Times of Oman (Muscat, Oman) back issues from June 2008:
HM greets Napolitano.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Republic of Italy, on the occasion of his country's National Day. His Majesty the Sultan expressed his greetings ...
Dangerous designs.
Jun 02, 2008 ... JERUSALEM -- Israel will build 884 more houses in east Jerusalem, the Housing Ministry said yesterday, in a move that enraged the Palestinians who have demanded the area as the capital of their promised state. Acents[euro]A"We will invite tenders for the construction of 121 ...
Obama breaks with Chicago church.
Jun 02, 2008 ... ABERDEEN (South Dakota) -- Barack Obama has announced that he and his wife had resigned as members of their Chicago church in the wake of controversial remarks from its pulpit that have become a serious distraction to his presidential campaign. In a letter to the pastor, the ...
Hillary grabs Puerto Rico consolation.
Jun 02, 2008 ... SAN JUAN -- Hillary Clinton scored a hefty win in yesterday's Puerto Rico primary but Barack Obama looked to have the Democrats' White House nod within his grasp after a fractious deal on Florida and Michigan. The Caribbean US territory of four million people held the ...
Commerce Ministry to hold awareness seminars.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development will organise a number of seminars and awareness lectures during the period from today to June 16. A number of directors general and departments heads of commerce and industry at the ...
Omanoil announces winners of final Basma winter promotion draw.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Oman Oil Marketing Company (Omanoil), one of the leading Omani fuel and lubricants marketing companies, announced the winners of the final basma winter promotion at a prize-giving ceremony recently held at Baushar filling station where two lucky winners were awarded a Toyota FJ ...
Royal triumph for Warne's Rajasthan.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUMBAI -- Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by three wickets (and off the last ball) in the final of the inaugural Indian Premier League at the D.Y. Patil Stadium here yesterday. Chasing a target of 164, Rajasthan began on a disastrous note, losing three wickets inside ...
Serbs on song.
Jun 02, 2008 ... PARIS -- Serb pair Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic are on a French Open collision course after both scored straight sets wins yesterday to reach the quarterfinals. Second seed Ivanovic blanked Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 6-0, 6-0 while third seed Jankovic outplayed Agnieszka ...
Nadal in quarters.
Jun 02, 2008 ... PARIS -- Spanish second seed and triple defending champion Rafael Nadal reached the French Open quarterfinals yesterday with a 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 win over compatriot Fernando Verdasco. Nadal will tackle fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro for a place in the semifinals. Earlier, Serbian ...
MacGill announces retirement.
Jun 02, 2008 ... NORTH SOUND (Antigua) -- Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill will retire from international cricket at the end of the second Test against West Indies, Cricket Australia said in a statement yesterday. MacGill, 37, is playing in his 44th Test match and has taken 207 wickets at 28.43. But he ...
Majlis economic panel takes stock of inflation, price hike.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- The working team of the economic committee at Majlis Al Shura yesterday held its sixth regular meeting of the first annual sitting of the sixth term under the chairmanship of Dr Fuad bin Ja'afer Sajwani, chairman of the committee. During the meeting, the team continued ...
Sharia-sensitive assets of investors in AGCC, Far East touch $267b: Ernst & Young.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- The Islamic Funds and Investments Report 2008 (IFIR 2008), released at the World Islamic Funds and Capital Markets Conference by Ernst & Young, states that Sharia sensitive investable assets in the AGCC and Far East have reached $267 billion as a result of strong economic ...
Australian troops pull out of Iraq.
Jun 02, 2008 ... NASIRIYAH (Iraq) -- The 500-strong Australian troop contingent deployed in Iraq withdrew from their bases in the south of the country yesterday, a local official said. The soldiers left following a flag lowering ceremony at the Imam Ali airbase, west of the city of Nasiriyah, the capital ...
Kuwaiti emir warns erring MPs to cooperate.
Jun 02, 2008 ... KUWAIT CITY -- The ruler of Kuwait issued a thinly veiled warning to the newly elected parliament yesterday that he might dissolve the house again if it did not cooperate with the government. Acents[euro]A"Faced with the deviations and violations which threatened the nation's interests ... ...
Qatar to host global meet on corruption.
Jun 02, 2008 ... DOHA -- Qatar will host a three-day international conference from June 9 to discuss the fight against corruption and enhancing transparency in Asia, ...
A helping hand to make right moves.
Jun 02, 2008 ... WASHINGTON -- On the street corners of their Northeast Washington neighbourhood, the young men answer to mafioso nicknames and sport scars from being shot at. Some have tears tattooed under their eyes. These are the Toga Boyz, a group of young men who grew up in the Brookland ...
Fono organises Sony Ericsson 'Karaoke Sing 2 Win' contest.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Fono (Gulf Telecommunications Co. LLC), the authorised distributor of Sony Ericsson in Oman, recently staged its first one-of-a-kind contest based around the Sony Ericsson W880i phone - the 'Karaoke Sing 2 Win' contest at Carrefour, Muscat City Centre. The event was a massive ...
