times of oman - january 12, 2015

085010 1200106

A. E. [email protected]

MUSCAT: Oman’s ambitious 2,135-km long national railway project will not be delayed due to plunge in oil revenue, Minister of Transport and Communications Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin

Salim Al Futaisi said on Sunday.Oman crude plunged almost 50

per cent last year to as low as $48 per barrel now, resulting in a ma-jor hit on expected oil revenue this year, which contributes 79 per cent of the state income.

“Fall in oil price is a challenge, of course. There is a commitment

from all Gulf Cooperation Coun-cil countries to proceed with the railway project (and complete it by 2018), even if the oil prices go down. So, we believe that (funds for) the fi rst segment Sohar-Buraimi has been allocated in the budget and will be fi nanced by the government,” said Al Futaisi.

He was talking to the media on the sidelines of the GCC Rail and Metro Conference 2015, held un-der the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, adviser to His Majesty the Sultan.

The minister also noted that the government is conducting a study to fi nd out a fi nancial model for other segments of the national railway project. >A6 See also > B1

National railway

Total network

Max. speed

Ports networkPorts network

2,135 km

1,537 km

Source: Oman Railway Company Graphics

200 km/h 120 km/h

Goodstrain

Passengertrain

The railway is double track, non-electrified and designed to serve freight and passenger traffic.

Network

Oil and gasfields

Potentialminingareas

Salalah

Haima

Mazyounah

Al Duqm

Sohar

Ibri

Nizwa

Muscat

44 272

MONDAY, January 12, 2015 / 21 Rabi Al Awal 1436 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certifi ed Company

Despite falling crude, Oman is committed to

completing railway project on time, said the

Minister of Transport and Communications

MONDAY, January 12, 2015 / 21 Rabi Al Awal 1436 AH titititititititiititititititititititititittiitiititiitiiitiitiittititiiiiitttiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmesmmesmmmememmmemesmemememememememeememesmesmesmesmesmesmessmesmesmesmmmmesmesmememeesmemesmeeemesmessmesmmmesmemesmesmeeememesmesmesmmememeeeemesmesmmesmemmemememesmmmmmemesmesmmmmmmesmesmesmmmmemmmemmmmmmmm oofofoooooooofofofoofofofofooofoooooooofoooofooooofoooooooooofoooooooooooooo ooommmmmmmmmmmanmmanmmmmmmamaaaamaaaaaananananmannmannanmmmanmamammaanmananmannmanmmmmmmaamamanmannmanmananmanmanm nnmanananmammanmanmanmanmmmmaaannmanmmmmmanmmmmmaaaannanmmmmmmaaaanmmaaaanmammmmmamaammmamamm nmmm co.co.comm wtwtwtwtttwtwttttwtwttttttttttwttwtwtwtwtwttwwwwtimeiimimimiimimimmimeimimeiiimeimeimimimimimeiimimimmeimimimimimimimmmimmmmmmimmmmmm sofsofofomomomomaman.cn.ccc.cccccomomoooooooo fafaafafaaaaafaafaaaaafafaafaaafafafafafafafafafaafaaafafafafaffafafaaafafafaffafafaafafafffffffafafaafffffffafafffafafacebcebcebcebcebcebcebcebccebceebebcebccccebcecebcebcebcebebebcececebcebcebebebcccebcebcebcebcebeeccebcebcebcebcebcebeebbcebcebceceebbbcecebbcebcebcebebebcebbbbcebebebebbbbbookooko .co.com/m/tm imesofsofomaomaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ttwttwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwitwiwitwittwtwtwttwtwttwttwtwtwwtwtwtwtttttttttwtwitttwtttttttwtwwwitwtttttwtwwwittwtttwttttwwitwttwttwttttwwwwtwwiwiwittwttwwwwwitttwtttwwwwttttttwwwwwtwtwtttwtwwwwwwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwwwwwitwwwwwwwwwiwittwwwwwwwwtwwwwwwwtwwiwitwwwwwwwwtwwwtwwiwiwwwwwwitwwwtwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwiwwwwwwwwwww ttettttetttttettettettettettetttetttettttettettettttettettt r cr cr cr.cr cr cccr ccr.ccr.cccr.cr.ccr.cr.cr.c /////om/om/om/om/om/ommom/mom/om/mom/om/om/m/om/omom//om/om//om/////titimtiiititimtimtimtimtimmtimtimimtimtimtimt mtimimtimimmmmmmmmtimimtimimmesoesoesesosesoesosoesosoesesoesoesoesossesosossssesoesofomfomfomff mffomfffomfomfomfomfomffomfomfomfomfommfomfomfofomfommmomanananannanananannanaaananananananaananannnana bbbbbbbbblblblblblblbblblblblbblbbblblbbllbllblbblblllblllbllbbllblbllblblblblbblllblbllbblblblblblbblblblblbblbbblbbb oogog.ogogg.g.gg.g.g.ggoogg.g.gggoooggggoogg.g.gggooooooogogooggg.ggg.oooooog.g.gggoogoog.ggoooogooogg.gg..oooogggggoooooogggooooooogggoogggooggg.ggggoooogg.googgg.oogggooogggg....ogg..ogg..oogggg...ogggggggggggg tititimimimimimimimmtimmtimtimmmmmtititimiimimmtimmtimtititiimimimmmmtititimmmtimmmtimmmmimmtimitimtimmiimmmimiiimmmimtimimtiiitimtimtitttt esofoman.com

OMANMore than 1m may visit Muscat festival

2 More than one million people are expected to visit Muscat festival

which will start from Thursday, organisers of the festival said on Sunday. Organisers believe that Jurrasic Park and snow village to be crowd pullers. >A4

OMANSaudi gamer is first ‘GCC King of Fighters’

3Reyadh Buabeid from Saudi Arabia emerged as a champion of the

fi rst GCC King of Fighters video game tournament held in Oman. Gamers from across the GCC gathered to battle it out in the fi rst GCC King of Fighters video game tournament. >A6

OMANNOC required for entry into Oman

1As per the recent clarifi cation issued by the ROP, you may need a

no objection letter from your previous employer even if you opt to enter Oman on family visa, business visit visa, or even investor visa. >A2

T O P T H R E E I N S I D E S T O R I E S

A3NYT ranks Oman on top of Arab tourism map

PRESTIGIOUS PROJECT:

Oman is conducting a study

to fi nd out a fi nancial model for other

segments of the national rail project and funding

will be a mixture of bonds, loans and government aid.

Rail project on the right track, vows minister

Rains, fog predicted in some parts of the Sultanate todayREJIMON [email protected]

MUSCAT: Musandam, the coast-al areas of Oman Sea, and Al Ha-jar Mountains could witness rain on Monday while there could be low level clouds or fog in the gov-ernorates of Al Buraimi, Al Dahi-rah and Al Wusta, Oman’s mete-orological department said in its forecast.

In its 48-hour outlook, the Met department has forecast rough sea along Musandam and Oman Sea coasts with maximum wave height of 3.0 metres and chances of dust rising due to winds over deserts and open area.

In its weather alert on Sun-

day, the department has said that Yaaloni, Masirah, Adam and Mhout would have reduced visibility.

The BBC weather chart has predicted that temperature lev-els will dip again in Muscat in the coming days. “The minimum temperature will be 18 degree Cel-sius on Monday,” the report said. Meanwhile, Mountain Forecast has predicted minus one degree Celsius at Jabal Shams, the high-est mountain of Oman and parts of Al Hajar Mountains range.

During the last week of Decem-ber, temperature in Jabal Shams had dropped below 0°C twice.

Meanwhile, wreaking havoc in parts of Middle East, snowstorm

Huda is heading towards Iraq, weather reports said. However, according to Oman’s Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation, ‘Huda,’ which hit several parts of Middle East, will not have any impact in Oman al-though a slight drop in tempera-ture could be witnessed in some parts of the country because of the snowstorm at the weekend.

The Met department says that wind will be northeasterly light to moderate along the coastal area of Arabian Sea and will be easterly to southeasterly light to moderate over rest of the Sultanate during day, becoming gradually to north-westerly through evening over most of the Sultanate.

W E A T H E R F O R E C A S T

New MERS case found, patient stable

MUSCAT: A new case of Mid-dle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been detected in the Sultanate, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Sunday.

The new case raises the total number of recorded cases of MERS-CoV in the Sultanate to four. This case relates to a per-son who was in contact with a patient diagnosed with the virus a few days ago. The condition of the patient is stable and improv-ing. He is under observation and undergoing treatment at the re-ferral hospital.

Monitoring The ministry said that it con-tinues its eff orts to monitor and control the disease through the epidemic monitoring system and all the referral hospitals are prepared to handle such cases.

As of January 6, 2015, the WHO has reported 945 human cases, including 348 deaths due to MERS. -ONA

M I N I S T R Y O F H E A L T H

Sri Lanka’s new government on Sunday accused toppled former president Mahinda Rajapaksa of having tried to stage a coup to cling to power after losing last week’s presidential election. >A15

RAJAPAKSA ACCUSED OF PLANNING COUP

A2 M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

OMAN

Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN.

I have joined a new com-pany in Oman and am in the probation period for three months. If I decide to resign during the proba-tion period, will it lead to a two-year visa ban? Is there any exemption for those re-signing during probation? If the employer terminates the services of an employee during probation, will visa ban rule be imposed or not?There can be no exception for resignation during probation or otherwise, and the same rule will be applicable to all. If your employer refuses to issue you a no-objection letter, you will fi nd it diffi cult to re-enter the country unless you complete a period of two years from the date of your exit from Oman. Please also note that as per the recent clarifi cation issued by the ROP, you may need a no objection letter from your previous employer even if you opt to enter Oman in family visa, business visit visa or even investor visa.

I have been working with a company in Muscat for the last eight months. Now they have issued me two warnings in seven days time saying they are going to terminate my services on grounds of non-perfor-mance. The probation pe-riod mentioned in my off er letter is six months and the

contract is for an unlimited period. What are the rights of an employee in this case? Does he have the right for a NOC/release?Giving NOC or release is the absolute prerogative of the employer and it is not a right per se under the Oman laws. If you feel that you were denied natural justice by the em-ployer, you may challenge the employer’s decision through the Ministry of Manpower. Le-gally, no ministry or statutory body or court can direct an employer to issue a release or NOC to any of its employees. It is a nonnegotiable right of the employer.

I am working with a re-puted company as a sales executive. Recently, I got a call from my manager for the an annual sales performance meeting. When I met my manager and GM, they asked me to resign immediately. I was shocked to respond. When I asked for the reason they said, ‘your performance was not good enough’. I pointed out that the market was dull for the sales team this year and that I had tried my best to achieve my target. How-ever, they were not willing to listen so I told them I would not resign and they could take necessary

action against me. Can I approach the Ministry of Manpower?You can always approach the Ministry of Manpower with your grievances and they will try to reconcile with your employers. But the success of your case will depend on the genuine nature of your claims and if your employers do not agree to the suggestions of the Ministry of Manpower, the ministry will refer the matter to the court where your issue will be adjudicated purely on merits. It is not unusual to terminate the services of an employee on the basis of poor performance under circum-stances wherein achieving sales targets is one of the criteria for assessing the performance. For this, the em-ployer would have given you suffi cient opportunities (in the form of warning letters) to improve your performance and summary dismissal is unjustifi able and can be challenged before the appropriate forum.

NOC from previous employer needed for entering Sultanate

L E G A L C O L U M N

Times of Oman, in association with

Khalifa Al Hinai Legal Consultants,

will answer the legal queries of

readers every Monday.

Questions can be sent to

[email protected]

SCAN HERE TO EMAIL YOUR QUERIES

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this column are for general guidance purposes only. They are based on facts presented to us and are not substitute for expert legal advice. Readers are advised to seek legal assistance for specifi c legal issues. Times of Oman and Khalifa Al Hinai Advocates & Legal Consultancy do not assume any responsibility to-wards anyone on this matter.

Giving NOC or release is the absolute prerogative of the employer and it is not a right per se under the Oman laws.

Legal Column

A3

OMANM O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

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NYT hails Oman’s natural beautyREJIMON [email protected]

MUSCAT: Oman is the only coun-try from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, featured in The New York Times’ ‘52 Places to Go in 2015.’

The New York Times placed Oman at No. 20 position in this weekend’s edition featuring places to go worldwide. Each January, the editors of the Travel section of newspaper publish a Places to Go issue.

Endorsed as the “Middle East’s best-kept secret no longer,” the brief summary on Oman says staggering peaks in Oman’s land-scapes come from mountains not skyscrapers; its dramatic coast-

lines owe little to man-made en-gineering; and the unending hub-bub of Dubai and Abu Dhabi is contrasted here with the sheer si-lence of Oman’s numerous Wadis, or ravines.

“We discuss the merits and drawbacks of each suggested des-tination in a marathon meeting (or two) before cutting down the list. Our main goal is to have a va-riety of regions and interests, with some surprises mixed in. We also try for a mix of scale, including cit-ies, regions and even entire coun-tries,” the NYT’s travel section says while elaborating how the list was prepared.

According to the NYT, this year, the number one best place to visit is Milan, Italy, followed by Cuba

and Philadelphia. “Oman’s virgin landscapes and virgin beaches have the potential to lure more and more global tourists. Friendly locals and rich traditional and cul-tural values add more the coun-try’s prospects. Moreover, the country is also investing more in developing tourist locations and properties to entice global tourists. So, there is no wonder why Oman has found a place in the NYT’s list of ‘Places to Go’,” Renny Johnson, a senior offi cial at Mezoon Travels, one of the oldest travel and tour-ism companies in Oman, said.

According to Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, last week Oman was ranked as a top travelling destina-tion for GCC tourists looking for short holidays. This came after

Oman emerged as one of the most preferred destinations among GCC travellers, registering a 17 per cent increase in GCC citizens at the end of third quarter of 2014.

The latest government statistics by the National Centre for Sta-tistics and Information say over 701,311 inbound tourists from the GCC visited the Sultanate until September 2014.

Oman attracted roughly 2.1mn visitors in 2013, about 50 per cent more than the previous two years, according to the tourism ministry.

More than 37 per cent of visitors last year came from Gulf countries, although Oman is also attract-ing a growing number of tourists from Britain, Germany, the United States and other Western nations.

The New York Times

(NYT) included Oman

on its list of places

to go worldwide.

The prestigious

magazine endorsed

the Sultanate as the

‘Middle East’s best-

kept secret no longer’

CHARMING TOURISTS: Oman’s

virgin beaches have the poten-

tial to attract visitors. – Shabin E/

TIMES OF OMAN

‘Co-operation Day’ focus on fi eld training

Times News Service

MUSCAT: In order to boost co-operation with various ministries, government bodies and private sector organisa-tions, and streamline training opportunities for students in these organisations, the Sultan Qaboos University, yesterday organised “Co-operation Day” under the patronage of Her Highness Sayyidah Dr Mona bint Fahad Al Said, SQU assis-tant vice chancellor for inter-national cooperation.

The event was held under the theme ‘Field training, a partnership between the uni-versity and government and private sector institutions’.

Senior offi cials from various government and private or-ganisations, and academicians responsible for training and community services at various colleges of the university par-ticipated in various panel dis-cussions as part of the event.

S Q U P R O G R A M M E

A4 M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

OMAN Jan 15is the inaugural day of the Muscat

Festival. The Tour of Oman cycling

race will be held from February 17-22

ITALIAN ADMIRAL CALLS ON GEN AL NU’AMANI, SAF CHIEF OF STAFF Gen. Sultan bin Moham-

med Al Nu’amani, Minister

of the Royal Offi ce, on

Sunday received Admiral

Luigi Binelli, Italy’s Chief

of the Defence Staff , who

is currently visiting the

Sultanate. The meet-

ing discussed bilateral

relations, in addition to

a number of matters of

common concern. Lt Gen

Ahmed bin Harith Al

Nabhani, Chief of Staff of

the Sultan’s Armed Forces

(SAF), also received the

visiting admiral as part

of his current visit to the

Sultanate. - ONA

‘Oman Fascinates’ to woo visitors at fiesta

Times News Service

MUSCAT: More than one million people are expected to visit the Muscat Festival this year, which will start this Thursday, organis-ers of the festival said on Sunday.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, Younis Sakhi Al Balushi, head of the Amerat Park at the Mus-cat Festival 2015, said that those visiting the 2015 Muscat Festi-val will have many events lined up for them.

“Last year, around one million people had visited the festival but this year we expect that number to go up as there are too many attrac-tions at all the venues,” he said.

Organisers believe that the Jur-rasic Park at the Nassem Park and a snow village at the Amerat Park will be the crowd pullers as they have been introduced for the fi rst time. “This year, we are focusing on children and families,” said one of the organisers at the press con-ference, organised at Grand Hyatt on Sunday morning.

‘Oman Fascinates’This year the theme is ‘Oman Fascinates’ and it would include cultural, entertainment and sporting events.

Khalid bin Mohammed Omar Bahram, Assistant Chairman of Muscat Municipality for Services Aff airs, Deputy Head of the Main Organising Committee of the fes-tival said that the festival will fo-cus on child, cultural, education

and recreational activities and the festival will witness the return of cultural events.

In the area of sports events, water sports activities will be or-ganized, in collaboration with the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) in conjunction with Oman Sailing.

They include sailing and racing boats, laser shows, child aerobic show, camel and equestrian rac-ing show, tent pegging show, Mus-cat Marathon, universities and colleges beach soccer, beach vol-leyball, various auto shows, bas-ketball competitions, marine craft village and the Tour of Oman.

Khalid bin Mohammed said that the festival will focus on cultural, education and entertaining events, targeted at children. He also said that this year’s festival will witness a return to the cultural events.

Nada Abdul Raheem Rahim Al Zadjali, Acting Director of the Muscat Festival Management, presented a visual presentation about the events and activities of Muscat Festival 2015.

This year’s events will be held in diff erent places including Al Naseem Park, the Amerat Public Park, the Seeb Beach, Al Madina Theatre, the Oman Cars Club,

the Photography Association, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the Cultural Club.

Since its inception in 1998, Muscat Festival has proved to be more than just a celebratory, cul-tural and artistic event in the Sul-tanate of Oman. It has managed to invent and reinvent itself into a major entertainment spectacle, plus a carnival and a shopping wonder, all rolled into one.

This year’s event will start from January 15 and come to an end on February 14. Elaborating, the organisers said that they have in-

cluded a large number of sporting events this year.

These include a maritime fes-tival for traditional Omani ves-sels, a tattoo show, free style jumping, aircraft shows, aquatics (in coordination with the World Aquatics Association), hiking, cricket championship, camel rac-ing and equestrian, modern tri-athlon race, various auto shows and aerobics. The much awaited Tour of Oman cycling race, which is in its sixth edition, will be held from February 17-22 as part of the festival.

Muscat Festival will

focus on cultural,

education and

entertaining events

targeted at children.

This year will also

witness more

cultural events

Salalah caves, sinkholes add to Dhofar’s natural attractionsSALALAH: Dhofar is known for its numerous caves that attract adventure-loving tourists and those who admire nature. Dhofar mountains are riddled with caves that add to the rich ecology and archaeological attractions of the governorate.

Teiq sinkhole, which was dis-covered by Slovenian adventurers, in collaboration with the Sultan Qaboos University, is one of the biggest sinkholes in the world — about 975,000 cubic metres in size, 130-150 metres in diameter and about 211 metres deep. The sink-hole can accommodate an entire 70-storey building.

Teiq cave is found on top of the sinkhole. The 170,000 cubic metre in size cave, has six chimneys, the biggest of which is on the west-

ern entrance and wall. Mountain residents used caves as a shelter for themselves and their animals as well.

Suhoor cave in Wadi Naheez, about 12.5 km from Salalah, is one of the limestone rock caves.

The ‘ayoon’ (water springs) in Dhofar have many caves near them, such as the Itteen cave near the Garzeez spa, which is the big-gest in size in this area. The cave is 10 km from Salalah and can be ac-cessed through the Salalah-Itteen main road.

Razat cave, one of the biggest attractions for residents and visi-tors, is in the middle of the moun-tain overlooking Ain Razat, about 25 km from Salalah.

Wadi Darbat caves are also known for their natural arches and

decorations. They are also unique in terms of the calcifi ed sediments in the rood.

Bats or Hamran water spring cave has a large number of bats inside, and is located about 40 km from Salalah.

Al Marneef cave in Al Mughsail area is one of the most beautiful caves and a major attraction for tourists and residents. The cave, about 40 km from Salalah, over-looks the sea.

The wilayats of Rakhyut and Dhalkut in the Governorate of Dhofar have a number of caves, such as Sharoot, Akhart, Hartoum, Shesaa, Mashloul and Asbeer.

Oman’s caves are a part and parcel of the Omani natural and ecological heritage and tourist attractions. -ONA

E C O T O U R I S M

SQU professor bags Arab research awardTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Prof. Imaddin Ali Al Omari, Professor in the Depart-ment of Physics at the College of Science at the Sultan Qaboos University, has been selected by the Association of Arab Universi-ties for the ‘Distinguished Arab Researcher Award’ in the fi eld of science and engineering for 2014.

The award was announced in Amman, Jordan, during the meet-ing of the executive council of the Association of Arab Universities, held recently.

Prof Al Omari will receive the award during the General Con-ference of the Association of Arab Universities to be held on March 25. The award includes a certifi cate from the Association of Arab Universities and a cash prize of $7,500.

Prof Al Omari has been working in the Sultan Qaboos University for 14 years and this award is based on his achievements in teaching, students’ training, research, ser-vice to the scientifi c community, and for the development of science in the Arab world during his entire academic career, especially in the past 10 years.

In addition to teaching physics to undergraduate and postgradu-ate students for the past 19 years in the Sultan Qaboos University, the University of Nebraska–Lin-coln (USA), and the Jordan Uni-versity of Science and Technol-ogy (Jordan), Prof. Imaddin Ali has published 103 scientifi c research papers in international referred, indexed, and recognized journals. He has also presented 40 papers at international conferences and delivered several seminars at in-ternational institutions. He also served as principal investigator in more than 10 research projects.

A C A D E M I C S

TOURIST DELIGHT: Oman’s caves are a part and parcel of the Omani natural and ecological heritage

and tourist attractions.–ONA

WINTER SHOW: This year’s events will be held at diff erent places including Al Naseem Park, Amerat

Public Park, Seeb Beach, Al Madina Theatre, Oman Cars Club, Photography Association, Sultan Qa-

boos Grand Mosque and Cultural Club.– Photo and videos: Jun Estrada and Talib Al Wahaibi

Prof. Imaddin Ali Al Omari

SQU scholars earn kudos at The Hague Times News Service

MUSCAT: Two students and a su-pervisor from the Sultan Qaboos University were named winners of the annual Honeywell UniSim Design Student Challenge for the Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) region.

Ahmed Abdullah Al Maimani and Mohammed Nasr Al Kindi, both engineering students, and Dr Ashish M. Gujrathi, Asst. Profes-sor at Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Department at the Sultan Qaboos University, show-cased their winning submissions before more than 1,000 attend-ees at the 2014 Honeywell Users Group (HUG) EMEA meeting in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The research paper investigated ways to reduce the emission of hy-drogen and carbon dioxide, which are main by-products in ammonia production. “This project embod-ies the sort of creative yet consid-ered thinking we need more of in the process industries,” said Ali

Raza, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Process Solutions’ Advanced Solutions business. Using UniSim Design, Al Maimani, Al Kindi and Dr Gu-jrathi have created a clever solu-tion for the process effi ciency of ammonia plants.

The paper, entitled ‘Production of Synthetic Methane Hydrogen & Carbon Dioxide by-products from Ammonia Plants,’ concluded that it is possible to produce synthetic methane from these by-products and recycle it back into the plant in order to reduce the amount of natural gas required for certain production levels. The students’ research was supported by Dr Ashish M Gujarathi.

Honeywell’s UniSim Design Student Challenge seeks to rec-ognise some of the most talented engineering students around the world. It challenges students to solve real-world problems facing industrial processing plants by using Honeywell’s UniSim Design process simulation.

S T U D E N T C H A L L E N G E

RESEARCH HONOUR: Ahmed Abdullah Al Maimani and Mohammed

Nasr Al Kindi, both engineering students, and Dr Ashish M. Gu-

jrathi, Asst. Professor at the Sultan Qaboos University, showcased

their winning submissions.–Supplied photo

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Stuttgart Ballet at ROHM this monthTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Shakespeare’s com-edy about a prickly woman whose true gentle nature is revealed by love will be told through a classi-cal ballet when the Stuttgart Bal-let visits the Royal Opera House Muscat with its production of The Taming of the Shrew, on January 16 and 17.

The ballet by South African choreographer John Cranko was created in 1969, inspired by Shakespeare’s play of the same name. It is set to music by Kurt-Heinz Stolze based on a lively Domenico Scarlatti score, with costumes and sets designed by Elisabeth Dalton. The Stuttgart Ballet company will be accom-panied by the Slovenian Philhar-monic Orchestra conducted by James Tuggle.

The Taming of the Shrew tells the story of Katherina, a shrew-ish girl whom nobody wants to marry because of her attitude, and Petruchio, a clever and dashing man who accepts the challenge, marries her and softens her with

his love. Katherina is just the op-posite of her pretty, but vain, sis-ter Bianca, who has a number of handsome suitors but fi nds love with the unassuming student Lu-centio who teaches her that looks aren’t everything.

Cranko’s choreography high-lights the strong characters in Shakespeare’s play and provides the dancers with ample opportu-nity not just to impress their audi-ences with their dancing skills but also with their acting. Apart from Katherina, Petruchio, Bianca and

Lucentio, other entertaining char-acters include the girls’ long-suf-fering father and the local priest.

The ROHM’s Artistic Director, Umberto Fanni, stated: “We are very pleased to have the Stuttgart Ballet here in Muscat with this classic ballet. The story is one that has been told and retold, in theatre and fi lm as well as dance, thanks to its universal, comedic appeal. The Taming of the Shrew is a ballet that will delight the whole family.”

The Stuttgart Ballet dates back

to the 17th-century court of Würt-temberg, in Germany.

In 1961, John Cranko was ap-pointed Ballet Director and Cho-reographer of the ballet in Stutt-gart, and a new era began. By the time of his sudden death in 1973, Cranko, one of the best choreog-raphers of the 20th century, was able to rejuvenate the company bringing fresh, expressive chore-ography to narrative ballets such as Romeo and Juliet (1959, new version 1962), Onegin (1965, new version 1967) and The Taming of the Shrew (1969).

Currently, the Stuttgart Bal-let is directed by Canadian-born Reid Anderson, formerly a Cranko soloist and director of the Na-tional Ballet of Canada from 1989 to 1996. The Stuttgart Ballet has continued to shine under his lead.

The Stuttgart Ballet will per-form The Taming of the Shrew for two nights on January 16 and 17 at 7:30pm. For more information about Royal Opera House Mus-cat, tickets, and frequently asked questions, please visit the website at www.rohmuscat.org.om.

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TIMELESS CLASSIC: The Stuttgart Ballet will perform ‘The Tam-

ing of the Shrew’ on January 16 and 17, at 7:30pm. – Supplied photo

Iran pharma firm eyes Oman entry

ELHAM [email protected]

MUSCAT: Farabi Pharmaceuti-cal Company, a leading producer of medicines in Iran and the Middle East, is mulling expan-sion into Oman’s market with a commitment to deliver high-qual-ity products.

Farabi company displayed its medications at an exhibition of Iranian products held in Muscat from January 6 to 10, with the aim of entering into partnership with Omani companies for coopera-tion in the pharmaceutical sector.

“Currently, we are producing 90 items, both antibiotics and non-

antibiotics, which are used for treating a wide range of diseases such as mental, cardiovascular and digestive diseases,” Ahmad Ali Sharifani, marketing and sales manager at Farabi company, told the Times of Oman.

Sharifani said that the com-pany is exporting its products to a number of countries, including Iraq, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania, Belarus, Tajikistan, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Sri Lanka and Uganda.

“We hope that in the near fu-ture we will be able to export our products to Oman after our medicines are registered here,” he noted, adding that his study of the

market showed that some of the foreign-made medicines avail-able here are being produced in Iran at a lower cost.

The offi cial also said that the Farabi company, which has been honoured for several years as a top Iranian exporter, has a lot to off er Oman in the light of grow-ing cooperation between the two countries in the health sector.

Iran plans to set up a $1.5 billion multi-specialty hospital complex in Oman and is also considering setting up factories in the Sultan-ate for producing certain special kinds of medicines, including

those for cancer treatment. Shari-fani said that Iran-Oman joint in-vestment in the pharmaceutical sector can help facilitate the pro-cess for cooperation and will ben-efi t both countries.

Farabi Pharmaceutical Manu-facturing Complex, which was inaugurated in January 1993 has an annual production re-cord of 1,200,000,000 capsules, 45,000,000 suspensions and 360,000,000 fi lm-coated tablets. All production procedures are managed according to the guide-lines of the World Health Organi-sation. It has obtained several in-ternational certifi cates including in quality management.

Iran-Oman joint

investment in the

pharmaceutical

sector will benefi t

both countries,

said Sharifani Ahmad Ali Sharifani

Gulf citizenship

seminar to be

held in Muscat

MUSCAT: A seminar on ‘Gulf Citizenship: Rights and Obliga-tions’ will be organised by the GCC Secretariat General in col-laboration with the Ministry of Finance at Crowne Plaza Hotel Muscat next Tuesday.

The seminar follows a deci-sion taken during the 34th ses-sion of the Supreme Council, held in Kuwait.

The seminar, which includes two sessions that target GCC individuals and private sector, will cover the most important decisions that service the GCC joint action march. -ONA

E V E N T

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I think for this for this particular show both our works are ephemeral, transient. It’s very fragile because frankincense is fragile and paper is fragile and delicate, so that is the commonality of the exhibition

Dbjani Bhardwaj, Indian artist

Foreign artists find inspiration in common elements of life in Oman

SARAH [email protected]

MUSCAT: One is from Hungary, the other is from India, but here in Oman they have both found inspi-ration for their art from common elements of life in the Sultanate.

Now Hungarian artist Gabriella Gorbedi and Indian artist Dbjani Bhardwaj have brought their work together for a joint exhibition called “Nectar in a Sieve” which opens Monday evening at Gallery Sarah in Old Muscat.

Gorbedi’s work revolves around frankincense, which she uses as the primary element for sculp-tures and collages, while Bhard-waj is inspired by the geometric

Mashrabiya patters that decorate many buildings in Oman and she creates her own paper versions of these designs using elements of Omani culture as the base.

“I think for this for this par-ticular show both our works are ephemeral, transient. It’s very fragile because frankincense is fragile and paper is fragile and del-icate, so that is the commonality of the exhibition,” Bhardwaj said of their work.

The artists both have very hands-on approaches to making

their work, too. Gorbedi’s sculp-tures, which combine pieces of frankincense, wires, beads, coco-nut palm parts, wood and other el-ements, are not only put together by hand, but are very tactile and make one want to reach out and touch them.

She says frankincense is used in so many ways by Omanis and now she has found a new way to use it.

“I just fell in love with it. For many years I felt I couldn’t do art, I was totally blocked. I was search-ing for a medium, and I never felt

I could do it for a long time until I arrived at frankincense. Work-ing with this material is very spe-cial. The smell is very uplifting, the touch. I can really prove from my self-growth that it’s a healing thing,” she explained.

Bhardwaj’s work, meanwhile, is the result of a process of creating stencils, tracing them, and pains-takingly cutting them out, creat-ing lattice and lace-like designs from khanjars, palm trees, camels, Omani people, goats, vases and other aspects of Oman arranged

in a geometric way, a modern ap-proach to Mashrabiya patterns.

Labour-intensive“I don’t like digital media at all. I like hands-on, really labour-in-tensive. The process itself is the piece. Making art itself is the art, as much as the result and fi nal piece,” said Bhardwaj.

For Bhardwaj, who has lived in Oman for three years, this exhibi-tion marks a departure in her work since it’s the fi rst time she has focused on Oman as the subject

matter, rather than using personal narratives. She says she has re-sponded positively to the peaceful, calm atmosphere in Oman, which has made its way into her work.

Gordebi moved here from New York City 13 years ago, and though it took some time to adjust to the contrast, ultimately she found plenty of inspiration from Oman’s rich nature which helped her search for herself after feeling quite lost following the change.

More beauty“This land basically helped me to open up towards that direc-tion and then I found the mate-rial which is even [from] the land. I’m just adding things that I fi nd in wadis, beaches or in the souk,” she said. Both artists’ work is “out of the box,” as Gorbedi says, and quite unlike other art that has been exhibited in Oman, but they hope that viewers will appreci-ate it and be inspired to see more beauty and potential in everything around them.

“I think artists should get an idea of how you can introduce elements around you which are so obvious…and reinterpret it. Be aware of your surroundings,” Bhardwaj said.

The artists also noted that they have been infl uenced by other modern artists. Bhardwaj admires the work of M.C. Escher, William Kentridge and Frida Kahlo. Bar-bara Depirro, Grayson Perry and Louise Bourjeois.

“Nectar in a Sieve” will be inau-gurated at 7:30pm at Gallery Sarah by Al Shaima Ali Al Raisi, mem-ber of Muscat Municipal Council. It will run until February 2, from 9:30am to 6pm from Saturday to Thursday.

Hungarian artist

Gabriella Gorbedi

and Indian artist

Dbjani Bhardwaj have

brought their work

together for a joint

exhibition called

‘Nectar in a Sieve’,

at Gallery Sarah

NECTAR IN A SIEVE: Gabriella Gorbedi’s work revolves around frankincense, which she uses as the primary element for sculptures and

collages, while Dbjani Bhardwaj is inspired by the geometric Mashrabiya patters that decorate many buildings in Oman and she creates

her own paper versions of these designs using elements of Omani culture as the base. – Photos, video: Jun Estrada

Saudi gamer is fi rst ‘GCC King of Fighters’TARIQ AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: Reyadh Buabeid from Saudi Arabia emerged as a cham-pion of the fi rst GCC King of Fighters video game tournament held in Oman.

Gamers from across the GCC gathered in Chefs’ Inn Restaurant on Friday to battle it out in the fi rst GCC King of Fighters video game tournament.

More than 20 gamers, the eldest being in his 40s, competed across fi ve stations hooked up with PS3s while one of those stations was connected to the internet for live streaming in HD. “There are sev-eral gamers here who are hardcore gamers. They are working men who enjoy a high social status. It is amazing to see that these peo-ple are here from around the GCC to compete. It is a competitive sport,” said Saeed Abdul Ghafoor, the event organizer and a mem-ber of the Oman Fighting Gamers Community (Oman FGC).

The format of the tournament involved four pools consisting of six players, each slugging it out to become the top two of the group,

who would then advance to the fi nal eight where they would com-pete for the championship.

“It didn’t expect the turnout to be this big. It was going to be a small gathering in my place but things escalated to a stage that involved bringing in sponsors and booking the hall for the event,” said Abdul Ghafoor.

He added, “After the success of this tournament, we are planning

to make it an annual event. We hope to see more people partici-pating next time.”

Ooredoo sponsored the event by providing a stable internet connection for live streaming as well as Redbull who provided the sound system for the tournament.

The King of Fighters is a video game franchise developed by SNK Playmore, a Japanese video game hardware and software developer.

The franchise has been running since 1994 with the fi rst game being The King of Fighter ‘94 which was originally developed for SNK’s Neo Geo MVS arcade hardware.

It is a dream job for gamers to leave their regular, everyday jobs to be paid for playing games.

Japanese gamer Daigo Ume-hara and American gamer Justin Wong, both earn up to $100K a year just by playing video games online, from game developers and producers.

Many think gaming is for chil-dren and geeks, but it is a serious industry, grossing over $93 billion a year which makes it the fourth largest industry in the world.

“It is a dream job to be playing games for a living. I’ve been gam-ing my whole life and it certainly shaped the kind of person I am. So yes, if there was an opportunity, I would play for a living,” said Abdul Ghafoor. Some gamers can sense a connection between themselves and the characters in the games they play. “I personally can relate to the characters that I play with. Each character has a story behind it,” he said.

V I D E O G A M E T O U R N A M E N T

COMPETITIVE SPORT: More than 20 gamers, the eldest being in

his 40s, competed across fi ve stations hooked up with PS3s.

Oman is committed to railway project: Sayyid ShihabThe funding will be a mixture of bonds, loans and government sup-port, he said.

Sayyid Shihab said that as per the statement of the minister re-sponsible for fi nancial aff airs and the discussions of the ministers, the Sultanate is committed to im-plementing this project, even if the oil prices continue to decline.

Sayyid Shihab stressed the pro-ject’s importance and the chal-lenges facing its implementation, including lack of qualifi ed human resources.

He added that the participation of the private sector in the rail-way project will contribute to the growth of the GCC economies. He called on the GCC countries to ac-tivate and fi nance these major pro-jects and link the GCC countries to diff erent regions.

He also affi rmed that the Sultan-ate’s unique and strategic position would enable the country to ben-efi t from such logistical projects.

“Railway project is more of a strategic venture for the long-

term,” Dr Al Futaisi noted. Dr Al Futaisi also said that the pre-qualifi ed companies would submit their technical bids on January 18. “We are hoping to award the EPC contract (for 207-km long Sohar-Buraimi segment) by the middle of this year.”

Other eight segments, includ-ing Duqm-Thumrait-Salalah and Sohar Port-Muscat, are still in the design stage.

“We are designing and we hope to fl oat some additional segments within this year.”

As many as 18 consortia have been pre-qualifi ed for civil work and another fi ve for technology systems for the prestigious Oman national railway project, which will be implemented by the Oman Railway Company (ORC).

The work on the Oman National Railway project is expected to start by the second half of 2015, after selecting a design-and-build contractor for the 207-km-long Sohar-Buraimi route.

Participating in a panel discus-

sion, Dr Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said that a consultant has been appointed to conduct a study for creating a common GCC regula-tory authority for the integrated railway network.

Dr Al Futaisi said that com-mon standard on several areas,

including safety, for GCC states on railway have been achieved without establishing a common regulatory authority. Each coun-try has its own regulatory author-ity and common standards are achieved after discussions with all member states.

“Over $200 billion will be in-vested in over 40,000 kilometres of

rail across the GCC. This provides a good environment to attract companies, manufacturers, hu-man resources and capital to the region,” noted Dr Al Futaisi.

Multiplier eff ect“Our challenge will not just be about how to ensure success in executing these projects from a technical and operational point of view, but on how to exploit the socio-economic potential of these massive investments so to ensure the multiplier eff ect on our economies.”

“Saudi Arabian Railways is building a massive network of 5,000 kilometres. Already, 1,400 kilometres is operational, and has the ability to transport phos-phate and bauxite from mines to the manufacturing facilities at the port in Ras Al Khair. Since the line became operational, we have transported more than 6.5 million tonnes of phosphate. The benefi ts of using the railway are tangible – we have saved 70 per cent of the

fuel that would have otherwise been consumed by trucks,” noted Dr. Rumaih M. Al Rumaih, chief executive offi cer of the Saudi Ara-bian Railways.

He added that the impact on the environment is huge — there will be an estimated 50 per cent reduc-tion in carbon dioxide as a result of using trains to transport goods.

More than 500 participants from 25 diff erent countries par-ticipated in the conference, which discussed the social and economic benefi ts resulting from the major investments pumped in such kind of industries.

Participants shared notes about progress on project development and localisation initiatives, and took part in panel discussions to address key issues, challenges and opportunities enabling eff ective private sector participation.

“The GCC rail project is one of a kind, ambitious and complex in nature,” said Dr Ramiz Al Assar, Resident World Bank Advisor, GCC for the Arab states in the Gulf.

P R I V A T E S E C T O R P A R T I C I P A T I O N

RAILWAY CONFERENCE: His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq

Al Said, advisor to His Majesty the Sultan, at the GCC Rail and

Metro Conference 2015 on Sunday. – ONA


VIDEOW W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M

< FROM

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Bashir launches re-election bid

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir launched his bid for re-election on Sunday, facing little threat to his quarter century in power despite an ailing econo-my, multiple insurgencies and al-legations of war crimes.

Bashir’s supporters view him as a strong hand capable of holding the chaotic country together, while his opponents are hounded by the security forces, marginalised in-side Sudan and riven by personal rivalries. It is unclear whether an-yone will challenge Bashir to lead the country of nearly 39 million people that covers an area almost one-fi fth the size of the United States. Formal applications to reg-ister for the April 13 vote opened

on Sunday, and the electoral com-mission said it had received Ba-shir’s nomination.

The opposition looks set to boycott the vote, with Mariam Al Mahdi, deputy leader of the Umma Party, sharply criticising the move and saying her party would not take part in the April election.

“We believe it is a total waste not only of the time and resources of Sudan but also the hopes of the

people,” she said by telephone. The opposition also boycotted

elections in 2010, the fi rst con-tested vote since Bashir came to power in 1989. In 2010, opposition leaders accused the president’s loyalists of rigging ballots.

But Bashir has proven to be a political survivor. Since 2009, the 71-year-old incumbent has defi ed an arrest warrant from the Inter-national Criminal Court (ICC) for

alleged war crimes in the nearly 12-year-old confl ict in Sudan’s western Darfur region.

In 2011, he oversaw a separation from South Sudan, after it voted to split following a 22-year civil war.

The president hinted last year he might not stand for re-election, raising fears of a succession strug-gle within his ruling National Con-gress Party, but in October, the NCP announced he would seek an-

other term. “Bashir is in a strong position internally within gov-ernment,” said Ahmed Soliman, Horn of Africa research assistant at Chatham House.

He consolidated power ear-lier this month when parliament granted him the right to appoint state governors, who were previ-ously elected. Bashir has worked to shed his image as an interna-tional pariah, travelling to Egypt and Saudi Arabia last year and welcoming Russian Foreign Min-ister Sergei Lavrov to Sudan.

Boosting relationsChina’s foreign minister also visited Khartoum on Sunday for talks about boosting relations and the confl ict in neighbouring South Sudan. The ICC’s decision to shelve investigations into al-legations of war crimes in Darfur over UN inaction gave him a fur-ther boost. “The ICC’s announce-ment that it was suspending its investigations was seen as a vic-tory by President Bashir,” said

Jerome Tubiana, senior analyst for the International Crisis Group.

“The NCP should win without diffi culty but all the problems will still be left,” Tubiana added.

Sudan faces major economic challenges with nearly half of the country’s population living in poverty, according to World Bank fi gures. When South Sudan broke away, it took with it 75 per cent of the formerly united country’s

oil production. Insurgents are still battling government troops in Darfur as well as in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states on the South Sudan border.

Last January, Bashir announced a national dialogue to address the problems, inviting opposition groups, including rebels, to par-ticipate. But the talks have yet to materialise, and critics view the invitations as a bid by Bashir to buy time before the elections.

Opponents to Bashir’s rule are more united than they have been for years but are still expected to struggle to challenge him.

In December, the Umma Party joined other opposition parties and civil society groups to sign the “Sudan Call” document de-manding a transitional govern-ment to pave the way for free and fair elections.

Sudan’s powerful National In-telligence and Security Service has kept up the pressure on oppo-sition parties, arresting two signa-tories to Sudan Call.

NISS has also shown it will brook no dissent from protesters.

Its forces gunned down dozens of Sudanese who protested against the lifting of fuel subsidies in Sep-tember 2013. Their handling of the protests caused divisions within the NCP, with Bashir adviser Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani breaking away to form his own party. But analysts say opposition failings have played into Bashir’s hands. — AFP

Formal applications

to register for the

April 13 vote opened

on Sunday, and the

electoral commission

said it had received

President Omar Al

Bashir’s nomination

Kuwait plans $155b projects

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s gov-ernment on Sunday announced plans to spend $155 billion (45.5 billion dinars) on projects over the next fi ve years despite the plunge in world oil prices, a law-maker said.

