omandailyobserver

SUNDAY | MAY 15, 2016 | SHAABAN 8, 1437 AH
VOL. 35 NO. 183 | PAGES 32 | BAISAS 200
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
INDIA’S FOREX DOWN BY $1.13 BILLION P17
OMAN
Six water and power
projects under way
MUSCAT: Oman Power and Water
Procurement (OPWP) Company
(member of Nama Group) said that
work is under way at six water and
electricity projects, including four
desalination projects, which will be
operational between 2019 and 2020.
OPWP said that the projects include
Salalah Independent Water Plant with a
capacity of 100,000 m3/d, and planned
commercial operation date in January
2019. The plant’s location will be
adjacent to the existing Salalah IWPP.
REGION
25 Palestinian kids
killed in 3 months
JERUSALEM: Twenty-five Palestinian
children were killed in the last three
months of 2015 during a wave of antiIsraeli attacks and the number detained
was the highest in seven years, the UN
children’s agency said. “Serious concerns
arose regarding excessive use of force,
particularly in relation to incidents where
Palestinian children were shot dead
by Israeli security forces after carrying
out or being suspected of carrying out
stabbing attacks,” Unicef said in a report.
REPORT ON P13
EUROPE
Germany to spend
$105bn on refugees
BERLIN: The German government
expects to spend $105 billion on refugees
by 2020, a report said on Saturday. Citing
a draft document from the Finance
Ministry, Der Spiegel magazine reported
that the sum includes housing and
integration costs as well as efforts to
combat the refugee crisis. The document
is part of ongoing negotiations between
the federal government and Germany’s
16 states over how to share the costs of
supporting the refugees.
REPORT ON P15
INSIDESTORIES
6
CHINA USING ‘COERCIVE TACTICS’
IN MARITIME CLAIMS
P
GATLIN BREEZES TO VICTORY AT DIAMOND LEAGUE P25
SIXTH SENSE CAN’T PROTECT DRIVERS WHEN THEY TEXT P31
Oman’s GDP in 2015
down by 14.1 per cent
2 die as truck
falls off bridge
STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT
May 14: The Sultanate’s gross
domestic product (GDP) at market
prices declined 14.1 per cent to RO
27.01 billion in 2015 compared with
RO 31.45 billion registered in 2014.
According to the latest data
released by National Centre for
Statistics and Information (NCSI),
GDP at producer prices fell 15.9 per
cent to RO 27.86 billion during the
period.
Petroleum sector contributed
as much as 34 per cent to the total
GDP, while public administration
and defence had a share of 12 per
cent.
The share of construction sector,
as well as wholesale and retail trade
stood at 8 per cent each.
The data reveals that petroleum
activities fell 38.2 per cent to RO
9.16 billion, while crude petroleum
declined 42.4 per cent to RO
7.93 billion, even as natural gas
registered a growth of 15.7 per cent
to RO 1.22 billion by the end of last
year, compared with previous year’s
figures.
TURN TO P5
Crude exports to
China fall 4.16 pc
MUSCAT: The year 2015 saw
25,659 marriages registered in all
governorates of Oman, while divorce
cases stood at 3,619, according to the
data provided by National Centre for
Statistics and Information (NCSI).
The Data on Marriages and
Divorces shows that marriage rate
in 2015 was the lowest in five years
with over 28,000 marriages registered
in 2013 and 2014, while the highest
rate was seen in 2012 when 29,840
marriages were registered.
The figure for 2011 was 26,544.
The number of Omani men
marrying GCC women rose by 10
KABEER YOUSUF
MUSCAT
May 14: Two employees including
an Omani driver and an expatriate
assistant were killed after a 3-tonne
distribution vehicle in which they
were travelling lost control and fell off
the Hamriya bridge.
Another expatriate assistant was
seriously injured after he tried to jump
out of the vehicle as it fell down. He
was admitted to Khoula Hospital,
according to the Royal Oman Police
(ROP) sources, where he is on lifesupport.
“We can confirm that two persons
including an Omani who was driving
the vehicle and an expatriate helper
accompanying him were killed on
the spot after the vehicle fell from
Hamriya bridge,” the ROP media
department confirmed, adding, “The
third person who managed to escape
with critical injuries is currently in the
hospital under critical care.”
Eyewitnesses told the Observer
that they were flabbergasted seeing a
mammoth vehicle falling from some
25-30 metres high. Fortunately no
body was there under the bridge.
TURN TO P5
MUSCAT: China’s imports of
Omani oil fell by 4.16 per cent last
month compared to March 2016.
Omani oil imports by Taiwan, India
and the United States of America
rose by 4.53 per cent, 4.43 per cent
and 1.11 per cent respectively
during March.
Oman oil price for June delivery
2016 stood at $39.40 a barrel,
according to data available from
the Ministry of Oil and Gas.
Meanwhile, total quantities of
crude oil exported during April
stood at 26.989 million barrels, a
daily average of 899,637 barrels,
comprising a decline by 2.86 per
cent compared to March when
calculating the daily average.
Oman’s total crude oil and
condensates production during
April stood at 29.829 million
barrels, a daily average by 994,303
barrels, constituting a rise by 1.57
per cent compared to the daily
production during March.
Marriage rate in 2015
lowest in five years
in 2014 and 2015, while the number
of Omani men marrying other
nationalities increased by 30.
North Al Batinah Governorate
recorded the highest number of
marriages in 2015 at 5,448, followed
by Muscat Governorate with 4,367
marriages and Al Dakhiliyah
Governorate with 3,526.
Muscat Governorate had the
highest number of divorces in 2015
at 3,897, an increase of 15 per cent
over the previous year, followed by
North Al Batinah Governorate which
registered 660 divorces, an increase of
one per cent.
Fire engulfs passenger bus, no casualties
VINOD NAIR
MUSCAT
May 14: The Public Authority for
Civil Defence (PACDA) on Friday
managed to successfully extinguish a
fire which engulfed a passenger bus
in Dhofar Governorate. No injuries
were reported.
Passengers have alleged that many
vehicles used for service are in bad
shape with some of them past expiry
dates. They want the authorities to
conduct regular road inspections,
especially during summer. With
the temperatures reaching peak
levels, motorists should focus on
maintenance, vehicle designs, drivers,
types of fuel, Reid Vapour Pressure
More than 100 containers used for fumigation found in Samahram
Frankincense burners are 2,300 years old!
KAUSHALENDRA SINGH
SALALAH
8
SOUTH AMERICAN LEADERS
WATCHED AS ROUSSEFF FELL
P
NIGERIA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL
SUMMIT ON BOKO HARAM
P
12
WEATHER TODAY
MUSCAT
MAX: 430C
MIN: 350C
SALALAH
MAX: 330C
MIN: 280C
SUNRISE 05.23 AM
PRAYER TIMINGS
FAJR: 03:58
DHUHR: 12:02
ASR: 15:25
MAGHRIB: 18:41
ISHA: 20:11
NIZWA
MAX: 410C
MIN: 280C
May 14: Those who think that the
frankincense burners are fanciful
idea of some decoration piece are
mistaken.
The history of the musthousehold item of all — nationals
and expatriates — dates back to 3rd
century BC and the 4th century
AD (around 2,300 years ago). This
has been proved by the Italian
Mission in Oman (IMTO), which
is involved in the excavation work
at Samahram near Salalah.
Professor Alessandra Avanzini
of University of Pisa, who is the
head of the IMTO, gave this
exclusive information to the
Observer in an interview during
her recent visit to Salalah.
Talking about the significance
of
Samahram,
Professor
Alessandra said: “Samahram is
considered a key historical site for
the comprehension of the human
presence in the area between the
3rd century BC and the 4th century
AD (around 2,300 years ago). The
www.omanobserver.om
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importance of Samahram lies in
its connection with the trade of
the frankincense, an aromatic gum
resin that is extracted by trees that
grow up in the Nejd plateau.”
After almost 20 years of
excavation carried out by the
Italian Mission in Oman, headed
by Professor Alessandra, and with
the collaboration of the Office of
the Adviser of the His Majesty
the Sultan for Cultural Affairs,
have collected more than 100
containers used for fumigation of
frankincense.
The fumigation of aromatic
resins (frankincense and myrrh)
was common practice at Samahram
as in other parts of Arabia, East and
Mediterranean.
“The use of frankincense was
common during varied occasions
like funeral, magical rites, and
public ceremonies including
private or domestic levels. The
containers used during these rituals
are recognisable by the traces of
burned material inside,” said Prof
Alessandra.
TURN TO P5
(RVP), fire extinguishers, and even
fabric material one wears lest it creates
static electricity.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP)
wants to alert drivers about the
maintenance of vehicles.
Fire mishaps happen because of
ill maintained vehicles. While on
road a tyre burst can also cause fire.
Sometimes people continue to use
worn-out tyres. The summer heat
makes the situations worse, according
to ROP campaigns.
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OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
Sultanate takes part
in FAO regional meet
REGIONAL STRATEGY: Oman stresses backing regional
initiatives aimed at tackling water scarcity
ROME: The Sultanate, represented
by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries took part in the 33rd
session of FAO Regional Conference
for the Near East (NERC) which was
held in Rome, Italy, from May 9-13
with participation of 24 member
states.
Dr Hamad bin Said al Aufi,
Under-Secretary of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries, led the
Sultanate’s delegation.
Al Aufi stressed the Sultanate’s
backing for the regional initiatives
aimed at tackling water scarcity
issue and praised the efforts exerted
by the organisation alongside its
partners to lay down a regional
cooperative strategy concerning
sustainable water management
aimed at achieving food security.
He emphasised on supporting
the Blue Growth Initiative in the
region and ensuring sustainability
of marine resources and conserving
biodiversity.
The conference started with a
three-day meeting for senior officers
designated by their governments,
followed by a Ministerial Meeting
on May 12, 13.
Ministers
of
Agriculture
from member countries in the
region as well as from observer
countries were invited to NERC33
as well as representatives from
sister UN agencies, International
Governmental Organisations and
non-governmental organisations.
Issues tabled for discussion
at NERC33 were elaborated
in close consultation with the
Near East Group of Permanent
Representatives to FAO who are
based in Rome and with the Chair of
NERC, the Minister of Agriculture
of Lebanon, Akram Chouhaib.
These include topics like the
contribution of livestock to food
security in the Near East and North
Africa (NENA), the implementation
of the Blue Growth Initiative in the
region, and the empowerment of
small-scale farmers and women in
NENA.
In addition, the conference was
briefed on the progress the Regional
Office made in the implementation
of the recommendations of the
previous session of NERC that took
place in Rome in 2014.
Programme and budget matters
were also discussed, focusing
on FAO priority activities in the
region, including the achievements
of the three Regional Initiatives,
i e “Building Resilience for Food
Security and Nutrition”; “The
Regional Initiative on SmallScale Agriculture for Inclusive
Development”;
and
“Water
Scarcity Initiative”, as well as the
decentralisation process. — ONA
3
OCCI delegation to visit China from tomorrow
MUSCAT: A delegation from Oman Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (OCCI), headed by Said bin Saleh al Kiyoumi, OCCI Chairman,
will visit the People’s Republic of China during May 16 to 19.
The visit comes within the framework of the OCCI’s policy plan of
the year to visit and receive specialised trade delegations to benefit
from the participating members, as well as attracting investment
for the Sultanate and finding trade partnerships with the advanced
Prices of basic food
commodities down
MUSCAT: Data released by the Public
Authority for Stores and Food Reserve
(PASFR) indicated that the overall
average of the international prices
of global basic food commodities
declined again during the first quarter
of 2016 by 11 per cent compared to the
fourth quarter of the 2015.
Prices for most basic food
commodities had fallen substantially,
especially barley 19 per cent, soybean
18 per cent and wheat 17 per cent,
except oils and fats whose prices have
risen by 6 per cent, compared to the
same period of 2015, prices fell by
almost 13 per cent.
Estimates point out that global
stocks of rice will continue to decline
during the season (2015-2016), which
fell by 12 million tonnes compared to
the season (2014-2015).
Projections indicate continuity of
the low stock during the season (20162017) by 4 million tonnes compared
to the season (2015-2016), an average
of 4 per cent, which may contribute to
the resumption of prices to rise during
the next season.
Global stocks of corn stood at 206
million tonnes during the season
(2015-2016), but projections indicate
an increase in stock by 2 million
tonnes during the next season (20162017) compared to the current season
(2015-2016), which may contribute to
more decrease in prices. — ONA
economies in the world. The delegation’s programme will include
visits to the free zones in China, besides organising bilateral meetings
between the Omani businessmen and their Chinese counterparts to
explore investment opportunities and incentives in the Sultanate.
The OCCI Chairman said that the visit is considered an opportunity
to get benefit from the Chinese experience in the field of trade and to
find a strong comprehensive economy. — ONA
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4
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
FOR ECOLOGY
OWES
to hold
exhibition,
conference
Mirbat Fort forms a major defensive bulwark
MIRBAT: Mirbat is one of the
wilayats of the Governorate
of Dhofar. It is located in the
plain of Samhan Mountain,
overlooking the Arabian Sea
coast. It is one of the most
important historical cities in
the Governorate of Dhofar
and about 74 km away from
the city of Salalah.
Mirbat is named after a
horse stall as the city was
famous in the 19th century
for horse breeding and
exporting them to many Arab
and Islamic ports and cities,
in addition to the trade of
frankincense and different
craft products.
Mirbat is characterised like
the rest of the wilayats of the
Sultanate for several historic
castles and monuments that
made it a popular destination
for tourists and visitors. The
most important of which is
Mirbat Fort. It is unique for its
strategic location overlooking
Al Furdhah Coast (Mirbat old
port) near Al Noor Mosque;
the oldest mosque in Mirbat,
and next to Mirbat old market,
considered by some historians
as the oldest markets in the
Governorate of Dhofar.
The date of construction
of the fort dates back to
1806. Sayyid Said bin Sultan
gave orders to add some
towers to it. Sultan Said bin
Taimour gave his orders to
strengthen the fort from the
northern side after the floods
in 1948. The fort remained
the headquarters of the Wali
until 1988. Amir bin Said al
Amri, in-charge of the fort
told ONA: “Mirbat Fort is one
of monuments in the wilayat
and was built on the Omani
architectural style as a major
defensive bulwark for the city
and its residents”.
MUSCAT: Oman Waste and
Environmental Services (OWES)
Exhibition and Conference will be
held on May 23 at Oman International
Exhibition Centre.
The three-day event comes to
cope with the attention accorded
by the Sultanate to environment.
Government and private agencies
concerned with environment and
waste management participate in
the event. OWES exhibition and
conference is organised by Omanexpo,
in conjunction with the Ministry of
Environment and Climate Affairs and
Bee’ah.
OWES brings together policymakers, domain experts, engineers,
technology companies, scientists,
researchers, students, entrepreneurs,
equipment suppliers and other
professionals on a single platform to
discuss environmental challenges in
Oman and explore plausible solutions.
OWES strives to focus on all
OWES strives to focus
on all aspects of
environmental and waste
management sector in
Oman. They will highlight
the environmental
impacts of refineries and
petrochemical industries
and provide compliance
solutions and procedures
for such facilities
aspects of environmental and waste
management sector in Oman.
In fact, the exhibition, technical
sessions, panel discussions have
been designed to address major
environmental challenges in Oman,
including but not limited to solid
waste
management,
industrial
waste management, sewage, air
pollution, water pollution, ecological
degradation, green buildings, climate
change, environmental management
and environmental awareness.
OWES
will
highlight
the
environmental impacts of refineries
and petrochemical industries of
Oman and will provide environmental
compliance solutions and procedures
for such facilities.
More than 100 top environmental
specialists from different parts of the
world are expected to participate,
providing an excellent opportunity for
peer networking, knowledge-sharing
and brainstorming.
— ONA
The facilities and halls of
the fort include collection
of artifacts that were used in
the past, among these is the
foundation stone of the old
mosque near the fort, with
‘312 H’ engraved on it.
Al Amri pointed out that
the fort was renovated in the
prosperous era of His Majesty
Sultan Qaboos in 1991 and
officially opened in 1994 to
become a tourist attraction.
The fort also underwent
restoration in 2011 from
interior and exterior.
One of the fort’s facilities
was allocated to be an office
for the management and
staff of the fort who oversee
it and organise visits. They
also brief the visitors on the
fort’s history and its facilities,
as well as the distribution of
publications about the tourist
attractions in the Wilayat of
Mirbat in particular and the
Governorate of Dhofar in
general.
Al Amri said the fort
is open from Sunday to
Thursday from 8 am until 2.30
pm. It receives many visitors,
including school students and
tourists from most countries
of the world. Its yards host
many heritage events, such as
poetry readings and folklore
festivals, in addition to
national holiday’s celebrations
and other occasions.
Given the importance
of Mirbat historic fort
and in order to develop
archaeological
sites
and
promote
tourism,
the
Ministry of Tourism launched
a project to implement a
permanent exhibition in the
fort. The ministry assigned the
project to a company, which is
expected to start the work of
the project soon. — ONA
Sultanate’s geological wonders need safeguarding
CONRAD PRABHU
MUSCAT
May 14: Elements of Oman’s
extraordinarily unique geology continue to
be potentially imperiled by infrastructure
and urban development projects, and in
odd cases, theft and vandalism as well, the
head of the Geological Society of Oman
(GSO) has warned.
Dr Ali al Lazki, President, said the
Society has listed 50 sites across the
Sultanate that are home to an exceptional
array of geological wonders – treasures
that are vulnerable to potential harm
unless suitably protected by the
authorities, he stressed.
“As part of a joint initiative with the
Director-General of Minerals, which is
now the Public Authority for Minerals
(PAM), we had identified 50 areas of great
geological significance that are under
threat from either construction activity
or theft. These sites are of world heritage
value. Any damage to them will not only
be a loss for Oman, but for our common
geological heritage as well,” he said.
A blueprint for the conservation of
these geological treasures moots the
establishment of geo-parks encompassing
one or more locations that can serve
not only destinations for geo-tourism,
but also for educational, scientific and
research activities, he said.
A geological history that goes back 800
million years has bequeathed Oman with
a myriad treasures, as exemplified by the
well-known Semail Ophiolite of north
Oman, the pillow lava formations in the
Hajar Mountains, the rare stromatolite
and rudist bivalve fossils, the petrified
trees, the Sifah ecologies, limestone cave
structures, and so on. Most notable is
the Huqf area of the Wusta Governorate,
which is home to some of the oldest
sedimentary rocks that have trapped
inside them the oldest fossils of living
organisms.
Dr Al Lazki, who has authored
numerous research papers on the
priceless nature of Oman’s rich geological
heritage, singles out road building, civil
construction and infrastructure projects
as potential threats.
The GSO, he said, has been quite vocal
about the impacts of earthworks that
can lay waste to geological formations of
unique value.
“We do appreciate the efforts
of the ministries of transport and
communications, as well as housing, in
steering clear of some sites of geological
significance. And we are thankful to have
been invited to give our feedback on some
occasions. Unfortunately, however, this is
not standard practice.”
While acknowledging that such
safeguards may boost the cost of projects,
the geologist stressed however the
invaluable nature of the nation’s geological
wealth that must be protected at all costs.
The next ‘Smart City’ in Oman will be powered by the Internet of Things (IoT) and construction sector is expected to boom aided by IoT
Next gen smart cities aim at enhancing standard of living
MUSCAT: As the Sultanate is chasing
its ambitious plans for smart cities as the
means of next gen housing, Information
and Communications Technology
(ICT) will be playing a crucial role in
ensuring that the living standards are
at par with the world’s highly developed
nations, according to an IT expert.
In achieving this, Internet of Things
(IoT) will be handy for construction
companies in the country with ontime, on-budget project completion,
according to an IT expert.
Speaking to Observer, Gamal Emara,
Country Manager of HPE Aruba said
that building the next ‘Smart City’ in
Oman will be powered by the IoT in
order to make standard of living at par
with the rest of the top countries if not
the first. “Smart Cities would be even
smarter with the proposed development
of the Internet in which everyday
objects have network connectivity,
allowing them to send and receive data.
If one thing can prevent the Internet
of things from transforming the way we
live and work, it will be a breakdown in
security,” Gamal Emara said.
He added that the IoT represents a
huge opportunity for the construction
industry, which is constantly processing
data and strives for workplace safety, as
well as efficiency. IoT needs a secure,
scalable network to succeed and Wi-Fi
offers what IT departments require for
strong ‘construction IoT networking’.
He further said that optimistic
forecasts about Oman’s construction
sector for the next few years is driven
by factors such as encouraging
macroeconomics,
affirmative
demographics, as well as a resistant
infrastructure project pipeline as the
government is solidly behind ‘Smart
City’ development initiatives.
“As Oman ushers in this new era of
advancement, much has been predicted
and promised about the integration of
ICT into every aspect of the completed
city developments.”
“But turning mobility into an
effective tool requires not only
computing power but also connectivity.
At job-sites, wired connections are not
feasible and cellular networks are not
always available and hence a strong case
can therefore be made for developers
to utilise Wi-Fi solutions. These are not
only easy to install and manage, but are
now also affordable and rugged enough
to see deployment in harsh construction
surroundings.
The
computing
capabilities of mobile and IoT devices
have advanced to a level that has made
them capable of aiding the planning,
designing, and building phases.”
He advocated that enhancing
connectivity, asset tracking, equipment
inspection, and site security are the
other byproducts of IoT while workflow
can be facilitated with the advanced
technology of the future.
Having said that, he said that there
is also a need to balance cyber and
physical security since smart devices
are physical in nature. For Oman, that
is keen to drive smart cities, both cyber
and physical security should always
be considered in the upstream of the
project.
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Ithraa seeks French investments in Paris meeting
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
MUSCAT: The promotional seminar
‘Invest in Oman’ organised by the Public
Authority for Investment Promotion
and Export Development (Ithraa)
concluded in Paris, France.
Held in cooperation with the FrancoArab Chamber of Commerce and the
Sultanate’s Embassy in Paris, the seminar
briefed businessmen and representatives
of French companies and government
establishments about the investment
climate and the incentives presented to
investors by the Sultanate focusing on
investment opportunities in tourism,
pisciculture, logistics and food and
beverage industries.
Speaking at the seminar, Shaikh
Hameed bin Ali al Maani, Sultanate’s
Ambassador to France, stressed the
importance of seminar in fostering
trade and investment relations between
Oman and France noting that many
countries have adopted investmentattractive policies such as tax reductions
and providing investment-friendly
environment and the Sultanate is doing
the same.
During the upcoming period, the
Sultanate will be focusing on education,
training and infrastructure as these
sectors offer incentives for investors
besides the Sultanate’s distinguished
geographical location on the middle
of the trade route connecting the West
and East. Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidy,
Director-General of Planning and
Studies at Ithraa, said the seminar
Nine tonnes of rotten food
seized, destroyed in Hamra
AL HAMRA — The Al Hamra Municipality in cooperation with
the Public Prosecution and Royal Oman Police (ROP) raided a
house used by a commercial centre for storing food commodities
under improper storage conditions.
During the raid, the municipal officers seized and destroyed 9
tonnes of expired and rotten food items which were totally unfit
for human consumption. The inspectors issued a violation and
ordered the closure of the unauthorised store.
Oman’s GDP in 2015 down by 14.1 pc
FROM PAGE 1
At the same time, data from the Central Bank of Oman shows that the average price of oil (UK Brent, Dubai Fateh
and West Texas Intermediate crude) declined markedly to $50.9 per barrel in
2015 from $96.3 per barrel in 2014.
Key factors such as weaker global
growth, increasing crude oil supply,
strong dollar and receding geopolitical risks have pushed oil prices down
significantly. Non-petroleum activities
posted a healthy 2.3-per cent increase
to touch RO 19.37 billion as against RO
18.92 billion in 2014.
Agriculture and fisheries grew 5.2
per cent to RO 427.4 million, while
industrial activities logged a marginal
0.4 per cent growth at RO 5.72 billion.
Services sector too recorded a 3.1-per
cent increase to RO 13.21 billion during
the period.
Trade, including wholesale and retail, fell 2.6 per cent to RO 2.02 billion,
while hotels and restaurants registered a
growth of 3 per cent to reach RO 266.5
million. Transport, storage and communications sector saw an increase of 3.9
per cent to touch RO 1.63 billion.
Financial intermediation rose by 5.5
per cent to RO 1.59 billion, while real
estate grew 4.6 per cent to RO 1.28 billion. The growth in the public administration and defence sector was pegged
at 4.4 per cent, taking the value to RO
3.30 billion.
reviewed the investment incentives
provided by the Sultanate to investors.
French investors expressed their
willingness to invest in Oman when
conditions become suitable.
It is worth noting that the number
of French companies investing in the
Sultanate has reached 54 companies in
the year 2014 with a capital investment of
RO 81.4 million spanning the sectors of
5
trade, construction, industry, electricity
and water, real estate, oil and gas and the
financial sector. The Sultanate’s exports
to France amounted to RO 10.6 million.
— ONA
Frankincense burners 2,300 years old!
FROM PAGE 1
Talking further about this unique excavation, she said that the Sumharam
frankincense burners came from every
area of excavation and they were mostly
made of local limestone.
“The frankincense burners have a large
variety of types and finishing. The more
refined pieces have superficial traces of
reddish-orange pigment with engraved
decorations on the outside wall and
rim.
“The inlaid decorations are rare and
some pieces have side handles. Some
of the composite incense burners show
an architectural model inspiration. The
most exceptional discovery is a refined
circular frankincense burner in bronze
that stands on three legs of animal
shape. This was discovered in the tem-
And the most common decorations
are astral symbols such as the crescent
moon topped by a disk (Sun or Venus)
or architectural elements such as dentils
and false windows.
There are some intriguing examples
with magnificent decorations such as
lions, ibexes, eagles and eyes.
Prof
Alessandra
testifies
that the exceptional number of
frankincense burners that have
been found during the excavation
proves the intensive use of frankincense
inside the city, in addition to the importance of the exportation of this good
Professor Alessandra Avanzini
that was a symbol of power and wealth.
“Some of the most beautiful frankinple dedicated to some super natural
cense burners found at Sumharam are
power.”
The dimension of the incense burn- conserved to the Museum of Frankiners found in Sumharam is between 20 cense Land in Salalah,” said Prof Alescm and 40 cm in height.
sandra.
2 people die as truck falls off bridge
FROM PAGE 1
The three workers, apparently from a
food products supplier company which
is also a distributor of major juice and
milk products as well as bottled water,
were on their routine visit to capital area
market when the disaster happened.
The driver was said to have lost
control as he tried to maneuvre the
sharp bend on the bridge and fell off the
bridge.
The identity of the deceased
Digital signature must from June 1
MUSCAT: From June 1, the existing pen-and-paper
signatures will replaced by digital licence which has
been in place since the launch of e-commercial register
in May 1, 2015. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry
has issued a decision banning issue of paper forms for all
types of commercial registers from June 1.
The decision follows the e-services launched by the
ministry for investors and entrepreneurs through the
Invest Easy portal which provides 64 e-services which
is equivalent to 90 per cent of transactions provided by
the ministry. The step comes in coordination with the
concerned bodies, ROP, Ministry of Manpower, Muscat
Municipality, Tender Board and commercial banks.
expatriate is not yet known, but there
were rumours on social media that he
was a Bangladeshi national and is from
a leading manpower supply company.
However, the Bangladesh Embassy in
Muscat has not confirmed the identity
of the person.
“We have yet to identify the person,
and we have not received any report
from the Bangladeshi community in the
country. We will visit the hospital today
and identify him,” a key source at the
embassy said.
The horrible incident that shocked
the locality would have been even more
tragic had the truck fallen on the road
during morning traffic.
“It would have been disastrous had it
happened after a couple of metres on the
bridge. That was the time when traffic
was high,” Abdul Naseer, a restaurateur
at the Hamriya roundabout said.
“Similarly, the critically injured person
jumped to the busy road for life, but
luckily there was no other vehicle at that
particular time,” he added.
asia
asia
6
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
Yacht detained by North
Korea: Russian officials
MOSCOW: A Russian yacht has
been detained by North Korean
coastguards in the Sea of Japan
with five crew on board and towed
in to land, Russian officials said
Saturday. “The North Korean side has
communicated that the yacht has been
taken to the port of Kimchaek,” Igor
Agafonov, a foreign ministry official
in the far-eastern city of Vladivostok
told state-run RIA Novosti news
agency.
“The crew is alive and well. We are
still waiting for an explanation from
North Korea as to the reasons for the
detention,” Agafonov said, adding that
diplomats were seeking permission to
visit the crew.
Earlier an unnamed official at the
Russian embassy in Pyongyang told
TASS news agency that the sailboat
Elfin was detained by North Korean
coastguards late Friday with five
people on board as it was sailing from
a competition in the South Korean
port of Busan to Vladivostok.
“The embassy... has handed over
a note to the North Korean side
demanding the immediate release
of the crew,” Denis Samsonov, a
spokesman for the Russian mission in
North Korea, told RIA Novosti.
On Friday the vice president of the
regional sailing federation Yevgeny
Khromchenko wrote on Facebook
that the vessel had been stopped by
“North Korean fishermen” 85 nautical
miles from shore and was being
towed in to land. Russia shares a short
land border with North Korea and
enjoys relatively friendly ties with the
country’s regime. —AFP
Japan to delay tax hike over economy fears
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to postpone a sales tax
hike a second time, judging that boosting the tariff could hurt the world’s
third-largest economy, Nikkei business daily said on Saturday. — AFP
SOUTH KOREAN PRESENCE AT CANNES
(From L) South Korean director Yeon Sang-Ho, South Korean actress Kim Su-an, South Korean actor Gong Yoo and South Korean actress Jung Yu-mi pose on Saturday
during a photocall for the film “Bu-San-Haeng (Train to Busan)” at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France.-— AFP
Tajikistan leader declares holiday in his honour
DUSHANBE: Tajikistan’s President
Emomali Rakhmon on Saturday
signed a law to create a holiday
honouring his rule in a move that
fuels fears of a burgeoning personality
cult in the Central Asian state.
Amendments to the Law on
Holidays were passed without
opposition last month in a parliament
packed with Rakhmon loyalists who
agreed that November 16 would be
the date the ‘President’s Day’ holiday
will be celebrated.
The law was accepted “taking
into account the significant political
experience and huge contribution” to
peace and national unity in Tajikistan
made by Rakhmon, according to a
statement from the presidential press
service.
The date was chosen because
the former collective farm boss
was elected head of parliament on
November 16, 1992, as the ex-Soviet
state reeled from the outbreak of a
civil war won five years later by progovernment forces.
Rakhmon was later elected
president in 1994.
A referendum scheduled for May
22 is likely to trigger constitutional
changes allowing Rakhmon to run for
office an unlimited number of times.
Authorities have recently pushed
through a growing number of
initiatives celebrating Rakhmon’s
reign. In February Tajikistan’s youth
affairs committee launched a contest
for the best essays by schoolchildren
in praise of strongman Rakhmon’s
“heroic” rule.
The competition called for
children to submit their essays on
the topic: “Young People: Followers
of the Leader of the Nation”, which is
Rakhmon’s official title.
The former president of
Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov
—who died in 2006 — renamed one
of the months of the year after his
mother. — AFP
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
People walk past a portrait of King Norodom Sihamoni in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. Cambodian King Norodom
Sihamoni’s birthday with celebrations are being held on May 13-15. — AFP
US: China using coercive
tactics in maritime claims
GROWING CONCERN: China’s land reclamation efforts in an
area known as the Spratly Islands have added 1,295 hectares of land
WASHINGTON: China is using
“coercive tactics” and fostering regional
tensions as it expands its maritime
presence in the South China Sea and
elsewhere, but is avoiding triggering
an armed conflict, the Pentagon said
Friday.
In an annual report to Congress,
the Defence Department outlined
China’s rapid military growth and
described how it is assertively defending
sovereignty claims across the contested
East China Sea and South China Sea.
Last year for instance, China
deployed coast guard and PLA Navy
ships in the South China Sea to maintain
a “near-continuous” presence there.
And in the East China Sea, Beijing
deployed planes and maritime lawenforcement ships to patrol near a chain
of islands known as Senkaku in Japanese
and Diaoyu in Chinese.
“China is using coercive tactics... to
advance their interests in ways that are
calculated to fall below the threshold of
provoking conflict,” the report states.
When asked to describe China’s
coercive tactics, Abraham Denmark,
a deputy assistant secretary of defence
for East Asia, told reporters that
Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels
sometimes act in an “unprofessional”
manner.
They do so “in the vicinity of the
military forces or fishing vessels of other
countries in a way that’s designed to
President Ma Ying-jeou faces possible court action and leaves a legacy fraught with division
How the tide turned for Taiwan’s Ma
TAIPEI: He won Taiwan’s largest ever
landslide victory, a safe pair of hands
promising prosperity and stability —
but president Ma Ying-jeou leaves office
this month caricatured as incompetent,
aloof and wildly out of step with public
sentiment.
Coolly coiffed with a sweep of jet-black
hair, urbane Ma was seen as a reliable “Mr
Clean” when he stormed to victory for the
Kuomintang party in 2008, replacing an
outgoing opposition government mired
in corruption.
However, as he prepares to hand the
reins of power to opposition leader Tsai
Ing-wen on May 20, Ma faces possible
court action and leaves a legacy fraught
with division.
Relations with Beijing had sunk to
a low under Ma’s predecessor President
Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic
Progressive Party.
Ma banked on friendlier ties for
Taiwan to thrive. A rapprochement and a
slew of trade deals followed, culminating
with a historic handshake with Chinese
President Xi Jinping last year.
But while Ma may have fulfilled a
personal ambition, the public felt shortchanged and increasingly saw him as a
mainland puppet jeopardising Taiwan’s
sovereignty. China still views self-ruling
Taiwan as part of its territory, with
reunification as its ultimate aim.
His popularity faded to nine per cent
— earning him the nickname “nine-per
cent president” among opponents. Ma
was “unable to reach out to the local
Taiwanese”, said Jean-Pierre Cabestan,
political science professor at Hong
Kong Baptist University, instead making
relations with Beijing his priority.
He also failed to bridge divisions
within his own party. “He lacks leadership
and charisma,” said Cabestan. “He was
unable to lead and control the KMT, his
ministers, and gave the impression of
being soft with China and hard with the
opposition.”
After his presidential immunity
lapses, Ma will face possible lawsuits
from political rivals relating to the alleged
President Ma Ying-jeou speaks at a local
designing awards ceremony in Taipei
last month. — AFP
leaking of political secrets and failing to
declare assets. It is an ignominious signoff for the Harvard-educated former
justice minister and Taipei mayor, and
son of a senior KMT official.
Beleaguered Ma has admitted his
government could have done better to
meet the demands of a public stretched
by high rents and low salaries — but he
staunchly defends his China policy as
having brought peace to the region.
“Ma’s policies have painted him as
for the one per cent and China, at a time
when society at large is fed up with both,”
said Jonathan Sullivan, associate professor
at the University of Nottingham’s School
of Contemporary Chinese Studies in
Britain.
Even staunch KMT supporters have
turned their backs, with the party in tatters
having lost its majority in parliament for
the first time under Ma. “We had high
hopes, but we saw our faith in him fading
away,” said Sun Chieh-yi, 59, a retired
watch shop owner who comes from a
traditionally pro-KMT family.
However, observers say history may
look back more kindly on Ma as China
relations are set to cool once more
under Tsai and the traditionally proindependence DPP, with concerns crossstrait friction may surge.
“At least he showed disputes between
the two former rivals could be solved in
a peaceful manner,” said Liao Da-chi,
political science professor at Taiwan’s
National Sun Yat-sen University. — AFP
Director-General of the Department of
Treaty and Law of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Xu Hong answers a
question during a briefing on China’s
positions on the South China Sea
Arbitration Initiated by the Philippines at
International Press Centre in Beijing on
Thursday. — AFP
attempt to establish a degree of control
around disputed features,” Denmark
told reporters.
“These activities are designed to
stay below the threshold of conflict, but
gradually demonstrate and assert claims
that other countries dispute,” he added.
China claims nearly all of the
strategically vital South China Sea,
even waters close to Southeast Asian
neighbours including Vietnam, the
Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, which
have competing claims.
Central to China’s claims are its landreclamation efforts that have seen tiny
islets, reefs and other maritime features
built into military facilities.
The Pentagon report included
dramatic photos of these contentious
islands, including the Fiery Cross
Reef Outpost, located between the
Philippines and Vietnam.
Since 2014, China has turned a
sandy blip in the ocean into an island
stretching more than three kilometres,
complete with a lengthy runway.
China’s land reclamation efforts in an
area known as the Spratly Islands have
added 3,200 acres (1,295 hectares) of
land to the seven features it occupies,
the report states.
Beijing last year paused landreclamation efforts and began focusing
on “infrastructure development” of the
islets.
The United States insists China’s
claims have no basis under international
law, and the US military has conducted
several “freedom of navigation”
operations, where ships and planes pass
close to the sites claimed by China.
Such missions have drawn howls of
anger from Beijing, which accuses the
United States of provocation and of
increasing the risk of a military mishap.
The US Navy maintains a strong
presence in the South China Sea, and
Defence Secretary Ashton Carter
has twice in recent months pointedly
visited US aircraft carriers deployed in
the waterway. In November, Beijing
announced it was establishing a military
facility in Djibouti. — AFP
Birth of rare Sumatran rhino
hailed as major boost
JAKARTA: The rare birth of a Sumatran
rhino in Indonesia has been hailed a
victory for the critically endangered
species, which has been almost wiped
out in the wild by poaching and habitat
destruction.
Conservationists wept in joy as
the healthy female calf was born on
western Sumatra island on Thursday,
just the fifth rhino of its kind born in a
breeding facility.
The newborn was walking within
hours and has since grown stronger,
feeding and bonding with its mother, a
conservationist at the rhino sanctuary
in Sumatra said.
Sumatran rhinos are extremely
rare, with just 100 believed to exist
worldwide.
Susie Ellis, the head of the
International Rhino Foundation, said
their scarcity in the wild made this birth
“extremely significant”.
