
next meeting on the renewal of ties, but
the two sides were going to maintain
contact and she was optimistic there
would be more advances in coming
Mexican federal police escort Knights Templar drug cartel’s leader Servando
Gomez, aka ‘La Tuta’ upon his arrival at the airport of Mexico City on Friday.
Mexican police captured him earlier in the day in Morelia, Michoacan, taking down
one of the country’s most wanted fugitives whose gang tormented the western
state of Michoacan.
— AFP
Tributes pour in for veteran actor Leonard Nimoy
peace with the stars, my dear friend.”
“So many of us at Nasa were inspired
by Star Trek. Boldly go...” the US space
agency said on Twitter, highlighting one
of the series’ main catchphrases — “To
boldly go where no man has gone be-
fore.”
Obama said simply: “I loved Spock.”
Born in Boston on March 26, 1931 to
Jewish immigrant parents from what is
now Ukraine, Nimoy left for Hollywood
at the age of 18, winning a sprinkling of
small parts in 1950s television series.
With his square jaw and serious features, Nimoy worked his way into showbiz playing cowboy characters and lawmen before he found a niche that would
last a lifetime in the world of science
fiction.
In 1966 he was cast in his greatest role
— as the ever-logical Spock, the science
officer aboard the spaceship USS Enterprise, which ventured around the galaxy,
exploring new worlds in death-defying
odysseys. Spock was the cool counterpoint to Kirk, played by Shatner, and the
even-tempered sparring partner of ship
doctor Leonard “Bones” McCoy, played
by DeForest Kelley.
The trinity had ratings-boosting
chemistry that sustained “Star Trek”
during its initial four-year run.
Spock would be resurrected for several feature films after “Star Trek” snow-
weeks on the issue of the terrorism list.
Havana says US sanctions on banks
that do business with designated countries on the list impede it from conducting diplomatic affairs in the United
States.
The two countries, politically at odds
since soon after Cuba’s revolution in
1959, currently have diplomats working
in each other’s capitals, but they operate
from what are known as interests sections.
The United States is hoping to reach
agreement on reopening embassies in
time for an April 10-11 regional summit
in Panama, where US President Barack
Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro could meet for the first time since
announcing their joint agreement on
December 17.
The head of the US delegation at the
talks, US Assistant Secretary of State
Roberta Jacobson, told reporters in reply to a question: “I do think we can get
this done in time for the Summit of the
Americas.”
Jacobson called Friday’s talks “productive and encouraging,” and said they
were held in “a very cooperative spirit.”
— Reuters
MOST WANTED FUGITIVE
Nimoy delighted sci-fi fans worldwide with his iconic turn as the pointy-eared half-human, half-Vulcan Mr Spock
LOS ANGELES: Veteran actor Leonard Nimoy, who delighted sci-fi fans
worldwide with his iconic turn as the
pointy-eared half-human, half-Vulcan
Mr Spock in the “Star Trek” television
series and films, died on Friday aged 83.
Nimoy, who suffered from chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, died at
his home in Los Angeles, his family and
agent said. A private memorial service
was being planned.
Tributes poured in from castmates,
actors, fans, the wider science community — and President Barack Obama.
“I loved him like a brother. We will
all miss his humour, his talent, and his
capacity to love,” said William Shatner,
who played the hot-headed Captain
James T Kirk on the ground-breaking
“Star Trek,” which debuted in the 1960s.
George Takei, who portrayed Mr
Sulu on the sci-fi show, tweeted: “Rest in
joined Democrats in rejecting a threeweek extension.
Republican leaders kept that
15-minute vote open for nearly an hour
as they sought to corral support, but
conservatives were not budging.
They wanted Boehner and others to
stand firm by demanding the amendments repealing the immigration plan,
which would provide deportation relief
for millions of illegal immigrants, be
kept in the DHS funding measure.
Many have sought to use Congress’s
power of the purse to rein in what they
see as Obama’s executive overreach.
“Please. I know party divisions run
deep, but stand with us for the Constitution,” Republican Louie Gohmert pleaded to his House colleagues. — AFP
US, Cuba claim progress in talks
An aerial view of flooded Samah Uma (top) near Brasilia, bordering Bolivia. More than 2,000 people have been left homeless
along the Bolivian-Brazilian border where incessant rains have flooded the area and caused the Acre and Tahuamanu Rivers to
burst their banks. Damage has been heaviest in the northern Bolivian city of Cobija, the capital of Pando, and in Brasilea, Brazil,
which lies across the border. — Reuters
MISSOURI: A man armed with a handgun went on a house-to-house shooting
spree in a rural Missouri town, killing
seven relatives and neighbours before
taking his own life, officials said on Friday.
All of those killed by the gunman,
identified as Joseph Aldridge, 36, lived
within a few miles of each other in the
tiny community of Tyrone, an unincorporated area with a population of about
50, authorities said.
Authorities said the motive was
unclear and declined to comment on
whether the murders had been triggered
by the death of Aldridge’s mother, who
was found at her home.
Authorities said she may have died
from natural causes.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Todd Haley,
cret Service agents would be ordered to
work without pay.
“It’s the 11th hour, and we must act”
to fund the agency that defends “our
home turf,” Republican Harold Rogers,
the top House appropriator, told his colleagues.
The Senate approved a “clean” DHS
funding bill on Friday free of controversial amendments sought by House Republicans to block Obama’s immigration
executive orders.
But House Speaker John Boehner,
under pressure from his party’s right
wing, refused to put the measure to a
vote.
Then, in one of the harshest rebukes
of Boehner’s four-year tenure as speaker, more than 50 House conservatives
balled into a cultural phenomenon in
the 70s and 80s, making his Vulcan salute and salutation “live long and prosper” a touchstone of the science-fiction
world.
Nimoy later revealed he based the
hand gesture on a Jewish blessing.
In addition to acting, Nimoy was an
accomplished director.
He directed two of the Star Trek films
including one of the most well received,
“Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.”
Nimoy also directed 1987 hit comedy “3
Men and a Baby” starring Tom Selleck.
Nimoy, along with some of his costars, struggled with the type-casting
stardom he was thrown into by legions
of earnest “Star Trek” fans. In 1975 he
authored the book “I am Not Spock,”
attempting to open up space between
himself and the character that had so
captured people’s imaginations. — AFP
FAKE PEARLS
Nyong’o’s Oscar
gown returned
by thief via TMZ
LOS ANGELES: The $150,000 Oscar
gown worn by actress Lupita Nyong’o
that was stolen two days ago was
returned on Friday by the thief, who
tipped off celebrity news site TMZ.
com after learning the pearls on the
dress were fake, according to officials
and the website.
TMZ said the thief took the Calvin
Klein dress from Nyong’o’s hotel room
on Wednesday after finding the door
ajar. The Kenyan actress had worn
the dress adorned with 6,000 pearls
to Sunday’s Academy Awards in one
of the most commented looks of the
night.
The investigation into the theft
would continue whether the jewels
were authentic or fake.
— Reuters
16
omandailyobserver
PANORAMA
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
Graduates and
students perform a
dragon dance
along a street
during Lunar New
Year celebrations in
Yokohama’s China
Town. Millions of
Chinese are
celebrating the
Spring Festival, the
most important
holiday on the
Chinese calendar,
which this year
marks the
beginning of the
Year of the Sheep.
— AFP
Women pose in the street before the Roberto Cavalli show
during the women Fall- Winter 2015/16 Milan’s Fashion
Week yesterday. — AFP
Colombian Amado Villafana (C), an Arawak people, walks in
Navona Square in Rome. Villafana, a photographer and
spiritual leader of his tribe, is in Rome for the inauguration of
his exhibition position ‘Our Ancestral Vision of the Territory’,
to defend the Colombian Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
region and indigenous people who fear the devastation of
their holiest places. — AFP
Patrick Kueng of Switzerland jumps past a gate during the
men’s Alpine Skiing World Cup downhill race in GarmischPartenkirchen. — Reuters
An Afghan street vendor prepares porridge with nuts for his
customers at a stall on the roadside in Kabul. — AFP
SUNDAY | MARCH 1, 2015 | JUMADA AL ULA 10, 1436 AH
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SHORTLISTING: Oman Rail can now select a suitable main contractor to execute the first segment connecting Sohar Port with GCC rail network
Commercial bids for Oman Rail Segment 1 due today
CONRAD PRABHU
MUSCAT
Feb. 28: Commercial offers for the
Sohar – Buraimi segment of the Oman
National Railway Project are due today,
with an array of international consortiums expected to submit voluminous
pricing proposals for the multibillion
dollar Design and Build package.
Significantly, only those bidding
groups that had submitted corresponding technical bids earlier this year are eligible to hand in their commercial proposals for the 207 km Sohar – Buraimi
stretch, representing Segment 1 of the
2,135 km national railway network.
Technical offers were submitted by January 18.
With the receipt of the commercial
offers, Oman Rail — mandated by the
government to oversee the implementation of a passenger and freight based rail
system in the Sultanate — can now get
started with the laborious task of finding a suitable Main Contractor to execute the key first segment connecting
of dollars, the Design & Build contract
covers the design, supply, installation,
construction and completion of works
related to Segment 1 comprising three
distinct sections: Sector 1A, covering a
distance of 127 km, connects the station
of Sohar to the Oman-UAE border at Al
Buraimi and Khatmat Milahah. Sector
1B is a 34 km spur line that departs from
Sector 1A and ends at Buraimi station.
Sector 1C is 38 km spur line connecting
the Port of Sohar to Sector 1A.
Also envisaged for implementation
at vantage locations along the alignment
are a number of railway facilities, in-
Picture for illustration
Sohar Port with the GCC rail network.
First to be evaluated will be the technical bids based on which a shortlist of
the most attractive offers will be prepared. In the next stage, the corresponding commercial offers of those on the
technical shortlist will then be opened
for evaluation.
At the end of the evaluation exercise,
a handful of the bidders with the best
technical and pricing offers will then be
invited for final negotiations leading to
the announcement of a contract award,
tentatively during the third quarter of
this year.
The successful bidder stands to win
a contract that is widely billed as the
largest and most complex infrastructure development in the Sultanate to
date. Expected to cost several billions
cluding stations, freight yards, wayside
maintenance bases, and maintenance
depots. A further eight kilometres of
track will be constructed to connect
junctions at Sector 1A to 1B and 1C.
But given the mountainous terrain
through which the alignment passes,
crisscrossed by valleys and wadis, scores
of viaducts (bridge structures composed
of several small spans for crossing a valley or gorge) will be constructed en
route.
More than 70 viaducts totalling a
staggering length of around 27.5 kilometres will be built across wadis and low
ground
all along
the route.
The single
largest viaduct is a
mammoth
2 . 4 k m
structure
that will
span a major wadi
intersecting the alignment on this segment.
TO PAGE 19
18
omandailyobserver
OMAN
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
Multinational companies look to invest in Oman
EMIR E-POLL: 72pc of respondents believe it is likely that their companies will expand or invest in Oman in the coming three years
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb. 28: A recent EMIR (Emerging
Markets Intelligence & Research)
Boardroom briefing hosted at Dubai’s
Burj Al Arab brought together over
120 senior executives from some of the
world’s largest multinational companies
for a private meeting with a high-profile
Omani delegation led by Dr Salem ben
Nasser al Ismaily, Chairman of Ithraa.
The purpose of the briefing was to
create a conducive environment where
CEOs and senior public sector officials
could candidly discuss Oman’s business
climate and investment opportunities.
“EMIR Boardroom was a hugely
effective platform for us to talk directly
to business leaders on their perceptions
of doing business in Oman, while
at the same time highlighting the
Sultanate’s future development plans,
particularly the plethora of investment
opportunities,” said Dr Al Ismaily.
According to an EMIR e-poll of
multinationals, almost three-quarters
(72 per cent) of respondents believe it is
likely that their companies will expand
or invest in Oman in the coming three
years.
When asked to what extent lower oil
prices would impact their decision, the
same amount of respondents (72 per cent) a deal breaker when it comes to investing per cent) of respondents said they would
said crude receipts are important, but not in the Sultanate. Almost one-fifth (19 invest irrespective of oil prices.
BUSINESS ALERT
Ahlibank hosts first ROC meeting
MUSCAT: The nation’s fastest growing bank — Ahlibank hosted the first meeting
of the Risk Officers Committee (ROC) in 2015 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel recently.
The Banking sector in Oman formed the ROC in 2011 comprising Chief Risk
Officers of local as well as foreign banks operating in the country, with a view to
facilitate the exchange of knowledge and keep abreast with the latest developments
in the ever-evolving field of risk management.
The committee meets every quarter and discusses topics ranging from
operational risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk and business continuity
management. External consultants, as well as members make presentations in
various risk management areas on the latest happenings in risk, and each aspect of
risk management is discussed and deliberated thoroughly in the ROC meetings.
“The ROC has been established with the aim to create a platform to bring
together Chief Risk Officers of the major banks in Oman. We understand that
effective risk management is the foundation for a robust banking system, and
are pleased to host the ROC’s meetings this year”, said Lloyd Maddock, CEO of
Ahlibank, on the sidelines of the meeting.
The ROC’s meeting came to a close with the forum’s participants thanking
Ahlibank for hosting the first meeting of this year, and acknowledging that
the meeting’s deliberations will be beneficial to all. The meeting also provided
an opportunity to discuss risk management issues with the regulator, whose
representatives are invitees to the meeting, in an informal setting.
Galfar wins $10m BP Khazzan contract
GALFAR Engineering & Contracting has been awarded a contract valued at RO
10.053 million for the procurement and construction of a 132KV power supply system
linked to the multi-billion dollar Oman Khazzan project of BP Exploration (Epsilon)
Ltd Oman. The scope of work includes the construction and commissioning of a 26
km overhead line from PDO’s Musallam 132kV Substation to BP’s Khazzan 132kV
switchyard.
The scope also includes construction and commissioning of 132kV Switchyard
& Control building at Khazzan field, said Dr Hans Erlings, Chief Executive Officer,
Galfar, in a filing to the Capital Market Authority.
Bank Sohar holds governance workshop
governance structure is essential to the success of every business. The proper use
of good systems will ensure business transparency as well as ethical practice under
any circumstance. It also allows the board and management the freedom required
to drive Bank Sohar towards business excellence whilst always maintaining
effective accountability.”
Conducted by Price WaterhouseCoopers (PWC) recently, the comprehensive
workshop was attended by six members of the Board of Directors of Bank Sohar
together with 19 members of the bank’s executive management. The workshop
was conducted in order to familiarise participants with the fundamental concepts
of Corporate Governance and help them understand its cornerstone principles.
The workshop was broken up into three sessions; firstly, basics of Corporate
Governance, why it is needed, and its structure and documents. Secondly, key
Corporate Governance principles and the requirements in Oman, and finally,
global best practices in Corporate Governance.
A’Saffa backs Teachers Day celebration
IN
reinforcing
its
commitment to support
community
initiatives,
Oman’s leading poultry
and food producer —
A’Saffa Foods supported
the
‘Teachers
Day’
celebration held recently
at the Al Waha School in
Al Hail.
As a business A’Saffa
is committed in providing healthy and quality products to families across the
Sultanate. A’Saffa Foods is always keen in supporting initiatives that support and
strengthen the community. It is a great opportunity and also an noble occasion to
appreciate and thank our Teachers, who are the pillars of our society and impact
the lives of not just children, but in turn their families as well.
Sidhartha Lenka, A’Saffa Foods, Head of Sales and Marketing, said: “As a
leading Omani company we are fully committed to supporting a broad range
of community and corporate social responsibility initiatives — especially those
that are related to the family and children. All of our products are designed to
help create fit, healthy and happy families and this is why we are always keen to
support events like Teachers day organized at the Al Waha School.”
Ooredoo’s ‘Roam Like Home’ offer is back
OOREDOO’S popular ‘Roam
Like Home’ promotion is back
on offer from February 26 to
April 26, 2015, following high
customer demand. The service
allows prepaid and postpaid
customers to enjoy local rates
while roaming in UAE, with
competitive rates on data and voice calls to Oman and any UAE number.
‘Roam Like Home’ is available on the Du and Etisalat networks in the UAE.
Postpaid customers will have a 39 baisas roaming charge per minute on all
outgoing calls made to the UAE or Oman, 10 baisas per SMS and 0.25 baisas for
every KB of data. Prepaid customers will have the same SMS cost, 55 baisas per
minute on all outgoing calls to the UAE and Oman, and 0.5 baisas per KB on data.
Incoming calls from other destinations will remain the same, in addition to the
cost of international calls and SMS. Customers can subscribe to the promotion
while in Oman or in UAE hassle-free simply by sending the word “Roam” to
80099 free of charge.
Renault Duster: Strong and reliable
BANK Sohar recently conducted a specialised Corporate Governance Awareness
workshop titled ‘Instilling Good Governance’ for members of the Board and the
Bank’s Executive Management at the Grand Hyatt, Muscat. The workshop was
in line with the constant efforts made by the bank to maintain and enhance its
position as one of the leading banks in Oman by further enriching and enhancing
the organisation’s corporate governance philosophy.