The spending is slated to cov-er 523 key projects in a fi ve-year development plan starting in the fi scal year which begins on April 1, said parliament’s fi nan-cial and economic aff airs com-mittee secretary, Mohammad Al Jabri.

He said the Gulf country’s state minister for planning and development, Hind Al Sabeeh, discussed the draft develop-ment plan with his panel.

The committee was assured that the sharp drop in oil rev-enues would not aff ect the pro-jects of Kuwait, which has a massive sovereign wealth fund and invested billions of dollars in a “future generations fund”.

Oil revenues in the new budget from April will be calcu-lated on the basis of $45 a barrel, down from $75 a barrel in the current fi scal year, Jabri said.

The price of Kuwaiti oil closed on $43.21 a barrel on Friday, compared to a price of over $110 a barrel in June 2014. Oil income makes up around 94 percent of public revenues in Kuwait. — AFP

O I L S L U M P

The ICC’s announcement that it was suspending its investigations was seen as a victory by President (Omar Al) Bashir

Jerome Tubiana, Senior analyst for the International Crisis Group

NOMINATION REVIEW: Members of Sudan’s National Electoral Commission review the applications

from potential candidates on Sunday, in the capital Khartoum, as formal applications for the April 13

presidential and legislative poll opened. – AFP

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INDIAM O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

The Congress has never undermined the importance of women voters. However, they have become much more aware socially and politically which is a good sign

Sheila Dikshit, Former Delhi chief minister

Modi promises ‘unlimited’ reforms in bid to transform Indian economy

GANDHINAGAR: Prime Minis-ter Narendra Modi promised “truly unlimited” reforms on Sunday in his bid to transform India’s econo-my into a global powerhouse as he showcased his home state to global political and business leaders.

Speaking at a major investment summit in the western state of Gujarat attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and World Bank supre-mo Jim Yong Kim, Modi hailed India as a “land of opportunities” for business.

Modi was Gujarat chief minis-ter for 13 years before leading his Bharatiya Janata Party to national power last May, and much of his electoral appeal centred around his economic stewardship of the coastal state.

The presence of Kerry and Kim is seen as a vote of confi dence in Modi’s eff orts to replicate his lo-cal success and kickstart growth in Asia’s third-largest economy.

PredictedKim predicted Modi’s government was on the verge of lifting millions of Indians out of poverty, while Kerry said the world’s two larg-est democracies could make huge strides together.

The prime minister said his right-wing government had al-ready introduced a slew of initia-tives since ending a decade of rule

by the left-leaning Congress. “In a very short span of seven months, we have been able to change the atmosphere of despair and uncer-tainty,” he told the “Vibrant Guja-rat” conference.

“My government is committed to create a policy environment that is predictable, transparent and fair.”

But Modi said he was also plan-ning further reforms and devel-opment to revive India’s fl agging economy, which has been struggling through the worst slowdown in dec-ades, without specifying details.

“The process of development we are taking up is not incremental. We are planning to take a quantum leap. It is not limited to one sector or region, it is truly unlimited,” the prime minister said.

Under Congress, investors frequently complained about a hostile business climate in In-dia, frustrated by bureaucracy and corruption.

India slipped two places down the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings last year to 142 out of 189 countries.

In contrast, Gujarat won a repu-tation as India’s most investor-friendly state during the era of ‘Modi-nomics’ — even if critics say he favoured big business through tax breaks and subsidies.

Addressing the summit earlier on Sunday, Kerry told hundreds of participants that bilateral trade

between the two economic giants has grown nearly fi vefold since 2000 alone.

Bilateral foreign direct invest-ment now stands at nearly $30 bil-lion, he said, describing Modi as a “visionary prime minister”.

“Together, we can create an en-vironment where all of our compa-nies play leading roles in bringing cutting-edge technologies, equip-ment, capital, and know-how not just to India but to countless coun-tries that need this growth and de-velopment now,” Kerry said.

Modi swept to power in May elections last year, partly on a promise to revitalise the world’s third largest economy.

And he pledged to the confer-ence to slash red tape and banish India’s reputation as a hard place to do business.

A senior State Department of-fi cial said Modi was already be-ing true to his word, by removing barriers, helping “to make the business climate better for Indian businesses (and) are also going to help US businesses.”

“They’re going to help India take its place in the global supply chain,” the offi cial said.

But the offi cial acknowledged that some of the hardest and thorniest issues — such as on civil-ian liability for nuclear energy co-operation — had yet to be resolved.

India and the US, which have had bumpy relations at times, struck a landmark civilian nuclear deal in 2008. But US companies have been reluctant to get to work in India as they are seeking greater protection from liability in the event of a nuclear disaster.

The issue is sensitive in India, where thousands died in 1984 in a leak from a US-owned pesticide factory in Bhopal.

Washington is also keen to move into India’s expanding solar energy programme, but is running into hurdles over New Delhi’s insist-ence that all parts for such projects should be made in India.

Negotiators were “rolling up their sleeves” with the aim of reaching some “tangible” deals including on climate change to unveil during Obama’s visit, the of-fi cial said.

Kerry took a rare moment off his busy schedule of meetings to visit the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram, founded by India’s independence hero in 1917 on the banks of the River Sabarmati.

Removing his shoes, the top US diplomat visited Gandhi’s sim-ple home which became the fo-cus of his movement of passive resistance. - AFP

Prime Minister

Narendra Modi said

he was also planning

further reforms

and development

to revive India’s

fl agging economy,

which has been

struggling through

the worst slowdown

in decades

STRATEGIC DIALOGUE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Secretary of State John Kerry meet dur-

ing the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2015 in Gandhinagar in this handout photograph received from

the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Sunday. - AFP

Parties woo women like never before for Delhi assembly pollsNEW DELHI: Women in Delhi are being wooed by political par-ties like never before, with their safety becoming an important is-sue in the assembly polls expect-ed next month.

Of Delhi’s 13 million voters, women account for 44.51 percent — the lowest proportion of female voters across the country, accord-ing to the Election Commission.

However, their voting percent-age has been rising and has gone up from 46.41 per cent in the 1998 assembly polls to over 65 per cent in 2013.

Issues like women’s security have become important for all po-litical parties and the three main political players in the national capital — the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress —are going the extra mile to show their sensitivity on issues concerning women.

Leaders from the three parties, as also women activists, say that issues concerning women, par-ticularly their safety and educa-tion, have moved away from the periphery and are now part of the main political discourse.

They say that more and more female voters are taking interest in politics and are making their own choices in casting their bal-lots, irrespective of the thinking of their family members.

In Delhi, the issue of women’s security has added signifi cance in view of the increasing inci-dents of crime against them. The grisly gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapist in Dec 2013 had forced the people to come out on the streets.

The city reported 1,441 rapes in 2013, according to National Crime Record Bureau data.

The AAP and the BJP — con-sidered the main contenders in

the upcoming polls — are hold-ing a series of meetings to fi nalise their vision for the capital’s 5.8 million women.

AAP a step aheadThe AAP appears to have taken a lead by conducting a dialogue with women last November which, the party says, was preceded by some 300 meetings spread across all of Delhi’s 70 assembly constituen-cies. Among the promises made by the AAP, which fi nished a close second to the BJP in the 2013 as-sembly polls, were 200,000 public toilets for women, 100 new courts to fast-track rape cases and Wi-Fi connected CCTV cameras.

“Our party is taking women

voters seriously as they have emerged as a new bloc, especially after the Nirbhaya (2013) inci-dent,” prominent AAP woman leader Atishi Marlena said.

She admitted that the AAP, which was born in 2013 from an anti-corruption movement, did not initially have a comprehen-sive roadmap for women.

“Corruption was our main plank. But we cannot ignore women voters now as they vote independently,” Marlena added.

The BJP, which is hard-selling the development model of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come to power in Delhi, has conducted a survey on women’s safety.

“We gave a small questionnaire to 3,000 women, asking them about their problems and how we can address them. We have collected six most common sug-gestions to improve their safety which will be taken into account while preparing the party’s mani-festo,” Kamaljeet Sehrawat, pres-ident of the Delhi BJP’s Mahila Morcha, said.

Interestingly, more women cast their votes compared to men in 10 of 70 assembly segments in the last polls.Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who was in offi ce for 15 years, said that women have always been impor-tant for the Congress.

“The Congress has never under-mined the importance of women voters,” Dikshit said. “However, they have become much more aware socially and politically which is a good sign,” she added.

Women’s rights activist Ran-jana Kumari said political par-ties are going the extra mile to woo women because they are in-creasingly exercising their fran-chise independently and in larger numbers. - IANS

S A F E T Y A N I M P O R T A N T I S S U E

GANDHINAGAR: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday said 2015 was crucial for global action on issues such as sustainable development, climate change and inclusive growth.

“This is the most important and crucial year for human-ity,” Ban Ki-moon said in his address at the seventh Vibrant Gujarat global invest-ment summit here.

He said important deci-sions on global issues like climate change, sustainable development and inclusive growth were likely to be taken this year.

He called upon leaders of countries and the industrial and corporate sector to work in a way that these issues were addressed globally.

“We are living in a very young world where half of the population is young. We have to do much more for the youth,” the UN chief said.

On his fi rst visit to Gujarat, Ban Ki-moon said the state could also be a crossroad for a new era of sustainable development while it had long been a cultural crossover to the world.

“This dynamic state has long been a cultural crossover to the world. Today, it can also be a crossroad for a new era of sustainable development,” Ban Ki-moon said at the three-day summit that began on Sunday.

Invoking the importance of land of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth, he said: “I hope all world leaders and businesses will be inspired by Gandhi’s vision and teachings.

“Gujarat is a state where technology meets climate action, where entrepreneur meet clear energy, where young people meet job op-portunities.”

The achievement of a polio-free status by India,

including Gujarat, was an important milestone in health indicators for the South-East Asia region, Ban Soon-taek wife of United Na-tions Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday.

Ban Soon-taek congratu-lated the national, state and local governments for their strong will and painstaking eff orts to drive out polio at a function to celebrate Guja-rat’s polio-free status. - IANS

2015 year for global action: Ban


PHOTO GALLERYW W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M

This dynamic state

has long been a

cultural crossover

to the world. Today,

it can also be a

crossroad for a new

era of sustainable

development

Ban Ki-moonUN Secretary General

WOMEN POWER Of Delhi’s 13 million

voters, women account for 44.51 per cent

In Delhi, the issue of women’s security has added signifi cance in view of the increasing incidents of crime against them

The city reported 1,441 rapes in 2013, according to National Crime Record Bureau data

Interestingly, more women cast their votes compared to men in 10 of 70 assembly segments in the last polls

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Idukki set to become

fi rst district with full

broadband access

AFTAB H. KOLAOur Correspondent

KOCHI: The Idukki district in the southern Indian state of Kerala will on Monday become the fi rst district in the country to have complete access to broad-band Internet through the Na-tional Optic Fibre Network.

Communications and Infor-mation Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will formal-ly launch on Monday the com-missioning of Rs.200-billion-National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project under the Digital India programme through video-conference. After today’s inaugu-ration, the entre hilly district will be boradband connected.

Panchayat offi ces in Idukki will now have high-speed broadband connectivity, enabling citizens to access a wide range of e-services and e-applications and provid-ing local bodies with a technology tool for development planning.

The NOFN uses Gigabit Pas-sive Optical Network technology to enable a single optical fi bre to serve multiple premises. It pro-vides broadband connectivity to reach e-health, e-education, e-gov-ernance and e-commerce services

and videoconferencing to gram panchayats and block offi ces.

Part of the Digital India pro-gramme, it aims to make broad-band Internet available in the 250,000 villages in the country by December next year. The project is aimed at extending the existing optical fi bre network, which is available up to district and block levels, to the gram panchayat level. Thiruvananthapuram, will also become a complete broad-band district soon.

The over-all plan involves di-viding the country into diff erent zones and outsourcing the fi bre rollout to private agencies.

As per a study conducted by the World Bank, with every 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration, there is a 1.4 per cent increase in GDP growth.

The NOFN enables mainte-nance of village records and citi-zen databases and performance monitoring of panchayats as well as intra-village and intra-district sharing of practices and resourc-es and delivery of citizen services like health, education and fi nance. It off ers a single point of govern-ment-to-citizen interaction for centrally sponsored, central and state-sponsored schemes.

K E R A L A Tharoor to be quizzed over Sunanda’s death

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday reached the national capital and is likely to be questioned by Delhi Police in connection with his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s murder.

Tharoor arrived at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport from Kerala around 2 pm and went to his house in central Delhi’s Lo-dhi Estate.

Tharoor did not reply to ques-tions from journalists, and merely

said: “I have already spoken with the media (in Kerala).”

He drove away in a car with his security staff . After reaching home, he consulted his lawyers and discussed the case.

Policemen have been deployed outside his residence.

Tharoor was undergoing ayur-vedic rejuvenation in Thrissur district of Kerala. Soon after his discharge, he raised questions on

the Delhi Police investigation and demanded a professional probe.

Assured cooperationHe also said he wrote to Delhi Po-lice Commissioner B.S. Bassi, as-suring him full cooperation with the investigating team. Pushkar, 52, was found dead in mysterious circumstances in a luxury hotel here on January 17, 2014.

On Saturday, Delhi Police said

they will question Tharoor after the people who were in the hotel and in touch with Pushkar before she was found murdered.

List compiledPolice have compiled a list of people to be questioned in the case. They have already ques-tioned Tharoor’s domestic help Shri Narain Singh, who told them there was a fi ght between Tharoor and Pushkar, a day before she was found dead.

In November last year, police also questioned Pushkar’s busi-nessman friend Sunil Trakru - who had then dropped Pushkar at the hotel when she came to Delhi in January 2014. A police offi cial said Pushkar’s viscera samples would soon be sent abroad for ascertain-ing the poisonous substance ad-ministered to her.

The case was registered on January 1, almost a year after her death, following the fi nal post-mortem report from the All In-dia Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) that was submitted De-cember 28, last year. Police had collected pieces of broken glass from Pushkar’s hotel room which purportedly implied that a scuffl e took place inside the room before her death. - IANS

On Saturday, Delhi

Police said they will

question the former

union minister after

the people who were

in the hotel and in

touch with Sunanda

before she was

found murdered

The case was

registered on January

1, almost a year after

her death, following

the final post-mortem

report from the All India

Institute of Medical

Sciences (AIIMS)

that was submitted

December 28, last yearSunanda Pushkar

India staff er ‘offl oaded’ at Delhi airport: Greenpeace NEW DELHI: Delhi airport authorities barred a Greenpeace India staff member on Sunday from fl ying out of India despite holding a valid visa, a move the campaign group described as “bullying” by the government. Priya Pillai, a senior cam-paigner, was on her way to London when immigration offi cials stopped her and stamped “offl oad” on her passport, a state-ment from the international environmental group said. Of-fi cials told her she was barred from leaving the country and they were “just following orders from the Indian government”. “Today my right to freedom of movement has been infringed and there was an attempt to treat me like a criminal,” Pillai said in the statement.

Christian bhawan in Bihar vandalised by Bajrang DalPATNA: A group of Bajrang Dal activists on Sunday attacked and vandalised the Christian bhawan (building) at a Bihar town, police said. The incident created panic among the small Christian community — who demanded police protection for their security — in Jehanabad town of the same district, 52km from Patna. “Some Bajrang Dal activists attacked and vandal-ized the Christian bhawan at Jehanabad town,” a district po-lice offi cial said. They were apparently protesting against the alleged conversion of poor Hindus by Christians. They also blocked National Highway 83 connecting state capital Patna to Gaya district.

12 Bodo militants arrestedGUWAHATI: Twelve Bodo militants were on Sunday ar-rested from three places in Assam along the international border with Bhutan, a day after an insurgent involved in the massacre of adivasis was shot dead, police said. The cadres of the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) were arrested in Chirang district in opera-tions jointly carried out by Assam Police, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal. - Agencies

B R I E F S

Manjhi to continue as Bihar CM, says Nitish

PATNA: Senior Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar on Sunday said Jitan Ram Manjhi will continue to be Bihar’s chief minister, ending speculations over his removal.

“Manjhi would continue as the chief minister. All specu-lations about his removal are wrong,” Nitish Kumar told media here after his return from Delhi.

He said he went to Delhi to meet party president Sharad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Samajwa-di Party supremo Mulayam Sin-gh Yadav to discuss the merger of Janata parivar.

Merger plan“I was in Delhi to discuss the merger plan of Janata parivar. It had nothing to do with the issue of Manjhi’s removal as report-ed,” he said.

Speculations over Manjhi’s removal have been doing the rounds for the past 72 hours though four Bihar ministers have repeatedly said there was no move for leadership change in Bihar.

Earlier Manjhi had said that as a chief minister he has been pursuing Nitish Kumar’s road map of development. - IANS

E N D I N G S P E C U L A T I O N S

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PAKISTAN M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

62 die in blaze as bus, tanker collide

KARACHI: At least 62 people in-cluding women and children were killed early on Sunday in southern Pakistan when their bus collided with an oil tanker, starting a fi erce blaze which left victims burnt be-yond recognition.

Initial reports said the tanker was travelling on the wrong side of the road along a dilapidated stretch of highway.

It was the second crash involv-ing major loss of life in Sindh prov-ince in less than three months.

Authorities transferred the re-mains to a local morgue after tak-ing samples for DNA testing in or-der to identify them.

Doctor Semi Jamali at Karachi’s Jinnah hospital said another four passengers with minor injuries have been discharged.

The bodies were “completely burnt and stuck to each other”, she earlier told AFP.

The overloaded bus was en route to the town of Shikarpur from the southern port city of Karachi when the collision occurred.

“I was sitting on top of the bus when I saw a tanker hit it, and a minute later it caught fi re,” said Ikhtiyar Ali. “There were three of us on the roof of the bus. We jumped to the ground to save our lives when we saw the fi re.”

The tanker was carrying oil and a compressed natural gas cylinder was fi tted in the bus, said Talib Husain, a relative of one of the victims. “After the collision the bus caught fi re and, as a result, the CNG cylinder exploded,” Hu-sain said. “One passenger bravely smashed the window from inside and rescued his family while the bus was on fi re.”

Senior police offi cial Rao Mu-hammad Anwaar said the bus “hit the oil tanker, which according to initial reports was coming in the wrong direction” and caught fi re.

“We are trying to ascertain if the driver of the oil tanker was solely at fault or whether the bus driver also showed negligence,” Anwaar

said. Pakistan has an appalling re-cord of fatal traffi c accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

A total of 57 people, including 18 children, were killed in November last year when a bus collided with a coal truck near the town of Khair-pur in Sindh. After that crash po-lice blamed the poor condition of

the road and the lack of warning signs and said they would inves-tigate the government depart-ment responsible -- the fi rst time such an investigation has been launched in the country.

Last April a bus smashed into a tractor-trailer in a high-speed col-lision in Sindh, killing 42 people, while in March a horrifi c crash be-

tween two buses and a petrol tank-er left 35 dead, with many burned alive when the fuel ignited.

The recovery equipment avail-able to Pakistani emergency ser-vices is often basic. When crashes happen some distance from major towns, rescue eff orts can take time and the injured have less chance of survival. — AFP

Initial reports said the

tanker was travelling

on the wrong side

of the road along a

dilapidated stretch

of highway. It was

the second crash

involving major

loss of life in Sindh

province in less

than three months

INCONSOLABLE: Relatives of the victims of the accident involving a passenger bus and an oil tanker react outside a hospital, in Karachi, on Sunday. — AFP

DESPERATE SEARCH: Pakistani volunteers look inside a burnt out passenger bus after it collided with

an oil tanker along the Super Highway near Karachi early on Sunday. — AFP

SHELL-SHOCKED: A mourner outside a hospital in Karachi early on

Sunday. — AFP



IS-linked militants behead soldierDERA ISMAIL KHAN: A group of Pakistani and Afghan militants have beheaded a Pakistani sol-dier after pledging allegiance to the IS extremist group, according to a new video released online, copying execution tactics used by the outfi t.

IS, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, has gained a foot-hold in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the past year, with a number of former Taliban militants setting up a new group purporting to rep-resent IS interests in the region.

Little is known about its activi-ties or its size. It remains unclear whether IS-inspired militants hiding on the Pakistani-Afghan border are acting on their own or on direct orders from the IS lead-ership in Iraq and Syria.

In the latest Arabic-language video, whose authenticity could not immediately be confi rmed, a large group of turbaned militants, many on horseback and holding rifl es and black IS fl ags, are seen gathered in an undisclosed for-ested area.

A militant identifi ed by the SITE intelligence group as for-mer Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid is then seen addressing the crowd to announce

pledges of allegiance to IS from lead-ers of various groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“We want to inform you that we have brought together the emirs of 10 groups who want to pledge their allegiance to the Caliph Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi,” he said, referring to the IS leader.

At the end of the 16-minute video a man wearing a helmet, a T-shirt and combat trousers, iden-tifi ed as a Pakistani soldier, is seen being beheaded with a machete.

According to SITE, those pre-sent during the execution included both Afghan and Taliban militants but nothing was known about the beheaded soldier or how he was captured.

IS’s radical ideology appears to have inspired many fi ghters operating across the region, pos-ing a possible challenge to more established local groups such as the Taliban.

But, while some fi ghters switched sides to declare alle-

giance to IS in the past year, most Taliban insurgents remained staunchly loyal to Mullah Mo-hammad Omar, an Afghan Taliban leader who has been at the helm of the movement since the 1990s.

Videos of beheadings, popular-ised by IS, are not commonplace in the Afghanistan-Pakistan re-gion, although the Taliban and other local militant groups often resort to similarly gruesome at-tacks against security forces and civilians. — Reuters

E X T R E M I S M

A militant identified by the SITE

intelligence group as former

Taliban spokesman Shahidullah

Shahid is then seen addressing

the crowd to announce pledges

of allegiance to IS from

leaders of various groups in

Afghanistan and Pakistan

Harassment of civil society condemnedLAHORE: The Pakistan Civil Society Forum (PCSF) on Satur-day condemned the harassment of non government organisations (NGOs) by police in the name of assuring security.

In a statement, Muhammad Tahseen, the PCSF secretary general, claimed that police were intimidating NGO workers.

“Police have started visiting of-fi ces of NGOs in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and inter-rogating workers about their pro-grammes, activities and funding sources,” he said.

“They are also enquiring about the staff and volunteers in a man-ner which will hamper voluntary work and discourage eff orts be-ing undertaken for peace and de-mocracy in Pakistan,” he said.

“This is alarming. Instead of targeting militant outfi ts in-volved in terrorism and isolating them, the government is trying to equate them with NGOs.

“It has given a free hand to law enforcing agencies to gag civil so-ciety,” he said.

He said that civil society or-ganisations had an unequivocal policy on terrorism and support-

ed the eff orts of the government and other state institutions to curb terrorist elements.

“Interrogating the civil so-ciety organisations will only harm the much-needed soli-darity, unity and collective ef-forts of patriotic forces to fi ght terrorism. — Express Tribune

C L A I M

This is alarming. Instead

of targeting militant outfits

involved in terrorism

and isolating them, the

government is trying to

equate them with NGOs. It

has given a free hand to

law enforcing agencies

to gag civil society, a

Pakistan Civil Society

Forum official said

I was sitting on top of the bus when I saw a tanker hit it, and a minute later it caught fi re. There were three of us on the roof of the bus. We jumped to the ground to save our lives when we saw the fi re

Ikhtiyar Ali, Accident survivor

A11

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Crashed AirAsia jet black box found, stuck on seabed

JAKARTA: Indonesian divers on Sunday found the crucial black box fl ight recorders of the AirAsia plane that crashed in the Java Sea a fortnight ago with 162 people aboard, the transport ministry said.

But they failed to retrieve it immediately from the seabed be-cause it was stuck under debris from the main body of the plane, the ministry added.

“The navy divers in Jadayat state boat have succeeded in fi nd-

ing a very important instrument, the black box of AirAsia QZ8501,” said Tonny Budiono, a senior min-istry offi cial.

The recorders were at a depth of 30-32 metres (99-106 feet), he said in a statement.

Divers will try on Monday to shift the position of the wreckage to access the black box.

“However, if this eff ort fails,

then the team will lift part of the main body using the same balloon technique used earlier to lift the tail,” Budiono added.

After a frustrating two-week search often hampered by bad weather, offi cials earlier Sunday raised hopes by reporting that strong ping signals had been de-tected by three vessels involved in the search.

Those signals were coming from the seabed less than one kilo-metre (0.6 miles) from where the tail of the plane was found, Malay-sian Navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar said in a post on Twitter. Malay-sia’s Navy is helping in the search.

The Indonesian meteorological agency has said stormy weather likely caused the Airbus A320-200 to crash as it fl ew from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore on December 28.

But a defi nitive answer is im-possible without the black box, which should contain the pilots’ fi nal words as well as various fl ight data.

Main bodyS.B. Supriyadi, a director with the National Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters earlier in the day that an object believed to be the plane’s main body had also been detected near the source of the pings. The search, which has involved US, Chinese and other international naval ships, has re-covered 48 bodies so far.

Supriyadi said many bod-ies were believed trapped in the cabin, so reaching that part of the wreckage was also a top priority.

The tail of the plane, with its red AirAsia logo, was lifted out of the

water on Saturday using giant bal-loons and a crane.

It was brought by tugboat on Sunday to a port near the search headquarters, at Pangkalan Bun town on Borneo island.

All but seven of those on board the fl ight were Indonesian.

The bodies of a South Korean couple were identifi ed on Sunday, but their 11-month-old baby re-mains unaccounted for, Indone-sian authorities said.

The other foreigners were one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one Briton and a Frenchman -- co-pi-lot Remi Plesel. Their bodies have not been recovered.

Under scrutinyWhile the cause of the crash is unknown, the disaster has once again placed Indonesia’s chaotic aviation industry under scrutiny.

Indonesian offi cials have al-leged Indonesia AirAsia did not have a licence to fl y the route on the day of the crash, although the airline rejects the claim.

Indonesia’s transport ministry quickly banned AirAsia from fl y-ing the Surabaya-Singapore route.

On Friday it suspended dozens more routes operated by fi ve other domestic airlines for similar li-cence violations. — AFP

An Indonesian

offi cial said, the

recorders were at

a depth of 30-32

metres. Divers will

try on Monday to

shift the position

of the wreckage to

access the black box CRUCIAL TASK: People watch as a section of the tail of AirAsia

QZ8501 passenger plane is lifted off a ship and onto the back of

a truck, the day after it was lifted from the seabed, in Kumai Port,

near Pangkalan Bun, central Kalimantan on Sunday. — Reuters

IS blamed as Lebanon cafe suicide blasts kills 8

BEIRUT: A double suicide at-tack that killed eight people at a cafe in the Lebanese city of Tripoli was carried out by the IS group, the interior minister said on Sunday, contradicting a claim of responsibility by the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

Nohad Machnouk also said he expected more instability linked to the Syrian civil war that has been at the heart of repeated violence in Lebanon over the last four years.

Claimed by Nusra FrontThe Nusra Front said on Satur-day it was behind the bombing in the Syrian ruling sect’s neigh-bourhood of Jabal Mohsen — an attack Lebanese leaders said aimed to ignite communal strife where long-standing sectarian tensions have been infl amed by the Syrian confl ict.

Machnouk said investiga-tors were questioning men who belonged to the same organisa-tion as the two bombers, both of whom have been identifi ed as men from Tripoli.

Lebanese security offi cials have warned of plans by IS and the Nusra Front to further destabilise Lebanon.

Tripoli, historically a strong-hold for extremism, is seen as particularly vulnerable.

The last major fl are-up in the city, Lebanon’s second biggest, was in October, when 11 sol-diers and at least 22 militants were killed.

Still holdingThat followed an August attack by militants affi liated to the Nusra Front and IS in Arsal a town on the border with Syria. The militants are still holding some two dozen members of the security forces.

Machnouk said: “Naturally, we expect that all the while the fi re in Syria continues, the escalation will increase more and more.”

Lebanese fl ags covered the coffi ns of eight victims at their funeral and leaders from across the political spectrum have called for unity, warning that the attack aimed to ignite strife.

Kin of the two bombers con-demned the attack. “Crime has no religion, creed, neighbour-hood or family,” a spokesman for the families said, adding there would be no mourning for the bombers. — Reuters

S P R E A D I N G I N S U R G E N C Y

Extreme cold kills three girls in Syria

DAMASCUS: Three small girls and an elderly man have died in Syria in the past 24 hours due to bitterly cold temperatures and a week-long storm, a monitoring group said on Sunday.

“A girl less than two days old passed away (Sunday) in the southern Aleppo district of Fir-dous because of the extreme cold,” said Syrian Observa-tory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

“An elderly man from the Ma-ghayir district of Aleppo died as a result of the poor weather and because he had no heating,” said the Observatory.

Another small girl, aged just one, died in the southern Da-mascus district of Al Hajar Al Aswad on Saturday night, while the extreme cold also caused the death of a girl in Deir al Asafi r, a town east of the capital.

Since last Wednesday, six people have died across Syria as a result of freezing tempera-tures. All the victims lived in areas under opposition control, where shortages of food, heating and medical equipment are rife.

In besieged Yarmuk of south-ern Damascus, a man died of “poor living conditions and a lack of medicines and nec-essary treatment”, said the Observatory. — AFP

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Was the attack on Charlie Hebdo France’s 9/11? In the immediate after-math of the massacre at the satirical magazine, the comparison with Al Qaeda’s 2001 attack on

the United States has taken hold across France. In-deed, the January 7 attack was the most murderous France has known since the end of the Algerian War in 1962. But how accurate is the analogy?

At fi rst blush, the comparison seems artifi cial and far-fetched. Twelve people died in Paris, whereas nearly 3,000 were killed in the attacks on New York and Washington, DC. The attackers used Kalashnik-ovs, not hijacked planes. And, unlike the 9/11 attack-ers, they were all citizens of the country they were attacking. That is why the attack in Paris 2015 looks more like a combination of two other attacks: the London Underground bombing in 2005 (the terror-ists were all national citizens) and the plot executed in Mumbai in 2008 (the terrorists used small arms and targeted people individually).

Yet, despite the major diff erences, the attacks in Paris and in New York share the same essence. Both cities incarnate a similar universal dream. Both are metaphors for light and freedom. Both belong to the world, not only to their respective countries.

Moreover, in both cases, the targets chosen by the terrorists were highly symbolic. In New York, the Twin Towers embodied capitalist ambition and achievement.

In Paris, Charlie Hebdo has given form to the spir-it of democratic freedom: the ability to write, draw, and publish anything — even extreme (and at times vulgar) provocations. There is a strong sense in Par-is, as there was in New York, that the real target was Western civilization itself.

Like most Frenchmen, I say, out of disgust for the attack and empathy for the victims, Je suis Charlie — a phrase that recalls the newspaper Le Monde’s dec-laration, immediately after 9/11: Nous sommes tous Américains. But I must admit that I did not always feel that way. In 2005, I had reservations about the decision by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten to publish a series of highly provocative and contro-versial caricatures and about Charlie Hebdo’s choice to reproduce the cartoons the following year.

At the time, I felt that it was a dangerous and un-necessary — and thus politically irresponsible —

provocation. One does not play with matches next to a gas pipeline or a bundle of dynamite.

Our era is probably much more religious than the eighteenth century ever was. To invoke Voltaire is one thing, I thought at the time, but to act responsi-bly may presuppose refraining from insulting what is most sacred to others, whether it be Christ, Mu-hammad, or the Shoah.

Today, given the nature of the attack, I leave those reservations behind, though I resist the tempta-tion to sacralise the victims’ memories, as so many Frenchmen are doing. In France, laïcité, wrongly translated in English as “secularism,” is the equiva-lent of a religion — the religion of the Republic.

For the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo, religion was just another ideology, and they took aim at all three major monotheistic faiths (though perhaps with a greater emphasis on one particular faith, probably owing to its more visible fundamentalist face).

So far, a climate of national unity is prevailing in France, just as it did in America immediately after 9/11. And that is as it should be, for unity is crucial to countering terrorists, whose priority is to create division, incite confrontation, and marginalise mod-erates. Indeed, even Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front, initially warned against the dangers of an anti-Muslim backlash, stating that a few lost young men were in no way representative of the majority of French Muslims.

But how long will national unity prevail? The scars of colonialism are fresher in France than any-where else in Europe; the country has Europe’s larg-est religious minority; and, with moderates seeming particularly weak and divided, the extreme right is cresting in opinion polls.

These ingredients could constitute a recipe for disaster. Already, Le Pen appears to be reverting to form. “National unity is a pathetic political manoeu-vre,” she complained, after she was not invited to a rally the day after the attack.

But, if the right leaders are at the helm, the Janu-ary 7 attack could spur a renewed sense of collective purpose and political revival. We French must face this terrorist attack the same way the Americans did after 9/11: fi rmly and clearly, but also with respon-sibility. That means, above all, that we must avoid becoming like America in 2003, when President George W. Bush extended the “global war on terror” to Iraq. France’s task now is to uphold the values that have made it a target. - Project Syndicate

Unity is crucial to countering terrorists

So far, a climate of national unity is prevailing in France, just as it did in America immediately after 9/11. And that is as it should be, for unity is crucial to countering terrorists, whose priority is to create division, incite confrontation, and marginalise moderates

Letters, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi), by fax (24813153) or by e-mail ([email protected])

CHARLIE HEBDO

Despite the talk of laws and other measures against hate speech and the spread of violence we have heard over the past few days, notably since the December 16 shooting at the Army

Public School in Peshawar, there has been little impact in real terms. This has been demonstrated by the attack on an Imambargah in the Chittian Hattian area of Rawalpindi on January 9. The attack took place while a ceremony was being held to mark Eid Miladun Nabi.

It is somewhat unclear if this was a suicide bombing or if an explo-sive device placed in a neighbouring house was the cause of the blast. But there is no ambiguity about the fact that at least seven people have been killed and at least 20 others injured, with most of them still in critical condition. Just days ago, four Shias were killed in an attack during a volleyball match in the Orakzai Agency.

Sectarian strife then continues to spread its black web across our already shattered society. We can see that new laws and strident promises from the government will not instantly stop this. The death toll caused by sectarian killings is already high. It continues to rise steadily. It is quite apparent we have to deal with the problem on an urgent basis. There is no button we can press to do this instantane-ously. But the steps that will eventually bring about change need to be put in place now. We must act against sectarian outfi ts, which are still operating, in some cases under the new names they assumed after they were banned.

We must also use the media, mosque loudspeakers, school cur-riculum and every other means at our disposal to undo the hatred preached year after year and decade after decade. We see today how it has left our society in ruins. Rebuilding it will take time and eff ort. Both a short- and long-term strategies are required. But it is important we begin thinking about what these should constitute of so we can put them in place and prevent the continuing sequence of deaths which takes place when people are at their places of worship or are targeted simply because of their faith. - The Express Tribune

Sectarian strife

As Cole Moreton says, writing about the three terrorists who killed 17 people in Paris, “they got what they wanted”. They wanted to be noticed, and they got that attention. In that sense,

journalists become complicit with the terrorist at times like this, but only, we would argue, because people need to know what has hap-pened and why. We hope that media reporting of the horror that hit France on Wednesday strikes the right balance, help to understand them and minimise the threat from similar attacks in Britain. But the scale and the intensity of the reaction does pose questions: what would be an overreaction? What would be the best response?

There is a tendency for the debate about the security response to terrorist outrages to follow the media cycle and to swing sharply from one extreme to another. Immediately afterwards, most people read-ily accept the inconvenience of having to take their shoes off to go through airport security, and some of us positively welcome the reas-surance that it provides. But then, as the months turn into years, such precautions start to chafe and, when the restrictions on taking fl uids on aeroplanes were lifted, most of us were mightily relieved.

Inevitably, there is already a debate in this country about whether our security services have the resources and powers that they need. That is a debate that swings from strong public support for a higher spending and intrusive measures in the days after a shock, to a more sceptical mood during the longer periods between them. This is the context for the speech delivered on Thursday by Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, in which he restated his view that his service still needed more powers to monitor internet communications.

This is not necessarily a bad time for him to make his argument. It is not necessarily a bad thing to be reminded of the threats from which MI5 exists to protect us. And it is better that Parker himself should make these arguments than a politician.

Parker’s concerns should be considered calmly. We should not rush into new legislation as a panicked response to the horror in Paris, but neither should we relapse into the complacency of the quiet times. We should not dismiss his speech as a power grab by a securocrat. We know that there are problems with the law on what data the internet companies have to keep and under what terms they have to disclose it to the security services. We should avoid panic responses in the im-mediate wake of horrible deaths, but on the other hand we should be more aware of the hidden threat when the surface of the pond seems still. What is needed now is sustained and balanced application of les-sons learned. That is the best way to anticipate threats and to protect ourselves from them. - The Independent

Intelligence off ers us the best defence

Hiking air fares during peak seasons very unfair This refers to the news story, Indian budget airline fares off balance with Kerala fl iers (Janu-ary 11). I did not fi nd anything surprising in this report as it happens regularly, especially when there is a higher demand for tickets. The justifi cation off ered by Air India’s country manager is surprising. The steep rise in air fare is unjusti-fi ed since the operational costs of the airlines remain the same throughout the year. Ramachandran NairRuwi

Competition could have helped air passengersThis refers to the news story, Indian budget airline fares off bal-

ance with Kerala fl iers (January 11). I wish some other airlines provided fl ights to these destina-tions. Air India wouldn’t reduce the ticket fares unless there are some competitors. It’s not a good idea to depend on a single airline for travelling.Vivek SherugarMuscat

Bhand-e-Pather is a unique genre of performing artThis refers to the article, Bhand-e-Pather, a fading art of Kashmir (January 11) by Tahir Ibn Man-zoor. The article made me recall my visit to Anantnag in early 70’s when I was fortunate enough to watch this satirical performance. Bhand means performer and Pather meaning drama. The beau-ty of this performing art, based on

mythological stories incorporating contemporary social satire, is that it is passed on from generation to generation. They are normally per-formed anywhere and do not need a stage or make up or a script. The performers, deft actors, acrobats, dancers and singers, show ingenu-ity by improvising according to situation, giving the audience an ultimate theatre experience. Usha Devi Rao SuddapalliRuwi

Players not to blame for Oman football’s poor showI feel sorry to say that Oman stands no chance of passing the fi rst round of AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015, but I don’t blame the players. Oman’s performance under the guidance and coaching of Macala was better and the team

looked promising. Oman’s team is good and the players are more than capable of performing better. However, there are some people at the helms of the aff airs of Oman football who are simply clueless and know little about how to im-prove the game and performance of the players. This is why Oman football is languishing.Aziza Al BusaidyDubai

Will India put up a fi ght in the ODI against Australia?After a near washout in the Test series against Australia we hope Dhoni’s boys will be able to put up some fi ght in the ODI series. I hope Dhoni himself will prove his worth as the ODI captain.Ashok PanickerSeeb

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To freely bloom - that is my defi nition of successGERRY SPENCE

D O M I N I Q U E M O I S I

PERSPEC IVET I M E S O F O M A N M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5T I M E S O F O M A N A13

I might be a target voter for the Green Party. If not, I probably should be. I worry about the

environment and jot down fright-ening facts on inequality. I’ve vot-ed for them before. On some of the “big issues” — energy, drugs, hous-ing, asylum — the Greens’ bait is one I’d take gladly. And yet…

Castles in the air evidently win votes. The Ukip utopia — where nurses recite Mary Poppins, and Britain can stay “Great” while leaving the EU — has 15 per cent of the population queuing up to join. It’s right-wing balderdash.

The door leads nowhere. But it works. And though the Greens look and sound very diff erent from Farage, they have started to quack a bit like him. The reward is a jump in the polls; rumblings, even, that Russell Brand would be a Green voter if he only settled down a bit.

Greens’ utopia would be a thou-sand times more pleasant than Ukip’s but the problem is, it’s also a utopia. Ergo if someone snapped their fi ngers and tried to make it so, as many people might be pulled down as pushed up.

It’s hard not to spit where the Greens spit: at exploitative cor-porations, the growth of poverty in Britain, the destruction of the environment, the lack of social homes, the burden of student debt forced on the young. But their central economic policy idea is a pear to Ukip’s fantasy pickle — a Citizens’ Income for all the population, regardless of means, that will “act as a safety net to en-able people to choose their own types and patterns of work”. That stands as much chance of success as mankind does of morphing into the Eloi of H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine — the chinless, hair-less race whom total comfort has turned into sub-human dribblers.

In the meantime, the Party has called for a minimum wage set at £10 by 2020. Which also comes from the right place but ends up in the wrong one. More than mi-serliness keeps the level of the minimum wage set by the techno-crats of the Low Pay Commission, not party politicians.

Increase the level too much, and employment falls. People lose jobs or don’t fi nd them. Poor gov-

ernment, you could see it as, jobs being what, if anything, makes the world go around. That shouldn’t sound like a Conservative thing to say because somewhere around there lies the centre ground.

This isn’t to say their infl u-ence on Westminster is neces-sarily a doltish one; if the Green surge pulls mainstream politics to the left, at least Farage will have competition for the role of Pied Piper, and the direction taken will be a kinder one.

A lot of their policies match the progressive with the possible. My grouse is with the promise of a fu-ture that lies beyond the power of boring, snoring politics to realise, without bringing living standards down left, right and centre. And thereby ensuring the experiment is short-lived.

Lily Cole hinted at a vote for the Greens in an interview with this week’s Radio Times. The super-model now runs a sparsely popu-lated social network that aims to conjure up a “gift economy”, called impossible.com.

A good match, if it’s not too un-kind to say so. - The Independent

TODAY IN HISTORY

OPINION POLL

1879 The British-Zulu War begins. British troops — under Lieutenant General Frederic Augustus — invade Zululand from the southern African republic of Natal.

1908 A wireless message is sent long-

distance for the fi rst time from the Eiff el Tower in Paris.

1926 US coal talks break down, leaving both

sides bitter as the strike drags on into its fi fth month.

1938 Austria recognizes the Franco

government in Spain.. 1940 Soviet bombers raid cities in Finland.

SMOOTH MILLENIUM ROLLOVER FOR GULF AIRMUSCAT: Gulf Air has announced that it was busi-ness as usual during the rollover into the new century. “All Gulf Air aircraft IT systems and applications rolled over into the new millennium smoothly,” ac-cording a press note from the airliner yesterday. “The investment has been worthwhile, and we now have a much improved IT infrastructure, which means bet-ter service allowing us to meet and exceed the needs of our customers both quickly and effi ciently,” it said.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

For journalists, who are in the frontline of the free speech debate, it is not easy to see the issue in black and white. I did not know that Charlie Hebdo had fired one of its journalists for anti-Semitism

My old boss M J Akbar had only one commandment in journalism so far as I remember. This was (and

I am paraphrasing him): write whatever you want about any subject, but never make fun of religion.

I am not sure whether this was said be-cause he wanted his newspapers to show re-spect for religion or he wanted to avoid the trouble that usually comes when religion is ridiculed in our parts. Perhaps, it was both.

Writing in Business Standard about the attack on the French weekly Charlie Hebdo, T N Ninan wrote that: “Many societies, es-pecially those who are a part of the Western Enlightenment, admit to few if any limits on the right to free speech — including the right to off end. Free speech was included in the ‘Declaration on the Rights of Man’ during the French Revolution as ‘one of the most precious’ rights of man.”

However, he added, “In the broad tradi-tion of Sarva Dharm Samabhav (equality of all religions), it is pretty much inconceivable that any Indian publication would publish a cartoon in the full knowledge that it would cause off ence to millions.” Yes, and even if an adventurous editor were to be so inclined, he would probably desist because of the trouble it would bring. Not just the violence and the threats but also the legal problems.