“Every birth counts,” she said from
Sumatra. “One birth doesn’t save the
species, but it’s one more Sumatran
rhino.”
Sumatran rhinos are targeted by
poachers as their horns and other body
parts fetch high prices on the black
market for use in traditional Chinese
medicine.
Their rainforest habitat on Sumatra
island is also being destroyed due to
the rapid expansion of palm oil and
pulp and paper plantations. Last year,
they were declared extinct in Malaysia.
The remaining rhinos, distinctive for
their woolly hair and twin horns, often
exist in small herds of two to five within
their jungle habitats in Indonesia.
Ellis said conservationists planned
to consolidate these smaller groups
into a larger population, so the rhinos
can find suitable mates and ensure the
longevity of the species.
It will be at least six or seven years
before the newborn is ready to mate.
For now the calf— which has not yet
been named — will remain in the
sanctuary where she’s under 24-hour
observation.
“She seems to be healthy,” Ellis said.
“They come out and they’re so
skinny, but she’s started to fill out a
little bit today.” It was the second time
the newborn’s mother, Ratu, had given
birth at the facility.
Her previous birth four years ago
marked the first time a Sumatran rhino
had been born in an Asian breeding
facility for more than 140 years. — AFP
subcontinent
subcontinent
i
US to renew bulk of Myanmar
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
MINORITY
ATTACKS
Elderly monk found hacked
to death in Bangladesh
DHAKA: An elderly Buddhist monk
was found hacked to death on Saturday
in Bangladesh, police said, the latest
in a spate of murders of religious
minorities and secular activists in the
nation.
No group has yet claimed
responsibility, although the killing
in the remote southeastern district
of Bandarban appeared to bear a
resemblance to several recent murders
by suspected militants.
A troubling rise in violence in the
South Asian nation has now seen
seven murders since the start of last
month alone.
“Villagers found Bhante (monk)
Maung Shue U Chak’s dead body in
a pool of blood inside the Buddhist
temple this morning. He was hacked
to death,” Jashim Uddin, deputy police
chief of Bandarban, said. Uddin said
the monk, 75, appeared to have been
attacked by at least four people at the
Buddhist temple in Baishari, some 350
kilometres southeast of Dhaka early
on Saturday morning.
“We saw footprints in the temple
and found that four to five people
entered the compound,” he added.
He said U Chak was living alone
in the hillside temple after having
recently left farming to become a fulltime monk. A top Bangladeshi human
rights lawyer who is close to the
country’s Buddhist community said
that U Chak had received anonymous
death threats.
“He became a monk just one and a
half years ago. He had received death
threats, but nobody took it seriously,”
lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua said.
Bandarban is largely Buddhist,
home to indigenous peoples who
sanctions with alterations
BOOSTING TRADE: Some changes aimed at encouraging investment and business
U Chak was living alone
in the hillside temple
after having recently
left farming to become a
full-time monk. He had
received anonymous
death threats
A top Bangladeshi Human
Rights Lawyer
adopted the religion centuries ago.
Police district sub-inspector Anisur
Rahman, who was at the scene, said
that officers had not yet established
a motive for the killing but that “it
appeared the monk did not have any
personal enemies”.
The killing comes as suspected
terrorists have been blamed for or
claimed responsibility in dozens
of murders of minority group and
foreigners in recent years.
The murder adds to a grim toll in
past weeks, with an atheist student,
two rights activists, a liberal professor,
a Hindu tailor and a Sufi leader hacked
to death since last month.
The IS group and a Bangladeshi
branch of Al Qaeda have said that they
carried out several of the killings.
But the secular government in
Dhaka denies that IS and Al Qaeda are
behind the attacks, saying they have no
known presence in Bangladesh, and
blames the killings on homegrown
militants.
— AFP
WASHINGTON: The United States
plans to renew the bulk of its sanctions
against Myanmar when they expire
next week, but will make some changes
aimed at boosting investment and trade,
according to several senior US officials
and congressional aides.
An announcement on extending
much of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, could
come as soon as Tuesday ahead of a
visit to the Southeast Asian nation by
Secretary of State John Kerry on May
22, officials said.
The US Treasury Department has
significantly eased sanctions against
Myanmar by issuing general licences
that give companies and investors
exemptions to sanctions targeting more
than 100 individuals and businesses,
including some of Myanmar’s biggest
business players.
US officials began lifting trade and
financial sanctions against the country
after military leaders launched reforms
that led to a civilian government
being formed in 2011, beginning its
transformation from a half-century as
an international pariah.
In December, Treasury temporarily
relaxed trade restrictions on the country
also known as Burma by allowing all
shipments to go through its ports and
airports for six months.
This time, Washington will likely
offer more general licences to specific
companies, and take some people off
Treasury’s list of “Specially Designated
Individuals” targeted for sanctions,
congressional aides and US officials
said.
CAR BOMBING
State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi, accompanied by former peace advisers, inspects the compound of the
Myanmar Peace Centre in Yangon. — AFP
Kerry’s visit to Myanmar is his first
since the party of Aung San Suu Kyi,
the country’s Nobel laureate, swept to
power following a landslide election win
in November. A constitution drafted by
the country’s former military rulers bars
her from becoming president.
President Barack Obama’s opening
to Myanmar followed by its peaceful
transition to an elected government
is seen as one of his foreign policy
achievements. He has visited there
twice. But the administration also wants
to maintain leverage on the country to
guard against backsliding on reforms
Rescue under way
for 19 stranded
Nepal climbers
Police inspect the site of a suicide car bombing, near a police training base in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province in
Afghanistan. The blast killed three policemen and wounded nine others, officials said. — AFP
KATHMANDU: Nineteen climbers,
including two critically injured, were
being rescued after they were stranded
in the central mountains of Nepal in
bad weather, a tour company said on
Saturday.
“All of our team’s equipment was
destroyed in a blizzard,” Managing
Director of Friends Adventure Team,
Rajendra Bahadur Lama, said.
“We have two German clients who
were headed to the Saribung peak
inManang district. But they were caught
in a blizzard so we are airlifting them as
well as all our Nepali crew members to
Kathmandu.”
The blizzard destroyed the tents and
the supplies of the group according
to Lama. Two Nepali guides in team
were critically injured in the storm at an
elevation of 5,940 metres. — dpa
The firm has been shown as an intermediary of ILS Fiduciaries, registered in the Isle of Man
Scientist A Q Khan and family
allegedly named in Panama Papers
KARACHI: The family of Abdul Qadeer
Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear
programme, has been named in the
Panama Papers. Abdul Quyuim Khan,
the brother of A Q Khan, and Hendrina,
his wife, Dina and Ayesha Khan, his two
daughters, are shown as owners of Wahdat
Ltd, a firm registered in the Bahamas.
Although the names are not part of the
data released online by the International
Consortium of Investigative Journalists
(ICIJ), Wahdat Ltd does appear on the
website. However, it has been named in
the larger database obtained by the group.
The company was registered in January
of 1998, months before the nuclear tests
of May that year, and deregistered on
December 31, 1999, shortly after the
October 12 coup.
“I have never even heard the name of
this company,” A Q Khan said over phone.
“Neither did my wife and daughters. My
7
Although the names are not
part of the data released
online by the International
Consortium of Investigative
Journalists, Wahdat Ltd
does appear on the website.
However, it has been named in
the larger database obtained
by the group
brother, who died a few years ago, was
with Habib Bank and as you know bankers
are always up to their tricks,” he said.
“My wife and daughters never signed
any documents to create this company.
The signatures (on the incorporation
paperwork) are surely false. My brother
never discussed it with me and my family
only heard about this company after the
Panama Papers release.”
The company has been shown as an
intermediary of ILS Fiduciaries IOM Ltd,
registered in the Isle of Man and is still
active. That company has links to 611
other entities from various jurisdictions
like Panama and Niue in the database,
dating back to 1993, most of which are
either “inactive” or “defaulted”.
The ICIJ defines an intermediary as
“a go-between for someone seeking an
offshore corporation and an offshore
service provider — usually a law firm or
a middleman that asks an offshore service
provider to create an offshore firm for a
client. It is not clear what the documents
in the larger ICIJ database reveal about
the activities of the company since ICIJ
has not released them publicly. One
person who has examined the documents
but declined to share them, says there is
neither any proof of funds movement
nor information regarding bank accounts
owned by the firm. Further disclosures of
documents will clarify this.
In 2004, Dina Khan’s bank accounts in
the UAE were frozen on the request of the
US government. US government cables
leaked through Wikileaks described three
conversations between the governor of the
UAE’s central bank and an official from
the US Treasury Department, in which
the governor was quoted as saying: “I
personally recommend that Dina Khan be
eliminated from the list of people whose
accounts have to be frozen due 0to links
with WMD proliferation because there is
not enough evidence to justify continuing
the freeze”. The request was denied.
— Internews
and to press for improvement on
human rights.
By renewing the legal framework
for sanctions even as it eases some
measures, Obama will offer the private
sector more breathing room while
maintaining pressure on its military,
which still holds significant political
power. The sanctions had been due to
expire on May 20.
Washington has deep concerns
about human rights conditions in
predominantly Buddhist Myanmar,
especially violence against ethnic
and religious minorities including
Rohingyas.
Members of the US Congress, from
both parties, are watching closely
and could move to clamp down on
Myanmar themselves if they think
Obama is moving too quickly.
Last month, Senators Cory Gardner
and Ben Cardin, the Republican and
Democratic leaders of the Foreign
Relations Asia subcommittee, wrote to
Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew
expressing concern about rights, and
asking the administration to work with
Congress to ensure those concerns were
addressed.
— Reuters
Shah Allah Ditta caves
restoration work to resume
ISLAMABAD: The stalled project of
restoring the Shah Allah Ditta caves
will be resumed in Pakistani capital
Islamabad and city managers have
also decided on developing a tourist
site near the caves, which make up
one of the most important heritage
sites in the region.
CDA officials took the decision
of preserving the caves located in
the Margalla Hills in D-13 in a
meeting on Saturday with Member
Administration Amir Ali Ahmed in
the chair.
“These caves are our heritage and
we have decided to preserve them,”
Ahmed said.
He added that in 2010, CDA had
prepared a PC-1 for the preservation
and protection of the site in addition
to the development of a ‘Sadhu ka
Bagh” next to the caves. Due to
various reasons, he said, the project
could not be completed.
“Only a small wall was constructed
but now we have decided to
completely develop the site and make
it a tourist spot,” he said.
A token fund for the conservation
of the archaeological site has been
released and the tendering process
is being completed, after which
construction work on the site will
begin, he added.
Also attending the meeting was
Deputy Mayor Zeeshan Naqvi who
belongs to Shah Allah Ditta.
The deputy mayor said that the site
is important as it has a rich history.
“Murals of Budha from 2,400
years ago were also found on the
walls of the caves,” he said and urged
that all similar sites be preserved and
better facilities be given to visitors to
the sites.
“There is a disagreement about
how old the caves are but one can
safely say they are about 4,000
years old. I hope that after they are
developed, the caves will attract a
large number of local and foreign
tourists,” said Member Environment
Sanaullah Aman.
Dr Ashraf Khan, the head of the
Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisation
in the Quaid-e-Azam University said
that the caves are from the stone age.
The caves were located along the
routes used in those times, he said
and that they are “very important for
archaeological and historical studies”.
— Internews
A view of the ancient Shah Allah Ditta caves.
analysis
analysis
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8
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
THE LADY WHO
INSPIRES OTHERS!
ABDULAZIZ AL JAHDHAMI
[email protected]
H
ave you ever had an opportunity to be in a position where you can inspire others?!
Perhaps, you help someone to make his or her mind in a certain situation where critical
decision-making is required.
Else, you might share a relevant experience or decision that could help a friend or
a loved one make a final call. In other words, to play the role of giving a free of charge
advice or consultation which we all need sometime!
On the other hand, you might get inspired by someone else whom you talked or
listened to. This person is someone whom you admire or get attached to so you believe
in what he or she says or does.
Therefore, his or her advice or opinion really counts to you.
It’s not abnormal that people learn from one another; others’ experiences are our
lessons to learn from! The mistakes we all commit and experiences we come across are
insightful lesson for our own good.
Nowadays, we notice that there are lot of inspiring people and some of them are
taking it as a business while others are doing it out of passion to help others.
The latter are involved in this field out of their self-interest to guide others find their
ways towards making a better future.
Their noble mission is to motivate people and push them to have a proper planning
for their life, so that they can have bigger dreams and work for a prosperous life.
Among those inspiring people is Faiza al Adwani, an internationally certified
trainer in human development. She conducts various training courses and workshops
in different fields like human and self-development, positive thinking and strategic
planning as well as others specialised for women development.
Faiza started this mission around three years ago; strives to help other people
discover themselves. Her noble mission is aimed at paving the way for people to
sufficiently plan their life and future.
Her personal life experiences and self-interest to add value to other’s lives are the
reasons behind Faiza’a having training as a mission with a noble cause.
She sacrifices her time and efforts to teach and assist all those interested to attend
her training courses and workshops.
She regards herself as a consultant for those people and lends them a hand of
support to get them out of their problems and see a brighter side in life.
Out of passion for her mission, Faiza published a very insightful book and a one-ofits-kind called You Are The Biggest Secret. To her, the book is a dream come true! I’ve
read the book and I believe we all need to read it.
It works as a tool to help each one of us to evaluate ourselves; our principles, values
and dreams in life. It teaches us a wide range of precious values that we all need to
efficiently plan our lives and have dreams and objectives to achieve.
The title of the book conveys a significant message that each one of us is a big
valuable secret, but we might not realise that.
Thus, the book stands as a call addressed to everyone to dig inside himself and
discover this secret and make the best of it.
I believe Faiza’s mission of this book is very brilliant and worth the effort she had
accorded to write the book and bring it to the world.
May Allah bless you Faiza.
Recently, I attended one of the courses she conducted for self-development. The
course was aimed at shaping a quality personality based on our principles, objectives
and dreams that we are planning to achieve in life.
Out of this distinguished course, people would have the opportunity to evaluate
themselves and discover their dreams, objectives and missions in their lifespan.
Otherwise, they will have no value of life they have been bestowed by the Almighty
Allah. Like many others, Faiza undoubtedly has inspired me through her book and
course. Although it’s a small book, but the value of its messages and lessons are very
touching and significant indeed.
Brass tacks time for climate
MARLOWE HOOD
F
Bonn meeting.
rontline climate diplomats will seek to translate good
The next “political moment” when countries could
intentions into concrete action in Bonn on Monday when deepen their commitments to curb carbon pollution is a sothey gather for the first time since hammering through a called “stocktaking” in 2018, a focal point at the talks this
historic deal in December.
week. Negotiators also have a lot of blanks to fill in when it
“Our challenge is now to operationalise the Paris comes to aid for developing nations which, historically, have
Agreement,” France and Morocco — currently co-chairs of contributed least to climate change but are most exposed to
the negotiating process — said in a briefing note.
its ravages. “There is pent-up demand for implementation
After two decades of intense wrangling, the 195-nation of financial assistance,” noted Alden Meyer, a climate
Paris accord set ambitious targets to cap
analyst at the Washington-based Union
global warming and help poor countries
of Concerned Scientists who has been
cope with its impacts, present and
tracking the negotiations for 25 years.
future.
“A lot of parties came out of Paris
Ratification could happen early next
feeling there was more progress on
year or sooner, a speed record for an Ratification could
mitigation and decarbonisation” —
international treaty. But the landmark happen early next year
measures, in other words, to curb
deal left a large number of crucial issues
gases — “and less on
or sooner, a speed record greenhouse
unresolved, experts and negotiators say.
adaptation”.
“The cooperation shown in Paris for an international
National plans submitted by poor
will mean nothing if we descend into treaty. But the landmark
countries to boost their resilience are
petty squabbles,” Mohamed Adow, a
contingent on financial aid, but how
deal left a large
climate expert with Christian Aid, said
and when that money will be delivered
in a commentary on the Climate Home number of crucial issues
has yet to be worked out.
website. The most urgent question unresolved, experts and
“The Earth’s oceans are rising,
is how to ramp up national plans for
disease is spreading, our land is no
negotiators say.
slashing greenhouse gas emissions.
longer producing the food we need to
As they stand, these voluntary
survive,” said Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, a
pledges — which go into effect in 2020
climate negotiator from the Democratic
— would see Earth’s surface heat up by at least three degrees Republic of Congo and chairman of the Least Developed
Celsius compared to the pre-Industrial Era benchmark.
Nations group.
But a climate-fuelled crescendo of superstorms,
The developing world is also concerned that too little
droughts and rising seas convinced the world’s nations to of the $100 billion per year promised by wealthy nations
lower the bar to “well below” 2 C, and 1.5 C if possible.
starting in 2020 will go toward dealing with climate
The year 2015 was by far the hottest year on record, impacts. “We have just lost five islands in the Pacific,”
and nearly every month in 2016 has also exceeded said Amjad Abdullah, chief negotiator from The Maldives
previous highs. “History will judge the Paris Agreement... and spokesman for the Association of Small Island
by whether governments, corporations and other actors Nations, referring to several of the Solomon Islands that
rapidly increase ambition,” the WWF said ahead of the have now slipped under the waves.
South American leaders watched as Dilma Rousseff fell
RAMON SAHMKOW
S
o much for having good neighbours.
South American leaders basically sat back
and watched as Brazil’s president Dilma
Rousseff flailed and fumed and fought for
her political life and ultimately lost, at least
the first round.
Rousseff was suspended from office on
Thursday to face an impeachment trial on
charges she cooked the government’s books
in an election year to make her budget look
better. Leaders in other South American
countries had no interest in meddling.
They were focused more on domestic issues
than in helping Rousseff in a months-long
political battle that laid bare grassroots
fury over corruption and recession in the
continent’s biggest economy.
These leaders had an eye on her likely
successor and wanted to be on good
terms, because Brazil is, well, Brazil — an
economic powerhouse, albeit an ailing one.
Plus, Rousseff is certainly no Luis Inacio
Lula da Silva — her charismatic predecessor
and political mentor, a towering figure of
the Latin American left and wildly popular
to this day. Rousseff never enjoyed such an
aura, and as the Brazil economy tanked and
the impeachment drive gathered pace, her
approval ratings hit single digits.
As that noose tightened around Rousseff
in recent months, the leftist governments of
Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia
expressed explicit support for her.
Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and Evo
Morales of Bolivia adopted her terminology,
calling the proceeding a parliamentary
coup. Rousseff argues that her accounting
practices were nothing new in Brazil and
while not strictly above board, they were
certainly not grounds for removing her
from office. But the support from her
neighbours stopped there, with words.
Four years ago, when the president of
Paraguay was impeached in a matter of days
over a deadly clash between farmers and
police, the whole region rose up in arms.
Paraguay was suspended from a regional
trade organisation called Mercosur.
Brazil and Venezuela were vocal
Rousseff is certainly no Lula
da Silva. She never enjoyed
such an aura, and as the
Brazil economy tanked and
the impeachment drive
gathered pace, her approval
ratings hit single digits.
supporters of that dumped president,
Fernando Lugo. The case was taken up by
the Organisation of American States. But
this time no consensus emerged to get
regional organisations involved.
The reaction, or lack thereof, from
Argentina, Brazil’s main partner in the
region, was particularly stinging for
Rousseff. Its new conservative president
simply said he respected the government
institutions of his neighbour.
There is a “tradition in diplomacy of
not interfering in other countries domestic
affairs,” said Joao Augusto de Castro Neves,
director of Latin America issues at Eurasia
Group, a consultancy.
Although the impeachment proceedings
are widely supported at the grassroots level
in Brazil, they are controversial because
so many lawmakers in both chambers
of the legislature have been convicted of
corruption or face charges.
Michael Shifter, President of The InterAmerican Dialogue, a Washington think
tank focusing on Latin American issues,
said many countries were uncomfortable
with the process and thought it had
become politicised. “Brazil is not just
any old country. Because of its size and
importance, the countries cannot afford to
show strong support for Dilma at the cost
of not being able to work with the Temer
government,” Shifter said.
Suspended Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff attends a news conference
with foreign media in Brasilia, Brazil, on Friday.
— AFP
a a ys s
analysis
analysis
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9
Goodbye hurts, but never saying hello again, hurts more
T
RAY PETERSEN
[email protected]
his week, after a nine month battle with canine
cancer, our beloved dog Spongy was lost to us.
He was as much a part of our family, as me,
Lena, or Sasha, and we will miss him dearly.
But that’s not the worst thing.
Lena named him Spongy, as he looked just like
a little black bath sponge, and he was so small, you
could fit him in your hand.
We went through all of the dramas of a young
puppy’s life, ‘potty-training’ challenged Lena’s
goodwill sometimes when he got over-excited, but
he proved to be quite a societal puppy, and soon
learned.
And that’s something about a dog, all through
life, you either have to keep their litter box clean,
use ‘doggy bags’ to pick up after him on the streets,
and their pooh doesn’t smell anything like roses.
But that’s not the worst thing.
The move from the UK to Oman was
complicated, but Spongy relished his life here.
He loved his walks in the local farms, and the
wadi near our home.
Though it must be said he was as confused as us
as to why children wanted to throw stones at him,
and adults wanted to bark at him.
Weird really.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
We noticed, last year that Spongy was putting on
some weight, and neither moving as freely as usual,
or as playful as usual.
We put it down to his old age, but thought
we should take him to our vets, Muscat Vets, in
Qurum.
Dr Natali Kranjec gave us the bad news, that
Spongy had a significant growth in his abdomen,
and required an operation.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
The Muscat Vets team performed a splenectomy,
and removed a significant tumor from Spongy’s
abdomen, and between them, and with Lena’s
tireless support he recovered in record time, putting
smiles on everyone’s faces.
The only downside was that a sample sent to the
UK was unable to reassure us that the tumour was
benign.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
By Christmas, Spongy had become a ‘pin-up’
calendar dog, featuring in the vet clinic’s annual
calendar, and looking ‘proper smart’ in his bow
tie! But by February he was in surgery again as
remarkably, another, larger growth was detected.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
Twice, Natali and her brilliant surgical team
removed new growths, but with increasingly
pessimistic prognoses.
Spongy was strong, and as if to prove his
strength and vigour, each time he bounced back
even quicker.
He did slow down however, and his movements
became definitely more considered.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
A couple of weeks ago, he was still taking his
daily walks, but we could see he wasn’t himself.
Natali confirmed that we now had reached a
stage where surgical intervention wasn’t possible,
again, and talked us through our options.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
We agonised over that decision, and decided to
take Spongy for a ‘weekend away’ as a sort of a ‘last
hurrah!’ He didn’t enjoy himself though, and we
went back home where he was much happier.
We went to Muscat Vets to do what needed to be
done, and you wouldn’t believe it.
He ran around the clinic, and was as lively as a
puppy. We just couldn’t do it! But that wasn’t the
worst thing.
We agreed we would return a few days later, for,
as Lena said, “He’s been so good to us, we don’t want
to take one more day off him than he should have
had.” Two days later though, the time had arrived,
and even worse for poor Lena, it was her birthday.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
We spent almost every moment of that day
with our boy, and when the time came to have him
sedated it was all I could do to tell him I loved him,
while Lena told him what a brilliant dog, friend,
companion, and carressed his face lovingly.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
Spongy passed away quietly, in Lena’s arms.
I thought I would be strong, but seeing Lena’s
resolve disappear as she realized he had stopped
breathing, I lost my composure too, and cried like
a baby.
But that wasn’t the worst thing.
The worst thing was coming home today, being
greeted, as always by Lena.
But there was no Spongy.
No bark of reprimand if I was late, or rumble of
joy that I was home.
No squeaky toy sounds, as if he was trying to
talk to me.
No ‘tell-tale’ pitter-patter of paws as he followed
me everywhere.
No sloppy wet kiss at bedtime.
No … Spongy.
That’s the worst thing.
Maybe, we can eventually take solace knowing
that grief isn’t a sign of weakness, but the cost of
love.
But we will miss his absolute devotion, his
unconditional excesses of love and affection, and
the endless joy he brought us.
A HARROWING TALE
ANIA TSOUKANOVA
W
Opposition fighters drive a tank in a rebel-held area of the southern Syrian city of Daraa last week.
hen strangers are coming, they come to your house, they kill you
all and say, ‘we’re not guilty, not guilty’. Those are the harrowing
opening words of war-scarred Ukraine’s entry for the Eurovision
song contest — a flamboyant and festive occasion more normally
associated with laughs than tears.
The lament entitled “1944” will be sung in Saturday’s Eurovision
grand final in Stockholm by 32-year-old Jamala, a member of the
Muslim Tatar minority of Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula annexed by
Russia in 2014.
Jamala’s words refer to the tragedy that befell her great-grandmother
near the end of World War II, when Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin
deported 240,000 Tatars — almost the entire community — to barren
Central Asia and other far-flung lands.
But the song also has deep resonance for contemporary Ukraine,
where memories of that horror were revived by Russia’s seizure of
Crimea and Jamala’s poignant lyrics tell the story of a people with a
history of persecution that continues to this day.
The song’s status as one of the favourites along with the Russian
entry brings unavoidable political and diplomatic undertones to the
competition between two nations whose relations have been effectively
frozen for two years. Originally an opera singer who became a jazz star
in Ukraine, the svelte brunette said that she wanted to make her song
“about my great-grandmother Nazalkhan and thousands of Crimean
Tatars who never had a chance to return to Crimea again.”
“That year changed their lives forever,” she said in an interview ahead
of the contest. Over a span of three days in May 1944, Stalin accused the
Turkic ethnic group of collaborating with the Nazis and deported them
thousands of kilometres to the east, where nearly half the people died
in the harsh conditions.
Jamala’s great-grandmother was in her mid-20s when she, her four
sons and daughter were expelled, while her husband fought against the
Nazis in the Soviet Army’s ranks.
In a journey that took several weeks, about 8,000 people — mostly
the elderly and children — died of thirst and typhoid.
Nazalkhan’s daughter did not survive the tortuous trek and “her
body was thrown from the car like garbage,” Jamala recalled.
“I needed that song to free myself, to release the memory of my
great-grandmother, the memory of that girl who has no grave, the
memory of thousands of Crimean Tatars”, who have nothing left, not
“even photographs”, Jamala said, tears flowing down her cheeks.
— AFP
Has US put too much faith in Russia on Syria?
NICOLAS REVISE AND DAVE CLARK
F
irst a ceasefire in Syria, then aid and
then — who knows — perhaps a political
transition? Don’t bet on it, analysts
warn, saying Washington has put too
much faith in Moscow.
Efforts to end Syria’s brutal five-year civil
war may hang by a thread, but Washington’s
top diplomat will once again throw himself
into the fray.
Secretary of State John Kerry set off on
Friday for Saudi Arabia to consult with his
Arab ally before talks on Syria in Vienna on
Tuesday.
Once again, senior officials from the
17-nation International Syria Support Group
(ISSG) will meet to reaffirm their support for
peace. But will they have any more success
than they have had so far? Or will Bashar
al Assad and his rebel foes fight on as Syria
drowns in blood?
“Obviously, not all the trend lines in Syria
are going in the right direction,” Kerry’s
spokesman John Kirby admitted on Friday.
“There’s plenty of work to be done in the
ISSG,” he added. “And the secretary is still
mindful of the challenges ahead.”
But many of the US administration’s critics
think the plan is doomed by a fundamental
flaw — it relies on Russia’s good graces.
Kerry and his Kremlin counterpart
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the odd
couple of great power diplomacy, are cochairs of the ISSG. Moscow has undertaken
to pressure its ally to respect the shaky truce
that Washington hopes will smooth the path
to political talks.
And the US, with regional ally Saudi
Arabia, is working to reassure an opposition
coalition that a ceasefire will lead to a political
transition. But what if, reassured by the
military and diplomatic support of Russia
and Iran, Assad and his government have no
intention of standing aside?
“Regardless of what the Russians might
want, they are effectively supporting a victory
operation on behalf of Syria,” said Jim Jeffrey,
a former top diplomat and senior adviser to
president George W Bush.
“And all we have against this is to meet with
the Russians and plead with them to adhere
to all of these agreements,” he said, arguing
that Moscow has already backtracked.
“The Russians agreed to a clear political
transition — they have not delivered on that.”
And it is not just former senior officials
from Republican administrations who feel
Kerry’s Russian outreach will not be enough
to dislodge the Syrian government.
“Keep in mind we’re not asking the regime
to come to the table,” said Philip Gordon, a
former member of President Barack Obama’s
National Security Council.
“We’re asking them not to exist. We’re
asking them to get rid of their leader,” he told
reporters at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Kerry’s response to this obvious flaw in the
ISSG strategy is to hope that Russia will grow
tired of propping up its friend in Damascus.
Moscow has undertaken to
pressure its ally to respect the
shaky truce that Washington
hopes will smooth the path
to political talks. And the US,
with Saudi Arabia, is working
to reassure an opposition
coalition that a ceasefire will
lead to a political transition.
Gordon, Jeffrey and many others —
including serving diplomats from US allies
speaking privately — find this naive. “I think
many have consistently underestimated
Russia’s determination to prevent this regime
from falling,” Gordon said.
In Jeddah before the full ISSG meeting,
Kerry will seek to reassure the Saudis — and
through them the Syrian opposition — that
the government’s days are numbered.
But it is not clear what will happen if he
holds on beyond the supposed August 1 cutoff that the ISSG has agreed must be the start
of a process of transition.
Obama, still proud of his record as the
president who extricated the United States
from Iraq, shows no sign of wanting deeper
military involvement in Syria.
Earlier this year, Kerry publicly floated the
idea of a ‘Plan B’ in which stepped up US and
allied support for the rebels might give Assad
pause. But he has gone silent on that idea in
recent weeks, and his spokesman refuses to
address it. “There is no plan B for Syria. It’s a
very different situation,” snorted Jeffrey, now
a fellow at the Washington Institute.
“These guys are on a roll and everybody
in the Middle East notices this,” he said of
President Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Gordon argued that the current position
on the ground — with Russian forces
defending the government — means any US
meaningful intervention would be costly.
“It is perfectly legitimate to argue we
should do whatever it takes,” Gordon said of
military options. “But let’s not pretend it’s a
modest increase.”
The US and its allies could increase the
scale and sophistication of arms in the hands
of the rebels. But without a large-scale US-led
intervention — one that the American public
would likely not support — the government
could stay on indefinitely.
ESTABLISHED ON 15 NOVEMBER 1981
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Abdullah
bin Salim al Shueili
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india
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Himachal CM sends condolences
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Saturday condoled the demise
of spiritual leader Baba Hardev Singh, head of the Sant Nirankari Mission. “I am deeply
pained over the untimely demise of Baba Hardev Singh, who had a long association and
affection with the people of the state,” he said in his condolence message.
Motto of good for all deep-rooted in Indian culture
ETERNAL: Modi says that the ‘51 elixir points’ of Simhasth declaration will start a new discourse not only in India but around the world
UJJAIN: Extolling Indian culture and
traditions, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Saturday said that the values
of sacrifice, integration and good-forall run deep in Indian culture.
“We belong to a tradition where
even a bhikshuk (beggar) says, ‘may
good happen to the person who gives
me and also to the person who does
not’,” Modi said in his address at the
International Convention on Universal
Message of Simhasthon on the sidelines
of Simhasth Kumbh here.
“We are not stubborn and rigid, we
are philosophical. We see divinity in
trees and life in water,” he added.
Flanked by Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena, Modi said that
a “holier than thou” attitude is taking
people towards conflicts. “Let’s look
within and see how we can grow
ourselves.”
Referring to the Simhastha Kumbh
mela, a huge spiritual gathering
on the banks of the Shipra river in
Madhya Pradesh, Modi said, “What is
happening here is the birth of a new
effort, a modern edition of what would
happen in the yesteryears.”
He said that the “51 elixir points” of
Simhasth declaration will start a new
discourse not only in India but around
the world.
Emphasizing that Indians were
We are not stubborn and
rigid, we are philosophical.
We see divinity in trees and
life in water. Let’s look within
and see how we can grow
ourselves
NARENDRA MODI
Prime Minister
Prime Minister Modi looks on as Sri Lanka’s President Sirisena adjusts his earphones during a seminar at the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain. — Reuters
always ready to sacrifice for others’
sake, Modi cited the example of LPG
subsidy.
“I just once asked my people, to
those who are well off, to give up their
LPG subsidy. And more than one crore
people have already given it up, so that
thousands of poor families can get LPG
connection,” Modi said.
He said that enabling rural and
poor households to switch to LPG
would benefit the environment as well
as result in better health outcomes for
women who previously cooked on
wood or dung cakes fire.
Speaking of the arrangements,
including connectivity, for hundreds of
thousands of devotees, Modi said that
Kumbh management is a great case
study for the world institutions.
Enough material to proceed against Pachauri Four detained in killing
of journalist in Bihar
NEW DELHI: A court here on
Saturday took cognisance of a chargesheet filed against environmentalist
R.K. Pachauri (pictured), accused
of harassing a colleague, and said
there is enough material to proceed
against him under charges dealing
with stalking, words, gestures or acts
intended to insult a woman’s modesty.
Metropolitan Magistrate Shivani
Chauhan considered the chargesheet and said that there is sufficient
material to proceed against the former
The Energy and Resources Institute
(TERI) chief under sections 354
A (advances involving unwelcome
and explicit overtures), 354 B (using
criminal force against a woman),
354D (Stalking), 509 (word, gesture or
act intended to insult the modesty of a
woman) and 341 (wrongful restraint)
of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court, however, dropped
charges under section 506 (criminal
intimidation) of the IPC.
The court fixed July 11 for further
hearing. A set of copy of the chargesheet will be supplied to Pachauri at
the next hearing.
The police have cited around 23
prosecution witnesses and several
text messages, e-mails and WhatsApp
messages exchanged between the
accused and victim as evidence to
support its case.
Pachauri was accused of harassing
a female colleague in 2015.
He stepped down as chairperson of
the United Nations Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change in February
last year and proceeded on leave from
TERI, where he was the director
general.
In November, the woman
researcher who accused him of
harassment quit her job at TERI,
alleging she was treated badly. TERI
denied the charge.
On February 8, Pachauri was
appointed executive vice chairman of
the organisation.
Following severe criticism, TERI
on February 12 asked him to proceed
on indefinite leave. — IANS
PATNA: Four suspects have been
detained in connection with the killing
of a senior journalist of Hindi daily
Hindustan in Bihar’s Siwan district,
police said on Saturday.
Rajdeo Ranjan, the Siwan bureau
chief of the Hindi newspaper, which is
part of the HT Media, was shot dead
at a busy market near the Station Road
on Friday night, a district police officer
said.
“Four people have been detained for
questioning in this case,” the officer said.
“A manhunt has been launched to
arrest the killers soon.”
The Bihar Police headquarters sent
a Special Task Force (STF) and Special
Operations Group to Siwan late Friday
night.
“We will nab the people behind the
killing and will not spare any one,” Bihar
Police chief P.K. Thakur said.
Rajdeo Ranjan’s family said he
had no enmity with anyone and was
busy preparing for the last few days to
celebrate his 17th marriage anniversary.
Coming close on the heels of the
killing of teenager Aditya Sachdeva
in Gaya district, the murder of the
journalist has been described by
opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
as another addition to the fast mounting
proof of “the return of jungle raj in
Bihar”.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
has condemned the killing and directed
top police officers to take prompt action
in nabbing the culprits. — IANS
Before, identity politics was focused on entire castes or communities. Now, the spotlight is on a gender-based group.
Women as a vote bank: Not a win-win for politicos
NEW DELHI: Women are now being
courted by some politicians who sense
that their appeal to Dalits and backward
castes is dwindling in the absence of
providing more and more sops, or
that their rivals are more successful in
cultivating these vote banks.
In the Hindi belt, for instance, the
support base of the Yadavs, the most
dominant of the backward castes, has
become the monopoly of Laloo Prasad
Yadav in Bihar and Mulayam Singh
Yadav in UP.
Interestingly, these bases are not
transferable across the boundaries of the
two states. Evidently, the Bihari Yadavs
are not enamoured of the leader of their
caste group in UP and vice versa.
It is this watertight division which
made Mulayam Singh break away from
the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance)
in Bihar last year and ring the death
knell of the proposed Janata “parivar”
comprising remnants of the old Janata
Dal.
This brittle and unreliable aspect
of the social scene appears to have
persuaded Nitish Kumar to court a
new support base — that of women,
which presumably cuts across caste lines
though not the class barriers.
The
Bihar
chief
minister’s
compulsions are understandable. As
a leader of the small caste group of
Kurmis, who make up a mere 3.8 per
cent of Bihar’s population, he must have
This brittle and unreliable
aspect of the social scene
appears to have persuaded
Nitish Kumar to court a new
support base — that of
women, which presumably
cuts across caste lines
though not the class
barriers.
felt at a political disadvantage vis-a-vis
his friend-turned-foe to uneasy friend
again, Lalu Prasad, leader of the Yadavs
who comprise 14 per cent of the state’s
population.
To offset this drawback, Nitish
Kumar has tried to rally the women to
his side by implementing prohibition.
The annual price which he is willing
to pay for this policy is Rs 4,000 crore,
which used to be the earnings of the
excise department.
Apart from the revenue shortfall,
which cannot but affect Bihar’s
development, there are other problems
associated with prohibition, viz.
criminalisation of the liquor trade via
bootlegging, bribery of the police and
excise officials and the conversion of
law-abiding drinkers into dissemblers
and liars about their habits.
Unlike Bihar, which is yet to shed
its BIMARU or sick label because
of a sluggish economy, the far more
advanced state of Goa has also become
a victim of the political tactic of wooing
women as a vote bank.
Instead of banning liquor, a section of
the women in Goa is seeking to outlaw
casinos to prevent the men folk from
squandering the hard-earned money of
their families.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar
is, therefore, considering legislation to
ban Goans from entering the casinos,
introducing a kind of apartheid in the
state.
Earlier, identity politics was focused
on entire castes or communities. Now,
the spotlight is on a gender-based group.