India's religious tolerance a role model for world, Dalai Lama.
Jun 02, 2008 ... NEW DELHI -- Lauding India for its secular values, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama yesterday said the country's Acents[euro]A"religious tolerance" can be a Acents[euro]A"role model" for the rest of the world. Acents[euro]A"India's long tradition of religious tolerance ...
SMS job service from Oman Mobile.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Oman Mobile continues to cooperate with both the public and private sectors to serve its subscribers and facilitate their life with smart mobile use. In line with the e-governance project that aims to digitalise knowledge and information for easy access and use, Oman ...
Cellucom rolls out second phase of EVD for Nawras.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Cellucom, a leading retailer in mobility products and a member of the Al Rostamani Group, rolled out the second phase of Electronic Voucher Distribution (EVD) for Nawras -- the Sultanate's award-winning communications provider. Nawras & Cellucom announced the winners ...
Special training for service staff at Radisson SAS Hotel.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- The Radisson SAS Hotel, which continues to keep its staff abreast of the trends in the market and further improve their skills, competencies and confidence, recently organised a series of internal and external training programmes for employees. Internally the employees ...
Welcare to conduct free clinic on 'Quit Smoking'.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- To mark 'World No Tobacco Day' on May 31, Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in Oman started a free clinic on 'Quit Smoking' for one week starting yesterday till June 6. The 'Quit Smoking' clinic which runs regularly at the Welcare Centre provides information and counselling ...
Single point of access to e-Government from KO.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- KnowledgeOman.com, an IT knowledge-sharing portal, has launched a single point of access interface to all of the electronic government services in Oman. The new link (KO e-Gateway) is very simple and direct so everyone in Oman can use it easily for e-Services via the ...
State Council Office reviews health sector report.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- The State Council Office held a meeting yesterday under the chairmanship of Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, chairman of the State Council. The office discussed a report submitted by follow-up committee of developmental plans implementation with regard to the health sector ...
Nawaz's demands impractical: Gillani.
Jun 02, 2008 ... ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif should not make impractical demands of the government, as the coalition wants to settle all issues of national interest without complications, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said this, underlining the importance of ...
Dubai bans tobacco sale to U-20.
Jun 02, 2008 ... DUBAI -- The emirate of Dubai yesterday banned the sale of tobacco to anyone under the age of 20 with immediate effect and barred young people from public areas in which smoking is allowed. The announcement was made in public advertisements in Arabic-language newspapers as part ...
Monsoon hits Kerala coast.
Jun 02, 2008 ... NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM -- The first rain from India's annual monsoon, crucial to millions of farmers and the health of the overall economy, hit the southwest coast yesterday. The southwest monsoon sweeps the subcontinent from June to September and is an economic lifeline ...
Bush comes to the aid of Musharraf.
Jun 02, 2008 ... ISLAMABAD -- US President George W. Bush indicated on Friday that his administration still backed President Pervez Musharraf in his conflict with political rivals who wanted to oust him. Acents[euro]A"The president reiterated the United States' strong support for Pakistan, ...
A pioneer in heart transplants dies.
Jun 02, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Dr Richard R. Lower, whose daring heart surgeries on animals in the 1950s helped pave the way for the first successful transplant of a human heart in 1967, died on May 17 in Twin Bridges, Montana. He was 78. The cause was pancreatic cancer, his family said. As a ...
There are no great writers: Naipaul.
Jun 02, 2008 ... LONDON -- Novelist V. S. Naipaul has damned the achievements of his literary contemporaries by declaring that there are Acents[euro]A"no more great writers". Naipaul, 75, who won the Booker in 1971 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001, is said to have called this year's ...
Manipuri youth makes history at NDA.
Jun 02, 2008 ... KHADAKWASLA (Maharashtra) -- As the 114th batch of cadets passed out from the National Defence Academy (NDA) here yesterday, there was something special about the cadet who commanded the Passing Out Parade as he made history in more than one way. A farmer's son from Manipur, ...
Editor-in-chief of 'Times' to attend global newspaper meet.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali, editor-in-chief of Times of Oman, left for Sweden yesterday to participate in the 61st World Newspaper Congress and the 15th World Editors' Forum, scheduled to be held in Gothenburg, from today to June 5. Some 1,500 publishers and chairmen ...
Gift a Smile!
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Your favourite newspapers just got more exciting. As part of the Gift a Smile offer, subscribers to Times of Oman and Al Shabiba newspapers are now assured of unmatched benefits for everyone in the family. At an annual subscription rate of only RO50 you will now get an insurance ...
His Majesty greets Mesic.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to Stjepan Mesic, president of the Republic of Croatia, on the occasion of his country's National Day. His Majesty the Sultan expressed his best ...
