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<rss version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Times Of Oman]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/</link><description><![CDATA[Times of Oman Now Globally Available.]]></description><language>en-us</language><copyright><![CDATA[Copyright 2010, TimesofOman.com]]></copyright><category><![CDATA[Newspapers]]></category><item><title><![CDATA[Protestors storm Syria embassy in Australia]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54377</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Syria: Protestors stormed Syria s Australian embassy and trashed its lower level, as the Syrian opposition said troops had killed more than 260 people in shelling the city of Homs, police said Sunday.

Australian police said a &quot;number of men forced entry&quot; to the Syrian embassy in Canberra on Saturday evening and &quot;caused extensive damage to the ground floor&quot; of the building.

Three diplomatic staff present at the time barricaded themselves in a back room according to media reports, which said as many as 40 people were involved in overrunning the embassy.
Police were alerted to the incident by a phone call from embassy staff but said the group dispersed before officers arrived.

&quot;We are obviously concerned about it and three staff members from the embassy were present when the men forced entry. However, no one was injured,&quot; said superintendent Mick Calatzis.
The attack on the embassy follows similar incidents in Athens, Berlin, Cairo, Kuwait and London as news spread of the Homs shelling on Saturday, which the Syrian opposition said had claimed the lives of 260 civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said about 100 women and children were among the 237 in its toll. It was the heaviest reported day of death since the Syrian uprising began 10 months ago.

Australia s Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd denounced the attack as &quot;tantamount to a war crime&quot; and urged the United Nations to pass a resolution calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step aside. 
Russia and China blocked attempts in the UN Security Council to condemn Syria for its crackdown on protests, drawing strong condemnation from Western and Arab powers.

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]]></description><author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Born to be PM  India s Rahul Gandhi in the limelight]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54376</link>
			<description><![CDATA[India: Rahul Gandhi has no ministerial experience, has never sought a government job and is coy about detailing his vision for India, but he has long been seen as the country s future prime minister.

The son, grandson and great-grandson of prime ministers, Rahul, now 41, has carried the burden of expectation since his father Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991.

He has prepared for his apparent destiny under the guidance of his mother, Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born president of India s ruling Congress Party who has overseen all government policy since 2004.

With the elderly Manmohan Singh likely to step down as prime minister at 2014 elections at the latest, Rahul is tipped to take over as Congress party president on his next step towards leading a country of 1.2 billion people.

In the upcoming crucial elections in Uttar Pradesh, India s most populous state which begins voting on Wednesday, he has taken centre-stage in campaigning in a key test of his popularity and ability to mobilise the masses. 

Softly-spoken, bespectacled and boyish, Rahul would be an unlikely candidate to rise to the top of India s turbulent political world without his illustrious lineage as scion of the Nehru-Gandhi clan.

The family is descended through Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister after independence from Britain in 1947, his daughter Indira Gandhi, who was twice premier, and Indira s son Rajiv.

Tragedy, as well as power, has coloured the family s role in Indian history. Indira was assassinated in 1984 by her bodyguards, while Rajiv was killed by a suicide bomber in 1991 when campaigning for re-election.

Rahul, who was 20 when his father died, has lived in a cocoon of security for much of his life.

He was educated in India and at Harvard and Cambridge, and first worked in business management in London before winning the family constituency seat of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh state in 2004.

Since then he has worked behind the scenes to revive support among young people for the Congress party, and has also cherry-picked useful publicity opportunities such as visiting earthquake victims in Sikkim.

He has held few press conference, gives almost no interviews and speaks mostly at carefully-controlled appearances in often remote and poor villages.

Still unmarried, and with no acknowledged girlfriend, Rahul is occasionally spotted in upmarket Delhi restaurants, at sports events sitting with ordinary fans and even riding the metro -- always surrounded by armed guards.

During huge protests against institutional corruption in August, he passed a rare test of his political abilities when delivering a forceful speech in parliament as the government wobbled.

&quot;I have travelled the length and breadth of our country. I have met scores of countrymen, rich and poor, old and young, privileged and disempowered who have expressed their disillusionment to me,&quot; he said.

&quot;I believe in empowering our youth, in opening the doors of our closed political system, in bringing fresh blood into politics... I believe in moving our democracy deeper and deeper into our villages and our cities.&quot;

But his record of real achievement is thin, and his stance on many thorny issues as India hurtles towards modernisation is unclear.

US diplomatic cables released by the Wikileaks website described him as &quot;an empty suit&quot; when he became an MP in 2004.

&quot;He will need to get his hands dirty in the untidy and ruthless business that is Indian politics,&quot; it said.

Instead, Rahul has remained largely above the fray, protecting his humble and serious image.

To many observers, it is actually his sister Priyanka who has the natural political instincts, but she concentrates on her life as a mother of two young children.

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]]></description><author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Romney wins big in Nevada, Gingrich battles for second]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54375</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Romney: Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney romped to victory in the Nevada caucuses Saturday, US media predicted, cementing him as frontrunner to take on President Barack Obama in November.

And former House speaker Newt Gingrich was only a few points ahead of libertarian congressman Ron Paul in a battle for second place, CNN and Fox television channels said.

Official figures by the Nevada Republican Party, with 12.5 percent of votes counted, gave Romney 40.8 percent, against 26.2 percent for Gingrich, 19.2 percent for Paul and 13.6 percent for Santorum.

Gingrich, who scored an upset win by taking South Carolina last month, is struggling to stay in the race in face of Romney s superior funds and well-oiled campaign machine.

He was due to address the media later Saturday, but his daughters insisted he plans to stay in the race, with all eyes already on March 6, Super Tuesday, when at least 10 states will vote for their Republican nominee in the November elections.

&quot;He s in it to win it. We re working towards a victory or towards being in Tampa in August. So this is a long and fluid race. But... we are here for the long haul,&quot; his daughter Kathy Lubbers told CNN, referring to the party convention in August which will crown the nominee.

But David Damore, assistant professor of politics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said it was a blow to Gingrich.

&quot;I think that super Tuesday is his last stand. The party is still fractured... It does look like Paul is costing Gingrich a bit and that will probably be the case in the caucus states,&quot; he told AFP after the initial results came in.

The Silver State was voting four days after Romney s crushing win over the former House speaker in Florida.

If Paul creeps into second place in Nevada it will be the best showing yet for the politician who has long set his sights on the White House, but has found it hard to sell his unconventional message and radical economic views, including his opposition to the Federal Reserve.