Highlighting the importance of good corporate governance, Rashad Ali al
Musafir, Acting CEO of Bank Sohar said, “Maintaining an effective corporate
RENAULT Duster from the house of Suhail Bahwan Group is a strong and
reliable SUV with genuine off-road ability. The Duster is versatile and combines a
spacious interior with saloon-car comfort.
The Renault Duster is designed to face all types of terrain, globally. In order
to meet these wide-ranging needs, Renault Duster is available in both 4x4 MT
and 4x2 AT version. The 4x2 AT version has been designed for customers who
want good ground clearance and a reassuring elevated driving position, as well
“Many of our clients said this was
the best EMIR briefing to date because
it had the right balance between strategy
insights, government interaction and
high-profile networking,” said Trevor
McFarlane, Founder and CEO of EMIR.
Dr Al Ismaily spoke to EMIR’s C-suite
audience about the Omani government’s
strategy to attract more investment to
the Sultanate, while the private sector
also heard from key Omani business
representatives, including Ahmed
Akaak, Deputy CEO of Salalah Port;
Jamal Aziz CEO of Sohar Free Zone
(and Deputy CEO of Sohar Port); and
Ismael al Balushi, Vice CEO of Duqm
Special Economic Zone.
Oman’s delegation also used the
opportunity to better understand the
views of multinationals, all of whom
participated in EMIR’s electronic pulse
survey. The findings of the poll will
help Omani government officials shape
policy on foreign direct investment and
empower the private sector to the benefit
of the national economy.
Not only will these insights offer
the government better input for policy
outcomes, but they will also form the
foundation for ongoing collaboration
between EMIR and Ithraa on other
issues of importance to the growing
Omani economy. (OEPPA Business
Development Dept)
as loose-surface ability, but who
don’t have a real need for allwheel drive.
Today’s all-terrain vehicles
are often synonymous with
bulk, but the Renault Duster is
an antidote to that idea. With
a length of 4.31 metres and a
width of 1.82 metres, the Renault
Duster is very compact but roomy. From the front, it exudes an impression of
toughness: the wide wheel-arches, the imposing lines of the chrome grille and
the sump guard clearly emphasise the 4x4 DNA of the Renault Duster. Seen from
the side, the high ground clearance, clearly defined wheel-arches, protective
mouldings encourage the driver to tackle even the toughest roads and tracks.
Suhail Bahwan Automobiles is largely committed to supporting Renault
Oman’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction
and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman. With a national
network of more than 80 showrooms, service centres and parts outlets, SBA has
further built upon its legacy of trust, excellent customer service and providing
value for money to each of its customers.
General Automotive Company honoured
GENERAL
Automotive
Company (GAC), the official
distributors for Mitsubishi
and Fuso vehicles in Oman,
has been presented with
a token of appreciation
from the Ministry of
Social Development for
the excellent after sales
support that was delivered
to the ministry. The token, in the form of a decorative shield, was handed over
by Abubacker Said Ahmed al Kaaf, the Transport in-Charge for the Dhofar
Govrnorate of the Ministry of Social Development, to S Palanikumar, the
Regional After Sales Manager for GAC, who received the shield on behalf of the
company at Salalah Regional After Sales Office.
Commenting on receiving the award, S Palanikumar said, “The token of
appreciation we have received from the ministry is a real honour and a reflection
of the hard work that the whole team puts in on a daily basis. I’m really proud of
what we have achieved last year and we’re looking forward to another great year
in 2015.”
Samsung plays it smart in GCC TV market
THE media market in the
Middle East and North Africa
was valued at $15.5 billion in
2014, and it went from strength
to strength with the help of the
TV segment. According to
research firm Strategy & the
television market alone will
grow by more than 3-4 per
cent every year for the next
4 years. With current trends
signalling upward growth, manufacturers are challenging analysts who say that
digital content and gaming will stall the region’s TV market in coming years
with further investments in smart TVs. Instead of waiting for smartphones and
tablets to usurp the region’s favourite screen, brands are bringing Internet, digital
programming and even gaming direct to the TV.
One manufacturer that’s ahead of the curve when it comes to giving consumers
the programmes they love and the Web-based viewing they crave is Samsung.
Ever since the company introduced the world’s first Internet-enabled TV in
2010, its smart TVs have become more predictive, more convenient and more
user-friendly with each new line-up.
Go Beyond the Second Screen In 2012, the second-screen trend saw TV
viewers split their attention between their TVs and other devices.
Multiple screens helped consumers complement the content on their TVs,
and allowed people to find out more about their favourite programmes, sync up
with social conversations or instantly access new information.
OMAN
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
BankDhofar EGM
discusses capital
raising options
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb. 28: At a recently held Extraordinary
General Meeting (EGM), BankDhofar
Board of Directors and shareholders
discussed and unanimously approved
options for raising capital.
The meeting — which took place
at the InterContinental Hotel Muscat
on February 26, 2015 — approved the
option of issuing Additional Tier 1
(AT1) Capital Securities in the form of
perpetual bonds with a coupon to be
determined at the time of issue based
on market conditions to raise up to
$300,000,000 or equivalent in Omani
rial outside Oman, subject to regulatory
approvals.
If the Central Bank of Oman and
regulatory approvals are not obtained
for the proposed AT1 Issue or if it
becomes apparent that the bank is
not able to finalise the AT1 Issue by
March 31, 2015, the bank will consider
increasing its regulatory capital by
issue of convertible bonds to raise
up to RO 100 million with a coupon
Considers raising AT 1
capital, issue of convertible
bonds and establishment of
non-capital EMTN.
to be determined at the time of issue
based on market conditions, subject to
regulatory approval.
The third option for capital raising
that was approved during the meeting
was to consider the establishment of
the programme of Euro Medium Term
Note (EMTN) in the next 12 months
to issue non-capital instruments up to
$500 million with a likely term of up
to five years and with a coupon to be
determined at the time of issue based
on market conditions and to be listed
outside Oman within the next four
years, subject to Regulatory Approvals
as applicable. BankDhofar shareholders
unanimously authorised the Board
of Directors to take the required
procedures and actions to implement
the above.
Commercial bids for Oman Rail Segment 1
FROM PAGE 17
Also adding to the multi-billion
dollar construction costs associated
with Segment 1 will be tunnels that will
have to be bored through mountains
traversing the alignment. As many
as 10 tunnels of a total length of 4.7
kilometres will be built at key points
along the route. They include a pair of
tunnels each of around 1.57 kilometres,
a monumental length by Oman
standards.
Corresponding technology systems
for Segment 1 will be designed and
installed by the Main Contractor’s
technology partner as a subcontract of
the Design & Build package. Included
in the Railway Technology Systems
package are the Electrical, Signalling,
Telecommunication, Safety, Operation
and
Control,
Mechanical
and
electromechanical Systems.
Construction work on Segment 1
is expected to commence by the end
of 2015 or early 2016. Completion
is targeted during 2018 in line with
Oman Rail’s goal to connect the SoharBuraimi stretch with the wider GCC
rail network.
Workshop reviews Waste Management Law
MECA, be’ah join hands to
reform waste management
MUSCAT: In collaboration with
Ministry of Environment and Climate
Affairs (MECA), Oman Environmental
Services Holding Company S.A.O.C
‘be’ah’ organised a workshop recently
to review and assess the current waste
management legislations and laws in
the Sultanate.
Participations
of
various
stakeholders from government entities,
oil and gas sector and the commercial
industry provided a prospect to
exchange views and discuss the current
gaps within the law in regards to the
waste management sector. It also
provided an opportunity to establish
a thorough understanding of all
stakeholders’ requirements within the
sector.
Dr Said Ali al Zadjali, Chemical
Expert at MECA; commenced the
workshop by providing an insight of the
ministry’s role in the laws, regulations,
conservation of the environment
and pollution control as well as the
environmental terms and condition
and the environmental permits.
He also discussed the monitoring
processes for all environmental
violations. Dr Said pointed that this
workshop is the first step towards
forming a clear understanding of the
situation and a stepping stone for the
concerned entities to formulate the
required legislation for the sector.
Mohammed Sulaiman al Harthy,
Executive Vice President, Strategic
Development at be’ah presented be’ah’s
strategy and discussed the challenges
that need to be overcome within
the waste management sector. Al
Harthy focused on be’ah’s core goals
to control the current damages from
the traditional dumpsites its plan in
controlling the damage by closing down
all operational dumpsites by the end of
2015, as well as correcting the situation
by replacing these traditional dumpsites
with engineered landfills. The plan calls
for the remediation and rehabilitation
of the existing dumpsites scattered
around the country.
A legal expert in waste management
and environmental legislations, Dr
Jenny Halls, discussed the significance
of evaluating the currents environmental
and waste management laws in Oman and
stated; ‘The initial step in evaluating the
current laws has already been completed,
although there are a few gaps that need to
be carefully considered with redrafting
the new legislations and regulations.’
According to Dr Halls, the draft will
provide all required legislations and
regulations for the waste management
sector in Oman and would clarify
the function of the sector in line with
international regulations. The draft would
also illustrate the role of all concerned
entities such as MECA, Ministry of
Health and other municipalities as well as
the waste generators.
omandailyobserver
19
MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET
20
omandailyobserver
PERSPECTIVE
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
ECONOMY
Omani banking industry competitive, matured
“There are no specific plans
to cut public expenditure at
this time. We are observing
the situation closely and
the oil prices are still
fluctuating”.
SIDDHARTH ARORA & WISHWESH
PANDYA
T
he banking sector in the
Sultanate has evolved
immensely over the
past
decade
and
become increasingly
more competitive, with
an assortment of commercial banks and
banks which now exclusively focus on
Islamic finance.
It is indisputable from the data and
empirical evidence that this is an industry
which has “matured”. Yet investors
simply continue to focus on metrics
that would only be highly relevant in a
macroeconomic environment where
the banking industry is either (i) just
beginning to get its feet on the ground,
or (ii) is situated in an unstable political
climate characterised by turmoil.
There is an undeniable impact of oil
prices on bank profitability in MENA
countries that largely depend on oil
production (there is academic evidence
from the IMF which confirms this), and
Oman is certainly not shielded from it;
net oil revenues constitute on average
70 per cent of the budgeted revenues
(although they have been declining
over the last 5 years and are expected
to further decline to around 66.4 per
cent in 2015 with diversification efforts
already under way).
The good news however is Oman
pegged government spending at RO 14.1
billion for 2015, up by about 4.5 per cent
compared with 2014.
The sustained spending will allow
Oman to press forward with major
projects, including a $15 billion national
railway network and major expansion
projects at airports in Muscat and the
southern city of Salalah.
This has been confirmed by Darwish
bin Ismaeel bin Ali al Balushi, Oman’s
Minister Responsible for Financial
Affairs saying the country has no
specific plans to reduce state spending
this year, despite the plunge in oil prices
to well below the level assumed in its
government budget.
According to Al Balushi, “there are no
specific plans to cut public expenditure
at this time. We are observing the
situation closely and the oil prices are
still fluctuating”.
The decline in oil prices is a topic
that has already received enough media
coverage, and the truth of the matter
is there is really not much value going
into a detailed view on why we expect
oil prices to revert back to “normalised”
levels.
This is due to the following reasons:
(i) we are not in the business of
forecasting where oil prices will end up
over the next couple years; (ii) we profess
upfront we do not understand what
“normalised levels” really mean; and (iii)
most financial “pundits” who claim to
understand these and put a price target
on where oil will ultimately end up nearterm have been proven dead wrong
— thus, we believe it is meaningless to
speculate on the actual level unless we
are in the company of highly ranked
officials who intricately understand
supply and demand dynamics of the
commodity.
The only bet we are placing here is
that current levels are unsustainable
and the price of oil will move higher
to “correct” itself over the next 24
months. We have seen this story
play out before and this “correction”
assumption is one of the central macro
tenets of our thesis.
We believe history will repeat itself,
prices will normalise, and as a rising
tide lifts all ships, the Muscat Securities
Market and GCC’s other market indices
which have been hammered recently
will rebound, with particularly strong
growth in the banking sector.
While on the subject of oil price,
it is worthwhile to spend a few lines
here discussing Oman’s projected GDP
growth in 2015. According to the justreleased 2015 budget, the national
economy grew at an estimated real
GAS SUPPLY
This time around, Russia-Ukraine
gas feud is mostly hot air
T
he
rhetoric
is
as
melodramatic as ever, but
this time around Russia’s
threat to cut off Ukraine’s
natural gas is mostly hot air.
After months in which Kiev has been
faithfully paying for gas and Moscow
reliably supplying it under a deal
brokered by the European Union, last
week has seen the quarrel erupt anew.
Russia, which has cut off the gas three
times in the past decade, including for
six months last year, has once again
threatened to switch off supplies unless
Ukraine sends more money within days.
After a public announcement by
Russian gas giant Gazprom’s boss Alexei
Miller that Kiev had put European
supplies in jeopardy, Vladimir Putin
personally jumped in on Wednesday.
The Russian president said Ukraine’s
lack of “financial discipline” could cause
energy shortages across the continent
— a reference to the fact that Russia
supplies about 30 per cent of the EU’s
gas needs, half of that via Ukraine.
He accused Kiev of threatening to cut
off gas to separatist regions in the east of
the country, an act which he said “smells
of genocide”.
Kiev has responded by accusing
Russia of failing to meet its contractual
obligations under the EU-brokered deal.
But for all the noise from both sides,
the natural gas feud which has divided
the two neighbours since long before
Russian-backed separatists went to war
against Ukraine last year is no longer the
make-or-break crisis it once was.
The EU shrugged off Miller’s and
Putin’s threats that cutting off Kiev could
cause supply problems for European
customers further downstream.
Nothing of the sort happened during
the six-month shut-down last year.
NOT WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE:
The timing of the latest quarrel is no
coincidence.
The winter season of high demand
is ending, and the temporary, EU-
growth rate of 4 per cent in 2013 and 4.4
per cent in 2014.
In 2015, the targeted rate of growth
is 5 per cent. Good GDP growth
in Oman along with favourable
monetary and fiscal policies has had
a positive impact on the growth and
performance of the commercial banks
in Oman. The balance sheets of the
banks have strengthened, further
supported by growth in credit and
deposit. Lending to the private sector
was fairly balanced between corporate
and retail sectors.
The Omani banking system will
remain primarily deposit-funded
and liquid over the outlook period.
We expect increased revenue from
credit growth and stable provisioning
requirements to offset pressure on
profits from reduced interest rate
margins and from rising operating
expenses, as banks continue to build
FUNDING SQUEEZE
Commodities shipping
crisis adds to loan
woes for Greek banks
T
mediated winter supply deal is due to
expire at the end of next month.
Both sides are gearing up to negotiate
terms to replace it.
“What’s been happening the past
few days, these statements by Miller
and Putin, is all just a prelude for
talks between Russia and Ukraine
over a summer deal,” said Valentyn
Zemlyansky, a gas industry analyst
in Kiev and former spokesman for
Ukraine’s gas firm Naftogaz.
The threat to “cut off ” Kiev’s gas is no
longer quite what it sounds like.
In the past, Kiev bought its gas
from Russia on credit. That meant that
Ukraine could find itself asking for more
gas, only for Russia to refuse to supply it.
Nowadays, Kiev pays for any Russian
gas it receives with cash up front.
If Russia does halt gas to Ukraine
in coming days as Putin threatened, it
won’t be because Moscow has decided
to cut Kiev off; it will be because Kiev
hasn’t ordered any. In public, Ukraine
says it is not buying more Russian gas
“All these threats by
Gazprom are not particularly
frightening for us, as the
situation has radically
changed compared to last
autumn.”
because Moscow violated delivery terms
and may have sent some gas that Kiev
had paid for to separatist areas without
its permission.
The issue which smelled to Putin like
“genocide” is political dynamite for both
sides.
But in practice, the volumes for rebel
areas are small and Kiev couldn’t cut
them off if it tried, because rebels and
Russians control pipes at the border.
Brussels has summoned Russian
and Ukrainian officials for talks next
week, including over payment for rebel
regions. Moscow raised the possibility
on Thursday of supplying the rebel areas
for free.
REVERSE FLOW: In private,
Ukrainian gas industry sources say there
is a far simpler reason why they have not
ordered more Russian gas: They don’t
need it. At least not yet.
A new source of supply since last year
— so-called “reverse flow” in which gas
is sent back east to Ukraine from Europe
through pipes originally built to take it
West - means Kiev is less dependent on
Moscow than in years past.
“All these threats by Gazprom are
not particularly frightening for us, as
the situation has radically changed
compared to last autumn,” said
Zemlyansky. ‘‘We’ve passed through
the winter season — the mild weather
really helped us, as well as decreased
consumption by industry.”
He estimated Ukraine would
consume about 35 billion cubic metres
of gas in 2015. That is not far out of
line with what it produces itself and
imports from Europe, although it will be
important to build up reserves for next
winter’s peak.
— Reuters
their Islamic banking franchises.
As far as other industries are
concerned, corporate Earnings have
been forecast to continue to grow at
mid-single digits during 2015 amidst
the Government proposal to increase
gas prices for Industries. Per the
2015 budget, “the economic growth
depends on the growth of the non-oil
activities, strong local demand and
higher oil production”.