It is no secret that differentiations of this
kind tend to pit the chosen category
against the others.
Therefore, it is possible that a policy
based on “guarding” women against
ill-behaved men is not a recipe for
harmonious family relations.
Although the law against domestic
violence has the same objective, it is
meant to act as a warning. The policy
on prohibition pre-empts the issue
by assuming that all those who drink
alcohol are louts.
Since this is patently not the case, the
policy penalizes not only those men who
are not guilty but also those women who
drink. Aimed at checking a few antisocials, the ban on liquor tars everyone
with the same brush.
It may also be promoting class
antagonisms, for the denizens of the
cocktail circuit may believe themselves
to be at the receiving end for the
misdemeanours of a few among the
lower-middle and working class.
The breeding of ill-feelings between
caste groups is a known aspect of
identity politics.
It was to obviate such bad blood that
the Dalit czarina Mayawati changed her
earlier slogan “Tilak, tarazu aur talwar,
inko maro jootey char” (beat with shoes
the Brahmins, banias and thakurs) to
“Brahmin sankh bajayega, hathi aagey
jayega” (the elephant will go forward to
the sound of the Brahmin’s conch shell).
The elephant is the BSP’s poll symbol.
To what extent the prohibitioninduced wall between men and women
will jeopardize their relationship is
difficult to say. But it cannot be of any
help in fostering amity at a time when
drinking at parties and in the home has
become much more common than what
it was, say, half a century ago.
Since women are supposed to be
behind these official initiatives, men will
not be overly pleased.
— IANS
President Sirisena, who spoke
earlier, referred to the long standing
ties between India and Sri Lanka.
Sirisena said that his first overseas
visit after being elected president
last year was to India, and that Modi
returned the bilateral visit later.
Sirisena is here on a two-day visit.
He held bilateral talks with Modi in
New Delhi on Friday evening.
The Ujjain conference spread over
several sessions is part of the ongoing
Simhasta Kumbh mela on the banks of
Shipra river. — IANS
IN BRIEF
BHEL to set
up 660 MW
power plant in
Maharashtra
NEW DELHI: State-run power
equipment manufacturer Bharat
Heavy Electricals (BHEL) on Saturday
said that it has commissioned a 660
MW supercritical thermal unit in
Maharashtra.
“The unit has been commissioned
at Mouda Super Thermal Power
Station (STPS) in Nagpur district of
Maharashtra,” the company said.
According to the company, the
new unit was commissioned under
an order placed by state-run power
producer NTPC.
“The order for setting up two coalbased thermal units of 660 MW was
placed on BHEL by NTPC,” the filing
said.
“While the first unit has been
commissioned, work on the other
660 MW unit is also in an advanced
stage.”
The state-run power equipment
manufacturer had earlier set up two
units of 500 MW each at Mouda
STPS, which are in operation.
Two missing
fishermen
presumed dead
IMPHAL: Two Indians said to be
missing in Myanmar since May 2 are
presumed dead, intelligence sources
said.
The sources said on Saturday that
chances of survival of the two men
who had gone for fishing to Myanmar
are very slender. The family members
are also not so hopeful.
The two Indians, Mohammad
Jalanuddin, 30, and Mohammad
Kheiruddin, 24, of Muslim Basti at
Moreh, the border town in Manipur
had left on May 2 morning ostensibly
to fish trout in Myanmar.
However, they never returned
home.
Police sources said: “A missing
report was lodged with the police
station at Moreh. We made inquiry
and the Myanmarese authority
assured us that all available
information would be shared.”
Till date no such information has
come.
— IANS
india
da
Journalist arrested for fabricating RTI reply
Journalist Pushp Sharma was arrested on Saturday for allegedly “fabricating”
a response to his right to information (RTI) request to make the claim that
the Ministry of Ayush has a policy not to hire Muslims, police said. “He was
arrested for fabricating an RTI reply,” a senior police officer said.
Budget move for passport
and emigration-linked
activities irks MPs
R A K SINGH
NEW DELHI
May 14: A budgetary move of the
government to fix a single kitty to
provide funds for two very important
functions of issuing passports and
spend on emigrants and emigration
related activities after the merger of
the two ministries of External affairs
and Overseas Indian Affairs has irked
a lawmakers’ panel no end.
The
parliamentary
panel
examining the functioning of the
Ministry of External Affairs has
expressed its annoyance over the
clubbing of the subjects matters of
passport and emigration together
as single head in the budget for
funding the two major revenuecentric activities, terming the move
as gross “negligence” to the matters
of emigration.
“Passports have been an ongoing
scheme with the Ministry of External
Affairs for decades. Emigration is
now a new responsibility.
The Committee is shocked by
the negligence accorded to the
emigration section in the budget
despite the fact that India has the
second highest number of emigrants
moving abroad for work and study,”
fumed the panel, headed by Kerala
MP Shashi Tharoor.
“The Committee strongly desires
that in order to have clarity in the
merger’s functioning, these two
issues should be covered under two
different heads to impart greater
coherence and significance,” said the
panel. It added that “In light of the
merger of the erstwhile MOIA with
MEA, this head calls for adequate
attention as it deals with migrant
workers, students and professionals
abroad who are vulnerable to a series
of trial and tribulations and whose
only resort during times of distress is
their nationality.”
The panel was not quite satisfied
by the explanation by the ministry’s
explanation over clubbing passport
and emigration related revenue in
under one head in the Budget.
Rejecting
the
government’s
contention that “there is a separate
budget head for the Protector of
Emigrants (PGE)” in the Budget, the
panel noted “this head only covers
allocations for the administrative
costs of the PGE while the other costs
are being covered under Passport and
Emigrations head.”
It, accordingly asked government
to achieve clarity about the elements
of emigration to be dealt with by the
Ministry under these two heads.
“Passport
and
Emigration”
section of the MEA budget provides
for expenditure on Passport Offices
(POs), printing of travel documents,
scanning of passport applications
and files, lease of passport printers
and printing of travel documents,
purchase of passport printers,
computerization of Passport Offices,
payments of State Governments and
Union Territories for their passport
related services-verification, and
other activities.
india
i
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
RIFT MOUNTS: Oppn against the state government’s domicile policy
Thousands held during
Jharkhand shutdown
RANCHI: Thousands of people,
including 10 lawmakers, were arrested
in Jharkhand on Saturday and a few
incidents of arson were reported during
a shutdown called by opposition party
JMM against the state government’s
domicile policy.
“A total of 8924 people, including
nine MLAs and one Lok Sabha MP
of JMM Vijay Hansda, were arrested
during the shutdown. It was by and
large peaceful barring a few incidents,”
a police official said.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)
described the shutdown as successful.
“Raghubar Das government adopted
repressive measures and detained
many people on Friday night. Despite
government crackdown the shutdown
was successful. The shops were closed
and long distance buses did not ply,” Raghubar Das government
Supriyo Bhattacharya, JMM general adopted repressive measures
secretary, told reporters.
The protesters burnt a bus in and detained many people
Jamshedpur and a mini truck was on Friday night. Despite
torched in Bokaro. Three people were
government crackdown the
inured when protesters threw a petrol
bomb on a truck on the Ranchi- shutdown was successful.
Jamshedpur national highway.
The shops were closed
The shutdown affected normal life in
and long distance buses
Jharkhand. Shops, schools and colleges
were closed. The buses did not ply and did not ply
the protesters tried to disrupt train
SUPRIYO BHATTACHARYA
services at a few places.
JJM general secterary
The state government made heavy
security arrangements to prevent any
untoward incident.
The Congress, the Rashtriya Janata
The JMM supporters and workers
burnt tyres in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dal (RJD) and the Jharkhand Vikas
Morcha-Prajantantrik
(JVM-P)
other places.
WATER BALANCING ACT
Villagers carry containers home after collecting supplies of potable water from a well following a tanker’s daily delivery in
Shahapur, some 130 kms southwest of Mumbai. The country is officially in the grip of its worst water crisis in years, with the
government saying that about 330 million people, or a quarter of the population, are suffering from drought after the
last two monsoons failed.— AFP
of Babulal Marandi supported the
shutdown.
Even though the BJP, which rules the
state in alliance with the All Jharkhand
Students Union (AJSU), was at the
receiving end during the shutdown, it
has developed a rift over the domicile
policy as reflected in former chief
minister’s Arjun Munda’s objections to
it.
The policy was formulated by the
state government, led by Chief Minister
Raghubar Das, and notified after the
governor’s consent in April.
According to the notified policy,
anyone living in the state for 30 years
and possessing immovable assets will be
considered a resident of Jharkhand.
Former chief ministers who have
opposed the policy include Arjun
Munda of BJP, Hemant Soren of JMM,
Babulal Marandi of JVM-P and Madhu
Koda.
— IANS
11
US: India
ready for NSG
membership
WASHINGTON: Amid China and
Pakistan’s opposition to India’s bid
to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group
(NSG), the US has backed New Delhi’s
entry into the group.
US State Department spokesman
John Kirby on Friday quoted US
President Barack Obama as saying
during his visit to India in 2015 that
“India meets missile technology
control regime requirements and is
ready for NSG membership”.
To reports that China has blocked
India’s membership to the group,
Kirby said the US was committed to
help India become a member of NSG.
On Pakistan and China’s position
on India’s membership to the
suppliers group, Kirby referred the
mediapersons to the governments of
the respective country.
“I’m going to refer you to the
governments of China and Pakistan
with respect to their positions on
India’s membership,” Kirby said.
China and Pakistan are closely
coordinating their strategy against
India’s admission into the NSG,
Sputnik News said quoting US sources
who work with the group.
The sources pointed to the fact
that when India requested a session
with
the
NSG
participating
governments at the recent NSG
Consultative Group meeting on April
25 and 26, where it would have made
a formal presentation in support of its
membership, Pakistan also sought a
similar opportunity.
Though aware that its request would
not be accepted, Pakistan made it in
order for China to look “neutral” and
reject both applications on grounds of
parity, it said.
— IANS
Parrikar sets $2 bn target for
defence exports in two years
NEW DELHI: Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar on Saturday said
he has set a target of raising defence
exports to $2 billion in the next two
years and the offsets clause will help
in this.
Speaking at the Aerospace
and Defence Summit organised
by the Automotive Component
Manufacturers Association of India,
the minister said the target is not very
difficult to achieve.
“I think the push in exports is
showing results. It has reached $350
million, almost doubling the export,”
Parrikar said.
“In years to come, I have set a target
for myself. In the next two years, the
target is to touch $2 billion. It is not
very impossible as offsets are the area
from where exports, and expertise,
both can come,” he said.
The minister added that in the next
two years, $2 billion worth of offset
obligations are to be fulfilled.
Talking about Make in India,
Parrikar said the project on
manufacturing fighter aircraft and
helicopters in India will start in a year’s
time.
“In next one year’s time, we expect
the Make in India project in fighter
aircraft and helicopters to take off,
besides what we are doing ourselves,”
Parrikar said.
Expressing the intention to export
the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft,
Parrikar said he had to make Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and
Indian Air Force (IAF) personally sit
across the table to discuss Tejas, after
which the IAF expressed the intent to
take 120 of the LCAs.
“Virtually HAL and IAF had to be
brought on the table together for a
series of meetings by me personally
and finally the achievement was the
IAF intent for total 120 Tejas aircraft,”
Parrikar said.
— IANS
BJP chief Amit Shah challenges the competing parties to come clear on what their policy would be if there is a hung Kerala assembly
Kerala poll campaign ends, rival fronts exude confidence
T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M :
Nearly three weeks of high-voltage
election campaigning for the Kerala
assembly polls ended on Saturday
evening with the two rival fronts — the
ruling Congress-led UDF and the Left
opposition — exuding confidence of
garnering peoples’ votes on polling day
on Monday.
Incidentally, former defence minister
A.K. Antony, Chief Minister Oommen
Chandy and CPM general secretary
Sitaram Yechury, all said that the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not
open its account in the state.
“History will be created on May
19, when for the first time a ruling
government will retain power. The
BJP in Kerala will be able to watch the
assembly proceedings from the visitor’s
gallery of the Kerala assembly only.
The final surge for the UDF has come
following the irresponsible statement of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We all
thought he would correct himself, which
he did not,” said Antony to reporters
History will be created on
here.
May 19, when for the first
Yechury while emphasising that the
BJP will not open its account, however
time a ruling government
said that should that happen, then it will
will retain power. The BJP in
be clear that this is because of “matchKerala will be able to watch
fixing between the Congress and the
BJP”.
the assembly proceedings
“We are going to have a landslide
from the visitor’s gallery of
victory and will restore Kerala to a proper
path of growth and one with a holistic
the Kerala assembly only.
development process; besides we will
put up a corruption free governance,”
A K ANTONY
said Yechury to reporters here.
Senior Congress leader
BJP chief Amit Shah, who has been
camping in the state for the past many
either of the fronts,” said Shah.
days and directing the campaign, a hung Kerala assembly.
“We make our stand clear now itself,
Chandy told reporters in Kottayam
challenged the rival fronts to come clear
on what their policy would be if there is that we will not have any tie-up with that Kerala will not give any space to the
“divisive policy” of the BJP.
“The people of Kerala will give a
fitting reply to Modi for his Somalia
remarks. We are going to retain power
with an increased tally of seats,” Chandy
asserted.
Meanwhile, the state unit of the BJP
on Saturday gave a complaint to Kerala
Governor P. Sathasivam and the Chief
Election Commissioner that Chandy
has “twisted” the statement of Modi on
Somalia to “belittle the post of prime
minister” and suitable action should be
taken.
“Modi never made any derogatory
comparison, but all know that such a
comparison was made by former chief
minister V S Achuthanandan and CPM
politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan,
and instead of registering a case against
them, Chandy is attacking the PM,” said
the complaint by state BJP president
Kummanem Rajasekheran.
Communist Party of India-Marxist
(CPM) state secretary Kodiyeri
Balakrishnan told reporters in Kannur
that the Left Democratic Front will
better its 2006 win by increasing from 98
seats to a three digit figure.
On the flip side, tempers rose
when K.K. Rema, wife of former CPM
leader T.P. Chandrasekheran who was
brutally murdered in 2012 by CPM
activists, was manhandled while she, a
candidate from the Vatakara assembly
constituency in Kozhikode district, was
engaged in campaigning for votes in her
constituency.
While the Congress leadership
came down heavily on the attack, top
CPM leader and former state minister
Elamaram Karim said this was a “stage
managed event” that Rema and the
Congress had planned.
— IANS
t eworld
the
o d
world
l
Nigeria hosts summit on Boko Haram
12
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
Macedonia’s
ex-PM to
go ahead
with poll
SKOPJE: Macedonia’s former and
possible next prime minister Nikola
Gruevski (pictured) says his party
is preparing to stand in an early
election next month despite a boycott
by his opponents and international
disapproval.
Gruevski, who had stepped down
in January after 10 years in power to
make way for the vote, said late Friday
that the troubled Balkan country
could now face two general elections
in coming months.
Parliament was dissolved in April
as part of an EU-brokered deal to end
a national political crisis and street
protests, but Gruevski’s conservative
VRMO-DPMNE was the only major
party to register candidates for the June
5 poll. “We are in a very unpleasant
situation now, the only (one) of the
four big political parties which is
going to the elections,” Gruevski said
at his imposing party headquarters in
downtown Skopje.
If the vote goes ahead next month
as he expects, Gruevski said his party
would be “immediately ready” after
a new parliament is formed to go to
yet another election and “give citizens
the chance to choose”. “We want a
deserved victory,” the 45-year-old
politician said. — AFP
JOINT EFFORT: Nigeria is seeking closer military cooperation to bring an end to violence in the remote northeast
ABUJA: Regional and Western powers
gathered in Nigeria on Saturday for talks
on quelling the threat from Boko Haram
as the UN warned of the militants’ threat
to African security and ties to the IS
group.
French President Francois Hollande
told reporters after meeting his Nigerian
counterpart Muhammadu Buhari in
Abuja that “impressive” gains had been
made against the extremists by greater
cooperation. But he warned: “This
terrorist group nevertheless remains a
threat.”
Buhari has invited leaders from
Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger,
whose troops will make up a new
regional force against Boko Haram,
which has been pushed to northeast
Nigeria’s borders around Lake Chad.
The 8,500-member force, which has
African Union backing and is based
in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena under a
Nigerian general, was supposed to have
deployed last July.
Plugging gaps and improving
coordination between armies that are
currently operating largely independently
is seen as vital in the remote region where
borders are notoriously porous.
The waters of Lake Chad form the
border between Nigeria, Cameroon,
Chad and Niger, which have all been
attacked by the militants in raids and
bombings.
Nigeria is seeking closer military
cooperation to bring to an end nearly
seven years of violence, which has left
at least 20,000 dead and displaced more
than 2.6 million people in the northeast.
The UN Security Council on Friday
said talks should help develop “a
comprehensive strategy to address the
governance, security, development,
socio-economic and humanitarian
dimensions of the crisis”.
But it also expressed “deep concern”
at Boko Haram’s threat to security in
Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba (L), Cameroon’s President Paul Biya (2nd L), French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (3rd L), French President Francois Hollande
(4th L), Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (5th L), Benin’s President Patrice Talon (6th L)and Chad’s President Idriss Deby attend the opening ceremony of the 2nd
Regional Security Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, on Saturday. — Reuters
West and Central Africa and “alarm at...
linkages with the IS”, which operates in
Syria, Iraq and Libya.
Boko Haram’s shadowy leader
Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to
his IS counterpart Abu Bakr al Baghdadi
last year, although there has since been
little evidence so far of direct support on
the ground.
The summit — two years after a
first such high-level gathering in Paris
— comes as Nigeria’s military pushes
deep into Boko Haram’s Sambisa Forest
stronghold after recapturing swathes of
territory.
Former military ruler Buhari has
vowed to defeat Boko Haram before the
end of his first year in office later this
month and the army has portrayed the
extremists as in disarray. But there have
been warnings against any premature
Nigerian President Buhari
declaration of victory.
Deputy US Secretary of State has invited leaders from
Anthony Blinken said Washington,
which is flying surveillance drones Benin, Cameroon, Chad and
over northeast Nigeria from a base in Niger, whose troops will
northern Cameroon, did not see Boko
make up a new regional force
Haram as defeated.
But he conceded “they have been against Boko Haram
degraded” and said the US was “extremely
vigilant” about the connections, amid
reports of Boko Haram rebels fighting
in lawless Libya and the group’s ties to looking at very, very carefully because
Al Qaeda affiliates in the wider Sahel we want to cut it off,” he told reporters in
Abuja on Friday.
region.
British Foreign Secretary Philip
“This is again something we are
AROUND THE GLOBE
Flying each animal will cost about $44,000
Prince’s guitar goes under the hammer
African rhinos to be flown to
Australia to escape poachers
The rhinos will be re-located to a safari park in Australia, which is being kept secret
for security reasons.
JOHANNESBURG: A retired South
African sales executive who emigrated to
Australia 30 years ago is hatching a daring
plan to airlift 80 rhinos to his adopted
country in a bid to save the species from
poachers.
Flying each animal on the
11,000-kilometre journey will cost about
US$44,000, but Ray Dearlove believes the
expense and risk is essential as poaching
deaths have soared in recent years. The
rhinos will be re-located to a safari park
in Australia, which is being kept secret for
security reasons, where they will become
a “seed bank” to breed future generations.
“Our grand plan is to move 80 over
a four-year period. We think that will
provide the nucleus of a good breeding
herd,” Dearlove said while visiting South
Africa to organise for the first batch to be
flown out.
The Australian Rhino Project, which
the 68-year-old founded in 2013, hopes
to take six rhino to their new home
before the end of the year.
Funding — from private and corporate
The rhinos will be placed in
quarantine for two months
before they board a cargo
plane and then go straight
into quarantine in a zoo in
Sydney until being taken to
the safari park.
sources — is nearly in place, and the first
rhinos have been selected from animals
kept on private reserves in South Africa.
“We have got to get this first one right
because it’s a big task, it’s expensive, it’s
complex,” Dearlove said.
When they are settled successfully in
Australia, “then we hopefully will go up
in gear,” he added. South Africa is home
to around 20,000 rhinos, around 80 per
cent of the worldwide population.
But they are being killed for their
Hammond also warned on Boko
Haram’s ties to IS and said progress was
being made against the group with help
from London, Paris and Washington.
“But we must maintain the
momentum to win the war, and build the
right conditions for post-conflict stability
in the region,” he added in a statement.
With Boko Haram on the back foot,
attention has turned to the plight of the
displaced. Two million Nigerians have
been internally displaced and are living
in host communities or camps.
The government of Borno state — the
worst-hit by the violence — has said the
displaced face a “food crisis” and $5.9
billion (5.1 billion euros) was needed to
rebuild shattered infrastructure. – AFP
horns, which are in high demand in
China and Vietnam where they are prized
for their purported medicinal purposes.
The horn is composed mainly of keratin,
the same as human nails, but it is sold in
powdered form as a supposed cure for
cancer among other diseases, and as an
aphrodisiac.
Poachers slaughtered 1,338 rhinos
across Africa last year — the highest
level since the poaching crisis exploded
in 2008, according to the International
Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN).
The IUCN, which rates white rhinos
as “near threatened” as a species, says
that booming demand for horn and the
involvement of international criminal
syndicates has fuelled the explosion in
poaching since 2007. Dearlove still faces
a major logistical battle to bring his
dream to reality.
South African and Australian
authorities have imposed stringent
requirements on moving the animals.
The rhinos will be placed in
quarantine for two months before they
board a cargo plane and then go straight
into quarantine in a zoo in Sydney until
being taken to the safari park.
“There is a lot of work that needs to be
done because there is some lack of clarity
in the proposal that they have made,”
South African Environmental Affairs
Minister Edna Molewa said.
Internal and cross-border relocations
of animals are not new in Africa.
Conservation group Rhinos Without
Borders has been involved in moving
at least 100 rhinos from South Africa to
neighbouring Botswana in recent years.
Botswana is a favoured destination
because its national parks are fiercely
protected against poachers, many of
whom are part of armed gangs based in
Mozambique. — AFP
S African president
says to return
land to blacks as
vote looms
JOHANNESBURG: South African
President Jacob Zuma said his
government would push through
a new law to compensate the black
majority for stolen land, stepping up
populist rhetoric before August local
polls where his ruling ANC faces a
tough challenge.
The embattled president threw his
weight behind a bill making its way
through South Africa’s parliament
to let the state make compulsory
purchases of land to redress racial
disparities in land ownership.
Zuma made the televised remarks
on Friday while addressing the African
National Congress (ANC) branch of
Gauteng province, which includes the
capital Pretoria and financial centre
Johannesburg. Local media have
reported the province’s ANC branch is
divided about his leadership.
Zuma’s political standing has
been hard bit by two recent court
rulings: one saying he violated the
constitution when he ignored a
watchdog’s recommendation he
repay a portion of state-financed
upgrades to his private home, the
other that could see him face almost
800 graft charges previously dropped.
“In 1913 ... the land that had been
stolen from us was legalised. And that
is when we believe it was taken from
us,” Zuma said, referring to legislation
that year which left just 13 per cent
of South Africa’s land, farming and
otherwise, in the hands of the black
majority. — Reuters
LOS ANGELES: Prince’s iconic “Yellow Cloud” electric guitar is to go under the hammer
in Beverly Hills with an opening bid of $30,000, a US auction house said. It was the
singer’s instrument of choice during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and its eccentric
design went on to form part of the infamous symbol that he adopted as his name
during his contract dispute with Warner Bros.
“One glimpse and you have no doubt that this is Prince’s guitar,” Garry Shrum,
director of music memorabilia at Texas-based Heritage Auctions, said in a statement.
The pop legend died at the age of 57 on April 21 with no will and no recognized
children, with his sister and five half-siblings listed as heirs and a special administrator
temporarily put in charge of his estate.
Prince was rarely photographed during the late 1980s without the bright yellow
maple wood instrument, complete with a gold-tinted “tune-o-matic” style bridge,
tailpiece and machine heads and a distinctive elongated upper horn. “As celebrity
stage-used instruments go, this piece is as unique as Beethoven’s piano or John
Coltrane’s saxophone,” he added. The Yellow Cloud was used in the studio, in videos
and at gigs until the neck broke on a French TV show in 1994.
It was repaired but confined to the recording studio and eventually made way for
the “Symbol” guitar identified with Prince’s later work. — AFP
Emma Morano, 116, poses for AFP photographer in Verbania, North Italy, on
Saturday. Emma Morano is the oldest living person in the world, and the only
one left who has touched three centuries. Susannah Mushatt Jones, a New
York woman several months her senior, died May 12 evening, making Morano
the world’s oldest known person at 116. — AFP
5 men charged over sailing plot to join IS
SYDNEY: Australian police have charged five men held earlier this week on suspicion
of planning to travel in a small motor boat to Indonesia and the Philippines en route to
join IS in Syria.
The m en, aged between 21 and 31, were charged with preparing to enter a foreign
country “for the purpose of engaging in hostile activities,” an offence that carries a
maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The five were arrested on Tuesday after towing the seven-meter motor boat almost
3,000 km from Melbourne to Cairns in northern Queensland state, police said. They
have been in custody since, and are not scheduled to face court until Monday.
“There’s no current or impending threat of a terrorist act to the Australian
community arising from this investigation,” a police statement said.
Australia, a staunch US ally, has been on heightened alert for attacks by homegrown radicals since 2014 and authorities say they have thwarted a number of
potential attacks, while there have been several “lone wolf” assaults, including a cafe
siege in Sydney that left two hostages and the gunman dead. — Reuters
region
o
region
i
Rivals killed military chief, says Hizbullah
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
BATTLE-HARD: Hizbullah has been fighting opponents of the Syrian govt including IS and Al Nusra Front
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hizbullah on
Saturday blamed rival groups for killing
its top military commander in Syria in
an artillery attack. The movement has
deployed thousands of fighters in Syria
where Mustafa Badreddine had led its
intervention in support of President
Bashar al Assad.
It did not name any particular
group and there has been no claim of
responsibility for the attack. Hizbullah
has been battling opponents of the
regime including people from the IS
group and Al Nusra Front, Al Qaeda’s
Syria affiliate.
A Syrian security source has said that
Badreddine was in a warehouse near the
Damascus airport when it was rocked
by a blast on Thursday night. No aircraft
was heard before the explosion, the
source said.
In its statement on Saturday, a day
after thousands attended Badreddine’s
funeral in Beirut, Hizbullah vowed no Children attend a war safety awareness class conducted by civil defence members, in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret al
let up in its war against those it describes Numan town in Idlib province, Syria, on Saturday. — Reuters
as “criminal gangs” in Syria.
“The result of the investigation will
only increase our determination and
will to pursue the fight against those
BEIRUT: The IS on Saturday overran press an advance to control the oil- least 20 soldiers and allied fighters,”
criminal gangs until they are defeated,”
a government-controlled hospital in rich city and its vital airbase.
the statement said.
said Observatory head Rami Abdel
eastern Syria, killing 20 members of
The attack sparked clashes with Rahman.
Badreddine was on a US terror
pro-regime forces and taking medical regime forces providing security for
sanctions blacklist, was a key suspect
The extremists “seized the hospital
staff hostage, a monitor said.
the hospital in which six extremists and captured the medical staff,
in the 2005 assassination in Beirut of
The Syrian Observatory for Human were killed, the monitor said.
Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri and
holding them hostage”, he said, adding
Rights said the extremists attacked Al
“IS attacked Al Assad hospital at that the fighting was still raging.
was one of the “most wanted” by Israel.
His predecessor, cousin and brother— AFP
Assad hospital in Deir Ezzor as they the city’s western entrance, killing at
in-law Imad Mughniyeh, was killed
20 SYRIAN TROOPS DEAD IN HOSPITAL ATTACK
25 Palestinian children
killed in 3 months: Unicef
JERUSALEM: Twenty-five Palestinian
children were killed in the last three
months of 2015 during a wave of antiIsraeli attacks and the number detained
was the highest in seven years, the UN
children’s agency said.
“Serious concerns arose regarding
excessive use of force, particularly in
relation to incidents where Palestinian
children were shot dead by Israeli
security forces after carrying out or
being suspected of carrying out stabbing
attacks,” Unicef said in a report.
It said more than 1,300 Palestinian
children were injured during the spike
in attacks, almost all in the West Bank
and east Jerusalem, while three Israeli
children were hurt in the West Bank and
west Jerusalem.
Unicef cited the example on October
25 in Hebron in the West Bank of a
17-year-old girl who was “taken by IDF
(Israel Defence Forces) soldiers for a
search, shot with at least five bullets and
killed”.
“Israeli authorities said that she had
attempted to stab a policeman, however
More than 1,300 Palestinian
children were injured during
the spike in attacks, almost
all in the West Bank and
east Jerusalem, while three
Israeli children were hurt
in the West Bank and west
Jerusalem.
an eyewitness stated that she was not
presenting any threat at the time she was
shot, and was shouting that she did not
have a knife,” it said.
Compared with the high toll for
the October-December period, Unicef
recorded four Palestinian children
killed and 165 injured between July and
September. Unicef also voiced alarm
over the number of Palestinian children
aged between 12 and 17 held by the
Israeli army, noting the tally stood at
422 at the end of December according
to the Israeli prison service, the highest
recorded since March 2009.
Israeli law allows Palestinian children
from the age of 12 to be put on trial.
Since the October outbreak of a
wave of unrest, 204 Palestinians and 28
Israelis have been killed.
Israel has arrested a prominent
Palestinian activist and sent him to a
military prison for “interfering” with
the work of the army in the occupied
West Bank, his family said on Saturday.
Abdullah Abu Rahma has had several
run-ins with the army and has spent
time in jail in the past for organising
weekly demonstrations against Israel’s
separation barrier in the village of Bilin.
The activist, who has organised
the protests for the past 11 years, was
arrested again on Friday, said his brother
Rateb Abu Rahma. He was moved to the
Ofer military prison in the West Bank
on Saturday and told his lawyer he had
been accused of “interfering with the
work of the army in a closed military
zone,” he added. — AFP
A Syrian security source has
said that Badreddine was
in a warehouse near the
Damascus airport when it
was rocked by a blast on
Thursday night.
in Damascus in a 2008 bombing that
Hizbullah blamed on Israel with whom
it has fought several wars.
Badreddine’s death has raised many
questions, namely because the area
where he was killed is technically under
the control of the Syrian army while
Hizbullah and Iranian fighters are also
present there.
The closest rebel positions are seven
kilometres away in the Eastern Ghouta
area. Earlier this month Eastern Ghouta
was rocked by bloody clashes between
Al Nusra-backed rebel group Faylaq
al Rahman and Jaish al Islam (Army
of Islam), according to the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights.
Jaish al Islam is the dominant rebel
group in Eastern Ghouta.
According to Hizbullah expert
Waddah Charara, the militant group
has sent between 5,000 and 6,000
combatants to Syria since the conflict
broke out in 2013. — AFP
CALM AND COSY
13
IN BRIEF
Turkey president’s
daughter marries
in Istanbul
ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday saw his
younger daughter Sumeyye marry
defence industrialist Selcuk Bayraktar
at a large-scale and high security
ceremony in Istanbul.
Turkish media pictures earlier
showed Sumeyye, 30, wearing an
Islamic headscarf, sitting in the front
seat of the black BMW bridal car.
Erdogan and his wife Emine have
four children — eldest son Burak, Bilal
and two daughters Esra and Sumeyye.
Top officials including Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, army chief
Hulusi Akar and former president
Abdullah Gul attended the ceremony,
to which some 6,000 guests were
reportedly invited. Foreign leaders
including Pakistani Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif were also in attendance.
The high-profile wedding forced
the closing of several roads to traffic In
Istanbul and additional barriers were
put up around the wedding hall in
Kucukcekmece on the European side of
the city, media reports said.
Sumeyye studied at Indiana
University in the United States and
earned a masters degree from the
London School of Economics.
She served the AKP government
on foreign policy issues when Erdogan
was prime minister but after her father
was elected president in 2014, she quit
that post.
She now works as the deputy head
of the non-govermental group Women
and Democracy Association (KADEM).
The groom Bayraktar graduated
from Istanbul Technical University’s
department of electronic engineering
in 2002. — AFP
Egypt court jails 51
for protests over
Saudi island deal
A tribesman loyal to the Houthis sits inside a used tyre as he watches a
demonstration against US intervention in Yemen, in the capital Sanaa. — Reuters
CAIRO: An Egyptian court on Saturday
sentenced 51 people to two years
in prison for protests against the
handover of two Red Sea islands to
Saudi Arabia, judicial officials and
lawyers said. Parents and friends of
the defendants burst into tears and
cried out in shock after learning of the
verdict outside the Cairo courthouse.
Defence lawyers Hossam al
Khadrawy and Ahmed Abdel Latif
confirmed the verdict, which they
said can be appealed. Thirty-three
defendants were present in the court,
while the rest had been released on
bail.
Police had quickly dispersed
protests against the islands deal
on April 25 and arrested dozens of
people. Prosecutors charged them with
participation in illegal rallies.
The deal to hand over the islands
in the Straits of Tiran had galvanised
dissidents who oppose President Abdel
Fattah al Sisi. In the leadup to the
protests, police already made dozens
of arrests to discourage a repeat
of a large rally on April 15 at which
demonstrators chanted for the “fall of
the regime”.
The government says the islands
had always belonged to Saudi
Arabia and that Egypt had merely
administered them while on lease since
the 1950s.
— AFP
Boko Haram may
Abadi’s government has been crippled for weeks since parties resisted a cabinet reshuffle aimed at fighting corruption
be sending fighters
to IS in Libya: US
ABUJA: There are signs that Nigeria’s
Boko Haram extremists are sending
fighters to join IS in Libya, and of
increased cooperation between the
two groups, a senior US official said on
Friday.
Nigeria has asked the United States
to sell it aircraft to fight Boko Haram,
which has been waging a seven-year
insurgency in the north and last year
pledged loyalty to IS, which is active in
Syria, Iraq and Libya.
Little is known about the extent of
cooperation between the two radical
groups. But Western governments
worry that IS’s growing presence
in north Africa and ties with Boko
Haram could herald a push
south into the vast, lawless Sahel
region and create a springboard for
wider attacks.
US Deputy Secretary of State
Antony Blinken said there were
“reports” that Boko Haram fighters
were going to Libya, where IS has
established a large presence, taking
advantage of security chaos.
— Reuters
Iraqi leader says political crisis helps IS attack
BAGHDAD: A political crisis in Iraq
is hampering the fight against IS,
Prime Minister Haider al Abadi said
on Saturday after some of the bloodiest
attacks on Baghdad this year.
Abadi’s government has been
crippled for weeks since parties resisted
a cabinet reshuffle aimed at fighting
corruption. In a televised speech, he
said a “climate of dispute” had given the
militants space to operate in areas under
nominal government control.
“The political conflict among
politicians and their impact on the brave
security forces permits acts of terrorism
to occur,” he said.
Prime Minister Abadi dismissed
claims that rival political parties were
behind the violence and pinned the
blame squarely on IS, which has been
pushed out of key cities in recent months
but still controls large areas it seized in
Members of Iraq’s anti-terror brigade are seen on a road between Baghdad and
Samarra, as they make their way to the Balad area, north of the capital Baghdad, on
Saturday. — AFP
2014.
“This enemy is like an epidemic: no
matter how hard you fight it, one or
two cases remain that may show up and
cause injury. This is what is happening
today.”
The IS infiltrated a town in Iraq’s
Anbar province with several fighters
wearing suicide belts on Saturday, in
a raid that killed at least five people,
security officials said.
The attackers entered Amriyat al
Fallujah, a government-held town 50
kilometres southwest of Baghdad and a
key base for any operation against the
IS-controlled city of Fallujah, further
north.
“Eight suicide bombers snuck into
the city, the security forces succeeded to
repel the attack by killing five of them,”
Major General Ismail al Mahalawi, who
heads Anbar Operations Command,
said.
“The other three blew themselves up,
which led to the killing of three civilians
and two policemen,” he said.
A leader of the tribal forces assisting
federal forces in Anbar confirmed the
death toll and said the situation had
been brought back under control.
The government’s “war media cell”
that provides updates on Iraq’s fight
against the extremists posted a video of
fighters shooting in the air to celebrate
their thwarting of the attack.
A vehicle could be seen dragging the
body of an attacker on the road as progovernment fighters cheered.
Amriyat al Fallujah lies around 20
kilometres south of Fallujah, which is
one of the two main remaining cities IS
controls in the country.
The other is Mosul, the country’s
second city, which lies in the north of
Iraq and has a much larger population.
Iraqi forces have been making steady
progress in Anbar this year, retaking
full control of the capital Ramadi and
wresting territory back from IS in several
parts of the province. Fallujah has found
itself almost completely surrounded,
raising concern over the fate of civilians
trapped there with dwindling food
supplies. — Reuters/AFP
americas
americas
Trump taps climate change
14
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
OBAMA ADDRESSES NORDIC LEADERS
sceptic as energy adviser
MATCH-UP: The presumptive presidential nominee seeks to build out his policy proposals
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: Donald
Trump on Friday picked a prominent
climate change sceptic to help him
craft his energy policy and pushed back
against renewed calls that he release his
income tax returns — saying his tax rate
is “none of your business.”
The
presumptive
Republican
presidential nominee is seeking to
build out his policy proposals as he
pivots from campaigning for his party’s
nomination to a likely general election
match-up with Democratic rival Hillary
Clinton.
Among those he has asked for help
is US Republican Representative Kevin
Cramer of North Dakota, one of the
country’s most ardent oil and gas drilling
advocates and climate change sceptics.
North Dakota has been at the
forefront of the US shale oil and gas
boom.
Trump’s team asked Cramer, who has
endorsed Trump, to write a white paper,
or detailed report, on his energy policy
ideas, according to Cramer and sources
familiar with the matter.
Cramer said in an interview that
his white paper would emphasise
the dangers of foreign ownership of
US energy assets, as well as what he
characterised as burdensome taxes and
over-regulation.
