Olympic torch in Oman

Apr. 14 - The Olympic torch is expected to get a protest-free outing in the Gulf sultanate of Oman for the sole Middle East leg of its journey to Beijing.

The torch was greeted in the capital Muscat by a low-key ceremony attended by the Omani Sports Minister and representatives of the Chinese diplomatic mission.

80 athletes, including Omani footballers, are expected to relay the flame along a 20-kilometre (13-mile) route.

The early stages of the torch trip in London and Paris were overshadowed by demonstrations against Beijing's crackdown on protests in Tibet, and the third stage in San Francisco was curtailed.

The most recent legs in Buenos Aires and Dar es Salaam passed with little incident.

After its trip to Oman, the torch will go to the Pakistani capital Islamabad.