There has been a strong focus on
diversification away from oil and gas
related activities. The government
expects non-oil activities will grow
at a rate of 5.5 per cent in 2015 and
the concentration will mainly be on
the construction, electricity, water,
trade activities and services of public
administration, defence and transfer
industries.
However,
this
diversification
process does not take place overnight.
We believe that the bleak short-term
outlook as it relates to profitability and
loan growth may lead to continued
volatility over the next 3-4 (even 6)
months and as a result continue to
spook investors further. And therein
lies the opportunity to continue to
accumulate more of this asset at a
wonderful price as it continues to grow
its book value.
DISLCAIMER: The views expressed
in the article are part of a study
conducted by the author duo.
he global slump in demand for dry freight commodities is
adding more pain to Greece’s already crisis-hit banks by heaping
pressure on many of their shipowner clients, particularly the
smaller companies.
This is in part pushing the banks to consider slimming down their
shipping portfolios, moves that would also free up needed banking capital,
according to bank and shipping-finance sources.
A number of smaller Greek shipping companies have already been
looking for non-Greek financing, a maritime lender said.
Greece has secured an extension to its bailout from its European
partners, but the danger of it unravelling and of Greece being pushed out
of the euro zone still exists, raising the risk that Greek banks could face
large deposit losses in the future to add to those they have already had.
But added to this,
Greek
banks
face
exposure to dry freight,
essentially the transport
of non-oil commodities,
which is experiencing its
worst conditions since the
1980s due to weakening
demand for industrial
goods from buyers like
China. Greek shipowners together put Greece among the world’s top three
bulker-owning nations.
The banking and ship finance sources said Greece’s leading banks are
considering offloading part of their shipping debt worth billions of dollars,
including dry freight exposure, in a bid to shore up their capital.
“There are several portfolios being shopped around at the moment,
including shipping loans,” one banking source said.
“It makes sense for the Greek banks which face a huge liquidity
problem to transfer these assets to third parties because they do not have
the structures in place to collect bad debt.”
One banker and a ship-finance source said such debt could be attractive
for private equity players who have been scooping up distressed assets in
shipping due to the sector downturn. “If they can find buyers, certainly
one way to raise cash is through distressed deals.
If the pricing is attractive enough, this would be private equity and
hedge fund territory,” the ship-finance source said.
A second ship-finance source said Greek banks were also approaching
ship owners directly and offering to sell their performing loans back
to them at a discount. “Even at a slight discount, this will help bolster
underlying capital and buy some breathing space for the banks.
It’s also a good way of getting loans off their books.
For ship owners who have cash, it would be a good option too,” the
source said. Bank of Piraeus, Eurobank and their rivals National Bank of
Greece and Alpha Bank are estimated to have shipping portfolios of at
least $10 billion in total, ship industry sources said.
TECHNOLOGY
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
CRYOGENIC CLOCK
omandailyobserver
21
SMART GADGET
Never be late again: Japan ‘cryogenic’
clocks keep time for 16 billion years
This handout picture from University of Tokyo shows a pair of clocks ‘Cryogenic optical lattice clocks’ which will lose a second only every 16 billion years. — AFP
RESEARCHERS at the University of Tokyo and
Riken research institute have developed a pair of
clocks so accurate that they gain or lose one second
every 16 billion years. That is 3 billion years more
than the age of the actual universe.
The pair of clocks looks nothing like the normal,
everyday clocks we use for looking at the time.
Instead, the researchers, led by Professor Hidetoshi
Katori, have developed a pair of cryogenic optical
lattice clocks that look like mainframe computers
more than anything else.
To create the clock, the researchers used laser to
generate an optical lattice, or a grid-like structure
that serves as an ‘egg tray’ for strontium atoms,
which use what Katori calls the ‘magic wavelength’
so that the lattice does not affect the atoms during
measurement. Also, to eliminate the effect of heat
emitted by a nearby opaque object, the researchers
cooled the lattice to -180 degrees Celsius and coated
the insides in black to prevent even the smallest
amount of light from producing reflections.
The result is a pair of devices that can measure
the frequency of the vibration of the atoms with an
accuracy of 2.0 x 10 -18, or a pair of clocks that are
always on the dot for the next 16 billion years.
This is massively more accurate than the cesium
atomic clock, which has an accuracy of 30 million
years. Cesium atomic clocks measure time based on
the microwave frequency of cesium atoms cooled to
near absolute zero and have greatly improved timekeeping standards since their discovery in 1955. In
comparison, the cesium atomic clock developed by
the National Institute of Standards and Technology
of the US Department of Commerce does not gain
or lose one second in 300 million years.
The extremely accurate clocks may not have
much use in our everyday lives, but as Katori
pointed out, clocks with extreme accuracy can
prove to be useful beyond telling the time and in
fields such as geodetic engineering, earthquake
predictions, communication networks, and global
positioning systems.
IBM, ARM launch
IoT starter kit
IBM and ARM unveiled a jointly developed Internet of Things (IoT)
starter kit that will allow businesses to create prototypes of new smart
devices using IBM‘s cloud-based services and ARM‘s secure sensor
environment.
The two companies believe the first products to come out of its
joint effort to enable innovators to develop smart home, smart city,
and other IoT devices will become available this year.
The starter kit consists of an mbed-enabled development board
from Freescale powered by an ARM Cortex M4-based processor,
which connects to IBM‘s Bluemix cloud platform where data from
the devices can be channelled and stored. Later this year, ARM will
also make available the public beta of its mbed operating system for
IoT devices and its mbed Device Server software to enable more
functions and increase
security.
Although the starter
kit takes only a few
minutes to set up out of
the box, IBM and ARM
envision the starter kit as
the platform of choice for
professional developers and
IoT startups as opposed to
DIY hobbyists. The firms believe it could be used to create practical
solutions, such as a system that sends data to a Bluemix-based
data centre, which in turn delivers commands to a set of Internetconnected light bulbs.
‘In order to make this work for businesses, it needs to be simple
to connect physical devices into the cloud, and to build applications
and insights around them,’ says Meg Divitto, vice president for IoT at
IBM. ‘‘IBM Bluemix and the new ARM mbed starter kit are designed
to substantially enhance that effort.’’ ARM vice president of marketing
Zack Shelby says more than 100,000 developers and businesses are
already using mbed and more than 45 development boards. One of
these is Cambridge Consultants, a technology consultancy firm that
works with startups and leading companies, already uses the starter
kit.
‘Coupled with the link into IBM’s cloud platform we now have a fast
route for makers to take any product to market and develop services
around it quicker and more cost-effectively than ever before,’ says
Tim Murdoch, Director of digital services at Cambridge Consultants.
ARM says the starter kit will cost around $50 to $200.
LAPTOP
Yoga 3 Pro is the world’s thinnest convertible laptop
LENOVO has launched Yoga 3 Pro, one of the slimmest
ultrabooks available in the market, at Rs 1,14,990. The
device will be available at select Lenovo and Croma stores
across India.
Lenovo claims that the Yoga 3 Pro is the world‘s
thinnest convertible laptop at 12.7mm, weighing 1.20kg.
The Yoga 3 Pro comes with a new watchband hinge
design, a QHD+ screen and Harmony, Lenovo‘s software
that adapts to users‘ personal preferences as they use
the device in its different modes (Laptop, Tent, Stand or
Tablet).
Lenovo‘s new 360-degree watchband hinge
is constructed from more than 800 pieces of steel and
aluminium. Lenovo says its engineers redesigned
the original Yoga hinge so that it now provides the
same degree of flexibility and flatness seen in metallic
watch bands. Instead of two focus points, there are
now six.
The Yoga 3 Pro features a 13.3-inch QHD+
(3200x1800p) IPS multi-touch display. Powered
by an Intel Core M-5Y71 processor (4M cache, up
to 2.90GHz dual-core) processor with integrated
graphics, the device comes with 4GB LPDDR3 1600
RAM and 512GB SSD for storage. It also sports a
4-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, SDXC, SDHC), a 720p
camera and a backlit keyboard.
The Yoga 3 runs Windows 8.1 and supports
connectivity options such as Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth
4.0, 2 USB 3.0 ports and USB 2.0 port. It comes with a
4-cell, 44.8WH battery delivering a backup of 7.2 hours.
AUTOMOBILE
Mazda Motor unveils CX-3
compact crossover SUV
Mazda Motor Corp President and CEO Masamichi Kogai poses next to the
Mazda CX-3 compact crossover SUV at a news conference in Tokyo . According
to Mazda, the CX-3 went on sale from Friday in Japan with a manufacturer‘s
suggested retail price ranging from 2,376,000 yen (about $20,000) to
3,024,000 yen (about $25,000). — Reuters
SMARTPHONE
Sony Xperia E4g: 1.5GHz smartphone with good battery life
SONY will release its newest Xperia device
designed to get a space in the low-priced
smartphone market. Dubbed Xperia E4g,
the phone is touted to have both the look
and function of a high-end smartphone.
Sony targets April as the official release
month of the newest member to its growing
Xperia family. The device will have singleSIM and dual-SIM versions and will be
available in a number of regions worldwide.
Just like before, the Xperia smartphone is not
hitting the US shores.
The Xperia E4g is an updated version of
the earlier Xperia E4. While it boasts the
familiar design of its older sibling, it comes
packed with 4G LTE connectivity. It also has
a quad-core processor that is clocked a bit
higher than the E4. Instead of being clocked
at 1.3GHz, the E4g model comes at 1.5GHz
straight out of the box.
Being LTE connected means that the E4g
will have fewer buffering, faster download
times, and social networking with no holds
barred. Furthermore, the device will feature
a battery of 2,300 mAh to keep users always
connected and with power. Sony has already
said in the past that the Xperia E4 has two
days of battery life. The same goes for the
Xperia E4g, but one should also consider
how battery life may be affected by the
phone‘s additional power consumption
because of the 4G connectivity.
Other features of the new Xperia E4g
include a scratch-protected 5-inch screen of
960 x 540, rear camera of 5MP, front camera
of 2MP, NFC, storage of 8GB, RAM of 1GB,
a slot for microSD, an elevated mirrorfinish logo on the rear and colour options
of black and white. The device will also
have a minimalist user interface that Sony
has labelled Simple Home. It is packed with
larger icons in order to discourage squinting.
Media sharing also comes easier with the
device‘s one-touch sharing capabilities.
22
LEISURE
omandailyobserver
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
Online Editor’s Choice
CRYPTIC PUZZLE
CARTOONS
ADAM @ HOME
1 In prison perhaps, but they may be
driven home (6)
7 Jack’s traditional dance (8)
8 Something appetising on the
computer screen? (4)
10 Quietly fix the hedge (6)
11 Read of an eccentric peer touring
the States (6)
14 Cry because there are many
contradictory directions? (3)
16 Chances of getting the wrong skis at
the tourist centre (5)
17 Bad weather for the man in the
movie (4)
19 The couple had a meal (5)
21 He’ll pop round at six (5)
22 A soldier might be lamed winning
one (5)
23 No permission to act at the
National Theatre (4)
26 Be precise as to how to get the
amount of money increased (3,2)
28 Looking sick can be a bit of a
wangle (3)
29 Lit, at last, the bad cigar — how sad!
(6)
30 Where we possibly came in during
the show (6)
31 Hill dwellers? (4)
32 For a time, there’s still water
movement (8)
33 Finish the party with one drink too
many — at speed! (6)
DOWN
1 Something to eat before breakfast
(6)
2 A leggy team (6)
3 Close up suitable huts (4)
4 Annoyed by a gender confusion (7)
5 Figure a suit suitable for a saint (5)
6 Keeps mad dogs! (5)
8 In opera, she’s on the road again (4)
9 Novel in three ways out of the four
(3)
12 Get free of Fay – kick her out
Friday! (3)
13 A gaggle to look up to (5)
15 It’s comfortable for a police
inspector on a truck (5)
18 Tell in advance that half a month is
by Brian Basset
CALVIN AND HOBBES
by Bill Watterson
GARFIELD
by Jim Davis
STONE SOUP
4
5
6
8
9
12
13
15
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
30
CR O SSW O R D
ACROSS
THURSDAY’S CRYPTIC
SOLUTIONS
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
30
over half an hour (5)
Pop up again (3)
The penniless have nothing (3)
Shows of French old people (7)
Vessel coming in from Uganda (3)
He was guillotined and not
reformed (6)
Persons employed in bonesetting
(4)
Very poor attempt to get out of the
wood (6)
Distribute right in the West,
perhaps (5)
One using many an acre for sound
reproduction (5)
Get the girl (3)
In Normandy, can include the east
(4)
EASY PUZZLE
ACROSS
1 Lecturer (6)
ACROSS: 1, Globe 6, Oakum 9,
Uniform 10, H-O-ard 11, Co-L-in 12,
Baths 13, T-un-eful 15, Boa 17, O-pen
18, Friend 19, Blood 20, G-rebe-s
22, Some 24, Si-R 25, Sto-pp-er 26,
Dummy 27, Paris 28, Dan-ce 29,
Centaur 30, I’d-led 31, Essay.
7
8
10
11
14
16
17
19
21
22
23
26
28
29
30
31
32
33
Neighbouring (8)
English river (4)
Wilderness (6)
Exile (6)
Anger (3)
Mountainous (5)
Defence feature (4)
Deadly (5)
Disgusting (5)
Magic spirit (5)
Worry (4)
Fish basket (5)
Fish eggs (3)
Truly (6)
Straight (6)
Gemstone (4)
Permitting (8)
Cricket team (6)
DOWN
1 Aimless (6)
2 Turn aside (6)
3 Rage (4)
DOWN: 2, Look up 3, Burden 4, End
5, Of-f-al 6, Or-chard 7, Amos 8, UnI-son 12, Bulls 13, Tongs 14, Never
15, Be-bop 16, Adder 18, Forty 19,
Be-mused 21, Rib-ald 22, Spears 23,
Mercia 25, S-M-ith 26, Dice 28, Due.
THURSDAY’S EASY SOLUTIONS
ACROSS: 1, Trash 6, Curry 9, Pelican
10, Acorn 11, Rigid 12, Carat 13,
Topical 15, Wet 17, Anon 18, Beside
19, Feral 20, Editor 22, Hero 24, Rut
25, Melanin 26, Fever 27, Scrum 28,
Lamps 29, Manager 30, Ashen 31,
Adder.
DOWN: 2, Reckon 3, Sprain 4, Hen 5,
Vital 6, Caramel 7, Unit 8, Raised 12,
Caper 13, Taper 14, Posit 15, Widen
16, Tenon 18, Baker 19, Foreman 21,
Dunces 22, Hazard 23, Ripple 25,
Medal 26, Fume 28, Lea.
Hospitals
by Jan Eliot
Hospital. . . . . Board . . . . . . . Emergency
Royal . . . . . . . 24599000 . . . 24590491
Health Services Department
‘YO UR STARS ‘
Muttrah . . . . . . . 24797602
Quriyat . . . . . . . 24845001 . . . . 24845003
SQH, Salalah. . . 23211555 . . . . 23211151
Police. . . . . . . . . 24603988 . . . . 24603980
Al Nahda . . . . . . 24831255 . . . . 24837800
Ibn Sina. . . . . . . 24876322 . . . . 24877361
Nizwa. . . . . . . . . 25439361 . . . . 25425033
Al Rustaq. . . . . . 26875055 . . . . 26877186
Sumayil. . . . . . . 25350055 . . . . 25350022
Izki . . . . . . . . . . . 25340033 . . . . 25340033
IF IT’S YOUR
BIRTHDAY:
What seemed
a purely
temporary
association will
develop in the
coming year
into something
more serious
and important.
You must take
time to consider
all aspects
of such an
important phase
in your life. Let
the feelings of
your heart go
hand in hand
with the dictates
of your head.
Arthurian knight (7)
Danger (5)
Irritating (5)
Continent (4)
Mineral (3)
Zero (3)
Inclination (5)
Paved area (5)
Earthy colour (5)
Swampland (3)
Bind (3)
Chaps (7)
Set (3)
Hunt (6)
Stagger (4)
Italian painter (6)
Dairy product (5)
Bird of prey (5)
Tear (3)
Venetian prince (4)
Haima . . . . . . . . 23436013 . . . . 23436055
Sohar . . . . . . . . . 26840022 . . . . 26840099
Al Buraimi. . . . . 25650855 . . . . 25652319
Sur . . . . . . . . . . . 25440244 . . . . 25461373
Tanam . . . . . . . . 25499011 . . . . 25499033
Masirah . . . . . . . 25404018 . . . . 25404018
Ibra. . . . . . . . . . . 25470533 . . . . 25470535
Adam. . . . . . . . . 25434167 . . . . 25434055
Bidiya . . . . . . . . 25483535 . . . . 25483535
Ibri . . . . . . . . . . . 25491011 . . . . 25491990
Saham . . . . . . . . 26854427 . . . . 26855148
Khasab . . . . . . . 26830187 . . . . 26830187
Dibba. . . . . . . . . 26836443 . . . . 26836443
Burkha. . . . . . . . 26828397 . . . . 26828397
Sinaw. . . . . . . . . 25474338
PISCES
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
February 20March 20
March 21April 20
April 21May 20
May 21June 21
June 22July 21
July 22August 21
A comparative stranger whom
you have taken into your confidence may have a fresh approach
to a problem which none of your
immediate circle was able to solve.
