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u NEWS BRIEFS SULTANATE TO ROP nabs 5 in Amerat for robbery Experts arrive for second The Bausher police station ATTEND FINANCIAL Our Correspondent INSTITUTIONS Muscat has confirmed the arrest of MEETING IN SUDAN several people for stealing Muscat - The sultanate will Dive Challenge tour at Sur The ROP has said that five cit- batteries from trucks and later take part in the two-day izens were arrested by officials selling them in the Ghala in- annual meetings of the much more interested in diving from the Amerat police station dustrial area. The arrests were Arab Financial Institutions and are not scared. Each time the for robbing houses in the Mus- made after a number of com- (AFIs) beginning in Sudan smile on their faces as they come cat governorate. plaints and reports were on April 7. The agencies at out of the water gives me the Meanwhile, an Asian man received from residents of the the meeting include the greatest satisfaction." Dirk would has been arrested by the Ruwi area. Arab Fund for Economic be carrying an underwater cam- police for breaking in and rob- One person was also taken and Social Development era to capture shots with these bing five mobile phone outlets into custody by the Wattayah (AFESD), Arab Monetary divers this year. at night. The ROP has filed a police after nine cases of issu- Fund (AMF), the Arab "Scuba is not merely a fun case and refered the matter to ing bounced cheques were Authority for Agricultural sport, but can improve the life of the public prosecution. registered against him. Investment and a disabled person; it is also a kind Development (AAAID). of rehabilitation," Andrea Blin- The Omani delegation zler, a physiotherapist and will be led by H E Ahmed specialist in hydrotherapy, told bin Abdulnabi Macki, Muscat Daily. Minister of National She mentioned that the dive Economy and Deputy The event introduces disabled people to the wonders of the underwater world challenge will offer the possibility Chairman of the Financial to handicapped people in the sul- Affairs and Energy tanate to participate in diving ac- Resources Council. Madhuparna Bhattacharjee event that will introduce physi- 10,000th dive at the Oman Dive tivities. "They can explore the Muscat cally disabled people to the won- Centre last year. beauty of the underwater world," ders of the underwater world "I am very happy to come to she added. Saif Mohammed al Homaidi, on during the second Dive Chal- Oman, not only because of the "A paralysed person can a wheelchair, welcomed Dirk lenge Tour from April 3-6 in Sur. wonderful landscape, but be- move inside water without any Wondrak, Gundula Blohm and Also participating are Sameer al cause I am meeting these lovely help and does not depend on a Konrad Casciani, the three diving Riyami and Sami al Riyami, two people once again and will dive wheel chair," Blinzler empha- instructors from Germany, who Omani divers, who along with with them," he said. sised, adding that water has Al Qaeda hand suspected in arrived in Muscat late on Friday the others specialise in teaching He shared his experience of many positive effects. "It can massacre of 24 near Baghdad night. Kathleen Bates, an Ameri- diving to disabled people. diving with disabled people from heal depression after an accident can flew in from Qatar on Satur- "I am really excited about the different parts of the world, in- or even amputation. It gives new Baghdad, - Gunmen in Iraqi At least seven people were day morning. They are all here to event and this is my second cluding Norway, Sweden and hope and energy." military uniforms raided a village found alive, bound with hand- participate in a scuba diving time," Saif said. Dirk made his United States. "These people are Continued on page 2 outside Baghdad and killed at cuffs, authorities said. least 24 people in an execution- Baghdad security spokesman, MANGROVE style attack, apparently targeting Maj Gen Qassim al Moussawi, PLANTATION IN AL a local Sunni group (Sahwa) that said the killings in Arab Jabour, JAZIR WILAYAT 6 Afghan soldiers killed by ‘friendly fire’ revolted against Al Qaeda and about 25km south of Baghdad, Muscat - The Ministry of helped turn the tide of the Iraq bear "an obvious Al Qaeda hall- Environment and Climate war, authorities said on Saturday. mark." Twenty five people had Affairs (MECA) on fighting between German troops Some of the victims in Friday's been arrested, he added. Saturday signed an and militants near Kunduz city. attack suffered broken arms and The bodies were handcuffed agreement with PDO to Commenting on the incident, legs, indicating they had been and had been sprayed up and grow mangrove trees, the German military said its sol- tortured before they were shot, down with machine gun fire. The remove 'Al Ghiwaif' sea diers were rushing from Kunduz police said. One witness said gunmen, apparently, tricked the weeds and cultivate grass to the scene of fighting with mil- Pakistan wants many of the victims were so residents into letting them in by in the wilayat of Al Jazir. Ali itants shortly after 7pm local Mumbai attackers badly brutalised that they were saying they had come to inquire bin Amir al Kiyumi, director time when they encountered two from India ‘beyond recognition’. Five of the about their well-being. general of Nature civilian vehicles and demanded dead were women. AP Conservation in MECA, and that they stop. When they did Islamabad, Pakistan – In a new Mundhir al Barwani, PDO's not, a German armored person- twist to the Mumbai terror case, human resources director, nel carrier opened fire on them, Pakistan on Saturday ap- signed the agreement. its statement said. The vehicles proached Interpol seeking a Red Egypt police arrest publisher of The agreement is part of were later found to have been Corner notice for arresting Ajmal MECA's activities in Kabul, Afghanistan - German forces were sharply criticised last transporting Afghan troops. Kasab and Fahim Ansari, cur- pro-El Baradei book marking 2010 as soldiers travelling to the scene of September when they ordered Shortly before, German troops rently undergoing trial in India for International Year for a deadly firefight with Taliban in- an airstrike on two tanker trucks had been attacked while on a the 26/11 attacks. Cairo, Egypt - Egyptian police ar- house, the Arabic Network for Biological Diversity. surgents accidentally killed six that had been captured by the bridge-building and mine-clear- This was stated by prosecutor rested a publisher in a raid on his Human Rights Information said. Afghan troops, the Afghan mili- Taliban. Up to 142 people died, ing mission southwest of Kunduz Malik Rab Nawaz Moon as the house on Saturday and confis- Mahanna is being held in a tary said on Saturday. Three Ger- then many of them civilians. city. Afghan commanders were court conducting the trial of the cated copies of a book support- state security prison. El Baradei mans died in the firefight with The German central com- meeting late on Saturday with seven accused in Pakistan, in- ing former UN nuclear watchdog has emerged as Egypt's top dis- the militants. mand confirmed Friday's inci- coalition forces to discuss the cluding Lashkar-e-Taiba leader chief Mohamed El Baradei. sident since he retired as head of The ‘friendly fire’ incident took dent, but put the number of incident. The Afghan Defence Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, adjourned Police also seized a computer the International Atomic Energy place on Friday in the northern Afghan troop casualties at five. Ministry condemned the deaths. hearing till April 17. belonging to Ahmed Mahanna, Agency (IAEA) last year. Kunduz province, where German The deaths occurred amid heavy AP PTI who runs the Dawin publishing AFP

