Oman Observer

TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2016 | JUMADA AL ULA 7, 1437 AH
P17 HSBC bank stays in London, snubbing Hong Kong
VOL. 35 NO. 94 | PAGES 32 | BAISAS 200
P30 Solo exhibition shows beauty of Oman’s Nature
P25 Sailing Arabia 2016 begins
Inside
No proof North Korea used wages Greece to open hotspot migrant centres Turkey warns Kurds of harsh action 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
editor@omanobserver.om
PAKISTAN AMBASSADOR BIDS FAREWELL
HM congratulates
Lithuania leader
MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos
has sent a cable of congratulations
to President Dalia Grybauskaite of
Lithuania on the occasion of her
country’s National Day. His Majesty
expressed his sincere congratulations
along with his best wishes of good
health and happiness to President
Grybauskaite and the friendly people of
Lithuania further progress.
TO DRAW MORE VISITORS: Contribution to GDP to rise to 6%
Rains expected
from today
MUSCAT: The National Multi Hazard
early warning centre has said that the
northern governorates of Oman will
be affected by deep upper air trough
starting from today until Thursday
afternoon. Temperatures for Muscat
are expected to be in the twenties for
tomorrow. An official confirmed the
possibility of low pressure over most
parts of the country, but added that
people in the north should exercise
more caution, especially venturing
to low-lying areas or wadis. Skies are
expected to be cloudy to party cloudy
over Muscat, Musandam, Al Buraimi,
A’Dahirah, North and South Al Batinah,
Al Dakhiliya and North and South Al
Sharqiyah with chances of isolated rain,
thundershowers.
REGION
Mustard gas ‘used
in Iraq’ in August
THE HAGUE: Mustard gas was used
in two attacks in Iraq near the Kurdish
capital of Arbil in August last year,
sources close to the world’s chemical
watchdog said on Monday. “The results
of some sampling have confirmed the
use of mustard gas,” one source said,
asking to remain anonymous. The news
comes amid an investigation by the Iraqi
government into the 2015 attacks aided
by the Organisation for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). It is
also only days after US officials said IS
fighters had the capability to make small
quantities of chlorine and mustard gas.
INSIDESTORIES
P7
TEACHERS GET GUNS AFTER
PAK VARSITY REOPENS
P15
BRITAIN’S CAMERON BRINGS EU
ARGUMENTS TO HOLLANDE
P16
SHARK DETECTION SYSTEM
INSTALLED AT SYDNEY’S BEACH
WEATHER TODAY
MUSCAT
MAX: 240C
MIN: 190C
SALALAH
MAX: 260C
MIN: 190C
SUNRISE 06.38 AM
PRAYER TIMINGS
FAJR: 05:20
DHUHR: 12:20
ASR: 15:36
MAGHRIB: 18:02
ISHA: 19:32
NIZWA
MAX: 260C
MIN: 130C
Tourism Strategy 2040
aims to boost private role
On behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, His Highness Sayyid Assad bin Tareq al
Said received in his office on Monday Ayaz Hussain, Ambassador of Pakistan to
the Sultanate, who came to bid him farewell at the end of his tour of duty as his
country’s ambassador to the Sultanate.
— ONA
OOC’s domestic
investments hit
RO 9.4 billion
MUSCAT: Dr Mohammed bin
Hamad al Rumhy, Minister of
Oil and Gas, Chairman of the
Board of Directors of Oman Oil
Company (OOC), said that the
company and its subsidiaries play
a pivotal role and is making its
own contribution in the ongoing
efforts aimed at diversifying
sources of national income and
boosting the economic and
industrial aspects.
Speaking at a press briefing
attended by Isam Bin Saud
al Zadjali, CEO of OOC, the
minister of oil and gas pointed
out that OCC contributes 4
per cent to the Sultanate’s gross
domestic product (GDP), adding
that the company is keen on
considering diversifying its
investment portfolio through
the distribution of investments
in multiple fields of the energy
sector.
“The investment projects
undertaken by OOC contribute
Search still on
for brothers
missing at sea
VINOD NAIR
MUSCAT
Feb.15: The Public Authority for
Civil Defence (PACDA) said on
Monday that the search is still
on for two missing brothers who
drowned in the sea near Mussanah
on Thursday.
PACDA said that that it has
intensified the search operations
with several divers into the
operations, but the efforts have
yielded any results so far.
At the same time, it urged citizens
not to rely on informal sources
for information and requested
cooperation in stopping rumours.
Drowning incidents continue
to be reported at regular intervals
from various parts of Oman despite
the call for parental supervision of
children at beaches.
Some visitors have pointed out
about the lack of medical facilities
and lifeguards near beaches even
during peak days.
to developing a number of
industrial estates across the
Sultanate in order to boost
the national economy besides
investing on a number of vital
projects located in the Special
Economic Zone at Duqm,” Dr
Rumhy said.
Al Zadjali said that the overall
volume of domestic investments
held by OOC has reached RO
9.4 billion which accounts for 63
per cent of the company’s total
investments in 2015.
Its overseas investments
exceed $3 billion distributed in 15
countries mostly in Europe. “In
2015, OOC and its subsidiaries
posted robust performance
recording unaudited profits of
$200,” Al Zadjali said, noting that
since last year OOC has been
studying a plan to acquire some
government assets in gas projects
including
gas
transmission
pipelines worth between $800 to
$11 billion. — ONA
MUSCAT: Ahmed bin Nasser al Meherzi,
Minister of Tourism, announced the
approval of the National Strategy for
Tourism 2040 which includes a 6 per cent
rise in the contribution of the tourism
sector in the GDP.
He explained that the strategy aims to
increase the contribution of the private
sector in tourism to 88 per cent, and
government investments by 12 per cent,
which includes infrastructure projects.
Minister of Tourism said in an interview
with Economic Forum Programme
broadcast by the Radio of of Oman that
it is hoped, within the framework of the
strategy, to reach the 20,000 hotel room
level in 2020, compared to the existing
16,000 level. The vision sees the Sultanate
will be in 2040 one of the most important
tourist destinations and that the number of
tourists will increase to 5,000,000.
Al Meherzi said, “until we get to what we
want, we should focus on the appropriate
amount of investment, support the growth
of small and medium-sized tourism
enterprises, and apply a typical global
system of social responsibility to attract,
offer an extraordinary range of tourist
models, enhance the quality of services and
attract more tourists.”
— ONA
Anantara Salalah-Al Baleed set to open
STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb. 15: Dhofar’s newest luxury
hotel, Anantara Salalah-Al Baleed
Resort, developed by a joint venture
between Omran Hotels & Resorts
& Musstir, one of Oman’s leading
property developers and investors
and the leading Governmental
investment company developing
tourism assets and infrastructure in
AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRANCE)
ASTANA (KAZAKHSTAN)
BMC (USA)
BORA-ARGON 18 (GERMANY)
CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
(POLAND)
DIMENSION DATA (SOUTH AFRICA)
LAMPRE-MERIDA (ITALY)
ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON
(NETHERLANDS)
STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP
(GERMANY)
GIANT-ALPECIN (GERMANY)
KATUSHA (RUSSIA)
LOTTO NL JUMBO
(NETHERLANDS)
ORGANISERS POSITIVE
SPORTS REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb. 15: Organising an event of
the magnitude of the Tour of
Oman is never an easy exercise.
Habib Saif al Zawawi,
Supervisor of Sports Events
Committee of Muscat Festival
2016, is a relieved man as the
event gets underway today.
“It is more harder than a
stadium event. We need special
permissions, from various
organisations like the TRA,
Royal Oman Police etc. It is a
huge logistical exercise with
400 guests to be looked after
but fortunately everything has
gone on smoothly,’’ he added.
“We are happy and raring to
go for the event.’’
Talking about the top riders
who would be gracing the
event, Zawawi mentioned a
couple of known names.
“There is Roman Parde of
AJK Mondiale and ofcourse
there is Vincenzo Nibali, they
DRAPAC (AUSTRALIA)
ETIXX-QUICK STEP (BELGIUM)
FORTUNEO VITAL CONCEPT
(FRANCE)
TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN
(BELGIUM)
UNITED HEALTHCARE
(UNITED STATES)
WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT
(BELGIUM)
MUSCAT
will be the star attractions this
time,’’ he added.
“The competition will be
fierce as all the riders are in
an aggressive mood to win,’’
Zawawi explained.
Zawawi also dwelt upon the
changes this year as compared
to the 2015 edition. “The entire
race will be more challenging
and testing this time around
since we have more stages.
Especially stages 4, 5 and 6 will
be the most difficult, with all of
them having climbs, two stages
will be flat.
He
also
said
the
international riders were
effusive in their praise for Tour
of Oman and its organization.
“The riders love the course,
the routes we pass through.
They have given very good
response,’’ he added.
Eddy
Merckx,
Race
Organiser, also said he was
positive about the renewal of
the contract for Tour of Oman.
“I am positive. It is good
for Oman and its potential
as a tourism and sports
destination,’’ he added.
Merckx also said he had
good expectations from the
event.
“I am hopeful it would pan
out well in terms of the quality,’’
he added.
S e
a
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HARIDEV PUSHPARAJ
MUSCAT
an
Om
of
te
na
lta
Su
Al Sawadi Beach
Al Musannah
200 km
Oman
The Wave Exhibition Center
Muscat
Al Seeb
6
Ministry
of Tourism
Matrah Corniche
Al Bustan
Knowledge
5
Oasis Muscat
1
Fanja
Naseem Park
Barka
Tropic of Cancer
3
Nakhal
Al Rustaq
Bidbid
Omantel
Head Office
Yiti (Al Sifah)
Al Hajir
2
Al Awabi
Quriyat
4
Jabal Al Akhdhar
(Green Mountain)
Iz
Izki
7.55 km
m
Team cycling leaders pose for a group picture on the eve of the start of the cycling Tour of Oman
in Muscat. From L to R: Norvegian Alexander Kristoff of Katusha team, Portugese Rui Alberto
Costa of Lampre Merida team, Norvegian Edvald Boasson Hagen of Dimension Data
team, Italian Vincenzo Nibali of Astana Pro Team, Netherland’s Tom Dumoulin
of Giant-Alpecin team, Belgium Greg Van Avermaet of BMC team,
French Romain Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale team, Australian
Richie Porte of BMC Team, Irland’s Dan Martin of EtixxQuick Step team and Former champion and
organiser of the Tour, Belgium Eddy Merckx.
— AFP
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STAGE 4
177 km
Feb. 15: A tougher and more
competitive Tour of Oman will
be on show this time as the
2016 edition starts from the
Oman International Exhibition
Centre (OIEC) today.
The peloton comprising
18 teams will cover six stages
over a total distance of 911km
criss-crossing the flat roads
and climbs, including the most
challenging
mountainous
routes of Jabal al Akhdar
(Green Mountain).
The first stage will be from
Oman Exhibition Centre to
Al Bustan over a distance of
145.5 km. After which, action
will shift to the Omantel Head
Office on February 17th and
the peloton will hit Quriyat
over a distance of 162 km. On
February 18th, the third stage
will be from Al Sawadi Beach
to Naseem Park straddling
176.5 km, the fourth on
February 19th will cover 177
km from Knowledge Oasis
Muscat to Jabal al Akhdar
(Green Mountain).
In the fifth stage, the peloton
will travel from Yiti (Al Sifah)
to the Ministry of Tourism over
a distance of 119.5 km. The
sixth and last stage of 130.5 km
will see the riders cycle from
The Wave Muscat to Matrah
Corniche.
The biggest name on show
at this edition will be the
2014 Tour De
France champion Vincenzo
Nibali of Italy who had finished
seventh in the 2013 Tour of
Oman.
Eddy
Merckx,
Race
organiser, was excited about
the event and said it will be a
grueling one this year.
“It will be very interesting
this year as the initial stages
will involve more climbs than
the last year. The riders will
go on top of the mountain at
Quriyat,’’ he added.
Merckx
also
praised
the efforts of the Muscat
Municipality
and
Royal
Oman Police (ROP) in the
organization of the prestigious
event.
“My thanks to Muscat
Municipality and Royal Oman
Police (ROP). It is impossible
to organize an event of this
magnitude without their
support,’’ he added.
Talking about the renewal
of the Tour of Oman contract
which was for a period of
five years, Merckx was noncommittal.
“It all depends on how the
Tour pans and we will have to
see how it goes,’’ he added.
Merckx also promised a
good competition considering
the pool of riders on show.
“We will have a field of
good riders from France, the
Netherlands and Belgium
and it will be an intense
competition,’’ he added.
Thierry
Gouvenou,
Competitions Director, spoke
in length about the event.
“18 teams will be
competing and
t h e y
will really put on a top show.
The riders are all impressive
and raring to go, five of them
are national champions in their
countries,’’ he added.
“We can expect some great
battles with someone like
Kristoff who is more than just
a sprinter having taken part
in many classics,’’ Gouvenou
added.
“There will also be Dan
Martin who will again be
challenged by some of the
other riders. The big test for the
cyclists will be riding through
the Jabal al Akhdar, the Green
Mountain,’’ he added.
Gouvenou also spoke about
the media coverage for the race
which will go up by a notch this
year.
“The Tour of Oman 2016
will be broadcast in 189
countries around the world.
There will be 26 minutes
of daily programming and
10 minutes kept aside for
news bulletins. Around 30
journalists will be covering the
event throughout the six stages
as well,’’ the Frenchman said.
Muscat Municipality has
also given more attention
and focus to the social media
presence of the Tour of Oman
to gain more leverage.
Bein Sports will telecast
the Tour in 23 countries in the
Middle East and North Africa.
Weather will be a crucial
factor expectedly and Merckx
hoped it would hold up well.
“It should be around 28
degrees maximum,’’ he added.
Turning the spotlight on the
heat factor which came into
focus last year when the race
was cancelled due to extreme
weather conditions, Merckx
said there would be no
problems this
time.
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TOUR OF OMAN FROM TODAY
P28 & P29
Women more vulnerable to
cyber attacks, finds survey
CONRAD PRABHU
MUSCAT
Feb. 15: Women Internet users in the
Sultanate and elsewhere across the Arab
world are being disproportionately
targeted by cybercriminals, a Saudi
expert has revealed.
Dr Yousuf Abdulaziz al Shwayhani,
a member of the Riyadh-based Arab
Cybercrimes Working Group, said
growing swathes of Arab women,
including significant numbers in Oman,
are the subject of online blackmail,
financial
extortion,
psychological
battery, threat of physical and sexual
abuse, and other cyber attacks.
Presenting the findings of a
landmark survey of women users that
he undertook between 2009 and 2013,
Dr Al Shwayhani disclosed that roughly
two-thirds of cybercrimes recorded
during this timeframe targeted women.
In the remainder one-third of the
cases, women were the perpetrators, he
pointed out.
TWO-THIRDS OF
CYBERCRIMES
TARGETED WOMEN.
IN ONE-THIRD OF THE
CASES, WOMEN WERE
THE PERPETRATORS
Oman, is set to open this summer —
just in time for the upcoming Khareef
season.
Welcoming guests with traditional
Omani style, the resort, located
between a natural lagoon and the
beach, will be managed by Anantara
Hotels, Resorts and Spas, the luxury
hospitality brand renowned for
offering indigenous experiences for
modern travellers.
FULL REPORT ON P3
UN peace
envoy arrives
in Damascus
TOUGHER, TIGHTER
TOUR WILL BE ON SHOW
OMAN
THE TEAMS
FOLLOW US ON:
“Thus,
while
women
are
wrongdoers in some instances, they are
predominantly victims of cybercrime,
which underscores the need for
concerted action to make women aware
that they are more in the sights of online
criminals than men,” he stressed. Of the
estimated 32,000 Arab women surveyed
during the five-year-long study, around
3,115 were from the Sultanate, said
Dr Al Shwayhani. The others hailed
from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United
Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen,
Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, he pointed
out.
The study — the first ever large-scale,
multinational survey encompassing
much of the Arab world — uncovered
a lot of uncomfortable truths about
women being preyed upon by online
felons, the expert explained.
Women participating in the survey
reported as many as 13,542 instances of
online coercion and extortion that they
were victims of.
TURN TO P5
DAMASCUS: United Nations Syria
envoy Staffan de Mistura is in the
Syrian capital Damascus, a Reuters
witness said on Monday. De Mistura
suspended peace talks which aimed
to address the Syrian conflict in early
February, but hopes to bring parties
back to the negotiating table in Geneva
by February 25. The witness saw De
Mistura on arrival in Damascus.
Reuters could not confirm any further
details of the visit. Meanwhile, the
United Nations said that air strikes on
at least five medical facilities and two
schools in northern Syria’s Aleppo and
Idlib have killed close to 50 civilians
including children. SEE ALSO P13
500-euro note
likely to be
scrapped
FRANKFURT: The European Central
Bank is examining ditching the 500euro note, its president said on Monday,
describing the note used by savers to
hoard tens of billions of euros as an
instrument also used by criminals.
Mario Draghi said savers would not
be penalised and could use the 200 euro
note instead to hold their cash.
“People will continue saving the
200 euro notes,” Mario Draghi told
lawmakers in the European Parliament,
saying that governors were considering
action. “The 500 euro note is being
viewed increasingly as an instrument
for illegal activities,” he said. “It has
nothing to do with reducing cash.”
The amount of cash in the euro zone
rose to more than 1 trillion euros ($1.1
trillion) last year, with almost 30 per
cent of it hoarded in 500 euro notes,
reflecting fears about banks as well
as exasperation with low returns on
savings. — Reuters
2
OMAN OIL PRICE REBOUNDS
T U E S DAY l F E B R U A R Y 1 6 l 2 0 1 6
OMAN
Human Harmony Week participants received
The price of Oman crude oil
trading on the Dubai Mercantile
Exchange (DME Oman) for
delivery in April rose by $2.27,
closing at $29.95 a barrel on
Monday after hitting a low of
$27.68 on Friday. The monthly
average price of March delivery
was $27.40 per barrel, down
$7.19 from the February average.
DEFENCE UNIT MARKS ANNUAL DAY
Engineering Services at the
Ministry of Defence celebrated
its annual day, which falls on the
15th of February each year, under
the auspices of Shaikh Saad bin
Mohammed al Saadi, Minister
of Sports Affairs. A number
of outstanding personnel of
the Engineering Services were
honoured during the function.
New forensic
lab to bolster
fight against
cybercrimes
STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT
Abdulaziz bin Mohammed al
Rawas, Adviser to His Majesty the
Sultan for Cultural Affairs, received
in his office the participants of
the 5th Week of Rapprochement
and Human Harmony which was
organised by the Sultan Qaboos
Higher Centre for Culture and
Science. The participants were
also received by Dr Abdulmunim
bin Mansour al Hasani, Minister
of Information, at his office
yesterday. — ONA
Insurance sector posts 11pc growth
MUSCAT: The unaudited financial
statements of the Capital Market
Authority show that the insurance sector
in the Sultanate has posted growth in
the gross premium written in 2015.
The underwritten direct premium
stood at RO 446 million, a growth by
11 percent compared to 2014 which was
RO 400 million.
The data showed that health
insurance continued its growth and
came on top of the other products in
terms of growth rates, which stood at 30
percent in 2015 compared to 2014.
The auto insurance topped the list of
other insurance with 37 percent growth
rate.
Meanwhile, the transport and
liability insurances declined by 22
percent and 15 per cent respectively
in 2015 compared to 2014 due to the
reduction in public expenditure by
public and private sectors on the back of
oil prices slump.
Feb. 15: The National Digital Forensic Lab, a key addition
to Oman’s growing arsenal of weapons in the fight against
cybercrime, was formally inaugurated at the premises of
the Information Technology Authority (ITA) in Knowledge
Oasis Muscat (KOM) yesterday.
In attendance at the launch were His Highness Sayyid
Haitham bin Tariq al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture,
and a number of top government and law enforcement
representatives.
The National Digital Forensic Laboratory will help
investigators analyse electronic data pertaining to
cybercrimes and uncover forensic evidence necessary
to secure convictions against the perpetrators. This lab
will also help develop a trained cadre of law enforcement
personnel with the skills necessary to crack sophisticated
ICT cases.
In 2015, the ITA handled over 229 cybercrimes with
570 digital forensic evidences. Oman’s cyberspace was the
subject of 100,000 hacking attempts, while government,
private entities and individuals reported as many as 1,500
hacking incidents.
Commenting on the occasion, HH Sayyid Haitham said:
“We are glad to inaugurate the National Digital Forensic
Lab here at the ITA, which is the first of its kind in the
Middle East in terms of integrating all the concerned law
enforcement entities. This project will boost the Sultanate’s
regional and international readiness level in dealing with
cybercrimes and its digital forensics.”
Dr Ahmed Mohammed al Futaisi, Minister of Transport
and Communications, and Chairman of the Information
Technology Authority (ITA) Board of Directors
commented: “The National Digital Forensic Lab is a great
addition to what have been already achieved in the ICT
field in Oman. The Sultanate is now one of the leading
countries in this regard supported by all the international
recognitions.”
Speaking about the importance of the facility, Dr
Salim Sultan al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA, noted: “Equipped
with sophisticated diagnostic devices, this lab will further
strengthen our efforts to safeguarding society against the
activities of cybercriminals through enhanced detection
and investigation of crime.”
461 caught
violating
labour law
MUSCAT: The weekly
report of the joint inspection
team at the Ministry of
Manpower showed that
the number of workers
violating the Labour Law
during February 7 to 13,
stood at 461 including
380 commercial workers,
34 farmworkers and 47
housemaids and their
equivalents.
The inspection teams
caught
448
workers
including 157 absconding
workers, 278 astray workers
and 13 workers with other
violations.
The
Governorate
of South Al Sharqiyah
witnessed
the
largest
number
of
workers
violating the law with
164 followed by the
Governorate of Muscat
with 138 workers.
The
competent
authorities at the Ministry
of Manpower are taking
the legal procedures against
them.
On the other hand,
the Manpower Ministry
statistics showed that 533
expatriate workers were
deported for violating
provisions of the Labour
Law and the ministerial
decisions executing the law.
RESTORATION
OF BAIT SEADOF
The ministry of heritage and culture has begun a
project for the reconstruction of Bait Seadof in the
Wilayat of Mirbat in Dhofar Governorate. According to
Ahmed bin Salim al Hajri, Director of the DirectorateGeneral of Heritage and Culture in Dhofar Governorate,
the ancient landmark will be converted to a cultural
centre. The first phase of the project which involves
preparation has already been under way and will be
followed by restoration and reconstruction work which
will see the building taking its original shape.
OMAN
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
omandailyobserver
3
Ed Council discusses
labour market trends
Sultanate to host CISM Military
World Cup for Soccer 2017
HIGH-DEMAND FIELDS: Seeks to harmonise education and
training to fulfil the required skills and competencies
MUSCAT: Education Council on
Monday held its first meeting of the year,
led by Dr Rawya bint Saud al Busaidiya,
Minister of Higher Education and
Deputy Chairperson of the Council.
The Council discussed the topics on
its agenda, including a number of issues
prepared by the Secretariat-General.
Within the context of the contribution
to the five-year Ninth Development
Plan to absorb the national workforce
in the labour market, and the extent
of the harmonisation of education and
training outcomes with the needs of
economic activities targeted by the plan.
During the meeting, a presentation
focusing on the promising economic
sectors in the ninth Five-Year
development plan, the future directions
of the output of education and the
requirements of development and the
labour market was screened.
The council discussed the entry
requirements
for
Educational
Qualification programme at Sultan
Qaboos University (SQU) and the
private universities, to be offered to meet
the need for teachers in the Sultanate
in various educational disciplines.
The council instructed to revise the
requirements currently in place for
enrolment in the programme.
The Council reviewed the report of
the Ministry of Higher Education on
the results of the Special Task Force to
implement the recommendations of
the Third Symposium of Sultan Qaboos
Academic Chairs — (Tokyo, 2014)
on water, and related to the higher
education sector. The Council directed
to conduct a revision of the results
that came out of the report to find
appropriate operational mechanisms
and to put the recommendations of the
symposium into practice.
The Council also reviewed the report
prepared by the ministry about the
results of graduates survey for 2015,
which was conducted on the graduates
of the academic years 2009/2010 and
2012/2013, to see the most prominent
indicators related to scientific disciplines
and the required skills and competencies
in the labour market.
— ONA
Young Omani designers aim
for Omran’s Design League
LAKSHMI KOTHANETH
MUSCAT
Feb. 15: The recently launched creative
Design League of the Oman Tourism
Development Company, Omran, has
created a stir among Oman’s talented
and innovative young designers
wanting to compete to be part of an elite
team who would have the opportunity
to work on two of the most prominent
upcoming projects of Omran as part
of its Tourism and Urban development
programme.
The date March 31st will see the
deadline for submissions of concept
ideas and project that will take the
candidates to the next level, which is
the screening of the entrees. Only 20
of the participants will make it to be
part of the team of professionals who
would eventually execute the projects
of Omran — including Mina Sultan
Qaboos Waterfront Project and the
Madinat Al Irfan Urban Development.
Within 30 days, evaluation would
be completed to know the 20 finalists.
After which an interview process will
commence and the candidates will
be officially on the team with Omran
working with the firms involved with
the projects.
“Both of these projects will provide
a vast number of opportunities to the
young architects and engineers. The
idea is that the finalists will be working
with local, regional and international
world class firms based in Oman. It is
very important for us to represent our
brand values of ‘Respect’, ‘Know-How
and ‘Beyond’
and
reflect
them in the
Design League
by acquiring,
retaining and
transferring
the knowledge
as
well
as
encapsulating
Ammar al Kharusi
the local Omani
theme in what we do and constantly
work in harmony with our environment
and culture” said Ammar al Kharusi,
Senior Development Manager at
Omran.
The concept ideas by the participants
must be submitted at the time of
registration. Potential candidates can
submit creative concepts and relative
sketches, keeping in mind the challenges
of The Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront
and Madinat Al Irfan developments.
The initiative is to attract young
talent of Oman in engineering and
architecture disciplines.
“It is like an internship but with an
element of employment. Young minds
absorb information easily and far more
cleverly. The queries have been on the
deadlines and specifications in addition
to questions such as, ‘Could they submit
their graduate project?’ Indeed and we
rather encourage them do so as long
as their projects are relevant to the two
projects.
We are pleased to see the enthusiasm
of the students and we have brilliant
young minds around us, we just need to
ensure we provide them with the right
platform to push forward their ideas
and creative energy,” added Al Kharusi.
As part of this challenge, the
evaluation of the entries will go
through a stringent and comprehensive
screening, “There will be a panel
from within Omran and third party
consultants. The submissions will be
assessed based on the vision that is
outlined for these two projects.
We will assess their creativity,
architectural finesse, business mind
and knowledge of cultural heritage. It
is an opportunity to polish their skills
and acquire new ones. But you have to
be exceptionally talented to be in the
League,” pointed out Al Kharusi.
The criteria for participation is that
the candidate should be an Omani
national holding a diploma certificate
or relevant degree and they can
either be a fresh graduate or hold a
maximum of five years of experience.
Selected candidates will go through
an interview process as well. A tip for
the participants? “Omran always go for
sustainable ideas economically, socially
and environmentally and concepts
with relevance to Oman,” explained Al
Kharusi.
“At Omran we firmly believe in
developing the Omani youth, we aspire
to be the incubator that will generate
the leaders of tomorrow. There is a need
for young Omani leaders to take over
variety of sectors in the market and
we believe that this initiative amongst
others will provide the right platform
for these talents to reach their full
potential,” concluded Al Kharusi
Seminar on challenges faced by translators
MUSCAT: Oman Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (OCCI)
organised on Monday a Seminar on
Developing the Performance of Legal
Translation Offices. The seminar, which
was held under the auspices of Said
bin Saleh al Kayoumi, Chairman of
OCCI, discussed the challenges facing
the translation offices and the practical
solutions for such challenges.
Rashid bin A’mer al Musailhi, board
member of OCCI and Chairman of the
Services Committee, said the seminar
stems out of OCCI’s belief in the
importance of transaction sector in the
comprehensive development process
witnessed by the Sultanate.
On his part, Hamoud bin Abdul
Kareem al Hooti, Head of the
Translation Sector at OCCI Service
Committee, said the seminar comes as
an initiative from OCCI to discuss the
challenges facing the translation offices
and how to develop them.
The participants discussed the
importance of facilitating the procedures
related to getting the translation licenses,
how to encourage Omani translators
to open legal translation offices and to
deal with the dedication requirement to
open such offices. The seminar stressed
the importance of awarding written
and simultaneous translation projects.
It also discussed means of providing
translation equipment for licensed legal
translation offices. — ONA
MUSCAT: The Sultanate will host the
third CISM’s Military World Cup for
Soccer 2017 during from January 13 to
29.
This was announced during the press
conference held on Monday at Al Shafaq
Club by Air Commodore Maktoum bin
Salim al Mazroui, Assistant Chief of Staff
for Training and Joint Exercises and
Head of the Organizing Committee for
the Military World Cup for Soccer 2017,
and Captain Abdul Hakeem bin Hamad
al Shano, Chairman of the International
Military Sports Council (CISM).
Over 16 military teams will take part
in the tournament.
Lt Col Khalid bin Ali al Jabri, Acting
Director of Military Sports, said that
coordination has been maintained with
the Omani Football Association (OFA),
the Ministry of Sports Affairs and the
Olympic Committee to benefit from the
ex-experiences. Three stadiums were
assigned to the tournament namely
Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Police
Stadium and Al Seeb Stadium in addition
to a number of sub playgrounds.
The Omani military football team
has won Asia Cup qualifying for CISM
in 2013, which was held in the Sultanate.
The team came second at the military
world cup, which was held in the
Republic of Azerbaijan. — ONA
Anantara Salalah to open in summer
STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb. 15: Dhofar’s newest luxury
hotel, Anantara Salalah — Al Baleed
Resort, developed by a joint venture
between Omran Hotels & Resorts
& Musstir, one of Oman’s leading
property developers and investors and
the leading Governmental investment
company developing tourism assets
and infrastructure in Oman, is set to
open this summer — just in time for the
upcoming Khareef season.
Welcoming guests with traditional
Omani style, the resort, located between
a natural lagoon and the beach, will be
managed by Anantara Hotels, Resorts
and Spas, the luxury hospitality brand
renowned for offering indigenous
experiences for modern travellers.
Carefully designed to reflect,
Dhofar’s rich heritage, the resort’s
striking Dhofari design featuring
intricate artistic details is inspired by
the region’s iconic coastal fortresses
and is surrounded by towering palms,
magnificent trees, tropical gardens and
lush water features. With 136 guest
rooms and studios as well as one, two
and three bedroom pool villas — the
first of their kind in Salalah and Oman
— the resort is conveniently located just
10 km from the city centre and 15 km
Omran and Musstir Chairmen during a visit to Anatara Salalah, Al Baleed Resort.
from the airport.
Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy —
Minister of Commerce and Industry
and Chairman of Omran, said: “The
opening of Al Baleed Resort — Salalah
by Anantara is a major milestone for
the region and reflects our commitment
to developing the tourism sector to
support the local economy on a longterm, sustainable basis.
“Salalah is a very popular destination,
known for having some of the best
beaches in the GCC as well as a rich
cultural heritage, and the opening of Al
Baleed Resort — Salalah by Anantara
puts Dhofar firmly on the map for
international travellers.”
Dr Mohamed bin Ali bin Mohamed
al Barwani — founder and Chairman
of MB Group / Musstir, added: “This
development of Al Baleed Resort —
Salalah by Anantara is testament to the
results which can be achieved through
strategic Public-Private Partnerships
(PPP) with the Government, which
is the first of its kind in Oman for the
real estate / hospitality sector. It is a
learning experience, we are proud to
herald the opening of the resort with
our Government partners, Omran.”
4
OMAN
omandailyobserver
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
Nature and heritage Cultural heritage and sustainable
make tourism in
development workshop begins
Salalah sustainable FINDING CLEAR VISION: Importance of sustaining cultural heritage in sharp focus
KAUSHALENDRA SINGH
SALALAH
Feb. 15: The sustainability of Salalah as
a major tourist destination in the Arab
region is quite high as the destination
has several natural attractions, which
are being strengthened with modern
amenities and facilities. Known
earlier for three months of majestic
Khareef season, Salalah has caught the
imagination of European tourists for
Winter tourism and if its resources are
properly tapped the destination can
emerge as a major revenue earner for
the Sultanate.
This was the general reaction of the
tourism experts in their comments to
the Observer. The experts, ranging from
Ministry of Tourism officials, hoteliers
and hospitality managers, put thrust on
the fact that Salalah has many natural
attractions and the destination kept
attracting visitors even when tourism
did not develop as an organised sector.
To prove his point Khalid bin
Mussalam al Rowas, Director-General
of Tourism in Dhofar Governorate, said
that he had recently honoured some
tourists who spent in Salalah 1009,
600 and 500 nights respectively. “Had
it not been sustainable they would not
have come here time and again. There is
something which attracts people, make
them comfortable and feel safe and
secured in the lap of nature.”
“Today tourism has emerged as
a proper sector and Salalah is on the
international tourism map. It, however,
is a fact that the concept of organised
tourism has started taking shape in
1980s and many tourists were coming
here from the Gulf and other Arab
countries,” said Al Rawas.
According to Al Rawas, the
Government of Oman outlining
tourism as a key sector in the latest 5
Year Plan 2016-2020 and vision Oman
2040. He cited the National Centre
for Statistics (NCSI), which suggested
a record 500,000 tourists visited the
Governorate from June to August 2015,
showing a 21 per cent increase from the
same period in 2014.
Confronting the idea of tourists
ZAINAB AL NASSRI
MUSCAT
Khalid al Rawas
Ahmed Dabbous
relocating to other destinations in
future, Ahmed Dabbous, CEO of
Muriya, said “It takes time in getting
a destination popular and once it is
popular among the tourists and the
facilities are in place, the tourists keep
on pouring. And Salalah as a destination
is quite sustainable for its combination
of sea, mountain and desert.”
“Moreover the destination is rich in
history and culture. Security and safety
appeals them and they take home very
positive memories from Oman. If you
see the growth in tourist arrival besides
those coming during Khareef season,
the number is quite impressive. From
one charter flight in 2005, Salalah has
now 7 weekly charter flights and in all
likelihood there would be 10 weekly
charters by the end of the year,” he said.
The growth indicators, according to
him, are quite high. “Now Salalah has
an airport of international standards,
more hotels rooms are available and
many more are in the pipeline,” he said
and endorsed the destination highly.
Robert Zogbi, Chairman and CEO
of UAE based Innovationz Hospitality
Group FZE, also endorsed Salalah as
a sustainable tourist destination and
called for new facilities to entertain
the tourists. “There is huge scope for
Salalah. Growth is on expected lines, yet
more needs to be done,” he said.
Feb. 15: An international workshop
titled
“Cultural
Heritage
and
Sustainable Development” began at
the at Crown Plaza Hotel, Muscat
on Monday with the participation of
specialists from institutions concerned
with cultural heritage from inside and
outside the Sultanate. Members of the
steering committee of Oman Cultural
Heritage Research Programme too are
participating in it.
The two-day workshop, organised
by The Research Council (TRC), aims
to find a clear vision about the cultural
heritage role in building a strategy for
sustainable development projects and
thereafter set up a working document to
feed TRC cultural heritage programme
as well as Public Authority for Radio
and Television (PART).
Al Darmakiyahyah, Head of the
Cultural Club, in her opening address
emphasised the importance of cultural
heritage. “It is the result of societies’
concepts and beliefs that shape life
and continuity. It is, as well, a group of
integral, overlapping relationships that
includes social, economic and political
aspects.
