DO HOTELS SERVE VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY?

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1 SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 DHUL QA ADA 17, 1436 AH VOL. 34 NO. 291 PAGES 32 BAISAS 200 P20 Indonesia favouring China in high-speed railway bid P29 Taylor queen of MTV awards P25 India sniff victory, seven SL batsmen in the way Chief Executive Officer DR IBRAHIM BIN AHMED AL KINDI Editor-in-Chief ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising PO Box 974, Postal Code 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Inside Thai police hunt two new suspects Pakistan, Afghanistan told to mend ties Cash crunch for Paris conference FOLLOW US ON: OMAN HM condolences to Saudi King MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has sent a cable of condolences to King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia on the death of Princess Nouf bint Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman al Saud. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere condolences and sympathy to King Salman, praying to the Almighty to rest her soul in peace and grant her family patience. HM greets Uzbek, Slovakia presidents MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has sent a cable of greetings to President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan on the occasion of his country s Independence Anniversary. In his cable, His Majesty expressed his sincere greetings and best wishes of continuous health and happiness to President Karimov and the friendly people of Uzbekistan further progress and prosperity. His Majesty has also sent a cable of greetings to President Andrej Kiska of Slovakia on the occasion of his country s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty expressed his sincere greetings along with his best wishes to President Kiska and the friendly people of his country. EUROPE Deadly clashes in Kiev over legislation KIEV: A policeman was killed and dozens injured on Monday in street battles with protesters in Kiev as Ukrainian lawmakers gave their initial backing to controversial legislation granting more autonomy to pro-kremlin rebels. It was the worst unrest in the capital since a bloody popular uprising ousted Moscowbacked Viktor Yanukovych early last year, an event that set in train the separatist insurgency in Ukraine s eastern industrial heartland. Ukrainian authorities blamed nationalists for the trouble and said at least 30 people had been detained. A loud blast was heard outside parliament and vast clouds of black smoke billowed into the air as demonstrators fired off what security forces said were live grenades. REPORT ON P14 INSIDESTORIES MALAYSIA PM REASSERTS COMMAND WITH PARADE MAIN TEMPLE IN SYRIA S PALMYRA STILL STANDING TSIPRAS STILL HAS THE EDGE IN PRO-EURO GREECE WEATHER TODAY MUSCAT MAX: 37 0 C MIN: 30 0 C SALALAH MAX: 30 0 C MIN: 26 0 C SUNRISE AM PRAYER TIMINGS FAJR: 04:28 DHUHR: 12:07 ASR: 15:34 MAGHRIB: 18:26 ISHA: 19:56 P6 P13 P14 NIZWA MAX: 42 0 C MIN: 28 0 C FLOUTING RULES: Many restaurants compromise on quality to save a few bucks VINOD NAIR MUSCAT August 31: Recently authorities including those from the Muscat Municipality, Royal Oman Police and the Public Authority for Consumer Protection raided outlets and found that food has been prepared in extremely unhygienic and inhuman conditions. While cases related to food poisoning are not that common in Oman, one cannot ignore the fact that a number of eating joints do flout rules to save few extra bucks. While number of consumers in Oman have expressed concern over the quality of food supplied to them, restaurant managers claim that they Salalah fest ends amid colourful celebration KAUSHALENDRA SINGH SALALAH August 31: The Salalah Tourism Festival that kept residents and visitors occupied for 40 days came to a dazzling end on Monday. The cultural extravaganza ended amid bursting of colourful fire crackers, dance, drama and music. A celebration titled Oman a land of peace and love was also performed which evoked good response from the residents and festival participants. The concluding day event was held under the auspices of Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan al Busaidy, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar, dignitaries from Dhofar Municipality, Ministry of Tourism and officials from all other ministries participating in the festival. The dazzling display of fireworks, exciting competitions and children s activities marked a thrilling climax to the festival with distribution of certificates and prizes among winners and the participants. Among the wilayat competitors Makshen stood first, second Mirbat, third Sadah, fourth Ibri and fifth Suwaiq respectively. Among other categories, Masirah stood distinctively in proficiency in ideas and the effectiveness of the organisational skills, while Nizwa got honours for in the category of mastery of musical arts. Rustaq and Mazyona bagged awards for proficiency in craft and Omani games respectively. SEE PAGE 3 DO HOTELS SERVE VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY? 20 fall sick after eating at restaurant MOHAMED AL BAADI MUSCAT August 31: As many as 20 people were admitted to Saham Hospital after suffering from symptoms of food poisoning. The media coverage affiliated to The Saham Fans said that as many as nine members showed symptoms of food poisoning; two of them are still in the hospital. Nine of the media coverage s cadre who had a meal at a restaurant took ill yesterday (Saturday), and two are still in the hospital, while the remaining were BONN: Climate change is bringing small risks that tropical cyclones will form in the Gulf for the first time, in a threat to many cities which are unprepared for big storm surges, a US study said on Monday. The study said the closest cyclone to the Gulf was in 2007, when Gonu in the Arabian Sea struck Oman and Iran, killing 78 people and causing $4.4 billion in damage. Tampa in Florida and Cairns in Australia, two places where cyclones discharged, the team tweeted A source from the municipality in Saham said that the restaurant was closed. The eatery was shut and food samples served at the restaurant were sent for lab analysis. The results will be out on Monday, the source, who declined to be named said. Initially, a person filed a complaint pertaining to the incident at Saham Police Station. If the results proved positive, measures will be taken and the municipality will take the case to Public Prosecution, the source added. TRACKING THE SILK ROAD already happened, would be increasingly vulnerable to extreme storms this century, according to the report, based on thousands of computer models. The shallow and warm waters of the Gulf, where cyclones have never been recorded, might generate the storms in future as a side-effect of global warming, according to the study in the journal Nature Climate Change. You can t always rely on history to predict the future, lead author Ning Lin of follow health safety guidelines laid out by the authorities. During Ramadhan, the Muscat Municipality had run an awareness campaign especially regarding the heating of oil for frying, which is said to be one of the major violations found in restaurants. Generally, I do not have issues related to ambiance but there is this concern over the quality of ingredients and methods used in food preparation. I believe that not all chefs are professionals and competent, but we cannot pass a judgment without verifying the fact, which is very difficult for an ordinary customer, said Prakash Iyer, who regularly depends on restaurant food. TURN TO P3 SAFER KABEER YOUSUF MUSCAT Princeton University said of the findings she reached with Kerry Emanuel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For the Persian Gulf, the probability of cyclones is very low but... if you build a nuclear power plant you have to consider these things, she said. For Dubai, for instance, a storm surge of 1.9 metres in height could be expected once every 1,000 years based on recent climate warming, and one of 4 metres once every 10,000 years, the scientists Stiff fines await reckless drivers August 31: With stricter penalties including heftier fines and jail terms aimed at reducing road fatalities in Oman, the new traffic law is getting ready and will be implemented as soon as the final approval is received, according to a source at the Royal Oman Police (ROP). The new traffic law which aims at curbing accidents and stems from the Sultanate s goal to have zero-tolerance for traffic law violations to save precious lives on roads. Studies have found that every hour someone is injured in a road accident and every eight hours there is a death on Oman s roads. Deaths from road accidents are the third biggest killer of people in Oman. These measures include increase in fines currently imposed on law-breakers, besides extending the jail term and other measures such as impounding vehicles are in the pipeline. Additionally, speed The Oman Riders Motorcycle Club will organise a trip to enliven the Silk Road on BMW motorcycles from the Sultanate to China on September 6 coinciding with the 45th National Day. The team comprises of seven Omani adventurers, who will cover a distance of more than 14,000 km in 35 days accompanied by a vehicle carrying equipment. The trip is also aimed to promote the historic and cultural aspects of the Sultanate. ROADS Every hour someone or the other is injured in a road accident and every eight hours there is a death on Oman s roads. cameras are in full action and are capable of catching traffic violators who put others in danger. Traffic rules will soon be stricter with severe penalties and heftier fines and we are expecting a decision from the top authorities. The cameras in and around major roads are capable of catching multiple offences by motorists. TURN TO P5 TREKKING TRAGEDY Tourists told to follow guidelines MUSCAT: The Ministry of Tourism has expressed deep grief over the incident which occurred in Wadi Sameeni in the Wilayat of Mahdha which resulted in the death of a tourist who was among the group of trekkers who lost their way while roaming in an area which is not officially recognised by the ministry as a tourist spot. The ministry is doing its duty in issuing instructions and guidelines and circulating them through all the border outlets and among all travel and tourism agencies and accredited tour guides. The ministry hopes that all tourists will abide by the instructions to avoid the repeat of such incidents. The Ministry of Tourism expressed its appreciation for the citizens and residents, tourism establishments, the Royal Oman Police and the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance for their efforts in securing the safety of the trekkers. Climate change brings cyclone risk to Gulf estimated. They dubbed such extreme tropical cyclones grey swans, saying they could not be predicted from history alone. The metaphor is inspired by black swans, judged impossible by Europeans until they were found in Australia. Some past studies have also pointed to risks of abrupt changes in the climate system linked to global warming, including that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer or that monsoon rains could veer off track. Reuters

2 l SEPTEMBER 1 l OMAN BAN ON FISH EXPORTS FROM TODAY The ministerial decision on regulating fish exports issued by Dr Fuad bin Jaafar al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries will take effect from today. The latest decision prohibits the export of yellowfin tuna, kingfish and longtail tuna during September 15 till May 31, It also prohibits the export of jobfish, grouper and biah (mullet) during December 15 till February 15, MSM CLOSES 32 POINTS LOWER Muscat Securities Market (MSM) general index 30 on Monday lost 32.8 points, comprising a decline by 0.56 per cent to close at 5, points, compared to the last session, which stood at 5, points. Trading value stood at RO 4.94 million, comprising a rise by per cent compared to the last session, which stood at RO 4.28 million. An MSM report pointed out that the market value fell by 0.28 per cent to reach about RO billion. Sultanate wins five tourism awards in the region ONA receives best Arab news agency award for best tourism coverage Minister adjudged best tourism personality MUSCAT: Oman News Agency (ONA) was on Monday presented the best Arab news agency award for coverage on local and Arab tourism affairs jointly with the Saudi News Agency (SNA). The award was given by the Abu Dhabi-based Arab Centre for Tourism Media (ACTM). The award presentation was held at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel under the patronage of Ahmed bin Nasser al Mehrzi, Minister of Tourism. As many as 18 specialised tourist media awards, granted by ACTM annually, were presented at the ceremony, including five awards won by the Sultanate. Al Mehrzi won the best tourism personality award. ONA and SNA jointly won the best news agency award for publishing news on Arab tourism. Muscat City Seasons won the best Arab family hotel award. Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed al Nahyan, Representative of the President of the UAE, Chairman of the Emirates Heritage Club won the Arab Heritage Man Award Emirati businessman Khalaf al Habtoor won the best Arab tourism investor award for his works in the field of giant tourism projects club. The TV programme Youm Jadid (New Day) produced by Egypt and Jordan, and the TV programme Rathath (mist) produced by the Public Authority for Radio and Television in the Sultanate jointly won the best tourism TV programme award. Kuwaiti Radio programme Trip to Failaka won the best Arab tourism Radio programme award. ACTM in its session for this year decided to honour Shaikh Salim bin Oufait al Shanfari, Head of Dhofar Municipality in recognition of the great efforts which resulted in the achievement of a major tourism development in the Governorate of Dhofar. Winners of the ACTM 7th edition awards, ACTM members of the Board of Directors, a number of news agencies, and Arab and international media attended the awardpresentation ceremony. The Supervisory Committee on Tourism Media Awards for the current year 2015 unanimously decided to select ONA among the winners of ACTM annual awards, previously announced in the Jordanian capital in the presence of Jordanian Minister of Tourism. Al Mehrzi thanked ACTM for its initiative that seeks to highlight the activities, individual efforts and workers in the tourism sector. Speaking on the development of domestic tourism, the Tourism Minister said that emphasis will be laid on domestic tourism by 50 per cent because the Omani tourist is a loyal tourist to his homeland and the best example of this is Khareef Salalah, where 74 per cent of the visitors are Omanis and the rest from other countries. About the lack of some services and tourist facilities in some places, the minister said that a study was conducted on in Dhofar and a Singaporean company has been assigned to study and assess the situation and services in the governorate, stressing the importance of working with stakeholders to raise the quality of services provided. Two held for vehicle theft The Wave is now Al Mouj Muscat MUSCAT: The Directorate of Inquiries and Criminal Investigation at the Police Command in North Al Batinah Governorate arrested two Omani citizens charged with stealing a car in the Wilayat of Sohar, a Royal Oman Police (ROP) official said. Earlier, the police station in Sohar received a complaint from a citizen who said that a car belonging to his company was stolen while it was parked near a commercial store in the Falaj al Qabail area in Sohar. Police launched an investigation into the incident and eventually managed to arrest the two accused who admitted to stealing the car, the official said. ASIAN HELD WITH DRUGS The Directorate-General for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances arrested a man belonging to an Asian country in connection with possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking in the Wilayat of Al Amerat, a Royal Oman Police (ROP) source said. The accused was caught red-handed while trying to sell the drug in Al Mahaj area in Al Amerat and the police found 122 tramadol capsules, 60 grammes of marijuana and cash in his possession. Kempinski hotel to be ready in late 2015 Shaza hotel to be completed in 18 months STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT August 31: The Wave, Muscat has unveiled its new brand identity, embracing its Arabic translation to become Al Mouj Muscat. The new logo is derived from the calligraphy of the former logo and elements from the JV Partners the typeface and colours from the Ministry of Tourism logo, and the new Majid Al Futtaim branding. Today marks a new phase of the project s maturity as we celebrate the depth of our Arabian heritage and the strength of our joint venture partners in an all-encompassing modern visual identity, said Hawazen Esber, CEO of Al Mouj Muscat. He added: Al Mouj Muscat has evolved into a benchmark for property development in the country and a model for public-private cross-border collaboration as demonstrated by the Omani Government and Majid Al Futtaim Properties. I am proud to say that we are the only integrated tourism complex in Oman that has successfully brought people, business and culture into one thriving destination. From quality homes, worldclass leisure amenities and bustling retail and dining experiences, Al Mouj Muscat has everything a resident, visitor or tourist can ask for and I can tell you with full confidence that the best is yet to come. Nasser al Sheibani, CFO, Al Mouj Muscat, said: The Al Mouj Muscat evolution will strengthen the company s position in both local and regional markets as the most successful integrated tourism project in Oman. Today marks a beginning of a new era in delivering a sustainable living environment, lifestyle and leisure for residents, visitors and tourists. Al Mouj Muscat offers a variety of luxury residential properties and a unique combination of lifestyle and recreation amenities to meet the needs of investors, residents, visitors and tourists. With plans in place to expand the thriving waterfront community with a new school, more hotels and a harbour-side piazza, the development is in the last stages of finalising its much-anticipated new masterplan. New master plan in two months VINOD NAIR MUSCAT August 31: The new masterplan for Al Mouj Muscat (earlier The Wave, Muscat), will be unveiled in the next two months, subject to approvals from the authorities. It was also revealed that the Kempinski hotel project will be ready by late next year, while the Shaza hotel project will be completed in 18 months. Hawazen Esber, CEO of Al Mouj Muscat, said, All phases of Al Mouj Muscat will be completed by and the new masterplan will focus on new amenities like more hotels, harbourside piazza, food and beverage outlets, high-end houses and as well the mid-market segment. The plan is aimed at developing the Al Mouj as a full-fledged destination. David Stafford, VP, sales and marketing, Al Mouj, said, that low oil prices have not had any impact and sales are still at its highest levels. Al Mouj Muscat is home to over 4,000 residents and this number is expected to grow by more than 50 per cent in the next few years. The planned development with its integrated lifestyle experience has appealed to people from 69 nationalities with Omani citizens representing the largest single nationality.

3 3 OMAN SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver Colourful celebration marks end of khareef KAUSHALENDRA SINGH SALALAH August 31: The Salalah Tourism Festival that kept residents and visitors occupied for 40 days came to a dazzling end on Monday. The cultural extravaganza ended amid bursting of fire crackers, dance, drama and music. A celebration titled Oman, a land of peace and love was also performed which evoked good response from the residents and festival participants. The concluding day event was held under the patronage of Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs in the presence of Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan bin Hamoud al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar, dignitaries from Dhofar Municipality, Ministry of Tourism and officials from all other ministries participating in the festival. The dazzling display of fireworks, exciting competitions and children s activities marked a thrilling climax to the festival with distribution of certificates and prizes among winners and the participants. Among the competitors from the wilayat, Makshen stood first, Mirbat was second and Sadah was third, Ibri stood fourth and fifth was Suwaiq. Among other categories, Masirah stood distinctively in proficiency in ideas and the effectiveness of organisational skills, while Nizwa got honours in the category of mastery of musical arts. Rustaq and Mazyona bagged awards for proficiency in craft and Omani games respectively. Being the last day, every stall had something special to offer the visitors. Huge turnout of visitors was noticed at the International Commercial Exhibition pavilions, both at Iitin and Samharam Global village, as visitors were seen eager to grab a last-day bargain on household, readymade, toys and decoration items. Entertainment and shopping went hand-in-hand at Samharam village venue of the STF. Children had fun on different rides, there were many others who enjoyed music, drama and dance performances. For shopping lovers the venue had exhibitors from many countries, who put up their stalls and offered household items, cosmetics, toys and readymade garments. There were more than 100 shops in the shopping area from countries like Egypt, Yemen, China, Syria, Turkey, Thailand, India and Pakistan. Omani folk artistes presented special shows marking the end of the festival with a message of meeting again next year. A rare enthusiasm was seen among the performers who presented different dance forms of Oman like Al Zamil, Al Bujalaf, Al Silem, Al Majlib and Al Shra. The attractions of this year s festival were Shopping Fair, Omani Products Exhibition, dance performances from different countries and regions of Oman and events dedicated to children. Celebrated with wide international participation, the festival every year is meant to showcase the Sultanate s cultural, economic and entertainment activities in a new shape. National fervour was dominant over the celebration at the STF due to the fact that festival opened on 45th Renaissance Day and concluded with a celebration theme of Oman a land of peace and love. The festival for all the 40 days thus was a unique confluence of two celebrations Renaissance Day and Khareef Festival. Refineries register 2.2 per cent increase in production STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT August 31: The production at refineries and petroleum companies in Oman has reached 48,760,000 barrels at the end of July, showing an increase of 2.2 per cent compared to the production during the same period in 2014, which was 47,698,000 barrels, according to the statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). The statistics indicate that the production of regular gasoline touched 1,410,700 barrels, a fall of 32 per cent compared to the figures recorded during the same period last year, which was 2,073,400 barrels. The production of the premium gasoline till July reached 13,213,100 barrels with an 5.7 per cent increase compared to the figures recorded during the same period in 2014, which witnessed the production of 12,495,600 barrels. The Sultanate produced 2,882,200 barrels of jet fuel with a 4.5 per cent increase compared to the figures recorded during the same period of 2014, which saw the production of FROM PAGE 1 Mohammed al Busaidi, an accountant, said, As I stay away from home in Sohar, I am very much dependent on outside food. The main problem that I face is not many coffee shops/restaurants provide quality food, though I admit that prices are not high. I doubt whether they follow any scientific or professional methods of cooking. It is unfair for people like us because we cannot afford to always frequent expensive restaurants. Kasturi Balakrishnan has been visiting restaurants in the Sultanate for the last 20 years. I do feel that there is a marked improvement in the quality of services and food offered in the restaurants. I assume hygiene and health safety procedures are strictly monitored, but not all outlets offer value for money. Abdulqadir, who operates a coffee shop, says: To name, there are a few 2,757,700 barrels. The production of gas oil (diesel) increased with 13 per cent to reach 12,448,900 barrels compared to 11,021,000 barrels produced during the same period last year. The fuel oil production fell by 0.4 per cent to reach 1,349,600 barrels compared to 1,355,500 recorded during the same period in The Sultanate produced 2,109,600 barrels of the liquefied petroleum gas till July, a fall of 2.8 per cent compared to the figures recorded during same period in 2014, which was 2,170,600 barrels. The production of liquidation wastes also fell by 5.9 per cent logging 10,967,500 barrels at the who violate rules frequently and brings bad reputation to everyone. If anyone aware of these of violations should immediately contact the authorities concerned and see that they are brought to book. Imtiaz Sheikh, general manager, Puranmal Restaurants in Oman, said, The food quality control for restaurants is very stringent in Oman. Checks are conducted at least once in a month and main attention is given to hygiene levels in kitchen and storages. They are very particular on these aspects and regarding waste disposal, it is mostly related to regarding oil. They also check the identity cards of all our staff. He added that they do give suggestions we have to ensure that those instructions are strictly followed before the next visit. Latif, who works in a coffee shop/ juice centre in Ruwi, said, Inspectors are particular about hygiene, especially end of July compared to 11,661,100 barrels. The production of propylene reached 1,599,600 barrels, an increase of 10.2 per cent compared to the production recorded in 2014, which was 1,451,800 barrels. The production of naphtha reached 2,242,600 barrels with an increase rate of 10.3 per cent compared to the figures recorded during the same period of 2014, which reached 2,033,200 barrels. Regarding other products, fuels and uses of refineries, their production decreased with 20.9 per cent to log 536,300 barrels till the end of July compared to 678,000 barrels produced during the same period in Do hotels serve value for money? without our shawarma processing unit. They will ensure that we comply with the hygiene and safety standards that are prescribed them. Follow-up mechanisms are equally stringent. Food court managers of a few hypermarkets told the Observer admitted there are doubts about the quality of food offered. We cannot offer customised food as restaurants, but we do strictly follow healthy safety standards and try to meet the minimum quality requirements. No compromises are made as it will hurt our reputation in the long run, said a manager who cannot be named. Muscat Municipality has laid out a detailed list of requirements to be followed in restaurants and any violations can be promptly brought to notice through hotline numbers of both the civic body as well as that of the Public Authority for Consumer Protection. With an international airport, good infrastructure for tourism, Salalah provides a perfect location to be developed as a health tourism destination Salalah can attract tourists throughout the year: Study Khareef season has concluded. An unprecedented 462,424 people have visited Dhofar between June 21 and August 31 this year according to figures released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). Salalah attracts hundreds of thousands tourists during Khareef season, which lasts from June to August every year. Salalah, popularly known as the perfume capital of Arabia, has the potential to be a year-long destination for tourists, suggests a study recently published in an International Research Journal of Commerce & behavioural sciences. The study emphasises that Salalah has all the potential to be developed as a popular health tourism destination with a potential to attract tourists all round the year. THE STUDY: Developing Salalah as a Health Tourism Destination in GCC (An Attempt to Explore Communication Strategies) was conducted by Sushil Kumar Sharma, a faculty member of the Department of Communication Studies, Sur College of Applied Sciences, under the aegis of Ministry of Higher Education. Speaking to with Oman Daily Observer, Sushil Kumar Sharma says: Since ages, Salalah, which is often termed as the region s summer paradise, has been the centre of attraction for tourists. It provides a Sushil Kumar Sharma perfect blend of tourism activities in the lap of nature. Blessed with the lush green hills, gorgeous waterfalls, misty mountains, beautiful landscape, burbling springs, Salalah converts into a mystic destination during monsoon season, known as Khareef season. Located at the coast of Arabian Sea, and equipped with an international airport and very good infrastructure for tourism, Salalah provides a perfect location to be developed as a health tourism destination in GCC. It has a potential to attract tourist all round the year, as it can be developed as a popular health tourism destination, Sushil Kumar Sharma, in his study suggests, Health tourism is the act of travelling with the purpose of acquiring, regaining, improving, or maintaining good health. Rejuvenating, relaxing, soothing body and mind are main motivational factors behind health tourism. Health tourism is also called wellness tourism. Health tourists are generally healthy. Health Tourism is a niche form of tourism having unique characteristics of linking health objectives with tourism. It has been growing rapidly over last couple of years. AMBIT OF HEALTH TOURISM Sushil Kumar Sharma finds that health tourism covers a wide range of activities. Following are some activities that could be provided at Salalah as a Health Tourism destination are: CHANGE OF WEATHER It is a very common type of health tourism activity. Across the globe people mostly travel for change of weather. Besides, all over world, physician advice people a change of weather to recover from a mental trauma and physical weakness. Change of weather helps to rejuvenate, regain health, rebuild body & strength after some illness or sickness. A climate change activities during the Khareef season are already very popular in Salalah. Health tourism can be enhanced with addition / combination of following activities. SPECIALISED SERVICE Specialised services that includes spa treatment, yoga/meditation, Sea and sun activities, nature walk, hot and cold spring, water sports/adventure sports, nutritional/ healthy diets, and be the main highlights, Sushil Kumar Sharma suggests in the study. In an analysis Sushil Kumar Sharma says Salalah already is a popular tourist destination among Omani / GCC nationals. It has good infrastructure related to tourism industry and it well connected to neighbouring cities / countries. The beautiful landscape of Dhofar region combined with modern amenities can help attract tourists throughout the year. OPPORTUNITIES If Salalah attracts tourists throughout the year it will throw up opportunity for creation of jobs and employment for the local community and help in brand building in the region. A proper communication strategy should be developed to marker Salalah as a brand to make it a health tourism destination. Web media, TV, print media, radio and fold and traditional media like hoardings can be used to promote Salalah as a wellness destination. Sushil Kumar Sharma suggests that an integrated approach is required to develop Salalah as a potential health tourism destination. A number of communication strategies could be integrated to get the best results.

4 4 OMAN omandailyobserver SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 Oman to host fire, safety and security conference OFSEC 2015: The exhibition will bring together over 85 international and local exhibitors who will showcase their avant-garde solutions STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT August 31: With the increase in population and the construction boom that the Sultanate is currently witnessing, special attention is needed for fire safety and evacuation, according to experts in the area. We are currently witnessing a number of fire accidents claiming lives and damage to property as a rise in population boosts the construction sector. Hence, more attention to fire safety in the need of the hour, says Lt Saud Rashid al Saadi, Officer in Industrial Protection Department at the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA). Speaking to the Observer on the sidelines of the announcement of Oman s first exhibition on Fire, Safety and Security (OFSEC) which will be held from September 14 to 16 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre, Seeb, Al Saadi said equal attention will be given to natural calamities from time to time. We will be equally focusing on the natural calamities in terms of rescue operations and rehabilitation options as Oman is subject to flashfloods from time to time. To be held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tareq al Said, Adviser to His Majesty the Sultan, OFSEC 2015 will bring together over 85 international and local exhibitors who will showcase their avant-garde solutions, latest technologies, cutting edge innovations, cost-effective products and services to meet the requirements of governments, businesses, industrial and commercial entities, aviation, construction, infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, oil and gas and utilities sectors. OFSEC is designed to meet the needs of the local, regional and international markets by linking practitioners, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers from the fire, safety and security industry, with key decision makers from the government and private sectors making it a definitive networking platform, where new projects and partnerships are initiated and visionary objectives are implemented. This event also aims to create synergy and strengthen the collaboration between the authorities and the industries. The Exhibition will highlight commercial security, crisis and risk management, critical infrastructure, emergency and rescue, fire & protection, hazard and disaster management, information security, safety and health, smart home/office/city, training and consultation, transport safety and security and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). OFSEC 2015 is organised by Muscat Expo in cooperation with Muscat Municipality and supported by Advantage Austria, Firestop Contractors International Association, Foundation for Police Research, German Industry and Commerce Office, Highfield Awarding Body For Compliance, Institution of Occupational Health and Safety, International Institute of Risk and Safety Management, International Security Research Association, Middle East Facility Management Association, Oman American Business Council and World Safety Organization. Co-located with OFSEC is the Middle East Cyber Security Conference to be held on September 15 and 16 at the Hotel Golden Tulip, Seeb. The Conference is in collaboration with Oman CERT and Nispana Innovative Platforms Limited and is supported by ISACA, Muscat Chapter and Association of Chief Information Security Services. The ME Cyber Security Conference will host visionary key note presentations, from regional and international experts. The highlight of the conference is the special address by Ayham Yassmineh, Criminal Intelligence Officer, Focal Point for Middle East & North Africa Region - INTERPOL General-Secrétariat. Shura Forum seminar held in Dhofar PART chairman receives Qatari official SALALAH: The Ministry of Interior organised the second Shura Forum seminar at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Salalah on Monday. Walis, shaikhs, dignitaries and representatives of public organisations, cultural centres, civil society organisations, Omani Woman Associations, teaching staff, businessmen and university students participated in it. The seminar highlighted the role of Majlis Ash shura members and the importance of participating in the Consortium wins deal for 445MW power plant MUSCAT: A consortium of Acwa Power, Mitsui, and Dhofar International (DIDIC) has been awarded a contract for the development, construction, ownership, and operation of a power plant in Oman. The consortium will work on a 445MW gas fired power generation plant, and an existing 273MW natural gas fired Salalah 2 IPP power plant. The award follows the signing of a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) last year by Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) with the same developer consortium. The project debt has been structured as long-term limited recourse project financing and funded by a group of international and regional banks, such as Standard Chartered Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Limited, Mizuho Bank, Bank Muscat, and Bank Dhofar. Paddy Padmanathan, President and CEO of Acwa Power, said: Reaching financial close on this project once again demonstrates the level of comfort and commitment that international and local banks have for investing in the Sultanate of Oman. We are very enthusiastic to rapidly deliver in the elections. It also raised awareness among members of the society towards the importance of selecting appropriate representatives for the positions at the Majlis Ash shura. Seminars are scheduled to be held in Khasab on September 7, in Rustaq on September 9, in Nizwa on September 14, in Sohar on September 16, in Buraimi on September 21, in Ibra on October 5, in Sur on October 7, in Ibri on October 12 and in Haima on October 19. ONA execution and construction of the project in collaboration with our local and international partners. The project will be constructed through a lump-sum turnkey EPC Contract with SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corp. First National Operation & Maintenance Company Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Acwa Power, will be responsible for providing operation and maintenance services for the plant. MUSCAT: Dr Abdullah bin Nasser al Harrasi, Chairman of the Public Authority for Radio and Television (PART) received in his office on Monday Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al Thani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qatar Media Corporation (QMC) and his accompanying delegation. Al Harrasi affirmed the continuation of the existing cooperation between PART and QMC on various fields, describing the Omani-Qatari relations as fraternal and prosperous. The two sides discussed avenues of the joint cooperation between the two sides in areas of audio and video media, in addition to training and exchanging news and programmes. On his turn, the QMC s CEO welcomed future cooperation on various fields. The Qatari delegation toured the TV digital Sohar Aluminium raises awareness on ways to prevent heat stroke studios complex and radio channels building during which they viewed its role in serving radio and television fields. The meeting was attended by PART deputy chairman, under-secretary of the Ministry of Information and other officials. ONA Heat stress awareness campaign STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT August 31: Sohar Aluminium (SA) has been busy this summer, successfully raising awareness across the Sultanate on the various dangers associated with heat stress and the measures that can be taken to prevent this very avoidable danger. Since the hot months began in April up until this date, SA has launched a series of internal and external activities around heat stress prevention and management, reaching out to thousands of people across the Sultanate. Ever since SA was established, the company has worked tirelessly towards safeguarding its employees and contractors from any potential health and safety risk. Realising the dangers high temperatures pose, the company introduced an Annual Heat Stress Management Campaign in 2012 to raise awareness among its workforce about the dangers of heat stress and the best practices to adhere to during the summer period. In its third consecutive year, the company continued its campaign among its employees and contractors through hosting awareness sessions and ongoing physiological monitoring by SA s medical team. The campaign is usually launched through an innovative Meet and Greet activity, where SA s management greet all the employees and contractors coming and leaving the site, offering them water, fruit and pamphlets to remind them to stay hydrated. The activity was held at the smelter, the port and the power plant to ensure every individual working at SA is included. In efforts to combat heat stress and promote a healthy, safe and engaging work environment, SA introduced a Quench Squad as part of its campaign in August. The Quench Squad is a bus that carries volunteers and goes around the company s various departments and facilities to remind and encourage their colleagues to stay hydrated and eat a balanced diet. In April this year, SA organised the Sultanate s first ever Heat Stress Management Symposium in the Wilayat of Sohar. The symposium gave delegates the opportunity to discuss various heat stress prevention, mitigation, monitoring and management best practices. The symposium was attended by occupational health experts, Members of the Gulf Aluminium Council Health Committee representing the medical teams from GCC aluminium smelters, representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Manpower as well as the Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI). Last month, SA reached out to 50,000 children country-wide by distributing an activity book for kids on heat stress with a local newspaper. The book aimed to raise awareness among young people in a fun and engaging way. The activity stems from SA s deep belief that educating young children will support future generations to stay safe and healthy. Heat stress occurs when a person s body is unable to cope with heat caused by hot weather, humidity or certain jobs and activities. Our bodies normally cope with heat by sweating, but sometimes, sweating is not enough to regulate our body temperatures. The dangers associated with heat stress could pose serious occupational illnesses and injuries including heat strokes, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rashes among others. The best way to combat heat stress is to manage it and prevent it through drinking sufficient water during the day, eating balanced meals, exercising regularly and getting proper sleep.