But his populist message plays well in caucuses, and Paul vowed he was not planning to drop out before Super Tuesday.

&quot;We are doing so well there is no reason to think about that. We are starting to see the accumulation of delegates,&quot; Paul told CNN.

&quot;After tonight we ll have more. And next Tuesday we ll have more. And I think other people will be starting to think about our position and we may well by that time be in second place.&quot;

Three states will vote on Tuesday -- Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri -- and Romney is hoping a Nevada win will help him sweep into the heartland states where unemployment and the struggling economy are top issues.

Romney had been expected to repeat his triumph here of the 2008 White House race when he won the state over John McCain -- helped by strong backing from fellow Mormons.

&quot;Everybody knows he s going to win, it s about how big he wins, and how much of the vote he gets,&quot; said Damore. &quot;They re basically competing against expectations now: can he do better than 50 percent, which is about what he got four years ago &quot;

Nevada will be Romney s third victory over Gingrich, after scoring wins in New Hampshire and Florida, and he seems to have tamped down a row that broke out after he said he was &quot;not concerned&quot; about &quot;very poor&quot; Americans.

He insisted the context of his comments showed he was concerned about all Americans, but his focus is on middle class voters who have been worst hit by a recession and sluggish US recovery after the 2008 global downturn.

The remarks about the poor sparked new accusations that the wealthy former venture capitalist, who lives off his investments, is out of touch with ordinary voters.
Romney also raised eyebrows after he released tax filings showing he earned $20 million from his investments in 2010 and paid just 13.9 percent in taxes -- a lower rate than many struggling Americans.

But voting in Las Vegas Saturday, 73-year-old Carl Lindstrom said the former Massachusetts governor would also get his vote. &quot;I think he has the presence, the prestige, the knowledge,&quot; he said.

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]]></description><author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Syria veto aimed at averting bloodshed: China s Xinhua]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54374</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Syria: China s official Xinhua news agency said Sunday Beijing and Moscow s veto of a UN Security Council resolution on Syria was designed to prevent more &quot;turbulence and fatalities&quot; in the violence-hit state.

Russia and China s Saturday veto of a resolution condemning Syria s crackdown on protests has sparked an international outcry, and came just hours after reports that troops in the city of Homs had killed hundreds of civilians.

Russia s UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin justified the veto by saying the proposed resolution &quot;sent an unbalanced signal to the Syrian parties&quot;.

His Chinese counterpart Li Baodong said pushing through such &quot;a vote when parties are still seriously divided ... will not help maintain the unity and authority of the Security Council, or help resolve the issue.&quot;

In a comment piece, Xinhua said the veto -- the second by the two countries since the start of violence in the Middle Eastern state a year ago -- &quot;was aimed at further seeking peaceful settlement of the chronic Syrian crisis.&quot;

&quot;With the veto, Russia and China believed more time and patience should be given to a political solution to the Syrian crisis, which would prevent the Syrian people from more turbulence and fatalities,&quot; it said.

Russia and China -- which both have veto power as two of the five permanent members of the Security Council -- were the only countries to vote against the resolution.

The draft resolution was put forward by Morocco, and had called for an immediate end to all violence. It did not impose any sanctions, nor did it authorise military action.

Washington said it was &quot;disgusted&quot; with China and Russia s rare double veto and France denounced the massacre in the city of Homs as a &quot;crime against humanity.&quot;

Russia -- for whom Syria is its last remaining major ally in the Middle East -- has announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to Damascus on Tuesday to press President Bashar al-Assad to discuss a political solution.
Syrian opposition groups say more than 6,000 people have been killed in the country since last March.

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]]></description><author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[US to keep forces after Afghan pullout: report]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54373</link>
			<description><![CDATA[US: The United States plans to maintain special forces in Afghanistan after it winds down its combat operations in the country, using them to hunt down insurgent leaders and train local troops, The New York Times reported. 

Citing unnamed senior Pentagon officials, the newspaper Saturday said these forces could remain in the country well after the NATO mission ends in late 2014. 

NATO defense ministers, meeting in Germany this past week, voiced hope that Afghan forces can take the lead across the country in 2013, while foreign troops shift to a backup role.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had caused a stir before arriving in Europe on Wednesday when he suggested that the United States hoped to wind down the combat mission as early as mid-2013.

Under the emerging plan, thousands of US special forces will remain after the bulk of US conventional troops leave, The Times said. 

Pentagon officials and military planners say the new plan for Afghanistan is not a direct response to the deteriorating conditions in Iraq, the paper said.

Even so, the shift could give US President Barack Obama a political shield against attacks from his Republican rivals, who have already begun criticizing him for moving too swiftly to extract troops from Afghanistan, The Times noted.

The new focus builds on a desire to use the elite troops to counter any residual terrorist threat as well as to devote the military s top trainers to the task of preparing Afghan security forces, the report said.

The plan would put a particularly heavy focus on Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, noted the paper. 

They would be in charge of training a variety of Afghan security forces, according to The Times. At the same time, the elite commando teams within special operations forces would continue their raids to hunt down, capture or kill insurgent commanders and terrorist leaders and keep pressure on cells of fighters to prevent them from mounting attacks.

Under the plan, Americans would no longer be carrying out large numbers of patrols to clear vast areas of Afghanistan or holding villages and towns vulnerable to militant attacks, the paper noted. 

Those tasks would fall to Afghan forces, with special forces soldiers remaining in the field to guide them, The Times said. 


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]]></description><author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[11 dead as Dominican migrant boat capsizes]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54372</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Dominican: Boat carrying some 70 migrants bound for Puerto Rico capsized Saturday after sailing from the Dominican Republic, leaving at least 11 people dead, authorities said.

&quot;There were 72 people on the boat, and we have 11 dead -- six men and five women,&quot; Luis Frias, civil defense director in Sabana de la Mar, 155 kilometers (96 miles) northeast of the capital Santo Domingo, said.

Thirteen people have been rescued, according to the Dominican navy.
Survivors in a local hospital said their boat capsized after it was swamped by heavy waves in rough weather, according to Frias.

The navy said in a statement that it only learned of the disaster hours after the morning accident. It immediately launched a search and rescue effort that continued throughout the day but was slowed due to nightfall.

It was not immediately clear if those still unaccounted for were considered missing in the water or swam to safety.