That is because it is created in
societies as a feeder to the development
and change according to its structural
factors” she explained.
Al Darmakiyah pointed out that
the Sultanate accorded top priority for
cultural heritage as it considers it a goal
of the state’s development plans. “There
are many studies done by concerned
parties to maintain Sultanate’s
heritage like the current projects in
Aisha al Bahri
Aisha al Darmakiyah
the Ministry of Heritage and Culture
(MoHC), Public Authority for Crafts
Industry(PACI), Ministry of Tourism
(MOT) and Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries (MoAF). Besides, there are
individual initiatives of Omani youth
which compete at the local and regional
markets” she elaborated.
The first day of the workshop
included a presentation introducing
Oman Cultural Heritage Research
Programme delivered by Aisha al Bahri,
from TRC.
There were also two panel sessions
addressed two main themes each with
three work papers. The first theme was
“Cultural Heritage Role in Sustainable
Development: Successful Experiences”
while the second one was “Cultural
Heritage Research and Sustainable
Development”.
On Tuesday, workshop on two
themes — Cultural Heritage Research
Projects and Sustainable Development
Planning, and First Draft of Oman
Cultural Heritage Research Programme
Strategy, will be held.
Oman Cultural Heritage Research
Programme is derived from the
importance of cultural heritage as a
strategic material with its developmental
and economic value. The programme is
concerned with the scientific approach
studying of the modern methodologies
in order to reach a number of strategic
objectives based on the concepts of
values, identity and authenticity as well
as on the development and technology
criteria.
The programme has been founded
to be a unit that is concerned with
conducting scientific studies on
Oman’s cultural heritage as per
specific priorities in order to benefit
sustainable development. Moreover,
it looks into preserving and archiving
materials of Oman cultural heritage
and related research, building capacity
competence in research field, creating
a partnership and ways of cooperation
in TRC and the various government
institutions, strengthening the role of
cultural heritage in local culture and
contributing to marketing tangible and
intangible cultural heritage materials
inside and outside the Sultanate.
It is worth mentioning that the
Steering Committee of Oman’s Cultural
Heritage Research Programme is
chaired by Dr Abdullah bin Nasser
al Harrasi, Chairman of the Public
Authority for Radio and Television
and includes representatives from the
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the
Public Authority for Craft Industries, the
PART, The Research Council, the Sultan
Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture
and Science, the National Museum,
the Oman National Commission for
Education, Culture and Science, experts
from Sultan Qaboos University and
Arab Open University.
Consanguineous marriages: Prior gene test must
KABEER YOUSUF
MUSCAT
Feb. 15: Marriages between close family members
have been identified as one of the key factors that
contribute to genetic disorders in Oman. As many
as 6 to 7 per cent of children in Oman suffer from
congenital diseases whereas in Europe, this is
around 4.4 per cent of which 50 per cent of the cases
are rectified.
The Sultanate has a relatively higher birth
prevalence of infants with congenital and genetic
disorders which is perhaps 50 per cent higher than in
industrialised countries and this has been attributed
to a long reproductive span, a high frequency of
haemoglobin disorders and a customary preference
for consanguineous marriages, according to
different studies.
“Most of the marriages happening among the
close relatives are leading to a lot of genetic disorders
and is very common in Oman”, said Alok Ranjan, a
senior consultant neurosurgeon at leading hospital
in Hyderabad, India.
These disorders vary from muscular dystrophy,
brains diseases, mental retardation, autism, Downs
syndrome and the like and that there should be
substantial efforts to relook at this age-old custom
among the local populace.
“They need to relook at the consanguineous
marriages and if possible, there should be genetic
profiling so that one can avoid these cases”, said the
neurosurgeon who was on his visit to a hospital in
Muscat where he sees patients regularly.
He added that if both mother and father are
carrying the genes of such diseases, the chances
of the children getting the same are high and
that knowing this fact, the young men or women
wouldn’t enter into wedlock with someone from the
same family.
“There are cultural issues that too needs to be
sorted out if we want to spread awareness against
consanguineous marriages and people should
withdraw themselves from such marriages knowing
that the chances of their kids taking birth with some
disorders are high”, the doctor who visits Oman at
least four times a year since 2008, Dr Ranjan said.
Creative youth contest: Poetry competition held Business week to focus on
Feb. 15: A poetry contest for males
and females was held as part of the
second phase of creative youth clubs
competitions in Shahba Theatre at the
University of Nizwa on Sunday. The
competition was held in two categories
— One in 12-15 age group and another
in the 16 to 30 age group.
In the 12 to 15 age group, clubs
from different Wilayats of Al Dakhiliyah
and Al Wusta participated. Each club
put forth two contestants — one for
eloquent poetry and other for folk
poetry. Hamam bin Ali al Abri and
Akram al Subhi from Al Hamra, Bayan
bint Salim al Tobi and Maysan al Kindi
from Nizwa, Zuhor bint Saif al Maani
and Noor al Abri from Bahla, Al Kalil
bin Ahmed al Busaidy and Hamed bin
Ali al Janabi from Al Basha’ar, Fahm
bin Suliman al Rawahi and Aysha bint
Ahmed al Zakwani from Samayil and
Lujina al Nadabi from Fanja took part.
The second category for age 16 to
30 saw participation from six clubs —
Hamza bin Marhoon al Busaidi and
Hitham bin Juma al Bloushi for Al
Basha’ar, Salim bin Mohammed al Rahbi
and Muadh bin Ahmed al Sulimi for
Samayil, Hamed bin Saud al Hakmani
and Asma bint Moftah al Buriki for Al
Wusta, Khalid bin Khamis al Rahbi for
Fanja, Mahmood bin Ali al Harasi and
Nasma bint Ali al Bloushi for Nizwa.
Manar al Sadi and Talal bin Khalifa al
PHOTOS BY AMAL AL RIYAMI
AMAL AL RIYAMI
NIZWA
Sawafi for Bahla, Zahra bint Saud al
Abri for Al Hamra.
In the end, results were announced
in the first category. Al Kalil al Busaidi
from Al Basha’ar achieved first place in
eloquent poetry and Bayan al Tobi from
Nizwa took the first place in folk poetry.
In the second category, Hamza al
Busaidi from Al Basha’ar took the first
place in eloquent poetry and Nasma al
Bloushi from Nizwa won the first place
in folk poetry.
The jury of the competition were
poets Dr Khamis al Sabari, Ahmed al
Hakmani, Hisham al Saqri and Masoud
al Hakmani.
Delivering the concluding speech, Dr
Khamis al Sabari said: “Arabic is one of
the top languages and those interested
in it “care about their religious, national
and cultural identity. A month ago at the
Student Conference of the Arab League,
students were presenting their films, we
said that this is the actual certification.
We are here not only to evaluate but to
make you upright.”
“The students who care about Arabic
should have standards. Moreover, there
should be an interest in the eloquence
and style. In addition, they must be
familiar with the experiences of others,
especially former poets. If a person is
familiar with the language rules he will
became a glorious poet in the coming
days,” he added. Clubs competitions
for creative youth will continue with
theatrical performances at the same
venue till Wednesday.
environmental economics
MUSCAT: The 13th Business Week,
organised by the Business Society,
a student group at the College of
Economics and Political Science at
Sultan Qaboos University commenced
on Sunday. The theme of this annual
event for this year is environmental
economics. The opening ceremony of
the event was held under the patronage
of Dr Abdulmunim bin Mansour bin
Sail al Hasani, Minister of Information,
in the presence of Dr Ali bin Saud al
Bimani, the Vice-Chancellor of SQU,
and a number of academicians and
students from the college.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Saeed
Mubarak al Muharrami, Dean of the
College of Economics and Political
Science, said that he is proud of the
students who chose environmental
economics as the theme of this year’s
business week activities.
“The activities focus on recycling
of used products, green energy,
pollution control and related topics in
environmental economics. It is good
to see some interesting student projects
and activities throwing light on this
field of economics which seeks to study
the relationship between the economy
and the environment.
The goal is to balance the economic
activity and the environmental impacts
by taking into account all the costs and
benefits. The examples of recycling of
waste products and manufacturing
new materials will help protect the
environment and save costs at the same
time. Recycling of used materials also
saves energy and costs. This helps to
lead both the economy and the nature
towards sustainability”, he observed.
Speaking on behalf of the student
society, Adnan Qais al Kindi, a student,
stressed on optimal exploitation and
sustainable extraction of natural
resources to protect the environment
and save costs. He called upon
the society to apply the principles
of environmental economics and
sustainable models on all aspects of
life in order to save the planet and
the environment and create a socially
responsible and viable economy.
The Business Week features an
exhibition of the products and services
offered by many small and medium
enterprises in the Sultanate.
A poster session about student
projects on green and renewable energy
and eco-friendly products is also held.
This includes a project that showcases
production of biofuel and organic
fertilisers from food waste.
Several activities such as quiz
competition,
chess
competition,
lectures on green energy, horse show
and drone show will be held on the
sidelines of the event which will last till
Wednesday.
OMAN
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
TALK ON FINANCE FOR NON-FINANCE PROFESSIONALS HELD
AMAL AL RIYAMI
NIZWA
Feb. 15: The College of Applied Sciences at Nizwa, represented
by the Committee of Professional Development and Scientific
Research, organised a session on the basics of finance for
non-finance professionals. The session was conducted by Dr
Vibha Bhandari of the Business Department.
The programme aimed at introducing the basics of finance
and accounting to the non-finance professionals.
Topics like basics of accounting, accounting equation,
revenue and expense, capital and withdrawals, cash and
accrual basis, accounting cycle and financial statements were
explained to provide a working knowledge of the financial
terms and meaning in use to the participants.
The resource person interactively conducted the
programme using Power-point slides and handouts.
The programme was well received by the participants and
it concluded with a question-answer session.
CEPS holds first industry advisory
board holds meeting at SQU
MUSCAT: The Information Systems
Department at the College of Economics
and Political Science (CEPS) at Sultan
Qaboos University (SQU), held its first
Industry Advisory Board meeting last
week. The mission of the information
systems (IS) advisory board is to “foster
partnership between the information
systems department and leading IS
executives, with diverse spectrum of
expertise from the public and private
organisations in Oman.
It also aims to provide continuous
advice, guidance and support for
the development of IS Department’s
teaching, research, and community
service in order to stay abreast of realworld emerging IS issues and trends.
The IS advisory board members
include Dr Salim al Ruzaiqi, CEO of
the Information Technology Authority
(ITA), Said al Mandhari, CEO of
Oman Broadband Company (OBC),
Said al Rashdi, CEO of SANDAN, Dr
Hamad al Busaidi , Director-General of
Telecommunications and Information
Systems at Diwan of Royal Court, Saif al
Hosni, Regional Manager at Microsoft,
Abdullah al Raqadi , Director-General
of Information Technology at Ministry
of Health, Huda al Habsi, General
Manager of Information Technology at
OmanTel, Nawal al Araimi, the Head
of Planning and Information Sector
at the Public Authority for Manpower
Register, Maqbool al Wahaibi, General
Manager at Oman Data Park, Faiza
Rahmatullah IM & T Manager at PDO
and Hassan AbdulAli, an Independent
IT Consultant.
The meeting commenced with
a welcome speech by Dr Saeed al
Muharrami, Dean of the College of
Economics and Political Science. Dr
Saeed thanked the members of the
advisory board and indicated that “the
college’s vision and its goal to formally
establish ties with the industry through
the Advisory board at the college and
the department levels; such ties are
critical to enrich and strengthen the
teaching, research and community
service at the college ”. Munther al
Busaidi, Assistant Dean for Training
and Community Service, added that
these industry links are critical for
providing better training opportunities
for our students. Kamla Al-Busaidi,
the Head of the Information Systems
Department, thanked the members and
introduced the department and its main
achievements. Dr Kamla commented
on this meeting: “We were honoured
and pleased by each member of our
IS advisory board; it was a big success
and this meeting is a starting point for
a continuous productive collaboration
that will strengthen our academic
programmes
and
consequently
strengthens our graduates’ skills to meet
the needs of local and international
organisations in Oman”.
Dr Zahran al Salti, the department’s
external liaison, introduced the
members of the IS advisory board and
presented the vision and objectives of IS
Advisory board. “We managed to bring
leading IT executives from various
sectors such as Oil and gas, banking,
telecommunications and health to
discuss key issues related to the current
challenges and future plans of the IS
department. We had a fruitful discussion
and exchange of information”, he said.
GCC JPPI
Board holds
46th meeting
in Kuwait
KUWAIT:
The Board
Council of the GCC Joint
Programme
Production
Institution (JPPI) held its
46th meeting in Kuwait
City on Monday.
The meeting was chaired
by Sheikh Salman Sabah
al Salim al Hamoud al
Sabah, Kuwaiti Minister
the
of
Information,
State Minister for Youth
Affairs and Chairman of
the JPPI Board Council,
in the presence of the
members of the Board
Council.
The meeting was also
attended by Dr Abdullah
bin Nasser al Harasi,
Chairman
of
Public
Authority for Radio and
Television.
The meeting discussed
recommendations of the
JPPI’s committees, which
are specialised in the
regulatory fields, as well as
programmes, Radio and
TV production.
The
meeting
stressed the necessity of
committing to quality
standards in production
and
marketing
the
programmes, in addition
to using the social media
methods in broadcasting
the JPPI’s programmes
and messages. — ONA
Women prone
to cyber attacks
FROM PAGE 1
They included prominent personalities, film celebrities, mediapersons and
other professionals, said Dr
Al Shwayhani.
Women were particularly vulnerable to privacy
violations with hackers
gaining access to personal
photographs or confidential details that left them
susceptible to blackmail, he
said. Of the numerous cases
of hacking and privacy infringements recorded during the survey, around 4,300
were reported by women in
the Sultanate, he stated.
“Women are particularly
susceptible when they, for
example, they seek private
advice from a friend, office
colleague or relative about
a message, email or post
received online. On some
pretext the latter manages
to obtain her password and
then proceeds to gain access
to her personal messages.
Culprits in instances could
be a male boss or relative.”
Hundreds of respondents also said they were
subject to either social, financial or psychological
abuse by hackers who stole
personal photographs and
data. Many suffered family
troubles as well, he said.
At a Forum that was held
in the city last week, the
Saudi expert also went on
to list cases — numbering
in the hundreds — of female
Net users threatened with
physical harm.
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DEFAMATION PROBE AGAINST MAHATHIR
T U E S DAY l F E B R U A R Y 1 6 l 2 0 1 6
AUSTRALIAN MINISTER IN JAPAN
Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad
is under investigation for defaming the
attorney-general in blog posts criticising his
failure to bring corruption charges against
Prime Minister Najib Razak, police said. The
feud between Malaysia’s past and current
leaders has gripped the nation for almost
a year, with Mahathir repeatedly calling on
Najib, his former protege, to step down over a
financial scandal.
ASIA
‘No proof’ N Korea used
Kaesong wages for arms
Australia’s Foreign
Minister Julie Bishop
and her Japanese
counterpart Fumio
Kishida held talks in
Tokyo on Monday.
Bishop is in Tokyo on
her first leg of a fiveday visit to Japan and
China.
ONE BILLION RISING
AT IT AGAIN: N Korean leader pushes for more satellite launches
SEOUL: A top Seoul official admitted
there was no “clear evidence” wages
paid to North Korean workers in a
joint industrial zone were used to
fund Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile
development, a report said on Monday.
Unification Minister Hong YongPyo had claimed on Sunday about 70
per cent of wages paid to North Korean
workers were syphoned off to the
North’s ruling Workers’ Party.
He used the claim to justify Seoul’s
decision last Wednesday to abruptly
withdraw from the Kaesong industrial
complex — where South Korean firms
operated factories that employed
North Korean workers — to punish
Pyongyang for its latest nuclear and
missile tests staged in violation of UN
resolutions.
The shock pullout sharply escalated
tension and imposed huge losses on the
124 South Korean firms operating at the
industrial park.
Any foreign currency earned in
North Korea is transferred to the
Workers’ Party, where it is used to
develop nuclear weapons — or purchase
luxury goods — Hong said in the
televised interview on Sunday.
The comments sparked controversy
over whether Seoul had been helping
fund the North’s widely-condemned
weapons programmes.
However, Hong, pressed by Seoul
lawmakers to present clear evidence to
China calls for
direct talks
BEIJING: China’s foreign ministry
on Monday urged the United
States and North Korea to sit down
with each other face-to-face and
resolve their problems, as tension
continues to climb on the Korean
peninsula after North Korea’s latest
rocket test.
While, China was angered by
the launch, it has also expressed
concern at plans by Washington
and Seoul to deploy an advanced
US missile defence system, saying
it would impact upon China’s own
security.
“The focus of the nuclear issue
on the peninsula is between
the United States and North
Korea,” Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Hong Lei told a daily
news briefing. — Reuters
back up his claim, said on Monday he
was simply “expressing concern” over
such a possibility, according to Yonhap
news agency.
“If there is clear proof for the North’s
misappropriation, it would constitute
a breach of relevant UN resolutions,”
Yonhap quoted Hong as saying during
a meeting with lawmakers.
“There are concerns about the
North’s misuse of the money, but I’ve
not said that there is clear evidence,” he
said before apologising for “creating so
much misunderstanding,” according to
Yonhap.
The zone, which sits 10 kilometres
north of the tense border, was officially
shut last Thursday after Pyongyang
expelled all South Korean managers
and placed the complex under military
control.
Since its opening in 2004, Seoul
firms have paid wages worth $560
million — including $120 million over
last year alone — to the North’s state
authorities supervising 53,000 workers
at the complex.
Seoul was aware of the problem
of wages being siphoned off but had
maintained the project regardless due
to its status as a symbol of inter-Korean
cooperation, Hong said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, North Korean leader
Kim Jong-Un has promised to put
more satellites in space, even as the
international community prepares to
punish his regime over a long-range
rocket launch just last week.
At a banquet to congratulate the
scientists, technicians and officials who
contributed to the February 7 launch,
Kim noted that the mission had come at
“a complex time when hostile forces are
more bloody-eyed than ever to strangle”
the North, the official Korean Central
News Agency (KCNA) reported on
Monday.
— AFP
3 crew members die in copter crash
Rescue
personnel
stand before
a crashed
UH-1H
military
helicopter
in a field in
Chuncheon,
in South
Korea’s
eastern
Gangwon
province,
on Monday.
Three crew
members
died in the
crash, with
the pilot
in a critical
condition.
— AFP
Students of St Scholastica’s College gesture the “number one” sign as they dance to take part in the “One Billion Rising”
campaign in Manila on Monday. The campaign, the fifth to be held since 2012, calls for the end of all forms of discrimination
and violence against women and girls. The movement refers to UN statistics that one in 3 women, about one billion globally,
will be raped or beaten in their lifetime. — AFP
Uighur ‘tortured’ into
confessing role in blast
BANGKOK: A Chinese ethnic
Uighur man arrested in Thailand over
a bombing that killed 20 people in
Bangkok last year denied on Monday
charges of murder or involvement in the
attack, retracting an earlier confession
his lawyer said he was tortured into
making.
Adem Karadag, also known as Bilal
Mohammed, is due to appear at a
military court on Tuesday, along with
a second suspect, Yusufu Mieraili, to
formally hear the charges. Police said
both men had confessed to having a
role in the August 17 explosion.
A lawyer for Karadag, said his client
was coerced into confessing that he
took part in the attack. Most of the
victims were foreign tourists, raising
concerns that the country’s lucrative
tourist industry could suffer.
“At the time he was tortured
and under pressure. That is why he
confessed to the charges against him,”
lawyer Schoochart Kanpai said after
visiting Karadag in detention.
“He still maintains he has no
involvement in this. The only charge he
accepts is illegal entry.”
Winthai Suvaree, a spokesman for
the junta, doubted whether the two
suspects had been tortured while in
military custody.
“I am fairly certain nothing
happened to the suspects while they
were in military custody,” he said.
No group claimed responsibility for
the attack, which Thai authorities have
said was in retaliation for a crackdown
on human smuggling gangs and not a
terrorist attack.
But some security experts say the
bomb was in retaliation for Thailand’s
forced repatriation of more than 100
Uighurs to China in July rather than
in response to a crackdown on human
smuggling gangs.
China has long faced criticism for
the perceived harsh restrictions it places
on religion and culture in Xingjiang,
where the majority of Uighurs live.
The two suspects had first been
charged by a military court in
November, but neither had accepted
or denied the charges because of
interpretation issues at that hearing,
Schoochart said. They were indicted
on 10 charges, including murder and
illegal possession of explosives, but not
terrorism.
The lawyer did not say whether
the second suspect, Mieraili, would
also deny the charges against him on
Tuesday.
— Reuters
RACE FOR TOP JOB
Thailand clergy
scuffle with
soldiers
BANGKOK: Buddhist monks scuffled
with soldiers on Monday as thousands
of orange-robed clergy met for a
seminar to support the front-runner
for the post of Thailand’s supreme
patriarch.
The row over the appointment
mirrors
Thailand’s
turbulent
politics, with the abbot who is
front-runner — Somdet Phra Maha
Ratchamangkhlacharn — linked to the
powerful but divisive Dhammakaya
temple.
Critics say the temple is closely
linked to Thaksin Shinawatra, the
billionaire former premier at the heart
of the country’s political rupture, and
accuse it of trying to dominate the
Thai faith.
Among those bitterly opposed to
the abbot’s appointment are influential
Buddhist nationalists who loathe
Thaksin.
On Monday around 3,000 monks
from the self-appointed “Buddhist
Protection centre of Thailand”
gathered on the capital’s outskirts for
a seminar in support of the abbot’s
promotion to patriarch.
— AFP
Over the next few years farmers are expected to have new genome sequencing technology at their disposal
DNA rice breakthrough raises ‘green revolution’ hopes
LOS BANOS, Philippines: Ricegrowing techniques learned through
thousands of years of trial and error are
about to be turbocharged with DNA
technology in a breakthrough hailed by
scientists as a potential second “green
revolution”.
Over the next few years farmers
are expected to have new genome
sequencing technology at their disposal,
helping to offset a myriad of problems
that threaten to curtail production of the
grain that feeds half of humanity.
Drawing on a massive bank of
varieties stored in the Philippines and
state-of-the-art Chinese technology,
scientists recently completed the DNA
sequencing of more than 3,000 of the
world’s most significant types of rice.
With the huge pool of data unlocked,
rice breeders will soon be able to
produce higher-yielding varieties much
more quickly and under increasingly
stressful conditions, scientists involved
with the project said.
Other potential new varieties being
dreamt about are ones that are resistant
to certain pests and diseases, or types
that pack more nutrients and vitamins.
“This will be a big help to strengthen
food security for rice eaters,” said
Kenneth McNally, an American
biochemist at the Philippines-based
International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI).
Since rice was first domesticated
thousands of years ago, farmers have
improved yields through various
planting techniques.
For the past century breeders have
isolated traits, such as high yields and
disease resistance, then developed them
through cross breeding.
However, they did not know which
genes controlled which traits, leaving
much of the effort to lengthy guesswork.
The latest breakthroughs in
molecular genetics promise to fasttrack the process, eliminating much of
the mystery, scientists involved in the
project said.
Better rice varieties can now be
expected to be developed and passed
on to farmers’ hands in less than three
Drawing on a massive
bank of varieties stored in
the Philippines and
state-of-the-art Chinese
technology, scientists
recently completed the DNA
sequencing of more than
3,000 of the world’s most
significant types of rice.
Farmers work in a rice field near the International Rice Research Institute in Laguna,
south of Manila. — AFP
years, compared with 12 without the
guidance of DNA sequencing.
Genome
sequencing
involves
decoding DNA, the hereditary material
of all living cells and organisms. The
process roughly compares with solving a
giant jigsaw puzzle made up of billions
of microscopic pieces.
A multinational team undertook
the four-year project with the DNA
decoding primarily in China by BGI, the
world’s biggest genome sequencing firm.
Leaf tissue from the samples, drawn
mostly from IRRI’s gene bank of 127,000
varieties were ground by McNally’s
team at its laboratory in Los Banos, near
Manila’s southern outskirts, before being
shipped for sequencing.
A non-profit research outfit founded
in 1960, IRRI works with governments
to develop advanced varieties of the
grain.
Farmers and breeders will need the
new DNA tools, which scientists take
pains to say is not genetic modification,
because of the increasingly stressful
conditions for rice growing expected in
the 21st Century.
While there will be many more
millions to feed, there is expected to be
less land available for planting as farms
are converted for urban development,
destroyed by rising sea levels or
converted to other crops.
Rice-paddy
destroying
floods,
drought and storms are also expected to
worsen with climate change. Meanwhile,
pests and diseases that evolve to resist
herbicides and pesticides will be more
difficult to kill.
And fresh water, vital for growing rice,
is expected to become an increasingly
scarce commodity in many parts of the
world.
As scientists develop the tools
necessary to harness the full advantages
of the rice genome database, the hope is
that new varieties can be developed to
combat all those problems.
“Essentially, you will be able to design
what properties you want in rice, in terms
of the drought resistance, resistance to
diseases, high yields, and others,” said
Russian bioanalytics expert and IRRI
team member Nickolai Alexandrov.
— AFP
SUBCONTINENT
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
omandailyobserver
7
Teachers get guns after Pak varsity reopens
RISING FROM THE ASHES: Taliban gunmen stormed Bacha Khan university killing 21 teachers and students
Top Bangla
editor faces
allegations of
defaming PM
DHAKA: One of Bangladesh’s top
newspaper editors faces a spate of
defamation suits from government
supporters after he admitted that 2007
reports alleging corruption by the
woman who is now prime minister
were based on uncorroborated leaks.
Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam
admitted this month the stories,
published in 2007, had been based
on leaks from the military-backed
caretaker government that ruled
Bangladesh until Sheikh Hasina took
office in 2009.
He said he had been wrong to
publish them.
The admission sparked an outcry
from government supporters.
Hasina’s son called for Anam to
be tried for treason over the reports,
which were also carried by other
newspapers in Bangladesh.
On Monday, The Star said Anam
was facing a series of apparently
politically
motivated
lawsuits
from pro-government groups for
defamation, a criminal offence that in
Bangladesh carries a penalty of up to
two years in jail.
He has been ordered to appear
before courts in the northern city of
Rangpur and the northeastern city of
Sylhet next month.
“At least 23 defamation cases were
lodged against him,” senior Daily Star
journalist Reaz Ahmad said on of the
lawsuits, which accuse the influential
editor of defaming Hasina and her
Awami League party.
Ahmad said the complainants
“felt aggrieved that their leader’s
image was tarnished by the reports,
which were based on information
supplied by the then-government’s
Joint Task Force Interrogation Cell”.
The cell was set up by the caretaker
government that ruled Bangladesh for
two years after a military takeover in
2007, which led to the arrest of Hasina
and her main political rival Khaleda
Zia, now leader of the opposition, on
corruption charges.
Neither was convicted of any
crime and both denied corruption.
A government prosecutor has also
sought permission from a Dhaka
court to file a sedition case against
Anam, a court official said. Criminal
defamation cases are rarely brought
before the courts in Bangladesh, and
legal experts said the cases were likely
aimed at intimidating the 65-year-old
editor.
“In our experience, these cases are
filed with the objective of harassing
and intimidating the opponent,”
Tanim Hussain Shawon said. Fears
over freedom of speech have been
mounting in Bangladesh, which has
seen a spate of killings of secular
bloggers and publishers.
— AFP
PESHAWAR:
The university in northwest
Pakistan where Taliban gunmen killed at least 20
people last month reopened for classes on Monday
with teachers — but not students — allowed to
carry weapons..
Gunmen stormed Bacha Khan university in the
northwestern town of Charsadda on January 20,
killing teachers and students in a rampage that left
21 dead.
The attack shattered a growing sense of security
in the troubled region a year after the Peshawar
school massacre, in which more than 150 people —
mainly children — were killed.
“I am very happy to announce that the university
has been reopened today but amid very strict
security,” vice-chancellor Fazal Rahim Marwat
said, saying the objective was “to defeat the mindset
of militants”.A sense of panic has gripped parents
across Pakistan in the wake of the university
assault, with rumours of attacks leading to closures
of educational institutions.
Last week a government-run girls’ college
in Rawalpindi evacuated hundreds of students
following an exchange of gunfire between police
and car thieves nearby.
It followed a similar incident at a girls’ high
school in the central city of Faisalabad just weeks
earlier.
At the university on Monday police and
Police commandos patrol inside the premises of Bacha Khan university after it was reopened in the
northwestern town of Charsadda on Monday. — AFP
commandos were seen taking up positions on
rooftops, while students passed through body
scanners and were frisked before entering.
Marwat said the university had set up special
camps for the psychological treatment of
traumatised students.
“We have come to the university today with a
firm commitment to uphold sacrifices of our fellow
students,” said Rehmat Ullah, 20, a student of in the
biotechnology department.
Iftikhar Alam, a professor, added: “We are
starting classes today to make it clear to the world
that we are ready to defeat our enemies and those
who want to plunge Pakistan into darkness and
illiteracy.”
The university attack was claimed by a faction
of the Taliban, with its commander Khalifa Umar
Mansoor calling schools “nurseries” for people who
challenge Allah’s law.
He said in a video last month that instead of
targeting professional soldiers, “we will target the
nurseries that produce these people”.Elsewhere on
Monday a soldier was killed and another wounded
by an improvised explosive device in the South
Waziristan tribal region, bordering Afghanistan.
A security official said the soldiers were
sweeping the area for IEDs so a military convoy
could pass when one exploded.
Pakistan has been fighting a homegrown
Islamist insurgency since 2004, when militants
displaced by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan
began a campaign in border tribal areas.
Three years later the umbrella Pakistani Taliban
group was formed.
Overall levels of violence have fallen since
a concerted military push against the Taliban’s
bases began in 2014, and last year saw the fewest
casualties among civilians and security forces since
2007.
But the threat of attacks, particularly on “soft
targets” like schools, remains.
— Agencies
SCARS OF INVASION
Lanka president
seeks to regain
EU relief on
garment exports
Afghan children play on the remains of a Soviet-era armored personnel carrier on the outskirts of Jalalabad on Monday. Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan on
February 15, 1989, after ten years of fighting against Mujahidin militiamen. — AFP
More than 160 trafficked Nepalis rescued by India
SILIGURI: Law enforcement agencies
in northern India have rescued at least
160 Nepalis trafficked across the border
since two powerful earthquakes struck
last year, a senior Indian official said.
The twin quakes in April and
May killed more than 8,800 people
and injured tens of thousands in the
impoverished Himalayan nation.
Around two million were left
homeless.Following aid agency warnings
that human traffickers could prey on
vulnerable survivors in the aftermath
of disasters, authorities in India’s Uttar
Pradesh state passed an order directing
areas bordering Nepal to be vigilant.
“The day the earthquake happened,
I went to my office and issued a
FIGHT ON TWO FRONTS
A health worker administers polio drops to a child during a vaccination campaign in Quetta
on Monday. Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world where polio remains endemic
but years of efforts to stamp it out have been badly hit by reluctance from parents, opposition
from militants and attacks on immunisation teams. — AFP
sensitisation letter to all the district
magistrates and superintendents of
police in all the seven districts which
border Nepal,” Kamal Saksena, home
secretary for Uttar Pradesh state,said.
“Then
we
conducted
video
conferences with all of them and asked
people from all the relevant ministries
such as women and child and labour
and other departments to all attend
so that there was communication and
coordination.”
Trafficking was rife in Nepal even
before the earthquakes, with an
estimated 12,000 Nepalese children
trafficked to India every year, according
to a 2001 International Labour
Organisation study.
— Reuters
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena visits Germany on
Monday, seeking political support in a
fight to reinstate a trade concession for
garment exports, the government said,
after the European Union abolished
the measure six years ago.
With annual exports of around
$5 billion, the Sri Lankan industry
produces garments for some of the
world’s most popular brands, such
as Victoria’s Secret, Tommy Hilfiger,
Nike, and Marks and Spencer.
The tax waiver, known as the
Generalised Scheme of Preferences
(GSP) Plus, had helped boost Sri
Lanka’s garment exports, before it
was withdrawn over the previous
administration’s failure to tackle
human rights concerns stemming
from a civil war that ended in 2009.
Sirisena, who took office last year,
has pledged an impartial investigation
into alleged atrocities in the final stages
of the war with Tamil separatists, in
line with a United Nations resolution.
Finance
Minister
Ravi
Karunanayake said Sirisena would try
to win backing for the effort to reinstate
the trade concession during his trip to
Germany, which also includes a visit
to neighbouring Austria. “We will be
calling for the Germans’ help, trying
to get the European Union to accept
that,” the minister said.
— Reuters
The tax waiver was
withdrawn over the
previous govt’s failure
to tackle rights concerns
stemming from a civil war
that ended in 2009.
Google’s Project Loon enters Sri Lanka for Internet tests
COLOMBO: Google’s balloon-powered high-speed
Internet service known as “Project Loon” began
its first tests in Sri Lanka on Monday ahead of a
planned joint venture with Colombo, the country’s
top IT official said.
One of three balloons that will be used in the
trials entered Sri Lankan airspace on Monday,
the Information and Communication Technology
Agency chief Muhunthan Canagey said.
“The first balloon entered our airspace this
morning. It was launched from South America.”
Canagey said.”It is currently over southern Sri
Lanka.”
He said a Google team was expected later this
week to test flight controls, spectrum efficiency
and other technical matters.
The government announced earlier this month
it would take a 25 per cent stake in a joint venture
with Google to deliver a high-speed Internet
service powered by helium-filled balloons.
Sri Lanka is not investing any capital, but will
take the stake in return for allocating spectrum
for the project. A further 10 per cent of the joint
venture would be offered to existing telephone
service providers on the island.
It promises to extend coverage and cheaper
rates for data services.
Service providers will be able to access higher
speeds and improve the quality of their existing
service once the balloon project is up and running.
The balloons, once in the stratosphere, will be
twice as high as commercial airliners and barely
visible to the naked eye. The balloons will have a
lifespan of about 180 days, but can be recycled,
according to Sri Lankan officials involved in the
venture.
Official figures show there are 3.3 million
mobile Internet connections and 630,000 fixed line
Internet subscribers among Sri Lanka’s more than
20 million population. Sri Lanka became the first
country in South Asia to introduce mobile phones
in 1989 and the first to roll out a 3G network in
2004. It was also the first in the region to unveil a
— AFP
4G network two years ago.
8
ANALYSIS
omandailyobserver
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
IT’S EU’S LOSS IF UK
LEAVES THE BLOC
E
lder statesmen who built and shaped the European Union have a clear message
for Britain as it prepares for a referendum on whether to stay in the bloc: “We love
you. Don’t leave us now.”
Valery Giscard d’Estaing, father of the European Monetary System that was the
forerunner of the euro single currency, said that despite its long-standing semidetached approach to Europe, keeping Britain in was well worth the trouble.
“I strongly hope they stay,” the former French president, who turned 90 on
February 2, said in an interview in Paris.
Giscard took office a year after Britain joined the European Economic
Community in 1973 and, despite building close relations with then West Germany,
he has always been an Anglophile.
“Britain has an ancient and very brilliant history, the good citizenship of its
population, an old and deeply authentic democratic tradition and expertise in
international trade,” the veteran centre-right statesman said.
Europe was perfectly able to accommodate
a member state that wanted to be in the big
Europe was perfectly
single market but did not wish to join the euro
or be drawn into closer political union with able to accommodate
continental powers, Giscard said.
a member state that
Etienne Davignon, 83, the Belgian
wanted to be in the
statesman and business leader who served
in the European Commission under its only big single market but
British president, Roy Jenkins, said the EU did not wish to join
could adapt its structure to allow the euro
the euro or be drawn
zone to integrate further while keeping Britain
into closer political
in the EU’s single market.
