DOHA: Vodafone Qatar will officially open to the public today its first retail store at Landmark Mall. Vodafone customers who wish to pay their Flexi plan monthly payment using their bank account details can now do so at the store.
Vodafone Qatar officially launched its mobile services for the public on July 7 and opened its online store at www.vodafone.com.qa the same day. The website, which offers English and Arabic versions, has instructions on how customers can register, choose their numbers, avail of the promotions and get their Sim pack.
To join, customers should choose a Flexi plan they are comfortable with, open a Freedom account, select the number, and after going through this process comes the ‘Welcome Pack’ to get started. A Flexi plan is Vodafone’s monthly plan service that offers customers local and international calling, local and international SMS, roaming and mobile Internet. Customers will pay a single rate for local calls and another single rate for international calls.
The online purchase of Flexi plans are only for customers with Visa or Mastercard credit cards.
Customers who do not have credit cards and wish to purchase any of Vodafone Qatar’s Flexi plans can use their bank account details to purchase the plans at Vodafone’s retail locations here.
Vodafone’s Flexi plan includes the Flexi 110 where customers get a bonus value of QR20 and 110 free minutes; Flexi 220 with QR60 bonus value and 220 free minutes; Flexi 330 with a bonus value of QR140 and 330 free minutes; and Flexi 550 with QR300 bonus value and 550 free minutes. Vodafone will include Flexi 35 with QR2 bonus value and 35 free minutes; and Flexi 55 with QR5 bonus value and 55 free minutes later, and this can be purchased at their retail outlets.
THE PENINSULA
July 12, 2009
Sri Lanka on top as Pakistan hit new low
Colombo: Seamer Nuwan Kulasekera took a career-best 4-21 as Sri Lanka took early charge of the second cricket Test after bowling Pakistan out for a paltry 90 yesterday.
The tourists, electing to bat on a wicket that provided early assistance to the seamers, slumped to their lowest total against Sri Lanka after being reduced to 19-4 by the seventh over of the match.
Sri Lanka ended the opening day at 164-3 in reply, leaving them well-placed to build on the 50-run win in the first Test at Galle last week that gave them the lead in the three-match series. Skipper Kumar Sangakkara led the way with an unbeaten 81 after adding 54 for the second wicket with Tharanga Paranavitana and 51 for the third with Mahela Jayawardene.
Sri Lanka’s left-arm fast bowler Thilan Thushara chipped in with two wickets and spinner Ajantha Mendis dismissed the last three batsmen as Pakistan were shot out in 36 overs 45 minutes after lunch.
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was the lone batsman to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers at the P. Sara Oval, returning unbeaten on 39.
Pakistan caved in just as they had done in the second innings of the Galle Test where, needing 97 more to win on the fourth morning, they lost their last eight wickets for 46 runs.
Pakistan’s 117 at Galle was their lowest against Sri Lanka, but it took just one more innings to fall below that mark in a reckless display with the bat.
Eight batsmen failed to reach double figures, while debutant Fawad Alam was the second highest scorer after Malik with 16 in 81 minutes.
Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul Haq later denied the batsmen lacked temperament at the crease, but admitted such collapses “happen with Pakistan”.
“I don’t want to take the credit away from their bowlers, we all got out to good deliveries,” Misbah told reporters. “Kulasekera bowled really well. It was very difficult to play him with the ball seaming about. “These things happen with Pakistan. But we look forward to getting Sri Lanka out early tomorrow and (coming) back into the match.”
Kulasekera, 26, who leads the International Cricket Council’s rankings for one-day bowlers, showed he was equally adept at taking wickets in the traditional five-day format with a remarkable opening burst.
The right-arm seamer, who grabbed 4-71 at Galle, tore through the Pakistani top order in only his eighth Test with three wickets in 15 deliveries at the cost of just three runs.
Kulasekera said he was rewarded for sticking to the basics in helpful conditions. - AFP
The tourists, electing to bat on a wicket that provided early assistance to the seamers, slumped to their lowest total against Sri Lanka after being reduced to 19-4 by the seventh over of the match.