Illegal migration in rickety handmade boats, particularly to the US island territory of Puerto Rico, is a constant problem in the Dominican Republic, where residents often seek to flee economic hardship and pursue better job opportunities.

The US Coast Guard deployed an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and the Coast Guard Cutter Sapelo patrol boat from a base in Puerto Rico, as well as a sentry aircraft from the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to participate in the search in Samana Bay off the northern Dominican coast.


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]]></description><author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Finland holds final round of presidential election]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54371</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Finns head to the polls Sunday to elect a president in the second round of an election that has seen conservative Sauli Niinistoe enjoying a wide lead over green liberal challenger Pekka Haavisto in pre-election surveys.

Niinistoe s experience as finance minister has lent his candidacy credibility amid the European debt crisis while 53 year old Haavisto s openly gay stance has lost him support among older and more traditional Finns, according to analysts.

The most recent public opinion poll, published Thursday, gave the National Coalition Party s Niinistoe 62 percent support against 38 percent for the Green League s Haavisto.
In the first round of voting on January 22, which featured eight candidates, Niinistoe garnered 37 percent of votes and Haavisto 18.8 percent..

The 63-year-old Niinistoe, who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand by climbing a tree, has consistently trounced his challenger in the opinion polls.

This is largely due to his long tenure as finance minister from 1996-2003 when he helped usher Finland into the eurozone. This factor was particularly evident in the first round campaign when the euro crisis was cited as the main concern for voters.

Both candidates are strongly pro-Europe and agree on most aspects of foreign policy -- one of few areas the president still decides -- with pundits noting that the real fireworks died when the virulently anti-euro candidates were eliminated after the first round of voting.

Some 36.5 percent of an eligible 4.4 million voters have already cast their ballots in advance voting before polling stations open at 9:00 am (0700 GMT).
Voting will finish at 8.00 pm (1800 GMT) and final results are expected around 2000 GMT on Sunday.

Analysts were optimistic that voters would turn out despite a wave of Arctic cold sweeping in from Siberia bringing temperatures in Finland plunging as far as minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) over the weekend.

Voter turnout in the first round was 72.8 percent compared to 73.9 percent six years ago.
Finland s popular outgoing President Tarja Halonen is stepping down after serving a maximum of two consecutive terms, ending a thirty-year spell of Social Democratic presidents in the small Nordic country.


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]]></description><author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[China water project to begin operating in 2013: report]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54370</link>
			<description><![CDATA[China: Massive project to divert water from China s south to its drought-prone north -- which has seen hundreds of thousands of people relocated -- will become partly operational next year, state media reported.

The South-North Water Diversion Project is one of the country s largest infrastructure projects since the building of the Three Gorges Dam, which involved the relocation of more than one million people.

Sun Yifu, deputy water resources chief in the eastern province of Shandong -- who is also involved in the programme -- said his province s part of the project would be completed at the end of the year, the Xinhua news agency said.

He added that &quot;the entire project&quot; would become operational in the first half of 2013, and start supplying water to arid parts of the north, the report said late Saturday.
China s South-North Water Diversion project consists of three routes -- the eastern, middle and western routes -- and Sun was referring to the eastern portion of the project, or a 1,890-kilometre (1,170-mile) canal.

Construction on the 1,430-kilometre central route began in 2003 and will only be operational in 2014. The western section, meanwhile, has yet to see the light of day.
Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong is credited with coming up with the idea for the massive diversion programme, which will feature a tunnel dug beneath the Yellow River -- the second-largest in China.

But the project -- which will cost an estimated 500 billion yuan ($79 billion) -- was only approved in 2002.

Critics say it could be a huge waste of resources that risks creating new water shortages and sparking environmental disasters. They also point to the human cost of mass relocations to make way for the canals.