Trump will have an opportunity
to float some of the ideas at an energy
summit in Bismarck, North Dakota on
May 26, Cramer said.
Among those he has asked
for help is US Republican
Representative Kevin
Cramer of North Dakota,
one of the country’s most
ardent oil and gas drilling
advocates and climate
change sceptics.
Republican US Presidential candidate
Donald Trump arrives for a meeting with
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan at the
National Republican Congressional
Committee in Washington, DC. — Reuters
The senator was also among a group
of Trump advisers who recently met
with lawmakers from Western energy
states, who hope Trump will open more
federal land for drilling, a lawmaker
who took part in the meeting said.
Environmental groups, and Clinton’s
campaign, quickly attacked Trump for
tapping Cramer.
“Kevin Cramer has consistently
backed reckless and dangerous schemes
to put the profits of fossil fuel executives
before the health of the public, so he and
Trump are a match made in polluter
heaven,” Sierra Club Legislative Director
Melinda Pierce said in an e-mailed
statement.
The Clinton campaign also criticised
the move.
“Donald Trump’s choice of outspoken
climate (change) denier Kevin Cramer
to advise him on energy policy is just the
latest piece of evidence that letting him
get near the White House would put our
children’s health and futures at risk,” said
campaign spokesman Jesse Ferguson.
Trump has been light on the details
of his energy policy, though he recently
told supporters in West Virginia that the
coal industry would thrive if he were
president.
He has also claimed global warming
is a concept “created by and for the
Chinese” to hurt US business.
Clinton, meanwhile, has advocated
shifting the country to 50 per cent
clean energy by 2030, promised heavy
regulation of fracking, and said her
prospective administration would put
coal companies “out of business.”
Trump also took heat on Friday for
not releasing his tax returns, something
that American presidential candidates
have done for decades.
Clinton and her rival, Senator Bernie
Sanders of Vermont, have both released
their returns.
Trump has said the Internal Revenue
Service was auditing his returns and he
wanted to wait until the review was over
before making them public. “It should
be, and I hope it’s before the election,”
Trump told ABC’s “Good Morning
America.”
Pressed on what tax rate he pays,
Trump refused to say. “It’s none of your
business,” he said.
The candidate has said there is
nothing voters can learn from his tax
filings.
Tax filings show sources of income,
both from within the United States and
other countries, as well as charitable
giving, investments, deductions and
other financial information. The IRS
declined to comment on whether Trump
or any other presidential candidates
were being audited. — Reuters
Trudeau honours firefighters who battled blaze
OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau paid tribute to crews
who fought to save fire-ravaged Fort
McMurray, amid criticism for not
showing up in the city sooner.
“The work that you did to save so
much of this community, to save so
much of this city and the downtown core
and so many homes was unbelievable,”
Trudeau said from Fort McMurray,
after flying over areas that had been
devastated by the fires.
The entire city of 100,000 people was
evacuated last week.
Its suburbs suffered major damage,
but the city centre was largely spared.
As of Friday, only one fire remained
out of control, about 40 kilometres (25 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley pose for a photo
miles) east of the city.
with first responders during a visit to Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. — Reuters
Canadians were only “beginning to
hear the wonderful news that so much Hill neighbourhood, which fared far less later in the day in the province’s capital,
of the town was saved,” Trudeau told a well, and is in ruins.
Edmonton, where a number of evacuees
Accompanied by Alberta Premier have taken refuge.
group of rescuers in Fort McMurray.
He also toured part of the Beacon Rachel Notley, Trudeau was to appear
Trudeau was welcomed to Fort
Maduro issues
emergency
decrees
CARACAS: Embattled Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro declared a
three-month state of emergency late on
Friday to face “threats from abroad,” as
his emboldened foes geared for a vote
to oust him.
In an address to the nation,
Maduro said he had signed a new state
of emergency decree “to neutralise and
defeat foreign aggression,” which he
says is closing in on the country.
Maduro said the measures will
likely last through 2017, but he did not
specify if they will limit civil rights.
The announcement, made with
his full cabinet at his side, broadens
the scope of an economic emergency
decree in effect since January that was
set to expire on Saturday.
The new decree, he said, is “a fuller,
more comprehensive protection for
our people,” which “guarantees peace,
guarantees stability, that will allow us
to recover the country’s productive
capacity.”
— AFP
McMurray by firefighter chief Darby
Allen before surveying the damage from
an army helicopter.
The prime minister expressed
interest in preventing a disaster of the
same magnitude from happening again.
“I’m very, very interested in not just
what we manage to do to get through
this one but what we can do around
minimizing the impacts of the next
one because it will come,” the Canadian
premier said.
Fires are not uncommon in the region
at winter’s end, but are generally not
as destructive as the McMurray blaze,
which burned 2,415 square kilometres
(1,500 square miles), according to fire
services in the province.
Trudeau also responded to criticism
that he had not come sooner to the city.
“I was not able to get here until now,
so I was following all of the updates and
watching the images on TV and seeing
the scale of this,” Trudeau said.— AFP
US President Barack Obama speaks to Nordic leaders during a state dinner at the
White House in Washington, on Friday. — Reuters
Argentina’s Kirchner
charged with fraud
BUENOS AIRES: Assets belonging
to former Argentine president
Cristina Kirchner (pictured) were
frozen after she was charged with
damaging national finances by
manipulating the Central Bank’s
exchange operations during her
last months in office.
Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio
said it was “evident that the then
president gave instructions —
which without a doubt were
developed jointly — to her
economy minister to carry out the
financial operation,” according to a
statement released on the Supreme
Court’s website.
Bonadio ordered assets worth
15 million pesos ($1 million) held
by Kirchner to be frozen.
He delivered the same charge
and asset freeze against Axel
Kicillof, Kirchner’s minister of
the economy from 2013 to 2015,
and against former Central Bank
president Alejandro Vanoli and 12
other former members of its board.
Kirchner, who held office from
2007 to 2015, is accused of having
caused a loss in monetary authority
through speculative dollar sales
by the Central Bank at the end of
2015, just before the election of
centre-right President Mauricio
Macri.
According to the current
government, which opposed
Kirchner, the operation caused
a loss of hundreds of millions of
dollars to Latin America’s thirdlargest economy.
Kirchner’s defenders say that
the issue cannot be taken to court
as it concerns disagreements
over monetary policy aimed at
maintaining the value of the peso.
On December 16, just six days
after taking office, Macri ordered
measures that led to a 34-per cent
devaluation of the Argentine peso,
resulting in an exchange rate of one
dollar per 15 pesos.
Kirchner, 63, left office in
December after two consecutive
terms and is no longer protected by
political immunity.
The leftist former leader
appeared in court in mid-April,
where she refused to answer
questions and instead presented
a document demanding Judge
Bonadio’s dismissal.
Bonadio is an open critic of
Kirchner, who in the past tried to
have him dismissed from his post.
Kirchner has also been
implicated in an embezzlement
case, and along with her son, has
been swept up in legal proceedings
over irregularities in family realestate activities.
— AFP
The population has dramatically dropped despite the arrival of navy reinforcements to enforce a ban on fishing gillnets
World’s smallest porpoise nears extinction
MEXICO CITY: Environmentalists
warned that Mexico’s vaquita marina,
the world’s smallest porpoise, was
close to extinction as the government
reported that only 60 were now left.
The population has dramatically
dropped despite the arrival of navy
reinforcements in the upper Gulf of
California in April 2015 to enforce a
ban on fishing gillnets blamed for the
vaquita’s death.
The porpoise’s population had
already fallen to fewer than 100 in 2014,
down from 200 in 2012, according to
the International Committee for the
Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA), a
global group of scientists.
Mexico’s environment ministry
said in a statement that a joint study
with CIRVA between September
and December estimated the latest
population at “around 60.”
“The vaquita is at the edge of
extinction,” the World Wildlife Fund
A vaquita is caught in gillnet in
Gulf of California, Mexico.
said in a statement, warning that 20 per
cent more have probably died in nets
since January.
The vaquita’s fate has been linked
to another critically endangered sea
creature, the totoaba, a fish that has been
illegally caught for its swim bladder,
which is dried and sold on the black
market in China.
Poachers use illegal gillnets to catch
the totoaba and the vaquita, a shy
1.5-metre-long (five-foot) cetacean with
dark rings are the eyes, is believed to be
the victims of bycatch.
President Enrique Pena Nieto
imposed a two-year ban on gillnets in
April 2015 and increased the vaquita
protection area tenfold to 13,000 sq km.
He deployed a navy patrol ship with
a helipad, a dozen high-speed boats and
two planes to enforce the prohibition.
Environment
Minister
Rafael
Pacchiano said three vaquitas had
been found dead and that protective
measures needed to be reinforced, but
federal authorities are convinced that
the vaquita can still be saved.
He urged the local population to
report illegal activities.
The Mexican government agreed
to compensate local fishermen in a
$30 million a year program to give up
gillnet fishing while they look for safer
alternative nets.
But navy sailors said during a tour of
their mission last month that they were
catching gillnets every day — three to 10
times the length of a football field, often
ensnaring totoabas, dolphins, turtles
and sea lions. The environment ministry
said 600 nets were seized in the past year,
while 77 people were detained.
Officials say fishermen sell the
totoaba’s swim bladders to smugglers
who store them in border towns before
sending them to the United States
or shipping them directly to Asia in
suitcases or through parcel services.
Each bladder fetches around $1,500$1,800 in Mexico, rising to $5,000
in the United States and $10,000 to
$20,000 apiece in Asia, according to US
authorities.
Consumed in soup, maw is believed
to cure a host of ailments, from arthritis
to discomfort in pregnancy, and plump
up skin due to its high collagen content.
WWF urged the governments of
Mexico, the United States and China to
take urgent measures and coordinate to
stop the smuggling to totoaba bladders.
“In the end, if the vaquita goes
extinct, the three countries will share
the responsibility,” the environmentalist
group said.
The group said Mexico should
ban all fishing in the vaquita habitat,
compensate fishermen and deploy a
newly created environmental police to
the region. — AFP
eu ope
eur
europe
German govt to spend 93.6 bn
Anti-coal protesters blockade power station
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
Up to 1,000 environmental activists from countries across Europe blocked operations at an opencast mine in eastern Germany on Saturday as part of an anti-coal protest, polices aid. Coal trains
were unable to access the Schwarze Pumpe — or ‘BlackPump’ — Power Station near the city of
Cottbus in Brandenburg state, according to reports from protest group, which owns the facility.
Divided Bosnian Serbs rally
for and against government
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
15
euros on refugees by end 2020
ARSON: Fires at shelters for refugees, raising concerns about anti-migrant violence
A woman waves flags as Bosnian Serbs, supporters of right wing opposition
parties, protest in Banja Luka. — AFP
BANJA LUKA: Thousands of Bosnian
Serbs staged rival rallies for and against
the government in the capital of Bosnia’s
autonomous Serb region on Saturday,
kept apart by a heavy police presence
after warnings of violence.
Authorities had banned both sides
from marching through Banja Luka to
avoid confrontations in the politically
charged atmosphere in the build-up to
local elections in October.
The opposition was protesting
against what it sees as corruption and
the poor state of the economy while the
rival rally was a show of support for the
government.
“We have to fight for our state,” Serb
Republic President Milorad Dodik told
about 10,000 flag-waving supporters,
some carrying pictures of Russian
President Vladimir Putin. “We want
peace. Today we defend our republic
from treason.”
Among Dodik’s supporters was
Darko Mladic, son of the Bosnian Serb
wartime military leader Ratko Mladic
who is facing war crimes charges at The
Hague. Across town, a similar number of
opposition protesters waved anti-Dodik
banners saying: “This is not Sicily, we
have had enough of Godfathers”. They
demanded early parliamentary elections,
economic reforms and the investigation
of what they called political murders and
corruption cases.
The opposition rally was addressed
by Sonja Karadzic, daughter of former
Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan
Karadzic, who was jailed in March for
genocide. Worried that unrest in Bosnia
could destabilise his own country,
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar
Vucic had urged Bosnian Serb politicians
to prevent the protests turning violent.
But police kept the demonstrators
apart with metal barriers and city-centre
cafes and shops were closed. The rallies
ended peacefully. Political tensions in the
Serb Republic have risen since elections
in 2014, when Dodik’s ruling party lost
its place in the Bosnian government to
the Alliance for Change, a pro-Europe
reformist group, and remained in control
only of the Serb Republic government.
Dodik, who favours closer ties with
Russia and has threatened to pull his
region out of Bosnia’s complex state
structure, says officials who support a
reform agenda designed to bring Bosnia
closer to the EU are traitors. — Reuters
BERLIN: Germany’s
government
expects to spend around 93.6 billion
euros by the end of 2020 on costs related
to the refugee crisis, a magazine said on
Saturday, citing a draft from the federal
finance ministry for negotiations with
the country’s 16 states.
The figure is likely to stoke concerns,
particularly among growing antiimmigration movements, on the impact
of new arrivals on Europe’s largest
economy which took in more than a
million people last year, many from
Syria and other war zones.
The numbers arriving have fallen
this year, helped by a deal between the
European Union and Turkey that was
designed to give Turks visa-free travel to
Europe in return for stemming the flow
of migrants.
German weekly news magazine
Der Spiegel said the finance ministry’s
calculations included the costs for
accommodating
and
integrating
refugees as well as tackling the root
causes for people fleeing from crisisstricken regions.
Officials based their estimates on
600,000 migrants arriving this year,
400,000 next year and 300,000 in each
of the following years, the report said,
adding that they expected 55 per cent of
recognised refugees to have a job after
five years. A spokesman for the finance
ministry declined to comment on the
figures but pointed to ongoing talks
between the government and states,
saying they would meet again on May
31 to discuss how to divide up the costs
between them.
The report said that 25.7 billion euros
Syrian refugees arrive at the camp for refugees and migrants in Friedland. — Reuters
($29.07 billion) would be needed for
jobless payments, rent subsidies and
other benefits for recognised asylum
applicants by the end of 2020.
Another 5.7 billion euros would be
needed for language courses and 4.6
billion euros would be required for
measures to help migrants get jobs, it
added.
The annual cost of dealing with the
refugee crisis would hit 20.4 billion
euros in 2020, up from around 16.1
billion euros this year, the report said.
The federal government and the
states are at odds over the costs of the
refugee crisis and how much Berlin
should pay out.
Germany’s
states
have
long
Fake ‘Friday the 13th’ terror attack on Cannes film stars’ hotel
CANNES: A fake terror attack panicked
guests at the French Riviera hideaway of
several Hollywood stars at the Cannes
film festival, police said on Saturday.
The publicity stunt, by a French
Internet company aimed at the super
rich, saw a speedboat full of men in
helmets and military style uniforms
attempt to storm the dock of the five-star
Hotel du Cap just around the bay from
Cannes.
Guests said the men were dressed
as an ‘ISIS-like’ militia group, referring to
the IS group which killed 130 people in a
night of attacks on Paris six months ago.
Their inflatable speedboat also flew a
black flag similar to the one used by IS.
Chillingly, the stunt happened on
Friday, the first Friday the 13th since the
bloodshed in Paris last November.
American publicist J R Savet, who was
dining on the terrace with Vanity Fair
editor Graydon Carter when the boat
approached, said guests were shocked.
“Someone screamed and people
jumped out of their chairs and started
moving quickly to the swimming pool
area. It was pretty scary,” he told the
Hollywood Reporter.
Cannes has been on high terror alert
really overstepped the mark and today
they feel ashamed,” he added.
A justice official said that those
behind the stunt were “likely to pay very
dearly,” and would be prosecuted for
breaking maritime rules and for inflicting
“psychological trauma”.
The authorities were also
investigating who owns the boat and
rented it out, he said.
The speedboat had earlier buzzed
the yacht of Hollywood legend Steven
Spielberg, the Seven Seas, and another
owned by Russian billionaire and Chelsea
football club owner Roman Abramovich.
The Hotel du Cap — also known as
Eden Roch — on the ritzy Cap d’Antibes,
refused to comment on the incident or
Six men in matching helmets and military-style utility vests approached the
say which stars were in the hotel at the
French Riviera hotel’s dock via boat.
time.
for the 12-day film festival, with a warship
A police spokesman said that the men
The hotel will be the venue for the
moored in the bay and snipers posted on involved in the stunt had earlier tried
amfAR Aids research fundraiser on
hotel roofs.
to breach a sea exclusion zone around
Thursday, one of the most glamorous
Oraxy, the Paris-based Internet
Cannes but had been repulsed by the
annual celebrity parties outside of Oscars
company that organised the stunt, has
authorities.
night.
not yet replied to requests for comment.
He said that the men then tried to
This year’s event for the charity,
It describes itself on its website as “the land at the hotel. Paramilitary gendarmes founded by the late actress Elizabeth
world’s first private global marketplace
seized the boat, but the men were not
Taylor, will be hosted by Hollywood
formally arrested.
reserved for Ultra High Net Worth
stars Sharon Stone, Adrien Brody and
“These men know that they have
Individuals.”
American pop star Katy Perry. — AFP
This year, there have already
been 45 arson fires
HOLGER MUENCH
Head of the federal criminal police BKA
complained they cannot cope with the
refugee influx and related costs and the
report in Der Spiegel said states expected
to face costs of 21 billion euros this year,
rising to around 30 billion euros per
year by 2020. It said the states expected
the federal government to bear half of
the costs related to refugees but added
that the federal finance ministry thinks
Berlin is already shouldering more
than that and does not think the states’
calculations are justified.
Meanwhile, reports from Berlin said
authorities reported an increase in the
number of arson fires at shelters for
refugees, raising concerns about antimigrant violence.
“This year, there have already been 45
arson fires,” said Holger Muench, head
of the federal criminal police (BKA).
“What is particularly worrisome is
the increasing scale of the violence,”
he said in an interview with the Funke
newspaper group.
— Reuters
Madrid residents return
as blaze under control
MADRID: Spanish authorities allowed
residents near a giant tyre dump blaze
to return home on Saturday, saying that
toxic fumes billowing from the rubber
heap posed less of a risk although the fire
has yet to be extinguished.
The news came as it emerged that the
European Commission had contacted
Madrid over the illegal dump, the first
step in a procedure which it can launch
when it suspects a member state of
infringing EU law.
Some 10,000 people living in the
town of Sesena near the Spanish capital
evacuated their homes on Friday
after the dump went up in flames in a
suspected arson attack. A massive black
cloud of fumes billowed into the air,
prompting widespread health concerns
as the government of Castilla-La Mancha
where the dump is located warned the
smoke was “toxic.”
But the regional government said
it had lifted its evacuation order “as a
result of the reduced risk for residents in
the area” as firefighters brought the blaze
under control.
The cloud had also reduced in
intensity and was rising up higher
in the sky, avoiding residential areas,
authorities added.
The blaze broke out before dawn on
Friday in the dump that stretches over
10 hectares — the equivalent of about
10 rugby fields — and straddles the
Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid regions.
The massive stack of tyres started
to form in the 1990s when a company
began using the site as a temporary
depot for old tyres due to be recycled,
and it grew from then on.
It was declared illegal and
environmental groups had long warned
that it posed a health hazard, but
authorities only recently started acting
on the problem, inviting bids to empty
the dump and destroy the tyres at the
end of last year. — AFP
Brexit vote creates uncertainties for companies; FDI already plunged more than 40 per cent in 2015
German firms scaling back UK investment ahead of vote
BERLIN: German companies are scaling
back their investment in Britain ahead of
its June 23 referendum on membership
of the European Union, and German German foreign direct
industry is becoming increasingly vocal investment to Britain fell by
in warning that a Brexit would hit both 6 per cent on the quarter to
countries’ economies.
4.4 billion euros in the first
German foreign direct investment to
Britain fell by 6 per cent on the quarter three months of this year,
to 4.4 billion euros ($5 billion) in the first Bundesbank data reviewed
three months of this year, Bundesbank
showed
data reviewed showed. That followed
an already steep annual decline of more
than 40 per cent in 2015.
“A British exit means uncertainty
for German companies doing business
in Britain,” Markus Kerber, Managing
Director of the BDI Federation of delaying or reducing their investment.”
German Industries, said.
Reflecting the concerns of German
“Firms are reacting to this, they are companies and investors ahead of the
British referendum, Kerber said a Brexit
City workers cross the Millennium footbridge in
would lead to severe legal uncertainties
the financial district of London. — Reuters
for at least the next two years, creating
economic risks for both Britain and
Germany.
German companies are among the
biggest foreign investors in the UK, with
2,500 subsidiaries and some 500,000
British employees in sectors such as
financial services, manufacturing,
transport, energy and retail, according
to German Industry UK, a private
organisation of some 100 chief
executives of companies in Britain with
a German majority shareholding.
While German firms generally
decline to comment in detail on their
investment plans in Britain, there are referendum. “From our point of view, Britain was to stay in the EU,” a Siemens
signs that managers are becoming it would be advantageous, particularly spokesman said.
He said if Britain should leave the
increasingly worried ahead of Britain’s in terms of wealth and employment if
EU, Siemens would not terminate its
business activities there. “But a British
exit could play a role when it comes to
future investment decisions.”
Like many other German companies
in Britain, Siemens sent a letter to its
14,000 British employees last month,
warning of the risks the firm would face
if Britain voted to leave.
“In particular, a new trade deal
with the EU could take many years to
conclude and it is impossible to predict
the terms that will be agreed and at what
price,” the Siemens management said.
“This uncertainty, and threat of
increased costs, could make the UK a
less attractive place to do business and
may become a factor when Siemens is
considering future investment here.”
— Reuters
world
o dinpictures
p ctu es
panorama
16
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
MOONDROP: A
student of the
General Yermolov
Cadet School
parachutes from
an airplane, as the
moon is seen in
the background, in
Stavropol, Russia.
— Reuters
SEA DEITY DANCE: Members of a lion dance perform during a street parade to celebrate the birthday of sea deity Tam
Kung in Hong Kong. — AFP
Seasonal patterns in Mars atmosphere measured
WASHINGTON: The local atmosphere
in Mars is clear in winter, dustier in spring
and summer, and windy in autumn,
show measurements by Nasa’s Curiosity
rover that has completed recording
environmental patterns through two full
cycles of Martian seasons.
Curiosity this week completed its
second Martian year since landing
inside Gale Crater nearly four years
ago. The repetition helps distinguish
seasonal effects from sporadic events,
Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in
a statement.
Each Martian year — the time it takes
the Red Planet to orbit the sun once —
lasts 687 Earth days.
Measurements
of
temperature,
pressure, ultraviolet light reaching the
surface and the scant water vapour in the
air at Gale Crater show strong, repeated
seasonal changes, the statement added.
Monitoring the modern atmosphere,
weather and climate fulfils a Curiosity
mission goal supplementing the betterknown investigations of conditions
billions of years ago.
Back then, Gale Crater had lakes and
groundwater that could have been good
habitats for microbes, if Mars has ever
had any. Today, though dry and much less
hospitable, environmental factors are still
dynamic, the statement added.
Curiosity measured air temperatures
from 15.9 degrees Celsius on a summer
afternoon, to minus 100 degrees Celsius
on a winter night.
“Curiosity’s weather station has made
measurements nearly every hour of
every day, more than 34 million so far,”
said Curiosity project scientist Ashwin
Vasavada of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
“The duration is important, because
it’s the second time through the seasons
that lets us see repeated patterns,”
Vasavada noted.
The similar tilts of Earth and Mars
give both planets a yearly rhythm of
seasons. But some differences are great,
such as in comparisons between day and
night temperatures. — IANS
SELFIE:
Self-portrait
of Nasa’s
Curiosity
Mars rover
shows the
site from
where which
it reached
down to drill
into a rock
target called
‘Buckskin’ on
lower Mount
Sharp.
Study tells genetic history
of dromedary camels
LONDON: Use by human societies in
primordial trade routes has shaped the
genetic diversity of the camel, famously
known as the ‘ship of the desert,’ finds an
interesting study of its ancient and modern
DNA.
Single-humped
‘Arabian
camels’,
properly known as ‘dromedaries’ (Camelus
dromedarius), have been fundamental to the
development of human societies, providing
food and transport in desert countries, for
over 3,000 years.
Researchers analysed genetic information
from a sample of 1,083 living dromedaries
from 21 countries across the world.
The findings showed that they were
genetically very similar, despite populations
being hundreds of miles apart.
Centuries of cross-continental trade
caused this “blurring” of genetics, the
researchers explained.
“Our analysis of this extensive dataset
actually revealed that there is very
little defined population structure in
modern dromedaries. We believe this is a
consequence of cross-continental back and
forth movements along historic trading
routes,” said Olivier Hanotte, professor at
Nottingham University in Britain.
“Our results point to extensive gene
flow which affects all regions except East
Africa where dromedary populations have
remained relatively isolated,” Hanotte added.
For the research, published in the
journal Proceedings of the National
DROMEDARIES: Researchers analysed
genetic information from a sample of 1,083
living dromedaries from 21 countries across
the world and found the ruminants were
genetically very similar.
Academy of Science, the team combined
an examination of ancient DNA sequences
from bone samples from early-domesticated
dromedaries from 400-1870 AD and wild
ones from 5,000-1,000 BC to reveal for the
first time ever a historic genetic picture of
the species.
“The genetic diversity we have discovered
underlines the animal’s potential to
adapt sustainably to future challenges of
expanding desert areas and global climate
change,” noted Faisal Almathen from King
Faisal University in Saudi Arabia.
The dromedary continues to be a vital
resource in trade and agriculture in hot, dry
areas of the world, providing transport, milk
and meat where other species would not
survive.
— IANS
RECORD BID: A man looks at his team member climbing as he tries to set an official World
Record by building the highest Kapla tower in Lyon. — AFP
SUNDAY | MAY 15, 2016 | SHAABAN 8, 1437 AH
business
DIGGING DEEP IN SOUTH AFRICA AS DIAMOND HUNT GETS TOUGHER P21
OIL TRIMS WEEKLY GAIN AS SURPLUS PERSISTS P20
*
INBRIEF
India’s forex down
by $1.13 billion
READING ON SCREEN CAN ALTER THE WAY PEOPLE THINK P24
Oman’s copper-gold venture
revenues projected at $430m
CONRAD PRABHU
MUSCAT
CHENNAI: India’s foreign exchange
reserves went down by $1.13 billion
to $361.99 billion as on May 6, 2016,
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said.
According to RBI’s forex data, the
reserves stood at $361.99 billion as on
May 6, 2016 against $363.12 billion as on
April 29, 2016.
As on May 6, 2016 the foreign
currency assets stood at $337.99 billion,
gold $20.04 billion, special drawing
rights $1.51 billion and the reserve
position with the IMF stood at $2.44
billion. The forex reserves for the week
ended April 29, 2016, consisted of
foreign currency assets stood at $339.02
billion, gold $20.11 billion, special
drawing rights $1.51 billion and the
reserve position with the IMF stood at
$2.47 billion. — IANS
Telecom Italia raises
cost-cut target
MILAN: Telecom Italia SpA, Italy’s largest
phone company, almost tripled its target
for reducing expenses to 1.6 billion
euros ($1.8 billion) by 2018 in a move
pushed by new Chief Executive Officer
Flavio Cattaneo.
The cuts will include 800 million
euros in operating costs and 800 million
euros in capital spending, the company
said. The carrier’s previous cost-cut
target was 600 million euros.
“Our goal is combining acceleration
in developing ultra-broadband networks
with a careful cost-control,” Cattaneo
said in the company’s first-quarter
earnings statement. — Bloomberg
Cyprus growth hits
one-year high
NICOSIA: The economy of bailedout eurozone member Cyprus has
recorded its strongest quarterly
growth in a year, official figures
showed. Gross domestic product
(GDP) grew 0.9 per cent in the first
quarter of 2016, compared with
0.4 per cent during the OctoberDecember period, the country’s
statistical service said.
It was the fifth consecutive
quarter of expansion and the highest
rate since one per cent growth was
seen in the first quarter of 2015.
On a year-on-year basis, GDP was
up 2.7 per cent.
The figures showed growth in
manufacturing, construction, trade,
hotels and restaurants, transport and
technical activities. — AFP
May 14: An ambitious coppergold mining project currently
under development in Dakhiliyah
Governorate has the potential
to generate revenues in excess of
$430 million over the first 10 years
of operations, according to its joint
Omani-Australian promoters.
The Al Hadeetha CopperGold Project is being developed
by Al Hadeetha Resources LLC,
a locally incorporated company
that is 70 per cent owned by
Alara Oman Operations Pty Ltd
(a wholly owned subsidiary of
Australian based international
mineral exploration company
Alara Resources) and Al Hadeetha
Investments LLC of the Sultanate.
The
venture
aims
to
commercialise the potentially
prodigious mineral potential —
copper deposits with associated
gold ore — of three exploration
licenses: Washihi, Mullaq and Al
Ajal, which cover a total area of
around 105 sq kilometres roughly
a two-hour drive from Muscat.
JORC resources in the Washihi
licence alone are estimated at
14 million tonnes based on the
Australasian Code for Reporting
of Exploration Results, Mineral
Resources and Ore Reserves
(JORC), according to the company.
Citing the findings of a feasibility
study that was completed recently,
Al Hadeetha Resources said the
copper-gold project is expected to
yield healthy financial returns on
base case assumptions. Revenues
are projected at over $430 million
over 10 years, with Earnings before
interest, taxes, and amortization
(EBITA) estimated at around $141
million over the same timeframe.
www.omanobserver.om
[email protected]
SILK ROUTE GATEWAY
Pact signed for
supply of subsea
cable system across
Sea of Oman
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
Picture for illustrative purpose only
Project IRR was envisaged at an
impressive 21 per cent.
In parallel, the company is
exploring a number of project
financing options, including a
rights issue. The findings of the
feasibility study, it said, have
sparked renewed interest in the
project from certain interested
parties.
Furthermore, in anticipation
of the eventual commencement of
operations, a concrete timeframe
for which has yet to be disclosed, top
officials of Al Hadeeetha hosted a
community meeting and luncheon
with stakeholders representing
local communities in which the
mining licenses are located. Also
present were officials representing
the Public Authority for Mining
(PAM), Ministry of Environment
and Climate Affairs, Ministry of
Regional Municipalities and Water
Resources, and offices of the local
walis.
Besides updating the gathering
on the findings of the feasibility
The venture aims to
commercialise the
potentially prodigious
mineral potential —
copper deposits with
associated gold ore —
of three exploration
licenses: Washihi,
Mullaq and Al Ajal
study, project officials also
outlined the latest milestones in
the development of the venture, as
well as fielded questions pertaining
to potential impacts to the local
communities
once
mining
operations get underway.
Boding well for the success
of the project is a number of
initiatives and developments
that promise to impart strong
impetus to the growth of mining
and mineral processing activities
in north Oman. Noteworthy are
plans announced in March for the
establishment of the Sohar Dry
Bulk Logistics Corridor, designed
to facilitate the export of mineral
products to international markets
at competitive rates.
Earlier, the State General
Reserve Fund (SGRF), the largest
sovereign wealth fund of the
Sultanate, announced the creation
of ‘Mining Development Oman’
(MDO) in partnership with three
other state entities.
MDO, set up with a capital of
RO 100 million, will invest in local
mining projects in collaboration
with local and international
investors.
“The Company recognises the
significance of these developments,
among other positive steps being
taken, as evidence of the Omani
government’s commitment to the
development of the Sultanate’s
mining industry,” it further added.
May 14: Omantel, the national operator of Oman and one
of the largest wholesale carriers in the Middle East, Multinet
Pakistan, the leading domestic and international carrier in
Pakistan, and Xtera Communications Inc, a leading provider of
high-capacity, cost-effective optical transport solutions, have
announced the signing of the turnkey supply agreement for
the new subsea cable system Silk Route Gateway 1 (SRG-1).
The new cable will be a direct highway from Muscat in
Oman to Karachi in Pakistan, with a future extension to Gwadar
in Pakistan. Sohail Qadir, Vice President, Omantel Wholesale,
commented: “SRG-1 is another reflection of our commitment
to the global carrier community to offer them with the most
efficient routes. The SRG-1 bridges Asia to Africa and the West
through a low latency network and we anticipate this to evolve
as the telecom world’s primary access to the region.”
“The SRG-1 project is our ambition to restore the
significance of the
traditional silk route by
establishing a digital
gateway to the most
budding telecom markets
of the Asian subcontinent”,
said Rashid Shafi (SEVP
& Chief Strategy Officer,
Multinet Pakistan). “This
new cable will fuel the
massively growing demands of the Pakistani market and will
bring up an unprecedented reach to China, Afghanistan and
Central Asia,” he further added.
“Selecting an innovative technology partner like Xtera is
imperative to the overall success of the project. Xtera brings on
board the expertise and professional pedigree to develop an
efficient optical submarine network which will enable Multinet
and Omantel to offer cutting edge connectivity services to their
customers,” SRG-1 Consortium said in a statement. Xtera will
supply its turnkey 100G/100G+ optimized submarine system
solution for this new project, including Nu-Wave Optima
Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE), undersea optical
repeaters, undersea branching units, cable, all marine services,
project management, installation and commissioning.
“We are delighted to be selected by SRG-1 Consortium to
build this new submarine cable system as a further validation
of our turnkey offering for high-performance, high-reliability
subsea cable systems,” said Jon Hopper, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Xtera. “This new build project represents
a second cable project for Xtera in the region after the award
of the G2A subsea cable system between Oman, Puntland and
Somaliland.”
China’s economy grinds down a gear as heavy industry drags
BEIJING: China’s economy resumed
its grind towards slower growth in
April, weighed down by overcapacity
industries such as steel and coal.
Industrial production climbed 6 per
cent in April from a year earlier, down
from 6.8 per cent in March and missing
economists’ estimates for 6.5 per cent.
Retail sales also missed analyst forecasts,
rising 10.1 per cent, while fixed-asset
investment increased 10.5 per cent in the
January-April period versus economists’
expectation for 11 per cent.
After a rocky start to 2016 marked
by a sliding yuan, capital outflows and
tumbling shares, China’s economy
stabilized and even picked up in March,
led by a surge in new credit and rebound
in the housing market. A pullback in
lending and Saturday’s tepid readings
dash hopes the economy has turned a
corner. Top leaders this week signalled
a shift away from debt- and stimulus-
fuelled growth, stressing the need for
deleveraging, upgrading industrial
capabilities and cutting excess capacity.
“All the engines suddenly lost
momentum,” said Zhou Hao, an
economist at Commerzbank AG in
Singapore. “The policy tightening will
be only a short-term phenomenon.”
The slower industrial output was due
to weak external demand, a sharp drop
in mining, high energy-consumption
and overcapacity sectors including steel
and coal, as well as seasonal effects, the
National Bureau of Statistics said in
a statement released after the data. It
pointed out that the output of the steel
and coal industries both fell from a year
earlier.
Retail sales were weighed down by
a pullback in automobile sales, which
increased 5.1 percent from a year earlier
versus a 12.3 percent jump in March, the
NBS said.
Slowest Pace
Private investment in fixed assets
decelerated to the slowest pace since at
least 2012.
“Due to weak market demand,
companies’ reluctance to invest and
market entrance barriers, China’s
private fixed-asset investment has been
decelerating since the start of this year,”
the statistics bureau said in a statement.
“This will hurt the steady growth of
investment and it deserves a lot of
attention.”
It wasn’t all down arrow, with home
sales continuing to grow, signaling
that tightening measures designed to
stem a home-price surge in some large
cities have yet to slow the market’s
upward momentum. New-home sales
gained 63.5 percent to 793.7 billion
yuan ($122 billion) last month from a
year earlier, according to Bloomberg
calculations based on NBS data. The
increase followed a 71 percent surge in
the previous month.
Data on Friday showed China’s
broadest measure of new credit rose less
than expected last month. Aggregate
financing was 751 billion yuan in April,
the People’s Bank of China said, below
all 26 analyst forecasts in a Bloomberg
survey.
China’s central bank sought to
reassure investors that monetary policy
will continue to support the economy
after the sharp slowdown in new credit.
— Bloomberg
insideoman
business
b
i
18
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
German metalworkers agree wage deal
Germany’s biggest trade union, IG Metall, has agreed on a wage deal for the
some 700,000 metal and electric sector workers in the state of North RhineWestphalia, a spokesman for the employers’ group said. The spokesman did not
give details on the wage deal reached after 14 hours of negotiations overnight.
SSH wins Al Mouj, Muscat
oceanfront project contract
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
May 14: SSH, a leading infrastructure,
building design and project management
firm in the Middle East, said it has won
the contract to design villas and apartment
blocks at Al Mouj, Muscat, (formally known
as The Wave, Muscat), a high-profile mixeduse destination in Oman.
A thriving waterfront community, few
minutes away from the new international
airport, Al Mouj, Muscat, is a public-private
venture between the Omani government and
UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim Properties.
As per the deal, SSH will design two villa
prototypes to be used in the latest addition
to Al Mouj, Muscat community master plan;
Zunairah, a limited collection of exclusive
beachfront villas.
Split into two zones, Z1 with a total builtup area of 900 sq m, and Z2 with a 1800 sq
m built-up area, the prototypes are designed
to provide the ultimate in luxury, aiming to
set a new benchmark for residential living in
the Sultanate.
Juman One is the first unique instalment
in the development providing resort-living
services of elegance and style. It will offer
uninterrupted views to Almouj Marina,
the award-winning marina and flagship
yachting and sailing destination in Oman.
Offering one-, two- and three-bedroom
apartments, Juman One was designed with
serenity and sophistication embedded in
its architectural ethos. With services to
match, the prestigious residence will offer
a modern gym with male and female spas
and changing rooms, an owners’ lounge
and outside lounging areas, games room,
and a concierge service, said the SSH in its
statement.
There are also three adjacent pools
cascading towards the marina, made up of a
lounging pool, children’s pool and a lap pool.
Six penthouses are designed with the same
theme in mind, offering opulent architecture
with open-plan features, spa bathrooms,
terraces, and 5-bedroom units, with two
central penthouses offering a private outdoor
lap pool and jacuzzi.