India has a troubled tryst with free speech and even the great Jawaharlal Nehru was unsure of how to approach this fundamental freedom. Article 19 (1) (a) of the Indian Con-stitution guaranteed free speech to Indians on January 26, 1950.

Fifteen months later, Nehru backed down from this guarantee and imposed restric-tions. Half a dozen laws restrict freedom of speech in India. Many of these are strange. Ninan adds in his piece that “India has a more nuanced approach; the right to free speech is a fundamental but not an absolute right; the Constitution limits it on grounds of ‘public order’ as well as ‘decency and mo-rality’, all of which are elastic terms.

Why, even writing that could aff ect rela-tions with friendly countries is debarred. Apart from the issue of principle, there is the practical diffi culty that there is no approved list of friendly and unfriendly countries.”

There are specifi c laws we have on pro-voking religious violence, promoting en-mity, insulting a religion and wounding re-

ligious feelings. But these laws aren’t new. Our laws curbing free speech were drafted in 1837. When he was only 33, Thomas Ma-caulay began producing the Indian Penal Code. It has continued in more or less the same form for 175 years. It shows what a remarkably unchanging culture we are de-spite living amid the trappings of modernity.

The code, a colonial set of laws, remains in force in free India. This is because an Eng-lishman accurately assessed us, and predict-ed our behaviour and our reaction to exter-nal stimulus. This makes Macaulay a very great man. He could tell with confi dence in 1837 how many of us would go bestial in 1984 and 1993 and 2002. The Indian Consti-tution made great and universal promises, but then succumbed to the reality of India’s communal violence.

For journalists, who are in the frontline of the free speech debate, it is not easy to see the issue in black and white.

I did not know that Charlie Hebdo had fi red one of its journalists for anti-Semi-tism. I was surprised to know this had hap-pened, given how enthusiastic the magazine was about attacking other faiths.

The Daily Telegraph reported in 2009 that ”Maurice Sinet, 80, who works under the pen name Sine, faces charges of ‘inciting ra-cial hatred’ for a column he wrote last July in the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

The piece sparked a summer slanging match among the Parisian intelligentsia and ended in his dismissal from the magazine.

““L’aff aire Sine” followed the engagement of Sarkozy, 22, to Jessica Sebaoun-Darty, the Jewish heiress of an electronic goods chain. Commenting on an unfounded rumour that the president’s son planned to convert to Ju-daism, Sine quipped: “He’ll go a long way in life, that little lad.” “A high-profi le political commentator slammed the column as link-ing prejudice about Jews and social success. Charlie Hebdo’s editor, Philippe Val, asked Sinet to apologise but he refused, exclaim-ing: “I’d rather cut my testicles off .”

“Val’s decision to fi re Sine was backed by a group of eminent intellectuals, including the philosopher Bernard-Henry Levy, but parts of the libertarian Left defended him, citing the right to free speech.”

It might seem as a clear case of hypocrisy, but, like all of us, Charlie Hebdo also had its doubts about free speech. - The Express Tribune

Should the right to freedom of speech be just absolute?

HISTORYNET.COM

US scales back troops at European bases

GraphicsGraphic News /Source: US Department of Defence

Area ofdetailArea ofdetailArea ofdetail

Camp Darby

RAFMolesworth

RAFAlconbury

Brussels

UK

GERMANY

BELGIUM

NETHERLANDS

ITALY

Amelia Earhart Hotel

Pulaski Barracks

Lajes Field: Around 500 troops and civilians to be withdrawn from Portugal’s Azores– island base used as refuelling and rest stop for long-haul flights

RAF Mildenhall: Major US Air Force base will see gradual withdrawal of3,200 troops and their families. Reductions partially offset by additional 1,200personnel and F-35 fighter jets at nearby RAF Lakenheath from 2020

WeilimdorfWarehouse

HusterhoehKaserne

BaumholderWaterworks Barton

Barracks

ArtilleryKaserne

IlleshimCommissary

Mainz-KastelStation

Stuttgart*

SembachCommissaryShinnen

Emma Mine

US facilities due for closure US facilities due for partial closure

LAST POLL RESULT

Do you think that in effi ciency and sincerity Omani women are way ahead of men?

Are rising expectations and growing consumerism rocking marriages in Oman?

Visit timesofoman.com to cast your vote

Yes84.4%

No12.5%

Can't say3.1%

The France that en-dured a vicious ter-rorist attack last week

is a France that has suff ered, for decades and centuries, from anxieties about its own decline.

And for good reason: Since the 18th century, when it be-strode Europe and seemed poised to dominate the globe, France has seen its rela-tive power diminish, suff er-ing defeats and humiliations at the hands of rival forces, from Britain’s navies to Ger-many’s jackboots to the in-vading might of American popular culture.

Now these longstanding anxieties have been thrown into relief by the murderous attack on the satirical maga-zine Charlie Hebdo, an at-tack linked to all the various spectres haunting contempo-rary France: fears of creeping religious bigotry and rising anti-Semitism, fears of the far right’s growing power and anti-minority backlash — and all of it bound up in a larger sense, amid economic stagna-tion, of betrayal at the hands of the continent’s elite.

But notwithstanding these declinist fears, France isn’t actually irrelevant or spent. Instead, it’s arguably becom-ing more important, more central to the fate of Europe and the West.

No, the age of the Sun King isn’t about to return. But po-litically, culturally, even in-tellectually, events in France over the next half-century could matter more than at any point since before the two world wars.

Indeed, more than Ger-many or Greece or Britain or any other actor, it’s in France that the fate of 21st-century Europe could ultimately be decided.

Consider the specifi c is-sue at the heart of the Hebdo nightmare: the question of whether European nation-states can successfully inte-grate immigrants, and what will happen if they don’t.

Here France looks like the crucial test case. It has the largest religious minority population of any major Eu-ropean country, and parts of that population are more as-similated and others far more radicalised than elsewhere on the continent.

Not surprisingly, their re-sponse to religion is divided as well: minorities are regarded more favourably in France than elsewhere in Western Europe, and yet French poli-tics features an increasingly potent far-right party, Ma-rine Le Pen’s National Front, whose electoral clout is now likely to increase.

Meanwhile, France’s for-eign policy has distinctive (of-ten military) entanglements across Northern Africa and the Levant, which means the ripples from French domes-tic politics have more room to spread and then return.

So if there’s a path to greater assimilation and inclusion, it’s more likely to be pioneered in France.

If radicalism is going to gain ground or mutate into some-thing more pervasive and dan-gerous, it’s also more likely to happen in France’s sphere of infl uence than elsewhere.

And if Europe’s much-feared far right is going to complete its journey from the fringe to the mainstream, it will probably happen fi rst in Paris.

French politics is like-wise central to the fate of the wider European Union pro-ject, which is in crisis at the moment because of the gulf between Germany’s inter-ests and the interests of the EU periphery, Greece and Italy and Spain. But that gulf means that the Germans, how-ever economically dominant, cannot hold the union togeth-er on their own.

Instead it’s France, for rea-sons of history and culture as well as geography, that has to bridge the divide between Europe’s north and south and make the EU work politically.

Unless, of course, the French gradually and fate-fully choose not to, in which case the entire project will fall apart or be completely recon-ceived.

Either way, France’s star may rise as Germany’s de-scends. Demography, the source of so much Gallic anxi-ety in the past, suddenly has turned in France’s favor: The Germans are rich but aging, whereas even amid economic drift the French birthrate has risen sharply.

By the 2050s, under some scenarios, France could once again have the larger economy and population — making it either dominant in a more in-tegrated Europe, or the most important power on a conti-nent more divided than today.

France has always been a country of extremes — abso-lutist and republican, Catholic and anticlerical, Communist and fascist.

Now it’s once again the place where strong forces are colliding, and where the cul-ture’s uncertainties — about religion, secularism, national-ism, Europe; about modernity itself — suggest that new ones might soon be born.

The decline has been real, but the future is unwritten. If there is real history yet to be made in Europe, for good or ill, it might be made fi rst in la belle France. - The New York Times

News Service

France, the real crucible of Europe

Castles in the air evidently win votes

R O S S D O U T H AT

A A KA R PAT E L

M E M P H I S B A R K E R

A14

GLOBAL EYEM O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

JAPAN: Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces’ airborne troop personnel parachute from a transport

plane during a new year exercise in Narashino, Chiba prefecture on Sunday. Some 500 personnel,

30 aircraft and helicopters took part in the open exercise at the defence forces Narashino training

ground. – AFP

PANAMA: A woman wears golden jewellery, part of the traditional clothing known as ‘Pollera’, before

the annual Thousand Polleras parade in Las Tablas, in the province of Los Santos, Panama, on Sat-

urday. According to local residents, the Pollera dates back to the 18th century and was worn by the

Spanish lower classes. Today, it has become the Panamanian national costume. The dress is made

entirely by hand and the jewellery worn is pure gold and worth thousands of dollars. – Reuters

SPAIN: People take part in a demonstration called by Sare, a citizens’ network against dispersion of

Basque prisoners, in the northern Spanish Basque city of Bilbao on Saturday. – AFP

AUSTRIA: A course worker puts salt on the track to harden the

snow before the women’s Alpine Skiing World Cup Super G race

in Bad Kleinkirchheim, in the district of Spittal an der Drau, in

Carinthia, Austria on Sunday. The organisers cancelled the race on

Sunday. – Reuters

DAKAR 2015: A driver competes during the Stage 7 of the Dakar 2015 between Iquique in Chile and Uyuni in Bolivia, on Saturday. – AFP

COLOMBIA: A Panthera Onca tries to catch a box at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia on Saturday. The

animals received, as gifts, boxes with their favourite foods as part of ‘Three Kings arrived at the Zoo’. – AFP



A15


Rajapaksa accused of planning to stage coup

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new gov-ernment on Sunday accused top-pled former president Mahinda Rajapaksa of having tried to stage a coup to cling to power after losing last week’s presidential election.

Rajapaksa, South Asia’s longest-serving leader before losing last Thursday’s polls, had been widely praised for conceding defeat to Maithripala Sirisena before the fi nal results had been announced.

But a top aide to Sirisena told re-porters that Rajapaksa had in fact tried to persuade the army and po-lice chiefs to help him stay in offi ce with the use of force.

Peaceful transition“People think it was a peaceful transition. It was anything but,” Mangala Samaraweera, who is expected to be named as Sirise-na’s foreign minister, told a press conference.

“The fi rst thing the new cabi-net will investigate is the coup and conspiracy by president Rajapaksa.

“He stepped down only when the army chief and the police Inspec-

tor General (N.K. Illangakoon) re-fused to go along with him.”

Illangakoon was “very vocal and did not want to be a party to this coup” while army chief Daya Ratnayake also refused to deploy troops for Rajapaksa to seize pow-er, said Samaraweera. The attor-ney general’s department had also warned that there would be “dan-gerous consequences”, he said.

Samaraweera said diplomatic pressure had in addition been brought to bear on Rajapaksa, who came in for international criticism during his near-decade in offi ce over his administration’s human rights record. Critics also accused him of increasing authoritarian-ism and a culture of nepotism and corruption. “Some world leaders also spoke with president Raja-paksa and prevailed on him to ensure a peaceful transition,” Sa-maraweera said. “I don’t know who had spoken (to him), but we know some leaders did talk to him.”

US Secretary of State John

Kerry and even Sirisena himself had thanked Rajapaksa for quit-ting in the early hours of Friday, after his defeat in an election he had seemed certain to win when he called it in November.

The head of the army was not immediately available for com-ment. But military spokesman Ruwan Wanigasooriya said he was “not aware of such a coup attempt”.

Samaraweera said it was impor-tant for the new administration to disclose what had happened while results were being released, and an independent investigation probe would be a priority.

In an address to the nation, Siri-sena appealed for a government of national unity to carry out the political and economic reforms he promised in his election campaign.

The new president wants to es-tablish independent commissions to run the police, the public service and the judiciary and to transfer many of his executive powers to parliament. “I hope all the par-

ties will accept my invitation and join hands to ensure good govern-ance, rule of law and carry out the reforms we have promised to improve the quality of life for our people,” he said from the historic hill city of Kandy.

The president invited all parties to join his cabinet, which is ex-pected to be fi nalised by January 19 when parliament will open.

He reiterated a call to normalise relations with Western nations and neighbouring India.

Another top lieutenant said Sirisena had already received the backing of more than 40 lawmak-ers previously loyal to Rajapaksa, virtually assuring approval for his programme of radical constitu-tional reforms.

“We now have more than we need in parliament,” Rajitha Sena-ratne said.

Sirisena previously had the backing of 89 lawmakers and need-ed another 24 for a simple majority in the 225-member house. — AFP

Former president

Mahinda Rajapaksa

had in fact tried to

persuade the army

and police chiefs

to help him stay in

offi ce with the use

of force, said a top

aide to President

Maithripala Sirisena

Transport blockade hits Bangladesh economy hard DHAKA: A rolling transport blockade organised by the op-position is taking a huge toll on Bangladesh’s economy, with the vital garment industry hit par-ticularly hard, a business leader warned on Sunday.

Opposition leader Khaleda Zia called the open-ended blockade of roads, railways and waterways after she was confi ned to her of-fi ce by police on January 3 while trying to mobilise anti-govern-ment protests.

In the nine days that Zia has been locked in her offi ce, sup-porters of her Bangladesh Na-tionalist Party (BNP) have taken to the streets in their hundreds, torching vehicles and even de-railing trains by removing tracks.

The country’s top business chamber said the transport sec-tor alone had been losing $26 mil-lion (two billion taka) a day since the blockade began, with at least 200,000 buses and lorries kept off the road for fear of attacks. “The disruption in the transport sec-tor has created immense troubles for the passengers and also ham-pered supply of goods,” said Kazi Akramuddin Ahmed, president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

“Farmers are the worst suff er-ers. Their vegetables are rotting on the fi elds,” he said, adding they were “deeply concerned” at the worsening political crisis.

Zia leads a 20-party opposi-tion alliance which boycotted a general election last year on the grounds it would be rigged. She has said the blockade will contin-ue until Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina agrees to new polls organ-ised by a caretaker government.

At least 162 buses, lorries and cars have been torched while hundreds more have been dam-aged. Train schedules have also gone haywire after several major services were derailed, leaving at least 50 people injured.

On Sunday one person died in a hospital in Dhaka after he was fi rebombed on a bus, police said, bringing the toll in the unrest to nine. At least 250 people have been injured, including 86 police-men. Authorities have provided guards for buses and lorries car-rying shipments to the ports. The paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh has said it alone has provided security to some 3,000 buses and trucks.

Ahmed said garment manu-facturers, who account for 80 percent of the country’s $27.3 billion annual exports, fear the worst since a prolonged blockade could prompt Western retailers to divert orders to other nations. “The impact has not been visible yet, but the supply chain has been disrupted and naturally garment sector won’t be immune from the fallout,” he said.

Bangladesh is the world’s sec-ond largest garment exporter after China. The sector provides jobs for four million people, mostly women, and has spurred econom-ic growth to over six percent a year in the last decade. — AFP

O P P O S I T I O N ’ S P R O T E S T

DON’T DROP DEAD DROP YOUR PHONE

IN SEAT: New Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena gestures to supporters in the central town of

Kandy on Sunday. – AFP

Farmers are the worst suff erers. Their vegetables are rotting on the fi elds

Kazi Akramuddin Ahmed, President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry

Top business chamber

said the transport

sector alone had been

losing $26 million a

day since the blockade

began , with at least

200,000 buses and

lorries kept off the

road for fear of attacks

A16


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‘Sea of humanity’ on Paris streets signals defiance of terror attacks

PARIS: Hundreds of thousands of people and dozens of world leaders marched together through Paris on Sunday in a historic show of solidarity and defi ance after ter-rorist attacks in the French capital that claimed 17 lives.

French President Francois Hol-lande and leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netan-yahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas marched at the front of the mammoth procession, which began near where gunmen killed 12 people at satirical maga-zine Charlie Hebdo.

A sea of humanity fl owed through Paris’ iconic streets, breaking into applause and spon-taneous renditions of the national anthem, as a shell-shocked France mourned the victims of three days of bloody violence.

“Charlie! Charlie!” chanted the vast crowd, in honour of the car-toonists and journalists killed at ‘Charlie Hebdo’.

Emotions ran high in the griev-ing City of Light, with many of those marching bursting into tears as they came together under the banner of freedom of speech and liberty after France’s worst terror-ist bloodbath in more than half a century. Lassina Traore, a 34-year-old French-born Muslim from the Ivory Coast, said the march is “a real sign of how strong France is. It shows that France is strong when she is united against these people.”

Netanyahu and Abbas’ pres-ence was a stark demonstration of such unity, as they honoured vic-

tims that included a Muslim po-lice offi cer. The leaders observed a minute’s silence as the march got underway.

Came with familiesOn the streets, many came with their families. Jean-Alain said he brought his seven-year-old son Alessandro with him “so it’s more concrete for him, so that he can see that we all think the same thing.”

“The people who pick up a gun and kill people are cowards,” the 39-year-old gently explained to his boy.

“I want to show that we’re not scared of the extremists. I want to defend freedom of expression,” said 70-year-old Jacqueline Saad-Rouana. The families of those who died in the shootings led the march, alongside heads of state and royalty.

Security in the French capital was beefed up, with police snipers stationed on rooftops and plain-clothes offi cers among the crowd in a city still reeling from the ex-tremist attacks.

“Today, Paris is the capital of the world,” Hollande said. “The entire

country will rise up,” he told min-isters before the march.

ChallengeJordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania were present along-side a host of top European lead-ers, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi pledged that Europe “will win the challenge against terror-ism”. Earlier he had tweeted using the hashtag #jesuischarlie (I am Charlie), which has already been

used more than fi ve million times. Europe will “win the challenge against terrorism,” pledged the Italian leader.

US President Barack Obama was represented by Attorney Gen-eral Eric Holder, who took part in an emergency meeting of interior ministers to discuss the threats from extremism.

Strengthening of bordersThe ministers urged a strengthen-ing of the EU external borders to limit the movement of extremists returning to Europe from the Mid-dle East and said there was an “ur-gent need” to share European air passenger information.

Speaking on a visit to India, US Secretary of State John Kerry said: “We stand together this morn-ing with the people of France. We stand together not just in anger and outrage but in solidarity and commitment in confronting ex-tremists.”

Hollande has warned his griev-ing country not to drop its guard in the face of possible new attacks.

Ahead of the march, he met rep-resentatives from the Jewish com-munity who said authorities had agreed to even deploy soldiers to protect Jewish schools and syna-gogues “if necessary.”

Wave of attacksThe rampage by three gunmen who claimed to be members of the Al Qaeda and IS extremist groups was followed by a chilling new threat from the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

AQAP top offi cial Harith Al Na-dhari warned France to “stop your aggression against the Muslims” or face further attacks, in com-ments released by the SITE moni-toring group.

German newspaper Bild said the bloodshed in France could sig-nal the start of a wave of attacks in Europe, citing communications by IS leaders intercepted by US intelligence. — AFP

A sea of humanity

fl owed through

Paris’ iconic

streets, breaking

into applause

and spontaneous

renditions of the

national anthem,

as a shell-shocked

France mourned the

victims of three days

of bloody violence

ALL FOR FRANCE: Citizens carrying a banner which reads, ‘We’re all French today’ take part in a solidarity march (Marche Republicaine)

in the streets of Paris, on Sunday. — Reuters

German tabloid fi rebombed after ‘Charlie Hebdo’ tribute BERLIN: A German tabloid that paid tribute to those killed at Charlie Hebdo by reprinting car-toons from the French satirical paper was fi rebombed on Sunday, police said.

With security services on high alert after an extremist killing spree in Paris, police in the north-ern German port city of Hamburg said no one was at the headquar-ters of the regional daily Ham-burger Morgenpost at the time of the attack, which caused only slight damage.

Hamburg police said it was “too soon” to tell whether there was a connection between the Charlie Hebdo tribute and the fi rebomb-ing, which would be the fi rst at-tack against the cartoons since Wednesday’s massacre of 12 peo-ple at the French weekly.

Rocks thrown“Rocks and then a burning object were thrown through the win-dow,” a police spokesman said.

“Two rooms on lower fl oors were damaged but the fi re was put out quickly.”

The Hamburger Morgenpost, known locally as the MOPO, had splashed the Charlie Hebdo car-toons on its front page after the massacre at the Paris publication with the headline “This much freedom must be possible!”.

Police said the attack had oc-curred at about 0120 GMT and that two men, aged 35 and 39, seen acting suspiciously near the scene were detained and are be-ing questioned.

Thick smokeThe newspaper, which has a cir-culation of around 91,000, off ered regular updates on the fi rebomb-ing on its website.

“Thick smoke is still hanging in the air, the police are looking for clues,” it said in its initial story, under the headline “Arson attack on the MOPO — Due to the ‘Char-lie Hebdo’ cartoons?”.

Later on Sunday it had re-moved any reference to Charlie Hebdo but quoted the regional representative body for the media as calling the attack a “cowardly

and insidious act of terror against press freedom”.

Editor-in-chief Frank Nigge-meier said in a statement said his team was “shocked that some-thing like this could happen in a cosmopolitan and liberal city like Hamburg”.

He declined to speculate about a motive and said the Monday edi-tion would go to press as planned.

Hamburg is Germany’s second city, with a population of around 2.4 million.

Meanwhile, also on Sunday the offi ces of a Belgian newspa-per that published the cartoons were evacuated after it received an anonymous bomb threat, its staff said.

Heightened tensionsThe Hamburg fi rebombing comes at a time of heightened tensions over the rise of a new anti-Mus-lim movement in Germany.

The right-wing populist group, “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident”(PEGIDA), has called for its 12th weekly march in the eastern city of Dresden Monday to be dedicated to “the victims of terrorism in Paris”.

Justice Minister Heiko Maas accused the group of trying to ex-ploit the killings and urged it to call off its rally.

“The victims do not deserve to be misused by rabble-rousers like these,” he told the daily Bild.

On Saturday about 35,000 people, organisers said, took to the streets in Dresden against PEGIDA.

And several Muslim groups have called a silent march in Ber-lin on Monday to denounce vio-lence and call for social cohesion.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was in Paris Sunday for a massive march for the victims, on Satur-day addressed members of her party in Hamburg.

‘Reason for concern’She stressed the need for the ex-change of security intelligence among Europe’s secret services, particularly between members of the Schengen passport-free zone.

Thomas de Maiziere of Ger-many told DPA news agency the Hamburg attack showed “that we have reason to be concerned and on alert” but he urged caution in assigning blame until the probe was completed.

Hamburg’s extremist scene came to global attention in 2001 when it emerged that three of the suicide hijackers from the Sep-tember 11 attacks on the United States, including ringleader Mo-hammed Atta, had lived and stud-ied in the city. — AFP

R E V E N G E A T T A C K

UNDER ASSAULT: Burnt and damaged fi les piled up in the edito-

rial offi ce’s courtyard of German regional newspaper ‘Hamburger

Morgenpost’ in Hamburg, Germany, on Sunday after an arson

attack. — AFP/DPA/Bodo Marks

BMARKE

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMM O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

OIL PRODUCTION EDGES UP IN DECEMBER LAST YEAROman’s crude oil and condensates production in December 2014 rose 1.15 per cent to 28.89 million barrels, an average of 932,096 barrels per day. >B3

‘Localisation of railways vital for long-term development’

ELHAM [email protected]

MUSCAT: Oman has joined calls by other Gulf countries for the lo-calisation of the railway industry both in terms of know-how and manufacture, with an expert say-ing that the key to attract locals to this sector is ‘respect’.

“Localisation of this industry will contribute greatly to the long-term

development of the country as it will help create more job opportu-nities for the locals and will benefi t all industries including small and medium enterprises,” Mohammed Hassan Al Ansi, a senior offi cial in charge of logistics and transporta-tion aff airs at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), told Times of Oman.

He was speaking on the side-lines of the two-day Gulf Coopera-

tion Council (GCC) Rail and Met-ro Conference 2015, which kicked off at Al Bustan Palace Hotel on Sunday under the theme of ‘A vi-sion for sustainable development.’

During a panel discussion, of-fi cials from Saudi Arabia high-lighted the necessity of acquiring

the know-how to operate the up-coming rail and metro networks in the GCC and manufacture the required components.

Eng. Mohamed Khaled Al Su-waiket, general president of Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO), said that localisation of the rail sector

would be possible only if certain agreements and arrangements are made between the Gulf countries.

Localised manufacturing unitHe said that one option is the es-tablishment of a common integrat-ed localised manufacturing unit for the procurement of the main components instead of building individual units in each country and then taking on a collective commitment to use the services and products of that unit.

Al Suwaiket also noted that coor-dination between the GCC countries would help facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise.

“Localisation of jobs is as impor-tant as the implementation of the project,” the offi cial said, adding that Saudi Arabia is ready to share its expertise in this fi eld with other Gulf nations.

DrRumaih Al Rumaih, chief ex-ecutive offi cer of Saudi Railway Company (SAR), also emphasised

the necessity of training locals and briefed the participants on the company’s pioneering initiative that led to the establishment of a specialised technical institute to train locals for the operation and maintenance of Saudi railways ac-cording to international standards.

Sir Charles Shaw, a representa-tive of Pearson TQ, the leading training and educational company in the world, said that the company is running Saudi Arabia’s rail col-lege and Oman, like Saudi, needs to focus on developing eff ective and international quality employees.

The key to attracting the locals to join the railway sector and accept to take up jobs even at lower positions is ‘respect’, said the offi cial.

“Some locals may not have aca-demic degrees but are practically good. So these are the people that we should focus on,” he further noted, adding that this can pave the way for their academic devel-opment as well. >B4

The localisation of this industry will help

create more job opportunities for the locals

and will benefi t all industries, including

the small and medium enterprises,

said a senior OCCI executive

Mohammed Hassan Al Ansi,

senior offi cial, OCCI

Sir Charles Shaw, a representa-

tive of Pearson TQ

B2

MARKETM O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

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Oman Cables net profi t rises

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Oman Cables Indus-try, the largest power cable manu-facturer in Oman, on Sunday re-ported a consolidated net profi t (attributable to equity holders) of OMR17.72 million for 2014 as compared to OMR16.89 million for the previous year, registering an increase of 4.9 per cent.

The revenues of the group stood at OMR303.15 million for the year ended December, 2014 compared to OMR306.06 million reported for 2013, showing a marginal drop of 1 per cent, according to a disclo-sure statement posted on Muscat Securitie Market website.

PERFORMANCE Greek exit could trigger break-up

BRUSSELS: A Greek exit from the eurozone would certainly come at a cost to Europe, but just how expensive would it be?

The amount Athens owes its partners is equivalent to just a tiny fraction of the eurozone’s economy, but some analysts are still worried that a ‘Grexit’ could ultimately cost Europe its single currency.

Global markets plunged at the beginning of last week, seized by a fresh bout of fears that Greece may be forced to leave the euro.

A snap election in Greece on January 25 could bring to power the far-left Syriza party, which wants to abandon the austerity policy imposed by the European Union (EU) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of the country’s €240-billion ($282 billion) international bailout.

The market selloff was trig-gered by media reports indicat-ing that if a new government in Athens reversed course, Germany was ready to let Greece leave the European club of common cur-rency users. Most analysts doubt it would come to that, but if it did Athens would be hard pressed to repay its bailout loans and would likely default.

“A Greek default on its around €240 billion in rescue loans would send another shock wave to the (euro) area,” said Guy Ver-hofstadt, president of the liberal ALDE group in the European Par-liament. Germany stands to lose the most if Greece fails to pay up: some €56.5 billion according to

calculations by Eric Dor, director of economics research at France’s IESEG School of Management, based on EU data. That works out to €699 per resident. For France the total cost comes to over €42.4 billion, or €644 per resident.

For Italy the cost would be €37.3 billion, Spain €24.8 billion, the Netherlands €11.9 billion, Belgium €7.2 billion, Austria €5.8 billion, €Portugal 1.1 billion and Ireland €300 million.

Eurozone lendersWhile the headline numbers are huge, they are minuscule in com-parison to the eurozone economy. The €195 billion that Greece owes its partners is equivalent to just four per cent of 2013 eurozone government spending. Moreover, the loans were scheduled to be re-paid over many years.

And eurozone banks, which were once considerably exposed to Greece, are no longer so.

JPMorganCazenove recently calculated that the eurozone lenders it covers have only about €5 billion in exposure to Greece.

Financial stampede Another cost of a Grexit how-

ever would be the uncertainty it would spark in a eurozone econo-my that has already nearly stalled, and could exact a very high price. “The biggest worry is about a fi -nancial stampede” to get out of Europe, said Thomas Grjebine, an economist at the CEPII inter-national economics institute.

“If investors are not reassured that the eurozone is really solid there could be an increase in in-terest rates, which are currently very low, and thus borrowing costs,” he said. A rise in the cost of credit and drop in investment would pull the rug out from under eff orts to revive eurozone growth.

Analysts are divided over whether a Grexit could be con-tained or if it would it lead to a break-up of the eurozone.

Some see Europe as being far better prepared to handle a Grexit thanks to the creation of a €500-billion bailout fund. - AFP

The amount Athens

owes its partners is

equivalent to just a

tiny fraction of the

eurozone’s economy,

but analysts are still

worried that a ‘Grexit’

could cost Europe its

single currency

No plans to sell music publishing business: SonyLOS ANGELES: Sony has no plans to sell the music publish-ing business that controls rights to songs from the Beatles and Taylor Swift, as was suggested by leaked e-mails, Sony Entertain-ment chief executive offi cer Mi-chael Lynton said.

Sony’s music-publishing busi-ness, the largest in the world, has a catalog of more than 2 million songs. Music publishers collect songwriting royalties from album sales, use on televison and other performances.

E-mails and documents re-leased in the cyber-attack on Sony mentioned a ‘top secret’ plan to sell the music publish-ing business because it had few growth prospects, it has been re-ported last month.

Top management at Tokyo-based Sony was concerned about the complex ownership and governance of the business. In a January 8 interview, Lynton said a sale isn’t under consideration.

Music revenueMusic publishing accounts for 14 per cent of Sony’s music revenue, with recorded music generating the larger part. The business in-cludes Sony/ATV Music Publish-ing, a joint venture with the estate of Michael Jackson, and EMI Music Publishing, in which Sony has a 30 per cent stake.

Sony/ATV chief executive of-fi cer Martin Bandier said in a memo to staff on January 9 that he’s been advised by Sony that the venture isn’t for sale, the New York Post reported. Sony/ATV was established in 1995 in

partnership with Jackson, who had acquired rights to the Beatles songs a decade earlier.

Sony’s partnersIn 2012, Sony paid $2.2 billion for the larger EMI Music Publishing, along with investors including Jackson’s estate, Blackstone’s GSO Capital Partners, entertain-ment mogul David Geff en and Mubadala Development, owned by the Abu Dhabi government. Sony/ATV administers EMI on behalf of the investors.

The combined Sony publishing business represents stars from Bruce Springsteen to Lady Gaga and songs including New York, New York, Jailhouse Rock and I Heard It Through the Grapevine.

Sony and Jackson’s estate each own half of Sony/ATV, which contains more than 750,000 songs, according to a 2012 press release. EMI Music Publishing has 1.3 million songs in its cata-log. - Bloomberg News

D I S INVESTMENT

Maduro in Saudi for oil crisis talks CARACAS: Venezuelan Presi-dent Nicolas Maduro has arrived in Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (Opec) leading oil producer Saudi Ara-bia, state media reported yester-day, after he visited Iran to dis-cuss the impact of plummeting crude prices.

Maduro landed on Saturday in Riyadh where Deputy Crown Prince Moqren bin Abdul Aziz received him, the Saudi Press Agency said. “The Venezuelan president was accompanied by a number of ministers,” it said, giv-ing no further details.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s

largest crude exporter and the biggest producer in the 12-mem-ber Opec, to which Venezuela and Iran also belong.

While Saudi Arabia says it is fi -nancially strong enough to with-stand the drop in world oil prices, which fell about 50 per cent last year, the budgets of Venezuela and Iran are under strain.

Venezuela has said it is willing to cut production to support pric-es but Opec decided in November to maintain an output ceiling of 30 million barrels per day.

The decision intensifi ed the price slide that began in the mid-dle of the year. - AFP

OPEC


AT A GLANCE A snap poll in Greece could bring to power the far-left

Syriza party, which wants to abandon the austerity policy imposed by EU and IMF as part of €240 billion bailout

Germany stands to lose the most if Greece fails to pay up some €56.5 billion

The €195 billion that Greece owes its partners is equivalent to just four per cent of 2013 eurozone government spending

B3M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

MARKET

ACWA Power signswater purchase pact

Times News Service

MUSCAT: ACWA Power Barka has signed a water purchase agreement with Oman Power and Water Procurement Company and other project agreements for the expansion of its existing wa-ter desalination capacity by 12.5 MIGD (56,825 cubic metres per day), which is the second phase of expansion.

A usufruct agreement for the use of the project land will be signed between the company and Ministry of Housing. The water connection agreement will be signed between the company and the Public Authority for Elec-tricity and Water, according to a disclosure statement posted on MSM website.

The second phase expansion is an independent water project

to be developed on a build, own, operate basis and will be located at Barka, 65 kilometres north of Muscat. The expansion project will be constructed adjacent to the company’s existing plant and will benefi t from its synergies.

Financing the projectThe additional water capacity produced by the expansion pro-ject will help in meeting the pro-jected shortfall in the Sultanate’s water desalination production ca-pacity and the steadily increasing annual demand for potable water.

The board of directors at the meeting held on December 15, has approved the company enter-ing into the project agreements required for the second phase ex-pansion project, obtaining a loan to fi nance the project and enter-ing into a supplemental opera-

tion and maintenance agreement with a related party to operate and maintain the expansion project.

The term of the water purchase agreement will eff ectively ex-pire with the existing Power and Water Purchase Agreement. The second phase expansion will be funded by a syndicated loan from local fi nancial institutions. Con-

sidering a challenging timeline of completion, construction of the expansion project has gained mo-mentum from the date of signing of the agreements.

Three phasesThe company is targeting to com-plete this expansion and start water production in three phases beginning from the third quarter of 2015 with fi nal commercial op-eration in the fi rst quarter of 2016. First National Company for Op-eration & Maintenance Services, a subsidiary of First National Company for Operation & Main-tenance Services, is intended to be the O&M provider for the ex-pansion and is the current O&M provider for the existing plant and 10 MIGD water expansion project (Phase I) of the company. The sec-ond phase expansion will be built according to Omani environmen-tal regulations.

The company anticipates rea-sonable income generation from the second phase of water expan-sion for all shareholders.

Agreement with Oman Power and Water

Procurement Company has been signed

for the expansion of its existing water

desalination capacity by 12.5 MIGD

Oman’s crude oil production increases in DecemberMUSCAT: The Sultanate’s crude oil and condensate production in December 2014 amounted to 28,894,980 barrels, an average of 932,096 barrels a day (bpd), a rise by 1.15 per cent compared to No-vember 2014 when calculating the daily average.

The monthly report by the Min-istry of Oil and Gas said that the total exported crude oil in Decem-ber 2014 amounted to 23,999,859 barrels, an average of 774,189 bpd, and a 3.45 per cent decline in com-parison to November 2014 when calculating the daily average.

The Asian markets, as usual, have the biggest share of the Oman’s oil exports.

China still tops the list of Oman’s

crude oil importers in December 2014 with 83.98 per cent. The per-centage of the imported quantities by Taiwan hit 8.23 per cent, a de-cline by 12.45 per cent.

Imports dipMeanwhile, the imported quan-tities by Thailand, Sri Lanka and Tanzania declined margin-ally. However, they remained at low levels. The average price for American crude oil in New York Mercantile Exchange in Decem-ber 2014 amounted to $59.72 per barrel, indicating a $16.09 decline compared to the trading of the No-vember 2014.

The North Sea (Brent) basket in ICE in London averaged $63.53

per barrel, comprising a decline by $16.33 compared to the trading of last month. The average Oman’s oil price in December 2014 delivery amounted to $86.96 per barrel; a sharp decline by $10.30 compared to delivery in November 2014.

The oil prices continued their decline this month amid traders’ worries due to the continuous de-cline from August till date. While there are certain times when pric-es improved, still the general trend continued moving downward.

The lowest price for Brent Mix was $57 — an indication that the fi ve-year long upward movement of price shifted downward to cre-ate a new pricing framework that keeps pace with the latest develop-

ments in world oil and gas markets, the global economy, the complex geopolitical situations and Orga-niation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (Opec) stance towards the recent price movement.

DME OmanOman oil price (February deliv-ery 2015) stood at $61.01, thus it sharply declined to $17.23 com-pared to January delivery 2015.

The trading of Oman crude oil future contract on the Dubai Mer-cantile Exchange (DME Oman) witnessed a decline in price in the same month, as it has been the case with other crude oils due to the same factors. It averaged between $70.55 and $53.13 per barrel. - ONA

O I L O U T P U T


Additional water

capacity produced by

the expansion project

will help in meeting

the projected shortfall

in Oman’s water

desalination production

capacity and the

steadily increasing

annual demand for

potable water

Volvo to sell Chinese-made cars in US this year

BEIJING: Volvo Car plans to ex-port a Chinese-made midsize se-dan this year to the United States, and is starting to weigh the possi-bility of building a vehicle factory in the US.

Both moves would be signifi -cant for the auto industry and Volvo’s parent, Zhejiang Geely Holding. So far, global automak-ers have chosen not to ship ve-hicles made in China to the US market in any signifi cant num-

bers, and eff orts by Chinese au-tomakers to export vehicles to the United States have foundered.

Volvo is also behind rivals BMW and Mercedes in estab-lishing production in the Unit-ed States, which insulates the German brands from currency fl uctuations.

Volvo might also export a large “strategic, fl agship” sedan based on a newly developed underpin-ning technology, said the ex-

ecutives, who work for Zhejiang Geely. That car would be shipped out of China in addition to the Volvo S60L, a long wheelbase ver-sion of the S60 sedan Volvo began producing in the southwestern China city of Chengdu more than a year ago.