 
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]]></description><author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Write on Times of Oman s Facebook wall and win gift vouchers!]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54369</link>
			<description><![CDATA[ &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; &quot;&gt;Participate in TimesXpresso debate and keep winning. Your contributions for TimesXpresso, the &amp;amp;#8216;Best of the Week&amp;amp;#8217;, will fetch you a reward of RO10. So, in addition to your valued arguments in favour or against a topic that you are writing on, it can win you our appreciation through a voucher. &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;lt;div&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; &quot;&gt;So what are you waiting for  Put on your thinking hat and pen down what you believe deserves to go in the print &amp;amp;#8212; your arguments, your perspective, your thoughts&amp;amp;#8230;&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/div&gt;   &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;strong&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Verdana; &quot;&gt;This weeks  hot topic on TimesXpresso: &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;Should the Oman government now make using solar energy mandatory in all offices &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/strong&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;Post your views, opinion and perspectives on: &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;Facebook.com/timesofoman&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;twitter.com/timesofoman&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;lt;div&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; &quot;&gt;or&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/div&gt;   &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;lt;div&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; &quot;&gt;Send us your letters along with your picture at: &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href=&quot;&amp;amp;#109;&amp;amp;#97;&amp;amp;#105;&amp;amp;#108;&amp;amp;#116;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#58;&amp;amp;#116;&amp;amp;#105;&amp;amp;#109;&amp;amp;#101;&amp;amp;#115;&amp;amp;#101;&amp;amp;#120;&amp;amp;#112;&amp;amp;#114;&amp;amp;#101;&amp;amp;#115;&amp;amp;#115;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#64;&amp;amp;#116;&amp;amp;#105;&amp;amp;#109;&amp;amp;#101;&amp;amp;#115;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#102;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#109;&amp;amp;#97;&amp;amp;#110;&amp;amp;#46;&amp;amp;#99;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#109;&quot; style=&quot;font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; &quot;&gt;timesexpresso@timesofoman.com&amp;amp;lt;/a&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/div&gt;   &amp;amp;nbsp;   &amp;amp;lt;p style=&quot;vertical-align:top&quot;&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Verdana; &quot;&gt;&amp;amp;lt;strong&gt;One-year-old and going strong....&amp;amp;lt;/strong&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;During the past one year, since it was launched, TimesXpresso has gone on to become the voice of the people of Oman. In its ascent from strength to strength, TimesXpresso owes it to the continued support and endorsement it has been receiving from its readers who partook in the debates and discussions with great zeal and enthusiasm. &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;For one year we have seen how overwhelmingly the readers have nursed this forum like their very own. &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;It is, therefore, time now for us to say you a big &amp;amp;#8216;thank you&amp;amp;#8217;. And we, in our own limited ways, would like to say so. &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;lt;div&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; &quot;&gt;So, happy debating dear readers! Keep debating and keep winning! Be heard!&amp;amp;nbsp; And keep the spirit of debate flying!&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/div&gt;   &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;lt;div&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; &quot;&gt;(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/div&gt;]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Write on Times of Oman s Facebook wall and win gift vouchers!]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54368</link>
			<description><![CDATA[ &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; &quot;&gt;Participate in TimesXpresso debate and keep winning. Your contributions for TimesXpresso, the &amp;amp;#8216;Best of the Week&amp;amp;#8217;, will fetch you a reward of RO10. So, in addition to your valued arguments in favour or against a topic that you are writing on, it can win you our appreciation through a voucher.&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;So what are you waiting for  Put on your thinking hat and pen down what you believe deserves to go in the print &amp;amp;#8212; your arguments, your perspective, your thoughts&amp;amp;#8230; &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;strong&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Verdana; &quot;&gt;This weeks  hot topic on TimesXpresso: &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;Should the Oman government now make using solar energy mandatory in all offices &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/strong&gt;    &amp;amp;lt;strong&gt;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;lt;/strong&gt;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;Post your views, opinion and perspectives on: &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;Facebook.com/timesofoman&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;twitter.com/timesofoman&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;or&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;Send us your letters along with your picture at: &amp;amp;lt;a href=&quot;&amp;amp;#109;&amp;amp;#97;&amp;amp;#105;&amp;amp;#108;&amp;amp;#116;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#58;&amp;amp;#116;&amp;amp;#105;&amp;amp;#109;&amp;amp;#101;&amp;amp;#115;&amp;amp;#101;&amp;amp;#120;&amp;amp;#112;&amp;amp;#114;&amp;amp;#101;&amp;amp;#115;&amp;amp;#115;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#64;&amp;amp;#116;&amp;amp;#105;&amp;amp;#109;&amp;amp;#101;&amp;amp;#115;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#102;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#109;&amp;amp;#97;&amp;amp;#110;&amp;amp;#46;&amp;amp;#99;&amp;amp;#111;&amp;amp;#109;&quot;&gt;timesexpresso@timesofoman.com&amp;amp;lt;/a&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;   &amp;amp;lt;p style=&quot;vertical-align:top&quot;&gt;&amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Verdana; &quot;&gt;&amp;amp;lt;strong&gt;One-year-old and going strong....&amp;amp;lt;/strong&gt;&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;During the past one year, since it was launched, TimesXpresso has gone on to become the voice of the people of Oman. In its ascent from strength to strength, TimesXpresso owes it to the continued support and endorsement it has been receiving from its readers who partook in the debates and discussions with great zeal and enthusiasm. &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;For one year we have seen how overwhelmingly the readers have nursed this forum like their very own. &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;It is, therefore, time now for us to say you a big &amp;amp;#8216;thank you&amp;amp;#8217;. And we, in our own limited ways, would like to say so. &amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;So, happy debating dear readers! Keep debating and keep winning! Be heard!&amp;amp;nbsp; And keep the spirit of debate flying!&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt;    &amp;amp;nbsp;    &amp;amp;lt;span style=&quot;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial&quot;&gt;(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)&amp;amp;lt;/span&gt; ]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Oil, gas marketing companies outperform MSM 30 Index]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54367</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: Oil and gas marketing and distribution companies have outperformed (in terms of investor returns) the Muscat Securities Market 30 Index over the last seven years, according to a research report prepared by Al Maha Financial Services.

The report, which tracked the performance of the Muscat bourse and shareholder returns of individual companies for a seven-year period between 2005 and 2011, said that out of the first nine firms in terms of  returns, four are engaged in oil and gas marketing business. 

&quot;The oil and gas companies have strong and stable core business models with healthy cash reserves and zero or low debt. Historically, these companies have achieved constant positive growth and paid high cash dividends to investors,&quot; said the research report, prepared jointly by research analysts Suresh Kumar, Radhika Gadhia and Khushboo Badlani.

Shell Oman Marketing led the list with a 517 per cent shareholder return for the seven-year period, followed by Oman Oil Marketing with a 398 per cent return.

Further, Al Maha Petroleum Products Marketing and Muscat Gases bagged the fourth and sixth positions with an investor return of as high as 347 per cent and 249 per cent, respectively, for the seven-year period.

&quot;The future outlook of this sector continues to remain positive with Oman's investment in the oil and gas sector expected to exceed RO6.6 billion during the Eighth Five Year Plan and estimated at RO1.3 billion (13 per cent of the estimated expenditure) for the current year,&quot; noted the report.

The Al Maha report also noted that most of Muscat bourse's value creators have performed better than investments in gold and crude, pleasantly surprising the market. In the past decade, assets like energy-related commodities and precious metals have given high-returns to investors. Investment in gold would provide an investor with a handsome return of 258 per cent, while crude oil returned 134 per cent. 

Regional performance
Among different sub-sectors on Muscat bourse, the industry sector has been the best performing sector returning an impressive 115.2 per cent, followed by the service sector returning 69.2 per cent, also in line with the MSM 30 Index.

Irrespective of the maverick movement of the MSM 30 index, scaling up to 12,000 levels in mid-2008 and then falling by almost two thirds to 4,200 levels within a year, the MSM 30 index outperformed all the other major regional indices returning 69.6 per cent to the investor over a seven year period. &quot;The return of the MSM was also in line with that of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index,&quot; it added.

The research also found that value creators, which have given maximum returns to the investors in the longer term, have in fact been the unpopular, small and mid-cap stocks, which is contrary to the general myth. 

&quot;Most of these stocks may not fit very well in a trader's short-term perspective. However, they have proved to be silent winners in the long term.&quot; 

Most investors believe that frontline and large-cap stocks give superior returns compared to less liquid, small and mid-cap stocks. Blue-chips like these are also more popular with institutions, retail investors and traders alike and hence enjoy relatively higher liquidity. 
 
Average daily turnover for the seven years from 2005 to 2011 more than doubled compared to that of 2004 and average number of regular market securities traded during the period also grew by more than a third of those traded during 2004.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[A. E. JAMES]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Basic knowledge for aspirants of rally sport]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54366</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: Al Wahaibi Motor Sports (WMS) held a successful two-day workshop at the Omantel complex in Al Mawaleh for aspirant drivers and navigators (co-drivers), according to a press communiqu&#195;&#169; received yesterday.