Sri Lanka ended the opening day at 164-3 in reply, leaving them well-placed to build on the 50-run win in the first Test at Galle last week that gave them the lead in the three-match series. Skipper Kumar Sangakkara led the way with an unbeaten 81 after adding 54 for the second wicket with Tharanga Paranavitana and 51 for the third with Mahela Jayawardene.
Sri Lanka’s left-arm fast bowler Thilan Thushara chipped in with two wickets and spinner Ajantha Mendis dismissed the last three batsmen as Pakistan were shot out in 36 overs 45 minutes after lunch.
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was the lone batsman to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers at the P. Sara Oval, returning unbeaten on 39.
Pakistan caved in just as they had done in the second innings of the Galle Test where, needing 97 more to win on the fourth morning, they lost their last eight wickets for 46 runs.
Pakistan’s 117 at Galle was their lowest against Sri Lanka, but it took just one more innings to fall below that mark in a reckless display with the bat.
Eight batsmen failed to reach double figures, while debutant Fawad Alam was the second highest scorer after Malik with 16 in 81 minutes.
Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul Haq later denied the batsmen lacked temperament at the crease, but admitted such collapses “happen with Pakistan”.
“I don’t want to take the credit away from their bowlers, we all got out to good deliveries,” Misbah told reporters. “Kulasekera bowled really well. It was very difficult to play him with the ball seaming about. “These things happen with Pakistan. But we look forward to getting Sri Lanka out early tomorrow and (coming) back into the match.”
Kulasekera, 26, who leads the International Cricket Council’s rankings for one-day bowlers, showed he was equally adept at taking wickets in the traditional five-day format with a remarkable opening burst.
The right-arm seamer, who grabbed 4-71 at Galle, tore through the Pakistani top order in only his eighth Test with three wickets in 15 deliveries at the cost of just three runs.
Kulasekera said he was rewarded for sticking to the basics in helpful conditions. - AFP
England cling on for improbable draw
England tailenders James Anderson and Monty Panesar denied Australia victory in the first Ashes test with an heroic unbeaten last-wicket stand before an ecstatic capacity 16,000-strong crowd yesterday. Victory seemed assured for the Australians when Paul Collingwood was dismissed for 74 after five hours 43 minutes of dogged resistance with England still needing six to make Australia bat again and a minimum 11.3 overs remaining.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting put his faith in off-spinners Nathan Hauritz and Marcus North for the final overs after taking pace bowler Peter Siddle out of the attack.
Anderson (21 not out) and Panesar (seven not out), playing resolutely straight, defied the bowling with the former negotiating the final over from Hauritz to tumultuous applause.
“It was pretty frantic in the dressing room, we were trying to work out the timings,” England captain Andrew Strauss said.
“We were lucky to get out of it. We need to play better.”
Ponting said he would be happy to give away his man-of-the-match medal in exchange for one more wicket and 20 fewer England runs.
“We did pretty much everything right in the match after losing the toss so I’m very proud of the way my team performed.” he said.
“Obviously, was came up just a little bit short today but England battled hard to save the game.” The day began brightly for Australia when Ben Hilfenhaus, bustling in from the River End, captured the wicket Australia prized most by knocking over Kevin Pietersen’s off-stump in the fourth over of the day.
Pietersen, on eight, moved half forward and opted to leave alone a delivery he calculated would swing away. Instead it went straight on.
Hauritz took over from Hilfenhaus and immediately troubled Strauss and Collingwood with four fielders clustered close around the bat.
Strauss square-cut the first boundary of the day but was out off the next ball caught behind by Brad Haddin for 17 attempting a similar shot from a delivery which bounced a little higher.
Hauritz was gifted a second wicket when Matt Prior (14) made the elementary error of trying to cut an off-spinner which turned appreciably and succeeded only in guiding the ball to Michael Clarke at first slip.