You should try to pull your partner
out of his very depressed state by convincing him that there is really no serous reason for it. Choose your words
carefully and be patient.
If you are still in search of a lifelong
partner and can make your choice
at will, this could be a promising
time to find the person most suitable.
If your anger has been aroused over a
trifling incident, do not stay annoyed
for long, and do not bear a grudge
which is really not justified.
You are playing into the hands of
a malicious gossip if you repeat an
unfounded piece of information
and will be as guilty as those who
started it.
Small sums of money put aside when
you can spare them should enable
you to acquire a real bargain when
it comes your way without having to
think twice about the cash.
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
August 22September 22
September 23October 22
October 23November 21
November 22December 21
December 22January 20
January 21February 19
Your sense of justice, your tact
and your impartiality may be put
to a severe test when it comes to
passing judgement on a dispute in
the family.
If you want to get ahead, don’t presume too much on your chief ’s
good nature. He would prefer to
promote somebody with an independent line of action.
Try to stop yourself being eas- If you feel that y our social life
ily upset by the minor setbacks in needs more variety, make an effort to meet people of different
life, and be resolved to accept the interest at clubs and evening
classes.
rough with the smooth.
Your material success is much
more likely to be achieved by diligence and hard work rather than
by speculation in doubtful deals,
which is a dangerous occupation.
Concentrate on bringing happiness to someone else today,
you could make a good job of it
by forgetting your usual selfish
ways, and enjoy yourself while
you do it.
CLASSIFIEDS
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2 0 1 5
omandailyobserver
23
Situation Vacant
FILIPINA Housemaid,
with release required
for a family in Medinat
Al Alam. 24704994,
99238012.
WE need HSE
personal, Salesman
and Electrical
Supervisor with Omani
Driving licence. Apply
to: grandmuscat@
·····
yahoo.com Contact No:
WANTED Sales Manager, 00968 95714746.
for a leading Interior
·····
Fitout and Furniture
REQUIRED family
Supply Company in
driver with valid
Oman. Experience: 7+
Omani driving licence.
years, preferably in
Oman. Salary: negotiable. Accommodation will be
provided. 92230282.
Preference for Omani
·····
nationals. Interested
candidates may please
REQUIRED a teacher
forward their resume to
(Math, Computer,
e-mail id: recruitment.
English and Science) for
[email protected]
private school in Al
Athaiba. 99360950.
·····
Situation Wanted
INDIAN male BE
mechanical engineer
with 3-month
…‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡…‘—”•‡‹
QA/QC, pipeline and
NDT. In Oman on visit
visa, seeks suitable
placement. Contact
95803035, E-mail:
jittenvjacob@gmail.
com
·····
INDIAN male, 29 years,
Civil Engineer, diploma
holder, 4 years experience
in Oman, 2 years in road
division, looking for
placement. NOC available.
93298395.
·····
CIVIL Engineer, BTech
with 3 years experience,
looking for suitable
placement, on visit visa.
Contact: 98545520.
e-mail: furkanazeem20@
gmail.com
·····
ELECTRICAL Engineer
Sudanese, with 9
years experience and
UAE driving licence.
94429749.
·····
INDIAN male 26 years,
MBA - Finance & Marketing, BCom with
Tally, 2 years experience , currently working in Oman. Contact:
94282980. e-mail:
[email protected]
·····
REQUIRED Salesman
ˆ‘”‘‹Žϐ‹‡Ž†•…‘’ƒ›ǡ
must have experience
‘‘‹Žϐ‹‡Ž†•ƒ††”‹˜‹‰
licence. Contact:
alkhatwa2009@hotmail.
com
·····
·····
SYRIAN Mashavi cook
and Moroccan lady cook
for Qurum Beach Hotel.
24704994,
99238012.
HAMDAN Salim Al
Hashli: Required
Heavy Truck
Driver, Pakistani/
Indian.99413507,
92665151.
·····
·····
SYRIAN Mashavi Cook
and Moroccan Lady
Cook for Qurum Beach
Hotel.24704994 or
99238012.
·····
LOOKING to recruit
ƒ“—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹‡†Interior
Designer (preferably
female). Please forward
your CV to:
idesigner.Oman@
gmail.com.
·····
For Sale
Situation Wanted
INDIAN male QA/QC
Engineer-Civil (BE,
ACQE) in Oman on
visit visa, overall 10
years of experience in
Š‹‰Š”‹•‡–‘™‡”ǡ‘ˆϐ‹…‡
building and
residential
construction project
in Qatar and UAE,
holding valid GCC
driving licence
00968 93958533,
e-mail: sheikhnavid@
yahoo.com
ACCOUNTANT, Indian
·····
male, BCom with 8 years
experience, seeks suitable
IT Professional, 25, Sri
placement, on visit visa.
Lankan, BTech- Final,
91327026.
MCTS, MCP, CCNA,
·····
LINUX having 4 years
INDIAN male 39 years,
experience including
with 5 years experience
MNC, looking for suitable
‹–Š‡ϐ‹‡Ž†‘ˆDz‡…Š‹- position. (Visit visa).
cian” and 4 years experi- Contact: 93354526,
ence as supervisor/bille-mail: jamsith.pc@
ing. On visit visa. Contact: gmail.com
93570126
·····
·····
AN Iraqi electrical engineer, long experience in
construction works and
factory maintenance getting electrical works and
driving licences looking
for suitable replacement.
Contact: 98959043
MECHANICAL engineer,
2 years experience in
mechanical maintenance
and troubleshooting
mechanical equipment,
seeks placement in
engineering position
95910749.
·····
·····
INDIAN male, IT Prof,
2 years exp as system
administrator in Oman,
3+ yrs exp in India
(Hardware, Networking,
Windows Server,
Exchange Server), 1 year
exp in PHP, CSS, HTML,
Java Script, AJax, Mysql.
NOC available. Contact:
97496998
INDIAN male, 25 years,
BBM, knowledge in
ˆϐ‹…‡ǡƒŽŽ›ǡŠƒ˜‹‰
two years experience
in Oman as showroom
sales, merchandiser
with NOC from previous
company. Visa expires
on — April 10. Contact:
98659980
·····
BANGLADESHI, looking
ˆ‘””‹˜‹‰Œ‘„‹‘ˆϐ‹…‡Ǥ
Please call: 92757135.
·····
ARABIC/English
ϐŽ—‡–‡…Šƒ‹…ƒŽ
Engineer, MBA, PMP,
8 years experience,
ͷ›”•‹’”‘Œ‡…–ϐ‹‡Ž†
(management and
supervision), familiar
with Primavera P6.
Contact: 94687010,
e-mail: abdelgader1982@
gmail.com
·····
CHARTERED Accountant 9 years experience
in Finance - consolidation as per IFRS, Treasury, Budget, Investments, taxation, AP/
AR. Currently working
in Sr Finance position in
Oman. Joining immediate.
NOC available. Contact:
95489269, prds1406@
gmail.com
·····
AVAILABLE equipment
for automatic bakery.
91374378.
·····
SRI Lankan male, 23
years, CIMA (Part qualiϐ‹‡†Ȍ͵›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
in an American company
as an Auditor/ management trainee seeks a
suitable job in
Oman. Good English
knowledge. Contact:
94633968
·····
·····
INDIAN male, 27,
diploma in Civil
Engineering, 6 years
experience, 3 years in
GCC as a site engineer.
Now on visiting visa
seeks suitable placement.
Contact: 966267251.
[email protected]
·····
INDIAN male with 6
years experience in
sales/ marketing &
purchase/ accounts with
Omani driving licence
looking for a suitable job.
Contact: 98851980.
·····
·····
SMART professional,
excellent English,
Š‹‰Š“—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘ǡͳͲ
years managerial exp
in Oman in reputed
companies, results oriented professional
seeks challenging
Management/
Operations/Admin/Bus
Dev role, Quick joining.
NOC. 91229392.
INDUSTRIAL area
land in Rusayil,
5,000 Sq.mt and
building with 8
shops. Contact
95490842,
92702891.
·····
…‘•‹•–•‘ˆͷ
flats for sale with
different spaces. Each
flat consists of sitting
room with a bathroom,
3 rooms with facilities , a
kitchen and a store.
Location next to the
water filling station
tankers- Seih Al Ahmer
Ǧ‹†„‹† - Muscat
direction - opposite
Oman Oil Station. For
inquiries and
reservations, please be
thankfully contact:
99442143.
·····
For Sale/Rent
ȍ͵
VILLAS for sale/rents
Ȁ
), (Shops/
‘ˆϐ‹…‡•ˆ‘””‡–ȀŽ
Khuwair) (Flats for
rent/Wadi Kabir).
96596348.
·····
Services
Situation Vacant
FULLY equipped, 2 chair
Dental Clinic for sale in
Al Seeb area. MoH
approved. Call:
94514045.
·····
3 BEDROOM house at
Betras Zanzibar RO
90,000. Contact Owner:
99348943.
·····
SHOP for sale, Beauty
Salon Barka, near LuLu
Hypermarket Center.
Contact: 97655500.
·····
A 400 sq m residential
commercial building situated at the first line of
the public road in Rawdat Samad Al Shaan. The
building is within 300 m
far from the Imam Noor
Al Din Al Salmi. It houses
a 100 sq m 3 outlets.
The remaining 300 sq m
plot is workers residence, a store and a toilet. The premise is at RO
55,000 plus 3 per cent
commission.
99600909.
·····
1. HOOPOE SMART
CARD SERVICES
2. AL FAHAD
TRANSLATION
SERVICES
STOP!!!
Good News to all our
dear customers: Our
PRO will visit your
‘ˆϐ‹…‡ȀŠ‘—•‡–‘…‘ŽŽ‡…–
documents for typing
or clearing and will
deliver the same on
completion.
Our services include
typing all forms
related to Ministry
of Manpower,
Immigration, e.g.,
visas, renewal of
visas, all services
related to Ministry of
Commerce & Industry,
e.g., reservation of
commercial names,
amendment of activities
of the company and
all services related to
Royal Oman Police;
Cancellation of
Visas at the Muscat
International Airport
for repatriation of
employees; Directorate
‡‡”ƒŽ‘ˆ”ƒˆϐ‹…Ǣƒ†
Oman Chamber of
Commerce & Industry.
Translation of legal
documents. Medical
reports, commercial
agency agreements,
literature, catalogues
(Languages: Arabic,
English, French,
Spanish & Italian)
Our Address: Ruwi,
Adjacent to Gulf
Transport Co. (GTC).
Telephones: 24793331
/24794286
GSM: 99231500
/96777170/ 95959838
Managed by: Salim
Khalfan al Hadi
(33 years of experience
in management)
·····
yPROPERTIES for sale
and rent
yBuildings cleaning
yDocuments
processing, clearance.
Contact Ali: 99830331,
Nasser: 99325183.
·····
MIDAWA Trading
& Cont. Est: For
Plumbing, Painting
and Maintenance
96191837.
·····
1. AC
maintenance and
servicing.
2. Fridge,
washing machine
and dish washer
repairing.
3. Painting and
cleaning services.
4. Electrical,
plumbing and
carpentry work
97014234,
99447257,
24504281.
·····
Investment
LOOKING for an
investor for a fullequipped existing
medical complex as
soon as possible in
Wilayat of Haima,
Governorate of Al
Wusta. 92212557,
99242249.
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SUNDAY | MARCH 1, 2015 | JUMADA AL ULA 10, 1436 AH
BEST
QUOTE
India cruise to easy
win over UAE in Perth
CAPTAIN
COOL
I was looking to hit a
boundary, ideally a six
after the new batsman
came in. It was tough so
my plan was to hit it and
I did.
— KANE WILLIAMSON, New
Zealand batsman
after hitting the
winning six
against
Australia in
their Pool A
match.
Dhoni hails India’s
match-winning bowlers
BEST BATTING
57
Rohit Sharma for India
against the UAE.
BEST BOWLING
5-27
Trent Boult for New
Zealand against
Australia
PERTH: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin
claimed four wickets to lead a strong Indian
bowling performance as the defending
champions eased to a nine-wicket victory
over the United Arab Emirates in a World
Cup Pool B encounter in Perth on Saturday.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and
fast bowler Umesh Yadav chipped in with
two wickets apiece as the Emiratis were
bundled out for just 102 in 31.3 overs at the
WACA to post the lowest score of this year’s
tournament.
Opener Rohit Sharma had missed out
in India’s wins against Pakistan and South
Africa but used the opportunity to get some
runs under his belt as his team chased down
the target with 31.1 overs to spare for a third
triumph in as many matches.
Rohit (57) and Virat Kohli (33) added 75
in an unbroken second wicket stand to carry
India home after in-form opening batsman
Shikhar Dhawan (14) fell to a sharp onehanded catch by Rohan Mustafa at point off
Mohammad Naveed.
Rohit, the owner of the highest ODI score
of 264, brought up his 24th fifty with a squarecut boundary off UAE captain Mohammad
Tauqir. He hit 10 fours and a six during his
55-ball knock.
Tauqir would never have envisioned such
a shambolic batting display from his team
mates when he won the toss and opted to bat
first.
However, the extra bounce on a pitch
widely considered as the fastest in the world
put them on the back foot from the onset of
their innings. Yadav bowled short and fast
and struck in his first over, the second of the
innings, to remove opener Andri Berenger
(four) with a bouncer.
Fellow opener Amjad Ali (four) did not
last much longer, edging a bouncer from
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a replacement for the
injured Mohammed Shami, to wicketkeeper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.
Skipper Dhoni brought Ashwin (4-25)
on as his first change immediately after the
mandatory 10-over powerplay to start the
innings and the tall spinner picked up a
wicket with his second ball and then ran
through the UAE middle order to bag his best
figures in ODIs.
Shaiman Anwar, who scored an aggressive
century during their two-wicket loss to
Ireland, was the only batsman to provide
some resistance and finished with 35 from 49
balls, his innings including six boundaries.
Anwar and number 11 batsman Manjula
SCOREBOARD
United Arab Emirates
Amjad Ali c Dhoni b Kumar .................................... 4
A Berenger c Dhoni b Yadav.................................... 4
K Chandran c Raina b Ashwin ................................. 4
Khurram Khan c Raina b Ashwin .......................... 14
S Patil c Dhawan b Ashwin ...................................... 7
Shaiman Anwar b Yadav ....................................... 35
R Mustafa lbw Sharma............................................ 2
Amjad Javed c Raina b Jadeja ................................ 2
Mohammad Naveed b Ashwin ............................... 6
Mohammad Tauqir b Jadeja................................... 1
M Guruge (not out)............................................... 10
Extras (lb4, w9).................................................... 13
Total (all out, 31.3 overs) ................................... 102
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-13, 3-28, 4-41, 5-44, 6-52,
7-61, 8-68, 9-71.
Bowling: Kumar 5-0-19-1, Yadav 6.3-2-15-2, Ashwin
10-1-25-4, Sharma 5-1-16-1, Jadeja 5-0-23-2.
India
R Sharma (not out) ............................................... 57
S Dhawan c Mustafa b Naveed ............................. 14
V Kohli (not out).................................................... 33
Extras .................................................................... 0
Total (1 wkt, 18.5 overs) .................................... 104
Fall of wicket: 1-29.
Bowling: Naveed 5-0-35-1, Guruge 6-1-19-0, Javed
2-0-12-0, Chandran 3-0-17-0, Tauqir 2.5-0-21-0.
Guruge (10 not out) added 31 for the final
wicket, the highest of the innings, to get UAE
past the 100-run mark.
The 35-year-old Anwar was the last man
to fall, bowled by a late-swinging full delivery
from Yadav.
— Reuters
“The bowlers
PERTH,
Australia:
India captain Mahendra
have really
Singh Dhoni admitted
stepped up and
Saturday
that
his
bowling attack, so often
this has led to
over-shadowed by the
improvements in other
team’s legion of batting
superstars, will be key if parts of the side”
they are to successfully
MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI
defend their World Cup
Captain of India
title.
India hardly broke
sweat at Perth’s WACA
ground as they cruised
past the part-timers of the United Arab Emirates by nine
wickets, easily reaching the 103-run winning target they had
been set.
But unlike their two opening wins at the tournament
which yielded totals of 300 and over against Pakistan and
South Africa, Saturday gave India’s bowlers the chance to
make decisive contributions against a UAE side who won
the toss and chose to bat.
“The bowlers have really stepped up and this has led to
improvements in other parts of the side,” said Dhoni.
“When we were losing games outside the sub-continent
it was a concern and we couldn’t get wickets in the middle
overs,” he added.
“Now we are getting wickets with the new ball and the
spinners are able to put more pressure on in the middle
overs. As a unit they are doing well. They have shown they
can do it game after game.”
Ravichandran Ashwin took a career best of four for 25
with fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja claiming two wickets.
Ashwin said he was delighted to have his moment in
the spotlight after his team’s batmen had ran riot in the first
two games, with Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan making
centuries against Pakistan and South Africe respectively.