The workshop was conducted by visiting experts former navigator John Speller and the global racer Said Al Hajri, the 14-time Middle East champions Mohammed bin Sulayem, the rally cars technical expert Ivan Angrloa and the deputy director of Rally Japan International Dimitri Jacques.  The workshop, supervised by Oman's own legendary driver Hamed Al Wahaibi, was organised with the aim of developing aspiring young drivers of the Sultanate and it is believed that the workshop would have boosted the inside knowledge of the rally sport.

Around 30 aspiring youth participated in the opening day and most of them had different intentions. Some wanted to become rally drivers, some navigators and others technicians. Some even want to be closely associated with the sport.

It was more or less practicals on the second day and John Speller guided them to reality of the sport on certain stages of the national rally.

Meanwhile, Hamed Al Wahaibi said: &quot;Workshops were very successful, benefiting everyone due to close contact with people with experience and long tradition in the sport of rallying. We thank John Speller, Ivan Angrloa and Dmitry Jack for their presence and their interaction with young people. I also thank Omantel for its support by allocating the hall.&quot;

Khaled Soomar, champion of Rally Oman 2011, said: &quot;The workshop gave us a great benefit because of the presence of international experts in the sport of rallying.&quot; 

Navigator Zakaria Al Awfi spoke about the benefits in this regard saying: &quot;Benefits were significant because of the interaction with John Speller, who provided us the basics of the rally, which will benefit us in entering stages.&quot;

Omantel supported this event and provided the equipment needed for establishing the workshops.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Alexander and Laura surprise champions]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54365</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: Germany's Alexander Zverev sensationally beat top seed Christos Hadjigeorgiou of Cyprus 6-4, 6-3 to win the Oman ITF Under - 18 boys singles final at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (SQSC) in Baushar yesterday.

On the distaff side, Laura Enea of Romania stunned seven seed Magali Kempen to win the girls final 6-4, 7-6 at the SQSC yesterday. It is worth noting that, Belgium's Kempen won her singles final last week. 

Speaking to Times Sport soon after the match yesterday, a delighted Alexander who earlier lost in the semifinal last week said it was a great comeback. 

&quot;It was quite unfortunate to lose out in the semifinal last week but had a great game with Christos. I enjoyed every bit of it though I feel sorry for him losing out, there has to be one winner,&quot; Alexander said.

Speaking about the tournament, Alexander who will now fly to USA for his next event praised Oman Tennis Association for the wonderful hospitality.  &quot;I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here and OTA was a great host. I learnt a lot from other players and also played some wonderful matches in the last two weeks,&quot; he said. 

For Romania's Laura Enea, the victory will boost her confidence ahead of her next week's tournament in Tunisia. 
&quot;I wanted to badly win this one and I am quite excited about it especially it has come at a time when I am having my next immediate assignment. &quot;Magali is a match winner and it was a tough match because she came back strongly in the second set but I clearly had the edge. Few bad shots can really cost you but to be honest it was a hard fought win and I am over the moon,&quot; Laura added.

Speaking about the success of the tournament, OTA chairman Motasim Al Zedjali said much more championships are underway. 
&quot;We are certainly discussing about hosting similar tournaments in the coming months but we have not finalised on anything. I am happy at the way it has concluded. We have received compliments from all the players and all credit goes to our backroom staff and the technical staff who made it possible,&quot; he added. 

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kunzru, Soonawalla for Xerox Challenge]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54364</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Muscat: Tarun Kunzru with a handicap 3 and Jam Soonawalla with a handicap 20 won a rewarding trip to Dubai after winning the fifth qualification round of Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge held at Muscat Hills Golf &amp;amp; Country Club during the week end.
A record field of 108 golfers fought it out to compete at the grand finale of the tournament to be held on April 26 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai. 

After a challenging 18-hole round of golf in a two-man best ball format, Kunzru and Soonawalla (nett 67)were hard to beat. William Welsh and Danny Renihan followed closely in second place with a nett 67 as well as the nett 67 of Kim Robinson and Dale Coombes. 
Assistant General Manager, Viju Philips from Bishara Oman, welcomed all the players and appreciated their support for the first ever Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge in Oman.
 
The Challenge was sponsored by Avis rent a car  and ABB and managed by Troon Golf. Co-sponsors were Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, ECCO and Crystal Gallery, media sponsors were Khaleej Times and Golf Digest. The next qualifying round will be held on February 18 at Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nawras to sponsor tourney]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54363</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: This year's fourth edition of the Corporate Cricket tournament will be sponsored by Nawras and managed by Pulse Events.  The tournament will be held at the Oman Club, Al Khuwair.

According to the organisers this year's tournament has been ristricted to only 8-10 teams with first preference being given to teams who have participated in the previous three editions. 

The tournament is slated to be held on February 24. Only companies and their permanent employees (preferably executive staff) will be allowed to participate. The corporate teams will present there identity of there staff participating before start of the each match. The captains will witness, and confirm the identity before start of a toss. 

Non-compliance to this clause could lead to a ban on the team. Hired and borrowed players is strictly not allowed. There will be trophies for the winners and as well as the runners up in addition to the individual prizes. 

The man of the tournament will receive a Nawras Blackberry. Registration will be held on a first come first served basis subject to payment of fees.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Imran Ali guides Muscat Beach Trading to victory]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54362</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Muscat: In the first match of the morning at the PDO grounds Imran Ali smashed 91 runs and 2 for 20 off 4 overs helped Muscat Beach Trading register a 51 run win against Enhance Royals. The Hasan Juma Backer (HJB) sponsored 'G' Division T20 match was played during the week end.

Electing to field Enhance Royals would have rued their decision when Muscat Beach Trading piled on 200 runs for the loss of 8 wickets off their quota of 20 overs. 

Imran Ali was associated in a 85 run third wicket partnership with skipper Israr Akram who blasted his way to 62. Mohammed Jalal claimed three wickets conceding 21 runs while Rajesh Shanmugam and Anoop K.P. bagged two wickets each conceding 35 and 36 runs respectively off 4 overs each. 

Enhance Royals faced with an uphill task of scoring over 10 runs per over were bowled out for 151 off 19.1 overs with Anoop K.P top scoring with 44. Shoaib Mujtaba and Asif Shahzad claimed two wickets each giving away 22 and 23 runs respectively off 3 overs each.