Professional line-sitter fails in bid to bag world's first iPad

New York, US - When the iPad the waiting line outside Apple's tenance worker, has been wait- being first at many events and mania reached its peak just Manhattan flagship since Tues- ing out the Apple Store since getting the first iPhone. hours before Apple starts selling day to become the first person Tuesday, sleeping at the nearby He was first in the line for its game-changing tablet in the to get the gizmo. Penn Station. Ground Zero after its opening, US on Saturday morning, there Professional line-sitter Greg Since he had not reserved the the first person to greet George 'Dynasty' star was bad news for someone Packer, the first American to get iPad, he had to give way to Ger- Bush after his inauguration, the John Forsythe special who has been heading the iPhone at its launch in 2007, man blogger Richard Gutjahr first at the launch of Harry dies at 92 lost his front position in the line who was second behind him in Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Friday because he had not the line. Excited about being the in 2005, the first at the Super Los Angeles, US - John Forsythe, reserved his iPad. first person to get the iPad, Gut- Greg Packer books his Bowl victory rally of the New the handsome, smooth-voiced place in front of the Apple is handing out the jahr said, "Apparently nobody queue for an iPad York Giants and the first at for- actor, who made his fortune as tablet first to those who had re- before me in the original line mer president 's first the scheming oil tycoon Blake served it. The device will also be had a reservation...crazy." book-signing function. Carrington in the popular TV se- couriered or delivered at stores Gutjahr told a blog that he had to wait until the reserved outside the store to get their Before he had to drop down ries of the 80s Dynasty, has died to those who pre-ordered it Packer was angry about being line was done. And that one was iPad when the sale began at the waiting line, the professional after a year-long battle with can- before it becomes available to forced to drop back. "He seems led by me. Who would have 9am local time. Despite losing line-sitter said that he wanted cer. He was 92. the general public. to be really mad. Funny thing: thought this?” the race to become the world's the iPad badly ‘because it's like Forsythe died late on Thurs- resident Packer, the media thought he'd be the The German said about 20 first owner of the iPad, Packer a mini laptop’. day at his home in Santa Ynez who retired as a highway main- number one to get the iPad. But people had camped all night still holds many records for dpa from pneumonia. AP