Suresh Raina and Dhawan also hit half-centuries against
Pakistan while Ajinkya Rahane went past the 50 mark
against South Africa.
In a reminder of the team’s batting strength, Saturday saw
opener Rohit Sharma make an undefeated fifty.
“I usually bowl at phases of the game when you are trying
to buy wickets or cut the runs down but today went well,”
said Ashwin.
— AFP
Comprehensive defeats at the hands of India and West Indies in their opening two matches have left the 1992 champions rock bottom
Pakistan look to Zimbabwe clash for confidence boost
SYDNEY: Misbah-ul-Haq is looking
for a confidence-boosting performance
from his team but most of all a first
victory of the campaign when Pakistan
take on Zimbabwe in their third World
Cup match on Sunday.
Comprehensive defeats at the
hands of India and West Indies in their
opening two matches have left the 1992
champions rock bottom of Pool B and
provoked the usual barrage of criticism
from back home.
Victory in Brisbane over Zimbabwe,
who have beaten United Arab Emirates
and lost to South Africa and West Indies,
would set them back firmly on the path
to the last eight, however.
“When you’ve lost two games in
a row in a World Cup, there’s a bit of
pressure on the players, but I think this is
a chance for us to just get our confidence
back,” Misbah told a news conference at
the Gabba.
“Zimbabwe is a very good side,
everybody knows that they can really
come good on any given day. But I think
it’s our chance. We should just improve
our performances, and try to win this
game.
“That is the only way. If you improve
your performances, if you win a game,
that could really change the mood of the
whole team.”
Misbah said that the main problem
“Zimbabwe is a very good
side, everybody knows that
they can really come good on
any given day. But I think it’s
our chance. We should just
improve our performances,
and try to win this game.
That is the only way. If you
improve your performances,
if you win a game, that could
really change the mood of
the whole team.”
for his team in the tournament so far,
apart from the usual sloppy fielding,
had been the inability of their bowlers
to take wickets in the middle overs of an
innings.
“Both India and West Indies scored
300 runs,” he said. “Then it was really
difficult throughout the World Cup
when some of the teams score 300-plus
runs, it’s really difficult to chase it down.
“So that’s what we need to do. We just
have to press all the time, even in the
middle overs, to get batsmen out.”
Talk of 1992, when Pakistan were the
surprise winners of the last World Cup
to be held in Australia and New Zealand,
are destined to dog Misbah for as long as
his side remain in the tournament.
Imran Khan’s side won only one
of their first five matches in the 1992
tournament before going on to beat
England in the final and Misbah said
there was something very simple his
team could learn from that campaign.
“The important lesson is never give
up,” he said. “That’s what Imran Khan
usually says about 1992. Even when the
team was in difficult times, they never
gave up. They just kept trying, kept
trying, and kept trying.
“At last they just managed to do what
they really wanted to do in that World
Cup. So, that’s what we are trying to do.”
— Reuters
S U N DAY M A R C H 1 l 2 0 1 5
26
iN BRIEFS
New Zealand down Australia
by one wicket, reach last eight
Williamson, Boult
Terminally ill Crowe
‘honoured’ by Hall
of Fame award
AUCKLAND: New Zealand great Martin
Crowe was inducted into Cricket’s Hall
of Fame on Saturday, the terminally ill
former batsman describing it as a “great
honour” and prompting a standing
ovation from 40,000 fans at Eden Park.
Known as one of the game’s most
stylish batsmen, the 52-year-old became
the third New Zealander behind Richard
Hadlee and Debbie Hockley, and 79th in
the world, to receive the honour.
“I am pleased to get this prestigious
award, especially joining my friend
Richard Hadlee,” said Crowe, after
being awarded his commemorative
cap from International Cricket Council
(ICC) director and chairman of Cricket
Australia, Wally Edwards.
Crowe dedicated the award to his
father Dave and mother Audrey.
“I wish to dedicate this award to
my father and mother who supported
the game for 40 years,” said cancerstricken Crowe who had been
diagnosed with a rare blood disease,
double-hit lymphoma. Crowe made his
international debut against Australia
in Wellington in February 1982 at the
age of 19. He retired 13 years later after
playing 77 Tests, having scored 5,444
runs at an average of 45.36.
This included 17 centuries, the most
by a New Zealand cricketer, while his
299 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in
January 1991 stood as a national record
until Brendon McCullum scored 302
against India in Wellington last year.
Crowe also played 143 one-day
internationals in which he scored 4,704
runs at an average of 38.55 with four
centuries and 34 half-centuries.
He played in three World Cups and
led New Zealand to the semi-final of
the 1992 tournament, where his side
lost to eventual champions Pakistan in
Auckland.
He also captained New Zealand in 16
Tests and 44 ODIs.-- AFP
SYDNEY: New Zealand reached the
World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday
in a nail-biting one-wicket win over
Australia in an Eden Park classic which
saw them almost suffer an embarrassing
collapse in pursuit of just 152.
Sitting comfortably at 78-1, the Black
Caps were crippled by sudden stagefright as their next eight wickets fell for
just 68 runs with 40,000 fans on
the edge of their seats.
But Kane Williamson
(45 not out) smashed
the winning runs with
a mighty six off Pat
Cummins from the first
ball of the 24th over,
having watched helplessly
as Australian left-arm seamer
Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc
with a career-best six for 28.
New Zealand captain Brendon
McCullum had hit a 21-ball fifty at
the top of the innings as the home side
cruised towards their total and even
at 131 for four, they were still in pole
position.
But the slide started with
Glenn Maxwell dismissing
Corey Anderson for 26. Starc
then took the wickets of Luke
Ronchi (six), Daniel Vettori
(two), Adam Milne (0) and Tim
Southee (0) to give Australia
a sniff of an unexpected win
before Williamson held his
nerve.
Earlier, Trent Boult claimed
career-best figures of five for 27
as New Zealand dismissed the
four-time champions for just
151.
From 80 for one, Australia
lost eight wickets for 26 runs
before Brad Haddin (43) and
Cummins (seven not out) put on
BATTING BLUES
hold their nerve to help Kiwis clinch Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
New Zealand’s
Kane Williamson
hits the winning
runs during the
World Cup Pool A
match against
Australia. — AFP
Clarke blames
poor shot selection
for narrow loss
Members of the New Zealand team celebrate with the Chappell-Hadlee trophy
after beating Australia in their Cricket World Cup match in Auckland, February 28,
2015. The Chappell-Hadlee trophy is awarded between Australia and New
Zealand only. — Reuters
45 for the last wicket. “Trent Boult was
outstanding for us, and so was Mitchell
Starc for Australia,” said McCullum.
“Some of the batting wasn’t as good
as it should have been but that can
happen when you are up against highclass seam bowling.”
Australia
captain
Michael
Clarke, back in the team for the
first time since December after a
hamstring injury, said the batting
had let his side down.
“It was horrendous,” he said.
“The tension was there all game. It
was very entertaining and we would
have liked the result to go the other
way but credit to New Zealand.”
Left-arm seamer Boult’s five wickets
came in the space of 18 balls for just
one run as New Zealand condemned
Australia to their second-lowest World
Cup total.
Southee took two for 65 while
left-arm spinner Vettori finished
with two for 41 as New Zealand’s bowling
maintained the same momentum which
helped them dismiss England for 123 in
Wellington.
AMATEURS
Australia, who beat England in their
opener two weeks ago before seeing
the clash with Bangladesh rained off in
Brisbane, are now fourth in the pool
with three points, five behind New
Zealand, with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
also ahead of them.
The top four in each pool qualify for
the quarterfinals.
AUCKLAND: Australia captain
Michael Clarke attributed an overemphasis on attack as the reason
behind his team’s poor batting
performance in the one-wicket loss to
New Zealand in the World Cup Pool A
match at Eden Park on Saturday.
The world number one side
managed only 151 all out from
32.2 overs and, as brilliantly as
Mitchell Starc later bowled, it
was not quite enough to prevent
the New Zealanders recording a
fourth consecutive win in the mega
tournament.
“We were extremely poor, no doubt
about that. Our shot selection was
poor,” said Clarke, who was playing his
first World Cup game after an injury
layoff.
“We needed to score more runs
than we did,” he added.
“Going forward, the ball is going
to swing, so we have some work to do,
that’s for sure.” — Reuters
WORLD CUP STANDINGS
STANDINGS (PLAYED, WON, LOST TIED, N/R, POINTS, RUN RATE)
POOL A
New Zealand
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Australia
Afghanistan
England
Scotland
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
2
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
2
2
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
8
4
3
3
2
2
0
+3.589
–0.063
+0.287
–0.305
–0.760
–1.415
–1.735
POOL B
India
South Africa
Ireland
West Indies
Zimbabwe
UAE
Pakistan
3
3
2
4
3
3
2
3
2
2
2
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
2
3
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
4
4
4
2
0
0
+2.630
+1.260
+0.338
–0.313
–0.827
–1.326
–2.260
NOTE: TOP FOUR IN EACH GROUP QUALIFY FOR QUARTER-FINALS
Pakistan summon spirit
of Imran Khan and 1992
McCullum ready for
party after thriller
AUCKLAND: New Zealand captain
Brendon McCullum hailed the perfect
finish to his side’s thrilling one-wicket
World Cup win over Australia in
Auckland on Saturday, saying the game
had finished so early a capacity crowd
would have plenty of time for a drink.
The Black Caps, making a mockery of
pre-match predictions of a high-scoring
encounter at the compact Eden Park
ground, dismissed Australia for just
151, with left-arm paceman Trent Boult
taking a career-best five for 27.
New Zealand were well on course
for victory at 131 for four featuring a
typically dashing fifty from opener
McCullum, before Mitchell Starc, like
Boult a left-arm seamer, sparked a
dramatic collapse that reduced the
home side to 146 for nine as he returned
a career best 6-28.
But Boult, in on a hat-trick, survived
Starc’s final two deliveries of the 23rd
over.
Then, with six needed to win, Kane
Williamson (45 not out) drove the next
ball, from Pat Cummins, high over the
rope to set the seal on a sensational
match.
“It was one hell of a game,” said
McCullum after his side’s fourth win in as
many Pool A matches saw them become
the first team to qualify for the quarterfinals. “Both teams showed what quality
bowlers they have. It was an amazing
atmosphere and a great game to be a
part of. — AFP
AUSTRALIA &
NEW ZEALAND
FEBRUARY 14 TO MARCH 29
India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni (left), Virat Kohli (centre) and Shikhar Dhawan (right) line up for the national anthem prior
to the start of the World Cup Pool B match between the United Arab Emirates and India in Perth.
— AFP
Mighty Team India slam door shut
on minnows big match dreams
PERTH, Australia: India captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni dealt a huge
blow to cricket’s non-Test nations
Saturday when he warned that his
world champions have no plans to
play regular fixtures against them.
With controversy over the makeup of the 2019 World Cup -- where
the number of teams is set to be
slashed from 14 to 10 -- threatening to
overshadow the ongoing tournament,
Dhoni slammed the door on
minnows’ aspirations.
The 10 teams who will feature in
England in 2019 will be based on a
rankings system with the top eight
as of September 30, 2017, booking
their places with the other two slots
decided by a qualifying tournament.
As all the Test nations play
regular fixtures against each other in
one-dayers, it will leave the likes of
Afghanistan and Ireland struggling
to make the tournament as the major
teams are not obliged to play Associate
sides.
After brushing aside the United
Arab Emirates by nine wickets on
Saturday to record their third win in
three games at this World Cup, Dhoni
said demands on Indian cricketers
were too high to add any more
fixtures. “I don’t see India playing any
more games,” he said.
“We can’t, unless we play two
games in one day, which is just not
possible.India can’t play any more
games.”
Despite the magnitude of Saturday’s
defeat, UAE skipper Mohammad
Tauqir said it was important for his
side to get the opportunity to test
themselves against the best.
“I think the more we play against
these bigger nations, the more we
learn and the more we perform,” said
Tauqir, whose team have been beaten
in all three games although they
pushed Zimbabwe and Ireland before
losing narrowly.
“The more we play, the better for
the associate nations.”
The International Cricket Council
(ICC) has been widely criticised for
the decision to reduce the number
of teams in future World Cups with
claims that the tournament will
become a ‘closed-shop’ for the games
major powers.
It has also been seen as a regressive
move for a body expected to grow the
game globally.
On Friday, however, ICC chief
executive David Richardson told AFP
that the size of the 2019 World Cup
has yet to be decided. — AFP
BRISBANE, Australia:
Pakistan
captain Misbah-ul-Haq summoned up
the spirit of Imran Khan and his 1992
World Cup warriors on Saturday as the
strife-hit Asian giants look to salvage
their 2015 campaign.
Pakistan, engulfed by a series of on
and off-field controversies, have lost
both of their opening two games — by
76 runs to India and 150 runs against
the West Indies.
They are bottom of Pool B and defeat
by Zimbabwe at the Gabba on Sunday
will virtually condemn them to an early
exit. But Pakistan have been down this
road before.
Twenty-three years ago, when the
World Cup was last played in Australia
and New Zealand, Imran Khan’s team
were also staring at early elimination.
They lost by 10 wickets to West
Indies, beat Zimbabwe, had a no-result
when about to be defeated by England
before two more losses to India and
South Africa.
They then went on a roll, seeing off
Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand
to make the semi-finals.
New Zealand were defeated again
in the last-four before the title was
clinched in Melbourne courtesy of a 22run win against England.
“The important lesson is never give
up,” said Misbah.
“That’s what you need to do as a
player and as a team. That’s what Imran
Khan usually says about 1992. Even
when the team was in difficult times,
they never gave up.
“They just kept trying, kept trying,
and kept trying. At last they just
managed to do what they really wanted
to do in that World Cup.
“So, that’s what we are trying to do.
We just have to do the things and we
have to work hard, and that’s what we’re
trying to do”.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq controls
a football during their training session
ahead of the World Cup Pool B match
between Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
— AFP
Misbah insists that his team are
trying to forget their two defeats as
well as off-field diversions which have
seen eight players fined for breaking a
curfew, reports of a bust-up in training
and chief selector Moin Khan being sent
home in disgrace for visiting a casino.
“It’s always like that,” said Misbah,
when asked to reflect on the deluge of
criticism his team has endured for their
woeful form.
“They always say that they are with
the team all the time, but never do
it. You could say it’s always like that
in Pakistan. We are always with the
winning team, but when our team is in
difficult times, we’re here (on their own.)
Misbah added that Pakistan’s slow start
could be partly attributed to the damage
caused by the late withdrawals of three
key men — spinner Saeed Ajmal,
veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez
and seamer Junaid Khan. — AFP
SPORT
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
omandailyobserver
27
QATAR OPEN: The Belarusian came from behind after losing the first set to power past Williams 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a thrilling semifinal
Azarenka beats Venus, Safarova awaits in final
DOHA: Former world number One
Victoria Azarenka continued her
comeback from injury on Friday in
Doha by beating Venus Williams for the
first time to make the Qatar Open final.
Azarenka, now ranked 48th in the
world since losing most of 2014 to a foot
injury, stormed back from losing the
first set to brush Williams aside 2-6, 6-2,
6-4, in a thrilling semi-final watched by,
among others, former England football
captain David Beckham.
Twice winner of the tournament,
wildcard entrant Azarenka will play
the Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova in
Saturday’s final.
It was her first victory in five attempts
against Williams.
The Belarusian hinted at a return to
her best with her trademark thunderous
baseline shots ultimately proving too
much even for someone of Williams’s
pedigree.
But she also mixed up her game
coming to the net on several occasions,
something which she admitted
afterwards was a deliberate tactic.
Following a tame first set where
there was no hint of what was to follow,
Azarenka, 25, won seven consecutive
games in the second and third sets to
blow Williams away.
It was an astonishing transformation.
Williams coped with the cool and
windy conditions much better earlier on
and looked likely to secure her first ever
final place in Qatar.
There was little hint of the trouble
ahead for the American as she eased
through the first set, pulling Azarenka
around the court with a series of classy
backhand and forehand winners.
Barely managing to hang on in
the opening stages of the second set,
Azarenka however transformed the
match from 3-2 up in the second set,
taking the consecutive games which
not only secured that set but put her in
control in the decider.
POWERHOUSE TENNIS
Azarenka, who was world number
one as recently as 2012, was back to some
of her best powerhouse tennis which saw
her not only secure two Grand Slams but
also two Open titles in Doha.
She has previously won in Qatar in
2012 and 2103.
On Friday night, her confidence
returned to such an extent that she was
even able to head off a late charge by
Williams who came back from 5-1 down
to 5-4 in the final set.
Azarenka served the game out to
30 and celebrated in front of a sizeable
crowd, many of whom had been rooting
for her.
Afterwards she admitted she couldn’t
cope with Williams in the first set.
“She was kicking my butt left and
right, I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Azarenka said she was more
“aggressive” in the final two sets,
including playing at the net more often.
“I had to change something and I
wanted to stay aggressive. I think that
is something that is helping me. My net
game is becoming stronger and stronger.
I want to be an even more all-round
player,” she said.
Asked
about
the
game’s
transformation, Williams said Azarenka
“went for broke”.