5 5 OMAN SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver OMSB awarded ISO certification MUSCAT: Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) on Monday organised a ceremony to celebrate getting the ISO certificate 9001:2008. The ceremony was held at OMSB headquarters under the patronage of Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, CEO of OMSB, in the presence of the CEO of Turkish Specifications and Measurement Company accredited by the international ISO organisation for the issuance of accreditation and quality certificates for outstanding institutions that meet the standards required for ISO certification. Dr Al Sabti in his speech praised the staff of OMBS for their efforts that are resulted in this global award, noting that OMSB seeks since its inception quality. He added that to obtain a certificate of quality ISO 9001:2008 is a great achievement for OMSB, which is the fruit of all efforts and it is certain evidence of the board s commitment to continuous improvement of standards in various administrative, technical and academic fields in order to provide better services to all beneficiaries of its services. It reflects the role of OMSB in raising the level of its staff and develop their own abilities, through the activities of continuing education and training, he added. Dr Ahmed bin Salim al Mandhari, Senior Family Medicine and Community Consultant and Director General of Quality Assurance Centre at the Ministry of Health, said that the success of OMSB is among the successes achieved by the board in the training of doctors in various medical specialities, adding that ISO certificate will contribute to the improvement of the performance and quality in various academic and administrative areas at OMSB. Stiff fines await reckless drivers FROM PAGE 1 The Sultanate is said to have a cheaper range of traffic penalties in the region and experts have pointed out that this has influenced the mindset of erring drivers. Oman has the cheapest traffic fines in the region and those who are intentionally breaking rules are least bothered about paying fines, while renewing their driving licence or car registration. We need to have heftier fines to tackle this issue, safety ambassadors at Oman s Safety First campaign have commented. Safety First is an independent, not for profit, road safety organisation which works to reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities in Oman by 50 per cent by 2020, and to make Oman s roads safe for all users. It was formed by former rally champion Hamed al Wahaibi and international professional footballer and Oman team captain Ali al Habsi in According to National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), there have been 2,958 accidents this year till this month, whereas it was 2,909 same period last year. Fortunately, there is a fall in the number of people who lost their lives in road accidents. As many as 307 died till this month, whereas 404 people lost their lives during the same period last year. There has been a decline in the number of people injured. According to the source at the speed monitoring division of the ROP in Seeb, more speed cameras have been installed on different routes including the Amerat-Sur highway where motorists tend to speed and cause fatalities. These cameras are equipped with most modern technology in the world and are able to catch offenders of different nature and those who speed above the allowed limit on road will be in for severe penalties. These cameras at traffic signals are operated according to the best and latest systems and they are monitored constantly. They track any violating car while it exceeds the stop line when the signal is red, the source at the Directorate of Traffic added. Oman Air inflight services gets ISO certification MUSCAT: One of Oman Air s key business units has been awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Certificate. The certificate was presented to Oman Air inflight services by Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS and has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. It confirms that inflight services operates in line with Oman Air s vision of offering the highest possible standards in every area of its work. Inflight services joins a number of other business units in holding ISO certification, including Oman Air learning and development, Supply chain management and Oman Air s first and business class lounges at Muscat International Airport. The In-flight services department is responsible for the definition, development and implementation of onboard products and services. The achievement of ISO certification followed a quality management system audit of all areas of the department s business processes, including Onboard food and beverages, on-board entertainment, on-board product and services, cabin crew training and quality control. ISO 9001:2008 certification demonstrates that the holder meets the needs of customers and other stakeholders, while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements. It deals with the fundamentals of quality management systems, including the eight management principles upon which the ISO 9000 family of standards is based. The challenge for Oman Air inflight services of achieving of ISO 9001:2008 certification by was led by Usama al Kharusi, senior manager in-flight services. Following presentation of the certificate, the entire inflight services team was thanked for mapping processes, documentation and implementation, and for achieving this milestone accreditation.

6 l SEPTEMBER 1 l ASIA NO MORE AUSSIE REFUGEES Cambodia yesterday said it did not intend to accept any more refugees from a South Pacific detention centre under an agreement with Australia, dealing a blow to the resettlement scheme criticised by rights groups. Australia and Cambodia agreed last September that some refugees from Nauru would be resettled in Cambodia in exchange for Australian aid, but only four have arrived since then. FOREST FIRES HIT SCHOOLS More schools were closed and thousands of residents suffered respiratory problems on Indonesia s Sumatra island as haze from forest and bush fires worsened. Latest satellite images detected nearly 1,500 hotspots indicating fires on Sumatra and the Indonesian part of Borneo island. Japan defence ministry seeks largest-ever military budget TOKYO: Japan s Ministry of Defence is seeking a fourth straight annual military budget hike to help fortify the country s far-flung island chain in the East China Sea, close to ocean territory claimed by Beijing. In a document submitted to the government on Monday, the ministry asked for a 2.2 per cent increase in military spending to 5.09 trillion yen ($42.38 billion) for the year starting in April. If approved, the new defence budget would be Japan s biggest in 14 years. China s military budget for this year rose 10.1 percent to billion yuan ($ billion), the second largest in the world after the United States. Japan s Defense Ministry will buy AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles made by BAE Systems, F-35 Stealth warplanes made by Lockheed Martin Corp and Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft from Boeing Co under the budget plan, said the document. Other purchases would include Global Hawk drones made by Northrop Grumman Corp, mobile missile batteries, helicopters and other kit the military wants to defend island-dotted ocean territory stretching 1,400 km from the Japanese mainland almost to Taiwan. Money would also be allocated to building and extending military bases along the island chain, the document added. Reuters KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia s government reclaimed the streets of the capital on Monday after massive weekend protests demanding the premier s ouster, staging its own show of force with National Day celebrations attended by thousands. With Prime Minister Najib Razak presiding, masses of flag-waving spectators cheered a colourful parade of soldiers, police and civil servants through the city centre, symbolically underlining the government s clout despite pressure for change. Organisers of the peaceful weekend demonstrations said more than 200,000 people came out to demand the embattled Najib s removal over a financial scandal. Thai police seeking woman, man over Bangkok bomb NEW SUSPECTS: Weekend raids have led to seizure of bombmaking equipment BANGKOK: The hunt for those behind the Bangkok shrine blast narrowed on Monday as police revealed they have two new suspects after more bomb-making paraphernalia was found in a suburban apartment. But two weeks after the unprecedented attack brought carnage to the city s commercial centre, the motive for it remains shrouded in mystery. The bomb that hit the Erawan shrine on August 17 was Thailand s worst single mass-casualty attack. It killed 20 people, the majority of them ethnic Chinese tourists from across Asia. Suspicion has alternated between Thailand s bitter political rivals, organised criminal gangs, militants, rebels in the kingdom s strife-torn south and sympathisers of refugees from China s Uighur minority. In July Thailand deported 109 Uighurs to China, enraging supporters of the minority who allege they face torture and repression back home. Turkish protesters stormed the Thai consulate in Istanbul and forced it to close. Police are now seeking a Thai woman and an unidentified man after bomb-making materials were discovered over the weekend in an apartment in the suburb of Well, we gave it our best shot and now it s their turn again, said Simon Tam, a lawyer who attended the demonstrations on both days. Getting Najib to step down is not easy, and maybe there is not much hope at all. But can we stand by and say nothing? Najib has been under pressure since the Wall Street Journal last month published Malaysian documents showing nearly $700 million had been deposited into his personal bank accounts, beginning in His cabinet ministers now admit the transfers happened, describing them as political donations from unidentified Middle Eastern sources but refusing to explain further. Thailand s national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri shows a tablet displaying a picture of Wanna Suansan, 26, wanted for questioning after bomb making materials were found in a Bangkok apartment she allegedly rented. We found fertiliser bags, watches, radio controls parts to make bombs and electric charges. We are confident they are the same group. PRAWUT THAVORNSIRI police spokesman Minburi. Investigators believe it was used as a hideout by the network that carried out the attack. We found fertiliser bags, watches, radio controls parts to make bombs and electric charges, said national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri. We are confident they are the same group. Police had detained an unidentified foreign man on Saturday morning at another flat nearby, where detonators, industrial pipes and ball bearings were found. Dozens of fake Turkish passports were also found in his flat, police added. In a televised broadcast Prawut displayed a photograph of the wanted Thai woman taken from an official identity card. He named her as 26-year-old Wanna Suansan also known by the name Misaloh the first time a suspect in the bombing probe has been identified. A sketch of an unidentified man with a moustache was also broadcast. A police source close to the probe said the suspect s family in Thailand s southern province of Phang Nga had been questioned and had said she was in Turkey. Her parents were shocked to see her picture on television. Her younger sister then spoke to her (by phone) in Turkey, the source said, requesting anonymity. The information could not be immediately verified with authorities. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, allowing speculation to fill the information gap with the ruling junta and police at times appearing to contradict each other. Authorities have been at pains to play down any suggestion the attack was launched by international terrorists or targeted Chinese visitors, in a nation where tourism represents nearly 10 percent of the economy. Malaysia PM reasserts command with N-Day parade Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak waves a Malaysian national flag during National Day celebrations in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Reuters THE RICE AND FALL Ousted former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra leaves the Supreme Court in Bangkok yesterday. Yingluck appeared before the Supreme Court to review evidence in a case involving rice subsidies that haemorrhaged billions of dollars and could see her jailed for up to 10 years for negligence. Reuters Yingluck in court over doomed rice subsidy scheme BANGKOK: Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday to review evidence in a case involving rice subsidies that haemorrhaged billions of dollars and could see her jailed for up to 10 years for negligence. Yingluck s flagship election policy helped sweep her to office in a landslide in 2011, but its failure saw her banned from politics for five years in January by a legislature appointed by the generals who toppled her government. The grain policy, which has since been discontinued, aimed to boost farmers incomes by buying their rice at above market prices. Yingluck s government was attacked for refusing to abandon the scheme when the rice and debt piled up. It caused an estimated $16 billion in losses and left Thailand with a rice mountain it is still struggling to shift. The current stockpile is 13.9 million tonnes. Prosecutors on Monday provided an evidence dossier of 60,000 pages and 23 additional witnesses in the case. These were not seen or reviewed (by all parties), Yingluck told reporters. Today we re going to hear about this and hope that we will get justice. She insists she acted honestly in administering the policy, which was widely criticised for distorting global prices and saw Thailand lose its crown as the world s top rice shipper. Yingluck, 48, was greeted with applause and handed red roses by a crowd of supporters as she arrived at the court. I came to give moral support, said Sangiam Thongnak, 61. She did the right thing. Yingluck s supporters see the court case as another strike by a royalist establishment threatened by the rapid political rise of a clique of upstart capitalists from outside Thailand s traditional patronage network. Pictures on news portal Sina showed a macaque on a red leash standing on its hind legs and mimicking the salute of an officer China deploys monkeys and falcons for WW2 anniversary BEIJING: China s air force has called monkeys and falcons into service to ensure safe skies for a huge military parade this week to mark Japan s defeat in World War II, reports said. Almost 200 aircraft will take part Thursday in commemorations for the 70th anniversary of what Beijing calls the Chinese People s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti- Fascist War. The animals have been deployed at an air force base involved in the parade, which officer Wang Mingzhi said was in a bird migration corridor with 400 to 500 species present potentially affecting aircraft safety. Pictures on news portal Sina showed a macaque on a red leash standing on its hind legs and mimicking the salute of an officer in a camouflage uniform beside it. The monkeys had mastered the skills to destroy bird nests, Wang was quoted as saying. There is no problem doing this, Students form the figure 70 as they pose with Chinese national flags and red stars at a primary school in Handan during a event to mark the 70th anniversary of the Victory of Chinese People s War of Resistance. Reuters he said in the report posted Sunday, adding that they had graduated after being trained for one month. The animals take twigs out of nests one by one before shaking the remaining parts down from the tree, Sina said, adding the whole process takes only about a minute. Shotguns and water cannons were used to get rid of nests before but were not as efficient or economical as the macaques, it said. The monkeys are rewarded for the efforts with corn, according to reports. Falcons were also being trained to drive away airborne birds, pictures showed. Three to four of the raptors were sent into the sky every day to deter other flyers, Wang was cited as saying by the Beijing News. Thursday s parade, a show of strength which comes as Beijing takes a more assertive stance regionally, will also see 12,000 soldiers and 500 pieces of hardware roll through Tiananmen Square. Meanwhile, the Chinese military unveiled a new armed drone plane equipped with wall-penetrating radar, a news report said on Monday. The plane, dubbed Caihong 5, or Rainbow 5, was said to change the game in airstrikes, according to the Chinese government, as quoted by the South China Morning Post. Agencies Ex-Philippine president Estrada to attend Beijing celebrations MANILA: Former Philippine president Joseph Estrada will attend China s huge military parade this week marking Japan s defeat in World War II despite the territorial tensions between Manila and Beijing, his spokesman said. However the disgraced ex-leader will attend in his capacity as mayor of Manila and not as a representative of the national government, said his media affairs chief Diego Cagahastian. He will be going as an invited guest. Manila is the sister city of Beijing and he is going as mayor of Manila, Cagahastian said. Estrada, a former top movie star who was elected president in 1998 but ousted in an uprising in 2001, will leave for China on Monday and return on September 6, he added. Government spokesmen have not said if any senior official will represent the country at the parade even though China and the Philippines were antagonists of Japan during World War II. In recent years, tensions between the two countries have been strained over their conflicting claims to parts of the South China Sea. Manila has been the most vocal in opposing China, publicly accusing it of bullying to assert its maritime claim and filing a case before an international tribunal in the Hague, challenging China s position. Estrada, who was convicted of massive graft in 2007 but later pardoned, has taken a more conciliatory stance with China. In a recent interview, Estrada was quoted as saying he hoped China would help in the modernisation of the Philippines and that relations would soon improve.

7 7 SUBCONTINENT SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver Afghan Taliban admit covering up Omar s death KABUL: The Taliban on Monday admitted covering up longtime leader Mullah Omar s death for two years, saying they had wanted to keep it secret until foreign forces ended their fight against the militants. The group confirmed in July that Omar had died without saying when, deepening internal divisions with many insurgents accusing the leadership of keeping them in the dark while issuing statements in his name. The admission of a cover up was buried in a lengthy biography of new Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, apparently published to boost his image and quell the growing internal rancour over his appointment. Posted on the Taliban website in five languages, the biography acknowledged that Omar died in April 2013 as was first claimed by Afghan intelligence. Several key members of the supreme leading council of the Taliban and authentic religious scholars Myanmar s president signs Monogamy Bill NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar s president on Monday signed into law the last of four controversial bills championed by radical Buddhists but decried by rights groups as aimed at discriminating against the country s minority. Myanmar, which will hold its first democratic national poll in more than two decades on November 8, has seen a flowering of anti-hate speech since the military gave up full power and opened up politics and the economy in President Thein Sein signed the Monogamy Bill after it was passed by parliament on August 21, Zaw Htay, a senior official at the president s office, said. The law was briefly sent back to parliament for review before being signed. The bill sets punishments for people who have more than one spouse or live with an unmarried partner other than the spouse. The government denies it is aimed at Muslims, estimated to make up about 5 per cent of the population, and some of whom practice polygamy. The president also signed two other laws, which restrict religious conversion and interfaith marriage, on August 26, Zaw Htay said. The measures are part of four together decided on concealing the tragic news of passing away of (Omar)... and keep this secret limited to the very few colleagues who were already informed of this incorrigible loss, said the biography, which ran to nearly 5,000 words. One of the main reasons behind this decision was... that 2013 was considered the final year of power testing between the fighters and foreign invaders who... had announced that at the end of 2014, all military operations by foreign troops would be concluded. Nato ended its combat mission in Afghanistan last December and pulled out the bulk of its troops, although a 13,000-strong residual force remains for training and operations. Omar, dead or alive, was seen as a unifying figurehead who observers say kept the fractious movement from splintering as the rival group began making inroads into Afghanistan. Race and Religion Protection Laws championed by the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion, or Ma Ba Tha. The laws were dangerous for Myanmar, said an official of New Yorkbased Human Rights Watch. They set out the potential for discrimination on religious grounds and pose the possibility for serious communal tension, said Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch. Now that these laws are on the books, the concern is how they are implemented and enforced. In May, the president signed a Ma Ba Tha-backed population control bill that forces some women to space three years between each birth. The monk-led group has stoked sentiment against Muslims, whom it has accused of trying to take over Myanmar and outbreed its Buddhist majority. Hundreds of people have been killed in flare-ups of religious violence in Myanmar. In 2012, an incident in Rakhine State led to the displacement of more than 140,000 people, most of them members of the stateless Rohingya minority. Reuters PRAYING FOR THE DEPARTED Nepalese Buddhist devotees participate in the Neku Jatra-Mataya festival in Patan, on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The Buddhist festival marks the victory of Sakyamuni Buddha over Mara, and devotees pray for the souls of departed family members and hold parades throughout the city. Pakistan, Afghanistan urged to ease tensions HOPE: German FM calls for close cooperation between neighbours German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Pakistan s National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz attend a news conference at the foreign ministry in Islamabad. ISLAMABAD: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to work together to ease tensions. Afghanistan earlier this month called on Pakistan to act against Taliban insurgents in its northwestern tribal areas, which they use as bases to launch attacks in Kabul and other Afghan cities. The Afghan call on Pakistan to crackdown on the insurgents came after deadly attacks in Kabul and other areas in late July and early August. A round of talks was cancelled indefinitely late July after it was confirmed that insurgent leader Mullah Omar had died two years ago. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who took office last year, launched peace talks with the Taliban with the hope that Pakistan could use it influence over the insurgents to secure a peace deal. The Taliban leadership is believed to be split on the issue. Close cooperation between neighbouring countries, namely between Afghanistan and Pakistan is important for peace and stability, Steinmeier said in Islamabad. Steinmeier, who arrived in Islamabad from Kabul, held talks with Pakistani President Nawaz Sharif, National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz, and army chief Raheel Sharif. The meeting discussed matters relating to bi-lateral and regional interest with particular focus on peace and stability in the region, according to a statement by Sharif s office. Steinmeier urged Pakistan to reintroduce a moratorium on executions that was lifted in December after Taliban gunmen killed 136 children at an army-run school. We are passing through a difficult period but it can be reviewed once the security situation improved, Aziz said, defending the execution policy. Aziz said that he and Steinmeier also discussed ways to increase bilateral trade, which stands at $3 billion. dpa IN BRIEF New CJ to take oath on September 10 ISLAMABAD: Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali will take oath as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan on September 10, it was learnt on Monday. According to a notification issued by the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Jawwad S Khawaja will retire on September 9 after which Justice Jamali will take oath as the new chief justice. Justice Jamali was born on December 30, 1951 in Hyderabad, Sindh. He received his Bachelor s Degree in Commerce from the University of Sindh in 1971 and a Bachelor s Degree in Law in 1973 from the aforementioned university. He was enrolled at the Sindh Bar Council as an advocate of lower court in 1975 and as an advocate of the Sindh High Court in He was enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court in He also served as a lecturer at Hyderabad Law College for about two years. Justice Jamali took oath as a judge of Sindh High Court in May Internews Haqqani network almost wiped out ISLAMABAD: Pakistan s top diplomat said on Monday that military offensives in its northwestern tribal areas had almost wiped out the Haqqani militant network known for its audacious attacks across the border on Afghan and foreign forces. The United States holds the Taliban-affiliated group responsible for some of the deadliest strikes of the insurgency, including the 2009 Camp Chapman bombing. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice told Pakistani leaders during a visit to Islamabad on Sunday that attacks in Afghanistan by forces based in Pakistan were absolutely unacceptable. Future payments in US military aid to Pakistan are also contingent on Islamabad taking effective action against the group. Efforts are on to improve the quality of services and infrastructure Pakistan Railways changing its old rigid policies ISLAMABAD: It has been more than three years since Pakistan Railways altered its rigid policy and opened the doors for private investment, aimed at improving the quality of services that left much to be desired. They still do though. However, since then, a silent revolution of sorts within the department was on the cards, which has now been incorporated within the medium- and long-term policies of Pakistan Railways i.e. to improve the quality of services and infrastructure by utilising unexplored public-private partnerships. The permission to allow a private party commercially operate a train back in 2011 was met with immense resistance within the Railways management and from its unions. But the public at large appreciated the decision. But, after three years, market forces have meant that some benefits of the partnership must be accepted, paving the way for Railways to test a model train. Its result could determine the future path of public-private partnerships with the Railways sphere. According to Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, the experiment of initiating the Islamabad-Karachi bound Green Line train was a huge success. The success boosted the morale of the current management, which immediately opened-up the doors for at least three similar value-added trains on Main Line-I within the on-going fiscal year. This will enable an environment for healthy competition that would improve the overall service in the corporation, said Saeed Akhtar, former general manager operations at Pakistan Railways. Akhtar said the ultimate beneficiaries would be commuters, adding that the increased competition would only raise the bar for every mode of transport. Currently, Pakistan Railways operated Green Line and Four Brothers International Private Limited organised Business Express are in competition. These Karachi bound trains are mostly catering the much richer segment of the society. Apart of these two trains, Shalimar Express and Night Coach (LHR-KHI) are also operating under PPP by Air Rail Services; these however are commonly enjoyed by middle and lower-middle income group. Commuters are now enjoying more value-addition to railway services. Since Green Line started, Business Express management announced free pick-drop and transit facilities. Travelling fares are stagnant with increased competition. The benefit for frequent travellers would possibly include timely departure and scheduled arrivals, Shahreyar Ashraf, a passenger said. There are a lot of things that need to be improved but we should appreciate the efforts, he added. Meanwhile, Akthar said the process needs to be fast-tracked, adding that partnership with the private sector was crucial to improving the state of affairs. Internews

8 8 ANALYSIS omandailyobserver SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 CLAN WARFARE HITS DIPLOMACY T he United Nations has deployed 10,000 peacekeepers and poured more than $1 billion into Mali but its efforts to end a three-year conflict are threatened by the reemergence of a centuries-old rivalry between Tuareg clans. The UN Security Council renewed the mandate of its Mali force (MINUSMA) in June in the hope that it could enforce a peace deal signed that month in the West African nation, despite suffering the highest rate of losses of any active peacekeeping mission. The deal, signed by both pro- and anti-government Tuareg-led militias, envisaged the overhaul of the Malian army to incorporate the militia fighters and its return to the desert north, much of which is controlled by the Tuareg groups. The army s redeployment is supposed to allow it to tackle militants scattered, but not defeated, by French troops after they hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in Now, a resurgence in fighting between the Tuaregs, who in total represent just 5 per cent of Mali s 15 million people, could wreck everything. Diplomats say buy-in from the northern armed groups was always weak because the Algeria-brokered deal, reached after months of shuttle diplomacy, was seen as a foreign imposition. The fundamental problem is that participants don t think this agreement can resolve the tensions that have always existed in the north, said Jean-Herve Jezequel, senior Sahel analyst at International Crisis Group. They think that it s really the force of arms that counts. In defiance of the peace agreement, the Platform alliance of pro-government militias has been seizing territory in northern Mali and taking revenge on its rival while authorities in Bamako look the other way, security sources Diplomats say buy-in from the northern groups was always weak because the Algeria-brokered deal, reached after months of shuttle diplomacy, was seen as a foreign imposition, reports EMMA FARGE GAO say. The leader of the main pro-government militia GATIA, General El Hadj Ag Gamou, is a former mercenary who fought for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a member of the Imghad clan. Power tipped away from the Inghads in favour of the Ifogha clan when fighters from Libya returned after the 2011 revolution to form a state they call Azawad. Arabs have also picked sides and some former fighters have joined them. Clashes broke out between Gamou s militia and the Ifogha-led separatist alliance, the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), this month about 80 km southwest of rebel stronghold Kidal, killing at least 20 people. Sources in Kidal have reported an influx of fighters in recent days in pick-up trucks from Libya and Algeria, resulting in a possible CMA counter-attack. We will defend ourselves and our populations, CMA leader Bilal Ag Cherif said this week. MINUSMA sources tracking compliance with the peace deal said they first noticed GATIA troops moving north towards Kidal in early July. Initial findings of the UN human rights team backed by MINUSMA aerial footage shows forced displacements and daylight executions of rival clansmen by GATIA forces in several villages in the Gao region. GATIA s Secretary-General Fahad Ag Almahoud denies responsibility for the incidents, saying they are due to intercommunal tensions. We think the Malian army should hurry up and return and normalise the situation, he said. CMA fighters are also accused of arrests and looting in the same area before June. Security sources and analysts say old rivalries are being stirred by competition for control of trafficking corridors for both cocaine and legal goods like food and cigarettes north to Algeria and east to Niger. Gamou would like to get back the position he had before the rebellion with control over trafficking. He wants a fiefdom, said Profesor Jeremy Keenan, editor of Menas Associates Sahara Focus publication. Expansion may benefit armed groups if the peace deal proceeds as key army posts and development funding are expected to be distributed to Tuareg and Arab communities. UN Special Envoy for the Mali mission, Mongi Hamdi, estimates that implementing the deal will cost an additional $1-$2 billion over two-three years. While Gamou is ostensibly loyal to Bamako, analysts say he is unlikely to take direct orders. Many believe that even though President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita s government has condemned the occupation of Anefis, it is quite happy to allow GATIA to do its dirty work in the north. Betrayal beneath the warmth S avagely beaten and accused of spying for Moscow, Xu Weiyi one of China s few citizens of Russian descent stared over the river separating his border village from the Soviet Union, longing for escape. My mother was too old, so it was mostly us me, my brother and sister who took the beatings, and we bled, said Xu, now 81. I just wanted to run away. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in China this week for a huge parade to commemorate the end of World War II, one of the few major foreign leaders to attend. It will be at least the ninth time Putin has met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Despite their current closeness and shared Communist past, the neighbours were once bitter rivals, their enmity reaching the brink of war during Mao Zedong s decade-long Cultural Revolution. Xu inherited his piercing blue eyes from his mother, one of more than 20 Russian women who early last century fled across the frozen Amur river carrying a starving baby to escape the upheavals following the October Revolution of They found refuge in the northeast Chinese village of Hongjiang, where the women married local farmers, but kept foreign traditions including Orthodox Christian prayers, a love for fresh potatoes and folk songs. Some villagers aided the Soviet army as it battled Japanese forces in China in the final days of World War II, and after Mao s Moscow-backed Communists took power in 1949 they prospered in the early years of the People s Republic. But when relations soured, the women and their offspring found themselves accused of espionage. Public interrogations and beatings known as struggle sessions were carried out daily by fellow villagers and Communist officials from outside, Xu recalled. During the desperate days of the anti-spy campaign which saw multiple suicides Xu considered reversing his Despite their current closeness, Russia and China were once bitter rivals, their enmity reaching the brink of war, writes TOM HANCOCK mother s trip and crossing the Amur back north. I saw there were gaps in the border wall, and had energy to swim, he recalled. But family ties held him back. I thought all my family will still be here -- what will they do? All those old people and children? he said. So I stayed. I thought whatever happens will happen. If we live or die, it will be together. As well as calls to attack former landlords, intellectuals and their descendants as so-called class enemies, Maoism had a virulent anti-foreign strain. During the Cultural Revolution anyone who had had contact with foreigners was liable to be branded a spy. The country s legal system virtually collapsed, replaced by mob justice. In the 1960s nearly three-quarters of the 300-odd people of Hongjiang, in the far northeastern province of Heilongjiang, had Russian blood, making them prime targets as tensions mounted and Chinese and Russian troops exchanged fire over the Amur. They would accuse you of a crime, whatever they said you were, you were, said half-russian villager Xu Yingjie, 76 no relation. At the sessions someone would accuse you of being a Soviet spy. The person accused would deny it, and then they would be beaten. Zhang Yunfu was half-russian and had provided intelligence to Soviet soldiers fighting Japan. But years later, officials wielded letters he sent to the Soviet Union as irrefutable evidence of disloyalty, and he was imprisoned in a cowshed, subject to regular beatings. In August 1968, he committed suicide. Nearly five decades later, his son Zhang Yunshan 13 at the time matter-of-factly described his father s death and the hasty burial organised by Communist cadres. My father couldn t stand it any longer. So he jumped in the well, he said, trowelling concrete onto a house he is building in the village. Mystery man in Bangkok bomb probe never said a word T he evidence seized by police investigating Thailand s deadliest bombing includes an apparently damning trove of explosives, fertiliser, and piles of fake passports, but the shabby-looking foreigner they arrested on Saturday remains a mystery. There has been no word of his nationality, affiliation or whether the evidence seized in a shabby Bangkok apartment block amounts to a smoking gun for the attack on a crowded downtown shrine that killed 20 people two weeks ago. Reuters interviews with neighbours, investigators and the community in the city suburb of Nong Chok paint a picture of a reclusive and secretive man who seldom ventured beyond the four rooms he occupied in the grimy orange and creamcoloured building. Police have been tight-lipped at times cryptic about the man they indicate is the chief suspect caught on camera leaving a bag at the site of a bombing that shook Bangkok s bustling commercial heart. They are checking DNA samples and calls made from his phone, but have not indicated the man has said anything since his arrest. According to a couple who rent a room on the same floor, the suspect was not alone and shared the accommodation with a man of similar ethnicity, who was last seen on Friday. There s another; he s much taller, said the man, who requested anonymity because he feared for his safety. The couple said they instantly recognised the images on newscasts that went viral on social media of the thin, bearded man with a pale complexion and tightly cropped hair. They had seen him sometimes kneeling and praying in the corridor. On the rare occasions he was spotted outside, he appeared focused and walked with purpose. They re very quiet neighbours, said the man. The taller man buys food for them. A person matching the second man s description had spoken only a few words of English while at a nearby food stall, according to vendors who last saw him last Thursday. Many Thai Muslims and foreigners live in Nong Chok, an area of cheap rents and short leases, where there are colleges, factories, rice paddies, mosques and streets dotted with halal restaurants. Police have been tight-lipped about the man they indicate is the chief suspect caught on camera leaving a bag at the site of a bombing that shook Bangkok s centre, notes PAIRAT TEMPHAIROJANA Residents said the suspect was inconspicuous in a transient community of foreigners and university students in the sprawl of one of Asia s most cosmopolitan capitals. The building often has foreigners renting rooms, said Khantree Srisombat, 42, who lives in the same block. It s normal here. The building owner who gave only his first name, Anant, said the lease contracts were signed using Turkish identification, but not by the arrested man. When security forces burst into the building to make the arrest, the man declined to speak, even through a Turkish translator, according to a plain-clothes special branch officer who joined the raid. The officer spoke to Reuters on condition his name be withheld and said two rooms were strewn with bomb-making materials, including urea fertiliser, TNT, C4, sodium carbonate, large plastic and steel containers, a fuse line, flashlights, screwdrivers and tape. The suspect never said a word, the officer added. Among the passports seized, some had images of the same man, bearing the name Adem Karadag, purportedly Turkish, with birth dates of 1987 and Official comments about the man have been opaque, and assessments given often without explanation. A woman lights a candle before offering prayers at the reopened Erawan shrine in central Bangkok on Monday.