Brief scores: Muscat Beach Trading - 200 for the loss of 8 wickets off 20 overs defeated Enhance Royals - 151 all out off 19.1 overs. Points: Muscat Beach Trading - 2 points - (5 games - 8 points) and Enhance Royals - Nil points (5 games - Nil points) 
Tile Marine win.

In the second match of the day skipper Nishant Bhavasar with bowling figures of 4 for 17 off 4 overs led Tile Marine to a resounding eight wicket win against Al Rehwan in a Gulf Cricket Academy sponsored 'H' Division T20 match played at the same venue.

Batting first Al Rehwan were bowled out for 70 runs off 13.4 overs with a top score 25 off 22 deliveries from Mohammed Sanooj. Baiju Balan with 3 for 9 off 3 overs and Laiju Jose 2 for 6 off 1 over lent skipper Nishant valuable support with the ball.

Tile Marine in reply reached their target making 73 for the loss two wickets off 9.1 overs with Anup Rajan coming in at the fall of the first wicket making an unbeaten 36. 

Brief scores: Al Rehwan - 70 all out off 13.4 overs lost to Tile Marine - 73 for the loss of 2 wickets off 9.1 overs. Points: Tile Marine - 2 points (4 games - 8 points) and Al Rehwan - Nil points (4 games - 4 points). 

Carillion win
In the afternoon at the same venue Carillion Alawi registered a thrilling three wicket win in the last over against Mott Mac in an Arabian Industries sponsored 'E' Division T20 match. 

Deciding to bat Mott Mac scored 156 for the loss of six wickets thanks to a brilliant 75 from opening batsman Sweekrith Sajeevan. Murtuz Ismail was the pick of the bowlers claiming 2 for 26 off 4 overs.

Carillion Alawi requiring a fraction of under eight runs per over managed to reach 159 for the loss of seven wickets with three deliveries to spare. Murtuz Ismail batting at No.6 followed his bowling performance with a valuable contribution with the bat, remaining unbeaten on 43.  Gurmit Ram coming in at the fall of the first wicket with no runs on the board chipped in with 32. Shubhra Kamal Talapatra picked up two wickets conceding 19 runs off 4 overs. 

Brief scores: Mott Mac - 156 for the loss of 6 wickets off 20 overs lost to Carillion Alawi - 159 for the loss of 7 wickets off 19.3 overs. Points: Carillion Alawi - 2 points (4 games - 2 points) and Mott Mac - Nil points (5 games - 2 points).

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Heritage on show at crafts souq]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54361</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: The craftsmen's souq at Qurum Natural Park is drawing in big crowds and the prime reason for this is that it represents the Omani craft industry's rich heritage. The craftsmen have come here from different parts of the country, including Mussanah, Bahla, Nizwa Shinas, Sur and Muttrah.

Boatmakers, silversmiths, potters, incense sellers, carpenters, palm leaf weavers - all of them have their individual stalls at this dedicated souq.

Boatmaker Mubrak Al Tahri is busy giving final touches to his model boat (dhow). He charges RO60 for a medium sized model boat.
&quot;These are used as showcase pieces. Most of these are bought by offices and ministries to be used as display pieces. People buy them for their residences too,&quot; he says.

Al Tahri takes more than a week to make a small sized model boat. 
&quot;I give a lot of importance to detailing,&quot; he says.

Khanjar making Sitting to give final touches to a khanjar is Saleh Al Jabri from Sur.

He specialises in Omani khanjar, framed khanjars necklaces, gift items, decorating guns, swords, treasure boxes, mandoos and jewellery box. 

Al Jabri, who designs most of the silver pieces he sells, comes from a family of silver traders. 

&quot;Muscat Festival provides us a good opportunity to showcase our heritage to the tourists who visit the country during this time,&quot; he says.

The pottery industry is considered as one of the oldest industries in Oman. The  Omani manning the stall at the craftsmen souq is a very accommodating artisan.

He allows visitors to try a hand at his wheel - guiding them to do it perfectly. &quot;It was fun to learn from a senior and experienced potter like him,&quot; he says.

The potter from Bahla explains that he has been at the wheel since a very young age. &quot;I learnt it from my father and continue to be fascinated by this profession,&quot; he says, wondering whether the younger generation would take to this profession.

&quot;Of course, it's always the young who want to try a hand at the wheel at my stall,&quot; he smiles. His stall has a host of well-crafted Omani pots made of clay.

As you walk along the souq, you also find straw baskets and upturned stands as well as dry cloth made of date palms in various shapes and sizes. Khamis Khalfan Shezawi, who has come from Shinas, says there is a whole industry revolving around the date palm.

Local products
&quot;Date palm leaves are used for making huts, mats, screens, hats, fans, baskets, brooms. Some of the artisans are creative and have a special knack to weave them,&quot; he adds.

A youngster from Muttrah is selling imitation jewellery.
From brooches to chains, earrings, necklaces and bangles, he has them all. &quot;I have a lot of customers for my stuff,&quot; he says. A plethora of striking sights, smells and flavours overwhelm the senses in a baffling, yet stirring, chaos at this craftsmen souq.

&quot;In every sense, this spectacular festival celebrates the spirit of Oman. You can recognize this in the eyes of the visitors who lap up all that is offered,&quot; says a visitor to the stall.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Mrudu Naik]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Speech therapist vows to make a difference]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54360</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: Oman's first clinic dedicated to speech-language and hearing, which had its grand opening Wednesday evening, aims to provide much-needed services in Oman. 

Najah Al Abdulsalam, a speech therapist who was trained in the USA and Jordan, opened the Icommunicate Speech-Language Pathology clinic, fulfilling her long-time dream of having her own clinic. 
&quot;It's time to have a specialised clinic in Oman,&quot; she said. 
&quot;The demand is really, really high,&quot; she added.

There are only 13 Omani speech therapists in the Sultanate, but many people who need their services. Common problems in Oman include stuttering, swallowing, voice speed, language, and problems with clefts, Al Abdulsalam explained. 

&quot;All the communication problems we get in big numbers, mainly because there are so few speech therapists,&quot; Al Abdulsalam said.
She has already had many people contact her for services and built up a long list of patients. While Al Abdulsalam will treat most of the patients herself, she has also lined up a couple of other specialists to help with certain cases. 

She says she is very happy to have opened her own clinic. Her long-term plan is to have a specialised speech-therapy centre that will focus on other problems.
 