“Obviously she just went for
everything and they just landed.
Sometimes that’s what happens,” she
said. “It was a little bit unlucky for me
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus returns the ball to Venus Williams during their women’s singles semifinal match during the Qatar Open in Doha.
that all those shots landed. They were
unbelievable shots.”
She added that throughout the
tournament, all her opponents were
peaking.
“I felt like every player I’ve played,
she’s played literally at the top of her
game. It’s just one of those weeks where
everybody plays amazing, so I’m hoping
that in the next coming weeks it won’t be
like that or it will be a long year.”
Azarenka will meet Wimbledon
Robben adds to tally in Bayern’s birthday win
BERLIN: Bayern Munich celebrated
their 115th birthday Friday with a 4-1
win over Cologne to go 11 points clear
in the Bundesliga as top-scorer Arjen
Robben added to his tally.
The fleet-footed Dutchman netted
his 17th goal in 19 league matches this
season with a crisp header with 20
minutes left to remain the league’s top
scorer.
Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger gave
hosts Bayern an early lead at Munich’s
Allianz Arena before Franck Ribery
added a second inside 10 minutes.
Cologne fought back when Nigeria
international Anthony Ujah scored right
on the stroke of half-time but Bayern
roared back as Robben, then Poland
striker Robert Lewandowski extended
the hosts’ lead.
But Robben was unimpressed with
Bayern’s performance having briefly
given Cologne hope.
“It was a strange game,” said the
Dutchman.
“We went 2-0 up, were aggressive and
played well, but we slowed down at the
end of the first-half and conceded the
goal at the worst possible time.”
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
insists Bayern are in their most stable era
in their rich history and Pep Guardiola’s
side are running away with a third
straight league title having now opened
an 11-point lead.
In just their last four league games,
Bayern have now scored 20 goals with
Ujah’s header the only blot on their
RED
‘It was a strange game.
We went 2-0 up, were
aggressive and played well,
but we slowed down at the
end of the first half and
conceded the goal at the
worst possible time’
BUNDESLIGA
Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben celebrates after scoring a goal against FC Cologne
during their Bundesliga match in Munich.
— Reuters
copybook.
Cologne coach Peter Stoeger had said
his side needed “a miracle” in Munich
and Bayern wasted no time in taking
the lead. They forced four corners in the
opening 142 seconds, the last of which
Schweinsteiger headed home after just
three minutes.
In a perfect bit of symmetry, the goal
came after two minutes, 22 seconds into
Bayern’s 333rd Bundesliga match.
Ribery added a second with ten
minutes gone when he dribbled through
a weak Cologne defence and slotted his
shot past goalkeeper Timo Horn.
A brief glimpse of the miracle Stoeger
craved arrived just before the half-time
break.
Ujah rose highest from a corner to
out-jump Philipp Lahm and with David
Alaba out of position the Nigeria striker
headed home right on the whistle.
It was the first Bundesliga goal
Bayern had conceded since drawing 1-1
semi-finalist Safarova in Saturday’s final
who breezed through her semi-final
with Carla Suarez Navarro in straight
sets.
Left-hander Safarova won 6-3, 6-2 in
a semi-final which lasted little over an
with Schalke at the start of the month
and it gave Cologne confidence.
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer
was forced to prove why he was voted
the world’s best goalkeeper in 2014 with
super saves to deny Ujah and Cologne
midfielder Marcel Risse.
“Manuel saved us a few times,”
admitted Robben.
“Some of the saves he pulled off were
simply superb.”
Bayern snuffed out any hope of
a Cologne fightback when Ribery
whipped in a cross for Robben to head
home on 67 minutes.
Robben proved he can set up goals just
as well as score them when he produced
a superb pass for Lewandowski to chest
over the line with 15 minutes left.
Bayern are in action again on
Wednesday when they host second
division Eintracht Braunschweig in the
last 16 of the German Cup.
They host Shakhtar Donetsk on
March 11 in the Champions League’s
last 16, second-leg after a goalless draw
in Ukraine. — AFP
— AFP
hour.
Azarenka and Safarova have met
on six previous occasions, with each
winning one, but she said she would not
be over-confident on Saturday as “you
never know what will happen”. — AFP
DEVIL
IOC approves Tokyo
2020 venue changes
RIO DE JANEIRO: The International
Olympic Committee executive board
on Friday gave the greenlight to
organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Games to
move three competition venues as part
of a plan to trim more than $1 billion
from the budget.
The IOC board meeting in Rio de
Janeiro focused on preparations for the
Tokyo games in five years time as well as
the next Winter Olympics in the South
Korean city of Pyeongchang in 2018.
Tokyo Games CEO Toshiro Muto
said the Japanese had submitted three
venue changes as part of a pla0n to trim
cut costs of the sporting extravaganza.
“It is a year since we established
the organising committee and we are
putting together our vision,” said Muto,
who said organisers proposed moving
basketball outside Tokyo to Saitama an
hour away.
Rising labor and construction
costs have also prompted Japan to
rein back plans for new sites for canoe
slalom — moving from a park to
allay environmental concerns — and
equestrian events, to be hosted at Baji
Park, a 1964 venue.
IOC executive director Christoph
Dubi called Saitama’s 37,000 arena
Super Arena a “fantastic venue” and
forecast “considerable savings” from the
proposals.
Tokyo organisers earlier Friday
submitted their Games Foundation Plan
to the IOC as Japan’s capital prepares to
become the first Asian city to stage a
second Summer Games having hosted
in 1964.
Like Rio, Tokyo has not escaped
controversy on budgets.
The city has seen public protests in
recent months over plans to demolish
the National Stadium and replace it
with a huge 80,000-seater stadium
designed by British-Iraqi architect
Zaha Hadid. Campaigners say the new
design, standing some 70 metres high
and with initial cost of some $3 billion
before a revised plan was submitted
costing around 40 per cent less, is too
big for its local environment.
Muto said the stadium’s size and cost
is “an issue for the government. We will
just operate the stadium.”
The Tokyo team initially pledged
to have some 80 percent of venues
within eight kilometres (five miles)
radius of the Olympic Village, but
some events will now move to existing
facilities further afield as part of plans
to lop around $1.7 billion off the overall
budget. — AFP
Fourth placed United are one point ahead of Southampton in fifth place and hope to return to winning ways after losing away to Swansea
Di Maria vows to fire Man United to top four finish
LONDON: Angel di Maria has promised
to make up for his spluttering start at
Manchester United by firing his side into
the Champions League.
Louis van Gaal’s team face Sunderland
at Old Trafford on Saturday with the race
for a top four finish in the Premier League
hotting up.
Fourth placed United are one point
ahead of Southampton in fifth place and
hope to return to winning ways after seeing
a seven-game unbeaten run ended by a 2-1
loss at Swansea in their last outing.
Their bid to return to Europe’s elite club
competition after a one-year absence would
be significantly boosted if di Maria can
finally hit peak form.
The Argentina international has only
offered occasional glimpses of his vast
talent since a British record £59.7 million
($92 million) move from Real Madrid last
year and he told MUTV: “I’ve had a couple
of games where things haven’t gone as well
as they could have.
“I think it’s part of that settling-in
process to the English game.
“I started off quite well but I think that
then made expectations rise and everyone
thought I would just carry on in the same
way. “But football is like that, sometimes
you have these ups and downs. It took me a
while to settle fully in each of the countries
where I’ve played before.”
Scarred by mid-week Champions
League disappointment, Manchester City
have a golden opportunity to enhance their
title defence when they visit Liverpool on
Sunday.
City’s hopes of reaching the Champions
League quarter-finals for the first time were
dealt a sizeable blow on Tuesday when they
fell to a 2-1 loss at home to Barcelona in
the first leg of their last 16 tie. The result
seriously compromises their chances of
going through and the extent of Barcelona’s
first-half dominance will take some
forgetting, but Sunday’s return to domestic
duties promises much. — AFP
28
SPORT
omandailyobserver
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
GT3 CUP CHALLENGE: The Omani driver raced to fourth early in the first lap before spinning out and retiring from the round
Al Harthy unlucky to retire after great start
MUSCAT: Ahmed al Harthy was
extremely unlucky to have to retire
from Race 1 of Round 5 in the Porsche
GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East having
made a blistering start to the race which
saw the Omani driver claim fourth
before ultimately being forced out at the
Dubai Autodrome.
The drivers took to the track in
full knowledge that the Round 5
weekend could be the most critical yet
as the penultimate of Season 6. With
the slightest margins between every
spot in both the drivers’ and teams’
competitions, each race represents a
crucial opportunity to gain points in the
race to victory.
Al Harthy built on his solid sixth place
finish in qualifying by steam rolling to
fourth early in the first lap. With his Al
Nabooda Racing team-mate Clemens
Schmid starting from pole position, the
early signs were extremely promising
for the UAE based team. The Omani
driver was showing the sort of form and
rhythm he is usually so accustomed to
and will feel extremely unlucky to have
been forced from the race in after a spin
which ultimately led to his retirement.
Speaking after Race 1 in Round 5 Al
Harthy said, “It’s not the easiest position
to have to find myself in. After such a
great start here on home soil I was really
setting my sights on a great finish but
luck just wasn’t on my side today. I had
a wonderful start after beginning from
sixth position in the grid and was hoping
to make a push for the top three places
after securing fourth so early on but
it wasn’t to be my day. I am optimistic
though and look forward to tomorrow’s
challenge as I hope to find some more
luck in Race 2.”
In blustery conditions Race 1 of
Round 5 got off to a flying start with
Clemens Schmid taking an early lead
from first with Zaid Ashkanani close
behind. Shaikh Hasher al Maktoum
of the Skydive Dubai Falcons will
feel he suffered most from the start
as Fahad Algosaibi and Ahmad al
Harthy immediately closed on his third
position, the three steaming towards the
first corner side by side. Powerful moves
saw Algosaibi steal third with Al Harthy
fourth and the Skydive duo including
Saeed al Mehairi fifth and sixth in the
first lap.
Up front Ashkanani pressured
Schmid hard with the front three,
including Algosaibi powering away from
the pack. Lap three saw championship
leader Schmid drop down to third as
Algosaibi led with Ashkanani close
behind pressuring for the top spot. So
often the scene of drama the third-tolast corner saw both Al Nabooda Racing
cars lock up with Schmid recovering
well while his team-mate Ahmad al
Harthy dropped down to fifth.
After leading for a number of laps
Fahad Algosaibi was forced from first
to third with Zaid Ashkanani securing
the lead ahead of Clemens Schmid.
Huge pressure from Schmid forced a
mistake as Ashkanani gave up his lead
and slipped down to third, but it was
Algosaibi who snatched the lead ahead
of Schmid. .
Further down the pack in the closing
stages Ahmad al Harthy was forced
from the track and unable to return in
Ahmad al Harthy in action for Al Nabooda Racing Team.
a scene which also cost Shaikh Hasher al
Maktoum five places as he fell down to
ninth.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge
Middle East returns for Race 2 of Round
5 tomorrow ahead of the final and most
decisive round of racing at the Bahrain
International Circuit in April as the
support race for the F1 Bahrain Grand
Prix.
Shiju sparkles in Assarain’s impressive win
MUSCAT: Man of the Match V S Shiju
with an enticing bowling spell of 8 for
19 off 10 overs including 3 maiden overs
helped Assarain ‘A’ record an impressive
9 wicket win against OCT Muscat ‘A’
who have yet to register a win this
season. The Muscat Pharmacy & Stores
LLC sponsored ‘A’ Division 50 overs a
side League match played on Friday at
the MOS Turf Ground at Al Amerat.
Opting to bat after winning the toss
OCT Muscat ‘A’ were bowled out for a
measly 68 runs off 23.1 overs.
Set an easy target of 69 runs for a win
Assarain ‘A’ got to their target scoring
70 runs for the loss of 1 wickets off 5.5
overs.
ABU MAATHER WIN
Abu Maather defeated Prime Trading
by 4 wickets in an afternoon ‘H’ Division
T20 match played in the afternoon
session at the same venue.
Brief scores:Prime Trading: 129/9 off 20 overs
(Anoop V 28; Mohammed Rizwan 3-21, Zahirul Islam
2-9, Wasim Jamadar 2-16) lt to Abu Maather: 131/6
off 17.4 overs (Wasim Jamadar 33, Suhail Khot 29
n.o.; Brijish Kumar 3-31)
Points: Abu Maather - 2 points (7 Games – 9 points)
and Prime Trading – 0 (7 Games – 5 points)
JOSHI SPURS ISC KUTCHI WING
Kiran Joshi opening the batting
scored a brilliant unbeaten 94 (73b,
13x4) to steer ISC Kutchi Wing to a
massive 9 wicket win against OCT Al
Nahdha in a ‘J’ Division T20 match
played in the afternoon session at the
adjacent ground No 4 at Al Amerat.
Brief scores:OCT Muscat ‘A’ – 68 All Out off 23.1
overs (V S Shiju 8/19) lt to Assarain ‘A’: 70/1 off
5.5 overs (Muhammad Nadeem 37 n.o. and Arun
Poulose 30 n.o.)
Points:Assarain ‘A’ - 5 points (7 Games – 25 points)
and OCT Muscat ‘A’ - Nil points (7 Games – Nil points)
FAIRTRADE REGISTER WIN
AGAINST Z-AXIS MEDIA
VS Shiju (right) receiving a special award from Vinu Mathew, Assarain manager
Points: Al Daam Int’l: 2 points (7 games – 7 points)
and Oman Oasis: 0 (6 Games – 4 Points).
X-Axis Media: 0 (7 Games – 10 Points).
Fairtrade registered an 18 run win
against Z-Axis Media in an Al Ansari
Group of Companies sponsored ‘C’
Division T20 tournament match played
in the morning session during the week
end at the Municipality Ground No 1 at
Al Amerat.
AL DAAM INTL TRIUMPH
In the afternoon at the same venue in
an Oman Cricket organised ‘F’ Division
T20 match Al Daam International
recorded a 1 wicket win against a 10
member Oasis Water team.
Biju Krishnan ended with bowling
Brief Scores:
Fairtrade: 178/ 5 off 20
overs (Salim Shaikh 89, Ganesh Sadasiva 24; Vijeesh figures of 3 for 36 off 4 overs.
C Velunni 2-27) bt Z-Axis Media: 160/8 off 20 overs
(Kimberly G Bentick 40, Krishna Chaitanya 28,
Melwin Mathew 26, Wajid Ali 25; Anoop 2-18, Arun
Kumar S 2-30, Neelakandan Arjun 2-35)
Points: Fairtrade: 2 points (6 Games – 6 points) and
HONDA
Madhav 2-22)
Points: Powertech Engineering: 2 points (6 Games –
6 points) and Arrow Overseas: 0 (7 Games – 6 points).
LOCAL CRICKET
Brief scores:Oasis Water: 159 all out off 18.5 overs
(Rohan Kurian Alex 37; Biju Krishnan 3-36, Deepesh
OK 2-28) lt to Al Daam International: 160/9 off 19.5
overs (Jayakumar 32; Ratheesh PP 2-13, Shibin 2-18,
Shyju 2-20)
POWERTECH ENGINEERING WIN
AGAINST ARROW OVERSEAS
In another Al Ansari Group of
Companies sponsored ‘C’ Division T20
match played in the morning at the
adjoining ground No 3 at Al Amerat,
Powertech Engineering defeated Arrow
Overseas easily by 7 wickets.
Brief scores: Arrow Overseas: 136 all out off 18.1
overs (Abdul Rahim 27; N Anantha R 3-10, A Anburaj
3-20, K Prabhakaran 2-26, S Aravindan 2-39) lt
to Powertech Engineering: 139/ 3 off 18.2 overs
(K Prabhakaran 66 n.o., A Anburaj 43 n.o.; Vijay
Overall championship standings ahead after
Race 1, Round 5 – Top 6
Clemens Schmid (UAE)Al Nabooda Racing
215
Zaid Ashkanani (Kuwait) 205
Saeed al Mehairi(UAE) Skydive Dubai Falcons 162
Charlie Frijns--------- (NED) Team Frijns 156
Hasher al Maktoum (UAE) Skydive Dubai Falcons 147
Brief scores:OCT Al Nahdha: 161/6 off 20 overs
(Faisal al Balushi 66, Khalil al Balushi 28 n.o.; Narshis
Ganpat 2-25) lt to ISC Kutchi Wing: 162/1 off 19.2
overs (Kiran Joshi 94 n.o., Ashish Jethwa 41 n.o.).
Points: ISC Kutchi Wing - 2 points (8 Games – 2
points) and OCT Al Nahdha - Nil points (7 Games – 1
point)
KING TRAVELS & TOURS WIN
King Travels & Tours defeated a 10
man Teejan Beatrice team by 5 wickets
in a ‘G’ Division T20 match played in the
morning session at the OAC 3 at Seeb.