The world-class lifestyle and leisure
destination bridges people, businesses and
cultures to create a thriving waterfront
community along the 6 km stretch of coast
in Muscat.
It comprises luxury residential properties,
retail and dining facilities, Oman’s only
signature designed PGA standard 18-hole
links golf course and the 400-berth Almouj
Marina, the largest private yachting hub in
the sultanate.
SSH was also awarded the design
of Ghadeer master plan, a community
focused neighbourhood with facilities like
kindergarten and multi-purpose hall.
The Ghadeer award came following the
successful delivery of two master plans for
Al Mouj, Muscat; Zunairah and Jinan master
plans.
On the project win, Danny Warde, the
resident director at SSH Oman, said: “This
is one of the most iconic developments
currently taking place in the Sultanate, in
addition to OCEC, and we are honoured to
be working on both projects.”
Bank Muscat, Agoda join hands on exclusive
hotel discount promotion for cardholders
MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship
financial services provider in the Sultanate,
in line with its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and
commitment to partnership in adding value
and enhancing the banking experience,
has launched an exciting promotion for
cardholders in association with Agoda.
com, one of the leading online hotel service
providers in the world.
The exclusive campaign entitles Bank
Muscat Visa cardholders to discounts
ranging up to 7 per cent while making hotel
reservations on Agoda, which offers the
largest hotel deals worldwide, lowest online
rates, unmatched availability and access
to exclusive real-time promotions. The
discount will be applied automatically at the
time of hotel booking. The ‘travel more and
pay less’ with Bank Muscat card promotion
targeted at rewarding existing and new
customers runs
till March 31,
2017.
Aimed
at
enhancing
benefits,
the
exclusive
promotion
is
available
for Bank Muscat Visa debit and credit
cardholders
on
www.agoda.com/
bankmuscat Customers can also access
the Agoda promotion link through www.
bankmuscat.com/cards All Bank Muscat
Visa debit and credit cardholders are eligible
to participate in the promotion.
Amjad al Lawati, (pictured) AGM —
Cards & eBanking, said: “Bank Muscat is
delighted to launch yet another promotion
offering an attractive value proposition
for cardholders. Time and again, Bank
Muscat takes the lead in launching exclusive
campaigns and promotions that enhance
value as well as create unique opportunities
that enrich life for customers.“
Bank Muscat, in association with Visa,
has enhanced card security for online
transactions. The ‘Verified by Visa’ feature
for debit and credit cards comes as part of
the bank’s commitment to ensure secure
online transactions. The ‘Verified by Visa’
(VBV) feature provides an additional layer
of security for Bank Muscat cards when
shopping online. When engaging in online
transactions at participating merchants,
customers will be required to provide their
password to complete the transaction. To
avail the service, customers are required to
visit the bank’s website www.bankmuscat.
com/cards and create their password.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Dr Fuad to open the expo on Monday
Windorex trade fair to focus
on windows, doors and glass
MUSCAT: Windorex + Glass & Aluminium
Oman 2016 — the Sultanate’s maiden
showcase on the windows, doors, glass,
aluminium, facades and sun protection
systems industry — opens at Oman
International Exhibition Centre this week,
spotlighting one of the fastest growing
segments of the all-important construction
sector.
Organised by the well-known events
management firm, Global Exhibitions &
Conferences LLC (GEC), the three-day expo
will be formally inaugurated by Dr Fuad bin
Jaafar al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and
Fisheries, on May 16, 2016 at 10 am.
As the first exposition of its kind in the
Sultanate, Windorex + Glass & Aluminium
Oman 2016 is keenly anticipated by the
Sultanate’s construction industry, which is
a key contributor to economic growth and
employment generation. Numerous Omani
small and medium enterprises (SME) also
owe their continued economic well-being
and success to this industry.
With its focus on a wide array of
products and services associated with the
construction industry, Windorex + Glass &
Aluminium Oman 2016 promises to uncork
a plethora of opportunities for investment,
trade, partnerships and SME development
in the Sultanate.
Underscoring the strength of interest in
the expo, more than 100 leading brands from
15 countries will be showcased at the event.
Also taking part are reputable local and
international manufacturers and suppliers of
fenestration products and technologies, glass
cladding and aluminium façades, innovative
glazing solutions, sun protection systems,
and related products and services.
A notable attraction is the China
Glass Pavilion featuring the Asian giant’s
formidable technical prowess in glass
cladding, glazing and related products.
Windorex + Glass & Aluminium Oman
2016 is targeted at industry professionals
and decision makers from all of the
disciplines that together make up the vibrant
architectural design and construction
industry in Oman. The event will be of
significant interest to architects, buildings,
interior decorators, contractors, developers,
fabricators, and those involved in the
fenestration industry.
Support for the trade fair has come
from a number of leading government and
regional trade and industry groupings. They
include the Oman Chamber of Commerce &
Industry (OCCI), International Fenestration
Forum (IFF), the Confederation of
Construction Products and Services (CCPS),
the German Emirati Joint Council for
Industry & Commerce (AHK), Oman Green
Building Council, UPVC Window & Door
Manufacturers Association (UWDMA),
German University of Technology in Oman
(GUtech), Sultan Qaboos University (SQU)
and HCT GreenNest Ecohouse.
Sponsorship support for the maiden expo
has been equally strong.
The sponsorship line-up comprises:
Platinum sponsors — My Window and
Better Homes; Gold — Tech Windows,
Al Mahdotha International Project LLC
and YAAT LLC; Silver: New Home for
World Projects LLC, PRO Windows, Dodia
Architectural Pvt Ltd, Abadis International
LLC and Silver Global LLC; and Lanyard —
Nawa International.
BUSINESS ALERT
Innovative assessment strategies at Majan College
MUSCAT: Majan University
College has always led the way,
when it comes to innovative
assessment strategies. Two such
innovative assessment strategies
that were the highlights in the
Faculty of Business Management
were “Marcomm” and “Road
Safety Event”. Marcomm is an
assessment strategy practised in marketing communications module. In a live market fair students are
assessed on their selling and communication skills. This is an effective strategy that removes any fear of
assessment. Instead, students are highly motivated, interested and have a sense of ownership. It makes
learning easy, effective and permanent.
Road Safety event was organised by the students of Operations Management. The students were
assessed on their project management skills. A number of project planning tools were used by the
students to organise the event. The road safety event also demonstrates Majan students’ concern for
road safety. It shows their ability to take up social causes for the benefit of the society. It is a key graduate
attribute at Majan University College.
More Café launches its
new healthy menu
THE hugely popular More Café have stepped up
their food game in a big way with the launch of a
new menu.
Created by the café’s own international chefs,
the new menu presents a healthy new breakfast
selection, range of soups, salads, sandwiches and
pasta dishes. Next to these, the new menu features
wraps and new main courses as well as a mouthwatering burger selection, delicate desserts and
refreshing new drinks.
With many healthy new options such as the
Berry Cobler with Quinoa, Spanish Tortilla, Seared
Tuna with Lentil Salsa and Carrot Passionfruit
Smoothie it is clear that the popular restaurant has
not compromised on explosive flavours and taste.
The foodies will be delighted with the new sliders,
Teriyaki Burger with Wasabi Mayonnaise, Ravioli
Shitake, Prawns Pasanda, Arabic Seafood Stew and
many more!
Ajit Singh, Group General Manager of Asha
Enterprises, believes More Cafe’s commitment to
the highest standards of quality and its distinctive
food gives it an advantage in Muscat’s highly
competitive casual dining market.
“We are extremely pleased to be presenting our
loyal customers with a new menu that will wow
and tantalize taste buds. In the making of this
new menu, there has been a clear understating
of incorporating local flavours that appeal to the
Oman market,” Ajit Singh adds.
GulfCyberTech wins 30 awards at Oman Tech Awards
GULFCYBERTECH celebrating its 12th year of formation in Oman has won 30 awards for web portals,
mobile apps and social media developed by GulfCyberTech team in Oman. Oman Tech Awards held
under the aegis of ITA-Information Technology Authority (e-oman) Oman Tech Awards was held at
Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah, with Tariq al Barwani, Oman’s popular IT enthusiast & innovator as the Chief
Project Consultant.
Oman Tech Awards is the first event of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman and is themed as Oman’s
Technology Event of the Year — Oman Tech Awards was hosted with the focal intend of realising the
grand vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos of transforming Oman into a sustainable knowledge based
economy and setting an economic vision towards 2020 of developing the Omani digital society and
an e-government system to simplify processes, adopt technology in its daily operations and focus on
electronic delivery of services.
The event was held under the auspices of Dr Rasheed bin al Safi al Huraini, chairman of the Oman
Tender Board.
There were more than 300 entries from different industries competed in the 27 categories.
GulfCyberTech won awards in all major categories for webportals and mobile apps which were
developed by GulfCyberTech in house team in muscat development centre. GulfCyberTech provides
services in web application, mobile app development, web portal development, payment gateway
integration, dedicated/shared servers, cloud solutions, email solutions, SEO etc and have successfully
completed more than 1000 projects in Oman.
Oxy Oman backs students
awarding ceremony
AS part of its community engagement, and for
the fourth year, Oxy Oman exclusively sponsored
the awarding ceremony of outstanding students
and talents in Al Wusta Governorate schools for
the academic year 2015/2016. The ceremony
was held at Crowne Plaza Al Duqm under the
auspices of Shaikh Mu’thid Mohammed Abdullah
al Yaqubi, Governor of Al Wusta. It was attended
by Nasser Issa al Maskari, Community Relations
Manager at Oxy Oman, Walis of the governorate
and representatives of government authorities.
Shaikh Mu’thid al Yaqubi, Governor of Al Wusta
delivered a speech in which he congratulated
outstanding general diploma students, their
parents, distinguished students from different
grades for their achievements. He encouraged all
parties to take responsibility in building Oman
and playing a role in the overall development of
the country. In addition, he praised the role of Oxy
Oman in sponsoring this ceremony, an event that
is eagerly awaited by students every year.
The ceremony presented a number of activities
performed by school students; all evolving around
encouraging education and expanding horizons
of knowledge. At the end of the ceremony,
Shaikh Mu’thid Mohammed al Yaqubi, Governor of
Al Wusta and Nasser Issa al Maskari, Community
Relations Manager at Oxy Oman presented
the awards to the highest performing general
diploma students and their parents who played a
role in helping their sons and daughter getting this
far.
Memories start in Toyota Innova
CUSTOMERS know that their fondest and
most cherished memories begin in an Innova.
By Welcoming Innova, they are saying a hello to
happiness... Toyota Innova redefines conventional
notions of a Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV). It
combines the essence of an MPV with the tough,
emotional elements of an SUV to present the
ultimate family vehicle!
As an MPV designed for ‘multi performance’,
Innova remains true to its purpose as an MPV
— delivering a spacious and comfortable journey
regardless of the road or weather. It also features a
new level of Quality, Durability and Reliability (QDR) in the new model. As such, the new Innova not
only satisfies existing customers who love its legacy, but also wins over customers looking for a spacious
and more stylish vehicle with additional features.
The new Innova’s exterior is carefully designed and its sculpted body is both stylish and impressive.
Subtle aerodynamic effects and colours that are more emotional also enhance the exterior.
omaninternational
business
siness
SME Development Fund supports
Nifty50 based ETF launched in South Korea
The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) said that a Nifty50 based leveraged ETF (exchange
traded fund) has been launched in South Korea. “Mirae Asset Global Investments has launched
Korea’s first-ever ETF that tracks Nifty50 2x Leverage Index. The product will be traded on the
Korea Exchange (KRX),” the NSE said in a statement.
Ooredoo among Oman’s
Top 20 performing firms
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
logistics-based Omani SME
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
MUSCAT: For the sixth consecutive
year, Ooredoo was recognised as one
of the Sultanate’s Top 20 performing
companies by Oman Economic Review,
Oman’s leading economic and business
publication. Accepting the accolade on
behalf of the company was CEO, Greg
Young, who joined representatives
from leading corporations listed on the
Muscat Securities Market (MSM).
The recognition was based on
financial indicators including growth
of profit, earnings per share and share
price growth. The last twelve months
have seen Ooredoo’s numbers grow
substantially, driven by an increase
in both mobile and fixed data. The
leading telecommunications company
launched a series of inspiring new offers
and services into the market, all of
which have been generating significant
interest, with customer numbers and
uptake of offers increasing. Supporting
strategy
of
service
Ooredoo’s
innovation, quality and reach, the
company continues to invest heavily
and in 2015 they completed their
independent national fibre backbone,
which spans the length and breadth
of the country to provide cutting edge
connectivity to consumers and business
across Oman.
19
May 14: A special event was organised
at the Barka Camp of Al Safwa Trading
Company LLC (ASTCL) to hand over
the first instalment of the interest subsidy
refund. The interest refund was handed
over to Warith al Kharusi, Chairman,
ASTCL by Raphael V Parambi, CEO
SME Development Fund (SMEF).
Eligible SMEs are offered finance
at subsidized interest rate. Subsidized
interest refunds are made to customers
at the end of every 12th month. The
net interest paid by eligible SMEs is an
attractive 4 per cent per annum on a
reducing balance basis.
ASTCL is a SME focused on logistics
and facilities management for big
corporates notably in the oil & gas area.
The company has been set up by Warith
al Kharusi, an Omani professional with
over 20 years of senior level experience
in these areas in PDO. The company had
approached SME Fund for its financial
and business support for setting up staff
accommodation and logistics in Barka.
Since the support was extended, a
year ago, ASTCL has made rapid strides,
more than doubling the accommodation
facility from 400 to 1,100 head capacity.
It has also created an integrated pallet
handling yard within the premises to
cater to the requirements of the logistic
sector developing in the area.
The company follows the philosophy
of recruiting high potential Omani
youth and grooming them with on-job
training to handle various aspects of
their business and has steadily increased
its Omanisation from 16% to 50 per cent
at end of December, 2015.
Speaking on the occasion, Warith al
Kharusi stated that the sound accounting
processes, set up with the help of SMEF,
and their monitoring and guidance had
helped the firm grow in stature and
confidence. The company is already in
the process of planning the next stage of
growth and was confident of contributing
to economic diversification and
enhanced In-Country Value accretion
in the Sultanate. He encouraged SMEs to
avail of the integrated services provided
by the Fund and seek to grow and to
strengthen their balance sheet.
Parambi appreciated the rapid growth
and professional approach of ASTCL
which today has won the confidence
of blue chip clients like Bahwan
Engineering Company, PZ International
Constructions, Global Source Technical
Solutions, etc. SMEF’s nurturing service,
comprising accounting support, free
software, monitoring & mentoring is
aimed at helping other SMEs to achieve
similar growth trajectories.
“Therefore the four-point plan linked
payment of interest subsidy to the
compliance of borrowers to the nurturing
programme. SMEs, were gradually
realizing the importance of maintaining
books of accounts and adhering to
financial discipline and we were gratified
that many of our SMEs like ASTCL had
indeed grown as a consequence and been
able to win the confidence and business
of the best corporates in the country,”
he said. The SME Development Fund
(SMEF) has been established under
the Sultanate’s offset program, with the
objective of developing entrepreneurship
and financing small and medium
enterprises in the Sultanate. It was
launched in March 2014 and commenced
operations in April 2014.
SMEF’s objectives are the financing
and supporting of growing SMEs and the
‘creation’ of new entrepreneurs. Creating
Entrepreneurship, Funding, Nurturing
& Legitimizing are the Four Point Plan
of SMEF. Under the Nurturing Plan,
the Fund supports entrepreneurs with
accounting, software, monitoring and
mentoring. Accounting support is
provided by top accounting firms.
National Business Centre to mentor Impact Company Moody’s revises rating action
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
May 14: In line with its efforts to offer
a premier platform to support and
develop Omani entrepreneurs, the
National Business Centre (NBC) signed
recently an agreement to incubate
Impact Company.
Impact Company aims at getting
access to global leadership in the
development of industrial security
devices for housing units.
The NBC is an initiative launched by
the Public Establishment for Industrial
Estates (PEIE) at the Knowledge Oasis
Muscat (KOM) to offer promising
Omani entrepreneurs a platform to
business development support and
guidance, training and mentoring,
access to markets and industry experts,
and state-of-the-art and fully equipped
office space, meeting rooms and
presentation facilities.
The objectives of the centre comprise
facilitating and supporting the growth
of investable ideas into successful
businesses; building entrepreneurial
skills through dedicated and focused
training, coaching and mentoring; and
providing business support facilities
from office space, administrative
support, financial support and
consultancy services that are crucial in
The centre offers a premier platform ensuring the success and survival of new
develop their business ideas and advance
them into growing ventures.
for Omani entrepreneurs by providing ventures.
Ryanair would cut investment in UK if it leaves European Union
DUBLIN: Ryanair would withdraw some investment
if Britain opts to leave the EU and air fares could fall
in the short term due to the “extreme volatility” such a
vote would generate, chief executive Michael O’Leary
said. The Irish low-cost airline, Europe’s largest by
passenger numbers, flies 40 million of its 100 millionplus passengers a year to and from the United Kingdom
and has its largest hub at London’s Stansted Airport.
It was the liberalisation of Europe’s skies two
decades ago that allowed airlines to fly unrestricted urging voters to back continued European Union
between countries and which helped low-cost airlines membership in a June 23 referendum.
such as Ryanair and easyJet to grow rapidly.
“After 9/11, after every crisis Ryanair is selling
O’Leary is one of the most vocal business leaders cheaper fares, we keep people flying. So the fact is it
would have a downward effect on our pricing for six
to 12 months, but we will keep people flying,” O’Leary
told reporters.
“The longer-term effect though is we will invest less
in the UK, we will certainly switch some of our existing
UK investment into other European counties because
we want to continue to invest in the European Union
and it will be bad for air travel and British tourism.”
James Stamp, UK head of transport at KPMG, said
one of the concerns over a potential Brexit was that
it could put people off investing in bases and airlines
in the UK while the UK renegotiates trade and traffic
agreements. — Reuters
on Oman’s government issuer
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT
May 14: Moody’s Investors Service
yesterday downgraded the Government
of Oman’s long-term issuer ratings to
Baa1 from A3 and assigned a stable
outlook. The rating action concludes
the rating review for downgrade which
Moody’s initiated on February 26, 2016.
The key driver for the rating
downgrade is Moody’s view that,
despite the sizable fiscal consolidation
efforts undertaken by the government,
a protracted period of low oil prices
will negatively affect Oman’s sovereign
credit profile beyond the level Moody’s
anticipated in February when it
downgraded the rating to A3 from A1.
The stable outlook reflects a number
of strengths, which Moody’s believes
will counterbalance potential downside
risks and keep the credit profile
compatible with a Baa1 rating over the
coming years. These include low levels
of government indebtedness and fiscal
buffers.
Moody’s has also lowered Oman’s
long-term foreign-currency bond
ceiling to A3 from A2 and its longterm foreign-currency deposit ceiling
to Baa1 from A3. At the same time,
Moody’s lowered the short-term
foreign-currency bond ceiling to
Prime-2 from Prime-1, while the shortterm foreign-currency deposit ceiling
remains at Prime-2. Oman’s long-term
local-currency country risk ceilings
were lowered to A3 from A2.
The rating action also applies to
Oman Sovereign Sukuk SAOC, for
which the backed senior unsecured
rating was downgraded to Baa1 from
A3.
The downgrade of Oman’s rating
to Baa1 reflects Moody’s assessment
that, despite the government’s sizable
fiscal consolidation efforts, a protracted
period of low oil prices will negatively
affect Oman’s sovereign credit profile
beyond the level anticipated in February
when the rating agency downgraded
the rating to A3 from A1. Moody’s
now considers the implementation
risks associated with the Omani
government’s policy response and the
funding challenges to be greater than it
had initially assessed them to be.
Retail sales surged 1.3 per cent last month, the largest gain since March 2015, after dropping 0.3 per cent in March
Strong US retail sales, consumer sentiment boost economic outlook
WASHINGTON: US retail sales in April
recorded their biggest increase in a year
as Americans stepped up purchases of
automobiles and a range of other goods,
suggesting the economy was regaining
momentum after growth almost stalled
in the first quarter.
The jump in sales reported by the
Commerce Department on Friday is a
boost for the sector that has been hit by
sluggish demand. It comes days after
major retailers, including Macy’s and
Nordstrom, reported sales tumbled in
the first quarter and lowered their fullyear profit forecasts.
“The retail sales report shows that
recent claims of the demise of the US
consumer have been greatly exaggerated,”
said Steve Murphy, a US economist at
Capital Economics in Toronto.
Retail sales surged 1.3 per cent last
month, the largest gain since March
2015, after dropping 0.3 per cent in
March. Excluding automobiles, gasoline,
building materials and food services,
retail sales shot up 0.9 per cent last month
after an upwardly revised 0.2 per cent
gain in March.
These so-called core retail sales
correspond most closely with the
consumer spending component of gross
domestic product.
They were previously reported to have
gained 0.1 per cent in March. Economists
had forecast retail sales rising 0.8 per cent
and core retail sales gaining 0.3 per cent
last month.
Signs of an acceleration in consumer
spending keep an interest rate hike from
the Federal Reserve next month on the
table.
“Today’s data materially strengthen
the hand of those within the Fed for a rate
increase in June but we remain doubtful
as to whether this view will prevail,
barring an especially robust employment
its consumer sentiment index surged
6.8 points to 95.8 early this month, the
highest reading since June. Sentiment
increased among all income and age
groups, with big gains among lowerincome and younger households.
Last month’s strong core retail sales
increase could prompt economists to
raise their second-quarter GDP, currently
hovering around a 2 per cent annualized
rate. Economic growth braked to a 0.5
per cent pace in the first three months of
the year after expanding at a 1.4 per cent
pace in the fourth quarter.
But another report from the
Commerce
Department on Friday
A woman is seen waiting in line at Bloomingdale’s in New York. US consumers came
back to stores in April, spending more than expected to reverse a worrisome stall in showing a 0.4 per cent increase in
business inventories in March suggest
the first quarter of the year, Commerce Department data showed. — AFP
growth was much higher than initially
report in early June,” said Anthony a boost from a separate report showing estimated.
Karydakis, chief economic strategist at sentiment among households jumped to
Data on retail sales, construction
an 11-month high in early May.
Miller Tabak in New York.
spending and factory orders have already
The University of Michigan said implied that the advance GDP growth
Consumer spending prospects got
estimate could be raised to a 0.9 per cent
rate when the government publishes its
revision later this month.
The dollar rose against the euro and
the yen after the data, while prices for
US government debt fell. US stocks were
trading lower.
Retail sales have been sluggish in part
because the strengthening labor market
has not generated strong wage growth.
Economists also say that some of the
savings from cheaper gasoline over the
past year-and-a-half have been absorbed
by rising rents and medical care costs.
Macy’s, the largest department chain,
said this week same-store sales fell 5.6
per cent in the first quarter, and expected
full-year sales to decline 3-4 per cent.
Nordstrom reported that sales at
stores open at least a year fell 1.7 per cent
in the first quarter. It cut its profit forecast
for the year to $2.50-$2.70 per share from
—Reuters
$3.10-$3.35.
international
business
b
i
20
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
Dutch insurer ASR IPO likely this quarter
The Dutch government said it would pursue a stock market listing for insurer ASR ,
probably launching an initial public offering of shares before the end of this quarter.
ASR’s book value at the end of 2015 was 3.57 billion euros ($4.06 billion).
Size and pricing have not been determined and will depend on market conditions.
*Oil trims weekly gain as surplus
MARKET UPDATE
persists despite supply losses
NEW YORK: Oil pared a weekly advance as
investors weighed the return of output from
Canadian producers against global supply
reductions from Nigeria to the US
Futures dropped 1.1 per cent in New
York, trimming the week’s gains to 3.5 per
cent. Companies including Enbridge Inc are
resuming operations in Alberta after wildfires
curbed operations. Militant attacks have cut
output in Nigeria to the lowest in 20 years.
Exxon Mobil Corp invoked a legal clause
allowing it to suspend shipments of Qua
Iboe crude from Nigeria without breaching
contracts.
“There is no question the main driver
is mounting outages in Nigeria,” Michael
Wittner, head of oil-market research at Societe
Generale SA, said by telephone. “That’s
high-quality, light, sweet crude. The other
big story of the week, which partly offsets
Nigeria, is that the situation in Alberta seems
to be getting better. The market is definitely
weighing the two against each other.”
Alberta Output
Producers in Canada are resuming output
at some sites after wildfires took production
offline. Enbridge is readying its oil-sands
pipelines for startup after the blaze in Alberta,
according to Chief Executive Officer Al
Monaco, and Royal Dutch Shell Plc resumed
output at its Albian site at reduced rates. There
are no oil-sands facilities currently at risk
from the wildfires, Chad Morrison, a wildfire
manager for the Alberta government, told
reporters on Thursday.
West Texas Intermediate for June delivery
declined 49 cents to settle at $46.21 a barrel
on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices
posted a gain last week after previous week’s
decline. Brent for July settlement fell 25 cents,
or 0.5 per cent, to end the session at $47.83
a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures
Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude
traded at a 93 cent premium to July WTI.
Market Balance
Oil has rebounded after slumping to the
lowest level since 2003 earlier this year as US
output declines. The global surplus in the first
half of this year is smaller than previously
estimated because of robust demand in India
and other emerging nations, the International
Energy Agency said. Still, further gains in oil
prices “are likely to be limited by brimming
crude and products stocks,” it predicted.
The number of active oil rigs fell to 318
ZURICH: Iranian miners are seeking $10 billion
to develop a domestic aluminium industry that
could serve to export 60 per cent of production to
meet growing demand for the metal used in cars
to jets and beverage cans. The raw material bauxite
needed to achieve that goal is proving hard to find.
Iran’s aluminium production of 350,000 metric
tonnes a year is below capacity of 470,000 tonnes
because of a shortage of bauxite and insufficient
electricity generation, Mehdi Karbasian, Managing
Director of state-owned Iranian Mines and
Mining Industries Development and Renovation
Organization, said at a conference in Tehran last
Wednesday. With additional investment, Iran
could boost output to 1.5 million tonnes by 2025,
he said.
Unlike Iran’s oil industry which was crippled
because of international sanctions, the domestic
aluminium business was held back because a 25year effort to develop a bauxite mine in the West
African nation of Guinea still hasn’t produced. The
50-50 partnership with the Guinean government
was renewed for another 25 years, and Iran is
now awaiting a consultant’s recommendation by
September on how to make the mine operational.
“The mine in Guinea has more than 500 million
tonnes of bauxite, but it’s far from the sea and there
is a need for rails to be put in place,” Karbasian said
in an interview in Zurich. “We are weak when it
comes to bauxite reserves.”
Oil has rebounded after
slumping to the lowest level
since 2003 earlier this year as
US output declines. The global
surplus in the first half of this
year is smaller than previously
estimated because of robust
demand in India and other
emerging nations.
last week, according to Baker Hughes Inc US
crude production dropped to the lowest level
since September 2014 last week, according
to an Energy Information Administration
report released on Wednesday. Nationwide
stockpiles declined in the week ended on May
6 for the first time in more than a month, yet
inventory still remains near the highest level
since 1929, the report showed.
“There are a lot of opposing tensions in
the market,” Wittner said. “The market is
weighing an outlook for the nearly balanced
second half of the year versus the current
Iran seeks
partners for
$10 billion
expansion in
aluminium
situation. Despite these outages that we’ve
had, we’re still swimming in crude oil and
products, too.”
Opec kept forecasts for global oil supply
and demand unchanged, according to
a monthly report. The group increased
production by 188,200 barrels a day in
April to 32.44 million, as gains in Iran and
Iraq compensated for losses in Nigeria and
Kuwait. Iran’s crude production has returned
to pre-sanction levels as the nation ramps up
output to regain market share, according to
the IEA. Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil
exporter, plans “significant growth” in output
in 2016 and further international expansion,
the head of the country’s state-run producer
said last week.
“A lot of the re-balancing is going to be
tempered by how much market share do
the Saudis give back,” Bill O’Grady, Chief
Market Strategist at Confluence Investment
Management in St. Louis, said by telephone.
“They look like they’re pretty aggressively
trying to take what we give up.” — Bloomberg
Aluminium cables are seen at the Alubar Metais E
Cabos plant in Barcarena, Brazil. — Bloomberg
Crowded market
CORPORATE BONDS
Dell takes centre stage after $74 billion
global bond bonanza
Apple chief financial officer Luca Maestri
said on an April 26 conference call that the
company would continue to access debt
markets to fund shareholder rewards.
Dell’s offering will be another
test of market health. It’s going
to be a bit of a benchmark for
showing us the overall strength
of the credit market
Fewer Mergers
DAVID BROWN,
Credit chief at Neuberger Berman
NEW YORK: Investors who gobbled up
$74 billion of corporate bonds sold by bluechip companies in the US and Europe in the
busiest week since January, should get ready
for another deluge of debt sales.
This week Dell Inc may sell more than $16
billion of notes in the investment-grade bond
market to fund its buyout of EMC Corp. That
would make it the second-largest corporate
bond sale this year after Anheuser-Busch
InBev NV’s $46 billion deal in January that
backed its purchase of SABMiller Plc.
The computer maker isn’t the only
prominent issuer expected to tap debt
markets soon. Apple Inc may sell bonds for
the third time this year as the iPhone maker
raises debt as a means to return capital to
its shareholders, according to people with
An attendee opens a Dell Ultrabook at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in
Las Vegas, Nevada, US. — Bloomberg file photo
knowledge of the matter.
Dell’s offering will be another test of
market health, said David Brown, head of
global investment-grade credit at Neuberger
Berman. “It’s going to be a bit of a benchmark
for showing us the overall strength of the
credit market,” he said.
Cash flush investors continue to chase
higher returns in company debt. Funds
that purchase investment-grade bonds saw
inflows of $1.13 billion last week, the tenth
straight week of deposits, according to Lipper
US Fund Flows data. The average yield on
bonds sold by top-rated US companies is 3.09
per cent, close to a one year low, according to
Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data.
While issuance will be dominated by Dell’s
takeover financing, bond sales for mergers
won’t reach last year’s levels amid more
regulatory scrutiny and increased volatility,
Barclays analysts led by Shobhit Gupta wrote
in a note on Friday. The bank reduced its
forecast for 2016 bond issuance from US
industrial companies to $625 billion from
$685 billion.
A string of M&A deals that may have
required debt financing have been scuttled so
far this year. Staples Inc and Office Depot Inc
terminated a merger plan on May 10 after a
federal judge blocked the deal.
Still, M&A-related bond issuance remains
strong, although Dell may be the largest deal
of its kind for a while, said Jon Duensing, a
portfolio manager at Amundi Smith Breeden.
He expects the pace of acquisitions to slow
down going forward.
“There are a handful of transactions on
the horizon that are expected to be large but
maybe not as large as the Dell transaction,”
— Bloomberg
Duensing said.
Iran will be entering a crowded market in
the Middle East where production has grown to
represent almost 10 per cent of global output, in
part because of low energy costs. Emirates Global
Aluminium based in the United Arab Emirates
boosted output 4 per cent last year to 2.4 million
tonnes while Aluminium Bahrain BSC wants to
increase its production by 540,000 tonnes to 1.5
million tonnes.
Aluminium prices have dropped about 40 per
cent in the past five years as economic growth
cooled in China, the world’s biggest producer and
consumer. The metal traded on the London Metal
Exchange has advanced about 4 per cent this year.
Iran has invested $2.7 billion in its aluminium
industry, and that figure needs to be raised
“substantially” to meet domestic and Middle East
demand, Karbasian told the conference in Tehran
on Wednesday.
Demand rising
Global aluminium demand will climb 5 per
cent in 2016 while production expands 2 per cent,
leaving a deficit of 1.1 million tonnes, Alcoa Inc,
the biggest US aluminium producer, said in an
April investor presentation. Middle East and North
Africa consumption expanded 5 per cent in the
first quarter, driven by 12 per cent growth in Saudi
Arabia, Aluminium Bahrain said in its investor
presentation this month.
Guinea holds 7.4 billion tonnes of bauxite,
more than any other country, according to US
Geological Survey data. It only accounts for 6 per
cent of global output due to limited exploration and
infrastructure, Bloomberg Intelligence industry
analyst Yi Zhu said in a report on May 6. Australia
and China are the biggest bauxite producers,
according to USGS.
— Bloomberg
p
pers
p
pective
business
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
21
*Speed is the key for profitable eCommerce
ECOMMERCE CHALLENGES
STEFANO VIRGILLI
[email protected]
B
uilding a sustainable
brand in the competitive
eCommerce world can
be very demanding.
Once you have found the
right niche, developed
your website, offered quality to your
clients and your business started to
grow, you might face some unexpected
challenges. What many people do not
count on when it comes to eCommerce
is their site’s load time.
Regarding this issue, research is not
on their side either. Seems like loading
speed of eCommerce sites and the web
that has gotten faster over the next few
years are moving into reverse directions.
Recently, user’s expectations of how a site
should function have expanded. Internet
users have increased their expectations.
The negative impact that speed
has on eCommerce might be huge.
If we consider that businesses lose
approximately 25 per cent of its online
visitors if the site does not load in the
first 4 seconds, then we can all come
to the conclusion that speed is crucial
for profitable eCommerce. Another
research indicates that retail sites in the
United States are 16 per cent slower
compared to last year. Their average site’s
load time has increased from 7.36 to
8.56 seconds.
“Trees that are slow to grow bear
the best fruit” does not apply in today’s
business world. People’s impatience is
growing thinner each and every day. The
key is to find the problem and solve it.
And if you are on the way of trying to
find out what can be slowing your site,
these things are more likely to come
across.
Content management systems (CMS’s)
are the foundation for a fast running
eCommerce site. The important thing
when it comes to CMS is that they are
built for serving different purposes.
For example, if you built your site on
WordPress, which is designed for blogging
and is not eCommerce flexible, you might
want to consider including eCommerce
plugin in order to avoid poor traffic peaks
management by the platform. And that
stands against the fact that is necessary
to always use native eCommerce content
management, such as Magento.
In the process of dealing with large
amount of data, multimedia content
and traffic on your eCommerce site,
you need to have a reliable and flexible
web host. Another thing to consider
is the need of dedicated IP address
for your account. That might ensure
quicker response during times of highlevel traffic load. InMotion hosting,
BlueHost, and FatCow are some popular
eCommerce-ready web hosts.
Including external resources on
your eCommerce site, such as tons of
YouTube videos, Twitter feeds and so
Surveys show that more than
a half of the buyers would
not return to a website to
make another purchase
if the site is showing poor
performance. And even
worse, even half of them will
tell a friend for such a bad
online experience. Mobile
users also expect the mobile
website to load nearly as fast
as on desktop browser.
on, might sound like a great idea. But
the reality is that it will slow down your
site. When the browser is trying to load
your page automatically is looking for
a match between your domain name
and compatible IP address. During
that process, the browser refers to a
DNS server. If you have lots of external
resources on your page, it will take more
than the usual 20-120 milliseconds
for the browser to find your page. The
conclusion? Prevent this from happening
by minimizing the data from external
resources gathered on your page.
Another important things you need
to check (if are installed on your server)
are PHP Accelerator and enabled gzip
compression. The usage of a PHP
Accelerator in this problematic is to
increase the speed of PHP application
and improve web page generation
throughput. On the other side, the
compressor will allow the server to
compress site files for later exchanging
with the browser, which will shorten the
time needed to load your page.
Some of the most common hazards
that will slow down your site are: too
many redirects (that shouldn’t be
included unless you can have a good use
of them), broken links (hyperlinks that
lead to a web page that does not exist),
oversized images without dimensions,
too many HTTP requests, not using
browser caching and not keeping the
CMS updated, and not using a content
delivery network. You might find
surprising but those social sharing
buttons that pop up constantly are a
must-to-check regarding the load time.
A must have is an optimised mobile
solution for maximal speed on mobile
devices. Surveys show that more than a
half of the buyers would not return to
a website to make another purchase if
the site is showing poor performance.
And even worse, even half of them
will tell a friend for such a bad online
experience. Mobile users also expect the
mobile website to load nearly as fast as
on desktop browser. In case your site
is making $100,000 per day, make sure
that the speed is up to the challenge. In
contrary, you might end up losing $2.5
million in sales each year for a simple
one-second page delay.
Overall, make sure to regularly check
your site when it comes to the speed. It
is crucial for your eCommerce business
growth. Before your launch, your site,
make sure to check every detail that
might be slowing down your business
and focus on the important things that
will guarantee success.
*Digging deep in South Africa as *For Deutsche Bank’s
MINING WOES
FINANCIAL PROSPECTS
diamond hunt gets tougher
P
roof that diamonds are
getting harder to find
can be seen in the South
African bush, where one of
the world’s largest mining
companies is spending $2 billion
tunnelling beneath a vast open-pit mine.
De Beers spent 25 years digging a
450-metre (1,500-foot) deep by onekilometre wide hole to access diamondrich rock from the surface at the
Venetia mine, close to the border with
Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Now a whole new underground
mine is being constructed underneath
the hole to reach diamonds more than
1,000 metres below ground — a big bet
by De Beers that their investment will
reap decades of profit.
“We are in very challenging times,”
Ludwig Von Maltitz, the mine’s general
manager, said on the edge of the
cavernous open-pit as trucks rumbled
up to the processing plant.
“Worldwide, the easier diamond
sources have probably been found but,
with this resource here, we hope we have
something that can extend well into the
future.”
As the hunt for diamonds becomes
tougher, mining companies must go to
greater lengths — and absorb higher
costs — to secure the ultimate precious
stone and symbol of love.
“Across the globe, the big diamond
deposits have been exploited, and I
don’t see any big new mines coming
online,” Peter Major, mining specialist
at Johannesburg-based Cadiz Solutions,
said.
“We are often told that the growing
world population, combined with
the increasing difficulty of finding
diamonds, will mean prices always rise,
but we will see. Many producers are
losing money.
“The project at Venetia is stupendous
An employee walks through a tunnel in the Venetia Diamond mine in South Africa. — AFP
— especially as very few other firms are
investing in mining in South Africa.”