&quot;In Oman we need a specialised speech-language therapy centre which will focus on autism, and offer play therapy, trauma therapy, and all the different types of therapy that will complement our sessions,&quot; Al Abdulsalam explained. 

Another area she hopes to do more research on is Arabic-specific speech therapy, since there isn't much information on it. Her studies in Jordan provided her with the expertise, but given the different dialects in Oman, more work here can be done.

Some of Al Abdulsalam's colleagues attended the opening, as well as other members of the medical community. 

They visited the clinic, which has special features like a room with tinted windows which allow parents to watch their children receive therapy but the children can't see their parents.
&quot;It's quite an achievement and we're very happy that she has taken this step. We need it. There are a lot of patients who want to go to a private clinic,&quot; said Ibtisam Al Riyami, a speech therapist at the Royal Oman Police Hospital. 

Al Riyami said speech therapy is relatively new in Oman, and there is a growing demand for it, so the services offered at Icommunicate, which include assessment and intervention for autism, stuttering, learning difficulties, Down Syndrome, and hearing impairment, among other things, is an asset for the Sultanate.

&quot;This is a great step forward for speech therapy in general in Oman,&quot; Al Riyami said. 

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Sarah MacDonald]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[TransHajar cyclists relish Oman's natural beauty]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54359</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: TransHajar 2012 had many surprises on the final day of racing as the riders were thrown into some of the most picturesque scenery to be seen in Oman.

Deep between tall cliff walls where the climb was tough and steep, the rolling hills offered those with speed thrills a ride 
to remember.

The final day also saw a change in the leaders of the race, with the Spanish team dominating this year's addition in nearly all stages, but the podium was grabbed by a Dutch rider in the men's category.

It was Rob Barrel (Dutch) in the first place while the second and third positions went to the Spanish team Luis Rodrigues and Mario Gordilo respectively. In the women's category, the Himalayan women's champion Narjala Tamraiker came in second place while Rachel Kluf took the first position. 

Saif bin Siba'a Al Rushaidi, chairman of Oman Cycling Association, gave away the trophies and prize money to the winners. 

&quot;It was a wonderful four days of racing. 
&quot;The Sultanate is an ideal location for such events and I am sure that with the help of Muscat Municipality, the Ministry of Tourism and other corporate partners, we will have world class mountain biking race event in next year's TransHajar,&quot; the Chairman of Oman Cycling Association said, while adding further: &quot;After the success of the Tour of Oman and TransHajar, we have been able to showcase the beauty, potential and capabilities of the Sultanate to host world class sporting events.&quot; 

Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Sa'adi, chairman of the technical committee for Muscat Festival 2012, was also present and gave away the prize money and trophies to the female riders.

Fifty riders from all over the world took part in the four-day mountain biking event and all of them were amazed at the natural beauty of the valleys and mountains of the Sultanate. 

With less than a week to the Tour of Oman, the TransHajar was the perfect appetizer for a great meal to come.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[PEIE honours long-serving employees, industrialists]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54358</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) organised a function to recognise employees for their enduring commitment, performance and service to the Sultanate's industrial sector. 

The event was held at Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort &amp;amp; Spa under the auspices of Sheikh Sa'ad bin Mohammed bin Said Al Mardhouf Al Sa'adi, minister of commerce and industry, and chairman of PEIE Board. 

The event recognised a number of dignitaries and government and private institutions that have made outstanding contribution in developing the industrial sector of the Sultanate.

Those honoured also included Sultanate's leading industrialists and employees who have completed 20 years or more of service in various industrial estates under the umbrella of the PEIE. 

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Oman's tourist destinations being promoted in India]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54357</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Mumbai: The mobile tourism promotional exhibition kicked off in Mumbai, India on Friday.  The six-day exhibition is being organised by Oman's Ministry of Tourism in coordination with the Tourism Representative Office of India. 

The exhibition will tour a number of Indian cities including Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and New Delhi. The exhibition will include a number of promotional activities about the Sultanate.

Tourism companies and hotels operating in the Sultanate will highlight the facilities and services provided to tourists in the Sultanate. The exhibition also includes staging daily shows on the Sultanate's unique tourism potential. 

The Indian market is considered among the important markets on the international tourism map due to the growth being witnessed by the Indian economy.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Oman Customer Care meet to promote innovative tech]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54356</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Muscat: Deliberations of the first Oman Customer Care Conference 2012 will be held in Muscat on February 27. The two-day conference is being organised by Oman International Trade and Exhibitions Company (OITE). 

The conference aims at highlighting innovative technologies and processes to improve and streamline customer service delivery, as well as highlighting ways in which information and communication technologies can assist in customer service delivery to build long-term and profitable relationships with their customers.

Zuhair Ahmed, OITE's project manager, said the conference would shed light on various aspects of customer care and major advantages and disadvantages facing the sector, in addition to touching on the latest modern technologies that contribute in developing this field in the future. 

The conference would also provide an opportunity for sponsors, supporting organisations and the participating companies to demonstrate products, services and technologies to a large number of potential clients and partners from the public and private sectors, as well as promoting for these products via websites and SMS among other modern promotional means, which contribute in attracting customers. 

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA['Excellence is inherent in us']]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54355</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT:  Oman is a kind of country that would be relevant for the future primarily because what is missing in the entire Western world - the human connect - is in abundance here. And, if it can combine human connect with efficiency and technology, Oman has a huge potential for becoming a great country, according to Dr Debashis Chatterjee, director of India's premier management education body, the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIM-K).

He said, &quot;The world will lend itself not to technology alone, but technology which combines with soft power culture.&quot;
Dr Chatterjee, director, IIM Kozhikode, was in Oman to participate in the recently concluded conference on 'Education, Empowerment and Excellence', organised by Indian School Ghubra.

A visiting Fulbright Professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Chatterjee's interest areas include transformational leadership, personal growth, learning organisation, self-mastery and Asian culture and management. 
Author of several books, he has been described as one of the top 10 'thought leaders' of the world by Professor John Kotter of the Harvard Business School for his contribution to the theory and practice of leadership.

Dr Chatterjee said Oman has the potential to become an educational hub for not only its citizens but for students in the region if it builds the right ecology. &quot;Research and development facilities also can happen here,&quot; he noted.

On whether IIM-K would come to Oman, Chatterjee said, &quot;We'll come if there is an expression of interest. If we want to come somebody like us should be around. The point is we need an ecology or a cluster.&quot;

He said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode and Abu Dhabi University has already been signed.  &quot;This will open opportunity to both the institutions to involve in student exchange and research programmes in management education,&quot; he said.