9 9 ANALYSIS SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver Sultanate to benefit from economic diversification ALI AHMED AL RIYAMI [email protected] W hile the spectre of another global economic recession looms large over the world s economy, where even industrialised nations have not been buoyed by the slump in oil prices, a recently published report on how Oman is set to fair with low oil prices at over half the cost per barrel that they had soared up to last year, shows that there is going to be a rough patch ahead. And with the prediction of prices remaining around the current price tag of $40 per barrel for the foreseeable future, skeptics think Oman may be unable to meet its public spending targets, although the country has seen a steady increase in its GDP over the past decade. They state that Oman is over-dependent on oil and gas revenues that make up a high percentage of its total revenues and that the slash in oil prices will affect public spending. Fortunately, the Sultanate s infrastructure is already in place and new sea and airport projects and expansion projects have been, for the most part, already finalised, which will, together with the ongoing Oman-GCC Rail Network Project, see Oman emerge as a regional transportation and transshipment hub generating new job opportunities, significant further development and the generation of more income revenues. This together with the Sultanate s diversification strategy that was mooted by His Majesty the Sultan s government back in the 80 s, specifically to diversify the economy away from overdependence on finite fossil fuel generated income, has gone a long way in creating new sources of income and increasing existing ones. The growth of the country s national carrier, Oman Air, in tandem with significant growth in tourism and tourism related industry, has silenced those cynics who thought Oman would be unable to successfully market itself as a prominent regional and international tourist destination. Although, as yet, tourism is not a major contributor to the national economy it is continuing to flourish and projected growth will see it add on more and more to the national economy. Agriculture and food production too, has seen Major cities and townships in Oman have industrial areas and zones which have been established to attract companies to set up factories and encourage entrepreneurship. good progress with a wide variety of high quality, homegrown produce available at markets and retailers throughout the country; significantly raising revenues from this sector and reducing the need for imported produce. And along with abundant marine wealth where the country s fisheries sector has seen year on year growth in revenues and which is also another important contributor to the Sultanate s economy that has been well nurtured to prevent overexploitation and pollution, these flourishing sectors are a source of regeneratable incomes. In all of Oman s major cities and townships there are industrial areas and zones that have been especially established to attract companies to set up their factories and workshops, increase industrial productivity, and encourage entrepreneurship. Many of these businesses have expanded and now trade in regional and global markets. These and a host of other inroads made in setting up and promoting new businesses especially small and medium sized ones introduction and employment of new technologies and the substantial investment made in the people of the country, especially the youth whom like in many countries of the region make up an increasingly higher proportion of the population; unlike those of industrialised countries that have ageing populations. From standard and higher education to special incentives and initiatives, the youth of Oman, who are the country s future, have and are being well equipped to take on future challenges, hold high office and continue the march forward that is the hallmark of the Sultanate s positive and progressive stance; not only towards modernisation, but also for a brighter future and continued advancement. From these and many other standpoints that are too many to mention, the Sultanate can stand strong knowing that this era of renaissance has been built on firm and secure foundations that are and will pass the test of time and meet any future challenges with sound resolve and on a firm footing. CHANGING LIVES A migrant carries a child as he walks along a railway track outside the village of Horgos in Serbia. Europe feels pressure as migrants expose splits H uge traffic jams built up along the Austro- Hungarian border on Monday as police hunted for people smugglers, while divisions opened up across Europe over dealing with the influx of migrants and refugees. Austria s tightening of security checks came just days after the discovery of 71 dead migrants, four of them children, in an abandoned lorry near the border. Since the checks began late on Sunday, more than 200 migrants have been picked up and five people arrested on suspicion of smuggling. Across the border, hundreds of people stuck in makeshift refugee camps in Budapest were allowed to board trains headed for Austria and Germany, an AFP correspondent at the scene said. Police had previously prevented some 2,000 people from leaving the station because they had no legal papers, but on Monday, police were no longer present as the refugees, many from Syria, rushed to board trains. Several hours later, up to 400 of them were stopped at the Austrian border and taken off a Munich-bound train and transferred to a regional train heading for Vienna, police said. The sense of chaos has been reflected across Europe as the continent struggles to respond to the biggest movement of people since World War II, with more than 300,000 arriving this year. Many are fleeing war, poverty and persecution in the Middle East and Africa, and at least 2,500 have died while trying to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. Austria has called to axe EU funds to states refusing to take their share of migrants in the latest sign of deepening divisions over the crisis. Home affairs ministers will meet on September 14 in Brussels in a bid to strengthen the European response. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, if this close link with universal civil rights is broken, then it won t be the Europe we wished for, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday. Her comments mirrored those of French Prime Minister Manuel Valls as he visited the crisis-hit French port of Calais. Too many countries are refusing to play their part. It goes against the European spirit and we can t accept it, he said. Valls said by early 2016, France would build a new reception camp for migrants in Calais, with the help of five million euros from the European Commission. Most migrants land in Italy or Greece, then try to head towards the wealthier countries of northern Europe. We are in a labyrinth, going from queue to queue, and here in Serbia, the police are shouting at us like we are animals, Samar, 40, from Damascus, said as she waited with her two teenage boys for hours in the sun at a filthy camp in Presevo. Transit countries in eastern Europe and the Balkans are struggling to cope. Two weeks ago, Macedonia declared a state of emergency. And the right-wing government in Hungary, which has seen 50,000 new arrivals this month, has been laying Nato-standard Austria has called to axe European Union funds to states refusing to take their share of migrants in the latest sign of deepening divisions over the crisis, reports NINA LAMPARSKI Reuters razor wire along its border with Serbia and is building a four-metre fence to be policed by border guards and sniffer dogs. Criticised by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius as a breach of Europe s common values, it has also proved ineffective, with police saying 3,080 migrants crossed on Saturday, the second-highest daily total. A Palestinian-Syrian woman, travelling with her four-year-old daughter and other relatives, was unfazed. I just don t care who detains me now, I ve already seen the worst, she said in Belgrade. We were detained by the (Kurdish) People s Protection Units, the IS group and Al Nusra Front as we travelled westwards towards Turkey. It s a miracle we survived all that. Hungary has arrested four Bulgarians and an Afghan in connection with last week s abandoned truck tragedy, but four of them have pleaded not guilty. Inside the Hungarian-plated truck were the decomposing bodies of 59 men, eight women, a toddler and three young boys, all thought to be Syrians. Police said they may have been dead for up to two days before the lorry was found with body fluids dripping leaking out of it. A passer-by told Hungarian news portal Index.hu that he saw the driver running away from the back doors in panic before picked up and driven away in another car. Three Syrian children, who were rescued with severe dehydration from another migrant-packed van, disappeared with their parents on Friday, with the families most likely heading to Germany, Austrian police said. So far, the authorities have arrested 93 alleged people traffickers this year in Upper Austria state alone, but most still escape, officials said. P ABHAYA SRIVASTAVA ointing to a television in her recently built mud and brick home, Indian villager Munia Murmu proudly shows off her new-found wealth, thanks to hundreds of squirming green silkworms. Like thousands of other tribal villagers in India, Murmu lives in extreme poverty, and until recently could not afford enough food for her and her family. But the 40-year-old decided to join others in her community rearing wild silkworms in the native forests of her home state of eastern Bihar. Along with dozens of other women, Murmu nurtures the worms which produce silk threads which are in high demand in India, Europe and the US for use in saris and other garments and home furnishings. The mother of two also sells silkworm eggs to other rearers in this remote corner of India. During the breeding season, which lasts three months of the year, Murmu earns Rs 50,000 ($770) a relative fortune. I used to live in a tiny house with no toilet, no fans, nothing. Then I started keeping the silkworms and I haven t looked back since, a beaming Murmu said, pulling a shiny laptop out of a huge metal trunk. Decorated with colourful murals of tribal life on the walls, her home also has a room dedicated to watching TV on the new set, along with two toilets and a water pump in her front yard. Members of tribal communities, also known as Adivasis, have traditionally been at the bottom of India s socio-economic ladder, with some of the worst rates for poverty, malnutrition and life expectancy. They have long reared silkworms in the dense forests of Bihar and neighbouring Jharkhand states to make tasar, a copper-coloured silk coveted for its unique texture. But production has hiked in recent years, thanks to the adoption of modern techniques, attracting new farmers like Murmu and handing them a way out of poverty. Local NGO Pradan has helped train the farmers in several ways, including how to use microscopes to examine and discount diseased moths. We have (also) helped the farmers plant arjuna trees on the wastelands here. These trees serve as hosts to the moths, said Pradan s Shamshad Alam. India is the world s second largest producer of all types of silk, including tasar, after China, and is its largest consumer. The thriving industry in Bihar supplements the tribal communities traditional rice farming in a region which lacks irrigation and is at the mercy of poor monsoon rains. ESTABLISHED ON 15 NOVEMBER 1981 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Dr Ibrahim bin Ahmed al Kindi EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Abdullah bin Salim al Shueili HEAD OFFICE Tel: , , , , Fax: SALALAH OFFICE Tel: Fax: NIZWA OFFICE Tel: P.O. Box 955, P.C. 611 Website: omanobserver.om ADVERTISING AL OMANEYA ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS, P.O. Box 3303, P.C. 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman Tel: SWITCHBOARD: DIRECT: / / Fax: DISTRIBUTION AGENT Al OMANEYA for Distribution & Marketing, P.O. Box 974, P.C. 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Tel: / Fax: [email protected] PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising P.O. Box 974, Postal Code 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman [email protected] Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these pages are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer.

10 10 INDIA omandailyobserver Economy grows by 7pc in first quarter ON RECOVERY MODE? The GDP number shows that there is no take-off in any of the key sectors NEW DELHI: India s economy grew by a slower than expected 7.0 per cent in the first quarter of this financial year, official figures showed on Monday. Growth in the three months through June slowed to 7.0 per cent year-on-year from 7.5 per cent in the previous quarter, the statistics ministry data showed. The figures were lower than the median forecast of 7.4 per cent in a survey of economists by Bloomberg News. India s growth overtook that of regional economic powerhouse China in the first three months of 2015, prompting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to announce the economy was in recovery mode. But analysts said the latest figures indicated the government s attempts to revive the economy were faltering. The GDP number shows that there is no take-off in any of the key sectors of the economy, Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Care Ratings, said. The high government spending which was expected to provide the boost is not being reflected in the HIT-AND-RUN CASE NEW DELHIL: The Supreme Court on Monday declined a petition seeking cancellation of bail of Bollywood actor Salman Khan who was convicted and sentenced in a hit-and-run case. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu while declining the plea by one Sishilabai Himmat Rao Patil the mother of Mumbai policeman and former PSO of Salman Khan Ravindra Himmatrao Patil - permitted her to withdraw her petition. When her counsel M L Sharma urged the court to permit the petitioner to go to high court to raise the issues, the court said it was not stopping him from any course of action. Sishilabai Himmat Rao Patil had moved the court seeking to be impleaded as a party in the hearing of the appeal by Salman Khan by Bombay High Court challenging his conviction and sentencing by the trial court coupled with the cancellation of bail and enhancement of sentence. NEW YORK: The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) has honoured India-born entrepreneur and philanthropist, Frank Islam with the Pride of India award, the media reported on Monday. India s Consul-General in New York Dnyaneshwar M Mulay on Sunday conferred the award upon Frank who had donated $222,000 in May this year to the Aligarh Muslim University in India, India New England daily reported. It is a distinct honour and privilege to be here tonight to accept the AFMI Pride of India award. It is also a privilege to be asked to speak as a part of AFMI s silver jubilee celebration, Frank A worker carries bricks at a brick factory on the outskirts of Agartala. Reuters numbers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept to power in May 2014 on a pledge to reform and revive Asia s third largest economy to help provide jobs for India s millions of young people. Court rejects Salman s bail cancellation plea The petitioner s mother said her son Ravinder Himmsatrao Patil has contended that he was seated along with Salman Khan when the incident took place on the intervening night of 27/28 September Ravindra Himmatrao Patil has alleged that Salman Khan, who was driving the car, was drunk when the incident took place. The petitioner had challenged the Bombay High Court order granting bail to Salman. Salman was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on the very day he was convicted and sentenced by the sessions court. On May 6, Salman was found guilty in the September 28, 2002 hit and run case and sentenced to five years jail for various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. One person was killed and four injured when the actor s car ran over them while they were sleeping on a pavement. was quoted as saying. I have received many awards. But this one is extra special because it comes from this prestigious organisation in its silver jubilee year, Frank added. I must admit that receiving this award and joining such luminaries does not make me proud. It makes me humble, he noted. Frank, 63, was born in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and is married to Debbie Driesman, 61. Apart from being a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and civic leader, he is also a thought leader with a special commitment to civic, educational and artistic causes. But many of Modi s economic reforms have stalled in parliament where his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lacks a majority. Monday s figures were the latest Gross Domestic Product data to be released since the government THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Work on a 42-km bypass linking the Kerala capital with Tamil Nadu is set to start after a wait of 40 long years, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor announced on Monday. A central minister will lay the foundation stone for the project on Tuesday. One part of the stretch will be ready in two years, and the whole road will take four years to be operational. The road would ease the traffic flow into Thiruvananthapuram. He currently heads the FI Invest Group a firm that he established after he sold his information technology firm called the QSS Group in 2007, the report introduced a revised formula for calculating GDP that some analysts have criticised. The government changed the way it calculates GDP in January, with officials saying the new method was closer to international standards. Work on 42-km road linking Kerala with TN to start after 40 years ALGAE BLOOM added. Frank serves on several boards and advisory councils including the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, the US Institute of Peace, the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. He has written two books on the American condition, titled Working the Pivot Points: To Make America Work Again (2013) and Renewing the American Dream: A Citizen s Guide for Restoring Our Competitive Advantage (2010). The donation to the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) will be used towards building the Frank and Debbie Islam I had to pursue this with two central governments (UPA II and the present NDA government). It took me six years to see this project, the Thiruvananthapuram MP told the media here. The land for this project was identified and was marked for acquisition more than 35 years back. It was from 2009 that I started to pursue the project... The first phase would be over in two years and the second phase in four years, he said. Workers of Srinagar Municipal Corporation remove algae from the surface of the waters in Baba-Dem in Srinagar yesterday. Reuters Frank Islam has donated $222,000 to Aligarh Muslim University in memory of his mother Qumran Nisan Indian-American conferred Pride of India award I must admit that receiving this award and joining such luminaries does not make me proud. It makes me humble. FRANK ISLAM Entrepreneur and philanthropist Petrol cut by Rs 2, diesel by 50 paise NEW DELHI: With global crude oil in free fall, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) on Monday cut the prices of petrol by Rs 2 a litre and of diesel by 50 paise, both prices inclusive of levies in Delhi, with corresponding decrease in other states, effective from midnight. Petrol and diesel, prices of which were last reduced on August 15, will from Tuesday cost Rs a litre and Rs respectively, in Delhi, IOC said. Price of petrol per litre, in the other metros, will be Rs in Kolkata, Rs in Mumbai and Rs in Chennai, while diesel will cost Rs in Kolkata, Rs in Mumbai and Rs in Chennai. Since last price change, there has been a decrease in international prices of both petrol and diesel, the impact of which is being passed on to the consumers with this price decrease, IOC said in a statement here. IANS School of Management with an endowed chair and building a technical college for girls in Azamgarh in memory of his mother Qumran Nisan. Past winners of Pride of India award include noted lyricist and song writer Javed Akhtar and Rehman Khan, former union minister of minority affairs in India. The AFMI, a philanthropic charity formed by American Muslims of Indian Origin in the 1989, celebrated its silver jubilee convention on August 29. The AFMI strives to improve the socio-economic status of the underprivileged Indian Muslim minorities through education. IANS SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 IN BRIEF Drug pouches extracted from pregnant lady HYDERABAD: Doctors have recovered 40 small pouches of narcotic drugs from the body of a South African woman who was posing as being pregnant when caught at Hyderabad airport. Mosiea Moosa, 32, was arrested by the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) officials on Sunday when she landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The doctors at the governmentrun Osmania General Hospital, who had recovered 16 packets till late Sunday night, extracted 24 more packets on Monday. Moosa, who had concealed the narcotic substance in her belly and urogenital tract, was given laxatives to naturally extract the pouches. The hospital authorities clarified that no surgery was conducted. A hospital official said more tests were being conducted to know if there are more sachets of drugs in her body. IANS India, S Korea plan $10bn e-park in Iran TEHRAN: A consortium of Iranian, Indian and South Korean companies seeks to set up an energy park in Iran s Khuzestan province in a project worth $10 billion, the media reported on Monday. The project will generate 1,000 megawatts of solar power. The Iranian project owners have announced readiness to undertake 30 per cent of investment and want India and South Korea to provide the rest, the state-run TV Press TV reported. Representatives of the consortium met provincial authorities on Sunday to outline their plans, the report said. The project was part of Iran s bid to establish 5,000 megawatts of renewable capacity in the country. Renewables currently account for less than 14 per cent of the country s energy mix, which mainly come from hydro plants. But a lingering drought was reducing their production. Iran is the biggest producer of electricity in the Middle East, generating over 70,000 megawatt-hours. IANS Goa to have world trade centre soon PANAJI: In what could be a shot in the arm for Goa s employment and industrial ambitions, the state will soon host a World Trade Centre (WTC) of its own. According to Rupa Naik, director projects WTC Goa, the small state s connectivity and attributes like progressiveness, being investor friendly and high literacy, made it an apt candidate for the project, which was formally launched by Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar last week. Goa is well connected through a port and airport which would be useful for logistics and shipping. Goa state is now on the brink of a big change and we would like to usher in this new phase, she said. The WTC Goa is promoted by M Visvesvaraya Industrial Research and Development Centre, which has already successfully established the WTC Mumbai in 1970 and WTC Bhubaneswar in WTC Goa will promote entrepreneurship and exports through advisory services and guide new businesses to link with markets. WTC Goa will encourage exchange of information and knowledge for trade, business and investment opportunities, Naik said. IANS

11 11 INDIA SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver Jewellery chain owner, daughter held UNRAVELING THE PLOT DEFAULTER: The father-daughter duo allegedly owes $136 million to 20 banks in UAE and India THIRUVANATHAPURAM: An Indian jewellery chain owner and his daughter have been arrested by the Dubai police in connection to bounced cheques worth more than Dh500 million ($136.2 million), media reports said. 73-year-old M M Ramachandran, owner of Atlas jewellery chain, was arrested after a number of banks lodged complaints against him. Five security circulars were issued against him, with regard to bounced cheques worth more than Dh500 million. The jewellery chain owner s daughter, who manages an insurance company affiliated to her father s group, was also arrested after police received at least 15 complaints against her in bounced cheque cases worth several millions of dirhams. According to bankers, the ABUSIVE SMS Big B s Twitter account hacked MUMBAI: Cinematic icon Amitabh Bachchan approached the police to solve the mystery over dirty abusive sms that he had been receiving for a year, on Monday, when his Twitter account was hacked. The 72-year-old made a complaint via a letter addressed to a senior police inspector of the Juhu police station. In the letter he wrote: Dear Sir, Through a certain period of time, I have been receiving dirty, filthy, abusive sms messages on my personal phone. I attach herewith photocopies of my mobile screen containing the content that I speak about. I shall be grateful if you could investigate and take action against these perpetrators. The Paa actor even tweeted about the matter. OKAAY...!! Plot thickens! Had been getting several really dirty abusive sms for a year... just handed all of them to the POLICE, he wrote. The actor is an active user of social media and keeps in touch with scores of his fans worldwide. Earlier in the day, he shared that his Twitter account had been hacked. WHOA!... My Twitter handle hacked! dirty sites planted as following! Whoever did this, try someone else, buddy, I don t need this, posted the thespian, who has over 16 million followers, including celebrities like Dilip Kumar, Hema Malini and Shah Rukh Khan on Twitter. He regularly uses the platform to stay connected to his fans, whom he fondly calls his extended family to share news about his personal and professional life. IANS businessman owed about Dh500 million to more than 15 banks, while the report quoted a source as saying that he had borrowed funds and the decline in gold prices affected him adversely. Early this year, the Income Tax Department had raided his business and residential premises in Kerala. The Department had detected evasion of tax running to several NEW DELHI: Scores of Indians staged protests on Monday over the murder of a scholar and rationalist as police launched a probe into the killing. M M Kalburgi, 77, a former university vice-chancellor, was shot dead at his home in Dharwad town in the southern state of Karnataka on Sunday. Right-wing Hindu groups were suspected of having a role in his murder. Hundreds of academics, writers, students and activists staged protests in the region, condemning the brutal murder when Kalburgi was cremated on Monday. It s a very frightening situation that a person of his eminence has crores of rupees. The major retail jewellery chain in the UAE also appears to have limited, or no stock of gold across their stores in the UAE. A visit to the Deira, Karama and Bur Dubai branches of the group showed only handful of gold and diamond jewellery on display, stated a report in Khaleej Times, adding that in the Karama branch been killed, playwright and actor Girish Karnad said in state capital discounts of between 50 and 60 percent on 18K gold jewellery were being offered to customers, and that at the Bur Dubai outlet, only watches were sold. The group allegedly owes Dh500 million to 20 banks in both the UAE and India, reports said. A Bank of Baroda official in Dubai told a daily that Atlas Group owed the bank Dh70 million, the biggest chunk. The group owes Bank of Baroda Dh70 million. The banks have together formed an informal steering committee and will come to a decision on the jewellery group next week, said the official. The troubled jewellery retailer is a member of the Dubai Gold and Diamond Jewellery Group, which said it was willing to intervene to find solutions to the financial woes of Atlas, if approached, and Bengaluru. Everyone has the right to voice after getting a clear picture of the situation. Atlas Jewellery group is a household name among members of the Malayalee community. It opened its first outlet in Kuwait City in the 1980s. The company moved its headquarters to the UAE in the early 90s. It now has over 48 stores in the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Ramachandran, a bankerturned-jewellery trader, has played various roles in life as in the movies he made. He produced several films, including the blockbuster Vaishali in Malayalam. He also acted in several Malayalam films. He set up his Dubai jewellery outlet in In the late 90s, he diversified into the real estate and healthcare sectors. He owns a hospital and his daughter runs a clinic under the banner Atlas Star. Agencies Protests after scholar murdered OUTLAWED Mourners follow the funeral procession for scholar M M Kalburgi as he is taken to be buried at Karnataka University in Dharwad yesterday. A sadhu with a cow waits for offerings outside a temple in New Delhi yesterday. The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Rajasthan High Court order which held that the Jain custom of Santhara a practice of fast unto death amounted to suicide. his opinion, you can disagree, and we have a democracy where you can speak out, he said. Regional police chief Ravindra Prasad said police had launched an investigation into the killing. We have formed a special team, Prasad said. He refused to rule out that radical elements were involved in the killing. We are looking into all angles. We cannot reveal anything at this juncture. Kalburgi s killing comes two years after another prominent Indian rationalist Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra. Dabholkar s murder is still unsolved. dpa IIT-H model to provide ECGs in remote areas NEW DELHI: Researchers at IIT- Hyderabad (IIT-H) have come up with a cost and time effective method of treating cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in remote areas where tertiary care units are not available. A team of four IIT-H professors have proposed a two-tier-cardiology framework in which electrocardiogram (ECG) records can be transmitted even when available resources such as power and bandwidth are limited. A major chunk of the population lives in rural or semi-urban areas where healthcare facilities are inefficient and inadequate. To address this issue, we used compressed sampling ECG signals, applied mathematics and allied fields like machine learning, S Jana, one of the team-members, said. We have successfully designed practical compressive classifiers that require only a fraction of the usual number of ECG measurements for analysis, classification and reconstruction, he added. The team, also comprising C S Sastry, B S Chandra, and T Roopak, believes that ECGs play a critical role in timely diagnosis and treatment. IANS The daughter of former media executive Indrani Mukherjea, Vidhie Mukerjea, (C), is surrounded by media as she leaves a court in Mumbai yesterday. Sheena murder: Indrani, others custody extended MUMBAI: A court here on Monday extended till September 5 the police custody of Indrani Mukherjea and two others accused of killing her daughter Sheena Bora in And in a fresh development, police also charged Indrani with conspiring to kill her son Mikhail around the time she allegedly strangled and burnt her daughter with the help of her driver Shyamvar Rai and her exhusband, Sanjeev Khanna. Indrani, wife of former media baron Peter Mukherjea, briefly fainted in the Bandra court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S M Chandgade as the public prosecutor argued that her custody and those of the other two be extended. Vidhie, Indrani s other daughter from Khanna, broke down after seeing her mother in the court. Indrani is accused of killing Sheena in a moving car with the help of Khanna and Rai en route from Bandra here to a forested region of Raigad, some 95 from Mumbai, on April 24, Sheena s body was later allegedly doused with petrol, set on fire and buried in the area. Indrani, 47, as well as her former driver Rai, 43, and ex-husband Khanna, 50, were in the court room when the ruling came. All three were later driven to the lock-up in Khar police station where Mumbai Police also charged Indrani with conspiring to kill her son Mikhail around the time she allegedly strangled and burnt her daughter Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria and other officers reached to continue their interrogation. Police are expected to question them jointly and individually to unravel the murder motive, the suspected involvement of others, a possible money angle, how the murder was planned on Skype, and other aspects. The public prosecutor said investigators suspect the involvement of some others outside Maharashtra in the murder and so Indrani, Rai and Khanna needed to be questioned further. Police also wanted to ascertain where the accused dumped the victim s clothes, mobile phone and other belongings after the killing, the court was told. Khanna s lawyer H Mundergi argued that police were only awaiting the reports of the forensic tests, and there was no need to extend his police custody. Indrani s lawyer Gunjan Mangla alleged that police were using pressure tactics to force a confession from her and that she was allegedly slapped while in custody. IANS Indian customers asked to provide fresh undertakings that all taxes have been paid on funds deposited by them Swiss, UK banks ask Indians to use compliance window NEW DELHI: Swiss and other European banks have asked Indian customers to avail the ongoing one-time compliance window granted by the tax department for disclosure of foreign assets. The call has been made in the wake of the final month s deadline to declare and pay tax on assets abroad beginning on Tuesday. A source here said that Swiss and Britain-based banks are asking Indian customers to provide fresh undertakings that all taxes have been paid on funds deposited by them in respective bank accounts. Such undertakings have also been requested from high net worth individuals and corporate clients dealing in wealth and portfolio management, the source added. The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of New Tax) Act, 2015, or the black money act, for the first time allows levy of tax in India on assets kept abroad. The ministry has notified September 30 as the expiry date of the compliance window, while allowing those with undisclosed income and assets abroad time till December 31 to pay the levies. Unlawful undisclosed income abroad is taxed at a rate of 30 percent with an additional 30 percent penalty. Failure to meet the declaration compliance window will attract an additional penalty of 90 percent for a total tax liability of 120 percent on the quantum of black money abroad. The Income Tax department has filed 121 cases of prosecution against those entities whose names have appeared in the HSBC Geneva bank list. The 121 cases were filed before the March 31 deadline after which these cases would have become time-barred and thus could not be prosecuted by the department. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the government has completed an assessment of 350 foreign accounts and tax evasion proceedings had been initiated against 60 account holders. This move followed the Supreme Court last year giving a list of 628 entities in the HSBC Geneva branch, furnished to it in a sealed envelope by the government of India, to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted in May last year. Admitting that there was no official estimation of black money within India or stashed abroad, Jaitley told parliament during the budget session that the government was examining the reports of three institutes on the matter. An unofficial estimate puts the sum somewhere between $466 billion and $1.4 trillion. IANS

12 l SEPTEMBER 1 l WORLD DREAM VISION FOR THE FUTURE Mohamed Qutaish (14) poses in front small scale model built by himself, representing the way he sees the reconstruction of Aleppo, inside a showroom in Seif al Dawla district, Syria. Qutaish is exhibiting small scale models that he made from simple tools with the help of his father. Some models represent the current city of Aleppo as other models represent Qutaish s vision on how he wishes Aleppo to be rebuild in the future when the conflict ends. VICTORIOUS HOME COMING Netherland s athlete Dafne Schippers embraces her mother upon her arrival at Amsterdam-Schiphol airport, after the athletics World Championships in Beijing. Schippers won a gold medal in the 200 metres and a silver medal at the 100 metres. Merkel says refugee crisis tests Europe s core ideals EU ACTION: The German chancellor has called upon member states to share responsibility for asylum-seeking refugees BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Monday for EU action on the migrant crisis, saying it was testing the core ideals of universal rights at the heart of the European Union. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, if this close link with universal civil rights is broken, then it won t be the Europe we wished for, she said, urging other EU nations to accept their fair share of asylum-seekers. Speaking to foreign journalists in Berlin, Merkel said: Europe as a whole needs to move. Member states must share responsibility for asylum-seeking refugees. Germany, the union s most populous country and biggest economy, expects to receive 800,000 asylum-seekers this year, four times the total for 2014 and more than any other EU country. If we don t arrive at a fair distribution then the issue of Schengen will arise we do not want that, she said, referring to the passport-free zone covering much of the EU and several neighbouring countries. She poured cold water on an idea proposed earlier on Monday by Austria s Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner to cut EU funding for members that don t take in their fair share, with Merkel quipping that I don t want to bring out the torture instruments. The chancellor said Italy especially ROME: The most common surnames among newly registered entrepreneurs in key Italian regions are Asian, a recent study has found, highlighting the growing influence of migrants in the country. In the region of Lombardy, the two most popular surnames in the January- August period were Hu and Chen, followed by Singh, the Chamber of Commerce of Monza said in a statement on Friday. Monza is an industrial town just outside Milan, the country s economic capital. I m not at all surprised, Francesco Wu, head of the Milan-based UNIIC (Italy China Entrepreneurs Union), said on Monday. Bear in mind that out of 300,000 Chinese living in Italy, 100,000 are based in Lombardy, and one out of six of them practically one per family runs a business, he said. The Italian-sounding surnames of Ferrari and Colombo only made the fourth and fifth spot in the Lombardy list, said the Chamber of Commerce, If we don t arrive at a fair distribution then the issue of Schengen will arise we do not want that. I don t want to bring out the torture instruments. ANGELA MERKEL German Chancellor must be offered help from other EU nations as it had taken in huge numbers of migrants arriving via the Mediterranean Sea. She implicitly criticised countries including Slovakia that have said they would reject migrants from majority Islamic countries, saying: if we start saying I do not want Muslims... that cannot be good. The Italian-sounding surnames of Ferrari and Colombo only made the fourth and fifth spot in the Lombardy list, said the Chamber of Commerce, which studied data for new business registrations in four other regions which studied data for new business registrations in four other regions. It found that Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi surnames occupied top positions also in Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, Veneto and Lazio, while in Pugliam in the south, the first six surnames were all Italian, with Singh in seventh place. Many foreign-sounding names belonged to people born in Italy from migrant parents, researchers noted. They did not give details about what Merkel expressed confidence that Germany would rise to the challenge of taking in record numbers of people seeking safe haven, as it has faced other problems such as natural disasters, the 1990 national reunification or its ongoing nuclear phase-out. We can do this, she stressed, saying Germany was economically and politically strong enough to overcome the challenge. By September 24, Merkel said, her government would announce a package of measures to speed up the processing of asylum applications and building of shelters for refugees, many of whom are now staying in container homes and tent cities. Merkel said Germany must cut red tape to quickly build more accommodation and train more language teachers, saying that while German thoroughness is super... what we need now is German flexibility. On a spate of hate crimes and attacks against refugee shelters in Germany, she vowed that the full force of law would be brought down on those who insult, attack or launch arson attacks targeting the newcomers. There will be zero tolerance for those who put in question the dignity of other people, she said. Merkel urged citizens to stay away from far-right and xenophobic rallies and not to follow those who have prejudice, coldness, even hate in their hearts. She thanked the many volunteers who have helped welcome refugees who by far outnumber the hate-mongers and xenophobes. Today in much of the world Germany is seen as a country of hope and opportunity, something that had not always been the case, Merkel said. German police, meanwhile, said they had stepped up arrests of traffickers smuggling migrants into the country, with the number set to near last year s total by the end of August. The Italian-sounding surnames only made the fourth and fight spots Asian surnames dominate list of Italy s new entrepreneurs kind of businesses were opened, but it is likely that most of them were smallscale. Wu, a 34-year-old born in China who has lived in Italy since he was 8 and speaks with a native-sounding Milanese accent, said Chinese entrepreneurs in Lombardy typically run restaurants, cafes or wholesale clothing stores. Italy, a country that until the 1970s witnessed its own population leave in search of a better life abroad, has in recent years taken in a large number of migrants from Eastern Europe, Africa and the Far East. Its legally registered foreign population has swelled from 2.7 million in 2005 to 4.9 million in 2013, official data shows. The country is also a landing point for migrants using the sea route to Europe. The wave of migration is fueling public resentment: Earlier this month, an Ipsos global survey found that 71 per cent of Italians thought there were too many migrants, and 65 per cent believed that they were having a negative impact on their country. dpa Spanish soldiers work to extinguish a forest fire in Seoane in the northwest Spanish region of Galicia. Reuters Spanish fireworks factory blast kills 5 MADRID: Five people died and six were injured in an explosion at a fireworks factory on Monday near Zaragoza in northeastern Spain, officials said. The cause of the blast at the factory on the outskirts of the city near the airport was unknown. The explosion at the factory, which makes fireworks and matches, was heard in a large area of the city. Television pictures showed a large column of smoke rising from the factory. Emergency services urged local residents to stay away from the area. The AROUND THE GLOBE France to build Calais camp for 1,500 migrants Australia urges Europe to attack IS to stop refugees SYDNEY: Australia s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop urged more European nations to carry out air strikes against IS in both Iraq and Syria to stop the refugee crisis engulfing Europe, the Australian newspaper reported. Bishop said in an interview with the national newspaper that European nations could help end a crisis of global proportions by bombing IS terrorists who are destroying nations and causing the mass exodus of populations. Countries adjoining Syria and Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and others are bearing the brunt of millions of people fleeing into their borders and then into Europe, she said. That s why I believe the Europeans must be involved in the coalition air strikes and the effort in Syria and Iraq. Her call comes as Australia is considering a request from the United States to expand Australian air force attacks on IS forces from Iraq into Syria. A government cabinet security committee is expected to discuss the matter this week. Australia s current contribution to the coalition force consists of six F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter/bombers, refueling and transport aircraft and 200 military trainers in Iraq. Bishop said the coalition s aerial attacks on IS had forced its fighters to abandon the tactic of forming columns and storming into towns and cities, but about 30,000 fighters had embedded themselves in towns and cities making it hard not to hit civilians. dpa airport continued operating. A spokeswoman for the regional government of Aragon said five people were killed in the blast. As well as the deaths, at the moment there are six people injured to varying degrees, she said. She said firefighters were continuing their work at the factory, which exports products to other European countries and Canada. El Pais newspaper said accidents at fireworks factories around the country in the last 25 years had claimed more than 110 lives. Six other employees of the plant near the city of Zaragoza were hospitalised, some with serious injuries, said Gustavo Alcalde, prefect of the Aragon regional government. The cause of the accident at the more than 150-year-old Pirotecnia Zaragozana factory was not immediately clear. The explosion, which could be heard 10 kilometres away in Zaragoza, sent people running scared from their homes, the fire brigade said. Firefighters were unable to quickly enter the site due to several smaller explosions. dpa CALAIS: France plans to build a camp this winter for as many as 1,500 migrants in the northern port city of Calais where twice that many are living in tents and hoping to make the sea-crossing to Britain. European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, visiting Calais with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, said the Commission would contribute 5 million euros ($5.6 million) to the new centre which will house people in large tents. Europe is under increasing pressure to deal with the thousands of people fleeing there from wars in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart said the new facility would be welcome but fell short of what was needed. It s a gesture but a pretty feeble gesture, it s 25 million (euros) that would be needed, she said. Interior ministers are meeting in September and EU leaders on November 11 to try to agree on a response to a crisis that has grown in intensity as tens of thousands of migrants try to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, many of them drowning. A larger camp in Calais the notorious Sangatte was shut down more than a decade ago by former conservative president Nicolas Sarkozy but the city remains one of many migrant hotspots across the continent. Reuters Shell, which is the replica of the biggest detonated Soviet nuclear bomb AN-602 (Tsar-Bomb), is on display in Moscow yesterday. The shell is part of an exhibition organised by the state nuclear corporation Rosatom. Reuters Publisher withdraws book over extortion charges PARIS: French publisher Le Seuil announced on Monday that it would withdraw a planned book about the Moroccan royalty over extortion charges filed against its two authors, French media reported. Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet have denied committing a crime, saying in separate interviews that they did not intentionally plan to blackmail King Mohammed VI, but were led into a trap. The two journalists were arrested on Friday after a conversation was secretly recorded between Laurent and the king s lawyer, in which Laurent allegedly demands 3 million euros ($3.35 million) in exchange for scrapping publication of the book. In an interview with French daily Le Parisien, Graciet said the revelations uncovered by the book would have been apocalyptic for the royal family. She said Laurent was approached by Mohammed VI s lawyer after he contacted the Moroccan palace seeking comments on their forthcoming book, and that the offer was initially proposed by the lawyer. Admitting that she let herself be tempted into the deal, she rejected having committed a crime. dpa