In recent years, diamond prices have
fluctuated sharply.
After the global economic crisis in
2008, prices recovered quickly to hit a
peak in 2011 before falling about 20 per
cent to slightly below their current rate.
Amid such swings, mining
companies must judge whether it is
profitable to prospect for diamonds
in increasingly difficult geological
conditions, or in unstable countries such
as Angola and the Democratic Republic
of Congo.
Are diamonds forever?
Reflecting widespread uncertainty
in the industry, De Beers — the world’s
largest supplier of diamonds by value
— shut diamond mines in Canada and
Botswana last year.
It also sold its last mine in the South
African town of Kimberley, where the
diamond industry was born and where
De Beers was founded in 1888 by British
Across the globe, the big
diamond deposits have been
exploited, and I don’t see
any big new mines coming
online
PETER MAJOR,
Mining specialist at Cadiz Solutions
colonialist Cecil Rhodes.
But the Venetia mine is set to become
one of the world’s five biggest diamond
mines after its conversion from openpit to underground operations is finally
completed in 2022.
Current predictions suggest the mine
will then operate until at least 2043.
“The troughs and the peaks
(of diamond prices) happen more
frequently now but I am optimistic,” said
Von Maltitz.
“If we can do it well enough, I can’t
see why mining should not be a lucrative
business going forward.”
Demand for diamonds over the
last decade has been driven by a new
generation of buyers in China and India
that have adopted the tradition of giving
diamond engagement rings.
Latest figures suggest that such new
markets are fragile.
De Beers last month reported that
global demand for diamond jewellery
grew two per cent in 2015 with growth
strongest in the United States and China.
But a dip in India and across the Gulf
region pointed to weakening growth in
many emerging markets.
“China and India drove diamond
prices up, along with speculation that the
growth rate would continue indefinitely,”
industry analyst Paul Zimnisky said,
speaking from New York.
“People got overly optimistic and
greedy,” he said.
— AFP
Cryan, profit can wait
A
lmost one year into his tenure as Deutsche Bank’s Chief
Executive, John Cryan (pictured) says he has ushered in a
new culture of openness, rooted out bad behaviour and set
about untangling the bank’s technology.
Profit, says the 55-year-old Briton, can wait.
“If we had wanted to be profitable this year, then it’s a done deal. We
can stop investing in IT. We can put off litigation,” he said, in reference to
lawsuits against the bank.
Cryan, earlier at Switzerland’s UBS, has been tasked with cleaning up a
business which in three years declined from a potent force on Wall Street
to posting a record loss in 2015.
It share price has fallen 35 per cent so far this year.
While its neighbour on New York’s Park Avenue, JP Morgan, made a
record profit of more than $24 billion last year, Deutsche lodged a loss of
$7.7 billion. One of the main reasons for Deutsche’s woes is a litigation bill
since 2012 that has already hit 12.6 billion euros. Claims filed by individuals,
companies and regulators against
Deutsche, outlined in the bank’s 2015
annual report, relate to misselling of
subprime loans and manipulation of
foreign exchange rates or gold and
silver prices.
Other law suits are for the rigging
of borrowing benchmarks Libor
and Euribor, used to set the price of
mortgages and derivatives.
Deutsche paid more than $3 billion
in fines after regulators’ probes into manipulation of such interbank rates.
Cryan has said he hopes to put many of the bank’s legal issues behind it
this year. But his clean-up has exposed weaknesses that he believes need to
be dealt with before the bank rebuilds its bottom line.
Deutsche, for example, had a messy and outdated computer system
that used 4,400 different software applications — since pared back to 3,900
by getting rid of duplicates.
“We could kick the can down the road but won’t do it,” Cryan said
in conversation at Deutsche’s offices in Frankfurt. He faces a difficult
challenge. Interviews with one dozen present and former Deutsche staff
and managers describe an organisation still dominated by fiefdoms and
bureaucracy.
The European Central Bank, which supervises Deutsche, is concerned
about such fiefdoms as well as the group’s financial prospects and is
urging an acceleration of Cryan’s clean-up, according to one person with
knowledge of the matter.
The ECB declined to comment, while Deutsche rejects any doubts over
its financial health, which Cryan described as “rock solid” in an email to
staff in February.
Some investors are alarmed by the bank’s falling returns.
Lenders now believe Deutsche’s subordinated debt is riskier than
almost all European rivals.
SUNDAY l MAY 15, 2016 l SHAABAN 8, 1437 AH
[email protected]
www.omanobserver.om
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at Ruwi and Al Khoudh.
93994402, 93994403,
24834644.
·····
AIR-conditioned and
spacious apartment in
South Al Maabela consists
of 3 bedrooms and majlis
with toilets for each room
+ sitting room and kitchen,
close to public water.
99760908
·····
HOUSE for rent 7 bedrooms,
2 kitchens and 2 bathrooms.
99457845/99343340.
·····
ǧand
•’ƒ…‹‘—•ϐŽƒ–‹‘—–ŠŽ
Maabela consists of 3
bedrooms, sitting room
and toilets for each room
+ sitting room and kitchen
close to water source.
99700908.
·····
A FLAT in North Al Hail
consists of 4 bedrooms with
toilets for each, sitting room
and kitchen. 99700908.
·····
NEW rent house in
Maabelah. 99880841/
96053220
·····
NEW building in Maabela
Industrial Area available
for rent. Corner location for
showroom, hypermarket
‘”„ƒǤ
”‘—†ϐŽ‘‘”ǡͳ•–
ƒ†ʹ†ϐŽ‘‘”•ƒ”‡‘’‡Ǥ
99323030
·····
·····
·····
SINGLE bedroom
ϐŽƒ–ǡŽŠ—™ƒ‹”ƒ†
Al Ghubra, family only.
92967853.
VILLA in Al Mawaleh (5),
5 rooms + toilets + majlis
and family living room.
92880977.
VILLA for rent in North Al
Hail consists of 4 bedrooms
with toilets for each room +
majlis. 99760908
FLAT for rent in Qurum PDO,
3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms,
living room and kitchen.
96655506.
PART/full time home base
business unlimited income.
99868330/ 99848831.
·····
·····
·····
·····
·····
·····
CLASSIFIED SECTION:
·····
[email protected]
2 FLOOR house at Al Hail
North. Each floor: 3
bedrooms, 3 bathrooms,
kitchen, store, 1 sitting
room. 92133551,
95067585
·····
3 in 1 Printer
Ruwi: 24792-792
·····
·····
HP2130
ȍ͵
VILLAS for sale/
rents WADI
KABIR/AL
KHUWAIR),
ȋŠ‘’•Ȁ‘ˆϐ‹…‡•
for rent/ Al
Khuwair)
(Flats for rent/
Wadi Kabir).
ͻ͸ͷͻ͸͵ͶͺǤ
COMPUTER SUPPLIES
·····
·····
·····
Available on UNBEATABLE prices
FLAT for rent in Maabela
3 master rooms.
96088926.
VILLA for rent in Al Qurum.
Flat for rent in Rimal Gallria
in Bausher. Villa for rent in
Maabela 99830331.
FLATS for rent in
Al Khuwair, Al Hail,
Wadi Kabir, Al Falaj,
MBD and Muttrah.
99119699/ 95250300/
24813002.
AL Hikmani for
HAJ and UMRAH
— With a host of
services including
the following:
Hiring luxurious
coaches, arranging
weekly trips,
preparing visas
for expats at
cost-effective
price, including
transport, housing,
meals and visits to
shrine locations.
Land and air
trips weekly.
99311310,
24566016,
99361982,
99707248,
99322124.
A FLAT in South Al
Maabela consists of 3
bedrooms with toilets
for each room + sitting
room and kitchen with
air-condition. The flat is
near a public water
surce and in excellent
location. 99700408.
SHOWROOM in Al
Khoudh Market for rent.
94887300.
For Sale/Rent
GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!!
For Rent
NEW Showroom in
Industrial Area for rent.
3,000m2 (12 shops for each
85m2) in the back have
covered area 1,800m2. In
Sohar Falaj, Alouhi. Contact.
99446446, 92758353.
·····
Umrah/Haj
GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!!
SPECIAL Rates on
New Cars & 4 WDs
PEST CONTROL
OMAN CO. LLC.
GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!!
Rent a Car
Announcement
Ali al Maashari: 99639264 [email protected]
Mohammed al Rashdi: 99841230 [email protected]
(12 Shops for each 85 m2)
Required
CERTIFIED Fumigator
who can handle all
types of fumigation
services for a reputed
Trading Company in
Muscat. Should have
relevant educational
“—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘ǡ
…‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡•ǡ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
in fumigation service,
good co-ordination
skills and having
driving licence.
Interested candidates
may forward their
CV with copies of
‡†—…ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ…‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡•
and work experience
within 10 days to:
almarooj@omnatel.
net.om
·····
FREE
INFORMATION
ABOUT ISLAM
If you would like
to know more
about
Islam, please
call:
Tel : 99425598,
99250777,
99353988,
99253818,
99341395,
99379133, For
ladies: 99415818,
99321360, 99730723
Or visit:
www.11coman.om
www.islamfact.com
CLASSIFIED SECTION
RUWI : 24785668 Behind
Royal Oman Police, Adjacent
to Dhofar Building, Ruwi.
94501166
DIRECT: 24649595 — FAX : 24649590
c ass fieds
classi
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CLASSIFIEDS
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
Situation Vacant
”‡“—‹”‡†
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡†MEP
Engineers and
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ͻͷʹʹͻ͸Ͳͺǡͻ͵ʹͳͶͲͻʹ
or ‰—Žˆ‡ƒƒ”̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
·····
WANTED A Bilingual
Sales Executiveǡ™‹–Š
͵–‘Ͷ›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
Ƭ†”‹˜‹‰Ž‹…‡…‡Ǥ
Š‘—Ž†„‡†›ƒ‹…ƒ†
…ƒ’ƒ„Ž‡‘ˆ’Žƒ‹‰
sales forecast, calls
ƒ†”‡’‘”–•ǤŽ—‡…›‹
”ƒ„‹…—•–Ǥƒ‹Ž–‘
˜‹Œƒ›̷„‹‰ŽŽ…‘ƒǤ…‘
·····
Ȁ
ȀƒŽ‡•
š‡…—–‹˜‡
”‡“—‹”‡†
ͷǦ͸›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡‡†
‹ƒȀ
responsible for
ƒ”‡–‹‰Ƭ•ƒŽ‡•
™‹–Š†”‹˜‹‰Ž‹…‡…‡Ǥ
ͻͲͳͺͺͳʹͲǡ‡ƒ‹Žǣ
”ƒŒ‹–‡Š–ƒͲͲͻ̷
‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘Ǥ
·····
Ž‹‰Š–†—–›
†”‹˜‡”ǤͻͶ͸Ͷ͹͸͵ͳǤ
·····
LOOKING for investor
or experienced
civil engineer for a
construction, maintenance
ƬŽƒ†•…ƒ’‹‰…‘’ƒ›Ǥ
‡”‹‘—•’‡‘’Ž‡…‘–ƒ…–Ǥ
ͻ͵ͻͶ͸͸ʹʹǤ
NOW Š‹”‹‰ƒTicketing
Operator.—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘ǣ
ƒ˜‹‰ͷ›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
ƒ†ƒ„‘˜‡‹‘’‡”ƒ–‹‰
ƒ•‡”˜‡”ǡŠƒ˜‹‰ƒ
‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡ǡŠƒ˜‹‰ƒƒ‹ · · · · ·
†”‹˜‹‰Ž‹…‡…‡ǤǦƒ‹Žǣ
LEADING–”ƒ•’‘”–‹‰
‘ǣ––ʹͲͲͲ̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
…‘’ƒ›”‡“—‹”‡†7
·····
Omani drivers for light
General
vehiclesǤ”‡ˆ‡”‡…‡•ˆ‘”
manager and other
–Š‘•‡™Š‘•’‡ƒ‰Ž‹•ŠǤ
related staff for a new
ͻ͵ͺ͹ͷ͸ͻ͹Ǥ
Š‘–‡Ž‹—”—Ǥ‡†
™‹–Š’Š‘–‘‰”ƒ’Šƒ†…‘’‹‡• · · · · ·
‘ˆ…‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡•Ǥ E-mail:
“ŠŠʹͲͳ͸̷‘—–Ž‘‘Ǥ…‘
OMANI public relation
manager/ marketing
·····
manager”‡“—‹”‡†ˆ‘”ƒ
Marketing/
PR Manager ˆ‘”ƒ‘†‡” ‘ˆϐ‹…‡‹–Šƒ‹„ƒǤ—ŽŽ–‹‡
”‡•–ƒ—”ƒ–‰”‘—’‹ƒǤ
Œ‘„Ǥƒ‹…‹–‹œ‡•™‹–Š
”‘ϐ‹…‹‡–‹ŽŽ—•–”ƒ–‘”ƒ† Š‡ƒŽ–Š…ƒ”‡“—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘
Š‘–‘•Š‘’ǤŠƒ”‹•ƒ–‹…ǡ
‘”ƒ”‡–‹‰‡š’‡”‡‹…‡
”‘ƒ…–‹˜‡ǡ…”‡ƒ–‹˜‡ƒ†
‘Ž›‡‡†–‘ƒ’’Ž›™‹–Š
ϐŽ‡š‹„Ž‡Ǥš…‡ŽŽ‡–™”‹–‹‰Ȁ
‡‰Ž‹•Šƒ†’Š‘–‘–‘ǣ
‡†‹–‹‰•‹ŽŽ•Ǥ‡‰”‡‡
‹”‡Ž‡˜ƒ–ƒ”‡ƒǤŽ—‡–
ƒ”ƒ„Š‡ƒŽ–Š̷ƒŽŠƒ‹Ǥ…‘
‹‰Ž‹•ŠǤ ‡†–‘
·····
ƒ”‡–‹‰’”ʹͲͳ͸̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ
com
”‡••—”‡”ƒ†‹‰
·····
ǡ›†”‘ϐŽ‘™ǡ
Ž‘‘‹‰ for Accounts Clerk
”‡“—‹”‡†
Internist (medical
ƒ†PRO™‹–Š‘‡‘”–™‘
specialist), Paediatrician. ›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹‘Šƒ”
Ǧƒ‹ŽǣƒŽ‡š…‡–‡”̷Ž‹˜‡Ǥ…‘ ‹†Ž›•‡†›‘—”™‹–Š
·····
‡š’‡…–‡†•ƒŽƒ”›ƒ–ǣƒŽœ—Žϐ‹̷
eim.ae
”‡“—‹”‡†
Expatriate Heavy Duty
·····
Drivers, JCB Operators
™‹–Š˜ƒŽ‹†ƒ‹Ž‹…‡…‡Ǥ
A NEW ‡†‹…ƒŽ…‘’Ž‡š‹
‡†›‘—”–‘‰†•‘ƒ̷
œ‹”‡“—‹”‡†‡†‹…ƒŽ•–ƒˆˆǣ
‰†•‘ƒǤ…‘Ǥ‘–ƒ…–ǣ
- 2 General doctors.
ͻͻͺͻͲͲ͹͸ǡͻ͵ͺͻͶͲͳͺǡ
Ǧ ͳSpecialist
ƒšǣʹͶͷͻͲͺ͸͸Ǥ
obstetrician and
·····
gynaecologist.
SUBCONTRACTORS
- 2 Paediatrician and
”‡“—‹”‡†ǣ…‘–”ƒ…–‘”•
specialist.
‹–‡”‡•–‡†‹–‡Ž‡…‘•‹†‡
Ǧ
ͳDermatologist.
Ȅ…‹˜‹Žƒ†—†‡”‰”‘—†
Ǧ ͳSpec phys
–‡Ž‡’Š‘‡…ƒ„Ž‡Žƒ›‹‰
work — may contact Mr
otorhinolaryngology.
ƒ˜‹ͻͻͶʹͶ͸Ͳͷ‘”
- 2 X-Ray technicians.
”ƒ›‡†Ǥͻͻ͵ͷͺ͹͵͵
- 2 LAB technicians.
‘ˆƒ–‹‘ƒŽ‡Ž‡’Š‘‡
- 2 Pharmacists.
‡”˜‹…‡•‘Ǥ
Services
Wanted
ƒŽ—•–ƒ‰„ƒŽ
ƒŽ‘ƒ›œƒ„‡ƒ—–›
ƒ†•‹…ƒ”‡‹—•…ƒ–
Š‹‡•‡‡ƒ—–›‡–‡”
‹‘Šƒ”„”ƒ…Š
’”‘ˆ‡••‹‘ƒŽ–‡…Š‹…‹ƒ
ͳͷ›‡ƒ”•’‡”ˆ‘”ƒ…‡
treatement for Acne
”‡‘˜‡ǡ•‹–”‡ƒ–‡–
•’‘–”‡‘˜‡ǡ•‹
…ƒ”‡ǡ•‹™Š‹–‡‹‰ǡ
•‹ϐ‹”ǡ”‡‘˜‡
™”‹Ž‡ǡ„‘†›”‡ŽƒšǤ
‘Šƒ”Ž‘…ƒ–‹‘ǣƒŽƒŒŽ
ƒ„ƒ‹Ž•ƒ‡ƒ‘ˆ
Beirut. ͻʹͲ͹ʹͻͳͷǡ
ʹ͸ͺͶͷ͵Ͷ͵Ǥ
…ƒ†‡”‰‡‡”ƒŽ
’Š›•‹…‹ƒ•ǡ†‡–‹•–•ǡ
—”•‡•ǡŽƒ„–‡…Š‹…‹ƒ•ǡ
’Šƒ”ƒ…‹•–•ƒ†
‰›ƒ‡…‘Ž‘‰‹•–•ǤŽŽ–Š‡
’”‘ˆ‡••‹‘•ƒ”‡ˆ‘”„‘–Š
ƒŽ‡•ƒ†ˆ‡ƒŽ‡•–‘™‘”
ƒ–ƒ‡†‹…ƒŽ…‘’Ž‡š
in Wilayat Al Amerat in
–Š‡—•…ƒ–
‘˜‡”‘”ƒ–‡
’”‘˜‹†‡†–Šƒ––Š‡›Šƒ˜‡
a practise licence from
–Š‡‹‹•–”›‘ˆ‡ƒŽ–ŠǤ–
‹•ƒŽ•‘”‡“—‡•–‡†ˆ‡ƒŽ‡
”‡…‡’–‹‘‹•–•™‹–Š‰‘‘†
…‘ƒ†‘ˆ‰Ž‹•Š
Žƒ‰—ƒ‰‡ƒ†…‘’—–‡”
skills. ͻͲʹͺͲͲͲ͵ǡ
ͻͻʹ͹Ͳ͹͹ͷǤ
·····
·····
1.ƒ‹–‡ƒ…‡ƒ†
•‡”˜‹…‹‰Ǥ
2. ”‹†‰‡ǡ™ƒ•Š‹‰
ƒ…Š‹‡ƒ††‹•Š
™ƒ•Š‡””‡’ƒ‹”‹‰Ǥ
3. ƒ‹–‹‰ƒ†
…Ž‡ƒ‹‰•‡”˜‹…‡•Ǥ4.
Ž‡…–”‹…ƒŽǡ’Ž—„‹‰
ƒ†…ƒ”’‡–”›
work ͻ͹ͲͳͶʹ͵Ͷǡ
ͻͻͶͶ͹ʹͷ͹ǡʹͶͷͲͶʹͺͳǤ
Situation Wanted
·····
‘ˆ”‘ƒ†
†”ƒ™‹‰•ƒ†…”‘••
•‡…–‹‘•‹…Ž—†‹‰…‹˜‹Ž
†”ƒ™‹‰•Ǥͻ͹ͲͲͺͲʹ͸Ǥ
·····
ǣͳǤ
ƒ‹–‡ƒ…‡Ƭ‡”˜‹…‹‰Ǣ
ʹǤ”‹†‰‡ǡƒ•Š‹‰
ƒ…Š‹‡Ƭ‹•Š™ƒ•Š‡”
”‡’ƒ‹”‹‰Ǣ͵Ǥƒ‹–‹‰
Ƭ…Ž‡ƒ‹‰•‡”˜‹…‡•ǢͶǤ
Ž‡…–”‹…ƒŽƬŽ—„‹‰
ƒ”’‡–”›™‘”Ǥ‘–ƒ…–ǣ
ͻͻͶͶ͹ʹͷ͹ǡͻ͹ͲͳͶʹ͵Ͷǡ
ʹͶͷͲͶʹͺͳǤ
·····
‘ˆˆ‡”›‘—–Š‡—•‹‡••
‡”˜‹…‡•ǣƒ‹–‡ƒ…‡
‘ˆ„—‹Ž†‹‰•ƒ†˜‹ŽŽƒ•
ˆ‘”’ƒ‹–ƒ†…ƒ”’‡–”›
ƒ††‡…‘”ƒ–‹‘™‘”•
ƒ†‹•–ƒŽŽƒ–‹‘‘ˆ
ƒ–‡”‹ƒŽ™ƒ–‡”’”‘‘ˆƒ†
…Ž‡ƒ‹‰•‡”˜‹…‡•„—‹Ž†‹‰
ƒƒ‰‡‡–ƒ†Ž‡ƒ•‹‰
of real estate (Out motto
‹•–‘’”‘˜‹†‡“—ƒŽ‹–›‹
ƒŽŽ‘—”„—•‹‡••ȌǤ—•…ƒ–
‡ƒ‹••ƒ…‡‡˜‡Ž‘’‡–
ƒ†˜‡•–‡–Ǥ
ͻͻͲ͹ͲͲͻ͵Ǥ
A WELL”‡’—–‡†‡†‹ƒ
…‘’ƒ›Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”ƒ
professional translator
ȋ”ƒ„‹…Ƭ‰Ž‹•ŠȌǤ
ͻ͵ͻͶ͸͸ʹʹǡ‡ƒ‹ŽǣƒŽ‹Ǥ
ƒ–ƒ‹ʹ̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
·····
·····
Ȁtelecom
–‡…Š‹…‹ƒǡ†‹ƒƒŽ‡ǡ
ʹ͹›‡ƒ”•‘Ž†ǡ†‹’Ž‘ƒ‹
‡Ž‡…–”‘‹…•‡‰‰ǡ͹›‡ƒ”•
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹‡Ž‡…–”‘‹…•Ȁ
–‡Ž‡…‘‹†—•–”›ǡ’”‡•‡–Ž›
™‘”‹‰‹†‹ƒǤ‘‘‹‰
ˆ‘”ƒŒ‘„‹ƒǤ
ͻͻͲͺ͹ͳ͹ͷǤ
·····
ƒŽ‡ǡͳʹ›‡ƒ”•
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹’”‹–‹‰
ƒ†ƒ†˜–’”‘†—…–‹‘ƒ†
ƒ”‡–‹‰ǡ•‡‡••—‹–ƒ„Ž‡
placement. ͻʹͻ͹ʹͺͻͺǤ
·····
·····
LOOKING ˆ‘”Œ‘„ǤŽ‡…–”‹…ƒŽ
‰‹‡‡”ˆ”‘†‹ƒŠƒ˜‹‰
ͷ›‡ƒ”•‘ˆ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹–Š‡
ϐ‹‡Ž†‘ˆ•ƒŽ‡•ǡƒ”‡–‹‰ǡ
„”ƒ†ƒƒ‰‡‡–ǡ
„—•‹‡••†‡˜‡Ž‘’‡–ƒ†
ƒŽ•‘Šƒ˜‹‰‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‘
‡˜‡–•ƒ†‡šŠ‹„‹–‹‘•Ǥ
—””‡–Ž›‹—•…ƒ–‘
ˆƒ‹Ž›˜‹•‹–˜‹•ƒǤ„Š‹•Š‡
ƒ‰—Ž›ǤͻͳͻͳʹͲ͹ͺǤ
Ǧƒ‹Žǣ‰ƒ‰—Ž›ͳͷͲͺ̷
‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
·····
FOR SALE
TATA—•͸Ͳ•‡ƒ–‡”ǡʹͲͲͻǤ
ͻͻͺͺͷ͹͵͸Ǥ
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡††‹ƒ
‰”ƒ’Š‹…†‡•‹‰‡”ǡˆƒ‹Ž‹ƒ”
‹Š‘–‘•Š‘’ǡŽŽ—•–”ƒ–‘”ǡ
‡•‹‰ǡ‘”ƒŽ”ƒ™
Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”‹‡†‹ƒ–‡
’Žƒ…‡‡–Ǥ‘–ƒ…–
ͻ͸͵ͻ͹Ͷͺ͸Ǥǡ™™™Ǥ
ƒ”Ž‘ƒ–Š‘›Ǥ’‘”–ˆ‘Ž‹‘„‘šǤ
net
·····
‡š‡…—–‹˜‡‡‰‹‡‡”
ƒ†’”‘†—…–‹‘ƒƒ‰‡”
ͳͲ›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‡‹…‡‹
ƒƒˆƒ…–—”‡ƒ†
†‡˜‡Ž‘’‡–ˆƒ…–‘”‹‡•Ǥ
Ǧ
Ǧ
”—„„‡”‘Ž†•
ƒ†ˆƒŽ•‡…‡‹Ž‹‰•ϐ‹„‡”‰Žƒ••
ƒ†ƒ‹‰ϐ‹•Š‹‰„‘ƒ–•Ǥ
ͻ͸ͳͶͻͲͺͳǤ
·····
····
ȋ†‹ƒ
ˆ‡ƒŽ‡ǡ͵Ͳ›‡ƒ”•Ȍǡ™‡ŽŽ
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡†ǡǤ‘™‹–Š
…‘’—–‡”‹•‡†ƒ……‘—–‹‰
’ƒ…ƒ‰‡•ǡ’”‡•‡–Ž›‘
ˆƒ‹Ž›˜‹•ƒǡŽ‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”ƒŒ‘„
‹ƒŽƒŽƒŠǤͻͻͲͺ͹ͳ͹ͷǤ
INDIAN male 25, 2 years
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹ǤǤ‘ǡ
‰‘‘†…‘’—–‡”•‹ŽŽ•ǡ
Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡’‘•‹–‹‘
‹ƒ—–‘•’ƒ”‡’ƒ”–•Ȁ•ƒŽ‡•Ǥ
‘™•ƒŽŽ…ƒ–ƒŽ‘‰—‡•Ž‹‡
‘›‘–ƒǡ‹••ƒǡ—œ—‹
‡–…Ǥ—””‡–Ž›‘˜‹•‹–Ǥ
ͻͲͻ͸ͻͶͺͲͶǤ‡Ǧƒ‹ŽǣˆƒŠ—Ǥ
ˆƒŠƒ†…ͷ͸̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
ˆ‡ƒŽ‡ǡ…
Š‡‹•–”›ǡ†ǡŽ‘‘‹‰
for suitable position
‹‡†—…ƒ–‹‘Ȁ–”ƒ‹‹‰
‹†—•–”›Ǥ‘—‹…ƒ–‹‘
ͻ͵͹͹ͻ͵͹ͺ
͵‡š’‡”‹‡…‡†
ƒ‹•–ƒ‹†”‹˜‡”Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”
ƒŒ‘„Ǥͻͷ͹͹͸͵ʹͲǤ
·····
·····
·····
ˆ‡ƒŽ‡™‹–Š‡ƒ”Ž›
ͳͲ›‡ƒ”•‘ˆ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
‹ƒ†‹‹•–”ƒ–‹‘ƒ†
ǡ•‡‡‹‰ˆ‘”ƒ•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡
’Žƒ…‡‡–Ǥƒ˜ƒ‹Žƒ„Ž‡Ǥ
ͻͻʹͶʹͺͶͳǤ
····
‰”ƒ†—ƒ–‡…‹˜‹Ž
‡‰‹‡‡”ˆ”‘—•…ƒ–
‘ŽŽ‡‰‡‹ʹͲͳͷ™‹–ŠȀǡ
seeks suitable placement
™‹–Š‡’Ž‘›‡–˜‹•ƒǤ
ͻ͵ͳʹͳͷͲͷǤ
·····
·····
·····
·····
•’‡…‹ƒŽ‹•‡†
in pest control seeks to
Š‹”‡Omani chartered
accountantsƒ†
receptionists™‹–Šƒ
…‘ƒ†‹‰Ž‹•Š
Žƒ‰—ƒ‰‡ǤͻͻͲͳͷʹͳͺǤ
·····
·····
ȀƬƒ˜ƒ‹Žƒ„Ž‡Ǥ
ͳ›‡ƒ”‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹
—‹Ž†‹‰ƒ–‡”‹ƒŽ•ƒ†
ƒ‹–‡ƒ…‡Ǥ‘‘‹‰
ˆ‘”ƒ•ƒŽ‡•ƒŒ‘„Ǥ
ͻͳʹͳͲ͵ͺͲǤ
Ǧƒ‹ŽǣŒ‘›ͳʹͶ̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
ʹ͸›‡ƒ”•ǡ†‹ƒƒŽ‡
accountant, 5 years
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‡‡†ƒ‰‘‘†
’‘•‹–‹‘ǡŠƒ•˜‹•‹–˜‹•ƒǡ
“—ƒŽ‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‹‘ǡǤ‘Ϊ
…‘’—–‡”„ƒ•‹…ΪƒŽŽ›ǡ
ǤͻǤͻͻͲͳʹ͸͸͹ȀͻͺͶ͹͹ͷ͵͸Ǥ
ƒ”‡–‹‰ƒ†ϐ‹ƒ…‡ǡ
†‹ƒˆ‡ƒŽ‡ǡͳͲ›‡ƒ”•
„—•‹‡••ƒ†‡š’‡”‹‡…‡
‹•ƒŽ‡•ƒ†ƒ”‡–‹‰ǡ
…‘•—Ž–‹‰ǡ’”‘†—…–
ƒƒ‰‡‡–”—Ž‡•‹
„ƒ‹‰ƒ†•—•–ƒ‹ƒ„‹Ž‹–›
…—””‡–Ž›‘˜‹•‹–˜‹•ƒǡ
Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡’”‘ϐ‹Ž‡Ǥ
ͻͷͶ͵ͳ͵ͷ͹Ǥ
SHOP FOR SALE
Tiles & sanitary wares
•Š‘™”‘‘ǡ—•–ƒ“
ƒƒ‹›ƒȋ„‡ˆ‘”‡ƒ„”‡‡
Š‘™”‘‘ȌǤͻ͹ͺͶͶͶ͹͹ǡ
ͻ͹ͺͶͶͶ͹ͶǤ
ŽǦ‹ƒ‹ƒ’‘™‡”
ȄŽƒ„‘—”‡”•ƬŠ‘—•‡ƒ‹†
ˆ”‘†‘‡•‹ƒǡ‡›ƒǡ‰ƒ†ƒ
ƒ†‘–Š‡”…‘—–”‹‡•ǤŽ—™ƒ‹“Ǥ
To communicate ʹ͸͹ͳ͵ͷͲͲǡ
ʹ͸͹ͳ͵͸ͲͲǤ
·····
·····
”‡“—‹”‡†
Building Technician.
ͻͺͳͳͳ͵͸͵Ǥ
·····
·····
·····
ǡƒ”‡–‹‰ȋƒŽ‡
ʹ͸Ȍǡ͵›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹
‘‘”•Žƒ‹…ƒȋȌǡ
ͳ›‡ƒ”‘‘”†‹ƒ–‘”
Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡
placement. ͻͲͳͶ͸ʹͶͳʹǡ
ƒ„‡‡‘––‡ƒ”ƒ̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ
com
ƒ‹•–ƒ‹ƒŽ‡ǡ
22 years, BA, computer
†‡•‹‰‡”ǡƒ……‘—–ƒ–ǡ
‘™‹‰‘”ƒŽ”ƒ™ǡ
’ƒ‰‡ǡ—„Ž‹•Š‡”ǡ
presently in Oman, seeks
Œ‘„ǤͻͶͺͷͲʹͲͻ
ƒŽŽ‹†•
‘ˆŽ‡‰ƒŽ™‘”•ǡ
”‡‰‹•–”ƒ–‹‘ǡƒ‰”‡‡‡–•ǡ
…‘–”ƒ…–•Ǥƒ‡•ƒŽŽ‹†•
of cases of companies.
ͻ͹͵ͷͳ͸ͶͻǤ
ͻͶ͵ͷͻͳ͹ʹǤ
·····
†”‹˜‡”Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”Œ‘„
ͻͷͳͳ͵͸ͳʹǤ
INDIAN male, 25, 2.5 years
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹ϐ‹ƒ…‡ƒ†
ƒ……‘—–•ǡϐ‹ƒ…‡
ƒ†ǡ‡š’‘•—”‡‹
ƬƒŽŽ›ͻǡ‘˜‹•‹–
˜‹•ƒǤ‘–ƒ…–ͻ͸͹ͳͷͶʹͲǤ
‹‘Œ‘•‡’ŠŒ…̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
Žƒ–’‡”ƒ–‘”ǡ
ͳͷ›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹
ƒ†ƒ–ƒ”ǡ•‡‡•‹‡†‹ƒ–‡
’Žƒ…‡‡–‹ƒǤ‘–ƒ…–
ˆ‘”†‡–ƒ‹Ž•ǣͻͻʹ͸ͶʹͻͶ
‘ŠƒƒǤ
ƒŽ‡ǡǤ‡…Š
ȋȌȋȌǡʹ›‡ƒ”•
‘ˆ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡ǡ
ƒ†Šƒ†•‘’”ƒ…–‹…‡‘
ǡǡŽ‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”
•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡Œ‘„ǡ’”‡•‡–Ž›‘
‡’Ž‘›‡–˜‹•ƒǡ”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡
ƒ˜ƒ‹Žƒ„Ž‡Ǥ‘–ƒ…–‡ƒ‹Žǣ
•›‡†˜‹œƒ”ƒ–͹̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
ͻͷͷͺͶͺͳͶ
·····
·····
†”‹˜‡””‡“—‹”‡†
ͻͻ͵͵ʹͶ͸͵Ǥ
MBA ȋȌǡȋƒƒ†ƒȌǡ
‹ƒ…‡ƒƒ‰‡”ǡʹʹ
›‡ƒ”•‹ƒǤ˜ƒ‹Žƒ„Ž‡
™‹–Š”‡Ž‡ƒ•‡ǤƒŽŽ
ͻͳ͵ͲʹͻͲ͸
·····
LOOKING for suitable
’Žƒ…‡‡–ǡ†‹ƒˆ‡ƒŽ‡ǡ
Master in computer
ƒ’’Ž‹…ƒ–‹‘™‹–Šͳͳ›‡ƒ”•
‘ˆ‡’š‡”‡‹…‡‹†ƒ–ƒ
™ƒ”‡Š‘—•‹‰ǡ‡”ƒ†ƒ–ƒ
ƒ††ƒ–‡‘†‡Ž‹‰
Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡
placement in Muscat.