Andrew Flintoff (26) and Collingwood added 57 in a fighting sixth-wicket partnership with the former playing a thumping drive to the cover boundary and a clip for four to long-on.
He was out edging Mitchell Johnson to second slip where Ponting took a smart, low catch.
Collingwood, taking no risks at all, reached 50 from 167 balls but lost Stuart Broad lbw for 17 to Hauritz 20 minutes before tea.
Graeme Swann rallied after the interval, playing one lovely drive to the extra-cover boundary off Hilfenhaus. He reached 31 from 81 minutes when he was lbw playing across a full delivery from the same bowler.- Reuters
Ashes draw drama
England’s James Anderson celebrating after staying in to salvage a draw during the first Ashes cricket test against Australia in Cardiff, Wales, yesterday. Anderson and Monty Panesar staged one of cricket’s great escapes as England clung on for the dramatic draw. England’s last-wicket duo batted together for 40 minutes to deny Ashes holders Australia what seemed a certain victory.
Book their ticket to Asian Games Nepali women finish third
KATHMANDU, July 11 - Nepal qualified for the Asian Games after defeating China by 73 runs in the third-place playoff of the ACC Women's T-20 Championship on Saturday.
Nepal's batters had failed miserably in the semi-final against Hong Kong but this time around they batted sensibly to set a target of 104 runs in the allotted 20 overs. Nary Thapa took four wickets to restrict China's run chase to 30 runs in 11 overs.
China started terribly losing their first wicket in the second over with just a run on the board. Chinese batsmen found it hard to find the mid of the bad as struggled to six run at the end of three overs.
Rekha Rawal took the first two wickets to reduce China to six for two wickets. Thapa, who was later adjudicated the man of the match, never let China back into the contest game. She wrecked the Chinese middle order apart with her four wickets for ten runs in her four-over spell.
Rawal grabbed two wickets while Rubina Chhetri took one for Nepal.
Earlier, openers Maya Rawat and Neera Rajopadhyay made 17 and 15 runs respectively to set a target of 104 runs for the loss of five wickets.
Ritu Kanoujiya added 15 runs while Rawal added eight. Mei Chun Hua, Zhou Haijie, Yu Miao and Hu Ting Ting shared a wicket a piece for China.