13 13 REGION SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver Main temple in Palmyra still standing BEIRUT: Syria s top antiquities official said Monday that the main temple in the ancient city of Palmyra is still standing, despite reports from activist groups that it had been wholly or partly destroyed by IS fighters. We have information from our people in Palmyra that there was an explosion inside the walls of the Temple of Bel but its central building is still TOLL REVISED Three Canadians among others dead in Saudi fire RIYADH: Saudi authorities said Monday that three Canadians, one Pakistani and a Nigerian woman were among 10 people killed in a fire at a residential complex rented by oil giant Saudi Aramco at the weekend. The civil defence revised down from 11 the death toll for Sunday s blaze at the complex in the kingdom s Eastern Province, in a statement carried by state news agency SPA. It said 259 people were wounded, but that 179 of those have been discharged. The five others who died in the blaze were yet to be identified, according to the civil defence. It said the fire was ignited by an electric short circuit in the underground parking where 130 cars were parked. It said that 35 vehicles were completely destroyed by the fire. Saudi Aramco said 83 people were injured and 10 were killed in a statement. At 5:45 (Sunday) a fire was reported in the basement of the Radium residential compound in Al Khobar which is leased by Saudi Aramco for its employees, Aramco said in a statement earlier. Witnesses said the fire burned for almost six hours. Based on initial findings, one of the cameras showed that the cause of the fire was an electric mass in a transformer in the basement where the fire burned 70 parked vehicles and sent smoke to the upper floors of the complex. According to Aramco s website, the Radium Residential Complex consists of eight six-storey buildings and comprises 486 units. Aramco, which has more than 61,000 employees, many of them expatriates, runs several private gated communities. standing, Mamoun Abdulkareem, the country s director of antiquities and museums, said by phone from Damascus. On Sunday, activists from the Palmyra Coordination group said that the temple s cella, or central shrine building, had been blown up. Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Turkey offers rewards for denouncing terrorists ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities will offer up to 4 million lira ($1.37 million) in rewards for those who help a crackdown on terrorists, according to a new ruling published here yesterday. The decision comes after a surge in violence in the southeast between Turkish security forces and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Kurdish fighters which has nullified a 2013 truce. Under the government s plan, informants rewards will be based on the value of the information in preventing terrorism crimes and catching the suspects, said a statement in the official gazette, where all new legislation and government rulings are published. Those who report the identity or location of a suspected terrorist ENTERTAINMENT TO CURE Rights, said that witnesses had seen an explosion inside the sanctuary s fortified walls. Out of fear of IS fighters, the witnesses had not approached the area to see exactly what damage had been done, Abdel Rahman said. Abdulkareem warned that the temple, the main religious complex in the Unesco-listed World Heritage site, was still at risk from the fighters, who recently demolished a smaller temple in the city. We have warned before and we are reiterating now that the most important and famous Temple of Bel is endangered by the presence of those terrorists in the area, he said. The temple of Bel stands just outside the main area of the ancient city of Palmyra, whose column-lined principal street leads up to its gate. Its richly decorated cella was extremely well preserved. IS captured Palmyra, an oasis town and former trading centre in Syria s central desert, from government forces in May amid a brutal civil war. Last week, the extremists demolished the city s temple of Baal Shamin, which was small but also in excellent condition. dpa anonymously will be awarded up to 200,000 Turkish lira ($68,000) as long as they as they are not involved in the terrorism activity that they report, it added. But the award will be multiplied by 20 and increased to 4 million lira if the suspect is the leader of a terrorist organisation or the crime that is exposed is severe enough to cause unrest. The informant does not have to be a Turkish citizen to be eligible for the award, the statement said. Ankara in late July launched a dual anti-terror offensive against IS fighters in Syria and the PKK in northern Iraq and southeast Turkey following a series of deadly attacks. Yemenis walk past a shared vehicle following an air-strike on the capital Sanaa. Children s hospital faces closure due to shortages SANAA: A major hospital in Yemen s rebel-held capital is on the verge of shutting down due to a supply shortage caused by a pro-government coalition blockade, Save the Children has warned. Critical fuel shortages and a lack of medical supplies could force the Al Sabeen Hospital to shut its doors within 48 hours, the humanitarian organisation said late Sunday. The hospital supported by Save the Children is the main facility for children and pregnant women in the area, and serves an estimated three million people, the organisation said in a statement. The coalition, which mounted an air campaign against rebels late March in support of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, has imposed a blockade on areas controlled by insurgents. The hospital was reliant on the Red Sea port of Hodeida for 90 per cent of its imports, Save the Children said. A Palestinian social activist working for the International South South Cooperation (Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud, or CISS) entertain children who are patients inside a hospital in Gaza City. The activists working for the Italian non-profit NGO use entertainment and humour to help bring treatment to children suffering from psychological trauma in the Gaza Strip. Reuters CRITICAL: Across Yemen 15.2m people lack access to basic healthcare A Yemeni man sits amidst debris following an air-strike in Sanaa. The hospital has entirely run out of IV fluid, anaesthetic, blood transfusion tests, Valium to treat seizures and readyprepared therapeutic food for severely malnourished children, the statement BENGHAZI: Libyan progovernment forces on Monday battled fighters from the IS group in second city Benghazi, where five pro-government fighters have been killed in two days of violence, media said. Four loyalist soldiers died and 22 were wounded on Sunday in clashes with IS in the southern district of Hawari, the progovernment Lana news agency reported. Fierce clashes with all sorts of weapons are still ongoing Monday between the army and terrorist groups, Lana said, quoting a military source. Loyalist forces said citing the hospital s deputy manager Halel al Bahri. Fuel that the hospital acquired from the black market was enough to run power generators for two more days, he said. Across Yemen, 15.2 million people are lacking access to basic healthcare, an increase of 40 per cent since March, the organisation warned. More than half a million children are expected to suffer severe acute malnutrition this year, and there has been a 150 per cent increase in hospital admissions for malnutrition since March, it said. It is crucial that enough medicines, supplies and fuel are able to get in to the country, otherwise the number of children dying from treatable illnesses is only going to get bigger, said Edward Santiago, Save the Children s Yemen director. Libya loyalist forces battle IS in Benghazi have advanced into Hawari and control much of the district, it added. The eastern city has been rocked by near-daily fighting for more than a year between progovernment forces and armed groups including fighters from the Ansar al Sharia and IS. Lana also cited an army spokesman as saying that a special forces commander, Imad el Jazwi, was killed in a mine blast. Jazwi had been searching a house in the central neighbourhood of Al Laythi when the explosion killed him and wounded three members of his unit, the spokesman said. Kim has been described as a historic ruler and leader, famous for his struggle to liberate and build his country A garden grows in war-torn Syria, for N Korea founder DAMASCUS: Syria s embattled government, facing a four-year war that is encroaching on the capital, on Monday inaugurated a park in Damascus to honour North Korea s founding father Kim Il-Sung. The 9,000-square-metre park lies in the southwestern Damascus district of Kafr Sousa, atop the ruins of recently bulldozed homes. The opening ceremony, which came as IS group fighters battled rebels in a district in southern Damascus, was attended by deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Moqdad. He called Kim, described by rights organisations as a brutal dictator, a North Korea s ambassador to Syria said the park was an expression of the respect and love that Syria, as a party, a government, and a people have for the great leader Kim Il-Sung. historic ruler and leader, famous for his struggle to liberate and build his country. For this reason, he deserves to be honoured in Syria, Moqdad said. In response to a question about the international community s criticism of the North Korean founder, Moqdad said that whoever criticises (Kim) is absurd and stupid. Moqdad also praised North Korea for standing with Syria against terrorism. The Syrian regime uses the term terrorist to describe all of its opponents from non-violent activists to fighters. The street adjacent to the park is also named for Kim and stretches for one kilometre (less than a mile). North Korea s ambassador to Syria Jang Myong said the park was an expression of the respect and love that Syria, as a party, a government, and a people have for the great leader Kim Il- Young women hold a North-Korean flag during a ceremony to name a park in Damascus after Kim Il-sung, in the Kafar Susseh neighbourhood at the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Korea s liberation from the Japanese colonial rule. Sung. Syria s conflict is the result of the conspiracies and plans of the United States... to bring down the legitimate and independent regime, and to exert a monopoly over the Middle East, he said. Syria s war began with peaceful antigovernment demonstrations but has spiralled into a brutal civil war, leaving more than 240,000 people dead. Kim Il-Sung led North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death on July 8, North Korea, which has pushed ahead with its nuclear and missile programmes, is under multi-layered UN sanctions and diplomatic isolation.

14 14 EUROPE omandailyobserver TSIPRAS STILL HAS THE EDGE PEOPLE S CHOICE: The Greeks thought Tsipras was right to accept the third bailout deal ATHENS: With just three weeks to go before Greece s snap elections, analysts say charismatic ex-premier Alexis Tsipras remains popular with an electorate determined to stay in the euro even if it means more painful austerity. Opinion polls show Tsipras in first place for the September 20 vote, with his far-left Syriza party ahead of its main rivals, the New Democracy conservatives, by between 1 and 3.5 points. Tsipras quit on August 20 after his decision to sign Greece up for a third huge international bailout sparked a major rebellion within his own party, leaving him barely able to govern. Syriza had stormed to power in January promising an end to the steep spending cuts and tax rises demanded by Athens creditors in exchange for two previous bailouts. It was music to the ears of Greek voters exhausted by years of economic hardship. But then Tsipras made an abrupt U-turn, agreeing to more tough reforms in exchange for a new 86-billion-euro rescue package. For the Syriza rebels, the deal represents an unacceptable sacrifice of principles for a party elected to bring an end to austerity. But analysts say Greeks have largely accepted Tsipras argument that it is the only way to stop Greece from defaulting on its massive debts, crashing out of the euro zone, and tumbling into the economic unknown. Tsipras success is that he represents pro-european sentiment amongst Greeks, political scientist Georges Sefertzis told AFP. A young leader at 41, he remains Greece s most popular politician, with a 29.5 per cent approval rate ahead of New Democracy leader Vangelis Meimarakis on 26 per cent. Greek former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras speaks during a meeting with members of his Syriza party in Athens. Reuters During the months of bitter bailout negotiations with its creditors the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund Tsipras government frequently wielded threats of a Greek exit from the euro zone, or Grexit, if a deal could not be met. No one knew what that would have looked like, but the chances are it would have been chaotic and the Greeks it seems, are still determined not to find out. A poll by Metron Analysis found 79 per cent wanted to stay in the euro zone and a majority, 55 per cent, thought Tsipras was right to accept the bailout deal. Many seem resigned to the idea that more painful sacrifices are necessary if Greece is to get its much-needed bailout cash and stay in the eurozone. Tsipras is rather charismatic. He is young. He is charming. He can cast himself as someone who was ultimately forced to bend to the Europeans, but did what he could. GEORGES CONTOGEORGIS Political Scientist For political scientist Georges Contogeorgis, Tsipras ratings remain relatively high because the latest austerity measures have yet to really bite. For the moment Greeks are not really feeling the effects of the new (bailout), Contogeorgis said. That s why Tsipras has managed to hang on to the popularity he has in reserve. His personal appeal is another factor, noted Sefertzis. Tsipras is rather charismatic. He is young, he is charming, he said. Besides, he can cast himself as someone who was ultimately forced to bend to the Europeans, but did what he could. Kicking off his electoral campaign on Saturday, Tsipras insisted that he had not surrendered but was ready to stand up and continue to fight battles for Greeks. Nevertheless, Contogeorgis pointed out that the Syriza leader has lost half of his popularity since his election in January, when his party won 36.3 per cent of the vote. Syriza s eight months in power have been far from easy, with banks forced to shut to avert a catastrophic bank run, and Greeks struggling under capital controls, including limits on withdrawals from ATMs. And it remains to be seen how much of an impact the Syriza rebels could have on the vote. SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 Clash in Ukraine as MPs vote for region KIEV: Ukraine s parliament voted on Monday for constitutional changes to give separatist-minded eastern regions a special status - but divisions in the pro-western camp and violent street protests suggested the changes would face a rougher ride to become law. At least four police and national guard were badly hurt when a grenade was lobbed from a crowd of nationalists demonstrating outside parliament against the decentralisation draft law that President Petro Poroshenko and his government are pushing as part of a blueprint to end separatist rebellion in the east. Ukraine s national guard said about 50 of its members were hurt, including four with serious wounds, by the blast. At a boisterous session, with many deputies shouting shame and rhythmically beating parliamentary benches, a total of 265 deputies voted in favour of the first reading of the bill, 39 more than that required to pass. But many coalition allies, including former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, spoke against it and it is open to question whether Poroshenko will be able to whip up the necessary 300 votes for it to get through a second and final reading later this year. Approval of legislation for special status for parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are largely controlled by Russian-backed separatists, is a key element of a peace agreement reached in Minsk, Belarus, in February. Though a ceasefire is under pressure from sporadic shelling and shooting which government troops and rebels blame on each other, Western governments see the deal as holding out the best possible prospects for peace and are urging Ukraine to abide by the letter of the Minsk agreement. This (the bill) will give our Western partners the ability to put pressure on Russia to fulfil three basic points of the Minsk agreement the ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine and re-establishment of control over the border, said Maksim Burbak of Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk s Popular Front party. We have to support the international anti-putin coalition, said Yuri Lutsenko of the Poroshenko bloc, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. But opponents of the bill said it played into Russia s hands and would lead ultimately to Ukraine losing control over the Donbass, swathes of which are controlled by separatists now. Reuters Demonstrators, who are against a constitutional amendment on decentralisation, clash with police outside the parliament building in Kiev, Ukraine. Reuters MUSIC WALL Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons of the British electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers perform during the Rock-en-Seine music festival in Saint-Cloud near Paris. Slovakia rejects quotas, proposes single EU stance on refugees BRATISLAVA: Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico hopes to forge a common position with three other central European states on tackling the migrant crisis engulfing the continent that would include rejecting any EU quotas for redistributing refugees. Fico said he would meet with the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland this week in Prague to discuss the crisis as the death toll among migrants at sea and on land continues to mount. Hungary s status as an eastern outpost of Europe s passport-free Schengen area has made it a magnet for tens of thousands of migrants from the Middle East and beyond heading for western Europe via the Balkans. Hungary has responded by erecting a fence along its border with Serbia. The central Europeans have blocked proposals from Brussels that envisage EU member states accepting binding quotas to share out asylum-seekers crossing the Mediterranean to Italy and Greece. On Sunday French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called their stance scandalous. But Fico stuck to his guns on Monday. We strongly reject any quotas. If a mechanism for automatic redistribution of migrants is adopted, then we will wake up one day and have 100,000 people from the Arab world and that is a problem I would not like Slovakia to have, Fico told a news conference shown live on television. We are prepared to do what is needed and what is within our possibilities, for people who really need help, separate them from economic migrants, he added. Fico said Europe should focus on tackling the causes of the migrant crisis and he criticised Western support for opposition groups in Syria and Libya, saying this had helped to fuel the civil wars there and thus the exodus of so many people. Let s stop destabilising Syria, he said. Most of the migrants arriving in Hungary aim to move on to wealthier countries further west such as Germany, which is expecting an influx of some 800,000 people this year alone. Austria, another favourite destination, tightened border controls on Monday, days after discovering an abandoned truck near the Hungarian border containing the rotting remains of 71 people thought to include Syrian refugees. Slovakia, which lies to the north of the main Balkan route for migrants passing through Hungary to western Europe, has received only 109 requests for asylum since January. Interior ministers from the 28-nation EU will hold an emergency summit to discuss the migrant crisis on September 14. Reuters Diplomats gathered for the penultimate round of official negotiations to craft a workable draft of the deal that must be inked by 195 nations Cash crunch for Paris conference: UN climate chief BONN: Crunch climate negotiations opened in Bonn, Germany yesterday with a UN official urging countries to replenish coffers for the critical Paris conference tasked with sealing a global carbon-curbing pact in December. UN climate chief Christiana Figueres told delegates there was a deficit of 1.2 million euros ($1.3 million) for the November 30-December 11 UN Conference of Parties (COP 21) as well as the final pre-paris negotiating round in Bonn in October. I regret to inform you that we have a deficit now of 1.2 million euros just to cover the sessions you have in your calendar, she told delegates. She asked parties in a position to do so, to please contribute. Diplomats gathered in the former West German capital for the penultimate round of official negotiations to craft a workable draft of the deal that must be inked by 195 nations in just over three months. Due to take effect in 2020, it will be the first agreement to commit all nations to reducing planet-harming greenhouse gas emissions in pursuit of the UN goal to limit average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial Revolution levels. Including this week s talks in Bonn, there are just 10 official negotiating days left to refine the draft pact. South Africa s representative at the talks Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko said many developing countries were handicapped at the talks due to being underrepresented for lack of funds. Currently, it is an 83-page laundry list of contradictory proposals for dealing with the climate crisis sometimes with as many as 11 options listed per item. At the opening session, negotiators set themselves the task of producing a more concise version for political leaders who will ultimately make the concessions required to make the pact a reality. But the disagreements are fundamental and deep-rooted. Countries differ on how to divvy out responsibility for carbon cuts between rich nations which have polluted for much longer and developing countries, which need to power fastgrowing populations and economies. And developing nations are insisting that rich nations show how they intend keeping a promise made at the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009, which failed to produce a pact, of $100 billion (89 billion euros) in climate finance per year from Now money worries is also putting pressure on the negotiations themselves. There was a shortfall of 900,000 euros, Figueres said, for the costs of one representative per negotiating party for the October talks, and three representatives per party for the COP itself. In addition to that we re still in deficit of 300,000 euros for the meeting itself, for October, she said. South Africa s representative at the talks Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko said many developing countries were handicapped at the talks due to being under-represented for lack of funds. Negotiators pointed out that time was running out for the near decade-long bid for a universal climate rescue pact. We do not have much time left, said the representative from Dominica, the tiny Caribbean island nation hit by tropical storm Erika over the weekend, killing at least 20 people. According to him, Many people are dead. Many are missing. Roads, bridges and houses are destroyed. Once again, one of us the developing countries the countries that did not generate climate change, the countries that are doing the most to reduce emissions, is standing here to call the attention on a tragedy that could have been avoided, he said. Effective action is urgent.

15 15 AMERICAS SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver WORSENING CRISIS: Brazil is in recession, the Petrobras scandal scares off investors, inflation is at a 12-year high Lula dives into Brazil s political perfect storm RIO DE JANEIRO: When an assault on a huge blow-up doll makes front page news, you know Brazil s already surreal political crisis is heading into ever wilder territory. The doll depicts ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from the ruling leftist Workers Party in jail garb and it has become a rallying point for right wing demonstrators trying to bring down Lula s successor President Dilma Rousseff. Last Friday, an ardent Workers Party supporter in Sao Paulo ran up and punctured the effigy, which is 12 metres high when inflated, prompting headlines about the now famous dummy being knifed and a hate campaign on social media against the assailant. The incident, while a sideshow in the overall drama of Rousseff s fight for survival and Brazil s dive into recession and scandal, was not just political hot air. Until last week Lula, as he is universally known, had largely maintained his distance from Rousseff s ever-worsening crisis. But the political giant, whose presidency was praised for helping millions escape terrible poverty, made a dramatic declaration on Saturday promising to aid Rousseff and give the opposition hell. I have broad shoulders and I have been beaten up plenty in my life. Let s see if our rivals give our beloved Dilma a little break and start being bothered by me again, Lula said. For the right wing opposition, which in August mounted its third huge demonstration of the year against the Workers Party and which plans another protest in Rio de Janeiro this week, the battle lines are clear. For Rousseff, all that s clear is the dizzying extent of her troubles. Figures on Friday showed Brazil is officially in recession, an embezzlement scandal centered on oil giant Petrobras is scaring off investors, inflation is at a 12- year high, unemployment is at a nearfive-year high, Congress blocks her, and her enemies want her impeached. No wonder the former leftist guerrilla, reelected to a second term last year, has an approval rating of just eight percent. President Rousseff is currently facing a major governability crisis, consultants Barral M Jorge Policy Analysis Unit said in a risk assessment, Wall between US and Canada: A legitimate idea to explore WASHINGTON: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the White House, said that building a wall between the US and Canada was a legitimate idea to explore. Immigration is a hot-button topic in US politics and Donald Trump, the leading Republican contender, has added fuel to the fire by promising to have Mexico pay to build a wall between the United States and its southern neighbor, angering many Hispanics. Walker told NBC television that security concerns came up in his talks with people in New Hampshire, which borders Canada, and that he would be open to building a wall to secure the northern border as well. Some people have asked us about that in New Hampshire. They raised some very legitimate concerns, including some law enforcement folks that brought that up to me at one of our town hall meetings about a weekand-a-half ago, Walker said. So that is a legitimate issue for us to look at. Trump leads the 16 other Republican candidates with 28 per cent support among registered voters nationwide, up from 20 per cent in a similar July 30 survey by Quinnipiac University. Walker is polling sixth at about six per cent, experts say. Trump caused outrage when he accused illegal immigrants from Mexico of importing crime, rape and drugs into the United States. which foresees increased instability through the end of The combination of the economic crisis with the political unrest has led Brazil to face the perfect storm in Lula, 69, positioned himself on Saturday as the elder statesman throwing a lifebuoy to his Workers Party protege before she goes under. Things are not quite that simple. Lula s even more telling comments may have come the previous day when he hinted at seeking a return to power in the next presidential elections in You can be sure of the following: if it s necessary, I ll be in the race, Lula said on Radio Itatiaia. David Fleischer, politics professor emeritus at the University of Brasilia, says Lula has always wanted to win back the presidency and prolong the dominance of the party he co-founded. Now Lula sees Dilma and the Workers Party have big problems, so Lula is going to come back, traveling, giving lectures and conferences and trying to save the Workers Party and his own possible candidacy in 2018, Fleischer said. He s not there to save Dilma. But even if Lula has more credibility than lame duck Rousseff, he is off the political heights he enjoyed as the charismatic president of , stepping down with 80 percent approval ratings and worldwide fans. Although neither he nor Rousseff have been charged in the Petrobras Barack Obama tries to strike a balance in Alaska ANCHORAGE, Alaska: Barack Obama arrived in Alaska yesterday for a trip aimed at highlighting the pace of climate change. But not everyone in this oil-rich state is welcoming the US president with open arms. Rising sea levels, shrinking glaciers, melting permafrost: the effects of climate change are stark in this vast but sparsely populated state. Obama, who will speak at the closing of an international conference on the Arctic, wants to shore up public support to tackle what he calls one of the greatest challenges we face this century. His visit comes just months before a crucial conference in Paris in December that will aim to cap global temperature increases by two degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels. What s happening in Alaska is happening to us, Obama said before leaving Washington. It s our wakeup call. And as long as I m president, America will lead the world to meet the threat of climate change before it s too late. I have broad shoulders and I have been beaten up plenty in my life. Let s see if our rivals give our beloved Dilma a little break and start being bothered by me again LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA Former Brazilian President Obama is clearly looking for strong images to highlight his message. Obama has just imposed, much to the chagrin of his Republican opponents in Congress, strict standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. America is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind China and has committed to a reduction of per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by COLOUR RUN But not everyone welcomes the US president with open arms US President Barack Obama walks across the tarmac to board Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Obama is in a threeday visit to Alaska compared to Alaska is often just a fuel stop for US presidents headed for Asia. But Obama will spend three days in The Last Frontier and become the first sitting US president to visit the Alaskan Arctic. Many in Alaska, which became America s 49th state in 1959, fear Obama has forgotten the economic difficulties they face. People hold a huge inflatable depicting former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a protest at Paulista Avenue, Sao Paulo, Brazil. corruption scheme, their Workers Party is heavily implicated. Lula is also the target of a separate influence peddling probe in which he allegedly helped massive construction company Odebrechtwin contracts abroad. Lula is still a skilled politician and in some areas retains passionate support. But according to the latest opinion poll, he d manage no better than distant runner-up against opposition candidates if an election were held today. He is increasingly discredited, Fleischer said. The opposition used to be afraid of Lula, not anymore. Runners dance and cheer after the Colour Run race considered the world s most joyful 5km race in which every kilometre a powder of a different dye is thrown in the air at the runners passage in Guadalajara, Mexico. US preparing China sanctions after hacking WASHINGTON: The United States is drawing up economic sanctions to target Chinese firms and individuals that profited from cyber attacks on American targets, the Washington Post reported yesterday. The report, citing administration officials, said President Barack Obama s government has not yet decided whether to put the sanctions in place but is now preparing the ground. Any move by the world s biggest economy to punish the second largest could have global political and economic consequences and would likely trigger retribution. And it will be all the more controversial in the run-up to next month s much-anticipated state visit to Washington by China s President Xi Jinping. It sends a signal to Beijing that the administration is going to start fighting back on economic espionage, an unnamed US official told the Post. It tells China, enough is enough. The world s economic giants have deep economic ties but a tense relationship. The United States is an ally of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a renegade province, and sides with Beijing s Asian neighbors in territorial disputes over sea lanes and island chains. But the immediate cause of the sanctions threat, according to the Post, is Washington s anger over a series of alleged cyber attacks on US companies and government agencies. In May, US prosecutors unsealed indictments leveling spying charges against five Chinese military personnel they believe hacked into US networks to profit Chinese firms. The sanctions, if they come about, would be designed to counter the unfair advantage Washington fears Beijing has developed by illegally gathering US economic intelligence. But there is also deep concern here about a series of hacks apparently aimed at gathering political intelligence, some of them blamed on hackers with Chinese or Russian links. Yesterday, citing US intelligence officials, the Los Angeles Times said Russian and Chinese foreign spy services are cross-indexing hacked databases to identify American agents. Recent breaches of US federal government personnel files and systems, when combined with private data such as medical record and airline bookings, could leave US spies exposed. IN BRIEF Coalition to combat IS falling short: Canada PM OTTAWA: Canada s Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Monday the US-led coalition s campaign against IS was not doing as well as had been hoped in Syria and parts of Iraq. Harper also said Canada, one of the nations helping Iraq to fight the group would need a long and sustained strategy with its international partners against IS, which controls large parts of northern and western Iraq. Around 70 Canadian special forces troops are working with Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq. Six Canadian fighter bombers are also attacking IS positions in Iraq and Syria. The intervention has had the effect of largely stopping the advance of IS. This is particularly in the north of Iraq and to some degree in other parts of Iraq and Syria, not maybe as much as we d liked, Harper told reporters during an event on Canada s election campaign. Polls show Harper s ruling Conservatives are trailing the leftleaning New Democrats, who have promised to withdraw Canada s forces from the coalition. To protect our country we are going to have to have a long and sustained strategy, he said. We must work with our international partners and that is what we are doing, said Harper, who accuses his political rivals of being too soft in the fight against terror. Reuters Mayor backs police chief after vote of no-confidence WASHINGTON: Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser vowed on Monday to support the US capital s police chief after a police union voted that it had no confidence in her amid a sharp upturn in killings. Police Chief Cathy Lanier and Bowser have come under increasing public pressure as killings have surged this summer. The District of Columbia has notched 105 homicides this year, the same number as in all of Bowser voiced her support for Lanier in a one-sentence statement after the city s Fraternal Order of Police said 97.5 per cent of officers who had participated in an online poll had no confidence in her leadership. After 25 years of policing DC streets, deploying officers and strategies, and building a force of highly qualified officers and leaders, in the good times and the tough times, too, I have every confidence in Chief Lanier, Bowser said. Washington is among a number of big US cities seeing an upturn in violent crime. Nationally, crime rates hit halfcentury lows in 2013 after falling since the 1990s. Lanier and Bowser have blamed the rise in crime in Washington on illegal guns in the wrong hands, greater use of synthetic drugs, and repeat violent offenders on the streets. In a statement on the online poll, the police union said officers were fed up by issues that included lack of manpower, inadequate pay increases and an inability to fundamentally keep our neighborhoods, our citizens and our officers safe. Reuters