The moves are aimed at reviv-ing Volvo’s momentum in the US market where volume last year fell 8 per cent from 2013 to 56,371 vehicles. - Reuters

A U T O M O T I V E

MARGINAL RISE: The Sultanate’s crude oil and condensate produc-

tion in December 2014 amounted to 28,894,980 barrels, an average

of 932,096 barrels per day.– File picture

B4

MARKETM O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

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MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 11

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 2,566,244 .....601,242..................... 94 ............0.212 ........... 0.236 ...........0.212 ........... 0.234 ............. 0.215.............0.019 ............. 8.837 ................0.231 .............. 0.231...................0.236..................267,696,000........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 1,112,549 ....... 207,693..................... 84 ............0.182 ........... 0.189 ........... 0.181 ............0.187 ............. 0.172.............0.015 ............. 8.721.................0.189 .............. 0.188...................0.189 ...................49,296,708 .........0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 1,703,962 ...... 376,562................... 168 ............0.212 ........... 0.227 ...........0.210 ........... 0.221 .............0.207 ............0.014 ............. 6.763 ................0.225..............0.225...................0.226 ................. 44,200,000 ........0.100

OM0000002614 ............ONIC. HOLDING .......................................................... 365,584 ..........131,267......................19 ........... 0.350 ...........0.360 ...........0.350........... 0.360 .............0.340 ........... 0.020 ............. 5.882 ................0.360..............0.360...................0.364 ..................62,432,370 .........0.100

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ........... 2,386,840 ..... 314,698................... 149 ............0.129 ........... 0.135 ...........0.124 ........... 0.132 ............. 0.125............ 0.007 ............. 5.600 ................0.133 .............. 0.133...................0.134 ................... 16,087,500 .........0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 3,381,162 ...... 521,555................... 195 ............0.150 ........... 0.156 ...........0.150 ........... 0.154 ............. 0.146............ 0.008 ............. 5.479 ................0.156 .............. 0.155...................0.156 .................... 9,061,855 ..........0.100

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ..................................................... 78,110 .............30,419......................15 ........... 0.370 ...........0.390 ...........0.370 ........... 0.390 .............0.370 ........... 0.020 ............. 5.405 ................0.390..............0.376...................0.388...................23,595,000 .........0.100

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 3,241,691 ......463,393................... 211 ............0.138 ........... 0.147 ...........0.138 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.136............ 0.007 ............. 5.147 ................0.145 .............. 0.145...................0.146 ...................12,372,360 .........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 4,120,661 ..... 834,304...................302 ............0.197 ...........0.207 ...........0.194 ........... 0.202 ............. 0.193............ 0.009 ............. 4.663 ................0.204 ............ 0.204...................0.205 ..................26,361,000 .........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 194,925 ..........127,801..................... 24 ........... 0.632 ........... 0.660 ...........0.632 ........... 0.656 .............0.628 ........... 0.028 ............. 4.459 ................0.660..............0.660...................0.672.................. 427,019,415 ........0.100

OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY .................................... 220,789 .........441,645..................... 36 ............1.915 ........... 2.105 ........... 1.915 ........... 2.000 ............. 1.915 .............0.085 ............. 4.439 ................2.000 ............ 2.000...................2.100..................179,400,000........0.100

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .......................................................57,016 ...............8,267........................5 ............0.145 ........... 0.145 ...........0.145 ............0.145 ............. 0.139............ 0.006 ............. 4.317 ................0.145 ..............0.140...................0.145 ..................290,045,355 .......0.100

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 775,406 ..........217,963..................... 77 ........... 0.272 ........... 0.289 ...........0.272........... 0.281 .............0.270 ............0.011 ............. 4.074 ................0.289..............0.287...................0.289 ..................28,100,000 .........0.100

OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES .......................................... 215,044 ........... 66,666..................... 35 ............0.310 ........... 0.312 ...........0.310 ........... 0.310 .............0.298 ............0.012 ............. 4.027 ................0.310 ..............0.308...................0.310 ................... 18,973,325 .........0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 375,761 .............27,050......................19 ........... 0.070 ........... 0.073 ...........0.070........... 0.072 .............0.070 ........... 0.002 ............. 2.857 ................0.072 .............. 0.071...................0.072...................14,914,900 .........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 203,080 ............97,422..................... 27 ........... 0.470 ........... 0.486 ...........0.470 ........... 0.480 .............0.468 ............0.012 ............. 2.564 ................0.470 ..............0.472...................0.484 .................135,405,338 ........0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 348,242 ........... 56,592..................... 34 ............0.161 ........... 0.164 ........... 0.161 ............0.163 ............. 0.159............ 0.004 ............. 2.516 ................0.164 .............. 0.165...................0.170 ....................3,423,000 ..........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 371,604 ........ 642,229...................142 ............1.700 ........... 1.740............1.700 ............1.730 ............. 1.690............ 0.040 ............. 2.367 ................1.740 .............. 1.740................... 1.745 ................1,297,500,000 ......0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 752,392 .........243,325..................... 39 ............0.318 ........... 0.330 ...........0.318 ........... 0.324 ............. 0.318............ 0.006 ............. 1.887 ................0.330..............0.328...................0.334 .................394,900,110 ........0.100

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ........................................................... 290,500 ......... 162,483..................... 57 ........... 0.550 ........... 0.566 ...........0.550 ........... 0.560 .............0.550 ............0.010 ..............1.818.................0.558 ..............0.550...................0.558 ...................25,514,392 .........0.100

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT .......................................................... 9,362 .............15,920........................5 ............1.700 ............1.710 ............1.700 ............1.700 ............. 1.670............ 0.030 ............. 1.796................. 1.710 ...............1.715................... 1.790 ................. 340,000,000 .......0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 2,686,686 ... 1,505,821....................151 ........... 0.552 ........... 0.564 ...........0.552 ........... 0.560 .............0.552 ........... 0.008 ............. 1.449 ................0.560..............0.558...................0.564................1,222,305,385 ......0.100

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ............................................................47,209 ............ 24,366......................14 ............0.510 ...........0.520 ...........0.510 ............0.516 ............. 0.510............ 0.006 ..............1.176 .................0.520.............. 0.510...................0.528.................. 170,730,318 ........0.100

OM0000003141 ............ACWA POWER BARKA ...............................................57,040 .............46,773..................... 10 ........... 0.820 ...........0.820 ...........0.820........... 0.820 ............. 0.812............ 0.008 ............. 0.985 ................0.820............. 0.800...................0.824 .................131,200,000........0.100

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 698,641 ..........165,921..................... 33 ........... 0.235 ........... 0.239 ...........0.235 ........... 0.237 .............0.235 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.851 ................0.236 ..............0.236...................0.237..................307,030,515 ........0.100

OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................74,400 .............36,010........................7 ........... 0.484 ........... 0.484 ...........0.484........... 0.484 .............0.480 ........... 0.004 ............. 0.833 ................0.484..............0.478...................0.484 ................. 119,472,852 ........0.100

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 926,641 ..........391,681..................... 36 ........... 0.422 ........... 0.426 ...........0.422........... 0.422 .............0.420 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.476 ................0.424..............0.424...................0.426 .................142,105,546 ........0.100

OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ............................1,100 .................. 370........................ 1 ........... 0.336 ........... 0.336 ...........0.336 ........... 0.336 .............0.336 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.336 ............. 0.340...................0.360 ..................31,933,440 .........0.100

OM0000001889 ............SALALAH MILLS ......................................................................7 .....................10........................ 1 ............1.485 ........... 1.485 ...........1.485 ........... 1.490 ............. 1.490............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.485 ..............1.400...................1.485 ................... 71,762,965 .........0.100

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ............................ 2,750 .................. 908........................ 1 ........... 0.330 ........... 0.330 ...........0.330........... 0.336 .............0.336 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.330.............. 0.314...................0.330 .................. 41,965,715 .........0.100

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 313,502 ........... 42,636........................7 ............0.136 ........... 0.136 ...........0.136 ............0.136 ............. 0.136............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.136 .............. 0.133...................0.136 ................... 37,401,798 .........0.100

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT .....................1,650 ...................193........................ 1 ............0.117 ........... 0.117 ............ 0.117 ............0.117 ............. 0.117 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................ 0.117 ...............0.117...................0.120 ...................23,400,000 ........0.100

OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER .................................................................2,110 ..................802........................ 1 ........... 0.380 ...........0.380 ...........0.380........... 0.376 .............0.376 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.380..............0.380...................0.400 ..................83,099,760 .........0.100

OM0000004248 ...........SMN POWER HOLDING ..............................................6,000 ...............3,960........................ 1 ........... 0.660 ........... 0.660 ...........0.660........... 0.660 .............0.660 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.660..............0.660...................0.668.................. 131,759,496 ........0.100

OM0000003281 ............TAAGEER FINANCE .................................................. 20,000 ...............3,026........................3 ............0.151 ........... 0.152 ........... 0.151 ............0.151 ............. 0.152............-0.001 ........... -0.658 ............... 0.151 ...............0.151...................0.152 ...................38,292,090.........0.100

OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ............. 138,000 ...........42,930..................... 30 ............0.312 ........... 0.316 ...........0.310 ........... 0.312 .............0.320 ...........-0.008 ........... -2.500 ...............0.310 ............. 0.290...................0.310 ...................10,474,292 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 27,746,660 .7,853,903............... 2,034 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................... ................TRADED SEC. ...............36........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................. 792,483 ........... 82,235..................... 63 ............0.101 ........... 0.108 ...........0.101 ........... 0.104 ............. 0.101 ............ 0.003 ............. 2.970 ................0.105 ..............0.106...................0.107 .................... 7,821,632 ..........0.100

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH ..................................................6,200 .............13,322........................2 ............2.110 ........... 2.150 ...........2.110 ........... 2.150 .............2.100 ........... 0.050 ............. 2.381 ................2.150 .............. 2.110...................2.200 ................ 205,232,969 .......1.000

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 120,649 ........... 64,648................... 112 ........... 0.530 ........... 0.542 ...........0.530........... 0.536 .............0.524 ............0.012 .............2.290 ................0.542..............0.540...................0.542 ..................26,800,000 ........0.100

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................. 103,660 ..............9,304......................11 ........... 0.090 ...........0.090 ...........0.089........... 0.090 .............0.088 ........... 0.002 ............. 2.273 ................0.090..............0.090...................0.091 ................... 15,750,000 .........0.100

OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 183,710 ............ 22,421..................... 24 ............0.120 ........... 0.124 ...........0.120 ........... 0.122 .............0.120 ........... 0.002 ............. 1.667 ................0.122 .............. 0.121...................0.122 ....................3,660,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ....................................................... 47,496 ...............3,400........................9 ............0.071 ........... 0.072 ...........0.071 ........... 0.072 ............. 0.071.............0.001 ............. 1.408 ................0.072 .............. 0.071...................0.072....................9,000,000 ..........0.100

OM0000002580 ...........OMAN EDU. & TRIN. INV. HOLDING....................10,000 ...............1,400........................ 1 ............0.140 ........... 0.140 ...........0.140 ........... 0.140 ............. 0.139.............0.001 ............. 0.719.................0.140 ............. 0.000...................0.145 ....................9,800,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 198,545............... 7,397........................6 ........... 0.037 ........... 0.038 ...........0.037 ........... 0.037 .............0.037 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.038 ..............0.037...................0.038.................... 3,145,000 ..........0.100

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 507,613 ............ 40,894..................... 29 ............0.081 ........... 0.081 ...........0.080........... 0.081 ............. 0.081............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.080..............0.080...................0.082 .................121,500,000 ........0.100

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK............................................... 64,500 ...............5,948........................6 ........... 0.095 ........... 0.095 ...........0.092........... 0.092 .............0.092 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.092..............0.093...................0.095.................. 92,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ...................................7,549 ............24,906........................3 ........... 3.295 ...........3.300 ...........3.295 ........... 3.300 .............3.300 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................3.300..............3.000...................3.295................... 32,274,713 .........1.000

OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ............................ 100,000 ..............9,800........................ 1 ........... 0.098 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.098 ..............0.098...................0.104....................9,800,000 ..........0.100

OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ....................................................85,305 .............14,587........................3 ............0.171 ........... 0.171 ............ 0.171 ............0.171 ............. 0.171 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................ 0.171 ...............0.171...................0.180 ..................122,163,484 ........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 2,227,710 ......300,262...................270 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ...... 13........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ......................................... 182,110 ............ 20,578........................3 ............0.112 ........... 0.113 ............ 0.112 ............0.113 ............. 0.112 .............0.001 ............. 0.893 ................ 0.113 ..............0.106................... 0.113 ................... 36,119,622 .........0.100

OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ...........................1,128 ...................118........................2 ............0.105 ........... 0.105 ...........0.105 ........... 0.106 ............. 0.106 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.105 .............. 0.105...................0.107 ...................32,091,406 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 183,238 ........... 20,697........................5 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 2........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ISIN .................................................. SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER ................... TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE ............. HIGH .................... LOW ............... CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE.......... DIFF (RO) .................DIFF % ......................LAST PR............... LAST BID .....................LAST OFFER ................. MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

M U S C A T B O U R S E

INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ........................................6,403.16 .............. 6,253.82 ................... 6,403.16 ................... 6,253.55 ................149.61 ................... 2.39Financial Index ..................................... 7,776.91 ............... 7,579.65 .................... 7,776.91 ....................7,577.46 ............... 199.45 ................... 2.63Industrial Index ................................... 8,540.64 .............. 8,380.60 ................... 8,540.63 ...................8,380.60 ............... 160.03 ................... 1.91Services Index .......................................3,505.57 .............. 3,453.60 ................... 3,505.57 ................... 3,451.52 ................. 54.05 ................... 1.57MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................970.93 ..................960.82 ...................... 970.93 ......................960.24 ..................10.69 ....................1.11

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded30,157,608 ...................8,174,861 .................2,309 ...............14,608,360,760 ................35 ........................2 .................... 14 .........................51

MSM ends higherMUSCAT: Muscat bourse opened the week on a strong note and closed at 6,403.16 points, up by 2.39 per cent. MSM Sharia index closed at 970.93 points, up by 1.11 per cent. Al Anwar Holding was the most ac-tive in terms of volume while Bank Muscat was the most active in terms of turnover. Bank Sohar, up by 8.84 per cent was the top gainer of the day while National Alumin-ium Products, down by 2.50 per cent, was the top loser of the day.

As many as 2,039 trades were executed during the day’s trad-ing session generating turnover of OMR8.1 million with more than 30.1 million shares changing hands. Out of 51 traded stocks, 35 advanced, two declined and 14

remained unchanged. GCC and Arab Investors were net buyers for OMR635,000 followed by Om-ani investors for OMR371,000 while foreign investors were net sellers for OMR1.0 million worth of shares.

Financial Index was the best performing sector on Sunday and closed at 7,776.91 points, up by 2.63 per cent.

Industrial Index ended the day’s trading session at 8,540.63 points, up by 1.91 per cent.

Services Sector Index in-creased by 1.57 per cent to close at 3,505.57 points. OIFC, Oore-doo, Al Jazeera Services, Renais-sance Services and Sembcorp Salalah increased. — United Securities

Maharat committed to train Omani employees

Shaw is also the chief executive offi cer of ‘Maharat’, an Oman-based company, which is com-mitted to generating In-Country Value (ICV) through providing ‘focused’ world-class vocational training for locals, particularly in the railway sector.

“Our founders and investors are all Omani investors who are focused on training Omani em-ployees,” he said, adding that Ma-harat and Pearson have a 10-year

exclusive agreement for provid-ing training in the fi eld of railway transport to Omanis.

Internationally certifi edSpeaking to Times of Oman, the offi cial noted that all the courses being off ered are internationally certifi ed and Maharat is build-ing a vocational training centre in collaboration with its strategic partners in Muscat.

“Our plan is to have branches

throughout Oman so rather than the Omanis having to come to our training facility, we would go there,” he said, adding that the branches may be opened in Barka and Al Buraimi.

Maharat’s CEO also said it is necessary that technical colleges in Oman start off ering courses related to the railway sector to en-sure the success of the GCC-wide railway project as well as national metro projects.

V O C A T I O N A L T R A I N I N G

< FROM

B1

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMSECTION

E- IMESTECH STUFFTECH STUFF

BSEEING FULL VERSION OF A SITE FOR DESKTOP BROWSERSFor example, with a mobile site open in the Chrome browser for Android and iOS, tap the “Menu” button on the Chrome toolbar and choose “Request desktop site.” In the Safari browser for Apple’s iOS 8 system, tap the URL at the top of the window. When the box of favourite sites appears, drag down on it with your fi nger to see the “Request Desktop Site” button. In Internet Explorer for Windows Phone 8.1, tap the “More” button and select Settings, where you can choose “Desktop version” or “Mobile version” in the Website Preference area.

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

S M A R T A P P

KIT EATON

LONG before I wrote about apps for a living, I spent many years at university

learning to be a physicist, and I worked as a professional scientist for a while. So I get an extra-special kick out of all the physics-based games that can be played on a smartphone.

Though you may not think of it this way, every “Angry Birds” game relies on a little physics: elastic stretching for the catapult and ballistics for the curved trajectory that the projectiles (i.e., “Angry Birds”) follow as they fl y through the air. “Angry Birds Space” takes it one step further and demonstrates Newton’s laws of motion and gravity. In this game, each bird fl ies through the zero-gravity environ-ment of space in straight lines, or curves through gravitational fi elds of moons and planets. Collisions with objects (pigs) also happen in more or less the right way, with both bird and object recoiling with its own momentum.

First of all, it’s an entertaining game, but this app is also a great way to bring up science with young children, to gently introduce them to physics. “Angry Birds Space” is $1 on iOS and free for Android.

Another fabulous game, “Grav-ity Evolved,” free for iOS and An-droid, uses gravitational physics as part of the gameplay. The game is a little abstract, but essentially you are battling with and against plan-ets armed with diff erent weapons.

Shots fl y through space in orbits aff ected by the planets they pass near. If you see a screen shot of the game, its simple graphics are not visually impressive. But it is satisfying to play, and it is chal-lenging to try to move through its many levels. The physics aspects of the game add to its charm and diffi culty.

Newton’s laws of motion play an important part in “Osmos,” an even more abstract game. In this game a tiny bluish blob of life bumps into and absorbs blobs that are like it while avoiding bad guys (reddish blobs).

The blob propels itself around the game arena by rocketing out a little bit of material — a process you control by tapping on the screen. This is the physics part. It’s easy to learn but tricky to master because you have to remember

to slow the blob down in the right way once it is up to speed. I love the game, although it can feel a little repetitive after a while.

“Osmos” costs $3 for iOS and Android. There is a free test edi-tion on Android. For a more classic

game that relies on all sorts of complex physics and materials science, even though you would never think so, check out “Jenga,” free on iOS and Android. This game simulates the real-life block-stacking game using all the right science, so that as you move your chosen block by gesturing on the screen, you will slowly dislodge some blocks higher up the “Jenga” pile in just the right way.

It’s diffi cult, just like the real thing, and satisfying. It’s even fun to watch the simulated pile fall over on the screen, and know that you don’t have to pick up all the blocks and restack them by hand to play again.

“Freeze!,” a free iOS and Android app, is a more puzzling physics-based game that may keep your attention for a little longer than “Jenga.” In this game, as you rotate the landscape, a hero with one eye and a round body must escape each level by rolling and falling through the air in the right way to avoid bad guys, spikes and other challenges.

The trick to winning this game is learning how to gesture to turn the landscapes around just the right amount, and knowing when to use the “freeze” button to overcome the eff ect of gravity. It has wickedly gloomy but amusing graphics and great sounds. It’s a lot of fun and also defi nitely a game that younger players will appreciate.

“Leo’s Fortune” is another popular game. In this one, a round hero tries to navigate diffi cult terrain while falling under gravity. This game, which is $3 on iOS and Android, has a slightly more devel-oped story line than “Freeze!,” and includes a few more physics-based challenges, like spring doors that must be jumped on to open. It’s a game my 4- and 6-year-old love to play, and so do I.

“World of Goo,” $3 on iOS and $5 on Android, also incorporates the idea of gravity as part of the game. But in this game you also have to understand the mechanics of how gooey balls stick together like living elastic.

— The New York Times News Service

Games played by using Newton’s laws of motion

A fitness watch, smart bulbs and a self-watering flower pot

MOLLY WOOD

AT the International CES, tens of thousands of gadgets from thousands of manufac-

turers are on display. And yet, each year, a few rise to the surface.

At CES 2015, some were startling, like Sharp’s Beyond 4K television, which borders on exceptional 8K (ulta high-defi nition) resolution. Some were laughable yet intriguing, like Belty, a so-called smart belt that

automatically expands and con-tracts itself as your waist requires. A few others stuck out.

Withings Activité PopAs we await the arrival of the Apple Watch, manufacturers are rushing to refi ne their smartwatches and activity trackers. The French elec-tronics maker Withings released a new smartwatch called the Activité Pop that grabbed attention for its looks, simple features, waterproof design and astounding eight-month battery life. (It runs on a traditional watch cell battery.) It also has an ap-pealing price: just $150.

Withings also makes a premium model activity-tracking watch, the original Activité, which costs $450 and is a Swiss-made timepiece with high-end components. It’s lovely, but too expensive for many consumers.

The Pop, Withings said, is meant

to be a more mass-market tracker, and although it does nothing more than track your daily movements (via a small dial on the watch face that runs from 0 to 100), the com-pany said it believed activity was a fundamental component of health. After wearing the Pop for a few days, I found it lightweight and comfort-able as well as attractive as a time-piece, and I appreciated the at-a-glance activity updates.

The accompanying app is fairly bare bones, although it can syn-chronise with MyFitness Pal if you count your own calories. If you own a whole suite of Withings products, like its smart scale and blood pres-sure monitor, you could build a more complete picture of your health. But if you want a nice-looking, inex-pensive and waterproof watch that gently motivates you to move a little more, the Pop does the job.

Misfi t BoltA company better known for its wearable technology jumped on the smart home trend at CES, introduc-ing a smart light bulb. Misfi t makes the Shine activity tracker as well as the Beddit sleep tracking pad, which I recently reviewed.

And while many companies sketched a vision of a smart home that could be controlled or moni-tored using a smartwatch or other mobile device, Misfi t brought more of the pieces together with the Bolt, a Wi-Fi-connected, colour-chang-ing light bulb.

The Bolt is a competitor to the Philips Hue connected bulb system, but far cheaper at $50 a bulb or $130 for three. It doesn’t require you to plug in a hub for wireless control. The Philips Hue three-pack is $200 and includes a hub.

Connected bulbs let you control

their colours — depending on your mood — using smartphone apps. And Misfi t said the Bolt could work with the Shine, Flash tracker and Beddit sleep sensing pad to wake you up gently, with a “sunrise simu-lation” during a light sleep stage.

It would seem that, after smart TVs and connected thermostats, light bulbs are an increasingly popu-lar connected home gadget. Qual-comm also announced what it called easy-to-use blueprints so any com-pany can create Internet-connected LED bulbs.

Parrot PotFile this under laughable at fi rst, but brilliant on second notice.

The obviously named Pot, by the French electronics maker better known for its drones (among other devices) is a Bluetooth-connected fl ower pot that can sense the water

level in a plant, then automatically water it from a reservoir on the side of the pot.

Accompanying appYou use the Pot’s accompanying app to specify what kind of plant you have, so the watering decisions are personalised to the plant, so to speak, and you don’t waste water. It features a two-litre reservoir, which Parrot says can keep a plant watered and healthy for about a month. Par-rot calls the Pot the “most advanced connected plant pot,” a claim I would be hard-pressed to dispute.

Parrot also announced the Flower Power H2O, a sensor and irrigation system that you can put into your own fl ower pots to make them “smart.”

You can attach your own water bottle to the irrigation system and get the same monitoring and water-ing as with the Pot.

With both devices, a free app for Android or iOS will give you advice about your plant care and, if you haven’t attached a water bottle to the H20, the app will let you know if your plants are thirsty or other-wise suff ering. Pricing has not been announced.

Parrot’s booth at the Las Vegas Convention Centre featured an in-teresting combination of drones and a very large garden display, show-ing off the Pot, the Flower Power H20 and a refreshing garden of growing things.

And while the idea of a smart fl ower pot might have seemed triv-ial, the ability to keep plants alive with minimal work and updates about their health is, judging from the crowds around the Pot, tech most people can use.

— The New York Times News Service

At CES 2015, some

were startling, like

Sharp’s Beyond

4K television,

which borders on

exceptional 8K (ulta

high-defi nition)

resolution. Some

were laughable yet

intriguing, like Belty,

a so-called smart belt

that automatically

expands and

contracts itself as

your waist requires

B6 M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UP

Infiniti Q60 Concept: The power to captivate

DETROIT: Ahead of the 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Infi niti raises the curtain on its vi-sion of a premium sports coupe.

The striking Q60 Concept is poised to entice coupe fans with its sharp contours and hand-crafted interior, while at the same time suggesting performance and

power to match. Result: a no-com-promise fusion of looks and speed, says a press release.

The Q60 Concept sits low and wide in a road-hugging stance hinting at exceptional dynamics and driving pleasure.

Fresh conceptWhile the Q60 Concept is fresh and original, it evokes a sense of déjà vu at times with whiff s and traces of the Q80 Inspiration (shown this past October at the Paris Motor Show) evident in its fi nest details.

The audaciously low roofl ine

and quilted leather seats remind one of the elegant full-size Q80 In-spiration, while the aerodynamic gills behind the front wheel arches are inherited from the Q50 Eau Rouge sports sedan concept.

“The Q80 Inspiration was an in-dication of Infi niti’s future design language,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Infi niti Executive Design Director.

“The Q60 Concept is the next step in the journey. The sweep-ing lines of the Q80 Inspiration gave the Q60 Concept its coupe silhouette and looks while the For-mula One-inspired touches from the Q50 Eau Rouge endowed the

coupe with its sports personality,” he added.

The visual excitement in the edgy lines of the concept is set off by the custom 21-inch wheels which take up the entire wheel arch. Inspired by jet turbine blades, the black spokes in a com-bination of mattes and chromes stretch to the edge of the wheel, further emphasising how “plant-ed” the coupe is.

The high-quality ambience in-side speaks of Infi niti’s meticulous attention to detail, clearly evident from the impeccable hand-stitched leather to the precise treatment of the carbon fi bre accents.

Genuine “2+2” coupeInfi niti designers use a variety of leathers on the seats to provide just the perfect balance of comfort and support as befi ts a premium sports coupe. They also make the Q60 Concept a genuine “2+2” coupe by giving rear passengers more legroom through the use of genuine sport seats.

As a foreshadowing of the next generation of Infi niti’s premium sports coupe, the Q60 Concept makes use of taut lines and sports car cues to convey exceptional stance and presence.

The striking Q60

Concept is poised

to entice coupe

fans with its sharp

contours and hand-

crafted interior,

while at the same

time suggesting

performance and

power to match

ISD sprinters fl y to India

MUSCAT: An athletic team comprising seven members from Indian School Darsait (ISD) left for India to participate in the CBSE National Athletic Meet being held at Divine Child School, Mehsana, Gujarat, says a press release.

The team accompanied by Lal A Pillai, head of Co-Scholastic De-partment includes Rafeek T. A. for 200m and 400m, Suhail T. N. for 100m and Jessin Raju for 200m and 400m. The participants for 4x100m relay include Haseen Ah-mad, Sachin Murali, Sooraj Fran-cis, Rafeek T. A. and Suhail T. N. These students had performed ex-ceedingly well in the CBSE Oman Cluster Athletic Meet held at ISM in December 2014.

The participants were blessed abundantly at a ceremony held recently at the senior school au-ditorium. Speaking on the oc-casion, principal Dr Sridevi P. Thashnath, said that the partici-pants were winners in their own sense as they had competed with

the champion athletes from other Indian schools to reach this level. Dr Amsa Parambil, vice presi-dent, SMC and head of the Aca-demic Sub Committee motivated the participants with his inspir-ing words. He said, “Since stu-dents who are good at sports are more dedicated and disciplined, they should try their best to excel in academics too.”

Thampi Raja, the Mentor of the team said that he was extremely delighted to have been part of the athletes’ mentoring programme and wished that they would ex-hibit a sparkling performance to bring laurels to their Alma mater.

Sunil Dutt, the member head-ing the Sports Subcommittee, SMC and Seeniya Biju, Chief Op-erating Offi cer, Al Rafah Hospital, who sponsored the T-shirts for the team were the other dignitar-ies who attended the ceremony.

Radhakrishna Kurup, coordi-nator, Clubs and Events, and a good number of parents were also present on the occasion.

C B S E A T H L E T I C M E E T

Bank Sohar extends support to National Day art exhibitionMUSCAT: As an addition to its National Day celebrations, Bank Sohar sponsored the recently held ‘Art and Tunes Exhibition’ at the Royal Opera House Muscat. The event was organised in order to showcase 44 pieces of art by the talented Omani artist Mazin Al Mamari, in commemoration of the Sultanate’s 44th National Day, says a press release.

The ‘Opera Art Exhibition’ took place at the Opera Galleria, locat-ed at the Royal Opera House Mus-cat, from December 28 to January 2. The event was inaugurated un-der the auspices of Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Rowas, Adviser to His Majesty the Sultan for Cul-tural Aff airs.

Representing the bank at the event was Abdulla Al Mahmoodi, chief manager of Events and Pro-motions, together with several members of the bank’s marketing department.

The inauguration ceremony began with a welcome speech by Mazin Al Mamari, followed by a speech by the guest of honour Al Rowas. Shortly after, guests were treated to some classical Omani tunes played by a group of Omani artistes from across the country.

The guests were then taken on a tour of the exhibition, which had 44 stunning pieces of art by Mazin Al Mamari on display, some of which even had live music play-ing in order to truly bring them to life. The event came to a close with Bank Sohar being honoured as a key sponsor of the event.

Commenting on the sponsor-ship, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, DGM Human Resources and Corporate Support said, “Being an Omani organisation, we col-

lectively share a deep sense of na-tional pride and love for our cul-ture and heritage. Art and culture transcends boundaries created by language and are a true refl ection of a nation’s identity.

“By promoting such exhibitions we are doing our part in giving these talented Omani artists the exposure they deserve by provid-ing them with an excellent plat-form to showcase their talents as well as spread a sense of national-ism that we all hold so dear to our hearts. In doing so we can also of-fer our gratitude to our beloved leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and thank him for his wise and benevolent leadership that has led this country on a 44-year long path of growth and prosperity.”

In addition to the ‘Art and Tunes Exhibition’, the bank also spon-sored two other key events that were held in celebration of the

country’s 44th National Day – the ‘Portrait of a Nation’ art competi-tion and ‘Tawaf Al Khaleej’.

The former was a nation-wide art competition for children aged 6 to 17, off ering cash prizes for the best entries while also off ering the top 44 entrants the opportunity to showcase their art as part of a special collage titled ‘Portrait of a Nation’ for all the public to see and admire. Meanwhile, ‘Tawaf Al Khaleej’ was a GCC-wide bicy-cle tour undertaken by renowned Omani cyclist Khalid Al Shabibi.

The tour saw Al Shabibi visit each of the GCC Nations along-side an exhibition that showcased pictures of His Majesty the Sultan along with videos of his speech-es and tours within and outside Oman. These sponsorships were in addition to the banks own in-ternal staff celebrations that took place on November 18, 2014.

‘ A R T A N D T U N E S ’

Pizza Hut launches all-new Cheesy Garlic Twist PizzaMUSCAT: The beginning of a new year is a time to celebrate with loved ones, and Pizza Hut makes family time more special with a terrifi c new launch — the Cheesy Garlic Twist pizza.

Made with a unique ‘twisted’ crust stuff ed with garlic-infused mozzarella cheese, Parmesan and melting garlic butter, and loaded with your favourite toppings in the middle, Cheesy Garlic Twist is a fi nger-licking work of art by the masters of pizza-making. The new variety is available at all Piz-za Hut outlets in Oman, and will be off ered in two sizes: medium and large, says a press release.

The Pizza Hut brand today is about ‘pizzas and much more’. Besides its signature pizzas, Pizza Hut off ers pastas, starters, salads, fl atbreads, lasagne, mocktails, desserts and more.

However, the stuff ed crust range remains one of its biggest success stories since 1995.

In 2013, Pizza Hut Oman launched the trio of Crunchy, Spicy and Volcano Stuff ed Crust pizzas. This year, diners were intrigued when the brand an-nounced its spiciest pizza ever — the Cheesy Jalapeño Stuff ed Crust Pizza. And now, Pizza Hut has launched a dish with a twist — literally. The Cheesy Garlic Twist has a crust fi lled with gar-lic-fl avoured mozzarella cheese and brushed to perfection with extra garlic butter and Parmesan sprinkle. It combines the delicious pungency of garlic with soft bread, a thick, melted cheese fi lling and your desired pizza toppings.

“We love surprising our guests with whacky and innovative — but also delicious and wholesome —

dishes that enhance their dining experience. It’s all about taking diff erent elements and playing with fl avours until we have a win-ner. And that’s exactly what we’ve got with the Cheesy Garlic Twist Pizza,” said, Vivek Pande, CEO, Khimji Ramdas Lifestyle Group.

“Today, Pizza Hut as a brand is about much more than piz-zas. However, given our enviable reputation for stuff ed crust piz-zas, our guests have huge expec-

tations from us. Therefore, we try to anticipate how best we can give them products that strike a chord deep within. It’s a philoso-phy built around original ideas, great taste, amazing value and an enjoyable time with your loved ones,” said Anil Khimji, director, Khimji Ramdas.

The Cheesy Garlic Twist Pizza is available at all Pizza Hut Oman outlets on dine-in, delivery and take-away.

N E W F L A V O U R

Mazda Oman hands over Mazda2 cars to 14 football clubsMUSCAT: The top 14 teams in the country will compete for the Maz-da Professional Cup and the fi nal match will be played on January 29. Mazda Oman has always linked itself closely with the game and supported it across various levels, says a press release.

“Mazda Oman is committed to supporting football, the games that excites and unites the nation. As proud partners of Oman Football Association and as owners of Maz-da Professional Cup, we will make every eff ort to promote this game across all levels, in the interest of our customers and in the interest of our country. One such step is to hand over Mazda2 cars to the 14 football teams that will be playing in the upcoming Mazda Profes-sional Cup competition. We hope this will help in the smooth and ef-fi cient transportation of teams and offi cials in the matches,” a senior spokesperson of Towell Auto Cen-

tre (TAC) comments. “Our support to football is large-

ly conditioned by our belief in de-fying conventions. Conventions everyone follow, only those who defy it make a mark. We feel our sportspersons have fought against

all odds and conventions to make Oman a great footballing nation. We salute them and their spirit. By providing cars to the clubs, we want to make sure that the teams travel safely, in style and comfort,” the TAC spokesperson added.

S U P P O R T

As proud partners of Oman Football Association and as

owners of Mazda Professional Cup, we will make every

effort to promote this game across all levels, in the interest

of our customers and in the interest of our country

Towell Auto Centre spokesperson

We love surprising our guests with whacky and

innovative — but also delicious and wholesome —

dishes that enhance their dining experience

Vivek Pande, CEO, Khimji Ramdas Lifestyle Group

B7M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

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QUOTES

You may only succeed if you desire succeeding; you may only fail if you do not mind failing. — Philippos

Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. — Pablo Picasso

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. — Maya Angelou

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. — Bill Gates

RECRUIT

All-new Lexus unveils LF-C2 concept

LOS ANGELES: If you ever won-dered how serious Lexus is about making cars that are much beyond just exceptional, take a look at their latest concept, the LF-C2.

Approach it and the grille will draw your attention fi rst. Pass that and you’ll still spend a lot of time in amazement.

The result would most likely be, you end up making a wish to own

that someday, says a press release. The latest Lexus LF-C2 road-

ster, unveiled a few days ago at the Los Angeles auto show, was infl uenced by the way various surface shapes interact with dif-ferent types of light. Designers cre-ated edges, planes and curvature in ways that allow the LF-C2 to exude a diff erent character when seen from diff erent angles—and under

diff erent lighting conditions.

Multi-layer paint processThat brilliant, golden yellow is produced by a multi-layer paint process. The fi rst coat is a primer,

followed by silver, a clear coat and then a yellow that refl ects off the silver to deliver a brilliant lustre. A fi nal top coat is then applied.

“We’ve been instinctively drawn to and inspired by those things

that capture the beauty of light,” said Yasuo Kajino, Chief Designer LF-C2, Lexus Design Division.

Highly styled layoutThe LF-C2 concept involves a highly styled 2+2 layout and is derived from a pure and simple sports coupe idea. Its open-air design allows the driver and pas-sengers to feel the wind through their hair at all times—there is no top covering the cabin. Inside, the LF-C2’s interior designers opted to instal a balanced atmosphere of power and simplicity that harmo-nises with our primary senses.

The dashboard design is de-signed for functional simplicity with an attractive-yet-straightfor-ward instrument cluster, a cen-tral video monitor controlled by a Remote Touchpad on the centre console, and a classically styled

analogue clock placed between the central air vents.

The thick leather-wrapped steering wheel implies that this is a driver’s car, as do the form-fi tting seats. White-and-grey leather sur-faces are soft to the touch while LED lights run along the length of the interior below the windows. The inviting cabin of the LF-C2 blends the open-air excitement that results from an eye-catching roadster with a heavy dose of Lexus luxury.

Lexus is constantly looking to the future, driven by innovation. The process to create a Lexus ve-hicle is unique within the auto-motive industry. Taking inspira-tion from fi elds as diverse as the fashion industry, architecture, the arts and medicine, each vehicle is painstakingly crafted to meet Lex-us’ exacting standards.

The latest Lexus LF-C2 roadster, unveiled a

few days ago at the Los Angeles auto show,

was infl uenced by the way various surface

shapes interact with diff erent types of light

Global Money Exchange opens 30th branch in IbriIBRI: Global Money Exchange Company managed by State Bank of Travancore (SBT), the premier bank in India’s Southern State, Kerala, has accomplished a mile-stone by opening its 30th branch.

K. S. Subromoniyan, Managing Director, Global Money Exchange Company, inaugurated the newest branch in Ibri in the presence of V. G. Rajeev, General Manager, com-pany offi cials and several other dignitaries and customers, says a press release.

‘‘Opening of the 30th branch marks a major milestone in the his-tory of our 12 years of operations as it is a testament towards our commitment to the citizens and residents across the country. Ex-pansion of our business indicates that we are increasingly strength-ening our goodwill year-after-year. As far as our relationship with the customers is concerned, our business has been recording sub-stantial growth since 2002, exem-plifying our excellent relationship with the customers. Today, Global Money Exchange is a household name, as we continue to maintain our motto of value addition and customer-satisfaction,’’ said Sub-romoniyan.

Global Money Exchange is prin-cipally engaged in the business of remittance services to diff erent countries through speed remit-tance facilities directly to the ben-

efi ciary’s bank account, issue of demand drafts, instant transfer of cash, buying and selling of foreign currencies etc.

Ibri branch will function seven days a week. Global Money Ex-change ensures safer and speedier remittances, supported by the management and well-experi-enced staff members. The com-pany has been off ering remittance facilities to various countries, including India, Bangladesh, Phil-ippines and Pakistan. Services, including Western Union, Trans-

Fast and Express Money, are also off ered at Global Money Exchange branches, ensuring the best, very competitive exchange rates and free SMS confi rmation.

Recently, Global Money Ex-change has entered into arrange-ments with Himalayan Bank for Nepal Remittance, Commercial Bank for Sri Lanka and Ez Remit for instant cash remittances to various corridors.

Moreover, its branches are au-thorised for exchange of all major foreign currencies.

E X P A N S I O N

MILESTONE: K. S. Subromoniyan, managing director, Global Mon-

ey Exchange Company, inaugurating its 30th branch. — Supplied photo

FRiENDi partners with BankDhofar

MUSCAT: Responding to the needs of customers and mov-ing proactively to meet their future demands, FRiENDi mo-bile, Oman’s third biggest mobile service provider, has partnered with BankDhofar, one of the re-gion’s leading banks, to extend the convenience of recharging their mobile phones through all E-channels.

FRiENDi mobile’s tie up with BankDhofar means that all Bank-Dhofar E-channels will provide FRiENDi customers with the possibility to recharge their pre-paid accounts wherever they are and whenever they want, says a press release.

“Constantly giving customers that extra level of convenience is something that FRiENDi mobile always strives to achieve. Our new partnership with BankDho-far will provide our customers with additional options and larg-er network to recharge their pre-paid accounts,” said Martin Glud, CEO, FRiENDi mobile.

“By partnering with industry-leading enterprises such as Bank-Dhofar, we will be able to better serve our customers as we build our brand and increase the scope and scale of our services across the country and the online chan-nels,” he added.

FRiENDi mobile customers can now recharge their accounts or recharge on behalf of their friends and family members through BankDhofar’s online channels (including the mobile

application) and will soon be able to recharge at BankDhofar CDM machines.

All transactions will be com-pleted in real-time, and custom-ers will receive an SMS confi rm-

ing their recharge. FRiENDi mobile was launched

in April 2009 and off ers a great prepaid mobile experience that combines exciting off ers and ser-vices with competitive prices.

C U S T O M E R C A R E

Constantly giving customers that extra level of

convenience is something that FRiENDi always strives

to achieve. Our new partnership with BankDhofar will

provide our customers with additional options and

larger network to recharge their prepaid accounts

Martin GludCEO, FRiENDi mobile

B8

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An outstanding year for Ooredoo

MUSCAT: Ooredoo has refl ected on its relations with the pub-lic and private sectors and have proclaimed 2014 an outstanding success through the creation of a healthy, collaborative environ-ment which facilitates the ex-change and sharing of best prac-tices and experiences.

The culmination of those ef-forts came through the signing and completion of 17 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) between Ooredoo and a group of ministries and government entities on the ba-sis of mutual interests.

These MoU’s mean that Oore-doo will continue to play an ac-tive role within the ministries and their partners through the delivery

of market leading telecoms servic-es, says a press release.

“2014 saw us reach new heights on all levels of operations as the government relations directorate worked to develop and implement the 17 agreements. These collabo-rations are as a result of Ooredoo’s ability to understand and deliver upon the requirements of a de-manding set of customers and al-lows us to provide a wide range of cutting edge products and services that meet the ever-changing de-mands of the fast-paced telecom-munications industry,” said Raed bin Mohammed Dawood, director of Government Relations and Cor-porate Aff airs at Ooredoo.

“We are looking forward to 2015 and signing new agreements which will further reinforce our public and private sector relations and bring best-in-class telecom-

munication services, technology and expertise to local communi-ties across Oman,” he added.

The agreements and MoUs signed during 2014 covered a wide range of activities and events. Ooredoo worked with the Minis-try of Civil Service on the develop-ment of several training programs and workshops, while also work-ing with the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Aff airs and the Ministry of Social Development on pro-grammes such as ‘Istiqrar’. Other agreements included the Public Authority for Craft Industries (PACI), the Oman Establishment for Press, Publishing and Adver-tising (OEPPA), and the General Union of Workers of the Sultanate of Oman. Ooredoo also showcased its support to Small and Medium Enterprises through signing with the National Business Centre, part of the Public Establishment for In-dustrial Estates (PEIE) to sponsor the ‘Reyooq’ programme.

On a community level, Ooredoo signed MoUs with the Ministry of Health, the Public Authority for Consumer Protection, the Direc-torate General of Awqaf and Bait Al Mal Funds Development, the National Committee for Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, and Oman Charitable Organisation to support them spread awareness on their causes through nation-wide text messages.

The leading telecom

services company

achieved exceptional

results in enhancing

public and private

sector relations

during 2014

Suhail Bahwan Group unveils revamped corporate websiteMUSCAT: Suhail Bahwan Group Holding, one of the largest private corporate entities in the Sultan-ate of Oman, has unveiled its fully revamped website www.suhail-bahwangroup.com.

Sporting a refreshingly new look and feel, the new corporate website has been designed incor-porating the group’s branding, with a modern outlook while em-bedding its heritage and history, says a press release.

With its easy-to-navigate fea-tures the website takes the visitor on a visual and informative jour-ney of its corporate profi le, busi-ness divisions as well as media and career sections.

The Corporate Profi le features the group’s rich heritage and his-tory tracing its sea faring tradi-tion and its enterprising nature that saw the group growing from small trading house to a diver-sifi ed corporate entity with its businesses covering almost every aspect of our life.

Developed in-houseThe Business Divisions section has been divided into seven ver-ticals, i.e., Lifestyle, Engineering and Infrastructure, Energy and Power, IT and Telecom, Health-care, Fertilisers and Chemicals and, Logistics, giving the visitor an overview of the diversifi ed na-ture of the group. The website was conceptualised, designed and de-veloped completely in-house.

N E W L O O K

Bank Muscat set to lead business delegation to MaltaMUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the fl ag-ship fi nancial services provider in the Sultanate, in pursuance of the private sector role in the economic development of Oman, is leading a business delegation to Malta to explore investment and trade op-portunities between the two coun-tries. The delegation led by Abdul-Razak Ali Issa, Chief Executive, will visit the Mediterranean island nation connecting Europe with African markets from January 12 to 15, says a press release.

Oman and Malta enjoy growing trade relations. Malta is a strate-gically located off shore fi nancial centre with world class facilities in ports, logistics and education. During the visit, the delegation comprising representatives from key sectors will meet the Prime Minister of Malta, the Governor of the Central Bank of Malta and high-level offi cials of Malta Free-port, Malta Financial Services Authority, Fimbank and Grand Harbour Regeneration Corpora-tion. Based on the fi ndings of the delegation, possible avenues for investment and trade will be iden-tifi ed and an appropriate strategy formulated for initiating potential trade and business relations be-tween Oman and Malta.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa said: “Oman is a forward looking nation that is proud of its friendly relations with countries across the world. Given the structural shift in the way how

international trade and invest-ment works due to globalisation, Oman seeks to explore new oppor-tunities for mutual economic ben-efi ts and strengthening of friendly ties. Bank Muscat looks forward to embarking on a new frontier of mutually benefi cial associa-tion with counterparts in Malta, thereby contributing to strength-ening of relations between Oman and Malta.”

Bank Muscat is very active in trade fi nance and fi nancial in-stitution (FI) business, with FI risk appetite covering prominent countries in Asia as well as parts of Africa. Bank Muscat is among few GCC based banks in a position to provide customers and coun-terparts pan-GCC coverage. With direct and indirect presence in all the GCC states, Bank Muscat is uniquely positioned to serve their requirements in the GCC region.

E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T

Education Interaction Meet to showcase ‘best of India’ MUSCAT: The two-day Indian Education Interaction Meet 2015 being held at Hotel Haff a House today and tomorrow is a one-stop information event for learning about the variety of pro-fessional and vocational courses that NRI and other students can pursue in reputed institutions of higher learning.

Students, along with their par-ents will get an opportunity to personally interact with college administrators and professors, to know about the variety of educa-tional programmes available in India, says a press release.

The interaction meet displays attractive options available to NRI and other students from Muscat and beyond to obtain un-dergraduate and post-graduate degrees in various disciplines, including medicine, engineer-ing, business management, mar-keting and communications, arts and science, hospitality & hotel management and Allied Health Sciences.

This event will have nearly 15 leading and highly reputed In-dian institutions with more than 75 institutions under them of-fering nearly 200 and above pro-grammes. Few of the leading insti-tutions are Anna University, SRM University, Thapar University, NITTE University, Hindustan University, Datta Meghe Medi-cal Science University, D.Y Patil University, KJ Somaiya Group of

Institutions, Vishwakarma Insti-tute of Technology, M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Jain International School and many more. All the participating institutes are recognised by the AICTE, UGC and respective gov-ernment bodies in India.

The participating institutes include international schools, universities, deemed universities, engineering colleges, medical col-leges, MBA and management, B-schools, distance education, phar-macy & nursing, bio informatics, information technology, colleges off ering higher education in arts & science, hotel management & catering technology, post gradua-tion & research, diploma studies, international schools, unique and specialised programmes.

Courses off ered by the par-ticipating institutes include BE, ME, B.Tech, M. Tech, MCA, BCA, B.Arch, BBA, BBM, MBA, MFA,

MIB, PGDM, B.Com, M.Com, B.A, B.Sc, M.Sc, MA, B.Ed, M.Ed, D.Ed, Diploma in Engg, PG Diploma, D.Pharm, B.Pharm, M.Pharm, MBBS, MS, MD, BDS, BPT, MPT, BHMS, Nursing, GNM, Para-medical, BAMS, MCM, MFC, LLB, LLM, P.G. Diploma in Medi-cine and Law, ANM, Hotel Man-agement & Catering Technology, Ph.D, Pre Univesity Programmes, International Boarding Schools, Bank Management, Marketing Management, Accounting and Finanace, BS (Biotechnology, Computer Science, Information Technology.) M.Phil (Library and Information Science, Edu-cation), D.F.A (Film Acting), PG Diploma (Journalism), B.Design, M.Arch, BASLP, B.Sc. Medical Laboratory Technology, B.Sc. Medical Record Science, B.Sc. Optometry, BOT, MOT, MPH, MBA-MPH (dual degree), M.Sc in Human Anatomy, Human

Physiology, Medical Biochem-istry, Medical Microbiology, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Optometry, Medical Laboratory Technology, Medical Record Science, Opthalmic Technology, Blood Bank Technology, Health Inspector, Aeronautical Engi-neering, Aerospace Engineering, Avionics, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, M.E. Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning, Aviation Management, Media & Enter-tainment, Flight Radio Teleph-ony Operators Licence, Private Pilot Licence (PPL), Commercial Pilot Licence, Nautical Science, Higher National Diploma in Nau-tical Studies, Marine Engineer-ing and much more.