“This is not an impossible question to union, reports
resolve: how you go further without harming
PAUL TAYLOR
those who are left behind,” Davignon said in a
separate interview in Brussels.
“This is a legal organisation and it’s perfectly
possible to organise this.”
The former Commission vice-president, who restructured and modernised
Europe’s steel industry in the 1980s, said Britain had made a major contribution
to the EU by promoting the development of the single market and free trade.
“Britain is an honest member. What is decided they implement. What they
don’t like, they argue on,” Davignon said.
Both statesmen said a British vote to leave the EU in a referendum expected as
early as June would be a lose-lose proposition for all sides.
Giscard, who has met every British leader from Edward Heath — the only one
he described as a “true European” — to David Cameron, said geography dictated
the nature of Britain’s ties with continental Europe.
“From the outset, Britain positioned itself somewhat at a tangent to the
European system,” he said. “The current efforts by David Cameron’s government
run along the same lines.”
Most of the issues that the Conservative British leader was trying to address
in a renegotiation of membership terms, due to culminate in an agreement
at a Brussels summit later this week, were “false problems” that could easily
be settled, he said.
For example, the EU had recognised since the 1991 Maastricht treaty that the
objective of “ever closer union” did not mean Britain would have to join the single
currency.
It was Britain that had chosen to admit European migrant workers as soon as
the bloc enlarged in 2004, and London could amend its welfare laws if it wanted
to change the benefits they receive, he argued.
As for Britain’s fear that the City of London financial centre could have
regulation imposed on it by the euro zone, he said: “The problem doesn’t arise
in reality because euro zone countries have no intention of regulating non-euro
countries.”
The only “red line” in any deal should be that Britain and other outsiders are
not allowed a right of prior approval on the closer integration of the euro zone,
Giscard said.
At a time of global political disorder and instability around Europe’s borders in
the Middle East and Africa, a British exit from the EU would spread disorder into
Europe, dealing a blow to the standing of the bloc and its single currency.
It would also damage British economic interests, he said.
“London’s prosperity is very much built on its financial activity, and breaking
or weakening that link would certainly have a negative effect on the prosperity of
London as well,” Giscard said.
Deal or no deal on oil output
W
Sherman Kent, the father of modern intelligence
ill Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia reach a deal to boost
oil prices by cutting production? is precisely the sort of analysis, even tried to map the terms used in common
forecasting challenge tackled in Philip Tetlock’s book on writing by analysts into numerical probabilities.
Kent’s efforts were never entirely accepted but have
“Superforecasting”.
I have no idea if Tetlock and his colleagues have put this powerfully shaped the way in which intelligence analysts
particular question to the panel of forecasters assembled think about and express their forecasts.
The best forecasts express likelihood and uncertainty
by the Good Judgment Project but their views would be
in percentage terms so their accuracy can be
fascinating.
The question of whether there will be a deal has polarised evaluated after the fact and the forecasting process has
opinion among oil analysts, traders and journalists, all of improved over time.
Expressing forecasts in percentage terms becomes
whom can cite reasons why an agreement will or will not
particularly important when the probability is likely to
be reached.
Passions run high on the subject and perspectives are change over time in response to unfolding events.
Good forecasts are regularly reviewed and updated in
becoming increasingly entrenched, which should make a
the light of new information that confirms
neutral observer cautious about whether
or contradicts the original assessment.
the professional forecasters are becoming
Any deal between
Any production-cutting deal between
overconfident.
Opec and non-Opec
Opec and non-Opec countries could
Like all forecasts in politics,
economics and international relations,
countries could have have a significant impact on oil prices if
it were perceived as credible.
any prediction about whether there will
a significant impact
So the probability of a deal must
be a deal must be probabilistic.
on oil prices if it were therefore weigh heavily in any forecast for
There is no clear answer.
There must be some chance of a
perceived as credible, oil prices even if the likelihood remains
only 5 per cent, 10 per cent or 20 per cent.
deal happening, however slim, so the
writes JOHN KEMP
The problem is that most major
probability must be greater than zero, but
commentators have avoided issuing a
it is not certain to occur, so the probability
forecast in percentage terms, making it
must be less than one.
Most of the expert commentary at the moment employs hard to assess the consequences and accuracy.
Percentage forecasts would enable traders, investors and
phrases such as “unlikely”, “highly unlikely” or “remains
policymakers to understand how the forecast changes over
improbable” to convey the low probability of a deal.
The problem is that these words, common in everyday time in response to comments from key participants and
speech, can convey widely different estimates about the incoming data on supply, demand and stocks.
If crude oil stocks around the world continue climbing,
probability of an event happening.
Does unlikely correspond to a probability of less than does that make a production-cutting deal more or less
50 per cent, less than 40 per cent, less than 30 per cent or likely, and if so by how much?
If US shale output starts to fall more quickly, does that
something else? What do highly unlikely and improbable
increase or reduce the chance of a production-cutting deal?
actually mean?
If Russia’s economy slows more than expected, or Saudi
The US intelligence community has been grappling
ambiguity in the way ordinary language is used to express Arabia’s reserves fall faster than expected, what does that
do to the prospect of a deal?
probability for over 50 years.
In Syrian war, Russian strategists enjoy a bigger role
W
hile Russian fighter planes pound rebel
positions on the battlefield in Syria,
Russian military strategists are playing
a far more subtle role in support of the
Syrian president.
Several sources — on both sides of
the battle lines — have told in interviews
conducted over the past two months that
Russian advisers have been involved in
drawing up plans to secure Damascus.
Those interviewed, including nonSyrian military officials fighting alongside
Syrian forces, said Russia’s plans to buttress
Damascus involve weakening rebel forces
in the south of the country between the
capital and Jordan.
The aim is to reduce the rebels’ chances
of launching a major offensive. The
Russian Defence Ministry did not respond
to written questions for this article.
Russia has said it has no ground troops
in Syria beyond those protecting its bases.
Russia does concede it has trainers and
advisers on the ground, but only in an
educational and advisory capacity.
Russia’s influence in military planning
is already evident, rebel fighters and the
non-Syrian military officials say.
They say Russian experts played a
major role in a Syrian army offensive at
the turn of the year in the western coastal
province of Latakia.
That offensive helped pave the way
for the Syrian army to push towards the
Turkish border, cutting the insurgents’
supply lines from Turkey.
The extent of Russian involvement on
the battlefield is disputed, however.
Two military officials, neither of
them Syrian but both fighting alongside
the Syrian army, said Russian officers
and military experts had helped in the
planning and directed the offensive in
Latakia. According to their account, the
Russians were in charge of artillery fire
and provided artillery cover, not just air
strikes. “The coast battle was theirs,” said
one of the sources.
A Syrian military source, speaking on
condition of anonymity in Damascus last
week, said the Russians were partners, but
he denied they had a leadership role.
“The Russian role in participation,
in planning and executing military
operations is being reinforced all the time.
It is participation, not management,”
Russia said it has no ground
troops in Syria beyond those
protecting its bases and does
concede it has trainers and
advisers on the ground, but
only in an advisory capacity,
notes MARIAM KAROUNY
said the source.
“The Russians take part in the ground
and air planning, but at the end, the Syrian
officers are the ones who know the land,
the fronts, the geography better.”
Insurgents interviewed, including a
local commander from the Ahrar al Sham
group, also said that Russian troops took
part in the fighting.
Moscow says that its main goal in Syria
is to target hardline groups which pose a
global threat, including to Russia.
IS commander Abu Omar al Shishani
is a Chechen. He is believed to be leading
thousands of fighters most of them from
Chechnya and Central Asia.
Pro-government sources say the
Russian role has expanded to include
facilitating local ceasefires in rebel-held
areas around Damascus, with the aim of
creating a secure buffer around the capital.
Syrian
Minister
of
National
Reconciliation Ali Haidar described the
process as purely Syrian even if there had
at times been Russian help.
“The truth is that since the presence of
the Russians on Syrian land, they can play
the role of mediator in some areas,” he said
at his offices in Damascus. “The Russians
make contact (with militants) when they
can, of course — in Douma and other
areas,” he said, in reference to an area east
of Damascus.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev reacts as he attends the Munich
Security Conference in Munich, Germany, last Saturday.
— AFP
ANALYSIS
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
omandailyobserver
9
Everyone needs to keep Muscat clean and litter free
F
ALI AHMED AL RIYAMI
aliriyami1@live.com
or everyone living, residing and visiting Oman’s
capital area, it is apparent that great efforts have
been exerted by the Muscat Municipality and
other authorities concerned to keep the city
clean and tidy.
It is thanks to these efforts that every
populated area of the city has its own park,
where children can play and where people
can take a gentle stroll around these well kept,
attractive gardens.
Along the coastal areas as well, in Seeb,
Athaiba, Shatti Al Qurum and Muttrah, beautiful
seafront esplanades have been constructed,
together with shaded areas, fisherman huts and
other facilities.
Unfortunately, complaints have been
received about the mess being left behind
at these places (especially at the popular
Shatti Al Qurum seafront area and beach) by
litterbugs and pet dogs — where they have
failed to use the waste bins provided and where
dog owners do not scoop up and properly
dispose of their pet dog’s excrement, a health risk
and leave the area without proper disposal of
especially for children playing in the vicinity.
These are clear and unnecessary violations their leftovers.
It doesn’t take much effort to pack all leftover
of the civility expected of anyone making use
items in a disposable bag
of these and other public
and then later dispose
facilities, even though there
of it in a waste bin, if
have been a number of
their are none available
public and private campaigns
It is thanks to these
at
the visited location
conducted specifically to
efforts that every
— the same is the case
combat these bad habits.
populated area of the
wherever anyone wanders
There is visible, clear proof
or travels to.
that the campaigns have
city has its own park,
There have been a
worked in controlling and
where children can
number of publicised beach
eliminating desecration and
play and where people clean up campaigns, where
vandalisation of public areas
and utilities.
can take a gentle stroll groups of volunteers have
They have not, however,
around these well kept, been organised especially
for this purpose.
worked in preventing people
attractive gardens.
Some have even gone
from littering and despoiling
as far as campaigning
picturesque
places
and
all around the country,
landscapes.
in schools and colleges,
Even in secluded areas of
natural beauty that attract foreign tourists, some to pass on the message that it is not cool to
visitors are lax in observing common manners spoil beautiful beachfronts, and other
areas, by littering them.
The aim is, to make them and the
public at large more aware and to stop and
prevent youngsters from picking up these bad
habits.
The clean up campaigns also targets adults
who have already picked up these bad habits.
As noted, this type of pollution is not limited
to the land, at sea, also, discarded plastic bags,
glass products, fishing nets and other items,
cause much distress to marine life, which could
otherwise quite easily be prevented.
With some of the carelessly discarded items
being non-degradable, they accumulate to cause
much pollution to the world’s oceans, seas and
waterways.
It is in everyone’s interest to keep the
environment and the neighbourhoods they
live in as clean and as free from pollution
as possible; just as we work to keep our
own homes clean and tidy, we have to
ensure that the same applies to public, coastal
and marine areas as well.
GROWING CLOUT
HÉCTOR VELASCO
S
Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush (L) and Ted Cruz (R) during a debate in Greenville, South Carolina.
purned for decades by Western powers, Cuba is now taking an ever
bigger role in international relations.
Havana hosted a historic meeting between the heads of the Catholic
and Russian Orthodox churches last Friday.
Cuba’s President Raul Castro, 84, witnessed their kiss and embrace.
Those talks were significant in the context of tension between
Cuba’s old ally Russia and the West over the conflicts in Syria and
Ukraine.
The communist state’s neutral status under its atheist leader Raul
Castro was seen as key to it hosting those talks.
Meanwhile for three years Cuba has been hosting peace negotiations
to end Latin America’s last armed conflict, between the Colombian
government and the leftist Farc rebels. Both sides have vowed to sign a
peace deal by March 23 to end half a century of conflict.
Cuba restored diplomatic relations with the United States last year,
and foreign businessmen have been flocking to Cuba since.
The 1962 US trade embargo on the island has yet to be lifted, but
Cuba’s international profile has already risen.
Raul Castro received state honors this month on a visit to France.
“From being a state isolated in the western hemisphere, focused on
revolutionising the international system, Cuba has come to enjoy the
image of a country in transformation, in cooperation and dialogue
with world powers,” said Arturo Lopez-Levy, a Cuban political
scientist at the University of Texas — Rio Grande Valley.
“Various established powers such as the Colombian government
and the Vatican want to take advantage of Cuba’s credentials with their
opponents, such as the Farc or the Kremlin.”
Raul Castro took over the leadership from his brother Fidel in 2006
and was formally made president in 2008.
The Castros are traditional allies of fellow Latin American rebel
movements that date back to the 1960s, such as the Farc. Now those
ties could pay off for Cuba’s image if it plays midwife to a historic peace
deal this year.
More globally, the encounter between Pope Francis and Russian
Orthodox Patriarch Kirill was the first meeting between the heads of
their two branches of the church in nearly a thousand years, following
the great schism of 1054.
The two church leaders in their joint declaration hailed the host
country as “a crossroads between north and south, east and west.”
“If it carries on like this, Cuba will become the capital of unity,” said
Francis. He himself played a key role in Havana’s rapprochement with
Washington. International affairs analyst Brian Fonseca of the Jack
Gordon Institute in Florida, said Cuba has thus become “the scene of
two events of enormous global importance.”
— AFP
Republican slugfest overshadows policy talk
T
he Republican presidential race veered into
vicious personal attacks on Saturday as
White House hopefuls brawled in their latest
debate, with frontrunner Donald Trump
and Jeb Bush locking horns in some of the
campaign’s most pointed clashes to date.
The showdown, the ninth of the monthslong battle for the Republican nomination,
began with a respectful moment of silence
for iconic conservative US Supreme Court
justice Antonin Scalia who died suddenly
earlier in the day.
But with a primary just one week away
in South Carolina, a state where national
politics often gets dragged into the mud, the
debate in Greenville quickly turned nasty
and divisive, with billionaire Trump, former
Florida governor Bush, and Senator Ted
Cruz exchanging heated verbal blows.
“You are the single biggest liar,”
Trump told Cruz when the Texas senator
challenged him on his previous support for
liberal policies.
Trump, visibly irritated, repeatedly
interrupted his rivals, especially Bush, whose
momentum he is seeking to blunt in a state
where his dynastic family remains popular.
He went after Bush on foreign policy and
immigration, and lambasted Jeb’s brother
president George W Bush’s war in Iraq as “a
big fat mistake.”
He even said Jeb’s mother should have
been the 2016 Bush candidate instead of her
son. “Jeb is so wrong,” Trump sneered, to
loud boos from the audience.
Bush parried back, hitting Trump’s
suggestion he could work with Russia to
combat the IS group in Syria and Iraq, and
saying the real estate magnate gets his foreign
policy advice from “the shows,” referring to
weekly Sunday morning talk shows.
“While Donald Trump was building a
reality TV show, my brother was building a
security apparatus to keep us safe.
And I’m proud of what he did,” Bush
fumed. “The World Trade Center came
down during your brother’s reign,” Trump
shot back. “Remember that.”
It was an extraordinary back and forth
on the national stage, with candidates
often ignoring the moderators and going
after each other in perhaps the most
aggressive exchanges of the nine Republican
debates to date.
“We’re in danger of driving this into the
dirt,” one of the CBS debate moderators said
at one point.
With the first two nomination contests
in Iowa and New Hampshire under their
collective belt, the candidates vying to be
their party’s standardbearer are blanketing
the so-called Palmetto State known for its
bare-knuckle politics.
Cruz won Iowa, with Trump finishing an
embarrassing second after proclaiming for
weeks he would win.
But The Donald bounced back to win
New Hampshire, and holds a substantial
lead in South Carolina.
The state holds its Republican primary
February 20, the same day Democrats vote
in Nevada for either Hillary Clinton or
Bernie Sanders.
Trump, whose insurgent campaign has
turned the presidential race on its head,
Trump, visibly irritated,
repeatedly interrupted his
rivals, especially Bush, whose
momentum he is seeking
to blunt in a state where his
family remains popular,
reports OLIVIA HAMPTON
last Friday made legal threats against his
nearest rival Cruz, who was born in Canada,
claiming the latter is not a “natural born
citizen” and therefore unqualified to run for
president.
But the most memorable clashes
on Saturday were between Trump and
Bush, who has stepped up his aggressive
campaigning and criticism of Trump.
John Kasich, who placed an impressive
second in New Hampshire, has sought
to keep his head above water in the more
conservative, more evangelical South
Carolina. On the debate stage he steered
clear of the daggers.
“I don’t want to get into all this fighting
tonight because people are frankly sick of
the negative campaigning,” he said.
The broad Republican field has narrowed
to six candidates, including retired
neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
Meanwhile, campaigns and their
supporters have saturated South Carolina’s
airwaves with negative advertising, including
a harsh takedown of Trump by a pro-Bush
group that criticised Trump for denigrating
women, associating with the Clintons and
for insulting decorated war heroes.
Despite the feuding, the Republican
hopefuls came together as one to oppose
President Barack Obama nominating a
successor to Scalia on the Supreme Court.
To a man, they said it was vital that
Obama not be allowed to fill Scalia’s
vacant seat, arguing it was too close to the
November 2016 election for him to exert
that authority.
Rubio, seeking a breakout moment after
fizzling in New Hampshire, said Obama
should not move to fill Scalia’s seat, noting
lame duck presidents in their final year
in office have not had a Supreme Court
nominee confirmed for decades.
ESTABLISHED ON 15 NOVEMBER 1981
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10
INDIA
omandailyobserver
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
Court upholds army’s ‘command and exit’ policy
PROMOTION: The apex court tells govt to create 141 colonel posts for combat support arms air defence artillery, engineers and signal corps
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on
Monday upheld the Indian Army’s “command
and exit” policy giving priority to infantry and
artillery for promotion as colonel, as it asked
the government to create another 141 colonel
posts for the combat support arms air defence
artillery, engineers and signal corps.
“There is nothing perverse, unreasonable or
unfair about the policy that the age of officers
serving in combat arms and combat arms
support will be lowered by creating additional
vacancies to be allotted on Command Exit
Model,” said the bench of Chief Justice T S
Thakur and Justice Kurian Joseph.
Upholding the policy, the court said the
Centre “shall create 141 additional posts of
colonel to be allocated to ‘Combat Support’
stream for being utilised by appointing officers
who are eligible for promotions against the
same as in the year 2009 over a period of 5
years till 2014”.
The court also set aside the Armed Forces
Tribunal’s (AFT) March 2, 2015, decision
quashing the January 21, 2009, order. The
Centre had moved the apex court challenging
the ATF order.
Rejecting the argument of “legitimate
expectation” advanced by some of the officers
from the Service Stream of the army who had
challenged the “command and exit” policy,
Chief Justice Thakur said there was no “real
basis” to contend that “any additional vacancies
created to lower age profile of commanding
officers serving in Combat Arms or Combat
Arms Support shall also benefit those serving
in the Service Streams of the Army”.
“There is also no basis for the contention
that a legitimate expectation arose in the
MoUs for making jets,
choppers signed
minds of the respondents (officers from service
stream) that they shall be promoted to the next
rank simultaneously with the officers serving
in Combat Arms or Combat Arms Support,”
the court said.
That apart, the court said, the “legitimate
expectation as an argument cannot prevail over
a policy introduced by the government which
does not suffer from any perversity, unfairness
or unreasonableness or which does not violate
any fundamental or other enforceable rights
vested” in the officers from service stream.
Holding that the “command and exit”
policy that does not suffer from any “perversity,
unreasonableness or unfairness” and which is
otherwise “laudable” and intended to render
the “Indian Army more efficient and better
equipped for combat situations”, the court said
it could not “unsettle or undo” it merely on the
grounds of legitimate expectations.
Having rejected the argument of “legitimate
expectation”, the court said: “It also is not a
case where no reasonable person could have
taken the decision which the government
have taken as regards the need for lowering
the age profile of the commanding officers or
their exit after two-and-half to three years to
occupy positions which the government have
created for the officers to occupy till they are
considered for promotion to the next higher
rank”.
The court set aside the order of the AFT
Leopard that injured 5 escapes from zoo
BENGALURU: A male leopard which
injured five people in Bengaluru
earlier this month has escaped from
a zoo, sparking a frantic search for
the big cat, wildlife officials said on
Monday.
The 45 kilogram feline squeezed
out of the narrow bars of an iron cage
at the Bannerghatta zoo in Bengaluru
city late on Sunday, the chief wildlife
warden of the state Ravi Ralph said.
“About 50 officials divided into
six teams have been scouring for the
leopard in and around the zoo and
trying to trace where it has escaped by
following its pug (paw) marks,” Ralph
said.
He added an inquiry was under
way to find out how the leopard
managed to escape from captivity.
The zoo does not have CCTV
cameras and officials were worried the
leopard might have sneaked into an
adjacent national park which spread
Officials from the Bannerghatta National Park inspect the enclosure at the animal
rescue centre where a leopard, which was recently captured, was housed until it
escaped, scaling a 20 ft enclosure fence, at the Bannerghatta National Park on
Monday. — AFP
over 202 hectares.
“Even in the cage, the feline was
restless and appeared agitated. We are
hoping to trap it again soon within the
park limits, as it would not have gone
too far,” Ralph said.
Earlier this month, the leopard hit
the headlines after photos in Bangalore
showed the animal prowling around
a closed school and trying to maul
forestry officials, a wildlife activist and
others who came too close. — AFP
which had, while quashing the January 2009
“command and exit” policy, held that it was
weighed in favour of infantry, mechanised
infantry and the armoured corps in combat
area. The policy was brought to have a younger
profile of the command structure in the field
as it was felt that during the Kargil war, the
response of the army was “sluggish”.
The thrust of the “command and exit”
policy, which earmarked more posts of
colonel for the armed wing of the army —
infantry, mechanised infantry, armoured
corps and artillery — so that they may have a
commanding officer at the age of 37 years and
exiting after two-and-half-year tenure with no
repeat appointment. — IANS
FAREWELL TO THE
MARTYRS
Siachen soldiers’ bodies flown to
Delhi, sent to their home states
NEW DELHI: The bodies of nine Indian
soldiers buried alive in an avalanche on
the Siachen glacier on February 3 were on
Monday flown in here from the frontier
Ladakh region.
The bodies were later flown in
IAF planes to Pune, Bengaluru,
Hyderabad, Madurai, Chennai and
Thiruvananthapuram, for sending them
to the native villages of the deceased
soldiers.
After a C130J Indian Air Force
aircraft carrying the bodies of the
soldiers touched down at Palam airport
here, Minister of State for Defence Rao
Inderjit Singh and Army Chief General
Dalbir Singh were among those who laid
wreaths on the coffins to pay their last
respects.
Ten soldiers were buried under
nearly 30 feet of ice and snow when the
avalanche hit the Sonam Post on the
Siachen glacier at an altitude of around
20,000 feet.
Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad
was the only one found alive even though
he was trapped under the snow for about
six days. He succumbed to multi-organ
failure at the Army Hospital Research
and Referral in New Delhi on Thursday.
Koppad was cremated in his home town
in Karnataka on Friday. The bodies of the
remaining nine soldiers were retrieved a
week after the tragedy.
However, bad weather in the region
hindered the process of flying the bodies
out of Ladakh. The coffins were finally
flown out of Siachen to the base camp on
Saturday, but could be flown to Leh only
on Sunday.
It was the 15th straight month since November 2014 that deflationary pressure persisted
Wholesale inflation marginally down in Jan
NEW DELHI: Seasonal softening in food
prices and a sharp drop in fuel costs helped
India’s annual wholesale rate of inflation
decline marginally to (-)0.90 per cent for
January from (-)0.73 per cent for the month
before, official data showed on Monday.
The annual inflation, however, stood
higher at (-)0.95 per cent during January
2015.
In reaction, India Inc called for
government measures to revive demand and
industrial growth.
It was the 15th straight month since
November 2014 that deflationary pressure
persisted and wholesale inflation has
remained in the negative zone.
As per the wholesale price index numbers
released by the ministry of commerce and
industry, though the annual food inflation
declined, it was still high at 6.02 per cent,
against 8.17 per cent in the month before,
with pulses dearer by 44.91 per cent and
vegetables up 12.52 per cent. Potato prices
were down 17.08 per cent.
The annual inflation rates of other major
categories such as fuels and manufactured
products remained in the negative at (-)9.21
per cent and (-)1.17 per cent respectively.
India’s overall retail prices too have been
rising. Annual retail inflation climbed to 5.69
per cent in January from 5.61 per cent in the
month before, data on the consumer price
index (CPI) showed last week.
Food inflation, or CFPI, during the month,
ruled higher at 6.85 per cent, as compared
with 6.4 per cent in December 2015 and 6.14
per cent in January 2015.
While rural retail inflation in January
was 6.48 per cent, the urban CPI came in
MUMBAI: The defence ministry on Monday signed 40-50
MoUs with many global players, including manufacturers
of jet aircraft and helicopters, as part of the ongoing
‘Make In India Week’ here, Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar said.
The production of helicopters and jet aircraft in
the country will create employment opportunities for
around 100,000 skilled workers, he said at the ministry’s
pavilion.
“The ministry has addressed procedural bottlenecks
and 70 per cent of licence requirements have been done
away with, while the new defence procurement policy
will be announced next month and become effective
from April 2,” Parrikar told mediapersons.
The minister said public sector undertakings in the
defence sector have seen their exports rise two times
and this was set to rise further as they plan to double
their production capacities and earmark 10 per cent
solely for exports.
“We will have a new category — ‘indigenously
designed, developed and manufactured’ — as the
most preferred category for procurement. It will boost
domestic private and small scale industry,” he said.
He said the Akash misile was now 90 per cent
indigenously designed and developed, while the
next variant of the missile was in advanced stages of
development. The Indian Air Force will buy 100 Light
Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, which was developed in the
country, he said.
All these initiatives under the ‘Make In India’ initiative
will take the country’s economic growth to unimaginable
heights from the current levels of 7.0-7.5 per cent and
the government promises to make the defence market
more lucrative for the Indian industry. — IANS
appreciably lower at 4.81 per cent.
The retail inflation in January was mainly
driven up by higher food costs. The inflation
in food and beverages during the month was
6.66 per cent.
As per Monday’s data on wholesale prices,
the annual inflation for pulses in general
eased to 44.91 per cent, and for onions to 5.51
per cent.
The Reserve Bank of India has set a 6 per
cent retail inflation target for January 2016.
Presenting the first bi-monthly monetary
policy statement for this fiscal in April last
year, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said the
CPI inflation would hover around 5 per cent
in the first half of the fiscal, and a little above
5.5 per cent in the second half.
Commenting on the data, the Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(Ficci) said the persistence of deflationary
conditions reflected continued moderation in
demand.
“This, combined with two consecutive
months of negative IIP growth, point towards
strain in industrial activity,” Ficci Secretary
General A Didar Singh said in a statement
here.
“The government should not shy away
from recalibrating the fiscal deficit target in
order to push public investments with a view
to add productive capacity to the economy,”
he said.
“Considering that inflation is within
the target level of the government and the
RBI, focus of policymakers should now
shift to revive GDP and industrial growth,”
the Associated Chambers of Commerce
and Industry of India (Assocham) said in a
statement here. — IANS
The nine soldiers who died in the
avalanche are Subedar Nagesha TT of
village Tejur, Hassan district, Karnataka;
Havaldar Elum Alai M of village
Dukkam Parai, Vellore district, Tamil
Nadu; Lance Havildar S. Kumar of
village Kumanan Thozhu, Teni district,
Tamil Nadu; Lance Naik Sudheesh B of
village Monroethuruth, Kollam district,
Kerala; Sepoy Mahesha P N of village HD
Kote, Mysore district, Karnataka; Sepoy
Ganesan G of village Chokkathevan Patti,
Madurai district, Tamil Nadu; Sepoy
Rama Moorthy N of village Gudisatana
Palli, Krishna Giri district, Tamil Nadu;
Sepoy Mustaq Ahmed S of village
Parnapalle, Kurnool district, Andhra
Pradesh; and Sepoy (Nursing Assistant)
Suryawanshi S V of village Maskarwadi,
Satara district, Maharashtra. — IANS
3 schoolchildren
run over by lorry
KOLKATA: Three schoolchildren were killed and another
injured when they were run over by a lorry in West Bengal’s
North 24 Parganas district on Monday, police said.
The incident sparked off violence as angry locals put up
a road blockade and when police arrived, two of their jeeps
were torched. One police firearm was set afire and a traffic
police constable was kept confined and thrashed. Three-four
policemen were injured in the violence.
The speeding lorry crushed the children, aged 5-8 years, at
Mathkol on Belgharia expressway where they were waiting for
a bus. Three of the victims died on the spot, while the fourth
was battling for his life in a hospital.
Police removed the road block after additional
reinforcement came from Belgharia and Dum Dum police
stations. The Rapid Action Force was also deployed.
“We have got information about four children. Three have
died. One is injured. Police are tying to find out if there were
more victims,” said Barrackpore police commissioner Neeraj
Kumar Singh. He said three-four police personnel sustained
injuries in the following violence.
“We will take action as per law. The accident will be
investigated properly. The lorry driver is now under detention.
He will be arrested. A mechanical test will be carried out on
the seized lorry. The violence will also be probed,” he said.
The deputy commissioner (detective department) has been
asked to conduct an inquiry.
The protesters said tempers shot up after police canecharged the locals. Police, however, denied having made any
cane charge. The locals said the lorry — filled with sand — was
travelling at breakneck speed to avoid a chasing police vehicle.
“Police regularly stops lorries and trucks on the expressway
to demand money. The lorry driver was trying to escape
police, one of whose jeeps was on the lorry’s trail,” claimed a
witness. — IANS
INDIA
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
omandailyobserver
Journalists, students attacked in court
IN BRIEF
Mysuru again
tops list of
cleanest cities
BJP, CONGRESS SPAR OVER JNU: Amit Shah accuses Rahul of ‘supporting forces inimical to India’s interests’
NEW DELHI: The BJP and the Congress
on Monday attacked each other on the
Jawaharlal Nehru University incidents
even as a few journalists were beaten up
by certain lawyers in Patiala House court
complex here.
In a blog, Bharatiya Janata Party
president Amit Shah attacked Congress
vice-president Rahul Gandhi, accusing
him of “supporting forces inimical to
India’s interests”. The Congress hit back
by invoking Mahatma Gandhi and his
assassin Nathuram Godse.
Shah wondered if the Congress leader
had “lent his voice to the separatists”.
Congress leader Randeep Singh
Surjewala said his party did not need
lessons in patriotism from those “who
are inheritors of the thought process of
Nathuram Godse”.
The arrest of Jawaharlal University
Students’ Union president Kanhaiya
Kumar on sedition charges continued
to evoke condemnation from the
opposition parties. Bihar Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar said in Patna that the
central government had “framed” him.
Communist Party of India-Marxist
leader Prakash Karat visited the JNU
campus on Monday and said the party
did not accept the central government’s
definition of nationalism.
The JNU has been on the boil over
the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday.
The controversy began when some JNU
students organised a meet on February 9
to mark the anniversaries of executions
of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru
CPM leader Prakash Karat addresses students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) during a protest inside the university
campus in New Delhi on Monday. — Reuters
and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
co-founder Maqbool Bhat. Anti-India
slogans were reportedly raised at the
gathering.
Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi
said on Monday that Kanhaiya Kumar
had joined the meeting on the campus
where anti-national slogans were raised
and he also raised slogans.
Kanhiaya Kumar, who belongs to
the CPI-affiliated All India Students
Federation (AISF), has denied the charge.
At least four of a group of journalists
gathered at the Patiala House court on
Monday afternoon to cover Kanhaiya
Kumar’s court production were assaulted
by a section of lawyers, witnesses said.
IANS reporter Amiya Kumar
Kushwaha was slapped inside a
courtroom while some other journalists
were attacked on the court premises by
lawyers shouting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’
slogans.
Indian Express reporter Alok Singh
said that he and a group of journalists
were standing outside the courtroom
when some lawyers began thrashing
JNU students and media persons present
there, including Amit Pandey of IBN7
and Manu Shankar of Kairali TV.
Journalists also saw O P Sharma, one
of the three BJP legislators in the Delhi
assembly, allegedly chasing and hitting a
JNU student outside the court.
Earlier, scuffles broke out as lawyers
shouting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ ordered
JNU students and journalists out of the
courtroom as well as the court premises.
No reasons were assigned.
Some JNU students said that lawyers
shouting ‘Long Live India, Down with
JNU’ physically forced them out of the
court premises.
The violence took place despite a big
police presence in the court complex in
the heart of the capital.
Shah said Rahul Gandhi should
apologise “to the nation for his support
to forces inimical to India’s interests”.
“No citizen can accept that a terrorist
is favoured and anti-India slogans raised
at a prestigious university,” Shah said.
“But the kind of statements Rahul
Gandhi and his party colleagues have
delivered at the campus proves there
is no place for national interest in their
thinking.”
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra
Modi had succeeded in controlling “antinational sentiments in Kashmir” but the
Congress “is igniting unfortunate antinational activities at the JNU”. — IANS
NEW DELHI: Mysuru in Karnataka
has topped the list of the cleanest
cities in India for the second year in
a row.
It was followed by Chandigarh,
Tiruchirapalli, New Delhi Municipal
Council area and Visakhapatnam,
said a report following a nationwide
survey — “Swachh Survekshan 2016”
under the ‘Swachh Bharat’ Mission.
“The survey is not done to
demoralise any city or place of the
country. It aims at generating a
healthy competition among them,”
Urban Development Minister M
Venkaiah Naidu told reporters while
releasing the survey report here.
It aims at popularising the
‘Swachh Bharat’ Mission, “and to
bring competitive spirit among
people to keep their cities clean”, the
minister added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
constituency Varanasi was ranked
65th among 73 cities surveyed.
The survey, first since the launch
of the ‘Swachh Bharat’ Mission in
October 2014 by the prime minister,
was carried out by Quality Council of
India.
The
government
had
commissioned a survey on the
sanitation scenario in 75 major cities
including 53 with a population of
above 10 lakh each and state capitals.
‘Replicate Silicon Valley Supreme Court stays all orders
to spur entrepreneurship’ of Madras High Court judge
Ratan Tata (L), chairman emeritus of Tata Group, and Devendra Fadnavis,
Maharashtra Chief Minister, attend the Maharashtra Investment Seminar during the
‘Make in India’ week in Mumbai on Monday. — Reuters
MUMBAI: State governments should
try to replicate benefits offered by hubs
like the Silicon Valley in the US to spur
entrepreneurship, Tata Sons chairman
emeritus Ratan Tata said on Monday.
“We need research centres to
encourage youngsters to innovate,
a
venture-capital
led
financial
environment to help entrepreneurs and
industrial parks with benefits like those
in Silicon Valley,” Tata said at a panel
discussion on investing in Maharashtra
at the ‘Make in India Week’ event here.
Lamenting that infrastructure
in Maharashtra failed to keep pace
with the growth, Tata said for him,
infrastructure was both physical and
growth enabling.
“Over the years, where Maharashtra
has failed is its infrastructure has not
kept pace with growth. What we lacked
is thinking big in skilling innovation
and infrastructure for the growth that
we could achieve,” Tata said at the
event, organised by the Confederation
of Indian Industry (CII) and the state
government.
“I will work with the industry to
promote research and development
in the state,” Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis said on the occasion.