16 16 PANORAMA omandailyobserver A worker runs to cross a flooded street as he uses a plastic sheet to shield against heavy rainfall, in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China. Reuters Members of Malaysia s military parade past during National Day celebrations at Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur. The Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft is transported to a launch pad at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A vessel delivers a cargo of Liquefied Natural Gas to the Arun regasification terminal in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh. Reuters A man takes photographs of his girlfriend posing next to a Doraemon figure during an exhibition in Seoul, South Korea. The exhibition, which showcased a hundred models of the Japanese famous cartoon character in different poses and expressions, will run from August 28 to October 4. Reuters Australia s Prime Minister Tony Abbott poses for a selfie with a passerby at the national launch of Legacy Week in Sydney. Trucks stand in a queue along a highway near the Austrian border in Hegyeshalom, Hungary. Reuters T U E S DAY SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 A picture of smiling face made of rice plants is seen at a paddy field in Xianju county, Zhejiang province. The face was made to attract tourists, according to local media. Reuters Participants hold placards above their heads as they form a figure, in front of a statue of China s late Chairman Mao Zedong in his youth, during an event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Changsha,Hunan province, China. Reuters

17 SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 DHUL QA ADA 17, 1436 AH P19 P20 P21 Inside Altaeros raises funding from MHI, SBG Asian stocks suffer fresh losses Fed rate hike hinges on market fluidity FOLLOW US ON: BP to provide PTA technology for OMPET s Sohar project PETROCHEMICALS: 1.1mtpa unit to produce PTA the primary feedstock for polyesters BUSINESS REPORTER MUSCAT Aug 31: BP and Oman International Petrochemical Industries Company (OMPET), a joint venture between Oman Oil Company, LG International Corp and Takamul Investment Company, have entered into a licensing agreement for BP s latest generation purified terephthalic acid (PTA) technology. OMPET intends to build a 1.1 million tonnes per annum (tpa) unit at Sohar to produce PTA, the primary feedstock for polyesters used in the textile and packaging industry. This is the first licence for BP s PTA technology in the Middle East which is an important and strategic region for BP. This is a testimony to the advantages of BP s technology and to BP s extensive experience as a PTA producer, said Rita Griffin, Chief Operating Officer, BP Petrochemicals. BP will provide a wide range of technical and knowledge transfer GCC Islamic banking poised to hold foreign assets at $3tn by 2017 services as well as a commitment to assist Omani staff within the OMPET joint venture. The front end engineering design (FEED) package for the licence has been completed and delivered to OMPET on schedule. I am very proud that OMPET has chosen BP s PTA technology and we look forward to a long standing relationship between our companies, said Daniel Leonardi, Vice President, Technology and Licensing, BP (Image for illustration only) Petrochemicals. Our PTA technology has significantly lower capital and operating costs when compared with conventional PTA plants and the technology is more energy efficient, uses less water, and produces less solid waste. We continue to invest heavily in our proprietary technology and this will maintain BP s PTA technology as the global leader, and as the technology of choice for the future. Innovations in the technology will continue to be developed and implemented and these will be available to our licensees, including OMPET, said Leonardi. OMPET was formed in 3Q 2013 as a joint venture between Oman Oil Company (50 per cent), LG International Corp (30 per cent) and Takamul Investment Company (20 per cent) which is 93.7 per cent owned by Oman Oil Company. BP s Global Petrochemicals Business has total (net to BP) capacity at 18 locations in ten countries of 18.3 million tpa including 6.7 million tpa of PTA. BP s PTA technology was originally developed in the US- during the 1950s and through successive iterations has continued to improve in terms of its capital and operating costs. BP s latest iteration of PTA technology is in use at the BP Zhuhai joint venture in China and has been licensed to JBF Industries in India, each with 1.25 million tpa capacity. DME sets new open interest record for Oman Crude Oil Futures BUSINESS REPORTER MUSCAT Aug 31: DME, the premier international energy futures and commodities exchange in the Middle East, yesterday announced a new open interest record for its flagship Oman Crude Oil Futures contract of 27,109 lots, which is equivalent to 27.1 million barrels of crude oil. The previous record was set on November 27, 2013 when open interest was 24,750 lots. Open interest refers to the total outstanding number of derivative contracts that have not been settled or offset by delivery. DME is a fully regulated exchange that sends transparent pricing signals to the international oil markets and aims to ensure a fair price for both buyers and sellers. Around 90 participants are involved in price formation on DME Oman and no single participant typically accounts for more than 10 per cent of activity. Owain Johnson, Managing Director of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange, said: This new record marks another success for the Oman Crude Oil Futures contract and indicates the trust we have gained from traders around the globe. DME is in the forefront of the drive to ensure increased transparency in the oil markets. DME is a joint venture between Dubai Holding, Oman Investment Fund and CME Group. Global financial institutions and energy trading firms including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Shell, Vitol and Concord Energy also hold equity stakes in the DME. KABEER YOUSUF MUSCAT Aug 31: Islamic banking in the Gulf region is all set to have foreign assets to the tune of $3 trillion by 2017, according to an Islamic finance expert who is behind India s sharia-compliant finance programme. Citing statistics from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mohammed Hanish IAS, (pictured) Managing Director of Cheraman Financial Services Ltd, the first Government-promoted sharia-compliant financial institution in India said that Islamic finance options are gaining fast popularity and Sharia-compliant financial products would hit the ceiling in two years time. Besides, the Islamic investment market, leaving aside the GCC, is bound to touch $2 billion, according to our estimates and precisely, that is why 75 countries, including the US, the UK, and even small entities such as Hong Kong, have subscribed to interest-free financing as an alternative way to mobilise funds, says Hanish. At least a portion of these sovereign funds can be accessed by India, and Kerala, given our historical and cultural ties with the ruling families and Governments of the Middle East. The sharia, Islam s body of religious and social laws, also prescribes how a Muslim must run his business. It forbids interest both when lending and borrowing. So, investment must be based on the principle of shared risk, making the lender a partner in the business and not a creditor. Businesses considered immoral, such as trade in tobacco, liquor, explosives and lending money for interest, are automatically excluded. Sharia rules are being adapted by individuals to provide TURN TO P19

18 18 OMAN omandailyobserver 3 groups submit offers for Ibri, Sohar power projects BUSINESS REPORTER MUSCAT Aug 31: Three consortiums led by prominent global utilities have submitted proposals in response to the Omani government s Request for Proposals (RfP) for the development of a pair of major Independent Power Projects (IPPs) at Ibri in Dhahirah Governorate and Sohar in Batinah North Governorate. Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the state-owned procurer of all new power generation and related water desalination capacity, named the groups in question as the consortiums headed by (1) Engie (formerly known as GDF Suez) (2) Marubeni Corporation, and (3) Mitsui & Co. Proposals in response to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of two IPPs at Ibri and Sohar (for Tender No 8 / 2014), were received from the interested parties on August 30, The proposals were opened in OPWP s office at 11:00 hrs on August 30 in the presence of representatives of the interested parties, said OPWP in an announcement. The two power plants will boast a combined net capacity between 2,500 2,650 MW (potentially scaled up to 3,200 MW) at reference site conditions. Natural gas will be the primary fuel for electricity generation at either plant, with fuel oil used as a back-up option. The successful bidder will receive a licence to develop, finance, design, engineer, construct, own, operate and maintain the two power plants and associated facilities The full capacity is expected to be commissioned and made available by April 1, 2018, although there is a requirement for the successful bidder to make available early power capacity of 700 MW at the Ibri site by April 1, SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 EnvoIdeal signs MoU with Blue Vision BUSINESS REPORTER MUSCAT Aug 31: In coordination with Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC), Al Mithaliyah Printing Press (EnvoIdeal), a Zubair SEC member, has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Blue Vision Trading LLC to market and promote EnvoIdeal range of stationery products within Oman and potentially to export markets. The agreement comes as part of Zubair SEC s strategy to support aspiring Omani entrepreneurs and SME s, and to establish enduring partnerships between SME s and larger companies in the Sultanate. The formation of such partnerships support the stability and growth of small and medium sized enterprises in Oman, expanding relationships and accelerating the rise of fledgling small businesses. The EnvoIdeal range of stationery products are the first Omani produced eco-friendly envelopes, made from local recycled materials. Owned by Yousuf Thani al Jabri, EnvoIdeal was one of the winning projects of Zubair SEC s Direct Support Programme in Every year, new members to Zubair SEC compete by submitting their new business ideas, or proposals to expand their existing small enterprise, and in doing so can benefit from gaining much needed direct support from the centre. According to the memorandum of understanding, Blue Vision Trading will represent EnvoIdeal to market and promote the envelopes in the local market according to the action plan and agreed goals between the two parties. Blue Vision Trading will also follow customer s satisfaction and the feedback received on the product, besides following up with after sale service. Under the terms of the agreement, the product will be promoted in both private and public sectors, with future plans to grow sales of the eco-friendly stationery range to export markets. Commenting on signing the MoU, Yousuf al Jabri, owner of Al Mithaliyah Printing Press (EnvoIdeal) noted, The idea of the project started with thinking of how I can produce eco-friendly envelopes made from locally recycled materials. This will achieve two main goals; promoting Omani products and minimising the negative effects on the environment by making use of recycled material. After joining Zubair SEC as a member, I started working with the advisors at the Centre who guided me on how to implement the idea; as a result, EnvoIdeal was one of the winning projects for the 2015 Direct Support Programme. BUSINESS ALERT Bahwan Mart distributes over 100 prizes to raffle draw winners MUSCAT: Bahwan Mart, the popular electronics and home appliances retail company under Suhail Bahwan Group, recently awarded the winners of its Sizzling Summer Promotion. In a raffle draw held recently at Bahwan Mart s Ruwi High Street showroom in the presence of an official from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, a total of 104 lucky winners from across Oman were picked up from the draw. The first prize of three gift vouchers worth RO 1,000 each, went to Juma al Haimali of Samad Al Shan, Bakeeth al Marri from Salalah and IAH from Muscat. The second prize was IPhone-6 to ten lucky winners while other prizes such as home theatre systems and watches went to rest of the winners of the draw from various towns across Oman. All winners have been informed and the prizes have been handed over to them through the vast network of Bahwan Mart branches across Oman Bahwan Mart s popular summer promotion offers a vast range of electronics and home appliances at highly competitive prizes in addition to opportunities for customers to win fabulous prizes. Kia launches Easy Buy Cash Gift offer OWNING a Kia is even easier, now, given the delightful choices in the Easy Buy Cash Gift Offer. This time we are giving a higher cash gift than ever before, on our Kia models, reveals the spokesperson, Up to RO 1500 is available as a Cash Gift. Instead of that, the customer can get up to 100,000 kms/5 Years Service (whichever is earlier) and 1 Year Insurance. The customer s options also include using the Cash Gift amount as part of Down Payment The spokesperson further elaborates that during the Easy Buy Cash Gift Offer (Scheme Period: August 19 to October 18, 2015) customers can choose Option 1 where *Cash Gift Amount varies from RO 500 to RO 1500 depending on the model variant & model year. Option 2 comprises a **Service Benefit lasting 60 months/100,000 kms (max 20 services) whichever is earlier on 2014 MY models only. For 15/16MY up to 36 months/60,000 kms whichever is earlier (max of 12 services). Insurance 1 Yr. Comprehensive (Oman Only) on all models except Cerato Koup, Kia Quoris & K4000. For RAC, Taxi and Driving School purchases, Insurance would be given to the extent applicable for Private vehicles. Additional premium as per insurance norms would have to be paid by the buyer. In Option 2, Cash Gift amount varies from RO 50 to RO 800 depending on the model variant & model year. No Cash Gift on Carens, Kia Quoris & K4000. Vehicles specifications are subject to change without notice. Vehicles may also include some Dealer Installed Accessories. Pictures & Colours are indicative. For further details, please visit your nearest Kia showroom. Conditions apply on the offer and full details are available at the showroom. Kia models have also been equipped with some local accessories to enhance their looks, feel & functionality. Customers are welcome to get the full details of these local fitments, by visiting the showroom. Reliable International Automotive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman provides a rewarding ownership experience for customers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way. No wonder then that Reliable International Automotive has been ranked amongst the top Kia distributors worldwide and has been honoured with prestigious accolades including the Good Partnership award, Family Like Care Service award, and Kia Distributor of Distinction award. Jaguar F-Pace sets standard for ride FEATURI NG sports-car derived chassis systems and evaluated on the same demanding roads as all other Jaguar vehicles, the new F-PACE will offer an unrivalled breadth of dynamic ability. This is a performance crossover designed around people who love driving. The new F-PACE will reward drivers and passengers alike with a blend of agility and comfort that is unlike anything else in the segment. Whether on twisting mountain passes, flowing country roads or high-speed motorway cruising, the new F-PACE delivers responsiveness and precision with exceptional refinement and composure. We haven t made any compromises or exceptions: the new F-PACE had to be a true Jaguar and had to deliver the dynamics DNA. We ve tested ride and handling to the limit in all environments and in all conditions, and the result is that the new F-PACE is as engaging and rewarding to drive as it is comfortable and quiet. As soon as you get into the vehicle you know immediately that it s a good place to be, said Mike Cross, Chief Engineer of Vehicle Integrity, Jaguar developed using Jaguar s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, the new F-PACE is designed to handle with precision and control without sacrificing ride comfort it s what makes a Jaguar stand apart from the competition. Taking full advantage of the body structure s inherently high stiffness, the sophisticated double wishbone front suspension and Integral Link rear suspension provide the best possible starting point: tuned to perfection, they make the new F-PACE incredibly responsive yet also ensure that the impacts, undulations and extreme cambers of even the most challenging roads are handled with ease. Kuwait Airways increasing flights to Muscat KUWAIT Airways will be adding two new frequencies between Kuwait Muscat-Kuwait on Friday and Monday with effect from August 31, Further, these two flights will operate non-stop between Kuwait -Muscat- Kuwait. The introduction of new additional frequencies to Muscat is to cater the growing demand for traffic between Kuwait and Muscat. Currently, Kuwait Airways is operating two flights a week from Kuwait to Muscat on Thursday and Sunday with a stop in Abu Dhabi on the way in or way out, ie on Thursday, the flight from Kuwait to Muscat will stop in Abu Dhabi and fly direct from Muscat to Kuwait. On Sunday, the flight from Kuwait will fly direct to Muscat and return via Abu Dhabi to Kuwait. Kuwait Airways has now acquired seven A320 new aircraft from airbus recently and these new aircraft will be used on Kuwait-Muscat route. The new A320 fleet is equipped with Airbus s innovate Runway overrun Prevention system (ROPS) technology. This on board cockpit technology, which Airbus has pioneered independently over several years, increases pilot s situational awareness during landing, reduces exposures to runway excursion risk, and if necessary, provides active protection. Further, the new aircraft will have 18-inch wide seat standard for unmatched passenger comfort, an extra-wide aisle for faster boarding and highly efficient in-flight service, as well as more space for carry-on baggage. Effective on August 31, 2015, Kuwait Airways will be having 4 flights a week from Kuwait to Muscat will provide good connections beyond Kuwait to Middle East, India, Subcontinent and Far east destinations. In order to promote the new additional services, Kuwait Airways has launched a special promotional offers to Kuwait, various destinations in India, Subcontinent and Far east to attract passengers. Further, Kuwait Airways will be offering additional 10 kg free baggage allowance to customers travelling from Muscat during the promotional period. Bell & Ross unveils Military Type timepiece BASED on the principle that the essential should never give way to the superfluous, Bell & Ross engineers have designed a practical watch that is perfectly adapted to professional use. Paying tribute to the military who were the first professionals to use the wristwatch as fundamental instruments for their missions, Bell & Ross has unveiled an authentic military version of the BR 03 Ceramic: the BR 03 Military type. Made entirely from ceramic, the BR 03 Military Type is lightweight, high-performance and virtually unscratchable. The anti-reflective matte black of the case and the khaki of the dial, which is the colour of the military uniform, make a superbly camouflaged watch. In line with the military technical specifications, the khaki dial is perfectly readable both day and night, the sapphire crystal is scratch resistant and the movement is a high-precision. Brandished with the symbolic red MT for Military Type, all of the indicators including the hands, indices and numerals are coated with the photoluminescent, Superluminova which makes for easy readability at night. As for the daytime, this timepiece is equipped with an anti-reflective sapphire assuring that this watch is able to handle some of the most extreme conditions. Rounding out an already spectacular timepiece, the BR 03 Military Type is appropriately water resistant up to 100 meters. Its 42mm dial simplistically depicts the large type three, six, nine and twelve in their respective positions giving the watch an easy-to-read feeling. The option for a black rubber strap or a khaki heavy-duty canvas strap allows for a bit of customisation while each ensures top performance for a physically demanding occasion. Besides the thematic colour schemes behind this military inspired timepiece, the BR 03 Military Type has a technical superiority that sets it apart from previous versions. In true Bell & Ross fashion, this watch reflects the four pillars that make Bell & Ross a noteworthy brand: legibility, functionality, precision and water-resistance. This unique timepiece is displayed at the Khimji s Watches showroom located at Way No 3036, Building No 2825, Al Ufouq Building, Shatti Al Qurum, Muscat. Season s best offers on Nissan Pathfinder NISSAN from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles have received positive feedback from auto enthusiasts on their ongoing seasonal offers that last till October 16, Their exclusive vehicle promotions are enticing and oneof-a-kind promising unlimited benefits to valued patrons. Nissan has a heritage of showcasing some of the most amazing benefits for their customers by introducing unique offers on their prestigious line-up of vehicles. In an effort to make Nissan vehicles affordable and accessible to all, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has taken up this unique initiative. Auto enthusiasts can now avail exciting benefits on the Nissan Pathfinder 3.5L that include cash gift up to RO 500, free service for two years or 20,000 kms (periodic maintenance only), free registration, 6 years unlimited mileage warranty and easy and convenient financing options. Flexible EMI s can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team. SBA is largely committed to supporting Nissan s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing worldclass after-sales services in Oman. With a national network of more than 19 showrooms, 22 Service centres and 35 Spare Parts outlets, SBA has further built upon its legacy of trust, excellent customer service and providing value for money to each of its customers.

19 OMAN T U E S DAY SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 Altaeros Energies raises funding from MHI, SBG MUSCAT: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Suhail Bahwan Group (SBG) have invested in Altaeros Energies, a Massachusetts-based technology company, to support the design and production of its Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) renewable energy and communication platform. MHI and SBG bring deep strategic expertise in developing and executing large technology projects for industrial and government customers around the world. The Altaeros BAT offers a multipurpose platform to supply power, telecommunication, and other sensing and security services to remote and offgrid customers. There are over one billion people that live without access to reliable electricity and three billion who do not have access to the Internet. We are honoured to partner with MHI and SBG to deliver a product that can tackle this global challenge, said Ben Glass, CEO of Altaeros. The BAT delivers a consistent power output from a containerised platform that is convenient to ship and install at remote sites, helping to significantly reduce reliance on diesel fuel for off-grid communities, disaster relief centres, island nations, and remote industries. The BAT is composed of a helium-filled shell that lifts a wind turbine to harness stronger and more consistent winds 600 metres (2,000 feet) above ground, roughly three times higher than the tallest existing tower-mounted wind turbines. MHI, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world s leading heavy machinery manufacturers, with consolidated sales of 3,992.1 billion yen in fiscal 2014 (the year ended on March 31, 2015). MHI s diverse lineup of products and services encompasses shipbuilding, power plants, chemical plants, environmental equipment, steel structures, industrial and general machinery, aircraft, space systems and air-conditioning systems. MHI has also become a leader in wind power, having installed multiple gigawatts of capacity worldwide. GCC Islamic banking poised to hold foreign assets at $3tn by 2017 FROM P17 credit and investment options to Muslims. Most work independent of each other, through non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), venture capital funds, stock brokerages and mutual fund houses. Contrary to popular perception, sharia-banking isn t restricted to Muslims. The system can also be used by non-muslim entrepreneurs to fund their businesses. Indeed, if unlocked, it has the potential to provide abundant funding for businesses across India. The abolition of interest (riba) is the foremost, and possibly the most wellknown principle of Islamic finance. But there are a host of other rules, drawn primarily from the sharia s legal framework and also from traditional practices and the decisions of scholars. Business deals must be free from ambiguity (gharar) and speculation (maysir), and firms must compulsorily give to charity (zakat and sadaqah). Revenues, thus, come only when both sides share risk and reward, and investments must be backed by a real good or service. We need to pay more focus on middle-class and poor societies who are cut off from mainstream banking because of various reasons and only then a sharia-compliant institution can prove to be a 100 per cent Shariacompliant, he added. New Renault Dokker van launched in Oman MUSCAT: Renault s exclusive distributors in the Sultanate of Oman Suhail Bahwan Automobiles have officially launched the all new Renault Dokker Van a modern and efficient transportation solution for tradespersons and professional businesses. It is an affordable and practical commercial vehicle with a new modern design. The Renault Dokker Van is the perfect van for SMEs to large companies, seeking affordable, reliable and practical business companion, said senior SBA spokesperson. Spacious and impressive, the Renault Dokker Van aims to please, with an innate sense of practicality and versatility. It can take all kinds of loads, assisted by XL sliding side doors (more than 70 cm wide) and two asymmetrical rear doors meeting the challenges of transport and delivery with ingenuity and panache. The Renault Dokker Van moves with the times: its economic engine, low CO2 emissions and respect for both the environment and your budget make it a truly model employee! The Dokker offers functionality and at the same time comfort while demonstrating very clearly that Renault strives for excellence in manufacturing commercial cars just like it does with all other passenger vehicles, further commented senior SBA spokesperson. It also boasts of built-in radio and hands-free telephone system in addition to some very practical storage spaces in front for convenience and in the back for better use of the space and boot organisation. The Dokker perfectly meets the needs of business owners since it can carry up to 750 kg payloads and a volume upwards of 3.3m3. SBA is largely committed to supporting Renault Oman s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman. omandailyobserver 19 MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

20 20 INTERNATIONAL omandailyobserver SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 China drags most of Asian stock markets lower Japanese businessmen walk past a share prices board showing the numbers at the Tokyo Stock Exchange and other regional markets, in Tokyo, yesterday. HONG KONG: Chinese stocks sank again on Monday, dragging most other Asian bourses lower amid uncertainty over US interest rates, reviving fears of a broader global economic slowdown that has rocked the world s financial markets. Analysts warned of further gyrations following a roller-coaster ride last week, with investors shifting into safe-haven assets such as the yen and gold, while oil sagged. In a bid to settle investors nerves, Beijing on Monday paraded a financial journalist confessing to causing great losses during recent market turbulence. State broadcaster CCTV showed Wang Xiaolu, a journalist with the respected business magazine Caijing, saying he had sought to create a stir and catch the eyes of readers with his articles. The ministry of public security also said at the weekend that 197 people had been punished for spreading online rumours on several issues, including the markets and giant deadly blasts in the port of Tianjin, but gave scant details. But while initial stock market falls Monday of more than three per cent were pared, Shanghai closed down 0.82 per cent at 3, The index plunged more than 16 per cent from Monday to Wednesday before bouncing back by 10 per cent in the next two sessions. The rebound came after Beijing cut the cost of borrowing its fifth interest rate reduction since November to try to pump up the economy, which is a key driver of global growth. Most bourses in Asia followed Shanghai s lead after enjoying healthy gains on Friday, with Tokyo and Sydney down more than one per cent. European markets started weak, with Frankfurt and Paris also both down more than 1.3 per cent in opening trade. Hong Kong stocks were almost flat on Monday, capping a volatile month in which major indexes registered their worst performance in nearly four years amid global market turmoil triggered by concerns over the Chinese economy. The Hang Seng index rose 0.3 per cent, to 21,670.58, while the China Enterprises index lost 0.1 per cent, to 9, points. For the month, the Hang Seng index lost 12 per cent, its fourth straight month of decline and the worst performance since September Materials and industrial sector stocks fell sharply but energy and financial shares ended the day higher. CITIC Securities shares slumped 5 per cent, after four senior executives from China s largest brokerage admitted to insider trading. Tokyo stocks fell 1.28 per cent to close at 18,890.48, while Sydney closed 1.07 per cent lower at 5, Wellington fell 0.44 per cent to 5, Seoul edged up 0.20 per cent, wiping out early losses. And Taipei extended a recent rally, adding 1.94 per cent by the end. Manila and Kuala Lumpur were closed for public holidays. In Europe the Paris CAC 40 lost 1.28 per cent and Frankfurt s DAX lost 1.39 per cent. London was closed for a public The change in the circumstances which began with the Chinese devaluation is relatively new and we are still watching how it unfolds. So I wouldn t want to go ahead and decide right now. holiday. The swings in China which have seen Shanghai lose about 40 per cent since hitting a June 12 high have fuelled concerns that Beijing is struggling to get a grip on its economic slowdown. Analysts say Beijing needs to rebalance its economy so that it relies more on consumer demand and less on lavish state spending. A successful transition is seen as crucial for the worldwide economy. On Friday credit rating agency Moody s slashed its 2016 growth forecast for G20 economies to 2.8 per cent from 3.1 per cent, predicting contractions in Brazil and Russia and lower demand for manufactured goods in South Korea and Japan due to problems in China. Comments from US Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer at the weekend which left open the possibility of a September interest rate rise have added to nervousness. The historically low US interest rates of recent years have fuelled investment in global stock markets because they have made it cheap to borrow money for speculation. A rise would likely tamp down that appetite. In a speech at a conference on monetary policy in Jackson Hole, the Fed s number two said the bank would not wait for US inflation to hit two per cent before tightening policy. The change in the circumstances which began with the Chinese devaluation is relatively new and we are still watching how it unfolds. So I wouldn t want to go ahead and decide right now, he later said in a CNBC interview. Nader Naeimi, head of dynamic asset allocation at AMP Capital Investors in Sydney, told Bloomberg News: We are going to continue to see volatility. The Fed is aware of the market volatility and you wouldn t have thought they would be raising rates into market turmoil. But at the same time, data coming out of the US has been surprisingly resilient and strong. It s very difficult for the Fed. Traders, fearing further losses, switched into safer investments. The dollar fell to yen, from yen in New York, while gold traded at $1, against $1, late on Friday. Both the precious metal and the Japanese currency are seen as safe bets in times of turmoil. Oil prices turned lower after enjoying their best week in years. The commodity has taken a hit from concerns about China, the world s largest energy user, as well as a global oversupply and a strong dollar. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October eased 89 cents to $44.33 while Brent crude fell 1.23 cents to $ The two contracts rocketed 11 and 10 per cent, respectively, last week. Indonesia favouring China over Japan in high-speed railway bid JAKARTA: Indonesia is leaning towards China over Japan in an aggressive bidding battle to build the Southeast Asian nation s first high-speed railway, two government sources involved in making the decision said. The two Asian giants have both sent envoys to lobby Indonesian officials over the past two weeks, each sweetening the terms of their bid for the contract worth about $5 billion. Analysts believe that whoever wins will likely become the front runner for other high-speed rail projects coming up in Asia over the coming years, including one linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. A cabinet-level committee led by Chief Economic Minister Darmin Nasution will recommend on Production is sluggish as private consumption and exports remain weak Japan factory output turns down in July as China demand slumps TOKYO: Japan s factory output contracted a worse-than-expected 0.6 per cent on-month in July, official data showed on Monday, owing to lacklustre demand at home and as a slowdown in China weighs on exports. The reading published by the industry ministry was weaker than the median forecast for a modest 0.1 per cent rise in a survey of economists by Bloomberg News. In June, industrial production rose 1.1 per cent from May. Production cutbacks in the electrical components and transport equipment industries led the decline in manufacturing, according to the government, as firms tried to cut down on an inventory buildup. Production is sluggish because private consumption and exports remain weak, Toru Suehiro, an economist at Mizuho Securities, told Bloomberg News. Concern about China and emerging economies is posing a risk to output. Japan s overseas shipments have slowed, raising concerns about the fragile recovery in the world s number three economy as demand falls in Wednesday which country should build the rail line between the capital, Jakarta, and textile hub of Bandung, Nasution said. President Joko Widodo is expected to announce the winner within days. Indonesia is leaning towards China because their proposal is less financially burdensome on the Indonesian government and because the issue of safety has been adequately addressed, a government source said. neighbouring giant China. China-bound shipments were off 1.3 per cent in July from 12 months earlier in volume terms, outstripping a 0.4 per cent fall to the rest of Asia. Despite a recovery in the US economy, a slowdown in China Asia s top economy and a major market for Japanese exporters has raised a red flag. Japan s economy contracted in the three months to June, boosting speculation the central bank will be forced to unleash more stimulus as A second government source said Indonesia wanted to strike a balance between the two powers in handing out high-profile infrastructure projects. Japan already holds contracts to build Jakarta s mass rapid transit system and the biggest coal-fired power plant in the region. Both sources declined to be identified due to the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue for Jakarta and the economic stakes. Japan is Indonesia s secondlargest investor, while China is its top trading partner. We have to be smart when taking this decision, Luky Eko Wuryanto, Indonesia s deputy minister of infrastructure and regional development, said on Friday after meeting China s ambassador to Indonesia. Men work at a petrochemical plant in Kawasaki near Tokyo, yesterday. Reuters Tokyo s Abenomics growth blitz stumbles. Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda said in New York last week that weakness in production and exports would pass and that leading indicators point to a pick up in business investment. But the drop in industrial production in July suggests that economic activity will recover only slowly this quarter, Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary. BIZ BRIEF China Construction Bank H1 net profit hit by bad loans SHANGHAI: China Construction Bank (CCB), one of the country s biggest state banks, said net profit for the first half of the year were flat, hit by rising bad loans. The bank s net profit for the January-June period rose just under one per cent year-on-year to billion yuan ($20.64 billion), the bank said, just a fraction higher than the billion yuan for the same period last year. At the same time, its bad loans rose to billion yuan by the end of June, implying a non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of 1.42 per cent, said the statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange, where it is listed. The ratio was up by almost a fifth from the 1.19 per cent at the end of last year. As economic growth slows down and certain businesses and industries suffer operational difficulties, the banking industry comes under pressure for maintaining asset quality, the bank said. China s economy grew 7.0 per cent in each of the first two quarters, slowing from a 7.4 per cent expansion last year, which was its weakest since CCB said interest rate reform in China will also affect its performance in the second half as it brings greater competition. Earlier this month, China allowed interest rates for fixed deposits of more than one year to float freely though other deposit rates are still set based on guidelines from the central bank. The government already allows banks to set their own lending rates, and banks say the moves towards greater liberalisation have cut into their profits. CCB shares fell 2.92 per cent by lunch in Shanghai on Monday, although they were up 0.37 per cent in Hong Kong. China s other Big Four state-owned banks have reported similar results for the first half. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the country s biggest bank, on Thursday reported a less than one per cent year-on-year rise in net profit to billion yuan for the first half. Alcatel-Lucent boss under fire over bonuses PARIS: France s government and unions called on the head of telecoms equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent to renounce reported bonuses of some 14 million euros he could receive after the firm was swallowed up by its rival Nokia. Michel Combes, who has headed the French-American company since 2013, is due to step down as part of a 15.6 billion euro ($17.4 billion) deal to create the world s biggest supplier of mobile phone network equipment. The Journal du Dimanche newspaper, citing official documents and current share values, said on Sunday he could receive almost 14 million euros in bonuses over three years. It is quite rightly causing controversy, the spokesman for the Socialist government Stephane Le Foll told reporters. The size of any such bonus is always political at a time when we are emerging from what is a difficult crisis for a lot of French people. He called on Combes to reflect on the bonus. Alcatel-Lucent defended Combes who has multiplied by six times the value of the company and saved it from bankruptcy. It said the amount he is due to receive is not linked to his departure and that the share payout is due to the success of the firm s tie-up with Nokia. Since his arrival, Combes has overseen a recovery plan that has tripled its share value but led to the loss of 10,000 jobs. The CFE-CGC union said he should have the grace to renounce most of the bonuses as he had instituted a recovery plan of unprecedented violence. Indonesian shopkeepers wait for customers at a shopping mall in Jakarta yesterday. Growth in Indonesia fell to a six-year low of 4.7 per cent in the second quarter, with the slowdown in China and a dip in commodity prices weighing on the economy. Suzuki to buy back shares as VW row settled TOKYO: Japan s Suzuki Motor said it plans to buy back its shares sold to Volkswagen after an international arbitration court settled a dispute between the two automakers. The ruling came four years after the Japanese small car maker attempted to end an alliance with the German auto giant, which has refused Suzuki s repeated demands to sell back the million shares, or 19.9 per cent of Suzuki. Arbitrators at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ruled the alliance has been terminated and ordered Volkswagen to dispose of Suzuki shares, the Japanese company said. Chairman Osamu Suzuki said at a press conference held in Tokyo on Sunday he feels really good and is satisfied with the decision from arbitrators. The chairman did not elaborate on why the two automakers had to split after a 1.7 million euro ($2.3 billion) tie-up in It was a precious experience. I learned there are different types of companies, he said. Asked about future partnerships with Volkswagen, he said you will not remarry someone you have divorced with, adding the company will focus on surviving independently. Suzuki planned to seek support from Volkswagen in hybrid technologies and other eco-friendly areas, while the German firm hoped to jointly develop small cars for emerging markets by taking advantage of Suzuki s know-how. But they made little progress and halted their joint projects. The Japanese automaker in 2011 said it wanted to end the alliance, citing a deep disagreement over collaboration and complained that its partner failed to provide promised access to technologies.