ͻͳͳͻʹͷͶ͵ǤǦƒ‹Žǣ
’”‹›ƒ–Š‘ƒ•̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
·····
For Sale
INDIANˆ‡ƒŽ‡ǡ‰”ƒ†—ƒ–‡ǡ
ȋ‘•Ȍ›•–‡•
†‹‹•–”ƒ–‹‘™‹–Šʹ›‡ƒ”•
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹–‡ƒ…Š‹‰ǡ
seeks suitable position
‹‡†—…ƒ–‹‘Ȁ–”ƒ‹‹‰
‹†—•–”›ǡ…‘—‹…ƒ–‹‘Ǥ
·····
· · · ··
ͻ͸ͶͶ͹ͲͻͳǤˆƒ–‹ƒŠƒ“ʹͶ̷
‡‰‹‡‡”Ƭˆ‘”ƒ
‘‡”…‡‰”ƒ†—ƒ–‡ outlook.com
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡ͷ›‡ƒ”•ǡ†‹’Ž‘ƒǡ
™‹–Š‹ƒ…‡ǡŠƒ˜‹‰
·····
ͻ›‡ƒ”•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡•‡‡•
ƒ†”‹˜‹‰Ž‹…‡…‡Ǥ
•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡’Žƒ…‡‡–Ǥ‘–ƒ…– ƒŽ‡ʹ͵ǡ‘ǡ
ͻ͵ͺ͸͸ͺ͹͹Ǥ
ͲͲͻ͸ͺͻ͵͸ͷͷͲ͹ͻǡ
ȋƒ”‰‘Ȍǡͳ›‡ƒ”
ͲͲͻͳͻͻͳ͸͵ͳ͹ͻͶ͸
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡ǡ‰‘‘†…‘’—–‡” · · · · ·
•‹ŽŽ•ǡŽ‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡
‰‹‡‡”
·····
’‘•‹–‹‘‹…ƒ”‰‘Ȁ
•‡‡‹‰ˆ‘”ƒ…ƒ”‡‡”ǣƒ†›
ƒŽ‡ǡʹ͵›‡ƒ”•ǡ ƒ†‹Ȁƒ……‘—–•Ȁ„ƒ…
‡Šƒ‹ŽǡƒŽ‡ǡʹ͸ǡ‰›’–‹ƒǤ
‰”ƒ†—ƒ–‡™‹–Š…‘’—–‡”
‘ˆϐ‹…‡Œ‘„Ǥͻ͹ͺʹ͸ͳͺͲǡ
‘ͳͲͷ͹ʹ͹ʹͷ͹Ǥƒ‹
‘™Ž‡†‰‡ǡŠƒ˜‹‰ʹ›‡ƒ”•
‹ŠƒŽ•‹††Š‡‡“—‡̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ
”‹˜‹‰Ž‹…‡…‡ǤͶ›‡ƒ”•
experience in accountancy
com
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡ǤͳǤʹ›‡ƒ”•‹
Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”ƒ……‘—–•ǡƒ†‹ǡ
ƒ–ƒ”ȋ‹–‡Ȁˆϐ‹…‡ǦȀ
•–‘”‡•‘”•ƒŽ‡•Ǥ—””‡–Ž›‘ · · · · ·
‡•‹‰ȌǤŽ—‡–‹‰Ž‹•ŠǤ
˜‹•‹–˜‹•ƒͻͷ͵ͷ͸ͷͳʹǤ
‡˜‹––”—…–—”ƒŽʹͲͳͷ
·····
ȋ‡”–‹ϐ‹‡†’”‘ˆ‡••‹‘ƒŽȌǤ
Lost
‘„‘––”—…–—”ƒŽƒŽ›•‹•
INDIANƒŽ‡ǡʹͻ›‡ƒ”•ǡ
”‘ˆ‡••‹‘ƒŽǤ—–‘ǡ
…‰”ƒ†—ƒ–‡™‹–Šƒ‹
ƒœƒŽ
Šƒ•Ž‘•–
”‹ƒ˜‡”ƒǤ͸Ǥͻ͵͸ͻͻͳ͹ͶǤ
†”‹˜‹‰Ž‹…‡…‡ƒ†͹›‡ƒ”•
Ǧƒ‹Žǣˆ̴‡Šƒ‹Ž̷›ƒŠ‘‘Ǥ
‘ˆ•ƒŽ‡•‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹Š‘‡ ƒ‹•–ƒ‹’ƒ••’‘”–‘
com
ͺͺͲ͸ͲͷʹǤ‹†‡”’Ž‡ƒ•‡
ƒ’’Ž‹ƒ…‡•ǡ’”‘†—…–•ǡ
Šƒ†‘˜‡”–‘Ǥ
‘„‹Ž‡ƒ†–”ƒˆϐ‹…•ƒˆ‡–›
·····
‡“—‹’‡–Ǥ—””‡–Ž›
·
·
·
·
·
™‘”‹‰‘‡’Ž‘›‡–
˜‹•ƒǡƒ˜ƒ‹Žƒ„Ž‡ǡ•‡‡‹‰ ‹†‡” Šƒ•Ž‘•–
Announcement
for suitable placement
ƒ‰Žƒ†‡•Š‹’ƒ••’‘”–‘
‹‡†‹ƒ–‡Ž›Ǥͻ͹ͺͻͲ͸Ͳ͹Ǥ
ͷͶͲ͹ͻ͹ͲǤ‹†‡”’Ž‡ƒ•‡ ‘—†ŽŠ—ƒǯ‹
ƒ‹Žǣƒ•Š”ƒˆƒ„ƒ”̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ
Šƒ†‘˜‡”–‘Ǥ
ȋƒ”–‡”•Š‹’Ȍ”‡‰‹•–‡”‡†
com
™‹–Š–Š‡‹”‡…–‘”ƒ–‡‘ˆ
·
·
·
·
·
·····
‘‡”…‡ƒ††—•–”›‹
ŽƒŠ‹Ž‹›ƒŠ
‘˜‡”‘”ƒ–‡
™‹–Š‘”‡–ŠƒͳͲ Younus
—†‡”–Š‡‡‰‹•–‡”‘
Š‡† Šƒ•Ž‘•–
›‡ƒ”•‘ˆ•ƒŽ‡•Ƭƒ”‡–‹‰
ͳͲʹʹʹͺͷƒ‘—…‡•–Šƒ–
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡‹
—Žˆƒ†ͳǤ͸
ƒ‰Žƒ†‡•Š‹’ƒ••’‘”–‘
years in Oman in electronics Ͳ͵͹Ͳ͵ͳͻǤ‹†‡”’Ž‡ƒ•‡ ‹–‹•…Šƒ‰‹‰‹–•Ž‡‰ƒŽˆ‘”
ˆ”‘ȋƒ”–‡”•Š‹’Ȍ–‘
Ƭƒ’’Ž‹ƒ…‡•†‹˜‹•‹‘Ǥ
Šƒ†‘˜‡”–‘Ǥ
ȋ‹‹–‡†ƒ”–‡”•Š‹’Ȍƒ•
ƒ˜‹‰ƒ‹†”‹˜‹‰
–Š‡ˆ‘ŽŽ‘™‹‰ǣŽ‘—†
Ž‹…‡…‡ǡƒ˜ƒ‹Žƒ„Ž‡Ǥ
·····
ŽŠ—ƒǯ‹ȋ‹‹–‡†
ͻͳʹͻͺ͸Ͷͳ
ADELAJA Amines Šƒ•Ž‘•– ƒ”–‡”•Š‹’Ȍƒ……‘”†‹‰–‘
·····
‹‰‡”‹ƒ’ƒ••’‘”–‘
–Š‡ƒ”–‹…Ž‡ȋͳ͵Ȍ„‹•ȋʹȌ‘ˆ
Ͳ͹ʹ͵ͻʹͶ͹Ǥ‹†‡”’Ž‡ƒ•‡ –Š‡‘‡”…‹ƒŽ‘’ƒ‹‡•
INDIAN ƒŽ‡ǡʹ͵›‡ƒ”•
ƒ™‘ͶȀ͹Ͷƒ†‹–•
Šƒ†‘˜‡”–‘Ǥ
‹’‹‡–”‘Ž‡—
ƒ‡†‡–•ǤŠ‘•‡™Š‘
‰‹‡‡”‹‰ƒ†Ǥ‡…Š‹
·····
ƒ”‡‘„Œ‡…–‹‰–‘‹–•ŠƒŽŽˆ‹Ž‡
‡…Šƒ‹…ƒŽ‰‹‡‡”‹‰
–Š‡‹””‡ƒ•‘•‘ˆ‘„Œ‡…–‹‘
‘Ž†‹‰†”‹˜‹‰Ž‹…‡…‡ǡ ƒ•‹ŠŠƒ† Šƒ•
ƒ––Š‡ƒ„‘˜‡‡–‹‘‡†
seeks suitable placement
Ž‘•–ƒ‹•–ƒ‹’ƒ••’‘”–‘ ‹”‡…–‘”ƒ–‡™‹–Š‹–™‘
‹‡†‹ƒ–‡Ž›ǤͻͷͺͺͲͳʹ͹ǡ
ͻͷͲͺͶͻͲͷǡ˜‹Œ‹–Šʹͷ͹͵Ͷͷͻ̷ ͲͺͶ͵Ͷ͹ͳǤ‹†‡”’Ž‡ƒ•‡ ‘–Š•ˆ”‘–Š‡†ƒ–‡‘ˆ–Š‡
Šƒ†‘˜‡”–‘Ǥ
ƒ†˜‡”–‹•‡‡–Ǥ
‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
L„—‹Ž†‹‰
ƒ‹–‡ƒ…‡‹†™ƒ”ƒ†
Ƭ‘–•–ǤͻͶ͸ͳͶͶ͹ͻǤ
·····
JOB opportunity in
‡‰‹‡‡”‹‰…‘•—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…‘
·····
OMAN ‡š’‡”‹‡…‡†
†‹ƒƒ™›‡”ǡȋ͵ͷȌ
BA, Arabic, LLB, MBA.
‘™•‰Ž‹•Šǡ”ƒ„‹…Ǥ
‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”•—‹–ƒ„Ž‡
’‘•‹–‹‘‹Ž‡‰ƒŽϐ‹”
‘”…‘’ƒ›Ǥ”‡•‡–Ž›
™‘”‹‰ƒ•ƒŽ‡‰ƒŽ
ƒ†˜‹•‡”Ǥƒ˜ƒ‹Žƒ„Ž‡Ǥ
ͻ͹͵ͷͳ͸ͶͻǤǦƒ‹Žǣ
ƒ†˜‘…ƒ–‡•Šƒ”ƒˆ̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
·····
Situation Wanted
A LEADING international
…‘’ƒ›‹–Š‡ϐ‹‡Ž†‘ˆ
‹ˆ‘”ƒ–‹‘–‡…Š‘Ž‘‰›
Š‡ƒ†“—ƒ”–‡”‹—™‹
seeks an Omani female
(secretary)Š‘Ž†‡”‘ˆ
‰‡‡”ƒŽ†‹’Ž‘ƒ…‡”–‹ϐ‹…ƒ–‡
ƒ†ƒ”‡•‹†‡–‘ˆ‹Žƒ›ƒ–
—––”ƒŠǤŠ‡‹•‡ƒ‹Ž‡†
–‘”ǤƒŽŽƒ™ƒ–›̷‰ƒ‹ŽǤ…‘
·····
Situation Wanted
†”‹˜‡”Šƒ•
ƒ‹Ž‹…‡…‡Ž‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”ƒ
”‹˜‡”Œ‘„ǤͻͳͲͺͺͶͷͷǤ
·····
†”‹˜‡”Šƒ•
ƒ‹Ž‹…‡…‡ǡͺ›‡ƒ”•‹
Oman. ͻʹͲͲͷͺͳͻǤ
·····
Manpower
WE’”‘˜‹†‡…Ž‡ƒ‹‰ƒ†
Ž‘ƒ†‹‰•–ƒˆˆǤMODERN
SPARKLE LLC. Ϊͻ͸ͺ
ͻͷ͵͸͹ͷͶͳǤ
·····
FRIENDS MANPOWER:
‹Ž‹’‹‘Š‘—•‡ƒ‹†•
ƒ†ƒŽŽ‹†•‘ˆ™‘”‡”•Ǥ
ʹͶͶͺͻʹ͸ͺ‡ŽǣȀƒšǣ
ʹͶͶ͹ͺͳͷ͵ǡͻʹͶ͸ʹͶͻ͸Ǥ
·····
INDIAN, male, BE in
Ž‡…–”‹…ƒŽƒ†‡Ž‡…–”‘‹…•
™‹–Š‘•–
”ƒ†—ƒ–‡
‹’Ž‘ƒ‹‘™‡”
›•–‡•ȋ”ƒ•‹••‹‘
ƒ††‹•–”‹„—–‹‘Ȍǡ•‡‡•
’Žƒ…‡‡–Ǥ”‡•‡–Ž›‹
ƒ‘˜‹•‹–Ǥ‘–ƒ…–
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24
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
Google Translate to work in any app soon
Google announced plans to soon roll out ‘Tap to Translate’ feature on Android smartphones,
eradicating the cumbersome task of copy-paste routine whenever people need to get their text
translated. With this, you will be able to select the text of a chat, comment or lyrics of a song in
whichever app you‘re using and a translation will pop up right there, ending the need to switch apps.
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
GADGET
BMW to introduce self-driving
electric flagship car in 2021
Soft wearable exosuit to
help soldiers, rescuers
BMW AG’s response to the challenge posed by
Tesla Motors Inc’s push into the luxury-car market
will be ready in five years.
The BMW iNext, which will supplant the
7-Series sedan as the brand’s flagship model, is set
to enter showrooms in 2021. The car will drive itself
in many situations, feature a new interior and offer
a cutting-edge electric powertrain, Chief Executive
Officer Harald Krueger said in comments prepared
for the company’s annual shareholders meeting in
Munich on Thursday. The new car is the centrepiece
of BMW’s effort to defend its position in the luxurycar market as changing consumer tastes challenge
the German manufacturer’s focus on Autobahn
thrills.
The iNext will be “our new innovation driver,
with autonomous driving, digital connectivity,
intelligent lightweight design, a totally new interior
and ultimately bringing the next generation of
electro-mobility to the road,” Krueger said.
BMW is in the midst of shifting strategy under
pressure from Tesla as well as traditional rivals like
Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz. In addition to the
iNext, BMW is expanding into mobility services
as owning a car becomes less important to citydwelling consumers. The company started a car
sharing service in Seattle last month that offers
the option of a chauffeur service as well as people
renting out their own vehicles.
The Munich-based manufacturer is set to lose
the top spot in global luxury car sales this year for
the first time since 2005. Mercedes, benefiting from
a rejuvenated product line-up and a host of all-new
models, took the lead during the first quarter when
sales rose more than twice as fast as BMW’s.
The battle to stay in the lead contributed to price
cuts to entice buyers to BMW’s relatively older cars.
The average price of BMW’s vehicles declined
5.9 per cent to about 33,700 euros ($38,500)
in the first quarter as demand for cheaper cars
like the X1 hatchback powered past sales of the
revamped 7-Series sedan, according to Bloomberg
calculations.
Still, BMW said it’s on course to meet 2016
targets of delivering slight increases in pretax profit
and car sales for the seventh record year in a row,
Krueger said.
“After our first quarter, we are on track for the
full year,” Krueger said, who’s been at the helm of
the 100-year-old company for a year. “We have
always stressed that our centenary is a springboard
to the future.”
RESEARCHERS from Harvard University have developed a flexible
exosuit that reduces the energy required for walking when carrying
a heavy load — helping people like soldiers, rescuers in emergency
situations or hikers who frequently have to do so.
The exosuit reduced the amount of energy required while walking
with a load — the metabolic cost — by 7.3 per cent on an average.
The suit also significantly reduced the work done by the hip, knee
and ankle joints, without impacting step frequency or length.
This suggests that the suit does not affect the wearers’ freedom of
movement but allows them to return to a walking profile closer to
that of people walking without a load.
“Apart from assisting load carriers, we are exploring how the soft
exosuit can be used to assist individuals with impaired movement,
paving the way for the use of this technology in a wide range of
people,” said Conor Walsh,
the corresponding author.
The Harvard researchers
used textiles to build
their alternative to rigid
exoskeletons which are
heavier and can interfere
with the natural movement
of the joints, causing the
wearer to change the way they walk.
The suit is composed of a waist belt, two thigh pieces and two calf
straps, connected by cables to two motors mounted on a backpack.
The energy from the motors travels via the cables to the suit which
transfers it to the wearer.
The suit becomes active only when it detects a walking motion.
It assists the hip and ankle joints which together contribute about
80 per cent of the power produced by the leg joints during walking.
Seven experienced load carriers who had no injuries or diseases
of their muscles, joints or bones, walked on a treadmill at a constant
speed of 1.5 metres per second while carrying a load equal to 30 per
cent of their body mass.
Researchers monitored the participants’ metabolism, kinetics
(forces that influence the movements of the body) and kinematics
(extension or rotation of joints and muscles).
The researchers also analysed the participants’ breathing, gait and
muscle activation.
The device can also prove useful for people with physical
impairments, the authors noted.
ABSTRACT THINKING
Reading on screen can alter the way people think
PEOPLE whose jobs require them to think abstractly
might want to lessen their time using laptops or tablets
after a new study found that such activities may be
forcing them to become concrete thinkers instead.
Researchers at Dartmouth College and the Carnegie
Mellon University examined how reading stories in print
differs from reading them on a laptop. They wanted to
find out whether the human brain has evolved enough
to the point where information obtained through a
digital device is sufficient to elicit a unique mindset or
pattern of processing.
For their work, the researchers asked 300 individuals,
between the ages of 20 and 24, to read a story given to
them both in print and digital versions.
The volunteers were also asked to complete a
Behaviour Identification Form (BIF), which provided
them with 25 items corresponding to different activities
such as making a list. They were to choose whether an
item pertains to high-level and abstract thinking or
low-level and concrete thinking.
According to study co-author Geoff Kaufman,
the BIF is often used to measure a person’s natural
inclinations or measure his or her temporary choices
that are influenced by certain context or situations. He
said that they used the form in the latter sense.
After the experiment, the researchers discovered
that those who read the print version of the story were
able to score higher on the abstract questions than
those who read the digital version.
WATER WORKOUTS
Microsoft SwimTrain brings virtual
contest to solo swimming session
SWIMMERS no longer have to worry about working out alone, because
Microsoft Research is working on a new project to make sure you always have
someone to swim with.
The project, dubbed SwimTrain, turns water workouts into a game as users
virtually compete against other swimmers.
Being developed in partnership with Microsoft Research Asia and the
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kaist), SwimTrain
consists of an app, waterproof smartphone case and headphones that can be
worn underwater. “It uses all the great tech packed into your mobile phone
to evaluate your progress, coordinate with your team, and provide sensory
feedback, keeping your ‘train’ running, and keeping you entertained, all while
getting fit,” Microsoft writes.
SMARTPHONE
Huge Xiaomi Mi Max with 6.44-inch display debuts
XIAOMI officially unveiled its latest phablet,
and it’s huge: meet the Mi Max, rocking a
whopping 6.44-inch display.
The company has been teasing its new
Mi Max for a while now, dropping images
and videos to boost the hype before the big
unveiling.
Xiaomi’s Global Vice-President Hugo
Barra claims that despite the huge display,
the new Xiaomi Mi Max is still “extremely
pocketable.” Firing up that massive display
is a beefy 4,850 mAh battery, which should
suffice for a decent battery performance.
The screen is housed in a sleek metal
unibody, which makes the phablet look
stylish and premium. Under the hood, the
Xiaomi Mi Max packs a Snapdragon 650/
652 processor and different configurations
— either 4 GB or 3 GB of RAM, paired with
32 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB of storage.
The two processing options —
Snapdragon 652 and Snapdragon 650 —
seem a bit odd, considering that the Mi Max
has powerful specs otherwise. Flagships
typically pack the higher-end Snapdragon
820, leaving the 650 line to mid-rangers.
Processing options aside, other Xiaomi
Mi Max specifications include a fingerprint
scanner, a 16-megapixel main camera, a
5-megapixel selfie cam with wide-angle
lens, 4G dual-SIM and MIUI 8 running the
software side. Colour options include Gold,
Silver and Dark Gray.
As expected, the Xiaomi Mi Max comes
as an affordable device. The base model with
Snapdragon 650, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB
of storage costs RMB 1,499, or about $230.
The middle variant with a Snapdragon 652,
3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage
runs up to RMB 1,699, or about $261. The
top option, meanwhile, packs a Snapdragon
652, 4 GB of RAM and a heftier 128 GB
of internal locker space, going up to RMB
1,999, or about $307.
SUNDAY | MAY 15, 2016 | SHAABAN 8, 1437 AH
sport
DE VILLIERS, KOHLI NUKE GUJARAT LIONS P26
www.omanobserver.om
[email protected]
RANIERI RETURNS TO CHELSEA ON A HIGH P27
DAY MOVES THREE AHEAD AT SAWGRASS P28
FAST AND FURIOUS: The American led from the start and won in 9.94 seconds with Qatar’s Femi Ogunode finishing second in 10.07s
Gatlin breezes to victory at Diamond League
SHANGHAI: American Justin Gatlin
stepped up his preparations for the Rio
Olympics with an impressive victory in
the 100 metres at the Diamond League
in Shanghai on Saturday.
Gatlin, who has twice served bans
for doping, was unbeaten at 100 and
200 metres in 2015 until he faced an
out-of-form Usain Bolt in the world
championships in Beijing last August.
Bolt, the Olympic champion, won
both the races but Gatlin showed in
Shanghai that he was gearing up to
challenge the Jamaican again at the Rio
Games in August.
Gatlin led from the start and won
in 9.94 seconds with Qatar’s Femi
Ogunode, the quickest over 100m this
year with 9.91 in Florida last month,
finishing second in 10.07.
“I came out here to execute and I
know being an Olympic year, it is a long
season and my coach and I have a plan,”
Gatlin said. “He is training me like Mike
Tyson to knock out the opposition and
keep swinging.
“The ankle injury over the winter
made it a difficult preparation, but
Diamond League races are important to
win.”
RUDISHA UPSET
Olympic and world men’s 800m
champion David Rudisha had a
disappointing outing as he fell behind in
the home stretch and finished fifth with
Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich snatching an
LOCAL
unlikely win in 1:45.68.
The Kenyan world-record holder’s
time of 1:46.24 was his slowest for five
years.
“I’m so upset. I lost two seconds
because of the start. There where high
jumpers in the lane and they start (the
race),” an visibly upset Rudisha said.
American Aries Merritt, the
Olympic 110m hurdles champion, was
disqualified for a false start as Omar
McLeod produced the year’s first sub-13
second performance to take his second
Diamond League win this season.
Unfazed by two false starts, world
indoor champion McLeod made a
strong start and went across the line in
12.98 seconds.
In the pole vault, American Sam
Kendricks set a personal best to beat
world record holder and Olympic
champion Renaud Lavillenie and world
champion Shawn Barber in a major
upset. Kendricks underlined his potential
for Rio by bettering his previous best by
six centimetres by clearing 5.88 at the
third attempt. Lavillenie managed 5.83,
failing twice at 5.88 before making one
effort at 5.93. Canadian Barber was third
with 5.70.
“I just had to take the competition
one height at a time and I am pleased
to come out on top,” said Kendricks. “I
have finished second, third, fourth and
fifth in Diamond League meets before,
never first.”
— Reuters
Justin Gatlin (centre) of the US competes in the 100m race
at the Shanghai Diamond League in Shanghai. — AFP
MFA represents Oman at Junior Football World Cup
CRICKET
Al Nahdha win
Winner: AL NAHDHA
MUSCAT: The Khimji Ramdas
sponsored ‘Senior’ division knockout
match between AL NAHDHA and
POWERTECH took place at the
Municipality 1 ground during the
moring session on the 13th of May.
AL NAHDHA came out winners by 82
runs.
NYDT BEAT ISC
The Khimji Ramdas sponsored
‘Senior’ division knockout match
between ISC and NYDT took place at
the Municipality 1 ground during the
afternoon session on the 13th of May.
NYDT was the winner by 6 wickets.
Match Summary:
AL NAHDHA: 175/9 in 20 overs (Imran Nasir – 48).
(Powertech) Nishad K. – 3/19 of 4.
POWERTECH: 93/10 in 19 overs (Prabhakaran – 35).
(AL NAHDHA) Syed Raja – 3/ 4 of 2.2.
Match Summary:
ISC: 81/10 in 16.4 overs. (NYDT) Sufyan Mehmood
- 3/18 of 3.
NYDT: 82/4 in 11.4 overs (Madhushanka - 27).
Winner: NYDT
MUSCAT: Omantel, the Sultanate’s
first integrated telecoms provider was
a proud partner of the Muscat Football
Academy’s youth team as they competed
in the Junior Football World Cup
(Mundialito) recently in Faro, Portugal.
The team, competing in the underten age category, played alongside youth
sides from dominant European clubs
including F.C Barcelona, Juventus,
Atlético Madrid, Valencia, Borussia
Dortmund and Liverpool. The team’s
stellar efforts took them right through
to the quarter-final of the global
competition.
‘Ozone’, Omantel’s dedicated youth
mobile package, has been the principle
sponsor of the Muscat Football
Academy since the beginning of 2016,
enabling the MFA teams to compete in a
number of high profile international and
national tournaments.
The youth-oriented ‘Ozone’ mobile
package caters specifically for customers
between the ages of 18 to 25 and offers
Ozone to Ozone calls for only 25Bz/
min, 100MB of monthly data, one free
ringtone and special deals and discounts
with Ozone partners.
Commenting
on
Omantel’s
partnership with Muscat Football
Academy, Ali Saleh Al Hadeed, General
Manager Consumer Marketing said,
“At Omantel, the development of youth
talent is an area particularly close to
our heart, as it is today’s youth that
BEAMING KIDS
will represent the Oman of tomorrow.
Omantel has been a proud sponsor of
the Muscat Football Academy since
the beginning of this year and it is very
gratifying knowing that through our
support, the dreams of these young stars
are coming true.
Supporting organisations such
as the Muscat Football Academy
demonstrates our commitment towards
promoting Oman on the world stage,
and encouraging the sport to youth in
Oman.”
“We congratulate the fantastic
achievements of the MFA youth
team at the Junior Football World
Cup.
Representing Oman at a
competition of this level is an
impressive accomplishment. Everyone
at Omantel is very proud of these
young athletes and we look forward to
witnessing their many successes in the
months and years to come,” continued
Ali Saleh Al Hadeed
Commenting
on
the
team’s
performance, Head Coach Chuck
Martini said, “It was a real honour for
our academy boys to participate in an
international event of such magnitude.
Their performance against some
of the best teams from around the
world really highlights the great talent
we have on offer here in Oman and
validates the work of Muscat Football
Academy to cultivate this talent. The
boys’ performance was even more
noteworthy considering it was the first
time they have participated at this level
of competition.”
“The highlight from the tournament
was the opening match where the boys
defeated Club America, the current
Mexican champions, 5 goals to 2 in a
game that was broadcasted live across
most of Europe and the USA. The
team’s achievements would not have
been possible without the unwavering
support of parents, trainers, and our
chief sponsor Omantel who have long
since backed Muscat Football Academy
and supported the children to fulfill
their dreams.” He added
Investing in the future of the nation,
Omantel connects even the most remote
communities of the Sultanate to each
other and the rest of the world.
c cket
cric
et
sport
26
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
De Villiers, Kohli nuke Gujarat Lions bowling
RUN-RIOT: The Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a mammoth 248 and bundled out the Lions for 104 to notch up the biggest IPL win
BENGALURU:
Maverick
Royal
Challengers batsmen Abraham de
Villiers (129) and Virat Kohli (109)
pummelled the Gujarat Lions bowling
attack to blast electrifying centuries,
before the RCB bowlers did the trick
to help the home team register the
biggest IPL victory of 144 runs at the M.
Chinnaswam Stadium here on Saturday.
Gujarat Lions were bowled out for
104 in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, it literally rained sixes and
fours from the blades of the awesome
de Villiers-Kohli duo, sending the jam
packed stadium into hysterics.
De Villiers who remained unbeaten
smashed 12 sixes and 10 fours while
Royal Challengers captain Kolhi blasted
eight sixes and six fours. Kohli hit a 55ball-109 while de Villiers smashed a 52ball-129.
Altogether, RCB cracked 37
boundaries, 17 fours and 20 sixes. Of
the total run of 248 scored, 188 emerged
from boundaries alone. Other than the
two centurions, only Chirs Gayle hit a
four.
Kolhi produced the following
scoreboard reading in the 19th over off
left arm spinner Shivil Kaushik: 6, 4, 6, 6,
6 and 2, totaling 30 runs.
De Villiers and Kohli built a
partnership of 229 runs in 97 balls. The
intensity of hitting can be comprehended
by the way runs flowed. At one time in
IPL 2016 POINTS TABLE
the last stages of the innings, the duo
plundered 47 runs in 14 balls.
Time and again, De Villiers is
proving one characteristic he possesses
very consistently: hitting the ball as hard
as possible in all possible directions
irrespective of the bowler, fielding set-up
and the situation of the match.
The victory in
numbers
WRIDDHIMAN SAHA PLAYED A STELLAR ROLE
WITH MURALI VIJAY
Some of the sixes hit by de Villiers are
so unique that only he could hit them.
Some of the shots demanding extreme
flexibility included a couple of deep sixes
near the third man position, rarely seen
before.
In the 16th over, de Villiers scored 23
runs, he reached his century in 42 balls
with nine boundaries and eight sixes.
Not just boundaries, quick running
between the wickets also helped Royal
Challengers greatly in grabbing many
quick singles and exploiting sloppy
fielding by the Gujarat Lions at times.
Actually starting the innings slowly,
Royal Challengers could only manage
Pos
Team
Mat
Won
Lost
Tied
N/R
Net RR
Pts
1
SRH
11
7
4
0
0
+0.417
14
2
GL
12
7
5
0
0
-0.747
14
3
DD
10
6
4
0
0
+0.376
12
4
KKR
10
6
4
0
0
+0.206
12
5
MI
12
6
6
0
0
-0.435
12
6
RCB
11
5
6
0
0
+0.627
10
7
KXIP
11
4
7
0
0
-0.384
8
8
RPS
11
3
8
0
0
+0.087
6
10/0 after the first three overs, opened
by Chirs Gayle and Kohli. After seven
overs, RCB were at 50/1.
Hell-bent on ending his run of poor
form, Gayle kept it slow, trying to steal
quick singles.
Despite exhibiting great discipline,
Gayle succumbed to an inside edge off
Dhawal Kulkarni in the fifth ball of the
fourth over. Dejected, he walked back to
the dugout only to continue his single
digit innings streak. Enter de Villiers,
and the face of the innings changed with
regular boundaries all over the ground
with all possible shots.
Unfazed by the slow start, Kohli and
de Villiers started piling up runs slowly,
2
3
4/15
21
116
Number of
golden ducks
(out off very
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MI drift further away from play-offs
ANKUR DHAWAN
VISAKHAPATNAM
L
ast year, this time,
during the Indian
Premier
League
(IPL),
Mumbai
Indians (MI) made a
timely spurt up the
points table to sneak into the playoffs. IPL 2016 is turning out to be
its antithesis. MI lost significant
ground against bottom placed Kings
XI Punjab (KXIP), who beat them
by seven wickets in Visakhapatnam.
Contrary to the general trend
around the country, teams batting
first had held a distinct advantage
at this venue, where the slowness
of the surface is ideally suited to
shutting teams down in a runchase. Sunrisers Hyderabad had
exemplified how to go about it.
However, that required more than
the paltry 124 for nine posted by MI
after opting to bat.
MI dropped Parthiv Patel for
Unmukt Chand against the only side
the former had made a noteworthy
contribution. Far from bettering the
average of 12 for the first wicket,
the new combination of Chand
and Rohit Sharma was separated
with just seven on the board, as
Chand awkwardly chipped one
to mid-on, giving Mohit Sharma
and KXIP their first breakthrough.
Ambati Rayudu was cleaned up for
the second duck of the innings by
a Sandeep Sharma inswinger next
over.
Thereafter, MI were caught in a
straitjacket mess, which was selfinflicted as much as a result of a
disciplined bowling effort from
Kings XI Punjab captain Murali
Vijay drives a delivery through
the covers during match 43 of
the Vivo IPL 2016 (Indian
Premier League) between
Mumbai Indians and Kings XI
Punjab held at the ACA-VDCA
Stadium, Visakhapatnam on
the 13th May 2016. — IPL
KXIP, on a tricky pitch. While
the innings constituted eight
sixes, its salient features were the
staggering number of dot balls
— 62, symptomatic of MI’s vapid
approach and only five fours. The
power-play was the least productive
for any team this season, fetching
just 21 runs in addition to the two
wickets. The lack of singles crippled
the innings further in combination
with the loss of untimely wickets.
Rohit, who could have played
anchor departed too soon, for a
measly 15 off 24 balls. Nitish Rana
kept coming hard at the ball on a
pitch unsuited to such endeavours
before falling for a 28-ball 25. In fact
MI largely batted as they would at
the Wankhede in Mumbai, where
strike, which we were unable to do.’’
A belated surge from Kieron
Pollard and Krunal Pandya
momentarily stoked the possibility
of a total close to 150 but Marcus
Stoinis thwarted MI’s hopes with
wickets of both batsmen in one over,
to finish with a career best four for
15. While KXIP did not start ideally
either, losing Hashim Amla for a
duck, Murali Vijay and Wriddhiman
Saha batted sensibly, thereafter.
With a target in sight it was easier
pacing the innings in compliance
with the required rate. The duo
turned over the strike regularly and
chose more dependable boundary
options, using the pace and angle of
Mitchell McClenaghan to pierce the
off-side during the power-play.
Once the field restrictions were
lifted both Vijay and Saha milked
the spinners for singles and the
odd boundary when they pitched
short or over-pitched. Although
Harbhajan
Singh
extracted
prodigious turn and bounce from a
wearing pitch, there was not enough
support from the other end or the
wicket-keeper. Jos Buttler missed
a tough stumping chance off Vijay,
who went on to get an unbeaten
fifty, also his third in five matches as
captain.
the pitch aids intrepid stroke-play
Saha played the role of the
and the absence of singles rarely aggressor in a 116-run second
hurts.
wicket stand with Vijay.
Rohit alluded to the same stating,
“We all know how the Wankhede BRIEF SCORES:
Mumbai Indians 124 for 9 in 20 overs (Kieron
wicket plays, it is a good batting Pollard 27, Nitish Rana 25; Marcus Stoinis 4
track, the ball comes on nicely, but for 15) lt to Kings XI Punjab 127 for three in
when you play on these kind of 17 overs (Wriddhiman Saha 56, Murali Vijay
52*; Mitchell McClenaghan 2 for 24) by seven
wickets where the ball is turning wickets
and stopping, you have to rotate the
De Villiers survived a stumping attempt
by Dinesh Karthik in the ninth over.
With a partnership of 56 runs, Kohli
and De Villiers scored 76 runs for Royal
Challengers half way through the match.
Despite starting his innings much
later than Kohli, de Villiers reached his
half-century in 25 balls in the 12th over
by a four off Kulkarni.
De Villiers reached 99 in the 16th over
with a superb six, yet another extreme
shot, coming deep off the wicket to hit a
six on the on-side.
BRIEF SCORES:
Royal Challengers Bangalore 248/3 in 20 overs
(Abraham de Villiers 129 not out, Virat Kohli 109;
Praveen Kumar 2/45, Dhawal Kulkarni 1/33) bt
Gujarat Lions: 104 all out in 18.4 overs
DELHI
DANCE
Delhi build,
MI rebuild
ANKUR DHAWAN
VISAKHAPATNAM
T
he regular chopping and changing
notwithstanding, Delhi Daredevils
have continued their march towards
the play-offs, in the Indian Premier
League (IPL) 2016. They have also
played the least number of matches
thus far (10), which leaves them enough breathing
space, as opposed to Mumbai Indians (MI) when the
teams meet in Visakhapatnam.
Both teams have won just one out of their last three
matches. But Delhi put their house in order after a
brief stutter, while MI lost two on either side of a
win against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The
second of those against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) has
jeopardised MI’s campaign.
Furthermore, MI are taking painfully long to
acclimatise to the sluggish pitch at the ACA-VDCA
stadium in Visakhapatnam. Not only have they not
won at the venue but their batsmen have continued
batting as they would at the Wankhede in Mumbai,
resulting in scores of 92 all out and 124 for nine. The
opening position, as though hexed continues to be a
nuisance year after year. They might be tempted to
rope in Martin Guptill for the remaining matches to
resolve that issue.
On the other hand, having aced the Sunrisers test
in Hyderabad, Delhi have little to worry about except
Zaheer Khan’s fitness and selection dilemmas with
a pool of talent to choose from. A win over MI in
Visakhapatnam will help them put a foot in the playoffs.
TOP PERFORMERS
Nathan Coulter-Nile’s two for 25 against SRH was
enough to give the Delhi think-tank another selection
headache. His death bowling skills might have been the
clincher though, especially in the wake of Mohammed
Shami’s struggles. Coulter-Nile and Chris Morris
make a potent bowling combination at the back end
of an innings and Delhi will be tempted to stick with it.
Kieron Pollard’s cameo of 27 gave MI a glimmer
hope against KXIP but he was left with too much
to do in the final remnants of the innings. There is
a case for elevating him to the top of the order now
that he is beginning to show shades of his former self.
Considering his straight hitting prowess, he is also the
ideal man to exploit the short straight boundaries at
the ACA-VDCA stadium.
tennis/football
sport
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
27
Benitez’s future
up for grabs
as Pochettino
sticks to Spurs
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri
(left) poses with the Golden Palm award
next to the Italian National Olympic
Committee (CONI) President Giovanni
Malago during a ceremony in Rome. —
Reuters
Ranieri returns to Chelsea on a high
LEICESTER,
United
Kingdom:
Claudio Ranieri believes Leicester City’s
shock title triumph has restored his
reputation in the minds of his critics
ahead of an emotional return to former
club Chelsea this Sunday.
The 64-year-old’s appointment last
July was heavily criticised by pundits
and former players alike but the
Italian’s side have since undergone an
extraordinary transformation from
relegation favourites to Premier League
champions. Sacked at Chelsea by owner
Roman Abramovich in 2004 after
failing to deliver the title and replaced
by Jose Mourinho, Ranieri insisted he
didn’t covet acclaim from his former
employers following his achievements
with Leicester.
“Now I have won the Premier League,
CHAMPIONSHIP
maybe everyone looks more positively
at what I did,” Ranieri said Friday ahead
of Leicester’s match against last season’s
Premier League champions.
“It changed not my mind but maybe
other minds. I was so happy before
because I know very well how I work
and what I achieve before,” he added.
“It is not important for to me to
have credit, it was so important to bring
another team (to the top), to show my
passion to the team. I think life is full of
opportunity, I think it is important to
take the right opportunity.”
Ranieri said his return to west
London, where he spent four moderately
successful years at Stamford Bridge,
would be an “emotional” occasion.
‘HOLLYWOOD’
As Chelsea drew 2-2 with Tottenham
PLAY-OFF
Wednesday sink
Brighton to take control
LONDON: Sheffield Wednesday seized
control of their Championship play-off
semi-final against Brighton with a 2-0
win over the injury-ravaged visitors at
Hillsborough on Friday.
Wednesday finished 15 points
behind Brighton in the second tier
table, but that gap counted for nothing
as goals from Ross Wallace and Kieran
Lee put the Yorkshire club in pole
position for a place in the play-off final
at Wembley.
After narrowly missing out on
automatic promotion to the Premier
League on goal difference, Brighton’s
bid to end their 33-year exile from the
top-flight is in severe trouble heading
into Monday’s second leg on the south
coast.
Brighton will claim they had no luck
after losing four players through injury,
leaving them forced to play the last 30
minutes with 10 men after using all
their substitutes.
But Wednesday were the sharper
side right from the start and are now
favourites to face Derby or Hull, who
meet in the first leg of the other semifinal on Saturday, for a lucrative place in
the Premier League.
The game erupted in controversy
in the 19th minute when Wednesday
forward Fernando Forestieri chased
down a long ball from goalkeeper
Keiren Westwood and fired beyond
Wednesday finished 15
points behind Brighton
in the second tier table,
but that gap counted for
nothing as goals from Ross
Wallace and Kieran Lee put
the Yorkshire club in pole
position for a place in the
play-off final
David Stockdale.
Despite extensive celebrations,
referee Andre Marriner consulted with
an assistant and eventually disallowed
the goal on the basis that the striker
had been offside when Westwood had
launched the ball forward.
But Wednesday took the lead in the
44th minute as Wallace drifted inside
before drilling a low shot past Stockdale
from 20 yards.
With Tomed Hemed, Connor
Goldson, Steve Sidwell and Anthony
Knockaert all forced off with injuries,
Brighton were reduced to damage
limitation.