India Inc honchos such as Reliance
Industries director Nikhil Meswani,
Bharat Forge chairman Baba Kalyani,
Sun Pharma managing director Dilip
Shanghvi, Mahindra & Mahindra
executive director Pawan Goenka
and Raymond group chairman
Gautam Singhania participated in the
discussion. — IANS
NEW
DELHI/CHENNAI:
The
Supreme Court on Monday said any
administrative or judicial order passed
by Justice C S Karnan (pictured) after
his transfer to the Calcutta High Court
will stand stayed unless the Madras High
Court chief justice specially assigns him
any matter.
“The operation of all or any
administrative/judicial order(s) passed
by Justice Karnan, after the issuance of
the proposal of his transfer from the
Madras High Court dated February
12 (unless specially assigned to him by
the chief justice), shall remain stayed
till further orders,” said an apex court
bench comprising Justice Jagdish Singh
Khehar and Justice R Banumathi.
This effectively means a stay on
Justice Karnan’s order through which he
stayed his own transfer to the Calcutta
High Court. The transfer was issued by
Chief Justice of India Justice T S Thakur
on February 12.
Justice Karnan, while staying his
transfers order, issued notice to the
Chief Justice of India, returnable on
February 29.
Noting the submissions by senior
counsel K K Venugopal, who appeared
for B Hari, the Madras High Court
registrar-cum-private secretary to Chief
Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, the apex
court order said: “Having taken note
of the situation, in our view, it would
be appropriate that Justice C S Karnan
should hear and dispose of only such
matters as are specially assigned to him
by the chief justice of the Madras High
Court.
“It will be open to the chief justice of
the high court not to assign any further
administrative/judicial work to him,”
the Supreme Court said.
It said it would imply “that no other
orders shall be passed by Justice Karnan,
suo motu or otherwise, in any matter
not specially assigned to him”.
The apex court order came on an
application by B Hari that pointed out
that Justice Karnan had questioned him
for the issuance of his transfer order and
using language short on politeness.
Venugopal said not only did Justice
Karnan question Hari on the transfer
letter, but also used language that was
not courteous.
Asking the high court registrar
general to furnish a copy its order to
Justice Karnan, the apex court said:
11
Study says it
was meteorite
that killed one
“It shall be open to the judge (Justice
Karnan) to enter appearance before this
court, in case he is so advised (in respect
of the instant/pending matter).”
In his order staying his transfer, Jutice
Karnan said the February 12 transfer
order goes against the judgement of the
apex court and stayed it under Article
226 of the Constitution.
Justice Karnan also urged the apex
court not to interfere in his jurisdiction
as he is in the process of finalising an
order on merits.
He also sent the order to President
Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, Union Law Minister D
V Sadananda Gowda and other political
leaders including Congress president
Sonia Gandhi.
A copy of the order was also sent to
the National Commission for Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Speaking to the media, Justice
Karnan said the apex court has no
power to interfere in his domain. He
alleged he was being discriminated as he
was a Dalit.
Justice Karnan said the apex court
order has stopped allocation of work but
his judicial powers were still intact.
Justice Karnan is at loggerhead
with Madras High Court Chief Justice
on a number of issues. He had earlier
threatened to move the Scheduled
Castes Commission alleging harassment
by him (Justice Kaul). — IANS
CHENNAI: It was indeed a meteorite
that killed a driver in an engineering
college in Vellore and shattered the
window panes of buildings and buses,
the Tiruchirapalli-based National
College categorically said on Monday.
“We have issued a report saying
it was indeed a meteorite that fell
inside the Bharathidasan Engineering
College,” principal K Anbarasu of
the National College said over phone
from Trichy, around 350 km from
here.
The National College released
its report after studying the object
recovered from the Bharathidasan
Engineering College in Vellore
district, around 170 km from here. On
February 6, a mysterious object from
the skies hit the engineering college
garden killing Kamaraj, the college
bus driver and injuring three others.
The report effectively negates the
report of US space agency Nasa that
said the object recovered from the site
does not look like a meteorite.
According to the National College
report, the object recovered contains
carbonaceous chondrites.
The report said the object was
studied under Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM) to understand
its characteristics. “Almost all the
buildings in the campus (engineering
college) were mildly affected by the
tremor,” the report said. — IANS
Devendra bought two auto-rickshaws, became an auto driver and began living in Ghaziabad to plan how to abduct Deepti
Woman executive’s abductor was in love with her: Police
GHAZIABAD: A hardened criminal
arrested for abducting a young woman
executive here says he fell in love with
her over a year ago and desperately
wanted to marry her.
Devendra, who says his heroes are
Hitler and Shah Rukh Khan, lured some
of his friends into the kidnap drama,
saying the woman’s father was a rich
man and would cough up huge sums of
ransom money.
But the kidnapping went all wrong,
and police ended up arresting Devendra
and his accomplices Pradeep alias Fauzi,
Mohit, Faheem and Majid.
A resident of Haryana with 30
criminal cases against him, Devendra
told police that he bought two autorickshaws, became an auto driver, began
living in Ghaziabad for three months
and conducted 150 recces to plan
how to abduct executive Deepti Sarna
(pictured) of Kavi Nagar here.
Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent
of Police Dharmendra Yadav told the
media on Monday that Devendra first
had a glimpse of the “beautiful girl” with
her boyfriend at the Rajiv Chowk Metro
Station in Delhi in January 2015.
On February 9, Devendra had his
He knew she returned home via the auto-rickshaw outside the metro station.
Vaishali station here, and so decided to His friend Pradeep was in another
strike there.
parked auto-rickshaw.
Not aware anything was amiss, Sarna
got into Pradeep’s auto-rickshaw. At
one point of time, Devendra punctured
Pradeep’s auto’s tyres after it had covered
about three to four kilometres. She then
boarded Devendra’s auto.
At that time, Mohit, Faheem and
Majid were with him. Another woman
passenger in the auto-rickshaw was
dropped and the vehicle took a turn to
a different direction. A frightened Sarna
telephoned her father.
The line was cut, and the men made
her a prisoner. They snatched her bag
containing a laptop and dumped it. Her
mobile was snatched and hidden at a
construction site.
But things began going wrong. A car
which was to have been used to drive her
farther away suffered a flat tyre.
They proceeded in another autorickshaw but its CNG fuel got exhausted.
A desperate Devendra telephoned his
brother Jitendra to send his car, in which
they went to Khera Hatana village in
Baghpat. There, Sarna was kept hidden
in a sugarcane field at night.
The next day, they had to walk as
their car got stuck in sand near the
Yamuna river. Reaching his village Kaan,
Devendra thrust her into a newly built
house.
But on February 12, the kidnappers
had a change of heart — and left her at a
small railway station.
“Before leaving her at the station, he
asked her if she was leaving him as a
friend or a foe,” officer Yadav said.
During his interrogation, Devendra
said he was inspired by Shah Rukh
Khan’s role in the movie “Darr”.
Police have seized a car and two autorickshaws besides pistols, Sarna’s laptop,
her wrist watch, her identity card, ATM
card, bag, lunch box and Rs 700 in cash.
Devendra told police that he wanted
to marry Sarna and start life anew in
Nepal. But that was not to be. — IANS
12
STRIKE CRIPPLES BUSINESS ACROSS GUINEA
T U E S DAY l F E B R U A R Y 1 6 l 2 0 1 6
WORLD
Greece to open ‘hotspot’
migrant centres
SEVERAL WOUNDED IN UGANDA CLASHES
Shops, banks and offices remained closed
and streets empty of traffic in Guinea’s
capital and in other cities on Monday,
the first day of an strike called by trade
unions. Union leaders are demanding that
prices of basic commodities and fuel be
brought down, while also pressing home
pay claims. “The strike is being 100 per
cent followed,” Louis Mbemba Soumah,
general secretary of the USTG, said.
Several people were wounded in battles
between police and supporters of Ugandan
opposition leader Kizza Besigye in the
capital Kampala on Monday, a witness said.
A photographer saw police fire bullets and
teargas while opposition supporters hurled
rocks and erected barricades in the streets
around the Wandegeya suburb. He said
several people were wounded and some
opposition supporters arrested.
Obama, SE Asia leaders eye China
and trade at California summit
AGENDA-SETTING: The meeting is designed to demonstrate Washington’s commitment
People protest against the so-called ‘hotspot’ being built for refugees and
migrants on the Aegean island of Kos. — AFP
ATHENS: Greece will open four
“hotspot” migrant registration centres
in time for an EU summit this week
despite local protests, as Athens comes
under intense pressure to control the
massive influx to Europe, a source said
on Monday.
The centres will open by Wednesday
on the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Leros
and Samos, which have been struggling
to cope with the arrival of hundreds
of thousands of migrants and refugees
landing from Turkey in flimsy boats, a
government source said.
The centres were supposed to open
late last year but have faced repeated
delays.
Defence Minister Panos Kammenos
is expected to visit the hotspots of Leros,
Chios and Lesbos on Tuesday following
a news conference in Athens.
Each facility will have enough
prefab housing to accommodate
1,000 migrants, who will spend three
days being registered, having their
fingerprints taken and being sorted
between those eligible for asylum in the
European Union and those who face
eventual deportation.
One aim will be to help spot militants
using the migrant crisis to enter Europe
— a pressing concern after two of the
men who carried out November’s
attacks in Paris sneaked into Europe
via Greece, posing as refugees. A fifth
centre, on the island of Kos, will be set
up slightly later, the source said.
Opposition from local authorities
and residents, complaining that the
influx has damaged their vital tourism
industry, has caused delays to the
construction work.
Riot police on Sunday fired tear gas
at protesters on the resort island who
are angry over plans to open the centre.
Protests are also delaying the
delivery of a refugee relocation centre
near Thessaloniki, but a similar centre
near Athens has been completed, the
defence ministry said on Monday.
The EU on Monday said it was
awarding Greece an additional 12.7
million euros for migrant and refugee
accommodation facilities.
— AFP
RANCHO MIRAGE: US President
Barack Obama will press leaders from
Southeast Asia to boost trade and back a
common stance on the South China Sea
during a summit starting on Monday
that the White House hopes will solidify
US influence in the region.
Obama will also discuss efforts
to curb North Korea and to fight IS
militants during the two-day meeting
with Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (Asean) at Sunnylands, a
California resort.
The meeting, at the same location
where Obama once hosted Chinese
President Xi Jinping, is designed to
demonstrate Washington’s commitment
both as a counterweight to Beijing and
as an eager trading partner with Asean
nations.
It also helps cement a legacy issue for
Obama, who has championed a trade
and foreign policy pivot to Asia during
his presidency and is determined to
present the United States as a Pacific
power.
“We want to make very clear that the
United States is going to be at the table
and a part of setting the agenda in the
Asia- Pacific in the decades to come,”
White House deputy national security
adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters last
week.
Goals of the two-day gathering
include increasing commercial ties,
which will be underscored by the
presence of a handful of US corporate
An early election may be his best chance to demonstrate bold leadership
Goals of the two-day
gathering include increasing
commercial ties, which
will be underscored by the
presence of a handful of
US corporate executives;
cooperating on counterterrorism; and setting
principles for maritime
security in the region
US President Barack Obama arrives to deliver a statement in Rancho Mirage,
California. — AFP
executives; cooperating on counterterrorism; and setting principles for
maritime security in the region, the
White House said.
The first day of the summit, which
is scheduled to kick off at 3:00 pm PST
(2300 GMT), will focus on economic
issues and trade, including discussion
of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal,
which includes four of the Asean
members: Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei
and Malaysia.
Others are interested in joining, and
the White House wants to make sure the
AROUND THE GLOBE
Bosnia arrests war crimes convict on new charges
Australian premier Turnbull
losing shine ahead of elections
SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister
Malcolm
Turnbull’s
honeymoon
period may be ending, with economists
and political analysts blaming a lack of
new policies for a drop in poll numbers
that has reignited speculation of an
early election.
Turnbull on Saturday announced
more than a dozen changes to his
ministry, a decision forced on him
by the resignation of one minister,
the retirement of two others and
the sacking of two more over their
involvement in political scandals.
A Fairfax-Ipsos poll of 1403 people
taken on February 11-13 showed the
government’s worst numbers since
Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott in a party
coup last September, narrowing its
lead over the centre-left Labour Party Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks to Agriculture Minister Barnaby
by four percentage points to 52-48 per Joyce as Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren
Truss sits next to them in Parliament House in Canberra. — Reuters
cent.
A hostile upper house Senate
continues to stymie any major policy
budget deficit would swell to A$37.4
It has got its hands
moves and Turnbull is facing rearguard
billion ($26.6 billion) in the year to
fairly well tied.
action from his party’s conservative
June as falling prices for key resource
wing despite sticking to Abbott’s
exports open a gaping hole in tax
Overall revenue
unpopular stances on climate change.
revenue. Turnbull last week raised the
remains under threat possibility of an early election after
An early election may be Turnbull’s
best chance to demonstrate bold and the government doesn’t ruling out a rise in the Goods and
leadership and reverse what seems to
Services Tax (GST) under pressure
like the idea of increasing
be a growing sense of buyer’s remorse,
from within his own party, despite
this according to Peter Chen, a senior government spending, so it’s strong support from economists.
professor in government at the not going to have a tax and
The government’s ability to have
University of Sydney.
a stimulatory budget prior to the
spend set of policies going election is constrained by the size of the
“If you’re going to follow Tony
Abbott’s agenda, then why did you roll into the election
budget deficit, said Shane Oliver, Chief
him in the first place? It seems purely
Economist at AMP Capital Investors.
SHANE OLIVER
motivated by personal factors,” Chen
“It has got its hands fairly well
Economist tied. Overall revenue remains under
said. “I think that the early election is
threat and the government doesn’t
the more likely possibility,” he said.
Plummeting commodity prices have by his image as a prudent financial like the idea of increasing government
depleted the government’s coffers, a manager based on his background in spending, so it’s not going to have a tax
and spend set of policies going into the
major financial stumbling block for the private sector.
— Reuters
Australia in December forecast its election,” he said.
Turnbull, whose rise was sparked partly
pact goes into effect.
On Tuesday, the leaders will discuss
maritime issues including the South
China Sea, where China and several
Southeast Asian states have conflicting
and overlapping claims.
Rhodes said Obama would deliver a
tough message to China that disputes
over the area must be resolved peacefully.
“We will continue to underscore the
principle that these issues have to be
resolved consistent with international
norms and not through bigger nations
bullying smaller ones,” he said.
The challenge at the summit may be
to get all Asean countries to agree on a
strong statement on the issue.
Officials say China has put pressure
on countries such as Cambodia and
Laos not to sign on.
Encouragement from Obama, and
a message that the United States will
continue to engage with the group, may
counteract that.
“If the Asean leaders feel that the
United States is investing in Asean that
would encourage even the weakest, the
most susceptible Asean states to sign
on with their brothers to make these
statements,” said Ernest Bower, an Asia
expert at the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies.
“No one in Southeast Asia wants the
Chinese to run roughshod over their
smaller neighbours.”
— Reuters
Jeb Bush to get a
hand from brother
in South Carolina
CHARLESTON: Republican
presidential candidate Jeb Bush
(pictured) has enlisted his brother,
former President George W Bush, to
try to give him a lift as he looks for a
strong showing in South Carolina’s
crucial primary.
The 69-year-old George W
Bush, who won the 2000 and 2004
Republican primary contests in South
Carolina en route to presidential
victories those years, was to appear
with Jeb at a 6 pm EST rally in North
Charleston on Monday, days before
Republicans vote in the state .
The appearance of the elder
Bush on the campaign trail is seen
as helping Jeb with South Carolina
Republicans who hold the president
in high regard.
But it also carries some risks given
his launching of the Iraq war in 2003,
which ended up being unpopular
with many Americans and which
rival Donald Trump has seized on to
criticise him.
George W Bush’s standing has
risen among all Americans since he
left power in 2009 and he has stayed
on the sidelines of his brother’s
presidential bid, headlining private
fundraisers but otherwise staying off
the campaign trail.
That he is coming out now shows
the urgency that Jeb Bush sees in a
good performance in South Carolina.
Bush finished in sixth place in the
Iowa caucuses and in fourth place in
the New Hampshire primary — the
first contests in the state-by-state
battles to pick a party nominee for the
November 8 election.
— Reuters
SARAJEVO: A former Bosnian Serb policeman who has already served time in prison
for taking part in a massacre during the 1992-1995 war was arrested on Monday on
fresh war crimes charges.
Bosnian police detained Darko Mrdja along with two other ex-members of his
police unit, Radenko Marinovic and Milan Gavrilovic. Prosecutors accuse the trio — as
well as a fourth suspect who is already behind bars for a separate war crime — of
murdering non-Serb detainees in the early months of the Bosnian conflict.
They are suspected of having killed at least 10 people being transferred to
detention camps in the northwestern town of Prijedor and a nearby village in July and
August 1992, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Mrdja was in 2004 sentenced to 17 years in jail by the UN’s International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague after pleading guilty to taking
part in the mass execution of some 200 Muslim and Croat civilians whose bodies were
thrown off a cliff.
Mrdja, now 48, was released in 2013 after serving more than two-thirds of his
sentence. He then returned to Bosnia. During his trial Mrdja apologised to the families
of the victims and said he was an “honourable” soldier until the end of the war. — AFP
A man reacts at the monument commemorating the Soviet victims of the war in
Afghanistan, in St Petersburg on Monday. Russia, along with many former Soviet
states, marked the 27th anniversary of the Soviet troops’ withdrawal from
Afghanistan where they fought for more than nine years. — AFP
Montenegro starts Nato accession talks
BRUSSELS: Montenegro began its first round of Nato membership talks on Monday,
two months after the former Socialist republic was invited to join the military alliance,
in a move that could further aggravate Western tensions with Russia.
The two-day talks cover political, military and legal aspects of Montenegro’s
accession, the alliance said in a statement. In a next move, the former Yugoslav country
will be cleared to attend Nato meetings as an invitee, before becoming a fully fledged
member. Podgorica’s ambassador to Nato, Dragana Radulovic, called on Monday’s
talks a mark of the “progress made by Montenegro since regaining its independence.”
But Moscow has accused Nato of conducting an expansionist policy that is
threatening geopolitical stability.
Relations between Nato and Russia have deteriorated over the last two years, in
large part due to Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, where it is accused of supporting proRussian separatists and has annexed the Crimean peninsula.
“We have slipped into a period of a new Cold War,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev told diplomats and defence officials at a meeting in Munich, adding that
“Nato’s political course remains unfriendly and closed towards Russia.”
— dpa
REGION
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
Turkey warns
Kurds of very
harsh reaction
omandailyobserver
13
TAKING ON THE AGGRESSOR
WAR RAGES ON: Air raids in Syria hit
MSF hospital killing many civilians
TURKEY, SAUDI
LAUNCH JOINT
EXERCISES
Turkish PM Davutoglu during a news
conference after a meeting with his
Ukrainian counterpart Arseny Yatseniuk
in Kiev on Monday.
— Reuters
KIEV/BEIRUT:
Turkey
warned
Kurdish militia fighters in northern
Syria on Monday they would face the
“harshest reaction” if they tried to
capture a town near the Turkish border,
and accused Russia of a missile attack
there that killed at least 14 civilians.
A major offensive supported by
Russian bombing and the militias has
brought the Syrian army to within 25
km of Turkey’s border. The Kurdish
YPG militia has exploited the situation,
seizing ground from Syrian rebels to
extend its presence along the frontier.
At least 14 civilians were killed in
the Syrian town of Azaz, the last rebel
stronghold before the border with
Turkey, when missiles hit a children’s
hospital and a school sheltering refugees
fleeing the Syrian army offensive, a
medic and two residents said.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said a Russian missile
had hit the buildings and that many
civilians including children had been
killed. Turkey shelled YPG positions
for a third day to try to stop its fighters
seizing Azaz, just 8 km from the border.
Ankara fears the Kurdish militia,
backed by Russia, is trying to secure
the last stretch of around 100 km along
the Syrian border not already under its
control.
“We will not allow Azaz to fall,”
Davutoglu told reporters on his plane
on the way to Ukraine, adding YPG
fighters would already have taken Azaz
and Tal Rifaat further south had it not
been for Turkish artillery firing at them
over the weekend.
“If they approach again they will see
the harshest reaction,” he said.
The standoff has increased the risk
of direct confrontation between Russia
and Nato member Turkey.
Turkey is enraged by the expansion
of Kurdish influence in northern Syria,
fearing it will encourage separatist
ambitions among its own Kurds. It
considers the YPG to be a terrorist
group.
Davutoglu said Turkey would make
ANKARA: Turkey’s air force on
Monday began five days of air
defence exercises with Saudi
Arabia, the Turkish military said,
as the two countries forge an
increasingly tight alliance on
Syria.
Six Saudi F-15 fighter jets
will take part in the air defence
training in the central Turkish
region of Konya, the military said
in a statement. The exercises
are within the framework of
cooperation and military training
between the two countries and
had been scheduled in advance,
it added. They will last until
Friday.
But the start of the exercises
comes just two days after
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu announced that Saudi
jets would be based at Turkey’s air
base of Incirlik in Adana province
to fight IS militants.
— AFP
the Menagh air base north of the city of
Aleppo “unusable” if the YPG, which
seized it over the weekend from Syrian
insurgents, did not withdraw.
He warned the YPG not to move
east of the Afrin region or west of the
Euphrates River, long a “red line” for
Ankara.
Syria’s rebels, some backed by the
United States, Turkey and their allies,
say the YPG is fighting with the Syrian
military and its backers, including
Russia, against them in the five-year-old
civil war. The YPG denies this.
South of Azaz, the Kurdish-backed
Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance,
of which the YPG is a member, battled
rebels near Tal Rifaat, having taken a
small village, Kafrnaya, further south,
according to the Syrian Observatory,
which monitors the war.
The Syrian army and allied forces
had been trying to take the village for
four days previously.
Major powers agreed in Munich last
Friday to a cessation of hostilities in
Syria, but the deal does not take effect
until the end of last week and was not
signed by any warring parties.
At a press conference in Kiev,
Davutoglu
doubted
Russia’s
commitment to any such deal, pointing
to comments from Moscow that it
would continue its air strikes regardless.
Russia, Davutoglu said, had a clear
objective: “They want to have just two
options in front of the international
community.”
— Agencies
A Palestinian demonstrator places a tyre on a fire during clashes with Israeli guards in Araka, West of Jenin in the Israeli occupied West Bank on Monday.
Boost to Libya peace efforts as
new government proposed
as militia forces battle for power. The
oil-rich North African nation has also
become an increasingly important
haven for the IS group just across the
Mediterranean from Europe.
Members of Libya’s internationally
recognised parliament, based in
the eastern city of Tobruk, met and
adjourned until Tuesday after it was
reported earlier that a vote on the new
government would take place later.
“The MPs want to know the
programme of the government, and to
BENGHAZI: International attempts
to end the chaos in Libya took a step
forward on Monday as a new national
unity government was proposed to
lawmakers.
A UN-backed council of rival Libyan
factions announced the formation of
the revised cabinet late on Sunday, after
a previous government was rejected last
month in a blow to peace efforts.
Years of political turmoil since 2011
have left Libya divided between rival
governments and beset by violence
discuss the CVs of the ministers,” MP
Khalifa al Daghari said.
Approval of the cabinet — headed by
prime minister-designate Fayez al Sarraj
— would be a vital step in resolving
Libya’s political disarray, capping off
months of difficult diplomacy.
Daghari also said the MPs wanted
Sarraj to attend the next session.
He said Sarraj “didn’t communicate
with the parliament, and that’s why
we are asking him to attend the next
session.
— Reuters
A WINDOW OF HOPE!
Boys look through a wall of their hut in a neighbourhood in Yemen’s Red Sea city of Houdieda. The United Nations World
Food Programme said on Monday that it delivered emergency food supplies for 18,000 people in Taizin central Yemen, only
the second time this year it has managed to access the besieged city.
— Reuters
Nobody can get a work permit without already having a job as the law requires a document from the employer
Many refugees vow to leave Turkey for Europe
GAZIANTEP, Turkey: Each morning
Mansour al Isa waits by a dirt mound at
the side of a dusty road along with more
than a dozen other Syrian refugees,
hoping someone will need an extra pair
of hands for some manual labour and
pay them a day’s wage. Often, they wait
in vain.
“When a car comes past this corner it
beeps its horn and we all rundown, trying
to beg the guy to hire us,” says Al Isa, a
father of four, originally from Aleppo
in northern Syria and now living in the
southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, not far
from the border. “It is so dehumanising.”
Back in Syria, he was a trained
patisserie chef and even worked in
Moldova and Russia for a time. After the
intense battles over Aleppo in 2012, he
and his family fled to Turkey, which now
hosts more than 2 million Syrian refugees.
In Turkey, he is not allowed to legally
work. So instead of baking cakes and
macaroons he now looks for quick cashin-hand jobs, helping someone move
furniture or put up a fence.
The Turkish government in January
announced it would let Syrians apply for
work permits as part of a deal with the
European Union,which is offering more
than $3 billion to help Syrians if Turkey
stems the flow of migrants.
However, the application process is
hardly simple and the Turkish Labour
Ministry last month said it had only
granted work permits to 7,300 Syrians.
“Nobody can get a work permit
without already having a job because
the bureaucracy requires a document
from the employer, who has to hold
the job open while you go through the
application process,” says Abdel Hadi, a
Turkey hosts more than 2
million Syrian refugees, but
only severalthousand have
work permits, despite a
new government regulation
promising to ease access to
the labour market. Many are
forced to work illegally for
low wages and say they aim
to migrate to Europe.
Syrian who works with humanitarian aid
groups helping refugees.
“One of the main problems is that the
laws are confusing, they lack details and
don’t protect our rights,” he adds.
Syrian day labourers say they often
can only get work two days a week and
manage to scrape together a few hundred
dollars a month.
“I want to go to Germany if things do
not get better here. I want to go legally,
with a visa. I would take a boat and try to
smuggle myself into Europe, but I have
children. I am afraid they would drown,”
Al Isa says.
The Syrians here vow not to be deterred
by new military operations Turkey
and Nato are launching in the Aegean
Sea as a means to crackdown on illegal
migration.
Determined people will find a way,
a common refrain heard among the
refugees. Ahmed Ashkar was an iron
worker in Syria who now tries to ply his
trade at Turkish intersections, hoping
someone in a pick up truck will come by
and offer work. But Ashkar admits he is
no longer in a condition to do the heavy
lifting he once could.
“I was injured by a shelling,” he says,
pulling up his sleeves to show his scars
and the piece of shrapnel still imbedded
in his forearm.
He says he tried living in the refugee
camps Turkey built and where about 10
per cent of Syrians reside.
But there was no work in the camps
and food shops were more expensive than
in the city, Ashkar explains.
“We always hear that soon they will
let us work legally, but so far it is all talk,”
Ashkar says. “I know many people who
have gone to Europe. And this year, more
will go.”
However, Syrian refugees headed
towards Europe are facing fresh obstacles,
on top of Turkey’s efforts to crack down
on smuggling.
— dpa
— AFP
IN BRIEF
Deadlock over
Lebanon
presidency
persists
BEIRUT: Former Lebanese Prime
Minister Saad al Hariri said on
Monday he was committed to
backing his rival Suleiman Franjieh
for the presidency, indicating an
almost two-year deadlock over the
job will not be resolved soon.
There are two main candidates
— Marada movement head Franjieh
and Former General Michel Aoun
— for president, a post reserved for a
Maronite Christian.
Parliament has met at least 35
times without being able to agree
on who should get the job. Hariri,
the leader of the Future Movement
party, returned to Beirut on Sunday
to mark the 11th anniversary of the
assassination of his father, former
Prime Minister Rafik al Hariri.
He has been holding consultations
with Lebanese politicians from his
March 14 bloc and others.
“We have a commitment and our
commitment to Suleiman (Franjieh)
is clear,” he said after meeting his ally
Sami Gemayel, head of the Kataeb
Christian party. — Reuters
Egypt jails 15
for trying to
kill club boss
CAIRO: A court in Egypt on Monday
jailed 15 hardcore football fans
known as “ultras” for trying to kill the
chairman of the popular Cairo-based
Zamalek club, an official said.
“Ultras”, who were at the forefront
of the 2011 uprising, had already
been banned as a group since May
2015 after another court found them
guilty of taking part in violence.
the
Since
February
2012
authorities have banned all spectators
from football matches in stadiums, as
whenever some games were opened
to the public they were marred by
crowd violence, sometimes deadly.
On Monday, a court sentenced
11 Ultras White Knights, diehard
Zamalek supporters, to one year
for “planning, participating and
attempting to murder Mourtada
Mansour”, chairman of the club, in
August 2014, the official said.
They were also found guilty of
possessing weapons and fireworks.
The prosecution said the
defendants attacked Mansour at the
club’s gate, and during the assault a
security guard and a journalist were
wounded by birdshot.
— AFP
14
#ICYMI
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T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
HOT READ
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WHAT’S UP
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BRAZIL ENLISTS ARMY, CABINET IN
CAMPAIGN AGAINST ZIKA VIRUS
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The Tour crown was launched in style when the nine
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who are the defending champions, will be the big
favourites to claim the honours this time.
Brazil’s government launched a nationwide campaign
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Parched Earth soaks up water, slowing sea
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As glaciers melt due to climate change, the increasingly hot and
parched Earth is absorbing some of that water inland, slowing
sea level rise, Nasa experts said.
Engaging Post
Oman Air buys Heathrow slots for
record $75m
twitter.com/omanobserver
Viral Today
Have you seen this photos of
Oman during the 1900s?
I
f you haven’t heard of AirBnb or Van Gogh, then the
explanation can be lengthy. First, Vincent Van Gogh is
a world-renowned artist whose artworks fetch millions of
dollars if ever it becomes available in the market. He’s a
Dutch post-Impressionist painter largely ignored when he
was alive. He died due to self-inflicted gunshot wound and
has had frequent bouts of anxiety and mental illness.
As for Airbnb, it’s a website that allows its users to list
or search for houses or lodgings for rent. It was founded
in August 2008 and today, has over millions of bookings
yearly from around the world.
One of Van Gogh’s paintings is of a Bedroom in Arles
which he painted in 1888. Amazingly, the painting was
recreated including the furniture, its colour and even the
atmosphere and was made into an actual room
Why is it a big deal? Go figure.
Oman Air has set a record by paying $75 million for a pair of
take-off and landing slots at Heathrow Airport in London. The
price beats the $60 million (£40 million) paid by American
Airlines for a slot a year ago.
Editor’s Pick
M
aking the rounds on social media today are these
photos taken by Hermann Burchardt — a financially
independent traveler from Berlin, of Oman back in
the early 1900s. Voyaging by dhow around the Middle East
with the goal of photographing cities rarely visited by other
itinerant photographers, he ended up in Muscat and Matrah.
As noted on the website: http://indian-ocean.africa.
si.edu, “Burchardt made photographs free of the
conspicuous staging and voyeurism so often seen in
European and touristic photography of the time. His early
photographs of Oman are an evocative revelation of its
diverse population, which came from throughout the Indian
Ocean. He provides glimpses of the commercial hearts of
the cities he visited, as well as the defensive terrain
protecting Muscat in particular, which was a strategic oasis
on the maritime silk and spice routes.”
Check out more of these images from http://indianocean.africa.si.edu.
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Letters to the Editor
editor@omanobserver.om
PICTURES OF OMAN’S MODERN MARCH
OPENS TO THE PUBLIC
(FEBRUARY 15, 2016)
If you haven’t visited this art installation yet,
make sure to drop by. Why? Nearly 700 wonderful
pictures of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos since the
dawn of the Blessed Renaissance are on display. The
exhibition is open from 9am to 1pm and from 5pm
to 9pm everyday.
There is so much to appreciate about His Majesty’s
photo. It depicts him in different era and time of
his leadership and its humbling to see his progress
over the years. It’s also touching to see how much
relations His Majesty has established and truly,
Oman is what it is today because of His Majesty’s
efforts to transform the country.
Khalid S, via email
EUROPE
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
SHIELDING LOCAL INDUSTRIES
Migrants board a train heading to Serbia from the
Macedonian-Greek border near Gevgelija. — AFP
PRAGUE: Central European leaders are ready to
help Balkan countries seal their borders with Greece
to stem the flow of migrants across the continent,
Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said.
Despite objections from regional powerhouse
Germany, which says it would make the situation in
Greece more difficult, the so-called Visegrad group
will debate the plans on Monday at a summit hosted
by Sobotka.
He said the European Union’s agreements with
Turkey to reduce the flow of refugees and migrants
crossing to Greece to flee war and poverty in the
Middle East and Africa had so far not yielded
satisfactory results and time was running out.
“The current situation when up to 3,000 people
come to Greece every day certainly is not what we
had in mind,” he said in emailed answers to Reuters
questions.
“The Visegrad Four (V4) realises how important
it is to focus on the west Balkan route and show
solidarity with the west Balkan countries and help
them with protection of their borders.”
“Already now policemen from V4 countries are
helping on the Macedonian border, we are prepared
to strengthen our aid if needed,” he said.
The Visegrad group is made up of the Czech
Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, and the
Prague meeting will be also attended by the leaders
of Bulgaria and Macedonia.
Sobotka said he would discuss the plans with the
Greek foreign minister on Tuesday, ahead of an EU
leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
The central European countries, with the
exception of Hungary, have so far not seen any
significant numbers of migrants, but they fear
they could be swamped as well if Europe’s external
borders stay leaky, or if Germany were to close its
own borders.
Germany believes sealing Balkan borders with
Greece could undermine its approach focused on
making the agreement with Turkey work and would
lead to accumulation of refugees in Greece, a country
already under huge strain.
Sobotka said Europe needed to adopt a range
of other measures to reduce the migration flow,
including urging Turkey to prevent human traffickers
from taking more and more migrants to Greece from
its western coast.
He also called on other EU members to better
coordinate returning unsuccessful asylum seekers to
their country of origin.
“Europe must have migration policy that will have
clear and enforceable rules, including the ability to
stop economic migration on EU’s external borders,”
he said. — Reuters
15
UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR
QUITS OVER CORRUPTION
A steel worker gestures as he takes part in a protest to demand urgent action against cheap imports, in front of the European
Commission in Brussels on Monday. About 5, 000 protesters asked the European Commission to ramp up tariffs on China to
stop the dumping cut-price. — AFP
Czech premier
ready to protect
Balkan borders
omandailyobserver
KIEV: A senior Ukrainian prosecutor
resigned on Monday, calling the office
he worked for a “hotbed of corruption”,
another blow to government attempts
to clean up the judiciary, a crucial step
to unlock more Western aid.
The resignation, the second exit of
a Western-backed reformer in under a
fortnight, came a day before a possible
no confidence vote in parliament that
could topple Prime Minister Arseny
Yatseniuk and lead to a snap election.
Failure
to
tackle
endemic
corruption has derailed a $40 billion
aid programme that keeps the war-torn
country afloat.
If Yatseniuk falls, it would
further delay negotiations with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) for
the next tranche of money, $1.7 billion,
which has been on hold since October.
“Today, the General Prosecutor’s
office is a brake on the reform of
criminal justice, a hotbed of corruption,
an instrument of political pressure, one
of the key obstacles to the arrival of
foreign investment in Ukraine,” Deputy
General Prosecutor Vitaliy Kasko said
in a televised statement.
Kasko’s move follows the exit
of
Economy
Minister
Aivaras
Abromavicius, who accused vested
interests, including a close ally of
President Petro Poroshenko, of
meddling in his ministry and trying to
siphon off state funds.
Kasko’s accusation that there was
merely a facade of change in the
prosecution service is damaging to
Poroshenko, who has resisted pressure
to fire General Prosecutor Viktor
Shokin.