Brief scores:Teejan Beatrice: 186/7 off 20 overs
(Feroz OV 55, Muhammad Akthar Sharfeer 26,
Shanavas Ummer 24; Anup Rajan 2-19) lt to King
Travels & Tours: 187/5 off 18 overs (Anup Rajan 59,
Jayson Delboy 48; Saif Ur Rehman 2-29)
Points: King Travels & Tours - 2 points (8 Games – 9
points) and Teejan Beatrice - Nil points (7 Games – 1
point)
Raed Raffii (BAH) Team Bahrain 126
Overall Team Title standings after Race 1, Round
5 – Top 6
Al Nabooda Racing (UAE) 313
Skydive Dubai Falcons (UAE) 309
BuZaid GT (KUW) 245
Classic Arabia Racing (KSA) 220
Team Bahrain(BAH) 199
CLASSIC
7-over McIlroy set to
miss cut at Honda
PALM
BEACH
GARDENS,
FLORIDA: World number one Rory
McIlroy was set to miss the cut after
shooting a four-over par 74 in his
second round of the Honda Classic
on Friday to go seven-over for the
tournament.
Heavy rain wiped out most of the
morning and at the close, Californian
Brendan Steele led by two strokes over
Texan Patrick Reed after shooting
birdies on each of his first four holes
before darkness fell.
Reed had an impressive 67 to move
six-under and has the advantage of not
needing to finish his round on Saturday.
Overnight leader Jim Herman, the
journeyman American who shot a 65
on Thursday, managed just three holes,
making par on all to stand five-under.
England’s Luke Donald shot a 67 to
move four shots off the lead alongside
compatriot Ian Poulter and Ireland’s
Padraig Harrington, who had not
finished their rounds.
McIlroy found it hard going in the
Champion Course’s notorious winds.
The Northern Irishman, playing
in his first PGA Tour event this year,
bogeyed his first hole, the par-4 10th,
and then made another bogey after
finding water on the 18th.
After a birdie on the par-3 fifth hole
he closed with three bogeys from the
last four holes.
The cut is projected for three overpar and while it may change before the
leaders finish their rain-delayed round
on Saturday, McIlroy can safely pack his
bags for the short journey to his home
in Jupiter, Florida.
“I’m pissed off. I don’t like missing
cuts. You want to be playing on the
weekend, and I’m not going to be
playing which is not nice,” he said.
McIlroy had not missed a cut since
the 2014 Irish Open and his last missed
cut in the US was at the 2012 US Open.
He has been in outstanding form,
finishing in the top two in five of his
last six tournaments including victory
in Dubai.
“I guess after coming off a threeweek break, I felt, I wouldn’t say rusty,
but just not quite on top of my game
yesterday,” McIlroy said.
“And then today I felt like I was
trying to get something going and
couldn’t. Coming off three weeks off
and playing in conditions like these, it
sort of shows you where your game’s at.
I’ve just got to regroup and get ready for
Miami next week.”
He will be assured four rounds in
the limited field at the WGC-Cadillac
Championship. — AFP
Woods missed the Masters last year after being advised by doctors to have back surgery and now his 2015 participation is in doubt too
Masters countdown ticks fast for beleaguered Tiger
LOS ANGELES: As the clock counts down
for the April 9-12 Masters, fans, players
and medical experts continue to speculate
on whether a shockingly out-of-sorts Tiger
Woods will be able to compete at the year’s
opening major.
Woods missed the Masters last year
for the first time in his career after being
advised by doctors to have back surgery
and his participation in the 2015 edition is
in serious doubt given his struggle for form
and fitness this season.
The former world number one, whose
ranking has stunningly slipped to 70th,
has competed only twice on the 2014-15
PGA Tour and said he would not return
to the circuit until he felt his game was
“tournament-ready”.
Time, however, is not on his side
should the 39-year-old be contemplating a
comeback ahead of the Masters at Augusta
National where he is a four-times champion.
Not only is his game in complete
disarray, with some pundits believing that
he is suffering from the chipping ‘yips’,
but his troublesome back is still posing
problems.
A winner of 14 major titles, Woods
struggled dismally in his first two
tournaments this year.
He posted the highest score of his
professional career, while looking more
like a struggling amateur than the greatest
player of his generation, as he carded a
mind-boggling 11-over-par 82 to miss the
cut at the Phoenix Open last month.
He was not much better three weeks ago
at Torrey Pines where he was two over par
after 11 holes when he decided to pull out
because of tightness in his back, his third
withdrawal in his last nine starts.
BACK ISSUES
Woods said his back issues at Torrey
Pines were not related to the surgery he had
last year but Duke University professor Dr
Selene Parekh felt the evidence suggested
otherwise. “This is very concerning because
Tiger was making it real important that it
was all about his glutes at Torrey Pines,”
Parekh, an associate professor of surgery
in the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at
Duke, said on Friday.
— Reuters
LIFESTYLE
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
omandailyobserver
29
No Short Cuts to
CREATIVITY
THERE IS A WIDELY HELD
VIEW, PROPAGATED
BY ADVERTISING,
THAT IF ONLY WE
HAD THE LATEST TECH
GADGET, THE MORE
CREATIVE WE WOULD
BE. WAY BACK IN THE
EARLY 1980S WHEN
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
FIRST BECAME
COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE, I THOUGHT
THAT IF ONLY I HAD ONE
MY NASCENT NOVEL
WOULD SOON BE IN THE
BOOKSHOPS. NEEDLESS
TO SAY, THAT NOVEL
IS STILL A WORK-INPROGRESS!
It may interest you to know that taking gorgeous photographs is not my only pastime whenever I visit old villages. The first draft of this article, and of many of my previous
articles, were penned in tumble-down interiors of old houses such as you see here. I find such places very conducive to my writing process, for there is little noise, no kettle
or fridge, no phone or computer. I can connect with the wellspring without fear of disturbance by other people. As for the spiders, scorpions and occasional snake, they
just add to the feeling that I am not only tapping but actually inside the dark, mysterious place deep in my psyche
Q CLIVE G
[email protected]
his may not surprise
you, dear Readers, but
it came as something
of a shock to me to
be informed recently
that I am as dumb as
a corncob, that I got into the gene pool
when the lifeguard wasn’t looking, that
my think-tank has sprung a leak. These
withering indictments were visited upon
me by the teenaged twins of a friend of
mine, their evidence for my intellectual
incapacity being the fact that I do not
own a smartphone or a tablet and, what
is worse apparently, that I do not crave
ownership of such devices.
Intelligence, according to these boys,
is measured not by IQ tests but by the
clock. In their adolescent view of the
world, the longer you are prepared
to camp outside an electronics store
in order to purchase the latest gadget
released onto the market by the world’s
leading tech company, the smarter you
are. So, by their definition of intelligence,
I am living proof that evolution can work
in reverse.
What I did not reveal to these boys
was the fact that I did once own a tablet
computer, albeit very briefly. I was on
T
my way back to Oman from a visit to my
ailing mother last December and found
myself stranded in that gargantuan
torture chamber infamously known as
Heathrow Airport. Bad weather had
delayed my flight so I tried to while
away the hours by eating and drinking.
However, when my expansive stomach
was full to the brim the flight still had
not been called, so I waddled over to a
nearby bookshop and browsed as for as
long as I dared without actually having
to buy anything. After that, I decided
to go into a tech store and watch all the
poor misguided folks throwing their
money away on the latest gizmos.
Half an hour later, I emerged
clutching a brand new 32 GB iPad Air!
Now I hope that you, dear Readers, will
appreciate just how humiliating it is
for me to have to confess to this lapse
of judgement, given how often I have
ranted on in these columns about the
detrimental effects modern technology
is having on creativity. There are no
excuses for my behaviour, I know, but
I offer worry about my dear old mum,
stress from having endured every form
of degradation Heathrow Airport had
to throw at me, and foolishly having had
£500 in cash in my pocket, as mitigating
circumstances.
I found a coffee shop with free WiFi, bought the smallest coffee available
and then sat at a table, unwrapped my
purchase and switched it on. Would
you believe me if I told you that the
very first thing the iPad did after I had
set up a password was to ask me for my
credit card details? Apparently, this was
advisable in order to save me the trouble
of having to give this information every
time I bought an App from the App
Store. Now in case you didn’t know,
asking a parsimonious Irishman for his
credit card details is like asking Dracula
for a blood donation. And there is as
much chance of me buying an App as
there is a Justin Bieber album. I switched
the iPad off and put it in my bag, then
wandered off in search of some other
distraction in the aesthetic wasteland of
the airport concourse.
Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing
against tablets or Apps per se, or the
people who use them. I am sure they
are very useful for checking your emails
while on the go, or writing a shopping
list while waiting for your kids to finish
school, or storing a few photos in
order to show prospective clients. My
objections relate to the idea, grossly
promulgated by the tech companies in
their advertising campaigns, that by
using such devices and applications, one
will become a more creative and more
productive person.
The fact of the matter is that tablets
and smartphones are anathema to the
creative process. Here’s why I believe this
to be so.
It is widely accepted by psychologists
who have investigated the creative
process that creativity requires a still
mind, an inner quietude that enables
us to ‘hear’ the ‘messages’ emanating
from the wellspring of creativity, that
is, the depths of our unconscious mind.
When engaged in creativity, then, we
must remove all distracting sensory
noise from our minds, not add to it.
The spurious aural and visual stimuli
tablets and smartphones produce are as
distracting as a jackhammer to creative
thinking, at least for me.
Furthermore, creativity requires hard
and sustained work, not only to develop
our ability to tap the wellspring, but also
to develop the technical skills which
allow for smooth and unadulterated
PESTICIDE PROBLEM
HEALTH
US govt sued over monarch butterfly demise
Q CAREY GILLAM
A
n environmental group sued the US
government on Friday, accusing regulators
of discounting the dangers that a widely
used herbicide poses to the declining monarch
butterfly population.
The Natural Resources Defence Council
(NRDC) filed suit against the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in US District Court in
New York.
The suit claimed the agency has failed to heed
warnings about the dangers to monarchs posed
by glyphosate, the key ingredient in a widely used
herbicide. Glyphosate is used in Monsanto Co’s
Roundup and other herbicides.
Federal law requires EPA to ensure that pesticides
it approves will not cause “unreasonable adverse
effects on the environment, including wildlife,”
the lawsuit states.
‘‘However,
the
agency
has never considered glyphosate’s impacts on
monarchs.”
“There are multiple factors that may be effecting
monarchs including loss of habitat, weather and
pesticides,” the EPA said.
The orange-and-black spotted monarchs,
renowned for migrating thousands of miles over
m a n y
generations
from
Mexico, across
the United States to Canada, and then back again,
have seen their numbers fall dramatically in recent
years, according to the Centre for Biological
Diversity. The lawsuit states that the monarch
population was tallied at 1 billion in 1997 and this
winter was down to 56.5 million butterflies, the
second-lowest number ever measured. — Reuters
Have fish,
soak up
some sun for
healthy brain
E
COLOUR BLIND?
Black/blue or white/gold? Dress debate goes viral
I
The dress
that has
created an
intense
Internet
debate.
— AFP
transformation of the cryptic messages
we receive from our unconscious mind
into tangible form. In spite of what the
advertising campaigns say, I do not
believe that an App can do the hard
work and obviate the development of
technical skills.
In case you are thinking that I am
just a refugee from the pre-tech age
peddling bankrupt ideas in order to
mask his fear of modern technology,
then please consider this. Steve Jobs,
the late, highly creative tech genius and
CEO of Apple Inc who was responsible
for the development of the iPad, knew
all too well the dangers to cognition and
creativity inherent in the gadget he had
created. For this reason, he would not
allow his children to own or use an iPad
but instead encouraged them to draw,
paint, write longhand, read books and
engage in intelligent discussions over
the family dinner table. So I rest my case.
When I finally got back to Oman, I
gave that odious iPad to my houseboy
who, poor lad, immediately began to
weep with joy. After his duties finish
each evening, he’s on that iPad for hours
on end. I haven’t a clue what it is he’s
doing on it, but whatever it is puts a
smile on his face. Perhaps it’s better if I
never find out.
s the dress black and blue, or white
and gold?
That question is lighting up the
Internet.
It all started when a Tumblr user with
the handle ‘swiked’ uploaded a picture
of a dress with the caption: “guys please
help me — is this dress white and gold,
or blue and black? Me and my friends
can’t agree...”
And then the Internet blew up.
The post went viral on Twitter,
Facebook and other social media
platforms, with users passionately split
over what colour the dress really is —
blue with black lace, or white with gold
lace.
A BuzzFeed page devoted to the
debate had more than 25 million views
early on Friday, with 72 per cent of
Internet users insisting the dress was
white and gold, while 28 per cent swore
it was blue and black.
Even the glitterati weighed in.
“What colour is that dress? I see white
& gold.
Kanye sees black & blue, who is
colour blind?” Kim Kardashian wrote
on Twitter, on the debate raging in her
household with rapper husband Kanye
West.
“I don’t understand this odd dress
debate and I feel like it’s a trick somehow,”
pop diva Taylor Swift wrote in a message
retweeted more than 90,000 times.
“I’m confused and scared.
PS it’s obviously blue and black
There may be a scientific explanation
for all the madness. According to British
physicist Isaac Newton, colour is not
inherent to objects.
Humans perceive the colours reflected
on the surface of objects through light
that hits the retina in the back of the eye.
Reena Garg, an assistant professor
at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
of Mount Sinai in New York, said the
varied reactions can be explained by how
we understand colour, noting that the
poorly exposed photograph was likely
taken with a cell phone camera.
“If you see the dress as black and
blue, you’re probably seeing the photo
as over-exposed, meaning there is too
much light, so the colours in the dress
appear darker to you after the retina has
compensated,” Garg said.
“If you see the dress as white and
gold, you’re probably seeing the photo
as under-exposed, meaning there is too
little light and the colours in the dress
appear lighter to you after the retina has
compensated.”
On Friday, after the Internet
explosion, ‘swiked’ asked simply: “What
have I done?”
Of course, there is an answer to
it all.
A description on British manufacturer
Roman Originals confirms that the dress
is, in fact royal blue with lace, and sells
for £50. — AFP
ating enough sea fish and
outdoor activities affect the
levels of brain chemical serotonin
that plays a role in ameliorating
the symptoms associated with a
broad array of brain disorders, new
research has found. Many clinical
disorders, such as Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
and depression share as a unifying
attribute low brain serotonin.
“In this paper we explain how
serotonin is a critical modulator of
executive function, impulse control,
sensory gating, and pro-social
behaviour,” said Rhonda Patrick
from Children’s Hospital Oakland
Research Institute (CHORI).
“We link serotonin production
and function to vitamin D and
omega-3 fatty acids, suggesting
one way these important micronutrients help the brain function
and affect the way we behave,”
Patrick added.
Vitamin D is mostly produced by
the skin when exposed to sun, and
those who do not eat enough fish
are likely to have marine omega-3
deficiencies.
30
omandailyobserver
omandailyo
observer
S U N DAY l M A R C H 1 l 2 0 1 5
Muscat International Book Fair
Book fair
attracts
one & all
ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER
FESTIVAL OF LETTERS WHERE
MORE THAN 180,000 BOOKS
ARE ON DISPLAY, MUSCAT
INTERNATIONAL BOOK
FAIR IS ALSO PROVING
TO BE A WINDOW
OF OMAN’S CULTURE
AND TRADITION WITH THE
PARTICIPATION OF THE
OMAN CULTURE CLUB
WITH ITS PRESENCE
WITH MORE THAN
120 TITLES OUT OF
WHICH 11 ARE NEW
BOOKS
Q KABEER YOUSUF
W
ith more than
633 publishing
houses from 24 Arab
and other foreign
countries
out
of
which 44 are from the
Sultanate, the 20th Muscat International Book
Fair is proving to be a global repertoire of books
and attracting people from all walks of life every
day.
One of the most sought after festival
of letters where more than 180,000 books
are on display, Muscat International Book
Fair is also proving to be a window
of Oman’s culture and tradition with
the participation of the Oman Culture
Club with its presence with more than 120
titles out of which 11 are new books.
“We are participating in the Fair with
120 titles that give insight into Oman’s
culture and the etiquette needed for the modern
society”, Mahmoud al Abri of OCC told the
Observer.
He further said that these titles include
cultural stories, history,
manners, poems and guidelines to the present
generation.
Document of Code of Ethics, The Scholar —
Ibrahim bin Saeed al Abri’s Life and Thoughts by
Mohammed bin Amer al Asri, The Man Who
Returned from Coming in Time, Families of
Oman, Oman-Yemen political relations, Oman
as depicted in the History, Global Politics,
Folktales Oman by Fauzia, Adam in Black
and White and Don’t Forget Your Home
by Mohammed al Jahdhami are the new
additions to the Culture Club collections.
The fair is divided in to two sections.
The first being Al Farahidi which is dedicated
to Arab and foreign publishers with a vast
collection of Arabic books, and the second
being the Ahmed bin Majid section which
is dedicated to publishers with foreign and Arab
children’s books.
“The fair stretches over 7,848 stalls and
872 pavilions in the two sections. There are 44
publishing houses and bookshops from the
Sultanate and other countries taking part in
the book fair where a special focus is
given to Oman’s culture and traditions”,
Dr Abdulmunim al Hasani, Minister of
Information said.
Regionally, there are, besides Oman,
Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Bahrain, Iran,
Jordan and the UAE, among others with a
large collection of books that caters to all ages.