युवतीका छोटाछोटा पहिरन
ललितपुरको खुमलटारस्थित हृवाइट हाउस कलेज परिसरमा घेटिएकी थिइन् विभुषा पौडेल । जो छोटो स्कर्टमा सजिन मन पराउँछिन् । 'सजिलो हुन्छ', उनले भनिन्, 'आफैंलाई पनि हल्का महसुस हुन्छ ।'
त्यही भएर उनी कलेज जाँदा सधँै सकर्ट लगाउँछिन् । ड्रेसमा पाइन्ट पनि छ, तर उनले सुनाइन् , 'साथी, शिक्षक र अपरिचितलाई सजिलै प्रभाव पार्न पनि फेसन गर्नु परेन ?' 'प्रभाव पार्ने' कुरा कालो रङको स्टकिङ
-स्ल्याक्स) बाहिर छोटो स्कर्ट लगाउने उनै जानुन् । कि उनकै कलेजले जानोस् ।
एनको सर्ट पनि उत्तिकै टिमिक्क थियो । खुट्टामा बान्की परेका जुत्ता, पिठ्युँमा लपक्क टासिने ब्याग र कानमा आइपोडको ठोसो । उनीसँगका यी सबै समानको मूल्य कति हुँदो हो ? छुट्टीका दिन काठमाडौंका सुपरमार्केटमा सपिङजाने किशोरी बोलिन्, 'सबै सामग्रीको मूल्य जोड्ने हो भने सात हजार पुग्ला ।'
पूर्वको कुनै एउटा गाउँबाट केही दिनअघि घुम्न तथा आन्तरिक काम मिलाउन मन्दिरै मन्दिरको सहर काठमाडौं आएका सरकारी नोकरी गर्ने एकजना अधवैंशे जावलाखेलस्थित आफन्तको डेरामा आश्रय लिनपुगे । गाउँमा प्रथम श्रेणीमा एसएलसी उत्तीर्ण भएपछि अभिभावकले खर्च जुटाएर राजधानीको एउटा नाम चलेको उच्च माविमा पढ्न आएका भाइ भतिजाको दुई कोठे डेरामा केही दिनको पाहुना हुनपुगेका थिए उनी । दिनभर आफ्नो काममा दौडधूप गर्यो, बेलुका आफन्तको डेरा आएर खाना खायो, एकछिन गफगाफ गरेर ओछ्यानमा पल्ट्यो । काठमाडौंको अस्थायी बसोबासको दैनिकी यसैगरी बित्दैथ्यो उनको ।
एकदिन सिंहदरबार छिर्नुपर्ने भएकाले ती कर्मचारी बिहानैदेखि कागजात तम्तयार पारी आफूलाईसमेत चिटिक्क पार्न व्यस्त थिए । नुहाइधुवाई सकेपछि महाराजगंजस्थित क्याम्पियन कलेज जान लागेका भतिजालाई उनले सोधे, 'आज मन्त्रालय जानुपर्ने भएकाले अलिक हेन्डसम हुनुपर्नेछ, भतिज केश कोर्नलाई काइँयो पाउँ ।' कलेजको ड्रेस लगाइसकेर झोलामा पुस्तक कापी हाल्दै गरेका भतिजले काकालाई भने, 'आफ्नो केशमा काइँयो नपरेको वर्षदिन नाघ्यो, कोठामा काइँयो कहाँबाट हुनु ।' म्यानेजमेन्ट विषय पढ्दै गरेको भतिजको कुरा उनलाई अनौठो लाग्यो । कोठाबाट नजिकैको सैलुन गएर केश कोरे अनि लागे सिंहदरवारतर्फ ।
राजधानीका कलेज पढ्ने हजारौं विद्यार्थी र अघिल्लो पुस्ताका अभिभावकबीच फेसनका सन्दर्भमा देखिएको यस्तो प्रसँग अहिले मोफसलमा पनि उत्तिकै बढ्दो छ । म्युजिक भिडियो, सिनेमा, इन्टरनेट आदिमा पहुँच राख्ने नयाँ पुस्ताका विद्यार्थीले अचेल कलेजमा आफूलाई अरूभन्दा फरक र स्टाइलिस पार्न नौला नौला तरिका अपनाउँदै आएका छन् । कुनै बेला कलेज जानैलाई निकैबेरसम्म ऐनाअघि उभिएर तेल दलेर केश कोर्न समय खर्चिने तन्नेरीहरू अचेल हातैले केश मिलाउँछन्, काइँयो लगाउँदैनन् । फुटबलका अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय खेलाडी डेबिड बेक्ह्यामको जस्तै 'स्पाइक' स्टाइलको केश बनाउन केटाहरू अघोषित