Ribas confident as Oman face Japan.
Jun 02, 2008 ... YOKOHAMA (Japan) -- Three-time Asian Cup winners Japan have a point to prove against Oman today in their latest World Cup qualifier. After crashing to a shock 1-0 away defeat to Bahrain in March, they are out to show they are back to winning ways and still a force to be reckoned with. That ...
Thailand in must-win clash against Bahrain.
Jun 02, 2008 ... BANGKOK -- Thailand host in-form Bahrain in a crucial World Cup qualifier today knowing only a win will keep their stuttering campaign alive. Thailand's campaign to reach their first-ever World Cup finals in 2010 has begun dismally, with two losses in as many games leaving them bottom of ...
No sweat for top seeds at French Open.
Jun 02, 2008 ... PARIS -- Top seeds Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova both moved smoothly into the last 16 at the French Open yesterday. Federer outplayed close friend Mario Ancic of Croatia winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in cool, rainy, evening conditions on the Philippe Chatrier Centre Court Earlier in ...
Clarke ton puts Aussies on top.
Jun 02, 2008 ... ST JOHN'S (Antigua) -- Michael Clarke scored his seventh hundred and later Brett Lee smashed a half-century as Australia continued to bat themselves into an impregnable position before tea in the second Test against West Indies yesterday. At the interval, Australia, choosing to bat, ...
Dhoni's Chennai eliminate Punjab.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUMBAI -- An inspired Chennai Super Kings shrugged off the underdogs' tag with a comprehensive display to thrash Punjab Kings XI by nine wickets and join Rajasthan Royals in the IPL final. Punjab's batting had been in superb form through most of the tournament, but they came unstuck in the ...
Laser gets closer to final.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- The semifinal round of the Ambassador's Cup got underway with favourites, Muscat Eye Laser Centre and Western Union scoring wins at the expense of co-semifinalists, Nawras and Muscat Eye Tourism. The first game saw the Lasers edge out Nawras with a score of 85-77 ....
Suleym wins again.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Suleym Al Alawi continues to dominate the Muscat Diving and Adventure Centre Summer Series winning the second race at Ghala but, growing competition is keeping him on his toes. Three weeks after the opening race at Bustan Heights a large group of 48 runners assembled near Ghala ...
Al Faisal clinch NGC MRI cup.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Al Faisal Group beat Muscat Beach XI by 32 runs to win the NGC MRI Cup. The final was delayed due to the OCC knockout matches. After winning the toss Muscat Beach captain invited Al Faisal to bat first and openers Amir Kaleem and Amir Ali put on a 35-run first-wicket ...
End of Serena as Nadal, Djokovic stay on course.
Jun 02, 2008 ... PARIS -- Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic stayed on course for a French Open semifinal showdown yesterday while Maria Sharapova survived a scare and Serena Williams crashed to her worst performance here since 1999. Nadal, bidding to emulate Bjorn Borg as the only man to win four successive ...
Watson whips Delhi royally.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUMBAI -- Shane Watson did the star turn as Rajasthan Royals stormed into the final of the Indian Premier League, beating Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in the first semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium here last night. The Australia all-rounder first hit a breezy 52 as the Royals put up a ...
Aussies make solid start.
Jun 02, 2008 ... ST JOHN'S (Antigua) -- Australia emerged from a painstakingly slow start to reach 70 for one in their first innings before lunch in the second Test against West Indies yesterday. At the lunch interval, Simon Katich on 24 and Ricky Ponting on 28 were the not out batsmen, after Australia ...
Taageer Finance convertible bonds open for subscription.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Taageer Finance Company (SAOG) (Taageer), one of the leasing finance companies in Oman, has opened its rights issue of 50 million unsecured compulsorily convertible bonds to its shareholders. The company will raise RO5 million through these bonds. Taageer has fixed a coupon rate ...
Voltamp Energy IPO collects a whopping RO116.40m.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- The initial public offering (IPO) of Voltamp Energy has been over-subscribed by more than 8.5 times as of Saturday, Oman Arab Bank, the lead issue manager and financial adviser of Voltamp Energy IPO, said yesterday. Latest figures released by the three collecting banks ...
Al Madina A'Zarqa strengthens its management team.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Al Madina A'Zarqa, one of the most important and largest infrastructure projects in Oman, has strengthened its management team with the appointment of Michael Lawrence, as director of Planning and Operations of Blue City Company 1 SAOC. Lawrence will lend his extensive ...
US, Saudi Arabia agree to continue dollar peg.
Jun 02, 2008 ... JEDDAH -- US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Saudi Arabian Finance Minister Ibrahim Al Assaf agreed that the Gulf state benefits from keeping its currency pegged to the dollar. The riyal's peg Acents[euro]A"has served this country and the region well," Paulson said ...