Vladislav Kutsenko, an aide to
Shokin, dismissed Kasko’s resignation
Britain’s Cameron brings EU
arguments to Hollande
DOUBLE DIGIT
Slovakia’s ruling
leftists set to
win election
LOOMING IN-OUT: EU tries to broker reforms to UK’s relationship with the bloc
PARIS: Prime Minister David Cameron
meet French President Francois Hollande on
Monday to discuss Britain’s EU renegotiation
ahead of a crunch summit this week, Downing
Street said.
The European Union is trying to broker
a series of reforms to Britain’s relationship
with the bloc ahead of a looming “in-out”
referendum that could be held as early as June
this year. The talks will take place in Paris at
1800 GMT.
British officials hope a deal can be nailed
down at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday
and Friday.
In London, Cameron’s spokeswoman said:
“We have made progress (on renegotiation) but
there’s details to be pinned down.” “Nothing is
agreed until everything is agreed,” she added.
A deal could pave the way for a referendum
on whether Britain should leave the 28-member
EU or stay in. But some of Cameron’s demands
are proving problematic to his European
partners.
Analysts say France — which with Germany
is considered the EU’s engine — is likely to
want to see changes in what is being proposed
over economic governance.
Cameron had wanted the European Union
to recognise a series of principles including
that countries outside the eurozone like Britain
should not face discrimination or disadvantage.
The British prime minister also spoke
to European Union chief Donald Tusk on
Monday.
Tusk was first in the queue in Paris — he met
Hollande in the French capital before Cameron
arrived. Asked if he thought a deal could be
pushed through this week, Tusk said in Paris:
“I hope so.”
Cameron’s spokeswoman said Britain was
seeking “significant and far-reaching reforms”.
“There are still details to be pinned down
and what matters is that we get the substance
British Prime Minister David Cameron speaks during the Matthiae-Mahr Dinner in Hamburg, northern
Germany on Friday. — AFP
Analysts say France — which
with Germany is considered
the EU’s engine — is likely to
want to see changes in what is
being proposed over economic
governance.
right,” she added.
The ramifications of a British exit from the
EU were underlined on Monday when the head
of HSBC hinted that the global lender could
shift its operations to Paris if Britain votes to
leave the bloc.
“We are lucky in the sense that we have a
major bank in France,” Douglas Flint told BBC
as self-publicity.
But US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt
called Kasko “a champion for change”.
“His resignation is a blow to
#Ukraine’s reform progress.
..#Ukraine deserves a clean judiciary.
Will require top-to-bottom rule
of law reform to address pervasive
corruption + cronyism,” he tweeted.
Yatseniuk’s approval ratings have
plummeted to less than 1 per cent since
he came to office in 2014 after protests
ousted the previous pro-Russian
government.
The economy has tanked and a
conflict with separatist rebels has no
end in sight.
Parliament convenes on Tuesday
to debate a report on the four-party
coalition government’s performance,
which could precipitate a no confidence
vote.
— Reuters
radio. “So, if we were to leave and if there were to
be restrictions, ultimately on the renegotiation
of Britain’s position, we have the ability to move
activity and people between London and Paris,”
he said.
If Britain becomes the first country to leave
the EU, it would further exacerbate a series of
problems so perilous that Tusk warned recently
that the situation felt like “the day before World
War I.”
The EU is already facing questions about its
future as it struggles with its biggest migration
crisis in 70 years, and there are fresh fears about
the health of the euro currency.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond
warned on Sunday that the EU will “lurch very
much in the wrong direction” if Britain votes to
leave.
— AFP
BRATISLAVA: Slovakia’s ruling leftist
party remains on course to win March
elections with a double-digit lead over
the closest challenger but may lose its
outright majority in parliament, an
opinion poll showed on Monday.
Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer
party had 38.4 per cent support in the
Polis poll, down from 41.0 per cent a
month ago and the 44.4 per cent that
gave it a clear majority in the 2012
vote.
Monday’s survey showed Fico
winning 67 seats in the 150-member
parliament. A coalition with his most
likely ally, the nationalist SNS party
which has gained in polls, would give
them a combined 83 seats.
Newcomer centrist party Siet,
which has sought to establish itself as
the main opposition force, polled at
10.4 per cent, down from 13.8 per cent
in January.
Fico has made immigration a
main platform of his campaign, while
the opposition has focused on anticorruption rhetoric and promises of
business-friendly reforms.
The two-time prime minister
remains popular thanks partly to a
package of social welfare measures
in the last year, including hikes to
maternity benefits and halving the
sales tax on some groceries.
However, he has also faced public
protests in the past weeks from
teachers and nurses demanding higher
wages.
A strong result for Siet and other
centre-right and ethnic Hungarian
parties could lead to either a wider
coalition led by Smer, a grand coalition
of Siet with Smer, or a wide coalition
of opposition parties that would eject
Smer from power.
— Reuters
While he is popular in his party, the former French president has fallen behind his main rival in opinion polls
France’s Nicholas Sarkozy urges party unity
PARIS: Former French president Nicholas
Sarkozy (pictured), struggling to put
his re-election bid back on track, urged
his conservative party to rally behind a
programme of curbing immigration, building
more jails and cutting taxes.
Sarkozy wants his platform, which also
includes overhauling labour rules and
restoring checks at French borders, to set the
party line for the 2017 presidential elections.
But his main rivals for November
primaries that will choose The Republicans’
(LR) candidate for the presidential elections
have all said they would not be bound by it.
They snubbed his keynote speech at the
end of a two-day policy meeting of top party
officials on Sunday, one of them saying he
couldn’t be there “because it’s Valentine’s Day.”
Sarkozy said he would put the policy plan
to a vote of all party members in April.”It
would be unacceptable for us to be divided
at a time when the (far-right) National Front
is so strong,” he said. “There will be no going
back.”.While, he received a standing ovation
from hundreds of party officials, Sarkozy, who
is also the party leader, has fallen behind his
main rival Alain Juppe in opinion polls.
Some 48 per cent of right-wing voters
think Juppe would be LR’s best candidate in
2017, versus only 20 per cent for Sarkozy, a
BVA poll published on Saturday showed,
confirming a string of similar polls in the past
weeks.
And while for long Sarkozy remained more
popular with LR sympathisers, he has fallen
behind there too, with 43 per cent favouring
Juppe while 30 per cent prefer Sarkozy, the
poll showed.
Sarkozy, who had retired from politics
after he lost in his first re-election bid to the
Socialist party’s Francois Hollande in 2012,
made a comeback in September 2104 and was
elected as head of the party.
While, he still commands loyalty amid
party officials, he has in past months seen
Juppe, a former prime minister in the mid1990s, rise in opinion polls and overtake him,
with the gap between them widening.
Their rivalry is set to dominate much of
the party’s agenda until its members vote in
the November primaries.
Both published books last month setting
out their platforms — with Sarkozy on Sunday
reiterating that France must set tougher
rules on granting citizenship and reinstate
border checks as long as Europe’s border-free
Schengen area is not completely overhauled.
Criticism — sometimes veiled, sometimes
open — among senior officials was rife at
the two-day meeting and French media said
another official, Jean-Francois Cope, was
set to announce he too will run in the party
primaries in an evening news interview, at
the same time as another channel interviews
Sarkozy.
Asked why he would not be there to listen
to Sarkozy’s policy speech, one Sarkozy
challenger, Bruno Le Maire, told BFM TV
on Saturday: “I want to spend Valentine’s
day with my wife and children.” Juppe also
invoked “family reasons.”
— Reuters
16
omandailyobserver
PANORAMA
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16l 2016
Report: 2015
‘extraordinarily
safe year’ for
airline industry
BANGKOK: The year 2015 was an
“extraordinarily safe” one for the
commercial aviation industry, the
International Air Transport Association
(IATA) said on Monday.
In its annual assessment, IATA
said the 2015 global jet accident rate
— covering most large commercial
airliners — was one major accident for
every 3.1 million flights, a 30 per cent
improvement compared to the average
over the previous five years.
There were four accidents in 2015
which resulted in 136 passenger fatalities,
all of which involved turboprop — or
propeller-driven — aircraft.
“In terms of the number of fatal
accidents, it was an extraordinarily safe
year,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director
-General in a press statement.”The longterm trend data show us that flying is
getting even safer.”
IATA say they did not include the
destruction of Germanwings flight
4U9525 in March or Metrojet 9268
in October over the Sinai in its report
because “they are classified as deliberate
acts of unlawful interference,” rather than
accidents.
“While, there are no easy solutions to
the mental health and security issues that
were exposed in these tragedies, aviation
continues to work to minimise the risk
that such events will happen again,” said
Tyler.
— dpa
Migrating cranes stand as another flies over the Hula Lake Ornithology and Nature Park in northern Israel. The Hula Valley is a stopping
point for hundreds of species of birds along their migration route between the northern and southern hemispheres and during the cold
season it becomes one of the largest concentrations of cranes in the world. — Reuters
Performers wear a traditional costume to perform the “Flying
Lion Dance” at an event to celebrate Chinese New Year in
Trafalgar Square, in London. — Reuters
Philippines preparing to auction off Imelda Marcos jewels
MANILA: Philippine authorities pledged on
Monday to auction off as soon as possible millions
of dollars’ worth of jewellery recovered from late
dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family.
The Presidential Commission on Good
Government (PCGG), created to recover the
millions stolen by Marcos and his allies, has also
launched a website aimed at retrieving hundreds
of art masterpieces believed to have been
obtained by the Marcos family with “ill-gotten
wealth,” said commissioner Andrew de Castro.
The renewed effort comes as Ferdinand
Marcos’s son and namesake takes the lead in the
race to win election in May as the country’s next
vice-president.
De Castro said authorities hope to auction
off most of the jewels before President Benigno
Aquino steps down in June and a new president
and vice-president take over.
“Regardless of who is in power after June
2016, it is our duty to dispose of the jewellery as
soon as possible,” he said.
The long-hidden collection, seized in three
batches after Marcos was overthrown in a the nation sank deeper into poverty during his
popular revolt in 1986, has been cited by critics 20 years in power.
Former first lady Imelda Marcos amassed a
as proof of how his family enriched itself while
SONAR
huge collection of jewels, valuable art and shoes
even as other Marcos relatives and allies gained
fortunes, critics have said.
De Castro said appraisals by auction houses
put the value of the seized jewellery at more than
a billion pesos ($21 million).Although ownership
of part of the collection is still being contested by
the Marcos family in court, the government is
free to sell of the bulk of the jewels, de Castro said.
The PCGG described the jewels as “diamondsstudded tiaras, necklaces, brooches, earrings,
belts and other gems (including a) 25-carat pink
diamond”. — AFP
TECHNOLOGY
Shark detection system
installed at Sydney’s beach
SYDNEY: Australia is conducting a trial
with a new underwater sonar technology,
described as “facial recognition for
fishes,”capable of detecting sharks at the
Bondi beach in Sydney.
The trial comes amid heightened security
concerns following a spate of attacks on the
far north coast last year.
New South Wales Minister for primary
industries, Niall Blair, said eight of the devices
will be used in the trial along the coastline.
“This is a pre-commercial trial of new
technology to detect sharks in Sydney,” he
said on Monday.
The equipment, Clever Buoy, is a joint
project of Western Australia company, Shark
Mitigation Systems, with Optus Telecom and
Google.
The system is anchored 500 metres
offshore with the sonar on the ocean floor.
It can detect incoming predators from
250-300 metres away studying the shape
and movement of any marine animal over
two metres long and can alert the lifeguards
immediately.
The system is said to be more cost-effective
and environment-friendly alternative to
netting or drum baiting, which are strongly
opposed by conservationists due to the
danger they pose to other marine life.
“We think that this has the potential to
be the Holy Grail when it comes to reducing
the risk for beach goers in New South Wales,”
Blair told reporters during the unveiling.
If the results are satisfactory, additional 10
devices will be deployed along the coastline
north of Sydney.
“We are very confident in the technology,
but obviously trying it in a real-life situation
where we are liaising with the guys in the
tower 24 hours a day,” Craig Anderson, a
developer at the Shark Mitigation Systems,
said.
He said its ability to detect sharks had a
success rate of at least 90 per cent.
“It uses a multi-beam sonar which is a
relatively new sonar technology, coupled
with some software which is very much like
facial recognition technology for marine life,”
he told reporters.
Last year, there were 18 unprovoked shark
attacks in Australia, with 12 alone in New
South Wales that included one fatality.
At Bondi, there has been a number of
shark alarms in recent months, but no attack
since 2009.
— dpa
A fisherman throws his net in the Magdalena River in Honda, Tolima department, Colombia.
Affected by El Nino, the Magdalena, Colombia’s main river, is in its lowest level in 15 years. — AFP
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2016 | JUMADA AL ULA 7, 1437 AH
P18
P21
P20
Inside
Ooredoo signs MoU with Al Raffd Fund Japan economy shrinks during Q4 Monetary and financial policies management FOLLOW US ON:
www.omanobserver.om
editor@omanobserver.om
Pact signed for RO 283m mega
tourism complex in Duqm SEZ
USUFRUCT AGREEMENT: Marina Duqm to invest in hotels, residential units and mall
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb 15: The Special Economic Zone Authority
in Duqm (SEZAD) signed a usufruct agreement
yesterday for the lease of a plot that will be
developed into a major mixed-use tourism,
residential, leisure and retail development.
Marina Duqm, a subsidiary of Golden
Group, plans to invest around RO 283 million
in the development of the so-called ‘Tourism
Façade project featuring a mix of 3, 4, and 5-star
hotels, 4-star hotel suites, residential complexes
comprising villas and apartments, and a mall,
among other components.
Yahya bin Said al Jabri, SEZAD Chairperson,
signed the usufruct agreement, with Shaikh
Salem bin Ahmed al Ghazali, Chairperson of
Marina Duqm. It covers the lease of a 741,000 sq
metre plot that will be developed in four phases
each extending over four years. Also planned
is a mall housing a range of restaurants, cafes
and stores, while a water park, areas for beach
games, landscaped gardens, and a cultural and
entertainment centre are envisaged as well.
Welcoming the investment, Al Jabri said the
Tourist Façade Project of Marina Duqm would
help stimulate the growth of tourism activities in
Duqm, thereby enhancing the Special Economic
Zone’s appeal to local residents and international
business travellers.
He lauded in particular the interest of local
Omani businesspeople in investing in Duqm.
HSBC bank stays in
London, snubbing
Hong Kong
LONDON:
Europe’s
largest
bank
HSBC
informed the financial
markets on Monday
it
would
remain
headquartered in Britain,
rejecting a move to Hong
Kong despite concerns
about increased regulation in the UK. The Hong Kong and
Shanghai Banking Corporation said in a note to the London
Stock Exchange following a board meeting on Sunday that
London’s many advantages meant it was “ideally positioned”
to provide a home base.
“Having our headquarters in the UK and our significant
business in Asia Pacific delivers the best of both worlds to
our stakeholders,” Group Chairman Douglas Flint told BBC
radio. It made no reference to growing fears in Hong Kong
that the city’s freedoms are being eroded by an increasingly
influential China, a trend observers say could damage its
status as a freewheeling finance hub.
The bank began its review of where to put its headquarters
in April last year, two weeks before a British general election,
amid growing calls for a crackdown on a sector seen by many
voters as feckless. It also cited as a reason for the review the
British bank levy introduced in 2010 — a tax based on the
size of any British-based banks’ global balance sheet which
has since been scaled down.
A British finance ministry spokeswoman said the decision
was “a vote of confidence in the government’s economic plan
and a boost to our goal of making the UK a great place to
do more business with China and the rest of Asia”. The final
choice had been between Britain and Hong Kong, although
the review had also reportedly considered Germany and the
United States. The decision will come as a relief to the City,
where bank stocks have suffered this year and there is growing
concern about uncertainty from a referendum on Britain’s EU
membership expected this year. — AFP
“Such investment not only contribute to the
development of Duqm, but the wider national
economy.
They also advance the government’s strategic
efforts to diversify the economy and support
the creation of jobs for young Omanis. We look
TURN TO P19
Tourist arrivals see 7.4pc rise
‰ Muscat airport crosses historic 10 million mark
‰ Oman to showcase tourism vision at ATM 2016
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb 15: Leveraging its international profile,
the Sultanate of Oman witnessed its inbound
tourism numbers rise by an annual average of
7.4 per cent in the period between 2005 and
2014.
Figures from the Oman Airports
Management Company for both Muscat and
Salalah airports recorded an 18 per cent rise
in passenger numbers through the capital’s
gateway in 2015, surpassing the 10 million
passenger mark for the first time in its
operational history.
Salalah Airport saw a rise in traffic by
22 per cent to reach more than one million
passengers.
At the same time, Oman targets 1.4 million
international tourism arrivals by 2019, up
from 1.1 million in 2015.
“Oman’s Tourism Strategy for 2015 through
to 2040 has an investment value of $35 billion
and the country is working hard to increase its
global appeal with exciting initiatives such as
the launch of an e-visa system by Royal Oman
Police in February last year,” said Nadege
Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian
Travel Market.
The country is also seventh out of the 100
places most favoured by Muslim tourists,
according to the Global Muslim Travel Index.
“These figures are indicative of the growing
appeal of Oman to a diverse international
audience and the country is expanding its
tourism offering to cater to all segments
including mid-market, which is something
that we are focusing on this year as our
spotlight theme,” said Noblet-Segers said
during the annual Arabian Travel Market
roadshow series which returned to Oman on
February 11 last.
“It has also been a destination on several
travel hotlists, and was ranked in 20th spot
on the New York Times list of one of the 52
places to visit in 2015 as well as gaining kudos
from popular travel site, Skift, which last
year named it as the number one spot in the
region, saying that it ‘packs a lot [into] a small
package’,” Noblet-Segers said.
Accessibility is a key focus with Oman Air,
for example, launching a new route to Dhaka
and enhanced capacity to Frankfurt, Colombo,
Tehran and Dammam.
“This is responding not only to the needs
of the more budget-conscious traveller, but
also for those whom quality and experienceled travel doesn’t necessarily have to mean a
five-star price tag,” she added. TURN TO P 19
18
omandailyobserver
OMAN
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
Over 105 firms participate in IDF Oman exhibition
MUSCAT: Ahmed bin Nasser bin
Hamad al Mehrzi, Minister of Tourism
presided over the formal inauguration
of the 3rd IDF Oman — Interior
Design, Décor and Furniture Exhibition
yesterday. The exhibition, organised
by Al Nimr Expo, under the auspices
of the Ministry of Housing and Public
Authority for Craft Industries, is being
held from February 15 to 16 at the Oman
International Exhibition Centre in Seeb.
Oman’s rapid progress in the
construction and the real estate sector,
has witnessed the launch of numerous
commercial, residential and tourism
projects, thus creating a demand for
interior and outdoor design, décor and
furnishings.
The key objective of the exhibition is
to display the latest in technology, usage
of materials and innovative approaches
to interior design, décor and furniture.
BUSINESS ALERT
Over 50 developers to attend International
Property Expo Muscat 2016
MUSCAT: The most awaited show of
Muscat is back — “The International
Property Expo Muscat 2016”. Bigger and
better than the last 8 editions, bringing to
you the most reputed builders worldwide!
Scheduled on February 26 and 27, 10
am to 8 pm at Hotel Al Falaj, Ruwi. We
will be showcasing a bouquet of over
50 developers across India (Bangalore,
Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, Goa, Hyderabad, Kerala and other leading cities/states)
all under one roof. The exhibition will be offering spot discounts by various
builders and home finance options will be available, making every step easier for
a home buyer.
Exhibition is organised by Arab Gate Expo with the support of Mindscape
Exhibitions, India. The best part of Times of India’s exhibitions is participation
of 40 plus builders with pan India presence and India’s all top end builders are
always participate with Times of India’s exhibitions. Times show is biggest and
most successful shows of Sultanate of Oman.
Bank Muscat supports Tour of Oman
BANK Muscat, the flagship financial
services provider in the Sultanate, has
extended lead support to Tour of Oman,
which is set to witness a star studded
line-up of international cyclists for the
seventh edition of the championship
from February 16 to 21.
In step with the ‘Let’s Do More’
vision, the bank’s support to Tour of
Oman comes as part of its commitment
to partnership in promoting the Sultanate as a tourism and sporting destination.
Over the years, Bank Muscat has extended strong support in making the Tour of
Oman championship a great success. The bank aims to utilise the opportunity
to fulfil its commitment to national initiatives, uniting citizens, residents and
visitors in sharing the good times and discovering the joy of being connected.
As the nation’s leading financial institution, Bank Muscat aims to strongly
convey the message of support to varied sporting activities so as to encourage
healthy lifestyle and provide the required impetus for the country to excel in
sports and games. In the 5th edition of Tour of Oman, Bank Muscat headquarters
was the starting point of the 3rd stage of the event. Over the years, Tour of Oman
has significantly grown in stature and the hosting of the international sporting
event reflects the Sultanate’s remarkable organisational capabilities. In all 144
cyclists representing 18 teams from 11 countries are vying for top honours.
Bespoke Mulliner features make
debut in Flying Spur
MULLINER,
Bentley’s
in-house
coach-building division, is revealing
its latest range of bespoke creations for
the Flying Spur, enabling Middle East
customers to personalise the four-door
luxury sedan to an even higher level.
For the first time in the region, the
Flying Spur can now be specified with
a refrigerated bottle cooler between
the rear seats, Mulliner quilted leather,
sterling silver atomisers and hide-trimmed stowage boxes. This new range of
personalisation options are but a few of the limitless possibilities a customer
can find with Mulliner, and further enhance the Flying Spur’s reputation for
unparalleled luxury and refinement for both work and relaxation.
Available with either a 4.0-litre V8 or mighty 6.0-litre W12, the Flying Spur
offers immense performance to complement its class-leading comfort and
IDF has helped meet the growing
demand, by bringing together all the
leading companies in the industry under
one roof.
In its third edition, IDF Oman
is showcasing Accessories and Art,
Bathroom, Building Material, Carpets,
Commercial Interiors and Fit Out,
Décor, Flooring, Furniture and
Furnishings, Interior Design, Kitchen,
Lightings, Luxury Lifestyle, Outdoor
Design and Build, Renovation, Retail
Fit-Out and Eco Building, Surfaces and
Finishes, Textiles, Vastu and Feng shui,
to compliment the ongoing construction
of major infrastructure projects in the
Sultanate, making the exhibition an
‘exclusive emporium’.
The exhibition is featuring more
than 105 companies, with over 65
international companies from across
the globe surpassing the past two
editions. More than 35 companies are
representing by Italy which is managed
by MEDINIT SRL for the 3rd year
running. Once again Alfardan Motors
LLC is supporting the exhibition by
displaying 2 Maserati Cars to justify
Italians as one of the finest and niche
designers in the world. Italy has long
been seen as the structure of western art
and design and their design concepts,
beautifully allow us to create an identity
and express our chosen lifestyle and
individuality.
Special highlights of IDF Oman will
be the CasaMedinit — Made in Italy, The
Villa Project, Paragon Arts activity and
Sorabi Live Art by Jaafar Hamza
The villa, a lifestyle through the
centuries will be one of the main
highlights of IDF Oman which is
created by Opera architects will
welcome visitors at the entrance of
CasaMédinit. The Venetian Villas
describe a unique case in the world, an
element which characterises the region,
where architecture and landscape, art
refinement.
Geoff Dowding, Director of Mulliner explains “Mulliner offers customers
the opportunity to personalise their car over and above the one million plus
combinations already available to them. Creating bespoke features is about
understanding our customer needs and requirements and the Flying Spur is a
perfect outlet for us to interpret their ideas.”
Last of the current Land Rover
Defenders is built in Solihull
LAND Rover celebrated 68 years
of history as the last of the current
Defenders was produced at its famous
Solihull production facility.
To mark the occasion Land Rover
invited more than 700 current and
former Solihull employees involved in
the production of Series Land Rover and
Defender vehicles to see and drive some
of the most important vehicles from its history, including the first pre-production
‘Huey’ Series I as well as the last vehicle off the production line, a Defender 90
Heritage Soft Top. At the same time, Land Rover announced a new Heritage
Restoration Programme, which will be based on the site of the existing Solihull
production line. A team of experts, including some long serving Defender
employees, will oversee the restoration of a number of Series Land Rovers sourced
from across the globe. The first vehicles will go on sale in July 2016.
More than two million Series Land Rovers and Defenders have been built in
Solihull, UK since 1948. What began as simply a line drawing in the sand has
gone on to become one of the world’s most iconic 4x4s, earning the accolade of
being the most versatile vehicle on the planet, capable of taking owners to the
places other vehicles couldn’t reach. In 2015, a unique milestone Defender — the
‘Defender 2,000,000’ sold for a record £400,000 — a far cry from the original
£450 the first Land Rover sold for at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show.
Mitsubishi Oman announces final Team
Pajero Adventure for 2015-2016 Edition
CALLING all Pajero owners in
the Sultanate, General Automotive
Company
(GAC),
the
official
distributors for Mitsubishi Vehicles in
Oman, has announced that final trip
of the 2016 edition of its ‘Team Pajero
Desert Adventure’ will take place this
weekend on February 19.
Beginning in November 2015, the
adventure comprising several two-day
trips and saw over 1,125 participating in over 225 Mitsubishi Pajeros, cumulative
over all the trips so far, driving into the vast sandy deserts that are so popular in
the Sultanate. Organised by GAC specifically for Pajero owners and enthusiasts,
each of these trips gives Pajero owners a taste of a true desert adventure in the
vehicle best suited to handle the challenge — the Mitsubishi Pajero.
Commenting on the success of this event, Manoj Ranade, GM of General
Automotive Company said, “At General Automotive Company, it has been a
constant objective for us to organise events which capture the imagination of our
customers as well as allowing them to experience the fantastic capabilities of our
vehicles. The Pajero has been a constant favourite in the region and in this year’s
edition of ‘Team Pajero’ we’re really pleased with the positive feedback from our
guests so far!”
and craftsmanship combine to create a
real “Museum” consists of a collection
of over 4,000 buildings. This model
typical of the Venetian area represents
a precious heritage of our past and even
today constitutes an element of great
relevance appreciated worldwide as an
icon of a lifestyle and elegance at the
same time dynamic and creative.
The concept of the villa comes from
the desire to exploit this invaluable
cultural heritage made of traditions
and secular experiences through the
involvement of local companies that
reproduce in a modern way the skilful
mastery of techniques and processes in
use since ancient times.
The space is an opportunity to bring
and introduce everything in Oman,
a country which despite boasting
centuries of history is deeply fascinated
by the Made in Italy and is able to
understand and appreciate the quality
and craftsmanship.
Paragon Arts is another highlight
of the exhibition which is a non-profit,
educational, social and entertainment
CSR initiative created by Paragon
International and sponsored by Almouj
Muscat. The initiative aims at further
promoting the local art movement,
contributing towards exposing Omanbased artists and their art onto a wider
arena and a global audience with a focus
on art education and training by leading
artists from all around the world most of
whom reside in Oman.
First time in Oman, Jaafar Hamza,
Creative Director of Boxobia from the
Kingdom of Bahrain is performing the
Live Sorabi Art — A unique fusion of
Chinese style art with Arabic lettering.
Hamza said, “I would like to thank Al
Nimr Expo in giving this opportunity
to showcase a unique form of art which
is unseen by the citizens here. The
art is a combination of three features:
One being painting the manuscripts in
reverse which can be read only with a
mirror, second being the Sorabi Art —
a mix of Chinese art with Arabic letters
and lastly the tool being used, which is
only a pen.
Salim Omar al Hashmi, CEO, Al
Nimr Expo said, “The Interior Design,
Décor & Furniture Exhibition — IDF
Oman is also dedicated to interiors
professionals and is perfectly timed for
start of the buying season. In a fluid
and dynamic market, the expo helps
manufacturers and suppliers track
potential buyers. Our trade visitors will
also be able to establish new businesses,
representations and out source their
project requirements, thus making this
event a ‘One Stop Solution’.
set to create another milestone. The Sentra
boasts of top of the range options that
focuses on class-above design standards
inside and out. Loaded with full options,
the Sentra 1.6 & 1.8 SV is an edge over
competitors in its segment making it an
enticing option for patrons.
The presence of the Nissan Sentra
vehicles on the road is aptly supported
by Nissan Oman’s world-class service facilities and trained manpower. The
Nissan Sentra offers drivers the spaciousness and comfort of cars usually found
in the larger segment, as well as technology usually associated with much more
expensive cars. Apart from Nissan Sentra 1.6 and 1.8L engine options, the Sentra
1.6 SV has an engine capacity of 113hp, Dimensions (LxWxH) – 4615 x 1760 x
1495mm and Xtronic CVT Transmission.
SBA is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate
through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class
after-sales services in Oman. SBA has also been conferred with the coveted
Champion Distributor status thrice in a row by Nissan Global — an award that
surmises the organisation’s relentless pursuit towards value creation and a zeal for
driving world-class processes and quality standards.
Renault Duster 4x4 offers enhanced
driving performance
RENAULT Duster 4x4 from Suhail
Bahwan Automobiles, the exclusive
importers and distributors is a
breakthrough vehicle in its segment.
The Renault Duster 4x4 is capable of
meeting all the challenges: tackling the
city with its robust design or heading
off the beaten track with its all-terrain
capabilities. Thanks to its reinforced
underbody, its high ground clearance and light weight, it demonstrates superb
agility and enhanced off-road performance when handling uneven surface. The
Renault Duster 4X4 is the real off-roader made for your active lifestyle.
The Duster 4X4 features a new front-end with a redesigned grille, two chromeplated strips and a new air intake. The double-optic front headlamps including
daytime running lights enhance its unique character. The new 16” black diamond
alloy wheels reinforce its assertive look.
Inside, the Duster 4X4 comes along with a brand new dashboard, redesigned
seats with beige upholstery and many other features. It has been upgraded to
deliver more comfort and reflect its exterior styling.
New 2016 Toyota RAV4: ‘Fungineered’
THE Toyota RAV4 is a global model that
is sold in more than 150 countries and
regions. Toyota engineers have added
more fun to the 4WD by “fungineering”
the current generation RAV4. They
did so by enhancing the design, the
emotional appealing and appointments.
The exterior was recreated to make it
even more dynamic and agile-looking.
Equipped with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with Dual VVT-i technology,
the RAV4 runs on 177 horsepower. It is equipped with Bi-beam LED headlamps
with attractive daytime running lights, aero stabilizing fins, aerodynamic roof
rails, floor mounted spare wheels, moon-roof and rear parking sensors (4 pc).
The RAV4’s interior has a premium, urban look with soft-touch accents and
driver-centric controls. The high-tech features include 7” navigation system, with
display audio, Touchscreen, AM/FM/CD, Bluetooth® connectivity, USB and AUX
mini-jack and six speakers.
A host of interior features like smart entry & start system, rear view camera
with back guide monitor, sporty leather seat material, power driver seat with tilt
AFTER gaining rave reviews from auto enthusiasts, the 2016 Sentra comes in a & slide function, automatic climate control add to the overall interior appeal as
new 1.6 & 1.8 SV CVT P26 from the house Suhail Bahwan Automobiles which is well as the functionality.
Award winning Nissan Sentra makes
big impact in Oman auto market
OMAN
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
Ooredoo signs MoU
with Al Raffd Fund
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb 15: Reflecting its commitment to
support the growth and development
of Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs) in Oman, Ooredoo signed
a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Al Raffd Fund for Internet
services for the Fund’s 621 Sanad
Service Centres across Oman. Under
the agreement, the packages will offer
the Centres greater connection speeds
and a cost-effective range of business
services, among other benefits.
Greg Young, CEO of Ooredoo, said,
“SMEs make up almost 90 per cent of
Oman’s burgeoning business sector,
making it vital that we provide them
with the products, services, and support
they need to continue to thrive and
support the nation’s development.
With that in mind, we developed
two special packages to help the
Move to enhance the
efficiency of 621 Sanad
Service Centres across
Oman.
Sanad Service Centres increase
their productivity, efficiency, and
effectiveness
as
they
continue
supporting Al Raffd Fund and other
SMEs throughout Oman.”
Established in 2013, the Al Raffd
Fund aims to empower Omani youth
with the means to establish their own
projects. To date, the initiative has 1,662
listed SMEs which have in turn created
over 3,000 jobs for Omanis.
Tariq al Farsi, CEO of Al Raffd
said, “Ooredoo’s high-value business
products and services are perfectly
suited to providing our Centres with
the technical capabilities they need
to continue operating at the highest
performance levels.”
OAB Al Yusr sharia supervisory
board holds ninth meeting
MUSCAT: Al Yusr Islamic Banking,
the Sharia Compliant window of Oman
Arab Bank, recently conducted its ninth
Sharia Supervisory Board meeting at its
corporate office in Al Ghubra. During
the meeting, the Board approved the
Sharia Audit and Sharia Compliance
Review Plan for the year 2016 and
signed-off on the introduction of
new products and services, including
Currency Swap, Islamic Profit Rate
Swap and Islamic Hedging. Al Yusr’s
Core Banking system and product
manual were also assessed to ensure
complete alignment with the principles
of Sharia.
The meeting was led by Dr Essam
al Enezi, Chairman of Al Yusr Sharia
Supervisory Board, and attended by
Board Members Dr Ahmad Subhi, Dr
Abdulaziz al Qassar and Ahmad Ayyadi
as well as Al Yusr General Manager,
Abdul Qader al Balushi. Abul Qader,
commended the meeting, saying that
the Board’s approval of new products
and services will further support Al
Yusr’s pioneering efforts to provide
Sharia compliant solutions for people
throughout Oman.
He also expressed his gratitude
to the Board for guiding Al Yusr’s
operations and ensuring its ability to
meet customers’ constantly evolving
banking needs.
Tourist arrivals see 7.4pc rise
level brands to target the
FROM P17
newly
budget-conscious
According
to
the
corporate traveller.
Reed Travel Exhibitions
The visibility of special
commissioned
third
deals/promotions
when
quarter 2015 YouGov
selecting a hotel for
Travel Oracle insight
business travel was also
report, one-third (36 per
raised in the research,
cent) of surveyed leisure
with 18 per cent of those
travellers from the region
surveyed naming special
now
choose
budget
Nadege Noblet-Segers
offers as the top decision
hotels when travelling for
pleasure, with Asian expats the most influencer followed by the influence of
likely to opt for low cost accommodation the company travel organiser (15 per
(52 per cent) and 35 per cent of all cent).
ATM 2016 will build on the
respondents stating that reasonable cost
is one of the most important elements success of this year’s edition with the
when considering a leisure destination. announcement of an additional hall as
Overall, 41 per cent of travellers Reed Travel Exhibitions looks to add
interviewed had a per person trip to its record-breaking achievements
budget of $1,000 or less, thus putting earlier this year.
ATM 2015 witnessed a year-oncost high on the priority list.
The YouGov report also looked at year visitor attendance increase of 15
business travel, with 15 per cent of per cent to over 26,000, with exhibiting
total respondents reporting a decrease companies increasing by 5 per cent to
in corporate travel budget over the 2,873.
Business deals worth more than $2.5
last 12 months, which is accordingly
highlighting an opportunity for mid- billion were signed over the four days.
Pact signed for RO 283m mega
tourism complex in Duqm SEZ
FROM P17
forward to seeing more such investment
from the Omani private sector,” he
stated.
Shaikh Salem al Ghazali explained
that Tourism Façade Project is in line
with the Golden Group’s vision to
support the development of tourism
in the Sultanate. It would seek to
capitalize on Duqm’s strategic location
overlooking the Arabian Sea, as well as
its striking natural elements, to offer a
distinctive destination for tourists and
visitors.