प्रतिस्पर्धामा छन् ।
अब 'भविष्य राम्रो बनाउने' लक्ष्यसहित कलेज पढ्ने केटीले गर्ने फेसनका कुरा गरौं । हलिउडकी गायिका बि्रट्नी स्पेयर्स, रिहाना आदिका गीतमा बन्ने म्युजिक भिडियो, सिनेमा आदिका प्रभावले बलिउड हुँदै नेपाल छिरेको फेसन पछ्याउन उनीहरूलाई केहीले छेेकेको छैन । बिहान झिसमिसे उज्यालो नहुँदै बिछ्यौना छोडेर बाथरुम छिरेर नृत्यकर्म सिध्याएपछि सुरु हुन्छ उनीहरूको फेसन
शंृखला । आफू पढ्ने कलेजको अनुशासन हेरिकन स्कर्ट लगाउनुपर्ने हो कि पेन्ट, त्यसमा सजिन थाल्छन् उनीहरू । स्कर्ट जतिसक्दो छोटो भए लाउन पाए हुन्थ्यो भन्ने चाहना मनमा राख्ने केटीहरू पेन्ट टाइट, टाढाबाट हेर्दा आकर्षक होस् भन्ने चाहन्छन् ।
'रफ एन्ड टप' जमानामा विश्वास गर्ने टीनएजका विद्यार्थी अचेल कोरियन संस्कृतिबाट उत्तिकै प्रभावित हुँदैछन् । केटाहरू चिसो केशलाई तेल वा जेल लपक्कै दलेर कानतिरको भाग त्यतिकै छोडी अगाडि अर्थात बीचको भाग माथि उठाउँछन् । केही कलेजका केटीमा पनि यस्तो प्रभाव देखिन्छ । 'कोरियन स्टाइलको केश बनाउन खासै खर्च पनि लाग्दैन, कोर्नु नपर्ने भएकाले समय पनि बर्बाद हुँदैन' डिल्लीबजारस्थित नेशनल इन्टिग्रेटेड कलेज -एनआईसी) अध्ययनरत मुकेश शाक्यले भने 'झट्ट हेर्नेलाई नराम्रो देखिए पनि साथीभाइ सबैले मन पराउँछन् ।' यस्तो स्टाइलको केश बनाउँदा बारम्बार सैलुन जानु नपर्ने भएकाले पैसासमेत बचत हुने उनको विचार छ ।
नेपाली र हिन्दीमा रिमिक्स गरिएका गीत आइपोडमा सुन्दै व्वाइप|mेण्डको मोटिफाई गरिएको मोटरसाइकलमा पछाडि लपक्कै टाँसिएर बस्ने विद्यार्थी केटीहरूलाई फेसन गर्दा हरेक दिन निकै समय लाग्छ । 'आइरन गरेको स्कर्ट, सर्ट मात्र लगाएर हुँदैन' मैतीदेवीस्थित युनिभर्सल कलेज अध्ययनरत युनिषा लामाले भनिन् 'कपडाअनुसार गाजल, जुत्ता, व्यागको समेत कलर मिलाउनुपर्दा टाइम त लागिहाल्छ नि ।' राजधानीका कलेज पढ्ने केटीहरू अचेल ब्युटीपार्लरमा केशलाई सयौं रुपैैयाँ खर्च गरी स्ट्रेर गरेर हाइलाइटसमेत गर्छन् । नीलो, पहेंलो, रातो, हरियो आदि आफ्नो रोजाइका रङले केशको केही केस्रा रङ्ग्याएर कलेज जाँदा त्यस्तो फेशन नगर्ने अरु साथीहरूभन्दा आफू भिन्नै खालको महसुस हुने बताउँछन् उनीहरू । फुर्सदमा स्वीमिङ र हाइकिङ जान रुचाउने कलेजका केटीहरू बलिउडको 'पुसिक्याट डल' ब्यान्डका गीत सुन्न उत्तिकै हत्ते गर्छन् । फेसनतर्फ बढी आकषिर्त हुनेहरू कडा अनुशासन भएका कलेजभन्दा ओपन ड्रेसलाई मान्यता दिने कलेज अध्ययन गर्न रुचाउँछन् । त्यही भएर माइतीघरस्थित सेन्ट जेभियर्स कलेजका विद्यार्थी अरू कलेजका भन्दा भिन्न देखिन्छन् । 'ओपन ड्रेस भएकाले मन लागेको लाउन पाइन्छ,' नीलो जिन्सको टाइट हाफ पेन्टमा झोला बोकेर फुत्रुक-फुत्रुक कलेजको सिंँढी उक्लिंदै गरेकी विन्दु शेरचनले भनिन् 'कतिसम्म खुल्ने भन्ने कुरा विद्यार्थी आफैंमा डिपेन्ड हुन्छ, धेरै सर्मिन्दा हुनुपर्ने खालका लुगा कसैले लगाउँदैनन् ।'
