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Muscat Nights Festival has entered a new era spreading over seven locations for the first time. Al Qurum Natural Park, a floral paradise with over a million blooms, has become a key highlight of this year’s celebrations. In an interview with Oman TV, Ahmed bin Mohammed al Humaidi, Chairman of Muscat Municipality, stated, “For the first time, the festival is being held in as many as seven locations, offering a variety of activities, including sports, entertainment and cultural events.” Muscat Nights Festival 2024 features numerous entertainment and tourism events spread across Amerat Park, Al Naseem Public Park, Oman Automobile Association, Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, Al Hail Beach and Wadi al Khoud, besides Al Qurum Natural Park, several cultural centres and shopping malls. These locations were selected to ensure accessibility for residents and visitors throughout the capital. Humaidi informed that a global element has been incorporated in the festival to enhance its appeal. Amerat Park is hosting ‘Hybrid Show’, organised by an international company, features cutting-edge technology and creating a unique experience for visitors. The flower festival at Al Qurum Natural Park is being held of the first time at Muscat Nights Festival. Additionally, Sur al Hadeed Beach is hosting a range of sports activities, adding to the festival’s diverse offerings. Elaborating on the activities at Sur al Hadeed Beach, Humaidi said it includes a wide range of activities – beach soccer and volleyball competitions, fire performances, giant chess board matches, graffiti art, live music shows and service kiosks offering various amenities throughout the festival ground. “Spread over 4,000sqm, the Hybrid Show blends live performances with modern digital technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, to create an unprecedented interactive experience for the audience.” Humaidi further added, “We have designated areas at the seven locations for visitors to take photos and enjoy the events.” Highlighting the involvement of small and medium enterprises and productive families, Humaidi said, “Over 900 SMEs and enterprising families are participating in the festival to present their products and services. The festival provides a significant platform for these businesses to showcase their offerings to nearly one million anticipated visitors.” On the organisational front, Muscat Municipality has deployed more than 700 personnel at the festival venues to manage the event. Humaidi emphasised the importance of engaging youth in the festival’s activities, stating, “We are keen to involve young people in an organised manner to ensure a unique and integrated experience for visitors. We also aim to engage students who need work experience, helping them transition into the labour market immediately after graduation.” According to Humaidi, to support this initiative Muscat Municipality will collaborate with educational institutions to provide certificates of experience to participating students, with plans to expand this programme in future festivals.Adelaide [Australia], : Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden provided an in-depth analysis of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. He highlighted how a sequence of events, referred to as "Murphy's Law," shifted the momentum in favour of Australia. "It's Murphy's Law. It's a sequence of events that has unfortunately swung the momentum in favour of Australia," Hayden stated while speaking to Star Sports. He supported India's decision to bat first, explaining the strategic advantage it usually provides. "It was a good decision to bat. It had to be there. When you look at this game statistically, those that bat first and are brave enough to take on slightly greenish conditions, they get the benefit of the third innings where it becomes really tough to bat. And so diminishing returns with the bat. Must bat first," he added. Hayden noted the similarities in how both sides were dismissed, akin to the scenario in Perth, which allowed Australia to survive the crucial final overs of the previous evening. "But the way that the game turned out yesterday, both sides being dismissed similarly to what was in Perth, meant that Australia was able to hang on for those final few overs last evening," he said. He pointed out that conditions significantly improved the following day, benefiting Australia's batting. "They got this great day today. It was a totally different day. More wind. Blue skies. Better track," he said. According to Hayden, Australia capitalized on these favourable conditions by accelerating their innings, effectively putting India under immense pressure. "They actually went through the gears so quickly that they enabled, they almost may as well declared in many ways, because it meant India then were under pressure," he said. Hayden's analysis underscores the strategic elements and situational dynamics that have shaped the second Test, emphasizing how Australia leveraged conditions and timing to gain a crucial advantage in the series. Australia with another dominant performance moved closer to securing another pink-ball Test victory. By the end of Day 2, India was at 128/5, trailing by 29 runs and facing a formidable task in Adelaide. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.South Korean president apologises, saying he won't shirk responsibility for attempt at martial law
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