21 21 PERSPECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver BUDGET DEFICIT Resilient GCC economy can avoid financial volatility [email protected] Lo ai B Bataineh Last week, we highlighted the effect of the financial deficit in the Gulf States budgets on stock markets, currency valuation and how far their trade balance can tolerate such deficit. Many feel panicked from the potential devaluation of the local Gulf currencies and increase in debts. Can countries like Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman and Bahrain in particular consider borrowing at affordable rates? The question here has there been similar conditions faced by the Gulf economies. Borrowing from local and foreign markets is one of the common practices by ministries of finance all over the world, and Gulf countries are not exception. They resort to the borrowing to finance their short and long-terms project. They may also seek borrowing for a temporary period of time to bridge some operations or financial commitments with suppliers and trade partners until the revenues and expenditure are balances Asset Liability Management (ALM). The disclosed deficit at the GCC budgets during the first half of this year led to a state of panic and loss of confidence in the ability of these economies to withstand such shocks especially the existing generation has never seen their balance sheets making deficit or at least did not expect to have deficit. This situation led many investors to liquidate their financial and investment portfolios. In some countries, this situation led to sudden and unusual financial transfers in a bid to avoid any devaluation of the local currency. Some investors also sought to benefit from the big devaluation of currencies such as the Indian rupee. In my earlier articles, I have pointed out that the deficit in the state budget may be real or accounting. It is true that the deficit recorded by the Gulf countries is real because it is due to fall in oil prices; below the expected oil price approved in their budgets; save as Kuwait which priced it crude oil at $45 per barrel the average price at the first eight months of the year is about $55. The financial deficit in the Gulf budgets is attributed to the fact that the actual public expenditure is in excess of the actual revenues; which were estimated on the assumptions of oil prices. Kuwait has been the most conservative country in estimate the oil prices in the state budget. It also announced an austere budget for the financial year The budget included reduction of expenditures by 17.8 per cent compared to ; due to the continuous downward movement of oil prices which lost almost 60 per cent of value since the second half of last year. For budget purpose, Saudi Arabia has estimated the oil price at $60 per barrel. As per the IMF Mena Regional Outlook Global Research 2015, the GCC states will record a significant deficit on the assumption that the average oil price will be $50 in This estimation may lead to more than $38 billion deficit if the expenditure continued as it has been during last year or with only 0.6 per cent more than 2014 budget. As per the IMF Mena Regional Outlook Global Research 2015, the GCC states will record a significant deficit on the assumption that the average oil price will be $50 in The hardest hit by this scenario is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which,as per IMF estimates, is expected to incur about $159.3 deficit followed by the UAE with $47.4, Oman $19.2, Kuwait $15 billion and Bahrain $6 billion ( total billion or more than 16.5 per cent of the GDP of the Gulf states in 2013 which was about $1.6 trillion. The IMF report assumes that the oil price average will start growing by $5 per year from 2016 ($55) to hit $65 in According to this assumption, if Gulf States continued with the same expenditure rates, the accumulated deficit in the Gulf States will be $836 billion or 52.3 per cent of their GDP in The hardest hit of these countries again will be Saudi Arabia with $540 billion deficit followed by the UAE $145 billion, Oman $65.4 billion, Kuwait $24.3 billion and finally Bahrain $21.3 billion. I believe that, this report is one of the most pessimistic economic reports as it predicts continuous decline in economic and financial activities of all countries of the world. The report predicts no indicators for improvement in the world economy or any natural or unnatural growth in demand for oil due to population growth and its associated activities. It is truth universally acknowledged that governments always consider their financial conditions and liabilities to ensure that they can address the financial deficit and limit its growth in the annual budgets. They usually take a number of corrective measures to address this situation; as it has been the case in when the price of one oil barrel was below $9. This crisis has been contained and passed successfully. What is important now is to start immediately without any further delay in developing a plan and revising the points that have been agreed upon before. They should prepare corrective budgets that will take into consideration all the causes, logics and their citizens need in a very transparent manner that involve the public in decision making. I still believe that the Gulf economies and their balance of payments enjoy many factors that will ensure more stability and strength of the Gulf economies. These factors will help Gulf countries in avoiding any economic or financial volatility May Allah Forbid. LABOUR CONTRACT US unions set sights on e-commerce and manufacturing firms after NLRB ruling US union leaders said on Friday that a landmark US labour board ruling on companies obligations toward contract and franchise workers would help them organise manufacturers and e-commerce companies as well as fast food chains. On Thursday the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) ruled the owner of a California recycling plant was a joint employer with the contractor that hired workers at the plant, essentially forcing both to bargain with the union together or risk violating US labour law. Business groups, arguing that the ruling could lead to higher costs and hurt the economy, are pushing the Republican-led Congress to overturn it, in part it because the company named in the decision Browning-Ferris Workers sort arriving products at an Amazon Fulfilment Center in Tracy, California. Reuters cannot challenge it in a federal court without overcoming a number of Ferris ruling could have implications contractor. You literally can walk procedural hurdles. for an ongoing NLRB case seeking to This is a classic case. We won and Unions see the decision as a hold McDonald accountable as a joint into almost any non-union are going into negotiations and now breakthrough not just in efforts to help employer for alleged violations at manufacturing plant in the Google will have to come to the table. employees organises at franchisees of franchisees. It was a local branch of the Teamsters United States and you ll McDonald s Corp and other chains but GAME-CHANGER : But union that originally brought the complaint also as a tool to counter the proliferation organisers see Thursday s ruling as see workers working on about a union election at the Browningof subcontracting in other industries paving the way for gains across a range a line and not be able to Ferris recycling plant to the labour in which workers are one or two steps of industries given the widespread use relations board, and the union has distinguish who is temp removed from the companies indirectly of subcontracting by the manufacturing been active in organising truck drivers controlling them. and service sectors to lower costs. from an agency and who and warehouse workers at delivery Manufacturers including auto It s certainly a game changer, said is a direct employee of the companies and tech firms. workers, food processors, steelmakers Teague Paterson, a partner at Beeson Amazon, Google and Adecco were company. and aerospace companies are potential Tayer & Bodine, a law firm representing not immediately available for comment. targets for union campaigns, said Elizabeth Bunn, Director of the AFL- CIO s organising department, noting that plant workers are often not directly employed by the parent firm. You literally can walk into almost any non-union manufacturing plant in the United States and you ll see workers working on a line and not be able to distinguish who is temp from an agency and who is a direct employee of the company, she said. Big labour has focused much of its resources over the past few years on pushing for higher wages in the the union in the NLRB case. Unions and workers have been frustrated by these triangulated relations that the board condoned in the past. It certainly opens the door to more organizing. Rand Wilson, a veteran organiser and a communications and policy director at a Massachusetts chapter of the Services Employees International Union, said he saw potential in warehousing, cleaning services and healthcare. Another segment widely cited by organisers and labour experts is the warehouses of companies like Amazon. Google Inc, which are often filled with workers from staffing agencies or contract firms. The Teamsters union recently won an election to represent warehouse and shipping workers at Google Express, the technology giant s shopping delivery service. The workers are employed through staffing firm Adecco. Rome Aloise, president of the Teamsters in Northern California, said the Browning-Ferris ruling means Google will now have to be part of the discussions about working Wal-Mart spokesman Brian Nick said the company was still reviewing the decision but has concerns. Challenging the ruling in court will not be easy, opponents say, because a court could only take up the case if closely-held Browning-Ferris refuses to negotiate with the workers union. This will not be resolved quickly, said Browning-Ferris s attorney Stuart Newman. He declined to specifically comment on the company s next legal steps. Trade groups have little to no legal recourse, since they were not the subject fast-food industry, and the Browning- com Inc, Wal-Mart Stores Inc and conditions with the union and the of the NLRB s ruling. Reuters POLICY Fed says rate hike next month hinges on market fluidity The Federal Reserve left the door open to a September interest rate hike even while several US central bank officials acknowledged that turmoil in financial markets, if prolonged, could delay the first policy tightening in nearly a decade. Some top policymakers, including Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer, said recent volatility in global markets could quickly ease and possibly pave the way for the US rate hike, for which investors, governments and central banks around the world are bracing. With a key policy meeting set for September 16-17, at least five Fed officials spoke publicly in what amounted to a jockeying for position on whether increasing the Fed s benchmark overnight lending rate was too risky amid an economic slowdown in China, a rising US dollar and falling commodity prices. It s early to tell, Fischer told CNBC on the sidelines of the annual central banking conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We re still watching how it unfolds. He, along with other Fed officials, acknowledged that the global equities sell-off that began last week would influence the timing of a rate hike, which until only a couple of weeks ago seemed increasingly likely to occur in September. Concerns about China s economy have whipsawed markets, including Wall Street, even while US economic data has been robust. US stock indexes ended largely unchanged, capping a week that included both the market s worst day in four years and biggest two-day gain since the financial crisis. I think they could settle fairly quickly, said Fischer, a close ally of Fed Chair Janet Yellen. St Louis Fed President James Bullard said he still favoured hiking rates next month, though he added that his colleagues would be hesitant to do so if global markets continued to be volatile in mid-september. The Fed s policy committee does not like to move right in the middle of a global financial storm, Bullard, a Fed hawk, said in an interview. So one of the advantages we have is that this storm is occurring now and, at least as of now, we think it will be settled down by the September meeting. The comments suggest the next two and a half weeks will be critical for the Fed as well as for global markets. A US rate hike is expected to hit emerging market equities and currencies particularly hard, adding to the sell-offs already seen. The American economy, however, continues to shine despite longerterm concerns about low inflation. The US government reported this week that the economy grew at a 3.7 per cent annualized pace in the second quarter, sharply higher than its previous estimate, and that consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity, rose again in July. Reuters

22 22 omandailyobserver LEISURE/CLASSIFIEDS SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 For Sale For Sale For Sale GULF Co-operation Centre for Real Estates 1) RESIDENTIAL plot in Qantab - Wilayat Muscat 2) RESIDENTIAL 3) RESIDENTIAL plot in 4) NEW in Wilayat Yanqul (Al RESIDENT RANDED LAND in Qantab - Muscat 1) A LAND 2) A LAND RESIDENTIAL PRIME location in RESIDENTIAL in an INDIAN Situation Wanted SALES CLASSIFIED SECTION RUWI : Behind Royal Oman Police Adjacent to Dhofar Building, Ruwi HOME CALVIN AND HOBBES GARFIELD CARTOONS by Brian Basset by Bill Watterson by Jim Davis CRYPTIC PUZZLE ACROSS 4 Thus we get to a settlement in southern Africa (6) 7 Gloomy about a drama group (8) 8 Tries two ways, one supposes (6) 10 It s a pity if this clue has em baffled (5) 13 Cut or pare, possibly (4) 14 Story of a hospital emergency (4) 15 Transport to the East End? (4) 16 John s rabbit? (3) 17 Run right into a child! (4) 19 What would he see in the mirror? (4) 21 A narrow margin (5,4) 23 Start to stick in a rut? Rot! (4) 24 Afford money for a purpose (4) 26 Shut up and write! (3) 27 At the time, a heathenish centre (4) 29 Without making Ruth hardhearted (4) 32 The last letter to Sue, extraordinarily divine! (4) 33 She has a spare frame (5) 34 Foreigner holding up as best possible (6) 35 Fellow with the vessel at Beachy Head (8) 36 Soldier in his own little box (6) DOWN 1 Elevate one into the army (5) 2 Seaman s decoration? (5) 3 Land or sea creature in part (4) 4 Guide on the street, always (5) 5 Insect in a football jersey (4) 6 Elizabeth with much of the makings of royalty (6) 9 Materially, a glossy imitation (6) 11 The witch of Carthage (3) 12 It has bad taste in drinks (5) 13 Shakes so as to startle, possibly (7) 15 Exclamation upon breaking some crockery? (3) 16 Passed up again (3) 18 He s a right beast, the stinker! (6) 20 Irrationally having 550 in a month (5) 21 It s heavenly for us up north (3) 22 A bird at the party? (3) 23 Accept no rubbish! (6) 25 Less than a teaspoon could kill you! (3) 28 A diminutive spouse (5) 30 Cream of the Carmelites? (5) 31 Kind of horse one hires, maybe (5) 32 Enjoyment of oranges and lemons (4) 33 One with the wisdom of the ages? (4) EASY PUZZLE ACROSS 4 Open shoe (6) 7 Day after today (8) 8 Prophet (6) 10 Lariat (5) 13 Entrance (4) 14 Inventory (4) CROSSWORD 15 Canvas shelter (4) 16 Limb (3) 17 Particle (4) 19 Prong (4) 21 Outstanding (9) 23 Jetty (4) 24 Left (4) 26 Very warm (3) 27 Walk heavily (4) 29 Scheme (4) 32 Street (4) 33 Weight (5) 34 Account (6) 35 Dynamic (8) 36 Semi-conscious state (6) DOWN 1 Coral island (5) 2 Collect (5) 3 Threesome (4) 4 Faint (5) 5 Close (4) 6 Fascination (6) 9 Decayed (6) 11 Help (3) 12 Look fixedly (5) 13 Minor deity (7) 15 Male cat (3) 16 Insect (3) 18 Sluggishness (6) 20 Useless (5) 21 Quarry (3) 22 Signal assent (3) 23 Powerful (6) 25 Was victorious (3) 28 Afterwards (5) 30 Truck (5) 31 Fish (5) 32 Cavort (4) 33 Ill (4) YESTERDAY S CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, S-ample 7, Def-ender 8, Sole 10, K-it-ten 11, Su-pple 14, Eon 16, L-ater 17, Elms 19, M-Adam (rev.) 21, Facer 22, Piton 23, Cite 26, Pet-er 28, Tar 29, Usurer 30, Morose 31, O-men 32, Concerns 33, T-U.S.-can. DOWN: 1, Sickle 2, P-hotos 3, Eden 4, Re-gul-ar 5, Ad-apt 6, Order 8, Stem 9, Len 12, Pam 13, Leg-it 15, Bacon 18, Lives 19, Mat 20, Den 21, Firemen 22, P-E-R 23, Caress 24, Iron 25, Eleven 26, Punch 27, Turns 28, Tom 30, Most. YESTERDAY S EASY SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1, Siesta 7, Computer 8, Seat 10, Titans 11, Facile 14, Odd 16, Rapid 17, Espy 19, Super 21, Mural 22, Limit 23, Apse 26, Sated 28, Are 29, Creeds 30, Spiral 31, Test 32, Recreate 33, Minuet. DOWN: 1, Settle 2, Steady 3, Acts 4, Apparel 5, Strip 6, Erred 8, Stop 9, And 12, Car 13, Lions 15, Curio 18, Swear 19, Sum 20, Pat 21, Middles 22, Lee 23, Arisen 24, Pert 25, Enlist 26, Scare 27, Teach 28, Ape 30, Stem. Hospitals Hospital..... Board Emergency Royal Health Services Department Muttrah Quriyat SQH, Salalah Police Al Nahda Ibn Sina Nizwa Al Rustaq Sumayil Izki Haima Sohar Al Buraimi Sur Tanam Masirah Ibra Adam Bidiya Ibri Saham Khasab Dibba Burkha Sinaw YOUR STARS IF IT S YOUR BIRTHDAY: The long struggle of the past year to gain proper recognition of the effort you put into your work will at long last be rewarded. Some people who once tried to put obstacles in your way will prove surprisingly co-operative, and the year will end on an unexpected high note. VIRGO August 22- September 22 A sudden inspiration may show you a better way to get things done and it would be well worth the trouble to put it to the test now. PISCES February 20- March 20 If you are anxious to gain an unqualified success in a particular field, you will have to sacrifice some of your interests for a time. LIBRA September 23- October 22 Don t let a small disappointment spoil the day for you: put it in its proper perspective and it will not seem of much importance. ARIES March 21- April 20 Don t be tempted to gamble heavily on a dubious tip. It would be much wiser to use the money to buy yourself something you have wanted for a long time. SCORPIO October 23- November 21 Don t be too concerned if an electrical article won t work - the cause will probably be something simple like a blown fuse. TAURUS April 21- May 20 A weekend trip planned on the spur of the moment can be more successful than if you had planned it long before. A change of scene will make you forget your daily worries. SAGITTARIUS November 22- December 21 Curb your tendency to point out faults which you find in other people. Your friends look to you for advice, rather than criticism. GEMINI May 21- June 21 You seem to frequently involve yourself with people s troubles. Try not to take them too seriously as they could cause you unnecessary strain and worry. CAPRICORN December 22- January 20 Don t let small irritations influence your mood in your daily work, and consider yourself lucky to be able to handle your job without undue restrain. CANCER June 22- July 21 By being too flippant with persons of the opposite sex you will fail to arouse their interest. Sometimes a thoughtful talk can achieve more than flirtatious chitchat. AQUARIUS January 21- February 19 Your particular charm lies in your natural behaviour, and it would be a great mistake to try to adopt a more sophisticated air. LEO July 22- August 21 By constructive thought you may find an easier way to approach your work, and the results ought to be most satisfactory to yourself and your employer.

23 23 SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver Situation Vacant Required Services For Rent VACANCY lab technician for inquiry or send CV Fax: [email protected] LIGHT vehicle driver REQUIRED a Hydraulic Technician with experience. [email protected] SALES Manager of Medical Device, GCC experience, driving licence, preferably pharmaceutical based. info@ khalidmedicalsupplies. com WANTED car mechanic, car electrician, foreman Pakistani patan BIOMEDICAL Technician, with sales experience in medical devices, GCC experience, driving licence. info@ khalidmedicalsupplies. com URGENTLY require Salesman outdoor marketing to join our IT company, driving licence is essential. kindly forward the CV to our unitechnique2013@ gmail.com WANTED a Maths and Science teacher (having at least bachelor degree in Maths or Science and B Ed) for private school in Al Athaiba DENTAL Nurse, preferably MoH licence. [email protected] Al Khoudh. A SPECIALIST in maintaining swimming pools. 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Electrical & Plumbing Carpentry work. Contact: , , AL Hikmani for HAJ and 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 , , , , Umrah/Haj Situation Wanted INDIAN male, mechanical engineering, 2 years experience in fabrication and erection of heavy structures as a project engineer now on visit visa seeks suitable placement krishnakumarkkq@ gmail.com INDIAN CA, (Finance Manager) more than 8 years experience (Oman, UAE and India) in accounts, seeking a suitable senior position in Muscat, can join immediately, NOC available. Contact: [email protected]. MBA Finance, male, with three years experience in the export division of a leading company in India, seeks suitable placement. Contact [email protected] MALE, 26, MBA with 2 years experience in accounts and administration. Good computer skills, accounting software handling in Tally, QuickBooks and Peechtree. On family visit till 4 October, looking for urgent placement [email protected] INDIAN male nurse, 28 years, GNM in Nursing with 5.9 yrs of OT experience, prometric exam passed with 69%, presently on visit visa, seeking jobs. Contact / [email protected] INDIAN male, 30 years, on visit visa until 15 September with good call centre experience of 5 years in customer services and sales. Looking for suitable position. Contact MANAGER, Indian male MBA, around 6 years experience in UAE, India and Oman expert in handling all kinds of business operation, NOC available. Contact [email protected] INDIAN, ACA, ACMA and ACS qualified with rich experience in finance and account, more than 14 years in Gulf, seeks suitable opening [email protected] INDIAN male, 18 years (7 years in Oman) experience in HR/ Admin in Oil & Gas, Manufacturing & Construction industry with Oman D/L seeks suitable position. Release/ NOC available. Contact INDIAN lady Chartered Accountant is looking for part-time job. Having very good experience in accounts, audit, banking, budgeting, project financing etc. (more than 7 years experience in Oman. Visa needed. Contact: MALE, 24 years, BCom IT having 3.5 years experience in Accounts & IT. Good knowledge of computer hardware, Tally, MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint & Photoshop etc. Looking for suitable job, currently on visit visa. Contact usman.ali786@ hotmail.com. Can join immediately. CSIT Computer Engineering B-Tech presently working as a Network & System Engineer Having excellent experience looking for a placement Mohd Nadeem Ullah Khan. nadeemkhan126@ yahoo.com Situation Wanted 28 years (m), B Eng (Hons) mechanical engineer (UK), having 3 years experience as a maintenance engineer (2 years Oman). Seeking suitable engineering position. NOC available and Oman valid D/L available for immediate placement. Contact: ymirza11@ caledonican.ac.uk BE computer science, Indian male, looking for suitable job in the field of software or in information technology having good knowledge in Java, ASP Net, MSSLL, MS Word. Contact [email protected] PAKISTANI male 24 professional wants an opportunity. Two years experience of sales and accounts, good in speaking Arabic, English, Urdu. Good knowledge of MS Word, Excel and Power Point. NOC available. Contact mirzaaliraza2275@ gmail.com. INDIAN male, 28 years wanted opportunity in IT Certified in redhat linux (RHCE) and oracle DBA, have 3 years of hand on experience in Networking, Clisco routers and swithces, Outlook, S/W Installations. Contact [email protected] PIPING design engineer, Indian male, 27, looking for suitable placement in piping design and engineering. Having 7 years of experience in AutoCad, also familiar with PDMs (11.6 version), (CAESAR II). Contact / mohammednazeer07@ gmail.com 3 BEDROOMS flat in Al Hail VILLA in Al Ansab Three Phase, 7 bedrooms, 7 toilets, majlis, hall, 2 kitchen and external extension. RO 800 per month FLAT for rent 2BR at Wadi Adai RESIDENTIAL and commercial building for rent flats, offices and showroom (656 sqm suitable for clinics). Location: Sohar, Al Wagaba Round Port, Near to Bank of Sohar. Call: & HOUSING complex consist of 4 new villas spacious with high quality materials in Al Qurum, with car parks inside and out, each villa consists of 4 floors (basement, ground, first and penthouse). All villas have 8 bedrooms + 2 sitting + 2 living + 1 dining + 1 large kitchen + preparation kitchen, overlooking the beach and Crowne Plaza. Monthly cost of rent RO 2,900 per villa , BEDROOM flat near OIFC Al Ghubra for family only) Flats in a new building in Al Hamriyah, airconditioned (two rooms, kitchen, two toilets) for RO 220 per month. A flat (bedroom sitting room, toilet, kitchen) for RO 180 per month) , SPACIOUS outlets and offices (commercial building) in Suq A Seeb opposite to Al Ma wali Complex (second line of the public road), airconditioned, equipped with toilets for RO 250 per a month for outlet and RO 150 per month for office , TWO big bedroom flat with two bathrooms, dining hall and kitchen in Darsait near to Indian Schools (beach face). Monthly rent: RO 260/- including water and electricity. Call , VILLA for rent: 6 bedrooms, 1 sitting room, 2 halls, 1 kitchen and 1 pantry. Al Mawaleh South phase 3 close to Al Sahwah roundabout, first line behind Amwag perfume factory BRAND new building in Walja with 1 BHK, 2 BHK, office space and shops available and fitted with split ACs A TWO floor villa in Al Maabela with toilets, two sitting rooms and 4 bedrooms with toilets. The villa is located in Al Maabela facilitated with water supply VILLA for rent, Maabela-North, 3 rooms with 4 bathrooms + majlis + dining hall + kitchen and 4 car parking FIRST floor house in Al Khuwair 33 3 bedrooms, 2 sitting rooms, dining room, kitchen with store, 4 bathrooms with ACs. Call , FLATS and 8 shops + basement for rent in Ghala, Ghubra & Wadi Kabir, near Indian School after Bahwan residential complex. All Flats with one bedroom and sitting room. Reasonable price , Computer AutoCAD, 3DMax, Stadpro, primavera, Computer basics, Advaced Excel, VB.net, Become Professional. Contact: Lost ABUL Kalam has lost Bangladeshi passport No AE Finder please handover to ROP.

24 l SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 l DHUL QA ADA 17, 1436 AH [email protected] Rent a Car SPECIAL Rates on New Cars & 4 WDs RENTING & LEASING Tours and Airport Transfer Tel: GSM: , Fax: , [email protected] Manpower ILYA MANPOWER: We provide Filipino housemaids and all skilled workers / ilyamanpower@gmail. com. FRIENDS MANPOWER: Filipino housemaids and all kinds of workers Tel:/Fax: , KHALIFA Al-Sinani Manpower labourers & housemaid from Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda and other countries. Al Suwaiq. To communicate , For Rent FLAT for rent in Maabela 3 master rooms FLATS for rent in Al Khuwair, Al Hail, Wadi Kabir, Al Falaj, MBD and Muttrah / / FLATS in Al Ghubra, 2 bedrooms, hall, near Indian School, Way No. 4039, building No Contact , PEST CONTROL OMAN CO. LLC. Supply of Pesticides, Gel (Cockroaches), Public Health chemicals, Agriculture chemicals, Snake repellent, Rodent baits and other insect repellent from Agropharm Ltd UK. PROFESSIONALS in Pest Control Service, Bedbug Treatment, Rodent Treatment, Snake Treatment and Termite Treatment (Pre and Post Construction). Tel: / Fax: [email protected] P. O. Box: 565, Wadi Kabir, Postal Code: 117, SULTANATE OF OMAN For Rent For Rent For Rent FOR rent industrial area land with all facilities in Rusayl. Contact , STOREY villa encompasses 2 majlis along with toilets, 2 living rooms and 3 bedrooms along with toilets and located in a nearby place in Maabela supplied with water service. Contact HOUSING complex consist of 4 new villas spacious with high quality materials in Al Qurum, with car parks inside and out, each villa consists of 4 floors (Basement, ground first and penthouse), all villas has 8 bedrooms + 2 sitting + 2 living + 1 dining + 1 large kitchen + preparation kitchen, over looking the beach and Crowne Plaza. Monthly cost of rent RO 2,900 per villa / FLATS and shops OFFICE SPACE 660 sq metres on one floor at Al Ghubra House Building, behind Porsche Showroom, opposite Bangladesh School. GROUND + mezzanine floor, suitable for A grade restaurant, next to Pizza Hut, MBD , LUXURIOUS residential complex of new and big 4 villas with high quality finishing, located in Al Qurum. The complex has in-and out-housing parking. Each villa has 4 floors (basement, lands, first + upper floor). Each has 8 bedrooms, two living rooms, dining room, large kitchen subordinate kitchen, 8 toilets and annex). The complex overlooks the sea and Crowne Plaza Hotel. Rent is RO 2,900 per month / AIR-CONDITIONED flats for families only in Al Khuwair FOR RENT FOR ENQUIRIES: Please Call: OR RUWI : Behind Royal Oman Police FULLY furnished 3 BHK accommodation with all spacious rooms in a villa at Darsait near ISD / FLATS in a new residential building in Al Hamriya. AC, 1 room + small hall + kitchen + 1 toilet, RO 190. Contact , BEDROOM flat in Al Ghubra near Oman Oil 18 November Street, RO 330 monthly or NEW villa in Al Khoudh 6 is offered for rent. The premise comprises 6 bedrooms, male majlis, female majlis, a split unit airconditioned family living room and 8 toilets floor house behind German University of Technology in Halban is offered for rent. The house contains 4 bedrooms, living room, a kitchen and 3 toilets FLOOR house at Al Hail North. Each floor: 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, store, 1 sitting room , new executive flats in Al Khuwair opposite Grand Mall. Each, three bedrooms, maid s room, laundry sitting, dining and large family hall. Parking, security system and elevator. Penthouse gives splendid view of Al Khuwair. 2) SIX bedroom twin villa, Athaiba near Health Centre SEMI furnished 2 & 3 BHK flats at Bausher - near Atlas Hospital / / ) 2 bedrooms, 2 bathroom, kitchen, living room, store with split unit Air conditioner in Ruwi Rex road. 2) Basement 580 square metre (new building). Contact VILLA for rent, 8 rooms open area family hall, sitting room, 2 family halls, 2 kitchens and 8 toilets GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! Available on UNBEATABLE prices HP2540 with 3 in 1 Printer RO only All Cartridge also available on UNBEATABLE prices AII HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung Cartridges also available COMPUTER SUPPLIES Ruwi: [email protected] GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! For Rent 3 BEDROOM falt at Al Khuwair. Contact: / A FLAT for rent in Al Ghubra North, adjoined to Masjid A Safa outstanding location. The flat after the crossroad of the Indian School towards Al Athaiba. The flat, which is on the first floor, consists of 2 vast rooms each with its toilets, wide/big majlis/ living room with attached toilet. The area and floor of the building is clean and luxurious. Only for families. Price: 350/ GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! GOOD PRICE!!! VILLA for rent Maabela North, 3 rooms with 4 bathrooms + majlis + dining hall + kitchen + 4 car parking FLATS for rent at Darsait near to Ministry of Sports interested candidates please contact: AN apartment consists of two bedrooms, two toilets, a kitchen and a living room is offered for rent in Sidab , For Rent Car For Rent Buttercup Rent A Car AMAZING OFFERS Rent a car for 10 days and get an extra free day. Rent for one month and get 5 days free. All the cars are 2016 brand new special prices for public departments, companies and longterm contracts Guest House QURUM BEACH HOTEL SINGLE room with attached bathroom for an executive bachelor at Rex Road Ruwi STORE with an area of 121 M 2 in Souq Ruwi street, Al Hamriya (suitable for building materials store or home furniture and curtains workshop) VERY spacious sharing accommodation available near Indian School Darsait for Executive Bachelors/ Family CLASSIFIED SECTION: Ali al Maashari: [email protected] Mohammed al Rashdi: [email protected] DIRECT: FAX :