“We are quite impressed at the collection
of books, especially Arabic and English at
the Fair and it is truly international”, Dr
Heba Ahmed Hassan, Dean-College of
Engineering, Dhofar University told the
Observer. She was to catch the next flight to
Salalah. Side by side, the Fair hosts cultural
programmes which include intellectual,
literary and art events organised by the
committee. Nizwa, the capital of culture,
recognised as the central hub for history and
culture in the Sultanate, was granted pride
of the place at the book fair.
“More books, more collections, more
authors and above all, more cultural
events and literary workshops for
students, teachers and the general
public as a whole.
The Book Fair is worth a visit”,
Khalid Mohammed al Shanfari who
flew in from Salalah for the Fair said.
S U N DAY
MARCH 1 l 2015
SPOTLIGHT
UNDER ITEC, 161
COUNTRIES IN ASIA,
AFRICA AND LATIN
AMERICA AS WELL AS
PACIFIC AND SMALL
ISLAND COUNTRIES
ARE INVITED TO
SHARE IN THE INDIAN
DEVELOPMENTAL
EXPERIENCE IN
VARIOUS FIELDS
Pets and Zoos!
I
E
The country’s achievements in areas such as spacetechnology, computers, nuclear science, automobiles,
pharmacy, manufacturing, biotechnology, energy,
nanotechnology, aviation, theoretical physics and
statistics, among others, shows that invention and
innovation in India are now an important part of the
economic activity.
India has one of the largest technical education
systems in the world.
The ITEC programme was the result of the vision of
the founding fathers of India. The ITEC Programme
was instituted by a decision of the Indian Cabinet
on September 15, 1964 as a bilateral programme of
assistance of India. ITEC programme represents the
Government of India’s earnest attempt to share the
fruits of its economic and technical progress with other
countries. The ITEC programme has the objective of
realising that noble and far-sighted vision.
The ITEC Programme, fully-funded by the
Government of India, has evolved and expanded over
the years. Under ITEC, 161 countries in Asia, Africa,
Latin America and the Caribbean, East Europe, as
well as Pacific and Small Island countries are invited
to share in the Indian developmental experience
in various fields. The Sultanate of Oman is keen to
develop its human resources or capacity building
through education, training and vocational courses.
The added skills which are being provided by ITEC
facilitate human resource development, capacity
building, skills upgradation and empowerment for
increased jobs.
Now the ITEC scholarships for Oman will remain
at the enhanced number of 150 for the next financial
year 2015-16 starting from April 1, 2015 and marking
an increase of 200 per cent ie from 50 to 150 during the
last three years.
CULTURE
ISG holds kid’s Annual Exhibition
T
he Annual Exhibition of the Kindergarten
and pre-primary section of Indian School
Al Ghubra was held recently. The exhibition
unfolded the creativity and imagination of the tiny tots.
The theme of the exhibition was to turn ‘Best out
31
SAYEH WOODMAN
[email protected]
ITEC Programme
celebrates Annual Day
mbassy of India, Muscat celebrated
the annual ‘ITEC Day’ with very
enthusiastic participation of ITEC
alumni from Oman last week at the
Embassy lawns. This year the ITEC
celebrations were special as the
commemoration coincided with the 60th Anniversary
of the establishment of India-Oman diplomatic
relations. Shaikh Khalid bin Omar al Marhoon,
Minister of Civil Service, graced the occasion as the
Chief Guest. The function was attended by more
than 200 ITEC alumni as well as senior functionaries
of Omani Government. Member of Royal family
and Chief of Protocol in Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MoFA), Members of Shura Council, Chairman of
Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI),
senior officials from various ministries were among
the dignitaries who attended the ITEC Day function.
Sharing people-to-people contacts since the period
of the Indus Valley Civilisation in the third millennium
BC, the India-Oman relationship, today, is multifaceted and in the nature of a strategic partnership. As
part of the continuing high-level exchanges between
the two countries, the Minister Responsible for
Foreign Affairs had visited India twice last year. The
External Affairs Minister of India was on an official
visit to Oman earlier last month. This comprehensive
relationship covers numerous fields of cooperation,
including education and training. In fact, India and
Oman are exploring ways to enhance, augment and
intensify cooperation in the fields of higher education
and training.
India has been sharing its knowledge, expertise
and experience gained over the years with developingcountry partners like Oman.
omandailyobserver
of waste’. There were a wide range of exhibits made
with plasticine, empty tissue boxes, empty bottles,
disposable spoons, glasses etc thus creating the best
out of waste. The parents were transported to the world
of music, pets, flora and fauna.
The highlight of the exhibition was the Impromptu
cultural programme which provided a platform for
children to display their talent. Parents and guests
appreciated the artistic creations and the display of
talent by the children.
was quite amazed that Muscat didn’t have a zoo, a peculiar statement to
comprehend, I know, but in the UK amongst other tourist attractions
zoos are pretty much up there when it comes to things to do.
I’m not sure if it has something to do with the heat or gaining licenses
perhaps, but zoos in Muscat just don’t exist.
I did hear about one zoo in Muscat, think it’s in Barka. The feedback and
comments from quite a few people who had visited this zoo, unfortunately
was far from positive, when it came to the animals and the way they were
cared for in terms of homage.
So, I never visited.
There are mixed thoughts and feelings when it comes to zoos and
keeping animals in captivity. I’m all for the wild and natural living, animals
living in their own habitat. But when it’s to their benefit, maybe they face
extinction, and then I think it’s great news to have such places like zoos.
Most zoos are not only great places to get up close to wildlife, but many
are also doing their part to bolster dwindling populations of animals still
living free in the wild.
Species of wildlife are facing global extinction on a massive scale. Zoos
are in a unique position to make a difference. There are loads of zoos to
visit in the UK that offer educational experiences too. Up close encounters,
to drive through which are quite exciting.
From not having zoos to visit to, I found the pet shops are a little
different too in Muscat. It is a delicate matter to write about, as having seen
with my own eyes, the difference in hygiene, care, homing and the general
atmosphere of pet stores, it’s certainly from an expat point of view, quite
surprising what you see based on UK experiences.
To see cats and dogs in small confined box like rooms with glass
windows was a surprise. You would never see this in the UK. The biggest
animal you would see in such a space would be a rabbit, or smaller still a rat
or mouse. As a kid and even now, it would frustrate me seeing people tap
the windows in hope that the animal would respond. The only response to
expect is that of utter frustration. I was always told not to bang or touch
the glass, as this would disrupt the animal’s calm, yet this is all I saw when
visiting the pet stores in Muscat.
I learnt through my time in Muscat, that the culture was very different
when it came to animals and pets. Having a pet in the UK is like having
an addition to the family, they become part of your family whether it is a
cat, dog, rabbit, bird or even a fish! This mentality isn’t reflected in Muscat
and I feel it’s trying to inflict it, when it should come naturally. One thing
I do admire, that the UK has lost, the respect of others, ‘others’ meaning
people… that don’t necessary have that connection with animals or pets.
Something simple as dog walking, all dogs are kept on a lead when walking
through busy areas of Muscat. Leads seem to be ‘forgotten’ when walking
the dog in the UK, and this can cause situations, which aren’t comfortable
for passerby.
It’s little memories like this, that make me realise and remember how
worlds apart countries can be, and this week it’s been about pet stores and
zoos!
Studying abroad, its
pros and cons..!
M
Q BALQEES JAMAL
any significant important changes happen today in the field of
higher education sector in Oman. The most prominent of these
transformations that have a significant impact is the scholarship
programmes implemented by the Ministry of Higher Education. It began many
years ago and has increased recently.
It aims to send hundreds of students yearly to study abroad in several colleges
and universities internationally. Usually, they are distributed in various countries
around the world. And basically, this ambitious programme adds immensely to the
Human Resources efficiency to the work market with well-recognised knowledge
and qualification. This does not mean that we ignore our domestic institutions and
focus only on the scholarship programmes. As we need both.
Just as the scholarship has lots of benefits, it also has negative sides too. There
are some parents who have maximised the benefits. Thus, they encourage their
kids to study abroad. On the other hand, there are some who appeal to stop these
kinds of programmes because of its negativity. It is a known fact that every step
and every action has its own risks, so the experience is important to reach to the
right decision regarding the idea of scholarship. Many students who are studying
abroad shared their experiences here.
Safa Ahmed Aldahwi, student at Ohio University in the United State of
America, said: “It is such a wonderful feeling when you find that your dream is
finally coming true and got a scholarship to study in an internationally known
country as the US, especially when you find a great encouragement from your
parents. They did not mind at all to study abroad, on the contrary, they provided
all the support morally and physically.
That is exactly what happened with Fatma Ibrahim al Abdawany, a student at
Vienna University of Technology who said: “My family is a source of support.” She
thinks that the student who studies abroad desperately needs intense tips from his/
her friends and family.
Ministry’s efforts
Sultan Ahmed Ali al Rawahi, a student of UPM in Malaysia said: “The
government has made great efforts in organising the scholarship programmes
and sending many students to study abroad. They made sure that students have all
of what they need before, while and after their travelling. This might help them in
many things.” He added that the proper education that we have been given in our
local institutions gave us more affiliation to our religion and ethics, which made a
protective shield against any strange culture and habits that may affect us. Ahmed
supported his idea and said, “We should not ignore the role of our government as
it provides us with all the material costs we need to live, starting with the study
costs, travelling tickets and housing costs.
On the other hand, Ahmed said, “The living costs in some countries are very
high, so we sometimes require financial support from our families, especially in
countries going through economic crises. Fatma mentioned that the semesters are
very long, thus she sometimes feels homesick and this really affects her in a bad
way.
SUNDAY | MARCH 1, 2015 | JUMADA AL ULA 10, 1436 AH
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A Superb Nutcracker
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NUTCRACKER IN MUSCAT
CERTAINLY SHOWED THE SKILLS AND GENIUS OF A
MASTER MUSICIAN. THERE WAS GRACE, PACE, SWIFT
CHANGES IN MOOD FROM THE ELEGANT TO THE
IRONIC. THE AUDIENCE, WHICH EMBRACED PEOPLE
FROM FIVE TO ABOUT NINETY-FIVE ENJOYED THE
GRACE, ELEGANCE AND SWIFT CHANGE OF MOOD. IT
WAS THOUGHTFUL BUT NEVER SLOW IN PACE
Q MAURICE GENT
I
t was magic, mystery and the
creation of dreams all the way.
The Hamburg Ballet gave an
exquisite performance, which
was very much enjoyed by an
audience of all ages. Much of
the magic and fame of the Hamburg
Ballet, comes from John Neumeier
who was born in the United States but
has won worldwide acclaim for his
passion, style and drive in helping to
build a dance company, which is famous
throughout the world for both the
beauty and intensity of its productions.
John Neumeier has been a creative
driving force at the Hamburg Ballet and
its artistic director since 1973, making it
into a power house of excellence drive
and utterly superb ballet. His skills
stretch to interpreting the sacred works
of Handel and Mozart, thus earning a
reputation for excellence in many parts
of the world.
This performance of The Nutcracker
in Muscat certainly showed the skills
and genius of a master musician. There
was grace, pace, swift changes in mood
from the elegant to the ironic.
The audience, which embraced
people from five to about ninety-five
enjoyed the grace, elegance and swift
change of mood. It was thoughtful but
never slow in pace.
One of the principal dancers, was
born in Brazil, another in Poland. The
search in this remarkable company has
always been for excellence.
Another of their top dancers has
performed in France and the English
National Ballet.
The Muscat audience was also
fortunate enough to have Michael
Schmidtsdorf as Conductor, born in
Hamburg he now has a worldwide
reputation. A principal dancer Carolina
Aguero from Cordoba, Argentina also
gave an outstanding performance.
There was then a wealth of talent from
many nations and this has rightly helped
to boost the prestige and reputation of
the Hamburg Opera. Certainly it will
not be forgotten in Muscat.
Two of the principal dancers started
their lives a long way from Hamburg.
Lloyd Riggins started life in New York
and Alexandr Trusch in Ukraine. They
both have now joined the Hamburg
Ballet, a further proof of the continuing
growing reputation of the now world
famous Hamburg Ballet.
But despite the international
reputation of ROHM it certainly has not
forgotten its Omani roots.
On March 5 and 7 it hosts the Royal
Oman Symphony Orchestra , who will
be accompanying the famous oudh
player, Marcel Khalife.
MUSIC
Broken strings can’t stop Ed Sheeran!
Q ALEXANDRA AND RAY PETERSEN
W
e love a bit of
rain here in
Oman, but
not so much
when you are
trying to get
to an open-air gig just down the coast at
the Shangri-La. Friday night’s downpour
though, failed to deter an enthusiastic
crowd at the Ooredoo Arena.
For months, Muscat has been buzzing
about the current go-to man in pop
music and culture, Ed Sheeran, a softly
spoken, well-mannered young Suffolk
man, and you can see why he is highly
respected in the music world, frequently
being seen with such high profile names
as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
Arriving onstage, he left the crowd
in no doubt about his intentions and
attitude, announcing that, “My job is to
entertain you for 2 hours, and your job is
to have fun.” He won the crowd over by
taking the blame for the weather, “This
happens every time I do an outdoor
gig, but you guys have it all here. Great
weather, amazing views, great beach and
wonderful food. I feel like staying here…
for quite a while.”
Musically, Sheeran is even better
live, than in the studio form, which is
a rarity for recording artists nowadays!
His music is so well received by radio
stations, and listeners, that you will hear
In full voice, Ed Sheeran
him on English speaking radio stations
as often as you like, so I never felt the
need to go the extra mile and have it as
a collection.
That said, gems uncovered personally
for myself during the live set included
‘Tenerife Sea’, a lyrically beautiful
creation, which would have touched
the hearts of many. Freestyle covers of
Beyoncé and Iggy Azalea intrigued, and
the way he broke down ‘Bloodstream,’
and, as he put it “changed-up,” ‘Give Me
Love’ illustrated his ability not only as a
pop-sensation, and a pop-rocker, but as a
genuine rocker. He’s also a bit of a decent
rapper if the cheeky ‘Don’t’ is anything
to go by. The big hits like the sad,
heartbreakingly real, ‘The A Team’, and
current favourite ‘Thinking Out
Loud,’ were the crowd favourites in
a superb set.
Sheeran’s own life experiences of
passion he brings to the otherwise
ruthless modern music industry, that
today favors gimmicks and techno
fallbacks.
That said, the graphics and
production were quite outstanding.
Creating a visual masterpiece from a
solo acoustic set should theoretically be
a challenge, but ‘Team Sheeran’ excelled.
Clips from Ed’s videos, fan artwork,
close ups of his extensive tattoos and
animation cartoons were just some of
the highlights of a slick visual experience
that enhanced the live-music
experience.
The gig still managed to
feel quite personal though,
and surely the setting of the
S h a n g r i - L a Barr Al Jissah
resort, with
its beautiful
coastal and
m o u nt a i n
views adds
to that by offering an
intimate amphitheatre
experience. This venue
and crowd were far
smaller
than
the
Wembley, or NEC
Arena type numbers
Sheeran would have
been used to, yet he still
delivered!
We all sang, clapped,
Rory Keen
and “made some noise,” as
living life as he has, are revealed in his
music, and his years of surviving on the
streets have not been forgotten. These
have undoubtedly made him the hardworking, hard-playing individual who
entertains to the max. He never once
eased into cruise mode, preferring an
energetic, often hard-driving, rocking
style, which all display his sheer (haha)
love of, and enthusiasm for his music.
Sheeran puts his heart and soul into
every song, and his well-placed energy
even got his guitar 3 broken strings after
one particularly lively rendition.
“That’s a record,” he mused. It
was a solo, largely acoustic set,
with only his guitar, loop pedal,
and bass pedal, and doing
everything himself, made it a
refreshing experience.
It didn’t feel like
it needed any
more, which
is testament
to
the
talent,
skill
and
Sheeran asked, but it in an uniquely
‘Omani’ style, because it was all was so
civil!
And what about Ryan Keen,
the supporting, opening act. I’m a
connoisseur of new music, and I’ve
always been a fan of Jo Wiley’s Radio 1
show, and The Selector, a British Council
weekly radio show, both of which
are known for introducing new and
‘happening’ British acts to the world.
I adored Ben Howard years before he
became famous, and loved Ellie Golding
at my local haunt, in York, in the UK.
I missed Keen somewhere though,
which is a shame. Another man who
clearly knows how to hold a guitar,
his raw voice broke through the early
scepticism of the Sheeran fans impatient
for their idol. Keen though, got everyone
going with the likes of ‘Focus’, and I
can see ‘See Me Now’ being used as a
soundtrack to a gripping drama. It was so
evocative! Getting the chance to see new
talent break through is one benefit of live
concerts, and this is something extra to
thank Sheeran and his ‘invisible’ band for.
A toe-tapping, hand-clapping, singin’
out, brilliant night’s entertainment,
and just as the 3 broken strings never
stopped Sheeran, I’m so glad the rain
never stopped Oman from doing their
own… Thinking Out Loud!
— Photos by Alexandra Petersen
and Yelena Glukhovtseva