Al Sedrah Real Estate Company, a
subsidiary of the Golden Group, will
oversee the real estate component of the
Tourist Façade Project.
The Group has already signed
agreements with several international
companies for the construction and
operation of a string of hotels across
market segments in the different
governorates of the Sultanate.
omandailyobserver
19
MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET
20
omandailyobserver
INTERNATIONAL
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
Soaring Tokyo leads Asia rebound, Shanghai down
A man tries to take pictures of an electronic quotation board flashing the Nikkei key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in
front of a securities company in Tokyo on Monday. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange jumped 7.16
per cent, or 1,069.97 points, to 16,022.58, clawing back from a loss of more than 11 per cent last week. — AFP
HONG KONG: Japanese investors
shrugged off an economic contraction to
propel stocks more than seven per cent
on Monday, leading an Asia recovery
after last week’s horror show, but another
weak trade report reinforced fears over
China’s outlook.
Analysts said the latest round of
dismal results will turn the focus on
central banks to step up to the plate as the
global economy is buffeted and markets
suffer their worst start to a year in recent
memory.
The broad gains across the region
came after a surge in New York and
Europe on Friday fuelled by a rally in
oil prices and bargain-buying. Upbeat
readings on German growth and US
retail sales also provided some support.
However, experts said the gains were
unlikely to be sustained for a long period,
with the concerns that have wiped
trillions off markets already this year —
including the weak global economy and
China’s slowdown — still unresolved.
“Shares have become oversold again
and due for at least a bounce which may
now be getting under way,” Shane Oliver,
head of investment strategy in Sydney at
AMP Capital Investors, told Bloomberg
News. “But with global growth worries
remaining, it’s still premature to say that
shares have bottomed.”
Tokyo soared 7.2 per cent by the close
after losses of more than 11 per cent last
week that were fuelled by a surging yen as
dealers fled into safe-haven investments.
News that the economy shrank in
the final quarter of last year — while
Bank of England sets out stall for Islamic
deposits in first for Western central bank
LONDON: The Bank of England
became the first major Western central
bank to set out its stall for sharia
compliant deposit facilities as Britain
seeks to pitch London as the preeminent
global centre for Islamic finance.
Born in its modern form in the
1970s, Islamic finance — which obeys
religious principles such as bans on
interest payments — has rapidly
expanded over the past decade and
there are now more than $2 trillion in
Islamic financial assets.
Joining other central banks in the
Middle East and Asia, the Bank of
England is trying to allow Britain’s five
Islamic banks to access an equivalent
to its deposit facility, which normally
pays interest, something barred under
sharia rules. Britain became the first
Western country to issue Islamic bonds
in 2014 and the BoE last year became
the second Western regulator to join the
Islamic Financial Services Board, one
of the main standard-setting bodies for
Islamic finance.
The BoE will seek views from Islamic
banks and others on four potential
models, two involving deposit facilities
and two involving liquidity insurance.
Stakeholders have until April 29 to
give their views, after which the BoE
will decide if there is a way forward.
“Its primary focus at this stage is
to assess the feasibility of establishing
Sharia compliant deposit facilities,” the
BoE said in a statement.
“The bank understands that this is
the area of greatest demand, given that
a more limited range of liquid market
instruments is available to Islamic banks
compared with other banks.”
The British Bankers’ Association
welcomed the consultation.
“It could play an important role
in confirming London as the leading
European centre for Sharia compliant
financing,” BBA regulatory director
Simon Hills said. — Reuters
Factory output suffers as industrial production contracts 1.7pc in Dec
Japan economy shrinks during
Q4 in body blow for ‘Abenomics’
TOKYO: Japan’s economy contracted
in the last quarter of 2015, official data
showed on Monday, dealing another
blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s
faltering bid to boost growth.
The figures will fan talk of fresh Bank
of Japan measures, after policymakers
shocked markets last month with an
unprecedented negative interest rate
policy — widely seen as a desperate
move to kickstart the world’s number
three economy. Weak demand for
big-ticket items like cars and home
appliances held back the vast economy
which shrank 0.4 per cent in OctoberDecember — or an annualised 1.4 per
cent drop.
That was Japan’s second quarterly
contraction in 2015, although GDP edge
up a tepid 0.4 per cent for the whole
year, underscoring Tokyo’s challenge
in slaying deflation and cementing a
sustained recovery. Tokyo brushed
off the weak numbers, saying that “the
fundamentals (of the economy) remain
good”, but analysts countered that Abe’s
growth plan was stumbling.
The premier’s bid to revive Japan’s
once-soaring
economy,
dubbed
Abenomics, has also been shaken by a
bloodbath on equity markets since the
A worker controls traffic at a construction site in Tokyo. Japan’s economy contracted
in the last quarter of 2015, official data showed on Monday. — AFP
start of the year and a resurgent yen that
threatened to dent companies’ profits.
“The latest data show that it is difficult
to say that the Abe government has
achieved of its goal of a ‘virtuous cycle’ of
rising incomes, wages, and investment,”
said Tobias Harris, political risk analyst
at US-based consultancy Teneo. “Japan
has remained too dependent on exportled growth, which has suffered in light
of China’s slowdown and the effects it
has had on the global economy.”
Japan’s factory output has suffered
as worries persist about global growth,
with revised data on Monday showing
industrial production contracted 1.7
per cent in December, worse than a
preliminary 1.4 per cent drop.
However Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 stock
index soared more than seven per cent
on Monday, boosted by bargain-buying
and a weaker yen following last week’s
11 per cent drop.
The yen, which surged four per cent
last week against the dollar, turned lower
Monday on talk about the BoJ unveiling
fresh monetary easing measures as well
as speculation about Tokyo intervening
in currency markets to stem the unit’s
rise. — AFP
dealing another blow to Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe’s attempts to kickstart growth
— fanned calls for the central bank to
further ease monetary policy. “Japanese
policy makers need to go on an all out
war against the risk of a recession,” Takuji
Okubo, the Tokyo-based principal and
chief economist at Japan Macro Advisors,
told Bloomberg TV.
The Bank of Japan “should keep on
easing monetary policy. Policy makers
need to show the market they are aware
of the risks and they are doing everything
they can to prevent a recession.”
Speculation about possible further
easing — effectively printing cash —
pressured the yen after it soared about
four per cent against the dollar last week.
In the afternoon the greenback was at
113.80 yen compared with 113.25 yen in
New York on Friday.
Hong Kong was up 3.3 per cent, with
HSBC rising more than four per cent after
saying it would remain headquartered
in Britain, rejecting a move to Hong
Kong, despite concerns about increased
regulation in the UK and a possible split
from the EU. Sydney gained 1.6 per cent
and Seoul 1.5 per cent. Singapore piled on
2.7 per cent.
Shanghai ended 0.6 per cent off.
However, the losses were limited
considering traders were playing catchup with last week’s bloodbath across
world markets and after data showed
exports tumbled 11.2 per cent year-onyear in dollar terms and imports plunged
18.8 per cent.
The news will fan hopes the People’s
Bank of China will step in to provide
relief, having slashed interest rates six
times in the 12 months to November and
also lowering the amount of cash lenders
must keep in reserve.
BIZ BRIEF
Deutsche Bank
flexes financial
muscle with mega
bond buyback
BERLIN: Germany’s biggest lender
Deutsche Bank flexed its muscle,
launching a massive bond-buying
programme to assuage concerns over
the depth of its pockets.
The group said it would repurchase
up to 4.8 billion euros ($5.4 billion) of
its own outstanding bonds, adding
that its liquidity position is comfortable
enough to carry out the buyback.
The offer for bonds denominated
in euros is worth up to 3 billion euros,
while that for debt denominated in US
dollars totals up to $2 billion.
The announcement marks a second
offensive by the group to allay fears,
after its new Chief Executive John
Cryan took the unusual step earlier this
week of issuing a public statement and
writing to the group’s employees to
say that the bank “remains absolutely
rock-solid, given our strong capital and
risk position.” He also said that it has
sufficient cash to pay its riskiest debts.
Separately, in Brussels, German
Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble
also swiped aside concerns over the
bank’s health.
“Deutsche Bank is a strong bank
and that’s that,” he told journalists
on Friday, adding that there were
“no worries” about the health of the
financial institution.
It “has sufficient capital... we had
taken precautions to make banks
resilient after the finance and banking
crisis in 2007 and 2008,” he said.
The entire European banking
sector had lost about a fifth of their
market capitalisation in January,
dragged down by weakness in the
euro zone economy and challenges
facing banks from ultra low interest
rates and regulatory pressures.
But Deutsche Bank has taken a
bigger battering because it is also
entangled in a web of legal woes. Its
share price has plunged by a third
since the beginning of the year.
The bank faces a quagmire of as
many as 6,000 different litigation cases,
the provisions for which helped push it
to a record loss of 6.8 billion euros last
year. — AFP
Japan’s SoftBank announces
$4.4 billion share buyback
TOKYO: Japanese telecom giant
Softbank said on Monday it will buy
back about 14 per cent of its shares
for more than $4.0 billion, after the
stock plunged since the start of the
year.
The company plans to buy 167
million shares over one year starting
on Tuesday at a total cost of around
500 billion yen ($4.4 billion), it said.
“The proposed share repurchase
will be funded through proceeds
from the sale of assets and cash on
hand, but not through any debt
procurement,” the company said.
The buyback — which tends
to beef up a stock’s value — comes
after SoftBank’s Tokyo-listed shares
“Weak exports pose a further
downside risk to the weak economy,
suggesting the government may need
to step in more quickly with policy
support,” Fielding Chen, an economist
at Bloomberg Intelligence in Hong
Kong, wrote in a report on Monday.
“In particular, policy makers may want
to ramp up fiscal stimulus as soon as
possible in order to bolster investment
and consumption.”
The PBoC went on the offensive at
the weekend, with an interview in the
Caixin magazine in which Governor
Zhou Xiaochuan said there was no basis
for continued yuan weakening.
And on Monday the bank fixed the
value of the unit higher by the biggest
dropped 28 per cent since the start
of the year amid wild volatility on
global markets.
Last week, the company — which
owns a huge stable of firms including
US-based mobile giant Sprint — said
its nine-month net profit was down
by more than one-quarter from a
year earlier.
The shares closed at 4,400 yen on
Monday, rising nearly six per cent on
the back of a huge rally in Tokyo.
In August, SoftBank president
and former Google executive Nikesh
Arora said he would buy a whopping
$483 million in company shares
to show confidence in SoftBank’s
prospects. — AFP
margin for more than three months.
A plunge in the currency was among
factors behind the tumult on global
markets this year and last as traders
fretted over the state of the Chinese
economy, the world’s number two and
key driver of global growth.
Zhou said the country’s balance of
payments was good, capital outflows were
normal and the exchange rate is basically
stable against a basket of currencies.
He vowed China would use its
massive foreign exchange holdings to
defend the yuan and pledged currency
reforms would continue.
In early European trade London rose
0.7 per cent, Frankfurt rallied 2.2 per cent
and Paris jumped 2.3 per cent. — AFP
Russia’s top automaker fears bankruptcy
MOSCOW: Russia’s top automaker Avtovaz, controlled by Renault-Nissan asked
shareholders to help save it from bankruptcy as losses in 2015 tripled from the year
before.
Hit hard by Russia’s economic crisis the company, maker of Lada cars, said it would
further “optimise the workforce” as part of its “anti-crisis plan” to improve finances in
2016, having already switched all of its employees and management to a four-day
week in February last year.
Net losses in 2015 amounted to 73.8 billion roubles ($928 million), nearly triple the
2014 figure of 25 billion roubles ($314 million. Operating losses grew to 66.8 billion
roubles ($840 million) from 14.7 billion roubles ($185 million) the previous year.
Without help, market conditions “create a material uncertainty that gives rise to
significant doubt about the group’s ability to continue as a going concern”, Avtovaz
said in a statement.
Sales fell by eight per cent to 176.5 billion roubles ($2.2 billion), while the car
market on average shrank by 36 per cent.
Renault said earlier from Paris that the Avtovaz losses weighed on its group results
with 620 million euros.
Based on the Volga river in the city of Togliatti, Avtovaz is majority owned since
2013 by Renault-Nissan and employs 44,000 people, not counting jobs it generates in
the region for its suppliers. — AFP
People stand in front of a Chinese food supermarket, during the celebrations
of the Chinese Lunar New Year in Paris. Millions of Chinese around the world
are celebrating the New Year, which marks the beginning of the Year of the
Monkey. — AFP
EC places Ikea tax bill under scrutiny
BRUSSELS: The European Commission on Saturday pledged to study a report
claiming that Swedish furniture giant Ikea may have underpaid taxes by one billion
euros between 2009 and 2014 due to aggressive tax strategies.
Research commissioned by the Green/EFA group in the European Parliament
claims to show that Ikea “structured itself to dodge 1 billion euros in taxes over the last
six years using onshore European tax havens”, the group said in a statement.
Responding to the report on Saturday the commission said it would examine the
claims. “The commission has taken note of the report and its findings and will study it
in detail,” commission spokeswoman on financial services and tax affairs Vanessa Mock
said. According to the Greens, Ikea uses “a series of tax loopholes in different European
countries, namely the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg to avoid paying taxes”,
the statement said.
“One of the techniques is shifting royalties from each Ikea store to a subsidiary
in the Netherlands, which acts as a conduit. The royalties go in and out of the
Netherlands untaxed and end up in Liechtenstein, or at least partly,” it added.
Ikea on Saturday defended its management of its tax affairs.
“IKEA Group is fully committed to manage its operations in a responsible
and sustainable way and we pay our taxes in full compliance with national and
international tax rules and regulations,” it said in a statement.
“We are committed to further develop our business in Europe and look forward to
the continued dialogue on how to develop a harmonized and clear international tax
system,” it added. — AFP
PERSPECTIVE
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
CASH
omandailyobserver
21
FLOW
Monetary, financial policies and cash management
Lo’ai B
Bataineh
Lbb_65@yahoo.com
T
he management of
local economies, the
financial and monetary
policies and how to
activate the economy
have been among the
hot topics for debate over the last three
months at the Gulf region.
Cash flow is an economic term that
describe the real or virtual movement
of cash and the cash money available to
carry out business transactions.
The monetary policy at any given
economic system aims at stabilizing
prices; one of the prioritized aims for
the monetary policy. To this end, the
central banks are committee to achieve
low inflation rates over the mediumterm to help in enhancing confidence
at the market and create the conducive
environment for investment and
economic growth.
In general, central banks tend to
decide the cap of the interest rates
which are then presented by a special
committee for monetary policies. This
committee prepares economic and
financial studies and reports on the
latest local, regional and international
development.
Before taking any
decision about the interest rate. They
also assess the risks associated with the
possible inflation. This committee also
follows up the local economic changes
in the market especially the inflation
rates, the interest rates, the monetary
and credit developments in the banking
system, the valuation of the financial and
investment assets and the indicators of
the key and real economic sectors at the
national economy.
At the same time, the Committee
studies and follows the global interest
and growth rates and the future
forecasts for the global economy and the
countries and economies the state has a
relation with or may be affected by their
performance.
The financial and monetary policy
is thus one of the key strategies and
tool used to steer the economy of any
country.
The financial policy is always based
on the decisions taken by the central
governments and how they will use
revenues and expenditures to stimulate
the economy. Similarly, the central bank
of any given country will implement
a monetary policy to affect the money
supply in the country.
The financial and economic policies
are very important in understanding the
economy. They might have deep effects
on the life of the society in general.
The quantity of supply and demand
for the financial policy will affect the ups
and downs of the interest rates, which are
closely monitored by the central banks.
The central banks also use financial and
monetary policy, in coordination with
the Ministry of Finance, to steer the
economy of the nation, especially if the
economy is closely linked to government
expenditure as it is the case with Gulf
region.
The state thus sues the financial and
monetary policy to achieve economic
stability, enhance the growth rate,
stabilize prices and ensure optimum
utilization of the production elements.
The key question in this stage is
about the nature of the main decisions
that should be taken by those in charge
of shaping the monetary ad financial
policy to achieve high economic and
social growth rates and to ensure price
stability in general. We don’t mean here
to ensure having a fixed price index but
rather ensure that its growth and within
normal limits and at reasonable rates.
The tools of the financial policy
are the public expenditure or taxes.
The financial policy is implemented
to achieve a number of aims namely
stability of prices, optimum utilization
of resources, redistribution of income
and enhance the state’s economic growth
rates.
The Gulf countries are now
considering every possible
mean to enhance public
revenues, reduce the effects
of the sharp slump of oil
prices, which constitutes
85 per cent of the state
revenues over the past five
years.
The Gulf countries are now
considering every possible mean to
enhance public revenues, reduce the
effects of the sharp slump of oil prices,
which constitutes 85 per cent of the
state revenues over the past five years.
The major means to enhance revenues
include levying or increasing what is
ECONOMY
called Value Added Tax. The excessive
levy of taxes may reduce the individuals’
purchase power which in turn will
reduce the consumption expenditure,
which is one of the main components of
the macro expenditure.
This helps in curtailing and
containing inflation in most cases even
with varying degree. This may also
lead to weak economic growth and the
reduction of public expenditure will also
result in reducing the gross expenditure
which in turn will reduce the
inflationary gap and consequently will
affect the economic growth rate. On the
contrary, we may need a financial policy
to address the economic stagnation or
retraction (the gross demand is less than
the growth supply). This financial policy
will include the reduction of taxes or
increase of public expenditure or both
of them.
Thus, we have to be sure about the
soundness of the financial and monetary
policy we need to adopt, how we will
implement them and when especially
during the economic and financial crisis
at which the deficit of the state budget is
growing and the government revenues
and deposits are declining. We should
bear in mind that the government
deposits represent 30 per cent of the
banking system. Experts and specialists
have to closely monitor the movement
of cash flows in the banking system. At
the same time, the state should diversify
sources of finance through borrowing
from international markets or debt
tools with different currencies as per the
structure of the trade balance.
The growth of deposits over the
coming three months is expected to
be slow due to a number of factors.
The liquidity at the banking sector will
be reduced due to increase in money
withdrawal to finance the public
projects.
The government’s withdrawal of the
banking deposits to cover the financial
deficit will have an adverse effect on
Interbank Market which will lead to
sharp increase in interest rates at the
money market. When this happens
at any given market, the ability of the
banks to provide the required finance
to the companies. This will weaken the
prospects of the economic growth at
these countries. Governments thus may
need to borrow money from abroad and
pump such money in the local market
to enhance economic growth and avoid
recession.
(A number of reports and studies have
been used in brief to write this article.)
STOCKS
Japan’s ‘Abenomics’ on the ropes What’s behind the global
stock market sell-off?
as yen soars, markets plunge
G
J
apan’s bid to revive its oncesoaring economy is on the ropes
as an equity market bloodbath
and resurgent yen threaten to
knock Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe’s growth plan to the canvas.
Abe met with his hand-picked
central bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda for
an emergency meeting on Friday amid
huge volatility on global markets, which
is wiping out the gains Abenomics has
achieved since the premier swept to
power in late 2012.
Many economists are expecting a
contraction of about 0.7 per cent in the
world’s number three economy.
That could deal a near fatal blow
to Abe’s easy money policies, which
he hailed as the answer to beating the
deflation blamed for holding back
growth in the fast-ageing nation,
analysts warned.
“The risk is not that Japan faces an
imminent financial crisis or that the
Abe administration could collapse, but
rather that the government’s economic
programme simply fails to achieve its
goals,” said Tobias Harris, political risk
analyst at consultancy Teneo.
That would leave “Japan no
more capable of reckoning with the
implications of demographic decline
than before Abe took power”. Abe’s plan
— big government spending, central
bank monetary easing and reforms
to the highly regulated economy —
appeared to bear fruit at first. The
yen weakened sharply, which boosted
Japanese exporters’ profits and sparked
a huge stock market rally that bolstered
Abe’s claim that “Japan is back”.
But sustained growth in the economy
has been elusive and Abe’s efforts to
overhaul the economy have been widely
criticised as half-hearted.
“(The plan) actually worked, but
now it is moving in reverse,” said
Takuji Okubo, Director of Japan Macro
Advisors in Tokyo.
“Policymakers are not really helping
to make Japan robust enough so that the
economy can actually sustain growth...
They have basically failed and need to
Pedestrians walking on a street past a clothes shop displayed characters of “TAX FREE” in Tokyo. Japan’s bid to revive its oncesoaring economy is on the ropes as an equity market bloodbath and resurgent yen threaten to knock Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe’s growth plan to the canvas. — AFP
bear the blame”. Limited impact: Japan’s
benchmark Nikkei 225 is down about
30 per cent from its summer highs,
while the yen soared nearly four per
cent on the dollar this week. Tokyo
appears to have little ability to control
the yen, which jumped as traders bet
on currencies seen as safe in times of
turmoil.
The huge forex moves have sparked
speculation that the central bank will
intervene in markets for the first time
since 2011 to stem the yen’s rise — just
weeks after the BoJ adopted a widelypanned negative interest rate policy.
The shock move was aimed at
penalising banks for storing excess
reserves at the BoJ rather than making
loans which could boost growth.
But many observers disparaged the
move as desperate, while the yen soared
on the back of fears about a slowdown in
“Policymakers are not really
helping to make Japan
robust enough so that
the economy can actually
sustain growth... They have
basically failed and need to
bear the blame.”
the global economy, marking a serious
threat to Japan Inc’s bottom line.
That in turn could dash Abe’s hopes
the companies that benefited most from
his policies will lift employee wages
during the annual spring labour talks.
“The negative response to the BoJ’s
(negative rate) decision threatens gains
made since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
returned to power in December 2012,”
Harris said, of the two-time premier
whose first term ended ingloriously in
2007.
“To the extent that the stronger yen
is driven by external factors — slowing
growth in China and its impact on
emerging markets, and weak demand
in other advanced economies — any
additional measures undertaken by the
Abe administration or the BoJ may at
best have a limited impact.”
Tokyo is calling on cautious firms
to raise pay so workers have more
money in their pocket to spend, which
would drive inflation toward the BoJ’s
ambitious two per cent target.
But few seem willing to answer those
calls and a shrinking economy could
deal a death blow to Tokyo’s spending
hopes altogether.
“Businesses have already begun
cutting profit forecasts, a trend that
could continue as the yen strengthens,”
Harris warned. — AFP
lobal stock markets are on their shakiest footing in years.
Investors are fleeing stocks and running to safe-havens like
bonds and gold, driven by concerns about economic growth and
the effectiveness of central banks’ policies.
At the same time, tumbling energy prices are upending the economies of
oil-producing countries, further slicing into global economic growth.
Only six weeks ago cheap oil prices were still expected to cushion the
global economy, and the Federal Reserve’s decision in December to raise
interest rates for the first time since the end of the financial crisis in 2008 was
widely seen as a vote of confidence in the world’s largest economy.
In addition to the fall in US stock markets, major stock indexes worldwide
have also been hit hard, despite efforts by the Bank of Japan and the European
Central Bank to spur growth through lower interest rates.
Large institutions and sovereign wealth funds, who borrowed in euro
and yen, have been selling riskier assets, and are now buying back those
currencies, undermining central bank efforts.
The S&P 500 stock index has lost 10.5 per cent so far in 2016, its worst
start to a year in history,
according to Bespoke
Investment Group, an
investment advisory in
Harrison, New York.
The 10-year note’s
yield has fallen to 1.63
per cent, its lowest
closing level since May
2013.
Here are some of the
chief issues weighing on A man looks at a screen displaying news of
the market now.
markets update inside the Bombay Stock
WHAT IS THE Exchange building in Mumbai. — Reuters
BIGGEST REASON
FOR THE SELL-OFF?: The slump in equity prices which began late last
year has deepened as banks grapple with negative interest rates in parts of
Europe and Japan and the flattening of the US Treasury yield curve.
Negative interest rates on central bank deposits and on government bond
yields undermine the traditional ability of banks to profit from the difference
between borrowing costs and lending returns. With a decline of 18 per cent
on the year, S&P 500 financials are by far the worst performing sector in
2016. While the Federal Reserve has avoided introducing negative rates on
reserves, in Congressional testimony on Thursday, Fed Chair Janet Yellen
told lawmakers that the Fed would look into negative interest rates if needed.
“I wouldn’t take those off the table,” she said.
Higher levels of US oil output, thanks to fracking technology, along
with over-production by Saudi Arabia, contributed to a world-wide oil glut,
sparking a steep fall in energy and other commodity prices at the start of
last year.
At $27 a barrel, oil prices are now near 13-year lows and some analysts
say they expect to see prices drop further.
Tumbling oil prices resulted in sharp contractions in the economies of
oil-producing countries, and pushed up yields on corporate debt, leading
to defaults in the energy sector. “Investors whose livelihood revolve around
oil and gas and commodities are liquidating because they need the cash,”
said Stephen Massocca, Chief Investment Officer at Wedbush Equity
Management in San Francisco. — Reuters
22
LEISURE/CLASSIFIEDS
omandailyobserver
For Sale
DELUXE fast food
restaurant in Prime
location in Muscat.
99363883.
·····
MAN Primover &
Cranes, forklift,
vacuum tanker, pick
up. 99454660,
99465358.
·····
A SHOWROOM in Al
Qurum in strategic
location with
extravagant interior
design on 280 sqm is
offered for sale at
RO 25,000.
92470024.
·····
LEADEN and Black 4WD
Lincoln Navigator 1998
is for sale.
Valid till 25.12.2015,
good condition,
200,000 km, RO 1,600.
94056332.
·····
RESTAURANT in an
excellent location
in Salalah with
equipment and workers.
93397812.
·····
For Sale
GOOD DEAL: Lexus
ES-350 (American
model), Model No
2009, excellent
condition. Contact
99841230.
·····
BRANDED well
maintained
Household items for
immediate sale at
throw away price
99047440
·····
PRIME location in Shatti
Al Qurum for Sale.
Ideal for restaurant/
Coffee Shop/ Fast
Food. 97890657/
96426312. E-mail:
tess29.cayman29@
gmail.com
·····
AUTOMOTIVE batteries
for sale in bulk. Contact
24794657
Situation Wanted
HIGH quality PVC
windows and wood
doors. 97333357/
24544119.
·····
USED portacabin
(5 Nos) for sale.
Interested parties
may contact Mr
Arif on GSM No
99259157/ 92332088
at NTS Ghala Camp
for inspection. Sealed
offers should be
submitted on or before
17.03.2015.
·····
2) A LAND is for sale
in Al Maabela 8 owner.
95959166.
·····
IRAQI civil engineer
residing in the
Sultanate of Oman
experience in the
implementation and
supervision and has a
driver’s licence. Mobile
number 92870432
CLASSIFIED
SECTION
RUWI
: 24785668
Behind Royal Oman Police,
Adjacent to Dhofar
Building,Ruwi.
·····
‡“—‹”‡†ƒ“—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹‡†ƒ†‡š’‡”‹‡…‡†
person to conduct Market Survey in
Oman for Power Electronics, etc.
Anybody competent to do
the survey, contact us by
E-mail: saajaaj@omantel.net.om
for further discussion
·····
SRI LANKAN QS BSc
plus postgraduate and
18 years experience
with NOC 95053839
INDIAN male, 26 years
accountant, 3 years
experience in Oman
with Omani driving
licence, NOC available
seeking for suitable
position. 94282980.
E-mail: msjob4578@
gmail.com
·····
INDIAN female with
nearly 10 years
of experience in
administration and HR,
seeking for a suitable
placement. NOC
available. 99242841.
· · · ··
SUDANESE, resident
with BSc degree in
computer science,
diploma in business
management, having
Omani driving licence
seeks job. Contact
91039909.
CARTOONS
CALVIN AND HOBBES
GARFIELD
·····
WE offer you the
Business Services:
Maintenance of
buildings and villas for
paint and carpentry
and decoration works
and installation of
material water proof
and cleaning services
building management
and leasing of real
estate (Out motto is
to provide quality
in all our business).
Muscat Renaissance
Development
and Investment.
99070093.
·····
MAINTENANCE: 1.
AC Maintenance &
Servicing; 2. Fridge,
Washing Machine
& Dish washer
repairing; 3. Painting
& cleaning services; 4.
Electrical & Plumbing
Carpentry work.
Contact: 99447257,
97014234, 24504281.
·····
·····
ADAM @ HOME
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.
·····
·····
REQUIRED URGENTLY
ͳȎ
behind GUtech is
offered for sale. The
land enjoys a permit for
twin-villa.
CIVIL engineer, Iraqi
nationality, 6 months
experience, computer
skills, engineering
skills, Arabic, English
language. 99838761
Services
by Brian Basset
by Bill Watterson
by Jim Davis
by Jan Eliot
Situation Vacant
URGENTLY required
experienced Marketing
Executives with valued
GCC driving licence in
a reputed company at
Sohar. 93992131.
·····
EXPERIENCED
Mechanical/NDT/HSE
trainer for immediate.
95047630.
·····
EXPERIENCED
Welding trainer cum
assessor for immediate.
95047630.
·····
NURSERY English
teacher is needed, with
work experience in
Oman. Location: North Al
Mawaleh. 22014122.
·····
REQUIRED for Filipino:
A waiter, good in
Arabic and speaks other
languages to work
at Arabic restaurant
Phone 00968 99558717
Saeedstar2233@yahoo.
com
·····
1. INDIAN driver, valid
Omani licence with
experience of 3 to 5
years in Muscat.
2. Two Ayurvedic
specialists who are
present in Oman.
3. Four Indian ladies for
body massage.
4. Two men for body
massage™‹–Š…‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡
and experience no less
than 3 years in Muscat.
99244088.
Announcement
WANTED:
1. A/C Mechanic.
2. Electrician/
plumber.
3. Carpenters.
4. Driver.
Contact
94147874/
97014234. Email:
globalaccessunited@
gmail.com
·····
CRYPTIC PUZZLE
ACROSS
1 Irish name for a bit of
varnish in a can (5)
6 Breakfast food one gets
around Southend,
sometimes taken in court
(5)
9 Having a guileful air, you
French are out to be
different! (7)
10 Fresh and colourful (5)
11 A part for Dame Thora (5)
12 Sullen enough to love to
do wrong, in my case (5)
13 Name no twins
confusingly! (7)
15 Could Adam spare one?
(3)
17 Appearing in coms, she’s
funny! (4)
18 Game in which a seed has
a lot to hide (6)
19 Lives with the French, but
may well be British (5)
20 Buzz off and leave me out
of the house! (2,4)
22 Thus, to me, perhaps not
much (4)
24 We must do so or die in
the attempt (3)
25 Talked of making Ted a
bed (7)
26 Verdant shelter for an old
enemy out West (5)
27 To many in the States, a
drawback! (5)
28 Mug enough to shout
offensively when getting
past (5)
29 Answers an agent with
untruths (7)
30 Vegetable grown in
orchards (5)
31 Pearl’s mother has a bit of
land to the north (5)
2 Fearful to go far, perhaps,
for help (6)
3 Ill-disposed as ever? (6)
4 Little girl’s granny (3)
5 Simple saint? (5)
6 Exceeds in cheating? (7)
7 One retiring, looking pale
(4)
To whom so-ever it
may concern:
This is to inform that
M/s. Saih Al Malah
INSURANCE Brokers
ǧommercial
Registration No.
1153993 ceases its
Insurance broker
operations with effect
from 01.02.2016.
Any liability by the
company shall be
intimated to us within
14 days from this
advertisement date.
·····
Manpower
FRIENDS
MANPOWER: Filipino
housemaids and all
kinds of workers.
24489268 Tel:/Fax:
24478153, 92462496.
·····
KHALIFA Al-Sinani
Manpower —
labourers & housemaid
from Indonesia, Kenya,
Uganda and other
countries. Al Suwaiq.
To communicate
26713500,
26713600.
·····
WELCOME to
Majestic Hotel about
the new price for the
room RO 15 per day
(2 persons) with
breakfast from 7.30
until 10 morning
24818748. E-mail:
majestichoteloman@
gmail.com (Wadi al
Kabir)
·····
Lost
MOHAMMAD Zoel
has lost Bangladeshi
passport No
AG4208572. Finder
please handover to ROP.
·····
CLASSIFIED
SECTION
RUWI
: 24785668
ABDUL Latif Sardar
has lost Bangladeshi
passport No
AD7686855. Finder
please handover to ROP.
·····
·····
DOWN
STONE SOUP
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
5 Concur (5)
6 Fish (7)
7 Leave out (4)
8 Brass instruments (6)
12 Couple (5)
13 US farm (5)
14 Perfume (5)
15 Cut (5)
16 Flower (5)
18 Drab (5)
19 Orator (7)
21 Passageways (6)
22 Easy (6)
23 Depends (6)
25 Row (5)
26 Just (4)
28 Unhappy (3)
CR O SSW O R D
8 Recluse showing
misguided mirth about an
egghead (6)
12 It’s transmitted especially
around the South (5)
13 Sort of heel on the West
Side (5)
14 Close to loveless in a dark
time (5)
15 Inhuman, often flashy
fellow (5)
16 Shown new bread (5)
18 Look around for a tip-top
boy (5)
19 I’m given a position, or
placed (7)
21 By Ned, possibly fashioned
in a stupid way (6)
22 Indian food of a Hebrew
prophet in South Africa
(6)
23 By the end of the month,
many may be in the club
(6)
25 “Street” character in Perry
Mason episodes (5)
26 Sound of drilling or
burrowing (4)
28 High point of the tube
network (3)
YESTERDAY’S CRYPTIC
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS: 1, Fa-us-t 6, Spice
(Girls) 9, Martial 10, Train
11, Tarry 12, Decay 13, Raphael 15, Lew 17, On-ly 18,
Figure 19, Mimi-c 20, Gratis
22, Fi-LL 24, Had 25, Strides
26, Perth 27, Major 28, L-earn
29, Slipper 30, B-E-TT-y 31,
Aside.
DOWN: 2, Air-Ma-n 3,
Smithy 4, Tan 5, Steel 6,
Satanic 7, P-lay 8, Career 12,
Denis 13, Rough 14, P-lead
15, Luc-I’d 16, We-LL-s 18,
Fifth 19, Miserly 21, Ravage
22, Fi-VE-rs 23, Lee-red 25,
Stops 26, Po-S-t 28, Lea.
EASY PUZZLE
ACROSS
1 Cheshire town (5)
6 Pastime (5)
9 Word puzzle (7)
10 Facial hair (5)
11 Foreign tongue,
commonly (5)
12 Suit (5)
13 Return (7)
15 Body of water (3)
17 Curved structure (4)
18 Coercion (6)
19 Dart (5)
20 Savoury snack (6)
22 Arid (4)
24 Strike (3)
25 Fan (7)
26 Wed (5)
27 Slender (5)
28 Ruin (5)
29 Denial (7)
30 Guide (5)
31 Thick (5)
YESTERDAY’S EASY
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS: 1, Whist 6, Glory
9, Pasture 10, Alien 11, Angle
12, Slant 13, Correct 15, Gel
17, Ewes 18, Cerise 19, Beard
20, Accrue 22, Onus 24, Rat
25, Spittle 26, Slate 27, Belie
28, Caber 29, Fretsaw 30,
Gnats 31, Daisy.
DOWN: 2, Hollow 3, Spears
4, Tan 5, Stilt 6, Granted 7,
Lent 8, Relies 12, Scree 13,
Cedar 14, React 15, Giant 16,
Lease 18, Crepe 19, Butlers
21, Cavern 22, Ottawa 23,
Ulcers 25, State 26, Sift 28,
Cad.