25 SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 DHUL QA ADA 17, 1436 AH P26 P27 P28 Inside Kiprop hat-trick puts Kenya on top Roma hand Juve second successive defeat Cavani steals Di Maria s thunder as PSG win FOLLOW US ON: [email protected] SPORT BRIEFS INDIA SNIFF VICTORY, SEVEN SL BATSMEN IN THE WAY AUSSIE TALK Morgan ready for Australia T20 clash THIRD TEST: Sri Lanka struggling at 67/3 chasing a herculean target of 386 LONDON: England Twenty20 captain Eoin Morgan believes he is twice the man after taking several weeks off ahead of Monday s match against Australia in Cardiff. The lone Twenty20 international at Sophia Gardens will be the Middlesex batsman s first competitive fixture since August 1. Morgan was struggling for runs at domestic level, averaging 26 in Twenty20, in first-class cricket and just 6.66 in the 50-over cup. He came into the county season having had a busy period where he lead England in their woeful 50-over World Cup campaign in Australia and New Zealand before heading off to the Twenty20 Indian Premier League. Middlesex then decided to stand him down, believing this would ensure Morgan not a member of England s Ashes-winning side was fit for white-ball duty against Australia. What could have been a potentially awkward situation was eased by the fact that Angus Fraser is also an England selector. Napoli s Insigne replaces Giovinco in Italy squad MILAN: Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne has been added to the Italy squad for upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Malta and Bulgaria as a replacement for Sebastian Giovinco. Revised Italy squad for Euro 2016 qualifiers against Malta and Bulgaria: Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele Padelli, Salvatore Sirigu Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Domenico Criscito, Matteo Darmian, Mattia De Sciglio, Manuel Pasqual, Andrea Ranocchia Midfielders: Andrea Bertolacci, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Florenzi, Marco Parolo, Andrea Pirlo, Roberto Soriano, Marco Verratti. Forwards: Antonio Candreva, Stephan El Shaarawy, Eder, Manolo Gabbiadini, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Graziano Pelle, Franco Vazquez, Simone Zaza. India s Ravichandran Ashwin plays a shot during the fourth day of their third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Reuters COLOMBO: India stood seven wickets away from a seriesclinching victory after setting Sri Lanka a formidable 386-run victory target on the penultimate day of the third and final test on Monday. Resuming on a precarious 21-3 in the bowler-dominated weatherhit contest, the visitors needed a string of cameos from their middle and lower-order batsmen to score 274 in their second innings. In their first Test since batting great Kumar Sangakkara retired, Sri Lanka lost opener Upul Tharanga in the first over and were reeling at 67-3 at the close. Opener Kaushal Silva (24) and skipper Angelo Mathews (22) were at the crease with the hosts still needing 319 runs for an improbable victory. Having taken a 111-run firstinnings lead, India consolidated their position in the first two sessions at the Sinhalese Sports Club to virtually bat Sri Lanka out of the contest. Dhammika Prasad bowled with characteristic hostility but Nuwan Pradeep drew first blood, dismissing India captain Virat Kohli (21) who again succumbed to his penchant for pushing at deliveries outside the off-stump. Rohit Sharma (50) looked more convincing, hitting Pradeep for back-to-back boundaries and bringing up his fourth test fifty before pulling a short Prasad delivery to fine leg. Stuart Binny (49) came up with a more eventful knock playing some risky shots, surviving a stumping opportunity, being hit on the helmet by Prasad and eventually falling agonisingly short of his second test fifty. Debutant Naman Ojha (35) and Amit Mishra (39) frustrated SCOREBOARD INDIA FIRST INNINGS: 312 SRI LANKA FIRST INNINGS: 201 INDIA SECOND INNINGS: (O/N: 21-3): C Pujara b Prasad... 0 L Rahul b Pradeep... 2 A Rahane lbw Pradeep... 4 V Kohli c Tharanga b Pradeep R Sharma c Pradeep b Prasad S Binny c Tharanga b Prasad N Ojha c Karunaratne b Herath A Mishra (run out) R Ashwin c K Perera b Prasad U Yadav c Herath b Pradeep... 4 I Sharma (not out)... 2 Extras (B-1, LB-1, NB-5, W-3) Total (all out, 76 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-2, 3-7, 4-64, 5-118, 6-160, 7-179, 8-234, Bowling: D Prasad , N Pradeep , R Herath , A Mathews , T Kaushal SRI LANKA SECOND INNINGS: U Tharanga c N Ojha b I Sharma... 0 K Silva (not out) D Karunaratne c N Ojha b U Yadav... 0 D Chandimal c Kohli b I Sharma A Mathews (not out) Extras (LB-2, NB-1)... 3 Total (for 3 wkts, 18.1 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-2, Bowling: I Sharma , U Yadav , S Binny , A Mishra , R Ashwin Sri Lanka while Ravichandran Ashwin (58) registered his fifth test fifty before being the last man out. Sri Lanka wobbled early in their chase with Ishant Sharma dismissing Tharanga before Umesh Yadav sent back Dimuth Karunaratne both caught by wicketkeeper Naman Ojha for nought. Ishant, who had an animated altercation with Prasad earlier in the day, also dismissed Dinesh Chandimal before giving the batsman a send-off, an act that earned him a 65-per cent match fee fine in the first test. Reuters David Warner No excuses for not winning World T20 LONDON: Australia will not use Indian conditions as an excuse if they fail to win the World T20 in the subcontinent next year, opening batsman David Warner has said. Australia have never won the tournament despite being a power in tests and the one-day game, but will hope to break the drought in March and April next year. Australia have traditionally struggled in the subcontinent, where bone-dry pitches have shown up many of their batsmen s vulnerability against quality spin bowling. I think going to India, there s no excuse for conditions, Warner told reporters in Cardiff. All the players have played there before (and) played IPL (Indian Premier League) there. Whatever team is selected, that will be the right team for those conditions and I really do think this could be one of our best chances to win the Twenty20 World Cup. We ve probably played more (in India) than we have at home in the Twenty20 format. Australia play England in a one-off match in Cardiff on Monday, with Steven Smith taking the reins in the absence of injured regular skipper Aaron Finch. Compared to the surfeit of ODI matches world champions Australia will play five against England in coming weeks T20 matches are rare in the international calendar, giving teams limited chances to experiment before next year s showpiece. It s quite challenging for us to go into a group and go here you go, play this tournament. This is big, Warner said of the Cardiff game. Reuters Royal Cavalry of Oman triumphs MUSCAT: The Royal Cavalry of Oman won the third leg cup at the Royal Windsor Racecourse. Organised by the Royal Cavalry of Oman in collaboration with the Arabian Horse Organisation, the race comprised six rounds with the participation of pure Arabian horses. Royal Cavalry of Oman s horse Wurud ridden female jockey Solanj came in first place in the third round. Horse Rihan, also belonging to the Royal Cavalry of Oman ridden by female jockey Marry, came runnerup in the first round also known as Qurm Beach round for pure Arabian horses. Royal Cavalry of Oman s horse Wurud ridden by Solanj also won in the second round with another Royal Cavalry of Oman s horse named Sabah clinching the third place. Horse Kukat owned by Shaikh Mohammed bin Nasser al Hashshar ridden by jockey Simon Walker claimed first place in the fourth round named as Muscat round for pure Arabian horses Oman U-19 set up for Gulf Cup Adventure MUSCAT: The Sultanate s delegation, including Rasheed Jaber s 23-player squad, will leave for Doha on Tuesday morning to participate in the 11th GCC Under-19 Football Tournament that is scheduled to take place in the Qatari capital city from September 3 to 12. Oman begin their campaign against Kuwait on September 5 then they face Qatar on September 7 concluding their Group A engagements. Rasheed Jaber s 23-player squad: Ibrahim al Mukhaini, Khalid al Mehaijri, Abdulhadi al Hajri, Thuwini al Mukhaini, Ammar al Rushedi, Dakeel al Yahmadi, Mohsen al Ghassani, Talal al Alawadi, Asaad al Awadi, Mohmaed al Husseini, Haitham al Mujini, Mohamed al Yahmadi, Qasim al Mubarek, Ehad al Balushi, Zahir al Aghbari, Salah al Yahayai, Salim al Siyabi, Bakheet Salim, Omran al Heedi, Ahmed al Orimi, Aiman Haikal, Abdullah al Meshaikhi, Ali al Hinai.

26 26 SPORT omandailyobserver WORLD ATHLETICS: The US men won a sixth straight gold in 4x400m relay but Jamaica won the women s event Kiprop hat-trick puts Kenya on top BEIJING: Asbel Kiprop produced a trademark sprint finish to win a third straight 1,500 metres gold and ensure Kenya topped the medals table at successive world championships after the final night of action on Sunday. The United States men won a sixth straight gold in 4x400m relay but Jamaica s Novlene Williams-Mills ran down tiring American Francena McCorory in the women s event to claim a sixth gold in Beijing for the Caribbean powerhouse. That was enough for second place on the medals table ahead of a US team who won only five golds, their worst tally in the 15 world championships. Kiprop, Usain Bolt and his fellow Jamaican sprinter Shelly Ann Fraser- Pryce were the only individual title winners from the Beijing Olympics to return to the Bird s Nest and win gold again seven years later. I am so proud of myself to become part of this exclusive club of threetimes world champions, Kiprop told reporters after clocking three minutes seconds to win. But I would dearly love to defend the title a fourth time in London in This allows me to join Algeria s Noureddine Morceli but Hicham El Guerrouj still has one gold more and that is what I am aiming at. Genzebe Dibaba s bid to become the first woman to win both the 1,500m and 5,000m at the same world championships was thwarted by a stunning run from her team-mate Almaz Ayana in the longer race. Ayana ran the last four laps on her own to better the championship record of Dibaba s sister Tirunesh in a time of 14 minutes seconds, leading Senbere Teferi and the younger Dibaba across the line in an Ethiopian sweep. I had to win the gold medal, said Ayana, who won by 17 seconds. I was so surprised to get such so easy victory today. I can t even explain how I did that today. Ayana s gold was the second of the day for Ethiopia after the unrelated Mare Dibaba won the women s marathon in a thrilling sprint finish along the home straight. Dibaba out-kicked Kenya s Helah Kenya s Asbel Kiprop (centre) reacts as he crosses the finish line ahead of Kenya s Elijah Motonei Manangoi, Morocco s Abdalaati Iguider (lower) and Algeria s Taoufik Makhloufi in the final of the men s 1,500 metres at the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the Bird s Nest National Stadium in Beijing. Kiprop to win the gruelling event by just one second, crossing the finish line in two hours, 27 minutes and 35 seconds. To the delight of the crowd, hosts China looked to be on course for second title of the championships when Lyu Huihui led the women s javelin with just one throw remaining. Germany s Katharina Molitor, however, conjured up the longest throw of her career a world leading metres to take her first medal at a major championships. This event is unpredictable and it is beautiful, said South Africa s Sunette Viljoen, who took bronze behind Lyu. It was a very special performance from the Chinese girl. And Katharina, wow, nobody expected that. JUMP-OFF Canada s Derek Drouin won the men s high jump gold with a 2.34-metre clearance in a sudden-death jumpoff with defending champion Bogdan Bondarenko of Ukraine and China s Zhang Guowei. After the trio had all failed at 2.36 for a fourth time, the bar was lowered to 2.34 and Drouin cleared it while his rivals failed and shared the silver. I was first in the list and I felt a big pressure, Drouin said of his winning jump. I knew I couldn t make even one mistake as my rivals were very strong and they could use it to get the victory. Lashawn Merritt anchored the US team to their victory in the final event of the championships, seeing off an explosive start to the final lap from young Jamaican Javon Francis and crossing the line in two minutes seconds. I wanted to control the race, said the 29-year-old Merritt, who won his 11th world championship medal. But I didn t even know the guy from Jamaica who was on the anchor leg. I was in such a zone and focused on my people. But that s the way he runs his race. I wasn t really fazed. I picked it up a little bit because he was running hard. Then he was still running hard, I just shifted a gear. A fifth straight title defence was an appropriate end to a world championships that altered very little in the landscape of the sport, despite nine days of sometimes spectacular performances. Despite an injury-ravaged season and the form of Justin Gatlin, Usain Bolt finished as he started as the dominant athlete of his age with a fifth sprint sweep at a major global championships. The sport s embattled leaders, meanwhile, faced as many questions about doping in their final news conference as they did on the eve of competition. Sebastian Coe, who took over as president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) at the conclusion of the championships, knows he has a big job ahead of him. It is slightly the territory we have inherited and one of my responsibilities is to move us off that territory, he said. Reuters SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 Doping in spotlight despite Beijing fireworks BEIJING: A thrilling world athletics championships in Beijing failed to silence growing questions about doping, giving the sport s new boss Sebastian Coe much to ponder as he heads towards an Olympic year. While sprinter Usain Bolt led a barrage of superstar performances at the Bird s Nest stadium, scepticism was also not hard to find following allegations of widespread drug abuse by elite athletes. Britain s Coe won a narrow vote to succeed 82-year-old Lamine Diack as president of world body the IAAF, and improving the besmirched image of athletics will be his top priority. We are more than a discussion about test tubes, blood and urine, Coe told reporters on Sunday. It is ostensibly a clean sport, we have our challenges... and no one would deny that. However, after thousands of test results were leaked to media before the championships, the issue of doping was never far away and many of the positive headlines were accompanied by darker questions. Kenya finished top of the medals table, but they were also the only team to fail doping tests after two of their athletes were caught out by pre-competition controls. Bolt s brilliant sprint treble after overcoming injury came at the expense of twice-banned American Justin Gatlin one of four former doping offenders in the 100m final. When the Netherlands Dafne Schippers ran the fourth fastest 200m in history, adding gold to her 100m silver, she immediately had to deny using chemical enhancement. And Briton Mo Farah s unprecedented second straight world distance double came against the backdrop of doping allegations fired at his coach, Alberto Salazar. FLYING DOWN TO RIO Bolt s reign as world sprint king was under serious threat from Gatlin, who was on an unbeaten streak of 28 races and had led the way in the 100m and 200m this year. Man City announce De Bruyne signing LONDON: Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday announced the signing of Belgium playmaker Kevin De Bruyne from German side Wolfsburg on a six-year contract. City did not disclose how much they had paid for the 24-year-old former Chelsea player, but British media reports said the fee was a club record in the region of 58 million ($89.3 million, 79.8 million euros). I want to reach the highest level possible as a player and I think the most important thing is that at the end of the season we can be happy and maybe have some titles, De Bruyne said in a statement on the City website, alongside a photo of him holding the number 17 shirt. I think this is the most important for the club, the players and for the fans of course. The deal eclipses the 49 million that City paid Liverpool to secure Raheem Sterling s services and smashes the Bundesliga transfer record of 41 million euros, which Liverpool paid Hoffenheim for Brazil forward Roberto In this file picture, Wolfsburg s midfielder Kevin De Bruyne plays the ball during the German first division match against FC Koeln. Firmino in July. It also represents a three-fold increase on the fee of 18 million that Wolfsburg paid Chelsea to sign De Bruyne in January We are very happy to have added Kevin to our team and I have no doubt that he will be a big success on his return to the Premier League, said City manager Manuel Pellegrini. It takes a special footballer to improve our squad and I have no doubt that Kevin is certainly one of those he has all of the mental, physical, tactical and technical attributes required to fit straight in. We like to play attractive, attacking football and bringing in a player like De Bruyne will only aid us as we fight on four fronts. As well as Sterling and De Bruyne, City have also signed defender Nicolas Otamendi and midfielder Fabian Delph as they look to reclaim the Premier League title lost to Chelsea last season. RIGHT-SIDED ROLE De Bruyne is expected to line up on the right-hand side of Pellegrini s attack, alongside Sterling and David Silva and in support of lone striker Sergio Aguero. De Bruyne arrived in England via private jet on Saturday, having sat out Wolfsburg s 3-0 win over Schalke on Friday as speculation that he was on the verge of joining City intensified. He was named German Footballer of the Year last season after scoring 16 goals and providing 29 assists as Wolfsburg won the German Cup and finished runners-up to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Bank Muscat to honour Oman youth team US OPEN Sharapova pulls out due to leg injury NEW YORK: Maria Sharapova, winner of five grand slam events, has pulled out of the US Open tennis championships due to a leg injury, the Russian said on Sunday. Sharapova, 28, has not played a match since losing to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon semifinals in July and withdrew from hardcourt tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati in August, citing a right leg strain. Unfortunately, I will not be able to compete in this year s US Open, she tweeted. I have done everything possible to be ready but it was just not enough time. To all my amazing fans, I will be back in the Asian swing in a few weeks and look forward to finishing the year healthy and strong. It marks the second time in three years that the 2006 champion has withdrawn from the year s last grand slam event. Her absence robs the US Open of some star power and a possible marquee showdown. Sharapova, who has won each of the four grand slam tournaments during her career, was seeded to meet topseeded American world number one Serena Williams in the semifinals. The 33-year-old Williams is campaigning to win a fourth US Open title in a row that would give her a rare grand slam sweep of the year s four majors. The Russian, however, has not proven much of an obstacle to the big-serving Williams, who has beaten Sharapova in 18 of their 20 career meetings and has not lost to her in 11 years. The US Tennis Association said on Sunday that Russian Daria Kasatkina is the lucky loser who will replace Sharapova in the main draw. The US Open starts on Monday. Reuters MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, as part of its commitment to promote Oman as a sporting nation, has announced reward for the Oman junior national team who won the GCC Under-17 football championship, defeating Saudi Arabia in the final at Qatar. The bank will organise a ceremony at the head office to honour the team in the presence of senior bank officials and key representatives of the sporting fraternity. Shaikh Khalid bin Mustahail Al Mashani, Chairman of Bank Muscat, said: Bank Muscat joins the nation in congratulating the junior team for lifting the national honour to new heights by overcoming the challenges and winning the GCC Under-17 football championship. Shaikh Khalid added: True to its commitment to supporting varied sporting activities in the country, Bank Muscat remains at the forefront in offering the required encouragement and support for the national teams to put up their best efforts. As the nation s leading financial institution, Bank Muscat aims to strongly convey the message of support to the national teams so as to motivate others to follow suit and provide the required impetus for them to excel in sports and games. The gesture towards the junior national football team is a reiteration of the support for youth, who represent the future of Oman. Bank Muscat is a major supporter of the national game of football. In all major tournaments, including Gulf Cup, Bank Muscat has led by example, being the first private sector institution to announce rewards for the national team. Bank Muscat launched the Green Sports CSR programme in 2012 to lay the foundation at the grassroot level for a sustainable sports infrastructure. In a record time, the bank has achieved notable success in developing green fields in all parts of the Sultanate, thus contributing to realising the sporting dreams of youth.

27 27 SPORT SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver SERIE A: Miralem Pjanic and Edin Dzeko struck for Roma, Paulo Dybala scored late for Juventus who finished with 10 men Roma hand Juve second successive defeat MILAN: Italian champions Juventus have lost their first two league games of the season for the first time after they were outplayed and had a man sent off in a 2-1 defeat at AS Roma on Sunday. Not since Bologna in 1941 have the title holders begun the defence of their crown with successive defeats and Juve, beaten 1-0 at home by Udinese last week after losing only three games all last season, have never previously suffered such a start. They can have no complaints about Sunday s defeat either as last year s runners-up struck through Miralem Pjanic and Edin Dzeko before Paulo Dybala scored late on for Juventus who finished with 10 men having had Patrice Evra sent off. Roma were on top throughout and unlucky not to be ahead at halftime after Pjanic hit a post. The Bosnian s radar was better calibrated after the hour when he curled home an excellent free kick. Juventus then had defender Evra dismissed for a second booking before another Bosnian Dzeko, newly arrived on a season-long loan from Manchester City, rose well to head the second. Dybala pulled one back three minutes from time to set up a frantic finale but Juve, who earlier had reserve goalkeeper Rubinho red carded for dissent while on the bench, could not find the equaliser and remain without a point. I m not worried about our zero points in the league, that s something that can happen in football, said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri. Yes, we have to catch up, but we ve got all the time and quality to do so. We need to remain calm, clear headed and run through what didn t work for us. Juventus, missing some key players through injury, will be grateful for a weekend off due to the international fixtures next week. When we come back we ll have Claudio Marchisio ready and Sami Khedira won t be far off, Allegri said. (Alvaro) Morata will be in better shape, while (Juan) Cuadrado, (Mario) Mandzukic and Dybala will be more in tune with our way of working. Roma s Daniele Di Rossi was also anxious not to write off the champions so early in the season. Even when they were down to 10 men, they still found a way back into a game that looked dead and buried. I believe Juventus will be fighting for top spot throughout the campaign, he told Roma s website. Coaches and players come and go but the mentality is always the same. I m sure they ll be competing right the way through the season and we need to do likewise. While Juve have yet to register a point and Roma are on four, Chievo Verona have had a flying start, thrashing Lazio 4-0 to make it two wins out of two and seven goals scored. Torino, Inter Milan, Sassuolo and Palermo are also on six points after collecting second-week wins. Reuters Arsenal s Olivier Giroud celebrates scoring the equaliser in the 2-2 draw during the English Premier League match against Everton at Goodison Park in Liverpool, northwest England. Van Gaal rules out transfer remedy for ManU SWANSEA, UK: Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said that he would not jump into the transfer market to solve his side s goal-scoring problems following their 2-1 defeat at Swansea City. Juan Mata gave United the lead in the 48th minute at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday, but after Swansea manager Garry Monk had altered his midfield configuration to a diamond, the hosts struck twice in five minutes. Andre Ayew equalised in the 61st minute with a smart downward header that beat Sergio Romero and then produced a fine pass for Bafetimbi Gomis to beat Romero at the near post for the winner. Ashley Williams s last-ditch tackle denied Wayne Rooney a late equaliser, ending United s unbeaten record and leaving Van Gaal s side with a return of just three goals from four league games. Asked if he would look to bolster his squad with extra attacking power before Tuesday s transfer deadline, Van Gaal replied: You can never speak as a club like United that you are satisfied. (But) certainly we shall not sign at the end of the transfer period a player that we have not scouted before. We know in offence what is happening or not happening. It is not an issue. When it is like that we have to keep going and in January, the (transfer) window is open again. It is a process and I cannot change that process because you are dependable not only (on) the player you want, but also the club. One issue still dogging Van Gaal concerns goalkeeper David de Gea. Van Gaal has dropped De Gea following months of speculation linking the Spaniard with a move to Real Madrid, but the manager said that he was happy to take a back seat in the Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal speaks to Marouane Fellaini. club s transfer dealings. We will have to wait and see, he said. I don t want to interfere. As a club, we have divided our tasks and the task is for (executive vice-chairman) Ed Woodward and not me. I don t want to interfere with words or nothing. It is a process and we have to wait and see. The club will announce it and so on. CHARACTER AND PASSION On the game, van Gaal said: It is a feeling of frustration, but more disappointment. For 85 minutes we were the dominant side. However, we have lost the game in five minutes. And we lost because they changed the shape. Both teams did everything to win, but in five minutes, they changed shape and scored twice. It s a big lesson to us because we have to adapt far more quickly than we did. They changed and we didn t see it. Van Gaal was in no mood to point the finger of blame at individuals and dismissed suggestions Romero had been partly at fault for both goals. In the end, the pressure for the last defender or the goalkeeper is always higher than it is further up the pitch, he said. But I don t agree that the goalkeeper was not so good today. Swansea manager Garry Monk, meanwhile, is in no rush to add anyone to his squad, following an impressive win that left his side in fourth place. I m very happy, said the former Reuters Swansea centre-back, who has won all three of his league games as a manager against United by a 2-1 scoreline. I felt we should make a tactical change in the second half and I thought that allowed us to get back into the game. It was the right thing to do and it made us more of a threat. We scored the goals at great times and they were both excellent finishes. I thought we were very clinical. They didn t cope with that change and failed to react to it. That s why we took advantage. After that we defended really well. But the most pleasing thing is the character and passion. We have played some amazing football this season, but that passion is just fantastic. Atletico show title credentials with huge win at Sevilla Madrid: Atletico Madrid maintained their perfect start to the La Liga season as goals from Koke, Gabi and Jackson Martinez handed them an impressive 3-0 win at Sevilla on Sunday. The visitors had the better of the opening period and deservedly went in front when Koke slotted home after good work from Antoine Griezmann. Sevilla were beaten at home only once last season and threw everything at the Atletico goal after the break but couldn t find a way through before Gabi s deflected effort 12 minutes from time made the points safe. And substitute Martinez put the seal on a huge win for Diego Simeone s men with a fine curling effort to register his first goal for the club. Sevilla handed a debut to Fernando Llorente after he completed his switch from Juventus on Thursday and it was the hosts who started brightest as Coke forced Jan Oblak into a smart save after just three minutes. Atletico slowly grew into the game to take control of the first-half and were nearly handed a fortunate opener when Griezmann s free-kick struck Fernando Torres and flew inches wide with Sevilla keeper Beto wrong-footed. Beto was then forced into action for the first time as he parried Oliver s fierce effort, but there was nothing he could do as Koke pounced from close range after being played in by a prone Griezmann. Sevilla eventually carved out a glorious chance to equalise after the break when Diego Godin only half-cleared a cross from the left, but Llorente missed the Sevilla handed a debut to Fernando Llorente after he completed his switch from Juventus on Thursday and it was the hosts who started brightest as Coke forced Jan Oblak into a smart save after just three minutes chance to make himself an instant hero as he pulled his shot wide. Atletico then doubled their advantage against the run of play when Gabi s hopeful shot from range took a big deflection on its way into the bottom corner. Martinez had replaced Torres seconds before the second goal and made his case to start against Barcelona next time out with a stunning finish from outside the box to open his account after a 35 million euro move from Porto. Elsewhere, Valencia are still looking for their first win of the league season after being held 1-1 at home by Deportivo la Coruna. Lucas Perez put the visitors in front with a stunning individual effort before Alvaro Negredo levelled for Los Che just before the break. Basque minnows Eibar also maintained their 100 percent start to the campaign with a 2-0 win over local rivals Athletic Bilbao to go joint top with Celta Vigo. Juventus suffer side effects of dismantling winning team MILAN: Juventus appear to be suffering from a predictable early-season slump in the wake of a summer spent fumbling around the transfer market in a bid to rebuild a team that had grown to dominate Serie A. Juve have captured four straight league titles, including runaway wins in the last two seasons, but have seen their strangehold loosened in just eight days with back-to-back losses at the start of the campaign. Sunday s 2-1 defeat at AS Roma was the first time that Juventus have lost two league matches in a row since March 2011, the last season before their dominance began, and the first time they have ever lost their first two fixtures. The lacklustre start, however, can hardly be deemed as that big a surprise following the loss of three influential players, and the heart of last season s team, during the summer. Playmaker Andrea Pirlo, whose arrival in 2011 sparked Juve s dominant run, decided that at 36, it was time to bid farewell to Serie A and ply his trade in North America. Arturo Vidal, one of the most complete midfielders in the world, left for Bayern Munich, apparently believing he would have a better chance of winning the Champions League, and Carlos Tevez returned to his native Argentina. In their place have come the temperamental Mario Mandzukic, the relatively inexperienced Paulo Dybala and injury-prone Germany midfielder Sami Khedira. Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado seemed to be an afterthought when he was signed last week and there was a failed, drawn-out attempt to coax midfielder Julian Draxler from Schalke 04. Dybala, 21, scorer of a late consolation on Sunday, appeared a logical choice to replace his fellow Argentine Tevez but is clearly going to need time to settle. Mandzukic has a respectable scoring record but the Croat spent most of his first game against Udinese fighting petty battles with the opposition, an unhappy facet of his game and a striking contrast to the feisty Tevez. Khedira, sadly, has already suffered another of the nagging injuries which plagued his last season at Real Madrid and is out for another two months. The form and confidence of the players who have survived from last season has also been affected, particularly Simone Padoin and Paul Pogba in midfield. An injury to Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio has not helped either. Coach Massimiliano Allegri, who surprisingly reverted to a three-man defence on Sunday, has remained as unflappable as ever heading into a two-week international break. When we come back, we ll have Claudio Marchisio ready and Sami Khedira won t be far off, he said.

28 28 SPORT omandailyobserver SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 LIGUE 1: The win put Paris Saint-Germain three points clear of the pack as Monaco remained in mid-table with a lot of work left to do Cavani steals Di Maria s thunder as PSG win PARIS: Angel di Maria made his debut as a second half substitute as champions Paris Saint-Germain maintained their perfect start to the season with a 3-0 win at Monaco on Sunday. Argentine Di Maria played his first 24 minutes for the Parisians following a 63 million-euro ($68.9 million) move from Manchester United and even set up PSG s final goal. But it was Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani who was the hero, notching a brace before Ezequiel Lavezzi finished off the scoring. I m satisfied, overall it was a positive match, said PSG coach Laurent Blanc. (Di Maria) is going to be a vital element. With Lavezzi, they have a lot of complicity, that s going to help Angel acclimatise. The win put PSG three points clear of the pack as Monaco remained in midtable. We re disappointed because our aim is always to win, but Paris were better than us, admitted Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim. Cavani had the best chance of the opening period a couple of minutes before the break, but picked out by Maxwell s inch-perfect pass, he swiped wildly at the ball, which hit his standing leg before bobbling wide. Monaco s Italian striker Stephan El Shaarawy had a sight of goal early in the second period but shot straight at goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. Cavani broke the deadlock on 57 minutes with a bullet header into the top corner from Blaise Matuidi s pinpoint cross, leaving goalkeeper Danijel Subasic a helpless spectator. Moments later, Matuidi blew a oneon-one chance with Subasic with a poor first touch before the goalkeeper eventually saved his tame, low, curling Paris Saint-Germain s forward Edinson Cavani (right) reacts next to Monaco midfielder Silva Bernardo at the end of the French L1 match Monaco at the Louis II stadium in Monaco. shot. Di Maria entered the fray on 66 minutes in the place of Lucas Moura and should have had his first assist for the club almost immediately, but after arrowing an inch-perfect ball into the box, Cavani directed his free header straight at Subosic. But Cavani did not need to wait long for his second and showed a predator s instincts on 73 minutes as Monaco s backline stood off Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who slipped in the Uruguayan between full-back and centre-back for an easy finish. Serge Aurier squandered a great chance with a sliced shot after bursting into the box although Cavani was in perfect position in front of goal to complete his hat-trick. But seven minutes from time, substitute Lavezzi, who d replaced Ibrahimovic, ran onto a searing long ball from Di Maria to lash home a thunderous volley. REIMS SURPRISE Earlier on Sunday, Saint-Etienne scored either side of half-time to defeat Bastia 2-1 at their Geoffroy-Guichard stadium to end the Corsicans unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season. Just three days after qualifying for the Europa League group phase, Christophe Galtier guided his side to a second win of the early domestic season thanks to a 20th minute strike from captain Loic Perrin and then a 62nd minute winner from on-loan Valentin Eysseric. Bastia had pulled level four minutes before the break through Gael Danic but slip to sixth in the table after their first defeat in four outings. Bordeaux picked up their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Nantes in a battle of former champions. Tunisian midfielder Wahbi Khazri grabbed the all-important opener right on the stroke of half-time before 19-year-old Serbian defender Milan Gajic wrapped up the victory with a strike three minutes from time. The defeat was the first of the season for the Canaries. On Saturday, Lyon returned to winning ways as they rode a Nabil Fekir hat-trick to a 4-0 thrashing away to Caen while Rennes claimed their place in the top three with a 3-1 home victory over Toulouse. Reims are second on goal difference following a 4-1 dismantling of suffering Brittany side Lorient, while Lille won for the first time under new coach Herve Renard when they edged Ajaccio 1-0. On Friday, Marseille came back to earth with a thud following their 6-0 thrashing of Troyes last week in new coach Michel s first match in charge, but it all went wrong at Guingamp where they slumped to a 2-0 reverse. Dawning of a new Day in pursuit of No 1 SERIE A EDISON, New Jersey: Jason Day had made a habit of getting close to the big victory, but now that the Australian is closing the deal on the golf course he has joined Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth at the top of the game. Day s massive six-stroke romp to victory at The Barclays on Sunday gave him three wins in his last four events, including the PGA Championship for his maiden major, and sent him to first place in the FedExCup playoff standings. The 27-year-old Day, who has battled illness and injuries over the seasons, felt a turning point at this year s British Open, where he finished one-shot short of a playoff at St Andrews and has been unstoppable since. I m not going to say in the future it s going to be like this all the time, because it s very difficult to win, said Day, who went to a hospital this week for an MRI test on his back after feeling a tweak that forced him to withdraw from The Barclays Pro-Am. He said the key was the mentality of... just keep pushing forward, not being okay with okay. Just keep pushing and pushing and pushing. Not only has Day pushed his way past a reputation as a nearly man who had a pair of top threes at the Masters, two top twos at the US Open and tie for fourth at the British Open, but he has thrust himself into the chase for world number one. I felt like it was my time, Day said after his near miss in the Open at St Andrews. Mentally I felt like, you paid your dues, now it s time to go out and win tournaments. Jason Day holds the Barclays Championship trophy at Plainfield Country Club. It s just something that you have to fail. You fail and you learn. Now Day feels it is his time to thrive. At Plainfield Country Club on Sunday, he left the field in his dust with eight birdies in a bogey-free 62, rolling in long birdie putts on the back nine with a new belief in his stroke. The last six weeks (have) been crazy, he said. US Open, The Open Championship, you mix that in with three other wins. The good thing about it is it s not over. I have this great momentum going into next week (the Deutsche Bank Championship near Boston) to a course I absolutely love. Day said before the tournament that winning the FedExCup could thrust his name into the Player of the Year discussion that had previously seemed reserved for Masters and US Open winner Spieth. I m currently ranked number one in USA Today Sports the FedExCup, which is fantastic. There s three more tournaments I would love to win, and I d love to win the FedExCup, he said about the series that pays a $10 million bonus to the overall points winner. I think I have the opportunity to get to number one (in the world) if I play some good golf over the next three or four weeks. It s been a goal of mine. I m definitely, by far, playing the best golf of my life. Reuters Buffon hits out as Juventus slump MILAN: Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has called on the stuttering Italian champions to stand up and be counted after a second consecutive league defeat left them in the Serie A Doldrums. Juve won a fourth consecutive scudetto last season and secured their first league and Cup double in 20 years before ending a 12-year wait to challenge for the Champions League final last May. But after defeat to Udinese last week, a depleted Juve succumbed 2-1 to scudetto rivals Roma after a lively encounter at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. Juventus, who underwent significant changes in personnel during the summer following the departure of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez, now sit 17th in Italy s top flight after two games. Buffon admitted the club s new players will need time to find their feet, but with holes in the defence and yet another lacklustre performance coming from French midfielder Paul Pogba, the legendary Italy goalkeeper said the champions ultimately failed to show up. When you play for Juventus, winning is everything, but even when that doesn t happen you need to offer more than we showed today, Buffon said after the game. When the team undergoes a lot of changes of course you can allow for a few dropped points or for some nerves to creep in at the start. But we have lots of new and quality players, so everyone should be taking on a greater sense of responsibility, starting from when we regroup next Monday. Second-half goals from Miralem Pjanic and Edin Dzeko, who nodded home in the 79th minute, left Juventus with a mountain to climb at the Stadio Olimpico. Juve wing-back Patrice Evra had been sent off for a second bookable offence in the latter stages and although Juve grabbed a consolation through Paulo Dybala, the champions had little in response to a well-oiled Roma side that seemed destined for the win. It was Roma s first league win over Juve since February 2013 and meant the Italian champions have failed to win their first two league games of the season for the first time in history. For Buffon, Juve s deficiencies meant the champions weren t even worthy of the draw. We wouldn t have deserved the draw. We had a lot of deficiencies, especially in midfield, but that s no excuse, added the goalkeeper. Brilliant finish gives Tamulis her first LPGA win YOKOHAMA: Kris Tamulis emerged from obscurity for a surprise one-stroke victory at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic on Sunday. The 10-year LPGA veteran edged fellow American Austin Ernst and Taiwan s Yani Tseng at the Senator Course at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Prattville, Alabama. Tamulis piled up 12 birdies and a bogey in her final 29 holes for her first career victory. The 34-year-old was among a large group that had to return to complete the third on Sunday morning because of weather delays on Friday and Saturday. With 11 holes left in the morning, Tamulis got on a roll and posted a fiveunder 67 and then closed with an even more impressive 65 for a 17-under total of 271. Third round leader Ernst closed with a 69, while Tseng shot 67. We were trying to beat the weather all day and I think we were really lucky that we finished today, Tamulis said. Honestly, if we would have called it after 36, I think I was maybe like tied for ninth or 10th, I would be, great, fine, that s okay. I get to go home. So now it s even better. Now it s just like cake. Tamulis was ranked 125th in the world and had only five top-10 showings in 189 career tournaments. She even missed the cut in three of her past four events. But she finally found her form with the putter. I ve really been working hard on my putting the last couple weeks, she said. These greens are probably the fastest I ve played in I don t even know how long. So I ve been just working on the speed and trying to hit it on the right side of the hole. Reuters Juventus goalkeeper from Italy Gianluigi Buffon greets fans at the end of the Serie A match at the Olympic stadium in Rome. AS Roma won 2-0.