Documents required for pro-visional admission include: Ad-mission request form, HSSC/XII Marks Sheet / ‘A’ Level or equiv-alent certifi cate examination passed / appeared with respective subjects, SSC/X marks sheet / ‘O’ level certifi cate or equivalent cer-tifi cate, school / college leaving / transfer certifi cate, migration certifi cate, nationality certifi cate / citizenship certifi cate, visa (ei-ther working / business) of NRI / guardian of NRI, employer certifi -cate or salary certifi cate of NRI, passport copy of NRI / guard-ian of NRI, affi davit of guardian of NRI (original), affi davit of parents of NRI if guardian is appointed (original) and transcripts, if any (applicable for foreign students).

O N E - S T O P I N F O R M A T I O N E V E N T

Students, along with their parents will get an

opportunity to personally interact with college

administrators and professors to know about the

variety of educational programmes available

in India during the two-day education meet

Sporting a refreshingly new look and feel, the new

corporate website has been designed incorporating

the group’s branding, with a modern outlook while

embedding its heritage and history. With its easy-to-

navigate features the website takes the visitor on a visual

and informative journey of its corporate profile, business

divisions as well as media and career sections

Petrogas partners with OWA to help empower womenMUSCAT: In its eff ort to ensure continued wellbeing of the com-munity and as part of its ongo-ing corporate social responsibil-ity programme, Petrogas E&P has extended its support to Omani Women’s Association (OWA), Al Qurum branch.

The funding was extended to support the association’s various activities. The company has pro-vided the association with several essential commodities that will help women be self-reliant, says a press release.

The Omani Women’s Associa-tion is a social and cultural organi-sation aimed at advancing Omani women in all social and cultural fronts. In coordination with mul-tiple government organisations, the association strives to empower Omani women to enter social vol-untary work and to advocate cul-

tural, social and health awareness. The goal is to improve the eco-nomic and social standing of the family and to train women to lo-cate and earn sustainable sources of income.

“Omani women have always played an integral role in the de-velopment and upliftment of the community. The association is non-profi t informal social and support group that facilitates and supports Omani women. We are

glad to be able to off er our support to the association and hope our contribution off ers them a sus-tainable source of income,” said, Iman Al Barwani, CSR & Corpo-rate Communications Manager, Petrogas E&P.

Iman Al Ghafri, president, Om-ani Women’s Association – Al Qu-rum branch expressed her grati-tude to Petrogas E&P for making such a generous contribution.

“Our organisation works to improve women’s social and eco-nomic opportunities and enhance their rights. Extensive in-country network and years of experience give us credibility and the neces-sary tools to complete our pro-jects. This generous support that we have received from Petrogas E&P will add to our cause. We look forward to partnering with them in the future as well,” she said.

S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

Mega musical night on January 16

MUSCAT: As part of New Year 2015 celebration and Sankranti Festival, Indian Social Club (ISC) Karnataka Wing is all set to pre-sent a mega musical and comedy event ‘Retro to Metro - unplugged with RJ Mayur’ on Friday, Janu-ary 16 at Al Bustan Palace. The event is sponsored by the an-nual sponsor Bank Muscat, says a press release.

Speaking about the event, S. D. T. Prasad, Convener of ISC Kar-nataka Wing, said, “A promise is a promise; we made a promise to all our Karnataka Wing mem-bers that we will give quality pro-grammes and continuous cultural activities throughout a year.

“The committee has made a big eff ort and has conducted eight programmes in the last six months and we are back again with a mega event. Many of our sponsors and most of the mem-bers have appreciated the wing activities.”

He thanked all wing members for their continuous support for each activity.

One part will feature an un-plugged music show with one of Bangalore’s most popular radio jockeys Mayur from 92.7 Big FM.

The idea based on a very popu-lar radio show hosted by Mayur in Bangalore, ‘Unplugged with Mayur’, will bring out the best music from Kannada fi lm indus-try. In the history of Muscat Kar-nataka Wing, for the fi rst time the wing is inviting Dr Shiva Ra-jkumar, Geetha Shivaraj Kumar and Guru Datt as chief guests for the programme.

Dr Shiva Rajkumar is an Indian fi lm actor, producer, playback singer, philanthropist and televi-sion presenter best known for his work in Kannada cinema. He was conferred honorary doctorate by Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevar-aya University. Geetha Shiva Ra-jkumar who is the daughter of ex

CM Bangarappa’s will be accom-panying Dr Shiva Rajkumar.

Guru Dutt is an Indian actor and director primarily concen-trating on Kannada and Tamil feature fi lms. He debuted along with Shiva Rajkumar in the 1986 blockbuster Anand. Other part of the concert will see Sihi-Kahi Chandru making the audience roll with laughter who will be pre-senting a stand-up comedy show. This 45 minute stand-up com-edy show is going to be a grand hit with the Kannadigas of Oman. Known for his uncanny wit and on the spot creativity, Chandru needs no introduction to the Kan-nada speaking folks. Again for the fi rst time ISC-KW will be pro-viding platform to a local young Omani singer Haitham Rafi and team and he will be singing a Kan-nada song; such initiative will always strengthen the process of centuries-old cultural exchange between India and Oman.

C E L E B R A T I O N

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SECTIONC M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 55

MCCULLUM, ANDERSON SET UP WIN FOR KIWISA cracking half-century by Brendon McCullum set New Zealand up for a comfortable three-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their fi rst One-day International in Christchurch on Sunday. >C3

UAE steamroll Gulf champions

CANBERRA: The United Arab Emirates gladly made the most of a woeful performance from Qatari goalkeeper Qasem Burhan to rout the Gulf Cup winners 4-1 in their Asian Cup opener on Sunday.

The experienced custodian was at fault for two of the UAE’s goals and will have felt he could have done better with the third as the UAE stormed back from a goal down to open Group C with three well-deserved points.

Striker Ahmed Khalil pounced with two goals and Ali Ahmed Ma-bkhout also added a brace as they cancelled out Khalfan Ibrahim’s neat opening strike for Qatar.

The match had been billed as the battle of two of Asia’s fi nest playmakers but both had their dis-appointments, with Omar Abdul-rahman having a quiet game and Khalfan being replaced with 30 minutes to go after fading follow-ing a bright initial burst.

Khalfan, the 2006 Asian Player of the Year, showed his class in the 22nd minute by chipping a lob over the backtracking Majed Naser into the net after the Emirati goalkeep-er had come out to block an eff ort from striker Mohammed Muntari.

The goal came against the run of play but they could have had a

second shortly after when a mazy Khalfan dribble set up fullback Ab-delkarim Hassan, but his low pow-erful shot found the side netting.

The defender was part of a comical defensive eff ort that led to the UAE equaliser, with Qatar bumbling a number of mistimed clearances and Qasem fumbling to allow Khalil to equalise in the 36th minute.

The striker in the right place to use his tummy to defl ect in from close range after his initial header was fi red back at him from Ibra-him Majed’s goalline clearance.

Khalil bagged a second seven minutes after the halftime inter-val when he fi red a free kick from the corner of the penalty area to the far post. Senegal-born Qasem appeared unsighted by a fl urry of defenders in front of him but the Qatari stopper should have been able to get a hand to the eff ort from an acute angle.

Qasem, named goalkeeper of the tournament when Qatar won

the Gulf Cup last month, had no excuses for the UAE’s third some four minutes later when he fum-bled with Khamis Esmaeel’s tame free kick straight back in front of goal with Ali Ahmed Mabkhout smashing home.

Mabkhout added a fourth on the break with a minute remaining, fi ring in at the near post past a bro-ken Qasem to complete the rout.

UAE will next play Bahrain in Canberra on Thursday, while Qa-tar head to Sydney to take on Iran the same day.

Years of labourUnited Arab Emirates coach Mah-di Ali said on Sunday that his side were fi nally seeing the fruits of years of labour.

UAE got their quest for Asian Cup glory off to a sensational start in Can-berra thanks to braces from Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout, and a standout performance from silky midfi elder Omar Abdulrahman.

UAE have been knocked out of

the Asian Cup at the group stage in the last three tournaments and failed to score during the 2011 edi-tion in Qatar.

But Ali insisted that the time was now right for his players to succeed after almost a decade of working with them.

“I have been with this group a long time, maybe around nine years,” Ali said.

“More than 16 of them have worked with me since 2004 when I was an assistant coach and then since 2008 as head coach.

“We’ve grown together, we help each other a lot, we know each oth-er, we understand each other and this is what I need to do my job.”

Ali singled out man of the match Khalil as an example of what can happen when coach and player

work together for a number of years. “I have been working with Ahmed since 1998, since he was eight years old,” Ali said of on on Sunday’s man of the match.

“He always plays well in big events and in the most important games, he always makes a diff er-ence for the team.”

But Ali insisted his squad wouldn’t get carried away after their opening Group C win against their Gulf rivals.

“We always think about how we can improve because we defi ne success better than yesterday and today we played a good game but we have to work hard.

“There are many things we have to work harder at so we can go far ahead in this competition.”

Belmadi unhappyQatar coach Djamel Belmadi was left fuming by his side’s numer-ous costly errors as their campaign begun with a dismal defeat. Goal-keeper Qasem Burhan, who was

Belmadi’s star turn in last month’s Gulf Cup triumph, had a particu-larly diffi cult day. His errors result-ed in three of the UAE’s four goals, with Ahmed Khalil and Ali Ahmed Mabkhout grabbing two each.

“There were no positives to take from this game. They were better than us, showed more quality and more creativity,” the Algerian told reporters in Canberra.

“If we analyse goal by goal there were a lot of individual mistakes for their equaliser and in the sec-ond half it was two free-kicks for them that made the diff erence. After that it was really diffi cult to come back in the game against good opponents.

“I tried to help us come back into the game with some changes but we didn’t do enough and it was too late to equalise. Our players were focused and prepared for this game, so we cannot say our defeat was due to a lack of preparation or focus, we will have to search for the reason for this loss.” — Agencies

UAE striker Ahmed

Khalil pounced with

two goals and Ali

Ahmed Mabkhout

also added a brace

as they cancelled out

Khalfan Ibrahim’s

neat opening

strike for Qatar

WOEFUL SHOW: Qatar’s most experienced goalkeeper Qasem Bruhan, right, had his worst day on fi eld as United Arab Emirates had a fi eld

day after conceding an early goal. – Times of Oman / CIO DATAN



Le Guen promises full-blooded eff ortSYDNEY: Oman coach Paul Le Guen warned Australia his side will fi ght for everything, according to his comments posted by beIn Sports website.

The Omanis face a crucial clash against Australia in Sydney follow-ing their narrow 1-0 defeat to South Korea in Canberra on Saturday. While they will have one less day than the Socceroos to prepare for the match, Le Guen has promised a full-blooded eff ort from his side.

“They ran a lot of on the pitch [against South Korea on Saturday]. I have to take that into consid-eration,” Le Guen said. “I am con-vinced we will fi ght. We have one day less recovery … it will be tough for many reasons but we will fi ght.”

Skipper and goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, who was solid in the loss to South Korea, knows how tough it will be for his team to get a positive result, with a big home crowd to get behind the Socceroos.

“That will be harder than (the South Korea) game,” Al Habsi said of facing Australia. “They are at home and the fi rst time they are hosting the AFC Asian Cup so we’ll face a really quality team.”

Despite being on the back foot for much of the contest against South Korea, Oman’s defence held strong which could pose a prob-lem for Australia in what could be heavy conditions in Sydney due to the expected rain.

Asked about his side’s perfor-mance against the highly-fancied South Koreans, Le Guen said: “I am disappointed because we were so close and we had chances, clear chances and against such a team.

“It proves we are on the right way, we are improving by it is not enough.” Oman can at least draw some confi dence from their last clash against the Socceroos in Sydney, a 2-2 draw in a World Cup qualifi er in 2013.

Jedinak outMeanwhile accoring to an AFP re-port, Australia captain Mile Jedi-nak will miss his country’s clash with Oman after injuring an ankle

during the 4-1 win over Kuwait, the team said on Sunday. The Crys-tal Palace midfi elder twisted his left ankle in the fi rst half of Friday’s opening game, although he played on, and was seen wearing a protec-tive moonboot brace as he departed Melbourne the following day.

The loss of their talismanic skip-per is a blow to Australia ahead of Tuesday’s match in Sydney as the tournament hosts seek to qualify

from Group A, but coach Ange Postecoglou said the Socceroos could cope with the loss.

“We’ve decided to rule Mile out of the Oman game after he copped an ankle injury against Kuwait,” Postecoglou said in a statement.

“He’s not quite right to play, and at this stage of the tournament we are better to give it a few days’ extra rest and we will reassess where he’s at for the game against Korea Republic.”

While Australia should be able to cope without Jedinak against Oman, who were beaten 1-0 by fel-low title contenders South Korea on Saturday, Postecoglou will be anxious to have his grizzled skip-per back for the tougher challeng-es ahead. “While it is not ideal for Mile to miss the game I’m confi -dent we have the players and depth to be able to cover for not having him out there,” said the coach.

“We worked hard on increasing our depth over the last six months leading into the Asian Cup and that has us in a good position to be able to cover for the loss of a player of Mile’s calibre.”

Centre-back Trent Sainsbury also expressed confi dence the green and gold had enough cover to adapt. “We’ve got enough depth in the squad to still keep moving forward,” he said. “Mile will be a big miss, but at the same time his leadership skills don’t just end on the pitch.”

Sainsbury praised his skipper for battling on after rolling his ankle. “It just shows how tough he is, playing on for the rest of the game with an ankle that looked like it had buckled sideways,” he added, with Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano the leading candidates to take over the captain’s armband.

Postecoglou has shown he is not afraid to tinker with his lineup and he could be tempted to rotate players to manage the demands of playing three games in nine days.

“The whole team will get used at some point,” said striker Nathan Burns, who looked sharp com-ing off the bench against Kuwait, twice going close to scoring. “It’s important that all the players that didn’t play in the last game should be ready. “We need the whole squad to win this tournament. Eve-ryone knows that and we’ve all got our part to play.” — Agencies

A S I A N C U P 2 0 1 5

We have one day less recovery … it will be

tough for many reasons but we will fight

Paul Le GuenOman coach


ARTICLE, VIDEOW W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M

Hajsafi and Shojaei strike in Iran’s winMELBOURNE: Ehsan Hajsafi and Masoud Shojaei each scored volleyed goals to fi re Iran to an emphatic 2-0 win in their Asian Cup opener against Bahrain in Melbourne on Sunday.

Utility player Hajsafi struck a brilliant, blistering volley from outside the area a minute into stoppage time of the fi rst half.

Midfi elder Masoud Shojaei netted a far less elegant shot in the 71st minute that nonetheless sealed the match for Team Melli in front of a boisterous crowd of Iranian fans at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

Bahrain, ranked 122nd in the world and outgunned by Iran’s playmakers, battled hard but will rue the loss of a gilt-edged chance early to midfi elder Sayed Shub-bar who headed a shot over the bar when unmarked in the area.

Hajsafi ’s goal, however, may be among the fi nest of the tourna-ment when it ends with the fi nal on January 31. Controlling a rebound out of goal from a setpiece, the seasoned 24-year-old hammered the ball with his right foot into the top-right corner of the net, raising thunderous cheers from a 17,000 crowd dominated by Irani fans.

Shojaei’s shot was more fortu-nate. Outpositioning his marker to swing a right foot at a corner kick, the inelegant shot dribbled

low and slow, but was enough to beat lunging keeper Sayed Mohammed Abbas. Both sides had their chances early and it appeared the match would be locked at 0-0 at the half until Ha-jsafi ’s wonder strike.

Shubbar ghosted into the area unmarked in the 16th minute to latch onto a superbly weighted ball from Sami Al Husaini but he made an absolute mess of the header, sending it soaring over the cross-bar. The hot chance followed a tougher opportunity in the eighth minute by Nigeria-born striker Jaycee Okwun-wanne who volleyed a poor at-tempt at a clearance but sent the shot wide of the left post.

Iran, the tournament’s top-ranked side, could have made Bah-rain pay four minutes after Shub-bar’s errant header when Shojaei crossed from the left to the dan-gerous Ashkan Dejagah in the area.

The attacking midfi elder had only to beat the keeper but waited too long for his shot and it was well cut off by keeper Abbas.

A well-organised Bahrain de-fence frustrated Iran’s main at-tacking threats but conceded a free kick just outside the box in the 39th minute when Dejagah was brought down in a challenge.

Captain Javad Nekounam blasted the shot over the bar. — AFP

F O O T B A L L

JUBILANT: Iran’s Masoud Shojaei, left, celebrates scoring against

Bahrain with Vouria Ghafouri during their Asian Cup Group C soc-

cer match at the Rectangular stadium in Melbourne. – Reuters

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Jordan eye crucial win against Iraq

BRISBANE: Jordan coach Ray Wilkins believes his team cannot aff ord to lose their AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 opener against Iraq if they are to return to the quarter-fi nals of the tournament.

“We could live with a draw,” Wilkins said at Brisbane Stadium on the eve of Jordan’s fi rst Group D game versus the 2007 champi-ons. “But then we have to score a lot of goals in our remaining games and that will be a big problem for us. Ideally we would like to win, but to not be defeated is important as well.

“In any tournament — and I’ve been fortunate to play in a few of them myself — the fi rst game is of

the utmost importance. Japan are obviously the strongest team in the group but nevertheless, it’s 11 guys against 11 guys so every game will be extremely tough but the fi rst game is very important.”

Fresh challengeThe former Manchester United and Chelsea midfi elder has only been in charge since September and has yet to lead Jordan to a win ahead of the nation’s third Asian Cup appearance. They reached the quarter-fi nals in 2004 and 2011.

Monday’s game will be Jordan’s fi rst competitive match under Wilkins, who seems to have no il-lusions about the task he is facing.

Wilkins’ contract is up at the end of the tournament but the former England international wants to extend the relationship after what will hopefully be a productive Asian Cup.

“I think we’re in a tough group. Every game will be extremely dif-fi cult but we are prepared to start our campaign tomorrow (Mon-day),” he said.

“It’s the pride and the privilege of beating the opposition which counts. I’m not overly concerned because we’ve improved. I’m look-ing forward to the game because it is our fi rst competitive match. I’m sure we’ll get the maximum result from the players.

“We’ve enjoyed the experience. It ends, unfortunately, at the end of this month. We hope it can contin-ue but the only way it can continue is if we’re productive. We’ll keep our fi ngers crossed.

“It’s quite refreshing when you work with these young men be-cause everything you ask of them, they try to put into practice. We have a situation back in England where we have some big, big play-ers and they’re not always as re-sponsive as these guys have been.

“If we don’t go through, it won’t be for a lack of trying. If we do get out of the group, we’re going to be a problem for some teams in the tournament.” — AFC

Monday’s Group D

game will be Jordan’s

fi rst competitive

match under Ray

Wilkins, who seems

to have no illusions

about the task

he is facing

WARMING UP: Iraq’s national team jogs during training session ahead of their Asian Cup Group D soccer match against Jordan at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. – Reuters

Match-fi xing claims continue to haunt Japan’s AguirreNEWCASTLE: Japan coach Javier Aguirre attempted on Sun-day to brush off intrigue into his role in a Spanish match-fi xing inquiry which continues to over-shadow the holder’s Asian Cup defence. Japan begin their cam-paign in Newcastle on Monday against debutants Palestine with a comfortable victory predicted for the Blue Samurai.

With that being the case, the Mexican was asked about being named by Spain’s anti-corruption prosecutor in a probe into Real Zaragoza’s 2-1 win at Levante on the fi nal day of the 2010-11 La Liga campaign where Aguirre’s Zarago-za side won to avoid relegation.

The prosecutor alleged the Le-vante players were paid a total of 965,000 euros to deliberately lose the game. Aguirre has long denied he fi xed a game and didn’t wel-come further questioning.

“I have already held a press con-ference to speak about this a few weeks ago and won’t be answering that question,” he told reporters on Sunday. “I have been at four World Cups, four Gold Cups and three Copa Americas and in each of

those tournaments I have only ever spoken about soccer. That is what I want to do at my fi rst Asian Cup.”

Japan remain favourites to ex-tend their record of Asian titles to fi ve despite a shaky start under Aguirre, who was appointed after the team’s World Cup group stage exit in June.

The former Mexico and Atleti-co Madrid boss, though, remained confi dent his squad would be re-ceptive to his ideas and deliver another title in Sydney come January 31. “Obviously we are the champions and want to defend our title,” the 56-year-old said.

“We have to respect the other 15 teams in the tournament but we have confi dence in ourselves.”

That respect starts with Pales-tine, who are competing among Asia’s best 16 sides for the fi rst time.

Aguirre said his side would not be taking the West Asians lightly even though his squad have admit-ted in the build up to knowing lit-tle about the AFC Challenge Cup winners. “Palestine are here on merit. They are making their fi rst appearance in the tournament, so they are a team that we have to be

wary of,” the Mexican said. “They have big hopes and are

hungry and we have to be aware of their speed on the counter attack.”

Meanwhile, war-torn Palestine will attempt to bridge one of the widest gaps in Asian football.

The team from the Palestinian territories has already made his-tory just by reaching their fi rst Asian Cup, thanks to their AFC Challenge Cup triumph last year.

But they face arguably the toughest assignment of the group stages with a Group D opener against Japan, whose star-stud-ded lineup is targeting a record-extending fi fth Asian Cup title.

It remains to be seen how the Blue Samurai will react to a match-fi xing scandal engulfi ng coach Javier Aguirre, who is set to give evidence in court in Valencia next month following allegations over a match in 2011 when he was man-ager of Spanish club Zaragoza.

“I can tell you clearly that it has had no eff ect on the team,” Ja-pan captain Makoto Hasese told reporters, when asked about the furore. “We all believe in one an-other in this team, all the players

and coaching staff are pulling in the same direction.”

While Japan are Asia’s second-ranked side at 54 in the Fifa rank-ings, Palestine come in 61 places lower at 115, the second-lowest in the tournament and above only Kuwait. If they could somehow produce even a draw in Newcastle — itself a massive ask — it would trigger wild celebrations from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip and provide a small slice of solace in their homeland, devastated by years of war and political turmoil.

Japan, however, will be looking to make a statement after watch-ing hosts Australia open their campaign with a thumping 4-1 victory over Kuwait and midfi eld-er dynamo Keisuke Honda has been putting in extra hours on the training ground fi ne-tuning his trademark free kicks.

Hit with little or no spin, in a similar fashion to Real Madrid su-perstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Hon-da’s technique can bamboozle the world’s best, as he has frequently demonstrated since he shot to fame at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. — Agencies

A S I A N C U P P R E V I E W

Country P W D L F A Pts

Group A

Australia 1 1 0 0 4 1 3

South Korea 1 1 0 0 1 0 3

Oman 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

Kuwait 1 0 0 1 1 4 0

Group B

China 1 1 0 0 1 0 3

Uzbekistan 1 1 0 0 1 0 3

North Korea 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

Saudi Arabia 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

Group C

UAE 1 1 0 0 4 1 3

Iran 1 1 0 0 2 0 3

Bahrain 1 0 0 1 0 2 0

Qatar 1 0 0 1 1 4 0

A S I A N C U P S T A N D I N G S

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McCullum & Anderson sets up victory for New Zealand

CHRISTCHURCH: A crack-ing half-century by Brendon Mc-Cullum set New Zealand up for a comfortable three-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their fi rst One-day International in Christchurch on Sunday. After McCullum’s 51 in 19 balls had provided his side a comfortable target well under four an over as they chased 219, Corey Anderson stepped up with 81 to ensure the job was done.

When Anderson was dismissed New Zealand required a further 10 runs which they achieved with seven overs remaining.

“I thought Corey under pressure really stepped up nicely and got the job done,” New Zealand skip-per McCullum said, adding Ander-son’s catch to remove Sri Lankan

centurion Mahela Jayawardene was also crucial. “That dismissal of Mahela when he was looking to pull the trigger at that stage, to get him with a very good outfi eld catch from Corey allowed us to get some momentum.”

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews believed the target they set New Zealand was 30-40 runs short of what was required. “It wasn’t the easiest wicket to bat on. It was a little bit two-paced. It wasn’t coming on to the bat really well so we had to work really hard,” he said.

“The batters had to hang in there

and try and rotate the strike but we kept losing wickets.”

Sri Lanka, electing to bat fi rst, posted 218-9 on the back of Jay-awardene’s 104 in 107 balls.

It was the 18th ODI century for the 37-year-old, the fi fth highest run-scorer in the history of the shortened game, who was rarely in trouble by the New Zealand attack until caught in a wicket meltdown late in the late innings.

Although Jayawardene received little support in the middle, Sri Lan-ka had reason to believe their mod-est target was defendable when

they removed Martin Guptill on the third ball of New Zealand’s reply.

But for McCullum that was a signal to open up as he blazed away to bring up his 50 in just 19 deliver-ies with six fours and three sixes.

It was the seventh fastest half century of all time, and only two behind the record held by Sri Lank-an Sanath Jayasuriya, who took 17 balls to reach 50 against Pakistan in 1996. Later Tom Latham was stumped on 15 and New Zealand were 101-5 before Anderson and Ronchi put the innings back on course. — AFP

After Brendon

McCullum’s 51 in 19

balls had provided

his side a comfortable

target well under

four an over as they

chased 219, Corey

Anderson stepped up

with 81 to ensure

the job was done

SRI LANKAKarunaratne lbw Milne 5 Dilshan st Ronchi b N. McCullum 19 Sangakkara c Williamson b Milne 4 Jayawardene c Anderson b McClenaghan 104 Mathews run out (B. McCullum/Ronchi) 15 Thirimanne c Williamson b McClenaghan 23 J. Mendis c B. McCullum b McClenaghan 23 T. Perera c Ronchi b McClenaghan 0 N. Kulasekara not out 6 S. Senanayake c Ronchi b Anderson 7 S. Eranga not out 5 Extras (w-7) 7 Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 218 Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Karunaratne), 2-16 (Sangakkara), 3-51 (Dilshan), 4-82 (Mathews), 5-155 (Thirimanne), 6-200 (Mendis), 7-200 (Jayawardene), 8-200 (Perera), 9-213 (Senanayake) Bowling: Boult 10-1-46-0 (4w), Milne 10-1-37-2, McClenaghan 10-1-36-4 (2w), Anderson 10-0-61-1 (1w), N. McCullum 10-1-38-1

NEW ZEALANDGuptill c Dilshan b Kulasekara 0 B. McCullum st Sangakkara b Senanayake 51 K. Williamson c Jayawardene b Senanayake 15 T. Latham st Sangakkara b Dilshan 15 G. Elliott b Kulasekara 1 C. Anderson lbw Dilshan 81 L. Ronchi c Mathews b Eranga 17 N. McCullum not out 25 A. Milne not out 7 Extras (lb-5, w-2, ) 7 Total (7 wkts; 43 overs) 219 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Guptill), 2-63 (B. McCullum), 3-76 (Williamson), 4-77 (Elliott) 5-101 (Latham), 6-149 (Ronchi), 7-209 (Anderson) Bowling: Kulasekara 10-1-43-2 (1w), Eranga 6-0-49-1 (1w), Senanayake 10-0-43-2, Mathews 2-0-17-0, Dilshan 7-0-28-2, Perera 7-0-29-0, Mendis 1-0-5-0 Series: New Zealand 1-0

S C O R E B O A R D

AGGRESSIVE MOOD: New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum lofts a drive as Sri Lanka’s wicket keeper Ku-

mar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene look on. – AFP

Clarke’s fi tness

deadline to

lead Australia

SYDNEY: Selectors named Mi-chael Clarke on Sunday as cap-tain of Australia’s squad for next month’s World Cup, with a fi t-ness contingency should he not be able to play following recent hamstring surgery.

A standby player for Michael Clarke has not been named however Marsh said that if he became unavailable, George Bailey would captain the side in his absence.

Squad: Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Had-din, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson. — AFP

A U S T R A L I A T E A M

Tauqir, 43, to lead UAE at World Cup

DUBAI: Mohammed Tauqir was named as the captain of the United Arab Emirates squad for the World Cup on Saturday with the 43-year-old Dubai native re-placing Pakistan-born Khurram Khan at the helm.

The UAE will be playing at the World Cup for the fi rst time since 1996 and have been drawn in Pool B alongside defending champions India, South Africa, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimba-bwe and Ireland.

Squad: Mohammed Tauqir (capt), Khurram Khan, Swapnil Patil, Saqlain Haider, Amjad Javed, Shaiman Anwar, Amjad Ali, Nasir Aziz, Rohan Mustafa, Manjula Guruge, Andri Berenger, Fahad Al Hashmi, Muhammad Naveed, Kamran Shahzad, Krishna Karate. — AFP

U A E S Q U A D

Darren Bravo, Roach get Windies’ nod

JAMAICA: Highly-rated off spinner Sunil Narine, top order batsman Darren Bravo and fast bowler Kemar Roach were all named in the West Indies World Cup squad on Saturday despite missing out on the current South Africa tour.

Narine was summoned to share spin bowling duties with Suleiman Benn, Bravo was re-called after choosing to sit out the current series for “personal reasons” while Roach has recov-ered from an injury.

Squad: Jason Holder (captain), Mar-lon Samuels, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ram-din, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor. — AFP

W E S T I N D I E S S Q U A D

Du Plessis heroics in vain as West Indies win run-fest JOHANNESBURG: Faf du Plessis blasted the second fast-est century in Twenty20 inter-nationals but it was not enough for South Africa as West Indies produced a record chase in a run-fest to win by four wickets at The Wanderers on Sunday.

The tourists were set 232 for victory and passed that mark with four balls remaining as Chris Gayle bludgeoned 90 from 41 balls to set up their series-clinching win. It is the highest successful run chase in Twen-ty20 international cricket, beat-ing India’s 211 against Sri Lanka in 2009, with 467 runs scored in under 40 overs.

Du Plessis smashed 119 from 56 balls with 11 fours and fi ve sixes to record the highest score by a South African in the shortest format of international cricket, taking his side to 231 for seven

in their 20 overs. He missed the record for the fastest hundred in T20 cricket by a single ball as he took 46 to reach his ton, one more than compatriot Richard Levi against New Zealand in 2012.

The visitors were well on course for the win as Gayle pun-ished the helpless home bowling along with Marlon Samuels (60 from 39 balls) as the pair took the score to 171 for one before the former was out in the 14th over.

That sent the jitters through the West Indies dugout as they lost four quick wickets, but Dar-ren Sammy clubbed 20 from seven balls to carry the tourists to victory as they fi nished on 236 for six from 19.2 overs.

Brief scores: South Africa 231-7 in 20 overs lost to West In-dies 236-6 in 19.2 overs. Series: West Indies lead the three-match series 2-0. — Reuters

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Sizzling Sanad seizes two titles at Oman Rotax Max Challenge

MUSCAT: Oman’s karting sensa-tion Sanad Al Rawahi began the Rotax Max Challenge season with a bang, clinching both the titles on off er in the DD2 category at the Oman Automobile Associa-tion (OAA) karting track, Muscat Speedway, during the weekend.

Driving his new Birel Art kart, Sanad clinched the fi rst round with a fi ne show on Friday and fol-lowed it up with another scintil-lating performance in the second round on Saturday.

In both the events, he got the better of his teammate Oliver George from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The season-opening wins have boosted the youngster’s confi dence ahead of the third and fourth rounds, which will be held along with seventh and eighth rounds of the UAE Rotax Max Challenge, next week.

Sanad was at his aggressive best in the second round on Saturday, and it was in sharp contrast with the cautious approach he adopted on Friday during the fi rst round of the competition.

Starting from the pole, Sanad broke away from the rest and took a comfortable lead before complet-ing the fi rst lap.

The lead widened with each lap, though Oliver tried his best to catch with him. Sanad fi nished 14 laps in 13 minutes and 36.615 sec-onds, a good 6.019 seconds ahead of Oliver.

The fi rst round, however, saw the top two drivers engaged in a close battle for supremacy. Sanad, who started from the pole, made his intentions clear from the word

go and was able to gain a lead of 0.541 seconds in the second lap.

But Oliver was in no mood to throw in the towel. When the con-test reached half-way mark, Sanad had a meagre lead of 0.046seconds, but his expertise to negotiate the curves eventually won him the title.

The Team Birel Art drivers, who used the 2015 model chassis brought from Italy, said the fi rst two rounds gave them a perfect warm-up for next week’s competition.

“I am happy to begin the season on a bright note. We fought well in both the rounds, and it gave us good avenues to test diff erent strategies prior to next week’s races where we have to brush our shoulders with top drivers from the region,” said Sanad.

Oliver George, who is compet-ing in the Muscat Speedway for the second time, said the new kart gave him a promising start.

“The good show in the fi rst two rounds have raised my confi dence

for next week’s tough competi-tion,” he said.

Return of Hamed Al Wahaibi Oman’s seasoned motorsports campaigner Hamed Al Wahaibi too hogged a fair share of the lime-light, as he scorched the track on his DD2 kart. The veteran, who made a comeback to a karting com-petition after a long gap, however, didn’t show any signs of nerves as he stepped up the gas and gave the youngster a tough competition.

He produced his best in the sec-ond round on Saturday, managing a podium fi nish behind Sanad and Oliver. He was at No. 2 position till the second lap. Though he con-ceded the advantage to Oliver in the third lap, he drove aggressively to maintain the No. 3 position, despite his nearest rival, Andrew Fuller, breathed down his neck all the time.

“I am happy to make a podium fi nish on my comeback. I compet-ed not to win titles, but to inspire

Omani youngsters and attract them to motorsports. But I must confess that I enjoyed the compe-tition very much. I hope to contin-ue the momentum in the remain-ing rounds,” he said.

The veteran was in his elements on Friday too. He completed the fi rst round in the third position, but an incident during the race denied him a deserving podium fi nish.

Patrick Hannah was dominant in Senior Max category as he won both two rounds, ahead of Faisal Al Zubair. In the junior category, Tay-mour Kermanshahchi from UAE asserted his supremacy winning both the races pushing Oman’s Khalid Al Wahaibi to second place.

It was not just the experienced drivers, children below four years of age who competed in the Bam-bino category too drew maximum applause on both the days of the competition. Spectators watched with curiosity when tiny tots put on the safety overalls and helmets

and stepped up the gas like sea-soned karting drivers.

After three time trails of 10 minute each, the winners were decided based on the accumulated points. On Friday, an ever-smiling Eamonn Djeridi took the top hon-ours, followed by Ali Al Maskary and Khalid Al Farsi in that order. Djeridi made it a double on Satur-day, fi nishing ahead of Gabriel Pi-azzolla and Khalid Al Farsi.

Round 1 resultsDD2 (14 laps): 1. Sanad Al Rawahi

(13:40.567); 2. Oliver George (13.40.747); 3. Andrew Fuller (14:06.496).

Senior Max (14 laps): 1. Patrick Hannah (14:08.342); 2. Faisal Al Zubair (14:22.717); 3. Muhammad Al Zubair (14:23.246).

Junior Max (12 laps): 1. Taymour Kermanshahchi (13:52.529); 2. Khalid Al Wahaibi (13:56.843); 3. Marcus Lee Marker (14:01.001).

Mini Max (11 laps): 1. Shihab Al Habsi (12:06.480); 2. Annas Al Rawahi (12:33.204).

Micro Max (11 laps): 1. Ziggy Ker-manshahchi (12:53.147); 2. Mohammed Al Habsi (12:54.859); 3. Theo Kekati (12:58.340).

Bambino (after three time trial rounds): 1. Eamonn Djeridi (59 points); 2. Ali Maskary (56 points); 3. Khalid Al Farsi (53 points).

ROUND 2 RESULTSDD2 (14 laps): 1. Sanad Al Rawahi

(13:36.615); 2. Oliver George (13:42.634); 3. Hamed Al Wahaibi (13:48.962).

Senior Max (14 laps): 1. Patrick Hannah (14:13.029); 2. Faisal Al Zubair (14:25.117).

Junior Max (12 laps): 1. Taymour Kermanshahchi (15:18.940); 2. Khalid Al Wahaibi (15:26.895); 3. Marcus Lee Marker (15:27.289).

Micro Max (11 laps): 1. ZiggyKer-manshahchi (11:17.566); 2. Theo Kekati (11:27.430). Mohammed Al Habsi was disqualifi ed for being underweight.

Mini Max (11 laps): 1. Shihab Al Hab-si (10:45.120).

Bambino: 1. EamonnDjeridi; 2. Ga-briel Piazzolla; 3. Khalid Al Farsi.

While Sanad won fi rst

rounds of Rotax Max

Challenge, Oman’s

motorsports legend

Hamed Al Wahaibi

returned to action

and clinched

a podium fi nish

WINNERS ALL: Winners in various categories pose for a group photo after the conclusion of Rotax Max Challenge rounds at Oman Automobile Association. – Supplied photo

ISG TENNIS PLAYERS SHINE AT CBSE NATIONALSThe Indian Schools Al Ghura (ISG) under-19 tennis team, comprising Yashica Jain and

Rupsha Debnath, did their school proud with excellent performances at the recently-

concluded CBSE National Tennis Tournament at Emerald Heights International School

in Indore, India. Yashica Jain clinched the runners-up spot in the mixed doubles. Rupsha

Debnath and Yashica Jain also reached the quarterfi nals of the team event. The principal

and staff congratulated the team members for their remarkable performance in this

tournament. — Supplied photo

Broad questions

sacking of KP

LONDON: England fast bowler Stuart Broad has questioned Kevin Pietersen’s sacking say-ing the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could have dropped the batsman instead of ending his international career.

Pietersen was discarded by ECB in February 2014 after their 0-5 Ashes defeat last year.

“I just think the sacking be-came a media uproar, it just seemed a bit unnecessary when every other player gets dropped for poor form, don’t they,” Broad was quoted as saying by bbc.com on Sunday.

Broad also said the issue could have been handled dif-ferently by the ECB selectors, perhaps telling him to prove his worth in domestic matches.

“If I’d have been there I might have said: ‘Look, that was such a disastrous Australia tour - all the players didn’t perform to an in-ternational standard. You have to go and perform in county cricket at the start of the year to get back in the England team in May’. - IANS

C R I C K E T

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MRFC start Gulf Conference with a win over Doha 2ndsMUSCAT: The Gulf Conference opened in Muscat on Friday with hosts Muscat Rugby Football Club (MRFC) starting with a well deserved 17-14 victory over Doha 2nds. The MRFC were in their new home at the Bausher Club and the venue was the scene of a hard fought victory, a press re-lease from the club said.

The home side had strength-ened their side over the festive break with new players and the return of others from injury.

The Muscat scrum and line out again dominated aff airs in the fi rst half. It looked like a very diff erent side that competed last year. Hard tackling and a rush defence cause havoc in the Doha backline who found it diffi cult to string phases of play together.

Although a stubborn defence from the visitors inside their own 22 and some missed fi nal passes meant that the score was a mere 3-0 at the break. The only score coming from the boot of Karl Ras-

mussen in the 35th minute. The second half began much like the fi rst, with Muscat putting pres-sure on the opposition try line. It fi nally told when Simon Tylor brushed off three tacklers to dive over the line to score on his debut.

From the kick-off Muscat re-turned up the pitch. A long fl at pass from scrum-half Pete Max-ton released Conor Quaid. The blindside fl anker crashed over the line to leave the score line 17-0.

One would have expected the

home side to kick on from there to record a high score but this wasn’t the case. A change to uncontested scrums because of injury to a Doha player gave the visitors a platform to launch a comeback.

Their tactic of the kick and chase fi nally paid off when an awkward bounce allowed the winger to side foot the ball for-ward and touch it down under posts. This was followed by a con-tinued attack from the visitors who crossed the line again with a long pass that cut out the home defence. This was then impres-sively converted.

With eight minutes remain-ing, only three points separated the teams. Muscat reverted a pick and drives to run down the clock. Referee Eugene Deegan from the UAE blew the fi nal whistle and ended the game at 17-14.

Muscat are at home to Exodus Wasps next weekend, a team des-perate for victory after a heavy de-feat to Dubai Exiles.

R U G B Y

The second half began

much like the first,

with Muscat putting

pressure on the

opposition try line

Ton-up Aaqib stars for Muscat CT

MUSCAT: Aaqib Ilyas smashed 109 runs off 59 deliveries as Mus-cat CT defeated Raha CT by nine wickets in a Muscat Pharmacy and Stores-sponsored 50 overs-a-side A Division match on Saturday.

Put into bat fi rst, Raha scored 226 for nine in 50 overs with Sul-tan Ahmed (56) and Waseem (42) putting on a 81-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Shaheed Na-zeem and Farhan scored 24 runs each while No. 11 batsman David remained unbeaten on 20.

In reply, Muscat CT started off aggressively as the openers stood good for a 132-run partnership. The only wicket fall was that of Aaqib Ilyas, whose knock of 109 included 12 fours and eight sixes. After his dismissal, his partner Swapnil K. and one drop Vaibhav Wategaonkar combined well to achieve the target in style in just

33.1 overs to win the game with a bonus point. The unbeaten opener scored 71 and Vaibhav made 42. Aaqib Ilays was declared the man of the match.

Brief scores: Raha 226 for 9 in 50 overs (Sultan 56, Waseem 42, Farhan 24, Shaheed 24, David 20, Badal 2/57) lost to Muscat CT 230 for 1 in 33.1 overs (Aaqib 109, Swapnil 71, Vaibhav 42).

Easy for OCT Seeb In an Al Ansari Group of Compa-nies sponsored C Division T20 match, batting fi rst Powertech Engineering scored 122 all out in 19.4 overs but could not restrict the all-Omani team of OCT Seeb from reaching the target. Anburaj A. with 42 in 37 balls was the main scorer for Powertech and opener K. Prabhakaran made 22 runs. Issam Othman and Younis Murad took three wickets each for OCT Seeb.

In reply, OCT Seeb achieved the target in 16.6 overs with fi ve wick-ets in hand, thanks to a quick fi re knock of 36 in 22 balls by Issa Ra-him. Earlier, Farooq Hussain made 31 in equal number of deliveries. The two batsmen were involved in a 68-run stand for the fourth wick-et and raised the score from 33 for three to 101 when Farooq was dis-missed. Aravindan picked up two wickets for Powertech.

Brief scores: Powertech 122 all out in 19.4 overs (Anburaj 42, Prabhakaran 22, Issam 3/14, Younis 3/22) lost to OCT Seeb 126 for 5 in 16.6 overs (Issa 36, Fa-rooq 31, Aravindan 2/19).

Newrest Wacasco winIn an F Division T20 match, Ne-wrest Wacasco beat Al Daam In-ternational by 19 runs after setting a score of 175 for six in 20 overs and restricting their opponents to 156 for eight in 20 overs.

For the eventual winners, Sand-eep Rajan made 55 off 36 balls and scores of 38, 23 and 20 by Bibin Sasi, Dipu R. J. and Deepak Gakhar aided the side to set up a match winning score.

For Al Daam, the major contri-bution with the bat came from Jay-akumar as he made a quick 43 off 24 balls. Abhilash and Nissar made

23 and 21 respectively. Sai Rajesh and Arun Jesvin scalped two wick-ets each for Wacasco while Deep-esh was the only bowler to pick up two wickets for Al Daam.

Brief scores: Newrest Wacasco 175 for 6 in 20 overs (Saneep 55, Bibin 38, Dipu 23, Deepl 20, Deepesj 2/28) bt Al Daam International 156 for 8 in 20 overs (Jayakumar 43, Abhilash 23, Nissar 21, Rajesh 2/28, Arun 2/28).