Yet Wednesday doubled their lead
in the 73rd minute when Forestieri
threaded the ball into the penalty area
for Lee to clip a fine finish into the far
corner. — AFP
Hotspur just under a fortnight ago,
a result which confirmed Leicester
had won the first top-tier title in the
Midlands club’s 132-year history, home
supporters were heard chanting the
affable Ranieri’s name throughout.
“It is amazing. I have been back there
with Juventus in the Champions League
but this time is different because this
time it is with Leicester, another English
club,” said Ranieri.
“It is emotional, I hope my old fans
are happy. When I came here I said ‘the
last match is at Chelsea... wow’. Now
I come back as a champion. It’s a good
story.”
Before the club’s annual summer
trip to Thailand, the homeland of
Leicester owners Vichai and Aiyawatt
Srivaddhanaprabha, Ranieri will join an
open-top bus parade through the city
centre with crowds of 60,000 expected
to pour onto the streets.
“I expect a lot of people on the street
to enjoy with us and we can say thank
you to our fans. Everybody wants to
stay with us because the fairytale was for
everybody,” said Ranieri.
“Now football fans believe, maybe
they think: ‘No we don’t go down, we
can win’.
“Amazing. You remember I said the
Hollywood fairytale always finishes
well and for us too. We won and now
we enjoy, recharge the batteries for next
season. It will be harder but we will be
ready.”
In the immediate future, however,
Ranieri has the task of persuading
Professional Footballers Association
Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez and
midfield engine N’Golo Kante to
sign new contracts at the King Power
Stadium.
Both players have been linked
with moves to Arsenal and Paris
Saint-Germain in recent weeks but
the Leicester owners have expressed
confidence that the pair will stay.
Meanwhile, When quizzed on who
his scouting team will be looking at in
the off-season, Ranieri was typically
evasive.
“We are watching, of course, we want
to build a very good team. We want to
keep our stars, it is a fantastic group.
It will be important to find the right
players, with the right mentality... we
want fighters.”
— AFP
NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom:
While Rafael Benitez’s future at
Newcastle United remains uncertain,
Mauricio Pochettino confirmed his
commitment to Tottenham Hotspur
this week by agreeing a new deal that
will keep him at the club until 2021.
The two managers meet at St
James’ Park this weekend when
Pochettino will attempt to cap a fine
season by seeing his side confirmed
as runners-up behind Premier
League champions Leicester City,
while Benitez’s target is to ensure
Newcastle restore at least some
pride before dropping down into the
Championship.
Pochettino
sparked
some
concerns among Spurs’ fans when
he was spotted leaving a restaurant
with Alex Ferguson, the former
Manchester United manager, earlier
this week.
But the Argentinian confirmed
Ferguson was not attempting to
persuade him to move to Old
Trafford and stressed he was now
focused on making sure Tottenham
finish above north London rivals
Arsenal for the first time in over 20
years. “When I was young, when
I started my career as a manager,
he (Ferguson) was always my
inspiration, my reference and when
you can share two hours with a
person who, for me, was the greatest
manager in the world, the history of
football, only you can enjoy,” said
Pochettino.
“Did he ask about Manchester
United? No. If you know Sir Alex
Ferguson, he is a person we can all
learn from because he has a fantastic
history about football and about
life.” Turning to the table, Pochettino
said: “I can understand it, for our
supporters it’s special to be above
Arsenal, but I want to be second not
because we’ll be above our enemy,
our opponent, but because we are
ambitious.
“Maybe one day Arsenal finish
eighth, we finish seventh, yes we’re
above but it’s not a success for us.”
TOO LATE
Newcastle are set for further talks
with Benitez in an effort to persuade
the Spaniard to remain as manager.
— AFP
Hamren ready for last stand as Sweden coach
STOCKHOLM: Erik Hamren will be
bidding to bow out on a high as Sweden
coach when he leads the Scandinavian
nation into Euro 2016.
Hamren, who will turn 59 on June
27, five days after Sweden’s final Group E
game, announced that he will depart after
the European Championship ending a
six and a half year stint as coach. The
Swedish Football Association has lined
up Janne Andersson as his successor.
Andersson is the man of the moment in
Sweden, having led Norrkoping to a first
national title in a quarter of a century
last year.
Hamren admits he has had “the best
job in Swedish football”, but what legacy
he leaves will be determined by how
the Blagult (Blue-Yellows) perform in
France.
He succeeded Lars Lagerback in
November 2009, initially combining
his duties with his role as coach of
Norwegian side Rosenborg, after
Sweden failed to reach the 2010 World
Cup. Under his stewardship, Sweden
went to Euro 2012 but lost their first
two matches and were already out by the
time they beat France 2-0 in their last
game.
“The operation went well but the
patient died,” he later said of his side’s
showing in Ukraine.
A play-off defeat to Portugal denied
them a place at the 2014 World Cup after
a qualifying campaign which will be
best remembered for Sweden’s recovery
from four goals down to draw 4-4 with
Germany in Berlin.
Qualifying for this year’s finals was
not easy. Sweden finished third in their
Swedish player Patrik Carlgren (left) and head coach Erik Hamren attend a press conference in Stockholm. — AFP
group behind Austria and Russia before
Zlatan Ibrahimovic inspired them to a
play-off win over neighbours Denmark.
That was the latest success in a long
career in management for Hamren, who
only played the game until his late teens
before focusing on becoming a coach.
From Ljusdal, a small town north of
Stockholm better known for the winter
sport bandy than football, Hamren
made his name as the coach of the AIK
team that won back-to-back Swedish
Cups in 1996 and 1997.
CIGARS
He later won another Cup with
Gothenburg side Orgryte in 2000 before
going on to enjoy success abroad.
There was a Danish title with Aalborg
in 2008, just the third in their history,
before he moved to Norway to join
Rosenborg. The Trondheim side had
been Scandinavia’s leading club side
but had been in decline until Hamren
transformed their fortunes.
In his first full season in Norway in
2009 Hamren led Rosenborg to the title,
and the chance to return home and take
charge of his country followed.
“Above all, it’s a huge experience
for me as a coach and also as a person
to work abroad. “I think it’s done a lot
for me to reside in a different country,”
Hamren, who is often seen sporting a
three-piece suit and enjoys celebrating
victories by smoking on a cigar, once
told UEFA.com.
— AFP
racing
ac g/basketball
/bas etba
sport
28
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP: The Australian is three ahead of Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who was the leader in the clubhouse at 11-under 133
Day moves three ahead at Sawgrass
FLORIDA: Jason Day extended his
overnight lead to three shots after 14
holes in the Players Championship
second round on Friday before play was
suspended for the day in fading light at
the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach,
Florida.
The Australian world number one
again took advantage of a receptive
Stadium Course with very little rough
and barely a breath of wind, recording
birdies at the second, fourth, seventh,
13th and 14th to get to get to 14 under
overall.
That put him three ahead of Ireland’s
Shane Lowry, who was the leader in
the clubhouse at 11-under 133 after
shooting a 68 that included an albatross
two at the par-four 18th, where he holed
out with a wedge from 120 yards in the
fairway.
“It’s not fun stopping and starting,”
Day told Golf Channel after his round
was disrupted for just over two hours
due to the threat of lightning when he
had completed just eight holes.
“I came back out not as sharp as I was
this morning.”
Out in three-under 33, Day picked
up further shots at the par-three 13th,
where he drained a 40-foot putt, and at
the par-four 14th, where his approach
settled within three feet of the cup, to
strengthen his grip at the top.
“I feel good about my game but the
biggest thing for me is to focus on trying
to extend the lead,” said the 28-year-old,
who has long coveted a first Players title
to add to his already impressive golfing
resume.
“The moment that I lose a little bit of Cameron Tringale hits his tee shot on the 6th hole during the second round of the 2016 Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass — Stadium Course.
focus and make a few mental errors and — USA Today Sports
REFORM
ISSUE
Fifa man Scala resigns
in reform row
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona: A bogey
at the final hole left Scotland’s Martin
Laird with a two-stroke lead after the
second round at a wet Phoenix Open
on Friday.
On a day that will be best
remembered for the worst single round
by Tiger Woods in his storied career, an
error-riddled 82, Laird used a series of
precise approach shots to card a second
straight five-under-par 66 at TPC
Scottsdale.
Playing in unusually wet conditions
more reminiscent of his native
Scotland than the Arizona desert,
Laird reeled off four birdies in five
holes from the 13th before missing
a six-foot par-saving putt in semidarkness at the last.
“The big thing was I drove it well,”
the three-times winner on the PGA
Tour told reporters after posting a
10-under 132 halfway total.
American Daniel Berger (69) was
alone in second place on eight-under,
while another tour rookie Justin
Thomas (68) was next on seven-under.
Woods was in last place on 13over 155, although 15 players did not
complete the round before darkness, so
he may yet avoid propping up the field.
Phil Mickelson also missed the cut as
the event lost its two biggest names.
Laird, 32, said it was a misconception
that he was used to playing in rain
because he grew up in the homeland of
golf. He pointed out that he has lived in
the US for 14 years.
“It’s always a joke how many times
when it rains I get the little phrase ‘just
like home’,” said the man who now
lives only a five-minute drive from this
week’s venue.
“It was a very Scottish day today with
the misty drizzle all day. I remember
playing in these conditions, but I really
haven’t played in them much (during)
my professional career, so I wouldn’t say
it’s a huge advantage for me anymore.
“It’s no coincidence that four birdies
in five holes came on the back (nine)
when the rain stopped and got a little
easier out there (because) that front
nine was brutal.”
While Laird shined, Woods was
poor in every facet of his game, and his
chipping was particularly woeful.
“I have to continue with the process,”
said the 39-year-old, who switched
instructors late last year from Sean
Foley to Chris Como.
“I have been here before. It wasn’t
that long ago that I changed my swing
with Sean, and I was Player of the Year
only a year ago. You’ve got to keep
things in perspective, and sometimes
it’s difficult to do that.” — AFP
mistakes, that’s when I let the field back
in.”
Jonas Blixt of Sweden (67), Germany’s
Alex Cejka (67) and American Cameron
Tringale (69) were at 10 under while
American Colt Knost and Rory
McIlroy made the biggest moves of the
day to finish at nine and eight under
respectively.
Just 24 hours after Day became the
fifth player to fire a record-low 63 at
the event widely regarded as the most
prestigious outside the four majors,
American Knost followed suit with a
10-birdie display.
Knost had a chance to card a 62 and
make history, but three-putted from
long range on his final hole, the par-four
18th, for his only bogey.
Soon after, McIlroy was in good
position to at least match Knost with a
63 as he teed off on his last hole, the parfive ninth, at nine under for the day but
he wound up with a bogey to settle for
a 64.
“I don’t feel like I played that much
differently today than I did yesterday
but it’s an eight-shot difference,”
McIlroy said. “I’m in a good position
even though I finished a little bit
frustratingly, but these things happen,’’
he added.
The cut was projected to fall at twounder 142 with defending champion
Rickie Fowler (71) and world number
two Jordan Spieth, also at one under
after 14 holes, likely to miss out.
The second round will be completed
on Saturday morning local time,
with the third round to follow soon
afterwards.
— Reuters
Ace on 17 earns Wilcox biggest roar of the day
ALABAMA: With his homespun swing
and unorthodox follow-through, Will
Wilcox does not resemble a golfing
superstar but the little-known American
sparked the loudest roars at the Players
Championship in Florida on Friday with
a hole-in-one.
The 29-year-old from Alabama, who
has never won on the PGA Tour, aced
the infamous par-three 17th during the
second round at the TPC Sawgrass, his
bright yellow ball pitching five yards
short of the hole before rolling into the
cup.
As the massive galleries erupted with
deafening applause, Wilcox dropped his
club in celebration, then leapt into his
caddie’s arms before dancing across the
17th tee in unbridled excitement.
It was the first ace on the 147-yard
hole at the Players Championship
since Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez
achieved the feat during the first round
in 2002.
“I was just trying to luck it up there
on the green,” Wilcox told Golf Channel
after the second round was disrupted
by a weather delay. “The wind was
perfect for that club and when it came
out drawing a little bit, I thought, ‘That’s
right at it’.
“I was kind of hovering around the
cutline at that point and for it to happen
right there on 17 is pretty surreal. My
whole family is here... I just can’t believe
that happened.
“To have everybody there with me
is really cool. In the last 10 years, I have
come a long ways and this is another
stepping stone ... maybe a couple more
people know who I am now,” he grinned.
Will Wilcox hits his tee shot on the 6th hole during the second round of the 2016 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. —
USA Today Sports
Wilcox, who was introduced to the
game by his golf professional mother,
recorded his first ace on the PGA Tour in
his debut appearance at the prestigious
Players Championship.
“It’s pretty cool,” said the long-haired
Wilcox, whose best finish on the US
circuit was a runner-up spot at last year’s
Barbasol Championship.
“I’ve made some money this year
so I’ve almost got my (PGA Tour) card
locked up and being in this field is
massive.”
As for his homespun swing?
“Through the ball, it’s good but look
at that follow-through,” Wilcox smiled
as he watched a television replay of his
hole-in-one. “It’s a little different, and
I’ve already gotten some grief on Twitter
about it (his follow-through).
“If you don’t like it, then whatever...
watch another sport. But it (that shot)
went in.”
— Reuters
Departing Pellegrini eyes Euro berth
Domenico Scala, Chairman of the Fifa’s Audit and Compliance Committee,
addresses a news conference at the Fifa headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
— Reuters
SWANSEA, United Kingdom: Manuel
Pellegrini ends his reign as Manchester
City manager on Sunday with a
final opportunity to leave a legacy of
Champions League football.
Pellegrini takes charge of City for
the last time at Swansea before being
replaced during the close-season by
Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola.
Despite reaching the semifinals
of this season’s Champions League,
City faced the real threat of missing
out on qualification for next season’s
competition after a run of just one win
in their last four Premier League games
— including last Sunday’s 2-2 draw with
third placed Arsenal.
That opened the door for local rivals
Manchester United to claim fourth place
in the league and the final qualification
place, until a 3-2 defeat at West Ham on
Tuesday handed the initiative back to
City. A draw at Swansea will therefore
be enough for Pellegrini to sign off with
a place in Europe’s elite club competition
intact, to go with the 2014 Premier
League title and the two League Cups he
has delivered in his three years as City
boss. “You were all thinking we were out,
but you must win all of your games, and
every game is very difficult,” Pellegrini
said. “After the game on Sunday I was
disappointed, especially not winning
in front of our own fans, but I was sure
United had a difficult task.
“We played very well against Arsenal
and deserved to qualify in that moment.”
Since winning the Premier League
in Pellegrini’s first season in charge,
City’s domestic form has dipped with
a second-placed finish last season
followed by this season’s struggle to stay
in the top four.
But former Real Madrid boss
Pellegrini — who says he will consider
potential new job offers to stay in
management from next week — believes
he has been a success at City. — AFP
insideOman
features
Youngest person to sail solo around the world
This day in 2010, Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail, non-stop and
unassisted around the world solo. She departed Sydney on October 18, 2009, headed
north-east crossing the equator in the Pacific Ocean before crossing the Atlantic and
Indian Oceans.
@ fashiontrend
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
29
10
Questions
with an Omani fashion icon
T
he proliferation of international fashion brands
flooding the Oman market is a testament that
women in the Sultanate are no different than
their women counterparts from around the
world. Whether they are local or expatriates,
they also appreciate good clothes much more good designs
that are not only functional and comfortable, but important in
the Middle East including the Sultanate, appropriate and pay
tribute to local customs and traditions.
Most women in Oman go somewhere else for their fashion
needs.
Dubai these days is making a name for itself as a hub of
fashion-forward designs and its fashion week is beginning to
gather big names in the international fashion industry. Those
*
The materials were challenging to work with as they are
hand dyed so getting the same shade for each batch of fabric
What is your favourite part about being a fashion designer? required a lot of precision and patience.
For me it is the luxury knowing that no two days will ever
be the same and that I am able to express myself through my Is this collection exclusive for Muslim women or are there
designs to create beautiful pieces for the modern Arab woman. pieces that would work well for anyone in the Middle East?
The goal is for my designs to appeal to all women and not only
How do you describe your fashions and style?
Muslim women, so this collection wasn’t any exception.
My style can be described in three words: classic, soft and
What were the challenges you face when putting this
feminine.
collection together?
What were your considerations/inspirations when you put The challenges I faced creating this collection was to
continuously push myself and the designs to ensure that there
this collection together?
Dar Al Aseel’s Ramadhan 2016 Collection was inspired by the would be something to appeal to a variety of tastes.
floral world — in its beauty, delicacy and strength.
What are your plans for the future?
For the future, I see both my collections consistently evolving
How did you select the materials you used?
I took many things into consideration when selecting the with the goal to have my designs cross the borders and find
materials I used in the Ramadhan Collection. The main success within the international fashion market.
factors were that they had to be natural fabrics to reflect my
inspiration; suitable for the summer weather all the while For women interested with your collection, where can they
Q: Where does your artistic influence come from and when maintaining the luxurious and classic look found throughout order?
My collection can be purchased in my flagship stores in
my designs.
did you start making clothing?
Muscat. It can also be bought in Al Athaiba and Salam Stores
A: I started Dar Al Aseel almost a decade ago now. I draw my
in Muscat and other selected stores.
inspiration from all kinds of things, whether it be from nature, Were the materials difficult to work with?
who can afford, go to Dubai
or the United Kingdom to
buy their clothes. Others
just wait for international
local stores to bring the
new designs to them.
The successful relaunch of Amal al Raisi’s
Dar Al Aseel Ramadhan
Collection is something
worthy of a celebration. It
offered a much needed re-invigoration to the local fashion
scene highlighting the fact that the country has great talents —
they just needed the right amount of support and the proper
platform for them to reach a wider audience.
To learn what’s behind the mind of this talented, refreshing
and fashionable icon whose vision is to put Oman in the
global fashion map, Observer reached out to Amal to ask her
10 questions we thought fashion-conscious women in the
country would love to know about.
novels I’ve read and more than likely from my personal life.
crossword
CRYPTIC PUZZLE
ACROSS
1 Tricked out? (6)
7 Quite proper, but a fathead
could make it terrible! (8)
8 Shop opened, in the past, just
for one kind of pudding (4)
10 Where varsity men regularly
start a row (6)
11 Divine spirits of the East, in
new slang? (6)
14 Part of a play current at the
West End (3)
16 Might such cards foretell that
sailor has to return? (5)
17 Eel wriggling out of the
Birkenhead river (4)
19 Cordage well known to old
hands (5)
21 Walked at the front of the field?
(5)
22 Sweet American, maybe, to
chew the rag with (5)
23 Become friendly with me and
an officer (4)
26 Possibly be ill due to an offence
(5)
28 In favour of reversing to the
right (3)
29 Is out of business due to
perfectionist notions (6)
30 Work in our lab (6)
31 A line some cabs may form (4)
32 Acclaimed for having
sharpened up around the
Central Court (8)
33 Non-vintage wine from Spain,
originally (6)
DOWN
1 Link the French with a sudden
successful blow (6)
2 To fine leg? (6)
3 Essay about starting out in the
city (4)
4 Avoid a fellow getting sidetracked (7)
5 Later, open talks in irrational
fear (5)
6 Another explosion, curse it! (5)
8 A shot at heartening constables
(4)
9 In a bridge tournament, maybe
win (3)
12 Petrol for one sort of jet (3)
13 All upset about some boy – it’s
true! (5)
15 Neighbour needing money for
coal, perhaps (5)
18 Angry little girl hiding in cover
(5)
19 Somewhat outrageous practical
joke? (3)
20 By getting one note right on
the piano! (3)
21 Move to the right as you leave
(4,3)
22 Could such an urchin be a
cabin boy? (3)
23 Phone the gang a wicked lie!
(6)
24 Greek god of generosity (4)
25 A bird you can talk to,
practically? (6)
26 Though not heavy, it’s a good
thing to shed (5)
27 Prohibits including even a
scrap of meat in a vegetable
product (5)
28 Communicate sound facts, if
only approximately (3)
30 A number of advertisements
for young men (4)
EASY PUZZLE
ACROSS
1 Initiated (6)
7 Dealer overseas (8)
8 Dash (4)
10 Cruel person (6)
11 Split (6)
14 Writing fluid (3)
16 Type of saw (5)
17 Appointment (4)
19 Servant (5)
21 Was concerned (5)
22 Disgusting (5)
23 Saucy (4)
26 Type of chair (5)
28 Type of disease (3)
29 Score (6)
30
31
32
33
Drool (6)
Radiate (4)
Angelic (8)
Dozen (6)
DOWN
1 Pursued (6)
2 Salty (6)
3 Hollow (4)
4 Suggested (7)
5 Blemish (5)
6 Naive (5)
8 Revise (4)
9 Enquire (3)
12 Animal doctor (3)
13 Benefactor (5)
15 European capital (5)
18 Awry (5)
19 Barrel (3)
20 Guided (3)
21 Mythical creature (7)
22 Adherent (3)
23 Courteous (6)
24 Way out (4)
25 Hypnotic state (6)
26 Orderly pile (5)
27 Postpone (5)
28 Woman’s name (3)
30 Religious group (4)
THURSDAY’S CRYPTIC
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS: 1, St.-ash 6, Kitty 9,
Corsair 10, Pi-lo-t 11, Ni-F-ty
12, La-U-ds 13, P-itch-er 15, Den
17, Las-h 18, Se-cur-e 19, Dried
20, Screen 22, Sag-E 24, Has 25,
Even-te-r 26, Lit-re 27, Ste-I-n 28,
Bill-y 29, Federal 30, Fe-T-ed 31,
A-side.
DOWN: 2, Trivia 3, Scotch 4,
Hot 5, Oscar 6, Kind-red 7, Iris
8, Tot-ter 12, L-earn 13, P-L-ush
14, Tsars 15, Du-cat 16, Never 18,
Serve 19, Defined 21, C-astle 22,
S-nails 23, Gel-led 25, Erred 26,
Life 28, Baa.
THURSDAY’S EASY
SOLUTIONS
ACROSS: 1, Ashen 6, Right 9,
Located 10, Carat 11, Plead 12,
Paste 13, Ordeals 15, Den 17,
Used 18, Allude 19, Adobe 20,
Errors 22, Cede 24, Ray 25,
Prouder 26, Rivet 27, Fines 28,
Gamut 29, Starlet 30, Agate 31,
Tenet.
DOWN: 2, Stairs 3, Elated 4, Not
5, Galas 6, Reptile 7, Idle 8, Heated
12, Plods 13, Outer 14, Decry 15,
Duped 16, Never 18, Abort 19,
Artiste 21, Racing 22, Curate 23,
Deluge 25, Perry 26, Rest 28, Get.
international
oman
@
30
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
Birth of Sejong the Great
This day in 1397, Sejong the Great, the fourth king of Joseon-dynasty Korea was
born. Sejong’s greatest contribution to his country is by creating the Korean
alphabet Hangul. During his reign, he encouraged advancements of scientific
technology and instituted many efforts to stabilize and improve prosperity.
humaninterest
Researchers found a mastodon
tusk and several stone artefacts
that radiocarbon dating showed
to be more than 14,400 years
old, far older than the remnants
found from the Palaeo-Indian
Clovis culture in North America
which tend to be about 1113,000 years old
Early evidence of people in America
A
second look at a tusk and tools unearthed from an underwater
archaeological site in Florida has revealed that people migrated to
the Americas almost 1,500 years earlier than previously believed,
researchers said on Friday.
The site — known as Page-Ladson — is submerged 26 feet (eight
metres) in a sinkhole on the Aucilla River near Tallahassee, and was
first explored in the late 1980s and 1990s. Back then, researchers found a mastodon
tusk and several stone artefacts that radiocarbon dating showed to be more than
14,400 years old, far older than the remnants found from the Palaeo-Indian Clovis
culture in North America which tend to be about 11-13,000 years old.
But their findings were largely dismissed by scientists. This “was an impossible age
for the scientific community to accept at the time because it was well-accepted that the
Americas were colonized by the Clovis people who arrived on the continent over the
Bering Land Bridge no longer than 13,500 years ago at the oldest,” said Jessi Halligan
of Florida State University.
Halligan led a team that returned to the underwater site from 2012 to 2014 for more
excavation work at what experts say is the oldest archaeological site in the southeastern
United States and the oldest submerged one yet discovered in the New World.
Working in dark and murky conditions, they found more bones and a biface stone
knife used for butchering, and confirmed — with 71 new radiocarbon dates from the
site — that the artefacts date to about 14,550 years ago, according to the report in the
journal Science Advances.
Leap forward Researchers also re-examined the mastodon tusk and agreed with the
original team’s conclusion, that deep grooves in the surface were cut marks made by
humans using stone tools to remove the tusk from the skull.
Hunter gatherers in the area were likely using their stone knives to process the
mastodon carcass, perhaps to get at the edible tissue inside, researchers said.
Their findings also suggest that people did not hunt mastodons to extinction as
quickly as some have believed, and likely co-existed for some 2,000 years.
“The evidence from the Page-Ladson site is a major leap forward in shaping a new
view of the peopling of Americas at the end of the last ice age,” said co-author Michael
Waters of Texas A&M University.
“For over 60 years, archaeologists accepted that Clovis were the first people to occupy
the Americas around 13,000 years ago.
Today, this viewpoint is changing.” Page-Ladson is among a handful of archaeological
sites that suggest human occupation from more than 13,000 years ago — including in
what is now Texas, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
“Because the Page-Ladson site provides unequivocal evidence of human occupation
that predates Clovis by over 1,500 years, the side contributes significantly to the debate
over the timing and complexity of the peopling of the Americas,” said Waters.
Page-Ladson is also about the same age as the Monte Verde site in Chile, suggesting
that people were living in both hemispheres of the Americas by 14,500 years ago, Waters
added.
“The evidence from Page-Ladson provides indirect support for a coastal migration
into the Americas.
How people made their way to Florida and how long this took we can only speculate
but this hints at an even earlier arrival of people into the Americas.” — AFP
@ sharedthoughts
Protect your skin
SAYEH WOODMAN
[email protected]
The drill of basking in warm rays
tends to override concerns about
our skin and health... whatever
the colour of your skin, the suns
rays will still damage its cells
A
fter months of pretty rubbish weather here in
the UK, yes, the saying that it always rains in
Britain stands pretty much true.
It’s no wonder most of us get excited at the
first glimpse of sun, that we head straight to
the park to peel off the layers and then bake!
But most worrying, the drill of basking in warm rays tends to
override concerns about our skin and health — a survey carried
out by British Dermatologists revealed that 72 per cent of us
have had sunburn in the past year.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Surely we
should now by know that its common sense to put sun cream on
prior to heading out in the sun!? But so many of us don’t!
I appreciate that most people dodge the sun in Muscat —
as it’s always out with his hat on! And thank goodness to aircondition! But it is a great problem here in the UK when the sun
comes out!
So according to the expert, they can put your mind at ease
when it comes to those myths and questions that run through
your head when the sun comes out! You have dark skin, so you
think it’s OK to be the sun, afraid not! While official statistics
show that people with black or Asian skin types are less likely
to develop skin cancer, the level of risk is reduced, rather than
removed altogether.
Whatever the colour of your skin, the suns rays will still
damage its cells. Dark skins can also be affected by sun induced
premature ageing, such as wrinkles and those lines and dark
pigmentation spots. Here’s another one, if you think you’ll run
low on vitamin D if you don’t soak up lots of sun — then think
again. Vitamin D is important as it supports the immune system
and contributes to calcium absorption. But baking in the sun is
not the way to up your levels. Protecting the skin from damage
should be. Studies have shown that Vitamin D can be absorbed
even when wearing sunscreen.
All you need is a short walk out in the sun to soak up the rays;
it’s that quick and catching. To help with your intake you can
rely on other sources such as only fish, butter, eggs and fortified
breakfast cereals contain vitamin D. I thought that the darker
my sunglasses, the better my eyes are protected, but this really
isn’t the case.
Extended exposure to UV rays has been linked to eye damage,
including macular degeneration and cataracts. Most want to
look good with a pair of shades, and also want to be hidden. You
don’t want people to see you staring at them do you! That’s they
only thing there good for! Your eyes wont necessarily be better
protected than if you were wearing lighter lenses, the depth of
the colour of the lens has very little to do with its UV protection
clear lens.
If you’re thinking that you don’t need sunscreen as long as
you’re in the water or you don’t need to top up, you’re totally
on the wrong track — while many of us believe that spending
time in the pool or sea offers a welcome barrier to the sun, the
opposite is so true.
Water welcomes UV light to penetrate, so not only are you
just as vulnerable as you would be on the short, but it also scatters
and reflects the light, which can make those rays more intense.
Especially if your towel drying yourself — the water comes off
along with what sun protection you initially put on, so slap some
more on.
The higher the SPF the better — everyone should wear a sun
cream with high SPF when out in the sun, along with sunglasses
and a hat if you can, children and those fairer skin should wear
everything!
And go for a SPF 50+ The SPF marker of protection against
sunburn, but you need to get one that goes against those UVA
rays, which penetrate deeper to the skin too.
Look for a 5 star UVA rating, so that you’re protected in every
instance.
The 5 stars are really important if I’m being honest. Don’t
skimp on the stars and also don’t skimp on the application, put
lots on. No matter where you are in the world, if the sun is out —
more so in Muscat than in the UK, then protect yourself!
features
Mickey Mouse premieres in first cartoon
This day in 1928, Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse had his first cartoon test
screening (for Plane Crazy) but failed to pick up distributor. This was the first
animated film to use a camera move and was co-directed by Walt Disney and Ub
Iwerks.
@ globalwarming
international
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
S U N DAY l M AY 1 5 l 2 0 1 6
31
Red knots suffer
double hit from
global warming
R
ed knots, a type of bird that makes one of
the longest annual migrations, are shrinking
because climate change in their Arctic nesting
grounds makes life harder during their winters
in Africa, scientists say.
Snows in Arctic Russia now melt earlier
in spring and many red knot chicks hatch too late for the
annual peak of insect food spurred by the thaw, according
to their report on Thursday, one of the first to link the
impact of warming to a single species.
That food shortage means the shorebirds, known for
the males’ reddish plumage, grow up smaller with shorter
bills that make it harder to dig up their favoured shellfish
that live deep in tidal mudflats in wintering grounds in
Mauritania.
Eighty per cent of the birds born in Russia with long
beaks survived to adulthood against just 40 per cent of the
short-beaked red knots, which end up eating roots of sea
grasses in Africa that are less nutritious than shellfish, the
study found.
“It’s worrying... we speculate that this is a very general
problem” for Arctic migratory birds, lead author Jan van
Gils of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research said
of the findings published in the journal Science. Thursday’s
study, by researchers in the Netherlands, Australia, France,
Poland and Russia, drew on 33 years of satellite data of
snows and observations of the size and feeding habits of
thousands of birds.
Many types of shorebird fly to the Arctic to nest to
avoid predators, from falcons to snakes, in the tropics.
Some red knots born in Alaska fly all the way to South
America. The study suggested that red knots may evolve to
have smaller bodies, with big bills.
Red knots were also flying slightly earlier to the Arctic,
but not soon enough.
In Africa “they lack the cues of an earlier Arctic summer,”
van Gils said. Red knots grow to about 25 cms long (10
inches) long.
Their global population is falling, according to a Red List
of endangered species compiled by experts, who reckon
the species is not at risk now but may be in future. Some
other studies suggest that many creatures may shrink in a
warmer world, because smaller bodies can get rid of extra
heat more easily than big bodies. — Reuters
@ scienceexhibit
Origin of Frankenstein exhibit taps into angst over science
F
rankenstein, the story of a scientist who brings to
life a cadaver and causes his own downfall, has for
two centuries given voice to anxiety surrounding the
unrelenting advance of science.
To mark the 200 years since England’s Mary Shelley
first imagined the ultimate horror story during a visit to
a frigid, rain-drenched Switzerland, an exhibit opens in Geneva on
Friday called “Frankenstein, Creation of Darkness”.
In the dimly-lit, expansive basement at the Martin Bodmer
Foundation, a long row of glass cases holds 15 handwritten,
yellowed pages from a notebook where Shelley in 1816 wrote
the first version of what is considered a masterpiece of romantic
literature.
“...I beheld the wretch — the miserable monster whom I had
created; he held up the curtain, and his eyes, if eyes they may be
called, were fixed on me,” she wrote.
The idea for her “miserable monster” came when at just 18 she
and her future husband, English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, went to
a summer home — the Villa Diodati — rented by literary great Lord
Byron on the outskirts of Geneva.
The current private owners of the picturesque manor overlooking
Lake Geneva will also open their lush gardens to guided tours during
the nearby exhibit which runs to October 9.
That book figures among a multitude of first editions at the
Geneva exhibit, including three of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,
or the Modern Prometheus” — the most famous story to emerge
from the competition.
When first published in 1818 it did not bear Shelley’s name,
and one of the yellowed editions in the exhibit, presented as a
gift to the man who sparked its creation, is inscribed merely: “To
Lord Byron from the Author”.
“Her name was unknown. It would not have done anything
for the sale of the book. Especially a feminine name,” explained
David Spurr, an English literature professor at the University of
Geneva and curator of the exhibit.
‘Trying to play God’?
Despite her young age, Mary Shelley — the daughter of political
philosopher William Godwin and feminist philosopher Mary
Wollstonecraft — tapped into widespread angst about the
increasing power of science and technology.
Shelley does not reveal in her book the secret “spark of
being” that Victor Frankenstein discovers and uses to bring his
creature to life, but the result of his hubris is depicted in all its
horror.
Rejected by its maker, the creature turns into a vengeful
monster who murders Frankenstein’s baby brother, his best
friend and his love the night before their wedding.
More than simply marking the 200th anniversary of the
conception of Frankenstein, Spurr said the exhibit along with
a range of activities seek to highlight how relevant the novel
remains as science and technology advance at breakneck speed.
“The fundamental questions raised about science and
about the human capacity to create human life, or to modify
or to intervene in the process of the creation of human life...
are still very actual and are still a source of anxiety,” he said,
pointing for instance to DNA research and tinkering with human
reproduction.
Nicolas Ducimetiere, Vice Director of the Martin Bodmer
Foundation, agreed.
“How far can scientific creativity go without trying to play
God, or creating something that will be a scourge for humanity?”
he asked. — AFP
Lord Byron’s challenge
While the spot today is lovely, with pink and purple lilacs spilling
from the terraces and gravel walkways winding through rosecovered arches, in the summer of 1816 the atmosphere was more
sombre.
A massive eruption from the Tambora volcano in Indonesia
wreaked havoc with the global climate that year, and a weather
report for Geneva in June on display at the exhibit mentions “not a
single leaf” had yet appeared on the oak trees.
To pass the time, poet Lord Byron challenged the band of
literary bohemians gathered at the villa to each invent a ghost story,
resulting in several famous pieces of writing.
English doctor and author John Polidori came up with the
idea for “The Vampyre”, which was published three years later and
is considered to have pioneered the romantic vampyre genre,
including works like Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”.
@ safetyfirst
Sixth sense can’t protect drivers when they text
A
sixth sense can keep a driver safe even
when he or she is absent-minded or
emotionally-charged but not when
they text while on the wheels, a team
of US researchers has found.
The researchers from University of Houston
(UH) and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute
(TTI) said that in all three interventions, the
drivers’ handling of the wheel became jittery
with respect to normal driving but texting while
driving is too dangerous.
While this jittery handling resulted in
significant lane deviations and unsafe driving
in the case of texting distractions, in the case
of absent-minded and emotionally charged
distractions, jittery steering resulted in straighter
trajectories with respect to a normal drive and
safer driving.
“A likely explanation for this paradox is the
function performed by a part of the brain called
the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) — known
to automatically intervene as an error corrector
when there is conflict,” said Ioannis Pavlidis from
University of Houston.
“In this case, the conflict comes from the
cognitive, emotional and sensorimotor, or
texting, stressors. This raises the levels of
physiological stress, funnelling ‘fight or flight’
energy to the driver’s arms, resulting in jittery
handling of the steering wheel,” Pavlidis added in
a university statement.
According to him, brain’s ACC automatically
counterbalances any strong jitter to the left with
an instant equally strong jitter to the right and
vice versa.
For ACC to perform this corrective function,
it needs support from the driver’s eye-hand
coordination loop.
“The driver’s mind can wander and his or
her feelings may boil but a sixth sense keeps a
person safe at least in terms of veering off course,”
Pavlidis noted.
What makes texting so dangerous is that it
wreaks havoc into this sixth sense.
“Self-driving cars may bypass this and other
problems, but the moral of the story is that
humans have their own auto systems that work
wonders, until they break,” the authors noted.
The work was funded, in part, by the Toyota
Class Action Settlement Safety Research and
Education Programme.
SUNDAY | MAY 15 2016 | SHAABAN 8, 1437 AH
www.omanobserver.om
[email protected]
the valley of
10
Questions
with
an Omani fashion icon
ZLOGÁRZHUV
The successful re-launch of Amal al Raisi’s Dar Al Aseel Ramadhan Collection is something worthy of a
celebration. It offered a much needed re-invigoration to the local fashion scene. To learn what’s behind
the mind of this talented fashion icon, Observer reached out to Amal to ask her 10 questions fashionconscious women in the country would love to know about... P29
@editor’spick
watchamovie
nowshowing
environmentsector
TERM LIFE
OMAN WASTE & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE
Synopsis: Everyone wants Nick (Vince
Vaughn) dead. A desperate man, Nick
takes out a life insurance policy on
himself, payable to his estranged
daughter (Hailee Steinfeld). But the
policy doesn’t take effect for 21 days
and he might not live that long.
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lowest, how would you rate this film?
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aroundtown
MAY 23-25, 2016
People ride the Ferris Wheel at the city of Monterey Parks’s 100th Birthday
celebration with the annual pre-summer Plays Days fair in Monterey Park,
California on May 13, 2016. The fair began on May 12 and runs through the
weekend to May 15. — AFP
Oman Waste & Environmental
Services Exhibition &
Conference is a 3-day event held
from May 23-25, 2016 at the
Oman International Exhibition
Centre in Muscat.
This event showcases products,
updates and developments from
the Environment & Waste
Management industry.