DOWN
2 Jacket (6)
3 Affection (6)
4 Finish (3)
Hospitals
Hospital. . . . . Board . . . . . . . Emergency
Royal . . . . . . . 24599000 . . . 24590491
Health Services Department
Muttrah . . . . . . . 24797602
Quriyat . . . . . . . 24845001 . . . . 24845003
SQH, Salalah. . . 23211555 . . . . 23211151
Police. . . . . . . . . 24603988 . . . . 24603980
Al Nahda . . . . . . 24831255 . . . . 24837800
Ibn Sina. . . . . . . 24876322 . . . . 24877361
Nizwa. . . . . . . . . 25439361 . . . . 25425033
Al Rustaq. . . . . . 26875055 . . . . 26877186
Samayil . . . . . . . 25350055 . . . . 25350022
Izki . . . . . . . . . . . 25340033 . . . . 25340033
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
Bidiyah . . . . . . . 25483535 . . . . 25483535
Ibri . . . . . . . . . . . 25491011 . . . . 25491990
Saham . . . . . . . . 26854427 . . . . 26855148
Khasab . . . . . . . 26830187 . . . . 26830187
Daba . . . . . . . . . 26836443 . . . . 26836443
Bukha . . . . . . . . 26828397 . . . . 26828397
Sinaw. . . . . . . . . 25474338
CLASSIFIEDS
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
Situation Vacant
”‡“—‹”‡†
experienced MEP
Engineers and
EstimatorsǤ‘–ƒ…–
ͻͷʹʹͻ͸Ͳͺǡ
ͻ͵ʹͳͶͲͻʹ‘”
‰—Žˆ‡ƒƒ”̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
·····
A Bilingual
Sales Executiveǡ
™‹–Š͵–‘Ͷ›‡ƒ”•
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡Ƭ†”‹˜‹‰
Ž‹…‡…‡ǤŠ‘—Ž†„‡
†›ƒ‹…ƒ†…ƒ’ƒ„Ž‡
‘ˆ’Žƒ‹‰•ƒŽ‡•
ˆ‘”‡…ƒ•–ǡ…ƒŽŽ•ƒ†
”‡’‘”–•ǤŽ—‡…›
‹”ƒ„‹…—•–Ǥ
ƒ‹Ž–‘˜‹Œƒ›̷
„‹‰ŽŽ…‘ƒǤ…‘
·····
ǣ
ǧ Dental Nurse.
- X-ray Technician
(female)
ʹͶͷͶͳ͸͸ͲǤƒ‹Žǣ
ƒŽ‡š…‡–‡”̷Ž‹˜‡Ǥ…‘
·····
”‡“—‹”‡†
Expatriate Heavy
Duty Drivers, JCB
Operators™‹–Š˜ƒŽ‹†
ƒ‹Ž‹…‡…‡Ǥ‡†
›‘—”–‘‰†•‘ƒ̷
‰†•‘ƒǤ…‘Ǥ‘–ƒ…–ǣ
ͻͻͺͻͲͲ͹͸ǡͻ͵ͺͻͶͲͳͺǡ
ƒšǣʹͶͷͻͲͺ͸͸Ǥ
1. CIVIL Engineer
- 1 No Ȅ‹’Ž‘ƒ
Š‘Ž†‡”™‹–Š͵Ǧͷ
›‡ƒ”•‘ˆ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
’”‡ˆ‡”ƒ„Ž›™‹–Š
ƒ‹ȀǤ
ʹǤElectrical
quantity surveyor 1 No Ȅ‘”‡•–‹ƒ–‡
‘ˆͳͳȀ͵͵
‡Ž‡…–”‹…ƒŽ™‘”•Ǥ͵Ǧͷ
›‡”ƒ”•‘ˆ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
‹”‡Ž‡˜ƒ–ϐ‹‡Ž†Ǥ
‘•‹–‹‘•ƒ”‡ƒ–
”ƒ†–‡”’”‹•‡•
ǡ—•…ƒ–ǡƒǤ
ƒ‹Ž‹‰ƒ††”‡••
‘Šƒ•‹‰Š•‘‘”̷
›ƒŠ‘‘Ǥ…‘Ǥ‹
·····
‘’’‘”–—‹–›
‹‡‰‹‡‡”‹‰
…‘•—Ž–ƒ…›‘ˆϐ‹…‡ˆ‘”ǣ
- Architect engineer
- Civil/ structural
engineer
- Civil/ supervision
engineer
š’‡”‹‡…‡ǣ͵›‡ƒ”•
ƒ†‘”‡ǡ‡Ǧƒ‹Ž–‘ǣ
Š”Ǥ‘ƒǤ‡‰̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ
…‘
·····
A NEW ‡†‹…ƒŽ…‘’Ž‡š
‹œ‹”‡“—‹”‡†‡†‹…ƒŽ
•–ƒˆˆǣ
Ǧ ʹ
‡‡”ƒŽ†‘…–‘”•.
- 1 Specialist
obstetrician and
·····
gynaecologist.
Ǧ ʹPaediatrician and
SUBCONTRACTORS
specialist.
”‡“—‹”‡†ǣ
1
Dermatologist.
…‘–”ƒ…–‘”•‹–‡”‡•–‡†
1
Spec phys
‹–‡Ž‡…‘•‹†‡Ȅ…‹˜‹Ž
otorhinolaryngology.
ƒ†—†‡”‰”‘—†
Ǧ ʹX-Ray technicians.
–‡Ž‡’Š‘‡…ƒ„Ž‡Žƒ›‹‰
Ǧ
ʹLAB technicians.
™‘”Ȅƒ›…‘–ƒ…–”
Ǧ
ʹPharmacists.
ƒ˜‹ͻͻͶʹͶ͸Ͳͷ‘”
ͻͶ͵ͷͻͳ͹ʹǤ
”ƒ›‡†Ǥ99358733
‘ˆƒ–‹‘ƒŽ‡Ž‡’Š‘‡
·····
‡”˜‹…‡•‘Ǥ
A LEADING …‘’ƒ›
·····
‹–Š‡ϐ‹‡Ž†‘ˆ”‡ƒŽ
‡•–ƒ–‡†‡˜‡Ž‘’‡–
ǣ
Š‡ƒ†“—ƒ”–‡”‡†‹—™‹
ǧ eneral
•‡‡•ƒƒ‹ƒŽ‡
practitioner ȋ‘
Ž‹…‡…‡‹•ƒ†ƒ–‘”›Ȍ (real estate broker)
Š‘Ž†‡”‘ˆ‰‡‡”ƒŽ
- Dental Nurse.
†‹’Ž‘ƒƒ†ƒ”‡•‹†‡–
Ǧ ‡‡”ƒŽ—”•‡
ʹͶͷͶͲͲͷ͸Ǥƒ‹Žǣ
‘ˆ‹Žƒ›ƒ–—––”ƒŠǤŠ‡
ƒŽ‡š…‡–‡”̷Ž‹˜‡Ǥ…‘
‹•‡ƒ‹Ž‡†–‘‰……”•̷
‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
·····
·····
”‡“—‹”‡†
Building Technician.
for salesman
98111363.
™Š‘Šƒ•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
‹ƒ‘–‡Žƒ”‡–‹‰Ǥ
·····
‡†›‘—”–‘
•’‡…‹ƒŽ‹•‡† ”‡…”—‹–‡–ʹͳ͵̷
‹’‡•–…‘–”‘Ž•‡‡•–‘ Š‘–ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘‘”
Š‹”‡Omani chartered
ͻʹ͸͹͵͹ͳ͸Ǥ
accountantsƒ†
·····
receptionists™‹–Šƒ
…‘ƒ†‹‰Ž‹•Š
Žƒ‰—ƒ‰‡ǤͻͻͲͳͷʹͳͺǤ A LEADING
‹–‡”ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ…‘’ƒ›
‹–Š‡ϐ‹‡Ž†‘ˆ
·····
‹ˆ‘”ƒ–‹‘–‡…Š‘Ž‘‰›
ƒ†‹‹•–”ƒ–‘”ǡǤ‡…Šǡ Š‡ƒ†“—ƒ”–‡”†‹
ǡǡͷǦ͵›‡ƒ”•
—™‹•‡‡•ƒƒ‹
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡ǡŽ‘‘‹‰
ˆ‡ƒŽ‡(secretary)
ˆ‘”•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡’Žƒ…‡‡–
Š‘Ž†‡”‘ˆ‰‡‡”ƒŽ
ͻʹ͵͵ͻͲ͸ͶǤ
†‹’Ž‘ƒ…‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡
ƒ†ƒ”‡•‹†‡–‘ˆ
·····
‹Žƒ›ƒ–—––”ƒŠǤ
Š‡‹•‡ƒ‹Ž‡†–‘
”‡“—‹”‡†
”ǤƒŽŽƒ™ƒ–›̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
Accountant for
•—’‡”ƒ”‡–‹Ž
·····
Š‘—†ŠǤ99646895.
·····
”‡••—”‡”ƒ†‹‰
ǡ›†”‘ϐŽ‘™ǡŽ‘‘‹‰
for Accounts Clerk
ƒ†PRO™‹–Š‘‡‘”
–™‘›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹
‘Šƒ”‹†Ž›•‡†›‘—”
™‹–Š‡š’‡…–‡†•ƒŽƒ”›
ƒ–ǣƒŽœ—Žϐ‹̷‡‹Ǥƒ‡
·····
CLASSIFIED
SECTION
RUWI : 24785668
Behind Royal Oman
Police, Adjacent
to Dhofar Building,
Ruwi.
Situation Wanted
CONSULTANT
‡‰‹‡‡”ǡʹͲ›‡ƒ”•
experience in
…‹˜‹Ž‡‰‹‡‡”‹‰Ǥ
91177755.
·····
MEP
‡‰‹‡‡”™‹–Šʹͺ
›‡ƒ”•‘ˆ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
‹˜ƒ”‹‘—•
ϐ‹‡Ž†•ǡ’”‘Œ‡…–
ƒƒ‰‡‡–‘ˆ
‰‹ƒ–’”‘Œ‡…–•‹
–Š‡™‘”Ž†ǡ™‹–Š
…‡…Šƒ‹…ƒŽ
‡‰‹‡‡”‹‰”ƒ„‹…
ƬϐŽ—‡–‰Ž‹•ŠǤ
ͻͳʹ͸ͳͻͻ͵Ǥ
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23
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TUESDAY l FEBRUARY 16, 2016 l JUMADA AL ULA 7, 1437 AH
editor@omanobserver.om
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CLASSIFIED SECTION:
Ali al Maashari: 99639264 ali.almashari@omandaily.om
Mohammed al Rashdi: 99841230 m.alrahdi86@yahoo.com
94501166
DIRECT: 24649595 — FAX : 24649590
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2016 | JUMADA AL ULA 7, 1437 AH
P26
P27
P28
Inside
Australia thrash NZ in first Test Schwartzel storms to 8-shot win Tougher Tour of Oman on show FOLLOW US ON:
Platini vows to fight
‘injustice’ at appeal
ZURICH: The fallen head of European
football, Michel Platini, faced a FIFA
appeals committee on Monday in a
bit to clear his name and overturn an
eight-year ban from the sport for ethics
violations.
“I am not fighting for my future, but
against injustice,” the former French
star told journalists outside the Zurich
headquarters of world football’s
governing body.
While most football power-brokers
typically enter FIFA’s compound in
luxury sedans with tinted windows,
the 60-year-old Platini walked the final
100 metres (330 feet) to FIFA’s gate,
smiling and looking upbeat as reporters
peppered him with questions.
“If I had anything to feel guilty about,
I would be in Siberia, hiding in shame,”
said Platini, also a former FIFA vice
president. “I’m very well. There are worse
things in life.”
In December, FIFA judges ruled that
a mysterious 2 million Swiss franc ($2
million, 1.8 million euros) Platini received
from Sepp Blatter in 2011 violated the
world body’s ethics guidelines and that
both men had abused their positions.
Blatter, FIFA’s disgraced president
who turns 80 in March, was also hit with
an eight-year ban over the payment. His
appeal hearing is set for Tuesday.
www.omanobserver.om
editor@omanobserver.om
Special opening ceremony marks start
of 2016 EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour
MUSCAT: The 2016 edition of EFG
Sailing Arabia – The Tour was given an
illustrious opening today, kick starting
two weeks of world class racing around
the stunning Gulf region. His Excellency
Mirza Hussain Al Sayegh, Director of the
office of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was the guest
of honour at a special ceremony at
Dubai Marina marking the beginning
of the race. His Excellency was treated
to a tour of the 30ft Farr 30 yachts that
the nine international crews will race
more than 700 miles around the testing
Arabian course. He then presented the
teams - representing Oman, Kuwait,
Germany, Great Britain, Monaco, the
Netherlands and Switzerland - with flags
for them to fly from their boats as racing
commences.
The Dubai in-port race series is the
first of three that will take place during
this year’s sixth edition - allowing teams
to prove their skill against their rivals
around a short course. As well as in
Dubai, in-port races will be held in Abu
Dhabi and Doha.
Five offshore legs will then test their
mettle on longer stages, some of which
could take more than 48 hours. All eyes
will be on reigning champion Sidney
Gavignet and his EFG Bank Monaco
team as the crews do battle today for the
first time. The three-time winners took
the top spot in the official practice race
yesterday but today is when the results
count as the teams go head to head in
the waters off Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah.
Omani skipper Fahad Al Hasni and
his Renaissance Services crew trained
under the mentorship of Gavignet
before forming their own team for this
year’s race. Al Hasni, who with Gavignet
set a world record for the quickest lap
of Ireland by boat on last year, said his
new team were focused on performing
to their best. He has bolstered his allOmani crew with a host of talented
sailors including fellow Round Ireland
record holder Sami Al Shukaily and
Extreme Sailing Series stalwart Nasser
Al Mashari.
Al Hasni said: “Today we have the
first in-port race and my team can’t wait
to get out there onto the racecourse. The
winds are forecast to be light and we are
expecting conditions to be very tricky.
We will have to work on sailing the best
race that we can. Whatever happens
today we will still have a long way to go
to the finish of EFG Sailing Arabia – The
Tour but we are going out there today to
The juniors had taken part in the recently concluded U-15 GCC tourney held in Bahrain
OGC junior team coach sees future
champions in new junior players
MUSCAT: The Oman Golf Committee’s
(OGC) junior team coach Milo
Breitenwischer is happy with the newlyincluded faces in the national U-15
squad. The OGC recently included four
golfers, Naseh al Barwani, Mohammed
al Balushi, Qussiah al Barwani and
Ayman al Busaidi, in the junior
national side. They had taken part in
the recently concluded U-15 GCC Golf
Championship held in Bahrain.
The talented trio of Naseh, Ayman
and Qussiah underwent training over
the past one year under PGA Pro coach
Breitenwischer on the lush green course
of Ghala Golf Club.
Mohammed was included in the
OGC Development Squad a few months
back. After several rounds of screenings,
these kids eventually made the cut,
entering the U-15 squad.
OGC Chairman Mundhir al Barwani
said, “We have a very good reputation
about our U-15 team. We have always
got a podium finish, whether the
competition is held in Oman or abroad.
This year was challenging for our newlyincluded players. But I hope we can keep
our standards high.”
The OGC chief is happy that these
three kids were chosen through some
‘tough’ rounds of selection process.
“The PGA Pro coach Milo has done the
job with great precision. We were not
certain who to choose from this group
of trainees. They were busy playing
competitions. But Milo worked hard
to choose them from the Development
Squad,” said Al Barwani.
Breitenwischer’s assessment of the
Milo Breitenwischer, Oman junior team
coach.
Oman U-15 boys team.
kids are also very positive. After 7-yearold Ayman spent a few months in the
Development Squad, Breitenwischer
was well aware of his talent. He marked
him out as “potential member of junior
national team” and “he was close to
getting a handicap as well.”
Breitenwischer says, “Ayman is
very talented and a diligent boy with
lots of dedication. For his age, he plays
exceptionally good. He is very passionate
about golf and shows a lot commitment
to the game. That makes him one of
the best players in the Development
Squad, although he is still very young.
His parents are also very supportive. He
is regular in practice and shows a lot of
interest in continuing the game. He is
here to stay.”
Breitenwischer is equally enthusiastic
about Qussiah, saying, “The whole
family is very reliable in terms of him
participating in all training sessions.
Qussiah is not yet a very exceptional
player, but more practice and seriousness
can really make him a better golfer. He
has to be more serious in training. I am
hopeful about him.”
Another young gun Mohammed
joined the Development Squad a few
months back and has already amazed his
coach. “He has showed his talent hitting
golf shots on the driving range. He hits
the ball very far. That was the reason
why we had selected him to participate
in Under-15 GCC Championship. But
I am working on his technique to hit
more consistent shots.”
Ahmed Al Jhdhamy, the Vice
Chairman of the OGC, said, “We have
a very good record in the U-15 category.
So we will have to maintain that. Hope
these new kids will fly the Omani flag
high in the GCC level.”
Oman had a fabulous record in the
U-15 category since 2014.
The inaugural edition of the GCC
U-15 tournament was held in Muscat
back in 2014 where the Oman juniors
comprising Fahad al Kitani, Rashad al
Harthy and Fahad al Mahrouqi bagged
the team crown in the gross category
at the Ghala Golf Club. Al Kitani also
finished runner-up in the individual
category.
The previous year saw a more solid
performance from the Oman team,
which won both the team gross and
individual titles in Dubai. Fahad Al
Kitani snatched the individual gross
crown, beating some tough competitors
from Qatar and Bahrain.
do our absolute best.”
This year also sees the return of Dee
Caffari after a three-year absence to
lead the all-woman Oman Airports-Al
Thuraya Women’s Team. Caffari, the
first woman to sail round the world
solo both with and against prevailing
winds, and most recently a member of
Team SCA in the Volvo Ocean Race,
said prior to leaving for the racecourse:
“There is definitely adrenalin flowing as
you walk down the dock – from here on
in everything counts towards the final
BAD
result. “It was great to have the practice
race yesterday and get a few nerves out
of our systems, but the tension is still
there today.
“The winds are going to be light so
tactics will be the key to success. All
the teams want to do their best and it’s
going to be extremely competitive out
there. We were happy with our boat
speed and boat handling yesterday and
the girls are building in confidence every
day so hopefully we will be a team that
continues to improve. It is fantastic to
finally get EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour
started but now the pressure is on.”
The nine crews will not only compete
for the crown but also a new specially
commissioned trophy made by British
Royal Warrant holder and goldsmiths
Thomas Fattorini Ltd.
David Graham, CEO of the race
orgainser, Oman Sail, said this year’s
event is shaping up to be the best yet.
He said: “We changed the course slightly
for this year’s tour so there will be a real
mix of conditions. There will now be a
mix of upwind and downwind sailing
in all wind ranges. This year we have
nine boats competing, all commercially
sponsored by companies from all
around the world”. “Many of the teams
have Arab crewmembers which is
part of the objective of the event – to
get local sailors involved and to join
these countries which have such a rich
maritime heritage together in one race.”
BOY
EURO 2016 SLIPS FURTHER
AWAY FOR BALOTELLI
MILAN: The Euro 2016 selection
hopes of Mario Balotelli have suffered
another potential blow after the AC
Milan striker infuriated his club coach
Sinisa Mihajlovic by failing to heed his
instructions.
On-loan Liverpool striker Balotelli
has not played for Italy since defeat
to Uruguay at the 2014 World Cup
ended Azzurri hopes at the first round
for a second successive edition.
Although Mihajlovic refused to
single out the striker, there was little
doubt over the coach’s intended
target after he had to be held back by
assistants when he went for Balotelli
at the final whistle of a 2-1 home win
over Genoa.
The incident dominated the
post-match press conference, and
although Mihajlovic tried to play it
down, his anger was palpable.
“I’m not naming any names. All
I can say is I made a mistake and
that from now on, any player who
doesn’t give it everything until the
94th minute of the game doesn’t play
again,” said the Serbian.
Balotelli had already fallen down
the pecking order with Italy, whose
coach Antonio Conte has said he will
leave the door open to any player
who shows himself worthy of their
ticket to France next summer.
After this latest incident, his hopes
of leapfrogging several other Italy
candidates look even slimmer.
Milan were holding a 2-0 lead at
the San Siro when Balotelli was sent
on to replace Colombian goalscorer
Carlos Bacca for the final two
minutes and added-on time, with
strict, defensive instructions from
Mihajlovic.
During a six-minute cameo
appearance, he was called to the
touchlines several times by the coach,
who was becoming increasingly
unhappy with Balotelli’s failure to
follow the gameplan.
At the final whistle, Mihajlovic
-- known for his volatile character as
a player as much for the stunning
free kicks he regularly scored -- had
to be held back by his assistants as he
launched a stinging verbal attack on
Balotelli.
Although regarded as one of
football’s most talented strikers,
Balotelli has often been criticised for a
perceived poor and at times petulant
attitude both on and off the pitch.
He returned to Milan on loan from
Liverpool at the start of the season
in a bid to resurrect a career that had
failed to get off the ground at Anfield.
But his hopes of a Euro 2016
place were first hit when he suffered
a groin injury in September, and a
subsequent hernia operation left him
on the sidelines for three months.
Balotelli, whose brace of goals
against Germany in the semi-finals of
Euro 2012 sent Italy on to the final,
and eventual defeat to Spain, only
recently returned to the fray.
Yet despite appearing to have
settled back into life in Milan, the
striker regularly posting happy
pictures of himself alongside positive
messages on social media platforms,
his latest incident has left question
marks over his future as an Italy
player.
Conte’s preferred strikers during
Italy’s successful Euro 2016 qualifying
campaign were Graziano Pelle of
Southampton and Sampdoria’s Eder,
with Ciro Immobile (Torino), Simone
Zaza (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy
(AS Roma) and Manolo Gabbiadini
(Napoli) all waiting in the wings.
The emergence this season of
Torino striker Andrea Belotti, as well
as Sassuolo front man Domenico
Berardi, will only make it harder for
Balotelli to win over Conte.
— AFP
26
SPORT
omandailyobserver
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
WORLD T20: Champions in the inaugural edition in 2007, India have blanked hosts Australia 3-0 before rallying to beat Sri Lanka 2-1
India underline credentials as favourites
MUMBAI: Twenty20 series wins over
Australia and Sri Lanka have given
top-ranked India plenty of cause for
optimism as they launch their bid for
a second world crown in the sport’s
shortest format on home soil next
month.
Champions in the inaugural edition
of the World Twenty20 in 2007, India
blanked hosts Australia 3-0 at the start of
the year before returning home to rally
for a 2-1 win over Sri Lanka.
The three-match series started with
a surprise defeat on a seamer-friendly
surface in Pune but India were spared
the usual outpouring of discontent
that follows any cricketing loss with
convincing wins in the remaining two
matches.
A green-tinged pitch like the one
witnessed in Pune is unlikely to seen
during the March 8-April 3 event and
captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has
already identified his preferred 11 a
month before the hosts open their
campaign against New Zealand.
“We are always a top contender when
it comes to shorter formats,” Dhoni said
after India beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets
in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
“Also, with the World Cup to be held
in India, we know the spinners will come
into the equation. It gives us the added
benefit.
“Added to that is the exposure of
having played the IPL (T20 tournament)
over here. Out of the eight seasons, we
have played seven seasons in India.
“We have got a lot of players,
especially ones who are part of the team,
who have got very good experience of
playing in India.”
The return of batting mainstay Virat
Kohli, rested for the Sri Lanka series,
for Ajinkya Rahane is likely to be the
only change to India’s starting side for
the upcoming Asia Cup T20 event in
Bangladesh and the subsequent World
Twenty20.
The strong form of India’s top order
has left the middle to lower batsmen
with limited opportunities to impress,
however, and while Dhoni would like to
see that deficiency addressed, he realises
it could be difficult to fulfil.
“Not everybody has had a chance to
bat but we will keep facing this problem
because our line-up is quite deep,” Dhoni
added.
“We will try to give chances to a few
of the players who haven’t batted so
far. But usually those who are batting
close to six, seven and eight will have
to develop ways to play the big shots as
soon as they go in anyway.”
Dhoni, who led the side to that
victory in 2007 and also the 50-over
World Cup on home soil four years later,
was more relaxed about his bowling
options, saying the side had the right
balance to tackle any conditions.
Industrialist and owner of the IPL’s Rising Pune Supergiants Sanjiv Goenka (left) and team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni unveil the team jersey at an event in New Delhi. — AFP
— Reuters
Windies players sign up for World T20
KINGSTON: The threat of West Indies
being forced to field a second string side
at the World Twenty20 was averted on
Sunday when 12 of 13 players in the
original squad signed the contracts
which had caused a standoff with the
board.
West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)
had given the players a deadline of
Sunday to agree to the financial terms,
which represented a sharp drop in pay
compared to previous tournaments, or
they would be replaced.
After a week of claim and
counterclaim,
with
plenty
of
recriminations on both sides, only
batsman Darren Bravo declined to take
up the deal.
“The West Indies Cricket Board
is in receipt of 12 signed contracts
from players who were selected for the
upcoming 2016 ICC World Twenty20
tournament,” the WICB said in a news
release on Sunday.
West Indies are former World
Twenty20 champions, ranked second
in the world in the format heading
into the March 8-April 3 tournament
in India, and, in opener Chris Gayle,
have one of the biggest drawcards in
the game.
The WICB said Bravo had written
to them saying he would be skipping
the tournament to play in the regional
four-day Professional Cricket League.
“I’m of the firm belief that I have a
very big part to play in the resurgence of
West Indies cricket in the longer formats
of the game,” they quoted the 27-year-
old lefthander as saying.
“I will like the opportunity to play in
our Professional Cricket League (PCL)
because it will put me in good stead and
will allow me to achieve those goals that
I have aligned myself for the year 2016
and beyond.”
The WICB said they had not yet
decided on a replacement for Bravo.
All-rounder Kieron Pollard, who has
a knee injury, and spinner Sunil Narine,
whose bowling action has been deemed
illegal, were the other members of the
orginal 15-man squad.
Carlos Brathwaite had already been
named as a replacement for Pollard,
while the WICB on Sunday said Ashley
Nurse would come into the squad in
place of Narine.
The dispute continued the rancour
between players and the WICB that goes
back to the abandoned tour of India in
2014, which also resulted from a dispute
over the payment structure.
Captain Darren Sammy had written
to the board several times requesting
mediation to settle the dispute over
the remuneration package negotiated
by the West Indies Players Association
(WIPA).
Sammy had asked the WICB to
consider their request to double the
match fees of $6,900, share 50 per cent of
sponsorship fees and award 100 per cent
of prize money to players. — Reuters
Squad: Sulieman Benn, Jason Holder, Andre
Fletcher, Darren Sammy (captain), Dwayne Bravo,
Samuel Badree, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor,
Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin,
Chris Gayle, Ashley Nurse, Carlos Brathwaite.
KANGAROO
POWER
Australia thrash NZ in
first Test by innings
WELLINGTON: Nathan Lyon grabbed
four wickets as Australia beat New
Zealand by an innings and 52 runs after
lunch on the fourth day of the first test
on Monday to take a 1-0 lead in the two
match series.
Lyon took two wickets on Monday
to finish with 4-91 for Australia, who
can take the top test ranking from India
with a series victory.
The second game starts in
Christchurch on February 20.
Mark Craig, who top scored in New
Zealand’s first innings with 41 not out,
was left 33 not out when Trent Boult
was bowled by Mitchell Marsh for 12 to
wrap up their second innings for 327.
New Zealand were dismissed for 183
in their first innings and faced a deficit
of 379 runs after Adam Voges’ second
test double century drove Australia to
a mammoth 562. The visitors captured
the last six wickets on Monday without
the experienced Peter Siddle, who
bowled just eight overs on Sunday
before succumbing to a back spasm.
Marsh, Lyon and Jackson Bird all
grabbed wickets before lunch to set up
the victory push in the middle session.
Hazlewood trapped Doug Bracewell
in front for 14 just three deliveries after
they returned from the break.
While Tim Southee provided some
typical rearguard fireworks with 48
from 23 balls, the result was only a
matter of time with him in the mood to
swing for the fences.
Southee holed out at long on trying
to hit a fourth six off Lyon before Boult
was bowled by Marsh just under an
hour into the final session.
Hazlewood’s ability to get the
older ball to reverse swing should be
of concern for New Zealand, whose
top-four batsmen made solid starts
but failed to push on in what were
considered good batting conditions.
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand first innings: 183
Australia first innings: 562
New Zealand second innings: (O/n: 178/4):
T Latham c Khawaja b Lyon ...................................63
M Guptill c M Marsh b Lyon..................................45
K Williamson c Nevill b Hazlewood ......................22
H Nicholls b Bird...................................................59
B McCullum lbw M Marsh ....................................10
C Anderson lbw M Marsh .......................................0
B Watling b Lyon ..................................................10
D Bracewell lbw Hazlewood .................................14
M Craig (not out) ..................................................33
T Southee c Khawaja b Lyon..................................48
T Boult b M Marsh.................................................12
Extras (B-2, LB-5, NB-4)...............................11
Total (all out, 104.3 overs) .......................327
Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-121, 3-157, 4-178, 5-185,
6-214, 7-218, 8-242, 9-301.
Bowling: J Hazlewood 29-7-75-2, J Bird 19-4-511, P Siddle 8-0-30-0, M Marsh 17.3-2-73-3, N Lyon
31-10-91-4
Petkovic puts her re-booted
tennis to winning test in Dubai
Germany’s Andrea Petkovic returns the ball to Italy’s Camila Giorgi during their game in the Dubai Duty
Free Tennis Championships in Dubai. — AFP
DUBAI: Andrea Petkovic broke six times
to start her week at the Dubai Tennis
Championships on Monday with a 6-2, 6-1
defeat of Italian Camila Giorgi as the German
winner ended a two-match loss streak.
The number 26, who exited in the Australian
Open first round after playing a Brisbane
quarter-final and then was beaten in the Fed
Cup by Swiss Belinda Bencic, is working with
a new coaching team and feels her tennis has
turned a corner after she toyed last December
of quitting the sport.
Petkovic could face new world number nine
Bencic in the next round at the Aviation Club
if the weekend finalist in St Petersburg beats
former number one Jelena Jankovic in the
opening round.
The 40th-ranked Giorgi saved two match
points in the final game as Petkovic closed out
the victory in 63 minutes with 15 unforced
errors to the 33 of her opponent.
“I’m very happy with how I played, I’ve
worked hard over the past few weeks to be
ready here and I was able to translate good
training onto the match court,” Petkovic said.
“All the work paid off, things are coming
together for me.”
Petkovic said she had a close call after the
end of last season, as she pondered her future
in the game.”I was in New York and thought
about just staying there.
But in the end I took my plane to Germany
and began to work on my game,” she said.
“I’m happy I made the right decision to stay
in tennis.”
Giorgi had won the first three matches
between the pair, with Petkovic beating the
Italian last season in Cincinnati.
“I didn’t have the best head-to-head against
her, but I’m finding the balance between
consistency and going all out for your shots,
coming in on the short ball - I think I did that
quite well today,” said Petkovic.
“I feel much more ready physically than I
did last year and I’m looking forward to the
season.”
American Madison Brengle erased a 4-0
deficit in the second set to advance over
Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 7-5.
The WTA field is headed by Romanian
Simona Halep, with Spain’s Wimbledon finalist
Gabriela Muguruza the second seed.
The leading four seeds do not start until the
second round thanks to byes. — AFP
SPORT
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
omandailyobserver
TAYLOR ENDS PGA TOUR TITLE DROUGHT
TSHWANE
Vaughn Taylor in action at the Pebble
Beach National Pro-Am event in California.
Swede Jonas Blixt, one of four players
who held at least a share of the lead in
the final round, was a further stroke
back in third at 15 under after shooting
a 69.
“It’s been a long time and I didn’t
think it was going to happen,” an
emotional Taylor, 39, told CBS Sports
after clinching his first PGA Tour win
since the 2005 Reno-Tahoe Open, and
his third overall.
“I’ve worked so hard and just kept
getting knocked down and knocked
down,” said Taylor, who has not played
a full season on the PGA Tour since
2012 while bouncing between it and
the satellite Web.com tour over the past
three seasons.
“I can’t believe it actually happened
again. Just amazing. I’m at a loss for
words right now. I didn’t even have my
tour card and got in this week on past
champion status, and now I’m playing
in the Masters pretty soon. It’s a dream
come true.”
Taylor had moved into a share of the
lead for the first time with a tap-in birdie
at the 15th, then drained a 28-footer
at the par-four 16th to edge one ahead
before clinching the winner’s cheque for
$1.26 million.
Mickelson, a four-times champion
at Pebble Beach, struggled with his iron
play for much of the day and needed
to finish birdie-birdie to force a playoff
after sinking a clutch par putt from 12
feet at the 16th.
He made the first of them, rolling in
a tricky 13-footer from the back of the
green at the par-three 17th, but lipped
out for birdie from short range at the
par-five 18th just when he seemed
headed for a play-off.
“I am not quite where I want to be
yet and I am a little bit more determined
to get it back,” said Mickelson, who had
been aiming to match Mark O’Meara’s
record five wins at Pebble Beach.”I also
know that I am close.”
“As nervous as I was and as
disappointed as I am that I didn’t win,
this was so much fun for me to get back
into the thick of it, to feel the pressure,
to make a couple of clutch putts on 16
and 17.”
“It never crossed my mind that one
on 18 wouldn’t go in.” — Reuters
MUSCAT: Hassan Haider and Ayaan
Malhotra advanced to the summit clash
for the boys under-14 singles title at
the ISC/Muscat Pharmacy Open Junior
Tennis Tournament organised by the
Indian Social Club Muscat to be played
on Thursday evening.
In the semifinal, top seed Hassan
Haider and random seed Ayaan
Malhotra were made to fight hard to
earn their place in the final. Hassan
came through a pulsating first set and
earned the crucial break in the second
to edge past Avigyan Bhattacharya 7-6
(7-5) 6-4.
In a match dominated by long
baseline rallies, Avigyan kept the top
seed on his toes showing consistency
in his returns. Hassan held his first serve
Record-setting All-Star Game
bids farewell to Bryant
Wilt Chamberlain in 1962 -- although
Westbrook insisted the slight uptick
in the West’s defence in the waning
seconds wasn’t aimed at preventing
George from surpassing the mark. “We
were just playing lockup defence at
the end,” said Russell, although for the
most part defence wasn’t part of the
programme at the Air Canada Centre,
where the annual exhibition was being
held outside US borders for the first
time. Instead it was a night of soaring
dunks and long-range bombs all adding
up to unprecedented numbers. The
369 total points was an All-Star Game
record — 48 more than the record set
last year — as was the West’s 196 total
and their 104 points in the second half.
The Western Conference made a
record 31 three-pointers — including
seven apiece from Westbrook and James
Harden and six from Curry.
The East led 43-40 after the first
quarter, but the first half ended with the
West up 92-90 and they were up by nine
PRETORIA:
Former
Masters
champion Charl Schwartzel stormed
to a sensational eight-shot triumph
at the Tshwane Open on Sunday to
claim his 11th career title and second
of 2016.
The 31-year-old South African shot
a seven-under-par 63 to finish on 16
under and clinch his eighth European
Tour win on home soil.
Denmark’s Jeff Winther finished
second on eight under, with South
Africa’s Anthony Michael another two
shots further back in third.
“In the first three rounds I gave
myself so many chances. If I had the
stroke I had today, it probably would
have been my best tournament ever,”
said Schwartzel, who was delighted
with his putting in the final round at
the Pretoria Country Club.
“It’s just frustrating when you don’t
putt very well and you don’t convert,
and to make the putts when it counts,
that’s even more satisfying.”
“Everything is sort of falling into
place. I’ve worked really hard leading
up to this and it’s just been feeling
good, so everything has got some
really good signs, so I’m excited,” he
said.