समाज आधुनिकतातर्फ प्रवेश गर्दै गरेको अवस्थामा आफूतर्फ विद्यार्थी आकषिर्त गर्न कलेजहरूले पनि फेसनलाई सकारात्मक रूपमै लिने गरेका छन् । 'टन्न पैसा तिरेर भर्ना भएका विद्यार्थीले राम्रो पढेर परीक्षामा राम्रै नतिजा ल्याए भने भैहाल्यो नि' म्यानेजमेन्ट पढाइ हुने ललितपुरको एउटा कलेजका पि्रन्सिपलले भने, 'कलेजले तोकेको ड्रेस छोट्याउनु वा लम्याउनु त विद्यार्थीको खुसीको कुरा हो ।' केटाले लगाउने सामान्य खालको सर्ट पेन्ट बढीमा एकहजार र केटीको पेन्ट सर्ट पनि त्यति हाराहारीमै तयार हुन्छ । स्कर्टको मूल्यचाहिँ कपडा र डिजाइन हेरर घटीबढी हुनसक्छ । ब्याग, बेल्ट, जुत्ता, मोजाका सन्दर्भमा कतिपय कलेजले पैसा लिएर आफैंले उपलब्ध गराउँछन् भने धेरैजसोमा विद्यार्थीले नैं किन्नुपर्छ । आफूले पढ्ने विषय जुनसुकै होस् र कलेज समय पनि मिलोस नमिलोस्, प्रायः विद्यार्थी केटाहरुको मिल्दो विशेषता भनेको 'क्लास अफ' भएका बेला नजिकैका क्याफे छिर्नु हो । जागिरे भए आफ्नै कमाइको नत्र अभिभावकले दिएको पैसाबाट क्याफेमा गफिंँदै चिया र चुरोट तान्नु अर्को फेसननैं भएको
छ । 'कतिपयले तलतल मेट्नैलाई चियाका साथमा चुरोट उडाउँछन् अनि
कतिपयचाहिँ साथीको भनाई टार्न नसक्दा' बानेश्वर क्याम्पस नजिकैको एउटा
क्याफेमा भेटिएका सुनील आचार्य भन्दैथिए 'कलेजमा दुई चार सर्को चुरोट नतान्ने केटाहरू भेट्नै मुस्किल पर्छ ।' पढाइ नभएका बेला केटीहरूचाहिँ कि एकठाउँ भेला भएर गफ चुट्न व्यस्त हुन्छन् भने कोही आइसक्रिम खान जान्छन् । अचेल केटाजस्तै चियासँगै चुरोट तान्ने पनि देखिंदैछन् ।
बलिउडको रक ब्यान्ड 'लिंकन पार्क',
गि्रन डे', 'मेटालिका' आदिका गीत सुन्दै
कलेज धाउने केटाहरू आफ्नो मोटरसाइकलका पछि भरसक गर्लप|mेन्ड राखेर शहर फन्को
मार्न रुचाउँछन् । 'गर्लप|mेन्ड नभए कसैले लिफ्ट माग्यो भने केटाभन्दा केटीले
लिफ्ट पाउने सम्भावना बढी हुन्छ' नाम नबताउने एक विद्यार्थीले रातो पल्सर स्टार्ट गर्दै भने, 'केटी साथी राख्न पाइयो भने पढाइको थकाइ मेटिन्छ ।' नाडीमा ठूल्ठूला चुरा, कानमा लामा लामा रिङ, आँखामा गाजलसंँगै स्याडो लगाएका कलेज पढ्ने कतिपय केटीहरू त विद्यार्थीभन्दा पनि मोडलजस्ता देखिन्छन् ।
'दुनियाँ नैं फेसनमा लाग्दै गरेका बेला' मीनभवनस्थित भीएस निकेतनबाट बाहिरिँदै गरेकी सिर्जना पराजुलीले भनिन 'इज्जत जोगिनेगरी फेसन गर्दा केही फरक पर्दैन ।'
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