29 29 ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver Taylor queen of MTV awards TINSELTOWN Kareena wants to pursue Indian classical dance Taylor Swift accepts the award for video of the year for Bad Blood at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday. Reuters SARA PUIG Taylor Swift was crowned queen of the MTV Video Music Awards as rapper Kanye West announced an improbable run for president in 2020 and Miley Cyrus released her new album for free. Pop superstar Swift, still only 25 years old, won four of her whopping 10 nominations, including Video of the Year for Bad Blood with Kendrick Lamar and Best Pop Video for Blank Space. She buried the hatchet with rapper Nicki Minaj, embracing her former foe on stage during a brief rendition of Bad Blood dressed in a red tassled minidress and presented West with a career achievement award. Cheered by his biggest fan, pregnant wife and reality star Kim Kardashian in a lace-up dress that left little to the imagination, West appeared moved but not humbled by an extended standing ovation. Winning MTV s Video Vanguard lifetime achievement award was a significant milestone for West, previously given to greats such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Beyonce. I have decided in 2020 to run for president, he announced at the end of a rambling address. I will die for the art, for what I believe in and I ain t always gonna be polite, he said. I rolled up a little something. I got the answer, he said. We re the millenials bro. The 38-year-old boundary-pushing rapper also won best Video With a Social Message for One Man Can Change the World with Big Sean and John Legend. Host was shock pop diva Cyrus. She closed out the Los Angeles show with a performance that saw a firework and announcing that her new album, Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz, was out for free online. The website promptly crashed and on twitter she directed her 22 million followers to her regular website, where the music was available. Cyrus made MTV award history two years ago by twerking on stage with Robin Thicke in a flesh-coloured bikini and cavorting around with a foam finger. Minaj takes on Cyrus On Sunday, she wore a revolving door of outfits for the broadcast, but walked the red carpet in an outfit so revealing. But if Minaj hugged and made up with Swift, she went into battle with Cyrus for telling The New York Times in a recent interview that Minaj was not too kind and not very polite. The camera panned to a non-plussed Cyrus, who stayed civil. We re all in the industry, we all do interviews, and we all know how they manipulate. The surprise start to the show was Swift joining a resplendent Minaj, festooned in a red tribal-style headdress, in an opening set. They hit the headlines last month when Minaj s Anaconda was passed over for a Video of the Year nomination. Minaj blamed the slight on bias against full-figured black women, saying the music industry preferred very slim women. The very slim Swift responded by telling Minaj I ve done nothing but love and support you and invited her to share the stage. Nearly two days later, Swift apologized. Minaj said she wished that Swift had spoken out on portrayals of African American women. The first MTV awards were handed out in Winners receive a statuette of an astronaut on the moon, known as a Moonman award. Winners in other leading categories were Fall Out Boy for Best Rock Video with Uma Thurman, Song of the Summer went to 5 Seconds of Summer for She s Kinda Hot while Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars won Best Male Video for Uptown Funk. Artist to Watch went to Fetty Wap for Trap Queen. PERSONAL PREFERENCE Break from films to think about what I m doing: Ileana NIVEDITA Ileana D Cruz, who made her Bollywood debut with the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Barfi! and was last seen on the big screen in Saif Ali Khanstarrer Happy Ending, says she s on a break from movies to think about where her career is heading. I haven t done anything since Happy Ending (2014), so it has been a while. It s probably a break because I didn t like what I was getting. I wasn t happy with the scripts... I don t want to sign (just about) anything. I want to work on good projects, the popular southern film actress said. But it s just a break, pointed out the Pokiri actress and added: I m not leaving the film industry, but it s time to think about what I am doing. However, she says she has an interesting project in hand right now, and she will announce it soon. There is something interesting in the pipeline about which I m excited. I can t talk about it unless it is confirmed. So, I m giving it another week. You know how the film industry works... sometimes it gets confirmed, and sometimes it will take a week, she said. The actress was in Mumbai to be part of the Lakme Fashion Week winterfestive 2015, where she came as the showstopper for Sangria. Ileana flaunted a beautiful floral flowy gown teamed up with an elegant black long coat from Sangria, which gave the outfit a regal look. Asked what it feels to be a regular on the fashion ramp, she said: I am lucky. I think it s a big responsibility that you are representing a brand s style, their collection and their inspiration. It s always an honour to walk on the fashion runway. Ileana also credits runway models for helping her with their suggestion. Miley Cyrus performs Do It. Reuters We can t take the limelight from models... they are stunning. You can t imagine how amazing they are with the kind of work they do. Sometimes, I try to take suggestions from them, said Ileana. Talking of online shopping, she said: I totally shop online. I am a big online shopper. However, her personal style is something that fluctuates a lot. I fluctuate a lot. I can wear dungarees, and on days I want to dress up from head to toe... I think it depends on my mood. I am quite a moody person, but I hate going over the top. I kind of stick with very simple and easy clothing, but at the same it has to be classy too. Ileana s musthave pieces are a pair of fitted jeans, lots of black outfits, accessories, nice sports shoes and a clutch. Actress Kareena Kapoor says she is interested in getting trained in Kathak or Bharatnatyam. I plan to get trained professionally in Kathak or Bharatnatyam in the near future. Right now, I have a lot of commitments but I want to pursue my childhood passion, Kareena said in a statement. I have always been inspired by my sister (Karisma Kapoor) who is a trained classical dancer. When I was young, I would watch Karisma practising the steps and imitate her in front of the mirror, added the actress. Kareena believes that Indian women look beautiful in ethnic clothes. We often ape the west when it comes to fashion, but I think even a simple sari can make a woman look effortlessly beautiful, she said. Most of my fans love my Indian avatar and I am also personally comfortable wearing that. When it comes to dressing up for occasions, I prefer wearing an anarkali or a sari. Fashion, for me, is all about being comfortable. I believe that whatever I am comfortable in, becomes fashion for me, she said. Jess Glynne banned from partying Singer Jess Glynne, 25, has been forced to quit her social life for the time being to protect her voice and save her career following emergency surgery on her vocal cords two months ago. I have to be careful (following surgery). I just need to make sure I rest my voice. I m not allowed to go out and party because I m still in the recovery period, Glynne told The Sun newspaper, reports femalefirst. co.uk. The record label is working me pretty hard. They tend to put things in your diary without your consent. But now I m like, No I can t do that, she added. Cowell is a genius: Cheryl The X Factor judge Cheryl Fernandez- Versini (pictured) believes that her cojudge Simon Cowell is a genius and loves that he has been picking up new phrases from their fellow judge Rita Ora. The I don t care hitmaker believes she and fellow The X Factor judges Ora and Nick Grimshaw are giving the music mogul energy, as well as teaching him more youthful catchphrases, but they all have a lot of respect for the show s boss, reports femalefirst.co.uk. We are giving him energy and teaching him new words. Rita s catchphrase is, Mash it up, mash it up, mash it up, boom, and Simon said last night, I m going to mash it up, Cheryl said. We all respect him though he s seen all the changes and had a lot of success. You can t deny the guy is a genius, she added.

30 30 LIFESTYLE omandailyobserver SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 Learn rabic EVERY WITH OMAN OBSERVER SOCIETY TRANSLITERATION ARABIC ENGLISH Weyn tsaw wi tamareen? Ala al shati. Ay shati trooh? Arooh shati al autheiba. Leesh ma trooh al sala? Leána al shati majani. Wa teq dar tes tamte bel hawa al munésh. Sah Andrew: Where do you do you exercises? Majid: At the beach. Andrew: Which beach do you go to? Majid: I go to Athaiba beach. Andrew: Why don t you go to the gym? Majid: Because the beach is free. Andrew: And you can enjoy fresh air. Majid: True. EXTRA VOCABULARY Qareb Asdaf me thala Boat Shells Umbrella Poverty hampers children s brain development CULTURAL LESSON: It is important to dress appropriately when visiting public beaches. Appropriate beach attire for women, includes clothes that cover your knees and arms. This is true when swimming, or on shore. For men wearing shorts is acceptable for swimming. If you are going to a private beach however, you should feel free to dress as you would in your home country. HEALTH Cold weather may increase stroke risk Cold weather is associated with increased risk of ischaemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition characterised by irregular rhythm of the heartbeat, shows results of a study involving nearly 290,000 patients. Our study shows a clear association between temperature and risk of ischaemic stroke in patients with AF, said researcher Tze-Fan Chao, cardiologist at National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan. The findings indicate that cold climates may promote the formation of blood clots within the left atrium and increase the risk of stroke for AF patients. Risk may increase in cold weather because of the procoagulant status, Chao noted. The study involved 289,559 new-onset AF patients from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan during 2000 to Among the Taiwan AF cohort, 34,991 patients suffered from an ischaemic stroke during the mean follow up of three years. The risk of ischaemic stroke was higher among the months with a lower average temperature. PSM holds inter-school quiz competition An Inter-School Fahad Shaheed Quiz Competition was held in Pakistan School Muscat. The competition was named after S Fahad, who died in the school bus accident in Five branches of Pakistan School System namely Pakistan School Muscat, Pakistan School Sohar, Pakistan School Musannah, Pakistan School Nizwa and Pakistan School Seeb participated in the competition. The competition was comprised of three levels. The first level included students of class 6 and P-I to 8 and P-III, from grade 9 and S-I to grade 10 and S-II formed group two and the third group was marked by grades XI, XII, AS and A-II. The programme started with the few verses of the Holy Quran recited by Bilal ISG student performs arangetram Amidst the scrambling schedule of academics, it is really asking for a lot from a student to pursue their passion for performing arts. Ananya Ananthan, a student of Grade X in Indian School Ghubra, has indeed proven that you can always make time to work on your dreams. Ananya performed her maiden solo performance (Arangetram) of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical art form recently at Al Falaj Hotel, Muscat. She is a student of Guru Premila Ramesh for the past nine years. G Narendra and Faisal of S-II. Atta Ullah Niazi, Senior Principal of Pakistan School Systems gave the ceremonial welcome. Member Board of Directors Waseem Iqbal was the Chief Guest. Nazish Haq, the mother of S Fahad, in whose name the competition is organised graced the occasion as the K Mahalakshmi of Avigna Dance Ensemble, Chennai were the choreographers of Ananya s dance items as well as the Chief Guests for the Expanding Opportunity through Education and Training guest of honour. Shuja Khaliq and A Hanan of Pakistan School Muscat secured the first position in Group 1 while in group II, Iman Khalid and Emaan Tariq of PSM were the winners. In group-iii Ruman ul Haq and Turab Ali of Pakistan School Nizwa won the trophy. evening. Ananya was indeed privileged to have the support of very gifted group of musicians from India, who complemented her performance extremely well. A very informative introductory video on this classical art form, show casing the performances of Ananya and her guru added much value to the evening s performance. Growing in severe poverty can adversely affect children s brain development, thereby putting them at a disadvantage for academic achievement, new research has found. The researchers found that low-income children had atypical structural brain development and lower standardised test scores. These observations suggest that interventions aimed at improving children s environments may also alter the link between childhood poverty and deficits in cognition and academic achievement, the study noted. The authors estimated that as much as 20 per cent of the gap in test scores could be explained by developmental lags in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. While the frontal lobe is important for controlling attention, inhibition, emotions and complex learning, the temporal lobe is important for memory and language comprehension, such as identifying and attaching meaning to words. Socioeconomic disparities in school readiness and academic performance are well documented but little is known about the mechanisms underlying the influence of poverty on children s learning and achievement. For the study, Seth Pollak of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, and colleagues analysed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 389 typically developing children and adolescents ages four to 22 with complete sociodemographic and neuroimaging data. The authors measured children s scores on cognitive and academic achievement tests and brain tissue, including gray matter of the total brain, frontal lobe, temporal lobe and hippocampus. They observed developmental lags in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brains of children stricken with severe poverty. On average, children from low-income households scored four to seven points lower on standardised tests, according to the results. The study was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. Vehicular air pollution increases heart attack risk Even short-term exposure to particulate matter and nitric dioxide (NO2) air pollution, that originate predominantly from the combustion of fossil fuels such as emissions from industrial plants or vehicles increases risk of severe heart attacks, research has found. The study investigated the effect of short-term exposure to air pollution on the risk of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a deadly type of heart attack caused by a prolonged blockage of blood supply in the heart. The association between STEMI and air pollution was observed within one day of exposure, said researcher Jean-Francois Argacha, cardiologist at University Hospital Brussels in Belgium. This was despite the fact that concentrations of air pollutants were within the European air quality standard, Argacha noted. The researchers used a statistical model to evaluate real-time exposure to air pollution in each part of Belgium with adjustments for population density. The researchers looked at records of hospitalisations for STEMI in Belgium between 2009 and They found that 10 micrograms per cubic metre increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations were associated with a 2.8 per cent increase in STEMI while 10 micrograms per cubic metre rises in NO2 were associated with a 5.1 per cent increased risk. These associations were only observed in men. It is possible that only men were affected because of the under representation of women in our study population (less than 25 per cent), Argacha said. The findings were presented at European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2015 in London this week. SIESTA Cat naps at office can lower blood pressure Mid-day naps at office not only boost productivity but also reduce blood pressure significantly, a study has suggested. Mid-day sleep is a habit that nowadays is a privilege, owing to long and demanding working culture and intense daily routine. But according to our study, mid-day naps seem to lower blood pressure levels and may probably also decrease the number of required anti--hypertensive medications, said Manolis Kallistratos, cardiologist at Asklepieion Voula General Hospital in Athens, Greece. The study included 386 middle-aged patients with arterial hypertension. Along with other measures, the researchers looked at mid-day sleep time (an average of 17 minutes), office blood pressure levels and lifestyle habits. After adjusting for other factors such as age, gender, exercise and Body Mass Index (BMI), the researchers found that mid-day sleepers had five per cent lower average 24 hour BP, compared to patients who did not sleep at all mid-day. Although the mean BP decrease seems low, it has to be mentioned that reductions as small as two mmhg (a measure of pressure) in systolic blood pressure can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by up to 10 per cent, Kallistratos added. The researchers also found that among mid-day sleepers, pulse wave velocity levels were 11 per cent lower and left atrium diameter was five per cent smaller. The findings suggest that mid-day sleepers have less damage from high blood pressure in their arteries and heart, Kallistratos added. Mid-day sleepers also had greater dips in blood pressure while sleeping at night which is associated with better health outcomes. We also found that hypertensive patients who slept at noon were under fewer antihypertensive medications compared to those who didn t sleep mid-day, the author noted. The longer the mid-day sleep, the lower the systolic BP levels and probably fewer drugs needed to lower BP, Kallistratos concluded. The findings were presented at the ESC Congress a the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in London on August 29.

31 31 SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER 1 l 2015 omandailyobserver DR RAJAN PHILIPS [email protected] Motivation at the workplace WEDDING BELLS growing quieter in Las Vegas SEBASTIEN VUAGNAT At the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, an Elvis impersonator in a black jumpsuit croons as a couple walks down the aisle. Pastor Jean- Claude Chevalme pronounces them man and wife. All in 10 minutes flat. Viva Las Vegas. But the wedding business isn t what it used to be in Sin City. The US desert oasis known for allnight gambling, extravagant shows and no-hold-barred boozing has for decades also been a magnet for couples from around the world who are looking to tie the knot quickly and cheaply. The kitschier the ceremony, the better. The marriage licence office in Nevada s Clark County is open until midnight every day, even on holidays. Weddings usually cost just a few hundred dollars. But fewer people are taking advantage of the southwestern city s flexible laws 37 per cent fewer over the past decade, in fact, as the number of Vegas weddings dropped from 128,000 in 2004 to 81,000 last year. The wedding business here in Las Vegas has fallen off since We Ancient Greek palace near Sparta unearthed The excavation site with remains of a palace of the Mycenaean period. Archaeologists in Greece have discovered the ruins of an ancient palace with important archaic inscriptions dating back to the Mycenaean Age, the culture ministry said last week. The palace, likely built around the 17th-16th centuries BC, had around ten rooms and was discovered near Sparta in southern Greece. At the site, archaeologists found objects of worship, clay figurines, a cup adorned with a bull s head, swords and fragments of murals. Since 2009, excavations in the area have unearthed inscriptions on tablets detailing religious ceremonies and names and places in a script called Linear B, the oldest script to be discovered in Europe. It first appears in Crete from around 1375 BC and was only deciphered in the mid 20th century. The new discovery will allow for more research on the political, administrative, economic and societal organisation of the region, and provide new information on the beliefs and language systems of the Mycenean people, the ministry said in a statement. A couple walks toward the altar to get married at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas. (file photo) haven t had ups and downs, and ups and downs it s just been a consistent drop every year, Chevalme said. You know, people don t have as much money anymore because the economy here isn t that good. The downturn could also be due to a decline in the appeal of a style of wedding that emerged more than a halfcentury ago. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward got hitched here two big Hollywood stars of the 1950s, said Clark County clerk Lynn Marie Goya. They weren t the only ones. Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra exchanged vows in Sin City in Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton, and Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford all tied the knot here. Ill-fated unions The lustre from those celebrity weddings has worn off over time as a Vegas marriage has come to mean something less glamorous: an impulsive, and usually ill-fated, marriage. Stars like Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman got married there before annulling their vows nine days later. Britney Spears and Jason Alexander tied the knot and then promptly untied it 55 hours later. What happened in Vegas really did stay in Vegas. JOSHUA MELVIN ENVIRONMENT Coral gets bailed out by an enemy: STUDY Under attack from hordes of ravenous starfish, Pacific coral is getting help from an unexpected source seaweed, an arch enemy, researchers said. Seaweed is no friend of the fragile ecosystems of coral reefs, pumping out harmful chemicals, blocking out life-giving sunlight, and rubbing up against and damaging the threatened marine invertebrates. But it turns out the plants also fend off coralmunching crown-of-thorns starfish, which pose an even bigger threat, according to a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. So being covered in seaweed represents the lesser of two evils for coral: better than being eaten, said study co-author Cody Clements, a graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States. Corals surrounded by seaweeds were virtually immune to attack by the sea stars, essentially converting seaweeds from enemies to friends, said co-author Mark Hay, a professor at the university. The research could be helpful in managing coral reefs, which are under increasing threat from climate change, chemical run-off from farming, and the crown-of-thorns starfish. Sea stars have a unique feeding mechanism by which a sack-like stomach emerges from their mouth to envelop and externally digest the corals living tissue, killing them. All they leave behind are the coral skeletons, said Clements. Crown-of-thorns sea stars are a major problem in the Pacific, which is home to the world s biggest coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef. Its coral has declined by more than 50 per cent over the past 25 years with sea stars getting much of the blame, the researchers said in a statement. Films like The Hangover haven t helped the city s image. One of the misconceptions over the past few years is that people only come here when they are drunk and they get married last-minute, and that s just not true. That makes great movies but that s just not true, says Goya. Even with the downturn, Las Vegas remains the top destination for weddings in the United States, and newly legalized gay marriage could provide a new source of revenue. But Las Vegas estimates the nearly 40 per cent decline in weddings has cost the city $1 billion a year, so it is starting to fight back. It has kicked off a publicity campaign to restore the allure of the Vegas wedding and to attract a new generation of lovebirds to the city, especially from overseas. It s all about the fun and the craziness. Everything is large, big, so different from what we have back in Norway, says one new bride. Rob Johnston, a newlywed from Britain, says he and wife Claire loved their Elvis-themed wedding. We really enjoyed it it was a fantastic experience. We ve had many great days and now we re off for dinner in the Eiffel Tower. What more could you want? Stopped cold by seaweed In a two-year study in a protected marine area off the coast of the Fiji islands, Clements examined what sea stars and seaweed did to coral. He used portable coral samples to test their reaction to different sizes of seaweed growth. In the absence of seaweed, coral mass more than doubled in about four months. But coral which shared its habitat with multiple seaweed fronds grew a mere 40 per cent over the same period. Researchers then moved on to studying sea star attacks, and found they targeted A couple gets married at the drive-up window of a Las Vegas. (file photo). MIA FARROW AND FRANK SINATRA EXCHANGED VOWS IN SIN CITY IN DEMI MOORE AND BRUCE WILLIS, ANGELINA JOLIE AND BILLY BOB THORNTON, AND RICHARD GERE AND CINDY CRAWFORD ALL TIED THE KNOT HERE exposed parts and not those protected by plant growth. The frequency of attacks was 50 per cent lower on coral surrounded by two seaweed fronds. The scientists placed two coral colonies in separate cages with a sea star one containing seaweed, the other without. The sea stars were deterred, said Hay. They wouldn t eat the coral surrounded by the seaweeds. The reason the plants work as a deterrent was not known, but the team speculated the seaweed may present a physical barrier, hiding the coral or making it harder to get to. The inspirational story of the legendary Robert the Bruce, 14th century Scottish king and the spider is a fine example of the impact of motivation at the right moment, even when the chips are down. The valiant king had, had fought several successful battles for his country. But once, he was badly defeated and had to flee the battlefield to save his life. He hid in a cave. Everything seemed lost. That s when he watched in fascination the valiant efforts of a spider. Even after six futile attempts to reach its web on the roof of the cave, the spider persevered. In its seventh attempt it achieved its goal. The scene motivated King Robert to fight yet another battle with renewed strength and redoubled courage. And, of course he emerged triumphant! Business leaders and managers at all levels face the constant challenge to keep their staff motivated and productive. The employees too realize the importance of being motivated. Maintaining an optimum level of motivation is the crucial issue. Motivation at the workplace hinges on multiple factors. The overall company environment, the attitude and actions of those who represent the management and the goals and aspirations of the employees are all determining ingredients. These factors have differing bearing on different organisations and groups of employees. Hence there is no magic formula that works for all staff and work environments. But experts do offer broad and helpful guidelines. At the outset, business leaders must strive to establish a meaningful and purposeful relationship with their workforce. They can then frame a specific plan to help team members achieve their goals in order to motivate them. Leaders also need to focus on building skill sets and aptitudes of their employees. This can pave the way for their career advancement, a significant factor for effective motivation. Good leaders devote more time to inspiring the members and delegating them responsibilities rather than in micromanaging. That is a sure way to boost their confidence and foster motivation. They are also patient and thoughtful listeners. Besides, true leaders are always willing to give full credit to the team member where it s due and is never averse to sharing the blame when something goes wrong. This was a cardinal principal that late Dr A P J Abdul Kalam professed and practiced as a leading space scientist and statesman. On its part the organisation should provide a safe and secure environment that ensures future stability. The staff can then be expected to work with a greater sense of purpose in achieving the common organisational goals. The management also has an obligation to promote a culture of healthy work-life balance. A dynamic and flexible approach to solving problems will also prove immensely useful. Timely appreciation can serve as a powerful motivational tool. For instance, incentives and rewards in the form of Employee of the Month, Employee of the Year can help the staff feel important and appreciated. However, care should be taken that the process is based on objective norms and the whole exercise is carried out in a very transparent manner. If not, it can prove counter-productive. Employees must consider themselves fortunate if the management creates a conducive climate. Even otherwise, it is essential that they find ways and means of motivating themselves for furthering their career. While the remuneration package does matter to start with, loyal employees look for other non-material incentives to keep moving forward. These include steps to boost their self-esteem and dignity. Ultimately, job satisfaction and a sense of belonging and joy experienced at the workplace and among colleagues matters most. QUOTES : Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. Norman Ralph Augustine Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. Dwight D Eisenhower Hard work keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit. Helena Rubinstein

32 SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 DHUL QA ADA 17, 1436 AH P29 P30 P31 Inside Taylor queen of MTV awards Cat naps at office can lower blood pressure Wedding bells growing quieter in Las Vegas FOLLOW US ON: Designer brands make inroads into MUSCAT BOUTIQUES SWATI BASU DAS From most trendy anarkali to longlength straight fits, from fancy designer lehengas to casual kurtis teamed with trousers, the Indian traditional materials, designs and brands are coming forward with a new trend in local market. A demand to connect with the most latest rage in the fashion industry and the designer labels have paved a way to the increasing number of traditional Indian wear boutique in Muscat. With such boutiques opening up wings in Muscat so did the demand for Indian fabric as well as designs and fashion. Be it the most famous Galabiyahs or even long length salwars and designer lehengas, a large section of the local women prefer making a beeline to get the best fabrics and designs these boutiques has to offer. Omani women really like Indian fabric as well as the designs. They mostly prefer chiffon and crepe when it comes to choosing fabrics, says Hrishika who runs a boutique in MBD. Brands like Kimora, Zoya, Khawab are more in demand. I prefer designer brand salwars for occasional wear. I go for the semi-stitched materials. The prices too are nominal and all I need to do is to get them stitched, says Zarah, a student. While the trend remains the long-length and flared maxi dresses to galabiyahs, designer brands are what have drawn attraction for young Omani ladies. Most customers who visit our shop prefers buying a semi-stitched materials be it for any party or the wedding collections, says Hrishika. As theme marriages have picked up for the past few years in Muscat, an Indian theme does the magic for many boutiques. Whenever the bride and her relatives come to us saying they need the most extravagant designer wear for an Indian theme marriage, we offer them the best. Yet most of the time they give us their choice of designer labels and we spread the best lot available in the brand, says Shraddha who runs a boutique of Indian designer collections in Wadi Kabir. As for the local bride an Indian theme come with a fully stitched lehenga preferably in chiffon, georgette, crepe or even in very few cases net material studded with semi precious stone and crystal works along the border and even the body and a main dupatta with heavy handworked borders and a simple net veil with beautiful tassels. The blouse of the lehengas are mostly un-stitched brocade fabrics heavily worked with FROM SHIMMERING DESIGNER LABELS TO SOBER AND ELEGANT CASUAL PARTY WEAR, FOR THE LOCAL LADIES, LATEST BOUTIQUE TREND SPREADS A FASHION FIESTA stones both front and back and border works on the sleeves. Lehengas and lehenga looking salwars are the latest craze in the local market. There is a huge demand of such designer bridal wear during the wedding season. Not only the bridal dress but dresses pertaining to other wedding ceremonies as well are grabbed in large number. Ceremonies before and after the wedding and even gifts to other relative holds an immense demand for Indian materials and designs, mostly the semi-stitched ones and sometimes even saris which they buy to make dresses of their choice and designs, she added. In most cases there has been a demand for Indian materials crafted from a local tailors. It is cheaper that way. I generally buy an Indian saree that come within a range of RO 20 to RO 30 and then I get it stitched from my tailor with my own design. Saris are even a great idea to make galabiyahs, says Aminia, who just loves to buy Indian chiffon and Georgette saris. Kurtis made of pure cotton and linen attracts our Omani ladies, as they can wear them with jeans and trousers. As it is nine month summer so they prefer such materials for regular use, says Minal, who runs a boutique in Ruwi. Be it pastel or any bright colours the choice of colour is much sober and elegant for the Omani women and depending on the weather. Though wedding collection for them has to be gaudy with a chic finish, casual kurtis and salwars are also in vogue. When it comes to colours neon colours are an absolute no-no for our local customers, they prefer more of dark colours like blue, red, orange, green and even softer colours, says Vasu, who works in a boutique in MBD. With the rise of social networking like Instagram and WhatsApp, reaching the customers have become easier. Most of our loyal customer place an order through facebook, instagram and even whatsapp. In case their friends and relatives like the materials we whatsapp them the close-up of the material they wish to purchase, says Hrishika. As for decades though the local dressmakers haven t seen a much shift of taste when it comes to certain Omani traditional designs yet the mixmatch of Indian designer suit materials and themebased-fashion is much in vogue. LASTING EFFECT DEVELOP CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS TO STAY FIT Developing close friendships early in life may help children stay physically fit later in their adulthood, suggests new research. These results indicate that remaining close to as opposed to separating oneself from the peer pack in adolescence has long-term implications for adult physical health, said one of the researchers Joseph Allen from University of Virginia in the US. In this study, it was a robust predictor of increased long-term physical health quality, Allen noted. The findings indicate that adolescent relationship qualities may come to influence adult health through decreased levels of later anxiety and depressive symptoms. The researchers recruited a diverse group of 171 seventh- and eighth-graders and followed them from ages 13 through 27 years old. From ages 13 through 17, the participants best friend filled out a questionnaire assessing the overall quality of the friendship, including the degree of trust, communication, and alienation in the relationship. Friends also provided information about how much participants focused on fitting in with their peers. Participants health quality was then assessed annually at ages 25, 26, and 27 years old with questions about their overall health, anxiety and depression symptoms, and body mass index. Results indicated that both highquality close friendships and a drive to fit in with peers in adolescence were associated with better health at age 27. The study was published in the journal Psychological Science. THESE RESULTS INDICATE THAT REMAINING CLOSE TO AS OPPOSED TO SEPARATING ONESELF FROM THE PEER PACK IN ADOLESCENCE HAS LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS FOR ADULT PHYSICAL HEALTH