Schwartzel started the final round
with just a one-shot lead but soon
moved to 10 under par when he rolled
in a 15-foot birdie putt at the second.
Although he dropped a shot at the
third, he was still four strokes ahead of
nearest challenger Zander Lombard
after birdies at the sixth and seventh.
An eagle at the ninth helped him
reach the turn in 31.
Schwartzel then suffered a second
bogey of the day at the 11th, which
took him back to 12 under.
But his experience told as another
birdie followed at the 12th before a
monster 40-foot putt at the 14th took
him to 14 under.
Schwartzel saved par at the 15th
before another birdie at the 16th to
reach 15 under. — AFP
LEADING FINAL SCORES (USA UNLESS NOTED):
270 - Vaughn Taylor 70-68-67-65
271 - Phil Mickelson 68-65-66-72
272 - Jonas Blixt (SWE) 67-69-67-69
273 - Freddie Jacobson (SWE) 65-69-68-71,
Hiroshi Iwata (JPN) 66-66-69-72
275 - Patrick Reed 72-65-73-65, Justin Rose (ENG)
66-68-72-69
277 - Brooks Koepka 68-70-69-70, Bill Haas 6968-69-71, Roberto Castro 66-70-67-74
278 - Lucas Glover 73-66-72-67, JB Holmes 6672-70-70, Cameron Smith (AUS) 64-75-69-70,
Jimmy Walker 72-71-63-72, Matt Jones (AUS) 6870-67-73, Jason Day (AUS) 71-66-68-73
279 - Kevin Streelman 70-71-69-69, Tyler Aldridge
70-72-68-69, Jim Herman 69-67-72-71, Kang
Sung (KOR) 72-60-70-77
280 - Spencer Levin 66-73-72-69, Bronson
Burgoon 64-76-72-68, Stewart Cink 70-68-7270, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 68-71-67-74, Jordan
Spieth 71-69-74-66
281 - Dawie van der Walt (RSA) 66-76-69-70, Luke
Donald (ENG) 70-69-69-73, Mark Hubbard 70-6670-75, Chez Reavie 63-70-71-77
LOCAL FLAVOUR
Hassan, Ayaan march into ISC junior tennis U-14 final
Western Conference’s Kobe Bryant shoots over
Eastern Conference’s Carmelo Anthony in the NBA All
Star Game at Air Canada Centre. — USA Today Sports
MONTREAL: The 65th NBA All-Star
Game was a Valentine’s Day love-fest
for Kobe Bryant, who teamed with the
Western Conference’s best in a recordshattering 196-173 victory over the
Eastern Conference in the annual midseason exhibition in Toronto.
In a free-wheeling offensive
showcase, Los Angeles Lakers superstar
Bryant scored a modest 10 points in his
18th and final turn as an All-Star before
he retires at the end of his 20th season.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard
Russell Westbrook led the West with
31 points, adding eight rebounds, five
assists and five steals as he earned Most
Valuable Player honours for the second
straight year.
Golden State star Stephen Curry
added 26 points for the West, who
overcame a 41-point performance from
Indiana Pacers forward Paul George on
behalf of the East.
George just missed the All-Star
single-game record of 42 points set by
OPEN
Schwartzel
storms to
eight-shot win
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: Mickelson finishes second after missing five-foot putt at Pebble Beach
CALIFORNIA: American journeyman
Vaughn Taylor ended a PGA Tour title
drought of more than a decade with an
explosive back nine to clinch a one-shot
win over Phil Mickelson at the Pebble
Beach National Pro-Am in California
on Sunday.
Taylor began the final round six
strokes off the pace but five birdies after
the turn propelled him to a closing
seven-under-par 65 at a blustery Pebble
Beach Golf Links as he posted a winning
total of 17-under 270.
Overnight leader Mickelson, seeking
his first PGA Tour win since the 2013
British Open, stunningly lipped out a
five-foot birdie putt at the last to force
a play-off and had to settle for second
place after carding a roller-coaster 72.
27
heading into the final frame. Bryant,
smiling and chatting, was at the centre of
it all, starting with a pre-game ceremony
em-ceed by Lakers great Magic Johnson.
“I just want to thank you guys for all your
support all these years,” Bryant told the
“Ko-be!” chanting crowd.
“I’ve just been extremely fortunate to
play the game I love and be in the NBA
for over half my life.”
The pre-game ovation for Bryant
extended to fellow players and coaches.
“It’s like the passing of a generation,”
said San Antonio Spurs and West coach
Gregg Popovich. “He’s been such an
iconic figure for so long, and he passes
it on to that other group of young guys
that you saw out there tonight.”
“So I’m just thrilled that I was able to
be here and see that...He’s a great one.”
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron
James was also happy to have another
glimpse of Bryant as his time of
competing against him winds down.
— AFP
after four deuces and broke Avigyan in
the next game. With neither willing to
go for the kill, the stalemate continued,
they traded brakes and Avigyan levelled
to force the tie-breaker. Hassan raced to
a 6-3 lead in the tie-breaker and in spite
of Avigyan closing in, Hassan closed the
set. Avigyan took the early lead in the
second set before Hassan rallied to 4-all,
broke Avigyan in the ninth game and
served out the match for a place in the
final.
Ayaan Malhotra has made it a habit
to stretch his matches to the wire. In
the semifinal, the ‘edge boy’ won a
comfortable first set 6-1 but had to fight
hard for victory as a determined Sanskar
Dubey played with doggedness to force
the third set super tie-breaker before
going down by a razor’s edge verdict.
Ayaan won 6-1, 3-6, 12-10.
The super 10-point tie-breaker was a
nerve-wrecking affair as both fought for
every point. Sanskar gained match point
at 9-8 but to his dismay, double faulted.
Ayaan took advantage and converted
the next point. Sanskar saved match
point but Ayaan gained yet another
match point which he converted to win
a pulsating semifinal match.
Samar al Bakri will take on Rafaella
Saa in the semifinal of the under-18
girls singles and Maryam al Balushi
was to play Sanjana Girish in the other
semifinal. Aisha al Suleimani will take on
Charvi Attri in the final of the junior girls
singles.
Selby to attend
coaching event
Mohammed to
attend AFC meeting
MUSCAT: OFA Techincal
Director Jim Selby
and Khalid Lahori
(Manager of Education
and Development) are
scheduled to attend
a coaching educators
directors’ conference
hosted by AFC in Kuala
Lumpur from February 16
to 18.
The title of the
conference is the ‘The
Future of Coach Education
in Asia’ and is exclusively
for Coach Education
Directors and senior staff
leading the education
programme in each of the
member associations.
The conference is to be
attended by all member
associations of the AFC.
MUSCAT: Mohammed al Alawi,
who has newly been appointed
Director of Corporate Affairs at the
Oman Football Association, left
today to Kuala Lumpur to attend a
Football Management Meeting at
the AFC Office.
The meeting, coordinated
by the AFC is being attended by
representatives from the member
associations of the AFC.
The agenda of the meeting
is with regard to providing
suggestions for the development
of management methods to Fifa
so that it can take the input from
member associations of the AFC.
These inputs will be then be taken
and discussed at the coming Fifa
Congress, which is to be held on
February 26. The meeting will be
held on Wednesday, February 17
in Kuala Lumpur.
Talib Hilal to conduct Beach
Soccer ‘A’ Course in Iran
MUSCAT: Oman beach soccer coach and Fifa beach
soccer instructor Talib Hilal was invited by the Iran
Football Federation to conduct the Beach Soccer ‘A’
Course from February 26 to March 3.
Talib Hilal is considered an expert on beach football
and has been an active contributor to its development
in the Asian region. He has been invited for several
seminars, such as when he was invited around the
same time last year for a seminar on Beach Football
Development as well.
There is particular significance to this course as
it is being held for the first time in Iran and only the
second time in Asia. The course programme consists of
theoretical sessions as well as practical implementation.
TOUR OF
omandailyobserver
THE TEAMS
28
AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRANCE)
ASTANA (KAZAKHSTAN)
BMC (USA)
BORA-ARGON 18 (GERMANY)
CCC SPRAND
(POL
LAMPRE-MERIDA (ITALY)
ROOMPOT-ORANJE PELOTON
(NETHERLANDS)
STÖLTING SERVICE GROUP
(GERMANY)
GIANT-ALPECIN (GERMANY)
KATUSHA
ORGANISERS POSITIVE
SPORTS REPORTER
MUSCAT
Feb. 15: Organising an event of
the magnitude of the Tour of
Oman is never an easy exercise.
Habib Saif al Zawawi,
Supervisor of Sports Events
Committee of Muscat Festival
2016, is a relieved man as the
event gets underway today.
“It is more harder than a
stadium event. We need special
permissions, from various
organisations like the TRA,
Royal Oman Police etc. It is a
huge logistical exercise with
400 guests to be looked after
but fortunately everything has
gone on smoothly,’’ he added.
“We are happy and raring to
go for the event.’’
Talking about the top riders
who would be gracing the
event, Zawawi mentioned a
couple of known names.
“There is Roman Parde of
AJK Mondiale and ofcourse
there is Vincenzo Nibali, they
will be the star attractions this
time,’’ he added.
“The competition will be
fierce as all the riders are in
an aggressive mood to win,’’
Zawawi explained.
Zawawi also dwelt upon the
changes this year as compared
to the 2015 edition. “The entire
race will be more challenging
and testing this time around
since we have more stages.
Especially stages 4, 5 and 6 will
be the most difficult, with all of
them having climbs, two stages
will be flat.
He
also
said
the
international riders were
effusive in their praise for Tour
of Oman and its organization.
“The riders love the course,
the routes we pass through.
They have given very good
response,’’ he added.
Eddy
Merckx,
Race
Organiser, also said he was
positive about the renewal of
the contract for Tour of Oman.
“I am positive. It is good
for Oman and its potential
as a tourism and sports
destination,’’ he added.
Merckx also said he had
good expectations from the
event.
“I am hopeful it would pan
out well in terms of the quality,’’
he added.
S
e
a
o
f
Al Sawadi Beach
Al Musannah
Naseem Park
Barka
Tropic of Cancer
The W
Mu
Al Seeb
Knowledge
Oasis Muscat
3
Fanja
Nakhal
Al Rustaq
Bidbid
O
H
Al Awabi
4
Jabal Al Akhdhar
(Green Mountain)
Iz
Izki
Team cycling leaders pose for a group picture on the eve of the start of the cycling Tour of Oman
in Muscat. From L to R: Norvegian Alexander Kristoff of Katusha team, Portugese Rui Alberto
Costa of Lampre Merida team, Norvegian Edvald Boasson Hagen of Dimension Data
team, Italian Vincenzo Nibali of Astana Pro Team, Netherland’s Tom Dumoulin
of Giant-Alpecin team, Belgium Greg Van Avermaet of BMC team,
French Romain Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale team, Australian
Richie Porte of BMC Team, Irland’s Dan Martin of EtixxQuick Step team and Former champion and
organiser of the Tour, Belgium Eddy Merckx.
— AFP
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OMAN
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T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
DIMENSION DATA (SOUTH AFRICA)
DRAPAC (AUSTRALIA)
ETIXX-QUICK STEP (BELGIUM)
FORTUNEO VITAL CONCEPT
(FRANCE)
LOTTO NL JUMBO
(NETHERLANDS)
TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN
(BELGIUM)
UNITED HEALTHCARE
(UNITED STATES)
WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT
(BELGIUM)
TOUGHER, TIGHTER
TOUR WILL BE ON SHOW
MUSCAT
O
m
a
n
Su
HARIDEV PUSHPARAJ
MUSCAT
an
m
O
of
e
t
na
tl a
200 km
Oman
Wave Exhibition Center
uscat
6
Ministry
of Tourism
Matrah Corniche
Al Bustan
5
1
Omantel
Head Office
Yiti (Al Sifah)
Al Hajir
2
Quriyat
7.55 km
m
Knowledge O
asis
Al Akhdhar ( Muscat/Jabal
Green Moun
tain)
STAGE 4
177 km
29
Feb. 15: A tougher and more
competitive Tour of Oman will
be on show this time as the
2016 edition starts from the
Oman International Exhibition
Centre (OIEC) today.
The peloton comprising
18 teams will cover six stages
over a total distance of 911km
criss-crossing the flat roads
and climbs, including the most
challenging
mountainous
routes of Jabal al Akhdar
(Green Mountain).
The first stage will be from
Oman Exhibition Centre to
Al Bustan over a distance of
145.5 km. After which, action
will shift to the Omantel Head
Office on February 17th and
the peloton will hit Quriyat
over a distance of 162 km. On
February 18th, the third stage
will be from Al Sawadi Beach
to Naseem Park straddling
176.5 km, the fourth on
February 19th will cover 177
km from Knowledge Oasis
Muscat to Jabal al Akhdar
(Green Mountain).
In the fifth stage, the peloton
will travel from Yiti (Al Sifah)
to the Ministry of Tourism over
a distance of 119.5 km. The
sixth and last stage of 130.5 km
will see the riders cycle from
The Wave Muscat to Matrah
Corniche.
The biggest name on show
at this edition will be the
2014 Tour De
France champion Vincenzo
Nibali of Italy who had finished
seventh in the 2013 Tour of
Oman.
Merckx,
Race
Eddy
organiser, was excited about
the event and said it will be a
grueling one this year.
“It will be very interesting
this year as the initial stages
will involve more climbs than
the last year. The riders will
go on top of the mountain at
Quriyat,’’ he added.
Merckx
also
praised
the efforts of the Muscat
Municipality
and
Royal
Oman Police (ROP) in the
organization of the prestigious
event.
“My thanks to Muscat
Municipality and Royal Oman
Police (ROP). It is impossible
to organize an event of this
magnitude without their
support,’’ he added.
Talking about the renewal
of the Tour of Oman contract
which was for a period of
five years, Merckx was noncommittal.
“It all depends on how the
Tour pans and we will have to
see how it goes,’’ he added.
Merckx also promised a
good competition considering
the pool of riders on show.
“We will have a field of
good riders from France, the
Netherlands and Belgium
and it will be an intense
competition,’’ he added.
Thierry
Gouvenou,
Competitions Director, spoke
in length about the event.
“18 teams will be
competing and
t h e y
will really put on a top show.
The riders are all impressive
and raring to go, five of them
are national champions in their
countries,’’ he added.
“We can expect some great
battles with someone like
Kristoff who is more than just
a sprinter having taken part
in many classics,’’ Gouvenou
added.
“There will also be Dan
Martin who will again be
challenged by some of the
other riders. The big test for the
cyclists will be riding through
the Jabal al Akhdar, the Green
Mountain,’’ he added.
Gouvenou also spoke about
the media coverage for the race
which will go up by a notch this
year.
“The Tour of Oman 2016
will be broadcast in 189
countries around the world.
There will be 26 minutes
of daily programming and
10 minutes kept aside for
news bulletins. Around 30
journalists will be covering the
event throughout the six stages
as well,’’ the Frenchman said.
Muscat Municipality has
also given more attention
and focus to the social media
presence of the Tour of Oman
to gain more leverage.
Bein Sports will telecast
the Tour in 23 countries in the
Middle East and North Africa.
Weather will be a crucial
factor expectedly and Merckx
hoped it would hold up well.
“It should be around 28
degrees maximum,’’ he added.
Turning the spotlight on the
heat factor which came into
focus last year when the race
was cancelled due to extreme
weather conditions, Merckx
said there would be no
problems this
time.
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30
omandailyobserver
CULTURE
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
SOLO EXHIBITION
shows beauty of Oman’s Nature
Photographer Qasim al Farsi
Q MAI AL ABRIA
T
he solo exhibition by Omani FIAP
photographer Qasim al Farsi opened
yesterday at the headquarters of the
Society of Photography in Al Hail.
The exhibition entitled “The Secrets
of Omani Nature” is launched by
Ahmed al Busaidi, Director of the Society, in the
presence of a group of Omani and international
photographers and photography fans.
The exhibition includes 32 images aiming to
highlight the beauty of Omani nature and the pictures
summarize the experience of the photographer at
nature photography.
Over the past five years, Qasim al Farsi visited
Oman from the North to the South to document
most of the touristic places in the Sultanate.
“The opening of a solo exhibition is an experience
that means a lot to me. It summarises all my findings
and effort through the past years. I will not stop my
discovery journey because I have put my goal to
promote the beauty of Oman to the whole world,”
Qasim commented.
The exhibition will run until February 28 from 8
am until 10 pm.
LOCAL SCENE
ISM organises graduation ceremony L’Elisir d’Amore, Donizetti’s comic
opera at ROHM on Wednesday
I
ndian School Muscat organised the
annual Graduation Ceremony last
week, exalting the outgoing batch of
Grade 12 students. Dr Ahmed Hassan
al Bulushi, Dean, Caledonian College
of Engineering (CCE) graced the
occasion as the Chief Guest. Gurbinder
Singh Punn, Chairman, Academic
Subcommittee, ISM was the Guest of
Honour. Dr Avirat Vaishnav, President,
ISM Managing Committee, Principal,
Srinivas K Naidu, Vice Principals, Asst
Vice Principals, HoDs, other invitees
and parents graced the occasion with
their presence.
The members of the Students’
Council received the dignitaries. Deep
Wilson, Vice Principal, Senior Section
welcomed the magnificent gathering.
Jubilant fresh graduates of the batch
2015-16 reflected their passion of being
ISM graduates, well dressed in their
ceremonial garb, paced to the fore in an
excellent procession accompanied by
their respective class teachers.
Guest of Honour released the ISM
Year Book 2015-16 that chronicles the
achievements and aspirations of the
students. Citations and mementos were
bequeathed to the students by the Chief
Guest and the Guest of Honour in the
presence of the dignitaries.
In his address to the gathering,
the Chief Guest observed that to be
successful in life one should be ready to
take risks and expressed the trust that
this batch of students would do well in
life.
F
Alen Jiji Tom and Angela Alex
received special awards in recognition of
their services as the Head boy and Head
Girl of the school. All members of the
Senior Council and all the four house
captains were bestowed with certificates
of recognition for their commitments.
Alen Jiji Tom and Avantika Murali
won the Best All Rounder Awards in
boys and girls categories. Alfred John
Menezes and Nishita Sandeep Karnik
won the Best Sports Personality Awards.
The exalting Graduation Ceremony
concluded with the School Anthem.
illed with light-hearted charm
and humour, “The Elixir of
Love” delights audiences with
effervescent Italian melodies and
brilliant bel canto arias featuring plenty
of vocal fireworks. L’Elisir d’Amore,
which premiered in Milan in 1832, is
Gaetano Donizetti’s most popular comic
opera and one of the last in the golden
era of Italian opera buffo (comic opera).
It is also one of the most frequently
performed operas in the Donizetti
repertoire.
The strength of this well-loved opera
lies in combining a touching love story
and hilarious comedy with beautiful
music, including the world famous
aria, Una furtiva lagrima (A furtive
tear). Nemorino, a poor peasant, is
besotted with Adina, a beautiful and
wealthy landowner who rejects his
earnest declarations of love. Fortunately,
a certain Dr Dulcamara is on hand
with a love potion to help Nemorino
win Adina’s heart. Adina appears to be
immune to the effects of Dulcamara’s
potion on Nemorino and agrees to
marry a self-important Sergeant.
Nevertheless, over time, Adina, realizes
she cares for Nemorino and, shedding
the famous furtive tear, admits her love.
Meanwhile and unknown to the two
lovers, Nemorina has unexpectedly
inherited a fortune. The ending could
not be happier. Everyone rejoices — and
Dulcamara most of all, since the power
of his love potion is proven.
This charming production is
presented at the Royal Opera House
Muscat by the iconic Teatro La Fenice
of Venice, one of the most famous
companies in the history of Italian
theatre and renowned throughout
Europe. True to its name of La Fenice,
meaning The Phoenix, the Theatre
has risen from the ashes after fires in
1774, 1836 and 1996. The Teatro Fenice
Orchestra is conducted by the Donizetti
expert and internationally acclaimed
interpreter of bel canto, Fabrizio Maria
Carminati. The lead singers, both
reigning stars of the classic Italian
repertoire — especially of the four great
bel canto era composers — Rossini,
Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi — are
Soprano, Rocio Ignacio, as Adina; and
Tenor, Francesco Demuro, as Nemorino.
L’Elisir d’Amore will be performed at
the Royal Opera House Muscat at 7.00
pm on three nights, on February 17, 19
and 20, 2016 to meet the demand for
this totally delightful comic opera.
T U E S DAY
FEBRUARY 16 l 2016
ENTERTAINMENT
omandailyobserver
31
DR RAJAN PHILIPS
rajanph@yahoo.co.uk
Amazing power of the
human spirit
A
Producer Steve Golin (3R), Director Alejandro G Inarritu (3L), Producer Mary Parent (2L), Keith Redmon (2R) and actor Leonardo DiCaprio (R), winner of the Best Actor
award, pose with presenter Tom Cruise (L) in London. — AFP
‘The Revenant’
sweeps Baftas with three top gongs
Q NAOMI O’LEARY
E
pic survival tale “The Revenant” took
top honours including best film on
Sunday at Britain’s Bafta film awards,
boosting its status as a favourite for
Oscar success later this month.
Mexico’s
Alejandro
Gonzalez
Inarritu scooped best director for the picture, and
Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor for his leading role
as grizzled trapper Hugh Glass.
“I am overwhelmed,” said Inarritu as he accepted
the award at a star-studded ceremony in London.
DiCaprio used his speech to wish his mother a
happy birthday and thank her for supporting him as
a child. “I grew up in a very rough neighbourhood in
East Los Angeles. And this woman drove me three
hours a day to a different school to show me a different
opportunity,” he said.
“I’m shocked and amazed, honoured,” he said of the
award. “To tell you the truth none of this was expected.”
After already nabbing the same three awards at
last month’s Golden Globes, the film is now seen as a
leading contender
for Oscar glory in
Los Angeles on
February 28.
At
the
Baftas
on
Sunday, “The
R e ve n ant”
won out for
best film
o v e r
Kate Winslet: Best Supporting Actress
Todd Haynes’ 1950s all-female romance “Carol”,
Steven Spielberg’s Cold War thriller “Bridge of Spies”,
Tom McCarthy’s newsroom drama “Spotlight”
and Adam McKay’s financial caper “The Big
Short”.
The film also took the awards for
cinematography and for sound, giving it
a total of five British Academy of Film
and Television Arts gongs.
It was closely followed by “Mad
Max: Fury Road”, George Miller’s
visually stunning post-apocalyptic
action film which picked up four
technical wins including for the
scrappy-punk costumes of its
warring tribes.
The night’s other big winners included Brie
Larson, who scooped best actress for her role in the
harrowing kidnapping tale “Room”.
Kate Winslet, who won best supporting actress for
her turn as a loyal assistant in the biopic “Steve Jobs”,
said it had been an “extraordinary year for women”.
She dedicated her prize “to all those young women
that doubt themselves”.
“When I was only 14, I was told by a drama teacher
that I might be okay as long as I was happy to settle
for the fat girl parts. Look at me now,” she said after
accepting the award.
‘Male, stale and pale?’
The theme of diversity — or lack of it — hung over
the ceremony following a controversy over the lack
of people of non-white ethnicities among the Oscar
nominations.
A small group calling for a quota system in
nominations protested the event, handing out leaflets
on the red carpet that called the television industry
“male, pale and stale”.
The chair of Bafta Anne Morrison acknowledged
the issue in her opening speech to the ceremony, which
said those in the industry “have to admit” there is a
problem.
“Diversity is high on the agenda right now. At Bafta
we welcome that debate,” Morrison said.
“The pressure won’t die down until there is real
change on and off screen.”
British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen made a
reference to the debate as he stood on stage introducing
the best actress prize.
“The nominations for best... WHITE actress are,”
Baron Cohen said, before host Stephen Fry interrupted
him.
In an appearance that had the audience in stitches,
comedian Rebel Wilson joked that the Oscars were
“racist” while director Inarritu said the problem was
“deeper” than just the Oscars.
“It’s a bigger question, it’s a bigger challenge, which
is a cultural thing,” he said.
Hotly-tipped “Brooklyn”, a love story about a
young Irish woman who emigrates to New York, won
outstanding British film but lead actress Saoirse
Ronan missed out on an award — however she
is still in the running for best actress at the
Oscars.
Mark Rylance won the supporting actor
award for “Bridge of Spies”, beating Idris Elba who had
been nominated for Netflix civil war story “Beasts of
No Nation”.
Italy’s composing legend Ennio Morricone picked
up an award for original music for his work on Quentin
Tarantino’s bloody mystery tale “The Hateful Eight”,
few days ago I happened to watch a video of a motivational speech
by Arunima Sinha. It was a relatively new name for me.
But I sat spellbound as the mountain climber who had
conquered Mount Everest in May 2013 unfolded her tale of extraordinary
courage and unwavering determination.
Being on top of the world is no mean feat but what made her narration
truly amazing was that she had lost one of her legs in a train accident.
She was in fact the first female amputee to reach the summit and the
first Indian amputee to do so.
However, before she embarked on that memorable trip, she had to
conquer the mountain of doubt and depression that overwhelmed her life
after the horrible train accident.
That indeed was in essence the triumph of the human spirit.
The inspirational story flooded my mind with lives of many such
men and women down the centuries, like Helen Keller, the motivational
speaker and writer who was deaf and mute, Wilma Rudoph, the polio
stricken teenager who won 4 gold medals at a single Olympic Games,
and Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed the ‘blade runner’ who became the first
double amputee to compete in a normal Olympic Games.
Recollections about such lives become quite relevant in the context of
the celebration of the World Human Spirit Day on February 17, every year.
It is a day to ponder with a sense of wonder at our achievements on this
planet as humans, and the endless possibilities of the human spirit.
On this day, people all over the world are encouraged to observe
2 minutes of silence at 8 pm GMT to meditate about the true spirit of
freedom and peace that dwells in all of us and on the remarkable healing
power of the human spirit.
This observance was initiated by Michael Levy of Point of Life
Organization in 2003. On this day we are called on to be grateful for what
we are and what we have and for people who have touched our lives.
It’s a celebration of continuity and peaceful coexistence.
What then is this human spirit? It is an amalgam of human philosophy,
psychology, art, and knowledge — that represents the mental or spiritual
part of humans.
It is the universal or higher component of human nature in contrast to
the lower element of ego and pride.
It thus represents our intellect, emotions, fears, passions and creativity.
It is a force that develops and transforms the world and its inhabitants.
Resilience of the human spirit implies the ability to cope with extreme
adversity, accept it without losing heart but also endeavour to surmount it
and move forward with courage and optimism.
Often, it is at times of disaster and tragedy, whether natural or manmade, that the incredible power and resilience of the human spirit is best
manifested.
A recent catastrophe still fresh in our minds is the unprecedented and
ravaging cyclone and flooding that brought life to a miserable standstill in
the bustling South Indian city of Chennai.
Amidst all the gloom, there were numerous illustrations of the
extraordinary exploits of ordinary humans in bravely facing the calamity
and bringing relief and saving lives at the risk of their own lives.
Let us therefore, take heart from the knowledge that the human spirit
is a vital force we possess.
Let us guard against negative elements like lethargy, cowardice,
impatience and despair that corrode the human spirit and sow the seeds
of our downfall.
As long as our spirit remains unbroken, there is no defeat.
Quotes:
Š Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the
human spirit. The potential for greatness lives within each of us.
— Wilma Rudolph
Š Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.
— Bernard Williams
Š No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an
uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
— Helen Keller
Loss of sleep during adolescence
may cause health issues
S
Actress Brie Larson: Best Actress — Reuters
making it Morricone’s sixth Bafta in the category.
In the documentary category, home-grown British
film “Amy” won out over international competition for
its in-depth portrayal of singer Amy Winehouse before
she was famous and began to struggle with addiction.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” won an award for
special visual effects, while “Inside Out” won in the
animated film category. — AFP
low-wave sleep deprivation in teenaged boys predicts whether
they are at risk for insulin resistance and other health issues, a
neuroscience researcher has said.
“Boys who experience a greater decline in slow-wave sleep as
adolescents have a significantly higher chance of developing insulin
resistance than those who more closely maintained their slow-wave sleep
as they got older,” according to Jordan Gaines, a neuroscience researcher
from the Pennsylvania State University.
“These boys are then also at greater risk for developing type 2
diabetes, increased visceral fat and impaired attention,” Gaines explained
on Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science.
Slow-wave sleep (SWS) is an important stage of sleep that is involved
in memory consolidation and recovery after sleep deprivation, and is
also associated with reduced cortisol and inflammation. Gaines analysed
results collected through the Penn State Child Cohort in order to study
long-term effects of SWS loss from childhood to adolescence.
The cohort included 700 children from the general central
Pennsylvania population, ages five to 12. Eight years later, 421 participants
were followed up during adolescence — 53.9 per cent were male.
Gaines found that in boys, a greater loss of SWS between childhood
and adolescence was significantly associated with insulin resistance, and
this loss was marginally associated with increased belly fat and impaired
attention.
However, Gaines did not find any associations between SWS and
insulin resistance, physical health or brain function in girls.
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2016 | JUMADA AL ULA 7, 1437 AH
P30
P30
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Inside
Solo exhibition shows beauty of Oman’s Nature L’Elisir d’Amore, Donizetti’s comic opera at ROHM ‘The Revenant’ sweeps Baftas with three top gongs FOLLOW US ON:
www.omanobserver.om
editor@omanobserver.om
African
diaspora
who were
elites in
India
A visitor previews an exhibition on Africans in India that is to open on Wednesday at the United Nations in New York. — IANS
Q ARUL LOUIS
A
fricans came to India
as early as the 13th
century as soldiers
and there was no
prejudice
against
them at that time.
They intermarried with local women,
daughters of rulers and notables, and
rose to become princes and generals in
an era of slavery in America.
Their unique global saga will be on
display on Wednesday at the UN General
Assembly building in an exhibition on
Africans in India.
The contrast is striking between
Africans taken in chains to the Americas
to toil in plantations and those who were
brought to India to fight as soldiers —
opening the way for their rise through
the ranks to eventually becoming free
and reaching positions of power.
“It is very different from what we
see in the Atlantic world,” said Sylviane
A Diouf, the director of the Lapidus
Center for the Historical Analysis of
Transatlantic Slavery in New York.
She is the curator of the exhibition.
“At least at that time we cannot see
any strong prejudice in India,” she said
of the African experience.”When we
look at the high positions of some of the
Africans, whether as rulers, as prime
ministers, as generals etc, you can see
that although they were foreign, they
were black, they were of a different
religion that did not prevent them from
obtaining high positions.”
“They also intermarried with
local women, daughters of rulers and
notables,” she added. ‘‘There again we
can see the absence of prejudice.”
The exhibition is co-sponsored by the
Indian Mission to the UN and the UN’s
Department of Public Information in
association with the Schomburg Center.
Along with Diouf, the exhibition
is co-curated by Kenneth X Robbins,
an art collector, expert in the history
of Africans in India and co-editor of
“Africans Elites in India: Habshi Amarat”.
The exhibition features reproductions
of paintings of the remarkable Africans
who attained positions of power and
influence. They were collected from
museums and private collections in
India, Europe and the United States, and
photographs of the monuments, forts
and palaces they built.
The Africans brought to India were
from the eastern part of the continent
and were known as Habshis or
Abyssinians and Sidhis.
They went across India, to Bengal
in the east to Gujarat in the west and to
Delhi in the north to the Deccan in the
A painting on display shows Africans during a meeting between the ruler of Kutch
and the Maharaja of Nagaur. (Photo courtesy of Mehrangarh Fort Museum, Jodhpur/
Schomburg Center)
south over centuries.
One of the first of the notables was
a 13th century Abyssinian named Jalalud-din Yakut who rose from a job in
the royal stable to become the political
ally of Sultana Raziya of Delhi as she
fought her brother for the throne willed
to her by their father, the Turkish ruler
Iltutmish.
After a four-year rule Raziya and
Yakut were killed in battle.
Another remarkable figure is
Malik Ambar, an Abyssinian who was
brought to the Deccan and in the 17th
century rose to become the regent of the
Nizamshahi dynasty of Ahmednagar.
His portrait figures in the exhibition.
The portraits in the exhibition include
Ikhlas Khan, another Abyssinian who
was the regent of the Deccan sultanate of
Bijapur in the 16th century.
In Gujarat, the princely state of
Sachin founded by African Sufi Sidis
held its own into the 20th century when
it was incorporated into an independent
India.
A portrait of the last ruler of the
princely state, Sidi Haider Khan, is
included in the exhibition.
Diouf ascribes the meteoric slave-toprince ascendancy to a “fluidity between
freedom and enslavement” in the system
and their military role.
In those times “Muslim armies
throughout the world were made of
free and enslaved men,” Diouf said.
‘‘Africans were good soldiers and so they
incorporated them into their armies,
whether in India or in the Middle East.
Then those soldiers who were
enslaved could be generals and still be
enslaved and then they would get their
freedom.”
Their alien status also worked in their
favour.
“The rulers put Africans in charge of
the administration, the army etc because
they trusted them better than the local
people,” Diouf said.
“The people who came from overseas
had no family and no clan relations to
anybody there and so the idea they were
more loyal to the rulers than others.”
Under the Portuguese, India also
witnessed the brutal type of slavery
found in the Americas.
The slavery practised by the
Portuguese “was more like the Atlantic
one,” Diouf said.— IANS
A portrait of Sidi Haider Khan, who was
the ruler of the princely state of Sachin in
what is now Gujarat. He belonged to the
Sidi dyansty of African rulers and ruled
from 1930 to 1947, when the princely
state became a part of independent
India. (Photo courtesy of The Kenneth
and Joyce Robbins Collection/
Schomburg Center.) — IANS
HEALTH
Hypertension, hard labour raise women’s heart risk
H
ypertensive women with physically
demanding jobs are at nearly three
times higher risk of ischaemic
heart disease, a condition that affects blood
supply to the heart, warns a study.
The combination of hypertension
(commonly known as high blood pressure)
and high physical activity at work increased
the risk of ischaemic heart disease more than
adding the individual risks together, the
study said.
“There is an additive interaction between
hypertension and high physical activity
at work. The two risk factors appear to
work together, resulting in an even greater
incidence of heart disease,” said lead author
Karen Allesøe, research student at the
University of Southern Denmark.
“It means hypertensive women with
physically demanding work may be
especially at risk of heart disease,” she added.
Physically demanding work causes rise in
heart rate and blood pressure, which can give
way to plaques in the arteries and develop
atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque
made up of fat, cholesterol builds up inside
the arteries.
In the study, nurses with hypertension
and high physical activity at work proved
to be at a greater risk as both high physical
activity at work and long periods of sitting
increase the risk of heart disease, the
findings, published in the European Journal
of Preventive Cardiology, showed.
Nurses with normal blood pressure and
high physical activity at work had a small
increased risk of heart disease (about 20 per
cent) but this was not statistically significant
after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular
risk factors such as diabetes and smoking,
the researchers explained.
During the 15-year follow-up period, 580
nurses developed ischaemic heart disease,
the researchers said. Nearly 12 per cent
reported having hypertension.
Physical activity at work was reported as
high in 46.3 per cent of the nurses, moderate
in 34.4 per cent and sedentary in 19.3 per
cent, the study revealed.
The study included 12,093 female nurses
from the 1993 Danish Nurse Cohort Study.
Data on hypertension and physical
activity at work were collected using a
questionnaire.
Physical activity at work was classified as
sedentary, moderate (mainly standing and
walking but not physically exerting), and
high (standing or walking with some lifting
or carrying; and heavy or fast and physically
exerting).