8007 6000 [email protected] 8007 6000 [email protected] WAR ON PYTHONS IN FLORIDA Florida has begun its first hunting season on pythons. Authorities say the hunt, which runs until mid-April, could be a last chance to get rid of the increasing population of NATION snakes before they harm endangered species

02 MUSCAT DAILY SUNDAY, APRIL 04, 2010

WEATHER WATCH

MUSCAT TODAY Smoking ban evokes

Max 340C Min 230C mixed response

Warm and sunny Mahran Shaukat Ali said he had been visiting the Muscat place for over three years, and he Continued from page 1 can't imagine a life where he will Andrea said that this year, a year, the organisers had to apply REGIONAL WEATHER Muscat Municipality's decision be deprived of the combination maximum of 40 divers can be for permission, and this year on- ABU DHABI to ban smoking in public places of coffee and cigarettes. accommodated, despite the large wards it is likely to become an Min Max from April 1 has evoked a mixed He added that there is a need number of applications received. annual event. { 130C 280C response from the residents of The doctors and health experts Andrea added that during the the city. While some people have went through the medical reports four days, disabled divers and DOHA welcomed the decision, a large of of the applicants on Saturday and physiotherapists will demon- Min Max number of residents, especially We get a lot of selected the divers. strate that scuba diving is not 210C 330C traders, have expressed the fear female In earlier times, when Jacques merely a fun sport, but can play of losing their livelihood. customers who Yves Cousteau, the famous diver a role in improving the life of dis- DUBAI Abdullah Hassan, a business- are quite happy and sea explorer, started to pop- abled persons. Min Max man and a regular smoker, said, with the ban ularise scuba diving, it was con- In 2009, during the third week 210C 330C "We get to smoke only during sidered an extreme sport. "These of March, the International Asso- the one hour break for lunch. My days, diving is one of the most ciation for Handicapped Divers KUWAIT home is far away from the office common recreation activities (IAHD) came to Oman, the first Min Max and there is no designated area practiced all over the world by country in the Middle East where 200C 340C in the office for smoking. Do they the young and the old." the project was held. The team

expect me to go home to smoke { "Kathleen Bates, who is by was here to hold the first event of a cigarette? How ridiculous can for designated smoking zones profession an IT expert, wrote to its kind that allowed people with that be?" and most places are not de- us expressing her interest to join physical disabilities to experi- PRAYER TIMINGS He said the main reason that signed to accommodate a smok- the others during the four day ence the thrills of scuba diving he is not happy with the decision ing room. on the subject. "We get a lot of cafes, but in the long run they will event," said Andrea. “Following and enjoy the therapeutic bene- Fajr 04:40 is that the authorities do not Mohammed al Wahaibi has female customers who are quite catch up. last year's huge success, the fits of the sport. Sunrise 05:57 consult anyone, nor do they take his doubts over the effectiveness happy with the ban. The neces- Gidwaney pointed out that a Ministry of Sports has this year She cited the words of Duhr 12:15 people's views into consideration of this ban as over 15 per cent of sary steps have already been lot of young children tend to get asked us to be a part of their Marhoon, an Omani participant Asr 03:42 when introducing new laws. "It the population are smokers. taken and the management has influenced easily and the number annual programme for the hand- in the Dive Challenge Tour last Maghrib 06:29 makes no sense." Kailash Gidwaney, head of dispatched letters to the shop- of smokers seem to be growing. icapped." year. After coming out of the Isha 07:40 Amar al Balushi, who regularly mall and commercial leasing, Ba- keepers." He added that the ban "It begins as an experiment, but She said that the during the water, he had said, “I forgot that visits a cafe at Jawharat A' Shatti, reeq al Shatti, had a different take may hurt the business of some soon becomes an addiction." first Dive Tour Challenge last I am handicapped.”

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