Stressing that Indian management thought has a lot to contribute to the world, Chatterjee said, &quot;Indian thought is very powerful not because we are saying so but because the world is saying so. Indian thought is about pluralism, inclusiveness, ecological awareness, harmony in diversity and acceptance of paradoxes in life and at work. The other aspect is that we are capable of living in a world of perpetual possibilities. It is a country that lives in different time frames.&quot;

He added, &quot;Something that is made in India is relevant to the world like never before.&quot; 

Sharing his thoughts on excellence, Chatterjee said, &quot;Excellence is inherent in us. It is a state of consciousness. For example, how you cut a diamond is a matter of experience. The brilliance of the diamond does not come from the diamond but from the light which gets reflected on it. 

If you transfer this analogy to a human being, the body would be the raw material and mind would be the cuts. But remember the light of consciousness, the eagerness of knowing what is what makes you excellent.&quot; 

He said it's important to look at excellence as the way of the future. IIMs are waiting to welcome international students, he said, adding, &quot;We have exchange of students and MoUs with institutes from 25 countries. We don't have policies to take in international students as yet but it will change soon. 

To have 80 nationalities in a single class definitely gives the class a better perspective and understanding of things. It also helps you to see the world in a light you may have never known it exists,&quot; he said. 

He also expressed happiness over the fact that a majority of IIM students are staying back in India and not taking up jobs abroad. He said the numbers are increasing significantly. &quot;Many refuse jobs abroad unless it is comparable with the quality of life in India. A significant number of them are starting their own businesses,&quot; he noted.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Mrudu Naik]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[US-based orchestra to present classical Arab music at ROHM]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54354</link>
			<description><![CDATA[MUSCAT: The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) will host a unique evening of classic Arabic songs on Tuesday. The show will be presented by the Los Angeles-based Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra (MESTO), a unique Western-based orchestra committed to playing the most popular Arabic music of the past 
and present.

MESTO is a special orchestra that will delight both Arab traditionalists and expatriates with a performance that celebrates Arabic music in a truly symphonic form. Dalal Abu-Amneh will be bringing the magic of Umm Kulthum to life during the performance at the ROH Muscat, enhancing her fame as a performer of the great songs of the legendary Egyptian diva.
MESTO was founded in 2000 by Nabil S. Azzam, a Palestinian born in Nazareth to a musical family. Nabil will conduct the orchestra for this special evening and will also showcase his virtuoso violin playing during the performance. 

Their approach of Western musical orchestration in playing Arabic music and songs will provide a superb introduction for Arabic musical newcomers to discover the depth and richness of well-known popular Arab classics. It will also provide a special new twist to songs well loved by Omanis and expatriate Arabs living in the Sultanate.

Since its creation the orchestra has grown to comprise 45 American musicians specialising in world and ethnic music from cultures of the Arab World, Armenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Iran, Greece, and others in addition to western classical music. 
&quot;MESTO will bring a unique fusion of Western orchestral style to some of the best loved Arabic classic songs in a musical journey from a bygone era to the modern day,&quot; said Dr. Issam El-Mallah, Adviser and Director of Programmes and Events at the ROHM. 

&quot;MESTO is a truly unique orchestral creation that has delighted tens of thousands of concert goers all over the world from the United States to the Middle East and we are very proud to welcome Maestro Azzam, singer Dalal Abu-Amneh and the virtuousoqanun playing of Lilit Khojayan to Oman for the very first time,&quot; he added.

Tickets for the concert are still available and can be purchased at the ROHM box office or from the website at www.roh.org.om.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Times News Service]]></author></item><item><title><![CDATA[US investors to focus on Europe, earnings]]></title><link>http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=54353</link>
			<description><![CDATA[NEW YORK: Europe will again be at the centre of investors' focus next week as the US earnings season passes the halfway mark and there is little on the economic calendar to give the market direction.  

Economic data expected next week includes weekly initial jobless claims, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index and international trade figures.
Improving data helped push the S&amp;amp;P 500 index up nearly seven per cent for the year, highlighted by Friday's stronger-than-expected jobs report. 

&quot;It's the old ping pong game. Today it is the US, tomorrow it is Europe again,&quot; said Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading at Themis Trading in Chatham, New Jersey.  

&quot;Normally in this type of tape when there is no economic news, it seems like the bias goes to the upside.&quot; But Europe and whether European bond yields spike or other news from Europe emerges will be the wild card for the markets, Saluzzi added further.
 
Greece remains at the forefront of the euro zone crisis as the government continues to struggle for agreement on fiscal reforms that would be accepted by political leaders and private bondholders as it tries to avoid a disorderly default. 

Talks on a bond swap and 130 billion euros in bailout funds have been continuing for weeks before a March deadline when 14.5 billion euros of bonds fall due.

Hopes an agreement was on the horizon  dissipated on Friday as euro zone finance ministers delayed a meeting scheduled for Monday.  

&quot;There is always the chance in brinkmanship - which is what is being played here - that you have a dangerous outcome if the pieces don't come together,&quot; said Paul Mendelsohn, chief investment strategist at Windham Financial Services in Charlotte, Vermont. 

&quot;They have until March 19. They are going to keep pushing this thing until everybody gets the best deal they can out of it or they decide not to move forward and let Greece go. It's always a possibility at the end of the game,&quot; he added. 

The flood of earnings reports will slow next week. A total of 66 S&amp;amp;P 500 companies are expected to report, including Walt Disney, Coca-Cola and Cisco Systems. NYSE Euronext is also expected to report results after the exchange terminated merger plans with Deutsche Boerse  on Thursday. 

Through Friday, 283 companies in the Standard &amp;amp; Poor's 500 have reported results, with 60 per cent posting earnings that have topped Wall Street expectations, a lower percentage than seen in recent quarters through this stage of the reporting season. 
 
Payrolls report
The payrolls report on Friday helped lift the S&amp;amp;P 500 1.5 per cent to 1,344.90, past a recent resistance point of 1,325, which the benchmark index had failed to pass on several occasions recently. Analysts also said that the resistance level could now serve as support, with 1,350 representing a new resistance point for equities.

(Follow timesofoman.com on Facebook and on Twitter for updates that you can share with your friends.)]]></description><author><![CDATA[Reuters]]></author></item></channel></rss>