OUA Travels post winOUA Travels beat OCT Mabella by seven wickets in a G Division game. Batting fi rst after winning the toss, all-Omani team of OCT Mabella made 121 for eight in 20 overs with Shabir Ahmed scoring a useful 35 off 20 balls. Shafeer Ismail and Shahib Deen both re-turned with two wickets each for OUA Travels.

In response, the Travels team reached the target in 14 overs with seven wickets hand. Opener Nahas Haneefa made 26 while one drop batsman Mohammed Imtiyaz remained unbeaten on 40 made in 28 balls.

Brief scores: OCT Mabella 121 for 8 in 20 overs (Shabir 35, Shafeer 2/9, Sha-hib 2/19) lost to OUA Travels 122 for 3 in 14 overs (Imtiyaz 40 n.o., Rathesh 23, Nahas 20).

Abu Maather down FOSIn a H Division game, Abu Maather won their encounter against Fu-ture Oilfi ed Services (FOS) by eight wickets. Put in to bat fi rst, FOS made 176 for nine in 20 overs in which Wasim Abbas scored 51 in 20 balls with six boundaries and two hits over it while opener Mohammed Shamel and Nazim Mohamed contributed 37 and 23 respectively earlier in the innings.

Reyaz Zaidi with three wickets and Mohammed Rizwan and Mo-hammed Arshad with two wickets each were the main wicket-takers for Abu Maather.

In response, Abu Maather start-ed off well with the openers Wasim Jamadar and Abu Bakar standing good for a 84-run partnership un-til the dismissal of the latter for 37 made in 25 balls.

Wasim was the only other bats-man to be dismissed with his per-sonal score on 56 made in 40 balls with seven hits to the rope and one over it. One drop Reyaz who re-mained unbeaten on 45 scored in only 29 balls with six boundaries combined well with Mohd Rizwan to fi nish the game with a win for his side in 18.3 overs.

Brief scores: Future Oilfi eld Ser-vices 176 for 9 in 20 overs (Wasim 51,

Shamel 37, Nazim 23, Reyaz 3/19, Rizwan 2/26, Arshad 2/36) lost to Abu Maather 177 for 2 in 18.3 overs (Wasim 56, Reyaz 45 n.o., Abu Bakar 37).

Facile win for Ahli Bank In a contest between two bank teams, Ahli Bank and Bank So-har, in the I Division, the former emerged victorious by seven wick-ets after having restricted their op-ponents to 151 for eight in 20 overs, in which, Sharif Sabzal made 38 while Nandakumar R and Suren S made 29 and 26 respectively. For the Ahli Bank, Muhammed Ramzan and Jaspreet Singh cap-tured two wickets each.

In reply, Ahli Bank reached their target in 15.2 overs as Haris Alam and Syed Imran combined well to raise the score from 15 for two to 145 when Haris was dismissed for 66 made in 46 balls with six fours and three sixes.

Imran remained unbeaten on 54 made in 34 balls with seven bounda-ries and one over it. For Bank Sohar, Arun Nair scalped two of the three wickets to fall.

Brief scores: Bank Sohar 151 for 8 in 20 overs (Sharif 38, Nandakumar 29, Suren 26, Ramzan 2/25, Jaspreet 2/25) lost to Ahli Bank 153 for 3 in 20 15.2 overs (Haris 66, Imran 54 n.o., Arun 2/40).

Batting fi rst, Raha scored 226 for the loss

of nine wickets in 50 overs. In reply, Muscat

CT scored 230 for one in 33.1 overs

F DIVISION: Newrest Wacasco who defeated Al Daam International. G DIVISION: OUA Travels after their win over OCT Mabella. H DIVISION: Abu Maather celebrate their win over FOS. – Supplied photos

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OOC team to attend Asian Athletes Forum MUSCAT: The Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) has received an invitation from the Athletes Com-mission of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to participate in the Asian Athletes Forum to be held in Kuwait from January 22 to 24 under the patronage of OCA chief Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah.

The forum, in its second year, will discussing the current global issues concerning athletics and educating the National Olym-pic Committees on how to take advantage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations’ programmes.

Rashid Jaber Al Yafei, Chair-man of the OOC’s Oman Athletes Committee, and committee mem-ber Dr. Mansour Al Touqi will be attending the meeting.

Dr. Mansour will be presenting a working paper on the fi ndings and recommendations of Asians ath-letes’ views.

More than 100 athletes from the Asia will take part in the forum and discuss about the activities of the Athletes’ Commission of their respective NOCs.

Besides that the participants will exchange their knowledge and views related to the issues con-cerning the athletes.

A T H L E T E S I S S U E S

Federer outlasts Raonic for 1,000th career win

BRISBANE: Roger Federer beat Milos Raonic in an enthralling fi -nal at the Brisbane International on Sunday to register his 1,000th ATP career win and complete the perfect build up to this month’s Australian Open.

Federer survived the inevitable serving blitz from the towering Ca-nadian to win the two hour and 13 minute slugfest 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4 and join Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071) as the only men to reach the magical milestone.

The Swiss master, as fi ercely competitive as ever at the age of 33 even if he doesn’t move quite as quickly as he once did, also chalked up his 83rd career title and has now won at least one tournament every year since 2001, an unbroken streak spanning 15 seasons.

Federer was presented with the tournament trophy by Roy Emer-son, a 12-time grand slam winner, and also received a special framed photo marking his 1,000th win from Rod Laver, the only tennis player to

win all four majors in the same year on two separate occasions.

“It’s a special moment, no doubt about that,” Federer said at the post-match presentation.

“I’ve played a lot of tennis over the years...so to get to 1,000 wins means a lot to me and I will never forget this match.”

Raonic, one of the emerging stars of men’s tennis since making the semifi nals at Wimbledon last year was gracious in defeat and also paid tribute to Federer, saying he was in awe of his achievements.

“We all know today is a sig-nifi cant milestone for Roger,” he said. “When we came out and they listed all the things you’ve won, I thought you must have been play-ing for 2,000 wins.”

Raonic was unable to dictate terms against the vastly more experienced Federer once he adapted to his booming serve but pushed his opponent all the way in a high-quality match where the pair hit a combined total of 92 clean winners.

Raonic had blasted 34 aces past Kei Nishikori in his semi-fi nal but

managed only 12 against Federer, who replied with 20 of his own, including one where Raonic mis-judged the bounce and took an embarrassing air swing.

Federer, returning the ball deep and mixing up his shots, broke Raonic’s serve once in each set as the capacity crowd at the Pat Raft-er Arena roared in admiration.

The world No. 2 broke in the third game of the match when Raonic dumped a backhand into the net then broke him again in the opening game of the second set.

But Raonic showed that he has more to his game than just his big serve when he quickly broke back and forced a tiebreaker, his sixth of the tournament.

Federer won the fi rst two points of the tiebreaker but Raonic reeled off the next seven on the trot to square the match at one set apiece.

The standard of play rose along with the tension in the deciding set before Raonic blinked fi rst, double faulting to give Federer match point then hitting a fore-hand into the net to concede de-feat. - Reuters

Federer survived the inevitable serving

blitz from the towering Canadian to win

the two hour and 13 minute slugfest 6-4,

6-7 (2), 6-4 and join Jimmy Connors

(1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071) as the only

men to reach the magical milestone

MAGICAL MILESTONE: Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Milos Raonic of Canada, for his 1,000th career win, in

the Brisbane International fi nal on Sunday. – Reuters

Sanchez’ show

boosts Arsenal’s

top-four bid

LONDON: Alexis Sanchez de-livered a majestic display as Ar-senal closed the gap in the race for a top four fi nish in the Pre-mier League with a 3-0 victory over Stoke on Sunday.

Sanchez made Laurent Ko-scielny’s opener and then net-ted his 17th and 18th goals of the season either side of half-time at the Emirates Stadium to lift Arsenal above Tottenham into fi fth spot.

The battle for Champions League qualifi cation is heating up, with Arsene Wenger’s side now level on points with fourth placed Southampton. Manches-ter United are in third place.

French defender Koscielny opened the score with a sixth minute header from Sanchez’s cross. The hosts struck again in the 33rd minute through Sanchez. Sanchez wasn’t fi n-ished yet and his defl ected free-kick four minutes after the in-terval sealed the points. - AFP

E P L

Dominant Wawrinka wins third Chennai Open title CHENNAI: An aggressive Stan-islas Wawrinka won his third Chennai Open title on Sunday beating qualifi er Aljaz Bedene in the fi nal for a perfect buildup to his Australian Open title defence later this month.

The world No. 4, winner in 2011 and last year, hardly broke sweat against his Slovenian opponent for a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

“It’s just amazing to win it again, to start the year with a trophy,” the 29-year-old Swiss, in his seventh straight year in the south Indian city, said in a courtside interview.

In a match between opponents who had split their previous two encounters, Wawrinka drew fi rst blood in the sixth game, breaking Bedene before going on to seal the fi rst set.

In the second set, Wawrinka con-verted a second break point to forge 4-3 ahead and eventually clinched title without losing a set in the tour-nament which bodes well for his

Australian Open campaign. “It would be a strange feeling

to come back as the defending champion in a Grand Slam,” he said the of the year’s fi rst major starting on January 19.

“First I’m going to enjoy a little

bit (winning) this trophy. It’s not every week that you win a trophy.”

Bedene was the fi rst qualifi er in the 20-year history of the tourna-ment to reach the fi nal, winning seven matches en route to his maiden ATP Tour fi nal. - Reuters

T E N N I S

AMAZING TO WIN IT AGAIN: Stanislas Wawrinka

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMSECTIONC M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5LIFE & STYLE

Who knows whether the perhaps apocryphal tale is true but even today, nearly 800 years after the death of the greatest con-

queror the world has ever known, the loca-tion of his tomb remains unknown.

Many people have tried to fi nd it, from archaeologists who uncovered Genghis Khan’s palace to a lawyer from Chicago who led an expedition to 60 unopened tombs in the Mongol warlord’s realm.

The quest is for history — and for riches. According to Mongolia Today, incredible treasures were buried with Genghis Khan from every corner of his vast empire and, as one researcher told the Associated Press, “if we fi nd what items were buried with him, we could write a new page for world his-tory”. That page may be written sooner than many imagine. That’s thanks to a new way to search for the tomb that scours vast tracts of underpopulated and undulating Mongol

terrain — from space. “Ultra-high resolution satellite imaging enables a new paradigm in global exploration,” said a study published last week in the journal Plos One.

But the breadth of the search was so daunting and vast that researchers with the University of California at San Diego, led by Albert Yu-Min Lin, have outsourced the search to the general public.

“This is a needle in a haystack problem where the appearance of the needle is un-known,” wrote Lin, who has been described as a “modern-day Indiana Jones” and has been photographed dramatically riding horses across the Mongol expanse. So “we charged an online crowd of volunteer par-ticipants with the challenge of fi nding the tomb of Genghis Khan, an archaeological enigma of unknown characteristics widely believed to be hidden somewhere within the range of our satellite imagery”.

One of the problems, however, is that there was so much land to study. The sweep

of Genghis Khan’s empire, which began when he united Mongolia’s warring tribes in the early 13th century, is dizzying to con-template. It fi rst subsumed all of what is modern-day Mongolia before spilling across Asia on the might of the Mongol invasions, conquering terrain from China to the gates of western Europe by the turn of the century.

Many now suspect Khan’s fi nal resting place is much closer to the roots of his pow-er — in Mongolia itself, near the site of his palace, around 150 miles east of the nation’s capital, Ulan Bator. So, in a partnership with National Geographic, Lin’s team construct-ed a landscape of more than 84,000 tiles that spanned more than 6,000 sq km and launched what they called a “virtual explo-ration system” in 2010.

The task for participants: tag anything that looks like it could be an “archaeological enigma that lacks any historical description of its potential visual appearance’’.

It was essential to get help, the magazine

said: “A single archaeologist would have to scroll through nearly 20,000 screens before covering the whole area.” Still, no one ex-pected they would get so much of it. More than 10,000 people gave it a go, tagging any-thing they thought looked like a location where a great Mongol warlord would want to rest in peace.

In all, they clocked more than three years’ worth of work — 30,000 hours — and generated more than two million tags. From that number, the researchers have culled 100 locations for further inquiry and identifi ed 55 “potential archaeological anomalies” that ranged from the Bronze Age to the Mongol period.

So far, no Khan yet. But the search is com-plicated by a number of factors unique to the quest for Khan’s tomb. As explained by Vice Media’s Ben Richmond, the Mongols absolutely hate archaeologists trampling on their turf disturbing the nation’s most holy sites. -The Independent

True to his word, the location,

somewhere in the vast terrain

of modern Mongolia, has

remained secret for 800 years

The blood-thirsty warlord decreed nobody was ever to know where he was buried

When Genghis Khan died, he didn’t want to be found. So soldiers in his burial party butchered anyone they saw on their way to his burial tomb

Then they killed the people

who built the monument.

Then, fi nally, they killed

themselves

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EXTRAM O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

The red carpet — that staple of award shows — is bad for fash-ion. This wasn’t always so, but now it is.

The benefi ts celebrities reap from the season of step-and-repeat, which begins in earnest with Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, are signifi cant, whether it is a boost to a level of ac-claim that their resume does not support or a steady stream of attention while they await their next role. What do design-

ers get? The opportunity to create a pretty — but safe — formal gown that briefl y amuses the eye but does little to move the fashion needle.

Actors such as Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong’o and Eddie Redmayne have all used fashion as a way of propelling themselves forward — faster than their admirable acting chops alone would have done. They glow in the pop culture galaxy, swooned over in Vogue and GQ — their aesthetic acumen confl ated with their acting skills.

It is hard to blame them for their eff orts. Hol-lywood no longer is producing the kind of matinee idols of yore, the ones whose very presence on the big screen could send consumers running to the box offi ce. We still have stars to transport us, the belea-guered, to fantasyland, but they are not built by Hollywood alone. Designers have become part of the myth-making machine — as important as the lighting director, the makeup artist and the hair-stylist. And almost as invisible.

The morning after a splendid showing on the red carpet, after everyone has discussed who looked marvelous and who should try harder, few people are rhapsodising over the skill of a bias cut or the brilliant use of beading. The designer names go virtually unmentioned. It’s all about Lupita’s (Ralph Lauren) cape, Pharrell’s (Vivienne West-wood) hat and Rihanna’s (Tom Ford) pasties.

In the fashion salons of New York, Milan and Paris, workers may be keeping score — Did more women wear Versace than Valentino? Designers and manufactur-ers may be sussing out a trend or two from the kleig-lit promenade. Perfect for prom! But in the broader world, where all the hard work of an atelier is supposed to get noticed, in our consideration of the red carpet, the de-signer is no longer essential.

During award show season, the clothes fl ow by like bonbons on a conveyor belt. We consume the delights so quickly that we can’t fully appreciate them. The umpteenth Versace gown no longer feels special — even if it happens to be an especially nice one. And the more times stars are asked “Who made your dress?,” the faster we forget the answer.

In the beginning, which is to say back in 1988 when Giorgio Armani opened his Beverly Hills boutique and proceeded to dress actress Michelle Pfeiff er elegantly and uniquely in a navy cocktail suit for the Academy Awards, the wardrobing of an actor for the red car-pet was one of the few ways for designers to rocket their name into the pop culture ver-nacular. Back then, the inner loop of the fash-ion industry consisted of designers, models and editors. A celebrity sighting at a fashion show was something worth bragging about. And to dress an Oscar nominee was a coup. Award shows were rare and the light shone so brightly on the stars who were well-dressed — because not all of them were; in fact, most of them weren’t — that everyone in their orbit was gloriously illuminated, including the designers. Who made your

dress? The answer — Armani, Prada, Badgley Mischka, Vera Wang — could transform a lucky designer’s business. That was more than 25 years ago.

Today, designers, whether they believe it or not, no longer need the wattage of celebrities to bring them buzz, make them legit or otherwise bless them with cultural relevance. They have social media. Designers can star in their own television shows. They can live-stream their run-

way productions. Celebrities are no longer a boon; they are a crutch.It is always fl attering to have someone of the stature of Julianne Moore

knock on a designer’s door in search of a fancy dress. It must be per-sonally gratifying to make a young starlet feel like Cinderella

for an evening. But celebrities need fashion — benefi t from fashion — a lot more than designers now benefi t from

stars. One of the most sought-after handbag brands of

the last season, the upstart Mansur Gavriel, has no celebrity endorsers. And one of Hollywood’s long-favored brands, Gucci, is sorting through fi nancial woes.

For celebrities, however, fashion is more neces-sary than ever. They are constantly Instagram-

ming their own self-consciously styled lives — Solange goes glamping at Joshua Tree! — and paparazzi hunt stars even when they’re just walking out of the gym. But nothing beats an awards show red carpet. An appearance there in just the right look has the potential to turn starlets into style icons and make a convincing argument that a class clown can play a leading man.

Few actors have remained disengaged from fashion while staying atop the heap.

Only the great Meryl Streep immediately comes to mind. Some, such as Johnny Depp,

have cast themselves as fashion eccentrics. Others such as Jodie Foster and, now, Angelina Jolie, have es-chewed glamour for studied intellectualism. But all of them, in some way, use fashion.

Small design houses barely stand a chance. And at its worst, the red carpet derogates young designers

into creating one-of-a-kind gowns that they cannot aff ord to make in the hopes that lightning will strike and theirs will become the dress that everyone talks about the next morning. But even when that hap-pens, it wasn’t Peter Som’s beautiful fl oral dress or Prabal Gurung’s grand red gown. It was Julie Bow-en’s adventurous spirit and January Jones’ regal stance. Such a Catch-22 — When designers are at their best, as these were, the applause should be for the woman and not the frock.

Last year, Nyong’o made masterful use of fash-ion on the red carpet. She embraced an aesthetic that defi ned her as a new classic. Nyong’o won the Oscar, but perhaps even more important, People magazine declared her the “most beau-tiful” woman in the world; Lancôme signed her to an endorsement deal; and Vogue ran a cover story that described her as a “deity.”

Rihanna’s star has risen steadily higher — and it’s not due to her modest vocal range. Seventh Avenue declared the Grammy win-ner a fashion icon; she is a muse to French designer Olivier Rousteing and was the star of his Balmain advertising campaign. Last year, she was named creative direc-tor for Puma. Even Michael Jordan didn’t get to be creative director of Nike, and he was an actual athlete.

-Robin Givhan/The Washington Post.

Quick! Who designed this dress ?

The red carpet rolls out for stars, but it’s a doormat for fashion designers

KIN Hubbard, a journalist and humorist who died in 1930, said, “It’s the good loser who fi nally loses out.”

At the bridge table, it’s the good winner who fi nally eliminates his losers.

There are two common ways of eliminating losers: Ruff them in the shorter trump hand or discard them on side-suit winners.

In this deal, how should South play in four spades after West leads the heart king?

North had a minimum hand for a raise to two spades, but bridge is a bidder’s game. Over four spades, West wondered if his side had a cheap save at the fi ve-level, but he knew the spades were breaking badly for his opponents.

South has rounded-suit losers and seems to have nine top tricks: six spades, one heart and two diamonds. However, in case the play takes a nasty turn or two, declarer should play to ruff losers on the board.

He wins the fi rst trick with his heart ace, cashes the diamond ace and returns a heart. West, who sees his partner play high-low to indicate a doubleton, wins and continues with the heart 10. But since South has also noted East’s signal, he discards a club from the dummy. East pitches his second diamond. West now leads his diamond queen, East ruff s dummy’s king, and declarer overruff s. South then concedes a club trick to void the dummy of that suit.

Suppose East wins with his queen and returns a trump. Declarer wins and crossruff s home, trumping two clubs on the board and two diamonds in his hand.

— By Phillip Alder

C9

ENTERTAINMENT

What do you do with those losers?

B I G N A T E

B O R N L O S E R

M A R M A D U K E

A C E S O N B R I D G E

C I N E M A S C H E D U L E

K I D S P O T H E A L T H C A P S U L EC R O S S W O R D

Ans

wer

to p

revi

ous

puzz

le

WITH LOVE 5 1

1 8 3 2 9 9 7 4 5 3 6

4 6 1 8 8 2

3 6 8 4

2 3 1 4 7 3 8 9 8 5 1 3

4 6 5 3 9 8 7 2 1 3 2 7 4 1 6 8 9 5 1 8 9 5 7 2 4 3 6

6 3 4 1 8 7 9 5 2 2 5 8 9 6 4 1 7 3 7 9 1 2 3 5 6 8 4

9 4 3 8 5 1 2 6 7 8 7 2 6 4 3 5 1 9 5 1 6 7 2 9 3 4 8

Previous puzzle Solution

HOW TO PLAY Fill the empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and area. — Seven Galaxies

S U D O K U

M O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are

celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number

and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi

or through e-mail to [email protected]

CHARUDHI CHANDRASEKHARJanuary 12

ADITYASAIJanuary 12

27 Drop28 Devotee’s suffi x30 Faint31 Disdainful snort32 Repeat35 Seaweed

derivative36 Left, to a horse39 Made mention of40 Dog in Beetle

Bailey42 Alpine goat43 Cathedral part44 Valley45 Tailor’s aid46 Half a pair47 Brink48 Woosnam of golf50 Spiral molecule

ACROSS 1 Bad habit 5 — Holliday 8 Composition for

two performers12 Mournful wail13 So!14 Aboard ship15 Uncluttered16 — lights18 In-between-meal

goodie20 Catch a bug21 Daredevil’s asset23 Boring tool26 Kind of chop29 Pendant jewellery31 Garment edges32 Motel of olden

times33 Sorts34 Move briskly36 Med. plans37 Tropical38 — Davis of fi lms40 Dory mover41 Due for payment45 Type of painting49 Like Kojak51 No future — —

52 — kwon do53 Steady54 Fictional sub

commander55 Come to a

conclusion56 Lucy Lawless role

DOWN 1 Moving option 2 Cousteau’s islands 3 “Slither” actor 4 This, in Barcelona 5 Planck’s thanks 6 Discoverer’s shout 7 Gypsy wagon 8 Arlene of old fi lms 9 Consume10 Constantly, to Poe11 Pantyhose shade17 Wedding-cake

part19 Anderson

Cooper’s channel22 Ms. Zellweger of

“Chicago”23 Woody’s son24 Stir-fry pans25 Vinyl records26 Construction toy

BAHJA CINEMA

STARS CINEMA

Film Information - 24540856 / Advance Booking - 24540855Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

For More Information 24789032, 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

Film information 24791641 / 24786776

Seventh Son (Adventure/Fantasy)Cast: Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander Kit Harington, Olivia William 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2015/62 (PG 12 ) Autómata (Sci-Fi-/Thriller) Cast: Antonio Banderas, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Melanie Griffi th 2.00. 6.00, & 10.00 pm ; CP No: 2015/61 (PG) Zulu (Crime /Drama /Thriller) Cast: Orlando Bloom, Forest Whitaker, Tanya van Graan 4.00, 8.00 & 11.55 pm; CP No: 2015/60 (15+) Iron Clad: Battle for Blood (Act) Cast: Michelle Fariley, Roxanne Mckee 2.00 pm; CP No: 2015/2 (18+) Swelter (Action/Thriller) Cast: Jean Claude Van Damme6.00 pm; CP No: 2015/3 (15+)

Chinnadana Nee Kosam (Telugu) ( Rom\Com) Cast: Nitin Reddy and Mishti 3:30pm at Cinema Main, 6:30 & 9:30pm at Cinema 2 Mylanchi Monchulla Veedu (Mal)(Rom\Com) Cast: Jayaram & Asif Ali 3:30 pm at Cinema -2\ 6:30 & 9:30 pm Cinema Main P K (Hindi) (Com) Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma & Sanjay Dutt 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 pm Cinema-3 Vellakkara Durai (Tamil)(Com) Cast: Vikram Prabhu & Sri Divya & Soori 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 pm at Cinema -4 NEXT CHANGE: I (Tamil)14/1/2015

Seventh Son (2D) (Adve| Family) (PG12) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore,5:15 PMSeventh Son (3D) (Adv|) (PG12)9:30, 11:30 PMAutomata (2D) (Sci-Fi | Thriller) (PG) Cast: Antonio Banderas 3:00, 7:15 PMZulu (2D) (Crime | Drama) (15+) Cast: Orlando Bloom, Forest Whitaker9:45 PMTevar (2D) (Action |Romance) (TBC) Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee8:50 PMTom Little and Magic Mirror (2D) (Animation |Adventure) (PG) Cast: Nanette Iglesias, Ada Cruz 4:00 PMThe Imitation Game (2D) (Bio | ) (12+) Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley5:30, 6:45 PMWoman In Black Angel Of Death (2D) (Horror | Thriller) (15+)11:45 PM Vice (2D) (Action | Adventure) (15+) Cast: Thomas Jane, Bruce Willis2:00, 11:45 PMP.K (2D) (Comedy | Drama) (PG) Cast: Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt4:00 PMFrom A to B (2D) (Adv |Comedy) (12+)Cast: Fahad Albutairi, Shadi Alfons2:00, 7:45 PM

Seventh Son (2D) (Adv) (PG12)Cast: Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges03:30 PMSeventh Son (3D) (Adv/Fantasy) (PG12)Cast: Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges09:45 PM & 11:45 PM.Gold Class: 11:15 PMAutomata (2D): (Sci-Fi/Thriller) (PG)Cast: Antonio Banderas05:30 PM & 11:45 PMP K (2D) (Com/fantasy) (PG)Cast: Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt 04:00 PM Gold Class: 05:15 PMJack & The Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2D): (Animation/Adventure) (PG)10:30 AM & 02:15 PMFrom A To B (2D) (Com/Adv) (12+)Cast: Fahad Albutairi, Shadi Alfons, 12:15 PM & 06:45 PM.Gold Class: 01:00 PM Tevar (2D) (Act/Rom) Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee08:45 PMGold Class: 08:15 PM

Tom Little & Magic Mirror (2D): (Animation/Adventure) (PG)Cast: Nanette Iglesias, Ada Cruz10:15 AM & 02:00 PMThe Imitation Game (2D): (Bio) (12+)Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode11:45 AM & 07:30 PMGold Class: 03:00 PM

SCREEN 1

Tevar (Action | Romance ) (PG12 )Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma , Sanjay Dutt 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 pm

SCREEN 2

P. K (Comedy | Drama | Social) (PG )Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma , Sanjay Dutt 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 pm

P.K. – 2D (PG) Com | Drama | FantasyCast : Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anushka Sharma09:00 PMVice – 2D (15+) Act | Adventure | Sci-FiCast : Thomas Jane, Bruce Willis, Ambyr Childers03:45 , 11:45 PMSeventh Son – 2D (PG12) Adv | Family Cast : Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges 03:15 PMSeventh Son – 3D (PG12) Adv | Family 05:15 , 09:30 , 11:30 PMThe Imitation Game – 2D (12+) Biography | Drama | ThrillerCast : Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode04:00 , 07:15 PMZulu – 2D (15+) Crime | ThrillerCast : Orlando Bloom, Forest Whitaker, Tanya van Graan06:15 PMTevar – 2D (TBC) Action | RomanceCast : Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee08:15 , 11:15 PMTom Little and Magic Mirror – 2D (PG) Animation/Adventure/FantasyCast : Nanette Iglesias, Ada Cruz 03:15 , 05: 30 PMFrom A to B – 2D (12+) Adv | Co | DramaCast : Fahad Albutairi, Shadi Alfons,04:45 , 07: 00 PMMylanchi Monchulla Veedu – 2D (M) (PG) Family | Drama

Seventh Son – 2D (Adv | Fam) (PG15)Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore 03:15 PMSeventh Son – 3D (Adv | Fa ) (PG15)05:15, 09:15 PMPoker Night (Act | Thriller) (PG12)Cast: Beau Mirchoff , Ron Perlman07:15, 11:45 PMZulu (Crime | Drama | Thriller) (15+)Cast: Orlando Bloom, Forest Whitaker03:15, 09:45 PMSwelter (Act | Drama | Thriller) (15+)Cast: Jean-Claude VanDamme, Mindy05:15 PMFrom A to B (Adve | Com) (12+)Cast: Fahad Albutairi, Shadi Alfons05:00, 07:00 PMTevar (Action | Romance) (…)Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha 07:00, 09:00, 11:15 PMAutómata (Sci-Fi | Thriller) (PG)Cast: Antonio Banderas, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Dylan McDermott03:00, 11:45 PM

Zulu (Crime | Drama | Thriller) (15+) 11:45 PMVice (Act | Adventure | Sci-Fi) (15+) 06:45 PMSeventh Son (3D) (Adv ) (PG12) 09:45 PM

Seventh Son (3D/PG12) (Adve/Fantasy) Cast: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges ; 09:45PM, 11:45PMSeventh Son (2D/PG12) (Adv/Fantasy) 02:30PMThe Imitation Game (2D/12+) (Biography/Drama/Thriller) Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode01:30PM, 07:30PM Poker Night (2D/PG12) (Act/Thriller) Giancarlo Esposito12:30PM, 11:15PMJack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2D/PG) (Animation/Adventure/Drama)02:30PMVice (2D/15+) (Act/Adventure/Sc-FI) 11:45AM, 11:30PM Zulu (2D/15+) (Crime/Drama/Thriller)09:30PMFrom A to B (2D/12+) (Adv/Co/Drama)Cast: Fahad Albutairi, Shadi Alfons4:15PM, 06:15PMP.K. (2D/PG) (Hindi- Com)06:45PMTevar (2D/PG12) (Hindi-Act)Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and 11:30AM, 04:30PM, 08:15PMMylanchi Monchulla Veedu (2D/PG) (Family/Drama)Cast: Asif Ali, Jayaram, Kanika 03:45PM

Seventh Son (2D) (Adv) (PG12) 04:45 PMMylanchi Monchulla Veedu (Mal) (Family | Drama) (PG) Cast: Asif Ali, Jayaram, Kanika 11:15 PMTevar (Hindi) (Co | Fantasy) (PG12) 08:30 PMFrom A to B (Arabic) (Adv | Co ) (12+) 05:00 PMP.K (Hindi) (Comedy | Drama | Fantasy) (PG)07:00 PM

SCREEN 3

Seventh Son

(Fantasyn|Adventure) (English) -(PG12 )

Cast: Rajnikanth, Sonakshi Sinha

3.45, 6.45, 9.45 pm

Cast : Asif Ali, Jayaram, Kanika 06:45 PMAutomata – 2D (PG) Sci-Fi | ThrillerCast : Antonio Banderas, Dylan 09:45 , 11:45 PM

C10

FIND-IT-ALLM O N DAY, JA N UA RY 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

MONDAY

FLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY406 CAIRO 0005WY682 RIYADH 0005BG021 DACCA-CHITTAGONG 0100WY916 SALALAH 01504H583 DACCA 0200TK776 ISTANBUL-BAHRAIN 0300QR1132 DOHA 0345EK866 DUBAI 0355GF560 BAHRAIN 0405EY384 ABU DHABI 0405FZ041 DUBAI 0415WY902 SALALAH 0630WY638 ABU DHABI 0650WY638 ABU DHABI 0650WY324 KARACHI 0700WY686 RIYADH 0700WY658 BAHRAIN 0700WY674 JEDDAH 0730WY672 MEDINA 0745WY602 DUBAI 0805WY202 BOMBAY 0815WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0820FZ043 DUBAI 0850G9114 SHARJAH 0915WY242 DELHI 0920WY236 HYDERABAD 0920WY918 KHASAB 0930WY226 COCHIN 0930WY252 MADRAS 0940WY212 TRIVANDRUM 0940WY346 ISLAM ABBAD 0940EK862 DUBAI 0940QR1128 DOHA 1010EY382 ABU DHABI 10159W530 TRIVANDRUM 1035WY342 LAHORE 1100WY272 JAIPUR 1100WY282 BANGALORE 1100WY604 DUBAI 1110WY372 COLOMBO 1140FZ037 DUBAI 1200WY384 MALE 1205IX337 CALICUT 1210WY332 KATHMANDU 1210PA450 LAHORE 1215WY904 SALALAH 1215WY818 BANGKOK 1235WY606 DUBAI 1330WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1330WY906 SALALAH 1415WY656 BAHRAIN 1530WY632 ABU DHABI 1535FZ045 DUBAI 1555WY204 BOMBAY 1710WY292 CALICUT 1720WY610 DUBAI 1730WY246 DELHI 1730WY3304 MUKHAIZNA 1730WY264 LUCKNOW 1735WY232 HYDERABAD 1740WY664 DOHA 1745QR1126 DOHA 1745EK864 DUBAI 1800GF564 BAHRAIN 1810WY3922 DUQUM OMAN 1900WY646 KUWAIT 1900G9116 SHARJAH 1915WY254 MADRAS 1920FZ047 DUBAI 1945WY434 TEHRAN 2000WY614 DUBAI 2030AI977 BANGALORE-HYDERABAD 2105KL441 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2120WY624 DUBAI 2125AI973 DELHI 2125WY312 CHITTAGONG 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130WY414 AMMAN 21359W534 COCHIN 2140FZ049 DUBAI 2145AI907 MADRAS 2200QR1134 DOHA 2210WY338 KATHMANDU 2235GF566 BAHRAIN 2240EY388 ABU DHABI 2250BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2250SG061 AHMEDABAD 2300WY908 SALALAH 2305AI985 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310WY662 DOHA 2315LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 23209W540 BOMBAY 2325WY654 BAHRAIN 2330LH618 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330WY612 DUBAI 2335WY914 SALALAH 2345WY696 DAMMAM 2350WY636 ABU DHABI 2350WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2355WY910 SALALAH 2355

TUESDAY

FLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA

WY406 CAIRO 0005WY682 RIYADH 0005WY682 RIYADH 0005WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY648 KUWAIT 0010WY816 BANGKOK 0015NL768 LAHORE 0130WY916 SALALAH 0150TK774 ISTANBUL 0215PK281 ISLAM ABBAD-SIALKOT 0225PK225 KARACHI 0230QR1132 DOHA 0345ET624 ADDIS ABABA 0350EK866 DUBAI 0355GF560 BAHRAIN 0405EY384 ABU DHABI 0405FZ041 DUBAI 0415WY902 SALALAH 0630WY638 ABU DHABI 0650WY658 BAHRAIN 0700WY412 AMMAN 0705WY668 DOHA 0710WY644 KUWAIT 0715WY122 MUNICH 0715WY114 FRANKFURT 0715WY692 DAMMAM 0725WY674 JEDDAH 0730WY154 MALPENSA-ZURICH 0745WY132 PARIS 0800WY602 DUBAI 0805WY202 BOMBAY 0815WY432 TEHRAN 0815WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0820WY422 BEIRUT 0830FZ043 DUBAI 0850G9114 SHARJAH 0915WY236 HYDERABAD 0920WY242 DELHI 0935WY252 MADRAS 0940EK862 DUBAI 0940QR8550 DOHA 1000QR1128 DOHA 1010EY382 ABU DHABI 1015WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1045WY272 JAIPUR 1100WY604 DUBAI 1110WY904 SALALAH 1110G9841 RAS AL KHAIMA 1120FZ037 DUBAI 1200WY314 CHITTAGONG 1210WY268 LUCKNOW 1210IX337 CALICUT 1210PK191 GWADUR 1220BG023 CHITTAGONG 1245WY918 KHASAB 1245WY606 DUBAI 1330WY326 KARACHI 1355WY918 KHASAB 1440IX817 MANGALORE-ABU DHABI 1440WY906 SALALAH 1445WY812 BANGKOK 1525KU677 KUWAIT 1525WY656 BAHRAIN 1530WY328 LAHORE 1550FZ045 DUBAI 1555WY632 ABU DHABI 1635WY204 BOMBAY 1710WY292 CALICUT 1720WY246 DELHI 1730WY232 HYDERABAD 1740WY216 TRIVANDRUM 1740WY348 ISLAM ABBAD 1745WY664 DOHA 1745QR1126 DOHA 1745EK864 DUBAI 1800GF564 BAHRAIN 1810WY284 BANGALORE 1810WY610 DUBAI 1845WY3306 MUKHAIZNA 1845SV534 RIYADH 1900G9116 SHARJAH 1915TG507 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1935FZ047 DUBAI 1945WY614 DUBAI 2030WY914 SALALAH 2055WY624 DUBAI 2125AI973 DELHI 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130WY224 COCHIN 2140FZ049 DUBAI 2145WY374 COLOMBO 2150WY254 MADRAS 2155WY814 BANGKOK 2200AI907 MADRAS 2200QR1134 DOHA 2210UL205 COLOMBO 2225GF566 BAHRAIN 2240BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2240EY388 ABU DHABI 2250WY908 SALALAH 2305AI985 AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY 2310WY662 DOHA 2315LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 23209W540 BOMBAY 2325LH618 FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI 2330WY654 BAHRAIN 2330WY612 DUBAI 2335WY696 DAMMAM 2350WY636 ABU DHABI 2350WY910 SALALAH 2355WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2355

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD AI986 BOMBAY 0005LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 00209W539 BOMBAY 0025BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 0025LH619 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050WY685 RIYADH 0105WY211 TRIVANDRUM 0110WY251 MADRAS 0110WY201 BOMBAY 0120WY225 COCHIN 0125WY235 HYDERABAD 0135WY601 DUBAI 0150WY345 ISLAM ABBAD 0150WY341 LAHORE 0150WY241 DELHI 0155WY281 BANGALORE 0200WY637 ABU DHABI 0205WY657 BAHRAIN 0205WY323 KARACHI 0210WY371 COLOMBO 0210WY667 DOHA 0220WY383 MALE 0235BG022 CHITTAGONG-DACCA 02504H584 DACCA 0300TK777 BAHRAIN-ISTANBUL 0350WY271 JAIPUR 0350EK867 DUBAI 0455FZ042 DUBAI 0510QR1133 DOHA 0520EY385 ABU DHABI 0525WY917 KHASAB 0630GF561 BAHRAIN 0745WY3931 SOHAR 0800WY903 SALALAH 0800WY603 DUBAI 0800WY291 CALICUT 0920WY263 LUCKNOW 0920FZ044 DUBAI 0935WY245 DELHI 0955WY231 HYDERABAD 0955WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 1000G9115 SHARJAH 1005WY815 BANGKOK 1010WY905 SALALAH 1020WY203 BOMBAY 1030WY605 DUBAI 1030WY311 CHITTAGONG 1040WY253 MADRAS 1040WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 1045EK863 DUBAI 1055EY383 ABU DHABI 1105WY655 BAHRAIN 1110QR1129 DOHA 11159W533 COCHIN 1135WY631 ABU DHABI 1225IX350 CALICUT 1310WY337 KATHMANDU 1310PA451 LAHORE 1315FZ038 DUBAI 1315WY413 AMMAN 1330WY101 LAHORE 1330WY663 DOHA 1330WY433 TEHRAN 1340WY645 KUWAIT 1340WY113 FRANKFURT 1345WY3303 MUKHAIZNA 1400WY153 MALPENSA-ZURICH 1405WY121 MUNICH 1415WY131 PARIS 1420WY609 DUBAI 1420WY405 CAIRO 1430WY3921 DUQUM OMAN 1515WY675 JEDDAH 1630WY613 DUBAI 1700FZ046 DUBAI 1700WY623 DUBAI 1820WY681 RIYADH 1845QR1127 DOHA 1845WY907 SALALAH 1850GF565 BAHRAIN 1855WY647 KUWAIT 1900WY661 DOHA 1900WY653 BAHRAIN 1910WY695 DAMMAM 1910EK865 DUBAI 1915WY909 SALALAH 1940WY913 SALALAH 1950G9117 SHARJAH 2005WY611 DUBAI 2025WY635 ABU DHABI 2030FZ048 DUBAI 2040WY915 SALALAH 2135AI978 HYDERABAD-BANGALORE 2200FZ050 DUBAI 2225WY421 BEIRUT 2230KL442 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 22309W529 TRIVANDRUM 2240WY411 AMMAN 22406.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300AI974 DELHI 2310QR1135 DOHA 2320GF567 BAHRAIN 2325WY434 SALALAH 2350WY673 JEDDAH 2350EY381 ABU DHABI 2350

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD AI986 BOMBAY 0005LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 00209W539 BOMBAY 0025BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 0025SG062 AHMEDABAD 0030LH619 ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT 0050WY685 RIYADH 0105WY251 MADRAS 0110WY201 BOMBAY 0120WY811 BANGKOK 0120WY235 HYDERABAD 0135WY601 DUBAI 0150WY241 DELHI 0155WY431 TEHRAN 0155WY643 KUWAIT 0200WY637 ABU DHABI 0205WY313 CHITTAGONG 0205WY657 BAHRAIN 0205WY667 DOHA 0220NL769 LAHORE 0230WY691 DAMMAM 0235TK775 ISTANBUL 0310PK282 SIALKOT 0325PK226 KARACHI 0330WY271 JAIPUR 0350WY267 LUCKNOW 0355ET625 ADDIS ABABA 0450EK867 DUBAI 0455FZ042 DUBAI 0510QR1133 DOHA 0520EY385 ABU DHABI 0525WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 0715GF561 BAHRAIN 0745WY603 DUBAI 0800WY903 SALALAH 0800WY813 BANGKOK 0805WY327 LAHORE 0920WY325 KARACHI 0920WY291 CALICUT 0920WY215 TRIVANDRUM 0920WY823 KUALA LUMPUR 0930FZ044 DUBAI 0935WY231 HYDERABAD 0955WY245 DELHI 0955G9115 SHARJAH 1005WY815 BANGKOK 1010WY283 BANGALORE 1010WY373 COLOMBO 1020WY203 BOMBAY 1030WY605 DUBAI 1030WY905 SALALAH 1030WY347 ISLAM ABBAD 1040WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 1045EK863 DUBAI 1055EY383 ABU DHABI 1105WY655 BAHRAIN 1110QR1129 DOHA 1115QR8551 DUBAI WORLD CENTRE-DOHA 1130WY917 KHASAB 1140G9842 RAS AL KHAIMA 1210PK192 GWADUR-TURBAT 1305WY337 KATHMANDU 1310IX350 CALICUT 1310FZ038 DUBAI 1315WY253 MADRAS 1315WY3931 SOHAR 1315WY223 COCHIN 1325WY631 ABU DHABI 1325WY663 DOHA 1330WY101 LONDON HEATHROW 1330BG024 CHITTAGONG 1415WY405 CAIRO 1430WY3305 MUKHAIZNA 1515IX818 MANGALORE 1530WY609 DUBAI 1545KU678 ABU DHABI-KUWAIT 1625WY675 JEDDAH 1630WY913 SALALAH 1650FZ046 DUBAI 1700WY613 DUBAI 1700WY623 DUBAI 1820QR1127 DOHA 1845WY681 RIYADH 1845WY907 SALALAH 1850GF565 BAHRAIN 1855WY647 KUWAIT 1900WY661 DOHA 1900WY653 BAHRAIN 1910WY695 DAMMAM 1910EK865 DUBAI 1915WY821 KUALA LUMPUR 1930WY909 SALALAH 1940SV535 RIYADH 2000G9117 SHARJAH 2005WY611 DUBAI 2025WY635 ABU DHABI 2030TG508 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2040FZ048 DUBAI 2040WY915 SALALAH 2135FZ050 DUBAI 22256.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300AI974 DELHI 2310QR1135 DOHA 2320GF567 BAHRAIN 2325UL206 COLOMBO 2335EY381 ABU DHABI 2350WY901 SALALAH 2350WY673 JEDDAH 2350

A I R L I N E S

PHARMACIESRound the clockAl Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 24537080Dhofar RegionMuscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel: 23291635

HOSPITALSAl Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000Al Musafi r Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453Hatat Polyclinic LLC,Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006Al Raff ah Hospital: 24618900/1/2Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780Capital Polyclinic: 24707549Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740Ceregem National Raak: 24485633Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217Elixir Health Centre: 24565802Emirates Medical Centre: 246045401st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274Hamdan Hospital: 23212340International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128, MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000

ROYAL OMAN POLICEEmergencies and inquiries: 9999General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603Directorate General of Customs: 24521109Traffi c violations inquiries: 24510228Public Relations Admin: 24560099

ACCOMMODATIONAl Bahjah Hotel: 24424400Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311Al Qurum Resort: 24605945Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979Beach Hotel: 24696601Bowshar Hotel: 24491105Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660Crystal Suites: 24826100Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234Haff a House Hotel: 24707207Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123InterContinental Muscat: 24680000Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900Marina Hotel: 24711711Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565Mina Hotel: 24711828Muttrah Hotel: 24798401

Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199Oman Dive Centre: 24824240Park Inn: 24507888Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443Ruwi Hotel: 24704244Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666The Chedi Muscat: 24524400The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570

AIRLINE OFFICESMuscat Airport Flight information (24 hours): 24519456/24519223Aerofl ot: 24704455, Air Arabia: 24700828, Air France: 24562153, Air India: 24799801, Air New Zealand: 24700732, Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 24701128, British Airways: 24568777, Cathay Pacifi c: 24789818, Egypt Air: 24794113, Emirates Air: 24404400, Ethiopian Airlines: 24660313, Gulf Air: 80072424, Indian: 24791914, Iran Air: 24787423, Japan Airlines: 24704455, Jazeera Airways: 23294848, Jet Airways: 24787248, Kenya Airways: 24660300, KML Royal Dutch Airlines: 24566737, Kuwait Airways: 24701262, LOT Polish Airlines: 24796387, Lufthansa: 24796692, Malaysian Airlines: 24560796, Middle East Airlines: 24796680, Oman Air: 24531111, Pakistan International Airlines: 24792471, Qatar Airways: 24771900, Qantas: 24559941, Royal Jordanian: 24796693, Saudi Arabian Airlines: 24789485, Singapore Airlines: 24791233, Shaheen Air: 24816565, SriLankan Airlines:

24784545, Swiss International Airlines: 24796692, Thai Airways: 24705934, Turkish Airlines: 24703033

MUSEUMSBait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fi sh market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pmNatural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm; Thursday: 9am to 1pmMuseum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmOman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pmBait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., [email protected] from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm.National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmSohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pmMuscat Gate Museum: at Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E A T H E R

Dhuhr 12.20pm

Asr 3.23pm

Maghrib 5.44pm

Isha 6.58pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.31am

Sunset 5:38pm

Sunrise (Tomorrow) 6.51am

High tide 12:52am 1:39am

Low tide 6:51pm 8:21am

OMAN

Max 27Min 19

Max 25Min 18

Max 26Min 19

Max 25Min 12

Max 26Min 16Max 25

Min 10

Max 27Min 14

Max 30 Min 20

Clear to partly cloudy skies over governorates of Musandam ,coastal area of Oman Sea and Al-Hajar mountain with chance of isolated rain. Chances of low level clouds or fog during late night to early morning over governorates of Al-Buraimi, Al-Dahira, Al-Wusta.EXPECTED WIND: Wind will be northeasterly light to moderate along the coastal area of Arabian Sea and will be easterly to southeasterly light to moderate over rest of the Sultanate during day becoming gradually to northwesterly through evening over most of the Sultanate.SEA STATE: Slight to moderate along most of Oman coasts with a

maximum wave height of 1.5 metres becoming moderate to rough along Musandam coast and Oman Sea with a maximum wave height of 3.0 metres.HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog formation.THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Mainly clear over most of the Sultanate. Rough sea are expected along Musandam and Oman Sea coasts with a maximum wave height of 3.0 metres. Chance of dust rising by wind over deserts and open areas.