Voltamp Energy IPO oversubscribed 6.5 times.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Oman Arab Bank, the lead issue manager and financial adviserof Voltamp Energy IPO, yesterday announced that the IPO has been over-subscribed by more that 6.5 times. The RO13.5 million IPO collected RO90.9 million for a total number of 167,757,799 shares. ...
India's Sterlite to acquire US firm Asarco for $2.6b.
Jun 02, 2008 ... NEW DELHI -- Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd, the nation's biggest copper and zinc producer, agreed to buy assets of bankrupt Asarco LLC for $2.6 billion in its first acquisition in North America. The company will use debt and cash to buy three open-pit mines and a smelter in Arizona, a ...
Russia to increase oil output after tax cuts.
Jun 02, 2008 ... PARIS -- Russia, the world's second-largest oil exporter, will raise its oil output in the next few years as new tax cuts will allow oil firms to invest more in exploration and production, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said. Russia imposed heavy taxes on the oil industry, ...
Towell Auto opens service centre in Ghubra.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Tucked away in a quiet corner in Ghubra, just behind Al Maha petrol pump, is the newest Towell Service Centre. The second of the series, with many more on the anvil, this service centre caters exclusively to Mazda customers only. Set in a prime location, the service ...
World leaders to tackle food crisis at Rome summit.
Jun 02, 2008 ... ROME -- It has been described as a global crisis pushing 100 million people into hunger, threatening to stoke social and political turmoil and set the fight against world poverty back by seven years. Now, the food price crisis will be tackled by world leaders who meet in Rome ...
CBO raises RO108m via CDs.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Certificates of deposit tenders (Issue No. 507, 508 and 509) were held at the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) this week. The total amount allotted for Issue No. 507 was RO60 million. A bulletin issued by the CBO stated that the average interest rate of these certificates ...
Paulson to warn Gulf leaders oil prices will stunt growth.
Jun 02, 2008 ... WASHINGTON -- US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson would tell leaders of the Gulf countries this week that rising oil prices are stunting global economic growth, Treasury Undersecretary David McCormick said. Acents[euro]A"The key message there that the secretary will highlight ...
Suhail Bahwan, BankMuscat launch car loan scheme.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- How would you like to drive off with your favourite Nissan vehicle at very low interest rates Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, the sole distributor for Nissan cars in Oman, has announced a special finance scheme with BankMuscat. The facility, available on the entire lineup of Nissan ...
India's rupee may hit 43.9 against dollar in 3 months: Goldman.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUMBAI -- India's rupee is unlikely to rebound from its biggest slide in a decade because government measures to allow more debt inflows won't be enough to finance the nation's current-account deficit, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Indian policy makers, aiming to prevent ...
Voltamp IPO to 'energise' staff.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- Voltamp Energy has set aside a portion of its RO13.5 million initial public offering (IPO) for its employees. This is the first time that a company in Oman has included employees as an important constituent of its stakeholders. Acents[euro]A"One of the unique features ...
MSM-30 posts gains; volume up 54pc.
Jun 02, 2008 ... MUSCAT -- The MSM-30 index gained 0.35 per cent yesterday to close at 11,506 points. The market was driven by industrials, banks and investment sectors which gained 1.75 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively to more than negate the poor show of services and insurance sector ...
Craigslist sues eBay, alleges corporate spy plan.
Jun 03, 2008 ... SAN FRANCISCO: Online classifieds leader Craigslist.com filed a countersuit on Tuesday against business rival eBay Inc, alleging eBay used its minority stake in Craigslist to steal its corporate trade secrets. In a lawsuit filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco, ...
Twitters beat media in reporting China earthquake.
Jun 03, 2008 ... SAN FRANCISCO: The world had real-time news about China s massive earthquake as victims dashed out "twitter" text messages while it took place, in what was being touted Tuesday as micro-blogging outshining mainstream news. As the earth shook with tragic consequences, people in ...
HP in advanced discussions to buy EDS.
Jun 03, 2008 ... SAN FRANCISCO: Hewlett-Packard Co. said Monday it is in "advanced discussions" with Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS) regarding a possible tie-up involving the two companies. World leading computer maker HP and Texas-based business services outsourcing titan EDS each ...
Web start-up unveils semantic Wikipedia search tool.
Jun 03, 2008 ... SAN FRANCISCO: Powerset on Sunday unveiled tools for searching Wikipedia that use conversational phrasing instead of keywords, marking the first step of its challenge to established Web search services such as Google. Powerset s technology breaks down the meaning of words and ...
Google offers to imbue all websites with social networking.
Jun 03, 2008 ... SAN FRANCISCO: Google on Monday set out to enable all websites, free of charge, to be imbued with common social networking features as the Internet evolves toward becoming a giant community along the lines of MySpace or Facebook. Google Friend Connect was previewed at a Campfire ...