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A court has handed down heavy jail sentences and fines against a former chairman and a general manager of the state-run Housing Bank of Oman (HBO) and two others who have been convicted of embezzlement.

Airlines operating on the much-sought-after Indian sector have pledged in the rare presence of a government official not to resort to undercutting, to ensure that the agreement, unlike in the past, holds.

As it pushes further ahead with its Omanisation programme, the government and has recently banned expatriates from working as electricity and water meter readers.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has underlined the need for creating jobs for Omanis in all fields to ensure not only self-reliance but improvement in living standards.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos returned to Muscat yesterday afternoon from Bahrain at the end of a three-nation tour which also took him to Qatar and Egypt.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said received a telephone call from U.S. President George W. Bush during which they reviewed the existing cooperation between the two countries and issues of concern in the international arena, according to an official announcement.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos discussed with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm El Sheikh a number of issues, especially the current developments in the Middle East.

A senior government official stated here yesterday that Omani students in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world are safe and there are no reports of threats to their lives.

Sayid Fahd bin Mahmood Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister, has praised the outcome of his three-day official visit to Iran during which he also met President Mohammed Khatami, and discussed issues of common concern in the regional and international context, besides bilateral ties.