Max Min

GULFAbu Dhabi 21 18Doha 19 12Dubai 21 18Kuwait 14 8Manama 16 14Riyadh 14 2

WORLDAthens 15 6Baghdad 13 1Beijing 1 -6Berlin 6 6Boston -1 -2Cairo 18 10Colombo 29 20Frankfurt 7 5Hong Kong 14 13Istanbul 11 3Johannesburg 27 16Kuala Lumpur 31 23Lisbon 13 6Paris 9 8Perth 32 18Singapore 29 24Tokyo 9 3Toronto -1 -16

WORLD

Max 3Min -2

Max 20Min 6

Max -2Min -17

Max 28Min 17

Max 18Min 11

Max 23Min 20

Max -0Min -9

Max 29Min 22

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52)17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52)07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54)14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54)06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (Route 55)07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO SUR (Route 55)06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62)06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62)12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201)06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201)07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100)07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100)07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102)15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102)15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

LISTINGS

—www.met.gov.om

BORN today, you aren’t always one to follow the rules. Indeed, you’re likely to get more bang from your buck doing things your own way, especially if they go against the grain, cause a ruckus and generally disturb everyone’s sense of propriety. You enjoy being the topic of conversation, and you know just how to ensure that you will constantly be in everyone’s mind, simply by doing what comes naturally to you and not worrying about what you are supposed to do. You are never afraid of sharing your opinions about things; the more incendiary the topic the better, as far as you are concerned. If an argument arises, so be it — you thrive on heated disagreement!

Despite appearances, you may be quite a homebody, deriving solace and confi dence from harmony at home and from steady, calm, loving interaction with family members. It could be said that you are one person at home and another away from home — and those two people could hardly be more diff erent!

Also born on this date are: Howard Stern, radio host; Kirstie Alley, actress; Joe Frazier, boxer; Rush Limbaugh, radio host; Jack London, author; Tex Ritter, singer and actor; Oliver Platt, actor; Joe E. Lewis, singer and comedian; Forrest Tucker, actor; Olivier Martinez, actor.

You’ve been working long and hard to see that everyone involved in a certain project is on the same page. A key goal is recognised.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22]

LIBRA [SEPT. 23-OCT. 22] LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL[S[[[S[S[S[[S[SS[SSSS[S[[[[SSSSSSSSSS

SCORPIO [OCT. 23-NOV. 21] S[

SAGITTARIUS [NOV. 22-DEC. 21] S[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18]

You know how to put two and two together, but it will take more than mere arithmetic to come up with the right answers.

You are not likely to be the centre of attention, and that suits you just fi ne. You’re not feeling quite yourself, perhaps.

You’re eager to see if your work will last beyond the immediacy of its present situation. Others are looking ahead with you.

You may stumble across one or two important clues, and the mystery you’ve been grappling with is that much closer to being solved.

Some who are close to you may feel you are not doing what is right. Today you can prove that you are.

You know how to get done what must be done, yet some will object to your seemingly random approach — which is anything but!

The time you spend with others who share your dreams will prove benefi cial in many ways, and you won’t feel quite so alone.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20]

You’re tempted by someone who has more sexual energy than you are used to encountering. Consider all possible outcomes.

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20]

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22]

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22]

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19]

Y O U R B I R T H D A Y

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19]

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20]

You are enjoying things in a way that is rather new to you. You want to explore this phenomenon more deeply, and you’ll have the chance.

There is quite a buzz surrounding what you are about to unveil. No one has guessed the details, but many sense the signifi cance.

You may be confused by someone who is throwing out too many options at once. You need to have your thoughts directed a bit more clearly.

C11


Thought to be an imperme-able barrier, research re-ported in Nature shows

that graphene in fact allows pro-tons to pass through it, opening up the possibility of its use as an ultrathin membrane in fuel cells. Meanwhile, a separate report in Science reveals that graphene outperforms both steel and a com-posite Kevlar armour in its ability to withstand “bullets.”

Proton fi lterProtons’ ability to travel through graphene suggests that the mate-rial could be used as a membrane to sieve hydrogen from air, and to help extract energy from that hydrogen in a fuel cell, says co-author Andre Geim, a materials scientist at the University of Man-chester, UK, who won a Nobel prize in 2010 for his pioneering experiments on graphene.

Fuel cells convert the chemi-cal energy stored in hydrogen (or other fuels) into electricity by breaking it apart into protons and electrons: the electrons race around an outside wire to create a current, with the protons fl ow-ing through a membrane within the cell. (Electrons and protons recombine at an electrode to re-act with oxygen.) Today’s mem-branes, such as a commercial

polymer called Nafi on, are tens of micrometers thick but do not entirely prevent hydrogen fuel from leaking through; their thick-ness also means that proton fl ow is not as great as it might be, re-ducing the cell’s power. A strong, ultrathin barrier that blocks everything except protons could solve both problems at a stroke. This, says Geim, is what graphene could provide — as could, the team reports, another atomically thin sheet made of boron nitride.

Fuel-cell experts say that the work is proof of principle, but are cautious about its immediate ap-plication. Factors such as to how grow a suffi ciently clean, large gra-phene sheet, and its cost and life-time, would have to be taken into account. “It may or may not be a better membrane for a fuel cell,” says Andrew Herring, a chemical engineer at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden.

Geim’s team used a similar ap-proach to fi lter clean hydrogen from water using a graphene membrane. Such a technique might pull hydrogen from air, Geim says. “It’s speculation, but before this paper it would be sci-ence fi ction,” he says. Graphene itself might not be the only solu-tion, however. In 2013, research-ers showed how a stacked series

of graphene oxide membranes created small channels that sieved hydrogen from mixtures of carbon dioxide or nitrogen.

Strong armourGraphene has already been proved to be the world’s strongest mate-rial — by measuring the resistance of the sheet to being pressed with a diamond tip. But now the mate-rial has been targeted by “bullets” for the fi rst time, with tiny silica spheres being fi red at layers of graphene.

These layers can very rapidly disperse the energy of an impact before they shatter, because dis-ruptions ripple outward through the material so fast, explains co-author Edwin Thomas, from Rice University in Houston, Texas. The upper limit on this eff ect is the speed of sound in a material, and in stiff , light graphene, a sound wave can travel at 22 kilometres per second — as opposed to just 332 meters per second in air. A composite material based on graphene layers and other light-weight, strong materials could be a “very promising armour sys-tem,” Thomas says.

A question of scaleThese latest experiments sug-gest even more potential for

graphene, which is already be-ing trialled for hundreds of uses, including batteries, night-vision goggles, medical scanners, con-doms and photodetectors. But in all cases, industrial partners’ main concern is manufactur-ing: whether graphene sheets, or composite materials that include graphene, can be made in large scale at suffi cient quality and to reliable standards. “There is a confused market out there,” says James Baker, business director of the National Graphene Insti-tute in Manchester, England. One touted application - replacing the rare compound indium tin oxide used in touchscreens for mobile phones — now looks less likely, because graphene cannot provide the same quality at the same cost, for example.

Dozens of companies are cur-rently actively making and com-mercialising graphene or gra-phene-based materials, but few have reached the market after years of development. But what may seem a slow pace of devel-opment to outsiders is only to be expected for new materials, says Baker. “You won’t know if par-ticular applications will work un-less you talk to industry,” he adds. - Richard Van Noorden/The New York Times

News Services

Graphene was fi rst isolated a decade ago, but the single-atom-thick sheet of carbon

is still turning up surprises

World’s thinnest, strongest material

Gene mutations put some smokers at pancreatitis risk

GENE MUTATIONS in some peo-ple who drink and smoke put them at an increased risk of developing chron-ic pancreatitis, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine in the US said. Smoking and drinking are known to be strong risk factors for chronic pancreatitis but not everyone who smokes or drinks damages their pancreas. “Our new study identifi es gene variants, which

when combined with lifestyle factors make people suscep-tible to chronic pancreatitis and may be useful to prevent patients from developing it,” said David Whitcomb, chief of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Pitt’s School of Medicine. The 12-year study provides insight into why some people develop this painful and debilitating infl ammatory condition while most heavy smokers or drinkers do not ap-pear to suff er any problems with it.

Statin treatment also curbs

heart disease risk in women

RESOLVING a major uncertainty, a large international study has con-clusively shown that statin treat-ment also reduces the risk of car-diovascular disease in women, just as it does in men. “It has long been known that, by reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, statin medications prevent heart attacks and strokes in people at risk of these diseases,” said lead investigator An-

thony Keech, professor of medicine, cardiology and epidemi-ology at University of Sydney. Whether statin therapy is as ef-fective in women as in men is debated, especially for primary prevention. “This analysis of the eff ects of statins on 174,000 patients, undertaken by combining results from 27 diff erent trials, shows beyond any reasonable doubt that women gain the same benefi ts from statins as men,” Keech added. Statins are benefi cial not only to women who have already had a car-diovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke, but also in those who are at an increased risk of such diseases, the fi nd-ings showed.

Gene couple that boosts stress disorder identifi ed

PEOPLE WHO carry two specifi c genes are at greater risk of develop-ing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), shows new research, sug-gesting that even heredity infl uences a person’s risk of developing the de-bilitating mental disorder. The two genes called COMT and TPH-2 play important roles in brain function. “We found a signifi cant association between variants of COMT and TPH-

2 with PTSD symptoms, suggesting that these genes contrib-ute to the onset and persistence of the disorder,” said lead au-thor Armen Goenjian, a researcher at University of California, Los Angeles. -IANS

H E A L T H N O T E S

S T U D Y

EXPOSING YOURSELF to cold temperatures on a regular basis could help to make you thin because it may change the way the body metabolises fat accord-ing to scientists who believe they have discovered why.

Cooling the body’s core tem-perature even slightly appears to act as a trigger for the conversion of harmful “white” fat, which is linked with obesity, to the less harmful “brown” fat used to gen-erate body heat, they said.

Studies on laboratory mice found that a protein called Zfp516 is critical for the formation of

brown fat and that mice with high levels of the protein gained 30 per cent less weight that other mice when fed a high-fat diet, the researchers said. “Knowing which protein regulates brown fat is signifi cant because brown fat is not only important for ther-mogenesis (heat generation), but there is evidence that brown fat may also aff ect metabolism and insulin resistance,” said Hei Sook Sul of the University of California, Berkeley. “If you can somehow increase levels of this protein through drugs, you could have more brown fat, and could

possibly lose more weight even if eating the same amount of food,” Dr Sul said.

“This protein could become an important target for research into the treatment and preven-tion of obesity and obesity-relat-ed diseases,” she said.

Brown fat burns energy and helps to keep the body warm. It does this because it contains relatively high levels of mito-chondria, the “power plants” of the cells, which also accounts for why these fat cells appear brown compared to the usual “white” fat cells. -Steve Connor/The Independent

Exposure

to cold

could

keep you

thinner:

Scientists

C12


NEARLY 2,400 MS-DOS games are now available to play — for free — in almost any browser on the Internet Archive.

A lot of people of a certain generation are once again able to play the games they played over and over and over again as kids.

The Internet Archive is argua-bly best-known for its Wayback Machine, the neat and useful repository of home pages past that lets you, say, see what the White House's website looked like 15 years ago. But it does a lot more than simply send surf-ers back in time.

Many video game enthusiasts learned that over a year ago with the launch of the console liv-ing room, a similar project that brought early games (like those on the old Atari consoles) into the browser as playable emulations.

Here’s a sample of the play-able games out there:

Master of OrionA super popular turn-based ga-lactic conquest game that might remind some players of the Civ-ilisation series.

The Oegon TrailThis game probably needs little introduction, but just in case: you travel from the east on the Oregon Trail like a pioneer — and it's magical and addicting.

The Lion KingWhat? I liked it when I was a kid.

There are a ton more, which you can explore at https://ar-chive.org/details/softwareli-brary_msdos_games. Some of the games are going to be bug-gy, but they’re working on it.

The MS-DOS project is like-ly to see similar popularity to the console experiment.

Although this isn’t the fi rst time some of these games have made it into a playable browser format, the Internet Archive’s undertaking is an unprec-edented work of interactive preservation. In addition to simply posting a best-shot at-tempt at emulating the game experience in a browser, soft-ware curator Jason Scott is so-liciting feedback on what does and doesn't work for users as more and more people explore the software archives.

In a Monday post announc-ing the new resource, Scott wrote: “I really worked hard to have only fully-functioning programs up, or at least, pro-grams that gave viable, useful feedback. Some of them will still fall over and die, and many of them might be weird to play in a browser window, and of course you can’t really save things off for later, and that will limit things too.

But on the whole, you will experience some analogue of the MS-DOS program, in your browser, instantly.”-Abby Ohlheiser/The Washington Post.

You can now play nearly 2,400 MS-DOS video games in your browser

Tech fi rms want devices connected to the internetFrom blankets to shoes, companies are rushing to create and embed chips in everything

If technology firms have their way, everything we use on a daily basis, from our toothbrush to our car,

will one day be connected to the internet.

At this year’s International CES — the consumer tech indus-try’s annual Las Vegas confab — you can’t go more than a few steps without hearing someone talking about a way to connect something new to the internet.

But as companies rush to cre-ate apps and embed chips in eve-rything from blankets to shoes, it’s unclear whether consumers are as hot on the “smart every-thing” trend.

After all, people probably don’t need an alert on their phone to tell them when their toast is ready — the bread popping out is a pretty good clue.

It’s one thing to have a smart appliance that saves you time or money, which is the main selling point for successful devices such as the Nest thermostat.

A critical and consumer dar-ling, analysts have estimated that the Nest sells around 100,000

units per month. But other smart products have not been so quick to catch on.

Companies are tight-lipped about sales fi gures for smart ap-pliances, but even Whirlpool has admitted that its smart washing machine is “a little bit of a ham-mer looking for a nail right now”.

Experts project that the mar-ket for smart appliances overall will reach only around $4.99 bil-lion in sales by 2015; by contrast, Whirlpool alone took in around $18.9 billion in sales for its appli-ance businesses last year.

And that may indicate a slow market for smart devices, except for the really useful ones.

Do we really want to monitor obsessively the updates from a smart nappy, an app-connected toothbrush or an automatic, in-ternet-connected belt?

For the majority of average consumers, the answer right now is: “No, thank you.” In a new survey by Nielsen’s Affi nnova group, just over 40 per cent of adults said that the smart prod-ucts they’ve seen so far seem like gimmicks, and 59 per cent said

that they need real value to spend money on a smart product, not just novelty.

That presents a major chal-lenge for companies such as Samsung, which has thrown it-self wholly into the development of smart appliances and electron-ics.

In a speech on Monday night, Samsung’s chief executive, BK Yoon, said that he would like to see all of Samsung’s products connected to the internet within the next fi ve years.

But even consumers who are buying such products appear to want more than just connectivity.

They also crave simplicity. The research fi rm Accenture found in a global survey released this week that 83 per cent of people who have used smart devices such as fi tness monitors, home-security systems and even smart thermostats have had frustrating problems getting those devices to work.

Just over one-fi fth of those surveyed deemed smart devices “too complicated to use”.

Nearly as many also said that

they had problems even setting up the devices. And once they did get them working, 19 per cent said that they felt the products didn’t work as advertised.

Those problems may be damp-ening enthusiasm for the revo-lution that web-oriented com-panies are trying to foment — a trend that analysts predict could rake in more than £2 trillion by 2020 if fi rms get it right.

So while enthusiasm for “the Internet of Things” is a hot catch-phrase these days in the tech in-dustry, it’s still decidedly in its awkward adolescent phase.

To sell the idea — convincingly — to consumers, companies will have to think hard about how to make connected devices useful, safe and understandable to the average person.

That’s not to say “the Internet of Things” isn’t going to happen, but it probably requires a little more time at the drawing board, given the products companies in Vegas are pitching this week.

More interesting objects may be unveiled in future.-Hayley Tsukayama/The Washington Post

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O MSECTION

CONNECT H E D A I LY G U I D E

D

D4 VACANCY CARGO D7

M O N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

RENT D2

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

New deluxe building in Misfah Industrial Area, 11 shops with A/C, each 4cm x 9cm, an additi onal 12

huge spaces including kitchens and bathrooms which can be used for offi ces or residences. The building

locati on fi rst row close to main road.

Contact - 98880333

FOR RENT

DAILY GUIDEEmail: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

2 BR fl ats with split A/C’s & internet

free & 2 BR fully furnished deluxe

fl ats available at Al Khuwair near

KM Hypermarket. Offi ce space 115

SQ mtr with partition & cassette type

A/C’s available at Al Khuwair near

KM Hypermarket.

Contact 99460330

2 Bedroom Spacious fl at for rent at

Al Khuwair 25 for OMR 400/- per

month . Contact: 99379988.

Flats in Muttrah near Oman House

per fl at RO 230. Contact 92815855 /

95181077

6 shops in Mabela Industrial Area.

Each Front Shop OMR 400 and Side

Shop OMR 300Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in

Misfah Industrial area near to Khan

co. OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity

and boundary wall will be provided.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

2 BHK available in Mumtaz area,

Ruwi & Ghubra, nr Indian School.

Contact 99269751

Family room available for rent at

Muttrah Souq. Contact 24712088 /

99022790

Offi ce space & store, CBD 20059.

Contact 99024730

2 BHK, Al Khuwair. Contact

99024730

2 BHK, CBD. Contact

99024730

2 BHK, Darsait near Kims Hospital.

Contact 99024730

1 & 2 BHK & villa 3 BR-Darsait near

ISM & ISD. Contact 99024730

1 BHK, 2 BHK, Ghala, new bldg.

Contact 99024730

1 BHK, Wadi Kabir. Contact

99024730

Flat for Rent in Ruwi, Bareeq

Shatti, Mawalah. Contact 92521080,

98899916

Spacious 2 BR fl at in MBD. Contact

99713489

2 bedrooms, big bathroom, sharing

kitchen for rent with Electric and

Water Bill =RO 220/-. Only for family.

Location / Place – Mumtaz Area near

Khimjis Mart. Contact 98917915 /

99823591

2 BHK fl at in Mumtaz.

Contact 99792181

1, 2, 3, BHK in Alkhuwair.

Contact 99792181

2 BHK in Bowsher. Contact 99792181

1 & 2 BHK in Ruwi. Contact 99792181

D2 M O N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

200 Sqr mtrs Showroom in CBD.

Contact 99792181

1 & 2 BHK in Wataya. Contact 99792181

100 & 180 Sqr mtrs offi ce space in

Al khuwair. Contact 99792181

6 BHK commercial Villa in Ghobra.

Contact 99792181

Spacious well maintained 2 BHK at

Rex Road from 1st February.

Contact 92227165

Flat for rent Ghubrah South, ground

fl oor fl at, 3 bedrooms, majlis,

family hall, RO 425/-.

Contact 94669711

2 BHK Pent House with split A/C

in all rooms, very spacious balcony

with sea & city view RO 350, 2 BHK

RO 340, Bldg #1619, Way #1322

adjacent to Indian Nursery Darsait.

Contact 99476728 / 99831047

1 BHK bedroom fl at in Wadi Kabir

neat Kuwaiti Mosque RO 200/-.

Contact 95094028

2 BR deluxe fl ats at Ghubrah and

Ruwi. 2 BR furnished fl at at Ghubrah.

Contact 99885391 / 99354010

Shop & fl ats available.

Contact-24813822

Rent, new fl at Wadi Adai, 2 big

bedrooms, 1 big toilet, 1 big hall, 1 big

kitchen. Contact 99345137

Barber Shop for Rent/Sale in Hail

North near Shell Petrol Pump.

Contact : 92864522 , 96448372

1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG

Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880

We have special villa in Bausher,

Al Muna, 5 bedrooms, rent RO 800/-.

Contact 99622885

1 BHK commercial, Darsait,

RO 225/-. Contact 97799175

1,2,3 BHK fl ats & Villas.

Contact 92144045

Separate Villa, Al Athaibah, 3 BHK,

hall, living room, maid rooms, A/C

split, family only, RO 600/-.

Contact 92479515

Villa, Al Khuwair 33, 4 BHK, living

room, split A/C, family only, RO

600/-Contact 92479515

Fully furnished one bedroom

penthouse Wadi Kabir behind Sana

Hassan, weekly RO.140/- Monthly

RO 350/- Contact – 99349990

6 bedroom villas at Al Ansab (nr Ex-

press highway). Contact 99199365

2 BHK fl at for rent RO.350/- at

Al Khuwair near Sultan Taimur

Mosque. Contact – 98893294

Apartments & villas available.

Contact 95178930

1 BHK residential fl at at Honda road.

2 BHK residential fl at opposite to

Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact – 93219590

1 BHK fl at Qurum RO.270/- with

split A/C. Contact – 99358589 /

95570288 /97079146

2 BHK fl at at Al Khuwair RO.370/-

with split A/C. Contact – 99358589 /

95570288 /97079146

2 BHK in Seeb RO.200/- Contact – 99455334

2 BHK Commercial Al Khuwair,

RO 375/-. Contact 97799175

If require fl ats for rent in Wadi

Kabir please send messages through

Whatsapp or call – 99376454

3 offi ce spaces available in RUWI

FOR RENT 450 OMR & 500 OMR.

96986132

Villa, Al Ansab, 5 BHK, living room,

split A/C, family only. RO 550/-.

Contact 92479515

Luxury 2 bed room villa at Bausher-

AL Ansab Phase 3.Call. 99324456

Flat in Ghala, opposite Zubair,

2 BHK, living room, split A/C, family

only, RO 350/-. Contact 92479515

Fully Equipped Restaurant / Indus-

trial Kitchen for Sale with existing

catering orders, CR & Labour Clear-

ance, Restaurant space and Outdoor

sitting area on Sale at Mawaleh

Call: 9906 4589

Offi ce space with cassette type A/C’s

with free internet at al Khuwair near

KM Hypermarket. Contact 99460330

2 BHK available in Darsait, 1 B/R

and hall, 2 B/R and hall. Contact

99357586, 97500025, 97884787

Fully Furnished ( A/C , Fridge, T.V,

Cooking Gas ) 3 rooms in a fl at with

Kitchen at Azaiba. 2BHK Flats Un

furnished at Azaiba next to Al Meera

Hyper market ( Families) Contact

-99424470 Time : 9 am to 7 pm

Fabulous A/C fl at Al Khoud, 3 rooms,

280 rials. Contact 99334699

2 single room fl ats available @ RO

160/- per month, including Electric-

ity & Water. Contact 99441798

New bldg 3 BR fl ats located at

Darsait, Muscat close to Kims Pvt

Hospital. Contact 92020004 /

99800838

Building of 3 fl ats each 4 BR,

rent RO 2500/-. Contact 99776071 /

99057348

Villas & fl ats & stores. Contact

99776071 / 99057348

Basement for rent behind Bank

Muscat at Wadi Kabir. Contact

99373290, 24815012

6 shops in Maabela Industrial Area.

Each Shop OMR 400 Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

5 bedrooms villa with 2 halls, 4

bathrooms in Darsait behind Khimjis

Mart. Contact 24700120, 92584715

OFFICES FOR RENT

Contact: 97377355 / 95530121, Email id: [email protected]

- Premium offices to let a very good location on the main road very close to Zakher Mall, Al Khawiar. Business Center has offices with sizes of 50m2, 110m2, 180m2, 207m2, 230m2, 437m2.- Showroom also available at Business Center, Area 500m2 with central A/c. - Offices with Central Air-conditions, Security System with CCTV cameras, and Security presence in the building.

Contact - 92850717

FOR RENTBrand new 2BHK with split A/C near SQU round about

at Al Khoud, near to Muscat highway, building no. 4558/1,

way no. 5350.

DAILY GUIDEM O N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 D3

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

BUYING/SELLING

Abu Adnan Tower - fl at for rent

available at Al Mabelah, 2 B/R,

1 hall, 2 toilets, 1 kitchen.

Contact 95566475 / 99654252

300 SQR mtrs Labor camp or Store

for Rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99792181

BHK fl ats Muttrah near Oman House.

Contact 97007934 / 92629232

Villa 2 bedrooms & majlis,

2 toilets, kitchen in Mawaleh.

Contact 91376619

2 BR, 2 toilets, kitchen at

Al Mawaleh. Contact 99444786,

99747560

We have 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 3 BHK fl ats,

4, 5 bedrooms villa, open space offi c-

es & shops available in Ghala, Gho-

brah, Qurum, Mabela, Ruwi, Darsait,

Mumtaz, Wadi Kabir. All brand new

buildings & very aff ordable prices.

Contact 93782735 / 99208033

Flat for rent 2 bedrooms one hall in

South Al Hail. RO 270.

Contact 93221474

3 new Villas for rent, located in

South Ghubrah behind American

School, each has 11 bedrooms

including 2 Majlis, 8 bathrooms and

kitchen. For residential or institu-

tional rent. Contact 99233729 /

98539366

House in North Al Hail with 3 rooms,

Majlis & 3 toilets. Contact 99439568

2 BHK with A/C near ISM RO.325/-

1BHK Al Falaj without A/C RO.200/- 2 BHK with A/C near Kims hospital

RO.300/- Darsait commercial or residential with A/C RO.230/- Stu-dio at Al Falaj RO.170/-. 2 BHK with-

out A/C at Wadi Kabir RO.300/-

Contact - 92144045

300 Sqr mtrs store or labor camp for

Rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact - 99792181

For rent apartments: An apartment

in old Muscat at Oman Arab Bank’s

building. 3 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms,

dining room, living room and a

kitchen. Air conditioned apartments.

2 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms, living

room, dining room area and kitchen

in an excellent location in

Al Khuwair opposite the court of fi rst

instance. For further information

call 97072976

Flats and shops. Contact 93009999

Studio fl at in Ruwi.

Contact 99792181

For rent (fl ats), 2 bedrooms

+hall+kitchen, location: South

Al Mawaleh. Contact 99870020

1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG

Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880

Show room on the main road Saham

center total area 450 m sq. Contact:

99366558 / 99334226

Flats/villas owned by ROP pension

fund available for rent in Muscat.

Contact 99349526

Villa, ground fl oor in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99743569, 97004265

Apartments in Al Khuwair new area

each apartment contains

(2 bedrooms + living room)

for RO 365. Contact 93181111

Industrial Land in Misfah.

Contact 93009999

For rent shops and offi ces in

Al Mabela. Contact 99355330

Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM,

7 Bar Pressure) powered

with Diesel run Generator.

Kindly Contact 99014686 or

[email protected]

Used household & offi ce furniture and

electronic items. Contact 99834373,

97102699

Looking for commercial lands for

sale in Al Ghobrah North (urgent

serious buyers, commercial lands in

al Ghobrah North (corners prime loca-

tion). Contact 91155779

Restaurant about 250 SQM @

5/- SQM, heart of Ruwi Market in

Plaza Hotel for sale / rent. Contact

99326339 / 24833314

Shop for sale near ONTC bus

stand Ruwi near Sun City Hotel

on main road.Contact 99326339 /

24789801

Dental clinic for sale in

Sohar. Contact immediately

99705760,92625962

Flats for Sale in Bowshar: OMR

35 Thousand 1 bedroom. OMR 45

Thousand 2 bedroom. Monthly

income 1 bedroom OMR 270 and 2

bedroom OMR 350. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land

with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479

or 95215360

3 fl oor commercial building in

Muttrah behind Police. Generating

income of OMR 18 Thousand annu-

ally. Neat and well maintained. Built

on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops

on ground fl oor and 6 fl ats. OMR

207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

Mobile shop & store for sale with

stocks in Dhofar building Ruwi.

Contact 92239696 / 98001233

Used furniture bedroom sofa dining

A/Cs Majlis washing machine, table

keyboard, Expat leaving.

Contact 99353978

Readymade Garments shop furni-

ture. Contact 99386170

Building material shop for sale,

near Mars Hypermarket, Al Ghoubra.

Contact 93797343 / 99881647

Well running pharmacy. Contact no . 93240949

Sale!, all household items, like

fridge, freezer, cooking range, wash-

ing machine, window/split A/Cs,

LCD TV, Laptop, tab and many more

for attractive prices. Location : near

Toyota service Center, Honda Road.

Contact - 97048983, 95293643

Restaurant for leasing/sale in

Al Hail. Contact 94148970,

94148972, 97820877

Household items on sale.

Contact 93833107

We are dealing with sale of all beauty

salon equipments, furnitures & cos-

metics.#942 888 61 / 942 888 63

New Villa for Rent Two fl oors

newly built villa in Maabillah, 8 Full-

fl edged Residential Area

6 Rooms, 8 Toilets, excellent fi nish-

ing spacious Kitchen, Big Dining

Rooms in Both Floors, Easy Access

to Muscat and Sohar using Maabil-

lah Bridge. Contact 92828303

Flats ground fl oor, 3 Rooms & AC,

kitchen, hall, in Al Mabaila South.

Contact 99377290

2 B/ R Fully Furnished Executive

Apartment @ Al Khuwair 33 Near

Zaker Mall. 3 Bedroom Furnished ex-

ecutive apartment @ Al Khuwair 25

5 B/R Luxury Fully Furnished villas

at Azaiba with servants, 3 Bedroom

Unfurnished Villa @ Mawalah South

Area 6 with Servant Quarter,

5 Bedroom Unfurnished Villa @

An Apartment that resembles a pent-

house has 2 rooms with 2 toilets, liv-

ing room & an elegant balcony. Fully

furnished, suited for families. Final

price RO.300/- Mabela 8 near Ger-

man University. Contact 99888400

1 BHK with attached toilet & bath-

room behind Bank Muscat at

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99373290,

24815012

1 BHK at Ghobrah - Near Indian

School. Contact: 99014885

1 BHK & Single room in Wadi Kabir.

RO 180/-. Contact 99376454

Al Qurum heights Sea view.

Contact - 99249069 / 92888376/

93201688

2 BHK at Al Azaiba, Building No.5145

Way 4470. Contact 99224748,

99425665

2 BHK with A/C, commercial

Al Khuwair. Contact 92144045

Flat one bedroom at Al Khuwair 33,

owner. Contact 92800007

Running establishment for sale, industrial license, marble & granite,

aluminum workshop, fully equipped

showroom. Serious buyers please

contact 99334540

Running Workshop for Tiles /

Marble & Granite cutting & skirting

in Wadi Kabir for immediate sale.

Contact 99105492

Well decorated shop for sale at

Sur around 75 SQM, ground fl oor &

same size at Mezzanine, RO 150/-

per month only. Contact 98644622

2 residential plots in Mumtaz

Area, Ruwi. Contact 99323266,

99370605

Used household furniture and

other items for sale.

Contact 91566996

Restaurant items on sale, like

plates, spoons, soup spoons etc.

please contact 93833107

A newly opened Barber Shop for

sale at upcoming industrial zone

in Misfah. Expat leaving Oman.

Genuine buyers call 93833107

(Sale Price Negotiable)

2 fl ats building in Al Khuwair 17/1.

Contact 99477009

HOUSEHOLD, SALES, Ghubra:

Sofa 3x3, King Bed, Multi Gym,

GymBike, Microwave, Table, Racks,

Mixi, AttaKneader,

Contact: 95053480

Beauty parlour for sale Ghala

Al Ansab near Al Maha petrol pump.

Contact – 92540355 / 97748706

Offi ce for sale at Al Khuwair with

furniture, more than 700 sqm good

condition. Contact – 99055571

Workshop for sale near Misfah

behind Kanco with good fabrica-

tion shed electricity 1150 sqm area.

Contact – 98951026

2 BHK fl ats for rent behind Kims

Hospital. Contact 93161573 /

97769759

Penthouse near Sultan Centre

Al Amerat with 2 A/Cs.

Contact 99612270

3 bedroom furnished Execu-

tive Apartment @Al Khuwair 25,

2 BR fully furnished Executive

Apartment @Azaiba near Zubair

Showroom, 2 BR fully furnished

executive Apartment @Al Khuwair

33 near Zakher Mall. Please con-

tact : Atlas Real Estate & Rent A

Car LLC, 99249069 / 92888376 /

93201688,

email : [email protected]

2 BHK fl at Muttrah / Mabelah.

Contact 95915154

Studio fl at Darsait. RO 150/-.

Contact 92144045

Port cabins – New & refurnished

Porta cabin for sale and rent.

Contact 96723468

Sale!, all household items, like

fridge, freezer, cooking range, wash-

ing machine, window/split A/Cs,

LCD TV, Laptop, tab and many more

for attractive prices. Location : near

Toyota service Center, Honda Road.

Contact - 97048983, 95293643

Restaurant for leasing/sale in

Al Hail. Contact 94148970,

94148972, 97820877

Darsait Business Offi ce furniture,

Isuzu 4 ton brand new. # 91391363

Running Electrical Building

Material Shop for sale in Muscat.

Contact 95330905

AVAILABLE

Established Restaurant for rent

with sponsorship.

Contact 97628242

Party & Wedding equipment rent-

als. Full line, from Tables, Linen

& Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers,

Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chaf-

ing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large

Sound Systems and spectacular

lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for

Catering and Croyden 9623 5555

for Sound & Light. www.tunesoman.

com, E-mail: [email protected]

DAILY GUIDED4 M O N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

DOMESTIC HELP

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

MEDICAL

MECH/ TECHNICALCAL

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANTED

Need cutter for Tailoring shop.

Contact 99825211

Housemaid required urgently.

Please contact +968 92806900

Required Housemaid for Indian fam-

ily, Visa will be provided.

Contact 94291473

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

DRIVER

Email: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

EDUCATION

Chartered Accountant, 10+ yrs

experience, B.Com, CA, CIA. Imme-

diate availability. Audit, Finance.

Contact 94641805

Finance & Accounts manager based in Oman with multi-faceted

experience in Finance, Costing,

Audit ,Erp software implementation

with over 18 yrs of post qualifi ca-

tion experience in leading Gulf/

India based Companies involved in

Construction, Contracting, Manufac-

turing, Trading activities. I am seek-

ing suitable challenging position

in leading coys/Groups in Oman.

Please contact mobile no-+968

99601390 or 92209357 or email

[email protected] for detailed

experience

ACCA, 24 yrs, female, looking for

a suitable position, Accounting/

Finance in a reputed fi rm.

Contact 91710657

Indian female, 29 yrs, MBA, HR, fi -

nance, international Business having

2 yrs experience, Oman expert Tally

Peach tree looking for part time/ full

time, well experience accounting.

Contact 95319660

Indian female, having 9 yrs experi-

ence in Administration & 4 yrs in

Accounts seeks suitable placement,

preference for the straight shift. Re-

lease available. Contact 92239617

Chartered Accountant & company

Secretary : currently in Oman, Indian

male, 34 yrs, 10 yrs experience in

Finance, accounting, consulting,

MIS looking for position in fi nance.

Release available. Contact 96731642

Indian Accountant: male, B.Com, 6

out of 10 yrs experience in Oman.

Having NOC & valid Oman D/L. Can

join immediately. Contact 95740191,


B.Com Graduate, 3 yrs experience

in Accounts, Indian male, looking

for accounts or suitable job. Contact

[email protected], 93975526

Part time Accountant with 15 yrs

exp in Accounting, Auditing, Taxa-

tion Management. Contact 95857199

Indian male, 35, MBA with 8 yrs

experience, 2+ yrs in Admin & Ac-

counts and 5+ yrs in USA as Retail

Manager holding American Driving

License looking for suitable position.

Contact 91341786,

Email : [email protected]

Finance Manager, MBA (Finance)

with more than 20 yrs of experience

in GCC/India, involved in Construc-

tion Contracting, Manufacturing,

fully knowledgeable in Finance Gen-

eral and Management Accounting,

NOC available. Contact 93245973

Accounts part time works upto fi na-

lization & fi nalization works.

Contact 96247295

M.Com with MS Dynamics and

Tally, 8 yrs experienced Accountant

requires Accountant (Senior Ac-

countant) position (NOC available).

Contact 93687011

Indian, MBA, Graduate specialized

in Finance, Marketing with GCC, D/L

looking for good job opportunity.

Contact 93197431

Bangladeshi male, Chartered

Accountant with 2 yrs London exp.

looking for job. Contact 99640986/

[email protected],

+447958036642

Pakistani Male, 26 yrs, MS-Supply

Chain & Project Management, BS-

Finance & Business Administration,

+2 yrs experience in Trading Firm

responsible for Supply Chain &

Accounts. Skills including strong

operation managerial

Communication & interpersonal,

fl uent in English, SAP and EPM.

Contact 94663827,


Finance Manager, CPA, with more

than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.

Fully knowledgeable in Finance,

General & Management Accounting .


Accountant / Auditor, Srilankan

male 27, having 3+ yrs experience

looking for suitable placement.

Contact 93556320

Accounts Finalization, Part Time

Accounting, Audit Preparation,

Internal Audit, Onsite Tally Training,

Onsite Training for Accountants, In-

ventory Management. #94669089,


Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.7 out

of 9 years experience in Oman in

Accounts/fi nance. Having NOC and

valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143,

Email: [email protected]

ADMIN/HR

ENGINEERS

ENGINEERS

SALES / MARKETING

MANAGER

OFFICE/ SEC Light Driver having own visa

looking for job as driver

Contact 92303692

Light Driver looking for job.

Contact 92787245

Driver with vehicle, Keralite.

Contact 94251067

Driver seeking job. # 99805236

Bangladeshi male driver, exp 12 yrs

looking for job in any company &

offi ce. Contact 99165961

Pakistani male light vehicle driver

with 1.5 yrs experience. #98219599

Driver with car. Contact 96954496

6 Years experience light duty driver.

Contact – 96736744

Indian driver need job with car.

Contact 91254539

Light vehicle driver available.

Contact 96756014 / 97938893

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 96794309 / 98335778

Bangladeshi male light vehicle driv-

er, looking for job. Contact 93113447

Pakistani male light vehicle driver

2 yrs exp. Contact - 96342684

Light driver looking for job.

Contact 92791678

Currently working as Lecturer of IT,

(M.Sc IT) (M Phil computer Science)

having experience for more than 5

years, looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact 91105949

Urgently required an experienced person in gliding, fi xing & instal-lation works at buildings, for a

well established advertisement

co.in Sohar. Send your CV to :

[email protected]

[email protected],

Call : 96367342,95728453

Indian Male, qualifi ed ICWA, M.com

with 2years experience in accounts,

costing, auditing & SAP in reputed

listed companies, seeks suitable

placements. Mob: 94619453

Email: [email protected].

Indian male MBA 32 yrs having

10 yrs of exp seeking suitable place-

ment in Admin/ HR/ Operations/

Coordination/ Logistics etc.

Holding valid Oman D/L .

Contact - 99054786

Graduate Indian female having

5+ Years Oman experience in Ad-

min/Procurement/Logistics with

excellent computer skills(PGDCA).

Seeking suitable Placement.

NOC available.

Contact:95382966

Indian male 32 years, B.A Tourism

& Travel Management. 2 and Half

years Dubai experience in Front

offi ce & reservation in a 3 star hotel

with good command over English &

Hindi, seeking placement in HR or

Admin. Contact - 9454 1041.

Indian male having NOC with 7 yrs

Oman experience in recruitment / on

boarding general admin.

Immediate joining.

Contact 96684424

Indian female with 10 yrs of experi-

ence in HR/Banking/Operations

seeks a suitable placement. Can be

contacted on 98919015 or

[email protected]

Indian female with excellent

communication skills, confi dent,

dedicated to work and enthusiastic.

Knowledge about ms offi ce. Has

6 years of experience in cus-

tomer service, telecommunication,

HR.Looking for immediate place-

ment. Contact # 97348819

Indian male, Graduate expert in ad-

min and purchase for 9 yrs holding

Omani D/L looking for suitable job.

Contact 99626821,

NOC available.

Omani with 6 yrs experience as

PRO, 3 years Admin / Procurement

Offi cer, excellent English can travel

out of Oman, PDO D/L seeks job.

Contact 96996938

Indian female, MBA, HR 1 yr experi-

ence in India seeking suitable op-

portunity. Contact 99257214

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Required Physiotherapist. Contact: 91453024

General practitioner Doctor is

required to work urgently in Dreams

Clinic at Al Khoudh and must be

resident in the Sultanate of Oman.

Please send your CV to the following

email: [email protected],

[email protected] &

info@towersinternationalgroups.

com, Mobile 99882340,

Tel: 24545914

Dentist required to work urgently in

dreams clinic at Al Khoud and must

be resident in Sultanate of Oman.

Please send your CV to the following

email – [email protected] /

[email protected] /

[email protected]

Mobile – 99882340 / 24545914

DESIGNER

CATERING

AutoCAD Designer D/man 2D/3D/

Revit/Photoshop, experienced.

Contact : 97103168

Interior Designer, Gulf Exp, Auto-

CAD 2D/3D/ Corel draw.

Contact : 97103168

Indian male, 8 yrs GCC experience

in 3D & Architectural Designing

with D/L. Contact 97263199

Urgently required light car drivers for a VIP service Company.

Preferred Philipino National.

Contact 98266319.


Good growing Company in Muscat is looking for 2 drivers. English

language needed. Email :

[email protected]

Needed 2 drivers, off ering good

salary. Contact 99441798

Wanted driver. Contact 95112461

DRIVER

Required experienced Account-ant Tally, excellent English &

driving license. Contact –

[email protected] /

24497762 / 92192510

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Construction Company requires female executive assistant, with

good computer and communica-

tion skills, advanced English,

fl uent Arabic. Please send your CV

[email protected]

One of the leading Business

Groups in Oman is looking for

the following person : Secretary (Male-Indian) – 1 No., min 5 yrs

of experience preferably in spare

parts & bearings. Please send your

CV to [email protected]

A reputed 3 star hotel in Muscat requires qualifi ed Omani Nation-als for front offi ce, security and

food and beverage departments.

Interested candidates

please contact 99061335,


Indian female, 25 yrs, bachelors of

businesses management, having

experience of 5 years as a fund/

fi nancial administration, on visit

visa,looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94662416

[email protected]

26 hrs Indian Accountant with

2 years experience, B.Com, seeking

suitable position, available immedi-

ately, contact No:9821 3292,

e-mail: [email protected]

Looking for smart/ dynamic male

for front desk offi ce, pref. fl uency

in English. Contact 95176500

(Salalah)

Urgently required Sales Managers & Sales Executives for the following

fi elds: 1) Information technology,

2) Gifts & promotion 3) Readymade

Garments & textile. Experience

required minimum 3 yrs & having

valid Oman Driving license.

Contact 99322373 ,

[email protected],

[email protected]

Required Salesman, Tailor, Barber. Contact 91114884

Looking for outdoor salesman for heavy equipments.

Contact- 93292015, 99656542

Leading Construction company

requires young purchase assistant

with Oman driving license.

Contact 99108425

Required an experienced person who has ideas to start a new business

in electrical fi eld or supply with mini-

mum cost. Contact 99426421

DRAUGHTSMAN

ARCHITE. / INTERIOR

Auotcad, Well Experienced, Arch,

Stucture, knows 3D, Revit Photoshop

Ph : 97103168

Civil Draughtsman, Indian Male,

23 yrs with 3yrs experience in Au-

toCAD 2D & 3D, MEP, HVAC, 3Ds Max

and Photoshop looking for suitable

position, presently in Muscat, Oman

on visit visa. Contact 91764358,

[email protected]

Omani Man looking for a job with

experience in HR/ Admin/

accounting. # 99767666

Indian Male 25 years B.Com hav-

ing 3 years of exp of Oman in Ac-

counts/Administration.Well versed

with computer knowledge looking

for suitable position. Immidi-

ately available. Contact:93207867

email: [email protected]

Indian female, 25 yrs, B.Com with

computer Application, 1 yr experi-

ence as Accountant,

looking for suitable job.

Contact 98847165

2-3 years experienced electrical

panel technician. Contact Mobile

No:93838449/98987386

Excellent cleaning company required Operation Manager, experience in Muscat cleaning

companies preferred.

Contact 92868123

Required Laundry men (Ironing)

visa ready. Contact – 92868123

MISCELLANEOUS

Urgently required Senior Account-ant (exp. required minimum 5 yrs

having driving license), Assistant

Accountant (exp. req minimum

3 yrs). Contact 99322373 ,

[email protected],

[email protected].

An Accountant with minimum 3 yrs

experience in managing fi nancial

records & administration functions

is required for an IT company in

Muscat. Send your CV with updates

photo to [email protected]

Indian male, working Bakery

Pastry as Sr. Chef De Party, 15 yrs

experience in Oman, 10 yrs exp in

one of the 5 star Hotels,

still working, get release.

Contact 96460519, 99063817

Construction Company requires Civil Engineer with degree only

with 10 yrs of local or

GCC Experience.


Urgently required a leading construction requires B.Tech Electrical Engineers with 5-10

yrs Gulf experience. Interested

candidates who are willing to join

immediately may send their CV to

[email protected]

Urgently required Biomedical Engineer with 5 yrs experience with

Laboratory Diagnostic instruments

for a Medical Diagnostic Company.

Candidate with Omani Driving

License preferred. Contact

[email protected]

We are looking for :- 1) Firefi ghting equipment Engineer / Technician, 2) Marketing Executive, 3) Crane Maintenance Technician. Email :

[email protected]

We are looking for an Optometrist for an Optical with minimum 3

yrs experience. Please contact

99340769 or


Wanted MBBS Doctor, Staff Nurse and Lab Technician for a Clinic

in Capital Area. Please contact

93431024, send CV to

[email protected]

SALES / MARKETING

Required (fast food restaurant), a part time marketing / Sales professional on commission basis

– 5 Nos. in Muscat. Forward CV to

[email protected]

Required Japanese, Korean car parts Salesman with Gulf exp.

Contact – 98489140

Architect ( Autocad 3D / 3D Max

/ photoshop / presentation ) in a

reputed offi ce. Tel 24794481

fax 24794482

[email protected]

Accountant, 2 yrs experience (pur-

chasing, coordinator) with D/L and

NOC. Contact 94174403

Urgently required Mechanic Super-visor (B.Tech in Mechanical / Automo-

bile Engg) for a reputed company in

Muscat with min of 5 yrs experience

in Grader, Dozer etc with GCC/Oman

License. Those interested may email

CV along with certifi cates to

[email protected],

[email protected] or

contact 99288717

Required urgently Civil Engineer with minimum 5 years experi-

ence driving license must. If you

interesting send your CV on email:

[email protected]

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER (full

time) Responsibilities: To work with

architect, To provide of construction

issue documentation for a projects.

Desired candidate Profi le: min of

3-5 years experience in Structural

Design, Should be AutoCAD compe-

tent. Please send your CV to Email:

[email protected] Tel. 99196733,

99419766

A well reputed Steel Fabrication & Machining Workshop Company in

Oman requires experienced Sales-man / Sales Engineer with Diploma

/ Degree Qualifi cation.

GSM 99228046

Email : [email protected],

Salesman for Sales of Printing

Press supplies urgently required in

Dubai. Must be knowledgeable about

Printing Presses and have a valid

GCC Driving License. Email CV to

[email protected]

A logistics company located at Sohar, requires Candidate for the post of marketing and accounts. Valid Oman License and experience

is added qualifi cation.

Contact: 99381 82, 24499091,


Highly reputed Perfume Company requires Omani Sales girl promoters. # 95663682,

92956876

Indian CA with 14 yrs exp. work-

ing as Head of Finance Oman for US

MNC looking for job. Ph94047434

Accountant, 4 yrs experience in

Oman, NOC available.# 96799714

Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience

in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit

visa. Contact 92045306

India Accountant: Male, M com,

7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to

fi nalization, having knowledge of

ERP, Tally, seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact:93950138


Sudanese Mechanical Engineer,

3 yrs experience as Sit Engineer,

HVAC System, and driving license,

easy to transfer immediately.

Contact 91135140

B.E Civil 5 yrs exp (2 yrs in India) 2

yrs Oman & 1 year in Qatar. Salary ex-

pected RO.500/- above. # 94412557

Looking Part time Job in HVAC-

93198128

Indian Male, 22 yrs, B.Tech, Marine

Engineer, presently on visit visa

seeks suitable placement. # 93191777,


Experienced female Electrical

Engineer.Contact 93800906


DAILY GUIDESITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Jordanian Civil Engineer with 4 yrs

experience in Construction Field (re-

lease available). Contact 95157199 /

92866288,


B.Sc, Civil Engineer, over 19 yrs

experience in construction fi eld with

project management skills, seeks

suitable placement. NOC available &

can join immediately.

Contact 92198264,


Mechanical Engineer, 3+ yrs exp.

(2 yrs. in Oman) experience looking

for better prospects. NOC available.

Email : myopportunities2015@

gmail.com, 968 94403484

Civil Engineer, male, 25 yrs, 3 yrs

experience in site, CAD,3D, MS Pro-

ject, now in India, seeks job in Oman.

Contact 92887561,

[email protected]

B.Tech Civil Engineer since 9 yrs

in Oman experienced in Project

coordination / Quantity surveying,

looking forward to work with con-

tractor/ consultants/client. Email:

[email protected],

Contact 93457995

26, female, B.Tech in Electronics &

biomedical engineering with 1 And

Half yrs experience in medical fi eld

is seeking suitable job openings.


ph : 94652908

B.E, Civil Engineer, 7 yrs experience

(3 in UAE & 4 in Pak), skilled – MS

word. Excel, AutoCAD. # 98499008


Civil Engineer, BE, 5 yrs experience,

minimum 2 yrs in Oman.

Contact : [email protected]

Indian male, 25 yrs, Electrical &

electronics Engineer, 7.8 CGPA,

history of no backlogs, Zonal topper

in English Communication, with

Cambridge certifi cation, looking for

suitable position, 2 yrs experience.

Contact 93918271,

[email protected]

MSc. UK Graduated Indian Male

26yrs Looking for Research As-

sistant Post. MSc. Agriculture For

Sustainable Development (UK)

B.tech. Biotechnology. Currently on

Visit Visa Email: nithinalex@gmail.

com Contact: +968 91709479

Mechanical Engineer, Indian male,

6 yrs exp (3 yrs in GCC) seeks suit-

able openings. Have valid GCC driv-

ing license. Email : msfebco@gmail.

com. Contact 91228398

Fabrication Engineering / Diploma

in Mechanical Engg. 17 yrs experi-

ence in Oman looking for suitable

placement, NOC available.

Contact 95426225, 93206605

Telecommunication Engineer with

5 yrs experience in the Gulf.

Contact 95219822

Electrical Project Engineer, 4 yrs

experience OHL, Substations, Oil &

Gas fi eld, AutoCAD. D/L available.

Contact 95120225

IT Engineer, Indian male, 25 yrs

having 3 yrs experience in Techni-

cal Support (IT) Networking, Sales

Marketing, looking for a job.

Email ID : [email protected],

91687294

Indian male, B.Tech (Electron-

ics & Electrical) working in Saudi

Arabia as Plant Manager for more

than 2 yrs, seeks suitable opening

in Oman. Contact +966593599187,

Email: [email protected].

Oman : 98875103, 99480523

Indian B.Tech Mechanical Engi-neer, 26 yrs, 4 yrs experience in

HVAC/MEP. Contact 94669629,

[email protected]

BSc Architectural Engineer,

7 yrs experience (6 yrs in Oman) site

work. Contact 99178218, 92579358,


BE (Elec and Tele Engg), Experi-

enced as Application Engg, Certifi ed

in BMS SCADA Ph: 94037935/

97103168

Land Surveyor 10 yrs experience

on visit visa. Contact – 93522354 /

[email protected]

Civil Engineer with 12 years Experi-

ence Looking For Job.

Contact 98162295

HOSPITALITY

MEDICAL

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Indian male Graduate with 12+ yrs

experience in Purchase/ Logistics/

Costing/Scheduling and Warehous-

ing in Building Materials & Con-

struction sector looking for suitable

placement. Local release available

on request. Contact: 94657319

MBA Graduate 10+ exp FMCG food

serv. Sales channel/ Branch Man-

ager. Contact - 99185205

Looking for job, holding valid Oman

Driving License, experience in food

& beverage, McDonalds & Retail

Starbucks Coff ee, UAE. Working now

as House Manager in HB Excellency

house Muscat. Contact 93407470,


Indian male Graduate with 20+

years of Administration, Operations

& Management experience in IT,

Oil & Gas & Hospitality Industry. 12

years in Oman with vast contacts,

very strong management, operation-

al, communication and interper-

sonal skills, can handle any size of

business and projects whether it’s in

initial stage or established. Can join

immediately. Local release available

on request. Contact: 9906 4589

MBA, male, 31 yrs, 5 yrs Production

management exp, 1 yr sales experi-

ence, 4 yrs admin & accounts exp.

strong IT team management skills,

immediately available for joining.

Contact 94670691,

[email protected]

General Manager / working partner

20 years in Dubai adverting agency

experience. Contact 93031168

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

Female 24 yrs Indian MBA and

IATA,1yr experience Ticketing &1.6yr

experience in Front offi ce looking

suitable jobs Travels, Admin& Front

offi ce .Oman on Family visa .

Contact 94614318

Indian female, well experienced

in secretarial, administration,

customer care & supervisory jobs.

5 years experience in Muscat.

Immediately available for joining.

Contact: 92139298

Sr. Site Supervisor (civil) since

March 2010 in Oman, looking for

better opportunity (rel. available).

Contact 93061107

Nebosh Qualifi ed HSE 15 yrs exp

safety Engineer Military (Indian

Navy) background, valid Oman driv-

ing license. Contact – 97352324

Quantity Surveyor (Civil Building)

looking for Part time job Contact

no:-94391712 E-mail address-

[email protected]

Industrial Electrician with Oman

Driving license. Contact 96348016

Indian male, 26 yrs B-Tech (ECE)

with MBA in Marketing / HR looking

for a suitable placement. Currently

on visit visa valid up to 30 January

2015. Contact 93754428,


Sudanese Civil Engineer, 10 yrs

experience 4 yrs in Oman in Govern-

ment Projects Supervision looking for

a job with D/L. Contact 96966790

Civil Engineer (Diploma) looking for

an urgent placement. #95200650

Civil Engineer (Fresher from NIT)

skilled in Autocad & Primavera,

holding oman D/L seeks suitable

placement. Contact -97309804,

[email protected]

Diploma of Associate Civil Engi-

neering, Diploma of AutoCad, having

3.5 yrs experience, 2 yrs experience

of Oman in Building Construction,

valid transferrable ID Card.

Contact 94378581

B.Tech Civil Engineer, Indian, 16

yrs in Oman with experience in PDO

Road Pipelines building with Omani

D/L looking for suitable placement.

Contact 98005456

A , M Tech GEO TECHNICAL ENGI-

NEERING Lady Engineer PRIMA-

VERA - STADD holder on visit seeks

suitable opening - preferably Sohar

area Contact 91277256

[email protected]

BE Civil Engineer, 5 yrs experience.


B.Sc in Civil Engineering, 2 yrs

experience (1 yr 3 months in Oman +

10 months in Bangladesh) knowing

AutoCAD, MS Offi ce & detailing,

fl uent speaker in English,

Hindi and Bangla. # 94038642


Diploma in Civil Engineer, 15 yrs

Oman experience (total 28 yrs) look-

ing for senior position with valid D/L,


DAE (Civil) having 3.5 years Experi-

ence 2 years from Oman with driving

licences, seeking for suitable posi-

tion in Construction fi eld NOC and

release available Contact 96968554

[email protected]

BE Mechanical, 9 yrs experience in

Sales & Business Development, Oil

& Gas equipments like pumps etc.

Contact 91139771

Mechanical Engineer, Gold Medalist,

B.Tech with 3.5 yrs experience in

Thermal Gas Power Plant in LDO, HFO

Pipeline Fabrication erection boiler

banker turbine. GSM: 97025338


Presently in Oman on visit visa.

M. Tech Electrical Eng. Female, now

in visit visa. Contact +968-94654481.

B. Tech Civil Eng. 3 yrs exp in Oman

with driving license. Contact 93733627.

Mail id : [email protected],

[email protected]

Female, 26 yrs, B.Tech in Mechani-

cal Engineer with 3 yrs experience

in Piping Stress Analysis in Oil &

Gas Sector, currently on family visa,

looking for a placement.

Contact 95890939,


Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,

2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-

ence. Contact 97311847

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

Male, 24 yrs with 1+ yrs Indian

experience (Certifi ed in Quantity

Survey/Primavera/AutoCAD) look-

ing for a suitable position, available

in Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on

visit visa. Contact 91303860,


Jordanian Engineer Electrical 7 yrs

exp. Consulting, site & shop drawing

works. Ready to join immediately.

Worked in UAE & Saudi Arabia.

Contact - 00971555594733

Civil Engineer B Tech, Site Engineer

Experienced, Drafting on Visit Visa

Ph : 91642050

INFORMATION TECH

TECHNICIAN

TECHNICIAN

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Civil foreman maintenance D/L,

12 yrs in Oman, 2 yrs in Kuwait.

Contact 96405865, 99534138,

India - +91 7589248550,

+91 9464255409, email:

[email protected]

3 Years experienced Administra-

tive Executive seeking for Virtual

Admin Opportunities. Can work for

6 hours/day from a virtual location

for 100 RO/month. Call: 95811820

Seeking job, BTech Instrumenta-

tion, 12 years experience Design,

FEED, Detailed engineering, Oil

& Gas, Instrumentation systems,

Oman Driving license.

Email :- [email protected]

Mobile:- 00968 99048130

Graduate, Indian, having 6 yrs

experience in Sales with D/L, NOC

available. Contact 93410723

Graduate, Indian, having 6 yrs

experience in Sales with D/L, NOC


Instrument Technician (M.Sc

Instrumentation) with 2 yrs expe-

rience (1 yr Indian + 1 yr in SABIC

Petro Chemical Plant, Saudi Ara-

bia), currently available in Muscat

on visit visa looking for a suitable

position in Oman.

Contact 97165988,


IT Technical Support Engineer, 3

yrs experience in Networking, spe-

cializing in DHCP,DNS,NTP etc also

Desktop level 3 helpdesk. jeni_per-

[email protected] 94525630

B.Tech IT, 1 yr experience pro-

gramming with asp.net visual

basic network certifi ed.

Contact 96748154

Indian Male 23 yrs – IT / Pre-

post Sales Consultant / Business

Analyst / Web Designing. 2 yrs.

exp. Languages-HTML5, WebRTC,

Java, CSS, C++, .Net, SQL, Oracle,

ERP-Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Looking for suitable job.

Contact: 98802504,

email:[email protected]

Indian male, 23 yrs, having

1 yr experience in IT hardware &

networking & 3 months in Oman,

currently on visit visa, qualifi ca-

tion B.Sc Electronics CCNA, MCITP,

RHCE. ph : 92089719 Email :

[email protected],

IT support Technician, B.Sc computer science, 1 yr

experience in Desktop support &

3 months experience as System

administrator, Indian male, 25 yrs.


Contact 94525218

MCA Graduate, Offi ce mgmt typ-

ing speed 45-50 wpm, 5+ yrs of

experience in UAE & India.

Contact 98762816

Indian Male M.Sc electronics,

having 7.5 years of experience in IT

Hardware and Networking, seeking

placement. Contact: 97202522

email: connectjinomjohn@yahoo.

com

B.Tech IT Professional, Indian

Male with 3 yrs of Exp. In System

Admin, IT Support, Networking,

Installing Active Directory, DHCP,

DNS,RAS, confi guring maintaining

and managing servers, confi gur-

ing cisco routers, Exp in handling

SQL database, With Valid Driving

Licence. Contact - 968 98863507

IT Prof, MCA having 6+ yrs exp,

seeks suitable position.

Contact 94543668

IT Professional, Indian male, B.Sc

Graduate with 4+ yrs Gulf (UAE)

good exp in System Administration,

IT Support, Server Desktop, laptop,

smartboard, datashow biometric,

CCTV, currently on visit visa.

Contact 98936548,

[email protected]

Female, B Tech (Software Profes-

sional), Oracle SQL .NET Database,

Experienced (Teaching & Engg)

Ph: 94550127

Sales & Marketing Indian male

MBA (marketing & sales) business

development experience at all levels

of management. Currently on visit

visa. Contact – 91272819

An Indian driver with car looking

for part time job.

Contact - 91103909

Indian, Female, Pharmacist avail-

able with NOC and MOH License,

preferably in Muscat.

Contact 9439 1355.

Indian, 24 years, B.Tech with

Diploma in Sound Engineering &

Sound Recording seeking suitable

placement. Currently on Visit Visa.

Contact: 95615436. Email:

[email protected]

Indian Female-Tech Electrical,

from third best college, Govern-

ment Engineering College Tris-

sur. Fluent in English. Excellent

presentation skill.Engineering,

IT, teaching or account sector

job wanted. Contact -97724630 /


IT supports 6 yrs experience,

male, Filipino Desktop Support,

Backup administrator, Wireless

Networking, server admin.

Contact - +96896126502

Indian male, 31 years of Rich

Oman experience in Multifunc-

tional Management, Admistration,

Business Development, Purchase

& Operations seeking suitable

Manager/Supervisory Position.

Visa transfer/ NOC Available.

GSM: 95036410

Filipino Accountant with 13 years

working experience in the fi eld of

accounting looking for a suitable

job in Muscat. Contact: 94547323

Well experienced MOH Licensed

Indian female staff nurse looking

for placement under contract with

Schools, Medical Centres, other

Institutions. Contact 98140024.

Phd – Management, specialization

in management, e-marketing and

online consumer behavior, 6 years

of academic and research experi-

ence. Indian lady GSM 97240687

& 93463439

Indian Male having 14 years of ex-

perience in HR, Purchase Dept hav-

ing Oman Driving License looking

for a suitable position NOC avail-

able. Email – madhuvtk@gmail.

com. #: 99252635, 99239498

28 years Indian male with 7yrs of

experience in Accounts & Finance

up to fi nalisation in Construction

Oil & Gas and also in Manufactur-

ing industries with Oman D/L

seeking suitable placement.

Contact me on 97104364 .email:

[email protected]

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Logistics Offi cer, Experience in

Store keeping. Contact : 99505934

IT Professional, 7 yrs exp in Sys-

tem Administration, IT Support,

Networking etc. currently on visit

visa. Contact 94064579,


Veterinary Doctor 4 years experi-

ence in Military Cattle farm, Pet

Animals & butchery, looking for a

suitable placement.

Contact: 9789234

Physiotherapist (BPT), Indian male,

4.5 yrs experience, looking for suit-

able job, available in Oman (Muscat)

on visit visa. Contact 92692143,


Indian male Pharmacist (B.Pharma) 5 1/2 years experience

in Oman seeking suitable placement

in Muscat. NOC from the present

employer available.

CONTACT +968 98525100

Indian female Nurse, prometric

passed, 64%. Contact 97916986,

96146016, 22068598

Indian Female, Dentist fresher look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact 98857686,


Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf

experience) looking for a suitable

job (NOC available)

Contact-93344378

Pakistani male, 34, College 2 yrs, 2

yrs experience as Sales Representa-

tive, 3 yrs experience as Clerk /

Offi ce Assistant, 3 yrs experience as

Salesman in Oman, Computer Skill :

Excel, BUSY, ERP, languages known

– English, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu.

Contact 96763346

Indian male, 7 yrs Gulf exp in Sales

(Indoor – Outdoor), looking for imme-

diate placement, release available.

Contact 99433816 / 93159202

Indian male, Diploma in Automobile

& BBA, 8 yrs experience in Sales

looking for a job in Sales.

Contact 94480382

MBA Professional with Omani

Driving License seeking Sales or

Marketing job. Contact 94143154,

[email protected]

Indian male, 25yrs, MBA in HR/

Marketing.6yrs exp with MNC and

pharma. Presently in family visit

visa looking for suitable placements.

Contact no-94657379/

96645182

Indian male, 7 yrs Gulf exp in Sales

(Indoor – Outdoor), looking for job.

Contact 99433816 / 93159202

B.Com Graduate experience mar-keting 8 yrs (India) valid Oman

driving license. Contact – 97916044

/ 97382638

Indian male having 3 yrs Oman exp

in sales and administration with

valid Oman license. Looking for suit-

able placement. NOC available, own

vehicle also available.

Contact – 98956725

15 years experience in Business

Development , marketing, purchase –

UAE & Oman-staff coordination, doc-

umentation, civil & technical mainte-

nance, -valid GCC license-looking for

working partnership or management

post. Contact:91568362 /

Email [email protected]

Indian Male, B.Tech E&I, 10 yrs

experience in Sales, Procurement,

BDM. 6 yrs Oman experience in

Oil & Gas Sector. Seeking suitable

placement. Oman D/L, NOC


Indian Male, MBA in Marketing and

Finance, 10 years’ Sales & Business

Development Experience with valid

D/L of Oman & UAE looking for a

suitable placement. NOC Available.

Contact: 93969961

e-mail [email protected]

Indian Male, 7 yrs experience in

building materials trading having

Oman D/L, immediate release avail-

able. Contact 98676713

18 yrs Oman experience in Building

Materials seeking suitable placement,


Housekeeping supervisor & outlet supervisor, currently working

in Damman Golden Tulip, seeks

placement in Oman as an outlet

supervisor. Well experience in

room service managed with 160

rooms with 4 star hotel.

Contact 94641320

Indian male Graduate with 20+

years of Administration, Operations

& Management experience in IT,

Oil & Gas & Hospitality Industry. 12

years in Oman with vast contacts,

very strong management, operation-

al, communication and interper-

sonal skills, can handle any size of

business and projects whether it’s in

initial stage or established. Can join

immediately. Local release available

on request. Contact: 9906 4589

Management Professional, exper-

tise in team building operations,

project management, leadership,

writing on visit visa till 19th January

2015. Contact 93516436,


Qualifi ed Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman

Exp.) Vast knowledge in A/c & Admin,

Costing, Banking, Credit Control,

Insurance, International Purchase/

Logistics & Finance, With D/L

looking for suitable position.

Gsm: 93826090


Indian female with nine years of ex-

perience in 5 Star hotels as Assistant

Food & Beverage Manager looking

for a suitable placement in a reputed

Star hotel.Contact: 91219787

Indian male, 22 yrs, BBM Gradu-

ate looking for suitable job in sales/

marketing, currently on visit visa.

Contact 91757222, email :

[email protected]

Indian male, Instrumentation

Technician with 3 yrs Diploma &

1 yr exp in Maintenance Dept,

seeks job. Call +971554275155

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624




26,male, ACCA fi nalist, exp. upto

fi nalisation of accounts, statu-

tory and internal audit, expertise

in using tally and focus & oracle

software, have 2 years exp. in ac-

counts till fi nalisation and statu-

tory audit, seeking fi ll time / part

time job,GSM-97654769,email id-

[email protected]

MBA & chemical Engineer having

20 yrs Purchase & Logistic

experience in Petrochemicals &

oil fi eld seeking jobs in Oman/

Abudhabi/ Qatar/ SA .#97813849

Indian male 22 Yrs, diploma in fi re

& safety, special Trainings com-

pleted from Cochin Port Trust Fire

Service & The Travancore-Cochin

Chemicals Ltd searching for a suit-

able placement, now on visit visa,

Contact No. 96722632

Indian Male 26 years B.Com

having 5years rich experience in

Accounts and Admin looking for

suitable placement.

Contact: 96897914340,

00919902200486, E mail:

[email protected]

Indian Male, 24 yrs, MBA in HR/

Marketing. More than 1 years

experienced in retail Banking (Axis

Bank) Presently in family visit in

Oman seeking for a suitable place-

ment.#99892082 / 997 43 709

26,male, ACCA fi nalist, have

professional experience up to fi na-

lization of accounts, statutory and

internal audit, expertise in using

tally and focus & oracle software,

2 years experience in accounts till

fi nalization, seeking job,

GSM-97654769,email id-

[email protected]

Indian Male 26 years BCOM

having 5years rich experience

in Accounts and Admin looking

for suitable placement. Contact:

96897914340, 00919902200486,

E mail:

[email protected]

Operation Manager, Indian male,

30 yrs exp. In Front Offi ce Hotel

Industry with Omani driving

license seeks placement.NOC /

Release Available. #99799774

Indian Male, B.COM, ICWA, CMA

Australia, 24 years experience in

fi nance, costing, accounts, internal

audit. Valid Oman driving license.

NOC available. Can join immedi-

ately. Contact 97917136

Indian female M.A B.Ed. with One

year three months teaching experi-

ence. Subject: English seeking for

a better placement. Now working

in Oman #93961142, 92184408

Email:[email protected].

B.Sc. Computer science graduate

with CCNA certifi cation and also

with a working 2 years experience,

looking for a suitable position in

IT sector. #96892595819

Diploma in Civil engineering, male,

5 yrs experience in Oman, worked

as Site Engineer at Hyundai Engi-

neering & Construction Company.

Beximco Engg Const Company, PHP

Steel Mills Ltd seeking job urgently.

Contact 97140857

Indian male 27year B.Com gradu-

ate 2year experience in marketing.

Looking for good placement in any

fi eld, since from 4year in Oman.

Contact 98765838

Indian Male 23years B.E Electrical

and Electronics Engineering having

1 year experience in Admin, Electri-

cal Engineer, Electrical supervi-

sor and Project Engineer looking

for suitable placement. Contact :

+96899682689, +91 8136994996.


D6 M O N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

TRANSPORTATION

EVERY FRIDAY 2.00PM ON INDIA’S KAIRALI PEOPLE TV

● Worldwide ● Air Ticket ● Car Rental ● Holiday Packages ● Hotel Reservations ● Travel Insurance

Call: 0096824790400, 0096898569830 Email: [email protected]

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION

WANTEDSIT. WANTED

BUSINESS

Excellent investment, business and

earning opportunity in Sultanate

of Oman and other GCC countries.

Looking for investors and sponsors

(Omani Nationals only). For meet-

ing and discussions please call on

91285860

Licensed Engineering Consultancy

(Chemical) Company looking for In-

ternational or local partners to start

operations in Oman. For enquiries

call 99264162

Wanted dentist or investor to buy a

well-running dental clinic in Sohar

immediately. Contact 92625962,

95904234

Omani National looking for expat

investing partner in Restaurant in

Al Amerat. Infrastructure almost

ready. Jamal Adan Trading.

Contact 98711083, email :

[email protected]

We assist in new business set up

local sponsorship, real estate ser-

vices, assist in company formation

services. Contact - 93166088

MATRIMONIAL

Parents of Christian girl (Roman

Catholic),27yrs,fair,5.5”, from Ker-

ala working in TCS, Bangalore as

Systems Engineer seeks suitable

alliances. Call: +968 92010215 /

+968 99278649

Proposals are invited from parents

of professionally qualifi ed Nair Boys

for 24 year old Upper Middle Class

Nair girl hail from Trivandrum, (171

cm, Star-Bharani) employed in a

reputed Company in Oman. Contact:

0968-9950 2593 /99798041.

(KM ID.2844689)

MANPOWER

ACC. AVAILABLE

Sharing accommodation available

at Mumtaz area, Ruwi.

Contact 97612335

Independent room furnished

Executive at Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99336206

Furnished room in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 94012930

Separate entrance room with

attached bathroom and A/C near

Wadi Adai roundabout for Executive

bachelor. Contact 92148188

Accommodation available for

rent in SEEH AHMER FANJA near

Oman Oil, only 10 mtrs drive from

Rusayl industrial area, Please Call on

95200429 or 99224352

Room with A/C, furniture for ex-

pats at Al Khuwair. # 97004265 /

99689315

Furnished room in CBD Area for

non-cooking bachelor free Wi-Fi,

advance deposit call 99078540

Room available in Al Khuwair with

sharing kitchen and bathroom near

Blu Radisson. R.O 100/-+W/E.

Contact 96930219

Room for Sri Lankan executive at

AL Khuwair. Contact – 96536307

Sharing accommodation available

near Khimji Mart at Mumtaz area in

Ruwi for couple. Living room, bed-

room, kitchen available. # 96659817

Executive room at Mumtaz area.

Contact – 93103337 / 95212017

Single room with sharing kitchen

for Executive bachelor or working

lady, Ruwi, in front of Apollo Hospi-

tal. Contact 98232567 / 91673718

Room with separate toilet and WiFi,

Wadi Kabir near pencil building.

Contact 93416854

Room with separate entrance & A/C

in Al Khuwair near Rawasco for non-

cooking Indian Bachelor, rent RO

125/-. Contact 97201100, 95397442

NRI

Furnished house for sale near

Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapu-

ram, 5 cents, 220 SQ Ft. Contact

96099215 / 99016230

3100 Sq ft two storied buildings,

ground fl oor fl at, 1611 sq ft with 2

cents of land around the building

for sale. Location – near St. Marys

Church Pattom, Trivandram, Palm

drive lane, House No. 10. Contact

99747481 / +91 9746239049

For Astrological consultation,

Jathakam. Contact: 99860435 /

97102599

Villa for sale 2200 sq ft in 8 cent.

Kottayam. Contact: 92652534

10 cent (404.7m2) residential land

for sale at kalamassery (kochi)

for immediate sale contact Biny

95298395

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments &

massage, Ayurvedic clinic at Al Khu-

wair. Contact 24478618 / 97263637

/93309131

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM.

If you would like to know more

about Islam, please call: 99425598,

96050000, 99353988, 99253818,

99341395, and 99379133. For ladies:

99415818, 99321360, 99730723

Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

Ayurvedic treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,

All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 /

92504980 , www.siddhayur.com

Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain,

backache, paralysis, massage, steam

bath, obesity, spondylitis, ideal care

Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street,

Azaiba.# 99639695 / 99117987

GOOD NEWS

LOST

NOTICE

Furnished single room with

separate bathroom near al meera

hypermarket, azaiba.

Gsm 94288863

Pick & drop anytime in al Khuwair.

Contact 99764307

Transportation. Contact

98505294

Transportation. Contact 91379976

Transportation with car & driver.

(VIP’s only). Contact 95040768


Pick & Drop any time. Contact

97014786


Transportation available 99159277


Transportation Available

Contact 97180655

Offi ce space near KFC, Al Khu-

wair, offi ce basement near Mars, Al

Ghubrah, double & single bedroom

fl at Al Ghubrah near Mars and Wadi

Kabir near Lulu. Contact 95755551 /

92222045

Room + balcony + separate toilet for

non cooking single Indian Bachelor,

RO 140/-. Contact 98928458

Furnished single room with

attached bathroom near Mars

Hypermarket, Al Ghubrah. Contact

97312111, RO 150/- per month

2 Bedroom fl at for offi ces with

furniture near Al Manaf Hotel, Ghala.

Contact 99525743, 99439705

Excellent 3 bedrooms , 2 sitting

rooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen & store

with A/C. 92817777

Akram Hossain has lost Bangla-

deshi Passport No. BA0149909.

Finder please handover to ROP.

Nazrul Islam Shoeb has lost

Bangladeshi Passport No.

E1809280. Finder please handover

to ROP.

Samiya Nasrin has lost Bang-

ladeshi Passport No. E1809281.


Fakhrul Islam has lost Bangla-

deshi Passport No. E1809282.


Riyaz Thaikkandi Kuniyil has lost

Indian Passport No. H6687099.


Mijanur Rahman has lost Bang-

ladeshi Passport no. F0286387.


Union Disyinction Line for Trad L.L.C which is recorded under the

commercial register in directorate

general for trade industry number

1208315 is going to change its

name to Middle East Gate Mod-

ernistic for Trad L.L.C company

. This is to inform anybody who

concerns about that.

CONTD on pg 7

Indian female MA. B.Ed. with

One year three months Teach-

ing experience. Subject: English

,seeking for a Better placement.

Now working in Oman . Contact: -:

93961142, 92184408 Email:-anoo-

[email protected].

MBA with 1 yr experience, Indian

looking for job, salary 40000 INR.

Contact 96271935

Part time delivery man available.

Contact 95178930

BLDG Caretaker Gulf Exp, knows

HINDI/ARABIC/ENG PH: 94304348

Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male,

having 8+ years exp. in reputed

companies, seeking suitable

placement in any gulf region.

#+968 99276601 & 97693456.

[email protected]

Indian male, 26 yrs - MBA Gradu-

ate with 3 yrs of Experience in

Banking (Standard Chartered Bank

Scope International - Operations)

& Coff ee Vending Machine (Fresh

& Honest Cafe ltd - , Operations)

on Visit Visa seeks placement. Ph:

91267867,


Tunisian women looking for

job, khnows english, frensh, Italian

and arabic. Contact: 91171838

28 year Indian male with

7yrs(5yrs in Oman) of experi-

ence in Accounts & Finance up

to fi nalisation in Construction Oil

& Gas and also in Manufacturing

industries with Oman D/L

seeking suitable placement.

Contact me on 97104364 email:

[email protected]

Looking out for the post of Travel

coordinator/Senior travel Consult-

ant, 14 years (10 years in GCC

Countries) of experience in the

travel industry looking for a suit-

able placement. #96328687

Female dentist with MOH license

and release looking for a suitable

placement in Muscat, presently

residing in Muscat. ##99147426

Indian Female. B-Tech Electrical,

from third best college, Govern-

ment Engineering College Thris-

sur. Fluent in English. Excellent

presentation skill. Engineering,

IT, teaching or account sector job

wanted. GSM-97724630, email:

[email protected]

Structural Engineer with 14 years

experience in structural design

and supervision fi elds with full

knowledge of structure design

programs, Omani D/L, seeking a

reputed engineering consultancy

offi ce vacancy Tel. 96248598.

Indian female dentist with 4 year experience.

Call Nazia 96488737

Manager Maintenance/Engi-

neering/Purchase, 31 yrs. exp. in

mechanical, electrical, electronics,

parts fabrication, purchase deptt,

oman exp. 5yrs, have NOC,

looking for job. Contact -

[email protected], 99331289

Indian Male, 31 years of Rich

Oman experience in Multifunction-

al Management, Administration,

Business Development, Purchase

& Operations seeking suitable

Manager/Supervisory Position.

Visa transfer/NOC Available.

GSM: 95036410

Indian Male, B.COM, ICWA, CMA

Australia, 24 years experience in

fi nance, costing, accounts, internal

audit. Valid Oman driving license.

NOC available. Can join immedi-

ately. Contact 97917136

More than 10 years experience

in Sales & Marketing, Insurance,

Direct marketing, Advertisement,

Credit Control & logistics.

Contact: 99322748, 91071097

Post Graduate Engineer with

5+ years experience in Project

Planning & Management

currently on visit visa looking

for a Project Co-ordinator/Plan-

ning Engineer position in reputed

organizations.

Please contact (968) 96105079

Indian Female, IATA, BSc looking

for suitable placement.

Contact 95514305.

[email protected]

MECHANICAL ENGINEER (B

Tech), Indian Mail, with NDT

Level 2(ASNT), Autocad, Solid-

works, 2 year above experience

(as Mechanical Site Engineer and

Design Engineer), Seeking suitable

placement(on visit visa).

Contact: 91591548,

00919447300022,


M.V.WANTED

Required Nissan Tida / Toyota

yaris / Suzuki swift / hyundai/Kia

hatchback car in good condition.

Contact 95405033


DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with

Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine

Tours # 98029602, 92808636

TOURS

TOURSRENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

DRIVING

M.V. FOR SALEM.V. FOR SALE

Expat Prado VX6, model 2008,

excellent condition, 2 fuel tanks, 180

ltrs, cool box, leather seats, 122500

kms, last Toyota Service in Jan

2015. Contact 99435226

Nissan Sunny Auto 2009, 100 k,

RO 2500. Contact 93289652

Pajero 3.8 v6 full option, 2008

model expat driven single owner, ex-

cellent condition, accident free, 217k.

Contact - 92590781

Lexus GS300, 2006. #93218349

TRANSPORTATION




Transportation available.

Contact 95570429

Driver with car. Contact 92179395

Renault Safrane, model-2010 kms-

100000, full option, good condition.

price-2900/- negotiable

CONTACT-97881927

Toyota Yaris 1.5, full automatic

2010 Dec, new insurance, new tyres

83,000 kms in excellent condition,

OMR 3300/-. Contact 93291179

Lexus IS 250, model 2007,

good condition. Contact 95530560

Hyundai Elantra white 2010 model

full auto. Contact - 95212017

Mitusbishi ASX white colour,

1.5 yrs old, excellent condition,

RO 5900/- fi nal. Contact 95278815

Prado 2012. Contact 99336093

UM Aisha Trading Ladies Beauty

Saloon, Al Wadi Kabir main road,

Al Hassan Complex near top up

supermarket. Contact 95241147/

96700192



D8 M O N D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5



FOR HIRE

TRUCK FOR HIREIsuzu 10 ton cargo body truck

(2012 FVR) with UAE experienced driver

available for long term / short term rent.

Contact: 95346950

Running truck wash for rent in

Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people

can. Contact on 97864747

50 seater bus with PDO specifi ca-

tion for rent or lease.

Contact 99839898

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SITUATION WANT-SERVICES

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your

marble. # 24793614/ 99314807

Pest Control Treatments!!! Termites! Cockroaches! Bedbugs!

Ocean Centre LLC.

Contact 99344723

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance. Contact ABU QA-

BAS- 99320217 /24788722

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance. Contact ABU QA-

BAS- 99320217 /24788722

Door to Door Computers repair

specialist laptop software Website

cartridges. Contact 99199376

A.M Trading Pest control.Contact 99067923

Split & window A/C servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089

GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC

all kind of pest control.

Contact 92326955

Window & split unit AC servicing &


Waterproofi ng, light weight Screed,

Antitermite and MS Fabrication.

Contact 92888337

For All Your Maintenance Solu-

tions, A/c Servicing & Fixing,

Painting, Cleaning, Electric. Contact

99002390

Contact: 91262820 / 96458007

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house clean-

ing. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

For All Your Maintenance Solutions,

A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting,

Cleaning, Electric.

Contact. 99002390

Water proofi ng ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Window & split unit A/C servicing &


Civil Maintenance, Painting Elec-

tric, Plumbing, Decor, Tile Fixing,

Lecithin Copra Board fl at stifl ing ,

Carpet Cleaning and A/C Servic-

ing.Contact 97897831 (Indian

keralite)

For all your maintenance needs

including, Painting, Plumbing,

Electricity, Laying of Interlock

Tiles, Marbles etc. Tel: 99383574

Mr. Chandran

Electrical Plumbing Painting

Contract and Maintenance.

Contact 98456535

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-ter-

mite treatment, general cleaning

painting, Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-

Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137,

99450130

CLASSES

WEBSITE

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

Al Manar Vocational pleased to an-

nounce at vocational short and long

term courses in tailoring, cooking

and internal design. Contact us now :

24698070 or 91144335

Split & window AC servicing and

repairing. Contact 99557080

Civil maintenance, electrical &

plumbing work. Contact 99557080,

96236476

Building Caretaker, Gulf Expe-

rienced, knows Arabic, Hindi

English Ph : 94304348

PRO services. Contact 99368907

Fast & Right Way - For all PR

related works – permanent Visa

stamping, family visiting visa

holders, clients contacts – with

NOC letter with signed & sealed

photocopy documents –

Contact: 91568362

Catering services We do industrial

catering service, Canteen/ mess,

3 times packed meals,

and all types of catering events.

Contact 92188777/

99249899

For HT cable jointing and

termination works 33KV/11KV.

Contact 99056438 /


House shifting transport. Contact

99657644, 98518013

Painting Interlock plumbing


Carpet & Sofa Shampooing.

Ocean Centre LLC. # 99884591

Maintenance – 1) A/C Mainte-

nance, 2)fridge, washing machine

& dish washer repairing, 3)paint-

ing & cleaning services, 4)electri-

cal & plumbing carpentry work.

# 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

BEAUTY

Varkey’s Gents Salon & Spa – Of-

fer 25% on all spa facilities like

hamam spa, massages with steam

bath, Jacuzzi, aroma therapy, pedi-

cure & manicure, facial treatments.

Contact 92935679

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

SITUATION WANT-SERVICES

times of oman - january 12, 2015

Documents

national railway project

rabi al awal

minister of transport

oman crude

oil prices

expected oil revenue

comtimesofoman twitter

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